Consider this the end.
For the record, I really did enjoy this class. Granted sometime I was completely bored out of my mind because I could not comprehend some of the crazy ideas Derek suggested, overall I enjoyed it. Especially the topics of time, our whole patriotism discussion, and clearly I enjoyed the music portion.
This ended up being that class I actually looked forward to at the end of the day...it was a nice end to my 5 and half hour day on Mondays and Wednesdays. I learned alot...learned to question what I learn...and to then learn more. I asked questions I never thought I would and answered question I never thought would be asked of me.
So thanks to all for a wonderful semester and hopefully I'll have some more classes like this with you in the future! =)
Have a wonderful summer all!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Life = Music
Right out of the womb music has been my life. My father played the clarinet through high school, took piano lessons as a child, taught himself the flute, and can play the saxophone...and he still does today. So it was inevitable that I would get involved with music.
Like every other child, I sang during elementary school and played the recorder and all that jazz. Then in the 3rd grade I started playing my dad's clarinet and I have been playing ever since. In the 4th grade, I got put in the advanced band with the 5th graders. I took private lessons during middle school, played saxophone in the jazz band, and missed making the District band by 3 points. In high school I was first chair right off the bat, played with the pep band at football games, got involved in the pit band for musicals when I wasn't acting on the stage, and was in the Woodwind Quintet that went to play at a Band Director's Conference in Boston. We won many titles in high school at many competitions and they are moments I will never forget. I also played here at MCLA my first semester...but it isn't the same here. But I do still play on my own.
Being involved this much in making the music makes it quite obvious that I would love listening to it also. Every genre gets a chance with me. I don't care how obscure it is. I don't care if some people don't consider it music. I'll give it a chance. And so should everyone else.
So the point of this was to pretty much make the point that for some people, music is life. But it doesn't have to be their life. Music has been, and always will be, a major part of my life, but it doesn't fully define who I am. No one should be full defined by one thing...
Like every other child, I sang during elementary school and played the recorder and all that jazz. Then in the 3rd grade I started playing my dad's clarinet and I have been playing ever since. In the 4th grade, I got put in the advanced band with the 5th graders. I took private lessons during middle school, played saxophone in the jazz band, and missed making the District band by 3 points. In high school I was first chair right off the bat, played with the pep band at football games, got involved in the pit band for musicals when I wasn't acting on the stage, and was in the Woodwind Quintet that went to play at a Band Director's Conference in Boston. We won many titles in high school at many competitions and they are moments I will never forget. I also played here at MCLA my first semester...but it isn't the same here. But I do still play on my own.
Being involved this much in making the music makes it quite obvious that I would love listening to it also. Every genre gets a chance with me. I don't care how obscure it is. I don't care if some people don't consider it music. I'll give it a chance. And so should everyone else.
So the point of this was to pretty much make the point that for some people, music is life. But it doesn't have to be their life. Music has been, and always will be, a major part of my life, but it doesn't fully define who I am. No one should be full defined by one thing...
Fa la la la la?
Music is what you make it.
Amanda had wrote in her blog that a thunderstorm on CD isn't music, but rather just a thunderstorm...on CD. I disagree. Music is noise, music is different to the individual. Some consider thunderstorms music. Like the Native Americans, they dance to thunderstorms making that the music, and no one can deny them their right of believing that is music. I might not think it is music, but in some cultures it is.
Just like many say Rap isn't music, it's just people talking. But it's noise, and any noise can be construed as music to someone. Anything you can find a beat in. You can hear a beat in a jackhammer and then find other beats in the environment that go with it. This all makes its own music.
Music is in the ear of the beholder. I don't believe anyone can deny something that makes noise the right to be music.
Amanda had wrote in her blog that a thunderstorm on CD isn't music, but rather just a thunderstorm...on CD. I disagree. Music is noise, music is different to the individual. Some consider thunderstorms music. Like the Native Americans, they dance to thunderstorms making that the music, and no one can deny them their right of believing that is music. I might not think it is music, but in some cultures it is.
Just like many say Rap isn't music, it's just people talking. But it's noise, and any noise can be construed as music to someone. Anything you can find a beat in. You can hear a beat in a jackhammer and then find other beats in the environment that go with it. This all makes its own music.
