In the heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

In the Heart of the Sea
by Osamah Elham

The rollercoaster of human experiences are described in the book In the Heart of the Sea by Author Nathaniel Philbrick. Mr. Philbrick did a lot of research on a fateful event of the whaling ship the Essex that left Nantucket harbor to go on a whaling expedition in 1819. The book keeps the readers interest with detailed accounts of a horrific encounter with a huge sperm whale. It leaves the reader to wonder whether the whale sunk the ship in revenge for the brutal killing of its kind by the crew. It depicts how the unimaginable can happen when nature turns against man and leaves him fighting for his life. Survivors are left to try to find land in three small harpoon boats after the sea swallows their boat. It is a story about survival against the worst odds. Men are forced to do things that they would never dream of doing.


At first, the reader begins to think that the book is merely describing a typical day in the life of a crew that is going out to hunt whales as they have done for ages. The boat follows pods of whales deep into the South Pacific. The book uses a lot of nautical terms and describes what it is like to be out at sea for long periods of time on a crowded boat. When the crew hauls in the whales they have captured, they have to open them up and take out the blubber. A fire on deck to burn the oil from the blubber creates black, disgusting smell. The constant rocking of the boat makes it hard to work cutting up the blubber. Whaling seems like a dirty, smelly difficult job.


The crew captain is a young man, George Pollard. He has a young cousin, Owen Coffin, who is joining him on the trip. He feels tremendously guilty when he is unable to protect him as they struggle to survive. It comes down to every man for himself. At first the men are glad to find land on a small island, Henderson’s Island. Eventually though, they eat all they can eat on the island and some of the crew decide to go back out into the sea to find someone to rescue them. Only three remain on the island to an uncertain fate. The worst is yet to come as the men leave the island and decide to head to South America. Many died and desperation overtook the ones that were left.

Great book by the way...

Blog #18

I would like to incorporate my writing skills into my photo essay. I am very familiar with the program, InDesign; using the program I could produce a high quality final product for the MSB project. From my newspaper, I know that the sub title contains all of the information about the time the newspaper was published.

I am a detail oriented person, I tend to prefect my work. Its a good and bad habit of mine. I am tech savvy, I know how to use a wide range of progams, from Indesign to photoshop.

Blog #17:

https://www.surfrider.org/surfrider_membership/join/membership3.cfm

Surf rider organizes beach clean ups for local beaches in San Diego. They make sure every little piece of trash, whether its plastic or not, it goes into the trash can.

http://www.kab.org/site/PageServer?pagename=index

Keep America Clean also organizes beach clean ups for all local beaches making beaches more clean.

http://www.wiserearth.org/organization/view/55d03a6ef20059ade3baebeb53147abb

Beach clean ups are organized on this website

http://www.coastkeeper.org/coastkeeper/work/projects/water-monitoring.asp?gclid=CKTcgKu94J0CFSWlagodV32mMQ#beachdebris

This website observes how dirty the river runoff is and they help prevent it from getting into the oceans.

http://www.sdck.ambsolutions.com/content/programs/beachClean/overview.htm

People who care about our beaches get together and clean up all of the left over trash.

Honors History Writing #2

Honors History writing 2#

America is currently experiencing another terrible recession. Unemployment has soared. The economy is causing instability and blame is being placed on our president, Grover Cleveland. Economists are referring to it as the Panic of 1893. The most essential question that we must ask ourselves is, whether the answer to this economic downfall will be added to each of the two candidate’s plates? Will it affect the day-to-day well-being of the livelihood of American citizens? What will our upcoming 25th president do to solve these issues? Where is our man of great ideologies who is able to come to rapid conclusions on ending the insanity of our economic downfall? People are leaning towards William McKinley for these answers. William McKinley looks like the perfect choice.

