11/19/2014 Journal Question

My favorite subject this year is probably English, by my all time favorite is either Physics or United States History. Physics was nice because once it clicked, I could do almost any problem and I actually liked doing the harder problem. Also, it was an exact science, but you could get partial credit too, which is nice. I could see myself being a physics teacher in the future, but I don't see myself working in a lab or for NASA or something like that. I also really liked United States History. When I was younger I would love those books that were set during the Civil War, but fake stories.

11/17/14 Journal Question

I think what Taylor Swift did was so dumb. She claims she is all about her fans and her fans are the greatest, yet she is restricting their access to her music. I do think that music is art, but wouldn't it be better for art to be free and enjoyed by everyone? I love Taylor Swift's new song, "Blank Space" (I have been listening to it non-stop on repeat for the past week!), but her comment really put me off. Taylor Swift's image is changing; she is no longer a country singer, and now she is a Diva as well. I have never used Spotify, I am more of a Pandora person, but maybe I will start using it. I really don't like Taylor Swift for this comment.

11/13/2014 Journal Question

It is crazy to think that there were $9 Billion dollars of sales in just 24 hours. That is like every person in Chine buying $9 worth of goods, which when you think about it is insane. I think it is hard to compare this to Black Friday, however, because it is characterized by going to the store and buying, and the brick-and-mortar black Friday made more than six times that amount, at $57.4 billion dollars. Another thing to consider is how the United States would profit from an online shopping day with a Chinese company. Maybe Ebay or Amazon should do something like this to try and increase sales, and because they are US companies it will boost our economy. I do think that online shopping has become easier and a lot more people prefer to shop from home, but I do not think online shopping will ever be more popular than physically going to a store.

11/10/2014 Journal Question

I actually didn't do anything for Veteran's day this year, which is out of the ordinary. We were traveling to see my sister so we weren't able to go to any parades or celebrate with my grandpas, both of whom are veterans. I think this goes to show, though, that there isn't as much appreciation for Veteran's day anymore. To many people, it is just a day off. I regret not doing anything to honor those who fought and fight for my freedom, and I hope there can be a resurgence of pride in our nation.

11/12/2014 Current Event

This article is about internet freedom, and who controls the information on the internet. President Obama suggested that the telephone service and or the company that delivers electricity be classified as a public utility, therefore giving the F.C.C. grounds to regulate the price and content. There is hesitation to do this, however, because the internet is the nations fastest growing service and very profitable. Companies such as Netflix have accused broadband providers of slowing their service on purpose, thus breaching net neutrality. There can also be political motives behind internet advertising, another reason the government wants to regulate content. Overall, however, the internet needs to be regulated to protect the "smart kid with the clever new idea" from "the zippy websites of established players in the fast lane". The net neutrality debate has been a hot topic in the United States because of the demand for technology.

I chose this article because I had done an article on net neutrality before and the follow up is very interesting to me. I think that being in a communications class, the use of the internet is vital to discuss. I think that the government regulating the internet, however, would take away the freedom of it. From a business standpoint, I learned that the bottom line for most things come from profit. In this case, business do not want the internet regulated because they can’t make as much money and they cannot advertise what they want. I also found this article interesting because it mentions that T-Mobile offers free music streaming to it's customers, which is one of the reasons my family just switched providers, so their advertising and internet manipulation does work.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/business/net-neutrality-debate-access-and-costs-are-top-issues.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Aw%2C%7B%222%22%3A%22RI%3A15%22%7D&_r=0

11/3/2014 Journal Question

I cannot believe that this is my last first quarter of high school. I feel like I go through waves of sadness that this will all be over before I know it and excited for what is to come ahead. This week I got my first college acceptance letter and it is such an awesome feeling to have a piece of paper in front of me that proves working hard all this time was worth it. I think I am most proud of my grades, but also of all the opportunities I took advantage of throughout high school. I am glad I wasn't afraid to try something new, such as interning at Citibank or volunteering at the homeless shelter or playing basketball this summer for the first time, because all of these experiences have made me a better person. I have been opened up to the world around me, which is pretty hard living in Smithtown considering my biggest day to day struggle is that I don't have service in E Caf. so I can't check Instagram while eating lunch. At the same time, reflecting on the last four years has made me realize I have also overcome some real challenges: my grandma passing away in ninth grade, traveling on Quizbowl trips on my own, having a real job, joining GirlsFLI without my friends or anyone I know. I hope I can continue to see the good in all the situations and people that I encounter in the next four years of my life, and the next four after that and the next four after that.

11/7/2014 Journal Question

Differences:

1. This article says to reword what you are trying to say to make it nicer, but the note packet said to be direct with what you are saying. 
2. This Slideshare emphasizes verbal communication as the most important aspect, however, we discussed that non-verbal communication have an even greater effect on our message.
3. You have to adjust how you say things depending on who you are addressing. 

Similarities:

1. Both presentations say that communication will be on different levels (meetings, interviews, phone calls) and to different audiences (foreign, younger, older).
2. Think before you speak.
3. A smile is the most direct form of communication and is an international symbol.