Baby Diasy has mud on her face

I'm not sure what to blog about, though I enjoy the freedom of being able to blog about whatever I want. Currently beside me, my dogs are having a dog fight. I'm not sure why, but baby Daisy has obviously disturbed the set order of things in the dog family and is running from the other dogs. She also has a tad bit of a speckle of dirt on her mouth. My mom is now chasing baby Daisy all around the house frantically trying to catch the wee little pup to wash her off. You see, Daisy is a tiny little hunting dog. Westies are designed to be digging and hunting dogs, therefore their instinct is to dig, run, and bite. Sometimes we call her rocket dog because you just see a quick milisecond of white fur go by you when she runs. I think she's about 8 months old now, but she still acts like a baby. Her favorite toy is a pink rubber elephant named Pinkie. Pinkie is squeaks and her trunk and tail move when you squeeze her. After the struggle of getting the dirt off baby Daisy's face, my mom is now frustrated and pacing the upstairs of our house with a dirty wash cloth yelling, "why do they make westies white?! That is so stupid!" Ah mother, if only you would learn one day

If I were Joe

If I were in the same position as Joe, I would be concentrating every minute of the day on how to kill myself. I couldn’t lie in bed, just waiting to die with nothing to do. I daydream a lot, so I could entertain myself for a while, but I would still want to die. I would be waiting for my mother to come and save me and help me die a quick death. I wouldn’t care how painful it was, I would want to die at practically any cost. Not letting anyone have any connection with people besides touch, and not being able to move or eat would be complete and utter torture. If I were Joe, I would keep trying to build up my back muscles so I could turn over and destroy the machinery keeping me alive. That would be my main focus.

The book is boring

I had very high hopes for this book. I really liked the peace sign on the cover, and the man with the military war gun. I thought this was going to be a very strong, perhaps hippyish anti-war book- I was very wrong. Although I think the books has some very strong implicit arguments about why war is wrong, I also think that it’s, unfortunately, incredibly boring. I feel terribly sorry for Joe. All he has to do is sit in bed and think about how his life could have been, with nothing to do but think. Also, I don’t perceive Joe as a very intelligent man, therefore there is only so much an unintelligent man can think about for years and years. I think it’s awful that this is what goes on in war, but it makes for an incredibly boring book.

This is the kind of man that Joe was talking about. As Joe would put it, he says all of these big words as to why you should fight, when really he doesn’t care about the soldiers. He’s one of the people in Johnny Got His Gun that persuades other people to go out and fight for “democracy” or for “the common wealth,” but you certainly don’t see him doing it himself. He doesn’t care about anything other than winning the war, and America being more powerful. Some people, like me, would call him a war mongral.

Dsouza

Dsouza is saying in her essay that without the support of American citizens, America wouldn’t be near as strong of a country as it is now. The only war America didn’t win was Vietnam, and that’s because people didn’t necessarily know what they were fighting for or against. Americans get the motivation to fight from what the government tells them is happening, but if they aren’t informed or are confused, they won’t fight to their full potential. This relates to the book because Joe doesn’t know what he was fighting for, and that’s why he lost.

First Johnny got his gun blog!

This essay and the book Johnny got his gun are very similar in the idea that people have toward government. Both in the book and essay, the people feel very separated from the government. They aren’t exercising their right to have a say in government and such because they feel distanced from it. Because of this, when they have an opinion, they don’t express it. Joe said (thought) that he didn’t know why he even got himself into this mess, and that it was none of his business. The government is supposed to be for the people, not to rule over the people, and people aren’t exercising that. People are thinking that they have nothing to do with government. Because of this, when people are forced to fight in the war, they aren’t really fighting for anything. They don’t feel that this is their problem, their mess, etc…

A better blog

Today, my blog will be better than yesterday. I promise. I’m really focusing on my schedule. So far, I’m taking AP Literature, AP Statistics, AP Spanish, anatomy, government and economics, and yearbook. It seems like a really stressful schedule for senior year! Although, I don’t think I’ll get all my first choices anyway, so I’ll probably have to change it all anyway. Also, I’m so worried about the SAT! I haven’t taken it yet, but from what I’ve heard, it’s pretty torturous! On top of that, we all have the AP exam for this class at the end of the year!

