Trayvon Martin Controversy

I do not know much about the Trayvon Martin shooting, but I have heard that there is much controversy surrounding the issue. I have heard that Trayvon was walking home wearing a hoodie carrying skittles and an iced tea when a neighborhood watchman shot him because he looked like he was up to no good. However, I have also heard that during this time Trayvon was on suspension from school for theft. While it is apparent that Trayvon has made some mistakes, and by no means was a saint, he certainly did not deserve to be gunned down in the streets of his very own neighborhood for wearing a hoodie and looking "suspicious". Trayvon's past suggests that he was a fellon; a kid that was not necessary on the best path. Being suspended from school is a big thing. If you are suspended from school for theft, it not looked highly upon by others, including myself. However, I do not think that this one instance shapes a person indefinitely. It could be completely possible that Trayvon was a a kind, caring individual who got lost and made bad mistakes along the way. On the other side of the fence, I do not know how I feel about the gunman. While it may be possible that Trayvon looked like he was up to "no good", I do not condone shooting people in the street. However, how can you call this man a racist? There is a lot of information that I, along with the rest of the public, lack, and I would like to learn more. Rest in peace Trayvon.

Is competition good?

There has always been a question as to whether competition is good or bad. This topic of conversation dates back to the start of corporations and monopolies during Andrew Jackson's presidency and has lasted until this very day and age. The range of competition can go from whether children should participate in interactive sports or whether companies are being too greedy or corrupt for their own good. Upon researching for this blog post, I read an exercept from a psychology self help book called "Be Your Own Therapist". This book excerpt talked about how a sense of competition can create a sense of determination and hard work among children. For example, being a part of interactive sports teams can push children to work hard to win games and improve at practices. This excerpt can be views here: http://www.psychologyhelp.com/work148.htm . JP Morgan was one of the more controversial members of the business community who practiced great competition in his US Steel Company. His company, the JP Morgan Social Business Advisor, posted an article discussing why competition is good: http://www.jmorganmarketing.com/why-competition-is-a-good-thing/ . One of the points in this article that struck a chord with me the most was the point that mentioned that people are always looking for the newer and better products, and without competition, there would be no iPod, Microsoft Windows Program, or Google. All of these products were created in a time period where the companies (whether it be Apple, Microsoft, or Google) were competing with others to make such landmark achievements in the technological community. I think that it is important to remember that competition can bring good for the community. Furthermore, competition benefits consumers, which makes up the majority of the American population. As mentioned in an article called "Competition is Actually Good" from OS News Online (http://www.osnews.com/story/18546/Competition_Is_Actually_Good ), competition between companies can drive prices of goods down, in order from one company to sell more products than the other. This, in turn, seems to have no negative downfalls. Consumers are offered two products, both at rapidly lowered prices, and simply have to make the choice of which one to buy. Overall, I strongly feel that competition is not a bad thing; it can instill hard work and determination, lead to the production of the best products, and benefit consumers buy marketing products at lower prices.

Art Review

A piece of artwork that I have thoroughly enjoyed recently is "Unthinkable" by Alicia Keys. The lyrics to this song can be seen here: http://www.metrolyrics.com/unthinkable-lyrics-alicia-keys.html .The song was released in 2010, but I really stumbled upon this song on my Pandora account the other day. I really like this song because I am really interested in the R/B, hip-hop, and rap genre of music. This song has a really good beat and bass to it, which makes it very easy to enjoy. Additionally, the lyrics talk about wanting to go out on a limb and experience something out of her comfort zone. As a teenage girl, I feel that lots of others, including myself, can related to this topic very much. This song is not the only one that Alicia Keys sings that I enjoying listening to. She has several other catchy chart-toppers, including "Fallin", "If I Ain't Got You", and "Empire State of Mind" ft. Jay Z. I think that I have so much appreciation for Alicia Keys because she came from a single family home and worked her way to success by the age of 16. In addition, she was also very academically oriented in school and even graduated as valedictorian of her class. I admire this because she truly displays that she is a smart, talented and driven woman who stopped at nothing to achieve her goals. Her talent is not debatable, she reaches highs and lows in her voice that many others struggle to, and can transition from R/B, like in the song "Unthinkable", to rap, like in the song "Empire State of Mind". I feel that others will be able to enjoy and relate to Alicia Keys' music as well. Each song has powerful and impacting lyrics that are ambiguous and can often have many different interpretations. In short, I really like the song "Unthinkable" by Alicia Keys and strongly recommend this song, and many others of hers, to anyone who enjoys music in that genre.

All About Me Responses

1. The Biggest Problem in America Today is... The biggest problem in America today is hard to pinpoint. Personally I feel that a number of problems are very life altering. However, if I were to pick just one that greatly effects life, I would have to say that the biggest problem in America today is that parents are afraid to parent. I feel that many parents breed ignorant children because instead of disciplining their children to teach them right from wrong, they want to be friends with their children and are afraid to punish them. I feel that a lot of America's other problems stem from this issue. Lack of parenting or discipline or both can lead to children that are rude and disrespectful to other adults. Additionally, many American children today feel it is not necessary to abide by "the rules" or government laws. I feel that with stricter parenting and a necessary sense of discipline, children will be more apt to respect their parents, follow "the rules", abide by laws, be kinder and more caring, and be overall a less ignorant, more educated community of human beings.
2. The Thing that Annoys Me the Most... There are a lot of little things, or pet-peeves, that annoy me. However, if I had to say that there was one thing that annoys me the most, I would probably say that it is uncleanliness or germs. As a self-proclaimed sufferer of OCD and germophobia, I find it very unsettling when people don't wash their hands after going to the bathroom, lick their fingers after eating something messy or leave their personal items a complete mess and pig sty. I honestly feel that it is not that difficult to take adequate, if not superior, care of your body simply by doing little things that you are taught to do as a very young child, like washing your hands for thirty seconds under warm water with soap. I find it unnecessary to be gross and disgusting when it only takes about 5 minutes to do these simple things. If I could wish for one thing, it would be to clean America.
3. A Famous Person Alive Today who I Admire is... A famous person alive today who I admire is Oprah Winfrey. Oprah was born very, very poor in a rural town in Mississippi. She was sexually and verbally abused all her life and was constantly told she was not good enough. By her mid twenties, she had revolutionized the television scene with her talk show. As an African American woman on television during the time period following integration, her show was not suspected to be very successful. However, Oprah was the first woman in history to make a billion dollars. This is quite an accomplishment for a woman who literally came from nothing. Additionally, Oprah started a school in African for underprivileged youth, she donates thousands of dollars annually to non-profit organizations and she gives back to her fans and viewers of the show. If I could wish to be like any famous person today, I would wish to be like Oprah, a proud, established woman who takes charge of her life and her community with grace, elegance and generosity.