Moving

   So I moved away from my hometown of Hanover and it would seem my life has turned upside down. However, it hasn't. You'd think moving away from a place you've come to love and know your entire life would upset you beyond words. Well, it did... But did it really? I mean, I've been driven from Hanover to my Dad's house (Fall River, New Bedford, Fairhaven) my entire life. Every weekend I'd want to see my dad, nothing would stop my visits to him because I loved him and every time I saw him it became a vacation of a sort. You see, my step-father was and still is, a horrible person. Aside from the abuse we experienced from him, he possessed a negative attitude that plagued my house in Hanover. He would put everyone in a horrible mood if he himself was in a bad mood. It created a tremor within the family of the household, everyone would take sides, everyone would argue, and verbal or physical violence would ensue.This progressively became worse over the years. Living in Hanover was simply horrible because of my step-dad and being carted away from this house to my dad's became a way of life and a way of release.
   Therefore, switching locations and ultimately changing my lifestyle was almost...smooth? Yes, I am depressed, but who isn't sad about something? I'll always be saddened by the distance between me the people I love and care about in Hanover. I miss my girlfriend, my friends, and the great teachers I had. I'll always miss being around them all because they made Hanover bearable. And I haven't even spoke to my mom in about a month or so?(Somewhere around that) And what makes this even scarier to think about is that I truly believe she will continue to ignore and not talk to me or my brother for a long time. The method of our departure from Hanover wasn't smooth and really broke my mom's heart. She takes this entire situation as if we don't love her and that we left because we hate her and hate living with her.But what she doesn't understand or fully grasp is what my brother and I experienced in that house. She doesn't understand how much she means to us or how much we love being around her. Our entire lives we experienced horrors too graphic to share on this post or even to share with the ones closest to us .We never told her because after awhile, it seemed normal and even if we felt ill with aggravation and depression we'd close our mouths just so we wouldn't start a scene. I regret this so much because once we did tell her and once we did something about it, it was too much for her to handle, her world was thrown into limbo; her world was shattered into a million shards of confusion and disbelief. She still thinks we've fabricated the events and stories we've been confiding inside ourselves our entire lives. It's a shame she has such a fucking manipulative scumbag as a husband because he is what stands between her and the truth. He has her believing we are horrible people; horrible children who couldn't handle his definition of "discipline" and just hated him for "no real reason".Hopefully, one day in the future she will see him for the monster he is, maybe she never will, but what I've learned from this experience is that Karma is more real than anything I know.
   One day my step-dad will get what he deserves and that comforts me. But aside from that, I've come to realize through this entire process that my life is a on better track. I'm with my father, he is my best friend and pushes me to be my best. This was never something I had in Hanover. I'm safe with him and secure, something I never could feel living with my mom and step-dad. My father provides me with the perfect environment for school, to relax, and to be myself. In fact, I'm actually taking 3 AP Classes and taking 4 AP exams this spring,(Hopefully 5 if I qualify). I've never felt this confident in my abilities in my entire life. My Dad also has me doing Fall and Winter lacrosse, something my step-dad wouldn't allow because frankly, it wasn't worth doing and would cost him a "fortune"($140). But anyways, the new house I live at in Fairhaven happens to also neighbor Fairhaven High's chorus teacher and drama club coordinator, Rick Breaker.  Rick's going to be further teaching me how to play the piano and I'm going to tryout for the Drama Club's next play, Beauty and the Beast.
   So, what's the point to me even blogging about this? Well, besides the fact I promised Mrs. Fay, I suppose I wanted to vent about my feelings, opposed to some boring analysis of a NYtimes article. I've found that the only way to understand my own feelings is to write them down in words, so I can stare at them until they make sense.

Will Aliens be Nice?

     Reading this article I completely disagree towards the author's insight on this topic. The article,"Will the Aliens Be Nice? Don't Bet On it" by Gary Gutting, basically analyzes the possibility of life beyond Earth and  the dangers entitled with it. Gutting bases his argument off a recent study by researchers at Penn State and NASA which details the "..most chilling possibilities: ETI might "eat us, enslave us, attack us," inadvertently infect us with horrible diseases or just decide to eliminate us for the greater good of the universe." This statement is a bit ridiculous in my opinion, if any civilization beyond Earth possessed the technology to come to Earth to destroy us, they would've done it already. The author bases his argument on a statement that seems blatant, not well thought, and pessimistic.  If a invasive civilization in our universe had the capability to destroy us they already would've because our civilization is by no means advanced and has no incredible defense against an interstellar civilization's technology.
   Although I disagree with this author's entire thesis, I can give him credit for persuading reader's who are merely interested in this subject. Gutting delivers facts and a little opinion and leaves it to the reader to decide what he/she thinks about the topic. Gutting both considers the benefits and dangers of communicating with ETI's but clearly is bias towards the dangers of it. He does a good job expressing his opinion to the reader towards this program.

