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Thursday, 26 August 2010

  • Once In Love

    Once upon a time I fell in love.
    I thought an angel sent from above.
    What a typical story we've all have heard,
    And yet no one wishes to move away from the herd.
    I continue to think, "What have I done abundantly wrong?
    That I deserve such a pain very strong."
    I drifted away from what seemed real,
    And continued to dwell on everything that was surreal.
    My friends told me, "It's time to wake up."
    But I refused to get out off bed and dreamed about.
    One by one, they slowly walked away.
    Because it was time that I chose my way.
    Would I have to continue in this path,
    Where it only led me in circles like the designs on the mat.
    I had to search up high and down below.
    Until I had become very mellow.
    I tripped on my thoughts,
    Fell on my knees,
    And bruised myself internally.
    How could something so beautiful,
    Like you and me...
    Fall so suddenly.
    We use to be fine,
    Like fresh gold from a mine.
    But true it be,
    The gold got tainted within.
    Once upon a time I fell in love.
    It was an image of an angel sent above.
    So little did I know he was cast away,
    And here I lay broken with dismay.

  • Confessions of a Wandering Mind

    It's been months since we last spoke.
    We left with no good-byes,
    And walked away with low hopes.
    I have no regrets for you have cause me much pain.
    But I tried to keep it together to stay very much sane.
    I do regret that we can't be friends...
    For you have grown on me like deadly plague.
    My brain wanders during the night,
    Thinking if you're alright.
    I've tried to stop myself because I know,
    All you wish is to strike me with a bow.
    But hush yourself with comfort and treats,
    I shall no longer await for your retreat.
    I stand ashore and watch your boat sail away,
    In hopes that it shan't sink on the way.
    True it is, I wish you fail...
    Or somehow be swallowed by a whale.
    But hush myself about this trash.
    I have but my hands to wash.
    In hopes that someday he who shall be true,
    Hold my clean hands and away we shall brew.


Wednesday, 19 May 2010

  • La Merde.

    J'ai besoin de vous pour arrêter de me mentir. Je n'ai pas besoin de vous pour me dire que je suis le seul. C'est de la merde. Je ne suis pas le seul parce que vous avez toutes ces chiennes autour. Nous allons répéter l'histoire. -prend une pause- <3

Monday, 08 March 2010

  • Day 17 - #capabilities

    I know how many of those who have disabilities don't want to be look upon as though they can't live a normal life. In fact, they preferably not be look upon as though there is something the matter with them. They don't want to be looked upon with pity and the feeling of "why him/her." But, I need to get this out of my system.

    Despite the mere fact that they're incapable of doing a lot of things that we're able to do freely, believe it or not, I feel as though they're more capable of everything than any of us. It amazes me how those of us who have nothing wrong with us complain that we're unable to this and that. Most of us take things for granted. But those who have been deprived, they're able to find ways to do this and that.

    I don't wish to treat them like they have abnormalities. I don't wish to treat them with pity as though they have been deprived of everything in the world because amazingly enough, they don't see it that way. It's such an inpiring thing to watch them do things we claim "impossible."



Sunday, 07 March 2010

  • Day 16 - #fahrenheit451

    Blogger's Note: If you haven't read the Fahrenheit 451 book by Ray Bradbury, this is the time.
    In Ray Bradbury’s novel “Fahrenheit 451” he depicts a dystopian future in which thought is ban and the burning of books occur. In this novel many themes and symbols arise that the novel is famous for it’s different translations or perceptions the audience has about the novel. One of the themes I chose to take from the novel is the idea of listening and is found in the many characters of the book, but most specifically Clarisse McClellan and Faber. “Fahrenheit 451” is a novel that reminds its audience the importance in listening and understanding what is said or else what is said becomes meaningless.

