Alex's Blog for 340

Although we all seem like a spec on the world, it is still possible for all of us to make a lasting difference. Jacqueline Novogratz's  The Blue Sweater  demonstrates the impact that just single person can have on the world. The story details her travels to Africa and accounts the poverty, unequal rights, and overall devastation that most are unaware of. The world is not an equal place for all but can be changed through each of our contributions.  I have always been interested in documentaries. They are meant to tell a story, always non-fiction, and usually about a popular or controversial topic. They contain a lot of emotion and evoke some type of reaction from the viewer. For instance, there nature ones about zebras and exposes about Jeffrey Epstein, but both evoke a reaction whether it be awe or disgust. Personally, I more interested in the latter and have watched most if not all of them on Netflix. Considering the popularity of Netflix and the effect that their docu...

This summer has been quite the ride. I travelled with my friends, moved to a new place, and explored new hobbies. Yet, even with all of this, the best part has been finishing my first internship. One of my first posts talked about starting it and all of the nerves that came with it. I had never worked a corporate job and feared the regular meetings. Luckily for me, working from home allowed me to at least stay in the comfort of my room. Although this idea has been controversial as of late, I enjoyed this style of work even with the challenges that came with it.  Starting off, I was sent a new laptop with some other swag. I booted it up and followed the list of instructions on how to log in. Since it was a government contractor it required a few extra steps and tools I have never used. Nevertheless, I logged in and finished the rest of my onboarding process. I emailed my new co-workers, watched some corporate behavior videos, and even had my first meeting. To be fair it was just w...

 Anti-fat sentiment is a rampant plague in our society. Yet until just recently, it was not something I was very aware of. I have heard about fat shaming and the misrepresentation in fashion, but I never understood the gravity. Aubrey Gordon's book,  What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat highlights the inequalities that fat people must face. First getting into this book, I was surprised at how explicit she wrote. Each chapter was a short essay detailing an experience of living fat. Each story encompassed a differing aspect of fat inequality and made it apparent how different they are in society. People being denied access to certain parts solely due to their weight. However, as I read on, there was one more thing she made clear. This was not a book just about loving yourself, but pushing it further to represent the society at large and the assumptions and access that comes with being fat. One of the parts I found most interesting was the sheer amount of data and numb...

 Reading  What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat , you are immediately hit with why this book is not going to be like the others. Yes, it will talk about her experiences and the criticisms that come with being considered fat but is not meant to be a self-help book or a reassurance about the lifestyle. Instead, she wants to highlight the everchanging culture and attitudes toward being fat. I chose this book because I feel that I am personally not conscious enough about impact that these attitudes create.  The introduction had already forced me to take a step back. Dissecting the body positivity movement, it became apparent to me that there was an inherent bias against fat people; even though the movement is meant to combat just that. Going through the terms she felt important to understanding the story, it was clear that I was unprepared for what's to come. I had no idea about "extended plus-size clothing" or the differences between obese and overweight. I r...