Research Video

Hard Out Here for a Bitch by Lily Allen

This video is very controversial, and had VERY provocative images.
Lily stated the video was a satirical peace about the stereotype women have to face on a daily basis in the Music industry.

Anyways, Check it OUT, Comment what you thought of the Video!

Food, Inc

              Food, Inc really opened my eyes to how it's not only foods that's being processed and genetically enhanced it's also the ingredients used to make these products, like corn and soy beans. Before watching Food, Inc i was well aware of the failures of the meat packing industry and the fast food industry because I actually read Fast Food Nation, and watched the movie. After reading this I was shocked, especially by that fact that fast food companies use chemicals in their foods to produce the smell and the taste. They are altering two main components of the foods if the smell and the taste isn't real, what part of it is? Even though i did read Fast Food Nation, Food, Inc taught me a lot and made me wonder why I started eating all this junk again. The movie kind of scared me, even though people told me any of the things i saw in the film, I ignored them but I don't want to accept the fact that the foods i love to eat can potentially lead to my death. After watching food inc it's like i'm, forced to listen, I can't ignore it any longer.

              Some of the issues that stood out to me was the Monsanto Round-Up Soybean and corn grain, the lack of power the Food and Drug Administration, and the chemicals used in our meat. I knew that the meat industry is placing GMO's in our foods, but i wouldn't have ever guess they are genetically modifying the seeds farmers use to grow their crops. Just thinking about the millions of products made from the Monsanto Round-Up Soybean and the corn grains in the united states that have this processed unauthentic seeds is mind-blogging. It seems unfair that the Monsanto company can have a monopoly over the soybean being used. In 1996 only 2% of the soybeans produced in the U.S. was from the Monsanto company, but by 2008 that rose to 90%! That barely gives farmers a chance to use another brand of seeds, and if they do use a different one they wouldn't  be making as much as thousands of other farmers that are producing  hundreds of thousands of these Monsanto Round-Up Soybeans. The farmers who chose to do the right thing would end up losing their farm or their business. In other countries they have actually band the use of Monsanto seeds.There has to be some corrupt system going on here because if it's evident that these seeds aren't healthy for us, why isn't our government doing anything to stop it. Our government should be protecting its citizen from things that will harm us, and i'm sorry to say it but the processed and altered food is killing us. I was blown away when  i learned that our own Food Drug Administration no longer has the right to shut down Plants if it continually fails the Ecoli & salmonella tests. If our own government can't shut down these plants that are sending out disease-ritten  meats, then who can? The government places a large role in our food production. throughout history they have been apart of this industry. In President Bush and Clinton's administration there were people in charge of the FDA who were presidents and Vice presidents of food corporations and USDA farm and beef lobbyist. The FDA is ruled by food industry people, the same people who they are meant to be regulating. The last thing that really surprised me is that they douse our meat in Ammonia to kill bacteria. We're not even suppose to touch/smell bleach for long because it can damage our skin and internal functions, but the meat-packing industry think its alright to throw our meats in huge vats of ammonia? I mean come on this should be easily seen as a wrong doing, but i guess not to the FDA. To top it all off the ammonia vats are only killing 70% of the bacteria, so if that left over 30% contains bacteria there goes another 10 dead children, all because of the meat industry. In food, Inc they showed us farmers who raised and killed their animals themselves, and how much healthier those foods were. The sad part is that the FDA even tried to shut down some of these farmers but when their foods tested to be healthier and contain less bacteria than the top companies in the top companies in the U.S., they were forced to leave these farmers open for business. 


                My Food Formula would be stay away from unprocessed foods(GMOs)  , Eat organics, but you can occasionally indulge in one of your guilty pleasure foods. I would follow this formula because even through its making you eat a healthy on a regular basis, it does allow you to go to a restaurant and eat something fattening. It allows you to eat a delicious slice or two of pizza when you're craving cheesy deliciousness. I think making food formulas are difficult to follow no matter who you are because in everyday life you're out and about and it's sometimes difficult to eat a certain way, when everything isn't available to you. 

