Essay 3 Rough Draft

The ground is frozen solid, the temperature a shocking negative 40 degrees centigrade with a slight wind chill. A few brave souls step inside of a local grocery store for a brief moment of relief from the chilling surroundings outside. After a few moments rest they take one last warm breath before heading out the automatic doors, back to walk the streets just a few more blocks until they reach their local church. It is a Sunday and parishioners walk from their homes to worship, the one day of the week in Fairbanks, Alaska, when the bus, doesn't come by. If one has ever been to northern Alaska in the winter this image is a familiar one. Here in Fairbanks residents are blessed with affordable and reliable public transportation offered to residents by Fairbanks North Star Borough. Service runs Monday through Saturday for most of the working day (6:00AM until 9:00PM) and overall the bus system is quite competent. There is only one issue that I have with the current system, there is no bus service offered on Sunday. Sunday for a large portion of the Fairbanks population isn't a "working day" but regardless, for many it's the busiest day of the week! The residents of Fairbanks so everything from shopping to worshiping and for some even work on that forgotten day of the week. Although the current mass transportation in the Fairbanks area is good, the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) should increase bus service to Sundays because it will, decrease weekend road congestion, lower pollution in the greater Fairbanks area even further and increase the autonomy to those dependent on the transportation services.

The question is why Fairbanks doesn't have week long bus service and what would the consequences, both positive and negative be for enacting such a policy change. The city of Fairbanks belongs to the North Star Borough, which is similar to county, money for bus services and other city programs come directly from taxes and the Borough. Considering that on Saturday, the current city wide bus system has an altered schedule it seems acceptable that if Sunday service would be enacted it too should be on this reduced, yet still functional time table. This would allow those who depend on bus service for work and personal activities such as shopping an easy transition from their current program as it would simply be an extension of an existing plan. Enacting Sunday service would marginally increase the operating budget for the FNSB but the autonomy it would give citizens would be worth it.

The FNSB should know that enacting this plan into the current program is not only prudent, but also in line with the goals outlined by their own committee in 2003 when they set in forth an initiative to lower carbon emissions around the Fairbanks area in order to comply with EPA standards. In this report they outlined two relevant facts. Firstly, that there is a growing need for this service, between the 1999 and 2003 the number of annual patrons of the MAC bus system rose from 246,064 (III.C5-19) riders in the 1999/2000 to over 375,000 in 2003. Secondly, the number projected vehicle miles traveled per winter day was projected to grow around 10,000 miles per year through 2015 (IIIC.3-7). By the councils own projections this service is going to increase in utility for the residents of the Fairbanks area each year, and with each year that passes more and more people will be around to take advantage of this service. This has implications that directly affect Fairbanks residents. The golden heart city doesn't look the same as it did just five years ago when I moved here from Alaska. The big box stores such as Lowes, Barnes and noble and Old Navy didn't exist; neither did many of the subdivisions around the military base. In the short time I've spent in this great town I've seen a substantial amount of growth, but with that growth consequences are also expected. These consequences come in many forms. One of the most visible consequences of growth is increased traffic on our modest intercity road system. This traffic not only inconveniences many but it may be potentially dangerous, especially in our road conditions.

So how is this problem going to resolve itself? It's not going to happen overnight but the seeds for making a change like this are simple. The plan to start a Sunday bus service is broken down into three steps. First a show of support by a small group of concerned citizens who would benefit from this change should speak out at our local city council meeting. Step two, with enough support petitions would show that there is enough need for service and step three would be to requisition this change to be reflected in the 2010 Borough budget. All of this can be accomplished easily in a few months.

With each year that goes by without increased service to the existing transportation network here in Fairbanks millions of opportunities of our own local Fairbanks citizens are lost. We owe it not only to our neighbors and fellow residents of Fairbanks but also to future generations, as we lower our carbon footprint around our homes and business here we are ensuring a safer, cleaner Alaska for the next generation.

Week 10 Reading Response “Their Hearts and Minds?”.

