My winter holidays were alright this year. I saw most of my family on Christmas. The food was good as usual at my grandmother's house. But it just didn't feel like Christmas.
I think that my Christmas was meaningful, because I was able to see family that I don't see much. Everyone was happy and to me the meaning of life is to be happy and have fun. You could say that everyone was happy because they were getting presents and stuff that they want but there wasn't many presents and everyone was happy to see each other. The traditional Christmas is when everyone is happy and opening presents with their families that santa left. Kids would stay up all night trying to see Santa and can't wait to open their presents. However, as time progresses and one grows older, discovering certain truths about your childhood beleifs, Christmas becomes just another day in the year, except you are presented with gifts by people and are expected to give gifts to others. Things reverse polarities, where I would have found myself counting down days until Christmas arrived, this year I found myself shocked to find that Christmas was three days away, and I had nothing done in the way of shopping for my girlfriend. Another slight example of how things switch around between childhood and adolescence is gifts. When I was a kid, and I'm positive that most of us think this way, I hated getting clothes as a gift from my relatives. I don't think gifts are needed in order to celebrate Christmas. The family and love means more than anything.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Big Essay
There are many different ways to life a meaningful life. I think that if you think that your life is meaningful then it is meaningful to you, because people think different things are meaningful. Not everyone thinks the same things are meaningful so if you think the things in your life are meaningful then I think your life is meaningful. For me to have a meaningful life is to have fun and do what you want. Not living to do what other people want or think is meaningful. No one can tell me how to live my life. My parents try to tell me how I have to live but I pay no mind to their thoughts and keep living how I want to. Everyone thinks differently so there is no real way to determine weather one's life is meaningful or not.
Dominant Corporate Messages Analysis
I think that in our society today the dominant corporate messages are that materials will make you happy. For example in the commercial that says "Every kiss begins with a Kay". The commercial is for a jewelry store and basically what they are trying to tell the viewers is that the jewelry will make your girlfriend/ boyfriend happy and that their love for each other will become greater.
In the magazines that teenage girls read talk about what the celebrities are wearing and what they think is cool. When the girls read this they think that dressing and being like the celebrities are going to make them popular and feel better about themselves. The girls think they feel better about themselves but really feel better that they are more like the celebrity so really they are not feeling better about themselves. The dominant message that materials will make one happy cause people to rely on the materials they want so that if they don't get what they want they are angry until they get that thing. I think it is sort of similar to a drug addiction. People who are addicted to heroin or cocaine try it and then their bodies rely on the drugs and the junkie must get the drug or they go into a different state where their body gets all messed up. Then to keep on getting the drugs for their system they do things like become prostitutes so they can get what they need. People who think that the materials will make them happy buy and buy then when they don't have enough money or can't get the material they rob banks and steal from people because they think they will be happy with the money.
Another Dominant message is from religion. Everyone must do what their "God" or leader thinks is right. You must follow their beliefs or do what they would have done. Sometimes I think that religion is a way for people to be controlled because they don't want to sin. No one wants to sin so it is a way to scare people and get them to do what they think is right.
"I believe
Man made god, outta ignorance and fear
If God made man, then why the hell would he put us here?
I thought hes supposed to be the all loving
The same God who let hitler put the jews in the oven" -Dead Prez
In the magazines that teenage girls read talk about what the celebrities are wearing and what they think is cool. When the girls read this they think that dressing and being like the celebrities are going to make them popular and feel better about themselves. The girls think they feel better about themselves but really feel better that they are more like the celebrity so really they are not feeling better about themselves. The dominant message that materials will make one happy cause people to rely on the materials they want so that if they don't get what they want they are angry until they get that thing. I think it is sort of similar to a drug addiction. People who are addicted to heroin or cocaine try it and then their bodies rely on the drugs and the junkie must get the drug or they go into a different state where their body gets all messed up. Then to keep on getting the drugs for their system they do things like become prostitutes so they can get what they need. People who think that the materials will make them happy buy and buy then when they don't have enough money or can't get the material they rob banks and steal from people because they think they will be happy with the money.