Article By: Gary Gutting
Published: October 5, 2011
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/05/will-the-aliens-be-nice-dont-bet-on-it/

38 People who Saw Murder and Didn't call the police

In a similar situation, wold you have called the police? Would you have gone out side help, What factors do you think might have influenced your decision?
   Well, anyone who listened to this story would obviously boast "Of course i'd help and call the police!", but actions speak louder than words. Not to mention the time period in which this happened, there was fear in the cities; violence was growing, crime rates were rising, and the Civil rights movement created unrest in Southern and Northern inner cities. If I were in this scenario I would atleast call the Police, but who knows? I could easily cower in fear if the pressure of situation frightened me. But Id liked to think that I possessed the courage to help the women in need and call for help. The factors that'd determined this would be if I thought I was the only one who could hear her call for helps, hopefully I would be one of many people that heard her and the process of helping the women in need would be a collaborative effort.

The Postal Service

   

   Sending and receiving mail can be exciting and is part of our daily lives. We receive bills, advertisements, college admission letters, letters and even birthday invitations. First it was the Pony Express and now its the Postal Service, whats next? This article questions the efficiency and the necessity of the postal service as the impending growth of the internet is seen as a more sustainable and logical alternative. I agree with the author because it seems more logical and efficient to use the internet where as we use natural resources to enable the Postal Service. However, the Postal Service is the second largest employer of citizens in America and is a huge contributor for jobs. In an economy just coming out of a recession, does it seem practical to eliminate all these jobs and replace it with the internet? So although its seems like a smart idea to utilize the internet as an alternative to the Postal Service, its impractical because it has become such a huge part of our society and is a big part of our nations workforce.

    The author of this article,Randall Stross, is bias towards the use of the internet and doesn't take into account the effect of eliminating the Postal Service. Ignoring this, Randall does however give a good argument to why we should change to the internet. Along with evidence and persuasive diction, Randall criticizes the inefficiency of the Postal Service; how "...vehicles traverse 1.25 billion miles annually and consume 399 million gallons of fuel." Stross also points out how the Postall Service hasnt been profitable and actually has multi-billion dollar deficits. Stross gives strong evidence that supports his argument and allows the reader to believe that Stross' argument is relevant and factual.

SPACE:The Final Frontier

   Calling myself a fan of Star Wars is an understatement to say the least. Space and the "unknown" are thrilling marvels that every human being thinks about. In this article "Planets in the Sky With Diamonds" author Diane Ackerman discusses possible planets harboring life such as "HD85512b" and "Kepler-16b". These planets are in what's called the "Goldilocks" which is the habitable zone at which life can flourish. The idea that life may exist somewhere else boggles my mind and the author does an excellent job keeping the reader interested. For example Ackerman uses the fictional "Star Wars" planet "Tatooine" as a reference for possible world harboring life. Tatooine orbits twin suns, which seems impossible but further explores the imagination and wonder of whats out there. I agree with what the author is trying to get at, a humans we explore, we quest, and are curious of the unknown. It's part of our nature to explore and evolve, Ackerman poses the question to why NASA is currently obsolete when this natural curiosity of exploring the unknown fuels our technology and our imagination. I feel that it's a true shame that people think that space exploration isn't needed in this day of age when throughout history exploration and wonder fueled our ancestors progress and success. Space is truly the final frontier and by exploring space we are challenging the labyrinth of our imagination and further pushing the boundary of our reality and I agree with Ackerman in how in order to go forward, we need to explore.
   Ackerman does an excellent job in  persuading the reader about space and how exploration is something we thrive on. Ackerman clearly understood her audience because she thrives on her readers imagination by referring to "Star Wars" in her article. Everyone knows "Star Wars" and by referring to it Ackerman causes the readers to paint an almost perfect picture of what these possible life-harboring planets look like and this connection allows the reader to understand further what Ackerman basis of the article is: Why wouldn't you want to explore the universe in search of these wondrous and unfathomable planets? Ackerman's persuasion is aimed towards the human imagination and the pioneer spirit we all have and in doing so, Ackerman creates a good argument against the current situation of the NASA space program.