Music is in the ear of the beholder. I don't believe anyone can deny something that makes noise the right to be music.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
The Succession of Success
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left." ~Bertrand Russell
Claiming success in a war does not make any sense to me. In a way, yes, we have won because we accomplished some of our goals that we went into Iraq to do. But not all, and we have hurt or killed so many people that were in our way (or even just innocent bystanders).
But who can claim success? Us? The Iraqis? The Taliban? Sadam?
The Iraqi were liberated from one government and then surpressed by ours. So can they claim success? Just because we believed they were suppressed doesn't mean that they really were. What we believe is not always right. So can they claim success?
The Taliban attacked us knowing all to well that we would attack back. They got what they wanted and they still have their real leader, Bin Laden. So can they claim success?
Sadam always said he would go down for his country...he did. So can he claim success?
Can we claim success? Can anyone?
Claiming success in a war does not make any sense to me. In a way, yes, we have won because we accomplished some of our goals that we went into Iraq to do. But not all, and we have hurt or killed so many people that were in our way (or even just innocent bystanders).
But who can claim success? Us? The Iraqis? The Taliban? Sadam?
The Iraqi were liberated from one government and then surpressed by ours. So can they claim success? Just because we believed they were suppressed doesn't mean that they really were. What we believe is not always right. So can they claim success?
The Taliban attacked us knowing all to well that we would attack back. They got what they wanted and they still have their real leader, Bin Laden. So can they claim success?
Sadam always said he would go down for his country...he did. So can he claim success?
Can we claim success? Can anyone?
5 Years
March 20, 2003.
At this point I was still in middle school, 8th grade to be exact. Near the end of 3rd quarter if I remember correctly. I was also 14 years old, a minor. At that age, we still don't really understand the concept of the world working as a whole. All that we knew at that point was people we knew were going to be sent overseas for work...
April 17, 2008. (5 years and 28 days later)
At this point I am a freshman in college, ending my first semester. I'm 19 years old, an adult by American standards. But now I understand more about how the world works. That we share it and it must be unified in some ways. But I still don't understand why we (as Americans) think we are the higher power. Makes no sense. 5 years ago we went into Iraq and made the decision that we were going to "liberate" those people. 5 years ago. This was supposed to be an in and out job. 5 years. A whole different set of soldiers are over there than the ones who were there in the beginning. I see no point for us to have such a presence over there anymore. No matter when we pull out, there is going to be conflict. The bad groups of people will just keep holding off until we go...maybe in another 5 years...but the second we're gone, they will try and regain their power. So we should start to just pull out.
5 years
4,038 American Casualties
21 people missing or captured
29,628 people wounded
112 journalists dead
40 media support workers dead
500 US troops had ambutations (toes and fingers don't count)
At this point I was still in middle school, 8th grade to be exact. Near the end of 3rd quarter if I remember correctly. I was also 14 years old, a minor. At that age, we still don't really understand the concept of the world working as a whole. All that we knew at that point was people we knew were going to be sent overseas for work...
April 17, 2008. (5 years and 28 days later)
At this point I am a freshman in college, ending my first semester. I'm 19 years old, an adult by American standards. But now I understand more about how the world works. That we share it and it must be unified in some ways. But I still don't understand why we (as Americans) think we are the higher power. Makes no sense. 5 years ago we went into Iraq and made the decision that we were going to "liberate" those people. 5 years ago. This was supposed to be an in and out job. 5 years. A whole different set of soldiers are over there than the ones who were there in the beginning. I see no point for us to have such a presence over there anymore. No matter when we pull out, there is going to be conflict. The bad groups of people will just keep holding off until we go...maybe in another 5 years...but the second we're gone, they will try and regain their power. So we should start to just pull out.
5 years
4,038 American Casualties
21 people missing or captured
29,628 people wounded
112 journalists dead
40 media support workers dead
500 US troops had ambutations (toes and fingers don't count)
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Big Deal? Really?!
Ok, so there are a few reasons why I am bloggin so much lately.
1. I really enjoy this topic
2. I'm trying to make up for my lack of participation out loud in class (I haven't had the most attractive voice lately)
3. And I'm trying to make up for my lack of blogging for a couple of weeks this semester...with everything it is very easy to lose track of this thing...
