Technical Reading Response #5

Daniel Contreras
Professor Neal Blaikie
CRN 72392 ENGL P140
Technical Reading Response #5
4 October 2010

1. Both stories include a lot of nature.
2. "A Spoiled Man" and "Oh, Death" both include the death of an important character.
3. The authors in these stories reveal major facts about the characters in the middle of the stories.
Question: How do these stories make you feel about death?
1. In the story "A Spoiled Man" the seasons and enviroment are carefully, but effectively painted and described. "Oh, Death" also has some descriptive quality. "A Spoiled Man" really brought the story to life with it's flowing imagery of each subtle plant, road, and land.
2. The protagonist in "A Spoiled Man" was and elderly man named Rezak that needed nothing but the bare necessities of life. Rezak died a lonely, sad, old man. In "Oh, Death" a character named Rick needed nothing but enough money and supplies to meet ends meet to support his family. Rick died young and broken man. Both Rick and Rezack passed away. One that wanted to be alone for awhile, and one that was lonely and needed somebody.
3. In "Oh, Death" it started off in a positive note. The characters seemed to get along without any tension in between them. Until almost halfway through the story, the note takes a turn for the worse. The author includes this page somewhere in the middle of the story explaining why the character is behaving in that particular way. In "A Spoiled Man" it wasn't until mid-story that I found out why the character is in the situation they are in. Both of these stories do a very well job in leading the reading to the juicy truths hidden behind these character's actions.

Labels: Creative Writing

Exercise 4 part 1&2

Sundays were always the same. Wake up, get ready, go to church, arrive back home, and do chores. Almost nothing out of the ordinary occurred. And when something did occur my mum and pop would tell me to stop fooling around. I love my mum and pop so I always listened.
Mondays were always unpredictable. Mum would wake me up at the crack of dawn, pop would jog a mile with me, and then I would rush for the school bus. I love my bus driver because she always asks how I am doing and she has an amazing smile. She doesn't look a day older than seventeen, but she is actually twenty.
Tuesdays were always exciting. Band rehearsal, cross country practice, leadership team meetings, and my favorite one of all-- Calculus class. I absolutely love math and I want to become a high school mathematics teacher someday.
Wednesdays were always busy. Mow the lawn, clean my room, babysit, and take out the trash. There is no time for me. Pop would close the shop late, but mum would get out of work early. I love working because that keeps me from getting bored, though it does get a tad exhausting after a while.
Thursdays were always...different. Anxiety, loneliness, stress, and tiredness would overcome me. Regardless, major study time would still have to occur before tomorrow's quizzes. I love getting good grades, but as Stephen Covey would say, "To focus on technique is like cramming your way through school. You sometimes get by, perhaps even get good grades, but if you don't pay the price day in and day out, you'll never achieve true mastery of the subjects."
Fridays were always a breath of fresh air. No school tomorrow, movie night with my friends, and best of all I got to see Amanda, the girl I really like. I love how she enjoys the same things that I enjoy: movies, music, and mathematics, but Amanda attends a different high school so I barley get to see her.
Saturdays were always the best. Running at dawn, when the tiny wet droplets slid off the leaves of the giant green trees. Doing cannonballs into the lonely lake. I enjoy the lake's company. The lake enjoys my company. I always lose track of time as I float in this pool of divinity; my mind high above the clouds, my body floating in space. I love moments like these because in the rest of this world, there is no time for me.

Labels: Creative Writing

Exercise 3 pt. 2 RE-EDITED

Daniel Contreras
Professor Neal Blaikie
Creative Writing ENGL P140
27 September 2010

"Quicksand" - Exercise 3, part 2 (re-edited).

It can't be her, but it is, but could it really be her, or is it just some illusion, because it is pretty hot out here, even in this summertime shade, but I shouldn't worry, for my father will arrive any second now, so she won't get a glimpse of me, yet the worse could still occur, for she can decide to approach me, causing me to look down at the ground, and my worn out shoes would be firmly planted, so inelegantly and stiff pointed her direction like a compass, and she's the boat in the distant sea, but now the tide is moving in and she is actually getting closer, and here I am feeling like I had just finished running a mile: my heart pounding against my chest, my hands both clutched into fists, my palms completely polished by the sweat, my body shaking from both anxiety and fear, even though both of us are quite apart, still I felt like falling off the face of this earth, because the seconds dragged on for hours, though suddenly then my father arrived.

