In the Monterey Herald today, I found a story about a monumental cross that had been cut down. It stood at 20 feet tall and was a historical landmark for about 40 years. This wooden cross was erected in 1969 representing one that was from 1769. The earlier one was built by Spanish explorer, Don Gaspar de Portola. He was exploring the coast in search for Monterey Bay and used the cross as a landmark to find it again. There was a plaque next to it that explained all of this history.
According to Monterey Policeman, Lt. Randy Roach, it was cut down Friday night or early Saturday morning. It was taken down at the base by what seems was a powerful saw. So far, no one has owned up to the act and people are truly upset. It was used for so many different ways; landmark for lifeguards, runners, and surfers out in the water. The damage is estimated around $1,000 and the investigation will be held by state park authorities.
Once again our beautiful history in the town of Monterey was vandalized. Why people want to destroy it, we will never know. But what I do know is that the vandalism of state property and our history here in Monterey is becoming oddly popular.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Technology in My World
In class on Monday morning we watched a video on technology and what would happen to us if it disappeared. Man, we sure are reliant on it, that's for sure! The video was a bit outdated and we all came to the conclusion that the narrator was "creepy" but overall it was had a good source of information and made a good point.
In my dorm room I rely on my clock in many ways. It helps me wake up on time and keeps me punctual with class and friends, and especially keeping up with my laundry. In the movie, James Burke talks about how much we rely on technology a lot!
He also talks about "technology traps" and refers to an elevator as one of them. How scary would it be to have the technology go out while you are stuck in an elevator?! Let's hope nobody has clostraphobia issues! Another "technology trap" would be the subway systems. They are run on technology and if the power were to go out while you were in one, you would be stuck in a tunnel underground!
To be honest I think that our world relies on technology way too much! I am not accusing people, because I am most definitely one of them, but it is just something that I have noticed. We all emerse ourselves so much into TV, iPod's, computers, cellphones (texting), etc., that we end up blocking out the rest of the world! We have all become lazy and would rather text someone than walk over to their house and visit with them face to face. Technology is bery helpful, don't get me wrong, but it is also a burden on our society.
I think that we were better off in 1965, when the blackout occured, because now we have invented even more types of technology that help us through the day. We have automatic sinks, toilets, towel dispensers, laptops, banks, security systems, etc. We rely on it more and so I think that we would be more prone to fail. It's like releasing a tiger that has been in captivity its whole life into the wild. It relies on a scheduled meal and water and care throughout the day and all of a sudden it is stripped of those luxuries and probably wouldn't survive.
If CSUMB's power went out, in my opinion, all hell would break loose! There is absolutely no way that the Dining Commons could feed all of the students successfully. We go for seconds all the time and the kitchen staff is constantly having to cook more and refill the food trays. The emergency power can only last for so long so after awhile, we would have no power to run off of and our school would be useless.
Our world revolves around technology. We even have technology (satellites) orbitting around us! Hopefully these scenarios won't actually happen, because if they do, we are most definitely in trouble.
In my dorm room I rely on my clock in many ways. It helps me wake up on time and keeps me punctual with class and friends, and especially keeping up with my laundry. In the movie, James Burke talks about how much we rely on technology a lot!
He also talks about "technology traps" and refers to an elevator as one of them. How scary would it be to have the technology go out while you are stuck in an elevator?! Let's hope nobody has clostraphobia issues! Another "technology trap" would be the subway systems. They are run on technology and if the power were to go out while you were in one, you would be stuck in a tunnel underground!
To be honest I think that our world relies on technology way too much! I am not accusing people, because I am most definitely one of them, but it is just something that I have noticed. We all emerse ourselves so much into TV, iPod's, computers, cellphones (texting), etc., that we end up blocking out the rest of the world! We have all become lazy and would rather text someone than walk over to their house and visit with them face to face. Technology is bery helpful, don't get me wrong, but it is also a burden on our society.
