Citations

Fullinwider, Robert, "Affirmative Action", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2009 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2009/entries/affirmative-action/.

UCIrvine, "A Brief History of Affirmative Action", Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity. October 28,2009. URL= http://www.oeod.uci.edu/aa.html.

ArticlesBase. "Is Affirmative Action Reverse Discrimination?".URL= http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/is-affirmative-action-reverse-discrimination-1006666.html.

National Organization of Women."The Origins of Affirmative Action". URL= http://www.now.org/nnt/08-95/affirmhs.html.

Andre, Claire, Velasquez, Manuel, and Mazur, Tim. "Affirmative Action: Twenty-five Years of Controversy". Santa Clara University, Markula Center for applied Ethics. URL= http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v5n2/affirmative.html

Evaluation

I have submitted your evaluation. (sorry)

G20

I have to say that once you started talking about the G20 and about these riots, I realized how misinformed I was about them. Like we saw in the videos, the news made it seem like deviants were disrupting a private meeting of international officials, but some, instead, were just college students trying to get back to their dorms and away from all the commotion. This was something that I, naively, did not believe would happen in the US. The police force using warfare machinery toward the U.S. citizens, innocent people. The G20 protests, really made me want to get involved in some way, any way I can. It made me want to take part in raising awareness about this ignorance and misguidance of the people of the US. We have rights and we gladly give them up in times of crisis, but giving them up when we are just trying to get a point across, in my opinion, is un-American.

Copyright criminals.

I have to say that this movie was a real eye opener to the music we have to day. It made me think and also made me see that music is not really what it used to be. In a way by creating your own music and not mixing someone else's, it encourages creativity and being unique. But this also takes away from the things you could have created with also adding someone else's work that you may appreciate. Giving credit to those who have created the music is very big issue. I believe that taking something to make it better is a good thing but also you cannot leave out the people who put work into their original music. In this movie I remember the drummer who only wanted some credit for his work and thats all. He said he didn't care for the money (It would be nice), but he just wanted to be recognized for his music. Music will always be around. The most important part is giving people the credit they deserve for their hard work.

Revised.

Affirmative action affects students the most. There are many factors colleges have to take into account; such as high school grades, SAT scores, extra curricular activities, and especially ethnicity. For example, on college applications they ask your race but they also have a "Do not want to say" option. Students who are considered a minority are more likely to be accepted by a college than non-minority students. Why should someone who studies less than you get better opportunities because of their race or ethnicity? I believe that your ethnicity should have nothing to do with your academic ability to get into college. Affirmative action should be eliminated from the education system. Your background shouldn’t matter; what should matter is your hard work and achievement in high school. It is true that racism still exists, but our priority as students is our education, and working hard is something we should be doing in order to succeed.

Affirmative action was established in order to eliminate discrimination against race, gender, ethnicity, color, religion etc. It works toward eliminating discrimination and protecting the rights of all citizens that are considered minorities, in order to give them equal opportunity. Affirmative action is a very controversial issue because it protects minorities, but many may say that its "reverse discrimination." It is arguable that the same racism that discriminated against minority students, can easily be applied to as the exclusion of white students through affirmativ

e action.It first began with the civil rights movement, when African Americans demanded their rights as citizens of the United States. All American citizens are portrayed as equals with the same opportunities to achieve prosperity and happiness, when in actuality equality has yet to be reached.

It all started on March 6, 1961, with President John F. Kennedy who published Executive Order 10925, which incorporates a provision that government contractors "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin." President Kennedy's goal with this order was to make sure that the government was keeping its commitment to equal opportunity for all persons and to strengthen the efforts for equal opportunity given to all. Four years later President Lyndon B. Johnson, came out with Executive Order 11246, that prohibited employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, and national origin by those organizations who were receiving federal contracts or subcontracts. Later, President Johnson also added sex to the list.

The University of California also took action in 1995, by applying Executive Order 11246 to their college admissions process and their employment process. They adopted Regents Resolutions SP-1 Section 2, which stated " Effective January 1, 1997, the University of California shall not use race, religion, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin as criteria for admission to the University or to any program of study." , and SP-2 Section 1 , which stated " Effective January 1, 1996, the University of California shall not use race, religion, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin as criteria in its employment and contracting practices.

