Work I am Proud of

• H2O Project; Petition Letters

We just completed our Water Quality Project and I'm really proud at what I was able to create and accomplish. I decided to make a petition e-mail/letter to bring awareness and change to pollution in Imperial Beach. I'm proud of this because it was an issue that I actually do care about. I'm also proud because I spent a lot of time and put a lot of effort into making this what it was. Not just at the very beginning or the very end of the project, but throughout the whole process. I didn't procrastinate and I aimed for high-quality work.

I wrote two letters--one to the reader and one to Imperial Beach City Council members. I worked really hard on the letters because they were the main compenent of my project. It was important to me that the writing was my best and that the message was clear. I did this by writing many, many drafts and getting each one critiqued and revised. I wrote about 18 drafts of letters and with each draft, came higher quality writing. It was also important that I was able to stay organized througout this project and keep all of my work in one place. I did this by keeping every paper and every draft organized in a folder dedicated to this project. I also made a banner for the top of the page, which was a huge challenge for me because I don't know anything about Photoshop. I did multiple drafts on this, as well. I did my best and I'm proud of what I was able to do.

• Blog

I think that some of my best work is written in this blog. Throughout the entire course of the semester, we have been assigned a blog to update twice weekly. Most often, we are given a prompt that asks us to explore and explain our opinions on current events and topics related to what was learned in class that day. I feel that my blog is a display of some of my best work because I give my detailed thoughts on topics that, otherwise, I may not have been interested in. When I write each blog, I try to become interested in the topic, if I'm not already. This makes it much easier to write, not to mention more honest and reflective. For example, the blog about the whaling controversy wasn't something I would really be interested in. However, after reading and learning about it, I found that it actually is a very interesting topic and writing the blog was much easier. I try to show my knowledge about a certain topic, even if it's not much. I've kept up with each Tuesday/Thursday blog entry, and this helps me from becoming too overwhelmed with blogs that I have to catch up with and write. I check to see if there is a blog assigned each night and if there is, I write it as soon as I can so that it gets done.

Who is right in the whaling controversy?

"Neptune's Navy", By Raffi Khatchadourian
The New Yorker, Published November 5th, 2007

Prior to reading the article about Paul Watson and his attempt at putting an end to whale hunting, I was sure that he would be the "right" one in the situation. However, after reading about it, it's difficult to say which side is right. Watson is passionate about his effort to save whales and the Japanese have been hunting whales since the 1930s.

The article states, "Whaling is not banned, but it is not exactly permitted, either--an ambiguity resulting from political comprimise and shortsigtedness." The article then went on to introduce the International Whaling Commission and explain that whaling for science has always been allowed. However, the article also said that "The Japanese fleet is run by the government-subsized Institute for Cetacean Research, in Tokyo, but the institute has produced virtually no research of any regard, and all the whales that are purported to be under study are also butchered for the purpose of selling whale meat to the Japanese public." This makes it seem like some Japanese whalers have no intention of hunting whales for science, but rather for profit. The article by Khatchadourian mentioned two types of whales that were being hunted by Japanese fleet in the Antartic every year. I decided to research the whales and found that fin whales were a big target for whale hunters from 1904-1975, "As other whale species became over-hunted, the whaling industry turned to the still-abundant Fin Whale as a substitute. It was primarily hunted for its blubber, oil, and baleen. Approximately 704,000 Fin Whales were caught in Antarctic whaling operations alone between 1904 and 1975." (Wikipedia.com).

I think that if the whaling laws weren't so ambiguous and there were concrete laws either for it or against it, it would be easier to determine who was right and wrong in the situation. While whale hunting, especially of possibly endangered whales, is sad to me, I'm not sure Watson has the best ways of dealing with it. He has many celebrity endorsers and funding in support of his cause. However, when Watson is on his ship and out in the middle of the ocean, it seems like he forgets about laws and regulations. He once said, "No words can describe the personal liberation that heading seaward bestows on me. In this aquatic realm no man or woman is subject to the petty decrees of social bereaucracy." It seems like Watson does whatever he wants on the water, including attacking whaling boats and using his own boat as a tool to ram into theirs. Running a large boat into another large boat does not seem safe at all, especially in possible stormy, winter ocean weather. While I think whaling issues should be brought to public attention and action should be taken, I don't believe this is the right kind of action. It seems like Watson is fighing fire with fire and this has been spoken against by the enviroment minister of Austrailia, Malcom Turnbull--"Threatening to put lives at rist, or vessels at risk, is completely unacceptable. They must act safely and peacefully. They are not advancing the anti-whaling cause they espouse by threatening lives in this way."

I think the statement above is a good summation of my answer of who is right in this situation. While I admire and share the same passion for animals ans Watson, I think he takes it to an extreme level and he is endangering the lives of others. I think this relates to civil disobedience and the act of protest to make a statement. You have to answer questions like, "How far is too far?" when you intend to break the law in order to bring attention to a larger issue. I think there are other ways to change the whaling business and to go after the Japanese fleet, but I don't think ramming their boat is the best possible way.

Outdated Language of Racial Identity

"He's Not Black", By Marie Arana
Published November 30, 2008.

"He's Not Black" is an article written by Marie Arana that talks about issues in society revolving around race and how we as a society tend to categorize people as one race, based on appearance. The author begins by talking about Barack Obama, who is seen as black, yet as the author states, "He is also half white. Unless the one-drop rule still applies, our president-elect is not black." She then gives her own personal history and talks about how she always thought of herself as bi-racial, but when she took a DNA test, she found that she was also a descendant of many other races. At one point in the article, Arana relays a story from a student she met who was half German and half African-American. She was born in Germany, speaks German, and sees herself as a German-American. Arana said the girl had light-black skin, curly hair, and dark eyes. The woman said, "I am fifty percent German. But no one who sees me believes it." I thought this was especially interesting, and I will use myself as an example because it's something I find I actually can relate to. My mother is Mexican, and though neither she or myself speak Spanish, basically all of our family traditions are "Mexican". The weddings, the birthdays, the reunions--everything has Mexican influence and tradition. I've visited my family in Mexico, I've met my aunts, uncles, and cousins that are still living in the small town in central Mexico where my great-grandparents were born. I know they're there and I know they're my family. Yet over here, no one believes when I tell them I'm Mexican. What I'm wondering is, how do we as a society decide what makes someone a certain race. I've had people question me, "But you don't speak Spanish right?" I say no and they tell me, "Oh, well then you're not Mexican." Do I have to speak Spanish at home to be considered Mexican? I've heard friends say that they're Irish or that they're German, yet they only speak English, yet I don't think they should be denied their family's history.