We are at war. David Rieff believes that we are at war, and in his piece "Their Hearts and Minds" He expands on the idea that the struggle that we face today against the extremists of the Middle East is fundamentally different than the past war where we tried to capture the hearts and minds of those we fought against. Reiff tell us that unlike our previous battle with communism, this current battle is much more difficult for America. We face an enemy which differs from us at a fundamental level, a level at which at its core reflects the difference between two societies, the modern and the anti-modern, as coined by Reiff. We see here that unlike our old war of communism, which was much like our American ideals, striving for equality and freedom as founding principles, all be it going about it in a completely different manner, this current enemy holds old traditions are relevant than ideological truths. Many of those who are now fighting against us have watched the "American dream" of democracy and communism fail to provide them with even the most basic of human needs, and firsthand experience is the true teacher in this war of ideas. The old regimes of the past have done little to help much of the muslim world, so again they turn to the one thing they all share in common, their religion. It is here where the line is drawn between east and west.

Research Project Rough Draft

"Can a nation be free if it oppresses other nations? It cannot." The words of Russia's late great leader Lenin are inscribed on a statue in Nehru Park in India. The Russia of today is not the Russia that Lenin had envisioned at the height of the soviet power, instead today Russia lays a fragmented part of its former self, once the beacon of communism now a shadow of its former self. Lenin stood for the ideals of communism and despised the capitalistic "greed" of the western nations. It's almost ironic now that Russia has strayed seemingly far from the principles of its last great visionary becoming a capitalistic state itself. Russia controls a large portion of raw resources that are exported to Europe as well as other continents (citation needed). This control allows Russia tremendous bargaining power throughout the region. In particular, Russia distributes natural gas to much of central and Eastern Europe; approximately 173 billion cubic meters was sold in 2007 alone according to a CIA world fact book estimate. This past year Russia, in an openly defiant act cut of the supply of natural gas all the way to France in response to allegations that Ukraine was stealing from their pipeline. This event impacted millions of people across Europe forcing closures from businesses to schools. This type of behavior is not acceptable by international standards as such actions put great strain on international relations, and it endangers human life and economic stability of a whole region. Although the current geopolitical stability of Europe is not solely the responsibility of Russia, the Russian government must restrict the negative ways in which it interacts economically with the rest of Europe because it is unjust, strains international ties and jeopardizes the stability of the region.

Before one can assign blame one in this socio-economic problem one must look at the entire issue in order to understand how Russia and most of Europe got into the current economic situation that affects all of them. As of the year 2000 as many as 12 of 33 European nations (including former eastern block countries) were 100 percent reliant on foreign natural gas importation, another 7 of the 33 were more than 95 percent reliant. Of those total 19 countries Russia has been the main supplier of natural gas and LPG (Liquid Propane Gas) (Stern, 12). That natural gas dependence in and of itself hasn't posed a problem to Russia or the dependent nations, what has proved to be a problem is the supply route for the natural gas. Approximately 90 percent of natural gas leaving Russia travels via a Russian/Ukrainian pipeline to the rest of Europe including Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and further down Germany and France (Stern, 14). Russia claims that Ukraine had been "stealing" natural gas and on January 1^st 2009 they completely halted gas imports to Ukraine only to resume limited services four days later stating that Ukraine will only receive partial shipments due to the amount stolen. While this issue seems as if it may boil down to petty accounting problem and business bickering when ones looks at the history of negotiations between Russia and the rest of Europe in the last five years fundamental problems seem to appear.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990's Russia has undergone major economic and social restructuring. Russia has been the sole supplier of natural gas for a large portion of Europe for almost two decades and it had been speculated early on that there was no inherent risk in Russia strong arming other nations both as a group or individually as there were no potential gains for doing so (Stern Soviet and Russian Gas). This view was altered in January 2006 when Russia's energy company Gazprom, which is directly controlled by the Russian government, essentially did just that and strong armed Ukraine into paying significantly higher prices for natural gas roughly increasing the price threefold(Nichol, 3). While there was no direct political correlation to this act two things became evident, first, that Russia is willing to demand unreasonable gas price hikes under threat of a complete shut off, and secondly, that these actions if carried through in the future would lead to a significant destabilization of the regions political and economic sectors(Victor).