Labels: Creative Writing

Extra Credit: Habeus Corpus

Contreras1
Daniel Contreras
Professor Jeff Keele
POLS P101
CRN 72530
25 September 2010
The Writ of Habeas Corpus
The Bill of Rights contains many of the undeniable privileges of the citizens. These rights
are commonly referred to as the ten amendments of the constitution. What lays not too far off are
the protection laws: Bill of Attainder, Ex Post Facto Law, and Writ of Habeas Corpus. (Wilson
23)
In Latin, Habeas Corpus literally means you shall have the body. This is a fundamental
protection right that grants a meeting with a judge to discuss the case and penalty. This is crucial
for deflecting, or bringing to light, unreasonable and illegal treatment or imprisonment for a
certain cause. Even though it is a shared right, it may be revoked or denied in certain
circumstances.
The criminal justice system is supposed to be unbiased and fair. Sometimes however,
social class can play in someone's advantage or disadvantage. (Henslin 213)
For example, if a wealthy upper class person where to get convicted, their trial could be
different trial than that of a lower class and unprivileged person, due to the availability of
resources such as money. However, both of them have the right to Habeas Corpus. Overall,
Habeas Corpus is an important protection right that everyone should know about, or even
exercise when the time is right.
Contreras1
Works Cited
Henslin, James M., and James M. Henslin. Life in Society: Readings to Accompany Sociology, a Downto-
earth Approach, Eighth Edition. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon, 2007. Print.
Wilson, James Q. American Government: Brief Version. Boston: Wadsworth, 2009. Print.

Labels: American Government, Extra Credit, Sociology

Couples Observation Log

Observation Data Log Summary
Location: Tulare Fairgrounds
Time: 12pm - 9pm
Duration: 9 hours

1. Which research method does this assignment represent?
Unobtrusive Measures
2. Which average dominant gender display frequency is the highest? The group with the highest circled number is the group which displayed more domination than the other group, and more than the grade overall.
Male, 18.
3. How does subordination differ from dominance? Use a dictionary to define it, then explain it in your own words.
Subordination means that something or someone is not as important. Dominance is the most important thing or person, since they are the ones who control.
4. How do the tie signs you are observing indicate dominance than subordination?
The dominant people tend to show some affection, but appear to be in charge at the same time.
5. Is it surprising to you that this group showed more dominance than the other did? Explain.
It wasn't really that surprising to me that males where going to be the dominant. In the setting they are on, in this case the fair, they like to make their partner feel secure around all the strange people.
6. How do your findings relate to your main textbook? Remember to use page citations and quotes.
There are dominant groups and minority groups. Race and social status can make its own group as well as gender. (Henslin 229)
7. How do your findings relate to another reading in the class? Remember to cite your information.
This reminds me of Simon Davis’ article about how men and women are treated as objects. (Matson’s “The Spirit of Sociology page 301)

Labels: Sociology

Creative Writing: Exercise 3 - Short & Long. Part 2

Daniel Contreras
Professor Neal Blaikie
Creative Writing ENGL P140
20 September 2010

Exercise 3 - Part 2

Is that, no it can't be, but it is, could it really be her or is it just an illusion, because it is pretty hot out here, even in the summertime shade, but my father will arrive here any second now so I can getaway from this prison, without her seeing me, or worse; what if she decides to approach me, I would have to look down at the floor, at my worn out shoes, that will point her direction, like a compass; dammit, she's walking closer, and here I am feeling like I just finished running a mile, my heart tackling my chest to escape, my hands clutched into fists, my palms completely polished with sweat, shaking from anxiety and fear, even though both of us are a few feet apart, I felt like falling off the face of this earth; seconds dragged on for hours; then my father arrived.

Labels: Creative Writing

Extra Credit: Mexico 2010

Lecture/Event Log
15 September 2010

Jay Hargis, History Professor.
"Mexico 2010: The Birth of Mexican Independence in Myth, Memory and History 200 Years Later"

The Mexico we have grown to know today is dramatically different from the Mexico that existed two hundred years ago. On the 16th day of September in the year 1810, the father of Mexico Miguel Hidalgo ultimately decided that a rebellion against the colonial government was needed. He assembled the people of Dolores, near the church, to overthrow the New Spain government. The rebellious army marched to strike for their independence, later to be shared with all the criollos (people born on that land).

This independence didn't occur overnight though. A long chain of events led to the all famous Grito de Dolores. Events tracing back all the way to the French Revolution in 1789 which abolished the French Monarchy and in place established a new republic. After that, the Peninsular War of 1807, fought between Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom against France for the Iberian Peninsula urged Hidalgo to take action. Henslin's text says that colonialism was a widespread process that affect many less established countries for sources of goods and materials, mainly through the use of the less powerful country's labor force. This was the case with Mexico and Spain. The people of Mexico were not treated equally. Also, Spain misused too much Mexico's resources like petrol, gold, and precious gems, all harvested for the benefit of Spain. The people of Mexico did not want to follow a king that was isolated from them, so they decided to be break away and become a new independent. (Henslin 190)

