The Break From Break

December 27th, the start of holiday halftime.

I've celebrated good cheer, overindulged, laughed too hard and over slept for almost four days straight, starting with the Christmas Eve (Eve) kickoff with friends, creeping into Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with family, and even yesterday, while everyone else started their respite from the celebrations, I was celebrating my parent's anniversary.

What do I have to show for it? A few more inches around the waistline, lots of awesome swag (thanks family and friends), and a severe cold. But I finally reached the break in my break, the sandwich of productivity and genuine rest between the dizzying rush of Christmas and anticipated New Year's Eve blowout.

One year doesn't seem like a long enough moratorium on tamales and red and green cookies from where I'm standing, but I know I'll be duped into excitement and the childlike giddiness come November 2012, when I cross the Holiday Event Horizon and get sucked into the Black Hole of Joy for another grueling December.

Happy Holidays, and rest up for the 31st!

Internship Readiness

Someone who is internship ready is someone who makes themselves and the program look good by demonstrating a firm understanding of the task and expectations presented to them at their internship. This person can not only handle any technical assignment doled out to them, but they also show strength of character by not only receiving feedback well, but actively seeking it out. Earnest communication with colleagues and an open attitude will make it easy for this person to earn the respect and admiration of their peers, and get the attention of their managers.

I plan to demonstrate these qualities during Module 3 by always extending a hand to a colleague that needs some help, and by looking for chances to jump in and help on my own. I will continue to take and act on feedback, and will continue giving it for the benefit of my peers.

The one change I plan to make this module in regards to my energy and attitude is showing more awareness in regards to how my tone and speech is taken by others. The same humor that I've used to make close friends with my colleagues and to stand out in the program runs the risk of offending and upsetting someone, and I'm learning how to shift gears around people who are sensitive to that sort of thing.

Safeway? More like Unsafeway.

My first and only serious, long term job was that of a gas station attendant for Safeway. Everyday was a trial, from dealing with malfunctioning gas pumps and computers to being the focal point of rage of countless rude customers. Through the years I picked up a few habits and tricks that made the job a little more bearable, but never what I could call enjoyable.

My primary responsibilities were taking the customers money and setting it on their pump, but when I was alone, which was often, my workload expanded to everything you could think of. If someone spilled a gallon of gas at 10:30 at night while there was a hefty line of customers, I'd have a half dozen pair of eyes glaring at me, waiting, while I made sure we didn't all die and cleaned up the gas.

The upside of working alone and unsupervised in a sound proof box was my freedom to plug in a music player to the built in computer speakers, and freedom to yell obscenities at the top of my lungs when there were no customers at the window. I'm sure I looked quite insane from the outside looking in, and maybe I was, but the chance to let some steam off without letting it build up allowed me to continue working without letting it out on a customer.

During my time at Safeway I feel I developed some extreme patience when dealing with people, especially unreasonable people. I can definitely see patience being a useful tool to have in the IT field, and I'll certainly use it in my internship. The most important lesson I learned from working there was that I deserved better and that no one should settle for a job where you're undervalued. 

Same Old Mess

There has always been a division between the very wealthy and cripplingly poor in this nation. Diego Rivera's mural Frozen Assets illustrates this point with poignant clarity. The era during which this mural was painted was one of total uncertainty, the stock market crashed, and the Dust Bowl shrunk America's food supply. Cut forward to present times, and we still see the same economic disparity that plagued Diego's time. During this day and age, the cries of protest  don't come in the form of murals, taking sly jabs at the economic structure of our nation. Today the suffering masses are galvanized by shared tales of financial disaster, the all too similar stories of feeling intentionally misled and betrayed by our banking institutions, tied together by the mass and instantaneous communications now available to us.

The Occupy Movement could only have been born in this era of the Internet, an era where any American who feels mistrust towards our economy or has a story of hardship can not only share, but find anyone and everyone who is going through the same thing.

