I have loved this year. From the very beginning I realized I would have fun in this class, and I have not been disappointed. Albeit sometimes this class does seem negative because of all of the horrible things the United States has done in its past but I still loved learning about it. Also, I think that 13 days is a perfect example of how awesome it is when things go right, and also how no one knows about it. I have enjoyed getting to know you and, through your love for what you're teaching, you have made me love a subject that in past years was somewhat of a bore for me. I hope to continue learning, as history is constantly being created, and look forward to another year of getting to come say hey to you when I'm supposed to be in class. Hopefully this is my last article so I can say that I'm officially signing off, much to the displeasure of all of the Russian people who frequent my blog. Goodbye World!
Thanks for everything,
Ward Pullen
Monday, May 23, 2016
Friday, May 6, 2016
Letter
To Whom it May Concern,
In the year 2016, we have only scratched the surface of what is possible with sustainable, alternative energy. While it is true that fossil fuels have and for a period will continue to have the largest following as far as consumers go, we are attempting to increase alternative fuel usage. With technological advances in energy alternatives such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric energy, coupled with the invention of synthetic gasoline and diesel, the general population is beginning to have a choice in which type of energy they use. There are, however, some drawbacks; renewable energy is much less efficient than fossil fuels, the technology is deemed to not be aesthetically pleasing, and it is not as easy to harness as fossil fuels. This trend is however changing and we hope that by 2216 fossil fuels will be a thing of the distant past.
The technology for all electric vehicles is not where we would like it to be. For example, to have similar performance as a gasoline dragster, an all electric dragster would have to use the same amount of power that a small town does. So for the people of 2016, the time has come to find alternatives to petroleum fuels in personal and commercial vehicles.
In 2016, gasoline powered cars are able to run on 10% ethanol. And some can even run on 85% ethanol. This is a huge step toward reducing emissions and making the world not rely on petroleum fuel. Ethanol has many advantages when it is used in vehicles. The biggest advantage of using ethanol is that it is like alcohol. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists(1), ethanol can be made with corn and researchers are finding ways to produce ethanol with algae and other microorganisms. If cars are able to run on 100% ethanol in the future there will never be a shortage of fuel. But there are more advantages to using ethanol than just being a sustainable energy source. Some advantages of ethanol are on the website for the U.S. Department of Energy(4). These advantages include a 90% reduction in emissions when compared to gasoline, and engines that run on any percentage of ethanol are more resistant to engine knock (an early cylinder compression that causes major damage over time).
Methanol is another fuel that is very similar to ethanol. The technology for using methanol as a fuel has come around in 2016 and it is showing many benefits. The Methanol Institute(3) lists many benefits that methanol has when it is used as a fuel. Methanol reduces emissions like unburned carbons, carbon monoxide, ground level ozone, and mono-nitrogen oxides (NOx) are greatly reduced. In addition to gas emissions being reduced, there is almost no particulate matter left over after methanol is burned and engines that use 100% methanol can gain 50% efficiency over gasoline engines. Methanol is currently being implemented as an aftermarket diesel product. Diesel car and truck owners that want better fuel efficiency and cleaner emissions use methanol injection kits.
But methanol is not just used as a fuel additive for diesel cars and trucks. It has potential for performance that a majority of electric vehicles don’t. There are certain race classes in the National Hot Rod Association(2) (NHRA) that dedicate methanol as their fuel. The NHRA is an organization that holds races that are a ¼ mile long and are in a straight line. This is referred as “drag racing” in 2016. These drag racing vehicles, or dragsters, are slowly catching up to the high octane gasoline racing classes in terms of speed and times. Regular “top fuel” dragsters are capable of starting from standing still to going a quarter-mile in distance in times of up to 3.7 seconds and reaching 330 miles-per-hour. The very similar “top alcohol dragsters” can race a quarter mile with times reaching up to 3.8 seconds and speeds of 285 miles-per-hour. The drag racing classes of the NHRA prove that there are alternatives to gasoline that do not compromise performance.
Although these advantages of ethanol and methanol are very promising, there are major drawbacks, but most of them can be prevented. Both ethanol and methanol are corrosive. These problems revealed themselves very quickly for engines used in lawn mowers and older cars that were designed to use pure gasoline. These problems were not by any means cheap fixes. Ethanol wears down rubber so fuel lines and other engine parts were literally melting. In addition to these problems, ethanol is corrosive to metals. There was an article that was published by an entertainment company called “Hot Rod Network”(9) that publishes magazines. The author of the article I found named “Ethanol Race Fuel - Why Ethanol?” informed his audience about how issues with ethanol can be prevented. These solutions were replacing rubber components with synthetic materials and coating metals with materials to prevent rusting.
The way that people get their food in 2016 is by big diesel trucks hauling trailers. Diesel is a petroleum fuel and the production of an alternative called biodiesel is already being produced. Biodiesel has advantages and disadvantages. These advantages are that biodiesel can be domestically produced, reduced emissions, it is biodegradable, it is non-toxic, and can be made(7) with many different ingredients. According to the U.S. Department of Energy(8), a 100% biodiesel blend reduces greenhouse gas emissions are by 52% when compared to pure petroleum diesel. And according to an EPA study done in 2002, carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbon emissions are reduced. However, 100% biodiesel cleans(6) out the fuel system like drano does in a clogged sink. Because of this, the carbon deposits that are flushed out go directly to the fuel filter, which is expensive to replace. More downsides to biodiesel are that it turns into a gel in cold temperatures and NOx emissions are slightly(5) increased. These disadvantages can be combated with fuel additives.