Labels: Extra Credit, Sociology

Jean Piaget Group Project

Jean Piaget Theory:
Four stages of cognitive development

Daniel Contreras






Psychology 101-A
Professor Arellano
October 25, 2010
Porterville College
Jean Piaget Theory:
Four stages of cognitive development
Jean Piaget was a 20th century world renowned researcher, mainly known for his great contributions in the area of developmental psychology. Piaget's theory of cognitive development (also known as the four stages of development) was his most recognized and influential theory; in particular to many educational theorists. Originally, Piaget was trained and considered a biologist, more exactly a malacologist, who studied mollusks until he began working in the school of Alfred Binet, inventor of the first usable intelligence test. (Boeree, 2006)
Piaget began to wonder why older children answered so differently than younger children. The older children had obtained more skills and experience. Piaget called these skills and experiences schemas, mental structures that represent some aspects of the world. For example, a child might have a schema about a type of toy, such as a ball. If the child's initial experience has been with a round soccer ball, the child might believe that all balls are colored black and white, bouncy, and round. Assume that the child's second experience was with a volley ball. Since it is bouncy, white, and round, the child takes in this new information and stores it within the existing schema. This process is called assimilation. Suppose then that the child's third encounter was with a football, which is not as round, bouncy, or black and white. The child will then absorb this new information, modifying the previously existing schema about balls to include this new information. Piaget called this process Accommodation. Piaget would consider both assimilation and accommodation as forms of learning, or adaptation which is biologically inevitable because all things learn to adapt. (Atherton, 2010)
Also, both accommodation and assimilation work together like the sides of a scale, equally balancing the environment and the structure of the mind in a state known as equilibrium. An observation that Piaget made was that there were certain time frames when equilibrium, assimilation or accommodation dominated. The stages of cognitive development soon developed after this observation. (Boeree, 2006)
Piaget's first of four phases of cognitive development is known as the sensorimotor stage. Newborns up until about the age of two are within this stage. The sensorimotor stage has six smaller sub stages that are divided within the two year time frame. (Huitt & Hummel, 2003)
According to the article “Stages of Intellectual Development” (2010), the sensorimotor stage begins with the stage known as the reflexive stage that spans from birth to the first month. What occur in this stage are little more than merely simple reflexes, such as sucking and grasping. These inborn reflexes help the baby interact with the new world both cognitively and physically. For example, if one put a finger in the baby’s hand, the child would respond by grabbing onto the finger. However as time passes, the child may modify his or her tendency to hold onto things or any other reflex. (Ormrod, 2008)
Following the reflexive stage is the primary circular reactions stage. This stage occurs within the first month up until the fourth month of the child's life. Piaget termed it the primary circular stage because children's behavior in this stage is almost entirely focused on his or her own body and the procedures and actions are repetitive. It is at this stage that a baby might begin to open his or her hand and decide to put it inside their mouth. (Ormrod, 2008)
The third sub stage of the sensorimotor stage is called the secondary circular reactions stage. The secondary circular reactions stage begins on the fourth month and ends on the eighth month after the child's birth. Children in this stage become more aware of their environment and begin modifying their primary actions to secondary actions (how the child's actions or behavior affect the environment around him or her). For example, the child may shake a rattle to see what happens. Even though the child hears a noise, hey or she may not consciously connect the noise with the rattle.
Another process that a child learns in the fourth stage of sensorimotor is called object permanence. Object permanence is the ability to recognize that objects continue to exist even if they are out of sight. (Tavris & Wade, 2009) For instance, if the caregiver hid the child’s toy under the blanket the child will know that the toy, even though not in sight, still exists and is underneath the blanket.
The fifth sub stage is called the tertiary circular reactions stage. A child from the age of twelve months until he or she is eighteen months old experiences this stage. It is at this time that children behave like "little scientists", testing out what consequences their actions will make. (Tavris & Wade, 2009) Consider this observation of 14 month old Jacqueline, Piaget's own daughter.
Jacqueline holds in her hands an object which is new to her; a round, flat box which she turns all over, shakes, rubs against the bassinet, etc. She lets it go and tries to pick it up. But she only succeeds in touching it with her index finger,
without grasping it. She nevertheless makes an attempt and presses on the edge.
The box then tilts up and falls again. Jacqueline, very much interested in this
fortuitous result, immediately applies herself to studying it....
Jacqueline immediately rests the box on the ground and pushes it as far as
possible (it is noteworthy that care is taken to push the box far away in order to
reproduce the same conditions as the first attempt, as though this were a necessary
condition for obtaining the result). Afterward Jacqueline puts her finger on the
box and presses it. But as she places her finger on the center of the box she
simply displaces it and makes it slide instead of tilting it up. She amuses herself
with this game and keeps it up (resumes it after intervals, etc.) for several
minutes. Then, changing the point of contact, she finally again places her finger
on the edge of the box, which tilts it up. She repeats this many times, varying the
conditions, but keeping track of her discovery: now she only presses on the edge!
(Piaget, 1952, p. 272)(Ormrod, 2008)
The last sub stage of the sensorimotor stage is known as the mental representation stage; it begins when a child is eighteen months and continues until the child turns two years old. During this later part of the child's second year, the child will begin to not only hold an image in their about immediate experiences but he or she may also begin to recall some past experiences in an ability called symbolic thought. For example, a child may drop his ball which rolls underneath the sofa. The child now understands that the ball will appear on the other side. (Ormrod, 2008)
With the capacity of the child's mental representation another ability called deferred imitation occurs. This ability allows the child to be able to mimic actions that he or she has seen hours, even days after the child has observed them. The child can now pretend play such as driving with their car seat steering wheel or talking on the toy telephone. Mental representation goes hand in hand with mental combinations which is the ability to solve simple problems. For example, setting down a bottle of milk to open a door. (Boeree, 2006)
After a child has reached the age of two, he or she begins entering the preoperational stage. Like sensorimotor, the preoperational stage also has sub stages. The first half of this stage, which spans from two to roughly four years of age is called the preoperational phase. In this stage, children can now use symbols(language, words, and images) that represent objects. Even though the child is able to think of events that aren't occurring in the present they have difficulty understanding other's point of views because their thinking is still dominately egocentric. (Atherton, 2010)
At around four years old, the child begins to become more social and less egocentric as he or she enters the intuitive phase that lasts until the age of seven. Children obtain a more logical grasp of some aspects, but they focus specifically in one area, while ignoring others. For example, if a child in the intuitive phase was shown a collection of red objects constituted primarily of red squares, he or she will say that there are more red squares than red objects.("Stages of Intellectual Development In Children and Teenagers.",2010)
Piaget explored the idiosyncratic logic of childhood while asking open ended questions. Consider Piaget's study with 5 year old Julia.
“What makes the wind?”

