Birdbrained for Bird Bags

I am sure many of you have heard about the imminent worldly transition from plastic to recycled bags in shopping centers. Well, if you haven’t, many stores and places are no longer giving out free plastic bags in an effort to reduce harmful plastic waste, so they are trying to make people switch to recycled grocery bags. Many people are upset about this transition, like my mother, because she likes to use the bags for trash bags, and in a way that is recycling. But then there are people like me, that want to make the complete change. We are truly killing our planet. Everything from the water we drink, to the air we breath is contaminated, and in order to fix this mess we need to take action NOW, and as a whole. And that is why I am trying to reduce my carbon footprint, and I am starting to use recycled bags. I purchased a couple of recycled bags for shopping, and I plan on using them in an effort to change my mindset. And I say my mindset because obviously I am not naïve that my change is not going to make a big impact in the world, but at least I will know that I am living a little greener. I know that many people in this world, all over, will continue to habitually contaminate the world, which is deeply unfortunate for our future generations. At least, I will try to live a little lighter.

Plus, they are super cute. ;)

This Is The Day!

So there are a few things in my life that I obsess over, well some might say otherwise, but the top thing that I do boil over for is tea, and owls, and editing, and cooking, and… But tea, that is something that is direly needed on an everyday basis, because like many coffee drinkers I have been faced with an addiction. Horrid headaches and hot tempered ways become of me without my tea. Despite my need, I love tea. And over the summer I was thinking about how amazing it would be to have a tea shop of my own. There are plenty of coffee shops, but none of tea! How upsetting, I thought to myself. But then, as I was strolling down The Blvd in Lancaster, CA, my dream came true. There is a tea shop called Molly Kate’s Gifts and Tea Room moving into The Blvd. In the background of my mind “This Is The Day”, by The The, consumed my mind, or maybe the speakers among the bushes of The Blvd. But my life surly has changed. Haha. The shop owner is very sweet, and apparently she had another shop in the Valley, but now is moving her shop to The Blvd. Their grand opening plans to be on September 1st, and trust me, I’ll be there. For more information on this splendid shop contact 661-816-8683, or sales@mollykates.com.

Senseless Shoe Spender!

I’ve been on and off my diet, like always. But I have lost ten pounds. I have found that every other day of being “good” with my diet really does have an impact, although I feel I can do better. This is not only a matter of looking better, but of feeling better. Having this extra weight makes me feel horrible physically, as well as mentally. There is this constant weight on my being, and my mind. I never can seem to escape it. I wake up feeling horrible for eating too much the night previously. Sickly. And then I try to think about why I ate, when I wasn’t even hungry. I didn’t even remember how it tasted, just that I ate. Well that’s no good. How can I scarf down food without even being able to recall why I ate it, or even how it tasted. That makes no sense. It is like spending money on a pair of shoes that are three sizes too small. Never done that, but maybe they were really cute to the person that inevitably has. Well I’m no longer going to be a senseless shoe spender! I pride myself in being very logical, and I will not be spending money on any pair of small shoes.

Oh, I’ve also been running. I have increased my running speed. Well, at least now I can say that I am running. I read an article on MSN about how running can be a great way to lose weight, duh. Although it was an interesting process, or more so, progression, that it depicted. Basically, you start by walking, then speed walking, and then intervals of walking and running for a couple of minutes, and then full on running. I can proudly say that I am now at the walking and running intervals. Soon I hope to be like those crazy hamsters next to me on the dreadful running contraptions.

On a final note, I have gotten a new book, Despair, by Valdimir Nabokov. I absolutely loved the last book of his that I read, Invitation to a Beheading. A man contemplating his own murder. Books seem so typical now, romance, girly stuff, murders, but Nabokov is really thought provoking.

Well, I’m off to read.

The Cure to My Fever

I had a fever without it. And this sweltering fever produced a sweet sweat that continuously slid down the back of my neck. It was caused by none other than a fascination. Not just any fascination, but the musical sort. It was my cure. It was The Cure. I was obsessed with The Cure, a primarily 80’s band, and when I listened to their music the nap of my neck cooled with content. The Cure was the cure to my craving. Thus, when I heard about a book that inspired one of their songs I was immediately hooked. I had to find out how they were able to pull inspiration from a book, so I investigated. What I found was rather interesting, and by this I mean that the book was interesting. The song in discussion is called, Charlotte Sometimes, as well as the book, which is written by Penelope Farmer. I never understood the song at first, although after reading the children’s book I fully understood the lyrics. I do mind you that if you choose to look into this book the beginning and middle are rather long, but the end is a shocker, and the book in whole is pretty short. My jaw literally dropped though, and I think that was definitely worth the wait. Without giving more information than the synopsis of the book does, it is essentially about a school girl that travels back in time, simultaneously trading places with another girl in the past. It is a very interesting idea, and the story presents the idea of identity, and absorbs the reader with some mind boggling inquiries. My fever has subsided after finding out what the mystery of Charlotte entails, but The Cure will continuously sizzle.

Editing Myself: My three step plan

I felt lost. And time, well that went along with my mind. Last Thursday I was sitting in my room, after having just woke from an uncomfortably warm nap, and thought that I had a partially full week ahead of me. Alas, to my surprise it was a myth, a tale, a sad, sad, story. For it was not Tuesday, but Thursday. I jumped up in a frantic state, and started to think about what I had to do. But there was nothing I had to do. Absolutely nothing. My heart was still pounding, but not because of the idea of losing time on things I had to do, but rather because there was nothing to do. I sat there for calm myself, watching the dust reach its decided destination, and started to think of what I could do. I thought about the stuff I told myself I was going to do. You see, I told myself that I was going to create a three step plan. That plan consisted of three things, and well, I think I should follow through with this plan. My plan revolves around me, sorry for sounding coincided, however it is a self improvement plan. My plan consists of improving three things, my skin, weight, and teeth.

At first I thought I could improve my pale, sensitive, and easily prone to disaster, skin by tanning, although I really don’t think that is the best thing to do. I’ve had extreme difficulty with my skin since I was a preteen. In the words of my mother, “it is a constant battle!”. Well yes, I guess it will be. Acne. Blah. What a word. It has improved drastically, but not with some serious fighting. I have used everything, from proactive to Accutane, and all those in between. I feel kind of stuck. So my improvement plan is limited at the moment to my regular skincare medication, something the doctor prescribed, which maintains it. So I’ll continue with this treatment, but I might have to get out the big guns in a bit, whatever those might be.

Now, the weight. That heaviness that I feel all day, not only physically, but mentally. I think about it constantly, and the strain it has on me. Horrible. I have three months, and I have hired a personal trainer, we’ll call her E, and I’ve reinstated my gym membership, I plan on getting my extra weight off, and not only for the general public, but for myself. I want to feel better. I have went to the gym practically every day for the last few weeks, and plan on going tomorrow as well. I know all there is to know about the health and fitness since I was practically raised in a gym, mother being a fitness fanatic and all, although I’ve never wanted to implement my knowledge, but I think now is a great time to get moving since I have the time, and really should get healthy. I need to focus on my eating. I eat way too much.

