My First MLA Research Paper

Racism: Racial Profiling In America Today by Dale Bebeau

Life After This Blog Post

I've sent an email to myself, to be delivered in the future. Weird, I know. Maybe I'll teach myself something, maybe I'll think it was dumb to say. In a few years, I'll hopefully look back and be proud of the progress I made and the success that came with it. Nobody will get it done besides myself, so I've got to get to it.

Paper Cut

Writing this paper hasn't been easy. I ultimately wrote what I was proud of and will display it as such. Although, it did feel like an assignment. No matter the topic, I still felt like it was just another paper. However, it taught me that papers can be much longer than I expected. I eventually finished and I like what I have. I don't always know how to write what I feel in a complete way, but I think I communicated well. In the end, many people will see this, and I'm not afraid.

Connecting the Dots

I conversed about my writing topic today in class. We discussed ways in which we could better relate our essay topic with careers or interests that would better appeal to us. I could relate my paper to firefighting in some ways, and I think I'm going to try and do that.

Five Sources that Augment my Research

Primarily, I use the internet. I gather news from many sites and I consider them all pretty much all equals.

Here's the main five:

1. Reddit - Yup, Reddit. The community picks the most important stuff and it filters through fast, plus, not only news, but history, pictures, experts, discussion, and cats.

2. BBC America - for breaking and important US news as well as technology news.

3. Comedy Central's: The Daily Show - Funny political satire meets real investigative journalism, with interviews!

4. The news paper - yes, I occasionally read print news, mainly local and nation and world.

5. YouTube - YouTube? I watch everything from politics to science, history to statistics, and all the interesting facts and events that have ever been recorded.

For me, diversity helps get a better idea of what's really going on, what happened in the past, and what the future may hold. So, if you find yourself continuously watching Fox News, try something new.

7 Times

Erica has shown that she's not happy. She believes that the entire situation could've been avoided and that this was all unnecessary. She repeats things many times, and uses forceful language. She continues to push her claims with or without proof, as well as assume the role of a witness in order to assure you she knows more than you.

The facts are there. They currently exist in the form of supposed eye-witness accounts of the events. Currently, as with all shootings, it is being investigated by an outside agency, as well as Internal Affairs. No statements are fact until brought about in court. The article exists online here and you can read it for yourself. Erica decides to ignore some facts and just present you with what she shows, as well as make her own inferences. She concludes that the entire event was unnecessary and uncalled for.

A repetition of words and repeated use of assuming words. Quizative statements as well as remarks about actions taken are used. Javi uses all of the available facts and uses little to no personal remarks. There's a clear difference between the front page and the "Op-Ed" section.

Racial Profiling Lives On?

I don't agree with the article so much as more than to say it's reporting on a real thing. Commonly referred to as "Stop and Frisk", this kind police contact is a policy of the NYPD, and many other departments, to contact persons on the street and to preform a frisk before engaging with them. Often cited as "unwarranted", these frisks often involve Latinos or African-Americans that live in neighborhoods labeled "high crime". People associate "Stop and Frisk", with a "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality. It would lead you to believe that the cops know who's going to jail before they even know their name. It wrongfully accuses all NYPD officers of racial profiling due to the number off occurrences is certain neighborhoods were a demographic may be unproportional. These practices have been claimed to be "unconstitutional" due to their "racial" nature, but no laws are broken by contacting the public in the course of their duty. If a law was broken, I would understand, but just because your facts are distorted doesn't give you the right to call foul.

