The Sea I See

As I look into the ocean

A broad sea I see

As the cold water rushes against my skin

I can hear a howl in the wind

Ahead of me a world so vast

One which I cannot contemplate the mass

Somewhere far far ahead 

There is blood being shed

Have we all been mislead

What was the purpose of life

Was it to just have fun

Or was it all one big conundrum 

As the sun comes down to its home

I try to contemplate my own home

How can a world be so complex

However as I sit on the beach upon the branch of a tree

A broad sea is all I see

LA Times

The deceptiveness of advertisements have been matter of dispute and controversy for a long period of time. As shared to us by Kim Puzzanghera, Directv is the new focus of controversy for the time being. On Wednesday, federal regulators accused DirecTV of numerous accounts of deceptive advertising in which they vaguely and deceptively inform the readers about the true meaning and requirements which associate with engaging in their “12-month” package deal. However it is not just a 12 month package but rather it requires a two year contract which a large cancellation fee. This would entitle many of their consumers to refunds.

    

    It is a well known principle that the significant terms of an offer must be clear and concise when conveying or persuading a consumer as to why their product or plan deems superior of their competitors. It states in the article that “thousands of consumers have complained about these practices.” At such a large scale of people who are not happy with their product, DirecTv cannot merely eschew the problem. Although Advertisements aren't exactly known for their concise and clear messages, there is always an extent and boundary which must be placed and not exceeded.

    DirecTv in several locations straight out deny the allegations that are being made against the, and say that they will vigorously defend themselves however much time it may consume. However many of those who are making the accusations as well with the likes of many consumers are saying that the company purposely tried to trick the consumers into buying something which they believed to be an entirely different deal. Having about 20 million subscribers. it is highly unlikely that a scale of such a large amount of people would all have difficulty and complains if the message they were giving were clear and concise.

       

    Those who were tricked into the company’s deceptiveness and wanted out had to pay a large cancellation fee of about $20 a month that remained on their contract. That being said if they were guilty of hiding important information in their advertising they would surely have to pay large amounts of refunds to their unsatisfied consumers.  A cheap trick which is used by them and most definitely many more, is to hide the “deal-breaking” catch in the fine print or obscure them in other pictures or text.

   

    Hence we get more evidence of the ongoing trickery which is placed by companies in order to fool their consumers to paying up more money. It isn’t just DirecTv however. Left and right we can see this kind of advertising wherever you look. In order to prevent cases like this, there should be stricter limitations as to how companies are able to advertise in order to increase the satisfaction of those whom are consuming the product.

       

Descriptive Essay

     Throughout the course of my break I strived to be as productive and imaginative as I could.  Although the time was not so myriad, I had to make due with the time that i had in my hands. Being organized, I prioritized what I intended to do during the break and the accomplishments I wanted to achieve. Mainly of the things I was categorizing to myself were: Academics and homework, the gym and body fitness, and of course relaxing and engaging in social activities with my friends and family. It was actually quite fun just staying at home in Los Angeles and not traveling somewhere during my break as I am very accustomed too. It was quite the change as this is one of my first winter breaks where i merely stayed at home and attended only local activities. Having been so, I did not want to sit around and let my break fly past me, but rather I intended to be fun, productive, and languid all at the same time.

    Throughout my break I tried to engage in fun activities with my friends and family and thus while doing so, encountered new culture, foods, and perspectives. I ate at many restaurants here and there. I mean the usuals which include my favorites, chipotle, Korean Bbq, and Dominos for example. However one of the more exquisite experiences that I had during my break was enjoying the delightful foods of a restaurant by my house called Yellow House Cafe, which is a korean cafe. I went one evening accompanied by two of my cousins. We all enjoyed great dumplings, kimbap, and rice with bulgogi( Korean for marinated beef), It was a great evening as we all relaxed and conversated about the many affairs taking place, the food we were enjoying, and school. Being older, they both lectured me on how to do good in school and my academics. I listened attentively while enjoying the great food and taking in the fresh aroma. The place was so relaxing and had a great environment and I highly recommend anyone who is in search of a great place to dine.

