easier or harder?

I think that this assignment is easier for me in a lot of ways than our previous papers. I find that my group gets along really well with one another and we agree on a lot of the same issues. The only thing that is seeming to be difficult right now is that fact that the speech is fifteen minutes long. As of now this seems to be challenge but hopefully once we get started comparing our actual drafts it will start to come together on its own. I enjoy working with my group and I think this is a very interesting assignment. It is going to be challenging to not format this as a usual paper and I think it is going to be hard to word this as a speech and make shorter sentences as opposed to the longer sentences that I am used to writing in my essays.

decision for concession speech

As a group, we decided to choose Sarah Palin for our concession speech. We chose her because we knew we wanted to represent the Republican party, however we feel that McCain is coming close to the end of his political career. Therefore, we feel that by usnig Sarah Palin there would be much more to address in regards to her future political plans and her career in general. We chose to do a serious concessino speech because we all for the most part support Sarah Palin and what she represents and feel that it would be contradictory to do a humorous speech for her. We are going to have her present her speech at the FDR memorial/monument, due to the fact that FDR's wife Elanore was one of the very first strong women political figures. We feel this represents the hope and progression of women in politics and that this will set a good tone for her speech and promoting the feeling of progression of her career in politics.

concession speech

For the assignment of the concession or victory speech, we have decided as a group to probably do a concession speech. Our assignment for class on Tuesday was to watch some concession speeches and get the general idea of what the speeches are about. We were supposed to become familiar with the format and the structure and all around rhetoric of the speeches. We all have similar views politically and I feel that this assignmnet is going to be fun for us as a group to do. It is going to be challenging however because we do not have a lot of time. But I think overall we are giong to have a strong presentation.

2nd Unit Topic

I am having kind of a hard time deciding on what topic to choose because I am afraid the one I want to do is too broad. I am interested in doing stem cell research but it is obvious that it is a huge field. Also both of the presidential candidates have the same position on stem cell research so I feel like this could give me less information to deal with. So my next idea is to do something on Joe Wurzelbacher who was the plumber that was mentioned in the presidential debate tonight. Joe got a chance to speak with Obama earlier this week at a campaign appearance in Toledo and he told Obama that his tax plan would prevent him from buying the business that he was wanting to buy. McCain took the liberty of bringing this issue up in the debate tonight and Obama once again stated this is untrue. Personlly...I'm getting sick of that. I think that this would be an interesting topic particularly because this is an interesting angle to approach the tax plan by.

humorous article

My humorous argument that I found is discussing the sponsers for the Democratic National Convention. They are basically just poking fun of the sponsers and how they serve the democrats I found it quite entertaining.


The following is a selection of official sponsors and vendors to the Democratic National Convention.

Pepsi Fountain Drinks: Official provider of Barack Obama's favorite beverage: a 32 ounce Big Gulp combining Pepsi, Mountain Dew, root beer, Cherry Pepsi, cream soda, and Sierra Mist.
denver.craigslist.org: Official black metal futon frame provider to anyone who can come pick it up this weekend.
Microsoft: Bringing some Verizon XV6900s on the off chance that thousands of iPhones suddenly malfunction during the height of the convention.
HillaryEdwards2008.com: Bought this ad space for DNC in mid-2007; non-refundable.
Pop Secret: Official microwaveable popcorn provider.
Jiffy Pop: Official stovetop popcorn provider.
Mancuso's Body Shop: Official provider of fliers on windshields of every car in convention venue parking lot.
Volkswagen, Birkenstock and Starbucks: Official providers

op-ed

Caribou: Their Ecosystem or Ours?
Allie Weaver-
There has been an ongoing debate about the drilling on the Alaskan territories. These territories are called the ANWR territories or the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. After performing consistent and extensive research on the benefits and risks of drilling in this territory, it has not only come to my attention but it has been made completely apparent to me that it is necessary to drill in these territories. Now in all fairness I think it is necessary that you know I am very environmentally conscious person with every intention of going green that there is. However I am also aware of how crucial it is for the United States to separate themselves from foreign energy resources. Now in regards to the environmental issues at hand, the harming of the caribou and other wildlife has been mentioned as a downfall to the drilling in these territories. However, it is important to know that this drilling exploration is only scheduled to be during the winter months so that the sensitive tundra will be protected, and the wildlife will be at a lesser risk. There are also going to be strict rules to protect streams, rivers, springs, and wetlands. Now as for the caribou, everyone seems to be worried about the welfare of the caribou. It is important to reference Prudhoe Bay, which is an oil base in Alaska that, according to the New York Times in 2006, produced up to 400,000 barrels of oil a day. I think it is also important to mention that Prudhoe Bay is also the largest oil field in the United States. When the Prudhoe Bay territory was opened for oil drilling, the caribou were also a great concern to the environmentalist population, however the number of caribou in Prudhoe Bay actually increased after the opening of the Prudhoe Bay oil rig. Now since I have mentioned the largest oil field in the United States I think now is a good time to mention the size of the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. According to the Strategic Center for Natural Gas and Oil the ANWR territory is about the size of South Carolina. The proposed area for drilling in

