Deafness is only a Difficulty

  The family was very controversial to implant the cochlear implant into their child’s ear. To us, it would make complete sense to allow our children to hear. To the deaf culture, they would argue that one you are deaf you should remain deaf. They believe that the way you are born is the way you should remain. Coming from the parent’s point of view, they wanted to allow their child to have as many possibilities being deaf. They didn’t want her to change her identity and forget who she originally was. Her father prefers to be deaf and would rather “throw up a pill that could allow him to hear” to keep his identity. He believed that it is invasive to alter a person’s identity and would only create robots. While they want to allow their children to have as many possibilities as they could, it would almost seem like a disability to the other world.

               In my point of view, I think that the parents are crazy to keep their child from having the implant. While some of the deaf culture was able to be successful in their own way with real jobs, the world is in fact changing. Jobs become biased and competitive to the very best. Communication is key in business to properly be able to lead a company. When comparing two candidates for a job, deaf and hearing, they would rather hire someone that can communicate properly and does not need an interpreter every time they want to have a simple chat. It would also cost the company more money to have to pay for the interpreter also. In our real and cold world, disadvantages such as deafness only make it harder to be hired due to the competition. Some jobs requiring less in person contact would be easy for deaf culture to get a job, but most jobs require humans talking to one another.

               Watching the movie, it was hard to watch because my emotions would get so wrapped up in what they were saying. It made me angry when Peter and his family would continue to “yell” about their positions when they also do not realize what their child would be missing. They obviously knew their child wanted to communicate with her friends and was often isolated by speaking people because they would not properly communicate with her. As a child, it would be difficult growing up without communication because it is the time to make friends. I could not even comprehend the complication of middle school and high school being different from everyone else.  Peter’s mom often said that people would mock him or make fun of him when she took him out in public. He may have not cared about what the speaking people thought of him, but his mother was often ashamed that he was treated like that. Especially in middle school when it is the time for bullying and clique development, it is only to the child’s disadvantage to be different from everyone else. She would be excluded from the popular girls and would most likely be made fun of just because she is different. It is sad that this continues to occur every day even with normal people, but those with a disadvantage are often mocked by the way they talk or act. It would only harm the child if they kept her without a normal life.

    What it to be taken into consideration is if this is truly a disability or not. To my point of view, I strongly think life would be more difficult and there would be many opportunities and quality of life that they would not be able to experience. Simple things that we may not realize from the ringing of a telephone, pounding on a door, or even music would not be able to hear. The family constantly says “I would not even want to hear sound.” I don’t think they realize what they would be missing out on. It would be much harder to communicate with the whole world as they approach it without sound. It would be very hard to even be involved in a school sport. Without listening to a buzzer, or even music to dance from, I don’t understand how they would be able to know what to do. One simple example, but there could be a list of things that the family would not be able to do. They would make contradictions saying that they feel like they can do just as much as we could do. No one can be the true argument since I don’t completely understand the deaf culture and they do not understand what they are missing in the hearing world. It takes an open mind to try and fit into both worlds and try to make the best out of the situations they are presented with.

Fear of Octopus

Streaming in between layers of waters, my head would pop up through the surface to reveal the cool air up above. Being able to twirl and wind through such peaceful waters, there was nothing more that I loved to do than swim. It kept me always exploring and wondering what was underneath. Face breaking the surface, we could stare down and wonder what is at the bottom. For most of us, we would never actually know what lies beneath. I pondered  this idea many times trying to uncover the secrets of the water from a lake to even a large ocean. It would be interesting to know what was down beneath, but in a large swimming pool the only thing I could do was use my own imagination.

Stroking back and forth form side to side, my mind would often imagine beautiful fish swimming around me following my moves. The vibrant colors from the ocean would reflect off the bottom and reveal a secret mermaid castle. Classic mermaid movies often guided my creativity as I thought about treasures and beautiful princesses I could admire. While it was all just a dream as I would float back and forth, soon my mind began to think of things other than a fantasy. Beneath the castle fantasy, there was often a secret layer with the evil queen trying to stop everyone from good. She would destroy the beautiful fish and create trouble for the peaceful mermaids in the ocean. I would soon let this idea drift into the swimming pool and fear that she would someday come back to get me. I used to think that the water was a peaceful escape, but as I neared the deep end the imagination would turn almost into a nightmare.

