The In's and Out's of Media Piracy

Would you rob a bank if you had a great chance of escaping? Would you steal a car if you knew the cops wouldn’t find you? For the sake of morals, I would hope your answer is no. These social taboos are simple and are, for the most part easily understood but, why is this not the case in pirating copyrighted material? Illegal file-sharing over computers has existed for quite some time dating back to the start of personal computers, how ever the true epidemic began when this sharing of music, movies and software hit the mainstream public. Napster, the first peer-to-peer network that had gained an enormous following, led the charge on the distribution of all sorts of media. The program’s popularity grew larger day by day, which in effect caused the music and movie industry to take a hit on sales. The positives in downloading these files greatly outweighed the negatives to average computer users. Downloading was easy, quick, and not to forget, it was free! There have been many fights to end or at least contain piracy, most often led by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The RIAA represents almost all of the media industry and is in charge of the profit it gains, so for obvious reasons piracy is a big deal to them. Through copyright infringement such as file-sharing, the software industry has lost an estimated 13 billion dollars per year, the music industry garnered a loss of 4.1 billion dollars, and the movie industry was out 2.5 billion dollars. These numbers are staggering and there was definitely a need to battle this crisis. The RIAA’s method of fighting back has been through issuing lawsuits to major offenders, some say it’s merely a scare tactic, while the RIAA is adamantly preaching that the steep reparations are for the losses that one offender has caused.

These court cases however, have not set into people’s minds enough to stop them from obtaining illegal material. File-sharing is still very large in the computer community and is showing no signs of slowing down. Technology always seems to be one step ahead of the law as well as the RIAA. When one hosting program gets shut down, two more sprout up to replace it. The RIAA often said piracy is like a bad case of acne, there seems to be no end. Ironically, teenagers are at the forefront of both problems, acne as well as piracy. The Washington Post reported “More than half of young Americans with Internet access continue to download free music even though they know that they are breaking the law.” They go on to add “Eighty-eight percent of the respondents know that most popular music is copyrighted, but 56 percent download it anyway, according to the survey of 1,183 children, ages eight to eighteen.” This in itself shows that downloading media just does not coincide with other crimes which there are direct interactions. Colin Hatcher, a journalist who is investigating piracy writes on how the pirates think of themselves as Robin Hood type figures, meaning they take from the rich and give to the poor. A very heroic outlook on the situation but I don’t think stealing the latest music is comparable to feeding the poor.

The programs that are allowing people to download music are the first to get attacked by enforcers such as the RIAA. The programs evolve as each predecessor is caught and as time goes on these peer-to-peer networks are getting stronger and more fool-proof. As mentioned before, the first widely used program was Napster, after a year of success it was forced to cease and desist from sharing any copyrighted materials. Following programs learned from Napster’s mistakes. Instead of hosting files, these programs were just used to transport a file from one person’s computer to another; they basically acted as a mediator. The programs are convenient and socially accepted so it has become a norm in today’s world. Why would anyone pay for something they can get for free? Personally, as a college student I don’t always have fifteen dollars to buy the newest music album by an artist, but I do have a computer. Programs such as I-tunes where people can buy individual songs for as cheap as a dollar is a good move on the industries part, but most Ipod’s can hold 7,500 songs. That means it would cost $7,500 dollars to fill up the mp3 player that you bought for only two hundred dollars. If given a choice to spend thousands of dollars on music, movies and software opposed to getting them for free, I’m sure most would lean towards the latter.

From floppy disks to mp3s, sharing has always had a large part in the computer world. However, the problem is the legal nature in what we are sharing. Too many people, downloading pirated material is an act of rebellion against the stingy media kingdom, and to some downloading files is not even a thought. Groups such as the RIAA are fighting for what in reality is the right thing, but their controversial methods have them coming off as the villain. Downloading illegal files is a crime, meaning I am a criminal and I wouldn’t be surprised if every person reading this is one as well, but none the less we all have our reasons. Music and movie prices seem to be constantly growing and it has come to a level where people resort to secondary means, which more often then not is pirating.

Just About Done

My paper is coming to a close, and its time to put some of the finishing touches. I dint get to do everything I wanted for it, but I think it's come out very well. I feel Media Piracy was a good subject because it i s"meaty" and has a lot of different information that could be used.

btw Kinkoes is damn expensive.

Only 2 more classes!

Wow, I cant believe the year is almost over. I thought my fall semester was quick, this spring went by 10x faster. Right now, it's time to finish up my paper for English class, and get ready for my finals in my other classes. Just thinking that in less than 2 weeks I will be free of everything. During the break Ill probably find a job and try to save up for a car. Also, I wish to get into the summer course as I mentioned in a previous post a couple days ago. Academically I have done much better this semester than last. I like to think that I have gotten more comfortable with the college environment and not having teachers on your back. The freedom is like a double edged sword if you are irresponsible but once you have a hang of it, it is the greatest thing. I hope to continue to raise my grades, but who doesn't want to? It takes work and hopefully my determination for a bright future stays in tact, which I have little doubt that it would not.

Back to studying.

Another Review!! The Departed

Time for another review for a movie I just recently watched.

The Departed is absolutely one of the better films in recent years. After months of hype, I decided it would be a perfect film to watch. Here is a brief overview of the movie, Billy Costigan, played by Leonardo DiCaprio is a new police recruit offered a risky undercover job by his superiors (Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg). His mission is to infiltrate the intricate world of Boston mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) from an inside perspective, posing as a low-class criminal. Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is one of Costello's men who has joined the police force as a mole to keep tabs on the cops and always remain one step ahead. As both men sink deeper and deeper into their phony undercover roles, they learn more about each other, leading to an exciting hunt where they both scramble to reveal the other's true identity without breaking their own cover.

There's a very good reason why director Martin Scorsese is regarded as one of the greatest directors of modern films; he's one of the few classic filmmakers working today, calculated with his visual ideas and always on top of his game in keeping an upbeat rhythm throughout his movies. From his classics such as Goodfellas, to Casino he has remained consistent. The Departed returns Scorsese to the criminal underworld, which is his greatest area in filming. He just has an eye on the streets and portrays it very well. This sure classic is undoubtedly one of the great’s best films. He practically has every star wanting to play a role in his movies, and that just adds another knife to his drawer in being able to create a true work of art.

The Departed is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong action flick, Internal Affairs. The star of the show here isn't the unbelievably great cast, but the gritty, dangerous streets of Boston. This film just reminds you of the true feeling you feel when in north eastern America; Scorsese treats the viewer into the Irish-infested waters of Beantown where outsiders aren't given a welcome and the suspicious are killed in an instant. It goes above and beyond the heavy accents and smoky, alcoholic bars; Scorsese captures The Departed with a tremendous amount of street authenticity, placing action in specially selected locations where they most fit. He shows how these different neighborhoods have rivalries just like you would find any place else, but with added emotions. Pride definitely plays a large role in these characters. The Departed is a violent and realistic crime saga that continuously takes the viewer on a roller coaster which the plot gradually is revealed and it delivers.