Finally, I am planning on fixing my teeth. There isn’t too much wrong with them, except for some spacing, but I have always wanted that fixed, so I might as well do it. My family has never had the financial means in order to fix the spacing, so since I am an adult I can pay for it myself. I plan on making a consultation with my dentist soon. I might get metal braces. Yes, metal. But it will be worth it in the long run because I will have what I want.

I know that looks are not everything, but I work hard at work and school, and I feel I do well. I do not see why I shouldn’t work hard at my appearance as well. I should strive to be my best in every aspect. So here I go!

Better Bottles: My love for bobble bottles

Okay, so I have been trying to exercise every day for for my summer break in an attempt to lose weight, and on this horribly tiring journey I have discovered something wondrous. This ruby in the rough is otherwise known as a Bobble Bottle. And the grand thing about this water bottle is that it has a filtration system within the bottle itself. Or in other words, it cleans the water as you drink it! How neat of an idea. Now, I did find this bottle before working out, and bought one for my boyfriend because I thought it was neat. But I never tried it myself, until now that is. It is BPA free, and the filtration system works for about two months, and then you have to replace the filtering part, which is the cap basically. That means that you don’t have to buy a new bottle, just the lid. That brings me to my next point, and that is that this bottle saves you from using so many plastic water bottles that can ruin the environment. But wait, that’s not all! The water tastes great. It can take my nasty work water, and make it taste great. I didn’t believe it at first, although it is true. Just try one for yourself. I’m going to continue using mine in order to facilitate my weight lose, but it will definitely take more than a cool water bottle.

Finding My Lost Love

Yes, I have found my lost love. That love is otherwise known as literature. It is so easy to take advantage of mindless activities, such as television and video games. Of course one can learn from these activities, but in my case they are for entertainment and comfort. I used to read. I used to read a lot, but with my hectic schedule I just found it easier to listen to television rather than think. It reminds me of Fahrenheit 451, and I’ve done away with the books in my world, and there are only walls of television that direct my very being (By the way, I saw Ray Bradbury at a Marie Callender’s.). Well, I won’t let that happen any longer because literature in my life has been revived, and now it is thriving. However, this would have not been the case if it were not for my current critical thinking course. My critical thinking class has enacted this chain reaction, and it was all because of the heavy workload.

I have never had such an intense work load, but that being said, I learned so much, and gained an important habit. This is the first course I have taken at my college that has actually challenged my thinking, or should I say critical thinking. It has expanded my way of thinking due to all the reading and writing. Every week I would dedicate many hours to reading alone. And I think that the reading was probably the biggest challenge for me in this class, but it has actually increased my reading pace. Normally, every week I, along with my classmates, would have to read at least 50 pages. And this is solid text. Reading a lot intimidated me at first. Since I am not a fast reader I was worried that I might not be able to keep up with the readings. I would come home from work, and be tired, and the last thing I would want to do is sit down with a book. I just wanted to sit down, and drown out my thoughts with television. I wanted to stare at a brightly lit television, and just listen to the electricity hum. But instead, I sat down, and read. At first, it felt like I was reading the same page forever. I would distract myself by thinking about my day, or mark the time on how long it took me to read a single page. However, after doing this week after week, I found that I was starting to enjoy it. I thought, “If I have to read this, then why not enjoy it and actually critically think about what I am reading”. So I started scratching at the text with my pencil, and looking up words I didn’t know. I was seriously into reading the class text. Another thing I would do was preview all the texts, and read the most interesting ones first. It was like a treat. I love desert most of all, so why not start with it? I started to actually appreciate reading again, and that’s when it hit me. I missed reading! I had been so busy with school and work that I forgot how great it was to indulge in literature. Not only did I rediscover my love for reading, but I increased my reading pace in the process.

This summer I actually have a list of books that I intend on reading. Firstly, I am going to read Charlotte Sometimes, which is an interesting book that The Cure was inspired by, secondly, Jane Eyre, and thirdly, Pride and Prejudice. It will certainly be nice to read for pleasure again since I will have the time. In fact, I am going to be reporting on my reviews of the books on this blog over the summer. For too long I have neglected and dismissed my love for literature. I have lost my love once, but I’m not going to lose literature again.

Better, Faster, Stronger: The Power of Writing

When I first started my critical thinking class, it was not this semester. In fact, I had started this class the previous semester, although within the first week I realized that I could no longer continue. I was working at Subway and working as a tutor. Also, I had three additional classes. I took on way too much. I knew that there was no way that I could take on the class work in critical thinking, and maintain high performance in the other areas of my life. I decided to drop it and take it the next semester. Ergo, I did take it the next semester, and I found that I was just as overwhelmed, if not more, although I knew I had to get through it, and in a way I was mentally prepared for it. As a result of working on all the assignments, which consisted of, blogging, group work, discussion boards, essays, critical thinking work, responses, and Peer Draft Reviews, I found that I made tremendous improvement on my writing skills. Specifically, I found that I can do a crazy amount of work within short periods of time and my description has improved.

Since I had two other classes, three jobs, and I started a softball team, I found it rather difficult to do all the work that was assigned in my English class, although I got through it and found out some spectacular things. I found out that I can write really fast, and I can do it efficiently. With my lack of time I forced myself to write get my school work done as swiftly as I could, but not skimping on the material. This determination to get my class work done with the little time I have made me realize that I can push myself a little further, just like a jogger running a little further because they tell themselves they can do it. I jogged through my mind with the high hopes of getting my work done, and doing it well, but now that it’s almost over with I need to do some actual jogging. Locking one’s self up in a room with a computer and food for a whole semester is not a good idea. Additionally, I believe that my writing has become a lot more descriptive. I find myself using analogies and metaphors a lot more based off my readings. I started to think about how a lot of the essays that I read from the textual material were rather descriptive, and thought that I should maybe add a little color to my writing as well. This class has definitely improved both my time and description.

Now, I am proud to say that I haven’t missed a single point on turning in my assignments, and I am extremely happy that my writing is much faster. I gave myself the extra push I needed throughout this semester in order to get my writing assignments done on time, with the little time I have. Summer is almost here, and I won’t be taking a class, and then I’ll be wishing that I had something to do. However, by taking this class I have been able to push the limits of my writing abilities, which has made my writing much more efficient, faster, and descriptive. In fact, this assignment took a little less than 20 minutes.

Father Time you Thief!

Last week, there I was in my brightly lit room, sitting in complete and utter frustration. I did not know what to do. I was lost. I had read two books, Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi and Invitation to a Beheading by Vladimir Nabokov, and I could not think of one single way to interrelate the two. I was sitting there in the middle of my bed for hours staring at a piece of paper, and nothing clicked. The sun was starting to set, and I had been there for hours shifting my eyes between my cell phone, to my computer, to my paper. And this went about for the longest time. Then, all the sudden, my brain decided to wake up. I was writing so fast that I could not completely understand my notes. I found over five similarities. I sat there in triumph, and smiled with revenge at Father Time, for he took away so much precious time. My biggest problem and dislike in writing has to be getting a paper started, but I also detest researching, so this research paper that I have to complete for my critical thinking course has been like a small child running through the neatly organized files of my mind. This week I plan on finding two more sources at the library for my research paper, and putting this unruly child to bed.