I've always felt uncomfortable when I have to check a box about race on a test and I always wonder if anyone else does too. Like recently on the PSATs. I've always checked the "Caucasian/White" box. I would feel wrong if I checked anything else, just because someone else probably would have questioned it. If I had my mother's maiden name, people would probably have an easier time believing me. It just feels strange checking a box and labeling myself as "white" when the truth is, I feel like that's the smallest part of me, but it's what everyone besides my family identifies me as. I wonder if anyone else has ever been frustrated with the fact that most times, people only see each other as one race. This is something Arana based much of her writing off of and was a recurring theme throughout the article. No one is full anything, yet its what everyone is referred to. When talking about Barack Obama, she says, "After more than 300 years and much difficult history, we hew to the old racist rule: Part-black is all black. Fifty percent equals a hundred. There's no in-between."

The truth is, I've never thought much about this and I've never been offended by any of this. But now that I think about it, I realize that I care a lot about family's history. And no matter who denies the fact that I'm Mexican, it's there and I know that. The question I'm left with is, what/who determines what race someone is? Do they have to speak the language? Is it based on appearance? When it comes to the language of racial identity that exists today, I think it can have a large impact on the way someone views themselves. For nine years, I went to a school where I was the "white girl". Everyone in my class was either Asian or Mexican. I felt weird identifying myself as Mexican because I didn't cross the border everyday like most of my friends. Or I didn't speak Spanish at home with my family. For me, this is where the language comes into play and I realize now that much of what people tell me has shaped the way I feel about my own culture. I know that I'm Mexican, but by being told that I'm not, I feel somewhat uncomfortable saying that I am. I don't think it should be this way and I do think that language has something to do with this. I'm not sure if the language has to change but I think our society should be more open to the idea of people being a mix of many different races and cultures. Arana ties in an example from today and says, "The evidence is everywhere. If not in our neighborhoods, in our culture. We see it in Tiger Woods, Halle Berry, Ben Kingsley, Nancy Kwan, Ne-Yo, Mariah Carey. Yet we insist on calling these hybrids by a reductive name: Berry is Black. Kingsly is white. Kwan is yellow. Even they label themselves by the apparent color of their skin. With language like that, how can we claim to live in a post-racial society." I think the fact of the matter is that we should be accepting of the fact that people are made of all different cultures and not base labels off of first impressions and appearance.

On the Road; Jack Kerouac

On the Road is a true travel story, written in just three weeks time by Jack Kerouac in 1951. The book takes place during 1949 and tells the story of Sal, the narrator of the story and the character inspired by the author himself, and his friends, family, and people he meets along his journeys across the country. The book was later characterized as a story of the Beatnik Generation. The theme that develops throughout the story is the idea of being young, traveling and learning about yourself and others along the way. "'I want to marry a girl,' I told them, 'so I can rest my soul with her till we both get old. This can't go on all the time--all this franticness and jumping around. We've got to go someplace, find something.'" (Page 108).

Dean was Sal's friend, though they did have a rocky and interesting friendship throughout the course of the story. In the very beginning of the book, Sal says, "with the coming of Dean Moriarty began the part of my life you could call my life on the road." For Sal, Dean brought a new wave of excitement; new and different experiences. This brings up one of the devices Kerouac uses so well throughout the book--characterization. He does focus on Sal as the main character, however, he intertwines the personal stories of each other character and their affect on Sal and his experiences. Another way the Kerouac displayed the use of characterization was by showing Sal without Dean. Near the middle of the book, when Sal left Terry in California and went home back to New York, he felt lost--"Can you picture me walking those last miles through the Lincoln Tunnel or over the Washington Bridge and into New Jersey? It was dusk. Where was Hassel? I dug the square for Hassel; he wasn't there, he was in Riker's Island, behind bars. Where Dean? Where everybody? Where life? I had my home to go to, my place to lay my head down and figure the losses and figure the gain that I knew was in there somewhere too." (Pages 98-99). Kerouac also uses characterization as a literary device to show how Sal felt about Dean. Certain parts of the book showed how Sal appreciated the sense of adventure and excitement that Dean brought to his life. "I had been spending a quiet Christmas in the country, as I realized when we got back into the house and I saw the Christmas tree, the presents, and smelled the roasting turkey and listened to the talk of the relatives, but now the bug was on me again, and the bug's name was Dean Moriarty and I was off on another spurt around the road." (Page 106). Kerouac also uses the other characters in the book to show Sal’s emotion and his emotion and sentiment towards others. Like when he spent time with Terry in California. “I wished I was on her bus. A pain stabbed my heart, as it did every time I saw a girl I loved who was going the opposite direction in this too-big world.” (Page 74). Through Sal meeting Terry, you could see a more sentimental, compassionate side of him. In the pages following, you could tell that he really did care for her. All of these experiences with other characters helped to shape the theme of the book because Sal was learning about himself as he learned about others.

Imagery was a device also used throughout the book. “The greatest ride in my life was about to come up, a truck, with a flatboard at the back, with about six or seven boys sprawled out on it, and the drivers, two young blond farmers from Minnesota, were picking up every single soul they found on that road—the most smiling, cheerful couple of handsome bumpkins you could ever wish to see.” (Page 20). He takes time to describe everything in the scene and each new character that comes into play. “And there in the blue air I saw for the first time, far off, the great snowy tops of the Rocky Mountains. I took a deep breath. I had to get to Denver at once.” (Page 31). One thing about Sal is how desperately he wanted to see Colorado, so Kerouac spent time describing the scene because it was so important to the story. Also, once Sal returned to New York for the first time, Kerouac spent time setting the scene and the tone, which was a little sad—“Suddenly I found myself on Times Square. I had traveled eight thousand miles around the American continent and I was back on Times Square; and right in the middle of a rush hour, too, seeing with my innocent road-eyes the absolute madness and fantastic hoorair of New York with its millions and millions hustling forever for a buck among themselves, the mad dream-grabbing, taking, giving, sighing, dying, just so they could be buried in those awful cemetery cities beyond Long Island City.” (Page 98). The author does a great job of using imagery to set up a scene, as well as set the tone. He uses imagery to make the idea either good or bad, sad or happy, etc.

There were also instances of symbolism being used in On the Road. For instance, one would be the fact that Sal and his friends were always drinking. There would be times in the book where he would just say that he needed a drink. For example, when he and Terry were working in California, there were many times when Sal and her brother and friend would go off to drink. This could symbolize running away from problems because every time they did it, they would say that they were having fun tonight and working tomorrow. Another form of symbolism would be the car that drove Sal, Dean, and Mary Lou (Part II). It was a symbol of them all getting away. Sal was bored with his usual routine and when Dean showed up with his car, ready to drive them anywhere, he knew something more exciting was on its way.

