I am back....for the time being....:)

I actually did have the intention of continuing this blog, but then life never slowed down enough for me to think straight. See, as soon as school was over for the semester back in the spring, I started a minimester of Earth Science. Three people who I meet through ICC, took it with me. It was horrible and fun mixed together. I was glad to get it over with in 2 1/2 weeks rather than drag it out for 16. My favorite thing that I learned from that class was the names of the two kinds of lava flows: "pahoehoe" and "aa". The class wasn't all that bad, it was just extremely stressful taking a test over material you had just learn yesterday, or taking four different tests in a week. I was able to earn an A in that class, and I was excited once it was over. The next two months of my life was filled with helping with my sister's wedding, traveling to Tennessee with my best friend, being a maid of honor at my sister's wedding, and studying for a Psychology Clep Test. Let me tell you, that is one of the hardest classes to clep out of, but I did it!! With the help of a clep test book, notecards, my sister's mother-in-law, and God's help. When I finished taking the test I looked at my score, and to my horror (at first) I thought I got a 48 (which 50 is passing), and I almost started crying right then and there, but then I saw that it was a 58 and I had passed!!! I was so excited and I couldn't wait to get home and tell my family. About two weeks later, our now family of four went on vacation to Ozarks, MO. It was pretty fun. We went boating, jet skiing, relaxed, saw "Frozen" (the first time for the rest of my family), played games, and all that jazz. Three days after we got home, I started my Sophomore year of College at Illinois Central College. Speaking of school,  I should probably get to my homework....I'll post more later....maybe! ;)  

End original purpose, new purpose

The original purpose for this blog has now come to a close, which was to write a response to something for an English 110 class, but I actually really enjoyed the weeks when I got to chose the topic that I would write about. I liked finding the reasons behind why I believe what I believe, or why most people have a distorted view of something. After my minimester is over with, I might try to continue this blog. I don't know what this blog will turn out to be, I guess time will tell. Well, I should really get back to studying and memorizing rocks and minerals....Earth Science is a blast, not!! lol....:) Be back in a few weeks!

"U.S. Population Hits 300 Million"

In article entitled “U.S. Population Hits 300 Million”, Aida Akl of Washington, D.C, discusses how the U.S. is increasing in population. The U.S. Census Bureau projected that the U.S. population would hit 300 million in October of 2006. There are two main reasons for this increase in population; the birth rate and immigration are both growing.

As the years pass, Mark Mather of the Washington based Population Reference Bureau believes that there will be a major demographic shift in population due to the fact that Hispanic white women tend to have more children than non-Hispanic white women. William Johnson, a Demographer of the Population Institute, says “immigration strengthens America – if kept within manageable limits”.

The next topic that the author discusses is the problems that often come with too much immigration. Joseph D’Agostino, a demographer in Virginia, talks about how people in America feel as though immigration is happening at a very fast pace and not all of the immigrates speak English. He says “and if we can’t all communicate together with one language as Americans, it’s very difficult to see how we are going to have a cohesive society in the long term.” D’Agostino points out that there are some major problems with this scenario of many people coming into America who don’t speak English. One is that those people won’t know Americans rules of law and democracy. However, if our nation cuts down the amount of immigration and the birth rate doesn’t go up, we will not have enough workers along as the population continues to age.

William Frey of Brookings shows that a key element is to strive to make the immigrates feel comfortable, happy, and give them fair chances at jobs. If this trend of population continues, the projection for 2050 is around 400 million people, but will be completely different as far as ethnicity goes.  

I think that this is pretty neat how our nation is slowly becoming more and more diverse and less segregated. I do agree that immigrates should learn our language so they can communicate with others in our nation besides people of their own race. The opportunity that we as Americans have to learn about different cultures as people continue to move here is super unique. Do not pass up the opportunity by letting racism thoughts slip into your head. I hope that by having different races within our country, Americans will become less racial and learn to treat others the same as one would treat someone else of their same race.

Dating with a purpose

“Dating with no intent to marry is like going to the grocery store with no money. You either leave unhappy or take something that is not yours.” This quote by Jefferson Bethke perfectly describes how I look at dating. Many people see dating as a trend that they have to be a part of constantly. They do not seem to care whether or not the person is the right one for them; they just feel the need to be in a relationship all the time. I view dating in a completely different way. I believe people should date with a purpose in mind and that being marriage. Without marriage being the eventual purpose, there is no true intent and a couple ends up wasting a lot of time dating for no reason. Now days, I see many children in 7^th grade or younger dating. If they are not getting married for at least six or seven years, why are they even dating? I believe that teenagers feel the need to have a significant other because our culture has made dating look “cool” and by dating, it may increase your popularity. But over half of the time due to dating without a purpose, hearts are broken, friends are lost, and because break-ups are common with dating, the pattern often continues with marriages, resulting in numerous divorces. I honestly believe if our culture quit putting the pressure on young teens to be in a relationship, we would have a lot less broken hearts and more long-lasting marriages. 