I plan on going to my school library today to find secondary sources for my research paper, but I am concerned. My research paper requires me to have five external sources, excluding the books on the topic, and they cannot be all from one medium, so off to the old brick-and-mortar library. My concern with going to my school library is that there will not be enough books on my topics. Since I have to finish this bad boy in a week, I need to keep my fingers crossed that they will have something pertaining to my research. Additionally, I will be searching online on my school’s virtual library. However, if I do encounter this problem then I will reroute to the library in town. But there is no point in dwelling on the what-ifs in life, so I will see what I have to do.

Right now, I have organized my outline, and I know exactly where I am going to be incorporating sources into each paragraph. It is just going to take some work and determination. I spent many hours staring into space. And Father Time has stolen too much from me. I am going to find those two secondary sources that I am relying on to finish my research paper by searching both virtual and actual libraries. I know I will finish it in time, I just know it. And that is exactly what I am going to keep repeating to myself while running through the aisles of the library. I am going to put this shrieking child to bed and relax my mind.

E-mail and Conversation

E-mail differs from ordinary conversation in a couple of ways. The most obvious difference between e-mail and personal dialogue has to be the fact that one is face-to-face, while the other is electronically conducted. The second difference that is easily identifiable is that when you are emailing someone you do not necessarily get all of the interactive, or nonverbal, aspects that come along with it. For instance, one of my high school buddies and I would constantly e-mail each other in order to keep in touch. Our e-mail interaction was one long string of words composed of our heartbreaks and joys. One day though, I said something rather sarcastically through an e-mail, which would have been considered offensive if I had not said it in that tone. Alas, there was no tone. It sounded serious, seriously insulting. She was upset, but then I explained to her our miscommunication. Thus, nonverbal interactive aspects are lacking in the realm of e-mail. E-mail and conversation do differ, and that is apparent from anyone who has utilized the two.

Next, I was pondering on the idea of what kind of influence e-mail has on social discourse, and I came to the conclusion that it has both negative and positive attributes. The author of “The Other Side of E-Mail”, Robert Kuttner, sides with the primarily negative impacts that e-mail has on personal interactions. But that is simply one-sided. He shines a slight speckle of light on the positive impacts of e-mail, but is biased in his opinion because of his numerous negative encounters. I do agree with certain aspects of his argument, such as how e-mail is something that is insistent. “All of a sudden, on top of everything else we have to do, e-mail is one more garden demanding tending” (Kuttner). This statement is something I think about all the time. There is so much I already have to do in my daily schedule, and checking three e-mails sometimes is a tedious and tremendous task. On the overlooked positive note, I have to say that e-mail has an extremely positive impact on society. E-mail allows for communication everywhere in the world, and not only that, but fast communication. It is not a letter that will take days to ship, and it is not a telephone conversation that can run off track and waste precious time. Moreover, it allows for one to check at convenient times, despite the idea that it takes up a lot of time. And it’s defiantly not like a screaming telephone. Without e-mail we could not do many things in our daily lives. On the whole, there are negative aspects about e-mail, but I think I’ll take my chances.

Now, thinking about how we converse with each other offline is drastically different from when we e-mail each other, but maybe not in the future. There are many different things that go into personal interaction, such as eye contact, facial expressions, body language, and tone, to name a few. All of these things are not depicted through e-mail, and they add a lot to a conversation. However, I feel that technology is growing so advanced that you can build a real relationship online. My best friend and I actually met through my online high school, and I feel as though our text messages and e-mails are just as fulfilling as face-to-face interactions. On a similar note, look at online dating services. People seem to be able to build working relationships with each other, and do not seem to be effected by the virtual world. I think that eventually people will not really be able to differentiate interaction between e-mail or internet resources and real interactions. Right now, people can still see a difference between online resources, like e-mail, and real life interactions, but eventually I doubt they will see the difference.

Works Cited

Kuttner, Robert. “The Other Side of E-Mail.” Exploring Language. Ed. Suzanna P. Chambers. New York: Pearson, 2010. 429. Print. 26 April 2011.

The purpose of silly drawings: A look at editorial cartoons

There I was in journalism class, and there was an uproar centered around one of the talented kids on the staff. She was the editorial cartoonist for the school paper, or perhaps still is, and she had just drawn an interesting caricature depicting a couple in love that just produced a baby. It was certainly uproarious, and everyone was ticked by this image. Editorial cartoons play an important part in the journalistic world and American culture. They are what many people turn to the second they grab their local newspaper. These editorial cartoons are used as a means of communication, entertainment, and they are unfortunately endangered.

Editorial cartoons are a communication medium. Mort Gerberg’s article “What Is a Cartoon?” asked multiple cartoonists what they think the definition of a cartoon pertains to, and he deducted that “the definitions say the same thing, but differently, varying with the approach of each cartoonist. I’ll define a cartoon as instant communication of a funny idea” (Gerberg). All of these cartoonists, including Gerberg, think that a cartoon is something that communicates an idea through images, and that they depict something funny. Now, these cartoons are used as a form of communication by showing an image that represents something that is common to the public. This common image that represents something in our everyday lives, allows for instant communication of the idea that they are trying to portray. Cartoonists can do this by emphasizing some sort of stereotype among our characters of society. Or “Cartoon characters must be of a very specific type. They are people we immediately recognize from life, people we know” (Gerberg). It is easy to communicate to the reader the cartoon’s purpose if the image is related to something we already know in life. Otherwise, if we did not know what the image was, we could not relate to it, thus it would not be communicating anything to us.

In regards to how this cartoon makes something funny or entertaining is depicted through the dialogue. “A cartoon caption is super-disciplined writing—about twelve words painstakingly chosen for their meaning, imagery and sound, then polished and strung together in a rhythm that puts the beat on the funny part” (Gerberg). According to this idea, the dialogue directs the entertainment to some extent. Of course, this is not for all cartoons seeing as how many cartoons do not need words at all make you laugh. An editorial cartoon contains many elements that the cartoonist needs to take into account in order to convey a message, simultaneously splitting their sides.

My journalism class cartoonist certainly did her job well, but unfortunately cartoonists’ jobs are slim. Editorial cartoonists are endangered, and by extension their work is too. According to Doug Marlette, “Cartoonists have been keeling over in startling numbers—down from almost 200 just 20 years ago to fewer than 90 today. The poisonous fumes laying us low are the byproduct of the corporate culture that has engulfed newspapering during the past two decades” (Marlette). Cartoonists are definitely not in demand right now, and that is not only a result of the economy, but in Marlette’s mind it is due to the craving of gaining newspaper readership. Newspapers are trying to gain business, just like any other business, and thus they do not want to provoke their readers, “the editorial cartoonists’ very reason for being is to provoke helps explain why they are the first to go” (Marlette). Therefore, there are fewer jobs for cartoonists due to their provocative nature, and that means less cartoons.

