Senior Reflection #4

I would like to use this senior reflection to thank Mr. Stroud for being a wonderful and dedicated AP US Government teacher. I really enjoyed your class this year and I feel I learned a lot. Have fun teaching AP comparative next year!
Thanks Papa Stroud!

CE #4- "All-star record 'It Ain't My Fault' aims to assist the Gulf Coast"

Lenny Kravitz, Mos Def, Trombone Shorty, actor Tim Robbins, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, have recorded a benefit single and video called "It Ain't My Fault", that will be sold to help the efforts in aiding the oil spill in the gulf. Proceeds (audio and video downloads are 99 cents) will go to the Gulf Relief Foundation (gulfaid.org), which will direct the aid to families in need and to wetlands preservation. The lyrics of the song were written in response to watching oil executives blame each other for the spill during congressional hearings.

I picked this article because I thought it was awesome that celebrities are getting creative and finding ways to use their talents to support efforts to clean up the gulf. There is so much to still be done to clean up the gulf, and it is important to continue to give support and donations to the gulf efforts.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2010-06-15-gulfsingle15_ST_N.htm

Senior Reflection #3

In this senior reflection I would like to talk about how we should have used SOL week as senior finals week. Almost all seniors don't take sol's and the extended class periods would create perfect opportunities to take exams. I felt that during the SOL week I was told to "work on projects" during class...most of which I needed to use a computer or something so really I just worked on them at home. I think if we let seniors do their exams that week while the underclassman took their sol's it would have been a better use of class time, and then we could have gotten out of school a whole week earlier.

CE #3- "How should airlines accommodate obese passengers?"

This article addresses the problem many airlines are having with fitting obese passengers. Many passengers argue that it is not fair that they loose some of the seat they bought ticket for because the person sitting next to them is obese, and is "spilling" into their seat. Arguments are being made to make accommodation for these obese passengers by creating additional rows on an airplane that have larger seats, which can be pre-assigned to obese passengers. When these seats are not full normal sized passengers can upgrade to the larger seats for their comfort. Right now the only accommodation actually being made is that obese persons are asked to buy an extra ticket, however many people are too embarrassed to do so, or believe they won't actually need an additional seat.

I choose this article because the title caught my eye and I thought it would be interesting to read. I think that obese persons should have to buy an extra ticket to ensure that other passengers don't lose some of their seat they aid for. I understand however that this could be hard to regulate as people buy their own tickets. I do not think extra rows of larger seats should be made, because obesity s not such we should accommodate to, it is something that should be discouraged.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/experts/hobica/2010-06-15-obese-airline-passengers_N.htm

Senior Reflection #2

My senior reflection this week is in response to the "reality store" activity we got to take part in early this week. I never realized how expensive it was to raise children, and definately have any more appreciation for everything my parents have provided me with. After completeing the activity and realizing how expensive even the necesities of life, such as food and shelter are, I became so much more appreciative of all the luxuries my parents have given me, new clothes, years of flute lessons, sports fees, a car etc. ( I know I would have had to make some serious sacrifices in my budget scenario to provide my kids with these things) . And now they will be paying my college tuition to add to the list. So I just wanted to use this reflection to say thanks Mom and Dad for everything you have given me!

CE #2- An untested tactic as efforts grow desperate

This article was about the efforts to stop the oil spill in the gulf that has been going on for about 5 weeks now. According to the article as early as Tuesday, BP will attempt to "top kill" the leak by shooting thick mud at the well in an effort to plug the leak. Republicans have been criticizing the governments response to the spill saying that they should have stepped in immediately, however the Obama administration is defending their response, and sharpening Their criticism of BP. Many people are getting angry and frustrated at how long it is taking to clean up and plug the leak, but as Robert Dudley, managing director of BP, told CNN, "We've got to do everything we can, shut off the well, clean this up as fast as we can."

