I plan to fly, SO HIGH!

''Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire''. ~Arnold H. Glasow


Its time…SENIOR YEAR. The year that’s all about getting ready for another stage in life, heading to university. Many say that its easy going but I say is my time to fly high, to do well and to exceed expectations. My plan is to strive and work hard to exceed expectations and be an ideal all rounded student. English A2 is my only Diploma program. My target is to successfully round up and complete this course.

I need to cut the slack and be VERY organized to be on task and on top of all the requirements.

*VENI VEDI VICI

''I CAME, I SAW, I CONQURED''

The Resistance

Reading the Resistance lyrics instantly sparked several themes that are related to George Orwell’s novel 1984. To begin, the theme of Totalitarianism is resembled both in the lyrics and in the novel.
The main goal in the novel was to warn of the serious danger totalitarianism inflicts on society. George Orwell clearly describes the terrifying degree of power and control implied by a totalitarian regime/party. In such cases many things are limited such as freedom of thought, rights and humanity were monitored and shattered. Orwell was a socialist and strongly believed in the rebellion to enable advancement in society. A dystopia is presented, meaning a perfect totalitarian state. The lyrics show the fear, discomfort and disappointment of being placed in such society. Lines 1-3 clearly backup my saying. ‘‘Is our secret safe tonight? And are we out of sight? Or will our world come tumbling down?’’ These lines portray that the theme is combined both in the lyrics and in the novel. The party has universal control over society, blocking people from thinking for themselves and having thoughts of their own and the lyrics convey if their ‘‘secret’’ is safe and are they not being watched or in other words will the party find them and is the party monitoring them and then bring their world tumbling down with severe punishment. Within the lyrics there are also words of rally and enthusiasm and potential hope, as Orwell believed. ‘‘Let our hearts ignite’’ shows the faith that they will at one time overcome. They live in fear but they will strive and wait to see each other smile again. The people are manipulated, but they are aware and they will pay any price to be happy once again and maintain the love and never give in.

War Equals Peace

  War: a time of violence and bloodshed. When thinking of the word, I automatically think death. I see people losing parents, siblings, and children. Although that is all true, with war comes serenity and peace. How, one may ask. Well, the main purpose of war is to solve a problem. Not all problems can be solved with words, and sometimes battles are needed in order to prove which side will be the winner. When the problem is solved, one side obtains peace by knowing they have succeeded, and the others know where they stand, and have relief that the time of suffering has ended.
  A resolution is what war aims to provide. Without a resolution, people would be uneasy and unhappy. Without war, there would be no resolution, therefore no peace. The words war and peace are perfect antonyms, and so they complete each other. The word peace would not exist without its comparative to war. In order for people to appreciate and understand what peace means, they must go through war. Without knowing war, you wouldn’t know peace, and without knowing peace, you wouldn’t know war.
  There’s an African proverb that I find illustrates my point; it states, “However long the night, the dawn will break.” Here, by saying the night is long, the author is referring to a harsh time. The dawn is the coming of happiness. War is exactly the same. It is scary and dark, like the long night, but in the end there will come peace and happiness. When the war is over, people will feel relieved and have an enormous burden lifted from them. All of their prior fears and worries will no longer matter since the biggest issue they have been facing (war), will have ended. Under that circumstance, I believe it to be plausible to say that war, ultimately, leads to, and is peace.

How Important Is Media?

Many believe media is just another part of life, not very important, and doesn't make much different; but has anyone really thought of the work and effort behind it? We all change skip the first 10 minutes of a movie to avoid trailers, or change channels when a commercial comes up, so why do marketers spend so much time and money on ads?

Chanel No. 5, a perfume I'm sure everyone has heard of. Why's that? Because of the continuous advertisements seen all over the media. First, they chose a very important figure as the face of the perfume. Nicole Kidman. 

Because they chose such a famous actress, they have automatically increased their grab on customers of different demographics. Fans of Kidman range from children to adults, unlike the typical customers of the brand Chanel. Now, Chanel has fans of Nicole, fans of her husband, fans of her children, fans of her movies, and many many other people associated with her out to buy 'her' perfume. Chanel has branded their product with Kidman, and instantaneously doubled their pool of buyers.

Now, some might say that ads aren't what's causing the increase of sales, but numbers say otherwise. Nicole Kidman has become the highest paid actress, per minute, for a television commercial. For her 3 minute advertisement for Chanel No. 5, she received $12 million. If producers didn't believe these ads were bringing in revenue, they wouldn't have paid a quarter of that. 