But why has Russia infuriated it's neighbors and threatened them twice publically in front of the international community? In both instances money seems to be the likely factor for Russia's aggressive policies. The 2006 incident as well as one in 2009 are similar in that Russia economic situation has been destabilized has lead to them attempting to regain lost capital by using the fact that they have the ability as the sole producer of natural gas to gain unfair leverage in the region. In both cases when Ukraine has not responded to price increase Russia shuts off the pipeline. The ethical implications of these acts are appalling. Not only is Russia taking advantage of their position as the sole supplier of natural gas to arbitrarily bully other nations they treat the commonwealth of other nations as collateral damage; commonwealth in this instance being the stability, security and safety of other nations receiving natural gas downstream of Ukraine's pipeline.

Lenin once said "I don't care what becomes of Russia. To hell with it. All this is only the road to a World Revolution." -1918. The leader of the Soviet Union spoke once that he does not care the fate of Russia, for it was only a stepping stone towards his own vision of world order. Perhaps then it's best that he never saw what has become of his former state. Russia itself forcing its will onto less powerful nations, still waging war just as It did before the fall of Soviet Union, this time without bullets or bomb but rather with the power of economics, the result can be just as brutal however. It wasn't just the act of shutting off of Europe's gas supply that outrages me and others, but rather the attitude and intent that such a brazen act provokes. Acts such as these put to many lives, careers and economies in turmoil, both financially and physically. Hopefully in the future Russia will learn that despite it's once great power and subsequent twenty year long downfall their government can interact in a positive way with their European neighbors to promote economic and geo politically stability. It's unclear of what the future for Russia's economy is but we pray that it's a sensible one.

 

Works Cited

Elizabeth Brainerd. Winners and Losers in Russia's Economic Transition .The American Economic Review, Vol. 88 No. 5 Dec., 1998, Pages (1094-1116)

CIA World Fact Book
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html>

CRS Report for Congress Russian Natural Gas: Regional Dependence. January 5^th 2007. Bernard A . Gleb

CRS Report for Congress Russia's Cutoff of Natural Gas to Ukraine: Context and Implications, February 15^th 2006. Jim Nichol and Steven Woehrel

The Economist print edition (online). Gasping for gas. January 15^th 2009.
<http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12953847>

Richard E. Ericson The Post-Soviet Russian Economic System: An Industrial Feudalism?. Institute for Economies in Transition No.8 2000

Dr. Andreas Heinrich. International implications of increased state control over the Russian oil and gas sector. 23 June 2006

"Andrew E. Kramer "Russia cuts off gas deliveries to Ukraine. International Herald Tribune January 2^nd 2009:
A29

Qatar News Agency Russia/ Ukraine reach deal to resume gas supplies to Europe January 18^th 2009

"Russia shuts off gas to Ukraine" BBC World News January 1^st 2009
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7806870.stm>

Allen C. Lynch Roots of Russia's Economic Dilemmas: Liberal Economics and Illiberal Geography.
Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 54, No. 1 (Jan., 2002 Pages(31-49)
http://www.jstor.org/stable/826216

John Stern. Security of European Natural Gas Supplies: The impact of import dependence and liberalization. The Royal Institute of International Affairs. July 2002 Page (1-36)

"Ukraine accused of stealing gas" BBC World News January 2^nd 2009
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7808465.stm>

"Nadejda M. Victor " Russia's Gas Crunch, Thursday April 6, 2006 The Washington Post

 

 

 

Research Paper Thesis Statement and Works Cited

Although the current geopolitical stability of Europe is not solely the responsibility of Russia, the Russian government must restrict the negative ways in which it interacts economically with the rest of Europe because it is unjust, strains international ties and jeopardizes the stability of the region.

 

Works Cited

"Russia shuts off gas to Ukraine" BBC World News January 1^st 2009
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7806870.stm>

First reports out of Europe the day that Russia shut off gas to Ukraine and the resulting initial speculation about the event. Most of this article is merely first hand reports of the cut off with some basic introduction in the conflict and information pertaining to logistics of both the Russian and Ukrainian side of the conflict. Reactions from various leaders and reactions are also included.

"Ukraine accused of stealing gas" BBC World News January 2^nd 2009
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7808465.stm>

Second report from the BBC on the Russian natural gas issue is reported in this article. More in depth information containing the specifics on Russia's claims as well as more logistics and a formal response from Ukraine is given in this report. Possible solutions and compromises are speculated at the end.

