Honors History Blog#4

1. What did you gain from your experiences as an honors student in the first semester (please consider novels, leadership opportunities, writing, history, projects, etc.)?

The books I read for Honors had influenced me. They contained interesting information into U.S. history and several cultural implications from the past in relation to the present. Also helping finish the projects was good, and participating in some key roles was rewarding. Learning the history helped expand some knowledge I had from my history class last year (last year it was AP world, not just the USA). Also learning about American history gave me insight to how the US Government works.

2. Discuss what you might have done differently if you could do this past semester of honors over again.

If I could go through this semester all over again, I would work more diligently, write better when working on my assignments, and work in a timely manner. Procrastination was detrimental, and if I had the chance to have gone through this semester again, I would have spent more time on my work first.

3. Discuss your goals for honors in the second semester.

I plan  on going through honors for second semester and doing well on my work, getting the right grade, and learning new things related with honors work.

4. If you could choose any specific parts of literature and.or history for our honors work next semester, what would you pick and why?

I would pick the Vietnam War because that has some importance historically (first televised war, etc.). Also the Cold War would be INTERESTING to learn about, considering that it takes up a majority of America's time after WWII.

Honors History Blog#4

1. What did you gain from your experiences as an honors student in the first semester (please consider novels, leadership opportunities, writing, history, projects, etc.)?

The books I read for Honors had influenced me. They contained interesting information into U.S. history and several cultural implications from the past in relation to the present. Also helping finish the projects was good, and participating in some key roles was rewarding. Learning the history helped expand some knowledge I had from my history class last year (last year it was AP world, not just the USA). Also learning about American history gave me insight to how the US Government works.

2. Discuss what you might have done differently if you could do this past semester of honors over again.

If I could go through this semester all over again, I would work more diligently, write better when working on my assignments, and work in a timely manner. Procrastination was detrimental, and if I had the chance to have gone through this semester again, I would have spent more time on my work first.

3. Discuss your goals for honors in the second semester.

4. If you could choose any specific parts of literature and.or history for our honors work next semester, what would you pick and why?

Honors History Blog#4

1. What did you gain from your experiences as an honors student in the first semester (please consider novels, leadership opportunities, writing, history, projects, etc.)?

The books I read for Honors had influenced me. They contained interesting information into U.S. history and several cultural implications from the past in relation to the present. Also helping finish the projects was good, and participating in some key roles was rewarding. Learning the history helped expand some knowledge I had from my history class last year (last year it was AP world, not just the USA). Also learning about American history gave me insight to how the US Government works.

2. Discuss what you might have done differently if you could do this past semester of honors over again.

If I could go through this semester all over again, I would work more diligently, write better when working on my assignments, and work in a timely manner. Procrastination was detrimental, and if I had the chance to have gone through this semester again, I would have spent more time on my work first.

3. Discuss your goals for honors in the second semester.

4. If you could choose any specific parts of literature and.or history for our honors work next semester, what would you pick and why?

Honors History Blog#3

WPA...
I would like to bring the Work Progress Administration to the modern society. The Work Progress Administration, or WPA, was the largest New Deal program at its time before it was ended around the start of WWII. It supplied jobs to the unemployed and had public works projects, and media, art, drama, and literacy projects. It paid its workers hourly wage, no more than 30 hours per week. During its time it fed children, and redrestributed food and clothing to the unemployed. Educational works helped benefit rural states.

I picked this plan because it would give more opportunities to unemployed families and could reduce the growing poverty level in the country. This would help the economy in many ways considering that this program played a large part in the New Deal programs during the Great Depression. This program would be a massive employer, having simple steps to being hired. Idealistically, it could help shape America for better, improving roads, cleaning neighborhoods, and reshaping the environment.

Modernizing this act could work if the jobs assigned to workers included production of goods used in society, like medical supplies for hospitals and other simple goods that could be made without need of experience. Public works such as building roads, repairing roads, and the construction of buildings could be used to help create jobs and keep the unemployed employed with work. Cleaning projects could also be issued, sweeping streets and making American cities better. This work could be channeled to improve America, wherever low cost jobs are missing.

Honors History Blog#2

Dear President,
The time ahead for your presidency will be filled with many difficult issues. America is not fairing well at all, with many economic problems, separation between congress, and much more. I have a few ideas of how to handle your first term and possibly your second term in office.