     I also enjoyed two fascinating movies over the course of my break which were The Gambler and The Interview. The Interview was a very controversial movie as its content ignited much talk about its sketchy scenes towards the country of North Korea, It was intended to be a humorous movie and it succeeded in doing so in a mediocre way, however I fully comprehend why others many have took it to be less humorous and more offensive. The Gambler was a movie about a man who got too deep into the gambling business and almost cost him as a life as a result. It portrayed gambling as a very dangerous and risky thing to do. Although not as a humorous as the first movie, I’d have to say this one was better acted and had more plot to it and I would definitely recommend it to watch as well.

     During the time which I was not busy engaging in other activities, I tried to be as productive as I could. I studied for my SAT’s a lot during the break. In doing so I developed new strategies, acquired new knowledge on the test, and learned new interesting words that I will probably never use outside my academic life. When I was not studying i tried my best to go to the gym as often as I could. Yes, a lot of the time I got lazy and did not go, but I did make a couple of effective trips. I noticed myself getting a little stronger over the course of the three weeks and look forward to the future progress I am able to develop as well. I also began watching a new show called Arrow which is very entertaining and suspenseful. My favorite part about it is how it is full of surprises that you never could have thought of to happen.

     Overall my break accumulated to be both very fun and productive. Although I loved the break, it also made me excited to return back to school to see my wonderful friends and amazing teachers, especially my great AP English Language teacher whose class is absolutely the best, I found my break to be full of great surprises and very satisfying. The only thing that could have made it better was more rain which is quite possibly my favorite aspect of winter. Although it did not rain too much, I am thankful for my break and blessed to spend it with my great friends and loving family. 

Revised Essay (Question 1)

    There is no doubt that going green should indeed be an issue on which the government prioritizes in large part to the variables that surround the environment that are involved. The true question however, is to what extent the government would go in order to satisfy their ambition. A global issue today, there are many problems related to the environment from financial and green perspectives. In order to solve this issue we must all work correspondently in order to come up with an adequate solution to our problem. The key is to work together in order to solve a problem that affects us all. Being the enforcer of the law, the government plays a vital role in the actions of the people. Although going green is a lot harder than merely throwing a coke can in a recycling bin, it is a task which must be promoted and given priority by the government to an extent to where a clear position is given, encouraged, yet not forced. In doing so they can enforce their power and influence most effectively.

    One of the biggest factors that play a vital role in this issue is the financial challenges that will come with this heavy task. Many companies will be making risky investments and while engaging in so might have to endure the burden of the transition in order to make society a “greener” place. As Source D states, “the selling of the green economy includes much economic make believe.” The excerpt from the article discusses the many financial myths and misconceptions associating with green living and finances. It states that there are many complications and high costs in the “real world”, but those issues can be looked upon as merely an obstacle in which we must overcome in order to achieve the goal of the true ambition and innovation being processed. With some agency’s estimating the cost to be as low as $98 per household, there is a strong probability that things can take a lighter toll as well.

    Another major factor that takes place in going green is obviously the environment. In some countries such as Singapore, law that violates their intense policies when surrounding the environment can be seen as very harsh and feared. However, influencing by means of fear should not be the solution. The government should reach to the extent where they provide major influence and support while not creating menacing laws which will be feared by the people. When executing properly, many positive results will be the outcome. As Source A states, learning to use our natural resources with respect, we can serve future generations as well as helping sustain life on earth for years to come. The Source also states that it will increase innovation of plans that will result in more efficiency and productivity, along of course making the world a cleaner and greener place to call our home.

     A very effective way the government can help people living greener is by suggesting easy things that they can simply incorporate into their lives that will both help themselves and the environment. Source F states many easy actions that will help make the world a greener place. Amongst them are taking short showers which will save water, turning off your electronics when not in use to save electricity, and air drying your dishes to save power. By promoting and raising awareness of simple and easy ways to help make the world a greener place, it will become a lot easier to do so. We can make the world a greener place by executing simple actions which will cause us no inconvenience and will help the environment in the process as well.