I chose this article because I have been very interested in the oil spill, and think it is very upsetting that the leak has yet to be fixed and so much oil is still spilling into the gulf. I thought this article was well written, because it displayed the criticism of the government, as well as the Obama administration's response, while also revealing the latest tactics that will be used to attempt to plug the spill. I agree that the government should have stepped in immediately, no matter whose fault the spill was we should all be willing to help fix the catastrophic event. Hopefully engineers and officials will find a way to fix the problem soon!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-05-23-oil-spill_N.htm

Senior Reflection #1

As an underclassman I always heard people talking about getting senioritis, but I always thought it wouldn't be that big of a problem for me....man was I wrong. As we get so close and yet are still so far away from graduating, it has gotten really hard to stay motivated. Througout high school we have been taught to work towards tests and having a good gpa to get into college, so now that AP exams are done and I know where I am going next year, what do I have to motivate me to keep doing work. Recently I heard that Arlington County has something called "senior experience" where for the last month of school seniors get to finda internships and what not that can relate to things they enjoy and carreers they are interested in pursuing, and I thought it sounded awesome. I personally feel like this would be a more productive way to spend our last month than having busy work that no one really has the motivation to try on.

CE #1- Clinton speaks to Yale grads about unequal world

Former President Bill Clinton gave a Class Day Speech to graduating Yale seniors on Sunday. IN his speech Clinton warned the students that upon graduating they would be left to face the wolrd's three main flaws: "It is too unstable; it is too unequal, and it is completely unsustainable." Clinton followed this by encouraging the gradutes that they now have the ability to change these flaws, and that they could do so by working together. In the remainder of his speech Clinton focused on the idea that people have too much access to media and informaton that is so easily biased based on what people want to hear and what they agree with. "In our media habits, we go to the television sites, we go to the radio talk shows, we go to the blog sites that agree with us, and it can have very bizarre consequences." Clinton left the graduates with his idea that the mission of every empowered person in the world should be to increase the positive forces and decrease the negative forces of the world's interdependence.

I chose this article because I thought it would be interseting to see what the President spoke about in his speech to graduates as I will soon be listening to a graduation speech myself. I thought the article was well written and enjoyed it. I thought Clinton made a pretty good point in that most people today listen only to media that they agree with and that they can use to destroy something they dont believe in, when what they should be doing is listening to both ends of the arguement and figuring out away to solve the problem in a way that will be beneficial.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-05-23-clinton-yale_N.htm

Editorial #5-"The future of flight"

This editorial discusses the Next Generation Air Transportation System known as NextGen. The Federal government is spending billions of dollars to equip the nation's airports with this satellite-based technology that is said will make air travel faster, safer and greener. According to the author the system will allow air traffic controllers to know the precise locations of an aircraft, and it will allow more takeoffs and landings and more direct routes. The reduced congestion, fuel use and pollution will eventually improve air carrier profitability. The problem with this system however is that it costs between $25 billion and $30 billion, and many airlines are not happy with having to pay their share of the price.

In my opinion it is a very good decision to bring this new technology into air travel, after all "The global positioning system in your car -- even your Wii -- is infinitely more advanced than the 1950s-era radar system used to guide planes in and out of the nation's airports." I do however understand that as many of the airlines are already struggling as a result of the poor economy, so this type of spending might not be something they want. I think it would be a good compromise to have this new technology put into planes that are being made, and then rather then installing it in all old planes, gradually grandfather in the new planes and get rid of the old planes as they are no longer needed or useful. This plan would take longer, but it would update the technology while limiting the amount of money airlines have to pay.

Editorial #4- Iraq Counts Votes

This editorial is about the elections that were held in Iraq last Sunday. According to the author although the election started out violently it ended well with a better voter turnout than past elections, and even the last U.S. presidential election. So far it looks like it is a close race between the Shiite coalition of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a second Shiite alliance and a nationalist and secular ticket that received heavy support in Sunni areas. The author also expressed that keeping competition among rival blocs confined to the vote count and the negotiations to form a new ruling coalition would be a huge feat for Iraq, in staying away from the sectarian violence that they often have problems with. According to the author of this editorial Mr. Maliki and nationalist leader Ayad Allwai have the best chance of winning the election and leading the new government as opposed to candidates from Iran. Mr. Maliki signed a strategic framework with the Bush administration and has already demonstrated his capacity to resist Iranian influence. Mr. Allawi is even more interested in an alliance with Washington and has good relations with Arab Sunni governments that have shunned Mr. Maliki's administration.

I agree with this editorial in that it seems like so far the election in Iraq is pretty successful. While there is talk about fraud because of the close results, it seems that the turnout, and limited amount of violence involved in the election are good signs for the direction in which Iraq is headed. I think it would be a very good thing if either Mr. Maliki or Mr. Allawi were elected, because they both seem to be working in the right direction for helping to develop a more stable government in Iraq. Also I think either of these candidates would be a good choice because both seem interested in keeping on good terms with the American government, which is a very good thing in my opinion!

