Journal: 4-2

Conflict

     Two weeks ago I asked the question of what the current situation is like with the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Through my extensive research, I didn't find too many detailed reports but I notice that things aren't really changing over in the Middle East and if there is change then it's usually for the worse and not to better the society. It seems as though more people are attempting to leave the area all together and move to another place in order to avoid war and make their own choices in life instead of someone else making their decisions for them.

     This week we've only had one day of class so far and in that one day of class we talked about a variety of things. One of the first things we talked about was this screen saver that helps benefit many different charities if you download it onto your computer. How it works is that it uses your computer to run data for certain causes such as the American Cancer Society so that research can take even less time than ever before. After that discussion we finished the rest of the documentary "Promises". It was very interesting to see the perspective of the conflict from the vulnerable viewpoint of a child who has grown up with the fighting going on around them.

     In my opinion, the most powerful part of the movie was when the two Jewish twins crossed over the check points into Palestinian territory to play with Arab children who were also being followed in the documetary. Even though they couldn't communicate with eacother very well, they still acted like normal children around eachother and played soccer and did other activities. It was as if they weren't even surronded by the conflict at all. However, it was hard when all the children sat down to discuss how the experiment went. They like the experiment because they liked being friends with eachother but they were sad that the Jewish boys weren't allowed to stay because they weren't Arab and that they would probably not see eachother again.

     This reminded me alot of the movie "The Boy In The Striped Pajamas" where a regular German boy who lives near a concentration camp befriends a Jewish boy within the concentration camp. Every day they would talk even though they were seperated by an electric fence and the German boy expressed desires to join the Jewish boy. However, when he does, he ends up dying with his Jewish friend within the camp. The situation is very similar to that of a Jwish boy befriending a Arab child in the Middle East.

I end today with a question: Where are all the children now who were in the film "Promises"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli%E2%80%93Palestinian_conflict

"Israel Makes Children Cry." Instablogs - Mobile. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. <http://marcovilla.instablogs.com/entry/israel-makes-children-cry/>.

http://www.411mania.com/movies/dvd_reviews/99379/The-Boy-In-The-Striped-Pajamas-DVD-Review.htm

Journal: 4-1

Why the Division?

     Last week I asked a question about what the statistics are for having blind people receiving surgery to heal their blindness. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any relevant statistics on the matter of whether the number of surgeries performed has increased or decreased. I was hoping that by knowing this, I could compare it to what the deaf community is going through right now and how the blind react differently than the deaf. However, all I found was that the number of surgerys in other countries was increasing because more doctors were being sent to other places in order to cure the blind.

     This past week, we did a variety of things in ethics class. At the beginning of the week we reveiwed the messages and issues that came up at the TEDX Teen confrence that happened this past weekend. After that we reviewed a couple of TED Talks that related to what we were talking about in class and we watched an interesting one about a French artist. At the very end of the week, we started to watch the documentary "Promises" which is about the Israeli Palestinian conflict and we worked on our heroic imagination project as well.

     In my opinion, I think the most meaningful thing we learned this past week was the story of the French street artist. I love what he is trying to do with his artiwork. He's trying to exagerate how people really are in an effort to create an understanding of ignorance. He also has helped the Israeli Palestinian conflict by posting pictures of isrealis and palestinians together and having people try to figure out to difference between the two pictures. It turns out that no one was actually able to figure out who was the Plaestinian and who was the Israeli.

     This conflict between the Palestinians and the Isralies reminds me alot of the civil war in the United State. Both groups were almost identical in religion and culture but for some reason hated eachother and started to aimlessly kill eachother just because that's how they knew how to settle things in the day. The same can be said about the Plaestinians and the Israelis who are almost identical but yet still they will both fight to the death against eachother to do what they proclaim is the right thing to do to protect their religion and territory that they have.


     I end today with a question: What is the current status on the war against Isreal and Palestine?

"A Man Walks past a Shack in Kibera on Which Photographs by French Photographe..." The Independent | News | UK and Worldwide News | Newspaper. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. <http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/living-large-the-biggest-artist-in-the-world-1657832.html?action=Gallery>.

"BBC - London - Entertainment - Tate Wraps Itself up in Street Art." BBC - Homepage. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/image_galleries/tate_street_art_gallery.shtml?9>.

