Droopy picture update

These action photos were taken today when Droopy ran into Queenie outside. They played around for at least 15 minutes and wore themselves out. Droopy is, of course, my pug, and Queenie is a brown chihuahua who lives next door. She is a very intelligent and agile dog.

Getting sleepy....

...fast asleep here with his eyes crossed and open, tongue sticking out, and twitching. How cute! :D

Spanish Final

Just got done taking my Spanish final. I hope it went ok, it was over posguerra authors and Garcia Lorca from the generation of '27, more specifically his play "Bodas de Sangre", and also "Nada", a novel by Carmen Laforet. The other posguerra authors only had excerpts from their novels, so that part wasn't bad.
The final consisted of an essay, identifications, multiple choice, then true/false. I think I did fine on my essay and identifications. I might have missed a few of the multiple choice and maybe of the true/false also.
It was a difficult exam, but I knew the material well. I most enjoyed reading the works of the postwar authors as well as "Nada". ( Which is also a postwar novel, but this novel we read entirely, instead of reading excerpts).

This week has been very busy. On Monday I had an English research paper due and also my Physics test. Tomorrow I have more physics homework due, but aside from that I don't have anything that I must do by tomorrow.

My research is postponed until Fall semester due to the end of this semester ending, and everyone is very busy.

I have a mandatory meeting to go to tomorrow about the application process for medical school. These meeting always seem like they will be very informative but I usually leave more confused than I was when I walked in.

The Sneezing Baby Panda

Funny and cute.

What's in a name?

I'm working on a research paper for English about the repercussions of having an ethnic or unique name in America. This topic is interesting to me, as I am applying to medical school this summer, and I want to know if my name will be a positive aspect or negative. In one way, it should be positive since my name reflects my ethnic background, and being so the entrance personnel might see that as an opportunity to expand the diversity on campus, for example. But, I'm not only focusing on names affecting scholarships/ entry into schools, but also how it affects people on an every day basis, as well as in the judiciary system, and job opportunities/place of work.

I think it's an interesting topic, especially in America, since there is large spectrum of different kinds of ethnicities and races, reflected in the names. In addition to the diversity in America, Americans also tend to be very creative, and there are many new names that are the parents' creation. These unique names may also present a challenge to those individuals.

I'm finding lots of information, and not surprisingly, most of my sources so far point to discrimination, and even unconscious bias. A statistic I found stated (more or less) that individuals with white-sounding names had 40% more of a chance getting a call back based on their resume than individuals with identical resumes but with African American names.

Some of the articles that I've read suggest just using your first initial on your resume if you have a difficult to pronounce first name. This way, the HR person would have to call the individual, and at that point the individual can introduce him/herself, eliminating potential embarrassment or discomfort on the behalf of the HR person.

Cleaning up after my roommate

So, my apartment roomie is someone that was selected randomly for me, and she is a pretty bad match for me. I really don't have any issues with her other than the fact that she is very dirty. This wouldn't be a problem if we didn't share any common space, but we do (bathroom, kitchen, living room, hallway, staircase, etc etc). The kitchen is pretty much ok, but it bothers me when people use my silverware or pots and then neglect to clean what they used for more than a week! (sometime 2 or 3 weeks) I don't mind sharing my things, but I just get upset when I want to use these items, and they are dirty. All in all, it is tolerable, and eventually whoever is using my plates and silverware cleans the items she used.

The bathroom, on the other hand, is a different story. I never knew someone could be so dirty and slobbish. To this date, she has not cleaned the bathroom once. Not even once! I've cleaned it every time. I've had to scrub the tub due to some sort of epoxy she left to harden on the bottom, I have to dig hair from the sink that is clogged due to her toothpaste( I know it's hers because she uses a bright orange/red toothpaste), I sweep and mop the floors, clean the toilet (never had to clean a toilet so disgusting), well... pretty much everything. Anyway, it wouldn't even bother me that much to put all this work in if she actually respected all the cleaning that I have done for us. But instead, she will do her best to dirty it as fast as possible.

