Week 14: Harry Potter :)

What I read for pleasure is two words: Harry Potter. I love all of the books and have ready them two times and also love the movies. The happiness I receive from these novels is beyond great!

I didn’t start reading Harry Potter until the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was published. I cheated and read that book first. It was the start of my new found obsession. I was addicted. All I would ever do was read them and watch the movies. Just about a month ago I found a smacking deal at Costco (the best place in the whole entire world); all six movies together were on sale for 35 dollars. SO CHEAP! It honestly made my day :).

Reading for pleasure is very important to me because it allows me to escape this world and enter into a new one where I can imagine the characters to be just how I want them to be. It lets me realize that reading is a great thing and not always so boring like a history textbook could be classified as. No offense to history but when one chapter takes me two hours to read it becomes very hard to keep my brain focused. However, when reading for pleasure there is no certain number of chapters I have to read or certain quiz I have to take; I am solely reading for pure enjoyment.

How this pertains to writing is looking at the clean sheet as something that you can make into your own masterpiece through the words that you write. Reading for pleasure allows my brain to relax and writing should also. It should allow us to relieve stress as we write whether what is on our mind, a research paper, or a letter. We are able to put our own words onto the page and truly make our paper ours.

Les Mis and Harry Potter

So the only thing that I have read “for pleasure” in the last twelve months is a condensed English version of the book Les Miserables, and technically I haven’t finished it yet. Over the summer I was pretty much booked out thanks to an onslaught of required readings my final semester of high school. Then came BYU, with fifty hours of homework a week, plus swimming, class, and if I found some time to eat or talk to people I jumped at the chance. I do think reading for pleasure is important. If you have the time, reading a book can let you escape into another world. I always enjoyed leaving my problems behind for half an hour to read about the problems that other people are having, even if the characters are fictional. I think that is why I enjoyed the Harry Potter series so much. When I picked up a Harry Potter book, I could just forget my problems for a couple of hours and think about what Harry should do. Because the plot was based in a fictional universe that I had never been to, I didn’t understand anything better than he did – until the later novels anyway – and therefore felt comfortable trying to analyze his problems and attempting to create potential solutions. I do not know if I have ever been able to change how pleasurable any one writing assignment is for me. I try to choose an interesting topic, but after that I do not think I can alter how much I will enjoy the assignment. If I get to give my own opinion on something that I am interested in and have significant, logical evidence to back my position, chances are that I will really enjoy writing my paper. If I am writing a paper that has a topic of no interest to me and drags on aimlessly forever, I will want to kill myself before I finish it (i.e. my Junior Research Paper on a book that I hated). Reading for pleasure is much different than writing for pleasure. I can pick up a good book anytime, if I think I have time to actually read it. On the other hand, I will probably never write a sentence if I don’t feel that it is absolutely necessary for one reason or another.

Week 13: Literacy

Literacy is the ability to read and write. I would expand this definition to: The ability to feed a growing curiosity, satisfying it all the while. For example, I imagine walking into a library. I walk towards the nonfiction section, divided into general broad categories. What do I want to learn? There are cookbooks, which inspire me to try cooking. There are those how-to books, for practical law stuff and financial stuff, the kind of stuff that you hear about but don't necessarily understand what it is when you're so young. There are foreign language books for French, Chinese, Italian, and Spanish. There are even books commentating about current events in the US, like the war in Iraq. Upon looking at these various topic of information and more, my curiosity is ignited. It's like my curiosity is a pleasantly light stomach, ready with plenty of room to devour decadent desserts (as opposed to being so stuffed that you can't enjoy another bite). It's like, the more knowledge I "eat," the more satisfying feeling I get, just like eating 15 Reese's cups (no holding back). Getting mentally exhausted from happily reading late into the night is like being stuffed with all my favorite foods: pleasant and ready to drift off into blissful sleep.

As for the writing side of literacy, it's okay, I guess. It's the means of reading: something has to be written for it to be read. Writing is a great outlet when I write in my journal. It's fun to read back on, and a great way to get memories stored to be relived over again with each re-reading. I love reading some of the funny things that happen in life, and my comments. It is almost like enjoying a work of fiction or a bedtime story, but way more vivid, since I can remember actually being there and remember details of the 5 senses instead of just imagining. There are benefits to writing to persuade people; I'm probably biased towards reading just because writing to an audience with care takes some work.

Lastly, a strange mix of reading and writing I enjoy is reading about creative writing. Mostly, this is interesting because I like reading fiction that I enjoy, so it's fun to understand what makes fiction good for when I try to make up my own stories. It's like mythbusters in a way: learning the elements of fiction also applies to fiction on TV and in movies, so when I see really good movies, I can identify what specific plot device I enjoyed about them (although it's been a while and I can't think of specific stuff- I read about character development a bit). It's also nice to be able to understand why I don't enjoy a movie: I can say that it had a plot that relied on a coincidence (like a person dying in a car crash, being cliche) which doesn't make for that intriguing of a plot in some cases.

One of my favorite things to read about fiction is Mary Sues and Gary Stus. These are characters that seem to be "perfect" and it's pretty funny to read about them: Chances are, every writer has made a character like that before, so it's relatable. It's fun to wonder, is Harry Potter a Gary Stu? In some ways, yes. Mary Sues and Gary Stus aren't always a bad thing, but they are fun to poke fun at. :)

(Week 13) Literacy: (n.) The ability to....

Literacy is generally defined as the ability to read and write, but to me it is so much more than that. Yes, reading and writing is important but the two together hold no real importance in our lives without understand of what is being read or written. Comprehension has a great significance in the definition of literacy. We communicate with one another these days through reading and writing more than we ever have in the history of the world. Our understanding what is being conveyed to us or what we want to convey to other people makes all the difference. Words are an amazing tool that we have be blessed to have at our disposal. Each word has it owns place in literature and can redefine our perceptions of so many things.
Literacy is language and the use of language in reading and writing. To be literate in one country is not the same as being literate in another. I’m not talking about language barrier but rather the way in which words are used. For example, in our country, we use the phrase ‘I don’t care’ when asked about our opinion or our preferences on something. In Spanish, ‘I don’t care’ is ‘no me importa’ which literally translated means ‘its not important to me’. This phrase in Spanish is portrayed the same way ‘I don’t care’ is in the U.S. to say that phrase it its Spanish version comes off as being offensive to many. Our comprehension of our very own languages and their use in our lives is different among people and cultures. Literacy, with my added definition of its need for comprehension, is then different all around the world. It is truly amazing.
Literacy in my life has made a great impact on me. I love to read and I do it all the time, whenever I can. My love for books has lead me to learn and appreciate things so much more than I did before I began reading as much as I do now. Of course, a lot of that comes with age and personal experience, but I attribute a lot of my knowledge to what I have read; whether that be in a newspaper, magazine, book, journal etc. I am thankful for literacy because it is not only a way to communicate, gain understand, and even expand my imagination, but it is a way to preserve those things long term, something the world didn’t ever think would be possible thousands of years ago.