With regards to Congress, which has a split momentum of Republican and Democrat congressmen, you should advocate by-partisan ship, but do it in a way that benefits more than harms in terms of bills that are passed. The Republicans and Democrats are separate with their goals and will go only for those goals. You as president need to advocate the point that both parties need to make compromise, and not go for the minor issues at hand but prepare to serve the country, like FDR's ideal saying that "the United States is one organic entity, that no interest, no class, no section, is either separate or supreme above the interests of all” [1]. Dwelling the fight between parties will make it easier to help support the bigger plans ahead.

 The American public, as citizens, can support you. Many influential presidents in history have been supported by movements of people; this is your chance to start your own movement and influence on America. You have a following movement out there, and since your election it has died down in voice. Now you have to bring up that movement and have it assist your relationship for the public, because the Republicans have already begun a media-based public war against your presidency. Advocating for a cooperation in Congress deters some people, but providing your insurance to the people, like FDR "used radio and Reagan television to speak to the public without going through the press, [you] could do the same with the Web" [1].

If you can shape the economy to better fit both sides, then strive to. The Republicans want the Bush tax cuts, free-enterprise and business, while the democrats shoot for a more activist publicly run healthcare and governmental control on the economy. You need to make congress see the larger problems at hand, not just the instant gratifying missions that they have. A system for rebuilding the economy needs to in place, one that will somehow provide taxes to decrease the deficit but also provide to keep stability in an already shambling economy.

We need a "society that works for everybody" [1], and still gets the job done. President Obama, it is  your time now, time to reverse the economic stress left behind by the conservative era, and time to begin a new era, one that suits your American citizens.


Thank you for your time and consideration.


Sincerely,


You advisor Mr. Pena




CITATIONS
[1] http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/11/17/081117fa_fact_packer?currentPage=all

Blog#20: Fed vs AntiFed Interview!

Issue: Civil War
We discussed about the Civil War and the Federalist VS. Anyti-Federalist issues. The prime reason why the civil war was fought was because of slavery, whether the government (Federalist) should abolish slavery or whether the South (Anti-Federalist) should keep it. After the war, the south still stayed Anti-Federalist, arguing that the government took away the southern state's rights. Since Anti-Federalism was a large undertaking in the South, the federal government had a difficult time taking away segregation and instituting Civil Rights acts. The mood of the South in "Confederates in the Attic" by  Tony Horwitz, and it reflects how some southerners react to the government regulation; the Anti-Federalist way.

I interviewed my father for this blog:

Q- "What is your opinion on the Civil War, mainly on how it has effected the South?"

A- "The Civil War had many effects on the South. It was a war to end slavery, contrary to what many southerners would say. Also it was also an economic war because the South depended on slaves to run their industry, which was plantations. As for how it affected us in the future? The South was devastate, lot of poverty, loss of infrastructure, it did so many things I don't know where to start... It left a lot of southerners resentful towards blacks.

Q- "What is your opinion on the anti-federal movements in the south?"

A- "A lot of the southern states don't like federal government, so a lot of southern states want to run things their own way. That can be very dangerous, because we have a constitution, a law for every person in this land. Some of these states in the South, they want to segregate and do other things that are unconstitutional, and that is why they don't like The federal government... because the federal government sets them straight."

Honors History Blog #1

The most important Health Care legislation issue in history, from my point of view, is the debate on the privatized health care or 'Laissez-faire' (hands off) corporate health care system vs. public health care. Privatized health care has some issues with how it is run; it is easily manipulative in its clients.

The privatized health care was a form of Anti-Federal means, since the federal government had a healthcare system that allowed for private companies to deny coverage to people. Health insurance companies have certain goals to reach economically, and without government regulation, they can cancel coverage to people with "pre-conceived conditions... a medical condition that existed before someone applies for or enrolls in a new health insurance policy" [1]. Insurance companies use many factors for pre-conceived conditions, and they can even use ethnicity as a factor (Here is a link to an educational slideshow showing the ethnical effects on health: http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/REHealthcare/player.html).

 

"Insurance companies and health plans are concerned about their financial bottom line – it’s in their best interest, therefore, to exclude people with a pre-existing condition" [2].

 While the government's job is to protect the people, the Anti-federal system in place leaves many people vulnerable to life without health insurance. This is why the matter is so serious, it affects a huge portion of health care involving numerous people. The federal government has had a recent health care bill proposal, a public health care system. In the news the Republican side fights for private healthcare while the Democrats fight for public healthcare. Healthcare has affected people from the past, affects us in the present, and will affect people in the future. This debate between Federalists and Anti-federalists in health care is playing an essential role in American society and history.

