The Media

The eyes are indeed a window to one's mind. Therefore, what you see and observe becomes what you think, and what you think about constantly defines how you act, and the way you act eventually makes up your character. My mom used to say, "garbage in; garbage out." In other words, the negativtity that you witness and take in, sooner or later is displayed in your personality. However, this is not true for every single individual, but unfortunately, it is for most.

Whether you want to agree or not, the media affects us all, in some way or another. Its effects may be direct, or indirect. The effects can be negative or positive. When I was a young boy, after watching Superman, I used to dream about becoming Superman one day. I was impressionable and was unaware that this was not possible. Additionally, a few years back, a friend of mine saw the Batman movie and was so intruiged by it, that he climbed atop his roof and jumped off of it, thinking he would somehow fly. Sadly, his attempts resulted in a broken arm. On the contrary, many persons watch sports heroes like Tom Brady and Kobe Bryant and use these guys as role models who inspire them to be great and to be better than the best. As was said before, the effects can be either bad or good. On a more personal note, I feel that the media is getting extremely sosphisticated and outrageously informative. Social networks such as Myspace and Facebook have revolutionized internet media. Because of my laid back personality, I really do not let the media affect me too much. Besides, I hardly watch TV and use the internet to check mail and facebook updates, and to chat and keep up with school work. I don't read the newspapers as much as I should and I watch movies every now and then. I was brought up to make the best decisions possible, and not to let anything distract me, influence me in a negative way, or stand in my way. Before I make a decision, I usually always think about the consequences, and I think about how it may or may not benefit me. I rarely let the media influence the way I live my life.

Regarding Sarah Palin, I feel that persons should be more interested in her abilities as a politician and how she plans to serve the country, rather than just a "girl next door". Society can sometimes tend to be sexist and downplay women. I feel that although men and women have different roles, and although men have talents that women don't have and vice versa, we are all equal.

According the the video of Spongebob, posted on the Inspired Musings blog, by Natasha Olivera, it is evident that subtle and "hidden" sexual ideas and actions are a part of these "innocent" childhood cartoons. One must read between the lines to figure this out, becuase it is usually not blatant and/or obvious. Moreover, I personally like hip-hop and reggae. In the hip-hop culture, some artists tend to be disrespectful to women, gays, etc. However, I listen to this kind of music when I am bored, and dance to it when I am at a party or club. I try to shy away from music that is offensive to women or any other group of persons. I like to be myself and make wise decisions in my own best interest. I rarely try to imitate other persons, especially if it consists of negative behavior. I may listen and dance to a certain type of music, but I still choose to be open-minded and to make good decisions, rather than let any movie, person, tv show, or form of music influence me negatively. The fact remains that there is little one can do to control the media and what goes on around him/her. Therefore, the responsibility lies with the individual to do what he/she thinks is right for himself/herself and for others around him/her, regardless of any outside influence.


Jarrod Knowles

Devastation in Haiti and Nicaragua

Change begins with the individual himself. Lets say that Charlie has a problem with stealing. In order for him to stop stealing, he has to first acknowledge that he has a problem and realize the fact that his actions are negative and understand the direct and indirect results of his behavior. The next step is for Charlie to have the will and the determination to quit stealing and to overcome his temptation to steal. In simple terms, Charlie has to want to quit stealing in order to even begin to make steps toward cutting out such negative behavior. On the other hand, there are some cases where an individual wants change, but cannot help it because of the circumstances surrounding his situation, such as a child with negligent parents, or a nation with a selfish government. Additionally, there are those rare cases when the individual simply wants to leave things the way they are, despite any adverse consequences or negative effects.

From my own observation and research, and my unique intuition, Haiti is in the state its in because of selfishness. According to the Bible, "The love of money is the root of all evil". This is evident, because in Haiti, you have the extremely rich and the dirt poor. There is no middle- class. Those who are rich and have, refuse to share with those who are less fortunate and do not have. Therefore the rich gets richer and the poor gets poorer. Moreover, there is no efficient governing body and the country is in a state of anarchy. According to my suite-mate who is from Haiti, there is no even distribution of wealth throughout the country, and because of this, many suffer and perish. Making a sloop from wood and setting sail into the open sea, seems to be the only source of hope for many Haitians. Greed and power are the two main factors that has Haiti the way it is. So it is safe to say that the turmoil in Haiti is because persons who have the power to influence change would rather just leave things the way they are, despite any adverse consequences. This is due in part to fear; fear that poor Haitians may eventually become as powerful as those who are wealthy. Therefore, we understand why the wealthy Haitians prefer to leave the less-fortunate Haitians poor and uneducated, in order to keep them down and ensure that they maintain their power and monetary status. One word comes to mind when you digest all this: Selfishness! Yet instead of making efforts to change the situation and make it better for all, they turn their backs on the situation and are just concerned about making things better for themselves.

As I look at the images that show the devastation in Haiti, I feel compassion and melancholy. I sometimes wish that there was something I could do to change it in an instant. However, this is not possible. Change can only come about if those persons in high places realized the negative effects of their selfishness and made efforts to establish a government and evenly distribute the wealthy throughout the country. It would be a dream come true for many Haitians if they can live comfortably and in harmony. As it relates to the situation in Nicaragua, I feel that the government needs to do everything in its power to ensure that its citizens are educated and that they can find food and fresh water. As the old Chinese proverb goes, "give a man a fish, and tomorrow he returns hungry; teach a man to fish and he hungers no more." So the government needs to do everything possible to ensure that it educates and takes care of its people. The United Nations and other charitable organizations have made tremendous efforts to help out with the turmoil in poor countries such as Haiti and Nicaragua. But they can only do so much. Those who have the power to make significant changes, such as the government and certain wealthy individuals, need to step up and take responsibility for the country.

Its not true or fair to say that things will never change. Every effort counts and a little goes a long way. However, we must remember this quote by Mahatma Gandhi, "You must be the change that you want to see in the world."

My First Experience Having a Blog for ENC 1102

As a young boy growing up in The Bahamas, it was a law in my household to always speak standard english, despite the fact that many other persons around me spoke the local dialect. If I so much as spoke one word of dialect, my mom would immediately correct me on the spot and insist that I re-state my statement in standard english. It always served as an annoyance to me, as I wished I could speak the way I wanted to without worrying about being rebuked. Nevertheless, to this very day, it gave me the hope and the future in writing that I am most grateful to my mom for.

I was always interested in poetry and writing and I see the value of putting your thoughts on paper. Imagine if one has great thoughts and ideas that could ultimately change the world, but he neglects to write them down and share them. It would be a waste. Therefore, I have a deep-sated respect and admiration for great authors, great sayings, great poetry, and great grammar. Moreover, it really makes a difference when you can speak well and write well. It can mean the difference between getting hired or not, as I have sat through several job interviews where I was told that the only reason I got the job was because I knew how to communicate. It also makes the difference regarding capturing an audience, whether a large crowd such as that of a business seminar, or a rather smaller crowd, like telling your young siblings a bedtime story. In my most frank opinion, it is necessary and vital to write with confidence and communicate efficiently, so as to present yourself as someone competent and extraordinary.

In conclusion, I feel strongly that ENC 1102 will help me tremendously, as it relates to being a more efficient and competent writer as well as assist me with communicating more effectively. I say this, because of the vigorous course content and the charisma and enthusiam of the Professor. Writing in the blog is a relatively new experience for me and I think its about time I explore above the horizon and venture beyond my normal call of duty and pursue ENC 1102 and blog writing with undying passion.





Jarrod A. Knowles