I think that we were better off in 1965, when the blackout occured, because now we have invented even more types of technology that help us through the day. We have automatic sinks, toilets, towel dispensers, laptops, banks, security systems, etc. We rely on it more and so I think that we would be more prone to fail. It's like releasing a tiger that has been in captivity its whole life into the wild. It relies on a scheduled meal and water and care throughout the day and all of a sudden it is stripped of those luxuries and probably wouldn't survive.
If CSUMB's power went out, in my opinion, all hell would break loose! There is absolutely no way that the Dining Commons could feed all of the students successfully. We go for seconds all the time and the kitchen staff is constantly having to cook more and refill the food trays. The emergency power can only last for so long so after awhile, we would have no power to run off of and our school would be useless.
Our world revolves around technology. We even have technology (satellites) orbitting around us! Hopefully these scenarios won't actually happen, because if they do, we are most definitely in trouble.
Monday, September 14, 2009
$30 Million Bail
Can you believe it?! This couple's bail has been set at 30 million dollars! Phillip and Nancy Garrido have pleaded not guilty to the charges of kidnap, rape, and false imprisonment. The amount was set on Monday by Judge Douglas Phimister.
As the story goes, the couple kidnapped 11-year old Jaycee Duggard from her home in 1991. She was then raped and held captive in the Garrido's backyard shed for 18 years! Even worse, the authorities have also said that Phillip Garrido fathers 2 daughters with Jaycee Duggard.
How awful must that be? You are just a normal 11-year old girl enjoying life when all of a sudden your world is turned completely upside-down. She was isolated into a world of rape and imprisonment for the basis of her life. Some would say that she's lucky she even survived, but in my opinion her life is going to be very difficult from now on. She is going to be living in fear and is going to need a lot of professional help!
All I can say is, Lord, please help this girl...
As the story goes, the couple kidnapped 11-year old Jaycee Duggard from her home in 1991. She was then raped and held captive in the Garrido's backyard shed for 18 years! Even worse, the authorities have also said that Phillip Garrido fathers 2 daughters with Jaycee Duggard.
How awful must that be? You are just a normal 11-year old girl enjoying life when all of a sudden your world is turned completely upside-down. She was isolated into a world of rape and imprisonment for the basis of her life. Some would say that she's lucky she even survived, but in my opinion her life is going to be very difficult from now on. She is going to be living in fear and is going to need a lot of professional help!
All I can say is, Lord, please help this girl...
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Multi-tasking...good or bad?
So I can definitely say I'm a multi-tasker, but I guess it all depends on the situation. When I'm doing something simple like floating around on the internet, I almost always multi-task. I'm usually either texting or doing simple like homework. But when it comes to something important like driving or working I try to avoid distractions. I like to stay focused on the task at hand. It all depends on how difficult I feel the it is, and depending on that I will decide whether or not to do other things at the same time. This usually works for me pretty well; I get a lot more done in a shorter amount of time.
In Charles J. Abate's article on multi-tasking he talks about how the younger students are very big on muti-tasking. It is a common part of our society now and it is found that students that do this excel in their environment. Some of our elders have not been able to master this technique because they were never raised that way. He also states that, "For certain kinds of behavior, brains (like microprocessors) are essentially linear devices that are incapable of performing two seperate tasks simultaneously.
He goes through and explains three of the myths about multi-tasking. The first myth is "Multi-tasking saves time." Some people say that it saves time and works well to multi-task, but Charles says otherwise. He compares the brain to a microprocessor in a computer. Since the human mind is incapable of doing to things literally at once, it must remember where we left off with one task when we move on to the other..and vica versa. Computers are much better at doing this than our brains because we become so involved in the task at hand that we tend to forget where we left off on the other one. This is proof that multi-tasking actually slows us down in our work.
The second myth that Abate comments on is, "Multi-tasked learning is as good as single-tasked learning." Multi-tasking actually changes the way our brains learn and retain information. This is due to the different parts of the brain that deal with multi-tasking and single-tasking.
And finally, the third myth is on, "Multi-tasking is the forte of the young." An experiment was done with people ages 18-21 and 35-39 and when tested, the younger group processed the information they were given faster. But when there was and interrupting phone call, the older group was much more efficient. They are much more capable of blocking out interruptions and deciding what to focus on.
