Culture- Fashion

I thought it would be approiate to do this week's blog post on the Oscars. This huge awards ceremony has become a large part of our culture as Americans. I read a great article on the New York Times website called On the Red Carpet, a Spectical Begins and it was written by Kathy Horyn. This was a very intresting article because it basically summed up all the fashion from the show. I think that fashion and clothing is a big part of our culture today because it is a way of expressing yourself. In our culture it seems to also be important to dress well and for celebraties, criticsm is a big part of what they wear. On the red carpet, it was apparent that the women had spent hours getting ready, visiting their make up artists, hair stylists and getting thier one-of-a-kind gowns. Courture is what it is all about these days. I think it is really fun seeing all the beautiful dresses but sometimes I think our culture is a little too focused on what people are wearing or what they have. Today, we seem to get away from the inner beauty... especially in Hollywood.

A Change in Fighting Crime

For this week's post about change I found quite an interesting article about the new way the city of Chicago is responding to crime in their city. The article I read is called "Chicago Links Street Cameras in its 911 Network" and it was written by Karen Ann Cullotta. In hopes to lower crime rates and make correct arrests easier and faster Chicago has linked their street cameras to their 911 network. This means that when a person calls 911, a street camera finds them and the dispatcher is able to see them directly on a screen in hopes of easily spotting the criminal or simply just a car accident. The change in this process is hopefully going to be able to make it easier for officers to make arrests and also easier for them to locate car crashes and crime scenes. Although this change is seen as a positive move for the city, people are skeptical as to weather or not it violates our privacy as citizens and weather it will really be worth the 6 million dollars spent on it. I personally think this change will benefit the city and may become popular in other big cities as well. I think change is something we as humans aren't always willing to accept right away but in the long run, this change may be able to impact the crime rates in larger cities.

Hope

For this week's blog post I read a great article from the Oprah Magazine. The article I read about hope was called They Talked! They Won! and it was written by Carolina A. Miranda. This article talks about the movie The Great Debaters which is the story of three young African- American college debaters who challenge the odds of actually being great debaters. They lived in a time of social segregation before the civil rights movement and faced tremendous obstacles. These brilliant young people had the hope of one day being accepted as intelligent debaters and not judged upon their color. Their story ends with many triumphs including those pertaining to their debates as well as those pertaining to the way they paved as colored students. Their story of hope and hard work is one to be admired. I think hope is a very important part of overcoming obstacles in life. Without a positive outlook and attitude, it is difficult to accomplish one's goals. Hope is a key ingredient to being successful in life.

Miranida, Carolina. "They Talked! They Won!" The Oprah Magazine January 2008: 160

A Man's Belief in God

As I was thinking about where to find a good article on belief, I realized what better place to find one than in the Catholic Spirit newspaper. The article I read was called Faith Leads Stranded Hiker out of Ravine, written by Dave Hrbacek. This was a great article that illustrated the strength of one man's faith in God. Johh Nesheim was taking a regular afternoon walk when he was abruptly faced with death. He went off trail seeking more exercise when he fell into a ravine, spraining his ankle making it nearly impossible for him to escape. He was trapped in the ravine for two days suffering frostbite on both is hands and his feet. While trapped, he was convinced he was going to die and he focused on his faith and the meaning of his life. On the morning of the third day, he felt a special calling from God, giving him the strength to pull himself to safety. John was saved through his faith. I think faith is a very profound idea. It is amazing to me the strength people have when they believe in their God or have faith in someone. In John's case, his faith saved his life and he gives full credit for his lively hood today to God. I think faith means something a little different to everyone but it is very important for each person to have.
Hrbacek, Dave. "Faith leads stranded hiker out of ravine." The Catholic Spirit 12 Feb. 2009: A6

Gender Roles

Since currently I'm reading the story Breaking Dawn, written by Stephenie Meyer, I thought it would be relevant to blog about gender roles. Throughout the book, the roles each character plays is directly related to their gender. Bella, one of the main characters, is portrayed as the damsel in distress that needs to be saved constantly by her boyfriend, Edward. She often gets herself into risky situations and is eventually saved by a male character. Edward is a vampire with unbelievable strength and he is the one Bella turns to when she is in trouble. Another prominent male character is Jacob, who is fittingly a werewolf. He also has unbeatable speed and strength. Particularly in this book, the male characters are stressed to be much stronger than the women and resemble super heroes. I think this stereotype is very prominent in our world today and despite all the advances women have made, I think a male is still viewed as more valuable. Generally, a male is expected to play the role of head of the household and to be the main breadwinner for a family. 