 

Nadejda M. Victor. Russia's Gas Crunch, The Washington Post. Thursday April 6, 2006:A29
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/05/AR2006040501954.html>

This report of the 2006 natural gas price hike that Russia imposed onto Ukraine is this article. Written 3 months after the actual incident this article provides a great overview of the issues leading up to price hike all the way back to the early 1970's as well as potential reasons why the price hike was suggested. This article also gives in depth analysis on the implications both short and long term that may result from this price hike.

Dr. Andreas Heinrich. International implications of increased state control over the Russian oil and gas sector. Eastern European Day 2006,"Russian Challenges – Between Freedom and Energy". 23 June 2006

This was originally part of a presentation given at a summit meeting for Eastern European day. This short summary of the presentation given outlines the current state of eastern European energy supplies and demands. Four main issues are outlined here, Corporate governance (The ability for a company to be influenced directly by the government and the resulting power issues), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Internationalization and energy security. This only outlines topics presented at the meeting but it delivers some key concepts necessary for understanding the energy issue.

 

CIA World Fact Book (Russia information page updated March 19^th 2009)
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html>

The CIA World Fact Book is a resource containing data sheets and information gathered by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the USA. Information provided is approved by the CIA and is free for the public to use.

 

CRS Report for Congress Russian Natural Gas: Regional Dependence. January 5^th 2007. Bernard A . Gleb

This CRS report meant for congress to make better decisions regarding international issues outlines the geopolitical situation in Eastern Europe and it's relations with Russia. Basic census information collected by the Energy Information Administration of Southeaster European Country Analysis Brief.

 

CRS Report for Congress Russia's Cutoff of Natural Gas to Ukraine: Context and Implications, February 15^th 2006. Jim Nichol and Steven Woehrel

This CRS report outlines the issue in January 2006 where Russia strong armed Ukraine to pay an exorbitant price increase for natural gas. It details specific implications for countries, the region and the United States. A detailed background including specific data on amounts of natural gas in the region is included as well as an overview of the 2006 gas shutoff issue with an very substantial analysis of the event as it pertains to each nation involved, including the United States.

 

"Andrew E. Kramer" Russia cuts off gas deliveries to Ukraine. International Herald Tribune January 2^nd 2009

Another analysis of the natural gas cut off is presented in this article. This article provides slightly more background with specific implications to other nations. Reactions and statements are provided from Russia's leader as well as prominent figures in the Ukrainian government. The article provides specific reasoning's for the cut off and analyzes it in context to the 2006 shutoff.

 

The Economist print edition (online). Gasping for gas. January 15^th 2009.
<http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12953847>

This article from the Economist details the Russian gas cut off not from the broad geopolitical standpoint but rather from a bottom up perspective looking at specific instances where the shut off has harmed local governments and business throughout the region. An interesting perspective from Bulgaria and Slovakia is given here, outlining plans that the smaller states may have to reopen nuclear power plants due to the decreased reliance on the natural gas that is sent their way via Russia-Ukraine's pipeline.

 

Richard E. Ericson. The Post-Soviet Russian Economic System: An Industrial Feudalism?.
Institute for Economies in Transition No.8 2000

This article provided from BOFIT online outlines the current Russian economy and compares it to the economy of the Soviet Union. Stark distinctions are given between the fundamental nature of both economic structures and the way they both served the societies for which they were created. Most of this article is out of the scope of the paper, however portions related to the current economic system are useful for understanding how Russia got to its current state.

 

Allen C. Lynch Roots of Russia's Economic Dilemmas: Liberal Economics and Illiberal Geography. Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 54, No. 1 (Jan., 2002 Pages(31-49)
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/826216>

This paper outlines more of Russia's current economic situation stating some important facts that are reiterated in other paper. This paper also gives specific reasons for the current downfall of the Russian economy. Only a few excepts are taken from this paper including statistics on page 32, and information on Russia's economic info-structure on page 38 are related.

 

Qatar News Agency Russia/ Ukraine reach deal to resume gas supplies to Europe January 18^th 2009

This article describes the final deal that ended the gas shutoff in January 2009. Specifics on the agreement are given in this article. No specific details about the talks are given here other than direct quotes from the Ukrainian government officials. The article states that once these talks were finished and all the paperwork was finalized gas serviced as resumed to Ukraine and thus the rest of Europe.

