(1/12/06)

I was born in Brooklyn, New York, but grew up in the Poconos. I have a group of best friends and a younger sister who mean the world to me. In High School I wrestled and played football. I also have a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon DO and a scuba certification. I love listening to music and going to concerts, and I also love movies. I am very interested in the social sciences and would like to major in International Politics. My ultimate goal is to eventually travel around the world and make a significant difference in it.

(1/16/06)

I was very inspired by Dr. King's letter. Throughout my career as a student, every year around this time, I have always read about Dr. King. I have always heard of his many accomplishments, read about events in his life, and heard quotations from his famous speeches. This was the first time however that I can honestly say I have ever actually read anything written by him. He was such an intelligent and sophisticated man, and would have made for a great government leader in this nation. Reading his words reminded me of the tragic loss that befell this nation when Dr. King was assassinated, and left me questioning how history could have been different if that event never took place. I was intrigued by the letter's elements of justifying direct action, and condemning the church in the south. It is hard to believe that moderates had the audacity to tell African Americans to be patient and wait for freedom. Dr. King's intellectual and charismatic writing has the ability to spark life into readers and drive them to make the changes necessary for justice to prevail. I personally was touched by the use of religion and philosophy in the letter, as I take great interest in those subjects. Our nation has come a long way since the civil rights movement driven by Dr. King, and by remembering him and reflecting upon his dream, we will continue to prosper, and hopefully flourish as a completely equal America.

(1/18/06)

Personal Narrative Adopted from DazedNConfuzed

First of all, I truly enjoy writing. I have always been told that I am a good writer, and I feel it is the best way for me to express myself. I enjoy writing on aim, and will spend hours talking to my friends, however I do not like using facebook. I have never been crazy about taking pictures, although I do become addicted to looking at pictures of good memories. I like watching Lost, 24, and the West Wing, and believe that they are the three greatest shows ever. One of my favorite past times involves sitting back and watching movies with my friends. I am from Brooklyn, New York, but grew up in Bushkill, Pennsylvania. I love Penn State University, and would not have wanted to go to college anywhere else, but i still have a love for my home in the Poconos; this often makes me feel as though I am torn between two worlds. I am currently studying International Politics, and after briefly being discouraged and contemplating a major change, I have decided to stick with it. I can be shy and quiet when you first meet me, but I always eventually open up and become more social.

(1/20/06)

In the USA Today Snapshot, I used a chart that stated "nearly seven in ten workers, ages 16 and older worked forty or more hours a week in 2003." The chart then proceeds to display how a lack of sleep affected work. The first claim I would make is that workers who fell asleep in a meeting may not be happy with their job or line of work. They may find it uneventful or boring, which could lead to a lack in work ethic, and attentiveness. The second claim I would make is that workers who had a presentation that went badly, may not have prepared enough, which could be the result of incompetence in their field. The third claim I would make is that workers who missed a meeting or a flight, could simply be irresponsible, with little work ethic and concern for their job.

(1/21/06)

I have decided to write my blog about a news story that I have been interested in lately. The story involves an American hostage named Jill Carroll whose was abducted in a bad Baghdad neighborhood in Iraq on January 7. Her fate is unknown, however her captors have stated they will release her if U.S. forces release women Iraqi prisoners in U.S. custody. I have also learned that since the 2003 U.S. led invasion of Iraq, 240 foreigners have been taken captive, and 39 of them have been killed. I feel that this is such a horrible fact. Iraq has become a chaotic warzone with criminals, rebels, and terrorists running rampant and fighting for control by committing horrid acts. Many innocent lives have been lost on both sides. Due to the United States policy of not negotiating with terrorists, the government cannot release the prisoners in order to save Carroll. I personally agree with this policy. I do not think that we can give in to terrorists demands. We must hold a firm position when dealing with situations such as these, because then what is stopping terrorists from increasing these acts, thinking we will always give them what they want. However, I also have a belief that every measure should be taken in order to save hostages. This is a very serious dilemma, with very conflicting sides. I only hope that stability will soon be brought to Iraq so that these acts of terror cease.

(1/23/06)

I have long held the belief that Franklin D. Roosevelt was our greatest President, which is why i enjoyed reading his four freedoms. He was a brilliant man, who was successful due to surrounding himself with the absolute brightest minds in every field to help him govern. This is displayed through his military knowledge, and references to the military leaders. He was an idealist who wished to join the war effort in a time when dictators were ruling the foreign continents. He truly loved freedom and democracy and wanted to uphold them for the world. Even in the four freedoms he vaguely described his economic policies that wound up miraculously taking our nation out of the great depression. F.D.R. is often considered to be our most powerful President due to his strong influence over congress, and this address to them is the reason why. He was an incredibly influential man, and i will continue to believe that he was our greatest President.

