B Flan's AiS Experience

The Final Best Post

2010-05-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

The school year is just about over, and it is time for one last best post of the quarter award. Fourth Quarters award goes to Technology in the World we Live in. This post wins the award because it combines a number of issues into one central theme. The ideas from American Studies Day, my Junior Theme, a previous post of mine, and a new phenomenon, The Konrath Effect, all have to do with how technology effects our world. In fact, this issue has become a new found interest of mine. Everywhere we look around us we see different forms of technology, and when I see a certain technologies I think to myself, what would the world be like if that did not exist? Overall, it has been a good year of blogging. My blogging from fourth quarter was not as productive as the third quarter, but it is nothing I am ashamed of.

New Facebook Privacy Settings

2010-05-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

After repeated requests from users, Facebook has changed its privacy settings. To make the system more simple, now the user has three options of who to share their profile with: friends only, friends of friends, or with everyone. More information about the changes can be found by clicking on this link. This urge to change the settings came from concerns that information on Facebook was too easily accessible.

A total stranger can find out a great deal about someone by simply searching their name and clicking on their Facebook page. This ease of access is dangerous, there are people in the world who could do numerous horrible things with this information, one could only imagine what those things are. Facebook's new policy helps the problem, but does not completely get rid of it. To view someone's profile, they simply have to be added as a friend. Many people do not think whether they know the person or not before accepting a friend request.

This problem is not entirely Facebook's fault. The amount of information put out on a Facebook page is decided by the user. Personally, I no longer use Facebook, but almost everyone I know does. The advice I have for users is: be careful what you put on the internet because you never know who is looking at it.

Technology in the World we Live in

2010-05-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

In light of the speakers at our recent American Studies day and the topic of my junior theme (social isolation), I have taken a new found interest in the effects of modern technology on our society. In this article, the Konrath effect is explained and analyzed. The Konrath effect is the negative effect of online publishing on talented authors. Now authors can directly publish their works online without editors or publishing companies, on sites such as Amazon. The traditional process of selling a book to an editor and publisher is becoming lost, and supposedly this process is what finds the true talented writers. Authors have to face rejection from companies, and perfect their work until it is ready to be published. Although this is true, this process, along with almost technologies, has both negative and positive effects. Authors that never before had a chance to publish their works because they were rejected now can reach audiences. On the other hand, as a reader it is hard to find talented authors on an online publishing site because there are so many authors, and many of the authors publish poor quality works that are not sent to an editor.

All across the country, technology is having negative side effects. I wrote my Junior Theme about how technology in America has increased the amount of people who are socially isolated. In my previous post, Oil Still Spilling, new oil rig technologies resulted in an oil spill that is destroying the environment. But without oil rigs such as the Deepwater Horizon there would not be enough oil to fuel our cars and our world. This is the way things work, most things do not have only positive or only negative effects. The question I have then is: How much technology is too much? What effects do technology have on our world?

Oil Still Spilling

2010-05-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

34 days ago, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig owned by BP in the Gulf of Mexico caused oil to spill out of
The Deepwater Horizon Explosion

the ground. The oil is still continuously pouring out of the ground, causing damage to the ecosystem and killing animals. This video tracks the area the oil has covered. Around the clock efforts have not been able to stop the gushing oil or effectively clean up the large amount of oil already in the gulf. The incident is creating controversy across the nation and world.

An interesting quote i found in a CNN article about the oil spill:

"Either the Coast Guard has to side with its American citizens and protect its communities, or it has to side with a major world corporation named BP and betray American citizens in that process," St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro told reporters.

The issue has now become a matter of loyalty to the United States. In an effort to clean up the oil spill, either the coast guard can work with the innocent American citizens, or it can side with the enemy BP, the fourth largest company in the world. Personally, I see this controversy as an example of what is happening all over America in different ways. Large and powerful corporations are now often the enemy. For example, many small towns are against having a Wal-mart built in them because the towns small family owned businesses are destroyed. After all, many large corporations goal is to make money, not make the world a better place. How do you feel about large corporations in America?

