UCLA must be a huge fan of legacy admissions

I try to remain optimistic and give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but there will always be an exception--watch at your own risk:

 Supposedly--and I am saying supposedly, because UCLA has name recognition, and was once considered a "selective" higher learning institution: composed of intelligent students; this young lady is a UCLA student. That she was admitted to UCLA and that she uses the library were the only two things that I found shocking. Legacy admissions are not controversial--opposed to affirmative action, so many may not be aware that they exist. Legacy, which I am hoping is how she was admitted, is the old boy's network at its finest. It is the name dropping way of entering college. Many assume that is how George W. Bush attended Yale. I believe that G.W. could have also attended due to his celebrity, which is also a great,unmeritorious way to attend college. These students are usually sought after and it is in this great book "A Is for Admission: The Insider's Guide to Getting into the Ivy League and Other Top Colleges" by Michele A. Hernandez. I read this book in hopes of attending Graduate School. That hope died, but for anyone who still believes in higher education, I highly recommend it.

Back to Ms. UCLA's rant: Racism, apparently, is a system that has worked very well for her. I believe that she has a future as a Fox News broadcaster--perhaps, she has already had an internship with them. She manipulated the tags and used a natural disaster to propagate her hateful view of Asians. She even went as far as to mention that she understands that their family members are calling them out of concern and she remained angry at the Asian--specifically Asian, because no other race uses or has ever used a cell phone in the library. It is sad. There is a culture of negativity and her shameless, disgustingly selfish views cannot, in any way, be beneficial to UCLA. I am sure that the school has already distanced itself from her. I hope that everyone in Japan is healing and that they receive the help that they need. If there is anything that I can do, please leave a comment. I advise everyone to beware of scams because, just as the UCLA student, there are too many opportunists/scavengers/vultures out there--despite the do-gooders. 

Pikes and Minnows

My Psychology teacher told us of Classical Conditioning using a parable about pikes and minnows. A pike is a larger fish and the minnow is generally a small fish. The minnows were the food source for the pikes. The pikes were separated from the pikes by a glass divider that allowed them to see the minnows, but prevented them from swimming to them. The pikes would try to infiltrate the minnows but were unsuccessful and, subsequently, gave up. The divider was later removed, and the pikes were released into the same water as the minnows. The pikes were indifferent to the minnows. The pikes did not attempt to eat the minnows even though it would have been very easy for them to do so.

That story remains in my head and always will. It reminds me to never give up because it may be that one opportunity that arises, when it seems too easy, that changes the direction of one's fate. I hope that my teacher is still teaching Psychology and using that story.     

Why ignorance is more dangerous than being a single parent

The argument of being a single parent seems to focus solely on the mother and this is unfair. The most salient aspect of this blame game is: why do we allow one parent to be relieved of parental duties in order to stigmatize the parent who is caring for the child? I say parent because there are a lot of single fathers, too and Mike Huckabee seems to have forgotten this or not cared enough to mention this when he slammed Natalie Portman for being an unwed future mother.

Being a single parent is a choice for some who are doing so in order to escape a domestic or abusive relationship, a philandering partner, a partner with substance abuse issue and many other deplorable situations. Some single parents are widows. It is disgusting that Huckabee and others feel that they should comment on such a personal situation. To speak of a woman's unborn child and stigmatize women who care for their children is, in my opinion, misogynistic and not representative of American values.

Resilience is prized Internationally. A single parent who provides for and cares for their child or children is worthy of praise and not degradation. It is time that we study the parent who has abdicated their parental responsibilities and is estranged from their child or children and not the caretaker--regardless of who it may be.

I commend any single parent out there. Military families are often subjected to long deployments which forces them into being a single parent temporarily. I think it is important for single parents to have a role model of the opposite sex for their child but it is not a requirement. The most important thing is to provide the child with food, shelter and love and I believe that the majority of single parents are already doing so.

Book Review: "You Know When the Men are Gone" by Siobhan Fallon

White privilege is the first word that comes to mind when I think back on this book. A Caucasian friend of mine was unaware of this term and advantage until a college Sociology course. This friend was American but born and raised overseas. His ignorance seemed feigned but I tried to take into consideration that Third Culture Kids (TCK) and Adults perceive things very differently and this may have accounted for that ignorance.



Mrs Fallon either deliberately or unintentionally perpetuated stereotypes of foreigners, African-Americans, Arabs and other minorities that were included in her stories. I found this very boring because it detracts from some of her excellent writing. She created characters that would have stood out more had they not been stereotyped as the ex-banker Caucasian male; the hypersexual, sexist, blood-hungry African-American who was listening to gangsta rap and had run out of money for college. The teacher who was "too blond", the moody teenager and the Mexicans who spoke Chicano English.

