Hi fellow bloggers and followers I have been rather MIA in the past few weeks. I have been busy with finishing up at my job and training a fellow worker but I just stepped down from work and I should have more free time to blog when the ideas come to me, however I am back on the digital horse.
Have you ever strolled down 170 Street and Grand Concourse in the Bronx or have you ever taken a trip to the Riverdale section of the Bronx and spent a day there? Ok well let me pose another scenario have you ever taken the 6 train and got off at 86 and Lexington or taken it to 103 and Lexington. The irony of these two separate situations is that in each situation the two areas are close in vicinity but worlds apart. Walking by the East side of Manhattan below 96th street and above 96th Street is like night and day, there is an ostensible difference.
I dont get it, its mind boggling! The missing piece to the puzzle is found in the clear distinction that represents an economic disparity. The areas where 170 Grand Concourse and 103rd and Lexington are located are under resourced, underserved, and disadvantaged. On the other hand, 86th and Lexington and Riverdale are located in areas that are well kempt, privileged, and excessively resourced. I think I have reached an epiphany!!!!! The Upper East side along with Riverdale are overwhelmingly more affluent than the the areas in the South Bronx and Spanish Harlem. This means that there is a significantly lower crime rate, better quality of education, and more funding for the community in general. Higher property tax in richer areas allows you to keep your neighborhood safe and clean, as well as provide funding for better schools. Now if you examine the demographics in each area they are also very different. In Riverdale and the Upp. East Side there seems to be a majority of whites in the upper-echelon and in the South Bronx and Spanish Harlem the population is predominantly Black and Latino from a lower socio-economic status.
The class distinction is astonishing when you juxtapose the South Bronx/Riverdale or Spanish Harlem/Upper East side. During the Jim Crow Era, segregation was more apparent because it was driven by race. The dynamic has changed and a new age of segregation has emerged, and its called classism! I define classism as a distinction of different neighborhoods based on socio economic status. While the dictionary defines it as "a biased or discriminatory attitude based on distinctions made between social or economic classes." Next time you are in a "nicer" neighborhood take a closer look and scrutinize the population; you will be surprised at what you discover!!!!!!!
Until next Blog, see ya :)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Media
Hello followers I apologize for not writing in a while but I've just been busy and haven't had a chance to update like I would've liked to. But here I am with some refreshing concepts. I thank you for being so patient and allowing me to share my ideas with you.
So I was thinking the other day why does this young generation act the way they do in this day and age, by young I mean the age range 10-21. I thought of one main reason MEDIA. Media dictates our lives. It plays a fundamental role on how we view the world. This statement may be overly dramatic but I believe it to be true. If we aren't glued to the tv, radio, or blackberry then we are trying to figure out how to obtain access to a communication device. Humans (particularly teens) are stuck in a matrix that becomes increasingly difficult to escape from. This cycle is hard to disrupt. It is comical how entranced we are by the media, so much, that we can hardly distinguish fantasy from reality. Society has become dependent on media instead of media being dependent upon society.
Generation Y (Net Generation) has brought about a lot of positive changes to the world such as the facilitation of daily activities from making toast to more efficient forms of communication. However it has become challenging for the youth to distinguish between the real and fake. They (by they I mean my age group too) are mesmerized by youtube, myspace, facebook, mtv, and bet. As I said earlier the media has become like the matrix that has kept the generation of young Americans insulated from reality and incarcerated by this fictitious world. The media is a tour de force and plays a crucial role in shaping the characters of our youth. Young Americans constantly emulate what they see in music videos and attempt to model their favorite stars. Hollywood is not all it seems, it is basically smoke and mirrors at the end of the day. Teens will get tattoes, adopt slang, wear clothes and ingest drugs just to be like their favorite rapper, singer, athlete, or actor. As a result they become trapped by these images portrayed by the media in hopes of fitting in and/or becoming popular while sacrificing their own persona. Instead of striving to be like Lil Wayne or Rhianna why not strive to be like Cornell West or Sotomayor. We should focus on the positive figures in society that can be good role models for the youth.
We should teach our youth to become critical thinkers. They should become their own person and be comfortable with themselves. More than anything we need to embrace learning how to be a unique individual without emulating what you see on tv. We should restrict how much the media influences our youth if we want them to have a brighter future.
So I was thinking the other day why does this young generation act the way they do in this day and age, by young I mean the age range 10-21. I thought of one main reason MEDIA. Media dictates our lives. It plays a fundamental role on how we view the world. This statement may be overly dramatic but I believe it to be true. If we aren't glued to the tv, radio, or blackberry then we are trying to figure out how to obtain access to a communication device. Humans (particularly teens) are stuck in a matrix that becomes increasingly difficult to escape from. This cycle is hard to disrupt. It is comical how entranced we are by the media, so much, that we can hardly distinguish fantasy from reality. Society has become dependent on media instead of media being dependent upon society.