What I see in Diego's work is a world where the lowest class of American's are treated as assets, not people. This world, not unlike our own, is one where your hard earned money is the plaything of the banks, something to take a gamble with, rather than something to protect. When a bad decision is made, the repercussions extend far beyond a loss of money to a bank, it ruins the lives of those who readily entrusted their earnings to these institutions.

Now, unlike then, every American can be heard, protests are organized across entire cities in the blink of an eye, and the rage and anger of millions of citizens can no longer be ignored and marginalized, like a mural being painted over by the rich men who commissioned it.

My Inspiration

As I mentioned during the warm up question in class, I'm inspired by old episodes of The Simpsons. Something about the timing and absurdity just makes me smile. Years later, I find myself laughing at an episode I hadn't seen in years. It's still fresh and funny, and I can't help but laugh out loud. No other show makes me laugh so loudly.

Honestly, a lot of comedy really makes me inspired, but I feel that The Simpsons has been a source of inspiration for all my favorite comedians and TV shows. An episode of South Park deals with the idea that any funny idea that you can think of, The Simpsons has done it first, and better.

They recently announced that this season of The Simpsons is that last one. I'm a little sad, but I'm positive The Simpsons will continue to inspire and make people laugh for years. It's the father of all animated sitcoms, and I can't wait for it to be picked up for syndication by a cable network so it can inspire more people. Hopefully it will show those Family Guy fans what real comedy looks like!

I find myself saying things that I can't remember where I heard it from. I go all day thinking about it, and when I remember where it came from, it is of course from The Simpsons. Every old episode is packed from top to bottom with memorable lines and back and forth between characters. Some one across the room can say something from some obscure episode, and any Simpsons fan can jump in and laugh and remember with them.

The word 'D'oh', the phrases 'aye caramba' and 'howdily doodilly', they've all penetrated our culture, because The Simpsons inspires all of our creative people, and for that I'm glad. I can't imagine a world where yellow people with bulging eyes don't make me laugh madly. Thanks for all the laughs Simpsons family. You we be sorely missed.

Essay Prewrite

Community: Gamers

Members anyone who plays video games frequently, especially online. They interact online in games and websites, especially forums and gaming news sites. Investment of time and money for games, TVs, PCs, etc, is required.

People join the community because they enjoy one or more aspects of gaming, including teamwork, challenge, competition, and absent minded fun.

Characteristics of the community include dedication, immersion in the language and culture of gaming. Advantages include fast spread of news about games, and a large potential pool of team mates. Problems include many things associated with the internet in general, such as trolls, misinformation, arguments, etc. News of glitches, exploits, hacks, and other unfair advantages spread this way.

I personally enjoy the competition, discussion, bonding with friends, and having fun actually playing.

Reflections on Myself as a Student.

I learned that I am a very punctual about both my work and being where I'm supposed to be.

I was surprised that I can wake up at 5am every morning and not fall asleep during the day, or even lose focus.

I'm very proud that I haven't earned an infraction, and there isn't anything that I'm disappointed it.

The things I'm most proud of is the work on my blog, my scores on the Tech midterm and final, my consistent professional attitude, my willingness to speak out during plus/delta sessions in class, and my motivation to succeed which has kept me from slipping up and earning an infraction.

Things I could improve on is making sure I help myself before being distracted by helping others, getting to bed on time and making sure I get enough sleep, and giving my colleagues more of a chance to share their knowledge and participate even if I know I'm right, and that it will move the discussion along faster.

Miguel Lopez Starring in 'The Barbed Wire Fortress Of Love'

I am who I am despite the neighborhoods I've lived in.

I've lived in these neighborhoods in this order:

1. East Oakland, right on Foothill Boulevard
2. North Oakland, on San Pablo Avenue
3. Vallejo, in a pocket going through urban decay

I feel like I dodged a series of bullets growing where I did, but I also believe that it was the support of my family that kept me from the path too often walked by young Mexican men, jail, death, and general low expectations. It was this support that really nullified any negative factors inherent in these neighborhoods, the sad fact of the matter is the lack of a present and supportive father is all it takes for young men growing up in the places I grew up in to start on that slippery downward slope.

