On the Frontline Vs. Freakonomics BLA Final

In this edition of On the Frontline: Gangs, Guns, and Violence the program explains how neighborhoods and parks have now become a gang battlefield where innocent men, women, and children of the community are being gunned down by drive-by gang cars or being caught in a gang shooting in a seemingly safe area. The documentary goes into further depth of gangs by talking to police who specialize in stopping gang violence. The police explain how many young adults turn to gangs because they know they can confide in them like a family, they know that they can count on them for money and to earn a living through committing crimes or dealing drugs.

In Freakonomics the authors give a similar gang explanation but present it in a point of view of a student who was just trying to get his survey answered. The student later learned that gangs are very complex pyramids of workers and although they are all at different levels of the gang they are all family and they all have each others backs. The main issue that Freakonomics touched on was drug dealing and how common it was for even educated members to make a living off of. In these rough neighborhoods of Chicago "barely one in three men worked at all." Drug dealing was an easy way to make a living, support your family, and join a brotherhood.

Both Freakonomics and On the Frontline explain how gangs can become very appealing to young adults because of the trust they gain from their new-found family, the easy money from drug dealing, and the life they could be giving to their own family based on their income. However On the Frontline explains more on the increasing violence in neighborhoods and touches on the increasing drug dealing. Both present gangs in a violent light but Freakonomics shows gangs in the point of view through a student vs. police On the Frontline. Both do receive viewpoints and testimony's from gang members or ex-gang members.

Where is Dirk???

So I'm feeling very depressed right now because my favorite franchise has benched their number one scorer due to a knee injury that happened weeks ago. The Mavericks have a great line up and were having one of the best seasons in years and now Dirk Nowitzki is injured. Now I'm not saying the team relies on Dirk to win the games, no good team is based around one player. The Mavericks would still be winning games if their number two scorer Caron Butler wouldn't have also gotten injured. Unfortunately Butler will probably be out for the rest of the season and without a power forward to replace him while Dirk is gone the Mavericks are forced to play three guards, Jason Terry, JJ Barea, and Jason Kidd, (JET, JJ, and J-Kidd) to make up for lost points. I'm waiting for other teammates to step up like Brandon Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson however there seemed to be little progress watching last nights loss against newly recruited Tyler Hansbrough and the Pacers. So please, please, please Mark Cuban can't you do something with all your money to get Dirk back on the court?

Humor ft. Joey on Pyramid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxCpg4tkz_8 (Sorry no embedded code!)

In this episode of Friends Joey just can't seem to get the hang of playing the hit TV game show Pyramid. This video pays attention to detail by referring back to other characters in the show or events that happened in passed episodes., it also challenges the status quo because people on game shows are relatively intelligent and know how to play the game. It also tries to get the audience in a good place, getting them to laugh at the characters on the show and hopefully persuading them to come back and watch the show again, based on it humor. The humor is very simple and I believe most people will be able to understand why Joey's performance is so funny. One of my favorite clips from Friends, hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

End Domestic Violence-Visual Argument

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

I decided to do my extra credit visual essay on ending domestic violence because I believe that abuse in the home has become so common in our culture, and people who are in these situations need to know that they don't deserve all the abuse they take everyday. They need to know that there are people who can help them and find them a loving environment where they don't have to live in fear. For help or to learn more information about domestic violence go to http://www.thehotline.org/

The video as a whole has a dark and sad feel. The simple black shadowed background and white letters grabs the readers attention and leads them to the graphic images of domestic violence victims and other related images. The images I chose where either black and white or photos that had been edited to enhance the victims sad eyes. These images show the damage that domestic violence brings and appeals to the readers emotions, making them feel sorry for the victims and hopefully compel them to reach out. At the end I connect my text together in a last phrase, "Break the silence, help end domestic violence." This gives the reader a push to let them take action and look into what they can do to help end domestic violence.

The music I chose was Fix You by Coldplay. I chose this song because it has a lot of meaning and when you listen to the lyrics, relates to domestic violence. "High up above, or down below. When your too in love to let it go. But if you never try then you'll never know, just what your worth." People who are being abused at home don't want to betray their families or the people they love, they want to stay and hope the relationship gets better. But if they never escape, they will never know what could have been, what could they have accomplished. The music also sets a melancholy mood behind the lyrics. You don't hear it in the video but the next verse in the song is "Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you." Which goes along with my saying to help end domestic violence and guide the victims home to safety.

Photo Credits
(In order of appearance)
1. http://www.inloughborough.com/news/001528/Boost%20for%20domestic%20violence%20work%20in%20Charnwood%20and%20North%20West
2.http://allthingsschool.blogspot.com/2009/11/teaching-about-domestic-violence.html
3.http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2008/rspca-and-domestic-violence/
4.http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2008/rspca-and-domestic-violence/
5.http://www.flickr.com/photos/msryan/516468231/
6.http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulete/2825408734/
7.http://www.thirdage.com/news/domestic-violence-victims-have-new-resources-available_9-9-2010?page=1
8.http://masallahinsallah.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/domestic-violence/

I like the sound of twenty-eleven

What an amazing year, 2010 was full of late nights testing how much junk food I could eat, daily trips to target just because I could, and amazing memories shared with friends and family. I'm so thankful for everything I have in my life and I can't imagine living without my family and amazing friends. In 2011 my goal is to reach out more. I know making a resolution is just setting it up to be broken, but I think that is part of the challenge and fun of making resolutions. I want to spend my year helping families and children who may not have a great support group. My ultimate goal is to become a big sister at Big Brothers Big Sisters Club. I have so much to offer a girl, especially one who may need someone to just listen. I can't wait to see what twenty-eleven brings to me and others I share it with. Happy 2011 everyone, live it up!

Regina George, C.S. Lewis, and Inner Rings

It's hard to believe that after high school, people are still wrapped up in being in "The Inner Ring." Weather it's at work or at school people are so focused on getting into to this fake VIP club that they perceive as eternal popularity. But what's so great about Inner Rings anyway? C.S. Lewis explains that after you have final joined these people you have longed to be friends with, they push you to do things you may have not expected. "you are drawn in, next week it will be something a little further from rules, and next year something further still, but all in the jolliest, friendliest spirit." Why would you want to be a part of a group that pressures you to make decisions you're not comfortable with? I can relate the inner ring directly to the movie Mean Girls. Once Cady joins the Plastics she mus conform to their rules such as wearing pink on Wednesdays. Now Cady doesn't want to really become a member of the Plastics, she is just spying on them to dig up dirty laundry. But as C.S. Lewis says once you enter you never want to turn back. Cady becomes a Plastic through and through, she knows she's being fake and two-faced , but she can't help it. Lewis says that "of all the passions the passion for the Inner Ring is most skillful in making a man who is not yet a very bed man do very bad things." Cady, a sweet girl from Africa is now a backstabbing Plastic.

Here is the main reason I believe people stay in their inner rings instead of being individual and breaking out, "one of the most dominant elements is the desire to be inside the local Ring and the terror of being left outside." Just like one of the members in the plastics, Gretchen, who knew that being in the Plastics is better than not, even if the Ring leader, in this case Regina George despises her.

I guess no matter where we go we will always have this want to conform to the Inner Ring, we just have to remember that it's not always worth it to become a member and it's much more fun to find a group you mesh well with and where you can be yourself.

Friday Night Lights-Halftime Speech

I know pregame sports speeches in movies can be cliche, but this speech from friday night lights is different for me. Even though the coach knows his job is on the line he takes the pressure off his team by explaining the true meaning of peing a perfect team, winning or loosing.