Family Vacation?

Ok im fucking pissed. Im surprised i can form compete sentences. I dont understand how only half the kids in my family are invited on the family vacation.

Obviously since im pissed im on the half that wasnt invited. 

What the hell, i thought i was the favorite!

Fucking Blogs

I really wish I could delete my previous blogs. However, they were for school and I'm afraid I might need them for some reason. 

Just wanted to explain the crazy ass blogs that follow this. 

Individual Blog Post #5

I remember a time without myspace, without blogposts, with email even. I had to do my research in books, go down to the library. I had to call my friends to keep in touch with them. 

Today things are different. Social media has taken over our lives. It is almost impossible to do anything without it. Business rely on social media in order to run. This semester I went to the PRSSA regional conference and every speaker their emphasized the necessity for social media. 

Companies can keep track of their image, figure what people like about them, stay connected with clients as well as competitors. Through blogs and online reviews companies can figure out what people like, hate and wish they could change about their company. And this can all happen in an instant. 

It is almost impossible to maintain relationships these days without social media. Instead of talking over coffee about the latest, you can just blog about it so your friends can read it at their leisure. Instead of calling up a friend to tell them you miss them, you can send them a facebook comment. 

Social media definitely has its advantages, but it is making us too lazy to have a real social life? Don't get lost in the blogsphere!

Individual Blog Post #4

Eliot Spitzer’s call girl, Ashley Alexandra Dupre is suing the founder of Girls Gone Wild according to CNN.com.

Dupre said that she was vacationing in Miami when she was approached by agents and Joe Francis, founder of Girls Gone Wild, and offered her alcoholic drinks.

Dupre said while she was intoxicated she was persuaded to expose herself. While still intoxicated she was asked to sign a release form. Her legal council stated that Dupre was only 17 when she signed the contract and not legally competent to enter a contract.

A Girls Gone Wild star at the age of 17 and now a high-priced call girl that’s getting governor’s to cheat and resign, I can only hope Dupre continues to become more and more successful.

Japanese Memorial

Throw your photo albums into your fireplace and watch all your physical memories erase. Toss in some personal gifts and letters from friends and family, maybe some of your favorite clothes and books too. Burn anything of yours that might trace you back to your heritage.

Crazy? Yes, but these were the desperate actions the Japanese Americans had to take in order avoid the Japanese interment camps in the 1940’s

What was the Japanese Interments/Why did it happen?

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans were interned. This was because on February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed an order “Establishing the War Relocation Authority in the Executive Office of the President and Defining its Functions and Duties.” This is also known as Order 9066, which started plans of 10 internment camps where the Japanese Americans would be relocated to. One of the interment sites was Uchida Hall at San Jose State University.

Who Is Ruth Asawa?

On Second Street you can find a memorial dedicated to the thousands of Japanese Americans who were stripped of their rights as Americans and forced to live a caged life in the land of the free, the United States. Ruth Asawa’s, whom was interned at the age of 16, designed the memorial.

My Favorite Part

My favorite part on the memorial was the picture of the families burning their belongings in order to keep their freedom. The vignette shows mothers and fathers tossing their belongings into a fire pit. In the distance you can see a man holding out his hand to his daughter who clings to what seems to be a doll. She tries to protect her doll from her father by shielding herself with her free arm. It is extremely emotional to see the desperation of these people. In order to avoid the internment camps, a life they did not deserve to live, the Japanese Americas had to escape their roots, their identity, their heritage. No innocent person should have to deny himself of who he is, especially in a country that prides itself on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These people were desperate to survive and avoid the interment camps at all costs. Interment camps that they did not deserve to live in. To see people willingly throw their cherished belongings, their memories and experiences, their identity into a fire and watch it all disappear, its heartbreaking.



Memorials like the one Ruth Asawa designed pose a bigger purpose than to be a piece of art or a piece of history. Her memorial is a lesson, it is education, to anyone willing to stop and take a look at it. With a quick glance you get to see the lives the Japanese Americans were forced to live. Education like this is priceless and hopefully enough people will take the time to stop and look and realize the struggles the Japanese Americans had to over come. Maybe then people can appreciate the diversity the United States has to offer.