This film would definitely receive two thumbs up by me, and I am still in awe about how Martin Scorcese can always portray a story so vividly and not bore the viewers to death with details. If you ever find yourself bored in the next couple of days, or just want to see a great story, head out to the local theatres and watch this movie. From the star-studded lineup to the realism of the streets, there is something for everyone in The Departed.

R.I.P to those killed at Virginia Tech

On Monday morning before heading over to school, I was watching the news to see what the weather was going to be for the day. How ever there was a story on how 2 people were killed in Virginia Tech University. I didn't think much of it, knowing the crazy world we live in. Later on in the day, after my theology class I went to the library and got on to my laptop. My browser's homepage is on google.com where I have "widgets" that show you the latest news. At the top of the list, I read 23 people dead. I was simply shocked, the count went from 2-23. From a murder to a massacre. I kept reading articles, going from news site to news site, each time the number getting larger, and eventually capped off at 33. All I could think to myself is "another Columbine?" I was hoping they had the school under control, and I was obviously curious as to why and who did these killings.

The stories we all heard on the event have been bone chilling. Listening to how one girl acted like she was dead so the gunman wouldn't kill her was amazing. I have no clue if I wouldve been able to do that if I was in her situation. Later on, we all found out who the killer was. At first I heard he was an exchange student from Korea, but that would soon be dismissed when it was confirmed that he live in America since 1992. What would make a person do such a thing? It was simply mind-numbing. My heart goes out to all the people who were killed or wounded in these shootings. I only can wonder how frightening it might have been for them. The shootings at the Engineering hall were very sad, those kids must have been very smart to be in an engineering class, and their lives have been ended by one deranged killer.

Jesus in Islam

In Theology class, my professor asked us what seemed to be a simple question, but in fact it held a lot of meaning to people of all religions. This was my paper:

Who Do You Say That I Am?

The home which I was born into was of Islam, and my lessons from birth to now have had the message of Allah but that does not exclude me from learning about the great love Jesus held in his heart. In today’s world many people think Muslims and Christians have nothing in common, but that is far from the truth. Many of the great values on how one should live co-exist in both the Bible and the Quran. One of the most meaningful relations is the core story of Jesus, who is known as Isa in Arabic. Both Muslims like me and Christians like many of my fellow people of the world understand the miracles and the great teachings he has dealt to people in grave need. The difference between the views of Jesus between the two religions is that in Islam he is a human prophet sent by God, and in Christianity he is a part of God himself. Another point of separation is that in Islam we do not believe Jesus was resurrected; rather we believe he ascended into the heavens.

In the Quran it states “…and surely they slew him not. But Allah (God) raised him unto Himself.” Allah viewed Jesus as a loyal prophet who was a fair judge and just ruler. On a personal level I certainly have great admiration for Jesus and the work he has done for humanity with both spiritual and physical methods. He made the lives of people in hardships a great one. He gave them reasons to move forward and not stand still and do nothing to advance their knowledge. To me, I understand why Allah sent him to earth. His prophecy was needed during this time because of the extensive amounts of injustice. I am also grateful of Jesus because he will return in the future to end all wars so there will be world peace. With the amount of trouble in the world today, many wish his return would be sooner rather than later.

I love Moses, I love Noah, I love Mary, and I certainly love Jesus. The great people of our pasts should be loved by all people disregarding the fact that I am Muslim or that you are Christian. The prophets and the noble people in our sacred history have paved us a path where we can live together, but it is our duty to make the interaction peaceful. The pious mother of Jesus, Mary is a great figure in Islam and is known for her helpful and understanding nature. Her son Jesus helped the sick and taught the illiterate with the help of Allah and the world will forever be thankful.

Research: P2P programs

Reasearch: Why Everyone Should Care About Piracy

Why You Should Care About Downloading Pirate Software, Movies and Music

The Internet is digital. So are all the movies, audio files and images on it. One of the features of digital music, movies and digital software is that it can be copied quickly, cheaply, and perfectly, and copies can whizz around the Internet to be traded by people anywhere in the world. There is so much of it out there in cyberspace, that sooner or later you are bound to be offered some, or will have the opportunity to download some. So why should you be concerned?

Worldwide financial losses from piracy are huge: $13 billion lost per year by the computer software industry; $2.5 billion lost per year by the movie industry, and $4.1 billion per year lost by the music industry. Piracy on this scale has certainly been helped by the advent of the Internet. Now anyone anywhere in the world can connect up to a foreign or domestic Website and download free software, movies or music which has been stolen by someone else. Piracy is fast, cheap and often anonymous. The net result of these huge losses of $20 billion a year is twofold. Firstly, software, movies and music all cost more to the people who pay for it, because the industry tries to recoup its losses by raising prices. So we, that is you and me, the law abiding people pay the price for the activities of pirates.

http://www.safetyed.org/help/pirate.html

Research: Teen fights Piracy lawsuit

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — A 16-year-old boy being sued by five record companies accusing him of online music piracy accused the recording industry on Tuesday of violating antitrust laws, conspiring to defraud the courts and making extortionate threats.

In papers responding to the record companies' lawsuit, Robert Santangelo, who was as young as 11 when the alleged piracy occurred, denied ever disseminating music and said it's impossible to prove that he did.

...The industry dropped its case against her in December, but sued Robert and his sister Michelle, now 20, in federal court in White Plains. Michelle has since been ordered to pay $30,750 in a default judgment because she did not respond to the lawsuit.

• SPEAKOUT! Should those who download music illegally be punished by the courts?

Robert Santangelo and his lawyer, Jordan Glass, responded at length Tuesday, raising 32 defenses, demanding a jury trial and filing a counterclaim against the companies that accuses them of damaging the boy's reputation, distracting him from school and costing him legal fees.

The Whole story can be found here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,248843,00.html

My trip to the Statue of Liberty

On Wednesday April 4th, two cousins and I were a part of a Circle Line trip to Liberty Island to visit the mammoth and truly great Statue of Liberty, as well as Ellis Island to learn about the epic journey that many immigrants took in the early 20^th Century. Just thinking about the struggle the immigrants of old faced in their home countries and their fight to come to America will give just about anyone goose bumps. Many Americans, especially New Yorkers have seen the Statue of Liberty on numerous occasions in either pictures, film, or first hand experience and merely see it as a physical structure and nothing more. That thought was also my view until I finally learned the true history of the statue and what it represented, so as we entered Battery Park we were ready to relive the history.

