SELF REFLECTION

Unitil after I took English 1020 class I could not clearly put myself in a specific cathegory of writers. My skill in writing was not necessarily sharp outside of essays for my history major class.
Taking English 1020 gave me the knowledge of the various and different areas of writing which I did not know before. And it also gave me the chance to critically think of issues from different perspectives.

My writing has changed significantly since the first day of class. I started out as a highly conservative person with strong and entrenched views about society, politics and culture. I was more inclined to write about the injustices of society and the resulting difficulties visited upon people. I would most likely write about a serious issue with a conservative view than I would write about a prank, like in my fifteenth post.

One of the challenges I enjoyed in this exercise as a writer was that, the class challlenged me to get outside of my specific shell of writing serious issues and to writing about things that are fun. In doing so, for instance, in some of the free writes, I was able to truly realize that “all play and no work make science a boring subject”. Perhaps the challenge lay in the fact that I still had to be efficient in depicting fun things as I do in serious issues like Darfur.

In spite of the fact that I considered this a challenge, it has opened up an avenue for me to write more by veering off traditional issues like correcting the perception of people about Africa or educating people on unversal solidarity embeded in the tenets Islam. I would like to write more on issues that center around society in a much less serious tone. I am inclined to believe that this would prove how good of a writer I could be. My thought on this is that if I can write about different categories of writing effieciently, then I may have truly mastered the art of writing. This does not imply that I would like to alter my style but it will help spread my horizon in writing.

My experiences with writing in general was enhacnce especially with the development of ideas. Short notebook writing in the class helped me brainstorm ideas I did not know could be developed in few second and actually write or expand on them. I came to the understanding that the central theme in writing rests is being able to develop the ideas you want to write on and deftly deliberate on them. I used this method very easily in my posting about Africa titled “The Other Africa you do not know” which centred on the mainstream media's perception of what Africa looks like. I was able to elucidate the ideas that Africa goes beyond being a huge jungle where children run around in the nude and women bare-chested.

As a writer, I have hardly had the chance for other people to look at my work and critically analyse it(I mean my work) for improvements through suggestions. The peer review method used in English 1020 gave me the first opportunity to look at the work of others and offer meaningful suggestions on how they can improve upon what they write. It provided a contructive platform on which I critically analyse other works which I did not do before.

One of the things I have come to accept as a writer is that, a third eye on your work is always good. It gives you the chance to make corrections and improve the key concepts necessary to make a particular piece of writing good. For example in my reflective essay I wrote on a visit to London in the April of 2007. My description of the airport at first was not very vivid and it took a peer review for me to add a few more points to bring the entire decription of the airport together.

This was in fact a vast improvement on what I had written before in another essay on observation. In my observation essay I interviewed a pyschologist at a shelter in which I enquired on the activities of a shelter for abused women. My desription of the atmosphere and surrounding in which the interview was conducted was clear but I would have added different things to it.

As a writer I began with much less skill and knowledge of the different categories of writing but at the end of this class I have vastly improved both my critical reading and writing skill. A comparison of my first and last blogs attest to this fact.

THE OTHER SIDE OF AFFIRAMATIVE ACTION

RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

Affirmative Action is not a healthy policy for educational delivery system where competition is key to academic excellence.
In this cartoon by Jim Huber two students of two different racial orientations are depicted walking down the street from a SAT college qualification test. One of the students is black and the other white. The white student is lamenting on how difficult the test was but the black student is saying that he was assured that he will make it or qualify because he made sure he indicated his ethnicity.

This cartoon a narrative indicated by the SAT building in the background and the fact that the students took the test. The conversation between the two boys was that the test was difficult but the black boy was saying that he does not have any fears he is confident that he aced it because he check out his ethnicity.

This is also about the University of Michigan’s admission policy and the Supreme Court decision that affected affirmative action in admission policies.In 2005 the Supreme Court of the United States issued a decision to uphold the a law that allowed University of Michigan which is a public university to make special provision to admit black or minority students in order to achieve a certain level of diversity on campus.

On the botton right hand corner of this cartoon is the placard that indicates the Supreme Court decision and its connection to affirmative action.

This is where ethos is used by the use of Supreme Court which is a very popular symbol of law in the United States. The Supreme Court increases the persuasive resonance of the affirmative action law through the law that was upheld.Without any doubt the cultural resonance in the Supreme Court being the ultimate decider in matters of law indicated by the placard at the bottom left corner of the image.

Logos is used in the concepts being represented by making an illogical reasoning to why a black student should be admitted without being necesary qualified. The effects of affirmative action on admissions and college life are brought to bear by the silence following the comment of the black person. Effectively the response is left with the audience.In this image if a black person spoke to a white person after an interview that he does not worry about what he did because he mentioned his ethnicity is a cause for unease. The unease emanates from the reasons why this black person would be qualified regardless of his or her credentials and the question as to whether blacks are inherently less qualified and therefore require preferential treatment.

Out of this illogical nature of the cartoon comes out the argument of this image in which Jim Huber is saying that affirmative action is not all that affirmative. If anything is negative and that a black person should not be admitted to a university just because of his skin color. He puts across the argument that it does not make any sense to give preferential treatment based on color and the he is expressing his dissatisfaction with the Supreme Court decision in 2oo5 on University of Michigan and affirmative action. He does this by placing side by side his argument against affirmative action in the image with the Court ruling in the corner of the text.

There are clear cut definitions used in this cartoon in that the audience can tell that the building in the background in the SAT building for college test preparation. The two boys walking down what looks like a street are prospective college students.There is no clear image that suggest that they are college bound students but the only implicit indication is that, they took the SAT test which is normally taken by college bound students.

Their gender is obviously male and it does not speak much on itself but it runs against the of notion boys being college bound high school students. But the opposite is also true because there are colleges with more girls that boys which make the writer wonder why the cartoonist used boys instead of girls. The questions of affirmative action have to do with minorities and women are largely considered a minority group.

This could also be explained as some kind of indifference over affirmative action whether it affected women or blacks.

This image is in black and white but the cartoonist does a particularly good job in being able to paint a clearly defined picture and puts across the appropriate setting for the audience to understand what is really going on. The contrast of the colors used is very effective.

