I'm a complex person. I was always told as a young child that I was more outgoing than most and very argumentative about my personal opinion and position. However, somewhere along the way to the person I am now I lost most of my extraverted nature, but not the argumentative side. Going to college and taking some of the classes that I have taken have really helped me find my sense of self, in other words my ethos. This semester in particular has really helped me become more acquainted with my inner self.
English has never been one of my strong suits, but I've always thought I was a decent enough writer when it came to something I was passionate about. This semester we've done many examples of arguments. This is something I always considered myself very good at because I get into enough arguments to make me more than qualified. But after writing my first official paper entitled Chinese Government and the Fight against the Internet I realized that the position I had taken possibly wasn't what I had expected it would end up being. I attacked Facebook users and myself in the process saying, "Americans live and breathe just so they can get on Facebook and waste their valuable time." I do personally believe that Facebook is a waste of my time, but because I'm essentially addicted I would never don't want to be a member. But each person chooses how they live their life and it's not for me to decide or commentate.
During the Rogerian argument paper the theme of technology and the environment was a little closer to home than the previous paper. My senior year of high school I had gone to an almost completely “green” house that was an obvious reaction to not only rising energy costs but because the owner wanted to give back to the environment she lived in by not wasting its natural resources. The owner had placed in her house “high efficiency toilets, special brick around the house that insulated the house, the attic had foam insulation instead of fiber glass, as well as a specialized water heating system that heated the water quicker that way their family would be less wasteful of water.” If people could be more like this one person who actually cares enough to give back then we would have many less problems in our world. There are people on the other side of the Earth taking care of our wastes and we are subjecting them to dangerous conditions that they should never have to face.
At the very beginning of the semester we analyzed an advertisement to see what the creators were possibly thinking in order to make the advertisement appealing to their target audience. I personally analyzed a trailer from the 1993 movie The Nightmare Before Christmas. It’s one of, if not, my favorite movie. It taught me that if we just be ourselves we really don’t need anything more. We don’t the need pizzazz or material goods. Though I have to admit sometimes having the little extra things make life more entertaining we really for more because we can’t be who we’re not.
If this semester has taught me anything it’s that I really need to be passionate about what I write and that when I put my soul into something it needs to be a subject I agree with. I’ve learned so much about myself and my boundaries as a writer and a student this semester that I probably wouldn’t have if hadn’t taken this course. I think I finally know how to properly use my ethos. So in the future if I ever have to write a paper or do a project that questions my ethos I’ll learn from that experience.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill affects Legislation
It all started on Tuesday, April 20th, but the Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico is still affecting us nearly a month later. The article on ABC News Kerry, Lieberman Press Climate Bill Without Graham talks about an up-and-coming bill to be heard by our legislative branch. This week there was supposed to be a climate change bill that went in front of Congress. However, Senator Lindsey Graham, a leading sponsor of the bill, has backed out saying that, “I do not see [the 60 votes that are necessary] materializing until we deal with the uncertainty of the immigration debate and the consequences of the oil spill."
The bill calls for increased offshore drilling, which in light of the events in April might not be the best idea. They've been proposing a cap on the oil spill for quite a few weeks now and still nothing has happened. CNN posted an Oil Spill Tracker that tracked the actual and projected rate of spread. There are many that don’t agree with the expansion of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, but the bill needs 60 votes to “overcome filibusters.”
If this bill was as great as they say it is it wouldn’t have any problems passing without reaching a stalemate. Obviously there are some key issues being taken up with this bill, but are they what’s right for the economy and especially for our environment. Kerry and Lieberman were quoted saying “[T]he last (few) weeks have given everyone with a stake in this issue a heightened understanding that as a nation, we can no longer wait to solve this problem which threatens our economy, our security and our environment”. But is this really what’s right for our environment. There were very severe consequences of the Exxon Valdez incident in 1989. What if something were to happen to one of the oil rigs just like what’s happening now? Would we be able to fix it in time before we suffer consequences like the Exxon Valdez and lose ecological life?
The bill calls for increased offshore drilling, which in light of the events in April might not be the best idea. They've been proposing a cap on the oil spill for quite a few weeks now and still nothing has happened. CNN posted an Oil Spill Tracker that tracked the actual and projected rate of spread. There are many that don’t agree with the expansion of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, but the bill needs 60 votes to “overcome filibusters.”
