In Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless mind, the entire movie was designed like piece of literature - the entire story revolved around the characters, and had very little to do with actual events. It was all just human interaction. However, the movie didn't just do that. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless mind conveyed it's plot line by telling the story of the characters in a mixed order.
The movie opens with introducing the two main characters. Joel, who is really reclusive and shy, and Clementine, who is the Polar opposite. This is well represented in the movie, and especially in the screenplay, where Clementine is doing her best to carry on a conversation, and she starts rambling and talking about nothing, and Joel just sits there and acts "nice."
Once Joel goes to have his memories erased, it starts out with the bad memories, thus beginning this backwards analyzation of a relationship gone wrong. One time when they are unhappy and arguing is when Clementine brings up the issue of wanting to have a baby, and Joel retorts with "Do you really think you could take care of a kid?" This also helps to convey the idea that Joel and Clementine are symbolic of all relationships in one way or another, since that is a very common argument for a boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife to have.
Then, it loops back around to the good memories. I believe this is meant to be a commentary on how so many more relationships would stay in tact if people would just remember what things were like when they first started out, and not what they eventually turned into. One scene showing good memories was when they were at the movies, and they were putting words into the actor's mouths to make the dialigue humorous. When things started disappearing, this was one of the times that Joel actually started fighting for the memory, and trying to hide Clementine, so that she wouldn't disappear. This helped to build the story arc even more by showing the versatility of Joel's and Clementine's relationship, and portraying a happy time from when they were together, showing what things had initially been like for them.
Finally, Joel awakens from having his memory erased, and it reveals that his memories from the beginning actually took place after everything else. It shows the story in this order - Joel and Clementine meeting, having an awkward relationship, getting to like each other, then hating each other, then at the peak of their love for each other, then once again meeting each other. This accomplishes something quite unique, and that is a radically different perspective on relationships, one where time and chronology doesn't matter, but rather, the simple existance of the memory. The characters and the jumbled timeline drive this theme, and they are what really make it work.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
25: Semester Reflection - What I'm Proud Of
The first example of work I am proud of is my American Icons photo.
I am proud of this work because I created a great photo essay to go along with it. The final product looks polished and nice, and I believe it follows all the requirements, and then some. I feel the effects in it were great, and I made something that was perfectly fitting and accurate for the icon I chose. Without knowing what the project was, a person could still look at this picture and see that I was creating a spoof on Adam Sandler's movie "You Don't Mess With The Zohan."
I accomplished this through planning, drafting, and revision. I first looked through the internet and found the person I wanted my picture to be about. I then found something that he did that closely related to an interest of mine. I then took the picture, and photoshopped it. I had my teacher and peers look at it, and it went through a few revisions, until it looked finished (The main revisions involved color changes, text, cropping, and green screening).
The second example of work I am proud of is my video about water quality at the beach (Transcript in italics, at the bottom of the blog).
I am proud of this final product because it looks incredibly well done, to the extent that in order to critique it my teacher needed to pick at insignificant minuscule things that no one but an editor would notice. I digress, the majority of viewers really favored the video. It is fun, engaging, informative, and seamless.
I accomplished this by drafting a script, and getting it revised by my peers and teacher. This helped quite a bit, since even though the original script was good, it was nowhere near as good as it was once it was done getting critiqued. I then used that script as instructions for who, what, and where to shoot. I recorded my voiceover, gathered the data, shot the video, and compiled it all. After a few more (minor) revisions to the video, I ended up with my final product.
Transcript:
(Show footage of shoreline and waves). Take a look at that beautiful ocean. Don’t you just want to just go swim in it? Well…you might want to reconsider. That water could be chock full of bacteria. You may be thinking “Everything has bacteria.” Well while this is true, this water may just have enough to keep you from taking a dip anywhere other than your local swimming pool.
(Show main title: “What Do You Really Know?”)
(Show driving clips and street signs timed to music)
As you can see, we’re in
(Show beach B-Roll) The beaches along the
(show storm drain P.B. Point) What does this look like to you? A storm drain? Well, you’re absolutely right. You want to know where this storm drain is located? (reveal location on video) P.B. Point. Whenever it rains, contaminated water pours out of this, and right into the ocean. As a class, we actually tested this water, and as we found out, the levels of E. Coli were more than 10 times more the concentrated
It’s important that the public is informed of these water levels. Even if the beach isn’t at the point where it needs to be closed down, it could still be hazardous to people’s health. Listen to what some of some beach goers have to say about the water quality.
(Show text) What do you know about the water quality at the beach?
Man: What we know is what-uh, what’s coming in the media.
Man: It’s never really been an issue, so nothing.
Man: I don’t know too much about specifics.
Girl: Nothing?...
Man: I don’t know too much about it
Boy: I’m at the point where I know the water’s not good that I won’t – I won’t swim in it
Girl: Nothing!
Man: I don’t know much
Woman: I don’t really know much about it.
(Show text) Has anything bad ever happened to you from going in the water?
Girl: Maybe an infection, on a cut.
Man: I got a full sinus infection, it must’ve been from the water. I had this really bright yellow-green almost fluorescent looking stuff come out of my nose, draining, it was disgusting.
Man: I’ve gotten sick like a couple of times like after I’ve like gone in the water.
Woman: Three years ago the doctor said that I had to have a Hepatitis B shot, so that, umm, because the water in
Woman: Sadie, a dog actually a golden retriever, every time she drinks the water she vomits.
Man: Yeah I used to surf a lot here in (incoherent location) and I’ve gotten sick a few times like right after.
(Show text) Do you think those may tie in with what’s in our water?
Man: Yeah, I mean I’m sure it definitely could, but I don’t know enough about the issue to really be able to say.
(Show the people with blank faces, as they’re contemplating the question)
See? A lot of these guys didn’t know the first thing about anything. But it’s not their fault. They’re not being told. If they were, they would be running for the hills, or at least…their showers.
Let’s have a look at the test results for some of San Diego’s most popular beaches. We’re going be comparing 3 of them. O.B. Rivermouth, Crystal Pier, and P.B. Point.
Lets start off with some vocabulary. Do you know what E. Coli, Enterococci, and Coliforms are? Well I can tell you this. They’re found often in the gastrointestinal tract. Basically, these are the main bacteria found in feces.
(Text, flashing) FECES
(With happy tone) With that in mind:
(Show as list on screen) The limit for total coliforms in the water is 10,000/100 ml
The limit for E. Coli is 235/100ml
And the limit for Enterococci is 104/100 ml
A red line marks where the clean water limits are on the graph
It rained on the 4th of November. On the 13th, the coliform levels at crystal pier were at 408/100ml. The E. Coli levels were at 86/100ml. And, the Enterococci were at 158/100ml. Keep in mind, the only common knowledge beachgoers have is the 3 day rule – don’t go to the beach for 3 days after it rains. However, the 13th is quite a few more than 3 days past the 4th. So people were back in this water, swimming away, without a care in the world.
Next up was P.B. Point. The Enterococci levels on the 12th were 10/100ml. Same on the 17th, too. Also on the 17th, the E. Coli levels were at 81/100ml and the coliforms were at 1261/ml
And finally, O.B. Rivermouth. This is the water that feeds right into dog beach. On the 13th, the enterococci reached 748/100ml. On the 6th, the E. Coli was at 288/100ml, and the coliforms were at 2613/100ml.
In short, there are 2 main issues surrounding San Diego’s water – the quality, and the lack of testing. To fix quality, it’s actually relatively simple. Throw your trash away in the little bin marked trash, and throw your recyclables away in the one marked recycle. Don’t water your lawn or wash your car quite so much. That dirty water goes down the storm drains and right into our oceans. And we could all honestly care less whether or not there’s bird poo on your bumper. As for the testing, well, you’d be surprised how much one voice can carry. So imagine a lot of them. Make your voice one of those many. Demand consistent water testing, and the results to go with it.
So, do you still not realize why you should care about the quality of our water? Or whether or not it gets frequently checked? If you don’t, you might want to get your hearing checked. After all, that bacteria could have given you an ear infection. Or, if you just weren’t listening, I’ll rehash the reasons why you, the
(show bullet points onscreen).
-You think infections are gross
-You want to be more informed
-You like living
For these reasons, and many more, I encourage you to take action regarding our water quality today. Believe it or not, we can each do our own part. And it’s really not too hard. Just make your voice heard. Like me. You’re listening to me, aren’t you? Why ARE you listening to me? Go get off your can and do something.