Stereotypes are not harmless. When the African-American is disrespectful to the Iraqi woman-- using sexual innuendo-- the night stalker has a Latino surname and the mention of Arab women in abayas somehow merits a ghost comparison, there is a problem.  It is not due to the political incorrectness, it is due to depending too heavily on such trite notions of people. I wish that I could patent or copyright every stereotype in order for them to never be used again.

Despite being fiction, it had a very familiar non-fiction quality about it to me.It reminded me of the chatty husbands and wives who would inherit information from their spouses and use it as fodder to gossip about all day and spread rumors that circulate the bases. Bases are usually circulating with rumors and this book gave us glimpses into each characters' lives. 

Mrs. Fallon's dialect and descriptions were excellent. I think that a Mexican who did not speak Spanish, however, makes for a more memorable character than one who speaks in Chicano English--or even a character who is capable of code-switching in order to demonstrate that he is street and book savvy.

Also, the psychology of the characters who were not heavily stereotyped compensated for those who were. I do not mean to sound as though I did not enjoy reading this book. I did, but I am looking forward to a book where the African-American is the general; the night-stalker is the least expected, most high-ranking official on the base and the stories are completed and not just glimpses into each characters' life.

3 out of 5 stars. What are your thoughts?

That Gray Area: How One Minute You're Hot and the Next, You're Not.

Growing up, I was plump. I cannot deny it because I have marks--stretch marks--that prove that I gained and lost weight very rapidly. It was strange to lose weight because people treated me as a new person. A friend once said that I have an inner fat girl and I think it is true. I also have the scars. Scars serve as a reminder to a lot of people.


Those who have served in a war or lived in an area that has seen the building or destruction of their land will probably have a better memory of what occurred. They carry physical or emotional scars. Scars are not the only way to remember. Those who are diligent will pay attention to what is happening, create a memory of it and reference back to it, if there is a need to do so.

 I have had a passport since I was five. I lived outside of the U.S., overseas, and on several islands. I didn't have an issue with air travel until Lockerbie. I think the Lockerbie bombing was a story that stayed with me. My parent was in the military, and military people usually leave the news on t.v. Due to the redundancy, I saw the story several times and I became anxious about flying. I became anxious about everyone flying because, until then, I thought the only dangerous thing about a plane was that it could crash.


Since then, Gaddafi was labeled a criminal. From what I understand, he paid billions and then he was the world's friend again--thanks to the United Nations--until recently. I do not understand the complexity of another country's politics. But, on behalf of American politics, I did not understand how we forgave so easily. Once again, I must consider Capitalism and then it makes sense. 

Gaddafi was such a good friend, that American celebrities: Beyonce Knowles, Usher and Mariah Carey, believed it was all right to accept a substantial amount of money from Gaddafi for their performances. This is that gray area: Gaddafi is no longer a friend and the money has been asked or ordered to be returned. 

How swiftly one turns his back on a friend. I have tried to keep all of the political relationships in memory because the gray area comes about so quickly. Rumsfeld is shaking hands with Saddam Hussein and then they are enemies; Gaddafi was somewhat exonerated and now he is a criminal again.

The only gray area is that his criminal activity should not have been forgiven. Relationships change, good people can change into bad people and the truth can be concealed. However, when there is a wrong--and it is clearly a wrong-- for the most part, the issue will be black and white.

I have yet to understand how world leaders and political figures are star struck by celebrities. It seems that in order to meet Obama, I have to be Justin Bieber or any of the other celebrities that appeal to The First Family. Isn't it strange that Usher, Beyonce and Mariah were hanging out with Gaddafi? Or that Hugo Chavez met with supermodel Naomi Campbell?  It seems to be the trend in politics and I am not a faddist.

That is why it helps to be beautiful and talented--or just beautiful because Kim Kardashian's appearance fee is enormous. Wouldn't it be strange if Obama were meeting with the cast of the Jersey Shore instead of the public? Especially the political science majors, law students, economists, social scientists, etc. That seems more likely than anyone in politics meeting or listening to me. That is also why education is a lie. Governor Schwarzenegger understood how powerful fame is and he used it to gain political office--despite having a business degree.

Be famous, be beautiful and then-- and only then-- can you meet with the political leaders of the entire world.    
I am sure that the protesters in Wisconsin could meet with the political leaders if the Green Bay Packers were to join their rallies. 

The Supreme Court: Protestors are violating privacy

The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the "religious" fanatics that insist on picketing military funerals with  hate-filled messages, desecration of the American flag, and most importantly, lack of respect for the grieving family.

The underlying message is that homophobia is tolerated under the guise of "religious" freedom as supposedly interpreted under The First Amendment's rights. It is an injustice that is institutionalized in order to perpetuate homophobia. 

