"If you have sex, you will get pregnant, and die"

After looking at the two websites it is clear that the Pro Life website really tries to give the facts of abortion and tries to scare people into giving them the truth. Surprosingly I did not see almost any religious preachings on the home page. The only thing that was linked to the argument that the fetus should never be killed is that they had a short fact that after 22 days from conseption the fetus' heart starts to beat. On the other hand the Pro Choice website was very informational on the laws and restrictions these laws give the women. For example, they had a link to an article on how there is a new law that will not support women that are under federal health care like in the army or any other federal job to get an abortion. It also talks about the health behind abortions and the concerns. In my opinion this website was much better because it showed how the new laws are really restricting the methods that women can recieve abortions. In my opinion, the women should have the right to chose. Even though it seems like murder it truely is not. First off the baby would not have even existed if it were not for the woman to concieve it so they should have the right to reverse what they have done. However, if the girl is 17 and under they must have a parent consent of just one of the parents. There can be trouble getting both if they are devorced so I believe one is okay. However, letting a 16 year old girl get an abortion by herself seems to be very wrong. Also, there should be no time restrictions for the consent. If they sign the form then they sign the form they shouldnt need the time to stall and have them think it over. I believe the father does not have to be notified because once again that could just start up more problems. For most of these cases of abortion its just an accident that the woman gets pregnant and she feels terrible that she has to kill the baby. Also it is the woman who will have to go through the pregnancy not the man. She will be the one going through 9 months of hell if she doesnt get an abortion not the man. The first law that shows up for Illinois is the abortion ban. It states that there is an unconstitutional and unenforcable law that bans abortions in Illinois. That to me seems stupid. First off if something is unenforcable and unconstitutional then how can it be a law. If a state law goes against the law of the land then it is unjust. To me abortion is the same as using the day after pill which is the same as using birth control which is the same as using a condom. The argument for pro life is that these babies desearve to live since they are alive at conception. But then how far can you take that? Arent they saying that every time a girl has a period or a boy masterbates they are killing a baby then. No that is just a cycle of reproduction. The reason why women have the period cycle is so that they will always have an egg ready and when they are not ready the egg just dies. Let me repeat that WHEN THEY ARE NOT READY THE EGG JUST DIES. That is the same as an abortion when the woman are not ready then the baby dies.

Conclusion

This article is great because it brings all of the death penalty together. It shows how the proportion of blacks that are tried for execution that get killed are much much higher than the proportion of whites that are tried and executed. It also shows how expensive execution is. In California alone it costs tax payers 114 million dollars a year more than if the inmates were to be granted life in prison without parole. It also shows that the southern states use the death penalty much more than the rest of the nation. There have been over 1000 killings in the southern region and the second highest is the Midwest with only 144. Therefore, using this data I have come to the conclusion that the death penalty should not be used as a punishment for capital crimes. Originally I thought that it would help keep the cost of keeping the inmates in jail down, but then I learned that in order to execute the defendant you would need to go through more trials which is much more expensive. Then there is the cost of the execution itself. I also thought that with all of these appeals that the chance of a person being killed that was innocent was very minimal. However, I did not think about how bad the representation that was given by the state could be. The attorneys are so bad that some do not even mention the defendants name in the court case. I do not think that these people deserve a second chance to go live on the street or have parole, but I do believe that we should not kill them so that if evidence comes up that proves their innocence then they could be released. As long as the justice system is as unjust as it is today, there is no way that the death penalty should be in use for it kills people that do not deserve to be killed just because they cannot afford proper representation.

North v. South

Not surprisingly the southern most states have the most executions like Florida, Texas, and Alabama. Texas also has the most Latino's killed than all the states combined. They have killed a total of 74 Latino inmates. This can only be attributed to the possibility that there are more Latino's in Texas than other places. However, the maximum number of Latino's killed in other states is two. These low numbers are also shared with Asians, Native Americans, and women. This helps disprove the fact that we only execute minorities. There are almost no executions of these three ethnicitys. On the other hand the blacks and whites are executed a lot more and share the majority of the executions. In Texas there are no more whites and blacks than other states like California or New York. So why are there so many more executions there? It is fair that we can come to the conclusion that Texas, Florida, and other southern states are using the death penalty much more willingly. Once again looking at the methods of execution the southern states are the only states that support electrocution. The majority of the other states seem to agree that the only possible humane way to kill someone is by lethal injection. In my opinion the prisoner should choose the way they die. Overall, this has shown that the southern states are much more pro death penalty than the northern states.

Death by firing squad.

I believe that there is no true humane way to kill someone. Even the lethal injection that is the most humane because it involves the least amount of pain is very inhumane because of the idea that you are killing someone. However, the worst methods by far are death by firing squad and hanging. This is because frequently the inmate is not killed instantly and they miscalculate the shot or miscalculate the fall. In the case of hanging the height of the drop is extremely crucial because if it is too high the head will be decapitated. On the other hand, if it is too low the neck will not break and the inmate will suffer for 45 minutes with terrible symptoms like eyes popping out, deification, swelling of the face and tongue. With the firing squad it is very immoral to make guards shoot a person and watch them kill the inmate. It is very hard on both the shooters and the inmate because if they miss then they will hear the screams and cries from the inmate bleeding to death. The lethal injection seems like the only way to kill someone humanely. However, it almost feels too humane that their lives do not mean anything and it just feels wrong to strap them down to a bed knowing that the IV you are putting in them will end up having a lethal poison flow through it. There is just no way to kill someone humanely. Therefore, if the death penalty is still in existence then the prisoner must be able to pick his death.

Journey to Death

There are so many trials just to sentence someone to death. In my opinion they are very unnecessary because of the attorneys given to the accused. The state most often gives the worst attorneys to represent the defendants so that in the first trial they are declared guilty for acts that they did not commit. Then there is the trial to declare the sentence. Here the court agrees that the defendant is guilty and arguees over how severe his punishment will be. Next comes the court of appeals. This is designed to protect the rights of the defendants to give them another chance to prove innocence. However, this might sound great in theory, but in reality the people that are accused of crimes are the typical low lifes who do not have enough money to afford a good lawyer. Therefore, the state provides one and the state does not want to give the best one to them so that a possible killer is back on the street. This process even though it is very detailed and fair in theory has many loop holes in practice. There is the ability to go to the supreme court to bring up the possibility of unlawful representation or a bad jury, but this is very rare to occur and the amount of money needed to do this is beyond the typical defendants. Their last chance to get out of death row is to be granted clemency. This process is very hard to grant and the governor along with a panel are the only ones that can grant a clemency hearing. Overall, the theory that the multiple trials would weed out the innocent seems perfect. However, in practice the people who are tried do not get the same representation that the victims have.