The Statue of Liberty was architected by the United States, but was built by the French, in which they sent as a gift to America for their help in the war. It arrived in 1885, and was copper, which glistened with the sunlight. However, over the years the statue took on a green shade due to the fading of the copper. The Statue of Liberty which stood more that 300 feet tall was the first sign of freedom the immigrants saw as they arrived, and it exemplified the meaning of freedom and the pursuit of happiness. The icon rests on Liberty Island located on the mouth of the Hudson River. On the trip we were able to walk along the observation deck, which gave us a 360 degree view of all the scenery, from a breath taking shot of downtown Manhattan, the harbor and also New Jersey. With Park Rangers narrating as we explored it bought a sense of us actually being in the area during the time of major immigration. The statue has many symbols such as the tablet in Lady Liberty’s arm which states July 4, 1776 in Roman Numerals signifying the date of the Declaration of Independence. The land on which the statue stands on is very interesting also, it was nicknamed Liberty Island even though the official name was Bedloe Island, but that was fixed in 1956 when it officially became Liberty Island. The attacks on September 11^th, 2001 have made it impossible to enter the statue without reservation, but that was not too bad since the major part of the visit was more sentimental than physical.

If anyone has not seen it upclose, make sure to do so. It a truly remarkable memory.

Summer Courses

I was planning on taking a summer course this break to stay ahead of the "game" but I found out it costs roughly 700 dollars per credit which would bring a total for a class to about 2100 dollars. That is crazy! I asked if I can take a class at Nassau Community College but was told that is to close to St. Johns and wouldn't be accepted. I was hoping taking my required speech class would be the most beneficial to me because I will be doing a lot of presentations next semester and would like to gain some skills in talking and expressing my thought in front of a lot of people. Hopefully I can find another way to get into a summer class, maybe through loans or If the school has a payment system which spreads throughout months, I would definitely take advantage of that opportunity.

The cost for the semester is also rising about 1,000 dollars next semester. When will they have enough money?!

Malcolm X

"Without education, you're not going anywhere in this world."
Malcolm X.

My Future

I sometimes find me asking myself, where will be in 20...30 year? I honestly dont know but I always imagine I'll be in good shape and have a lot of money. For some reason I don't see myself married even though I hope in reality I will be. If becoming an advertising major works out for the best, Ill be in good shape financially and I would most likely be doing something that I truly enjoy and have a strong passion for...Creativity. Unlike my parents, I dont need to be the brightest star int he sky and I dont NEED to have the most money, sure it would be nice, but it is not a priority that I will solely strive for. I have to love what I do, I have to want to get up in the morning everyday for 30 years and continue to do it. The last thing I want is to become that person that hates their job and is always cranky because they know their future is nothing but mundane. I dont want to be the guy that needs to have the newest or flashiest things to be seen or to be respected. Im going to allow my work and my attitude fashion my persona and to tell people I am as good as any doctor or Lawyer.

First things first, get good grades and graduate...now Im off to go study.

Learning to Drive

I'm 18 now, and many would think I have a car or at least I know how to drive, but unfortunately that isnt true. I never had the opportunity to get behind a wheel and practice up until about 2 weeks ago. While in the empty parking lot with no one but my friend it did seemed like it would be a piece of cake but it was pretty tough. Just getting the hands of the physics or motions takes some time and Im still not able to say I got it down pat. My little session lasted for about a half hour of just doing basic driving such as turning, parallel parking and u-turns.

I plan on getting my license in about a month and hopefully I will get my own car by the end of summer after working A LOT to get something decent that wont break down on me on my way to school. Driving gives a person a lot of freedom, they are not limited to a place that they can walk to or a place that is reachable by mass transit. I can now visit places that aren't in my general locations. Another huge plus for me is that the time to get to school will be shortened by a lot. I would realistically be able to leave my house 20 minutes before class and make it on time with a couple minutes to spare. Hopefully I continue improving my driving skills and become one of those people that never get any tickets which would be a great plus.

My N.Y

some freshman may have gotten the Pete Hamill book last summer, I just took some time to write a short synopsis and my reflection on it.

Pete Hamill’s parents fled the Northern Ireland because of the hostile state that it was in, which is similar to my father’s voyage to the United States. He arrived in America in 1977 because of the on-going tension between Bangladesh and Pakistan. New York is no doubt the capital of immigration as it the capital of about any other imaginable thing. New York supplies so many resources in which new comers are given a chance to succeed, and the sheer size of the city gives a lot of room to roam and find a perfect area to create their future. Throughout the whole cit of New York, and especially Manhattan, you can find areas fully resided by a certain ethnicity, China Town, and Little Italy are perfect examples. These communities allow immigrants to find a slice of home even though they are hundreds and hundreds of miles away from their true motherland. These groupings also allow people to find jobs and are sort of like the fraternities and sororities you can find in St. John’s.

As you walk around downtown Manhattan, you will see many landmarks, and these sights have a load of stories behind them. Pete Hamill delivers many great tales of everything, from Trinity Church to the local bagel shop. The early years of present day New York were ruled by the Dutch, they ran a great trading operation and were very successful, soon after England took over the city but did not necessarily overthrow the Dutch, they kept everything that worked and changed the things that needed to be fixed. This mutual relationship soon led to knickerbockers. Knickerbockers are children who have both English and Dutch blood. African Americans were also relatively equal, and all in all the city had an extremely positive atmosphere.

The Spirit Catches You

In Sociology class were reading a book by Anne Fadiman called "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down"...a very long winded title, but a great book. It is about an immigrant Hmong family who go through many hardships in the American medical system. The youngest child named Lia is an epileptic and has frequent seizures which result from a number of different reasons. The language barrier between the doctors and the family are very evident and cause a rift in respect for one another. The book takes place in California after the Hmong family flees their home city of Laos because of war. Throughout the book you see that both sides are beginning to gain trust in one another and that the english barrier is still in tact but becoming weaker and weaker. This book really shows the trouble some newcomers feel when coming to this country or any country where everything is new and unusual to the way people lived prior to that moment. I suggest that everyone picks this book up, it is very interesting as well as informative.

Nehru and Gandhi

I thought I'd share some of the things I wrote in my history paper, I found the story between Jawaharlal Nehru and Mohandas Gandhi very interesting:

The early 20^th century was a time of revolution in the Indian subcontinent and leaders arose from every facet of its civilization. These freedom fighters all had one ultimate goal, liberty, but their views on how to reach them were vastly different. The two most notable names to come out of this era are Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. They held a unique relationship meaning they were great friends in one situation but strong opposition in another. One of their most prominent disagreements is about the future of the Indian people. Gandhi praised the peasant life; a life of ideals where the people should forget the years of British imperialism and have a new spiritual beginning. A perfect example is when Gandhi states “…in unlearning what she has learned during the last fifty years. The railways, the telegraphs, hospitals, lawyers, doctors and suchlike; and the so called upper-class have to learn consciously.”[1] Gandhi advocated against industrialization while on the other hand Nehru welcomed it with open arms.