I'm saying all of this because I just got done doing a thorough cleaning of our shared bathroom, my bedroom, and the staircase. It's frustrating that in order to get my space clean, I have to clean her space too.

Oh, and also no "thank you" or anything. I am not a cleaning lady!

Building up your resume

Is it just me who thinks resumes are just a bunch of crap? It doesn't really show who you are, as most people feel forced to pad their resume, or forced to join clubs or organizations to show how much of a giving, social person you are. So, we are just writing what the employer, or recruiter, or admissions office personnel want to read, who they want us to be. But the truth is there are very few people who join all of those activities for fun or because they have a genuine interest in it. They just want to seem like they are a well rounded person, when in fact they're not. Most people are not well rounded.

So I've sent in my application to become an ELC tutor next semester. Didn't really put much effort into the application, but my credentials look acceptable/good, so perhaps I will make the cut. It would look good on my resume. Ha-ha.

Hate my schedule for next semester.

I don't like how my schedule is looking for Fall semester ('10). I don't think I'll be able to graduate by next year either, considering I need 40 hours in Biology for a Biology major and at this point I have 13 out of 14 hours for the Biology Core requirement, but only 5 out of 26 hours for the "Elective Biology" hours. We're forced to take so much gen ed. Freshmen and Sophomore years that it becomes very difficult to make up for lost time Junior and Senior years. Luckily, I have all of my college requirements out of the way, as well as the other non-biology requirements for Medical School...(English, Math, Fine Arts, et cetera).

I just got done signing up for my classes, and at this point I have signed up for 17 hours, but I am probably going to decide to drop one of the classes (before the semester starts) but I just wanted to make sure to sign up and save a spot in the classroom before the classes fill up, and I would be left with no choice.

I am taking next semester: Ecology I, Evolutionary Biology, Biostatistics, Terminology for Health Professions, Spanish Civilization, and Spanish American literature.

I am still considering which one to drop. They will all be difficult... even the Spanish courses due to reading for the literature class, and studying for the civilization class. (I know the professor, and her tests are difficult).

Good news is that after those two Spanish classes, I will have completed my Spanish major.

Don't really know what to do about my schedule right now. I'm going to have to see if there are any easy(ier) courses that I can take instead of one of the harder courses.

Only a few more weeks left....

There are only a few more weeks of classes left in this semester. I will be glad when summer is finally here, but at the same time, it's hard to believe that next semester I will be a Senior. Time has flown by so fast these past three years. I'm almost a college graduate!

Anyway, this summer will not be as relaxing as past summers because I have to take the mcat in June, and I will be studying for it up until then, and volunteering.

But, my parents and I are going on a vacation to Florida in May so that will be a week of relaxing.

I need to post pictures of Droopy soon. He's gotten big and chubby.

So, it's been a long time since I last wrote in the blog, I've been putting it off a bit due to Spring Break, and then the busy week that followed. Anyway, I'll update on what I've been up to since.

Spring Break was very fun and a nice break from school. I volunteered at the Clinic Monday-Wednesday, and then on Friday my parents and I went to St. Louis for my brother's friend's wedding. It was my third wedding that I've attended. But, it was by far the fanciest wedding I've been to. It was a Catholic ceremony, followed by a crazy alcohol-fueled reception with an open bar. Everyone enjoyed themselves, and I wish Jake and Lori much happiness. We left St. Louis on Sunday morning, and then I drove back to Fayetteville from Springfield on Sunday afternoon.

The first week of classes after Spring Break was very busy, and I wasn't even able to go in for research. :( But I am hoping I can go in on Thursday.

I've gotten advised for my Spanish major and for pre-med course of study so far this week, but I still need to be advised for my Biology major. But the sign up sheets were full last week, and as of yesterday, my advisor had not posted another sign up sheet. I will check his office once again today and if there still isn't a sign up sheet posted, I will have to ask him when I can set up an appointment time.

