"Whats Love Got To Do With It?"

In The article "Whats Love Got To Do With It?" written by Anjula Razdan is about different cultures and how they come to decide how one gets married. In the article she gives us some information on todays society. More and more marriages these days are ending in divorces and the marriage rates are even very low then where they were before the twenty first century. People are being more attracted to looks then getting to know the person. In the article there are key points in which to prove that marriages are going down hill and not working out for people. One of Anjulas thoughts is that people just do not know how to choose their life long partner and when they think they have a stable partner and get married they often think to themselves down the road "who is this person?" In the article "Whats Love Got To Do With It?" by Anjula Razdan it is seen that choosing ones spouse is a very hard long decision therefore one needs to look at other aspects of a person to truly know if they are in love or not.
Dr. Alvin Cooper, the director of the San Jose Marital Services and Sexuality Centre and a staff psychologist at Stanford University says that the main reason people find themselves in a divorce or an unhealthy marriage is because of physical attraction. This is very true. In todays society everyone looks for that perfect ten. they think since a person has beautiful eyes, gorgeous hair, and a rockin body that they are wife or husband material. One needs to find the inner self of people. They need to get to know the person instead of judging them for their looks. Epstein states that most people lack basic relationship skills and as a result most relationships lack emotional and psychological intimacy. Getting along with a person and enjoying each other are key points of a good relationship. The two people should feel comfortable and communicate well in order to make a relationship work. However, there are other cultures that do things differently when it comes to marriage. 

In some cultures one child might already have a life long partner before they even realize what is going on. And it has been shown in this article that way might be better than choosing for yourself. Once your parents have made up their mind in who you will marry you get to focus your attention on just that person when you are growing up. You get to do everything with them and really get to know them. That is not the case with choosing for yourself in America. The family background and values and beliefs also play a huge role in love. If both people share those qualities then they have a better chance of making it. 

Love is a big word that gets tossed around in todays world. But do we really know what love is? Most of us do not. Some may use the word and think they know what it means but really don't. I believe it is all about knowing someone well enough that they certain if they get married things will work out. I also believe you have to be with someone for a very long time in order to know if you love them. Some people get married for all the wrong reasons. They do not really care for that person and they just want to have the label as married. Most of the people that get married do not really know if they are ready. They could be making the decision to say yes just out of shock and disbelief. 

In conclusion who really wants to spend their whole life just waiting for that one person to come along. Everyone falls in love with someone one moment in their life. I believe if you just be yourself and do what you want to do you will find the right match for you. Along the way you may think you love someone but if you really get to know them you could find yourself to be wrong. That is called life. There are many obstacles in the game of life and if you do not overcome them then you will find yourself wondering how the time has past. So enjoy life and one day you will find that person that you can really for sure know you love.

Advertisement

The first advertisement that was shown shows a gorilla and a man. The gorilla happens to have a lot of hair on it's face while the man has a clean shave. At the bottom left of the advertisement shows a shaver that is not a razor like a lot of men use today to shave. The advertisement is trying to sell their new electric shaver that is fast and shaves as close as possible. I can tell this by the gorilla representing the inner beast in men when they have not shaven in the morning. The audience is clear to the people that is meant for men in their 20's and up to older men like around 60. How we can tell that the electric shaver is fast and easy to use is by the times they have by each picture. next to the gorilla it says 8 a.m. and by the man that has a clean shave says 8:05 a.m. One of the tools they are using in this advertisement would be humor. We can tell this by the gorilla picture. They are trying to say that men look like gorillas in the morning when they do not shave. One of the formats they are using is the brightness in the pictures and having an all black background. Another tool they are using could also be how odd the image of the gorilla is. Usually we don't see advertisements using gorillas to try and get their point across to the people.
The next advertisement that is shown I believe is about ice cream. Or some kind of dessert. It shows a priest and a nun. They look as if they are about to get romantic and kiss. the priest is holding the carton of ice cream in his hand while about to kiss the nun. The audience for this advertisement would probably be older men and woman who are looking for a quality ice cream that is more unique then the rest of the other ice creams. The advertisement is trying to say that forget about doing the right thing and go with your temptation and do whatever you want. Some of the tools that the advertisement uses is sex, shocking, and curiosity. They are using sex in the fact that anything that you desire could happen when eating this dessert and your temptations will let loose. This is shocking by the priest and nun about to kiss. usually you do not see this happen and think of them as very conservative and act like very intellectual people. Curiosity is seen here by wondering if this will really happen with their product. Could this really be true? Could this happen to me? The advertisement puts those kind of questions into your head. The format of this advertisement is dark. They use mostly black to show how unheard this is.
The last advertisement that was shown is seen to be for a certain group that is trying to save the rain forest. There is this jungle boy that is flying from vine to vine and then gets to a part of the rain forest where it is getting torn down by construction people. This shows that people are not trying to help save the rain forest. instead people are killing it. Some of the tools that are used in this advertisement would be  shock. This is shocking because of how the rain forest is vanishing 15km squared every minute. I believe the point that they are trying to get across is that we need to save the rain forest. The audience would be older men and woman in their 20's and up because they usually have the extra money to donate to foundations like these. Another tool could be curiosity also because people may be curious to ask themselves is this really true or is this fake? The color really plays a role because if it was black and white it wouldn't have the same effect as it does now. The trees wouldn't look the same and it would all look the same just no trees to the right of the picture.  

