Daily Question,"Don't our traditional forms of information communication, notably "the book" and especially "the textbook" contribute to our belief in linear history?”

Our traditional forms of information and communication like a book do not attribute to our belief in linear history. I believe our traditional forms of information communication, notably "the book" and especially "the textbook" supports our belief in linear history, but doesn’t attribute to it. What attributes to our belief in linear history the most is our faith, but what supports our faith are the books. Basically the books and textbooks support our faith that contributes to our belief in linear history. The support from the “textbooks” and “books” makes it a small contributor, but what really contributes to our belief are things like our culture and faith.

The bible is what supports our faith that contributes to our faith in linear history. God once said in Revelation 21:6a, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.”  What God said contributes to our belief in linear history because he said he is the beginning and the end; this means there is a beginning and an end. In a novel, the story is told in a chronological order with a cause and effect nature, so when we read this it helps support our belief in linear history, but doesn’t directly contribute to it.

Our beliefs come from our culture and the people around us. If the people around you and your faith believe in a linear history, you’re most likely to believe in linear history. Overall, our traditional forms of information and communication, notably "the book" and especially "the textbook" do support our belief in linear history, but does not contribute to our belief directly.

Daily Question,"Does history progress? Is an elephant really "better" than a mammoth?"

Not believing that history progress’ suggests that modern western civilization is simply a result of
random changes. This is absurd. A world created by chance is not the world in which I live. My assertion
is that our modern civilization is a result of an improvement and the advancement of history.

Certainly, as we reflect on history, we can easily see the extraordinary progress that has been made
in almost every aspect of our historical civilization. There have been remarkable advancements in
technology, communications, art, transportation, science and medicine. This progress could only been
achieved by applying objective, purposeful, progressive thinking to the knowledge and discoveries
in history; therefore, advancing history. It is not within human nature to be complacent; we have an
innate desire for improvement and advancement. Karl Marx once said “History does nothing; it does
not possess immense riches, it does not fight battles. It is men, real, living, who do all this”. History
does progress, but, its progression is solely dependent on the inherent desire of men to move forward,
changing the course of chance.

Unlike the elephant, the Wooly Mammoth was unable to adapt to the changing environmental forces
it faced and became extinct. The elephant being able to adjust to the changing environment conditions
advanced its species in history. For the simple fact that elephant still exists today, suggests that it
is “better” than the mammoth. The elephant’s history has in fact progressed, where the mammoth’s
history ended million’s years ago, perhaps by chance.

Daily Question,"Will a "hypertext" world make us more accepting of cyclic history?"

I think a “hypertext” world will make us more accepting of cyclic history because if everything was based on and just like hypertext; there would be no end and just links to more information. This would make life more confusing because there would be no organization and you couldn’t tell where to find something.  If we had a “hypertext” world there would be no chronological order and it would just be a cycle, which definitely would make us more accepting to the cyclic theory of history. The “hypertext” world would have no linear ways of order and would just jump around everywhere, once a while get back to places you have already been. The “hypertext” world basically would just give links or parts to another one to the next and so on, making it have no real order.  A “hypertext” world would be by no means linear, completely leaving the linear theory of history behind.

            The “hypertext” world would change a lot about the world today. It would probably change some people’s linear way of thinking into a cyclic way of taking history. The “hypertext” world would change the ways we distribute information like textbooks and books. The books wouldn’t be placed in any novel format; the story would jump around all the time and not make any sense. The cyclic history would feel a lot easier to get used to if we had a “hypertext” world. Overall, if we lived in a “hypertext” world it would make the acceptance of cyclic history a whole lot easier.

Weekly Assignment: Xtranormal Video Link

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/8295542/

Daily Question,"Is modern life "always" better than it was in the past?"

Modern life is not “always” better than it was in the past. Because of things like inflation and technology advancements, modern life, now is a lot more complex. In the past people lived a lot more simpler life. However today, there are a lot more advancements in technology and medicines than there were in the past. The new technology allows us to discover more about the planet we live on and gain more knowledge on various topics. The advancements in medicine allow us to heal the sick and cure the people with major illnesses. The advancements in medicine help less people to die and also allow more babies to be born. In the past many infants died during birth and even the mothers died too. The advancements in technology gave us better and faster transportation and gave us faster production. This is better but also worse. The new transportation is responsible for a lot of deaths, but allows us to get around faster.

