Commercial vs Self-Made Items Which Is Better?

                Generally when a person needs something they go to the store to buy it, however this usually ends up costing large sums of money and can be difficult if that person is on a budget. An alternative would be a self-made item, self made items are an effective means of making creative and useful items while spending less than commercially made products. Self-made items may not always have the finesse of commercial products, but they are usually a cheaper alternative. The images below show the comparison between commercial and self-made items to prove that self-made items are in fact the best option.

Digital image. Images.google.ca. N.p., n.d. Web.

                There is a self-made alternative for almost every commercial product, the most common being a shed or other small storage area. An anonymous post to google images shows a side by side comparison of a self-made shed(left) and a commercially made shed(right),this shows the drastic difference between commercial and self-made items. The average shed that can be bought can cost up to and exceed four hundred dollars and usually uses low quality materials and little space for storage. A self-made shed usually costs and exceeds two hundred dollars, a significant drop in price, The self-made shed uses better quality materials and has plenty of space for storage. The self-made shed is clearly a better choice compared to the quality of the commercially made shed, however there is the argument of time. Though the self-made shed is preferable, the amount of time and skill needed could pose an issue for most people. This raises the argument of which is better, self-made items or commercially made products. Self-made items has proven that it would be a better choice.




  Digital image. Images.google.ca.Anonymous.,nd. Web

                  Clothing is by far one of the most disposed item in the world. It doesn't matter how much it originally cost,at some point it is thrown away and replaced. Another anonymous post to google images shows a creative way of reusing old and unwanted clothing,specifically old gloves. The image shows the process of transforming a regular glove into an adorable stuffed animal for a child. This self made toy can cost as little as three dollars compared to the average twenty-five to thirty dollars at a commercial store. For a person on a budget, this is a perfect self-made item that requires very little effort, time, and skill to complete. Though this self-made project is fast,cheap, and simple it has a lower quality compared to the commercially made counterpart. The commercially made version is usually made with better materials and has better presentation. Again raising the argument of which is better, self-made or commercially made products. I believe that self made and commercially made are equal decisions.



Digital image. www,MyBeardandCompany.com.Unknown.,nd. Web

             A Halloween costumes can be a tricky thing to obtain, not in the fact that they are difficult to find, but are instead expensive and poorly made. This complicates finding a decent enough costume that you not only enjoy wearing but can reuse later on. Most commercially made costumes are generally made out of cheap spandex suits that will tear if a strenuous move is made,or they are made with cheap styrofoam that is also easily damaged and uncomfortable to wear. However a better alternative is to create a self-made costume, this can be done with basic materials around the house. In the picture above we can see a man who has made a costume to resemble Alan from the "Hangover" movie series. His costume is quite accurate to the character he is trying to portray, and all the costume consisted of was: a wig,shirt,sunglasses,and a baby carrier. Self-made costume are more easily made and can have a higher quality than commercially made costumes depending on the amount of effort put into them. The average price of a commercially made costume would be anywhere between twenty-five and forty dollars, and the price of a self-made costume varies, it could be cheaper than ten dollars or over fifty. More and more people are beginning to make their own costumes instead of buying commercially made ones (myself included). This raises the argument of  which is better, self-made or commercially made products.



Digital image. www.shawnacoronado.com.Unknown.,nd.Web

                      Food is by far the most sold commercial item in the world, Nearly the entire world buys commercially produced food. a lot of people know that they can create a garden to grow their own food, but only 1/100 people actually do it. In the image above a beautiful garden is shown, we can see multiple plants and sections of areas with different types of produce. Most commercial companies use GMO food seeds, or "genetically modified organisms". This can result in foods having and unnatural size, usually bigger, and can allow the company to charge more in stores. By growing your own food you are actually creating healthy food to consume. And by growing your own food you will not spend much money, once the seed is planted the plant will continue to produce food until it is not cared for and dies. Creating your own garden is great because it can be done anywhere, even apartments,just on a smaller scale. But yet again this just raises the issue of which is better, commercially mad or self-made products. In this case self-made products has proven to be the best option.

                     In conclusion I believe that self-made items are a more effective means to creating useful items while spending less than commercially made products. Self-made items have proven that they can be used for almost anything,and they tend to me more efficient.      

