"Same Love"

Why are people being mean to Gabby Douglas? 

Kellogg's Corn Flakes has immortalized Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas by placing her image on its cereal boxes. But will the 16-year-old gymnast, arguably London's breakout star, continue to court the attention of companies who want to use her image to sell their products?

The Atlantic's Lindsay Abrams points out that female athletes are underrepresented in advertisements. How bad is it? Abrams writes: "Not a single female athlete appeared on the 2011 Sports Illustrated list of the 50 highest-earning U.S. athletes, a fact that's highlighted in a forthcoming study in the Journal of Brand Management. A Turner report found that, of the sports figures featured as endorsers on 11.9 percent of television commercials, only 3 percent are women."

It's not that advertisers aren’t willing to attach women to their products; it's that female athletes simply don't sell products as well as their male counterparts. Abrams continues: "For an endorser to be successful -- according to a well-established branding model -- he or she must follow the pillars of 'Familiarity, Likability, and Similarity.' Researchers John Antil and Matthew Robinson, who conducted a series of focus groups on the topic, found that female athletes are lacking in all three."

Yikes. Abrams suggest that advertisers "humanize our Olympic heroines rather than flaunt their superhuman physiques" as a solution. But as Douglas has unfairly learned this week, showing one's human side also has its drawbacks.

While many saw a young athletic wonder dazzling us on TV, others saw imperfect hair and took to Twitter to air their grievances. "I know every black woman looked at gabby douglas’s hair and asked Why? Just why?" tweeted one person. "On another note, gabby douglas gotta do something with this hair! these clips and this brown gel aint it!" tweeted someone else.

In a rebuttal to the disparaging comments, author Demetria L. Lucas wrote on Essence's website: "I challenge anyone to explain to me that Gabby’s focus should be on something as trivial as her roots when she’s focused on a dream that many aspire to, but few accomplish. You really want her sitting up in the Olympic Village thinking about a hot comb or some lye right now, with all that’s on the line?"

Exploring the issue for NPR, Monique Fields explained that "the matter of hair is as serious to some in the black community as losing a tenth of a point on the balance beam." She continued: "Douglas, some feel, isn't just representing herself, her family and all of the sacrifices they made to get to the world stage. She is representing black people, who take a certain pride in their appearance. She is representing a race of people who have been taught over and over again that they must be better than everyone else just to be on an equal playing field. She is representing a history of hurts and wrongs.”

Add to that burden her gender -- another recent study shows that we’re all hardwired to objectify women -- and you can't help feeling for Douglas even as you cheer for her. "We all are more important than our hair, and we need to stop tearing down black women for how we look," argues Fields.

It remains to be seen whether Douglas, as a black woman, can secure long-lasting lucrative endorsements. But from my perspective, it’s a kick in the gut every time I hear people tear down accomplished women on such trivial and peripheral issues. Douglas doesn’t deserve it. And, subsequently, she’ll especially have my vote at the checkout counter (even if I wouldn't dare eat Corn Flakes).

source:
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/03/news/la-ol-gabby-douglas-hair-gender-race-20120803 

This article is significant to me because I have witnessed others judging someone because of the way they look. This controversy falls under the themes of cyber issues and fashion. I would say fashion is involved in this issue because no one in the Olympics would do their hair in a certain way Gabby did, which caused critics to talk bad about her hair through social media and online. As a teenager, theses days it is easier to bully someone online, for example, ask.fm, facebook, twitter, etc. At school, people try to dress a certain way so they can build a reputation at school by wearing brand named clothing, which then people know what group there in or what type of people they hang out with. For example, dance people, athletes, nerds, Surrey jacks, etc. 

Pressure

If you leave- Musiq Soulchild ft Mary J Blige


[Verse 1: (Musiq Soulchild)]
You think
I'm so full of it, full of it
But I think I'm just fed up baby
You think I can be so arrogant, arrogant
But I'm just tryna get keep my head up baby
You think I procrastinate baby
But I think I'm taking my time
You think you need to leave
But I think I disagree but

[Chorus: (Musiq Soulchild)]
If you believe you'll do best without me
Ill let it go girl, Its over
But before we say good bye
Lets give it a try
If you leave, then baby I'll leave
I'll let it go girl, Its over
But I have no doubt
We can work it out

[Verse 2: (Mary J Blige)]
Yeah
I think your so full of it, full of it
You just don't know when to let up, Baby
I think you're so arrogant, arrogant
But you think you're so much better baby
That I think It ain't dealt before me to judge you by your flaws & that's why
No I could criticize, but I put that aside
To focus on you & I

[Chorus: (Mary J Blige)]
If you believe you'll do best without me
Then I'll let it go boy, Its over
But before we say goodbye
Lets give it a try
If you leave, then baby I'll leave
I'll let it go boy, its over
But I have no doubt
We can work it out
Yeah

[Bridge: (Both)]
Now if you wanna go
Baby then I'll let you go
& even though I'm tryna hold on
I cant let you go

& if you're gonna leave me, you're gonna miss me
& I'm not saying that Ill be here waiting

Since we here right now (instead of just walking out)
Let's work to reach the point that I know we can be ?

