blog 2 (11-30-11)

Response to Stasi movie:

I think that the government and workers for the government will go so far on a case, that it is inhumane and unjust. In this particular movie inspectors and secret agents went so deep into a situation that one young woman ended up committing suicide, and a lonely man lost his job for many years. The situation, the tension, and the relationship between George and Maria (the main characters) was extremely complicated. Maria was threatened, and assumed that her life was going to be taken based off of one situation. There was a typewriter and some documents which were important, significant, and secret, and belonged to George and was hiding in his house. Maria along with only a few others knew where those items were hiding, and it was clear that the place was not to be revealed to anyone. Maria was pounced on by workers for the government and was forced to tell them a piece of information that she knew, but was certainly not comfortable revealing. This is a complex and perplexed situation because Maria was put on the spot and did not know if she should tell the truth or not. Of course telling the truth is the right thing to do almost all the time, but maybe not in this dilemma... If she gave them a false spot where the treasure they were looking for was not in, then they could potentially harm her and her spouse. If she told them the truth than they would probably not hurt her but would maybe hurt Georg, and the typewriter would be located and everything would go downhill from there. The feeling Maria must have had was intense, and she was probably feeling regret, anxiety, and confusion, all at one time. Little did she know, the searchers invaded their house and looked in the spot where the items had been, but Georg moved it, however Maria did not know that. As they took apart the piece of the floor in which the typewriter had been and as they were about to succeed their mission, as the spies thought, Maria had ran downstairs in her bathrobe and killed herself before everyone got the chance to clear up the whole situation. So this whole case resulted in miscommunication and unnecessary secrets being hidden from one another. Georg must have been beyond upset and hurt because his wife felt so bad about what she did that she killed herself. This action shows that she felt so guilty about what she did, and really cared about Georg. What if Veisler had not moved the prized possessions? Than Maria would have probably still died, and the typewriter and documents would have been found. In the way the situation unfolded, Maria died as well but the items were not found, however that was probably unimportant considering Georg's wife died. One little action, one little item, even one word or one facial expression can be significant in a scene like this. A few years later, Georg got to see what Maria said to the Stasi and he found out they he was being bugged, meaning every move he made was being recorded, they could hear him, (not see him.) If I were him I would probably have not wanted to see or hear what Maria said to the Stasi because it would have made me over-think the situation, and feel even more sad/mad about everything and how it went down. It is hard to look back on things, and refrain from regretting decisions you made, or things you said. Especially for something like this because there was so much miscommunication and misunderstanding between Maria and Georg, but in the end they loved each other and wanted what was best. Because of how severe the consequences of their actions were, the level or regret increased. Especially for a government official or leader, their decisions, ideas, and actions are very carefully observed and analyzed and there is more room for regret, but also for figuring out ways to do better next time.

blog 1 (11-28-11)

LEADERSHIP

"Who would be the best choice to lead the country over the next four years," is a question that citizens are faced with in order to elect a president- a leader. However, the way in which each individual approaches and comprehends this question depends on their definition of a leader. Some leaders choose to focus on current issues, for example how Barack Obama often addresses the current, pressing issue of our economics and the recession. On the other hand, other leaders choose to focus on how to shape and prepare their nation for the future. Additionally, a leader needs its' followers in all aspects of being a leader. A leader needs people to literally and figuratively follow them in order to be a leader and have authority, and a leader needs followers to believe in them in order for them to believe in themselves. The actions and choices of a leader truly reflect the time period they are living in. When technology is a devouring and overwhelming part of everyday lives, a leader would probably address that issue considering it is popular and a leader needs to be on top of things. Also, I believe a leader needs be fair meaning always considering everyone's voice whether they be black or white, poor or rich, male or female, young or old, tall or short, etc. An ideal leader would have balance between thought and action. Meaning, they would produce and discover ideas and thoughts for their people, and would have a good balance between speaking and then actually acting and making a difference. A few more characteristics of an ideal leader would be one who is a good communicator and persuader, sticks to their values, and takes complex ideas and situations and makes them simple. A leader needs to be willing; willing to listen, willing to act, willing to change, willing to take criticism, willing to accept defeat, and willing to be a confident leader. A leader needs to have a balance of their personal ideas and views, along with facts and knowledge. In other words, everyone has a bias and everyone has opinions, however the way in which you mix those personal beliefs with facts is a vital quality and skill. My personal take on being a leader is complicated and something I will continue to develop throughout being a human on this planet and being a student. For me, both watching other leaders and the choices I make about leadership are what affects my definition of a leader. If I feel like taking action and putting my voice above others in order to get something done, or release an idea, than I am choosing to be a leader. When I want to be, I can be a leader in my family, in the classroom, on my sports teams, in my friend group, etc. The opportunity to be a leader is often a position many individuals over-think, however to be a leader is something almost anyone can be. By definition a leader is a "guiding or directing head," or "one with followers." (Dictionary.reference.com) Personal definitions of a leader affect the way you view leaders and what you look for in a leader. There are leaders, and there are good leaders, but both are hard to fulfill. 

