The Internet: Good or Bad

            In our society today we have many needs that must be pleased and many things we want to know that we don’t know yet. Today we have a too and a very useful tool as well, but is it safe? The internet is used word wide; www stands for World Wide Web after all.   Whether you’re an average teenager wanting to keep in touch with friends after school, or a business person needing a low cost but effective way to keep work related material local and secret, chances are you use E-Mail or Instant Messaging services. For communication purposes in this high tech lifestyle that exists today, these systems are used only with the basic understanding needed to run these devices.

            The Internet was invented in the late 1960s. Back then, the Department of Defense called it ARPAnet (Advanced Research Projects Agency network) and it was intended to link research facilities, defense contractors, and government agencies. The first public demonstration of ARPAnet was in 1972 and technicians proudly displayed a network that connected 50 universities and research facilities. Today there are millions of computers on the Internet. Electronic mail (e-mail) and Usenet (short for "user network") news groups were the first applications. Internet privacy laws have been passed to protect different groups in different ways. One such privacy law was passed in 1996 called the Communications Decency Act (Tulsa, 2002).

            According to an article called Free speech, and safe children, there is one Act that is solid in the fight to protect the minors of today’s Internet world. This act is called the Children’s Internet Protection Act, or CIPA enacted in 2000. (Tulsa, 2002). The material that may not be suitable for child can be available on personal computers at home, which change the fact that many children are going to view the media if they choose to do so. However, there are many ways schools and libraries can stop the media from reaching the young students of today by using newly advanced software technologies. There are so many ways that people want to protect other kids and teens because internet is not safe.

            Almost every one that has been on the Internet or that uses e-mail has heard of hacking. Hacking is very serious in some cases. How would you like a hacker to intercept your credit card number and start using it to buy his or her own stuff? A lot of us would not like that, because the hacker is stealing from us. When the Internet first started to develop, hackers could get into anything and do anything. With the protection programs that we write, the hackers write their own programs to disregard our individual privacy on the Internet and hack into systems holding our private information and stealing it to reveal some of our biggest secrets. Many web sites deposit data about an individuals visit onto his own hard drive while he is surfing the web in the form of cookies. When the user returns to that site the cookies reveal that he has been there before and may offer products or ads based on the data in the retrieved cookie (Computer Privacy Presentation). Even though it may seem immediate, an e-mail message travels from ones computer to several computer hosts across the world before finally reaching its destination. At every stopping point, it could be intercepted and examined by anyone who has right of entry to those intermediate computer hosts.

           It is necessary for the battle for privacy to be fought on many fronts such as legal, political, and technological. The Internet presents many benefits in the lives of patrons. However, as it is seen, it may bring new threats to personal privacy. Any cyberspace users should be aware of the potential of the invasion of privacy and should thoroughly inspect new services before moving further. This electronic environment does not obey the same rules as the physical environment within which we live. People now have the opportunity to access an infinite array of information or to communicate with people on earth or in outer space. The technology for this world is progressing at a profound pace and it seems as if something revolutionary is being implemented all the time. But along with this innovative technology, in a world of few regulations, come many opportunities for infringement upon user’s rights that were implemented in the real world. Computers and the internet are merely tools to access this median between users and the massive amounts of information available.      

They still have a long way to go before the Internet is secured from both sexual advertising to minors and individuals with capabilities to monitor your actions on the computer. So the next time you are using the computer and think your along, you may want to think about who is monitoring the computer and internet. The topic of internet privacy is an interesting topic to cover in that today so many people utilize the internet which causes a need for the regulation of peoples’ individual freedoms in cyber space. The internet is so popular that anything having to do with it directly or indirectly affects us all. The question arises as to how much or little regulation should applied as to make the internet safe from those who miss use it, yet at the same time not compromising peoples’ right to confidentiality.

My Winter Break

This winter break was a pretty interesting break and some Christmas miracles actually did happen. I ate a lot of really good food and I spent it with my family. I enjoyed my break very much so I guess that is what counts. I had my bad days, obviously, but it was all really fun eventually.

I went ice skating, we cooked a lot of food and I really enjoyed that part because I love to cook food. Some family members I hadn’t seen in a very long time came over and we all ate together. My cousin slept over for a couple days so that was fun as well.

     I guess I will start on how they celebrated my birthday. Honestly it was very boring and I would have liked it if my family would have paid me more attention that day. It’s not every day that one turns the age of their birthday that only happens once. My friends gave me some presents and took me out to eat so that made me feel better.