Thanksgiving & H2O Project

What are you thankful for this year?
I'm thankful for all of my family and friends (:

Things I will accomplish before Thanksgiving break is over:

1. Take pictures for e-mail
   
2. Have complete drafts of letters
3. Have significant progress on e-mail layout

So far, I've learned a lot from this project. I chose something that is close to my home and my heart, so it makes it easier for me to do the work because I really do want it to make a difference. I am discovering that I may have taken on more than I could handle in the beginning. I was going to partner up to make a video, as well as an e-mail. However, I figured out that would be very difficult to complete and I would rather focus all of my efforts on making my petition e-mail and have strong writing.

One thing that surprises me is how fast-paced this project seems to be. I thought that I had more time to work on it at school, but by losing a week for Thanksgiving break, I have less time than I had assumed before. But I plan on working really hard so that I can finish everything and have the highest-quality products possible.

Drafting will probably be the most important thing for me as far as writing goes. I will definitely need more drafts and more critiques on my letters. They are turning out to be more difficult to write than I had expected. I also need to quickly learn how to create the e-mail and what programs I'll need to use.

"An Eternal Revolution", The New York Times
By Orlando Patterson, November 7, 2008

"Youth Vote May Have Been Key in Obama's Win"
MSNBC News, By Melissa Dahl, November 5, 2008

Every American can see that the results of the recent election changed the country. It will forever be a part of the nation's history and will cause a change in America. Certain groups stepped up and made an impact on the results of this election. Groups that have faded into the back in past elections and historically, didn't even have the right to vote.

The editorial by Orlando Patterson describes the impact of these groups and how they played a significant role in Barack Obama's victory. The groups that he talks about are African Americans, women, and young people. I think that young people played a huge role in this election and were a major factor in the final decision.

Historically, young Americans have had a difficult time when it comes to voting in elections. Before 1971, you had to be 21 years old to vote. The voting age was lowered to 18 through the passing of the 26th Amendment. This was during the time of the Vietnam War, which ended in 1975. Before the Amendment was passed, many 18 year olds were drafted to fight in the war. However, even though they fought for their country, they still weren't allowed to vote for the leader of their country. One of the reasons people think the Amendment was passed was due to the anti-war protests led by young people during the war. "The idea [of the 26th Amendment] was that people who were old enough to be drafted into the military should have a say in the selection of the civilian government that determines when and how military force is used."

In more recent history, young voters have lacked in number when it comes to voting at the polls. The percentage of young people who turn up to vote has been low in past elections. However, those numbers have gone up dramatically in the most recent election. Young Americans took an interest in the 2008 election and the candidates because they knew that the results would affect them in years to come. This year, 18-29 year olds were a deciding factor in the election-- "Young voters may prove to have been the key to Barack Obama's victory. Young voters preferred Obama over John McCain by 68 percent to 30 percent — the highest share of the youth vote obtained by any candidate since exit polls began reporting results by age in 1976."

Examples of Products for H2O Project

Since Martin and I are both basing our projects off of Imperial Beach and the Tijuana River Estuary, we decided to collaborate and create a video together.

This is a video that Randy showed me that has nothing to do with my project, but could be used for ideas for the video.



I like the style of the video and the way that it is edited. I like how it doesn't show long clips of people talking, but it shows really short clips with each person just saying one thing. It is edited really fast and in the beginning, each person basically says the same thing. It's impactful and I think it gets the viewer's attention. It isn't long and it doesn't go on and on. It's short and concise and it has a point. I also like how in some parts of the video, each person finished what the last person said. They continued on the same topic. Also, the topic was really specific since it was just trying to get people to register to vote. I think this is helpful in keeping the video focused avoiding it getting too long.

I could use certain aspects of this video to make my video. I think that it would make it a lot easier, since neither I or Martin have much experience making movies. With ideas from this video, along with the ones that he finds, I think we could make a much better video and keep our ideas focused.

Even though this e-mail has nothing to do with my project, I can still use the basic idea of it to help me with the e-mail portion of my final product. I want to create an e-mail that looks similar to this. I want it to look professional so that people take it seriously. I would like it to have a banner like the example at the top and have a short explanation to the reader. I also want it to have a link like the example does that would let people send the letter that I will to San Diego policy makers. One of the differences between this e-mail and the one I hope to make is that mine will have our video embedded in it so that people can watch it right there, without having to click a link and go to another page. Overall, I really want this e-mail to look professional and get people interested in finding a solution to the problem. I hope that the e-mail will allow more people to see the video and send the letter. I want it to be sent to all kinds of people who will send it to other people and then tons of people will see it (:

Election Reflection & Water Project

I am so happy that Barack Obama will be our new president! Watching the entire campaign was really interesting for me and it's so exciting that it's actually happening now. I like the fact that things will be changing, as it would with any shift in administration.

I was thinking about the fact that Obama will be the first black president, and I'm really happy about that. I think it's a huge accomplishment and a notable milestone that children will read and learn about in generations to come. I feel that this milestone moves our country forward. Just fifty years ago, blacks weren't even given the right to vote in an election. Now, we know that this is in our past because Barack Obama was just elected president. Of course, this doesn't mean that it is the end of racism in America, but it is without a doubt, an amazing accomplishment. It makes me feel like our country is progressing. It's my hope that we continue to move forward and accomplish more and mark new milestones.

Even though I feel like we have made huge steps of progress through this election and have pushed our society forward, I can't help but say that I feel we've also pushed ourselves back, in some senses. For instance, Proposition 8 was passed which means the right of marriage has been taken from same-sex couples. I don't understand how this represents equality and how it moves us forward as a nation. I know this is a hugely controversial topic and people are very passionate about their opinions, but I can't help but wonder how we are going to continue moving forward, and still deny the right of marriage. Like I said before, I'm so glad that we were able to break boundaries by electing our new president, I hope that boundaries continue to be broken, but my concern is that they may stop here.

I feel like my level of civic knowledge has grown a lot throughout my few years in high school. However, I don't really think about how much I know, just about what I know and what I want to know. I like learning about what is going on in our country and in the world because I want to be intelligent and feel informed about current issues. It's important to me to be aware of these things, especially as I get older, as I will be able to vote and make more of an impact.

This blog has been a really good way for me to keep up with current events. It makes me research things that I probably wouldn't otherwise and makes me aware of different opinions and insights on certain issues and topics. Having discussions in class also helps me a lot and make it interesting to me. I like hearing everyone's opinions and I learn a lot by listening and joining in the conversation.

I think that one good idea would be to replace some of the time spent on journaling in the morning and dedicate it to class discussions about a current event, scandal, or any news story. I think everyone would be interested and it would be a good way to get the class started.

