Music To My Ears

Music; we all know what it is and I'm sure that it most likely plays a big role in your life as well as it does to mine. The way I look at it is, if you have a specific genre or type of music that you like, then you are normal! Everybody should have their own taste in everything, and no matter what you like to listen to you are no different than anybody else. However your opinion on this topic may be biased, and you have to be wary of this. Independence only sprouts from realization.

I haven't always felt this way. Until I had an eye opening experience the summer before I made it to high school. My best friend at the time, Steve, was meeting me at the spot where we always met. “Yo Angelo!”, Steve greeted me with a weird look, one by which I could tell that something was up. “Hey man.”, I simply replied. From then on that hot summer day was a game changer to me. As we walked around the neighborhood I offered to put some tunes on. He agreed as usual. This is where the red flag went up. Normally Steve and I would jam out to the same type of music, rock, but that day just had to be different. I put on a song that we both liked, and Steve wasn't happy with it. “Angelo you definitely need some diversity in your music taste.” Those ten words hit me hard, that moment was when I realized I had a bias. A bias toward rock n’ roll.

Although, a short while after that, I found myself talking to Steve less and less, and it made me wonder. “Is my bias so strong, that it could tear friendships apart?” Deep stuff, but I decided that since it was my personality and that I might as well leave it alone, and go with the flow.

I’m not the only one with a music bias though. A while back when I would go to concerts like all the time. I was in line at the TLA (Theatre of Living Arts) waiting for admission into a rock concert. When the person behind me began to play some music. Hip Hop, Rap, R&B whatever you wanna call it. I did not like it. Neither did my friends, who turned around and asked the guy, “Why are you even in line for this concert if you're listening to rap?” The man just looked at us in disbelief. That’s when I realized. Even if we’re in line for a Pierce the Veil concert, people are allowed to listen to whatever they want to. Wherever they are. No matter what anybody has to say about it. I also realized there, that without hesitation I would have said the same thing to that man.

Music or no music we're all still human. And if you think about it we're not that different. Most of us just like to be different sometimes, and that usually involves bias. Just like Steve when he told me that I needed some diversity in my music taste. Either the people around you or somebody that you are close with will usually point it out to you.  Every single one of us has to realize that if you have an opinion on something, like I do with Music, it sometimes is better to just not say anything. Or at least think about what you're going to say before you say it.

After finding out and realizing that I had a bias, I decided to see if there was any other biases that I was hiding. I found one taking the Gender Science I.A.T. test directly from Harvard University. I learned that I am slightly biased toward men over females. Now that I know this, I can better plan ahead for someones else’s bias and mine colliding in an unorderly fashion. The more knowledge you pertain about your own bias, the better.


Jamekea's Food Project

Pasta Salad

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Rotini Noodles, 1 red pepper, 1 yello pepper, broccoli, salad seasoning, italian dressing, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Directions:

Step 1: boil water for 20 mins
Step 2: prep vegetables; dice red and yellow peppers
Step 3: add rotini noddles into water
Step 4: cover pot for 20 or until rotini noodles are fully cooked; check occasionally
Step 5: boil another pot of water with broccoli for 5-10 mins; broccoli should not be fully cooked
Step 6: turn off pot with rotini noodles once fully cooked
Step 7: pour noodles into  mixing bowl
Step 8: turn off pot with broccoli
Step 9: add broccoli into mixing bowl with rotini noodles
Step 10: add diced red and yellow peppers into mixing bowl; stir it all together
Step 11: add Italian dressing
Step 12: sparkle Parmesan cheese on top
Step 13: sparkle salad seasoning on top
Step 14: put top on mixing bowl
Step 15: Shake mixing bowl
Step 16: sit in refrigerator until cool
Step 17: serve

Analysis:

All the ingredients in my dish is healthy and good for you. I used fresh products and made the whole dish from scratch so that way I knew what was going in it. This dish isn't necessarily organic because I used rotini pasta noodles however the vegetables I used are. The red and yellow peppers and broccoli was made natural without any harsh chemicals. This dish is something I really like but since some people like to put crab meat in it, which I'm allergic to I wanted to make it my own by not adding crab meat. Plus crab meat really isn't organic and healthy. And this is a really popular dish in my family. 



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During this course I learn more than I was expecting to learn. This was a really interesting class and I enjoyed it a lot. In this class I learned what my larger role in the food system was, how a baby’s brain develops, neuroscience about criminals, etc. I wan’t expecting to learn how a baby’s brain develops or the effects nutrition and nurture has on a person for their lifetime. I learned that I have a huge role to play in the food system because I’m the one eating the food and I eat what I eat eats, which was something I didn’t really think about before. It got me thinking about changing the way I ate but then again at the same type I didn’t really find another wrong with the way I eat. Since we all are going to die anyways there’s no need to really try to eat better.

During the course of the class, I had some ups and downs and I got frustrated at times because I didn’t understand what was going on. However I was to overcome the obstacles I had and fall back into flow with the rest of the class. I ending up doing all good both quarters and I have the grades to prove it. This was one of the best classes I’ve ever had, it was interesting and thought provoking. 

A Difference Of Interests

According to the hype in the trending topics, if you are into a non-trending topic you are less than those who are trendy; including music taste, makeup, and clothing. 1There are over 7 billion different people on this Earth. Each one unique, just like the DNA and fingerprints they are born with. Now, some of these people have certain things in common- such as favorite colors, bands, and interests.


Such stigmatism's can be made specifically about certain people that are fans of heavy music. This includes the genres of metal, heavy metal, and thrash metal. Which have always been underlying genres in music- definitely not trending. People think those who listen to this music are more violent, angry, and overall on the brink of killing people. Which is definitely not true for all the fans of this form of music. This bias continues to persist to this day.


One amazing example of this is the West Memphis Three. This is a murder case were the justice system was swayed by such said biases against people who are nothing more the a little different. On May 5th 1993 there was a murder case opened. Three second grade boys were beaten, mutilated, bound, and killed. These boys were the namesake for the West Memphis Three. The police had no leads but were drawn to some teenage boys that wore all black, kept to themselves, and listened to very heavy metal, and rock and roll. The real rebels of ‘93. All joking aside these boys were convicted and sent to prison for crimes they did not commit all based on bias created by trends and marketing tactics.  In all marketing campaigns when you see pop artists their pictures and videos are usually very bright and colorful. While in heavy metal, rock, punk, and thrash music most pictures and videos are darker, and have a more serious motif. Usually the lyrics are about real life issues and feelings, while pop music is more about having fun and being cool. I am not saying that pop music is better or worse than other types of music, but I am definitely saying there is a huge bias against kids that listen to these ‘other’ kinds of music.  


I can definitely relate to this. Some of my favorite bands are Of Mice & Men, Bring Me The Horizon, Megadeth, and Nirvana. These bands are all classified as Heavy Metal or Rock & Roll. And because I listen to these bands and genuinely enjoy them people form opinions and biases against me. Like, “You’re probably going to grow up to be a serial killer”, “Are you a satanist?”,"You're on drugs aren't you?" and the most popular, “Are you a lesbian?”


Somehow listening to someone expressing their feelings in a more raw fashion means I have to be societies definition of undesirable. Just as the West Memphis Three were pegged. In metal music the singers and band pour their feelings into their songs and scream it out at the top of their lungs, they don’t pretend to be calm or collected. They make their thoughts sound how they feel. But if you openly admit that you have the same feelings and refuse to water them down you are dangerous. Being that you don’t feed into the same mass delusions of complete sanity that most people in today’s world do.


In the end the West Memphis Three were released and the true culprit- a church going, faithful, and reliable stepfather of one of the boys- was placed behind bars. And thank God the police aren't shared on any of my playlists- or I just might be in prison too.





Niyala Brownlee's Food Project o(^~^)o

Sugar

Flour

Butter

Eggs

Sprite Soda

Lemon Flavor


Cream butter an sugar.

Add in 1 egg at a time

Beat it.

Mix in the sprite and lemon extract mixture in alternately with the flour. Mix well

Bake in an oiled bunt pan

at 325 fahrenheit for an hour or more un tip it's done.


Lemon Glaze  (wasn't used/ optional)

2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Place confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup; stir in lemon juice (glaze should be thick, yet pourable). Add more sugar or lemon juice, as necessary, to achieve desired consistency.


Lemon Glaze

2 parts water, one part sugar, a few drops lemon essence. Boil until it has a clear syrup texture.


Lemon essence is flammable. Do not set your kitchen on fire. 