Week 12- Makeup Week- Favorite Foodski :)

What is there not to like about cookies when they are warm and just melt in your mouth? I am so thankful that the dutch accidentally made “koekje” or “little cakes”- what are now known as cookies. Cooks back in the day would use a small amount of cake batter to test their oven before baking a cake. The marvelous thing that happened to result from this practice was the single-serving size cookie. The Dutch popularized the cookie in the United States. Years later, in the 1930s, an innkeeper in Massachusetts with the name of Ruth Wakefield ran out of nuts while making cookies. Thank goodness for this tragedy because she decided to substitute chunks of a chocolate bar instead forming the Toll House Cookie; in other words the famous Chocolate Chip Cookie. The delicious, smooth chocolatey bite delights my taste buds. Just thinking about cookies makes my mouth drool!

However, the best cookies in the world are chocolate chip oatmeal cookies; a summary of my childhood. They are also known as the “DiGiovanni’s Tradition.” At least three times a month my family would gather in the kitchen and makes several batches of our favorite cookies. These chocolate chip oatmeal cookies made the bond between my family grow stronger. Now when I make a visit home to Texas during BYU breaks, the first words that come out of my siblings’ mouths are “Who wants to make the DiGi’s cookies?” Whoever said sweets cannot bring happiness was wrong. I sincerely smile every time I think back to those cookie making days in my California kitchen where flour was draped over the granite counter top. I love thinking of many memories of my childhood and how I have made it to where I am today. Honestly I can say that the legendary chocolate chip oatmeal cookies not only gave my taste buds a treat, but also filled my heart with the love I share for my family and the memorable times we spent together making them.

I honestly revised this paragraph before I even wrote it. By reading everybody else’s comments on how they changed their blog, I already had ideas in my head of the organization I wanted to follow. I had to change a few words here and there, but thanks to ya’ll I did not have to do a whole lot! Hopefully it was not too shabby of a blog!

Week 12: Locks of Love

What if there was a kid who had permanently lost their hair, so it could never grow back? They may have lost their hair due to a disease, such as cancer? They do have the option of getting a wig. But let's say that there was a young 10-year-old girl who played soccer. Would she really want to wear a wig, always worrying about it falling off? Perhaps every day at school, she worries about the wig falling off and humiliating her, or worse, what if other kids decide to play a prank and pull it off at recess? For these kids, there is a solution that will not compel them to avoid sports, and not cause them worry during school. The solution is a high-quality hair piece from the non-profit organization, Locks of Love.

The hair pieces that Locks of Love provides are made from a mold of the child's head, so the cap is a custom fit, vacuum-sealed. So, kids can play sports and run around at recess without worry. Even more, they can shower and swim with the hair piece still on. It is also removable by breaking the vacuum seal at the temples.

The recipient can choose what color and length of hair they want. Then, strands of donated hair is injected into the silicon base, which is a skin-tone color that the child can also choose. Where does this hair come from? One hair piece takes 6 to 10 donated ponytails, at least 10 inches long-- 10 inches would make a jaw-length hair-piece since 2 inches are used in the manufacturing process.

Why not use synthetic hair? Synthetic hair cannot be colored and it can't be flat-ironed or it will "diffuse" (ehow). Also, human hair can last up to one year with proper care, but synthetic lasts only three months. Human hair will fall flat when it gets wet, like normal hair, but synthetic will retain it's posture-- although this makes synthetic hair convenient to maintain, it would seem to be unnatural looking. Overall, human hair will grant these kids in need a chance to live a normal life just like you and me.

So, what can we do to help this non-profit organization? We can help by donating hair (non-bleached and non-colored, because the chemicals would react in the manufacturing process) : and you do not even have to donate lengthy pieces to help. I'll describe ways to help in terms of hair length.

One can help by donating 0 inches of hair by donating money to help pay for the custom hair pieces that would retail around $3,500 - $6,000 each: Locks of Love will give them for free, or a lower price depending on financial need.

One could donate less than 10 inches of hair in a clean, dry ponytail or braid. It won't be long enough for a custom hair piece, but can be sold to help pay for the costs.

One could donate 10 inches of hair, which would be enough to make a jaw-length hair piece.

One could donate 15 or more inches of hair, which will give recipients the option of choosing a longer-lenghted wig.

So, the next time you are getting a hair cut, why not consider forming a ponytail to cut off instead of letting it get thrown away? If it is under 10 inches, if it's long enough (I don't know the minimum for selling) it might be able to help the costs of Locks of Love hair pieces. It takes a little bit of time to send it in, and if everyone did it, the benefits can add up. Let's help these children live a great life full of everything life has to offer.

* For details about how to send donations/etc., visit the Locks of Love website.

Works Cited

http://www.locksoflove.org/

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5011197_hair-vs-human-hair-weave.html

(Week (12) Faith and Truth

My grandmother often sends my siblings and I articles she had been reading on LDS.org that cover a large range of religious topics. One of the many she sent us this week was called Faith and Truth. As I read through the article, a lot of things popped out at me. I thought for the free blog topic this week I would share with you guys some of the things I picked up on.
When I think of faith, I generally think of something that is more often hoped for than actually known to be true. For me personally, though I have faith in the truthfulness of the gospel, I never had ever directly seen the correlation between faith and truth by definition. In actuality, faith and truth are rooted in the same Hebrew translation. I should have understood this by means of having faith in Jesus Christ or God our father. Both are true, living beings in which we have faith of their existence and power.
Prior to reading this article, I hadn’t understood the parallel between the word truth and the name Jesus. Where I had once believed truth to come from that of Jesus, they are actually synonymous words- one in the same meaning. This is easily exemplified when Nephi writes, “I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus.” Jesus is not merely the origin of all truth but he IS truth. This truth is an accumulation of many aspects of his godliness: knowledge, love, grace etc. This idea is encompassed in the definition of truth found in D&C and the definition of Christ. In D&C it states, “And truth is knowledge of things as they are, as they were, and as they are to come” whereas Jesus is referred to he “which is, and which was, and which is to come.” The meaning of these two things sheds light what truth really is. When we have faith in Christ, we are brought directly to the truth. This whole concept is important to grasp because it is through truth that we are saved and capable of living with our father in heaven and our beloved brother again. Knowing the truth is to know god, through which we are set free.

Week 11

When asked about my favorite food I find it very hard for me to choose just one, and my favorite food often changes. However, as of lately the something that tops the list is a simple, but tasty hamburger. There are many toppings that can go on a hamburger, and I prefer practically all of them when I am enjoying one. For example, ripe and juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, sour pickles, and even onions. Hamburgers alone are great, but they're even better when there is a side of perfectly cooked and season fries to go with it.
The history of the hamburger goes a long way back; there are various accounts of “hamburgers” stretching back to the 15^th and 16^th centuries, but these were not even close to the same “hamburgers” that we see today. The first appearance of a hamburger on an American menu was back in 1826 on the menu of a restaurant named Delmonico's, in New York. Even though this is the first appearance on a menu there are many speculations as to who actually invented the hamburger. There are people who say it was a coincidence and that vendors ran out of sausage for sandwiches and were forced to use beef instead. There are also others who believe that a young man started selling sandwiches, made out of meatballs, that could be eaten on the run, and these sandwiches would eventually evolve into the hamburger we know today.
Whatever the story is, I'm just glad somebody was able to come up with such a good tasting piece of food. I love hamburgers, there are so many combinations of different toppings and ways to make them, they personalize the way we eat.

While fixing up the rough draft I pretty much rearranged everything a couple of times trying to get it to sound right. I also fixed a few sentences and moved some of them around. I even go rid of some sentences that didn't fit, but also added others that I felt needed to be there. There were, of course, grammatical errors that I had to go back and fix also.