Another Dominant message is from religion. Everyone must do what their "God" or leader thinks is right. You must follow their beliefs or do what they would have done. Sometimes I think that religion is a way for people to be controlled because they don't want to sin. No one wants to sin so it is a way to scare people and get them to do what they think is right.
"I believe
Man made god, outta ignorance and fear
If God made man, then why the hell would he put us here?
I thought hes supposed to be the all loving
The same God who let hitler put the jews in the oven" -Dead Prez
Thanksgiving (New)
I think that my Thanksgiving was meaningful, because I spent time with family members. I don't get to see my family much so it is a time for everyone to spend time together and catch up. I think part of the reason everyone is happy is because there is all this food and you can't be mad when there is a lot of good food in front of you and your with your family. Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for what you have and your family. At my thanksgiving dinner I did not bring up genocide as a topic, because everyone was happy and I did not want to ruin everyones day. I think that most people in my family know what really happen on thanksgiving day but no one wants to think about the bad stuff that has happened. This shows that in our culture the truth is not always what people want to hear. I myself prefer to hear the harsh truth rather than live a lie. Many people like to believe that everything is good when its not just so that they feel good. Thanksgiving should remind people to be thankful for all the small things that make their lives meaningful and worst living instead of thinking what they want to buy next like every other day of their lives.
Black Friday Wal-Mart (New)
On black Friday I did not shop. I think that the Wal-Mart incident shows how greedy people are and how they think that materials will make them happy. People would break down store doors and and trample a man just to save money. Also the pregnant woman should not have been there because there is always pushing in big crowds and when a woman is that big they don't have great balance or strength so can get knock over easily. This shows how people live and think that materialized products will make them happy. Their number one priority is to be happy and to be happy they must get what ever they want even if it means taking other's lives. Wal-Mart should not open their stores on theses days if the customers can not shop in a proper manner.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
2008 Election (New)
I think that Obama winning this election really showed America taking a big step forward, because he is not the same type of president that we have always had. He is not the white christian whose parents had all this money. Obama is a black man who went from rags to riches. I think him going through the struggles in his personal life shows how strong he is and that he is able to run our country. No other presidents have had to deal with the same problems as him. Now children can believe their parents when they tell them that they can be what ever they want because no one expected we would have a black president. I also think that even though he didn't have all this money he is the smartest candidate that we have had so far. I don't think that McCain spent enough time on his own campaign instead just tried to prove Obama wrong and make him look bad. There is a lot of work that has to be done and I think Obama is the right man for the job. Obama's winning has created some whites to hate blacks and I think that there will be many plans that are created to try and assassinate Obama. I think that the people who were yelling kill him when McCain announced Obamas winning are ignorant and not even McCain would agree with them. They are the ones who don't want change in America. I think that its good Obama won because Mccain just wants the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer. Obama wouldn't do that because he has been in the lower class when he was younger and knows how hard it is to live that way. Because he has grew up from the low class the people in the lower class are able to count on him to help them out.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Comments on analysis of videos
Reiko
I agree with what you said about the songs main idea of a good life because the whole song they repeat all you need is love.
HaHaManHV
I agree with yo how before she had the lip gloss everything was dark and sad and then she got lip gloss and everything got better and more colorful.
MAXIEL
I agree with you that the song is saying that to have a good life all you need is to have love and without love life is meaningless.
I agree with what you said about the songs main idea of a good life because the whole song they repeat all you need is love.
HaHaManHV
I agree with yo how before she had the lip gloss everything was dark and sad and then she got lip gloss and everything got better and more colorful.
MAXIEL
I agree with you that the song is saying that to have a good life all you need is to have love and without love life is meaningless.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Good Life
1. What is the song basically saying about how to live a good life? Paraphrase the main idea.
The song is basically saying that a good life is having cars, money , girls and being on tv.
2. What lyrics particularly speak to that perspective? Use quotes as evidence.
"So I roll through good
Y'all pop the trunk, I pop the hood, Ferrari"
I think that Kanye West is saying that he lives the good life because he has all this money and is able to to buy expensive cars. I think he says "we pop the trunk" because we are all poor compared to him so we don't have the cars that give someone a good life while he is "popping the hood" of his ferrari. (Ferrari's engines are in the back of the car.)