The meal cost less than 15$ I think.

With ingredients left over.


All of the ingredients are from America. 

Unbleached organic all-purpose flour guarantees that it has mot been genetically modified. Wheat was grown under organic guidelines. Enrichment is voluntary.  Some states required it. Folic acid is required d to help prevent spinal chord injuries.


FDA required eggs to be refrigerated as soon as possible. The FDA required eggs to be graded for inspection to determine for wholesomeness. For quality, it is voluntary.

All packaged raw shelled eggs must carry a specified handling statement if they are not treated for Salmonella. d

 "SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS: To prevent illness from bacteria: Keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly."

My eggs did not contain this statement so I'm guessing that they are treated for Salmonella.

And they are considered kosher.

About Sprite. FDA ensures that carbonated drinks are safe and sanitary. They are also honestly labeled. Manufacturers and consumers are required by the FDA to take specific steps in making sure that the drinks are safe. 'Comes in contact with' is a crucial part. The bottles themselves are also strictly regulated.


For chemical preservatives, their function in the drink is required. such as 'preservative, to retard spoilage, a mold inhibitor' and more.

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“The Biggest Tree”

“The Biggest Tree”

“Shoot slow down will you?!” I yelled as I ran down the streets of the small town.  

The man I was chasing was smaller than me but he was lean and had great stamina. I’d never had trouble chasing people down as a child but this guy was something else. He cleared about 3 fences and then side stepped past several civilians who were confused by the entire situation. Eventually he ran into an old abandoned building and ran up the stairs.

“Dammit!!” I yelled.

I dug into my pocket and pulled out my amphetamines. This was the first time that I had ever pulled them out and at the Academy they told officers in training to only pull them out in dire situations.

“There is no point in running!” I screamed trying to sound as intimidating as possible.

A few seconds after taking the drugs things got very clear. After climbing to the top of the building I shortened the gap between us in half. The criminal jumped from the current building we were in to the next but I was able to jump at the same time and in midair I tackled him right to the ground.

“GRC (Governmental Resistance Control) bitch” I yelled into his ear.

The guy was still struggling trying to wriggle his way out and get out so I picked him up off the ground punched him in the gut knocking him out. Officers stopped getting issued handcuffs standard a long time ago and the reasoning behind it was that handcuffs were not needed when there was no reason to commit crime. I did however have a standard issue pistol which I was guess was for shooting at pigeons but for now it was a means of keeping this guy in place for when he woke up. I carried the guy back to my car in discretion as to not alert any civilians and drove off to the station on my way.

“Did anyone see you apprehend him?” the Señor Custodian officer asked.

“People saw me chasing him but for all they knew I could have been trying to ask him a couple of questions is all.” I retorted

“Did you use your firearm?” He asked.

“No sir I used it to suppress him incase he tried to get away.” I replied.

Without asking further questions walked away talking to someone on his police walkie talkie but I couldn’t make it out. The drugs had weared off and all my senses began to deteriorate. All I could remember was a few Guard Officers all surrounding the patient who had just woke up and everything else after that went black.

I woke up the next day at my house. I was still feeling bad and couldn’t seem to get my vision back in check. I really should stay away from those drugs, the after effect is just too much. I slapped my work uniform back on and I went back down to the station and addressed the clerk.

“Where is the man I captured yesterday?” I asked.

“Yesterday? What are you talking about, you weren’t hear yesterday…” the lady said back to me.

“Check your damn files,” I angrily retorted.

“Alright officer” she said is a calm but patronizing voice.

She busily checked her computer and got back to me relatively fast.

“There is no record of any such events happening on our system records” she said.

“That contraption is full of shit, I very clearly chased down a man and apprehended him” I angrily said.

“Sorry I don’t have it...” she replied.

I left after that and began talking to my fellow officers in the building.

“Excuse you do you remember me capturing a criminal yesterday?”

“Sorry I didn’t see anything”

Again and again I asked everyone and anyone if they saw anything and I got nothing. I ran down to the Chief Officer’s office and bribed some security guards to let me in.

“Sir I caught a criminal yesterday why are their no records? Officers I know saw me capture the criminal are denying seeing anything.” I said.

“Do you know what we do for living?” He asked?

“We suppress any incoming threats to society?” I replied.

“Suppress… That is the key word, we seize, detain and erase and threats, anything that ever so slightly alters the morale of our fair people is a threat.” He said.

“What are you trying to say sir?”

“I’m not trying to say anything. I can’t talk that which no longer can be deemed a threat.”

“But all threats are erased how can we learn and grow?”

“Why grow when we are the largest tree in the forest?”

“The tallest tree is the most likely to fall” I retorted.

“Good bye Officer Kelly.”

“But wait!” I yelled.

Armed guards came and roughly escorted me out. So many questions erupted in me. What is my government? What is crime? Can we exist in a world where crime isn’t addressed as crime? My head began to hurt. My vision began to get blurry again. I tried my best to get my grip back on reality. I remembered the wallet I picked up that the suspect dropped. 4556 North Spooner St. I had something left of this mystery man.

The cab driver refused to drop me off directly at house. The area was too high class. Each house was a stand alone and was at least four stories high. They paint of each house glistened in the sunlight and the lawns were lush and green. The house of the mystery man was very nice just like the others. I carefull knocked on the door. Someone quickly responded. It was a woman at least 35-40 years old.

“Excuse me Madam how are you today?” I asked.

“I’m doing fine, may I ask why you are here?” She replied.

“Well I’m here on behalf of the GRC now don’t get alarmed I was just wondering if anyone you know has gone missing?”

She gave me a very blank stare and didn’t respond.

“I know talking when your back is against the wall is hard but its time like these when words are the only express yourself.”

“Why are you here?” she finally said.

“To find what shouldn’t be findable. I’m guessing this man was your husband?” I said as I showed her the wallet with the ID.

“He is my husband, he died 12 years ago why are you bringing him up now?”

“The expiration date on the drivers license expires next year, no point in lying now”

“Why should I tell you anything?”

“Because people seek closure, and it seems that I’m the only man who is trying to get it for you at the moment”

“Can I trust you?”

“Who else can you trust?”

“Come inside.”

I sat down on a couch in the living room as she brought forth some coffee and some papers.

“My husband was a doctor, specifically a surgeon. He cared deeply for his fellow man and it pained him to see that they were dying. Lack of organs for transplant was a rampant problem. So he began dabbling with the wrong people, they supplied him with organs for transplants. He saved many lives… There was a rat who sold him out. And then the GRC “dealt” with him.”

“Do you have any idea who the Rat was?”

“A coroner who worked at the morgue, only person with the evidence against him.”

She exchanged what little information she had for me and I was off on my way. I grew up trusting the government and the GRC. They were keeping us away from anarchy. Keeping us safe from chaos and allowed children to have a safe bright future. I still had faith in them. I arrived back at the station and I proceeded to confront the Chief Officer. I made it down to his office. But something hit me on the back of the head and everything went dark again.

I woke up in a poorly lit small room. I was tied down to a chair and there was something metal slapped across my wrists. Probably handcuffs. Two men walked in the room. One of them started punching me in the face presumably leaving my face swollen as I could barely open my eyes.

“When Adam and Eve ate the apples from the garden of eden do you know what happened?”

“Pigs started shitting gold bricks?” I said trying to be smart.

The man punched me in the face. He was wearing a gold ring making things all the better.

“They were cast out from paradise. What we have here is paradise. No crime, no hate, no disdain for anything.” He said.

“Utopia’s are not real” I quickly said.

“Well I can tell you that we are as close to a utopia as humanly possible, what holds us back is people like you. Words are mans most powerful tool. A single man could an uprising. You never truly believe in the GRC, you believed in the image they posed of a society where everyone could co exist.” said the Chief Officer as he looked me in the eye.

“Isn’t that a world everyone wants to live in?” I asked.

“But its unattainable, someone is gonna mess up the perfect society no matter what we do. I’m trying to suppress those people, that is the GRC’s goal, to ensure that peace stays” He replied.

“Well then I don’t want to live in this word anymore, But just remember that for everyone of us naysayers that dies two more of us will rise to fight your cause,” I said as my final words.

“Duly noted, we shall see if your beliefs out survive mine”

Even though I didn’t live to make as much of a difference as I wished I could have I’d like to believe that others will inherit my will and try to abolish dystopian thinking and establish true peace between all men and women.


Kanye West and his Bias's


Back in 2004 was the first time I heard “Get em’ High” on satellite radio. From there I was hooked onto Kanye just from the interesting and very unique sound that seemed as if it was never done before.