(Text) To learn more, visit mediasavesthebeach.org
(Cut to black)
(Text) Created by: Kevin Middleton
Thursday, December 4, 2008
A Whale Of A Tale
There is a very blurred line between right and wrong - in this case especially. There are laws being broken, morals being stood for, property being damaged, lives being saved, ego trips impairing judgement, and ships named "The Can-Opener." However, if one person or side had to be right, I would say that it would be Paul Watson.
It is very possible that Watson is doing this for his "love of theatrics," or perhaps because he simply thinks it's fun, and while I'm sure those do play a part, for the most part, I believe that Watson is doing this to save lives. He feels that whales are even more intelligent than humans, and deserve to survive. So, he is doing everything in his power to ensure the survival of their species.
Aside from trying to preserve the species, he is also trying to stop murder. This doesn't have so much to do with the whales as it does to do with delivering karmic justice. He rams ships that try to kill whales, and does his best to bring as much damage to them as he can. While this can obviously be looked at as a bad thing, I believe it shows he has very good morals.
The final thing that helps to show that Watson is right is the level of risk he's willing to take, and the sacrifices he's willing to make. He has had gas canisters thrown at him, was shot at, was arrested, called a terrorist, and almost sank multiple times. He also devoted his entire life to this line of work, so that he could stop this "holocaust" of the whales.
While it is true, if he were in our country, he would be breaking many laws, and while it is true that he is damaging others' ships and bringing their lives in danger, I have the firm belief that Watson is right in this issue. He is saving lives, stopping murder, and standing up for what he believes in.
It is very possible that Watson is doing this for his "love of theatrics," or perhaps because he simply thinks it's fun, and while I'm sure those do play a part, for the most part, I believe that Watson is doing this to save lives. He feels that whales are even more intelligent than humans, and deserve to survive. So, he is doing everything in his power to ensure the survival of their species.
Aside from trying to preserve the species, he is also trying to stop murder. This doesn't have so much to do with the whales as it does to do with delivering karmic justice. He rams ships that try to kill whales, and does his best to bring as much damage to them as he can. While this can obviously be looked at as a bad thing, I believe it shows he has very good morals.
The final thing that helps to show that Watson is right is the level of risk he's willing to take, and the sacrifices he's willing to make. He has had gas canisters thrown at him, was shot at, was arrested, called a terrorist, and almost sank multiple times. He also devoted his entire life to this line of work, so that he could stop this "holocaust" of the whales.
While it is true, if he were in our country, he would be breaking many laws, and while it is true that he is damaging others' ships and bringing their lives in danger, I have the firm belief that Watson is right in this issue. He is saving lives, stopping murder, and standing up for what he believes in.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Yes, he is biracial. No, we don't care.
"Isn't it time for language to move on?" This is a statement made by Marie Arana, one which is quite unimportant. I feel that this is an unnecessary point, because it seems that the English language is in a good place right now, and she doesn't explicitly state any of the negative consequences that would occur if language didn't move on.
First, she goes into the details on Obama's race, as well as her own. She says that while the misconception is that Barack Obama is our first African American president, in truth, he is our first biracial president. When reading this, I ask myself the same thing I am supposed to ask myself every time I write a paper - "So what?" And that is exactly what I was thinking. So what? Nothing major, or even minor is happening because he is (part) black, although that is debatable. It is not affecting any of his major decisions, and one way or another, it should not be affecting ours. So, so what if we call him the same thing that he refers to himself as? To me, making a big deal of this is just as moot a point as making a point of the fact that his middle name is Hussein. So what?
She then proceeds to take the reader through the history of Hispanic-Americans, and the different bullet points along the timeline that defined the history of their race. I understood that this was meant to make the point that racial groups and their rights are important, and that it never hurts to know the deep rooted history of any race, however, it failed to make me understand why someone's full racial heritage must always be acknowledged.
She then goes on to point out all the celebrities who are biracial, but referred to as black, making the same case she initially made about Obama, that people shouldn't be taken at face value. But what does it matter? Why should we honestly care? Race and ethnic background shouldn't play any kind of role in daily life or human interaction, other than cultural experiences (black churches, hula dancing, etc.). So it doesn't matter if we know that Mariah Carey is half white, (to anyone but her and those who she shares in those cultural experiences with) because it should not play any role in how we see or interact with her. People believing that she is entirely black, or calling her black with the knowledge that she is half white does not matter. It brings absolutely no harm to Carey or society.
In one of Arana's final points, she mentions that someone approached her saying she was half African-American, half German, but no one can see that she is German, only Black. As it so happens, all people judge by first appearance in some way. If any person is asked to take a look at a dark skinned person, and is asked what race they are, the person is going to assume the other person is Black. There is no harm in this (unless the person is a racist, but that's a separate issue entirely). If someone is a lighter skin tone, we are likely to believe they are white, and if they are darker, we are going to believe they are black. If their bicultural background is made common knowledge to the public, the words we call them will still remain the same. This is a sign of neither racism nor unsophistication. This is simply us calling it how we see it. It is also a way for us to not have to say twelve syllables every time we want to refer to someones race.
Friday, November 21, 2008
The Mysterious Stranger Honors Blog
Mark Twain develops the theme of perceived religious misconceptions through imagery, allusion, and paradox.
There are many allusions throughout the book, and many of them pertain to the Christian Bible. For example, when the angel that comes to the 3 main characters introduces himself as Satan, the author very strongly references the bible by saying "It caught us suddenly, that name did... Satan laughed, and asked what was the matter. I said 'Nothing, only it seemed a strange name for an angel.' He asked why. 'Because it's - it's - well, it's his name, you know." Here, he was referencing the devil, who in the Bible, is named Satan. Mark Twain is introducing a character who's name implies that he is the Devil, and yet he plays the role of an angel. This helps to develop the theme of biblical misconceptions, this this is a major renovation to common belief.
Mark Twain also uses imagery to further develop the theme. In this scene, he implies that in the face of chaos and tragedy, an angel can still be happy. He uses a series of visual adjectives to represent this scene. "He was full of bubbling spirits, and as gay as if this were a wedding instead of a fiendish massacre... the looks that went out of our eyes came from our hearts, and their dumb speech was worship." In the second part of the quote, he describes how the boys were manipulated to be in awe of the Angel, and represents this with the image of a feeling of awe flowing from their hearts into their eyes.
At the end of the book, Mark Twain uses paradox to represent the theme, which is probably the most effective method of doing so. It is revealed that the world, the characters, and all existence is but a mere thought, and Satan explains the paradoxes of the biblical interpretation of the universe in order to prove this. He says "A God who could make good children as easily as bad, yet preferred to make bad ones; who could have made every one of them happy, yet never made a single happy one; who made them prize their bitter life, yet stingily cut it short; who gave his angels eternal happiness unearned, yet required his other children to earn it..."
The way I interpret The Mysterious Stranger is that it is meant to disprove religion. Throughout the book, Mark Twain pokes holes in the ideology, using many allusions to the bible, and imagery to describe it, then at the end, he uses paradox to disprove the entire Biblical interpretation to the best of his ability. I feel he did this successfully, and through his understanding of the Bible, the book is a wonderful social, political, and (especially) religious commentary.
There are many allusions throughout the book, and many of them pertain to the Christian Bible. For example, when the angel that comes to the 3 main characters introduces himself as Satan, the author very strongly references the bible by saying "It caught us suddenly, that name did... Satan laughed, and asked what was the matter. I said 'Nothing, only it seemed a strange name for an angel.' He asked why. 'Because it's - it's - well, it's his name, you know." Here, he was referencing the devil, who in the Bible, is named Satan. Mark Twain is introducing a character who's name implies that he is the Devil, and yet he plays the role of an angel. This helps to develop the theme of biblical misconceptions, this this is a major renovation to common belief.
Mark Twain also uses imagery to further develop the theme. In this scene, he implies that in the face of chaos and tragedy, an angel can still be happy. He uses a series of visual adjectives to represent this scene. "He was full of bubbling spirits, and as gay as if this were a wedding instead of a fiendish massacre... the looks that went out of our eyes came from our hearts, and their dumb speech was worship." In the second part of the quote, he describes how the boys were manipulated to be in awe of the Angel, and represents this with the image of a feeling of awe flowing from their hearts into their eyes.