Because I didn't go into serious detail; If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Vocabulary #9

ultimate - adj. being the last or concluding element of a series;furthest or highest in degree or order; utmost or extreme; noun the finest or most superior quality of its kind
I was the ultimate golfer, no one could best me.

interactive - adj. used especially of drugs or muscles that work together so the total effect is greater than the sum of the two (or more); capable of acting on or influencing each other
We built an interactive exhibit to better allow the kids to understand, mostly by playing.

principle - noun a basic truth or law or assumption; a rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon or the function of a complex system; a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct; a rule or standard especially of good behavior; rule of personal conduct;(law) an explanation of the fundamental reasons (especially an explanation of the working of some device in terms of laws of nature)
The principle of the idea was to make the boat float, not to make it as big as possible.

guidance - noun the act of guiding or showing the way; something that provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action; the act of setting and holding a course
Anyone can provide guidance, though those with wisdom do better.

collaboration - noun act of working jointly; act of cooperating traitorously with an enemy that is occupying your country
Collaboration will bring us closer together and allow us to better accomplish our goals.

formative - adj. forming or capable of forming or molding or fashioning; capable of forming new cells and tissues; susceptible to alteration by development and experience; noun minimal language unit that has a syntactic (or morphological) function
Formative types of formats are better supported than stagnant ones.

summative - adj. of or relating to a summation or produced by summation
The summative collection led to a new idea and new work to do.

racism - noun discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race; the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races
Racism is very hurtful, and it is judgmental on a different scale than assumptions.

intelligence - noun the operation of gathering information about an enemy; the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience; secret information about an enemy (or potential enemy); a unit responsible for gathering and interpreting information about an enemy; new information about specific and timely event
Intelligence is measured on a scale: IQ. I would hope you have a high IQ.

What I See is All in My Head

Honestly, everything is in our head. Seen by our eyes, sent to our brain, flipped right-side-up, and analyzed in moments. What we see is subjective. No two people, or any other organism for that matter, see exactly the same. Variables, from physical to mental, effect what we see. No matter what we see, people not only see it differently, they may come to a different conclusion and may act differently on this information. That's a part of being human. I get you probably see I could go on about this, but the gist is; really, everything is subjective.

Tools That Change The Way We Think

Access to infinite information, to have omniscience, is one of the most sought after possessions in our world. To be able to know every single known thing could, and probably will, change how we see information. "Knowledge is power", so the thought is, what would we become? Who would we then be? Comprehension of this future is difficult, and we alive today may never see it, but it is coming. An insurmountable about of knowledge will forever change not only our world, but how we interact with it.

Filter Bubbles

I did learn that search results may not only include relevant information to you, it also excludes some information it thinks you may not want. This type of control has to make you wonder if everything you see is to be taken as it appears. It's not easy to just say what you want, some people may not see it at all. I would question the reasons behind these moves and what we can do to bring important, not just relevant, information back to the forefront. To get the most out of your search, use engines that don't change over time due to use, use engines that don't limit or subtract for the internet.

Literary Analysis #3: Into the Wild

Literature Analysis

NONFICTION ANALYSIS

Into the Wild

Jon Krakauer

TOPIC(S) AND/O EVENTS

1. Krakauer begins the book by describing the story behind Christopher McCandless. In April, 1992, the young McCandless hitchhiked his way into Alaska and took up residence in the wild nearby Mt. McKinley. Later, in August of that year, a group of hunters found his body, prompting Outside magazine to request Jon Krakauer to write a story about McCandless’s life and times. He describes McCandless’s college education at Emory University and the events that followed directly after he graduated. He gave away all of his money to charity, left his things, and took to being a drifter and explorer.

The article arrived in Outside magazine in January, 1993, but Krakauer’s interest in the story did not die with the story’s publication. Rather, he was personally attracted to the aspects of McCandless’s life, the outdoors attraction and rocky relationship with his father. He compares himself to McCandless to give a little perspective, and describes the reaction many people had to McCandless’s actions, so many labeling him young and foolish. Krakauer does not agree though and states that McCandless would still be alive if he had only kept from making one or two crucial mistakes. He ends his note by announcing he hopes to allow the reader to form their own opinion of McCandless and his actions.

Vocabulary #8

cursory - hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
A low paid worker is likely to do a cursory job.

impetus - the act of applying force suddenly; a force that moves something along
With impetus, I pushed aside the crate.

pinnacle - the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development;
He was the pinnacle of health, nothing hurt him anymore.

contumely - a rude expression intended to offend or hurt
She commented on my favorite shoes contumely, I ignored her.