A bad blog

Today, I caught up with my good ‘ol friend Stephen Downton! When I was a freshman at Plainfield, he was a senior, and I haven’t talked to him in forever! Now, he lives in Indianapolis and he works at some car repair place. Also, in his spare time, he races cars! And now, I never get to see him! He has a girlfriend, but I forget her name. This is a really random blog, so I’m sorry about this. My manicured nails look absolutely atrocious. I’m really worried about the swine flu! It has already killed 151 people in Mexico! They also found their first case in Indiana! Scary!

Weekend

The Stanley Steamers men are supposed to come, but they're late. They should arrive in about an hour. This weekend, I have history homework, and I should really start reading Johnny Got His Gun. I skipped ballet today by default of not waking up when my alarm went off. I don't really have anything going on this weekend. I think I'm going to Metropolis with my mom, so maybe we'll do somethign exciting. My grandma picked me up from school Friday with my mom, and I haven't seen her since Christmas! My grandma is SO cool! She shops at stores like Abercrombie, Victorias Secret Pink, etc... It's very convinient for her to come over because she always goes in my closet and puts outfits together! Normally, I like to do this myself, but she puts together some really cute outfits, things that I would have never thought would look good together! So, since nothing exciting is going on in my life, I think I'll blog about something I saw on Nickalodeon! It was Earth Day, and they had a bunch of people turn off all the lights in their houses for a minute, and they even got the Chrystler Building in NYC to do it too! It was so cool! I think I'm going to get a special trash can and put it in my house, and put recyclables in it, and then bring it to school and recycle it weekly! I'm excited about it :] The people who take our trash don't recycle, but I'll just do it myself!

Thursday.

Today, I went to ballet. I did my first FULL ballet class in a long time since my knee surgery! Yay! It was very difficult, and my mom worried so much watching class that I thought she was going to go into cardiac arrest. I did half a class Tuesday night, and it was so awful because it was my first class back after a month off. I was so worried that I'd never be the same again that I almost had a break down in class, but I had great friends there to reassure me that I'd be fine. Yay for friends! Now, I'm very very very sore, and I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to walk tomorrow, but it was worth it! After class, I iced my knee with a bag of frozen peas, did my math homework, and now I'm doing this. After this, I have some history to do. Whoop.

the last gender blog :[

I believe my gender was established at a very young age. When I was a baby, my room was purple, with lots of educational toys and dolls. Later, in my toddler through 3rd grade years, my room escaladed to pink and purple with little ballerina wallpaper. I was taught to play dolls, and I was enrolled in dance and gymnastics. I was taught that this was fun, so I had lots of fun. By no means am I blaming my parents for my “girliness,” I’m fairly sure I would have found playing dolls and dressing up to be quite enjoyable without their encouragement, but it helped me establish my gender quite early on. I played dolls, my favorite colors were pink and purple, I wore a jumper dress to the Catholic school I went to- I was a girl. When I was 6, I was enrolled in a little league soft ball team, despite my mother’s disdain. I had no problem with playing ball, I just liked playing dolls better. Thoroughly glad with this, my mom took me out of the team after a year. A lot of things have influenced my gender, but I think I would have turned out the way I am anyway due to my personality. I think there are many categories of gender. If you want to classify “girl” as liking the typical “girly” things, then there is very girly, girly, and a little girly. If you want to classify “boy” as liking the typical “boyish” things, then there is very boyish, boyish, and a little boyish. Despite this, gender is much different than sex. A boy can physically be a boy, but have more girly characteristics, and vice versa with a girl. Now, to decide whether they’re really a boy or a girl, I think should be completely up to them. Somewhere, within their own standards, they may cross the line from being a boy to actually being a girl, vice versa, or not. No one else can decide this for them, and no one else should. A new category has been made called, “metro sexual.” This is a category for the boys who have some girly characteristics, but still consider themselves to be boys. This is becoming very popular, and is being commonly used in stores and fashion magazines.