(1/25/06)

After reading the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights," I have realized that this document is the epitome of idealism in international relations theory. The declaration in my opinion is a remarkable template for all nations and cultures to base their laws and practices on. It truly states the civil liberties and rights that every human in the world should have. I do wonder however, about the United States involvement in the creation of this declaration. If the United States was a major player in the documents creation, I believe it would in fact be a representation of the hypocracy that the United States practiced for many years in its foreign policy. What I mean is, if this declaration was made in 1948, and the United States pushed for its creation, then this was a hypocritical action. There are many articles demanding equality for all people in the world. Many articles that preach about freedom and equality, and how everyone in the world should adopt these principles. However, in 1948, the United States had laws which created segregation policies within our own borders. Is this not a violation of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Even when President Wilson originally proposed the creation of the "League of Nations," which would be the start of political idealism in international relations theory, which also centered around equality and human rights, he had a very questionable domestic policy as far as race relations and civil rights were concerned. With that said, I believe that our nation has come a long way since the days of segregation and slavery; and I also believe that the declaration is an admirable document which should be adopted and accepted by all nations in order to ensure a more peaceful existence for all mankind.

(1/27/06)

I believe that President Bush's 2001 address to congress was his defining moment in office, and his best speech to date. This was a touching speech, that showed respect to all of the victims, their families, and all of the friendly fellow nations. It showed our nation's unity, and strength. The president did a great job of explaining who was behind the attacks, of newly declaring the war on terror, and showing respect to Arabs and Muslims around the world. It was a speech where it would be nearly impossible to disagree with it or have issues with it. The speech was made to strike fear into the hearts of terrorists and their supporters, to touch the hearts of Americans and their allies, and to inspire and give hope to all. For a speech that took place after such a traumatic time, i believe that President Bush did perfectly.

(1/28/06)

I wanted to use this blog to explain why I believe that the freedom of speech and expression is the most important freedom. I believe that while the freedom from fear was a popular choice, fear is something that is instilled in people so that they do not utilize the other freedoms. This makes me think that the freedom of speech is the most important, if another freedom must be created to prevent people from taking that one away. The freedom of speech is important because in todays society, the person with the biggest voice is the person who accomplishes the most and makes a difference in the world. It used to be that the strongest survived, or the man swinging the biggest club had the power. Today however, all changes are made through protest and speeches and communication. Without the freedom of speech, things would never evolve and everything would stay the way it is. The freedom of speech was the first amendment in the bill of rights in the constitution, I believe it was initially though of for a reason.

(1/30/06)

Terrorism has always been a very difficult term to describe and define. It is a term that cannot even be universally considered a negative thing because it has been said that one person's terrorist can be another person's freedom fighter. Even in the eighteenth century, many acts made by the American colonists such as the Boston Tea Party, could have been labeled as acts of terrorism. These acts however historically led to our freedom and independence from Great Britain. My favorite definition of terrorism is the shortest and simplest that I saw on wikipedia. Terrorism is the "peacetime equivalent of a war crime." Terrorism under no circumstances ever seems to fall under a form of legality, therefore I believe that referring to it as a crime is just, and a war crime during a time of peace is fitting.

(2/1/06)

I am writing in response to a "New York Times" article from the other day that involved statements made by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She stated that the United States underestimated the terrorist organization known as Hamas in Palestine as far as winning a democratic election. The United States was unable to forsee the dangers of holding elections in regions where Islamist militancy is stronger then Democratic institutions. Hamas is a dangerous terrorist organization that openly calls for the destruction of the Jewish state of Israel. This is a great contradiction between the United States war on terror, and the Bush Administration's foreign policy of spreading democracy and "freedom." Due to the instillation of Democracy in the middle-east, a terrorist organization has now taken power through the very methods introduced by America. I believe that this a truly ironic and disturbing fact.

(2/3/06)

It is about this time every year when I begin to get excited about the academy awards, and attempt to see as many of the oscar contenders as I can. This year, the film with the most nominations is the film "Brokeback Mountain" which I saw several weeks ago. This is an incredible film, that is very touching and entertaining. I believe it is a film that everyone should see, as it is very fitting for this day and age with the controversy surrounding gay marriage. The performance by Heathe Ledger is one of the best that I have seen all year by far. The story involves two gay cowboys who attempt to fight their nature and their love for eachother, by leading normal every day lives. They are each married with children, and attempting to work and provide for their families. Things become complicated once they begin to meet once again and carry a secret affair. I think "Brokeback Mountain" is by far one of the best films of the year, and one of the most controversial films in decades. I reccommend that anyone willing, should see this film.

