(4/30/06)

WikiHatesMeAndTheWayItShouldBeFinalPaper

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(4/8/06)

WikiHatesMeAndTheWayItShouldBeFinalPaperProposal

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(4/3/06)

WikiHatesMeProposalPaper

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(3/21/06)

Proposal Paper Proposal

The American Obesity Association says that at least one quarter to one third of the American population is medically classified as obese, and the disease claims about 300,000 lives a year and costs about $100 billion a year in medical costs. Before the problem was determined to be an epidemic, obesity was thought to have genetic roots, or due to antecedent childhood obesity. More recently, it has been found that the instance of obesity is clearly defined by differences in gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnic and racial groups. Much of the underlying cause of adulthood obesity lies in the eating habits and activity in childhood. A recent National Institutes of Health Technology Assessment Conference entitled Methods for Voluntary Weight Loss and Control concluded: “One quarter to one third of Americans are overweight; many have tried a variety of methods to lose weight, with limited success in retaining weight loss. In controlled settings, diets, behavior modifications, exercise, and drugs produce short-term weight loss with reasonable safety. Unfortunately, most people who achieve weight loss with any of these programs retain weight. For many persons, achieving and maintaining weight loss is a lifelong challenge (Prevention, 4). Obese children are at higher risk of obesity in adulthood, and childhood obesity is the leading cause of pediatric hypertension. Childhood obesity is associated with type II diabetes mellitus, increases the risk of heart disease, lowers self-esteem, increases stress on the weight-bearing joints, and affects relationships with peers. Kid Source Online cites that social and psychological problems are the most significant consequences of obesity in children. For these reasons, it is important to battle obesity during childhood rather than try to correct the problem later in life. To combat the epidemic in a non-biased way so that children of all socioeconomic classes, races, and regions may benefit, the government should implement mandatory physical education and extracurricular sports in elementary schools across America. These activities could range from specific time during the school day for physical sport activity extending beyond normal recess, or extending the school day to make time for mandatory sports of the student’s choice.

 

 

Sources

 

http://epochewiki.pbwiki.com/WikiHatesMe?edit=1

 

http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/obesity.html

 

Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity

 

Childhood Obesity: Causes and Prevention

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(3/21/06)

In theory, I think that Communism is a wonderful idea. The manifesto was interesting to read because I've heard it referenced in so many classrooms and in text books but I've never been able to recall its principles. The problem I have with this manifesto is that when everyone is put on the same socioeconomic level, and given all the necessary resources to survive, in practice, people get first lazy, and second greedy. I know this opinion is very cliche, but there's really nothing new to be said about the system, as it perpetually proves that it is not the ideal form of government in practice that it seems in writing.

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(3/20/06)

Apparently someone fell out a window this weekend, plumbeted five stories to the ground, and didn't die. Two students died in car accidents. At least one student reported being raped (although it is highly probable that many others were victim as well). A number of students were hit by cars while walking on foot. This illustrates the problem that many students have with self control. The school should do more next year to promote awareness about the hazards with drinking too much on St. Patrick's day. Maybe there should be some flyers gently reminding kids to be careful and know their limits. The community could also take measures to help by not allowing the bars to open at 6 a.m. It's disgusting how many students were drunk at 8 in the morning. That is all.

 

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(3/17/2005)

Causal Paper

WikiHatesMeCausalPaper

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(3/15/06)

Today's USA Today Snapshot states that the highest female life expectancy at birth is 85.3 years in Japan. The highest male life expectancy at birth is 78.7 years in Iceland. The female age is most likely due to the healthy lifestyle and lean diet kept by the people of the Japanese culture. As for the male expectancy, I don't know much about Iceland, but I would assume that they have less instance of cancer and heart disease, possibly due to healthy diet and more relaxed lifestyle.