Value of Life Assessment

Hamlet's Soliloquy

Page 4 of English Expository Composition Textbook

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Activity 3: Surveying the Text

  1. What prior experiences have you had reading plays?

     - I've read many plays by Shakespeare as well as George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde.

  2. What did you notice about the front page format and annotations?

     - It was very creative and informative.

  3. What did you notice about the text's structure?

     - It's a monologue, it's a collection of text that one character says. It's like a poem and has lines like one.

Literature Analysis #2: The Great Gatsby

Literature Analysis

NONFICTION ANALYSIS

The Great Gatsby

TOPIC(S) AND/O EVENTS

1. On the surface, The Great Gatsby is a story of the thwarted love between a man and a woman. The main theme of the novel, however, encompasses a much larger, less romantic scope. Though all of its action takes place over a mere few months during the summer of 1922 and is set in a circumscribed geographical area in the vicinity of Long Island, New York, The Great Gatsby is a highly symbolic meditation on 1920s America as a whole, in particular the disintegration of the American dream in an era of unprecedented prosperity and material excess.

To Be or Not to Be

The question is: is it better to be alive or dead? Is it nobler to put up with all the nasty things that luck throws your way, or to fight against all those troubles by simply putting an end to them once and for all? Dying, sleeping—that’s all dying is—a sleep that ends all the heartache and shocks that life on earth gives us—that’s an achievement to wish for. To die, to sleep—to sleep, maybe to dream. Ah, but there’s the catch: in death’s sleep who knows what kind of dreams might come, after we’ve put the noise and commotion of life behind us. That’s certainly something to worry about. That’s the consideration that makes us stretch out our sufferings so long. After all, who would put up with all life’s humiliations—the abuse from superiors, the insults of arrogant men, the pangs of unrequited love, the inefficiency of the legal system, the rudeness of people in office, and the mistreatment good people have to take from bad—when you could simply take out your knife and call it quits? Who would choose to grunt and sweat through an exhausting life, unless they were afraid of something dreadful after death, the undiscovered country from which no visitor returns, which we wonder about without getting any answers from and which makes us stick to the evils we know rather than rush off to seek the ones we don’t? Fear of death makes us all cowards, and our natural boldness becomes weak with too much thinking. Actions that should be carried out at once get misdirected, and stop being actions at all. But shh, here comes the beautiful Ophelia. Pretty lady, please remember me when you pray.

I think it is better to fight what you may or may not know, despite the odds and the opposition ahead. It is nobler to fight than to cower, to stand than to fall. I'll fight to get what I want, to succeed and avenge my family.

Vocabulary #7

cursory - hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
A low paid worker is likely to do a cursory job.

impetus - the act of applying force suddenly; a force that moves something along
With impetus, I pushed aside the crate.

pinnacle - the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development;
He was the pinnacle of health, nothing hurt him anymore.

contumely - a rude expression intended to offend or hurt
She commented on my favorite shoes contumely, I ignored her.

To Act or Not to Act

For starters, one was written hundreds of years ago and the other, just a few. However, human emotion and story telling remain much the same. Our actions and how we represent them effect our lives and the lives of others. Some people have harder choices than others, but we shouldn't shirk the responsibility of making choices that may last a lifetime, or longer. Remember: one day,your words may be remembered for all to hear, so speak wisely.

Dear Steve

I never much cared for Steve, he's not your average billionaire. He did a lot of creative stuff, "improved the world" some would say, but I never liked him. Sure, I didn't know him in the 70's, but the Steve I knew I was not a fan of. He was a great man who did great things, and there's a lot today to thank him for. It's hard to talk about people you don't like, and I'm not making this very easy. So, I'll just say, I'm grateful for how he positively impacted the world today, but he's not the god you may thing he was.

The Value of Choice

I mostly want to look at what jobs require, who's hiring who, what it takes to get into a career, and what to expect after working. I think these topics will prepare us for our careers and will educate us on what to do next as well as what to do during and what to expect afterward. Instilling knowledge of what the future may hold due to the steps you take is important for people who haven't yet decided or for those still considering multiple fields.

