Tuesday, November 25, 2008

In The News 11/25/08

Poverty

I believe that the Government is the one to blame for 3rd world poverty. The Government has all of the power and control over the countries money and can do what they want about the way people live. The Government can prevent all of the deaths from hunger, disease.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Journal Entry #11

Group Members: Darrin Williams, Parker Daniels, Jovanhy Perez.

The two invention activities to help us develop ideas for our thematic magazine are brainstorming and the 5 W's and H (who, what, where, when, why, how). We thought about adding comics which will attract the animated readers who like pictures. Also Political views about our new President of the United States of America. We also will include Local News to keep local readers informed of whats going on in their enviornement. Sports will also be included in our Magazine for the sports fanatics readers. Sports will attract many readers because almost everyone is some type of fan of a professional or collegiate sports team. We will also include the 5 W's and H (who, what, when, where, why, how), to give greater detail on the different subjects in our magazine.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Journal Entry #9

The Land of The Free Image #1

The claim of the visual is that the rule of age to be drafted is 18 years of age, although you have to be 21 to drink alcohol. I believe that the claim that the picture is making is that how is one old enough to put their life on the line for their country, but not old enough to drink alcohol responsibily. The evidence that connects this claim with the image is that there is an image of a thumbs up outlined in green (as in go), and also a gun which represents war outlined in green, and on the other side there are images of a mug of beer, and a thumbs down (both outlined in red, as in stop) which represents that drinking for an 18 year old being is wrong when on the other hand putting their life on the line for the country is right at that age. I believe that if one is legally old enough for war, then they are legally old enough for anything.


The Drink and Drive Image #7

The claim of the visual is that drinking plus driving equals death. The first image in the picture is an image of a bottle which represents drinking alcohol, while the second image in the picture is an image of a car which represents driving (while drinking) while, the third image in the picture is an image of a skull with two bones crossing under it which represents death. The bottle of alcohol plus the image of the car equals the image of the skull (death). I believe that drinking and driving is wrong. So i do agree with this image. Drinking and driving does equal death almost 70% of the time.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Questions for Active Reading #6

Page 371

I believe that the technique of reading the first and last paragraphs in an some-what effective way to get fast and easy information out of an essy or writing, although it will not give you all of the information that you will need to have a full understanding of the essay's topic. It is important to know that Lightman is a scientist because his understandment of the Earth and its shape would be different then others because of his profession. An artist or social worker may or may not have the same opinion about the Earth although the greater source of the three is the scientist. In the examples his lighthearted tone was a sarcastic term that shows that he is jealous or has envy towards what others did and what he could not accomplish.

Page 385

Some facts that Gould presented that can be used as evidence to support the theory of evolution are," Perfection covers the tracks of past history, and past history the evidence of descent is our mark of evolution. Lies exposed in the imperfections that record a hitory of descent fossils that are not common, and should not be. Although not because of our understanding of evolution. The etymology of September, October, November, December ( seven, eight, ninth, and tenth, we know that two additional ones must be added to an original calendar of ten months." Some inferences that he cites as evidence can be found in Paragraphs 17 and also 18.The reference sets the scene for his 1981 essay by explaining and or showing something that is really important for him and for the person that was in this part of history along with him.

Journal Entry #8

My picture can be found at http://www.superstock.com/stock-photography/persuade. The sort of claim that the image is making is that the car dealer is trying to make a sell to you, and he is making it seem like he is happy and that this is going to be a great sell for him and a great buy for you. The Dealer is also making it seem that this is a steal for the buyer because of the low price, when the buyer really does not know if the car runs nice or not.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

In The News #7

I believe that children having mock elections is just childs play. Children do not know what the country need at their age so it is irrelevent for them to take childrens input on who the president should be for the next term. I do believe that the children who have input on these elections just get the information from their parents, and just repeat what their parents say. No it is not accurate to let the children choose who the next president.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Fight Against Steroids; Gaining Muscle in High School Athletics By Seth Livingstone, Sports Weekly