Hopefully that aspiring professional cartoonist in my journalism class will find a job so she can provoke all the people in the world. After all, some aspects of journalism are all about provoking the reader, like opinion articles. There are many elements that go into cartoons in order for there to be a message and laughs. A cartoonist takes their time trying to get across something meaningful to the reader. Cartoonists should not become extinct because if they do, then their art and messages go along with them.

Works Cited

Gerberg, Mort. “What Is a Cartoon?” Exploring Language. Ed. Suzanna P. Chambers. New York: Pearson, 2010. 429. Print. 26 April 2011.
Marlette, Doug. “Freedom of Speech and the Editorial Cartoon.”

Nevermore! Well, very soon

Last week I saw a one-man rendition of Edgar Allen Poe’s greatest literary works in Hollywood, specifically in Thai Town. I must say that the performer, Jeffrey Combs, was excellent. This show is described by Goldstar.com as such, “a one-man show celebrating Edgar Allen Poe’s bicentennial”. I first discovered this play through my usual gallivanting through Goldstar.com. Weirdly enough, I had never heard of Poe’s story of “The Raven”, but I knew the majority of the other poems and tales that Combs performed. The performer made the poems and tales come to life, and his dialogue was enticing.

My favorite part of his act of the night had to be of his eccentric performance of the poem, “The Bells”. I had read this poem in high school, and it never really held my attention. It felt never-ending. However, he literally made the poem come to life. I felt entranced by him prancing across the stage in a furry, simultaneously screaming, “The bells, bells, bells!”, while the crickets hummed ever-so-slightly in the background of the tranquil darkness. It was terrifying like the start of a roaring orchestra, and made my heart beat just as rapidly. But it was just as electrifyingly bright, and it made my eyes light up with curiosity and awe.

Another key part that held my attention, like of a gaze with a new found love was his dialogue about plagiarism. Seeing as how I am a writing tutor it makes sense that I could easily relate to this bit. Combs angrily discussed the lack of creativity in this world, and his expressed anger toward a fellow writer in his time that did not express his own ideas, but simply stole from others’ creativity, such as Shakespeare. This part touched me because I often ponder in depth on plagiarism, and how everything can really be constituted as such due to the fact that everyone has had the same idea at some point in time. There is a lack of creativity in this world, and even Poe saw that in his time.

I definitely recommend this one-man show to anyone who has had an interest in Edgar Allen Poe’s written words. For more information on attending Nevermore, visit Goldstar.com for tickets, or directly get your tickets through Steve Allen Theater. According to Goldstar.com, there are several more performances available to attend in May.

And I would like to leave you all with The Simpson’s version of “The Raven”.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIXKwA4xt-o&feature=related

Trump! And the stacked cards fell down

So we’ve most likely all heard about Donald Trump’s inquiries into President Obama’s citizenship. To give you the gist on the situation, Trump is demanding an actual birth certificate from Obama, just because. Obama was born in Hawaii, and their system of birth certificates is a little different from within the central part of the United States, but they do have some form of birth certification. Now that you know a little about the situation, I would like to give you some background information on my views of what a president is. In my opinion, a president is simply a figurehead. Of course, they sign off on important decisions, but I believe that their people behind the scenes make a huge contribution to those decisions, including the wants of American citizens. And I am certainly not belittling a president’s position or the committee behind the president, but rather I am stating that the country’s actions are not purely based off of one man’s decisions. Which brings me to my next point, Obama is a citizen of the United States, and he is really no different than you and I. He is simply human. He does not deserve the statements that are being directed toward him by Mr. Trump. I ask of you, would you like giving someone personal information on yourself, when that person is clearly out to get you. I most certainly would not, especially if I have the right not to show that information. Mr. Trump’s remarks can be considered to be a form of propaganda called card stacking, and Deborah Tannen, a linguistic professor, gives further insight into the likely reasons as to why Trump is requesting personal information on Obama.

Now, Trump’s remarks on Obama not really being a citizen of the United States is a form of card stacking, which is based off of the Institute for Propaganda Analysis, and their definition of card stacking. ““Card Stacking” is a device in which the propagandist employs all the arts of deception to win our support for himself, his group, nation, race, policy, practice, belief, or ideal” (Institute). This being the case, it seems fair to assume that Trump is doing is implementing this very action. You see, Trump wants to become president in the next election. What Trump is trying to do is use “the arts of deception to win support for himself”, and bring less support to Obama during election time (Institute). Next, “He uses under-emphasis and over-emphasis to doge issues and evades facts” (Institute). I don’t know how many of you have seen Mr. Trump talk, but whoa, watch out! There is a lot of over-emphasizing going on there. This over-emphasizing is shown clearly in a video interview with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie. Guthrie states that Trump is “out on an island on this issue”, and his rebuttal is overtly emphasized, even almost sassy (Guthrie). Finally, the Institute states that, “By means of [card stacking] propagandists would convince us that a ruthless war of aggression is a crusade for righteousness” (Institute). Trump has convinced many American citizens already based off of just inquiry into the matter. In fact, according to CNN “More than four in 10 Republicans … believe [Obama] probably or definitely was not born in America” (Tuchman). He has convinced these Republicans by the means of aggression toward the issue, and nothing more. He has made them believe that his actions are righteous. However, Trump is just a propagandist that has fooled those Republicans.

In “Taking TV’s “War of Words” Too Literally”, Deborah Tannen gives insight as to why Trump is inquiring on Obama’s birth certificate. I found that the soul basis of Tannen’s argument, ironically enough seeing as how her essay is about the argumentative ways of society, is that “Everywhere we turn, there is evidence that, in public discourse, we prize contentiousness and aggression more than cooperation and conciliation” (Tannen). Trump is definitely in this category, seeing as how he loves aggressive arguments. People like Trump, “don’t just portray their subjects warts and all, but set out to dig up as much dirt as possible, as if the story of a person’s life is contained in the warts, only the warts, and nothing but the warts” (Tannen). Trump is attacking President Obama, and is trying to portray him as a warty intruder, but instead Trump’s face is sprouting all sorts of warts. Furthermore, Tannen goes on saying, “It’s all part of what I call the argument culture, which rests on the assumption that opposition is the best way to get anything done”. Once again, this depicts Trump nicely seeing as how for no reason he is prying into the private life of Obama, which I may remind you is a human being like you and I. Trump is purposefully indulging in the argumentative culture. Certainly, he believes “The best way to begin an essay is to attack someone” (Tannen). That is who Trump is, and why he is consistently questioning the President of his citizenship, he is part of the argumentative culture.

Would you allow for yourself to be objected to the ridicule that President Obama is undergoing by Trump? Sure, he gets paid for it, but nonetheless he is human. He has daughters and a wife that he goes home to every night, and he has the worrisome burden of the world upon his shoulders. He has plenty of worries. He does not need to appease Trump’s irrational questions. Why should he have to bow down to the request of someone whose intentions are to stir a pot of propaganda? Clearly, card stacking is in Trump’s electoral agenda, and he is definitely part of the argumentative culture.