Individual Blog Post #3

While checking my email I noticed the Yahoo! news feed said something about a mascot's high-five gone awry. Apparently Chicago Bulls' mascot Benny the Bull, aka Barry Anderson, went to high-five a fan and accidentally hyperextending the mans arm and rupturing his biceps muscle. The victim, Dentist Don Kalant, had surgery on his arm and could possibly miss four months of work. He is suing for medical bill, pain and loss of earnings. Although it was an obvious accident, Kalant has already filed a lawsuit at the Cook County Circuit Court. This is an unfortunate situation, however, accidents do happen and you need to pay for them. Kind of like when all the street lights were out on my ex-boyfriend's street, so when I went to park I hit a parked car and now my car insurance is through the roof. 

Drinking Coffee Where else... STARBUCKS!

The Starbucks on Los Gatos Blvd my number one place to people watch. It's not because it has the best coffee or because it's where all my friends hangout. It's not because it's a hot spot to meet guys or because it holds weekly AA meetings on wednesday nights. It's because the Starbucks on Los Gatos Blvd has the creepiest regulars this side of the Prime Meridian. Lets start with exhibit A: "Happy." Happy is a man my friends named after his rather enthusiastic and joyful persona. His usual outfit, which he happened to be wearing tonight, is a light blue t-shirt with a chest pocket and faded dark blue sweat pants covered in lint balls. Tonight, like every night, he found a table for himself, sat down with his coffee and started talking. Yes, talking, to no one in particular. I'm never quiet sure what he is saying but it must be something good because he always has a cheshire cat grin on his face that exposes his gappy, coffee stained teeth and forces his eyes  into tiny slits. Exhibit B: "The Friend." The Friend is also a regular; there hasn't been a time I haven't seen The Friend at Starbucks. The Friend got her name, not because of her obvious lack of real friends, but because she tries to make friends with everyone and anyone who happens to turn up in the coffee shop. Now there's no harm in making new friends and talking to new people, however, The Friend, tends to skip introductions and jump right into someone else's conversations. Tonight for example, The Friend was sitting at a table closest to the front exit, her back facing the table next to hers. At the table next to her a young couple was talking about the current election. The Friend interjects with, "Well I think this country is ready for some woman power!" The couple exchanged confused glances then politely laughed off her comment. When the couple started talking again The Friend was persistent in pursuing the conversation as if she was apart of it the whole time. These are just a couple of the Starbucks Friends that hangout at Los Gatos Blvd. If you would like to check out Happy, The Friend or any of the other Los Gatos Starbucks regulars you can meet them at the corner of Blossom Hill Rd and Los Gatos Blvd next to Jamba Juice. 

Fish Out of Water

I know we were suppose to explore another culture's traditional event for this blog, however, I decided to explore women's culture. In most cultures, women cook for their families every night.   Now I know how to do a lot of things. I can french braid hair, I can pitch a tent by myself and I can chip a field hockey ball into the goal. Cooking, however, is not my forte and definitely out of my comfort zone. A lot of women and men find cooking to be fun, creative and delicious. I find cooking to be work, messy and burnt. I guess I could blame my mom, for her cooking skills are not ideal either. Growing up on black, stone hard meat loaf and undercooked pasta never really encouraged me to learn to cook. However, soon I will be on my own and wont be able to pay to eat out for every meal. I figured now would be a good to learn to cook... or at least bake. I attempted to bake banana nut bread. How hard could following a recipe be? Well it just so happens, for me, its extremely hard. First, I didn't have all the ingredients I needed so I had to go to the store. Then I had to puree half of the ingredients in a food processor, which I didn't own, not to mention I wasn't sure what puree was. So I put the ingredients in a blender, which I turned on without putting the top on. Thankfully, my cooking partner slammed the top on just in time. Then i had to sift the other ingredients, which I didn't know how to do so I had to look that up. You would be surprised how hard it is to find the cooking definition of 'sifting' online. Trying to mix in cold, hard butter into the sifted ingredients was the real challenge. It didn't occur to me to melt the butter a little before adding it in. I decided it would be a good idea to try and smash the butter into the sifted ingredients with what looked like oversized brass knuckles. Apparently it was some kind of bakery tool... or so I was told. After that failed, I tried to blend the butter in with an electric blender. After cleaning up the powdered covered kitchen after that bad idea, I just decided that it would be easier to add the rest of the ingredients all together. In the end, my cooking disaster was only burnt around the edges and the center of the bread tasted like actual banana bread. It was a stressful, uncomfortable and messy event but I did learn a lot about cooking. I think I'll see more of it in the future and with my experience from today, hopefully next time it will be a smoother experience. 