[Chorus: (Both)]
But if you believe, you'll do best without me
But I'll let it go girl
[Musiq:] I'll just go, then just go girl
[Mary J:] But I'll let it go
It's over (it's over)
But before we say goodbye
Let's give it a try
If you leave, then baby I'll leave
I'll let it go girl, it's over
But I have no doubt
That we can work it out

If you believe, you'll do best without me
I'll let it go girl, it's over
Before we say goodbye
Let's give it a try
If you leave, then baby I'll leave

Can One Define Love?

Romeo and Juliet is one of the most famous plays in English history. What makes it so significant is the idea of love that it displays. To think that loving someone so passionately, that even one's own life would not matter more, is not easy to comprehend. Juliet says "If all else fail, myself have power to die." That, plus the illusion that the love was strong after the first sighting. The idea of love at first sight was derived from this great play, but it seems that it could be understood in many other kinds of ways- ways that argue that love was not the only significant emotion that wrapped up the tragic phenomena.

It is clear in the play that Juliet is awfully young at the time, when she meets Romeo. Capulet explains it, "My child is yet a stranger in the world, she hath not seen the change of fourteen years." She also hadn't been married, which means she was new to the idea of love and affection. That is a big detail to keep in mind, since one can argue that the "love" at first sight was actually lust, and that Romeo wooed her before he actually had her fallen in love with him. As a young teenager, being exposed to that feeling of lust for the first time is extremely intense. Another way to define the reality, is that perhaps Shakespeare has shown fate, or destiny to be a greater force than love, as it ultimately succeeds in keeping the lovers apart. The obstacles that it creates. Their love is disallowed by the Capulet and Montagne families, and Juliet is yet to be married to Paris- but they're still inevitably drawn to each other. It had to be a form of love, as the violent empowering force led them to defy all other values, loyalties and emotions.

The play also portrays other kinds of love. The close relationship between Nurse and Juliet, and Mercutio and Benvolio are both as heartfelt and sincere as Romeo and Juliet's. Shakespeare shows that there are other forms of love. There's no saying whether a type is "realer" than the other but some are much more vulnerable. Juliet couldn't stand being separated from Romeo during the time of his banishment- at the time they had both been emotionally invested.

Whether committing suicide is romantic or not, depends on how one would like to interpret it. One can look at it in a way that Juliet had realized that Romeo is no more, and now she'd have to face disgrace from her family and have to live through it alone, and that she'd jeopardized her family's reputation. Also, that she'd worsen matters between the Capulets and Montagues. Or it could've been that Juliet was so passionate about Romeo, that the thought of never being able to see him again made her think it would be wiser to end her life. 

"The learned and the experienced know that love at first sight is not true at all, it is merely a strong desire for each other nourished by mutual physical attraction, sexual desire and magnified passion without reasoning all bonded together and disguised as love." -anon. This quote provides the understanding of one possible form Shakespeare was trying to portray. Even if the love were real, there is no guarantee that it would've lasted, as it progressed very quickly. After all, is physical attraction enough to last a life time? "Strictly speaking- and certainly if we take Shakespeare's other tragedies as a criterion- we cannot admit Romeo and Juliet as a tragedy at all, for the catastrophe depends on chance, the undelivered letter of Friar Lawrence. Without this accident, all might have been well"- E.C. Pettet. 

Sukhleen Bachra

Sources:
http://mathawaada.blogspot.ca/2008/06/romeo-and-juliet-how-real-is-love.html

Mid Term.

Overall, this year I would give my self 85%.

For attendance I would give myself 20% because I always come to class on time. Sometimes I am late to class because I have to talk to my teacher about something important, then I quickly have to go to my locker to get my food and text book. If I were to be late to class, the bell usually rings by the time I am coming up the main stairs. I am usually on task in class, but lately I tend to get distracted very easily and "might" disturb others from doing there work. I think I may have had too much candy leaving me to get very hyper in class, which causes me to not shut up.  But the positive side to this is that I do help others in class that need help with their work or who need a starting sentence. I can control myself at times and stop all the nonsense, I don't constantly check my Ipod for messages or snapchats because Gayle usually has my Ipod so she can do her work and get caught up. I only use my Ipod when we need it tweet or to do our blogs. I hate the HP laptops, they suck! I am always positive in class and ready to learn new things as well as ready to make fun of my friends in class. I love to be part of our class discussions and see what others think and hear their opinions about the topic we are talking about.

