Final Blog

      The benefits of using blogger has played a huge factor this semester for me. It is the very first time it has been introduced to me and I enjoyed it. I find it extremely helpful when I read feedback on my work for the reason that I can correct my writings by improving my skills. From the very first blog to the final blog, I notised a dramatic change in my blogs because I never, or should I say "It has been about 10 years since I attended school" and I forgot how to even write an essay. Blog after blog and exam after exam myself and even my very helful professor even notised I had become an "somewhat" execellent writer. To me, it is also a plessure to have the ability to view and see what other students write and blog about because it can be very helpful to learn from them and to also give them feedback on their work when you basically know and understand the material to comment on their page if you know that they are missing a few points, or what ever it is.
    I believe I have progressed as a writer because I find myself using more educated vocabulary and my sentences and parargraths has more details in them when I write. Some of my strengths as a writer I would say is my grammer. Im pretty constant when I'm spelling out words, though I still need assistance at times. I have notised that each blog has improved by details and actually knowing what an essay should look like, what an introductory, body and conclusion should consist of.  As I hopefully enter in ENG101, I still have a weakness in finding examples to write about. It was a bit of a struggle when I wrote the essay for the CATW exam, especially in the 2nd paragrath.

Revise of the 2nd blog

        There has been a tremedous amount of hospitals around the world who have not been providing the best care for the uninsured, phychiatric patients and the poor individuales. In the article "The woman who Died tn the Waiting Room by Jeneen Interland states that a woaman by the name of Esma Green wasn't in the greatest care while waiting in the waiting room for the reason that she died right under the eye of security cameras as well as not even a sole, having the courtacy to even check her. It also indicated that several people do suffer from chronic conditions of basic treated illnesses that can be cured with medication, but cannot be afforded, as a result, many of them just with little support ended up in over taxed emergency rooms. I agree with the quote "There is just no place for them to go".
       I agree with the quote "There is just no place for them to go" due to a school I attended in 2008, my class and I were informed about a facility called The WillowBrook State School  that contained mentally distured individuales from new born babies to the eldery. This institute was build around the 1930's, It was a school meant to accumulate only 2,000 patients but was overcrowded with 6,000. The lack of staff members made it difficut for them to approach all patients to care for them. Patients were walking around undressed and sitting around as if they were animals on the grounds, tubes etc..  and did nothing for entertainment. They were physically and mentally abused and when starved and hungry, they would eat each others feses due to the lack of food. Parents and loved ones were informed that their patient were recieving the best care though they were never allowed to enter without a schedualed appointment. The school finally closed in 2003 thanks to the president paying a visit and viewed how they really were living in those horrible conditions.
        Another reason why I must agree with the quote "There is just no place for them to go" is from my own personal experience with an elderly woman my mother has been friends with for 30 years. This woman is 80 years of age and has been residing in a nursing for 15 years and still counting. Eveytime we decide to give her a visit, we find that she isn't sitting with everyone else in the cafeteria. I had witnessed with my own eyes patients rooming together with 3 and 4 beds inside since the requirement of rooms were needed. She had explained to my mother that she felt unsafe wondering if pateints or staff members were going to steal from her, so she brought herself a lock. She also felt that she didn't have her privacy anymore, changing most of the time in the room in front of others because staff members would be to occupied assisting others. One day my mother's friend slipped and fell and banged her head on the ground and I was the first one to the scene. I was the one who assisted her first and provided her with napkins to clean her head because she'd had blood rushing out her face. I had to run to a staff member so they can call the ambulance to take her to the hospital. These staff members usually sat around and did nothing, I use to see patients asking for things and needing assistance and guess who was there everytime to give a helpimng hand? Yes me! This lady had nowhere else to reside so she had no other choice but to live in this facility that was becoming crowded by each minute.
          Consequently, I chose to agree with the quote "There is just no place for them to go" for two reasons, first reason I explained was that I was informed about a school by the name of The WillowBrooke State School which was held for the mentally challenged people, and a personal experience I encountered having to do with my mothers friend residing in a nursing home. I believe that when facilities begin to witness the crowdiness towards patients in these ways, they should be able to transfer them elsewhere because it 's just unhealthy and ridiculous and can cause dangerous insidents.