Extra Credit!

After reading "Two Ways to Belong in America" by Bharati Mukherjee, I had many questions scrabbling in my mind. Parts of her argument seemed contradictory, and she tended to look at everything with a black or white perspective. In life its rarely ever black and white and in the case of immigrants in the United States, it definitely some shade of gray. 

I didn't like parts of Bharati Mukherjee argument where she states that she and her sister are both "freaks." Neither one of them are freaks, in america we have so many different types of immigrants. There are the ones that fully embrace american culture and others who still hold their own cultures but semi-assimilate in american society. Bharati Mukherjee is too critical of her sister, she feels her sister is in opposition of her and that she shouldn't be. What Bharati is forgetting is that America is a melting-pot, filled with many different people with many cultures and ideals. You don't have to drop your culture and everything you knew, to become an american. 

Shelia Jasonoff responded to Bharati Mukherjee's essay, she believes that it would be a betrayal to think that  there is only two ways for immigrants to live in america: "assimilating or refusing to assimilate." She directly goes against her argument. Jadonoff uses herself as a prime example because she too was an immigrant in america from South Asia. She knows how it feels to be an immigrant and it evident to her that there is a in between area where you don't have to fully assimilate or refuse to assimilate to be an american.

Fast Food Nation

Eric Schlosser's argument is that fast food industry not only changed how Americans eat but also that its methods and values have become the country's chief export. Schlosser uses several different methods to support his argument  He believes that by using several different methods and topics it creates a "balance" that most essays need.

He begins "What We Eat" by using the description method. Schlosser describes the fast food industry in american society. He describes how Fast food restaurants have grown in our society exponentially; these restaurants are evident in "stadiums, airports, zoos, high schools, universities, on cruise ships, trains, airplanes, K-marts, and Wal-marts." He then uses the example method to explain the experience of going to a fast food restaurant. the typical experience at a fast food restaurant starts with you "pull[ing] open the glass door,feel[ing] the rush of cool air, walk[ing] in, get[ting] on line,study[ing] the black lit color photographs above the counter, plac[ing] your order, and hand[ing] over a few dollars, [etc]" .Schlosser uses the cause and effect method throughout his essay. He states the causes of the fast food rapid growth in the united states. One of the causes was "the fundamental changes in american society." Many women entered the work force, which in turn "greatly increased demand for the types of services that housewives traditionally perform," cooking being on of them. 

 Schlosser essay benefits from using several different methods because it clearly identifies his argument and persuades the audience to side with him. He uses many descriptions, examples, statistics, and stories. I personally enjoyed his writing style it logically went toward in history and explained the many facets of the fast food industries. I believed he had a strong argument but at times some of his facts didn't seem reliable. For example when he stated "the golden arches are now more widely recognized than the Christian cross." I feel like proof is needed for such a strong statement  it seems like an exaggeration just to emphasize his point.

Arranged Marriages vs Marriages Made for Love

Compare and Contrast

Most people compare and contrast two things when they are trying to find out how two things are similar or different. Sometimes people compare and contrast to try to see which is better. In Gitangeli Sapra's essay, "I'm happy with an Arranged Marriage" she compares arranged marriages with "Marriages made for love." Sapra argues that arranged marriages are superior to regular marriages because there isn't any bias, you aren't able to judge someone based on their physical appearance. Sapra used statistics that 40% of marriages made on their own still end in divorce (Sapra 4). Even though Sapra does use strong evidence and personal experience to convince the reader, I still feel like she would have a bias because she grown up to this practice. Arranged marriages are normal to her whereas to many people it's a strange practice. With this in mind I feel like she would always argue that it is better even when there is concrete evidence proving otherwise. For example the statistic she used above may seem like a large number of divorces  but if a statistic was found for the amount of men an women in a arranged arranged that they didn't want to be in, or want to get out of, i think there's a strong probability that the statistic would be just as high. Even though their rate of divorce is low, doesn't mean they marriages aren't failing. In Arranged marriages there are many factors that are apart of the arrangement, and getting a divorce is never an answer in this culture. There seems to be more information on what different about them, especially the side she agrees with the most.