ISU-Miranda

Enabling or Disabling:

It Is All About How You Use It

 

Technology advances every day, so it would only make sense that social media advances as well. It seems as if our generation can not survive without phones or laptops, and majority of teens have at least one form of social media whether it be instagram, twitter or facebook. Social media helps people feel connected to one another and change someone's life for the better, but when it is abused it can ruin some lives… or take them.

When using social media posts and photos can be spread so quickly, which can cause both  negative and positive affects. The screenshot (right) is a good side of social networking by trying to help others. The advertisement shown is American Cancer Society asking for donations using “ Whose Birthdays Will You SAVE” as the heart tugging slogan and in the bottom right corn facebook has created  a donate

button.  

By making this easy to help, many people can hopefully participate and it can change people's lives in quite a tremendous way. As well as making it easy to donate, by posting the ad on facebook, people who may not be able to donate can easily share the ad so all friends and family can see.

In the same way that social networking has helped many people through the spread of online charity, it has also helped people start a career. Many people get discovered via YouTube. Justin Bieber's career was started because of his videos being found on YouTube. As well as YouTube, Vine has now been know for starting singing careers most popular is Shawn Mendes. As well as making people popstar dreams come true it has also given the opportunity for young girls to meet their favorite “viners” such as Cameron Dallas, Nash Grier and Carter Reynolds. Unlike YouTube and Vine, Twitter and Instagram do not make as many people famous, but instead it allows the fans of those individuals to be more connected by following along with what their idols are tweeting and posting on a day to day basis.

In contrast to social media always being a positive and helpful tool, it can also be used for some of the worst things. In the photo (left) the man in the mask holding the laptop shows the vast ways in which you can be scammed. Teens are very willing to give out personal information at the click of a button, whether it be for online shopping and giving credit card number and other personal information or telling the cute boy/girl that messaged you where you live. By doing this you can be put into difficult and or dangerous situations with identity theft, fraud or someone stalking you.     

In addition to bad things happening to you, the internet for some can be an escape from the world for a little while but to others when they go online things only become worse. In the photo (right) is Amanda Todd, most people know about her story about how a picture of her breasts were spread around by a boy she was talking to via skype . Due to social media photos spread like wildfire so in a short amount of time the picture was everywhere, causing a tremendous amount of bullying, resulting in the young girl taking her own life. You always hear parents or grandparents saying “ when i was a kid you could go home and the noise would stop” but now we can not get away from it ever, causing depression and in the worst case suicide.  


All in all, social media obviously has both positive and negative effects on one another. Whether it affects you positively or negatively majority of the time up to you, if you choose to be careful with what you do or not.

Emilie Stevens                      Gender stereotypes in athletics                       Stevens1

Ms. Aultman                                      Blurring the lines

ENG3U

Dec,10,2015

Gender stereotypes within sports are commonly converted back to whether something is masculine or feminine. As well, the physical capabilities of each sex are assumed. In most sports, individuals stand out if they are different causing them to be viewed in a negative way. This demonstrates that many individuals will struggle to be accepted by their teammates and society for being a different sex. Traditional gender roles are still being negatively reinforced in modern day athletics even though many men and women are beginning to blur these lines.        This advertisement for the Olympics stated that 2012 was the first year every participating country had at least one female athlete on their Olympic team. It's unfortunate that only in the last Olympics there was at least one woman representing her team  in each country across the world. This shows that traditional gender roles were still being implemented in international sport even up until the last Olympics. Some countries would not want women to compete because of religion, in some places the women are suppressed and treated poorly. While in other countries it is strictly  

French, Monique. Olympic Rings In Look Of Female Symbol. Digital image.PUB209healthcultureandsociety. N.p., n.d. Web.

sexism stopping women from competing in the Olympics. This proves how gender equality is still a struggle in our time.  This means that we are one step closer to representing everyone athletically. The interlocking of the rings represents the community and respect our world has brought to the Olympics by having female representatives. The contrast in the Olympic rings make them stand out emphasizing that the rings have been meshed into the universal symbol for women further celebrating how far women have come in the fight against sexism within athletics.