Oh, and I have to read an entire novel and have a presentation for it by the 29th of this month, which is gonna be kinda crazy. (For my Spanish class: Monuments of Spanish Literature2). It's called "Nada" by Carmen Laforet.

I will be (hopefully) writing more posts this week to make up for SB and last week.

Spring Break Plans

Spring Break began yesterday, and I have a week off from school. I am so happy that I get to forget about school for a week :).

Today, as I was driving home from Fayetteville to Springfield, the weather began to change for the worse. When I started my drive, it was raining, but by the time I reached Joplin, the rain turned into snow. (eeep!) So I pulled over for a while waiting for the snow to pass, as I did not feel safe driving on I-44 in possibly icy/snowy conditions. But, luckily, after about 15 minutes or so, the heavy snow became lighter snow, and then eventually turned into rain once again. So I didn't really have to drive in the snow, just in the rain ...which is fine.

The only real plans I have other than just relaxing and being with family is to volunteer at the Kitchen Clinic. It's a free medical clinic in Springfield, and they are always in need of volunteers. I plan on working on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. It's a pretty rewarding experience.

Oh, and another thing I'm doing this Break is going to my brother's friend's wedding. He's been a family friend since I was very little, and so he has invited my entire family to attend his wedding. (My sister can't attend because she is working overseas in S. Korea). It should be fun though, and it will also be the 3rd wedding I've ever been to.

Then it's back to school until May.

Busy Week

This week is somewhat busy, I have two tests tomorrow (Wednesday). One is in physics 2, and the other is in music literature. Obviously, the physics test will be difficult, but the music literature is not so easy either. Mainly due to the "listening" part of the test. Each test, we have sixteen pieces of "classical music" from four or five different composers (usually), and we must be able to identify each piece only through a 30 second random sample from their corresponding piece of music. This part can be tedious, as the symphonies from Beethoven, for example, can be quite lengthy, and the sample given during the test may not be very representative of that particular piece, so it may be hard to recognize. I can distinguish between most of the songs, but there are a few that I still confuse at times.

This week I won't be doing any research, as my professor is very busy before Spring Break. This is good for me as well though since I have tests this week.

There is only one Kaplan prep class left, which is tomorrow. Then, every weekend after that we are scheduled/encouraged to take a practice exam mcat. I am still not as prepared as I would like, but since I have three more months until I take the exam, I feel confident that I will have sufficient time to prepare. Especially the last month before the exam, where I will not have school work to keep me busy.

I am ready for Spring Break!

The Return of the Droop-Monster

My puglet, Droopy, can now speak on command. It's the cutest trick ever. Since he is still reluctant to bark, he will make a pathetic/cute half-bark at first and then follow with a big dog bark. Maybe I will add a video of him later. The way Droopy learned this trick is kinda strange. Pancho hung a new picture on the wall, and for some reason Droopy hated it and began to bark at it. We said "good speak" and gave him a treat. It didn't take long for Droopy to bark if we looked or pointed at the picture, and eventually he barked without the use of the picture, only with verbal cues. He also has learned high five recently, but that trick is very similar to "shake" so it's not as impressive. He can also "stand up" for quite a long time.

I plan on taking him on a walk today after my classes, because he loves going on walks. He does need a lot of training when it comes to walking, though, as he tends to pull. I avoid him pulling by running with him at the beginining of our walk so that he releases a lot of his energy. After he gets tired of running (max 2 minutes), then he will be a good puppy and walk. I am teaching him "heel", and he seems to be learning it. Sometimes he will actually respond correctly to the command, but other times he is confused by it. (I can tell when he is confused because he flexes his ears really far back so that the wrinkles on his forehead are stretched and smooth, and looks at me with puppy eyes like he's in trouble). Nevertheless, he doesn't let the commands get in the way of a good time.