Liar Liar Pants on Fire

In Stephanie Ericsson's essay she classifies the various ways that we lie. She places the way we lie into several different groups. There is the white lies, facades, ignoring the plain facts, deflecting, omission, stereotypes and cliches, groupthink, out-and-out lies, dismissals, and delusions. Ericsson argues that lying has become a cultural activity. Living without lying is a difficult task but Ericsson believes we must try because if we don't we are all living a lie. We are losing ourselves and eventually hurting everyone around us.

I do  agree with Ericsson , I have also tried to stop myself from lying everyday and i also found it very difficult, but time after time i will try and quit again. I hate lying especially when it isn't necessary. I feel like lies take over you and traps you, it can get so bad that you are enslaved by your lies.

I loved how  Ericsson  wrote her essay. she used facts and personal information to explain exactly what each lie is and how they are frequently used. She increases her credibility by using important events in U.S history and by showing well known people who have used these lies. I also enjoyed how she used lies that everyone knows and uses on a daily basis. For example, the white lie, everyone has used a white lie before, either by telling a friend they look fabulous in that dreadful outfit, lying to their parents about where they are or even they casual white lie to your friends. Theses lie don't mean anything they just save you time, energy and most of the time spare others feelings. Lets be serious, who wouldn't  want to spare their friends feeling.

Ericsson seems to have covered all the basis of lying the only lie i would add is the Fake Lie. The lie where you lie but then you change the situation so when the person  ready to see if you told the truth you actually did. Like if your mom asks you did you wash the dishes, you reply yes mom of course i did! Then after you hang up, you race to the kitchen and wash the dishes so that your lie can be immediately canceled and when she gets home she'll see the dishes cleaned. Other than that  did a great job writing this essay, it was clever, creative, and entertaining.

Oh No There's Skunk in a Bottle?

               How in the World Do You Get a Skunk Out of a Bottle? This is the title of Robert Connors' essay, in which he explains how he gallantly saved a skunk that had its head trapped inside a glass jar. Connors uses this title to show, how absurd this experience was for him. He didn't know how to even approach the situation, so he assumed many other people wouldn't know how to as well. This catchy and interesting title reels people in, it gets the audience curious about what happened to the narrator and the skunk.       

           Connors writes a process analysis on how to remove the skunks head from the glass jar to analyze the relationships that animals and humans have, and to analyze how humans have created dangerous circumstances for animals. This analysis is seen through the detailed instructions on how to help the skunk. Connor states, "stand up, one step closer, squat down," he gives to a step by step instruction on what to do if you are ever in this situation. He also states that "If you spray me, you will seriously undercut my efficiency," this statement analyzes the relationship humans have with skunks. We are so afraid of this creature and its abilities to spray us that we'd rather run away and save ourselves rather than help it out. It shows the selfishness of people in our society, because we believe we are better than this helpless animal. Even though Connor "has a sudden desire to turn, go, keep running, get home," he stays because he realizes this is his"responsibility." Connors shows his audience that even though this is something you'd rather not  to do , you have to because it's your responsibility. He's persuading his audience that you have to help out animals because somethings in this world are out of their control and they need help to get through.

          Another thing that Connors tries to make his audience aware of, is the destruction and pollution thats increasing and affecting the animals that surround us. This skunk was suffocating when its head was stuck in the jar. Connors stated that, "the jar [has been] empty for years." How can a community let their environment become filthy and polluted to have empty jars lay on the ground for years at a time. We need to be able to take care of our environment so that all its inhabitants can also live happily and peacefully within it.

Premier Legue Rivalries

     

NBC decorated NYC shuttle train to Times square with the two premier leagues rivalries: Manchester City versus Manchester United, and Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur. Each subway cart was separated half the cart representing one team and the other half the other team. 