Individual Blog Post #2

An artist starved a dog for art! I don't even remember where I first read this story but it's been on blogs, facebook, myspace and all over the internet. Apparently (according to one source) a costa rican artist starved a dog for an art exhibit in Nicaragua. Because Nicaragua doesn't have animal cruelty laws against actions like these, the artist couldn't be prosecuted. It has recently been discovered (through multiple other blogs) that this story was a complete hoax. The story first turned up in a Nicaragua newspaper claiming that the artist Guillermo Vargas, had starved the dog for an exhibit and chained it up, not letting anyone give it any food or water. As it turns out, Vargas found the dog in the streets and used it as an example that people wouldn't care about the dog if it were running the streets starving; only if it were on display would people take interest. Supposedly the dog was fed periodically throughout the exhibit. The local animal shelter released a statement saying that the dog was in a state of starvation and was only in the exhibit for one day before it escaped. Just goes to show you, you can't always believe what your hear, no matter how many blogs you read. Stick to your traditional media!!! Even the blogs on credible organization's websites are not always completely accurate. 

This Weeks Media Blog EDITED

This week Barack Obama has an eight-point lead over John McCain. The Yahoo! article explained that Obama has  his lead over Clinton in the Democratic race to 26 percent points. Earlier this month Barack Obama has two big losses to Clinton in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It is speculated that Obama's losses are from his controversial comments on race and religion and the comment about "bitter" small-town residents who cling to guns and religion due to their economic situation. 

A poll showed that the people think Obama is a better steward of the economy than McCain, however just last month McCain led Obama by three points on the same issue. 

This is huge news. In only a month the country has shifted their view on the candidates. If our opinions can change that fast it is hard to predict who will win in the final election.

Only time will tell who our next president will be. Let the games continue. 

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

Z.Z. Packer’s style of writing is very descriptive. Every paragraph has a lot of imagery and similes to really show what is going on. The descriptions are so vivid and detailed that each reader could imagine the same thing because the wording is so exact and distinct.

For example, in the first chapter Packer is describing the Brownie troop girls laughing. She says:

The girls in my troop turned elastic: Drema and Elise doubled up on one another like inextricably entwined kites; Octavia slapped her belly; Janice jumped straight up in the air, then did it again, as if to slam-dunk her own head.

The way she describes the girls I can actually see them in my head falling all over each other, laughing. She describes the little girls in a way that is real; anyone who has been around elementary school girls would find these characters relatable and realistic. When she talks about the children calling everything “Caucasian” it made me laugh out loud because that’s sometime kids would do. My younger brother is going through that phase right now and calls everything ”Mexican.” He’s not racist (I hope), he just doesn’t really understand what he is saying, he just says it because it’s “the thing to do.”

I also liked how she tied in a simple story about her troop leaders belt made from baby pigeon feathers and brought it back to illustrate how rare Caucasians were in the south suburbs of Atlanta. I thought it was very clever and funny and it made a seemingly pointless story turn into an important comparison.

Word of the Week

Empirical

Source: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/naturres.php
Sentence: I present the first two terms -- theoretical and empirical -- together because they are often contrasted with each other.
adj. 1. derived from or guided by experience or experiment. 2. depending upon experience or observation alone, without using scientific method or theory, esp. as in medicine. 3. provable or verifiable by experience or experiment.
New Sentence: The empirical data gathered from his experiements concluded that his hypothesis was wrong.