Week 11: Onigiri

Some Japanese food, like Sushi, is well-known in America. But some popular Japanese food isn’t very well known in the western world. One Japanese food that isn’t very well known in America is called “Onigiri.” Onigiri are rice balls shaped into a circle/triangle, filled with a filling such as a pickled food or salmon, and wrapped with seaweed. Onigiri are also made with some salt so they aren’t bland.

Making onigiri was an activity of my Japanese culture class in high school. The rice was cooked in a rice cooker, and the resulting starchy steam smelled so good at the end of a school day. We dipped our hands in water to prevent the rice from sticking to our hands (which it did anyway). We carefully morphed the rice into a ball and wrapped the salty crispy seaweed around it, enjoying it coming to life and sticking to the rice as it gained moisture. These cute little rice balls have been a part of life since long ago in Japan’s history.

Onigiri has a simple but long history, dating back to earlier periods when there were warriors (a.k.a. samurai). In earlier periods, onigiri were made for samurai to eat while they were outside. The reason they were made to eat outside is because they are convenient to eat and carry, like finger food. Onigiri are still convenient in modern-day Japan and have been lovingly hand-made because they are portable, but that’s not the only reason they are popular.

Onigiri have also gained popularity in Japan because they are now mass-produced and available in convenience stores at a great price, and because they have a homemade touch. They are widely available thanks to the new inventions of machinery. However, the seaweed on the onigiri would wilt, so it is packaged separate from the rice so you can wrap it on yourself before eating. In addition to coming packaged, it is also becoming a popular dish of cafés. Either way, “when you have onigiri prepared just for you or add the seaweed wrapping yourself, you get the warmth of the personal touch,” (Great Balls of Rice!).

Overall, these rice balls are cute, portable, and can make you feel special for eating them because of the care that goes into making them.

***I added the paragraph about making onigiri in my class into the beginning after I wrote about the history. I paid attention to the flow of old information to new information. I also expanded the 4th paragraph topic sentence to include the "homemade touch" idea. Overall, I think writing like this added clarity but seems more redundant. Maybe there's a balance I should try to achieve, in general.***

Works Cited

"Great Balls of Rice! Classic Snack Gets New Lease on Life." Web Japan. Japan Information Network, 21 July 2003. Web. 18 Mar. 2011. http://web-japan.org/trends01/article/030121soc_r.html.

yummmmmm..

My favorite food in the whole wide world is a hot fudge sundae!! Every year since I can remember my parents have taken me to get a hot fudge sundae for my birthday! These sundaes are not your normal sundaes, they are GIANT and made perfectly every time! The perfect sundae is made layer by layer. It starts with a cold creamy layer of vanilla ice cream followed by a warm rich layer of melted fudge. These layers alternate to the very top of course, and then it's topped with a thick layer of whipped cream. Then the sundae is sprinkled with nuts and topped with a maraschino cherry! Thank heavens for the person who invented this delicious treat. Although, no one has been able to agree on who that wonderful person is. We do know that they came about around 1890. Around that time a law was passed in some places in the mid-west that banned soda on Sundays. So, for ice cream shops the only options left were ice cream and syrup, which gave the treat its nickname.. ice cream sundae.

The first time I wrote this it was really random and a lot of the phrasing sounded really awkward. There were also a lot of mistakes with my spelling as well as my grammar. It was very choppy and did not flow in between explaining the sundae and then giving the history.The rewrite made it possible to organize what I was trying to say and make changes!

Week 11

I love food. Food is so great. There's nothing like eating something that tastes great and is good for you. My favorite kind of food is definitely pizza. I enjoy variety in all things, so variety in food is a big deal for me. Pizza offers many different kinds of variety for me. There are various breads, meats, cheeses and veggies for one to choose from in order to make that perfect pizza combination. Not only is there much variety for what your pizza contains, but there are various restaurants and chains that offer different styles and types of pizza. I enjoy partaking of pizza that is not always the same and that is made differently. Pizza has originated from Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures starting in about the tenth century. Pizza was considered a dish of the poor and was not considered to be a kitchen recipe for many years. The ingredients for pizza have evolved over the many centuries, mostly changing when it was brought to America.

I can't remember when the first time I had pizza was, but it must have been sweet. My first taste of it was probably a big turning point in my life, due to the fact that I used to be a very picky eater. Pizza opened doors for me. A nice hot slice of cheesy, spicy pizza sounds good right now. This dish probably made me be more willing to try other foods throughout my childhood. In trying other foods I might discover something new for my taste buds that could possibly be just as good as pizza.

I found some major improvements from my first writing to this revised one. It is amazing how many little errors I noticed. Second drafts are wonderful and make a huge difference. This is why I enjoy the peer reviews that we do in class. I moved so many sentences around in my first draft to make this post make more sense. I moved my history of pizza part around a couple of times trying to make it fit in the best place in conjunction with my more personal stories with pizza.

Week 11-Pasta

My favorite food is pasta. Pasta is generally accepted and being an Italian food. Thank you, Italy. The two basic categories are dry pasta, cooked without eggs and able to store for up to two years, and fresh pasta which must be eaten within a few days. It is made from wheat and some types of pasta have other ingredients, like eggs, added in. When made from scratch, noodles are made by preparing a dough, cutting it into strips, and putting it through a pasta grinder that evens and thins the strips. The noodles are then left out to dry and then boiled. Isn’t pasta cool?? Pasta is so fun to eat too! And there is like…a million different kinds of noodles. You can choose from manicotti, penne, ditalini, fettuccine, rigatoni, ziti, fiori, rotini, tortellini, gnocchi! Just to name a few. There’s stuffed pasta, long pasta, skinny pasta, shaped pasta, wheat pasta, and even designer pasta. I can honestly say that I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been to a restaurant that offered pasta and ordered something else. Pasta has never failed me. Whether it’s Kraft Macaroni & Cheese or one of everything at Brick Oven, pasta is always a good choice. Any kind of pasta will do, as long as it’s served with a white sauce. Not red. The only times I can remember not liking pasta were when it was served in a marinara sauce. I’m not a fan. It’s so tomatoey…Alfredo sauces are so superior in every way. Remember this next time you’re at a restaurant, imagine that big plate of toasty warm pasta served with garlic bread and meatballs coming your way. It won’t take long for you to figure out what you’re ordering.

It was kind of hard to make pasta interesting to read about, thus the tone I used in this. I know it’s unprofessional and far from academic. However, anyone reading this probably figured out that I freaking love pasta. That was my main intention. I organized it by topic: History and facts about pasta, types of pasta, and my opinions about pasta. Now go eat some pasta.

Steak

People have been eating beef since they figured out how to graze and butcher livestock. But when it comes to beef, there is only one way to enjoy its maximum potential and that would be in the form of a well-cooked steak. The best steaks come from the hindquarter cuts of a cow. There are several classifications of meat, the most important being the USDA evaluation. If the USDA gives a selection of beef the grade of “Prime,” you know you have found yourself a good piece of meat. I personally prefer my steak somewhere in that medium medium-rare range. That places the internal temperature of the meat at around 145 F when it is finished cooking. I love steak when it is warm, tender, and juicy. I really don’t care how large my selection of meat is, my priority is to be able to savor each bite to the fullest of its potential. People who order and eat those forty ounce steaks are missing the point in my opinion. I don’t have anything against them, but how much you enjoy your steak shouldn’t be measured by how much meat you can eat, or how fast you can shovel it down. Rather, I believe that every morsel of a great meal will be appreciated and enjoyed by the partaker, not quickly throw down into a bottomless and never satisfied pit of hunger. I first began to enjoy a good steak when I was a pre-teen. I began my relationship with food like all other children who enter this world. First I drank milk, and then expanded my horizons progressively to foods that were more solid. I have a very interesting relation with dairy products. Milk, yogurt, and ice cream, are just some of the delicious members of this food group. I developed a particularly strange attachment to cheese as a child, an attachment which has recently displayed itself again. I think I will enjoy a mission in France, where people place a high value on the quality of dairy products such as yogurt and cheese, as well as the simple things such as bread and vegetables.