Supporters of Affirmative Action believe that it is a foundational principle of democratic societies that tries to correct imbalances, because of misrepresentations of the underprivileged sections of society in government institutions, educational institutions and industrial institutions. They say that these misrepresentations have resulted from hidden, involuntary forms of discrimination that seep into society, especially in the ones that have had a history of racial, ethnic, or sex based discrimination. Discrimination can take many forms, such as stereotypes. For example, women are only good for secretarial and house work, and African Americans are good for entertaining and sports. Other forms of discrimination can be concealed, for example clubs or groups that only accept members who are of the same race. Supporters just want to overcome past discrimination and or increase the diversity of students in college. There racial differences when people are asked about their support or opposition of Affirmative Action, and these differences can be seen in the table below.

The Civil Rights movement took place, in order to eliminate discrimination against African Americans. It was what sparked the idea of Affirmative Action. Today we want to believe that our country treats us all equal and that there is no discrimination. But the truth is that racism still lurks in the cracks of Affirmative Action. We as a nation have to find a way to fill those cracks, to establish a new way to keep everyone equal and to give the students the most fair way of receiving their education. Affirmative action was established to help stop racism and prejudice for minorities, but is it actually reversing its role?

First Draft.

Affirmative action was established in order to eliminate discrimination against race, gender, ethnicity, color, religion etc. It is there to protect the rights of all citizens that are considered minorities and to give them equal opportunity. Affirmative action is a very controversial issue because it protects minorities, but many may say that its "reverse discrimination." It is arguable that the same racism that discriminated against minority students, can easily be applied to as the exclusion of white students through affirmative action.It first began with the civil rights movement, when African Americans demanded their rights as citizens of the United States. Today we are all portrayed as equals with the same opportunities to achieve prosperity and happiness.

Affirmative action affects students the most. There are many factors colleges have to take into account, such as high school grades, SAT scores, and extra curricular activities, one of the most important is ethnicity. For example, on college applications they ask your race but they also have a "Do not want to say" option. Students who are considered a minority are more likely to be accepted by a college than non-minority students. Despite their color, why should someone who studies less than you, get ahead and you do not? It should not matter what your background is, the only thing that should matter is how hard of a worker you are and what you have achieved in high school. It is true that racism still exists, but our priority as students is our education, and working hard is something we should be doing in order to succeed. Affirmative action was established to help stop racism and prejudice for minorities, but is it actually reversing its role?

It all started on March 6, 1961, with President John F. Kennedy who published Executive Order 10925, which incorporate a provision that government contractors "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin." President Kennedy's goal with this order was to make sure that the government was keeping its commitment to equal opportunity for all persons and to strengthen the efforts for equal opportunity given to all. Four years later President Lyndon B. Johnson, came out with Executive Order 11246, that prohibited employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, and national origin by those organizations who were receiving federal contracts or subcontracts. Later, President Johnson also added sex to the list.

The University of California also took action in 1995, by applying Executive Order 11246 to their college admissions process and their employment process. They adopted Regents Resolutions SP-1 Section 2, which stated " Effective January 1, 1997, the University of California shall not use race, religion, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin as criteria for admission to the University or to any program of study." , and SP-2 Section 1 , which stated " Effective January 1, 1996, the University of California shall not use race, religion, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin as criteria in its employment and contracting practices.

Supporters of Affirmative Action believe that it is a foundational principle of democratic societies that try to correct imbalances, because of misrepresentation of underprivileged sections of society in government institutions, educational institutions and industrial institutions. They saythat these misrepresentations have resulted from hidden, involuntary forms of discrimination that seep into society, especially in the ones that have had a history of racial, ethnic, or sex based discrimination. Discrimination can take many forms, such as stereotypes. For example, women are only good for secretarial and house work, and African Americans are good for entertaining and sports. Other forms of discrimination can be concealed, for example clubs or groups that favor racially equivalent members. Supporters just want to overcome past discrimination and or increase the diversity of students in college. There racial differences when people are asked about their support or opposition of Affirmative Action, and these differences can be seen in the table below.

Affirmative Action Revised.

Revised.

Affirmative action was established in order to eliminate discrimination against race, gender, ethnicity, color, religion etc. It is there to protect the rights of all citizens that are considered minorities and to give them equal opportunity. Affirmative action is a very controversial issue because it protects minorities, but many may say that its "reverse discrimination." It is arguable that the same racism that discriminated against minority students, can easily be applied to as the exclusion of white students through affirmative action.It first began with the civil rights movement, when African Americans demanded their rights as citizens of the United States. Today we are all portrayed as equals with the same opportunities to achieve prosperity and happiness.

