About Me Sam

HTML Codes

2008-09-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

HTML codes are defined as the artificial language that is primarily known to be used in the World Wide Web. It is a system of codes, abbreviations in the form of hyper text that indicates how a document or web page should be interpreted. This could be used to unravel a block of codes in order for the web page to result in the way that it should appear. The technology of the Hyper Text Markup Language does not only create web pages but it links the web pages to one another and it also allows for certain information to be linked to files on any computer that is connected to the internet. Therefore it becomes a lot organized and easier to search for something and access it on the internet no matter where the computer may be.
HTML language was first established to facilitate the link of documents through the internet. As time went by it became easier for others to learn the programming of HTML which led to a series of internet browsers. One of the first and most popular internet browsers is Netscape; this was one of the first to support HTML and JavaScript. The fact that HTML was not difficult to acquire led to an increase in companies making web pages but it also created problems in the web links because one web page would be portrayed just fine on one browser but it became difficult for it to be portrayed like that in a series of browsers. The problems continued up until the upcoming of the World Wide Web which introduced a more standardized HTML that was able to solve the problems of the web pages and the browsers.
I feel that the internet and the organization of the web pages just facilitated the lives of everyone across the world. It allows for information to be accessed in such a convenient way. I feel that the invention of the internet, web pages, and browsers is pure genius in the way that people are able to attain the knowledge of HTML coding and process it in such a uniform matter.

"Random Family"

2007-04-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

After reading the first couple chapters of the book, there has been a lot of conflicts that deal with teen pregnancy, drugs, rape, and lack of education. The modern format and style that the book is written has made it interesting and easier to read because I am able to relate to the language. There are many characters and they are all related through friendships, love affairs, or drugs. These are some of the issues that people are still dealing with in todays society. There is still a high percentage of teen pregnancies and the household income is less than average. These families not only have to worry about paying the rent and bills, they also have to take care of their children. In Jessica's case for example, she is living in an overcrowded apartment along with her daughters where food is limited, or if any at all. It is very difficult for me to read about the adversities that the latin community has gone through and are still trying to overcome. It seems that istead of helping the situation they make it worse by dropping out of school and dealing drugs. I feel that the latinos have placed a negative stereotype toward themselves. I am lookin forward to finishing the book and reading about the ways that they have overcome difficult situations.

"The Case of Sean Bell"

2007-04-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

I do not agree with the way that the police dealt with the situation of the Sean Bell incident. I think that they all had training and should have been well prepared to deal with situations such as these. The police claims that they felt threatened by the unarmed victims, because it was believed and rumored that they had weapons. The police officers assumptions and actions caused Sean Bell his life, and his friend to be paralyzed. If indeed the police felt threatened they should not have resorted to shooting their guns, and even if they did, it was not necessary to shoot 50 bullets. There was something clearly wrong with this because that cop’s intention was for Sean Bell and his friends to be left dead. Suspicions of whether it was a cause of racism remains questionable, and I want to believe that it wasn’t. Sean Bell left behind his fiancé and daughter along with his plans of getting married the following day, just because the police officers made a mistake. Evidence shows that Sean Bell and his friends were not armed. Therefore I believe that the police officers should be punished just like any other person would be. They should serve some time in jail and some type of murder charge should be charged against them.

"The Celeb Life"

2007-04-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

If I were a celebrity I personally would not be able to handle the stress of the paparazzi always invading the privacy of my life. Celebrities have to cope with the rumors that are being said about them all the time. There have been many rumors of cheating taking place and the tabloids even have deceiving pictures to make the public believe that it is true. This has resulted in jealousy and distrust among celebrity marriages; hence, one of the main causes for divorce. At first people want to be famous because they want the attention and glamour that comes along with being a celebrity, but after a while it becomes difficult to live with the fact that you cant even go to the corner store because of fear of who will see you. It becomes impossible to live a “normal life” and have a family and be able to do ordinary things such as taking a walk with your son or daughter. For many these consequences outweigh the reasons to want to be a celebrity. I prefer to live my life without fear of my secrets and personal life being revealed.