caption for photo
The blue area represents the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the red is the Northern Coastal Plain.
the Coastal Plain is about one-fifth the size of Washington DC’s Dulles International Airport. For those of you who are more number oriented the ANWR territory is a total of 19million acres, the area that is being proposed for drilling is 2,000 acres. This is an incredibly small fraction of land in comparison to the size of the refuge as the whole. The U.S. Department of the Interior stated that in 1980, President Carter and Congress actually set aside 1.5 million acres of the refuge for potential oil development. This means that this land has had been a prospect for oil drilling territory for a long period of time. Some environmentalists argue that there will not even be a significant amount of oil found once the drilling actually begins. Well, I hate to impose more numbers upon you but it is estimated, according to the Strategic Center for Natural Gas and Oil that ANWR can produce more that 150 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year, which was almost the actual volume of gas consumed by the state of South Carolina in the year 2000. It has also been shown from extensive research, that ANWR could produce greater than a million barrels of oil per day, which is more than enough to replace the U.S. imports from Iraq. It has always been the goal of the government to be a secure and stable nation, and relying on our own soil and breaking away from foreign dependency is a great way to continue our reputation as the most powerful nation in the world. A great amount of concern has been rested on that of the Alaskan citizens and how drilling in these territories would affect the lives of the locals. BBC’s Richard Lister went to a remote part of the Alaskan Arctic and talked with the locals to get their opinion. He found that the opposition for drilling in ANWR still rests among conservation groups and not so much with the locals. “Much of their income now comes from taxes on the oil companies, and I found few people who opposed new onshore drilling-even in ANWR”, says Lister. Annual polls from the Center of Natural Gas and Oil also show that over 75% of the Alaskan citizens support opening ANWR. The Alaskan state legislature also passed a resolution supporting ANWR development by sixty votes to zero, so it is extremely apparent that it is not only the locals that feel like ANWR will support Alaska’s economy. It is essential to point out that the media and the conservative groups that are trying to fight for the preservation of the ANWR territory present their information in the presentation of beautiful mountains and streams and wildlife leading us to believe that this is exactly where the drilling is going to take place. However, it is absolutely crucial to understand that these tiny 2,000 acres where this drilling would be taking place is in an already developed area. There are already streets and buildings and locals thriving in this area. So sorry to disappoint you but there is going to have to be a different approach besides making the oil drillers look like the big bad wildlife destroyers. The area in which drilling would be taking place is already industrialized. In order to make a decision on this topic you must step back and evaluate the facts. Evaluate that by the year 2020 imports are supposed to rise from about 50 percent of U.S. consumption today to 62 percent. The environment and wildlife are extremely important but if we cannot take care of ourselves and our ecosystem, how can we be expected to take care of a whole other ecosystem.

Argument of Definition

I found my argument of definition on the current economic crisis that we are experiencing. The information was reffering to Americans' opinions and which presidential candidates Americans' felt would handle the economic crisis more efficiently. One specific statistic said that "forty-nine percent of those questioned said Obama, D-Illinois, would display good judgement in an economic crisis, six points higher than McCain, R-Arizona." This is an argument of definition because the definition of "good judgement during an economic crisis" is a very subjective thing. Since many people have different opinions on how to deal with economic crisis it is expected that there would be many different opinions and approaches to "good judgement."

Factual Argument

My factual argument that I found I believe well represents the characteristics of a factual argument. Factual arguments are "driven by perception...." and " can quickly lead towards tentative and plausible statements."My factual argument that I found is quite simple really. It is discussing John McCains interview when he went on the view. There are simple arguments being made from Barbara Walters saying that she didn't think John McCain knew what to expect coming onto the show and had fact behind this because she knows what kind of show her and her fellow hosts put on. This is a strange example but it is later proved by the actual video of the interview and how John McCain handled it. The result was John McCain being a little stunned by a few of the questions that were asked but the interview over all went over well.