I most want to know those things sated above for my own field. I hope we'll cover the other important topics, as deemed fit, as well, but that is my want.

Netvibes, why Bother?

I started up Netvibes. I only did it because I had to. I was instantly greeted with a million "opportunities" to link my various accounts together for my benefit. Instantly I was reminded of all the time spent logging into things and making sure things were set up properly on separate products in the past, but here it was all at once once again.

I chose to have it not geared toward a certain demographic and just chose 'all', but of course, it gave me a myriad of sources I had never heard of or didn't ever want to use. Couldn't you had just asked me what services I used and then put them on there later? And why am I getting weather for Paris, France?

I use iGoogle, the thing that was supposed to die this year but just won't. It's great. I have a nice wallpaper, my chosen sources like Twitter, CNN, YouTube, my city's weather, my calendar, and a quote of the day for good measure. I don't care about fancy features, how many companies use your software or signing in to your "service". I just want to put some information in one spot for me to look at once I start Chrome.

yes, I look at everything once. I don't leave my homepage open, I close it. It's there and then it's gone. It's not important to me and it won't be. I use Blink Feed on my phone way more often. I'll use Netvibes for a bit longer, but I won't be happy about it.

Vocabulary: Fall #6

accede - take on duties or office; to agree or express agreement; submit or yield to another's wish or opinion
Anyone would accede if people stopped listening.

brandish - the act of waving; verb move or swing back and forth; exhibit aggressivelyYou can brandish no weapons here.

comprise - form or compose; include or contain; have as a component; be composed of

We would comprise the team of experts, obviously.

deft - skillful in physical movements; especially of the hands

To be deft is very sought after.

Theoretical Foundations for Reading and Writing Rhetorically

Developed by Mira-Lisa Kratz with Nelson Graff and Nancy Brynelson


          Summary

• Businesses are now requiring more than a high school diploma, they're looking for college/university degrees and advanced study
• Not only being familiar with fiction and non-fiction, poetry and drama, but being able to analyze research papers and portfolios for their education and professions
• Students shouldn't, and won't, just learn about the writing techniques but use themselves and understand why they way they are
• Understanding the connection between reading and writing as social interaction
• Inquiring about personal topics to bring out opinions and discussion on current topics
• Incorporate many different aspects of a subject, to understand that views differ and that there are many ways to communicate a point to listeners and to understand a subject
• Help students understand what they already know and foster development in sharing knoledge
• Use a person's strength to their advantage

          Highlights

• Understand your own strengths and weaknesses
• Challenge yourself to try new things & refresh abilities to continue advancement for current skills
• Know what you're reading and why, how it relates to you, your own experiences, etc.

          I would recommend reading "Broadening Notions of 'Reading' and 'Literacy': Facilitating College-Readiness Through a Rhetorical, Inquiry-based Approach".

No Child Left Untabulated

The American classroom has never looked so new. Technology sounds like the answer to all of our problems right now, and it very well may be. We need to investigate what happens when we use these teaching methods long term and what they'll impact in the future. Everyone doesn't respond the same way, so tailoring lessons and education has always been a challenge. I hope that change comes and it is, in fact, positive.

Declaration of Learning Independence

I understand the importance of education and the role it plays in our society. Some people are smart, others are not. Smart or not, we all eventually get a career and must use our abilities and skill in it. Whether your job needs a doctorate or a five year old could do it, you need knowledge, understanding, ability. Not everyone is an astrophysicist, nor does everyone have the brain of a five year old. We'll all eventually end up where we belong, to an extent, and we'll, hopefully, excel at that position. I'll be a firefighter, but I won't need a degree in physics to do it. I'm not understating a degree in physics, but I'm making the argument that it's not always necessary to know everything, even though that would be nice. What I'll close with is; don't set the bar way too high, but don't set it way too low either. Challenge yourself, find out what you can do.