An Answer to the Big Question

2010-04-20T15:34:00.001-07:00

Today something happened that I thought would never happen. That is, I now have an idea of how I am going to answer my why question. I would not quite call it a thesis yet, but it is getting there. It focuses on Americans becoming more socially isolated because they are becoming spectators instead of doers due to advancing technology. For example, less Americans have been voting and would rather simply observe what is going on in politics. Another example is that Americans would rather watch sports on TV than actually play them. Television is now so entertaining and easy that Americans constantly and mindlessly sit on the couch. The problem is that people are missing out on social opportunities, and America is losing social capital. Internet sites such as facebook and myspace create a false sense of social connectivity. Humans are losing face to face contact and hiding behind their computers. Even though you may not think so, this topic relates to everyone, including high school students. What do you think? How is this issue a part of your life?

Finally a Topic

2010-04-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

After a long time of research and frustration, I can finally announce that I have decided on a topic and why question. The question I chose to answer is: Why are Americans becoming more socially isolated?

What I am trying to figure out is why the average American is becoming more lonely. People now do things by themselves more often than doing things in groups of people. As a result people have fewer good friends and the sense of the community as whole is becoming lost. For example, adults spend most of their time working, and have no time for dinner parties with friends or family but instead eat fast food. Instead of spending family time, kids spend their time in their rooms playing video games alone.

What do you think about this topic? Any answers to the question or personal experiences would be great to share.

The Best Post

2010-03-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

The award of the best post of the Third quarter goes to Obesity in America, which was published earlier this March. The reason it won the award is because it was a well rounded post. It covered a pressing topic, obesity, that relates to discussions we have had in class. An interesting graphic is displayed at the top of the page, and is explained in the post. Also, I used information and discuss an article from the New York Times. Then to finish it off I ask the readers a question. Disappointingly there were no comments.

The Junior Theme

2010-03-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

When the topic of one's junior year of high school is discussed, it is almost always referred to as the most "important" and "hardest" year of high school. And supposedly the biggest part of junior year is the notorious Junior Theme. Personally, as a junior, this year has not been much different academically than the previous two. The fourth quarter has begun, and our American Studies class is only now starting the Junior Theme. Although the assignment varies from class to class, the JT is not nearly as scary as it is made out to be. It is not much more than the average paper, just given more attention. The essential question I ask then is, why is the Junior Theme built up to be such a big deal?

I know of one reason why the Junior Theme is thought to be so important. It is the name itself. The title "Junior Theme" suggests that the selected topic is the theme of our junior year. Also, there are few other assignments that every student in their junior year completes, and none with term "Junior" in the title. This is just one reason the Junior Theme is important, what are other reasons why the Junior Theme is such a big deal?

Time to Let It Go

2010-03-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

As I was perusing through the news I found an article about the recently infaous Tiger Woods. Previously this year it had been revealed that Tiger was having multiple extramarital affairs. Tiger apologized last month for his actions. After a hiatus from golf, he announced recently that he will return for the Master's tournament. Just when everyone thought the whole thing would be over, one of Tiger's alleged former mistresses came forward to the public. Veronica Siwik-Daniels, a former pornography actress, released supposed text message conversations between her and Woods. Siwik-Daniels said, "I would be open to a telephoned apology from Tiger, but I really feel that I deserve to look at him in person, face-to-face, in his eyes, because I did not deserve this." I was surprised to read this line. What did she not "deserve"? She knew that she was having an affair with a married man.

Personally, I was hoping that this whole Tiger Woods scandal would be over. He is an extraordinary golfer and this is hurting his career. It is not the first time something like this has happened and will not be the last. Although I am posting about this subject, I am disgusted about the amount of information that is released about people's personal lives in our country. And how entertained and interested the public is in these matters. What do you think about Tiger Woods? How much privacy does a person deserve?

Advertising in America

2010-03-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

Here in America, advertising is something that is part of our everyday lives. Whether we realize it or not, advertising is everywhere. Its on television, billboards, buses, trains, and even on people wearing t-shirts. This is nothing new, advertising has been a big part of America's history and has been around longer than you and I. In The Great Gatsby the giant eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg watch over the land of ashes from a billboard. Today, advertisements for Verizon Wireless and McDonalds can be seen a countless number of times while driving down the highway.

