Reflection Post

David Hefty

English 102.006

Mr. Micer

May 2, 2011

Reflection Post

            I am at the very end of my second semester here at Purdue North Central and I have had a great experience with my first year of college. I was not sure exactly how things would go with transitioning from high school but transitioning from high school to college was not near as hard as I thought it would be. I have learned a lot this semester but more so over the first year since I have had the same teacher for both semesters. I like having the same teacher for both semesters because I was able to adapt to his way of teaching and I caught on to it. I learned to develop my sentence structure and ideas in a much more elaborate and professional manner. Which therefore, helped to make a more enjoyable class, I do not believe by any means that I am a perfect writer but this class has made writing easier. It would be difficult for me to revise my work after writing it and try to expand my sentences before this class, now it is still difficult but I have learned new ways to reach that goal. The lessons this semester on academic argument, although very general, I have applied to two of my other classes this semester when I was asked to write papers for those classes. The five brushstrokes for writing is something that I will always try to remember because it broke different components of writing down into simpler means and I was able to apply things from this class to my other classes. My best piece of wok would be writing project three because I developed my writing skills over time. Also, because I was able to insert a picture in the writing which I feel, grabbed the readers attention. My writing was enhanced to a higher level with the lessons I learned in class. I am a more visual person when it comes to learning and when we would do the examples in class from someone else’s writing it really allowed me to pick apart my own writing and revise it to a higher level. I was able to apply some of the same things I was doing in my paper to those that I saw in the papers we reviewed in class. My strength in writing would be the writing of the body paragraphs. I have a much easier time coming up with ideas for the paper as a whole as opposed to the introduction and conclusion. I just think these are the hardest to do because it has always been difficult for me to start or end a paper. So I would say these are the two areas of writing that I would need to develop in and to develop in elaborating my sentence structures a bit more. Obviously, no one is perfect and I can clearly see my writing can use work. I hope to develop my writing even more as time progresses.

            I believe that I should receive a letter grade of a B in the class. I revised my papers to an acceptable level but I will not deny that I do not spend a great deal of time or effort on revising them. I received C’s on all of my papers throughout the class but with the great attendance I have had this semester, I believe that should improve my grade only to an extent because without coming to class I would not have near of as good of an understanding of the numerous subjects we covered in class week in and week out. By showing up to class every day I was able to grasp the subject of the lesson even better. Also, I participated in class discussion greatly over this semester. I truly think if I had not participated as much in class, I would not have as good of a handle on things because by interacting in the class I was able to keep attentive and actually learn what was being said. I know this only accounts for a portion of the grade but without having class participation, I believe class would not have been as much fun to come to and would have dragged on.

Writing Project 3

David Hefty

Mr.Micer

English 102.006

May 2, 2011

Why are gas prices so high?

            Why are gas prices so high? This is a very controversial question that causes many arguments or even just conversation because gas prices play an important role in many individuals’ lives on a daily basis. Gasoline could manage to exceed $100 a barrel which would put a gallon of gas at about $4. This has more of an affect than most individuals would think about because with the rising costs of energy the price for a lot of other things will increase as well. The businesses that produce goods and products will have to increase their price to the consumer in order to keep the same amount of profit. If gasoline raises just $1 a gallon it will cost an average of about $750 a year for most individuals. This has more of a psychological effect on individuals when they see $4 a gallon prices. The main issue at hand is why are gas prices continuing to rise? Why are some of the larger corporations given tax cuts? Why have these same oil corporations been reporting all time highs in profits when most Americans are struggling to pay for gas? Should these larger oil corporations be given tax cuts while they are reporting record highs in profit while most Americans can barely get by?

            After doing some more research why gas prices are continuing to increase, I was pleased to find some great answers at http://www.financialnut.com/why-are-gas-prices-so-high-now.   Like I said before the cost of a gallon of gas is mostly determined by the cost of crude oil, about 71%, 14% taxes, 10% marketing and 5% towards refining. The expansion of many countries economies has increased the demand for oil because oil is what drives these economic booms. With a much higher demand for oil and the supply not increasing, the obvious answer is to charge more for the oil. I also found it interesting to know that exchange rates play an important role as well because oil is exchanged in dollars. So the value of a dollar is quite important to the price of gasoline. The most interesting thing I found though was basically that politics doesn't play as major of a role as I thought it did. Yes, government does play a important role in pricing gas but no to the extent I once believed. I think the idea of economics just makes a little more sense to me rather than just blaming it on other things. Again, I do realize that the government does play a role in the pricing of gas but I just think the economics plays an even bigger role.

