Bad Hotel

This video is about a group of workers in a hotel who are demanding their rights to health care for their families and themselves. They decided to band together and organized a flash mob. They danced and sang to Lady Gaga all the while demanding what is rightfully theirs. They did this in the main lobby of the hotel in front of dozens of customers and demanded that everyone boycott the hotel. The workers are protesting but they are also having fun doing so. I decided to include this video in my blog because I thought that it was a very creative way to protest. They obtained the attention they were searching for almost immediately.

Stopped In My Tracks

Tuesday Jan. 24:

After completing the writing exercise in class I began to think about the past, when I was just a kid. For that exercise I ended up writing about one experience in 6th that meant very much to me. That was the year that I became very involved in the music department at my school. I was in the school choir as well as played the trumpet in the middle school band. I look back at that year with nostalgia because I recall feeling, carefree, happy, and free of stress, nothing compared to the rhythm of college. In my writing I described a scene in which I am anticipating attending one of my band recitals and then go on to describe with metaphors what I felt when I was actually there. I described how the instrument felt in my hands, how the music sounded to my ears. Prior to this writing exercise I had never sat down to write about a meaningful event in my life in such a short period of time. Probably if this had been a formal paper that I had to write about myself I would have never chosen this event. I would have probably have thoroughly thought out a more appropriate event to describe who I am. In my opinion having to write on such a short notice allowed me to be more free with my thoughts and feelings, it brought out my subconscious, things that I had not thought about in years. Here is an expert of that piece of writing:

"Tick, tick, tick" the day seemed to drag on forever as I stared at the clock on the wall. I could hear my English teacher's voice in background, reading the longest most boring story she had ever chosen to read. As I sat there in my desk all I wanted to do was rush to band practice. I wanted to feel the smooth, shiny, gold body of my trumpet between my fingers as I produced note after note for all to enjoy. To untrained eyes my sheet of music was foreign language but not for me. I navigated through that sheet of music like an expert sailor through calm seas and ranging storms. When I began playing I could think about nothing else, I knew just were to go, exactly what to do..."


Friday Jan. 26:

I shut the door behind my back and plumped down on the nearest sofa. I was not only physically tired but also mentally tired. The school week was finally over, the weekend was near. These are often the feelings one gets when we focus on something for such a long. It is often those kinds of days that I feel that we wrap ourselves in our goals and neglect to look beyond them. We become engulfed in academics and neglect to see the big picture. As I sat there on that sofa I tried to imagine were I would be in 5, 10, even 20 years. These thoughts stopped me in my tracks. There were in fact numerous constants that I wanted my life to always have: family, love, education, travel, security among other things.
Sunday Jan. 29:

Browsing through Netflix I came across a movie called "The Secret". According to this movie the power of the mind is extremely great and has no limits. The movie professes that if you set your minds to accomplish something and are always positive about it will become true due to the law of attraction. You do not have to know how you will accomplish something, you only have to believe that it is true. For example, if you want to become a doctor, teacher, lawyer, rich, you have to think about those goals as if there is no doubt in your mind that they will become true. Of course I was immediately suspicious and skeptical of what I was hearing. The movie was created in a way that forced the viewer to at least attempt to believe that what they were hearing was actually true. This is because it was composed of interviews of people for whom the "Secret" was a reality. Regardless of the promises that this movie makes, one thing that I am positive about is the power of the mind. The mind may not be a miracle worker but it does have great power in our lives. The state of mind in which we find ourselves often defines the  directions and decisions we make in life.   

State of the Union?

President Obama began this year's State of the Union Address with his most important accomplishment this past year and probably of his whole 4-year term that is, removing troops from Iraq and the death of Osama bin Laden. He speaks of the courage and bravery of all the troops that fought in Iraq as well as the Navy Seals that brought in the most wanted man in America. From his use of rhetoric one is driven to believe that the "War on Terror" is finally over an in addition, Iraq is now a better country because we were there. He states:

 "At a time when too many of our institutions have let us down, [these achievements have] exceed all expectations. They’re not consumed with personal ambition. They don’t obsess over their differences. They focus on the mission at hand. They work together."

From this statement one perceives that since the war is now over terrorism is now something of the past and it's time to look towards the future when in reality nothing is that simple. This year's State of the Union address served as a launchpad for the democratic campaign for the presidency. The president did not focus on any one theme or policy. His speech was about everything that concerns Americans today and that may affect how they will vote this coming November. Another way to look at this speech is as a rebuttal to the republican campaigns that have been raging on these past few months. The president spoke about education, natural gas, taxes, Iran, foreign trade, supporting innovation, global influence, the list goes on and on. This night was not about the state of the union but about, "What the president can do for you" if reelected.

The president's speech was filled with many promises that we all hope he will keep. As we approach November we should expect to hear many more promises from all sides both Democratic and Republican. As we saw in the film "Lions for Lambs", pretty words or a nice cover story are not sufficient to lead a country in the correct direction. This country is a democracy first and foremost for the people and by the people. This is a privilege of great power handed to the citizens of this country, a privilege that for many individuals around the world is but a distant dream. With great power also comes great responsibilities. Let us not be led astray by rhetoric, let us be guided by facts. When it comes our turn to hand in the ballot let us be well informed and confident in the choices we are making for ourselves and our country as a whole.   