I avoid speaking out against religion but what they are doing, I believe, is creating a religion to justify their actions. Their God is very foreign to me. I will not speak on behalf of anyone's God. I do not understand how these lunatics think that they can, either. These hate-mongers should do all religions a favor and speak for themselves instead of utilizing God as their puppet. They should separate themselves from every religion because such anger and hate is more consistent with evil than anything else.

Despite being heterosexual, I am hurt by their messages. Not that I have any issues with homosexuality, but how do the protesters know the troops' sexual orientation? These protesters freely use the "F" word--not the four-letter one, the hateful word for homosexuals. Such repugnant written, spoken and sung messages are equivalent to public indecency to my eyes and ears--especially my ears because not only are their songs filled with hate, they sing horribly. I would rather see nudity--at least I could close my eyes and it is natural. It is unnatural for people to have such anger and hatred displayed publicly.  I do not consider these protests peaceful. I would be terrified to walk past such hate-mongers.If it is protected under The First Amendment, I suggest they practice their rights elsewhere. They could practice it at their church, homes, and online but this behavior does not belong in public.   


Hate will eventually escalate into violence. The Supreme Court has allowed the Ku Klux Klan--well-known throughout history for burning crosses and lynchings to continue operating. I feel these groups should be regarded as terrorists and they should not be able to have protection under the law. Their ruling was a huge injustice to humanity. Do the families no longer have the right to privacy? To grieve the loss of their loved one without the noise and media distraction that the protesters are providing. Do the fallen troops have the right to rest in peace? Is it not defamation?

Isn't it against military law to desecrate the flag? That was always the impression that I was under because to this day, if I see a flag that touches the ground, or is somehow tattered, I cringe and think to myself that it is a violation of the flag. That may seem strange to civilians, but the flag is honored and requires special care and handling.  

I hope that the Supreme Court's decision is reversed. These are, in my opinion, the legal reasons why The Court should reconsider.  
     

Confusion

A few things that I am extremely confused about include Galliano being fired by Dior for being a racist while other racists thrive in their jobs: Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen, Imus and too many others to name. Why the U.S. Patent office isn't hiring and why the "Save the Dream" rallies have gone ignored. I think that I understand, all too well, why the rallies have gone ignored but it merits our attention.

Racism does not surprise me. I expect Racism, Sexism, Ageism and every other -ism out there because such systems are institutionalized--to a certain extent--and thrive because the beneficiaries remain in power and get richer. I know that idioms make for bad writing, but they have historical value and accuracy, so I will continue to use such trite sayings.

Race-based slavery was a boon to every person who did not have African blood. In fact, it was so good, that those who did have African blood but could "pass" for something else, often did. Race was also a factor in the U.S.' 19th century Chinese immigration policy and too many others in history. There are bureaucracies that were created for the sole purpose of protecting people from racism. That is why I do not understand how racism is clearly wrong and yet others are selective about penalizing the racists. I applaud Dior for firing Galliano. I would prefer that the policy become universal, but racism works for one group and hurts another. Some people can afford to be racist and others cannot. I believe that Galliano will work--either independently, or for an employer like Fox News (wink, wink).

I get mad when I like racist people's art. I always think there is underlying racism in Pat Conroy's novels, but I think he is a great author. There are so many movies that I have watched that could have done without using racial slurs, but they were used and repeated so much that it made me wonder if they were a fan of "The Birth of a Nation", which is cited as one of the best movies of all time.

I enjoyed Faulkner and Pirandello's works but I believe they, especially the latter, were racists. Fox News is blatantly racist. I do not think that anyone can have a strong argument against that statement but I really don't watch Fox--I am usually the antithesis of their style of journalism and their baseless ideology. I find Fox News on in a lot of waiting areas and that is usually the most viewing time it receives from me. In conclusion, if anyone wants a "fair and balanced view" of racism, watch Fox News. They will spin everything to make racism less of a bad thing--even though it is clearly wrong.

I have the Time.com app on my phone and there was an article explaining how the U.S. Patent office takes forever to approve of inventions and that there may be a vote to make changes to the long process. It had me thinking: "job creation"! The numbers were outrageous and I am sure that those interested can find and read the story, http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2055812,00.html if that link didn't work. I am hopeful that an invention in there has solutions to the problems that are faced by humanity. I value ingenuity
and even though it is often mentioned that there are a lack of U.S. students in fields such as engineering, I think that we cannot truly know because so many of the patents have not been reviewed and approved.

I hope that an approved patent will help to "Save the Dream". It is very important that changes are made in this country, as well as abroad. I hope that those attending the rallies receive the attention that they deserve. Some aspects of the Democratic process have worked well in the past and I am hoping that they will work well in the future. I think I aid the culture of negativity sometimes and that is not the purpose of this blog. I want this blog to encourage others to think independently about solutions to the issues that we are facing and to help each other--regardless of race, age, ideology and so on. As Aerosmith sang, "dream on, dream until the dreams come true."