Sites used:
[1] http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html
[2] http://healthinsurance.about.com/od/healthinsurancebasics/a/preexisting_conditions_overview.htm

Blog#19: Life the Book Reflection Blog...

1. What are you most proud of in your Life: The Book writing? Try to describe this is detail!

I am proud of the fact that I made an article supporting vaccines and that I was able to finish it

2. What are some changes or new ideas that you have developed in your writing through the course of this semester?

I have formed multiple drafts and had to include a story in the article with a bunch of medical information. (It was very hard to find a character in my story)

3. If you had a little more time to work on your writing for LifE: The Book, what would you do differently? What would you change about your writing?

I would have more people go over it and condense my information, because I was unsure of how long the article was supposed to be. I will always want to improve my work and change it.

4. How has the additional element of publication in a book affected the way you approach writing?

It made me feel that my work need to be perfect because of the publication, and it encouraged me to work more intensively on my work considering that it would view by many people.

Blog #18: Senate Health Care Hearings

My character's main goal for the Senate Health Care hearing is to include medicare in the bill.

As a witness, my character hopes to be convincing and provided his viewpoint so as to get the health care bill to include Medicare.

I plan to accomplish the goal of convincing the senate to include the health care bill by providing a strong insight as to how helpful medicare is towards keeping senior citizens in good health. Also I will include how everyone will be effected by medicare when we get older.

I am working with Louis Christian Tabalon to have the republican part of the senate back up my claim.

Blog#17: More Opposing Viewpoints!

1. These articles effect my article for Life: the Book primarily because of the costs that vaccines play in healthcare. Take this quote as a good point, Randall Hoven, “A Conservative Case for Universal Health Coverage.”,
"If we are to be consistent libertarians, then the government should stop meddling in health care and health insurance altogether.  End Medicare.  End Medicaid.  Close down veterans' hospitals.  Stop funding medical research.  Stop funding pharmaceutical research.  Stop mandating vaccines.  Stop mandating emergency room treatment.  Stop mandating health insurance policies.  Stop doing those things that cost us 6.6% of our GDP when we have to kick in another 7% or more of our own." This quote elaborates that vaccinations supplied by pharmaceutical companies, and other medical research no less, are too expensive. In my article, I am fighting to prove the importance of vaccines. This article disregards the importance of medical technicalities. By the sheer attitude of this person, we can see a point of view that disregards vaccines and their uses.

2.) First off, it was hard to tell from the articles themselves whether the author was striving to tell a point that healthcare was too expensive or a point that healthcare was not expensive. In fact the second article that was supporting healthcare because it was not expensive, actually portrayed to me more that a government run healthcare overall was expensive... (quote was used above in #1). Also, the articles seemed more inclined to not have the health care plan today be issued. Like in Joel A. Harrison, “Paying More, Getting Less.”,

"Getting What We’ve Already Paid For

Americans spend more than anyone else in the world on health care. Each health insurer adds its bureaucracy, profits, high corporate salaries, advertising, and sales commissions to the actual cost of providing care. Not only is this money lost to health care, but it pays for a system that often makes it more difficult and complicated to receive the care we’ve already paid for.", It sounds like they oppose health care. With a closer examination, I think that they are really saying that health care now is bad and that health care run by government should be possible. They do word it awkwardly though...


As for the side opposing government health care because of how expensive it is, the article George F. Will, "Dr. Leavitt's Scary Diagnosis.", argues on that government medicare is a large example of the possible health care plan to come, which is way expensive. One thing that I disliked about this though is this quote, "Furthermore, nearly 30 percent of Medicare spending pays for care in the final year of patients' lives." This author acts like old people are a burden. He totally puts aside the fact that he himself might be running on healthcare. So what about it? Is he proposing to cut off medicare? Without it more people will die sooner (in the old age). Also, with the article, Larry Kudlow, “Obama’s ‘Public’ Health Plan Will Bankrupt the Nation.”, the author's writing is mainly towards a certain audience, with the way he speaks in his oppinion. He makes the healthcare plan seem absurd when he says things like "Utter nonsense.", or "Fictitious." The fact that he gives his opinion early on sort of turns me away from what he is getting at, because he is giving a harsh and negative light to the situation.


Overall, I am undecided about whether health care is too expensive or not that expensive...

Blog#16: Opposing viewpoints & Your Topic for Life: The Book

1. The way that these healthcare articles influence my book is that privately owned companies distribute vaccines, and changes in health care could effect the matter of how vaccines are distributed, meaning that the government might take control of vaccine distribution.