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(3/12/06)

So it's Sunday, and I'm not going back to State College yet. Last Wednesday I drove to Pittsburgh to pick up my boyfriend from Carnegie for his spring break. He just joined a frat this semester called Sigma Phi Epsilon, which I really, really dislike. I honestly don't understand what motivates boys to join frats. The only thing that I like about the frat is its lack of pledging. Once you finish rushing and get a bid, you become a member right away, should you choose to accept. Ug. Anyway, I'll be back in Happy Valley tomorrow after class sometime.

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(3/1/06)

This is really worth watching, if you didn't catch this on tv, I highly recommend watching it now. It's the Jon Stewart interview on Larry King. Unfortunately it takes about 5 minutes to load.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gCelxz0uf6o

I love this man.

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(2/28/06)

This reading assignment was moderately informative. If I had to classify myself in its spectrum, I am politically liberal- very liberal in fact, but not to the degree of communism or socialism. I like capitalism, but I don't agree with competition so much to the degree where it creates class conflict. I find myself biasing a lot of essays or blogs that I write toward the left. This is also why I am a die-hard Daily Show fan. I love John Stewart, I love how the show mocks our government's (and others') flaws, and I love how the show has a strong Democratic bias. I get violently angry when I watch shows such as Crossfire on "real" or right-sided news channels.

In my opinion, not only is it very difficult to present most information without some sort of bias, it is in a person or group's interest to pick a side in order to gain or sustain support in the person or group's ideals. Bush's administration is bold with its right-wing biases, and persons such as Dick Cheney have no shame about brandishing the items on their agendas. Since most Americans fall into the moderate, center of the spectrum, subtle biases are more effective in gaining support. Having too strong opinions will only attract the outside wings.

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(2/26/06)

Genocide.

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(2/25/06)

Evaluation Paper

WikiHatesMeEvaluationPaper

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(2/24/06)

The title of a New York Times article on Thursday read Ban on Most Abortions Advances in South Dakota. When I read this article I nearly squeezed out a few tears - and I'm not sure how much of my emotion was anger and horror rather than sadness.

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(2/23/06)

It was bound to happen sooner or later - someone hit the $365 million dollar lottery last week. Eight people, to be exact, chipped in $5 each to buy 40 tickets in a pool. Choosing the "lump-sum" deal, each member will receive $15.5 million dollars after taxes. The group said they have been playing the lottery at their meat-packing plant for about five years now. What keeps people playing the lottery for years, even after years of not winning. In fact, only a handful of people will ever win the lottery at all, and yet the millions of others will continue to buy tickets. The idea of striking it rich with the "golden lottery ticket" is an institution in the American lifestyle. Three out of the eight lottery winners are immigrants who left their former countries for a better life in the United States. For these three individuals, working the night shift at the meat packing plant is now a part of their past, and they can continue their lives in a way that most Americans can only dream of. The hope of a similar fairy-tale ending will keep millions playing the lottery year after year.

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(2/19/96)

The THON pep-rally was held last night in the rec hall at about 9:45 pm. For any who may have missed this event, I am sorry, because it was amazing. THON itself is intense. To walk in to the rec hall, floor filled, every available place to stand in the bleachers filled, people dancing, singing, clapping, music playing, felt so wonderful, I really can't describe it. I only regret that I transferred here halfway through the year and couldn't be a part of THON. About the pep rally, many of the athletic teams performed choreographed dances in a small competition. The men's golf team won, dancing (more like stripping) to "I'm too sexy". The football team danced like thugs, a guy from the soccer team tried to crowd surf and fell straight to the floor, and one of the female volleyball players wore a sumo-suit. The whole time the band interjected with PSU athletic cheers twisted in support of THON. The whole experience makes me want to stay next year to participate and not transfer. I highly suggest that you go next year if you didn't go this year.

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(2/17/06)

I found a pretty funny story at http://home.nyc.rr.com/jadedem/gw1.html

If you like a good Bush parody, and you have a few minutes, I suggest you go there for a laugh or two.