Editorial #3- The Blogging Storm Over Recalls

This editorial addressed the recent recalls seen by Americans, and the effect modern day technology has had on the media's coverage f these recalls. The recalls brought up in the article, included the Toyota recalls, as well as girl scout cookies, and other food products. A large portion of this editorial was devoted to talking about how new technologies such as blogging and twitter have allowed consumers to cause the large amount of media coverage that these recalls have been getting. As the author put it, "What journalist could resist chasing a story where the outraged victims neatly line up before his eyes?" The author of this editorial seemed to give the opinion that theses recalls are not that important but that they get so much media coverage simply because of all the outlets and resources journalists have for finding angry consumers of the products being recalled. The editorial then continues to analyze different "myths that have been obliterated by the social-media-inspired public relations crisis." These myths include: the public won't care about it if it's old news, responding to bad news only spreads more bad news, and if mainstream news media tires of the story so too will the bloggers.

I agree with the author of this editorial that blogging and other social networking sites definitely result in an increase in the coverage of certain events. If the public shows obvious concern for something (which is easily done through blogs and twitter), then the media will want to focus on covering those topics, because their goalis to cover what the public will be most interested in. I am not sure however how much I agree with his opinion that the events covered as a result of it being an interest to public are not actually things the public needs to hear that much about. Sure the girl scout cookie recall is not all that important, after making sure people get rid of these cookies, not much else needs to be said about it, but when it comes to the Toyota recall, I think it deserved the amount of news coverage it got, considering the severity of the problem being recalled. I do agree with the author's proposed myths. The public tends to dwell on subjects and events that bring harm to them at the fault of someone else, so it is true they they will continue to focus on the issue after the media has finished with it, and it definitely does not makes things worse to make apublic apology, the people want to hear the makers acknowledged their mistakes, and apologize for them.

Editorial #2- A Natural Choice

This editorial is about the idea that natural gas may be effective in reducing carbon emissions. Burning natural gas produces half the emissions as does burning coal, which means using natural gas as a source of energy instead of coal could put a large dent in America's carbon footprint. The author of this editorial states that there were rumors of President Obama supporting legislation that would discourage the use of coal and encourage the use of natural gas in his speech to the Business Roundtable on Wednesday. The author also said however that these rumors seemed to have been false, which is unfortunate, because nudging natural gas forward is something that the government can do quickly and relatively cheaply, to meet its medium-term emissions goals. This editorial also shared the importance of making sure America doesn't rely too much on one commodity for their energy. A drastic increase in the amount of natural gas burned would require infrastructure investments in certain regions as well as retrofits of certain plants, or the construction of completely new ones.

I agree with this editorial in the sense that if the burning of natural gas n order to generate energy can in fact reduce America's carbon footprint drastically, it is something worth looking into. With that said, I think it is important that we "look into" and research the effects of using natural gas a little bit more before any major legislation is passed. In my opinion if we use to much of any source of energy there have got to be some pretty serious effects on the environment. It would be great if there was some source of energy out there that was not bad for our environment at all, but unfortunately that hasn't been found yet, and I don' think it will be discovered anytime soon. I think that what we know about natural gas being better than coal sounds good, but that a bit more research should be done on what problems the use of natural gas could produce that coal does not cause.

Editorial #1- Lessons in the snow

Summary- This editorial discusses the effects the recent blizzard had on the Washington area. For the most part the blizzard was not to catastrophic, the were only a few deaths, and the homeless and the sick were given special attention. There were certain areas in which D.C. could have been better prepared however. One of these areas was the metro system. The author argues that when the metro closes the federal government also has to close, and although the amount of snow we got poses major problems for metro, we should have some kind of plan of how to solve the problem. Also the author argued that the federal government should do more to help the metro in this situation seeing as how tens of millions of dollars in forgone productivity are lost everyday the federal government is closed. Another issue addressed in the article was whether or not jurisdictions should impose alternate parking areas and sidewalks so that there is somewhere we can put the snow when we get as much as we did in this last blizzard.

