Griffin's World

The Problems of Speed

2012-02-16T13:47:00.001-06:00

Recently, while reading through the editorials section of the online New York Times, I came across an article titled, "The Reality of Dyslexia", and instantly became interested. Growing up, there was a kid in my middle school advisory who had dyslexia, and as we became better friends he would tell me the struggles he faced daily. Reading was a painstaking task for him, that I so easily took for granted. As we got older, we began to grow apart, and my concern with the problems of dyslexia began to fade away as well. As I read this article, the statistics of dyslexia and all of those who suffer from it astonished me. "Nearly two million students in our public schools struggle with reading because of dyslexia". Later the article goes on to state that, "Learning to read with accuracy, fluency, and comprehension greatly increases the likelihood of high school graduation, enrollment in college, and career success".
What struck me as so interesting in this article was all of the benefits of simply learning to read, something I wouldn't even think twice about knowing to do. All of my goals and dreams of college and careers and plainly my future are hindered for millions by dyslexia. In this day and age, I believe that dyslexia is an even bigger problem than before because efficiency is now so valued. Every week it seem there is a new commercial advertising the "newest, fastest phone". It is hard to find a town without a fast food restaurant. Standardized testing for college or in school is difficult mostly because of the time restrictions. Nearly every aspect of life in the United States is becoming speedier and speedier, while those with dyslexia need time to process information to understand what has been given to them. Is it necessary? I have blogged more than once on speed or efficiency, and it seems to be a recurring theme in my class as well. I believe that it is such a lingering topic for me is because I don't understand why it's necessary. Don't get me wrong, I love all the new technology these days, but I feel that this necessity to be the fastest has become overwhelming. I ask again, is it necessary?

Meta-Blog Post

2012-01-16T21:18:00.001-06:00

After rereading some of my older blogs, the change in my writing is quite apparent. One of the things that bothers me though, is that in one of my first blog posts, the NFL: Winning?, I referenced statistics from an article, tied the issue back to American themes, and then connected the issue to previous events in American history. Now don't get me wrong, I'm very proud of my first blog, and the effort and process I took in writing it, which is why it makes me so upset to read blogs like, Fantasy Football. One of the things I've learned from blogging this year is that there is nothing worse than a forced blog. My problem was that when the week started coming to an end, and I still didn't have a blog, I would just force a blog out just to get the weekly requirement up. Not only the topic of fantasy football is hard to write a good blog post on, but not impossible, in all honesty it is one of the worst blogs I've written all year. There is no sentence or quote on its own that could be put in this blog to display this blog's weakness, but if you were to read Fantasy Footabll and compare it to one of my newer blogs, you will see the difference. A change in my writing that made a big difference was anchoring my arguments to a text. In my blog Fall From Grace, I analyze Sidney Crosby and his plaguing injuries using quotes from ESPN. Its unbelievable how much stronger my argument is when its backed up by ESPN, and Sidney Crosby himself. Also, one of the things that has helped my writing is leaving the blogs ending up for question. For example, in the Fall From Grace blog, I ended it in, "In this society will anyone be remembered positively?". The importance of this is that my blog doesn't just end in one post, it can be continued in the comments or even in further blogs. My writing has progressed from forced, stand alone arguments to strong arguments anchored in text.

More First Amendment Issues

2012-01-13T09:38:00.000-06:00

In a recent article I read, the government is now trying to decide further of what can be restricted and what shouldn't be, most specifically on broadcast. In 1978 there was a Supreme Court ruling "letting the Federal Communications Commission ban "indecent but not obscene" material from radio and television" because they deemed it to be inappropriate for children. This ruling is now being called into question to try and make the boundaries for broadcast a little more clear than "indecent but not obscene". The case is F.C.C. vs. Fox, and the argument for the change in the 1978 ruling is that its "unconstitutional because its impermissibly vague". I agree with Fox for appealing the previous ruling, because the argument of the F.C.C. is based around the fact that they don't want kids to see or hear profanity, but in this day and age, parents can block what their children can see with Parent block, a common function on most televisions.
I believe that the line has to be drawn somewhere, and in 1978 that might have been the correct decision. As times change though, the restrictions on what is acceptable and unacceptable must adapt to the times as well. Although it might be challenging to draft new restrictions for first amendment issues, its necessary because the old restrictions become out dated. Fox should win this case, and broadcast restrictions should be more lenient.
What do you think should and shouldn't be restricted in terms of broadcast? Do the old rules still work?