I tend to stay out of a conversation if it is about something that I am unsure about or am not familiar with. Either that, or I ask questions because I don't want to talk about something I don't know very much about. However, when I am in a conversation about something I am familiar with, I often surprise people with the knowledge I have about it. I don't think people usually expect teenagers to be learning so much about current events like what we talk about, but I think it's exactly what we should be learning about. It's important to know, and if not now, when? When talking outside of class and when my friends start talking about the election or a certain issue, I get frustrated and want to tell them everything I know. To be quite honest, it makes me angry when people talk about something and are stubborn about it and don't really know that much about it. In some ways, I feel like what I am learning in school is more valuable than others because I learn about what is actually happening, not just read and memorize dates in a textbook.

Plan for the Water Project!

The question that I plan to work with and answer is: What do residents of Imperial Beach think about the current state of their beach and the water quality?

I'm wondering about how opinions differ--the opinions of long-time Imperial Beach residents vs. people who just hear about Imperial Beach.

My hope is that I can volunteer with Wildcoast, and their "Clean Water Now!" program. Clean Water Now aims to get together residents of south San Diego County and Tijuana who are want an end to ocean pollution in their area. They want to get the attention of county officials and policy makers to support a real solution to the issue.

I'm still unsure of exactly how I want my final product to look. I definitely plan on sending an e-mail or letter to a San Diego policy maker urging them to help our beach, like Wildcoast suggests. Their website gives a list of contact information for members of San Diego City Council and U.S. Congress and Senate, which I can definitely use.

I was also thinking about creating a short video which would compile snapshots of the interviews and be a quick and entertaining way for people to learn about the problem. However, I don't really have experience making movies, so I'm not completely sure if the product would come out as good as I would want it to. I also want to create an e-mail, with the video embedded in it, to send out to people that would have information that could at least get the word out and let people know about the problem. It could also have a link where they could easily send the letter that I wrote to the San Diego City Council. If more people send it, it will have more of an impact.

Resources Needed:

• Video camera (if I choose to make the video)
  
• A program to make the e-mail look professional (like a petition e-mail)
  

People Needed:

• Already have list of contact information for San Diego City Council and U.S. Congress members
  
• A representative from Wildcoast or the Clean Water Now program
  
• Possibly a representative from Bajagua
  
• Surfers, lifeguards, and people at the beach willing to be interviewed
• Surf Hut employees and manager
• Tijuana River Estuary Park Ranger
  

Possible interview questions for surfers, lifeguards, and Surf Hut:

• Do you think that Imperial Beach needs improvement?
• Do you think the beach needs better water quality?
• Do you think that Imperial Beach needs more attention from county, state, U.S., or Mexican officials?
• What do you think Imperial Beach's reputation is? Is it percieved by others as good or bad? What is your view on it's reputation?
• Do you think the beach needs improvements? If so, what kind?
• Is the water polluted too often?
• On a scale of 1-10, what would you rate the quality of the water?
• Do you ever feel the effects of the pollution (being sick, beach closure, etc.)
• What are your views on the effects of being the closest beach to Mexico?
• Are you familiar with the proposal of Bajagua? Are you in favor or disagreement of the proposal?
• Are you familiar with Wildcoast or the Surfrider Foundation?
  

Possible interview questions for local officials/representatives:

• Where does Imperial Beach fall on your list of priorities, since it is not known as a tourist beach (such as Mission Beach, La Jolla, Coronado, etc.)?
• Do you think that Imperial Beach is given enough attention and funding on a local and a county-wide level?
• Are the habitats at the National Wildlife Refuge being adequately protected?
• Do you receive many complaints about the quality of Imperial Beach?
• Do you think Imperial Beach has improved over the years?
• Do you have a good working relationship with Tijuana and/or Mexican officials in order to maintain balance in the situation?
• Are you in favor or opposition of the proposal of Bajagua?
  

A Schedule for the next two weeks:

• Thursday, November 6: Possibly find a partner to work with and choose what my final product will be.
  
• Friday, November 7: Prepare final interview questions and gather necessary supplies to begin interviews over the weekend.
  
• Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday; November 8-11: Interview, take pictures, record information, etc.
  
• Wednesday, November 12: Write letter to San Diego County Official(s).
• Thursday, November 13: Finish writing letter, revise, and send.
  
• Friday, November 14: Look over footage (possibly), pictures, information, and answers gathered over the weekend. Begin to edit video and create e-mail.
  
• Saturday, Sunday November 15-16: Continue working on final product, go back to the beach if necessary.
  
• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday; November 17-21: Continue working on/finishing final product.
  

Useful Links & Information:

Wildcoast; Clean Water Now Program

City of Imperial Beach

Union Tribune Article about Pollution from Mexico

Tijuana River Estuary

Toxic Surf on the U.S. - Mexico Border

Contact information for San Diego City Officials

How effective is the current government presence at Imperial Beach?
Has the government been stepping in enough? How effective are the trash cans at preventing excessive littering? Is it less than at other beaches across San Diego County? Does the alcohol ban help at all? Does the Tijuana Estuary (A National Wildlife Reguge) bring any government attention to Imperial Beach? Does the beach being located so closely to the border bring good or bad national attention to Imperial Beach? Tsunami Warning and Evacuation Route signs have recently been posted around the beach; is there really an evacuation plan and is there really a need for it?

Union Tribune Article about Water Quality Testing

Tijuana River Estuary

Toxic Surf on the U.S.-Mexico Border



How do residents of Imperial Beach feel about the current state of their beach and the water quality?
I wonder about how opinions differ--the opinions of long-time Imperial Beach residents vs. people who just hear about Imperial Beach. I wonder if residents feel that it needs improvement or if it has improved over the years. What are the feelings of local residents? Do they feel the beach needs to be cleaned up? Do they like the beach the way it is? Do they feel it needs more attention from the city? Imperial Beach has a reputation of not being the best beach in San Diego. Do they agree with that? Do they feel it needs improvements? If so, what kind of improvements? Is the water polluted too often? What do they feel are the effects of being so close to Mexico?

Wildcoast; Clean Water Now Program

City of Imperial Beach

Union Tribune Article about Pollution from Mexico

Tijuana River Estuary

"Of Mice and Men"

“The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley” (“The best-laid plans of mice and men / Go oft awry”) - Robert Burns, 1785.

The above quote is where the title of the book, “Of Mice and Men” was derived. This tells so much about the theme and moral of the story. “The best-laid plans of mice and men / Go oft awry.” This concept is etched in your mind after reading this book. Every one of Lennie’s intentions were good, they just went terribly wrong. Sometimes plans go wrong and good intentions turn into awful results. An underlying theme to the story could also be interpreted as the idea that sometimes, what may seem as the worst and cruelest thing you can do, could be the best option when it comes to those you care about. John Steinbeck develops the overall theme of “Of Mice and Men” through foreshadowing, repetition, and symbolism.

