What's the worst crime you can commit? Murder? Embezzlement? Burglary? These are all felonies and carry high jail times, but I think the worst crime where there is an actually victim is rape. No other crimes put nearly as much of an emotional or physical strain on the victims. Shouldn't we show a little more Respect for Rape Victims?
Sexual assault is a very heinous crime. Rape kits are easy to acquire from the victim--though it is an extremely intrusive process--and even easy to test. You acquire the sample and you test the DNA. Simple as that. Right? Not according to "the long arm of the law." In 18 percent of the nations open, unsolved cases, no forensics evidence has even been submitted to a crime lab. Now that is pretty outrageous.
A little bit about sexual assault cases:
One out of every six women will be sexual assaulted in their lifetime with college age women being four times more likely to be victimized. Just think: A vast majority of the people in this world know someone that has been a victim of sexual assault. You may ask around the people you know and figure out that not a person knows an rape victims, but that doesn't mean that they don't know any victims. The more likely answer is that the victim just hasn't told anyone. 60 percent of the cases aren't even submitted by the victims themselves. Stunning isn't it?
Yes rape is an outrageous crime but what makes it worse is that 73 percent of victims know their assailants. Almost three out of four victims know who attacked them. Despite all of signs leading to sure fire conviction only 6 percent of the assailants ever do any jail time.
Shouldn't law enforcement at least show the respect for those victims who don't know their assailants and are actually courageous enough to come forward after such an event? Maybe we need to raise the numbers for the number of attackers who spend time in jail. We have the ability to protect the victims. Why don't we?
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Semester Book Review
This semester I’ve been reading some realistic fiction novels. These are my favorite types of books, especially the ones by such authors as Dan Brown, John Grisham, and Tom Clancy. my parents have always read and their books of choice have been thrust upon me from a young age. Every time my dad goes to Little Rock he always buys a brand new paperback from Barnes and Noble so I have always had a plethora of books at my disposal.
• The Broker by John Grisham—2 books
This is a great novel. The plot is very windy and shadowed and I really didn’t ever know what was going to happen. It is action packed and takes place in the ancient streets of the Italian city Barcelona. I also really liked how all the streets, cafés, and plazas were all accurate and real. A recently pardoned prisoner tried to broker a deal to give the world’s most powerful satellite surveillance system to the highest bidder. CIA—not knowing who built of owned this amazing system—sent the prisoner to Italy and slowly leaked the news of his whereabouts to the other leading countries in the world to try to find out who is trying to keep this satellite secret. Along the way the prisoner makes a few friends and makes contact with his son that he rarely communicated with when he wasn’t in jail. In my opinion this is one of Grisham’s best works and this is a novel that everyone should read.
• Angels and Demons by Dan Brown—3 books
This is the prequel to the very popular yet very controversial The Da Vinci Code. The main character Robert Langdon, a Harvard University symbologist, is faced with the quest of uncovering the mysteries of a secret society called the Illuminati, and unraveling the plot of this brotherhood to annihilate Vatican City. The main theme is the conflict between science and religion which is extremely divisive. This is an action-packed novel which I really like. Again in this novel all the churches, villas, plazas, and art pieces are real and accurate. Though Dan Brown has only written five novels with two of them being completely unrelated to all the others, he is a great author and I think everyone should read all his books.
• The Broker by John Grisham—2 books
This is a great novel. The plot is very windy and shadowed and I really didn’t ever know what was going to happen. It is action packed and takes place in the ancient streets of the Italian city Barcelona. I also really liked how all the streets, cafés, and plazas were all accurate and real. A recently pardoned prisoner tried to broker a deal to give the world’s most powerful satellite surveillance system to the highest bidder. CIA—not knowing who built of owned this amazing system—sent the prisoner to Italy and slowly leaked the news of his whereabouts to the other leading countries in the world to try to find out who is trying to keep this satellite secret. Along the way the prisoner makes a few friends and makes contact with his son that he rarely communicated with when he wasn’t in jail. In my opinion this is one of Grisham’s best works and this is a novel that everyone should read.