Recently I have been paying closer attention to advertising, and I have noticed that different companies target different crowds with advertisements. For example, beer companies often sponsor sporting events. I almost always see commercials for Budweiser or Miller Light while watching a football or baseball game. Why is this? It is because people watching sports generally drink more beer.

Although commercials can be entertaining, advertising can also be annoying. It is near impossible to go on the internet without seeing an ad on the side of the page, and ads often pop up on the screen in new windows. This gets on everyones nerves. Furthermore, my email inbox is always full of spam advertisement emails. Advertisements appear in daily life in a number of other ways. How does advertising affect you? What would a world be like without advertising?

The 17-year Old King

2010-03-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

As juniors in high school, many of us are 17 years old. While we are busy focusing on homework, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba, who is also 17 years old, is the King of the Tooro Kingdom of Uganda. Oyo has been King since the age of three. Uganda has a president who is the main leader, but Oyo still has responsibilities and makes decisions that affect over 2 million people. He oversees efforts to raise money for health and education, and starts programs to increase cultural pride. Subjects give him cattle and kiss his feet while he is on the throne.

Despite all this, Oyo still manages to do things that other teenagers are doing. He plays video games, listens to rap music, and reads the Twilight book series. He hangs out with friends and watches his favorite socccer team, Arsenal. He goes to a private school, but has body guards following him around all day. Due to this it can be hard to fit in. Afterall, he is a king. But as I said before, he has been king since the age of three and had no choice in this decision. What do you think of Oyo? Would you want to have the responsibility of being King?

Article about King Oyo

Obesity in America

2010-03-14T16:17:00.000-07:00

Often when I have an extra dollar laying around and I am driving in my car I go to the drive-thru at McDonald's or Burger King. There I can get a double cheeseburger for only one dollar. This, I realized, is the source of America's Obesity.

America's food system causes millions of Americans to be overweight. According to the Surgeon General, two out of every three Americans are overweight or obese. Obesity significantly increases the risk of other health problems and death. The reason for all these extra pounds is that healthy food is more expensive than unhealthy food. For example, a salad costs more than a Big Mac, as shown in the graphic above. The government makes recommendations to eat healthy food such as vegetables, but spends the majority of its money for food production on meat and dairy, which are high in fat.

Healthy food can be found at grocery stores and upscale restaurants. The problem is that the food there is much more expensive than a fast food restaurant. As a result, the rate of obesity among poor people with low incomes is quite high. The poor neighborhood of South Bronx in New York has one of the highest obesity rates in the country, as talked about in this article from the New York Times. Poor people often work more jobs with longer hours, and do not have as much time to exercise or grocery shop. Furthermore, there are fewer grocery stores in poor neighborhoods. Even at the existing stores, organic food is significantly more expensive than processed and packaged food. In order for the health of our country to improve, the government has to educate Americans to make smart eating choices, and more importantly to have healthy food available. How do you think the problem of Obesity in America can be solved?

Womens Sports

2010-03-04T20:48:00.000-08:00

We recently had a class discussion about women's vs. men's sports. The conclusion was that women's sports do not receive as much attention as men's because they are not as exciting. Well, fans got what they were asking for the other night in NCAA women's basketball. Baylor's Brittney Griner punched an opponent in the face. The video can be seen here. This incident created an outrage, no one expected women to be punching each other. On the other hand, men fight all the time in sports, and it is almost expected for fights to happen. Why is this the case?

It is because of the physical anatomy combined with society's views of men and women that cause women to be inferior in sports. Men are overall bigger and stronger than women, it is a known fact. This advantage of strength and size allows for men's games to be more competitive and entertaining. In addition, the focus of women as a whole in our society is not to be strong and athletic, but to be pretty and skinny. Until these obstacles are overcome, women's sports can not be compared to men's.