"Scary movies"

2007-04-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

People watch scary movies for the thrill and excitement, regardless if they know that that they will be scared. We live in a country were we view violence as entertainment. We are constantly focusing on shootings, gang fights, murders, robberies etc, and even though we want there to be world peace we also enjoy gossiping about tragic events. Tragic events are everywhere that even if we wanted to avoid them we cant because just by turning on the television the latest shootings and stabbings have made headlines. I am a type of person that I will get scared to watch a scary movie, yet they are one of my favorites to watch. I enjoy the mystery of figuring out who is the killer or the next victim. I cant really explain the reason why, I just enjoy knowing I will get scared by watching a film and I find it to be funny to see my friends and family scared.

" Birth Control Policy"

2007-04-04T20:04:00.001-07:00

I think that it is immoral that the Chinese government uses sterilization and abortion to reduce the Chinese population. Women should not be told what should be done with their bodies it should be an independent choice to abort a child. The Chinese government threatens these women by telling them that if they do not go through the operation they will be fined. I think that it is ridiculous how they have to abort and if they don’t then they have to pay. This has also caused many problems which have resulted in women fleeing from town to town just to avoid being forced to give up their child. I think that there should be a better way to resolve the issue of over population.

"Presidency"

2007-03-27T05:53:00.000-07:00

I would like the next president to have several important characteristics that are essential in leading a country that is at war. First I would like the war to come to an end because there is no significant reason as to why we are still bombing another country, it has been made clear that there are no weapons of mass destruction. We are not welcomed in Afgha, or Lebanon and every other place that we have bombed, we are just causing deaths not only in the people who live in Lebanon but also the deaths of American soldiers. I would want the next president to be intelligent and be able to make wise decisions, he/she would have to be decisive, tough, fair and have experience. The issue of always having a white male president is one that is going to be challenged in the up coming elections. I would love to see a woman, or an African American as president, but it would have to be the right woman and the right African American. Personally I do not like Clinton, I would not vote for her because I do not think that she would serve as a good president. She has contradicted herself plenty of times which makes her indecisive. At first she said that she was pro war and now she says that she wants to put an ending to the war. It seems as though she’s just telling the people what they want to hear in order to get approval of votes. Obama in the other hand seems like a very genuine person and I think that I would like him if it were not for his age and lack of experience. I have never heard of him doing anything productive, I just know him as a African American man who wants to run for presidency. The vote on the next president is one that on my behalf will have nothing to do with race or gender, it is simply about who will be the next great leader and role model of our country.

"Hit Lists"

2007-03-27T05:52:00.000-07:00

Hit lists are a very serious matter, and even though some teenagers may do it for attention or a prank, it should still be dealt with drastic measures. The Colorado shooting or massacre is one that is unforgettable and could repeat itself it is overlooked or not dealt with properly. Students are constantly making threats by creating hit lists. Many people may agree that counseling is the answer, I, in the other hand think that they should be taken more seriously by having the police involved and investigating the causes that led to the hit list. The student should also be suspended for a while to learn of the consequences, but I do not believe that they should be expelled because this might trigger and cause the actual shooting. Many people argue the fact that this may be too harsh, but I think that the risk is great and the consequences of not doing anything may be even greater. If it may just be a prank or call for attention then that student should be given all the attention that they want because I would not want to see another episode of violence like the shooting in Colorado.

Pair 2

2007-03-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

American Idol is a show that is based mostly on looks over how well a person could sing. At first, I do not think that looks really mattered but after eliminations are made and it comes down to the finalist, many other things matter. Things such as how a person presents themselves, their ambition, goals, past and looks are taken highly into consideration. The person that will represent the American Idol will have to be perfect in many ways because they will serve as a role model to children, and adolescence. However, I do not think that a person should be critiqued by the way that they look if they do not look like a model but do have good values, talent, and characteristics. I have watched American Idol several times and I personally do not like it because who is to say that you have to look a certain way in order to achieve your dreams of becoming the next best artist. Many people go on American Idol with high hopes of pursuing a career in the music business but end up giving up because of people like Simon. What used to be a show who’s purpose was to help people’s dreams come true has now become a show who’s main interest is on attracting the most publicity by humiliating people just so that they can make the most money.

Pair 1

2007-03-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

I think that fairy tales should guide children and serve as a lesson in morals. It should make children believe that there is a consequence for everyone’s actions and that virtues are vital in life. The virtue of honesty, for example, is one that should be gained as a characteristic and should be applied when making decisions. I believe that fairy tales in today’s society do not abide by this and are in fact influencing children in wrong ways. Cinderella for example, is a Disney movie that makes girls think that they are all princesses and that beauty matters more than personality. It makes girls think that they need a prince charming to save and rescue them from their hardships. Therefore girls grow up searching for their prince charming and become upset when they do not find him. This makes them dependent instead of independent when making a decision.