Throughout the book, there were similar events, which all had recurring themes. There were certain parts that allowed you catch a glimpse of what was to come. For example, in the very beginning when Lennie had killed a mouse on accident. It let readers know that Lennie has the potential to be harmful, even if it is on complete accident. It also showed that this accidental aggression could very well happen again, which it did. Later on in the book, Lennie was regretful that he had killed a puppy by playing too rough. And ultimately, Lennie killed Curley’s wife as a result of desperately trying to listen to what George had told him, but ended up panicking in the uncomfortable situation. The foreshadowing is also apparent when Carlson was convincing Candy to let him shoot his dog, “At last Carlson said, ‘If you want me to, I’ll put the old devil out of his misery right now and get it over with. Ain’t nothing left for him. Can’t eat, can’t see, can’t even walk without hurtin’.’” (Page 47). He finally convinced Candy and shot the dog in the back of the head, just like George shot Lennie. After his dog was shot, Candy told George, “I oughtta of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t oughtta let no stranger shoot my dog.” (Page 61). George loved Lennie and had taken care of him for years and George saw this as the last way of taking care of him. He knew Lennie would be tortured, scared, and his death would be far worse if the men got a hold of him. George decided that he wanted to do it himself, just like Candy had wished he had done for his dog.

“Of Mice and Men” repeatedly uses symbols in order to build up their meaning and significance. After Lennie killed Curley’s wife, he ran away by himself. While he was by himself, he saw and spoke to things in his mind, like his Aunt Clara and a rabbit. The rabbit could be a symbol of many things, but I think it is a symbol of Lennie’s insecurities. The rabbit was telling Lennie that George hated taking care of him and was going to leave him. This is exactly what Lennie would hope was not true. He never wanted or intended to be a burden on George and the rabbit telling him this made him feel insecure and he had to ask George after to reassure himself. Once he was reassured that George wasn’t mad or tired of him, he felt safe. One of the biggest recurring symbols was the house and the farm that George and Lennie had always talked about. It was a symbol of their American Dream; what they longed to achieve together. George seemed to use it as a mechanism of pushing Lennie forward. He would remind him of it and just the idea of a farm was enough to keep Lennie focused on doing well. It was relevant up to the very last pages, leading to Lennie’s death—“’Look acrost the river, Lennie, an’ I’ll tell you so you can almost see it.’” George described the dream for Lennie once again and told him they would do it soon. “Lennie begged, ‘Le’s do it now. Le’s get that place now.’ ‘Sure, right now. I gotta. We gotta.’ And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger.” (Pages 105-106).

There are many elements of repetition throughout “Of Mice and Men”. The idea of working towards a goal was repeated often. As mentioned previously, the idea of a farm and house was a large recurring theme in the book and it echoed the idea of achieving a goal. Also, Lennie’s love and bad luck with animals was repeated throughout the book. In the beginning, he killed a mouse accidentally. Later on, a puppy died after he played with it and was too rough. And at the very end, he killed Curley’s wife. To me, this repetition was a way of conveying the idea that Lennie was unsure about how to interact with others, whether they be animals or people. He loved and cared for both, but sometimes his mindset was that of a child and the situations he was put in were years beyond him. George understood him and he forgave him no matter what, but not everyone was that way. Lennie always meant well, but he ended up in situations that were unfit for him and he didn’t know how to operate his way out of them.

“Of Mice and Men” is a simple book with a thoughtful meaning behind it. The story shows that at times, good plans can go terribly wrong. Also, what may seem like an awful thing to do to someone you love, could be the best thing, as it was in Lennie and George’s case. This book started off slow for me. I didn’t understand it and wasn’t enjoying it very much. However, the last few chapters tied everything together for me. It made the book interesting and sad, and it made everything else fall into place. I realized that Steinbeck’s writing style for this book was to build ideas up subtly, with the use of literary devices like foreshadowing, and leave the peak of the story until the very last few pages.

Voting Scandals

There are currently two major scandals revolving around voting in the election, one being the ACORN scandal and the other vote-suppression.

ACORN, The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is a non-profit with a goal of increasing voter registration. However, ACORN has been accused of fraudulent voter registration. ACORN recruits new voters, however, they may have been submitting false registration forms. Technically, people could vote multiple times--using their own name and registration, as well as other names they registered as through ACORN. However, we are learning that it would not be easy to vote multiple times and it is not likely. ACORN also reports suspicious forms to the government; they are required to by law.

The other voting scandal would be vote-suppression. I think this can almost be seen as a harsh campaign strategy. Vote-suppression is basically when voting is made so difficult or intimidating for certain areas and demographics, that those people may be pushed to skip voting altogether. If done on purpose, it can be done by neglecting to set up polling booths in certain areas to make voting inaccessible to some people. Vote-suppression has also been exemplified in the past by the Jim Crow Laws. They made voting basically impossible to obtain. Vote-suppression today can be seen in certain demographics. For example, there could be Republican-driven suppression in an area made mostly of Democrats because the outcome is predicted and Republicans would want to change it. The same could go for Democrats in areas with mostly Republicans. It basically denies people of their right to vote.

One thing that I noticed when reading about the ACORN scandal and vote-supression was one big difference. ACORN aims to get more and more people to vote, while with vote-suppression, people could be denied their one chance of voting. It's interesting to me and I wonder if ACORN goes out to certain areas in hopes of registering certain demographics to increase the number of votes for a desired outcome. Yet, vote-suppression also seems to occur within certain demographics, such as low-income neighborhoods or college students. Vote-suppression has been around for awhile now, as we have seen with the Jim Crow Laws, which made voting impossible for blacks. It doesn't seem fair; I thought each person had the right to one vote, no more and no less.



^ A video from ACORN's website, which says that McCain has been attacking the organization simply as a campaign tactic. It is biased, being from ACORN themselves, but it explains what would happen after a false registration and they say it would in no way effect the election.

Sources:

• The New York Times, "The Acorn Story", Published October 16, 2008, Accessed October 28, 2008.
  
• The Wall Street Journal Online, "Justice and Vote Fraud", Published October 27, 2008, Accessed October 28, 2008.
  
• The Miami Herald, "Republicans, ACORN fued over suspicious voter cards", Marc Caputo, Published September 25, 2008, Accessed October 28, 2008.
  
• The New York Times, "States' Actions to Block Voters Appear Illegal", Ian Urbina, Published October 8, 2008, Accessed October 28, 2008.
  
• The American Center for Voting Rights, "Incidents of Voter Intimidation and Suppression", Accessed October 28, 2008.
  
• ACORN, Accessed October 30, 2008.
  

2008 Presidential Debates

Watching debates can give you an understanding of the ideas and personality of each candidate, as well as how they answer questions under pressure.