Affirmative action affects students the most. There are many factors colleges have to take into account, such as high school grades, SAT scores, and extra curricular activities, one of the most important is ethnicity. For example, on college applications they ask your race but they also have a "Do not want to say" option. Students who are considered a minority are more likely to be accepted by a college than non-minority students. Despite their color, why should someone who studies less than you, get ahead and you do not? It should not matter what your background is, the only thing that should matter is how hard of a worker you are and what you have achieved in high school. It is true that racism still exists, but our priority as students is our education, and working hard is something we should be doing in order to succeed. Affirmative action was established to help stop racism and prejudice for minorities, but is it actually reversing its role?

Original.

Affirmative action was established in order to eliminate discrimination against race, gender, ethnicity, color, religion etc. It is there to protect the rights of all citizens that are considered minorities and to give them equal opportunity. Affirmative action is a very controversial issue because it protects minorities, but many may say that its "reverse discrimination." It is arguable that the same racism that discriminated against minority students, can easily be applied to the exclusion of white students through affirmative action.It first began with the civil rights movement, when African Americans demanded their rights as citizens of the United States. Today we are all portrayed as equals with the same opportunities to achieve prosperity and happiness.

Affirmative action affects students the most. There are many factors colleges have to take into account when they are considering applicants and one of them is minority status. Students who are considered a minority are more likely to be accepted by a college than non-minority students. Despite their color, why should someone who studies less than you, get ahead and you do not. It should not matter what your background is, the only thing that should matter is how hard a worker you are and what you have achieved in high school. It is true that racism still exists, but our priority as students is our education, and working hard is something we should be doing in order to succeed. Affirmative action was established to help stop racism and prejudice for minorities, but is it actually reversing its role?

Sources.

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=5&sid=413ef553-29ec-4169-be5f-95a9b74e0e4b%40sessionmgr4&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=43567123

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=12&sid=413ef553-29ec-4169-be5f-95a9b74e0e4b%40sessionmgr4&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=44059697

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=104&sid=413ef553-29ec-4169-be5f-95a9b74e0e4b%40sessionmgr4&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=4103054

Thesis: Affirmative Action.

Affirmative action was established in order to eliminate discrimination against race, gender, ethnicity, color, religion etc. It is there to protect the rights of all citizens that are considered minorities and to give them equal opportunity. Affirmative action is a very controversial issue because it protects minorities, but many may say that its "reverse discrimination." It is arguable that the same racism that discriminated against minority students, can easily be applied to the exclusion of white students through affirmative action.It first began with the civil rights movement, when African Americans demanded their rights as citizens of the United States. Today we are all portrayed as equals with the same opportunities to achieve prosperity and happiness.

Affirmative action affects students the most. There are many factors colleges have to take into account when they are considering applicants and one of them is minority status. Students who are considered a minority are more likely to be accepted by a college than non-minority students. Despite their color, why should someone who studies less than you, get ahead and you do not. It should not matter what your background is, the only thing that should matter is how hard a worker you are and what you have achieved in high school. It is true that racism still exists, but our priority as students is our education, and working hard is something we should be doing in order to succeed. Affirmative action was established to help stop racism and prejudice for minorities, but is it actually reversing its role?

Clive Thompson On The New Literacy.

Clive Thomspson's article was about the "New Literacy," which is this new way young people communicate. He showed us professor Andrea Lunsford's research about this new literacy that she finds to be neither good nor bad, but simply taking a new direction. She says that today's young people like to write more for an audience rather than just a professor, that they want to make more of an impact on the world. Her research showed that thirty eight percent of writing took place outside of the classroom.

This article was very interesting to me. It actually made me think, and what professor Lunsford found with her research, I found to be very true. Personally I do enjoy writing for an audience rather than just doing pointless writing in school to get a good grade. For example, I enjoy writing letters to friends who are far away, even if I can speak to them faster on the internet, and I do write those letters without using online slang. She's right that now a days all young people just want to make an impact, want to be remembered in a way, and that is something I understand and relate to. I liked how professor Lunsford didn't find this type of writing bad, but just different. This article was short and to the point and it was relatable.

