I feel that my plan in my previous log was excellent in determining how I would go about collecting information for my interview process. I spent a good amount of time editing my steps and feel that they will give me high-quality interviews. If I could have done anything better, I would say that I possibly could have maybe elaborated more on my questions. I feel that in order for others to comprehend the subject better, we should add more detailed questions.
I feel that the three people I should interview should be Rassul Hashemi, Michael Dahlquist, and Nicole Chang. I first chose Rassul Hashemi, because he is my father and I can trust him to give me a thoughtful interview. I know that when choosing people to interview, there should be much more than that involved, so I should also mention that my father is an entrepreneur and began his own IT Consulting business in 1996, Sierra Corporation. I am sure that his background will help my interview run smoothly and in-depth. The second person I chose to interview was Michael Dahlquist. He is an instructor at the iTV department. His knowledge of technology and teaching students and faculty will be an asset to our documentary’s interview. The last person I chose was Nicole Chang. She is one of my best friends and knows a great deal about computers, especially since she is an editor in assembling our yearbook. These three people will contribute profusely to our documentary and will make it a success!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Free Speech for Everyone?
Today, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University in New York. We are so privileged and blessed to live in a country that allows provides the constitutional right to free speech for everyone. Our first amendment states that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The First Amendment provided Columbia University President, Lee Bollinger, with the right to provide an opportunity to the President of Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to speak at the prestigious university.
Even though we have the first amendment in our country, should this same freedom to speak freely within our country be applied to leaders of other countries who don’t give their citizens this right? Should they have the opportunity to grandstand? I feel that the President of Iran should not have been given the right to speak; I was appalled that a president of such a prominent university would provide such a stage.
President Ahmadinejad has said that the Holocaust did not occur. He said, “They have invented a myth that Jews were massacred and place this above God, religions and the prophets.” It is preposterous that he believes people to be so ignorant to believe this. President Ahmadinejad claims that his country is only developing nuclear capability for the purpose of nuclear power, however, how can we trust a man who wants to wipe Israel off the map? We must be concerned about a country developing nuclear power, especially if the leader of a country does not promote peace and respect for other countries and their people. Iran has been accused of helping to supply Iraqi insurgents with weapons, yet we allow the leader of Iran to speak freely in our country, while the fate of our own men and women in Iraq could depend on whether insurgents have a weapon his country supplied.
Hopefully, after President Ahmadinejad has given his speech, more people will be aware of those who rule in our world and the effect they can have on our future.
Sources:
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Am1
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20958137/
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/12/14/iran.israel/
Even though we have the first amendment in our country, should this same freedom to speak freely within our country be applied to leaders of other countries who don’t give their citizens this right? Should they have the opportunity to grandstand? I feel that the President of Iran should not have been given the right to speak; I was appalled that a president of such a prominent university would provide such a stage.
President Ahmadinejad has said that the Holocaust did not occur. He said, “They have invented a myth that Jews were massacred and place this above God, religions and the prophets.” It is preposterous that he believes people to be so ignorant to believe this. President Ahmadinejad claims that his country is only developing nuclear capability for the purpose of nuclear power, however, how can we trust a man who wants to wipe Israel off the map? We must be concerned about a country developing nuclear power, especially if the leader of a country does not promote peace and respect for other countries and their people. Iran has been accused of helping to supply Iraqi insurgents with weapons, yet we allow the leader of Iran to speak freely in our country, while the fate of our own men and women in Iraq could depend on whether insurgents have a weapon his country supplied.
Hopefully, after President Ahmadinejad has given his speech, more people will be aware of those who rule in our world and the effect they can have on our future.
Sources:
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Am1
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20958137/
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/12/14/iran.israel/
Monday, September 17, 2007
Documentary Brainstorming
Our class decided on a documentary of modern technology’s affect on people’s social lives. Our documentary should address major questions lingering in people’s minds. I should address questions about what new technology is attracting many to the shopping aisles and what is making those gadgets so irresistible. I feel that this documentary should be addressing people of all ages, as I believe that this will help everyone feel like they are connected to this subject, not just one group of people. Interviewing people of all ages will help others understand different perspectives in regard to our subject.
