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[erudite1997]

Britt Perry  : Meet the New Bitc*

Words that we use in our society.

-Swag, this word means to have a certain popular rhythm to your life.

-Jelly, to be jealous of someone.

Response- Throughout history, humans have translated several types of dialect and each one, although drastically different from one another, has words that have negative connotations. The question I have to all who consider words offensive is this, why are words offensive? Why do people allow words to bother them? This article has helped to answer these questions by giving the word’s historical context which explained how the word came to be. This idea of sensitivity has been in debate over the question of where is the limit? In Texas this past weekend there was a shooting at a community center by Jihadists against a group asking for the censorship of language to be thrown away due to over sensitivity. I agree that people are so afraid to criticize or disrespect someone in these days because they fear that someone will kill them for it. In France, when the political cartoon company Charlie Hebdo, made several cartoons of Mohamed several terrorists murdered several employees. Over sensitivity has plagued our nation to the point where we can no even refer to Christmas Break as its name because we are afraid to offend somebody with contrasting beliefs. This is a problem. 

Going back to the story of the Texas art gallery shootings, the leader of this group went onto CNN to give her side of the argument for Freedom of Speech. Although some people would call her a crazy racist, I would say that she brought up several valid points about over sensitivity and the fact that as a society we have in fact promoted the idea of sensitivity to the point where Jihadists are beheading people for having different beliefs. Some would argue that the people who oppose these Jihadist ideals have the right to express their anger and that any religion would do the same thing. To the average educated audience we know that to be false because earlier this year an artist put a crucifix into a jar of urine and called it art yet no Christian has stepped forward to massacre anyone. The Jihadists are, as this leader said, savages. There is no excuse for civilized nations and people to go to war because of words and ideas. Our society must now face the idea of over sensitivity and fight back. 

In conclusion, this article has shown why people deem the word bitc* to be offensive however it fails to answer the fundamental question of why do we consider words offensive when in reality they hold no weight or value. Overall this article did prove to be interesting in that it was able to trace the origins of such a infamous word.

[erudite1997]

Lord of the Flies 4-17-15

The novel Lord of the Flies is a rather good novel. It details how a government can be affected when faced with basic human instincts. A prime example of these traits are Jack and Piggy. Jack holds the savagery side of human instincts while Piggy holds the orderly and intellectual aspect of humanity. These two clash over the best way to run the Island’s government. Ralph is torn between the two contrasting ideas because he can relate to both of them but at the same time he must think of the best way to keep his power over the boys of the Island. Ralph usually sides with Piggy because he must respect the power of the shell which is used to indicate who speaks. This novel is fascinating because it is the ultimate forbidden experiment. This is all hypothetical because we have never experienced an experiment in which these conditions are imposed on subjects so young. It is the ideal experiment because these boys range from 6-12 years of age and have very little experience in our society so it is fascinating that they chose to make a government at all. Should those boys have been any younger they might not have made it because they were not mature enough to realize that you should not go to the bathroom where your drinking water it.....

In conclusion, I am very excited to see how this novel ends. I also will be watching Piggy’s movements very closely. I really hopes that he lives to the ultimate rescue I assume will take place.

[erudite1997]

The Wicked Will Rise 4-3-15

The Wicked Will Rise is the sequel to Dorothy Must Die. I have long awaited this novel’s release and even went as far as to pay $18 for a hard back copy! I was so excited that I read this novel within three days! This novel is about Amy going into hiding and attempting to find out what happened to the Order after the attack on the Emerald City. Amy goes to the Wingless' Queendom to rest from the battle. She eventually goes to the Rainbow land where she fights Dorothy and Glinda in a bloody battle. In order to understand the ending you must have read the third prequel which was the Wizars Returns which detailed the Wizard's final actions in the novel. Overall this novel was a great addition to the series and I look forward to the final novel.

