Thomas+Tesar

**Introduction**

 * My name is Thomas Tesar. I am from New Jersey but just recently move to Southern Maryland in January. I joined the Navy over four years ago and seperated last year. I was stationed in Florida for my four years of service where I met my wife, who is still in the Navy. We are excepting our first child at the end of the year. I hope its a boy but I know karma will punish me and give me a girl. I have learned to stop trying to plan life because it never works out the way you think it will so just let life happen and enjoy it.**

Bio Poem
Thomas Mark Tesar Thomas Sarcastic, opinionated, generous, outgoing Married to an amazing wife Who is known for partying hard and making people laugh Who loves traveling and English Premier League soccer Who feels the pressure of completing college and finding a career Who needs to prove people wrong and be self sufficient Who fears getting old, heights, and lightning Who gives time and money to my friends and family Who would like to see Las Vegas and remember it     New Jersey born and raised, Marylander due to my wife’s relocation Tesar
 * This was the only poem that I can remember writing in a long time. I do not think of myself as poetic so poems are diffcult for me when they should be easy.**

Formal Essay

 * I chose this essay because it was the easiest one that I wrote in this class. I find that when I write an essay, I have a hard time getting started and choosing a topic. With this essay, I was able to choose between several essays to write a rebuttal to. Because my decision making process was made easier for me, it took a lot of the stress that normally have and made this essay enjoyable to write. I feel when a writer is more relaxed, it shows in his work and allows for better writing.**

Technology: Get With It or Get Lost What is wrong with having an abundance of technology? The concept of technology is to make our lives easier with convenience and speed. For people who find it hard to grasp new technology, the ideas and gadgets that are created might make their lives more difficult because the convenience is replaced with frustration. Those individuals need time to learn and understand the new technology and sometimes find that difficult to do. Fortunately for the majority of society, technology does not confuse or impede our progress but yet increases it. In the business world, time is money. Technology makes businesses and families more money and that is all that counts today. For many, like Robert J. Samuelson who authored, “Technology in Reverse”, they feel that some technology is wasteful and not needed. If that specific technology does not benefit or fit into Samuelson’s life, the automatic judgment is that technology is retarded. With his arguments of electronic books, electronic libraries, and personal digital assistants, Samuelson could not be further from the truth. Samuelson agues his case of retarded technology by bashing on electronic books first. His first mistake is that electronic book readers do not cost nine hundred to nine thousand dollars. Bestbuy.com’s highest price electronic reader costs five hundred dollars with the average e-reader cost around two hundred dollars (“Products”). The benefits of having an e-reader are just like all other technologies, convenience and speed. The convenience of having all of someone’s literature in one small, hand held device, rather than having a bookcase full of books, does not seem retarded at all. The space someone can save is just one benefit alone. Also, e-readers are appealing to many for their value to the environment because of not having to waste paper on books and newspapers. Some newspapers and magazine companies have subscriptions to e-readers. With this technology, business men and women can get an American newspaper on their e-reader while in any international country. E-readers also come with a protective cover for people who would like to take them to a beach and not get sand on it, as Samuelson mentioned. Problem solved. Furthermore, who would use a book for a pillow? All of Samuelson’s arguments on the e-readers seem frivolous. Secondly, Samuelson’s rebuttal on electronic libraries also has flaws with his arithmetic and common sense. A library with two thousand books, converted to an electronic version, can service an infinite amount of readers. Readers can access the same book at the same time as well as not even having to go to the library itself. Patrons would be able to access libraries from the comfort of their own home at any time of day. The speed at which research can be done is increased tremendously. The practicality of having to drive to a library, find the book you need, and bring the book back when done is not there. If some still prefer the old way of getting books, that possibility is still available. There is no need to force everyone to suffer inconveniences if some choose not to use it. Additionally, the Library of Congress, as do other libraries, has historical books with only one copy. To preserve history and old pieces of literature, putting these works in an electronic database is essential to their survival. Finally, Samuelson’s gripe with Apple and its new personal digital assistant is unjust. In today’s modern era, many men and women either work from home or take their work home with them. To have a tool like the Apple Newton can be a life saver with work productivity and saving time. You would need an address book, a telephone or computer, and a secretary to do the job of a Newton. The Newton pays for itself because now employers do not need to employ as many secretaries too. Also, who wants to carry around a giant Rolodex? Carrying a Newton versus carrying a Rolodex seems more practical. Again, convenience and speed make having this new technology beneficial to the business world. For Samuelson to come to the conclusion that technologies are retarded, like the e-reader, electronic libraries, and the Newton, illustrates his lack of knowledge in general and also that of the American way. The principles of capitalism allow society to make, buy, and sell products within a competitive market. That very idea also allows people to choose whether or not to buy a product. Because a technology is not useful to one person does not mean that same technology can’t be used by someone else. If someone does not find a technology to improve their speed and convenience, then do not buy it. Everyone has that choice, and to disallow that choice to buy something, by taking that technology away, is Un-American. Should society take microwave technology as well because some people do not like to cook with them? Should society take away cell phones because some people do not use them? The majority of people would say the answer is no, and to say otherwise is thoughtless.