In this article a young girl is set out from the rest of her team just because she is a girl. This proves that people will set someone apart for being different, in this case this young girl is set apart from her team

because she is a girl and they are boys. This young girl will probably have to face a lot of struggles within her athletic career to be accepted by this group and society. The color of the boys jerseys are blue and the girl’s is red, further setting her apart from the team. But, further analysis of this text may tell a different story. If you look at her body language compared to the boys, she is confident. She is also placed in front of them, possibly showing superiority. One could even guess that she's the best player on this team. The negative body language and facial expressions of the young men in the background show a direct juxtaposition with the female player because it shows her hands on her hips; that is a sign of self assurance and confidence as well as a sense of leadership on her part.  The boys seem less engaged than the girl.  Her slight head tilt may also show that she knows this. She knows that she is the best player on this team and that the boys, who are traditionally the best players, are not in her league athletically.     

          Male cheerleaders have often been stereotyped as being homosexual or at the very least, feminine. It is seen as not being masculine for a man to cheer for another man. They are probably heterosexual men that possibly join to be with all the girls.  In reality, it takes a lot of strength to lift multiple people into the air and there is no

"Nc State Cheerleaders." N.p., n.d. Web.

shame in having a few strong people to help lift. The men on this team are the core of their stability.  This cheerleading team was the 2001 Grand National Cheerleading Champions and almost half of their team was made up of men. From the excitement and joy on their faces and in their body language shows  these men seem just as happy to be representing their school as cheerleaders, just as happy as most representing as football players. The current NCAA champions for 2015 are from the University of Alabama and half of their cheerleading team is made up of men.

This image is a production still taken from the film Billy Elliot.  This film tells the story of a young boy who wants to become a dancer but his father doesn’t want him to because he is afraid of the fallout of his son’s choice. Billy’s father wants him to choose a more masculine

pursuit.  Dancing takes skill and concentration as well as muscle so men make very good dancers.  Some of the greatest dancers in history are men like Patrick Lavoie of the Canadian National Ballet, and Mark Alexander Ballas an American professional ballroom dancer on Dancing with the Stars. Men face a multitude of challenges as dancer, they are often very graceful which is the opposite of what society has taught men to be. They are supposed to be tough, and not thought of as sensitive.The concentration on this boy’s face compared to the little girls around him shows that even though he's a boy he has immense dedication and perseverance. These skills are taught to us everyday by parents and teachers, but once applied to something that is not the stereotypical male or female, the activity is frowned upon by social standards. This young man is the focus of this picture but further setting him  apart if that he is wearing blue and the other dancers are wearing white, just making him stand out even more. His position in the front of this troupe of dancers generally means he is one of the better dancers and is leading the rest of the girls behind him. Billy Elliot shows that with courage and dedication you can conquer any doubt people may have about your gender, because in the end Billy becomes a professional dancer going against the traditional gender stereotypes and his father's wishes.     

Gender stereotypes in our society have traditionally been very strict in athletics, but recently we see that has been changing and evolving into better situations for both men or women. Allowing them to exceed the expectations that our society has set in place for men and women, we see this in the Olympics, on sports teams, cheerleading, dance, and many other activities. Athletes are overcoming adversity to blur the lines that have been drawn for them creating a new and better generation of athletics.   

The Influence of Society on Today's Youth

The influence of society on today's youth

It’s all about image   

For generations now society has created an image that represents the desired features of our female youth. The image that society creates is made up of a tall, skinny flawless figure. Society targets young females through the use of advertisements, magazines, and media. These influences don’t always start in teen years and early adult years, society creates the image of a perfect body from a young age. Society is able to emphasize its desired features in an aggressive and non aggressive form.  

Through the use of children’s toys society portrays the desired image of what is acceptable to females at a very young age in a nonaggressive manner. Those images stay with the individual throughout their lifetime. This image of a Barbie doll can be identified by most young girls. This Barbie doll can be described as a tall, skinny blonde that has been manufactured to have no flaws. At a young age, girls are exposed and taught that they must grow up and look like Barbie. This can be detrimental to one’s physical and psychological well being. Barbie is an exact creation of what society views and perceives as the perfect form for women. As a result, young women struggle with self image when they don’t match the standards set by Barbie. Young women who are short, heavy, unattractive fight to find self worth, and self respect. So as a result they struggle to be accepted by society.

