Eating Dissorders

Although there were many position paper presentationa that caught my eye, Cassie and Bree's presentations on eating disorders really made me think. Before their persuasive argument and opinions, I had no idea how much of an issue eating dissorders were. I currently am not friends with anyone with an eating disorder, that I know of, but I did know a girl on my swim team that was involved in the eating dissorder becasuse of swimming. This girl, even though she was already extremly thin, binged and purged herself so that her "back fat" couldn't be seen from the back our our swim suits. She eventually got help and is living a happy and stable life, but I had no clue eating dissorders were as popular as statistics say. Cassie especially convinced me that we need to talk to Team USA coaches about pressuring their athletes to look thin, and in shape, when the truth is they already do, or don't need to get any thinner with the chance that it might lead to an eating dissorder. I would love to see the percentage of teens with eating disorders decrease as they seek help and we open up affordable new programs and counceling sessions. I would do anything to help and was very moved by Cassie's presentation. She did an excellent job convincing me and persuading the problem of teen eating disorders, and what can and should be done to help.

Hybrid Cars Eco Friendly or not worth your Penny?

I have always thought of myself as green and eco-friendly because I feel like as Americans it is out responsibility to help our environment as much as possible. I reduce, re-use, and recycle, as much as possible, and I plan on buying a hybrid car when I can drive. Before reading "Is a hybrid car worth the gas savings?" at MSNBC's Nightly News website, I thought there were no bad facts or outcomes about the car. It really surprised me how the article talks about how hybrids cost more to buy, more to insure, and depreciate faster. Hybrids are $3,000 to $12,000 added just for the technology and only about 2-10 miles per gallon in terms of your overall fuel savings. Even though this artical is against my view points and opinions, it was very interesting to know why there is contriversy in the hybrid topic area. I still plan on purchasing a hybrid just because it is better for our enviroment and because "hybrids make great sense if you want to make a statement." Overall, this artical has opened my mind on both sides of the argument.

Article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8975473

Free Reading Book- Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

How do words and actions influence who others have become? To what extent do actions change our intentions?

Recently I have been reading "Prep" by Curtis Sittenfeld and this really reminded me of the semester question about others words and sctions influencing others. The main character, Lee, left her home town in Indiana to attend Ault, a private bording school on the east coast. Lee got chosen to be enrolled on a scholarship, and isn't wealthy like the majority of the kids at Ault. To answer the semester question, Sittenfeld does a fantastic job of describing how her peers wealthiness and actions changes her aditude towards her family and friends. By only seeing her family twice a year, when they come to visit I as a reader can tell that she has changed and gotten rude and snotty towards her parents. This is because she has fit in with the crown of cliques at Ault and forgotten her true self and her intentions on why she wanted to go there on the first place. Right now in the book, Lee has just discovered who she wants to be and how she is going to fix her life and change her aditude. By reading this book, I have been inspired to be the person I want to be, even if that includes being different form the "in" crowd, and learned that the only person whose words and actions that directally affect you are your own.

Anthem Conflict

In Anthem, Ayn Rand addresses many conflicts than involve living in a dystopian society, but the one that stood out the most was that everyone didn't get to be an individual. In her book, as a society the people are one. They always refer to themselfs as "we" and a group of people rather than "I" or as an individual. This is a conflict because the people do nothing important in life or anything different that would make them seen superior to their brothers. When you live your life being the same as everyone else there are many drawbacks. For one, you have no self-esteem or, the forbiden word, "ego." This leads to a conflict because Equality discovers that they might not be allowed to be different, but they can be different. He then goes against all of his society's laws in orded to finally become an indevidual. This conflist is Man vs. Society because Equality is going against his dystopian society's rules and getting punished for it.

Jon Gosselin: I Regret Any Pain My Actions Have Caused Hailey Glassmanfrom

"The Insider" has talked about John ans Kate Plus 8's John and Kate for weeks and it is finally getting out of hand. The article is titled, "Jon Gosselin: I Regret Any Pain My Actions Have Caused Hailey Glassman" and talks about the TLC tv star family as their life seems to be falling apart. The question I start asking myself is "Why should other people care? Why is it relevant?" I think the answer to these questions is no. These stories and gossip and shouldn't and can't influence the world in any positive way. Other people shouldn't care about an exploided divorse case and a family going through a rough time. This story that has been published in lots of different point of views and opinions isn't relevant to anyone but their own family. I think that news and gossip should only be about stories that are relevant to a wide variety of people and should matter to people.


Link: http://www.theinsider.com/news/2991432_Jon_Gosselin_I_Regret_Any_Pain_My_Actions_Have_Caused_Hailey_Glassman

Influencing Others

Our words and actions influence who others become by what we say. I think that giving your opinions to others can persuade them or pressure them in to following your lead. By putting out your opinion, some people feel the need to agree with it, making their opinion changed. We have all changed others opinions and influenced others by what we say without even knowing it. Most people don't know to what extent actions change intentions. I think that your actions change others intentions by them wanting to do what you or someone else does. Peer pressure can alter your intentions and also self consciousness. That is why we all need to have our own opinions and think for ourselfs.