     Although making the world a greener place will not prove to be an easy task to carry out, it is one which the government must enforce and prioritize to benefit the environment and the human race itself. They should not scare people with their laws and requirements but rather merely help promote effective ways that will help the world become a “greener place.” Although the government does play a vital role, there is no doubt that the biggest role is played by us, the people as individuals when coming together as a community  to make the environment a better place to live in that benefits everyone.

Bring Awareness to Online Black-Markets!

Newspaper Article Analysis “Online drug sellers plead guilty”

    The internet is a vast environment in which several operations are run and among these does include the black-market. Victoria Kim writes this article in hope to bring awareness towards the black-market that still exists today. Marc Peter, a 45 year old Dutch National, admitted to court that he guilty to online drug dealing and money laundering. His plead revealed an entire online network that was being used to distribute drugs to several locations worldwide. Major distribution of illegal substances is a high felony and should be given priority too and be dealt with as soon as possible. Victoria Kim is helping the environment and making an attempt to bring forth an issue, that if dealt with and given enough priority, can definitely make this world a better and safer place to live.

     Marc Peter Willems was “doing business in every state and 45 foreign countries.” Here we have an online market which dealt illegal substances that was distributing to several countries for quite some time without any intelligence of the matter. “Millions of dollars’ worth of merchandise was traded.” This was indeed no playground game that was being played. It was a large scale international drug dealing network at hand, and all of it was being done behind the screen of someone’s computer screen. This kind of business can still be found on the internet today and is a problem which should be given upmost priority in stopping. Brian Doherty writes in his article “How Buying Drugs Online became safe, easy, and boring” about a large scale drug business called the “Silk Road” was shut down, but also about the evidence that shows that internet sales of illegal substances are still at large. However the Silk Road was a site much like Amazon or EBay where buyers can pick their product and it would come to their door in secret with a cover up. Over the years about 950,000 members used it and it was used to distribute about 1.2 million illegal substances worldwide. Crime at such a large scale is being run through the internet to millions and should be looked into deeply in order to put a stop too.

     It was said that this business was operated in “the shadowy corners of the web,” indicating that like this business, many others surely lay around in these corners as well. Among some of the substances that they sold were LSD, ecstasy, and marijuana. In Kenny Spotz article “What I’ve learned as an internet Drug Dealer” we can see a conceptual view of what it is like interacting with a real online drug dealer. He says that to find the site was quite easy as he just searched deep in the web, suggesting that anyone could do so, and found the selling of many commonly known illegal substances. She sent a request to talk to a drug dealer about her article and he responded. Throughout the conversation he learned more about him and his business and also some the background information that she could cover. He learned that he became a vendor on the site by means of past drug business and use and now he is selling it all over the internet. Recorded evidence of such people at large behind the safety of the internet is to be of big concern to all as drug business is a potential threat to society.

     Marc Peter was caught through a similar manner of how Kenny Spotz had come to write his article. One of his customers was an “under cover” Drug Enforcement Administration agent in Los Angeles. It is said that Williams was the originator of the network initially called Adam flowers which was launched in 2006. 2006-2014? That’s quite a long time for such a large scale crime to be taking place. Amongst him, five others pleaded guilty with more to plead later on as well. The wager was shown to be about 10 years in prison. With the circumstances of his crime, merely 10 years can be seen as too little of a punishment for the scale of his crime, however it is reasonable to others as well.

    The finding of such a large online drug distribution should help bring awareness as to what is really going on online. Such a crime should not be taking place in a public place such as the vast internet where anyone is able to access. Using clues and evidence, these websites and the people who are running them should be dealt with and prosecuted. The doing of so would help pave the path to a safer and healthier world. Sadly drugs are a big part of the society we live in today and with that comes many circumstances which must be dealt with. Marc Peters was one of many, but with further discoveries of websites such as his, we are taking big steps in making the world a better place to live. 

