The Ukraine from China, Australia, and Africa's View!

   Global news stretches from one hemisphere to the next, especially when chaos erupts in an entire country. That is exactly what has been happening in the Ukraine for the past month. An uproar has been occurring and it seems as if the whole world is talking about it. Well, is the whole world talking about it? That's what I'm here to explore today. I'm specifically targeting China, Australia, and Africa just to see if the Ukraine is causing just the slightest stir in those places.
     According to " China National News" "Ukraine mission cut short by UN envoy after Crimea standoff". So in China they are aware of the fact that Crime has been invaded. They also know that United Nation's special envoy Robert Serry left the Ukraine after being taken hostage in a coffee shop. I have no heard this story in the news so here is something that America didn't know. Well the American citizens, I should say. China is aware that the European Union is "ready to provide $15 billion to Ukraine. China also knows that the west is considering sanctioning Russia if they don't stop military force in Crimea soon. So China has a pretty good Idea about what is happening to the Ukraine. Is Australia as caught up as China?
   Well, according to the Australian times, they don't have anything on the Ukraine. They didn't even have a small corner of the page saying something about Crimea or EU. I decided not to give up all hope on Australia and decided to search up another news paper from there and I stumbled across Brisbane Times. Brisbane times doesn't have much on the Ukraine but it does have something. It has a small video, about one minute and thirty seconds in length, about how "Crimean parliament votes to join Russia". This is not as much info as China has but it is something mentioned that China did not. So far out of my three selected country's, China is the most involved. Let's see if Africa can top them.
     In "Kenya Today" they state that "Russia to hold talks wih Nato in bid to avert war". So here, we find out that there is talk of war occurring. That will definitly bot be a good thing since weapons of mass destruction are easy to locate if you are a world power. This actually gives me the chills to think that WWIII could began with Russia and the Ukraine -_-. Africa is aware that the U.S has cut off ties with Russia until this whole situation is resolved. They also know that the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, will be talking soon with, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov. Based on the article, it is clear that Africa is just as informed as China.
   Now you may ask your, why is the situation in Ukraine stressed more in Africa and China than in Australia? Well I believe that it is due to their geographical location. China is in Asia which is very close to Russia who is a main participant in the Ukraine crisis. Africa is neighboring the middle east which is neighboring the Ukraine. Africa and China are more in the region where the crisis is occurring so therefore they will hear about it more. Australia, on the other hand, is all by itself in the middle of the Indian Ocean and North Pacific Ocean so ofcourse it wouldn't phase them as much but it still is important to mention.

The Louisiana Blues

When life gets to be too much for you, what do you do? You turn on music that speaks to your emotions. There is a specific genre of music created for these kinds of moments in life and it is known as The Blues. The blues is so much more than just music. Let’s say your dog just died, you now have the blues. Your husband just left you for your best friend, you now have the blues. That is what blues artist do in order to create such music. They take an unfortunate situation in their lives and turn it into something beautiful.

   There are many types of blues songs but the blues that I am going to focus on is The Louisiana Blues. I believe that this is the type of blues that parallels to The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. I chose this type of blues because it clearly depicts sadness, sorrow, and despair. There are various instruments played in the Louisiana blues such as the trumpet, clarinet, trombone, and piano. Each of these instruments can represent certain characters in the book.

     Pecola Breedlove has lived in the blues her entire life, so it would only make sense that she represents the strongest instrument in the song, the trumpet. Her sorrow is so high that it over powers everyone else’s sorrow just like the trumpet over powers all the other instruments within the song. With her shyness, ugliness, and constant misfortunes, Pecola silently screams her depression at the world while a trumpet screams her voice in the background.

   Claudia and Frieda are represented by the piano. The piano is the first instrument you hear in this particular piece of music. It comes in soft with a nice melody right before the trumpet makes its bold entrance. Claudia and Frieda are the first characters we are introduced to in this book and they also become friends with Pecola. It is safe to say that they compliment Pecola’s character just like the piano compliments the trumpet’s sounds.

The Trombone is heard just a few seconds before the trumpet comes in but still very noticeable. Cholly and Pauline can take on this role due to the fact that they are a slightly lighter sorrow than Pecola but still very sad. The trombone is very deep in tone and hard to miss although overpowered by the trumpet. Cholly and Pauline are hardly unnoticeable even though their daughter, Pecola, has a worse life than they do.

The clarinet is supposed to be the instrument that contradicts the other instruments in the piece. While the trumpet, piano, and trombone flow together in harmony, you constantly hear the clarinet making its statement against the flow. That is why the town is represented by this instrument. They talk so badly about the Breedloves and judge them; it’s just like the clarinet judging the rest of the instruments.

 Pecola, Pauline, Cholly, Frieda, Claudia, and the town are all apart of the blues. With their sorrow, despair, and questionable luck, the sounds of the blues spills out of them all with harmony.

