I Present To You All.... The Magnificent 7!!!!

(Title is read in an announcers voice, with an anticipating pause)

So in class we were asked to do some peer review/ blog commenting on some peer's blogs. When I heard this I was nervous, because I didn't want to critique their writing, as if I am any better.  I was only hoping that no one would hold it against me. 

Before you see the Magnificent 7, here is one of many of the comments on my log that I found helpful.  

Crystal,

I liked your unique approach to this assignment. Sharing your personal experiences in your writing helps the reader get to know who you are and brings reality to the situation.

The only thing I noticed in the beginning was I got lost about halfway through the first paragraph. As you stated, "You are probably wondering where I'm going with this". I think if you had a brief introduction leading to the content of the article or sharing your perspective through comparison, would make this piece even more powerful. I really enjoy your writing and would like to hear more about what you think.

Great job.  

I felt this to be most helpful because it showed me how a reader sees my blog, and how to make what I am saying resignate with the reader in a more powerful way.  It also shows that I should continue to write with my heart, and use personal experiences in life as examples, or comparisons. From now on I am going to try to be more organized in my writing, trying to make sure everything is clear for my readers.

I read and commented on almost every blog that I have access to, but here are the lucky 7 that made it to the list. 

Justin -http://jgamboa808.blogspot.com/2012/10/tmitoo-much-information.html?showComment=1350953086986#c6214200780231439212

Matt- http://lifeorsomethinglikeallofus.blogspot.com/2012/10/lies-embed-our-lives-with-fatigue.html?showComment=1350954043140#c4581771760700413569

Simone- http://wordwidewriting.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-rose-colored-shaped-pyramids-of-giza.html?showComment=1350954242232#c568138336704472729

Liz-http://laneadventuresofliz.blogspot.com/2012/10/access-denied.html?showComment=1350963240503#c2710996638362838338

Jasmine- http://jasminejewelhood.blogspot.com/2012/10/do-we-need-it.html?showComment=1350963848496#c8912792725651769022

Colby- http://mccoolb.blogspot.com/2012/10/divergence-we-stand.html?showComment=1350964180691#c8408113688740974917

And last but not least: 

Robert-http://robertswrittingview.blogspot.com/2012/10/me-no-dumb-me-have-computor-technology.html?showComment=1350964518444#c7144033122121562815

This comment was by far my favorite that I posted. 

Oh Roberto! 
I read this post as soon as it was posted and man, you really hit the nail on the head. Your title is catchy, you into is inviting and alluring, and you end it with a great conclusion... now what to change... PICTURES!! HYPERLINKS!! COLOR! Make the blog appealing to the eye not just the brain. Most blog readers (I know cause I am one of them) look for blogs that catch their eye. There are thousands, err millions, of blogs out there, and I am pretty sure someone else has written about this topic. You want the reader to not only get a feel for who you are as a writer, but with some personality as well. I don't need to comment on your writing, we all know we have Sandy to thank (jk), but just make the blog a little more like a page STOPPER, not just a page turner.

Finding Blame: It Must Be The Video Games

Gaming! Even when saying it out loud it gives me such high stress.  This is a very hot topic in my home most of the time.  When I think of technology and gaming there is a multitude of thoughts that run through my mind. First being how expensive it is. From the console, to the actual game, then all of the little extras that you can purchase in the game, being a gamer is NOT a cheap hobby.  Second thing that comes to mind with gaming is how less active and RL (gamer talk for real life) iteration happens to the person behind a screen.  The last and final thing that comes to mind is the amount of hours one wastes (yes I know that saying waste is bias, but it is my blog so.... ) playing a virtual, make believe game instead of accomplishing something in their life.

** Disclaimer- Yes I do know and recognize that my opinions are exactly that, mine, and I do know that there are people who are active, not socially awkward, successful and accomplished that are gamers. But, specifically I am speaking of the intense, "true" gamers.

Pictured borrowed by Comics.gamesfirst.com

Notice that when I listed what came to my mind when gaming is brought up, violence was never something that entered my mind. I may be the only one.. or not?

I recently read an article, written by an unknown author, that was originally posted in The Economist August 4, 2005. "Defending Video Games: Breeding Evil?" was a great insight to the evidence, or lack thereof, that video games are bad for people.



