Word choice

2) Write an essay explaining whether you believe that efforts to eliminate sexism, racism, and violence in language are effective, or whether such effort simply mask these issues.

    Words that are “politically correct” exists because people believe that those words have the ability to raise awareness and potentially change the problems of sexism, racism, and other social prejudices; however, by removing sexist or racists words don’t remove the social injustices that prevail around the words. It just simply isn’t possible to remove biases in individuals.
    In Michio Kakutani’s essay “The Word Police” she highlights that people are too crazy about what is right to say and what isn’t. She criticizes that society is so critical of “social” norms that the simple act of cultural differentiation is looked lowly upon. It has gotten to the point where one could get publicly shunned by a “word police.” Kakutani disapproves of such behavior for the duty of a police force is to protect and serve the community but the word “police” is a disservice to the society and make minorities vulnerable to a false sense of inclusion.
    Though Frank Luntz explains that the words that people (politicians) use are crucial to how people react, he doesn’t argue against Kakutani claim that certain politically correct words are “abused.” Luntz points out that certain words convey a negative connotation that effects the efficiency of political actions even though the idea and actions taken are the same. Politicians can’t say foreign trade because foreign has a negative image in Americans so international trade is necessary to use instead. Though this against “The Word Police,” Kakutani would be disappointed in the facts that Luntz has stated.
    Similar to Luntz, Steven Pinker depicts the power of words and how people understand words differently than other. Not only is that the case, an individual identifies her own series of words differently. This example is included in Pinker’s essay where the female character in the movie Tootsie wished that guys would be more upfront about their “sexual desires,” but when the event actually occurred, the lady did not look favorably upon the situation. Pinker illustrated this as universal human hypocrisy.
    This hypocrisy is also shown in the political cartoon on Native American Mascots. The irony in the piece illustrate that even though the entire committee is for the banning of native american culture, there is a member—who knows there should be another member as well— who chooses to be a hypocrite and have a Jeep Cherokee. This cartoon also support Kakutani’s argument as well for it mocks the fact that the removal of a unique culture is flawed and doesn’t create a more unified community. The removal of cultures is unethical on one hand but it is also impractical to eliminate the history, beliefs, and practices of an ethnic group. Ideas spread quickly and the different practices of cultures can’t be removed by the thought police or the “word police.”
    Although Luntz and Pinker agree that words should be carefully chosen, Kakutani reminds that being careful of words doesn’t mean that it is right to generalize people into a large group—removing the cultural differences that exist. Careful word choices doesn’t mean changing the language. Changing the language doesn't rid the world of problems.

What To Say

An anthropologist studying first-year students at a university in the United States writes that friendly phrases like "How are you?," "Nice to meet you," and "Let’s get in touch" communicate politeness rather than literal intent. What, if anything, is the value or function of such polite speech?
In a well-written essay, develop your position on the value or function of polite speech in a culture or community with which you are familiar. Use appropriate evidence from your reading, experience, or observations to support your argument. 

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Much like writing essays, every conversation needs a quick introduction that allows for a smooth transition into the meat of the conversation. Colloquial phrases of politeness are necessary for social beings to initiate conversation and show respect to their respective listener. In the modern society, the language people use everyday tends to shift just a little away from what the literal denotation of a word. Thus the carefully chosen expressions individuals say reveal the personality--amiability and amenability.

In some cases, perhaps even most cases, phrases like "How are you?," "Nice to meet you," and "Let’s get in touch" are use quite literally to get a response from the interlocutor, but it becomes evident that such phrases are used only as a polite introduction to a greater cause because very few conversations are truly based off "how your day has been." In all honestly probably only few really care; somewhere in the listeners mind, he hopes to hear the response "I'm good" and then move on with life.

Ever written an email to a friend, teacher, classmate, and or boss for favors or suggestions? What does the first sentence of the email look like: "Dear boss, how was your day been?" Is the anticipated email a detailed description of the rough day Big Boss has had: NO. As a matter of fact the boss may not even answer the question and hopefully get straight to the big issue at hand. The function of the polite question was solely to give the writer a place to start and a nice way to request something from another individual.


.....TO BE CONTINUED>

A Change in American Entertainment

March 24, 1909

Clyde is born

October 1, 1910

Bonnie is born.

1922

Clyde moves to Dallas. His life starts to change and he starts his career in robbery.

Dallas Municipal Archives

1926

At the age of 16 Clyde has his first mug shot. 

Just before turning 16 Bonnie drops out of school and marries her high school sweetheart--completely opposed by her family.
This was a rough year for these two young teens.

Early 1929

Bonnie's husband comes back after a very long absence and what was to be expected, Bonnie refused to take him back.
 Not much longer, Bonnie realized that her husband was caught for criminal acts and was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Though all their relationship was revolved around conflict, they never had a divorce and Bonnie died wearing her ring.

