Police Brutality

    You hear people say, "black lives matter" and speak about the injustice that is happening in our own backyard.

  In the U.S. there are over a thousand people who have been killed by police in just this last year. The numbers are adding up and police brutality is getting more ans more out of control. Police brutality exists everywhere around the world, but Are we the only ones experiencing this kind of issue?

Brazil has also had this problem of aggressive behavior and it has gotten worse in the past years. Since there is a budget crisis that has pushed back the pay wage, there is a need for money. In 2016 there was a cut of more than 30% with law enforcement that limits them in many ways. It is said that since the budget crisis, "Police morale had plummeted."

 So there have been many cases of police brutality that civilians encounter, some places more than others. In Rio de Janeiro alone, 645 civilians were killed by police in 2015 and the homicides keep rising each year.

Since their is a lack of fair pay it only weakens the law enforcement even more. Policemen and anyone on the force is supposed to have the proper training before working, but their is a desperate need for employment that background checks are most often overlooked.

     High rates of criminal activity in Rio de Janeiro is so out of control, police feel entitled to deal with this issue their own way. They have developed military based equipment and style fighting which is not always such a good idea. Many times police can shoot an individual if they have reason to believe that they are a threat, but that not always true.

Even if they are wrong most cases are never investigated or taken to court. If the officer reports an incident as self defense which is most often used as an excuse, then the case is more likely to be dismissed.

In Haiti, devastating events have taken place in the last decade. Four hurricanes and on top of that a catastrophic earthquake that hit in 2010, have led the country to loose stability in government. There is a need for effective use of law enforcement, but the people that should be in control are not making it any better for Haitians.

Instead, police are making it impossible for them feel safe. There have been countless numbers of kidnappings and rapings where police have been said to be contributors. The women and younger girls are the targets of these unfortunate events.

According to United Nations, there have been 84 rape cases in 2009. In the first half of 2008, there were 157 kidnapping sightings. Police still struggle to get the proper training on human rights knowledge and have the proper training. There is also a lack of employment and equipment in the police force that puts them at a disadvantage.

Still, none of this justifies the excessive use of power that police exemplify to innocent Haitians.
In the Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index of 2008, Haiti was placed 177 out of 180 of the most corrupted systems in the world. This lets you know that there is still much change that needs to be made in order for Haiti to have a functional and secure law enforcement.

TV Time!

     If you still haven't guessed what this blog is going to be about and if the tittle hasn't given it away then this next part will. That's right, commercials mean everything, how we shop, influences our fashion choices, or even makes us think a certain way.

In my case, it is something that I change the channel to or now a days, fast forward through.
Commercials are televised worldwide and have been for the longest of time, since 1941. Some people find commercials are just too ridiculously painful to sit through or are too overplayed.
So, I have reviewed TV commercials that exist around the world and found that they have a different take on advertising.

First impressions of Japanese commercials are that they're weird, which isn't a fair judgement considering they are foreign.

If it is your first time, then they will throw you off and completely shock you because it's a different experience. Watching the commercials, I found that they are very exaggerated with the products that they are selling.

Here is a scenario you may encounter in a Japanese commercial: It is the end of the world and people are running around the streets panicking, and the only person that can save them is a golden retriever that shoots lazer beams out of his eyes.

 His source of power, which is being advertised, dog kibble. So there is so much to be seen in these commercials that it is just too hard to look away from and wrap your mind around. The actors also play over dramatic roles and at the same time show a comedic side, that is bluntly meant to be humorous. It's very much like watching a really bad soap opera where the characters are over doing their roles so hard that it just becomes funny to watch.

• Dramatic
• Commedic
• Exagerated
• Animal Personification

Some examples of this are an application commercial called From Anavi which is a job search app that helps you find employment. They show a panda looking for a job and finds one at a clothes store and has an interesting encounter (Ad 1, 3:18).

2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_zMhh4XthE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWJASVluHew

2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmIrtGIPfKk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGsPZMzbouA

First impressions of India's commercials are that they really introduce a cultural aspect to it like music, and clothing.

 There is a traditional side that comes out in the majority of these commercials that gives you a slight idea of what India is like, although not all commercials are reality.

You also see that there is separation of gender roles in almost every commercial. The women play vulnerable roles and are often seen at home that is very nurturing. The men on the other hand are out doing things or working in an office providing for the family, it is very clear that there is a favoring of gender roles.

• Brings culture
• Music/ Dress wear
• Mother roles/ Father roles

Some examples of gender roles are an appliance commercial called Midea. The women has made a mess at home and when the husband gets home from work he thinks something bad had happened. He finds the wife in the room completely fine and says something that makes him realize that being at stay at home mom is a job too (Ad 2, 10:29).

2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJgJn5X_79c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJcL1xomNJE

Most Bizzare Laws Ever Made

      DON'T drink and drive, DON'T J-WALK, DON'T steal, these are some of the most common laws
here in the U.S. that we all know and heard of before. Truth is, we have only just scratched the
surface of it all and I asked myself "what other laws are out there that I don't know of?" What I found
turned out to be extremely interesting and damn right hilarious. With that being said, here are ten of the most bizarre and weird laws that we have here in America:

1. In North Carolina it is illegal to sing off key. "What?!?" said all the monotone people.
2. Cutting a cactus in Arizona is illegal and a serious offense that leaves you facing 25 years in prison. Now imagine telling that story to the inmates?
3. In Georgia, eating fried chicken without the use of your hands is illegal. My question is, what other way is there to eat fried chicken?
4. If you are a man with a mustache it is illegal for you to kiss a woman in Nevada. Better luck next time.
5. In Pennsylvania, it is illegal to tie a dollar to a string and pull it away when someone tries to pick it up as a prank. But come on?? It's pretty funny though.
6. It is illegal to drive in the car with an uncaged bear in Missouri, because you would rather drive with a caged bear, right?
7.  In Florida, to flatulate in public after 6 p.m. on a Thursday is illegal, because nothing important ever happens before 6 p.m. on a Thursday?
8. In Maine, keeping Christmas decorations up after January 14th is illegal and completely irresponsible?
9. Sharing a Netflix password in Tennessee is illegal. Now that something all of us would go to jail for.
10. In Texas, pointing a lazer beam at a plane is illegal, and childish.