blog 3 (11-17-11)

There is a lot to compare between the heat wave in Chicago and the Trench foot disease that was going around during war in an area between Germany and France. In the heat wave in the mid 1900's, hundreds of people died. However, not everyone that died during the heat wave died because of the pouncing heat. People most definitely died because of other reasons and illnesses. You cannot blow something like this out of proportion because that only makes matters worse and we all know that people die daily because of natural causes. Mayor Daley stated, "then everybody in the summer that dies will die of heat." He is projected this idea through the media for two reasons. One because he does not want to be blamed as the mayor for any of these deaths, nor does he want people to freak out and also because what he is saying about the deaths is true. Many of the opinions and theories created post heat wave were due to the mayor and politics. These views that they expressed would not be possible without the media because they were screened on public television and through the media. Mayor Daley said a lot of things that than stuck with citizens and now when they think back and refer to the heat wave, they think of the political views expressed through the media as well. The trench foot disease was similar and different to the heat wave in many ways. They were different because they happened in different countries, yet they were similar because both the heat wave and trench foot hit all types of people; young, old, male, female, strong, weak, sick, healthy, etc. These two epidemics differed because the media played a clear role in the heat wave in Chicago, and on the other hand during the trench foot outbreak, there was no media, and things regarding battle and everyday life were much more "old fashioned." They were similar because both groups of people had to remember that just because trench foot was going around, or the heat wave was present, doesn't mean that everyone was affected by it, or that everyone that died during that time period died because of that. Lastly, when a group of people comes together, disease is more likely to result in a higher death toll. In the trenches, there were so many people and so many dirty things such as feces, dead animals, dead bodies, and rain water that all compiled to create this deadly disease. When a group of people comes together, a disease is bound to spread quickly and affect countless people. The heat wave was less of a group dilemma because it was not necessarily contagious, however people did need the support and assistance of others. There is a lot to compare and contrast between the heat wave in Chicago, and trench foot in Europe. 

blog 2 (11-15-11)

Response to "Dying Alone":

The heat wave in Chicago in 1995 was both a social disaster and a natural one. It was primarily a social disaster and time of awareness because many people died out of contact meaning they died alone from this heat wave in places such as behind doors, and in alleys, that no one would expect. This is a social issue because they died without putting closure on relationships and families. Since the elderly were the most vulnerable to death in this situation, that shifted the population socially. They were most vulnerable because they were often unable to move quicker, and they tend to be less modern than everyone else. When you are old and ill, it is harder to shift your life style than it is for an active young adult. Also, since this heat wave broke out and everyone was acting hectic and unorganized, they needed to trust people around them. City dwellers sometimes needed to trust their neighbors because when it was so hot they needed to leave doors open or something like that. Trust is a big aspect of social life, and this heat wave was an example of how an environmental issue affects social lives as well. Another major aspect of this heat wave in 1995 was the response by the government and the question if the government did enough and covered their responsibilities. Of course people argued that the government did not do enough because when a whole city is in trouble like that, they need someone to blame, so they blame their leaders who already have so many expectations placed on them. The government failed to implement a plan for what happens when a heat emergency like this occurs, and they waited till last minute to do it because they were not fully expecting it. After many bodies were already washed away, the authorities still stalled calling for more help and paramedics because they could not sense the magnitude of this epidemic. By 1999 Chicago experienced another sever heat wave, however the media played a bigger role in this event than it did in the issue in 1995. With the advanced communications, interactions, and overall technological advancements, police were sent door to door to check on people, public transportation was provided, and everything was more organized, therefor the death toll was reduced. Because of these heat waves, which were both a natural and a social disaster, the government learned things as well as the citizens and what they should expect from their leaders. From this, citizens learned that natural disasters that are uncontrollable should not be blamed on the government, and now they know how to prepare themselves for scenes like this in the future.

blog 1 (11-14-11)

Response to the Environment and World War:

