Blog Post 4

Article :

 Musicians and the concept of “selling out” - MIA’s Superbowl Halftime appearance:

Response: The author of this article choose to address the topic or idea of whether singer M.I.A's performance at the Superbowl was an act of selling out, or rather a showcase of her progression in her career. M.I.A is characteristically known/categorized as an alternative artist,placed opposite of the mainstream performers that the pop culture has both idolized and glamorized. Her performance on stage along side pop queen Madonna, and mainstream rapper Nicki Minj has caused the question to arise if M.I.A has essentially sold on the very principles that once set her apart (an indie, foreign alternative method to music). Personally i do not think that M.I.A's performance should be warranted as a sell out , but simple cultivation of success in the music industry. Who you are and what you stand for does not change simply because you are entered into a new culture (mainstream pop). I would not recommend this article to someone else to read , because i find the topic somewhat random and dramatic.


 Article: One of the many current national “takes” on New York Knicks basketball star-in-the-making, Jeremy Lin:

Response:  Jeremy Lin's rise on the basketball scene is nothing short of a pleasant surprise. The author of this article chooses to highlight the success of  Jeremy Lin the NBA. The harvard grad has shown himself to be able to hang with the best in the league. In a game against the LA Lakers  Lin scored a total of 30 points against NBA star Kobe Bryant. Lin's impressive performance for the New York Knicks has earned a growing fan base, and postivite attention. Many are surprised at his success being that Harvard University is normally known for producing academically advanced indviduals, and not sports prodigies. I personally do not have an inetrest in sports, but its kind of hard to ignore his progress when every other day i see a tweet stating "go Lin!" and "Lin, is Linmitless". I hope that Jeremy Lin is  able to continue on in his success and is able to be a role model to young atheles and old ones alike. I would reccomend this aritcle to anyone interested in sports, and stories of the rise of new atheletes.


Article : Opinion on PA Gun Law from Philly.com:

Response:    The author of this article tells how in 2008 a gun law was passe din Pennsylania. The this law was passed on account of the amount of crimes being committed in philadelphia as result of missing guns or illegally licensed  hang guns. The author also goes on to list some of the major cities in Pennsylvania in which gun crimes have run rampit. I found this article interesting becasue since we live in this area  i always hear on the local news about how an innocent bystander was shot by an unregistered gun or accidental injuries by illegal guns. Personally i do beilive that more gunr egualtion would be a positivie thing for the community , however it is crucial that we are sure that the rules do not infrigne on the publics rights as far as bearing arms and weapons.

Blog Post 3 - How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

1. Write a 15-line reflection on current gender roles, using the following questions to help formulate the reflection (your answers and opinions):
- what is expected of men and women in America in 2012 that’s specific to gender?
- how are men and women perceived in America in 2012 by the opposite sex?
- what are the difficulties/advantages of being a man or a woman in 2012?
- what are some stereotypes associated with being a man or a woman in 2012?

In pasts cultures and societies women have culturally played a

subservient role along side men. Women were made to stay home and take care of the children while the men were both allowed ad expected to go out and obtain an education in order to provide for the family. In modern day america this idea of men being more valuable than women, or being responsible soley for a families well being is still some what evident, but not exactly "the norm". Now days both men and women have the option of taking on a dominant role in the household and in everyday society, and with the existence of single mothers, and stay at home dads the complete opposite of what was once thought to be unheard of as far as social ideals is now an everyday occurrence. Due to these factors of the changing idea of what he role of a man and the role of a woman is , what the opposite genders perceive of each other is an ever changing idea. Both men and women now essentially look for the same characteristics in a mate, for example a modern day guy or girl would want someone who is financially stable,well educated and well rounded. Perhaps in past societies a man would not look a woman who was highly or equally educated being that their worth would not be found in  scholarly value, but in their ability to run a house hold or to maintain a functional family. Based on the expectations or lack there of that society hold upon men and women i think it  is safe to say that the advantages/disadvantages of being a man or woman in society turn being pretty equal, however as society is ever changing, there is no telling how perceptions and expectations for either gender roles will evolve.

2. Using one of last week’s Scenario Questions, Write a 5 line answer-explanation from the perspective of one of the characters from Garcia Girls. Put simply, if Yolanda or Carlos, etc. were posed this question, based on what you know about them thus far, how would they answer, and why?

In the perception of Carlos:

The role for women is one that is simply and easily understood. women are to follow the traditions of the family that are laid before them ,and perserve the culture and heart of the family.Women are not to take part in strenuous activities or activities that could make her family be perceived in a bad light. Men on the other hand are supposed to honor and protect their family . It is the mans responsiblity to pass down family values to his son so he can continue and pass it on down to his. Men are also supposed to be the provider for the family.

Blog Post 2- How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

1. Let us assume you met a rudimentary magician. Let us assume he can do five simple tricks--he can pull a rabbit out of his hat, he can make a coin disappear, he can turn the ace of spades into the Joker card, and two others in a similar vein. These are his only tricks and he can't learn any more; he can only do these five. HOWEVER, it turns out he's doing these five tricks with real magic. It's not an illusion; he can actually conjure the bunny out of the ether and he can move the coin through space. He's legitimately magical, but extremely limited in scope and influence.
Would this person be more impressive than Albert Einstein?

This person would be more impressive than Albert Einstein because at first it would appear as if he is somewhat worthless and posesses no real talent. People would judge him baesd on the simplicity of his talents, however in actuality the magician would possses a talen that no one else does. The fact that it is REAL magic would warrant him a higher level of respect than Albert Einstein because  his talent is one that cannot be learned or shared, it's special.

