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.