Are We Who We Really Are?

“Is it who we really are? Or who we want to be, or should be?” 
 

This is one of many questions Ms. Thandie Newton asked her audience in July 2011 on Embracing Otherness, Embracing Myself.

She explains her journey, “the journey to that place of understanding and acceptance. The self’s struggle for authenticity and definition will never end unless it’s connected to its creator with awareness of the reality of oneness and the projection of self-hood. Imagine what kind of existence we can have if we honor inevitable death of self, appreciate the privilege of life and marvel at what comes next.”

When hearing her speech I was in awe.

I would never have the thought that an actress would be so educated.

Thandie made me ask myself, “Do I appreciate life? Do I follow cultures standards on how we view each other? Have I lost my own self of self?”

I have found that I myself have lost my own sense of self. I would never think that all of our opinions on how we view our own life have been formed by others opinions and thoughts. Because of this I have been thinking of my own self and I have discovered I have been following cultures standards on how I view others.

I need to learn to form my own opinions and thoughts on subjects and enjoy or appreciate what life has to offer more.

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Nine Year Old Boy Takes His Life For Being White

Racism is a two way street.

Nine year old Aaron Dugmore was found hanged in his bedroom after he was ‘bullied for being white’ by an Asian gang at school. "They said Aaron was threatened with a plastic knife by one Asian pupil, who warned him: ‘Next time it will be a real one.’He was also allegedly told by another pupil that ‘all the white people should be dead’ and he was forced to hide from the bullies in the playground at lunchtime." via

Now don’t you ever try to tell me there is no such thing as racism against white people. And don’t you dare tell me it’s ‘reverse’ racism either.

No one, not matter their race, religion, sexuality, gender identification, physical and/or mental capabilities, or appearance should have to commit suicide because of bullying.

Nobody, especially a child!

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Mickey Ending Hand-Drawn Animation

 

Snow White, The Little Mermaid, Dumbo, The Jungle Book, Pinocchio. Each are examples of classic Disney films that were each hand drawn frame by frame known as traditional animation or cel animation.

Announced Wednesday, chief executive Bob Iger revealed that it’s shutting down any remaining 2D hand drawn feature animation facilities left and will only be committing to 3D rendered and animated films from now on.

"To my knowledge we're not developing a 2D or hand-drawn feature animated film right now," said Iger. "There is a fair amount of activity going on in hand-drawn animation but it's largely for television at this point. We're not necessarily ruling out the possibility [of] a feature but there isn't any in development at the company at the moment."

The studios last hand-drawn animation The Princess and the Frog, the traditional musical, based on the Brothers Grimm story the Frog Prince but relocating the action to 1920s New Orleans, was well-reviewed by critics but "failed to mirror the astounding success of Pixar at the box office with a middling return of $267m (£178m). Another hand-drawn animation – 2011's Winnie the Pooh – drew praise from critics but pulled in just $33m across the globe. Meanwhile, Disney CGI efforts such as 2009's Bolt and 2010's Tangled grossed $310m and $590m."

"Unfortunately 2D became the excuse for poor storytelling," said John Lasseter, the Pixar boss who also became Disney Animation's chief creative officer in 2006 and who pioneered the CGI animation revolution with Toy Story in 1995. "The general consensus was that audiences did not want to watch hand-drawn animated films, which is of course completely ridiculous. The day I stepped in we got in touch with these guys and set about bringing back the artists that Disney had laid off."

In honor of those whom drew our favorite characters, here are three of my favorite Disney films and their animators:

 

 

The Little Mermaid (1989)

“I heard Part of Your World, Jodi Benson singing that, and it just captivated me. I had to do that. And I went to the directors and said, ‘I really want to do Ariel.’ And they said ‘Well I don’t know. This is supposed to be a pretty girl. Can you do that?’  I said, ‘ Look, I have to do Ariel. I mean, I can feel it in my heart." - Animator Glen Keane

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

 

Fred Moore rose to prominence at Disney very quickly in the early thirties due to his great natural talent and the tremendous appeal of his drawings, which is still greatly admired by animators and animation fans. He had animated some scenes of the White Rabbit.
 



