Will Payne
Advance Composistion
Mrs. Meeuwemburg
12/11/07
AIDS
There are an estimated total of 42 million people in the world living with HIV/AIDS and another estimated 22 million deaths due to the virus. The population of California is about 36 million and the population of Texas is about 24 million(12). Imagine wiping out the entire state of California and Texas with just one epidemic. This would mean that the United States would only have 48 states. This epidemic is catastrophic and there can be much ore done to address the issue. If more money, time and effort were poured into the education and prevention of AIDS there would be a drastic improvement in the amount of future deaths. If the question “is AIDS a problem was asked,” I don’t think anyone could say no. It is obvious that AIDS is a problem it is just a matter of what people can do to keep the virus from spreading.
AIDS is a fairly new virus that has taken hold of this planet by storm. It was discovered in the state of California when to gay men were dying from pneumonia. The doctors found this pretty odd because pneumonia is a fairly treatable disease (8). They looked more in depth and discovered the HIV virus. The HIV virus, or human immunodeficiency virus, is dubbed a sexually transmitted disease, which means it is most common to contract the virus through sexual contact or unprotected sex (not using a conodm). It can also be contracted through blood transfusions such as sharing needles(4). HIV gets into ones body and starts attacking the immune system. Once contracted violent infections begin to break the body down such as a cold or influenza because the immune system is so broken down. After HIV is fully cultured it turns into AIDS which is a more serious state of the virus. This is when most people die, usually from infections like the flu or pneumonia(HIV and AIDS).
After the virus was discovered, in the late 80’s the virus began to gain more publicity throughout the United states and the world for that matter. It began to become known as the gay mans disease throughout the United States because the majority of cases were in gay men but then the famous movies star Rock Hudson died from the virus. People started to realize that this wasn’t just a gay mans disease and that it was a real issue (8).
AIDS is the culprit to many staggering facts that can make ones heart ache. Once one contracts AIDS it is like a death sentence because there is no cure for it. It varies on how long one has to live but it is inevitable that one will survive AIDS. Although there are many drugs and therapies that can prolong the expected time to live they cannot erase the virus completely. But a cure is on the way. “spectacular advances have been made in HIV/AIDS therapies”(Anthony Faucci). There are about 20 different types of drugs and “drug cocktails,” mixture of drugs that can help with the virus but no matter what advances have been made there is still no cure. Another heart-aching fact is right now there is 14 million AIDS orphans and by the year 2010 there will be an estimated 25 million orphans. Most of these orphans are in Africa where the epidemic is the biggest.
Though AIDS is and epidemic all around the world the most infected area by far is Africa. “AIDS is the leading cause of death in Africa, 10 of 11 people infected with HIV/AIDS live in sub-Saharan Africa (www.worlded.org). It is a fact that AIDS is more common in impoverished countries and the most infected countries in Africa are Swaziland, Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa. The average GDP per capita for those countries is $6039 per year, compared to the $44,000 of the United States. These countries are in serious poverty and the AIDS victims in these countries are directly related to GDP per capita.
AIDS PAPER December 11, 2007
A Concert Without Strings October 29, 2007
This article talks about if the New York Philharmoic Symphony should perform in north korea next year. They are going on tour all through china and they are thinking about ending their tour in north korea a communist country. It talks about how it could bridge our countries together. There isn’t any thesis it just descibes the issue of them playing in north korea
I think that it would be a bad idea for them to perform in north korea. I think that if a country is communist then we should have nothing to do with them in the United States. We don’t beleive in that so we shouldn’t make any effort to entertain them if they have no change in sight. I think the orchestra should decline the visit. It would just be a bad idea
The Right Model for Juvenile Justice October 29, 2007
This article is talking about how our prisons are getting overflowed and the countries juvenile system doesn’t really help with that problem. It says that the jevenile system turns kids into high crime commiters and in turn they are put in our prisons. It talks about how good Louisiana is doing with their new juvenile system and how the rest of the country should turn to them for guidance so we can fix the problem of over flow in our prisons. there is no clear thesis but i can get the point of the editoreal quite well.