[erudite1997]

Matt Dawkins

There has been a debate on whether it is ethically correct for someone to change their gender. Some have called it a mental disorder due to the imbalance of chemicals in the brain causing an individual to feel as though they should be the opposite gender. Television shows such as the drag queen contest certainly do not add to the subject’s popularity. I myself fear to share my thoughts on the issue because of how society will react. It is nothing that would get me into trouble or anything that would be seen as disrespectful however once I begin I fear for my thoughts on the issue. Let us just say that I am 100% okay with homosexuality and all that however, I feel uncomfortable with the transgender issue; in fact I disagree with it for religious reasons. Now, one may argue that I am a hypocrite for believe some of the religious doctrine however those criticism hold very little water for me because this is my life and I will chose what doctrine I will follow. My disagreement with this issue would never be said out loud because it is no one’s business what I believe in. I am intelligent enough to know that if I take a side I will be attacked for what I say to the point where I could get into trouble. I simply think that God gave humans their genders for a reason and the gender should not be changed because you are then saying that your body is imperfect. I do believe that people should be happy and live their lives freely but I do not see myself ever doing that. Of course I would accept anyone who is transgender because I do not judge people by their gender or attractions but merely on their minds and actions. I do think it should be allowed for Matt to express his thoughts publicly because it is really none of my business. Unfortunately, I used to date her for an extensive period before ‘she’ became a ‘he’. Of course I have been made fun of for having dated someone who is now a transgender and it is not very fair that he should be happy and I should not be. Ultimately, I wish I never dated him because people are not simply cruel to him but to those who have had history with him. I do not need to be teased and made fun of more than I already am. Some may say, hey you are being selfish for being that way, but just because I am being selfish to protect myself does’t make me a bad person. With that said I think Matt is and always was a great person but this decision to change genders is unsettling to me because he is one of the first cases I have had experience with. There are good memories but they are shadowed by the teasing and upsetting comments I have received over this story.

I do have another transgender friend whose change came as a shock to me. Then I ask myself, why is Matt’s story better than Skye’s? Is that fair? The answer is no. Good for Matt that he has gotten this story but why should my friend not be treated with the same respect Matt is? My theory on this matter is that it is because Matt is an athlete. Athletes have gotten so much publicity due to the fact that they participate in sports. This is a talk for another time however, I will say that it is odd that people in sports get more publicity than that of someone in the plays or chess club. 

In summation, I am happy that Matt is happy despite my personal beliefs. If I receive any talks or discipline for my words then we shall see why people like me get brushed under the rug for being the minority.

[erudite1997]

Free Blog

Hey Polites this is what I would like to learn for the rest of the year.....

Short stories, NO POETRY!!!! I appreciate poetry however I do not like being forced to study poems that have no interest to me. I prefer darker poetry than what our curriculum studies. The short stories should be a higher level however they should all be fictitious so that we can keep our student’s interests in tact. Perhaps if you used stories like that then the class could be more involved.  

Free Blog-

In the future I hope to become a high school history teacher at the AP/Honors level. Being a teacher has been a dream of mine since I began forcing my sister to complete complex worksheets for math, being the only subject I could think of making worksheets for, and then grading them. I attempted to teach my sister the basics of mathematics which at that time was adding and subtracting since she was five and I was seven. This was a great activity for me because I loved showing her how to over come problems and then excelling in any area we covered.  I came to high school many years later only to find that my love of math had died and was replaced by a new love, history. The next question, after establishing what I wanted to teach was how to teach it. Over the years I had studied many forms of teaching styles and often found myself enjoying the style of a stress free environment however there would still be rules. I have witnessed teachers screaming at students and I have experienced teachers getting walked all over by their students. My philosophy then developed to the idea of a middle ground where the students would know who is in command however they would not be afraid to speak their minds in a respectful way. The idea of screaming at students for misconduct is an idea of the past that should be cast out rather than encouraged. By screaming at students, especially at a low level, we encourage students to resent going to school and thereby resent learning. Teachers who scream at students often wonder why the children are not motivated when in reality it is their fault. Students deserve to speak their minds in a healthy way that will not result in negative reinforcement.  I find myself drawn to the idea of passive teaching in a way that will motivate my students to reach their maximum potential. As teachers it is our responsibility to not only teach the children but to also develop a sense of a second home and a place where they are not afraid to develop their intellectual skills. A healthy environment makes a healthy and productive learning experience which is lacking in areas of our country. I am calling for change. Of course teachers have their own things to worry about however it should not interfere with the teaching process. These are the people who are assisting in the production of the next generation who will shape the world and I figure that if I can help in that process to produce a small amount of intellectuals who may have a hand in changing the world than I am an advocate for being a positive influence on these children’s lives. History is so rich with morals and intellectual development that could influence the next generation so why not make that experience a positive one?