We learn a lot from the past which allows us to have the good lives we have now. Overall, modern life is not “always” better than it was in the past; however, a majority of our modern life is much better. Most people have not changed that much from the past. Most people still behave the same and still care about the same things, like money. Really, this shows that the people don’t really change from the past. The past and the history of the past are the building blocks of the better modern life we have now. Modern life is better than it was in the past, but is not always better.

Final Exam Question 14

1.) First we can moderate the use of computers to see if they're playing games or not.
2.) Limit the internet usage, and make more downloadable programs.
3.) Warn them the consequences of not being on tract and doing something else.
4.) We can manage what programs they download.
5.) We cans use random browser checks.
6.) Block more sites and block ways to get around sites.
7.) Make Students randomly take off there hands and turn around screen.
8.) Send laptops to kids in Africa.
9.) Limit laptops for specific classes.
10.) Foreign Exchange more to let them learn what other countries use.

Final Exam Question 13

1.) In 1820, The United Kingdom was the main power and also they were in the Radical War with Scotland so they let out a lot of CO2 emissions to build all the weapons.
2.) The U.S surpasses the U.K when it does because around 1905 is when cars were produced and more job oppurtunities were made. 

Final Exam Question 12

This graph shows that no matter how much money you spend on health it doesn't really increase the life expectancy. Japan spends a lot less per a person, yet they have the highest life expectancy. Many people in the US spend a lot on health, but they can maintain the health, and go back to unhealthy. This is because the United states has a lot more luxuries than Japan, so there is alot more temptations to go back to being unhealthy.

Final Exam Question 10

• Putting Quality Jobs at the Heart of the Recovery- This is important because this will help people find more jobs and strengthen the economy. http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/events/2010/0226_global_employment/20100226_global_employment_somavia_remarks.pdf                                                                                                                                            http://www.dol.gov/ilab/highlights/if-20100125-G20-statement.htm
• An Open Global Economy- This is also important because this will make global trade a lot more easy and that will help strengthen the economy with more trade. this will provide a world wide currency, which makes it very easy to travel also.                                                                                                                  http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/6284                                                        http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-11/16/content_7208357.htm
• Strengthening the International Financial Regulatory System- This will also help the economy because if we strengthen the International Financial Regulatory System, it will help regulate with the other choices. http://www.pittsburghsummit.gov/mediacenter/129639.htm                                                                      http://www.korea.net/detail.do?guid=52092

Final Exam Question 9

The French president wants to fight terrorist wherever they lie. He also thinks the US is going to be an ally against terrorism . The French President thinks terrorism is a huge problem globally and that it needs to be fixed.

Final Exam Question 7

1.) A regional food hub is "a centrally located facility with a business management 
structure facilitating the aggregation, storage, processing, 
distribution, and/or marketing of locally/regionally produced food products"  and  they create large and reliable supplies of locally produced foods from small to mid-sized farms.
2.) Hickory Chance Farms in Bel Air provides Angus Beef that our school cafeteria could use.2010 Whitehouse Road Bel Air, MD 21015
 Brooms Bloom Farm is not very far and provides many types of poultry. 1700 South Fountain Green Road  Bel Air , MD  21015
Brad's produce provides vegetables and is also close to John Carroll.550 Asbury Road  Churchville, MD  21028
3.) "JC Sustainable Food Day" is a perfect idea for the cafeteria to use. This meal will be supplied from all the places listed above and will provide a well balanced meal. While they eat the delicious meal, the cafeteria can present a power point on the issue of sustainable agriculture.

Final Exam Question 6

1) Climate change is due to temperature in the environment. 2) Yes, the factories let of many Co2 emissions which cause the temperature to rise enormously.  3) The global climate "have increased about 0.74°C (plus or minus 0.18°C) since the late-19^thcentury" according to NOAA, but in some places the temperature has even gone down. 4) Its not really only global warming there are many global temperature extremes resulting in a mix of different temperatures.

Final Exam Question 5

Final Exam Question 4

In Mexico there were many tribes already and the territory was already Spain's, so there were many different racial groups there and thats why they spoke it in many different ways.

Final Exam Question 3

Los Angeles http://www.koreatimes.com/article/639616

Final Exam Question 2

 1) Blue 2) Around 2:15 P.M  3) What is the name of the chapel that sits in front of the WTC site? 4) How many people on the top deck of Broadway Gray Line Bus 71512 (standing in front of the AT&T store) are wearing sunglasses?

Final Exam Question 1

The sudden dip of overseas travel is due to 9/11 and the airline industry. The United States stopped all airlines from coming in and shut down the airports. This graph shows how there was a major drop in the travel in the year 2001, because of 9/11 and people were afraid of flying internationally after that. This shows that 9/11 had a significant affect on flying internationally.