Pathos is used in this image by means of humor as a means of rhetoric to put across a message that is not necessarily funny. It achieves a very effective humor by the fact that the statement made by the black student is a response to what the white student was saying or complaining about. The other part of this is that it leaves much to be desired because it does not indicate one kind response this elicited out of the white student.

The cultural context of this cartoon is even more interesting because it is directed to a particular audience in this case the United States regarding college admissions and how the Supreme Court affected the decision of affirmative action through its ruling. In a racially diverse and sensitive nation like the United States the issues regarding race have always been at the forefront of social and cultural life. Everybody will relate to this cartoon and ask serious social and political questions which hitherto did not bother asking.

Do you disqualify a white person even if he or she has met the criteria better that his black counterpart? If this is done in the name of diversity where lies our ability as an educational institution to bring the best out of everybody regardless of their color. Why the white person should be denied his right to gain admission guaranteed by the constitution in the name of diverse learning environments. In this case affirmative action actually becomes discriminatory among groups of people like whites who are not beneficiaries(Maccia 29).

One of the most important features of higher education is to promote healthy learning among students and teacher alike. It is therefore not surprising to see that certain colleges have very rigid criteria for selecting students for admission. It is in the interest of academic advancement through free and rigorous intellectual exercise that this aim of excellence can be attained. What this means is that the best brains have to be attracted regardless of the color of the head that contains the brain. (Maccia 30).

The question of meeting quotas is not going anywhere, it is here to stay and the United States will keep dealing with this issue over and over again until racial differences are ironed out. How long this is going to take the writer has not idea but the racially sensitive nature of the United States today is a good sign that better days are ahead since we are exhuming the difficulty associated with racial dialogue and putting it out.

In the interest of the common good and fairness no person should be granted what he or she does not deserve whether white or black or brown person(Maccia 20). By the same token no one should be denied something they truly deserver because they have to give up their seats to meet some quota filled in by people who did not work hard to attain.

The argument of Affirmative Action rests with the fact that there will continue to be debate like on the Supreme Court in which issues keep being revisited but in the meantime the decision in University of Michigan is upheld. Macia and Huber both agree on one single concept that the debate goes on. While Macia agrees on each situation to be considered seperately in terms of affirmative action, Huber makes a sharp case against Affirmative Action.

The importance of this research lay in the fact that the social and political conversations associated with Affirmative Action can not be overlooked but needs to be looked at in more open debates.

Keeping the flames of the argument burning is what matters,that it is not a forgone conclusion about the correctness(moral) or otherwise(immoral) of Affirmative Action. Again the questions of preferencial treatment under the policy of Affirmative Action will continue to be looked at for a long time to come whether it is a part of a larger themes in mainstream society such as correcting wrong of a long history of discrimination against minorities or racial equality.

CITED SOURCES

Elizabeth Maccia, The Educational Researcher: Affirmative Action Plans Vol. 4 No.9(October 1975), pp 29-30

National Racial Healing

THE FIRST POTENTIAL BLACK PRESIDENT

"The Audacity Of Hope" could not have been a better title for the book written by the only black senator in the United States. The word audacity had to be coupled with hope explains the length of the journey this country still has to go. Let there be no doubt that important strides have been made in this country with respect to the problems posed by race and class. Racism is a social cancer that has permeated important fabrics of societY. Why does it have to be an "audacity" for any person whether black, white or poor to have hope for good things in life. It almost feels as if you have to be from a certain social class to have good things or hope for good things. I take that back, you practically have to be from a certain social class to be in a position to wish and hope for certain things.

For some who read this book and consequently gained a more personal knowledge of him, they think of him as a highly respectable individul with a lot to offer the United States and its people.

Without a shred of doubt he would make a fine president needed at this time in the history of the United States and the world than ever before. He is the real symbol of unity among black and white people in the United States in a lot of ways. Not just by virtue for his birth as a child of two people from different races but there is this thing about him that you really couldn't put your finger on but do know that he was trained for this position.

The racism which has pervaded this country and continue to fester among states and communities makes it important that a black president is elected to the white house. I know this argument can easily be attacked by asking the question; does his presidency stop racism? It certainly does not but it will add to the racial healing needed to forge a common ground for reconciliation in this country. The previous sentence does beg the questing, is reconciliation really needed. Who needs to reconcile what? This is in fact a new conversation altogether.

This country is very racially sensitive mainly because of its history and the consequent degree of diversity in every State.It is high time some of the tensions existing between black and white, majority and majority, minority and minority folks scraped off to make way for reconciliation. It stands to reason that this nation has not completely healed its wounds inflicted by some historical events. Some of these issues include Slavery, the massacre of Native Americans, the Japanese intentment camps, discriminatory immigration acts, among others which have had very dire consequences on the mindset of this nation.

Everyone may have varied views on race and racism but we can all agree on one thing, that it is very immoral and divisive. Barack Obama has proved to be a disciplined person by the way he has responded to both white and black audiences. He has shown extraordinary restraint in the way he has been slandered in the media by all kinds of opponents.

In a leader every reasonable person wants to see contructive restraint, acceptance of faults, indifference to color, appeal to middleclass values, moral aptitude and political expedience. Many people will agree with me that Barack Obama has shown this by dint of his character.

Blurring the lenses of racism will be a perfect recipe for true healing. Judging by the content of the character and not the color of the eyes or skin. What a utopia this would be. It is quite unrealistic to think that racism can be eradicated but it can play much less role in the conduct of society's business whether in popular culure, social lift, economic or political life. All one can wish for at this point is for everyone in the United States to look at Barack Obama not as black or white but as the Senator of Illinois. The result will be a whole lot of difference that will be made in the lives of those whe live and those yet to grace our world with their presence.

laugh

Sometimes you need to laugh just to release the stress of everyday hustle.


The world was built on seriousness and we strive everyday as individuals families and communites to keep this seriousness but all work and no play makes jack a dull boy while all play and no work makes jack a lazy boy.

I thought I would post this video above to get some laughs out of everyone that sees it. The funny part of this video is the surprise element associated with it. Using a public facility like this is usually only a matter of necessity. When nature calls there is nothing you can do about it. It is amazing how humans do not have control over a lot of things. Some of these things include the necessity to eat, sleep or in this case use the toilet.