"Show Us the Money"

In the article entitled “Show Us the Money”, the author explains how the nation’s currency texture may change so that blind Americans will be able to tell the difference between certain bills and use money just like other Americans. Written by Cyrus Habib of the Washington Post, this article asks the question, “How can blind Americans become truly independent, achieving the success we deserve and leaving behind the stigma of federal and state aid, without being able to differentiate between a dollar bill and a fifty?” 

Habib illustrated for the readers that many people argue that blind individuals have been relying on others for years, so why change now? Another effect of this money problem is the huge percentage of the unemployed blind Americans. Blind Americans want to be given the chance to live independently, but they cannot do so if they have to rely on someone else to assist them in paying for things. This is a conundrum that requires a solution.  One answer that the Treasury Department suggested was that these individuals should be given credit or debit cards. The problem with this proposal was that that most blind Americans need cash to pay for the things that they do every day, rather than using credit or debit cards. 

I honestly believe that the best solution is to just adjust the texture of the currency so that blind Americans can use it. If this change is made, I feel that the unemployed percentage will go down because the blind Americans will be more free and less dependent on others, therefore will be more confident in searching for jobs. Also, companies who are hiring will see the independent spirit in them and will be more likely to hire them if they are not depending on someone else. 

Is Chivalry Dying??

          “Thank you for paying for the meal.” "Seriously, I can open the door myself!” “Thank you for walking me to my car.” “I am not delicate; I can carry my own stuff.”  With these various conflicting messages going on in our world today, it is no wonder guys are confused about how girls want men to treat them. Back in the day, men were taught to protect and defend women. But as time passes, our culture continues to shape into a society where many women want to be treated as equals among men. I see some of the changes that have come about as a result of this desire as very useful, such as: women earning the right to vote, own property, etc. But I am sad to see how this has made men extremely cautious of performing chivalrous acts. 

               Personally, I enjoy the times when guys open the door for me, pay for my meal, offer to carry something heavy for me, or walk me to my car at night. It is not that I am weak or unable to perform these tasks myself; it is that by doing so, men are showing their respect and honor of women and their willingness to be protective. Honestly, by shutting down chivalry, feminists are creating weak men. Because feminists condemn chivalry, men do not know how to act around women in general and so they give up trying. This scares me to think of what our society will be like if we let feminists continue their current path in making men feel weak and useless. 

“Drug testing needs improvement, not clearinghouse”

                   In the article, “Drug testing needs improvement, not clearinghouse”, (pg. 346-348) the author describes the process of testing truck drivers for drug use and the upgrading this method requires. The author, Jami Jones, explains the claim of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association Director of Regulatory Affairs, Rick Craig, who indicates that there are many options of resolving the issue of drug use in truck drivers, but most of these will just cause issues. Privacy, security, and oversight were several of the concerns that Craig noticed with the clearinghouse route.  
              The next possibility that was reported successful is known as “Operation Trucker Check”, which was done in Oregon by the highway patrol there. This trucker check was completed anonymously and the results were shocking, 8 percent higher than the national average. Rick Craig explains that the results were so high due to the fact that some drivers take legal drugs as medication and the test did not account for that possibility. 
             Finally, he describes the biggest problem, which is that the drug free truckers are constantly subject to these different drug tests and are never rewarded for their drug-free position. The answer he provides for this problem is that the drivers who have tested negative for drug use will be tested less often and the other drivers will be tested the same percent as before, but in a smaller group setting. In my opinion, the other two options do not flow as well as this latter one. 
              The clearinghouse plan has many flaws and needs various renovations before it could be put to use. “Operation Trucker Check” also contains some errors and that is why I honestly believe that this last solution is the best of the different plans that were presented because it will reward the drivers that are drug free as well as test the other drivers in a more condensed situation of individuals. 

Leggings are not pants!

Black, white, solid colored, and patterned, long, medium, or short. Leggings now come in almost every form imaginable. Leggings are often pretty cheap depending on the design and are available to purchase in nearly any clothing store. Women and girls of all ethnicity, ages, and sizes constantly wear leggings as part of their everyday wardrobe. But there is a problem with this modern widespread fashion. Leggings are not pants. They are more along the lines of a slightly thicker pair of tights. Girls frequently wear leggings as a substitute for pants, but they are not because they are too form-fitting.

The original purpose of leggings was to be worn under skirts to add style or while exercising, in which case both men and women would wear them. As time continues to pass, I have noticed a discouraging continual slide of this generation slowly becoming less considerate of the items we wear. Girls are just asking for people to look in the wrong places when they wear leggings as pants. Maybe that is what some girls want, but not everyone wants/needs to see what body parts leggings flaunt. Is it that hard to just wear jeans instead, or even a longer skirt?