Die Clifford Die

In my opinion it is not about revenge and whether or not the victums family feels satisfied by the death of Clifford. The reason for execution is so that this does not happen again. If Clifford was allowed back on to the streets then there would definatly be more killing. He even said that he would kill his girlfriend who turned him in. What if he changed you might ask. I believe that he did not change at all. Killing and violence is appart of him. It is in his nature. He was born into a family where his biological mom was a drug adict and alcohalic. There were most likely many different drugs in his system ever since he was in the womb. This could have sparked the anger and aggression that is shown today. Even his mother was extreamly agressive and would beat him. This is a case of Nature over Nurture. I believe that even though he was later rasied by a new calm and loving mother that there was no way of hiding who he truely was, a violent murderer. The hidding even gets worse when he is in prison. When he turns to the bible for help it shows that he is lost and needs help. He tries to use the preechings of the bible as a way to calm his nurves about being excecuted. In the bible, one of the main teachings is that no matter what you do, as long as you ask for forgivness, god will forgive you and accept you. That is exactly what Clifford is looking for. A belief and philosiphy that accepts will accept him and help him hide behind a new religion in order to mask his true anger and aggression. Even in his paintings it is obvious that he is hiding what he truely feels. There is one painting with a very intense picture of a skull hidden behind a pattern of small blocks that would almost fence in his true feelings. The prison is no place for him either. In prison the families and his girlfriend know that he is alive and cannot sleep at night knowing that there is an extremely slim possibility that he might escape and kill them. I for one would feel so much more comfortable knowing that the man that wants me dead is no longer breathing. I also feel that the way that he is killed is way too emotional. When I saw the room where the executions are done I felt sick. It seemed like a normal building that when you walk inside is completely bare and there is a table with straps on it to restrain the killers. In my opinion there needs to be a less formal way for the people to be killed. Unfortunatly I cannot think of anything off the top of my head but seeing the room made me feel that what was being done was terrible and definitly scaring emotinoally. However, this does not change my opinion that the death penalty should be used.

BULLYING

I believe that bullying at DHS is not a problem. There are many people who get bullied but not to an extent where suicide is the only escape. The school deans have been on top of harassment and bullying. There is very little tolerance for it at our school. However, that does not mean that it does not exist at our school. For example, I have seen teachers make subtle remarks making fun of kids. I wont mention any names but the kid was clearly trying to get attention and unfortunately when people try to get attention they most likely get negative attention. The entire class was telling him to stop talking and then the teacher made a joke about him. To be honest I feel like that was not a problem because when a kid puts himself out there and talks a lot then he has to be able to take criticism. This situation is okay to me because I see little to no harm being done emotionally. Where as the cases that you need to worry about are the ones where kids bully a student that does not put himself out there. If a student that is gay or to fat or too tall is just walking down the hall minding their own business then other students have absolutely no right to make rude comments to them even if they claim that they are friendly with the student. I have only seen this occur a few times this year. There was a lot more bullying last year with the senior class. There were two groups that did not get along and they showed it in the halls. In that case I believe that the best way to combat the bullying would be to have a "Challenge Day." We saw how effective the challenge day was in the movie and I believe that if they could make that a annual assembly that it would help. However, I am not saying that DHS needs it because of the way the faculty punishes bullying. There are very few students that will bully in school because of the possibility of suspension. This is much different than other schools where I hear stories of kids severely picking on students because they are Jewish or gay or even overweight. In Deerfield I believe that we live in a bubble. It is so different from the outside world that I believe that a little bullying is healthy. If no one was bullied than kids would be shocked and not ready for it in the world outside of high school. There is no doubt that bullying will exist outside of high school so adapting to a little criticism is healthy.

Down Range Navy SEALs in the War on Terrorism pt.1 Chapter 1 and 2

So far in the first 60 pages this book has given me a great deal of insight of how the American forces and special forces reached out to other nations in the middle east even before 9/11. There are six SEAL teams that are stationed all throughout the world. Three on the east coast of the US and three on the west coast. However, these teams consist of multiple platoons so that at any one time there are six platoons deployed all around the world. In fact, "there were combat-ready SEAL platoons in Central Command and the Arabian Sea, ready for operational tasking, on 11 September. These forward deployed platoons were in Afghanistan within weeks of the al-Qaeda strikes in New York and Washington, D.C." The effectiveness of broadening Americas territory in which its power and special forces can reach is extremely beneficial to counter terrorism. It allows for the necessary swift action to stop the terrorists and enforce justice. However, this does bring up many issues in the fact that spreading our forces around the world in order to protect ourselves is very similar to an imperial power. In order to keep other countries happy and not to act as an imperial power, American special forces must meet certain ROE, or rules of engagement, established by the UN. For example, before the attacks on 9/11 there were many oil tankers that were smuggling oil out of in order to fund Saddam Hussein's weapons and palace-maintenance coffers. These ships were welded shut in order to resist boarding parties such as the Navy Seals. The Iraqis knew that the SEALs could only operate when the vessel has entered international waters. Therefore, the welded doors and portholes only needed to slow the special forces down long enough for the vessel to enter territorial waters. "An armed force entering the territorial waters of another nation is considered a hostile act."(43)This rule of engagement helps stop America from becoming an imperial power and just entering any country that they please. However, for the men on the front lines it is extremely different. The SEALs also could not use an explosive breaching round that would allow them entry to the ship when on board. Therefore, they had to use saws to cut through the welded doors and portholes which was difficult in the allotted time. This seemed really silly to the SEALs. They believed that "given a free hand, they would have put an end to Saddam's tanker-smuggling operation in short order."(49) The rules of engagement that try to protect America's name and stop America from doing malicious acts of invading unfriendly country's territories are the same rules that help make it easy for Saddam to fund his army. These special forces units have to work with one hand tied behind their back all the time. Every ship that gets away is worth $10 million or more to Saddam in pure profit.(45) In my opinion there should be restrictions on where the special forces should be able to act. However, there certainly should not be rules on how they act. These men are trained to make wise decisions by themselves. They are so powerful that their enemies do not want to carry guns because then that would give the SEALs a reason to kill. If the Iraqis had no lethal weapons on them then the SEALs would just fight to remove the threat and not kill. The SEALs often used the phrase "They got what they deserve."(51) The SEALs have the training in close quarters combat to instinctively identify the threat and react with equal and appropriate lethal/nonlethal force. This ability to save lives and still get the job done is the reason why the Navy SEALs are of the elite.

Drug Testing

I am pulled between the specifics of the law and the morals that drug testing infringes on. My heart and personal opinion pull me to believe that drug testing should not be done in schools. This is because I feel that there are certain people that should be exempt from drug testing. For example, if someone was taking prescription drugs that were prescribed to them for a disease then most of the students will feel violated by giving that information to the school. There are reasons why they have not told anyone about their condition; it is because people will judge them and look differently towards them knowing that the student has depression, AIDs, or anger issues. I feel that in Petitioners v Lindsay Earls they explain that there was a documented occasion when a choir teacher left the list of prescription drugs that the students were taking in plain view for the kids to see. This way all the kids could find out that Jimmy was taking antidepressants for his depression which would be awful for him. At a point were he is trying to be more social all the kids are making fun of him for being depressed. That is not what Jimmy would want and would only make his situation worse. However, I have to agree that the law does say that drug testing in schools is a completely legal exception to the 4th amendment because the government's interest in keeping the schools drug free. This means that I believe that if drug testing is implemented in a school there will be an exception for students to take drug tests from an outside organization or their doctor in order to keep their personal medications personal.



I read the article on the Missouri case where they searched the backpacks during a lock down drill. This made me think that could they bring in a dog to sniff for drugs and gunpowder as well? And if the dog finds anything then that is reasonable suspicion to search the bag. So what I am wondering is how can the government determine what evidence for reasonable suspicion is reasonable I guess.

Freedom of Religion

At first I was shocked at how small the percentages were on who knew what the first amendment stood for. Only 60% know that the first amendment garantees the freedom of speech and only 6% of the population know that they have the right to petition. Then if 94% of America dont know that they have the right to petition and give their opinions, then how can the country prosper when our government is based around citizens speaking their mind.
Then I read about evolution and the controversy of whether or not it should be taught in schools. If it was taught, it would give children a different veiw than what thier religion might have told them. This could upset some students and their beliefs. Acording to the seperation of church and state there shall not be any religion taught in school. Therefore, evolution infringes on the peoples freedom of religion and cannot be taught.