 

John Stern. Security of European Natural Gas Supplies: The impact of import dependence and liberalization. The Royal Institute of International Affairs. July 2002 Page (1-36)

This report to the Royal Institute of International Affairs gives a very complete overview of the specific issue of natural gas security for all of Europe. Breakdowns between needs of countries from different regions as well as specific histories and current relations between all involved parties are given. The detail in this report is very complete. Interestingly because this report was released four years before the gas shut off in 2006 much of the information regarding the security risks associated with Russia's control of much of the natural gas supply is non-existent.

 

Elizabeth Brainerd. Winners and Losers in Russia's Economic Transition .The American Economic Review, Vol. 88 No. 5 Dec., 1998, Pages (1094-1116)

This article reviews much of the economic problems and victories that have been created, or resolved due to the collapse of the Soviet Union. While most of this article was out of the scope of this project it did give sufficient background on Russian economics to understand the reasoning behind why Russia would propose these types of actions against its neighboring countries.

Grammar Girl 49, The Dreaded Run on Sentence

I hate run on sentences. I try everything in my ability to break up run on sentences as much as possible. In general when I try to break up sentences I use the good old fashioned period, it’s a classic and it works. Recently, I have begun to dabble in using another interesting tool, the semicolon. My understanding is that a semicolon is used to join two thoughts that could be considered independent clauses except that they share a common theme or idea; I am also aware that semicolons must share the same subject. While my use of the semicolon is usually haphazard it is for any other reason just a way for me to keep myself from comma splicing, which is one of my greatest English writing sins. Because there are so many different ways to write and express oneself through writing, the way that we decide to write things reflects our own individual style, so long as we don’t violate cardinal rules of the language which tend to make things more confusing, i.e. the run on sentence. As the Grammar girls writes, “In most cases, there's no right answer [to structuring a sentence]. You have to determine what kind of tone you want to set.”

Essay 2 (Final Draft)

Cars-we use them everyday; they are the staple of our American lives. Automobiles have changed over the years, from the materials they are made of to the features they provide. From the Ford model T to the modern SUV, it's hard for one to imagine life without the automobile. The freedom and autonomy associated with owning a car is sought after by people of all nations.. Recently however, this dream has become harder for many around the world to realize.. Geopolitics and other external factors have begun to adversely affect the automotive world impacting both consumers and manufactures alike. Henry Ford, the father of the modern car once said "A market is never saturated with a good product, but it is very quickly saturated with a bad one." These words strike close to home as some of the largest and oldest American car company's struggle to sell current models to a saturated market while they balance researching new fuel alternatives and new models. Although current trends in automobile manufacturing are currently evolving in many ways, global economics and the demand for oil has caused retarded manufacturing and progress in many aspects of the industry because of rise in the price of oil demand from emerging markets and the global financial crisis

The automotive industry has been hit hardest by the price of oil, which has sky rocketed over the past few years. Although the current price of oil has bottomed out due to speculation the automotive industry has suffered heavy losses as a result of lower sales and an oversaturation of large vehicles with poor fuel economy. The only constant in the American car industry has been change. While the basic nature of the car has stayed the same in many respects the car has continued to evolve based on the needs of the consumer and the technology available (Clark 731). In the last 40 years economics has been the governing force behind automobile innovation. While other factors such as safety, ride quality and styling still play a large role in design and marketing, affordability is always one of the top concerns for consumers. As a result when the market demands change from automobile manufacturers those who are too slow to respond often suffer the most. For example the oil shortage in the mid 70's forced many automobile makers to drastically change the design and fuel efficiency of their vehicles in order to meet the new demand. This event in the 1970's mimics our current oil situation today where prices in July 2008 rose to over 130 dollars a barrel, an industry record according to OPEC.org. Despite this the auto industry has made great strides to adapt to these new challenges by offering flex-fuel vehicles which run on both standard petroleum and ethanol, and hybrid vehicles which are partly electric. This has the ability to positively impact the consumer who can now afford to buy a motor vehicle and also operate it

It is not only America that has been hit hard by changes in the global economy. Other nations around the world have had to weather this sea of economic change as well. Changes in this current global economy have lead to decreased production in many developed nationssuch as America, Great Brittan, South Korea and Japan, while emerging nations such as India and especially China have seen a huge increase in automobile sales and manufacturing (Zhu 1049). The demand has shifted to these emerging markets where a large percentage of the population has just recently become middle class citizens. But where does capital and resources for these new emerging markets come from? Just like a pie, the global economy only has so much to go around and as these foreign markets develop many resources shift to account for a newly created demand.

