Blog 16: CATW practice 3

I read an article titled "How to Do One Thing at Time" from the Women's Health magazine of the May 2010 issue. This article is about how multitasking is not a good idea because our brains will not be able to focus doing everything all at once and as good as we would do it if we did it one thing at a time.

The writer believes, as quoated "talking on the phone? dumb idea" he also mentions "Can harmless multitasking like chatting with a friend while sending an email be as harmfull as we thing?" I agree. Almost everyday everyone multitasks at one point even i do it often. I remember working at an office. My job was to answer phone calls, send out faxes, emails, mails, and greet people when they walk in etc, and It did get a bit hectic. At some points, I would miss a call, mix up the papers that needed to be faxed or faxed the wrong ones and not greet a couple people at the door when they walk in the office. When I dedicate all my time and attention to one task at a time, I noticed i feel at ease and confident that i have done a good job. When I multitask i get very impatient and annoyed with what im doing and i tend to lose interest which leaves my performance on tasks to be poor.

Futhermore, I have a best friend who is horrible at multitasking. She loses all focus and cannot concetrated which is why i hate being on the phone with her. She cannot talk and watch t.v. if the t.v is on she will trail off in her sentences and become distracted. When trying to snap her back into the conversation so she can talk and tell a story without any interruptions she has to turn off the t.v. Have you ever tried walking while drinking out of a water bottle? or even patting your head while rubbing your bell? it's a bit hard and yes harlmess.

Multitasking may not be harmful under some circumstances but if you take your time, Stop and drink and just pat your head and then rub your belly, you'll be able to do it better when your mind is focusing on one thing at a time.

Blog 15: Revision CATW 2

I have read an article titled 'The Woman who Died in the Waiting Room" by Jeneen Interlandi. This article is about a sick woman in her late 40's named Esmin Green who was poor, uninsured and left waiting with no one checking up on her in Brookyln's largest Psychiatric Hospital. She fell out of her seat and still yet no one even noticed until she was already dead. There are alot of people in this world like Esmin Green, who deserve the medical attention based on their health, not their wealth.

Jeneen Interlandi says as quoted in the article "The mentally ill deserve a place in society" I completely agree with the writer. Most people can not afford insurance or even qualify for it and I believe these people need a place in society and should not be ignored. When I was pregnant, I was already 21 years old. My insurance was under my father's insurance and it had been cut off on my 21st birthday. I was not able to get the prenatal care that I needed the first 13 weeks of my pregnancy. Doctors refused to take care of me. It had taken 6-8 weeks to get approved by the insurance company so I can be insured and all of my medical expenses can be covered in order for doctors to see me and make sure everything with my pregnancy was going well. What if something would have happened to me? something even more serious like a car accident, would a hospital not give me the equal attention like every other human being just because i dont have insurance? I thought about this a lot because I was completely annoyed, perhaps more frustrated with how complicated it was the first couple of weeks without seeing a doctor and not knowning how my unborn was doing.

Futhermore, I had a friend in highschool who had twisted her ankle while going down the stairs with some brand new high heels she had bought. It was her first pair so it was obvious she would have fallen down at some point and I was prepared to laugh at her when it happened but it was not funny at all when i heard her cry out in pain. Her foot had swollen up and did not want to swell down and even the next day she was still in pain. I offered to take her to see a doctor and she replied she couldn't. I realized that day that I have never seen my friend go to a doctor's appointment or hospital whenever she was ill. So I questioned her and I asked her why? and she told me she deals with the sickness or the pain because she does not have insurance and due to the fact she does not rely on her parents she can not afford the medical expenses. God forbid something happens to her, she has to deal with it? That is ridiculous. I believe people like her shouldn't believe they can be ignored.

See, there are alot of people with health issues that should be taken care of and given the attention they deserve like any other human being. Money should never be an issue when it comes to someone's health.

Blog 14: Learning from another Eng099

After reading the 3 essays referring to the article "The Dangers of Reality T.v" I made up my mind that the 3rd essay was the best one. This essay was very clear to me, and had a good summary. In her 4th paragraph, she spoke about her internship and how it gave her a taste of the field hands on, instead of watching tv and getting an idea of it. I was able to visualize what the writer was saying. It kept me very interested throughout the essay. I would suggest this student to go over paragraph structure, i believe the paragraph structure were poor which is why if i was grading this I would not pass this essay. As far as the other two essays, I rank #2 as the second best, And the 1st one as the 3rd best.