In Ye’s second album “Late Registration” he had a song by the name “Crack Music” and he had a few lines that set a lot of people off. He said We, invested in that, it's like we got Merrill Lynched And we been hangin from the same tree, ever since”. In these lyrics Kanye is trying to say that when you invest or use money to invest in Merrill Lynch the investment bank, then you will be basically screwed over and the way he compared it to the Lynchings of back then. It is very revealing that Kanye has a bias against White people. The way he used lynching in there let him get leverage on the audience.


People ask me all the time why I still listen to Kanye or like him after he goes out and puts these lyrics out there and all these “stunts” that he pulls. Well my answer to all them is “Because he is not scared to say or do anything”. I personally give props to these people who can go out and say these kind of things. Kanye West definitely has a bias against Caucasian people. He has a little bit of a sense that the white man is putting him down and in some ways he is right. Although I am white and can recognize and come out to say that sometimes in todays time caucasians put down people of color and don’t give them the same opportunities. I do not think it is right, but it happens and its out of my control. This bias of Kanye is what draws my attention to him.


He has a way to get at the listener though. In his most recent album “Yeezus” and in the song by the name of “New Slaves” Kanye said “Ya’ll throwin’ contracts at me, you know that niggas can’t read!” With the use of the whole stereotype of Yeezy saying “African American people cannot read” shows that white people are the ones that are “Throwing the contracts at him”. With the use of the african americans not being able to read, he really threw out his Bias into the world. He recently said in an interview with BBC that “the white man is holding me down and not letting me do my thing. I cannot design any clothing without someone letting me do it.” Then he went on and on and on about this. To me, I really started to like him more and more once he started talking out about this because he is not scared to say anything about people putting him down. Yes it is expressing his bias, but he is doing what he wants and that is why I still like him.


Kanye West has been known for using some very provocative samples of beats in his songs just like in the song “Blood On The Leaves” from the album “Yeezus”. He used the song “Strange Fruit” by “Billie Holiday” which was written in the 1920’s. It was about the Lynchings with the Blacks. The lyrics are "Strange fruit hanging from the poppy trees, blood on the leaves". It means that the strange fruit are the slaves hanging and they are hanging from the poppy trees. Blood on the leaves means that their blood is on the tree. Since Kanye used this sample he expressed his bias against the whites. In some ways it can be interpreted as racist. Through out the album "Yeezus" he displayed some very touchy subjects that had set some people off. I personally was expecting this from him because I know that he is known for doing this kind of stuff. Just like for the Hurricane Katrina Relief broadcast where he said “George Bush does not like black people” and everyone was just completely shocked. It really shook the world and that was one of the first times he has spoken out like that on Live Television. Before that he had never pulled a stunt like that. In his previous albums he has mentioned his Bias against white people, but never on TV.

Throughout his album “Late Registration” he had a number of Skits in there about a black cult in a college that resembled a type of “Black Brotherhood” in a way. In one of the skits the man said “ This was founded years ago By broke slaves, years ago Who did not have, years ago By broke brothas in the 20s, years ago Who did not have when we could not eat Hmm, remember that? Eating all of our cereal with forks because we wanted to save the milk, do you remember that? Hmm? Do you remember all those Christmases when your Mama walked in the room and pretended she was the tree, huh? Remember that? “ This quote from the song points out another one of Ye’s Bias which is that the “African American community is poor and they do not have the proper resources to live a ‘normal’ life”. Kanye likes to use this Bias of his to show the world the unfairness in todays society.


Although Kanye may be very offensive to the white audience, he is still my favorite artist. Throughout my research using the bias worksheet we had in class, I found out he has a bias againt Caucasians. He uses very provocative lyrics to draw the attention then he gets people to believe in it. He gets people by systems to believe in his bias and make it their own. He is doing the same as others, Malcolm X, Dr. King, and more, just in a way through lyrics and sometimes in rants. He plays a big role in the system of black rights because of how he comes off and what he says. He does what others are scared to do...

Tarea 1-24-14

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Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 1.03.09 PM
Yo soy Porfirio Díaz. Soy el presidente de México y soy un buen presidente. Sin embargo mis persons no les gustan mí. Pero yo no se por qué. Soy fuerte y estoy inteligente. Yo se que yo soy un buen persona. Las opinas de los otras personas no importa. 

The Audition | Michelle Friedman

Looking around, I felt a bit intimidated by the over-priced, over-hyped, and shiny sports cars parked next to my run down, rusty, hand-me-down car. Though the people inside would never know what car I drive, the contrast in social classes was already blatantly obvious. Shutting the car’s door behind me, I inhaled the freezing, icy air through my nose and a rush of energy flew down my spine. For some reason this tricked me into feeling calm for the next few minutes and I managed to walk the short stretch from my car to the front doors of the building.

The space was not quite what I had imagined. I had pictured a small, modern studio with bright colors, young smiling professionals, and a few lighting lamps and fans sitting around. A place where people feel welcomed. Before me I really saw a large, bland space with some industrial lights set up here and there. The concrete walls and floors were not so much frightening as they were depressing. In general, the whole room glowed with a grey tint that made everything seem a bit somber. In contrast with the setting, the crowd of girls to my left, waiting to audition, was quietly whispering amongst themselves, clearly not shy or scared of anything. From the left side of the building a strong mix of fruity and floral perfumes came creeping over to mix with the faint Clorox smell left over from the cleaning crew the night before.

I assumed that I was supposed to go over to the crowd of girls, and when I approached the group, nobody reacted to my presence. I took this as a good sign, and quickly took a seat. The clock hanging above a doorway told me I still had about ten minutes until the auditions were scheduled to begin. So I pulled my phone and headphones from my back pocket and put on some music to pass the time and calm my nerves. I crossed my legs and sat back in my chair, as I let my mind wander. I saw a loose thread hanging from the bottom of my shirt, but when I tried to pull it out the thread kept pulling through and through. I quickly realized that touching the thread was a mistake because my shirt was now awkwardly tight by my right hip. Great, another blemish to make me stand apart from the other girls. I decided to simply stop fidgeting and crossed my fingers in my lap.

Slowly I watched as girl after girl walked through the door and back out; each one looking more satisfied than the first. An hour later I saw the familiar woman step from the doorway.

“Weiber, Christina?” She looks up from her clipboard and sees that I’m the last one there.

“Yep, that’s me.” I respond with a smile. The smile wasn’t reciprocated.

She led me into the audition room, and I saw before me the standard set up. The recruiters sat behind a heavy wooden table, and there were a couple of bright white lights set up around the room. They each had tall coffee cups before them, and looked like they were there for serious business. I was taken aback by the intense lighting and faces before me. 

“Good afternoon, Ms. Weiber, how are you today?” Said the man in the middle. All three of the people sitting behind the table were dressed in very professional clothes. The two men were surprisingly wearing new, shiny suits and the woman was dressed in a form-fitting, black dress and modest heels.

“I’m great, thank you for asking. I’m very happy to be here.” I started to hand my résumé over, and the lady who escorted me in leapt up to deliver it to the recruiters. I could have easily done the simple task myself, but nobody commented on it so I pushed it out of my mind.

It felt like they were a hundred feet away from me, but in reality, the table was about twelve feet from me. Once all three of them got a copy of my papers, the man in the middle introduced them all.

“I am Alex Minkle,” he motioned to the left and then right, “this is Trey Greenwich and Alice Krin. If you could give us a minute or two to look over your files, please.” I nodded silently.

It took them about thirty seconds to leaf through the sheets I gave them and then they huddled together and started whispering. With his elbows resting on the table, Alex Minkle chuckled behind his hand and glanced up at me for a second. I couldn’t know for sure what they were saying, but I didn’t want to look at them. Looking down, I still felt eyes on me.

“Alright, Ms. Weiber, can you tell us a little bit about your background? Where were you raised?”

I had never heard this question at an audition before. I wondered what the point of the questions was but I decided not to question what they were saying, I mean, they are in charge here.

“I grew up by 49th and Polk St. I still live there though.”

“Uh huh…” Responded the woman. She seemed a bit discomforted. I already suspected why, but I didn’t want to let myself believe it. “What do you do to make a living?”

“Well, I’m taking classes at the community college right now, so I don’t have time to work.”

“Then how do you provide for yourself?” She asked in a snarky tone.

I was starting to hesitate now. For a simple television advertisement, they were asking really specifically personal questions. I didn’t want to offend the woman by not answering, so I didn’t.

