Common Place

I saw this article about this needy family giving to the Salvation Army. Even on a tight budget, she says "There's always someone worse off than you" and "you never know when you're going to need help one day". They know they are barely making it past each day with 5 children and she and her husband each working 2 jobs seven days a week. I think that's super tough. I complain alot about having HW, or that I don't have enough money for a surround sound stereo. But there are people who are in need of food and daily necessities in which I regard as something that is always there and has not much importance. More and more I value my health, my nutrition (which isn't so nutritional with all the snack bar food), etc. And now, this mother of 5 had to give up both jobs to raise her children, and Helping Hands Hawaii is helping many families like hers by putting them on their Santa's list for those who need a break and a bit of hope in their daily struggle. This seriously affected me and my thinking, because there is always someone worse off than you are, and that is sad. She gave to charity. Even with the fact that she and her husband could barely afford to eat with 2 jobs each, she had the heart to give little of what they could, to help others in need.

Internet

I saw the Internet video we saw in class, and it was pretty cool. Although I didn't fully understand what net neutrality was, all i know is that it's like some equality thing between communicators. I don't really know what I'm saying either. It does feel unreal that they tried to vote Internet to be private only and not open to all the public, but why would they do that? One thing, the teenagers in the country are just going to overrule and overpower the adult congress voters. Because Internet is used by people over 18, therefore allowing us to vote online. Anyway, the last question in the video "What does Internet mean to you?" To me, it means a way of communication, a way to be with friends when you really aren't. We see the Internet as like a thing that's always going to be there. But after seeing this, you really are grateful and I appreciate the Internet a bit more. You can do a million things on the Internet that is extremely useful. You can research without flipping a single page, you can talk to people, chat, Skype it and talk online, myspace, download music, email and leave messages for people, I can keep going, and going, and going. I mean you can shop online now, and even order pizza online. Internet is like a Universe within the computer. The universe is there, but there is no ending. Just like how the computer is one thing, but what you can do with it is unlimited. I thought this was kind of fun to think about.

Common Place

I'm not sure yet what my essential question is, but I'm hopiong my entries will result in an overall essential question. Anyway, this is part of the lyrics of a song I was listening to, and I used to like it for the beats, the flow, but if you listen to each phrase, each line, this guy is rapping to something big.

I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myselfis life worth living should I blast myself?I'm tired of bein' poor & even worse I'm blackmy stomach hurts so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatchCops give a damn about a negropull the trigger kill a nigga he's a heroGive the crack to the kids who the hell caresone less hungry mouth on the welfareFirst ship 'em dope & let 'em deal the brothersgive 'em guns step back watch 'em kill each otherIt's time to fight back that's what Huey said2 shots in the dark now Huey's deadI got love for my brother but we can never go nowhereunless we share with each otherWe gotta start makin' changeslearn to see me as a brother instead of 2 distant strangersand that's how it's supposed to beHow can the Devil take a brother if he's close to me?I'd love to go back to when we played as kidsbut things changed, and that's the way it is

Changes, by Tupac is pretty inspirational if you ask me. It's old, but it was one of the greatest hits, and the words in his lyrics are probably more than just words he sings with his mouth. He most likely sings it with his heart and soul. Sounds corny, yeah, I think so too, but it's kind of true. This kind of got my attention in the sense that this song I enjoy suddenly turned to something more than music on the radio.

Common Place Entry

This is related to something I saw on TV. I was watching “The Fresh Prince of Belair” starring Will Smith. His cousin in the show, Carlton, a nerdy type of guy, is in a rich family and Will lives there temporarily with Carlton and his family. It’s a comedy, but everyone is black, or African American. And in that episode, Carlton and Will were trying to join a fraternity, and the pledge leader of the fraternity said Carlton “wasn’t brotha enough to be a brotha” and that he didn’t like “sell-outs”. The pledge leader made that assumption because he was rich and spoke proper English. Carlton, being a calm, hopeless, nerdy kind of guy surprisingly stated back: “You think I’m a sell-out. Why? Because I live in a big house or dress a certain way? Being black isn’t what I’m trying to be; it’s what I am. I’m running the same race and jumping the same river as you are so why are you tripping me up? You said we need to stick together but you don’t even know what that means. If you ask me, you’re the real sell-out.” This quote really gave me something to think about. It’s hard to explain why, but it’s just so true. I can’t say what it is I’m feeling now, but for the first time, watching my favorite comedy show actually made an impact in my thinking, taking on a new perspective of things. I guess we all make these stereotypes and race jokes too often. If you dress a certain way, you’re considered white, if you talk a certain way, you’re black, and if you have a Spanish last name, you illegally came in to America. But that’s not how it is. Sure, sometimes it’s true, but making these assumptions and jokes sort of is standard amongst us today. At school, a lot of what you hear is “Yeah, cuz you’re white” and all these racist jokes. Sometimes there are critics who say “Why you gotta be like that man?” and some people answer “It’s not mean mean. It’s funny mean.” But that only applies to the person who says it. No one else.