            An argument for the recent rise of gas prices might be that oil is becoming scarce and harder to find. This will obviously lower the supply thus increasing the demand for oil. With a higher demand comes a higher price that individuals will have to pay for oil. Oil is becoming scarce or harder to find then this would be one of the reasons for the price increases. Based on <http://www.newser.com/story/112166/exxon-oil-becoming-hard-to-find.html>, Exxon states that they are having trouble finding oil and that their reserves are decreasing in size. For every, 100 barrels of oil purchased they are only able to replace 95 of them. According to http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/3557898/Oil-is-expensive-because-oil-is-scarce.html, three of the major oil companies, Shell, Exxon, and BP are all reporting drops in oil outputs. Exxon reported a 10% drop for the year. Non-OPEC oil production has only increased in Russia. Oil production is decreasing in 60 of the 98 oil producing countries. Finding such information has made an interesting discovery for me. Just the idea that most of the oil producing countries have peaked in their oil production has alarmed many of the westernized nations.  Iraq is one of the countries that does have a supply of oil but with recent war and not really knowing what to do with their government has made an increase in oil production from Iraq not very probable.

            The most intriguing thing that I have found was on an episode of Top Gear. Top Gear is a show about automobiles that is aired on BBC America. The three talk show hosts reviews a vehicle and they have challenges that they must complete. There is an episode I watched while I was working on this blog about why gas prices are so high, and it included James May, traveling from London, England to the United States of America. He travels to California and test drives the new Honda vehicle that runs on hydrogen. Hydrogen is a resource that is in abundance and is renewable. The planet earth has its own system for which to replenish water in to the eco system. The car was fueled by hydrogen instead of by gasoline. It was able to travel almost the same distance on a tank of hydrogen as compared to gasoline. Also, you can find hydrogen pumps at certain specified gasoline stations in California. California has been a front runner in clean air regulations and emission tests. If other states started to force these hydrogen pumps being put in all across the country, there would be a huge increase in popularity. Most Americans do not want to buy something that they can only drive in a certain area. They want the freedom of the open road and the ability to travel anywhere without being restricted. If Americans were approached with the idea of buying one of these fuel efficient or renewable resource vehicle and being able to keep their normal every day vehicle, just drive the every day gasoline guzzling vehicle on the weekend and Monday through Friday drive the other, then many individuals may be open for listening a bit more than in the past.

             In conclusion, I believe that gas prices are a very complicated issue that will always be a very controversial topic up for discussion for many years to come because it has such a wide impact on the lives of so many individuals. The price of gasoline is not all that expensive when compared to European countries but most Americans are already having a difficult time making ends meet. So, the price of a gallon of gas poses a great threat for them in many different ways.  Whether it is actually first hand at the pump, paying for gasoline, or if it is buying groceries, it honestly has an enormous impact on our daily lives. There are many reasons as to why gasoline prices are so high, but there is not a one hundred percent bullet proof reason. Many, are just claims that yes, can be backed up, but with so many different view points it can get very grey. Nonetheless, gasoline prices are a very important factor in many individuals’ lives.

Works Cited

"Fuel Fix » Q&A: Why Are Gasoline Prices so High?" Fuel Fix » Your Daily Must-read Source for News and Analysis on the Energy Business. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/03/10/qa-why-are-gasoline-prices-so-high/>.

"Q&A: What's Behind High Gas Prices? : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5365439>.

"Q&A: Why Are Gas Prices Still so High, When Oil Is Trading Lower Again?" Current Oil Price. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://currentoilprice.org/qa-why-are-gas-prices-still-so-high-when-oil-is-trading-lower-again>.

"Q&A: Why Are Gas Prices Still so High, When Oil Is Trading Lower Again?" Current Oil Price. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://currentoilprice.org/qa-why-are-gas-prices-still-so-high-when-oil-is-trading-lower-again>.