The change to more alternative energy is largely due to a sudden realization from the citizens of the United States and countries like it that the earth cannot sustain this level fossil fuel output and have any hope of being habitable for humans in the future. While the chemistry relating to the degradation of the ozone layer is relatively simple (as I’m sure you know), the modus operandi of many powerful people and the companies they represent has been to simply look the other way, allowing their future generations to handle the problems they are creating (sorry if we did that to you).
This philosophy has begun to crumble, as we are seeing first hand just how intense fossil fuel energy output effects are on not only the earth, but its inhabitants as well. As a race we have begun our search for a viable alternative. Even oil companies like BP and Shell have stated that by 2050 ⅓ of the earth’s energy will come from renewable resources(16), showing just how united many of the citizens of the United States, but even greater than that, the world, have become in stopping the dissipation of the ozone layer. The uses for alternative energy are just as abundant as the fossil fuels they are hoping to replace(12). These sources of renewable power are becoming more and more cost efficient, with the price of solar power going down by 50% since 2008. Countries like Germany(13) are providing the world with an example of making the gradual change from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, with windmills lining their coastline. It is not for a lack of trying that so many developed countries are still so dependent on fossil fuel as an energy source. There are many factors limiting the overall production of renewable resources; for one, they are not always available(11) (i.e. the sun isn’t always shining bright, the wind isn’t always blowing) in other words, it is a less stable form of energy than the traditional coal and nuclear route.
Speaking of stability, another thing that I believe to be very interesting and also very practical is the construction of passive solar homes (homes that use Earth’s resources for most of if not all of the energy requirements of their home). This is an incredible idea in theory, and for those that have attempted it, they say the homes are incredible successes(14). However, with passive solar homes being such a new building type, it is almost impossible to receive a loan to build them. In fact, there are so many hoops to jump through that it is necessary for lawyers to counsel people just on how to go about getting a loan to build a house!(10) There is hope though. A group of some of the most influential businesses in the world, called “The Re 100”(19), has vowed that they will go to completely renewable sources of energy (companies like Google, Nike, HP, Ikea, BMW). Also, Walmart is already running with 32% renewable energy, a statistic that 15 years ago would have to be a work of fiction. (20)This along with the fact that countries like the United States have vowed that they will reduce CO2 emissions by 32% by 2030 does give me hope that alternative energy can become a serious player in the developed world.
Not everyone is as bought in on the idea that the world needs renewable resources as opposed to fossil fuels to provide their energy. Many power companies are pushing to change mandates which force them to give money to anyone creating their own power supply, or anyone using renewable energy. Also, some people are opposed to the creation of wind turbines in Iowa, saying that it takes away from the natural beauty of the landscape, a New York Times article wrote(17). These setbacks are still considered minor, and I hope the pushback weakens over time. My headmaster talked to me about how much it would take to get the United States running on renewable energy and we came to a consensus. It is going to have to be patriotic to put a windmill in your backyard or a solar panel on your roof, you have to convince people that what they are doing is actually doing good in the world if you want to see any change. (18)
The world is moving increasingly towards renewable sources of energy(21), and our only hope is that this movement is not too little too late. I hope that by now your generation has gone to entirely renewable sources of energy, and coal, nuclear power, and natural gasoline are only something you read about in history textbooks. We are trying to solve the problem instead of allowing it to progress further. I hope everything is fine there.
Best of Luck,
Ward Pullen
Footnotes:
This article lists things that are hopeful in the production of ethanol
National Hot Rod Association lists their racing classes
The methanol organization’s article on why methanol is a very realistic fuel option
The U.S. Department of Energy lists some emission benefits of ethanol
The U.S. Department of Energy gives a general overview of biodiesel’s many benefits
The U.S. Department of Energy gives a more detailed overview of the common biodiesel blends of 2016
Popular Mechanics is a popular magazine that has many home projects in their articles online and in their magazine publications. This article shows how easy it is to make biodiesel with frying grease from a restaurant.
The U.S. Department of Energy gives a chart that was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency showing the emission levels.
Hot Rod Magazine is a company that publishes articles online and in magazines covering the subject of muscle cars. This article shows that ethanol shows potential for engine performance.
