“Quick Trim”-Logical Fallacy

Upon researching logical fallacies, I came across a major false authority fallacy that forced me to chuckle in disbelief. Kim Kardashian, a famous celebrity socialite, along with her two sisters shot a commercial for the advertisement of the diet supplement “Quick Trim”. In the commercial the three sisters are seen sporting skimpy clothing while displaying racy actions. After watching the commercial, I thought to myself “what were they selling again?” The commercial’s purpose is to advertise a dietary supplement, but yet nothing was mentioned of the product. Clearly, the “Quick Trim” company was aiming to sell their product based off of the Kardashian’s persuasive ability. How do the viewers know if the diet supplement works? These viewers will surely not get that information by watching the Kardashians flaunt their bodies.

Cheers to Writing 140

Writing 140 has definitely been a learning experience from the first time I stepped foot in the class. I must admit that I was nervous about how I would perform knowing that college writing was completely different from high school writing. That is why the first concept that I needed to grasp in order to have successful papers was developing a concise and focused thesis. I realized that my thesis was the driving head of my papers, and if my thesis was not appropriate then my paper was ultimately suffer.

One of my biggest struggling while taking the Writing 140 course was coming up with a topic and ideas for an essay. Throughout the course, we spent time testing invention strategies which included a “fact/idea list”, and a cluster web. After trying out a few of the invention strategies, I found that the cluster web worked the best for me. When I sit down to write an essay, a number of ideas cloud my mind. Therefore, by jotting down ideas and connecting them together using a web cluster, I am able to organize my overwhelming ideas.

Blogging about my topics in Writing 140 has inspired me to pick up writing as a hobby. Now, I keep a journal where I write about my daily life, issues or topics I feel strongly about, or simply what is on my mind. Writing 140 has definitely shaped my writing for the better.

Wikipedia: Friend or Foe?

After investigating just how Wikipedia disseminates knowledge, I have changed the way in which I use Wikipedia as a source of knowledge. After realizing that Wikipedia's quality of knowledge can be improved or disproved by any person from any part of the world, I have chosen to use Wikipedia only as a starting point for any research that I do. As I read Wikipedia to start off my research, I will take the information I read in with a grain of salt. After gaining a sound base for my topic, I will further research my topic using the resources listed at the end of the Wikipedia page in order to verify the information.

The discussions that take place on Wikipedia are indeed intriguing and often help settle any confusion on the topic being discussed. For example, on the discussion page of William Mulholland, confusion came about when one posted on whether or not Mulholland was solely responsible for the collapse of the St. Francis Dam. In the discussion it was made clear that although William Mulholland built the dam, the Los Angeles government as a whole was responsible for leaving Mulholland as the only engineer for the dam. This cleared up a lot of confusion as to whether or not Mulholland deserved all the blame for the collapsing of the St. Francis Dam and also shed more knowledge on all those you participated and viewed the discussion.

Now, I would definitely join the discussion of any Wikipedia page, especially when false statements are being made in regards to a topic. Correcting these false statements with reliable resources as backup will not only help spread correct knowledge, but also clear up any confusion that was made.

Teacher vs. Student

Back in high school, I have encountered many situations where communal acquisition of knowledge has clashed with authoritative acquisition of knowledge. A prime example of this would be when my high school English class discussed the novel "Seabuscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand through the means of a Socratic seminar. In the seminar, each one of my classmates commented on an aspect of the book including the theme, plot, and background story of the novel by using their very own view of the story. Through this method, the entire class was able to gain knowledge on the lessons that Hillenbrand wanted readers to gain through reading the novel.

However, after the Socratic seminar, the entire class found out that Hillenbrand's lesson in "Seabuscuit: An American Legend" was different from the lesson that our class generated through discussion and debate amongst one another. Our teacher, who studied Hillenbrand in college as an English major, presented us with Hillenbrand's lesson in her novel which clearly differed from our generated lesson.

