Friday, November 18, 2011
Traffic
Lack of Edumacation
The goal has been visible for teachers, and students are becoming aware that this goal is an important part of the future of our society. We all must put forth our best foot in order to drive each other to learn not only to be knowledgeable and be aware of matters outside of every day lives, but to also thrive.
As we saw today in the video, when a school is good at doing its job more families apply in order to take advantage of its ability to teach. More families...? Doesn't that mean more students? Does that mean more teachers are going to be working in order for the students to get a good education? As the numbers of families applying increases the chance of getting in to the school decreases. So much for No Child Left Behind..
Kids are sometimes not privileged with better schools due to finances, location, requirements and even bad luck (lottery drawings). This is unfair but so is life. Opportunity has a funny way of getting back and poking fun at someone who picked up what it offered.. Students should be given the same standardized test to either enforce them to keep up with their study, or if they wish to slack off they can call quits and be as dumb as our previous president George Bush sounds.. click the link for a laugh :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK1ekhovFeU
Playing For the Away Team.
College Vs. Work Force After High School
Over the last decade tuition for secondary education institutions have skyrocketed, leading to many not being able to attend college and having to work after high school. In addition, if individuals are able obtain their degree in whatever they may be majoring in, it has been difficult to find a decent job that they qualify for. In society it has been preached since kindergarten that if you do well in school and go to college, that a “good job” is almost certain; however this is not the case. More often there are people who have spent 4 plus years in college only to be denied a job that they have the skills for, or be over qualified for a job that they could have gotten with a high school degree.
In my economics class we often talk about opportunity costs. Opportunity cost is basically the “something[s]” you give up when choosing an alternative selection. For example if I choose not to go to work today in favor of hanging with friends, my opportunity cost is the money I would have made from working today. Back to the topic, the dilemma that everyone faces proceeding High School is deciding whether to go into the work force/military straight out of High School or to go to college. The opportunity cost of deciding to not go to college is to gain more knowledge in both general fields and more knowledge in what that individual may be majoring in and to potentially make more money in the future with a better career after obtaining a degree. The opportunity cost of not working straight out of high school is the working experience, the income and the money they are spending on tuition. There exists a general consensus that states you have to go to college to earn more money or you will not be as successful. However the present conflict between those who have obtained a college degree and finding work with that degree refutes this socialized belief.
Personally I believe that secondary education should be less expensive, this is obviously a bias statement as I am a student however there are many benefits that would come with this notion. If tuition were cheaper, there would be more individuals going to college which would most likely lead to more aware citizens, which would then lead to more aware voters, more aware politicians and so on and so on. There are too many individuals that have done exactly what society expected them to do to be successful, however are not being able to achieve their potential because of the lack of job availability as a result of the nation’s current economic status.
Art and The Message
You’re walking in the city and all of a sudden you see massive amounts of graffiti on the buildings around you. What comes to your mind? Is this a crime or a thing of art? In my opinion, it is a piece of art. Some people consider this act as crime. They think the person that did this to the buildings is trying to act out and destroy property. But, this is not always the case. For some artists this is the only way to share what they want to say. They actually put a lot of effort into the artwork before it goes onto the building walls. They might start out by sketching it in their sketch books. It’s trying to display a message. Each piece of artwork has a message to it. Being an artist, I know this is a true statement. I was talking and sharing artwork with my friend Claudio the other day (a graffiti artist) and he was telling me all these stories that are behind his work. It was really expiring to hear. He really goes hard core when thinking about what he wants to explain in his work, rather its showing his personality or showing something he really wants to say. Most of the pieces on the building walls involve social change. The artist wants to show what’s going on in the world in order to make a change. A quote I came across states this. “A belief in cultural and creative expression as a means to affect deep and lasting social change.
Through art, we can challenge many of our society's deepest assumptions, built upon the power of artistic creation and expression to
spark new ideas
• catalyze critical thinking
• elicit new actions
• inspire individuals
• and create visions
Art becomes a political act, a conscious effort to facilitate and participate in social change. If we want respect, love and beauty among us and others, we must actively promote it through our art.” (http://www.artforsocialchange.net/home.html).
