Andy Grammer's Keep Your Head-Up

The Refugee Situation Worldwide Warren St. John, a “youth soccer” referee, was moved by the Fugees, a refugee soccer team, and decided to follow them to get to know their story. His book, Outcasts United, was published in April 2009. Warren St. John follows the journey and struggles of Luma, the Fugees and their families throughout his book. Luma was just a regular woman in Jordan who, because of her culture, was expected to marry and take care of her children and let the husband work, but she did not think women were any less than men. She was also very tough and she never showed emotion or weakness.

Summary of Mike Rose’s “Blue-Collar Brilliance” “Blue-Collar Brilliance” by Mike Rose is a reading that explain the different intelligence of the employees in a common job. Like the intelligence of a waitress or foreman and how they perform their work. In the reading, Rose describe the different task that his mother and his uncle do every day in their work. In addition, he stated that every job use cognitive thinking.

Outcasts United by Warren St. John is a wonderful book about a community of refugees who live in Clarkston, Georgia and their struggles to adapt with foreign environment of the United States. The book tells the stories of refugees that come from different background and countries in which they are connected together by an American- educated Jordanian woman called Luma Mufleh. Despite their difficulties in establishing new identity, they found their passion in soccer and with Luma Mufleh as their coach they create a soccer team called Fugees. In the early chapters of the book, it illustrates the difficulties to make a group of kids from different background unite and work together

In this article the author, Howard Rheingold, describes his experience when he decided to visit the amish communities. There he discussed why they put self-imposed rules upon themselves. He realized it was not because they resented technology, the Amish love fancy barbeques and electric saws, but they saw that in the “english” world, people are being separated from their community. The amish decided they would try their hardest to avoid this separation caused by technological advances, “Look Who's Talking” by Howard Rheingold, convinces the reader to analyze the pros and cons of technology; to decide whether or not certain devices are beneficial towards people and their community.

“I am just going to Joliet Junior College”, said about half of my classmates my senior year of high school. People everywhere make community college out to be something that is looked down upon and for people who were not as bright. In his essay “Blue Collar Brilliance”, Mike rose explains the reputation community colleges have acquired over the last few decades depicts two year schools as a place for people who could not make it into “real colleges”, also known as four year colleges (276). Although four year universities have reputations for quality education and excellent programs, students can get the same quality, if not better education at a two year college at a better convenience.

As a currently employed crew member at Chipotle, I have firsthand experience at what it’s like to be thought of as less intelligent for working a service job. When people ask me where I work I’m always worried to receive those suggestively insulting looks. Even though I’m still a college student, I’m still concerned with how people will perceive me when they realize my job is seemingly nothing complex. If I’m embarrassed to talk about my part-time job I can’t imagine how other people who work in the service industry full-time must feel. After reading “Blue Collar Brilliance” I realized that my job and every other blue-collard job aren’t subpar at all. In Mike Rose’s “Blue Collar Brilliance,” Rose paints the contrasting image between the level of intelligence that is required to perform white and blue-collar work (Rose 98). The author explains the common perception held by many that people employed in white collar working fields are substantially more intelligent than their blue-collar counterparts (Rose 98). People working in service jobs are often thought to be less intelligent than white collar workers because according to Rose “intelligence is closely associated with formal education” (Rose 98). According to Rose blue-collar workers have a stigma of being “illiterate therefore incapable” (Rose 98). There is more to blue-collar work than the seemingly boring routines they undergo. There’s this idea in society that performing repetitive actions in the blue-collar workplace

In “Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris a humorous but insecure tone prevail in the text because of the French classroom and most predominantly because of the French teacher. In the story, Sedaris focuses on the trials and tribulations of learning a foreign language in a foreign country. He describes the details of the classroom experience he had while in France, and the insecurity that came about because of the classroom environment at hand. Furthermore he uses the development of tone in the ending of the story to illustrate his main idea or theme regarding his work.