At the end of the book, Mark Twain uses paradox to represent the theme, which is probably the most effective method of doing so. It is revealed that the world, the characters, and all existence is but a mere thought, and Satan explains the paradoxes of the biblical interpretation of the universe in order to prove this. He says "A God who could make good children as easily as bad, yet preferred to make bad ones; who could have made every one of them happy, yet never made a single happy one; who made them prize their bitter life, yet stingily cut it short; who gave his angels eternal happiness unearned, yet required his other children to earn it..."
The way I interpret The Mysterious Stranger is that it is meant to disprove religion. Throughout the book, Mark Twain pokes holes in the ideology, using many allusions to the bible, and imagery to describe it, then at the end, he uses paradox to disprove the entire Biblical interpretation to the best of his ability. I feel he did this successfully, and through his understanding of the Bible, the book is a wonderful social, political, and (especially) religious commentary.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Day-Before-Thanksgiving-Break Blog!
I am thankful for many things. One of them being something that I happen to be thankful for.
By the end of the Thanksgiving break, I should have...
-ALL footage for B-Roll of the beaches that I need shot.
-All the interviews shot.
-A finished script.
And...I will not have a wonderful break. I will have a terrific, splediferous, stupendous, outstanding, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious break, but I will not have a wonderful break.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
H20 Project Update
In my research for my project, I am out to prove the points that our water is dirty and that it needs to be cleaned and/or tested. So far, I am discovering many facts that help to prove my point. For example, I found out from Heal The Bay that a beach I am studying for my project - P.B. Point - was closed for 4 days in 2006 due to a sewage spill. It has been closed many times since then for longer periods of time, for the same reason. However, some other beaches listed have been closed for as many as 68 days.
I am surprised at these facts and numbers, along with many of the other ones I am coming across, such as this one. Apparently, the problem doesn't just lie with San Diego's water, it's with our neighboring states and countries. Tijuana's water is incredibly polluted, and their beaches are often closed for much longer than our beaches. However, it seems that this isn't just Tijuana's problem any more. The water comes down to San Diego, and sweeps up on our beaches. While this isn't something we can personally help, it is still the exact reason we need to continue consistently testing our water - so that we don't end up swimming in filthy polluted water.
I believe my writing is already incredibly cool - I have a lot of humor in the video script I have drawn up, and it is simple and catches the ear. My next step in the process is going to be to compile the data I gather from testing, compile my peer's data, bring my video camera into class tomorrow to film Brandon's class testing the water, and go shoot video of the different beaches this weekend. Once that is all done, all I will have left to do is finish drawing up the script, record the voiceover, and edit it all together.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Products For H20 Project
Product #1 - Video (I am 99% sure this will be my product)
-Narrative: This will help to get the message of the video across, and possibly point out facts that wouldn't be apparent from simple visuals
-Video: I will probably take footage of the beaches, and of us collecting samples, as well as footage of the sewage water running out into the ocean. This will help to increase the impact of whatever the narrative is saying (and give the viewer something to look at).
-Pictures: I will probably incorporate a photography/factual element into the video, which will involve pictures. The photography would mainly be to please the eye, and the factual pictures (such as forms relating to closure of beaches) would be for educational purposes
I intend to make a video incorporating all of these things, and I will probably make a checklist for all elements of the video, which will be similar to the above list
Product #2 - Article (I am 1% sure this will be my product)
-Writing: This will be mostly what the article consists of, so I need to spend the bulk of my time making sure I have a good written piece
-Research: I will need to make sure I have a good amount amount of statistics and data, and sources I can cite, all of which comes from research
-Pictures: I would probably want my article to have a nice visual element, so that the reader doesn't get intimidated by a clump of text, so I might throw a well photographed relevant picture or 2 into the mix.
Assuming I end up doing the article, I will probably do what I planned to do for the video, which is turn the above list into a checklist, and make sure that by the time my product is finished, I have all of the above.
-Narrative: This will help to get the message of the video across, and possibly point out facts that wouldn't be apparent from simple visuals
-Video: I will probably take footage of the beaches, and of us collecting samples, as well as footage of the sewage water running out into the ocean. This will help to increase the impact of whatever the narrative is saying (and give the viewer something to look at).
-Pictures: I will probably incorporate a photography/factual element into the video, which will involve pictures. The photography would mainly be to please the eye, and the factual pictures (such as forms relating to closure of beaches) would be for educational purposes
I intend to make a video incorporating all of these things, and I will probably make a checklist for all elements of the video, which will be similar to the above list
Product #2 - Article (I am 1% sure this will be my product)
-Writing: This will be mostly what the article consists of, so I need to spend the bulk of my time making sure I have a good written piece
-Research: I will need to make sure I have a good amount amount of statistics and data, and sources I can cite, all of which comes from research
-Pictures: I would probably want my article to have a nice visual element, so that the reader doesn't get intimidated by a clump of text, so I might throw a well photographed relevant picture or 2 into the mix.
Assuming I end up doing the article, I will probably do what I planned to do for the video, which is turn the above list into a checklist, and make sure that by the time my product is finished, I have all of the above.
Mexican-American Voter Discrimination
To include one specific group into an entire voting population is a very difficult, long process, and requires people who are victim to discrimination to continue fighting their cause for decades, and it requires many flukes from many people who all need to do or say just the right thing at just the right moment in time. This is how the process was for the blacks, the women, and the youth of America, and the Mexican-Americans were no different.
Mexican-American voters faced many struggles in society, and the barriers that kept them from voting were one of these things. Some of the key people who led to the near equality that we know today are Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales, who, in 1966, founded the "Crusade For Justice," and Cesar Chavez, who founded the "United Farm Workers Union."
There is still undeniable voter discrimination, but it has improved greatly, and I believe if a direct threat to the voting rights of Mexican-Americans (or any minority) is detected by either the government or the people, I have confidence it would be corrected immediately. Much of this is owed to the people I mentioned earlier, along with many others, who helped in the fight for voter equality. As the article states, "The work of these pioneering activists provided a base to mobilize Mexican Americans and increase their political power in the late twentieth and early twenty- first centuries."
Mexican-American voters faced many struggles in society, and the barriers that kept them from voting were one of these things. Some of the key people who led to the near equality that we know today are Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales, who, in 1966, founded the "Crusade For Justice," and Cesar Chavez, who founded the "United Farm Workers Union."
There is still undeniable voter discrimination, but it has improved greatly, and I believe if a direct threat to the voting rights of Mexican-Americans (or any minority) is detected by either the government or the people, I have confidence it would be corrected immediately. Much of this is owed to the people I mentioned earlier, along with many others, who helped in the fight for voter equality. As the article states, "The work of these pioneering activists provided a base to mobilize Mexican Americans and increase their political power in the late twentieth and early twenty- first centuries."
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Election Results/Water Project Product
I feel incredibly happy about the results of the election. I feel, and always have felt, that Barack Obama is the best candidate to be our president, and is the best person to pull us out of this economic crisis, and help resolve our global conflicts. My main hope is that Barack Obama follows through with his promise for change, and implements the policies and plans that he laid out to the American public, since skeptics of his campaign (who fairly critiqued what he had to say) have called his claims and aspirations "wishful." My main concern is for Barack Obama's life, because although our nation has come a long way from slavery and segregation, there is still racism left in America, and organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan pose a major threat to the man who has now become our 44th president.
I believe is is safe to say I have a decent amount of civic knowledge. I know much about our constitution, the declaration of independence, how the judicial and executive branches work, and how the electoral college works. I have learned the majority of these things this year, and I believe the main part of what helped me to learn these subjects was blogging. Researching, analyzing, and writing about these different national and global issues has really made me commit many new important things to memory, as well as think about why they are to important, and how they affect me. I can improve on this by continuing to blog, and refining my writing and research skills, as well as learning many new subjects I still have yet to.
I feel quite pleased and displeased about conversations I have had outside of class. I am pleased with the people who actually bother to use more than one of their brain cells when making political decisions, no matter what side of the ballot they are on. The people I dislike are the people who are easily influenced and hasty in their decisions. An example of this is when I went to Florida, and was talking to a family friend at dinner, who told me that Barack Obama could not be trusted because "No one knows the first thing about him..." and because "he's a Muslim..." and apparently, all Muslims "want to behead you!"
For my water project, I will personally need the following resources - all of which I already have.