Art as meaning. Art has thought. Art can change the way people think. When seeing the graffiti on the walls, it is not destruction of property. It is a way of thinking; to get a message across.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
An assassination?
There had been a shooting in Washington DC near White House. Gunfire had been reported about 9p.m Friday 11 November 2011. However, the damage was discovered on the following Tuesday. One bullet struck a window in the living quarters of the White House and another was found it the exterior of the building. According to eye witness, a man pulled his car within view of the White House on Friday night and fired shots from an assault rifle, cracking a window of first family’s living quarters while the president was away.
A 21-year-old man named Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, was charged on Wednesday with attempting to assassinate President Obama. He called President Obama “the anti-Christ” and told federal agents he wanted to hurt the president according to court documents. Some people from his home state Idaho also witnessed that Ortega had become agitated against the federal government and was convinced there was a government conspiracy against him. Another witness also said that Ortega owns an assault weapon with a scope.
Ortega the suspect blamed President Obama for problems with the federal government and believed Obama is devil. If convicted, Ortega could life in prison. The last White House shooting occurred in 1994, when Francisco Martin Duran began firing a semiautomatic rifle. He still is severing a 40-year prison sentence for that incident.
I am not sure if it was attempted assassination or just some idiot trying to express his displeasure towards president or the federal government. If Ortega’s plan was to kill president, it should have required more detail, thought, planning, or at least understanding that the president was thousands miles away on a trip to the Asia-Pacific region. The news article also mentioned that Ortega believed that he is on a mission from God to kill President Obama. People might think the charges are over-hyped because the president was not even there, but if convicted, it still is an attempted assassination. This case should be taken seriously I think.
Immigration
Last week we have seen a video about illegal immigrants in the USA and I was very upset. It was very hard to see how people are suffering when crossing the border. And I was really surprised that the such problem exist in America, because the United States is country of immigrants. On the other hand, the problem of immigration is one of the oldest and most painful in the US. Even two centuries ago Benjamin Franklin was concerned that the German immigrants may have a negative impact on the American culture. Each new wave of immigrants face some negative acceptance from old immigrants. In the middle of the XIX century Irish immigrants considered drunkards. In the early twentieth century it was said the Polish, Russians and Italians are very different from local people, their customs and traditions have little common with American culture, so they have very little chance to successfully integrate into American society. Now similar accusations addressed to immigrants from Asia and Latin America. Periodically negativity against immigrants increases. When economy goes bad people think that immigrant steal their jobs, or becoming potential criminals or potential terrorists.
I am also immigrant and I consider myself lucky. I did not need to cross the border illegally or did not get student visa hoping to get a green card somehow. I won a Green Card lottery and I became a resident immediately I came to the US. I know some people in Uzbek community and how they get their status. Most of them spend a lot of money to make first work visa and then green card. A lot of them make a fake marriage with American citizens and pay them twenty – thirty thousand dollars.
I do not know how to solve illegal immigration problem, but I believe that people who think that illegal immigrants are all criminals are wrong. Most foreigners immigrate to America because they want to work and help their families, not because they want to sell drugs or steal something.
Education...what's that??
Friday, November 11, 2011
Acting out to get your way?
I have observed such behaviors in adults and it is not pretty, but the thing is that rather than being called out on their behavior, people are rewarded for it.
I was in a department store and observed an exchange between a customer service associate and a shopper. The shopper was adamant about getting a discount on an item he was buying that was slightly damaged, the customer service associate politely refused. She explained to the customer that there were multiple of the same item still available without damage. The customer refused to swap his item, and was still adamant about the discount. He became obnoxious toward the associate and requested to speak to the supervisor. While waiting for the supervisor, he continued to belittle the associate. When the supervisor finally arrived, the associate explained the situation, and her reasoning as to why she would not give him the discount. Personally I thought the associate was being completely reasonable, and the guy completely ridiculous, so I was definitely surprised when the supervisor sided with customer and instructed the associate to give him the discount! Here was this guy who not only was extremely disrespectful to the employee, had caused a raucus in the store, delayed the rest of the shoppers waiting patiently in line, and he was getting rewarded for his behavior!