(2/4/06)

Tonight I saw another best picture oscar contender, the film "Munich." This movie, I have to say, is the best film that I have seen all year. Steven Spielberg, in my opinion, is the greatest director of all time. An underlying fact about this movie, that not many people even know, is that production began on it in July of 2005, and was completed in just a few months. Spielberg was able to create a long, elaborate, international film in the time span of just several months. It shows the Israeli olypmpic athlete hostage crisis at the Munich olympics in vivid detail. It focuses more on Israel's covert response to the attack, with Eric Bana taking the lead role. Bana does an amazing job as the German-born Israeli agent leading the response. The moral of the film however involves the idea of vengeance, and how bloodshed only leads to more bloodshed. The conflict in the middle-east between Israel and Palestine is never-ending, and the violence is not getting anyone anywhere. It has a great message for such a violent movie, that in the end almost preaches non-violence.

(2/5/06)

Definition Proposal

Genocide is a word that has a fairly simple definition. It is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “the deliberate and systematic extermination of an ethnic or national group.” It is a word that was only recently coined in the English language in 1943, during the Holocaust. While there may be many historical cases of events falling under the same description as genocides prior to the year the term was created, the focus of this paper and research will be on any actual genocide since the coining of the term. The United Nations Convention on genocide was adopted and put into effect from 1948-1951, with several characteristics listed in order to officially label a mass killing or an event as genocide. Many people oppose this definition and state that the several mass killings that have been labeled as acts of genocide since the convention do not fit the requirements, and in fact are not acts of genocide. There have been about four acts of genocide since the coining of the term, which are widely accepted as genocide. This paper will describe the events in relation to the definition of genocide in order to prove that they are true acts of genocide. The opposing viewpoints and criticisms will also be brought into light, in order to properly support the thesis and hold a good argument. Genocide is the ultimate evil in the world, the gravest of the crimes against humanity, and has been committed several times in the past century.

Peer Review by CandyLand

(2/7/06)

Commented on MaseW456's definition proposal.

(2/10/06)

The third film that I will be evaluating out of the best picture oscar contenders, is the film "Crash" which I saw in September. This is a very interesting film that takes place in Los Angeles California. The main idea revolves around about a dozen characters with separate but inter-connecting stories. Each story has something to do with modern day prejudice, racism and bigotry. The movie does an excellent job of depicting how far our society still has to go in order to be completely equal. The film begins with the darker aspects of life involving these issues, but turns a new leaf toward the end as some characters begin to seek redemption for their actions, and others gain hope and find good fortune in a miraculous sense. "Crash" tackles the age old American issue in a dramatic, creative way, and I believe that it is one of the most important films of the year.

(2/11/06)

The fourth film that I will be evaluating out of the best picture oscar contenders is the film "Capote." I honestly cannot say that I feel this movie deserves to be nominated for best picture. While it was a good film, I feel that the content was lacking. The movie was centered around a phenomenal acting performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman as the writer Truman Capote. Hoffman does an amazing impersonation of the writer, who was well known to be an open homosexual and had a very renowned high pitched voice. While Capote is actually a very unlikeable character, due to his selfish nature, his true emotions are brilliantly portrayed as he begins to show concern and compassion for other characters in the film. While the story and film itself was not particularly captivating, the lead acting performance is one to be truly admired and acknowledged.

(2/13/06)

DeafeningSilenceDefinition

(2/15/06)

The Declaration of Independence is an incredibly revolutionary document. It presents arguments to the British as to why they deserve to be independent and how the new nation will function. More-so however, it presents arguments to loyalists and its opposition in the continental congress, as it was an extremely controversial action. Many compromises were made and many portions were edited out in order for the declaration to become the document that we read today. It is also controversial in the sense that slavery was a major debate in the writing of the declaration as many of the founding fathers wished to do away with slavery in the declaration itself, but had to leave it out in order to maintain support from southern states. Therefor, the document makes many references to equality, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, however the United States remained a slave driving society for years to come.

(2/17/06)

Evaluation Proposal

I will be writing my evaluation paper on the rock band Led Zeppelin, presenting the argument that they are one of the greatest and most influencial rock bands in history. I will begin the paper with a fictional story-like scenario as an introduction and present the thesis and argument. I will go over a brief history of the band, from their formation to after their split. I will discuss the various influences that they have had over modern rock along with other bands in the past. I will also discuss the contributions of each band member to their respected musical fields and position. I will cover their various famous songs, especially "Stairway to Heaven," and their affect on the world of music. My goal is to display a vivid argument defending that Led Zeppelin is one of the greatest bands of all time.

(2/20/06)

The final best picture oscar contender is the film, "Goodnight and Goodluck," written and directed by George Clooney. This film follows events in the life of news anchor and journalist Edward R. Murrow, mainly focusing on the conflict with Senator Joseph McCarthy during his anti-communist campaign. The movie is entirely shot in black and white and David Strathairn does a remarkable job portraying Murrow. Parts with McCarthy used real clips of the Senator instead of using an actor. The main idea behind the film is to show the responsibility of the media and to show what happens when the media speaks out against the government. It is a fitting film for the modern age when things such as the government's patriot act are getting so much attention.