(10) Financing Green Home Building - “ We are happy to be able to provide you with the wide range of information related to sustainable architecture and natural building available at this site. As an example of natural building, the image at the top is of the earthbag house that served as our home in Southern Colorado for many years.” http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/QandA/financial/ways.htm
(11) Solar Schools- “ The solar schools website is one example of our community based marketing programs. The website concept was first developed by Grassroots Marketing Alliance in conjunction with numerous other businesses to provide schools with an opportunity to understand their energy usage and then take action to reduce it.” http://www.solarschools.net/resources/stuff/advantages_and_disadvantages.aspx
(12) Myths about Renewable Energy - This website is focused on informing the public of the common myths about alternative energy, in order to attempt to persuade more people to make the switch away from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy. http://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/campaigns/Climate-change/renewable-energy-myths/
(13) Live Science - I read an article on a new windmill design that Germany is focusing on. This website’s mission statement is “To empower and inspire our readers with the tools needed to understand the world and appreciate its everyday awe.” http://www.livescience.com/7183-floating-ocean-windmills-designed-generate-power.html
(14)Energy.gov - I read an article on passive solar design, whose mission statement is “Energy Saver provides energy efficiency and renewable energy information to consumers in the United States, including families, homeowners, renters, and drivers.” http://energy.gov/energysaver/passive-solar-home-design
(16) Alternative Energy Facts - “
The content you find on this website, is the collaboration of those few alt energy nuts, who have collated and authored, what we think, is accurate (at the time of publishing) information on developments in the field of alternative energy sources in the North America, Europe and Australia. We make our content readily available on the internet and in the public domain but we do not pretend nor offer the information on this website as infallible or completely up to date.” http://www.altenergy.org
(17) NY Times Pushback on Green Power - “The New York Times's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.” http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/29/business/energy-environment/a-pushback-on-green-power.html?_r=0
(18) Middle Class leading the charge, AmericanProgress.org - “The Center for American Progress is an independent nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans, through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action. Our aim is not just to change the conversation, but to change the country.“ https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2013/10/21/76013/solar-power-to-the-people-the-rise-of-rooftop-solar-among-the-middle-class/
(19) The RE 100 - “RE100 is a collaborative, global initiative of influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity, working to massively increase corporate demand for renewable energy.”
(20) Businesses with Renewables, The Guardian - “Covering American and international news for an online, global audience.” http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/apr/08/renewable-energy-ikea-walmart-google-mars-hp-wind-solar-power
(21) Americans Want America to run on Solar and Wind,Forbes - “Forbes.com offers up-to-the-minute reporting, interactive tools and tough- minded analysis on the people, companies and technologies driving business and creating wealth.” http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2015/01/01/americans-want-america-to-run-on-solar-and-wind/#5f023d523699
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Sources for Alternatives Project And Homework
1. New Windmill Ocean Design
2. Building a Passive Solar Home
3. MIT Sustainable Design Lab
Sustainability can best be described as the ability to maintain something at a certain rate or level. In this, there is a definite flaw with how we, as humans, are consuming fossil fuel energy. While we will not run out of fossil fuels, the cost of extracting them will ultimately become too high, and an alternative form of energy will have to be found. Alternative energy can take many forms, such as solar, wind, and water power.
All of these have endless supply and are harvested fairly easily. Countries in Europe have already taken somewhat of a charge, spending over 50 Billion in building more ocean windmills.(1) Another, more practical, example of how alternative energy is being used is in building passive solar homes. These homes rely partially or completely on natural resources for their heating, cooling, and electrical needs. This way, they greatly reduce their own need for power.(2) While this does not seem like it would do much good as there are millions of citizens, if everyone in the United States got in with this method of construction, the worlds carbon footprint would be greatly reduced.
Next, I want to learn about why more wealthy people aren't considering going with alternative energy. I also want to figure out if there has been significant pushback by the companies of large power companies and if so what that pushback looks like.
2. Building a Passive Solar Home
3. MIT Sustainable Design Lab
Sustainability can best be described as the ability to maintain something at a certain rate or level. In this, there is a definite flaw with how we, as humans, are consuming fossil fuel energy. While we will not run out of fossil fuels, the cost of extracting them will ultimately become too high, and an alternative form of energy will have to be found. Alternative energy can take many forms, such as solar, wind, and water power.
All of these have endless supply and are harvested fairly easily. Countries in Europe have already taken somewhat of a charge, spending over 50 Billion in building more ocean windmills.(1) Another, more practical, example of how alternative energy is being used is in building passive solar homes. These homes rely partially or completely on natural resources for their heating, cooling, and electrical needs. This way, they greatly reduce their own need for power.(2) While this does not seem like it would do much good as there are millions of citizens, if everyone in the United States got in with this method of construction, the worlds carbon footprint would be greatly reduced.
Next, I want to learn about why more wealthy people aren't considering going with alternative energy. I also want to figure out if there has been significant pushback by the companies of large power companies and if so what that pushback looks like.
Homework 4/28/16
I want to focus on studying the "Alternatives" section. I want to study this because I am very interested in living for a very long time (1000 years or so), and I want to have a clean earth to do that on.
Monday, April 25, 2016
Climate
Bad
Weather
Heat
O Zone
Change
I said these words because it has been made obvious that the consensus is we have created a negative climate for the future in which we will overheat.
How long can we sustain this amount of fossil fuel energy and have a livable climate?
Weather
Heat
O Zone
Change
I said these words because it has been made obvious that the consensus is we have created a negative climate for the future in which we will overheat.
How long can we sustain this amount of fossil fuel energy and have a livable climate?
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Sources
1. History Channel 7 interesting things about Hoover Dam
2. Zidbits How long it will last
3. History More Interesting Stuff
2. Zidbits How long it will last
3. History More Interesting Stuff
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Reading Questions about 1930s
Read about the Great Depression (Links to an external site.). According to this article, what was wrong with President Hoover's response? Why did people blame themselves when things went wrong, and how valid or invalid was this response?