“The trees,” five-year-old Julia replied.

“How do you know?” Piaget asked, to which Julia replied, “I saw them waving their arms.”

“How does that make the wind?” Piaget inquired, and Julia answered, “Like this,” waving her hand in front of his face. “Only they are bigger. And there are lots of trees.”

“What makes the wind on the ocean?” Piaget asked, introducing adult logic into the conversation, to which Julia answered, “It blows there from the land. No. It’s the waves. …” Instead of invalidating childhood logic by prioritizing adult logic over it, Piaget respected the cognitive state of childhood. “Children have real understanding only of that which they invent themselves, and each time that we try to teach them something too quickly, we keep them from reinventing it themselves,” he explained. ("Jean Piaget Biography, Life and Career Facts, Invented.", 2010)
The child's egocentric thinking begins to diminish during the concrete operational stage, which is the third stage of cognitive development. Beginning at the age of 7, children start to make rational judgments. The information is allowed to be mentally manipulated by the child, because he or she now has the ability to ask or answer. The term operational refers to the principles that we use while solving problems. Also, children in this stage learn to conserve, or to distinguish that an amount remains the same even if it has changed in appearance. Reversibility is now possible; a child notices two cookies and the caregiver breaks one into three small pieces and the other into two bigger pieces. The child will know that they are equal, regardless of change in shape or form. Reversibility is accompanied by two other abilities called seriation and classification. Seriation is the ability to group objects in the order of size and weight. For example a child could now group their toy cars using size, smallest to largest or largest to smallest. Classification refers back to the red objects; the child now understands that one set can include another. This concrete operational stage lasts up until the age of twelve. (Boeree, 2006)
Lastly, the final stage of cognitive development is formal operational, which begins at the age of twelve and spans into adulthood. This is the stage when hypothetical thinking develops. Hypothetical thinking involves the use of logical operations with an abstract view, rather than a concrete view, to make rational decisions. ("Stages of Intellectual Development In Children and Teenagers.", 2010)
In conclusion, Piaget's four stages of cognitive development have been very influential in the field of child psychology. Infants aren't small adults, as Piaget explained, infants are instead beings with limited experience and understanding of the world until he or she undergoes phases in which cognitive development blossoms, like a flower. It is important to recognize that children are only capable of understanding what they have so far learned. (Atherton, 2010)














References
Atherton, James S. "Piaget's Developmental Theory." Learning and Teaching Home. Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. "<"http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/piaget.htm">".
Boeree, George C. "Piaget." My Webspace Files. 1999, 2006. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. "<"http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/piaget.html">".
Henslin, James M. Essentials of Sociology: a Down-to-earth Approach. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2009. Print.
Huitt W., and J. Hummel. "Cognitive Development." Educational Psychology Interactive. Educational Psychology Interactive, 2003. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. "<"http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cogsys/piaget.html">".
Ormrod, J. E. "Piaget's Sensorimotor Stage." Merrill/Prentice Hall. Pearson Education, Inc, 2008. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. "<"http://www.prenhall.com/ormrod/humanlearning/pdf%20files/4_PiagetSensorimotor.pdf">".
Piaget, Jean. The origins of intelligence in children. New York: International Universities. 1952. Press.
Wade, Carole, and Tavris, Carol. Psychology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2009. Print.
"Stages of Intellectual Development In Children and Teenagers." ChildDevelopmentInfo.com. Child Development Institute. Web. 6 Oct. 2010. "<"http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/piaget.shtml">".
"Jean Piaget Biography, Life and Career Facts, Invented." PageRankStudio.com/Blog. 29 Sept. 2010. Web. 22 Oct. 2010. .