I was shielded from any negative influence in my childhood and teens thanks to my parents, and thanks to them, to me all my neighborhoods were just the place we lived. Now as an adult, I can really take a critical stance on my current neighborhood and the real and measurable ways it has influenced me.




On the whole, I feel Vallejo is a city in decline. Maybe it's because I wasn't raised here, and I don't plan on staying, but I can stand back and look at the goings on in this town through the eyes of a critical outsider, and not the hopeful eyes a genuinely concerned long term resident. Aside from the standard retail jobs and small businesses, there is no beating heart of economy in this town. The most prosperous in town job I can think of is probably 'store manager', or maybe 'car lot owner', yet the city insists on renovation and renewal, while closing down high schools and killing a planned new school. They overlook serious social problems in favor of luxuries the real working class population aren't asking for.

Vallejo has influenced me. I can't go outside without thinking to myself I can do better than a place like this.

Reflections on "The Poverty Business"

The assigned reading tackled a really big, hard to dissect issue, the problem of people so poor they can't pull themselves out of poverty, and the businesses that take advantage of them. These companies offer up all sorts of services, and the transiency of the benefits of these services are far outweighed by the burden of interest, and in the long run, pile more debt onto the plate of our most financially vulnerable citizens.

These services or programs are disguised as helpful, seemingly useful alternatives for people with incomes so low that maybe ordering a computer sight unseen on an unclear payment plan is the only way they could own a computer in the first place. The problems lie in the hidden interest, the unclear, often purposefully deceptive terms of agreement, the ignorance of the consumer, and the fleeting, uncertain nature of any income the consumer might have.

The interest and penalties for not paying on time on these loans are so steep that the buyer ends up paying an exorbitantly larger amount for the item than normal. The logic behind this is that doing business with people who have so little money is a high risk enterprise, and any deviation from the strict payment plan warrants gouging the customer for what little money they have.

It's very easy to blame the victim here, but these people, in many cases, have run out of or haven't heard of any other options. I think that therefore, the responsibility lies with the companies so ready to take everything they can from these struggling people. I believe the only way to help those unfortunate enough to fall prey to these schemes is free financial education and consulting, and loans with for less severe penalties and lower interests. I don't think anyone can see this situation and not understand what part these companies play in keeping the poor, poor.

My synapses burn like stars.

I hope by now I've made it abundantly clear how much fun I'm having with this blog. I take any creative leeway I'm given on writing assignments and run with it, wildly, while giggling. I think about writing in the same manner as music, and consider any chance to write a chance at self expression, self exploration, and self amusement. If you don't like your own writing, your own thoughts, how can you go on?

Words, like notes, can be strung together in all sorts of interesting ways, ways not strictly 'proper' under the metric of the language, or on the other hand,  perfectly proper, but with no grounds in reality. When Nick replied "We were eaten by bears." as an example of the correct usage of were, I had to bite down on my hand to keep myself from laughing. That sentence, while grammatically correct, will never be spoken out loud in a serious way, except by a calm, well spoken, camper's ghost.

Oh, but I digress. About me! Aside from my potential grounds for committal wonderful, creative cognition, what else is there to say? I like the bass guitar, reading, video games, and if I don't land a tech job after Year Up, I could always try my hand at being a poor person  writer or musician.

Hopefully, it won't come to that.

An Open Letter to LCO, Section B.

Today was the first day of week 3! So a big yay to all us for getting this far.

Now that I got the patting on the back out of the way, there is something I feel needs addressing:

I have never heard a room filled with full grown adults be so loud and continually disrespectful.

This isn't high school, every one of us is here because we were chosen, it's a privilege and a rare opportunity, one that isn't going to present itself again. I'll tell you right now, I'm not going to let someone distract me and ruin this chance. I'm not going back to Safeway because someone can't keep quiet.