Personal Directions fot the CATW

             The day that I take the CATW exit exam I must remind myself of several things so that I DO NOT forget what is expected of me. First and formost I must arrive early and make sure I had a great big delicious breakfast because I definitley can't think or concentrate on an empty stomach, as well as bringing at least 2 or 3 pens just in case the pen runs out of ink. A dictionary is a very useful tool when taking writing exams because there might be words I wouldn't understand so all I would do is look them up to find the definition. " I will definitley carry one with me the day of the big test!". As soon as I recieve my exam, I have to make sure that I spend appoximetly 20 minutes in reading the text so that I can understand what I am reading. After the 2nd or 3rd time, I have to underline the authors main important ideas of the text and convert them into a summary using my own words.( Do Not Plagarize! It's illegal, I will go to jail!) I have to summarize what I have read and then choose 1 important  idea, either a frase or quote from the text and I must agree or disagree with it. (not the whole article) Please use your 90 minutes carefully because time does fly away. Bring a rist watch to monitor your timing. I must use at least 5 to 10 minutes to brainstorm and think what are my strongest points so that I can have well writen and developed body paragraphes, and 50 minutes wring my essay. Ms. Rodrigueuz, please be sure to summarize, agree or disagree, state the autors name and title of the text as well as the source in your Introductory paragraph. In my body paragraphs (must be at least 2) I must restate what I am agreeing or disagreeing with and give a reason from either a book Ive read, movie Iv'e watched, a personal experience, learned in school etc.. and then provide at least 2 examples and then I must right my body paragraphs in full details. "It's never too much writing so do not be afraid of using the pen througoutly"! In my conclusion paragraph I will conclude what I have discussed. Finally when Im finish writing my essay, I have to make sure I use the last 10 minutes proof reading it and make any corrections necassary.
          Some of the things I definetly have to look out for are my grammer problems, spelling issues and hopfully the dictionary can save my life this day with my spelling issues, my timing because I find myself using up the whole 90 minutes but I never even reach the middle of the 2nd body paragraph yet so I decide to rush the essay and finish. I also have a problem with developing my paragraphs especailly if I see that the article is a bit difficult. Alot of the times it is difficult underlining the important main points of the text because details can be rather confusing. As long as there isnt any numbers in my underlinings I know I will be ok. I definitley have to watch out for structure and making sure my essay is writen from A,B, to C and not B,C to A. I also have to learn how to not let pressure take over my nerves because as soon as students finish and start leaving the classroom I become nervous and thinking that I am taking to long. ( which is true) I also need to learn how to brainstorm quicker and use the little part of my brain that sits alone in the back corner of the left side of my head more often because it doesnt work when I want her to work, especially on test days. 
       To plan out how I am going to work out my problems in the 2nd paragraph I am simply for sure  going to bring my rist watch because the several exams I did have in class I never had a rist watch so I wasn't paying attention to the time, and when I heard my proffesor say "Ok you have 20 minutes"! Every time then I realized I did take a preaty long time. I am going to bring my dictionary to help with any spelling difficulties I might have. Im going to make sure I read the text throughoutly and avoid details when underlining the important points the best way I can by avoiding any types of numbers. I have learned how to look out for details in class so hopfully and god willing I will do a spectacular job on the day of the exam, I have been doing a great job so far, I just hope my luck doesn't run out. I will use my timing well  and brainstorm the 5 or 10 minutes like Im suppose to, instead of using 3 to 4 minutes. Oh I almost forgot! The most important thing I will work on is my neatness. I have a tendancy of rushing and I find my work to be messy. I was told that I can fail for this too. I dont want that to happen. So please Ms. Rodriguez, take these directions into consideration and practise practise practise because you will do a great job. If you fail, I will be upset that you would have to repeat ENG099.
        

