Q3 Blog 4

Challenge the norms: Escape from society and experience freedom.

Some people would claim that if someone is born in a world where slavery no longer exists, and in a family where the economic status is descent without any lack of resources to satisfy only the human necessities, that person is totally free; however, it is not like that. Even though we have pleasing lives, we live in a society which has a set of rules and norms that limit our behavior, therefore unintentionally violating our innate right to absolute freedom.  

Our society works like a net, where all the threads are reasonably put in a specific location apart from each other to construct this enormous, but harmonic structure. This complex allows us to get along with the rest of the crowd so that we can coexist peacefully and avoid conflicts.  Constantly we have to be cautious about how we act so that we are not excluded or regarded as unfit individuals by the majority of society members. We become worried and afraid about what people may think about us as we are repeatedly reprehended by others for they believe to know what it is best for us, or what is right and what it’s not. Then we start functioning as just one more brick on the wall, because we no longer live for our on purpose, but rather, we live to serve and satisfy others losing our own identity as individuals. Therefore we must not let others shape and determine our actions, we must be our own bosses, we have to be brave enough to escape that masked slavery to truly be ourselves. Let us act “out of the ordinary” and break those rules and norms that supposedly are there to establish harmony but at the same time deter the human individuality as they set up limits to our character. Only by doing so are we able to call ourselves free.

Q3 Blog 3

Would you let Lionel Messi take the penalty kick that would mean the victory in the FIFA World Cup final soccer match?
Lionel Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina, 1987. He began to play soccer at five years. He always liked soccer; he would always play at school, at home, and in the streets. Soon people started noticing his talent, and at 8 years of age he was recruited by the Newell’s Old Boys, one of the most prestige youth soccer teams in the country. There he started to show even more his talent, his ability to dribble at very great speed and his innate gift as a striker. He spent several years with that team and his prestige and reputation spread out throughout Rosario as a little “phenomenon” of soccer due to his short height.
For more years he kept fascinating his coaches, friends, and family or anyone who saw him play. However his parents noticed that he was not growing anymore, but he still was too young at the age of 11 to stop growing. Eventually Lionel was diagnosed a growth hormone deficiency, some Argentinean clubs showed interest in Messi but they were not willing to pay the $900 dollars that his family hardly could pay for the treatment. Messi’s dreams almost vanished when suddenly a talent search recruiter from FC Barcelona, the most prestigious soccer team in the world, became aware of Messi’s unique abilities and offered to pay Messi’s treatment if he and his family were willing to move to Spain. At the age of 13, Lio and his family flied to Spain. Messi joined the youth team and soon progress was being made. In 2004, barely at the age of 17, Lionel became the youngest player ever to play and score for the major team at league match. The following years he kept receiving awards and breaking records, as he was the top scorer in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, and became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup in 2006. In 2007 still 19 years of age, he scored a goal which mimicked Diego Armando Maradonas’s, best Argentina’s player ever, goal of the century which is considered the best goal in World Cup in the history of soccer. Soon the press and the rest of the world started comparing Messi to Maradona, as he demonstrated his gift with the ball whenever he was on the field.
Messi at the age of 21 was nominated for the FIFA World Player of The Year award, but it was not until his 22 years of age when he obtained it, and the next year in 2010 he won it again converting him in the best player of the planet for two years in a row and also at very young age, and currently he still is the best player on the planet. At a very young age Messi is the best in the world, and plays for the world’s best team, and yet, he has a long way to go.

Q3 Blog 2

Grades policy: Students strive for "letters" not knowledge.

            Throughout my life as a student, I have witnessed my classmates copying each others’ homework or the guy sitting behind me trying to sneak his head over my shoulder to see my answer sheet but who barely comes to class and when he or she does, pays attention to everything except the teacher, and ironically is able to get a “passing letter or grade.” Grades were originally made to classify students by excellence; however that authenticity of grades has lost its reputation as many students obtain grades they do not deserve.

The main go of school was to receive and education, and above all knowledge, unfortunately grades do not reflect that anymore. A significant amount of students  go to school to earn a grade so that their parents buy them the things they promised, minimizing the value of grades as their parents believe that because their child received a high grade in class reflects that the child must be an “excellent” student. Then, grades are only used as an incentive by the parents undermining the main point of going to school which is to enrich life with knowledge. That not only affects students themselves, but also affects the educational system itself, as those students who received a high grade but yet do not have the skills are put in advanced placement or honors classes. Then the classes that are supposed to be for those students who actually go to school to gain knowledge are disturbed and held back for the low level students can catch up with the class forcing the teacher to slow down teaching, lowering the amount of lessons that they are supposed to cover.

Students also stop learning and understanding the content of the subject as they only memorize what they need to pass a test without actually obtaining the knowledge because they know longer want to learn, they just want to receive a grade that will get them into their college of interest. After all, the goal of attending to school is lost, since students strive for “grades” not for the real tool that would help them in life regardless of what they do: knowledge.

Q3 Blog 1

Gun Control: The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution grants its citizens the "right to bear arms," while this "right" has caused nothing but destruction among the American society.

"A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed," the founders wrote. However, controversy has arisen as to how the second amendment must be interpreted, whether it means that people individually have the right to a gun, or the creation of a military to protect the citizens.

Several times, in the history of the United Sates, this nation has been involved in situations where the sovereignty and security of the country has been threaten by other external forces, that is why the creation of a military and naval force is needed. The creation of the police department, whose main purpose is to protect citizens among society itself. These institutions have strict regulations of their own use of gun control and well trained personnel, demonstrating that they would ever hardly hand a fire weapon to someone without the authority to use it. However, the other side of the interpretation argues for the people itself to be able to own and carry a gun, claiming that it is only for “self defense purposes.”

Many times, guns fall in the hands of outlaws who perpetuate crime and violence as they go along robbing houses, stores or any other places and firing their guns against other gang members; thus, becoming a serious threat to the safety of American citizens. In some states of the United Sates gun control is not well defined and barely regulated, stimulating the cause of offenses against individuals. In Tucson, Arizona, 2011 a person fired his gun, injuring 19 people, killing 6 of theme aggressor, was arrested. After days of investigation on his personal record, conclusions were made about him qualifying him as “mentally ill.” People like him, live within our own society and we cannot change that; however, we can change our laws so that guns will not be available for people who accidentally or deliberately can cause damage to society such as the Arizona aggressor.

Blog #7: Compare and Contrast

To show the different purposes

The two images being simlar on how they look, serve different purposes. The same outfit used by the two groups suggests a virtual relationship, but the symbols that they carry allows them to differentiate from one another.
My keypoints would be the symbols each one has, the outfits and the purposes behind it.
I would choose point by point, that would allow me to constantly show the differences and similarities between each subject.

Blog #6: Working on Definitions

Term: Evil
Evil is not when we are in peace and sacrifice for others. Killing is has always been evil. What Hitler did to the Jews was evil. Evil is like love, a strong emotion that drives human motives.

games for websites/gry

Free Rice

Feebleminded: Foolish

Replenish: Refill

Morsel: Small bite