But what happens when that pie gets smaller rather than just being redistributed? The current world financial situation doesn't paint a bright immediate future for most nations as over spending and a European credit crunch has caused a ubiquitous slow down in buying in many foreign and domestic markets. This affects automobile manufacturers on several levels. In these new markets raw materials to make new vehicles become more expensive, not only to obtain but also to distribute and to ship. In turn this leads to a trickledown effect which makes current automobiles more expensive, allows less money for research and development of new models and technology and can negatively impact the consumer and delay progress for changes in car design and technology.

While automotive manufactures make strides in the right direction, perhaps the auto industry as we know it is already gone. Decades spent living with familiar companies like General Motors and Ford might be coming to an end. New markets and changing economies push many of the prototypic American industries aside in favor of new markets with new technologies that out pace that of our own. As we emerge from our current economic recession in the following month or years caused in part by the global credit crisis, changes in new markets and the high price of oil we must learn new ways of not only perusing new technologies but also new strategies and safeguards if we wish to maintain our current was of life.

Works Cited

Kim B. Clark. “Product Development in the World Auto Industry” Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. Vol No.3 (1987) 729.781

Steven Klepper. “The capabilities of new firms and the evolution of the US automobile industry” Industrial and Corporate Change. Vol No.11,(2002) 645-666

OPEC Basket Price Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Mar 2009.

< http://www.opec.org/home/basket.aspx>

Qinghua Zhu. “Green supply chain management: pressures, practices and

performance within the Chinese automobile industry” Journal of Cleaner Production. Vol 15 (2007) 1041-1052

Week 7 & 8 Reading Response 3

The advertisement presented on page 781 in everything's an argument is bilingual. Even though it's bilingual most of the information is presented in Spanish, the reason for this is because the primary audience for this ad are Hispanic men. If this ad were presented in English it would not have appealed to their target audience in several ways. An advertisement in English would have immediately alienated those who only speak Spanish as well as shown those who are bilingual that perhaps they aren't the ones that the advertisement is speaking to. For this reason a majority of the ad is in Spanish. The words "Real Men. Real Depression" is shown as well in the tagline for the advertisement. These words are purposefully placed in English, this placement tries to de-feminize the stereotype of mental health problems. There is a stigma about mental health issues that they are only for those who have problems with their personal lives and that men can always hold a stiff upper lip. This mantra is present in both American and Spanish cultures. By placing this portion in English is draws attention to the ad form people who are living in America, surrounded by this persistant culture and it hopes that by representing both the foreign and traditional stereotypes that it can attract a larger audience.

Week 7 & 8 Reading Response 2

Marquez the author of "Why and When we speak English in public" explains in her essay why she and many other bilingual's in America choose to speak a foreign language. Why people choose to speak which language is a complete mystery for many people who only speak one language. For Marquez it's a matter of respect and holding onto tradition. It is the tongue of her family, and ancestors and to not speak to them in their native language, whether in public or in private is disrespectful to her. She does understand and makes a point of the fact that many people do not understand this why she and others who are bilingual make this choice and distinction. She stresses that, at least for her it's not meant to offend anyone and most of all not that she's attempting to disrespect those round her, it's merely an issue of respect.

In the later part of her essay Marquez goes on the defensive and states some specific examples of when she chooses to use English instead of Spanish. In the example she provides she explains that in the company of those who speak only English she will switch to using only English as not to make the person feel segregated from the conversation. It's difficult to understand why people fear and mistrust people such as the author of this essay. Perhaps it's ignorance or a lack of respect, regardless it's a difficult issue that many people have to deal with everyday.