Practise #3 (Music)

       Music is an exellent sorce for keeping healthy. In the passage "How and Why is Music a Good Tool for Health?" by Elisabeth Scott, M.S. About com Guide, it is stated that reseachers have found that music is a great effect on our body and mind and those who participate in music therapy are understanding how important it is to help patients who are diagnosed with cancer, children with attention problems and others. Hospitals are also relying on music thrapy to ease pain management, depression, to comfort muscle tention, and other benefits. it is also stated that researchers believe depending on the music rhythm, it will stimulate the brainwaves to synchronize with the beat, as well as the changes in our breathing and heartrate. I agree with the statement that "music can also be used to bring a more positive state of mind, helping to keep depression and anxiety under control".
        I agree with the statement "music can also be used to bring more positive state of mind, helping to keep depression and anxiety under control" due to my own personal experience. I remember about two months ago, I was so depressed because my mother had a stroke. I cried, weeped, punched walls so hard that my hand started to bleed. I had noone there to comfort me and to tell me everything was going to be ok. As the weeks went by, I had this same attitude, but my mom started to progress and felt a little better,  I arrived home oneday and decided to read a book. I couldn't because my focus wasn't completely there. I then decided to turn on the radio and play my favorate Hip-Hop and R&B music CD's, as the songs were playing, I gradually kept increasing the volume up, and as the music became louder and louder, I became more hyperactive and excited that I started singing and dancing like a lunatic. I didn't find myself thinking, crying, weeping or punching walls. I even called my friends over and said "OMG"! "Come to my house"! "It's a party here!" "Whoooooo"! When they arrived we kept partying loud with the music. Music took away my depression at that moment and I had a positive state of mind.
        Another reason why I agree with the statement "music can also be used to bring a more positive state of mind, helping to keep depression and anxiety under control" is because i witnessed a bunch of young African American teengers in a group dance activity on 42nd Street Grand Central Station last week. They seemed to be very focused and had a positive state of mind. They enjoyed what they were accomplishing and enjoyed the music. I noticed they kept changing the music songs and danced to the rhytems it provided. I recognized one of the young boys in the group from my old neigborhood I used to reside. He was a big time trouble maker, a bully, always enjoyed bothering people he didn;t even know. When I seen him in this group activity, I was rather shock because it was like "music changed his life" "his ways". He didn;t seem as if he was still living that old life style anymore. He seemed happier and was also making money dancing in ths gathering.
       Consequently, I agree that "music can also be used to bring  a more positive state of mind, helping to keep depression and anxiety under control" because of my own personal expierence when I was depressed over my mother's stroke and music brightened me up. If  I wouldn;t of turned the radio on, I would have been laying in my bed depressed and crying. I also recognized a boy who used to live in my old neighborhood who was very troubling and turned to music and saved his life. if he wouldn;t of turned to music, I believe he probably would have been in jail, killed, or someone would have brutally hurt him. Music is a huge factor in our daily lives.