"Over the Break"

2007-03-21T15:14:00.002-07:00

Over the break I began to read the book called Sybil which deals with the conflict of a woman who has a multiple personality disorder. In this book she has 16 personalities, of which were caused because of the abuse she suffered as a child. As I read the first several chapters, I found many parts to be disturbing. It is difficult to describe her actions and put it into words, but overall she would do things without conscious of what she was doing. I intend to finish reading the book and gain knowledge about the disorder and her experience trying to overcome it.

Me and My Friends :)

2007-03-08T20:14:00.000-08:00

"Future Plans"

2007-03-08T09:11:00.000-08:00

As an undergraduate and a Biology Major, I am looking forward in attending medical school. The requirements and expectations are extremely high and competitive. As a freshman, I have found information about the required courses by researching and speaking to faculty members and doctors. I have visited several medical schools, and I have met many students who are persuing a career as a physician. Most of these students are stressed out, and tired but are very determined to become that pediatrician or cardilologist. So far I have found myself very stressed out and doubting my major, but I keep myself motivated. I have found that in order to go to medical school, I have to have a a GPA of preferably a 3.5 minimum, along with a good MCAT score. The MCAT is a test that says very little about me as a person but are highly taken into consideration. There have been many students who have had a competitive GPA but do not do so well on the MCATs and are not able to get accepted. There are also volunteer services that are looked at to see just how involved a student was as an undergrad. I have also found that in order to be accepted into medical school one does not have to have a major in the sciences. I can simply be a photography major, or a pschycology major, I would just have to take all the courses that are requiered to go to medical school. These courses involve a lot of biology and chemistry along wth labs. I have to admit that it is very difficult but this is what I would like to do in life.

"Women's Rights"

2007-03-06T06:48:00.000-08:00

Many women have to live as refugees, and migrate to other countries because they have limited options at home. The right to freedom of movement and choosing their own lifestyle is one that should be a self choice, not the government’s. There are many women who want to voice their opinion about being granted equal rights but even doing that is risk of abuse. The issues related to violence towards women is one that is worldwide. While some women may have more rights than others, their rights are still limited and controlled. As a free nation, I believe we serve a responsibility in improving women and children’s rights in other countries. We should be able to protect women and children and make them aware of their rights. Many may contradict the idea of getting involved for risk of causing conflict with other nations. However, we cannot allow for women and children to continue being mistreated. This can be changed by simply making all women aware of the opportunities that they should be given. They will unite and fight together for a better lifestyle. Women are now fighting but they are doing it alone and the fear of insecurity is one that haunts them.

"Life as a Hazara"

2007-02-25T19:20:00.000-08:00

I was never aware of the life of the Hazaras in Afghanistan. After reading the "Kite Runner", I realized that there exists a group of people called Hazaras who have been mistreated and killed because of their ethnicity and being diffrent than most Muslims. Even the government of Afghanistan has attempted eliminating the Hazaras from their country. The Hazaras do not only experience descrimination but are deprived of their freedom and have to live in segregation every day. Many Hazaras also had to experience the death of a family member as they are being killed and raped in front of them . The children are left to live as orphans and they have to care for themselves and seclude themselves from society in order to avoid being mistreated and killed. Hassan for example, despite of being Amir's friend, is often neglected by him because Amir only plays with him when he is by himself and when he is boared. Amir's friendhip towards Hassan is not loyal when compared to Hassan's friendship towards him. Hassan shows that he will do anything for Amir and is willing to stand up for him and help Amir whenever it is necessary. Amir in the other hand never does anything like that for Hassan and he never even calls Hassan his friend. The life of the Hazaras is something that I have taken a special interest in because I believe that it is wrong and something should be done to help them.

"Women in Afghanistan"

2007-02-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

Women in Afghanistan are constrained to live a life of no rights. They have been deprived of laughing, socializing, education, health-care, employment and much more. Women have received serious threats for trying to fight for human rights. They continue to be assaulted and abused because of their behavior, the way they dress, their expression, and movement. Many women get rocks thrown at them for not covering their ankles completely. If a woman is thought or accused of fornication then she would also be mistreated and live in fear of being attacked. I believe that the afghanistan govenment is an extremist and corrupt government where woman have to live in a world where they can not even wear high heels for the fear of being heard and drawing attention to men. This is a culture where men are considered to be valued more than women and it should not be that way . A woman cannot even choose the man who she wishes to spend the rest of her life with. People in afghanistan usually do not marry for love, instead they believe in arranged marriages and that love will come after marriage. When the U.S alliance took over the Taliban, women were able to experience some type of freedom for the first time without fear of their physical safety. Women as well as men should be able to make decisons for themselves concerning their life. It will be a long time for Afghanistan to take such change concerning women into consideration.