Blog 13: Revision CATW 1

I have recently read an article titled "An Education in Citizenship" found in the Chicago Tribune Editorial. This article is about the bill that was passed in the Illinois House which is causing legal citizens from other states to pay more out of their pocket for their tuition In-state for College, While non-citizen immigrants pay alot less. The writer discusses why insist on Citizenship? if the benefits of an education cost us alot more than it does to the people who are not citizens.

The writer believes; As quoted in the article "The notion that someone with no legal rights can be entitled to a very expensive and valuable benefit of citizenship is absurd to the face". I completely agree with the writer. Not everyone is rich and can easily pay their ways into school. Even most citizens have to struggle because we can't afford an education without a hand. I know a friend who is an immigrant and was able to go to college, given grants for books and every other education necessity. As for myself, I am a citizen and the grants don't cover my tuition completely, which leaves me to paying the rest of my tuition, including the books and other expenses that I don't receive grants for. It is a bit nerve wrecking to me when i think about it because I am a single mother trying to get an education to build a better future for my son and I. Without going to college I can not build this future, without going to college I can not have the job that will keep me going forward without counting every penny.

On another note, Can the economy be the way it is because people cannot afford to go to college, so they end up with a crappy job like working at mcdonalds the rest of their lives? I believe the government isn't taking into consideration how many citizens depend on their education as a priority to start somewhere. There are many people who grow up wanting to be a Doctor, A lawyer, etc. Many want the American dream but some can't even come close without going to school. But if they don't have money how can they start? and if they don't have an education they don't have money. It's like the commercial that says "I can't get a job because I didn't go to school. I didn't go to school because I didn't have any money" In the end I believe the government really depends on us while we depend on them as well. As far as easily giving an education for cheaper to someone who isn't legally in the states. Foolish.

Everyone wants a good education for a better furture. Every one needs it in order to live securely and not struggle in life. U.S. citizens like me, depend on that. We'll reach no where in life without it.

Blog 12: Consequentialism

I have recently watched a movie titled "Gone Baby Gone" which was about a little girl who was kidnapped by her own uncle; Lionel and given to a police captain and detectives to take care of her in order to teach the mother a lesson for being a bad mother. In the movie the uncle and his wife hired two more detectives; Angie and Patrick aside from the ones who were already working on the case to help look for the little girl. The uncle believed that his sister was a very bad mother who didn't care for her daughter and she didnt deserve to have her daughter in her life for being so careless. One of the detectives who were hired by the aunt and uncle later found out that the little girl was taken by the uncle and handed to the other detectives for a better life.

Lionel, The Uncle of the little girl named Amanda loved his niece very much. He believed in the best interest for her even if she had to be taken away from her own mother who is drug affliated. He took his own sister's daughter away so that little Amanda would not have to suffer in her life under her mothers eye. He believed the child deserved a better place which is why he did what he did and gave Amanda to one of the detectives so they can watch her and take care of her as part of their new family. The uncle believed in consequestialism because regardless if what he was doing was wrong, he meant good in the end.

Patrick one of the detectives was hired aside from the rest working on the case and later found out the real story of Amanda and why she had disappeared. He disagreed strongly with the actions that the uncle and dectives took. Patrick's partner Angie on the other hand believed that they were doing the right thing in making sure little Amanda was happy and safe with people who cared about her. Patrick regardless of what Angie believed, still believed although he knew the mother was drug affliated and careless in under any circumstances should a child be taken away from their parent. He called the cops and made sure Amanda was back with her mother where she belonged. Patrick believes in ethical absolutism, he had known what kind of mother she was to Little Amanda but still believe Amanda shouldn't be taken away from her because that is still her child in the end.

However, I believe that the Uncle, The police captain, Detective Remy and Angie really wanted the best for the little girl and I would have as well. The movie seemed to have shown both sides of what each person believed. I would have wanted the little girl to stay with the police officer instead of the mother because to me it seemed as though the mother did not really care about her as much as they did. Towards the end of the movie the little girl was back with her mother and i believe that was not the best for her.

Blog 11: CATW Practice Test #2

The article titled "The women who died in the waiting room" is about esmin green's death. She was a poor, uninsured woman in her very late 40s waiting in a psychiatric hospital when she fell out of her seat and no one paid attention to her until she was already dead. There is alot of people like Esmin Green, poor and uninsured, And the article states these people should have a place in society.

