This English 103 class hasn't been all that easy, but like that famous quote says nothing in life was said to be easy. I have learned a tremendous amount of things from taking this class. I believe that my writing has improved due to this class, because not only did we have the criticism of teachers, but now our peers get to opinion each others work. I think that was huge, because everyone sees things in different point of views regardless if they agreed, or not.
The thing i enjoyed the most was the board discussions, because it was amazing to me how different opinions and thoughts about the specfic question, had so many responses, and showed how certain people think and feel. It also made me actually think about what i was writing about, i had a purpose, and i liked that a lot from the discussions. It was also pretty neat to have your own peers give you advice, and help. The first couple of weeks I didn't have a clue how to use the online system, until I figured out a way to get in contact with some of the people online, and they were very helpful, in helping me. :)
My writing skills aren't the greatest, but due to the responses and feedback from people, made me realize that my writing was improving, because i would get comments from my peers saying how goood of a job I did on my blogs, or explaining something through the discussion boards. I think that the whole blog thing is so awesome, it's a way for people to share things, important issues that are going on in today's world. I learned so much through these blogs. The people in this class have such strong opinion, and through that I was able to learn something from them.
Overall, this class was interesting I think the group we had was cool. Even though it was hard at times, I enjoyed it. :)
Friday, April 30, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
What's Behind Cartoons?
For many years, editorial cartoons have been a good source to state opinions about political, economic, and social issues. One thing in common among all of them, is their use of symbols, or situations that seem familiar to us, which offer insights into our national, local, and international cultures. An editorial cartoonist has an advantage that other journalists, including editorial writers, do not share. Cartoonists are able, if not encouraged, to voice their personal biases in their work. The cartoonist’s reliance on caricatures and exaggerated features creates an artistic license that is not shared by those that work with the written word.
Effective symbolism works its way from editorial cartoons into the mainstream American culture. For example, the donkey and the elephant were first used to represent the two major U.S. political parties in the cartoons of Thomas Nast. Mr. Nast is also credited for giving us our modern day depiction of Santa Claus. Other cartoons have created symbols such as a dragon for China and Uncle Sam for the United States. This editoiral cartoons have become beyond popular in the past couple decades, cartoonists come up with some of the craziest, and random things, which makes it interesting to read. But according to a study by Carl (1968), he found out that 70% of newspaper readers were unable to identify the meaning of which the cartoonist intended to communicate in an editorial cartoon.
I never understood what they were really trying to say when I read this editorial cartoons, that's why I never bother reading them, because I will literally sit there and try to find the meaning of it, and in the end I never do. Before, back in the days when I used to read the comic ones, with Charlie Brown, now those I did get most of the time, and were quite funny. An editorial cartoonist should have a clear message for each one of his or her cartoons. Each cartoonist has a different style, a different technique and a different viewpoint. However, each cartoonist should try to clearly and concisely communicate his or her ideas on one topic for each cartoon. The goal should be to make the reader think about an important social or political issue of the time. An effective political cartoon is truly a work of art. It requires a balance of art and politics that is subtle enough to make the reader think yet obvious enough to be understood by the intended audience. A good editorial cartoonist is capable of striking the right balance and creating cartoons that are enjoyed and admired.
Effective symbolism works its way from editorial cartoons into the mainstream American culture. For example, the donkey and the elephant were first used to represent the two major U.S. political parties in the cartoons of Thomas Nast. Mr. Nast is also credited for giving us our modern day depiction of Santa Claus. Other cartoons have created symbols such as a dragon for China and Uncle Sam for the United States. This editoiral cartoons have become beyond popular in the past couple decades, cartoonists come up with some of the craziest, and random things, which makes it interesting to read. But according to a study by Carl (1968), he found out that 70% of newspaper readers were unable to identify the meaning of which the cartoonist intended to communicate in an editorial cartoon.
I never understood what they were really trying to say when I read this editorial cartoons, that's why I never bother reading them, because I will literally sit there and try to find the meaning of it, and in the end I never do. Before, back in the days when I used to read the comic ones, with Charlie Brown, now those I did get most of the time, and were quite funny. An editorial cartoonist should have a clear message for each one of his or her cartoons. Each cartoonist has a different style, a different technique and a different viewpoint. However, each cartoonist should try to clearly and concisely communicate his or her ideas on one topic for each cartoon. The goal should be to make the reader think about an important social or political issue of the time. An effective political cartoon is truly a work of art. It requires a balance of art and politics that is subtle enough to make the reader think yet obvious enough to be understood by the intended audience. A good editorial cartoonist is capable of striking the right balance and creating cartoons that are enjoyed and admired.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Free to Voice Out!!
