So I am looking through stories on the Sun-Sentinel Website and I come across this article from the LATimes called, Can a Troubled Economy Actually Improve Public Health? The article is about how the current state of the economy is somewhat linked to people living longer due to them taking less risks. They are saying how there are less accidents now that people are driving less, and there are drops in obesity as well.
For my multi - ethnic reporting class I was told to go on this Harvard Website to take a test that tells how racist you actually are. I had to take the test to see which I preferred, Arabs or white Americas, blacks or whites, Jewish people or other religions and one test that tested which country you saw better, India, Japan or China.
At first I thought the results of these tests would be dumb, and not have anything to do with me what so ever. Come on what does some guy at Harvard know about my thoughts? Turns out, that guy from Harvard knows a lot about me, GO HARVARD! (There would normally but a mascot name there but Harvard doesn't have one. There is John Harvard but how horrid does Go John Harvard sound?)
According to the test I strongly prefer the Jewish faith over other religions. When I saw the result of this quiz, it made me laugh at first. People always assume that since I am a Muslim girl from Iran I must hate everything that has to do with Judaism. Actually, fact that I strongly prefer the Jewish religion is a direct result of my upbringing with people who happen to be Jewish. Growing up all my close friends have been Jewish. Without sounding stereotypical, my best friends are all Jewish. I love the religion; I honestly think it is a beautiful one filled with a lot of traditions. I grew up going to my friends houses for Passover, Hanukkah, Yom Kippur and other Jewish holidays.
The test results on which race I like better, Arabs or whites, shocked me a little. Thinking that I did not see a difference between blacks and whites I would not see a difference in this category either, turns out I do. I prefer Arabs, only slightly though, over whites. I did not think these results were right at first but I stopped and thought it for a second. I am Persian, and although I am not in anyway ethically similar to Arabs, I am close to them in other ways. We share a region, a religion, although different branches, and similar history. In a way we are neighbors, and aren't you supposed to love thou neighbor?
Who knew this much would come from some test. I guess I owe my friends at Harvard an apology for doubting the school. But honestly when it comes to race I think people can change their views, and that a test does not say it all. I think country band Montgomery Gentry said it best with the first part of their song, Some People Change.
*Not the best quality but here are the lyrics, read them they are beautiful!
His old man was a rebel yeller: Bad boy to the bone. He'd say: "Can't trust that other fella," He'd judge 'em by the tone of their skin. He was raised to think like his Dad: Narrow mind full of hate. On the road to no-where fast, Till the Grace of God got in the way. Then he saw the Light an' hit his knees an' cried an' said a prayer: Rose up a brand new man; left the old one right there.
Here's to the strong; thanks to the brave. Don't give up hope: some people change. Against all odds, against the grain, Love finds a way: some people change.
She was born with her mother's habit: You could say: "It's in her blood." She hates that she's gotta have it: As she fills her glass up. An she'd love to kill that bottle, But all she can think about, Is a, a better life, a second chance, An' everyone she's letting down. She throws that bottle down.
Here's to the strong; thanks to the brave. Don't give up hope: some people change. Against all odds, against the grain, Love finds a way: some people change.
Thank God for those who make it: Let them be the Light.
(Let them be the light) (Some people change.) Here's to the strong; thanks to the brave. Don't give up hope: some people change. Against all odds, against the grain, Love finds a way: some people change. Some people change.
I remember being in the 11th grade and sitting in my American history class listening to my teacher talk about how he felt when Reagan ran for his first term. He spoke about how moved he felt when he would hear Reagan speak and how he finally felt as if there was hope for the future of his country thanks to him. He felt moved and a part of the cause. When Reagan won he felt as if he had won the election as well. He told us about how Reagan became his voice and that he felt a personal connection to the candidate.
I HAD NO CLUE WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT!
At the time Kerry was running for president and lets face it he was not that good at making young people feel anything. But now that Obama is on the ticket, as corny as this is going to sound, I finally know what he was talking about. There is something that happens when Obama speaks that gives me hope, that makes me feel proud and that change is on the way. I am not saying that Obama will do for the democrats what Reagan did for the republicans, but he could come as close as any one in his party has ever gotten. Reagan's impacts are still being felt until this day on the party. He set the platform for the party and love him or hate him he was a good politician and a VERY strong speaker!