2. I believe that health care is a 'right', just like food and clothing and education. Some people argue that health care isn't a right, and they include that food, clothing, and education is not a right. The arguments that fall flat include:
---OPPOSING---In an article opposing health care, “Health Care is not a right,” by Iain Murray and Roger Abbott,

"As Alexis de Tocqueville put it so well: “It’s not an endlessly expanding list of rights—the ‘right’ to education, the ‘right’ to health care, the ’right’ to food and housing. That’s not freedom, that’s dependency. Those aren’t rights, those are rations of slavery—hay and a barn for human cattle.”" So eating food and getting a good education means that we are cattle? Where would this man be if he wasn't guaranteed a good education?!

In an article opposing health care, “Health Care Is Not a Right,” by Jacob G. Hornberger.

"This is especially true when these types of “rights” expand to such areas as education, food, clothing, and housing... The true nature of rights — the type of rights the Founding Fathers believed in — involved the right of people to pursue such things as health care, education, clothing, and food and that government cannot legitimately interfere with their ability to do so." Does this man know exactly what the founding fathers intended? Only by the constitution, and it doesn't say that food, education, and health care 'aren't' rights. His statement here even disproves itself, he says that the government is not allowed to interfere the pursuit of health care, but won't government supplied health care bring that pursuit to reality?

In an article opposing health care, “There Ain't No Such Thing as a Free Lumpectomy: The folly of a "right to health care," by Jacob Sullum, it doesn't really include that food, clothing, and education isn't rights, but one good point that it included in the argument was that "A right to health care thus requires the government to infringe on people’s liberty rights by commandeering their talents, labor, and earnings. And since new subsidies will only exacerbate the disconnect between payment and consumption that drives health care inflation, such interference is bound to increase as the government struggles to control ever-escalating spending. Rising costs will also encourage the government to repeatedly redefine the right to health care, deciding exactly which treatments it includes."

This helps the argument by giving the reader a different view of the people who have to work with government run health care.

---SUPPORTING---

In an article supporting health care, "A Good Case for Universal Health Care," by Bryan Young,

the allusion to the Sermon of the Mount hints to the idea of everyone having a right to healthcare, "In the novel Jailbird, Kurt Vonnegut provided me with the perfect answer to these questions and it's very simple: "Why? The Sermon on the Mount, sir."" Even thought he article provided good situations, and stated that health care was a right like food or clothing, or education, was that this article had mainly emotional facts rather than actual statistics. 

In an article supporting health care, “Health Care Is a Right, Not a Privilege,” by Sen. Bernie Sanders,

the words are backed up with statistics, "46 million people have no health insurance and even more are underinsured with high deductibles and co-payments. At a time when 60 million people, including many with insurance, do not have access to a medical home, more than 18,000 Americans die every year from preventable illnesses because they do not get to the doctor when they should. This is six times the number who died at the tragedy of 9/11 - but this occurs every year.", but is there anyway to supply statistics to this? Even though the statistics aren't sited, it still makes me ponder on all the people who really need government run Health care.

In an article supporting health care, “We Are Not Free: Health Care as a Human Right,” by Helen Redmond, "When she considered changing jobs, the critical factor was the prescription drug coverage that a new employer would offer. She wondered, "In what other country would that be the deciding factor?" Only in America; a nation of health care hostages.

We are not free."

This quotation has a good argument, and is an example of the whole article's argument. That argument is that private healthcare could be impossible to pay depending on a person's situation. The use of "______ are not free" is a good use of the emotional part of the argument. Even though it has emotional aspects to it, this article also includes examples.

Over all, the articles aren't perfect. Some articles opposing healthcare having different segments in the articles that oppose each other, and it seems like they ignore the person not being able to pay for the private healthcare. The supporting articles for healthcare include emotional stories, some not supported by facts, others that are supported and bring a conflict in the reader by putting them in the situations described. 

