Fighting for our Internet

(Megavideo after it's shutdown)

On October 26th of 2011, the Stop Online Piracy Act (better known as SOPA) was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives by Lamar Smith. On January 18th of this year, there was a major protest against this act by many websites, with Wikipedia having a blackout for an entire day. Why? Because, this pending law that might seem like it's doing the right thing can potentially cause a internet breakdown. In agreement with many other internet users, I believe that SOPA along with it's similar bill, PIPA, does more harm than good for people all around the world; we must fight for our internet.

Here is one reason why we should do everything to fight against SOPA; because we should fight for our right to knowledge. Article 19 of the Universal Declarations of Human Rights states that, "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." This means that any human being is free to say what they think, and also search and find information through media such as the internet, with no limits. If SOPA is passed, our right will be denied, and this is why: SOPA allows the U.S. government to block or censor websites they believe are infringing copyright, even (especially) if it's not American. They have named these sites as "rogue web sites". The reason this matters is because if a site is accused and convicted of violating copyright laws, they have a limited time where they must rid it's site of the copyrighted material, or users will be denied access to the site. Does anyone see the problem with this? As it is said in this anonymous video, the U.S. government cannot restrict or have control over something they do not even own. As members of the internet, we must be aware and protect what is ours.

The main reason SOPA was created was because of the overwhelming amount of pirated material on the internet. In a letter to the New York Times, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce claimed that, "rogue web sites that steal America's innovative and creative products attract more than 53 billion visits a year and threaten more than 19 million American jobs. It is true, piracy is a crime, and it must be stopped. But is SOPA the right solution? SOPA gives the U.S. government the ability to shut down these rogue websites. But it isn't just sites like Megavideo and 4shared that are infringing copyright material, it is even sites like YouTube that are made of user content, for even a child singing a song that was created elsewhere (a song the child doesn't own) is technically an act of piracy. SOPA would be policing not only violation of copyright material that actually affect the owners, but also the harmless ones. Also in my opinion, if SOPA were to pass, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce would be being hypocritical, for there are so many videos in YouTube of people making "creative" and "innovative" covers with already existent songs, such as MysteryGuitarMan. If SOPA were to pass and these videos censored, wouldn't that be stealing even more "innovative and creative products"?

The final, and possibly the most important, reason we should fight against SOPA is because the internet is a part of our lives, and SOPA threatens to break this. According to an article by The Telegraph, teenagers spend an average of 31 hours online per week. Sure, too much media consumption is unhealthy, but this shows that the internet is a big part of people's lives, especially Generation Z. The bill's opponents claim that with all the blocking of sites, the internet could potentially break down. Even if it doesn't, the internet will never be the same without all the user operated sites such as YouTube, 9Gag, Tumblr, and even Blogger. The internet is how we communicate with each other: our friends, our family, and the rest of the world. The internet is part of our society and in a way, it even defines the people in this time period. Restrictions in the internet will change the way we live, and perhaps we will be taking one step back in technology. As active members of the internet, we should not idly sit by while some people plan to take a part of us away.

Thankfully, Rep. Lamar Smith has pulled the SOPA bill. But we should be aware; SOPA was merely a continuation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and for all we know SOPA could reappear anytime, with a different name. SOPA was pulled due to the amount of protest, which involved many of us internet users taking one simple measure to take a stand by making calls and signing online petitions. This time, we have successfully fought for our rights, for our internet. This should teach us that the power of a many can overcome any obstacle. This teaches us that our voice counts. This teaches us that change is possible.

What Makes a True Artist?

What makes an artist? Artists include many people, from dancers to painters to musicians to actors. Artists are basically people who are involved with the fine arts. But for the purpose of this blog post, when I say "artist", I will be referring to singers and rappers. "Artist", is what people nowadays call singers and rappers and bands. But often times when I scroll down Billboard.com's Top 100 Music Hits, I don't see many "artists". My definition of a true artist is a talented person or group who pours their heart out into their work, and often have something to say to the world. But when taking a glance at our pop culture, especially music, I feel that there aren't as many real artists as there used to be, or that they are struggling to be noticed under the weight of many untalented posers who think they are real musicians and only sing about alcohol, sex, drugs, and partying. They don't have what it makes to be an artist. I believe that talent is something that should be recognized and valued, and that a true artist should not only have talent, but a right mindset.