Copy Edit the World

Here is a doll that was being sold at Big Lots. It is a real doll that was being sold FOR REAL, not as a joke. Her name is Morend Girl.

This is her...


This is the top of the box. Not the best picture but it says, "Collecting and keep bestly will be best you own ,quike come to buy me ,do not miss!



The lower right hand corner of the box.... It says, "You had BETTER COLLECT and keep."



This is on the bottom of the box. "I will be best friend for you! I like to make friends with you!"



And here is the back of the box. It is a really bad picture but I will tell you what it says.



Line 1: Guide the vogue current, give you the cool to enjoy. (What?!)
Line 2: Shared the joy that beauty bring.
Line 3: Do not miss the different Vogue Current. (That one isn't so bad.)
Line 4: Do not forget to follow your friend is shared together.
Line 5: We will have a good time! (Normal)
Line 6: Have a good time! (Also normal)
Line 7: Let us own a fine recollection. (Um....okay?)

NPR Radio interview analysis

The interview I listened to was with writer Aram Roston who wrote "The Man Who Pushed America to War." The interviewer knew the background of what the book was about and the war in Iraq. Mostly the interviewer asked the interviewee to explain the situation in Iraq and what his views are on the situation. Many of the follow up questions were to expand and explain more about what he was taking about. The interviewers strategy was mostly focusing on a complex subject the interviewee was talking about and having the interviewee explain it more. She also asked the interviewee his opinion about the situation a lot and explain his reasoning. Any inadequate answers were handle by asking basically the same question again in a different way or gearing the answer into a new question that would better explain the original question. The relationship between the  interviewer and the interviewee is strictly professional. It is a serious subject they are talking about and so they are not joking or playful with each other. 

What I learned from this interview is the importance of knowing how to act during an interview. In some interviews it is okay to be more playful and joke around and in other times it is better to be more professional. Also I learned that it is important to enquire about things that the interviewer says because that can stem into a really good story or explanation. It is better to have the interviewer elaborate instead of sticking to and trying to get through the prepared questions. 

Word of the Week # 7

Parapsychological

Source: internet

Sentence: Past president (1995) and President-Elect (2002-2003) of the Parapsychological Association.

adj. beyond normal physical explanation

new sentence: There is a boy that leaves a parapsychological feeling with me every time we see each other; it is one that I can't quite explain.

Guess Who

Saturday, perhaps his favorite day of the week. No work, no church, and best of all, no thinking. He takes a seat in on the right end of the couch in front of the TV, a place he is all too familiar with. The seat is indented with an imprint of his rear which he habitually scratches before sits down. He cracks open a Bud and rests it on his oversized belly which constantly comes in handy as a personal table. He pulls out of one of his favorite foods, a doughnut. A glaze, grape jelly filled doughnut. Before he takes a bite he utters, "MMMMMM, doooouughnuuut." The first bite is oh so delicious but wait....doh! A blob of purple jelly spilled onto his white collar t-shirt and blue jeans. 

Word of the Week

Roughshod

Source: Communication Studies Reader

Sentence: Throughout the third world, large multinational corporations often ride roughshod over the interests of local people.

adj. able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering, unjustly domineering

new sentence: The managers rode roughshod over the hard-working employees; they worked for 11 cents an hour but had no other choice. 

Word of the Week #5

Technocratic
Source: Comm 144 Reader
Sentence: "In technocratic organizations, such as the flexible and ever-changeing firms that thrive in the electronics industry and other turbulent environments, power and accountability are directly linked to one's technical knowledge and expertise."

–adjective of, pertaining to, or designating a technocrat or technocracy.
(technocrat: n A technical expert, especially one in a managerial or administrative position.)

Bill did not was to work for the company because it was too technocratic and he has no special technical expertise.

Journal #2 Differences Between Media

On Extra, Mark McGrath reported on Jennifer Aniston’s possible new man. The television show said only a few sentences about the situation, telling that she was seen leaving Courtney Cox’s house with the “mystery man” after an event.