“I live with my parents.” I responded slowly.

They exchanged glances momentarily and then stared straight at me. Their eyes seemed to bore holes in me wherever they looked. I felt the spotlight on me but not in the way I like. I expected this to be a regular audition, but suddenly the room felt colder to me and their faces seemed harder.

“…Really? And what do your parents do for a living?” Continued the woman.

“Please excuse me, but would you like to hear the song? I don’t understand why these things matter right now and I don’t feel comfortable sharing all of this information with you.”

She smiled and looked in my eyes with a look that frightened me. “We are simply-“

The Greenwich guy decided to interrupt her and speak for the first time that afternoon, “Christina, we need to know if you are fit to represent this company, don’t you see? We need someone who looks professional and experienced.”

“Alright, but you have my résumé right in front of you. Do you believe I am unqualified?”

“That’s not what I mean.” He spoke slowly, like he was explaining something simple to a child. “What I mean to say is that we can’t let just anyone off the streets work for us.”

This really got me. I finally saw the real reason behind all of their questions. I thought that by this point in my life, once I had such a strong résumé, none of this stuff would happen to me. I remember when I went to my first audition for Macy’s and all the girls around me were white, rich, and from private schools. This conversation here was starting off the same way that it did with the women at Macy’s, and I was not eager to let it keep going. I took a breath and tried to not say anything too rash.

“Off. The. Streets.” I repeated.

“Well, you know what I mean,” he responded, “You people usually bring some sort of trouble, and we like to run a smooth operation.”

“‘You people’? What do you mean, ‘you people’. What’s different about me?”

“Christina, don’t pretend that you don’t see this.” Of course, he was referring to my skin tone, but I refused to give in. I’ve had this conversation with too many people before, and this was the last straw.

“Mr. Greenwich. Sir. I first of all, would like to thank you for your wise words. I realize that you and your value the face of your company more than life itself, but I too, value my face. I hope I don’t offend you like you’ve offended me, but ‘you people’ are the only people causing problems for anyone right now.” They looked at me in shock. “You see me as a black lady. I see myself as a strong, talented woman who is passionate about preforming arts. You see as the face of crime and property, nothing more. You now know where I live, and for some reason, have now deemed me unfit to work for you. So, I thank you for your time and attention, but I can’t work for you. I pray that you will change your view of people soon, because you are living in a dark, secluded, world.”

 

 

José Guadalupe Posada




José Guadalupe Posada,fue un illustrator,grabador,  y caracturistica mexicana. José fue un famosa criticó de dictador y su regime. él  tenía un produccíon de carteles,grabados, y dibujos en todos las regiones de republica. Su trabajo influenza más artista gustar Diego Rivera y José Clemente Orozco y las políticas artistas en contra de dictador.


DSC_5256
DSC_5256
Esto es un bueno lugar para un mural por que la communidad puede apacar sus coches en arte de la pez otras que los anuncios.

Bias of the Justice System

Greta Haskell


After watching “The Central Park Five”, “West of Memphis” and “A Thin Blue Line” I have come to a conclusion; the court system has a huge bias against young males especially African Americans. In all of the documentaries young men are convicted for crimes they didn't commit simply because the police are too lazy and ignorant to find out what really happened. The justice system only hears what they want to hear and if they have to manipulate and lie to get what they want, they will.

While watching these documentaries one thing in particular stuck out, the police seemed selfish. No matter what anyone else wanted, they just wanted to hear what they thought was right and get it over with. If someone brought up a different option suggesting that they were wrong or they had the wrong person, they would get angry and find a way to make their decision correct.

The justice system’s bias is what caused so many wrongs and injustices. If it's called the system of justice why is so much going wrong? Something else that I thought of reminded me of some of the things we did in class. Most of the people such as the police, the judges, and the jury were white upper middle class males. As we saw in class we usually have a bias towards people like ourselves. If the people they were trying to put in jail were different than them, they would find a way to have a bias against them just because they were different.

In the Central Park Five is when the bias stood out to me the most, most if not all of the people involved in the case were white except for the young men who were being charged with the murder. The police arrested them simply because they wanted to get someone and those boys were the easiest to arrest. It really shows that the police were too lazy to try and find who really did it just because they wanted to lock someone up.

While watching these documentaries I really got angry and I guess I discovered a new bias of my own. I feel that people should have their rights and police and other workers should do their absolute best job to see if the person is guilty or not. Imagine being locked in jail for five or even more years of your life that you can never get back for something that you had no part in. That has to be the worst thing I can imagine and I would wish it on nobody. I kind of thought of going into the justice system when I got older, but that would be a heavy load to bear so I decided against it.

Bias is a subconscious decision that can't be controlled but it can be so serious that it can change someones life forever. This really shows that peoples bias can sometimes be even more important than fact. There are a few exceptions but overall people stick with what they believe and subconsciously want to believe. People are not always fair but sometimes it's hard to change because we can't really do anything about it.


Benito Juarez

Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 12.11.43 PM
Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 12.11.43 PM
Yo soy Benito Juarez. Yo estaba un abogado y un político liberal durante el siglo diecinueve. Unas personas dicen yo esta una persona importante durante el tiempo de la guerra de México y los Estados Unidos. Después de la guerra yo fui a Oaxaca estar el gobernador. 

An IAT result I didn't Expect

Gender: Female

Race/Ethnicity: Black and slightly mixed

Nationality: American

Sexual Orientation: Hetero

Age Group: 16

Hometown: Philadelphia Pa

Social Class: Middle Class

Religious Preference: Not really religious, but spiritual

Political Leaning: Progressive Liberal

Physical Appearance: I am tall, long hair, thin and athletic, easy to smile

Personality Characteristics: I am very shy at first, but after a while outgoing. I think I am very fun to be around. I am a little indecisive, which is a struggle I have to deal with sometimes.

Role in Life (ie. mother, father, daughter, occupation): student, daughter, sister, friend.

https://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/05/29/the-clark-doll-experiment/


I am a young Black heterosexual female. I was born into a middle class family in the West Mount Airy neighborhood in Philadelphia, and have lived here my whole life. West Mount Airy, is one of the first fully integrated neighborhoods in the United States.  It is an example of a progressive neighborhood that was the focus of many sociological and anthropological studies over the past few decades.  When my mom was growing up in West Mount Airy it was very similar to how it is today, there were strong liberal populations, a vibrant Jewish synagogue, upwardly mobile Blacks and progressive Whites, (some people called them hippies).

I attend Science Leadership Academy which is a public high school in Philadelphia. Living in Philadelphia, I have been exposed to many different types of people and different types of cultures. All of this exposure has brought me to realize that someones biases are formed through the stereotypes and cultures that they have experienced. All of the different parts that make up who I am have helped me create my own perspective. Through taking a couple Implicit Association Tests(IAT), I have come to realize a couple of my own personal biases.

Admittedly, I was a little surprised at the results. When taking the sexuality IAT, it was revealed that I had a “slight automatic preference” to straight people rather than gay people. That is not the way that I view myself, or the world. I had always been around different people growing up, and to see this result puzzled me. Being straight has always been considered a “social norm” and even though in my immediate life I didn’t have people telling me that it was the right way, there is so much that I hear around me in the media that influences my opinions. I don’t consider myself to have a preference to straight people. When I thought a little deeper about this, I figured that I could have gotten this result because I am heterosexual. I know more about being heterosexual and can relate to other people that are heterosexual and I think that is why I might have responded to the heterosexual pictures faster. While that may be the reason, or one of the reasons, it was still very surprising to me because someone’s sexual preference has never been, and will never be notable to me. Obviously, I can tell when my friends, acquaintances and classmates are gay, but it has never meant anything to me. To me they were just a regular person. It is no more notable than if someone has blue eyes or brown.  My friends aren’t my ‘gay’ friends, they are just my friends, it has always been that way and will always be that way.

In class one day, we started talking about our own biases and I went over to a friend of mine.

“You went to private school and then you want to public right?”

“Yeah, I was raised in a private school, but I then transferred, I feel like I fit in with both types of people.”

“Yeah I agree, you’re like an urban girl but you’re also like a private school girl. I think that you fit in more with us and feel more comfortable with us though.”

