Thanksgiving!

Oh, it is that wonderful time of year again! I love this season for many reasons. Some of those being: families are close and loving, people are cheery and caring, and the world suddenly switches modes and starts thinking of others more than themselves. It's a time of year that has many memories for me personally. This year, we celebrated Thanksgiving with my family, grandparents, and aunt, uncle and cousins. My dad unfortunately was not able to be here. He is currently deployed in Korea. The wonderful thing about the 21st-century technology is that there are things like Skype. This allows us to be able to talk to and see him at least once a day. That makes holidays, birthdays, or even new exciting daily events a lot easier as well. In addition to all of the joys of the season, I am looking forward to school break. Although honestly, I have learned to enjoy school. I really like going there everyday. Anyway, I hope that all of your thanksgivings are going just as well. Make sure you eat plenty of turkey! Also, remember to sit down and think for a bit about all the things you are thankful for or have been blessed with! =)

How I Feel About Myself As A Writer: Updated

How I feel about myself being a writer has changed a lot from what I previously had mentioned at the beginning of the semester. I feel a lot more confident in my writing than I used to. I know I still need to keep working at some things...one being that I still am not the best overall at organizing a paper. However, I want to keep looking and striving for the positive side of things. I hope that my progress shows overall in the end. Oh, and I am quite excited about seeing how the rest of the semester plays out. Do not forget that part. : ) The next step is our group paper on Child Obesity. Bring it on. Lets get a great grade on this paper guys!

Portfolio Completion!

I am happy to announce that my portfolio is finished! Yay! It feels great to have completed yet another assignment. Man, we are just chugging through this semester aren't we now! Before you know it, we will be into the Spring semester and sadly, all starting new classes with new people. That is definitely a sad fact right there. I have overall enjoyed this class a lot. Honestly, I also wish that my current teacher, Mr Tom Lovin, was teaching english 102. It would be great to get a class with a teacher I already know. It will be an adventure all over again though. Anyway, I argued for an A on my portfolio. I believe that I have the confidence and enough well written work to show for an A. I hope that that also shows when it comes down to the end. But for now, I will not worry : ) I will just keep on journaling. Good luck to all on the assignment!!

My Individual Portfolio

My individual portfolio is due soon! I am trying to think of the many ways I could approach this. I am kinda excited to take a different look and get the opportunity to write differently this time. I will not be discussing anything except myself and the progress I have had so far. Honestly, it might be kind of hard for me to concentrate on just me. I do not know yet how much information I will be able to get out of this. We will see however! I know I can definitely do it, and that is all that matters.

The Sun

The sun is one of my favorite things in the world. It is bright. It is sunny. It is warm. It is cuddly. It is beautiful. It is blinding. It is dangerous. It is hot. It is full of flame. It is burning. It is harmful. It is wonderful, and I love it. You may not be able to understand the reason why I am choosing to write about this or why I even mention it. However, to me this is a significant something in my life, no matter how silly it seems. I look forward to waking to the beauty of it shining through my window everyday. Although rain is needed and beautiful as well, my ultimate favorite is definitely what the sun does. Heat, that is also a part of the sun I love. I am very much so a heat person. Sweating and tanning are also great! So, get out in that sun and enjoy every minute of it! =]

Journalling?

Whoah! I never used to do this thing!! However, journalling is something that I have recently picked up and I enjoy it. It is a great way to express any and every emotion or thought you have. I never enjoyed journalling before, but now it is often where I do all my blogging, which is why I end up posting so many blogs all at once. I write and keep them there until I get the chance to get them grammatically correct and ready to be typed. It may be a little longer of a process, but for me it works because it is easier for me to write it down first with my hand. Weird, I know. My writing habits have changed drastically it seems. I am excited to see where I can go with them though, but for now, I will just stick with journaling.

The Art of Horseback Riding

Horseback riding is something that I love to do but hardly ever have the time for. It has been several years now that I have worked at a stable up in Troy. I enjoy doing this immensely! I do not yet own my own horse. My trainer, however, lets me ride whenever I want. This is an awesome opportunity that I hope to keep for quite a while. The art of horseback riding is incredible. Like you cannot even believe! Most people do not consider it a sport or hard to do at all. However, I challenge you to get under a horse and keep from falling off when competing. : ) It is very difficult but at the same time very rewarding. It is like any other sport, you get to see the outcome of your efforts, that is one of my favorite parts about it. I will also often ride just for a clear mind. You would be surprised just how quick it will zap a stressed mind. Another favorite is the feeling of confidence, freedom, and control you have when riding. How your horse reacts is based on how you as a person carries yourself, how your emotions are, how you react to things, and the most difficult one, your level of fear. A horse can sense fear from a mile away, if he/she knows of it, they often times will take great advantage of it too. If you are ever looking for a great sport to reward you mentally and physically this is definitely a great one to consider! =)

CoNfIdEnCe?