Gone Baby Gone

         Based on the movie "Gone Baby Gone", The Police Captain, Remy and Lionel believe they served the best interest in Amanda. They believed in consequentalism. Taking Amanda and raising her so that she can have a better future with the police captain and his wife because her mother was a drug addict and not as responsible as she should be. There was an incident where Amanda's mother (Elieen) went to the beach and left Amanda sitting in the car for two hours, as a result of this Lionel (Amanda's uncle) came to the rescue and said to Patrick and Angie (the investigators) that Amanda was so hot, like she was roasted and just came out of the oven. She didn't seem happy when she was with her mother. Her mother showed no interest when her daughter went missing. Patrick promised Eileen that he would return her daughter back to her, and that is what he did even though he knew it wasn't in his best interest because he knew and witnessed with his own eyes that Amanda seemed happier with the police captain. Patrick knew it was the right thing to do
          Patrick belived in morality because he did return Amanda back to her mother even knowing there were going to be consequences with his girlfriend (Angie) said to him " I will never forgive you for this"! He knew it was the right thing to do because children shouldn't be taken away from their mothers. "We only have one"! He promised and he wasn't going to break that promise. The woman cried to him and depended on him to help her, he was not going to turn back. After he paid a visit to the police captain and his wife, he seen Amanda there and realized what this man has done. He knew he had to take matters in his own hands and have the police involved. He knew that Amanda was happy but he still had to do what was right.
            In the movie ”Gone Baby Gone” I believe that Patrick has made a smart decision but would of been smarter if he would had offered her to seek help for her addictions. It was the lawful and right actions to take from his part, but I started to have the feeling that he was feeling sort of guilty and regreting this decision after witnessing Eileen drinking beer, cursinging in front of her daughter, dressed to leave with basically noone to babysit Amanda and back to her addictive ways. I did't think there wasn't any side to this movie. I believe it was just a message coming across to people that the right thing to do is always right nomatter what the situation is.

CATW PRACTISE #2

         Many public facilities and hospitals around the world haven't been providing the best care for the poor, uninsured, and the psychiatric individuals. In a case with a woman named Esma Green, she died in a waiting room under the eye of security cameras because nurses walked by and never notised or bothered to check her. Several people suffer from chronic conditions, or basic easy treated illness that can be cured with medicine, but cannot afford, but many of them with little support ended up in overtaxed emergency rooms. I agree with the quote "There is just no place for them to go" exempted from " The Woman Who Died In The Waiting Room by Jeneen Interland.
        I agree with the quote "There is just no place for them tp go" due to my own personal expiernce. My mother had a stroke recently and ended up in a hospitals emergency room. We patiently waited for doctors to assist us, but we were told that there were no rooms available. After about 8 hours, she finally recieved a room. During these extreme long hours of waiting, doctors were not assisting her the way they should have been. They were busy having a conversation on the party they went to the night before. Right under their eye, my mothers sugar level and potassium level dropped very low and I had to run and chase after them to assist my mother. They were horrible at everything they were doing. I  had to basically be the doctor by doing whatever means possible to make sure she didn't get worse. "I mean come on"! "They never even questioned me about any of her medications. I took them out of her purse and wrote them down on a piece of paper and showed (after chaisng him) the dotor. Come to find out , the medications were one of the causes of her stroke.
        Furture more, another reason why I agree with the quote " There is just no place for them to go", is because I have a 33 year old brother who was born with Spina Bifida, and when he was first born, I was told that he was going to be institutionalised. My mother at the time was working and going to school to further her education and couldn't handle a newborn with a disability. Arriving at the institute, she couldn't believe her eyes. There were other children and adults with special needs being treated like animals, walking around naked and not getting the care that they needed. It was crowded and my mother had began to get the feeling that my brother wasn't going to be in a sfe environment. She decided to quit school and give her full attention to him. As of today, I am proud to say that my brother is a 33 year old walking and talking individule whos accomplished his masters degree and is now working with children with special needs himself.
       Consequently, there were two reasons Iv'e had chosen to write about. My mother who recently had a stroke and had difficult standards at the hospital and my brother who was going to be institutionalised because of his disability, and staff members not giving the best care. Just like Esma Green who died in the eye of a camera, I would now think twice of what hospital I'd go to because there are good ones where the staff, nurses, and doctors treat you with respect, and the service is quick, and we also have our undergraded ones where it's just horrible at everything that they do.