    In the first part of the novel Bradbury introduces Clarisse McClellan’s character, who is not but 17 years of age, explains the reality seen in the world occurring. She is one of the characters who symbolize the idea of importance in stopping to think, and understand things. McClellan explains to Guy Montag that their society doesn’t allow them to think nor understand the information that is being thrown at them. In fact their society doesn’t allow them give them the time to stop and perceive the information given at them. For example, one of the ways they were not allowed to think was by driving fast and due to the highness of the speed the people were driving; the billboards had to be nearly 200 foot long. Thing brings in the idea of mutiny, in which because people are left with no choice or are unable to act upon what they understand; they are forced to either commit rebellion against their society or end up in the middle of a chaos.

    This could be seen in reality and be reflected upon an individual’s life. There are certain reoccurrences when people find themselves caught to be busy in their own lives, they forget to stop and look around them. And to a certain degree when continuously ignored and left to be neglected creates the rebellion in one’s life wrecking it in a whole. It is the idea of walking through the park to admire its true beauty rather than running pass by it missing out on everything it’s made of. For example, when stopped at a red stop light, doesn’t a driver their eyes off the road for a couple of seconds to admire the ad on the bench or the billboard place on top of the building? If there were a continuous neglect on the very simple things, does the world face a future of 200 foot long billboards?  McClellan symbolizes the idea that there is more to just being “fed the answers” rather the idea of questioning the answer in order to perceive a better understanding of the concepts surrounding the individual.

    Another one of the characters introduced in the novels is Faber; an old retired professor who lives in the comfort of his home and abides by the rules of society. But as his character once again meets with Montag, he introduces the idea of listening. The society prohibits any given opportunity for its population to talk about anything that would allow them to think for themselves and perceive the reality that is being imposed upon them. In fact the biggest example introduced in the movie is Mildred and her friends, who come over their house to watch on wall television. The ladies are having a conversation, but there is no given meaning on what they’re saying; nothing more but just words being said. Unlike when Faber introduces to Montag the capsule, he introduces this concept of one’s concentration on a specific topic in order to successfully understand what is being said. For example, Montag asks Faber to read to him and through this the idea of concentration on one subject gives a person a better understanding on what they’re hearing.

    As mentioned earlier this could be seen in reality and be reflected upon one’s life. With the recent development of technology the different ways on communication have been built. There is the use of the telephone, electronic e-mails, instant messaging and most of all mobiles and the included Bluetooth. However, there is an enormous debate as to whether or not these high technological ways of communication is effective; the question of if people are really communicating through these means arises. For example, one of the most common ways these highly developed technological ways of communications are used in different pairs of sequences. The most common used pair is the idea of instant messaging and talking on the telephone or mobile. There is a question as to whether the individual listens and understands the person they’re instant messaging or is their full attention with the person they’re talking to on the telephone or mobile. There is the idea as to whether a person is really listening to the individual or does it become a pointless hours of talks.

    “Farenheit 451” is novel that plays an importance in perceiving the reality of the world and the reflection in one’s life. It reminds the concept of listening is an important means of communication and understanding the surrounding, because if there was no given time to stop to listen and think, then there is no point on the conversation or the information being given out. They are just a matter of words with no true meaning. It is like being a new bought computer, if the proper software is not installed then there is of no use of the mainframe.

Saturday, 06 March 2010

  • Day 15 - #womeneducation

    Work Cited

    Poe,. "The Gender Gap". Conversations: Readings for Writing. 7th Edition. Ed. Dominic Delli Carpini, and Jack Selzer. New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2009.
    Topic: Female Dominance in Educational Forces

    In Poe’s article he states that in the beginning three decades women weren’t succeeding in the educational careers (not many women were attending colleges). Then when advocates started fighting for women’s rights, this is when women realized that they deserve to achieve a higher education level. A lot of women depend on themselves to succeed in their society. Therefore, increase in women to have an ideology of “want-to” do better in terms of education.

    “The women’s movement has taught us many things, one of the more surprising being that boys are not performing in school as well as they might.” (155).
    I think that when there’s an emphasis that women are succeeding more than men, most women are distinctively competitive. The idea that women are doing better than men implies that this should be the time women should step up and somewhat have the idea that they should “dominate” the educational institutions. It’s like voting. When women were allowed to vote, they used that power to apply the changes they wanted to see. The same goes for the idea of education.



