A Hug Is Nearly A Gun Spelled Backward

           To some, mourning the lives lost and praying for the families of the fallen is considered an act of patriotism. Patriotism may also be signified by waving flags or when one shows up to vote. Put differently, patriotism can be suggested as being closely connected to the nation in which one lives in or in which one feels strongly about. Unlike attachment to ones nation, personal relationships are close connections between people shaped by emotional bonds and interactions. Edward Morgan Forster, otherwise known as E.M. Forster, argues that personal relationships are more important than causes or patriotism and I would have to rightfully agree.

          Personal relationships is far more complex than what it is to be loyal to a nation. Relationships are not static and oftentimes is strengthened by mutual experiences. These emotional bonds that we develop with a person are continually changing and as we grow more towards learning about this person, a deeper affection and camaraderie will have also increased. Friendships and relationships start at the root of somewhere and whether that occurs later on in your life will not change a thing. What will matter is that a bond has been made and most often it is meant to last. There is something about giving affection to another person that cannot be replaced. Look at it this way, your government, your country, will not feel sorry for or with you. Instead, it is the people you surround yourself with and trust most dearly that are able to understand your needs. Coming from this approach, if I were to give my loyalty and trust away and had the option to give that to either my nation or best friend there is no doubt in my mind my best friend would prevail and outshine the nation. In truth, it is personal relationships that give approbation to people and it is this all internal and ever lasting affiliation with others that proves more important than a passion for ones nation.

           Some people may beg to differ that patriotism is more important than personal relationships. Do not get me wrong, I am definitely proud to be on American soil and to have been raised in such a wonderful country. Although, I have reckon that patriotism does not go to the extent in which personal relationships do. In other words, patriotism is nowhere near compared to personal relations in respects to what is more important to the soul and lifelong journey of a person. Sure, I can pledge the Pledge of Allegiance every morning, celebrate the Fourth of July, or even take Memorial Day off to commemorate those who have fallen. But these momentous events do not stand a chance to exceed an emotional bond someone has. In fact, these events are mainly seen as parties and days off. People certainly acknowledge our freedom and all the great our nation has to offer, but nobody, including myself, really holds patriotism true and dear to their hearts as would towards a loved one or best friend. There is something that speaks for itself when one argues that loyalty toward our country is of much more significance, and if anything remotely were to go against our nation this may exhibit a form of betrayal. In turn, this betrayal to America becomes an abandonment to our freedom and liberties. However, with that in mind, I believe being closely connected to those you love, those you care about, and those who care about you is of way more importance than a nation in which you live in.

          The comprehension between people is something you cannot simply get anywhere, let alone from your own country. To abandon your country over a friend or loved one goes to show that the support and commitment for others surmounts the fondness one could have toward their nation. One may think that being there for your country is absolutely the only thing to show pride and honor, but as previously stated personal relationships is far more important. As Forster says "If I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country."

When Logic Fails

Rhetoric is a method of writing or speaking that seeks to persuade an audience. Thus, it is crucial to understand logical fallacies so that they can be identified and avoided when attempting to persuade. As mentioned in another post of mine, logical fallacies are errors in reasoning that weaken the logic of your argument. Down bellow are 10 logical fallacies that state the fallacy in both Latin and (English) as well as give a general definition and example.

1. Argumentum Ad Antiquitatem (the argument to antiquity or tradition): use of historical preferences of the people (tradition) as evidence that the historical preference is correct. Otherwise seen as traditions being passed down with no other explanation, but this was how it was always done. Therefore, we shall continue doing it.

Ex. For three generations, the men in our family went to Harvard and became successful lawyers. Therefore, I am obligated to become a lawyer.

2. Argumentum Ad Hominem (argument directed at the person): ad meaning "man" and hominem meaning "man". Attacking the person rather than the argument.

Ex. A priest and an atheist were debating. The priest announced that nature is too complicated to have no creator. The atheist calls the priest gullible and deluded, and insults his attire. 

3. Argumentum Ad Ignorantiam (argument to ignorance): proposition is true simply because it has not been proven false/true.

Ex. In spite of all the talk, any big foot reports have not been validated. We may assume, therefore, there is no such thing as big foot.

4. Argumentum Ad Miseriocordiam (argument or appeal to pity): when sympathy or compassion is appealed to for the sake of getting a conclusion accepted. 

Ex. Officer there is no reason to give me a traffic ticket for going too fast because I was rushing to go see my mother at the hospital who is in critical condition.

5. Argumentum Ad Nauseam (argument to the point of disgust: i.e., by repetition): to try and prove something by saying it over and over again. However, no matter how many times you repeat something, the statement will become not become any more or less true than what it was in the first place. 

Ex. That movie, "Inside Out" deserves an Oscar for best Animated Feature Film. There are other movies alike, but not as good as this one. Some movies may also deserve such honorable mentions, but not the Oscar because "Inside Out" deserves the Oscar.

