Barbosa729's blog

Superbowl Commercials

This years Super Bowl experienced some of the best and some of the worst commercials in television history. This event tends to be the most important and watched match of the year throughout the United States, and many companies try to promote their business in the best manner. Although many are able to attract the viewer, others end up turning away supporters. One of the most enjoyable commercials during this year Super Bowl was the Coca Cola commercial on the border. Both characters share many differences, but they both enjoy the product of Coke. It is important for this company to demonstrate how this product is viewed internationally and enjoyed by all. I thought its’ adaptation was a great portrayal of some areas in our world today, and I appreciated the unity that they were able to illustrate through their product. The worst commercial in my opinion was the Hyundai promotion of the brand new Elantra. Due to its’ recent success, Hyundai has been trying to promote their product in many different ways, but this illustration was a fail in my opinion. The similes and metaphors that they used within this commercial were completely irrelevant and I felt it gave a bad image towards the vehicle. This was very unfortunate for the company because it took away from their recent sales. The car in itself is looking better and better each year, but I feel that this advertisement took away from its’ true value. Overall, this years Super Bowl provided some great entertainment in preparation of the game, but there were also those who completely took away from this American holiday.   

College Admissions

I believe this article addresses many issues that surround high school students each year. Many struggle to find good schools that will suit their requirements for their ideal institution. Many try extremely hard during their senior years to improve their GPA and participate in many extra curricular activities. There are countless children who lose their sight for the future by focusing too much on their academic achievements, that when they get to college, some didn’t know what to major in. Certain necessities such as these should be thought of before hand, and it is very important for a student to understand what their priorities are and how to address them in an organized fashion. I think that the summer camps are also very influential for many students, but in more ways than one they can be ineffective. Certain children are not meant for the big city, even if their parents are organizing and leading a fortune-five hundred company. Certain kids are not able to express their true feelings because they feel trapped by their parents who may pressure them to commit themselves to things they don’t appreciate. “Moreover (as documented by a great deal of research), because students are doing the work they do in and out of school for the wrong reasons; not because they are interested in learning -- the intense competition undermines their motivation to continue to learn for the sake of gaining understanding.” As analyzed by this reporter, he brings about the difficult decisions and actions that children must make or do to impress their parents, and in today’s society, it is very high because of the expectations. I mean pre-schools that are established to breed excellence is a little bizarre in my opinion, because many intelligent and successful human beings have started at the lowest of all education systems. Personally, it is the student that makes the student, not the school.   

CNN Heroes

Narayanan Krishnan was a bright, young, award-winning chef with a five-star hotel, who was on his way to Switzerland to open an elite restaurant among others, but before he left his native land, his life changed forever. “I saw a very old man eating his own human waste for food,” Krishnan said. “It really hurt me so much. I was literally shocked for a second. After that, I started feeding that man and decided this is what I should do the rest of my lifetime.” Krishnan rejected the opportunity that was previously offered and decided to help his community by providing food for the hungry and shelter for the homeless. Krishnan founded his nonprofit Akshaya Trust in 2003. Now at twenty nine years of age, he has served more than 1.2 million meals; breakfast, lunch and dinner, to India’s homeless and impoverished people, mostly elderly members of society who have been  abandoned by their families and often abused. Just to gain a better understanding of his typical workday, I will provide a schedule that is above all others. Krishnan’s day begins at four in the morning. He and his team cover nearly one hundred and twenty five miles in a donated van, routinely working in temperatures topping one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. The hot meals he delivers are simple, tasty vegetarian dishes that he personally prepares packs and often hand-feeds to nearly four-hundred clients each day. Krishnan carries a comb, scissors and razor and is trained in eight haircut styles that, along with a fresh shave, provides people with a greater sense of value and encouragement to those he serves. The group’s daily operation costs about three hundred and twenty seven dollars, but a majority of the finances are sponsored donations, but even those only cover twenty two days each month. He is quoted as saying, “Now I am feeling so comfortable and so happy.” I have a passion, I enjoy my work. I want to live with my people.”