Even Walt Disney, the standard for non aggressive role modeling, utilizes society’s version of the perfect female image. Countless Disney films illustrate the heroines as beautiful, slender, “perfect” female forms. As a result, young women in their target audiences are lead to believe that this is how one is suppose to look. In the 2013 production of Frozen, a colossal Disney box office success, the lead character Elsa, is illustrated as a tall, blonde, blue-eyed, slender, beautiful woman. In conjunction with the box office hit, retailers and merchandisers have built aggressive advertising campaigns around the image of Elsa. Her form can be found on shirts, lunch boxes, shoes, sunglasses, umbrellas, wrapping paper, further driving society’s perception of how young women should look.

Advertising in print specifically speaks to society’s version of beauty. 0ne example, Elle magazine. The cover, before you get into the contents of the magazine, promotes ways to improve or change an individual's look.

“How to dress”, “Hair and makeup secrets", "Curvy Chic” all leap off the Cover, all indicative of making sure women look a certain way, in order to be found attractive by Society’s standards.

Statista.com reveal that in 2012 almost 386.6 million dollars was spent on advertising in women's magazines alone, in efforts to change how women perceive themselves.

Advertising that promotes society’s perception of a beautiful woman is not just limited to magazines. We see indications of this core perception in all walks of day-to-day life. Television commercials, billboards, internet spam, food packaging, apparel promotion are all advertising platforms that drive the emphasis of the “perfect” image.

One example of aggressive feature, dedicated to how a woman should look, is the emphasis that beautiful women must appear a certain way. Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, Nutrisystem are all institutions built solely on society’s view that beautiful women are not heavy set, or overweight, that beauty is only found in those women, who are slender, and physically appealing. The Health Industry no longer simply promotes good health, but highlights that good health equates to looking a certain way. Curves Fitness, Goodlife Fitness, LA Fitness, all promote that in order to be fit, one must have a specific shape, a shape that aligns itself to those illustrations of Barbie or Elsa: “perfect”. As a result, women diet, and drive themselves to meet this viewpoint, rather than be comfortable in their own beauty or appearance.

In conclusion, it is apparent that society has a preconceived image of what a woman should look like. This image is promoted through a variety of ways, as illustrated above. Film, print, advertising, and children’s toys reinforce this, both in aggressive and non aggressive methods. As a result women strive to attain this ideal, while at times putting themselves at physical and psychological risk in the process.  

ISU

             Does Racism Exist In Our Society Or Third World Countries?

               Discrimination against people of a different religion or race has been a troubling issue throughout the history of mankind, dating back to the 1500s. Although racism drastically declined during the 20th century, it is still a common problem being faced in our world today. Most people believe racism only exists in third world countries and is not a huge problem in Canada. Despite how things are portrayed on the media and in society, racism is just as much as a problem in North America as it is in other third world countries.


Racism presented through acts of violence and war are problems some people have to face day to day. People living in third world or poorer countries are victims to this way of living. This photograph expresses this idea in a very particular way. The photo is centred on the black man in the middle on the ground helpless being beaten, who represents someone living in a war driven country such as Afghanistan or Somali. All the people around the circle; who are representing the rest of the world, are more than capable of stepping in and putting a stop to it although they avoid doing so. By avoiding the opportunity to realize what is happening to people, the victims have their complete pride and rights taken away from them, like it says in the bottom right corner of the photograph "Ignore us, ignore human rights". This picture makes a clear statement that people in third world countries are impacted by racism, while other people in the world choose to ignore it.

Just like the people being beaten and killed because of racism-run conflict, many other people are victims to slavery. It is estimated that 60 000 slaves still work in the US, compared to the estimated millions of people in South Africa that are victims to slavery. Most businesses use slavery as a way to save money, creating a higher amount of total revenue. For example, companies like nestle use underpaid slaves to farm cocoa beans in order to make the most money. This picture shows a man signifying a slave. The black chains and shackles wrapped around the mans arms stand out perpetually because they are made up of different currencies from around the world. The different currencies express not only that slavery still exists worldwide, but also that the whole world is guilty of it, not just the people running the companies. For instance, people still continue to buy Nestle chocolate supporting them and their use of slave labor. Another point the picture makes is the mans skin color. Although this picture focus on the fact that slavery is mostly used by companies to make money, it also states that race is a strong factor involved as well. Proving that most cases of slavery in an act of racism.

