Self Evaluation

Just as finding an alternative source of energy, such as wind energy, has its pros and cons, the pros being the reduction of burning fossil fuels, and the cons being the fact that there is not enough wind in all regions to create energy via windmills, working in a group to complete this project also had its pros and cons.

The pros were that we were able to divide up the work equally, and we were able to work cohesively together, each member knowing exactly what his/her part of the project was. The cons were the fact that, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink". In other words, we could tell a member what to do, but we can't make a member do it. We had to confide in that member not to forget to do his/her part, and to do a great job in whatever the task at hand is.

I was able to learn valuable information from this research project, and I never imagined the magnitude of all the hardships these homeless women endure. It absolutely changed the way I think about these homeless women, who in fact are not all prostitutes as they are commonly labeled by society. This project changed my way of picturing the homeless as a group of men living under a bridge begging for money, but also as an emerging group of single homeless women with children, abandoned by society, in need of some physical and mental aid, as they are vulnerable to all sorts of diseases, disorders, depression, and trauma out on the streets. This project greatly impacted me, especially after the research we gathered regarding the accounts of some of these homeless women being beaten, tortured, and killed as a sport, and largely unnoticed by society, even though they are the fastest growing sector of the homeless population.

Venezuela Votes Against Chavez

I am strongly for the outcome of this presidential election in Venezuela. Had Hugo Chavez won, he would have been in power indefinitely, and would have established a socialist system in one of the United States' leading oil exporters. This man, Hugo Chavez, ends his term in 2012, and even that is already long enough. This tyrannical man has oppressed the people of Venezuela long enough, and it is about time for Venezuela to have a change.

Hugo Chavez is unfit to run a country, much less to dictate one indefinitely. This was a good call by the people of Venezuela to vote against him, even though he lost by a very narrow margin (51% voted against him and 49% voted for him). Hugo Chavez constantly pokes insults at our government and at our President, George Bush. This conduct should not be expected from a President. One of his latest incidents, with a rather comical outcome, was at a Conference in which he insulted the former President of Spain, referring to him as a fascist, and after constant insults, the Spanish King could not bear it any longer, and shouted 5 words that have become very famous all over the news, appearing even in songs and videos on YouTube.. "Por que no te callas (why don't you shut up?). Ultimately, the King walked out, and when asked about it, Chavez denied having heard the King. I doubt it very much. He was ridiculed and does not want to admit it.

Millenials

Wow! This clip, regarding those in their late teens and early 20's, really shocked me. The way they presented this clip, it made it seem as though these teens, the millenials, depend entirely on their parents and have no clue what they are doing. They even went on to say that this new work force is like "extraterrestrials", and that we don't even know how to eat properly with a knife and fork.

This is a complete exaggeration. Sure, some of us may have always taken things for granted at an early age, and been rewarded just for participating. However, this belittles the fact that some of us also want to make it on our own, and unlike the video said, most of us DO find it awkward to still live with your parents after college. Many of us have had jobs by this point, and we don't have to be "coached" or "babysat" by our bosses. Some of us did take school seriously, and worked hard, and took AP classes, and earned scholarships, in an effort to find a job later on in life; not just a job that pays well, but rather a job in which we feel comfortable, and a job in which we enjoy what we are doing. This video makes our generation seem like lazy, dependent, and incapable people who don't know "how it is in the real world". Well here is what I believe: This may be true for SOME of us who always rely on our parents for everything, but it certainly does not apply to ALL of us.

A Day Without A Mexican

A Day Without A Mexican is a film by Sergio Arau known as a mockumentary. Sure, it had a cheesy plot and poor acting. However, this was intentionally done, as the purpose of the film was not to impress, but rather to inform. This movie depicts what would happen if the Latino population suddenly vanished in California. Its message is to illustrate to the viewer the importance of the Latino Community, and it pokes fun at the whites who wrongly consider anyone who speaks Spanish a "Mexican".

