Choose an issue from American History that we have discussed in class recently. Write a brief (one to three paragraph) history of the issue and the Federalist vs. Antifederalist issues involved. In this brief history, be sure to cite relevant sources and make specific, clear references to major historical events.
For the current political mater we discussed in class, I have chosen to discuss Prop. 19, the legalization of marijuana. Currently there has been a battle of right and wrong between the government and the state about wether marijuan should be legalized as a recreational drug. The state of california had decided that marijuana could be legalized for recreational use and should be available to the public for purchase once a person reaches an appointed age. Some californians believe that the money spent on marijuana that goes to the drug cartels anyways could potentially go to the state if it were legalized. Putting taxes on marijuana would help the state be able to provide more for education and other fields of interest where money is needed. Another benefit of the legalization of marijuana is that it would reduce drug related crimes both north and south of the border. Every year hundreds of innocent people fall victim to the ruthless murders of the mexican drug cartel. Two months ago, policia raided a cartel stronghold and seized 151 kilograms of marijuana. The cartel leader retaliated by ordering the slaughtering of 151 people.
Then....
Choose at least one person not in this class whose opinion you respect. Interview this person to seek their ideas and opinions about the issues inherent in the element of history you have chosen.
Ideally, you want to quote this person, but it is okay to paraphrase their ideas at certain points, if necessary.
Please post your interview to your blog no later than 12/8/10 at 11:59:59 pm.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Life: The Book Reflection
1. What are you most proud of in your Life: The Book writing? Try to describe this is detail!
The part of my writing that I am the most proud of would probably have to be the second paragraph where I describe the historical background of transgenic animals and the scientists who discovered them. I like how crisp the writing sounds and the way it gets the idea out in an easy and organized way.
2. What are some changes or new ideas that you have developed in your writing through the course of this semester?
This semester I was introduced to the concept of starting with an anecdote. I think this is an exceptional way to start a paper because you connect with the reader early on in writing which makes them want to read on.
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?
If I had more time to work on this paper I think I would use it to work on adding details about specific transgenic animals. The most interesting part of my paper is reading about the different kinds of transgenic animals to date and their uses in society. I would also include some of my ideas for possible transgenic animals to add some comic relief to the article.
4. How has the additional element of publication in a book affected the way you approach writing?
Knowing that my article was going to be published in a book for all to see really motivated me to try harder when I was writing the body of my article. I wanted to actually inform the reader about my topic and leave the with a firm grasp on the concept of transgenic animals.
The part of my writing that I am the most proud of would probably have to be the second paragraph where I describe the historical background of transgenic animals and the scientists who discovered them. I like how crisp the writing sounds and the way it gets the idea out in an easy and organized way.
2. What are some changes or new ideas that you have developed in your writing through the course of this semester?
This semester I was introduced to the concept of starting with an anecdote. I think this is an exceptional way to start a paper because you connect with the reader early on in writing which makes them want to read on.
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?
If I had more time to work on this paper I think I would use it to work on adding details about specific transgenic animals. The most interesting part of my paper is reading about the different kinds of transgenic animals to date and their uses in society. I would also include some of my ideas for possible transgenic animals to add some comic relief to the article.
4. How has the additional element of publication in a book affected the way you approach writing?
Knowing that my article was going to be published in a book for all to see really motivated me to try harder when I was writing the body of my article. I wanted to actually inform the reader about my topic and leave the with a firm grasp on the concept of transgenic animals.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Blog#18: Senate Health Care Hearings
What are your character's main goals for the Senate Health Care Hearings?
As Paul Krugman, I strongly support Universal health care as opposed to Free Market health care. My goals are to abolish reaganomics and establish a fair government runned health program. Ideally a bill like Medicare would be most beneficial but Obamacare will will have to suffice. The following are my basic goals for the Health Care Hearing:
-Employment based coverage for all citizens.
-Coverage for people with preexisting medical conditions, such as cancer patients who are sometimes denied coverage by insurance providers.
-Entire middle class population to have insurance.
-Reform that controls Health Care Costs.
-Medicare for all.
-A better Health plan than what we have now.
What do you want to accomplish?
I plan to hopefully convince the senators that a universal health care plan will save our country money in the long run. I will give examples of situations where free market health care ends up costing more than universal health care would cost. I would like to refer to the article entitled "Million Dollar Murray" as proof that our tax money is already paying for peoples medical bills who dont deserve it. Why not share the wealth with the average citizen and improve the quality of life for middle class citizens who arent given medical coverage by their employers.