Hoover underestimated the severity of the depression, and stated it would be over in 60 days. People blamed themselves for the depression because they believed they should be able to provide for themselves and their family. In reality, however, there was very little that any individual could do to better themselves when faced with that situation.
Read about Black Sunday (Links to an external site.). How would you have felt if you'd been there on that day? What kinds of fears, concerns, or questions would be going through your mind during, and after, the event described?
I would be petrified because I get scared of the dark either way so I couldn't even begin to handle being in a pitch black dust storm, I would be most concerned with the fact that all of my crops were being destroyed by dust.
Read about The Drought (Links to an external site.). What areas were affected by it? What caused it. The author ends this article with a pithy quote. Do you agree or disagree with this historian's perspective? Why or why not?
The Great Plains were affected by the drought and it happened roughly every twenty five years, I don't agree with the quote because I think that the people of the great plains did nothing to deserve the drought they received.
Read about Mass Exodus from the Plains (Links to an external site.). Were does the migration of people out of the Dust Bowl rank in terms of other migrations in US History? What made life hard for people once they arrived in California?
It was the largest migration in all of American history. Life was hard for people once they arrived in California because farms were corporate-owned. They were larger and more modernized that those of the southern plains, and the crops were unfamiliar.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Radio Politics
Sources: American RadioWorks
PBS
Virginia EDU
The radio started making it's way into politics in 1924, when Calvin Coolidge's inauguration speech was broadcasted to 24 million people through the use of the radio. This was just the first step in what proved to be a very exciting decade in the world of radio, if you could afford to buy one of course. After the 1924 election both presidential parties used the radio to benefit their campaigns. Little fun fact, these politicians had to pay for their own air time, and it was about 10,000 dollars an hour. Franklin Roosevelt was the most famous president of that time to use the radio to reach people, as his "fireside talks" allowed him to connect with millions of people in the comfort of his own home. Also, news networks could finally establish themselves thanks to radio, and things such as NBC and CBS came into existence. I think it is also really cool how much information could go to so many people just because of the radio. It is interesting to think of a time when you might never had heard the president's voice. The radio allowed everyone to know when the Hindenburg blimp blew up which was a pretty major thing because it would have taken weeks for newspapers to convey the same information.
PBS
Virginia EDU
The radio started making it's way into politics in 1924, when Calvin Coolidge's inauguration speech was broadcasted to 24 million people through the use of the radio. This was just the first step in what proved to be a very exciting decade in the world of radio, if you could afford to buy one of course. After the 1924 election both presidential parties used the radio to benefit their campaigns. Little fun fact, these politicians had to pay for their own air time, and it was about 10,000 dollars an hour. Franklin Roosevelt was the most famous president of that time to use the radio to reach people, as his "fireside talks" allowed him to connect with millions of people in the comfort of his own home. Also, news networks could finally establish themselves thanks to radio, and things such as NBC and CBS came into existence. I think it is also really cool how much information could go to so many people just because of the radio. It is interesting to think of a time when you might never had heard the president's voice. The radio allowed everyone to know when the Hindenburg blimp blew up which was a pretty major thing because it would have taken weeks for newspapers to convey the same information.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Speeches
1. I think some of the speeches went better than others, but thats how everything goes. I think that some people really shined with their ability to talk in front of people and it was obvious that others had difficulty.
2. I think Madi did really well because of her vocabulary usage, and I think that Avani had the most coherent essay. If I'm being honest I think using bigger words to prop up an average essay is kind of mediocre but thats just me. I think that it was cool that Carson nailed the whole fake mad thing.
3. I would like to have made my words larger font to read more easily. Also I would have liked to have used some bigger words.
2. I think Madi did really well because of her vocabulary usage, and I think that Avani had the most coherent essay. If I'm being honest I think using bigger words to prop up an average essay is kind of mediocre but thats just me. I think that it was cool that Carson nailed the whole fake mad thing.
3. I would like to have made my words larger font to read more easily. Also I would have liked to have used some bigger words.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Speech
The 1920s brought the American people closer together, by making many communities of like minded individuals, but also drove them apart, creating a growing tension between those who did not hold similar beliefs. Through the invention of new conveniences, like the automobile, rural peoples could now more easily interact with those from the city. However, this community overlap did not always produce unity. In fact, it is quite possible that the ability to interact with one another only strengthened the divide between modernist city dwellers and their more rural, traditional counterparts, creating fundamentalist movements such as the Ku Klux Klan focused on the oppression and eradication of those with contrary beliefs.
While the 1920s produced a number of very important inventions that created more convenience for the average consumer, the automobile completely changed the lives of both rural communities and city dwellers alike. It gave them escapes from their own world, most of the time by allowing them to enter the other. This allowed for much more interaction between the two groups, who quickly learned that on many fundamental principles, they disagreed. This sprouted from a fear of the change that the modernists were seeming to fight for. This fear created a divide between those who lived on farms and those who lived in cities.
