The International Whaling Commission (IWC) vs The Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR)

Article: http://www.networkeddemocracy.com/japan/sea-shepherds-vs-japanese-whaling-research/

Summary: The International Whaling Commission (IWC) set a global suspension for commercial whaling, since December of 1946. This is a way "to preserve whale stocks until proper methods of counting whales and harvesting them could be sustainably implemented". A team of animal activists who sides with the IWC are the Sea Shepherds. They devote their time and take on the grueling mission of risking their own lives for whales that are being killed by the Japanese for "research purposes". The commission that sides with the Japanese is the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR). And what the ICR does is gather scientific data by killing whales, either unnecessarily or poorly. Sometimes, its just an excuse to whale. The IWC, on the other hand, claims the moratorium because 500 to 1000 whales are being killed each year. Once a research portion is complete, they spare a significant amount of whale meat to sell to restaurants in Japan.

Proposition: Sure the Japanese are whaling and supposedly researching, but what they do know and majority of the time ignore, is the fact that they are whaling extensively in a sanctuary protected by the International Whaling Commission. I stand beside the IWC for many reasons. One of them is because whales that are being killed are endangered and becoming less and less in number.

For more info, visit this link: http://www.seashepherd.org/

"Coming of Age" Assignment

A Minute's Glimpse of an Infinite Future (Rough Draft)

What used to be an idea jotted down on paper one day, may be reality the next. Technology is rapidly developing nowadays and so are the means of individual thinking. Humans have a tendency to visualize what may happen in the future. In that case, people are progressively adapting to a life where living seems impossible without technology, since majority of us are dependent on it. Science fiction lives to provide countless possibilities; its purpose – to educate.

In the world of science fiction, authors and writers alike, tend to base their conflicts on Man vs. Technology. Out of curiosity, mankind is likely to tamper with the forces of nature, thus bringing light to technological advances and possible consequences. Directed by Sam Raimi, Spider-Man 2, relates to this particular type of conflict, where man must face the result of a failed experiment. Aside from genetics and the chemical reaction in the DNA which gave Peter Parker his superhuman abilities, he encounters Octavius, who longs to complete his research of a reactor. With the neural inhibitor chip which prevented the advanced AI of the tentacle arms to take over the doctor’s mind was destroyed, he went berserk. The only way to end the dreadful reactor was to drown it and in place of Spider Man, Octavius risked his life, leading to the downfall of a brilliant mind.

A decent sci-fi normally has a storyline that makes sense and isn’t as misleading. That way the audience won’t get distracted and confused, leaving them to question themselves if it was worth their time. The main focus of a storyline/plot is to keep audiences on task and sci-fi simple and clean. Take the hit television series Heroes, versus its counterpart, The 4400. Both differ in storyline, even though they may seem similar because of the “gifts” obtained or possessed by the characters, making each series unique in their own way. Heroes has an optimistic feel to it, while The 4400 tends to be missing that certain characteristic. Based solely on opinion, people debate about which series is the most dominant, as far as their storyline. It’s up to the viewer to decide which is best in his or her point of view.

Characterization is also a key in good sci-fi. Portraying the character’s appearance, telling what the character says, displaying the character’s actions, revealing the character’s thoughts, and revealing what other characters think about that character are ways a writer brings a character to life. “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed”, by Ray Bradbury, is an excellent example of illustrating what characterization means. Mr. Bittering and his family had fled to Mars because of an atomic war taking place on Earth. Now stranded on Mars, Mr. Bittering plans to repair a rocket ship with a crew to get back home after the war has ended. Try as he might, Mr. Bittering was only ridiculed by his friends. As the story progresses, Mr. Bittering sought that the only way to get back to Earth was futile and the longer the Bitterings were there, the more they evolved into Martians living in the villas, without giving it a second thought. Being able to grasp the background of a protagonist or antagonist, or any character of that matter, audiences are more likely to be drawn and influenced.