Labels: Psychology

Creative Writing: Exercise 3 - Short & Long

Daniel Contreras
Professor Neal Blaikie
Creative Writing ENGL P140
15 September 2010

Labels: Creative Writing

Important Links

AbeBooks.com: AbeBooks is your source for Used, New, Rare and Out of print books. Find classic collectibles, rare signed editions, used textbooks, and inexpensive ... (View)

BetterWorldBooks.com: Shop over 9 million new and used books with free shipping in the US, $3.97 worldwide. Every purchase funds literacy programs. Bargain prices on new/used ... (View)

BIGWORDS.com: Textbook price comparison search engine. New and used textbook prices and textbook buyback prices. We believe BIGWORDS.com is the best way to buy or sell ... View)

TextBooksRUs.com: We have the lowest prices on more than 1 million new and used college textbooks. Save 50 - 90% when you shop at TextbooksRus.com. ... (View)

Chegg.com: Chegg is #1 in textbook rentals. Don't buy it, rent college textbooks from us and save a ton on books. We plant a tree every time you rent online.

Cool story: The book Murder By Injection, published in 1988, tells us just about all we need to know about the Medical Monopoly’s reign of cancer, along with other vital info for all Americans.

CollegeBookRenter.com: College textbook rental saves you hundreds of dollars on college textbooks each semester, with savings of up to 85% off with Collegebookrenter.com.

Easybib.com: Automatic works cited and bibliography formatting for MLA, APA and Chicago/Turabian citation styles. Now supports 7th edition of MLA.

Half.com: Half.com by eBay: Buy and Sell new and used books, music, .... Copyright © 1999-2010 Half.com Inc. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are... (View)

Inside PC: Welcome to our new portal. Once you login here, you can get directly to ... (View)

Malthea.com: Malthea.com is an avatar community currently in development with fully interactive quest system, market system, and trading system.

My BanWeb: You can check your registration status online by logging into the BanWeb registration system ... View)

PC Email: Email for Porterville College students that allows contact with professors or faculty via email.

TurnItIn.com (Gov.): Turnitin is the leading academic plagiarism detector, utilized by teachers and students to avoid plagiarism and ensure academic integrity.

ValoreBooks.com: ValoreBooks.com is the best place to buy cheap textbooks and sell textbooks online. College students can find cheap textbooks from our ... (View)

WordCountTool.com: Word Count Tool, a free online tool to count the number of words from a block of text.

Yahoo Email: Official site for the service, which features spam filters, a virus scanner, and interfaces for international users.

Psychology Assignments

Labels: Classes, Psychology

Sociology Assignments

Labels: Classes, Sociology

Creative Writing Assignments

Labels: Classes, Creative Writing

American Government Assignments

Labels: American Government, Classes

Ted Sanders' "Obit" - Technical Reading Response

Daniel Contreras
Professor Neal Blaikie
Creative Writing ENGL P140
1 September 2010

Three Observations:
1. Ted Sanders manages to start the story with a future event that is yet to happen.
2. The author also uses very descriptive methods to paint a mental image.
3. Sanders also used a unique form of repetition throughout the story.

Discussion Question:
How is this story significant to you?

Three Observations (Extended):
1. The story started off with the character at a young age, describing his death in his adult years in a random location, which turned out to be a restaurant of some sort. This was an unusual story setup that had me reading it over a couple times to make sure that I understood what the author was trying to tell me.
This method was one I couldn't quite capture and familiarize myself with so knowing the flow of the story was difficult to me. I give the author points for the approach, the story was that bad, but it did leave me with thoughts towards the end which means the story is successful; just not my cup of tea.

2. Sanders used very descriptive details to tell the story and setting. One part that really stood out for me was the tree in the front yard of the yellow house. The author painted the tree's image clearly in my mind and I could really picture it almost if it were real. You could almost recognize the tree. From experience, I used to have a big tree, similar to the one Sanders wrote about, which was in our old home's backyard. I used to stand against it and compare my tininess to its giant body. So the details in the story were all in all superb.

3. The repetition is kind of hidden. It didn't stand out like it usually does in other stories, but I liked kind of like that it was hiding. The repetition of the author's foreshadowing of events was quite noticeable, but there was another use of repetition that caught my attention reading the story over the second time. At one point of the story the author introduced a new character; the new wife. He described her as the woman who smelled like "well water". I thought that was quite hilarious since he mentioned her like that multiple times in the story.

Labels: Creative Writing

Being Gorgeous

One hour had passed and there was still no sign, nor hint, of what was going to occur proceedingly. He was hopeful, the next idea he'd hatch would be an golden egg. He was working on his rather petite wooden writing desk, previously owned by his grandfather when he was an adolescent, passed on down to him. His pencil's point was only a tip away, until then suddenly; a blankness occurred.