Works Cited

Institute for Propaganda Analysis. “How to Detect Propaganda.” Exploring Language. Ed. Suzanna P. Chambers. New York: Pearson, 2010. 429. Print. 26 April 2011.

Tannen, Deborah. “Taking TV’s “War of Words” Too Literally.” Exploring Language. Ed. Suzanna P. Chambers. New York: Pearson, 2010. 429. Print. 26 April 2011.

Guthrie, Savannah. “Trump: ‘The world is destroying our country.” Today. msnbc, 26 April 2011. Web. 26 April 2011. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42762170/ns/politics-more_politics/.

Tuchman, Gary. “CNN investigation: Obama born in U.S..” CNN Politics. CNN, 25 April 2011. Web. 26 April 2011. http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/04/25/birthers.obama.hawaii/index.html.

Lord Voldemort!: The consideration of taboo language and television

The world is always changing, and there are always new standards on what is considered okay, and what is simply not okay to do in society. Of course there are certain things that have stayed pretty much consistent throughout time in our society, such as certain taboos in place, like killing and incest. However, taboos in language are a little different. Words are changing, due to the world always changing. Words take on new meanings, and they can turn into words that should not be spoken, or words that can be spoken. This reminds me of Harry Potter, and how no one says Lord Voldemort’s name. This society in Harry Potter knows what this ghastly man, or Sorcerer, did in their time, and that is why they never speak his name because his name is considered a taboo word. Conversely, the people in the world we consider to be real, the Muggles, have no idea who this Lord Voldemort is, so it would not be a bad thing if they were to utter his name. You see, this Wizard’s name is considered a taboo in the society of the Wizardly world, yet in the powerless Muggles world there is no meaning placed on this word, so it is not considered something bad. Therefore, the question is brought to light, should we protect our society from taboo language on television, or should we expose it to the world because they are just words?

Taboo language on television is often not accepted by society, and this is primary due to the fact that people are sometimes sensitive to certain words, and people feel that children should not be exposed to such words for replication. Words are considered taboo for a reason, just like Lord Voldemort. Words have the ability to offend and hash up awful memories. People should not have to be exposed to certain taboo words while watching their favorite program on television. They should not be upset when listening to something that is supposed to take their mind off of the worries of the world. That is not the purpose of television. Television is there to entertain, and help a person escape from the world in which they live in. On the opposing side of this argument, people believe that taboo language should be exposed on television since it is what “real people” say in reality (McWhorter). However, that defeats the purpose of television. We live in the real world, and are encountered with “real people” and vulgar taboo language all the time (McWhorter). Thus, why should we turn something designated for entertainment into something that can offend and hurt, when it is the soul thing we are trying to escape. That is nonsensical. Of course, in the opposition’s defense television is sometimes reserved for educational and informative reasons, although the majority of people use it as a means of happiness. Next on the agenda for discussion are children and taboo language on television. This is a pretty clear cut case. Children should not be exposed all willy-nilly to taboo language on television due to the simple reason that they can replicate it in their own language. Children will soak up anything like a sponge. And if television allows for taboo language to be incorporated into everyday television shows that children watch, then they can harm their classmates and other children they interact with some hurtful language that can impact them negatively. Yet, people protest that it is not a realistic representation of life. However, it is up to the parent of that child to expose them to taboo language, not the media. The idea of a life where television presents taboo language is not a place of happiness or fairness.

In the entirety of this situation it is up to society to decide what is right, and what is not. It is up to society to deem what language is taboo, and what to show on television based off of taboo language. Right now, censorship puts restrictions of taboo language on television, unless you watch late-night television. But that is how things are presently. As I stated before, the world is always changing, and one day there might not be censorship on taboo language on television. In the mean time, let us protect our citizens and children from taboo language on television.

Works Cited

McWhorter, John. “Letting Words Fly.” Exploring Language. Ed. Suzanna P. Chambers. New York: Pearson, 2010. 424. Print. 19 March 2011.

That’s So Gay: The spread of prejudicial language

So I turned on the tube the other day and saw a very interesting commercial with Wanda Sykes walking up to a few boys in a restaurant. The boys were talking, and they said “That’s so gay” ("That's So Gay"). In that moment Sykes swiftly gets up, and references a pepper shaker to the boy who said those harmful words, and she did so by stating, “Man this pepper shaker is so sixteen year old boy with a cheesy mustache”. Sykes is basically stating that people should not spread the usage of prejudicial language, and should examine what they are saying more closely. Society has become very familiar and accepting of the word “gay” to reference to things as essentially stupid. That is extremely insulting to the gay community because then it is implying that gay people are stupid, which is certainly not true and is a wrongful generalization. So how do words like “gay” become so popularly accepted in our everyday life? There are many ways this can happen, although prejudicial language can be easily spread through movies, television, books, and music.

The media and written word can multiply prejudicial language like festering bacteria because they can be easily widespread in the community. Movies and television have the ability to spread prejudicial language based on the likeability of storyline or characters. A television show that is extremely prejudicial and well liked is Family Guy. Sure, Family Guy makes light of serious situations, although in real life they are serious. The fact that people like Family Guy’s characters and storyline help spread prejudicial language. Also, books can spread prejudicial messages in language like Hitler’s Mein Kampf, which was prejudicial against the Jewish race. This influenced a lot of people to follow in these prejudicial messages and ideas against the Jewish race. Music can also create prejudicial language among society because it can make something sound “cool”, and most important it can come off as acceptable. Songs have the ability to make prejudicial language acceptable because they are catchy and cool sounding. When a song is catchy people tend to sing it, and that message that the song is projecting is unknowingly enforced by that person. You see it all the time, someone will be singing sort of song, and not even realize what they are saying. Sometimes they don’t even know all the words, like me. Movies, television, books, and music all have the power to increase prejudicial language.

Wanda Sykes was trying to extinguish the wildfire of prejudicial language with her commercial, and I think that’s what we all need to do. We all need to grab a brimming bucket full of water, and smother the fire at the base of the blue. It is okay to watch shows like Family Guy, although we shouldn’t implement those hateful ideas or messages into our lives. In fact, it is sort of a guidebook on how not to act. In addition, books that share hateful language should be put aside. Finally, music that expresses prejudicial language should not be repeated like a squawking parrot. We all need to look at what influences our lives, and examine ways to take out prejudicial language.

Works Cited

“That’s So Gay.” ThinkB4YouSpeak. Ad Council, n.d. Web. 13 April 2011.

Forgetful Freedoms: Reading Lolita in Tehran

We’ve all heard that saying, you haven’t missed something until it’s gone. It is those small things in life that we simply forget are so important in our everyday life, our forgetful freedoms. These small things are the basis of our life, and many of us would be shocked if our simple freedoms were taken away. Many people outside of America do not have the same freedoms as we do. As an American, the very thought of not being able to express myself in print is something that I would find extremely shocking. After all, I have been taught that I have the freedom of speech. I could not fathom the idea of having my basic freedoms taken away. However, everyday someone in the world is being treated unjustly by the denial of these basic American freedoms, such as those in Reading Lolita in Tehran. In Reading Lolita in Tehran there was one conversation that surprised me most about the lack of freedom in Tehran. The conversation that surprised me about the lack of freedom in Tehran took place when Sanaz showed up late to the private reading class at Nafisi’s house.