The Purpose of College

2012-01-12T14:28:00.003-06:00

Being a junior in high school, this is the year that colleges have transformed from something that you dream about to a reality. ACT prep, realizing the importance of grades, and the stresses of finding out where I want to go to college are common problems I face these days. While on the New York Times website I found an article where a writer argued the purpose of college. He wrote, "Preparing students for the workplace should be the job of high school, not college". After reading this I completely disagreed. I could name a handful of students I know that are prepared for college at this very moment in high school.
College is a very important part of American society. However, as college has been seen as the path to achieving a good career, America is in a economic struggle, and recently this has been very hard. College is to serve the purpose of developing the skills used for a career, which is why there are so many options to major in. Because the number of jobs out of college is on the decline doesn't mean that high school now has to carry the burden of preparing students for the rest of their life. A career is a big decision, and high school students aren't ready to decide, I certainly am not. I believe the chain works that high school is to prepare for college, and college is to prepare for a career. The purpose of higher education is more than "a highly restricted enterprise, educating only professionals who require advanced and special skills". The ages of the students attending college are the ages career choices should be made, not grade school and high school.
What do you think the purpose of college is? When should someone start focusing on their career?

Walking and Texting

2012-01-10T07:59:00.001-06:00

These days, its hard to run in to someone who doesn't have a cellphone with them. Whether they have no idea how to use it, or know every trick in the book, cell phones are one of the most commonly seen things today in American society. I recently read an article and watched a linked video on a topic I hadn't heard of as a problem yet. Texting and walking. The video portrays the dangers of walking while texting, which are amplified being that the video is set in New York City. Everyone you see is looking down at their phone. I found the video interesting, but it sparked the question of are we becoming too dependent on our phones?
Every step forward in technology is great, but it seems that now these technology companies are coming out with something new for us to be addicted to every day. The article stated that "more than 1,000 pedestrians visited emergency rooms in 2008 after they were injured while using a cellphone to talk or text". To me, that statistic is simply horrifying. If 1,000 people can be so taken out of reality to get sent to the emergency room with injuries caused by phones, than the problem is apparent. People have to learn to be less dependent on their phones before everything works through phones and computers.
What can we do to solve this problem? Is it a problem?

The Ongoing Struggle With Civil Liberties

2012-01-06T15:12:00.001-06:00

Recently while reading over a few posts in the editorial section of the online Chicago Tribune, I came across an article on the new legislation passed regarding how to handle terror suspects. Having the perilous times unit still fresh in my mind, I finished reading the article and realized how much of a problem the restrictions on civil liberties actually are. The article stated that the Republicans in Congress wanted to, "decree that anyone connected to al-Qaida could be held only in military custody, not tried in civilian courts — even if the detainees were U.S. citizens captured on American soil".
Now at first when I read this I believed that the Republicans were crazy, and how could you step on the Constitution by even thinking this? However, after thought on the debates within class during the presentations, especially the war on terror, I realized that the problem isn't as clear cut as it should be and views like this aren't as radical as they seem. My gut instinct is to protect the Constitution at all costs, but when American lives are being lost at the hands of terrorists I also believe everything needs to be done to stop those doing it. An ongoing struggle in my mind in what's right and wrong, and one in Congress also, the restrictions on civil liberties are a hard choice to make and at this point it looks like it will be a while before they are resolved. Civil liberties are a touchy subject because no President wants to leave a bad mark on history taking away the rights of Americans. The legislation that was just passed didn't change much, it just solidified the abilities of the government that were already in place, including the right to take a citizen of the street and detain him for the rest of his life with no chance of appeal.
What is too far? Is there anyway to solve this problem or will it always be an American issue?

Fall From Grace

2011-12-11T12:20:00.001-06:00

Every sport has there legends, and its every athlete's dream to become a household name of their own. From Michael Jordan to Wayne Gretzky, whether it be on a court or on ice, most Americans know of these people and of their unbelievable sports careers. But how does an athlete become a legend of their own? Being a hockey fanatic, I closely follow the news of Pittsburgh's superstar, Sidney Crosby. Last year, in the Winter Classic, Crosby took a hit, suffered a concussion, and the rest of his career has been foggy ever since. Crosby took the ice on November 21st for the first time since the middle of the season last year. Scoring four points in his first game back against the New York Islanders, "the Crosby Show" seemed to be back in action, but just earlier this week, Crosby fell victim to injury once again. After colliding with teammate Chris Kunitz, Crosby was back in the locker room. Even though Crosby suffered no head contact, he was declared out for the next few games so he could get back on his feet.