Big companies use big names to sell their products. Using a person such as Nicole Kidman grabs attention, and creates a hype for the company name. Using figures to sell a product is a very smart and powerful way to advertise a product, and it is done daily in the world of media.

Here's a link to the 3 minute, $12 million ad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C525FnMFSBI

Coca Cola

While searching through the internet, I came across an old Coca Cola advertisement. It caught my eye because it seemed more frightening than pleasant. An elf like boy, with glaring eyes, stood in the back of the ad, with a six pack of Cola in front.  It looked very much like a christmas advertisement because of the red and green. After doing some research, I found out why.

In the early '20's, Coca Cola was known to be a 'summer time drink'. All ads persisted on people drinking it chilled, and many of the advertisements featured bottles of Cola on a bed of ice. Marketers wanted to increase their sales, and therefore came up with the idea of incorporating Coca Cola with Christmas. 

In the early 1900's newspaper ads were the biggest and easiest way to market a product. The Cola company decided to use Santa Clause as bait for readers. Santa Clause was the biggest part of Christmas, and appealed to the largest amount of people. Adults, parents, and children were all within the demographic of people that celebrated Christmas. In order to make Cola an all year round product, the company used Christmas as their ideal market strategy.

All Coke ads began to print in the famous colors. Elves, Santa, and many other Christmas decorations were all within the reach of the ad creators. Red, is a very strong and attractive color, and it is commonly used in many ads to grab attention. The base color for all Coca Cola ads became red. 

Techniques such as color, and  using famous figured (like Santa) are all tricks used in media. The way to attract the readers attention is the hardest, most important part. Until today, Coca Cola is one of the most powerful companies, coming up with an approximate annual revenue of $6 billion. Media and advertisements made Coca Cola the drink that it is today. If marketers in the '20's hadn't of created the 'all year round' drink, Cola might have died out before we were ever born.

Feral Children.

While watching tv the other day I came across an interesting documentary. It was about kids left alone and abandoned since a young age. Not many people have heard the term feral child. That is because their are only about 100 knows cases around the world. A feral child is a child that has been living since a very young age without any (or very little) human contact and interaction. These children are often abandoned by unfit parents, and are left to fend for themselves since birth. Although a child doesn't have to be abandoned completely, the lack of physical and phycological stimulation leaves these children mentally disabled and socially handicap. 

Oxana Malaya is one of the few children seen around the world to be a feral child. At the age of three she was left outside her home, in Ukraine, by her alcoholic parents. Finding shelter and warmth with dogs, Oxana began her life with the pack. For five years she would eat, sleep, and live with dogs, without any human contact, until one day a neighbor reported a chid living with animals. When authorities picked Oxana up, she could only walk on all fours, and continuously barked and growled. Her behavior was studied by many therapists and phycologists, and all claim that her behavior was not an act, but her true instincts.

Feral children aren't widely known, but their stories are ones filled with heartache and pain. Oxana Malaya isn't the only child that has been abandoned by their parents, as there are others of her kind. Yet I found Oxana's case  intriguing because of her odd circumstances. Usually, feral children are found to be extremely underweight, have little or no mobility, and are more or less mentally disabled. Oxana, on the other hand, acted like and was a functional dog. Now, Oxana lives at a home for the disabled, for this enormous neglect has greatly hindered her chances to live a normal life. She regained part of her speech, only because she knew a few words before 'joining the pack'. 

The program had a great impact on the way I viewed the show. They used serious tones throughout the narration, and made the emotions clear. The knowledge of what's happening to children around the world is making me more aware of the realities of life. Not everyone can live and afford a lushes lifestyle. These days communication has become very simple and easy, and therefore we're seeing the truth of the world. The media exposes the truth, and reality cannot hide. I feel deeply sympathetic towards this woman for what she has endured, but find great fascination in the way she has developed. Here's a Youtube link that'll give you an idea of how she acts like a dog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyqbnDjId7g

What Money Can Buy.

 There used to be a time where owning a car was cool, now, not so much. As times change, billionaires all over the world compete for the title as "Forbes Richest People". Whether they're dining at a bistro in Paris, or mingling at a cocktail party in New York, these group of elites need the means to get to their next destination without delay. These days, all you need is a private jet. 

For some, its as simple as swiping a card, and out comes the aircraft. Others, such as many kids of this generation, yearn for a chance to be an owner of one of these machines.

The media has created an image of perfection, and its basically, money. If you have money, you are an icon. Many rappers are infamous for theft, murder, and other despicable crimes, but why aren't they being reprimanded for their actions? Because they have cash. Driving in an expensive car can get you out of pretty much anything in Hollywood. 