9/11 Issues

There is almost no reason why the building should not be built. If it were to be refused then it would inhibit their first amendment of freedom of religion. In my opinion we should build it and work with the Muslims to create an understanding of each other. As of today if someone asked the American race what comes to mind when someone says Muslim, the answer would definitely be the terrorist hijackings. Commonly, if we were to ask an Iraqi or Afghan what comes to mind when they hear American, the answer would surely be something destructive and powerful. There is no doubt that the understanding of each others culture is extremely limited. This new building would give us a much better understanding of the Muslims. It would also show them that we are not just a conquering nation but are also accepting of other religions and peoples. However, some do say that this would only invite violence and rallies from New Yorkers who were scared from 9/11. Was there not violence and rallies in front of the Little Rock School when the Little Rock nine broke the color barrier? Change is hard but it is necessary. Some people say that building it would be a disgrace to the families who lost their loved ones in the war or on 9/11. If we do not build this building and restore the peace with the Muslims then I believe their lives would have been taken in vain. Why would they want to feel like no change has occurred from this incident. They would want their deaths to mean something and overcome social barriers and prejudice in order to make peace each other.

Speech Codes

I am interested in speech codes in the fact that they are effective in upholding the safety and keeping a good learning environment. It seems reasonable to me for universities to inhibit the rights of students in the best interest of the greater good. Hate speech intended to physically or emotionally harm someone should be unprotected speech and in my opinion should be restricted. However, if an issue seems offensive it should not be restricted. Offensive and hate speech are two very different forms of speech. Offensive speech can be meaningful like the burning of the American flag or the superiority of the white race. However, dressing up as blacks with nooses around your neck running around scaring people is not a meaningful speech and should not be protected.

Response to Matan's Presentation

We both had the same topic which was cars, but he was more focused on the physical and large scale effects on nation. Matan said that cars were expanding the cities and therefore creating suburbs. Because of the ability to travel as an individual easily, the car was able to move the homes of people who work in the city out of the city to the suburbs and keep their jobs. Without the car they would have to walk ride or take a train to work which would be much less convenient. However, we did focus on the same current issue which was pollution and fuel consumption. Interestingly, he had an opposing view to me. He said that pollution is terrible and that the people should give up their sports cars and SUV's in order to get a car that has 5 times the miles per gallon. Matan said that the United States alone produces 20% of the worlds carbon dioxide emissions just from the automotive pollution. This is an amazing fact because at first I figured that the small amount of gas that comes out of a car's tail pipe really does not effect the worlds gigantic atmosphere. However, just the cars in the US are effecting the entire world with 1/5 of the worlds pollution. This proves the point that research must be focused on more fuel efficient cars. Electric cars are starting to really boom also and can help with this problem by eliminating C02 emissions. However, knowing this I still believe that it is okay to own super cars. The feeling and freedom that they give the consumers is much more important than the emissions of the cars, if and only if, the majority of the cars on the road are producing 50 miles to the gallon or more. This compromise will let people enjoy the freedom and control that high power cars give and still help stop the pollution in everyday cars.

Response to Jill's presentatin

Jill had a great presentation in the fact that she really showed how America was so affected by music. It affected America on a broad scale. It made individuals feel happy, and confortable listening to music that they love. It can give them a sense of memory for example the first song at a wedding will be remembered for the rest of their lives. It will also unite individuals into groups. Music can bond people together because of the genre that they like or the feelings that they share. I totally agree with this. When a good song comes on the radio, it is so much fun to blast it and enjoy it with someone else who enjoys it the same as you do. This bonds the two or group of people together because they apreciate the same song. Similarly on a larger scale, music can bond an entire country. Take for example the song "We Are the World." This song was made to unite the entire country to get them to help Hati with the earthquake. It was so effective that now I really want to help out in Hati. It motivated me because of the importance it showed by having that many artists singing. The fact that I recognized over 20 well know singers and artists makes me feel like that song was important because if it was not then why are all these amazing artists singing it. Not only did it move me by importance but also the feeling I get when listening to it. The song was so good partly because of the artists that sung it, but mostly because of the meaning and the video is shown. It gave a sense of how much help the people in Hati need. This message is what makes music so strong in America. The best music can move you with a message and make you feel good.

Response

I just went through Andrew's presentation on gays and lesbians. Going into it I had believed that it was different to have a same sex marriage. I would uncontrollably look at people differently if they were gay. Unfortunately that was how I was raised. Even this weekend with my grandparents I was at a restaurant and our waiter wan noticeably gay and when he walked away my grandparents started mocking him. I thought it was funny, but now after watching Andrew's presentation I realize it is not. If I knew how much the gays had to go through and put yourself in the shoes of a gay man I would not have laughed. I can only imagine what it would be like to have death threats sent to you by the hundreds like Mr. Milk. It was also good to know why the gay people have a parade in Chicago. At first I thought they were just trying to show off that they were gay and different. However, now I know that the parade is because of the Stonewall riots which is when the gays rebel against the police because of an unjust rule that says that no more than 3 gays can sit at a bar. Overall, I learned a lot about the struggle that gays have gone through and how well they endure the pressures that society puts on them. I will definitely not mock a gay guy again.

Works Cited

ABC-CLIO. "Background Essay." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2010. http://www.issues.abc-clio.com/.

"A Growing Nation, 1850-1900." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 29 Jan. 2010.

"automobiles." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2010.

Clarkson, Jeremy. "Aston-Vantage-V12" TopGear.com. Web. 17 Feb. 2010http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/aston-vantage-v12

GM. "GM's Latest - The 2009 Corvette ZR1 and it's Supercharged LS9 Small-Block V-8." Corvettefever.com. Web. 15 Feb. 2010 http://www.corvettefever.com/techarticles/corp_0712w_gm_ls9_zr1_corvette_small_block_engine/index.html

Gretchen DuBeau. "Fuel Efficiency Standards Should Be Raised." Opposing Viewpoints: Cars in America. Ed. Andrea C. Nakaya. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 8 Feb. 2010 .

Leno, Jay. "Jay Leno's Garage." shelbysupercars.com. Web. 20 Feb. 2010. http://www.shelbysupercars.com/video-jay-leno.php

"science in America." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2010.

Vincent Bryan " “In My Merry Oldsmobile”," Annals of American History.

[Accessed February 1, 2010].