Her story was familiar. A fortnight earlier, Sanaz and five of her girlfriends had gone for a two-day vacation by the Caspian Sea…Sanaz kept emphasizing that they were all properly dressed, with their scarves and long robes. They were all sitting outside, in the garden; six girls and one boy. There were no alcoholic beverages in the house, no undesirable tapes or CDs. (Nafisi 72)

In the first part of this story there is so much that is surprising. Firstly, it is surprising that this is a “familiar” story. The fact that this happens all the time is shocking in and of itself. Secondly, it is shocking that these women are required to wear scarves and long robes. Of course, from the media I have already had prior knowledge on this situation, although it is still outrageous and surprising that in this day and age people are told what to wear in public. In American, it is our freedom to express our individuality through fashion, and there have been many disputes regarding mandatory fashion, such as in school systems. Thirdly, the fact that the people of Iran are not allowed to drink or listen to certain music is appalling. Many fine citizens of the United States partake in the consumption of alcohol, and listen to various types of music every night. Just within a few sentences of the conversation there are already a vast amount of freedoms that are denied of the people of Iran, and that is highly surprising. However, continuing with the story:

And then “they” came with their guns, the morality squads, surprising them by jumping over the low walls. They claimed to have received a report of illegal activities, and wanted to search the premise. Unable to find fault with their appearance, one of the guards sarcastically said that looking at them, with their Western attitudes......The truth of the matter was that their search for alcoholic beverages, tapes and CDs had led to nothing, but they already had a search warrant and didn’t’ want it to go to waste. The guards took all of them to a special jail for infractions in matters of morality.… They were held in that room for forty-eight hours. Despite their repeated requests, they were denied the right to call their parents. Apart from brief excursions to the rest room at appointed times, they left the room twice — the first time to be led to a hospital, where they were given virginity tests by a woman gynecologist, who had her students observe the examinations. Not satisfied with her verdict, the guards took them to a private clinic for a second check. (Nafisi 72)

This final part of the story has to be the most disturbing and startling incident I have read in Reading Lolita in Tehran. These girls were searched unjustifiably, imprisoned due to absurd charges, denied phone calls, and were given forced “virginity tests”. There are so many freedoms here that, from the perspective of an American, were taken away, freedoms that sometimes we take for granted in the United States.

Sometimes it is easy to forget what freedoms are in place in the United States. As Americans we think that there is no other way of living, and that freedom just exists. But that is most certainly not the case for the women of Iran. Some of these women have not even experienced the kind of freedoms we have here, and for them being thrown in jail for unjust reasons is the norm. They might be able to obtain freedom in other ways, like reading, but they never get to experience our kind of freedom. It is certainly surprising to see the kind of freedoms that the people of Iran lack compared to American society, and it really makes me appreciate America even more so. We mustn’t forget our freedoms.

Works Cited

Nafisi, Azar. Reading Lolita in Tehran. New York: Random House, 2004. Print. 28 March 2011.

That 50's Show: Nonverbal Differences between Genders

“Men and women commonly use nonverbal communication in ways that reflect societal expectations” (Gamble). In other words, nonverbal communication within the genders usually shows the “societal expectations” during that time (Gamble). Cues that are connected to language, but are not actual words can be considered nonverbal communication, such as pitch, tone, facial expressions, and touch, and both men and women are different when it comes to these elements.

Women tend to have a higher pitch to their voice than men. This might be due to the fact that men have naturally deeper voices, although some women do not have as squeaky as a voice as they might make others perceive. One thing from childhood that I remember quiet clearly was when my mother was dating there would be an alteration in the pitch of her voice. As soon as her date’s polished black shoe would touch the cold pavement she all the sudden sounded like more “girly”. This change was because she altered the pitch of her voice to a higher form, and she fit the “societal expectations” of her gender role. My mother does not have a deep voice, although you will not find her filling in for any Disney princess character.

The tone of men and women have can be vastly different but they can also be similar, and I think the current time indicates what the tone will be like for both genders, like the 1950s. In the ‘50s there was a distinguishable difference between men and women when it came to tone. Women were portrayed as whimsical with their tone, almost sing-song. This was attractive, and made women seem more feminine, thus their tone reflected their society’s expectations of their extreme femininity. Men of course did not have this sing-song characteristic with their tone, although some had a serious and stern tone.

I think the best example of this difference in tone would be Red and Kitty, despite the fact that they are from That 70’s Show they were definitely stuck in the ‘50s. Kitty had a whimsical tone, while Red was serious and stern with his tone. In addition, I think that Donna was a good example of what tone women take now a days, which is serious and definitely not sing-song. This is of course just generalizing, but television does usually depict what society deems as acceptable, thus the tones used during these time periods indicate what was perceived as “normal” for gender roles.

Facial expressions do differ between men and women. Usually the difference is that women smile a lot, while men do not. I see a lot of this at my job, Subway. The women working at Subway will smile a lot more, than the men working there. Of course, many of them do not have a reason to smile, but it is often times seen that women have this friendly demeanor as opposed to the men.

I do not necessarily agree with the idea that “men are much more likely to touch women than women are to touch men” (Gamble). I have been born and raised in a Western culture, and it has always been looked down upon if a man touches a woman. In fact, I had this very conversation between my mother and boyfriend. We discussed how it usually means something when a man touches a woman, and if that woman is not inviting this touch, then it is frowned upon greatly by society. I do not know if it is the physical power that most men have over women, but it is seen as less invasive and dominating when a women touches a man. Women are less threatening due to their lack of physical superiority, and that is probably the reason as to why it is seen as okay by my mother and boyfriend for a woman to touch a man, but not for a man to touch a women. Then again, they could be biased on the fact that both of them do not want another man to touch me.

Both men and women are different from each other when it comes to nonverbal cues, such as pitch, tone, facial expressions, and touch. It makes sense that women and men are different when it comes to these aspects of nonverbal communication, after all, they depict the gender roles of that time due to the “societal expectations” (Gamble). Having these differences in nonverbal communication allows for a clear distinction between the two genders.

Works Cited

Gamble, Teri Kwal, Michael W. Gamble. “Nonverbal Behavior: Culture, Gender, and the Media.” Exploring Language. Ed. Suzanna P. Chambers. New York: Pearson, 2010. 147. Print. 8 March 2011.

You talk too much, you are so quiet: The Exploration of Speech Patterns and Stereotypes

I used to be that shy quiet girl, and I still am from time to time. In middle school I would hide my face in the mist of my hair, and hope that no one would talk to me. I guess you could say I was introverted at one point in my life. Those that know me now, know that is definitely not the case any longer. The problem is, people perceived me as thick and dull due to this lack of communication. People would try and break through my shell, but I would not have it. I liked the quiet. This quiet let my thoughts and feelings flourish like a lush garden in my mind, but no one knew that. This did not change people’s opinions about me either. I was that stereotypical weird introverted girl with the dark clothing and hunched over fast paced walk, all due to my lack of communication with my peers. Much like my middle school experience woman are often perceived as ignorant because they often times do not dominate a conversation with a member of the opposite sex, which is often due to their need to support a conversation and not look as if they are “showing off”.