Ortiz

The media has taught children that a certain body type, and certain looks were attractive, and certain weren’t. Ortiz talks about how the boys didn’t like her because she was small and underdeveloped; this is because the boys learned that curvier girls were “better” or “more attractive.” Also, she said when she was in college, she was portrayed as “exotic” because of her skin color. This is also a result of the media and music videos that have made these stereotypes, especially for girls. At that time, the media also portrayed that Puerto Rican girls were dirty and not from good families. This is the result of TV shows, music videos, etc…

I support Gay Marriage

I support gay marriage rights because marriage, legally, is a commitment to each other, to love each other, etc... Why can't two people of the same sex make a commitment and love each other? Why shouldn't I support gay marriage? Isn't America supposed to be anti-descriminatory? I personally, don't see the reasons why the can't get married. Some people say that it will break social structure, and that if we keep letting things go then everything will go. I think that's very extreme. I think that the struggle to attain gay rights is like the struggle that African Americans went through. African Americans slowly got rights, state by state, just like Gay marriage. First Vermont legalized gay marriage, then Iowa legalized gay marriage. Hopefully, since since gay people arn't in slavery there won't be a war, but the process is very similar. As to prove that I support gay rights...I'm not sure how I can prove it. Of course, I'm not violent toward gay people, and a lot of my very good friends are gay, but since I'm not gay myself, I don't think I could prove it. I'm in GSA, so I guess one could assume that I support gay marriage. There are somethings, people feel so strongly about that it's impossible for them to see the other side. I think this might be it for me.

Wolfson

Wolfson explains the key elements of marriage as a personal commitment, a social commitment, a governmental commitment, but different than love. You have a personal commitment that you'll stay married, a social commitment that people judge you by who you're married to, and a governmental commitment that gives you benefits. "There is clearly a difference between marriage and marriages, between the institution and the choices and conduct of real couples in their commitment." He is saying that marriage is about the choices you make. The definition of marriage is a commitment of equality and that you'll take care of each other. However, he then goes on to say that marriage is really unequal, and it's about personal choices and not about love. It's about a commitment to each other that both of you make, and you make these between yourselves. I think his definition is logical and sensible, but I think it might be too logical. I think marriage should be more than a series of commitments. Wolfson is thinking very mathematically, which isn't a method that is used often to describe love and marriage. I think you should be able to marry the person you love, make a commitment to each other, and carry it out- there's not much more to it.

Engaging the text #2

I believe she waited to disclose this information because up until that point, most people would assume that Brian and Mickey were homosexual. I believe it helps the reader know themselves whether they believe this violence toward homosexuals is tolerable or not. At first, someone may not feel sorry for Brian and Mickey, but when they find out they’re heterosexual, they might. Also, waiting to disclose that information makes for a very dramatic effect when it does happen. I think the issue of antigay violence is awful in the first place, but it especially shows how awful it has become when people don’t even to bother to check if the person is gay. They automatically beat them up, because they could be a possible, “threat.” Antigay violence is an awful thing, and I think no matter if the violence is happening to gay people, or perceived gay people, the violence should end.

Eustace=transcendentalist

I think Eustace is a transcendentalist because he circles his life around the spiritual and the natural, and not the material. Although at some times Eustace doesn’t seem like a transcendentalist because of his ego or his words, his life is centered around what he believes in- embracing nature, especially spiritually. Although Eustace doesn’t always do what he says he wants to, he has valid excuses, and no one is perfect. Eustace tries as hard as he can to follow his morals and values, which are those of a transcendentalist, and that’s what counts.

Emerson's nature :]