• Angels and Demons by Dan Brown—3 books
This is the prequel to the very popular yet very controversial The Da Vinci Code. The main character Robert Langdon, a Harvard University symbologist, is faced with the quest of uncovering the mysteries of a secret society called the Illuminati, and unraveling the plot of this brotherhood to annihilate Vatican City. The main theme is the conflict between science and religion which is extremely divisive. This is an action-packed novel which I really like. Again in this novel all the churches, villas, plazas, and art pieces are real and accurate. Though Dan Brown has only written five novels with two of them being completely unrelated to all the others, he is a great author and I think everyone should read all his books.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Medi Janes
Weed, marijuana, cannabis, chronic, hash, pot...the list goes on and on, but whatever you call it it is the most used "illegal" drug in the world. I don't believe in using this drug recreationally but I condone the use of it medically. There will have to be a well planned course of action to go about legalizing this herbal treatment. An editorial from the Dallas Morning News brought to my eyes how some states are mature enough to handle this privilege while others are not.
I've been taught in every single health class I've ever taken the effects of marijuana use on the human body. Although it has been known that smoking anything (including cannabis) can be harmful to the lungs and throat, even the experts can't agree on the effects of the other methods of administering this therapeutic plant. In every circumstance of the medical use of marijuana there are experts arguing on both sides which makes it very hard to judge and determine who to trust and believe.
If you have ever had someone you love or someone that you are close to go through a bout of pain and suffering then you know how painful it is not just for that person but for everyone around them. Cannabis treatments could help easy that pain (amongst other symptoms) while its chemical make up is just as safe, if not safer, then other drugs used for treating similar symptoms. The issue then becomes a moral one: if you could ease a cancer patient, a patient suffering from Alzheimer's disease, or any type of terminally ill patient, would you?
I've been taught in every single health class I've ever taken the effects of marijuana use on the human body. Although it has been known that smoking anything (including cannabis) can be harmful to the lungs and throat, even the experts can't agree on the effects of the other methods of administering this therapeutic plant. In every circumstance of the medical use of marijuana there are experts arguing on both sides which makes it very hard to judge and determine who to trust and believe.
If you have ever had someone you love or someone that you are close to go through a bout of pain and suffering then you know how painful it is not just for that person but for everyone around them. Cannabis treatments could help easy that pain (amongst other symptoms) while its chemical make up is just as safe, if not safer, then other drugs used for treating similar symptoms. The issue then becomes a moral one: if you could ease a cancer patient, a patient suffering from Alzheimer's disease, or any type of terminally ill patient, would you?
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sentence 12
His sentence:
Are we obsolete?
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
He uses this rhetoric question to raise the question of the outreach of the Catholic religion.
My sentence: Can you there?
Are we obsolete?
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
He uses this rhetoric question to raise the question of the outreach of the Catholic religion.
My sentence: Can you there?
Sentence 11
His sentence:
Science, you say, will save us.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
He sets off "you say" with commas to show the procession of the phrase.
My sentence:
The movie, she said, will change you.
Science, you say, will save us.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
He sets off "you say" with commas to show the procession of the phrase.
My sentence:
The movie, she said, will change you.
Sentence 10
His sentence:
Somehow, as though the words were flowing from God himself, he spoke the modern language...delivering the ancient message.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
He juxtaposed two contrasting words to show the complexity of his argument.
My sentence:
Somehow, as if the text was flowing from Shakespeare himself, he wrote the next novel...using the classic style.
Somehow, as though the words were flowing from God himself, he spoke the modern language...delivering the ancient message.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
He juxtaposed two contrasting words to show the complexity of his argument.
My sentence:
Somehow, as if the text was flowing from Shakespeare himself, he wrote the next novel...using the classic style.
