Jimmyv08's Weblog

Slogans, Reliable for Everyone?

jimmyv08 — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:47:39 +0000

It seems like everywhere one goes and everything one sees is an advertisement. As a matter of fact, there are more McDonald’s restaurants and advertisements in New York than there are in the world. Walking through New York City, there are McDonald’s advertisements everywhere, side by side with thousands of other companies’ advertisements. Huge neon signs flash with bright lights, throwing slogans and phrases at the passer-by.
Verizon Wireless’s slogan is, “Reliable for Everyone”. With repetition of this slogan, one could easily be persuaded that Verizon Wireless is the most practical phone plan to use, since it is so reliable. This slogan is very appealing to people because it makes people feel safe and comfortable with where their money is going. However, what I am questioning is how do we, consumers, know that Verizon Wireless is the most reliable network? What makes them so reliable? And how can Verizon Wireless back up their argument?

Students For Free Culture

jimmyv08 — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:02:47 +0000

“We refuse to accept a future of digital feudalism,” reads a post on the Web site freeculture.org. This Web site is run for students who are pro-free art, film, books and music. With organizations increasingly cracking down on illegal downloading, those who download are rallying back with books and groups to spread the movement of free downloading. To put it simple, “The Technology has outpaced the law,” said Mr. McCune, a student who was fined for the illegal downloading of music.

I think that free downloading on the internet should be legal. It allows different people from different cultures to share and reuse culture, ideas, and thoughts. For example, what if somebody cannot afford to buy a book or a CD? Through the internet, one could read an entire book and download a full CD for free. The internet is supposed to open up new doors for its users, that’s what it’s for. By restricting certain aspects of cultures, such as music, it is harder for one to be introduced to it. Do you want to be restricted of such luxuries? I didn’t think so.

Radio Station Banning Planned Parenthood Messages

jimmyv08 — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:37:34 +0000

Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania decided to stop running Planned Parenthood messages during its public radio station air-time. Planned Parenthood had donated $5000 to the radio station, but the owner turned down the generous gesture. Through heated debate, Planned Parenthood turned out to be “not aligned with our Catholic identity”. Obviously, sexuality is a gloom area that Duquesne University doesn’t want to explore.

I think taking Planned Parenthood messages out of their radio station is a bad idea. By having those messages, awareness and constant reminders of making safe and practical sexual decisions are enforced. Sexual education is a must, especially for students in high school and college. So why would Duquesne University stop those sexual education messages? Having attended Catholic school up until college, I noticed that the subject of sex was always vague. So I think why those messages were stopped is because some of the school officials are in denial that their students need that information. Could it possibly be that those officials don’t think their students are sexually active? If that’s the case, those officials clearly need to open their eyes.

Gay Elderly Running for Safety

jimmyv08 — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:35:55 +0000

Prejudice and discrimination are felt by all, but one of the biggest groups discriminated against is the gay community. More and more elderly gay people are also being treated in a prejudice, unfair way. Often times, these elderly people can’t fend for themselves against those who harass and threaten them so they are forced to move to adult communities catering to gay men and lesbians. Running from ridicule their whole life, are these people finally safe?

These adult community centers for gay elderly do offer a safe, comfortable environment, but it makes one question why they need to live in these centers to feel safe. How can a single, gay elderly man propose such a threat and nuisance for nearby residents in an apartment? I don’t understand why many people are so afraid, and I don’t think I ever truly will. Is it because they are confused about their own sexuality? Or are these antagonists simply ignorant? The point is, gay elderly people are not a threat. Gay people in general are not a threat. We are all human beings with different lifestyles, whether some people choose to accept it or not. People who harass gay elderly, and gay people in general, need to get out of their superiority complexes and accept people for who they are. Can you think of a way people can become more understanding and accepting?

Paying for Pollution

jimmyv08 — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:34:26 +0000

Barack Obama introduced a plan that, if elected to presidency, could cut carbon emissions 80 percent below the levels in 1990 by the year 2050. By instituting his “cap and trade” program, businesses would have to pay to pollute. This in turn could possibly cause some businesses to cut down on their gas emisssions, or so Obama thinks.

I think even if this program is instituted, businesses will still pump out more and more gas emissions. Large corporations, such as Budweiser and Ford, have enough money to keep forking over to pollute. And where will the money from the businesses go? What if the money is used to create new businesses that pump out pollution? I think the best way to cut down on gas emissions is to create a new fuel source, not force businesses to pay for their emissions. What do you think needs to be done to cut down greenhouse gas emissions?

Increasing Danger for Homeless

jimmyv08 — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:33:19 +0000

Most people don’t associate themselves with homeless people because of fear and stepping outside of their comfort zone. It’s almost natural for humans to fear things they aren’t familiar with or don’t understand. By stepping out of one’s comfort zone, I think one can truly find oneself. As part of a Christian Service project at the high school I graduated from, Jesuit, I was selected to participate in an experience called “The Plunge”. I, along with four other students, emerged myself in a homeless shelter in downtown Sacramento for twenty-five hours.

