Monthly Archives: November 2017

A South African Storm

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“Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.” – Gandalf

” I’m not going to change anything. But I believe it matters in some infinitesimal way that people like the Venda women, and the dozens of people who may walk alongside me on any given day, know that I’m there.” – Alison Howard

People tend to assume that little changes mean almost no change. The thesis in the essay “South African Storm” by Alison Howard and the quote “Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.” from Gandalf, both represent that starting off with little deeds can make a huge impact in the long run. Alison wants to end convectional racism by doing small deeds, she knows that she’s “not going to change anything.”  but she believes “it matters in some infinitesimal way”. She stands up to racism by being a part of their culture, “In black South African culture it is polite to greet every person you pass. That’s what they do, so I do it, too.”; she is doing “small acts of kindness and love”. Alison Howard wants to get rid of racism but she says “I’m not going to change anything” because she knows she can’t be the only one to change it, but she could make a difference by trying.

Happier Single or Taken?

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http://www.alive.com/lifestyle/happy-healthy-single/

This article I read was very amusing. I found it quite humouring reading the authors point of view on being single, because it was the complete opposite of me. It’s interesting reading about other peoples opinions because it opens your mind up a bit and make you more open about other opinions. The author used a few metaphors and similes describing how “wanting to get married was like getting bitten by a bug” he describes it as if he hadn’t been bitten by the bug and always wants to stay single. I have an uncle that lives in Poland that refuses to get married or let alone date, he loves being single and sticks to it. I believe that you have to choose whats right for you and what makes you happy. I know for a fact that I would want to get married when im older, whereas someone else dreads the thought of marriage. People want different things and this article made me realize that each person is different and want different things whether it pleases you or not.

Social Media. Positive or Negative Impact on Teenagers?

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https://childmind.org/article/how-using-social-media-affects-teenagers/

This article links to many kids these days, I could even say I relate to what the author says about teenagers. I’ve always been interested in all sorts of topics about social media because it plays such a big role in peoples lives today. Wherever you go, there are advertisements about it. I liked how the author made the reader connect to what they were writing about. The author uses a few literary devices, but one I noticed the most, was parallelism; The author uses it to make the reader notice what kids do online that affects them negatively. All kids sit on their phones texting, sharing, trolling, scrolling, you name it.”  I always wondered if it affected us in a good or bad way. The author managed to lure me into reading plenty more articles about technology today and how it affects us. I always wished I lived in a time where there was minimal technology, I imagine life to be more simple without it. I noticed that kids these days only care about their phones and the likes they receive per photo they post, instead of focusing on more important topics other than themselves. This article makes me realize how dependant we are on social media that if it were ever taken away, people wouldn’t know what to do with themselves.