First thing that came to my mind was the morning after the Aurora Colorado shooting. After the shooting, naturally, people everywhere were trying to make sense as to why a person would do such a thing. I remember criminal profiler Pat Brown coming on the screen to talk about the incident.  Brown gave a hypothetical profile of the shooter that suggested that he was "probably spending his time in his apartment playing one video game after the other- shooting, shooting, shooting." As soon as this was said my husband and I looked at each other real quick. We just knew that in such a terrible time video games were going to get the blame.




In the article the author compared the uproar about video games with many historic instances.  First was Rock N' Roll 50 years ago. Rock n' roll was looked at as an evil influence on the youth back then.  It was seen as promoting violence, satanism and promiscuity. (This brought me back to Footloose, and the story behind that great film) Another time in history where skepticism of new media shows is the waltz. I know what your thinking, "THE FREAKING WALTZ !?!" That was my reaction exactly, but as shown in history, the waltz  was thought to be "intoxicating and depraved" with all of the twirling.  The music was even banned in some places.

The author references many accusations of video games encouraging violence, but counters them with statistics and research doing nothing but contradicting that claim.  Along with violence, the author shows that the claim that video games are also fostering adictiveness to be falsified as well.

All in all, the controversy with video games, according to the unknown author, is more than anything else, the consequence of a generational divide. Cant we all just get along? 

Pictured borrowed by http://endlessorigami.blogspot.com

When reading this article I already knew that I would agree with the author, so I had to take some other key points from him/her.  I really wanted to take away how the author writes.  In an argument situation it becomes very easy to get overly passionate and to not think clearly about the other view.  This author does.  They come off neutral near the beginning of the article, but as any good arguer, clearly states his view with facts backing them.

Even though I already felt that gaming didn't cause violent behavior, I can't really use that as an excuse for Aaron (my husband) to do some gardening or baking with me instead of being in that office.

Now all I have to do is figure out a way to convince my husband that video gaming is bad for your health :-)

Naieve Eyes

"I'm a real boy"- Pinnochio
Image: Copyright The Walt Disney Company

"I can see your nose growing." That is exactly what my mom would tell me when she knew I was lying, and of course I believed her.  For the longest time as a little girl, I thought that that statement was true.  Now, as an adult I obviously know that it is not true, but am still a horrible liar to this day.

When I think about lying I often forget to realize that not everyone is as honest as I am or as they should be.  Because of this, I tend to be overly sensitive when I find out that I was lied to.

It is curious to think that any one person could be telling a lie without knowing that they are.  In the essay "The Ways We Lie" by Stephanie Ericsson, she explores the thought of how lies are incorporated into everyday life.  According to this essay, "We lie. We all do. We exaggerate  we minimize, we avoid confrontation, we spare people's feelings, we conveniently forget, we keep secrets, we justify lying to the big-guy institutions."

That statement made me really contemplate how honest I truly am.

Life without lying is a very difficult one, even maybe impossible.  As I said earlier, I try to live my life as honest as can be (I am terrible at lying anyways). The subjective words being 'as I can be'. I am a makeup artist part time, and  I never realized that something as coloring your hair and doing your makeup could be considered a "lie" until now.  Even with this knowledge, I try to think that there is some spectrum of every kind of lying.

It could range from a simple white lie like telling your spouse that the food that they just slaved 4 hours on making, was great, when in all actuality it was a mere okay, or wearing makeup and coloring your hair to appear somewhat presentable.

Me with no Makeup     Me starting my  makeup     Finished product
(SOO MUCH BETTER WITH MAKEUP! )

The other side of the spectrum would be when someone blatantly looks at someone and lie to their face.  An example of this is the oh so funny "my dog ate my homework" excuse.

Image: fashionablygeek.com

All in all I take away the fact that lying occurs around us without even noticing. I do it, you do it, I am pretty sure the Pope even does it.  It is something that unless consciously making an effort to not lie, even the honest of honest people are guilty of it.