Questions.

1. Does the rest of the class also feel that they can relate to this article? That they do enjoy writing for a purpose and not just for school.

2. Does everyone find themselves writing more online than they do for school?(even if it is for texting or sending an email)

3. Do you believe that this is a new direction for writing or is it just bad?

4. When you read a book, do you feel like it has an impact on your life? (in a way changes you or your perspective, even if its a small change)

R U Really Reading?

Motoko Rich's article is about young adults who do not like reading books, but enjoy a new way of reading online. Its true that todays teenagers do not find reading books fun, instead they spend endless hours on the internet. Many teenagers read short stories, articles, or anything that might interest them using the internet. Not many teenagers find books as interesting as their parents. This new way of reading might be difficult to understand especially for people who are over a certain age and are used to the traditional ways of reading. Our generation is used to the computers and this fast way of exchanging information, and because of our knowledge we are able to adapt more easily to the technologies yet to come. In the article Rich, does not make this new way of reading a negative issue, instead he shows both perspectives. He says how many countries are now testing students on their proficiency on the internet, not just on reading comprehension. I think that this can help for our future, because now a lot of things are based on using computers and other technologies. He says that some old fashioned people think that this type of reading is like "empty calories." They say that reading on the internet is not put in the right order, meaning that they don't have a middle, beginning, etc. Professor Rand J. Spiro feels that this is a good thing because "the world doesn't go in a line, and the world isn't organized into separate compartments or chapters."

I personally dislike reading books, I do not enjoy it, as many people do. Every time I start to read a book I think I might like, I feel impatient to get to the point, but it usually takes more time and then I can't go on reading it. The only books that I enjoy reading and can say that I cannot put down are the Twilight Saga. I would rather read online because there are so many things to research while reading. The internet opens a window of information for me to explore. Usually the reading I do online is short and to the point, which is exactly what I like. When you read actual books there are details that explain the mood, atmosphere, setting and all these things that take so much time to read and make reading tiresome. I feel that I should read more books because that helps expand my vocabulary and such things, but I cannot stand it because they are too long.

New Media and The Slow Death of The Written Word.

From the first paragraph of Mark Zeltner's article, we can understand what his opinion on newspapers really is. He clearly states that he loves everything about newspapers and wanted to show his class the good things newspapers had to offer. He started off with a question "What do you think is the future of newspapers or, more specifically, what is the future of news on paper?". All he received from his question was confused looks. He quickly found that the question he was asking was wrong. He shouldn't ask "what will happen" but "when will it happen." His class remained, without a doubt, in favor of the new media.

Zeltner goes on to show that new media has its advantages but also, how many critics feel that it lacks the appreciation of traditional literature. He goes on to say that even though new technologies are growing in a very fast pace, he still feels that "there will always be a place for the printed newspaper in our society." Zeltner does not completely take the side of the newspaper, but states both the pros and cons for it and the new media.

I enjoyed reading his article because he did not just give us his opinion, he showed both sides of his argument in an interesting way. I agree that newspapers have their own charm, but technology is moving fast and the internet is our generations newspaper. Also, I agree the criticism that great pieces of literature are written, and thats how you can appreciate them.

Zeltner has created ten basic rules, which are helpful to students who are writing for the new media. Zeltner's first rule talks about quality over quantity. He tells the students that in the new media, longer is not necessarily better. Now a days we want to get our information fast, without any unnecessary details. The second rule is to make your piece pleasing. The content of your writing has to make the reader want to scroll down or click to see what's next. He says that you have to be aware of "how the reader is viewing and interacting with the material."

In rule three, Zeltner explains that in traditional writing, the authors think in words, then pages, then chapters and then books. In this new style of writing you have to keep the readers interested because if the writing is too long they may not pay attention to what they are reading. He mentions that you have to guide the reader to "figure our the paths" that you want them to take. Rule number four, tells the students when it is appropriate to use a photograph. The new media have it easy for writers to use photographs, with a click of a button you can upload anything. When using a photo, the traditional rules apply. If a particular photo captures the meaning better than the words then, Zeltner says, use it. He reminds the students not to forget to give a description of what is happening in the photo. Zeltner warns us that photos can also take away the readers attention. He says you have to use photographs to enhance your writing, using too many photos may throw off the reader.