[erudite1997]

The Wizard Returns 3-27-15

Contentment. Like all human beings the Wizard, who was no different than the standard human, had a thirst for something more. Something that was better than all of the riches in the exotic land of Oz. The Wizard went from living as a traveling sideshow to the supreme leader of a land of magic. After Dorothy came along he lost his kingdom he was forced to flee the land and return the the Other Place. In the first chapter he details how he came to want something more than what he had, which was everything. He didn't know what he had, the lush parties and rich foods, until he lost it by the hands of Dorothy. In Wicked, after losing his power, the Witch of the West had a vision of the Wizard returning to the Other Land and having an inevitable suicide waiting. In this novel he was only going to return home and go back to the side show. This is an interesting contrast between the two series because in Wicked he was portrayed as pure evil and in Dorothy Must Die he is presented as silly and whimsical. In any case, the Wizard felt a sense of excitement when the magic of Oz forced his balloon to fall and crash into the poppy fields. He then lost his memory and is being revived by another character who is really a woman which is revealed in the first book. I look forward to seeing what happens next.

[erudite1997]

Dorothy Must Die 3-20-15

A twist on an old tale.

The novel, Dorothy Must Die, is a revolutionary idea for a perception of Oz. It is a very dark novel with its language and gore. This novel adds sexuality and violence to the once lovely story of Oz. Dorothy and her beloved entourage are now sadistic rulers of Oz who want all of the land’s power for themselves. They rule with an iron fist and only care for themselves, with a few exceptions.

Glinda, the witch who was seen as kind, is now a wicked witch who’s only public goal is to serve her Princess but in private she wants all of the magic in the land. The Lion is now a monster who drinks the fear of his victims. I this novel he is King of the Beasts and uses them as an army to conquer any resisting villages. After he had helped Dorothy conquer Oz he then marched on villages, basically destroying them then feeding on the villagers. The Scarecrow is now the mastermind in Oz and steals intelligence from other beings which he injects into his own brain. He takes people who object to Dorothy that have been maimed beyond healing. He then puts tin parts onto them and makes them deadly only to be enrolled into the Tin Woodman's army. The Tin Woodman has attached parts to himself to become more dangerous. He is commander of the Tin army and marches through Oz spreading Dorothy's rule. He is also fanatically in love with Dorothy making him a weaker character. Finally, Dorothy is Princess of Oz when in reality the role of Princess is just a title. She is really a sadistic dictator who commands with a hot temper and an iron fist. She is the ultimate evil in Oz. Only Amy can defeat her. This book is AMAZING!!!!! HIGH RECOMMEND MS P!

[erudite1997]

Rise of Darth Vader

Conquering a planet for slaves. (Possible race involvement) (human superiority) The Wookie planet of Kashyyk was under siege by the Empire so that it may obtain a large number of slaves to work on a super weapon which would be the legacy of this Empire. The Empire adopted the mindset of human supremacy over the other species of the galaxy. The Emperor himself ensured that most of the inner circle and his high commanders were humans. There were few exceptions of course due to talent over powering race but those are stories for a different time. We see parallels between history and Star Wars in that the white people saw the blacks as inhuman just as the Empire did with other species. In any case the battle progressed swimmingly until Lord Vader's army was taking too many losses so he decided to order a bombardment of the planet thus wiping out most resistance. About 200 million Wookies were enslaved. This was seen as acceptable for the Empire and their followers because in enslaving these people they would help further the Empire in some way unknown to the people. This novel was surprisingly slow because the first and second book in the series were so good. This book was good in the sense that we got a look at how the Empire formed and delt with resistance before the formation of the Rebel Alliance.

[erudite1997]

Dorothy Must Die

Power changes people.