Friday, 05 March 2010

  • Day 14 - #collegeandcareer

    Works Cited

    Reeves, W.J. "College Isn’t for Everyone". Conversations: Readings for Writing. 7th Edition. Ed. Dominic Delli Carpini, and Jack Selzer. New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2009. 131-136
    Topic: College = Career

    Over the years it has always been a priority for students after high school to apply for colleges to benefit their future careers. Students, parents, and their mentors in school from the beginning emphasize that getting yourself in a four year academic intuition; aiming for you bachelors and/or master’s degree will guarantee you a spot in the best work force. However, it is not always the case.

    Reeve’s stated, “Edward E. Gordon reports in an article…70% of the workers in the coming decades will not need a four-year college degree, but, rather, an associate degree from a community college or some type of technical certificate.” (131). For example, a student may want a line of job in architecture; they graduate, and have the perfect resume to get them any job under that line of work. But it turns out that the industry is not taking anymore employees. They then end up getting a job outside their line of work or they end up going back to a two year college to get an associates degree for another line of work.



Thursday, 04 March 2010

  • Day 13 - #happyinesslies

    “Allegory of the Cave” is an essay written by Plato during the Fourth Century BCE and the essay depicts a story of people who have lived their entire lives in a cave, chained on their legs and necks. The chains on their necks prevent them from turning to see their surroundings. And throughout childhood all the prisoners only see shadows of the other people surrounding them. Later in the essay, Plato describes the possible aftermath if one of the prisoners were to successfully step out of the cave and for the first time set their eyes upon light. Plato states,


    And if he is compelled to look straight in the light, will he not have a pain in his eyes which will make him turn away to take refuge in the objects of vision which he can see, and which he will conceive to be in reality clearer than the things which are now being show to him? (Pg 480, par. 17)


    The essay can be interpreted and related to one’s journey in pursuing living happily throughout their lives. But isn’t it one’s perception of happiness sometimes involve living their whole lives inside a cave, refusing to step out to see what reality looks like. Take the following scenario for example to see the point of how the essay’s description of reality versus illusion relates to one’s discernment of happiness.


    A very successful businessman has lived his life knowing that his colleagues at the workplace praise him for all his hard work and contribution to the company. As he returns from work to his humble home, he has an exceedingly faithful wife who loves him dearly. Most of all, his children look up to him as if there were no other people to look up to. To his knowledge he has everything an individual could ask for, so he could proudly boast to everyone that he is happy. Relating this to the essay, Plato doesn’t necessarily state that the prisoners are happy with their given condition. However, the given scenario is the reality in the prisoners’ as well as the businessman’s eyes, therefore having an understanding that another scenario could possible exist.


    But what if the businessman is given the opportunity to look at what is really happening in his entire life? His colleagues don’t think he hasn’t contributed anything to the company and they talk behind his back. His wife has been very unfaithful and most of all, his children is ashamed of him.  Plato states in his essay,


    When any of them is liberated and compelled suddenly to stand up and turn his neck around and walk and look towards the light, he will suffer sharp pains; the glare will distress him and he will be unable to see the realities of which his former state…--what will be his reply? (Pg 480, par. 15)


    The same could be assumed if the businessman were to see the reality of his life. At first he too would have difficulty to keep his eyes open to watch what’s been really going on his entire life. It would be difficult to grasp his recent discovery of truth. However, with the curiosity from the recent eye opener, the businessman will learn to observe his discovery of his real life. Plato states, “Last of all he will be able to see the sun, and not mere reflections of him in the water, but he will see him in his own proper place and not in another and he will contemplate him as he is.” (Pg 481, par 23)


    Seeing both sides of the coin, it is now up to the freed prisoner to either abide by his known life, which is going back to the cave and pretend he has not seen what the outside world has to offer him. Or the businessman could leave his life of happiness and start living the life with the known truths. Either way both positions are a trial. If the prisoner who has experienced the outside world would hope he didn’t see the sunlight and go back in the cave and pretend it didn’t exist; he can’t persuade himself completely that it doesn’t exist because through his experience and knowledge, it is there. The same perception with the businessman who might choose to go back and live his known happy life, however, would he continue to live his happy life knowing the existing truth, which is his happiness, was built on lies. Plato states,


