Are your Soap Operas real enough?

Our language values have changed so much in the past fifty years. I think that we should be able to use because in reality the words do come up. When the characters in television shows do not speak the way we know they would it makes it seem less likely to happen. For instance, it would be really awkward to watch a The Sopranos and not see someone get killed or hear someone utter a single profanity.

Shows like The Sopranos and Sex and the City are not based on true events, but the way the characters are described and the situations you find the characters in it would be less likely to believe that a mobster does not use profanity or someone who can have multiple one stands cannot say “Fuck.” It is not believable and it takes away from the story line because now you know its not real and instead of pulling you in you get pushed away. Its like the show The L Word. It was in your face, nothing held back. You saw and heard everything as if you were right there, nothing was sugar coated. It made the series better and if it had not been in my face with everything I do not think I would have watched the show.

I think it is not the government's job to monitor what our children watch. It is a parent's job and if they want to censor them that is their right, but to do it for everyone is just ridiculous because in reality we are going to hear and see horrible things. I think it is better to know that horrible things are out in the world instead of living in a world that does not even realize that people use profanities and others kill would make me feel like an idiot and I would be in for a major awakening which is something that could have been avoided. My mom let me watch whatever I wanted as a child because she wanted me to develop my own opinion on things. I grew to be a strong independent woman. My mom let me watch Sex and the City and from watching that I grew up knowing that women can be successful and do not need a man to be happy, I did not think I had to go out and have multiple one night stands because my mom had taught me to have a strong mind, which some parents are not doing for their children these days. For people who easily offended, I just like for them to just stop nagging all the time. If they do not want to see it, why do they even have it on to begin with when they know it will only offend them.

I think that people are also too worried about being politically correct so they do not offend any one, but even when they are politically correct there is so much that can still offend someone. Sometimes I want to point that they say “African-American” in some things, but for a Caucasian they will say white person.  

Can you escape racism?

Every day, we face racist words. It is up to us to stop the use of these words. People use them in books, movies, and so many other things.

Movies are the biggest form of media that contributes to the growth of prejudicial words. In movies, actors use many racial terms are part of the story, but do not mean the words they say, but the words still have the same meaning. For instance, the word “nigger” is used a lot in movies. This teaches young people who do not fully understand the history of the word to use it and can cause more problems than they thought would happen. I think another problem is that many African-Americans have been using the term “nigger” and “nigga” in a way that to them it has a good connotation. This teaches people to think it would be okay to call them that, but when they do call them by those names it causes a big problem and makes the person call them those names with the bad connotation that I feel goes with both words no matter what. I feel a great example of racism is American History X. It shows all the ways racism can affect your life. It had it in books, music, movies, news, friends, and so on. It showed what racism does to people, it showed it between people of the same race and people of different races.

Music has a lot of racist remarks in it. Rap music especially, it seems to divide their own “kind” into two different groups, causing wars between gangs basically and they sing about it and get paid to promote hatred amongst each other. I know I try to stay away from music that basically preaches to you to do horrible things or say horrible things. I know I feel horrible when I do something that I am not proud of. I feel horrible when I even think something horrible. I have thought racist things about all racist. I have thought someone to be “trailer trash” or someone to be a “nigger”, but I do know this there is a “nigger” in every race because it means someone who is ignorant and honestly it seems most people today are ignorant and do not even care to further their education and open their minds, it seems they are more happy to stay in their simple minded world.

Books are another form that people can find prejudicial words in. People today, still, write books about hating other people calling them horrible names. The authors are teaching the people reading the book to hate others and call each other names and sometimes even telling them to attack others.

The media has always been a way to show racism. The most popular race that has been attacked is African-Americans. It has sadly been this way because they are different skin tone than the people of European decent. These slurs have been going since the time of slavery when blacks were not considered to be equal human beings. After, African-Americans were set free many movies portrayed the black men as basically animals that were only out to rape young white women, which was not true. This taught the people to fear and basically hate black people, which then taught those people to teach their family members to feel the same way and passed it on to the next generation. This growth of racism originated from the media and grew so much that it transferred from family member to family member.

Selling My Woman.

Reading Lolita in Tehran is an intense emotional roller coaster that leaves you wanting to know more. I would definitely recommend this book to others. I was at first put off by the length of the book, but I reluctantly opened the book and began reading then I found myself reluctantly putting the book down which usually I was already asleep because I would keep reading until my eyes no longer would allow me to keep open.

I have been telling people to read this book because the book has pulled me in and I cannot seem to escape its grasp. I keep talking to people about how the people there live their lives there completely censored. They cannot watch something unless it is approved by their government. It completely amazes me because here we see the craziest things. There are websites that display things that other countries would never let even come close to their people.

When I read about how controlled their lives are it makes me more grateful for all the freedom that I do have that others are denied so easily. Like I can show my wrist or my face without fear of anything happening to me while other women in their country lost their jobs for a wrist slightly when giving a lecture.