-Computer (for research)
-Editing program (for creating my video)
-Camera (for shooting my video)
To my knowledge, I will only need the people in my group, but if they so decide that they need interviewees, I could find a way to incorporate them into my video
-Vanessa (for primary research)
-Stephanie (to compile the data from the water tests into beach report cards - this will be needed for the video)
-Nyachare (to assist with compilation of data into a coherent article - my video will be complimentary to her article, so we need to be on the same page)
Schedule
Friday - Do preliminary research in class along with the rest of the group (maybe process water results if we are able to)
Saturday - Saturday morning cartoons, then some research, and if I am able, start the outline of a video script
Sunday - Start in with writing my video script. Stay in contact with group members for updates on information
Monday - Continue scripting - MAKE SURE I KNOW WHAT TO SHOOT
Tuesday - Go with group to beach locations and shoot the footage I need - we will then collect the data we need
Wednesday - Continue scripting what's left of the video - leave room for facts and numbers we probably won't have yet
Thursday - Edit video together - make changes according to what data and group research suggests
Friday - Continue editing
Saturday - Record audio for narrative I will have in the video
Sunday - Edit narrative in
Monday - Continue editing - try to be done or close to done by today
Tuesday - I should be putting the finishing touches on the video now
Wednesday - Put together a group website. Nothing huge - just an online compilation of our data. Assist group if they need help with something.
Thursday - Continue creating site and helping group
Friday - Have video, and website completed by today.
I believe is is safe to say I have a decent amount of civic knowledge. I know much about our constitution, the declaration of independence, how the judicial and executive branches work, and how the electoral college works. I have learned the majority of these things this year, and I believe the main part of what helped me to learn these subjects was blogging. Researching, analyzing, and writing about these different national and global issues has really made me commit many new important things to memory, as well as think about why they are to important, and how they affect me. I can improve on this by continuing to blog, and refining my writing and research skills, as well as learning many new subjects I still have yet to.
I feel quite pleased and displeased about conversations I have had outside of class. I am pleased with the people who actually bother to use more than one of their brain cells when making political decisions, no matter what side of the ballot they are on. The people I dislike are the people who are easily influenced and hasty in their decisions. An example of this is when I went to Florida, and was talking to a family friend at dinner, who told me that Barack Obama could not be trusted because "No one knows the first thing about him..." and because "he's a Muslim..." and apparently, all Muslims "want to behead you!"
For my water project, I will personally need the following resources - all of which I already have.
-Computer (for research)
-Editing program (for creating my video)
-Camera (for shooting my video)
To my knowledge, I will only need the people in my group, but if they so decide that they need interviewees, I could find a way to incorporate them into my video
-Vanessa (for primary research)
-Stephanie (to compile the data from the water tests into beach report cards - this will be needed for the video)
-Nyachare (to assist with compilation of data into a coherent article - my video will be complimentary to her article, so we need to be on the same page)
Schedule
Friday - Do preliminary research in class along with the rest of the group (maybe process water results if we are able to)
Saturday - Saturday morning cartoons, then some research, and if I am able, start the outline of a video script
Sunday - Start in with writing my video script. Stay in contact with group members for updates on information
Monday - Continue scripting - MAKE SURE I KNOW WHAT TO SHOOT
Tuesday - Go with group to beach locations and shoot the footage I need - we will then collect the data we need
Wednesday - Continue scripting what's left of the video - leave room for facts and numbers we probably won't have yet
Thursday - Edit video together - make changes according to what data and group research suggests
Friday - Continue editing
Saturday - Record audio for narrative I will have in the video
Sunday - Edit narrative in
Monday - Continue editing - try to be done or close to done by today
Tuesday - I should be putting the finishing touches on the video now
Wednesday - Put together a group website. Nothing huge - just an online compilation of our data. Assist group if they need help with something.
Thursday - Continue creating site and helping group
Friday - Have video, and website completed by today.
Monday, November 3, 2008
H2O Project Research Questions: Revised
Question 1: What role does water play in the plant and animal ecosystem in Pacific Beach?
The only way an ecosystem works is if everything moves around in one giant cycle. Outside environment can affect the water, which can in turn affect the outside environment. If the water is inhabited by a certain animal, then a land based creature that eats that animal may migrate near to the water so they can feed on that particular creature. Animals aren't the only ones affected by this cycle, either. Plants are a huge part of the process. They need water to survive, so it's far more likely that more plant life will grow near a body of water. There are likely to be more trees, grass, and plants. The beaches would be covered in plant-life, except that humans continue to trample the areas in which seeds are trying to grow. As a result, Pacific beach, much like most beaches, looks relatively barren down near the water - it's all just sand.
Question 2: What outside forces affect the water at Pacific Beach and how?
The main way environment affects the water nearby it is through pollution. When the water gets polluted, either through the air around it or from litter, it affects the quality of the water, and can kill life inside it. Once this happens, it can ruin the whole food chain inside the water. In Pacific Beach, many of the plankton in the water die off due to pollution. As a result of this, the creature that eats the plankton will die, and then the creature that eats that creature will die. This completely throws off the ecosystem. Also, the presence of people in the water is enough to drive many living creatures away, who might otherwise be inhabiting that area.
The only way an ecosystem works is if everything moves around in one giant cycle. Outside environment can affect the water, which can in turn affect the outside environment. If the water is inhabited by a certain animal, then a land based creature that eats that animal may migrate near to the water so they can feed on that particular creature. Animals aren't the only ones affected by this cycle, either. Plants are a huge part of the process. They need water to survive, so it's far more likely that more plant life will grow near a body of water. There are likely to be more trees, grass, and plants. The beaches would be covered in plant-life, except that humans continue to trample the areas in which seeds are trying to grow. As a result, Pacific beach, much like most beaches, looks relatively barren down near the water - it's all just sand.
Question 2: What outside forces affect the water at Pacific Beach and how?
The main way environment affects the water nearby it is through pollution. When the water gets polluted, either through the air around it or from litter, it affects the quality of the water, and can kill life inside it. Once this happens, it can ruin the whole food chain inside the water. In Pacific Beach, many of the plankton in the water die off due to pollution. As a result of this, the creature that eats the plankton will die, and then the creature that eats that creature will die. This completely throws off the ecosystem. Also, the presence of people in the water is enough to drive many living creatures away, who might otherwise be inhabiting that area.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
H2O Project Research Questions
Question 1: What role does water play in the plant and animal ecosystem at mission beach?
The main way environment affects the water nearby it is through pollution. When the water gets polluted, either through the air around it or from litter, it affects the quality of the water, and can kill life inside it. Once this happens, it can ruin the whole food chain inside the water. For example, if the plankton in the water die off, the creature that eats the plankton will die, and then the creature that eats that creature will die. This completely throws off the ecosystem. Pollution is not the only way outside forces affect the water - the ecosystem itself has a large effect on what happens all around, and therefore to the mass of water. Land based creatures may feed on creatures inside the water, and therefore, they may live in that area, so they can fish for food more easily. This will most certainly affect the life inside of the water even more.
Question 2: What outside forces affect the water at pacific beach and how?
Going back to the ecosystem - it all moves around in one giant circle. Like I said before, the outside environment can affect the water, which can in turn affect the outside environment. Animals aren't the only ones affected by this cycle, either. Plants are a huge part of the process. They need water to survive, so it's far more likely that more plant life will grow near a body of water. There are likely to be more trees, grass, and plants. Depending on the location of the water, it could affect it's environment in an entirely different way. If the area around the body of water is populated by people, they may have built homes and buildings nearby to or bordering it. This can be a problem is erosion happens. Erosion is a problem that commonly occurs with homes on hills near bodies of water. Water runoff causes the soil to soften, leading to a mudslide, and therefore, for homes (and sometimes lives) to be ruined. Water has potential to affect it's environment in both great and terrible ways, but when it comes to nature, we must always take the good with the bad.
The main way environment affects the water nearby it is through pollution. When the water gets polluted, either through the air around it or from litter, it affects the quality of the water, and can kill life inside it. Once this happens, it can ruin the whole food chain inside the water. For example, if the plankton in the water die off, the creature that eats the plankton will die, and then the creature that eats that creature will die. This completely throws off the ecosystem. Pollution is not the only way outside forces affect the water - the ecosystem itself has a large effect on what happens all around, and therefore to the mass of water. Land based creatures may feed on creatures inside the water, and therefore, they may live in that area, so they can fish for food more easily. This will most certainly affect the life inside of the water even more.
Question 2: What outside forces affect the water at pacific beach and how?