(2/22/06)

Andrew Sullivan's "My America" is a very touching story from the perspective on America from a foreigner who truly admires America. This piece allowed me to look at my own nation in a different light. Having never been to a foreign country myself, it is difficult to compare America to other nations. I particularly liked his first two parts as to what makes America special. The first being how Americans focus on the present and future rather than the past. I happen to agree with this statement, as the "American Dream" has always fueled Americans with hopes for the future. The second statement focuses on all of the great American contradicitions. Though I have noticed some of them before, I never really thought of them as a positive aspect of our society, however after reading this I have realized that they can be, since good prevails in the end, and many things are done with good intentions.

(2/27/06)

DeafeningSilenceEvaluation

(3/1/06)

I just wanted to take this blog to explain why I havent been attending the past several classes, or posting the required blogs. Since Sunday I have had a sore throat, and a really bad cough. So on Monday, which was my birthday, I skipped class in order to go to ritenour where I found out that I have tonsilitis, either strep throat or mono, and an ear infection. I was prescribed antibiotics, but do not seem to be getting better, and it has been my goal to be healed before spring break so I can go to Florida. Hopefully things start to look up...

(3/7/06)

The article "Rwanda: How the genocide happened" was very interesting to me, as I recently wrote my definition paper on genocide, and included a paragraph on the genocide in Rwanda. This was truly a horrible event that shows the impact ethnic relations and tensions can have anbd have had on the world. It also shows the after effects of Western colonization on the third world, and how the Belgians declaring one ethnic group as superior led to decades of violence and hostility. Events such as this show how much improvement and progress are still needed in the world to avoid further atrocities such as this genocide.

(3/9/06)

I was glad to read "Q&A: Sudan's Darfur Conflict" because I was able to learn more about the conflict in Sudan. I have always heard a lot about it, but have always had trouble following the story behind it. This article allowed me to gain a broader understanding of the conflict. It is a horrible event taking place, that once again has arisen out of ethnic conflict in the world. It is nothing less than evil, the things that are taking place in that region. It is good to hear that the United Nations is finally making diplomatic progress, and the best answer may be in drawing new state lines in order to settle the ethnic conflict. As for the criminals committing these acts, I hope that they are all caught and punished for the evil that they have committed.

(3/13/06)

Causal Proposal

I know this proposal is a bit late, but I've been very sick with mono lately and I was having trouble finding the energy to find a causal topic and actually write. I have decided however to write my essay about the causes and factors that lead to insomnia. Insomnia is a major problem affecting millions of Americans a year. There are about five major causes, and I will spend a body paragraph describing each. I will begin with an introduction that shows a story scenario of a character with insomnia, then I will proceed to briefly define and describe insomnia. The body will consist of the causes of insomnia, and the conclusion will briefly summarize the essay and wrap it up.

(3/15/06)

I have decided to write this blog about Condoleezza Rice's essay supporting the Bush administration's agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation with India that we discussed today in class. I plan to support my counterargument on her claim that India is completely different from aspiring nuclear proliferators such as Iran and North Korea. My argument includes the fact that Rice failed to mention anything about the conflicts that India has had with its neighbor of Pakistan. She claims that North Korea is different from India because it proliferates weapons and threatens its neighbors. For decades now, India has been in constant conflict with the bordering nation of Pakistan, another nuclear power. They fight over the strip of land known as Kashmirand are often on the brink of war, with nuclear weapons pointed toward eachother. Many times these conflicts have had to be resolved diplomatically, with both nations in a constant nuclear stalemate. This was avoided in the essay by Rice, which shows irresponsibility by India, comparable with that of Iran and North Korea.

(3/20/06)

DeafeningSilence Causal

(3/29/06)

DeafeningSilenceProposal

(4/12/06)

Final Project Proposal

I have decided to do my final project on fraternities. I have been pledging a frat for this entire semester, and I cannot deny that the process has become an enormous consuming part of my life. It is constantly on my mind, so I have decided to put the unfortunate situation to good use by writing an in depth paper about fraternities. I plan to incorporate several styles of writing into it, such as the causal form, where I will analyze what would cause a student to join a fraternity. I will evaluate the history of fraternities, and define fraternities, in order to properly describe "Greek life." Ultimately, I will determine in my paper if fraternities are still productive and beneficial organizations in society, or if they are outdated clubs that have strayed far from the missions originally intended by their founders. I will use many sources along with my own knowledge from my experiences with a fraternity to list the positive and negative aspects of fraternities, and defend them.

(5/1/06)

DeafeningSilenceFinal