The Fate of Supercars

The environment and economy have effected the technology and research that go into the production of the cars today. The future of supercars is very uncertain because of this. Government laws, economic recession, higher gas prices, and environmental agencies, are all factors that discourage car companies from producing cars with high volume engines. Today Gretchen DuBeau, a global warming advocate, is trying to persuade the government that average fuel economy needs to be raised and monitored more strictly. She believes that by increasing the average fuel economies of all the car manufacturers it would in turn, “reduce the oil used by cars and trucks by one-third in 2020; save four million barrels of oil each day by 2020; save consumers $16 billion at the gas pump; and cut global warming emissions from vehicles by 20 percent.”(Gretchen Dubeau) These predictions are very appealing to the government. By using less oil it would not only decrease the demand of gas resulting in lower prices but reduce our dependency on foreign oil. Also, by using less oil over seas it would keep more money in the country to help boost our economy. All of these economic improvements would be made while fighting global warming. Therefore, it would be wise of the car companies to cut down on supercars and powerful engines. However, this is not the case.
Car companies are coming out with even more powerful and more technologically advanced engines. Take for example the new LS9 Corvette engine used in the 200 mph ZR1. By creating this car, Chevy is sticking up to the environmentalists and saying that the excitement of power and torque is more important than the atmosphere. The Corvette has a large supercharger that gives the LS9 a lot of power and sucks up the fuel. A supercharger is basically an air compressor that compresses the air to push into the engine. This helps the gas burn more rapidly and gives the car more power. The assistant chief engineer is describing the effect of the large displacement supercharger on the V8 by saying that the supercharger “expands the 'sweetzone' of the compressor's effectiveness, broadening it to help make power lower in the rpm band, to put it simply the low-end torque is amazing.” The supercharger allows the power of the V8 to be unleashed even when the rpm are low. As a result, the torque is increased giving the driver a thrill from 1-7,000 rmp. This is the excitement that gets consumers craving more and more power from these supercars. They will do anything to experience the acceleration of 0-60 in 3 seconds; it is more important to them than the environment and the economy by far. Another American car company has built a ridiculously fast car, but this company is a little more exclusive.
SSC has come out with the fastest car in the world, the SSC Ultimate Aero TT. This supercar is powered by a twin turbo V8 that makes environmentalists cringe. However, the car enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies are very impressed with this state of the art technology. It can reach speeds higher than any other European car in the world and tops out at around 270. However, they have only officially taken it up to 257mph which is faster than the Bugatti Veyron. Along with this ridiculous acceleration it gives the driver a sense of control and excitement at slower speeds too. Jay Leno says, “the more I drove this car, the more comfortable it gets, the more you settle into it. It really is a drivers car. There's no aids at all. When I drove the Bugatti Veyron, although it was incredibly fast, it felt big and cumbersome. This car seems to shrink around you."(Jay Leno) During a test run in Los Angeles, Jay Leno was driving the car and gave a lot of positive feed back on the quality of handling. It was not a huge piece of machinery that he was just telling what to do like the Veyron; it was a tight and accurately made full on race car. It gives the driver a sense of control and confidence. As a result, it makes the car feel apart of the driver almost like an extension of his or her body. The Aero is very predictable and that makes it so much more rewarding to drive. Knowing that one has the confidence to drive the car extremely well to its limits gives them a very encouraging and satisfactory feeling. A feeling that is indescribable and is much more exciting than global warming and the issues of the economy. These two cars have shown that the economists and environmentalists are not affecting the supercar companies as of now, but what about the future.
Top Gear is the worlds most well known car show, and the host, Jerremy Clarkson, has reviewed thousands of supercars over the years. However, this could be a thing of the past because of the new laws and environmental situations. During a review of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage, he believes that the huge V12 supercar will end the era of great supercars. "Thanks to all sorts of things, the environment, economy, problems in the Middle East, the relentless war on speed, cars like this will soon be consigned to the history books." Because of the high taxes and the terrible economic situation, the government will inevitable dwindle the amount of supercars on the roads and dissuade car companies from ever making them again. The huge 7 liter engines require massive amounts of fuel to rev up to 8,000 rpm, and thus they have terrible CO2 emissions and miles per gallon. Jeremy Clarkson is worried that the government will not listen to the people and keep encouraging car makers to produce the cars that they love. Jeremy believes, "what I am driving here is an ending." The massive 12 cylinder engine that the Aston has under its hood is most likely the last extremely powerful engine produced. The odds of another car company coming out with an engine as big as that and amazing as that is very slim. Many supercar makers are ending a few lines of supercars. Lamborghini is even ending the Murcielago series of cars, one of their most powerful lines to start a less explosive 2 wheel drive line of cars. Could Jerremy Clarkson be right? Will the economy and environment halt the production and research of these amazing technological achievements? Or will the consumers who love and live for the euphoria and adrenaline that comes from just looking these cars keep the supercar companies going? What will be the future fate of the supercar?

Literary analysis

In the short story, "The Red Convertable," there are two brothers who find a convertable on the side of the road and spontaniously decide to buy it. They both loved the car and went on many trips together. They spent an entire summer just driving around the country. More importantly, when Stephan was suffering from post tramatic stress the car was what brought him back to his old self. Stephan and Marty experianced many exciting and happy memories do to this peice of technology. The red convertable gave them freedom and adventure therefore they were able to experience true happiness. According to Thoreau, this happiness that the two brothers experinced was single handedly due to the freedom and self reliance that the car gave them. The two brothers had no worries, and experienced life as it came to them. The two brothers “just lived our everyday lives here to there.”(136) They did not care that they were on a trip; they went with the flow. There was no money to worry about, no appointment to attend, and no one to impress. This freedom allows them to truly enjoy life and the company of eachother and the car. For example, Marty was sitting in the shade of a willow tree and, “it was comfortable. So comfortable. The branches bent down all around me like a tent or a stable. And quiet, it was quiet.”(136) The solitude that the brothers had under the tree was due to the freedom that the car gave them. He was able to feel peaceful because of the lack of worries and responsibilities that they had on the trip. Stephan and Marty were able to experience happiness and pleasure from each other and from their trip because of this peice of technology. If they had planned a route to go on then they would be constantly comparing their trip to their planned trip to see if they were “on schedule.” However, by having no cares about where they are and when they are there, the two brothers are able to truly experience the beauty of life and be carefree. The car was not just a tool but a part of their lives by allowing the brothers to be where they want and when they want with no worries.

The red convertible was not just a machine that got them from one place to another but an important character of the story that gave them adventure, bonding, and peace. The adventure that they experienced was all due to the car. The car allowed them to be free from their home on the Chippewa reservation. It took them many places, for example almost the entire state of Montana and even up to Alaska for a while. One thing was certain where ever they went it was always better than the last place. The two brothers always traveled “on to greener pastures.”(137) Leaving one place was never sad for the two brothers because they knew that as that chapter ended a new one would start. This amazing adventure that man and machine went on together brought each one of the three closer together. The car was at the center of the brothers bond. This became evident at the end of the short story when Stephan was experiencing post traumatic stress. Marty decided the only way to reverse the effects of the war was to remind him of his former happy days with the red convertible. However, one cannot just jump back into a memory, Stephan needed to get reacquainted with the car just like old friends. Therefore, Marty took a hammer to the car and destroyed it so he could fix it up. After working on the car day in and day out, Stephan started to become himself again. The ultimate success came when Stephan said to Marty, “Lets take that old shitbox for a spin.”(141) It was just like the adventures they shared before the war. The two brothers would finally be back together and enjoying each others company like before. They start to casually talk at the river and when they start arguing about the car Stephan finally laughs. “For some reason this cracks me up and so we’re really laughing for a while then, and then we drink all the rest of the beers one by one and throw them into the river to see how far the current takes them,”(144) This shows their carefree lifestyle is back and they are just enjoying one another’s company. It goes to show that the car can be more than a tool for transportation. The Red Convertible was not only a character that helped the brothers experience true happiness and adventure, but a symbol of brother hood and bonding. When Stephan and Marty are finally happy again, Stephan decides to go for a swim in the rising river. He ends up drowning and Marty cannot do anything about it. He decides that since his bonding with Stephan, and his good times with Stephan were over, it was necessary to kill the car too. It says, “The wires short out. It is all finally dark.”(145) The darkness is the car’s lights shorting out and as the car dies so does the relationship between Marty and Stephan because Stephan literally is dead. Marty could never have taken the car and used it all by himself. It was always their car; there were many instances were the two brothers tried to give the car to one another but they were never successful. This was the one thing that brought them together. The car furthermore symbolized this bonding of Stephan and Marty. Now that Stephan is gone, Marty’s adventures and bonding with him are over. As a result the car is gone. The car is much more than technology and a way to get from point a to point b. It can be something that gives happiness, adventure, or bonding.

