Muse Workshop #3

In this workshop we learned about the effects of sexuLly transmitted infections (STI). The instructor Kiana told us how to contract these infections, how to go about treating them, and the responsibilities we need to take to insure a safer sex life. Of course the most effective way not to contract any of these infections is abstinence, but for those who choose to have sex it is a good idea to use a condom.Kiana even told us where we can go to get free condoms and that the health center gives out free tests to make sure you are STI free. At the end of the workshop we got into groups, created posters, and presented facts on different STI's to the class. Another thing I learned was that HPV cannot be tested in men which is something I didn't know before attending this workshop.

Lyric Analysis (Extra Credit)

I chose the song In Bloom by Nirvana to analyze. I decided to analyze these lyrics because they might not make sense to someone listening to it the first time. The song starts out with a simple but catchy guitar riff followed by the verse accompanied by the base line. The very first line is "sell the kids for food" which I believe means that teens are replaceable and invaluable so you're better off getting rid of them for something you can actually use. The chorus is basically describing kids who listen to songs, mess things up ("likes to shoot his gun") and they generally don't have any idea what's going on around them ("don't know what it means") which in a way could make them seem self centered. The next verse goes like this; "we can have some more; nature is a whore". This is very similar to the first verse because again Cobain is exclaiming how you don't need teens/ kids because you can always make more if you really need to. The rest of the song consists of the chorus, a guitar solo, and the chorus again. Basically the entire meaning of this song has to be the misunderstanding of teenagers value and worth in society. Yes they can be juvenile and violent, but they do serve a purpose. I don't think Cobain is against his generation in this song I just think he is expressing how others view him and other kids. 

Movie Soundtrack

1.) Anestesia (Pulling Teeth) by Metallica- In the first chapter Junior explains how he is born with ten extra teeth and needs to get them pulled. After reading the part about the doctors believing Indians only felt half as much pain as white people, I automatically felt a sense of unfairness and inequality. I feel like the second half of this song is as violent and torturous as the decision to only give him half the amount of Novocain. The title of the song seemed appropriate as well. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iOmo0ZuyNk) The "violent and torturous" part starts at around 2:10

2.) Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones- One of the biggest issues in Juniors life is the cycle of poverty he is trapped in which is why I can see this song being played. Also the line "it's just a shot away" stood out because Junior's father shot Oscar as he was running away. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcCTKtyzaXc)

3.) Stuck in A Moment by U2- I can see this song playing when Mr. P is telling Junior to go to a place where people have hope. I think of the song to be very inspiring which is why it would go perfect with this scene. The lines from the song like "I never thought you were a fool" and "You've got to stand up straight and carry your own weight" tie in perfect with the message Mr. P is trying to express to Junior. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq60_Wxx5T0&feature=related)

4.) All By Myself by Eric Carmen- This song is very appropriate when it comes to Junior's best friend Rowdy not wanting to talk to him because he changed schools and kids at his new school not wanting to talk to him because they think he is "crazy". Junior is isolated and for the most part, all by himself feeling "insecure and distant". (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf9txfsMhU0)

5.) Help! by The Beatles- I can see this song being played during the time Junior is trying to fit in with kids at school and when he looks for advice on what to do after punching Roger in the face. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t8MeE8Ik4Y)

6.) A Little Respect by Erasure- This would go well in the scene where Junior sees Rowdy in his window. He flips him off but has enough respect not to rip up his cartoon. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPGU5HBthM4)

7.) You Are So Beautiful by Joe Cocker- Play this while Junior develops feelings for Penelope. Pretty obvious. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spsVigJCvNU)

8.) Cemetery Gates by Pantera- I feel like this song would fit in well with the scenes after Junior's Grandmother dies. The song starts off slow and then gets angry. The song also talks about losing someone, "being alone while the memories still live on", and wondering whether they are watching over them. This could also be used during the part his sister Mary dies. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX_pSFXuoL0) First verse starts at 2:08 and the chorus starts at 2:34.

9.) You're My Best friend by Queen- I can see the book ending on this song while Junior and Rowdy are playing hoops and starting to become friends again. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN_HVup9oOg)

Bucket List

5 years from now i hope to be finished with college. Even though i know it is not a for sure thing I am going to do everything I can to graduate after 4 years. If I need to take summer courses or even classes during winter I will. As of right now I do not have a major declared but I was thinking about Economics since I am interested in possibly getting involved with the real estate business. I have to finish my GE courses before I can start taking classes related to that major. Those classes include accounting, finance, statistics, macro economics, and micro economics plus various other classes. In ten years I hope to have made a career for myself that I enjoy. I can't say I'll have a wife and family in ten years because that is just something you can't predict. All I know is that I want to have a career established before I get married and have children but I may change my mind. Who knows. In 20 years I definitely expect to have a family, a home, and making a comfortable living. I've always wanted to move to southern California so maybe I will end up there.