Personal Finance Class

The idea of offering a finance course throughout a strong curriculum sounds like a fantastic idea. It would not only help in the math department, it will teach students how to reason and organize their lives in a better manner. Many students do not understand what their parents must do in order to ensure certain things such as a mortgage, or a car payment. It would be great to educate high school students especially because it will help create a better understanding for college loans for the near future. As stated within the article, there have been many advancements throughout the country that would install this program into the system, and this is a great way for students to stay active in their households and in communities. “They're realizing how important it is to manage their funds, and I think it has a lot to do with their personal situation,” Broekhuizen said. “Through parents losing their jobs, having to leave their homes because they can't afford them anymore, going on free or reduced lunch.” As this teacher from Michigan has stated, children are interested in programs like these and they want to get more involved. It is very important for us as students to realize the world that surrounds us and the problems that surround our society, so it is great to prepare the youth for future issues that might affect them and their families. Many schools throughout the country hope to spread the word about this wonderful class, and as a supporter, I would desire a class like this one.  

Aid to Haiti

According to New York Times, “Haiti is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world; Haiti in recent years has struggled with problems ranging from near-constant political upheaval, health crises, severe environmental degradation and an annual barrage of hurricanes.” From this example, we as Americans should highly consider providing future aid to the country of Haiti. The problems are not only with health and relief, but also providing Haiti with a stable economy so that they will be able to provide for themselves, and a sufficient government to lead the people in the right direction. As of this moment, Haiti is making progress towards providing their nation with an organized president. By allowing the people to vote for whom they think is right, it will provide stability and protection throughout the country. These advancements along with help from the United States will allow the country to grow as a self-efficient nation.  Mr. Stuckey, who in 2009 was appointed a dean of the Schack Institute of Real Estate at New York University, took it upon himself to allow his students to develop a way to help Haiti. The result was a course on post catastrophe reconstruction, now in its second semester, where students will devise building plans, work on environmental and social issues, and create financing models for real-world projects. New ideas such as these will help our students understand the issues that clot our world today and allow them the opportunity to experience these problems first hand. If more universities took part in Stuckey’s project, than America would become more aware of the situation. Although America finds itself in many problems throughout the world, this issue may be important to continue the aid for further democratic states. It is important to maintain relationships especially in government and economics. Even though it may be difficult for the United States to dedicate numerous resources to help Haiti, in the end, it will work in their benefit. Many Americans will soon be able to realize how fortunate they are to be in a free state that is organized accordingly with no relief effort necessary.  

 

Invention of the Year

One invention that is being released this year is the eLegs Exoskeleton. This technology will allow the paralyzed an opportunity to walk once again. An article from Time Magazine states that “the eLEGS exoskeleton is a bionic device engineered to help paraplegics stand up and walk on their own. It’s hailed as a “wearable, artificially intelligent, bionic device,” and it’s expected to help out within the hospital, at home and elsewhere in this wild, wild place we call Earth.” I believe that this is a great innovation to not only help the medical field expand in their technology, but to offer citizens another chance to relive the life they once had. It will not only benefit the people at home, but for future generations as well. Another reason why this is a great invention is because we begin to recognize the steps towards making a better community. Lately we have been obtaining new devices such as an ipad and iphone that will allow us to explore the world in a new light, but this invention allows people to live once again while having the ability to walk. Sometimes technology is created for selfish purposes, but through this we realize the efforts that have been made to improve one’s state of living. The eLegs Exoskeleton demonstrates not only hard work, but dedication and inspiration towards those in the future who intend to use this with their patients. Many have had difficulty rehabilitating from an accident or simple birth defect, that their hopes for a new life have been diminished, but this will allow them to feel a part of society and help them throughout their daily routine.  

Favorite Toy

My favorite gift when I was a child was my very first baseball glove. When I was a bit younger, I did not play with many toys, but I did enjoy sports because I had grown up in a very athletic family. My dad purchased my first baseball glove when I was five, and still to this day, I use my first glove. My Easton baseball mitt was very special because it marked the beginning of my athletic experience. I used it for ten years before I purchased another one. I played with it at home, at school, and on the field. I have had many memories with my baseball glove including game winning catches, and great pitching performances. The funny thing about my glove was the fact that it was very big for me at first because I had small hands while growing up, but I eventually grew out of it and was able to use it to its’ fullest potential. I treated it like a best friend in many cases, and kept it by my side for the first couple of months because it was the greatest gift I had ever received from my parents. I kept my baseball glove to represent the years that I have played, and the numerous teams and coaches that I had been with for my entire life. As I mentioned before, there were many special stories that developed from that glove, and because of that gift, I was able to become a good player in my town and at my school. Although I will not be able to continue this sport in my college of choice, I will always keep it for the memories that I have had with it.   

