Journal 09

TJ Montgomery
Stephanie Gai
English 100
28 February 2009

Questioning the Text:

In, “In Praise of Chain Stores,” Virginia Postrel appeals to the values of cultural distinction. She conceives the idea that it is weather, geography, history, along with uniqueness that gives towns their identities and not the shopping opportunities made available. In her own words, “Stores don’t give places their character. Terrain and weather and culture do.” She clearly states that towns like Chandler, Arizona should rely on their natural differences to separate themselves from the rest of the nation.

When building a life, Postrel suggests that memories and sentimental value are what is important to consider. She gives an example of a family sharing a meal at a mall food court being just as precious and fulfilling as those of a family of an older generation at local diners of Route 66.

Jonah Goldberg’s “Global Cooling Costs Too Much,” reveals his style of delivery of information. Goldberg’s use of both scientific and statistical evidence proves to be persuasive. I found myself oddly impressed with the unusual theory of cause and effect between the Earth’s increasing temperature with an increased Gross Domestic Product. His use of evidence on the Kyoto Protocol leads me to believe that the inhabitants of Earth might as well the rewards of the increased GDP, since all of what we know about reducing mankind’s influence on wear and tear of the Earth isn’t proven to make any immediate significant changes.

As far as Goldberg giving me the impression that he has no idea of what he is writing, is non-existent. I’m pretty sure that have purchased every piece of evidence he was peddling. While I do trust his statistics, I do have to wonder if they are relevant to each other. Even more so, does one affect another? Because of the style the evidence had been presented in, I believed it. But I can’t but wonder that if I had been given all of the facts without any influence on what is to be paralleled. Would I have come to the same conclusions?

Journal 08

TJ Montgomery
Stephanie Gai
English 100
23 February 2009

Questioning the Text:
Michael Pollan An Animal's Place

Informatively intriguing! Reading this article has allowed me to feel that I know more about what logic falls behind the "animal people's" claims that treating animals inhumanely is wrong. I can't say that I agree with everything that was said, but I did understand it all.

I would have never thought, even for one second, that the justification of animal cruelty could be directly paralleled to the justification of slavery. When I read this analogy it completely blew my mind. On top of that, I agreed. This has to be deserving of the comments by John J. Ruszkiewicz. I was convinced that killing animals was wrong if slavery is wrong. It takes skill to convince anyone of something like this. Michael Pollan proves his genius consistently without fail. Pollan’s insight on animal rights, equality, life privileges, content, and degree of respect was essential to the effectiveness of his words. He gives logical examples and lists activists that support and defenders that justify.

Ruszkiewicz has my full support in his claim that this piece of writing is "powerful." Pollan explains the logic behind the theories of animal "rights" and admits that he has defenses for human behaviors, including his own, he can't back up. (This is simply the way most of the world handles an argument, and I appreciate him for admitting that.) He unveils the real issue keeping vegetarians on the grass. Pollan proclaims the real question isn't about whether we eat or do not eat the meat, but how the meat was treated before it became just a piece of meat... Animal cruelty!

I was so relieved when I read this. I love meat and being told that that isn't the issue was good news for me, and my belly. I do however have to admit I didn't finish the article feeling guilt free. I do purchase food from processing plants that do in fact treat animals in the most barbaric ways, in which case I am only encouraging this sort of behavior.

I didn't know the exact focus of this article at first glance. In fact, I didn't find it until I got to the seventh page. There it was in the 33rd paragraph, clear as day; "Whether our interest in eating animals outweighs their interests in not being eaten... turns on the vexed question of animal suffering." Why Pollan chose to place his thesis so far from the introduction, I do not know, but one might guess that he felt a brief description of what lead to his discovery of the real issue was necessary to the mind of the reader. I appreciated the examples of other writings and explanations and found them to be of great help to my understanding once I was exposed to the main concern.

Journal 07

TJ Montgomery
Stephanie Gai
English 100
16 Februaury 2009


If I could Change One Thing In History...


I believe that it is just as important to pay attention to the smallest of details as it is to the greatest. It is no secret that Hitler has a great liking for the arts; however many would be surprised to find that he had great hopes to be a magnificent artist. If I could change any world event before the year 2000, I would have Adolf Hitler achieve his greatest failure; I would go back to 1907 and grant him admission into the prestigious Vienna Academy of Fine Arts.

