Hmmm…. Interesting.
As I skimmed my way down the web page, a couple of headlines stuck out to me. One of them was “Out and About: Same-sex unions hindered by law”. It talked about the discriminatory laws that denied many americans of marriage. That was pretty interesting to me because I stand up for gay/lesbian rights. Another article i found interesting was “Style Files: Fashion’s most dangerous art”. That was about women and their love for shoes. Though we ladies love our shoes, they come with a big price to pay. The article explains how ladies’ passion for shoes end up hurting their feet and its usually the prettiest shoes that cause us the most pain. Las but not least, I found was “Parking situation should improve”. I found this one interesting because it is the one that is most relevant to me.
The one that I found the most interesting would be “Out and About: Same-sex unions hindered by law”. My research question would be “Why Hasn’t Texas Accepted Same-sex Marriage?”. To write a paper on that, i would need lots of information. I would first research who makes this decision. Then i would research the process that the states that have accepted same-sex marriage had to go through. I would also research the laws of texas and what is preventing the law for same-sex marriage to be passed in texas. I would interview the mayor of Houston, any senators that live in texas, and any board members in Houston. I would look on “http://blogs.abcnews.com/legalities/2008/05/gay-marriage-in.html” to further answer my question as well as some other websites.
A local issue that i am considering for the Practical Proposal Paper is “What action is needed to fix the Houston Roads”. I am thinking about writing my paper on that because I drive in Houston every day and every day i drive over pot holes, cracks in the road and uneven roads. I would really like to see Houston roads to be improved so that Houstonians would not have to spend so much money on tires so often. The roads of University of Houston itself has so many pot holes that I had to get a tire change in just 2 months! Improvement in the roads is something that Houston desperately needs
1 comment October 22, 2009
Tags: ENGL 1304
Make Love, Not War!
make love, not war
Visual Arguments (=
Image taken from WITH permission: Himmad Ali Khan
Edited by: Nida Qureshi
Add a comment September 22, 2009
Tags: ENGL 1304
Doubter POV
When I was younger, my parents always told me that if I go to college, I’m going to come out a successful business woman. I followed their directions and now I am in college trying to make something out of myself. I agree with my parents that a college degree is a necessity to a successful career in most cases. While reading “Labor Day and the American Dream” by William McGurn, I was shown a new perspective that I found as a minority story.
Although the author argues that a skill is required to have a well paying job, I believe a diploma to back that skill up has even better rewards. The author only listed two jobs, physical therapists and power plant operators, as an example of jobs that pay high wages but don’t require a diploma. Most other jobs, like a doctor or an engineer, or even something as minuscule to being a clown requires a diploma these days. A diploma is almost like the backbone of a career. It provides insurance that no matter what happens to the economy, one has something to stay stable.
As for the example of Bill gates and Microsoft, I disagree with that too. The author gave the example of Bill Gates and his successful career as a college drop out. These examples are very rare. People with extraordinary skills are very rare to find, and sometimes, college may not be the answer for them. But most people in general don’t have sharp, refined skills that they can support a family with. Even the author agrees that “Of course, working in the trades or starting up a small business is not for everyone”. College diplomas are a safety-blanket for some jobs or even a requirement for other well-paying jobs.
So although, the author argues that diplomas are not a necessity for a successful job, I argue that a diploma is needed in most jobs and can even be used as a safety blanket for those who have a refined skill.
Add a comment September 8, 2009
Tags: ENGL 1304
Believer POV
When I was young, my parents always told me that if I go to college, I’m going to come out a successful business woman. Although that may be true in some cases, it is not always the case for everyone. I agree with the author of the article “Labor Day and the American Dream” by William McGurn, that one does not always necessarily need a diploma or a degree to be successful in life. The article introduces Mike Rowe, who is a host of a cable TV show “Dirty Jobs”. The author informs us that Mike Rowe “has done them all: from steel-mill worker and pig-slop processor to hot-tar roofer and sewer inspector”. Mike Rowe argues that one does not need a college diploma to be a well successful person.
The key to having a well-paying job without a high school diploma or a college degree is to have sharp skills. The author quotes two economists who support Rowe’s views that there are numerous amounts of jobs that pay well without requiring college. The authors also warn us about a catch; “The catch is that for high school graduates to get these jobs, they need to upgrade their skills through apprenticeships, community college, on-the-job training, certification programs, etc”.
The author informs us of jobs that do not require a college degree and are receiving wages way above the standard income rate. For example, “physical therapists earn about $74,000 a year, while power plant operators average $58,000”. Both of these jobs require a defined and precise skill without a college degree.
The author also points out people who have made a generous amount of income without a college degree. For example, Bill Gates and Microsoft have had great success without a college degree. Another great example of a success story is Oprah. Both are now living a wealthy life.
While college may be a good way to gain a steady income, it is definitely not the only way people can live the luxury life. To some people, college may be a good answer for them, but then again, college is not always for everyone and is not a key to success.
Add a comment September 8, 2009
Tags: ENGL 1304
Orientation
This story deals with adding a new employee to a professional firm. I don’t agree with how the new employee was being briefed into the company. The way that the narrator was introducing the company to the new employee was very intimidating. If i was in place of the new employee, I would have practically quit the next day. For example, the company states “If you make an emergency phone call without asking, you may be let go”, that itself is so restricting! I like to work in an environment where I have a little lee-way to move around and personalize my business work. I believe that the only way a person can stand out in a big company and succeed is to stand out in the crowd and make them known. Having many restrictions makes it harder to distinguish yourself from the herd of people your company deals with.
The story seems to be making a claim that pretending to not know the information you know is a good thing. For example, the people in the company clearly know that Amanda Pierce is sexually violated every night by her husband, but the company decides to look the other way. I completely disagree with that. The lady is obviously in trouble and no one decides to help her out. The narrator clearly states “But we’re not supposed to know any of this. Do not let on. If you let on, you may be let go” meaning even if the new employee tries to help her out or even talk to her, he can get fired according to the narrator.
The story goes on about working on the emotions and reasoning of its reader very poorly. Like I’ve stated before, I don’t agree with keeping some things to one’s self. I think dealing with emotions should be done. It is very important for someone to talk their feelings out (i.e. dealing with your wife’s death like Barry Hacker) and try to solve the problem.
Add a comment September 1, 2009
Tags: ENGL 1304