---

[1] "Gandhi and Nehru 'Two Utterly Different Standpoints.'" Documents in World History. Upper Saddle

             River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2004. 593-594. CD-ROM. 

AutoBio

In life we do millions of things that we don’t even really pay mind to, like brushing your teeth, reading a newspaper, buying coffee, and maybe even pirating music. That last example maybe only relevant to the young or technology literate but none the less it plays a role in a large portion of our society. I find it very interesting that even though it is illegal many people including me have no qualms about continuing to download unauthorized material; its much to easy and simple and the effect of our action is not being felt directly so we feel no guilt. Some of the more general reasons I have chosen to write about media piracy is that the RIAA is making a strong push to prevent or limit piracy, only to have it reach no ears. Most downloader’s do not take mind to the consequences they may face; they rather get the direct satisfaction that comes from the song or the movie they have downloaded.

The topic of media piracy is very broad, and in order to get a more meaningful conclusion I chose to take the angle of “Why we download” and what can happen if we get caught. A mountain of fines or even jail time is some of the things we face as modern day pirates. I’m sure we’ve all heard about stories of people getting caught for downloading music and how there was insane speculation on what the punishment would be. Is it all a scare tactic, or are they truthfully going to exact some “wrath” on the offender? Is it legal for them to invade the privacy of my hard drive? Many questions have been asked, and to me the many answers voice different opinions on what is right and wrong on these particular situations. Voicing my own opinions always gave me some thoughts such as “Will I ever get caught?”

I am a criminal, you heard right, I broke the law and therefore I am a criminal. I have songs on my computer which were downloaded illegally, and I never thought much of it before. About three weeks ago the Torch had an article on piracy and I reflected on it a bit and started to think about what would happen if I was caught. I don’t have much songs on my hard drive but certainly enough to be sought after and it now seems like this is a cyber car-chase. I tried doing things the legal way such as using programs such as I-Tunes where you purchase songs for about a dollar, but the selection was horrible and my wallet began to dwindle so I opted out after about a month, and went back to the old reliable p2p programs. Do I want to be imprisoned? Of course not, but something that seems so easy such as downloading subconsciously feels safe. However that safety zone is diminishing at an alarming rate.

Hopefully none of us get a subpoena in the mail from the RIAA, but if we do how will we justify it? I’m not hurting anyone or I have no cash? That wouldn’t fly right in court but it seems to be ok in society. Statistics and reasons why people opt to download music rather than buying it will give a solid foundation to my objective. The issue on piracy intrigues me, and a deep and gritty report on the inner workings would help me educate others as well as myself on the effect it has on everybody as a whole.

Adobe Photoshop

I've always thought of myself as a freelance artist. I love all kinds of drawing methods but my favorite has to be using Adobe Photoshop. It feels like a canvas right in front of you but instead of a pen or paintbrush you have a mouse and a cursor to guide your brush strokes. The thing about Adobe to me is that I was never formally taught on how to use it, instead I installed it and just experimented and I consider myself pretty handy with it nowadays since I started about 5 years ago. From drawing stick figures then to now making full artistic pieces that are montages or a customized picture alteration.

It is also much cheaper than the number of notebooks and pens and pencils need for drawing, I love the fact that whenever i feel like expressing myself in a artistic manner I can just open up Photoshop and create my own unique magic. Another good reason to having a laptop while being a St. John's students. I even used Photoshop to creat the background and tables on my myspace page, and now I am looking at making my own site, but I have limited html knowledge so now its time to get a better grasp of that and there are no limits to my creative abilities.

Advertsing Major

Today I handed in my internal transfer papers to the College of Professional Studies. I am hoping to be accepted so i can take on Advertising as my major. I hope int he future I will have a outlet for creativity and to do something I enjoy and truly love. Hope me luck that i get accepted.

Wikipedia - Piracy (Media)

An excerpt from the Wikipedia article on Piracy

"Copyright infringement (or copyright violation) is the unauthorized use of material which is covered by copyright law, in a manner that violates one of the original copyright owner's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works that build upon it. The slang term bootleg (derived from the use of the shank of a boot for the purposes of smuggling) is often used to describe illicitly copied material."

-Wikipedia

Modern Day Pirates

Last weeks "Torch" gave me an idea of what i think I'd like to writ my report about. Media Piracy.

The following is nothing important, just another outlet that I may use for my proposal. Feel free to answer.

Have you ever pirated music?


If so, how often?


Have you ever felt guilty about pirating the music?


Have you ever watched a bootleg movie?


If you said yes, did you watch it online or on dvd?


Have you ever pirated software (Operating System, games, programs like Adobe Photoshop)?

A Late Night Thought

So here I am, 12 am. Im about to head to bed for school tomorrow, and am dreading it. All I can think to myself is, spring break at st. johns came and went to quick. I am not in anyway saying any of the work I got is overload, but just thinking about the long days ahead make me want to push fast forward and get to the part of my life where I'm making some money, or as a matter of fact, the part of my life where i can actually spend the money I make, meaning retirement. But I got to stay realistic, life isn't a VCR, you got to do everything to have everything and thats what I will always say to myself.

As I am thinking for a proposal for the English class, I'm reflecting on what I enjoy and what I would love to share with anyone who cares. I got my mind on several different things such as sports and even historical events dating way back to the crusades. I really want to do something that can be backed by all different kinds of information. Interviews, statistics, and books are definitely going to be at arm's reach through out.

Just thought I'd clear out my head in hopes of being fresh for another week of school, and to also share some of my thought on the upcoming, or should I say current project we have for our English course.

UFO sigthing in America

Something interesting I read during my lunch break...

Maybe Americans are more in tune with the cosmos. Perhaps aliens want to chat about "American Idol" with real Americans. Whatever the reason, this is a hard question to crack because (attention, conspiracy theorists!) there isn't an official site for reporting UFOs.

The National UFO Reporting Center lists thousands of "close encounters" submitted by users. According to its database, the United States has far and away the most reported UFO sightings. In fact, California alone has reported more than China, England, India, and Brazil combined.

But this doesn't necessarily mean Americans see UFOs more than other people. It just means more Americans report seeing UFOs to this particular site. The Center for UFO Studies explains, "No one is sure why the number of UFO reports varies from country to country, but cultural, religious, and political factors are probably involved." In other words, seeing a UFO in the United States might be kind of cool. In other countries, that may not be the case.

The truth is, UFOs have been (allegedly) seen just about everywhere -- from the hills of Switzerland to the coast of Australia. Should you ever spot one, the Center for UFO Studies advises you get witnesses, take pictures, and write down the details. Oh, and don't forget to report it.