Vocabulary: Fall #5

adroit - quick or skillful or adept in action or thought; skillful (or showing skill) in adapting means to ends
He was adroit in his field, nothing confused him.

amicable - characterized by friendship and good will
Their amicable friendship was the envoy of all.

averse - strongly opposed
I was averse to her "better plan".

belligerent - engaged in war; characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight
The belligerent drunk stumbled across the room, almost tripping twice.

Literature Analysis

Literature Analysis

NONFICTION ANALYSIS

E-Man

TOPIC(S) and/or EVENT(S)

1.    E-Man is the story of Robert Sheppard, an NYPD officer who served over 30 years in the ESU (Emergency Service Unit) rescuing everyone from civilians to fellow officers, protecting the citizens of NYC or foreign dignitaries, saving lives 270 feet off the ground on the Brooklyn Bridge or 100 feet down a construction hole. Though hundreds of pages, he recounts events on the job where he used advanced training or tactics (or maybe just common sense) to do to do one the most dangerous jobs in the country.

Vocabulary: Fall #4

accede - take on duties or office; to agree or express agreement; submit or yield to another's wish or opinion
He was told to accede, as the argument went on too long.

brandish - the act of waving; verb move or swing back and forth; exhibit aggressively
It is illegal to brandish a firearm.

comprise - form or compose; include or contain; have as a component; be composed of

The words would comprise a list, to be defined and made a sentence using.

deft - skillful in physical movements; especially of the hands

How deft his movements were, the drumsticks twirling and flipping.

destitute - poor enough to need help from others; completely wanting or lacking

"There's a very destitute part of town, I'd avoid it", he advised.

explicit - precisely and clearly expressed or readily observable; leaving nothing to implication
She was given explicit instructions.

extirpate - surgically remove (an organ); pull up by or as if by the roots; destroy completely, as if down to the roots
"I will extirpate these roots!" I exclaimed.

inopportune - not opportune
Inopportune circumstances prompted drastic recalculations.

ironic - characterized by often poignant difference or incongruity between what is expected and what actually is;humorously sarcastic or mocking
It was a very ironic statement.

musty - stale and unclean smelling; covered with or smelling of mold
We entered the musty cellar.

officious - intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
Their officious behavior prompted us to ask them to leave.

ominous - presaging ill fortune; threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
The crow's presence was ominous, some would believe.

pinnacle - raise on or as if on a pinnacle; surmount with a pinnacle
I'm in the pinnacle of health.

premeditated - characterized by deliberate purpose and some degree of planning
Premeditated murder is highly illegal.

rampant - unrestrained and violent
Termites can go rampant on a wooden structure, completely destroying it.

solace - comfort in disappointment or misery; the act of consoling; giving relief in affliction; the comfort you feel when consoled in times of disappointment
Take solace in the fact that it was quick.

stately - of size and dignity suggestive of a statue; refined or imposing in manner or appearance; impressive in appearance
It isn't easy to be stately.

supple - make pliant and flexible
I'd like a supple pillow.

suppress -  to put down by force or authority; put out of one's consciousness; keep under control; keep in check; control and refrain from showing; of emotions; come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority

Suppress the urge to "freak out", please.

venal - capable of being corrupted

Unfortunately, the council was venal.

Will Study for Food

Or, how about not?

Although the prompt was to research a scholarship to a college or university, I'd prefer to explain why I'd rather spend my time preparing for my career by gaining experience, and money, working.

Currently, I am a cook, but I'm looking for another job closer to my career field, firefighting. This Santa Maria Fire Department is hiring at the Airport, me and my friend will be applying. This will give me experience in the field and what to expect in the future. I've been trying to find a job like this for a while but no departments in the area had explorer programs. It's my hope to use this experience to get me a job further down the road, not necessarily at an Airport, but hopefully in a big city. 

I understand the importance of education, however, I feel it's in my best interest to pursue a career rather than sit in a classroom. 

Vocabulary: Fall #3

Accomplice -  person who joins with another in carrying out some plan (especially an unethical or illegal plan)
The robber had an accomplice, he drove what would've been the getaway vehicle.

Annihilate - kill in large numbers
Some people would like to annihilate all the creepy crawlies of the night.

