Blog #16

Being a design major, my main influences for what I do come from the art world but also the music industry. This year, an amazing music video came out that combines both music and art. "Her Morning Elegance", by Oren Lavie, was created using a still frame method. Basically, it's the combination of thousands of still photos sliced together to make it appear as if the people and objects in the video are moving in real time. 

I found the process of Oren's life, as he moved from country to country, to work on his music, very geography based!

According to the ever so "trustworthy" Wikipedia:

Oren Lavie spent his youth in Israel.^[2] In 1997 his play Sticks and Wheels and his production of it were awarded the main prizes at the Acco Festival of Alternative Israeli Theatre. The production played in Tel Aviv during 1998.^[3] In that year he went to London to study theatre directing at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).^[4] After his graduation two of his plays were produced in various London theatres. They already contained several songs written and composed by him.

In 2001 Oren Lavie moved to New York where he tried to make a living by means of various jobs and where he focused on writing songs. When they had piled up he went to Berlin (2003) and started to do recordings, working as his own producer. His first album, The Opposite Side of the Sea, was completed in 2006; it was released in Europe in January and February 2007. In 2009, his stop motion style music video, "Her Morning Elegance," achieved significant popularity on YouTube,^[5] receiving over 5 million hits.

Just go to youtube, type "Her Morning Elegance" and it's the first hit! Enjoy!

Blog #15

To begin, I would like to say that this website is sweet! It's a lot of fun to type in names and see where they appear around the world. 

I started by typing my last name into the search and it turns out Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom have the highest percentage of Birts. I wasn't surprised too much by the discovery since the three of these are all largely Caucasian societies. However, I did find it strange that New Zealand has more Birts than the United States. 

Next, I typed in King, my mom's maiden name. The most hits for King appeared in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. All of this information not only makes me wonder about my own family's history, but also the origin of names and the history involved with names. 

Lastly, I typed in my roommate's last name: Gross. Germany dwarfed Switzerland and Austria for the most "Gross". This discovery makes me laugh though; my roommate's full name is Russel Frederick Gross the fourth and I always joke with him saying it sounds as if he owns Sweden. Well, it turns out he could own Germany or Switzerland, ha! 

Blog #14

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOSO_WEuYUU  (If this doesn't work just type in Military Training: Soldiers from North Korea.)

This video clip is entirely dedicated to North Korea and their "Super Warriors". It's definitely a propaganda piece that tries to make North Korea out to be a tough, strong, and domineering country. This clip is exactly how communist countries work; they brain wash their citizens to believe that they are superior to the rest of the world. After a few generations, you get an army of true believers in the communist cause! 

More disturbing than the video are the posts under it that support North Korea and the communist actions that they take part in. 

Bigbutcowman wrote: 

Our communist brothers are strong! 

A North Korean woman could destroy an American Marine in hand to hand fighting.

Blog #13

Sponge Bread
Frog Legs


     Since the time I can remember my father has been an exploratory eater. My three siblings and I have grown up with him always pushing us to try new foods. There have been many occasions where we have gone out for a family dinner to "try something new." 

     Many times this "try something new" theory has worked out pretty well. From alligator to frog legs, various sea creatures, and other assorted creepy-crawlies there have been some pretty delicious tastes. Both the alligator and frog legs taste like chicken; as much as the "tastes like chicken" theme gets used, in these two cases it was true! I have had Thai, Japanese, real Chinese (not the American version), Italian, European, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and other food from various other origins. On the other hand, I will never forget the one time the "try something new" theory failed miserably. 

     I remember my father telling my mother not to make anything for dinner–we were going out that night. At the appropriate time we all piled into the car and made our way down into the rundown portion of Denver. After a good hour in the car we finally arrived at our destination: an Ethiopian restaurant. All of us, including my sweet mother, were all up for another exciting experience and climbed out of the van. A brisk walk across the old pavement of the parking lot and we were in the front door of the establishment. We stepped in, and were the only customers in the entire place, (this was probably a sign from God warning us). 

