1/11/10

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100111/ap_en_ot/us_avatar_racism

A group of people that have watched the movie "Avatar" claims that the movie contains racist themes in the movie and especially in end where the villain says "How does it feel to betray your own race?". While both characters are white, some people saw the fact that the white hero saving the natives was racist in certain ways. Others say that the movie "Avatar" is "a fantasy about race told from the point of view of white people" and that it reinforces "the white Messiah fable." Even more, the people playing as the Na'vi are played by actors of color, which only adds to the opinion that this movie is racist.

This article is news because it affects people in the movie industries and the people that watch the movie. If it is indeed racist, it might affect the parents perspective of their kids watching movies similar to the "Avatar"

I haven't watched this movie so I wouldn't know if it's racist or not

1/4/10

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=ap-usc-sanctions&prov=ap&type=lgns

USC penalizes men’s hoops for violating NCAA rules

The University of Southern California found out that O.J. Mayo violated NCAA rules during his 2007-2008 season with the Trojans. The team will vacate it's 21 victories during the 07-08 season and will return the money they received through the Pac-10 for being in the 08 tournament and playing O.J. Mayo while he was ineligible.

This is news because this article is about being ethical. Even though the school didn't know a player was playing basketball while ineligible, they addressed it to the press once they've found out about it. Some schools would hide the fact that they broke NCAA rules but fortunately, they were honest and told the truth.

Although they are hurting themselves by loosing money and deducting wins from their 07-08 season, I believe it was the right thing to do. To have the obligation to do something right when something wrong has happened is a very ethical decision and the right decision in my opinion.

Diversity article

This article is about Tiger Woods and how the society alienated him from the black community. In the past, this article says that the black community has claimed Tiger Woods as one of their own, people are so used to thinking Tiger is black that even commentators refer to him as black or african/american. Tiger Woods is half african american and half Thai, even so people continue to call him african american. Black people were claiming Tiger as one of their own because he was on top of the sports world, was one of the highest paid athelete and had never had so much as a hint of scandal in his life. But recently ever since Tiger has gone down the popularity chart blacks have somewhat abandoned him and began to question if he's really black at all.

This is news because it affects a large population on foreign sports players and the community that supports them.

I don't agree with people not supporting Tiger Woods just because of a screwup. Everyone screws up but eventually they improve themselves and the african american community will claim Tiger once again. I think this shows how much loyalty black people have for Tiger Woods.

http://www.examiner.com/x-6996-Louisville-Economic-Policy-Examiner~y2009m12d8-Is-Tiger-Woods-a-Victim-of-Racism--by-Blacks

Song Analysis

Song: Ghetto Gospel
Artist: 2Pac
Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
Time period/year of release: 2004
Issue addressed: It addresses some serious social issues that people enounter everyday throughout their lives. Such as drug use, violence, etc.
Artist’s point of view: In this song, 2Pac sees the world as a corrupt place to live in. He sees people ruining their lives because of violence and drug use.

Lyrics:
Ghetto Gospel lyrics
(feat. Elton John)

[Chorus - Elton John:]
Those who wish to follow me (My ghetto gospel)
I welcome with my hands
And the red sun sinks at last into the hills of gold
And peace to this young warrior without the sound of guns

[2Pac]
If I could recelect before my hood dayz
I'd sit and reminisce, ni*ga and bliss on the good dayz
i stop and stare at the younger, my heart goes to'em
They tested, it was stressed that they under
In our days, things changed
Everyone's ashamed to the youth cuz the truth looks strange
And for me it's reversed, we left them a world that's cursed, and it hurts
cause any day they'll push the button
and yall condemned like Malcolm x and Bobby Hunton, died for nothin
Don't them let me get teary, the world looks dreary
but when you wipe your eyes, see it clearly
there's no need for you to fear me
if you take the time to hear me, maybe you can learn to cheer me
it aint about black or white, cuz we're human
I hope we see the light before its ruined
my ghetto gospel

[Chorus - Elton John]

[2Pac]
Tell me do you see that old lady aint it sad
Living out a bag, but she's glad for the little things she has
And over there there's a lady, cr*ck got her crazy
Guess she's given birth to a baby
I don't trip and let it fade me, from outta the frying pan
We jump into another form of slavery
Even now I keep discouraged
Wonder if they take it all back while I still keep the courage
I refuse to be a role model
I set goals, take control, drink out my own bottle
I make mistakes, I learn from everyone
And when its said and done
I bet this Brotha be a better one
If I'm upset, you don't stress
Never forget, that God hasn't finished with me yet
I feel his hand on my brain
When I write rhymes, I go blind, and let the lord do his thang
But am I less holy
Cuz I choose to puff a blunt and drink a beer with my homies
Before we find world peace
We gotta find peace in that war on the streets
My ghetto gospel

[Chorus - Elton John]

2004 Events:
- Summer olymics took place in Athens, Greece
- Scientists in South Korea cloned 30 human embryos
- President Bushwas reelected
- Flight 604 of flash airlines crashed into the Red sea. This killed 148 people which were on board
- Hajj Stampede kills 251 people in Mina
- An earthquake kills 186,983 people in Southeast Asia
- Several people are killed in Saudi Arabia because of a terrorist attack on U.S Consulate

Issue: Drug Use & Violence
Who it affects: Everyone
Significance of the issue: The corruption of society is related to the violence and drug use and other issues people encounter throughout their lives
Type of Issue: Political, Economic & Ethical issue
Control of the issue: There isn't a single person that has full control of the issue. We have to work together in order to fix the issue of drug use and violence.
What has been done to adress the issue: Laws that make it illegal but it's becoming more of a problem.