My first draft was significantly different than my second draft. In the first draft I rambled aimlessly about my topic and its history. As I thought about my history with food, I simply listed off foods that I liked as I thought back through my childhood. Obviously my second draft is a little more formal and conveys a more direct and comprehendible message.

Week 11: The Cheeseburger

A meal that is representative of a turning point in my life is the introduction of crab into my life. At first the thought disgusted me, but upon trial during a vacation to the Oregon Coast at the age of 10, it instantly became a lifetime favorite of mine. Another turning point in my life, food-wise, would be when I first started ordering food at restaurants that weren’t hamburgers. Cheeseburgers have been my favorite food ever since I can remember, and it’s is all I ordered growing up. I ordered spaghetti one time in place of my burger, and regretted it. Nonetheless, I found it a stepping stone of diversifying my food choices. Upon some quick research, it may interest the masses that the hamburger originated in the United States and Germany and that the term “patty” is never used in the UK! Exciting stuff, eh? It can be served as pork, turkey, or tofu patties or a combination of meats, but is normally served in the beef form. Crisp lettuce, fresh tomato slice, thin onions, and a hybrid of mayo and ketchup are the elements that are optional to my favorite food: the cheeseburger. However, required are two lightly toasted bun halves, which serve as the security blanket to encompass the, also required, succulent beef patty. American cheese settles atop the patty, but has reached a temperature that lowers its viscosity and permits the free flowing of cheese whichever way gravity feels. No combination of ingredients can imitate such euphoria as does the cheeseburger. This is a meal that I simply love. Other than this meal, the meals I’ve loved have been those that were outside my comfort zone; crab, sushi, and a sandwich with questionable lunch meat. They are the most memorable and have all turned out delightful. I have only hated one meal, and that’s because it caused violent food poisoning; curse family reunion tamales.


At first i began with the description of my favorite food, but after revising I decided to open with the meals that were represented as turning points in my life because the topic of "meals" is more general and then i could eventually lead to the specific topic of hamburgers.I also moved the research portion of hamburger to right after the turning point section because it didn't flow well to read facts about hamburgers after a savory description of hamburgers. Then I transitioned into all kinds of meals i enjoy and left the meals I hate at the end. Because i thought it was funny to end on.

Dear Media,

One day I'm going to have a family. When that time comes I'm going to teach them that the reason we are on this earth is to ultimately create and be a part of a family. To reach this goal they're going to need to understand that a family was meant to be made up of a father, a mother, and their children. Not two dads. Not two moms. Not one dad. Not one mom. Not a bunch of parentless kids running wild through the streets of Tree Hill. How dare you put it in their minds that any of these options is more desirable or even equal to a traditional nuclear family? Your influence reaches far and wide, poisoning the minds of our society until it reaches those who make the laws in our land. The thought of my kids going to elementary school and learning about same-sex marriage as an equal alternative to heterosexual marriage makes me ill. I am not passing judgment on any individuals, however, I don't want my kids to be conflicted on where they stand on this issue because what they hear at home is the opposite of what they're taught at school. Media, you have done this. I may very well now face the difficulty of combating both the media and school in my children's beliefs. If my children enter into homosexual unions their chances of staying together are significantly lower than if they were in a heterosexual marriage. If a union is broken, the biological parent or legal adaptive parent will automatically get custody of the child. The other former partner gets nothing, not even legal visitation rights. I don't want this mess for my kids or grandkids. I realize that a divorce isn't a piece of cake either, but why add to the complications? The things shown on TV don't ever give proper attention to these complications or many other consequences for that matter. The social effects of being gay are occasionally looked at, if it adds drama to the show. But in my opinion being gay, for the most part, isn't even depicted as an alternative lifestyle anymore. Being gay or straight is portrayed as being as inevitable in society as have people who are white or black. I don't claim to know why people are gay. I actually have no opinion on the issue and even though I don't agree with homosexuality, I believe with all my heart that everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and respect. My kids will grow up knowing this, even if the media doesn't always teach it. However, they will also know that we believe in the traditional nuclear family, since media, you refuse to teach this as well.

Peace media.

P.S. This doesn't mean I don't love Modern Family...conflict of interest, I know.

Week 11

Dear dumb parents,

Although you may think you're doing just fine and dandy only watching PG-13 movies, you may be wrong. One of the most vital aspects to understand when discussing ratings and their debatable accuracy is "ratings creep." To be put simply, ratings creep is the change in content of lower rated movies, specifically them becoming more extreme over time, such as PG-13 movies now containing the more graphic violence or gratuitous profanity which would formerly only be in an R-rated film. According to the Movie Picture Association of America's (MPAA) frequently asked question guide, there are "no specific rules with which ratings are assigned." Although off handedly one may remark that PG-13 films can only contain 1 "f-word" and only a certain amount of sexual activity, a look at their actual guidelines reveals this to be simply a trend. They do indeed contain specifics such as R-rated films being the only to contain "sexually oriented nudity" or "the f-word in reference to sexuality in some form." However, the CARA ratings board within the MPAA is given complete liberty within broad terms such as these, and the majority vote of which rating to be assigned is taken, only to be reconsidered if under appeal by filmmakers. Essentially, the system is being exploited, resulting in the bar being pushed just a little bit further every time as movies contain more and more edgy content. As this brief summary of ratings creep has shown, using better judgment before letting yourself or your children watch even lower rated movies is needed. Perhaps try kids-in-mind.com 's more detailed, number based ratings system, to check the appropriateness of films before letting them into your home.

Sincerely,

Ben

Letter to my Senator

To the Honorable Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison:

Dear Senator Hutchison,

Greetings from the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. My name is Chad Sorensen. I am currently enrolled as a full-time student at Brigham Young University, but I am a citizen of the state of Texas. Consequently it is to you that I address my remarks.

Teenage pregnancy is a serious issue in society today. It is an especially serious problem in the state of Texas. Only Mississippi has more live teen births per 1000 teenagers than Texas does. Another point of concern is that women between the ages of fifteen and nineteen account for more than one out of every ten pregnancies in Texas. Something must be done in an attempt to combat statistics as startling as these.

It has recently come to my attention that research has been conducted which links teen pregnancies to the amount of sexual content viewed by teenagers. In a study published in 2008, in the journal Pediatrics, researchers concluded that teenagers who viewed low amounts of sexual content were half as likely to be involved in a pregnancy as teens who viewed high amounts of sexual content.

As a recent high school graduate, I do not find this statistic particularly shocking. The majority of my peers who were involved in sexual behavior preceded such behavior with a high intake of sexual content from various media sources.