October 24, 1929

Beginning the Great Depression was the crash of The Stock Market crashes leaving the nation in unemployment and poverty. It was then when criminals were glorified by the American people for their notorious illegal activities.
Clyde starts to become more known among the police.

January 5, 1930

Bonnie and Clyde meet.

A few months later, Clyde is put in the county jail where Clyde will ask Bonnie to smuggle him a gun--the start of her law breaking career.

1932

The Ford Motor company releases Clyde favorite car to steal, the V-8 engine--the most powerful car in mass production. Eventually becoming the infamous car that the couple runs away in.

February 2, 1932

The story behind his limp. While in prison, Clyde when to extremes to avoid the abuse of the guards, so before he was let out he asked some of his inmates to cut of two of his toes while working in the fields.

April 1932

The gang robs the First National Bank looting $33,000.

Bonnie is arrested for the first and the last time for stealing two car and an attempt at robing a hardware store. Clyde had escaped. 

ANYHOW I'M GOING TO STOP TALKING ABOUT 1932 BECAUSE WAY TOO MUCH HAPPENED AND MY MOM WANT ME TO GO EAT LUNCH.

SO IN 1932 MOST OF THEIR ROBBERIES TO PLACE NOW TO THE GOOD STUFF.

Bonnie poses with a cigar

April 13, 1933

The police is on the tail of the gang.
The gang takes off in a stolen V-8, leaving most of their belongings -- including pictures of Bonnie and Clyde. The Joplin Globe develops and publishes Bonnie and Clyde's photos, glorifying their relationship and lifestyle, thus giving the couple national attention, placing them high among the other criminals of that time.

April 1, 1934

On a highway two officers come close to where Bonnie, Clyde and Methvin were napping. Methvin misinterprets Clyde’s orders and kills the officers. The gang runs away however a nearby farmer claims Bonnie and Clyde to be the murders. So they are caught now for life and a reporter interviews Bonnie and asks her what she would like him to tell the press and she says her noted line, "Tell them I don't smoke cigars." Thus ending a long adventures life.

Aug 4 1967

"Bonnie and Clyde" is released

Bonnie and Clyde was a film was directed by Arthur Penn and stared Warren Beatty as Clyde Barrow and Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker.
This story is considered a landmark film regarded as a film of the New Hollywood era where movies broke many of the social taboos and deemed popular amongst many of the younger generation.
The successes in this film motivated many other filmmakers to open up towards having sex and violence in their films.

 

Political Cartoon

    This political cartoon explains how Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's desire to delay the voting process for Obama's Supreme Court Justice nominee is not only screwing with the long lasting government policies but also with the Supreme Court system. The artist argues that the republican senate is breaking down the justice system and jeopardizing the other constitutional cases for the next ten months before presidential elections. This exposes the truth behind presidential nominations and senate actions: how a republican senate majority leader will chose not to vote for a nominee of the opposite party president. The title show how McConnell is a tool that jerks the Supreme Court system violently and is changing how the justice systems will be functioning until the next president is in the house.
    The facial expression of the Senate Majority Leader expresses how his decision to participate in a vote for the nomination is difficult and strenuous on his behalf. The two gears located at the bottom of the image represents the senate and the president and how they have the power to decide how the Supreme Court system will function for the next decade. For McConnell to be located in the center of this issue represents how his action will influence whether the court will lean more towards the democratic favor. Senator McConnell faces the challenge of decision because Justice Garland is a reputable Judge and is favored amongst the majority of his associates, thus causing stress and aging for the powerful senate of the congress.

"Poison Ivy League: The dangers of a world-class education"

"A traveling exhibition by Active Minds, an advocacy group, consists of 1,100 backpacks representing the approximate number of undergraduates who commit suicide each year."

On a chilly January day, "another" beautiful young maiden in search of a bright future "jumped off the top of a parking garage [at UPENN] and killed herself." Though her death was quick and to most just another figure to add to the unfortunate rising statistics for college suicides, it also left many other university students confused and stunned. A fellow university student wrote "in a blog post soon afterwards" saying: “What the hell, girl?! I was supposed to be the one who went first! You had so much to live for!” Though Ms. Dewitt had never met Ms. Holleran, she had heard of this fine students remarkable popularity, attractiveness and talent.
These stories aren't unheard of. As a matter of fact, "there are more than 1,000 suicides on college campuses per year" (Emory University). How many stories could I write: 3 everyday of the year. if the whooping one thousand isn't shocking enough, how does it feel to know that "one in every ten college students has made a plan for suicide" (Emory University). 
So many naive high school students believe that by exhausting themselves in high school they will find refuge in a prestigious Ivy League University. This is not true for there are too many article to count where a students "conquered high school like a gold-medal decathlete" but to venture into college feeling like an unwanted weed in a beautiful garden of roses. What good is dreaming of a future where you may walk out of college ready to get hired into a core company to earn big bucks if you were faced every day--of your stressed-out life in college-- debating whether you should keep living or just do everyone the favor and kill yourself. Don't be that "high-IQ moron" (NewStatesman).
College may seem like a safe haven for student in high school now, but be careful where you choose. Pick the college that suites you, don't strive to suite the college so they can pick you. The most prestigious school could also very well be the most dangerous school.

sites: very good reads!
http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/the-myth-of-the-ivy-league/

"Kathryn DeWitt, a University of Pennsylvania student who has battled depression, shares her experiences at a chapter meeting of Active Minds."

