Monday, November 24, 2008

Research proposal

For the final project I am going to write about the pro's and cons of the use of cell phones, and how their popularity has changed our society

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Plagiarism Blog Assignment Nov 19

I think the UVa's honor code is not too harsh, plagiarism should not be acceptable and expulsion is a proper punishment. In this case though, I believe that the expulsion was unjust. The girl was expelled for eight words. Eight measley words. If it had been an important sentence, paragraph, or even a page of someone else's work, then expulsion seems perfectly appropriate. But her sentence is simply written and uses common wording, so it would not be unlikely that she could have written the same exact sentence never having seen the other person's work. In this case, she did use the other writer's wording, but being only eight words, common ones at that, expulsion seems way too harsh. This example reminds me of the scene in the Disney movie Aladdin when Princess Jasmin takes an apple and the man almost cuts off her hand. Yes stealing is wrong but a hand for an apple? A little extreme if you ask me. These students should have been dealt with fairly, like on campus students would have been. They should have been given the chance to come before the student council and have a trial. This expulsion is unjust.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Essay #5 rough draft

Title

Do not lie, commandment number nine of the big ten. These laws, decreed by the God of the Bible, are often strewn aside and disregarded. Lying is a huge part of people’s lives, every day the truth is watered down to where there is no trace of the original flavor. But can you imagine what a world of complete honesty would be like? It might be peaceful and accepting, but then again, it could be brutal and bitter. Lies surround us everyday, and there are several ways to perceive the deception.
In her essay “The Ways We Lie,” Stephanie Ericsson claims that the truth comes with consequences, she is correct. The golden truth stands above anything else in the measuring of character, but what’s so bad about telling a few lies and settling with silver? The answer is not too much. It is okay to lie every now and then if the intention is good. Here’s a scenario: you ran over your daughter’s beloved kitten, but instead of telling little Suzy that you killed her kitty, you tell her that Mittens ran away. This deceptive path protects both parties from being hurt; Suzy thinks that her cat ran away, and will not hate you for killing her pet; it seems that everyone wins here. If the truth were to be told, grief and pain would be experienced, a little lie can prevent all of that. Lying also makes our lives easier. Instead of having to own up to every mistake, or openly blow off a good friend, we have the paradoxical ability to protect them by betraying them. “I have homework” always sounds a lot better than “I don’t want to hang out with you today.” Writing this feels awful, because telling someone this kind of thing is wrong, but it is true that it cushions the situation, and is very frequently used by some people. The consequences of lying are not good, but the repercussions of the truth can be worse.
Is it possible to never lie? Let’s find out. It is very possible to never lie, but it would be a narrow and possibly dangerous path. One would need to be extremely cautious with their words and actions if they were actually intent on the truth. There are many ways to lie, such as: by omission, stereotypes and clichés, white lies, and the flat out lie. To not give in to any of these four categories would be very difficult, but certainly feasible.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Male and Female Ideals in the US

1. What are the masculine and feminine ideals in the U.S.? Where does knowledge of both ideals come from?

The ideals of both sexes have been affected and influenced by many things, it is hard to find the one root of ideals for either sex. I believe that the largest influence on male and female roles in our society come from history. Also, the media has a very large part in the physical ideals of this nations' people. Historically speaking, men have been the bread winners of the family, they are expected to keep food on the table and support the family. Today men still strive to support their families, a man who cannot do this may feel like he is not fulfilling his duty. The media provides an image of men that is hard for the regular Joe to achieve. The ideal guy we see on TV is tall, stylish, wealthy, handsome, and muscular to boot. Any of these attributes can not be achieved overnight, some physically can not ever be attained. The media does a great job of skewing what a man really is giving it's viewers an impossible goal. According to history, women are supposed to have children and maintain the household. In the last one hundred years, the role of women has changed drastically. Women have broken away from the domestic housewife stereotype and are an equal part of society. Women work alongside men, and even above them, potentially making more money than their husband, being the principle money maker of the family. The media is especially harsh on women. The only women that appear on television are very thin, fit, and beautiful. The emphasis on being thin and being pretty is constantly forced onto women of our country, and all this pressure has led some girls to have eating disorders and other problems.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Blog assignment 11/5/08

Response to presidential election.

I was not surprised at the outcome of this presidential election. Although there was much skepticism about the outcome, I was sure Obama would win. This country has been facing multiple problems over the last decade and the American citizens are tired of them, they are ready for, not to sound cliche, change. I think Barack Obama will be a good president because he has solutions and again, changes to fix the problems we are in. A historical figure, being the first African American president of the United States and an intelligent and strong leader, Barack Obama will be good for our country.