He has an adorable little gallop and slobbery mouth when we walk, and he is very attentive to me. He tends to look up at me every now and then, smiling with his curly tail wagging side to side. But, because he is a brachycephalic dog, he runs the risk of being easily overheated, so i bring some water to splash on his face/for him to drink, and keep the walks short. He is always exhausted after the walks, though, and has to take a loooonnnggg nap on my lap afterward.

Step by Step Instructions for PCR

Step by Step Instructions for PCR
1. Prepare your chemicals/reagents and Work Area
Take Taq, dntp, primers (2), buffer solution, MgCl2, from the PCR box in the fridge. Mix the primers thoroughly.

Then, put the water on the heater to kill any bacteria or foreign agents that could be inhabiting the container.

Remove DNA samples that are needed from the fridge and arrange in tray according to the order on the chart (unique for each PCR reaction).

Next, count the number of different DNA's that you will be using (usually around 15), then add one more for the control, and then add one more to provide for possible errors (such as pipetting). 15+1 control+1 for error= number 17.

2. Mixing Reagents into a Medium Test Tube Carefully
Using this number, refer to the chart posted in the lab, and add the required amounts of each of the PCR reagents listed above to a medium sized test tube. (the water can now be removed from the heater). Make sure to mix the Taq (gently by hand) before adding it to the mixture.

After you have added the correct amounts of each of the reagents, you place the test tube into the centrifuge for only 5-6 seconds to make sure everything is mixed together.

Then, according to the number of DNAs (+1 for control), you will use that number of tiny, tiny test tubes. Today I had 15 DNA samples, 1 control= number 16. (The extra one that I used for error remains in the medium sized test tube, tossed away in the end). Then, I assigned each DNA to a number, and wrote one number on each of the test tubes, so that I can know which DNA is in each tube. (denoted the control with a - sign).

3. Fill each tiny tube with mixture of concoction and DNA
Next, pipet 21 microliters of the concoction from the medium sized test tube into each of the tiny tubes. (Careful to avoid contamination). Next, pipet 4 microliters of the particular DNA sample that correlates to the number assignment on each of the tubes. Makes sure to pipet both the concoction and the DNA into the tiny tube in such a way that the liquid is at the very bottom of the tube. If this is not done, then the tiny tubes must be put into a small centrifuge to spin all of the liquid to the bottom of the tube.

4. Heating Process
Now you are almost done. You put all of your labeled tiny test tubes into a machine that heats the samples in order for the entire process to begin. (denature the protein, split the double strand into two single strands... refer to previous post for more detail).

This heater runs for a couple hours (time depends on the primers used) in different cycles. The machine is already preprogrammed, so I don't know the exact times for each cycle.

After the heating process is done, you put your samples into the fridge to wait for the next step of the process: gel electrophoresis.

Lab work

Tuesday was my first day working in the lab with Dr. Dowling. What I did was PCR, which stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction. Basically, the DNA sample is denatured by a high temperature (for example) and due to this, the DNA splits into two strands. Then, on each strand, PCR basically rebuilds a new base pairing strand to complement the existing strand. So, each time you run the reaction, you get double the amount of DNA which you started with. (Started with one DNA, split it into two strands, and built upon each of those strands for each of them to become a full DNA double helix form again. Thus, you get two identical strands of DNA from one DNA. So, as you can see, the number of DNA grows exponentially. Anyway, specifically what I did in lab on Tuesday was pipetting different primers, buffers, Taq, and DNA, to form a concoction. This concoction was then pipetted in 25 microliter volumes into tiny tiny test tubes. This process took a while, but is not difficult. It requires attention to detail, steady hands, and meticulousness. You have to be sure not to introduce any foreign agents to the mixture, and must maintain a clean environment. If the tip of the pipeter touches anything save for the mixture or the inside of the test tube, then you must discard that pipetor tip and begin again. Cross contamination must also be avoided. I had to discard the tip a few times because I accidentally touched it to the outside of the test tube. Other than that, it went smoothly. Dr. Dowling is very good at explaining what he wants me to do, and is very clear with his instructions. The only thing that I did not like was the pressure I felt due to the fact that he was watching what I was doing. Of course, he was doing this to assure that I knew what I was doing and that I was doing it correctly, but it still made me a bit nervous.