I believe the death of Esmin Green was very unstoppable. I agree that just because a person can not afford insureance they should still have a place in society and not be ignored, even so left out to die. This reminds me of when I was pregannt, Since i was 21 years old my insurance was cut off due to my age. I was not about to get the prenatal care that i needed the first 13 weeks of my pregnancy. It had taken 6-8 weeks to get insured and covered in order for doctors to see me and make sure everything with my pregnancy was going swell. I was completely annoyed, perhaps more frustrated with how complicated it was the first couple of weeks without seeing a doctor and wondering about the health of my unborn child and mine.

I also believe that sometimes nurses, doctors, hospital staff etc.. can be very ignorant. Through the security cameras it was stated in the article that it had shown two guards and two other staff memebers see Esmin Green on the floor and did not bother checking on her. Absurd. Reading this also reminds of the many times i have been in the hospital or have gone to a hospital and waited hours, even in the emergency section without anyone checking on you or asking you questions. Something so serious like Esmin green's death should be a wake up call to all hospital not to serrogate those who have money and those don't, It should be based on their health. At least that is what i believe.

Just because some people cannot afford to pay for the hospital expenses does not mean they need to be ignored like Esmin Green. There are alot of unwealthy people with alot of health conditions that should be taken care of.

Blog 10: Hero and Anti-hero in the movie "Hero"

I believe that in the recent movie I have watched in my Eng099 class titled "Hero", Bernie LaPlante is the Hero and John Bubber is the Anti-Hero because although LaPlante who has a family and lives in a house, a very traditional man i might say was the one who went in that airplane and saved 52 people he made us forget how self centered he is, he cared about his shoes so much but he took them off and put his life at risk to save the people on the plane. His wife says " it was against his religion to save people" but he was not afraid to go in that plane, a plane that was mins or even secs to blowing up. John Bubber due to the life he was living, a homeless man living in car claimed he was the hero because of the money that was being offered to the man who saved all those people. That is very selfish in all ways because he continued his act knowing the truth is he was not a hero. He was tormmented by that and he tried killing himself which i believe is very imperfect. He Of course Laplante just did not want to deal with all of the publicity chaos which is why he did not want to come up front that he was the hero they were looking for, Once money was offered, He wanted to but who would not want to be rewarded money. LaPlante just didnt want publicity because he is just very traditional man, too self centered to deal with so much attention.

Blog 9: CATW Practice

I have read an article titled "An Education in Citizenship" This article is about an argument on how legal ciitizen have to pay more money out of their pocket to pay for their tuition In-state, While non-citizen immigrants pay alot less.
In this article the writer questions "Why will we charge legal citizens from other states more for a tuition than we charge non-citizen immigrants?" Their parents i.e legal citizen's parents are already paying federal taxes to help support the pell grants In-state. Why make these parents pay more of their money?
I personally believe this is not fair at all because why make U.S citizens pay more for an education? what are their benefits when it comes to their education? I feel this is truly wrong and I can't seem to understand how many people took a vote and allowed tge Illinois House to pass the bill that allow young people in the U.S to pay these expenses, annd allow someone with No Legal Rights to pay less.
Why do I have a citizenship? I am in College now and I really hate having to pay for everything on my own, when i should be entitled to benefits due to legal citzenship. Am I right? As so the article questions the same thing. I, too argue the same.

Blog 8: Summary of Red Pill or Blue Pill: Is Ignorance Bliss?

The article "Red pill or Blue Pill: Is Ignorance bliss? is about the movie 'The Matrix' being compared to the movie "Alice In Wonderland" for their similarities between the real world and wonderland, In these movies, both characters Neo and Alice were confused by what is real and what is not real. Have you ever read the short story 'Allegory of the Cave' this short story also relates alot to the concept of these movies in which the characters in Allegory of the Cave were chained by their necks and legs in a cave filled with only darkness since their childhood.

When one of the prisoners were able to escape, he saw the light. he saw our world. and was confused because he had only known darkness. The darkness was the only truth as The Matrix was the only truth Neo thought he knew although he felt different and was given the chance to leave the matrix (which is another name for our world) to know the real truth and how our minds are trained to believe what we want to believe. that our body would be complete nothing without our mind. It took a while for Alice, Neo and The escaped prisoner to get use to this new life, The real world. The truth that ignorance cannot be bliss.