Science fiction teaches us to keep an open mind of what to expect in the years to come. It enables us to apply the knowledge of what we have now to mold a better future with the help of advanced technology. That is the main goal scientists are aiming for and the reason why sci-fi exists in the first place. Though the improvement of mankind and society is necessarily "better", keep in mind that it could go both ways. Sci-fi is the bridge between what's real and what's not. A good technology and a storyline to back it up, as well as the understanding of each character says it all when predicting the possible outcomes of the not-too-distant future.

Picture Analysis

At one point in time, this was a crater formed by erosion or simply by a meteor impact. This once dull and worn down hole-in-the-earth is now filled with freshwater and plays a role as a thriving ecosystem, home to various types of animals. Seeds that were blown in from all directions have grown into tall evergreens. Clouds dance gracefully across the sky with its vivid colors, as it reflects itself in the lake. The cool, brisk air, the scent of pine, and the sweet melodies of birds and howls of the coyote is worth your while waking up and going to sleep to when you're one with nature.

Welcome to My Poetry Website!

You are welcomed to view my poetry website. I will be delighted if you have a chance to tell me what you think. I know I may not have any graphics up right now, due to some technical difficulties, but if you take the time to read through my work and the work of other professional poets and songwriters, then you can well understand from my point of view.

Here is a link to my poetry website:
http://www2.k12.hi.us/~ddacoco/homepage.html

Journal #31: Metaphor Poems

Poems
Boundary by Adrienne Rich
Sonnet by C.S. Lewis

My Self-Metaphor Poem
Creature of the Night

Songs by Ludo
Streetlights
Broken Bride

Journal #29: 12-Line Poem Rough Draft

Creature of the Night

Though in a deep trance,
Sleeping soundly throughout the day
Even the slightest knock,
Tap, or whisper
May trigger and arouse me.

My circadian rhythm tells me,
Dusk is drawing near
I feel it in my blood.

Now wide awake,
I pursue a snack to nibble on
That will satisfy my empty stomach.

Stirring blindly through the hallways
Relying mainly on taste, touch, smell, and hearing,
I make my way through the maze of adjacent walls
And into the kitchen I go,
Finding myself in such luck
To come across the cheese.

I am a mouse.

Nocturnal in nature.
Physically small,
Emotionally timid,
…and self-reliant.

I am a mouse.

Not straying away from home.
Plain, yet simple,
A dependable, yet assertive being,
Keeping a low profile.

I am a mouse.

Journal #27: Brainstorm on Self-Metaphor

I tend to compare myself to a mouse, since they have poor vision and rely mostly on smell, taste, touch, and hearing. Not only are mice very shy, they also have a sense of athletic ability. Mice place an excellent sense of balance and they're excellent jumpers, too. Like me, they will spend most of their day sleeping.

Journal #25: My Vocabulary History

Assess your own vocabulary.

What are your strong points; what are your weak points when it comes to the trait of Word Choice in your writing and reading?
Each time I read a book, I look up the defenitions of words I nerver or rarely heard of. This, for me, is a strong point in learning a new vocabulary. From there I pertain that knowledge and everything comes naturally (a good book keeps me reading until the end.) My weak point is using new words I learn and pertain them in my everyday writing and language.

Describe how you have studied vocabulary in the past. What kinds of class activities and assignments have you experienced to work on your word choice?
Describe how you, personally, learn new words. Give a specific example of how you have learned a new word recently.
In middle school, there was a program called Accelerated Reader. At least two books were mandatory to be read for each quarter and it affected our grade greatly. After we read, we had to take a quiz in the library and our score was determined by how we knew the book well. In class, we compare "well exceeds" and "okay" writing. Like I said before, reading books increases my vocabulary.

What are your specific vocabulary/word choice goals? How many new words would you like to learn this semester? What will be your evidence that you “own them” and can use them in your speaking and writing?
For this semester, I would like to use words I don't normally use in my everday language and/or essays such as the words, "etiquette" or "magnitude." There is no limit in learning the new vocabulary. When I trust that I truly know the word, that is when I will start using them. No doubt.