"Why Are Gas Prices so High and Change so Quickly? | Coal Geology." Coal Geology & Mining - Coal Price, Clean Coal, Coal Energy. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://coalgeology.com/why-are-gas-prices-so-high-and-change-so-quickly/15227/>.

"Why Are Gas Prices So High Right Now?" Tips On Budgeting | How to Manage Personal Finances | Personal Finance Blog. Web. 22 Apr. 2011. <http://www.financialnut.com/why-are-gas-prices-so-high-now/>.

Writing Project 2

Children and Technology, Good or Bad?

            Are children easily influenced by what they see and hear?  If children see something most people generally think that that child will automatically turn around and repeat the action he or she saw. Many children are also influenced by their friends and family. Some parents allow their children to play video games without really even thinking about it. Video games have become such a common thing for children it sometimes goes unnoticed. Some parents may not allow their children to play video games in hopes of helping them. Although, video games are an easy way for children to express themselves and just get away from the real world for an amount of time. So some parents may argue that by allowing their children to play video games, it helps to better their children because it lets them to be themselves and to have an outlet from the everyday life. 

Henry Jenkins starts off by referring back to his childhood growing up in Georgia. He does this to give readers a little more information on his background so it allows the reader to get a better feel for an opinion whether to agree or disagree with him on if video games are good or bad for children. It helps to give a better understanding as to how Jenkins has come up with his ideas and theories. He mentions how he was able to just go outside and find freedom and refuge from everyday life, how he could just get away and have no issues even for just a little while. “Beyond, there was a pine forest where my brother and I could toss pine cones like grenades or snap sticks together like swords. In the backyard, there was a patch of grass where we could wrestle or play kickball and a treehouse, which sometimes bore a pirate flag and at other times, the Stars and Bars of the Confederacy” (Jenkins page702) He describes how he was able to let his imagination take charge and become anyone or anything that he wanted.  He also acknowledges the fact that his parents would urge him to go outside and play when the weather permitted it to do so. Also, that he would frequently find himself re-enacting something that he had seen while watching television with his friends while they would be outside. Then he goes on to explain a little about his son, who is sixteen years old and how his son has had to grow up in various apartments and complexes. Always being surrounded by concrete and maybe having a small patch of grass located a block away. How the children were prohibited from playing on the front grass and racing their tricycles in the basements because of the strict policies. The children were banned from having any sort of fun that might cause noise or damage to the building. His son was only able to find refuge in video games by being able to travel to numerous places and be anyone he wanted to be. Video games allow children like Jenkins’s son, to explore and be imaginative in their thinking. Many similarities can be found between present day children and how they play or have fun for enjoyment when compared to children in the past. Children in the past were able to just roam free by walking into their backyard and be free from any issues that may be troubling them at that particular moment in life. Some had trees they would climb or a favorite dog to play with. Children in the present day find the same freedom in video games by being allowed to do whatever it is their imagination may lead them to which for a moment in time takes them out of the real world and lets them forget about any problems or issues that may be troubling them just the same as those in the past were able to do but in a different manner. Technology has improved drastically over the years thus allowing for many successful business people. With success though, comes problems that may not be seen right away. Jenkins finds the issue and makes many good arguments for his point of view that video games are a release for some children and aren’t always a bad thing. That yes, children are influenced by what they see but only to an extent. He argues that video games are good for a child if they do not have the opportunity to have the physical free space that others do that do not live in the city. Physical free space is very important to the development of a child. “The psychological  and social functions of playing outside are as significant as the impact of sunshine and good exercise upon our physical well being” (Jenkins page 705)

Jenkins also argues that video games are very stereotypical and biased towards boys or girls. He asks the question, why can’t a girl play as a boy action figure in a video game? Most video games only allow for girls to play as girl action heroes. Girls are usually also associated with the color pink, but what if a girl did not like the color pink and wanted to use the color blue which is usually associated with boys. This is a very touchy subject because it is not in all cases, some girls do like to be a girl action hero and like the color pink. It will be debated for probably many years.