The last place you want to see any surprise is the public facility which is supposed to provide you relief. The shock in the face of the visitors is what makes this video funny coupled with the fact that whatever they went in there to do vanished into thin air as they took to their heels.

Imagine going into a bathroom to relive yourself and all of a sudden a head comes out of the toilet. No doubt the first thing that comes your mind is to make sure you are not in that particular place anymore. If you went there to do whatever, it is gone in seconds.

It is not ethical to exploit someone's fear for your pleasure but at the same time it is ok to make jokes that are not dangerous like the one in this video.I put myself in the same position as the people in this video and it makes me laugh just like they do when they first get out and realise that it was all ok big prank.

Death of Kevin Carter and the Hungry boy

VICTIMS OF CIRMCUMSTANCES

This picture was taken by Kevin Carter in Sudan. It depicts a famine stricken boy who is trying to get to a United Nations Food Camp, a kilometer away while a vulture looks on, waiting for the boy to die so he can feed on him.

No one knows what happened in this episode but the journalist commited suicide from depression after taking this photograph. This was after he won a Putitzer Prize for it.

I initially decided to post my freewrite on naming ceremony in an African culture specifically Ghana. I however changed my mind at the last minute because I thought I would be making better use of space if I said something about the situations that lead to the circumstances this boy finds himself in.

What kind of world do other people throw food away on a daily basis while others do not even get to wish to have the foods being thrown away. It seems like the world is preoccupied with the spread of ideology and the pursuit of material goals at the expense of what is truly important.

Anyone who takes a good look at this image would agree with me that this boy does not have any the chances many of us have today. This happened in Sudan a place torn by war and famine. Anyone who has the opportunity to make the world a better place should not waste anytime doing so. We should all be ashamed that this happened right under our noses. What a shame!

The aim is not just to paint the true picutre of what went on in this picture but to urge all to take steps in anyway we can to ensure that this is not repeated anywhere else today or in the future. Take any chance you get at petitioning governments, individuals and corporations to fulfill their responsiblilities to the world including this situation. You would have left the world a better place. Sometimes it could mean adding a voice to a campaign, signing an email or endorsing a cause. Take a minute or five of your time and make a difference.

It is quick and easy for us to blame the "world" for the destruction and misery visited upon the citizens of earth but will do nothing to change. You do not have to be a religious person to think that this image is disgusting, provocative and absolutely unnecessary. Why should this happen in a so called advanced earth? The earth of technology and abundance.

I do not wish to lay blame on everyone else but on everyone including myself for this appalling picture but I firstly hold the leaders of the country of Sudan responsible for the carnage and untold suffering that is going on in their country. There are some very bad people in this world including some of the people of Sudan who would do everything including creating the circumstances of the image above, in order to rise to power, cling to power, spread their little religious beliefs or ideological views. These people who are in Sudan and many parts of the world including other parts of Africa, Europe, Asia and elsewhere are number one on my list for what is happening to our world today. There is absolutely no excuse for our world to be the way it is today.

The leadership of the world rests in the hands of a few countries in the world. Leadership means being able to take responsibility for the things that affect the people you lead and find viable and sustainable solutions to problems. Leadership does not mean misplacing priorities and spending resources, energy and effort at the wrong places at wrong times. Some world leaders are doing great things to alleviate suffering and ameliorate the deplorable conditions under which some people live. As much as this is laudable it should be pointed out that it is just not enough right now. More needs to be done.

There are far more resources being wasted on lavish and unnecessary material possessions , that are more than adequate to improve upon the conditions of the world. The wanton display of wealth in overly ostentatious and unnecasary wants have contributed to the waste of valuable resources that deny people what they need to survive.

The problem of the world is that, there are large segments of the world's leadership that still have their powers unchecked and easily use it to satisfy unnecessary whimps and caprices at the expense of unfortunate people like the boy above.They are happy to be reffered to as the powers of the world but they shaemelessly run away for the backdoor when it comes to real responsibility.

Muslim Women and Modesty

Cover Yourselves and Guard Against Evil

HUMOR

MCDONALDS' FAT BABY

The rhetoric this image uses is definitely humor which is used very well to create a certain impression of the original image.

This advertisement shows a smile on the face of a baby or what looks like a toddler. The image appeals directly to the emotions and sentiments of those who have concerns over capitalism and corporate responsibility to society.

The fourth mode of rhetoric which is humor is what is used in this appeal. The child is question looks kind of obese stemming from his eating of fast food which in this case is Mcdonalds.

To some extent the use of pathos is also evident by the fact that obesity is a serious societal problem, more serious because this is childhood obesity. The sense of communal responsibility on the part of corporate companies and giants has always been a subject of debate among people in society.

What is often seen is the fact that these companies make money at the expense of the health of its customers or consumers. The problem is that these consumers which is this case is almost every child are the very bedrock of the future of society.

In a population where more than half is obese and conscious effort being made to solve this problem any attempt at continuing the trend makes it a source of worry for anybody who has the future of this country at heart.

On a very serious not therefore this image creates a social and cultural commentary for people of all walks of life to reflect on. This brings to mind all the issues that are usually elusive and yet form part and parcel of our daily lives. While parents are busy and spending time with their children in much different ways than before fast food companies are also busy placing ads on television to attract both parents and children.

The responsibility does not just lie with the fast food companies who try to attract customers to their businesses but it is really with the parents who should plan better meals for their children and find alternatives to fast food. This brings to focus the different lawsuits that fast foods have received from clients and continue to receive over how their fast food made customers fat, fat to the extent that they think they deserve some kind of compensation for their situations.

Without dispute these corporations have an equal responsibility to advise the customer of the alternatives available to them in terms of what else they can do to make their children more active and burn some of these calories they pile over time.

This in fact does not refer to just one fast food joint but all the others who are well aware of the obese effects of their food can have on their clients especially the "little ones".

SEX APPEAL

CHRISTY TURLINGTON

This picture from vogue for Calvin Klein is Christy Turlington, a typical picture of models for underwear. The use of sex appeal in this picture is open and straight foward. This lady is lying in a specific position with a particular look and body language for the camera. In every sense of the phrase the sex appeal is very effective because there is very little of other elements of the picture that comes to mind other than the sexual content at first glance.