Generation Y (Net Generation) has brought about a lot of positive changes to the world such as the facilitation of daily activities from making toast to more efficient forms of communication. However it has become challenging for the youth to distinguish between the real and fake. They (by they I mean my age group too) are mesmerized by youtube, myspace, facebook, mtv, and bet. As I said earlier the media has become like the matrix that has kept the generation of young Americans insulated from reality and incarcerated by this fictitious world. The media is a tour de force and plays a crucial role in shaping the characters of our youth. Young Americans constantly emulate what they see in music videos and attempt to model their favorite stars. Hollywood is not all it seems, it is basically smoke and mirrors at the end of the day. Teens will get tattoes, adopt slang, wear clothes and ingest drugs just to be like their favorite rapper, singer, athlete, or actor. As a result they become trapped by these images portrayed by the media in hopes of fitting in and/or becoming popular while sacrificing their own persona. Instead of striving to be like Lil Wayne or Rhianna why not strive to be like Cornell West or Sotomayor. We should focus on the positive figures in society that can be good role models for the youth.
We should teach our youth to become critical thinkers. They should become their own person and be comfortable with themselves. More than anything we need to embrace learning how to be a unique individual without emulating what you see on tv. We should restrict how much the media influences our youth if we want them to have a brighter future.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Underdog
Hello members I am sorry for the for hiatus but I am back with some thoughts and I strongly urge you to reply so we can get an official dialogue going,
Imagine being born a crack baby with HIV, an orphan, and blind. I cannot fathom how anybody in this physiological and mental state would be able to function in society nevertheless survive. When the odds are stacked against you like this, life becomes an incessant challenge. Heinous acts such as child abuse, sexual abuse, and verbal abuse are ubiquitous and the victims who endure these hardships have demonstrated their resilience, dedication, and faith. It takes a lifetime to recuperate from having your soul battered and your inner being lacerated. These brave souls deserve a nobel prize for overcoming these obstacles.
In addition to the myriad of problems that minority communities are plagued with just being a minority can be daunting at times. The financial, social, academic, and psychological issues we encounter can be overbearing. Whether you just lost a loved one in a shootout or have to work in order to help your mom with the rent you need to make the necessary adjustments to achieve the grades you desire. Furthermore when there are no academic resources available or you just aren't aware of the opportunities available for minorities it makes it difficult to succeed. People who come from a single mom household in a lower income neighborhood and have graduated college have already defeated enormous odds. Dedication and willpower become critical to attaining a higher degree such as an MA, MS, MD, JD or even a BA(graduate school, medical school, law school, college four year university).
We must learn from every failure and develop the determination to dust ourselves off and get back up. I view failures as learning experiences and not defeats. We must defy the status quo and challenge the societal norm of being inferior. Failures are God teaching us what we did wrong and testing our faith. Anything that is worth having in life should not come easy because if the journey to get to the finish line is difficult then we cherish the victory much more. When we fall we must dig deep into the depths of our soul and excavate the courage to keep going! SUCCESS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!
Imagine being born a crack baby with HIV, an orphan, and blind. I cannot fathom how anybody in this physiological and mental state would be able to function in society nevertheless survive. When the odds are stacked against you like this, life becomes an incessant challenge. Heinous acts such as child abuse, sexual abuse, and verbal abuse are ubiquitous and the victims who endure these hardships have demonstrated their resilience, dedication, and faith. It takes a lifetime to recuperate from having your soul battered and your inner being lacerated. These brave souls deserve a nobel prize for overcoming these obstacles.
In addition to the myriad of problems that minority communities are plagued with just being a minority can be daunting at times. The financial, social, academic, and psychological issues we encounter can be overbearing. Whether you just lost a loved one in a shootout or have to work in order to help your mom with the rent you need to make the necessary adjustments to achieve the grades you desire. Furthermore when there are no academic resources available or you just aren't aware of the opportunities available for minorities it makes it difficult to succeed. People who come from a single mom household in a lower income neighborhood and have graduated college have already defeated enormous odds. Dedication and willpower become critical to attaining a higher degree such as an MA, MS, MD, JD or even a BA(graduate school, medical school, law school, college four year university).