Here's the first page:

To continue viewing the story, go to the above link and click next under each picture. Enjoy :)

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(2/16/06)

Evaluation Paper Proposal

Imagine yourself as a surgical intern at Seattle Grace Hospital, “the toughest surgical residency program west of Harvard” (Grey’s). You’re a bright, talented twenty-something looking to make a big impression, and have even had a short-lived, steamy love-affair with one of the debonair resident surgeons. You live with two good friends, also residents, and aside from the daily chaos typical of a first-rate medical facility, your life seems to be sailing along with only minor obstacles. All of the sudden you wake up one morning with a “bad feeling.” Your friends force you out of bed and at the end of the day, you end up with your hand lodged in the chest cavity of an unconscious man, in your hand a live explosive device, and the only way to stay alive and prevent the bomb from exploding is to clutch it loosely and not wiggle a finger. This was the scenario of the two-part Grey’s Anatomy episode “It’s the End of the World (Part I)” and “As We Know It (Part II).” These two episodes contain all the elements of an ideal T.V. series: comedy, drama, romance, suspense, action, and sex – which capture the audience’s attention and leave them craving for more. The remainder of this essay will describe these two episodes as they relate to the criteria for an ideal series to display why Grey’s Anatomy is so popular and will remain so, assuming the writers continue to employ the same elements to each episode plot.

 

 

Sources

 

http://www.tv.com/greys-anatomy/show/24440/summary.html

 

http://www.tv.com/tracking/viewer.html&ref_id=24440&tid=88296&ref_type=101

 

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(2/14/06)

The Declaration of Independence is pretty hardcore. First of all, the leaders in the colonies pretty much just told England to f*ck off and impose its tyranical rule elsewhere. Telling your homeland, which has more resources and manpower, to screw off is a ballsy move. The second reason that this document is special is that it represents a very clear evaluation argument. The claim is that the colonies have the natural right to break free from a government that doesn't allow basic freedoms to its people. The warrant is that all people are born with these natural rights. The supporting evidence is outlined in the bulk of the argument, in the form of all the reasons and ways in which England's rule infringes on these rights. This document is a good example (though maybe a little stagnant and boring to read) of one way to effectively organize and present an evaluation argument.

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(2/11/06)

Definition Paper

WikiHatesMeDefinitionPaper

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(2/7/06)

In today's Collegian, the article "Study finds alcohol linked with cancer" explains that excessive alcohol has recently been attributed to cancers of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, colon, and breast. Drinking has been known for a long time to negatively affect the liver, however this fact has not stopped people everywhere (and college kids especially) from drinking excessively. Most people's bodies can only effectively metabolize one drink (one shot, one beer, one glass of wine) per hour. Therefore, states Linda LaSalle, University Health Services Educational Services Coordinator, binge drinking overworks the liver, and can eventually cause scar tissue that debilitates the liver's functioning. Although the functional link between cancer and alcohol is not yet known, hopefully some students have seen this article and will think twice about binge drinking, especially if any of these cancers funs in their families.

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(2/6/06) 8:29 pm

I reviewed CandyLand's proposal and posted on his/her blog this evening.

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(2/6/06) 12:00 am

I am coping out on this post. I want to talk about the superbowl. First of all, I am glad that the Steelers won; not because I am particularly fond of them, but only because they are from my state. Yes, I am one of those people who only roots for the team that is supposed to win in the superbowl. And I am not ashamed. Also, I want to use this post to tell a story about some friends of mine who go to school in Pittsburgh and what they experienced after the game. One of my gal pals from high school who now attends Pitt was brave enough to go out into the streets with the rioters. She was trampled. Don't worry, she came out of it with only a bloody knee. However, when she stood up, she was smacked in the temple with a pizza box. Some other friends of mine who go to Pitt witnessed parking meters being ripped from their cement foundations, the quarters stolen when they spilled onto the ground, and cars being overturned for people to dance on them. A friend who goes to Carnegie Mellon and walked down to the Pittsburgh campus saw a car lit on fire and police officers on horses chasing people down in the streets. I am jealous. I wish I could say that I experienced the riots on streets of Pittsburgh the night the Steelers won. I wish I could have been in Pittsburgh tonight, a city that continuously shows that rioting never gets old.