Senator, based on the evidence noted above, as well as countless other studies and statistics that have been completed or are being conducted currently, I am suggesting that a change be implemented. We need a solution to better protect the youth of America, and more specifically, the youth of Texas, from the dangers of media sexuality. I am asking for your help in finding a solution to this current problem.

Of course there are several Constitutional issues that could arise if the government were to attempt to increase its regulation on the media. However, I do not think that voters would disagree that small changes could be implemented to help protect teenagers from the dangers posed by sexual content in the media. Perhaps a restriction upon the amount and type of sexual content that can be displayed in a show would help to slow the tide of the media onslaught that our youth are facing. Even if this is not possible, I am hoping that by bringing this issue to your attention that steps will be taken to help combat the problem of teenage pregnancy.

May God Bless You in Your Endeavors,

Your Concerned Citizen
Chad Sorensen

Dear Media,

WHAT do you think you are doing? Trying to make nurses look bad on national television. That is completely uncalled for. Thanks to your shows of Grey’s Anatomy, House, and ER the public’s perceptions of nurses are totally wrong. Nurses are not incompetent, ditzy, or to say the least non-existent. Nurses are not the doctor’s servant and handmaiden.They are the ones who take care of the patients constantly, checking their statuses frequently, and truly being the patients’ advocates. I do not appreciate what you are doing the the image of nursing. Not only are you helping contributing to the nursing shortage, but you are making nurses themselves feel like they are nothing. They are starting to have low self-esteem and are unconfident in their daily tasks. This prevents nurses from performing their activities with an assured mind. That in return makes a situation more dangerous for the patient. Also, it is said that if registered nurses were increased in the hospital so many more lives would be saved. Who would not want that to happen? Obviously you don’t want it to because of all of your bashes against nurses in your television shows. Another thing that upsets me and all of the nurses in the world is that you rarely ever have male nurses appear on your shows. This is showing the public that male nurses are frowned upon. Many people believe that male nurses are wanna-be doctors and are not smart enough to be accepted into medical school. This is horrible to think. Nursing is an awesome job and is an educated career. Nurses go through many years of school and are taught so much important information. They perform difficult tasks everyday and it is them who help save patient lives. The next time you decide to put another untrue thing about nurses in your shows, take a minute to think about it or give nursing school a try and see how it is truly hard and rigorous. Thanks for your time.

Mykenna DiGiovanni

Week 10

Dear Jimmer,
Have you ever been listening to music and singing along with the team and you suddenly realize what you are singing? There are so many songs that have a great beat and are fun to sing along to that have themes glorifying the use of alcohol and drugs. Peers are the greatest influence on the music that adolescents listen to. Teens are exposed to hours of music every day around 77% of that music makes reference to the use of these substances. Teens hear and see celebrities that they like singing about the fun that comes from this substance abuse and gain a good impression of the substances. When a time comes that these teens are confronted with using drugs or alcohol they remember the fun that they observed in the music videos and songs that they have heard. There are additional harmful affects that this music has on teens. Studies have shown that depression and aggression also increase as a result to music containing lyrics glorifying substance abuse. So Jimmer please for the sake of all of BYU please don't listen to bad music, and make good choices.

And, thank you for the big win, 52 points... UNREAL!!

Week 10

Dear Earnest,

The globalization of media has impacted the world. Many great new innovations have come about in the recent decades that have made it possible for you and I to be able to find out information instantaneously. I know that your are just as big of a sports fan as I am, and like to use certain media outlets to acquire information about your favorite athletes and teams too. Athletes are always being conversed about through television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet. So much of what athletes say and do affects the perceptions of you and I. The media makes all of this possible. Remember when we talked about Tiger Woods and that character Brett Farve? We said that those guys are idiots for the recent negative media attention they have been getting. The media has made our perception of these guys seem not as 'professional' as we thought they were. We looked up to these guys as kids but now we look down on them. Tiger is an adulterer, and Brett likes to send lewd pictures of himself to others. Dude, we had some really great heroes that we looked up to right? Not quite, my friend. The media has ultimately destroyed our childhood heroes and makes us look negatively upon them. It is good that the media gets out the truth so that athletes don't continue on with their horrible actions but the media should be a little more careful in what they broadcast to the public. The media should stop hounding on the stories of these athletes because it is ultimately giving the athlete more attention that they enjoy having. When you are a role model for children across the world you would think that you might want to conduct yourself in a matter that is appropriate for young kids that want to copy your life. This is why athletes should be more cautious in their dealings with the media. Every move they make or word that comes out of their mouth can be broad casted to millions in seconds. The vicious media, looking for any new breaking story, puts athletes on display to be negatively viewed by the public and its perceptions. There goes our so-called heroes...

Till we meet again Earnest.

Week 10

Dear Jordan,

Have you heard about the lockout that is supposed to take place in the NFL if they do not come to agreement for the terms of the new contract? Both the players and the owners of teams are in a huge debate over what the salary cap should be and how much the players should earn. This debate has been going on since the end of the 2010 season which was played without a salary cap. If there were to be a lockout many people would feel the repercussions of this event. One group that would feel this a lot would be the new incoming rookies that are looking to be drafted. Yes they are still planning on having a draft this year which means those rookies would be drafted, but the ones that end up not getting drafted would not have the choice of trying to go walk on to a team after the draft. The rookies that would be drafted would not necessarily be given a salary for the next year. This means that all these kids fresh out of college who were banking on the NFL as their job no longer have the NFL as an option to make money for a year. Many of these kids would not have a good back round to fall back on if they cannot make money because their entire focus in college was football. This is just one of the major problems of the lockout and there are many more that are out there and if you look at the big picture, almost everyone in the nation is going to be affected in this lockout whether the effect be big or small. This is an issue that you should probably keep your eye on because it will affect you in a way that will not be beneficial to you whether it be big or small.

Week 10: Dear Andy

Dear Andy,
How’s the family? I heard about that homeless woman beating you up. That’s pretty crazy, man. Anyway I’ve heard some talk on the radio about a possible reinstituting of the Fairness Doctrine. You know what I’m talking about? It’s the doctrine that was introduced in 1949 and then upheld by the Supreme Court in 69’ that would allow the FCC to regulate and force equality in broadcasting. Well it was abolished in 1987 during the Reagan administration, but now there’s talk on the news that democrats are trying to bring it back again. It makes sense that they would want to do that though. I mean it is conservative media that is the most popular in the country by far; liberal talk shows don’t even compare in listener numbers. I just don’t see the “fairness” in the whole deal. I mean, sure, people should be able to hear both sides of the story, and that option exists! It’s just the liberal talk shows aren’t nearly as popular as conservative talk shows. Why would this be? Probably because they haven’t got much to offer to the table other than saying things like “Hope” for a better tomorrow, while republicans can use facts and logic to point out problems that our country is facing, but that’s just me. I don’t see why the Liberals can’t just let the conservatives dominate one portion of mass media, I mean let’s be honest, democrats own pretty much every other form of media: cinema, television, and music, to name a few. If there is going to be regulations for equal representation on the radio, it certainly seems fitting to institute a similar regulation on all forms of media, I mean as long as we’re talking about “fairness.” It’s just something to think about. Some democrats are denying that there is even a push to get it passed, including Obama, but at the same time there are liberals openly expressing a need for bringing it back. So just keep your eye out, it could make a comeback here pretty soon. The more successful conservative talk shows get, the more they’re going to want to silence them.