We’ve looked at work from many different views in this class. From the bottom in Mike Roses book, Mind at Work which looks at the, on the jobsite skills and intelligence needed in the work force. Along with the way our society and education play a role in that. And then there was the middle working class view by journalist and author Barbara Ehreinch and her book Nickel and Dimed, which saw a middle class person look at the low wage lifestyle of Americans, and her failed attempt to live off wages. It ended up very one sided and controversial since it was a wealthier person trying to look in on a subject they could never understand. But one thing that I never really felt or saw either one really look at is the connection between work and life balance they only looked at the different aspects of work and those factors. But I feel there was a factor left out and it is life, family, personal aspects.

The articles “Blue-Collar Brilliance” written by Mike Rose and “Are Too Many People Going to College?” by Charles Murray discuss the importance of education and its outcomes. Both authors talk about people’s careers on the aspect of whether a college degree made them succeed in life or it is just an expensive waste of time. Also, each article has its own opinion over the fact that some people with college education aren’t able to find jobs while others with no college background are able to succeed. Rose and Murray, both agreed on the idea that college isn’t for all just simply because of its cost, and how each person’s intelligence does not depend on their acceptance to a college; further, both authors also acknowledge the importance of blue-collar workers and their prosperity.

In the book Anthem, Equality 7-2521 (Equality) lived in a society where everyone was equal and treated with disrespect. The society had no tolerance for being different and having their own opinion and ideas. People couldn’t even pursue the career they dreamed of having. They were punished for disobeying any of these “rules”. Despite Equality’s strict society, his motivations in conducting his experiments are finding individuality, starting a new revolution, finding freedom, and trying to become a scholar.

Me talk pretty one day is an essay written by David Sedaris in 2005. It tells the story of the authors to return to school at the age of forty-one and about his experience with learning French in Paris with a very strict teacher. The theme of the essay is David Sedaris attitude towards learning a new language. Although he seems to have an attitude towards learning French he moves all the way to France with only one month of French lessons as his previous experience with the language which gives the essay some humor. The language in the essay is very informal which is supported by him talking about own experience. He uses a lot of imagery and tends to exaggerate his experiences. For example, it's everyone into the language pool, sink, or

In Robert Cormier’s novel, We All Fall Down, is a young-adult thriller that explores the evil side of humanity through a number of corrupt characters. Cormier, to a large extent, accurately depicts manipulative and dishonest behaviour whilst also showing the evil lurking within the prominent characters of Harry Flowers, Buddy Walker and Mickey Stallings who showcase the dark side of humanity. Cormier explores this through Harry Flower’s manipulative actions that result in the suffering of others. Additionally, the constant dishonest behaviour is shown predominantly through the main protagonist of Buddy Walker, who deceives the one he loves. Cormier continues to depict the evil lurking in society through the theme of appearance

One reason why I would allow my son to play football because it can build character “ it's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get back up”. You can play all day, and if you get down it don’t matter. What matters if you have the courage to get back up. “If you can believe it, you can achieve it”. No matter what you do, you shouldn’t have to put your mind into it, but believe in what you put your mind to and make it

I am going to argue why lying is immoral no matter who you might be lying to, friends, family, and even someone you do not know. This is immoral because even though lying to someone may bring relief or happiness it’s still hiding the truth from that person. Hiding something they deserve to know even though it may hurt them may also be a form of lying. There are many situations where lying may end friendships, relationships, or even tare families apart because most people want to know the truth no matter how harsh, because eventually the truth may come out. In addition to hiding information, there are also other forms of lying. Telling someone false information as well as withholding information are forms of lying. The worst part about telling a lie is that the more you do it the more comfortable one may become. Lying becomes a habit to many people, a habit they have a hard time breaking. Lying can simply be defined in one word, deception.

Writing is the most important form of communication. When deciding on a future job, communicating with people who have the occupation you desire is a great help. Communicating with members of such an elusive group such as the Air Force Pararescuemen (PJs) is no easy task. To communicate and learn more about my desired career, I found a great book written by a former Air Force Pararescuemen. Books written by former PJs are very inspirational to me. The book is tittled Never Quit by Jimmy Settle. Never Quit is an inspiring book that drives me to accomplish my goals and take on being an Air Force Pararescueman.