New Ramblings!

So this blog was originally set up for my FYC class last year, but I think I'm actually going to start putting up some more thoughts up here like my brother does to make it easier to see what is up in my life!

SO, just spent a few days in Chicago, I stayed with Karl. Jimmy picked me up from the airport and we spent the next few days exploring the additions on the high school, falling in the lake and other such things :)


Christmas shopping with Karl.



Right before we fell into the lake...



back to the old window in senior hall...





Some new pictures of the additions on the high school.

I got into Colorado last night, mostly just a day of travel...caught an early flight out of O'Hare, grabbed colorado mountain express and crashed for a bit. We went to dinner since it was my Mom's bday, but a pretty quiet night.

Research Topics

Ethanol Efficiency:
There are many claims that say that ethanol is both an improvement over traditional fuels and those who say it actually has a bigger impact on the environment. It would be nice to know what is the truth behind all the hype, and, if it is inefficient, why politicians continue to support/subsidize it. There is a lot of talk about global warming and how Americans need to reduce carbon emissions, but it seems very little action being taken. The future of transportation and the economy could be at stake for if there were fuel shortages like there have been in the past, the American economy would severely suffer.

Stem Cell Research:
There are many who both strongly support and oppose stem cell research and particularly where the stem cells originate from. Stem cells can be found in various places in the body as well as in embryos that have been developed in a laboratory. People also have a wide variety of reasons that the oppose or support such research. Everything from curiosity and hope for large leaps in the area of society to religious opposition, it would seem that almost everyone has some sort of an opinion on whether or not stem cell research is moral and/or whether it should proceed.

Euthanasia:
Euthanasia is a fiercely debated topic for many people both religiously and in principle. Some people refuse medical care on religious grounds stating that it is in God's hands. But does God allow other people to assist? Are available doctors a form of God's helping hand or are they people interfering in what naturally should occur? Euthanasia is at the brink of this debate bringing personal judgment, religious views and political opportunity all on the line.

Rhetorical Analysis of The Border Patrol State

The main purpose of Leslie Silko's article "The Border State Patrol" is to raise awareness and comment on the state of things within the borders of the United States. The main claim that is presented in the article is that the power and control of the Border Patrol has become corrupt and needs to be curtailed. As far as trustworthiness Silko is already an established and successful author which certainly brings some credentials to the text, however the admission of possession of medical marijuana is not something that continues that. On the flip side, the fact that she was willing to admit such possession shows that the author is being honest and is more likely to write exactly as she sees it, rather than necessarily through the 'rose glass'. Silko appeals logically to the reader through demostration of the futility of the Border Patrol. She sites (and emphasizes) the negative effects and treatment of innocent citizens shows how it truly is ineffective. Silko effectively appeals to the reader's emotional nature through her imagery and Native American stories. There is very clear description of the freedom of the road and just how that has changed in the past years. All in all, the text certainly advances the main argument relating to the futility of the Border Patrol through clear narration of personal experiences of living near the border.

Taking Action

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/opinion/19tue1.html

The main argument of the article is basically that presidential candidates, and more importantly presidents need to be more proactive. Rather than simply ignoring difficult issues and addressing those that will please people, candidates need to address, and take action, for change, in particular change in the cities. The author argues that with the continuation ignoring such major issues in urban areas, the nation will have more major catastrophes that will need to be handled. He notes that there is one man, Mr. Bloomberg who is attempting to change the plight of the urban area, however there is a severe lack of interest from the current political candidates. All in all, the article is arguing that all the candidates across the board (though he acknowledges Obama and Clinton's mild policies) need to change perspectives and focuses.

Evaluation Article

http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/beyond-red-white-and-blue/index.html?ref=opinion

The argument of this argument was a evaluation of the effectiveness of campaign propaganda and art of various candidates throughout the years. The author states aspects of different pieces of work that make them either memorable or a good communication with a specific demographic. He states that they use of fresh and unique art is what makes work memorable, such as use of neon colors or unusual pictures that cause the viewer to look twice and or think about the piece, and hence, the candidate.

Virtual Friendship

"Does this technology [social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace], with its constant demands to collect (friends and status), and ways to undermine our ability to attain what it promises-a surer sense of who we are and where we belong?"

This is an interesting question because it certainly does challenge the conventional definition of a friend. I strongly disagree with Aristotle, who (very simply put) seems to think men are only friends with each other to be pleasant or get some utility from each other. I will agree that often people are friends with each other simply for the comfort each other, but I think true friendship challenges previously conceived notions and also strongly motivates to be a better person. It is certainly true that people influence others to do wrong or otherwise that is not beneficial for them, but I don't know how such a person could still fall under the category of a 'friend' regardless of the perception. I also believe that people can be friends with others that are 'unequal' under the categories that Aristotle defines. Granted modern religion did not exist in his time, but I do believe (to some extents) that religion and other moral values will encourage people to reach out to others that they might not have normally.
As for answering the question presented I do feel that Facebook and MySpace can undermine a healthy view of oneself if it becomes something that one is dependent on. A website can only do so much and/or translate so much and it seems that what people really crave from such sites is true human interaction, which cannot be substituted with online networking. Social interactions and challenges help shape and define what each individual holds as valuable, and this cannot be shown online. While it is easy to click 'save the marmots' it takes the initiative to actually get up and do something to hold such a view. While there are certainly people who felt compelled to start such a 'group', and a few might even do something, the majority of things people simply do so as not to seem cruel. If someone cannot sit in silence with them self then they certainly must not have a true idea of who they truly are. Which is what is really scary.