This type of behavior even extends to places where you wouldn't think it could happen. In healthcare for example, you have patients who think their emergency is more important than others, even if the other person is actually having a heart attack. Patients feel they have the right to be catered to, and will not hesistate to act out, make a scene in the middle of an ER full of sick patients, until they get a hospital administrator. The administrator listens to them, validates their grievances, and accomodates their requests. In other words, they are giving positive reinforcement that will only encourage this type of behavior.
Why are people so afraid of telling someone flat out they are being unreasonable?
In part I think the way the customer service industry is structured is to to blame. They have adopted mottos such as "The customer is always right." Certain organizations have strict customer satisfaction policies that practically allow customers to do anything they want. In healthcare, our justice system has awarded so many absurd lawsuits that, healthcare workers are weary when someone threatens a lawsuit.
It's unfortunate because I really do think we shouldn't have to put up with these behaviors, let alone reward them.
We the people want to end Marijuana prohibition
Today, the White House launched its new, long-awaited website “We the People.” This websites provides people with a new way to petition the government to take actions on the significant issues facing United States. “If a petition gets sufficient support, White House staff will review it, ensure it is sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response.”
The most popular topic is regarding marijuana. Legalizing and regulating Marijuana has received more huge numbers of signatures from people. Marijuana legalization looks to be the hottest topic on the site, and it is the first petition to go to public was for the legalization of marijuana. Moreover, Marijuana-related topics dominate the list.
Some people think Marijuana as in a manner similar to alcohol. Those people argue that Marijuana prohibition has resulted in the arrest of over 20 million Americans since 1965 and countless lives has been ruined. Yet Marijuana prohibition policy has still failed to lower use rates, limit the drug access, and create safer communities. They do not believe that prohibiting such drugs will not achieve those results in the future that it has never achieved in the past.
I disagree with those people. If they really think like that, why do we even need laws? There always will be crimes and chaos in the presence of those laws. That is such an excuse! I am against using Marijuana illegally because it has a high potential for abuse which means it is perceived as addictive and begins to dominate people’s life. I sometimes hear that some advocates of marijuana legalization says the drug cures diseases, makes some people happy, does not seem to be any more dangerous than alcohol. That sounds really foolish to me. What do you think about this issue? Do you think Marijuana should be legalized?
Mandated Online Assignments
It was brought to my attention after last week's class, that there seemed to be a divide as to if online assignments were beneficial or not. There were clear points made from both sides. On one hand some students feel as though online assignment are very convenient as they are not required to hand anything in and are able to technically do the work without even being in class. On the other hand some students believe that online assignments handicaps them from being able to really justify their work before turning in the assignment (this directly relates more to science and math classes) and the fact that there is a possibility that the internet server may shut down for whatever reason and leave that student unable to complete their assignment[s] poses another handicap.
Personally I feel as though classes such as math should not have mandated online assignments. Many online assignments will not give partial credit (as showing your work is collateral damage in the process of completing online assignments) and therefore gives physically turning in homework somewhat of an advantage. However, I also believe that with some subjects, like English or Sociology, where writing is frequent and abundant, should have online assignments be mandatory. Online assignments are not only convenient for the student as far as turning in a paper, but are ecologically beneficial for the environment as well, as many sheets of paper and ink are being spared.
The innovative ideal of enabling a student to turn in assignments virtually has become reality and has sparked conflicts almost as complex as the ideal itself. Whether online assignments are a glass half full, half empty scenario one thing is certain, the world is becoming more innovative everyday and many significant, socialized establishments are attempting to keep up, so to speak, with the times.
11/11/11
The courage of our military is only surpassed by the courage of their families, who truly understand the challenge of living with the absence of a love one. My heart goes out to all those who have lost a love one, a love one that has given their all for their country.
I am an American Airman.
I am a Warrior.
I have answered my Nation’s call.
My mission is to Fly, Fight, and Win.