Fear is a very powerful motivator for violence, which many of the rural peoples resorted to. These people were now considered fundamentalists, as they viewed keeping Christianity at the center of American Culture as a necessity. They were opposed by modernist, or urban peoples, who had since adapted the idea that Christian teachings can work together with science for their modern society. This divide, as well as fear of change, created the Ku Klux Klan, an organization focused on the oppression of minorities and anyone who did not share their fundamentalist views. They operated in the open, claiming to be leaders of their community, while lynching those who were only guilty of holding different view points or being of a different color. While this organization did lose credibility after a series of scandals, their appeal alone showed just how deep the divide of the country had become.
While the 1920s created the ability for American people to come together, it ironically drove them even further apart. It made people revert back to their animalistic behaviors in which fear and anger seemed to rule logical thought. In a time when so many Americans were focused on going forward, they actually took step after step in the wrong direction.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Mini Book Review Short
In Karen Carter's debut as a writer, her book The Life of a Normal Guy in the 1920s perfectly captures the tension of the prohibition era. She tells a story with such a soft tone, it allows almost any reader to connect with the characters and therefore empathize with them. The sweetest of the tone can only be combatted with the ferocity of the subject that she is writing about. Using periodic language, she quickly brings the reader on to the front lines of the action, truly an exhilarating read.
Mini Book Review
Andrew Johnson's new book, entitled Average Family that is Somewhat Average in a 1920s American Society, is truly a testament to the people of that time period. It tells the story of a family that, on the surface at least, appears to be very ordinary. However, upon connecting with each character on a very intense personal level, I realized something not only about the book but about myself. His writing style is so poignant and elegant, enthralling any reader lucky enough to get his hands on a copy of this book. Andrew has created a story here that needs to be told, and he told it in the most eloquent way I have seen in all my time as a professional. If you want to know anything about anything, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. - Ward Pullen
1920s Mini Book
I wrote a 1920s mini book on the rising Fundamentalist movement across America during the time period. I really enjoyed this project because it made me feel like I was a part of the 1920s, using their slang. I used 14 of their words, and titled the name character John. He is a fundamentalist with a daughter in Dayton.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Poison Gas WWI Notes
1. Poison Gas was used widespread for the first time in World War 1, beginning with the Germans using it at the battle of Ypres in order to push back the French. Article : Gas used at the 2nd Battle of Ypres
2. This use of gas by the Germans violated the Hague Convention. It was very successful in driving back the French as it had never before been used that widespread so there was naturally no defense to it. They first called them "Asphyxiating gas bombs". Article: The effect of chlorine gas on French troops at Ypres
3. This caused the British to return the favor, by using chemical warfare right back at the Germans. They did this in the city of Loos. It successfully captured trenches from the Germans, but not for long. The Germans quickly launched a counter attack which proved devastating for the British. Article: British use of gas at Loos
4. The Allies eventually admit that they have decided to begin using poisonous gas as a method of warfare. Article: Allies confirm their use of Gas
2. This use of gas by the Germans violated the Hague Convention. It was very successful in driving back the French as it had never before been used that widespread so there was naturally no defense to it. They first called them "Asphyxiating gas bombs". Article: The effect of chlorine gas on French troops at Ypres
3. This caused the British to return the favor, by using chemical warfare right back at the Germans. They did this in the city of Loos. It successfully captured trenches from the Germans, but not for long. The Germans quickly launched a counter attack which proved devastating for the British. Article: British use of gas at Loos
4. The Allies eventually admit that they have decided to begin using poisonous gas as a method of warfare. Article: Allies confirm their use of Gas
Monday, February 29, 2016
3/1/16
1. Propaganda- The spreading of information to either help or hinder a person or idea.
2. Merriam-Webster
4/5/6. Link
Image 1: My eyes are immediately drawn to a mother holding her children in what appears to be a battle field. I believe that this is used in order to create fear in the viewer, so that he/she will buy liberty bonds in order to protect something like that from happening to them. This poster is designed for the husbands and wives who are at home and desire to continue to live in the freedom won for them.
Image 2: I notice the woman pointing into the distance with an American Flag draped over her, slowly my eyes glance down the image and I notice a seemingly infinite sea. I believe that this method of propaganda is used in order to emphasize just how much the soldiers have done for us, traveling a seemingly infinite number of miles to go to god knows where in order to protect us. This image is made for everyone at home to reflect on what others have given up for them so that they too can give something up of themselves.
Image 3: My eyes go to the dead soldier. This image is simple on purpose so that the viewer feels somber. It really brings home the idea that the soldiers in this war are giving up everything for us so it makes a lot of sense for us to be willing to give up something for them. This image is targeted at anyone who has a heart, to be frank. It helps to emphasize what soldiers are doing for us, and what we should then in turn do for them.
7. I am not comfortable with the idea of the government using propaganda to convince me of something because throughout history that has been abused to make the general public believe facts that are not necessarily the absolute truth. It skews information that the public then doesn't know the truth about.
8. I think that the government felt it was necessary to invest money into propaganda campaigns during WWI because they were fighting in completely foreign lands for the first time and were most likely in dire need of money to continue that fight.
2. Merriam-Webster
4/5/6. Link
Image 1: My eyes are immediately drawn to a mother holding her children in what appears to be a battle field. I believe that this is used in order to create fear in the viewer, so that he/she will buy liberty bonds in order to protect something like that from happening to them. This poster is designed for the husbands and wives who are at home and desire to continue to live in the freedom won for them.
