Pg. 166 Text Response

The article titled “Danger Is Their Middle Name", in our textbook, is written by senior staff writer Chris Sashawaty. In Nashawaty’s article he introduces the Eppers, a multi-generational family of Hollywood stunt people. He establishes their role in Hollywood history, while a photographer named Art Streiber captures their talents. To sum up the article, it gives readers a sense of not only what stunt people do but also of what’s at stake for their craft as film making technologies become ever more sophisticated. The family is so dedicated in their work that one stuntman from the family, named Kurtis Epper, and says “I’ll probably keep doing it until I can’t walk anymore- like mom”. Near the end, the article focuses on how stunt people aren’t really needed that much in the industry anymore. It’s more of a hobby. However, the Eppers family feels that movies will always need crazy men and women working in the shadows, doing crazy stuff that actors are afraid to do. They also feel that cars will still need to be flipped and people will still need to be set on fire. They’ll always be needed as long as movies are still in filming processes.

E-Cigs Are Safer Than Regular Cigarettes

For my argumentative paper, I’ll be dealing with the topic of E-Cigs. Some people think it’s safer than regular cigarettes and others don’t quite agree. This topic is meaningful to me because I have friends and family that smoke. Researching an alternative option for them could possibly convince them to start smoking safer cigarettes:  E-cigs.  This topic is relevant to everyone because we all have someone in our life that smokes cigarettes. My role as the writer is to convince the audience that individuals who smoke regular cigarettes should consider smoking E-cigs because they’re a safer alternative. My position is more logical because the facts behind them are convincible that they’re far better than regular smoking cigarettes. First, nicotine itself is not a carcinogen, and has roughly the same effect in the body as does caffeine, although it is believed to be far more addictive. Cigarettes contain a cocktail of carcinogenic and addictive chemicals, especially Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamines which are produced from curing tobacco (fermenting). The "juice" as it's called in e-cigs is generally comprised of water, nicotine, and propylene glycol, which is used in foods and cosmetics and most importantly is readily absorbed by the body; hence it will not stay in your lungs. Cigarettes contain "tar", a partly combusted plant resin which is carcinogenic, which does stay in the lungs and builds up over time, as well as stains your teeth. I would be careful about flavored e-cigs and those from China with low quality controls in juice production however.

Pg. 415 Text Response

The article titled “Letter to the Editor: Response to “The Ethanol Scam” in our text book, is an article written by Bob Dinneen of the Renewable Fuels Association. It was written in response to an August 2007 Rolling Stone feature article criticizing biofuels. In his letter, Dinneen observes that the editors and reporters at the magazine fail to understand “the complexities of world energy markets and need for ethanol and other renewable fuels.” Dinneen draws on evidence from published studies and government reports to support his reasoning. He stresses the inattention Mr. Goodell and Rolling Stone had prior to submitting their one side of the argument. He strongly feels they didn’t quite understand the role of renewable fuels like ethanol could play in our nation. I think a lot of times, people jump to conclusions about issues without fully being informed about the topic. Before declaring sides, people should definitely review both sides. I’ve had classes where we’ve had debates and I don’t like them. In a short amount of time, we’re expected to pick a side and defend it. I’m so indecisive when it comes to these kinds of things; I need time to fully understand both sides. 

Little Girls and Makeup

During spring break, my best friend came back to town along with her little cousin. Her cousin was only 9 and she wore excessive amounts of makeup. This girl had cakey foundation, bright eye shadow, heavy eyeliner, and lipstick on. Her eyebrows were drawn on too. I am not exaggerating when I say this, but her makeup was ridiculously heavy. It wasn’t cheap makeup either. My best friend is pretty good at makeup, so I originally thought that she had done it on her little cousin. This was not the case. The girl had done her makeup by herself and claimed to do it like that regularly. I was shocked. I think 9 years of age is too early to start wearing heavy makeup. Anything heavy before age 13 is too young. I found it tacky to see the girl with that much makeup. Apparently her parents didn’t care she wore that much of it.  It was more makeup than I wear. I started wearing makeup in 7^th grade; it was just light eye shadow and mascara though. After seeing this 9 year old girl, it made me wonder what causes young girls to want to wear makeup earlier than others. I think hormones, society, and media pressure girls these days to be something they’re not. Out of curiosity, I ended up asking my best friend’s cousin what made her wear makeup. She said she wears it so she can feel older. 