The other glaring way this advertisement makes use of sex appeal is the the fact that is an underwear ad with the model barely covering herself beyond her waist down. It is striking the way the her upper part is covered sending the attention of the audience directly to the lower section of the body.

In the light of the foregoing this is effective is portraying a sexual appeal. Whether the advert is appropriate or not depends on who is looking at it. Many cultures around the world have different views about nudity or exposing certain parts of the body of a woman. While others seriously frown upon such images others do not see anything wrong with pictures such as the one of this model above. Quite apart from the cultural factor there are many religion that expressly consider such images immoral to look at regardless of whether it is an adult looking at it or a child.

For the writer any kind of advert that exposes a woman and her body in a manner like the above is definitely inappropriate.This is just from the point of view of culture as well as being a muslim. African cultural ethics do not allow such images to be exposed and in Islam the lowest level of immorality a woman could get to is not care about how much of her body parts can be shown to the public. This may not fall in the category of the lowest level of immorality but it is without doubt not moral by Islamic standards.

It is inappropriate in the sense that if an underaged child or teenager is watching this the signals it may send will not be right. It is the responsibility of society and community to instill good morals in your youth and especially growing adolescents. There are very few parents who would allow their children to view sexually suggestive images like the one above.

The use of pathos works out very well in this image because it directly places the emotions of the audience towards feeling that there is something sexy about the underwear the model is wearing. And this is done by the way the model is lying towards the camera while giving a look that can be termed as a "sexy look". The image also exposed specific parts of the body that clearly has sexual connotations to it.

ANALYSIS

The image of the girls in Rosalind Solomon photo is vivid in its portrayal of girls in a South African School. The photo is in black and white which gives it a very sober image, not too colorful and flambouyant but very definitive in putting across what it is meant to explain.

The contrast in the color is not very strong but all the audience can really read meanings from the message easily. The lunch the girls are holding in the photograph could not be much clearer in a color background photograph.

The photographer chose six girls for a good reason which represents a good sample of what a typical female school could look like. Perhaps the photographer could have added a little more message to explain that the girls are in a school of the deaf. Without any such clear message it is difficult for the audience to come to the conclusion that this is a school for the deaf.
Probably if the picture was taken at the entrance of the school with the sign that says school for the deaf or something of the sort.

The message of the photo depends on the reader looking at it. As an African I see it as a aberration of what usually pertain in the media of what Africa looks like.The fact girls are able to attend school to the extent that they have a school specifically for the deaf is a revolutionary idea comparing to what one usually comes across in the media.

The photo taken in a specifice mood is very interesting because it represents a true and sensitive summation of the feelings and emotions that arise in a crowd or populace of people who share the same challenge. The attitude of the girls are different in a number of way. Some are just sober , others indifferent without any emotional displays while other are happy with what looks like reluctant smiles and others surprised,shocked or amazed at something.

The concepts of individuality and collective challenge that face each and everyone of them is shown in the way they are together on a lunch time. They are different from each other and yet together because they are all deaf. The hope lies in the fact that they have a good chance at education.

The most important concept is the fact that these girls do not look bad in tattered clothes or scantily dressed in a typically destitute situation like other African girls will be shown. This is what the central message of the photo is. The idea that there is not much difference between these girls and any other girls anywhere except they are deaf.

The elements that bring the picture together as a good piece include the background the number of girls he thought is enough to portray his idea of poverty,disadvantage and a hope in the fact that things are about to be better that it would have been without education.

REFLECTION

The most important aspect of human society is our ability to look out for the downtrodden in society. A world in which being challenged physically will not be a barrier to achieving our fullest potential. Reaching a potential include being able to access all the tools necessary to reach this goal. Fundamental to these tools is basic education which not many people have access to.

Depending on the kind of society in which one is born or raised being challenged could mean a lot of things. I could mean being blind,deaf,leper or sitting in a wheel chair. The interesting part of this phenomenon is that being a female or male can add to the woes of a challenged person or ameliorate the conditon.

In many African societies including South Africa, in which the issues of gender are still evolving and the place of the woman is society in constantly being redefined in society being a woman is one thing and being deaf is another. It certainly adds up to the challenges of womanhood and being an African.

The most important elements which need to be portrayed for the African girl is surely painted well in rosalind Solomon's picture.

plight of the deaf girl in an environment is certainly clear but at the same time society is making significant strides in improving the lot of the challenged in society. The mixed feelings that come with such thoughts are reflected on the faces of these girls as some of them pose for the picture while others stay indifferent to the photograph.

OBSERVATION

This image by Rosalind Solomon is a photo of six girls in South Africa in a school for the deaf. In this image the girls are wearing what looks like a school uniform seeming to be very aware that they are being photographed.

The girls look like they are in their teen years with the younges close to thirteen and the oldest most likely around sixteen or seventeen.

The mood of these South African girls is very varied showing surprise,shock,forced, smile and indifferennce. The girls are shown holding sandwiches which comprised bread and something in the middle of it. If it is lunch there certainly is no drink that goes with it.

None of the girls have any long hairs on their head, in fact all of them have very short hair but still portrays the image of the regular school going age. Even though not the same image of the girl people might be familiar with in a western type society such a Europe or the United States where a photograph of six different girls will show different hairstyles or even hair color.

The girls are dressed in what looks like decent clothes or uniforms with each and every one of them in black shoes and socks. The building behind them which can safely be assumed to be the shool is a brick built house.

The background looks like a typical sunny day in South Africa with shadows of the girls on the concrete ground and grass they stand on. The picture in in black and white which does not give too much of a color contrast to bring into focus what other elements can be gleaned from the photograph.

LONDON AND DIVERSITY

The floor of the airport was flawless reflecting the lights in the wide and shiny ceilings of the airport. Queues and lines formed to different directions with each one indicating separate destinations for travelers. Heathrow International Airport at six o’clock in London was as busy as a bee hive. Airport security personnel and police are scattered over the airport in flamboyant green uniforms affirming what I had always thought London Police wore as seen on television.