"Thursday, October 21, 2010." Eclectix: Traditional, NewBrow, Pop Art. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. <http://eclectixart.blogspot.com/2010_10_21_archive.html>.

Journal: 3-9

Change Your Mind


     While doing research on the topic of my question last week, I came across an assortment of many opinions about going from being deaf to hearing. Something I found interesting was the amount of deaf people's opinions and how they felt so strongly about the subject matter. Most of them felt angry towards the notion of going from being deaf to hearing and said that deaf people function just fine without the helps of being able to hear. They feel as though getting an implant to change being deaf is wrong and makes being deaf seem like a handicap. I also found many opinions about how hearing people thought that deaf people were being ignorant in this matter and that being able to hear would open up a variety of opportunities to those who take advantage of it.

     This past week in ethics class we finished watching the documentary about the two families affected by the defect of being deaf. It was very interesting to see how the view of the hearing family was so different from that of the family that was already deaf. The hearing family got the implant for their son to be able to hear and they said it was a great decision while the family who was deaf decided not to implant their children for fear that they would lose their deaf culture. We also watched a mini follow up documentary about how the families had be doing years after filming. As it turns out, the deaf family makes the decision to implant their children and they receive amazing results. Even the mother decided to get an implant as well.

     In my opinion I think this was a great idea. I feel like they were being very close minded and ignorant in the first documentary all because they wanted to keep their children apart of the deaf culture that they were accustomed to. I'm glad that they exploredd their options and found out what hearing can truly do to benefit a person who has been lacking the ability to hear. Now that they have done this, their children won't go through as many hardships as they did when they were younger.

     I did some research on the amount of people being implanted now. I found out the number of people being implanted is growing steadily over time. Also, I found that the people being implanted the most were under the age of six because it would benefit them the most to get the implant during their early childhood developement. It makes you wonder whether deaf people will cease to exist in the future due to the steady rise of people receiving implants.



I end today with a question: what is the statistics on blind people receiving surgery to see?

"The Deaf Community's View." Welcome to the Cochlear War Homepage. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://www.cochlearwar.com/forum/deaf_view.html>.

"New Cochlear Implants in 2001 [NIDCD Health Information]." National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders [NIDCD]. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/implants.htm>.

"TerpTopics: HEARING AIDS & ALDs: Introduction to ASL and SignLanguage Interpreting." TerpTopics: WELCOME - Introduction to ASL and Sign Language Interpreting. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://www.terptopics.com/HearingAids.htm>.

Journal: 3-8

Living Deaf or Blind

   I did some research about how the Nook has affected the recent sales of actual books. Although I didnt come across any facts, I ran into alot of opinions about the matter. The opinions usually consisted of negativity towards the advancement of electronic books over actual books. People said that it also caused many bookstores to close around the nation. Although I didn't find many facts about the topic, I found a poll regarding the topic of how people think Nooks affect the sales of new and used books. I found the chart very interesting and telling.

     This past week we talked about the affects of the internet on the youth of America in positive and negative ways. We also started to watch a documentary about a family of deaf people who were going through a dilema. Their daughter wants to receive an implant for her to hear bu they have mixed feelings about the surgery and how it will affect their life over all. Also, we discussed what we would do if we were deaf or blind and whether we would want the surgery to see or hear again.

     In my opinion, I would not want to restore my hearing or sight if I were deaf or blind. I feel as though going from not having a sense to fully having a sense would be a challenge and overwhleming for me. I can imagine that people who go through this kind of surgery come out feeling very scared and with mixed feelings about whether they really should have gone through the with surgery afterall. I would feel like a stranger to an all knowing world and like my new sense would cripple me.

     I one time saw this episode on TV regarding a blind man who had decided to go through with surgery to repair his eye sight after being blind all his life. When he was first able to see he saw his wife for the first time but everything else seemed so strange and foreign to him. He wasn't able to recognize what things were that babies could figure out the purpose of and he had problems with depth perception. He expressed regret in getting the surgery because he was so overwhlemed by his sense of sight.

    I end today with a question: what are other opinions on the topic of being deaf or blind?

"Five Senses Icons | Royalty Free Stock Vector Art Illustration | IStockphoto.com." Stock Photography: Search Royalty Free Images & Photos | IStockphoto.com. Web. 27 Mar. 2011. <http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-illustration-7938700-five-senses-icons.php>.