In this Ad NBC tries to capture the rivalries and excitement of the upcoming games by using statements such as  “Keep Calm and Pick A Side.” Inside the train each seat has the team crest in the middle of each seat so when you sit down you are actually choosing a side. Giving New Yorkers and tourists some activity like that gives them something to talk about. It initiates conversation with others about the team they love or against the team they want to lose. NBC reminds them to go and watch the games on their television channel. Even though this type of advertisement is pretty clever and gets the train riders interested in what they are advertisement it wont get people who weren't planning on watching it too actually watch the football (European soccer) game. It might have the influence over the viewers in the moment but once they leave the train car they won't think of that ever again unless they are football fans. I may think that the Advertisements won't generate more views from people who are new to football, but I do think that it may increase the amount of views by reminding people to watch the game. There are thousands of people who are forgetful and without seeing this ad they probably would have forgotten to watch. So Ads do influence and affect us but not in the strongest ways, and definitely not as strong as the advertisers believe. 

Steiner - Depression in College Students

Steiner makes the claim that there are high rates of depression and suicide in college students. This happens because of multiple reasons, some from trying to balance all these new stress inducing situations a college student may have and others who are just  reverting back to one's prior depressed  experienced before the start of college. Steiner lists solutions to this problem. She believes if students are well-informed about depression and universities take the initiative to provide funding for counseling services then we'll see lets depressed student and less suicides in colleges throughout the United States.

Steiner supports her claim with statistics, facts, and multiple examples. She finds the statistics of suicides college students committing suicides and by stating 15 out of 100,000 student instills some fear in Americans. It shows to them it isn't just one kid here and there it's a growing entity taking over american students. This is also seen in the examples she uses, she makes a point to emphasize the fact that with some of the suicides the student were categorized as happy and fun kids, so people couldn't understand why they would commit this act.

I agree that college is very stressful for students and if there were more ways to express how they were feeling then there would be less depressed students and fewer suicides. I see the many stresses that students have to go through. Many universities they try to keep a high reputation so they make their curriculum very challenging, as well as the constantly increasing tuition rates it hard to picture a college student who isn't stressed. Some students are able to cope with this stress better than others. If universities acknowledged this problem and tried to teach these students how to deal with stress then maybe there will be less depressed kids in college in the future. If I wrote this essay I would have added information that proved that when colleges stepped in the rates of depressed students actually decreased.

Hidden Intellectualism Response

          Gerald Graff argues that real intellectuals aren't just people with broad academic understanding, they are also people with "street smarts." Graff believes that people with nonacademic interest can still be intellectuals. He states his argument in the last paragraph when he says, "schools and colleges are missing an opportunity when they do not encourage students to take their nonacademic interests as objects of academic study." Graff supports his argument by stating a personal testimony. He uses himself as an example of someone who wasn't "book smart" but had a thirst for knowledge relating to sports. Anything that had to deals with sports he read, from Sports Illustrated to Sports Magazine.

        I agree with Graff to some extent. It seems to me that  many hobbies or interest that are strongly pursued can easily be called an intellect in some way. Like for example musicians, many people refer to musicians as musical geniuses. Geniuses are people who have this vast amount of knowledge. They are intellectuals. Intellectuals don't have to be only in the academic sense, intellectuals are seen everyday in many different manners. The only reason where I can't fully agree with Graff  is because of his idea that someone who pursues any nonacademic interest can become an intellectual. That means someone who has become an expert in multitasking or juggling will be an intellectual? I hardly think so. It all depends on the interest one taking up, but it is true that not all intellectual have to be academic.

Technologies of the 21st Century

        Steven Pinker believes that social media isn't making us stupid but that they're the only things that is  keeping us smart. He believes the technologies that have been created are helping us manage the growth of knowledge and information that is expanding rapidly. Pinker appeals to ethos by using many different facts and references. Pinker definitely applies to logos when he wrote about the crime rate decreasing, he logically made a comparison between the effects of video games and how technology actually positively affects society. I agree with Steven that the new technologies are benefiting with the amount of resources out their its hard not to learn something every time you browse the web. I didn't particularly enjoy how Pinker set up his essay, there felt like there was too many quotes and references not enough direct statements or facts. With so much going on I was kind of confused as to what the actual thesis was, until he clearly stated it in the last paragraph.