I will ask questions similar to the following: Why and how does technology play a major role in our social and everyday lives? In what ways do you feel that you use technology to benefit your social life? What are the new gadgets that most people are longing for and why do people wish they had them? Are some pieces of technology hazardous to our lives or threatening to people in some way? I feel that these questions will help my viewers understand the various ways in which technology is impacting our lives.
I chose these questions because I would like for the person I will be interviewing to first give me background knowledge on my subject and then incorporate their opinion into their answers; in this manner, the viewer, no matter how opinionated they are, can develop their reasoning on the issue. It would be beneficial to everyone if the person I am interviewing is educated and/or familiar with modern technology. In order to have a productive interview, I believe it is necessary for me to do some research prior to my interview. This research will help me not only understand the topic better, but during my interview, I can integrate what I learned from my research to help with the interview process.
I believe that these key components are needed to make my interview a success and I plan to incorporate them in my interview.
I will ask questions similar to the following: Why and how does technology play a major role in our social and everyday lives? In what ways do you feel that you use technology to benefit your social life? What are the new gadgets that most people are longing for and why do people wish they had them? Are some pieces of technology hazardous to our lives or threatening to people in some way? I feel that these questions will help my viewers understand the various ways in which technology is impacting our lives.
I chose these questions because I would like for the person I will be interviewing to first give me background knowledge on my subject and then incorporate their opinion into their answers; in this manner, the viewer, no matter how opinionated they are, can develop their reasoning on the issue. It would be beneficial to everyone if the person I am interviewing is educated and/or familiar with modern technology. In order to have a productive interview, I believe it is necessary for me to do some research prior to my interview. This research will help me not only understand the topic better, but during my interview, I can integrate what I learned from my research to help with the interview process.
I believe that these key components are needed to make my interview a success and I plan to incorporate them in my interview.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Global Warming
Ever since I saw Al Gore’s presentation, The Inconvenient Truth, global warming has been on the top of my mind. Almost everyday I hear some comment about our environment or see something unusual or different around me; it all makes me think – what are we doing to our environment?
Global warming is a scientific term used to state how the earth’s temperature is rising on land and in the oceans. This environmental hazard is caused when heat from the sun is trapped in the earth’s atmosphere because of the increase of pollution.
We are seeing many changes because of global warming; some of them are even obvious to us. Firstly, the number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last thirty years. Secondly, the melting of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled in the past ten years. Thirdly, at least 279 species of plants and animals are already reacting to this crisis and have tried to save themselves by moving closer to the poles.
In the future we can expect more drastic changes in our surroundings. Scientists have predicted that deaths from global warming will double in twenty-five years to 300,000 people a year. They have also predicted that the Artic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050. One of the most important predictions that they have made is that by 2050, more than a million species could be driven to extinction.
Our generation needs to act accordingly and promptly in order to preserve our future. While we destroy our environment, not being conscious about how we treat our surroundings, we sometimes forget that we need to take care of our home, earth.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Documentary
I suggest that we do a documentary on global warming. Our future is being affected by this phenomenon and educating people on the topic would not only help inform others, but we too, would learn from our research.
The first perspective that I suggest is how global warming affects humans. This should be our first perspective if we choose this topic, as it directly affects all of us. Global warming can affect us in one way by our health. As global warming worsens, the rate of infectious diseases and death rates continue to rise. Also, if the temperatures keep rising at the current rate, the human race will not be able to survive the extreme heat. Global warming is especially tough on people who live in third world countries, as they are more susceptible to death and disease; it is ironic though, how they are the ones who contribute the least to this catastrophe. Teaching people about how global warming affects us will be the best way to help them comprehend that action needs to be taken.