A former governor of Ohio, William McKinley who is currently running for the position of President of the United States in a highly anticipated election orginated the McKinley Tariff of 1890. William McKinley has pledged an oath to help end the recession by imposing this tariff. McKinley advocates a heavy tariff on goods and commodities being imported into the United States. The tariff has helped American businesses sell their goods to American consumers at a fair price. McKinley states that he wants to eliminate the thought of purchasing certain materials for less overseas as this will only hurt the American economy. His initial goal is extending his hand of friendship to the president of Carnegie Steel Mill and other companies to achieve this goal. “We need to increase business in our companies… buying for cheap prices overseas has come to a halt and does not help the American economy”, says McKinley, being questioned by reporters, yesterday morning. Foreign producers operating factories overseas are required to pay a 48.4% tariff to ship their products into the country for sale. Cheap material will no longer be appealing to American consumers. U.S businesses are now able to compete aggressively with foreign made goods. As a result of the Tariff, American companies have been doing well so far and have gained prosperity. This prosperity has translated into more workers being hired by U.S companies. However, the tariff has brought new troubles for farmers in rural areas. McKinley is also backing the idea of maintaining the gold standard because he feels if we resort to silver, inflation will have a negative effect on the economy.

McKinley is a proponent of a strong American military. To that end, he wishes to annex the two independent kingdoms of Hawaii and the Philippines. Mr. McKinley also desires to expand American military might into Guam, Puerto Rica and Cuba. “I advocate this more than anything else… that the key ingredient to strengthening our naval forces is to establish a secure military base on Hawaii” declared, William McKinley, at a press conference in the urban area of Ohio. President Cleveland frowned upon McKinley’s policies. McKinley thought that it was in the best interest of the country. Cleveland did not realize that European nations like Britain would gladly annex small primitive places like Hawaii for their own benefit. McKinley strongly believes that American superiority in the Pacific is greatly dependent on a naval base located in Hawaii.

Laborers see McKinley as a supporter who respectfully promotes cultural diversity. In the eyes of McKinley, company workers are free to preserve their ethnic identities in America. “Before I thought I was going to be ostracized from conversations regarding my religion and ethnic values… I feel more comfortable to work alongside my American friends” said an immigrant laborer. “Immigrants don’t have to be secretive about their immigrant heritage” said one of the workers, operating an industrialized machine for producing steel for the company. Andrew Carnegie of American steel, John D. Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan have contributed heavily to McKinley’s campaign to support American businesses. Campaign manager, Mark Hanna, has journeyed across the states of America, recruiting voters and sending out invitations to accompany him back to Canton, Ohio, where William McKinley gives his speeches from his front porch. In the meantime, his opponent, William Jennings Bryan, has been traveling by train across America campaigning in the rural areas in the mid west, west and the south. A large German American voting block supports McKinley. Several skilled factory workers, middle class, railroad workers and large scale farmers are behind him.

American prosperity and future well-being depend on a charismatic candidate like William McKinley. His vast experience as a governor of Ohio and a United States senator gives him the unique ability to fulfill the demands of the Presidency. A distinguished veteran of the Civil War, McKinley has firsthand knowledge of the perils of conflict. His hope is that through a strong economy, America can become the great nation it was meant to be.

blog # 16: MSB ideas

From Lupe's blog post, I saw that she has some unique ideas. Her idea of creating a recycled bottle cap sculpture of a fish is kind of interesting. I never thought of something like that. I can think of something similar to that and post it as an image for my website. Lupe's idea is very artistic.

www.lupesandoval.blogspot.com/

From Magda's blog post, I realized that she has some great ideas for the project. Her idea of taking pictures of the beach using fish eye lenses is actually a good idea. I can take a lot of photos of the scenery; having to do with toxic chemicals and pollution in the beach. Maybe I should think of creative ways to make my pictures stand out. I want to bring something unique to the table.

www.magdaaguirre.blogspot.com/

From Krause's blog post, I checked it out and he had some cool ideas for the project. His idea was simply a photo/Essay that has at least 6 pictures and for every high quality photo there would a short explanation. I'm thinking of making a picture book on my website.

www.davidkrausehublog.blogspot.com/

Blog # 15: Media Saves the Beach

Whats the deal with our beaches?!
My brother's special camera can come in handy for this particular project. I can capture wide and high definition pictures of the ocean scenery. A creative and highly professional website containing important information on the governments approach on this issue with our beaches. Specifically, the website can provide information about what happens when sea life comes in contact with toxic waste chemicals. How we can save sea life from extinction.

I can add a documentary with a voice over for the website. In the documentary, their will be powerful images. These images can be very effective to the public. My documentary is going to be similar to a documentary like planet earth. The video will have someone explaining the issue with our beaches. The website would also contain essential updates. Hey, I might even throw in a forum so that people can share their thoughts and opinions on what we can do... if I can figure out how to make one...