When I read the piece Nature by Emerson, I absolutely loved it, however there were two passages that really stuck out and they are something I can relate to. “The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and heart of the child. The lover of nature is he whose inward and outward senses are still truly adjusted to each other; who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of manhood.” This said to me that there is something in the eyes and mind of a child that sees the worth and the beauty out of everything. As the child grows older, that weakens and people take things like nature for granted. To appreciate the world and see the true beauty, you must keep that “heart of the child” and never let it go. Children have a natural way of seeing the good in everything, and thinking things are truly fascinating, this is something that Emerson (and I) think should be kept. A child might gaze at the sunset every night and think it’s the most beautiful thing he/she has ever seen. However, as this child grows older, he/she learns that the sun will always rise and set, and that there’s nothing new or exciting about it. Even while growing older, you have to appreciate the little things that you take for granted, because those are the truly natural things, with the natural beauty that is often neglected to be noticed.
The second passage that really spoke to me is, “Nature always wears the colors of the spirit. To a man laboring under calamity, the heat of his own fire hath sadness in it.” Nature and the spirit are two natural things- no one knows how they got there, and no one can be rid of it completely. The spirit is a natural thing, and it must be kept and not stressed or changed. I believe that everyone was born with a naturally good spirit, however some spirits get corrupted, and bad people come out of the process. The spirit is different for everyone, therefore has different colors of representation. Some people’s spirits are pink, some orange, some green, but they’re natural nonetheless. As for the second part of this passage, I believe it means that you need to keep your god spirit, and not corrupt it yourself with stress or outside influences. Sadness has a large effect on the spirit, but sadness is caused by yourself. You always need to keep a positive attitude so you don’t wallow in your own sadness, because it won’t help anything. Everyone is born with a natural spirit of their own colors and personalities, but only you can stay optimistic and free from evil indulgences, and that is what will keep the natural child-like beauty.

Last American Man 1

I could come up with a number of reasons that Gilbert wrote this book: to tell people her love’s story, to teach people about the mentality needed to live in the wilderness, etc… but I don’t think they’re true. I don’t know why she wrote the book, and I don’t think she quite knows why either. I think she might have written it to come at peace with herself about an unresolved issue in her life. A lot of people write about something simply because they need to get it off their chest, and it helps a lot of people come to a realization about an issue in their life that they wouldn’t be able to understand without having written something. I could also come up with a number of passages in the book, but I think what is written on the back of the book is sufficient. “As she thoughtfully examines Conway and all he embodies, the inconography of American manhood comes alive in all its conflicting elements of inventiveness, charisma, narcissism, and intimacy.” She is precisely writing about the story of his life- trying to realize the truth about this man, and perhaps even if she really loved him or not. Conway’s morals are questionable, but he had a hard foundation of his life style that could be admired by some. I think Conway was trying to come to a consensus with herself of what she really thought about him.

End of Book

Wright realized that you can’t always make a difference, but that you still need to try on the off chance that you spark interest in people and really do make a change. He also realized that it’s not only the African American race struggling, but all of the races. The world is not where it is supposed to be with acceptance, and it makes all of the races struggle. This is a highly intellectual realization, and it is one that will change Richard’s life. He realizes that he might not make an effect on the world, and things might not get better, but he needs to try just in case they do. This whole book is based on accounts of Richard Wright’s life, an have been building up to this moment where he finally comes to the self-actualization stage in his life. This is a psychological state in which you become fully comfortable with yourself, your life, and where you stand. Some people never reach this, but it seems that Richard has. Good for Richard. :]

Politicians v. artists

Artists and Politicians stand on opposite sides of the pole, but they meet together in the middle with a central idea. Both politicians and artists want to convey their ideas to their audience, however they differ because one is because of passion, and the other because of work. Politicians have to adjust their ideas to fit the popularity of their audience, however artists just convey what they feel emotionally, and don’t adjust it to their audience. Both stances take an opinion, and it is for the public, however it is how they come across doing it, and whether it is more for themselves, or for others. They are two very different professions, however they require the same goal.

One person

Yes, this is called, “the power of one.” Things have ot start with one person, and one person is all it takes. It takes a leader, and it takes determination, but that one person can change the world, indeed, that’s the only thing that ever has. One person can cause a rally, and get supporters. This is how every movement is started. Things start when one person stands up and says, “this isn’t right, and I’m going to do something about it.” After that, they gain supporters and advocates and they make a difference. It takes a strong person, and a passionate person, but that’s when things change.

Treating him differently

In this section, Wright describes how Hoffman treats him differently, but I thought it was strange how it doesn’t seem that Wright likes this. Wright was complaining while he was in the South about how he wanted Caucasian Americans to treat him differently, and now they are and he doesn’t like it. I think Wright is just confused about how he wants to be treated because he has been subjected to so much abuse he doesn’t understand. I believe Wright needs to come to terms with himself and what he believes, that way he can be comfortable with his new and confusing environment. Such a drastic change for Wright is expected to cause him some confusion, but he needs to either be happy with what he has, or figure out what he really wants. Secluding himself won’t help anything.