Going back to the ecosystem - it all moves around in one giant circle. Like I said before, the outside environment can affect the water, which can in turn affect the outside environment. Animals aren't the only ones affected by this cycle, either. Plants are a huge part of the process. They need water to survive, so it's far more likely that more plant life will grow near a body of water. There are likely to be more trees, grass, and plants. Depending on the location of the water, it could affect it's environment in an entirely different way. If the area around the body of water is populated by people, they may have built homes and buildings nearby to or bordering it. This can be a problem is erosion happens. Erosion is a problem that commonly occurs with homes on hills near bodies of water. Water runoff causes the soil to soften, leading to a mudslide, and therefore, for homes (and sometimes lives) to be ruined. Water has potential to affect it's environment in both great and terrible ways, but when it comes to nature, we must always take the good with the bad.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Blog 16: Revised
Please don't mark as late! - Internet was down
There is currently an issue surrounding ACORN - or Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now - a company currently dedicated to getting voters registered. The problem is that they recently found about half of their registration forms to be fraudulent. They are now being accused of voter fraud - primarily by the Republicans. However, the Democrats are saying that by trying to stop what ACORN is doing, they are allowing voter supporession. This has also been called "The Republican War On Voting." This raises an issue which has been raised for years - the suppression of votes. This is what many Democrats claim the reason is behind Bush winning the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections.
While it is true that it is the fault of the people sending in the registration forms - the Republican argument is that this is a major threat to democracy - and could severely impact the way the vote turns out. They say this is fraud, and it is a felony. The Democratic argument is that the Republicans have far larger issues to be worrying about - and since the issue with the fraudulent votes is being taken care of, the Republicans shouldn't care if the valid forms go through, since it means more people would then be allowed to vote. This ties back into the original claim of voter suppression.
One thing to remember about this issue is that each political party has it's own agenda, and they are likely to have other (self-serving) reasons why they would or would not want ACORN to stay in tact. Since much of the unregistered voter population is Democratic, it is in the Democratic party's best interest to have ACORN continue to do it's job. Since the Republicans do not hold the majority of this unregistered voter's population, they are much less understanding of ACORN's situation, since it is not in their best interest. If the situation was reversed, however, and ACORN was primarily benefiting the Republican party, it is quite likely the Republicans would be the ones with no complaints, and the Democrats would be outraged.
However, the story is actually very clear on which of these issues is the larger one, if proper research is done. Voter suppression is by far the more serious concern. Only a handful of people are actually involved with fraudulent voting - not enough to swing an election. However, "(t)ens of thousands of eligible voters in at least six swing states have been removed from the rolls or have been blocked from registering in ways that appear to violate federal law."
It has been shown that the majority of the people who don't vote are Democratic, so it is therefore insinuated by members of the Democratic party that the Republican party intentionally suppresses these votes. There are many separate incidents in which people (who were primarily Democratic) had difficulty voting. One example of this is when college students were not allowed to vote or were told they were not allowed to vote, due to technicalities. There have also been a number of phone calls placed from an untraceable number, in which an automated message told people to wait a few days for a voter registration packet to arrive in the mail, so they could fill it out and vote. The problem with this is that by then, the elections would be over - the phone calls are intentionally misleading.
The issue with solving voter suppression is that it is a Nation-wide problem, and cannot be traced back to any one individual person. Also, for all those who are put in positions of power, there is plausible deniability (such as if they flag a vote as being suspicious and throw it away, when in truth there was nothing wrong with it, there are laws in place which allow that person to claim that they thought the vote was invalid). Of course, it is not the intent of the entire Republican party to suppress votes. However, it is far more likely that many of the people behind voter suppression are Republican, because as I said before, it works toward the goals of Republicans, and not those of the Democrats.
There is currently an issue surrounding ACORN - or Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now - a company currently dedicated to getting voters registered. The problem is that they recently found about half of their registration forms to be fraudulent. They are now being accused of voter fraud - primarily by the Republicans. However, the Democrats are saying that by trying to stop what ACORN is doing, they are allowing voter supporession. This has also been called "The Republican War On Voting." This raises an issue which has been raised for years - the suppression of votes. This is what many Democrats claim the reason is behind Bush winning the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections.
While it is true that it is the fault of the people sending in the registration forms - the Republican argument is that this is a major threat to democracy - and could severely impact the way the vote turns out. They say this is fraud, and it is a felony. The Democratic argument is that the Republicans have far larger issues to be worrying about - and since the issue with the fraudulent votes is being taken care of, the Republicans shouldn't care if the valid forms go through, since it means more people would then be allowed to vote. This ties back into the original claim of voter suppression.
One thing to remember about this issue is that each political party has it's own agenda, and they are likely to have other (self-serving) reasons why they would or would not want ACORN to stay in tact. Since much of the unregistered voter population is Democratic, it is in the Democratic party's best interest to have ACORN continue to do it's job. Since the Republicans do not hold the majority of this unregistered voter's population, they are much less understanding of ACORN's situation, since it is not in their best interest. If the situation was reversed, however, and ACORN was primarily benefiting the Republican party, it is quite likely the Republicans would be the ones with no complaints, and the Democrats would be outraged.
However, the story is actually very clear on which of these issues is the larger one, if proper research is done. Voter suppression is by far the more serious concern. Only a handful of people are actually involved with fraudulent voting - not enough to swing an election. However, "(t)ens of thousands of eligible voters in at least six swing states have been removed from the rolls or have been blocked from registering in ways that appear to violate federal law."
It has been shown that the majority of the people who don't vote are Democratic, so it is therefore insinuated by members of the Democratic party that the Republican party intentionally suppresses these votes. There are many separate incidents in which people (who were primarily Democratic) had difficulty voting. One example of this is when college students were not allowed to vote or were told they were not allowed to vote, due to technicalities. There have also been a number of phone calls placed from an untraceable number, in which an automated message told people to wait a few days for a voter registration packet to arrive in the mail, so they could fill it out and vote. The problem with this is that by then, the elections would be over - the phone calls are intentionally misleading.
The issue with solving voter suppression is that it is a Nation-wide problem, and cannot be traced back to any one individual person. Also, for all those who are put in positions of power, there is plausible deniability (such as if they flag a vote as being suspicious and throw it away, when in truth there was nothing wrong with it, there are laws in place which allow that person to claim that they thought the vote was invalid). Of course, it is not the intent of the entire Republican party to suppress votes. However, it is far more likely that many of the people behind voter suppression are Republican, because as I said before, it works toward the goals of Republicans, and not those of the Democrats.
Honors Literature Blog
Please don't mark as late! - Internet was down
Ernest Hemingway develops the theme of being in undesirable situations through imagery, allusion, and paradox. A main sub-theme that really ties in with this is corruption.
In a large portion of this book, Ernest Hemingway is describing the scenery around him. In doing so, he is using the literary device of imagery. He first gives a very good idea of where he is, and what is going on around him, so that the reader feels more involved. “I went out onto the sidewalk and walked down toward the Boulevard St. Michel, passed the tables of the Rotande, still crowded, looked across the street at the Dome, it’s tables running out to the edge of the pavement.” After he’s finished describing his surroundings in depth, he’ll explain the events that unfold at his ending location. Once he has put the reader in this mindset, he makes way for an explanation of how many of the main characters hate where they are a lot of the time – among which are Lady Ashley and Robert Cohn. This helps along the theme.
At the beginning of the book, he describes how his friend, Cohn, read the book “The Purple Land” by W.H. Hudson – which is an allusion. He talks about how this book temporarily changed Cohn’s views on the world and on life, and suddenly made him desperate to get away. “The
Another literary device Ernest Hemingway uses is Paradox. In the first chapter of the book, he has the following to say about his friend, Robert Cohn: “He was a nice boy, a friendly boy, and very shy…” However, as it shows Cohn throughout the story, he progressively gets more and more angry and violent. Towards the end, Cohn reaches the peak of his anger, and a fistfight ensues. This can all be directly related to Brett, since she is what the conflict is about with all of the main characters. This is a perfect example of the sub-theme, which is corruption. Someone who is perfectly nice and shy (and engaged) let himself get sucked into a 5-way love triangle, and virtually ruin his entire romantic life.
The reason all of the events in the book happen is because of the theme – undesirable situations. It is the reason for the entire central conflict, as well as what drives the plot forward. Brett finds herself in an undesirable situation with all the men she dates, and as a result, the men she dates find themselves in an undesirable situation with one another, and all the while, they are living in a place they find undesirable, or have to deal with people or situations they find undesirable. From beginning to end, this theme is maintained, thus making the ending – and the book – quite undesirable.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
16: Fraud Or Suppression? The Greater Of 2 Evils?