For assignment completion I would give myself 25% because I always have my assignments done before hand and I finished all 15 tasks. I love to write a lot because I have so many ideas and thoughts I want to share in my writing. So much goes through my mind that I have to let it out. I try my best to fix my writing by reading what my peers commented below. But I need to try harder because yesterday Mr. Neufeld told me to add more to my soliloquy, which I did for, "the sun", part but I didn't understand what he meant for writing if people are all good or bad. I understand why he wouldn't comment it but I should of noted it down on my Ipod.

For quality of assignments I would give myself 20% because everyday is a day that I can improve on. Lately, I try to write professionally on my work and expand my vocabulary. Which is improving a lot and I mean A LOT. I would say I have done my best work but that doesn't stop me from making it better. As I mentioned before, there is always more room to improve. I put my full efforts in all my assignments but every time I it over and over again I do noticed some areas in my writing where I can do better and put more effort in. For instance, I sometimes don't explain things well enough and leave it sort and brief. I noticed I like to explain things in depth. Everyone has there own writing styles, some like to write a lot like me and some like to write less. My work can be improved by taking the comments seriously and fixing my work. I can improve by fixing my grammar mistakes, being more detailed and go more in depth, connecting, etc.

For class contribution I would give myself 20%. My presence in class has improved others learning because I like to participate in class and share my thoughts and opinions. For example, when we were analysing the poem, "To a Stranger", I participated in class by searching up personal information of the author and sharing it with the class. Whenever I finish my assignment I always go comment on my class mates work that' s why I am known as the few kids that names always pop up in the comments. I remember when we first made our personal blogs and I didn't embed my video properly so I learnt how to do it with Mr. Neufeld's help. Which later, I was able to help my fellow class mates how to embed a picture and video. When one of my class mates don't understand something in class I try my complete best to help them out, but sometimes I can't help everyone because I may not understand it and need help myself. "I like the idea but maybe re-read your story and use different words other like "enjoy". I think this comment was helpful because after that post, that person did a very good job on their next assignment. They didn't repeat the same word over and over again and there was a fair amount of grammar mistakes. But most importantly, I could see the improvement and it was awesome. Just their recent post was detailed and well written. I am very proud of this person, keep up the good work!

Soliloquy- Act 2, scene 2

"It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!" -Romeo

This soliloquy may refer to a variety of meanings but, in this case Romeo overheard Juliet talking about him. Which he thinks is a great idea to stop hiding and face Juliet. Leaving them to poor out there feelings about each other and how deeply they love each other. Therefore, leading him to say this to her, "It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!". At that moment Romeo must be looking up at Juliet's window and sees her light turn on, he is saying that he is looking eastwards and seeing Juliet would be seeing the sun coming up in the east. He is also referring to her beauty and all those things associated to the sun.
Another meaning of this metaphor can be that, through the late night, Juliet's exquisiteness makes Romeo image that she is the sun, transforming the darkness into daylight. Romeo objectifies the moon, calling it, "Sick and pale of grief", making Juliet the sun, which is far more brighter and beautiful. Without the sun there would only be darkness. Making Juliet, "the sun", darkness will never exist.
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/romeojuliet/quotes.html

This soliloquy comes from the most memorable and famous scene from the whole play. In this scene Romeo as well as Juliet are purifying there love for each other. By describing the way they feel about each other through words. The significance of this scene is that Romeo is going to see his significant other for the first time in the orchard, which represents his joy in seeing her and how much he loves her. Knowing that she is, "the sun", means that she is the gleam of his dark and depressing mood. Due to that she quickly has changed his world over the course of just one day. This scene today has impacted on how women think men should be, by poring their hearts out to them and honestly sharing how they feel about their relationship as well as how devoted they are to each other. It tells women how men aren't as tough as you think, they always have that warm and tenderness in their hearts, you just have to reach out to them.

I like this speech because it impacts ones thinking of something, in this case love. Not all love is just lust and enticement. You have to be able to communicate and prove your love for each other. The best way is to talk about it, is with your significant other. Everyone has a moment in their lives where they just can't wait. They have to get that feeling or news out as fast as they can by meeting or talking to that person ASAP because it is killing you and making you insane. There's too much going on in you mind and your heart feels like its getting heavier and heavier every second. Therefore in this play, this scene is very prominent because it is genuinely heart-felt and true to the soul. It is more affectionate to women because they are known for being the too soft and delicate ones.