Blog 35: Commonplace article

Commonplace provided another unusual and interesting topic for me to read today. This one focuses primarily on the awareness of international issues amongst students in the United States. I found this curious because someone I know recently asked me if New Zealand was the island off the coast of Africa. I certainly hope they mistook Madagascar for New Zealand because the alternative would be mistaking Australia for Africa. 

In any case, the story focuses on how the M.I.A’s Redhead genocide takes a stand on the issues of genocide. The article goes on to debate whether this depiction is done to stimulate interest in global affairs within the youth of the country. The article also makes a reference to the Sri Lankan genocide on the Tamil speaking population. This was primarily because it was the spark of the music video. The article also points to another important thing that jumped out to me. Citizens of the United States often take their democracy and their positive values and ideals for granted. As a citizen of India, I can claim to be from a democratic country and yet there are some American values that I find exhilarating. Equality and accessibility are two of the most amazing of the lot.  

Essentially the article asks us to question what happens in the world more than we do now. While we might live in a new world separated from the significant by miles of ocean, the world today is far closer than it ever was. What we do not observe might in its turn affect us.

Source:

http://www.mhlearningsolutions.com/commonplace/index.php?q=node/5722

Blog 34: Commonplace Article

So this article, “Everyone is buying it” caught my eye. The prime reason is that I just bought a new pair of headphones of Amazon because my old ones are past any hope of repair. I found it an interesting read at any rate. The writer seems to have been very passionate when he wrote it. Unsurprisingly, I cannot disagree with his views. Consumerism is a global reality. India and China are fast catching up in this stead to the United States and the United Kingdom. In fact there is a study out amongst major corporations that tracks the decline of sales in America versus the increase in Asia. The prime motivation is to see if there would be a point where companies would face an extreme lean period. 

The biggest reason for consumerism is affluence or an appearance of affluence. The later is the more dangerous of the two. Unfortunately this is probably where America is right now. Despite entering a depression a large number of people find it difficult to get over the pleasant habits of the past. This is to an extent mitigated in Europe where strong family networks, discipline and minimalism is more appreciated. In any case, while the case in Asia is consumerism by affluence is maintainable, the one in America is not. Not at this rate anyways. People here would be well advised to remember that this country just as many other powers was built on work and saving. Saving is the best thing to do now.

Sources:

http://www.mhlearningsolutions.com/commonplace/index.php?q=node/3791

Blog 31:Blogging about paper

So my paper is finally done. At least this is true to a major extent. I have finished the actual content and I have integrated my quotes. The entire mass of the paper is very readable, connected and coherent. All that is left now is to primarily get the sources page done and I will be ready to turn it in. The paper primarily centers on the content of the primary source analysis. The extra information is added into this and a coherent whole is made.

Right now I am much more concerned about my stuff in engineering. This is kind of sad considering how much I loved English in high school. Apparently with the excess work that I have now, learning English for the sake of itself is becoming a luxury I can ill afford. Anyways I have my paper to six pages and with the sources it comes to seven pages. I believe that’s close to how much we would need. As far as the quotes go, I have pulled them from internet searches. Right now I am planning to turn in to bed and the paper is far in the back of my mind. I worked on it for an hour and a half today and while I did not find it boring or draining I did notice that the time spent there did not let me complete a lot of other work that I had left. Plus it was a Friday night and I had other stuff to do.

Blog 30:Blogging about paper

This blog is late at night (obviously), just before I turn in for bed. I cant do thirsty Thursdays because of an early morning class on Fridays and personally that sucks. At any rate my paper progressed relatively well with me revising the primary source analysis today. I removed all the previous errors. Right now I am at two pages and a half. I should have that up to four by tomorrow. Tats quite an achievement considering the amount of time I can still devote to sleep and yet be an engineer. At this point my life seems to revolve around the blog and the writing, not really but at least in appearance. The problem is that I hate forced writing almost as much as I love free creative ones. So while I had found the blogs and paper pleasant at first, the blogs are beginning to get me a little jaded. The paper is still fun though and that’s probably why I like working on it. I still have a few kinks to work out but I will get there. The biggest problem right now is to figure out on how to integrate the different parts of the paper together. Connecting paras and sentences will be vital but I do not want them to overly weigh the paper down. The best solution might be to structure points in a way that allows them to mesh together without trying to force fit them. I hope I get that to work.

Blog 29: About my Paper

The paper is forming into a coherent whole. While I cannot say much at this outset, I must remark that it was a tough job implementing all the changes suggested. It took me at least an hour to set the errors straight and then I had to start working on my quote implements. The quotes implement gave way to the conclusion creation and the final polishing. I have little doubt that the paper will be in some coherent shape by the time its due this weekend. However I also need to ensure that the same mistakes that happened in the Primary Source Analysis is not repeated.

My paper will attempt to discuss the benefits of inclusivity and unity over stereotyping and separation. It will also forewarn about the possibility of a stereotypical union where one side arbitrarily chooses to approach a weaker side for a misbalanced union. Such states are not possible or advisable.  My paper will continue to elucidate on this by using the examples of the integration of the European Union. In this example I will focus on the benefits derived by union and the inevitability of its success. I will also focus on those touchy issues which make its fulfillment a burden. 

Laws and ideas change across borders and to create a union of such disparate believes will require compromise. The crux of the paper will reside in the fact that this compromise should not contest or dilute the very essence of the issue at stake. That would undermine the very institutions for which so many good people stand.

Blog 28: Integrate a quote

"If we want change, we must include everybody in the process."
Ann Itto, SPLM Deputy Secretary General of Southern Sector, Sudan

This blog will primarily revolve around the quote above and how it applies to the episode “The Day of the Dove”. The day of the dove at one level strove to get unity but it did achieve this in an exclusive way. This is where it displays the Federation to be stereotypically good and the Klingons to be stereotypically bad. Extreme representation in such way could be theatrical however in an episode as serious as this it also serves to be misleading.

The Klingons are seen to be to put it roughly, crude. It takes a severe effort by the Federation to be able to convince them of the danger they are in. On the other turn, the Federation seems to be doing everything right. Given this scenario it is highly improbable that either party would be able to ever to come to a conducible concord with each other. The expectation of a party above bending down to reach to a party below is unexpected and unreal.

To conclude as far as the European Integration is concerned; compromise! Compromise over concepts of freedom and democracy will continue to re-evolve and shape the policies of the union. It would be best if we took a step back and re-evaluate our priorities before we take the lunge forward. Per se, the best option would not be inaction but careful decisive ones.