Background research analysis

Science and technology have improved the everyday lives of citizens in America since its beginning in the early years of the country. However, it has improved society in many different ways over time. In the beginning, science and technology was used to invent. Ever since the American Revolution there was a need for a faster way to pick crops and do work more efficiently. It was answered by inventions to improve the efficiency. There were many inventors in science that improved their work with very simple inventions like the cotton gin or the reaper. Many inventors and scientists were “popularizing the concept of applied science as a means of progress” in the nations industries.(science in America) Applied science is the research in science in order to apply the knowledge directly to improving the efficiency of a task or job. America needed these inventions in its early years to establish farms, crops, and especially to help urbanize the virgin land of America. It helped quickly develope a nation's growth in economy and everyday life. However, when America was settled into and the economy was stronger, there was a switch of the scientific research towards the protection of the society. With World War I underway, the American government realized the need for scientific research to provide weapons and technology to help win the war. Unfortunately, the war ended before a lot of progress was made, but America was prepared for World War II. After a long and bloody battle in the pacific to reach the mainland of Japan, the American troops had already lost over 50,000 men not to mention thousands more at the infamous Pearl Harbor. As a result, the American government along with its troops wanted the war to be over. Not to mention the Japanese were known for fighting ruthlessly with their kamikaze attacks. It was because of these factors “that convinced President Harry S. Truman in the summer of 1945 that an invasion of Japan would be tremendously costly for both sides. Another option-the use of the new atomic bomb.“(Background Essay) The new weapon invented by top scientists like Edison and Oppenheimer was the most technologically advanced and most powerful weapon war has ever scene. President Truman believed that the use of the weapon would save lives on both sides of the battle by destroying the dry docks and factories that help support the Japanese troops. In this sence the Americans used technology to defeat the Japaneese technology, the factories. It was not only a war fought by humans with deaths, but a war fought by scientist with technology. This loss of technology from Japan would hopefully lead to their surrender. Unfortunately, there were extremely dramatic results; the two bombs killed over 150,000 Japanese many of whom were citizens who would never pick up a gun. However, the strategy did work; the technologically advance weapon ended up saving countless thousands of American lives by destroying Japan's technologic resources. However, was it worth the cost of the Japanese lives? Japan suffered many deaths, but the U.S. saved countless. After the war thousands and thousands of troops returned home to experience as much excitement and adventure as they had overseas. Science and technology was now focused on the citizens everyday lives again and making them easier and more practical. Some scientists focused on the new crave for transportation, which was the car. The car redefined American transportation by giving people the independence to travel hundreds of miles in just one day. Many car companies took advantage of this by marketing towards the consumers using the open road as an ideal haven for the people. The article on automobiles on ABC-Clio says, “Gasoline was still cheap, new interstate highways had open up, and Americans loved the open road. Singer Dinah Shore urged her countrymen to ‘see the USA in you Chevrolet’ in television jingles.” Chevrolet saw that society loved to use the open roads to see the country more practically than if one was on a train or walking. They knew that people loved the adventure of being free from their little neighborhoods and roaming around other nearby cities. Therefore they used this as a way to market their cars. As a result, cars gave the society a new way to appreciate technology and that was with emotions. Technology is no longer used to make things practical or safe, it is used to make products more enjoyable and appealing. Take for example the hot rods of the 1960’s and the muscle cars that defined Detroit. However, cars not only made society happy, they also bonded people to the road and with each other. The poem, In My Merry Oldsmobile, demonstrates this. For example, the line, “They love to spark in the dark old park as they go flying along” illustrates two different bonds. It can be interpreted two ways. The sparks could be interpreted as the spark plugs of the engine igniting the fuel producing power for them to fly up and down the dark park. The two love the thrill of speed that the car gives them and bond to it with as a result. However, this could also be a metaphor for how the spark plugs ignite the fuel of the engine and the car ignites the fuel for their love. These sparks are the beginning of love between the man and woman. The car sets them free from society and gives them control over their lives. As a result, they bond to one another and share the excitement of the open road. Overall, the car had brought these two lovers together and gave them a way to be alone and appreciate each other. This was not the intent that technology and the scientist making the cars thought would occur. However, many inventions and great things were discovered by mistake, and the car is no different. The technology that made transportation so pleasurable also freed society and introduced them to adventure and individuality.

Mpg should be monitored

This article is trying to get the government to raise the average fuel economy standards to 40 miles to the gallon. They believe that this would save consumers money at the pump because they would not have to fill up the tank as often. Also as a result, it would lower the demand of oil and decrease the prices. Therefore, the consumers would be saving exponentially. There are many cars out today that produce over 40 miles per gallon. For example, the Toyota Prius gets 55mpg and the ford SUV Escape gets 35-40. Thus the technology to get an engine as efficient as 40 miles to the gallon and still keep the same performance and acceleration is here. We only need to apply it. I agree that the need for environmentally friendly cars is huge. It can also be a great economy booster. However, restricting car companies to average 40mpg for all their cars is outrageous. That would end the super cars who have mpg of around 15 or even 12. The whole idea of driving in America is about the open road and the freedom that it gives you when driving. By taking away the ability to feel the power of a 6L V8 or the sound of an Aston Martin V12 would be killing the entire culture of driving. This restriction of fuel economy would be, in my opinion, imposing on the rights of the citizens to express their selves and pursue happiness. The Declaration of Independence states that one of our unalienable rights is the right for the citizen to pursue happiness. No government law can restrict someone from pursuing happiness. If this law were passed requiring all car companies to average their fuel economy to 40 mpg then it would destroy many peoples ability to pursue happiness. It is quite simple that the reason people buy super cars and sports cars is not because they care about fuel economy or the environment. It is because they want to be entertained and enjoy their driving experience and be free. If this outrageous law is passed then citizens would not be able to buy a sports car and take it out for a joy ride on the highway when they please, and thus impairing their ability to pursue the happiness they get when they are driving. However, I do agree that increasing the miles per gallon of every car would decrease the demand of oil. As a result this would lower prices of gas and decrease our dependency on foreign oil. These are two key reasons why the government should, instead of restrict companies from producing cars with low miles per gallon, encourage companies to produce more efficient cars with money for research.




Gretchen DuBeau. "Fuel Efficiency Standards Should Be Raised." Opposing Viewpoints: Cars in America. Ed. Andrea C. Nakaya. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 8 Feb. 2010 .

Corvette Engine

The Corvette is the icon of American sports cars. Now there is a new even more powerful and faster 'vette that is called the ZR1. The ZR1 has an all new engine that is called the LS9. The LS9 is GM's most powerful engine ever built. It has 8 cylinders that take up a displacement of 6.2 liters. However, the cherry on top of the ice cream is the supercharger. Similar to a turbocharger a supercharger's job is to boost oxygen into the engine cylinders in order to get more power at the high rpm's. However, what I learned, is that it widens the torque curve and therefore develops nearly 320 lb-ft of torque at only 1,000 rpm. This low end torque means that the Corvette can literally jump off the line and get the car rolling faster. This supercharger really amazed me how so many factors come into play when developing an engines performance. No one wants an engine with all of its power at 6,000 rpm so that if you are in 3-5,000 rpm's you get no power. When you press your foot down you want acceleration not a delay for the engine to rev up to 6,000 rpm then acceleration. The weight of the components of the engine also play a big roll in the rpm red line. I knew that if you get more rpm's the more power you get out of the engine. Thus if you can get a V8 to 9,000 rpm's it will produce a boat load of power. I learned that in order to do that you must make the moving components very light weight. This not only helps the total weight of the car but it makes the effort of spinning the crankshaft less stressful. For example, if you had a string and attached a baseball to the end you can spin it quite quickly, but if you attach a pool ball then there is much more stress on that rope and thus cant rotate as fast. This article I read was very informative but a lot of the language went over my head. Therefore I am excited to research the basics of internal-combustion engines.