The sad part about this, is that children of this generation are idolizing these figures. They grow up believing its alright to do whatever they please, and they can just buy their way out of it. The media is creating a bubble of perfection around these people, and it isn't right. 

They show actors and singers partying and 'living life', but aren't giving the true aspects of their lives. We see a headline about a DUI, and the next day its just a forgotten memory to the world. The media has a very controlling hand on what is shown, and what isn't, and they choose not to show the bad side of things. If they were to show these icons going to trials, court appearances, and even jail, it might make a difference. Youths wouldn't blindly follow criminals with some money to spend. Since the media controls everything we see, I think it very strongly shapes our ideas and beliefs.

Thoughts On The Ipad.

A breakthrough in this generation’s technology, the Ipad; or is it? The Ipad looks like a giant Iphone, with a sleek aluminum back and a 10x8 inch wide screen. It has all the features of a regular laptop, and functions of a Ipod. The touch screen creates the feeling of high-tech device. 

That, and how "cool and hip", the new IPad is all we're hearing about these days. Whether its through the radio, or newspaper articles, the IPad is the 'it' gadget for this season.

Many people love and hate the Ipad. First, the main problem is how to categorize it. Is it a laptop? No, atleast not a practical one. Is it an Ipod? No, It’s too big and heavy to use solely as an mp3 player. Although we read all of these wonderful informative pieces about this device, can we really believe them?

Have you ever stopped to think who wrote the catch phrase on the latest Apple ad, or even who the person giving it a 10/10 review is? An important question to think about is, who is this information coming from? 

If one were to consider buying an IPad based on the features they've seen on the website, I would say they've been tricked. The company website is the safe haven for all of its products. Its the only place in the world where each item they have created is perfect. Its a utopia for the manufacturer, and a brainwashing device for the visitor. Each title, comment, and description is read, revised, reread, re-revised.... over a million times. Not only each word, but each letter is taken into consideration, and discussed for what way it might be precieved. The review must be flawless, and the comments left by 'customers' are hand picked. The person that will give a true review, is not the one paid to publish one. 

The fame and glory all of these inventions are receiving is because of media; specifically, the person delivering the message. His or her opinion alone can shape how people see the item. 

The truth can be hidden in many ways, and advertisers are experts on this. They'll give you all of the best attributes of  an item, but leave out the glitches. That's why its most important to know who and where the information is coming from. 

Kuwait & John Hopkins Alliance

 I read the other day in the news paper about Kuwait signing an agreement with John Hospital Medical University and Hospital in order to improve the conditions of Kuwait's health care system. It said that officials from the Medical University and Hospital will take over in the management aspect of the four main public hospitals in Kuwait. They'll also aid in laboratories and teaching new and more efficient ways to care for patients.

On Jan 28, 2010, Dr. Helal Al Sayer, The Minister of health for the State of Kuwait released this news. The officials from The John Hopkins Medical University and Hospital will be visiting Kuwait to assess the hospitals. Al Adan, Al Amiri, Al Farwaniya, and Al Jahra hospitals will all be managed by John Hopkins.

This is a great and much needed step for Kuwait. The country is capable of having the best health care in the world because of its enormous wealth, but its lacking in proper management and supervision. The new health minister has taken this opportunity to benefit the Kuwaiti health care system. Unfortunately I don't see the media is focusing on this achievement. The news paper had a few words about what was going to happen, and many people haven't even heard about this.

News papers seldom show the true and important matters revolving around a country. There is much talk about minor things, and the beneficial topics are ignored. Many people condemn tabloids and gossip magazines, but when thinking of it, are news papers any different? All I see on the front page is this MP said this, and the other said that. John Hopkins is known world wide to be one of the best hospitals in the world, for both medical care and education, but we don't see that being stated in the paper. It's sad that we have the privilege to have them help in the improving our hospitals, yet credit is not being given where it is due. 

Although we'd like to hear more good news, hearing and speaking about the flaws we have is a step towards improvement. No matter how harsh the story, in the end, all we'll think about is, how can we fix it? After all the negative articles and talk about the Kuwaiti health system, we have seen change. People are doing their jobs, and working to create a difference. Constructive criticism is how I see it.

Personally, I believe this is a wonderful achievement. Kuwait has needed this for a long time, and finally is doing it in the correct way. This leap shows Kuwait's realization of the deteriorating state of the health care system, and its need to improve.  The experience and knowledge that will be gained will help Kuwait on a large scale. The goal to start this project will be mid 2010, and will hopefully be successful.