Incorporated ideas for my website would be a documentary, media saves the beach forum, a link to my documentary and etc. I can get a solid high definition picture of sunset cliffs for my website background.

Biology blog

(Randy ignore the bio blogs plz)

1. What is the, controversy or event in the story? What are the basic facts?

The headline says, that every beach in the county of San Diego received their report cards recently. All 78 monitored beaches received a A or B out of 79 beaches. treatment plants always grade beaches depending on the water quality.

2. What information is missing from the story?

This News story contains a lot of solid information on what is currently going on with the San Diego water quality. All the information I need; after resulting in state budge cuts, most of the state beaches are being monitored.

3. What would be the next steps if you were creating a follow up to this story?

I would explain more depth in about all the state beaches and what they received based off the quality of their water. For example, the results for today included the beaches, OB and PT. They both received B or C grade.

Bio blog

Photosynthesis matters to me because its process is essential to life. What I am saying is that plants need photosynthesis to maintain their health. We need them to stay alive in exchange for oxygen, in return for carbon dixodie in which humans produce, daily. Plants and humans keep each other alive. If we destory all of the plants on earth then humanity would perish. Plants make the earth look healthly and bueatiful. Plants use the sunlight, which is passed down through the sky. Finally, the plants absorb the sunlight and go through the interesting process of photosynthesis. That is how chlorophyll is made and how plants get their pegment color.

Please click on the following link or copy it to the address box located at the top of the screen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHaw22XxM4s&feature=related

(blogger will not let me post videos!....)

Huck finn essay

A good friend

by: Osamah Elhams

Hidden in the fine ink of the pages, a cultural collision takes place. Such a collision can call a character’s sense of identity out to question. In this case, it would be the uniqueness of a young white adolescent born in the deep Confederate south. The name of this fictional character is Huckleberry Finn. In this particular novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the main characters, Huckleberry and Jim are in a constant moral battle between right and wrong. Discreetly escaping the Confederate territory, Huckleberry Finn, referred to as “Huck” in the story, finds a wooden raft drifting along the Mississippi river; they commence on a long journey through the Deep South and encounter many dilemmas along the way.

Huckleberry is interpreted as a courageous, vigilant and a brilliant young character in the story. Huck always takes the initiative. He is very rebellious against the Confederacy and sees the idea of slavery in a different light. Jim is much older than Huck and is of African descent; a slave who is always anxious to leave the horrible South behind and wants to set forth to freedom. Huckleberry Finn want to help Jim seek freedom from the Southern Slave laws, despite the fact that he is violating the law. The entire story is evidence of this. When huck frightens way the pursuing slave hunters as Jim cowers in a small shack. Later on towards the end of the story, they encounter the two con artists, the Duke and the Dauphin. Hackberry justifies the behavior of the Duke and the Dauphin by stating that history has shown that nobles often lie, cheat and steal. Even so, Huck rescues the Wilks sisters from becoming victims of the Duke and the Dauphin. There are some situations when Huck is always rescuing Jim for whatever reason.

In the story, Huck resists being as he calls it, “sivilized”. Widow Douglas is kind of like Huck’s tutor. Despite her best efforts, Huck rejects her influence and teachings. He runs away from the Widow Douglas who tries to give him a Sunday school education. Huck and his extremely abusive and drunken father don’t have a normal father to son relationship. Feeling extreme hatred for his father, Huck runs away from his only family, Pap, his alcoholic father. He also lies to the Phelps family, in the novel, about being Tom Sawyer so that he can help help set his friend Jim free. Once Jim realizes he’s a free man, Huckleberry decides to head West instead of staying with Aunt Sally and rejoin the society.

Jim, the slave, violates the slave laws in the South by becoming “a runaway slave”. Jim hates living and working under horrible conditions in the South and is wants to begin a new peaceful life with his family. He does not want to be sold off and separated from his family so he befriends Huckleberry. He shelters Huck Finn in an attempt to help him hide from his loathsome father, Pap. He doesn’t reveal to Huckleberry the fact that that the dead body they found in the shack was really his dad’s corpse. When they encountered the two con artists, Jim goes along with the dishonest antics of the Duke and Dauphin because he is afraid that they might turn him over to the authorities as a “runaway slave”. Even thought he risked being captured, Jim returns to help Tom after he takes a bullet to the leg during the escape attempt.