Student Athletes

Student athletes across America have been accused of cheating both athletically and academically. There have been many accusations of teachers helping athletes to do better in school so that they would be able to play their sport of choice. I personally think that this is completely ludicrous and student athletes should meet certain requirements. It has been shown that certain schools allow athletes to slip through the cracks academically and have been weighted differently among students. This is not a fair opportunity and completely bias towards those who bring money to the school. I believe that a student athlete must meet the same standards as a student who does not participate in intercollegiate events. Through the Florida State University case, we are able to learn about one specific case that has been addressed, but I feel that there are many more instances that are never mentioned. The preservation of a school’s reputation is very important and if information were to leak out stating that they are “cheating,” then it cause a great debacle throughout the entire nation. I strongly disagree with the idea that student athletes should be given special treatment in the academic world because they are only cheating themselves and putting them in a situation where they may not be able to become successful after school. Too many athletes focus solely on their sport, rather than their education. These athletes believe that they all have the opportunity to play major league ball, but that is not the case for many. I am not trying to prevent someone from following their dreams, but I will say that they should focus heavily on their school work rather than sports. Students need to set their priorities straight, and if they have the opportunity to excel in a great program, than that is much more reasonable than to try to continue their life in the spectrum of sports. If for some reason a student is unable to proceed past the college level, than he or she will not have an education to rely on and they will find themselves in a very difficult situation.    

Teachers and their Characteristics

Through my years in the system of education, I have found that a majority of my teachers have helped me in more ways than one. When you are in elementary and middle school, teachers tend to teach more than one subject that they may not be too familiar with and it is hard for them to teach and for us to comprehend the information. I have also found that many teachers are sometimes too quick when going over a lesson or trying to explain something new which takes away from the student’s ability to become knowledgeable of the subject being taught. Through my years of middle school, I found that many teachers were either too old to teach something new or too advanced to go down to our level. I have been taught by some of the best of teachers, and some of the worst, but who am I to judge. My job as a student is to learn the subject, but many times it is hard when the teacher has been doing their job for more than forty years and has neglected to change their style of teaching. I think many teachers maintain their old styles from when they originally learned the material and have not been able to transform to the society that we live in today. I am not saying their technique is wrong, but if they changed the way they approach a situation, it might just benefit the student as well as the teacher. For the great teachers that have taught me over the years, I consider them great because they require a great amount of work for us to complete in order to completely understand the topic. The teachers that have made me into the intellectual figure that I am today have shaped me by their hard lesson planning, and plethora of extra curricular activities. They have helped me organize my life accordingly and have taught me the value of a great education. Being that my father is an educator of 35 plus years, it is easy to pick up on certain techniques, and honestly I believe that he fits the profile of an “old school” teacher. Not saying that he isn’t a great educator, it’s just that I find it harder for someone to communicate with a teacher that is very “old school.”   

Celebrity

  In 2006, Zinedine Zidane ended his career in a rather disruptive and disrespectful behavior. In the World Cup Final, the last game of his life, Zidance was ejected from the game for "headbutting" an oppossing player in the chest. Due to this event, the media immediately attacked his action. Following a remark that Marco Materazzi of Italy had made, Zidance lost his temper and created a social conflict within the game of soccer all throughout the world. It was on the news for weeks and sports commentators tried to create an explanation for these accusations. Zidane felt that Materazzi was disrespecting his family, and because of this Zidane retaliated. I am not trying to learn from his aggressiveness, but we should all learn from his fiery temper. Everyone has those moments where one becomes extremely frustrated, but it is those who truly stand up and take little action in the matter. Zidane's actions cost him a chance of a lifetime and he embarressed himself in front of his nations and millions of people. Through this silly and unacceptable behavior, I plan on learning front what we say and how few words can affect others in enourmous ways. We can all learn a valuable lesson from this event, and because of this, we learn how to react to certain situations. Zidane's test was to see if he could deal with the abuse, but he was unable to conrol his anger and eventually found himself expelled from the match. After years of debating what happened, we still to this day do not understand why Zidance headbutted Materazzi. We do however learn that strong words may have a negative impact on people that we may know or do not know. We should be careful with our vocabulary instead of careless. My lesson has been learned from this incident and I try to keep my cool everywhere I go, because no matter how hurtful the words, I am not the toughest man to make a strong standing argument. I have learned to keep my mouth shut in many situations and because of this, I have found myself in no trouble what so ever.