Week 10

Dear Amanda,
We've both played lacrosse. We know about the absolutely ridiculous rules involving the women's "no contact" sport. But it almost makes the sport more challenging if you think about it. Instead of using contact and checks to maintain ball control, it's all strategy and mentally being stronger than the other team. In men's lacrosse their pocket is 5x bigger in their sticks and the fact that their goalies can have longer poles, thus resulting in much longer throws (especially from a goalie's standpoint), makes it a lot easier to get the ball from one end of the field to the other. Remember the one time that for practice instead of warming up by doing our regular passes with balls we used water balloons instead? It improved our stick skills so well because of the slack that we had to give every time we caught a balloon.
Sometimes I regret switching from girls' to guys' lacrosse, but in the end it definitely challenged me more. The ball can be thrown up to 90mph with the amount of whip boys have on their pockets compared to the girls average 60mph shots. And knowing that I wouldn't get punished for stepping out of my goal circle; Practically a dream come true. But at the same time, lacrosse goes back to the Native Americans, who used to play lacrosse instead of fighting war! They didn't hit each other or check each other's sticks. They played it more as a relaxation and meditation routine than a physical, rowdy sport. Women follow those rules and history a lot more closely.
It just feels like sometimes men and women should be allowed to do things the same way.

Peace out home-skillet.
-Rachael

Forgot to put my Citation for my Pencil Blog :/

Pencils, CategoryCarpenter. "Pencil History." Pencil, Pencils, Buy Pencils. 2010. Web. 08 Mar. 2011. .

(Week 10) Sex in the Media and the Lives of Adolescents

In most recent years, sexual activity has become extremely prevalent among adolescence. The use of the word adolescence is in reference to those within the age range of twelve years old and eighteen years old. Teenagers have adopted a new curiosity and pursuit for sexual experiences. This early desire to participate in what is normally considered, by society, to be an adult experience, is concerning to both parents and the public alike. This concern begs the question, what is causing this early onset of sexual curiosity. Some believe it is the influence of their peer that causes adolescents to pursue such activities and yet still there are others that blame the media. The media does play a significant role in the lives of adolescents and influences much of their perspectives on sexual activity, especially that which is viewed in movies and on television. It seems that the early onset of sexual activity in adolescence is a result of explicit movies and television.
However, despite there being a large amount of sexual content in media, it can be argued that parents are the ones to blame for the viewing of such sexual content in the first place. There may be sexual media in the world, but it would not exist if there weren’t a demand or desire for it. With that in mind, parents have the ability these days to control much, however not all, of the sexual content their children view. Parents can use parental controls on their TV’s and computers to prevent their children from watching inappropriately sexual TV shows and viewing images or reading about inappropriately sexual media. Parents have the ability to prevent their children from watching R-rated, or other inappropriately rated, movies. Also, parents can prevent the media that their children do view out of their control from causing their curiosity to become action through consistent and frequent conversations pertaining to sexual activity. If parents were more aware and open with their children, perhaps adolescents these days would not be so prone to early sexual activity. Sexual media isn’t something that can be discontinued in a day, however if parents were to take action pertaining to the matter, perhaps that wouldn’t be necessary.

Ahh.. I forgot to add the Citation:

Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Bubble Gum History." 20th Century History. Web. 05 Mar. 2011. .

Bubble Gum

I absolutely love gum, especially bubble gum! There is nothing more enjoyable to me than chewing on huge piece of pink bubble gum, blowing a giant bubble, and the waiting for that bubble to explode all over my face! Gum has been all around the world for a long time, although, bubble gum was first discovered by accident in 1928. Walter Diemer was an accountant for Fleer Chewing Gum Company. In Walter's spare time like to do some experimenting of his own with gum. One day while experimenting with some recipes he formulated a gum that was not as stick as the gum at the time and was more flexible which made it perfect for making bubbles. When we think of gum we commonly think of bright pink blocks wrapped in paper. The reason Walter Diemer made his gum pink was because it was the only option that he had, and i guess it stuck. Walter began selling his new bubbley bubble gum and soon it became a hit. The first day that he took his gum out to sell in stores it sold out! Walter then quit his job as an accountant and opened his own bubble gum company "Double Bubble". Double Bubble was the only bubble gum company clear till World War II, till other companies picked up on this great idea. Today, there are so many different kinds, flavors, and colors of bubble gum to choose from!

Week 9

We all have one, and it is almost a necessity in today's world. I am talking about the iPod. I figured that I should learn more about something that I am constantly connected to.

When we think of the iPod, we immediately go to Apple and Steve Jobs. However, the original idea for the iPod was in the mind of a person named Tony Fadell. Tony Fadell is now the senior vice president of the iPod division at Apple. The fist iPod was introduced on October 23, 2001, and only took a year to create and produce. The first iPod had only a five GB Toshiba hard drive. Ten years ago, the feature that helped the iPod stand out against competitors was the scroll wheel. Even though the iPod had new technology and there wasn't anything else like it the public did not react well to the product at all. The price, which was $400, was just too much for the public to spend on a first generation product. A year later Europe received the iPod and was much more accepting of the new technology. Later that year Apple came out with a ten GB, Windows compatible iPod. We all know the different versions of the iPod get updated yearly, if not more often. The first complete redesign of the iPod happened in early 2003; they redesigned the look, the memory, and the adaptability to computers. Since then the original iPod has had three new generations. There have also been a few new additions to the iPod family. There is the iPod Nano, the iPod shuffle, and the iPod Touch, each have also had multiple generations themselves. As we all know, Apple is not slowing down at all when it comes to new and improved product, and the history of the iPod is definitely not over. Now we all know a little bit more about a product that we all use daily.

Nistor, Codrut. “The History of the iPod.” bindapple.com. N.p. October 13, 2010. Web. 4 Mar. 2011

Week 9: Greek Mythology

I have always been interested in Greek Mythology, but I have never really known anything about it. I have kind of been one to think that myths have nothing to do with life today so why care. After doing a little research I was surprised to see some of the history behind it and learned about a few myths. Some of the stories in mythology are way cool and actually have some meaning to them. Mythology was the Greeks religion. It was used in order to explain events in life and its certain situations. A myth is a sacred narrative explaining the world and how mankind came to exist in its current state. All of the different stories in myth (there are many) have something of importance to the Greeks. I learned from my research that many Greek myths are used in today's culture. One such use of myth I came across was integrated into the recently popular film, Inception. In Greek myth there is a story about the daughter of the Cretan king named Ariadne. Ariadne was said to have aided Theseus in killing a creature called the Minotaur. In order to kill the Minotaur, Theseus had to go into the Labyrinth (a complex system of tunnels and paths in which it is easy to get lost in). The myth states that, "Ariadne, fell in love with Theseus and gave him a thread with which he could trace his way back out of the Labyrinth" (Morford 602). Through the aid of Ariadne, Theseus was able to enter the Labyrinth, kill the Minotaur, and return unharmed. I thought this was awesome because this myth can be seen in the movie Inception. The female lead character in the film is named Ariadne. Was this a coincidence? No. The Ariadne in Inception does the same thing for the main character Dom Cobb, as the Ariadne in the Greek myth did for Theseus. Inception's Ariadne accompanies Cobb through the labyrinth of his own subconscious mind while serving as the architect of the dream Cobb is having. Both Ariadne's provide means for getting Cobb and Theseus back safely into the world where they belong.