Zeltner continues on to rule five, which talks about sound clips. Sound clips can show the impact of words by giving them a voice. He says that using music is also good because it set a certain mood. He tells the students that the audio clips should not take reader away from the words, but interest them to explore when they have finished reading, or before they begin. Zeltner goes on to rule number six about video clips. He says that the point of a video clip is to be short. Zeltner tells the students that video clips can convey a mood, much like audio clips. Video clips can help give the reader a glimpse of what you are trying to show in your writing. Keeping videos short will not completely distract your readers. Rule number seven on Zeltner's list is about footnotes and bibliographies. He says that setting up a bibliography page and a definitions page can be helpful to readers instead of just hyperlinking everything. Sometimes hyperlinking to a certain page, after a long time may not be there anymore, so setting up these two pages can help the reader find what they do not understand quicker and easier. Rule number eight is about keeping writing short and using hyperlinks. Hyperlinks can take away the reader from the writing and free them into another massive flow of information. The writers job is to make sure the reader doesn't trail off to another site. He tells the students to not overuse hyperlinks and if they really want to show the reader other sites, to simply add them to the bibliography page.

Zeltner's rule number nine talks about sidebars instead of hyperlinking. He feels that using sidebars, which are short story that "compliments" your main story, can limit the risk of the reader linking to another page and not finishing the story. He warns the student not to let the sidebar "upstage the main document". He also says to make sure you include ways to return back to the original story after clicking on the sidebar just incase the reader isn't interested. Don't make them work to find it. Zeltner's final rule, number ten, is to make sure the reader interprets your writing the way you meant it. He says that in the new media, the writer acts almost like a creator. The author has to in a way "broadcast media", all his or her writing, photographs, audio or video have to come together in order to make the story "visually interesting." Once again, he reminds the students to make sure not to get the readers attention away from the writing.

In my opinion, the ten rules made complete sense in making your writing more effective on the internet. Now we want our information fast, short, with visual and audio effects, and in order to not wonder to other sites, we need it to be interesting and pleasing. I think the ten rules overall captured what it should the writing be like for the new media very well. This is our generations way of writing.

Research

Natural Born Citizens
Article Two, Section One, Clause Five, states the requirements for becoming the President of the U.S.. The first on the list is being a natural born citizen. Many citizens that are not born in the U.S. may become high ranking officials. The Presidential Succession Act, is the way the succession of a President is determined. After the President who is in office at the time cannot fullfil his duties there is the Vice President who is next in line for the presidency. If the Vice President cannot take the office,then there is the Speaker of the House in line to take on the challenge and so on. If the person who is in line for the succession is not a natural born citizen, then they cannot stand to take on the role of President. This country is based on diversity and equal rights, and this law does not represent either. Equality is very important to the identity of the U.S., this is what our four fathers build the government upon. This law just shows that we are not all equal just because we're citizens. In my opinion, this is not fair because I was not born in the U.S. but I lived here all my life and I would not be able to assume the role of President.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_born_citizen

http://www.cklawreview.com/wp-content/uploads/vol81no1/Herlihy.pdf

Research Topics.

Natural Born Citizens
United States law, clearly states that only natural born citizens can become President of the United States of America. Article Two, Section One, Clause Five, states the requirements for becoming the Presiden of the U.S.. The first on the list is being a natural born citizen. Many citizens that are not born in the U.S. may become high ranking officials. The Presidential Succession Act, is the way the succession of a President is determined. After the President who is in office at the time cannot fullfil his duties there is the Vice President who is next in line for the presidency. If the Vice President cannot take the office,then there is someone else in line to take on the challenge. If the person who is in line for the succession is not a natural born citizen, then they cannot stand to take on the role of President. In my opinion, this is not fair because I was not born in the U.S. but I lived here all my life and I would not be able to assume the role of President.

Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action gives equal opportunity to minority groups. This helps eliminate racism in jobs, education, etc.. What I would want to focus on is affirmative action in the education systems. I believe that all students should have the same opportunities when it come to higher education. This is a highly controversal matter but Iwant to state my opinion.

Our Rights
Many people, even now, don't know their rights as citizens of the United States. I believe that knowing what your rights are can prevent many misunderstandings and also help a person progress and become an active citizen in their country. Some local politicians send out brochures to their residents stating their rights. This helps citizens find out what they can do and not do and what others can and cant do to them. I think that our rights as citizens should be tought in our schools more.