I think that in order to win a debate, you need to answer all the questions truthfully and thoughtfully, maintain your composure, and prove your points to be stronger. Someone who wins a debate needs the ability to get their point across and bring more positive attention to their campaign.

I honestly wish that I could vote in this election. I’m learning a lot about it and I know that if I were a part of the voting, I would be more involved. One thing that I held important while watching the debates is whether or not the candidate explained affects my family or me. I would want to know this on most topics and if the candidate failed to say that, I probably didn't think they had a strong answer.

After the first debate, I heard many different reviews, some of which said that Obama was letting McCain walk all over him and that shows that he wasn’t being as assertive or forceful as he needed to be. However, I don’t see that as McCain making himself look better. As Obama was speaking, there were many times that McCain would laugh or smile, which to me, gave the impression of a lack of seriousness or sincerity in the matter. Of course, this was occasional, and when he did speak, McCain showed that he was serious. But, it just seemed to me that whenever Obama spoke, McCain was disregarding it and came off as condescending, which I don’t see as points toward winning a debate.

One thing I thought was that Barack Obama knows how to talk to people effectively. It seems to me like he knows how to handle all kinds of people and questions they ask. I don’t think that McCain’s tactic of putting down Obama is working well anymore. Sometimes I think it makes him look bad and not very likable.

After the whole country watched Sarah Palin stir up controversy with less than perfect interviews the weeks before the debate, expectations for her were set pretty low. With all the talk about her, quite honestly, I forgot all about Joe Biden. It seems like he faded into the background amidst all of the talk about Palin and McCain. However, after the debate, I remembered Biden's name and I feel like he brought more positive attention upon himself and for this reason, I think he won the vice-presidential debate.

During class, we spent a lot of time talking about the negative aspects of the campaigns of both candidates and I also wrote a blog about the affect on the candidates. During the last debate, one of the topics proposed by the moderator was about how their campaigns have turned a different direction—“Are each of you tonight willing to sit at this table and say to each other's face what your campaigns and the people in your campaigns have said about each other?”

McCain followed by explaining that he didn’t like some of the negative aspects of the campaigns—“... And I regret some of the negative aspects of both campaigns. But the fact is that it has taken many turns which I think are unacceptable.” He also talked about the amount of money Obama spends on negative ads and said that he repudiates remarks, while Obama does not.

Obama then spoke and basically said that there are more important things to be talking about—“And, now, I think the American people are less interested in our hurt feelings during the course of the campaign than addressing the issues that matter to them so deeply."

This reminds me of discussions we have had in class about how their negative ads come across to us and to voters and whether criticizing their opponent is more helpful than making themselves look good on their own.



^ A video from CNN about McCain and Obama's answer to the 'clean campaign' question.

When I was reading reviews about the final debate, I saw a particular story from BBC News about who they think won the debate. It basically said that during the first half, McCain made a lot of strong and effective remarks against Obama. It also said that Obama was much stronger during the second half and ended with a great final statement.

Technology and Democracy

Find the Article Here.
Science Daily, University of Southern California
Published October 16, 2008

Technology and the Internet allows people access to so much; some people worry it may be too much access. Since the Internet being so open and a free exchange of information, over the years, people have had to slightly change aspects of their lifestyle to keep themselves safe.

Americans want to know that their safety and rights will be protected and that could very well affect their choice in voting for the president. Both candidates have policies on technology, which is what the article I read described. It talked about both John McCain and Barack Obama's views on technology and the government's role in Americans' privacy.

I think this is definitely important because technology will probably keep advancing further and further. I think it's important that ideas of privacy and security are maintained. While the Internet has so many advantages, it could become disadvantageous if Americans are unhappy with their diminishing privacy. I think that technology policies will definitely be considered by voters. It's something that will continue to have an effect, as it has in the past, and the effects will probably become more apparent in time.

Newspaper Reflection

I think our group did a really good job on our newspaper. We worked well together and I think the final product turned out really good. One of my contributions that I was most proud of was my final article. I worked really hard on it and I hope that it shows. I tried to stay within the guidelines of news-style writing, which was new to me. I tried to write it as close to an actual newspaper article as I could. I wanted the information to be unbiased, and I think that I did that. I'm also happy with the picture that I contributed to the page because the rest of my group liked it and I think it looked good on our newspaper.

If we were to redo this project, I definitely would have written a different caption for my picture. I don't think that mine was very interesting and I was just writing it based on the caption criteria we were given and I didn't make it different or interesting. I also would have changed my headline and maybe added a sub-headline because now I realize that they make all the difference and probably would have made my article better.

Looking back on the few days we spent on the project, I wish I had been more involved with the design and layout portion. Amanda did a really great job and did the majority of computer work since she had learned about InDesign, but I think that the layout of our paper might have had different ideas incorporated into it if we had all been more involved. One of my favorite parts of our newspaper would be the pull-quotes. I think they look really professional and stand out against the rest of the text.

One thing I learned from this project is that once you print and publish something, it's done. You really have to be sure that everything is exactly the way you want it before you print it because you can't edit or make changes after that. After professionally publishing something, you wouldn't want to think of a list of changes that you would want to make or be unhappy with the way something looks. All of the edits need to be made before hand so that you can avoid being unhappy with something.

Photography

Our class just got a crash course in photography and learned techniques that will make our pictures turn out so much better.

Rule of Thirds:

This picture follows the rule of thirds really well. The buliding, the focal point of the picture, is offcenter, allowing the other buildings and landscape to be seen. It also gives the picture more dimension and a sense of foreground and background.

Depth of Field:



Depth of Field is what allows you to focus or fixate your eyes on something in the picture. In this picture, my eyes immediately gravitated toward the car in the bottom-left corner. However, when you look at the picture longer, you can see everything going on in the background--the woman crossing the street, the car driving by, cars parked along the side of the road. Depth of Field allows you to see the depth of the picture.

Eyes, Color, Fill the Frame:














This picture is bright and vibrant and takes up the whole frame. It's really close-up and part of the flower is even cut-off. To me, the 'eye' of this picture would be the center of the sunflower, because that is what my eyes were automatically drawn to.

Interesting use of Light:



I think this picture uses light in a really interesting way. To take a picture like this, you have to use a longer shutter speed; this one was shot with a 30 second shutter speed.

Shooting at Eye-Level:



This picture of a little girl was shot at her eye-level, which probably looks better than the photographer taking it from his or her eye-level.

Macro Photography:



This picture was taken so close-up, that you can see every detail on the flower. My favorite part is the drops of water because makes the flower more interesting. This website has really good examples of macro photography.

Another example:



























This is a picture I took a long time ago and for some reason I like it. I don't know why and I don't know if it fits any of these techniques but I just like the way it looks. I think I like how it was taken from up higher so you can see what is happening below and what is at eye-level.