As a class we began to question our teacher's knowledge and even her creditability. How could our class-generated lesson be completely different from the author's intended lesson? Before the class got too rowdy with opposition, our teacher informed us that although our lesson was completely different from the lesson of the author, it does not mean that our lesson is wrong. She continued by stating that when people read novels, they interpret them differently and thus take away different lessons from the novel. The class let out one big sigh of relief as we realized just how true our teacher's statement was.

The form of learning that I find most useful is communal acquisition of knowledge. This is because a group of people with different perspectives and opinions on the world who come together to discuss a topic with the help of research can acquire more knowledge from each other in my opinion. In addition, I feel that I can learn more from peers my age who I can relate to than say an old professor with years of experience under his or her belt.

No "Japs" Allowed

How could a group of people be treated so badly in a place that they tried so hard to become a part of? In my "Strangers in a Strange Land" essay I decided to focus my paper on the Japanese migrating to America in their first big wave, and their reception once they got there.

I decided to write about the Japanese because after reading the novel "Southland" by Nina Revoyr and realizing how terribly the Japanese were treated after the bombing at Pearl Harbor. The novel tells a vivid account of the Japanese having to pack and sell all their belongings before being shipped off into internment camps. Such drastic measures performed by the US shocked as I would never fathom internment of an innocent group of people occurring in this time period.

The film that I viewed in my "Los Angeles and the American Dream" lecture entitled "White Rabbit" also prompted me to write this essay on the Japanese because it also depicted the Japanese in internment camps. One scene solidified the Japanese's position in American society during the 1940's as a young Japanese girl told her mother that she was American and not Japanese at all. Her mother's response was, "If you're American, why are you in this camp?" This scene allowed me to realize that no matter how much the Japanese people wanted to assimilate into American society during that time period, they would never be accepted.

Continuing to read more primary sources about the Japanese's experience while attempting to assimilate into American culture will definitely give me more insight into how the Japanese personally felt. However, how could a group of people continue to try and assimilate into a culture that blatantly rejected them? My mindset in this time period as a Japanese would be to leave America and create a new life in Japan (which many Issei did). It has been a long battle for the Japanese to finally become accepted in America, but their persistence paid off in the end thanks to the civil rights movements that took place all of the country in the 1960's.

Accessing the Right California Resources

The first resource that I decided to research was James J. Rawls’s “California: A people, a Place, a Dream”. This article discusses the false hope that California promises immigrants that migrate to the dreamland. James J. Rawls states that the California Dream is filled with high expectations that are not met once immigrants get here. California is seen as a place of “endless blue skies and spectacular seacoasts” (Rawls 142). Many people believe that their deepest longing for a better lifestyle will be fulfilled once they arrive to California. However, many immigrants are surely mistaken once they arrive to the “Golden State” and realize that the California Dream is simply a myth. Rawls traces the origin of the false California Dream all the way back to the Gold Rush where a mass influx of eager and expectant people, who believed that no work was required to fulfill their dreams, filled the state of California. These people created the false California Dream that, still to this day, lead immigrants to believing in the false hope that California provides. This article is extremely helpful in the fact that it allows me to get an even better grasp as to what immigrants thought of California before migrating there and how they viewed it afterwards.

The second resource that I explored was “Immigrants Out!: The New Nativism and the Anti-Immigrant Impulse in the United States”. This article focuses on the America’s view of immigrant in the country and even focuses on California's Proposition 187, which was a proposition to establish a state-run citizenship screening system as well as prohibit illegal immigrants from using health care, public education, and other social services in California. This article will definitely be useful in figuring out whether California accepted the assimilation of certain groups of immigrants. Identifying key figuring such as intermarriage between ethnic groups is the ultimate measuring stick as to whether or not a group has truly assimilated in America. This along with many of topics concerning immigration is viewed in “Immigration Out”.