Children need to have a way to have free roam and let their imaginations go free in order develop mentally. While some children may repeat what they see in a video game, it is not a fact that every child or a majority does. Video games are the only refuge for those children that do not have the same opportunities of those that do not live in a city. Video games are an easy way for children to express themselves and act as a stress release for them. The stereotypical attitude towards boys being boys and liking the color blue and girls being girls and liking the color pink in video games may never go away completely but a lot of recent games have made some attempts at trying to resolve the issue.

             

Oil Resources

Another claim is if we should tap into the oil reserves to lower the prices of gasoline in the United States. The argument right now is that we shouldn't tap into the reserves because gas prices are not as bad as they can end up being. In Europe most vehicles are diesel operated simply because they can acheive a better mile per gaollon than gasoline powered vehicles. But with the EPA (Enviromental Protection Agency) keeping strict restrictions on the different emmision levels and the unwillingness to change by a lot of Americans is what is holding us back. Most Americans do not want to give up the larger vehicle that does not get very good fuel economy. In Europe though, the prices are much higher for a gallon of gas. Some will argue that we should wait until the price of gas is equal to that of Europes to tap into the reserves. Others will argue that by waiting then the cost to produce different goods produced by farmers will go up. And the cost to transport goods will also increase which will increase the price to the consumer.

Another argument is to look into renewable resources for powering our vehicles. Battery powered vehicles have not taken much popularity in the U.S but hydrogen powered vehicles and ethanol powered vehicles have gained recent popularity. I believe the fact that the battery powered vehicles can not travel as far without having to recharge again is what is holding many individuals back from not wanting to puchase one. But with hydrogen, an individual can travel almost as far as a gasoline powered vehicle but it is a resource which we have plenty of. Same with E85 ethanol which is processed from corn. The U.S is a important supplier of corn.

Oil companies price gouge?

Do oil companies make a larger profit by price gouging? If they do, is it really fair?  The united states does not heavily tax gasoline like most other countries in an attempt to try and preserve consumption. Some companies will wait until the price of gas has increased to a certain point so they can make a higher profit. It could compared to a mining company. Some companies may have started to price gouge just to make a higher profit, it is unclear to me at this point. I am still researching into this claim, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10082724/ns/business-answer_desk/

Is oil becoming harder to find?

If oil is becoming scarce or harder to find then this would be one of the reasons for the price increases. Based on http://www.newser.com/story/112166/exxon-oil-becoming-hard-to-find.html, Exxon states that they are having trouble finding oil and that their reserves are decreasing in size. For every, 100 barrels of oil purchased they are only able to replace 95 of them.

According to http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/3557898/Oil-is-expensive-because-oil-is-scarce.html, three of the major oil companies, Shell, Exxon, and BP are all reporting drops in oil outputs. Exxon reported a 10% drop for the year. Non-OPEC oil production has only inscreased in Russia. Oil production is decreasing in 60 of the 98 oil producing countries.

Finding such information has made an interesting discovery for me. I have found two opposing point of views on why gas prices are so high. The idea that has is becoming scarce and that is why the prices have risen and the contrasting idea of the big oil corporations wanting to maintain profits by tac breaks and price gouging are two interesting ways of looking at things. I plan to explore more into details on both of these.

More Research

I did some more research into finding out why gas prices are continuing to increase. I was pleased to find some great answers at http://www.financialnut.com/why-are-gas-prices-so-high-now/. Like I said before the cost of  a gallon of gas is mostly deteremined by the cost of crude oil, about 71%, 14% taxes, 10% marketing and 5% towards refining. The expansion of many countries economies have increased the demand for oil because oil is what drives these economic booms. With a much higher demand for oil and the supply not increasing, the obvious answer is to charge more for the oil. I also found it interesting to know that exchange rates play an important role as well because oil is exchanged in dollars. So the value of a dollar is quite important to the price of gasoline. The most interesting thing I found though, was basically that politics doesn't play as major of a role as I thought it did. Yes, government does play a important role in pricing gas but no to the extent I once believed. I think the idea of economics just makes a little more sense to me rather than just blaming it on other things. Again, I do realize that the government does play a role in the pricing of gas but I just think the economics plays an even bigger role.