Pg. 346 Text Response

The article on page 346 in our text book, titled “Drug testing needs improvement, not clearinghouse”, addresses problems associated with the establishment of a national database to track truckers who have failed drug and alcohol tests. Jami Jones reports the reaction of the association’s director of regulatory affairs, Rick Craig, who points out that although the problem being addressed is a serious one, industry concerns in the areas of privacy, security, and oversight indicate that the proposed solution is not yet ready to be put into practice. The core of the problem with the drug testing program is that there isn’t a real incentive for drug-free truckers. The tests are expensive and truckers that are drug-free are not given incentives to participate. Craig proposes solution that focuses more directly on detecting the small group of drug users while at the same time rewarding drug-free drivers and their employers. I’m sure the new solution will work because rewards motivate people to try harder. 

Make an Appointment with Yourself!

We all have times in our lives when we just have too much stuff going on. There are always deadlines, exams, due dates and just too many priorities to juggle. As we grow older, we have more and more responsibilities. In some cases, we get so busy with our lives that we forget to take care of ourselves. No matter how busy I am, I always make time for myself. Whether it’s going for a 20 minute bike ride, taking 10 minutes to paint my nails, or doing a weekly face mask- I take time out of my day to do it. A lot of people with busy schedules tend to forget that there are so many things they can do to relax after a hectic day of their lives. They can spend time at home for a while without any spending money. They can do one of their favorite hobbies, such as drawing, sewing, knitting, scrap booking, or etc. What people can even do is take a long, hot bath. One of my favorite things to do each night is take a long, hot shower. It helps me relax and get my mind off things. If you have kids, you can find a baby sitter for a couple hours and go out with your spouse or friends. In addition, you can nourish your mind and soul by meditating, exercising, or listening to slow, relaxing music. Leaving your problems behind for a little can help you feel better about yourself. They will still be there when you return, but you will be able to handle them with a more relaxed state of mind.

Pg. 213 Text Response

According to Rahul K. Parikh in his article titled "Race and the White Coat", racial bias in doctors and health care works is doing great harm. Studies in the year 2000 have shown that doctors rated black patients as less intelligent, less educated, and more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. It was shown that they subconsciously qualified blacks to negative traits. What this article explicitly presented was that even though doctors swear by oath to treat all patients equally, there’s still a lot of bias present. The article demonstrated that it all lies in the root of the doctor’s thought process. Racial biases exist and are affecting the quality of health care. I don’t think we can ever get rid of prejudice or racism, consciously or subconsciously. I believe it’s rooted in our brains to stereotype and generalize. We learn this from a very small age, and it’s basically embedded into our heads. Children are not born with a hatred for people who look different. Their parents instilled hatred in them, and they will probably do the same with their children, and so on. There are exceptions, but for the most part this is what happens. Everyone judges one by their race, clothes, age, gender, etc. We evolved that way. Judging other humans to see if they could do harm, was a means of survival. I think education is the way to begin the elimination process.

Is Sex A Big Deal?

Sex is everywhere. From television, to music, to conversation, to everywhere. The media pressures young children into thinking that they should be ready. I think it’s harmful to young minds. In addition to feeling like they should try sex, kids are now feeling like they want to try sex. More and more, teens are being exposed to sexual images and themes, which pile on top of their already raging hormones. Sociologically, it’s praised and uplifted in our culture and used as a means to determine who's more attractive or masculine, as opposed to what really matters in a person. Because it's so casual, people don't think anything’s wrong anymore. Sex itself isn't an issue; it's a natural thing. But because we're human and not animals, sex is a very personal and bonding experience for both sides. You’re completely vulnerable to that other person, and giving your body. So is sex a big deal anymore? It’s a tough question to answer. For some people, virginity is sacred and sleeping around is a big deal; for others, it isn't. I remember in school when kids would shout "Ewww cooties!" and suddenly everyone thought girls had girl germs and guys had guy germs. There was no such thing, but so many kids thought there were. Same with sex, it is not a big deal really except for the possibility of STD's and pregnancy but if you are wearing protection and understand 100% the possible risks there is no big deal at all. People are taught that it’s a big deal. I think you should do what you think is right for you, and let others do what's right for them. 

Pg. 163 Text Response

There’s always some kind of talk, controversy, or disagreement about the issue of cellphones. It’s kind of getting annoying to me because it’s pretty much turned into an issue we can’t really control. There are strict restrictions in high schools about not using cellphones at all, yet student’s still manage to use their cellphone. The article in our book, starting on page 163, deals with the illegal activity of phone jammers in the United States. They’re illegal in the U.S. yet, they’re bought and used secretly to cut off people’s access of cellphones at work/other situations. They work by sending out a radio signal so strong that phones are overwhelmed and cannot communicate with cell towers. In the article, the author discovered that dealers of phone jammers sold them to clients, such as owners of cafes and hair salons, and bus drivers. If phone jammers were legal in the U.S., I think it would be appropriate to use them in big events, such as religious ceremonies, wedding ceremonies, and maybe even important school assemblies. If someone wanted to use their phone, they would have to go outside of the event and then use their cellular device. I think they’d do more good than harm if they were used on an incidental basis. However, sadly, they’re been used inappropriately, so that’s why they’re illegal now. It’s funny to me, because it’s not just the illegal activity of phone jammers people participate in; there are so many other illegal undertakings as well. This just again expressions the point I made earlier- “it’s become an issue we can’t really control”.