Mistakes For President

AAAaaaahhhh..... this first debate is worse than this extremely hot and humid weather, and that has to say a lot! To be quite frank, I know absolutely nothing about politics and have no interest whatsoever in what two people have to fight about. I guess you can say I am dumb on this subject matter. Ask me anything about what is currently happening and I probably will have little or nothing to say. And so here goes nothing as I have to watch at least fifteen minutes of what seems to be nonsense and report on logical fallacies that I have observed as part of my homework for this class tonight. BTW, this reminded me of Bridge to Terabithia when Leslie comes in as a new student and already hears her first assignment which is to watch this program at 7:00 pm and to write a page explaining what she has learned. Okay back to the debate.... ohhhh wait one more thing is it true that trump wears a wig? About five minutes in, my first comment was about Trump's weird looking top hair. And my dad heard and told me it is fake... IDK, I may just be blind and cannot tell false hair from real hair.... you just never know. I mean the hair was thinner in some parts creating this glow that the light illuminated through. It is probably just me, but that certainly caught my attention. I can look this up, but I do not wish to see what people have to say on Trump necessarily and I do not want my pages to be blowing up with Presidential elections and debates and pictures filling the ads on pages I am visiting. OMG another thing is Trump's look and demeanor and everything about him just does not seem to portray the role of a president if you want my honest opinion. Okay not trying to bash anyone here, but I did get waaay off topic lol. This here must be some type of logical fallacy right..... irrelevant and off topic.

Sometimes My Mind......

thinks about what I could have done differently, and sometimes my thoughts are about the endless possibilities I have.

Lately, I have been wondering if I have been working myself too hard? Just this Friday I had one of my teachers tell us to enjoy our weekend and that if we have five or six classes to work on we should take a break. I giggled and said to myself "IMPOSSIBLE." When it comes to school I sacrifice several things, especially family time. In fact, for about a month now, my family has had this camping trip planned out for this weekend.

On my mom's side I have many aunts, uncles, and cousins. All of them live up north and we (my family and I) so happen to be the oddballs out who live here in Santa Maria - 400 miles away. As a result, my mom's family are always able to gather together and do all these spectacular things. It is difficult for my family to partake in these spectacular events since we live far away and all have such busy schedules, but it was this year and this month that we would all finally get to do something together. At first, my parents were adamant about not going because they are not the outdoors type of people, but it was me who begged and convinced them that we should go. Lets just get one thing straight. I do not go out of town often, I have not gone to a lot of places, nor have I experienced much. As a matter of fact, I did not even know what In-N-Out was until last year..... I think. People think I am crazy and always want to drag me out so I can go to more places, but I can only wish. Don't get me wrong though, I am grateful for what I have gotten to experience thus far and would not replace any of that!

Anyway, I was highly anticipating this family trip. I was looking forward to my first ever camping experience: roasting marshmallows, hiking trails, using no phones, sleeping in a tent, etc. However, from the beginning of this month I kept contemplating if I would be able to go or not. And as the days were nearing to this outing I ended up painfully give up this camping day and picked school over family bonding time. The decision was a matter of what was more important, and in this moment schooling prevailed once more. I am telling you what school does to you. This leads me to also think is it worth working hard now so I don't have to later. I'm always told to work hard now so I don't have to later or so that I do not have to struggle later on. I wonder is this always going to be true? Will those who work hard now really not work hard later on in their lives? Because right now that absolutely does not seem to be the case. I hope that I will eventually see the pay off because I know it is out there somewhere...

As for now, I lay here with my adorable dog, Izzy, because I cannot move or do anything in this 90 degree weather!

Huh, I wonder what goes through my dog's mind...... I bet he is probably just relishing the time he gets to be in the house. I frequently find Izzy sleeping on his back and I do not know if that is more comfortable for him or if he likes it when the sun touches his belly. Who knows? Maybe he likes the new perspective on things?

Guyanese Immigrant Does The Unthinkable!

The title to this article is so long: "Guyanese immigrant raised by single mother working two jobs gets accepted by 21 colleges including all eight Ivy League schools."  Long, but everything summed up in one! What gravitated me into reading this article was the fact that this person was accepted into so many colleges including all Ivy Leagues. This is not the first case I have seen of someone getting accepted into all Ivy League schools, but out of all the articles I have read this one hits me the most. In what ways you ask? Well it is stated in the title lol...... the person is an immigrant from Guyana. So it was not the getting accepted into the most prestige colleges in the world that attracted me, but the element of an immigrant being able to accomplish such feats.

The journey for Kelly Hayes began in 2009 when her mother, Anetta, decided to move to America in order to provide a better life for her family. It was not specified how many children Anetta had, but it is certain that Anetta wanted to move to America especially for Kelly. Kelly was always the top of her class back in Guyana and when they went to Brooklyn, New York Kelly was enrolled in the reputable and distinguished High School for Math, Science, and Engineering at City College New York. It is no surprise that Kelly did so well in high school because ever since she was young she was an eager and willing student. Kelly's mother was by far her best friend, her rock, and biggest fan. Anetta was a single mother who worked two jobs: as a nurse aide and a health care aide. She worked a total of fifteen hours per day and supported Kelly in every way possible. Much kudos to this mother who worked such long hours and sacrificed and did so much for her family.

Honk Honk!!! My First Driving Experience...

After school on Friday I was clearing large bags of clothes, intended to go to donations, from our car back into the house because we haven't had the opportunity to go to a donation center. As I was clearing the trunk, I thought of asking my parents to let me drive. And to my amazement, after I finished unloading the bags, my father needed my soon to be car to be moved out of the driveway and asked me if I wanted to try. It was so funny because I did not even need to ask. On my free time my dad wanted to show me how to drive, but I just never found the time to do so. In truth, I haven't even touched the booklet. I mean I can hardly even pick up any book to read let alone a drivers lesson booklet. So today was that day I finally got the opportunity to drive.