             On the other hand Peggy Orenstein's  "I Tweet, Therefore I Am" uses a narrative to portray the idea that society is becoming more externalized. We're putting on a performance for others and losing sight if ourselves. I enjoyed Peggy's essay, her argument was understandable and related to her audience. By mentioning the psychological experiments as evidence for her claim increased her credibility because the audience can clearly see that what she is saying is true. I enjoyed how Peggy started and ended the essay with the story about listening to the children's book, that appealed to pathos because a lot of people understand and can relate to that moment. 

Descriptive Essay

The clouds parted and the loud rumbling and howling of the winds finally came to an end.  I opened my eyes and peered into a room completely dismantled from last night’s trials. My kitchen floor was now submerged with murky water about two inches deep. The room seemed to have moldy essence, like the smell of a cloth after being wet for a day or two. Water marks drained down the walls as if they were crying with despair.  My mother and her friend Ted were sleeping on the couches next to me; we had decided it would be best to stay together. Ted was deathly afraid last night, being a midst a hurricane for the first time wasn’t an easy thing to endure, even for a 45 yr old from the Midwest .

Being raised in South Florida prepares you for a lot different things. Hurricanes and natural disaster preparedness is of top priority. As a ten your old I’ve been through quite a few hurricanes big and small, but none had ever struck me as hard as Hurricane Wilma. On October 24^th 2005 Hurricane Wilma reached Florida as a category three hurricane. As such, no one in Hollywood, Florida was too frightened. During the early part of the hurricane my mother and I were talking to a family friend a few miles north of us, “There’s nothing much going on around here, just a little water on my balcony, what about you guys”.They bantered.   As my mom began to respond the unthinkable happened! The roof of our two story townhouse apartment flew right off! Our roof ripped off so easily, like thin foil paper ,  as if it wasn’t there to begin with.

I was in utter shock; we were upstairs at the time so my mom grabbed my hand and pulled me downstairs towards the family room.  My mind went on a rampage, how could a category three hurricane take our roof off?  That isn’t even possible! Ted exited the downstairs bathroom unaware of the chaos that just occurred, as my mom filled him in, he panicked. “What do we do now, we have to go somewhere else! What if things fly in? Oh my god,” he choked .

MY  mom being a strong and determined woman channeled the panic into something more productive: she tried to mop the rainwater out of the den and kitchen, sadly her efforts deemed unsuccessful. As the hurricane raged on, all I could think about were all our personal belongings that were getting soaked and ruined upstairs in the open element. This may have been a little materialistic but I had a lot of personal things that meant a lot to me. I couldn’t help myself but wonder if I was going to save any of my baby pictures or pictures from all the memorable times in my life. I know I will still be able to cherish those moments in my mind but how many memories can one brain hold. With the mind I have very few. Those images were the only things that could remind me of my past and the moments that meant the most to me, I prayed that they weren’t all ruined completely.

The eye of the storm created a lull of activity for half an hour. It was weird , after hours of destruction and terror, everything just stopped. The weather was cool there was an emptiness, like no activity was happening for miles. The silence was deafening. I have experienced being in the eye of a storm many times but there was something significantly different this time. Maybe because I actually witnessed the destruction first hand, I became so confused by the calmness that took over after  the storm. Even though it was weird to have everything pause for a couple minutes It was great that it did because it allowed my nerves to finally get some rest. Sadly, it didn’t stop me from tossing and turning for at least an hour; my couch was definitely not as comfortable as my bed. As the sun peaked over the horizon, I awoke the next morning with the only the memory of yesterday’s destruction.