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(2/5/06) 3:07 pm

Definition Paper Proposal

My definition argument will focus on the many different ways in with to define love. Because love is both an idea and a feeling, much like hope and faith, and not a tangible concept, it will be interesting and enlightening to delve into the different forms and perceptions of love. My arguments will be focused and organized, however, they will not make any attempts to slant or assume one definition may be more appropriate than any other. It will merely illuminate love as a multifaceted idea defined by the situations, contexts, and cultures in which the idea exists. Because almost everyone experiences love in life, almost everyone will stand to gain some insight from my argument. I will begin by outlining the different forms that love takes, give examples of these loves, and explain how these loves compare and contrast with each other. I will explain how love can be classified according to different criteria, and show the different ways people fall in love. I will explain the causes of love and its effects are on couples. I will help clarify my definition by making it clear what love is not (lust). I will also address how Americans use the term love loosely and how it is often trivialized. I may use my own experiences about finding what I consider to be love and what I have learned, speculating what true love must be like. I will also share certain viewpoints of people who I know to gain some insight about how others feel about love.

 

Sources

Shakespeare, William. The Sonnets. New York: Little, Brown. 1998.

 

Merriam, Eve. The Double Bed - From the Feminine Side. New York:Cameron Associates. 1958.

 

Solomon, Robert C. Love; Emotion, Myth, and Metaphor. Garden City:Anchor Press/Doubleday. 1981.

 

"Love." Oxford English Dictionary Online. 2006.

 

"Lust." Oxford English Dictionary Online. 2006.

 

Tomaso, Carla. "Anatomy of the Heart." The Lesbian Review of Books. Jan. 2001: 21.

 

Comments on the proposal from BenBlog: I really look forward to reading the definitional paper on love. I think it is one of the most broad and loosely used words in the English language. I would like to see you break down each of the uses of love, for example the love between a mother and her son, the love between a man and a woman, and the love between a guy and his car that he fixes up and grew up with. Obviously this is an ambitious project that can be hundreds of pages long, so I would make an outline first so you don’t get carried away in the mass of information and ideas you can write about.

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(2/4/06)

Maybe I am just cynical and cruel, I haven't yet decided. In today's issue of USA TODAY, on page 3A, Mimi Hall reports on the Homeland Security Department's new emergency-preparedness campaign. The campaign will teach 8-12 year old elementary school students how to prepare and respond to a terrorist attack. The campaign features a lion as its mascot, and kids can visit its website to play games that teach them the causes of natural disasters and attacks, as well as what to do if confronted with these issues. The campaign will expend $9.6 million dollars to fund these efforts in 25 of the country's major metropolitan areas. What a waste of money! Instead of scaring kids and wasting their class time, why not use the money for the childrens' future education and the Bush administration wouldn't have to cut billions of dollars from student loan programs. Or why doesn't Homeland Security focus on the more pressing issue of illegal immigration through the texan border and strengthen measures there? The advocates of the program believe that 4th, 5th, and 6th graders are at the age when what's happening in the news begins to affect them. What's happening in the news ALWAYS affects children, and with all the other stresses kids face today, preparing for a terrorist attack (which is unlikely at best) is no more than wasted money.

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(1/31/06)

I wish whoever wrote Bush's speech for tonight would have talked a little more about how the administration plans to handle rising oil prices. In approximately 3 months I will be paying $3.00/gallon and that's just not going to work for me. Also, I really wish this administration would focus less on terrorism (which is only a really big deal because they make such a big deal about it) and focus a lot more on other international affairs such as global AIDS, HIV, poverty, or famine. Also, I would have liked to hear more about social security and medicare. Half of the speech was about terrorism. Americans don't deal with terrorism on a daily basis, we deal with bills, such as energy, gasoline, insurance, and we need the government to show us how they plan to help. I would rather be gouged for taxes, knowing that the government was taking my money to help me in the end, rather than taxes be dropped, and be gouged by all of my bills. Also, I'm very upset that Alito was elected today. So much for abortion and stem cell research. Give it a good 48 hours and they will both be banned. Also, does anyone care to bet on how long it takes Bush to bankrupt our country?