Apart from the racism in third world countries, it is still a constant problem in our modern day society. One of the largest forms of racism currently is labeling against Muslims, especially after the theater attacks in Paris this past month. Following the attack, many people in European countries including Paris, attacked and vandalized mosques and Muslim owned restaurants and businesses. Just one week after the attack in Paris, 115 incidents were reported involving attacks against Muslim people. Even Donald Trump, a candidate running for the president of the United States, wanted to close all the borders to anyone Muslim. These discriminating profiles are represented in the following photograph. The photo is of a man who appears to be Arab or Palestinian, who has been impacted by racial profiling. The labels on his face show that when people see someone of his descent they assume he is associated with what they see on TV and online creating a racist outlook. This system of racial profiling was created over time from the medias way of exaggerating news. It creates a false interpretation of how people of other skin colors should be viewed and treated. Furthermore it creates a circle from the media to society, keeping racism in a communities culture without them realizing.

Besides profiling against Muslims, discrimination against black people can also be a common problem, particularity in the workplace. Not only can discrimination be the bullying and harassment of black people, but studies show that non white workers are significantly less likely to promote to a higher position of authority. Take hospitals for example. Several studies have found that less than one percent of chief executives were non-white. That means that more than ninety-nine percent of chief executives are white. The idea is displayed perfectly in this picture. The white background and man in all white stands out more than his skin color and sorrow expression. This is backed up by the line at the bottom that reads: "What did you notice first?". It means that in a workplace a person should be judged by their ability and skill in that profession not by their skin color. The reason the white background is empty shows that the man in the photograph stands alone in his career path against the racism in his place of work. Unfortunately, the majority of non white people are strongly discriminated against despite their skills in their profession.
           
         Despite what many people believe, racism and discrimination is still existent in our society as much as it is in third world countries although in different ways. In the modern society today racism is around through harassment and discrimination, unlike the way it is existent in third world countries through slavery and war.

     

ISU

War: Does Anyone Really Win?

When looking throughout history there has always been a winner and a loser in war. When looking at war from an evaluative point of view, does anyone really win? When considering all the lives lost and enviormental impacts war causes, is their really a true winner or loser in war?

      This photograph shows a community where the effects of war had completely
 destroyed everything and anything that was once in this place. When considering the destruction and death war causes, does either side really win? By looking at the focal point of the ruble in this photograph; is the victory of war significant to the destruction and death war caused to the innocent people who had once lived in this village. With all the destruction caused in war can also create a hidden cost or ripple effects like mental and economic hardships on the community. This creates a sense that now innocent people have to rebuild what once was their home or potentially move to a new community.  This can also create a cycle because communities affected like this are going to want to fight back, and revenge the effects war has brought to them. So really was this victory, significant to all the destruction it brought with it?

       In this photograph the focus of the quotation is important, because it views war from beyond what the eye can see. This quotation images war and how even though there is always a winner and a loser in war,this quotation questions if either side truly wins or loses the war. This quotation is emphasizing when people look at war, people only think of the winner or loser of war and not the effects war causes. People, communities and environments are all effected from the death and destruction war brings with it. Yet it seems people only care about who wins or who loses. The quotation is describing war and questions If theirs really a true winner or loser when it comes to war.

      As well, this cartoon shows the message of, does anyone truly win in war by focusing on the elephants and text in this picture.  By looking at this cartoon it shows how much destruction and darkness war can cause to even the victor of the war. The textual point of view shows how even though they won the war, people are still badly affected by it.  By having the elephant say "I don't think we can take any more of these "victories"" shows how the common wealth knows and sees how even though their country might have won this war, this victory was not significant to the destruction it caused.


      Finally, the focal point of text in this photograph is important because of what a "Pyrrhic Victory" means. A Pyrrhic Victory means to be victorious in some way, no matter what the circumstances are. This is relevant because when looking at war, does anyone really win based on all the destruction and the number of deaths that comes with war. When looking at the focal point of the animal and tree, this animal won the battle by cutting down the tree, thus resulting in the animal losing its life to do so. This is important because in war, when you consider all the destroyed land and all the people lost, is the outcome of war significant to the damage it brings with it.

In conclusion, when looking at war from an evaluative point of view, do either sides really win or lose the war when considering the number of deaths and all the destruction war brings to both sides?