Morford, Mark P.O., Robert J. Lenardon, and Michael Sham. Classical Mythology. 9th ed. New
York: Oxford UP, 2011. Print.

Week 9: Korean

So, I was curious about Korean. I know some Japanese and some Chinese, but no Korean! With all those circles and lines, I wondered what kind of alphabet they had, what kind of vowels and consonants they used, and what kind of basic grammar structure they had. I did a little browsing, and found some phrases.

예 "ye" = yes. It sounds like a cross between "yay" and "yuh" (see Google Translate of "Yes" to Korean and push "listen" to hear how it sounds). It is a circle with two lines sticking out of the right, and connect them with another line, then another parallel line. Almost looks like a doorknob. If someone passes you a note in class, saying, "Are you going to the basketball game tomorrow?" You could write "예 ". You could even say "Ye," and people will probably think you were just saying "yeah" with a British or New Zealander accent. (or Korean accent if they knew Korean.)

To say "hello," 안녕하세요, it is "annyeonghaseyo". (On the simple phrases list of the one website, it says it means "How are you?" So, I guess it means "How are you?" and can be used as a greeting.) Listening to this on Google Translate, it sounds like "Ann yung ha say oh." They say it pretty fast, so I'd try to say it in the same amount of time it takes one to say "extraordinary."

To say "no," 아니요, it is "aniyo," like "Annie yo," based on what I heard on Google Translate. This one looks easy to write. The first character is a circle with a stick with a little leaf sticking off the side. It is one character, and you can tell by highlighting it with your computer mouse. The second one is like a wide four with the middle part slanted up. The last character looks just like yes, but on its side and only one connecting line without the extra parallel one.

One website said this was "no," but just as no has various uses in English "I don't no" (just kidding, that is actually a different word.) Since there are different subtle uses to the word "no" in English, in my opinion, such as "No, thanks" and "There is no water" and "No, I didn't do that" and "I'll be back in no time," there are probably different uses of (and perhaps different words for) the word "no" in Korean as well. The translation on Google Translate for "no" is 없음, "eobs-eum," and for "No thanks" it is 아니요,"aniyo." Since on learnkorean.com, the 아니요 ("aniyo") version of "no" was on their basic phrase list along with "yes," I would guess that "aniyo" is the way to say a general "no" response, like to a question.

Some more background info, about the characters: It appears that some (or all? I don't know) are made by combining the phonetic alphabet characters into one character. That probably makes it easier, since the geometric shapes don't look much like pictures that relate to the word. (Some characters of the Japanese language that look like pictures of what they mean are 木 (tree), 川 (river), and 山 (mountain).)

Korean characters: If you look closely, you can see how the three characters on the left are put together in the character on the right.

ㅎ (h)+

ㅏ (a) +

ㄴ (n) =

한

han

Google Translate. Web. 04 Mar. 2011. http://translate.google.com/#en|ko|.

"Korean for Fun: Basics I -- Simple Phrases." LearnKorean.com: Korean for Fun: Basics I. Web. 04 Mar. 2011. http://www.learnkorean.com/k4fun/k4fun_basic.asp.

"Lesson 1 Hangul Alphabet System." Learn Korean and Speak Korean :- Free Site for Learning Korean Language. Kpop Team, 2009. Web. 04 Mar. 2011. http://www.learn-korean.net/learn-korean-classes-viewarticle-5.html.

Week 9: NSYNC

NYSYC has blown my mind for years. What’s not to love with their butter-smooth harmonies, unmatched choreography, and likable members? But being my favorite “boy band” group, I have never really learned much about the history of the band and how it came to be. Well first off, these rag-tag group of boys would all meet each other in Orlando, Florida, after a talent scout had approached Chris Kirkpatrick about starting the newest teen pop sensation. Chris called his friend Joey, whom he knew from working at Universal Studios with. So with a solid start of 2 people, the scout, Lou Pearlman, looked through videos of singers to gain more members. This is the time where one Justin Timberlake was discovered as a young singer in the prestigious Mickey Mouse Club. This club is the soil from which Justin, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera would all grow and blossom from into stardom. Justin suggested his friend JC, who was also in the club, and after auditions to find their bass Lance bass, the group was formed. I found it interesting that the group really didn’t know each other very well. Lance was a complete stranger, while the other two pairs were separate friends/acquaintances. The group pretty much became an overnight success in Europe, namely Germany, with its early catchy tunes like “I Want You Back” and “Tearin’ Up My Heart.” And have you ever heard either of those songs? I can see why they were hits overnight. They are too catchy not to dance to. You may have heard of NYSNC’s second album, No Strings Attached, which holds the record for the fastest selling album as it sold over 1 million copies in one day and over 2.42 million in a week. The stores just couldn’t keep them on the shelves. This album was supposed to debut in 1999, but legal battles with Lou Pearlman delayed it from coming out till 2000. I guess Ponzi Schemes are bad, and Lou is going to be put away for a long time because of them. After their album Celebrity, interests of the group started to differ including Chase and Justin desiring solo careers. The group disbanded in 2002, but has gotten together for various occasions such as the Grammys in 03’.

Starpulse.com. N SYNC Biography. http://www.starpulse.com/Music/N_Sync/Biography/. 3 March 2011.

Houses for Flowers

The Netherlands is often noted for the beauty of the tulips that span its countryside during the late part of the spring season. What many people do not know, is how closely this flower ties into the history of the Netherlands. The flower originated in Central Asia, and was first brought to the Netherlands in the 17th Century. It was used at first as a medicinal product, but began to decorate gardens shortly thereafter. The flower became a very popular trading product in Holland, the most well-known region of the Netherlands, and as demand rose for the flower, so did the price of its bulbs. “Tulipmania” seized the country and average citizens began to sell homes, businesses, and anything else that they could to obtain some of the precious bulbs. Hybridized tulips that were multicolored were considered especially valuable. Some of the bulbs were literally of more value than a house. Eventually the supply of tulips began to increase, and the worth of the bulbs dramatically decreased, causing a “Tulip Crash.” The tulip was used to impress visitors to one’s home. Having more flowers and increasingly stunning petals was a sign of wealth and influence. In a world with electronic commodities, highly prized metals and stones, and superstar athletes, it is difficult to imagine a flower at the center of today’s economy. However, in 17th Century Holland, that is precisely what the world revolved around. I was able to visit Holland in the early spring of last year. Although the tulips had not yet come out, it was the talk of every shop and person on the street. Only three weeks after I left the Netherlands, I saw a news highlight of thousands of tulips freshly bloomed across the Dutch countryside. It was magnificent. Although you can no longer buy a house with only its bulb, the Tulip is still highly revered and loved in the land of windmills and clogs.
“Tulips.” holland.nl. 2011. Web. 3 Mar. 2011.

IP topic

I think I am going to write about drug and alcohol education in schools and whether or not it is effective in preventing drug and alcohol use.

IP topic

Idea (Thesis, but needs to be narrowed): People should be wary of sharing information online.

I think this would fall under the "Fact" category.

Edit: I'm thinking of narrowing this down to how big of a deal it is to be wary of sharing info online.

Thesis: "Being wary of sharing information online is [or isn't] a big deal."

This would fall under "Quality." I think I would do this because people might already agree that sharing info online is dangerous, but maybe some don't (especially teens, etc.). The second one is kind of a catch-all because it can be relevant to people who do think it's generally not safe, and to people who don't think it's any sort of deal at all (who don't think people should be wary). My stance would depend on my what position I take after my research. I may have to step it up if people already seem to think it's a big deal, and talk about what steps people should take to be wary. I hope I can do the fact or quality versions, though, because they're my favorites.