This airport was in many ways DIA except it was located in Europe. The other difference was that the thick British accent that welcomed me in the London was not akin to what is heard over the intercom at DIA. The first sentence I heard was “welcam to Heethro Intternnational ayeport”.

My host had not arrived yet but there were many other people who had also come to meet and receive their guest. The first thing that struck me was the diverse nature of the people of London. The man who checked me in was a Indian and the overseer at the baggage retrieval station was African.

I had always thought and anticipated that my stay was going to be great and this was immediately confirmed by the different people. I had anticipated London, an old city of Europe to filled with people from around Europe to create a predominantly white society. This was not the case at all.

I went up to the currency exchange counter to get some Pound Sterling because all I had on me was dollar bills. The lady that was at the counter was Muslim and I quickly greeted her in the Islamic greeting of Salaam which she gladly responded to while she offered every inch of assistance I needed.
In the taxi I thought I was not in England, it felt like walking on the streets of Bronx, New York or a different cosmopolitan area.

On my first night in London my host who I had known for years before decided to show me some night life in London. We were able to do what in the United States is called club hopping visiting about six different clubs in one night and most of the ones we visited were ethnic clubs. Some were Zimbabwean clubs, others Kenyan, rock and roll, Jamaican reggae, hip hop and regular London pubs.

The cosmopolitan nature of the city made staying in the city very easy or me. On the third day of my stay I decided upon myself to so sight seeing not on a tourist bus but by myself on the regular subway or underground as it called in London.
While riding I had seen a gentleman walking towards me and smiling. I thought this was a bit odd but he kept coming and sat just right by me. He introduced himself as Ali from Iraq who had just got there six months ago. I warmed up to him and he found out that I had just got day a couple of days ago. He assured me that London would be good to me as it was good to him and almost all visitors so I should enjoy myself.

Almost everyone who knew that I was visiting from the United States met me with such admiration and joy as if I was coming from where the long to be. I had gone to the Central Business District which is called Downtown in the United States taking a peak at a spectacular resting place almost like a park called Trafalgar Square. The square was made up of more people from Asian that from the United Kingdom. This by now was no surprise to me because I had come to understand that The United Kingdom and London in particular is only second to New York in its diversity of culture.

The city of London looked old in its architecture but new in the people who occupied it. On twelve Downing Street which is the seat of parliament I could not help but to appreciate the different groups of politicians who represented the United Kingdom. Universities, businesses, shops and so on line up the streets of this political hub of the United Kingdom while quietly displaying the different people and nature of the city.


The preparation to travel to a different city on the other side of the Atlantic ocean can be a exciting near nervousness experience. The problem usually is that we do not know what exactly to expect. Our anticipation might be met well or we could be disappointed. No doubt this was a feeling I had about London but by the time I was leaving, London had felt almost like somewhere I had lived for a year even though I spent only a couple of weeks.

The Buckingham palace of all places proved more comfortable that any other places in London. I took so many pictures of the palace and gardens that I ran out of film for the day. There were all kinds of people going to see the palace and its surroundings. Again people from different parts of the world who either lived in London or were visiting. Many who late described themselves as residents of the city offered to take pictures of me standing in front of the Victorian and Edwardian looking statues compound of the Queen of England. Diversity was the hallmark of London. I felt more welcome in London than I had felt in many United States cities when I first visited them.

A market square on a Wednesday proved to be the last prove I needed to conclude that London does not even belong to the people of the United Kingdom anymore as the social and racial tapestry of the city had gone beyond anything typically European which I mean white.

Visiting different places should be on the list of anyone wiling to learn more about the world around us. The other side may sound so different but anyone could be taken by surprise that the world is almost the same. If you visited DIA the degree of diversity of the employees alone could take you by surprise which you probably have not noticed because you lived in Denver.

You do not have to be an avid traveler to enjoy going to different places. All you may need to do is to go once every four or five years and could be taken aback by what you may find out. It does not have to be on another continent and crossing the ocean but it could be a state in the south or Canada or even next door Mexico. I did not have the same view as I did when I entered London.

Finding something to eat was much easier that finding a bus. You look around you and there are all kinds of restaurants from Italian, English, African and Caribbean, more Chinese than any other, Middle Eastern cuisines, Vietnamese and a host of other choices with each of them prepared to get your business again anytime you visit.

Leaving London was not the greatest feeling as I felt like I needed more time to enjoy my stay fully but I had had enough to make me want to come back over and over again. The spring weather was perfect for me only a little breezier because London is close to the ocean. In the end London was one of the best cities I have ever visited because I have been to different cities in the world and Europe and very few beat London.

“Welcam abord the Unitted” in a thick British accent signaled by return to the Unites States and I immediately reminded myself that I was on a flight.

The Root Of All Evil:Money.

Just thought I would pose a question; if money really is the root of all evil. I do not personally believe that money is the root of all evil.People usually decide to defy both natural and human laws that govern morality and commit heinous crimes in the name of money. There are of course many situations when money has been the reason why people have commited evil.

If you took a look around people do all kinds of things for money. There was in recent news the espisode of Lacy Peterson who was killed for insurance benefits her husband was supposed to receive.This was done because of the money involved in it.

Everyday in the United States as illegal as it is in some states prostitutes line up the streets of different cities just to make money. For some of these women they have genuine opportunities in other areas of life to make it but decide to rely of selling themselves and their honor at a price. For some of these women they have to make money to feed their families and make ends meet.

There are people who sell drugs for both young and adults in order to make money. The effects of drugs in our society include the cause of broken homes, child and spousal abuses, wasting of potential for youth,chidren born with defects due to drug addicted mothers,cold blooded murders among a host of other negative effects.

In many other developing countries in Asian, Eastern Europe and Africa among other areas of the world there are children put to work to support

There are countless stories of corruption,discrimination and raw evil and crime commited in the name of money. To all intents and purposes money is the root of all evil.

On the other side of the coin money has made life easier for the world in terms of exchange. In primitive society on had to exchange what he or she has with what is needed. Money has made transaction smooth without much problems of measure and value.