For some reason I was not scared one bit. Of course, however, I had many questions before beginning such as changing gears and knowing when I'll be able to take my foot off the brakes and not have the car move. My mom was in the passenger seat and my brother, on his bike, saw me from the garage and obviously would come down to watch me learn how to drive. I believe the only thing I was really concerned about was hitting the mailbox, my dad's truck, or the neighbors car. Before I even changed gears from park I, for a second, hesitated and told my mom I did not want to start by learning how to back up, but she encouraged me and said "lets just do this." And so we did.  My mother also told me it is just like riding a go kart, and I only laughed and told her "well I never drove a go kart in my life, but I have driven bumper cars!"

My Yoda

I believe my ideal mentor who will be successful in guiding me to finding an answer(s) to my question is someone who knows how to allocate time efficiently. I cannot think of someone in particular, but I just know this mentor has to be someone who knows how to use time wisely. This person would already have that balanced lifestyle because they are keen about and cautiously know that life is too valuable to waste any time on. Even though this person may already know all there is to time, I want them to guide me to my answers and not just give me THE ANSWER. I want this person to be as much or even more excited than me when investigating my big question. I never like boring adventures, therefore, this buddy of mine had to be enthusiastic and be up for anything. The last thing I would want is for a blunt and effortless endeavor from my ideal mentor. This would totally defeat the purpose of having fun and thoroughly investigating ever nook and cranny there is to find. Instead, I would like to see creativity transpire and thoughtfulness come out of this journey. And what better way to embark on such expedition then with someone who also has the same goals, as well as someone who wants to be much apart of assisting me to their fullest abilities.

Big Question Discipline(s)

Revisiting my big question, I very much want to know why does the world account for time? How was time invented in the first place and why has it stayed this way? How has the universe become what it is resulting from this concept of time and what happens if we changed this concept by having no time? In other words, a world of no limits and perhaps more freedom or more chaos? To state the obvious, time can be derived looking all the way back to when people used the sun and the moon as ways of tracking the day - eventually leading to the creation of the calendar. Even simpler, time can be seen by that clock sitting on the wall in front of you just ticking away like nobody's business. I know that time ultimately is based upon the cosmos. To demonstrate this cosmological time think about night time approaching and the sky turning darker as each hour passes. If we had infinite time per se the sky will always be lit up and there wouldn't be any cycle or pattern that humans would be able to follow. What I also know about time is that it has become a significant subject in history, science, and religion. We started tracking time back when? I don't know, but I'll leave that up to history! As for religion, time becomes crucial when wanting to figure out the creation and end time. Time has a play in evolution, and I guess I'm essentially wanting to see how time (if changed in any ways) would affect the future of an expanding universe. This much transcends into the study of the future know as futurology. Time is such an interesting topic, and one that I am looking forward to further investigating in. I mean we are all living with time around us, but never have I stopped to think about the what if's and what time really means to people.

How ironic can this be? Time is mysterious, yet we do not have the time to be mysterious......

Vocabulary IV: Sentences 🍁Fall🍁

1. The academy had an exceptional selection of adroit violin and piano players.

2. This year's annual party had several amicable people, but some were aggressive.

3. Mr. Charles was adverse with allowing his children to get tattoos or piercings.

4. It would be a good idea to try and avoid hockey fans whose team had just lost because they tend to become belligerent.

5. If your car battery dies you might call on roadside assistance for a jump, or hope that a benevolent bystander will lend a helping hand.

6. Heather was busy studying for finals week so she gave her best friend's, Jasmine, new outfit a cursory glance.

7. Though little Jacob confessed knowing nothing about the footprints in the new sidewalk, his duplicity was obvious from the cement caking his shoes.

8. The speakers extolled the advances made possible by research involving laboratory monkeys.

9. For many years, the project was deemed not architecturally or technologically feasible.

10. The patient always had a grimace on their face due to the frequent abdominal pains.

11. Jefferey was so knowledgeable about the Holocaust because his grandpa was a victim during the time and managed to survive. Now, grandpa lives on to tell his stories and experiences.

12. Jonathan's thick skin made him impervious to jokes made about his awful haircut.

13. Advertisers hope that their commercials will be an impetus to buy the product.

14. Eating a bag of chips and drinking a can of soda a day definitely jeopardizes ones health.

15. For her research project, Samantha took meticulous notes on what worked and what didn't work.

16. During the high school reunion, the old men felt nostalgia going through at their high school yearbook.

17. Some people say that the quintessence of American cuisine hamburger and fries.

18. It is unfortunate that Stephen not only doesn't improve, but he also retrogresses.

19. Authorities began scrutinizing his backyard in hopes to find any links to organized crime figures.

20. The films received tepid reviews from the critics, but that didn't translate to the great success at the box office.

Vocabulary IV: Definitions 🍁Fall🍁

1. Adroit: quick or skillful or adept in action or thought

2. Amicable: characterized by friendship and good will

3. Averse: strongly opposed

4. Belligerent: characteristics of an enemy or one who is eager to fight

5. Benevolent: (a) showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding (b) intending or showing kindness (c) generous in providing aid to others or in assistance to the poor

6. Cursory: hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough

7. Duplicity: acting in bad faith; deception by pretending to entertain one set of intentions while acting under the influence of another