IP TOPic

My topic is most likely going to be gender roles/sexism in advertising. I'm not sure whether I'll go male/female/both.

IP Topic

For my IP I am examining the influences that Media has on Teenage Pregnancy.

Changed my topic...

I'm going to do my paper about how the media portrays the family. Gay couples with children, divorced/single parents, and couples who live together who are not married are becoming extremely common. Marriage in itself is just getting less rare. Singlehood is glamorized and many TV shows make it look like the most desirable things in life are having a career, as a result the shows take place in the work place.

Topic

Rap/hip-hop influence on the youth culture

New Topic

I am sorry I have already posted my topic but I am changing it now for good. It is whether or not T.V. is harmful to children.

IP topic

I am thinking about writing about the NFL lockout and how it is going to effect more people than just the players. How it will effect small businesses and the sports network industry.

IP Topic

I am thinking about writing on how our health care system and more specifically its issues with medical malpractice is not covered well enough in the media for people to actually know much about it. Reporter and new stations only report on Obama's new health care bill and how he is socializing our health care system but it does not tell about almost anything else in that enormous bill. They also do not let people know about the problems with the malpractice system which inhibits peoples ability to form an educated opinion about it and maybe do something about it. I may change my mind on this topic but this is what i have for now.

IP Topic

My topic is the ineffectiveness of the MPAA and its enforcement or lack thereof, and the changing standards of movie rating guidelines over the years.

Week 9: The History of the Pencil

So I was thinking about pencils and how much I love school supplies and it dawned on me that I did not know the history of the pencil or where it came from. I looked it up and here is what I found!

The pencil was originally called a "stylus." A word that was used for an ancient Roman writing instrument. Scribes used this instrument to leave a light but readable mark on their form of paper called "papyrus." Other scribes used lead which is actually non-toxic graphite. Graphite came into wide spread use following the huge graphite deposit found in Borrowdale, England in 1564. The graphite was soft and left a darker mark. However, a problem arrived. The graphite would break very easily so it needed a holder for it. People first used string to wrap around it, but eventually they thought of the idea of holding it in wood. This is how the wood pencil came about! In America William Monroe, a concord, Massachusetts cabinet-maker, is responsible for making America's first pencil in 1812. Another concord distinguished for the pencil making in America is Henry David Thoreau. From there on out, the pencil industry thrived!

You may ask yourself why the original pencil was colored yellow? Well, I am here to tell you! A pencil has been colored yellow since the 1890s because during the 1800s, the best graphite found in the world was from China. American pencil industries wanted people to know that China's graphite was used in their pencils. The Chinese national color is known to be yellow. They painted the pencil yellow so that their pencil would represent China.

Pretty cool huh?

IP Topic

For my issues paper topic I was thinking of doing something with sports and the media. How about the role of media in constructing the public's perception of athletes? I'd talk about stuff like how sportswriters try to break any story they can and often don't get their facts straight just so the writers have some sort of story. Also how new media has made athlete's lives less private.

IP Topic

Okay, so I think I have decided on one!

In today's media, nursing portrayed negatively in television shows has an affect on people's views of the nursing career and is detrimental to our current shortage of nurses.

???

Issues Paper Idea

My Issues Paper idea concerns the "Fairness Doctrine" that deals with equal political broadcasting rights.

IP topic

My topic is the glorification of alcohol in the media, specifically in music.

Week 9: The Umbrella

The word "umbrella" comes from the Latin word "umbra," that means shade. Shade. The most coveted relief in Egypt during ancient egyptian times. Circular shaped boards and such were the first forms of the umbrella used on pharaohs or other members of the royal family to relieve themselves from the sun. The chinese used the umbrella at first for the same reason, but soon started to waterproof their paper contraptions to use in the rain. The fad caught on it Europe but were really only acceptable for women to carry around, and were referred to as parasols. The first man to start carrying one around was a persian traveler and writer named Jonas Hanway. Hanway carried his umbrella around publicly in Europe for 30 years, and his style caught on to the point that gentlemen would refer to their umbrellas as "Hanways." Umbrellas used to be ridiculous in price because they were made of wood and had hand carved handles. They have progressed from cheeper steel to now plastic collapsable ones.
Growing up in Oregon I can't imagine not have umbrellas and can truly find the ingenuity in this invention.

Bellis, Mary. "Who Invented the Umbrella?" Inventors. Web. 02 Mar. 2011. .

Collier, Trey. "History of the Umbrella." Patio Furniture, Outdoor Patio Umbrellas & Market Umbrella, Furniture Covers for Your Garden, Lawn, or Deck. Web. 02 Mar. 2011. .

IP topic yo

OK

It's a stretch, and I don't really know what I'm going to focus necessarily on yet, but I want to talk about the Title IX (what started the growth in women's sports) and how it has affected sports now. The main argument is equality, how Title IX was supposed to equalize sports, but I personally don't think it has.

Yep. That's about all I got.

My IP Thesis

Thesis: Early onset of sexual activity is a result of explicit sexual exposure in movies.

Here are the problems I'm currently facing- How do I define "early onset of sexual activity?" By that I mean, what standard do I set to represent that which is early (or too young) to be having sex? Also- Should I expand and talk about how both movies and perhaps one other form of media influence adolescent sexual activity?

Week 9 The Differences Between Men and Women

Everyone knows that men and women are different. Very different. I firmly believe that we created that way for a reason. Women are one way and men are another way in order for us to fill our divine roles in this life and the next. We were made to complement each other's strengths and make up for each other's weakness. While there are a lot of obvious differences that I could talk about, I wanted to research actual differences in the brain. Men are more logical and women are more emotional thinkers. Women tend to make tons of connections between various aspects of their lives and men separate everything into categories. Women can multitask and men...yeah. Men are problem solvers, women just want to talk things out. Why? There may be a real explanation to be found by examining the way males and females use their brains. A man's left hemisphere dominates most of his rain function. A woman uses both her right and left hemisphere equally. The left hemisphere is responsible for problem solving and mathematical ability. The right side does more creative processing and emotional work. Additionally, a woman's limbic system covers a larger surface area. The limbic system regulates emotions. As a result, she will be able to identify her emotions and express them more effectively. I find this information not only interesting, but maybe even essential to understand. Men and women were never meant to be the same. We were created to fill specific roles. I don’t agree with radical feminism for this reason. I also think that feminists have made a huge oversight. They claim that women should have all the rights that men have and as a result, try to fill a man’s role. Trying to act like a man says that their role is more desirable than ours. If men and women are really equal, which they are, then both roles should be equally important. I think the differences in the brain just go to prove this point and I’m grateful that I’m a girl and proud of the role I have to fill. Even if that means I have no sense of direction, can’t do basic addition, and live on a perpetual emotional rollercoaster. At least I know how to create and maintain relationships, am naturally nurturing, and have higher reading comprehension!

Hensley, Amber. 10 Big Differences Between Men’s and Women’s Brains. June 16, 2009. http://www.mastersofhealthcare.com/blog/2009/10-big-differences-between-mens-and-womens-brains/

Issues Paper Topic

This is what I have decided on!


Whether or not violent video games can cause violent behavior/thoughts in children. My side is yes it plays a role.