Positive change for Richard

I believe it’s a positive change because he’s finally taking things into his own hands. Before, he simply took the abuse, or quit the job. Now, he’s finally being proactive toward the situation and trying to better his life. I believe he will have a better chance in achieving his dreams of being a writer if he goes North. Richard is very intelligent for the average African American during his time period, and I think it’s good that he’s going North. Richard needs a fresh start. Every time he gets upset, he quits the job and returns back home. In the North, he doesn’t have a family to turn to, so it will force him to keep a job and be independent. Of course, if he doesn’t change his habits of quitting then he’s going to fail and the whole thing will be awful, but I don’t think that will happen.

Subservience

Subservience is something someone needs to be able to have, but also know when not to use it. For African Americans in the South during the time of segregation, subservience was expected and demanded, and required to make a living, or to not be killed. However, sometimes you do need to question what people tell you to know if it’s the right thing to do. Subservience is a necessary part of life, but within reason. You need to know how to listen to authority and be respectful, but you also need to know how to think for yourself, and how to say no. It all comes down to the situation, and knowing right from wrong. When you’re a worker, you have to have a certain level of respect and subservience to your boss and people in positions above you, however you have to also know when something’s not right, especially if you’re an African American during the time of slavery and segregation. You’re hired to be subservient, but subservience can also get you into a lot of trouble. For example, in Milgram’s psychology experiment, he had a person of authority tell another person to distribute electric shocks to people in a different room that they couldn’t see. 65% of people administered a deadly shock to the person in a different room, simply because the authority figure told them too. Of course, the people in the other room weren’t really getting administered shocks, and Milgrim’s ethics were later questioned, but this is an example of how subservience can lead you down a bad path. However, in the case of Richard Wright (which I believe I was actually supposed to be writing about all along but got carried away), subservience is very necessary because if he isn’t subservient then he gets beaten. In that time period, African Americans weren’t in a place to question authority or think over what people told them to do, they were to just do it.

dootdadoo

Wright means that most African American boys during that time had to deal with the Caucasian people earlier in their lives, and now they know how to act and what to say when spoken to. However, Wright was too busy in school to get a job, and now that he does have a job, he’s outraged by the Caucasian people and how they treat African Americans. He’s outraged by the treatment, and it always ends in him saying things that makes his bosses angry at him. He wishes that he would have had to deal with this when he was younger because then he would know more of what to do, and he wouldn’t be as outraged. He says, “I had begun coping with the white world too late. I could not make subservience an automatic part of my behavior.” He is saying that he can’t just automatically do whatever he’s told without questioning it or without thinking about it, because he was trained not to.

Richard is justified in not reciting the speech

I believe Richard was perfectly justified in not reciting the speech that the principal gave him because not only would it be plagiarism, but it would also go against all of his morals. Richard is a writer, and he has very strong morals. Never in this book, has Wright gone against his morals, and that’s because I don’t believe he can. Everyone has morals, and most everyone goes against them a few times in their life for personal gain, but it takes a special kind of person to not go against their morals even if it means missing an important opportunity like getting a job for Richard. I believe Richard, is that kind of special person. Also, why should Richard have to go against something he believes in for a job opportunity? It would be logical for him to go against his morals for personal gain, because that’s what it took for African Americans in that time period. However, Richard just isn’t that kind of person.

Why Richard is so angry at Uncle Tom

Wright is angry with Uncle Tom because he tried to punish him for being who he is. Uncle Tom has absolutely no authority in Richard’s life, therefore why should he be able to beat him? By being able to be beaten by someone with no authority in his life, gives Richard the feeling of complete vulnerability, like he is the property of others, and anyone can beat him if they please. Richard also doesn’t know what he did wrong. Richard was simply responding to the question Uncle Tom asked, and then all of a sudden he’s threatening to beat him. Richard doesn’t like the feeling of vulnerability, and he likes to understand and know everything. That’s why he asks so many questions. Richard gets this awful sense of vulnerability because he didn’t do anything, yet Uncle Tom, who doesn’t even have any authority in his life, is threatening to beat him. This doesn’t make any sense to Richard, therefore he becomes angry.