Revision of CATW 1

         Recently a bill has been passed in the Illinois House that allows many illigalized U.S citizens to pay in-state  tuition rates. "It shouldn't of been". Citizens expect for the government to follow the law, especially helping them with their rights and responsibilities. It was also stated that the nation shoudln't of passed this law and now it can not be ignored. To be a legal citizen in the country seems to have more of an advantage then being an illigal citizen. In the passage I have read "An Education in Citizenship" Chicago Tribune. I agree with the quote "No one wants to see  any able student deprived of a higher education.
         I am currently attending LaGuardia Community College after completing twelve grades of school and I am also a U.S citizen. It would totally crush me if I wouldnt be able to continue my education and complete the masters degree im trying to accomplish to become the Physical Therapist im begining to pursue. When my mother was alive, she couldn't attend school because she was an illegal immagrant and couldnt really speak English.  Nor she recieved help from the government or any type of financial support to help her pay for school because she wasn't a wealthy person. Though she did complete her twelve grades of school in Dominican Republic, stepping foot into the U.S didn't help her at all.  Due to the factor of this, she worked as a stay at home mom and instead of living a well educated and welthy life, she lived a life full of financial struggles, basically no support from anyone and fought for everything she needed for her children. It shouldn't matter where one is from weather you are a citizen or a U.S citizen, no one should be denied going back to school and accomplishing their goals to become successful in life.
             Furthur more another reason why I agree with the quote "No one wants to see any able student deprived of a higher education" is from my own personal experience when I couldn't attend school because I had a loan to pay off. Before this semester I attended Laguardia Community college back in 2008 and I wasn't able to continue my education until I cleared up my loan. As a result of this, I started working job to job with no dergrees and was basically living off paycheck to paycheck. I didn't have the money to pay the loan off and didn't have any financial support from the government nor anyone. I felt useless and uneducated and felt that in every job I worked at , the employers would judge me negatively. I eventually became fed up and when I finaly recieved my taxes I paid my loan in full and readmitted back to school. If it weren't for the tax check I recieved to pay my loan off, I would had still been working job to job with no degree, and it would had bothered me to the extreme too because I too am a hispanic U.S citizen.  I want to proove myself to the world that I can become a very important somebody.
             Nevertheless, wether you are a U.S citizen, or a U.S citizen, It shouldn't matter to the world if you agree on attending school. I agreed with the quote "No one wants to see any able student deprived of a higher education" because If you dont choose to further your education, basically you will become useless to the community. Now a days, jobs want to see degrees on the resumes and proove your education to them. My mother was the first reason I mentioned, when the government didn't help her, and she just became a stay at home mom going through struggles. The second reason was myself readmitting back to school. If I would had choosen to stay home doing nothing instead of pursuing my education , I would had been a (NOBODY). that jobs would had continued discriminating agains't.         

CATW Practice 1

         A recent bill has been passed that allows many young people who are illegally in the U.S to pay in-state tuition rates. I disagree with the article "An Education in Citizenship". I disagree on students illegally here paying an expensivily rate on colleges and universities.
         I disagree with the passage due to my own personal expirence. I am a student who is a legal citizen and currently recieving financil aid. I decided to pursue my career, and in order to accomplish those goes; I need education. I would'nt be able to attend if I dont have the financial support. I believe that it shouldn't matter wether a student is a legal U.S  citizen or an illegal citizen. If a student wants to accomplish their goals and attend college, they shouldn't have to pay more then expected. Immigration citizens have the same right. "Why and what is the reason they have to pay more than U.S citizens?" I understand that there are many individuals with low income, this is why there are loans and other types of sorces we can apply for. Immigrant or not.
        Another reason I will discuss is from the text I read. There has been an estimated 3,000 immigrants in Illinois who are paying this extreme ridiculous amont (more then U.S. Citizens). With this being said, it's because their own parents paid and continue to pay taxes, and the Illinois college can conclude that if their parents pay taxes, then it is ok to pay the in-state tuition. (but not many immigrants have this easily)
        Consequently, the article "An education in citizenship" Chicago Tribune is a passage about immigrants paying expensive amounts of tuition more than legal citizens. I wasn't consisted with the article. The two reasons i menthioned were myself bing a U.S citizen and reciving financial support and a supporting detail from the passage about 3,000 immigrants in Illinois paying a massive amount of in-state tuition just because their parents pay taxes.

