My Biggest Fear

The one irrational fear that I have is ladybugs. I have been deathly afraid of them since I was six. One day I was sitting on my driveway with my mom. We had just gotten done playing catch and I was eating a snack. My ideal snack when I was younger was chocolate. On this day, I chose M&M's. I was talking with my mom and enjoying my M&M's when suddenly there was an odd taste in my mouth. Once I finally realized what it was, it was too late. I had just eaten a ladybug. I ran in circles around my driveway not knowing what to do. Ever since this day, I have had a strong hate for ladybugs.

My Opinion: "Blurred Lines"

      Although I have never been a true fan of the song "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke, I never really thought of it as a controversial song. As like most other r&b songs, when you pick apart the lyrics, they may not be the most clean words ever. I have always thought it was a catchy song, but never realized what I was saying. Both articles bring up some good points; however, I was not completely persuaded one way or another.
     "Basically, the majority of the song … has the R&B singer murmuring ‘I know you want it’ over and over into a girl’s ear. Call me a cynic, but that phrase does not exactly encompass the notion of consent in sexual activity ... " Jennifer Lai brings up a very controversial point. Some people would consider this statement to go either way. I do agree with both sides of this argument. I think that it depends on the circumstances on which way this argument could go. 
     "You're clearly turned on by me. Go for it." (Again: Douche? Sure. Rapist? Probably not.) This was stated by the second article and I do agree with this statement. I think that it is a very cocky thing for a man to say, but again, it could go either way.
     Overall, I think the song is very controversial and is probably not very appropriate for the general audience, but many people have different opinions. I still think it is a very catchy song and easy to sing to, but I do not agree with the some of the statements made in the song.

Into Thin Air

Overall, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer was a very touching book that taught me many lessons that I can carry into my own life. Krakauer was originally hired to go on this journey to write an article for Outside magazine. In the end, an article was not enough to describe the hardships, tragedies, and loses that he faced. Krakauer then wrote Into Thin Air to go into graphic detail about his experience conquering Everest. He has lead detailed research since the article was published to get as much information as possible. Krakauer believes that his life changing experiences need to be shared with everybody.

The twist about this book is that the first chapter is Krakauer's expedition team reaching the summit. It may through you off a bit when reading since you had not read about any of the climb yet. Usually while reading a book about climbing a mountain, the climax of the book is when they reach the summit; however, if the summit is in the first chapter, the climax of this book is another moment worth remembering. Although Krakauer is foreshadowing what is to come, the tragedy has barely started.

The book starts to pick up pace around chapter eight. At this point, the team starts their acclimation process. Hall, the leader of their team, orders everyone to spend two nights at Camp One, then three nights at Camp Two, then head down and return to Base Camp. Throughout the next few days, Krakauer discovers many nuances about climbing that he was not aware of before he started. "Even without unleashing the worst it could dish out, the mountain had sent us scurrying for safety" (163). This was their feeling for the next couple of chapters. Encountering many unseen obstacles, the team moved forward on their journey to the summit.

From this point on, many people experience close to death moments or in some cases, death. Krakauer reaches the summit, but loses all of his oxygen. His venture down the mountain is a brutal walk. He sees many people struggling, but he is too ill and weak to help them. As what is left of his team gets closer and closer to the bottom of the mountain, it becomes much easier. Multiple people are escorted off the mountain by helicopter and rest continue their journey. On May 13th, they begin their final descent. Once they reach the bottom Krakauer has a very difficult time discussing what has happened. He feels as if he could have saved more lives. This experience was not easy for him or anyone else on his team.

Trust, loyalty, and drive are words that can mean numerous things to different people. I have learned a lot about these three simple words from Krakauer's experience. I think that these are three things that not only  helped him succeed on the mountain, but can help everybody in their lives. They are things that are so simple, yet very complex. If you can master them as well as Krakauer, you can climb over any mountain you will face in life.

Men Vs. Women

I think everyone should stop and take a moment to realize the work that women do. Although some women get credit for their accomplishments, others do not. The duties women fulfill are sometimes exploited or overlooked. "If Men Could Menstruate" by Gloria Steinem and "The Great Lawsuit" by Margaret Fuller bring up many eyeopening points about regards to women. One comparison made in both articles is blacks and women. This makes a lot of sense to me because you can tell that both are not treated the same. I believe that all people should be treated equally.

The article "If Men Could Menstruate" took a more serious topic and turned it into something light and at points, hysterical. The fact that men would go around and brag about menstruating and think of it as a hierarchy is the point that stuck with me the most. "Menopause would be celebrated as a positive event, a symbol that men had accumulated enough years of cyclical wisdom to need no more". This statement shows that men would turn this into a different ordeal than women do. Women deal with the problems that come and the troubles they face, but would men do the same?