Senior Interviews

I first interviewed an RA in my building named Richie. He said you never really know what to expect going to to college obviously, but for the most part he thinks that he has learned more about himself than he had expected. You come to college and expect things to change but things that happen aren't what you plan and he has tried to embrace things as they came. He said his Business Major never changed. He thinks that when you let things develop you learn to accept what has happened even if they weren't the most admired moments in his life. He is definitely not happy with every decision he has made but he is happy with the way he has grown and what he has learned from everything that has happened. He said he wouldn't change anything because he might not have learned the lessons that turned him into who he is today. Regarding freshman he says one of the most important things is to actively try to find yourself and to pursue what you want to do and who you want to be. When you find that out everything else is secondary. Just find what you are good at and embrace it.

My Second interview was with one of my co workers in the student union named Felix. He says that in College the teachers teach you completely different than they do in high school because they expect you to learn on your own more. College is also much more diverse and of course the number of people can be overwhelming at times. When asked what he would do differently he said he would have taken things more seriously from the start of school instead of just going out and having fun all of the time. He says that joining a fraternity definitely helped him because he had much more resources and they even helped him find his first two jobs. Networking is key he says. He changed his major from international business to graphic design with another major in photography because he felt they complimented each other. His advice for freshman is to enjoy college while focusing on studies. Learn as much as you can while you are here and make the most of everything you're paying for. Money shouldn't have to be an issue because once you leave and go out into the real world your education will benefit you financially.

Muse Workshop #2

Today I went to a muse workshop about the A,B, C's of self-esteem. The professor Dr. Lee was a very good speaker and had many useful tips that might help the quality of ones life and how they can learn to improve the lives of others. Her objectives were to understand the sources of self esteem, gain skills in increasing self esteem, and being able to craft an action plan in order for you cultivate a stable self esteem level. It is not good for self esteem to fluctuate during the day and one of the goals is to prevent this from happening. The sources of self esteem is virtue, God's love, family support, academic competence, physical attractiveness, gaining others approval, and outdoing others in competition. Another tip is to never compare because there is no such thing as a fair comparison and this will only lead to less self esteem. At the end of the presentation Dr. Lee advised us to make a 21 day plan which will hopefully help us accomplish a higher level of self esteem. I chose to compliment others for 21 days since I feel like I have a healthy amount of self esteem and I know there are many people out there who do not and could use a push in the right direction.

Music List #4

1.) The Beatles- Most of their songs have a fast tempo and they sing about how it feels to love and be loved.

2.) Chris Isaak- Like the Beatles, 90% of his songs are about falling in love and having the strength to overcome pain from a lost love.

3.) Bob Marley- This man brought so many people together by his deep and powerful lyrics about peace, love, and hope.

4.) ZZ Top- Their songs are mainly about women and are always up-beat and have high energy.

5.) Van Halen- Very energetic band with an I-don't-care attitude that allows them to sing about anything and everything they want. I don't know one song of theirs that is depressing and slow. Eddie Van Halen probably wouldn't allow that.

All Shook Up Chapter 6 Review

This chapter basically told the story of several major Rock n' Roll pioneers and how they contributed to the downfall of a genre. Although these events didn't destroy rock, it had a negative impact. The fact that Jerry Lee Lewis married his thirteen year old cousin is very strange even for that time period. My grandma was only 14 when she married my grandfather which is odd enough but they were in no way related. Also I think it is very unfortunate that these performers can't live their lives without the media getting in the way. Elvis couldn't even go get his pre-army check up without cameras snapping his picture. Also this chapter finished by talking about Motown records and all of the hits that it produced. A lot of what was described in this part of the chapter were all things we had recently learned thanks to our guest speaker which I thought was pretty cool. The thing I found interesting in the epilogue was that Bruce Springsteen was offered 12 million dollars so a car company could use 'Born in the U.S.A' for a commercial. That basically means if you write one hit song you could be set for the rest of your life.