What I experienced was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Barely stepping into a new way of life, I was enlightened on so many things. I think the greatest thing I learned though was that homeless people are just like everybody else, they are human. Just because they might live on the street doesn’t make them less than anybody else. This fear I had towards homeless people before had gone away after my experience. But even though the homeless are people just like us, why do some people treat them so differently?

A homeless man in New York City was set on fire on October 5^th, 2007. He suffered horrible burns and died four days later. Can you please ask yourself, why? How threatening can a sleeping person be to be set on fire and left to die? After reading about this in the New York Times, I couldn’t believe it. An amount of anger rose in me that I couldn’t even express. I thought of all the people I met at the homeless shelter, and what if that happened to them. What could compel someone to commit such an act of horror?

I’m convinced that the only reason Mr. Torres committed such an act was because Mr. Najera was homeless. After all, many people who knew Mr. Najera said he was very friendly and politely talked to people he knew passing by. But, in Mr. Najera’s case, being a nice person wasn’t enough, being homeless was. What Mr. Torres did was out of pure hatred and ignorance, nothing can justify his actions. However, I think events like this can be stopped in the future if people become more aware of things they aren’t familiar with. Through understanding even a fraction of what homeless people go through, sympathy can surely rise. And with compassion, people that are looked upon as inferior can feel important, normal, and safe.

Youtube spreading the word of Jihad

jimmyv08 — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 21:24:07 +0000

Internet usage is increasing more and more every day, with no signs of anyone or anything slowing it down. The video media use is also on a steep rise, thanks to websites such as Google, Myspace, and Youtube. With Youtube, any person with internet access can view any video on the website, anywhere in the world. For example, this enables someone in Italy to make a video, post it in Youtube, and allow another person in Australia to view it. While this open access to any video file is extremely useful, it can also be potentially harmful.

The availability for someone to post a video on the internet for all to view is a scary thought, but it is a reality. Al Qaeda and its followers have used the Internet to connect with potential followers, providing people with insight and ways to jump on their bandwagon. I don’t know about you, but I think this easy access to such media is a very dangerous thing. Al Qaeda is basically trying to recruit new followers through use of internet videos in the United States and around the world. Should content on the internet, such as videos, blogs, etc., be monitored more strictly? I think by controlling what is shown on the internet, potentially dangerous things or events could be vastly prevented. But then again, people will object with the argument of freedom of speech. In any case, I think freedom of speech should be allowed so long as the content is not potentially dangerous.

Trying To Stay Neutral On a Moving Train

jimmyv08 — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 02:02:38 +0000

“When he’d get teased, he’d say, ‘I’m gonna come get you.’ We thought he was playing,” said LaToya Sparks, a classmate of Asa Coon, the 14 year old boy who shot and killed two teachers and two classmates in downtown Cleveland. After reading the above statement, I was in awe. I find it extremely disturbing how something alarming like that is said and some people aren’t even set back by it. They didn’t take Asa serious at the time, but now look how serious it is. I caught this story on the news the other night and was in even more of a stupor, classmates of Asa said they saw him loading a gun in the bathroom and didn’t do anything about it. They didn’t tell a teacher or alarm people, they did nothing.

I sat in front of the TV and wondered how these teens failed to act on what they saw. Why didn’t they do anything? If someone was informed you would think maybe this horrible incident could have been stopped before occurring. Don’t you think if you were in their position you would have told someone? Without acting on something, how can anything truly be resolved?

Surprise, violence!

jimmyv08 — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 02:01:53 +0000

A day after the October 10^th, 2007 shooting in a high school in downtown Cleveland, OH, a 14 year old boy was arrested for planning a “Columbine style” attack on students at his former high school. Police found dozens of BB and air guns, seven home-made hand grenades, and a 9-millimeter assault rifle. How can a 14 year old boy gain possession of a rifle, you ask? Well, his mother bought it for him.

Do you think stories such as this are becoming all too common nowadays? Many people think so. I find it disturbing how more and more violence related to teenagers is sprouting up and some people don’t even find it surprising. Kids aren’t supposed to do this, it’s not normal. But with the increase in violence, what is normal? I’m not sure what that answer is, do you?

Activate Activism!

jimmyv08 — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 02:00:23 +0000

“Activism can only be uploaded, the old-fashioned way – by young voters speaking truth to power, face to face, in big numbers, on campuses or the Washington Mall. Virtual politics is just that – virtual,” so exclaims Thomas Friedman. Thomas raises the point that today’s generation is too involved with technology, thus resulting in too many young adults being too quiet about their idealisms and thoughts. He has coined this generation “Generation Q”, the quiet Americans. His fear is that being online too much will deteriorate young adults’ ability to speak truth and power on a personal level, unlike their overused ability of speaking screen to screen.

And isn’t it true that today’s generation spends way too much time online? As I type this I am online, and so are you, the reader. What will it take for more people to focus more of their energy on things by way of physical acting and not so much by acting on things behind the screen? I think being online too much holds us back from being apart of the real, physical world. This lack of one-one-one contact is not enough for real activism. Can you think of how to active activism, and ourselves, before we, “Generation Q“, forget how?