I feel this book is for anyone who wants to experience the world through someone else's eyes this is the book to read. You learn how they think especially when they discuss the books they have read and you see their opinions that they can so freely state there, but if they were to do that anywhere else they could be facing so much punishment. This book opens your eyes and makes you question how you see the world and gives you more appreciation for the things you take for granted.

I feel this book would be best for people who take everything they have for granted. I know people who take having money to do whatever their little heart desires, but they still do not feel happy or seem happy. They are always complaining about something. They never think about the fact that others do not have the opportunities that are being thrown in their faces by everyone around them. I know people who have parents that can send them to the great private college that is $50,000 a year to get a great education, but they do not care because their life is just so hard. I feel that if they read this book they will more likely appreciate the education that they are given and be more likely to take advantage of it.

As an advertisement, I end my thought with letting you know where the book can be found, even though I bet you know where to get it. It can be found in our Antelope Valley Bookstore or in a local bookstore. I suggest our book store because you can get it used for pretty cheap and it is worth it and I would suggest holding on to the book because it would be a good book for future kids because it will help them understand the world around them.

Actions Speaking Louder Than Words.

Everyday I rely on my nonverbal cues to communicate with others. I know that I speak a lot with my eyes. I speak a lot with my posture then I also speak a lot with my hands.

I talk a lot with my eyes because they can show many emotions like sympathy, happiness, sadness, anger, annoyance, and so on. I feel that speaking with my eyes sometimes helps me relieve some stress because I can say anything with them and people may not even notice it. I can look at someone like they are a complete idiot and they more than likely would not even notice that I am. It gives me the freedom to express myself without having to say anything, which I usually do with my boyfriend. It is nice when I can just look at him like “Really? You just said that?” and he will know exactly what I am thinking and will just be like, “Yeah, I just did.”

I know my posture says a lot to people. I have always been uncomfortable when I slouch and I know part of the uncomfortableness is the fact that my grandma always told me to sit up straight to walk with a strong stride. I know when people see me walk they may think I am a bitch or that I am overly confident, but it is what I have been taught and what has been drilled into my head. I know older people find it more acceptable and are more pleased because it shows that I still have some old fashioned values.

I speak a lot with my hands because it makes things seem more intense and help tell stories. It helps us describe what we are trying to talk about and it is more likely to help the person I am conversing with better understand me. I know that I am more likely to be more dramatic than a man because I am female and we tend to make things more dramatic than they really are.

I feel I use more tone though when I am talking because it shows more than some actions. Some times people will do another thing and then they will say something completely different. I definitely think it is because of my gender. Dane Cook does this joke about how ALL woman do the same thing during a fight and when I was watching I was like no I do not do that at all. Then the next time I was fighting with my boyfriend, I did everything he said women do and I could not help but laugh during the fight because I caught myself doing everything and he helped me realize that many of my actions are because of my gender up bringing. Like his joke said I would do certain things with my body and I did everything, I crossed my arms, put my leg in a way he described, and moved my arms the ways he described woman would.

I also recommend everyone to watch Dane Cook's Vicious Circle it is hilarious. :)

Do not Forget the Body Language

I never really thought of myself as someone who does a lot of talking with my body. Now, as I look at what I do all the time I cannot seem to keep my hands at my sides when I talk. I know when I try I look like a person who does not know what to do with my hands. Its like I have an invisible straight jacket on because I naturally go to move them, but I stop myself.

My mom always told me not to cross my arms when I am in public. She always told me I was being rude, that my body language said leave me the hell alone, when in reality I was more like “no, I am just trying to hide the fact that I have a belly and I am not rail thin like others”. She said that I should work on breaking that habit because one day I will try to find a job and would not be considered because my body language is not welcoming.

Needless to say I worked on it. I now cannot get my hands to stop moving when I am talking about something, especially if its something dramatic. When I am at work many customers comment that my eyes make them feel better and that I actually do care when I tell them I hope they feel better or to have a safe surgery or something. I do not know what it is, but I am guessing I have something in my eyes that makes them feel like they can trust me and I want them to feel that they can trust me because I basically know everything about them when you fill someone's medicine you know something about them that some of them do not let anyone know that they take.

Since school and softball have started, I have not gotten dressed in anything besides softball clothes when I go to school because what is the point in dirtying two outfits for one day? I do not see it. I know when people look at me and everyday I have work out clothes on and my hair in a ponytail that I am plain or lazy. Some might even assume that I am a lesbian, joke. I do not think any one thinks I am a lesbian and if they did I would not care, since my boyfriend acts like the girl sometimes. I say this like crying over something stupid that I said even though it was a joke. Goodness, that definitely reverses the roles a little.

I always carry myself proudly. I do not slouch. I walk with my eyes looking out and not at my feet even though sometimes I should really look down every once in awhile to make sure nothing got in my path and do not fall. I know when people seeing me walking they can tell that I am confident in who I am and I do not doubt myself.  