The film gets its message across in many ways. It utilizes logos to depict how crucial Latinos are to this economy and this community, stating that 8 of the LA Dodgers are Latinos, and 60% of construction workers in California are Latinos. These alarming statistics emphasize how involved Hispanics are in their community, and their importance to the American society, whether they are legal or illegal immigrants.

The movie also employs pathos to further enhance how people take for granted the work that Latinos do. It presents the car crash of reporter Lyla Rodriguez, and the fact that she is the last Hispanic left in California, along with the disappearance of her family.

Ethos in the movie can be found by analyzing the governor of California, Abercrombie, who cares little about the Hispanics in the community, and values very little their work, up until they disappear and he realizes what an impact they had as a work force. Thus, he reluctantly recognizes that California needs these "Mexicans", even though some may be illegal, to work. As the film points out, agriculture is the focal point of the California economy, an area of the work force primarily devoted to "Mexicans".

The movie stereotypes whites, in a way, but it is effective in getting its point across through its use of humor and shocking statistics, along with its cheesy plot.

Fidel Response

From what we viewed in class on Thursday, the Cubans were sick and tired of the corrupt government they had under Prio. Fidel's leadership could be seen even when he was a lawyer, arguing against the government, and pushing for revolution. Upon watching this portion of the movie, I realized that the Cuban people were not satisfied with the government they had before Castro, as I had previously thought they were. As it appeared, the government under Batista was not much better than under Prio, and Castro anticipated this and called for an attack on the Moncada barracks on July 26th. Although this attack failed, Castro's leadership could easily be seen here, and his bravery and determination that inspired those who supported him to belive in his ideal above all else, even family. His charismatic approach is what led these people to follow him, in an effort to revolt against the established government, and free the Cuban people of the oppression bestowed upon them by their own government and the U.S.

" A Mighty Heart"

"A Mighty Heart" is a movie starring Angelina Jolie as the wife of Daniel Pearl, the journalist who was kidnapped on his way to an alleged interview with the Sheikh of Pakistan, and then brutally murdered weeks later. I was watching this movie earlier today, and I could feel the pain this poor woman went through during weeks of searching for clues as to the kidnapping of her husband. This happened shortly after the 9/11 terrorist hijackings in the city of Karachi, the biggest city in Pakistan during mid-January.

The movie is very emotional. The search that lasted for weeks, involving the FBI and Pakistani officials, led to the tragic conclusion of finding out that Daniel Pearl had been beheaded by Al-Qaeda extremists, and captured on videotape. His wife was hopeful until the very end, and her passion in discovering the truth and the clues is excellently portrayed by Angelina Jolie. The anguish and the suffering she goes through when she found out he had been murdered is very emotional and saddening to watch, after having come so close to finding the kidnappers and bringing Daniel back home alive. It is a story of courage and hope that should be seen by my fellow classmates, and we should never forget the story of Daniel Pearl, a dedicated journalist of the Wall Street Journal who died in the line of duty, doing what he knew was right, and reporting honestly all the time.

Abortion

Abortion is a very controversial social issue that as been going on for quite a while now. For a fact, almost everyone at one point has heard the "Pro-life vs. Pro-choice argument", whether it was on TV, the news, the internet, at work, or even at school. Some people argue for pro-choice, exclaiming that it is the woman's choice whether or not she wants to abort the child or not, and that a law prohibiting the woman from making this choice infringes her right of privacy. There have even been court cases, such as "Roe vs. Wade", which even declared that it was unconstitutional and against the fourteenth amendment to prevent a woman from having an abortion. However, I am one who believes in pro-life.

It is true that a woman has a right to her privacy. However, if said woman was irresponsible, and did not utilize any contraception, why should the child, even though not formed yet, have to suffer? The woman should be responsible enough now to have this child and take care of it, and the man who impregnated her should not be a pansy and run away from the problem. Instead, such man should console his wife/girlfriend and encourage her, being the head of the house he should be. He should tell her not to worry, and that together they will get through this. He can even suggest for her to get help, and there are many ways she can get help.