I am faithful to a Proud Heritage,
A Tradition of Honor,
And a Legacy of Valor.
Guardian of Freedom and Justice,
My Nation’s Sword and Shield,
Its Sentry and Avenger.
I defend my Country with my Life.
Wingman, Leader, Warrior.
I will never leave an Airman behind,
I will never falter,
And I will not fail.
Animal's Are People Too
There was a documentary that I watched a few years back on the truth to the production company. How we kill the animals we eat and how we treated it. What I saw in the documentary was cruel and in humane. I couldn’t bare on watching the parts that showed the dead animals hanging in the butcher. Another documentary I watched recently was about the sport of hunting. People would hunt down elephants for their tusks and burn tigers to get tiger bones and fur. They do it for the money. Both cases really got to me. It is cruel to think people will kill something so innocent just for the mere cost of it. For another example, I recently went to the Howard County Fair with my friend this year. They had a place in the barn were you can look at the farm animals. My friend and I were talking to this one girl that raised the cow we were petting. We were asking questions. One of the questions my friend asked was, “Do you kill any of your animals?” The girl answered to us saying that she does kill the animals. She even stated that the cow that we were petting, that she loved, that she rose since it was a calf, she will kill for their dinner. I was shocked. Personally, I wouldn’t be able to do that if I raised an animal since it was little. I even get mad when my mom sometimes threatens to get rid of my cats that I had since I was seven. No way! I know it is to put food on the table and to put money in people’s pockets. But, why does it have to happen. The way the people kill the animals is said to be painless. But, it’s still in humane to me. Animals rose only to be slaughtered when they are adults is horrible. This is one reason I became a vegetarian. I don’t go for the thought of harming something that doesn’t need to be harmed. They have the same rights as humans in my opinion. If you watch the documentaries you might think the same way. Not saying you will change your eating habits. It’s just horrible.
College Expenses
Long Reach/HoCo
A Life Imprisonment for Child Porn Possession?
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Italian Americans
Another example of American Italians is the show “Jersey Shore”. In this show eight young people, 4 girls and 4 boys, live in a big house. And cameras everywhere show their life in the house. Like Buddy's family they are emotional, but unlike Valastros when people from Jersey Shore talk the TV is always beeping, because 30% of their words cannot be on TV, even on MTV. I do not understand why Jersey Shore is so popular among young people. I do not like how they behave, and I do not understand why someone shows them on TV. I am afraid that when my daughter grows, she will watch shows like this and will think that this normal behavior, and will behave like Snooky. It is interesting it was one episode in Cake Boss, when Snooky came to order a cake from Buddy, and he did not know who she was, but younger boys in bakery knew her, and were very excited. But I found one common thing between older American Italians, like Cake Boss, and younger ones, like Snooky, they all loved their mothers. When Snooky came to order a cake, she was doing party for her mother.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, November 4, 2011
In your Hands
My old dance teacher is having this benefit concert on November 20th. Her dance team and the Uganda Rural Fund are teaming up to raise money for the AIDS orphans and impoverished women and children. All proceeds go to the Uganda Rural Fund. I think it is amazing way to help out while having people enjoy the arts and music. Uganda is struggling. It is usually used as the main example when talking about HIV and AIDS. There are about 1.2 million people in Uganda living with HIV. The number of new infection s exceeds the number of AIDS related deaths. The families that are in poverty and have AIDS are without good medical care. No one should go through with this. The more I researched the topic the more I got upset with the information I was reading. It’s sad. It’s sad to think about 1.2 million people are going through this problem and that there is rarely anything they can really do about the situation. HIV and AIDS is a big dilemma across the world. We need to spend more and more time trying to find a cure for it. I honestly want to do whatever I can to help out. If people read up on the topic they could know and feel more for those people. I’m not saying that they don’t feel, but when someone one knows more about a topic the more they will understand. No one should struggle through an AIDS related illness. My teacher is doing what she can to help out and I personal y find that expiring. You rarely find people that are really devoted to something and stay with it through years and years. She’s been helping out with this situation for over five years. It’s amazing. I want to help out myself as well.