Money has helped alleviate poverty in many areas of the world. Charities run across the globe to assist people in need including the disabled, war torn regions of the world, hunger stricken parts of the universe, uplift the downtrodden and the list goes on and on. Money can be used for good things.

At the end of the day money has been used for bad things and to me seems to be at the fundamental base of most problems in society. Your take depends on how you look at it.

THIS IS AFRICA?

THE OTHER AFRICA YOU DO NOT KNOW

Anytime the continent of Africa is mentioned, we are immediately inaundated by images that are presented to us by the media such as television, newpapers or magazines,etc. A land of jungles and sometimes safaris where people go sightseeing in parks with animals mingling with humans.

A land ravaged by war across the continent,villages plagued by diseases,hunger stricken children running around unclothed while women live under squalid circumstances and oppression.

The side of Africa where development is constantly on-going with great strides being made in economic advancement,cultural progress including science and technology is usually ignored.

Very few people have been able to associate Africa with any kind of good and genuine images like the above picture of South Africa portrays.

This image proved unique to me because it is hardly a part of the effort and intention of the media to present a true and positive image of image of Africa like everyone should know, at least both sides of Africa.

My aim is not to undermine the developmental necessities of Africa but to open the mind of the person who have known only one side of the story of Africa from the media. Whether this is a clandestine effort on the part of the media or unintended consequences of media coverage of Africa, I do not wish to undermine the truth presented by some media both local and international.

makezine.com

Analysing the makezine website

I had the interesting task of analysing the website makezine.com which I found very intriguing with its content and format.

This blog essentially composed of a variety of items which include news items,video, video games,old and new technology and exihibitions. This blog also comprised good things such as how to make items.On this blog is news item about australia which says there is a ban coming up in Austalia to outlaw the use of indecadescent light which will be replaced by flourescent lights.Another attention grabbing news item was how a $10 wok is keeping a television station on the waves in a small town.

Further information on the topics that were being covered under the posts in this blog was easily accessible by the many hyperlinks provided.This made my reading of the blog much easier as I clicked on links to get more information on topic that I felt were not thouroghly dealt with.For example I clicked on the hyperlink regarding the ban of indecadescent lights in Australia and went to the website of BBC to get more information on this news.


The most striking feature of this blog is the use of image to put across information. I found this to be most interesting because it gave the information being portrayed more vivid and digestible to the audience. I found a lot of the posts on this blog easily readable because it did not contain too much text and some post even had fewer text and overbearing images while other texts had no text at all.

In looking at this blog I thought there could be a few concepts I can inculcate into my own blog.
The main reason being that I would be pleased to see my blog give all the things I was offered when I visited makezine.com.

Formost I would like to add more variety to my website by providing interesting things such as news items, my own articles and other peoples articles if that can help provide the variety needed to make my blog appealing while providing something for every taste.

Hyperlinks I found out after visiting this blog that gives more credibility to the information being presented. If I had any doubts about the news on Australia all I had to do was to click the hyperlink and I would be led to the news agency in this case BBC which presented the news.
Based on the foregoing argument I would like to add more hyperlinks to my blogs to make the means of verifying information or obtaining more information possible.

More images will certainly be a good addition to my blog. All the benefits that accrue to images on blogs will be a part of my blog. Some of these include vivid pictures, more comprehensible to the reader as well as providing a memorable experience for some readers. This is because some readers remember stories better with visual images and this will certainly help this kind of readers on my blog.

One other thing from the makezine blog I would like to incorporate in my own blog is the occassional use of videos. This certainly provides a different kind of experience for most if not all readers. Providing a video with all the information contained in it instead of text. Text can be monotonous sometimes and video can be a good break from such monotony.


The content and format of the website was very attractive to me as a blogger but I believe is more attractive to a reader. Incorporating such concepts as the variety, detail,intrigue and fun from this blog onto my own will be more than welcome.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PSYCHOLOGIST

ALTERNATIVES TO VIOLENCE SHELTER

Laid at the foothills of the mountain in the outskirts of Denver, a Victorian looking house serves as the main building for Alternatives to Violence. The office of the psychologist was no bigger than a room in a standard three-bedroom apartment. Her shiny dark brown desk, which looked almost flawless, was decorated with flower pots on each side of the corner of the table.The light blue colored paint of the room gave it its glow accentuating the smile on the face of the first client that entered that morning. The rear of the room is almost entirely a window overlooking the green grass outside.

“I am emotionally spent” Miss Jacobs, the ten year experienced psychologist at this shelter confides inme. The stories and images she encounters has emotionally drained her and taking much more effort to keep an eight hour shift than she had initially imagined. The pay was not a problem as it turned out more financially rewarding but she had decided it was time to get into another area of psychology, for this shelter reminded her of her own abusive relationship.It was getting more and more difficult to separate herself from her job.

Like every morning assigned victims of violence in this shelter will come in and go over the assignedchores for the day and the progress of their treatment. Alternatives to Violence have been in operation for over five years. In its span of operation many women have gone through here and received treatment for all kinds of problems from drug abuse and addiction through violence against them.Violence usually from their partners such as husbands,boyfriends and to my surprise lesbian partners in somecases of homosexual women.

Tameka in her mid twenties who entered the room this morning is a victim of violence who had been impregnated by her own stepfather. The baby had been taken away from her after testing positive to cocainedue to drug addiction. For such a person the healing process is going to take a little longer that thenormal forty-five day period for an average program.The office is not the only venue where treatment takes place.

On a typical fine morning like this one, when the weather permitted, the bench outside the window that sat under the tree in the middle of the perfectly mowed lawn provided an attractive canopy for a session. The shade under the tree provided a perfect temperature unusual of wintertime in the mid-morning sun for what promised to be a depressing conversation between a psychologist and her client.

At the age of twenty-five she was at the prime of herlife but years of violence from her ex-husband chippedaway all the cheer off her immaturely wrinkling face. Marks of tears from years of crying seemed part of her facial lines. A smile cracked through the sad looking face of Tameka as she gracefully walked to the bench in the middle of the carefully cutgrass. I could tell she had more weight on her mind than she could bear. Her two children had been taken away by the social services department and she was in and out of courtfor the last one who seemed more likely to be taken away if her parenting classes do not go well.