Image 2: I notice the woman pointing into the distance with an American Flag draped over her, slowly my eyes glance down the image and I notice a seemingly infinite sea. I believe that this method of propaganda is used in order to emphasize just how much the soldiers have done for us, traveling a seemingly infinite number of miles to go to god knows where in order to protect us. This image is made for everyone at home to reflect on what others have given up for them so that they too can give something up of themselves.
Image 3: My eyes go to the dead soldier. This image is simple on purpose so that the viewer feels somber. It really brings home the idea that the soldiers in this war are giving up everything for us so it makes a lot of sense for us to be willing to give up something for them. This image is targeted at anyone who has a heart, to be frank. It helps to emphasize what soldiers are doing for us, and what we should then in turn do for them.
7. I am not comfortable with the idea of the government using propaganda to convince me of something because throughout history that has been abused to make the general public believe facts that are not necessarily the absolute truth. It skews information that the public then doesn't know the truth about.
8. I think that the government felt it was necessary to invest money into propaganda campaigns during WWI because they were fighting in completely foreign lands for the first time and were most likely in dire need of money to continue that fight.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Questions
1. Which of these did people believe did NOT create intolerable problems well before the end of the 19th century?
a. industrialization
b. progressivism
c. immigration
d. urbanization
e. child slavery
2. Which issue was NOT in debate because of the progressive movement?
a. role of women in society
b. the ways to deal with racial difference
c. what power the judges should have
d. the question of how to govern cities
e. the fairest way to organize the economy
3. Who were the muckrakers?
a. progressive journalists
b. progressive politicians
c. those in favor of Theodore Roosevelt
d. progressive athletes
e. people in favor of suffrage
a. industrialization
b. progressivism
c. immigration
d. urbanization
e. child slavery
2. Which issue was NOT in debate because of the progressive movement?
a. role of women in society
b. the ways to deal with racial difference
c. what power the judges should have
d. the question of how to govern cities
e. the fairest way to organize the economy
3. Who were the muckrakers?
a. progressive journalists
b. progressive politicians
c. those in favor of Theodore Roosevelt
d. progressive athletes
e. people in favor of suffrage
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Living Essays about Progressivism
I worked with Austin Lu and Skyler Eastin in order to combine three excellently worded "body paragraphs" in order to formulate not only an effective thesis but also a conclusion as well.
In conclusion, the primary directive of the progressive movement throughout the early 20thcentury was focused around protecting the well being of people in American communities. They tackled this with a wide range of reforms and raising awareness to the general public. There were reports of the lack of London’s safety in American newspapers that raised awareness of what to do during a possible attack. Along with awareness campaigns, they shut down public places to protect people from disease during an epidemic of influenza, and changed laws about regulating contents of food to protect the health of the public.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Clean Food Laws
I researched about the clean food laws put into affect after Upton Sinclair published a book entitled, The Jungle, detailing the horrible conditions of food plants in Chicago. These laws were in large part facilitated by Theodore Roosevelt, an outspoken Progressive. I analyzed a political cartoon in which Roosevelt was literally running the Beef Trusts out of town with his ever famous "Big Stick". (1)
Interesting fact, Theodore Roosevelt actually invented the term Muckraker during a speech condemning the work of Upton Sinclair on the bias that he wasn't speaking truthfully. Upon further research, however, it was determined that the conditions inside of these meat packing factories wasn't exaggerated by Sinclair. It was only after he made sure of these conditions that Roosevelt started the fight for clean food. In fact, Roosevelt made a speech in Congress simply titled "A Revolting Story of Filth and Pollution". (3)
I really got to see what the "muckrakers", or reporters, thought of what Roosevelt was doing at the time. I got to see if they believed it to actually be an important issue because of things like how long the articles were and how big of a heading they received. I got to see these reporters slowly turn around what they were saying about Roosevelt and Sinclair, in an article titled "Thanks, Not Blame Due Roosevelt and Sinclair", which is a really fancy way of saying what they did is good for everyone and they should be praised for it as opposed to being condemned. (2)
Another fact that I found interesting is that Sinclair's book was literally so controversial that some libraries banned the reading of it and books by other "muckrakers". This is so crazy because it is against the 1st Amendment, and I think that it is crazy that big political and business bosses had the kind of power to make things like that happen, even such a short time ago. (4) (5)
I believe that it is obvious how my topic is relevant to the discussion of Progressivism in that this law would not have come into being without Progressive people wanting a change. They had to publicize what they believed to be wrong in order to gain the support of the people, and then they had to fight the people in power who didn't want the laws to change. Also, this effort was led by Theodore Roosevelt, a man who we studied because of how strong of a Progressive he is. Honestly I'm just glad we got these laws passed, because the thought of eating a group up human finger makes me gag.