Richard's gratification

Richard feels gratified about sharing his writing because it showed him he has control over something. When she showed his writing to his neighbor, she was bewildered and she didn’t know why he would share this with her. It was this bewilderment , or any feeling, that Richard wanted. Everyone beats Richard, and he doesn’t seem to have any say in what happens in his life, and can’t change anything. However, by sharing his writing, he had control of his neighbor’s emotions. Richard felt gratified because he had a sense of control that he was looking for. It wasn’t necessarily control of himself, but control of others emotions, just like they have control over his. This writing also makes him feel better because he is letting out his feelings and expressing his hardships, which makes him feel better. By sharing it, other people understand.

Paralysis

I believe Richard really wants to move to the North, and thinks there’s hope in the future in the North, but is having trouble emotionally admitting that. Lately, Richard has been faking emotional solitude and a sense of not caring, but those aren’t his true feelings. Richard is trying to grow up, and he believes that the way to do this is to become emotionally hardened and not have any emotions whatsoever to become a man. I believe every boy goes through a period in their life where they try to be a man at a very young age, it is just unfortunate that Richard is going through such hard times, and chooses now to try an grow up.

Racism toward Jews

Jews have never done anything to Richard, it is simply what he was taught. This is a time period of hatred, and he’s simply a little boy. He believes what he is told without question, which leads him to believe many prejudices. He thinks he has had many experiences, but really he is believing things that other people have told them based on their real, or fake experience. It is a shame that people are telling him these lies, because he’s such a sweet boy at heart, but it doesn’t show with his racism. This is how racism begins, with simply believing things you haven’t experienced. It has now continued on to society today, and it is how racisms fester.

Richard's hunger

Richard’s hunger is not only a hunger for food, but a hunger for what brings the food- his father, and a loving family. All that Richard wants is a functional family that’s loving and caring. His dad is what brings the food, therefore his hunger is for his father- who isn’t as cruel to him as his mother is. Also, he is physically hungry because of lack of food. Richard is hungry for love and affection, and a positive relationship with someone. Richard gets beaten by everyone, scolded, and harmed, and all he really wants is someone to love and care for him. He doesn’t understand what’s going on.

school is necessary

As much as I sometimes say that school can be annoying and unnecessary, I can’t truthfully say, or agree with at all, that we don’t need school. The only way society progresses is because of new knowledge, and is able to thrive because people are educated enough to keep up. If people didn’t learn mathematics or proper English, we wouldn’t be able to function is society and it wouldn’t be effective. In order to keep progressing, our society needs to keep gaining intelligence, which wouldn’t be possible if people weren’t being educated. Our society isn’t at a point that they can do this. Even if it was, everyone needs to know the basic knowledge that is taught in school. Although home-schooling could accomplish this, I believe the teamwork and social skills learned in real school is important an critical to learn how to cooperate and converse with others of your generation.

nonacademic classes

I value the nonacademic education I’m receiving because I believe it will make me a better and more well-adjusted person. Like Horace Mann said, nonacademic school subjects prepares society for when they are out in the real world without guidance. These skills are very important to learn. I understand that physical education class will help me understand that I need to keep my body healthy, and my music and art classes will teach me to be a well-rounded person. Such education is important because the government cannot rely on the parents to teach their children. A lot is important to be taught in elementary school such as brushing teeth, taking care of yourself, etc…, but also health and culture should be promoted through middle school and high school. I value that one day when I get out of high school, I will be a well-adjusted, cultured, healthy person that is ready to be an active and effective participant in society.

media

I agree with Kendall in that the media does have a large impact on how people live their lives everyday regarding life style and investments. People see how characters on television act, and they aspire to be and live like them. The problem is that the media never shows the television character’s financial issues. People see the characters go out the a fancy restaurant, coffee shops everyday, but no one ever seems to have problems paying the bill, even though they work low to middle class jobs. Not so educated people will think that this is relevant to real life, will do the same thing, and fall into debt. In order to improve this, the media needs to make their reality TV a little more realistic. Everyone pays bills, and not everyone can have five computers, eat at St. Elmos every night, and live in a mansion while working at McDonalds (yes, I know, exaggeration).

presentations

I think that the amount of rhetoric used in architecture is fascinating. Almost every business has some sort of rhetoric device used in their appearance to lure customers into their store. I also thought it was interesting how absolutely everyone did a piece of architecture. I especially liked Noah's comparison of the two street signs in Zionsville. It is strange to see two streets change so drastically within a block in the same town. I thought that everyone did very well, and the project was successful. I liked this project a lot, and I hope that we get to do something like this again!