Much more than wins and losses are on the line in today's world of high school sports. Lives are being altered — even lost — to the use of performance-enhancing substances that have made their way to the corridors and playing fields of the nation's high schools.
In March, the parents of Rob Garibaldi of Petaluma, Calif., and Taylor Hooton of Plano, Texas, told Congress that steroids ultimately led to the death of their sons, each of whom was not only seeking to bulk up but do it in a way that emulated successful professional athletes.
Congress went on to hear from commissioners of the major sports, pro athletes, medical specialists and labor representatives, and the No. 1 concern expressed was steroid use by young athletes.
Sports Weekly wanted to hear directly from this impressionable group considered most at risk and recently conducted a roundtable discussion with athletes from schools in the metropolitan Washington area. Some of the revelations:
• Use of performance-enhancing substances takes place openly in the locker rooms, weight rooms and cafeterias of public and private high schools.
• Coaches, as well as athletes, know what's going on but are often powerless to stop the use of performance enhancers. Some, in fact, are willing to turn a blind eye.
• The pressure to win is enormous. That pressure extends to athletes, who are also competing for college scholarships, coaches and administrators.
• Although the vast majority of student-athletes consider steroid use "cheating" and acknowledge some degree of risk, some remain willing to sacrifice long-term health for short-term benefits.
"Whether it's legal or not, people are going to take them," said Ron, a student-athlete from Maryland whose actual name was changed to protect the indentities of the Sports Weekly discussion participants. "But just because something's legal doesn't mean it's good."
"It gives an unfair advantage to players and takes opportunities away from players who are trying to make it on their own accord," said Ken, a football and baseball player from Northern Virginia.
Making students aware of the risks in using performance enhancers is one thing. The Sports Weekly discussion group agreed unanimously, however, that until tragedy strikes close to home, horror stories and warnings about steroid use and its side effects have little to no impact. Fact is, tragedy can strike close to home.
"There is no doubt in our minds that steroids killed our son," Denise Garibaldi told a House committee, her voice trembling in the hours before Congress heard from major league stars, including Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire.
"It really shocked (me) and breaks my heart," Sosa said. "The quicker we can resolve this problem, which is bad for kids (the better)."
Barry Bonds, his name continually linked to suspicion of steroid use, later broached the subject. "It busts me up when they show some teenager who's been on steroids and his life is suddenly messed up," Bonds said. "It's the parent's job to be a parent to that kid. ... I tell my boy, 'if I see you doing steroids, I'll bust you up.' And I mean it."
According to a survey by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, steroid use among high school students more than doubled between 1991 and 2003. More than 6% of 15,000 students surveyed admitted trying steroid pills or injections. At the same time, less than 4% of the nation's high schools were testing for steroids, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations' survey of athletic directors.
Citing the use of steroids at the professional level, John Stewart, commissioner of the Florida High School Athletic Association asserts, "there has to be a trickle-down effect" at the college and high school level.
Independent surveys estimate 1.5%-2% of Florida's high school athletes might be using steroids. "But against a student base of 215,000 athletes, it's kind of scary to think that possibly 4,000 are at risk out there," Stewart says. "We don't want to see any youngster's life at risk."
Stewart is also concerned by a study that showed not only football players and weightlifters, but females in the 9-to-11-year-old age group using them to enhance their build. "That's scary because it means parents are buying them for kids. And it's a scary thing that society is dictating to kids that young that it's OK to put your health at risk to have a body type that seems so critically important," Stewart says.
Polk County in Florida began testing for recreational drugs in 2004 and, with school board approval, added steroid testing in January. The random steroid tests, administered to three to five athletes per season from each school, cost $105 per test (compared to $18 per student for recreational drugs). Although steroid testing has not been in effect long enough to produce conclusive results, the county is seeking an extension of the program, currently funded through October 2006.
"Athletic directors see it as a positive because they don't see steroid use in sports at their schools," says Audrey Kelley-Fritz, senior manager of Prevention, Health and Wellness for the Polk County school board. "At the same time, they also see the expense of how much it costs. We're just going to watch and see if this proves an effective deterrent."
Other counties are following suit. In May, the Fort Zumwalt School District board in St. Charles County, Mo., approved a voluntary testing program. Also last month, the Texas House approved a bill directing the University Interscholastic League (the state's overseer of interscholastic sports) to develop a comprehensive education program for students, coaches and parents and to survey high school students to gauge the level of anabolic steroid use.
"I think this is an excellent first step to curbing the steroid epidemic in Texas," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Phil King. "The state is telling school districts protecting our kids from steroid abuse must become a priority."
A 2002 study by Texas A&M University estimated up to 42,000 Texas students were abusing steroids. "Most parents would be shocked to learn — as I was — that teenagers use veterinary-grade anabolic steroids from Mexico — drugs made for horses, cattle and pigs," King notes.
Lawmakers in other states have considered bills that would mandate statewide testing programs for student athletes. Opponents argue that money and time could be spent far more efficiently.
California has not opted for testing, but new regulations require parents, players and school officials to sign contracts, promising athletes will avoid steroid use. Coaches will be required to earn a certificate in steroid abuse education by 2008 and are regulated in terms of what dietary supplements they can distribute.
Just before the California Interscholastic Federation voted in favor of the new rules, Frank Marrero of Vacaville recalled how his 19-year-old's addiction to steroids and paranoia led to his suicide by gunshot.
"If coaches, parents and athletes were armed with the right information beforehand, perhaps our son would still be alive," Marrero said.



Do you think it is fair for the high school athletes to use these performance enhancing supplements?