8. Extol: praise, glorify, or honor

9. Feasible: capable of being done with means at hand and circumstances as they are

10. Grimace: contort the face to indicate a certain mental or emotional state

11. Holocaust: an act of mass destruction and loss of life (especially in war by fire)

12. Impervious: not admitting of passage or capable of being affected

13. Impetus: a force that moves something along or the act of applying force suddenly

14. Jeopardy: a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune

15. Meticulous: marked by precise accordance with details

16. Nostalgia: longing for something past

17. Quintessence: (a) the most typical example or representative of a type (b) the purest and most concentrated essence of something (c) the fifth and highest element after air and earth and fire and water; was believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies

18. Retrogress: to get worse or fall back to a previous condition

19. Scrutinize: (a) to examine carefully for accuracy with the intent of verification (b) to look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail

20. Tepid: (a) moderately warm (b) feeling or showing little interest or enthusiasm

What A Coinkydink!

I love love love quotes! I believe it was last year that I downloaded the DailyQuote app, and I made it a day-to-day thing to check these quotes every morning. I always look forward to what the quote will be because it is never the same, and I always try to make meaning of these quotes as my day unfolds. Sometimes it is not until the end of the day or sometimes after a week that my life events will align or be similar to what was phrased in the quote. I find it very cool and motivational at times that a quote can almost be speaking to you and it feels as if they know what you are going through. For instance, last week I felt as though my life was tearing apart and that I would not be able to pick myself back up, and I believe it was the following day the quote was "However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at" -Stephen Hawking. Not only did this tell me that yes, life is difficult, this saying also encouraged me that I can do something about it and that I will succeed. Today's quote coincidentally correlated with something I was reading. The quote of the day is "Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects." -Dalai Lama. As I was reading an article online there was a kindness tip of the day which read "There is opportunity for kindness around every corner, and no act of kindness is too small. Any small act of generosity can create a ripple effect and make someone's day. Seize those opportunities and take those extra few moments to compliment someone or ask about their day." Not only was ripples mentioned in both pieces, but the primary intent of both is to say how one's action is never to small and any action at all may just cause widespread effects. I like it! Our actions can do the unthinkable and comparing it to a ripple makes it even merrier! I said domino effect they say ripple effect both signify the exact same thing! Keep spreading magnificent intentions!

          

I Got Attacked By A Dog Today!

After I helped with Coastal Cleanup Day I had a few hours to get some homework done before having to go to the hospital to volunteer. I never mind volunteering and it mainly happens during the weekend where I do not have to stress about school work. Volunteer work takes my mind off of things, especially the cleanup day. I do not know when the last time I went to beach, and even though I went to the beach to clean it up I still enjoyed just being there with my toes in the sand and seeing and hearing the ocean. I tell you any little thing I will take pleasure in because living where I do and having all this work for school keeps me from going out and exploring. Anyways, you are probably wanting to hear the dog story..... so going to the hospital I told those that I work with that I will be back because I had to pick up my new uniform in the conference room outside of the hospital. Oh, and another thing apart from the dog story is in the conference room the volunteer coordinators were holding a pizza party for the volunteens and volunteers and as a couple of people, including myself, were filing in we were told to guess how many jelly beans were in the jar before they were going to announce the winner. And I said it in my head that it would be so funny if I just came in, estimated the number, and won a prize. And that just happened. However, it  did not go down that easily. The announcer said this other person won the jar of jellybeans having guessed 448 when there was 615 jellybeans in total. I knew I should have won because I guessed 475, but I did not want to chance thinking that because maybe I heard the number, of what the person guessed, incorrectly. But it was until a boy said shouldn't I be closer since I guessed 800 and the announcer said no the person guessed 448 which is closer and that is when I brought up that I should have won. I told the announcer and they told me that they thought I wrote down 445 and I told them no I wrote 475 down. They went to reaffirm and came back saying they couldn't read my handwriting and apologized and they seemed to be looking around for the person who "won", but I told them not to take the jar of jellybeans from the person and that it is fine. I ended up getting a free premiere movie ticket...... let's just see if I'll ever use it any time soon.

Horray For Coastal Cleanup Day!

I ended up falling asleep at 4:00 am and woke up at 6:00 am to get ready for this day. I had my waiver on hand; put on lots of sunscreen; and got my plastic garbage bags, my gloves, and water bottles in my bag. I have always heard of people volunteering to clean up the highway, but rarely have I heard about the day of cleaning up the beach. Of course you hear and see ads prompting to throw away and cut up rubber bands and those six pack plastic rings to help keep our waters clean and animals safe, but that isn't enough (See the new Solution here and watch the video: https://www.craftbeer.com/brewers_banter/saltwater-brewery-creates-edible-six-pack-rings).

Poor seagull whose life expectancy will decline because of the ingestion of plastic. 