The information was all very interesting to me and I think that it is right! I could have completed this blog 3-times faster if I hadn't been multi-tasking the entire time!!
In Charles J. Abate's article on multi-tasking he talks about how the younger students are very big on muti-tasking. It is a common part of our society now and it is found that students that do this excel in their environment. Some of our elders have not been able to master this technique because they were never raised that way. He also states that, "For certain kinds of behavior, brains (like microprocessors) are essentially linear devices that are incapable of performing two seperate tasks simultaneously.
He goes through and explains three of the myths about multi-tasking. The first myth is "Multi-tasking saves time." Some people say that it saves time and works well to multi-task, but Charles says otherwise. He compares the brain to a microprocessor in a computer. Since the human mind is incapable of doing to things literally at once, it must remember where we left off with one task when we move on to the other..and vica versa. Computers are much better at doing this than our brains because we become so involved in the task at hand that we tend to forget where we left off on the other one. This is proof that multi-tasking actually slows us down in our work.
The second myth that Abate comments on is, "Multi-tasked learning is as good as single-tasked learning." Multi-tasking actually changes the way our brains learn and retain information. This is due to the different parts of the brain that deal with multi-tasking and single-tasking.
And finally, the third myth is on, "Multi-tasking is the forte of the young." An experiment was done with people ages 18-21 and 35-39 and when tested, the younger group processed the information they were given faster. But when there was and interrupting phone call, the older group was much more efficient. They are much more capable of blocking out interruptions and deciding what to focus on.
The information was all very interesting to me and I think that it is right! I could have completed this blog 3-times faster if I hadn't been multi-tasking the entire time!!
Jazz Gallery Walk
Hello again everyone! So this last Friday my class did a Jazz Walk on the upper floor of the library. There was so much information on the time and children's books were covering the tables. You could tell that it really took time and effort to set up. It was nicely done.
There wasn't anything there that I truly connected to, but if I had to choose something it would have to be the quotes on the walls. There were a couple that I really liked but I'll just post one...,"When we have knowledge of great innovators and understand their creativity, it can clear many roadblocks we believe effect only us. Their achievements educate, inspire, and delight,"(Marsalis). This quote is so true! A lot of times we become discouraged by all of the "roadblocks" we run into, but when we look at all the great innovators out there, it makes us see that we are capable of being great too. We just have to try harder. These people motivate us to do our best and that's the reason most of us succeed.
Okay now the next topic I'm supposed to comment on is about how Jazz and Democracy seem to be connected, but to be honest I am not really too sure. I have looked around online and found another quote by Marsalis. He says,"Jazz is democracy in action." Through jazz, cultures can express their ideas to eachother through music.
One of the more famous songs of this time was called "Summertime" by George Gershwin. It has been redone by many different artists and is very popular.
Overall, the Jazz Walk was a good experience. I don't relate to it very well but I know that a lot of people do. I recommend that everyone listen to a little jazz every now and then...I've found that i actually like it!
There wasn't anything there that I truly connected to, but if I had to choose something it would have to be the quotes on the walls. There were a couple that I really liked but I'll just post one...,"When we have knowledge of great innovators and understand their creativity, it can clear many roadblocks we believe effect only us. Their achievements educate, inspire, and delight,"(Marsalis). This quote is so true! A lot of times we become discouraged by all of the "roadblocks" we run into, but when we look at all the great innovators out there, it makes us see that we are capable of being great too. We just have to try harder. These people motivate us to do our best and that's the reason most of us succeed.
Okay now the next topic I'm supposed to comment on is about how Jazz and Democracy seem to be connected, but to be honest I am not really too sure. I have looked around online and found another quote by Marsalis. He says,"Jazz is democracy in action." Through jazz, cultures can express their ideas to eachother through music.
One of the more famous songs of this time was called "Summertime" by George Gershwin. It has been redone by many different artists and is very popular.
Overall, the Jazz Walk was a good experience. I don't relate to it very well but I know that a lot of people do. I recommend that everyone listen to a little jazz every now and then...I've found that i actually like it!
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