Reflection on Research Paper 1

Looking back now at my report on commuting I see many flaws that could’ve been fixed to an extent where it was more coherent and/or more engaging. Commuting isn’t the hottest topic nor is it something that relates to everyone, but I felt that the people who can relate to the topic will feel more attracted since there is not a whole lot of other outlets that really discuss the “art” of commuting. The flaws I now notice were introduced to me from both the criticism assignment in class as well and Professor Marsh’s comments on my final report. I notice I did not include a straight forward topic sentence, but in some eyes that may be a positive but I can see where it would make the paper confusing. I also learned that one answer is not sufficient if you want to hit a topic from all different angles. If I found an answer from an interviewee that agreed with my personal opinion, I tended to think that that was the popular belief and did not make a strong enough effort to pin point the other thoughts on that issue. For example, in my paper I discussed how money was the biggest burden on a commuter, but one of the people I interviewed disagreed and that sort of threw me off track. Thankfully I caught it, and changed the so-called “fact” to a personal opinion.

Writing is an important part in the learning system but some times we are forced to write about something that has either no relevance or no interest to us. This paper allowed us to explore our interest and things that we felt like documenting, and to no surprise, it was much more enjoyable than your typical ten page history paper. However, even if it was “fun”, you got to do the gritty work and get some research. Searching sites like wikipedia, or going out and going to this building that seems ancient now; I think its called a library. Reading through books is a great way to get information directly instead of an article either reviewing or summarizing it because different people have different thoughts. My topic about commuting wasn’t really something that can be researched through books other than for statistics, so my form of research was asking commuters themselves. I hoped I had organized my data clearer and had quoted them through out my paper, because that would have given it more life.

Reading, writing and research are the things we preach in class and they certainly are worthy of looking in to. They give us structure and a cohesive final product. The topic of commuting was very personal but that a topic that really stresses the reading aspect, so in the future I’ll try to take on a topic which encompasses all three points in what we learn. After all, we will be reading, writing, and doing research for the rest of our lives, might as well fine tune it now.

Self Discipline

(Just a thought while studying)

Right now as i am writing this blog, I am sitting at my local library, trying to study for my Theology exam...tomorrow. It's just me, my laptop and my books, and I'm saying to myself, "I should of left the laptop at home!" I am constantly taking "breaks" and visiting my usual sites like nfl.com myspace and facebook. These distractions can get pretty annoying, but soon enough I am able to get into my studies and get something accomplished. I do consider myself as being pretty disciplined, but I do have my flaws like I mentioned before.

A Catholic School...from a different perspective

As I was growing up, I've always heard of St. Johns University and have known it was a private Catholic school, so therefore I thought only catholic kids were allowed to attend. Obviously, I grew up and learned more and more and knew anyone can go there.

I am Muslim and enjoy the fact that in America we can essentially do most things as freely as possible. Even after being accepted and declaring that I'd be attending St. Johns, I didn't know what to expect from the Catholic perspective. I thought there would be requirements that relate to Catholicism, and in that thought I was right because we need to take classes in theology. I also thought it would be sort of like a missionary school in which there would be people that would sway people to change faith, even with only subtle motives.

Now looking back at my first year, I was definitely wrong on my second point. This school is just as religiously free as any other, except for the fact that there is a church smack dab in the middle of the campus. I am able to learn about Catholic views from a distance, meaning I can view it as a historical experience rather than spiritual. All in all, I do enjoy the fact that a Catholic founded school is very religiously friendly to people of other faiths.

Janissaries

In History class, we have been learning about the Ottoman Empire, and I found the Jannisaries to be quite an interesting topic. Here is my definition on the term.

Janissaries- The definition to the term Janissaries is the troops the Ottomans attained through the process of devshirme. Devshirme is when Christian boys in the Ottoman Empire were converted to Islam and trained to become Ottoman fighters. The Balkans was an area where much of these boys were recruited from. These Janissaries were trained and the elite crop could become top officials for the whole empire and this was seen as a way up social mobility to the families of the young boys being given to the Military. These janissaries were known as the “Slaves of the Gate”. Janissary in turkish meant new soldier.

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”

- Jawaharlal Nehru

Dream Tower

(Transferred from DB)

When watching the documentary on Rochdale, I thought to myself, WOW what
a school. A school with rules that are agreed upon by the students?
Where do I sign up? The thing that seemed the most impressive to me was
that the initial student seemed to be very responsible and did not need
any pushing from adults. They knew education was a necessity, and did it
their way. I don't understand how they were able to maintain a whole
educational facility with fundings and a coherent schedule for the
student to abide by. Soon enough, I realized all that freedom was not
the best thing for college students. Some of the kids started to take
advantage and what that did was ruin it for the kids who really wanted
to learn. I do agree with them on how the educational system is very
rigid and not friendly to the diversity in personalities, however that
rigidness gives us some order and gives us something to think about. I
think of it more as guidelines rather than rules.

A Few vs. Many

Just got back from watching the new movie 300 at the Imax theater in Manhattan, and all I have to say is WOW. First of all, the graphical design of the whole movie was amazing, it felt like a movie painting. The colors were vivid and the art exaggerated to match it's source, a graphic novel by the great Frank Miller. As I was reading up on the movie earlier, I found out that it only took a couple months to complete all the live acting, and a whole year for the CGI effects. That should obviously tell you, this film is going to be gorgeous.

The story was not historically accurate and it wasn't meant to be. It was simply Frank Millers view on how he thought of it...which included monsters and overgrown rhinos. I dont think I would put this movie on the level of my favorite epic, Gladiator, but it was a great action packed flick that many would enjoy.

The story was rich, the acting was golden and all in all I think the hype that surrounded this film before it released was well deserved, and it totally covered it. Early reports are saying it garnered 27 million dollars on Friday, which is amazing especially since analysts expected 30 million for the whole weekend.

Life of a Commuter (Final)

As I was growing up and going to school I was lucky that I never had to travel too far to get to my destination. I actually would be able to get up only twenty minutes before class and still make it on time. That sense of comfort was obliterated once I graduated high school. I wanted to go to a “good” university and not Nassau Community College which was everyone’s fallback plan in my high school. As I searched for schools to apply to I soon came to the realization that I will have to travel quite a bit to get to my destination, and to dorm, well that wasn’t an option financially. As the summer passed on, I narrowed my search down to St. John's University and Queens College, both on an equal plane in education and cost since St. John’s offered me a scholarship, so to me it ultimately came down to the time of transportation and the winner of that battle was obvious, as I am currently a St. John’s student.

The commute to school for me takes about forty minutes which includes 2 buses, but I usually give myself an hour in case of traffic on my route. Coming to St. John’s from my home in Elmont is pretty relaxing, but the cost of that commute leaves much to be desired. $76 for a monthly metro card is a whole week’s check for me, but I guess if I had a car, gas money would’ve been quite a bit more expensive. The idea of commuting certainly affects many other people as well, so I thought I’d venture out and seek their opinions and thoughts.

