Working thesis and sentence outline?

(not sure if this is done right...)

thesis: The individuals using social networking sites have the responsibility to know the risks of posting information online, realize there can be severe consequences for exposing private files and protect themselves from getting into harmful situations through online friends. Many would argue that it is someone's personal choice whether or not they pay attention to the problems associated with social networking sites, because it is up to them to make the judgement if they are posting something they would be willing to show a boss. If people choose to stay close minded and neglect the fact that dressing in racy clothing or promoting drugs or alcohol can risk their whole career beyond one job. The goal is to help people acknowledge their mistakes before their lives get completely ruined.

sentence outline:

Intro- (thesis listed above)

Support 1- know the risks of posting information online

police, employment, family, complete strangers may be able to see information and forward it to others. Also, people you would consider acquaintances can be able to access things threw a news feed like, "vacation", "out for the weekend" or another message that is exposing personal information.

Support 2- severe consequences of exposing private files. whether it is pictures, documents, videos or links, once posted on a social networking website, it is guaranteed that someone will see it. one has to keep in mind that an album containing images from a wild night in vegas wont be as entertaining to a boss or head of the company. Also, it could potentially ruin a reputation if you are the executive or owner of an establishment. Teenagers are also susceptible to posting images that could prevent them from getting into a college or even graduating high school.

Support 3- protecting themselves from getting into harmful situations with online friends. Not only do cops pose as teenagers or young adults, so do pedophiles, other kids and even parents. It is never safe to expose information about your whereabouts or even a phone number. Information travels fast through the internet and you could post something as harmful as "going to the mall with so and so at a certain time" and it might seem shocking, but someone could easily be waiting for you there.

Support 4- there are many high powered people who have had to learn from their mistakes of getting involved with sites like Facebook that destroyed their careers. The urgency to post everything that happens ones life, and the constant need to document events through pictures and video are really starting to take a turn for the worst. having an account on one of these websites is a reflection of who you are representing. The smallest things can change the worlds opinion of you.

Conclusion- Nothing is kept a secret anymore and most people are oblivious to this fact. Although social networking sites have helped expose crimes, gang activity, and potential abuse victims, it is also exposing phone numbers, explicit images and inappropriate conversations between young adults. entering the work force and leaving behind high school, people need clean up their acts and realize once you click "send", "enter", "accept" their is no turning back.

^ I think I need to narrow down my topic to an age group

Suggestions would be great!

SELZER/A Mask on the Face of Death

I thought Selzer's piece was quite interesting because other countries issues with AIDS is not really a topic discussed in everyday conversation. I was not surprised with the attitude the Haitian people presented since they are from a third world country and lack the proper education and facts about sexually transmitted diseases. I felt bad for the doctor because he could not control any of the narrow minded patients or doctors who seemed to have just gave up on the matter.

I really forget how different the level of health, nutrition and education are in other countries, and it is upsetting to know that people go around referring to AIDS as "taboo" rather than dealing with it medically.

JOHNSON/Unspeakable Conversations

This is by far my favorite reading so far from this book. It may have been a little long but Johnson's story was empowering and bold, leaving extremely impressed with her attitude towards life. From the start I indentified her arguement and was astonished that people like Singer still existed in the world. Since I am not disabled I think I was just oblivious and uneducated to the problems people like that have to deal with.
Harriet Johnson is an incredible person and I like how she has her own beliefs but is open to hearing other peoples feelings. Not many people would be able to face Singer, especially since he has been portrayed as an Evil Man. Johnson's encounter with him seemes life changing for them both. I was just as suprised as her that he was so willing to hear her thoughts and opposing view points.
At the end of the story when she returns home and is on the phone with her sister Beth, I think it clearly shows her open mind. She almost defends Singer...

Harriet: He's not exactly a monster. He just has some strange ways of looking at things.
Beth: He's advocating genocide
Hearriet: Thats the thing. In his mind, he isn't. He's only giving parents a choice. He thinks the humans he is talking about aren't people, aren't "persons"
Beth: But thats the way it always works, isn't it? They were always anaimals or vermin or chattel goods. Objects, not persons. He's repackaging some old ideas. Making them acceptable
Harriet: I think his ideas are new, in a way. It's not old-fashioned hate. It's a twisted, misinformed, warped kind of beneficence. His motive is to do good."

Harriet is a great person and everything she is doing to support people like her is great.

HARDY/What Did You Do in the War, Grandma?

After reading this story by Hardy, I immediatly enjoyed it more than Laurence's experiences during World War II. Most of the time during war stories you hear from the soldiers and the people involved in combat. I liked how Hardy's experience is from the factory that was creating the air planes. From her oppinion she thought she was not doing anything wrong, Her imagrey and discriptions were really discripatave and i enjoyed reading this whole piece. It was not my favorite, because it had to do with war, but it was better than Laurence's piece.

LAURENCE/Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki Told by Flight Member...