I'm Having The Time Of My LIfe

"Life has many ways of testing a persons' will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once."                                    -Paulo Coelho

This post was suppose to be made on the day of September 14th, but I knew there was no way in heck I would want to be writing this post during the weekday. Reason being is because I did not have time to sit down at my desk and write about having the time of my life when I really was not. Okay, it is not about having the time to because it would have taken me only a slight 10 minutes to do so, but every second counted this week and I was just in no mood to write something about having the time of my life. I had four tests coming to me on Friday, preparing for the History Press Conference was a nightmare, and having to take a group test for math on Wednesday was not any fun either. So here's to the weekend at 2 something in the morning.... The only reason I am up right now is because Friday was a minimum day. I took the bus home and walked with my friend to her house. There I finished up an assignment due at 2:00 pm and caught up with this good friend of mine. After about an hour I went home to finish the vocabulary quiz. And after that I was gone. Out cold. I passed out around 4:00. I know this is so unhealthy, but my body could no longer handle it. I was a zombie for three or four days getting zero to little sleep because of this press conference. I did whatever I needed to do for this project and I just happened to be sacrificing my health. I woke up around 11:00 pm.... That is seven hours of sleep peoples! That is probably the most I've ever slept since this school year started. I felt so great when I woke up, and the most lovely thing that resulted from this nap (that ended up turning into the best sleep I've gotten) was the dark circles had disappeared from under my eyes. I am telling you bad. It should have never turned to be this way, but there is always time for a change and Dr.Preston tells us that this will probably be the last weekend to invest our time intentionally, and I plan to just do that. Catch up on all that I have to do, and I am soooooo excited because in about a few hours I will partake in the Coastal Cleanup Day. Hopefully I'll sneak in a few more zzzzzz before the event.

Okay, this is not only the most lovable costume, but this little girl sums up all that has happened these past few weeks. She falls (me) but does not cry about it and is quick to say she is OKAY! I am indeed okay. It will just take some good nights of rest and only time will tell....

Vocabulary III: Quiz 🍁Fall🍁

1) Not the cudgel you would use as a weapon, but early on in this course we have learned that having a right to your opinion generates cudgels on behalf of something or someone. 2) In this class, a catharsis that one can incorporate into their morning routine is to take a few moments during the Pledge Of Allegiance to put both hands over one's heart and take one's thoughts elsewhere for those couple of minutes. 3) From Orwell's reading, I have learned that there is no purpose in using archaic words or phrases because it will only confuse the reader. 4) As part of this class we must take weekly vocabulary tests, and when hearing that we must write ten sentences on what we have learned in this course thus far, using words from vocabulary list 3 (this assignment here) was nothing euphonious to my ears. 5) Before playing the game two truths and a lie, Dr. Preston informed us that people inadvertently give away clues whether it be in their diction or their non-verbal/para-verbal communication. 6/7/8) For our upcoming essay, know to avoid being slovenly and do not jargon, but rather be scrupulous and concise. 9) Taboos enforce steering clear of things and sayings that may be offensive or go against religion, but I was once told by our wondrous teacher the some taboos are good and that there is a good reason for them. 10) Once we get into rhetoric writing I am sure some of us shall be writing some incendiary pieces. If not, I am almost positive we will see examples of how rhetoric can be used to fuel different emotions out of people.

You would only get this if you watched this adorable kid's interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz5TGN7eUcM

Vocabulary III: Sentences 🍁Fall🍁

1. Haley's beloved dog, Flash, escaped from the backyard and got hit by a car. Flash was in urgent need of help and Haley took him to the veterinary clinic where the veterinarians anesthetized him in order to perform surgery.

2. Today in class, we learned that words may be an archaism whose meaning has been forgotten.

3. While several people may listen to Emeli Sande in times of distress, Emeli herself has to turn elsewhere for her catharsis.

4. I first heard the word colloquialism when the substitute heard my friend speaking much slang and told him that he talked very colloquially.

5. I would be afraid if I were you because the rioting mob was armed with cudgels.

6. The baseball player made an egregious error and was ejected from the field by the umpire.

7. The singer always gets euphonious remarks about the way their voice sounds.

8. The lawsuit was frivolous and wasted the court's time.

9. Leah inadvertently took someone else's gym bag thinking it was her own.

10. After his speech, Mark unexpectedly received a number of incendiary comments.

11. After proof reading her peers essay, Michelle believed that the writing was full of jargon.

12. The drug dealer was perverting other people to become criminals.

13. Hunter maximized the provocation  by saying he was a racist just like Trump.

14. The small town contained about forty-five houses and a Saxon church.

15. The mother was very scrupulous and made sure her children kept their hands and surfaces clean to avoid transferring bacteria around the kitchen.

16. Mandy was thought to be a neat freak because of her frequent complaints about her slovenly classmates.

17. The guest speaker went on for hours explaining sordid details the audience had never heard before.

18. After a long weeks of work, one might excuse a superfluous purchase because they have deserved it.

19. Mr. Berns was charged with seventy-five counts of theft by swindle.

20. It is a taboo to many to ask any woman her age.

Vocabulary III: Definitions 🍁Fall🍁

1. Anesthetize: administer an anesthetic to a person or animal, especially so as to induce a loss of consciousness

2. Archaism: an old word or phrase that is no longer used

3. Catharsis: the act or process of removing strong or violent emotions by expressing them through writing, talking, acting, etc.