We talked about how growing up, I went to a predominantly white Quaker school. I then went to a public school where there were people that were so much different than the people at my old private school. When I took the Race IAT, I was also a bit shocked to see that I had a slight preference to European Americans. I am friends with all different types of people who come from all different types of racial backgrounds. I was expecting to get “no preference” but that is not how it turned out. My Quaker education was really helpful in the way that I view people that are different from myself. I wouldn’t say that it is good that I have a preference for European Americans, but I would say that maybe it has helped me with my view on other people. I think that it is really common to have a preference to European Americans rather than African Americans. In the media, the white people are shown with power, and all throughout history they have been shown with power as well. As shown in Dr. Kenneth Clark’s experiment; when kids were asked to pick between an African American and an European American doll, most children picked the European American doll, even the African Americans. He did a couple different tests, and in each test, the majority of the kids picked the white doll. He asked them questions, about which looks nicer, which looked worse, When that is what we hear around us, it is easy for a person’s opinion to be changed. It isn't exactly a coincidence that my bias is like a lot of Americans. Many possible causes for this can be how people are portrayed on the internet, books, and other sources in the media. Even though my answers were not as I expected them to be, I have an understanding of why.

Through researching and taking implicit association tests, I have found out so much about myself. I was very surprised and would have never thought I would have the bias that I have. Even though I was very surprised, I can understand why I got this answer. Through this whole experience, I have begun to figure out my own personal bias.




The Toaster

    The company had produced a product this year, just like they did every year. After testing it, performing surveys, and doing various other things that measured how much people wanted this product, the company found that it simply didn’t measure up to the competition. Nevertheless, it was the best thing ever. Everyone would want to buy it, and once you had it, you would wonder how you lived without it. It was nothing short of a revolution in the toaster industry. However, due to the fact that it only toasted one slice of bread at a time, didn’t pop up, and was made out of ugly plastic, it would be kind of difficult to convince the unwashed masses of the facts. This was no job for the engineers and designers; this was a job for the marketers.

    The marketers looked at the blueprints, 3D models, sketches, and prototypes of the toaster and decided that this would be a piece of cake. After conferring for a few hours, they decided on the theme for the marketing campaign: minimalism. Minimalism was a pretty trendy thing at the time, seen in user interfaces for smartphone apps, video games, the actual phones themselves, and many other things. It only stood to reason that people would want everything to be minimized. Heck, this could be expanded into an entire product line - toasters that only toast one slice, a blender that is just a square spinning blade, and microwaves that are not actually microwaves, just solid cubes with a few lights on the front. The possibilities are endless! The marketers thought of this, and made up a snappy name for the appliance line. They also got to work creating a website which had no useful information on it whatsoever, but it looked really pretty.

    The next step for the marketers was making the toaster more attractive. Using the plastic shell to their advantage, they made the toaster available in a wide variety of bright colors. A toaster with a metal shell would be available for an extra charge. The marketers prepared an ad campaign that showed the toaster and all his fellow minimalist appliances against a white background with sparse, ambient music. Another ad showed the toaster, the frontman of the product line, in all different colors. More ads showed the appliances majestically standing amongst the cosmos. This made it clear that the toaster was too good to pop up, and really, why are you expecting it to pop up? It’s minimalist! It’s simple! It’s a revolution!

    There were a few months left until the appliance line was released, plus the engineers were getting bored, so to go the extra mile and to make it even more attractive they shoved some electronics into it and hopped on another bandwagon, turning it into a device which could be linked into the Internet of Things. A user could make a special gesture in the Toaster App (It had no buttons and used gestures only, and turned a special color if you did it right.) and boom, their toaster would toast the bread! Much easier than pressing the buttons on the toaster yourself. A fantastic ad was produced based on this. It featured a busy family who wanted to have toast in the afternoon but didn’t have enough time to make it when they got home. After years of misery, they solved this problem by buying The Toaster (which is what they had gotten to calling it now, just Toaster), putting the bread in when they left in the morning, and pressing the toast button on the app when they got home. This ad won its way into the hearts of everyday people everywhere, and drove massive sales of the toaster on its release.

    It was time for the toaster to be released to the public! The ad mentioned earlier was not run on TV immediately upon the release - the company waited for the excitement about the launch to die down. They held a big party to celebrate the launch of the toaster, inviting many high-profile tech executives. When asked what he thought about the toaster, one replied “The party was great! I enjoyed it a lot, especially all the free food and money.” There was a bit of confusion before he figured out that he was being asked about The Toaster, after which he replied that it was undoubtedly a revolution, will change the world and the industry forever, etc, etc.

    The unwashed masses enjoyed the toaster quite a bit too. It sold a million units in a first week. The other appliances sold somewhat less, which was understandable because they were not marketed quite as much. The company’s tech support line got a number of confused calls from buyers who could not figure out how to put food into it, even after turning it off and turning it back on. The tech support line had to regretfully inform the customers that yes, you have bought a solid cube with a smartphone app and some blinking lights and no, we do not offer refunds. The unwashed masses were quite mad about that one for some reason or another. Something about false advertising, it isn’t what we said it was, blah blah blah. It clearly said in all the ads that THIS MICROWAVE MAY NOT ACTUALLY FUNCTION. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY SHED TEARS, TORN OUT LOCKS OF HAIR, OR SPENT MONEY. Thanks for reading. Buy the toaster.

Maryam Biuibrahim food project

 

Maryam Biuibrahim


Food : rice with shrimp and vegetables.


Recipe:


-1 1/4 cups of rice

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-3 ounces sugar snap or snow peas, stems trimmed and strings removed, corn

-2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

-2 teaspoons olive oil

-8 ounces small shrimp peeled, deveined, and cut in half crosswise

-1 small onion cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

-4 cloves garlic minced

-2 teaspoons grated ginger

-2 thin stalks celery strings removed and sliced thinly on bias

-1 carrot peeled and sliced into very thin half moons

-1/2 red bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and sliced into 3/4-inch-long match sticks

-1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

-3/4 cup bean sprouts

-4 scallions trimmed and sliced into 3/4-inch-long matchsticks

-1/4 cup watercress leaves




Nutrition :

Servings:8

Calories per servings:500

Fat:8g

Protein:20g

Time : 45 min


Directions:

- Take a pot and put :

Add:1/2 teaspoon salt

Add:3 ounces sugar snap or snow peas, stems trimmed and strings removed, corn

Add:2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Add:2 teaspoons olive oil

Add:8 ounces small shrimp peeled, deveined, and cut in half crosswise

Add:1 small onion cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Add:4 cloves garlic minced

Add:2 teaspoons grated ginger

Add:2 thin stalks celery strings removed and sliced thinly on bias

Add:1 carrot peeled and sliced into very thin half moons

Add:1/2 red bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and sliced into 3/4-inch-long match sticks

Add:1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Add:3/4 cup bean sprouts

Add:4 scallions trimmed and sliced into 3/4-inch-long matchsticks

Add:1/4 cup watercress leaves


- Let all the ingredients cook for 30 min on low heat.

- Then add more water

- Add rice

- let rice cook for 25 min



Analysis:


Research: This food  is healthy because it contains a lot of fruit and i chose to put shrimp because shrimp is very good food you. it contains a lot of protein because of all the vegetable and the corn thats in the mixture. Rice is an excellent source of energy. It is comprised of 77.5% carbohydrate; carbohydrate is one of the human body's two main sources of energy, the second being fat. Like other cereals, the carbohydrate in rice is mainly in the form of starch - a complex carbohydrate, and like other cereals the starches occur in granules in the endosperm.

Rice is an excellent food source, low in fat and high in starchy carbohydrate. Rice is packed full of vitamins and minerals and provides an excellent source of vitamin E, B vitamins (thiamin, niacin) and potassium.At 56 micrograms in every 4 ounces, shrimp is an excellent source of the antioxidant mineral selenium. Recent research studies show that the selenium contained in shrimp can be well-absorbed into the human body. The whole meal is easy to digest and it will keep you full.


Origin:

This recipe is very famous in Asia and thats why most people would eat but the does not mean that other countries don't like the food . In morocco we love rice and we love to put a lot of seasoning in our foods.

Rice is a staple crop and forms the foundation of the diet for many of the world's population, especially those living in Southern and Eastern Asia. There are four major categories of rice worldwide, india, japonica, aromatic and glutinous and it’s thought over 140,000 different varieties of rice, but only a few varieties are grown widely.


Social:

My family really loves this Recipe thats why i Chose to make it because thats all we eat at home and the reason we chose white rice is because we feel that it tastes better.

However the Shrimp can be Expensive shrimp food is expensive over all. Over all I think that this food is cheap and healthy .