As my feet paddled through the water, thoughts of the monster grabbing me and strangling me down into the water were the only things that crossed my mind. I feared being pulled underneath and never feeling the warm air up above. To this day, I have let my 5 year old ideas get the best of me and I stay clear of the deep waters. Never will I allow myself towards any dangers that could someday drag me under the water to no escape. While this idea is extreme, it haunts me every time my eyes glance underneath to the bottom of the pool. While some fear of my realistic ideas, my creativity sure got the best of me.

Summer reading book

William Cooper portrays his theories in his book, Behold a Pale Horse, in attempt to warn the world of what is to come over a period of time. After being a Chief for Naval Intelligence, he acquired so much knowledge about the government- details the public would have never known. He swore into secrecy during his time in the navy and knew about the governments’ secret activities and plan for domination. When he tried to leak top secret information to a reporter, he was immediately kidnapped into a limo and forced off a cliff. The government couldn't take any chances having any confidential information being spilled out to anyone not sworn to secrecy. When the men thought his pulse would run out after being pushed off a cliff, they left him there with the words kept secret and his mouth kept shut up. But what they didn't realize is that Cooper ended up surviving his fall and was determined to find a way to exploit everything he knew. 

The book was often very confusing because it addressed so many different topics. Although his ideas are separated into different chapters, there were so many details and side tracking that many ideas were jumbled together at once. The main theme of the book overall was to get his point of deception across. He exposes information about the New World Order, Alliances, Secrets, and truths about lies we have been told. Because of the corruption and mistrust of the government, he was determined to remind everyone of the falseness and deceit that we can’t see or understand that has mislead our people and our country for decades. Cooper frequently stated that he is an expert on topics as far-ranging as alien abduction, extra-terrestrial life forms, secret societies, Presidential politics, and secret government organizations. His theories may only be conspiracies, but most of his accusations seem believable by the evidence that is provided. It takes an open mind and consideration of his point of view to interpret the goals of his theories. Over half of the book contains undocumented allegations that prove that everything he was saying was worth the time to consider. The source of these documents is unknown, but add believable documentation that addresses each of the themes he tries to prove to be true. 

Blurred Lines Controversy

Never really noticing the lyrics and the true meaning behind it, this song was just seen as a catchy tune on the radio. This song became very popular for the interesting beats, but also for the controversy behind it. Many people could claim that the lyrics are simply just about Thickel's lust for a women saying "just wanna get nasty" or other seductive lines. While only some think that the lyrics are harmless, many others have fought that the meaning portrays rape. The things said in the song really do seem to empower the man and make the women seem like an "animal." He would say things like "he don't smack that ass and pull that hair up for you" and "I know you want it." Both of these lines are very controversial because of the tone of his song and also the use of these lines. Many have claimed that saying "I know you want it" is often used by rapists to their victims. According to many other websites explaining the meaning to his music, the "blurred lines" is known as the grey area between sexual consent and rape. Basically, repeating this lyric throughout this song portrays that the girls are there just to be taken advantage of. Even though "blurred lines" has been interpreted so many different ways, it wouldn't cause so much controversy if there wasn't a dirty meaning behind it. Already degrading women in the lyrics, the video doesn't help his case of just a catchy tune.
Only seeing the newer video, the video itself was really strange to watch. The plot of the song didn't have any connection to the things the girls were doing in the video. There was a lot of random objects such as a sheep, dice, and other things. Although the items might not have a strong connection to the song, the video didn't make sense overall. The newer version also wasn't as provocative as the older video was supposedly. The video got its poor reputation for the nudity and the lyrics that went along with the dancing girls. Thickel must have know that there would be so many mixed messages from his video since he involved many nude girls around him and his friends. The huge dispute could have never been created if he originally used the video without nudity and controversial things.The big discussion leveled off after he reported to the public that the song was simply about him and his wife. While, this may seem really creepy, it was a good enough cover up for people to begin to believe it wasn't about rape or anything along those lines. Thickel may have stirred up a quarrel for attention, but could have nonchalantly written his lyrics to make people believe differently about his intentions.