Storytelling

On Wednesday October 19,2011 I witnessed Tracey Kidder, a Harvard University graduate, deliver a captivating speech about his time in Africa and his experience with a friend that changed his life. Kidder begins his storytelling with an anecdote about his soon-to-be friend Dei, who endured pain and strife in the midst of civil unrest in his country of Burundi. Dei eventually escaped to America where he enrolled in Columbia University. Immediately, the idea of sunshine and noir hit me as I imagined the war that proceeded in Burundi represented darkness and confusion (noir) while the hope and promise that America provided represented light and positiveness (sunshine).
Later Kidder discusses how he met Dei and traveled back to Burundi in order help with the poverty that consumed the area. Dei had the mindset of creating something bigger than himself upon his arrival and so he did as he constructed the "Village Health Works". This structure was a hospital that aided the sick and wounded in Burundi. Dei's mindset was completely different from the mindsets of the water barons of Los Angeles such as William Mulholland because, in contrast to Dei, Mulholland only cared about getting water into Los Angeles and not the lives of the people of the Owens River Valley.

Kidder closed his speech with the main point of his speech which was, "one can understand the world through storytelling". He proceeded to elaborate by stating that storytelling is an art that if used right can captivate an entire audience. This reminded me of the reason why students at USC are required to take Writing-140. This class is meant to develop student's ability to create arguments and back them up in order to convince your audience of your position.

William Mulholland Revealed!

After deeply researching the famous water engineer of Los Angeles, William Mulholland, my opinion of his character and morals has largely changed. Initially, my view of Mulholland was skewed due to the viewing of the movie "Cadillac Desert". The movie contained heavy commentary from Mulholland's granddaughter. At one instance of the movie she talked about Mulholland being only concerned about the people of Los Angeles when the St. Francis Dam broke. Her kind, warming words about her grandfather throughout the film planted an image of a compassionate, noble man inside my head. This image would begin to germinate in my psyche and before you know it my draft of my "LA's Past and Prologue" essay is geared toward Mulholland being the kind savior of Los Angeles. However, my research has led me to conclude that Mulholland was not concerned with the people of LA or the people in which he took the water from.

Mulholland was a water engineer, and with an engineer's mindset, he saw the task of getting a water source for LA with tunnel vision. This means that Mulholland created a solution that did not keep in mind the side effects that it would create. The solution was an extensive aqueduct that carried water from Mono Lake and Owens River Valley to LA, but this masterpiece did not take into account the damage of the ecosystem of the two water sources. In addition, the people of Mono Lake and Owens River Valley lost the majority of their source of water for their own needs. The caring image of Mulholland in "Cadillac Desert" was created by his granddaughter, a close relative who was likely to supply this view of Mulholland. Real history shows that this water engineer was not concerned with anything but getting water into the growing city of Los Angeles.

With this being said, the citizens of Los Angeles are also to blame for the deprivation of water from the Mono Lake and Owens Valley Lake community. The people of LA as a whole were only concerned with getting water into the city as well, and did not care about the methods that transported the resource into it. This is evident because no protests or disapprovals were made about Mulholland until after the St. Francis Dam broke. Los Angeles at that time period was only concerned with growth and expansion, and not the well-being of other cities and regions.

William Mulholland-Savior or Foe?

For my topic on the history of Los Angeles, I decided to write about the water struggle in LA and the man, by the name of William Mulholland, who constructed the water aqueducts that allowed for water to flow through the regoin. At the beginning of the acquisition of water to LA, Mulholland was seen as the hero of the city. Los Angeles was growing and without adequate water supply the city would stop growing. As a result, Mulholland had the idea of bringing water to LA via the Owens River Valley. He would do this by building aqueducts from the River Valley to Los Angeles in what became the key factor to Los Angeles expanding to the size it did today. After the project was completed, Mulholland was treated as if he were a God as the whole idea of LA being a beautiful paradise was now complete due to the availability of water. However, the notion of William Mulholland being the savior of LA completely diminished when a dam holding the city's water reserves breaks after inspection. This devastating event cost millions of dollars and numerous lives. Mulholland was immediately shunned from the town and fell out of the grace of Los Angeles forever. In my research, I will be looking articles and documents that discribe how the citizens of LA felt toward Mulholland on a deeper level after the breaking of the dam. The more detail I aquire on the feel of the citizens of LA during the tragic event, the better understanding of the spirit and nature of LA I acquire.

Diversity Welcomed!