Blog #15: Life: The Book and American History

1. There is a quote best describing government involvement in medicaid and medicare:
 "In 1986, Congress enacted the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) to ensure public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay. Section 1867 of the Social Security Act imposes specific obligations on Medicare-participating hospitals that offer emergency services to provide a medical screening examination (MSE) when a request is made for examination or treatment for an emergency medical condition (EMC), including active labor, regardless of an individual's ability to pay. Hospitals are then required to provide stabilizing treatment for patients with EMCs. If a hospital is unable to stabilize a patient within its capability, or if the patient requests, an appropriate transfer should be implemented." -http://www.cms.gov/EMTALA/
The government has institutions that provide medicare and medicade, but it doesn't provide personal health insurance. It does have laws that "ensure public access to emergency services regardless of the ability to pay", and this is regarded as a civil right for American citizens. Social security is guaranteed by the U.S government. The laws enacted by President Bush for health care include signing benefits for senior on medicare (Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act), and another law on social security. Obama is trying to enact a government-run health care system.
2. America's government role in scientific innovation: As shown by the article "The Covenant", President Bush opposed the scientific endeavor of stem cell research. Obama goes for scientific innovation. The government can issue grants for scientific studies.
3. Americans pay through taxes for general government health care such as health care for hospitals and social security. The government strictly facilitates taxes and how government provided health care is regulated.
4. Health care problems today in America include not being able to be covered by insurance because of occupation or health status, paying for high health insurance if you have a condition, and not being covered for a largely expensive and important therapy (such as medication for HIV, or other deadly diseases).


---
1. The components of making a compelling character include having lots of information on the character,  as long at it is relevant information to the article and information that connects to the readers. A compelling character can be analyzed deeply, and must contribute to moving the article along, such as being dynamic, not stagnant.
2. The components of making an interesting plot include having some sort of conflict, internal or external between to characters (like government vs. the people, or a person vs. their inner beliefs). The plot has to relate to readers and get them involved intellectually in some way, some deep theme that they can reflect upon. Within a interesting plot, there has to be many subplots, and other forms of plot structure, such as an introduction, a climax, and a resolution. Characters must be included in the plot, with both a protagonist and an antagonist.
3. Steps to getting non-jargon based scientific writing include getting simple quotes from scientists/experts, see what the public thinks on the scientific matter, translate information to casual examples, use metaphors, and describe in simple details, sort of like a summary of details.
4. Authors encourage readers to connect with the stories by putting in situations where readers are connected personally in some way. real life instances are included and the wording suggests how the readers themselves are involved.

(Possible characters:
Parents and their children [One parent example to use is my own parents, or the person who made this blog http://www.teamten.com/lawrence/writings/vaccines_infants.html]
Doctors and experts (doesn't have information yet)
Private companies and manufacturers (need info)
Protesters of vaccines (need info))

Blog#14: Life : The Book & Humanities

1. Infancy - Infants and vaccines


2. The CDC is one government agency related to vaccines for babies (they actually are concerned for the health of Humankind overall). Some people oppose vaccines for infants. Here is one article from the CDC that approves infants getting vaccines:
http://www.cdc.gov/features/infantimmunization/
Here is an article against vaccines:
http://hpathy.com/homeopathy-papers/45-reasons-to-protect-infants-from-vaccines/
Video against vaccines for their chemical contents:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBVcrk1zLK4


3. Vaccines have helped in numerous advances in Human civilization with the battle vs. Viruses. Economically Medical companies earn money for providing vaccines, many people who are against vaccines use this as an excuse that vaccines are fake and dangerous.
http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/vaccines_how_why.php
http://vaccineawakening.blogspot.com/2009/05/politics-profits-pandemic-fear.html


4. REPEAT!!!


1. Old people - Old people and Alzheimers


2. There is a agency for Alzheimers, the Alzheimer's Association.
Video by the Alzheimers Association
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6lA1P2tF0o
Video on Alzheimers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wv9jrk-gXc&feature=related
ANOTHER informational video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1BkfV2h09g&feature=fvw


3. Culture is being effected by Alzheimers, at least by my cultural experiences. I learned by my grandmother that alzheimers has been rampant in our family history. If it influences me, then what about the other families influenced by this genetic disorder. People are trying to find a cure, such as the Alzheimer's Association.
Video by the news on Alzheimers and trying to find a cure...
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6089199n

Blog# 13: Life--The Book

My three BIG ideas are:
1). INFANCY (care and vaccines)
1. Relevant stage of life because it is a vulnerable moment of every person's life. Babies getting vaccines is the biomedical part of the article. The treatment of babies and controversies surrounding vaccines for babies is the humanities aspect of the article. Another Humanitarian aspect is how could modern day products be harmful towards babies (such as toxicity in infant toys or food).
2.





3. Genetically speaking, syndromes surrounding babies can have a profound effect on their life for the future (such as syndromes, or diseases that could effect them later)
4. Babies make up the fabric of living; how we care for babies, what products are used in raising a baby in today's culture.

2.) Old Age (Alzhiemers, Euthanasia)
1. Relevant to life, because a generation is passing and elders hold wisdom and information from our past. Biologically, Alzheimers is a very degenerative disease, effecting memory in the brain by a overload (or lack) of certain proteins in the brain. The Humanitarian aspect is that Euthanasia has a large controversy, and it depends on many factors of how the elderly are put to "rest".
2.