Once my mom and Ted finally got up, the first thing we did was go outside and to our surprise we saw the roofs of twelve townhouses laid perfectly in front of our homes. Every single roof came off; twelve different families were now in the same situation as we were. It was really a sight to see, 12 identical ceiling fans, 12 skylight windows, and 12 conjoined wooden roofs lay upside in the front driveways of each home. The thing that really took me by surprise was that even though Mother Nature tried to rip away our ceiling, it still seemed to stay fused together as one. While this was an amazing example of what Mother Nature could do, it was also the most devastating thing I’ve ever seen in my ten years of life. But the mere fact that everything was still together that gave me some hope that even though this might affect and change our lives we’re still together and well and one day everything will be fixed and whole once again.

I walked around to see how badly other streets got hit but nothing came close to the wreckage on my block. Apart from our street, outside look so serene. The morning sun peeped up through the crystal clear blue skies.

As the days passed I learned the true meaning of selflessness: friends and family helped us through the disaster. We were offered places to stay, which we gratefully accepted. Others gave us clothes to replace the ones destroyed by mildew.  My mom even received money from people who wanted to help us through. It was heartwarming how a community could come together to help those who really need it.  The compassion I received became a motivation to push on even when times got rough.  The effects of Hurricane Wilma changed me and help create the altruistic, compassionate person I am today, because of that I will appreciate the experience forever.

American Health

At JFK Airport Terminal
Radley Balko and David Zinczenko are both watching the News on the flat screen while waiting for their planes to arrive to the terminal.

Radley Balko- Oh wow, the government just doesn't get it! These commercials on being healthy isnt going to change a thing!

David Zinczenko- What do you mean? It could help companies see that they need to let everyone know what's in their foods.

Radley Balko- But it's not the companies responsibility to let them know. If you are interested in finding out about whats in your foods or how healthy it is, that is your prerogative. The government shouldn't get involved. That's all i'm saying.

David Zinczenko- So the millions of children watching a McDonald's commercials, should stop and think wait a second i should find out how healthy my happy meals are. It's my responsibility! That's pretty absurd.

Radley Balko- Well obviously not, but their parents should be the ones doing the thinking. They should know taking their kids to McDonald's is going to effect their health and well being.

David Zinczenko-  If everyone keeps marketing to children with no warning labels or nothing letting the buyers know whats inside the foods, children and in turn their parents will continue to be obese. Nothing will change that.

On the loud speaker -Flight 201 has arrived

Radley Balko- That's my flight, but sir one day you'll see that once everyone takes the responsibility to be try healthy, the amount of obesity in the U.S. will greatly decrease. You'll see, but have a great day.

Radley walks away, leaving David to ponder on his last statements.

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Thesis Statement-  The United States is one of the most obese countries in the world. The government has tried to many tactics to lower this rate, but as the amount of fast food chains increase it seems the amount of obese and unhealthy Americans also increases. The Fast food companies add these addictive components in their food to get their customers hooked. They care only about earning more for their business not about the public's health. It not just the Fast food chains that enable Americans to be so unhealthy, Americans are also at fault. They don't say away from the foods that will negatively affect their health. I feel if the government regulates the fast food industries and the citizens make it there mission to try to be healthier, then maybe then america won't be as obese as it is today.

SHOOTING AN ELEPHANT - GEORGE ORWELL

       Back in older societies Imperialism was a major factor for any growing empire.Imperialism is the act if extending the rule of one country over other countries and colonies. In "Shooting an elephant" by George Orwell we learn about the British imperialistic government in Moulmein(lower Burma)through Orwell's descriptive narration. Orwell used dialogues and chronological order to effectively write his narrative. Orwell describes the hatred felt by the "sneering yellow faces of young men everywhere." The Burman citizens hated how the English government was taking over their country and in result they hated everyone working for them including Orwell. 