An article in People Magazine goes a little deeper into Aniston’s personal life. The story begins with a little background of Aniston’s love life by mentioning her latest break up with Vince Vaughn. Then the story moves on to talk about her new “mystery man,” however, the article goes more in-depth than the TV reporters had. It describes what the man looked like and a number of places they had been spotted together. It also describes how “he gently rubbed her back” on one occasion. The article end by concluding that even though Aniston is dating, she doesn’t need a man to make her happy. I’m guessing they added that part to lash back at all the articles that claim Aniston is still crying over Brad Pitt.

Over all the differences between the two media is that the television gives a short update and gets right to the point. It is concise and to the point. Magazines are more in-depth and give more background and information about the story.

Word of the Week #4

Scintilla
Source: Emerging Global Cultures
Sentence: The US has resisted the slightest complained bitterly in recent years about the prospect of surrendering a scintilla of its own sovereignty, whether to NATO commanders, to supra national ........
scin·til·la (sn-tl)

n.

1. A minute amount; an iota or trace.

2. A spark; a flash.

New Sentence: After the boy peed his pants he didn't have a scintilla of dignity left.

Library Art

The piece I enjoyed most at the library is a painting by Dewey Crumpler called, African Human Soup.


In this painting it shows a man eating soup made of African people. The painting shows a white male pouring "human soup" made of black men into a bowl. The thermos the soup is being poured from has red on the bottom of it and the of the thermos which is also red lays under the thermos in the left has corner. A man in the bowl on the right said of the painting is wearing a red shirt.

The blue in the painting brings a sense depression and sorrow while the red frames the black men, bringing the saucer full of human soup to the eye's attention.

I admire this piece because of it brings a sense of awareness and sadness about discrimination and oppression towards Africans. The nonchalant look on the white man’s face as he pours out the desperate and crippled men speaks volumes about the power white males had over blacks.

Word of the Week #3

ac·co·lade (āk'ə-lād', -läd') Pronunciation Key n.
An expression of approval; praise.
A special acknowledgment; an award.
A ceremonial embrace, as of greeting or salutation.
Ceremonial bestowal of knighthood.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Sentence: It isn't even about industry accolades.
New Sentence: She had a wall dedicated to her accolades.

Word of the Week #2

deleterious
1. injurious to health: deleterious gases.
2. harmful; injurious: deleterious influences.

Source: Emerging Global Cultures

Sentence: Efforts focused on improving the lot of such people without changing their lifestyle to fit into the world system can be deleterious to them.

My Sentence: Little did the boy know, the water contained deleterious elements that could be fatal.

Telling Details

Bark, bark, bark!

A six-pound blur of fury bounds across Butcher Dog Park and pounces on a white, shaggy haired terrier mix. He runs away looking over his right shoulder but the terrier gives him a smug look. She isn’t interested in playing.

Bark, bark, bark!

The scruffy pup growls playfully at the variety of dogs in hopes of finding a playmate. He bows, tail high in the air wagging furiously and screams, “BARK!” He glances up; his lips curled into a smile as if to say, “Look at me, Mom.”

“That’s a cute ‘lil one right there,” says a women using one hand to point at the talkative puppy and the other to tug on the spandex between her colliding thighs. Then she runs her hands through her home-highlighted blonde mullet, which had been pulled back into a braided ponytail. Although the zippers on her leather jacket were blindingly bright, less could be said about her smile. Only a few teeth were missing, however, the remnants of her breakfast seemed to fill the gaps nicely. After adjusting her dark brown, over sized biker sunglasses, she waddles over to a bench showing off some very impressive wedgy release maneuvers. Unfortunately, attempts fail due to her three-sizes-too-small, worn, black stretch pants. She plops down on a bench opposite of her equally attractive friend and pulls her faded Oakland A’s t-shirt from her belly rolls. “Yup, that’s a cute one.”