I'm going to the lab today, also.

Research

Tomorrow I will begin my research under Dr. Dowling. He works in the entymology department, and primarily his work is focused on sequencing the DNA of many different types of beetles in the Ozarks area of the U.S. He will show me how to extract the DNA from the beetle, and from there he will show me what exactly they do afterwards. I'm doing this research as a volunteer, so my hours are flexible. I will probably come in only a few times a week for a couple hours each time. This type of lab work requires a lot of waiting, so I will come and go as I please.

I'm excited to begin my research with him. He seems to be an easy going type of person and is very happy to have me help in his lab. I hope I like the type of work I will be doing. But, he assured me that if I become uninterested in the labwork, that he will be able to transfer me to someone else's lab that I would be more interested in.

Kap

I'm taking some Kaplan prep courses for the mcat this summer on June 17th. I'm feeling more and more prepared for the mcat because of the Kaplan courses. We meet Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, for 3 hours each of those days. It is a bit tiresome, but it is very useful to review all of the material from chemistry, physics, and biology. There is also a verbal reasoning section that we are practicing but since it requires no previous knowledge of formulas, we mainly focus on how to quickly read the passage and map the main points in order to efficiently answer questions. Not surprisingly, I am doing very well in the verbal reasoning practice we have done. In the past, I've tended to do well on the english/grammar/reading section of standardized tests. I'm not very worried about the biology section, and not even the chemistry section since it is fresh in my mind, but the physics section worries me because it requires you to memorize many, many formulas.

I just signed up for the mcat on June 17th moments ago, as I was waiting for the registration to open. (Registration opened February 23). There were two available times to take the exam: either at 8 am or at 2 pm. The exam takes approximately 5 hours, and so I began to debate on which starting time would be the best. I finally settled on 2 pm after reviewing several articles online claiming that teenagers and early 20's tend to perform better later in the day as opposed to early in the day. I went with my instinct, and with the online information, and I do believe that 2 pm-7 pm will be a better time frame to take the test. This way, I can relax and mentally prepare in the morning, and make sure to eat plenty of healthy brain-food before the exam.

I am excited and nervous to take the mcat, and see my scores. I will begin to have a better idea of where I stand competitively after this Saturday. On Saturday, I take my first full length practice mcat through the kaplan course I'm taking. It will be the full 5 hours, and is the first of 6 practice exams that are included in this course. (Although there are more on the kaplan website for even more practice). I hope I do well on this practice exam, as that would serve as a boost of confidence. However, I know that I will probably not do as well as I hope, which would serve the purpose of a practice exam. I will be able to pin-point where I make my mistakes, and what kind of mistakes I tend to make. And then of course, improve upon those areas.

"Balancing Privacy and Security..."

Privacy and security are two concepts that typically go hand in hand. For the most part, if you are private, meaning if you keep quiet and avoid telling or showing others personal details, then you will most likely feel secure. However, in the internet age, privacy is harder and harder to maintain.

Firstly, internet socializing sites such as facebook or myspace have opened the door for the individual to the entire world. At the very least, a complete stranger can access your full name through a site such as facebook, and is usually accompanied by a picture unless you set your "privacy settings" to the most secure, private setting available. If you set no privacy restrictions, then not just your name and picture will be shown, but also your full profile. This includes wall posts, also known as public messages on your homepage from others, as well as pictures of you that have been uploaded. I find this to be a bit dangerous in terms of one's security, as someone could theoretically stalk someone through facebook, and find pertinent information easily. This information could be as broad as what school you attend, to as specific as your age, inner circle of friends, family members, location of residence, place of work, daily schedule/routine, etc. This is why it is important to filter the people you allow to access this vital information, and not allow strangers to view your personal details, even if they are on the internet.