    I know we ordered lamb but I can't recall the other sides. In Ethiopia, part of every meal is the Demera bread, also know as, "sponge bread". It literally has the texture of a sponge and tastes far worse than a sponge! I can still remember how awful it was. No utensils are used in Ethiopia and so my family was stuck with our hands to eat the lamb and sponge bread. 

     As a collective agreement, my family and I decided to call it quits and went to The Black Eyed Pea! I am very grateful for being raised in a way to not be afraid of trying new things, but I will never eat sponge bread again!

     

Blog #12

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1) A protester throws a computer terminal at a branch of RBS.

2) Protests get violent near the Bank of England.

G20 membership includes the following countries/union:

Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and the European Union

Blog #11

I flipped the world around into various positions, peered at the screen, and then quickly twist the sphere again. Luckily, google earth doesn't given one the permission to play God when using their software– everyone would've just experienced severe trimmers and now massive headaches, ha! 

Eventually, out of mere chance, I came to this image. Amazing, isn't it! The glory of the Pacific Ocean. The western edges of Latin and South America can be seen at the upper, right hand side of the picture, and nothing else but water is visible. That's one whole side of the world, and it's completely water! Honestly, no wonder dolphins always seem so happy– they practically have half of it to swim in. 

According to several sources, the Pacific Ocean is the world's largest and google earth presents that very well. It is 60 million square miles– larger than the total land area of the world and 15 times the size of the United States. It was given its name by Ferdinand Magellan and its average depth is three miles, (2.8 but I don't care for decimal points). 

Truly, there is only one thing to be said: God is amazing!

Blog #10

I had been able to see Slumdog Millionaire over spring break and thought it was incredible. The entire concept of the story concerning "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and how it follows Jamal's life is one of the most creative movies I have seen a good while. 

The movie portrayed India as a very, very poor nation with the exception of a few extremely rich individuals. Slumdog Millionaire shows the rich of society being very cruel and going out of their way to keep the poor "bound", in a manner of speaking, to the lowest rung of society and life. Furthermore, the government does whatever it pleases even if their actions are illegal. The film very well portrays how LDCs work; those who are rich or in government positions get all the money and the rest of society has to fend for themselves. 

Slumdog Millionaire had me pondering many subjects by the time the film was over. First, I am very blessed to live where I do in the United States. To have equal opportunities and be able to go to school, get a degree, and make a living. Jamal was 18 and had no hope until it came to his final answer which won him the million dollars. Second, ways of going about business are not the same in LDCs as they are in MDCs. The cops beat Jamal until he told them how he knew all of the answers to the questions on the game show. Beating suspects isn't how MDCs work; everyone is granted a fair trial; as I already stated, governments have all the power in LDCs and are able to beat innocent people. 

I really do think that this film portrayed India in the actual manner it is. Why would people over in India be so mad at the movie if it didn't hold some truth! Another sore of the world has been made known to the rest of the world. This film not only proved to be a great source for entertainment but also a great source of provoking thoughts. 

Blog #9

My spring break was epic: I flew to Africa and rode a zebra–I eventually jumped off the zebra (while it ran) and jumped on the back of a sprinting cheetah. Obviously, this is a false interpretation of how my spring break actually went, so here the real story is . . .

Being an art major, there's a new policy this semester where Friday's are "studio" days. Thus, once I finished was classes and track practice on Thursday I headed for the train station in Lincoln. 

The train always comes through Lincoln every night at midnight. I have definitely had to wait on it several times though; it doesn't usually show up on time. The worst wait I've ever had on the train was four hours. FOUR HOURS!!! I'm still not happy about that night, but this time it actually showed up fifteen minutes early. I boarded the train and started my journey back 

to Colorado.

I really didn't do a whole lot of anything while I was home. I was able to eat my mother's home cooked meals, see friends, and spend time with family. Sadly, I was given track workouts to do over break–it isn't very fun trying to do eight 200s on your own. (When there's no one there to push you, it makes it pretty difficult to hit the desired times.) My spring break was very relaxing and very much needed. I was able to get several pieces of homework done and I know that aspect of my spring break will greatly please all of my professors. 

I had a wonderful spring break overall, and even though it was too short and pretty uneventful, it was just what the doctor ordered. There isn't anything better for a college student than sleep and home cooked food. I believe God has sent me to Concordia for a reason–I believe the education I gain here will take me places that the Lord has planned. At the same time, God has blessed me with growing up in Colorado with a great family and awesome friends. Any chance I get to experience Colorado is a win in my book! 

Blog #8

Sub-Saharan Africa gives meaning to words like poor, underdeveloped, and undereducated. Governments in Sub-Saharan Africa are anything but politically correct. Genocide occurs on a daily basis as well as the rape and murder of young girls and women. President Bush, by 2006, had tripled aid to this region to about $6 billion. In all, since 1960, around $500 billion has been sent to Sub-Saharan Africa to help develop the region. 

CATO states that the United Nations Development Program could take as long as 150 years to see any development in Sub-Saharan Africa. 150 years! Those of us living today will most likely see no improvement in this region of the world during our life time. In reality, we could probably live two lifetimes and still see no development. Not only is this shocking and sad, but it is a down right outrage! 

In the CATO article, it says, "Helping Africa is a noble cause, but the campaign has become a theater of the absurd–the blind leading the clueless. The record of Western aid to Africa is one of abysmal failure." The United States, as well as the rest of the world, has no idea of how to go about developing this region. War is always raging, crimes are out of control, and over $500 billion later no signs of development have occurred. 

"If you give a man a fish, he can eat for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he can eat for a lifetime." I know most everyone has heard this quote at one point or another. This quote seems too fitting for what is taking place in Sub-Saharan Africa. The world continues to give, and give, and give, and give, and give. Methods need to change! Don't get me wrong,  giving is a wonderful thing to do, but we need to give in such a way as to help the people of Sub-Saharan Africa give back to their country and economy. I believe the quickest and most successful way to go about helping this region would be for nations around the world to focus on helping develop trade, industry, and infrastructure. Whatever the solution, it will take lots of time and lots of energy!

Blog #7

     The Human Development Index is, in a way, a variety of measurements that produce the overall quality of life– this includes happiness levels. There are four areas that one can look at : Human Development Index (trends), Gender-related Development index, Gender Empowerment Measure, and the Human Poverty Index. 

     The United States is at a world ranking of 15 and it is all due to our blessings as a nation. Even with today's unstable economy, we are the wealthiest country in the world. Getting an education is another blessing that contributes to America's HDI ranking. Lastly, women are treated as equals to men in our society. Other countries around the world are not as blessed to share this standard of life! On the extreme opposite of the HDI rankings there is the country of Sierra Leone.

     Blood diamonds and various other sources of conflict have been the source of a low HDI. Not only that, but the extreme levels of poverty continue to increase– the war lords receive all the money and become rich, and the rest of the society weakens. Women are raped and murdered on an hourly basis, they aren't respected and treated as they should be. If I were forced to live in a situation where fear ruled my life, I would not be joyful in the least.

     Countries with the highest HDI in the world mainly come from the MDC bracket. Higher employment, education, higher salaries, and equality have undergone much more improvement in MDCs than what has occurred in LDCs.  I believe that Sub-Saharan Africa is ranked lowest amongst HDI tallies is largely due to their lowest of the LDCs status. They don't have a whole lot going their way– crime and lack of hope are overwhelming to lead happy lives! 

     

Blog #6

     This is an image of Halley's comet. One of 200 comets in our solar system that make periodic trips around earth. Halley's comet orbits earth every 76 years and will orbit earth again in the year 2061. 

     I chose this image for one main reason: I love stars, they're incredible! On clear summer nights back in Colorado my friends and  will lay in the grass, discuss matters of life, and see how many shooting stars we can count. (You would be surprised how many deep conversations can come from 

star-gazing, haha.) I believe that stars, right behind the human body, are the most incredible creation of God. It still baffles me that atheists persist to deny God in our society today. When you see the stars there is no denying a higher power! 

     Even though I miss the mountains when I'm at school here in Nebraska, at least I have the stars. Alright, fine, I'll admit it: the stars look even more amazing in Nebraska than they do in Colorado. Just realize something though, it's because NOTHING is here and there are many SOMETHINGS in Colorado! 

Blog #5

Since 1963, travel and trade has been halted with Cuba due to their Communist actions. 

Fidel Castro, at the age of 81, does not have as much impact as he once did; he just recently resigned as President. Even though Castro technically isn't the head of power anymore, and his power has began to dwindle, I don't believe that the United States should lift the embargo. 

First, I believe that the lift of the embargo would add to illegal drugs coming into the states. With the large killing sprees occurring in Mexico due to the cartels, I don't see any need for raising a new potential drug ring. 

Second, I don't see a need for the United States to go into business with a Communist country. What does Cuba have that the United States already doesn't; all I can think of is Cuban cigars! The article best describes how I feel about a lift of the embargo: "Tourism dollars spent in Cuba will inject more oxygen into the dying Castro regime." It would be a poor choice for America to poor money into such dangerous and ruthless hands! 

In conclusion, I don't like the idea of the United States becoming all "buddy buddy" with Cuba. There are too many "what ifs"; no one really knows what would happen if we were to lift the embargo! Those who are wanting to travel to Cuba should find somewhere else to travel. There are plenty of Caribbean islands and far away places that are probably just as interesting, if no more interesting, than Cuba. The only way I would ever lift the embargo with Cuba is if Castro was gone and I knew their state of communism was kaput. 

Blog #4

The article I choose for this blog can be found at:  http://xrl.us/befoau

     After our discussion last class concerning drug trafficking, I became very interested in stories relating to what is occurring on our southern border and in Mexico as a whole. 

     Cancun's Police Chief, Francisco Velasco, was detained for questioning in the case of a tortured and murdered army brigadier general. Because of Mexico's illegal drug problems 45,000 Mexican soldiers have been assigned to the drug hot spots. In attempts to control the extreme violence, the soldiers have become the targets of the drug cartels. Just last year, six soldiers were beheaded and their heads thrown on a main strip of land for people to see. As we learned in class, a total of 6,000 deaths were linked to the drug cartels and their violent acts. Supposedly 90% of the 6,000 have reportedly been linked to the trafficking of illegal drugs, but the 10% of innocent victims is still an ample number! The end of the article discusses how some of the cartels drop drugs at sea and allow the ocean's currents to bring them to our coasts. Thus, much of the drugs appears near the coast of Baja California; different gangs try to pick them up, and violent battles occur. Sadly, a close end to the drug trafficking and drug related violence doesn't seem to be in sight.

Another interesting sight:   http://projects.latimes.com/siege/#/interactive-map

Blog #3

Books Borrowed:

     My father just happens to be the head Librarian for my school district back home. I can't recall how many schools that involves, but I know it's a good amount! Not only that, but our basement is a library in and of itself; bookcases have been built into all of the basement walls. Each case consists of seven shelves that span the length of four to five feet, at two to three books thick, and two to three books high. My parents love it and my three other siblings have seemed to enjoy it as well; both my older brothers have grown up to become part of the media. My oldest works for The Detroit Free Press while finishing up his masters at University of Missouri. The Birt who comes right before me is in his Junior year at Arizona State University in the search to become a radio host/ DJ. 

     I apologize for the large entry but it will help with the reasoning for the map I choose. This map shows the number of books borrowed, (the number of books checked out from public libraries). Shocking!? I thought so! I really believed the United States would be much bigger and the Eastern World and less developed countries would be smaller. Grant you, Australia is worse than America, but it's because of kids like this: 

                                 

                                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jw-i-dUMwM

    

      This map gives evidence as to why students across seas seem to have so much more intelligence: they read! Furthermore, I think we as Americans take libraries for granted- we are very spoiled. Those in other countries don't have the experience of the Internet or other media sources and they get their information from books. I think it's an understatement that Americans need to catch up with the rest of the world and start reading rather than watching their daily gossip shows!

Blog #2

• The two countries I chose are Sudan and Switzerland.
  