I had two of my friends who also commute to school answer some fairly simple questions about their daily traveling to school. Justin Tehrani lives in Floral Park on Long Island and commutes to St. John’s with his car. He says it takes him about twenty minutes to get to school on a normal day, give or take five minutes for the level of traffic. Justin states that the gas needed to travel on a consistent basis is leaving a significant burden on his wallet. Second contestant on my little survey was Syed Lahori from the same town as me, Elmont. His commute is rather similar to mine in which he takes two buses, the N25 and the Q46, however he also commutes by car on occasion. When asked the question “Does commuting seem to be too expensive for you?” Syed’s reply was simply “not really.” These findings bring me to this determination; the cost of commute is dependant on several different elements, such as income from a job, allowance from a parent, or money needed for other necessities, so the feeling of money being a load on your shoulders changes from person to person.

As I started to analyze the data I got from my commuting friends, I noticed it had a good variety. My data includes one who drives, one who uses both public transportation and a car, and me using solely mass transit. However, I felt I need more substance as to why commuting is important or significant in the grand scheme of things. That “substance” can be anything, but my first guess would be the difference with commuters and dormers is the time they have to do their school work. To do this, I can ask some students who dorm about how and when they find time to sit down and hit the books, as opposed to my experience.

Tahmid Rahman, a cousin of mine who dorms over at NYIT in Old Westbury was next in line on my interview run. The discussion took place online, so I can get some basic information about his work ethic and the distractions he comes across on a daily basis. Tahmid tells me that one major positive about the dorm life is that you are usually grouped with people who study the same major as you, so you always have someone to ask when you’re stuck on a question or anything like that. I asked Tahmid if he gets distracted with the fact that his friends are always around him, and his reply was “I can see that happening, but when you got scholarships riding, you tend to become more responsible with your time.”

Now back to the commuting aspect. There are many positives in commuting, but the flaws are there as well. One problem that I certainly feel with commuting to school is that it makes the whole experience feel like a job rather than something that can be enjoyable. I often times don’t feel like sticking around campus for a couple extra hours if there is an event going on later in the day or if there is a group of friends studying. If I were to dorm, I’d always be in the middle of the action and I can probably pick up some connections that can really help me down the road. Another problem people may face is keeping in touch with their friends, especially those from Long Island, because we spent our high school years with people in our direct neighborhood. I have started friendships with people all over the country while at St. Johns but it’s difficult to keep up when I am commuting from home, while they dorm here on campus or when they go home on vacation. I can talk on and on about the differences between the dorm life and commuting but in the end, the cost is what keeps me as a commuter rather than a St. John’s resident.

What else can I use to justify my thoughts? That is what I am asking myself. I can do numerous things such as surf the web and find cold hard statistics comparing commuters and dormers on a whole sort of different aspects on their student lives, but I feel going straight to the source would make this paper more personal, and more inviting to readers. Asking the peers who play a role in your daily lives will get you much more indirect information than any book or web page can give, so I will continue to rely on the interview technique and expand on my thought about commuting.

Life Of a Commuter (Revision)

(Updated interviews)

As I was growing up and going to school I was lucky that I never had to travel too far to get to my destination. I actually would be able to get up only twenty minutes before class and still make it on time. That sense of comfort was obliterated once I graduated high school. I wanted to go to a “good” college and not Nassau Community College which was everyone’s fallback plan in high school. As I searched for schools to apply to I soon came to the realization that I will have to travel quite a bit to get to my destination, and to dorm, well that wasn’t an option financially. As the summer passed on, I narrowed my search down to St. John's University and Queens College, both on an equal plane in education and cost since St. John’s offered me a scholarship, so to me it ultimately came down to the time of transportation and the winner of that battle was obvious, as I am currently a St. John’s student.

The commute to school for me takes about forty minutes which includes 2 buses, but I usually give myself an hour in case of traffic on my route. Coming to St. John’s from my home in Elmont is pretty relaxing, but the cost of that commute leaves much to be desired. $76 for a monthly metro card is a whole week’s check for me, but I guess if I had a car gas money would’ve been quite a bit more expensive.

I had two of my friends who also commute to school answer some questions about their daily traveling to school. Justin Tehrani lives in Floral Park on Long Island and commutes with his car. He says it takes him about twenty minutes to get to school on

a normal day, and give or take five minutes for the level of traffic. Justin also states that the gas needed to travel on a consistent basis is leaving a significant burden on his wallet. Second contestant on my little survey was Syed Lahori from the same town as me, Elmont. His commute is similar to mine in which he takes two buses the N25 and the Q46. Syed also occasionally comes to school driving, so he is not totally dependant on mass transit, but he is an excellent source since he experiences both.

As I started to analyze the data I got from my friends, I noticed it had a good variety. My data includes one who drives, one who uses both public transportation and a car, and me using solely mass transit. However, I felt I need more substance as to why commuting is important or significant in the grand scheme of things. That “substance” can be anything, but my first guess would be the difference with commuters and dormers is the time they have to do their school work. To do this, I can ask some students who dorm about how and when they find time to sit down and hit the books, as opposed to my experience.

Tahmid Rahman is a cousin of mine who dorms over at NYIT in Old Westbury. I had an online interview with him to get some basic information about his work ethic and the distractions he comes across on a daily basis. Tahmid tells me that one major positive about the dorm life is that you are usually grouped with people who study the same major as you, so you always have someone to ask when you’re stuck on a question or anything like that. I asked Tahmid if he gets distracted with the fact that his friends are always around him, and his reply was “I can see that happening, but when you got scholarships riding, you tend to become more responsible with your time.”

Now back to the commuting aspect. There are many positives in commuting, but the flaws are there as well. One problem that I certainly feel with commuting to school is that it makes the whole experience feel like a job rather than something that can be enjoyable. I often times don’t feel like sticking around campus for a couple extra hours if there is an event going on later in the day or if there is a group of friends studying. If I were to dorm, I’d always be in the middle of the action and I can probably pick up some connections that can help me down the road. Another problem people may face is keeping in touch with their friends, especially those from Long Island, because we spent our high school years with people in our direct neighborhood. That may not be a problem to the kids who live in NYC because they can choose to go to a high school very far away if they choose. I have started friendships with people all over the country while at St. Johns but it’s difficult to keep up when I am commuting from home, while they dorm here on campus or when they go home on vacation. I can talk on and on about the differences between the dorm life and commuting but in the end, the cost is what keeps me as a commuter rather than a St. John’s resident.

What else can I use? That is what I am asking myself. I can do numerous things such as surf the web and find cold hard statistics comparing commuters and dormers on a whole sort of different aspects on their student lives, but I feel going straight to the source would make this paper more personal, and more inviting to readers. Asking the peers who play a role in your daily lives will get you much more indirect information than any book or web page can give, so I will continue to rely on the interview technique and expand on my thought about commuting.