How My Semester Is Going

This semester for me at the College Of Mount Saint Joseph has been pretty tough. The semester started out like any other semester with getting syllabus's and meeting all of my teachers. Things seemed to be going very smoothly within the first two weeks. As the semester progressed so did my work load. I became overwhelmed by the amount of assignments and tests due and the information that I had to remember. I know this is college and I have to study hard and do all of my assignments but some of the ideas were hard to understand. As the semester came closer and closer to Summer break I saw my grades declining. I knew I had to take matters into my own hands and get some help.
 I went to the student help center and recieved some help. I have been meeting with two tutors twice a week for different courses. I feel as if they have helped me out a lot and I can see my grades and knowledge of that subject improve every single day. They can meet with a student whenever he or she is available and they really do help you learn the material a lot better because it is one on one help. My Math tutor and I practice problems out of the book along with my homework assignments. When I needed help in writing papers they are a huge help. they go over all of the things my paper does not have in them and help revise my paper so it is the best work I can do. There are multiple tutors there to help and each one is very good at writing papers.
The one course that is the hardest would be my Psychology class. When I first went into that class I immediately knew it was going to be hard but I never though it would be this hard. We have already written three papers, three exams and we have a quiz online due every week. Not to mention you will lose points if you do not participate in class. All  the material she goes over in class is the hardest to comprehend because the chapters are full of information and each exam covers about three chapters at a time. As soon as i knew I was falling behind I emailed my Professor and asked her what were some of the things that I could improve on to help raise my grade. She said I should be studying the material for about an hour each night. That is so hard for me to do. Between all the homework in my other classes and getting up early for Football I knew I would have to bust my butt.
My written word class is pretty tough. I have been use to getting good grades on papers in High School but for this semester it is a different story. My Professor expects a lot of hard work and dedication on papers. Even though it is hard written word is my favorite class because I have an awesome teacher that is very intelligent. I am always paying attention and participating in class whenever she asks a question because I know that is the best way to learn. My papers in there have not been the best but I will continue to listen to her and go to the writing center for extra help. My Professor gives us a good amount of time to complete papers and goes over things that will make our papers better. Writing papers does not come natural to me so I will have to work harder than everyone else in order to do well in her class. Before the semester is over I am determined to make my Professor proud of me.
Overall I believe I can end the semester on a good note even though I started off on the bad foot. I have made changes in my habits towards School work and I will continue to put in the extra time. I want to match my last semesters GPA even though I will have a hard time doing that. This semester has been an eye opening experience and has taught me some responsibility. If I continue to study hard, attend all of my classes and pay attention there is no reason I can't do well this semester.

"What is About 20-Somethings?"