Fever Chapter 4 Response

I really liked how music in the 60's somewhat ended segregation in the musical world. White musicians could be heavily influenced by black artists and in a lot of cases White artists were even more heavily influenced by black women. Even bands as prestigious as the Beatles were taking songs sung by black artists such as "Please Mr. Postman" and making covers of them. Also while I was reading about bands pushing the envelope with sexual content I even listened to the whole song "Lola" by the Kinks to see if it was really about a transvestite. It turns out it actually was and I never knew that. I was especially interested reading about bands such as The Who and The Rolling Stones because they are two groups that I enjoy listening to today and I enjoyed learning new things about Mick Jagger's antics and Keith Moon's lunacy. I knew Keith Moon was crazy and I have heard the story of him driving a car into a hotel pool but I am surprised he didn't die earlier than he did after all of his drug addictions. I even heard a story that he took horse tranquilizer before a concert and they had to grab someone from the crowd to finish the set. The only thing about the chapter I didn't understand was the last part when Riley was talking about Tommy and Jimmy. I don't know who he is referring to.

Music Memories #2

I interviewed an old family friend Philip Sheridan about musical preferences. As a teenager he enjoyed listening to bands such as the Rolling Stones, The Who, and Michael Jackson. He has seen the Rolling Stones in concert 31 times, Bruce Springsteen about 10 times, The Who 5 times, Neil Young 5 times, Tom Petty 5 times, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and U2 a couple of times. He still loves the same music he did when he was a teenager. "Gotta love the classics" he said. Phil says that his favorite bands then and now include U2, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and The Who. Unlike Phil I have liked a wide variety of music over the years and have had many different favorite bands. He has stuck with the same bands throughout his life, The Rolling Stones especially. I haven't even seen the band twice in concert but he has seen them 31 times which is quite impressive. I went from liking rap, to 80's music, to classic rock, and then to metal. I still like all of these types of music but not equally. I would have liked to have been able to go to a Pantera concert but their lead guitarist was murdered so the band broke up.

Fever Chapter 2 & 3 Response

I thought it was interesting that men were said to be singing to women while women were said to be singing to other women as well. Not directed at them romantically but sort of like a conversation between them about men. Also more and more men started using women as back up singers and even guitarists. They were finally getting a chance to be center stage and they made the most of it. I can't say I understand completely what the author meant by Tina Turner sounding like a man but I can take a few guesses why he would claim that. Maybe it had something to do with her raspy, gravelly voice or maybe it had something to do with the fact that her on stage antics were just as sexual as Elvis'. She started pushing the limits of women could do in the industry and the fact that she teamed up with a critically acclaimed artist (Ike Turner) only gave her more freedom to express herself in that way. Also while I was reading I realized that Creedence Clearwater Revival wrote Proud Mary before Tina and Ike performed it. My Mom and I always argued about which version came first and I guess i am right. I honestly think CCR's version was better even though Tina's was more popular.

Music List #3

1.) Kryptonite (3 Doors Down)- I've always hated this song because I think the chorus drags on for too long and I hear it all the time.

2.) Ice Ice Baby (Vanilla Ice)- He basically took a classic song by Queen and David Bowie and destroyed it

3.) We are the Champions (Queen)- I'm not really sure why I hate this song, but I just do. Whenever I listen to We Will Rock You I change the song before this one comes on.

4.) Remember the Name (Fort Minor)- I just think this song sounds really cheesy.

5.) Welcome to the Black Parade (My Chemical Romance)- Hearing this song just makes me feel terrible. It is way too depressing

Muse Workshop

I attended a Muse Workshop about studying abroad and found it to be very interesting. I've always wanted to go out of the country but my parents never gave me the chance to because it is very expensive. I learned at the meeting that the price is not anywhere close to what I imagined. Of course you have to pay for personal spending and airfare but everything else is the same. You still pay the same amount in tuition which means you are basically a SJSu student with the same costs but you are living in another country. Also some areas are more expensive to live in than others. About 220,000 college students study abroad which is less than 1% of every college student in America. I am really participating in this program but there are a lot of things I need to do to prepare for it. Since they recommend you go your junior year, that means I have about two years to save my money, learn a language, and convince my parents. We will see what happens.

Tip #3

I believe that staying up to date with your work will keep you from spending long nights finishing something you could have completed the day before. I know how important this is because it has happened to me before and it still happens to me. When I see that there is an assignment I will look at the due date, and I will most likely wait until about 10pm the night before it is due to start. This is not the way to go. First you will be tired and thinking about going to sleep the whole time that you probably won't even put in a good effort. Second you will realize you had much more homework than you thought, which will result in a trip to 7-11 to purchase some energy drinks and 4 hours of wishing you had finished all of this sooner. Third you will wake up feeling like crap but hopefully you will feel bad enough to the point where you never want to procrastinate again. Hopefully this is a wake up call and you will choose to buy a planner or something to keep track of your workload. I plan on getting one soon.