The following are just some of the many definitions from Merriam-Webster for the word: Confidence.

1) a feeling or consciousness of one's powers or of reliance on one's circumstances

2) the quality or state of being certain

3) faith or belief in yourself or something you do

To me, confidence can be described as just another one of those four letter words(yes, I know it is more than four...) that we just say to say. Think about it, true isn't it? I thought so.....In my life, confidence is something I do not have enough of. That is why I think that this semester of writing papers for my english class has been so helpful. My confidence level went from almost nothing and thinking I was a horrible writer to....writing papers on POLITICS and THINGS I DON'T ENJOY...and actually enjoying it! That, in my opinion is a huge step for me. Now, funny as it may seem, my favorite part to a paper is editing it. No no, not the writing and idea brainstorming...the editing : ) Picking out the mistakes...Why you ask? I am not so sure....maybe it is because the sky is blue?....or maybe it is because I have confidence in what I write now and I KNOW how to correct it most of the time. : ) I am so excited to see that the dream of being a better writer is starting to come true! : )

First version of Essay 3

Tiffany Neuverth

Professor Tom Lovin

English 101 - 027

Essay # 3

October 25^th, 2009

President Barack Obama’s Nobel Prize

Throughout my life, presidents, campaigns, inaugurations, elections, and anything political-related has been a bore for me to listen to. Honestly, when it comes time for a new president in the United States, I could care less. However, this last time around the campaigns did somewhat catch my attention. I think the biggest reason Obama’s campaign peeked interest in me was because he greatly focused on “change”. This talk of change offered a new and exciting idea to America and in the end, attracted a good amount of people. It was said in an article done by the Nobel Foundation that: “Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.” On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was elected to be the next President of the United States of America. He is currently the forty-fourth president in America. President Obama was in office for about a month before he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. However, why he received prize quickly became a very controversial topic in America. The Belleville News-Democrat recently said it in an article this way: “We are giving President Obama an award for having good intentions when the award is for accomplishments. There are no accomplishments.” It seems that the main reason people had a problem with Obama getting this was because the talk of “change” that he ran hard for in his campaign never seemed to appear or take effect in the United States. In my opinion, even though it is a controversial topic to discuss, I do not think we have really seen any results of this change he talked about.

The Nobel Peace Prize, also called, “the world’s most prestigious prize”, has been awarded annually since December 10, 1901, by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm and Oslo. It is given for any outstanding contributions in the areas of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace that fall into the guidelines of Alfred Nobel’s will. According to Nobel’s will, it is to be awarded to whomever that “has done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”. This award also always includes a medal, personal diploma, and a pretty hefty amount of money.

According to the Nobel Foundation President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize of 2009 for: “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples" Personally, I think the reason they awarded Obama this was because the Nobel Foundation liked the talk of his change. He was offering several ideas that really appealed to them. It seems to me that President Obama was thinking along the lines of becoming less of a bully and trying to consider the opinions, cares, and needs of the other countries in the world. Overall his ideas sound to me like the need to consult more with allies instead of being a country that acts on its own. In my opinion, because of Obama’s willingness to talk and communicate with other countries, he most definitely has the potential to do something great. However, I think that their award was a bit pre-mature. He is still new at being in office and has not yet pursued any of the changes he previously mentioned. The Nobel Peace Prizes is supposed to be given to people because of results they had from ideas, not just the ideas and their intentions. Thus far, we have yet to see much more than intentions from Obama.

In 2000, Kim Dae-Jung was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for: “his work for democracy and human rights in South Korea and in East Asia in general, and for peace and reconciliation with North Korea in particular.” Also in 2005, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Mohamed ElBaradei were awarded for: “For their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way.” There are many examples and people who have been awarded over the past hundred or so years. Some of them are for better reasons or attempts than others but overall you can see that there is a pretty common idea of awarding for results, not intentions. Once again, I think you can see why I see it as a pre-mature move for the Nobel Foundation.

All together we can see that while Obama’s talk of change is interesting and ear-catching, we really need to be looking at his actions. I think that overall Obama’s ideas and intentions are encouraging but time will only tell if they are good and will result well. Also, while everyone may not agree that Obama is good or bad for office, I think we all can agree that he does need to be doing more and getting results, whether good or bad. President Barack Obama can say all he wants but it will be what he does to benefit in and for this world that I will base my opinion on. Afterall, actions do speak louder than words. There have been many people that have been awarded the Nobel for the great things they have done. We should continue to keep these same pattern of results, in my opinion. Overall, I think that for President Barack Obama has the potential there to make something out of his intentions. Whether or not he does is another story though. There are many possible ways for him to go on this. Until then however, I do not feel that he necessarily should have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize here and now. It was too early. The future however, may be bright.