Late Breaking Assignment: Super Bowl Ads

In the past there have been some pretty epic Super Bowl commercials. I don't think anyone can forget the infamous 'WHAZZZZUUUP!' Budweiser commercial. How about last years General Motors male strip down car wash commercial? Lets face it, the Super Bowl isn't just about the football; people look forward to seeing the ads. Well this year I was gravely disappointed with the advertisements. They lacked the creativity and humor that past Super Bowl commercials provided. This year's commercials were weak and unmemorable. 

My favorite commercial, however, was the Tide-to-Go commercial. In the commercial a man is in an interview and he has a huge coffee stain on his shirt. Every time he attempts to talk the stain shouts over him. The employer can't hear anything the man is saying because the stain is too distracting. 

I thought this was the best commercial because it portrayed stains in as they are in real life: loud, distracting, and annoying. I think people can sympathize with both the employer, who can't pay attention to anything but the stain, and the man, who couldn't outshine his stain. 

Everyone knows it, by far the worst commercials this year were from  SalesGenie.com. Not only were the commercials creepy cartoons, I don't think they were politically correct. Panda Bears with chinese accents? Don't forget Rhamesh, the Indian salesman with seven kids. To be honest I thought more people would be offended by these commercials. I wouldn't say they are racist but definitely stereotyping two cultures that are prominent within the United States. 

Overall I was dissatisfied with the advertising. It didn't meet past years standards.

My Favorite Writing

Juno Nation

By Christina Spines

Entertainment Weekly

February 8, 2008

I read an article, Juno Nation, in Entertainment Weekly. It is about the blow up of the teen movie, Juno, which no one saw coming. The author, Christine Spine, points out that Ellen Page, aka Juno, has created an on screen female hero that hasn't been seen before. Spine says that Juno is the first female antihero who is empowered by her differences. She compares Juno to other rebellious, not your average girl characters, such as Ally Sheedy in 'The Breakfast Club.' Sheedy's character is an outcast and her oddness holds her back she even changes to be more of a "pretty" girl. However, Juno's quirks make her the strongest character in the movie. 

Everyone can identify with Juno, Whether it be wanting to be more outspoken and witty like her or purely understanding Juno's outlook on life, there is something about this character that attracts so many people to this movie. 

Spines focuses on the fact that Ellen Page brings so much to the chracter which is why the movie is such a success. Page even helped create ideas for the character's wardrobe and added in her own lingo like "fo-shizz."

This piece of writing is great because it is entertaining and realy explains why Juno became a phenomenon. It is a brilliant movie. It has a serious message but is portrayed in a comical light making it enjoyable for so many different types of people. 

Word of the Week #1 edited

Sarcophagi 

Source: My brother's homework handout on Mini Tombs 

How it was used: Some mummies have been found within multiple nesting sarcophagi.

Definition: (noun) 1. a stone coffin, edp. one bearing sculptures, inscriptions, ect., often displayed as a monument 2. a kind of stone thought to consume the flesh of corpses, used for coffins

Sentence: The mummy hunters opened up the sarcophagi and found an ancient mummy inside. 

My Second Blog... the first one was deleted

So this is my second blog. The one I just wrote was deleted and now I only have five minutes until class is over.

My name is Sharon Seitz and I am a public relations major. I want to be an event planner. I really like school unless I have to rewrite blogs. I've been fortunate my whole life. I grew up in a nice neighborhood where my two best friends lived right across the street. They still do to this day, at least when they are not away at school. I live with my parents and my three brothers. I have two dogs, Buddy and Sprite, and five parrots.

I love animals. One day I hope to collect all the unwanted pets and put them on a farm where I can take care of them. That is the goal anyway. While most college students like to go out and party, I just like to relax at home. I don't understand how these people can stay up so late so many weekends in a row. I always have too much homework to even think about going out. 

My favorite move of all time is Mean Girls. 

Oh yeah, and I'm not allowed to ride a bike. I guess now I can since I'm over 18. In high school I fell off a bike twice and had to get stitched twice. After the second spill my parents got rid of my bike and told me it was too dangerous and that I was going to ruin my face. Thankfully the scars are on my chin and not anywhere more noticeable. Especially since one of my scars is blue for some unknown reason. 

Well class is over, hope you enjoyed my short blog! Thanks for reading.