The second article "The Great Lawsuit" was quite confusing to me. It was written so long ago that the language is not the same as we use today. The statement that made this article click in my mind was "All men are privately influenced by women". This is very true in every mans life. All men are influenced in one way or another by a woman. Whether that woman is a grandmother, mother, aunt, sister, or friend, they learn many great things from them. Women are wise people and I do not feel that they always get the credit they deserve. Next time you see an important woman in your life, tell her thank you. It will make her feel good about the wonderful things she has done in life.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

This essay slightly confused me at times. At one moment Nicholas Carr would be saying we are being manipulated, and a paragraph later he would state that we the internet helps people be more efficient. I do not agree with the fact that the internet is making us stupid. I do see some of the downfalls, but we invented it in the first place. "Never has a communications system played so many roles in our lives--or exerted such broad influence over our thoughts-- as the Internet does today" stated Carr. This statement tells us that the Internet has influenced our lives in many ways-- positive as well. It is safe to say that we would not be living in the world we are today without the Internet.

One point Carr referred to numerous times in this essay is how distracted people are now. I believe that distracted and stupid are very different. People lose focus for all different reasons, not just the Internet. Lives are much more busy and stressful now than they used to be, so when people try to sit down and relax or read it may be harder to slow the brain and read a book. "People have become so machine like that the most human character turns out to be a machine" writes Carr. If humans could provide as much information as the Internet does that would be brilliant. I do not see why people would complain if we were as smart as Google. I would love to be that genius!

"To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful" is Google's mission statement. Their company gathers information from a plethora of websites and spits it back at you in an instant. Google "understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want". If that doesn't sound useful then I am not sure what is. Before search engines like Google, people would have to search through books to find pieces of information. Now at the click of a button, all of the same information is accessible. The Internet is a great resource that has improve the efficiency of our lives; I do not believe that it is making us stupid.

The Ethics Of Living Jim Crow

"The Ethics Of Living Jim Crow" was a heart wrenching autobiography about the struggles of life from an African Americans point of view. Richard Wright poured emotion into the writing so it felt as if you were walking in his footsteps. The vivid images that cross the readers mind stick and make you think about what he had to go through growing up. Life as a child for Wright was not a walk in the park. He had to watch what came out of his mouth, where he wondered, and who he was surrounded by. Wright was faced with many difficult choices as he matured, but he always found a way to choose the right option. Growing up for Wright was extremely different than the youth have it today.

In school, we learn about the racial discrimination that has happened in our countries past. We all sit and listen and learn what we are tested on, but in reality it is much more than that. Wright brought the segregation to life. Starting as a young boy, Wright "engaged in a war with the white boys". His mother then slapped him and beat him saying that was unacceptable. Later in his life, work became a struggle as well. Never having the right to stand up for myself or anyone else would be a challenge for me. Wright had to go through his career at many workplaces doing exactly as he was told. If he did not agree or approve, he had to keep it to himself in risk of being killed. Once Wright made the move to Memphis, his standards were raised to another level. Though he was still not equal to the white men,  he was able to engage in conversation and have his voice be heard for a change. It is amazing that something so minuscule can make such a large difference in the big picture of life.

 The color of their skin was everything. Nobody cared if they knew physics or calculus; their skin was still black. The ethics involved in discrimination is heartbreaking; Reading about Wright's life was eyeopening to me. I did not realize how brutal life could be for some people. I am very thankful for everything that I have because some people are unfortunately not as lucky as the rest of us and nothing can be taken for granted.

Talk of the Town

September 11th, 2001 is a day that will never be forgotten. Though I was too young to remember, the heartbreak, loss, and memories will still be there for many. We are blessed to live the life we live and should not take any of it for granted. "Talk of the Town" states two strikingly different viewpoints on this terror.

John Updike shared the view from a public bystander during the falling of the towers. People's curiosity was at an all time high. "We knew we had just witnessed thousands of deaths", one of the witnesses stated. The "unfamiliar menace" was larking in the air. The public was in shock. Updike wrote the feelings with such passion and detail, it made it feel as if you were living in the moment. He also touched on the after effect of the terror. "American freedom... One of our prides, has taken a hit", Updike proclaimed. This statement is the true effect that the attack had on our country. We were the ones who took the hit. Updike took a more optimistic look on this issue and said things would be alright, unlike Susan Sontag who took a sharp turn the other direction.

In the second half of the essay, Susan Sontag very clearly stated that the public is being mislead and everything is not O.K. "The voices licensed to follow the event seemed to have joined together in a campaign to infantilize the public", Sontag reported. She believes our country is strong, but according to Sontag that is not all that is important. She wrote, "Let's by all means grieve together. But let's not be stupid together". How do we do that? There are many different opinions and answers. "Talk of the Town" has brought multiple viewpoints on 9/11, but Sontag leaves you questioning if your view is correct.