The second perspective that I propose is how global warming affects animals. Without the animals around us, humans would not be able to survive; we depend on them to complete our ecosystem, we can’t create some artificial gadget that replaces the animal kingdom. When the ice in the artic, that many animals depend on, melts, the animals are without homes and they therefore drown and go extinct. Also, when this ice melts, whole islands will be submerged and all the animals on those islands will go extinct. When the water heats up because there are no more caps of ice, reefs will die and the fish that live on those reefs will die and go extinct. Now you can see the picture; the domino effect on the animal kingdom. Because one species dies, another one dies, and another, and so on, until only humans are left. Only we can stop the damage we have caused.
The third perspective I suggest is how global warming affects the earth. Global warming has the capability to change the geography of the world; islands we know could disappear from the world’s surface. Studies already show that the earth is the hottest that it has ever been in the last four hundred years, maybe two thousand years. I have seen charts and graphs and they all bewilder me because the earth’s temperature has been rising at a constant rate for a while and then the charts just shoot up to the sky at almost a vertical incline. As the temperature rises, we can all see the difference in our earth. When I went back to Virginia this past summer, the pollution and temperature change were so bad that we had nineteen code orange days, one code red day, and one code purple day; yellow is a normal day. (http://www.mwcog.org/environment/air/forecast/airquality_guide.asp) This is a definite sign that our atmosphere is worsening.
All three perspectives are affected by global warming. I am confident that people will learn from these perspectives. The viewer’s experience would be incomplete without the different perspectives I suggest because each perspective affects the other. You cannot just choose which out of the three perspectives you wish to have, it is all or nothing.
I would use these perspectives to make the same point, as they are all building on each other. I feel that using these perspectives to convey that global warming is not really happening would not be accurate; telling people that global warming doesn’t matter is like saying our lives do not matter. The above perspectives help us learn the great overall effects of global warming.
The first perspective that I suggest is how global warming affects humans. This should be our first perspective if we choose this topic, as it directly affects all of us. Global warming can affect us in one way by our health. As global warming worsens, the rate of infectious diseases and death rates continue to rise. Also, if the temperatures keep rising at the current rate, the human race will not be able to survive the extreme heat. Global warming is especially tough on people who live in third world countries, as they are more susceptible to death and disease; it is ironic though, how they are the ones who contribute the least to this catastrophe. Teaching people about how global warming affects us will be the best way to help them comprehend that action needs to be taken.
The second perspective that I propose is how global warming affects animals. Without the animals around us, humans would not be able to survive; we depend on them to complete our ecosystem, we can’t create some artificial gadget that replaces the animal kingdom. When the ice in the artic, that many animals depend on, melts, the animals are without homes and they therefore drown and go extinct. Also, when this ice melts, whole islands will be submerged and all the animals on those islands will go extinct. When the water heats up because there are no more caps of ice, reefs will die and the fish that live on those reefs will die and go extinct. Now you can see the picture; the domino effect on the animal kingdom. Because one species dies, another one dies, and another, and so on, until only humans are left. Only we can stop the damage we have caused.
The third perspective I suggest is how global warming affects the earth. Global warming has the capability to change the geography of the world; islands we know could disappear from the world’s surface. Studies already show that the earth is the hottest that it has ever been in the last four hundred years, maybe two thousand years. I have seen charts and graphs and they all bewilder me because the earth’s temperature has been rising at a constant rate for a while and then the charts just shoot up to the sky at almost a vertical incline. As the temperature rises, we can all see the difference in our earth. When I went back to Virginia this past summer, the pollution and temperature change were so bad that we had nineteen code orange days, one code red day, and one code purple day; yellow is a normal day. (http://www.mwcog.org/environment/air/forecast/airquality_guide.asp) This is a definite sign that our atmosphere is worsening.
