Thursday, July 31, 2008
Quick comment on Sports
In my opinion, any game that requires physical and mental skill is what is considered a sport, and that includes golf.
Derogatory Terms
The word derogatory is a term used to demean or degrade a person or thing. To use a derogatory term on someone means that you are implying that they are below you, socially and racially speaking. Derogatory terms such as chink, beaner, terrorist, Jew, white trash, redneck, and the n-word are terms of hate; terms that cut through skin and can be more hurtful than physical pain itself. Not only are there derogatory terms for race, but also terms that are gender specific such as hoe, bitch, gay, and slut. Looking back, when those derogatory terms were created, they were created specifically to put down certain people or races. As of today, rarely is anybody allowed to shout out racial slurs in public without garnering negative attention from someone, and rightfully so thanks to the Civil Rights Movement, Feminist Movement, and other small movements that were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Reflection
Just like everyone else, I was dreading this day ever since I’ve been holding off on taking this class since my sophomore year. I realized this summer would be the perfect opportunity to finally take this class so begrudgingly, I agreed.
The first day of class was very unusual. Coming from a biological sciences perspective, all of my courses have a straight path with a strict lecture schedule to adhere to. There was no freedom to voice your opinion, rather, it was writing notes or going to sleep. So when Chris said that this class would be mostly a discussion forum, I did not know how to react. On one hand, this is a change to the college norms to what I am accustomed to, but on the other hand, this change would be intellectually stimulating.
As I look back on writing the blogs, I’ve noticed several things. First, I’ve noticed an increase in quality to my posts. My first post was probably the first time I have formally written something for school in a year. It was a nice, easy topic to transition into the writing mode for this summer, and I feel that my writing and the thought process that goes with it vastly improved. The second thing that I noticed was the topics that I chose. All of the topics I wrote about were ideas that were interesting to me. I think part of the problem of other uwp101 classes is the fact that not everyone has the opportunity to choose what they want to write about, and that in turn affects their writing. Personally, my writing is better if the topic is something I am passionate and for the most part, this class has allowed me to do this effectively.
With regards to the in-class discussions, I think the fluidity of the discussions has its advantages and disadvantages. The discussions were very intellectual-stimulating, and I find myself just digesting every word Chris or other students had to say and think to myself, “Hmm…” This “forum” to discuss our thoughts on key topics raised the quality of the discussions to where I have never experienced before as a science major. In science, there is not much to question, rather just facts, but in this class, every idea we talked about was deconstructed and questioned.
On the other hand, I think the fluidity of this class has its disadvantages. I noticed during class that we seem to wander from talking about the keyword and instead talk about something else that is somewhat related. I think a better idea would be to spend half the class talking specifically about the essay I the book, then the other half the fluidity would take over.
Overall, I loved this class. I think this class is truly innovative and with a few tweaks, this class could be the writing class of the future.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Self-Perception
This past week, one of our keywords was “image”, and while reading through my classmate’s blogs, I noticed Arlen commented on image as well. In his post, Arlen states that an image is “…an image. It’s what people, who don’t know you, see you as. Only when the person really gets to know you, the image of you they see is actually what you truly are”.
Roller Coastin'
This is a picture my mom took a couple of weeks ago at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo. It was my birthday so I invited my cousins to Six Flags to hang out, have some fun, and enjoy the day. I have to admit, heading to this day, I was a bit uneasy since I had not been on a roller coaster in 2 years, so I completely lost the memory of how riding a roller coaster felt like. Once we got to the park, we were debating on which ride to go on first: Medusa, arguably the best ride in the park, or a “pre-ride” ride that is not as thrilling but perfect for easing the transition to more thrilling, scarier rides.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
LIVESTRONG
I remember one time in class there was a discussion about Livestrong bracelets that Danielle brought up and ironically I, just like every other day, was wearing one on my wrist. And so, I read up her post, and I found it interesting on her take on the phenomena of charitable consumerism.
