Most people drive cars fueled by gasoline. Some people drive gas-electric hybrids. Almost no one drives a purely electric car but that is what companies are starting to make. We need these cars because our current cars damage the environment and we will run out of oil someday.
A Newsweek article called "Time for a Trade-In" by Daniel Lyons talked about how hybrids are becoming obsolete. Lyons said, "A new generation of carmakers is shunning the traditional hybrid format in favor of pure electric powertrains (driven completely by batteries) or 'plug-in hybrids.'" A change to only using electic cars will not happen for a very long time but companies such as Chevrolet and Toyota are starting to look into it. "The Chevrolet Volt (due out in 2011) uses a plug-in hybrid powertrain, but General Motors calls it an 'extended-range electric vehicle.'" Also, "Toyota is doing research on lithium-ion batteries, and plans a plug-in hybrid prototype for next year."
Tesla Motors is also making electric cars. Their Model S can travel up to 300 miles and has a 45 minute quick charge. The Roadster gets 244 miles per charge and can go 0-60 in under 4 seconds. That's fast! These cars are perfectly clean with zero emissions and they are extremely cool looking. The only downside is the Roadster is about $100,000 and the Model S is about $50,000.
I think everyone should buy an electric car. They are good for the environment and you never have to buy gas. Gas powered cars are a thing of the past.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
#13 5/5/09 Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is when a family member or partner hurts another. This includes husbands, wives, children, parents, ex-boyfriends or girlfriends, and many other people that are very close to you. Domestic violence is not restricted to physical violence. It includes emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and even threats. Domestic violence is horrible and unfortunately, it is fairly common. According to the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence, "Approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the United States."
In scene three of A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, Stella came home during one of Mitch's poker parties. He had been drinking and losing and he was getting mad. Mitch hit Stella. I thought that something like that would usually end a relationship but certain context clues made it clear that domestic violence was a frequent occurrence in their home. Stella just left until things cooled down and later that night she slept with Mitch. Stella's reaction shocked me. She acted like it didn't happen. If a husband was beating his wife today, he would go to jail and they would get a divorce.
Do not let Stella's reaction fool you. Domestic violence is a major problem. No one should hurt someone close to them in any way. Sometimes I get mad at my family members but I would never hurt them.
What do you think about domestic violence? Should Stella stay with Mitch anyway? Why would anyone want to hurt their spouse or family member?
In scene three of A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, Stella came home during one of Mitch's poker parties. He had been drinking and losing and he was getting mad. Mitch hit Stella. I thought that something like that would usually end a relationship but certain context clues made it clear that domestic violence was a frequent occurrence in their home. Stella just left until things cooled down and later that night she slept with Mitch. Stella's reaction shocked me. She acted like it didn't happen. If a husband was beating his wife today, he would go to jail and they would get a divorce.
Do not let Stella's reaction fool you. Domestic violence is a major problem. No one should hurt someone close to them in any way. Sometimes I get mad at my family members but I would never hurt them.
What do you think about domestic violence? Should Stella stay with Mitch anyway? Why would anyone want to hurt their spouse or family member?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
#12 4/28/09 God Is Not Back
Because I like to keep myself so up to date on the news, I dusted off last week's Newsweek and started flipping through the pages to look at the pictures. I stopped on a page with a picture of Wolverine on it and was thinking to myself how cool it would be to have claws. On that same page was an article entitled "Modernity's Worldwide Belief Boom" that was about a new book, God Is Back, by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge.
God Is Back is about how "as the world grows more modern, it also becomes more religious." It talked about how globalization, politics, democracy, and the economic crisis are positively impacting people's perspectives on religion. People are using religion as "a shield against the modern world" and as "a way to get ahead." Micklethwait and Wooldridge belive the majority of people are religious and are devout in their faith.
I disagree with Wooldridge and Micklethwait. Most of the people that I know either do not believe in God or do not care enough to attend mass regularly. Maybe they have surveyed more people than I have but it seems like this new generation is caring less and less about God and turning more towards facts and reason. An example is from Peter Hessler's River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze. Hessler visited China with the Peace Corps. He went to mass every Sunday and the only people there were very old women. Also, he noticed that the younger generation did not care about traditions or religion.
God is not back.
God Is Back is about how "as the world grows more modern, it also becomes more religious." It talked about how globalization, politics, democracy, and the economic crisis are positively impacting people's perspectives on religion. People are using religion as "a shield against the modern world" and as "a way to get ahead." Micklethwait and Wooldridge belive the majority of people are religious and are devout in their faith.
I disagree with Wooldridge and Micklethwait. Most of the people that I know either do not believe in God or do not care enough to attend mass regularly. Maybe they have surveyed more people than I have but it seems like this new generation is caring less and less about God and turning more towards facts and reason. An example is from Peter Hessler's River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze. Hessler visited China with the Peace Corps. He went to mass every Sunday and the only people there were very old women. Also, he noticed that the younger generation did not care about traditions or religion.
God is not back.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
#11 4/21/09 Welcome to the Gun Show
The April 20 Newsweek had an interesting article about gun control called "Obama Gets Gun-Shy" by Michael Isikoff and Suzanne Smalley. Some people want assault weapons banned and others want to be able to own these guns. Obama had a campaign promise to ban assault weapons but he wants to stay out of it and deal with more pressing matters such as the economy.
The pro gun control people say that when people have guns, they shoot other people. This article told the story of Richard Poplawski who killed three police officers. They think no one should have guns because of guys like this. The anti gun control people say that just because one in a million people decide to kill someone, that shouldn't ruin it for everyone.