Globalization of Nursing.

My major is nursing. If I were to plan a lesson plan for my class it would go as follows:

Week 1: Introduction to the nursing basics. Global ties for fun- Pick a common misdiagnosed illness amongst the world and explain why it is one of the most misdiagnosed illnesses.

Week 2: Begin the axial skeleton. Global tie- Research why people from different parts of the world have different heights.

Week 3: Begin appendicular skeleton. Global tie- Explain why some people stretch their neck out.

Week 4: Discuss different types of cells and what they are made up of and what they make up.

Week 5: Test 1 and begin the skin and muscles of the body. Global tie- Fact or myth, African-Americans have an extra muscle in their legs? If a myth, explain how and why the myth was started.

Week 6: Finish the musculature system and begin the nervous system.

Week 7: Review for Midterm. For extra credit you can choose any country, but America and describe what distinguishes them physically from other countries.

Week 8: Take the midterm. Now we are going to start with the basics of being an RN. We get to learn about how to take and read blood pressure results. Global ties- Compare at least 7 countries average blood pressure and explain why their blood pressure would be that way.

Week 9: We are going to focus on taking a pulse and reading the heart rate. We will decide if a person has a normal heart or if something is wrong and if something is wrong what could it be?

Week 10: I want you to pick a global health issue sweeping the world and explain what is and does, if it can be prevented and what we can do to lower our chances of getting it. Then I want you to write a 2-3 page paper on the topic. Due Week 13.

Week 11: Test 2. We are going to look at common diseases that affect thousands a people a year. I want you to pick one of these then look up where it started, why it started there, when it started, why is it so common, and how do we treat it.

Week 12: Today I want you all to split up into groups and make a little presentation on from anything we have learned up to this point, but do remember to challenge yourself. Pick a topic you do not already know everything about when you have to read to inform us you learn, keep that in mind.

Week 13: Turn in your paper. Also for extra credit, if you can name the entire skeletal system and muscle system I will give 200 extra credit points and if you know what are common variations of the skeleton that are perfectly naturally I will give you two points for each one you name.

Week 14: Review for Final.

Week 15: Review for Final.

Week 16: Final day. I hope you studied :)

I know this is probably not how an actual class works, but I am making it a very basic class and since I am the “teacher” of this “class” I am going to do what I want. I do know that as a student I would like to know more about who is more likely to be affected by a disease. For instance I think its good to know that African-Americans are more likely to have a heart attack, but my teachers never told me why they are more likely. My best guess is that they eat soul food, which is not that good for you, tastes good though. Haha. I know crappy guess, I bet there is something about their hormones that causes it or something. I am definitely going to google it now. :)

Stronger and Wiser

The writer that made the biggest lasting impression was John Leo and his essay “On Good Writing”. When you read something and it leaves a lasting impression, you know it has affected you. When you can think back and you understand a piece of writing then you find yourself using the tips in yourself becoming more like the writer that was described.

Leo says, “All of us weary writers who dance around their subject, protecting friends, bending facts to push a cause.” (p. 117) When I read this I knew that I was one of the writers who is guilty of dancing around the subject at hand. I am now going to make a conscious effort to get straight to the point in my writing, but it is a work in progress and besides when we beat around the bush we make something appear longer... Of course I am kidding about beating around the bush to make something longer on purpose. It happens on accident, but I am going to try and correct myself.

Leo comments, “Many of us come under the spell of a great writer and imagine our job is to sound like him or her. Or we try on different prose styles like articles of clothing.” (p. 119) I know I am guilty of this all time, like right now I am trying to be more straight forward because I agree that when you are more straight forward your writing is stronger. When I think of writing I think how much I dread it because I do not know how I want to write it. It is definitely like trying on articles of clothing. I bet I try on shirts 4 times before I even decide that is the shirt that I want to wear. I will wear it for a little while but then I get a change of heart and change real quick. For me I have noticed that my paragraphs can be like articles of clothing, some times each paragraph's style is different than the other.

Leo's last paragraph I feel is the most direct, he tells you exactly what writing is. Leo says, “But writing isn't a personal or private enterprise. It's an attempt to change consciousness and change the world.” (p. 120) When I write my goal is always to convince someone to see the world as I see it, we are always trying to persuade someone to have an understanding from our eyes. Leo's finals words are “Writing is power. A force in the world. If you write well, you can have an impact.” (p.120) This hit me the hardest it made me realize that no matter how unimportant something is in my views, it has the potential to have an impact on the world.

I think this one impacted me the most because I found myself guilty of everything he said. I also thought his method of being a better writer was the most fitting for my views on how writing should be. When he said to write how we speak, it made so much sense to me. We have to write the way we speak otherwise our writing really is not our writing. We focus too hard on sounding like great writers instead of learning what our own writing style is. We all begin to adopt someone else's writing instead of blending all the styles into our own.