Work sited

Christian Kongo. "Winner of the battle" boardofwisdom.com. N.p., Sep 2014. Web.10 2015. <http://boardofwisdom.com/togo/?viewid=1005&listname=War#.VmHov3arTIU>

Editorial Cartoons. "Pyrrhic Victory"godanriver.com. N. p., Oct 27 2013.Web. 10 2015.
<http://www.godanriver.com/opinion/cartoons/a-pyrrhic-victory/image_8fa12356-3db0-11e3-b3c9-0019bb30f31a.html>

Pearlsofprofundity.com. "War Destruction" Pearlsofprofundity.wordpress.com. N.p., Dec 2014. Wed. 10 2015.
<https://pearlsofprofundity.wordpress.com/2013/09/24/who-is-walter-mitty/>

Qwa Team. "Pyrrhic Victory" Qwealthreport. N. p., Aug. 26 2015. Wed. 10 2015.
<http://www.qwealthreport.com/another-pyrrhic-victory-in-athens-a-canary-in-the-coal-mine-for-what-awaits-us->

ISU

The Price Athletes Pay to Entertain:

 

    Athletes in all varieties of sports put their bodies in harm’s way to be the best at their sport and in turn, earn more money than a single person needs in their lifetime.  These athletes are willing to sacrifice themselves to entertain their fans who pay a substantial amount of money to watch their performances.  Many of these athletes around the world have used performance enhancing drugs, knowing the effects of these drugs they continue using them to give the fans a more entertaining show.  Also athletes that play physical sports are constantly injuring, bruising and breaking their bodies to earn enough money to look past the harm they are putting their bodies through.

Performance enhancing drugs have been used in all types of sports for many years.  Athletes often use these drugs to reach the goal that they have been working towards for their entire lives.  As athletes pursue excellence, money and fame they are willing to ignore the risks of these drugs for immediate results.  The photo above shows the unfair advantage that athletes doping have over the others that are all natural muscle.  It shows this through the use of focal point because one racer is behind the rest  to start the race, meaning that he is harming his body in very unhealthy ways to get the unfair advantage that the performance enhancing drugs give the athlete shown by the red slingshot which represents a difference in colour.  The fans may love the fact that this athlete is a winner, but what they will not understand what the athlete is doing to get their attention and approval.
 

The photo to the right represents the hunger the athletes have for the spotlight and the fans.  The gold medal in the picture represent the fame and money the athletes will receive after winning which is shown through a difference in colour.  The use of foreground makes the dna below the medal stand out to show how some athletes believe that winning the gold metal is more important than the health of their body.  This includes doping even if it means to harm their body in the process.  Some athletes are willing to harm their bodies, to increase their muscle mass and strength in order to compete at a higher level than normal.

Professional athletes in physical sports routinely get punched, hit and kicked for their entire lives to try and reach their goal of athletic excellence,and in turn, to have a large amount of fans and earn an even larger amount of money.   As they try for this goal, the damage they inflict on their bodies often reaches the point of being permanent.  The picture to the right shows how hockey players are constantly getting hurt but nobody really pays attention all they care about is if the player can get back on the ice and keep winning and entertaining them.  Every hockey fan will tune in to a game and hope that there will be a fight, but they do not understand the pain the fighters have to go through to keep these fans entertained.  Although they entertain the fans for a short while the harm they inflict on their body can be permanent and in some cases, life-threatening.

The picture on the right shows two football players, one having a concussion and still remaining in the game.  In the past, it was not uncommon for athletes to perform even when they were injured or concussed.  However, due to increased awareness of the repercussions of head injuries to current and former athletes, it has become unacceptable for athletes to perform when injured and much stricter guidelines are in place to ensure athletes do not put themselves in danger of further injury.  All though the athletes would prefer to stay in the game and continue playing they are under strict ruling when it comes to their head.

 

In conclusion, athletes in many different sports are willing to put their bodies on the line to keep at the top of their game and keep their fans entertained.  Some of these athletes turn to performance enhancing drugs to make  an even better show while some are opting to perform even when injured.  These athletes will look past the harm and do anything for their fans.

 

Work Cited:

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/137nxNjVbmHWUrVTxhoyjcDUWm5GCKBF6uCTw8Cd4o-g/edit