I Think that this is a good idea. instead of using the juvenile system in place now we should look to louisiana who is innovating the system. instead of being really harsh on them and then just releasing the kids louisiana takes a lighter approach and gets the troubled youth therapy and doctors to help them through their trouble. I think that this is a great idea because kids don’t respond to stuff that harsh very well. They then follow the kid when he or she is released. This is a great system and in think that it could do very well for our prisons. The writing was semi good. There wasnt much enthusiasm in it.
essay October 17, 2007
When I think about a very important person on my life I think about my grandpa. My grandpa is an extremely important person in my life. He is a great role model, Very loving and one of the smartest men I know.
My Grandpa is someone who I try to live my life by every day. He is a very good role model and I have learned many great life lessons from him. Every time I see my grandpa he always conducts himself in a very lovable understanding man. These qualities are ones that I try to portray in my daly life. He is also a very stubborn man when it come to the business that he runs. I would like to break into the business world and the way he runs his business is the way that I would like to run a business some day. He likes everything to be very prim and proper and everything to be very neat. I think that this makes for a good business and I look up to how well he manages his company. Whenever he come over to my house he gives me “the lecture of the day”. When he gives this lecture this is when all his great advice comes out. He is a great man and I look up to him a great deal
Not only is he one of my greatest role models, but he is also a very loving man. I can tell this by how much he cares about me and my family. Last year he gave all his grandkids 10000 dollars for college. I am not saying that money can buy love but this just show how much he loves all of us and how much he values out education. He always tell me that he loves me and is always there when I need him. Sporting events, concerts etc. He is such a loving guy and that makes him one of the most important people in my life because I believe that love is one of the most important quality in someone.
My grandpa is definitely one of the smartest people I know. I can ask him any question and he can answer it with ease. He is an engineer and he claims he knows everything and so far he can prove it. He is always spitting out random facts that make me wonder how could anyone ever know these things. I want to be as smart as him and I think that if I am accepted in to hope college it will open the door to be as smart as him
GM’s new Chevy Malibu will be scarcer in rental fleets October 14, 2007
General motors anounced this week that they will not be having as many chevy malibus sold to rental car companies. They have decided to to cut down from 40% to 20% of their sales of the malibu to rental car companies. The ones that they do sell to the rental car companies will be more luxirious. They will have things like sunroofs and navigation systems. I really can’t find a clear thesis in this article
I think that this is a good descion by General motors. They need to Cut the sales to rental car companies and focus on getting them to the regular comsumers and making them nice. So if they sell the really nice ones to rental car companies then when someone rents one and drives it they will really like it and they will want to go buy one of their own. I think they need to take some of the time awaay from what they have been doing and innovate their car for the regular consumer.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071011/UPDATE/710110459/1148/AUTO01
Radioheads Healthy Glow October 14, 2007
This article talks about how radiohead just recently released a new album and on their website they are giving their fans the option to decide how much they would like to pay for it. About one third of the people did the ligical thing and paid 0 dollars for the album and got it for free. The weird thing is that people actually paid the album. The average price of the album was $8. An ecomimist call this people wanting to get a “healthy glow.” People justify their reason for paying for the album when they could get it for actually nothing. I can’t really find a clear thesis but i can get the point the author is trying to make.
I think that this is a great move by radiohead. These days you can buy and album or you can get it illeally with ease. I think that this makes Radiohead look like a very down to earth band. It is a good way to judge how much their fanbase appreciates what they are doing. I think that this is a great idea and i think it can boom into a whole new phenomonea
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/opinion/14sun3.html?ex=1350100800&en=d712f55dd6e82302&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
I believe in Music October 8, 2007
As long as I can remember I have always loved music, my life without music would be like an airplane without wings. It just would not work. I can remember listening to the blue dinosaur tape until it was to worn to listen to anymore. The songs had such good hook and could never get them out of my head. Ever since than, my like for music has turned into a passion. Not only do I listen to every bit of music that I can possibly get my ears around, but I also create music with my guitar.