Labels: Creative Writing

Movie Review - Memento

After watching the movie 'Memento' today I noticed that the main character was a psycho. That is a simple way I put it. Lenny, the protagonist, is an insurance investigator whose wife died in the movie. Memento was a roller coaster of a film. I felt confused on some parts since the storyline went backwards instead of the usual forwards and the director included some very shady characters. One was named John Edward Gammel, also known as Teddy. Teddy played a key role in Memento. He was a undercover cop whose sole purpose was to help Lenny find the murderer and solve the case of the murdered wife. It is not shown very clearly if Teddy was an "actual" cop or just a close friend of Lenny's so that adds a twist to the story. Lenny has only photographs and his tattoos to rely on throughout the movie. They seem to be his "cold hard facts" that only he strictly trusts. He has multiple tattoos on his arms, thighs, and torso reminding him of what happened to his wife and the clues that are bound to him forever. He has to do these reminders to continue on in his daily life, so he can remember to do simple tasks like shaving his legs or getting a new tattoo. Lenny is very cautious with people in general. Based on his judgement on them, he takes a picture and rights a little note on it of what Lenny believes that person is like. This helps him determine who is his friend or who is his foe throughout the movie. Eventually he finds out that this way of living has a flaw. During a scene on the movie while Lenny is on the phone talking to the unmentioned stranger he discovers a note hidden beneath some sort of cloth material that tells Lenny "not to answer the phone". Lenny hasn't completely lost his memory. In the movie Lenny remembers everything that happened before his wife was killed, but sadly he doesn't have any solid proof that can confirm it. Teddy tries to explain to Lenny that his wife was diabetic, but Lenny can clearly remember her not being diabetic. Lenny, towards the ending of the movie, writes a note on the back of a photograph of Teddy's saying "do not believe his lies". A reoccurring theme throughout the movie are lies. Due to Lenny's condition, he cannot fend for himself since he forgets what happens every other five minutes, making him a prey for manipulative people. Another notable character who uses Lenny in this movie is named Natalie. In the beginning she seems like a honest and genuinely nice person towards Lenny. She asks Lenny for a favor and in return she'd give Lenny a big clue in finding this criminal. Natalie wants a man named Dodd killed, so she tries bribing Lenny with a big amount money and Teddy's ID and automobile information. One scene of the movie Teddy and Lenny are in the car disputing about Natalie. Teddy just warns Lenny by telling him to write down a note saying, "Do not trust her". At that point I clearly knew Natalie was using Lenny for her own benefit; to get rid of someone Natalie's boyfriend owed money to. I have seemed to have forgotten to mention another popular character in the movie. His name was Jimmy Grantz, boyfriend of Natalie. Jimmy was a drug dealer who was being pressured to pay up to Dodd. Jimmy finds himself in an abandoned house towards the end of the movie with Lenny. Lenny then forcefully attacks Jimmy eventually killing him. Teddy arrives shortly after only to find Jimmy's lifeless body and Lenny in the middle of the scene. What I soon figured out is that Teddy manipulated both Jimmy and Lenny. Teddy just wanted Jimmy's money so he can profit off of it. Teddy and Natalie aren't the only ones taking advantage of Lenny's condition. The motel guy, Burt, secretly rents out more than one room at the same time for Lenny, without even explaining. All in all, this movie's theme can be interpreted several different ways. The easily noticeable one is revenge and how far people can go if fueled by revenge. Another is manipulation and you should never believe everyone else, and also to some extent, yourself.

Labels: Psychology

Three Sociology Questions - September 9th

(Double Spaced, Times New Roman, 12 sized font.)

Labels: Sociology

Alice Munro's "Some Women"

Daniel Contreras
Professor Neal Blaikie
Creative Writing ENGL P140
13 September 2010

Three Observations:
1. The story begins with a thought of the protagonist's present following with consecutive memories of her childhood.
2. She compares and contrasts very effectively.
3. The story is almost entirely a memory.

Discussion Question:
Why or why not is the protagonist/author's memory reliable?

Three Observations (Extended):

1.) The introductory paragraph to the story begins with "I am amazed sometimes to think how old I am." Then it proceeds with "I can remember when the streets of the town I lived I lived in were sprinkled with water to lay the dust in the summer--...etc." It threw me off a little when I first read it, but then I noticed that it was just her recalling how she has aged and how things have changed ever since she was thirteen.

2.) Alice Munro really knows how to compare. At one point in the story she compares Mr. Crozier's ears, or the flesh, to plastic. She notes however that back then they used to call it celluloid instead of plastic. Those little comparisons contribute a lot to the overall story. They make the memory more realistic. If it lacked descriptive comparisons it probably would have cost the story some of it's graspingness.

3.) The author tells the story from her perspective. She begins the story with a present thought and ends the story with a similar thought. The last sentence says "I grew up, and old". It could be an entire lie, or a misconstrued memory, twisted to mess with the reader. Who knows since the author's the one in control of the memory.

Labels: Creative Writing

Reading Logs

Reading Log #1
James M. Henslin
"Chapter 2: Culture"
Henslin explains that everyone is ethnocentric, whether we know it or deny it. Ethnocentrism means that an individual has a preference of one group over another. Ethnocentrism has both positives and negatives. A positive is that individuals have more pride and show it towards their group. A negative is that an individual may discriminate because of one's ethnocentric ways. (Henslin 37)
All groups have values, desired or undesired standards. For example Americans may consider individuality, freedom, and handwork as desired standards. On the other hand Americans may consider some values such as laziness, inequality, and oppression as undesirable.(Henslin 44-47)
The dominant isn't all one solid chunk of identical groups. A culture is one solid unit; it may be composed of smaller and much diverse groups known as subcultures. The general culture also hosts countercultures, whose values differ than that of the general culture. (Henslin 48)
Opinion: I wonder how it would feel to grow up in a totally different culture than our own.