Deep in her hazel brown eyes hope did not seem too far away. As she sat down on the bench her eyes is fixated on amoving and restless black ant in the grass. The conversation, which was about to begin, did not sound like her favorite subject as her eyes were becoming misty with tears at the first word that came out of her mouth.

Like many of the women at this shelter Tameka grew as an inner city child in a working class home. As achild she had aspirations of being a nurse. Dream notrealized but the Alternatives to Violence shelter,which now housed many women of her caliber,represented the hope of healing. This is the story of many of the women here. The chronicle she relates in her beginnings in life to the shelter is heartwrenching. The man who married her mother when she was ten had sexually violated her for years while threatening to kill her if she said anything to her mother.Like many victims of such circumstances Tameka blamed herself for her situation.

Her mother ignored her complaints for years and she found solace on the streets, which landed her in bad company andconsequently drug abuse. The man who fathered her first two children has himself been abusive. She had put herself in harm’s way many times than she can count for him during days they sold drugs together. He finally ended up the penitentiary inCanyon City leaving her helpless to cater for two children.

“I did everything I could but had no choice but to return to that house” referring to the place her mother and her stepfather shared. “He came down there anytime he felt comfortable as ifI was his second wife,” she stated with a straightface forcing a well of tears back. Tameka occupied the basement with her two children in the house. When hermother left for work or anywhere, her stepfather came downstairs and exploited her. He took her childhood away from her and continued to exploit her at the most vulnerable time of her life. Her credibility with her mother had been deeply smeared with constant trouble with the law and drugproblems.

Her mother was in no position to trust Tameka’s word over that of her husband of fifteenyears. The pregnancy was the final straw that brokethe camel’s neck. The child is his, she made sure she told him but the mother does not know because she would not believe her even if she told her.

Many times she had contemplated suicide and when she was living in the basement, maiming this man for lifeor even taking his life has crossed her mind manytimes. The look in the innocent faces of her kids has pushed her thoughts away from such choices.Her self-esteem was at its lowest ebb and trust for men had vanished with thin air along with hope.

The psychologist listened with rapt attention even though she was already accustomed to this story as Tameka pours her heart out during every session.When Tameka finished talking Miss Jacobs the psychologist told Tameka that,“ we are almost at light at the end of the tunnel” making the problem a shared one and not of the client alone.

Miss Jacobs ended the session by scheduling for another meeting with this client in two days in her office. This session was over and the next person was Joyce Edwards. The pressures on the amenities and opportunities came into sharp focus when she remembered that there was a fund raising event late that afternoon for the shelter.

Community organizations such as churches, business and individuals were coming to help raise the much needed funding for the Alternative to Violence Shelter. It was going to be a break for her after she takes care of the last session with Joyce. This was Joyce's last section with Miss Jacobs before her next stage of the healing process.

In such places as this shelter lay the much needed ray of hope for all people who are in situations like Tameka.

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PSYCHOLOGIST IN A SHELTER

Taking a look into the life of a psychologist who works in a shelter for the downtrodden in society.The shelter is made up of people of all walks of life from the abused woman,a drug addict through abandoned elderly people.

A typical day in the life of a psychologist would cover the different people who this psychologist deal with.The interesting part of this is that all these people have different stories to tell about how they ended up overthere at the shelter either throgh their fault or other people's making.

The effects of such social cankers in society as drug abuse, wife battery,child neglect early teenage pregnancy and political and economic neglect and discrimation for political and economic instutions in government or private entities are all factors I would consider in looking at a typical day of a shelter psychologist.

The personal life of the psychologist would be very important to consider in terms of how they see themselves in society.A lot of the times people are easily able to detach themselves from the jobs they do which makes them more capable of being objective.I wonder however that the life of the psychologist and the people they deal with seems to have the tendandy to wear off the "professionalism" and rather look at their jobs with subjectivity.

It has to do with the personal stories of other people which is not very easy to detach from so much unlike working for marketing company in which your goal is to sell and make money and nothing else.

Individual lives of such workers like their families spouses brothers and sisters and parents for example would to interesting to cover because it will go a long way to show that the qualities required to be a mental psychologist or any other kind of pychologist may be easy to apply to clients in a shelter but is it easy when it comes to applying the same principles to their own personal lives.

UNIVERSAL RELIGION:ISLAM





The essential motive of this video is Islam and very often contorted image presented to the world. Recent events in the United States and other parts of the world have created an image of Islam which is not always the truth about the religion. To a large extent, some of the images and resulting perceptions created about Islam are justifiably appalling. The central issue at hand is if the behaviors and attitudes of people who call themselves muslims can be necessarily construed as Islam itself. The premise is that if you define others by what their actions are, how do you define them when they are not engaged in those acts? My point is, there is the need to clearly seperate the perpetrator of the act from other acts the perpertrator partakes at other times.

This video on youtube chronicles the universal quality of Islam on all the continents of the world. From the foothills of mount kilimanjaro in East Africa, the uraban city of London in the United Kingdom, the countryside of rural Nigeria in Africa, to towns of Pakistan through the streets of Harlem in New York, Islam polishes the face of the earth with the its human and spiritual elements.

This video uses image very well to explain the nature and form of Islam across the face of the universe.It used children, literacy, family life, politics, economy, old age, worship, war, peace, architecture of a place to vividly explain what Islam is truly about. It is about human development through the ages and what people really mean to each other. Essentially we came from nothing and will return to a source we all share. The Prophet of Islam urges Muslims to see themselves as travellers who will finally return to their origins. But while here make the best use of the place and do not be carried away by the things that adorn it. No one really worships God for God's benefit but for the benefit of their own souls.
As we remember that God is independent of anything from mankind it becomes even more important to appreciate the fact that servicing humankind is the ultimate form of worship in Islam.

Watching this video on television would not be too different from the computer because it uses images that can be used in both media. Picture clarity is also an advantage for the blog much more than on television. It must be stated that it will be truly great to see this piece on television because it will help shed light of true Islam and challenge some of the stereotypical images that saturates the viewpoints of many about Islam.

Another advantage of watching this video in the comfort of the home is that it goes beyond being something put together for the sole purpose of entertainment to a documentary that seeks to educate by arousing the senses through vivid images of, for instance, dressing in all those different cultures and yet reflecting Islam.

