Blog 33: It's hard to say what I want my legacy to be when I'm long gone....

                In this blog, I am going to talk about how my topic is relevant for common place and my common place paper.  Yes, legacy can be traced extremely far back in human history, but it is also very prevalent in today’s society.  Everyone is searching for their legacy, for their way to be remembered after they pass away.  Some people aspire to find the next breakthrough in cancer treatment, or for some it is an even greater goal, like the cure to cancer.  Others are not quite into the science scene and would rather see themselves becoming the next elected president of the United States.  Still, others just want to help people and would rather see themselves find a way to end world hunger.  Some people may not think they are searching for a legacy to leave behind yet they still find it.  In either case, people search for it their entire life; most people only find a way to live on through their children.  In a lot of ways, people see children as their one way to meeting the goal of immortality.  It is why many want a baby boy, so their last name will continue to be used a passed on through the generations.  College students are full of optimism and goals they are looking to achieve.  They can either be giant goals, like becoming the next president, or small goals, like following their parents in joining the same fraternity or sorority.  Either way, they have either consciously or subconsciously started on their way to creating and finishing their own legacy.

Blog 32: The more we write the less we die...

                For this blog, I am going to write about timely events that can be used in my common place paper, which has the topic of legacies.  I think I am, for the moment anyway, going to just brainstorm ideas about what kind of current examples I could use in my paper.  Later on in another blog I can then go into detail and fully research them.  First, I like the idea of using fraternities in my paper.  It is current (or can be if researched properly) and can be related to by a large majority of college students.  Second, I think I might use our current president, Barack Obama.  He has created a legacy for himself just by being the first black president for the United States.  Third, a little less current than the other two so far but still a good option is Martin Luther King Jr.  He is also another person that people will not soon forget.  Fourthly, and my personal favorite option, is Eminem and his career as a white rapper.  Many people didn’t think he could pull it off or be a big success but he has won so many awards and written many top songs.  He is also part of that timely category because his career only started 12 years ago.  I am also thinking about adding something about myself.  I am aspiring to become a doctor, so maybe one of my legacy goals is to be remembered for saving someone’s life, or finding a cure to some disease or disorder.  It would definitely be current and a good thing to tie into the paper.  All great options, but I think my focus will be on my goals, Eminem, and the fraternities.

Blog 31: We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.

                Legacy, a man’s quest for immortality is what I am here to blog about today.  This is for my common place paper and I would like to share the beginning snippet that I wrote out in English class today, since that’s what this blog is all about. 

                Since the start of our first civilizations, men have tried countless ways to be remembered by those that come after them.  Many have tried, but only a select few have succeeded.  Looking back on the ancient civilization of the Mayans, they have been a great success as a culture, giving us the Mayan Calendar.  From this calendar, we have gotten many predictions.  But whether or not you believe there is truth prominent to what they have predicted, you have heard of them.  The ancient Egyptians can also be considered a success, with their Great Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx still standing strong after thousands of years.  As a civilization, it is easier to achieve immortality.  Very few individuals have achieved such a feat.  Many people try to get into the book of world records, that way they at least have their name forever preserved in ink.  Others do great deeds, like Muhammad Ali or Mother Teresa.  Still others do unspeakable acts, such as murder thousands of people because of their religion just to create the perfect race.  Yes, I am talking about Adolf Hitler.  These achievements are something known around the world.  But you could still leave a legacy, perhaps in your own hometown or at your university.  College students are known for their optimism and will to be able to strive for anything and possess that ridiculous feeling of invincibility.  A fun fact for the readers out there, when the child of fraternity members enters college and applies for the same fraternity both their mother and father were a part of, they are known as a legacy. 

Blog 30: B**** please, you must have a mental disease, so assume the position and get back down on your knees...

                For this blog, I again decided to take a look at an article from the music section.  Music is such an important part of my life that I cannot resist reading about it.  Today, I read the article titled “Where is the Love?: An Examination of Music’s Relationship to Domestic Violence” by Kelsey Bisson.  In the article, the disrespect for women in today’s music is discussed.  Why should women be portrayed as sex symbols who are only good enough to do chores for men?  They shouldn’t be that is the answer.  Women have been fighting for years now for equal treatment and they have progressed fairly far, but this is one more hill we need to get over.  And although I agree that women should not be looked down upon and disrespected, I still listen to and like a lot of the songs.  But referring to my previous blog, I think the main reason I like a lot of these songs is because they have a very catchy beat.  It is hard to not like a song that has a catchy beat even if the words suck.  But, again referring to my previous blog here, I think it is time for a reform in hip-hop.  However, there are some artists out there that do not disrespect women in their songs and actually stand up against others who do.  The article mentions the song “Face Down” by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.  Personally, I really enjoy this song, but then again it has a great beat.

Blog 29: And I am whatever you say I am.. if I wasn't then why would I say I am? In the paper, the news everyday I am.. I dont know... its just the way I am !

                For this blog, I read the commonplace article titled “Why Rap is Going Down, Down, Down, Down, Down” by Sam Rakoczy.  To those of you who do not know me, rap is my thing.  I listen to it none stop, so when I saw this article, I knew I had to read it.  And for the most part I have to agree with the author.  Anymore, rap is more about the beats and the bass than the actual lyrics to a song.  Listen to Lil Wayne’s song “6 Foot 7 Foot.”  The music is so overpowering that there are points when you can’t hear what Lil Wayne is even saying.  Don’t get me wrong, I love this song and its beat is awesome, but it isn’t everything.  I am a huge fan of Eminem though and most of his current work is just as good as his previous raps, although some of it could be better.  Tupac has been very recently introduced to me, and at first I will admit I was not sure if I would enjoy his music.  I listened to one song and it was incredible.  The meaning behind the words was evident and the beat wasn’t too bad either.  So again I agree with the author, hip-hop needs a reform.  Something needs to be changed or it may get even worse.  There are already YouTube videos out there supporting this claim.  Bring back the old rap where the words had meaning, and came from the rapper’s emotions.  That is what I would like to see happen.

Blog 27: Eagles may soar, but weasels aren’t sucked into jet engines.

                Some people joke about genetics and tell you that there must not be a life guard for the gene pool.  But within the next 20 or so years, that quote may become obsolete or at the very least altered.  With the advancements of genetic engineering, soon the gene pool will have a life guard, because scientists are working on ways to allow parents option when conceiving their children.  Many people are, as of right now, referring to this process as designing children.  This is mainly due to the fact that you can potentially change the outcome of their eye color or hair color or body style before they are born.  Not only are scientists working on this, but they are also working on ways to scan fetuses for genetic diseases and disorders to help prevent children being born with them.  With genetic engineering, also comes the hope for many people of a long sought after dream.  Immortality.  For centuries, men have tried countless different ways to make themselves live on after they die.  The ancient Egyptians built pyramids that last thousands of years.  Men right biographies to preserve their life in a book for others to read after they are gone.  So when a television show comes along and depicts a solution to immortality, of course people are going to be interested.  Genetic engineering has somehow become that solution and I believe that Star Trek: The Next Generation has helped this become a reality for many people.  The writers could not have known that what they were creating could somehow lead to a giant research that was only beginning to develop around the time of the series.