Let's look at Lady Gaga. If you know her, you would know that she is one of the most famous and "unique" people in pop & music culture. Her style may be considered debatable and frowned upon by some. Despite the fact that I don't truly understand her music, she is one of the few pop artists that I have respect for. Here is why. There was once a segment in the Korean news where Lady Gaga made a statement about how she always actually sings live, because her fans pay money to watcher her sing, and to lip sync in front of them would be to rob them. This plus the fact that she always performs (meaning INCLUDING singing live) allows me to respect her even if she belongs to a genre that is generally flooded with auto-tuning and lip synced performances. Also, there is the fact that Lady Gaga cares about the music she makes, and has something to say. "I aspire to try to be a teacher to my young fans who feel just like I felt when I was younger. I just felt like a freak. I guess what I'm trying to say is i'm trying to liberate them, i want to free them of their fears and make them feel that they can make their own space in the world" is what she said - it is evident that she puts real meaning behind her songs. As abstract as she may be, Lady Gaga has real talent that she shares with the world, and she has what makes an artist; a real musical talent, passion, and something to say to the world.

Now let's look at some people who don't deserve the title, "artist". In my opinion, most of Korean idol groups (boy bands & girl groups) aren't true singers and rappers. If you watch Music Bank on KBS World, a TV program where many idol groups perform, what you would get is a bunch of teenager girls and boys covered in make up, dancing, trying to look cute or sexy, and lip syncing to a recording that everyone knows they aren't singing. According to a Wikipedia page, in 2009 18 new groups debuted, in 2010 34, and in 2011 59. Music Bank is a live show that airs every week, and you can always see new groups trying to gain attention. But Music Bank has lost the true meaning of "live". Adding on to how I previously described the idol groups' performances, Music Bank also showcases new girl groups dressed provocatively, enjoying their 3 minutes of fame, and there's always that moment in the middle of the song when one group member stands in the middle and pretends to belt a note. Anything "live" about the show is the dancing the groups do. Going back to the number of groups debuting every year, it is shown that the numbers are growing every year. This is because teenagers love idol groups, and many of them also want to BE the idols. So companies like SM Entertainment exploit these young hopefuls, making them believe they could be famous too, train them and turn them into one of the many "idols" that flood Korean pop culture. These are why many of these idols aren't real artists - they're merely wannabes trained to dance by people who just can't wait to make money out of them once they become famous. But sadly, the reality is that in Korea, fake vocals and repetitive dancing are what the teenagers consider as "music" and "talent".

There are people who are clearly real musicians or people who are definitely posers. But sometimes, it's not so concrete. Ever heard of Greyson Chance? He is another YouTube sensation, whose video of him singing Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" at a local talent show got viral and landed him in front Ellen DeGeneres, where from then on he got signed and got sucked into the world of pop music. Greyson Chance is a tricky case, since he really does have talent (an amazing voice), but he in my opinion wasted it by joining the pop genre the fame and fortune. Should he be labelled as a true artist? I'll let you decide. But it is worth mentioning that it isn't just the talent that makes you an artist, but the effort and the thought that goes behind your music. It has been long since I first lost respect for a number of YouTube celebrities who go on to become professional singers, for many of them change as a person, and make music for different reasons than before. They start doing it for the money, and start forgetting about the passion they used to put in behind their music. People's opinions may differ, and everyone likes money, but I believe that a true musician's first priority wouldn't be making money.

"A record deal doesn't make you an artist; you make yourself an artist." (Lady Gaga) I couldn't agree more with this saying. I believe that talent is something that's worth valuing and recognizing. With so many people wanting to be famous and the choices they make to achieve it, the value of talent and effort seems to be diminishing. And with so many people engaged with pop (music) culture, it seems that the definition of an artist has changed, or, being ignored. A true artist is someone who has real talent, someone who has put time and effort into their work, and someone who truly cares about their work. I refuse to call the majority of the people belonging to the pop genre as artists, because they are "artists" only by record deals. The reason I insisted on using the word "artist" to refer to some talented people was because of the connotation behind that word. To me, the word "artist" almost has a glow to it. Not anyone can be an artist; you got to have talent, passion, and the purpose to become one.

Music - that's been my education.