    Anyone who has common sense will remember that the bewilderments of the eyes are two kinds, and arise from two causes, either from coming out of the light or from going into the light, which is true of the mind’s eye, quite as much as of the bodily eye; and he who remember this when he sees any one whose vision is perplexed and weak, will not be too ready to laugh; he will first ask whether the soul of man has come out of the brighter light, and is unable to see because unaccustomed to the dark or having turned from darkness to the day is dazzle by excess of light. (Pg 482-483, par 41)


    Plato’s essay depicts this imagery of whether an individual is willing to discover a different set-up of their life. Would a person rather go back to their known life and pretend the other aspect didn’t exist? Or would a person pursue to leave behind their known life to experience the new found aspect? This scenario is seen the movie Matrix. The famous protagonist in the movie, Neo, is given the opportunity to see both aspects of life: the matrix and real world. In related to Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” the prisoner and Neo is aware to the world they have known their entire life and is exposed to the real world. After seeing both sides of the coins, the prisoner in the essay decides to return to his known life and Neo decides to endure the reality of life. Thus different in choice of decision, they both undergo the mental ideology of the other world they left.

Wednesday, 03 March 2010

  • Day 12 - #temptingrevenge (A Narrative)

    Blogger's Note: I'm fully aware that "assassinator" and "wraths" are NOT words. However, they were appropriate for this piece by yours truly.
    It was the mid of June and the sun was at its highest. Was it the appropriate time to act upon the revenge she had on her mind? Many had tried to talk Kelly from avenging her parents' death, because authorities had him. But that wasn't enough for her. Her anger had become a pot on a bunsen burner where nothing was boiling and the pot was ready to explode. This is the reason why she stands in front of the precinct where the suspect is being held. Deeply disguised in hopes no one would recognize her. “Easy in and easy out.” She thought too many times. She had been anticipating for this day. The job was easy; walk in, take back was taken away, and walk away. But something went wrong. She was now handcuff and behind bars. The suspect; eliminated. It was a success. But wraths, she was hearing cries; cries of her young children. She was now behind bars.

    Precisely twenty years ago, Kelly Parker’s parents were brutally slain due to a business proposal failure. Kelly was only 9 years old and she didn’t understand why this man had just executed her family before her very eyes. As the suspect aimed the triggered on her forehead, someone had broken into the house and was in time to scare off the assassinator. Kelly could not distinguish whether it had just happened or was it all a nightmare. It was surreal and nothing was making sense to this 9 year old girl. But everything made sense when the man who rescued her in time took her, protected her, raised her, and taught her the things she needed to know. He was then an agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI); Agent Thompson.

    Twenty years after the homicide, Kelly is still haunted by the man’s features and how she nearly lost her life if Agent Thompson had not arrived on time to scare of the assassin. For years she has kept a passionate grudge to avenge her parents’ death. She did this by spending her free time turning herself into a self-defending machine. She either trained herself through programs or watching training videos. She also earned helped from Agent Thompson, who she supposedly swore to never use it other than self-defense purposes. Kelly had promised him this, but with cross fingers. “How could he possibly think, I was doing this for the protection of my own?” she had thought to herself once. But nevertheless, she never gave an indication of how she was to use what she knew for revenge. And finally, she had completed what was supposed to be done-but she was now locked behind bars.
    A great gasp came out from me as I sat up and jolted from bed. I was panting and perspiring. My, what a dream that was. How glad am I that it was all nothing, but a trance and it weren’t real. I admit I had been waiting for the day they would catch the man who took my parents' life twenty years ago. I’ve been planning my plot of revenge towards this man since then. When I first heard the report that they had him captive; I was filled with adrenaline and determined to execute my plan. It was pay back.

    How glad am I that I have mentioned this to a reliable friend. Had I not, no one would be stopping me to persecute my plan of revenge.  And seeing how it all ended in my own dream, seeing my children cry, alone, no mother to tend to them-it was wrong. Revenge itself on my hands is something my parents wouldn't want me to carry. Let alone, my children left by themselves. No, let justice be the one to take the revenge.