A Definition Article

This article, published on CNET addresses the argument that biofuels are more efficient than traditional fuels, but the article is aimed to show that in fact they are not more efficient.
The article would argue that the true definition of environmentally efficient takes into account all the processes of production of the product as well as the secondary effects on a larger scale.

"This land use problem is not just a secondary effect--it was often just a footnote in prior papers," Searchinger said. "It is major. The comparison with fossil fuels is going to be adverse for virtually all biofuels on cropland."

While it might seem that previous estimates of gains due to biofuels was grossly over-estimated and that adjustments will need to be made quickly.

Link:
http://www.news.com/Studies-deem-biofuels-a-greenhouse-threat/2100-11395_3-6229683.html

Visual Analysis

Link:
http://www.reproarte.com/files/images/M/monet_claude/monet_seerosenteich_dia.jpg

This picture was painted by Claude Monet which by definition gives a strong ethical argument as Monet is a very well known and respected artist. The subject was also a definite place which could have easily been visited to compare. As far as a pathetic argument, the painting uses very light and bright colors which clearly imply a clear summer or spring day. The lightness of the brush strokes create an almost whimsical feel to the painting as if it were a painting painted in a carefree manner. There is little logical appeal however, as stated before, the subject could easily been visited for a comparison.

Effective Advertising

Link to Quiznos Subs Commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG042nkReBA

This ad was successful for many reasons. There was clear visual persuasion throughout the commercial because this was when Quiznos was still a relatively new chain. They became popular due to the promotion of toasting subs which made them different from Subway and other companies that already existed. The Quiznos 'creatures' were effective additions to the commercial most of all because they are strange and peculiar looking. They catch the attention of the viewer not only due to their appearance, but also because of the weird song that they sing which gets stuck in your head. Beyond simply being a random and strange ad, it is also funny which makes it more distinctive. It is an ad that people will remember and talk about after seeing because it is so so unusual which is very beneficial to the company.

A Black President: Article Link

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-oped0121steinjan21,0,4882958.story

iPod and the End of Civilization

It is true that the present generation has become dependent on music and technology in a different way that previous generations have. People are expecting ‘connectedness’ in every aspect of their life in ways that are unprecedented. While such obsession to control through email, Internet and constant IMing can be detrimental; music may be a different case. Music describes the culture of present day generations. There are certainly extreme cases in which individuals cannot stand being without music, but I do not think that it is quite to the extreme that Rick Barry seems to believe it to be. And as long as there is proper balance, there are certainly benefits to having music available to listen to. When there is growing frustration waiting in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles, music allows a release to keep from wanting to strangle the teller who feels the need to repeat every number twenty times, a minute, at the highest volume possible. Music also allows a mood change to improve an outlook on a bad day or to appreciate the beauty around. It would seem that it is not the iPod that would be truly the problem in Barry’s eyes so much as the low attention spans that children grow up in the present day in the presence of various influences (television, advertisements, declines in reading etc), but that is another argument.

Who would you fight for?

Of all the speeches, Aragon, Henry V and Braveheart, I would fight for William Wallace. He is the most honest and acknowledges the danger and fear that is truly there rather than glossing over it. He also shows that he understands what the trade-offs are, but has a convincing argument to fight nonetheless. Regret is something that haunts men. Rather than claim, as Henry V does, that others will be ashamed of not having been able to fight, Wallace notes that each man will personally have to live with their decision which is a much greater motivation. In the end people are somewhat selfish so personal conviction will act as stronger motivation than that of the shame of others (even if that does mean gaining pride). The Braveheart speech is also very compelling because of using freedom as the most important thing. Rather than fighting for the glory of another (such as a king) man is fighting for personal freedom, the right of a life with personal choice. While Aragon's speech somewhat references fighting for the greater cause of mankind, it is not directly references as freedom, but rather for mankind as a whole. While this may be a subtle difference it distinguished one speech from the other.

Attacking Parents?

I found an article that was pointing out how over-critical some organizations, specifically the NSPCC in the UK, which is not only attacking parenting techniques in general, but now also parenting techniques in reality TV shows. This article is effective because it speaks of things that all reads could relate to. The author uses just a small amount of satire to show just how ridiculous some of the previous changes that the NSPCC has made in the past. He does not argue that they have good intentions, but rather questions whether the amount of money could be spent more effectively. Citing that about 150 million pounds are spend simply on marketing and propaganda is an effective statistic that makes the reader question how effective the institution is. All in all, the author makes a good point that often people seem to be overly sensitive to the plight of children (and general society) to the point that kids are missing out on basic childhood experiences.

The website that I found the article is below:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/mick_hume/article3187323.ece