Throughout high school, Hitler found himself quite annoyed by his instructors and felt no need to yield to their commands. He was a very lazy and uncooperative student, who essentially flunked out. Hitler began to feel like a failure and was absolutely repulsed by the thought of working as an underclass citizen. To avoid this harsh unappealing reality Hitler put all his hope into the dream of achieving greatness, not as a ruthless tyrant but as an artist. After dropping out of high school in 1905, Adolf Hitler spent the next few years in ominous redundancy. His mother urged him to learn some sort of trade and get a job, but the obstinate Hitler found the idea of daily work with its necessary submission to authority to be revolting.

In the spring of 1906, seventeen year old Hitler took his first trip to Vienna, one of the worlds most important centers of music and art. With the intent of seeing world class operas and galleries, he was quite surprised to find himself captivated by the empire’s bravura architecture. Using his natural ability to draw, he compiled drawings of detailed images of buildings he had only seen once. As a young boy he developed a natural talent for drawing, and his trip to Vienna only heightened his adoration for the art.

In January of 1907, his mother was now dying of breast cancer, despite her operation. But an aspiring Hitler chose to withdraw his inheritance and relocate to Vienna to study the arts. He decided he would attend the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. He took the two day entrance exam with high hopes, but was only devastated to hear the school did not believe him to be satisfactory. Hitler was badly shaken by this rejection.

It is my firm conviction that had Hitler been admitted and given the opportunity to go after his dream, he would not have been so angry with the world, and set out on the quest to control it. There are over 6,000,000 Jews that I am sure would have liked to have been able to go after their dreams as well. Had Hitler been able to express himself through his art, his pain wouldn’t have built up inside of him like a raging volcano, but it would have poured through his art like a free flowing river. Would this event really have made a difference? Not sure, but it would be worth the try.



Works Cited
Stokes, Phil. Adolf Hitler Biography. 2009. 16 February 2009 .


PHOTO BY ADOLF HITLER
Franziskanerplatz Wien, 1912.

Journal 06

TJ Montgomery
Stephanie Gai
English 100
12 February 2009


Entrepreneur Workshops:
How to Start Your Own Business

BizNet, a program of the North Coast Small Business Resource Center (NCSBRC) conducted a small workshop, instructing students on how to start a business. The workshop was open to any Humboldt State University student that was interested, but was targeting business majors. Most of the students that were there, had heard of the workshop through the business FIG. Thus, the majority of participants were freshmen. Surprisingly, almost all knew what type of business they wanted to create, and where.

The seminar opened with an introduction explaining that the starting of a business is a process, and that it is very important to take your time when planning. Over 80% of all businesses that failed in the first year did not have a business plan. Over 80% of business still operating after for years started with a written plan. Having a business plan will help you to organize your goals and updating it will allow you to see where your company is and how far you will be able to go on that level.

Many of the participants were concerned about permits and licenses. The lecturer disclosed all types of helpful information. He was careful to explain that not all rules apply to all states, counties, and cities. We were all given a number of handouts ranging from readiness assessment tools, to finding good advice.

We were well informed of how to obtain honest, constructive, feedback on business proposals. He suggested that we turn to family, friends and local business owners. He recommends this because they are all potential customers, plus if they screw you over, you’ll know where to find them. (That last part was my own interpretation.)

It’s good to know what your strength and weaknesses are. With the use of some type of questionnaire to identify your strong and weak areas, you can decide whether or not your business will be more productive with outside help. If you find that you are lacking knowledge in very important areas like financing or customer service, it may not be a bad idea to consider having a partnership with someone that is strong in your weak areas.

Businesses, both big and small, are built and demolished frequently. Knowing what options you have and how to attain more can help prevent you from cracking under pressure and allow you to think reasonably when setting goals that you can accomplish, mutually in the long and short run.

Journal 05

TJ Montgomery
Stephanie Gai
English 100
10 February 2009


My response to: James Surowiecki, Don't Do the Math


Talk about an eye opener! James Surowiecki’s display of the “blockbuster” awards given to plaintiffs of lawsuits really showed me something I had always seen but never sought to see more of. Juries do seem to have the tendency to hand out ridiculous amounts of money in cases involving large companies. I never realized that these lawsuits damaged companies to the point of bankruptcy. They are after all rich. If I knew that a jury would award me 100 million dollars in a lawsuit, I would sue somebody! 100 million dollars is a lot of shoes; I like shoes.