EIP Essay

(Question 1)

    Margaret Mead conveys the idea that we do not wish upon one’s success in a field similar to ours because it is a threat to their own personal success as an individual. Being seen as a threat, Mead portrays the path to success as a competition with one another. He explains the thought that not everyone can succeed in a particular field as it may be only held for a certain amount of people. Therefore if a person were to succeed in a field which relates to ours, it can pose a threat to the other whose hopes lies in the same field. Although in general we Americans celebrate achievement and success, somewhere deep down many of us can feel envious and uncomfortable feelings as well.

     However when it comes to a different field, we do not feel the same way because the circumstances are different. “But while we often rejoice in the success of people far removed from ourselves-people who work in another profession, live in another community, or are endowed in a talent that we do not especially want for ourselves…” Margaret Mead identifies different situations in which we do not feel the same emotions towards others success or perhaps even feel a rather joyful feeling instead. This is because it does not affect your chances as an individual as all. If your friend was a football player and you were a basketball player, this would identify as a perfect situation to which Mead’s theory can be evaluated. If only 100 people can make it pro every year. Than him making it pro would not affect your chances of making it pro in basketball since it is two different leagues making his success irrelevant to yours. You may feel joy for your friend who is making it pro.

    When it is a person who is working for the same field however, it is a completely different scenario. Their success could quite possibly jeopardize the possibility of your success now. This does not apply all the time but there are many things that has only a certain amount of available space. Now lets say your other friend was a basketball player just like you and there are still only a 100 spots to make it pro. Now if he makes it pro there is only 99 more spots for you, making your chances worse now due to the fact that your friend made it. This, in one perspective, makes the person view his friend as a threat which he definitely is. Threatening your potential spot it is only normal that you feel a bit uneasy or even jealous of his success.

     The reasons as to why we feel this way about the success of others lies within the depths of the human minds. It is a psychological concept in where we are not able to control or alter. However our minds and perspectives all differ from one another. While some of us may feel envy, others may feel joy. So yes, success is a confusion to us Americans and potentially too many others globally as well. 

    The concept of success can be very confusing to a lot of people, but we should all celebrate and admire those who succeed. However it is true that we can’t control our emotions and therefore, yes we might see others as a threat and in the process develop ill feelings for them. Margaret Mead is correct in her argument and creates an in depth analysis of the behavior of the psychological mind, although it may not pertain to everyone, it is a general idea that may wander in the minds of many. 

Stream of Consciousness

    I was called upon to do a problem on the board and explain to my entire Pre-Calculus class how i had come upon the answer I had gotten. It was a problem which required a lot more thinking then actual math. Not a lot of people had gotten the problem correct and I was one of the few who understood the concept. Pre- Cal was the only subject I was struggling with in my sophomore year and throughout the year I doubted my potential and whether I should even be in the class. However what I was confident in was my ability to do the problem. I was a little nervous going up, but then I found it all too easy to explain my answer and a lot of people were questioning what I was doing on the board and I gladly presumed to explain my work. I thought of it to be one of the highlights of my academic year, because as soon as I took my seat, everyone kindly applauded for me. My exact thoughts at the time were "Hm....maybe I'm not so bad after all." 

     For most of my life I never really knew what i wanted to be when I grew u or what direction I would take my life towards. All I knew was one thing. I wanted to be a successful person. However, quite recently I think i found a solution. I thought to myself, "What are my goals in life?" I knew I wanted to help people and also make a good living for myself as well. Keeping those thoughts in mind I continued onward in my life.
   
   One day I was at the doctor's office due to my continuous spa of headaches. While there there doctor asked me a series of question and I answered, To my surprise he had an intriguing response to all of my responses. I was very impressed by the depth of his knowledge and I thought about it and that's when it hit me. A Doctor! They help people greatly, make good money, and they were just...cool! It would come with a sense of prestige and honor, while at the same time I would be fulfilling the requirements in which I had set for myself. Ever since then I've looked up the requirements and such to become a doctor. It isn't exactly the easiest line of work, but one day it's all going to be worth it. I consider the moral of my extremely short and vague story to be that if you are unaware of what you want to do with your life, keep waiting and one day it'll just pop out of the blue in the most random of places. I intend to strive to make this dream a reality in the future.