Hurricane Expert Group

Hurricanes- Adam Beard, Andrew Tran, Josh Mannion

Language Interview

Josh Mannion

Interview

Background Information:

Interviewee: Samuel “Sam” Markose

Age: 17

Birth Place: Mumbai, India

Birth Language: Hindi                                

Year moved to US: 2005

School Attended in India: St. Pius High School (Catholic School – only 2% of India’s population is Catholic). A high school in India includes elementary and high school level grades but it is referred to as “high school”.

Grade when left India: 5^th Grade

Grade entered in US: 6^th Grade

Current School: Centennial High School - Ellicott City, Maryland (currently on the wrestling team)

Current Grade: 11^th Grade

Questions:

Why did you move to the United States from India?

We moved to join my father’s sister who was living in the U.S.

Do you think moving to the U.S has improved your life?  Why/ Why not?

No. Not improved but it is very different now.  Both my parents had really good jobs in India and probably made more money in India. I think that I would have been just as happy in India as I am here in the United States.

Did you learn to speak English before you moved to the United States?

Yes, I learned to speak English throughout my education in India. English is the 2^nd language in India. India was ruled by the British until 1947. Because of British rule, English is India’s second language.

Did you find it difficult to learn English? Explain.

No because the school that I attended was an English medium school.  Therefore, all my classes other than Hindi were taught in English.  

Do you still speak Hindi when you’re around your family or at home? Why/Why not?

Since I have been living in the United States, I primarily speak English.  In fact when I try to speak Hindi, my father tells me that he can’t understand me sometimes. I’m currently trying to refresh my fluency in Hindi by way of the internet. I also speak Malayalam which is my grandmother’s native language (she is from Kerala, India – southern part of India). She lived with us for many years in India, she could not speak Hindi or English so we had to learn to speak Malayalam so we could communicate with her.

At times do you find it difficult communicating with others (written or spoken) because of a language barrier? 

No, in fact there is more of language barrier when communicating with my family in India who don’t speak English. Because my Hindi is not as good as it once was, I have a hard time understanding and communicating with them when I visit them each year. This is why I want to improve my Hindi.

If Hindi and English were spoken by everyone, given a choice, which language would you rather speak on a daily basis? Why?

I prefer English because it is the language that I seem to know better.

Are the schools in India any different from the Schools here in the United States? If so how?

Yes they are different.  First the schools are much harder in India.  The tests in the school I attended in India did not have any objective questions.  All tests were essay questions. Second, students never addressed any teacher by their name.  It was always just “sir” or “teacher” with no surname following.  Third, all schools required the students to wear uniforms just not private schools. Fourth, the school year in India is from June 1^st through March 31^st.  School break is during the months April and May.  Finally, many of the high schools only have grades through the 10^th grade.  After completing the 10^th grade, the student would go to college.  If a school had grades through 12^th grade, they were referred to as Plus-Two schools.

In relation to the written language, how is Hindi different than English?

Hindi language uses a very different alphabet. The alphabet characters are completely different. However, like English we have both vowels and consonants. Also like English, we read and write from left to right.

How is the culture different in India than the United States?

Since I lived in Mumba,i which is considered the economic capital of India, there were a lot of people living there from other countries which created a very diverse culture. However for a teenager there are a lot of differences in the culture compared to the US. For example, in India, it is very rare to date while in high school.  Usually dating does not occur until you are in college.  Also, the driving age in India is eighteen.  Additionally, where I lived, teenagers never had jobs (if you did it was very rare) until you were out of college. In the US there are a lot many teenagers and college students that work.

What aspects of the American culture did you find difficult to adjust to and how did you adjust? Do you feel that you have completely adjusted to our culture?

I only had a small problem adjusting to the school curriculum when I first started school in the US.  It took me about three months to adjust. However, today I feel that I have completely adjusted to the American culture.

Aside from your family in India, What do you miss the most about the country? Why?

I do miss my family in India but we visit almost every year. In fact I was in India about a month ago to attend my grandmother’s funeral service. After just visiting, I can confidently say that I really don’t miss much about India.  I have completed adjusted to the American way of living. This is my home now. In fact, my family (mother, father & sister) has recently been granted US citizenship. Since I was under the age of eighteen, I was granted citizenship automatically with their citizenship.

Overall, would you rather live here in the United States or move back to India?  