This novel shows what a little taste of power can do to even the sweetest of people. The quest for obtaining and controlling magic is the main goal for Dorothy and Glinda, her second in command. These two go to extraordinary extremes to obtain as much power from the land of Oz as they can. Glinda mines the magic from the land by using slave children to dig these mines and before resulting to slaves she would use her powers to throw tremendous energy balls into the ground thus mining the magic. Dorothy restricted the use of magic so that no one but she and her commanders may use it. This idea of controlling a manifestation of actual power, magic, is a brilliant move by the author to show how much power hungry people crave control. Dorothy has changed from being a lovely little 16 year old girl to a monstrous little princess who wants to hurt people and watch them suffer. This idea of a character change is really hard to attempt when the idea of Dorothy being the pure character is ingrained into the minds of all the people who have watched The Wizard of Oz.

[erudite1997]

Rise of Darth Vader

Shift from democracy to authoritarian.

This novel details the problems and strategies of the shift from a democracy authoritarian government. Palpatine changed his title from Supreme Chancellor to Emperor thus changing the Republic into an Empire. This was met with resistance from several senators within the Republic and some of the military who refused to carry out order 66, this order called for the execution of all Jedi who were the generals of the armies of the Republic. The senators did not trust the Emperor because to them anyone who would crush a democracy is not worth trusting. The Emperor has his ways of silencing those who speak out against his rule. His lap dog, Lord Vader, tracks down and kills all of those who oppose the Emperor. This not only benefits the Emperor but Lord Vader himself because if the Emperor loses his power at such an early stage in this new Empire what chance does Vader have of keeping control? This novel is very realistic in interpreting how people would react to a shift in government that allowed certain freedoms to a government that restricted all liberties.

[erudite1997]

Higher Ed.

College is a business who's job it is to make money and supply degrees to those who have earned them. The main goal of colleges is to make money. How does one make money if other competitors are stealing students from them? The answer lies in modernization of the college and improving other aspects of the college. To modernize costs a large sum of money. Where do they get the money? From the college students who are willing to pay an arm and a leg to get a degree so they may be successful in life. Therefore, colleges are free to charge whatever sum of money they please. Banks also benefit from this cycle the colleges go through due to the huge amounts of money loaned to students. The only person not benefiting is the student who, even with a degree, can not find a job and has had their loans called. They also have the responsibility of normal living costs and now they have staggering loans to worry about. Then the former student is crushed by poverty. How can one endure in a world where the system is primarily to crush whatever resistance rises for the sake of money? The answer is to have online schools that give legitimate degrees and a student does not have to pay astronomically high prices. The colleges have nearly monopolized the degree market, the words of Kevin Carey. There is no other way to lower the price of college but to make a second option for a person who can not afford to take out loans of that size. 

The average student must keep their work and information organized so that they may continue to pass their course by turning in papers and grades. Some people simply can not cope with the overwhelming amount of paper work that is given in college for the student to do. This leads to failure when an assignment is either lost or failed to turn in. By using an online school we eliminate the need for organization because the website puts all work into a neat folder where there is no opportunity for the papers to get misplaced. After graduation and the degree is received, the next step is to find a job that will allow you to live a happy life. This is difficult when you are job hunting and have to spend a lot of time in an interview explaining your skills and show credentials when this can be done by the employer on their own by simply looking into a student's portfolio. 

In conclusion, the average student faces a daunting task of succeeding in a post college world. This act of surviving financially is the ultimate test which will see if you succeed in life. The cost of college must be lowered if we want to see an increase in the wealth of the average student. This goal will most likely not be achieved by the time I attend college which is a sad thing because I can see that I will struggle in life due to large loans and a rather low paying job. I know that teachers may make a large sum of money but that does not happen for several years. Even getting into a teaching position will be a task that will be difficult due to the low amount of jobs in the field. The future will be tough and nothing will change unless there is another option for college education.

[erudite1997]

Suicide

During the Oscars on the 22nd of February several issues came up such as, suicide, equal pay for men and women, and race. Suicide was touched on by Graham Moore and Dana Perry in their acceptance speeches. Moore spoke of how he almost killed himself when he was a teenager for feeling out of place and somehow less worthy than others due to the difference in his personality. He then called on all of the teenagers in the world to not change their ways because they were born that way and in his view there is a place for everyone in the world. Then, Dana Perry spoke of her son's suicide. Perry won for her short film about the people who run the hotlines for potentially suicidal teens. She won and then spoke about how suicide hurts not only the person but the people around that person and how everyone should get help if they wish to commit suicide so that they can continue living and serve out their destinies.