Aside from these potential risks of exposing details to people who wish harm on us, I don't think facebook is inherently dangerous or bad. You just have to be aware of who you add as a friend, and also don't post information such as your residence or your place of work. I think this tip is especially crucial for women, who are often the victims of stalking. It is better to keep some things off of your online profile in order to maintain security and safety.

Other potential hazards that people now face are fraud and identity theft through online sources. This is an aspect that cannot really be helped, other than for the obvious precautions. Only give credit card, social security, or other personal information to authorized personnel or businesses. For example, I'm not going to give my credit card information to buy something online from a website I've never heard of and that doesn't have proof of secure transactions. This is a simple step to avoid being taken advantage of, and getting your credit card information stolen, potentially wreaking havoc on your savings and economic situation. It is better to be overly analytical and critical of someone or something that asks for personal information than to be duped because of naivete. One must make careful decisions when exposing personal information.

Although the internet allows constant feeds of information about people from all over the world, sometimes it is best to keep some information to yourself. There is nothing to be afraid of if you make your decisions carefully and try to keep personal information safe by avoiding fraudulent websites, and by omitting personal information from social networking sites. If one is weary of strangers and the unknown in person, then one should also apply this rationale to their online-life as well.

Internet Videos

The first video I highly recommend. It's a funny/crazy French animation video. :) Found it on the goathouse blog this summer, and I've been laughing since then.

The second video is interesting. In it, a very smart mouse runs through an obstacle course.

Hope you like the videos.

Droopy

My dog, Droopy, is a pug who is about 7 or 8 months old. He is the runt of the litter, and is therefore a bit smaller than a regular pug. Or at least he used to be. This past month, however, he has gained a substantial amount of weight. (Not yet overweight, though). He is high energy and slobbery. He wants to lick everyone he meets and is very playful. Not only is he a friendly pug, he is also a very smart dog. When I was growing up, my family had two dogs of mixed (Labrador/Border Collie) breed. They were of the same litter and were very hard to train. They were high energy and due to their large size, it would become dangerous when they would "greet" people by jumping on them. We did attempt to train them, and also enrolled them in a doggie bootcamp for a week for them to learn to do tricks. They were smart dogs also, but they weren't as willing to learn.

Droopy, on the other hand, loves to please and will do anything for a treat. He knows many English words that I did not purposely teach him, but instead he just picked them up himself. (e.g. "treat", "walk", "hungry", and many more). He knows how to sit, lay down, crawl, stand up, walk on only his two back feet, jump over an obstacle on command, roll over, play dead, fetch, heel, and I'm currently teaching him "speak". Speak is a difficult trick to teach him because he doesn't ever bark. Thus, it is hard to evoke a barking response from him in any situation. Sometimes he will muster a little snortle instead of a bark if he gets frustrated, but we will work on it more.

Does anyone have any more ideas that this little pug will want to learn?

All in all, Droopy is the sweetest, goofiest little pup. He loves to smother everyone in kisses and loves the attention he gets.

Apolo Ohno

The first picture is from the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.

The next picture is a recent picture from the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

I was watching the Winter Olympics last night and fortunately caught Apolo Ohno's preliminary and final race in the 1500 meter short track speed skating event. He won the silver medal for this race, his 6th medal. This ties him with Bonnie Blair for most medals at the Winter Olympics for an American athlete. To date he has won two gold, two silver, and two bronze medals. Ohno still has the opportunity to win three more medals in these Games at Vancouver.

I was hoping Ohno would win, but South Korea's Lee Jung-Su took the gold medal. Ohno looks to be in much better shape than in the 2006 Winter Games. He has lost 20 pounds and now weights 145 with 2.5% body fat. He has said, "...I know, from a physical training standpoint, nobody's even close... I've never prepared like this in my life — for anything. I want to leave nothing on the table."