Another useful way to wear leggings, besides with skirts, is to keep one’s legs warm in the winter by wearing them underneath jeans. I hope women and girls will eventually come to the realization that I have pointed out: Leggings are not the equivalent of pants. I am not saying we should get rid of leggings all together, because there are other ways that one can wear leggings. I am saying that females should be more aware of the immodesty that leggings offer. 

"Race and the White Coat"

A subject that most people avoid discussing is racism/bias. The act of being biased has been happening since the beginning of time and has been continually passed down through the generations.  Dr. Rahul Parikh explains how racism even affects doctors and their patients in his article, Race and the White Coat. (pg. 213-216) He shows how African American people are often treated enormously different or not at all. Frequently they have trouble obtaining health care which makes it hard for doctors to treat them. Thus, they end up in the emergency room extremely ill. Often times, the sicknesses could have been cured if they had been treated by a doctor right away. In light of these observations, various studies of doctors were completed and the results were quite surprising. One study in particular indicated that numerous doctors think of African Americas as “uncooperative” or “bad”, which in turn affects how doctors care for them. When reading this article, my eyes were opened to the fact that racism is still an issue. Often times before even meeting a person of another race; we have already categorized them into a stereotype.  We do not even give people a chance to prove themselves different from the stereotype we have put them into. I realize now that the issue of being biased and occasionally having negative thoughts about other races will never completely go away, but the way that the minority is currently cared for by doctors and health care companies is something that can and should be changed. 

"Hawkeye The First Frontier"

A gentile lady named Elizabeth, along with her husband, William, travel north to open a new trading post in Fort Bennington. When they first arrive, they encounter dangerous Indians, valuable friends, and deceitful people. Hawkeye, a man living in the wild, along with his native friend, rescues this couple from the attacking Iroquois Indians. All the while, the British and French forces struggle against each other for privileges to certain pieces of land. As I sat down with my sister to watch the first episode of the series Hawkeye, I was not prepared for all of what went on in the next fifty minutes: deceit, Indians, a fight, a kidnapping, and shootings. That was only the beginning part of the first episode. This episode, called the Pilot, ended with a kidnapping, and that got me excited to watch and see how the rest of the series would play out.

One thing that mainly stuck out to me was the deceit that happened between two brothers. William and Elizabeth came to Fort Bennington to join William’s brother, who was already stationed there, and start a trading post. Before they arrived, William wanted his brother to secure trading contracts with other trading posts around the area, but he had not completed the task before William and Elizabeth had arrived. Therefore, William urged him to finish it in the next couple of days. William’s brother did not like to be given orders, so he planned to have William captured by the French and taken away.  To accomplish this task, he told William that he had created trading relationships with the French and that he would need to go and meet with them. When William went to meet with them and discuss business, they captured him and took him away.

I honestly could not believe that a family member would do such a despicable thing to his own brother. I know that sometimes siblings can be a pain; but I would never set up the kidnapping of any of my siblings. William’s brother was obviously very selfish to be only thinking of himself and not how this would affect William, his wife, or their new business. The writers made an excellent attention-grabbing plot line which has kept me yearning to continue the series. I do hope as I finish the watching this series that William will be recused and his brother will see that what he did was inappropriate and apologize to William.     

"Devices Enforce Silence of Cellphones, Illegally"

The topic of cellphone jammers is a tricky subject to discuss. On one hand I see the advantages of using a cellphone jammer, but I also see the inconvenience that it could cause the victims. The article “Devices Enforce Silence of Cellphones, Illegally” (pg. 163-165) written by Matt Richtel, examines mostly the benefits to owning and using a cellphone jammer, while only showing a little bit of the its negative effects. The reason cellphone jammers are bought and used is so others can secretly cut off people’s access of their phones in situations most often when being on a phone would be distracting to others or the owner of the cellphone themselves.

The author gives various accounts of how these devices work in real life situations. One story is sadly typical of our current culture, the story of the restaurant owner in Maryland. The owner bought a cellphone jammer because his young employees would repeatedly be on their phones rather than paying attention to the customers in the restaurant. Although I understand the restaurant owner’s need for desperate measures, I honestly think that cellphone jammers are not the way to fix this and many other problems that comes with cellphone usage. This day in age, cell phones are the norm. For most people, cellphones are like another part of their body, they cannot go anywhere without it. Truthfully, there are situations where cellphones need to be turned off, not just vibrate. It amazes me how inconsiderate people are to other people. By using or leaving your phone on in a movie theater, a meeting, or during a musical performance, that person is basically stating that they do not care about the event that they are attending. It is also is very rude and inconsiderate of the people you are with to be consistently checking your phone. I think there are other steps that can be taken to reduce cellphone usage at inconvenient times. One suggestion I have for the restaurant owner of Maryland is that when he sees an employee on their cellphone during work hours, he should give them a warning for the first time, and then punish them in some way. If people could see that there could be consequences for their constant cellphone use and if they started thinking about other’s feelings as well as their own, I believe eventually we could come to some sort of medium in fixing this cellphone problem. 