My problem with all of this is the legacy Sidney Crosby will leave behind. An unbelievably talented, dedicated, and humble hockey player, Sidney Crosby is seen as a "wuss". In an ESPN article, Crosby was quoted saying, "I just want to be smart with this. Its been a long road back and we want to err on the side of caution". Crosby was torn apart. Called soft, a wuss, fragile, made of glass, the insults on the greatest hockey player of the decade were relentless. I believe that its an American value to be concerned with the legacy you leave behind, and to want to achieve greatness. Sid the Kid with a Stanley Cup Championship in his back pocket, unbelievable statistics throughout his career, and captain of his team won't only go down in history as a great hockey player as he should, but will infamously be regarded as "soft". I don't understand how Sidney Crosby, hockey superstar, can't achieve greatness, and it makes me think, who can? These days everybody is judged so critically, whether it be Barack Obama's policies, or some celebrity's wrong dress choice, everyone seems to be judged rather than praised. In this society will anyone be remembered positively?

The Inspiration Behind Blogging

2011-11-29T13:41:00.001-06:00

In the beginning of the year, when I found out that we would be blogging weekly, I didn't think much of it, and thought that it would be easy. How wrong I was. For me, I don't have ideas of things to blog about often, and when I do I have trouble putting my thoughts into the blog. Do I blog about sports? Politics? High school? There are so many things to write about, why can't I find something that I would want to write about. I finally settled on writing about blogging, and where inspiration comes from.
After reading an article about where to find inspiration for blogs, I realized finding inspiration wasn't my problem. How I set out on doing these weekly blogs was that I was going to write the greatest blog post week in and week out, and in trying to do so I fell behind and lost the real reason for having a blog. The goal is to get your opinions out there, no matter what they're on and to draft an argument, good or bad. After finishing a unit on freedom of speech, I would sit in class thinking about the connections between our First Amendment rights and blogging. With this useful medium for expressing ideas and opinions, that so many previous people would have killed to have this tool, and I don't use it. Inspiration can come from anything, and from now on no matter how important or unimportant something is, but it means something to me, I'm going to blog about it.

Free Speech or Terrorism?

2011-10-27T13:45:00.003-05:00

Taken from NPR Online

During the past few weeks in class, we have been researching civil liberties during wars, and how certain rights have been changed for the good of the country. I was assigned World War II, so today, when my teacher showed me an article involving the restriction of free speech, everything became more real. It seems that things hold more of a weight when they are during your lifetime. The particular case is of Tarek Mehanna, a 29 year old Muslim from Pittsburgh. Mehanna is charged with conspiring to plot terrorist attacks using the particular medium I am writing right now, his blog. The interesting part of the case is his defense, the first amendment.

Tarek is also charged with a few other crimes, but most of the evidence in those cases is circumstantial though. The primary source of evidence in the prosecutors case is Tarek's blog, where he has recently translated Islamic texts, one of which, "39 Ways to Serve and Participate in Jihad", is a text commonly used and referred to by Al Qaida.

What was interesting to me about this case was that it is made off to be much more severe than it actually is. All of the evidence in the case is circumstantial, and the prosecution's case seems to be off of paranoia. It is one argument that civil liberties need to be suppressed during wartime, but I believe there needs to be a strong reason for those civil liberties to be suppressed. Mehanna only translated a text, and for that reason he is being silenced? The prosecution's argument comes down to if the interpretation supports Al Qaida, which is a stretch to try and prove that. This case is unnecessary and is an example of America's constant paranoia.

To read the entire article, click here.

Where's the Line?

2011-10-24T22:27:00.004-05:00

I never really seem to know what to blog about, and I constantly think of possible ideas, but nothing really seems to stick. Earlier today, in a break from my quest to write the "perfect blog" I decided to watch one of my favorite TV shows, Dexter, a show about a serial killer, who only kills other killers. It isn't as confusing as it sounds. The show makes Dexter, a father and forensic "lab geek" for Miami Metro, out to be the good guy, while he still is a serial killer himself. I started to think about how far television shows and overall media in America has gone.

Does anything fly in this society? If a television show about a serial killer is a common favorite show for many Americans, has the line for acceptable and unacceptable become blurred? Believe me, I am one of the biggest Dexter fans around, and am not saying that it shouldn't be aired, but it feels like media in America has no limits. I understand that scary shows and movies have been around almost forever, and that a show about a serial killer isn't that big of a deal in most peoples' eyes, but its not just shows like Dexter that are pushing the boundaries for media. Reality TV is everywhere, from shows like Teen Mom to Jersey Shore, there are no limits. Media these days is bouncing off the walls, and in my personal opinion, it provides for some great shows and programs, and just some awful, awful programs as well.

Do You Believe in Miracles?

2011-10-03T13:40:00.002-05:00

Today in class we talked of how other than coming in first, nothing is good enough for Americans. Whether it be in sports, school, new technology, Americans want to be the best and have the best. This got me thinking of how it all started, and got me thinking of my favorite movie Miracle.