http://www.corvettefever.com/techarticles/corp_0712w_gm_ls9_zr1_corvette_small_block_engine/index.html

Fastest Car In the World

The world's fastest car, one might think Bugatti or the famous McClarin F1 or the wild Konneggsegg CCX, but as of 2008 there is a new record holder who is surprisingly American. The SSC Ultimate Aero TT is the fastest production car in the world, and it is made right here in the states. This supercar is can reach the amazing speed of 257 miles an hour because of two distinct features, weight and power. The car weighs just under 2,900 pounds which is 110 pounds lighter than a corvette and a Carrera GT and has twice the horsepower. This is because of the formula F/M=A where F is force, M is mass, and a is acceleration. Thus if you keep the power high and the weight low the acceleration of the car will be extremely high, and that is what SSC did. The power plant is a 6.3L twin turbo charged aluminum block engine with 8 cylinders. Jerod Shelby chose to make the engine out of aluminum and "only" have 8 cylinders to keep the weight down. In contrast, the Bugatti Veyron has a 16W engine which is basically two V8's strapped together yet only has 1001 hp. Where the V8 squeezes out 1183 hp and 1194 pound feet of torque. This achievement is credited to the two turbo chargers which produce 14 lbs of boost pressure. A turbo charger is basically two connected fans. One fan is spun by the exhaust which in turn spins the second fan that pulls air and precious oxygen into the engine. This oxygen is necessary for the extra boost because of the combustion in the cylinders. SSC chose to make the car entirely out of space age materials such as carbon fiber and EBX-1208. These two materials make up the chassis and the body panels of the car. It is because of these two materials that the car can stay under 3,000 pounds. Thus the car has an extremely high power to weight ratio that is more than double the Corvette's and Carrera GT's giving it extreme acceleration. The Aero can go from 0-60 in 2.78 seconds and can do a 1/4 mile in under 9.9 seconds. However, there are many American made cars that have souped up engines with massive amounts of horse power that are just as fast but when it is put around a track it cannot go around a corner. This is just the typical American car syndrome, fast in a straight line but terrible in the bends. So you might ask is the Aero any good on a track. The answer is yes. The Aero has an incredibly sturdy chassis that sometimes driving up a steep driveway, a wheel might come off the ground 3 inches. Also there are no driver aids. There are no abs and no traction control. This means it is a true drivers car and "you can not only throttle with your right foot, but steer with your right foot." The owner of the company, Jerod Shelby, is saying that because there is no traction control the Aero can go into a corner flick the tail out and get out of the slide with power from your right foot. There is no technology holding you back from doing an amazing drift around a corner with the gas peddle. The lack of technology is crucial in making the driving experience amazing. When Jay Leno took it out for a drive he said, "the more I drove this car, the more comfortable it gets, the more you settle into it. It really is a drivers car. There's no aids at all. When I drove the Bugatti Veyron, although it was incredibly fast, it felt big and cumbersome. This car seems to shrink around you." Instead of being detached from the actual driving experience by a lot of technology in the Veyron, the Aero gives the driver all the control. This allows the driver to feel everything working through the steering, the clutch, gearbox, the sound of the turbos, and spin of the wheels. Allowing the driver to feel in control gives them a feeling that the car is an extension of their body and shrinks around them for optimal maneuverability. As a result, this car is an amazing piece of engineering, and it should be at $621,000. However, that is around half of the price of the Veyron. In my opinion, this car is ten times better than a Veyron because of the simplicity. It has a powerful engine and a light weight body; that's it. It gives you that x factor that you look for when buying a supercar. Something that doesn't show up in the statistics of the car, or the description. It is something indescribable, something that gives you a smile and that amazing adrenaline rush every time you see, touch, or drive the car. The Aero has the x factor for me.

http://www.shelbysupercars.com/video-jay-leno.php

Top Gear Video

Top Gear is the world’s leading car show. The hosts review many supercars and talk about modern issues of the supercar. For example, they talk about speed cameras, high gas prices, taxes on cars, and even the terrible construction on the roads. However, during a review of a brand new Aston Martin V12 Vantage, the host, Jeremy Clarkson, gives very little figures about the car. Instead of informing the viewers about how unbelievable the Vantage is and how powerful and beautiful it is, he says that this amazing car makes him feel sad. He believes that the car will end the era of great supercars. "Thanks to all sorts of things, the environment, economy, problems in the Middle East, the relentless war on speed, cars like this will soon be consigned to the history books." Jeremy Clarkson believes that because of the high taxes and the terrible economic situation, the government will inevitable dwindle the amount of supercars on the roads and dissuade car companies from ever making them again. The huge 6 liter engines require massive amounts of fuel to rev up to 8,000 rpm, and thus they have terrible CO2 emissions and miles per gallon. Jeremy Clarkson is worried that the government will not listen to the people and keep encouraging car makers to produce the cars that they love. Jeremy believes, "what I am driving here is an ending." The massive 12 cylinder engine that the Aston has under its hood does not please the government. The odds of another car company coming out with an engine as big as that and amazing as that is very slim. Many supercar makers are ending a few lines of supercars. Lamborghini is even ending the Murcielago series of cars, one of their most powerful lines to start a less explosive 2 wheel drive line of cars. I however believe that people will still buy supercars because of the euphoria and adrenaline that comes from just looking at them, but we cannot hide from the fact that the Jeremy Clarkson is right. The supercar era is over.