Rude Strangers....why?

“If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.” Sometimes I wonder if various adults did not learn this when they were young. This was one of the thoughts that was running through my head as I read this (http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/020614-hey-my-family-is-not-incomplete-without-a-son/) article. In this article, a mother writes about how often strangers approach her family in public places making impolite remarks about their three daughters or asking if they are going to keep trying to have a boy. What gives complete and total strangers the right to make rude comments to another complete stranger/stranger’s family? I honestly do not understand why random people choose to say disrespectful things to someone they do not even know. The rude stranger will probably never see that other person again, so why bother them with what you think about their family? Why do strangers make others feel ashamed of their lives?  Maybe this family only wanted three kids, so why do people trouble them by asking if they are going to try for a boy or say rude things about their daughters when the girls are right there and can hear you talking about them? “Think before you speak,” is another quote that many people should take to heart. Because most of the time you do not know the whole story. Maybe after having their three girls, they found out they could not have any more children, or maybe they are trying for a boy now, but no one knows everyone’s stories. As a result, next time try saying something nice instead, or just smile and keep walking. Often times it is better not to say anything at all. Let us all try to be more polite and keep our own opinions to ourselves when amongst strangers. 

"Is Social Networking a Waste of Time?"

            In the article “Is Social Networking a Waste of Time?”, the author, Bernhard Warner, discusses how social networking does distract many students as well as adults from accomplishing their work, but ultimately states that the creativity, courage, and computer coding used outweighs the bad aspects of social networking. I honestly do not agree with his final statement. I believe that students along with adults can still be creative without wasting valuable work/school time. There are endless ways to show creativity and courage without even using the computer. Not that you cannot use the computer to do so, but I do not believe in using school/work time to accomplish that. Social networking, in my opinion, is an enormous distraction. Warner even points out how adults are wasting valuable work time by checking social media and students are often checking their phones during school lectures. By allowing this behavior to continue, people soon will be more interested in online networks than hanging out with friends. This behavior is already starting to become a norm. In a group setting, individuals are constantly on their phones: texting, facebooking, tweeting, instagraming, etc. rather than making memories and having deep conversations with the other people there. It saddens me how much time people would rather spend on their phones than with people. Now, social networking is not all bad, there are benefits also. For instance, social networking helps friends keep in touch if they have moved far away from each other. Also, the internet is full of information that is extremely helpful for school-related things or if you just want to know about a certain topic. You can see that there are great benefits and distractions regarding social media and I believe that limiting the time that students/employees are allowed on social media, will increase the productivity of both groups. 

Decreasing Debt

$29,400 is a lot of money. Would you believe that that is the national average of student loan debt? According to the article “Average student loan debt: $29,400” (http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/04/pf/college/student-loan-debt/) posted in December of 2013, student debt is continuing to rise and has risen nearly 500% since 1985. It is no wonder, with state and private universities costing an average of $27,000 a year. But if students were to consider earning their Associates degree at a community college and then transfer to a four-year university, they would save on average, $22,000 dollars a year. That is $44,000 total saved over those two years that could help pay for their next two years at a four-year college. You do not want to deal with students loans, because they take many years to pay off, and that is not a beneficial start to your career.  Also, by attending a community college, you have the freedom to explore and try out different classes relating to majors that interest you without wasting thousands of dollars while you decide. Because many students change their majors half way through anyway, why spend extra cash just to change your mind? A couple of reasons why students often ignore this way of earning their degree is because they think that they will not get the same education as they would have if they were spend four years at a university, or that they will be behind in their education. But both of these are incorrect. I recently found out that an acquaintance of mine who attends Indian Wesleyan University, a music major like me, is using the exact same music theory books that I am using as I attend Illinois Central College. Also, statistics have shown that students who transfer from a community college to a four-year university are often ahead of those who began their education at a university. As you try to make the difficult decision of where to attend college, think of the excellent benefits that community college has to offer. 

The beginnings...

Hello to the blogging community or whoever has stumbled upon my blog. The original purpose for this blog is for my college English class. Each week for twelve weeks we will be writing a response to something we’ve seen or heard. I might continue using this blog after the class is complete, or I might not. It depends on how much I enjoy blogging. Anyhow, that’s the story on how this blog came to be. Feel free to read my posts, or whatever. Have a nice day! ☺