     At home I spent most of my time cooking and cleaning. My mom says that a girl becomes a woman when she learns to cook and clean. Now my mom has arthritis so she can’t do much around the house to help so it’s up to me and my sister to do it. I love cooking so I don’t mind doing that. I usually cook recipes I get off magazines so it is something different we taste. Obviously that gives me great ideas when it comes to cooking for holiday dinners especially for Christmas.

     On Christmas I made some apple dumplings stuffed with cinnamon, jam, and walnuts. My aunt and uncle finally came over to our house after about three years of not seeing them. That day we went ice skating at Pershing square and it was a lot of fun especially because my cousin couldn’t ice skate.

New Years was really boring and we stayed home all day long I didn’t even feel like cooking. We were suppose to go to my best friend’s house but my dad got home late from work and he had had a problem at his work so he was stressed out. My parents went to sleep really early and it was just me and my sister awake waiting to receive the New Year.

I would have loved to have had more fun and I really wanted to go to the snow but we don’t always get what we want. At the end I am just appreciating the fact that I have my family and I spent my break with them. Family comes first and I have them and even if I didn’t see my friend or even my boyfriend  I am thankful I had the people that will always be there for me, my family.

  

     

The Crucible and Modern Day America

The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a tragic play and reminiscence that is a part of America’s history. The play is based during the Salem witch trials that occurred in Massachusetts in which eighteen innocent Puritan’s, members of a group from the 16^th and 17^th century who wanted to make the Church of England simpler and stricter on its morals, were accused of witchery and were hanged. Nine other Puritan’s died in the jail cell waiting for their trial, one man was pressed to death and a dog was hanged because it was thought the dog was a human in disguise. So it was obvious these were moments of hysteria and madness. Now the state had much to do with this which is why it’s good we don’t have that anymore. Salem’s theocracy of 1692 was a blasphemy and the most awful thing to happen to America because of the problems it caused, because of how people where brainwashed, and because of the diverse religions that we have in the U.S now.

The biggest issue was the false accusation’s made against innocent people. “Danforth: Mr. Putnam, I have here an accusation by Mr.Corey against you. He states that you coldly prompted your daughter to cry witchery upon George Jacobs that is now in jail… Giles: If Jacob hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property- that’s law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy   so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land.”(Miller 214) In this dialogue Giles Corey, which is the man who was pressed to death, is accusing Mr.Putnam of trying to take away other peoples lands by getting his daughter, one of the “afflicted,” to accuse whoever he wants gone so he can take advantage and buy their land? This means that someone might accuse you just because they don’t like you or you are annoying or even out of jealousy. Today there is a lot of hate, jealousy, arguments, and fights in which many can easily be accused if the church was still part of the state. People were easily brainwashed thinking there was a devil and they felt god was the answer.

The church made people believe in witches and if there are witches there is a Satan meaning there is a god because the world has to be balanced. Anyone can easily pretend to be possessed and the church will say “it’s an invisible crime” and everyone else will go along with it. During the trials I am pretty sure if everyone would have gotten together they could have easily taken over the situation but since they all have the same belief they all thought it was true. Today however, we the church is separated  from the state which is good because god and witches are all myth where the state has made laws that are broken on a daily bases.

Today in the U.S there are many religions that exist for example there is the         christain church, catholic church, etc. I personally am an atheist so I believe in nothing over all. So there is a diversity of different religions so how can a state be ran with so many ethnic groups and religions. It is too much and it wouldn’t work. In The Crucible everyone believes in Puritanism so it was easier although it didn’t work. You can’t run a state based on superstition. If we would still have our church and state together I think all African Americans would be dead when we had our racist  and segregated years.

In conclusion it is great that we don’t have a union between the church and state because that would be a mistake all over again. The church is mostly filled of beliefs that may or may not be true so you can’t accuse anybody on beliefs which is what happen at Salem. The state is the law, rules we should be following everyday like no stealing from others. These are laws that make more sense and we actually know about and some of us are even witnesses to them. In other words the Salem witch trials happened for no reason because no one was actually a witch. The people who were accused were victims of hate, revenge, and even jealousy so hopefully they still rest in peace even though they died for no real reason.