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is one of the most recognized public spaces in California. This is where all the celebrities come out to promote their movies, sign autographs, and interact with their fans. So what purpose does this serve to LA might you ask? Well, the admiration of the celebrity lifestyle is cherished by all people from unique walks of life. At the Hollywood Walk of Fame, people from different races, classes, and background meet to enjoy the celebrity lifestyle for a day.

This is a diverse space that LA despirately needs because throughout the city is nothing but seperation and segretation. With the Hollywood Walk of Fame, united diversity is the "norm".

Walking on Fame-The Hollywood Experience

As a foreigner of The Golden State, I chose to observe Hollywood, California as my public place. The unique culture and excitement of this space has always been depicted in the media as the cliché movie town. Although it is the movie capital of the world, Hollywood brings together all kinds of people from all different walks of life into one area. There is truly no other place like this in the world.

Upon arriving in Hollywood, all five of my senses kicked in like never before. The atmosphere was simple electric, and the streets were jammed-packed as I attempted to make my way through the crowd. I began to believe that my eyes were deceiving me because the streets were filled with people dressed in vivid superhero costumes, wild Lady Gaga attire, and even skimpy lingerie. It was mind blowing to say the least. With everything around me moving so fast, I peered down at the ground to see aligned stars filling up the walkway. These stars represent famous celebrities who have contributed in a way to their area of success. I started looking down the majority of my time in Hollywood as I saw the stars of Tom Cruise, Ray Charles, and Marilyn Monroe.

This hectic scene only showed signs of increasing as the day moved on. There was a movie premiere down the block and all the tourists lined up quickly to watch the stars get out their limousine and get interviewed. Before standing in line for the premiere, I decided to view all the stores that sat on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. All the shops there had a unique concept to them but they all catered to tourists wanting to take Hollywood back home with them. I ended up buying a mug, keychain, and poster for my family back home.
The movie premiere was my last treat for the day and it was quite the treat. Jamie Foxx premiered his latest movie to those in attendance and the crowd went crazy. Camera flashes nearly blinded me as the crowd took pictures of Jamie hopping out his sleek limousine headed toward the Nokia Theater. This place called Hollywood is an amazing scene that I believe everyone should experience once.

Immunity To Drugs

After planning and drafting my paper for a little over a week now, I have garnered even more insight from Jay-Z's "Hollywood" as I found myself looking at this tainted town through his eyes. In his song he raps, "Born in Brooklyn got a place in Manhattan, going back to Brooklyn to escape the madness. When your friends is Chris and Gwyneth, when your girl is more famous then you then is". This line opened my eyes and made me realize that not all celebrities are brainwashed by the Hollywood lifestyle that they are submerged in. Stars like Jay-Z often leaves this world to go back to the place where he can get a peace of mind. This peace of mind allows him to function with a leveled head and not become morphed into a vain shell of himself. This leads me to believe that some are simply immune to this drug called Hollywood. The California Dream, which consists of relaxation and no worries, that leads hopefuls to the town of Hollywood does not affect only a small portion of people. These people are able to block of the addictive aspects of the Hollywood lifestyle and make decisions that will benefit them in the long run.

Welcome to Hollywood

What city in California better expresses the legendary California Dream than the famed Hollywood? Jay-Z and Beyonce deeply analyze the town that destroys the majority of people that wish to pursue it in their song entitled "Hollywood". The reason why I chose this song for the "California Dreamin'" project is because I believe it precisely simplifies what the "California Dream" is. This dream is a highly addictive drug that hooks its prey once it gets a hold of he or she. No one can escape its persuasive power as the victims will start to find themselves wanting more and more dosages of this drug called Hollywood. However, I believe that by writing about this song, I could bring awareness to this drug and help those wanting to try it think otherwise. Saving a life is just another day in the life of Demetri.



"Hollywood"
(feat. Beyonce)

[Intro: Jay-Z + (Beyonce)]
IT AIN'T FOR EVERYBODY!
(Uhhhh) Welcome to Hollywood baby
(Take a picture) Uh huh
You coming with? (Let's not even talk about it)
Let's do it (Let's Go!)