Paul Krugman on health care: it's a social responsibility.
Watch this Video!
Million Dollar Murray
How do you plan to accomplish it?
I plan to collaborate with the democratic senators to prepare for some questions that might spark up an intellectual conversation. As for the republican party's questions, I don't associate with their kind so I plan on pleading the 5th.
Who are you working with to get this done?
Erica, Nate and I have all done some research on the outstanding economic statistics that involve health care. For each question I answer, i plan on including important statistics and evidence to back it up.
As Paul Krugman, I strongly support Universal health care as opposed to Free Market health care. My goals are to abolish reaganomics and establish a fair government runned health program. Ideally a bill like Medicare would be most beneficial but Obamacare will will have to suffice. The following are my basic goals for the Health Care Hearing:
-Employment based coverage for all citizens.
-Coverage for people with preexisting medical conditions, such as cancer patients who are sometimes denied coverage by insurance providers.
-Entire middle class population to have insurance.
-Reform that controls Health Care Costs.
-Medicare for all.
-A better Health plan than what we have now.
What do you want to accomplish?
I plan to hopefully convince the senators that a universal health care plan will save our country money in the long run. I will give examples of situations where free market health care ends up costing more than universal health care would cost. I would like to refer to the article entitled "Million Dollar Murray" as proof that our tax money is already paying for peoples medical bills who dont deserve it. Why not share the wealth with the average citizen and improve the quality of life for middle class citizens who arent given medical coverage by their employers.
Paul Krugman on health care: it's a social responsibility.
Watch this Video!
Million Dollar Murray
How do you plan to accomplish it?
I plan to collaborate with the democratic senators to prepare for some questions that might spark up an intellectual conversation. As for the republican party's questions, I don't associate with their kind so I plan on pleading the 5th.
Who are you working with to get this done?
Erica, Nate and I have all done some research on the outstanding economic statistics that involve health care. For each question I answer, i plan on including important statistics and evidence to back it up.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Blog #17: More Opposing Viewpoints!
Explain how this debate impacts your topic for Life: The Book. Be sure to address your topic from more than one perspective, as you have six different authors to discuss!
Finally, discuss what you believe. Aim for a thoughtful explanation of your beliefs.
In the course of this blog post, please quote at least once from each article.
The first two articles talk about how health care is too expensive because the amount of money people will be paying is too much. It is already shown that the ratio of working people to retired old people is that there are more old people, and the working amount of people is slowly declining. "In the 43 years since America decided that health care for the elderly would be paid for by people still working, the ratio of workers to seniors has steadily declined. And the number of seniors living long enough to have five or more chronic conditions -- 23 percent of Medicare beneficiaries -- has increased." They say the government is already in debt and the plans for Obama's health care is already messed up. "And even if you put aside the demerits of a government-run health system, Obama’s health-care “funding” plans are completely falling apart. Not only will Obama’s health program cost at least twice as much as his $650 billion estimate, but his original plan to fund the program by auctioning off carbon-emissions warrants (through the misbegotten cap-and-trade system) has fallen through."
The next two articles argue that health care is not expensive. They talk about how we are already paying for universal health care with taxes, so it would not make a difference if we made it nation-wide health care. "We now have the worst of both worlds: we are paying for universal health coverage, but not getting it. In fact, we pay more for health care in taxes than countries that provide universal coverage. Then we pay more than that amount again in private coverage. Additionally, what we have now in the U.S. is nowhere near a free market in health care." They say that what we are already pay in taxes goes to more than just health care. It is implying that if we had health care we would actually be paying less. " The U.S. health care system is typically characterized as a largely private-sector system, so it may come as a surprise that more than 60% of the $2 trillion annual U.S. health care bill is paid through taxes, according to a 2002 analysis published in Health Affairs by Harvard Medical School associate professors Steffie Woolhandler and David Himmelstein. Tax dollars pay for Medicare and Medicaid, for the Veterans Administration and the Indian Health Service. Tax dollars pay for health coverage for federal, state, and municipal government employees and their families, as well as for many employees of private companies working on government contracts."
Finally, discuss what you believe. Aim for a thoughtful explanation of your beliefs.
In the course of this blog post, please quote at least once from each article.