But so is Obama. He is a better public speaker than McCain. The same way that Reagan outspoke Carter, hands down.
The funny part of this all is that right now the republicans are saying that Obama is too big of a celebrity to make a good president. Yet the one of the best republican presidents, the man who reformed and began a party revolution in this country, was indeed a celebrity.
*For class too. We are supposed to blog about something that makes us uneasy and go out and explore it.
As I was driving to a place where I had to do an interview today, I got lost. No, I got really lost! I drove around the Miami International Airport area enough times to make my full tank of gas go down to half a tank. While I was driving I realized that I needed help and stopped at a pink building to ask for directions. What made me turn into it was the sign that said valet. Hey a valet would know his or her way around town, right?
So I pull up and roll down my window, and ask the man for directions. He says, "do you want an application?" I ask my question again, and he tells me where to go but every few seconds he stops and asks me the same question. Now I need a job, but I could not for the life of me figure out why he was asking. As I left I realized that it was a strip club parking lot I was leaving called, The Pink Pussycat.
The thought of that guy asking me if I want to work there still makes me want to throw up. In fact, the whole idea of the adult industry makes me want to throw up. I understand people like it, but I personally do not get why anyone would want to see porn or see another person take their clothes off. I do not get why people will want to do that.
These places scare me, and I don't know why. Maybe it is because I was brought up in a home where we never spoke about sex. We never talk about relationships or anything romantic. I guess this is where my dislike for the industry starts. Of course, I do love the show Girls Next Door, so I guess I am okay with the idea of a porn star, as long as he or she stays clothed and acts normal on camera.
So my project, overcome this fear of porn, or at least become more comfortable with the idea.
Okay, so for my Multi Ethic Reporting class we are supposed to write a blog about what we talk about in class. Since I do not know if I can add this blog onto this one or not, I have decided to just write on this until I am told otherwise.
So in our last class we were talking about the importance of accepting other cultures and embracing differences, which on the surface sounds like an after school special. topic. Of course, out of the idea of racism came about the fear of differences, and honestly I think that this fear is a result of our own doing. In fact, fearing others is what this country was founded on, hell for worse or for better we are a country of racist.
What do John Smith and the rest of the Virginia colonist have in common with the pilgrims? And no, it's not that one landed on a rock that no one cares about and one landed on the coast that people travel to on their own free will. Honestly, how many of us have visited Plymouth rock, and how many of us enjoyed it? Both groups ran into Indians when they came to this country and both were afraid of them. Despite what we hear on Thanksgiving the first Americans looked down to the natives and did not see them as their equals. Both groups essentially exchanged small pox infested blankets with the Indians for land and food. And while we have apologized for it, Indians remain the minority group with the highest numbers in teen pregnancy, alcoholism and drug abuse in many areas around the country. Think about we, I just referred to the people who were living here before the first settlers came as a minority group! And then there are the sterotypes that Indians are lazy people, who all use their magical money dances to steal all your money in their casinos as a form of revenge. I guess no one can admit that they may just suck at poker and gambling away your child's college fund may not be a good idea.
And the same thing happened to the Irish, Italians, Africans, women, gays, Hispanic, Chinese, Japanese and more recently Middle Easterners, along with nearly every other group in this country. America is racist, and that is the reality of it and it is not right. This whole tradition of racism needs to stop. I think that we are advance enough to leave our history of hate behind us, and since almost every group has been discriminated against, we should know better than to discriminate agisnt others.
But this is not just an American problem. I think that white people get a lot of blame for being racist when in reality minorities are often more racist than anyone. Come on, we can get away with saying ethnic jokes and we get away with it! I think as a nation we need to look at ourselves and say "I am a little racist but I will no longer be afraid of coming forward and talking about it. I will learn about different cultures and learn that people are people." People are like that box of chocolates some are really good and some are so awful you wonder why they were made and if anyone likes them.
But until then, I think the writers, actors and puppets of Avenue Q said it best when they said that Everyone's A Little Bit Racist.
I am the worlds worst lair, and since I told one today, actually within ten mintues of waking up, I feel that I need to confess my sin.