Can't Wait For The Break

We have less than week left of school until our break, and it can't come soon enough. This spring break I'm not going on vacation, but I'll still make sure I have time to relax. The unusually warm weather we had earlier in the year may have been nice while it lasted, but all that really did was make this cold February even colder, because we were not used to the wind freezing our faces on the way to school. I'll make sure to spend a couple days at home just sleeping in mt warm room, and once that gets stale, I'll go out and complete some of my tasks

I'm in search for a new job, since the one I have now is not what I want to be doing...I work at Taco Bell. I have already applied to many places like Radio Shack, and Best Buy, and over the break I plan to head over to Roosevelt Field Mall and gather up some applications. To me working is essential because St. Johns isn't to light on the pockets even with scholarships. Whatever amount I can make is worthy to keep up with my daily life and not always having to ask my parents for money...asking them gets pretty pathetic after a while. Another good thing about having my own job is the fact that the money I earn is MINE. I don't have to ask anyone if I can buy this or if I can buy that, rather I can buy the things I think I need or want, and since I consider myself pretty responsible, so I wouldn't buy anything that would be looked down upon.

This Spring Break is just what I need, relaxing and working at the same time, so many things to do, but I can do them on my own pace. School is my first priority, so I always have to push the smaller things to the breaks, so next week is when I get my life on track.

ABC News: Bone of Contention

Feb. 26, 2007 — In late 1982, Tova Bracha's family moved into a modest apartment in a cluster of cookie-cutter housing units in Talpiyot, a Jerusalem neighborhood. It's a place better known for its body shops and illicit casinos than earth-shattering archaeological finds.

A few days after moving in, her children were playing in the construction debris downstairs and came across what James Cameron's new documentary, "The Lost Tomb of Christ," maintains is the tomb of Jesus and his family.

The kids wiggled into the tomb and found burned Torah scrolls and 10 small caskets bearing the 2000-year-old bones of an ancient Jewish family. Six of them had inscriptions bearing the names Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the Greek version of Mary Magdalene.

Bracha immediately phoned the archaeologists from Israel's Antiquities Authority. They sealed the tomb and studied the bones. For years, it was just another of the many tombs of ancient middle-class families who lived roughly in the time of Jesus.

Archaeologist: More Than 900 Tombs Like This One

Two years earlier, Israeli archaeologist Amos Kloner was the first to find the tomb. He found the tomb and the ossuaries — the urns or vaults used to hold the bones of the dead — interesting but of no particular archaeological importance. He said there are more than 900 buried tombs just like the "Jesus" tomb within a 2-mile radius of Talpiyot. Of them, 71 bear the name Jesus and two Jesus, son of Joseph. The tomb in Talpiyot is one of them. But the inscription, he said, was barely decipherable and therefore questionable.

At the time, Jesus was a very common name, as was Mary. But the cluster of all those names together, Jesus, Joseph Mary, not to mention what the filmmakers claim is Jesus' son, Judah, son of Jesus, is indeed unusual. Simply because the tomb is labeled a tomb that "belonged to a Jesus, doesn't make it the tomb of Jesus Christ," Kloner told ABC News.

Jerusalem-based biblical anthropologist Joe Zias goes a step further to discredit Cameron's documentary. "What they've done here," Zias said, "is they've simply tried in a very, very dishonest way to try to con the public into believing that this is the tomb of Jesus or Jesus' family. It has nothing whatsoever to do with Jesus."

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Entertainment/story?id=2905662&page=1

Thinking Back

The date was November 28^th, and I just remembered I needed to get a service paper done for my Discover NY class. I thought of it as a nagging burden, and just something I had to tough out and get over with. The next day I visited two of my friends who attends Queens College and as I was there I seen a flyer from their MSA (Muslim Students Association) about a clothing drive that they were holding for the everlasting victims in Palestine. I glanced at the paper, but didn’t think about it much because I was pretty sure only Queens College students can join in, but I was wrong. My friend and I decided to go through with it and help out with the drive which was to be held on December 1^st in the Queens College Alumni Theatre. That nagging burden certainly became a blessing when the day of the drive was completed.

The clothing drive was eye opening, because I usually am not pro active in my community, which I regret, but am very aware of the state our world is in today and also me being a Muslim. I wasn’t anticipating much with this drive because it being for Muslim’s half way around the world, I thought there would only be a small number of support since there are a lot of uneasy feelings politically in the world right now, but I was wrong. The drive began at 10 am with a boat load of people and ended at 3pm with just as much people wanting to help the cause. The most enjoyable part of the service was seeing the variety of people coming in, there were a bunch of people of all races and all cultures, giving off several kinds of donations from clothing and toys to money. The week prior to the drive had been full of nice, warm days but this day, Saturday, it was very cold and a lot of rain showers. My take was it was a symbol of the struggle we were trying to relieve. Just reading about the situation in Palestine is tough, but living through it…that would be unbearable.

My duty during the drive was to box clothing and other forms of attire, such as hats and several other items. In total I estimate I boxed about 15 boxes, and if I may add, these were pretty large boxes. Many of the clothes were worn, and were probably hand-me-downs which came to no use to the donators, but it was still very useful. Others gave brand new clothes, and I think that is very thoughtful of those donators to not only think about the people suffering, but also to spend time and money to buy them fresh clothes. I assume this courtesy helps on the other end as well because the people receiving these clothes will not feel degraded by accepting the clothes. Back to my job, the shipping of the clothing would take place on Monday so we placed the boxes in this allotted space where it would be picked up. By 2pm, the donations were done, but that was not the end of the event. The organization helped set up a lunch, for everyone who helped the drive as well as the donators who stayed around. During that lunch I met some fellow St. John’s students who were also helping out.

At first I considered doing a service was just a requirement for my DNY class and I would have to suffer for a day, but I was wrong. This experience was one that everyone should try to attain. There is a feeling of satisfaction in knowing you are helping people and making a difference in someone’s life. Knowing now about the MSA and all it brings to the table, I will definitely join the St. John’s MSA division when I get the chance next semester. As for now, I will look into other events and maybe even another charity drive or something out of the ordinary just to gather up experiences, because they can become very important in the future, and who knows what other great things it may lead to.

Commuter - Wiki

Commuting is the process of travelling between a place of residence and a place of work. Students who are enrolled at a college or university but who live off-campus are also typically referred to as commuters.

Commuting is largely a phenomenon which exists in industrialised societies, where access to modern modes of travel such as automobile, trains, buses and bicycles has enabled people to live far from their workplace. Prior to the 19th century most people lived at or within walking distance of their workplace. Modern commuting usually refers to people travelling to workplaces which are beyond their own towns, cities and villages.

The advent of modern commuting has had a large impact on life. It has allowed cities to expand to sizes which were previously not practical, and it has led to the proliferation of the suburbs.