I agree with the anti gun control people and the NRA. First, most people won't kill anyone and second, I think that if assault weapons are banned, people will just get them illegally. That is what the Mexican drug cartels are doing. Also, the second amendment says that we can own guns. We might need to defend ourselves and AK-47s would do the job nicely.
Maybe we can compromise and instead of making assault weapons completely illegal, there can be more thorough background checks. Someone should make sure that people that buy guns aren't insane like Richard Poplawski. According to the article, there is "a gaping loophole that permits people to purchase arms at gun shows without background checks." That just seems unbelievable to me.
What do you think should be done about gun control?
The pro gun control people say that when people have guns, they shoot other people. This article told the story of Richard Poplawski who killed three police officers. They think no one should have guns because of guys like this. The anti gun control people say that just because one in a million people decide to kill someone, that shouldn't ruin it for everyone.
I agree with the anti gun control people and the NRA. First, most people won't kill anyone and second, I think that if assault weapons are banned, people will just get them illegally. That is what the Mexican drug cartels are doing. Also, the second amendment says that we can own guns. We might need to defend ourselves and AK-47s would do the job nicely.
Maybe we can compromise and instead of making assault weapons completely illegal, there can be more thorough background checks. Someone should make sure that people that buy guns aren't insane like Richard Poplawski. According to the article, there is "a gaping loophole that permits people to purchase arms at gun shows without background checks." That just seems unbelievable to me.
What do you think should be done about gun control?
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Forum Post #5
I think everyone is guilty of wanting more than we need. Huang Xiaoqiang is a great example of this. He owns a great restaurant called the Students' Home. He has a big apartment, a driver's license, a color TV, a public telephone, a stereo, and a camera. He also has a big family that supports him. His parents, wife, sister, and son help with the work at the restaurant. Yet, with all this, he still finds plenty to complain about and to want. He wants a videodisc player, a cell phone, a car, and more money. He complains that his life is hard even though all he does is make dumplings and let his mom and wife do the rest.
We have so much but we never take the time to be thankful for it. Lots of people around the world's main concern in a day is if they will have anything to eat. We never have that problem. We are concerned about having the new coolest cell phone or ipod. We need to remind ourselves how fortunate we are and how easy our life is.
We have so much but we never take the time to be thankful for it. Lots of people around the world's main concern in a day is if they will have anything to eat. We never have that problem. We are concerned about having the new coolest cell phone or ipod. We need to remind ourselves how fortunate we are and how easy our life is.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
#10 3/31/09 Threat to Capitalism
I was reading an article in the March 30 Newsweek called “Don't Let the 'Big Men' Win,” by Michael Kazin. It gave a little history lesson of the Great Depression and talked about the AIG bonuses and how they could be a threat to capitalism. It was wrong for them to use the money that way but I do not think the bonuses are a threat to capitalism. Companies can do whatever they want with their money because in a capitalist system, the government doesn’t get involved. The threat to capitalism isn’t the bonuses; it is the government giving out money to companies in the first place.
I have been reading about the current situation with GM. Basically, they were given billions of dollars and Obama had the CEO, Rick Wagoner, resign. Now, Obama is developing a plan for GM on how to save their company. Stuff like this is the real threat to capitalism. The government came in and took total control. This is socialism.
The Newsweek talked about Dorothea Lange’s picture of a sign saying, “THIS IS YOUR COUNTRY. DON'T LET THE BIG MEN TAKE IT AWAY FROM YOU.” The biggest man, President Obama, is taking our country’s capitalist system away. I think it is wrong that the government is intervening so much.
I have been reading about the current situation with GM. Basically, they were given billions of dollars and Obama had the CEO, Rick Wagoner, resign. Now, Obama is developing a plan for GM on how to save their company. Stuff like this is the real threat to capitalism. The government came in and took total control. This is socialism.
The Newsweek talked about Dorothea Lange’s picture of a sign saying, “THIS IS YOUR COUNTRY. DON'T LET THE BIG MEN TAKE IT AWAY FROM YOU.” The biggest man, President Obama, is taking our country’s capitalist system away. I think it is wrong that the government is intervening so much.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
#9 3/24/09 Spend Money
The March 23 Newsweek had a very interesting article called, "Stop Saving Now!," by Daniel Gross. The article said that because of the recession, people are not spending any money so businesses don't get any customers so the economy gets worse. Gross said, "If everyone saves during a slack period, economic activity will decrease, thus making everyone poorer." People think they are doing the right thing by saving money but it would actually be better for the economy and the country as a whole if people weren't so thrifty.
"Hoarders must open their wallets and become consumers, and businesses must once again be willing to roll the dice. Nobody is advocating a return to the debt-fueled days of 4,000-square-foot second homes, $1,000 handbags and $6 specialty coffees. But in our economy, in which 70 percent of activity is derived from consumers, we do need our neighbors to spend." I know that money doesn't grow on trees but if we have a little extra laying around, spend it and remind yourself that you just helped everyone out by pumping money back into the economy.
"Hoarders must open their wallets and become consumers, and businesses must once again be willing to roll the dice. Nobody is advocating a return to the debt-fueled days of 4,000-square-foot second homes, $1,000 handbags and $6 specialty coffees. But in our economy, in which 70 percent of activity is derived from consumers, we do need our neighbors to spend." I know that money doesn't grow on trees but if we have a little extra laying around, spend it and remind yourself that you just helped everyone out by pumping money back into the economy.
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