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(1/29/06)

Terrorism is an issue so multifaceted, cutting across so many boundaries, affecting so many people in so many different ways that as such it cannot have one accepted definition. There are those words, invented by humans to describe feelings or ideas, that can be expressed in as many different definitions as there are people in the world. Love, fear, hate, joy; the definitions that come to your mind are certainly different than the ones that come to mine. Of course, the central points will overlap, but different situations and cultural contexts will change the underlying themes of these words. Terrorism works in this way - as an idea. For myself, the UN's academic consensus definition covers the points that I believe to be central to terrorism. However, if asked to give a personal definition, it would surely differ.

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(1/26/06)

I regret that when this speech was given I had just turned 14 only a few days before. I did not fully understand the weight that the September 11th attacks carried and what it meant for our nation and our world. I regret that my dislike for President Bush and the administration, coupled with my young age and ignorance led me not to listen to this speech or to many others like it. I regret that I did not seek out information and answers to my questions. I am obviously not Bush's biggest fan, but I must admit that this speech was powerful. Whether it be from the emotions triggered by the incident or the actual words spoken, the piece moves me almost to tears. I doubt the President even wrote the speech, but (except for the long applause) it was executed very well. The speech offers clear claims, immediately supported with reasons, facts, and ultimately strategy and hope.

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(1/24/06)

Article 5.

 

Article 9.

 

Article 12.

 

 

I wonder if the Bush administration has ever seen this Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Chances are they have, and they are aware that these codes are upheld in the United States. But chances are also that if you confronted the Bush administration, they would give you a cock and bull story about Homeland Security or terrorism or some other bloated story so that you forget about the issue you brought up in the first place. I'm sure you know that I am refering to Vice President Chaney's support of torture in war times and "times of national security distress," President Bush's security policies after 9/11 that allowed anyone who looked like they might be Muslim to be arrested and held in jail for as long as it pleased Homeland Security, and Bush's newest ideas to allow surveillance of anyone anytime. It is disgusting how this administration can so openly step on Human Rights. As for the Declaration itself, it is a wonderful idea, but in practice, these rights are not available to everyone in the world for various reasons. And if all of the more powerful and wealthy states who accept the Rights and display them actually meant to uphold them, our world would be much more peaceful and philanthropic, with wealthy countries lending aid to poorer nations to raise the standard of living so that these Rights may be upheld.

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(1/23/06)

In the January 23rd issue of USA TODAY, the daily debate was over school hours. Paul D. Houston, the executive director of the American Association of School Administrators uses medically-based findings to support later starting times for American high schools. Researchers from Brown University and the University of Minnesota have found that during the teenage years the brain is hardwired to stay awake and engaged longer and later than the brains of other ages. Teenagers, who require more sleep than younger children but must wake up much earlier due mostly to bus schedules, end up grouchy, learn poorly, and are prone to attention-deficit when deprived of sleep.

One school district in Minnesota switched bus schedules to take younger children to school first and have high school students to school by 8:30 am. The effects of the later start are profound: attendance became higher, teens and parents report being happier, and teens behave more safely as there is less time to kill before parents return home from work. The reason that more districts do not adopt this schedule change is mostly money related. Bus schedules are complicated, and the cost of adding more busses to accommodate a schedule change is high, sports teams would have to practice later into the evening, and local businesses would lose much teenage labor.