There is currently an issue surrounding ACORN - or Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now - a company currently dedicated to getting voters registered. The problem is that they recently found about half of their registration forms to be fraudulent. They are now being accused of voter fraud - primarily by the Republicans. However, the Democrats are saying that by trying to stop what ACORN is doing, they are allowing voter supporession. This has also been called "The Republican War On Voting." This raises an issue which has been raised for years - the suppression of votes. This is what many Democrats claim the reason is behind Bush winning the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections.
While it is true that it is the fault of the people sending in the registration forms - the Republican argument is that this is a major threat to democracy - and could severely impact the way the vote turns out. They say this is fraud, and it is a felony. The Democratic argument is that the Republicans have far larger issues to be worrying about - and since the issue with the fraudulent votes is being taken care of, the Republicans shouldn't care if the valid forms go through, since it means more people would then be allowed to vote. This ties back into the original claim of voter suppression.
One thing to remember about this issue is that each political party has it's own agenda, and they are likely to have other (self-serving) reasons why they would or would not want ACORN to stay in tact. Since much of the unregistered voter population is Democratic, it is in the Democratic party's best interest to have ACORN continue to do it's job. Since the Republicans do not hold the majority of this unregistered voter's population, they are much less understanding of ACORN's situation, since it is not in their best interest. If the situation was reversed, however, and ACORN was primarily benefiting the Republican party, it is quite likely the Republicans would be the ones with no complaints, and the Democrats would be outraged.
While it is true that it is the fault of the people sending in the registration forms - the Republican argument is that this is a major threat to democracy - and could severely impact the way the vote turns out. They say this is fraud, and it is a felony. The Democratic argument is that the Republicans have far larger issues to be worrying about - and since the issue with the fraudulent votes is being taken care of, the Republicans shouldn't care if the valid forms go through, since it means more people would then be allowed to vote. This ties back into the original claim of voter suppression.
One thing to remember about this issue is that each political party has it's own agenda, and they are likely to have other (self-serving) reasons why they would or would not want ACORN to stay in tact. Since much of the unregistered voter population is Democratic, it is in the Democratic party's best interest to have ACORN continue to do it's job. Since the Republicans do not hold the majority of this unregistered voter's population, they are much less understanding of ACORN's situation, since it is not in their best interest. If the situation was reversed, however, and ACORN was primarily benefiting the Republican party, it is quite likely the Republicans would be the ones with no complaints, and the Democrats would be outraged.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
15: In 200 Years, What Will They Say About Us?
The presidential and vice-presidential debates of 2008 were responsible for creating history, and sparking much publicity and excitement, the likes of which have never been seen before. In the first presidential debate, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama took the stage in front of thousands of audience members and millions of viewers. They each made a strong impression, and elaborated on their policies and strengths, as well as opponents’ weaknesses. After that debate, the polls showed Obama in the lead. This was such a historical debate because Barack Obama was the first African American man to ever run for president of the United States.
Something that majorly helped Obama to gain his lead was by comparing John McCain to George W. Bush, the previous president of the United States, who served 2 terms. By the time his presidency was over, he was widely disliked by the majority of the American (and world) population. Initially, in the 2000 election, he hadn't even won the popular vote, but the vote was close enough that the electoral college, which did vote in his favor, was enough to sway the election. In the 2004, however, George W. Bush did win the popular vote.
After the first 2008 presidential debate, there came the Vice presidential debates, in which Governor Sarah Palin and Joe Biden debated in the same format. This was another history-making debate, since if John McCain were to win, Sarah Palin would be the first female vice-president. By the end of that debate, Biden was shown to have a very large lead. In the second presidential debates, Obama and McCain had a town hall style debate, in which both of the candidates were mildly incoherent and failed to answer the majority of the questions. This, however, was meant to be John McCain’s specialty, which is why, after that debate, Barack Obama had only a slight lead.
In the third presidential debates, the nominees sat one on one. There, they flung accusations, discussed and argued about each other’s policies, and gave a few shout-outs to Joe the plumber. Barack Obama was shown to have the lead after that debate was through – although John McCain had made a very large improvement from his previous 2 debates. Shortly afterward, Barack Obama released an advertisement in all the “battleground” states, which showed John McCain saying how he has agreed with 90% of Bush’s decisions. This pushed him very far ahead in the polls, as well as with the electoral college.
"Facts Muddled In Mississippi McCain-Obama Meeting," FactCheck, http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/15/1550438.aspx, 9/27/08
"Presidential Election Of 2000, Electoral And Popular Vote Summary," InfoPlease, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0876793.html
Mark Murray, "Joe The Plumber," FirstRead, http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/15/1550438.aspx, 10/15/08
"Election Center 2008,"CNN Politics, http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/
Thursday, October 16, 2008
15: Een Yoonited States - INTERNET informs YOU!I
The Internet Gains In PoliticsAndrew Kohut
Pew Internet
1/11/08
The internet has had a massive effect on the way this generation examines politics and current events. Because of this, we are far more well informed, and we have the confidence of knowing that the full story on virtually anything we want to know is always just a mouse click away.
I agree and connect so much with this idea, because it is something that is more a part of my academic life than anything else. Case and point: the blog I am writing about right now. What is it about? Current events. What was required of me in order for me to find current events? Research. How did I do the research? THE INTERNET. That's basically what it all is in Lehman's terms, anyway. The school I go to really helps to enforce it all, as well. There is no class I have ever had that has not, at some point or another, required online research of modern life.
What I like about this article is that there is no twist - it's relatively short and to the point, and doesn't have any sort of framing or bias (no detectable one, at least). It simply states how many people are now turning to the internet for virtually all of their information. The reason I appreciate the fact that this article doesn't list the downsides is because I don't feel there are too many
worth discussing. True, there are online sources which can be untrustworthy, but people simply need to learn how to avoid these. We shouldn't try to push away from something which has accomplished bringing people together, enhancing our forms of communication, and expanding the minds of people everywhere.Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Bonus Blog! Newspaper Project Reflections!
I feel like I contributed my fair share to this project. Looking at just the writing, there were a total of 2 articles that needed to be written, and there were 4 of us. Therefore, each of us needed to write a half an article in order to have an equal amount of work between us. I wrote the first half of the first article. I also split up our debate into 4 parts, and assigned our group members to read and sort through the different parts, so we would all be well educated on our specific section. On top of that, I made the basic layout for our newspaper (background color, picture, title, font, and separating lines). Although virtually none of my exact work made it through to the final product, I still feel as though what I contributed played a major role in the way our project developed, and in turn, affected the final product.
There is one thing about the final product I am not quite satisfied with, though. The layout slightly bothers me. Looking back, I realize I should have made a more specific template, instead of just the bare basics. There are many things about the current template I like, such as how the columns are set up, and how the key quotes are made to be larger and bolded, however, I do not like the font of the title, and I do not like that there are no margins around the pictures. I should have taken that bit of extra time I had while I was in school and applied that to revising and adding to the layout, instead of revising my part of the article (which turned out to be no good anyways).
I believe that during this project, I had a very good time management process. Considering this was a 5 day project which I personally only had 3 days to work on, I feel that I took full advantage of the time I was given. I was constantly making sure my group had equal tasks, and that we were working in order to help one another. I was also working on my own individual tasks, which consisted of creating my half of the article, revising my group members' articles, and creating the basic template. Another resource I had, but didn't use, was research. I didn't look at any books, or check out any online sources besides the official debate. Although I feel the subjects of our articles were good, there is a chance that additional research may have helped to improve those articles.
There is one thing about the final product I am not quite satisfied with, though. The layout slightly bothers me. Looking back, I realize I should have made a more specific template, instead of just the bare basics. There are many things about the current template I like, such as how the columns are set up, and how the key quotes are made to be larger and bolded, however, I do not like the font of the title, and I do not like that there are no margins around the pictures. I should have taken that bit of extra time I had while I was in school and applied that to revising and adding to the layout, instead of revising my part of the article (which turned out to be no good anyways).