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/02/education/edlife/stress-social-media-and-suicide-on-campus.html

Madison Holleran, one of the many students who succumbed to the beauty of death.

http://ujreview.com/2015/05/08/kate-fagan-split-image-the-tragic-story-of-madison-holleran/ 
http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2014/10/poison-ivy-league-dangers-world-class-education
http://www.emorycaresforyou.emory.edu/resources/suicidestatistics.html

Puzzle Paragraph 1

Everyone has heard of Gandhi; he is hot for humanity. So with the following haiku written by Thomastwo, today, I will introduce Gandhi's philosophies:

The chaotic world

Is only a distraction

Faith provides the path

Brothers and sisters

Strive now to bring worldly peace

Let love lead your faith

When you choose a path

Of selfless love for others

Your heart will open
 

The rhetoric in each haiku mimics a similar rhetoric that Gandhi utilized to embed in his people that nonviolence is key and that they should not fear of violence or death. He believed that by letting faith lead the way, a brighter path will be created to the desired goal. His philosophies did lead many leaders to incorporated he works of nonviolence into their demonstrations. Such leaders include Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez: whom we read about in class. Though these leaders hoped to provide an environment where everyone feels safe and optimistic about their future, but in reality, there still was a large group of people who felt endangered and felt like resorting to violence would be more protective. The fear of death for these people remind me of the movie Hereafter: a "story of three people who are touched by death in different ways" (WarnerBros).  After all death is inevitable and life, so fleeting. As Virgina Woolf and Don DeLillo writes: "Nothing I knew had any chance against death" and "every breath you take will have two possible endings."

Don't let death define you.

"Hereafter." - WarnerBros.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016. 

From The GradeBook

From The Onion

Tips For Hosting An Oscar Party 

The 88th Academy Awards air Sunday, Feb. 28. Here are some tips for hosting an unforgettable Oscars watch party:

• Compile a list of friends who are knowledgeable about film and make sure not to invite any of them.
• Pass out ballots for everyone to fill out. Whoever has the most correct guesses at the end of the night gets installed as a board member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
• Remember, it’s always safer to stick to prewritten material than risk any off-the-cuff banter with your guests.
• As host, your job is to graciously defuse any violent tantrums when Oliver Tarney upsets Lon Bender for the Best Sound Editing award.
• Make sure to say a few things about how shameful the Academy’s lack of diversity is so everyone knows you know about that.
• Hide a camera in the bathroom just like real paparazzi.
• Be sure to congratulate any Oscar nominees at your party whether they win or not.
• Ultimately, as with any party, the most important thing is to give everyone a chance to sit back, relax, and watch far more attractive and successful people have the night of their lives.

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 Tips For Surviving Through High School

Troy's High :D

• In order to better prepare you for the four years ahead, go to Office Max and purchase four shopping cart (one for every year) full of pencils, pens, highlighters, notebooks, sticky notes, rulers, glue, binders, folders, hole punchers, stickers, etc. Take all these materials home and make sure to never use them.
• Upon making it into your classroom, be sure to fill out a form to receive the knowledgeable textbook to take back home, then back to school everyday.  Remember, if you didn't absorb any valuable information from the book, at least you now have the build to find a job in the physical labor force. After all high school is all about preparing students for all lifestyles. 
• Important rule of thumb: dress to impress. Show the world who the boss is. Dress in the most flashy and fashionable attire. Impress your teachers, your classmate, the trees in your school. Who doesn't know that high school is all about being the best in your class, so start of your fabulous high school career with an unforgettable appearance.
• As a high schooler, it is your time to shine. Take on all challenges so colleges know you exist. See a bully in the hallway? Don't be afraid. Take on the challenge and confront the bully. If you get halfway beaten to death, not a big deal--suck it up--at least you'll get some fame in the school.
• Make sure to say a few enlightening things about relationships in high school. Go assert yourself and find the love of your life. Make sure to break up after a month and engage in the high school love drama. Part of being in high school is finding your soulmate. So if one person doesn't work, move on to the next one. You are bound to find your future spouse. Never let the idea of moving on to college tear you two apart.
• Use your locker like a real student.
• Be sure to cheer on all your fellow classmates whether they passed the exam or not.
• Finally for any memorable high school experience, make sure to stress yourself out while you watch all the other smart people engage in useless activities in order to receive a bunch of spam emails from awesome colleges. Then when you start attending college, make sure to greet them when you see them in class in the same local university.