Our nation is known to let those who want to speak, speak. The bill of rights allow us citizens to let our voices be heard, whether if it is in a good way, or a bad way. If a leader of an unknown hate group were to step foot on my campus, I wouldn't oppose to him/her being there. I mean there isn't much I can do, but to share my opinions with that individual as well. Legally, he/she is not breaking any law, therefore they should be protected under the First Amendment.
In my opinion, I would defend such individual from using inflammatory racist language, because after all he or she does have the right to say what he/she feels is right to say, many might not like what he/she might be saying, but they have the Freedom of Speech to do so. If i didn't like a certain subject persay, or if I was against something being said or done, I would put my vioce out there and say what I feel towards that matter, some may oppose to it, or soe=me may be in favor with me, but I do have the right to speak my mind out, just as freely as the hate leader is allowed to.
After all, nobody can really say nothing to that person, regarding police officers or so, because we do live in a world were we can't really be controlled. If the person giving the hate speech doesn't start any fights or cause any type of damage to anyone then he's good to go. And if in any case, he does provoke anyone, then he will be asked to leave, or I will try to situate the problem, it's only fair. I mean we can't simply take that right from someone, because if we do, then it complicates everyone's rights to Freedom of Speech. That wouldn't be such a good idea, because that's all we pretty much have. If the government takes complete control of that, then we won't have much to protect ourselves from, I mean the government already violates our privacy by using high technology to find things, and sometimes they break into people's houses without a warrant, so if Freedom of Speech is taken away simply because someone is voicing there opinion in a rude, or insulting manner, then it can affect all of us. I believe, that people should have the right to say whatever they feel free to say, and those who don't agree can either put up a front and give their opinions, or they can just simply walk away and not even pay attention to what he or she is saying.
In my opinion, I would defend such individual from using inflammatory racist language, because after all he or she does have the right to say what he/she feels is right to say, many might not like what he/she might be saying, but they have the Freedom of Speech to do so. If i didn't like a certain subject persay, or if I was against something being said or done, I would put my vioce out there and say what I feel towards that matter, some may oppose to it, or soe=me may be in favor with me, but I do have the right to speak my mind out, just as freely as the hate leader is allowed to.
After all, nobody can really say nothing to that person, regarding police officers or so, because we do live in a world were we can't really be controlled. If the person giving the hate speech doesn't start any fights or cause any type of damage to anyone then he's good to go. And if in any case, he does provoke anyone, then he will be asked to leave, or I will try to situate the problem, it's only fair. I mean we can't simply take that right from someone, because if we do, then it complicates everyone's rights to Freedom of Speech. That wouldn't be such a good idea, because that's all we pretty much have. If the government takes complete control of that, then we won't have much to protect ourselves from, I mean the government already violates our privacy by using high technology to find things, and sometimes they break into people's houses without a warrant, so if Freedom of Speech is taken away simply because someone is voicing there opinion in a rude, or insulting manner, then it can affect all of us. I believe, that people should have the right to say whatever they feel free to say, and those who don't agree can either put up a front and give their opinions, or they can just simply walk away and not even pay attention to what he or she is saying.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Love Yourself, Before You Love Others!
Most of us with out even noticing it, we tend to love others, before we even get the chance to love our own self. Then they wonder why things go wrong, they get to involve trying to make others happy, while at the same time they’re sitting around trying to figure how to make themselves happy. It doesn’t work like, I personally believe that having self-respect is more important. Not being comfortable with yourself, brings unhappiness. self- respect is recognizing that everything worth having has a price, which is followed by happiness.