"Hassan's loyalty"

2007-02-25T19:04:00.000-08:00

It was very difficult for me to read about what happened to Hassan. It is imaginable to think of rapes in women but it is usually unspeakable of the rapes occurring to men. Hassan was just a child when it happened to him and it makes me angry to think that he stood up for Amir and risked getting raped just so he could get the blue kite that he promised Amir. Amir saw Hassan gettin raped by Aseef and having his pride, dignity, and courage taken from Hassan and he did not do anything other than run. It makes me think that Amir is very selfish and a coward for letting his bestfriend be treated like that. Amir then could not live with the guilt, so he accused Hassan of having stolen his watch in order to get him fired. I think that this was extremely selfish of him because first he did not help Hassan when he was getting raped and then he tried to get him fired so that his guilt could go away. I was very angry at Amir for his "friendhip" with Hassan. This incident could probably relate to everyone at one point in their lives when they have felt betrayed by their best friend or family member. This served as a reminder to me in being careful of who I choose and consider to be my friends because in many cases your closest friends are the ones who will turn their backs on you.

"Gender Roles"

2007-02-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

Gender roles have dramatically evolved in the past years. The norm of our society use to be of men going to work and paying the bills while the women stay home and care for the children. During world war two there was of lack of men, and many women were left with no alternative than to take the positions of men in the work force and take care of their children. For the first time women would be experiencing what it is like to do somehting different than being a housewife. Still women would earn a smaller income then men just because of their sex. Desperately wanting to change societyand gain equal rights, women succeeded to change the tradition of female gender roles. In todays society, jobs that have typically been male or female have switched gender roles. For example, in the medical field, physicians have traditionally been male and nurses have been female. It would be unexpected to walk into a hospital and expect a women to be the doctor or vise versa. This is still often mistaken in modern society and we subsconstiously classify a doctor according to their gender. A doctor fo example is viewed as masculine and brave which are male characteristics. Nurses are viewed to be nurturing and caring which are female characteristics. Even though this is still confused in todays society, more women are becoming doctors and men are becoming nurses. Women have also been able to break away from the housewife barrier classification and they have been able to multi-task while being a CEO of a company and having a family. Men are now more acceptive of this matter and are open to the idea of taking care of their children while their wife is at work. This may be intimidating for many men, because women are becoming more independent and less dependent on a man to support them. Despite of the intimidation many families are comfortable with the idea of both parents bringing home the money and taking care of their children. Even though the opportunities of jobs for women have become more accepting there are still those women who disregard wanting to work and are more than willing to be a house wife. However this is a decision that is independently made by women and we are no longer oppressed to live a life that we do not want to live.

"Kite Runner"

2007-02-13T03:43:00.000-08:00

The reading of the Kite Runner is very interesting. This book also shows a similar conflict to that of the discussions in class. For example, In the beginning of the book, Amir talks about the way that the Shiite muslims are treated and the way that the sunni muslims are treated. Its obvious that there is racial tension between Hassan's and Amir's friendship. The shiite muslims are considered to be of low class and work for those who are sunnis. This brings differences to their friendship because for one, Hassan is iliterate as oppose to Amir who has a good education. This also causes jealous rages between them and at times they feel that they are competing with each other. As I continue to read I become anxious to find out about Afghanistan's revolution when it is invaded by the Russian forces, and how it effects Amir and Hassan's friendship.