This speech pattern of not lecturing or dominating during a conversation with a male, creates a stereotypical perception of the female gender. The speech pattern that a woman usually partakes in while conversing with a man is supportive feedback. Of course this is not for all instances, but when a man tries to dominate the conversation the woman usually is given the role as a listener, and the man takes over the role as the lecturer. It is often times in a woman’s nature to follow this gender role, as a non-domineering figure in the conversation. Woman will give supportive feedback, since they are in the role of listening. However, being in this role of listening backfires on a woman, and in turn creates a stereotypical perception. When women are in the role of listening they are quiet, and do not contribute to the conversation. This quietness is perceived as not knowing anything about the topic, thus learning new information from the lecturer. Therefore, the woman is seen as ignorant, and the stereotype that women are unknowing docile creatures is enforced.

As a quiet young girl in middle school, I was confined to this similar stereotype of ignorance, although I decided that not communicating my knowledge will not do any good. Some women may think that they are just supporting the conversation, but they are also unknowingly supporting this stereotype of ignorance due to their quiet speech pattern. Of course it is not always the man dominating the conversation, and many times women will be seen in the light of the other stereotype that they talk too much. However, that is why they are considered stereotypes, because they do not apply to all. Being a supportive figure in a conversation is not a bad thing, but adding to a conversation is not bad either.

Doubletalk: The impact of English globalization

Do you remember Doubletalk? It was that weird “dialect” of English that was spoken all over the school grounds. Children of the 90s most likely experienced it, or even spoke it. Since I am a creation of the 90s, I would know. Doubletalk was an alteration of English, and it turned English into this special little language that only fellow classmates were able to decode. This was done by altering the endings or beginnings of words to make them appear as if they were new exotic words. Different dialects of English are plentiful, and different cultures make English their own just like I did as a child.

The globalization of English would have a massive impact on the language itself due to the fact that the language would be altered. This alteration would be on the premise that the language would be introduced to new cultures, which consist of different languages. This globalization of English would also influence the evolution of English because of its expansion and alteration. Undoubtedly, if English were to actually be globalized then the English language would have a huge expansion and alteration. This idea that English would change and grow is based off of the idea of dialects. There are many different dialects of English, which range from Doubletalk to black speech, or African-American vernacular English. African-American vernacular English represents the change or evolution and expansion of the English language, which in turn represents the impact that globalization could have on English.

African-American dialect represents the impact that globalization would have on the English language through alteration. The origin of black speech was said to be “after the great migration to the North from World War I to the 1970s, blacks were segregated in urban ghettoes, had less contact with whites than they had in places like Springville, and their speech began to develop new features, as all human speech does when people are separated culturally and have little communication” (MacNeil). This separation altered English language because blacks were not in contact with whites to be taught the correct format of English. African-American vernacular English is a dialect of English, and “is recognized as having its own internal consistency and grammatical forms" (MacNeil). Black speech not only altered the English language, but it expanded it, thus enacting evolution of the English language.

Though Doubletalk was created for fun and secrecy on the playground, it still gave children the ability to communicate through an altered form of English, much like blacks are able to communicate efficiently though African-American vernacular English. If English were to globalize, then the language would change and expand. Dialects show that this would happen if other languages and cultures were to conform to the English language. This is simply because if the English language changes with people who already speak English then it will undoubtedly change with people of another language. It is also clear that the environments in which people are in help change and expand English language. There are many different dialects in the world for every culture. Dialects alter and expand English language, and with the globalization of English it would definitely change and expand as well.

Works Cited
MacNeil, Robert. “Do you Speak American?.” Exploring Language. Ed. Suzanna P. Chambers. New York: Pearson, 2010. 147. Print. 8 March 2011.

Small words create big ideas

Many students use words that look very long and complex, and most of the time they do not even know what these words mean. I come across this all the time when I am tutoring a student in writing. I am also a victim to this idea that by using big elaborate words my writing will look more scholarly. Although after reading an article by Richard Lederer, who is a well known author on books relating to language, I found out that the big words do not make a piece of writing any better. Richard Lederer’s article titled, The Case for Short Words, gave me the most useful information for improving my own writing by giving me the chance to reduce the confusion of my readers, side-step the idea that bigger words make profound writing, and allow for me to express my ideas in a clearer manner, all by writing simply.

I like to throw in elaborate and complex words into my essays just because it looks more academic, although these complex words can cause confusion for the audience. Who doesn’t want to look smart? Of course we all want to look smart, but sometimes if we use big words, they can confuse the reader. As Lederer puts it “Big words can make the way dark for those who read what you write and hear what you say”. This means that big words can make it hard for the reader to understand what you are saying, and these words will put them in the dark. There really is no need for big words as long as you can get your idea across to the reader. I am now trying to add this idea of short wording to my own writing so I will not confuse my readers.

When one wants to look academic and profound there is no need for big words. One can be just as deep with their writing as they would be with big words by using small words. There is a certain “power of small words” which is shown through such examples as Shakespeare, Winston Churchill, and Robert Frost. All of these famous people were able to let light shine on their written works of art just by using simple words. Using small words does not mean there will be no detail or lack of imagery. There are plenty of monosyllabic words in the English language according to Lederer, so there should be no trouble being able to depict descriptive and creative writing. Thus, big words are not needed to be deep because there are so many words to choose from.

By using short words I can also express the idea that I am trying to get across to my reader in an easier way. I do not have to strain to think about what intricate and multi-faceted words I have to use, but instead I can focus on my message. After all, the main reason for writing is usually to get an idea across. So, by using small words I will be able to express my ideas more clearly because my message is my focus.

From Lederer’s article I learned that the idea that writing really long words does not allow for better writing, but can really impact a piece of writing in a negative manner. Using complicated words can cause confusion for the reader. Also, using big words does not mean that a piece of writing is going to be profound. Lastly, by making use of small words ideas can be more direct and clear. The cliché that less is more definitely fits this situation. By using fewer words you and your audience gain more knowledge on the subject.

Works Cited

Lederer, Richard. “The Case for Short Words.” Exploring Language. Ed. Suzanne P. Chambers. New York: Pearson, 2010. 122-124. Print.

Don't look away

Indifference and silence can be seen as a crime. There is so much injustice that can result from remaining silent and emotionless to problems in our world. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a speech while in jail in Birmingham for participating in a silent protest, which was to ironically break the silence of inequality in his society at that time. And in The Perils of Indifference, which was written by Elie Weisel, he talks about how indifference caused tremendous pain and suffering on the Jewish people during the time of Hitler’s ruling. Finally, there is even indifference and silence in my own community due to homelessness. When there is a problem acting indifferent and silent can be just as bad as the thing that caused the problem, which is shown through the experiences of Martin Luther King Jr., Elie Weisel, and my community.

Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, which describes the need for not remaining silent and indifferent in order to create equality for blacks. “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.” This quote is basically stating that those who said and did bad things to people of color, and those who just stood by and watched should repent for their sins. In other words, just because people did not do anything to those people of color does not mean that they did not do something just as awful as the people that did hateful actions. These people were indifferent due to their silence, and being indifferent can allow for horrible things to happen. It is our life, our society, our world, so we must take action to enact equality all around us. For example, if we were to see someone throwing trash on the ground, we need to take action. This is our world, and if they impact our world in a negative manner by filling it with trash, then we are just enforcing the problem by remaining silent and indifferent. Disposing of trash properly to keep our community clean is not nearly as important as human equality, although this simple example should depict the importance of not remaining silent or indifferent because it is just as impacting as the person throwing the trash on the ground.

In The Perils of Indifference written by Elie Weisel, he talks about the indifference that occurred in Germany and America, which causes much pain and suffering. Weisel defines indifference in many different ways throughout his speech, although in one part he states how indifference can change humans into something else, something cold. Weisel states, “In a way, to be indifferent to that suffering is what makes the human being inhuman. Indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger and hatred.” What this quote is saying is that to be indifferent means that one is not human. An indifferent person has no emotions. Therefore, they have no humanistic qualities, making them almost robotic. Anger and hatred are humanistic emotions that produce responses, but how can there be a response to something that has not even been initiated? That is even worse than being put through the enraging hate of another person because if someone does not have any emotions, then there is no hope. Much like Martin Luther King, Jr. he believes that indifference is just as harmful, if not more, than actions due to emotions.

I believe that indifference and silence can cause many harmful things in our society. For example, we have a big homeless problem here in the Antelope Valley, and this might be partially due to indifference. Most people in the community find these homeless people to be a burden upon our society, and instead of fixing the problem, they ignore the problem with hopes that it will just go away. However, if we were to maybe get involved and try and reduce the homeless population, then maybe we would not have to look at unbearable suffering on our streets. Indifference and silence is fueling this homeless problem, and if we were to just possibly volunteer in the homeless shelters or offer supplies, we can alleviate this problem. By not being indifferent and staying silent we can change our world, just like Martin Luther King Jr. did, and how Elie Weisel tried to convey.

Experiences of the negative effects of indifference and silence have been shown through Martin Luther King Jr., Elie Weisel, and my community. King knew that in order to create equality people had to start to take action and break the silence and indifference. Weisel knew that indifference can cause devastating feelings from his own experience in concentration camps. I know that indifference and silence has created a major homeless problem in the Antelope Valley. Indifference and silence can impact every part of our life, so why not try and take action when you see a problem in your society?

Lilia Lacks Literacy

The ability to be able to read and write are skills that not everyone has obtained, and it is shocking for me to find this to be true. I was oblivious to the high illiteracy rates in America when I was in high school, and assumed that everyone was taught to some extent how to read and write. However, this is definitely not the case. There are many different reasons behind high illiteracy rates. These include high school dropouts, teen pregnancy, and coming from a foreign country. I used to have a babysitter named Lilia that was from Mexico, and she was illiterate in English. I never stopped to think that it was extremely difficult for her to do anything in the United States because reading and writing is integral to society. If I were to see through the eyes of Lilia, I would see many hardships due to illiteracy. There are two main challenges that would be tremendously difficult for Lilia to overcome, obtaining a job and helping her daughter with school.

Lilia had a child, which means she had to find a job to support her child, but this could have been difficult because of her illiteracy. Fortunately my mother knew Spanish and was able to give Lilia a job. The inability to read and write could have blocked Lilia’s chances in obtaining employment. Firstly, she would not be able to create resumes and cover letters. Secondly, she would not be able to read whatever the employer wanted her to read. Thirdly, she would not be able to communicate effectively during the interview because she could not speak English. That creates a huge communication barrier here, and it would make it extremely difficult for Lilia to find work in an established business.

Lilia’s child attended school here in America. Children often need help with their homework, which Lilia could not help with. Parents are almost always the first resource for a child in grade school to go to when they need help academically. Typically the parents are literate, and are able to help their children, although this was definitely not the case for Lilia. She could not help her child in school because she herself could not do the homework. This lack of help for her daughter would impact her daughter’s education negatively in the long run. Of course there are other resources for her child to go to, although those resources are not always present like a parent. Due to Lilia’s illiteracy she was not able to help her child succeed in school, which must have been devastating for Lilia to experience.

Illiteracy is rampant in the United States, and there are many reasons as to why. Lilia was a statistic in the high illiteracy rate in the United States, and this could have impacted her harshly when she was trying to find a job. In addition, she was helpless when it came to her daughter’s education because she was not able to understand her homework. Illiteracy can impact many parts of people’s lives negatively, although being literate is not always a choice.

Thinking Crtically

Whenever I read a text there are two main tactics I use in order comprehend the text to its fullest. The first thing I do when I start reading text in a book is reread every sentence. This technique helps me take in what the text is trying to convey. Otherwise, I might miss something that it is trying to say. To me, this way of reading is considered critical reading and thinking. Secondly, I will often times summarize what I read next to the text, and try to pinpoint exactly what the text’s main point was. In addition, by critically observing the text in this manner I am almost looking beyond what the text is trying to convey to me, and creating my own meaning, for writing is subjective.

This critical way of reading and thinking is helpful in many aspects of my life, and you guessed it, especially in academics. It gives me an opportunity to truly understand the text I am learning for a course to the fullest degree, which in turn helps me succeed in the course. Additionally, when it comes to my writing in academics I am very critical. I review my essays at least five times before I submit them. Despite the fact that I wrote the material, there is always room for improvement, whether it is the way something is worded, or if grammar and punctuation are off, or if I just want to make sure I am not being redundant. There is always, always, always, room for improvement, and in order to make those adjustments I have to critically analyze my own work, which at times can be difficult, seeing as how I did create it. However, if I take a step back from the written piece for at least a day, I am able to look at my work from another perspective, and find errors that I might have skipped over. Many times writers have this problem after writing a piece, they are so fixated on what they are trying to get across that they completely skim over minute errors, and sometimes even big mistakes; and that is why it is best to take a step back.

Not only does critical thinking help me prosper in school, but it also helps in my everyday life, such as my job at Subway. I am better able to understand what my boss wants from me by critically thinking about things he tells me. By reviewing what he tells me I am better able to adjust to whatever is expected of me on the job, thus my job performance is on a high level.

Finally, in my other job, as a writing tutor at Antelope Valley College, I find my critical thinking skills to be particularly helpful. While working there I have found that my critical analysis skills give me the ability to spot out chronic problems in my tutee’s written work, such as the incorrect usage of tenses. From there I am able to help them correct their continuous problem(s), which is usually done by providing a handout and explaining the context. Also, with my ability to critically read I am able to help my tutees brainstorm new possible ideas for their work. This is due to the fact that by reading their work critically I am able to pinpoint the direction they want to take their work in.

Hopefully, by the end of English 103 my critical reading, writing, and thinking skills will improve tenfold, which will only help me academically and professionally in the future. This is a critical reading, writing, and thinking course, thus I can only see it improving my skills. As they say, practice makes perfect.