"Music - that's been my education. There's not a day that goes by that I take it for granted." is a quote by Billie Joe Armstrong, the main vocalist for punk rock band Green Day. There's not a day that goes by that I take it for granted- surely he could have meant something different by it, but lets think about that. The arts, the music department is something we can't take for granted anymore. A number of schools cancel the music programs, and not all music programs that exist are supported to the full extent. School exists to educate children, enrich them, and help them to be successful in life when they become adults. I believe that the fine arts department should not only exist, but supported greatly because it would allow students to explore learning in different ways, and to widen up their choices for the future. I will be specifically talking about the music department in schools using real life examples, some being about our school.

Last year during our intermediate band class, we watched a movie called "Mr.Holland's Opus". This movie is about Mr. Holland, a very passionate music teacher who touches his students lives, but ends up 'retiring' because of the shut down of the fine arts programs due to 'necessary budget cuts'. The movie shows how in his teaching career, Mr. Holland affects the lives of his students he taught, and there is one particular event that in my opinion stand out. In the movie, there is going to be a school musical, and Mr. Holland fights hard to convince the others that it is worth it, and he manages to run the show. In the auditions, an amazing singer is discovered, and with the successful run of the musical and the encouragement of Mr. Holland, the student dreams big and pursues it, leaving for New York to become a singer. One could argue that this wouldn't happen in real life. But the thing is, it could. Maybe it won't be as grand as what happened in the movie, but with the music department and caring teachers, students can find talents they never knew they had and explore it. The purpose of a music program isn't to produce a certain number of successful young musicians who would go on to become professional musicians. It is to open up possibilites for students and to let them know they have lots of choices. If the board of education says that the department is useless and produces no benefits for students, they would not only be wrong, but would also be quitting and not even giving it a chance. Students should be given the chance. Students deserve the chance to be exposed to all different kinds of learning.

But is the mere existence of the music program good enough? Many schools 'support' the music department, but it could be argued that the support is only skin deep. As for our school, we have a music concert every trimester where everyone involved in any music classes or after school activities perform, but that's about it. There is the honor band festival where students audition and are selected to participate in the event with students from other schools, but until now, most of middle school didn't even know about it. Our music teachers have worked hard to organize more events and advertise them and they are bettter known now, but for the past two years I've been in middle school, I've never really felt the love from outside the music department itself. Our school is quite supportive of the athletics department. Whenever a sports team has a game with another school or is going on an overseas trip, it is always mentioned in the announcements, not to mention the assemblies. Have you ever heard of a music trip getting mentioned? No. Hopefully that will change this year, but the past two years I've been in honor band (which is an overseas trip, by the way), there has been no mention of it anywhere in the school, not even a single picture in the yearbook. It's because no one knows about it. One could say that we, the ones involved, are just seeking attention, but really, is a little of that too much to ask? I mean, sports gets all kinds of attention, why not let the music department get some as well? Some attention can go a long way. Musicians deserve the same kind of support the athletes do. Being quite involved in the music program, I notice some things that most might not, including the lack of support for the music department. Have you ever been to one of the practice rooms in the band locker area? Honestly, it's not one of the best places in the school. People constantly leave trash in the rooms, and now none of the air conditioners in the rooms (4 in total) work. In the 'Rue de Rock' room, the piano chair is broken, the sofa is covered in who-knows-how-many-years worth of dust, and there are guitar amps but no plugs. It used to be bearable, but with the air conditioners not functioning anymore, it's quite uncomfortable. I don't know about my fellow students, but I often feel like the music department is ignored for most of the year. Even if a program exists, it can't be expected for the students to be motivated to strive for their best if the school doesn't support them properly. Our music teachers are great, but it'd be nice for someone outside the program to actually seem to care about us at times other than our usual music concert. I've already made my point that the arts program should be supported at schools because it enables students to explore their options and find their talent. Solely existing can't make that happen; there must be support in order for that to happen.