Journal Entry #7

In this essay Orwell suggests that the English language is on the decline because the people who use English are misusing it. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish. There is a lot of slang used now in days, and unfortunately that has become the every day language. Slang these days are used to be easier to read for Americans, and also other languages have their own slang. In writing modern slang it really just depends what and for who you are writing for. In school you would be more likely to use the correct grammer instead of slang. What helps me write is actually imagining that I am in the situation that i wrote about. Putting myself in that situation makes me feel like I am in first person and helps me understand the situation alot more better.

Questions For Active Reading #5

Now that I saw how Murray indentifies the certain information, audience, form, structure, developement, dimension, and voice for writers to examine when critically reading their drafts I would change my essay by including more specific information, directing my essay to a specific audience, make sure my essay is in persuasive form, and also ask for help from better writers to make greater improvement on my essay. No additional changes as I read the essay aloud to see if my "ears experience with language". The additional information does influence how I read the quotes and listen to the speakers. It gives a stronger source of where the information comes from.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Project 2 Writing Worshop

Draft #1

When LeBron James signed to play in the NBA, everyone had doubts of the high school phenom being ready to compete at this level of play because of his lack of years at the Collegiate level. Now LeBron James, along with Kobe Bryant and also Kevin Garnett are among the most exciting and fundamentally sound in the league. I do not promise that every great high school athlete will be able to make this great jump from high school atheletics to professional like my examples, but that the people who are able and ready deserves a chance.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

In The News #6

Trooper smacks suspect with car

South Carolina State Trooper arrested for opposetly delibrility hitting a suspect with his car. The court believes that it was a racist act because the Trooper is a white male, and the suspect was a black male. I do believe that this "accident" was done delibritily, especially in the state of South Carolina. I do not believe that this was a racist act. Some black people over in South Carolina would probaly say that they strongly believe that this was an act of racism, only because they live there and thats all they are problay used to. For me as an outsider of that state, i see it as a lazy police officer just trying to get his job done in an easy way, although i do believe that the charges and the fine are still neccessary. I believe that few cases are known to the public when it comes to the civil rights of the people and the problems that they have with the police authority, because the mayor or the police cheif does not want the police organization to look bad to the city.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Journal Entry #5

Syfers describes in an essay written in 1971 that certain duties were performed by the wives, such as taking care of the children, taking the children to the doctor and dentist, keep the children neat and groomed, pick up after the children and the husband, wash all clothes, iron all clothes, cooks for the family, and also goes shopping for groceries. Some of these things are still done by the wife of the family, but not everything. Women these days are more independent and can provide for themselves so they dont have to do all these things to feel successful. Men also do more to help their wife these days. Men take more part in cooking and also helping take care of the children too. I think the most unfairness these days is that females dont get to play all the same sports as men do. I myself would like to see women run and tackle each other on a daily basis. I believe women benefit more today than back in the past. Women still get the treatments and liabilities from thier husbands, but they dont have to do as much work as they used to.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Questions for Active Reading #4

Page 233

In paragraphs 17, and 26-28 you can clearly tell that Sanders is building this wall as if his father would, or tought him to do. Each concept is clearly defined because he is explaing all the right ways to finish the walls as his father once tought him to do. At the end of the essay Snaders feels the need to describe so clearly each step in the process because it reminds him of his late father, and how he always finished his job with every line square and true. Sanders uses chronological order by listing the proper steps in building this wall in order. He describes each step in building the wall which connects the different periods of time that it takes to do each step. A "dawn stone" is what Anthropologists consider a name for those unworked rocks thats served as the earliest hammers. To Sanders it represents what his ancestors used them for grinding corn, tapping awls and smashing bones.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Journal Entry #4

"Inventing the University"

When Bartholomae says that the students must "Invent the University", he means that the students must learn to speak the language, speak as they do, also to think, know, select, evaluate, and report as they do. Basically learn the various discourses of their community. Bartholomae suggests a way for students to become "insiders" within an academic discourse is by being both inside an established and powerful discourse, and being granted a special right to speak. There are several differences between the two writings. One is very elegant, and the other needs alot of work with grammar. Bartholomae also explains how one writing is more creative than the other, and he explains how the other writing could be more creative.