Week 7 & 8 Reading Response 1

Han, who writes about an often forgotten about marginalized social group, Gay Asian Americans in his essay "Gay Asian-American Male Seeks Home", in this essay Han speaks mostly about how gay Asian men feel that they are outliers in not only one but two communities, both fighting stereotypes from within and outside of their own social circle. Citing several essays written by the group which he studies, most with first hand experiences, Han explains that there are almost diametrically opposed values and social requirements for gay Asian Americans which forces them into an even more uncomfortable position than either the average American homo-sexual or the Asian-American has to live up to, and that it's this constant struggle and balance that forces this sub group into even further isolation. While there a relative acceptance by both the community, and family, (In some instances) for homosexuals in America, Han states that due to traditional Asian (Confucian) values gay Asian Americans are forced out of their communities if their lifestyle choice becomes a public issue. This is doubly compounded by the gay communities' stereotype of Asian men as meek and a submissive group of people who don't have a true ownership to their own subset of their culture. This is mostly due to the gay community's view of the Gay Asian man as a meek and feminized object a sentiment that is apparently not shared throughout the gay Asian community.

Essay 2 Rough Draft

Cars, we use them everyday; they are the staple of our American lives. Automobiles have changed over the years, from the materials they are made of to the features they provide. From the Ford model T to the modern SUV, it's hard for one to imagine life without the automobile. The freedom and autonomy associated with owning a car is sought after all over the world. Recently, this dream has become more difficult to realize for people all over the world. Geopolitics and other factors have begun to adversely affect the automotive world affecting both consumers and manufactures alike. Henry Ford, the father of the modern car once said "A market is never saturated with a good product, but it is very quickly saturated with a bad one." The words of the Ford tycoon strike close to home of late as some of the largest and oldest car company's struggle to sell current models to a saturated market while they balance researching new fuel alternatives and new models. Although current trends in automobile manufacturing are currently evolving in many ways, global economics and the demand for oil has caused retarded manufacturing and progress in many aspects of the industry because of rise in the price of oil demand from emerging markets and the global financial crisis

The automotive industry has been hit hardest by the price of oil, which has sky rocketed over the past few years. Although the current price of oil has bottomed out due to speculation the automotive industry has suffered heavy losses as a result of lower sales and an oversaturation of large vehicles with poor fuel economy.

 

The only thing constant in the American car industry has been change. While cars have stayed the same in many respects they have continued to evolve based on the needs of the consumer and the technology available. In the last 40 years economics has been the governing force behind automobile innovation. While other factors such as safety, ride quality and styling still play a large role in design and marketing, affordability is always one of the top concerns for consumers. As a result when the market demands change from automobile manufacturers those who are too slow to respond often suffer the most. For example the oil shortage in the mid 70's forced many automobile makers to drastically change the design and fuel efficiency of their vehicles in order to meet the new demand. This event in the 1970's mimics our current oil situation today where prices have gone to over 100 dollars a barrel in the last several years. The auto industry has made great strides to adapt to these new challenges by offering flex-fuel vehicles which run on both standard petroleum and ethanol, and hybrid vehicles which are partly electric. This is great for the consumer who can now afford to not only buy a motor vehicle but also drive one.

 
 

It is not only America that has been hit hard by changes in the global economy. Other nations from South America, Africa and the Middle East have had to weather this sea of change as well. Changes in this current global economy has lead to decreased production in many developed nations, first world countries such as America, Great Brittan, South Korea and Japan, while other nations such as India and China have seen a huge increase in automobile sales and manufacturing. The demand has shifted to these emerging markets where a large percentage of the population has just recently become middle class citizens. But where does all of the capital and resources for these new emerging markets come from? Just like a pie, the global economy only has so much to go around and as these foreign markets develop many resources shift to account for a newly created demand.

 
 

 But what happens when that pie gets smaller rather than just being redistributed? The current world financial situation doesn't paint a bright immediate future for most nations as over spending and a European credit crunch has caused a ubiquitous slow down in buying in many foreign and domestic markets. This affects automobile manufacturers on several levels. In these new market raw materials to make new vehicles becomes more expensive, not only to obtain but also to distribute and to ship; in turn this leads to a trickledown effect which makes current automobiles more expensive, allows less money for research and development of new models and technology and, can, negatively impact the consumer and delay progress for changes in car design and technology.

 
 

While automotives continue to make strides in the right direction, perhaps the auto industry as we know it is already gone. The decades spent living with companies like General Motors and Ford might be coming to an end. As we emerge from our current economic rescission caused in part by the global credit crisis changes in new markets and the high price of oil we reflect on how these many changes can impact our everyday lives.

 

Week 6 Reading Reponse (Grammar Girl)

The Grammar girl is a malicious person at times. She has the ability to tear apart a piece of writing, right down to the sinew and bones. In this last reading, "The comma-splice", we see all of what to, and what not to do examples for one of the most common literary elements in modern writing, the comma. I am guilty of over a million command splice errors, but I believe that from reading this article I have become, at least a little bit better at using them properly. Rather than hacking away at someone else's mistakes I'll tackle a few of my own using the grammar girl's guidance.

So, I'll look at a few of my own problems and attempt to analyze what's wrong with them while hinting on the reading.

Due to the nature of writing that I find that comma's aren't used in my day to day writing as much as a journalist or English major might. Most of my writing is scientific in nature so a majority of our writing it supposed to be succinct and clear. As a result I tend to throw commas around haphazardly at best and end up doing a fair bit of comma splicing.

For example, I "used" to write a sentence like, "Neurons are the basic unit of the brain, they are essential for all functions of the brain from the most basic, to the most advanced."

This sentence seemed natural at first, but if we look closely there is a comma splice right in the middle, while the subject is the same for both the first and second clause it would be better to separate them with a semi-colon instead of a common, we can do this because they are related by subject. The common in the second fine however and doesn't require any change. Even though these are small changes I feel that reading these types of articles really helps me to become a better writer.

Reading Response Week 6 (Visual)

The issue of affirmative action was hotly debated in the Supreme Court in 2003. In the months leading up to the trial many opinion articles and political cartoons explored the issue of affirmative action from several points of view with varying arguments being made. In Mike Lester's "It's GOT to be the Shoes" we see college fictitiously portrayed as a carnival ride. A cut off of a clown informs student that you must be "this tall to enter", one two students of equal height are shown standing next to the clown, one student wearing oversized shoes with the words racial preference written on them giving the impression that, all other things being equal the student with the racial advantage will get into college. This comic makes a statement about equality and tries to make that point that especially when all things are equal, race gives an unequal advantage for whites.

In the second comic by Dennis Draughon the supreme court is shown in caricature with the text "The supreme court considers whether race should be taken into account to promote diversity" along with a thought bubble coming from the only black supreme court justice. This is fitting because of the comic's title, "Supreme Irony". It conveys the message that even as the Supreme Court attempts to instill diversity across America, they themselves do only a marginal job of promoting it themselves.

All of these comics promote the idea that even though on the surface the idea of affirmative action does seem to favor minorities, it's the absence of minorities in many aspects of our society that make their inclusion into higher education settings not only deserved but important. It also conveys the feeling that the only reason that minorities do not attend college is due to many socio-economic barriers such as wealth, culture, and other outside influences that the "general" population doesn't have to deal with. I'm still split on this issue myself, as a minority by the U.S census bureau (Asian or Pacific Islander) I cannot apply for NIH (National Institute of Health) or NSF (National Science Foundation) minority scholarships, grants or fellowships. This is frustrating that these double standards seem to apply, and one only realizes these frustrations when mere definitional debates prevent you from graining certain rights.

Reading Response Week 6 (Ralli)

A picture can say a thousand words, but sometimes pictures by themselves can be ambiguous and can have profoundly different meanings in different contexts. Take for example two pictures taken shortly after hurricane Katrina devastated the southern part of the United States. Two pictures of similar situations, survivors obtaining food and supplies are given strikingly different connotations depending on the captioning. In this sense, the media has a ton of power. They have the power to, decide what gets reported, what slant or angle is represented and ultimately shape public opinion. Sometimes this "slant" can cause a lack of objectivity which can have profound effects on the reader's response. In this example the reader, seeing two similar pictures and two different captions is lead to the assumption that the editors of the publication view this situation as "looting" for an African American where in the picture with two Caucasian's the act is referred to "looking for food". The author of this article "Ralli" describes the difference as being merely definitional but because we have the aspect of race added to the equation this mere "oversight" becomes an argument about race and stereotype rather than mere definition.

I believe that the editors and photographers are responsible for this misunderstanding. Regardless of whether their intent to portray African Americans in a degratory manner or not was the intention, these picture have no pretext to them, therefore when deciding on the wording of these situations one must be socially conscious about their decisions.