                                                                                                                                

                                   

Works Cited Page                                                  

Applebee, Arthur N; Bermúdez, Andrea; Blau, Sheridan; Caplan, Rebeka; Elbow, Peter; Hynds, Susan; Langer, Judith A; Marshall, James. “The             Crucible.” The Language of Literature. 1941. Harcourt Brace & Company. Boyer, Paul. “Documentary Archive and Transcript Project.” University of Virginia Library. Electronic text center.1997.Nov.30,2010.<http://etext.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft/texts/transcripts.html>  McClenaghan, William A. “Our Political Beginning.” American       Government.   1917. Pearson Prentice Hall                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Academic Autobiography

               My Kindergarten teacher, Ms.Courtney, was my favorite teacher along with Mr. Rogers. They had a class of about 40 students and there were two classrooms right next door. During reading time we would get in a line to go next door to Ms.Courtney’s room. Then for math we went to Mr.Rogers room then we would do things together in holidays. They were my three favorite years I even wrote my first poem in that class and I also decided to help animals in those years. Once 2^nd grade was over I cried because I felt so attach to my teachers I didn’t want to go luckily for 3^rd  grade my teacher would let me go read to my old class.

I spent two years with my 3^rd grade teacher and he was always proud of me. He made me banker in the class and the one accountable for ordering books. During lunch I would either play handball or go to the library to help put away books. I became the friend of the meanest T.A in the school, Lucy. Everyone hated her and because she had a mole in her nose and she was fat they would call her witch but my trips to the library got me really close to her. I was also the one everyone went to for guidance. I would solve problems at lunch and help friends play together in peace. I then decided to join student counsel and I loved it. I was happy.

            My 5^th grade teacher became my best friend and she still is. She educated me very well and told me everything was possible. She inspired me to join a contest known as Art in the Village and from my class I was the only one to win. My teacher was so proud that she went to the ceremony as well. I was chosen as the translator so on the day of my graduation I would have a V.I.P seat in the front. I was extremely happy and sad at the same time but I kept thinking I am going to Troy Camp for a week.

The University of USC had offered me and four of my friends to go camping for a week without parents. In that camp I learned about friendship and love I made another family there and I never thought it could be so much fun. The counselors all had nicknames and mine were called Hunny and M&M but there were still others like Joker and Speckole. I loved that week I just wished I could have stayed there forever instead of coming back to a nightmare.

My first and last week of 6^th grade came because we were going to move to North Carolina permanently. I cried so much when we moved it was so hard to leave all my friends and family to go live at a forest. The second day in North Carolina was my first day of school and it was no fun. All my classes were in the basement level and to make matters worst I was the only Hispanic (Salvadorian) there and I was treated differently. My sister had met another Hispanic girl the first day of school but there class was upstairs nowhere near my classes.

            At this point its better if I stop because the years after that have gotten pretty hard but life is hard and some just have it worst than others I guess.                 

What is America?

America

            My thoughts on America aren’t the greatest. When I think America I think hell, war and problems. The US is full of government conspiracy and that is a fact. The phrase “The American Dream” is all just a huge lie that many believe. How many people are going to be so gullible to believe in that lie? Many Hispanics come to the states believing that bogus lie and then many of them regret it. I wonder if they know that the government is getting richer off of them and they are still stuck in the same spot as when they got here. The government is filled with lies for example the war in Iraq, it was ILLEGAL. Did most Americans know that their sons and daughters were out there dying in this illegal war Bush brought upon us? The government didn’t listen to the UN in my opinion the government wanted revenge for the whole 9/11 incident. So it turns out we are living in a hateful country that’s great lets really be proud for being hated by many other countries seriously I am sure they think we are the greatest out there. America can go to hell in my opinion I don’t care sure I am living here but because I dint have an option. As soon as I get a chance I want to leave to Canada because it sounds great. Unless this country can learn to live at least five years in peace then don’t expect me to think any better of it. The whole border patrol thing is the most idiotic thing we can do because here the only people with full rights to this country are the Native Americans. So to all those Anglo whites that are racist guess what I have news for you, you don’t belong here either so stop kicking others out. Still no one has the right to claim land because not one of us made it. It was made for us, sure, but did we make it, I think not. We must all learn how to share what happened to “We are all equal” and “This land is my land, this land is your land.” That law Arizona passed on is just intolerable we said racism is against the law but yet the state of Arizona thinks “we can stop anyone because of there color.” If I could destroy the sheriff and governor of Arizona I would because it isn’t fair and they are breaking a law so they should go to jail. What kind of pride can I have for this country? They don’t care about each other what makes me think they will care about the earth. The government protects the rich especially the Illuminati. The Illuminati are conspiring against many except the ones with money. The US is all about money and powers if you don’t want to get pushed around then I hope you are a multi-millionaire at least. The government is religious as well because at court they put your hand on a holy bible. “Hypocrites!” is all I have to say to the government. Many don’t know or don’t believe in these stories but its true the sooner you open your eyes the sooner you will be freed from this dammed land.