Volunteer Interpreting for Springdale schools

A few weeks ago, I received an email from the UARK Spanish majors listserv detailing an opportunity to volunteer at Springdale public schools for Parent Teacher Conferences. I decided to participate as an interpreter for the Conferences, and so I attended a training session at the Administration office this week. I was one of about eight other people training to interpret. It was more of an informational meeting, but we also worked in small groups reenacting various interpreting scenarios.

I'm excited for next week, when Conferences are held, because almost half of the kids in the school district speak Spanish as a first language. Due to this, there is a large demand for interpreters for the Conferences in order for the parents to communicate with the parents. I'm glad I'm able to help out although I know that there is still need for more interpreters to volunteer.

This won't be my first experience interpreting, but I am still learning how to interpret. I've recently had experience in the medical field as an interpreter, for example. It was a nerve-wracking experience, but I did learn some important aspects such as asking the doctor/teacher to say only 2 sentences (more or less) at a time, and to make sure that the patient/parent has fully understood what was said. Interpreting word for word is not very realistic, and it is more important that the content of the message is relayed.

In my experience, it has been very gratifying to volunteer, and I'm glad I was made aware of this opportunity.

Ignorance is Strength

I'm going to preface this post by admitting I dislike politics and politicians. Yet, I realize it is a necessary evil. Part of my frustration is based in the fact that politicians distinguish themselves from each other superficially, yet beneath the surface, their ideals and goals seem to be the same. Most Americans seem to feel a sense pride in picking "one side" over the other, buying into the scheme.

Politicians gain faithful followers by attacking the other party, and American citizens blindly take sides, allowing these Politicians to grow in power. Why should I care about said Politician? Because siding with one party makes some sort of difference? Well yes, only in the way that the greater the number of followers, the more power they have. But, like I said, politics is necessary because that is how anything gets changed in this country. So these wealthy, well-educated, and predominantly sheltered Caucasian men are supposed to represent this country? Well, apparently to change laws, and thusly change our lives (supposedly for the better), we must trust in their perfectly coiffed toupees, shiny veneers, and expensive suits.

Politics in America is so very superficial it's embarrassing. I don't trust in the Old Boy's Club who poke and prod their citizens and draw differences between themselves when really there exist none--- just to make us think we actually have a say-- that we are governing ourselves, essentially... that the politician is actually a fair representation of the American public. But, Politicians could have only achieved this sort of power over through the citizens. The American public enables this power by buying into their game, yet is blissfully oblivious of doing so.

An example of the convoluted American perception of Politicians is the admiration and fascination with President Obama. Now, before I proceed, I would like to clarify that I believe Obama was the lesser of two evils (when compared to the ridiculously laughable McCain/Palin combo). Yet, I do not think that it really matters who won the Presidency. It would've been the same thing in a different package.

The public's superficiality is apparent in the overwhelming acceptance of Obama after he was elected, and still today, although now public acceptance is lower than it was previously. Yet, most of Obama's followers do not know what the issues are, and even what Obama's position on said issue is.

Is it not a bit pathetic that President Obama has made politics "cool"?... I think this "blind-following" has especially been apparent in the American youth who saw Obama as a stark contrast to the "typical Politician." I couldn't disagree more with this notion. In fact, I find that this sentiment that Obama is radically different from all other Politicians and all other Presidents is (subconsciously) racist. Not in the typical, bigoted redneck sort of way, though. As far as I can tell, the only thing that is different about Obama is the color of his skin. I welcome this added diversity to our government, yet I don't think that this should be the sole factor on why you should like Obama. So, basically what I'm meaning to say is that the only reason why American youth likes him is because he's Black. And even that point has been criticized by those who argue the age old "nature vs nurture" question. Is he black because he looks black? Or is he actually white, being that he was raised by his white mother, and was completely estranged from his father who was his only connection to his Black heritage?