Cutting Back on Education

2010-03-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

The recession is causing our nation to cut back on a lot of things, but there is one thing I thought would not face major budget cuts, something that is vital to the future of our country. This is education. It turns out that I was wrong. Schools have been affected nationwide, but California and the poor neighborhoods of Los Angeles have been hit especially hard. One L.A. School in Watts had to lay off half of its staff, with more to be laid off this summer. About 2,000 personnel have been laid off Districtwide. One class in this same school has had no less than ten different teachers throughout the year. Surely not much can be accomplished under these circumstances, how would you feel if every time a teacher was about to learn your name a new teacher came the next day? Due to these setbacks in the education budget, student's learning is limited.

Luckily, I am not the only person who thinks what is going on in these schools is wrong. While these L.A. students along with others suffer, not much has changed at New Trier. The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, is trying to stop this unfair education. They filed a lawsuit, alleging that the teacher layoffs are a constitutional violation of these inner city students right to an education. The neighborhoods in which these schools lie are full of poverty and gang violence. Without the children of these areas receiving a proper education, there is little chance of the neighborhoods improving.

Liberal= Smarter?

2010-03-01T16:37:00.000-08:00

Recently I read an article that suggests political, religious, and sexual behaviors are linked to intelligence. Liberalism, atheism, and male sexual exclusivity, it states, are associated with a higher IQ. The average person with these traits has a higher IQ of 6 to 11 points, which is significant but not drastic. At first I thought this was odd, because these are the opposite traits of our early ancestors. It turns out that this is exactly the reason why these things lead to a higher IQ. Intelligent human beings desire to be elite and superior than other human beings, and these beliefs set them apart from the crowd.

Traditionally human ancestors have cared most about the survival of their offspring and those closest to them. On the contrary, liberals are more concerned with total strangers. This goes against evolutionary patterns, showing that those who go against old ways are more likely to be intelligent.

Also, atheists contradict religion, a part of human life since ancient times. New studies suggest that religion does not help humans survive, but gives them a reason for their paranoia. Not being involved with any religion allows humans to further speculate on life, studies say.

Lastly, male humans historically have had many sexual partners to reproduce as much as possible. Again, having only one partner goes against what humans have historically done.

Although this general trend may be true, surely every liberal or atheist is not smarter than every conservative or religious person. Personally, I am Catholic and more conservative than liberal, but I can see why this study may be true. As the article states, "the data should not be used to stereotype or make assumptions about people," no matter what their views are.

Recent Devastation

2010-02-28T09:32:00.000-08:00

A split building in Concepcion, Chile

Two large Earthquakes have struck the Earth since the beginning of the new year. Many Earthquakes occur every day, but most of them cannot be felt. First in Haiti and then in Chile, residents have very much felt the power of Mother Nature.

Saturday morning an 8.8 magnitude on the Richter scale quake shook Chile, followed by a tsunami which did not turn our to be destructive. This earthquake was more than 500 times stronger than the 7.0 Earthquake in Haiti. Yet the damage is much less than that of Haiti, and Chile's death toll is exponentially smaller. So far there have been around 400 deaths in Chile, and over 200,000 in Haiti. So then you might ask, Why was the damage so much greater in Haiti if the Earthquake was weaker?

Chili was prepared. The government has mandated building earthquake proof structures. These buildings use more flexible materials such as rubber that will bend and sway during an earthquake instead of cracking and breaking. This building was required because Chile knew of the destruction that could be caused. In 1960, the largest earthquake known to man struck Chile, a 9.5 magnitude.

Also, Haiti was not prepared. The infrastructure there is very weak, and the economy very poor. Enough money was not available to build earthquake resistant buildings. So then, the lesson to learn from this is: preparing pays off, the danger of nature cannot be ignored.

More on the Chilean Earthquake

Over the Top Celebration?

2010-02-28T09:03:00.000-08:00

After winning the gold medal in women's hockey, the Canadian team had quite a celebration. The team defeated the United States 2-0, and came back on to the ice 30 minutes later to celebrate. The women drank beer and champagne, and smoked cigars. In the picture above, players were pouring champagne in each others mouths. Marie-Philip Poulin, who scored both of the goals in the game, was seen holding a beer can. She is only 18, and the legal drinking age in British Columbia is 19. Inevitably, this event created controversy.