Questoins for Active Reading #3

Page 108

The 6 myths of Creativity can be described as ways to be motivated, succeed in and manage your time in the business corporation. Teresa Amabile, the Harvard Business School professor who studies creativity in the workplace designed her research by doing research on managers and graduates' journal entries and not telling them that she was focusing on creativity. Then she coded the emails for creativity by looking for the times when they struggled or came up with a new idea. What is especially surprising and interesting about her approach to research is how she did not let the participants know what she was looking for. The audience that Mr. Bill Breen was looking for in writing this article was other professors who plan on doing research on other people, using Ms. Teresa as an example.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Questions for Active Reading #2

Page 73

The experience that changed Smiley's beliefs about chores was when she discovered work at a stable. She described this working experience during the middle of the essay. The impact on me as a reader would have impacted me in a different way if she would have described this experience at the end of the essay because I would have took her as a person who did no hard work all her life. The evidence that Smiley gives to support her argument is her old child memories. I do not consider these reasons to be authoritive because its just going by her words. There is no real evidence besides her word. I believe that she intended to make the audience young children to try to motivate them to do chores without their parents asking them. She also uses rhetorical questions to make the audience think about how your family would appreciate you and be proud of you. My reaction to these questions are that the questions do make me think to do chores without being answered. The questions make you want to do good without being asked.

Questions for Active Reading #1

Page 13

The purpose that I think Powell had in mind while writing was racism is wrong. He tries to achieve racism by letting it give him more motivation. For example when he talked about the time he was at a resturant and the waiter said, " Look I'm from New Jersey, I don't understand this but they will not let me serve you. Why don't you go behind the resturant, and I'll pass you a hamburger out the back window." He explained how that experience made him snap, and how this was new to him. I believe that the audience that he had in mindwhile writing was young children of all races. I believe that Powell is a very strong man, who sticks up for himself. He does not do wrong, but he will not take wrong from others. My attitude towards him is that I have the upmost respect for him. I do have more respect for him now that I saw that he stood up for what is right, instead of him being a class clown.

Page 19

The purpose that I believe Goldberg had in mind while writing was talking about, or using a student who had really good writing topics in her class as an example. The audience that I think she had in mind while writing was other student that she was trying to motivate to have better writing habits. Her subject is the student with the best writing habits. Her attitude toward the student is very nice because she admirers her.

Journal Entry #2

Caring Makes Us Human & Follow the Laughter

The essays that I like the most from the thisibelieve.org website were Caring Makes Us Human and Follow the Laughter. I found them both compelling because they talked about love and care, and also joy and happieness. The type of story that Caring Makes Us Human uses to showcase their belief is a story about an inmate who found a cat and he felt as if the cat brung more happiness n joy to the prison because with the inmates caring for the beat down cat, it gave the inmates a chance to practice kindness instead of recieving it. The type of story that Follow the Laughter uses to showcase their belief is a story of laughter and happiness that brings togetherness. She talked about her ex-husband and how they used to laugh and be happy, then how the happiness dimmered and they got divorced. The tone of Caring makes Us Human is serious. While the tone of Follow the Laughter is reflective. The essays are simular because they both are reflective, meaning that they both look back and see differences from the past. The essays differ because they both have different tones. One essay is serious and the other is all the way reflective. They both do follow the guidelines by the This I Believe Organization. The beliefs that I might want to write about for project one is probaly humor and laughter.

Journal Entry #1

In reflecting on one of my past assignments I realized that the situation that made me want to respond in writing was that I was mad at my girlfriend, and that I had some stuff to say in writing that I could not say in person. I chose to respond in writing because it was easier for me to tell her everything that I wanted to tell her, and I had time to think about what I was saying and not sound ignorant. The type of genre that I used was Contemporary Life and Problems. I used this genre to let her know that she was not the only one with problems. My girlfriend was my audience and the type of relationship that I was trying to establish with her was romance, and problem solving. My purpose agian was to let her know that she was not the only one with problems. And yes I do feel as if I accomplished this purpose. The type of context and culture that I used in writing her this letter was "new age slang". Thinking about my writing as responding to a “rhetorical situation” is different from the other ways I think about the writing I did because it is easier to reflect and answer questions about something that you have written.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

In The News #4

Splenda Study

Splenda can be good and at the same time be bad for the people who use it. Studies say that Splenda contributes to increases in body weight, although studies have also shown that there is a such thing as "good bacteria". Splenda is used in more than 4,000 food and drink products and is included in recipes at numerous chain restaurants.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

In The News #3

Teenage Cancer Testing

Getting testing for Cancer is a personal choice. There is a cure for breast cancer, and it is worth alot of money and only found in certain states. I believe that if your relatives have the genes of Breast Cancer, that you as their child should be tested as early as possible. Young females should also be tested for ovarian cancer as well.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

In the News #1

I think that now that Michael Phelps has won the Olympic Gold Medal, people are becoming jealous. Now there is talk about how Mr. Phelps cheated and so on, using a special swim suit that would make him faster. What about the hard training that this man has done? What about his dedication and love for his sport? People are so jealous these days that all they could think about is how they "could have" won. Michael Phelps has won seven Olympic Gold Medals in the past. How could you question an Olympic Gold Medalist after his eighth Gold Medal win? Michael Phelps is one of the world's top athletes, and has been for the past seven years.