But on to what matters.
Why is it such a big deal whether someone is "patriotic" or not? And I am using the stereotypical definition of patriotism involving the War in Iraq and supporting the troops and all that good stuff. And seriously, that's what it is...stuff.
I support the war. From beginning to end. We were all convinced falsely of their being WMD over there...so we went for it. A lot of people were behind it then. But now that we know the truth, there is a faint support system. I don't necessarily support the cause (but I do support the spread of democracy), but I support the war and everyone involved. I have had way too many people that are close to me get sent over there. But no matter the reason, I am going to support them and what they are doing. They support the war and believe that what they are doing is right and that they are helping somone. If the people doing the actually fighting support it, shouldn't we support them?
But people bash them. This apparently makes them unpatriotic. But they have a point where they are coming from. Patriotism talks up defending your country...we are no longer really defending our country anymore. Come on. You know it. We are there because it is a situation we can't back out of or all hell is going to break loose. We are defending ourselves. We might have in the beginning...a little bit...but definently not now.
But does it really matter? Why does EVERYONE have to support the war. Why does EVERYONE have to be patriotic. Some people, as much as we don't want to think about it, are stuck here. They can't go anywhere else. They don't support what we are doing. They have that right...it's called free will. It's a human right. And we are all humans. But not all humans are patriotic.
1. I really enjoy this topic
2. I'm trying to make up for my lack of participation out loud in class (I haven't had the most attractive voice lately)
3. And I'm trying to make up for my lack of blogging for a couple of weeks this semester...with everything it is very easy to lose track of this thing...
But on to what matters.
Why is it such a big deal whether someone is "patriotic" or not? And I am using the stereotypical definition of patriotism involving the War in Iraq and supporting the troops and all that good stuff. And seriously, that's what it is...stuff.
I support the war. From beginning to end. We were all convinced falsely of their being WMD over there...so we went for it. A lot of people were behind it then. But now that we know the truth, there is a faint support system. I don't necessarily support the cause (but I do support the spread of democracy), but I support the war and everyone involved. I have had way too many people that are close to me get sent over there. But no matter the reason, I am going to support them and what they are doing. They support the war and believe that what they are doing is right and that they are helping somone. If the people doing the actually fighting support it, shouldn't we support them?
But people bash them. This apparently makes them unpatriotic. But they have a point where they are coming from. Patriotism talks up defending your country...we are no longer really defending our country anymore. Come on. You know it. We are there because it is a situation we can't back out of or all hell is going to break loose. We are defending ourselves. We might have in the beginning...a little bit...but definently not now.
But does it really matter? Why does EVERYONE have to support the war. Why does EVERYONE have to be patriotic. Some people, as much as we don't want to think about it, are stuck here. They can't go anywhere else. They don't support what we are doing. They have that right...it's called free will. It's a human right. And we are all humans. But not all humans are patriotic.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Freedom of American
"Seems as though I should drink coffee all day without spilling it inside my Chevy as I drive around without knowing my First Amendment freedoms." - Nick Raby
Is this really where our country is going? We care about food and cars more than the freedoms people have fought for? Really people? Is this truly what an "American" is?
I guess I'm a horribe American then.
(1) I don't like coffee. I'm a hot chocolate kind of gal.
(2) I don't drive a Chevy truck. Yes, I drive a Chevy, but not the same connotation.
(3) I know my First Amendment Right
- Freedom of Religion
- Freedom of Speech
- Freedom of the Press
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Petition
and no, I did not just google all of those.
Is this what some consider Americans? Is this the view we are giving the rest of the world?
Is this really where our country is going? We care about food and cars more than the freedoms people have fought for? Really people? Is this truly what an "American" is?
I guess I'm a horribe American then.
(1) I don't like coffee. I'm a hot chocolate kind of gal.
(2) I don't drive a Chevy truck. Yes, I drive a Chevy, but not the same connotation.
(3) I know my First Amendment Right
- Freedom of Religion
- Freedom of Speech
- Freedom of the Press
- Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom of Petition
and no, I did not just google all of those.
Is this what some consider Americans? Is this the view we are giving the rest of the world?
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