Personal reflection:


In the Unit i learned a lot about myself and my food choices, I also learned that some foods that i thought tasted good aren't really that good for my body. The biggest problem with our food system is that they make the healthy foods really expensive and the unhealthy food really cheap and don't realize that people had to survive either way if the people can't afford healthy food they are not gonna buy it. That was exactly my case because i am only a teenager so i don't have the money to buy healthy foods , or “organic” foods . so every time i would go out to eat with friends we would go to a fast food place or get some pizza because thats the only thing we can afford. Of Course i would like to change my diet and start eating healthier but i just don't have the money for it . After i saw the video is class about how chicken grow and how meat is being made, now i don't want to eat fast food so what should i eat? This question will never be answered i just feel that they mad being healthy very hard and that is not helping and is killing the society. I am willing to make some changes instead of buying a pack of candy for a dollar i will buy and apple instead . those are the little changes that make a big difference. that why I love science.




Screen Shot 2014-01-15 at 8.28.33 AM
Screen Shot 2014-01-15 at 8.28.33 AM

Reflection 7

http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2014/01/24/actualidad/1390546702_943222.html


Lauren Thomas & Andrew Roberts         Q2

Senorita Manuel


El terrorismo golpea el cuartel general de la seguridad en El Cairo

El viernes pasado, una grupa de terroristas atacó mucho ubicaciones en el ciudad de Cairo, Egipto.  La primera ataque era el Dirección de Seguridad.  Este ataque lesionó sesenta y seis personas y mató cuatro otros.  Los principales complejos fue el sede de policía y seguridad en Cairo.  Un terrorista suicida condujo un carro en el edificio, y se pudo oír también en los barrios adyacentes.


El segundo ataque era tres horas más tarde. El explosión mató un policía y heridas a una quincena de personas. El explosión era cerca una estación de metro de la capital. Entonces, otro explosión ocurrió. Este ataque era minutos después. Este explosion era en un suburbio de El Cairo. Etsa ataque fue sin víctimas. Pero el explosión era cerca un estación de policía en Giza. Las piramides son aqui.


El cuarto y final ataque era varias horas más tarde, cerca un cine, matando una persona. Este es un de las series de los ataques a la ciudad. Los ataques son un grande problema. Todos los ataques son antes del aniversario la revolución que depuso al dictador Hosni Mubarak.


Nadie ha reclamado responsabilidad para los ataques, pero hay un sospechoso: Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, o “partisanos de Jerusalén.”  Eso grupo es un organización yihadista basada en Sinaí.  Ellos han reclamado responsabilidad para otros ataques cómo este ataque, pero el gobierno quiere culpar los Hermanos Musulmanes, su enemigo.


Nosotros aprendimos nueva vocabulario de este artículo. Nosotros aprendimos que  islamista es “islamist” en Inglés. Nosotros aprendimos que fachada es “facade” en Inglés. Nosotros aprendimos que motociclistas es “motorcyclists” en Inglés.


Nosotros decidimos escribir sobre este artículo porque este artículo es un evento actual.


Gracious por su tiempo.



Lauren Thomas & Andrew Roberts        Q2

Senorita Manuel


El terrorismo golpea el cuartel general de la seguridad en El Cairo

El viernes pasado, una grupa de terroristas atacó mucho ubicaciones en el ciudad de Cairo, Egipto.  La primera ataque era el Dirección de Seguridad.  Este ataque lesionó sesenta y seis personas y mató cuatro otros.  Los principales complejos fue el sede de policía y seguridad en Cairo.  Un terrorista suicida condujo un carro en el edificio, y se pudo oír también en los barrios adyacentes.


El segundo ataque era tres horas más tarde. El explosión mató un policía y heridas a una quincena de personas. El explosión era cerca una estación de metro de la capital. Entonces, otro explosión ocurrió. Este ataque era minutos después. Este explosion era en un suburbio de El Cairo. Etsa ataque fue sin víctimas. Pero el explosión era cerca un estación de policía en Giza. Las piramides son aqui.


El cuarto y final ataque era varias horas más tarde, cerca un cine, matando una persona. Este es un de las series de los ataques a la ciudad. Los ataques son un grande problema. Todos los ataques son antes del aniversario la revolución que depuso al dictador Hosni Mubarak.


Nadie ha reclamado responsabilidad para los ataques, pero hay un sospechoso: Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, o “partisanos de Jerusalén.”  Eso grupo es un organización yihadista basada en Sinaí.  Ellos han reclamado responsabilidad para otros ataques cómo este ataque, pero el gobierno quiere culpar los Hermanos Musulmanes, su enemigo.


Nosotros aprendimos nueva vocabulario de este artículo. Nosotros aprendimos que  islamista es “islamist” en Inglés. Nosotros aprendimos que fachada es “facade” en Inglés. Nosotros aprendimos que motociclistas es “motorcyclists” en Inglés.


Nosotros decidimos escribir sobre este artículo porque este artículo es un evento actual.


Gracious por su tiempo.

http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2014/01/24/actualidad/1390546702_943222.html


Lauren Thomas & Andrew Roberts        Q2

Senorita Manuel


El terrorismo golpea el cuartel general de la seguridad en El Cairo

El viernes pasado, una grupa de terroristas atacó mucho ubicaciones en el ciudad de Cairo, Egipto.  La primera ataque era el Dirección de Seguridad.  Este ataque lesionó sesenta y seis personas y mató cuatro otros.  Los principales complejos fue el sede de policía y seguridad en Cairo.  Un terrorista suicida condujo un carro en el edificio, y se pudo oír también en los barrios adyacentes.


El segundo ataque era tres horas más tarde. El explosión mató un policía y heridas a una quincena de personas. El explosión era cerca una estación de metro de la capital. Entonces, otro explosión ocurrió. Este ataque era minutos después. Este explosion era en un suburbio de El Cairo. Etsa ataque fue sin víctimas. Pero el explosión era cerca un estación de policía en Giza. Las piramides son aqui.


El cuarto y final ataque era varias horas más tarde, cerca un cine, matando una persona. Este es un de las series de los ataques a la ciudad. Los ataques son un grande problema. Todos los ataques son antes del aniversario la revolución que depuso al dictador Hosni Mubarak.


Nadie ha reclamado responsabilidad para los ataques, pero hay un sospechoso: Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, o “partisanos de Jerusalén.”  Eso grupo es un organización yihadista basada en Sinaí.  Ellos han reclamado responsabilidad para otros ataques cómo este ataque, pero el gobierno quiere culpar los Hermanos Musulmanes, su enemigo.


Nosotros aprendimos nueva vocabulario de este artículo. Nosotros aprendimos que  islamista es “islamist” en Inglés. Nosotros aprendimos que fachada es “facade” en Inglés. Nosotros aprendimos que motociclistas es “motorcyclists” en Inglés. 


Nosotros decidimos escribir sobre este artículo porque este artículo es un evento actual.


Gracious por su tiempo.

278 palabras.


Article Response #7 [Q2]

Lauren Thomas & Andrew Roberts         Q2

Senorita Manuel


El terrorismo golpea el cuartel general de la seguridad en El Cairo

El viernes pasado, una grupa de terroristas atacó mucho ubicaciones en el ciudad de Cairo, Egipto.  La primera ataque era el Dirección de Seguridad.  Este ataque lesionó sesenta y seis personas y mató cuatro otros.  Los principales complejos fue el sede de policía y seguridad en Cairo.  Un terrorista suicida condujo un carro en el edificio, y se pudo oír también en los barrios adyacentes.


El segundo ataque era tres horas más tarde. El explosión mató un policía y heridas a una quincena de personas. El explosión era cerca una estación de metro de la capital. Entonces, otro explosión ocurrió. Este ataque era minutos después. Este explosion era en un suburbio de El Cairo. Etsa ataque fue sin víctimas. Pero el explosión era cerca un estación de policía en Giza. Las piramides son aqui.


El cuarto y final ataque era varias horas más tarde, cerca un cine, matando una persona. Este es un de las series de los ataques a la ciudad. Los ataques son un grande problema. Todos los ataques son antes del aniversario la revolución que depuso al dictador Hosni Mubarak.


Nadie ha reclamado responsabilidad para los ataques, pero hay un sospechoso: Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, o “partisanos de Jerusalén.”  Eso grupo es un organización yihadista basada en Sinaí.  Ellos han reclamado responsabilidad para otros ataques cómo este ataque, pero el gobierno quiere culpar los Hermanos Musulmanes, su enemigo.


Nosotros aprendimos nueva vocabulario de este artículo. Nosotros aprendimos que  islamista es “islamist” en Inglés. Nosotros aprendimos que fachada es “facade” en Inglés. Nosotros aprendimos que motociclistas es “motorcyclists” en Inglés.


