War and Peace

Leo Tolstoy, 1,392 pagesA pinnacle of Russian literature and arguably the greatest novel ever written, this epic has everything — historical sweep, romance, military battles, family drama, philosophical essays — all against the backdrop of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia. It’s also about people trying to find their way in a time of crisis and social upheaval, which makes it a fitting read for our current moment.

The Harry Potter series 

J.K. Rowling, 4,100 pp.Yes, we all read these seven books years ago. But it’s worth going back to the beginning — before the eight bloated movies, before the theme parks, before Emma Watson became a UN ambassador — to relive how Rowling brought a magical world to life on the printed page with little more than her own boundless imagination.

Roots: The Saga of an American Family 

Alex Haley, 729 pp.You may have seen the 1977 ABC miniseries that turned “Roots” into a cultural sensation. Or “Roots: The Next Generations,” the sequel. Or the 2016 History Channel remake. It all started with Haley’s Pulitzer-winning novel, which traces his family lineage back to Kunta Kinte, an African boy who was sold into slavery and brought to America. The book is a gripping and essential document of the African American experience.

In Search of Lost Time 

Marcel Proust, 4,211 pp.If you want to wow your friends — or get teased for your pretentiousness — dig into this massive brick of a book, hailed by some as the most influential novel of the 20th century. Proust, a Frenchman, packed its pages with profound musings on art, the elusive nature of memory and the melancholy passage of time. It can admittedly be tough sledding. It’s also in seven volumes, although the last three were unfinished drafts published after Proust’s death. So you can probably skip those.

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Matthew 6:34  Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you;my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Psalm 55:22  Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Psalm 9:9-10 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Psalm 34:10b Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Isaiah 26: 3-4 Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace—because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock.

1 Chronicles 16:11  Seek the LORD and his strength;  seek his presence continually!

Psalm 32:7-8 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJyaSLhzF-Q

What to do when you take flights or long-haul bus and train rides

Monitor the coronavirus stats of your community and destination. With help from the CDC website, educate yourself about places to avoid—up until the minute you board. Information is changing “so quickly, in the matter of hours,” says Lin H. Chen, president of the International Society of Travel Medicine and an associate professor at the Harvard-affiliated Mount Auburn Hospital. It’s also important to check your hometown’s statistics so you know if you could have been exposed to the virus. Reconsider your travel if the risk is high.

Stay six feet away from people (as much as possible). The CDC’s six-feet rule might not be possible if you’re waiting in line to get to your seat, but there’s no need to rush to your boarding-area queue or crowd around a coffee shop.

Wear a makeshift mask (if it gives you peace of mind). It’s still unclear whether wearing a mask in public will reduce a healthy person’s risk of contracting coronavirus, says Chen, but the extra protection doesn’t hurt. The caveat is if you’re not used to masks, you might fidget with it and thereby break a cardinal rule of coronavirus prevention: don’t touch your face.

Take a shower after you arrive. When you get to your destination, take a warm soap-and-water shower before interacting with people or lounging around too long in common spaces. Soap and water is one of the best disinfectants. A bath is more comprehensive than hand-washing when you’ve been in contact with a lot of different surfaces. Avoid rewearing your travel clothes again until you’ve washed them.

Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. It’s a feeling of fear or apprehension about what’s to come. The first day of school, going to a job interview, or giving a speech may cause most people to feel fearful and nervous.

Anxiety feels different depending on the person experiencing it. Feelings can range from butterflies in your stomach to a racing heart. You might feel out of control, like there’s a disconnect between your mind and body. Other ways people experience anxiety include nightmares, panic attacks, and painful thoughts or memories that you can’t control. You may have a general feeling of fear and worry, or you may fear a specific place or event. 

Symptoms of general anxiety include: 

• increased heart rate
• rapid breathing
• restlessness
• trouble concentrating
• difficulty falling asleep

Once you’ve been diagnosed with anxiety, you can to explore treatment options with your doctor. For some people, medical treatment isn’t necessary. Lifestyle changes may be enough to cope with the symptoms. In moderate or severe cases, however, treatment can help you overcome the symptoms and lead a more manageable day-to-day life.

Treatment for anxiety falls into two categories: psychotherapy and medication. Meeting with a therapist or psychologist can help you learn tools to use and strategies to cope with anxiety when it occurs.Medications typically used to treat anxiety include antidepressants and sedatives. They work to balance brain chemistry, prevent episodes of anxiety, and ward off the most severe symptoms of the disorder

Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. It’s a feeling of fear or apprehension about what’s to come. The first day of school, going to a job interview, or giving a speech may cause most people to feel fearful and nervous.