I believe in music because I think that it can spark emotions and feelings in someone that not many other things can. It can cheer you up if you are having a horrible day and you feel like you have nothing. Just throw on a cheery group like the temptations. Music can also create sadness in somebody. Just throw on some “blue October”. It can also create hate or rage. Just throw on some “Marilyn Manson” or some “rage against the machine”. Music can get you pumped up for some thing and it can also bring your energy level down, maybe before you go to sleep.
One of my favorite things about music is how it can make any person no matter how loud or quiet their personality is, break out of their shell. If you listen to one of your favorite songs, sometimes you just start to scream the lyrics without even knowing it. You let down your guard on everything else that is going on in your life and you just sing. Not caring what other people think, you just let yourself go, and that is the beauty of music. A lot of the times when the song ends you find yourself thinking what just happened, my voice is terrible, but for that length of the song you didn’t care about anything else except when you can scream the next chorus and start dancing.
Music can help you express yourself. When I have a bad day or just need to get some energy out, I sit down and I play my guitar. It’s a great way to get my feelings out in the form of music. I believe in the playing of an instrument as much as I believe listening to them. It can have the same effect and it is a great way to express yourself
I believe in music because it can change you, it can alter you emotions without you even knowing it and that is the beauty of it. Music causes weeping, laughing, sadness, anger, hate, love, happiness and many more. All this can happen in the matter of one song, or one chorus or even one line of a song can strike you. I believe that music is a vital part of MY life, and if you feel down or sad, or you just don’t know what you feel. Throw on your favorite record, sit back, and let it take hold.
BMW wakes up October 1, 2007
In this article the Ceo of BMW talks about how he has scrapped ideas for the R-class. The R-class is a minivan type vehicle for the upper class soccer moms. This idea was proposed in 2005 but it is now down the tubes. BMW doesn’t want to compomise their image. Instead of the R-class they are going to focus on a new mini and a new car to compete with the Mercedes CL class. Bmw wants to make their cars more user freindly and they want to suprise their consumers with smart new features.
I think that this is a great move for BMW. When you start making mini van type vehicles, you lose that name of very nice sharp cars. I do not think that a Mini van fits the BMW name. I like the idea of gettig rid of it and making their other cars nicer. Why focus on something new, when you have a market with your bread and butter cars. from experience in know the BMW’s are very hard to use, so i think that it would be good for BMW to focus on making their cars more user freindly. Overall, I think that this is a good decision for BMW.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/bmw-cancels-r-class-fighter-explains-progressive-activity-sedan.html
Mocking the powerless September 26, 2007
This editorial is talking about the genocide in darfur and how people are trying to change the problems that Darfur is having. Sudan announced that they are going to hire a commitee of their own to investigate human rights issues in the county of Darfur. They hired Ahmad Harun. The author talks about how this is just a terrible decision becuase this same guy hired armies to take part in the genocide its self. He says that this hurts the UN and makes them look like idiots. The author believes he should be charged for war crimes.
I agree with this guy. I do not think that it is right to hire someone to investigate the genocide who took part in the genocide himself. I am willing to bet that he will be byist because he could still be in the mind set of genocide. I can see how this could be a blow to the un. They have to have a person who was involved in the killings at their meetings. I think he should definately be tried for war crimes. Killing that many people is just wrong and he has no right to be involved with the cleaning up of the genocide. He deserves to be in jail.
Take this, Detroit September 25, 2007
Merecedez benz and google maps are coming our with a new system for their cars where you can download maps from the google maps company and send it right to your car. This technology is only available on three classes. The reason for this new technology is so you don’t have to hassle with typing everything in to your gps is system. You can just do it like you are on the internet. You can also have freinds send you the directions from their computer at home. So you don’t have to do it when you are driving
I think that this is a great idea. i think that this new wave of technology is really going to help the auto industry that is struggling. I love the idea of an internet site being integrated into a car. I think it is an awesome system that could even make cars safer in the sense you don’t need to monkey around with all the buttons to enter in an adress of where you want to go. overall i think that this is a great idea and i think that it can go very far