 

Freedom of the Internet

Ever since I can remember my father, who is a Mexico native, would tell me how amazing his home country is, and how Mexico is such a great place. Yes, Mexico is beautiful, full of history, and a great place to party, but that is very subjective.  My dad now lives back in Mexico, and I don't know if you all know this but there is a drug war going on in Mexico. I fear everyday for my dad's life and hope that he stays safe.  It saddens me to know that our neighboring country is in such turmoil and we as US citizens may not even realize it.  You are probably wondering where I am going with this. Well, as a person born and raised in the United States (besides when I was 2-3) I feel like I take advantage of the freedom that I am given in this country. I rarely stop and really think about what I have, and how grateful I am for it.  From being able to vote in our leader, to me being a woman able gain an education, to something as small as the freedom to use the Internet.

In my Writing 122 class we read an amazing article, "Communication Key To Egypt's Uprising," written by Hany Rashwan right after the fall of Egypt's pharaoh in 2011.  The article specifically talks about how the World Wide Web played a key role in the protest, and helped the Egyptians summon up the courage to rally against the pharaoh. Specifically, Google, Facebook, and Twitter.  On top of the Internet helping a struggling country, Rashwan speaks of how it is breaking barriers when it comes to labels.  One of the most memorable quotes from the piece comes from Wael Ghonim, the Middle-Eastern Google executive  "If you want to liberate a government, give them the Internet."

Rashwan goes on to explain that the Internet allows anyone regardless of gender age, ethnicity or beliefs full freedom to use and contribute back to the Internet.  The fact that the Internet has brought awareness to so many things throughout the world through social media is the beauty of the Internet.


"It is not America's Internet or Europe's Internet; it's the World Wide Web"- Hany Rashwan

After reading the article, I really had time to think about Hany Rashwan's approach to the subject. I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated his technique. Obviously I am not from Egypt, in fact, the life in Egypt feels worlds away, but Rashwan's words started to really hit home when he talked about the social media networks. Being 24 years old, and a college student, it is almost impossible to go a day without hearing the words "facebook," or "tweet," so when Rashwan shared that the country of Egypt used these exact media to get their point across I instantly knew what that meant. Rashwan was very aware of his audience and was clever with his approach to the subject of not only the advantages of the Internet but also to the walls of racism it is tearing down.   I just today "liked" a page on Facebook about anti-bullying. With things like Facebook, and Twitter, we can get awareness to causes in mere minutes.  The Internet is something that I think I take advantage of, because of it's accessibility, but I don't ever forget how lucky I am to be an American.

Let the elephants roam

This weekend I was able to go up to Yakima, WA to visit with my family. My mom flew into Seattle from Kansas City, and I was overwhelmed with excitement to see her. I haven't seen her since March when I flew down to take care of her for her surgery, so this time with family was much needed.

From left to right: My mom holding my nephew, my cute niece Aly, and my nephews Cody and Rowdy jumping on the trampoline with their dad.

The weekend was spent with family dinners, a birthday party for my niece and nephew, and long talks on my sister and brother-in-laws back porch.  While in Yakima, even though my time was filled, I couldn't stop sporadically thinking about an article from The Washington Post, that I had read in class. . 

Picture borrowed from Awf.org

In this  Washington Post article, "Let the Zoo's Elephants Go," Les Schobert, a professional zoo curator, tries to enlighten readers about the situation that the elephants have to endure in America's zoos.  Schobert wrote the article to bring to light the inadequate conditions in which the elephants have been held.  He feels that zoos across the country must change the concept of how the elephants are kept. Since the start of zoos, there has been a growth of knowledge about elephants, and that keeping them in tiny quarters is detrimental to their health. Schobert not only goes into detail about his history as a zoo curator, and what goes on with the elephants, but he also has a resolution to the problem.  

There are many elephant sanctuaries that have the acreage that the elephants need to do the appropriate amount of walking needed for their health, but also the social part of an elephant’s life as well.  Schobert feels that if the zoo cannot accommodate the elephants on their needs to survive a long life, they need to send the elephants to the sanctuaries. 

This made me think....

When reading the article, I not only started having anger toward the zoos, but also sadness toward what the elephants have to go through.  I cannot say with much education what is exactly needed to be done to prevent more elephants getting euthanized at such a young age, but I too feel that maybe it would be best to have the elephants go to a sanctuary.  The sanctuary can still allow people from all around to see the amazing wonder of elephants, and keep them healthy.  Because of this article I now will keep an eye open on what is going on in the world of zoos.  

As you can see I had a lot on my mind this weekend :-)  I had a great time in Yakima with my family, and I was able to reflect on the article that I had read as well.