http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/aston-vantage-v12

The Red Convertible

My short story, The Red Convertible, matched the themes of my topic and even themes we have went over in class. In the story, two brothers go on a drive together and find a red convertible with a fore sale sign on it. The next thing they knew they were driving it home and fixing it up. The car brought these two brothers together and took them on an adventure. The next summer they decided to go on a road trip, nowhere particular, just to drive and enjoy each other and the car. They travel were ever life takes them. The two brothers run into a girl hitchhiking and pick her up. It ends up that she is going home to Alaska. Stephan and Marty enjoy their time in Alaska and admire the natural beauty of the land. However, when it comes time to go home reality sets in. Stephan has to go to Vietnam and he leaves Marty the car. Stephan comes back a changed man, and he has not changed for the better. He doesn’t laugh, doesn’t joke, and is always jumpy because of his experiences in the war. After months of his post traumatic stress, Marty finally decides that the only way to get his brother back was to remind him of the great times they had in the red convertible. Marty takes a hammer and smacks the car left and right; he makes it look like a wreck. A month later, Stephan sees the car and immediately starts working on it. He works every day and almost every night. Fixing the car becomes an obsession for him. However, I believe that it was not an obsession; the car saved his life. It was the only thing that meant something in his life. Fixing the car gave him a purpose and drive to do something. Where as right when he got home from the war, he had no motivation to do anything in his life. Slowly the effects of the war dwindle on him, and when the car is finished he offers Marty a ride. They take the car to the river and start talking about Stephan’s change. Then they start arguing about who gets the car, and just like brothers do, they started fighting. Stephan starts to laugh; this is what Marty has waited for. Marty was successful at getting Stephan back to his old self, and his first laugh since he went to ‘Nam made his transformation back to his old self official and complete. They start to drink a lot and they finish an entire cooler of beer when Stephan decides to go for a swim. Unfortunately the river is very strong and he gets sucked away and drowns. Marty cannot handle this and decides to drive the car into the river. I believe that he does this as a tribute to his brother and their relationship. The car represented the fun that they had together and when that bond was broken he had to end the car too.
Stephan and Marty were able to experience true happiness because of the way they lived that summer. The two brothers had no worries, and experienced life as it came to them. Most people plan an entire trip so they can get every little drop of fun out of it that they could. However, the two brothers “just lived our everyday lives here to there.”(136) They did not care that they were on a trip; they went with the flow. There was no money to worry about, no appointment to attend, and no one to impress. This freedom allows them to truly enjoy life and the company of each other. For example, Marty was sitting in the shade of a willow tree and, “it was comfortable. So comfortable. The branches bent down all around me like a tent or a stable. And quiet, it was quiet.”(136) The comfort of the tree made a natural home for Marty. He was able to feel protected and peaceful because of the beauty of nature. This idea of living day to day and living with nature mimics Emerson’s way of life. Stephan and Marty were able to experience happiness and pleasure from each other and from their trip because of this way of life. If they had planned a route to go on then they would be constantly comparing their trip to their planned trip to see if they were “on schedule.” However, by having no cares about where they are and when they are there, the two brothers are able to truly experience the beauty of life and be carefree.
The red convertible was not just a machine that got them from one place to another but an important piece of the trip that gave them adventure, bonding, and peace. The adventure that they experienced was all due to the car. The car allowed them to be free from their home on the Chippewa reservation. It took them many places, for example almost the entire state of Montana and even up to Alaska for a while. One thing was certain where ever they went it was always better than the last place. The two brothers always traveled “on to greener pastures.”(137) Leaving one place was never sad for the two brothers because they knew that as that chapter ended a new one would start. This amazing adventure that man and machine went on together brought each one of the three closer together. The car was at the center of the brothers bond. This became evident at the end of the short story when Stephan was experiencing post traumatic stress. Marty decided the only way to reverse the effects of the war was to remind him of his former happy days with the red convertible. However, you cannot just jump back into a memory, Stephan needed to get reacquainted with the car just like old friends. Therefore, Marty took a hammer to the car and destroyed it so he could fix it up. After working on the car day in and day out, Stephan started to become himself again. The ultimate success came when Stephan said to Marty, “Lets take that old shitbox for a spin.”(141) It was just like the adventures they shared before the war. The two brothers would finally be back together and enjoying each others company like before. They start to casually talk at the river and when they start arguing about the car Stephan finally laughs. “For some reason this cracks me up and so we’re really laughing for a while then, and then we drink all the rest of the beers one by one and throw them into the river to see how far the current takes them,”(144) This shows their carefree lifestyle is back and they are just enjoying one another’s company. It goes to show that the car can be more than a tool for transportation. The Red Convertible was a symbol of brother hood and adventure.

The Red Convertible

Blogging Experience

Science and technology is my favorite topic; there is just so much that I enjoy about it. It was extremely easy to pick topics for me to narrow down and research on. I had a list of at least ten. However, picking one was so hard. I was interested in war and especially the arms race, but I did not care about all the politics that came between the US and the USSR during the arms race. I experienced the same story with the space race. However, the power of the weapons still mystified me. I was excited learning about how the atomic bomb was made between the two world wars, how the two smartest men in science were put on a job to create the most destructive weapon ever used. The idea of power was also found in cars. The invention of the internal-combustion engine made automobiles much more powerful and efficient in the turn of the 19th century. I found that the car meant more to the people than just a way to get from point a to b. It was a status of wealth and royalty to start off. Then it became dependable and common with the model T. However, the true automotive appreciation came when cars were made to please the costumer. They were not made to just get them from point a to b, but to get them there, comfortably, quick, fun, in style, or even just take them away from life. The poem I read about the Oldsmobile is a perfect example; the two teenagers wanted to be alone together and go on an adventure to experience something new. It was the car that allowed them to actually do this. The car brought them together and gave them freedom. However, the type of automobiles that interest me the most are the ones that put a smile on your face. Whether it is because of the unbridled power the engine puts out or the sharp precise handling or maybe even the beauty of the car itself. However, it is really hard to write and research about a cars handling and the feeling you get when you hit an apex pulling .9 g's. Therefore I decided to concentrate on power and speed, more specifically engines. There is so much that can be researched about engines. Today I know a little about engines, but I feel like it would be fun to learn about every detail in the common engine and how the new Bugatti W-16 engine is so amazing. I feel like I will go into aeronautical or mechanical engineering and will be working with engines in the future; therefore this topic will be very beneficial for starting off my knowledge of power.

Cars Seperating People from Society

The automobile has given the young generation the freedom to express their emotions and live life. In this poem a young couple share their love for the freedom that the Oldsmobile gives them. It says, "You can go as far as you like with me, In my merry Oldsmobile." The phrase "as far as you like" refers to marriage in the fact that latter in the document it talks about them going to a church to get married. However, that phrase also can show how they can go on an exciting adventure some place foreign. The male character is using the car as a way for the couple to escape their ordinary lives and start a new adventure together. The bonding between the couple is shown through the car and its metaphors. For example, the line, "They love to spark in the dark old park as they go flying along" could have multiple meanings. The sparks could be interpreted as the spark plugs of the engine igniting the fuel producing power for them to fly up and down the dark park. However, this could also be a metaphor for how the spark plugs ignite the fuel of the engine and the car ignites the fuel for their love. These sparks are the beginning of love between car, and man and woman. Then the car could also make them feel like their flying like they get a high from being with each other in the car. Overall, the car had brought these two lovers together and gave them a way to be alone and appreciate each other.

Vincent Bryan " “In My Merry Oldsmobile”," Annals of American History.
<http://america.eb.com/america/article?articleId=386695&query=engine>
[Accessed February 1, 2010].

Automotive Transportation

Horseless transportation was a very popular dream shared by many Americans at the turn of the 19th century. The steam engine was the only available power to work with at the time, and it meant for heavy, rough, and dangerous riding. Boiler explosions threatened drivers and a top speed of around 30mph in the late 1800's was fairly inefficient. The next drive system was surprisingly not internal combustion but electricity. In 1888 William Morisson invented the first practical electric people transporter. It was able to transfer 12 people at 20 miles per hour for over 13 hours. However, the father of all engines was being experimented with during this time, the internal-combustion engine. Early models could only move about six kilometers in three hours in 1826, but J. Frank and Charles E. Duryea began commercial production of the more reliable and efficient engine that burned air, gas, and oil. Frank and Duryea sold these automobiles to the upper class at a high cost of $5,000because of the low supply of handmade cars. A Boston millionaire Charles J. Glidden sponsored an annual tour that featured different brands of cars. These tours tested the reliability and safety of the cars and also sparked the American crave for speed. By 1906, a racer set the land speed record at 127 mph. However, many civilians can not handle that speed without the highways, so the car companies turned back to durability and practicality. This lead to the famous Model T. Ford was able to make a car that was so durable it could be mended with rope and wire by the owners. It was such a remarkable car that it actually created a problem. In 1927 when the new Model A came out the model T still dominated the roads at 70%. Therefore, the car companies started making cars more appealing by using more comfortable suspension and flashy colors. After World War II the automobile took off and the entire nation became obsessed with automotive transportation. America now had three big companies comprised of GM, Ford, and Chrysler. The Big Three started to produce different cars for different income levels and the idea succeeded.
America became obsessed with cars in the 70's and considered themselves, "king of the roads." This is a fitting name for the Americans as they adopted the internal-combustion engine from Europe and made it durable and reliable. As durability became expected from all the Big Three, the aspect that separated and put a company ahead was flavor. Designers loaded cars with large tail fins and as much chrome as they could to get their car noticed by the public. In the 50's to 80's citizens were able to buy cars that were flashy and matched their radical love for the car and road itself. In my opinion this became a lost cause as gas prices exploded and safety officials cracked down on the speed limits. As time shows, the hole point about getting a car is to be free and become an individual. It is expressed through the art of ones car and through the places one takes the car. People in love with speed and power buy the muscle cars and race them from one red light to another. It is obvious that there is much more to the car than just transportation in America. It is a technological symbol of freedom, fun, and individuality. That is why the car is still praised today after conflicts with the oil crisis and safety officials cracking down on their flaws.