The fundamental aspect of this video that I thought makes it unique is commonality shared by all the people which is the religion of Islam, in spite of the varied racial backgrounds of the people. The strenght and character of a person according to Islam is not judged by the color of the skin or eys but by the faith of the person. How much are we willing to give up and protect one another regardless of whether we share the same religious orientation or not. Islam is about neighborliness and what we are prepared to do as we would like others to do unto us.

Sound recorded in the background in this video also contribute significantly to the video.The song that is played in this video is arabic which is the main language mulsims around the world use in most of their worship and ritual prayer. At the end of the day, intentions are what matter for every act of faith. The goal is to be peaceful and submissive to the will of God. The way to do that is to be peaceful to your neighbor regardless of who they are by respecting their differing opinions on all aspects of life.

Image is everything accompanied by sound. It is no surprise to send subliminal messages through sound and image to the senses and successfuly entrenching those images and perceptions created in the bedrock of human thought. This is why this video is even more important in clearly communicating the importance of Islam and the application of its universal principles to living at all times of the human experience.

The goal is to urge folks to be critical of what they read and see about different religions. As justifiable as it may sound and look, it is critical to go beyond what appear before us and get close to it in order to truly know. For example take a day or two to visit a mosque or ask muslims questions that buggle your mind about Islam. You could be surprised what you discover.

Keep an open mind because the views we have today are not perfect. If you do not keep an open mind, you can not absorb any more views because the door to the mind is closed. Keep an open mind and you may discover that there are some viewpoints you might need to refine and modify to put you in a better space of understanding.

At the end of the day the fear of the unknown is very detrimental to any knowledge base. The line between closed mindedness and ignorance with fear is very fine.

LOOKING WITH THE THIRD EYE

From the layman's point of view watching new on television or reading a copy of the rocky mountain news is no different from reading a news blog on msnbc or cnn. It is no doubt easy to fall in this category of people if you do not consider the vital factors almost required to make a good read out of a blog. In this post I would take a look at who what when where and why as cues one needs to place at the back of their minds to fully grasp the stories told on this website or other similar ones.

To explain the five Ws above I would take for example searching on a State of the Union Address speech by the President of the United States.When I enter the cnn website the first thing I would be looking for is at least an image of the President delivering an address on a platform or a title with the phrase "state of the union" in it. This will explain the what a reader will need to have at the back of their mind about the site.

The Who will be the president of the United States about whom the reader expects to see the state of the union address. And also the who will be the person presenting to the reader the news for example the journalist. Each new website has its own style of presenting but for cnn it is not unusual if you expect to see a video of the state of the union address or the full manuscript.

The when of the website a reader will need to be aware of is the timing of the broadcasts. Old stories are constantly giving way for new ones and if you expect to see what happened a week ago on the first page of the blog you may be totally disappointed. When the news is happening or at least a day old you can expect to see it but when it is more that a couple days old the only hope to get access to the story you may be looking for will be to look in the archives.

The why defines the category of the website or ganre of writing this websites falls under. In this case it is a website of news broadcasting so the style of writing or presentation is totally different from say a movie,comedy or shoes and apparell website. This will explain why a reader should understand that this particular website is not going to provide to you anything outside of what it ganre such as comedy or car auction. This is not entirely true because some news websites or blogs provide commercials for many products including cars.

The where is the most fundamental context of the website in serving the purpose for which it was built. In this instance provide news to readers or people who prefer to listen or watch.In fact this is tied up to the previous point in that it offers direction to location of the website, its affiliates or sub ganres if you will.

There are many items that may not fit for a newpaper article well but are more ideal for a blog.

It not just the technology of moving images that may push for such choice of a web page over a tradional paper but the need to provide intimate details of an event that may not be possible with a stationary image on a piece of paper. This provides answer to the question that the main thing blogs are conerned with transcends limitations imposed by broadcast on a radio station or television.

This is not intended to prove the fact that blogs are superior to tradional newpapers but to explain that the cultural context of a web page are much more easily conceivable than a traditional paper.

NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

CNN.COM is most favorite website I visist on a daily basis for the local and international news I need. I am very keen on knowing what happens around me,this explains why a day never passes bye without taking at least a peak at the website of the new giant in the world.

As soon as you enter into the website of cnn you are right away introduced to a wide variety of interests you can explore be it verifying a news item you have heard or rendering yourself to be informed on what you need to know for the day,week, or even a month and year if you do not mind going into the archives.

It certainly gives a clear introduction to all the items you want to look at.For example severy weather in denver or more soldiers die in Iraq will give you the gist to what you are about to read and certainly it depends on whether you went to the local or international weather section or local and world news sections.

This adheres to web based media convenitions in more ways than one in that it gives you the salient news at first glance by the catchy titles. These titles summarise the news events while providing links for details if desired by the reader.

Images provide a vivid support for the titles as it helps to paint the picture of the image being portrayed in the writing,using images to support writing takes a different toll on your understanding because it makes the story more concrete for communitaction is more effective.

Perhaps the most vivid convention of all websites of this ganre such as bbc is that it provides continuity of flow from one item to the other in a very chronological form. It is the United States then the most concentrated news area in the world namely the middle east,then all the rest of the world such as Asia,Africa,Europe and South America.

The difference between traditional news writing such as newspaper or media such as radio and television is that they follow a coherent chart of putting across the new items. For example in reading the denver post you have to keep going through a write up to get to the end whereas reading on the internet or blog you get to see the end of the write up before even starting to read it. It gives you what you expect and it is right there at your finger tips.

You get the chance to read with the end in site because everything is laid before you from the beginning and development of local news to the ongoing flow of events or breaking news.

It is interesting to note that the cnn website provides links to videos of news cast that the visitor to the site can click to watch if he or she does not care to read. In this sense it is no different from regular television broadcast except that the viewer can pause, fastfoward repeat or stop on the website.

The computer editing abilities gives a writer the chance to back into the articles already posted to make changes if necesary which is not the case for print media. Once the paper is printed the best excuse that can be assigned to something as simple as spelling mistake is printing error whereas a blog can be corrected over and over again as needed.