I can recollect back to the summer of 2004, and I was at the Nike outlet in Vacaville. As I was checking out my purchases, I noticed a box near the cashier selling yellow bracelets for $1. I asked the cashier what it was and she told me that it was a Livestrong bracelet, a fundraiser with the proceeds going towards Lance Armstrong’s cancer research foundation. I thought to myself “Hey, if it’s for a good cause, why not?” and bought 5 bracelets that I still use today.
What was interesting about Danielle’s post was when she stated that “LIVESTRONG attracted a new type marketing to consumers; feel good about what you buy because you are donating to an organization”. I have to agree, and noticed that people buy it just to be like “hey, look at me! I’m a socially conscious person and I donate my money to charity.” On the other hand, other people are not so ostentatious and don’t have the inclination to look good for other people by visually showing via Livestrong bracelets that they care. In essence, Livestrong has almost become a status symbol for the self-conscious person; a symbol seen worn by pretentious, fake people.
However, not all Livestrong band-wearers can be grouped into that description. There are always people who wear the bracelet because they are personally affected by cancer and it reminds them of the struggle and courage it takes to overcome it. Some wear it just because they like Lance Armstrong as an athlete, and some just wear it because they use it as motivation, and that’s acceptable.
I think in these situations, one has not to be cynical but rather question the motives of the companies for allowing the commercialization of a fundraiser, because after all, Nike and Gap is in the business of making money for themselves. However, in my personal opinion, I think organizations like Code Red and Livestrong are truly honest about their intentions of helping out and are just using the extra exposure and commercialization to promote their foundations.
Finally, with regards to Livestrong bands, I’ve come to the conclusion that many people have different reasons to wear the bracelets, and I cannot judge someone on their intentions of wearing it, and rather just worry about myself and “do me”.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Street Ethics
One of my favorite shows on T.V right now is The First 48 on A&E. The basic premise of the show is a reality-based crime scene investigation where actual cases from Memphis, Miami, Dallas, Detroit, etc. are followed. In these cases, the show highlights the delicate balance between detectives, witnesses, and suspects. The cat and mouse game between the detectives and key witnesses is intriguing because it is a microcosm of the cultural differences and similarities occurring between the inner city and the suburbs.
Usually, whenever a key witness knows about the situation or knows the suspect, they are uncommunicative to the detectives. The idea of not “tattle-tailing” has been engrained since our childhood. From grade school, “tattle-tailing” is considered a bad thing and that everyone should mind their own business. Back then, there were no racial preferences and preconceived notions to who “tattle-tailed”; an Asian, Latino, African-American, or Caucasian kid were all equally liable to “tattle-tail”. However, in The First 48, this idea is conveyed to the extreme because people have died. This is not a harmless game, but rather a torture to the victim’s family because no one wants to fess up.
In essence, those living in the ghetto are living by the street code of “no snitching”. Those brought up in the inner city are afraid to come forward and speak on the crime because of the fear of being retaliated by the gangs. In this situation, there is a cultural difference because the main minority depicted on the show is African-Americans, thus providing an impression that only African-Americans living in the street culture undertake the “no snitching” code. To me, this represents the reality of the differences in cultures and how certain things (tattle-tailing) can be twisted into something more radical (no snitching).
This phone, the Sidekick III from T-Mobile, symbolizes what it means to be a mobile user; this device allows for unlimited connectivity to your buddy list via AOL Instant Messenger and the ability to text message instantly and seamlessly. This device is very popular because it utilizes a program such as AOL Instant Messenger, typically reserve to use on computers, and transplanting it onto a phone, creating the ultimate mobile device and allowing unlimited connectivity to your friends. This phone has been wildly popular since its inception, particularly among the 16-24 age demographic where being connected is viewed as an important element to ones own life.
However, although one may see this as being beneficial, there are pitfalls to this technology. How connected is too connected? Is being seamlessly connected to your friends a vital feature that one cannot live without? Has our sense of mobility changed from being able to be reached to being seamlessly connected? This device makes users to being prisoners of instant connectivity, thus in turn creating a sense of disability to one’s own self-identity.