 But if you think those laws were weird, here are ten more that are just down right ludicrous:

1. In Honolulu, Hawaii singing out loud after sunset is illegal, and extremely annoying to everyone else.
2. In Bangladeshi, if you are caught cheating on a final exam you could potentially go to jail if you are 15 and older. That'll show them, take notes professors. 
3. In Russia, there is a huge ban on homosexuality and any form of "propaganda", like telling children that gay people exist, is illegal. You can blame President Vladimir Putin for that.
4. In Hong Kong, if a man is cheating on his wife, then she is allowed to commit homicide as long as she only uses her hands to do it. Men watch out!
5. In Thailand, stepping on money is illegal. Now their just bragging.
6.  In Singapore, selling or chewing gum can result in having to pay a fine of $1000. If caught a second time, then it goes up to $2000, but wait there is more. You also have to spend the day cleaning the city. If caught a third time, then it is more embarrassing where you are forced to wear a sign that reads "I'm a litterer." Seriously who comes up with this stuff I wanna know?
7. Some parts of India allow men to sell there wives if they are in debt until it gets paid. Now that is just real considerate of them.
8. In France, to marry a dead person is illegal, and just flat out wrong.
9.  In Britain, operating on a cow while intoxicated is illegal. So wait, what happens if they operate on a person while intoxicated?
10. In Samoa it is illegal to forget your wife’s birthday. Now calling ALL terrible husbands!

So see, silly laws are made all around the world and although some have actual meaning behind them, they are still pretty ridiculous and fun to laugh at. 

The Sound of Music

     Turning on your radio to hear today's greatest hits, Katy Perry, Beyonce, Taylor Swift and a man

 playing the flute...


There is definitely a change in the music that is played now and the music that was played centuries

 ago. Some music has completely developed into its own thing but others hold on to the traditional

stylings of its cultural past. Around the world there is a big difference in the sound and meaning of

music that all has its explanation.

If you take a look at China you hear a mix of traditional music and then you have the newer

 generation of music. Some newer artists may sound more modern to the ear but what we

don't know is the influences that credits their 

sound. Traditional Chinese music is played by a 

variety of instruments that includes the   

percussion, wind, plucked, and stringed 

instruments. Some of the oldest instruments ever 

used musically are bamboo and the qin, which is a seven string instrument that goes back to the age 

of Confucianism. There is a lot of accreditation to Confucius who was a philosopher said to have 

lived about 2,500 years that taught people of China a set of morals and beliefs. With music he taught 

that it was an important part of human growth and essential. "To educate somebody, you should 

start with poems, emphasize ceremonies, and finish with music." So, some musicians still 

include Confucian's teachings as to what music should sound like. He preferred music to sound more 

calming and peaceful that should reflect on the people and produce tranquility. The order of a typical 

song should be dramatic in the beginning and have it be repetitive all the way through. That way, it 

would sound balanced and have an "easy" structure that is continuous. The music was a 

representation of how people should act which was in a proper manner. It was meant to exemplify 

good behavior and educate people to be productive individuals. Among other things, rather than just 

music, Confucian made an impact in the development of China.

In Latin America there are a number of genres to hear from, Samba,

 Salsa, Tango, Folklorica, and the list goes on. A bigger part of 

 Latin American music that can not do without the other are dance. 

Dance and Music are interrelated or codependent. Some influences

 that helped develop Latin American music are Native American, African, and European traditions. It

 is still hard to tell when the first sightings of music fully began in Latin America because there is no

 real documentation of it. It goes as far back to the Mayans and Aztecs when music was used in the 

form of rituals. You would hear people sing accompanied by drums, wind instruments, and flutes. 

Spanish observers where the ones who reported the musical sightings with the Indians. Although the 

Spaniards invaded the native areas, they noticed that the music they were playing had a sense of 

emotion. Even though they couldn't understand the language they were speaking, they could tell 

when they felt sad. Music in Latin America is all dependent on the location you are in. If you head 

to Brazil you hear Samba, in Argentina its Tango, in the Caribbeans you hear maracas and scrapers. 

The music varies but it has the same meaning everywhere you go. Music was created in correlation to

 what was going on at that time that took part in their regular daily life. 




Moving on to Africa, music has a more spiritual

 aspect as a way to emphasize the importance of

 human life. Music makes up the culture entirely,

 in respect to the regions they all have there 

differences. One thing they all have in common 

and still do, was the way it unified people. In the

 communities it provided prosperity and support among the people that made them stronger as a 

whole. It has inspired many other genres in its time including Latin America and the Caribbean. The

 traditional sounds that you regularly hear in African music is a more rhythmic side that is usually 

played by a large group. This is called polyphony, where you hear more than one melody in a song

 instead of just hearing one dominant voice. Here, you typically hear many instruments played at the

 same time with no real order, that proves to be a more improvisational technique. Some of the 

 instruments that are heard are drums, gongs, woodblocks, stringed instruments, rattles, xylophones, 

and flutes.