4. Colloquialism: an expression or word used in informal conversation

5. Cudgel: (a) a short thick stick used as a weapon (b) to start to fight for an idea that you believe in

6. Egregious: an egregious mistake, failure, problem, etc. is extremely bad and noticeable

7. Euphonious: (of sound, especially speech) pleasing to the ear

8. Frivolous: (a) not serious or sensible, especially in a way that is not suitable for a particular occasion (b) a frivolous person likes having fun rather than doing something serious or sensible things - used to show disapproval

9. Inadvertently: without realizing what you are doing - accidental

10. Incendiary: (n.) a bomb designed to cause a fire (adj.) an incendiary speech, piece of writing, etc. is intended to make people angry

11. Jargon: words and expressions used in a particular profession or by a particular group of people, which are difficult for other people to understand - often used to show disapproval

12. Perverted: (n.) someone whose sexual behavior is considered unnatural and unacceptable (v.) a) to change in an unnatural and often harmful way b) to influence someone so that they begin to think or behave in an immoral way

13. Provocation: an action or event that makes someone angry or upset, or is intended to do this

14. Saxon: Nationality & Race: a member of the race of people from northern Europe that came to live in England in the 5th century. Anglo-Saxon: (a) someone who belonged to the race of people who lived in England from about 600 AD (b) the language used by Anglo-Saxons (c) a white person, especially someone whose family originally came from England

15. Scrupulous: (a) very careful to be completely honest and fair (b) doing something very carefully so that nothing is left out

16. Slovenly: lazy, untidy, and careless

17. Sordid: (a) involving immoral or dishonest behavior (b) very dirty and unpleasant

18. Superfluous: more than is needed or wanted - unnecessary

19. Swindle: a situation in which someone gets money by deceiving someone else

20. Taboo: (n.) a custom that says you must avoid a particular activity or subject, either because it is considered offensive or because you religion does not allow it (adj.) a) a taboo subject, word, activity is one that people avoid because it is extremely offensive or embarrassing b) not accepted as socially correct c) too holy or evil to be touched or used

To Use In Place Of Another Word/Phrase. You Know Like Euphemism!

In short, Euphemism (n.) is the replacement of offensive language with nicer language. George Carlin (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuEQixrBKCc) does an excellent job in demonstrating how euphemism works. Carlin illustrates how euphemism overpowers the thinking of the human mind to the extent that lays out some words said are better then others; therefore, we must say the nicer words over words that sound more objectionable. Carlin goes on to list all these words from years past and how they have evolved to be said as something different, but mean the exact same thing. How the words we use now compared to the words in the back of the days are more friendlier phrases or uses softer language. Is this right? Somehow there is a difference between blind and visually impaired, old and senior citizen, or crippled and the handicapped. Isn't occasional irregularity the same thing as diarrhea? Apparently not! Occasional irregularity sugar coats diarrhea in a way that it makes this grotesque word - diarrhea - sound not so bad. But in reality, it is the same word with the same meaning, and it should not ever matter which word one decides to use. Going back to the crippled and handicap (or those passengers in need of special assistance) example, Carlin rightfully states how there is no shame in cripples and nowhere in the dictionary does it say being crippled is shameful. In fact, Carlin mentions how in bible translations it says Jesus heals the CRIPPLES. Nowadays, however, it is no longer cripples anymore, but the physically challenged or differently able. Is there really a difference? I guess it all goes back to peoples viewpoints. The way one views one thing is seen differently in the eyes of another person. Therefore, a person can be fine with someone being called crippled, while another person is not okay with such remark and oftentimes takes offense. As a result, Euphemism is frequently used as a way to mask and make unpleasant words less insulting and more sweeter. Consequently, at this rate, euphemism is getting to a point where people are coming up with other names and sayings to replace words that did not even need replacing to begin with. Carlin has said more than once "simple, honest, and direct language." A seven word saying or even an eight word syllable can be condensed into a one clear and comprehensible word that stands for the same thing. With this being said, I ask you this: do you believe euphemism is getting out of hand?

Bad Words: Don't You Dare Say That!

I agree Dr. Preston, I agree. There are no bad words, but there are bad people with bad intentions. It is the way one perceives words that greatly affect the outcome of the situation. In other words, the person speaking says one thing, but the person receiving these spoken words may interpret them in a different manner. Thus, miscommunication arises and causes conflicts.  What makes words bad is the way one directs the words. I hear it many times, "Do not say stupid it is a bad word" or "No, stupid isn't a bad word word but f*ck is." There is no difference. Both are words of the English Language. When people direct these types of words toward other people or other things it is not the words that are bad, but the people saying them that are bad. So no we should not be getting this confused. We should be able to say swear words without being looked at as bad people, unless words are intentionally used to hurt someone than yes consider that person evil. Bad words are not everywhere. It is bad people everywhere. No matter where you go you will hear people talking crap about other people. There is no stopping what people say. Sure, washing your mouth out with soap will temporarily help to eliminate swearing, but this will never be the solution to permanently stopping people from cussing. In fact, we should be able to let out swear words for the right reasons because they occasionally do slip out. Saying swear words should never define a person because it is indeed all just words in the end, and as previously mentioned these words may just be words but they do hold great authority when used in the wrong context of things.

I clearly recall an experience about saying my first "bad" word in school. It was back in fifth grade when I had entered an essay competition and had to write about why I should win the bike. I had used the word 'butt' and as my teacher was reading over my work she chuckled and began saying "No, no you cannot say that!" I was so perplexed and she even whispered in my ear "you cannot say butt." I sat there and was probably turning red because I did not know what to think. All that was running through my head was my teacher had just told me I cannot use the word butt! How silly right? So that day I went around saying butt to see how people reacted..... Not really! Are you kidding me? I was never that courageous. But saaaaay what! Butt a bad word? I don't know, maybe I should have used gluteus maximus because you know gluteus maximus is more scientific and a "friendlier" approach than butt? That is some serious euphemism (Check out my To Use In Place Of Another Word/Phrase... to find out more on euphemism)!