Maybe it's because no one has recorded an infraction for it yet, but by this point in the program we should have gotten quieter, not louder and louder and LOUDER.

I know we can pull it together without someone having to be made an example of.

Seriously now,

Miguel L.

"World shocked by U.S. execution of Troy Davis"

http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/22/world/davis-world-reaction/index.html

My reaction? Good. I'm glad so many people still have a conscience. Shock is the appropriate reaction to an event like this.

Yesterday, Georgia executed Troy Davis, a man convicted of killing a police officer. Seven out of nine witnesses later recanted their testimony, casting a large shadow of possibility that this man was innocent of this crime.

In the days leading to the execution, the case received attention from news networks worldwide. There were protests in France, pleas of clemency from the Pope and former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, but at 11:08 pm EDT, Troy Davis was declared dead. He maintained his innocence during his final words.

This series of events has put a fire under the debate of the death penalty. In the end Troy Davis may be a figurehead, a martyr, leading to the abolishing of this practice I'm ashamed to say is still an American institution. I can only hope this the catalyst that starts a serious restructuring of our entire prison system.

I feel that America is above the death penalty. It's a brutal solution to the complex problem of what to do with our most serious offenders, but we should not settle for the easiest answer, especially when a life is on the line. The sooner the death penalty is relegated to the history books, the better off we will be. It's an important milestone in social justice, many other countries have abolished the death penalty, and I'm not satisfied with the excuse of 'this is just how America does it'.

We can do better.

Small Town New School Blues

Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying Grades and Love Girls and Music

After middle school, my family moved to Vallejo, California. You'd think a move into a more affluent and better funded academic environment would do wonders for someone who was thriving scholastically in the barren wasteland of the OUSD. Guess again. Vallejo was absolute culture shock. I don't exaggerate when I say I had no real friends until high school. High school was the first time I enjoyed the company of people my age, and suddenly I was playing catch up to my social maturation.

Grades took a backseat to girls, friends, and rock and roll. Teachers took less notice of a student performing well. District money was spent on lighting for sports fields, and renovating auditoriums. Our campus was originally a medium sized middle school, turned into a high school crowded with portable classrooms, and a lot of shifty kids. The student body at large was apathetic. All around me, students squandered opportunity, totally ignorant of how good they had it. Coming from Oakland I found this particularly offensive. Someone was beaten so badly they had to be airlifted. Arrests weren't uncommon. All while all this was happening all I wanted was to talk to girls, listen to music, pass with a C, and leave this backwater town.

And when I do I'll never come back.

The time is 10:40 PM.

And the only other people who I've seen post comments on the blogs of our colleagues  are Mike and Elvis.

Come on Section B, this is our only BC homework, it only takes five minutes, and it's actually pretty fun.

My Revolving Vocabulary Door

Our writing prompt states that psychologists believe our peers, rather than our parents, have a larger influence on our language. It presents this information as if we should be surprised.

When we're very young, our parents certainly have almost total influence on how we learn to speak. These are the people who gave us our first words. It becomes very clear, however, that the influence they exert can be eroded. The first time a child walks into a classroom, an entire new influence dominates the way they communicate, and it isn't the person in front of the chalkboard.

If you read a transcript of a conversation between my friends and I, in between the minutia of daily conversation and casual swearing, you're likely to find several phrases completely devoid of context to an outsider. If I read a transcript of a conversation between my friends and I from a few years ago, I'd be just as stumped as you. The language between friends is so fluid it becomes hard to keep track of. Phrases turn into memes, memes morph into something unrecognizable, and are promptly disposed of the next time we experience something new as a group, and find the humor in it.

It's said that when Batman puts on the mask, what he's actually doing is taking off the Bruce Wayne costume. When I walk into Year Up I have to take off the cape and ears from my language. If you catch me outside the building after school and hear me using the words 'banana sandwich' in a way not intended by Nature, just move on, safe in the knowledge that we can talk clearly tomorrow morning.