Journal 1

 * I chose this journal as one of my three journals because it was one of my favorite pieces that we had read this semester.**

The Forms of Defining

There are some unique, interesting ways to define what you are trying to write about as shown by Scott McCloud. In his comic work “Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art,” he clearly breaks the stereotype of traditional comics for a more serious topic of what comics really are. Through funny little sketch pictures and small blurts of monologue, McCloud demonstrates firsthand how comics can work to portray real pieces of literary work. A traditional essay work will only use words and make the reader paint the picture, where as in comics, the picture is already painted, thus less words are needed. McCloud compares comics to animation, the difference being time versus space for animation and comic. The comparison is an eye opener and effective on how comics can be perceived. Although comics are a fun and seldom used form of defining a topic, the more traditional form essay with facts and examples by Chris Nguyen demonstrates how with research and case comparison, defining freedom of expression is without rebuttal. Nguyen’s essay “Speech Doesn’t Have to be Pretty to be Protected” tells of his fellow classmates getting arrested for wearing t-shirts with slogans written on them in a public building. The incident sparks his enthusiasm on the topic demanding the school drop charges on the students. The essay, with a serious tone, defines freedom of expression through previous cases which involved similar scenarios. Because the topic is that of a serious one, so is the essay. Nguyen and McCloud both define their topics well but each topic has its own different tone. Ever writer has to determine what style of writing is appropriate for the topic that they are discussion.

Journal 2
**I chose this journal to display because it was my least favorite reading assignment but one of my favorite journals because I was able to write my dislike for the reading.** Coffee Brewing Emotion Working in the service industry definitely has its cons about it. Society can be clueless to how rude people can be to the individuals that serve us. Emily Raine’s essay, “Why Should I Be Nice to You? Coffee Shops and the Politics of Good Service,” illustrates how a coffee shop can be worse than any other service industry. Raine details how companies, such as Starbucks, turn operations into an assembly line with little interaction with customers. Companies also allow people to feel above the service providers almost like a master to servant relationship with expensive products and home style atmosphere. This type of atmosphere blinds customers to their actions and makes them feel above their peers who work at these establishments. Because a restaurant has more interaction with a server, it allows more time for a semi courteous relationship to build. Coffee shops do not have the luxury of time between interactions. Although Raine’s essay revealed the employee’s side of the coffee business with unlimited detail, the essay become extremely painful to read. I found myself forcing to finish the essay for no other reason but because I had to. Raine’s vocabulary in her piece was excellent. However, the essay became overwhelming at times. I seemed to find myself lost and eventually disinterested in finishing the reading of her essay. The essay was not well suited for the majority of people to read.

Journal 3
**I chose this journal as my final journal to display because I received a ten out of ten on it.** Painful Pass Down

Victims of pain, whether it’s physical or emotional, have difficulty coping with their pain. “When Moe Hits Larry…” by David P. Barash explains a philosophy that humans who are victimized pass their pain on to another person. His idea, which Barash states as his thesis, is that, “victims react to their own distress by victimizing someone else.” One of his examples of this idea is of the Three Stooges and how Larry hits Curly after he has been hit by Moe to pass on his pain. Also, as children, anyone with an older sibling knows the feeling of getting picked on or beat up after your brother or sister just got in trouble. This painful pass down effect also occurs in animals and governments which Barash backs up with scientific studies and examples.

There are many examples of redirected aggression that Barash uses to back up his thesis. One major example that all Americans are familiar with is when the U.S. invaded Iraq after the 9/11 attacks. Another example Barash gives is of a study of baboons and ulcers. Baboon one will hit baboon two. If baboon two doesn’t retaliate or pass on his pain to baboon three, his testosterone levels will go down. Baboon two can also develop ulcers as a result of not being able to redirect his aggression. Because we are not baboons, humans and society are still responsible for the actions and the pain we induce on others.

Research Paper Abstract
The United States has more people in its correctional system than any other country in the world. With this high population comes high cost. Tax dollars are used to pay for jails, food, medical expenses, and security for all inmates. Some states average up to fifty thousand dollars a year per inmate. This money could be better spent on teachers, roads, schools, and other state funded programs. With no end in sight to the high cost and overpopulation of the correctional system, serious changes need to take place in order to obtain a resolution.

The causes of such high rates in inmate population comes from drugs, alcohol, and nonviolent crimes. Changes in laws and punishments in the judicial system need to occur to lower these rates. Harsher prisons with inmate work details can deter repeat criminals from returning to prison. Also, states need to invest in rehab and other programs to help inmates and criminals with addiction problems. Another outlook to lower would be to privatize prisons and to execute death penalty inmates. All these proposed changes will not happen but what we all do know is that some changes do need to occur in order to stabilize this out of control epidemic.

Final Reflection

 * After being out of school for a long time, this class helped me in many ways. The workload of this class was much more than any of my other classes that I have been taking this semester. With having many writing assignments and journal entries every class, it helped me knock all the rust off that I had very quickly. There were a few times during the semester when I felt like giving up during long nights awake writing essays and contemplated dropping the class. At this point I am proud of my accomplishments in this class and glad I did not drop it.**


 * I was very nervous to start college again because I was not sure how much I had lost in the time away. This class has taught me how to grow as a person and overcome challenges. It also has taught me to not second guess yourself and your abilities. If you want to to go back to school and get a degree, you can. The challenges that are in front of you are not as daunting as they may appear.**


 * Another valuable lesson that I have learned in this class as well as other classes this semester is that the biggest challenge of college is actually just showing up to class. If you show up to class, it forces you to do the work and not come to class unprepared. Many students loose track of college because no one is forcing them to go. With incentives in this class to receive extra credit for perfect attendance, those tools are more valuable than some students probably know.**


 * This next semster, I am enrolled in a business writing class. I will take all the valuable tools that I have learned in this class to implement them in future classes. I will not be nervious and question my reading and writings skills because I believe that if you can do well in Mrs. Lowry's class, then you will succeed in other english classes. I am extremely glad to have taken this class because I feel more prepared and confident to tackle all classes that will be in my college future.**