Blog 4

            Advertisements are now found in our everyday life such as gas pumps, and shopping carts. In the article "Hype" by Sonia Massik and Jack Solomon, it is stated that an average of about 12 Billion  advertisements are dumped into North America's collective unconscious. I agree with Sonia Massik and Jack Solomon that "Advertisements have polluted the minds of individuals".
            The first reason why I agree with the author is because from my own personal experience watching and listening to adveritisements on Television and Radio commercials. Everytime I am watching an episode, or listening to the radio, the shows and music becomes interupted by commercial breaks. These comercial breaks mention some sort of advertisent, either to purchase the item because its the latest electronic device out, or the newest waterproof cosmetics. I viewed a commercial where they were advertising the package "Your Baby Can Read". This ad methioned if you purchase this, your todler will learn to read at an early age. I ended up purchasing it and noticed a difference when i began using it. The ad basically polluted my mind in ordering it.
            Further more another reason I will give is another personal experience I had involving the ads on the platforms while traveling. When I am traveling to and from school and work, I notice advertisements on the platform walls. I once viewed an advertisement because it was an attention getter, it was an advertisement about the movie "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". After reading the ad, I went and
purchased tickets because I wanted to see the film.
           In conclusion, I agree with the authors Sonia Massik and Jack Solomon that advertisements have spread and increased in our community, and it has poluted the minds of people world wide.

"Blog 2" The Allegory of the Cave!

        The Allegory of the Cave (The Republic, book Vll) is about human beings who lived in an underground den and have been chained by  their heads and necks and have been living like this there whole life. In this darkness, the only thing they seen were their own shadows. One day a prisoner finally had the chance to step outside of this cave to the real world and discovers it's nothing like the cave he was trapped in. He becomes amazed of the world before him, as he stepped out of the cave his eyes couldn't handle the glare of the sunlight. As time went by, the human now can view the sun, the moon and the stars better in the light, then in pure darkness. He then realizes that the prisiners were still down in this den and felt sorry for them. The human  insisted on going back to the cave and warned all the prisoners that the world before them is beautiful and explained to them the environment he had seen, and the cave they were in is nothing compared to it. The prisoners were upset and replied to the human that he was hillusinating and it was all illusions. They were not leaving and whomever tried to make them leave they would kill them.

Summery to" Hype"

       In the article Hype, by Kalle Lasn, Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon, I strongly agree with these authors that advertisements have increased and become so popular that it has polluted the minds of  the public. Advertisements are posted and watched everywhere  in our everyday life such as T.V commercials, radio commercials and gas pumps.

Blog 1 ” Hype ”

       I agree that advertisements are the most prevalent and toxic of the mental pollutants. Its an estimated 12 billion display ads world wide, 3 million radio commercials and 200,000 T.V commercials.
       One idea which I feel is especially significant is the ads on the subways and buses. As i am traveling to and from school and work, I notice ads on the latest clothing, movies, and jewlery etc. This tends to make individuls want and go and purchase the items because it's the latest arrival, or go and watch the movie because it's a new release. I am a victim of this because I am always watching for the newest ads that gets posted up on 59th street.
       The last idea I will discuss is the ads on commercial television. The ads on T.V commersial tops them all. These ads have toys, electronic devices, the latest foot wear, hair products, and much more. ”Who would't want the latest devices”? There are milloions of people out there already with the Ipad or the new tablets. It is all because of the T.V commercials.
      In conclusion, I agree that advertisements are the most prevalent and toxic of the mental pollutants. The two Iv'e discussed were the ads on subways and buses and ads on T.V commercials. These both usually pollutes the minds of individuals and makes them go and purchase these items.