A Final Farewell

With our exam tomorrow, literary theory and criticism is coming closer to an end. I remember my first day of class when we were told that we would have to create a blog for this course. In the beginning, I was so against this blog mainly because I was confused on how to set one up. Throughout the course, I have grown to like my blog and it became an addiction (sometimes blogging twice in one day). I am glad that I was exposed to different things throughout this course, one of them being mainly my blog. The knowledge I have acquired from this course and the movies I wouldn't have watched on my own time have exposed me to a different world and one that I am enjoying.
I enjoyed reading my classmates blogs and also enjoyed reading the comments that were made on my blog. Thank you to all who read my blog throughout the year. I hope you enjoyed reading it and with that being said my final blog is my final dose of theory!
I now shall get back to studying. See you all in the morning where we come together for one last time as a class in ATAC 2019
Goodluck!!

Technology on T.V.

Today's technology amazes me!! About 2 weeks ago I was watching The Doctors: "Futuristic Medicine That Can Change Your Life." The guest on the show was a woman who had lost her right arm at the age of 16 due to a rare tumour. Previously, she wore a prosthetic arm but unfortunately this was not able to handle all of her duties. Luckily for her, she was going to be given an i-LIMB, the most advanced bionic prosthetic. The i-LIMB is a great piece of technology and is more similar to a real hand because it allows a persons hand to open and close around objects more securely. She is able to perform all tasks such as typing on a keyboard or using hand gestures more efficiently and accurately because of the i-LIMB. The i-LIMB has truly changed her life! The next piece of Futuristic Medicine the "Nao Robot" is one that could change of the lives of autistic children. The Nao Robot is used to communicate with autistic children and can improve their social skills and interaction with others. It truly is amazing how much technology has come along throughout the years. With just the press of a button, life can change!
On a side note, last week I was watching Two and a Half Men and one of the lines caught my attention.
Charlie Harper: "Welcome to the Matrix"

Texting Gone Wrong

Lately, cell phones have been the "hot" topic within the discussions in our class. Over the years, the use of cell phones has changed. Today, and for myself, I know that if I need to talk to a friend, I do not dial their number but instead send them a text. To me, texting is so much simpler but I never realized how texting can be problematic and actually a bit scary. A couple years ago I had received an email about cell phones (yes I keep a lot of my emails but am sure glad I kept this one). Below is the email.

This lady has changed her habit of how she lists her names on her mobile phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet... etc... was stolen. 20 minutes later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had happened, hubby says "I received your text asking about our Pin number and I've replied a little while ago." When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text "hubby" in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.
Moral of the lesson: Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc.... And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back. Also, when you're being text by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet "family and friends" who text you.

This email changed the way I put names in my cell phone and how one's personal cell phone is not private at all.

Looking Through the Lens

Wow! Although I have not blogged in what seems like forever, I have not been neglecting my blog. I have been checking back but could not come up with something to write about until this past week.
I have had a chance to watch The Matrix and I must say that I would probably have not watched this movie if I had a chance to rent a movie on a Friday night. I didn't mind the movie but I will admit that I do fit the female stereotype of loving "chick flicks." I am glad because this class has exposed me to watching movies that normally I would not watch. So I have finished watching the movie but now it comes time for me to start writing my essay. ahhh !!
Next, I thoroughly enjoyed Tuesday's class especially the discussion about the hockey game!! So as we talked about the hockey game and watching the game on the screen at the game, something popped into my head. I suddenly remembered myself being at a concert last summer. Although I did have fairly good seats at the concert, I also caught myself looking up at the screen. Besides looking up at the screen, I also couldn't stop taking pictures and recording videos. I had to stop myself a few times as I realized that I was watching the concert through my camera as I snapped picture after picture and recorded the videos. Lets just say the concert was great and I have many pictures to look back on to remember the great time I had!!

Violence is not the Answer

I had a chance to watch the movie Boys Don't Cry last night. Before I watched it, I had done some research to find out what it was about. I know I might have spoiled the movie for myself, but in a way I'm glad I did. While watching, I had mentally prepared myself for what was going to happen seeing as the movie had some disturbing scenes. I don't want to spoil it for those of you have not had a chance to watch it yet, so I will not go into any details. The movie left me speechless and when it was over I thought to myself, the worst thing about this movie was that it was based on a true story. It is horrible to think that these kinds of things happen to people because of their gender preference and sexual orientation. Many issues in today's world were brought up in this movie and I'm hoping that society can act less violent and be more accepting. This movie is life changing and can hopefully open the eyes and minds of those who are close minded.
On the bright side, I thought Hilary Swank did an amazing acting job portraying the role of Brandon Teena. I look forward to our discussion on Thursday. See you all then.

Every Kid Has Potential

Summer time is my time to play. Not only because I do not have the stress of school lingering over me but also because of my place of employment for the past two summers. For the past two summers, I have worked at the Boys and Girls Club. Part of the job description is being an outgoing leader and interacting/playing with the children. Kids come to the club during the summer to have fun! In order for them to have fun, they must also have a fun leader who is willing to participate in the fun and games with them. Aside from all the fun we having during play, as the leader, I must also be serious in certain situations. There are times when a child gets hurt or children cannot play well together that I must be serious in making sure the situation is handled and under control. Fortunately, these situations are minimal compared to the amount of time that is spent playing and having fun!!