Yes, I do support the artist's opinion of society. I believe that violence and drug use is corrupting the world but we aren't doing a lot to solve these issues. I don't think there is a way to completely remove violence and drug use from this world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004
http://www.metrolyrics.com/ghetto-gospel-lyrics-2pac.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jrRecvJZRM&hd=1
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/drugs_and_violence/Drugs_and_violence.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyal_to_the_Game
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupac_Shakur

Article on Racism

Jan. 6, 2007, Heather Ellis was found cutting in front of waiting customers at Walmart located in Kennett. According to other people, she shoved items already placed on the conveyor belt out of the way so she could get her items checked out first. She claims that she was just joining her cousin but she also said that after she placed her items on the conveyor belt she was pushed by a white customer, called racial slurs and mistreated physically by police officers. Ellis refused to calm herself down in court, kicking someones shin and splitting another persons lip while resisting arrest. She also claims that an officer and a manager was called over and even though she said she wanted to pay for her items, the manager yelled at her, telling her to leave the store. The police officers were called and they followed her to the parking lot using racial slurs and telling Ellis to go back to the ghetto. She eventually pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and disturbing the peace.

This is a big issue because it has racial overtones since Ellis is black and the police officers, manager, and the customer she argued with were white.

www.leadershiparticles.net

1. What aspect of leadership does it cover?

This article covers motivation. It is talking about how a quote about success can motivate you since people like hearing about successful people. According to this article, there is an aura around successful people that attracts other people.

2. What does the author say about leadership? What kind of audience is the author trying to reach.

The author is telling us that successful people can be great leaders with them not knowing it. A simple quote coming out of a persons mouth "can ignite a spark within you and fuel the passion that will help you achieve the goal that you've been wanting to for so long." The author is trying to reach people seeking for motivation towards their goal.

3. Who is it going to affect? How is it going to affect a large population of the world and possibly you?

It really depends on the person, A sentence can mean a lot of things to different people so some may not receive the message of motivation as others do. It will probably affect a large population if a famous person quotes something inspirational and motivating.

4. What is it that makes this an important article about leadership? (5 points)

It tells us a way that we can seek leadership. A sentence or a quote can do just as good for you as talking to a person you know or don't know.

5. You Opinion

I never really thought about looking at quotes for motivation. I know people like Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and other famous athletes quote motivational quotes but I never tried to seek them. This article is very true since a lot of dreamers look for motivation in pursuing their dream.

Fort Hood

1. What are your thoughts, feelings, etc, as you read these articles?

I thought that this was an unreasonable way of responding to all the criticism he got from the people around him. He didn't have many friends and he was criticized but it's no excuse for killing 13 people and possibly wounding others. Many people around the world deal with the same issues Hasan did but you don't see them going around killing people.

2. What role do you think terrorism played in this massacre, if any? Why? Do you think that there was an terrorist organization behind the shooting?

I don't think terrorism played in this massacre, I think it was an act of frustration. Even though the posts on his blog about his thoughts on the Iraq war sounds like he was defending Iraq, it doesn't prove that it was an act of terrorism.

3. What role did racism or religious persecution play in this incident? Why?

Racism did play a role in this massacre, I'm guessing Hasan got sick and tired of people making fun of his race and was stressed out, resulting in the shooting in Fort Hood.

4. Do you think a lot of Muslim Americans have the same feelings as this man? Why or why not?

Yes, I think many people just like Hasan is facing racism and other criticism because of the war, but I don't think they would go out and shoot people like Hasan did, they would be able to control their emotions.

5. What do you think the military could have done to prevent this from happening? Why do you believe this? Were there signs that this man had the potential to do something like this? What were they?

The military could have prevented this kind of harassment by letting everyone know that racism and racial discrimination would not be tolerated at Fort Hood. By preventing racism, he wouldn't have gotten frustrated and it probably wouldn't lead to his act of violence.

6. Talk about the leadership of Kimberly Munley (the woman who stopped the shooter). What did she do? How would you have reacted in the same situation?

She was the one that was able to go to him and stop him, but even though she got shot 3 times she was somehow able to stop him. I wouldn't be brave enough to stop the shooter, I wouldn't want to get shot, I would try to get out of there as fast as I can.