@00465752
Reading Log #2
James M. Henslin
"Chapter 3: Socialization"
Males and females receive messages about their role in society from several social institutions. Each gender is put on a different path of life and they both are taught how the proper boy or girl should behave. This process is called socialization into gender, and it starts from the day the child is born. The family is the primary institution. Depending on the gender, a child may either receive dolls or action figures, cuddles or playtime, maternal or paternal care. As the children grow they may now be included in peer groups. Peer groups could be friends, the kids in the neighborhood, and classmates. A few more examples are the mass media: television, movies, and video games; religion, and day care among all of the institutions. (Henslin 70-74)

@00465752
Reading Log #3
James M. Henslin
"Chapter 4: Social Structure and Social Interaction"

@00465752
Reading Log #4
James M. Henslin
"Chapter 6: Deviance and Social Control"

@00465752
Reading Log #5
James M. Henslin
"Chapter 8: Social Class in the United States"

@00465752
Reading Log #6
James M. Henslin
"Chapter 9: Race and Ethnicity"

@00465752
Reading Log #7
Peter Berger
"Invitation to Sociology"
Berger's article "Invitation to Sociology" is self explanatory in the title. This article is an invitation to a field broad enough for many new discoveries that are yet to be made in our social world. Sociology is the study of the social world or society that one lives in. Their occupation allows them to study how their own and other peoples' lives function, connect, and cooperate to form a functional society. Although sociologists, like people who study other fields, have a line that separates their occupation from their personal lives. (Berger 8)
As is it inevitable for a Sociologist to study their own lives, is it also inevitable to sometimes bump heads, compare, or unite with a person from another study field. Sociologists however, must continue on with the social observations and experimentation to get the answers to the questions that bring them to the unvisited realms of the social world. (Berger 6)
These explorers have a keen interest in human interaction which is an essential trait in every Sociologist. (Berger 9-10)
Opinion: What I basically got from Peter Berger's article, or more precise, a letter of invitation into the field of Sociology. Berger pretty much explained what sociologists think, believe, and do as their choice of lifetime career. They aren't permanent jobs forced upon them or anything like that. They just possess a trait or natural interest in Sociology that consumes them entirely. Berger believes that if you do not possess an absolute and honest interest in human society you probably won't truly enjoy Sociology.

@00465752
Reading Log #8
C. Wright Mills
"The Sociological Imagination"
Mils' idea of the sociological imagination explains people sometimes tend to place themselves in an incorrect identity. In reality, they are in a much narrower view of their position in the structure of the social world. (Mills 13)
People's sociological imagination is capable of so much. Ranging from ways to new thinking about society to the ability to from a self-identity with a group. (Mills 15)
The sociological imagination is equipped with a tool of distinction that distinguishes how "the personal troubles of milieu" differ from "the public issues of social structure." (Mills 15)
Opinion: In this next article following Berger's introduction it really gets more descriptive of what sociology really is. Mills' article somewhat confused me. I didn't follow his main idea so it threw me off completely and left me more lost than educated. One concept that I did manage to grasp from Mills' reading was that opening one's perspective into what things really are makes one feel more hostile or trapped than they did before finding the truths of society, buried beneath it's surface.

@00465752
Reading Log #9
W. Richard Stephens, Jr.
"Careers in Sociology"
Stephen's "Careers in Sociology" beings with an explanation of why a student is taking Sociology in college. Most students have never even heard of the subject matter or want to actively pursue it for they are simply taking it as a requirement for their general education. Students may feel forced at first, but as they proceed studying the material and applying some of the sociological ideas into their lives it becomes less as a chore. (Stephens 22)
Students who enter college knowing that their desired major is Sociology are extremely uncommon. It is unlikely that they look at Sociology as a job worthy career. In reality, Sociology can offer careers from a wide variety. (Stephens 24-26)
However, in order to advance in the field of Sociology one must note the character profiles of existing and working sociologists. These employed sociologists embrace, search, and actively create change in their careers. Like change, sociologists also actively search for opportunities or make them when time calls. (Stephens 28-29)
Opinion: Richard Stephens explains that relatives, more specifically parents, worry about their investment in such a course like criminal justice. In sociology there are many reliable career paths to choose from. Whether it be working for a phone company or general products and services. Sociology will not only lead you to a rewarding career, but will show you new and beneficial experiences. Sure you are feeling like you're taking a risk in such a new ideology, but the field of sociology provides a safe and stable living while at the same time granting you knowledge on the way.