Chapter 4 and 5 Response

I found the it humorous that grades in school were being blamed on the music kids listened to at that time. Kids who listened to Elvis were said to get about a C grade while the kids who listened to Pat Boone got at lease a B. I've heard of parents having their babies listen to Beethoven to get smarter but I think this is even more ridiculous. Also when I'm reading I hear a lot of the same terms I hear in my Sociology class such as norms, authoritarian style parenting, and generational conflict. Obviously the 50's and 60's were going through elaborate sociological changes, but I think it's cool that I am taking a Sociology class while learning about a very important events that pertain to society and how times were changing based on new norms and lifestyles. These kids were part of a counterculture that seemed to be getting more popular year by year and that scared parents everywhere because they were not used to these new ways to view sexuality and expression. I'm also surprised how big of a role DJ's had during this era since today there are not very many huge superstars in that profession. Radio today is so widespread today that not many stand out aside from our local disc jockeys and I think this is because music genres are accepted basically everywhere. DJ's in the 50's and 60's were obviously taking chances by playing new music and faced pressures that could lose them their jobs and their reputation. It was also interesting that a movie that brought in 2.3 million dollars was considered successful while today that wouldn't even cover the cost to make it.

Fever Chapter 1 Response

The more I read about rock and roll history I'm amazed how things were the way they were. Self expression was basically non existent until artists and actors started showing people it was okay to express yourself. People looked up to these people and they changed how the generation viewed sex, drugs, and life in general. This is something that was explained in the first chapter when Riley was comparing John Wayne and Elvis. Both men were similar in ways but different in many other ways. Women loved Wayne because of his old fashioned and composed style while women loved Elvis because of his raw sexuality and extensive shows of expression on stage. Both these men shaped the generation and began a trend that has lasted for over 50 years.

All Shook Up Chapter 3 Review

I thought it was extremely interesting that parents didn't want their children listening to black artists such as Little Richard singing suggestive lyrics, but they were perfectly fine if Pat Boone sang the same thing. Although it may be cleaned up a little bit it is still almost the same thing. I don't see how a black man singing about sex is any different than a white man singing about sex. I think it would be extremely interesting if parents from the 50's and 60's heard the music kids are listening to today. They would probably have a heart attack. I feel like these early rockers had a huge affect on expressing sexuality that eventually lead to the way we look at sex now. They wanted to explain how it was fine to have sex especially since safe sex now was an option. Also I think American Bandstand was sort of a counter attack against these kind of rockers and was created to 'clean things up'.

Music List #2

1.) Master of Puppets- Metallica- This song is about how drugs can take a hold on an individual and control them, much like a puppet master. I've always loved the energy of the song but I constantly forget what it is actually about because I'm too busy listening to the instruments as apposed to the lyrics. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z-hEyVQDRA)

2.) Slow and Easy- Whitesnake (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnoAFLbZYqk)

3.) Under the Bridge- Red Hot Chili Peppers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwlogyj7nFE&ob=av3e)

4.) Purple Haze- Jimi Hendrix (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lVU2NRCIQk&ob=av3n)

5.) Sex Type Thing- Stone Temple Pilots (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hhu-
OyHqZM&ob=av3e)

6.) Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds- The Beatles (I just recently found out that this song is said to be about LSD which I thought was interesting)

Tip #2

Sleep. Plain and simple. The difference between getting 9 hours of sleep and 4 has an incredible affect on your concentration and mental sharpness. I know from experience that going to sleep at 3:30am when you have to wake up at 7am is not going to be an easy thing to do. All you can think about in class when you're exhausted is going to sleep and if that happens you most likely will not be listening to your teacher which will then lead to you not knowing what the hell is going on. This is what you want to avoid, and the best and most effective solution to this problem is the realization that you have no reason to stay up until 3:30 doing absolutely nothing. Getting more sleep is much more productive than anything else at that hour. I feel like if I had gotten more rest during high school I would have gotten at least a 3.6 GPA. All in all it is definitely something you might want to consider if you want to succeed academically.