The IOC, or International Olympic Committee, is not happy with the Canadian women's actions. The IOC is going to "investigate" what happened, and then make the proper actions. Personally, I think this celebration went overboard, but serious punishment should not be given. I thought it was a poor showing of class and of Canada, but much disciplinary action is not necessary. Banning the team from the closing ceremonies would be going too far, the girls were just trying to have fun. After all, the team blew away all competition in women's hockey, they deserved to have a little fun.

But, what do you think? Did the women take their celebration too far?

The Giving Tree

2010-01-07T13:09:00.000-08:00

In response to Mr. O'Connor's blog post on the American Studies blog, I have found messages in a book read to me when I was younger, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. These messages are secret because many children read the book for entertainment, and do not think deeply about it. The plot of the book is a relationship between a boy and a tree that can talk. The tree gives the boy everything he needs, acting like a parent. The boy as a child takes apples from the tree to eat, and branches for shade and to swing on. As the boy grows older he needs more and more, and eventually cuts the tree down to build a home. Then as an old man he comes back to the stump of the tree. He now wants a place to rest, and the tree tells him to sit on its stump, he does and the tree is happy.

After rereading it the main lesson I got out of the book is to be selfless: the more you give the happier you are. The tree keeps on giving and only becomes happier each time. Even when the tree has nothing left, it is still happy. This is trying to teach children to help others and to not worry about having things and they will be happy. Personally, I think this is a good message to be teaching our children. With all the advertisements and other media telling them to buy as much as they can, this is a way to fight it.

The book also shows the supposedly average life of an American. The boy is careless as a child, and is given what he wants. Then as an adult he becomes more stressed and needs to take care of bigger things. Then as an old man he is tired and just wants to sit down.
Although this is a picture book targeted mainly at children, it has many deeper messages. When I was learning to read, I was also learning how to live my life.

Are you in danger?

2010-01-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

An issue for years has been the safety of meat. In 1906, Upton Sinclair wrote about the nauseating Chicago Slaughter houses and the meat packing industry. Then the government tried to fix the problem and start inspecting meat. The problem is not over though, as stated in this article along with many others. Diseases from meat still infect people each year. This has never bothered me, but it troubles some people to the extent of being vegetarians.

One company in particular, Beef Products Inc., has been producing meat that is contaminated. Their processed beef is used in McDonald's and Burger King's hambugers, along with 5.5 millions pounds a year in school lunches. In August two 27,000 pound batches were found to be contaminated before being released to the public. Imagine if they hadnt been caught.

So then, are you scared of what can be in your meat?

Can you train your brain?

2010-01-02T15:08:00.000-08:00

I recently read an article in the New York Times titled: how to train the aging brain. I always throught that I got easily distracted from tasks and became forgetful of the details of the books we read in class, but studies show that with our aging population those in their 40s to 60s are becoming increasingly more forgetful. Aging brains fall into what is called "the default mode", during which the mind wanders off and begins daydreaming, causing middle aged people to forget that they were cooking pizza and get distracted, until the pizza is smoking and the fire alarm goes off.

The question that this article essentially brings up is: can you teach an old dog new tricks? The article then argues that yes, brains continue to develop through and after middle age. Personally, this makes sense to me. I have often heard of the "old wise man" and this argument confirms that he exists. While brains grow older they may lose small details, but they gain a greater depth of complexity and have an easier time seeing the big picture. After all, numbers and dates we learn in school might end up not mattering, but the bigger ideas do.

The Power of Color

2009-12-26T21:37:00.000-08:00

Recently we watched a Charlie Chaplin silent movie, The Kid, in black and white in class. Then today I saw another movie, Invictus. I was amazed at how much emotion they were able to capture in the film. I do not think this would have been possible without color, sound, or the high quality of picture. This can be considered a good or bad thing. It can be a good thing because movies these days can be very entertaining. On the other hand, it is easy to draw emotions from viewers, and sometimes the quality of the movie is not so good. In the Charlie Chaplin movie, strong and deliberate images had to be shown in order for the viewer to understand the movie. In this way, the viewer has to pay close attention, and really think about what is going on. So then, what do you like: color or silent black in white?