Work Cited:

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/press.html

http://nobelpeaceprize.org/en_GB/alfred-nobel/testament/

Belleville News-Democrat

http://nobelpeaceprize.org/en_GB/about_peaceprize/

First version of Essay 2

Tiffany Neuverth

Professor Tom Lovin

Essay 2

English 101 - 027

October 3, 2009

American and Canadian Healthcare Compared: Why American is the Better Way

Healthcare is something that everyone needs at some point in their life, some more than others and especially as one gets older. I believe that there are few people in the world that can get by without healthcare. For years, healthcare has been a huge issue, much debated battle, and ongoing concern for the government and people everywhere. However, when it comes to specifically American and Canadian healthcare, there are many differences and opinions. This particular topic is one, that when discussed, can be heated, touchy or on the flip side, truly interesting and informative. I think it is also one that should be better researched and then we should consider for ourselves the real facts about the healthcare provided in America and Canada. In this essay I will touch on several pros and cons in both of the systems and briefly explain why American healthcare, in my opinion, is a much better option than Canadian healthcare.

For many years the healthcare systems of America and Canada were relatively the same. Canada, however, now has gone to socialized medicine, whereas American healthcare is still privately provided. Every day we get closer to socialized medicine because of the new system President Obama has been proposing. It seems that the vast majority of people, when asked which healthcare system is better between the Canadian and American, will quickly respond saying the Canadian system. Why is that so? I believe that what they hear from others, especially friends, appeals and definitely influences them much more. I do not think that the majority of people know exactly why they believe what they do about healthcare. David Gratzer of The City Journal stated in an article he did in the summer of 2007 that: “Socialized medicine has meant rationed care and lack of innovation. Small wonder Canadians are looking to the market.” David also went on to state in the article several views and things he saw when he had the chance to live in Canada and use the system. His conclusion was that Canadians are not happy with their system just as we are not happy with ours. They are looking to our system for help.

America does have better quality care, especially as one gets older and is facing serious life-threatening illnesses. In Canada, the care for the elderly is more difficult to get, if at all. That is why the elderly often will turn to America for the treatment they need. Americans in turn, do provide and care for their elderly. I believe that this is the better way to go. Our healthcare systems should care for people of all ages. Canada lets the elderly die just because of age and that it may cost too much to treat them. That to me is quite a sad fact. We need to provide all that we can since it is available, no matter what the age. After all, the generation we live in today will one day become those elderly people.

While the American system is more costly, we do have more healthcare choices available to us than Canada. We can choose our healthcare plans based on our affordability. Canadians do not pay upfront costs for their socialized medical care; they pay for it in the form of much higher taxes and have no healthcare plan choices. People like options and they need to understand that the American healthcare system provides more of what they are looking for.

Some of the first thoughts that immediately come into many people’s minds when you mention American healthcare is how the United States has such a horrible system and how it takes forever to get appointments, not always the best quality of care, and why it costs as much as it does. It is true that America does have a pretty costly system and I can see why Americans look to Canada for cheaper care. Canada is said to have no wait to be seen for care, healthcare is free, as are doctor visits and medications. However, the grass is not always greener on the other side. What most people are not aware of is the reasoning behind why and how it may not be the best choice overall for a person. The reason I believe that America still has the better system is easily seen in a study done by The National Center for Policy Analysis. This particular study shows us that patients from Canada often have to wait twice as long for treatment for cancer, special surgeries, hip and knee replacements, and radiation for cancer, just to name a few.

So we can see that the American system, being privately provided, is much more costly when compared to the Canadian system. The people of the Canadian socialized healthcare system still do pay a good bit of money to the government, in the form of taxes. These taxes are outrageously high compared to what the typical American has to pay. America also offers better quality of care and to a wider range of people. We offer to care and treat the elderly, unlike Canada. Canada seems as though they will provide you care faster than America. What they provide that is faster is just the initial appointment or visit. However, American healthcare will continue to get you the treatments or surgeries that you need. The treatments America provides for serious healthcare issues will have long term effects, and you will have a greater chance at living. It is said that Canadian treatments are not guaranteed to happen for at least three weeks. That is enough time for a serious illness to take your life. I believe that overall, American healthcare is still the better option here. Not only does it offer more choices regarding your health, but also better quality, timeliness, long term care for serious issues, and in the end, although more costly, you will have a more responsive healthcare system.