I live by the quote, “Love yourself first, before you love others”. This quote was introduced to me by a close friend back in High School. I remember feeling left out, I don’t know if I felt sad, or lonely, I just knew that I wasn’t the person I was used to being, I never paid to much attention to myself. I felt like I was being trapped in this black whole, not knowing how to escape from it, just like any typical teenager at that point in their lives feels when they hit that stage in high school. One day, I walked into my English class, we were have way through the semester when a new girl joined our class. The teacher sat her right behind me, I looked back at her, not with a smile, but not with a mean face either. Next thing you know, with a blink of an eye we became close friends, we started talking and hanging out more often. What’s ironic is, that just knowing this chick for so little time, through my smiles, and laughs she was able to tell that there was something wrong. One evening during lunch, she comes and sits next to me and asks me, “What’s wrong?”, I said, “nothing, why?”, My intentions weren’t to show anything, I mean I didn’t even feel like I was portraying some sort of expression, or body language, but I guess their was enough evidence for her to catch on. Then she popped out with the question, “Do you love yourself?”, in the back of my head, I was like, “what the hell is she talking about”. I started thinking, and deep inside I knew I wasn’t happy with the way I was, I felt not comfortable within my own self, and I responded back, “I’ve never thought about myself like that”. I Must have been in denial, she shared some of her past experiences, that were quite touching, and I thought to myself, oh man, she has it way worse than me, and I’m just complaining about how I don’t like certain things about myself. Through her words, I learned how to love myself for who I was, and learned to recognize that everything I was and had was worth being happy for. In the end, I got over my fears, and applied the “self-respect rule”, which in my eyes was, learn to love yourself, before you choose to love anyone else, whatever games are played with us, we must play no games with ourselves, and in return one will seek happiness.
This close friend, and I continue to be friends, I share this story, because it was life changing. I mean, yes, we were young at heart, but we knew what it was like to feel uncomfortable in our own shoes. Through the many conversations we had, we learned a lot about ourselves and became happy campers. Now and days, I see friends, and just people in general, struggling and feeling down because so and so left them, or did them wrong ect, only if they knew that by having self-respect, it is much easier to overcome all that. Self-respect can be taken away just by a simple face expression, that expresses to the other person that their ugly for example, but people can’t take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them. When you express love, acceptance, and respect, you create happiness within.
I live by the quote, “Love yourself first, before you love others”. This quote was introduced to me by a close friend back in High School. I remember feeling left out, I don’t know if I felt sad, or lonely, I just knew that I wasn’t the person I was used to being, I never paid to much attention to myself. I felt like I was being trapped in this black whole, not knowing how to escape from it, just like any typical teenager at that point in their lives feels when they hit that stage in high school. One day, I walked into my English class, we were have way through the semester when a new girl joined our class. The teacher sat her right behind me, I looked back at her, not with a smile, but not with a mean face either. Next thing you know, with a blink of an eye we became close friends, we started talking and hanging out more often. What’s ironic is, that just knowing this chick for so little time, through my smiles, and laughs she was able to tell that there was something wrong. One evening during lunch, she comes and sits next to me and asks me, “What’s wrong?”, I said, “nothing, why?”, My intentions weren’t to show anything, I mean I didn’t even feel like I was portraying some sort of expression, or body language, but I guess their was enough evidence for her to catch on. Then she popped out with the question, “Do you love yourself?”, in the back of my head, I was like, “what the hell is she talking about”. I started thinking, and deep inside I knew I wasn’t happy with the way I was, I felt not comfortable within my own self, and I responded back, “I’ve never thought about myself like that”. I Must have been in denial, she shared some of her past experiences, that were quite touching, and I thought to myself, oh man, she has it way worse than me, and I’m just complaining about how I don’t like certain things about myself. Through her words, I learned how to love myself for who I was, and learned to recognize that everything I was and had was worth being happy for. In the end, I got over my fears, and applied the “self-respect rule”, which in my eyes was, learn to love yourself, before you choose to love anyone else, whatever games are played with us, we must play no games with ourselves, and in return one will seek happiness.
This close friend, and I continue to be friends, I share this story, because it was life changing. I mean, yes, we were young at heart, but we knew what it was like to feel uncomfortable in our own shoes. Through the many conversations we had, we learned a lot about ourselves and became happy campers. Now and days, I see friends, and just people in general, struggling and feeling down because so and so left them, or did them wrong ect, only if they knew that by having self-respect, it is much easier to overcome all that. Self-respect can be taken away just by a simple face expression, that expresses to the other person that their ugly for example, but people can’t take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them. When you express love, acceptance, and respect, you create happiness within.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)