All three perspectives are affected by global warming. I am confident that people will learn from these perspectives. The viewer’s experience would be incomplete without the different perspectives I suggest because each perspective affects the other. You cannot just choose which out of the three perspectives you wish to have, it is all or nothing.
I would use these perspectives to make the same point, as they are all building on each other. I feel that using these perspectives to convey that global warming is not really happening would not be accurate; telling people that global warming doesn’t matter is like saying our lives do not matter. The above perspectives help us learn the great overall effects of global warming.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Maria Sharapova – My Idol
Ever since Maria Sharapova entered the pro tour for tennis in 2001, I have always viewed her as my idol. Playing tennis myself, I admire her class and style on and off the court.
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova was born in Siberia, Russia on April 19th, 1987. When she was two years old, she and her parents were forced to move because of the Chernobyl nuclear accident; the radiation was not safe for her. Maria and her parents moved to southern Russia, where she lived until she was seven. When she was seven years old, Yuri, Sharapova’s father, brought her to the United States, so she could attend the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. Unfortunately, her mother, Yelena was not able to come with Yuri and Maria, as she had visa restrictions, but in the next few years she was able to come. Maria has kept her citizenship to Russia, even though she has spent most of her life in the United States.
Maria has won two grand slams, Wimbledon (2004) and the US Open (2006.) She has made a total of $9,674,001 in career prize money, and created a foundation called the “Maria Sharapova Foundation.” She has donated $100,000 to UNDP Chernobyl-recovery projects. She has also been appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme.
Maria Sharapova is an inspiration to me every time she steps on the court; I admire her character and disposition. When she plays, she always stands straight and tall, and with confidence, conveying a message of “I will win.” She not only portrays the image of strength and toughness, but plays with the same meaningfulness; transmitting intimidation to her opponents before even stepping on the court. Her maturity and poise has always been beyond her age.
Maria is a role model to me and whenever I go on the court I always do my best to follow in her footsteps.
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova was born in Siberia, Russia on April 19th, 1987. When she was two years old, she and her parents were forced to move because of the Chernobyl nuclear accident; the radiation was not safe for her. Maria and her parents moved to southern Russia, where she lived until she was seven. When she was seven years old, Yuri, Sharapova’s father, brought her to the United States, so she could attend the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. Unfortunately, her mother, Yelena was not able to come with Yuri and Maria, as she had visa restrictions, but in the next few years she was able to come. Maria has kept her citizenship to Russia, even though she has spent most of her life in the United States.
Maria has won two grand slams, Wimbledon (2004) and the US Open (2006.) She has made a total of $9,674,001 in career prize money, and created a foundation called the “Maria Sharapova Foundation.” She has donated $100,000 to UNDP Chernobyl-recovery projects. She has also been appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme.
Maria Sharapova is an inspiration to me every time she steps on the court; I admire her character and disposition. When she plays, she always stands straight and tall, and with confidence, conveying a message of “I will win.” She not only portrays the image of strength and toughness, but plays with the same meaningfulness; transmitting intimidation to her opponents before even stepping on the court. Her maturity and poise has always been beyond her age.
Maria is a role model to me and whenever I go on the court I always do my best to follow in her footsteps.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Seven Ways of Looking at a Rainbow
Red,
Bold and vivacious,
Full of power and glory,
It cries triumph with defiance.
Orange,
Brings life to the fall season,
Signaling Autumn’s arrival.
Like sunsets,
nature’s greatest feat.
Yellow,
Dawn, the sun rises over the horizon.
Rays of brightness,
Smiling at you from a distance.
Green,
The smell of fresh cut grass,
Look, treasure in the trove,
A four leaf clover,
Luck is about you.
Blue,
Majesty and solitude is found in the sky,
Deep and dark, blue turns to black.
The unknown lies ahead.
Indigo,
Behold, the night sky,
The gate to the heavens,
Closet to the stars.
Violet,
Sparkling, glimmering, facets of Tanzanite.
Delicate as a flower,
Destined to be a gem.
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