3. Genetically, certain proteins are formed in the brain by genes, causing Alzheimers disease. Also Alzheimers could derive from lineage.
4. The way how we handle with our elders has a profound effect on society. Some people are put in 'homes', which holds some controversy with old people homes that have abused old people. Euthanasia is another topic, one that makes a person think deeper about themselves and their morals. Culture now and days are disreguarding old people, and have very little respect for the elderly.

3.) Adolescents
1. Adolescent part of life is an important part of the maturation process from child to adult, both mentally and physically. In some instances humanity wise, Adolescents are a population of people not to be ignored since in a couple of years they will become adults, and have a say in the government. In some instances biology wise, Adolescent population is made up of multiple people with different body type, different immunities, and so on. Tackling adolescents, like children, can be difficult even if they are becoming adults. Diseases could threaten adolescents, like the ever changing flu virus, and the way that adolescents aren't adult yet means that their immune systems could vary. That is where vaccines come in to help them become immune. Next time sick season comes around...
2.

3. Genetically every teen is different in their own way, and the physical characteristics given by their parents begin to show in them.
4. Today's generation is changing, with adolescents having their words heard (although the tone of those words might be a little... yeah). In history, adolescents weren't really regarded as adolescents. You never hear the word 'adolescent' when you learn about the middle ages or WWII or the Han dynasty (totally unconnected things by the way).





(Sorry, just saw this picture and thought that it was hilarious! You do get the joke... right?
If you really need an explanation to this then please email me...)

Blog #12: Beginning the Internship Brainstorm

1#: I would like to work in a respectful environment. I would like to work with people who are serious about their work and I would like to work with a group of people. I would like to work in a cool office space of some sorts, not a cramped cubicle. It would be a comfortably calm workspace.
Here is a picture: It is more orderly and spacey...

2# I would like to be creative and to apply what I know to the work field. I would like to be involved in something and be able to help with that one job if I know it well.
to be honest, what ever skills are technical. All I know is that I definately will NOT be burger flipping...
Here is a picture: Tech stuff......engineering...

3# I would like to learn the inner workings of technology. I would also like to learn how the body works and how medicine can effect the body. Also mixing technology into medical sciences sounds really cool!
Here is a picture: A little something medical wise. How to diagnose with x-ray

Blog #11: Twitter!!!

I read the article about scrapers.
WSJ.com - 'Scrapers' Dig Deep for Data on Web
http://on.wsj.com/br9fVK

Scrapers are people who work to find information of people on the internet for clients. One specific instance of scraping that happened recently was a case where the site PatientsLikeMe had a break in. A scraper company, Nielsen co., was recording information of users in private chat areas on the site, and then transfered the data to their database. The information about users from PatientsLikeMe would then be given to certain medical companies, companies that uses specific information to create drugs for possible customers. This, and other scraper activity, fuels an outrage towards scraping. People dislike the fact that their information is being accessed for advertisers and such. The battle between websites and scrapers continue, some sites being heavily 'under siege' by scrapers. Scrapers on the internet is now more common in America, and with each scrapper comes the issue of whether or not scraping certain pieces of information is legal...

The article that I found was this:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703977004575393173432219064.html

It is about a test by a journalist on popular sites and the amount of cookies used by the sites to access information. A total of 50 major sites are tested...
This article is relevant to the Scraper article because it discusses about how companies/sites that access information, mainly unknown to most users.

Blog #10 (for lawyers and witnesses)

My thoughts as I head into trial:
1. Ok... some of my witnesses aren't working as well, and I feel like we should've gotten more time...
2. I wish that other teachers took into consideration that the lawyers and witnesses were doing work, because hmwk can overwelm, and take time away from the trial preparation.
3. I think that the questions are ready, and after I read the objections sheet I will edit them 1 more time.
4. Whatever information that we can get from the witnesses is what we get, I cannot find hardly any more places to put in questions based on different topics... I might as well go with it...
5. I do not think that I am prepared to cross examine witnesses, I need to practice more
6. I hope that my team wins the case, no hard feelings defense, but we are in it to win it...
7. I cannot wait for the weekend!!! Then I can relax.......... of course I would still have hmwk...
8. I am glad to have taken the challenge of being a lawyer...