The first two articles talk about how health care is too expensive because the amount of money people will be paying is too much. It is already shown that the ratio of working people to retired old people is that there are more old people, and the working amount of people is slowly declining. "In the 43 years since America decided that health care for the elderly would be paid for by people still working, the ratio of workers to seniors has steadily declined. And the number of seniors living long enough to have five or more chronic conditions -- 23 percent of Medicare beneficiaries -- has increased." They say the government is already in debt and the plans for Obama's health care is already messed up. "And even if you put aside the demerits of a government-run health system, Obama’s health-care “funding” plans are completely falling apart. Not only will Obama’s health program cost at least twice as much as his $650 billion estimate, but his original plan to fund the program by auctioning off carbon-emissions warrants (through the misbegotten cap-and-trade system) has fallen through."
The next two articles argue that health care is not expensive. They talk about how we are already paying for universal health care with taxes, so it would not make a difference if we made it nation-wide health care. "We now have the worst of both worlds: we are paying for universal health coverage, but not getting it. In fact, we pay more for health care in taxes than countries that provide universal coverage. Then we pay more than that amount again in private coverage. Additionally, what we have now in the U.S. is nowhere near a free market in health care." They say that what we are already pay in taxes goes to more than just health care. It is implying that if we had health care we would actually be paying less. " The U.S. health care system is typically characterized as a largely private-sector system, so it may come as a surprise that more than 60% of the $2 trillion annual U.S. health care bill is paid through taxes, according to a 2002 analysis published in Health Affairs by Harvard Medical School associate professors Steffie Woolhandler and David Himmelstein. Tax dollars pay for Medicare and Medicaid, for the Veterans Administration and the Indian Health Service. Tax dollars pay for health coverage for federal, state, and municipal government employees and their families, as well as for many employees of private companies working on government contracts."
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Blog #16: Opposing viewpoints & your topic for Life: The Book
Explain how this debate impacts your topic for Life: The Book. Be sure to address your topic from more than one perspective, as you have six different authors to discuss!
The topic that I chose for my genetic engineering research paper is Transgenic Animals. Personally, I don't think that Transgenic Animals are even in the same ball park as America's health care plan, but studies show that advances in this field hold promising results in medical studies.
Finally, discuss what you believe. Aim for a thoughtful explanation of your beliefs.
I believe that universal health care would greatly improve the quality of life for many of Americans underprivileged citizens. Many homeless people have to live their lives on the cold, hard streets because of medical bills that they couldn't afford to pay for. Over 62% of all bankrupcies are the result of medical debt, which is striking because the majority of european countries figured out that by giving all of its citizens equal rights to health care.
The topic that I chose for my genetic engineering research paper is Transgenic Animals. Personally, I don't think that Transgenic Animals are even in the same ball park as America's health care plan, but studies show that advances in this field hold promising results in medical studies.
Finally, discuss what you believe. Aim for a thoughtful explanation of your beliefs.
I believe that universal health care would greatly improve the quality of life for many of Americans underprivileged citizens. Many homeless people have to live their lives on the cold, hard streets because of medical bills that they couldn't afford to pay for. Over 62% of all bankrupcies are the result of medical debt, which is striking because the majority of european countries figured out that by giving all of its citizens equal rights to health care.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Blog #15: Life: The Book & American History
Describe the types of health care problems Americans face, and the government's role in seeking solutions.
One main problem that America faces is the amount of people who cant afford insurance. America contains the largest amount of uninsured people than any other country. One way that the government is trying to fix this is by the Affordable Care act which gives Americans new rights and benefits, including helping more children get health coverage, ending lifetime and most annual limits on care, and giving patients access to recommend preventive services without cost-sharing. This is one new law that Obama is using to try and help fix our corrupt Health Care system.
1. Using a specific example, describe what makes a compelling character in narrative nonfiction or literary journalism.
A compelling character must have a deep underlying connection with the reader and must have goals that the audience wants to see get fulfilled. They should have conflict, motifs and be relevant to the target audience. You want the characters to add importance to the writing. The characters in Open Channels knew what they were talking about and they also had a character with the disease that was the main focus of the article.
2. Using a specific example, describe what makes an interesting plot in narrative nonfiction or literary journalism.
In narrative nonfiction and literary journalism, a good plot consists of having a unique character that overcomes a significant obstacle throughout his journey. The journey itself is the plot and should consist of five parts: Introduction, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action and Resolution. The plot should be relevant to the readers life so they can make text to self connections.