Blog 7: The Heroic Choice in The Matrix

In the movie 'The Matrix' Neo made alot of choices in the movie to lead us to believe he is the one as Morpheus thought. Some of these choices were more important than others which lead us believe Neo really was the one. Although the Oracle told him other wise and Neo believed as well he wasn't the one. He made decisions like taking the blue pill when presented with the choice of a red or a blue pill. The red pill meant he will learn the truth and the Blue pill meant he would stay in the Matrix. He choose to walk through the door of the oracle's home. He choose to believe what the oracle told him. One of his biggest decisions, however, was when he decided he was going to save morpheus and was faced with an agent he decided to not to run from but fight. The oracle told him he was not the one, although he had the gift he was still holding onto his second life, when Neo died being shot by the agent, Neo came back to life, he was reborn, leaving his second life behind and becoming The One and also believing it.

Blog 6: Response to I know the truth

The Article in Time Magazine titled 'I know the truth, Dont bother me with facts' by Jeffrey Kluger is about how many of us believe in facts that are being spread around and we hardly pay attention to the truth. This makes alot of people gulible to alot of the lies that are spread each and everyday in this world. Kugler believes that instead of believing everything we hear, we should spend more time on finding out the facts and deciding what we would like to do with the results.

Kluger said 'Some of that may be simple ego — none of us like being told we're wrong' This i believe very strongly because i do not like being wrong but the difference with me is i wont state anything if i dont have my facts straight first.

Anyone can believe the things they want to believe but can it be true? Sometimes we have have a hard time accepting the truth and our pride leads us to believe what we want even though we know we are wrong. When I was younger I use to believe in Santa Claus, my mom would make me write a letter to santa claus every christmas with a list of things I wanted. He would always send me something, like a doll or puzzle. I might have been around 8 years old when i found out santa wasn't real. I pretended to sleep while my mom was in the living room. I peeped out and saw her carrying a bunch of gift wraps to her room. I was in so much shock. I did not want to believe it. I pretended it was a dream, until the next following christmas when i realized they was no point in writing a letter to santa anymore.

Blog 4 & 5: 'Allegory of the Cave'

The passage 'The Allegory of the Cave' was about people who were prisoners in a cave chained from their neck and legs since their childhood. It was hard for these prisoners to accept our world outside of the cave in the light because they had never left the cave. One man, However, managed to escaped the cave and was able to experience the world outside in the light and it was very different from what he was use to. At first it was hard for him to understand anything, To him it was all an illusion but he got use to the world in the light and he enjoyed it but he felt bad for the others who were still in the cave because they only knew darkness.

Blog 3: "I know the truth"

The Article in Time Magazine titled 'I know the truth, Dont bother me with facts' by Jeffrey Kluger is about how many of uss believe in facts that are being spread around and we hardly pay attention to the truth. This makes alot of people gulible to alot of the lies that are spread each and everyday in this world. Kugler believes that instead of believing everything we hear, we should spend more time on finding out the facts and deciding what we would like to do with the results.

Blog 2: "Hype"

Advertisements now a days are everywhere you can lay your eyes on. Advertisements have taken things to a whole other level, and have also gotten a little more riduculous. In the passage 'Hype' it is said in this article that companies now a days even change around the name of their product to make it sound a little more catchier.

I was recently watching television and seen an ad for a product, During this commercial ad, I realized ads will say and do anything just to get people to buy their product. You buy an item for the low price given and then you find yourself making extra payments in the long run due to false advertisements. Have Ads gone insane? Or are they just doing their job? I believe they can exxagerate alot sometimes, beginning with the amount of ads you can find in places.

Blog 1: "How To Do One Thing At a Time"

I've recently read a passahe titled " How to do one thing at a time. " This passage was about multitasking and how most of the times it can be very effective on our lives. Examples like talking on the phone while driving, isn't as dangerous as sending an email while talking to a friend on the phone.


Recently at Standford University a group of students did some experiments; Multitasking Vs Doing one thing at a time. One group of students were asked to do some activities at the same time while another group of students were asked to take 10 minutes with each activity. When testing for memory, it was proven that the people who spent 10 minutes on each activity had a clearer mind and as for the multitaskers they couldnt recall every single detail due to the distractions of doing things all at once.

I, myself am sometimes a multitasker. When i am studying sometimes i will watch tv while eating. I realized however that whenever i do multitask my mind isn't fully devoted to one activity. This is why i rather do one thing at a time. Multitasking has it's pros and cons, as mentioned in the article it is a dumb idea to text while driving. A clearer mind is always safer if you set your mind to one thing and proceed to another activity seperately.