World No Tobacco Day 2013

  If you take a glance at this Ad your first reaction would be to feel sorry for the little boy crying in the picture. Most people would just go through that motion for less than five seconds and then move on with their lives, not even worrying about the intended message of the Ad. They will notice the bag on the child's head but not at the fact that it is cigarette smoke.
   This Ad was sponsored by Conac, a Chilean Corporation. It was presented on May 31st which is observed as World No Tobacco Day. The day is aimed to encourage smokers to quit smoking or just stop for that day.This Ad and many others Conac clearly depict Conac's feelings about smoking and how it really damages people and others around that person.
     As I observe the picture more I start to notice the color scheme that is in use. There is a very dark background that makes the little boy stand out more. The little boy is also wearing a dull colored shirt that corresponds to the gloomy background. Now Conac may have good intentions for their message but they still want people to know who was responsible for displaying this Ad which is why they have their logo in the center at the bottom, in white, so that people will be able to see it clearly.
   If you look even closer than the logo you will see the message intended for the audience. It says "Smoking isn't just suicide, it's murder". This is a very powerful line because it gets its readers thinking about what they are doing to themselves and also the people around them, especially their children. This one line inflicts a lot of pathos in its audience. It provokes fear, sadness, maybe even depression.
   In my opinion I believe the intended audience for this Ad is more toward woman because when you think of woman and their children, there is that special connection, that bond that shouldn't be broken. This Ad is saying that, as a smoking mother, you are breaking that bond and harming your child. Yes, men are involved with their children too and smoking is just as bad for them but it's not like a mothers attachment to her child. Also as you look at the child's face, more towards the eye brows, you see a slight expression of disappointment and anger. It's as if the child is saying "Look what you are doing to me or How dare you?" It's enough to break a woman's heart.
    The smoke shaped bag is very important in this entire Ad. It's what your eye is drawn to first. Its white in front of a black background so it is a clear attention grabber. The smoke bag being placed over the child's head is also very gruesome especially around the mouth and nose area of the face. There is an indent on the mouth and two nostrils to signify that the child is breathing in the smoke as he cries.
   I feel that this Ad is very effective because Conac took a sure route by using a child. When you see a child crying in a magazine, Ad, newspaper, etc, you automatically stop and look to see what is going on or what happened to that child. Using a small font to display the message is also an effective tool because it forces the audience to really pay attention and read about the Ad. After the reader is finished, they then have to make the decision on their own whether to take heed to the message or ignore it.

Final Reflection

   When taking observations on "The Fosters" it made me aware of how times are changing. The story line is full of drama while underneath is a much stronger messages that the world needs to know. I believe one of the hidden messages is acceptance. Accepting individuals, families, and different cultures is key to a healthy society. This show wants to reach out to all people and tell them that it is OK to be different and that we shouldn't judge people just because they aren't the way we want them to be. The show also shows us that different cultures, whether Hispanic, African American, Caucasian, is what makes up a society. What would the world be like if everyone was the same? Lastly, "The Fosters" would like to say that blood doesn't make a family. Since all the children are adopted ( excluding Brandon) they are not blood related yet they love each other just as if they were. 

    I decided to make an observation about my judgement of people on the bus because I wanted to do something that was personal to me. I wanted to show that in my society I have flaws. I may be able to point out flaws around me but I also have them as well. With me judging people on their appearance and thinking they are rich, I'm showing that the value of wealth and money is of great status in this society. I want to make people aware of the fact that they are making these judgements and it's not good. People say that it is human nature to judge others, I'm not sure if that is 100% true but I do know that it is not an accurate way going about things. Maybe you are taught to judge from a young age by watching the older people around you judge. Maybe it's a chain reaction that just won't stop. This project has really opened my eyes to what I have been doing wrong but also what so many others are doing wrong as well.

    Sponge Bob was an idea that came to me after I remember hearing on the news that kids who watch the show, become dumber. I thought to myself that maybe it's not so much that it makes children dumb but that it displays all then wrong messages. After taking my observations in realized that woman were arrogant when it came to their intellegence, men were portrayed as stupid and frowned upon when they showed intelligence. I have heard way too many times that woman are more intelligent than men and mature faster. We are all equal and should embrace that. In this society we should work as one unit instead of putting each other down. In Sponge Bob, all the wrong messages are being sent to the minds of the young children and they are too young to realize what is happening. 
  If I could find a common theme in all three of my blogs, I would say that it was equality. I talked about a variety of races in one family and they accept each other as if they were blood related. I've touched upon judging people on the public bus. Lastly I've talked about men and woman not being equal in a child's cartoon. Equality seems like the best fit for a common theme. All my topics branch off from this common ground. 

If nautical nonsense is something you wish....