In case you are wondering about the title of this post, "Every Kid Has Potential" is the logo of the Boys and Girls Club!

GaGa, ohh la la

Today's discussion was rather enjoyable, entertaining, and informative all at the same time. After listening to the many examples of people who disconnect between their sex and their gender, one performer that came to my mind is Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga has become a popular artist in the music industry and has also been referred to as "The New Madonna." Aside from her lyrics, Gaga is also well known for her outrageous costumes/fashion, her scandalous music videos/concert performances, and rumours about her sexuality and genitalia. Her style of dress causes many heads to turn and the paparazzi (also a title for one of her songs) to feature her in their magazines. Her music videos, concert performances, and performances at awards shows always announce that she has arrived and the party is about to begin. She has been called an attention seeker but denies behaving like one. Her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards ended gory after she reenacted her music video of "Paparazzi." I actually found it a bit disturbing to watch and others referred to her as a giant tampon. (I know, gross eh) Surprisingly, her opening performance at the Grammy's this past weekend was one that I thought was "normal" for her. Her song lyrics have caused the most controversy towards rumours of her sexuality. The meaning behind these lyrics have been about men and women. Rumours speculate that she is actually a hermaphrodite. In an interview with Barbara Walters, Gaga admits that she likes both men and women but denies being a hermaphrodite. The interview can be viewed at http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/music/lady-gaga-comes-clean-on-hermaphrodite-rumours-and-talk-of-her-sexuality/story-e6frf9hf-1225823887894
Have a look and let me know your opinions regarding Lady Gaga and the rumours that continue to spread.

Where is the Love Thunder Bay?

I have recently joined a facebook group called "You Know You're From Thunder Bay When...." Seeing as I am from Thunder Bay, I joined the group. After browsing through the many posts from the 2514 members in the group, I came to notice that some of these posts were actually funny whereas some were not so funny. Of course the funny posts were ones that are so true about our city and that many of us can relate to. Comments about the cold weather, the persian, the invisible s added to the end of Safeway, and the Hoito, etc. were ones that only Thunder Bay people could understand. Although these comments are harmless, I came to notice many mean racist comments about our city and the people within it. After reading these hateful comments, I came to ask myself "Where is the Love Thunder Bay?" This question/title of my blog reminded me of the Black Eyed Peas song which was popular many years ago, "Where is the Love?" Below, I have displayed some of the lyrics of the song particularly because it refers to the racism and discrimination in the world.
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And if you hatin you're bound to get irate
Yeah madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
You gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love y'all

This song can really make a person think because it outlines the many problems/issues in the world today and not just in Thunder Bay. To view the rest of the lyrics, click on the following link http://www.lyrics007.com/Black%20Eyed%20Peas%20Lyrics/Where%20Is%20The%20Love%20Lyrics.html

Ps. As I sit here blogging and watching the Grammy Awards, The Black Eyed Peas are performing.

Racist Game?

Assignment #7, completed, printed, and put in my binder ready to hand in tomorrow morning. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed writing this assignment. It was nice to analyze something different besides another poem. I also found that I did not have too much trouble writing this paper like some of the others ..... lets hope that doesn't backfire on me. I will admit that I have only played chess once in my life (and had no idea what I was doing) so I did have to do some background research on the games rules, specifically the role of the pawn. It astonishes me how a board game which is supposed to be entertaining can also be a metaphor for racism. The colours used and the rank of each piece can be connected to racism. I wonder, Are Board Games meant to display/teach racism to others or are they simply made for an individual to enjoy playing? Also for those who read this post, Which piece in the game of chess do you believe represents you? Well that ends my post on the game of chess and I look forward to our discussion tomorrow. See you all tomorrow in class!

Implicit Association Test

At the beginning of the school year, I thought I would hate having to blog. Well my attitude has changed as this is my second post of the day! I guess you could say that I have become addicted to blogging. I also look forward to those who read my posts to comment. Feel free to share your opinions!!
A few months ago, I had to write a paper in Social Psychology based on an Implicit Association Test, commonly known as an IAT. This test is used to measure the attitudes of a person towards a certain object in the environment. Once on the website, there are a number of sample tests with topics ranging from sexuality to weapons to age to gender science to race etc. I did sample many of these tests including the test based on race. I know one student in our class had mentioned this test during Tuesday's class but i want to go into further detail in regards to taking the test. The test requires participants to distinguish faces of people with European and African origin. Implicitly, partipants are first asked to place their fingers on the keyboard and press key "E" for faces associated with African Americans and key "I" for faces associated with European Americans. Next, participants are asked to press key "E" with words related to "good" and key "I" with words related to "bad." Once this is completed, races are paired with words; press key "E" for African American faces or "good" words and key "I" for European American or "bad" words. The opposite happens and key "E" is used for faces of European Americans or "good" words and key "I" is used for faces of African Americans or "bad" words. Once this task is completed, a list of questions are asked of the participant before a final answer regarding one's preference is stated. Of course, one may not agree with their results and the participant has a chance to express their feelings towards the IAT test.
I encourage all who read this post to visit the website and experiment with a few of the tests!
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/takeatest.html