Nosotros decidimos escribir sobre este artículo porque este artículo es un evento actual.


Gracious por su tiempo.


WORD COUNT: 278


Anthony Best Food Project

Recepie

Baked Mac

I dont have the exact formula from the dome but it goes something like this:

Macaroni

Cheddar cheese

American Cheese

Other cheese

Butter

sour cream

Other stuff im missing. 

1. Shred Cheese

2. Boil noodles

3. Mix sour cream and butter and other stuff.

4. stagger mac and mix in pan.

5. bake it

6. baked mac

So macaroni is just grain and most cheeses are just salt and milk which is separated. Sour cream is just spoiled cream, butter is also just salt and milk. Come to think of it, there really isnt much to this dish. Its all 100% processed. The salt content here is cray cray. The only thing saving you is the absorbency of the macaroni and the deliciousness of the dish as a whole. The wheat to make the dough to make the macaroni was probably organically grown, whatever that means. There arnt many salt mines in the us, in fact it probably came from pakistan. cheese is made in the Us. Wisconsin is famous as the cheese state. Overall the meal is medium to produce. Compared to other common soul food meals, greens, string beans, beans etc, which only really take one ingredient and then spices, macaroni has a few ingredients. Macaroni is pretty cheep, cheese isnt though. getting enough to make a full thing of macaroni cost a bit. 


Reflection


I learned about in depth about what I already new: the food I eat is weird and bad in so many ways. These ways include being horizontally engineered somehow from corn or beans. I had heard somewhere that corn was the miracle seed, but I didnt know why until I saw the video about it. 

Generally, thanks to this unit I am disgusted at the meat industry. Lust for profit makes poorly raised cattle and chicken end up on my darn dinner plate. I learned how many things actually go on and in my meat before it gets to me, like insecticides, chemicals too numerous and confusing to name, poo (seriously?) and worst of all, corn! 

What else did we do... oh yea. Diabetes is bad for me. I dont have it yet, but I might in the future because my diet is high in sugar. But that's not all my fault, sugary stuff tastes great and is readily available almost everywhere. Also, our ancestors have evolved so that we are attracted to sweet stuff. 

Also the brain. Crazy stuff. 

Hi.

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Occupy Wall Street: False Advertising Beware!

On September 17th, 2011, the first of several ‘Occupy Wall Street (O.W.S)” protests emerged to protest against economic inequality. O.W.S wanted a more fair economy that allowed more than 1% of the nations population to hold the majority of its money. To promote their protest and message they produced a series of ads to reach out and grab the public. However, the movement stopped its bigger protests and later moved onto smaller projects. As you can see, despite them getting their message out the movement fell though. This is due to the fact, that while they produced multiple ads- they rarely explain Occupy’s message.Occupy Wall Street’s ad’s fail to convey their message and often instead promote the downfall of the 1% and Wall Street rather than the personal success of the 99%.


One of O.W.S’s famous ads is the image of a woman dancing barefoot on the metal bull statue (a symbol for Wall Street in this and many other ads) as protesters in hoodies and gas masks emerge from a gas, some bearing weapons, and at the top the ad it asks- “what is our one demand?” If Occupy’s message is for economic equality, then what about this poster represents that? A ballerina atop a metal bull or the faceless, menacing group of people that look like they are about to riot shows absolutely nothing for equal benefits and for a reduction between the classes. O.W.S is clearly not showing what can be achieved by their want for economic equality, instead they demonstrate an unclear imagine that is supposed to excite people who are part of the 99%. The image is suppose to excite them because it shows something of a rebellion, presumably against the very wealthy and Wall Street itself, which is suppose to make the audience feel as though that they are part of this powerful movement. But because they make the crowd look like a massive riot and with an apparent disrespect of the bull statue by dancing barefoot on it- don’t show a change to a new and more equal world. Instead all it does is represent a massive rebellion or an ‘uprising’ for the downfall of the very wealthy. By them pursuing this, rather than some image of  the 99%s gaining better treatment and a more equalized economy they fail to show their message and instead promote the downfall of Wall Street and the very wealthy.


Another ad shows a minimalist image of a bull being tied and held down by rope with the tagline “the beginning is near” . The bull, as previously mentioned , is a symbol for Wall Street and with that the very wealthy, and the tying it down represents a literal downfall of them. By tying it down and pretending its like a wild animal, it dehumanizes residents of Wall Street and the wealthy and doesn’t reinforce any kind or equality desire. Instead it seems to scream ‘bring them down’ rather than to demand a fairer economic system and ,if anything, shows a progression more backwards than forwards. And while it says “the beginning is near” it doesn’t give the slightest indication upon what is near. If anything this can be more easily converted into a rodeo poster than an ad promoting economic equality. So, clearly Occupy is

promoting and glorifying a downfall for Wall Street and the Wealthier class than actually presenting facts, data or information about why they are doing it.


The third ad I shall be discussing is a cartoon that shows a mob tearing down a stature of the Monopoly man with its podium saying “Wall Street” and the caption being “Occupy Wall Street we are the 99 percent”.  Now by having a stature torn down it does, indisputably, show a want for a downfall. Instead of easily showing people of a poorer class being uplifted to seeing eye to eye with the statute, it is being brought down. So instead of progressing forward, the ad shows something akin to progressing backwards. Additionally, by having the ad represent Wall Street and the very wealthy as the Monopoly man is another act in dehumanizing them by presenting them as cartoonish characters rather than actual people. To further promote their downfall, one of the people in the crowd raises their hands in a celebratory fashion, telling the audience that this is a good thing. By doing that they promote tearing down statues of cartoon men rather than make an effort at trying to teach about the economic inequalities. So rather than to take the opportunity to promote a fairer economy Occupy instead produces ads that are meant to awaken people’s systematic prejudice against wealthier people. By doing this they lose their message to an almost entirely different idea.


Occupy Wall Street’s ad’s fail to convey their message and often instead promote the downfall of the 1% and Wall Street rather than the personal success of the 99%. Occupy wall street was a movement that seemingly came as quickly as it went. While it still technically goes on today, it is in a much less greater degree than it was almost three years ago. Part of which could have been the downfall for this was their advertising techniques into the general public. What they missed is something that Joseph Goebbels discussed in his speech saying that “It is not just the fantasy of a few people among the people, rather it becomes the idea of the rulers, the circles that have power. The view does not only preach, but it is carried out in practice. Then the idea becomes the worldview of the state.” What Goebbels means by that and how it relates to Occupy, is that propaganda must be an idea that people can see take power. However what Occupy missed with their ads was that the ad’s perceived idea was more in line with extremists then with average Americans who just want to have the same rights as those wealthier than them. It is interesting to note how much people systematically will, at first glance, perceive one idea presented to them but in actuality the same idea can mean something entirely different. It’s a fault in history and humanity, that has been repeated multiple times and Occupy was simply not an exception, and most definitely will not be the last to suffer from it.

Central Park Five: Racial Bias

We all have biases. Unfortunately, sometimes our biases distract us from what is right. In the recent  past, there have been several criminal cases in which justice was disrupted due to law enforcement’s bias against or towards a certain group of people. Whether it’s racial profiling by law enforcement or stereotypes held by the jury, bias can turn the entire justice process inside out. Racial bias affects criminal cases to the extent that the criminals often get turned into victims.

Professor Jerry Kang from UCLA calls them “schemas”. He goes on to explain that we often associate these schemas to larger ideas. When our mind categorizes simple things into larger concepts, and we associate them with larger ideas. “Automatically, we categorize individuals by age, gender, race, and role. Once the individual is mapped into that category, specific meanings associated with that category are immediately activated and influence our interaction with that individual”. This means that when we have an experience or simply learn about a category of people, our minds automatically influence our judgement.

In 1989, there was a case in New York City that sparked a lot of controversy in America. The case involved 5 African-American/Hispanic teenagers that were convicted of raping an upper class white woman, Trisha Meili- the “Central Park jogger”. On April 19, 1989, Trisha was attacked and severely beaten. The 5 young men convicted at the time were: Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise. Once the police got the the crime scene, they bought them in for questioning. The boys were giving little to no information that can give the detectives a lead. The detectives told the boys that all they needed to do was give a story, confess and they can go home. Each of them did thinking that it was it. The prosecutors and detectives used the confession tapes to convict. However, 13 years later the real rapist, Matias Reyes admitted to the crime.