Archive
Articles:
1. Cartoon: Pure Food and the Big Stick
2. Thanks, Not Blame Due Roosevelt and Sinclair
3. A Revolting Story of Filth and Pollution
4. Library Bans Book
5. Sinclair Presses for Publication of Report
Interesting fact, Theodore Roosevelt actually invented the term Muckraker during a speech condemning the work of Upton Sinclair on the bias that he wasn't speaking truthfully. Upon further research, however, it was determined that the conditions inside of these meat packing factories wasn't exaggerated by Sinclair. It was only after he made sure of these conditions that Roosevelt started the fight for clean food. In fact, Roosevelt made a speech in Congress simply titled "A Revolting Story of Filth and Pollution". (3)
I really got to see what the "muckrakers", or reporters, thought of what Roosevelt was doing at the time. I got to see if they believed it to actually be an important issue because of things like how long the articles were and how big of a heading they received. I got to see these reporters slowly turn around what they were saying about Roosevelt and Sinclair, in an article titled "Thanks, Not Blame Due Roosevelt and Sinclair", which is a really fancy way of saying what they did is good for everyone and they should be praised for it as opposed to being condemned. (2)
Another fact that I found interesting is that Sinclair's book was literally so controversial that some libraries banned the reading of it and books by other "muckrakers". This is so crazy because it is against the 1st Amendment, and I think that it is crazy that big political and business bosses had the kind of power to make things like that happen, even such a short time ago. (4) (5)
I believe that it is obvious how my topic is relevant to the discussion of Progressivism in that this law would not have come into being without Progressive people wanting a change. They had to publicize what they believed to be wrong in order to gain the support of the people, and then they had to fight the people in power who didn't want the laws to change. Also, this effort was led by Theodore Roosevelt, a man who we studied because of how strong of a Progressive he is. Honestly I'm just glad we got these laws passed, because the thought of eating a group up human finger makes me gag.
Archive
Articles:
1. Cartoon: Pure Food and the Big Stick
2. Thanks, Not Blame Due Roosevelt and Sinclair
3. A Revolting Story of Filth and Pollution
4. Library Bans Book
5. Sinclair Presses for Publication of Report
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
3rd Quarter Reflections
I like the harder reading questions. I hope that we still watch movies in order to learn about historical biases. I really enjoyed learning about people challenging government because of the elections going on right now. I think that the constitution does follow the flag. I enjoyed talking about Imperialism because I didn't know that the United States was so involved in becoming an empire. I also really liked learning about what native Hawaiians thought about United States involvement in the documentary about Eddie Aikau. I also liked analyzing the documentary in order to bring to light the biases that the film makers had. I liked talking about the powerful images and sounds in order to help make a stronger argument for Eddie. The documentary helped show that they were a people who did not believe that they in any way needed to be governed. I hope that we will spend more time going over things involving government in preparation for the upcoming presidential election.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Homework
- Progress is a furthering of any form. It is a step toward a goal.
- The progressive era is the 1890s to the 1920s because of widespread social activism and political reforms.
- 1. National Child Labor Committee 2. 19th Amendment (women vote) 3. 18th Amendment (Prohibition) 4. Federal Reserve 5. Square Deal
- Progressive reforms seemed to be focused on helping out some minority of people so that their rights are equal with some predetermined "better" group.
- I'm going to rank the five things that I chose that progressivism is best represented by and rank them on importance.
- National Child Labor Committee
- Federal Reserve
- Square Deal
- 19th Amendment
- 18th Amendment
Friday, January 29, 2016
The Future
1. People 100 years ago believed that we would have invented flying cars by year 2k. They thought that by this time learning would be nothing more than plugging up electrodes to the brain. They thought that all of the roofs of the houses would have solar power roofs. Fifty years ago people expected astronauts to go to the moon. People were also expected to be taller, tanks were thought to be invented, and the letters c,x, and q wouldn't be featured in the every day alphabet anymore. Also people thought mobile telephones would be around. Flight in all senses of the word was very wanted. People thought there would be robotic barbers as well.
2. List one is a wish list of hopeful inventions that would come about in the next fifty years. List number two is fairly unbiased, as it is only a list of what a scientist expected the world to look like at the turn of the new century. List three is an obvious wish list. With each of the photos there is a very positive outlook on what the future will hold. List four is unbiased as well, simply offering predictions of the future, with no obvious positive or negative outlook visible.
3. Some predictions that came true were that astronauts would go to the moon, that humans would be taller than they were in the 19th century, some houses do in fact have solar roofs, and tanks are invented. However, we still do not have flying cars around the streets, also the letters c,x, and q are still on the keyboard, and learning still doesn't involve electrodes.
4. People are very focused on flight. Also, people seem to really harp on the extending of learning, some others were also focused on war, but the majority of ideas of the future had a very positive connotation.
5. I believe that the future will be a dark place. The amount of money spent on going to college will not be worth it and people will opt out of furthering their education. People will lose their desire to turn into doctors because their is no point because they could have the same wage doing a different job with much less work involved. The world will lack specialized labor in most lower class circles causing a class divide where the lower class is completely at the will of the elites. There will be an uprising and a split in the nation. The only way to stop this is to allow the government to be small, allow the people to govern themselves, and put someone into power who knows how to not get involved.
6. I think that, as individuals in a society of over 300 million, we don't have much control over our future. The future will be decided by a select number of families who has their own agendas and means of accomplishing them. There are a select number of groups who control the government of not only this country, but also the ones around it. I think that in the future we need to shine light on the corruption that is running rampant through this government in order to change it. I think that we need to allow the individual to have power once more. I think that if we want to have any hope of fixing everything that we have ruined in this beautiful country it has to start with a complete clean sweep.