  I know this young man who works at a restaurant as a fry cook. He works with a mean employee who hates him dearly. His boss is very cheap and barely pays him anything. He lives next door to his mean employee but also a couple houses down from his best friend, who lets just say tap dances on the fine line between idiocy and plain stupidity. Oh did I mention he lives in a pineapple under the sea? Yes you got it, Sponge bob Square pants. The funny yellow sponge that we all came to love but is watching him act as a buffoon good for the brain. Studies show that it is not. In a way, Sponge bob portrays all the wrong things in life.
   For instance in one episode labeled "Patrick Smart pants" Patrick falls off a cliff, loses the point at the top of his head, putting sponge bob in the predicament where he has to put what he thought was Patrick's original point back on his head. But little did they know, they put smart corral on his head, turning him instantly intelligent. The first thing wrong with this episode and many of the others episodes is that they portray men as idiots. That is not true what so ever. Men are capable of being very intelligent. Throughout the show Sponge bob does not like that Patrick has become smart. So right there it shows that intelligence is frowned upon.
   The role of women in this episode is that they are already intelligent and do not like it when they receive criticism from intelligent men. Sandy (the only dominant female role in the show) gets upset when Patrick, and his new found intelligence proves, proves her wrong in a math problem she was trying to solve. Now this situation can also be flipped by saying that men can be egotistic when gaining knowledge because they think they know everything. It's negative either way you look at it.
    This entire episode does no justice for the brain. It sends out all the wrong messages especially to the children. It's not right to think learning and being intelligent is a bad thing. This message mainly goes out to young males who watch the show. Also to the girls, don't think that men aren't suppose to be smart just because of what you see on this show. Men and Woman are  equal when it comes to intelligence. Everyone has an opportunity to gain knowledge. Although sponge bob is entertaining but you must take into consideration the hidden messages behind each character and their personalities.  

Greater Bridgeport Transit

   I have to admit something. I have a bad habit of seeing peoples outer appearance and then judging them but to be honest I know I am not the only one who does this. Say if you see someone that's in the same place as you but they look out of place (I'm not talking about race, I'm talking about clothing attire) and you immediately start to judge them. I do that a lot and the main place that I do it, is on the public bus going home from school. I don't say extremely negative things, I just start making random assumptions.
   I'm sitting on the bus and I see a male or female get on the bus wearing business attire or looking "fancy" as  some may say. In my head I say things like "where is your Jaguar or BMW?" Hateful right? Well this happens to me so often that sometimes I don't even notice when I do it. I automatically label those people with a lot of money and jewelry and big houses.
    I never take in to account that maybe that man is traveling back and forth from New York making close to nothing only able to afford that suit to try an impress his boss everyday and try to keep his head above water. Or maybe that woman is a single mother, raising two kids, and can't afford a car let alone her own house but lives in an apartment and only has the suit that she has because it was given to her as a Christmas gift. Or Maybe even they both lost their jobs recently and is going out everyday on the bus so they don't have to spend the little money they have on gas.
    If my mind was programmed to think this way quicker, I truly believe I would be a better person. That goes for people out there in the world like me as well. It only takes 7 seconds to pass judgement on a person the first time you see them. If people would just step back and take a deeper look at the people they are passing judgement on, they will realise that they are wrong. I know I realize that I am/was wrong. But I've made this discovery of myself and I am turning over a new leaf. When I see someone wearing business attire or even a long gown on the bus, I won't start assuming, I'll remember this blog and step back and just look for the truth.
      

The Fosters, A Family with no boundaries

   Lena is African American, Steph is Caucasian, Jesus and Mariana are Hispanic, Brandon, Callie, and Jude are Caucasian. This is all of the ethnicity's of a family on the new hit TV series "The Fosters" on ABC Family. Lena and Steph are two woman that are married. Brandon is Steph's son from her previous marriage. Jesus, Mariana, Jude, and Callie were adopted by Lena and Steph. Lena is a vice principle at her school in which all the kids attend. Steph is a cop.
    Now that the background story is established we can take the time to give this series a big around of applause. The producer, Jeniffer Lopez, has done a phenomenal job in spicing up what a typical family looks like. Usually you see a mother, father, and children, all of the same race. The mere fact that such a variety of races are mentioned in this family is remarkable.
    Continuing on Lena and Steph being married; this not often seen on TV since gay marriage is not accepted everywhere yet. On this TV show, there is such a flow that it seems as if it is just an average family. There is no difference. They have drama like any other family and they love each other like any other couple.
   When it comes to the female roles in this show, Lena is the girly girl. She carries herself well. She wears feminine clothes and does her makeup, just an average woman. Steph, on the other hand, rolls with the big boys. Since she is a cop she has to be tough and strong. That's also different from what the usual is portrayed of a woman.
    Being Hispanic, Jesus and Mariana speaks Spanish to each other but Steph has taken the time to learn how to speak it as well so she can communicate with them. However, Jesus and Mariana speaks English most of the time through out the show. Majority of shows only have English as the spoken language but this show incorporates more than just english.
    One negative aspect of the show is how they portray the Fostering system in general. This is mostly reflecting Callie and Jude's life story. They've been tossed around so much that they don't know what it is like to live in a real home permanently. Also at one of the temporary homes, Callie was raped but because she was in the Fostering system, the guy who raped her did not get any jail time because it was her word against his. Watching this show makes the public look at adoption and fostering in a different light and maybe even not a positive one.
     "The Fosters" has no boundaries what so ever. It is a very good television show and very well rounded. It's really rare because its not everyday that you can turn on the TV and see such a heart felt family and it makes you wish the whole world was this way, well except for the fostering system. When watching this show you have to transform your brain to a new born baby so no influences will already be there to affect the way you look at it. Trust me it is an amazing show.