Essay entry

There have been many tragic heroes throughout history. Some stand out more than others. One comes to mind, John F. Kennedy, for his great leadership abilities. Martin Luther King Jr. took a stand for what he believed was right. Another is Abraham Lincoln, one of Americas first heroes. Heroes have brought something to our lives, someone for kids to look up to, a role model. Most tragic heroes gave something to better society. Without Abraham Lincoln ethnic groups other than Caucasian might not be permitted to attend a school, get a job, or even be happy with their lives. Abraham Lincoln, in his life accomplished a lot of things that we may only dream about, and a few of us actually live out. Abraham Lincoln dealt with a many hardships. Abraham Lincoln's brother Thomas died in infancy. Later his mother died, and his father remarried. Abraham's sister also died in childbirth. But Abraham kept going on. Lincoln was elected captain of a volunteer company, in Black Hawk War. Abraham was proving to be a good leader, which later lead him to victory. Later in Illinois, Lincoln ran unsuccessfully for the Illinois legislature. Few years later Lincoln ran against Stephen A. Douglas for Senator. He lost the election, but in debating with Douglas he gained a national reputation that finally won him the Republican nomination for President in 1860. As President, he built the Republican Party into a strong national organization. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy. He stated most movingly that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." In his planning for peace, the President was flexible and generous, encouraging person. During his life, he said that he could change the nation and he done just that. If it wasn't for Abraham Lincoln, America would not be what it is today. No wonder he ranks as one of the best Presidents of the United States and one of the greatest leaders of all time. He never gave up, no matter what anyone said and how hard it was. He has shown me to never give up and stick to my goals. Also if I want something or believe in something go for it. During any of his hard times, he prayed to God to give him the strength or the help that he needed. Abraham Lincoln also fought for what Americans believed. He did not want the country to live half slave and half free, instead he wanted the country to be free period. Abraham Lincoln will always be remembered as a true hero for people, including me.

Blog Entry 2

Free of most of the ethical concerns and practical difficulties dog breeders are seizing on new genetic research to exert dominion over the canine gene pool. Companies with names like Vetgen and Healthgene have started offering dozens of DNA tests to tailor the way dogs look, improve their health and, perhaps soon, enhance their athletic performance.
Moreover, the prospect of races being won by dogs intentionally bred to have a genetic advantage may bring new attention to the way genes contribute to canine - and human - achievement. Inborn abilities once attributed to something rather mystical seem to lose a certain standing when connected to specific genes.
A mutation similar to the one that makes some whippets faster also exists in humans: a sliver of genetic code that regulates muscle development is missing.
Many breeders hope this new effort to corral nature will weed out the numerous recessive diseases that plague purebred dogs after generations of human-imposed inbreeding. But some question the wisdom of escalating intervention. Mark Derr, an author who has written about the history of dog breeding, urges everyone to reconsider the goal of genetic purity.
I think that we are mistaking what exactly we need to do. Most scientists are operating on DNA of animals, while trying to determine what “they want”. Everything, including your DNA is now a commercial product. So what type of market do mutated dogs have? Well, it depends on the purpose, but once you start tinkering with animals like dogs or sheep, humans won’t be far behind.
Are we actually so consumed by capitalization and exploitation? Dogs should look like dogs and just be dogs not “hulk” like mutants…



Opinion for an excerpt from newspaper article
(International Herald Tribune)

Blog Entry

Internet users are abuzz over Google's new Street View feature, which displays ground-level photos of places that in some cases even look through the windows of homes. If that feels like Big Brother, consider the private information that Google collects on its users every day through the search terms they enter on its site. Privacy International, a London-based group, has just given Google its lowest grade, below Yahoo and Microsoft, for "comprehensive consumer surveillance and entrenched hostility to privacy."
There are welcome signs that this era of online privacy invasion could be coming to an end. Data protection chiefs from the 27 countries of the European Union sent Google a letter recently questioning the company's policy for retaining consumer information. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission(FTC) is looking into the antitrust ramifications of Google's $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick, an online advertising company.
Google has announced that rather than keeping information indefinitely, it would only keep it for 18 months before making it anonymous. That is a good step, but not enough, since it's not clear what anonymous means.
Google is the focus of privacy advocates right now, but it is hardly the only concern. Competitors like Yahoo and Microsoft have the same set of incentives. Privacy is too important to leave up to the companies that benefit financially from collecting our personal data. The FTC should require all Inernet companies the need to establish clear rules on the collection and storage of personal information.

Excerpt from (newspaper article: International Herald Tribune)