We must learn from every failure and develop the determination to dust ourselves off and get back up. I view failures as learning experiences and not defeats. We must defy the status quo and challenge the societal norm of being inferior. Failures are God teaching us what we did wrong and testing our faith. Anything that is worth having in life should not come easy because if the journey to get to the finish line is difficult then we cherish the victory much more. When we fall we must dig deep into the depths of our soul and excavate the courage to keep going! SUCCESS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Evolution 5
Socially the world has been transformed since 2000. our societies have been saturated with sex, materialism and egotism. Moral values are almost non existent as well as divorce rates reaching astronomical numbers and infidelity has become commonplace. More people have tattoos (which used to be taboo) but are now the norm. STDS, HIV Rates, cases of child and sexual abuse have all risen. our family values are at risk as society has become increasingly focused on the media, fashion, and the culture of individualism. From a cultural standpoint people's values from their birthplace are being replaced by American Values. For example my parents are from the Dominican Republic and most Dominicans are losing their cultural values and customs which are being replaced by American ones. Paradoxically so individualism has increased but nobody feels comfortable in their own skin and originality is frowned upon. Everybody wants to follow the next trend and lose their sense of self rather than think critically about society. Furthermore, incarceration rates (especially for young black men) have risen and abortion rates have dropped since 2000. Moreover drug abuse has risen and gone overboard to the point where drug users have resort to pain killers such as percocet and vicatin as well as other prescription to attain a new high. I believe that the mass media has influenced culture a lot since the 60s and more recently since the year 2000 by promoting sex more aggressively and emphasizing market values such as materialism, and egotism.
Society has also changed a lot since religiously. The scandals in 2001 about Priests molesting young boys has changed the way the world views religion and has put the Catholic church under more scrutiny. In addition the way that extreme capitalism has affected religion has been incrediblle. Mega churches have evolved the and the sole focus of certain churches are to genlerate revenue. Greed and materialism have corrupted the church. Certain pastors are taking tithes for themselves rather than putting the money towards services that the church needs and for the public good. Most sermons focus on prosperity and acquiring wealth rather than improving your well being and strengthening your relationship with God and giving glory to God. We have forgot to exhibit Christian ideals such as compassion, kindness, loyalty, dignity, faith, and altruism.
Society has also changed a lot since religiously. The scandals in 2001 about Priests molesting young boys has changed the way the world views religion and has put the Catholic church under more scrutiny. In addition the way that extreme capitalism has affected religion has been incrediblle. Mega churches have evolved the and the sole focus of certain churches are to genlerate revenue. Greed and materialism have corrupted the church. Certain pastors are taking tithes for themselves rather than putting the money towards services that the church needs and for the public good. Most sermons focus on prosperity and acquiring wealth rather than improving your well being and strengthening your relationship with God and giving glory to God. We have forgot to exhibit Christian ideals such as compassion, kindness, loyalty, dignity, faith, and altruism.
Evolution Part 4
The world has had a climactic shift in the environment (pun intended) over the last decade. There have been growing concerns about the climate change and excessive CO 2 emissions that are blamed for it. CO2 emissions are professed to be the main cause of global warming. Polar ice caps have been reduced by 15 percent the highest ever which reflect sunlight but when they are not present sunlight warms the water which circulates around the world and causes a shift in the climate and abnormal weather. In addition to global warming there have been some anomalies in geological events within the past 5 years. In 2004 there was a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that devastated Sri Lanka along with other countries that claimed over 220,000 lives. Then in the year 2005 there was a Hurricane that terrorized New Orleans mainly because the levies of the damn that are supposed to protect the overflow of water broke. There are still parts of New Orleans that are suffering form the grave impact of that tragic natural disaster that killed more than 1830 people. This year January 2010 another natural disaster happened. A massive earthquake struck Haiti and killed more than 250,00 people. There was another earthquake that hit and killed approximately 1000 people in March 2010.
Evolution Part 3
Economically our world has turned upside down. In September 2008 Americans witnessed a series of events that would lead to the financial crisis that we are still suffering from in 2010. A combination of the housing bubble, predatory lending, cds (credit default swaps) and cdos (collateralized debt obligations) contributed to the economic downturn. We are still in a state of recession in April 2010 and our unemployment rates are higher than they were during the Great Depression. In a nutshell greed, excess, and a lack of moral values led to this economic meltdown which had a trcikle down effect on the average consumer.
Politically our world has turned upside down as we have our first black president (bi-racial) to be exact. I thought I would never live to see the day. Barack Obama was elected to be president in November 2008. He was inaugurated in January 2009; it was a monumental event which I was fortunate enough to see. Unfortunately he inherited the country in a really bad shape particularly in the economy. He was received with skepticism from the Republican side but the majority of the American public was in favor of Barack Obama being president of the United States. One of his goals as president was to achieve bipartisanship in congress and hoped to work across party lines. Some people criticize the bail out of AIG and the burdening of the tax payer with this debt. This is one of the most difficult decisions Obama had to make early on in his presidency. The success he has achieved thus far has been in passing the health care bill. This was a long and hard fought win for the democrats and citizens of this country in general. Through the health care reform there will be more than 30 million Americans insured, pre-existing conditions will be removed from health insurance policies, adults under the age of 26 will still be covered under their parents' insurance until they are able to establish economic stability, and there will be stronger focus on preventative care. The changes that will happen as a result of health care reform in the next couple of years should be interesting.