Arbitrary - based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice
The argument was arbitrary as they both worked for the companies they were arguing for.

Brazen - face with defiance or impudence
His brazen daylight robbery ended with his capture only 3 hours later.

Catalyst - something that causes an important event to happen
The main catalyst for the American Revolution could be a number of different things.

Exodus - a journey by a large group to escape from a hostile environment
A mass exodus occurred in Ireland in the eighteen hundreds due to a potato famine.

Facilitate - make easier; increase the likelihood of (a response); be of use
To facilitate a faster checkout time, more clerks headed to closed registers.

Incorrigible - impervious to correction by punishment
The incorrigible man wasn't swayed by the solitary confinement he received.

Latent - not presently active; potentially existing but not presently evident or realized
The latent ideas sat around in his head like cats on sofas.

Militant - disposed to warfare or hard-line policies; showing a fighting disposition
The militant forces mobilized to attack the soldiers.

Morose - showing a brooding ill humor
He became morose and withdrawn and would not talk to his friends.

Opaque - not clear; not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy
The almost opaque glass shielded the people watching from being noticed.

Paramount - having superior power and influence
The paramount moment occurred as everyone looked away.

Prattle - idle or foolish and irrelevant talk
Instead of discussing the topic, the girls decided to prattle amongst their little group.

Rebut - prove to be false or incorrect; overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof
The defense attorney was able to rebut almost every claim by the prosecution.

Reprimand - an act or expression of criticism and censure
"If you do something wrong, they'll reprimand you", he whispered.

Servitude - state of subjection to an owner or master or forced labor imposed as punishment
Indentured servitude is another form of slavery.

Slapdash - marked by great carelessness
A slapdash job is nothing to be proud of.

Stagnant - not growing or changing
The stagnant market proved difficult to invest in.

Succumb - be fatally overwhelmed; consent reluctantly
He would later succumb to his better judgment, selling stock in MSFT to buy stock in GOOG

Essay Idea

An essay explaining your experiences in a field or subject and how your experience and skill can teach others how to do a better job in the future by setting a good example or by explaining why not to do things in a certain way. This type will help me by allowing me to armchair quarterback my own experiences and events in life, analyze what I did right or wrong, and explain to others why you would do it this way and how I know that and/or why you wouldn't do it that way, why I know that, and what is a better way to do it.

Self reflection and education through experience.

Vocabulary: Fall #2

Obesity - more than average fatness

Many believe that obesity creates a major impact on our health.

Accumulate - collect or gather; get or gather together
He liked to accumulate rocks, bottles, and other odd things he'd find.

Mass - gathered or tending to gather into a mass or whole, a large number or amount or extent
The mass of the block was more than the foam, even though they were equal size.

Disease - an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning
Not every contagious infection is a disease.

Diet - the act of restricting your food intake (or your intake of particular foods); the usual food and drink consumed by an organism
For some, a diet is hard, so they try and eat less than normal.

Prevalence - the quality of prevailing generally; being widespread
The idea had prevalence in normal society.

Stigma -  a symbol of disgrace or infamy
The feeling was his stigma, and he was ashamed of it.

Prevent(able) - prevent from doing something or being in a certain state; keep from happening or arising; make impossible
The police were able to prevent the man from jumping off the bridge.

Adolescent -  in the state of development between puberty and maturity
Most would consider people under 18, an adolescent.

Cardiovascular - of or pertaining to or involving the heart and blood vessels
Everyone has a cardiovascular system.

Excessive - beyond normal limits; unrestrained, especially with regard to feelings

Her spending was excessive, she had a hard time fitting all her shoes in her closet.

Mechanism - the technical aspects of doing something

His reasons, the mechanism of his position, and his pride let him fall.

Sedentary - requiring sitting or little activity

He lived a sedentary lifestyle, which led to his weight gain.

Predispose - make susceptible

The predispose of her illness as a child would later effect her again in the future.

Syndrome - a complex of concurrent things; a pattern of symptoms indicative of some disease

Down Syndrome, a condition you can be born with, affects the brain causing intellectual impairment.