The two main prosecutors in the case were Elizabeth Lederer and Linda Fairstein. The detectives investigating the case were Det. Humberto Arroyo and Carlos Gonzalez. When the boys were brought in for questioning, they were intensely, almost violently questioned. Such treatment led the boys to essentially confess.  It is understandable that a detective trying to solve a case, will get inpatient and upset, but it is unacceptable to carry it as far as the did. The detectives split the boys up and tricked them into admitting to a crime they didn’t commit just to get a confession. The details of the five boys’ stories didn’t match what was found at the crime scene, but these inconsistencies were ignored. Elizabeth Lederer , the lead prosecutor didn’t even bother to put the boys on the stand.

The documentary, “Central Park Five”, was released in 2012. It focused particularly on the differing stories of the boys. . The prosecutors, police, and jurors involved didn’t choose to participate in the film. Identifying the bias of the law enforcement agendas is obvious. specifically wasn’t hard at all. Implicit bias is the certain stereotypes that affect our decisions, and understandings. Implicit bias is being studied in the judicial decision making. This means making a decision based on your current understanding or even stereotypes that we are familiar with.  During conviction, all the boys went to juvenile detention centers except for Korey. He was the eldest and was sent to Riker’s Island. This was simply unfair being that just because he was 16, he was sent to an adult facility. This is age discrimination, treating someone less favorably because of their age.  Racism was and still is an issue today in many ways but it is only discussed when something like this happens. When the racial bias of law enforcement is publicized. When a rape case of an upper class white woman hits the air, all of a sudden everyone is interested. Sometimes, the subjects of the case determine whether the case will be covered as severely or publicized. Example, the previous rape recently in New York that got little to none because the attacker and the victim were of the same racial background. A test of our “justice” system. Donald Trump contributed to the storm by saying, “You better believe that I hate the people that took this girl and raped her brutally. You better believe it.” Not only did he openly voice his opinion, but he added it in 4 local newspapers saying that the death penalty should be brought back. Would Donald Trump care and have commented if this woman were to be found in an alley or in Harlem? Wasn’t hard to find either. A woman, the same night of the jogger attack, was rapped and thrown off a four-story building. Sure, teenagers have a reputation to always be under some sort of mischief, but African American teenagers? Guilty without question; but it wouldn’t be fair at all to bring the death penalty into play without even testing DNA and hearing their statements. In the documentary, there was a connection to Emmett Till. Young black males, white woman as victim. Harsh punishments. The racial bias was obvious to this point that a connection can even be made! Emmett Till’s punishment doesn’t fairly compare to a prison sentence but at a minor extent, they are similar. Justice wasn’t served in either case.

The goal of the prosecutors were clearly to put these boys in jail. To punish them for a crime that they knew that they didn’t commit. There was no evidence. The DNA from the crime scene didn’t match any of the boys. When Trisha woke up from a coma, she was not able to recall anything from that night of the attack. A white journalist says that it was a good thing. Maybe because she could have sent these boys home.  ⅗ of the boys family’s were able to afford to bail them out. Raymond and Korey remained imprisoned. The truth still hadn’t come out yet. Social psychologist, Saul Kassin stated that once we form a strong belief that someone is guilty of a crime, all the details that can prove us wrong, we tend to ignore them. This proves that original goal of the prosecutors. Once they associate “guilty” with these young men, it was impossible for them to steer off and let them walk. Can perhaps their bias be against African-Americans? I think it is safe to conclude that this was a racial hate crime.

The bias within this whole case is clear. Little to nothing was fair. Terrorizing and pressuring these young teens to admit to a crime they didn’t commit. Sending Korey to an adult facility! Adding extra time to Raymond’s sentence when caught with a drug charge just because he was apart of this case prior. It seems that some people are comfortable with their bias within society, that is, if we identify it. Implicit bias, is not limited in the judicial system and it must be something that the system is comfortable with. Sometimes it is a bad thing but it becomes a personal thing because then we’d sit around and judge everyone because of their bias but if they are fine with it, who are we to judge because we have blind spots of our own. My personal bias attracted me to analyse this case. My reaction watching the documentary was like many, “Wow, that’s unfair!” and “What kind of “justice” system do we live in?” but my reaction may be different of someone not within my “category”. I am a African-American teenager. The subjects of this crime were African-Americans. We are within the same “category” so my understanding and sympathy may be stronger than an “outsider” who might not understand but I have a connection with the boys that the “outsider” wouldn’t. The way I viewed the case is okay being different than someone else.






Citations:

1. Gove, Tracey G. "Police Chief Magazine." Police Chief Magazine. N.p., Oct. 2011. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. <http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch>.

2. "Central Park Five." NY Daily News. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. <http://www.nydailynews.com/services/central-park-five#trial2>.

3. Central Park Five. Dir. Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon. Perf. Antron McCray, Raymond Santana, Korey Wise, Kevin Richardson, and Yusef Salaam. 2012. Netflix.

4. Press, The Associated. "Woman Is Raped and Thrown From a Roof." The New York Times. The New York Times, 04 May 1989. Web. 22 Jan. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/04/nyregion/woman-is-raped-and-thrown-from-a-roof.html>.

5. "Age Discrimination." Age Discrimination. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. <http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/age.cfm>.


Daniel Varnis: Banana Bread (With and without nuts)

RECIPE AND ANALYSIS

Banana Nut Bread

Recipe

Ingredients:

⅓ cup of shortening

½ cup of sugar

2 eggs

1¾ cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon of baking soda

½ teaspoon of salt

1 cup of a mashed ripe banana

½ cup of chopped walnuts (optional)

 

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350° F

2. Cream together the shortening and sugar

3. Add the eggs and beat well

4. Sift together the dry ingredients

5. Add dry ingredients and banana to the mixture

6. Mix together

7. Fold in nuts (optional)

8. Pour into well-greased 9x5x3-inch load pan

9. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until done

10. Put on cooling rack

 

Analysis

Being a nutritionist and ooking at the list of ingredients, six out of nine are natural ingredients, so about 67% of the dish is all natural. The human body should be able to deal pretty well with eating a slice... or two... or three... or ten slices of the banana nut bread, considering it’s all natural. Since the the pan it’s cooked in has a length of nine inches and each slice is cut about ¾ of an inch, that should be 12 slices. Then doing the math, each slice should only contain around 0.04 cups of sugar, which is barely anything. Then for the unnatural ingredients, each slice would only contain 0.04 teaspoons of baking soda, 0.08 teaspoons of baking powder, and 0.02 cups of shortening.

From the standpoint of an environmentalist, there shouldn’t really be any issues. Almost every ingredient is manufactured or grown in the US except the bananas. Those are probably grown in South America, which isn’t too far.

From a politicians perspective, the cost of one loaf banana bread probably costs around $2.00 - $3.00. This meal cannot be compared to fast food for a few reasons. First, fast food restaurants don’t serve banana nut bread. Second, most of these ingredients are natural. And third, you know the bread isn’t bad for you.

From a socialists perspective, the one thing that might be conflicting are the bananas and eggs. For instance, it would probably be more convenient to have a farm on your property so you can grow a banana tree and tend to chickens that will lay the eggs for the bread.

FOOD RULE SLIDE

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REFLECTION 

During this unit, I actually learned a lot of things…particularly about food! In all seriousness, I looked at the idea of food at a more in depth perspective. At first, if anyone were to ask me “What are a few things that come to your mind when you think of the word food?” I would probably say some pretty broad things like “It’s the stuff that gives the ability to live” or “A human’s best friend.” Now that I have (almost) completed the food segment of our class, I’d probably respond to the question with answers that are focused on the idea of food, rather than the static object of food itself. For instance, I’d probably say stuff like “One of the biggest money makers in the world” or “An stabilizer of the human race” or even “The one thing that could give enough information to explain a human’s personal life.”

Looking at the suggested questions, I would say that one of the LARGEST problems with the food system is their carelessness for the well being of the consumers. There are so many distributed foods in the world that are healthy, whereas there is an equal amount of, if not more, unhealthy goods. One thing that really stuck to me from this unit was the integration of high fructose corn syrup in foods. In the past, I never questioned why so many foods contained high fructose corn syrup. Until this unit came about, I would’ve never known that it was two things. First, it’s a cheap replacement for sugar, and two, it’s in so many foods because of the overpopulation of corn in this country. If I remember correctly, 30% of the land in the US is covered in corn. THAT’S A LOT OF CORN. Although it’s a cheaper alternative for sugar, I think it has to be voided from many foods that are being distributed because it’s presence is only a catalyst to worldwide obesity.