Cliches of Life

Tuesday's class began with a rather simple but complex statement: "Life is Not Fair." I will admit that I have heard myself say "That's not fair." I either catch myself say this phrase or have to be reminded that life is not fair. Of course, this phrase can be used on something silly or something very serious such as a tragedy. To me, another phrase that goes hand in hand with this one is "bad things happen to good people." In the case of a tragedy, the main two question many people ask themselves are "Why?" or "What If?" Unfortunately, this is life and many things are out of our control. Although "life is not fair" and we cannot control everything in our lives, it is important but hard at the same time to "live life to the fullest" and "live everyday as if it were your last." I strive to live by these words, even during the tough times, when it is very easy to forget the positive things in life.

Living the Life of a Cyborg

Something kind of funny happened to me today. As soon as I got home from school, I went to my room, picked up my computer, and brought it to the living room. I sat down and began searching online but realized that something was missing. I had forgotten something.... my cell phone. Well I had left it in my room. Immediately I got up to go and get it from my room. It's amazing but at the same time kind of sad how much I depend on my phone. A week or so ago, I was thinking about how if I ever lost my cell phone, I would have a hard time contacting people because I have no idea what their numbers are. With the click of only one button on my key pad instead of seven, I depend way too much on the address book in my phone. To eliminate those "What Ifs," I wrote down all of my friends names and numbers just in case something were to ever happen.
I never realized how much of a cyborg I am until the discussion on Tuesday's class. Ways in which I am a cyborg include the glasses/contacts I wear, the braces I used to wear, the internet I explore, the cell phone I seem to always have at my side, and even the musical instruments I play.
I did try to read this article, but reading it left me more confused. Thanks to the great discussion from our classmates and Dr. Pound this week, I now understand what a cyborg is and will continue to apply this in my everyday life!!

Can't Hold Us Down

After discussing the character types that come to mind about women in a patriarchal society, one song that came to my mind was "Can't Hold Us Down" by Christina Aguilera ft. Lil' Kim. This song discusses the way in which women are treated and how they should just remain quiet. Also, they sing about how although men can do whatever, girls will be labeled. After examing my list, words that are also used in the lyrics to the song include "whore" "bitch" and "quiet." After viewing the lyrics, I also viewed the comments other people made about the song. Others also agree that this double standard should not exist but at the same time they are bashing Christina Aguilera and Lil'Kim on their choice of clothing and calling them trashy. Hello!!!! did you not just listen to the lyrics of the song ... here these people go again saying that women cannot express themselves while if a man were to do this he would not be judged.

"This is for my girls all around the world
Who've come across a man who don't respect your worth
Thinkin' all woman should be seen not heard
So what do we do girls?
Shout out loud
Lettin' 'em know we're gonna stand our ground so
Lift your hands high and wave em proud
Take a deep breathe and say it loud
Never can, never will, can't hold us down"

The rest of the lyrics and comments can be found at http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858486790/

Don't Assume

I would like to add a few thoughts on the topics brought up in Tuesday and Thursday's class.
First has to do with the fact that men are hired for a job rather than a woman because women can get pregnant and therefore need a maternity leave. Most people would automatically assume that the woman would take the maternity leave because she is the "caregiver/nurturer," but some men have taken this leave. Not very men do take this paternity leave due to social norms. Many men may have a difficult time not working because they are known to be the "provider for the family." In the future, things may change since fifty years ago people would think this idea was absurd.

The caption under the cartoon states: "Be reasonable Jones - think how sales would plummet if I give a day off to every man whose wife had sextuplets!!"

First Post of 2010

Seeing as we all reunite in less than 48 hours, I think it is time for me to blog!
Firstly, I hope everyone had an awesome holiday and a happy new year!! Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and as the holidays are about to end, it is time to roll up our sleeves and dive back into our studies.
Over the holidays, I did not completely ignore my school work and actually found some examples of literary theory in the real world.
For example, over the holidays, I went to Duluth to go shopping for a couple of days. Identity and the way in which I identify myself played a major role while I was in Duluth. Everytime I made a purchase, I was asked my home phone number with area code. As soon as the numbers 807 came out of my mouth, I was identified as a Canadian.
Another example of literary theory that I experienced over the holidays was while I was at work. Being away from school, I was given many extra shifts at my job. With all of these extra shifts and work being busier than usual because of Christmas, I am being exploited more and more at my job. It`s funny because everytime a family member drops me off at work they always tell me ``don`t work too hard!`` My response to them is ``Tell my boss that!``
Although I wish these holidays can last longer, I must get back to reality and will see you all on Tuesday 11:30 sharp!!
Happy 2010