Predominance of Men

Men have always dominated in women against everything. It is undeniable that women are capable of doing almost everything a man can do. There are plenty of other levels to measure one's capabilities, but the only true difference in our abilities is our physical strength. Equally intelligent, women have always been seen to be less than men. Is it a stereotype or a social norm? Obtaining confidence comes strictly though one's mindset. It is strange that men automatically had the idea that they are more prominent in almost every way.There has always been biased towards a certain gender even though there isn't a true reason. Women have always been seen as helpless and made for stay at home work since the beginning of time. The biological makeup of a man led them to practice aggressive jobs like hunting or fishing while women took on simpler tasks like gathering food. The division of labor started the cultural roles of men and women. Men became the leaders of the homes while women had very little power in their household.
Steinem made an interesting point in her article saying, "what would happen if suddenly, magically, men could menstruate and women could not?" The story plays on how life would contrast to how it is today. For women, it is almost unheard of when menstruation occurs. It usually isn't a topic that it brought up in conversation everyday. Men would treat this topic differently if it occurred to men instead of women. "Gifts, religious ceremonies, family dinners, and stag parties would mark the day." Menstruation would be treated as the beginning of a boy becoming a "man." Women don't have a special celebration for this at all because it is unspoken of. Men would only make this seem as an extremely positive event because of the dominance they have over women. They would make this event seem as another superiority to women. Birthing a child would also give them the idea they they have complete control. It definitely would make men assume that they have even more predominance than women for the power they have.
It wasn't till last century that women began to have fair representation. After women got the right to vote, women have been receiving comparable treatment to men. Nowadays, women have seen to be just as equal as men. More women have become single moms raising a family and took on the role of the leader of the house. As time changes, this has allowed women to show their full capabilities and be just as a leader as men. Only four-in-ten Americans say that society generally treats men and women equally (PewResearch). Even though laws are the same for men and women, sometimes men seem to get more privileges than women. Men often are known to be paid a lot more and receive a better job than women. This happens a lot more frequently than we think. Sometimes this stereotype can be proven wrong, but complete gender equality is a difficult thing to have. Time has done women well, but there is always room for more improvement. It is difficult to give everyone fair treatment, but it is always in our interest to change the stereotypes and allow everyone to get and equal chance.

Google Controls Our Minds

I can't deny the fact that I am addicted to my phone and rely on it for almost everything. We find ourselves constantly depending on our phones for the simplest things. As our phones have gotten smarter, we have truly had less to think about. In a split second we can research any question we have and get a clear answer in seconds. Instead of taking the time to figure out a problem, Google is there to give us an extra hand. Convenience is what our market is run on, but there's always a negative for too much assistance. It is extremely helpful that Google is such a large database and has quick answers, but it makes things almost too easy. I don't believe that it is a negative thing, but if we actually want to gain knowledge we can't be dependent on immediate responses. "The ultimate search engine is something as smart as people--or smarter." The more information we are given the less we have to think. The author points out an interesting point in saying that "Google is really trying to build artificial intelligence." The analogy that Google is basically half of of thinking is weird to wrap your head around. Are we being controlled by a website? The way we learn now is much different than generations ago. We spend so much time on the internet that maybe books and researching isn't ideal anymore. "Over the past few years I've had an uncomfortable sense that someone, or something, has been tinkering with my brain." Since we have to spend a lot less time searching, we don't have to think about what we are finding out.
"My concentration often starts to drift after two or three page... The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle." Do we blame Google for all of our learning problems? We do have to read less when use Google as our source, but does that hinder our reading ability? I would disagree that the effect of a search engine causing major learning problems. Using Google basically just makes us lazier because it doesn't require as long to find an answer. It is extremely helpful to know the simple facts and data, but that is not what we need to use our brain power. Learning to apply our knowledge is what we should be learning in school everyday. Anyone can memorize a list of things, but not everyone can use explanation and application. "They would be filled with the conceit of wisdom instead of real wisdom." Google is filling our brain with a lot of information, but most of it is not helpful in the real world. We are less likely to spur fresh ideas and expand our human knowledge. Such a helpful tool is draining our minds from learning sincere intelligence. Spending less time on finding the right answer reduces the amount we have to think.We have to remember that Google and our phones are simply a helpful tool, but instead they are overused and we become dependent on them. Is it possible to keep away from your cellular for a day or even a few hours? It would be interesting to see if we could break the addiction to our electronics. The world doesn't need someone to tell us all the answers, but the advantage of minimal aide could be the best way to keep our minds engaged but also curious to learn.