The fact that superintendents and communities refuse to work around these obstacles illustrates how American society does not value the teenager, although local businesses and neighborhoods rely on teenage labor. As a former high school student, I can attest that an extra two hours of sleep every night would have done wonders for my body and mind. For instance, from September to April in high school, I was sick for a vast majority of the time. In college, my classes start at 9:00 am every morning, I have time for breakfast, about eight hours of sleep nightly, and am still able to hold a high G.P.A. and a part time job. I can attribute much of my college success to those few precious extra hours of sleep each morning. What many adults forget is that high school students are the future, and they should be accommodated for success in any way possible.

 

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(1/22/06) 3:47 PM

The most potent thought that comes to mind while reading FDR's State of the Union Address is the stark contrast between this speech and the speeches given by our current president. Concurrent with our reading assignment in "Everything is an Argument," FDR argues that his points are valid and important through ethos. Using resolute language, parallelism, and strong diction causes the reader to trust the speaker. In listening to the audio MP3 file of the address, the president's voice is staunch and grave. His points are not celebrated or applauded, like those of our current president, but deeply suffered by the listeners. In an uncertain time, the American people could hear this speech and feel comforted. FDR's propositions are steadfast and will be carried out. When listening to the addresses of George Bush, in comparison, the reciever is not certain that any of the claims have merit. This is due to the fact that President Bush is not credible. He cannot demand respect through arguments of ethos due to sloppy diction, questionable decisions (domestic and international), and an increasing loss of esteem from the American people. In short, FDR's speech is more effective because of his character, while President Bush is less trustworthy, and less effective as a speaker.

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(1/19/06) 9:22 PM

USA TODAY Snapshots: Retirement philosophies differ; Which is more important: to protect your retirement savings or to grow savings, despite the risk of loss?

The poll states that 49% of people polled think it is more important to protect retirement savings while allowing them to grow. 24% of people polled thing growth of savings is most important and 22% say protection of their savings is most important.

Claim 1: Americans highly value retirement because half of the people polled would prefer to protect savings and allow them to grow simultaneously.

Claim 2: The fact that 22% of people polled believe they must protect their retirement savings shows that approximately 1 in every 5 Americans distrusts our investment system or government.

Claim 3: Growth and protection are equally valued among Americans.

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(1/19/06) 1:13 PM

Note: First Wiki didn't accept the page I created, then somehow my blogs ended up deleted. I hate wiki, and wiki hates me. Also, this is Tara Krzyzewski. I am NOT recreating the first two entries, partly because I am lazy and partly because I don't remember what I wrote. What a shame.

 

 

Personal Narrative Revised: MaseW456

 

Unlike the rest of you poor kids who had to adjust to this town, I am originally from State College. That means I know half the people at this school and didn't have to make a new sleu of friends. I'm a baseball fan, and my team's name is so odd that I won't bother telling it to you. I'm a budding musician, and I play the bass and guitar. I have many leather bound books and my appartment smells of rich mohogany, so I'm pretty much a big deal - people know me.

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(1/16/06)

Today, the third Monday in January, many institutions and businesses take a break from school or work to acknowledge the social accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but how many of those individuals enjoying the day off actually take the time to think about these milestones? Chances are, if we hadn't been given the assignment to read "Letter from Birmingham Jail" not many people in our class would have taken the time to broaden their cultural horizons and read the letter on their own. Dr. King's arguments in his letter utilize a number of strategies to elicit a desired response from the reader: ethos, pathos, logos, informed opinions, theoretical and abstract language, rational language, denotative reason, definitions, analogies, facts, and citations. The culmination of these tactics enlightens the reader and evokes consideration and an awareness of the need for change. His letter, once analyzed for technique, style, and form, can be used as a model for effective argument.

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(1/12/06)

You already know that I am a twin and I am new to University Park, but that’s not actually interesting. My name is Tara, and if you ever get to know me you’ll find that I’m a Virgo, am obsessed with soccer, and I like to watch football and eat wings on Monday nights. My dream is to work internationally and travel as much as humanly possible. I love to talk to people I don’t know so if you dare to sit next to me in class I’ll probably talk to you – be warned.