Computers: Good or Bad?

2009-12-26T20:56:00.000-08:00

Today i am writing about something that has a big impact on all of our lives: the computer. Computers have changed many things in the past decade. Even since I was a little kid, computers have changed the world. Now almost anything can be done over the internet, and one has a great power just sitting in a chair with a computer in hand. Instant knowledge can be accessed by just typing something in on Google. I would not even be writing this if it was not for the computer.

But, the computer has its downsides. My computer breaks on me all the time, without it i cant do my homework or blog. It can be so frustrating sometimes that i wish computers never existed. In addition computers allow people communicate without ever seeing or actually talking to each other. Although convenient, it can make people lose their social skills.

So, what do you think? Are computers helping or hurting our society?

The BCS Bowls

2009-12-15T21:33:00.000-08:00

The BCS, or Bowl Championship Series, of College Football is often a controversial topic. Year after year, undefeated teams do not have a chance to win the National Championship. This year is a perfect example of why it is a flawed system. There are 5 undefeated team, but only Texas and Alabama get to play for the championship. These two teams made it in because they have the most respected names, not necessarily because they were the best. TCU, Boise State, and Cincinnati all did everything they could, beating every team they played. Still, they do not have a chance to win it all. In College basketball 64 different teams have a shot at winning the championship. This makes it more exciting and unexpected things happen. Therefore, College Football should switch to a playoff system and give more teams a chance at winning.

The ACT

2009-12-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

As I was taking the ACT last Saturday I wondered about the nature of the test. Is the ACT a fair test?

I am not talking about cheating, but preparation. As a New Trier student, one might find it ridiculous that someone else did not study or practice for the ACT. The reality is that many people have no preparation. Without tutors and study guides, some students walk in the testing room not knowing what to expect. So then the question is, does preparing for the ACT give students an unfair advantage?

Since the test can determine what colleges one gets into, it can have a big impact on their life. Some say studying helps, others say it does not. What do you think?

The Approval of our President Obama

2009-12-08T19:16:00.000-08:00

For a while I have wanted to post about our Nation's president, Barrack Obama. During his campaign he was made out to be the hero and it seemed he would turn our country in the right direction. Now less than a year from when he took office, I read the approval rating polls of Barrack Obama, and I noticed a decline in our President's approval.

Was this decline because he has made mistakes in office, or simply because he just isnt the savior everyone had hoped he would be?

Although I do not know every detail of his presidency so far, I think it is because of the latter option. The Nation is still close to where it was when George Bush was president and the same problems still persist. The economy is still in a recession, and unemployment rates are high. Obama recently sent more troops to Afghanistan, and his great plans inside our country are not working. Although not much time has passed, it is becoming clear our president is not the hero we thought him to be.

How Shallow Our Society Has Become

2009-12-03T20:00:00.000-08:00

I was struck by how shallow American teenagers have become the other day after reading about popular books for girls. Now this is not the first time I realized that teenagers, both boys and girls, are concerned about unimportant things, but this led to deeper thinking. This article I read talked about how the most popular girls books these days are books like Gossip Girl, The It Girl, The A-List Series, etc. The "good characters" or heroines in these books are rich, popular, and materialistic girls. They can be considered bratty and mean, and are concerned with how they dress and sex. These are the kinds of girls that the books suggest are cool and the targeted audience, teenage girls, want to be them. The thing is, many girls fall for this and live their lives with goals of fame, money, and glamorous clothes. And this is just an example of girls, guys have their own concerns.

The problem? When kids are spending their time focusing on these things, they are not focusing on more important things. This causes a decline in moral and intellectual thinking. Older books and stories have the opposite plot, the smart "not fabulous" girl defeats the popular girl and shows her weaknesses. Will this popular media and literature cause our generation to be dumber?