Jim Crow Lessons

Living as a different race would be extremely distinctive from how we live. We are used to having everything handed to us and living an ease-free life. Never having to think about the dangers we might face walking down the road, it is amazing how much our world has changed since the early 1900's. Although there still is some racism in the world today, its hard to comprehend that black people were so differently treated than how they are now. They received absolutely no respect and were often not even seen as a real person. "Well walk you black son of a bitch." Everywhere a black person went, they could not escape constant harassment because of their skin color. I couldn't imagine living in a world where people looked past you every time you smiled at them. Do we really blame racism on people's ethical decisions? I would have to argue that generations ago were brought up learning that black people were a disgrace. The only things they knew were the things that they were taught. The government basically brought many dark skinned people into our country on a ship and began auctioning them off to be laborers. Slavery was the only thing that they were known for doing! White men didn't know better that they were being truly racist. Black people were presented as objects and remained so until we later made a change in our world.
The Jim Crow lessons that Richard learned were all about how he was treated contradictive to white men. He wasn't able to do the things that priviledged white kids could do. He had to find a way to get around the poor treatment and live happily as a black man. This was a very problematic situation due to the constant racism and discrimination he was faced with everyday. He endured situations where he witnessed and also was involved in biased treatment. At his "white man" job he worked just as hard as everyone else, but was still treated like he was a dog. He couldn't escape the fact that he was black, but did everything he could to fit in with the rest of the workers. "This is white man's work around here, and you better watch yourself." Who knew that only white men could work? This was not accurate at all, but they were all blind to the fact that he was equivalent to them. No one would let go of the idea that whites were superior to blacks and could not comprehend that everyone is truly equal.
"Here my Jim Crow education assumed quite a different form... Here I learned to lie, to steal, to dissemble." Since Richard was out of the norm, he had to respect whites but also find a way to earn respect back. It obviously wasn't easy always trying to find your way around being picked on, but always making a courteous move would save him from being slapped. He didn't really have a choice other than try and fit in. Stories of "Jim Crow" lessons always remind me that everyone deserves equal treatment. These simple messages help us understand that we are all the same, just unique in our own ways.

"Talk of the Town"