-Commuter - Wikipedia

The Life Of a Commuter

As I was growing up and going to school I was lucky that I never had to travel to far to get to school. I actually would be able to get up only twenty minutes before class and still make it on time. That sense of comfort was obliterated once I graduated high school. I wanted to go to a “good” college and not the Nassau Community College which was everyone’s fallback plan. As I searched for schools to apply to I soon came to the realization that I will have to travel quite a bit to get to my destination, and to dorm, well that wasn’t an option financially. As the summer passed on, I narrowed my search down to St. John's University and Queens College, both on an equal plane in education and cost since St. John’s offered me a scholarship, so to me it ultimately came down to the time of transportation and the winner of that battle was obvious, as I am current St. John’s student.

The commute to school for me takes about forty minutes which includes 2 buses, but I usually give myself an hour in case of traffic on my route. Coming to St. John’s from my home in Elmont is pretty relaxing, but the cost of that commute leaves much to desire. $76 for a monthly metro card is a whole week’s check for me, but I guess if I had a car gas money would’ve been even more expensive.

I had two of my friends who also commute to school answer some questions about their daily traveling to school. Justin Tehrani, lives in Floral Park on Long Island and commutes with his car. He says it takes him about twenty minutes to get to school on a normal day, and give or take five minutes for the level of traffic. Justin also states that the gas needed to travel on a consistent basis is leaving a significant burden on his wallet. Second contestant on my little survey was Syed Lahori from Jackson Heights. His commute consists of two trains and a bus. He like me purchases a monthly metro card so that $76 haunts others as well. Syed tells me it takes him anywhere from a half hour to an hour to get to school.

As I started to analyze the data I got from my friends, I noticed it had a good variety. One who drives, one from Manhattan, and me, coming from the suburbs. However, I felt I need more substance as to why commuting is important. That substance can be anything, but my first guess would be the difference with commuters and dormers is the time they have to do their work. I plan to interview some St. John’s students who dorm and get their study patterns and compare them to my commuting peers.

What else can I use? That is what I am asking myself. I can do numerous things such as surf the web and find several statistics comparing commuters and dormers on a whole sort of different aspects on their student lives. At first glance I would assume dormers have the advantage academically because traveling to class isn’t a problem for them but then again going by what I heard of about the dorm life I would think there are many distractions with friends around you constantly. Whatever the case maybe, I will compare and contrast the way we interact and the way we learn.

A Major Change

As of February 15th 2007, I am undecided St. John's student. I was previously a Chem major, but with much insight on what I wish to do with my future, and what I enjoy I was able to come to the conclusion that Chemistry was not on my agenda. My current focus is on what majors St. Johns offers, and what catches my eye is Advertising Communications. I like to think of myself as very artistic, and I like the overall concept of the major from what I know right now. Of course there is much more research i need to do to actually commit, and anyways I cant officially enter that major until the end of this semester.

Another reason that I like Advertising is that it is in the Business field. I would like the business world where everybody starts from the bottom and works their way up the ladder, and maybe eventually a C.E.O of a Fortune 500 company and having enough money for you to enjoy life along with your friends and family.

As of now, I am taking core classes which would be accepted into the requirements for Advertising. My goal for right now...ace all my classes, which included this English course. I better get used to writing more often on this blog to ensure my GPA is top notch.

Addicted To the Computer?

"Kids and teens spent an average 2 hours 17 minutes hanging out with their parents and 1 hour 25 minutes participating in physical activity. Overall, the time that kids spend exposed to media increased more than an hour in the last 5 years - from 7 hours and 29 minutes daily to 8 hours and 33 minutes daily.

The results also indicated a significant trend among kids and teens - a practice the researchers referred to as "media multitasking," or using more than one form of media at a time. A quarter to a third of kids and teens say they use another type of media most of the time while watching TV, listening to music, or using the computer.

In addition, researchers found that many kids and teens may lack parental supervision when it comes to media exposure - two thirds of the kids and teens in the study had a TV, and half had a video game player in their rooms. And kids and teens with TVs in their rooms logged an average 1.5 hours more TV time than kids who didn't have an in-room TV set.

The Internet can be a wonderful resource for kids. They can use it to research school reports, communicate with teachers and other kids, and play interactive games. Any child who is old enough to punch in a few letters on the keyboard can literally access the world.

The number of hours adolescents spend in front of a computer climbed sharply from 1999 to 2004, a new study shows.

The average high school boy spent 15.2 hours a week using a computer in 2004, up from 10.4 hours weekly in 1999, while computer use among teen girls climbed from 8.8 to 11.1 hours a week, Dr. Melissa C. Nelson of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and colleagues found."

- http://www.ndri.com/news/high_computer_use_dropping_physical_activity_among_teens-162.html

Writing Outside of Ensligh Class

We're only 2 weeks into the spring semester and I have already handed in a 6 page term paper. It was for theology if your wondering, and what I wrote about was the religion of Islam and how it shares qualities with Christianity as well as Judaism. I am sort of happy that the paper was due so early because now I don't have to stress as much for that class and can concentrate on my other subjects, including English.

In my term paper, I used many literary techniques so I can engage the reader and not bore them to death. I asked them questions in which they can personally reflect on as well as added interesting notes and facts about the religion. Religion is a pretty hot topic especially with the troubles going on in the world today. I certainly hope we can find peace in the future and can use our strong will and pride to do something which will benefit all and support a brighter and longer future.

What's In a Name?

Arif Syed is the name I go by, and it has quite a decent history to it. My name is from Islamic origin, and the meaning of Arif is "Learned" or "Expert". My last name Syed means "Master" or "Lord". Syed is a common name as both a first and last name because it comes from the family of Prophet Muhammad. I am very proud of my name, because it represents where I come from and what I believe.

I have met quite a few people who distort the pronunciation of my name, but I do not mind because I as well get some names of other people wrong. Different people have differnent native tongues so you are bound to hear a load of different ways to say your name.

When do I feel like writing?

When you sit down to deal with a writing activity for school, at what time of day do you usually get to work?

For me, I like to work on anything creative which includes writing at night because I feel that I am more inspired at that time. I find that it is easier to gather my thoughts and to actually translate them in a vivid way. One reason for this may be that after going through the day I have seen and heard a lot and that will add to whatever I am writing about.

Welcome!

Hello, my name is Arif Syed and I am currently a freshman at St. John's University. I am 18 years old and live in Elmont, NY on Long Island. My current major is Chemistry and am a full time student. I am currently registered for 17 credits this semester, in hopes to ease the burden of classes down the road. This blog was created with my English course in mind, and I will be adding Journal entries periodically so I can share my thoughts with any one who is interested. This blog will contain information we are assigned to do in class as well as some things that I would like to share.

Enjoy, and check back soon for more updates.