According to Merriam-Webster, a jury is “a body of persons sworn to give a verdict on some matter submitted to them; especially: a body of persons legally selected and sworn to inquire into any matter of fact and to give their verdict according to the evidence (Merriam-Webster, 2009).” But are these verdicts appropriate?

Companies are being drug through the mud by angry consumers just because they can (appear to) afford to get dirty. But can they afford to get clean? Cases not involving death or extreme permanent damage should not be awarded these outrageous fortunes; especially when the risk-benefit analysis has been used. All businesses don’t look out for the consumer at all times, but those that do shouldn’t be treated as those that don’t.

It’s almost impossible to tell whether a plaintiff is sincere in their claims and deserving; and it’s just as hard to tell whether a company is sincere in their performance and quality that is due to its consumer population. Juries have a difficult task, and it seems as though they find it easier to benefit the underdog. I’m not saying that juries aren’t considering both parties but that the damages paid appear to be more punitive than compensatory. The jury should be helping the plaintiff recover rather than setting them up for the rest of their lives.

Works Cited

Merriam-Webster. (2009). Merriam-Webster Online . Retrieved February 10, 2009, from Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jury

Journal 04

TJ Montgomery
Stephanie Gai
English 100
4 February 2009

My response to: Robert D. King, Should English Be the Law?

I was very impressed with the amount of information in this essay. However, I found it to be too informative for my tastes. I did manage to grasp the focus of the text. Should English be the law? You mean it isn’t the law already?

I am sure that I am not the only uninformed American that was surprised by the argument. If asked me what the official language of the United States is, I would say English without even thinking. “94 percent of American residents speak English” (King, 2008)(1990). Sure 94 is a big number, but what about the other 6 percent? 6 percent of two hundred forty-eight million, seven hundred nine thousand, eight hundred seventy-three is also a big number (Bureau, 1990).

What would change if there were English Only laws? Will non- English speaking voters be able to read the ballots? Will non- English speaking parents be able to sign school documents? Will non- English speaking employees be hired? If the answer to these questions is no, then I say no. English should not be the law.

King states that “Language does not threaten American unity” (King, 2008). Bull! If people are forced to learn and use English only, our nation will be deprived of the very thing it is unique for; Individuality. The culture, history, values, and tradition of a people all have correlation with their language. Conforming them to another is a key threat; and should not be overlooked.

I see a major problem with the idea of “English Only.” Personally, I would prefer “English Mostly.” I do agree that most people believe that English has already been established as the nation’s official language. I also believe that if things (the implementation of English Only) were to drastically change the flow of communication between societies, the American people would rather leave things the way they are.




Works Cited
Bureau, U. C. (1990, April 1). 1990 Census. Retrieved February 4, 2009, from U.S. Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen1990.html

King, R. D. (2008). Should English Be the Law? In A. A. Lunsford, & J. J. Ruszkiewicz, The Presence of Others: Voices and Images That Call for Response (p. 701). Boston: Bedford St. Martins.

Journal 03

TJ Montgomery
Stephanie Gai
English 100
01 February 2009


The Legacy


Being involved extracurricular activities has always been the highlight of my busy life. All through grade school I found that participating in fun, interactivities made school much more pleasant. Teachers, homework and quizzes are great when working on developing your mental capacity; however, when it comes to the social side of school, clubs are a necessity.


Here on the HSU campus I am involved in quite a few clubs that promote civil services and positive change. One of them, The Legacy, is an all female organization for minorities that upholds the most significant standards of community involvement. It takes money to help the community and the first HSU home football game of the season was going to help us do that.


The Legacy is always having some type of fundraising event to finance a community service project. This Thanksgiving The Legacy would like to purchase enough groceries for four needy families to have a bountiful holiday. We raised part of the funds at the game selling fresh fruit parfaits.
Syrupy strawberries, tart blueberries, juicy mandarin oranges, sweet honey dew melon, plump peaches, three different delicious kinds of yogurts and crunchy granola littered our table. People were flocking from areas of the field and bleachers to inquire about our tasty treats. Surprisingly enough, the crowd was more interested in the cold hot dogs and stale nachos being sold six yards away.


I just don’t get it. It’s Humboldt! Everybody here, okay not everybody, but a lot of people here are quite serious about eating natural, healthy food and yet we didn’t meet our minimal goal; which was to only break even. We stayed for the entire game and watched our team give their best efforts. We didn’t win our first game, nor did we raise all the funds needed but I still had fun. I enjoyed being outside interacting with others and experiencing my first college football game ever.