"How Deaf People Think." Today I Found Out. Web. 27 Mar. 2011. <http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/07/how-deaf-people-think/>.

Steiner, Ina. "Sellers Say EBook Readers Impact Book Sales." Free News and Resources for Online Auction Users. Web. 27 Mar. 2011. <http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y10/m10/i18/s01>.

Journal: 3-6

The Information Age

     The question I asked last week was: What are the current statistics of labor in China? Through my research I wasn't able to find much, and I assumed it was mostly because China likes to keep most of its bussiness secret. However, I did find a little bit of information on the internet regarding the hourly wages of most Chinese labor workers. I found out that 30 million of the 38 million workers make around $1.06 per hour with some even making as little as 64 or 45 cents for hard labor. This is worse than the current pay for labor workers in Mexico.

     It's shocking to me just how small this amount of money is, expecially in regards to the western world. Where a pack of gum costs more than a persons salary. These statistics make me question why China doesn't raise the bar for pay amongst all its workers and set a minimum wage that is actually reasonable for its people.

     This past week we talked alot about the level of technology there is in today's society. We discussed technology we could do without, technology we loved and technology we would like to see in the future. We also looked at some incredible technological inventions that none of us even knew was invented or even available. This week really made me think about how the world is transitioning into a digital phase where even the most unnecessary new technologies seem to be in demand just because they are new products and in fashion.

 
     In my opinion, I think we are becoming way too dependent on electronic devices. Especially on technology that really doesn't serve much purpose in society other then generating a profit. I feel that the more we rely on technology the more stupid we become because we won't be able to figure out how to do things on our own. I also believe that children should not be allowed to have exspensive technology unless it is used stricly for educational purposes that aren't already available to them. It's rediculous how many little kids I know that got an ipad for christmas so that they could "read" better rather than getting an actual book and reading it.

     For an example that we didn't talk about in class, the new Nook that is available now is a model for my arguement. The Nook is technology that is extremly uneccessary since it's basically a much more exspensive way to read a book. What's sad about it is that it's hurting the sales of actual books because people are too lazy and would rather buy it on their Nook and read it instead. Technology is not alright when it interferes more than it helps society.

     I leave today with a question: Just how bad has the Nook affected the sales of actual books?

"Just How Cheap Is Chinese Labor?" Businessweek - Business News, Stock Market & Financial Advice. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_50/b3912051_mz011.htm>.

Sorrel, Charlie. "Barnes & Noble Unveils Kindle-Killing, Dual-Screen ‘Nook’ E-Reader (Updated) | Gadget Lab | Wired.com." Wired.com. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/10/barnes-nobles-kindle-killing-dual-screen-nook-e-reader-leaked/>.

"Student Affairs Technology | Home." Division of Student Affairs | This Site Has Moved. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://studentlife.unlv.edu/technology/>.

Journal: 3-5

Tank Man

     Last week, I asked the question: What is the current status of education around the world? While doing research on this topic, I came across a very informative website which listed statistics about education around the world. Here are some of the statstics I found: 862 millions people around the world can not read or write, the literacy rate for young women in developing countries is 30%, 115 million primary school age children are not enrolled in school around the world, having to pay school fees is one of the leading causes as to why children don't go to school and also religion keeps most girls from enrolling in school in developing countries.

     To me, these statistics are devastating. However, there is much we can do to help the current status of education around the world. We can focus the majority of our attention to raising money to build better school and provide better teachers for those in need of a better education. The more schools we build, the more likely it is that more underprivileged children from developing nations will join and therefore increase the literacy rate in those countries.

     This past week, we learned about the incident that took place in Tiananmen Square in China and also the current status of the way people live in China in modern times. In the Tiananmen Square incident, thousands of Chinese people gathered in the square to protest against the government while they were ruthlessly slaughtered by the military. This occasion was best documented by a picture of a single Chinese man, given the name Tank man , standing in front of a row of military tanks in protest to the violent massacre they had just conducted on his people. In regards to the way people live in China today, we learned that the job situation over there is extremly different from that of our own. In China, job conditions are brutal and resemble the conditions American went through during the Industrial Revolution.