7. What does this incident say about race relations in America? Specifically with Arab-Americans and Muslims? Is there a reason that Muslims and people from the Arab world feel a certain way about
America?

This incident says a lot about the relations between Hasan's country and America, because of the war most people think Muslims/Arab-Americans are bad, based of what happened in the past. There probably is a reason they dislike America, mostly because of racism and certain discrimination against Arabic people.

Headbutt article

1. What are your thoughts about this case? How did the video make you feel or think? Should the athlete be charged criminally for this act? Why/Why not?

a. I thought that everyone was overreacting about a simple headbutt. A headbutt should not lead to criminal charges even if it was intentional. LeGarrette Blount punched a Boise State Player but wasn't faced with criminal charges, why should the person who headbutted get charged with criminal charges?


2. When competing in contact sports, should you have the same rights and protections as you would as an ordinary citizen regarding assault or should there be an expectation of violence? Why/Why not?

I think there should be an expectation of violence. Sports such as football or hockey involves hitting other players and that is why violence should be expected, certain type of violence such as starting a fight in basketball, etc. should not be allowed but it shouldn't lead to criminal charges as well.

3.
Both Players:
How would this make you feel?
It would make me mad, there is no reason a player should headbutt another player out of anger.
What would you want done about this situation?
The person who headbutted should be suspended for a few games.
What would you do about this situation?
I wouldn't do much about this situation, I think that he should be suspended for a few games but I wouldn't complain about it so that he would be charged with criminal assault.

Parents:
How would this make you feel?
It would make me feel unsafe for my sons/daughters who play sports.
What would you want done about this situation?
If I was a parent I would want some sort of rule that protects players from non-sport related violence.
What would you do about this situation?
I would tell my kids about this situation and then let them decide whether if they want to continue playing sports.

Teammate:
How would this make you feel?
It would make me feel mad about a player headbutting my teammate, it's unnecessary and an act of unsportsmanlike conduct.
What would you want done about this situation?
The player who headbutted should be suspended for the rest of the season.
What would you do about this situation?
The headbutt would probably lead to a huge fight so I would try to stop the 2 before it starts a big fight between the 2 teams.

Weekly Article: Educational Leadership

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=3&sid=ddb0b6f2-9c06-4725-a240-5c498bf1db78%40sessionmgr10&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=eric&AN=EJ844038

1. Sheila, a committed educator that serves as a elementary principal, is frustrated with the education policies. She thinks that the school has been doing the same thing over and over again. She says, "My work for the last six weeks has been test, sort, stack, pack, send, test again. Flow much is enough?" She decided to participate in a conversation with a group of new principals to discuss her concerns about the culture of constant assessment.
The group agreed on the following:

• The "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's" approach applies. Standardized measurement of learning through psychometric data is currently required by law, policy, and practice; and it is here to stay. Educators need to pay this measurement system its due.
• Assessing students' learning is essential. No Child Left Behind obliges us, appropriately, to pay additional attention to the achievement of specific subgroups of students. We are also obliged to adapt testing to better serve students, which means being careful to foster and assess learning not covered on the test.
• To manage this paradox, principals need to plan time for personal and professional reflection as well as for ongoing conversations among fellow educators about the essence of their work as leaders.

2. This is news because it impacts a lot of people by motivating them to stand up for what they believe in just like what Sheila did. Sheila complained about her work saying that her last six weeks has been a repetitive cycle of test, sort, stack, pack, and send. She didn't agree with this method so she decided to join a group of new principals to fix the issue. If we all could stand up for what we believe in, rather than just ignoring it and hoping that someone else would step up, we wouldn't get anything done.


3. If I was in Sheila's position and I was really frustrated about something that's going on at the school I teach in, I would do the same thing as Sheila did. You might as well do something about it instead of just complaining about your job.

MSI Weekly Article

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/flu.htm

A 26 year old NFL cheerleader, Desiree Jennings had the flu shot 10 days ago. Now she can't walk, talk, or even eat and has been experiencing seizures. This happend to be a side effect from the Flu shot and it caused the cheerleader to catch a rare neurological disease called Dystonia. Every time she tries to walk forward, she suffers spasms. Strangely though, she can walk backwards fine and can run forward fine but as soon as she stops, she starts to spasm again. Many people are reconsidering about taking flu shots after he's heard about this news.

This is news because it affects many people who are considering about taking flu shots. Because of this event, people are thinking about not taking the flu shot even though it's a rare side effect. Since it's an rare disease, it might not affect many but we aren't for sure who it's going to affect and why. It's going to affect a large population because the flu has no limits. The flu can affect anyone, anywhere and people are going to be looking for vaccinations. This article is important because it tells people that the vaccination might not be 100% safe. It causes Dystonia in wierdcx cases and it might cause other things may be found that is still unknown.

I would wait until further results have come back from other people who took the flu shot. Maybe there is an explanation to why the cheerleader became paralyzed and until they find out, I wouldn't recommend taking it.