Sentence 9
His sentence:
We see UFOs, engage in channeling, spirit contact, out-of-body experiences, mindquests--all these eccentric ideas have a scientific veneer, but they are unashamedly irrational.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
My sentence:
He sees the hole, starts running, avoids contact, the unforeseeable, linebacker--all these sporadic ideas pass through the tailback's mind, and they are instantaneously processed.
We see UFOs, engage in channeling, spirit contact, out-of-body experiences, mindquests--all these eccentric ideas have a scientific veneer, but they are unashamedly irrational.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
My sentence:
He sees the hole, starts running, avoids contact, the unforeseeable, linebacker--all these sporadic ideas pass through the tailback's mind, and they are instantaneously processed.
Sentence 8
His sentence:
But you have not won fairly.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
He starts the sentence with the conjunction "but" so show a big shift in the speakers argument.
My sentence:
But he did not play properly.
But you have not won fairly.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
He starts the sentence with the conjunction "but" so show a big shift in the speakers argument.
My sentence:
But he did not play properly.
Sentence 7
His sentence:
It shatters God's world into smaller and smaller pieces in quest of meaning...and all is finds is more questions.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
He uses the (...) to let the first part of the sentence really sink in before going on to drive his argument home.
My sentence:
She does puzzles with more and more pieces in the search for a challenge...all she finds is a bigger puzzle.
It shatters God's world into smaller and smaller pieces in quest of meaning...and all is finds is more questions.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
He uses the (...) to let the first part of the sentence really sink in before going on to drive his argument home.
My sentence:
She does puzzles with more and more pieces in the search for a challenge...all she finds is a bigger puzzle.
Sentence 6
His sentence:
Does science hold anything sacred?
From Angles and Demons by Dan Brown.
He uses this rhetorical question to raise the question of the humility of science: addressing science as a living growing thing rather than just a subject.
My sentence:
Does basketball show no mercy?
Does science hold anything sacred?
From Angles and Demons by Dan Brown.
He uses this rhetorical question to raise the question of the humility of science: addressing science as a living growing thing rather than just a subject.
My sentence:
Does basketball show no mercy?
Sentence 5
His sentence:
Even the technology that promises to unite us, divides us.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
He uses two juxtaposed, contrasting words to describe more effectively the downfall of this type of technology.
My sentence:
Even the players that promised to help us, hurt us.
Even the technology that promises to unite us, divides us.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
He uses two juxtaposed, contrasting words to describe more effectively the downfall of this type of technology.
My sentence:
Even the players that promised to help us, hurt us.
Sentence 4
His sentence:
Silence.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
He uses this one word to describe a whole scene in the story.
My Sentence:
Chaos.
Silence.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
He uses this one word to describe a whole scene in the story.
My Sentence:
Chaos.
Sentence 3
His sentence:
Medicine, electronic communications, space travel, genetic manipulation...these are the miracles about which we tell our children.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
The (...) shows a long pause after the first part of the sentence. This was probably put in so show the building of suspense added by the speaker.
My sentence:
Catching, running, throwing, kicking...these are the techniques about which our coaches speak of.
Medicine, electronic communications, space travel, genetic manipulation...these are the miracles about which we tell our children.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
The (...) shows a long pause after the first part of the sentence. This was probably put in so show the building of suspense added by the speaker.
My sentence:
Catching, running, throwing, kicking...these are the techniques about which our coaches speak of.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Sentence 2
His sentence:
Terrorism, has a single goal.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
The comma after terrorism is not needed. It was put in the sentence though to signify a short pause between the two parts of the sentence.
My sentence:
Bob, had a single remark.
Terrorism, has a single goal.
From Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
The comma after terrorism is not needed. It was put in the sentence though to signify a short pause between the two parts of the sentence.