    In my opinion, China needs to learn from our American history in regards to the Industrial Revolution. Although their current way of doing things might seem to be working, it is horrible for people to have to work the amount of hours the government is forcing them to work and with such little pay and poor living conditions. China should establish a minimum wage that helps their people thrive and want to come to work without the burtal conditions. Also, they should establish work benefits that people get after working a certain amount of years at their job.

     China right now reminds me of a communist society in a way. Although instead of everyone benefitting together and sharing the wealth, there is no wealth to be shared by the people who work. Also, no one who works in China is benefitting at all with the amount of money that they are making from the amount of time that they put in. China is acting like a communist government that would rather see profits and let their people suffer than care about the welfare of their people over the amount of money that they make.

     I end today with a question: what are the current statistics of the labor force in China?

"11 Facts About Education Around the World | Do Something." Volunteer | Do Something. Web. 13 Mar. 2011. <http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-education-around-world>.

"Egypt’s Tahrir Square Is China’s Tiananmen Square Tiananmen-square-tank – Politicol News Politics." Politicol News. Web. 13 Mar. 2011. <http://www.politicolnews.com/egypts-tahrir-square-is-chinas-tiananmen-square/tiananmen-square-tank-2/>.

"Labor Rights | China Digital Times (CDT)." China News, Current Events & Headlines | China Digital Times (CDT). Web. 13 Mar. 2011. <http://chinadigitaltimes.net/china/labor-rights/>.

Journal: 3-4

Putting Ideas in Motion

     Two weeks ago, I asked the question of what the major issues are today's world. Through my exstensive research I was able to find the top five major issues in the world. The list consists of: 1) Energy Security, 2) MidEast and North Africa unrest, 3) Climate Change, 4) Coral Reefs, 5) Poverty Around the World. I also found another list which consisted of: HIV/AIDS and the killing of innocent women and children. In my personal opinion, I think the most important issues are: Poverty, access to clean water, education, global warming and natural disasters.

     I became intrigued on the topic and also researched areas around the world that require the most help and foreign aid. I found the areas most in need were Africa, Brazil, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Mexico and Argentina. It makes good sense that these areas should be focused on by the groups in Leadership for the Heroic Imagination Project. We can really make a positive and effective difference in all of these areas that are not in the best condition.

     This week in Ethics class we discussed the situation in Rwanda and started to watch a documentary called Ghosts of Rwanda in order to gain perspective about the genocide that took place years ago and how the country is today. We also learned about the United Nations and the role that they played to try and help the situation in Rwanda. On Friday of this past week we had a guest speaker come in from the company Profit which helps businesses put ideas into actions. She helped us build upon the ideas that we had in our Heroic Imagination groups and helped us realize what would benefit us and what would hurt the project as a whole.

     For me, having the guest speaker come and interact with us about our ideas was very beneficial. She helped my group develop our idea about creating a website that connects bussinesses to people and causes in need for them to donate their money to. She helped us realize that we should narrow our focus to where we want to send aid and what kind of service we would want to provide. We then chose that we wanted to focus on Africa in regards to medical supplies, food and water and education. This helped to ensure that we would'nt have too much on our plate and that we actually might be able to follow through with this project after all.

     This past weekend I purchased the latest issue of National Geographic Magazine and found many interesting things in it. One of the most intriging things I found was a huge poster about statistics of the World. Something that shocked me was how 12,000 dollars was considered a large amount of money copared to some places in Africa, South America and Asia who are making less than 100 dollars. I find it sad that the United States and European countries don't help out places in need more when they so clearly need it in order to thrive.

     I end today's journal with a question: What is the status of education around the world?


    

"College Updates July 2009." Home | The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Web. 07 Mar. 2011. <http://www.unc.edu/world/College_Updates_2009/cujul09.htm>.

Global Issues : Social, Political, Economic and Environmental Issues That Affect Us All — Global Issues. Web. 07 Mar. 2011. <http://www.globalissues.org/>.

"Major Problems Facing the World Today." Web. 07 Mar. 2011. <http://cozay.com/forum/f2/major-problems-facing-the-world-today-t1821/>.

"Time For Change | Flickr - Photo Sharing!" Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing. Web. 07 Mar. 2011. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/spursfan_ace/2328879637/>.

"Top Ten Countries Most In Debt." World Map, Map of the World. Web. 07 Mar. 2011. <http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/countries-most-in-debt-map.html>.