I think what is revolutionary about this device is because unlike mobile phones, the Sidekick allows for instant connectivity. What I mean is that for mobile phones, you can chose to ignore a phone call, allowing some sense of separation, whereas in a Sidekick, because you are always connected, anybody can contact you at any time with a text message. For example, I’ve seen users of the Sidekick text in inappropriate places such as Church. As I witness that, I thought to myself, “Has our life come to the point where we cannot even hold off talking to our friends for one hour, even for Church?”
I have owned a Sidekick 3, and although it was very useful, I ironically felt restricted in being seamlessly connected to whoever wanted to talk to me, thus losing my only sense of seclusion from the outside world.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
The West End Parking Structure
After finally reaching my car, trying to disperse from the parking structure straight after class is a slow and arduous process filled with many obstacles. The arrival of cars looking for a parking spot and waiting for you to leave adds to the disorder. After finally leaving the spot, I then approach a backup. It takes 10 minutes to finally exit the parking structure; all because of the light to make a right turn onto Hutchinson Blvd. is horribly short. I wait at the front of the intersection, and at the sight of green I turn right and off I am into my next destination, thankful that I did not hit the bicyclist that ignored the pedestrian lights.
Prisoners of the Moment
For the non-tennis fans, this past Sunday the “greatest match” ever to be played in the history of tennis occurred in the Wimbledon Final match up between #1 ranked Roger Federer and #2 ranked Rafael Nadal. Roger Federer, widely regarded as the best player EVER at age 26, is going for his 6th straight Wimbledon Championship, surpassing Bjorn Borg. Also, the 22 year-old Rafael Nadal is looking to become the first player since Bjorn Borg to win the French Open, where he beat Federer for the 2nd straight year and 4th straight overall, and Wimbledon in the same year. So as you can tell there was much anticipated hype. It was an amazing and exquisite display of exceptional shot making, unfiltered emotion, and raw guts and determination. After all is said and done, Rafael Nadal was able to beat Roger Federer in a thrilling 5th setter that was the longest game with the most games played (Rules of Tennis), and tennis analysts and commentators are immediately commentating about match, exclaiming that this is the best match ever in the history of tennis.
Although the statement about the match is most likely true, it reminds me of a sensation going on in the sports world and that is people becoming “prisoners of the moment”. I think people want to be able to boast about witnessing “history” and that in doing so they fail to properly examine the event and place it in its proper historical text. This is especially prevalent in Sport Center telecasts which sensationalize certain events in order to attract viewers.
An example would be Super Bowl XLII, where the NY Giants defeated the heavily favorite New England Patriots, who were undefeated entering the game. Sure, the game is considered an instant classic and that is synonymous, but to consider it the greatest Super Bowl after 1 day is doing a great disservice to the history of the NFL and Super Bowls. Another example would be Kobe Bryant scoring 81 points against the Toronto Raptors 2 years ago. Again, people are so quick to proclaim it “the greatest offensive display in the history of the NBA”, but aren’t people forgetting that Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points? Aren’t people forgetting about the individual performances from Michael Jordan during the playoffs and NBA Finals where the magnitude is much greater than a regular season game?
If we witness something great, just enjoy the fact that what we witness was astounding, and just let the event place itself in its proper historical context instead of us immediately proclaiming it to be something that is not.
What is rational is actual, and what is actual is rational?
The statement that actions that appear to be “irrational” are “rational” because it actually happened, although confusing and counter-intuitive, is actually true. Rationality is based on relativity, and what an action a person deems is rational is relative to that person’s beliefs, morals, and culture.
Take for example my post about lining up the night before for Air Jordans. Some may say that lining up for a pair of shoes is “irrational”, but apparently it is “rational” if people are willing to do it. What some people fail to realize is that rationalization and relativism are correlated with each other, and that an action that is perceived to be “irrational” or “rational” is only based on how they perceive it to be and that perception is different for different people. To sneaker aficionados, lining up for limited-edition sneakers is completely rational, whereas others may feel is irrational, and that is fine.