Rhetoric on the school!

We were supposed to take pictures of the town, however I don't live in Carmel- in fact, I live very far away from Carmel. So, instead of taking pictures of Avon, I thought it would be interesting to take pictures of the school! My main concentration was the study area.
I took a picture of the marble mantle that's behind the sofas. The black suggests that there is a core foundation like there is in the school (The 5 core values). However, the little specles of different color symbolizes the individuality of each student in the school. The windows behind the sofas in the study area suggest that this is an area that has no limits. Students are free to express our ideas and study abroad in this area.
The library in the study area has a few books on the shelves, however there arn't many and they are messy and disorganized. This suggests that our library, or the school, is just beginning, and still trying to find organization in their system.
The general organization of the study hall area with the sofas and the tables suggests that it is a relaxed area, yet is still for studying.
I believe this is a very accurate assesment of University High School. Everything in our school, represents the school as a whole.

Mainstreem

Gitlin is saying that the streams of rhetoric that pours out of America homogenizes cultures into a uniform sense of “fun”. Such examples include Disneyland, and other corporate organizations that are expanding upon the world. Gitlin believes that this is bad because the homoginization of cultures isn’t good because each culture needs their own sense of “fun”. I disagree with this because I think everyone can have fun at Disneyland, and it shouldn’t be limited to America. It is corporations and products such as Disneyland and others that bring countries together to simply enjoy something instead of fight and promote violence. Things like this are important for our world because they unify everyone for good, fun causes, and they promote a certain peace. I believe these are good for our world, and should remain standing.

According to Killboune, it is dangerous to depict women and men as sex objects because it promotes the objectification of both sexes. It is much easier and practically guilt-free to do something violent to an object, like they’re portraying people as in these ads, than a human being equal to yourself. They’re saying that the other sex is an object, therefore you can abuse them and it will be fine. This is awful because people take this seriously, and it promotes rape and violence toward people, especially women.
The objectification of women is more troubling because it is more apparent and used much more than the objectification of men. Also, it is much more dangerous for a women to have sex because of the consequences such as pregnancy. I believe if there was more objectification of men, then it would be equally troubling.

superbowl ads

I must say, some of those Superbowl ads absolutely INFURIATED me. I found numerous ads, especially the Doritos ad incredibly SEXIST and derogatory toward women. Nudity and sexual comments should not be the basis of society and entertainment. It displeased me very much to turn on the superbowl and just see a variety of insulting commercials that were supposed to be funny. I believe we should all avoid the products of those us were sexist and derogatory toward women.
Although those commercials disgusted me greatly, they were tailored toward a certain audience, and I imagine were quite affective toward that audience. The stereotypical audience of the superbowl, would be men that like football, etc… I imagine all sorts of Steelers loving football men will go buy Doritos now, so good for them.

The bias of Language, the bias of Pictures

In “The Bias of Language, the Bias of Pictures”, Postman and Powers say that we use language to alter the meaning of statements, questions, etc… Our original discussion of language was about perception. A color, an object, or a place is only a perception that society has developed as a unified reality that we all accept. To describe this unified reality, we use words and language. Each word represents something or someone in our unified reality that we all perceive and accept to be “true”, and “reality”.
This piece agrees that our language is a representation of society’s unified perception of reality, however it digresses to form a new perspective toward language- the manipulation of language. We use adjectives for description, but when using certain adjectives and certain language features and tones, you can alter the meaning of text. Language is bias, because however you write, no matter what words you use, you will always be giving a certain perspective of the matter at hand. However, pictures are quite different. Pictures are completely nonbiased because they tell accurate accounts without anyone’s altering. A picture tells the story without any connotative meanings, or verbosely bias adjectives.