     My preference is to continue to live in the United States.  I’m a US citizen. Unless my parents make me, I                          don’t think that I will ever move back to India.                                                 

Luxembourg Exchange Journal

January 5, 2010

Dear Readers,  

I have been in Luxembourg for about one month now as an exchange student. I feel very welcomed here because my host is very friendly and hospitable, but I am just getting used to everything. Luxembourg is bordered by Germany, Belgium, and France. My host goes to high school at “Lycée Aline Mayrisch” which is located in Luxembourg City, so I will probably spend most of my time there at the capital. They spend the same amount of years in school as back in the United States, so my host is around my age. I feel like I fit in, but don’t at the same time. All the teachers and students at the school know I’m not from around here because they speak their national language, Luxembourgish, and I only know a few common phrases, but they are also learning English as a class in high school, so I know what they’re talking about in that class. My host also speaks very fluent English, so he can help me out understanding people. Most of them are Roman Catholic, the same religion as me, so I feel to fit in at the same time. Below is a picture of some of the people I met in Luxembourg so far.  

               

           Luxembourg is a very small country as size and population. Luxembourg is slightly smaller than Rhode Island, which is the smallest state  in the U.S! With a population of less than 500,000, Luxembourg continues to be the richest country in the whole world! My host is very rich also; he has a huge house, which is like 9500 sq. ft., an indoor swimming pool, and many exotic cars. I asked him if I could take a quick joy ride, but I was denied. Luxembourg is only really rich because they have over 250 banks crammed into this little country! Almost every block I walk down in Luxembourg City, there is another bank. They are not only rich, but very smart. In elementary school everyone learns French, in middle school they learn German, and to add to that, they study English in high school. Some people here, in Luxembourg don’t make me feel very intelligent. Below are some pictures of my host’s house. 

               

           Oh, did I mention that they consume 89% more oil than the United States. These people need to know about pollution and how it effects the environment around them. On the other hand, they do need all that gas for their exotic cars; after all they can afford it. People in Luxembourg make 68% more money than the people in the United States, which is a huge difference. I wish I was that rich; I think I could get used to living like that. Here is a picture of a park my host took me to in Luxembourg.

           Overall, I am enjoying myself here. The month I have been here went by so fast, and I hope the next eleven don’t go by as fast because I love it here. I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be the rest of my life. I really don’t miss any of my family back home in the U.S. They also have really good food that includes a lot of pork, tomatoes, asparagus, olives, potatoes, apples, and pears. Just yesterday, I had the best cuisine in my life. I don’t really know what was in it, but I do know it was very delicious. The lifestyle here is just amazing and I would love to stay here for another couple years. I will definitely miss everything here in Luxembourg when I have to go back home, especially the people who have to put up with me the next eleven months, because I know that’s not a very easy task.

Sincerely,

              
                Josh Mannion

Sources:

1.)    1.)https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/lu.html

2.)    2.)http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/compare/US/LU

Images:

1.)   1.) http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSZ-z5TV0ynFPMweghcxQevF28h8v4wzrHRcVvNMf-od7Hf3hTH

2.)   2.) http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ4SnP1xj7kirT5cqJHEUcglrPUQC6DnWHZ_zGNdIBb2ONd9-FH

3     3.)http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQsybPq0UY2qCELkD0JF6zwgYoD-NZECCWMQU9sQBnTIYuvZmnuZQ

4.)    4.)http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT3HhN-Rs55vm96VVeqNmaB4qhf9hEPox83alegfI6AHaUf1Se6

India vs. U.S Research

Josh Mannion

January 4, 2011

Human Geography

United States vs. India

Map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=205242336608538444560.00049907aa8329c5a5b8f&ll=23.079732,84.770508&spn=22.201252,56.25&t=h&z=5

Research:

India:

            

Capital: New Dehli

Population: 1,173,108,018 

Median Age: 25 years

Life expectancy: 66 years

Main Ethnic group: Indo-Aryan 72%

Main Religion: Hindu 80.5%

Main Language: Hindi 41%

Size: 1) A little more than one-third the size of the US.

        2) 3,287,263 sq km

Location: Southern Asia

Leadership: 1) President Pratibha Devisingh

                   2) Prime Minister Manmohan

Natural Resources: coal, iron ore, manganese

GDP: $1.237 trillion

Government Type: federal republic

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html

United States:

Capital: Washington D.C

Population: 310,232,863

Median Age: 36 years

Life Expectancy: 78 years

Main Ethnic Group: White 79%

Main Religion: Protestant

Main Language: English

Size:  9,826,675 sq km

Location: North America

Leadership: President- Barrack Obama

Natural Resources:  coal, copper, lead

GDP: $14.12 trillion

Government Type: Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html