The Industrial Revolution had a net positive affect on the world, and really helped sustain human life and many advancements sprouted through the Industrial Revolution. However, right after this revolution a War known as World War I broke out. Such a positive period in history and such a negative period in history happen so close together, and the world is always shifting. Not only do the amount of casualties and increase or decrease in population affect the world, but the reasons for those changes. World War I clearly demonstrated a bad relationship between society and the environment, along with all the deaths and injuries. During this war soldiers were required to live in trenches in order to escape their opponents and be secretive. However, along with living in these trenches came lice, disease, deaths, feces, spoiled food, and especially rain water. All of the water built up after several months carried these objects and even humans along with them, and resources of any sort became scarce. The impact of disease and the impact of the environment are two majors things that forever changed/will continue to change the world. There are many things in history that we cannot control, so how do we shape history? We ultimately cannot control how quickly disease spreads and how many people die. We cannot control the environment and the catastrophes that are randomly thrown at us. We cannot control other peoples major decisions and ideas? We do not know who will be born and how they will affect the world. We do not know how the environment is going to react to our treatment of it. We do not know what other disease might suddenly break out, or how many people will die. But we do know that things will always change and we have to prepare for what we can. Just like in a science experiment there is a controlled variable which we can individually and manually control, and there are those other variables which unfold themselves as the experiment continues and as we discover new things. The one thing we can control is ourselves. We can control how much effort we put into something and our motivations to start new ideas. We can control our hygiene and how we choose to interact with people and the environment we live in. We can control ourselves and how we want to make a difference in the world, while we cant control many other things around us...

blog 3 (11-13-11)

Thesis:

Given that there was already poverty in Haiti, when the earthquake hit it caused even more poverty due to the unstable government, unemployment, and growing population.

Topic Sentence:

There was a record of unstable government in Haiti even before the earthquake hit which made the catastrophe even more hectic and difficult, which ultimately led to poverty.

A. Disorganization regarding health and hospitals

B. Disorganization regarding safety and crimes

C. International affairs (which sometimes help more than their own government)

Topic Sentence: Because of the unemployment and lack of education, Haitians were driven into poverty and hunger.

A. Tough decisions to be made

B. Schooling system

C. Everyday life (how poverty, hunger, and the Gov. are all connected- one big issue)

Topic Sentence: The growing population in Haiti made everything harder because the amount of people dominated the amount of land, jobs, and resources available in Haiti.

A. It's a problem that is harder to control (along with all of the other issues)

B. Environment (humans and the environment sustain each other)

C. People do have hope

Thesis statement (restated): Before the earthquake in Haiti occurred, there was a dysfunctional government, a lack of jobs, and an overpopulation, and these dilemmas only continued to expand once the earthquake struck.

blog 2 (11-7-11)

Response to Environment/Industrial Revolution reading:


World War I officially began in August of 1914. I was wondering how a war officially is declared because it is obviously not a joyful event, so how are they established and then formally ended? I think that through media and through progression in our society this answer will continue to unfold itself. Because of the communications that we have today, we can state things in a much easier and more efficient fashion. Another point that I gathered from reading this was the idea of followers listening to their leaders. Actually not necessarily were these soldiers mentioned in the text followers, however they listened to authority just because they are ultimately considered "superior." Students listen to their teachers in class and they do everything they are told just because the teacher has a title placed on them which is known as being the authority, and no one dares to break those rules, otherwise you are looked at weirdly and differently. What if soldiers didn't listen to their commanders? What if students didn't listen to their principles? What if children didn't listen to their parents? What if society ignored the government? What if employees didn't listen to their bosses? Would life really be that different? I think that if no one attempts to step up, be a leader, and/or break the rules sometimes than not much will ever get accomplished or be changed. To have your own voice, or simply a voice at all is essential in many situations, and to just listen to someone and be blindly obedient will not get us very far in life. Just like our doctors tell us to eat in moderation, we need to listen in moderation; in other words there is a balance between following the rules while also speaking your mind and staying true to yourself and your own beliefs. To continue, after reading this I further understand the link and the connection between environmental based catastrophes and the idea of globalization. The mobility of humans and how interconnected everyone was, plus the close bondage between the environment and its people, plus the technologic advancements really shows how each layer of everyday life is interwoven. Not only do the  causes and the origin of the influenza matter, or even the aftermath, but the way it impacted and changed life is what really mattered in the long run. One could argue that the reasons for something happening is more important that what actually happened. Just like in math someone could say it doesn't matter what your answer is in the end, it matters how you got there and what process and route you took. However the devastation and the realization that this epidemic brought to the world was far more important than logistically why it happened.


The mobility allowed for a virus such as influenza was mainly possible because of the advancements that took place in society.