Presidential Debates: Then & Now

Find the Full-Text of Speeches made at the Galesburg Debate Here.
The National Park Service; Lincoln Home National Historic Site

Find an Article about the Effects of the 2008 Presidential Debates Here.
The Punch News; By Yemi Kolapo; Published on October 9, 2008

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were much different from the Presidential Debates we have today. One of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, Galesburg, involved a lot of reference to issues with slavery, the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, state's rights, and the Constitution. It began with Douglas speaking for 60 minutes, then Lincoln was given 30 minutes to respond, Douglass was then given 30 minutes to give his response, and then Lincoln spoke for 60 minutes.

The two generally had opposing ideas throughout the debate. For instance, when speaking about state's rights, Douglas was more in favor of popular sovereignty, while Lincoln wanted a more unified country and abolition of slavery. For instance, during the Galesburg Debate, Douglas explained that he believed in leaving the people with the choice of slavery-- "leave the people thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic institutions in their own way, subject only to the Constitution of the United States."

When Lincoln spoke, he tried to get his point across. He wanted to eliminate slavery and he thought that the Kansas-Nebraska Bill would ultimately result in national slavery. Licoln said in the debate, "While obtaining new territory, the question how it may affect us in regard to this the only endangering element to our liberties and national greatness."

Now in 2008, the Presidential Debates are drastically different. They are much shorter and a very different format in comparison to the Lincoln-Douglas Debates. Personally, I thought the first Debate on September 26 was a little boring. However, I liked the most recent one on October 7 much more. I liked the town-hall style and thought it was more interesting than the first one. I wish there was another Vice-Presidential Debate. After all the hype that built up the days leading up to it, two hours didn't seem long enough. An article I read talked about the effects of the elections. It gave the statistics and showed who is leading the polls after. It talked about how Americans accept and analyze what the candidates say during the debates.

I think these debates are a good way to learn more about the candidates. They may not always nesecarilly teach something new about the candidate's plan or ideas, but they can teach us about the way they handle answering questions under pressure and dealing with different people.

Demograpics and the Election

Find the Article Here.
Sign on San Diego; By John Marelius, Union-Tribune Staff Writer
Published September 18, 2008

From my understanding, demographics are certain groups of people. Demographics can divide a population into groups determined by factors such as location, race, sexual orientation, religion, income, and age. One question that I have about demographics is how they initially developed. It seems like they have always been a part of society, but I wonder if there were certain points in time when some of them became noticeable. I also wonder how politicians take them into account during their campaining, since I know they are extremely important to focus on.

The article I read talked about the current standing of California voters in regards to Proposition 8. If voted for, Proposition 8 would remove the new California law that allows same-sex marriage and revert it back to marriage only being between a man and woman. Proposition 8 reads exactly as follows:

"Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in California."

Reading about this Proposition and reading this article made me wonder about the demographics in California. I think that this definately has an impact on voting in the election. People would want to know the views of both candidates and it could definately sway their vote in the election. I actaully don't know the stances of both the candidates when it comes gay marriage, but that is something I would definately reasearch further. It is something that relates extremely closely to demographics. Different demographics will probably have different votes on this Proposition and it will determine whether the law is able to stay the way it is or if the right is taken away.

^ A commercial encouraging people to vote no on Prop 8

^ A video encouraging people to vote yes on Prop 8

140 Years of Flawed Reconstruction

Today's poor statistics send us back in time to post-Civil War issues; the effects of a faulty Reconstruction plan.

The concept of Reconstruction is one that needs examining. Struggles that the South continues to experience can be dated back to the Civil War. Southern states—like Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana—have been falling short in so many ways; lack of success in education and employment, as well high levels of poverty. A flawed Reconstruction plan and improper execution could very well be factors to the adversities that exist today.

Even years after the Civil War had ended and slavery was abolished, the confederate states continued to suffer from difficult setbacks. As told by a Civil War historian, “Slavery was the first great sin of this nation. The second great sin was emancipation, or rather the way it was done. The government told four million people, ‘You are free. Hit the road.’ Three-quarters of them couldn’t read or write. The tiniest fraction of them had any profession that they could enter.” With many southerners being slaves with little to no education, the idea of finding a job was probably daunting. Maybe Reconstruction had been flawed since the very beginning. Maybe the way it had been set-up made it impossible to move forward.

The end of the Civil War also brought the need for rebuilding, as the majority of the battles were fought on Southern soil. This was yet another setback and made progress difficult to attain. Also, with racist-driven groups like the Klan, equality and renewal must have seemed like distant ideas.

African-Americans continued to be pushed back relentlessly. Jim Crow laws were established and put restrictions on everything from marriage and education to restaurants and seating on a bus. Some actual Jim Crow laws included—“Marriages are void when one party is a white person and the other is possessed of one-eighth or more Negro, Japanese, or Chinese blood.” (Nebraska, 1911). And also, “Separate free schools shall be established for the education of children of African descent; and it shall be unlawful for any colored child to attend any white school, or any white child to attend a colored school.” (Missouri, 1929). Clearly, these laws caused greater segregation within the population, which was in no way a step forward in the South’s efforts to catch up with America.

Today, these states are still far behind. Mississippi, Louisiana, and Kentucky rank as the last three states in the percentage of people 25 and older who have completed high school. Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Arkansas are the last five states according to ranking of the percentage of people age 16 to 64 in the labor force. In addition to my thoughts on the effect on education and employment, Wyatt’s Blog spends time examining the poor economy in Southern states in relation to the Civil War.

Failed Reconstruction has been called, “...a part of American history that isn't easy to face. It tells us that we had a moment in our history when our politics broke down. We don't like to face that. We don't even want to know about it. We like to believe we are a society of security and progress and improvement. Reconstruction makes us face an era when we were something else.”

Reconstruction should have been a catalyst to put the country back on track, but we still seem to struggle with its unintended consequences.

Sources Cited:

Horwitz, Tony. Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War. New York: Vintage, 1999.

"Abolition & Slavery - American Civil War - CivilWar.com." Home - American Civil War - CivilWar.com. http://www.civilwar.com/content/section/38/70/ (accessed October 2, 2008).

Blight, David. "Q&A: Southern Violence During Reconstruction." PBS; American Experience, Reconstruction: The Second Civil War. www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reconstruction/40acres/sf_ violence.html#c (accessed October 1, 2008).

"Jim Crow Laws - Separate Is Not Equal." National Museum of American History. http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/history/1-segregated/jim-crow.html (accessed October 1, 2008).

Randall, Vernellia R. "Examples of Jim Crow Laws." autoredirect to main site. http://academic.udayton.edu/Race/02rights/jcrow02.htm (accessed October 2, 2008).

