Here is my mashup!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2PhEuLLfLU

Hey Guys! Attached is my video diary on the Alexander String Quartet.

Here is my mashup, enjoy.

Heres my mashup   Happy Thanksgiving to all

http://youtu.be/4x2JL2do-Hc

Heres my mashup. Enjoy!

My Mashup for Barber of Seville Act I

Special Thanks to Steven, Kenny, Simon, and Ngawang.

Here is my mashup from Barder of Seville’s Act 3 Scene 1.

“Of Old Age” http://youtu.be/nS54lIol3yY

I attended Christa McAuliffe middle school located in Brooklyn. The school was predominantly Asian – at least fifty percent of the school’s population. Yet I still remembered encountering racist or stereotypical comments all the time. Hanging out in the school yard there were racist kids who threw rocks at my friends and I. Non-asians apparently knew how to speak Chinese too – “ching chong” was a common phrase. If someone pulled the sides of their eyes, they became Asian. These stereotypes and racist jokes follow into high school and I still hear it on the streets from ignorant people nowadays. Somehow along the way, Chinese people were supposed to be smart in math because they were Chinese. How that stereotype even formed, I have no idea.

Society has a certain expectation (or stereotype) for each person based on their cultural backgrounds. People of Asian culture are expected to be quiet and polite. People from Hispanic and Black cultures are expected to be amazing dancers and appear to be ‘ghetto’. Mexican cultures are associated with beans.. and illegal immigrants. “Why shouldn’t you play uno with a mexican? Because they’ll steal all the green cards.” There are  misrepresentations of every culture. Jews are ‘ rich and cheap’ – a racist stereotype that goes back into the ancient times.

Let’s drift away from racial based cultures: the most recent stereotypes from sex-based cultures include women ‘making sandwiches’ and ‘staying in the kitchen’ because that fits their feminist nature. Men are superior and are supposed to take the initiative. Then there’s culture based upon location. Apparently, southern people are referred to as rednecks and thought to be ignorant. Even in New York we have our own elite thought – or the ‘Empire state of mind’ as sang by Alicia Keys and Jay Z.

There are stereotypes and cultural representations (which actually become misrepresentations) of every race and ethnicity. It sets a form of stability and standard in society. When a person strays from their norm, it comes at a shock or surprise to other people. All of this stems from society’s ignorance and will not be purged until we approach a society where physical appearance, culture, and ethnicity does not dictate our thoughts.

Ben Brantley starts off his article with a shocking image: a woman falling off the Niagara in a barrel. What a great eye-catching sentence.  His review of Queen of the Mist was subtly critical, which is basically a well-disguised and scholarly formulated review. After reading his review of the show, I am not repulse but I am disinterested from watching this production.

Brantley carefully does not tread on dangerous grounds and slowly picks at the flesh of the play. The introduction of the context developed quickly. Brantley writes, “ so this hapless little man, who turns out to be Leon Czolgosz, goes off and assassinates President William McKinley.” His writing style is fun, vibrant, and easy to follow.

The caliber of his vocabulary impressed me and I believe he may be using a well-balanced mixture of words that hold lots of meaning but are more politically correct that other phrases.

Right after he puts the production down, he pulls it back up saying “there’s more than whimsical homage afoot in this perversely witty encounter between Anna Edson Taylor and Leon Czolgosz.”

I found it hilarious how Brantley utilizes this phrase: “It would be a pleasure to report that “Queen of the Mist” seems poised to become the popular hit” followed by a “but while it features some beautiful music)” He pretends that he really appreciate the work that he’s watched for tonight, but he manages to bash the production in a unnoticeable fashion.

Brantley’s character description is thorough and concise. They depict the basic functions of the characters and he effectively communicates what is lacking and what members of the cast accomplish.

In Day After Day, Her Voice Takes Listeners to the Stars, Sandy Wood tells us the story of her success through following her dreams. Wood is the voice behind “StarDate”, a popular radio talk show about astronomy that is listened by 2.2 million people around the country. She was just a young girl when her father took her on a trip to go stargazing. Wood has no educational background in astronomy, but yet she has a hit radio show that allows her to do what she loves-speaking about the stars and space. She speaks about “newly discovered quasars and best places to watch a meteor shower” and people are just entranced by her soothing voice.

This goes to show that the saying “follow your dreams” doesn’t always end badly. People usually have the notion that if you follow your crazy dreams, you won’t always be successful and that you should just do what you’re good at. Even though her shows are scripted by a man named Damond Benningfield, Wood (who calls herself a “science addict”) still finds a way to live her life how she wants it. In a field where book-smarts are needed, Wood was still able to find herself a job she is happy with. I know this whole paragraph may seem full of cliches but I personally find this story very inspirational. We should all be more like Ms. Wood!