5. You meet your soul mate. However, there is a catch: Every three years, someone will break both of your soul mate's collarbones with a Crescent wrench, and there is only one way you can stop this from happening: You must swallow a pill that will make every song you hear--for the rest of your life--sound as if it's being performed by the band Alice in Chains. When you hear Creedence Clearwater Revival on the radio, it will sound (to your ears) like it's being played by Alice in Chains. If you see Radiohead live, every one of their tunes will sound like it's being covered by Alice in Chains. When you hear a commercial jingle on TV, it will sound like Alice in Chains; if you sing to yourself in the shower, your voice will sound like deceased Alice vocalist Layne Staley performing a capella (but it will only sound this way to you).
Would you swallow the pill?

I would swallow the pill. If this person is supposed to be my soulmate than i guess it would be safe to say that i would want to do anything to keep them from being put in harms way. I would just hope that this person would appreciate and recognize the sacrafice i am making for them, being that music plays a huge part of every aspect of my day.


7. Defying all expectation, a group of Scottish marine biologists capture a live Loch Ness Monster. In an almost unbelievable coincidence, a bear hunter in the Pacific Northwest shoots a Sasquatch in the thigh, thereby allowing zoologists to take the furry monster into captivity. These events happen on the same afternoon. That evening, the president announces he may have thyroid cancer and will undergo a biopsy later that week.
You are the front page editor of The New York Times: What do you play as the biggest story?

I would post the story of Sasquatch. Personally i would like to read more about the Lochness monster however, i think magority of readers would be more interested in reading about Sasquatch. I feel as though more  people would be familar with who "sasquatch" is, although morally i feel as though the story about the president would  be the better story to post


12. You meet a wizard in downtown Chicago. The wizard tells you he can make you more attractive if you pay him money. When you ask how this process works, the wizard points to a random person on the street. You look at this random stranger. The wizard says, "I will now make them a dollar more attractive." He waves his magic wand. Ostensibly, this person does not change at all; as far as you can tell, nothing is different. But--somehow--this person is suddenly a little more appealing. The tangible difference is invisible to the naked eye, but you can't deny that this person is vaguely sexier. This wizard has a weird rule, though--you can only pay him once. You can't keep giving him money until you're satisfied. You can only pay him one lump sum up front.
How much cash do you give the wizard?

I think it would be safe to give the wizard 5 dollars. Being that there is some kind of magical aspect to the whole process i would be somewhat weary of going overboard in the transformations, however sine it is clear that the "magic" he used on the person on the streeet worked, i would be willing to give it a try. I think i would want to get more details on the side effetcs and  workings behind the spell first, before i decided to give him the money.


16. Someone builds and optical portal that allows you to see a vision of your own life in the future (it’s essentially a crystal ball that shows a randomly selected image of what your life will be like in twenty years). You can only see into this portal for thirty seconds. When you finally peer into the crystal, you see yourself in a living room, two decades older than you are today. You are watching a Canadian football game, and you are extremely happy. You are wearing a CFL jersey. Your chair is surrounded by books and magazines that promote the Canadian Football League, and there are CFL pennants covering your walls. You are alone in the room, but you are gleefully muttering about historical moments in Canadian football history. It becomes clear that—for some unknown reason—you have become obsessed with Canadian football. And this future is static and absolute; no matter what you do, this future will happen. The optical portal is never wrong. This destiny cannot be changed.
The next day, you are flipping through television channels and randomly come across a pre-season CFL game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Knowing your inevitable future, do you now watch it?

No i will not watch it. I beieve that we all have a hand in our future ,a nd so by watching choosing to watch the
CFL game you would be essentially choosing to perpetuate a future that someone has layed out for you. If someone showed you a crystal ball in which you jump off a ledge, the next time you pass a ledge are you gonna jump off it? No. You'd avoid the ledge at all costs.
19. Your best friend is taking a nap on the floor of your living room. Suddenly, you are faced with a bizarre existential problem: This friend is going to die unless you kick them (as hard as you can) in the rib cage. If you don’t kick them while they slumber, they will never wake up. However, you can never explain this to your friend; if you later inform them that you did this to save their life, they will also die from that. So you have to kick a sleeping friend in the ribs, and you can’t tell them why.
Since you cannot tell your friend the truth, what excuse will you fabricate to explain this (seemingly inexplicable) attack?

I will say that i was trying to kick a pillow out of my way that was on the floor because i had other things in my hand and i didnt want to trip and then i missed the pillow and accidnetly kicked them. This story would seem highly unliekly however i would stick to my story and be really apologetic. I would also pay for the hospital bill or comfort them or do something to let them know that the kick was unintetional.


20. For whatever the reason, two unauthorized movies are made about your life. The first is an independently released documentary, primarily comprised of interviews with people who know you and bootleg footage from your actual life. Critics are describing the documentary as “brutally honest and relentlessly fair.” Meanwhile, Columbia Tri-Star has produced a big-budget biopic of your life, casting major Hollywood stars as you and all your acquaintances; though the movie is based on actual events, screenwriters have taken some liberties with the facts. Critics are split on the artistic merits of this fictionalized account, but audiences love it.
Which film would you be most interested in seeing?

I would be more intrested in seeing the film that was actual footage of my life. In some odd sense as we go about our day our life is already a movie in which the we personally have taken liberties with the facts . By choosing to remebering,forgetting, wishing, and dreamming we essentially choose to live  our lives in way that we personally would like to percieve them, however by watching a movie that was simply you going about your day and interviews with those around you, we would be forced to see our lives for what they truthyfull are,for who we are.