The movie Miracle is about the story of the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team. All odds were against them. They were a team of young Americans going up against the veteran Soviet team, who had been dominating the hockey world for years. In a scrimmage prior to the Olympics, Team U.S.A. was embarrassed and lost to the Soviets 10-0. They were seen as a joke, and when the 1980 Winter Olympics came around, they weren't expected to win, they weren't even expected to get to the medal rounds, but they shocked the world and beat the Soviets 4-3 in the semi-finals in a come behind win. They went on to beat Finland in the finals in another come behind win to win the gold medal.

My theory is that once the highest level of winning is achieved, nothing else is comparable. The 1980 Olympic hockey team proves that anything is always possible, therefore is always expected. Is the expectation of winning a generational thing? Has it always been an American value? But the real question is, "Do you believe in Miracles?"

Fantasy Football

2011-09-26T13:51:00.000-05:00

Each week, when Sunday rolls around, my friends and I get excited for football, fantasy football. There are fantasy football leagues, and leagues commonly consisting of 10 people. Each player drafts a team of real NFL players in each position, and each team gains points based on how well their players do. My friends and I love fantasy football, and competing against one another, but I was thinking why? Fantasy football is a very common hobby, but how it came to popularity boggles me.

Why is it common to enjoy something that takes no effort at all. The competition between friends is one reason why this hobby has become so popular, but I think that the reason that this is so popular is because sports are built up so much in American society that when you can't become a professional, people choose the next best thing. Become a coach, and control the pros, and then when Sunday comes around, each game is meaningful and everything counts. Some people see it for what it really is, just a pointless game. They're probably right that a list of names on the internet probably doesn't mean anything, but I beg to differ. Its more than that, every Sunday, I become my own professional and each win is as great, and each loss is as tough.

The Stories We Tell

2011-09-15T15:08:00.001-05:00

Today in class we talked about the stories our country tells, such as: we are free, we are just, we can achieve anything, and so on. We then progressed to telling our own stories in the form of poetry. Most people, including myself, were trying to write beautiful lines of poetry describing themselves, but are these lines necessarily the truth? For example, one of the sub-par lines I wrote was, "I used to want to know, but now I'm afraid of what's around the corner." The meaning I was shooting for behind this line of poetry was supposed to be that nowadays most news is bad news. However, in writing this line I was trying to be as deep or artsy as possible, forgetting about the meaning behind the line. That made me think, are the stories our country tells even true?
As an American, I recognize that reputation means a lot to this country, and our stories will resemble our "good" reputation. Most of the stories we came up with in class for the most part weren't entirely true. One of the stories we came up with was that we are tolerant of other countries. However, in Iraq, we weren't very tolerant when we overthrew their government and implemented democracy. I believe that people, and even countries, get so caught up in reputation that they forget the values they represent. I saw myself lose focus with the meaning in my poetry, in order to sound "deep". America has certainly lost focus with the truth, or the entire truth in many of the stories it has told. Reputation is something that has become more and more important in everyday life. I miss the days when people could care less about what other people thought, whereas nowadays everyone is trying to live up to the persona they embody. Even our country is doing it, we have to be this beacon of light at the end of the tunnel, and we have to accept the fact that in some situations that just isn't true.

The NFL: Winning?

2011-09-08T19:44:00.000-05:00

Hello internet world! Griffin here with my first blog. As many of you may know, following the end of last year's football season, the NFL was in what many called a "lockout". What this essentially means is that the players and the owners had to come up with a new collective bargaining agreement for the upcoming season. However, this year the owners wanted to take a much larger portion of money from the revenue pool. The amount they initially asked for would cut the players' share by 18%, and the Players Association quickly refused this offer. As the first game of the NFL is tonight, Saints vs. Packers, the lockout ended, and the owners came to an agreement with the players in which the owners receive 52% of all revenue. After reading through the logistics of the lockout agreement, I began to think of how important sports, more specifically football, is to American society.

http://www.buffalosportsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/nfl_lockout-224x300.png

There were far worse things going on in the world, and within our own country during the 2011 football lockout, but that was a topic that was repeatedly brought up over other important topics. It may be just that I'm in high school and a fantasy football fanatic, but the amount of debate this lockout received made it seem like a real American issue. It got me thinking of why this sport is so important to our country? To me the reason isn't that its fun to watch or that it is something to watch during the winter. I think that football means so much to Americans because our country loves competitiveness and coming out on top. Winning is such a simple concept, but winning can either make a day great, or not winning can ruin a day. To the roots of American history, our country has always strived to be the best. Whether it was the space race with the Soviet Union during the Cold War or Sunday Night Football, Americans always want to win. Until looking into the importance and obsession of the lockout, I hadn't noticed the obsession with being first, but winning and competition are two hidden, but important values amongst all Americans.