One of the major points I am stressing here is to not just listen to what you hear most about something. It is not going to benefit you much or at all. I encourage you to research the healthcare issue more for yourself and truly see what you believe. Senator Edward M. Kennedy once stated: "For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die." I believe that this should be the dream we live everyday when it concerns our healthcare. Carefully study the healthcare issue as it evolves and I think you will find that the American healthcare system is still better.

Work Cited:

(Medicine and Health: Here’s a Second Opinion) Hoover Institution of Stanford University. March 24, 2009. Internet. http://www.hoover.org/publications/digest/49525427.html Accessed: October 4th, 2009

(Perception vs. Reality: Taking a Second Look at Canadian Healthcare) The Heritage Foundation- Leadership for America. Written by: Haislmaier, Edmund F. Internet. http://www.heritage.org/research/socialsecurity/bg807.cfm Accessed: October 5th, 2009

(Health Coverage) Families USA: The Voice for Health Care Consumers. Taken from home page. Internet. http://www.familiesusa.org/ Said by: Kennedy, Edward M. Accessed: October 4^th, 2009

(The Ugly Truth About Canadian Health Care) The City Journal. Manhattan Institute. Article by: Gratzer, David. Written: Summer 2007. Internet. http://www.city-journal.org/html/17_3_canadian_healthcare.html Accessed: October 3rd, 2009

First version of Essay 1

Tiffany Neuverth

Professor Tom Lovin

Essay 1

English 101-027

September 12, 2009

Why the Legal Drinking Age Should Not be Reduced from Twenty-One to Eighteen

Being eighteen, you would probably expect me to be into alcohol very frequently. However, I choose not to drink and am strongly in favor of keeping the legal drinking age at twenty-one. I want to go beyond the standard set for the legal drinking age in Illinois. Alcohol can hurt you even through the actions of others. “The punishment of it is very severe!”[i] – (The Nemours Foundation). Honestly, it scares me often just to think about how dangerous it truly is. With that being said, I believe we should keep the drinking age at twenty-one. In no way does it benefit us to lower it to eighteen.

“On average, young people have begun drinking at about age thirteen, but some start even younger. By the time they are high school seniors, more than eighty percent of them have used alcohol and approximately sixty-four percent have been drunk.”[ii] - (U.S. Department of Health).

Studies continue to show that teens who start drinking before the age of fifteen are four times more likely to be alcoholics, seventy-five percent more likely to use an illicit drug, twenty-two times more likely to use marijuana, and fifty times more likely to use cocaine. In addition to that, it’s been said many times and I agree, that children who drink by the seventh grade often report more academic problems and delinquent behavior in their middle and high school years. Several studies indicate that all these numbers are significantly less for the teens who choose to wait and not start drinking until the age of twenty-one. Early alcohol use and dependency also has many hidden, long-lasting consequences that are health-related. “Alcoholism, heavy addiction to alcohol, is ultimately a degenerative disease that is chronic, progressive, and fatal if not treated.”[iii] – (Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse). I believe dependency on alcohol, especially among teenagers, is becoming more and more of a problem in the world every day.

Most people believe that alcohol will not affect them for more than a few hours when they are drunk. However, they are quite wrong! I believe alcohol affects your body for the rest of your life. It just may not always be visible. Did you know that when alcohol gets in your system it slowly starts seeping into the bloodstream and immediately makes your blood pressure jump? Some of the long-term damages capable from alcohol include: liver damage, pancreatitis, several different types of cancer, brain shrinkage, and finally nerve and heart muscle damage. Likewise, it has many short-term effects. It changes the person’s behavior and mood, impairs your motor skills, keeps you from thinking clearly, and distracts your concentration.

One of biggest problems with alcohol is how it attacks your central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). It is a depressant. It slows everything in your body down. This depression results in anxiety and lack of activity. When we are depressed we often go for the first thing that we think will give us joy and make us happy. Possibly, it’s the frequent and excessive use of alcohol. Approximately 100,000 alcohol-related deaths of teenagers have to do with excessive consumption alone. I feel it would be a very beneficial to us if facts were better publicized. Perhaps, we could begin to see just how dangerous alcohol is to teens as well as other people.

“Underage drinking costs the United States more than $58 billion every year — enough to buy every public school student a state-of-the-art computer”[iv] – (Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse). That is a lot of money! I think America and specifically public schools would benefit a lot more if we didn’t have to spend as much time and money on underage drinking and driving. Currently, over 310,000 people suffer from an alcohol-related accident every year. That’s one accident every other minute in which a person is seriously injured due to alcohol. Just crazy, isn’t it? Driving under the influence (DUI) in America is the leading cause of death.