@00465752
Reading Log #10
Mitch Albom
"We talk about our culture"
In the article "We Talk About Our Culture" by Mitch Albom, the author explains that some rules are crucial in a society, but not all of the people in a society should be forced to follow set expectations and artificial goals. As a person within a society, one must build their own subculture for themselves best suited for one's own custom benefit, regardless of inconsistency with the mainstream culture. (Album 86-87)
Album explains that people aren't as different as culture paints them out to be. Everyone goes through birth apparently; everyone goes through death as well. Males, females, whites, blacks, catholics, and protestants are all essentially human so why are they all divided and treated differently? If one looks past the stereotypes and prejudices then one can establish an effective and wide human branch with others from human civilizations throughout the world. (Albom 87)
The article explains that infants and elderly people depend on others to survive, but the people in between depend on others for survival as well. That is why belonging to a family is essential for any individual or culture to survive. (Album 88)
Opinion: This particular reading makes me look at our culture in a different way. Mitch Albom's passage was very much like a short story. The character in the story is a close friend of a seriously ill elderly man who is in a very difficult medical condition. He is recollecting his experience with people he has met during his life and regards them as people that were "threatened" by their society. Society has the potential to make you have morals and values that are almost self destructive. One must build their own culture and replace the flaws.

Labels: Sociology

American Government Newspaper Response

(Double Spaced, 12 font, Times New Roman)

Daniel Contreras
Professor Jeff Keele
POLS P101
11 September 2010

An article that I evaluated briefly analyzed how the United States appears to be in a state of "halt" economy-wise. Unemployment rose from 9.5 percent to 9.6 percent due to the fact that more job-seekers are available than the jobs themselves. In good time the unemployment rate may gradually decrease, but it will not happen abruptly. The road to economic recovery may require many months, or maybe even a year. Regarding the number of lost jobs during the decline, President Barack Obama responded, "It reflects the steps we've already taken to break the back of this recession. But it's not nearly good enough." I entirely comprehend this situation because I myself have applied to a couple of local stores, but never got the position due to the huge numbers of applicants and very limited number of openings. It is bittersweet news, because President Barack Obama announced that his new proposal will trigger job growth. On the other hand, the growing population of job seekers is rising as we speak.

Labels: American Government

Deviance Log

Date: September 5, 2010
Location: Macy's
Folkway Broken: Facing the Elevator Door
Research Method: Participant Observation

Deviance Log
(What you did)
For my Sociology deviance project I attempted to break an elevator social norm. Normally, people stand looking at one particular direction, mainly towards the elevator door. Why they do it is unknown to me. Before I broke the norm I rode on the elevator and faced the door. Standing beside me was a older woman, and she didn't seem to mind and everything went completely normal. After she left I decided to break the norm and faced the window-side of the elevator, opposite to the door.

(Reactions)
I attempted this about three times. The first group that went in the elevator where quiet and didn't give much of a reaction. The second time only one woman got on the elevator. She seemed to quite nervous and she clearly avoided eye contact to me. The second elevator ride was very awkward to say the least. You could feel the tension! Lastly, the third round I was standing in front of a young adult male. He was with a similar aged woman and standing next to each other. The man scratched his head a couple of times and the woman gave me quick glances. Clearly they were not comfortable with me looking their direction.

Labels: Sociology

Creative Writing: Exercise 2 - No Punctuation

I desperately grasped for each and every one of those final difficult and painful breaths of air during the last few minutes of my life since I knew that I was going to die very soon from this sharp stinging pain that occurred throughout my entire body as I was laying here meanwhile the heat scorned the insides of my body like a churning piece of butter on a stone grill helpless being cooked alive before I felt my blood dry out like a Datil Yucca that was nearby to my left side which had my arm laying down extended across the sandy floor paralyzed useless to me for further use since I had to rely on only my sight and sound since now I could only hear the last sound of the saddened lone winds of the desert and that was the final sound I heard that I can recall before everything went black.

Labels: Creative Writing

Jess Row's "SMSG" - TRR

Daniel Contreras
Professor Neal Blaikie
Creative Writing ENGL P140
8 September 2010
Three Observations:
1. Jess Row told a story that HAS to be read more than once to fully understand it.
2. The point of view and tense used in the story makes it really odd story.
3. After fully reading the story, it painted a picture, almost like a memory.
Discussion Question:
What was the author’s message he tried to convey in the story? (If any)
Three Observations (Extended):
1.) If you read the story only once, and you can fully understand it, you must have cheated by looking on the internet/back of the book for an author example. Or you are an alien counterpart of Lady Gaga. Either one is probably why. The first time I read it most of the story made absolutely no sense to me. The second time around I was getting an idea of to what was occurring. The author tells the story in a way in which events and ideas just fit themselves together, awkwardly & un-neatly. That calls for the story to be read at least twice to grasp what the author is writing about.
2.) I couldn’t tell what the point of view the entire story was really. It was everywhere. He wrote some of it in first person for the most part, and the tense really threw me off course as well. The two made the main character seem like an outsider, a complete outcast if you will. Even though he is experiencing a tough situation and is getting support from townsfolk he still seems like a roaming shell, living both lost and emotionless.
3.) The author set a mood in the story, which I felt was a bit melancholy. The protagonist is dealing with the death of his little daughter; also the memory visits him, even if he likes it or not. He is like the center of a bunch of negativity. He retires early (wait isn’t that a good thing), his wife is away in business trips, he finds out one of his kindergarten friend whom was later-to-become a homeless man froze to death in the middle of the busy city, and to top it all off – his daughter dies. The whole story is like a newspaper article. There are the occasional jobs, social problems, and deaths.

Labels: Creative Writing