• Sudan is an LDC.
• Switzerland is an MDC.

There are several reasons Sudan is recognized as an LDC (Lesser Developed Country). First and foremost, the multiple civil wars that have occurred due to the northern political, economic, and social domination of the southern Sudanese. The presence of war, especially civil war, presents any country with a great difficulty to become developed. Furthermore, when you have ongoing civil war in an LDC, any momentum towards becoming and MDC is restrained. No true since of government presents Sudan with another ingredient for being an LDC. A country can't get on its feet when the "leaders" are rebels who kill their fellow countrymen; nearly three million deaths have taken place as a combination of the civil war and genocide in Darfur.  

The impact violence has on Sudan can be seen in the Sudan pyramid. The base of the pyramid is full, representing a large youth. Sadly, as the pyramid rises, the numbers begin to dwindle rather rapidly. Having a large percentage of a countries population be youthful is also a sign of an LDC. 

Sudan's main exports include oil and petroleum products, cotton, livestock, groundnuts, gum arabic, and sugar. Many of these items, especially oil and petroleum, are needed by the whole world. If Sudan was a peaceful country, I believe these exports would serve as a great foundation to its development. But, once again, the violence halts the process of becoming an MDC. 

Switzerland is a perfect example of an MDC (More Developed Country). As the pyramid shows, the amount of people as age increases is fairly equal, unlike that of Sudan. The median age in Switzerland is 40.7, whereas Sudan is 18.9. Another way we can recognize Switzerland as an MDC is by its TFR (Total Fertility Rate), which stands at 1.44. We learned in class that low TFRs represent MDCs and high TFRs represent LDCs. 

From age 15 and up the literacy rate of Switzerland is at 99%; just one more sign of an MDC. The median life expectancy is 80.74, which is unheard of in Sudan (50.84); hardly any bar is shown at the height of the Sudan pyramid! 

From an LDC to an MDC there are significant changes in how the country is dealing with day-to-day life. Both the Sudan and Switzerland pyramids speak for themselves. Sadly, Sudan's violent history seems to shadow over future hope for development. Switzerland, as an MDC, shows distinct features to backup its success as an MDC! 

Blog #1

I wish I could say I have been to Thailand or even Djibouti. I wish I could tell of the exotic animals I have seen on a wild safari, in the middle of Africa, where lions ate my tour guide. Sadly, at this stage in my life, these wishes are just that: wishes. 

Since the time I was a Sophomore in high school I had my sights set on attending Western Washington University and getting a degree in graphic design. I was one of two hundred students the university chose to be part of their '07, Freshman class. Sadly, the day before I left to go visit Western Washington, I received my awards letter in the mail. "Awards Letter" is a funny title for what that peace of paper was; it held no scholarships on it, only 30,000 dollars in loans, (mind you I was a 4.0 student). Supposedly, it was one of the smartest group of students they ever had for a Freshman class and I pulled the short straw for financial aid. My father and I still took our trip to see the campus and to visit Bellingham, Washington. 

The seafood was brilliant; fresh from the Pacific Ocean and onto my plate! We were blessed with beautiful weather the entire time we were there. Since then, I have never seen so much green foliage in one place at one time. Being able to hear and smell the ocean right outside the university's dorms was an experience I will never forget. 

A few days after arriving in Bellingham, we traveled up to Vancouver, British Columbia. As expected, it was just as beautiful as Bellingham. We witnessed water planes landing and 

taking-off in Vancouver's ports. Furthermore, I don't believe I have ever seen that many people jogging at the same time. I don't know how those people had time to work with all of the emphasis they put on their physical well-being. 

Even though Bellingham was gorgeous, I knew for a fact that beauty alone could not pay for my college expenses. Shortly after returning from Vancouver and Bellingham, I visited Concordia. Coming to the middle of nowhere Nebraska has been a blessing; it just goes to show that God's will is what always works out, and always for the ultimate best! 

I love the Northwest, especially Bellingham, and have vowed to return there some day. I have applied for a design internship there for the summer, but it's up to God which direction my art will take me!