My opinion- I would have to agree that our area did a pretty good job of controlling the situation during the blizzard of 2010. Sure there were some roads that were in pretty bad shape for a few days, but in the large scheme of things it was made sure that people in special situations such as the homeless were safe, and roads were cleared enough for emergency vehicles to get around pretty quickly considering how much snow we got. I also agree with what the author said about the metro. Poor metro has had quite a bad rap lately, but I think their controlling their snow conditions is just one more aspect they need to improve. As for the talk about imposing new side walks, parking areas, etc., I think it is a good idea in theory, but I;m just not sure it's where our money should be going right now. As we all know the economy isn't exactly in the greatest shape ever, and I think there are more pressing issues that deserve attention and funding over this jurisdiction.

Adoption of Haitian Children

So I know that my current event this week was also on the earth quake in Haiti, but what can I say it's just really been on my mind this week. I wanted to use this "personal post" to talk about specifically about one of the impacts the earthquake in Haiti has had on families here in the United States. The other night on the news, in the midst of the coverage of the status in Haiti, there were clips of American families who had been planing to adopt a child from Haiti. I totally had never even thought about this before, and it just really made me think. These families had made it through all the paperwork and interviewing and background checks (which can be an extremely long process), and had met the children they were adopting, and were simply just waiting to bring them home. It was really sad to see the pain these families were going through as they loved these children as their own, and now some of them are not even sure if their child survived the earthquake. For those families that learned that their child had survived, they were also told that the orphanages had collapsed, and that all the paperwork had been destroyed, and that it was going to be very difficult to have a legal adoption anytime soon. I cannot imagine what these parents are going through seeing pictures of the suffering in Haiti and knowing that even those who have survived are struggling to get water and food.

Political Cartoon #6- Hatian Aid Delayed

1. This cartoon was drawn by John Cole.
2. The cartoon was published in the The Scranton Times-Tribune on January 15, 2010.
3. This cartoon deals with the devastating earth-quake that took place in Haiti this past week, and the global effort to send aid to Haiti.
4. The message of this cartoon is that so many nations are wanting to help Haiti and send them aid, however it is extremely difficult to get the aid to Haiti. The Nation is in chaos, and they have a very small airport, which makes it hard for multiple airplanes to fly in at once. This is making it extremely difficult for people and supplies to get to Haiti to help.
5. I agree with this message, it is SO awesome that so many people want to help Haiti, and that already so much money has been raised around the world, but right now Haiti really needs food and water and it is almost impossible to get it to them. As with most Americans my prayers are with Haiti, and I hope we are able to get them the aid they need very soon.

What's ahead for the Obama Administration

I think that at the start of this year President Obama has a lot of work ahead of him to try and regain the confidence of the American public. Obama had a not so productive first year in office, although he did manage to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and many people who couldn't wait to get Obama into office are now unhappy with his performance. I don't really think we are headed in the right direction, because most of the problems that have been facing the U.S are seeming to go away. The economy doesn't seem to be mending, and the Obama administration has spent a lot of money that will be hard to repay. Also the problem of unemployment in the U.S has not gotten any better. Obama is taking troops out of Iraq which seems to be appreciated by Americans, however by sending more troops into Afghanistan he is kind of cancelling out the good news with the bad. It would be great to see improvement in the Obama administration, but it seems like there is a long way to go before we get there.

Political Cartoon #5-NBA, guns and body scans

1. This cartoon was drawn by Dave Granlund.
2. This cartoon was published at politicalcartoons.com on January 8, 2010.
3. This cartoon deals with two recent events, the attempted bombing of an aircraft on Christmas Day, and Wizard's player Gilbert Arenas' possession of a gun in the Verizon Center locker room.
4. Part of the cartoon's message is that airport security is not as tight as it should be is an Al Qaeda operative was able to board an airplane while equipped with a bomb. The cartoon is also commenting however on the poor choice of a professional athlete to bring a gun to work. These two events have lead the American public to loose confidence in their national security, as well as in professional athletic figures.
5. I agree with this cartoon. I think it's crazy that we almost had another terrorist attack through air travel. It really has not been that long since the attacks of 9/11, yet it seems that airport security is letting their guard down, I think i can speak for all Americans when I say i am truly thankful that the bomber was not successful. Also I think it was a very poor choice of Wizards player Gilbert Arenas to have brought a gun into the locker room. I think it is pretty obvious that this is not an action that would be taken well by the NBA or by the American public, and I think that Arenas should have been more consciences about his actions. Also I think that players as well as fans should have to got through security at sporting events to prevent something like this from happening again.