My personal view on suicide is that it is never necessary. It is a choice to end one's life and a rather foolish and irresponsible choice for that matter. There are certain cases where it is a smart decision to kill one's self and that would be Hitler because had he not killed himself he would have no doubly been torture and humiliated. Teenagers who kill themselves do not have the same pressures that Hitler had so why should they decide to end their lives? The problems teens face are no where near as important or worthy of death as someone who has to face the worst of humanity. Of course humiliation is an awful act but is it worth killing one's self just so your problems will cease? The answer is no! While these words may seem strong they are supported by logical ideas of self preservation and meaningless problems faced by immature teenagers. For someone to feel the need to kill themselves because they feel out of place is so incredibly foolish that it deserves to be viewed as irresponsible. The act of killing one's self is seen as running away from one's problems rather than facing them and is ultimately seen as the ultimate act of cowardice. Hamlet, a fictional character made up in the 16th century, even realized that suicide is dishonorable and that it is a form of running away. 

With all of these things said, it is important that the adults who run these teenager's lives should have a more restrictive parenting style and be extremely involved on a teen's personal life to prevent the foolish decisions that teens make every day. No one, teens most of all due to their undeveloped brains, should kill themselves. The adults of the world should monitor these teens lives and ensure that no decision, which is irreversible, to kill themselves due to petty problems. I acnowlege that these views are harsh but they are logical in that teens are underdeveloped and may not realize that there is more to offer in life and hard times are only temporary. 

[erudite1997]

2-20-15

Oliver Cromwell in the square.

When Winston and Julia were meeting for the first time in public, Winston observed his surroundings. He saw a statue of Big Brother, of course, watching over the people in commemeration of the Battle of Airstrip One but when he looked down the street he saw a statue of Oliver Cromwell.

It is interesting to see that the party would glorify anyone besides Big Brother. Big Brother is to be valued above all else yet they have this historical figure. The Party has changed history so many times that it is unclear as to whether or not Oliver Cromwell's life story has been changed. Even if the Party did change his story slightly it would not make a difference in the way that he could possibly be viewed. With the Party's values and what they truly stand for, Cromwell's conquest of the Irish would most likely be what is valued. This is an interesting cameo for a historical figure and I am interested to see if any other historical figures would be in the novel.

[erudite1997]

1984 2/13/15

The Wars and their respective governments/regions.

The War is meant for the sole purposes of limiting resources and spreading morale for the cause. The wars are respectively with East Asia and Eurasia, the to other superstates of the world. It is never proven as to whether or not these other states even exist or even the wars for that matter. The people are constantly lied to so it is hard for the readers to determine basic plot lines. Eastasia's regions are the Middle East, China and Japan. Eurasia's regional boundaries are in Russia through Europe, with the exception of Britain. The war takes place primarily in Africa, the perfect battle ground due to it's few advantages for a country. Each country is always in allegiance with another superstate against another superstate. The war will never end because the Parties and Superstates need the war as a tool.

It is said in the book that Winston and Julia read that each superstate has a government similar to each other but with different leaders. Each has its own version of a Big Brother figure. These countries agreed a long time ago to battle over Africa to use excess resources which would make the people continually reliant on the Party.

[erudite1997]

1984 2-9-15

Big Brother and Goldstein as phantom characters.

Although Big Brother is not a physically present character he is still an important role due to Winston's eventual worship of him. It is unclear as to whether or not Big Brother is even real. Big Brother is the leader of Oceania and the god of the people. The people worship him because he supposedly freed the people from their oppression from the Capitalists which is a hint at the Industrial Revolution. There are signs all over the countries with the face of Big Brother, an older man with a thick mustache. Big Brother is thought of as not only a savior but a father who protects the people and their freedoms.  My theory is that Big Brother most likely does not exist but is rather a manifestation of the Inner Party. His posters represent the oppressive nature of the Party with all of its intimidation. Under his rule the government may do as it pleases with full support of the people because Big Brother's will is the people's will. 