The Miscommunication of Story Headlines

2009-11-22T18:49:00.000-08:00

As I was reading news headlines one in particular caught my eye: "Bishop bars Patrick Kennedy from Communion over abortion." Being a Catholic, I was surprised to hear that someone was banned from taking Communion. When I read further in the article though, I realized that the story did not really fit the headline. In fact Kennedy was not banned from taking Communion, but the bishop "respectfully asked" him to stop because of his strong support for abortion rights, something the Catholic church is against. In addition this advice was "pastoral and confidential" and the bishop did not expect Kennedy to bring this confidential conversation to the public.

This is only one example of the way the media can twist stories. The media twists these stories to try to make them more interesting so that people will read them. In this case the headline sounds controversial, and it is then more likely that people will read the story. The word abortion is also worked into the title, a big debate topic that many Americans have strong opinions about. These headlines also tell a lot about the majority of the population of America. People are most interested in controversies and scandals, and this is what the media tries to bring to them.

Lit Fest

2009-11-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

After attending the Literary Fest on Thursday evening, I was quite impressed. At first I wasn't sure what the event would be like, but, along with many others, I was pleased. A variety of different acts were present, from humorous to melancholy and serious. Overall though, I have to say that my favorite presentation was Davy Rothbart, who created FOUND Magazine.

I was not the only one who thought that this was fascinating. FOUND Magazine was unlike anything I had heard of before. It consists of letters, to-do lists, notes, or any kind of writing that is written by other people and found somewhere. Davy Rothbart read love letters, receipts from stores, conversations on paper, and even a letter from a boy to his mom that passed away. Most of these were extremely funny, and the last one touching.

I think that people find this stuff interesting because it is real, and has to do with real life. Nothing is made up, and no one edited these things before they were put into the magazine. This writing also relates to our lives, and we make connections and laugh about them. These pieces of writing make one wonder: Why did a person write this? What is going on in their lives? These stories are powerful because they are real and open peoples minds with curiosity.

Apologizing for Slavery

2009-10-29T20:33:00.000-07:00

Recently I read an article that talks about how the US Government apologized for slavery. The author thinks that this was not enough. She writes from her personal opinion, that slavery was horrible and we need to do something to fix its effects. She even says that she feels bad being born as a white female, whose ancestors were slave traders, because she lives off of slavery's benefits.

First off, was it necessary for the government to apologize for slavery? Sure, it was a nice gesture, but does that help anyone feel better. Personally, I think slavery does need more than an apology, but is there anything we can really do? The more trying to fix it might just make it worse.

So then, what, if anything, should be done to fix the effects of something that ended years ago?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/19/browne.slavery/index.html

Ballon Hoax

2009-10-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

Recently two parents used their son in an attempt at stardom, as described in this Article. They released a floating balloon device into the atmosphere and then called the Police saying their son was attached to it. It turned out that the aspiring reality Tv-star parents staged this whole event. They hid their 6 year old son in the attic for 5 hours while the public was in panic. Although there is nothing wrong with wanting to be famous, this couple went about it all wrong. They risked their son's safety to try to fulfill their own goals. Their entire plot for fame is just morally wrong.

The sad thing is, they probably got the attention they had hoped for. During the stunt, the story was all over the news. Now news stories about it are all over the internet. In a way this story is like the boy who cried wolf. The parents cried for public help, but did not really need it. They are now facing up to 6 years in prison and fines of $500,000. Personally I think these parents deserve the punishment for creating a public misunderstanding and putting their children in danger. But, what do you think? Do they deserve jail time and fines for trying to become famous?

What do Grades Really Mean?

2009-10-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

A long class discussion today left me wondering about the grading system in school. For years I have been both frustrated and saved by grades and points. I have received some grades i think should be higher, and ones that honestly should have been lower. The problem is that a percentage grade does not always tell how much someone learned. When grades that are determined by points, students often lose focus on the actual material. They worry about the number of points they receive on an assignment instead of actually learning, what school is really all about.

But, is it fair for a teacher to give grades based on how they feel a student is doing? One could argue that teachers might be bias and give students higher or lower grades for unjust reasons. The point system can be fair because it is the same for everyone.