My sentence:
Bob, had a single remark.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Sentence a Day
SENTENCE 1
His sentence:
Carlo could not get enough…the silence…the floating…seeing his mother’s face in the billowing white clouds as he soared to earth.
from Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
The disconnected ellipsis emulates the dream-like state that Carlo is in as he experiences skydiving.
My sentece:
Bill could not stand it anymore…the torment…the pain…feeling helpless as he watched the prisoner of war tortured.
His sentence:
Carlo could not get enough…the silence…the floating…seeing his mother’s face in the billowing white clouds as he soared to earth.
from Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
The disconnected ellipsis emulates the dream-like state that Carlo is in as he experiences skydiving.
My sentece:
Bill could not stand it anymore…the torment…the pain…feeling helpless as he watched the prisoner of war tortured.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Channeling My Annoyance
In Dan Pinks book A Whole New Mind he describes how to continue to flourish in the coming age we must learn to be R-directed thinkers as well as L-directed thinkers. This means we must learn to use the right side of our brain along with the left side of our brain.
Broken into six categories, Pink describes these R-directed skills: design, story, symphony, empathy, meaning and play. Each chapter is about one of these skills. At the end of each chapter Pink gives many activities to work the right side of the brain. The one labeled as Channel Your Annoyance Ch caught my eye because I happen to like coffee.
1. Choose a household item that annoys you in any way.
2. Go by yourself to a cafe with pen and paper, but without a book and without a newspaper, and, for the duration of your cup of coffee, think about improving the poorly designed item.
3. Send the idea/sketch as it is to the manufacturer of your annoying household item.
I went to Morning Side coffee a couple of days later to try this out. I was eating a Tootsie-Pop previous to my trip so I decided to redesign the common sucker.
I wondered what would happen if a small child accidentally swallowed this sucker. He/she would inevitable suffocate. I decided to think of a way to prevent suffocation is such a travesty did happen.
I bought a sandwich with my coffee because I was hungry. It was a turkey and cheese sandwich, but it had swiss cheese on it. That made me think...what if the sucker had holes going all the way through like this cheese. Then if a child swallowed it it would not obstruct the air so he/she would be able to breath. Then the sucker would eventually just dissolve or it could then be removed.
This was my R-directed thinking talking through the design. With a little bit of help from my turkey sandwich. Although it sounds far-fetched to me there may be something behind Pink's thinking with this R-directed thinking.
Broken into six categories, Pink describes these R-directed skills: design, story, symphony, empathy, meaning and play. Each chapter is about one of these skills. At the end of each chapter Pink gives many activities to work the right side of the brain. The one labeled as Channel Your Annoyance Ch caught my eye because I happen to like coffee.
1. Choose a household item that annoys you in any way.
2. Go by yourself to a cafe with pen and paper, but without a book and without a newspaper, and, for the duration of your cup of coffee, think about improving the poorly designed item.
3. Send the idea/sketch as it is to the manufacturer of your annoying household item.
I went to Morning Side coffee a couple of days later to try this out. I was eating a Tootsie-Pop previous to my trip so I decided to redesign the common sucker.
I wondered what would happen if a small child accidentally swallowed this sucker. He/she would inevitable suffocate. I decided to think of a way to prevent suffocation is such a travesty did happen.
I bought a sandwich with my coffee because I was hungry. It was a turkey and cheese sandwich, but it had swiss cheese on it. That made me think...what if the sucker had holes going all the way through like this cheese. Then if a child swallowed it it would not obstruct the air so he/she would be able to breath. Then the sucker would eventually just dissolve or it could then be removed.
This was my R-directed thinking talking through the design. With a little bit of help from my turkey sandwich. Although it sounds far-fetched to me there may be something behind Pink's thinking with this R-directed thinking.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Of Mice and Men book review
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck was based in the times of the great depression. Everyone was traveling around just looking for a place to live, eat, and sleep. Jobs were hard to come by.
Having a dream to have his own land land, George did any job that needed being done. His friend Lennie was a big guy and did most of the heavy lifting. Together these two were going to buy some land and be their own bosses.