Blogs, Blogs, and more Blogs

After surfing the web and viewing many different blogs it appears that the majority of blogs choose to focus on one theme. Some themes include travel, shopping, comics, getting into medical school or whatever interests the blogger. While this is true, there are other blogs that are not so structured because life does not always function in that manner. Some blogs chronicle daily life or choose to focus on numerous interests. Regardless of the style the blogger chooses to implement a blog usually attracts an audience with similar interests as their own. They are able to create a network of followers that can often serve as a support system for the blogger. Each blog has its own purpose, its own personality. The best blogs in my opinion are those that are easy to follow, and the design of the blog is welcoming to the reader. Also, the blog should encourage the audience to comment and participate. The blogger should have an open conversation with their audience.

The benefit of blogging is that it’s a free space in which you can express your ideas and interests freely. You can choose to remain anonymous or choose to reveal your identity. It becomes easier to spread your ideas and have your voice heard. There are often not many opportunities to voice our opinions in a job or school setting. A blog allows you to do so without much effort; it becomes something natural as telling your best friends what you are feeling or thinking. Often we become disconnected with the outside world and become immersed only in our immediate surroundings. We forget that there is more to the world than what we see in our everyday lives. Blogs allow us to travel to other places alien to us and experience things that we have not before.

I have not yet decided what the theme of my blog will be. I am interested in many things such as books, travel, school, my major and minor (Biology and Spanish respectively) among other things. As the course progresses I hope to develop an idea that interests me the most and that will allow me to express myself freely. In other words, I am searching for a theme that will flow with the rhythm of my life. This is the first time that I will have a blog and I want the experience to be meaningful. I do not want my blog to become a burden in my life or just be another item on my “to do list”.

Here are some blogs that have interested so far:

http://leatherk27.blogspot.com/

After Prof. S suggested we take a look at SHU-grad Kelly Leather’s blog I went ahead and looked. Once I began reading it I didn’t want to stop. I loved the way she incorporated pictures into her descriptions of Albania, it made the blog much more interesting. After reading about Albania and looking at the pictures I felt that I wanted to personally travel and go see it. This blog opened my eyes to the many possibilities that await us after we graduate. It sparked an interest and curiosity in me to travel and experience different cultures and different ways of life.

http://comicsworthreading.com/

This blog is about comics. After viewing this blog I realized that a blog could be about anything in particular. All that is required is a strong interest in something and the desire to share your interest with others. This blog was also designed to have many pictures to complement the bloggers post. The way in which a blog is organized and presented is also a very important factor to consider. Presentation is a very important aspect to consider when you want others to comment on your writing.  

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/

This is a NY Times news blog in which anyone can comment on events occurring all over the globe. I really liked this blog because it is not limited to one topic. Many topics are covered from domestic to international affairs. Each small blog is divided by news story. You can choose to comment on more than one story. I liked the format of this blog because while the reader is being informed about what is occurring around the globe they can comment and debate at the same time. The reader is not limited to just one news story but has the liberty to choose making the experience more interesting.

Lions for Lambs

                The title of this film, “Lions for Lambs” raises an interesting question. Who are the lions and who are the lambs? The film presents us with three different groups of people and the telling of one story.  We are presented with a Congressman and a successful journalists, a group of infantry soldiers fighting in Iraq, and finally college student Todd Hayes. Todd has what it takes to become very successful, according to one of his professors. Professor Stephen Malley had only seen this type of potential in two of his former students, Arian and Ernest. Frustrated with the situation of the country in regards to the war in Iraq, Arian and Ernest decided to join the armed forces, against the wishes of Professor Malley. It seems that Professor Malley doesn’t want history to repeat itself. He wants to lead Todd in the correct direction. Todd sees politics as nonsense. In his mind the country is lead with lies, lies that only serve to maintain those in power. The question that Todd faces after speaking with Professor Stephen Malley is to choose whether to “drive” or “to be driven”? Whether to be a lamb or a lion?

                The phrase “Lions for Lambs” can be translated to strong brave soldiers led by weak incompetent leaders. The lack of communication between the individuals making the calls and those carrying them out is very predominant in the story. Senator Jasper Irving has no regard for human loss in his road towards glory. As he tells Janine Roth, he wants to give the American people what they have been waiting for, a win that will pave his way to more power in the government. Senator Irving can be described as the Lamb leading the Lions. For Irving everything is a strategic plan, everything can be accomplished by hiding the dirty work and covering it up with a nice cover story.

                 So what really is this talk of lambs and lions all about? The reality is that anyone of us can represent the character of Todd Hayes. Every one of us has a choice to make in regards to the future of our country. If we desire change we must cause it. How we decide to bring about such a change is as important as taking that first step. Arian and Ernest wanted to change an institution but went in through the back door instead of the front. They placed themselves under the instruction of the “lambs” they had criticized and hoped to reform. Professor Malley was trying to make Todd understand that there were more than two options. That is, that it’s definitively possible to be a strong leader and lead a strong country at the same time. Often as a society we forget that we too have power. We take it for granted and allow ourselves to be led in the wrong direction. When we come to realize what has happened it is often too late. Then we become disappointed in our government as Todd did and remove ourselves. This film emphasizes the fact that it is our responsibility to find answers to the problems and conflicts that our country faces and portrays what can happen if we do not.