With all this being said, can you honestly sit there and think that lowering the drinking age to eighteen from twenty-one is still a good idea? No! There are many health issues, both long and short term, and also safety issues. You saw how all these studies are showing more and more alcohol-related problems. I only just briefly mentioned a few of the many statistics and facts. Some of the studies that are available even go on to discuss why teens experiment with alcohol, the extreme dangers of alcohol poisoning, and statistics on teenage drunk driving. In addition to that, there are also some interesting facts which show just how serious the effects of alcohol are on teenager’s brains since they are not yet fully developed. Alcohol is a serious issue and we, parents, police, and specifically the government needs to do more and crack down harder and more often on underage drinkers. It should be a major focus to keep the teens of this world safer. I truly believe that lowering the drinking age to eighteen is not a good idea. Let’s stop risking our teens and start saving their lives!

---

[i] (Alcohol, Teens Health) The Nemours Foundation. Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: April 2009 Originally reviewed by: Eugene Shatz, MD http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/alcohol/alcohol.html# Accessed: September 14^, 2009

[ii] (Youth and Underage Drinking: An Overview) “U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol & Drug Information" Internet. http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/govpubs/rpo990/ Accessed: September 12, 2009

[iii] (Alcohol, Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse). 2002–2006 GDCADA. Last updated March 6, 2006. Internet. http://www.gdcada.org/statistics/alcohol.htm Accessed: September 12, 2009

[iv] (Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Alcohol, Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse). 2002–2006 GDCADA, Last Updated March 6, 2006 Internet. http://www.gdcada.org/statistics/alcohol.htm Accessed: September 13, 2009

My Third Paper

OBAMA! Yes, that was the topic for this last paper! Honestly, when first brainstorming for ideas and how to write it, I was overwhelmed! Have you ever realized just how much information is out there that is related to just politics and Obama? It is quite impressive actually. Makes for writing about it either a breeze or a huge cloud of confusion. For me, it took a while to decide to how to approach this topic. I was only required to have a 1000 word essay. So, it could not be a topic that would be ten pages long. : ) Therefore, I decided to go a different route than it seemed most other classmates were going and focus in mostly on the Nobel Peace Prize and why I did not believe Obama deserved it. My paper gave some information about the Peace Prize and the history of it, people who had won it in the past, some quotes, and then my thoughts and argument about it. Overall, I was happy with my paper and the way it turned out. My end argument was that Obama did not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize for the now, but that his future may be bright. I guess my professor liked it too because I was quite surprised and happy when I received an A on this paper. Makes me anxious to start the next one!!! : )

Oh the days!

Oh the days are clicking down, down, down. Can you believe that we are already into Novemeber? Where did this time go?! Oh, and....we are also almost to the end of the semester! YAY! This fall semester, when I look at it overall, has actually gone by fairly fast. It has been an interesting one that I will for sure never forget. In addition to that there are so many things that I have learned! I sometimes hate school, but then I look back and I am astounded at how much I have learned. So, all in all, I think I actually like school! On top of all that though, I started this semester out and hated writing with such a horrible passion. Now though, I almost enjoy writing papers. It is so exciting! I am very happy and content that I have been able to get to the point of enjoying it more. That helps me in all of my other subjects as well! I believe that this class has been helpful for me. I have a lot more confidence writing than I have ever had in my life. I am looking forward to getting started on this group project as well. Totally anxious to see the final result and grade! However, I am still very much so looking forward to my holidays and time off with the family. I love this time of year! : ) So, the holidays better come quick too!

Nervousishness? Yay/Nay???

Woot woooot! Tomorrow is the day for finding out my next grade! Anxious could be a pretty good word to describe how I am feeling. Waiting and waiting for this is hard for me to do! Honestly, I am one that would love to know my grade right away. Even if it is not a grade I want to hear.

For this next grade I do not really know what to expect. I was not exactly sure what my professor, Tom Lovin, was looking for in the current Obama paper. The way I understood it was that this specific topic was a pretty open one and we could write on it in many angles. The angle I chose to do focused mostly on his current nobel prize award and how that fit in to the work he has done in the USA. My goal was to explain that here he won this award, but for what reasons and how has he benefited the country? My goal in the conclusion was to point out that while yes, he has good intentions, it was too early. He just got into office and is new to the whole president daily life and tasks. In my opinion, actions speak louder than words and Obama's actions have hardly spoke yet. However, it will truly be interesting to see where he goes with what he has said.