       Orwell used clear and direct diction that effectively showed his views. He even stated that "imperialism was an evil thing and the sooner i chucked up my job and got out of it the better." Orwell seemed to be trapped working as a policeman of this government even though he didn't agree with their choices. One day he was called to deal with the chaos of a elephant roaming wild in the market place. This elephant killed a civilian in town. Orwell got an elephant gun so he would be able to stop it, if it was necessary. He did not want to hurt the elephant unless it was the only possible way of stopping it. But sadly Orwell was forced to kill the elephant because of the crowds of people behind him waiting for him to do it, there seemed no other way get out of the situation. In the narrative it becomes evident Orwell regretted this decision but he tries to rationalize his actions by stated how the older Europeans believed he made the right decision and because the man died he was "legally in the right" for killing the elephant. I can  feel the oppression of the imperialism because Orwell clearly didn't want to shoot that elephant but with all the pressure from his superiors and the people around him, made him commit this act. Yes that might of been the "right" thing to do but was it the just thing to do? 

       I felt a sense of grief when the elephant died it was obvious it just wanted to be free able to roam around. When no one bothered it stayed to himself. As Orwell stated his anecdote about killing the elephant, I felt remorse for the narrator he was unhappy with his life and the government he was apart of but still he wasn't able to leave. Its like he was trapped in this society where most people hated him and for good reason too, even he hated himself for being apart of imperialistic England. I also felt hopelessness and grief for the Burman people. These Europeans were coming into their country and trying and change and control how they have been living for years and that's just not fair to them. 

I really did enjoy Orwell's narrative it was very descriptive and entertaining. It showed the many different aspects of this one situation and showed the different views of the sides of all the people involved.

Nostalgia (Descriptive Writing)

                          As I walk forward beads of sweat run down my neck. The cool salty air wraps itself around my body. With each step the stresses of my life fade away. I sink further and further into relaxation as the grains of sand flow in-between my toes. I listen to the soothing ebb and flow of the waves crashing onto the shore. The serenity and vacancy of my surroundings was a well needed contrast to the push and shove of the busy New York City streets. I saunter along the shore, taking it all in the immense beauty. The blue skies merging with the crystal clear ocean at the horizon. It's been way too long, I think to myself.

                       Oh how I missed this. I missed jumping into car every other Sunday morning and driving seven minutes down Sheridan street to Hollywood North Beach Park. The cool breeze and blazing sun intermediately wakes you from your slumber. We sped by supermarkets, shopping centers, elementary schools, and dozens of houses. They all seemed so deserted. It was as if we were thieves of the night trying to escape our capture. When we finally reached the beach the endless miles of white sand and blue oceans was the same as always yet still enchanting in every way. We found our spot under our palm tree. It was slanted and leaned towards the ground as if its each frond was too heavy creating pressure for the tree to fully support. Even though this palm tree had it's imperfections it was perfect to us. Each frond hid us from the blazing rays of sun. We were grateful for the shade on a hot summers day. I frequently gazed up into the sky and day dreamed about my life, where i'm heading and my purpose in this world. Even though I was never able to answer these questions, every Sunday I revisited them hoping I would have a breakthrough. Now, six years later I still tend to look up into the sky past the top of NYC sky rises, past the minuscule airplanes overhead, and into the vast emptiness reminiscing about being on that beach in Hollywood Florida trying to answer all the questions that are still unanswered today.

President Obama's Address to the Nation Regarding Syria (Extra Credit)