If there are no grades, as new classes at our high school are attempting, then there is no real measure of a students progress that others can see. But then another point comes up, who are grades really for? Most kids would say that they are for the colleges that want to get into. So then, how should grades be given out? What do you think is the right way to do it?

Race

2009-10-12T14:31:00.000-07:00

After a class discussion about race last week, I noticed something about many kids in our class and people in general. Including myself, why are people so hesitant to associate race with the color of skin someone has?

During the discussion, I realized myself along with many others really determine what race someone is by the color of their skin. People tried to say that race was was determined by something else, but after talking about it we found out that it was not really true.

I also find it interesting when people are afraid to call someone black. It is not a bad thing so why are they afraid to say it? I have heard kids trying to be official call black people in Africa African Americans when really they are not American at all and the kid was just trying to say black. We have to realize that being one race or another is not any better than the other and say how we really think races are determined.

Public Figures Misbehaving

2009-09-30T18:55:00.000-07:00

Many of the people in this country we know to be famous figures have not been behaving themselves. Disrepectful acts of anger and incivility have left Americans schocked.

A recent article I read mentioned three particular instances of poor behavior. First South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson yelled "You lie!" at Barrack Obama during his speech on Health Care. Then star tennis player Serena Williams threatened a line judge.
Lastly, Kanye West took the microphone from 19 year old Taylor Swift after receiving an award and told the audience she did not deserve to win.

The author points out that these rude events are the stars lacking etiquette and people skills. I was relieved to know that someone out there felt the same way i did. If these stars are acting so unmannerly why do we like and idolize them?

Besides these three instances, many famous people are all around acting up. They are often caught doing crime and wrong behavior, yet they still get attention for it.

Are these the people we want to be well known in America? Are these the people that are going to be talked about in the future that represent our generation?

I for sure dont think so, and if we dont want the youth of America growing to be like them we should think about who we idolize.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/09/18/disappearing.civility/index.html#cnnSTCText

Marijuana Laws

2009-09-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

I recently saw an article that deals with the puzzling subject of Marijuana. While many have been recently pushing for legalization, Mark Kirk proposed a new stricter law on Marijuana. He wants tougher punishment for those selling or found with Marijuana that has 20 percent THC or higher, also known as "Kush." This could mean up to 25 years in jail for just having a more potent form of marijuana.

After reading this article I disagreed with Mark Kirk's position. Why make make punishments tougher for slight variations of the same drug? After all, it has the same affects on the body, just less of it is needed. If anything it will decrease the volume of marijuana being sold.

On the other hand, I also saw an article that described various marijuana busts. The facts in this article pushed me more towards the idea of legalization. A recent farm was found with 1.6 billion dollars worth of marijuana, along with many other busts worth millions of dollars. If the government took over these productions, or at least heavily taxed them, combined with saving the money spent on drug enforcement, the economy could heavily benefit.

But does the profit outweigh the negatives? And what are the negatives?

Mark Kirk mentions that "Kush" "increases the harm to the system" but he has no evidence to back this up. No legitimate experiment has shown marijuana to have serious harm on health, but it can help medically.

So, should marijuana be legalized?

http://www.mpp.org/states/illinois/news/us-rep-mark-kirk-to-push.html

Test Scores

2009-08-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

I recently found an article about how U.S. students are scoring lower on tests than students in other countries such as Finland, China, and Estonia. "American children aren't necessarily getting smarter or dumber, but that might not be good enough to compete globally." This sentence struck me in particular and I thought:

Why do Americans feel they always have to be better than everyone else?

Since when do children have to "compete globally" with other children academically?

So what if American students are not number one in every subject. It doesnt mean that the children in the other countries are going to make more money when they grow up, as people seem to think school and future salaries are so connected. Sure, good students might be more likely to do well, but a few points on a test doesnt determine their future.

The writer mentions that our economy is in a poor state, and better educating our children might fix it. Improvement never hurts, but our country has a fine education system and higher scores on math and science tests for fourth graders isnt going to fix our economy.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/25/students.science.math/index.html

First Post

2009-08-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hi im Bflan welcome to my blog