I believe that during this project, I had a very good time management process. Considering this was a 5 day project which I personally only had 3 days to work on, I feel that I took full advantage of the time I was given. I was constantly making sure my group had equal tasks, and that we were working in order to help one another. I was also working on my own individual tasks, which consisted of creating my half of the article, revising my group members' articles, and creating the basic template. Another resource I had, but didn't use, was research. I didn't look at any books, or check out any online sources besides the official debate. Although I feel the subjects of our articles were good, there is a chance that additional research may have helped to improve those articles.
13: Neither Side Can Tell The Truth
Health Care Spin
Lori Robertson
FactCheck
10/14/08
Both Barack Obama and John McCain have a very hard time telling the truth wh
en it comes to health care. As for their own plans, they are relatively good at stating their intentions, however, when it comes to the other side, neither party is willing to be at all truthful.
During class this year, I've learned that you cannot take any political candidate for their word, and listening to ANYTHING that the political commercials have to say doesn't guarantee anything. Both Obama's and McCain's campaigns claim that the other candidate's plan would be catastrophic to the economy, and that their plan is so
unbelievably better than the other persons. However, neither of these claims are true. Thanks to FactCheck, I can now verify just how preposterous the claims from both campaigns are.
It makes me quite angry that both candidates have resorted to dirty tactics. They're not even truth-stretching anymore - they're just flat out lying. I believe that there should be certain laws implemented that prohibit the candidates from telling half-truths and pulling quotes entirely out of context. There has certainly been progress - the law that requires them to say their name and that they approve the message is definitely a step in the right direction. I just wish they would take it a little further.
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Image 2
Lori Robertson
FactCheck
10/14/08
Both Barack Obama and John McCain have a very hard time telling the truth wh
en it comes to health care. As for their own plans, they are relatively good at stating their intentions, however, when it comes to the other side, neither party is willing to be at all truthful. During class this year, I've learned that you cannot take any political candidate for their word, and listening to ANYTHING that the political commercials have to say doesn't guarantee anything. Both Obama's and McCain's campaigns claim that the other candidate's plan would be catastrophic to the economy, and that their plan is so
unbelievably better than the other persons. However, neither of these claims are true. Thanks to FactCheck, I can now verify just how preposterous the claims from both campaigns are. It makes me quite angry that both candidates have resorted to dirty tactics. They're not even truth-stretching anymore - they're just flat out lying. I believe that there should be certain laws implemented that prohibit the candidates from telling half-truths and pulling quotes entirely out of context. There has certainly been progress - the law that requires them to say their name and that they approve the message is definitely a step in the right direction. I just wish they would take it a little further.
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Wednesday, October 8, 2008
The Future President...OF THE PAST
Mr. Lincoln's Speech
The National Park Service
10/3/1858
OnOctober 13th, 1858, Senator Lincoln and Senator Douglas participated in their 6th official debate for the presidency. Lincoln was the first to talk, and he mentioned his views on slavery, saying such things as " I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races..." He also was very quick to put
down and mock his opponent. When Douglas took the stage, first he took some time to defend himself and refute Lincoln's arguments, and then went on to describe how he felt he would do as president, and have the audience an idea of the way he works. “I correct myself, as a gentleman, and an honest man, and as I always feel proud to do when I have made a mistake.”
This series of debates is part of what helped to shape American history, and the nation that we all know today. It is probably partially because of these debates that Abraham Lincoln became president of the United states, and helped to free blacks from slavery, and probably caused many of the segregation issues that this nation faced and is still (partially) facing. These debates have been quoted many times by many famous politicians who like to employ these same values. And overall, the butterfly effect that having Lincoln as president has probably had has affected us all in ways we probably could have never predicted and will never be able to figure out.
I believe that the first presidential and vice presidential debates were great. They really helped me to gain insight
on what both candidates believed, and the way it was set up made it really hard for either of them to lie, or even stretch the truth. The arguments and points were lively and easily understandable, and I was able to pick up on patterns from all the candidates, and identify what they said, how they said it, and what it probably actually meant. As for the most recent debate (the second presidential debate), I was not at all fond of it. It was far too informal, neither of the candidates answered any questions, and I found both to be highly annoying in different ways. I had thought that the town hall style would work, but as it turns out, it just doesn't.
The National Park Service
10/3/1858
On
down and mock his opponent. When Douglas took the stage, first he took some time to defend himself and refute Lincoln's arguments, and then went on to describe how he felt he would do as president, and have the audience an idea of the way he works. “I correct myself, as a gentleman, and an honest man, and as I always feel proud to do when I have made a mistake.”
This series of debates is part of what helped to shape American history, and the nation that we all know today. It is probably partially because of these debates that Abraham Lincoln became president of the United states, and helped to free blacks from slavery, and probably caused many of the segregation issues that this nation faced and is still (partially) facing. These debates have been quoted many times by many famous politicians who like to employ these same values. And overall, the butterfly effect that having Lincoln as president has probably had has affected us all in ways we probably could have never predicted and will never be able to figure out.
I believe that the first presidential and vice presidential debates were great. They really helped me to gain insight
on what both candidates believed, and the way it was set up made it really hard for either of them to lie, or even stretch the truth. The arguments and points were lively and easily understandable, and I was able to pick up on patterns from all the candidates, and identify what they said, how they said it, and what it probably actually meant. As for the most recent debate (the second presidential debate), I was not at all fond of it. It was far too informal, neither of the candidates answered any questions, and I found both to be highly annoying in different ways. I had thought that the town hall style would work, but as it turns out, it just doesn't.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
11: Race Decides Election?
U.S. Census Bureau Percent Of Total Population Who Are Black Or African American Alone 2006
According to the Demographics on the U.S. Census Bureau (link above), 7 of our states have a population made up of anywhere from 27 to 55% African Americans. Eleven more states have anywhere from a 14 to a 21% Black population. What I would like to know are the specifics on this, and whether this is evenly spread throughout the state, or only in certain counties. I would also like to know why there is such a difference in Black population in the United States. I say this because 13 of our states only have between a 0.5 and a 2.3% Black population.
I believe that the demographics here can heavily impact who becomes the next president of the United States. African Americans make up a large portion of the United States's population, and although there is no saying who will vote for who, it is more likely that some of the African American population will be biased, in thinking that we should have our first African American president. With this in mind, there have also been times in which the decisions of just one state have decided the entire election. In 2000, when many Floridians voted for a party outside of the Democrats and Republicans, it was enough to sway the popular vote in George Bush's Favor.
To me, it seems that most people will consider all the facts before going to vote, but when it comes to the African American population, Barack Obama has a bit more of the appeal, which gives him a slight advantage (for those states). Therefore, supposing the election is almost a tiebreaker, those 7 states (or even just 1 of those states) may be able to swing the vote in Barack Obama's favor.
According to the Demographics on the U.S. Census Bureau (link above), 7 of our states have a population made up of anywhere from 27 to 55% African Americans. Eleven more states have anywhere from a 14 to a 21% Black population. What I would like to know are the specifics on this, and whether this is evenly spread throughout the state, or only in certain counties. I would also like to know why there is such a difference in Black population in the United States. I say this because 13 of our states only have between a 0.5 and a 2.3% Black population.
I believe that the demographics here can heavily impact who becomes the next president of the United States. African Americans make up a large portion of the United States's population, and although there is no saying who will vote for who, it is more likely that some of the African American population will be biased, in thinking that we should have our first African American president. With this in mind, there have also been times in which the decisions of just one state have decided the entire election. In 2000, when many Floridians voted for a party outside of the Democrats and Republicans, it was enough to sway the popular vote in George Bush's Favor.To me, it seems that most people will consider all the facts before going to vote, but when it comes to the African American population, Barack Obama has a bit more of the appeal, which gives him a slight advantage (for those states). Therefore, supposing the election is almost a tiebreaker, those 7 states (or even just 1 of those states) may be able to swing the vote in Barack Obama's favor.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
10: Democrats - Throughout The Years
The Democratic Party has consistently changed over the course of the past two centuries, from everything to the values it holds, to the title. It would be difficult to say exactly how the founders of the Democratic Party would feel about it's current state, but they would probably be pleased, since a lot of what the Democratic party stands for still involves Democracy, and a bit of anti-federalism (although depending on who is in office, that can change).