Tuesday, 02 March 2010

  • Day 11 - #advertisementhoax

    Blogger's Note: If you haven't read the Essay, Gloria Steinem; I highly recommend reading it.
    Topic: Advertisements, they Want You

    In Gloria Steinem’s essay, “Sex, Lies, and Advertising” she layouts the variety of problems she encounters with different companies just to get them to place ads on Ms. Advertisement play an important role in magazines because they are the “division between editorial and advertising in news and general interest magazines, this would allow our editorial content to be free and diverse” (448) According to the idea “that advertisers simply follow readers” if the advertisement presents and endorses it’s product correctly, then the consumers will end up purchasing the product; this is the cause and effect. But the reality that the author exposes in her essay shows that advertisers do not simply follow readers. Companies put what they put on their ads to attract the consumers and gain profit.

    For example, Steinem explains that they at the Ms. magazine would not allow Clairol to put an ad on their magazine because of the dangerous substances in the product. It is understandable as to why the author didn’t want this on the magazine because she didn’t want the audience of the magazine purchasing products that may contain harmful substances. This angers Clairol thus not stopping the company from getting their ads placed in other magazines and their products continue to get purchased. And today, this is reality. Every time a product is endorsed, such as a hair dye, the company’s ads provide you with all these information that it contains vitamins and minerals, so the product is safe. They always include a picture of a model with fine hair color, in which some people don’t know are edited to the extreme for the best fit. With the ideology that the substances safe and a picture to provide evidence, consumers buy the product. Now most of the time the outcome is 100% sure, but sometimes its not. With the given technology today, hair dyes are formulated with vitamins and minerals, however, what consumers are not informed of; hair dye still causes some damage. But would a hair dye company provide that information? No, because the idea is to attract the consumers and get them to buy this product.

    Steinem’s essay provides other examples that show that the idea of “advertisers simply follow readers” is a full on myth. If companies purpose to place an ad on a magazine is to attract consumers, then this mean that there should be no gender preference. But that is also surreal, because in reality companies underestimate and determine which gender preference will buy their products. For example, the author explains during the hunt for ads to put in the Ms. magazine, they attempt to get electronic ads. Unfortunately, many companies deny and inform that author that “women don’t understand technology” (452) and women tend to ask “their husbands and boyfriends what to buy first” (452). And from personal experience this has happened to many ladies I know. For example, at the time of VHS tapes becoming obsolete many households were changing their old players. One of my aunts decided she should get one too and she knew what she needed, because she had seen it on and ad. She was also fully educated about electronics. But despite that, when she went to one of the electronic stores, many salesperson ignored to help her because she was a woman and she didn’t know what she was talking about. They even looked for the man of the house. This becomes a problem with the ads because as consumers perceive the product, such as a VHS, are also represented for females; companies do not perceive that.

    In the world of advertising advertisers are the ones that create the demand. They are in control in the world of purchasing. Some companies make their products sound interesting and a must-have item. These ads attract the consumers and are then dragged into buying items they don’t really need. For example, couple of years ago a company released an ad for a “robotic” vacuum cleaner. Just from the name provided it already sounded appealing and it attracted many viewers attention. The ad explains that it has latest technology and it will clean up all the dirt in the house. But what really caught the viewers’ attention is the ideology that the “robotic” vacuum cleaner had a mind of its own and there was no need for a handle. All the consumer had to do was set this vacuum cleaner down, press the on button, and it would clean the dirty carpet; the consumer could do something else. The ad provided information and convenience that it attracts people to purchase this product.

    Ads are the cause and create the demand affecting the consumer to want the product. It is definitely a myth the advertisers provide ads to satisfy its audience. Most ads will divert and make an illusion that this product is a must-have. Most ads will show that their products could be purchase by both men and women. But in reality, some of these products are not a must-have. Thus companies provide the given information that the product is for both genders; retailers will discriminate on gender making the ad a failure. Consumers only want because advertisements want you.



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