"automobiles." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2010. .

Science Overview

Scientific research was minimal in the United States as America was building up a solid foundation. Almost all of the scientific discoveries consisted of inventions that would improve practicality of certain tasks like traveling, picking crops, doing chores, and communicating. This research was based on "applied science." Applied science was any kind of scientific discovery, typically inventions, that can be applied to everyday life, for example a cotton gin. It was not until after World War I that scientist started to do work in "pure science." There were many scientists who immigrated to America and were a result of this scientific activity. The pure science consisted of unrelevant studies or indirect studies. For example, Albert Einstein and Robert Oppenheimer researched the atom and learned that it stores a mass amount of energy and if it were released it would set off a chain reaction. The two scientist then used this knowledge to come up with the infamous Atom bomb. The government then showed a high interest in the sciences as a result of the Atom bomb. They launched many technological races with foreign countries especially the Soviet Union. The US and Soviet Union went at it in a race to concur the skies, space, and earth. They had the space race and the arms race. Each country trying to show their dominance. However, the government has now slowed down on funding to science after the peak years from after the World War to the new century. The loss of funding is a result of the controversial topics that are being researched today. The controversies include cloning, stem cell research, and genetic testing.
I have found this article extremely helpful for mapping out a general scientific timeline for America. I can see that most of the experiments are funded by the government. Therefore, their interest will be what the scientist will be studying, and the government has a high interest in National Security. That is why most of the technological achievements in the 1940-70s were of military disent. However, once again I still have yet to find information on transportation and the development of highways. What also caught my eye was the Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative mainly because I have never heard about it. The article says that it connected studies from the arms race and the space race which are the two largest achievements in science. Going to the moon and creating the hydrogen bomb/discovering plutonium. Therefore, Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative will be one of my future topics of interest.

"science in America." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2010. .

A Changing Nation

From the 1850's to 1900 there have been many milestones in America's improvement in culture. In 1851 the Flying Cloud navigated from New York to San Fransisco in 89 days breaking the record. The first sewing machine for household use was made and patented in Boston, Massachusetts also. The first railroad bridge over the Mississippi was opened on April 21, 1856. In 1860 Oliver F. Winchester started work on the first repeating rifle which would be heavily used in the American West and Civil War. In 1861 the first telegram was sent by wire from California to the nations capital on the other side of the country. This made the pony express insignificant. Congress passed the Pacific Railway Act starting the transcontinental railroad in 1862. In 1866 there were 75,000 miles of telegraph wire laid by the Western Union Company. In 1868 the first ice box was patented by William Davis to transport fish. 1869 the transcontinental railroad was finished. In 1876 Mark Twain received his patent for the first telephone. The first steel structured skyscraper was built in 1884 in Chicago. In Boston the first subway was built in 1897. All of these events have one aspect in common; they all are accomplished with intent to improve and simplify the everyday lives of people. I have found that there are a few key subgroups of technological achievements that almost all the events can fit under. There is transportation, which includes railroads, cars, subways, boats, and planes. Then there is communication. This group would include the telegraph, pony express, the radio, television, and the telephone. Then there is the accomplishments in science which protect the citizens. For example this would include the atomic bomb, first repeating gun, and first bulletproof vest. Lastly, the remaining technological achievements can be summarized as household/everyday life improvements. The sewing machine, washing machine, ice box, refrigerator, television, and light bulbs are just a few examples of this group. Almost all of the technological achievements and inventions can be assigned a group. This is extremely helpful in further research to help narrow down what type of research I should do next. Since I just did a lot of everyday improvements, and I research the atomic bomb which goes under the protection of citizens group, therefore I should probably research transportation via cars and planes.

http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display.aspx?categoryid=39&entryid=270422&searchtext=flying+cloud&type=advanced&option=

"A Growing Nation, 1850-1900." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. .

Atomic Bomb/Impact

America has been in World War II for 4 years and needed to defeat one more opponent, Japan. Research on a new weapon was being made in the United States known as the Manhattan project. Luckily this project was near finished when America was ready to invade the mainland of Japan. The President and Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson got a panel of scientist together in order to discuss the possible use of this Atomic Bomb. The scientists including Albert Einstein, Erico Firmi, and J Robert Oppenheimer, agreed that "there was no alternative to direct military use." They believed that this technology that they created would defeat the Japaneese and save American lives. Therefore the scientists strongly encourged the president to use it instead of using troups to invade Japan's mainland. Truman ended up listening to them and dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima. In effect the bomb crippled the Japaneese port, but they did not surrender, and Truman was forced to drop a second Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki. This devistated Japan and caused their surrender, but I feel like this was a terrible decision in tactics. These two bombs killed over 150,000 people which were 100,000 civilians. I believe that this is terrible; the idea of war is to fight for a cause that you believe in, and do anything one can for that cause. However, why would the United States Government think that it was a good idea to kill thousands of civilians in order to take out the countries ports and factories. It is devistating to imagine the effect of a nuclear weapon detonating on our soil and killing 100,000 civilians. If you could believe that would be 100 times more civilians killed than on September 11. I feel like America made a bad decision on those days to bomb Nagasaki and Hiroshima because of the calateral damage. The countries kept making thier weapons stronger and more potent with technology, but this key incident illustrated to the world the importance of low callateral damage. Thankfully, technology has been altered to start using smart bombs which can be laser or gps guided. This dramastically decreases collateral damage and citizen deaths. I believe that this is what technology should have originally sought out to do instead of kill masses of people, but at least America can learn from our mistakes.



ABC-CLIO. "Background Essay." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2010. http://www.issues.abc-clio.com/.

Science and Technology

This is the most interesting topic to me because I know a lot about cars and plains. These two modes of transportation changed the society and are the most important parts of technology. I am excited to go deeper into these two categories to see what specific people, machines, and other things helped improve society. Technology is also being used in our country to improve and save our lives. For example, thousands of scientists have been hard at work looking for a new way to defeat the enemy with greater efficiency. One of the nations greatest scientists, Albert Einstein, invented a device that ended up stopping the war within weeks of using it. His research led him to the discovery of the atomic bomb.

Obama's Speech

At first Obama stated what was wrong with the country, and what tragedies have occurred in the past. He reminded the citizens of the problems that they have to endure. Then, after lowering the moral of the citizens, he gave them a bit of hope. Obama tells the citizens that due to his referendums and acts, the economy will bust itself back up again. Frederick Douglass also used this method in order to boost the moral of the people and get them to act. In his Fourth of July speech he first lowered the moral of the black community. Then similarly he gave the people hope for the future. Frederick Douglass said that slavery will surely fall. He assumes that the "Intelligence is penetrating the darkest corners of our globe." This intelligence is the knowledge of the terrible conditions that slaves were treated. Douglass believes that since the U.S. now does not want other countries to know about how terrible they treat blacks they will be pressured into abolishing slavery by the bad reputation they would get from other nations. This ultimately was his hope that he gave the blacks. It was a not necessarily 100% going to happen though, Frederick Douglass got lucky. However, Obama might not. He could be giving citizens false hope. He made assumptions on the future of the programs he is putting in place. He said that they will fix the economy and give the people more jobs. But what if it does not fix the economy? Maybe Obama is giving us false hope.

Welcome

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