3. How do the video images support, re-orient, or challenge the dominant theme of the lyrics? Analyze.
The video images support what kanye west is saying because everything he says you see. They have all the words he say, when e talks about money they show money when he talks about cars they show cars.
4. What else do you notice that's interesting? Look for internal contradictions, aspects of the message that resonate with other messages from the pop culture, points that connect to your own perspective, etc. Analyze squared.
I think it is interesting how they think it is so important to them to be on tv. "I'ma get on this TV mama, I'ma
I'ma put shit down." I also think it is interest how everything said is shown in the video.
The song is basically saying that a good life is having cars, money , girls and being on tv.
2. What lyrics particularly speak to that perspective? Use quotes as evidence.
"So I roll through good
Y'all pop the trunk, I pop the hood, Ferrari"
I think that Kanye West is saying that he lives the good life because he has all this money and is able to to buy expensive cars. I think he says "we pop the trunk" because we are all poor compared to him so we don't have the cars that give someone a good life while he is "popping the hood" of his ferrari. (Ferrari's engines are in the back of the car.)
3. How do the video images support, re-orient, or challenge the dominant theme of the lyrics? Analyze.
The video images support what kanye west is saying because everything he says you see. They have all the words he say, when e talks about money they show money when he talks about cars they show cars.
4. What else do you notice that's interesting? Look for internal contradictions, aspects of the message that resonate with other messages from the pop culture, points that connect to your own perspective, etc. Analyze squared.
I think it is interesting how they think it is so important to them to be on tv. "I'ma get on this TV mama, I'ma
I'ma put shit down." I also think it is interest how everything said is shown in the video.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
What do people say about the meaning of life?
When asking strangers on the street and family members about the meaning of wisdom and life I got many different answers. Alot of the answers were worded differently but basically meant the same thing. For example a random man on the street said he thought that wisdom was "Experience repackaged as advice" and my father said "Wisdom is knowledge gained through life experience." Both of these answers are saying that wisdom comes from experience. When someone has experienced something they are able to get a better understanding because they have witnessed it and been through the motions.
Everybody i interviewed thought that family was one of the most meaningful things in their lives. When I asked my father why family was the most meaningful thing to him he said that everything that he does has to do with the family. Family is usually the closest people to you because you have spend a large amount of your life with them and have been through the hard and good times together. Family doesn't always have to be blood related they can be people who you have close relationships with. My younger brother thought that having fun was one of the most meaningful parts of his life. He thought that life doesn't always have to be meaningful but you should be having fun because you only live one time.
A pattern i noticed was that alot of people said that happiness and being happy and having fun was what made life meaningful. Most people say this because no one doesn't like being happy and being happy usually means that you are having fun and enjoying life. Having fun and enjoying life is meaningful because you are not wasting your life with things you do not want to do.
What is meaningful and meaningless can be different for everybody. The same types of things can be the meaningful for example Family, money etc but someone can't tell another that something is not meaningful to that person because there aren't them.
Everybody i interviewed thought that family was one of the most meaningful things in their lives. When I asked my father why family was the most meaningful thing to him he said that everything that he does has to do with the family. Family is usually the closest people to you because you have spend a large amount of your life with them and have been through the hard and good times together. Family doesn't always have to be blood related they can be people who you have close relationships with. My younger brother thought that having fun was one of the most meaningful parts of his life. He thought that life doesn't always have to be meaningful but you should be having fun because you only live one time.
A pattern i noticed was that alot of people said that happiness and being happy and having fun was what made life meaningful. Most people say this because no one doesn't like being happy and being happy usually means that you are having fun and enjoying life. Having fun and enjoying life is meaningful because you are not wasting your life with things you do not want to do.
What is meaningful and meaningless can be different for everybody. The same types of things can be the meaningful for example Family, money etc but someone can't tell another that something is not meaningful to that person because there aren't them.
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