Blog #9 Civil War.... Today?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0eKDsTWPv0
(This video is a lecture by a Yale University Professor, Professor Blight)

I chose this example of the effects that the Civil War portrayed in society because this discussion gives us a look at how the civil war effected society. The Civl War was a dark time in America, and it is a war that had massive social effects. The ideologies that comes from the civil war has been created because of demographic changes. As said in the lecture, 'Woman History began here', seeing that a portion of the male population was cut in half, women were widowed, families changed, and the way society works is changed. The 'brother vs. brother', 'human vs. human' theme in the civil war greatly changed how man began to see themselves. Sure, when you have a common enemy, you tend to ignore the human portion of the enemy, but at the Civil War era, the nation was divided, and people could've known each other from a past time before the war, now being forced to kill each other. The idea of total war changed American society.

“What is tragedy in relation to war? How do we understand tragedy through this prism of the social  impact of war? I think you only ultimately really do understand it by leaving headquarters, by leaving the generals’ dispatches, by leaving even Abraham Lincoln’s magnificent prose and trying to see it through ordinary eyes, ordinary women, ordinary men.” –Professor Blight (In a lecture)

To be able to cut through pre-conceived ideas about the Civil War, and to see how the war truly effected society, a person needs only to look at how people in their own form expressed themselves. The World Wars are very similar to the American Civil War (in beginning the women's rights movement and human rights in general). With the World Wars effecting mainly a larger group of people (THE WHOLE WORLD), ideologies were developed that reflected people's reactions to wars. Post-Modernism and Modernism are examples of modern ideologies that have been created by wars, and the Civil War is a good precursor to this.  The lecture relates the Civil War description to many wars after it, and this relationship possibly started with a major Civil War in America, where people were equal and their was no real hatred against the enemy. This was unlike past wars where Nationalization separated people against each other, and even before then kings fought with each other, with no real regret.

Now in the present day, wars effect people when they see their opponents as humans too. Either that, or the trauma from deadly weaponry has a profound effect on people for the rest of their lives...

The "Real" Blog #8 The Constitution, The News & You

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/us/12babies.html?ref=constitutional_amendments

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/us/12babies.html?ref=constitutional_amendments

1. The article begins with some statistics about babies and how many babies turn out to be born from illegal immigrants. This opens then to the main point-- that there are studies on babies born as US citizens from illegal immigrants, and these studies put up argument against "Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, [who] said in July that he might offer an amendment to revoke birthright citizenship for the American-born children of illegal immigrants." Mr. Graham's ideals have been felt by some Americans, but most Americans do not want to have a new amendment that disrupts the 14th amendment. Statistics support this because "the Hispanic Center, found that 56 percent of those polled opposed changing the 14th Amendment, while 41 percent supported it." The Pew Research Center and the Hispanic Center have also stopped the argument that illegals come to America purposely to have baby by the fact that "More than 80 percent of mothers in the country illegally had been here for more than a year, the figures show, and more than half had been in the country for five years or more..." Even though "Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a research group that advocates reduced immigration" opposes Pew's research, he still thinks that the 14th amendment should not be affected. He says, “'The point is to shrink the illegal population and prevent new illegals from coming in,'...'before it’s appropriate to have the constitutional debate.'”

2. If you haven't noticed already, the amendment in question is the 14th amendment, and this brings the concept of the constitution into play. The part of the 14th amendment directly addressed is:

"1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

Since the article discusses about babies born in the united states, this is the part of the 14th amendment that is being analyzed in the article.

3. this article directly relates to me because I will be using it for a mock trial coming up involving the Arizona immigrations laws and whether or not they directly violate the American spirit of immigrant History. This article will be a vital peace of information for the prosecuting side against Arizona's defense...

Blog #7 What stands out so far? (RE.)

The thing that stands out most in my learning is that my class has a good atmosphere; everyone is kind, and overall everyone welcomed me with their simplicity. There are diverse people in the class, and it creates a good social environment that leaves no room for factions or cliques. The class is small, and the teachers are understanding.

This class has a dynamic lesson structure, with one period usually different than the next, so that progress is continued and new things are learned.

To build upon success, I will work hard on my homework and try to understand my lessons entirely...

The steps that I can take to grasp the opportunities of learning in this class is that I can actively volunteer, pushing myself to be involved in the lessons, and, furthermore, I can help others learn the lesson, that way by repeating what I have learned, I can remember it better than when I first learned it.