                   Syria,Syria, Syria, that's all you hear on the news lately. It has become a major problem not just to America but for all the countries in United Nations. The Syrian government and its civilians are in the middle of this civil war, and 100's innocent children and adults are dying everyday because of this. This all started back in 2011 when a group of people peacefully protected against the government. The government responded by trying to silence these activist, but that quickly backfired. The government eventually turned to open fire on these protest. From there the violence continued, the power struggle between the government and its citizens continues and the end didn't seem near. This quickly escalated to a civil war. Now it seems like the government is loosing so much control that they are going to desperate measures to get back full control over their land. The US government has enough evidence to conclude that recently the Syrian government under Assad decided to use chemical weapons against its own citizen killing hundreds. Obama says that this is a risk to the US's national security, that the use of the chemical weapons could increase and even get into the hands of terrorists. Obama does have a point here but i personally don't believe the US army should intervene in Syria. I think that would just end up making things worse. the government could be angered by the US infiltrating their land, and might turn on the U.S and send their missiles and chemicals weapons here. Then what would we do? Just like the article "where does hate come from" states violence begets violence. why cant we come up with a different resolution? Can't the Assad regime compromise with their citizens so that the innocent don't die or have to flee their homes, their lives, and everything they know. I don't understand why the American government needs to be involved in everything. What the U.S Should do is send money to help the Hospitals set up in Syria. I know that with the hundreds that were injured in the crossfire between the rebels and government, these hospitals must need more funding for medical supplies to help heal all these people. Although Obama did say no men will  land in Syria (We will not put boots on the ground.) its still kind of hard to believe everything our government says, they are so quick to grab a weapon when ever someone is doing something wrong , they never consider what they could be doing to help the current situation which in turn will help Syria in the future.
                     So what exactly is limited duration and scope? He doesn't really clarify what the US will be doing there. I just hope a resolution is found as soon as possible. Too many people have already died. If America can help in a positive, effective and efficient way then I think they should do whatever they can to help. There must me some way to negotiate with Assad and the rebels so that everyone is satisfied. But maybe i'm just a believer, that has to much faith in humanity. Or maybe violence is just a part of the human condition. But hey, what do I know about international politics and how to solve civil wars in the middle east, as college freshman in an English 120, these problems are astronomical to my daily trials. Obama even states, " The American people have the good sense to know we cannot resolve the underlining conflict in Syria with our Military, " and this is the only statement the President said that I can truly say I agree with wholeheartedly.

Chapter 4 -Narration & The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry Response

        Many people use the word narration but have no idea what it truly means. Let me simply things for you: Narration is listing accounts of events. It tells you what happened at a particular place and time. We write narratives for many reasons, to connect with other people, to entertain, to explain events,and to persuade others to accept a certain view. When writing a narrative you have to consider your audience and your purpose for writing. Then you'll know how to organize and which details to include in your writing.  To properly organize a narrative events need to be put in chronological order and used with appropriate transitions. Correct verb tenses and the sequences of them help connect events in time. To have a compelling story you have to have a plot and tell it from a consistent point of view. By adding dialog into first person narratives you introduce the points of view of other people in to story.You can use techniques such as brainstorming and clustering to find raw materials for your narrative. When planning a narrative keep asking who what where when how and why. You can analyze the causes and effects of the characters actions compare contrast one character to another. This may not seem as easy as it sounds but with some practice you’ll notice significant changes, when it comes to writing a narrative. A prime example of a well done narrative is The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry. It was interesting from the beginning of the narrative. I was curious how or why a 7 year old would sneak out the house. Then when there was no specific reason why she snuck out, I thought I would be disappointed but I wasn't because for some reason I understood her. Even though she didn't know at the moment, it became clear that she needed an escape from her life. Her only escape was her school, her “Sanctuary,” and that’s the reason her subconscious just brought her there. I liked how Linda inserted her own voice on what she thought about her past experience. So not only did she give us a descriptive story she also expanded on how she feels in the future and how that event impacted her life. I agree with overall argument, stated at the end of the narrative, that the government shouldn't be dropping before and after school programs and art-related activities. These programs definitely do help the students and their parent’s as well. It keeps their children in a safe environment doing productive things. Lynda Barry’s narrative essay reveals the benefits of these programs through her personal experiences with them. Barry uses the metaphor "a thousands points of light," at first this phrase was a little confusing, but after reading the footnote it became a little clearer. Those points of light represent the many programs that Lynda Barry is advocated for. But sadly because of the government budget cuts those programs seem as if they are as far away as stars, because children across america don't get the privilege to benefit from them anymore.

There are only a few things I would say could have been added or done better in The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry. If I was the Lynda I would have definitely added some commentary of highly known and recognized individuals who also support her idea that the government is doing the wrong thing by canceling these programs due to budget cuts. That would have made the essay a little better. Maybe Lynda could have added other perspectives of children who also benefited from the programs. But other than those two things the essay was well done and entertaining to read.

                                                                                                                                     Terry Tafari

                                                                                                                                          9-15-13