Comparing two articles.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?
With his article,Nicholas Carr, is challenging the new form of reading by simply asking if it is making us stupid. He sees the depth of the last scene in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, which portrays a computer being unplugged and being able to feel it. He tells us that this movie shows how all the people are just computers, going through their lives "almost with a robotic efficiency." He says that he feels his reading has changed. That he cannot read a book without becoming "fidgety" after two or three pages. He mentions though, that today we read a lot more than we used to in the 1970's because of the new text messaging fad. A research conducted by the University College London, showed that we do not read anymore we just "power browse horizontally through lines."

The Internet Is No Substitute for the Dying Newspaper Industry
Chris Hedges tell us that the reason the newspaper industry is dying is not because the internet is taking over but because we do not have much interest in literature in general. He shows us that a newspaper's job once was to show the world to America, "give a voice to those who would, without the press, have no voice", write about elected officials, etc. He says that these things today have vanished or are vanishing. He calls bloggers "parasites who cling to traditional news outlets." He believes that destroying traditional news is making us "deaf, dumb and blind."

I find that both these articles are full of irony. The author of "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" is telling us about how people today do not like to read long passages or articles, meanwhile, expressing it in a very lengthy article himself. The author of "The Internet Is No Substitute for the Dying Newspaper Industry" is trying to show us how newspapers are becoming obsolete by telling us how the internet is taking over, meanwhile, he is writing it on the internet. I personally feel that the internet is changing the way we think and who we are, because it is bringing information to us in an easier and faster way, it is more convenient(and free). As much as it is unfortunate that our old technologies are becoming extinct, we always have to be open to the constant change of our society.

The Cold Bear Report.

The Onion is a news paper that satirizes current events, and even makes up funny scenarios. In my opinion it gives a lighter feel to serious issues that concern our everyday lives and government. I read a story they wrote about George W. Bush, which did not really occur, and was very entertaining because he was a terrible President who inflicted a lot of damage on our nation, even though this is a very heavy issue, this article makes it more entertaining and light. Even though some of their stories may not be true it is humor in good nature about the world.

Sarah Palin eaten by Wolves.

Alaska- Sarah Palin was reported missing Monday afternoon, after leaving for her weekly caribou worshipping. A witness says that "she was lost in a mist of gray claws and white teeth." The witness admits that at first he thought it was "just an ambush of Sarah Palin's fans begging for an autograph or interview." He later realized, however, through the blood trails leading to the snowy hills of Alaska that Sarah Palin was indeed attacked. After, the ranger came to inspect the bloody snow, the conclusion arrived that Sarah Palin's attackers were no ordinary evil-doers; these were a revengeful pack of wolves. Katie Curic said that "She (Palin) had it coming."

Crash in Queens

Queens, N.Y.- Early Saturday morning another Black Cab crashes after reckless driving. Witnesses say that the cab was speeding up to make a yellow light but it was too late and merged with oncoming traffic. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the collision but this is another strike for the company.

For the past three weeks the Black Cab Company has been getting a lot of attention, because of their improperly trained drivers. The company has been placed under scrutiny from the Public Safety Department and has been said to go on trial for putting people's lives in danger. A witness says that "Not only are they putting the passengers in danger but the people on the sidewalk too." We attempted to talk with the CEO's of the company but they had no comment.

Blogging. The peoples word.

Michael Skube begins his article by emphasizing how "bloggers now are everywhere among us" voicing their opinion on the internet, and they are doing it for free. He quotes Samuel Johnson who said that on a "blockhead" would ever write for free. Well here are millions of people, even successful journalists, "reporting" online, saying what they think on key issues for no money at all. According to Skube bloggers can write whatever they want on the internet without having any obligations toward a higher power (that being an editor of a large newspaper). Bloggers have the power to change thing in politics, media, almost anything by just writing their opinion on the internet. Skube tell us even though they have this power, none of it "makes them jounalists." In this article Michael Skube is simply stating and questioning this new form of journalism.