In the essay "What is About 20-Somethings?" The author Robin Marantz Henig starts out the essay by telling us a little preview of what is going on to people in their 20"s today. Robin goes on to tell us some very interesting facts about people in their 20's and also examples of how they are different then people in their 20's in the 70's. The 20 year olds lives now are far more different then those of the past. For example getting married at an older age, creating families further down the road, and going to school for longer amounts of time to get a decent job. By including a quick summary of the essay, giving a theme and stating my opinion about this issue i will evaluate how times have changed our society.

Robin Marantz Henig's essay "What is About 20-Somethings?" starts off by saying that it is taking 20 year olds longer to grow up and come into adulthood. Robin explains that 20 year olds are like a "Black Box." what i think she means is that 20 year olds are always changing their minds and always doing something new with their life. Robin then states that Sociologists have said there use to be 5 milestones for the "transition into adulthood." They are completing school, leaving home, becoming financially independent, marrying and having a child. Robin then says that people move at their own pace toward adulthood and some do not even reach all five milestones. Some people go through the milestones out of order and the main thing is that young people are reaching adulthood later than ever. And that maybe these milestones that use to be reached by average 20 year olds can not be reached today for some reason.

Jefrey Jensen Arnett is a professor at Clark University says that what is happening now occurred a century ago when social and economic changes helped create adolescence. He says that now people are not as rushed to get married because of the acceptance of premarital sex and young woman feeling the need to wait and have babies until they are more comfortable with where they are at. Psychological profile happens with people approaching adulthood. they feel like the door is almost closing on opportunities and that they are coming to an end. The idea was brought up that we do not always agree on when someone is old enough to take on adult responsibilities. In fact Robin thinks that it really does not matter about their age. Robin also says in her essay that some 20 year olds have grown up got married and have kids and a stable job. but on the other hand some are still living with their parents and do not have a stable job to support themselves. The question is that do we extend some of the projections and special status of adolescence to all people in their 20's? Overall i believe the message that i am getting from Ms. Henig is that Psychologists and Sociologists are beginning to recognize that these milestones she has talked about are not really exist today.

One of the themes that i found in Robin Marantz Henig was about the milestones. They are completing school, leaving home, becoming financially sound, marrying and having a child. The issue of these milestones is that it is taking 20 year old longer to make these for themselves. Some have been able to accomplish these but many have not. As i approach my 20's i feel as if these milestones will be tough to reach. I am very close to my family and want to stay with them as long as possible because of the support and help i receive from them. But at the same time i believe it is time to mature a little bit and move out on my own. I am currently in the middle of living on my own and I feel it has a great experience. It shows me a little of what the real world is like. For instance I clean my own clothes, fix my own food in my dorm, and take on the responsibility of completing my School work on time without my parents breathing down my back to do this. I also have a thought that this problem of 20 year olds not maturing faster is because of the parents nurturing them too much. I always grew up knowing my parents would do certain things for me like clean my clothes take care of my grocery shopping, and having meetings with teachers if i have a problem. Most people that are in College are still on their families financial plan. My parents are paying for my College and I intend to pay them back as soon as i graduate and receive a nice stable job. This I think is the hardest milestone to reach since of the recession and that there are many adults now looking for job's therefore people in their 20's are also having a hard time finding job's. One of the points that really spoke to me is about the having babies one. She brought up how Woman are not having babies as much as before because of the opportunities they have with going to school longer and birth control. As for marriage i believe if your in love then go with it and if it feels right for the both of you then see if it works out. I will not be afraid of getting married even if people think i am way to young. It should not matter what age you get married as long as you can make it work for the both of you and that you will live a happy life together.

I believe Robin's essay "What is About 20-Somethings?" is very eye opening. Robin gave us different peoples insight on the subject of people in their 20's growing up. She used a Professor named Jeffrey Jenson Arnett from Clark University, G. Stanely Hall a Psychologist and the first president of the American Psychological Association, and a developmental Psychologist Jennifer Lynn Tanner. That was very helpful getting insight about how the brain works and how 20 year olds acted in the 70's. Throughout this essay it made me think about how my life will be when i am 20 and if i am moving slowly or fast. I think I will become mature enough to conquer all of these milestones because I have already moved out for School even though its just for a portion of the year until i go back home for Summer. I am looking for that right girl that I can spend the rest of my life with and Finding a job after School will be pretty tough because I am still undecided about what I want to do. I do believe though that you do not have to accomplish all of these milestones because I know that there are a lot of people out there that are very successful and do not have a spouse. A spouse will make things easier for people to be successful but you will always have family and friends to fall back to if you are having trouble in the game of life. My Aunt is one of those people that do not have a spouse but still has a stable job and we are behind her 100 percent and will do anything for her. I do not know how long it will take for me to reach these obstacles. But i know that if I do not complete them I am sure I will still mature and have a great life.