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me. 

Maya Angelou

Objectification involves viewing and/or treating a person as an object, devoid of thought or feeling. Often, objectification is targeted at women and reduces them to objects of sexual pleasure and gratification. However, not only women are objectified in the media and in the society as a whole. Men are also treated as objects but not much of this is seen.

This is mostly seen in magazines, movies, television shows and commercials. 

Objectification has a negative influence on people irrespective of their gender. It reduces the self esteem of people and makes them not appreciate themselves in the long run. 

How do we stop objectification?

Women most especially need to stand up for themselves and also support other women. This is the first step to stopping this act in the media. Women need to see that they are more than whatever people may reduce them to and not accept it. Secondly, businesses who objectify people in their commercials should be punished in a way that customers will no longer purchase their products or patronize them. 

Women deserve better and should not be made to feel like they can be compared to mere objects. STOP OBJECTIFICATION!

Here is an educative video about objectification.

SCENE REVIEW : A STAR IS BORN

The scene I want to analyse is the one that shows Ally walking towards the road after she has closed from work. (4:11s). From the beginning of this scene, Ally is seen throwing a big bag of trash. I played that particular part of the scene over 10 times and I realised that the sound that comes with the trash bag falling came before the trash bag actually landed in the big dumpster. It happened so quickly, it is hard to notice but there was a sound before the trash fell into the dumpster. This caught my attention when I remembered what we learnt in class about how sounds in movies are made sometimes.

On the other hand, in that same scene, a lot of sounds come together which makes it beautiful. I love that there is so much detail in the scene. 4 things are happening at the same time and all of these 4 activities produce different sounds. There is a background music that is playing, Ally is walking towards the road and she untucks her shirt while she is walking. While all of these actions are taking place they all produce a very different sound however, all sounds are heard clearly when you pay attention to what is happening. The music continues to play while she untucks her shirt. There is a sound that also comes with she untucking her shirt and that is also heard. She is walking at the same time and the sound of her footsteps is also heard.

Lastly, there is a faint sound of passing cars which is seen as she walks towards the road. Additionally, at some point, one sound becomes a little louder than the others which makes the viewer focus on the exact action that is taking place. For example, when she continues to walk towards the road, the sound of the footsteps become faint and the background music and the sound of the moving cars becomes a little louder. I think that part of the scene was so perfect that if someone is not looking at the screen, they can try to narrate what is going on based on the sounds.It is interesting that even though all of these sounds come together, they do not mix up or create a rather annoying sound. 

MOVIE REVIEW: A STAR IS BORN.

A star is born is a romantic musical movie which was directed by Bradley Cooper. The movie stars popular musician and celebrity Lady Gaga who plays Ally in the movie. The movie starts with Jackson performing live in front of a large crowd. I like that the first scene of the movie gives the viewer an idea of what the movie is mainly about and what to expect in general. The next scene of the movie also shows Jackson drinking a lot which basically also talks about the character that he plays. The next scene shows Ally who is also a main character in the movie and the kind of job she does; being a waitress and also singing at the pub late in the night where she also served. Lastly, another scene comes where she dresses up and goes on the stage to sing. At that moment, Jackson is also present and is very impressed with her performance. The way he looks at her and talks with her after her performance shows there is a connection between them. 

I think this is the best way to tell a story without getting viewers bored. The first few scenes of the movie gives the viewer a summary of the movie and leaves the viewer glued to their seats while they figure out how things unfold in the movie. It goes straight to the point to show the main characters of the movie, portrays the characters they are playing and leaves the viewer to guess what happens after the two main characters meet for the first time.

Now, reviewing the movie as a whole, I personally did not really enjoy the movie as much as I thought I would. First of all, it was too long and most scenes were too long and that made those scenes a little boring for me. Also I think for almost half of the movie, Jackson and or Ally were performing on stage or singing. This would be a perfect movie for someone who already loves Lady Gaga who plays Ally or her music or musical movies in general. I personally wish the performance scenes were less and much shorter. 

I was also disappointed at how the movie ended and this is because of two things. Firstly, the fact that Jackson died and I didn’t even realise that he died and secondly, the fact that he actually died. I love movies that do not go the way I expect it to go but for this movie, I did think that Jack deserved a second chance and Ally deserved to spend more time with the love of her life.