Both articles aknowledge that blogging is a new way of distributing ideas and opinions in a massive way, through the internet (last time i checked everyone in the world has access to it). Michael Skube sees that to write a good article, you need time and effort. He gives the example of Sitton, whom he had once worked with, and tells us that Sitton had put himself in danger plenty of times in order to report a story. This shows that he believes that a good story has to have been researched first hand before it can be written. Andrew Sullivan on the other hand views blogs as more relatable to the regular person. He says that blogs are "imbued with the temper of their writer", which means that the blogger has his emotions and opinions written all over his or her blog. This helps people understand and maybe become more open minded to some things that the big time newspapers may hide from us. They both agree that journalists have to answer to an editor. To Skube this is an obligation that binds journalists and to Sullivan it makes an article less trustworthy. I would say that they both would agree that the editor plays a part in what makes an article true and real. They also would agree that this blogging is changing the face of published writing everywhere.

In my opinion both writers make valid points in blogging. I believe that blogging gives its readers the true opinions and ideas of regular people. Its not some high paid journalist writing and getting his work changed to fit a specific way of public news. In a way newspapers publish things with certain restrictions which is not necessarily staying true to our first amendment right. Blogging is actually our freedom of speech, it gives us the power to write something that millions of people can read and access without having to answer to a higher power. Blogging is a way to give your view on issues that effect our every day lives, its a way of exercising a right without having to be a professional.

Strange SIlence.

I was home. Just another saturday morning with not much to do. I decided to pick up the phone and call my best friend, practically sister, who lives very close to me. We decided to meet at our usual half way spot, which is a place we meet that is half way between my house and hers, the 30th avenue train station. We both did not have anything planned for that day so we decided to hang out together at my house.

She usually takes a very long time to get dressed and meet me so I had to take my time doing things, like putting on my shoes. After a couple of minutes, i decided to start heading toward the train. It was a beautiful day outside, sunny and warm, like a typical spring day. I took my time walking down the block toward the main avenue.

As I was walking toward the corner, a strange silence filled the air. All of a sudden, two cars collide in the middle of the avenue. The sound the two cars made when hitting each other with such force, sounded almost fake. The silence that came before and after this accident was the scariest sound I have ever heard. Nobody got hurt, but I'm sure the impact left an impression in the minds of both drivers, because it left one on me.

After the incident i continued walking toward the train to find my friend. When I met up with her I told her about what I just had witnessed and she noticed how shocked I was. She found what I had just saw very cool and interesting, but I was a bit scared.

Every time I wait at the corner of 35th street and 30th avenue, I always remember that day and that strange silence that followed the crash.

The "Astoria Idea"

Astoria, New York, is widely known as "Greek Town". It has earned its name from the Greek immigrants that settled in the heart of Queens. Although Astoria is the center for Greek culture in New York, it is a very diverse and an ever changing place.

When you get off on the 30th Ave. train station, you think "this is just a regular neighborhood,"

but as you walk through the avenue you notice restaurants and cafes at every corner, with some names that are difficult to pronounce. Its very hard not to understand you are in Astoria when you get off the train, because right away you are greeted with Athens cafe. At Athens cafe you can find many traditional Greek desserts and sandwiches. One treat that is very traditional is loukoumades which are little round shaped balls of fried dough that are smothered in honey and cinnamon.

Greek culture is not hard to find in Astoria, there are people speaking in Greek all around. Its hard to miss the Greek Orthodox churches, diners and of course Athens Square park. Athens Square park is known for its famous greek statues

of Athena, Aristotle, and Socrates (Greek much?). This is where the Olympic flame passed through before the 2004 Olympic Games that happened in Athens, Greece. This is where the grandfathers of the neighborhood regularly visit to play a game of backgammon.

Astoria is just fifteen minutes away from the city, which is perfect if you cannot afford the million dollar brownstones of Manhattan. Astoria is slowly attracting people who live in the city and are starting not to afford their apartments. It so close to Manhattan that its slowly mimicking it, without losing forgetting where it started from. Beside the Greek people you see everywhere in Astoria, you also notice a lot of people from the city that come here to spend a sunny saturday morning eating brunch at one of the city styled cafes.

Astoria is a little part of

Greece that has been broken off and placed in New York City. Young and old keep the Greek culture very alive. The Greek-Americans living here teach their children about where their grandparents came from by sending them to Greek schools. Keeping alive the traditions is very important. Traditions have not changed because they are in America, and no restrictions have been placed on the Greek culture. This is where it exists far from its original home and will continue to exist, while showing others its beautiful blue and white colors.

Welcome to my blog!!

This might just be english homework, but i want to make it fun.

So tune in.

lexx:)