Article by: Diane Ackerman
Published: October 1, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/opinion/sunday/planets-in-the-sky-with-diamonds.html?_r=1

Not-So-Smart Cities

   This article quickly grabbed my attention because it involves cities completely run by robots. "Smart Cities" as coined in article are "life-size laboratories" that companies, universities, and government agencies to test "smart power grids, cyber security, and intelligent and surveillance systems". The article describes how cities are comparable to complex systems, like the weather.These complex systems are "governed" by feedback loops that are understood but are impossible to replicate. Author Greg Lindsay makes it clear how ridiculous and flawed this idea is, "To the folks at Living PlanIT and Pegasus, such programs are worth it because they let planners avoid the messiness of politics and human error. But that's precisely why they are likely to fail." I completely agree with Greg because he is right, how can you calculate the complex web of interactions created by humans? Even though how it could "possibly" be calculated by algorithms, no math in the world will be able to predict the exact orbital of human nature and furthermore how we interact and coincide in society. Lindsay finishes his argument saying "... that the smartest cities art the ones that embrace openness  randomness, and serendipity- everything that makes a city great." I also agree with what Lindsay says because he is right, smart cities make calculate how to run a city perfectly but that's flawed because what truly defines a "smart" city is it's ability to accept, coincide peacefully, and interact with one another.
   Lindsay does an excellent job in alluring the reader and giving a critical argument against these smart cities: "Despite it's superior computing power and life-size footprint, Pegasus' project is hobbled by the equally false assumption that such smart cities are relevant outside the sterile conditions of a computer lab. There's no reason to believe the technologies tested there will succeed in cities occupied by people instead of The Sims." Lindsay persuades the reader into believing his opinion of this by pointing out how a humans environment isn't controlled and precise like in a laboratory and therefore these smart cities are far from accurate in calculating the perfect means of controlling a human environment through computer models. Lindsay develops ethos in his article by citing credible smart city companies like Living PlanIT and Pegasus who are legitimately making smart cities. In doing so the reader is likely to believe what the author is saying and further understand his point of view of these companies and smart cities in general.

Article By: Greg Lindsay
Published: September 24,2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/not-so-smart-cities.html?ref=opinion

Is junk food really cheaper?

   This article is both relevant and conscientious of the world we currently live in and I agree with  many of the arguments that are raised . In the article, author Mark Bittman analyzes the common belief that fast food or junk food is a cheaper and faster way to eat. He also explains  in depth how "...despite extensive government subsidies, hyperprocessed food remains more expensive than food cooked at home." This is very interesting to me  because like many other people I too indulge on the convenience of a quick meal. It's a guilty pleasure to be honest, who wants to cook a meal and waste time when a drive-through is twice as fast? However, being realistic, convenience is a luxury that has slowly become a typical and cultural part of our society. Our technology and culture is focused around being fast and efficient and whether it be the latest iPhone or fast food, humans  have an obsession with making things easier and more convenient for themselves. Bittman proves this in saying "It's cooking that's the real challenge.(The real challenge is not "I'm too busy to cook." In 2010 the average American, regardless of weekly earnings, watched no less than an hour and a half of television per day. The time is there.)" Bittman hits the nail on the head, the saying "ignorance is bliss" truely describes how we live today. We'd rather choose convenience then cooking supper because it consumes time and energy and as Americans we choose convenience because it gives us one less thing to do. Cooking dinner and having  family meal is one tradition that seems to be diminishing. Bittman proposes that "to make changes like this more widespread we need action both cultural and political. The cultural lies in celebrating real food; raising our children in homes that don't program them for fast-produced, eaten-on-the-run, high calorie, low-nutrition junk; giving them the gift of appreciating the pleasures of nourishing one another and enjoying that nourishment together." Bittman raises a valid point in saying this because eating dinner with the family is very important and teaches a person how to appreciate being together and having a meal. But the idea of changing America's eating habits involves more then just changing the diets, it involves changing human gluttony because we all enjoy choosing convenience in our busy everyday lives.
   While reading through article Bittman uses many strategies of rhetoric to convince the reader logically why fast food isn't the right choice over a cooked meal. For example, Bittman utilizes Marion Nestle, professor of food studies at New York University, who deems "Anything that you do that not fast food is terrific; cooking once a week is far better than not cooking at all,". By quoting a professor Bittman makes his article appeal to ethos, by offering evidence that a woman of credible intellect of this subject agrees with Bittmans thesis statement.  Bittman also develops a good pathos in this article because he tackles a popular topic that many people and their families are involved with: "...giving them the gift of appreciating the pleasures of nourishing one another and enjoying that nourishment together." Bittman makes the reader think about the last time they had a family dinner and further imposes how these family dinners are altogether important for family intimacy. Bittman does an excellent job in striking the morals of his targeted audience and developing a critical train of thought about fast food in general, in his readers thoughts.

Article by: Mark Bittman
Published: September 24, 2011
 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/is-junk-food-really-cheaper.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&sq=Is%20fast%20food%20really%20cheaper&st=cse&scp=1