Furthermore in 9/11/2001 a national catastrophe happened. The twin towers in the Lower Manhattan (known as the world trade center) were hit by the two planes. Other government buildings were attacked by planes but the damage was minimal. Both planes were said to have been operated by terrorists from the terrorist group Al Queda. But suspiciously so these "terrorists" took flying courses on American ground. This horrific event claimed close to 3000 lives. Everybody has their own views on the attack on 9-11. some say it was a conspiracy by the government to get us to believe that the terrorists were the enemies others believe that terrorists really did strike the twin towers. Well at any rate in the year 2003 the united States declared war on Iraq with suspicion that Iraq was responsible for the terrorist attack and that they had weapons of mass destruction. The ultimate goal was to find Sadam Hussein, capture the terrorists along and find weapons of mass destruction so they can achieve peace. Well it didn't exactly work out that way. Now the government pulled all of our troops out of Iraq to have them deployed to Afghanistan and to complete a counter terrorist mission there. Our country is now in 11 trillion dollars of debt because of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. We owe China approximately 2.5 trillion dollars. This is the biggest and longest war our country has seen since Vietnam and so far 5000 soldiers have been killed. this has been an unfortunate event in the past 10 years.
Politically our world has turned upside down as we have our first black president (bi-racial) to be exact. I thought I would never live to see the day. Barack Obama was elected to be president in November 2008. He was inaugurated in January 2009; it was a monumental event which I was fortunate enough to see. Unfortunately he inherited the country in a really bad shape particularly in the economy. He was received with skepticism from the Republican side but the majority of the American public was in favor of Barack Obama being president of the United States. One of his goals as president was to achieve bipartisanship in congress and hoped to work across party lines. Some people criticize the bail out of AIG and the burdening of the tax payer with this debt. This is one of the most difficult decisions Obama had to make early on in his presidency. The success he has achieved thus far has been in passing the health care bill. This was a long and hard fought win for the democrats and citizens of this country in general. Through the health care reform there will be more than 30 million Americans insured, pre-existing conditions will be removed from health insurance policies, adults under the age of 26 will still be covered under their parents' insurance until they are able to establish economic stability, and there will be stronger focus on preventative care. The changes that will happen as a result of health care reform in the next couple of years should be interesting.
Furthermore in 9/11/2001 a national catastrophe happened. The twin towers in the Lower Manhattan (known as the world trade center) were hit by the two planes. Other government buildings were attacked by planes but the damage was minimal. Both planes were said to have been operated by terrorists from the terrorist group Al Queda. But suspiciously so these "terrorists" took flying courses on American ground. This horrific event claimed close to 3000 lives. Everybody has their own views on the attack on 9-11. some say it was a conspiracy by the government to get us to believe that the terrorists were the enemies others believe that terrorists really did strike the twin towers. Well at any rate in the year 2003 the united States declared war on Iraq with suspicion that Iraq was responsible for the terrorist attack and that they had weapons of mass destruction. The ultimate goal was to find Sadam Hussein, capture the terrorists along and find weapons of mass destruction so they can achieve peace. Well it didn't exactly work out that way. Now the government pulled all of our troops out of Iraq to have them deployed to Afghanistan and to complete a counter terrorist mission there. Our country is now in 11 trillion dollars of debt because of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. We owe China approximately 2.5 trillion dollars. This is the biggest and longest war our country has seen since Vietnam and so far 5000 soldiers have been killed. this has been an unfortunate event in the past 10 years.
Evolution of society 2
Scientifically the world has been revolutionized. The discoveries that have been made in genetics and stem cells will have a pivotal impact on humanity. Stem cells are cells that are made in adult bone marrow. Pluripotent stem cells can mature into different cells throughout the body (can turn into a neuron or liver cell) and has the unique capability of regenerating itself. The therapies that will be derived from stem cell research shows a lot of promise in terms of clinical application. These therapies that are being tested in research laboratories is projected to have the ability to cure cancer and neurological diseases such as Parkinson's.
In 2003 the mapping of the human genome was completed successfully. Now we can say that we know the secret to life. The deeper understanding of our genetic makeup will become crucial as we progress into an age where cancer is the second leading cause of death. Through genetic research and analysis ideally, cancer causing genes, proteins and promoters will be isolated and shut down before they can be expressed in the human body and possibly lead to the eradication of cancer in the human race. I know it may far fetched but with the rapid advancement of genetics and science in general this could become quite feasible.
In 2003 the mapping of the human genome was completed successfully. Now we can say that we know the secret to life. The deeper understanding of our genetic makeup will become crucial as we progress into an age where cancer is the second leading cause of death. Through genetic research and analysis ideally, cancer causing genes, proteins and promoters will be isolated and shut down before they can be expressed in the human body and possibly lead to the eradication of cancer in the human race. I know it may far fetched but with the rapid advancement of genetics and science in general this could become quite feasible.
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