In conclusion, this essay exemplifies the constant moral battle between right and wrong that these characters encounter throughout the novel. Every single walk of life is a constant battle of morality for Jim and Huck but goodness prevails.

Blog #11: Questions for Media Saves the BEach

My three questions for media saves the beach are following...

1. How does polluted water effect sea animals?
I thought of this, because it is important that we have to keep or beaches clean.

2. What is being done by local authorities deter the water pollution?
We need to know what the local authorities are doing to help prevent water pollution. In what ways will they prevent water pollution.

3. What creative ways can the youth contribute?

I think it is important that the children should learn about what is currently going on in our society. Colleges like to see activities being done outside of school. They want to see that you have participated in important activities with the public.

Honors history writing (final draft)

A “Modern” America
By Osamah Elhams

“A house divided against itself cannot stand”, argued the 16th President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, pointing out that when a state secedes from the Union then the Union cannot stand. I certainly must take a stand. If it hadn’t been for the Civil War; a reflection of past governmental conflicts, a new “modern” America would not exist. The United States was once torn asunder, like a cataclysmic event, by the Union and Confederacy in 1861 before the Civil War. Slavery in the South was vigorously supported because southern society was mainly agricultural. The north was fighting not to save the old Union but to create a new nation. As many as half a million slaves fled to the union side from the south. Equality was meaningless before “modern” America. Political leaders had to rise up and advocate the principles of equality for all.

Historical people like Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King, and President Barrack Obama have enormously strengthened the African American society. Martin Luther King stressed the importance of equality and Americans had a new vision of America through his writings. Obama, half white and half black, was elected by America to become its first black President and that has brought down many racial barriers. His inauguration brightened the minds of many Americans by allowing a diverse President into office. If it hadn’t been for the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves wouldn’t be free men and women. If this proclamation had never been implemented, then someone like Barack Obama would never been elected. If the supporters of the Confederate states could have seen future events unfold as they have, they would have been angry. Obama’s inspirational story has made people believe in equality for all in America. This is proof that the Civil War created revolutionary changes for slaves in the South. Just as early American colonists were trying to overthrow British rule during the Revolutionary War, so too were Southern slaves trying to overthrow the tyranny of the white man.

The country remained whole in spite of the attempt by the Confederate states to tear the Union in half and secede from the United States of America. After the war, the states of the Confederacy were restored to the Union. A shattered country was rebuilt. Together, both black and white men remade America even better than before. President Lincoln pardoned many elite Confederate leaders in the hopes of unifying the nation. After Lincoln’s death, President Johnson demanded that the Confederate States ratify the proposed Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery. Black men who were once considered slaves were now able to own land and prosper. Eventually, these new freedoms lead the way for many to get an education and be given the right to vote. In the beginning some states imposed “Black Codes”. These “Black Codes” were meant to put a limit on the individual rights of black men. After the Civil War many black men who had been freed wanted legal names and their marriages to be legalized. Newly freed, some black families became sharecroppers and shared profits of their crops with white land owners.

“Modern America” is now a product of what happened as the result of the Civil War that brought about enormous changes for its citizens. The idea of slavery in “modern America” is not acceptable. America still has conflicts erupting. There are still some advocates of slavery living in the South, individuals who are proud to wave the Confederate flag and challenge the freedoms of African Americans. “Modern America” is completely diverse. African Americans are able to achieve more than ever before. Now, they are no limitations to what they can do. Achieving the pivotal role of the President of the United States just shows how far African Americans have come since the days of the Civil War. Now all United States citizens are able to enjoy the same inalienable rights that were not guaranteed to all before the Civil War. Rights like access to courts, education, the right to own land and the right to vote. Martin Luther king’s dreams of America with equal rights for all, has come one step closer to becoming a reality. Unfortunately, Martin Luther king did not live to see his dream come true.

Through his role as leader of the greatest nation on earth, Barack Obama, has made every attempt to appoint and recruit persons of all diverse backgrounds to serve in the Judiciary and other influential government positions. His recent appointment of Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor is evidence of this. He also appointed the first African American to the position of Attorney General. People of all nations have witnessed first- hand how the policies created to protect the rights of black men after the Civil War has become reality. (Epilogue)