"United States and States - R1501. Percent of People Who Have Completed High School (Includes Equivalency)." American FactFinder. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GRTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-_box_head_nbr=R1501&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&-format=US-30 (accessed October 1, 2008).

"United States and States - R2301. Percent of People 16 to 64 Years Who Are in the Labor Force (Including Armed Forces)." American FactFinder. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GRTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-_box_head_nbr=R2301&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&-redoLog=false&-format=US-30&-mt_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_R1501_US30 (accessed October 1, 2008).

Watt, Wyatt. "Wyatt's Blog". http://wyattwatt.blogspot.com (accessed October 2, 2008).

Looking for Privacy

Find the Article Here.
U.S. News & World Report; By David LaGesse
Published September 11, 2008

Lately, it seems like there is no more privacy. With the technological advances our country and world have made, our privacy seems to become less and less. Fifty--even fifteen years ago, people probably would have never even imagined that anyone with an internet connection could be looking down on their house, thanks to GoogleMaps. Along with these advancements, comes the need for more precaution. People know that they need to be careful, yet it seems they are becoming more and more reckless when it comes to protecting their privacy. With people posting pictures of themselves and information all over MySpace and with both young children and old adults lying about their ages on Facebook and chatrooms, it could seem that people have been helping to take their privacy from themselves, whether they intended to or not. However, I still think the government should be there to protect the rights of U.S. citizens. Privacy is something most people would say they value highly and we need the right laws to protect our privacy.

This short article I read explained how Google said that they were improving on their security and would be making the Internet safer, but really nothing they were doing would be helping much at all. Google would still have information about its users and be able to monitor searches.

In class, we were asked to propose a new Amendment that entitled us to our privacy, yet still balanced the needs of society. After writing my own and incorporating others' ideas, I ended up with:

It is the right of all U.S. citizens to maintain privacy in their home, possessions, and documents. There will be no search or investigation upon anyone without evidence or overwhelming suspicion of a crime committed by that person.

I realized just how difficult it is to write a law with no loopholes that still fits the needs of the people and the government. I think that if this law were to go through the process of judicial review, it would basically be rewritten. Obviously, I am not a lawmaker and I don't know how to create laws, but I do think that the Amendment promising our privacy should be revisited and altered. When it was written well over 200 years ago, there was never any thought that our country would be as it is today. Not that all of these advancements are bad, just the fact that they are so different from how times were when these laws were written. Back then, e-mail was unheard of and a message being sent instantly around the world was probably a crazy idea. But that's the way it is now, so you would think that would call for a refinement of our privacy laws.

Reflection

> What are you most proud of on your blog? Why?

Personally, I am most proud of the content in my blog. I put a lot of thought into each entry and I spent a lot of time writing each one. I did my best to make sure that I understood all of the articles that I was reading and writing about. I tried to do my research and choose valid articles that also sparked my interest. I wanted each of the articles to be related to something that I have a genuine interest in, so that the content can be strong and honest. I am proud that I am able to form and share my own opinions through writing these blog entries. I love the fact that I've become sincerely interested in the stories that I am writing about. I find myself asking a lot of different people many questions to make sure that I understand what I am reading and writing about. By doing this, I become genuinely interested in what I am writing about, which I think can help strengthen the content.
I'm also happy with my writing in each blog entry. I tried my best to make sure that I was fully-explaining all of my thoughts and ideas through my writing. I wanted every entry to make sense, which is why I would often find myself going back and reading over what I had already written. I tried to keep the writing organized and understandable, yet interesting and informative for the reader. I even won an award for Most Outstanding Writing in a Blog (:
Lastly, I'm proud of the neatness and organization that I maintained in my blog. It was important to me that it was easy to read and understand and I wanted all of the entries to be up to date and organized. This makes it easy for me and others to look back and review earlier posts. I also wanted a variety of pictures and videos in the entries and I tried to find at least one for every entry, if possible.

> What will you improve during future blogs? Why? How?

One thing that I know I will need to work on is finding stronger connections to U.S. History. Sometimes while writing my blogs, I will find that I'm not able to make, in my opinion, a strong enough connection to concepts that we have been learning in class. Sometimes I become so invested in the current event, that the relationship between that and concepts of U.S. History is weaker than I would like it to be. I think that I should choose articles that I feel relate more to the topic we are learning and make sure that I can explain a strong and solid connection before I write the entire blog. For example, I feel that my blog about Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists has the weakest explanation and is one that I will be editing to make stronger.
In the future, I will also try to improve on my research skills. I want to use a variety of sources and stories to write my blogs. In the future, I plan on having multiple articles and sources of evidence, rather than just one. I also want to make sure that the stories I choose are always interesting to me, because I know that I gain a lot more from reading something if it is something I am already interested in, like the election for example.
There are also some smaller details that I plan on including to improve my blogs in the future. One of these would be to propose more questions in my writing. I think that it is good to leave the reader wondering after they finish reading and asking questions throughout the blog is a great way to do that. I also want to work on coming up with better titles for each entry. I want them to be more interesting, because honestly, they have been very boring. And lastly, I definately plan on editing my posts much more often. While I do spend time editing, I plan on taking full advantage of that in the future and editing each one more and more.

> How has blogging impacted your understanding of the U.S., the media, current events, and "old news" (i.e. the Constitution, Federalist Papers, etc.)?

I've already learned much more than I had expected to by writing these blogs. I honestly think that it has been a really good way for me to start thinking more about the world around me. I know that if I didn't have to write these as an assignment, I probably wouldn't be reading CNN or BBC News or paying so much attention to the newspaper. I'm really glad that it has made me do this because I now I know that I really do like to know what is going on and that I can form and voice my own opinions. I've been interested in the election all year long, but actually taking the time to write about it has taught me a lot more of the small details and has caused me to become a lot more involved. I've learned how the media can twist and manipulate something into whatever they want it to seem. This seems to be most noticible right now, during the election which is what I chose to write about for one of my blog entries about John McCain's Campain Advertisements. I've also learned how current events and "old news" go hand-in-hand. It became apparent to me while reading news articles and thinking about what we learned in class that U.S. History will consistently be showing up in current American news, which you can notice if you are observant enough. Simply put, writing these blogs twice a week has given me the chance to be more involved and know more about what is going on in the world.

Stretching the Truth

Find the Article Here.
Factcheck.org; By Justin Bank and Lori Robertson
Published September 11, 2008

Earlier in the year, John McCain said that he feels he is running a "very respectful campaign". He stated that he doesn't feel the campaign is "negative in the slightest" and continued, "We think it’s got a lot of humor in it and we’re having fun and enjoying it. And that is what campaigns are going to be like, that’s what every campaign that I have been involved in…" From what I have seen, this hasn't proven to be completely true. I've seen many commercials that have taken quotes out of context, like this one: