Research Paper Update

1) My research paper is about Welfare and the reforms that could be made to it in order to provide benefits to those who deserve it and make it more efficient.
2)
"Eligibility and Issuance Requirements." Eligibility and Issuance Requirements. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2012. <http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/foodstamps/PG841.htm>

This website will be helpful so that I have a better understanding of who can get welfare. This knoweledge will be a basic foundation to help me write my paper.

 "Welfare and Welfare Spending." The Heritage Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2012. <http://www.heritage.org/issues/welfare>

Becaue all of my other sources are produced by the government, this site will help provide me with opposing views. While the other sites help me understand the system and how it works, this site will help reveal its flaws. I understand however that this site may have a bias and I will have to note that in my paper.

"Welfare Information." US Welfare System. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2012. <http://www.welfareinfo.org/>

This is the nation-wide welfare site that will help provide foundation information and help me understand the mobility the states have to make their own rules on welfare.

 "Welfare-to-Work." Welfare-to-Work. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2012. <http://www.cdss.ca.gov/cdssweb/PG141.htm>.

This site outlines a program that accompanies the welfare system in California. This program is helpful and as I will argue in my paper, should be made mandatory for all unemployed recipients of welfare.

My Complaint

Well, many of the things I am frustrated by are in grocery stores. To start, I do not understand why grocery stores have, for example, twelve check out lanes and only two of them are ever open. It does not make sense. As a result, there ends up being two or three long lines. Beyond the long lines, I can not stand people who move slowly. No, there is not a need to carefuly select which penny and dime you are going to give me as change. Just quickly grab the change and we can move on with our lives. In addition to that, I can't stand it when the checkout worker is slowly scanning each item and then slowly picks up each item and slowly bags it.  I do not have nearly enough patience for that.
Something else I would like to complain about is dentists. No, not that I hate going, because I don't, but the fact that whenever I go to the dentist, they always try talking to me. Can someone please tell me how I am supposed to respond to questions while I have fingers and tools shoved in my mouth? Oh wait. I  can't. I understand they are trying to be pleasant and catch up and see how I am doing which is nice and dandy, except that I have absolutely no way of responding As a result I generally just end up saying something completely indecipherable. It is like trying to eat and chew gum at the same time, possible, but not a good combination.
While there are many things that I can complain about, I though these two were rather relatable.

Essay on the definition of a SMILE

My essay is here!

Division and Analysis- Swing Dancing Linked

Link is HERE

Swing Dancing- Division and Analysis

           On Friday, September 28^th, 2012, I received my first swing dance lesson. While I would never have voluntarily done something such as this (mainly because I am convinced that despite appearing to be normal, I actually have two left feet), it was during English class so I had little choice in the matter.  Friday morning before school, as I was putting on my shoes with the least tread, as instructed by Ms. Guerrard, my mom asked me why were swing dancing in class, and that was when I realized that I actually did not know the answer.

            As I walked into the cafeteria, only slightly tardy, I saw Ms. Guerrard instructing all of us how to do the basic step. We were split into two groups, the leaders and the followers. The first thing we did, was a little bit of a warm up by bending out knees. After that we were taught a simple rock back. As a follower, we stepped back with our right foot and transferred our weight from the front foot to the back foot. We repeated this motion a few times before adding the next step. Ms. Guerrard showed us a triple step that we would do. We then practiced this move. Each time we learned a new step, we would repeat it without the music, and then with the music several times to assure that we correctly completed the step. After we completed it, she would add on a small piece.

            Once we had gotten the first few basic steps down, we proceeded by repeating the process with a partner. Because we are young and awkward with people of the opposite sex and dancing, it took us a while to warm up and be able to laugh at ourselves as we looked like complete fools, or at least I did while I was dancing, if you could even call what I was doing dancing (it was more like tripping over my partner’s feet, or my own, then apologizing profusely and laughing uncomfortably). Once we finally had conquered the step with a partner and were confident in it, a new step was added. And once again the process repeated.

            Finally having learned what we thought was all of it (including a spin), we paired up once again and repeated the steps with music and a partner. As my partner and I began to get the hang of it, we would rotate and get a new partner. Then another step was added, where the female would get pulled in close to their partner and stay close for several steps before being pushed out. This is when we learned the true purpose of swing dancing. Apparently, swing dancing had once been used as a way for men to court women, and by pulling them in close, they were given a chance to, ahem, get to know one another better. Swing dancing was a perfect example of division an analysis because the dance was divided into small steps which we then learned individually before slowly growing upon each other.

Good Blog: The Style Rookie

While it is true that I stole this blog from Ms. G's list, I did spend probably a good hour going through post after post of "They Style Rookie". I LOVED it! Now what made this blog so wonderful? To start, the writer used humor. This made the blog interesting to read and not as dense as many blogs can be. Plus, the humor perfectly fit the style and audience of the blog. The blog was definitely geared towards those interested in fashion with a slightly alternative taste. One of the main reasons I thought the blog was fantastic was the use of lots and lots of pictures. However, the pictures, while numerous, were still strategically used. There were no photos that were left caption-less or without some sort of blog post accompanying it. Plus, there was a diversity in the pictures. Not picture after picture of the same style of blouse, but more of some random pictures mixed in with those of clothes amongst other things. Lastly, the blog was lighthearted and personal. She used the names of the people in the pictures as if I, the reader, personally knew who she was talking about. This made the blog almost seem as if it was a journal, which immediately makes it more interesting. Overall, I am definitely a fan of this blog.

Response to "Politics and the English Language"

      I think Orwell did an interesting job of presenting the irony between the decay of the english language and how it relates to politics. Words, which are generally used to clarify a subject, are currently in politics used to obscure the true meaning. Orwell lists many examples where he presents a part of a speech or prose and uses it to reveal the lack of substance in it.
      While the examples he presents demonstrate poor writing, Orwell writes beautifully, creating a stark contrast between his own manner of writing and the decaying style of the examples.  I thought the essay was relevant and possessed a style of writing that captured the audience, but still managed to have solid information and a balanced proportion of examples to analysis.

Research Paper Topic

1) I intend to write about the welfare system and how it should be reformed.
2) My topic is controversial because it affects the lives of not only those supported by the welfare system, but all those who support it, or in other word, everyone who pays taxes.
3) I will be using online database, books and articles written by worthy sources. Furthermore, I may try to contact our congressman, Mike Thompson, however that source will most likely be unavailable.
4) I wrote a bill on the subject for Girls' State and was extremely interested in it and developed strong opinions on how it should be reformed.
5) I am not sure whether this is a popular topic or not, however it has probably been done before because it can be a touch-y subject.
6) As of yet, I have no questions for you.

Senior Project Update

My senior project began a tad late because I decided last minute that my original project was a little more than I could actually handle. My original project was to raise thousands of dollars to renovate a bathroom at the Samaritan House (the family homeless shelter in Napa) so that there were more than two showers for the seven families that inhabit the house.

Partially into the year however, I realized I may have signed up for more than I could do.  After talking to Mr. Gilbert I decided to instead raise as much money as I could and then donate the profits to the Samaritan House.

I recently finished my new letter of intent and have gotten my mentor. What I need to rapidly complete is the mentor interview as well as complete/turn-in the mentor contract.

The hours themselves should not be hard to complete as the fundraisers themselves will take time as well as all of the planning. The project should be fairly simple because I have already founded a club at Napa High, P.A.T.H. (Providing Assistance To Homeless). Through my club, we will be doing many fundraisers, such as bake sales, to raise money to donate.

Japanese Food

I am continuing my food journey by now analyzing traditional (and americanized) Japanese food. I am quite a fan of japanese food, and pracitcally live off of sushi, tempora, and other dishes. Sushi is amazing because 1) I can use chopsticks, 2) they are generally bite sized, and 3) the variety is simply astounding. Now who wouldn't want to use chopsticks? It just makes eating that much more fun, and if you aren't the best, like me, then actually being able to eat the sushi is a challenge in and of itself, and I love a good challenge.  Sushi can be made several different ways. While we use the word "sushi" to refer to the rolls, maki sushi is the technical name (but who actually wants to be technical, so from now on, when I say sushi I mean the rolls). Sushi is delicious, in my opinion because of the different types. For example, some rolls have tempura inside, thus combining probably the two best types of japanese food (tempura and sushi). Tempura is vegetables or fish that is deep-fried in a batter and then can be dipped in a sweet sauce. Sushi can be rather neutral,  or extremely spicy. Plus, the extravagence of the roll can vary as well. For instance there are simple rolls that only include cucumber and carrotts, or california rolls (which usually have crab, avocado, and cucumber)
However, sushi can also be more embelished and contain caviar or in my opinion even look like a piece of art. Below is a picture of sushi with caviar: Below is a picture of a more decorated sushi roll:


Perhaps because sushi is such a diverse  food type, and the varieties are endless that it is so appealing to many people.

ICE

My essay is here!

Essay based on the style of "Girl"

The essay is here

Oh how I want a Husband

         I wish I had a husband. A husband to sit on the couch  on the weekend and yell at me for a beer because the husband can not get up in the middle of the 3rd quarter of the present football game while I run around the kitchen trying to prepare the dinner. While making sure that the food is warm, table is set, and the kids are seated, I want a husband who can ask me over and over "How long until we eat?".
          On top of this I wish I had a husband who let me take care of the kids... all the time. A husband that leaves in the morning to go to work, letting me wake up the children, dress them, and feed them, all while getting myself ready for my own job. The husband would let me find a way to get off work early in order to pick up the kids from school and then take them to after school sports and appointments. He would allow me to schedule and keep track of all of his appointments because in a perfect world, he would never be able to do that himself.
        I want a husband who can work late and come home expecting dinner to be made.  Not only that, but I want a husband who wants me to look like I have all day to just work out, even though I am constantly busy. And the perfect husband would be on who  demands that I look perfect, at all times. I would love to be a trophy wife, making sure that my hair and nails and make-up and tan are always perfect. I want a husband whose extent of "helping out around the house" is to hammer a loose nail, or change a light-bulb. My husband will then get to complain about his job while I listen and take care of him because he won't care about my feelings or my day.
        My husband will be so wonderful that he will let me do his laundry and make sure the house is perfectly clean. He will be sure to throw huge party's and dinner's at the house so that everyone can tell him how beautiful his home is, and how wonderful the party is. I want a husband who, after wishing all of the guests goodbye, will go to bed, so graciously allowing me the honor of cleaning up. Oh how I truly want a husband!

From Journal to Essay- Embalming

I do not think embalming is a good thing because I feel it presents the deceased as something they were not. After having read the essay on embalming, it all seems very much like science fiction.  I was honestly disturbed hearing about how the morticians prepped the bodies. Everything that went on was very gruesome, yet when friends and relatives see the body, it looks decent. I feel that embalming is bad because it distorts one's memory of the deceased because the last image of the person will be what they looked like after being embalmed which is clearly not what they looked like before. While friends and family may not want to see what the deceased really looked like, it is the truth and should be dealt with rather then masked by gross procedure's and make-up. People are no longer paying their respects  to the deceased but rather a body filled with chemicals and a face that is masked with make-up and by procedures that beneath the veneered surface is made up of many mutilations.
Embalming is very expensive and for what? To have the deceased look like someone they were not? It falsely represents those who have died and can cause a huge financial toll on the family. Furthermore, the "behind-the-scenes" action is so unknown that people are not aware of how disturbing it is and thus are willing to pay for this or agree to it unknowingly when they hand over the body to the mortician.
Overall, while I understand that some people want their loved one to "look good" for the last time they will ever see them, I believe that they should see the deceased as they had existed so what exists in their memory is an accurate representation rather than a mask that shields the true terrors of embalming.

Compare and Contrast Essay

I prefer the CITY LIFE

Trending or Trashy?

My essay from one of the many prompts on page 227 is: here

Structural Element of The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society

While I am not sure whether or not commenting on the placement of examples and the presence of examples counts as commenting on a structural element, that is what I am going to do. In The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society Kozol uses an assortment of examples that truly demostrate the challenge of being illiterate. The variety of examples assisted in 3 the essay much more powerful. Because there are so many different examples,  the esssay is relateable to a wider array of people. The examples use everyday settings to show the frequency of the problems that come as a result of illiteracy. There is a great parallelism between  the frequency of examples in the passage and a frequncy of the challenges illiterates must face everyday.
The examples are all relatively short and to the point. This, rather than diminish them, makes them that much stronger. They stick out and are more powerful than they ever could have been because of this slight structural difference. When reading something, it seems that, on occasions such as this, the longer a sentence goes on, the less power it retains. For example: "Illiterates cannot read traffic signs and therefore cannot travel" or "When illiterates are driving they cannot read traffic signs so they can't leave town because they won't know where they are going" ...which is more powerful? While this may be up for some debate, when I am reading an essay I find that the shorter length of the examples makes more of an impact. It keeps the reader engaged and demands the reader's attention.

We Are Cool

My essay based off of one of the short stories/essays that we read is: here

Response to Greasy Lake

I found that Greasy Lake was overall a comical story. In the opening, the narrator tries to present himself and his two friends as "bad characters". As he is describing himself it is clear that he is in no way truly bad. He borrows his mother's car, and drinks fruity alcohol. He and his friends were trying to be bad. I thoroughly enjoyed the description of the narrator's friends.  My favorite was when he described Digby as a dangerous character who even "allowed his father to pay his tuition to Cornell". This, if anything serves as a reason for why they are NOT bad. Not only did Digby do well enough to even be accepted to Cornell, but he comes from a middle to upper class family where his father can afford to pay his tuition for him! There is not a single thing "bad" about that. Furthermore, the boys cannot even manage to consume hard alcohol but rather, drink "lemon-flavored" gin.

            I enjoyed how the narrator blamed the dropping of the key as the impetus for all the trouble they got in.  There were many ironic themes and instances in this essay, and the key certainly was not excluded. When the narrator needed the key most of all, he could not find it, but once it was no longer urgent, the key seemed rather obviously placed on the ground. The most prevalent example of irony is the boys themselves; they attempt to present themselves as bad, when in reality they are rather nerdy. After having been beaten up, raped a girl, and encountered a dead body, the narrator tries to think of excuses to tell his mom, and the best he can come up with is that he was playing chess. The fact that his mom would even believe this further goes to show how nerdy the boys are.

The story reminded me of the movie Project X.  The boys believe themselves to be dangerous, but once they encounter the sort of mischief they were looking for, they were nowhere near prepared to handle it. These are boys who are used to doing well in school and now want to try and “live a little”. They end up getting into more trouble than they anticipated. In a way it is similar to the “Little Boy Who Cries Wolf” after claiming to be bad and have these adventures they end up face to face with actual trouble. I found it really funny, in a rather morbid way, when the narrator falls on top of a corpse in the lake. This experience just seems downright disgusting. While it is creepy, it is comical at the same time.

                Overall I enjoyed Greasy Lake, and while there were frightening moments, it was overall rather comical and enjoyable.

                                                                                                                                                                                    

Gentle Waves

My thing/deeper topic essay = here

The Yellow Stairs Description

The paint is chipped and worn. Bright and bold from a distance but up close, visibly defined by the cracks and stains that overwhelm each step. Regardless, the stairs still remain. A symbol for success, these stairs, in the center o the school are tarnished and worn. The yellow paint, once vibrant and bright is not turning to white. Each step bears a distinctly blemished surface. The cold, bland concrete emerges in patches and incites a feeling comparable to seeing an old, wounded veteran. The only reminder that the stairs are not solitary and abandoned are the bits of food scattering the steps that are left from the students.

Boxman Debrief

1. I leaned that sometimes small details can be more important than they seem, such as the line about the comparing  the way the Boxman turned the newspaper page to how a grandmother licks her finger before turning the page.
2. I wish we had discussed the juxtaposition of the examples to reveal the benefit of choosing solitude.
3. I wanted to talk more in depth about the differences between the examples and the lady who went in to the diner to get a bowl of soup and crackers every night. I wanted to discuss how the lady would take as long as possible to break her crackers because, unlike the Boxman, this lady craved social interaction and this ws her only chance to do so. She was unhappy with her situation whereas the Boxman embraced it.