If this bill was as great as they say it is it wouldn’t have any problems passing without reaching a stalemate. Obviously there are some key issues being taken up with this bill, but are they what’s right for the economy and especially for our environment. Kerry and Lieberman were quoted saying “[T]he last (few) weeks have given everyone with a stake in this issue a heightened understanding that as a nation, we can no longer wait to solve this problem which threatens our economy, our security and our environment”. But is this really what’s right for our environment. There were very severe consequences of the Exxon Valdez incident in 1989. What if something were to happen to one of the oil rigs just like what’s happening now? Would we be able to fix it in time before we suffer consequences like the Exxon Valdez and lose ecological life?
Effects of the Eyjafjallajokull Eruption in Iceland: Are They Coming To America?
March 20th, 2010. A day remembered because of its lingering effects on travel to and from Europe, but is the problem coming to America? Fox News as well as their sources think so, in the article Iceland Volcano Ash Coming to America. On March 20th the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajokull, erupted sending tons of ash into the air, only to get picked up by one of our global jet streams. FOX News has heard from the U.K.’s Met Office that the ash from the eruption may be already as far as Newfoundland.
Now, we’re no stranger to volcanic eruptions but this is the first time I’ve ever heard of it really affecting our lives beyond the normal damage that comes with volcanoes. Thankfully, the Met Office doesn’t believe we will be affected by the ash but their data is also based on models. Models are not always reliable. Could we really feel the effects of an eruption that happened off U.S. territory? In a way we already have. Flights to Europe have been cancelled or postponed
due to the ash. In fact, President Obama was prevented from going to Europe because of the issues that the eruption had caused.
How are we to respond if something like this were to happen to the U.S.? Does anyone besides government officials know? We have one of the potentially most dangerous volcanic hotspots in the middle of our backyards but what would we do if it were to go south on us. There’s always a risk when there’s a volcano that we’re at the mercy to. No wonder there are so many movies about volcanoes and the aftermath of their eruptions.
Now, we’re no stranger to volcanic eruptions but this is the first time I’ve ever heard of it really affecting our lives beyond the normal damage that comes with volcanoes. Thankfully, the Met Office doesn’t believe we will be affected by the ash but their data is also based on models. Models are not always reliable. Could we really feel the effects of an eruption that happened off U.S. territory? In a way we already have. Flights to Europe have been cancelled or postponed
due to the ash. In fact, President Obama was prevented from going to Europe because of the issues that the eruption had caused.
How are we to respond if something like this were to happen to the U.S.? Does anyone besides government officials know? We have one of the potentially most dangerous volcanic hotspots in the middle of our backyards but what would we do if it were to go south on us. There’s always a risk when there’s a volcano that we’re at the mercy to. No wonder there are so many movies about volcanoes and the aftermath of their eruptions.
My Day Without Technology
My day without technology was basically the same as always just without music. I chose a random day of the week and went without my iPod for 24 hours. It was difficult, but it could have been much worse. As a society we are very attached to the technology that we use on a daily basis. If you separated me from my laptop for more than a couple hours I would probably have the police at my door interrogating me about someone's whereabouts. My iPod, though very useful in times of utter boredom, is not my right hand man. I don't think I would be a very pleasant person without the two things that keep me connected.
Addiction is defined as a "compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance", which in my case would be technology. I've been an active technology user since before I can remember. I don't even remember when my first email account was created, even though it was created for me not by me. I check my email account probably 10 times a day because I love getting mail. I think it's from a lack of getting physical mail ever. So it's easy to say that I'm quite addicted to technology, but is my life any less stressful? To put it simply, no.
Stress is something I thrive on and I know many people that do, but it's not good for us and has a taxing consequence on our bodies. Without technology I would have to say that life would be a lot harder, but it could be a lot more fulfilling. Things would be more inconvenient. But do the Amish have it right? They reject all technology even music which would make the carriage ride home really boring. So is technology good for us or bad? Personally, I think technology is good in moderation because life can be less stressful but it can also be a lot more stressful with technology.
Addiction is defined as a "compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance", which in my case would be technology. I've been an active technology user since before I can remember. I don't even remember when my first email account was created, even though it was created for me not by me. I check my email account probably 10 times a day because I love getting mail. I think it's from a lack of getting physical mail ever. So it's easy to say that I'm quite addicted to technology, but is my life any less stressful? To put it simply, no.
Stress is something I thrive on and I know many people that do, but it's not good for us and has a taxing consequence on our bodies. Without technology I would have to say that life would be a lot harder, but it could be a lot more fulfilling. Things would be more inconvenient. But do the Amish have it right? They reject all technology even music which would make the carriage ride home really boring. So is technology good for us or bad? Personally, I think technology is good in moderation because life can be less stressful but it can also be a lot more stressful with technology.
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