Here it goes: Forgive me father, or in this case readers, it has been a few weeks since my last confession. I told the person I am interning for I could not come in today because of school, but I really have a story to do for the newspaper. I didn't mean to lie. I just had because I haven't had a story in a while and figure if I do one now more is to come.
It has to be that time of year again, I just know it is. I cannot breathe half the time, my face is burning, I can feel myself turning 22423423 shades of red and I cannot sleep because I just keep worrying. And I know why. It happens at the start of every semester, I get scared.
No, forget that, I lose all sense of sanity and lose every ounce of logic that I have ever had within me. I just cannot help but worry what is going to happen to be when I start classes tomorrow. I feel like I am back in the first grade, not knowing any English, sitting in the front of the room and wondering how all the kids in class are so smart while I have no idea what is going on, and this happens at the start of every new school year. It's sad, I know.
Only now that I am in college my worry has gotten worse. I am not only concerned about what is going to happen the first day of school but the rest of my life as well. I have two years until I am done with college. I could have been done in a year but I decided to extend my stay at FIU. All I keep thinking is what am I going to do with my life when this is all done, and yes this has added to my worrying enough to keep me up at night. In two short years, I need to pick what I am going to do, go to grad school or get a job? I don't even know how to do either of those things, they never taught me and again, how do you know which one to do. I feel lost.
I know what I want out of my life, I have always known what I want the outcome to be, but I have no idea how to get there. It's actually really funny, they raise us with these phrases like, reach for your dreams and you can do whatever you want if you work hard enough. This advice does motivate people, including me, to aspire to certain goals, but it doesn't tell us how to get there. I guess this is partly due to the fact that there is not one answer to all the worlds problems.
As childlike as this is going to sound I honestly think that making choices is one of the hardest things to do in life, no really Paradise we all know that. How do we know if we are making the right ones and what will truly make us happy in the end if there is always that what is. Hey worriers like me think about stuff like that, get over it. Maybe I am making a bigger deal of all this than I should, I worry a lot. I know I do. And who knows maybe my neurotic nerves will help me onto finding what I am looking for.
All that is clear to be right now is that it is 1:25 a.m. and I am still awake worry about something that will work out in the end. I know in less than 12 hours I will be sitting in a classroom wondering why I was ever sitting on my bed worrying about stuff like this.
The first thing I am doing when I get back to Florida, after I sleep of course, is going to be beach! I have not seen a palm tree in forever and I think I forgot what the sound of waves crashing on the shore. Then again it is nice seeing little Christmas trees everywhere.
Last night we went to a Greek Fest, which of course made me miss Miami more. I just don't think that it is socially acceptable to eat Greek food and not have an ocean near by. It's just wrong, I am sure there is a law about it somewhere, just look it up.
:0(
*home sick a little
I did however see something yesterday that reminded me of Miami. We were driving in downtown Ottawa and I see this sign that says "VIVA CUBA!" on it. I should have taken a picture of it, oh well.
Hey ya'll, I am so sorry I am slow in posting on this, the Internet is a little slow here in Canada. Today is my last full day here, and I am back to the hotness of Florida. Can you believe it is 65 here! And their idea of rain, if you want to call it that, are our sun showers, oh to be Canadian.
Tonight we are off to a county fair, then to drink bubble tea, after we are off to the casino. I still have not bought any ketchup chips but I promise I will soon. I cannot believe I am out of here so quickly. My flight leaves at 2p.m. tomorrow and I don't land in Florida until 1 a.m. Did I get the worst flight ever? I think I did!!
Hey ya'll... So while I am in Canada there will be one major change to this blog and that is there will be no links or pictures added to it. WHY? Because it takes forever for me to load one page on the computers here due to the low speed Internet, that's why.
Anywho, that is really the only thing I can complain about here in Canada, not bad eh? I have not really watched TV at all since I have been here, sorry I still cannot report how the news is here, and I have not used my cell phone once. No text messages, no checking my e-mail a million times a day, no phone calls at random times. I finally have quite in a place where everyone is still attached to those things. I love it!!