On the horrific day of 9/11 2001, America came together as our country was invaded and broken by few terrorists. Being so young, I don't remember a single thing that happened that day. Many people tell stories of how shocked and disturbed they were on the very day. I didn't catch everyone's distress that day and carried on with my T.V. watching day. Even though I don't recall much, it definitely was a day that changed everything. The articles point out interesting views on our country that I wouldn't have thought of. Our country truly is strong but also a mess within itself. Our government tries to do their best to contain our freedom so that we can all live in safety, but they may not be doing the right things.If we had complete freedom, our world would be even more crazy than it already is. Security was the problem that began the dreadful event. The first article points out that maybe we are given too much leeway for anyone to become a pilot. We definitely should be concerned about the people who are driving air crafts, but by no means exclude anyone from training. This really made me think about how the invaders were even able to board the plane. Although almost anyone is able to have transportation, it is surprising that foreigners had the same freedom that we have. It is difficult to argue against having freedom when our country's roots are to give equal opportunity."Risk is a price of freedom" said John Updike. I would never want to argue against the freedom that we do have, but it is almost frightening that the amount of freedom we had allowed 9/11 to happen.
Our country should constantly be using history to make decisions for the future. We can learn from 9/11 that something went wrong not only with our security but politics as well. A higher level of security could cure the problem of any more deaths, but the bigger problem was the government's attempt to convince our country that everything was alright. We knew then and there that reality is more complex than thought. Sometimes our government does a great job of keeping things in line, but a lot of times they are oblivious to everything happening. None of us actually knew that terrorists were going to attack our country, but the government should have a better clue on what is happening around the world particularity with our enemies. We could point fingers at our government or at the terrorists for the tragic invasion, but all in all it should be a lesson learned to be prepared for the future. Security needs to be extremely better and our government needs to be more intelligent with foreign policy. The second article said, "ineptitude of American intelligence and counter-intelligence." This was interesting because our government is very smart and sneaky with comprehension they have. They may know a lot more than we think, but every unconscious descision they make truly is shown in our community."Our country is strong," said Susan Sontag. This statement is true because we are a remarkable country with freedom to be anything we want to be. With the test of freedom, our country needs to stay true to what it believes in.

Introduction Post

To begin my blog, I want to start it on a positive note and make the best out of this class. I never have considered myself a writer, but I took this class because I would really like to learn something new. I think everyone could learn something new if they put their mind to it. As difficult as it is trying to maintain a blog in the summer, we are all forced to do it. Maybe it is a good thing so that we don't completely forget everything about school, but it also could just be annoying because we would rather be outside enjoying the sun. Either way I would rather look at our summer assignments as an introduction to what we will really have to be learning. As much as we all would love ignoring the blog, it is important to keep our minds fresh and always trying something new.

If you don't already know me, I love spending time outside and being with friends all the time. I enjoy nature because it is always peaceful and so much nicer than staying inside. You can easily get lost walking around, but it is always an adventure to get back to where you began. Enjoying the warm air and the beauty of the outdoors is fascinating to me because there is always something new to see. Although not everyone loves walking around in a forest, it is also nice to walk around downtown and enjoy the city. There is so many shops and new people to meet that it is always an interesting day walking down state street. Some of my favorite places to go on state street are Cheba hut, Osaka sushi, Noodles, and Ian's pizza. Yes I am obsessed with food and sometimes drive all the way downtown for a meal. Half of my pay checks are spent on food and I am completely fine with enjoying a quality dinner. Nature walks and eating food are the best ways to make me happy, but I spend most of my time on other things.
Since it is summer, we have plenty of free time and a great opportunity to make money. Not having a job would seem like we would be wasting our time when we could be saving up for college. I don't necessarily mind working a lot, but sometimes I feel like it takes up too much time in the summer. In the beginning of summer I worked way more than I wanted to and had barely any time to myself. Balancing between the two is a lot easier and less stressful. Currently, I work for the Maple Tree in town and I have an accounting intern position at my mom's work. I couldn't say which job I like best because they both have positives and negatives. Any restaurant job is a great first job to have because it teaches you to keep up but to also be comfortable talking to customers. After working there for a year, I definitely have learned a lot about people and how to be a leader. At my intern job, I spend a lot of time doing simple accounting things and mindless work. I have learned that I definitely would never be an accountant because numbers and computers don't go well with me. Other than the fact that work isn't always fun it definitely is a learning experience and helps everyone figure out what they would do for college.
Even though I am still unsure would I want to do after high school, it is important to take every opportunity we get and figure out who we are. Over the last year I've learned a lot about people and myself by going to completely new places and meeting new people. It is amazing how different people are and how differences are actually a positive thing. Being in such a small community is a negative thing because the world is so much different than just a perfect little school. Even though we are still so young, there is so much to experience and learn from in the future.