My I am.... Essay

I am NOT Controlling

Long Form- Dumbing Us Down

Long Form for Dumbing Us Down

Senior Project

           The summer after my sophomore year, my Youth Ministry Leadership Team went on a service trip to Los Angeles to help the homeless. One experience had an unexpectedly enormous impact on me. My group was walking around Skid Row passing out water and food and we pass a man lying on the sidewalk on a rather desolate street. Statuesquely standing next to the man was a security guard. After passing by it was clear the man was not in a good condition. Turning around, another group member and I walked back and were about to set down a bottle of water and some food in case the man was hungry or thirsty. By this point the group had turned around as well and was standing with us. Once setting down the water the immobile security guard told us we were not to give him anything to drink or it. Confused we asked if it could just be there for him later, and in return we got  a cold "No." Not wishing to argue with the security guard, we moved on. About 30 minutes later as we were walking back to the car, we passed the street where the man had been, however the street was no longer desolate. Huddled on a corner across the street we all watched as we saw the man we had tried to help casually lifted onto a stretcher and into an ambulance.  I felt utterly helpless as I was forced to watch this, angry and upset that we were not allowed to help him earlier.  While it sounds dramatic to say that in one week my life was changed, it really was. I returned to Napa with a new viewpoint on several aspects of life and with the conviction that I needed to do something to help in my own community. About a month later, once back in school, I created a club called P.A.T.H. (Providing Assistance To Homeless). We have done several fundraisers to to raise as much money as we could to donate it to several shelters in Napa and use the money to purchase food, water, and socks, to hand out on the streets of San Francisco.
            As soon as I found out about the Senior Project and its requirements I was determined that I would use this cause as my basis. After attending a tour of the Samaritan House, a family shelter, with my club, I thought that it may be a good specific cause for my Senior Project. Currently my goal is this: To raise enough money to help provide extra showers for the Samaritan House and have money left over to help buy supplies for other shelters. I am very passionate about this cause as I feel occasionally people treat the homeless as if they do not exist, choosing to ignore rather than help. I will need to plan many fundraisers, both of large and small scale, in order to raise the sufficient amount of funds.
              It is my hope that all goes according to plan and this time, I will not feel helpless.

A Little Bit About Me

            While describing myself is a rather large task, I suppose I should probably start with the basics. So without further adieu, my name is Olivia, and the first thing you should know about me is that I can be extremely sarcastic. Seeing as sarcasm doesn't always translate well over text, I will wait until in person to demonstrate this gift of mine.
            Since I am currently writing this in a Starbucks while eavesdropping on a heated debate about religion, I believe I must take this opportunity to discuss that aspect of myself. I am extremely involved with my church Youth Minsitry. Being a part of the Youth Minsitry has had a tremendous impact on who I have become and what I got involved in throughout high school. Through my Youth Ministry I  was able to participate in a plethora of community service projects. The summer after my sophomore year those of us on the Youth Ministry Leadership Team went on a service trip to L.A. to help the homeless. A month after returning from the trip, I founded a club at my high school called P.A.T.H.  (Providing Assistance To Homeless). Less than a year later we have already raised several thousand dollars that have gone to support the homeless shelters in Napa as well as spent time volunteering through several organizations. We also interacted with homeless people on a personal level when we went to SF and passed out food, water, and socks (which was surprisingly the most requested item). I love just listening to their stories and backgrounds, and they love having someone listen to them. The feeling that I get while helping and interacting with these people is indescribable. 

            Other hobbies of mine (yes,  I do consider community service a hobby) include tennis, track, and school. In track I pole vault, and while I am not good at it at all, I have for some reason continued to do it for three years in a row. Now, school is more of a developed hobby. I did not decide to just "try it out and see if I liked it" but because my goal is to attend Georgetown University I have learned to love the hours spent studying and doing homework in hopes that they will help me achieve my goal, and even my goal isn't achieved, I have always loved a challenge, and my rigorous course load has provided me just that. 
            Before concluding this post about myself I will include five random facts that I believe provide an accurate depiction of my personality.

1. I am addicted to chocolate, specifically dark chocolate
2. Never ask me to tell a story about an experience I had or what not if you are in a rush, because my stories tend to take quite a while as I like to include every detail.
3. I love driving, mostly because it gives me a chance to sing and dance to music while it is blasting from the radio.
4. When I grow up I aspire to become an attorney and from there proceed into politics.
5. My friends are like my family.