Beauty and the Beast (1991)

 

"Having been lucky enough to work around James Baxter for a number of years (someone who I consider to be the greatest living animator around), I can tell you that that is his ultimate weapon. He doesn’t check emails. He doesn’t compulsively surf YouTube. He doesn’t keep a blog. He doesn’t read blogs. He doesn’t watch TV or eat or sleep or do anything that resembles a sane modern life. All he does is animate. And that’s all you have to do." - Jim Hull

What is your favorite traditional animated Disney movie?

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A Random Ball Pit and Two Complete Strangers

A random ball pit is set up in the middle of a city and this is what happens as people approach it.

 

 

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The Difference Between Extrovert and a Introvert

As I walk down a busy street to get to my destination I can not help but glance at people who are walking right past me. I can tell their human from their facial features, how the carry themselves as they walk past me. We all have the same features that make us human for example, having our bright eyes below our bushy eyebrows; they are almost identical on each side of our face. We are human so we must all be the same? No, every human on earth is their own self.

Some being’s love monkeying around the television with their friends with tortilla chips and salsa in different, bright, colorful bowls on the small, wooden, brown stained coffee table right in front of them, shoving chips in their mouth while watching their favorite team makes a touch down, while others would prefer snuggling up into their soft blue couch with smooth jazz softly playing in the background while reading their favorite novel. They both are human but they enjoy doing different things. How do we identify with what we enjoy doing and whom we like to befriend with?

We identify with our personality. Our personality is our identity, it makes us who we are and every single human being on the planet earth has in fact their own personality that makes their identity. Some people are outgoing and enjoy conversing with random strangers down the street while others would much rather keep to themselves. I for instants am an extrovert. What is an extrovert? Well it is a certain personality trait that makes the individuals personality. Ok, I understand that portion but what exactly is an extrovert?

An extrovert is “a person whose interest is more in his environment and in other people than in himself; a person who is active and expressive.”For example, they are usually those annoying people who try talk make conversation with you while our trying to do something important, perhaps waiting impatiently in line at your local Starbucks to get your coffee before work and an individual tries to make conversation with you and even after getting the warm, steaming cup of coffee that you ordered, the insist for you to sit down with them and make conversation. Extroverts tend to use a lot of hand movements they talk to you, as if there is an fly circling around your head as you two make conversation or it may seem as if they are making up some new dance moves and not even paying one attention as your speaking about your dog getting into the garbage can, again.

Being an extrovert, I tend to constantly annoy my own self. I tend to talk a lot on pointless useless topics on the weather, clothing, or even how fresh the crisp breeze feels as it brushes against my clothes. I tend to annoy any introverts around me.

An introvert is a person who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being around other people. While I am trying to socialize with an introvert and talk about how the building is dark brown but when the suns rays hit the side of the building it looks like its in a different shade of “toffee brown,” they tend to stare at me going on and own about this brown building, thinking to themselves, “Why is this person so desperately trying to point out this brown building to me? What is the point of this conversation?” An introvert tends to keep to themselves and usually have a small circle of friends as extroverts tend to socialize around them and talk to anyone within five feet away from them.

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My Personality

On September 7^th, 2012, the Bayan Learning Community went through different activities.

One activity was called “Wagon Wheel.” We were told to pair up in partners of two, each facing one another and other surrounding in a circle. The one person on the outer circle had to ask the person sitting on the outside of the circle question that was provided. When the questions were asked and time was up the person sitting in the inside of the circle had to move over two places to the left, leaving their old partner and taking the questionnaire with them. Once with their new partner, the people sitting in the inside of the circle passed the questionnaire over to their new partner and the person sitting in the inside of the circle was not being asked the questions.

One question that was asked, “When did you first realize race could be problematic?”

Personally, I have found race problematic when I tried looking for work. When going into interviews for certain company’s they look at what race you are.

While I was answering, it was easy for me because I am comfortable with talking to others but some of my partners it seemed difficult for them to answer the questions.  I was able to determine whom is an extravert and who is an introvert.

Yet, that didn't matter as much than the energy my partners were giving.

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