Laugh, Kookaburra

          In David Sedaris's essay, "Laugh, Kookaburra," he shows us his experience of a vacation with his friend Hugh and reveals his feelings between him and his dad. He encounters an Australian bird called the Kookaburra. When Sedaris meets this bird he looks back on some of the memories of his relationship with his father. Sedaris goes into great detail about his experience as a youngster and shows this through his experiences toward the bird. In David Searis's essay "Laugh, Kookaburra," Sedaris shows that experiences through ones childhood can lead to flashbacks of that specific moment, causing one to relish on the past, and come to realize who he actually is.

         David Sedaris's essay "Laugh, Kookaburra" starts off by showing the readers a fight between his father and him. His father claims that David has not really seen Australia, only some of the major cities in it. David then tells us that this is false and that he has seen Australia. David's dad is extremely mad at the fact that his son is gay and David's dad does not want his son to be hurt by the world because of his sexuality. This shows me one of the themes in this essay which is his relationship with his family. He has been known to be the odd one by his family members.  David can still be successful even without his family supporting him. Sedaris meets a lady named Pat who they encountered when they were both in Paris. Pat had lived most her life in Australia so she offered to take the two of them on a tour through the countryside. As they are traveling through "the bush," Pat asks the two to visualize a four burner stove. The four burners were family, friends, health, and work. pat said to them that in order to be successful you need to cut off two of these burners. Later on the trip the three go out to lunch and Davis sees a Kookaburra through the window of the restaurant. He then looks back to his childhood and realizes that he had turned off one of the burners in his life, which was family. David asks the employees more about the Kookaburra and one of the employees comes out with a slab of meat on a plate and David then goes on to help feed the Kookaburra.  The Kookaburra slammed the meat against the wooden platform which caused David to think about hearing the word Kookaburra in his fifth grade music class.  This is important because it is when he remembered a certain bad moment in his life when his father barged in and yelled at him for singing, portraying David's father's anger towards him. 
          Another theme David Sedaris shows is the four burners. He clearly states that he turned off one of the burners which was family. This is stated so that the reader can become successful in life and live a well balanced life. However in my opinion, I believe the way to a successful life is to have all four of the burners on and running. One may think that having family turned off is not as bad right now, but along the road family should be my number one priority so that they can help you through good times and bad times. I think that friends will come and go and if you find good quality friends then they will help guide you to a successful life and help determine what is best for you. Work is what keeps people going through life. Without work we would get off track and become unsuccessful. Also, work provides food and clothing which are the necessities in life which we need to survive. Health is what keeps me living. Without good health I can see myself on the verge of death. I believe health is the most important thing. As long as I have air in my lungs I can strive for greatness in life.

        My opinion of David Sedaris's essay would be pretty great because of the detail he puts into his writing. He keeps my attention by going back and forth between his vacation and when he is a child. I love the dialogue in this essay because that makes us really know what is going on and how the personalities of the characters are. I myself can kind of relate to this essay in a way because I recall singing songs in my classes and find myself in years down the road singing them because of seeing something that reminded me of them. I can also relate to this story in the fact that even though me and my dad have a close relationship but do argue quite a bit. He is always telling me what is right and what is wrong and then we start arguing because I feel the opposite way. Kind of like David and his father. For instance my dad wanted me to stay home for spring break my senior year and I obviously disagreed because it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. After a while though we finally came to a compromise and we both went on spring break together. Although I can only relate to the essay in that matter I do not relate to this story because I do not have a father that is angry at me for little stuff like singing in the late night. My father is behind me 100 percent and encourages me to be myself. And if that is singing then that is fine to him as long as i put all my effort into it.