I almost feel like I am doing something wrong here? I do not know what to think of this post as I am nearing an end to this conversation. Should I consider that fact that I had just said crap and f*ck? If you know me well enough you would know I do not like swearing. I do not like hearing swear words, I do not like saying them, and I just do not like them altogether. If anything, I would burst out a word here or there because I stubbed my toe on something, but that is about it. When I do say cuss words I feel strange, and it is as though I do not accept them and it is against my will to speak of these words. It is not my nature to be going around saying these types of words even if I did not intend anything bad about them. I think this is in part of being aware and knowing how words with bad intentions can hurt and affect a person. I know all to well about this and liked nothing about the experience. I guess this can explain my disgust for swear words. Goodie Two-shoe I am, but I am proud of it! Ultimately, it is not my opinion on how I feel about swear words in general. It is the knowledge of knowing the impact of words and how it's the wrong people with the wrong intentions that create the bad words and not the other way around.

I'm Reading Big Brother

How do I take notes? Well that depends. I am not a really big fan on Cornell notes. They never worked for me and as teachers made me keep doing them over the years my distaste grew. Reason for not liking Cornell notes is because they are useless to me. The point is to have questions on one side and a summary or reflection on the bottom and later refer back to them as needed, but I just never found myself going back to review these notes. Instead if I can have hard paper copies of what I have to analyze in front of me I would much rather prefer that and would start examining the night away. As you can see with what I did with Orwell's piece down below, I used the margins to write myself notes and was able to underline and highlight things. I have seen college students tab their textbooks and highlight everywhere and I was always opposed to trying to mark the book, but just last year I rented a textbook and found myself highlighting and writing notes to the sides of the texts. And in this way, on quiz days or whenever there was an open notebook/textbook test, it was easier for me to locate certain information and remember what was read. On the other hand, if there is no way for me to underline, highlight or write in the textbook I would take notes of what I think is important to know. I usually do this in pencil. After I have completed my notes, I would go back to underline key words. As a result, I would be reviewing all the information I had just read. Another thing about the way I take notes is I have generated shortcuts over the past years so that I do not have to write out specific words. Typical shortcuts are + or w/ or b/c. Oh, and you can guarantee to see the sloppiest handwriting ever. Okay maybe not the sloppiest, but my notes can sometimes be so messy that I would be the only one to understand them. I call this doctors handwriting. Below are the first two pages of my notes on Orwell's Politics and the English Language. Definitely not a lot off writing going on compared to what I typically would have, and the margins of the paper were really small making it difficult to jot notes down. I did not want to try cramming words all over the page so I ended up mainly highlighting the key ideas.

Big Brother's First Impressions

My brain hurts? Does it really? No, but reading what Orwell had to say about the English language and his examples made me realize the we humans do indeed shape language for our own purposes. And that to this day we have made a multitude of bad habits, such as the staleness of imagery and the lack of precision, to the point people consider the English Language a bad thing. How could we have let this go on for so long? The key words HABIT and SHORTCUTS.

It has become habitual that people write, but end up not saying what they meant to say. As Orwell says "The writer either has a meaning and cannot express it, or he inadvertently says something else, or he is almost indifferent as to whether his words mean anything or not." A writers prose and piece of work rather becomes something of many words that make no sense whatsoever. It explains why we are constantly going back to reread the passages over and over again until we finally understand what the writer had intended for us to get out of that reading. I can see why Orwell chooses to use those five passages to illustrate these habits. I could have kept going back to read and reread them, but I still would have never been able to comprehend anything. These passages certainty meant something as these are professors who have written these and some are published works, but I got nothing out of it. Nope, not even a clue what theses people were trying to say. And OMG, the humongous words that were used in these passages were also unbelievable. There was one passage in particular that had four words that I had to look up, and even so I still was not able to understand the aim. If anything, what I got out of what I have read thus far is a lot of vocabulary words. So what is the point then? Why try to speak your mind and have nobody end up not understanding a single word?

Another thing people like to do is use dying metaphors which have lost all vivid power, but are still used to keep people from inventing new phrases. In this way, people do not have to worry about having to generate something new, but rather use something already created..... LAZY BUMS. We are so use to having the answer already there for us that we no longer have to think. This therein fore creates a world of people who cannot think for themselves, and when they are put in a situation where they have to think they have nothing or at least they believe they don't. What also generates a problem is that phrases and words are used and used by many people who are not even knowledgeable of the phrase/word to begin with. As a result, you have writing out there that cannot be understood and everything loses its purpose. Orwell proposes that the necessary steps to reverse this process is to get rid of these habits by thinking more clearly, and to be "a writer who stopped to think what he was saying" in order to prevent alteration from the original phrase.

After reading to where I got, Orwell has gotten me thinking have I been over-complicating things? Have I become one of those people to use words and phrases I think sound good and intelligent when really it is making me sound like I'm just talking pure nonsense? Someone let me know! Can you understand me? Lesson learned, you would much rather be short and clear than have a full page of academic words and not heard. This perfectly illustrates quality over quantity concept. Peoples let's just try and be concise, straight to the point, and clear from now on.