3. What specific steps do authors take to write non-jargon-based scientific writing?
Authors can have their writing critiqued by people who are not familiar with scientific jargon and replace the words that the audience might not understand. Another way is by using analogies to explain different processes involved in biology. Comparing the way DNA unwinds to a zipper on your jacket that unzips similarly.
4. What specific steps do authors take to encourage their readers to connect with their stories?
A tactic that authors use to help readers deeply connect with the story in to invent a character that is lovable and somewhat of an underdog. If the reader feels pity towards the protagonist then they are likely to continue reading to find out what happens to him.
One main problem that America faces is the amount of people who cant afford insurance. America contains the largest amount of uninsured people than any other country. One way that the government is trying to fix this is by the Affordable Care act which gives Americans new rights and benefits, including helping more children get health coverage, ending lifetime and most annual limits on care, and giving patients access to recommend preventive services without cost-sharing. This is one new law that Obama is using to try and help fix our corrupt Health Care system.
1. Using a specific example, describe what makes a compelling character in narrative nonfiction or literary journalism.
A compelling character must have a deep underlying connection with the reader and must have goals that the audience wants to see get fulfilled. They should have conflict, motifs and be relevant to the target audience. You want the characters to add importance to the writing. The characters in Open Channels knew what they were talking about and they also had a character with the disease that was the main focus of the article.
2. Using a specific example, describe what makes an interesting plot in narrative nonfiction or literary journalism.
In narrative nonfiction and literary journalism, a good plot consists of having a unique character that overcomes a significant obstacle throughout his journey. The journey itself is the plot and should consist of five parts: Introduction, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action and Resolution. The plot should be relevant to the readers life so they can make text to self connections.
3. What specific steps do authors take to write non-jargon-based scientific writing?
Authors can have their writing critiqued by people who are not familiar with scientific jargon and replace the words that the audience might not understand. Another way is by using analogies to explain different processes involved in biology. Comparing the way DNA unwinds to a zipper on your jacket that unzips similarly.
4. What specific steps do authors take to encourage their readers to connect with their stories?
A tactic that authors use to help readers deeply connect with the story in to invent a character that is lovable and somewhat of an underdog. If the reader feels pity towards the protagonist then they are likely to continue reading to find out what happens to him.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Blog #14: Life: The Book & Humanities
1. Post the stage of life that you will write about and a relevant element of genetic technology that interests you. Feel free to work with Brandon to understand this step.
The stage of life that I am most interested in writing about would probably have to be adulthood, though any stage would be acceptable. My relevant genetic engineering topic is transgenic animals, animals whose genome has been purposely altered in order to produce eccentric effects that would not normally occur in nature.
2. Describe at least one relevant government agency that works in this area. Describe the current news related to your topic & this government agency and embed a minimum of one news story (print, tv, audio, etc.) in your description.
Genetic Mutation Turns Tot into Superboy
This article talks about a genetic mutation found in a young boy in germany. DNA testing proved that the boy underwent genetic mutation that promotes muscle growth. As a result, the boy's strength has reached near super-human levels. Scientist predict that his condition can lead to scientific breakthroughs in the field of genetics.
3. Describe at least one relevant historical, cultural, economic, geographical, or literary example or concept that relates to your ideas for your article. Include at least two relevant links to evidence and further research in your writing. Strive for detail & evidence in your connections.
4. Please repeat all of the above steps... This time, focus on a different aspect of genetic technology and/or different humanities content.
The stage of life that I am most interested in writing about would probably have to be adulthood, though any stage would be acceptable. My relevant genetic engineering topic is transgenic animals, animals whose genome has been purposely altered in order to produce eccentric effects that would not normally occur in nature.
2. Describe at least one relevant government agency that works in this area. Describe the current news related to your topic & this government agency and embed a minimum of one news story (print, tv, audio, etc.) in your description.
Genetic Mutation Turns Tot into Superboy
This article talks about a genetic mutation found in a young boy in germany. DNA testing proved that the boy underwent genetic mutation that promotes muscle growth. As a result, the boy's strength has reached near super-human levels. Scientist predict that his condition can lead to scientific breakthroughs in the field of genetics.
3. Describe at least one relevant historical, cultural, economic, geographical, or literary example or concept that relates to your ideas for your article. Include at least two relevant links to evidence and further research in your writing. Strive for detail & evidence in your connections.
4. Please repeat all of the above steps... This time, focus on a different aspect of genetic technology and/or different humanities content.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)