I think it shouldn't matter whether he is black or white, yet I feel this was the reason many young Americans became interested in the Presidential Election of 2008, and it remains the reason for many of his "fans." Which leads me to my next point. Obama has become more of a celebrity than a politician. But, in accordance with this post, you will be able to tell that for me, not just Obama but all politicians have become celebrities. The real issues become non-issues for the American public, whereas the "fluff" becomes the important stuff. For one example, social security will be drained by the time my generation would need it, yet this issue has become a non-issue. In fact, surely many Obama fans could be totally ignorant of this issue. Yet, I wonder if you were to ask Obama fans if he owns a dog, they would be able to provide you with the breed and name of said mongrel. This ridiculous superficiality and attention to non-issues could just be another example of why other countries hate the U.S.

I originally set out to comment on Obama's State of the Union Address from last week, but instead I began to explain my political views a bit. So, I'll just end with a quote from Obama's Address:
"We do not allow fear or division to break our spirit. In this new decade, it's time the American people get a government that matches their decency; that embodies their strength."

Am I the only one who thinks he's saying the opposite of what is actually happening? "Fear" and "division" is what Politicians operate on.

As far as "a government that matches our decency"? I'll let the reader form their own opinion on the decencies of both the government and the people.

And lastly, a quote from George Orwell's 1984 to give you the warm and fuzzies:

"For if leisure and security were enjoyed by all alike, the great mass of human beings who are normally stupefied by poverty would become literate and would learn to think for themselves; and when once they had done this, they would sooner or later realise that the privileged minority had no function, and they would sweep it away. In the long run, a hierarchical society was only possible on a basis of poverty and ignorance. ... Ignorance is Strength"

Trumpet and Friends Recital

On Tuesday night, I attended a concert held in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Center on campus. It was called "Trumpet and Friends". I knew this concert was not going to be one bit enjoyable when it began with a middle aged, bald, average-looking man with no speaking skills rambling on about the twelve sons of Jacob. For a moment I wondered what Baptist Church I had stumbled into, but no, this was supposed to be a concert. As he stumbled and stuttered from one mangled word to the next, he managed to read my, and perhaps everyone else's mind, and say "I can toot a horn but I'm sure not good at public speaking." (insert vacant smile). Anyway, once the Bible thumper was done quoting unrelated excerpts from the Bible, and imposing his stupid views on Marc Chagall's "The Twelve Tribes of Israel," he began to "toot". His tooting was played according to Petr Eben's "Windows after Marc Chagall," and it was not that bad, surprisingly. So, he actually played the trumpet well, which is why they allowed him on stage, I suppose. The accompaniment of the organ, however, was not a pleasurable addition. I am not familiar with other works by Petr Eben, but judging by this performance, I never want to listen to another note this man wrote. I can appreciate polyphonic music, but this could hardly be refered to as music. The trumpet's resounding Jewish flair was interesting and complex (was this lost on the trumpeter?), however the organ's purposefully shrill "melodies" made for head pounding irritation. I am hardly exaggerating when I say it sounded terrible on purpose. I hate that type of music. Couldn't wait to get out of there. Note to Trumpet: the organ is NOT your friend.

Luckily, the next performance included a much more pleasant friend of the trumpet, the String Quartet. There's really not much to say about their performance save that it was interesting, melodic, and very pleasurable. The violins, viola, and cello were played in all their harmonious glory, and I could tell that these performers were very well rehearsed, yet their intensity and passion was unwavering. The same trumpeter from the first performance played in this performance, and his talent was much more apparent. (It didn't hurt that he did not speak at all prior to playing).

Blog Made for English class

I am creating a blog as part of a weekly assignment for my Advanced Composition class this semester. I don't have much free time, but since this is more like an on-going homework assignment, I will have to dedicate some time to write on this blog. I haven't ever had a blog, although when I was younger I did have a couple of silly websites that my friend and I would create for fun and to burn time.

Today is not a busy day, only have a couple of classes. After classes today I plan on preparing for my physics class and music literature class, as well as ordering a couple books that I have yet to buy.

Short post. Bye bye.