Music Memories #1

When I was 5 i don't think I had any musical preferences besides radio Disney. I had no idea what I was listening to and honestly I think I just listened to the station because between songs they had contests. I also recall my Mom playing Simon and Garfunkel in the car all of the time and i picked out a couple of songs that I would want to hear whenever I was in the car. When I was around the age of 10 I think I started listening to more and more of my Dad's CD's. Oingo Boingo, The Smiths, and Chris Isaak were among the many artists I started listening to at that time. Summer days weren't the same without Chris Isaak's Heart Shaped World CD playing on the outside speakers. Good times. By the time I was 15 I went from liking 80's pop to Rock and Heavy Metal. My friends from hockey introduced me to AC/DC and Metallica and I've been listening to them ever since. I remember Metallica's cover of Bob Seger's Turn The Page being one of my favorite songs and it still is to this day. As the years went on I have basically been open to a wide variety of music but I can't deny that bands like Pantera and Metallica are usually the first songs playing to start off my day.

Google Results

The only results I got after searching my name was my Facebook page. Since I have my profile set as private nobody can view my pictures or information. The only things they can see are my friends, my favorite movies, music, television shows, and books. So if an employer wanted to get to know some things about me and what I do I think the only thing they can look at are those things and those things only. I don't feel like that is enough information to form a solid idea on what my character might be like. Being able to see what I say, what others say to me, and the pictures I choose to show to my friends would be much more revealing and would help them paint a picture of the kind of person I am.

Chapter 1 Response

After reading this chapter I realized Elvis Presley had an even bigger effect on the transition from crooner music to Rock 'n Roll than I thought. He brought a type a music that was being predominately controlled by African Americans into white culture and paved the way for an entirely different genre of music. I find it very strange that most of society in the 50's were against this new type of music mainly because in todays world we welcome any type of new genres into our culture with open arms. I was also interested in learning that Aaron "T-Bone" Walker started using his guitar as a prop and instrument simultaneously. Instead of merely playing the guitar he would whip it behind his head and point it at the fans. This was probably what influenced Jimi Hendrix to burn his guitar and Pete Townsend to smash it. Musicians began putting on dramatic performances to get the fans more involved which eventually lead to the success of some bands such as KISS, The Who, and Iggy Pop who were known for their wild and crazy antics.

My Top 10 Songs

1.) Cowboys From Hell (Pantera)- I love how the beginning of the song starts off slow and kinda quiet but then the drums kick in and it gets really loud.

2.) Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd)- Pretty self explanatory. Great chorus and extremely catchy.

3.) Walk (Pantera)- Perfect song to help you get pumped up.

4.) Toxicity (System of a Down)- This song just never gets old no matter how many times i listen to it. The chorus has everything I like; heavy guitar, fast drumming, and loud lyrics.

5.) Give it Away (Red Hot Chili Peppers)- Cool Funk sound with a bass line that really stands out and gets your attention.

6.) Hangar 18 (Megadeth)- This song really appeals to me because i play guitar and the last three quarters of the song are just solos and heavy interludes.

7.) Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (The Beatles)- This song is too happy not to like. Enough said.

8.) Would (Alice in Chains)- This song has one of those chorus' that you just know and want to sing along with.

9.) Wicked Game (Chris Isaak)- This song may seem out of place on the list but I grew up listening to Chris Isaak because my Dad had all of his CDs and this song has always been one of my favorites.

10.) Master of Puppets (Metallica)- This song is eight and a half minutes of pure insanity. The good kind. It also has one of my favorite guitar riffs of all time. It starts at 6:19 if you want to check it out.

TIP#1

Doing things in moderation is an important tip when it comes to being successful in college. You can have fun and participate in social activities as long as you don't overdue it. Realizing that your main priority is to be successful academically will help keep everything balanced. For instance, getting in the habit of cramming in your homework so you can go out with your friends will only negatively affect the outcome of why you came to college in the first place.  You will have more than enough free time to calmly and collectively complete whatever it is that needs to be completed. Keeping an agenda that keeps track of homework and projects will help allow you to find time to include everything else you want to do. It might also be a good idea to get friends to help let you know when you are getting off track. Nobody says you cant have the time of your life but it should be your responsibility to handle your time wisely and to realize which activities deserve more of your focus. 

Rock&Roll

My name is Dallas and i love rock&roll. I was born in the bay area and grew up listening you music like Chris Isaak, Bob Marley, The Smiths, and the Beatles. As I got older i started playing guitar and listening to heavier sounding rock such as AC/DC, Metallica, Pantera, and an assortment of 80's hair metal bands. Along with playing guitar and listening to music I love to play ice and roller hockey. I started when I was about 6 years old after a short-lived little league baseball career. I am now a freshman at San Jose State University and am looking forward to a exciting and productive year. Rock on.