As with anything, there are problems with the belief that what is actual is rational. Some may use it as an excuse in inexcusable circumstances such as murder, stealing, adultery, and other heinous crimes. I often see interviews of murders and prisoners in documentaries where they have no remorse for what they have done because they truly believe that they did nothing wrong, and that is where I believe the statement does not apply. In these instances, prisoners are merely manipulating the statement as a cop out.
As a whole, I truly believe in the idea that “what is rational is actual".
Keeping Up with the Joneses?
As the days get closer and closer to the ever-anticipated release of the 3g iPhone on July 11th, there has been much debate, from phone enthusiasts, technology connoisseurs, and regular people alike, of the usefulness of the iPhone and the direction of where phone technology and technology in general is headed.
- Radio to TV
- Cassette to CD
- VHS Tapes to DVD
- 56k to high speed internet
- Analog to HD
Friday, June 27, 2008
The Shoe Game
It’s 2 A.M in the morning, and I, along with 50+ people, are waiting in the pouring rain outside of Arden Mall in Sacramento. You examine the demographic of the people and they are young, 17-24 year old males. As the minutes go by slower and slower, I often ask myself “Am I really doing this right now?”. I doubt myself, ready to leave this place of purgatory and go back to my warm bed, until I fall asleep against the wall, cold and hungry.
It's All Relative...
“It’s all relative”. I’m sure most if not all have said this phrase or had this phrase said to them at one point in their life, but what does it mean? Cultural relativism is an idea that a person’s way of life (thoughts, beliefs, values, etc.) is relative to his or her own culture.
What makes America so great is that it is a melting pot of different cultures and values which makes it conducive to tolerance of different ideas and beliefs. However, I think many people do not understand the concept of cultural relativism, including myself, which in turn breeds ignorance in certain situations.
I remember a specific example of cultural relativism, and that was when I went to the Philippines. I was a naïve 17 year old kid visiting the country for the first time in over 10 years. Everything was a shock to me. The weather was different, the food was different even though I have eaten Filipino food before, and their way of life was different. Basically, their whole culture was different from my American culture. I complained about everything that was different to me. Here I am, in a third world country, complaining about anything and everything, until I realized that I am the ignorant one in this situation. I should know that there is no absolute, fixed way to live life for all places and cultures and that in the grand scheme of things, everything is relative to how each person has their own system and way of life.
Another example that represents cultural relativism happened during class on Wednesday. I remember there was an exchange between Truman and Chris about Chris having a MacBook and Truman responding “I don’t like Apple” or something of that nature. It was then I knew I wanted to write about cultural relativism because this is a form of consumer culture. Two different cultures, PC and Mac users, that often clash heads leading to elitism on both groups. However, in the end, isn’t it all relative and that both machines are both computers?
Monday, June 23, 2008
1st Day Thoughts
So after class, I, along with the other students, marched hastily with concern hoping the book was in stock and at a relatively moderate price. Usually when I walk around campus I am always in a hurry with my head in a swivel to avoid all of the obstructions that are student bikers. However, this day was different. I did not have to worry about crossing intersections, dodging people like a running back eluding the defense, and I could walk wherever I pleased. Walking past the MU, I was able to take in how scenic the quad is. The trees, squirrels, and luscious grass really make the quad. I never really noticed this because there was always something happening in the quad that took my mind off the scenery. There was no people to meet, events, blood drives, rush info, etc. to distract me. So, as I was enjoying the stroll through the MU, my mood changed abruptly as I arrived at the bookstore. To me, I hated going to the bookstore because it throws a huge blow to my wallet. However, my experience today was pleasant. I was one of the first ones there, and the book only took me 1 minute to find. I paid and was happy to find the price of $26. I could've used that money for gas as I commute, but I'll take it in stride and consider this a win for me. Needless to say, I am looking forward to this class. A change from the social norms of essay writing in college classes is something I look forward to in experiencing and excelling at.