"Darfur"

2007-02-06T04:59:00.000-08:00

History has reapeated itself once again with the genocide of Darfur. What striked me the most about Darfur is that this is not a genocide that occured years ago, in fact it is occuring in today's society. I chose to write about Darfur because people like to think that genocides are something that only occured in the past and will never occur again. The genocide of Darfur is the first genocide of the 21st century, and it is just as bad as past genocides like Rwanda and the Holocaust. This dispute is between Arabs called janjaweed and the African tribe population. The goal of the janjaweed is to crush the rebellion of the African tribes and to exterminate and kill people based on their tribe and skin color. Sudan has been accused for the cause of poverty in Darfur, and for neglecting the land. Darfur which is often described as an ethnic cleansing is taking place in western Sudan. This massacre has been labeled a ganocide on September 2004, by the secretary of state. So far there have been recorded an estimated 50-450,000 deaths due to starvation, disease, and violence from the janjaweed. The janjaweed are Arab gunmen who rape women, kill people, and destroy their homes. They would rape women because the humiliation would drive them out of Sudan. People have been displaced from their homes and put to live in camps inside of Sudan. Some people have even been forced to live as refugees in Chad. "It is estimated that 75% of all villages in Darfur have been destroyed and left uninhabitable." Just like in the Holocaust, the people of Darfur have been violently treated and forced to give up all their possessions and valuables. The genocide of Darfur will not end unless people become aware of what is going on and decide to take initiative to put an end to the massacre. President Bush, for example, can take action by reminding the people of the United States of all the children that are being killed and left orphaned.

* http://www.retaid.org/global_poverty/darfur/darfur-background.html

"Genocide"

2007-02-05T08:04:00.000-08:00

A genocide is a form of mass murder that is responsible for the lives of millions of people. These massacres have reocurred throughout history, and just about any civilization is capable of creating a genocide. In the 21st century alone there have been three genocides. They are the Holocaust, Rwanda, and Armenia. Genocides occur because of ethnic and national conflicts with one nation that wants to over power the other. A genocide can simply start out with religious conflicts that may lead to international terrorism, hence 9/11. An example of a genocide is the Holocaust. This was created under Hitler's command to destroy of all Jews and minorities. Hitler called it the Final Solution. One man's hate resulted in the lives of millions of people. In order to prevent genocides from occuring we first have to understand that genocide cause nothing but damage and lives. There can be a compromise between nations over religious and ethnic conflicts to prevent one nation from over powering another. We can also establish an army or intervention force to prevent genocides. If all of this is achieved, I believe that genocides will be less likely to occur.

"Homeless to Harvard"

2007-02-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

The lifestory of Liz Murray is an inspirational story that has touched my life. Liz Murray was the daughter of two drug-addicted parents who were both diagnosed with HIV. After her mother died, and her father went to live in a shelter, Liz had no other alternative than to care for herself. She was then homeless, with the number one priority to go to school to better the outcome of her future. In order to survive living in the streets she would eat out of dumpsters and sleep at friends' houses. After working so hard and graduating high school in two years instead of four, she won a scholarship from the New York Times that was able to pay for her to go to college. To her surprise that untouchable dream school that she would soon attend would be Harvard. This is an inspirational story that made me appreciate everything that I have. Most people procratinate about doing homework, and complain about not having those $200 shoes that are in style. Liz Murray is a person that I admire because she started out with nothing but regardless of her situation she was still determined to get what she wanted and attend one of the most prestigious schools in the country.

Holocaust: NIght

2007-02-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

I consider Night to be one of the best books I have read so far. It is difficult to understand how one dictator can have so much power to kill six million people, including children. Hitler would preach to the Nazis and brainwash them into thinking that all people should abide by the Nuremberg Laws, and that their mission is to exterminate of all Jews and people who were not German born. The pain, hunger and labor that the Jews and many other people endured is unethical and immoral. They were treated in a way that no human should ever be treated. In order to survive the concentration camps, they would have to work while starving because, "work shall set them free." Their bodies were also experimented on for studies. Those people that did die in the gas chambers and were shot for no reason were never given an appropriate burial. Instead, their bodies were treated with disrespect by being thrown over like a pile of old rags. After reading about the experiences of the Holocaust, I learned to respect people like Elie Wiesel because not everyone has the strength to overcome and survive a genocide. His book taught me and many others about the history of the Holocaust, and it has prevented history from repeating itself.

About Me Sam

2007-02-04T19:40:00.000-08:00

My name is Samira, but my friends call me Sam. I am currently attending Montclair University and as a freshman I am enjoying every bit of college. I am Mexican, Venezuelian, and of Arabic descent...being from two completely different cultures is fun because I get the best of both worlds. I love the food from my latino heritage...and the belly dancing and traditions of being Arabic. My friends say that I am spontanious and exotic because I love learning new things. I have a fascination for motorcycles, guitars, and I hope to one day sky dive. I love the saying Carpe Diem because I love life and love to live it to the fullest. ; )