Goldstein is the rebel leader who is in hiding from the Party. He is public enemy number one and is shown during the three minutes of hate. Winston hopes to follow Goldstein's orders and overthrow the Party. Like Big Brother, Goldstein is not confirmed to have been a real person or just a weapon of the Party. What I mean by weapon is that the Party may have created him to root out all Party enemies. 

If these two characters where indeed real, which I highly doubt, then it would be interesting to see them fight for control of the world.

[erudite1997]

Free Blog

Being a foster parent.

This past Saturday I realized that I had a calling. A feeling inside of me stirred and then presented itself to me. This feeling told me that I was destined to support foster children by giving them a space in my home. I then decided to do a bit of research on the topic to see experiences held by others so that I may get an idea about what this requires. I then learned that there are many children without love around the country who need to have someone in their lives to support them. I know that I have always loved small children to the point where I would be willing to care for them. However, I have no interest in having children of my own, except for the purpose of having someone later in life to be there for me when I want the same amount of love that I had given to the world throughout my life. This may be considered selfish but I just want love without the troubling years of childhood. Throughout my life I would love to be isolated however I feel that in my older years I will feel the need for compassion and love.

Back to the subject of fostering children..... I made the decision that I would be willing to foster at least one child in my house until I am unable to continue. The problem with children, to me, is the disciplining the child when he or she is bad, but these problems would begin to arise more and more when the child is able to speak. The only option for me would be to have a child who was a newborn- a child that is up to five years of age. This would allow me to offer unconditional love for that child in the most important years of their lives. Development has been discussed in psychology and sociology since the beginning of the two fields. A child who is not nurtured will not have a healthy life whereas a child who was nurtured would be socially healthy. These studies have all been carried out by scientists who chiefly study the effects of a mother to their child however, few studies have thought about the relationship between a child and it's father. A father, through my own observations, has been proven to become more important as the child grows up whereas the child has a desire for the mother more. Although I can only provide so much as a male I would be able to love and care for a child. I figured that some love is better than no love which is what they would receive in an orphanage. Children are the world's future and if they are not nurtured in their beginning years then what will our world come to?

Few problems arose as I studied fostering. The first one was, will I still be able to work to support myself? I don't want to be paid to have that child stay in my home, however I would like to serve children in schools where I  may enrich them in the art of history analysis. The solution to this problem was simple, the state pays for daycare so that I may work to support my home and my life. There was even a price range that the state would issue to the foster parent, for the child, that would allow me to do this for free. That figure was about $19.50 a day. I would not mind doing things for the child because I do not plan to be married or have a large social life, due to my desire for isolation. Caring for a child is my passion and one day I will carry this out. No child will suffer under my watch.

[erudite1997]

Out of Oz 1-9-15

Rain's reading.

General Cherrystone, after having taken over Galinda's mansion for military purposes, found a special interest in nine year old Rain, an orphan servant of Lady Galinda, and decided to teach her how to read. Lady Galinda, not trusting the general who put her under house arrest, ensured that Ms. Murth kept a vigilant eye over Rain and the General during their sessions to make sure that the General, a man in his early sixties, was not taking advantage of the little girl sexually. This is understandable and yet it has still not been made clear as to why the General took such an intense interest in little Rain. Could it be that he really does have a sexual desire involving Rain or could it be that he suspects that Rain can and does have the power to stir the magic within the Grimmerie, which would make sense since Rain is the daughter of Elpheba though no one knows about Rain's heritage? In any case Lady Galinda was still cautious about leaving Rain alone with not only the general but also with the other soldiers of the Emperial Army stationed at Galinda's mansion.

Eventually, the general cuts down Lady Galinda's already skeletal staff down to one servant and suggests that she cut ties with Rain and the little girl could stay with the general since he has 'special intentions' for her. Ms. Murth sacrifices her position as maid to save Rain. This is also unclear about why Ms. Murth would do such a thing. Was it to free herself from her life long ties with the mansion of Galinda before the impending invasion of Munchkinland or was it to help save little Rain from being held by the General? These questions have yet to be answered and I sincerely hope that they are answered.