After reading Laurence's work I would have to say that this piece is not in my favorites. I have no interest in topics revolving around war, so I felt no connection or sparks of intrigue as I read this. While he was able to use explicit details and take the reader step by step through the process prior to the bombing, I was still not thrilled with the overall work.
I think that there was lack of suspense for me and from the title it was clear what would happen. As a write Laurence has an exceptional way with words but otherwise there is nothing about this piece that stands out to me.

ANGELOU/Graduation

When the word graduation comes to my mind, I think of a happy time in one's life where the joys of finishing one aspect of life has been completed. Only leaving room for the challenges that lay ahead. It is an exciting time (or at least I thought so), where one is celebrated for their success. When I saw the title of Angelou's piece I expected she would have had a similar graduation experience to my own.
Her details leading up to the event were presented well, and her description of "nobility" in school seemed relatable to almost anyone. Everyone experiences the superiority that comes along with the title of upperclassmen. The story slowly set apart from my experiences in school when Angelou brought up the topic of segregation. The description of the school's appearance and facilities compared to the white school were a clear example of racism in the 1940's.
When her principal spoke to the student body predicting the future of the graduating class, I could feel Angelou's disappointment and frustration because of his ignorant views. I like how the valedictorian changes the story and adds a positive element towards the end. When Henry says,

"We have come over a way that with tears
have been watered,
we have come, treading our path through
the blood of the slaughtered"

This line follows with Mya Angelou saying, "With echoes of the song shivered in the air, Henry Reed bowed his head, said, "Thank you," and returned to his place in line. The tears slipped down many faces were not wiped away in shame. We were on top again. As always, again. We survived. The depths had been iccy and dark, but now a bright sun spoke to our souls. I was no longer simply a member of the proud graduating class of 1940; I was a proud memeber of the wonderful, beautiful Negro race."
I really liek when she says this because it made a great closing.

ORWELL/Shooting and Elephant

After reading Orwell's story I have mixed emotions about whether I liked it or not. While it had great imagery and figurative language, the actions of the main character really upset me. As the narrator struggled with determining the fate of the elephant, I was really hoping for the elephant to live. It seemed clear to me that the right thing to do was to wait for the owner to come back to tame the elephant, rather then shooting it for the entertainment of the people. The main character already held authority over the people in the town, so i do not see why he needed to go forth with shooting the elephant.

The details pertaining to the poor animals death were sad and upsetting. It left me feeling disgusted that the writer had "done it solely to avoid looking a fool" , rather than stick to his gut feeling of "I had never shot an elephant and never wanted to. (Somehow it always seems worse to kill a large animal)".

This story frustrated me because the narrator acted selfishly and killed an innocent being. After the shooting he only received minutes of fame since the Burmans were more concerned about gathering items from the dead elephants body then what the white man had done.

The gruesome detail Orwell used to describe the elephant's last moments made me a little sick. I do not know how any one could possibly live with themselves after doing such an immoral thing. I am not sure if it is the fact that the elephant had to die slowly or the main characters stupidity; but both factor into me disliking the outcome of the stories events.

WALKER/Beauty

Alice Walker's short story "Beauty", captivated my attention from start to finish. Her ability to use such detail and imagery, allowed me to paint a picture of what was going on in my head. When she described her "accident" and the condition it left her in, I was surprised she still had self confidence. Walker handled her difference in a complete opposite way of Lucy Grealy. The fact that Walker was able to keep her self respect and stand up for her self made me want to keep reading. She was a fighter and it takes a lot of courage to keep your head up high when you are the odd one out.

When the doctor was finally able to remove the white fluid from her eye Walker's attitude takes a turn for the better and the story completely won me over when she stated the following:

"Almost immediately I become a different person from the girl who does not raise her head. Or so I think. Now that I've raised my head I win the boyfriend of my dreams. Now that I have raised my head class work comes from my lips faultlessly as Easter speeches did, and I leave high school as valedictorian, most popular student, and queen, hardly believing my luck."

She only goes on to prove that your life is what you make it. Walker's closing was really good as well. I liked how she came eye to eye with what happened and was able to accept it when she said, "Yes, indeed, I realized, looking into the mirror. There was a world in my eye. And I saw that it was possible to love it: that in fact, for all it had taught me of shame and anger and inner vision, I did love it."

GREALY/Mirrors

After reading about Lucy's brutal years of torment and hatrid due to her facial deformities it only shows that people are close minded and have no space to accept people that are different. I did not find this read intriguing, because it was very predictable. After a year of not looking at her reflection, I do not see why Lucy would expect anything other than not recognizing herself. If she had only watched herself gradually change then it would have enabled her to observe the transformation.
I was dissapointed that after all her negative experience she did not make a break through into a positive mind set. Growing up her parents and all of her doctors told her she was a "Brave Girl" and her life could be a lot different if she let herself believe that.
From her description of Chemo therapy, I understand that it must be very hard to go through, and you have to be strong to get through it; but if she could get through that, then I feel she should have been strong enough to get through anything else.

I have never blogged before in my life...

so hi