Meyer, Stephenie. Breaking Dawn. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. 

Different Cultures... Vampires vs. Werewolves

For this culture blog post I decided to write about the different cultures I read about in one of my favorite books, Eclipse, written by Stephanie Meyer. Throughout the novel, there are two separate cultures that clash not only with each other but also a culture that resembles our own. One of the cultures is that of the vampires. As vampires, there is a large range as to how one chooses to live given their circumstances. Since they live forever, some choose to blend into society and try to live a life as normal as possible or some choose to live through their desires and become killers. The family in the spotlight in Eclipse chose to live like humans. In this way, they not only deal with our struggles but also those of their desires to kill and that they don't age. As part of being a vampire, they naturally don't like werewolves. These two groups are enemies but are civil and only fight when it is necessary. By nature, werewolves are called to protect humans from the threat of vampires all the while humans not knowing either exist. In the culture of the werewolves, they live in a pack. They are all connected through their instincts and also their ability to hear one another's thoughts. Eclipse gave me a unique perspective on different cultures... whether or not they actually exist. I saw as the reader the purpose or goal of each group of people and how they live each day to fulfill it. Also, since our culture was apart of the story, I was able to see the contrasts between each different culture.   

Meyer, Stephenie. Eclipse. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007.

Overcoming Obstacles- Forgiveness

When on the search for an article about someone overcoming an obstacle I found one that I just couldn't pass by. I found my article in the Catholic Spirit newspaper, it is titled Mother of Murdered son Journeys from Hate to Healing and it was written by Julie Pfitzinger. This article was about a woman who's son was murdered and her journey to forgive him. Upon reading this article, I was both completely stunned and impressed. This woman's story of her struggle to overcome her hate for the young man that killed her son gave me a unique view on what forgiveness truly means. She was able to go from complete hatred to honest forgiveness. I believe that forgiveness is a very powerful feeling although it is something one must work at. I think forgiveness is a very important part of a person's happiness because hatred puts negative energy into the universe and forgiveness is letting go of the negativity which allows one to move on with their life. I was impressed that this woman was able to overcome such a difficult obstacle and that now she is trying to teach others of forgiveness and passing on her story. 

Towalski, Joe. "Mother of Murdered Son Journeys from Hate to Healing". Catholic Spirit. 18 Dec. 2008: B7 

Natural Disaters- Tornadoes

For this weeks blog assignment, I choose to look for an article about tornadoes since to me, they are the most interesting type of storm or natural disaster. I read an article I found on the National Geographic's website called Chasing Tornadoes, written by Priit J. Vesilind. After reading this article, I gained new insight as to what kind of destruction a tornado was truly capable of. Having never actually experienced the aftermath of a nasty tornado, I am very fascinated with them. What separates tornadoes from other natural disasters is that they come in a package with several other elements that are destructive separately, and when they combine, they can be deadly. Typically they are formed when warm and cold air meet with the addition of moving winds from a thunderstorm. Not only are the winds moving fast enough to rip pavement from the road but there is also hail and lightning. Tornadoes are among the earth's most violent acts capable of destroying towns and people's lives. Entire communities have been destroyed, making the aftermath both a devastating and difficult process. Over 1,000 tornadoes touch down each year in the United States and around 150 people die each year. Tornadoes are a deadly yet awe-inspiring sight.

Vesilind, Pritt. "Chasing Tornadoes." National Geographic. 1996. April 2004.