Now to once again support my opinion that the music department is an essential part of school education, I will talk about what it feels to be at a school that absolutely doesn't care about music. In Korea, in my elementary school, there wasn't a proper music program, as I am sure is the same situation with all the public schools (middle school is no different). Sure, we have music classes, but it's not like we're exposed to real and different kinds of music and learn to love music. All I remember doing during classes is playing the recorder from time to time and singing simple songs. This might seem like a similar situation to our school at the Melawati Campus, but at our elementary school, here in ISKL, there is a recorder club as an after school activity, and a band class is offered in 5th grade. I've been to both schools, and I can surely say that it makes a massive difference. Back when I was in Korea, I had no awareness for music. Even though I said in my previous paragraph that our school could do a better job of supporting the music department, we still are better off than a school that doesn't have one. Before I came here and decided to take band, I didn't even know what a clarinet was, or that it even existed. All my classmates and I knew were a piano, a violin, and a recorder. One time, my classmate brought in a flute to play in front of our class, and most of us never even saw one before. It is not because our country is poor and the instrument rare; we just haven't been exposed to it and weren't really aware of, 'music'. When I came here and started doing real music besides the piano, I felt good, almost enlightened. Korean schools are known for making students study hard. In my opinion, they could really use a proper music class to serve the purpose of giving the students a break and letting them see that there is more than just memorizing certain stuff in life. Maybe with a properly installed music department in Korea, more talents could be recognized and more students can widen up their choice for the future.

So far I have talked about how I think a music department is an essential part of a student's education, and how it can open up new possibilities for students. Many teenagers 'get in' to music, even if it's just listening to it. A proper music department can teach students to learn to love music and to give them chances to express themselves creatively. There's a reason you can't just quit on the music program in schools. You shouldn't just give up on something you haven't even given a try.

Believe in Yourself

Uncertainty challenges the wisdom of our generation
People are subconsciously opposed to personally investing in their own opinions
Having conviction leads to a determined society
Be aggressive, be wise, believe strongly in yourself.

Picture: daytobeyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Believe-in-yourself.png

Iqbal Masih: A Hero

Article 4 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that, "No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms." And yet, as Kevin Bales says, "...there's actually a very large number of slaves in the world today-our best estimate is 27 million. And that is defining a slave in a very narrow way; we're not talking about sweatshop workers or people who are just poor, we're talking about people who are controlled by violence, who cannot walk away, who are being held against their will, who are being paid nothing." Contrary to common belief, slavery has not disappeared from this world. A couple of years ago, I read a book based on the true story of a Pakistani boy. His name was Iqbal Masih, and he was a child slave working in a carpet factory. He, among with many other children, worked 14 hours a day and was constantly abused by their owner. But what makes him special is that he stood up to his owner, escaped, and helped other children who were like him. I truly believe that he was a very brave freedom fighter, and that he impacted the world positively.

I believe that it is necessary to end modern-day slavery because these acts are directly violating human rights. The victims are worth being fought for because they too, are human and deserve every right we do. Stories vary around the world, but we have a general idea of how child slaves are treated, and it is not something anyone deserves to go through. After working at the carpet factory since he was 4, when he was 10, Iqbal fled from the factory and the bondage for good and joined the BLLF (Bonded Labor Liberation Front of Pakistan). After joining the BLLF, Iqbal helped save many other child slaves in Pakistan, also giving speeches around the world. I think that what made him so successful and what made him able to move so many people was the fact that he'd been there. He was once one of those children he spoke for, and he understood how and what they felt. He knew these children were worth figting for because he knew just how much they suffered. And Iqbal helps us realize that these children, the victims, are worth fighting for because they deserve a chance at life too. He helps us realize that while we live the previleged life, some people of our very own age work all day and aren't treated humanely. He helps us realize that we, who have it all should take a stand to fight for those who don't.

Another reason I think modern-day slavery needs to end is because it can give hope to other people, other people who are suffering. As we try to end slavery, and as we are doing now, we can't get rid of it all at once. It takes time, and little by little, people are freed. The reason why we need to keep fighting for the victims is because when those who suffer, hear stories about people similar to themselves get freed, they find hope. They find hope that they too, one day will get to walk around freely without anyone restraining them. Not only does it give hope to those out there to be saved, it spreads the word to people who can help. Both are evident in Iqbal's case. After his escape from hell, Iqbal gave speeches, speaking out against child slavery and encouraging other children still bonded to their owners. This helped free many other children. Iqbal didn't just reach those in need of help, he also impacted those who were watching from far away. One of these cases was of Craig Kielburger, a 12 year old Canadian boy at that time (1995) who was inspired by Iqbal's work and his death to devote his life to being a children's rights activist. So this is another reason why we must keep fighting to end modern-day slavery: one's actions can impact others, and we can always spread the word and hope to others to keep the fight going.