I Get My Energy From The Sun

We live in a world that is bombarded with paranoid messages about how dangerous the sun is. The sun, in my opinion, isn’t as bad as people make it sound!  With moderate exposure, the sun can actually heal all kinds of illnesses, and bring about radiant health!  According to an article submitted by Marcs J. Felicetti, titled “10 Benefits of the Sun”, the sun actually has the benefit of killing bad bacteria. Crazy isn’t it?! Sunlight has a beneficial effect on skin disorders, such as psoriasis, acne, eczema and fungal infections of the skin. Sunlight also lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. Even a single exposure significantly lowers blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. Sunlight penetrates deep into the skin to cleanse the blood and blood vessels. During the winter, I get seasonal affective disorder, which is depression in the winter months due to a decreased amount of sun exposure. I am that type of person that hates gloomy, dark days, so whenever I see that it’s bright and sunny out, I get cheerful, happy, and hyper. The sun seriously makes such a difference in my day. Sadly, a lot people go overboard with the exposure of sun they get. During the summer, I have friends that will exposure themselves to hours and hours of dangerous, hot sunlight, attempting to get a “radiant, glowing tan”. Exposure to the sun should be done slowly. If you are not used to the sun, then your skin will be more sensitive to it. Too much of anything is bad for us. Moderation and limitation is the key in achieving healthy sun exposure! 

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Is Social Networking a Waste of Time?

Bernhard Warner reveals in his article the fuss in today’s generation dealing with the loss of productivity brought on by multi-tasking between work/school and social networking. Social media has its pros and cons, however the author mainly favors it in his article, stressing the fact that social media is far more valuable in the concept of creativity, courage, and computer coding. Social media, in my opinion, is a huge distraction to students in all schools. I see student’s spending excessive amounts of time during class texting, snapchatting, facebooking, instagraming, and tweeting their friends. It’s a big distraction in the learning environment. In the Time Magazine (U.S. Edition), an article titled Wired for Distraction: Kids and Social Media, submitted by Dalton Conley, states that students and people who are heavily involved in social media have "continuous partial attention". Constant distraction affects not only how well kids learn but also how their brains absorb the new information. Sure, some kids can do a good job multitasking, but how many kids can text and listen to an important class lecture at the same time? The brain doesn't do a great job filtering multiple things at once, just like the brain can’t when texting or talking on the phone while operating a motor vehicle. Despite the fact that social networking is a huge distraction in the learning environment, it is amazing how the Internet is changing people's lives. People are able to quickly do research and gather data on the web, navigate through websites flawlessly, and most people are able to find anything on the Internet in ten seconds flat thanks to search engines such as Google. We obviously can’t ban social media from schools and colleges; however students should start making wise decisions and change their habits to become less distracted by social media networks in class. 

Miss America 2014: Nina Davuluri

Anyone who was on Twitter as they watched the Miss America 2014 pageant saw a pretty ugly sight as the winner was announced. After Nina Davuluri received her crown, Twitter was flooded with hateful tweets in reaction to Davuluri's Indian-American heritage. A huge number of tweets, such as "So miss america is a terrorist" and "Miss America? You mean Miss 7-11”, were all over twitter. A lot of people were very upset that an Indian-American won the Miss America Pageant. This, in my opinion, only showed the ignorance of the tweeters who weren't educated enough to tell the difference between someone of Indian or Arab descent. This is like saying someone is Chinese when they are from Vietnam. There are big geographic and cultural differences. Although there were many hateful comments directed toward the new Miss America, there were supportive ones too. According to John Aravosis’ blog on the website AmericaBlog.com, titled “Nice to see Twitter rally for 1^st Indian-American Miss America after racist critics”, there were people that tried to be helpful and support the newly crowned winner, with comments such as “Did you people forget who the hell was in American before we were?? (Indians).” Thankfullly, there were appropriate, sympathetic comments, such as “Leave #MissAmerica alone people! Who cares if she's not white! She wouldn't have been crowned if they didn't think she deserved it!” and "Proud to see #MissAmerica is a graduate of University of Michigan.. The hatred buzzing around you is heart breaking.” Honestly, it shouldn't matter if Miss America is Indian, Chinese, Mexican, African, or of any other ethnicity. As an Indian American like the woman who won, I must say I am extremely heartened and grateful to see the posts in support of her and it gives me a great deal of hope for our future. 


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