[Bridge 1: Beyonce + (Jay-Z)]
(Uh huh) I see your jealousy as you watching
(I see you watching me baby) You watching (It's all good)
It's kinda sexy to me how you watching (I love it) You watching
(Uh huh come on)
I see your face (I see your face)
You wanna touch it (You wanna touch it)
Come to my place (Come to the crib)
And let's discuss it (Let's chop it up)
Tonight you'll be (Tonight you gonna be a superstar baby)
a superstar
come let me sign you up
(let's get into it)

[Chorus: Beyonce + (Jay-Z)]
Ooh it's the lights (You blinded by the)
Action! (You need that)
Hollywood
Ooh it's the lights (You blinded by the)
Satisfaction! (You need that)
Hollywood
(Uh huh come on)

[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
Paparazzi spots me
In the lobby
Of my high-rise
I hide
Behind my shades
Cause the fame is blinding my eyes
My god
I know how Ozzie Oz
Once had felt when he was as high
As I have got
I have got
To make this stop
People often warn me
That the fame ain't for the vain if heart
It'll change those
Who they had love for you
Into strangers
When your fame starts
It's a chain reaction
Locomotion like when the train departs
Stranger
Things have happened
Rapping
Stacking
Platinum plaquin'
Born in Brooklyn got a place in Manhattan
Going back to Brooklyn
To escape the madness
When your friends is
Chris and Gwyneth
When your girl is more famous
Then you then is
Time to get all your windows tinted
Keep your eyes squinted
It's gonna flash any minute
The music biz is like musical chairs
Its about where you standing when the music stop spinning
In a

[Chorus]

[Beyonce Verse + (Jay-Z)]
You got to get it
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh
Do you want it
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh
But you don't need it
oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh
What do you do (now that you got what you want)
oh oh oh
What do you do (oh you want more?)
oh oh oh
Hey

[Verse 2: Jay-Z]
Hey mister
Pay sixa
A lista
You're in the mist of
The ride of your life
But you gotta keep them hits up
Can't put your guard down
Gotta keep your mitts up
Take a sip sir
It's so in toxicating
ain't it
try not to get jaded
Hollywood's been good to ya
Startin' feel like birds to ya
Don't lie
Gonna fly
You addicted to the lights
Without the fame
How you gonna survive
It's like living on
Heroine
You so high

[Bridge 2: Beyonce + (Jay-Z)]
And everybody warning you about it (Try to told you)
And once you taste you can't live without it (It's addictive)
Not cause you choose to not live without it (Sure you want this baby)
It's now a part of you (It's a part of you)
It's now a part of you
And everybody warning you about it (I see you blinded)
And once you taste you can't live

[Chorus (with minor ad-libs from Beyonce)]
Ooh it's the lights (It's the lights)
Action! (Action)
Hollywood (Hollywood)
Ooh it's the lights (Satisfaction)
Satisfaction! (So addictive)
(Hey) Hollywood (Hollywood)

[Verse 3: Jay-Z]
Wanna be seen
Male groupies
now you've become what you once despised
James Dean
John Belushi
Blow your whole life
Tryna live in the lights
Heroins following Marilyn
Hoppin' over the edge
just like Janice Joplin
River Phoenix
Jimi Hendrix
All of them ended by
Hollywood
Thank God for Hollywood
Hollywood
Sure you want this baby?
[Throughout end of verse 3]
(Oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh)

[Outro: Jay-Z]
Hollywood
Most addicted drug in the world
Want the fame
Want the lights
Ha Ha Ha

Californication-A Dream or Reality?

In today's world, California has transformed from a state in a country to a state of mind. The California Dream that many refer to is an escape from the real world where the only aspect of life that exist is relaxation. There are many who truly believe in this dream and pursue it with all of their might. However, this chasing only leads to the cold-hearted truth. It only leads one to the fact that the California Dream does not exist. It is an idea that was conjured up and passed on by a poor soul that found hope in envisioning. I just feel sorry for anyone who gets plagued by this nightmare.

First Blog

My uncle's name is Otis Redding!