I believe that Iqbal Masih is a true hero. He was a boy given a life with no freedom, yet he went above and beyond to stand up for his rights and defy his "destiny". Althought not everyone might notice, slavery is an on-going problem; it is not a situation of the past. In fact research shows that there are more slaves in this world right now than there have ever been in the past. We must spread the word and join the fight to end modern-day slavery because it is what is right; everyone deserves to have certain rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights doesn't exist just to look nice; it is really what should be the standard rights of a human. Iqbal once said, "Right now at this moment, 6 million Pakistani children are weaving carpets with tears" (not exact-it's been translated). This shows the enormity of child slavery, and that's just in Pakistan. Some argue that these kind of problems will never really go away. Maybe it's true. But does that mean we should stop trying to solve them? Does that mean we should just ignore these problems and go around hating on the world, it's leaders, and it's imperfections? No, it should further motivate us to be aware, and take action to make a better world, just like Iqbal did.

Picture : myhero.com/images/guest/g26510/hero24812/g26510_u24193_Iqbal_Masih.jpg

A Just World

(http://www.artmajeur.com/0/images/images/alexandermoreira_3777079_Alexander-JusticaJul08.jpg)

"In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same." This was Albert Einstein's view on justice. What is justice? Justice is the quality of being fair and reasonable. If I were given the opportunity to create a "New World", I would build it so that no matter what happens, everything would be just.

Justice is an important characteristic because in a world that is just, people would be treated fairly and people would do what is right. I think that the so called "perfect" world would have a system of laws in place to guide the people to live by the truth and do what is morally right. The system would allow the society to be content because it would be fair to all its people. The laws would be emphasized enough for the people to understand it and put it to action, but not forced so people feel trapped and under pressure to live a certain way. There would also be punishments for those who not only disobey the law but also meddle with other's chances to live a happy and "normal" life; but those punishments would be humane. Those punishments would be in place not to put fear in to people's minds, but solely for the reason of bringing justice to those who are harmful towards others. I believe that a place where everyone does what's right and everything is in order is a place that is one step closer to being a utopia.

Another reason I would have the New World built around justice is because it would bring a sense of security towards the people. Even when there are laws that seem flawless and you and your neighbors do what's right for yourself and for the greater good, there are always people who are either unhappy or just have the urge to break the law and the peaceful flow. A perfect just system would ensure that those who commit crimes and terrorize others are brought to justice and dealt with humanely. Once people can trust the system to take care of their fears that can be dealt with, their minds will be more at ease. They will feel something lift off their chests and feel like they can finally live free, and be genuinely happy. There are a lot of "small" crimes or fears that are overlooked in our society, and while some may not notice it, others think about it constantly and worry. For instance, over the past few months in Malaysia there have been people riding around in motorcycles terrorizing people by spraying hydrochloric acid on them. While some people were totally clueless about this, like myself, some others were scared, worried, and very cautious about going out. In the New World I would hope that the system would be able to bring justice to every criminal possible, even the ones that seem to be small and lacking influence, and enable people's minds to rest in peace.

Every nation's goal is, or should be, to make their people happy and to make the living environment be as good as it can be. For an "utopia" to exist, people have to be fully content with what they have. Fully. They cannot fear anything, want anything, be sad about anything, or be angry. If it is actually possible to create an utopia is hard to say, but it is surely possible to improve our world. In the New World, without justice, there would be disorder everywhere, people wouldn't always act on what's "right", and people definitely would not be satisfied; which would ruin the whole purpose of a "New World". As mentioned earlier, Albert Einstein once claimed that, "In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between small and large problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same." I wholeheartedly agree with him, and believe that that is when justice becomes truly meaningful; when everyone's treatmeant and situation is looked at carefully and is of equal importance.

Hunger Games Assessment #4

For my fourth and final assessment, I created a page of a newspaper. I chose to do this because I wanted to write the events of the Hunger Games in the Capitol people's point of view, and I wanted to get an idea of how the people of the Capitol recived the news. I created a newspaper page that was issued right after Katniss and Peeta won the Hunger Games. I briefly wrote about how the tributes from District 12 had finally won, and their love life in the Games. I also added an 'ad' at the bottom of the page informing people about the Vicotry Tour of the winners.