GlobeCentury: A Satirical Project

My Satire project was inspired by the following events and everyday living:

•  A friend of mine, who came back from a week of camping, told me how she realized she uses her phone way too often. The place where she camped at had no service and reception; therefore, she was left phone-less for an entire week. I do not know how she did it! I would think she'd be dying the whole trip. Knowing her and the amount of time she is on that device of hers, I can speculate she felt disconnected and was most likely thinking about being able to use her phone again after this camping trip. She admitted to me that she missed having to use her phone. However, she did have an enjoyable time and this experience was a humongous eye opener.
• All my family, outside of my immediate family, live up north and in order to stay connected with them we use social media. In a recent Facebook post my aunt had put up, showed her eating dinner with the family. The strange thing about the photo was not everyone was looking up and smiling at the camera. Instead, everybody's heads were down looking at their devices, including the children.. It is amazing to see how engorged people can get when on their devices to the point they don't even recognize someone is taking a picture of them. Family time is bonding time, not everybody sit at the table and pull out your cell phones time.
• Last year, two friends of mine got IPhone 6's for their sixteenth birthday and during lunch time, rather than engaging with what was happening around them, they were playing around with their new phones. At one point, I even mentioned to them that they were so focused on their phones they hadn't even touched their food. They only then said "I know huh" and continued on tinkering with their electronic devices. That day I witnessed how electronics can take over somebody's life.
•  This year, during lunch time, my friends and I went to our usual eating area. In this classroom, the teacher always has a movie playing. And it was on this one particular day the teacher walks by and says "Look at you all on your guys' phones." Now, my friends they are constantly using their phones and on social media. Me on the other hand, I typically do not go on social media too often and was working on homework, but I guess it still counts as using an electronic device. Also, looking at this from another perspective, I can see how my former teacher would view us as a group of friends all on our phones rather than talking to each other.

Here is my presentation on the influences of mass media and my solution to                                               this issue. I hope you enjoy!

To bad you cannot view this presentation with the animations I had incorporated. It would have added another dimension to this project, but this is what I could do with uploading a PowerPoint onto Blogger.

Everybody, Here's A Good Song To Listen To!!!

Happy Friday..... I hope y'all had a fabulous week! Usually, after school on Friday's, I just knock out and fall into a deep sleep, but I got some rest last night (more than what I typically get) - so to explain why I am up writing this post. It's been awhile since I last did this, but today I decided to lay down and think of all that has happened this week (and it is the laying down part that I haven't done in awhile because you could bet that I am constantly thinking).

When I am exhausted I can fall asleep wherever and Monday I guess I did just that on the hard wood floor, and my dog decided to join (he's so sweet). And, yes, there was a sleeping bag laying around and blankets everywhere because we had twelve relatives and friends crash at our place for a few days.

***

This week, like many others, surely has gotten me pooped. Already, if you haven't read my previous posts, I had fallen ill quickly this school year. I am notorious for not getting adequate amounts of rest, and that IS GOING TO CHANGE because I am making it my goal to figure out and stick to a sleep/wake schedule. I realized that lack of sleep does indeed catch up to you, and just as my Psychology book had stated, those who are sleep deficient are no longer able to concentrate and remember things well. I am a memory whiz, but slowly I could see that is deteriorating as the days pass by. It truly is draining and gets bothersome to know that you were once terrifically happy and lively, hardly ever getting sick, to now trudging along the days wishing for sleep. I genuinely have to find that balance in order to live a healthy and happy life. Maybe some of you that read this can relate. For whatever the reason, nobody should be losing sleep - it's UNHEALTHY! So as I partake in accomplishing my goal, I challenge you to join me in creating better and wholesome habits! It does not just have to be sleep. For example, if you struggle with nutrition make a SMALL CHANGE. Rather than reaching for a bag of chips when you are hungry eat a bag of baby carrots or an apple. It will be the little changes you make that will propel you to the end!

Anyways, as I lay down with my feet propped up against the wall (Yoga: Legs Up the Wall Posture exercise) and I listen to joyful music, I had thought of that Lilo and Stitch scene where lilo locks her older sister out of the house and just wants to be left alone (because in the moment I just want to escape for a bit and relax some). And what a coincidence! He Mele No Lilo started playing off my playlist! I love the atmosphere and soundtrack that follows this movie, and so as this song came on I could not help but feel gleeful. And I thought I might share the song because it is such an uplifting one to listen to.

And if you are having a Lilo moment listen to this song:

Getting this chance to lay down reminded me of the importance to give our bodies a break every now and then. It will do no good to try and keep pushing your body when there is hardly any fuel left in the tank. We must regularly renew and remind ourselves that health is above anything else, and that it is essential we treat our bodies with care. For me, laying down helps to calm and re-energize me. You should try it out for yourself. Even for a slight five to ten minutes, simply lay down and close your eyes....... IT WILL HELP. Trust me, you will not be wasting any time. It is better to take a break then to sit there and be frustrated. Staring at the textbook/screen and rereading the content over and over again will get you nowhere. You will regret and look back upon these times wishing you'd taken the break because during that time you were frustrated you could have easily went off to recollect yourself and come back rejuvienated and ready to tackle the problem once more. So do not be that person who looks back to wish they did not do something. Instead do all that you could knowing that you tried every possibilty there was! However though, when you do take a break, try and not let yourself fall asleep because break time isn't sleep time, break time is a short rest to help refocus ones attention and clear the mind!! :D