My goals for the next few weeks in class are:
1. To finish my work on time
2. To be a good lawyer (for the mock trials)
3. To help sustain a good learning environment by respecting others and their learning values
4. Make new friends
5. Do my work with my best effort
6. Be creative and have an open mind when learning

TAP signing off....
(This blog is due Tuesday, 9/21/10, 11:59:59PM)

Blog #6 American Icons

Viral Warfare

By Tomas Pena

You have just been admitted to the hospital, sick with a massive fever and pain all over; you are infected with the Ebola Virus. There is no vaccine for Ebola, and the survival rate of Ebola is very slim; with a 90% mortality rate, almost all of the infected patients perish by massive hemoraging (a very painful internal bleeding out of every orifice of your body). Thanks to the “The Hot Zone”, by Richard Preston, I learned about the lethality of viruses. One of my thoughts after finishing the book was, “What would the world be like if we didn’t have people who risked their lives and rose above the occasion to fight these diseases?” I talked with my father about the book and how crazy viruses are, and since he is an anesthesiologist, he had learned about some deadly illnesses in his line of work. My father mentioned about the man who created the Polio vaccine—Jonas Salk. Around Jonas’ time, polio plagued America with the crippiling side effects that it inflicted, including paralysis and even death. Like Ebola now, Polio back then did not have a vaccine.

I read more on Jonas; he came from a Russian-Jewish immigrant family. His parents hoped the best for their children when they came to America. There are many professions out there, and Jonas could’ve easily chosen any career to pursue. Luckily, in the era where the polio virus was rampant, this man rose into the medical field. He worked hard in school, and began his career in medical research. Jonas later created the vaccine, the closest thing possible to a cure, for polio. The fact that this one person was able to create the vaccine for polio out of so many professionals and doctors doing the same research… is simply astonishing! Salk’s very own achievements fuel my dreams and imagination for the possibility of becoming a medical hero. People wonder when the cure for cancer will be discovered and who would be the person to discover the cure. What some people don’t know is that many developments lead to such an achievement. It just so happens that without everyone working together on medical research, many cures wouldn’t have been found. I have hopes of going into the medical field so that, like Jonas Salk, I might be able to help people around the world.

The idea that America has astonishing health care leaves many to take for granted what could happen if one of those special vaccines weren’t discovered. Has anyone ever thought about how many of us would be sick or dead from polio if Jonas Salk didn’t put in the effort to look for a vaccine? Most Americans hardly acknowledge the saving power of vaccines, and some downright deny the use of them, claiming that they cause problems and illnesses as much as the original diseases that they are supposed to prevent. People need to start accepting the fact that they play a part in their health. What will it take to realize the importance of vaccines? By the time you need a vaccination, it might be too late. 

Blog #5 Questions About Our Writing... (RESPONSE)

1. The aspect that has been most successful to me was finding my place in the continuum of icons and adding big ideas into the writing. This is because I already have a passionate opinion that I can convey to readers through this project.
2. All of the writing tips have been helpful (except for the 5th one, 'watch those adverbs', because I write in a certain way that doesn't contain as many repetitive adverbs). Of all of them, the ones most important of all are the 'make meaning early' and the 'concerts, not pancakes' rules. These two rules help establish a good, strong point in my paper.
3. The most challenging aspect of the Artist Statement is the unknown. What point should I get across? Should I use a different Intro? Would this writing convey my point to the ready? All these questions and more are daunting when I begin writing and editing my Artist Statement...
4. The writing tip that is the most difficult for me was the loop, because with the bigger picture in mind I had to change the wording in the Intro and Outro so that it made more sense to the reader.
5. Here is a segment that I am working on in my Artist Statement:

You have just been admitted to the hospital, sick with a massive fever and pain all over; you are infected with the Ebola Virus. The survival rate of Ebola is very slim; with a 90% mortality rate almost all of the patients perish by massive hemoraging (a very painful internal bleeding out of every orifice of your body). How would a student such as myself learn about this terrifying virus? I learned about the lethality of viruses by reading “The Hot Zone”, by Richard Preston. When I read the book, it gave me an intense chill, especially when one of the chapters entailed a group of Center for Disease Control (CDC) agents and their work to prevent an airborne Ebola virus from spreading into the general public. One of my thoughts after finishing the book was, “What would the world be like if we didn’t have people who risked their lives and rose above the occasion for the better good?” I talked with my father about the book and how crazy viruses are. Since he is an anesthesiologist, he had learned about some deadly diseases in his line of work.

-What do you think would be a good intro strategy for this paragraph if you yourself were writing about viruses? (it is my Intro)

-Based on you judgement, are there any problems that I have missed? Could these problems be fixed by the writing tips?

-What are the emotions and thoughts that hit you when you read this first paragraph?

(TAP signing out...)

(Due Tuesday, 9/14/10, 11:59:59PM)