My new goal while I am here though is to buy liquor and do so legally! The legal age to drink in this provience is 19, a good age when you think about it because I feel 18 is much to young. I really wanna buy something while I am here simply because I cannot do it for another year and a few months back in America. I still feel kind of like I am cheating the system if I buy wine or something, ha I will drink in public and do so under 21! (take that!)
I do not have a camera here but I am using my cousins, so there will be photos when I get back to the states. :0)
Hello ya'll and greetings from Canadaland! Okay, so that is not the offical name of the country but that does not mean that I cannot call it that. I just got in Canada yesterday and after delayed flights and trying to figure out why we have to pay for drinks of a plane I have can honestly say that travling is not for the light at heart. I am writings this blog on my cousins computer and to be honest it feels so weird to write in a differnt location and on a differnt copmputer than I am used to. I know this sounds weird but every laptop has a feel to it, and while the keys are always in the same place the way that the spirit of each computer is differnt. It sounds crazy I know but I swear it is true, luckliy this one has a good vide to it. So far I am trying to get over how odd it is to be watching Canadian TV. Why? Because shows that are traditionally on ABC, such as Greek or Punk'd which is normally on MTV are both on the same network here. In fact Are You Smarter Than a 5TH Grader is called Are You Smarter Than a Canadian 5th Grader maybe it is silly but I find it funny. From a media standpoint, there are a lot more commericals for radio stations here, which I love because I do not think people are exposed to good shows anymore. Also a lot of the commericals have a lot to do with human rights and equality, something that I think we need more of in the states. There is a sense of unity in Candaian TV that we do not get in the states. Why am I talking about commericals, well because they feed to the taste of a nation, state and or community. To understand a countries ads and news, which I have yet to read or watch yet, you can get a sense of what the people in this country find important and what the culture is all about.
Nothing else too exciting to report yet but I promise I will yet ya'll updated on my trip. Missing ya'll so much!
Batman in my opinion is not a superhero. he is a hero but does not have super quailities about him. he does not fly see through wall turn into fire or become a hero against his will, he never had to deicide if he was good or evil and if he wanted to be a hero. he woke up one day and wanted to do it, he is a rich man with time on his hands and money to burn. Think about it people never pick really rich when asked what superpower they want to have.
*The reason this is not with the blog below is that my phone won't let me.
Okay so I am currently sitting in the movies watching Dark Knight for the second time against my will. * My grammar maybe horrid in this because I am typing on my cell phone. As I am sitting here watching I think I figured out why I am not as crazy for this movie as everyone else is. It is not because this movie is poorly made, it is a solid movie. Well kind of, I like the fact that this movie shows the fight between good and evil and does so in a modern manner. I love the connection with the war on terror "play the hero long enough to become the villian." The acting for the most part is decent but there is something missing. Christian Baole, as good as he may look, does not give me the batman vibe. The only reason to watch this movie is Heath.
but no, that is not the reason something does not sit well... I can let the acting go and the inconsisanities with international realtions. The reason it doesn't sit well is that something gets lost in the story telling. There is no connection, we do not get into their lives and understand the characters, they lack development everything just happens. yes this is a superhero movie, but look at spiderman, you cared about him watching that movie because he was relateable. you understood your hero. and it did not matter if you missed one of the movies, you got into it and understood he did what he did. I have seen Dark Knight twice and I still don't feel the connection, nor do I think that this movie warrents a second viewing,hence why I am blogging during the movie instead of watching it. This movie is not like Tiainic where you watch it a million times and are still in love with it and feel something everytime. No this is the movie you watch once, understand why the war on terror is a lose lose situation and move on. That is all.
Don't get me wrong this is a good movie, but not one that I would say is welcoming to non superhero fans such as myself.
oooo and speaking of superheros, is batman really a superhero?
Hello!
My name is Paradise, and yes it is my real name. And no I am not from the islands and my parents are not hippies.Sorry but people always ask.
I am a huge believer in people learning from one another, and really want to share what I have learned about journalism, school and everything in between with ya'll!
By the way I am a little cynical and overly sarcastic at times. Oh who am I kidding I have gotten so good at the whole sarcasm thing that people sometimes have a hard time telling if I am kidding or not. Blame the dry humor.