Turns out Lennie is not the brightest crayon in the box, and he likes to touch soft furry objects such as animals and nice hair. This gets him and George into a lot of trouble later in the book.
George ends up going his separate way with Lennie but not in a typical manor. You will have to read the book to see what I mean.
Though there is some language in the book, it conveys a very strong message about life during the Great Depression. It is a short easy read and I recommend it to everyone that is not offended by language.
Having a dream to have his own land land, George did any job that needed being done. His friend Lennie was a big guy and did most of the heavy lifting. Together these two were going to buy some land and be their own bosses.
Turns out Lennie is not the brightest crayon in the box, and he likes to touch soft furry objects such as animals and nice hair. This gets him and George into a lot of trouble later in the book.
George ends up going his separate way with Lennie but not in a typical manor. You will have to read the book to see what I mean.
Though there is some language in the book, it conveys a very strong message about life during the Great Depression. It is a short easy read and I recommend it to everyone that is not offended by language.
Sophmore Year
Being a Sophmore was almost like starting school all over again. I was finally in high school. I remember grade school like it was just yesterday so the time really seemed to fly by fast.
This year went by super quick except during basketball season. A 4-18 record will make any season slow to a crawl.
I learned a whole lot this year but especially in math because I learned how to think. Mr. Sparks is one of the best teachers I have and will have.
This year was really fun and quite a learning experience. I am ready to be a Junior and then finally the big Senior because I learned as a Sophmore how to get through high school.
This year went by super quick except during basketball season. A 4-18 record will make any season slow to a crawl.
I learned a whole lot this year but especially in math because I learned how to think. Mr. Sparks is one of the best teachers I have and will have.
This year was really fun and quite a learning experience. I am ready to be a Junior and then finally the big Senior because I learned as a Sophmore how to get through high school.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Digital Fortress review 430 pages
Although Dan Brown is widely known for writing Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code he also wrote two other very good books one of which is Digital Fortress. This book is based widely on espionage, action, and romance.
The NSA’s super code breaking computer TRANSLTR is at serious risk for becoming obsolete. A former NSA programmer has written an unbreakable code that will render the six billion dollar computer useless. The only way to stop it is to find the kill code.
The what was supposed to be a peaceful weekend for the soon to be married couple turned into a fight for their lives half-way across the world from each other. Both are fighting against a National Security breach in two very opposite ways.
This book displays some sexual and gruesome content so I would only recommend that mature audiences read this book. Once you start reading, though, it is very hard to stop.
The NSA’s super code breaking computer TRANSLTR is at serious risk for becoming obsolete. A former NSA programmer has written an unbreakable code that will render the six billion dollar computer useless. The only way to stop it is to find the kill code.
The what was supposed to be a peaceful weekend for the soon to be married couple turned into a fight for their lives half-way across the world from each other. Both are fighting against a National Security breach in two very opposite ways.
This book displays some sexual and gruesome content so I would only recommend that mature audiences read this book. Once you start reading, though, it is very hard to stop.
In The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros the lives of poor Latinos is portrayed. Being made of many very short chapters over various subjects this is a vignette of Esperanza’s life in Chicago.
Moving from place to place Esperanza and her family never really settle down until they buy their house on Mango Street. That house is where Esperanza spent a majority of her childhood growing up.
This book shows how she makes friends and foes. Also described is here school life and life as an adolescent.
I read The House on Mango Street in about two hours so it is one of the shortest books I have every read. All the characters and places are described vividly so it is easy to read and follow.
Moving from place to place Esperanza and her family never really settle down until they buy their house on Mango Street. That house is where Esperanza spent a majority of her childhood growing up.
This book shows how she makes friends and foes. Also described is here school life and life as an adolescent.
I read The House on Mango Street in about two hours so it is one of the shortest books I have every read. All the characters and places are described vividly so it is easy to read and follow.
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