According to the official website of the Democratic Party, "Thomas Jefferson founded the Democratic party in 1792," so he could promote the bill of rights, and work against the federalists. However, at the time, this was not called the democratic party - they were the Democratic-Republicans. The Green Papers mention that they were initially called Republicans, but since they believed in Democracy, they were more commonly called Democratic-Republicans
. In 1824, John Quincy Adams was elected as the president of the United States, which caused many disagreements among the Democratic Republicans, and in turn, caused them to split into 4 separate factions. Among these 4 groups was the Jacksonian Democrats, which was organized by Andrew Jackson, a war hero, and one of the founding fathers of the Democratic Party. The title "Jacksonian-Democrats" was eventually shortened to "Democrats." Over time, the party continued to evolve, and define itself, until it became the Democratic Party that we all know today.
The history of the Democratic party is important to know, and ties in very much with what we are currently learning about political parties. This is because it demonstrates the changes that a political party can go through. Depending on a variety of factors, one of which being who is elected president, can decide the changes that a political party can undergo, which in turn, can effect whether or not people even choose to stay with that party. Cindy Sheehan,
a grieving mother, posted an article online, saying "Why I Am Leaving The Democratic Party." She first mentions that her son was killed in the service, and then describes how she opposes the Iraq war, and George W. Bush for sending our troops into this war. Then, she goes on to say that ever since the government has become majority Democrat, they have done very little to help with ending the Iraq war. "I knew having a Democratic Congress would make no difference in grassroots action. That's why we went to DC when you all were sworn in to tell you that we wanted the troops back from Iraq and BushCo held accountable..." This is an example of a woman who, after all was said and done with the political parties, was deeply affected by the beliefs of each party, and which one had come into power at the time.
It is believed by some that the political parties change and alter themselves based on the current events of the time period. In Jake Neighbor's blog, he posted: "Throughout the many years of service the Democratic party went through, they went through a lot of changes, each in which changed as a major event occurred." I fully agree with this - the ideals and beliefs of a party are highly dependant on new issues and circumstances. Take abortion, for instance. 50 years ago, this topic was unheard of, but now, there are people who take a strong political stance on one end of it or the other. Because the Democratic party has chosen a particular side in this, this effects whether or not people would even choose to be in the Democratic party, and it changes the way the party as a whole is viewed.
The Democratic Party
"Party History"
http://www.democrats.org/a/party/history.html
Date Accessed: 10/2/08
Richard E. Berg Andersson
The Green Papers
"A Brief History Of American Major Parties"
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/Hx/AmericanMajorParties.html
Published: 5/21/01
Date Accessed: 10/2/08
Cindy Sheehan
Counter Punch
"An Open Letter To Congress: Why I Am Leaving The Democratic Party"
http://www.counterpunch.org/sheehan05282007.html
Published: 5/28/07
Date Accessed: 10/2/08
Jake Neighbors
Jake Neighbors' Blog
"The History Of The Democratic Republicans"
http://jakeneighbors.blogspot.com/
Published: 10/2/08
Date Accessed: 10/2/08
According to the official website of the Democratic Party, "Thomas Jefferson founded the Democratic party in 1792," so he could promote the bill of rights, and work against the federalists. However, at the time, this was not called the democratic party - they were the Democratic-Republicans. The Green Papers mention that they were initially called Republicans, but since they believed in Democracy, they were more commonly called Democratic-Republicans
. In 1824, John Quincy Adams was elected as the president of the United States, which caused many disagreements among the Democratic Republicans, and in turn, caused them to split into 4 separate factions. Among these 4 groups was the Jacksonian Democrats, which was organized by Andrew Jackson, a war hero, and one of the founding fathers of the Democratic Party. The title "Jacksonian-Democrats" was eventually shortened to "Democrats." Over time, the party continued to evolve, and define itself, until it became the Democratic Party that we all know today.The history of the Democratic party is important to know, and ties in very much with what we are currently learning about political parties. This is because it demonstrates the changes that a political party can go through. Depending on a variety of factors, one of which being who is elected president, can decide the changes that a political party can undergo, which in turn, can effect whether or not people even choose to stay with that party. Cindy Sheehan,
a grieving mother, posted an article online, saying "Why I Am Leaving The Democratic Party." She first mentions that her son was killed in the service, and then describes how she opposes the Iraq war, and George W. Bush for sending our troops into this war. Then, she goes on to say that ever since the government has become majority Democrat, they have done very little to help with ending the Iraq war. "I knew having a Democratic Congress would make no difference in grassroots action. That's why we went to DC when you all were sworn in to tell you that we wanted the troops back from Iraq and BushCo held accountable..." This is an example of a woman who, after all was said and done with the political parties, was deeply affected by the beliefs of each party, and which one had come into power at the time.It is believed by some that the political parties change and alter themselves based on the current events of the time period. In Jake Neighbor's blog, he posted: "Throughout the many years of service the Democratic party went through, they went through a lot of changes, each in which changed as a major event occurred." I fully agree with this - the ideals and beliefs of a party are highly dependant on new issues and circumstances. Take abortion, for instance. 50 years ago, this topic was unheard of, but now, there are people who take a strong political stance on one end of it or the other. Because the Democratic party has chosen a particular side in this, this effects whether or not people would even choose to be in the Democratic party, and it changes the way the party as a whole is viewed.
The Democratic Party
"Party History"
http://www.democrats.org/a/party/history.html
Date Accessed: 10/2/08
Richard E. Berg Andersson
The Green Papers
"A Brief History Of American Major Parties"
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/Hx/AmericanMajorParties.html
Published: 5/21/01
Date Accessed: 10/2/08
Cindy Sheehan
Counter Punch
"An Open Letter To Congress: Why I Am Leaving The Democratic Party"
http://www.counterpunch.org/sheehan05282007.html
Published: 5/28/07
Date Accessed: 10/2/08
Jake Neighbors
Jake Neighbors' Blog
"The History Of The Democratic Republicans"
http://jakeneighbors.blogspot.com/
Published: 10/2/08
Date Accessed: 10/2/08
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
9: How Were Our Laws MEANT To Be Interpreted?
When the rules that formed our nation were set in place, one must wonder, what was the true intent of these laws? Would the
people who made them agree or disagree with the way we interpret them now? Take this example of a fictional privacy law (most likely an amendment to the constitution):
A person always has the right to privacy. To receive certain services, they should never be required to disclose their personal information. Legal matters would be an exception. In that case, a person must disclose their personal information, and their premises are subject to be searched, if the searching party has obtained a proper warrant.
Assuming this was an actual amendment to the constitution, and that it was applied to modern day life, how would it be interpreted? The first key words subject to interpretation are "
personal information." What defines personal information? Modern judges could interpret that as a social security number, an I.D., or even a last or first name. Also, "services" is an important word to look at. What exactly is to be considered a service? And what happens to all the categories outside of that one? "Legal matters" is possibly the largest loose end. What qualifies as a legal matter? Would this mean that if a person rear ends someone else on the road, the affected party would be entitled to have the opposite party's premises searched? Or would it mean that a man being suspected of stabbing another man does not fall into this category, and he would not be required to tell the police anything?
All these loose ends in this fictional amendment are exaggerated - all the laws our country was founded on and certainly modern laws are a lot more specific. However, parts of them are still subject to interpretation. All it takes is for one judge to interpret a law a certain way, and then future judges would simply use that case as a reference. This is why modern laws are as long as they are - but alas, there is no way to truly tell at what point the events of the world will fall outside of the law's specifics.
people who made them agree or disagree with the way we interpret them now? Take this example of a fictional privacy law (most likely an amendment to the constitution):A person always has the right to privacy. To receive certain services, they should never be required to disclose their personal information. Legal matters would be an exception. In that case, a person must disclose their personal information, and their premises are subject to be searched, if the searching party has obtained a proper warrant.
Assuming this was an actual amendment to the constitution, and that it was applied to modern day life, how would it be interpreted? The first key words subject to interpretation are "
personal information." What defines personal information? Modern judges could interpret that as a social security number, an I.D., or even a last or first name. Also, "services" is an important word to look at. What exactly is to be considered a service? And what happens to all the categories outside of that one? "Legal matters" is possibly the largest loose end. What qualifies as a legal matter? Would this mean that if a person rear ends someone else on the road, the affected party would be entitled to have the opposite party's premises searched? Or would it mean that a man being suspected of stabbing another man does not fall into this category, and he would not be required to tell the police anything?All these loose ends in this fictional amendment are exaggerated - all the laws our country was founded on and certainly modern laws are a lot more specific. However, parts of them are still subject to interpretation. All it takes is for one judge to interpret a law a certain way, and then future judges would simply use that case as a reference. This is why modern laws are as long as they are - but alas, there is no way to truly tell at what point the events of the world will fall outside of the law's specifics.
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