2. List one is a wish list of hopeful inventions that would come about in the next fifty years. List number two is fairly unbiased, as it is only a list of what a scientist expected the world to look like at the turn of the new century. List three is an obvious wish list. With each of the photos there is a very positive outlook on what the future will hold. List four is unbiased as well, simply offering predictions of the future, with no obvious positive or negative outlook visible.
3. Some predictions that came true were that astronauts would go to the moon, that humans would be taller than they were in the 19th century, some houses do in fact have solar roofs, and tanks are invented. However, we still do not have flying cars around the streets, also the letters c,x, and q are still on the keyboard, and learning still doesn't involve electrodes.
4. People are very focused on flight. Also, people seem to really harp on the extending of learning, some others were also focused on war, but the majority of ideas of the future had a very positive connotation.
5. I believe that the future will be a dark place. The amount of money spent on going to college will not be worth it and people will opt out of furthering their education. People will lose their desire to turn into doctors because their is no point because they could have the same wage doing a different job with much less work involved. The world will lack specialized labor in most lower class circles causing a class divide where the lower class is completely at the will of the elites. There will be an uprising and a split in the nation. The only way to stop this is to allow the government to be small, allow the people to govern themselves, and put someone into power who knows how to not get involved.
6. I think that, as individuals in a society of over 300 million, we don't have much control over our future. The future will be decided by a select number of families who has their own agendas and means of accomplishing them. There are a select number of groups who control the government of not only this country, but also the ones around it. I think that in the future we need to shine light on the corruption that is running rampant through this government in order to change it. I think that we need to allow the individual to have power once more. I think that if we want to have any hope of fixing everything that we have ruined in this beautiful country it has to start with a complete clean sweep.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Analyzing a Political Cartoon
- I already knew that in order to effectively view a political cartoon you had to view it from a number of angles. I knew that you had to consider things such as irony and prior knowledge and exaggeration when deducing the meaning of the cartoon. I did not know, however, how important every minor detail of a political cartoon is. It is necessary to examine every inch of the photo to understand the true meaning.
- I will now look at a political cartoon somewhat similarly to how one must look at a painting such as the Mona Lisa. While the girl is obviously an important part, there is so much more to unraveling the true meaning behind the piece of art. I will use the guide published by WikiHow in order to assist me in analyzing.
 |
| Philippines 1 |
This cartoon is reflecting on the United States decision to purchase the Philippines from Spain. It is showing that the Philippines, even though they appeared to already be very weak, needed to be punished for the incorrigible actions. I used my prior knowledge and also the exaggeration of the proper looking white man to the Philippine boy to help analyze this cartoon.
 |
| Philippines 2 |
This cartoon is showing Americans taking advantage of the Open Door policy with the Philippines. The fat American men are about to go and take all of the expensive natural resources that the Philippines had to offer. I analyzed this cartoon by looking at the characters shown as well as the exaggeration of the big American men with their large sacks filled to the brim with what I believe to be gold.
 |
| Cuba |
Friday, January 15, 2016
Eddie Aikau
1. The purpose of calling the documentary Hawaiian, The Legend of Eddie Aikau, was because the film makers wanted to emphasize the fact that he was a native Hawaiian and also that no one knows for sure what happened to him.
2. Eddie Aikau is not only an important piece of Hawaiian surfing culture but of Hawaiian culture as a whole.
3. The fact that the film was a part of ESPN's sports network means that the film makers shaped the content to focus more on surfing as opposed to the personal life of Eddie Aikau. This is most likely due to the audience expecting a movie about incredible feats in sports such as big wave surfing as opposed to a history of Hawaii.
4. If this film had been made by someone like PBS or the History channel it would put the focus of the documentary on Eddie's personal life as well as the history of Hawaii as opposed to showing tons of shots of big wave surfers catching waves.
Topic: (subject) Teddy Roosevelt
Focus: The political career and the imperialistic nature of Teddy Roosevelt
Angle: Theodore Roosevelt, through a very imperialistic nature, helps provide a perfect illustration of the idea that one man can change the world.
2. Eddie Aikau is not only an important piece of Hawaiian surfing culture but of Hawaiian culture as a whole.
3. The fact that the film was a part of ESPN's sports network means that the film makers shaped the content to focus more on surfing as opposed to the personal life of Eddie Aikau. This is most likely due to the audience expecting a movie about incredible feats in sports such as big wave surfing as opposed to a history of Hawaii.
4. If this film had been made by someone like PBS or the History channel it would put the focus of the documentary on Eddie's personal life as well as the history of Hawaii as opposed to showing tons of shots of big wave surfers catching waves.
Topic: (subject) Teddy Roosevelt
Focus: The political career and the imperialistic nature of Teddy Roosevelt
Angle: Theodore Roosevelt, through a very imperialistic nature, helps provide a perfect illustration of the idea that one man can change the world.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Phrenology
1. Today my group and I attempted to and achieved in discovering the provenance of a model of a famous porcelain phrenology skull.
2. I learned that in research it is best to originally consider a number of ideas. It is better to be too specific on a search and then have to cut out a word or too than to immediately search a query that is deemed later to have been much too broad for any practical use.
3. Provenance is the origin or history of a certain.
4.
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