Editorial Article

Environmentally Responsible Energy Productionin Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)
Environmentally responsible energy production in a sliver of Alaska's vast Coastal Plain will reduce America's dependence on unreliable foreign sources of oil by providing America with a homegrown, secure and stable supply of energy. It will create new jobs for Americans here in America. Environmentally responsible energy production is supported by labor unions, farm groups and others in a bipartisan coalition that includes Alaskan Eskimos who live in the area proposed for energy production.
According to legislation most recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, no more than 2,000 acres out of the 19-million-acre refuge will be utilized for energy production. Likewise, in order to ensure that energy production does not have any significant adverse impact on the environment, the best environmental technology and American ingenuity will be required for exploration and development. Exploration will be limited to the winter months between November and May to protect wildlife. Ice roads and airstrips will protect the sensitive tundra. In addition, strict rules will be mandated to protect streams, rivers, springs, and wetlands.
ANWR represents America's single greatest onshore prospect for oil. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that ANWR contains a mean expected value of 10.4 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil. At peak production, ANWR could produce more oil than any U.S. state, including Texas and Louisiana.
In 1980, President Carter and Congress set aside 1.5 million acres of ANWR's Northern Coastal Plain for potential oil development. This area is often called the "1002 Area" because it was set aside in Section 1002 of the law. The U.S. House of Representatives has endorsed the environmentally-responsible development of ANWR twice in the past four years.

ANWR

The topic I chose is the debate between the people and the government of drilling in Alaska. This topic surprisingly interested because I realize the gravity of our energy situation. Congress has supported the environmentalists twice in the past four years to support the no drilling policy in Alaska. ANWR stands for Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the environmentalists argue that the caribou, which are surrounding the territory where drilling would take place, are an endangered species and would be harmed through the drilling process. However there are several sources and images even of the workers that were drilling or inspecting the drilling area that were interacting with the caribou and not harming them at all. Rather getting along with them. Do not take me as a person who does not care about the environment, in fact that is one of my main concerns about this election. However this area in Alaska where the American people are wanting drilling to be done occupies 2,000 acres out of 19 million acres of the refuge that would be utilized for energy production. Both the presidential candidates have stated that they do not support drilling in the refuge area however President Carter in 1980 along with Congress set aside 1.5 million acres of ANWR's Northern Coastal Plain for potential oil development. It is surprising to me that our candidates are seeming to look over this incredible opportunity of energy production on our very own soil. Especially when I find it imperative to seperate our reliance on foreign oil and create our own resource. When the presidential candidates have repetitively faught for the voice of the American people and the American people are wanting to utilize this energy source, the candidates have no support in their supposed claim to want to speak for the American people. It is neccessary for us find and produce our own energy which is exactly what drilling in the ANWR territories would give us.

What interests me in the election

I have to be honest and say that in the past I have never really payed much attention to politics or the presidential elections in general. However this year I find myself more interested, I think this has something to do with the fact that I'm getting older and am truly starting to understand how important strong leadership is in this country. I am starting to realize that I have to put my opinion out there and do anything I can do make this world a better place. One of the factors that will affect who I vote for is the environment. The candidates approach on how to deal with global warming is very important to me. This is a very real issue that must be confronted head on. Another issue for me is how the candidate is handling and will handle the war on terrorism. This is also a very serious issue and will affect my life and the life of my children. It is crucial that we have someone in office with a specific and successful plan on how to handle the war on terror. I think this years election is one of the most public elections that we have ever had. I believe this years election has really evoked a younger crowd and is really touching people on a personal level. I think it is absolutely necessary for young people like myself to start paying attention to what is happening in the political world and start to take action.

Chapter 4 Logos

When it came time to find an argument that included or represented logos I did not have a hard time. Immediately I decided to look for things on the presidential election because it is obvious that both presidential candidates are going to be presenting their "own logic," or their own common sense plan of how this country should be led. McCain holds his mainstream logic as saying that Obama is just a celebrity and has no actual leadership experience. He claims logically, that when a nation is in a time a struggle strong leadership is neccessary and Obama does not possess that leadership skill because he has never led anything in his life. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani defends McCain and states that not only was this his personal opinion as well but "it is a fact" that Obama has never led anything and that this country does not have time for on-the-job training. As we read in our text, facts are believable when they come from reliable sources, and I believe that Giuliani represents one of many honest or reliable sources that have been documented in this whole entire campaign.

Introductory Post

Hey! My name is Allie Weaver and I'm from Edmond, Oklahoma. I am a sophomore and am a Psychology major. I have a very strong interest in neuropsychology which is what I plan on going to graduate school to study. I took this course not only because it was required but because I have always enjoyed writing, and I really wanted to challenge myself into becoming a more experienced and better writer. Politics have never really appealed to me that much simply because I never really noticed how personally they really affect me. It was not until recently that I took an active concern in the presidential election and in politics in general. My biggest interest in politics as of now probably exists within the candidates opinions and plans on how he is going to deal with the problems in the Middle East. As I am getting older I am starting to realize how wars that are going on right now, whether overseas or here in the United States, are truly affecting me and will drastically affect my children and my grandchildren. I find my argument in this blog to be me trying to represent myself the best I can. The argument of gaining respect from my peers and my professor and accurately portraying my own opinions. (I also have read, understand, and agree to the terms of the course syllabus.)