A Hug Is Nearly A Gun Spelled Backwards

When we compare the two ideas of personal relations and patriotism, the first thing we think of is who do we love more? E.M Forster's opinion that personal relations are more important than patriotism is a good one. When I think about patriotism, I think about loyalty, and when I think about loyalty, I think about who truly loves me. Personal relations play a huge part in everyday society and frankly, it helps us function. I believe that personal relations are more important than patriotism because I love my country, but I can't say that my country loves me unconditionally and that it will always be there for me even when it is not. All I can think of is how superstitious or how cautious the government is and how it would lay down millions of peoples' lives before letting themselves fall.
 I admit there are sacrifices to be made when fighting for your country, but you also make sacrifices for your family because you know they really care. Patriotism is the loyalty to your nation and personal relations is t he loyalty to your family; when comparing these two we see that often times with loyalty and making a choice, losses are involved and you cant take it back, so who is more willing to forgive you? Overall, I would have to agree with E.M Forster's belief that personal relations are more important than causes or patriotism and there is no denying that you are forced to form an opinion and if or when the time comes, you are forced to make a life-changing decision.

Logical Fallicies

Top 10 Favorite Logical Fallacies

argumentum ad hominem
Ex: "Why would you say that, do you think I'm wrong? Please explain to me what I seem to be doing wrong because I doubt you can back it!"

argumentum ad nauseam
Ex: "You know if you do it my way, it will get done faster...You also know that the steps I did came a lot easier than what you are doing. We could always try it my way."

argumentum ad populum
Ex: "I did such great job on my essay, my entire class voted for me to present it tot he committee."

Dicto Simpliciter
Ex: "Why don't you go put on a dress or something little girl, this is a man's job."

Naturalistic fallacy
Ex: "Did you see the tobacco commercial that said when you smoke around your pets they have a higher chance of getting cancer?"

Non Sequiter
"ISIS is a real problem in the Middle East and America and I think there are several solutions to this problem and we should do something about it."

Red Herring
Ex: "Can you respond to the comment you made about African-Americans recently?"
 "Well the internet is bad and I think we should stop people from bad stuff because it's their fault."

Slippery Slope
Ex: "I think we should  ban marijuana, therefore we should make all drugs illegal."

Straw Man
Ex: "Did you know that she said she hates Hispanics and lied about it?
 "It doesn't seem to be on the record?"
"Well she did say it, I heard her."

Tu quoque
Ex: "According to our sources you said you hated blacks?"
"Well so did he, so why does it matter if  I said it?"

Vocab #4

1. adroit- clever or skillful in using the hands or mind
    1. I like to point out the adroit people in a movie when they figure out impossible problems.
2. amicable- having a spirit of friendliness; without serious disagreement
    2. I consider myself an amicable person because I get along with many people.
3. averse- having a strong dislike or opposition to something
    3. I feel averse towards a person when they are rude or disrespectful.
4. belligerent- hostile or aggressive
    4. I become belligerent when someone disrespects me because it is something I do not tolerate.
5. benevolent- well meaning and kindly
    5. You often find benevolent people in a daily society, but you will also get the mean selfish people.
6. cursory- hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed
    6.  My history teacher often says my work is cursory and I could do better when stating my information.
7. duplicity- deceitfulness; double-dealing
    7. A form of duplicity is when my sister tricks me into getting the remote. n
8. extol- praise enthusiastically
    8. I extol hamburgers because they are absolutely delicious.
9. feasible- possible to do easily or conveniently
    9. Something feasible is doing chores because I do them all of the time every weekend.
10. grimace- an ugly, twisted expression on a person's face, typically expressing disgust, pain, or wry amusement
    10. I usually create a grimace when I eat asparagus of when I am in extreme pain.
11. holocaust- destruction or slaughter on a mass scale, especially caused by fire or nuclear war
    11. A time we learned about the Holocaust was in 7th grade and it was a very hard topic to go over as we dug deeper into how Hitler succeeded in the mass murders.
12. impervious- not allowing fluid to pass through
    12. A rubber stopper is an example of an impervious object.
13. impetus- the force or energy with which a body moves
    13. An impetus movement is the direction your bones move when you walk or do some particular action.
14. jeopardy- danger of loss, harm, or failure
     14. A time of jeopardy was in Jurassic Park when they were stuck on an island trying to get away from the dinosaurs.
15. meticulous- showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise
     15.  I consider my sister meticulous because she seems to notice everything even when I try to be discreet about it.
16. nostalgia- a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations
     16. I et nostalgia around Thanksgiving when most of my family isn't there because it is much more fun when they are.
17. quintessence- the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class
     17. I consider clothing such as Chanel or Dolce and Gabbana  a quintessence.
18. retrogress- go back to an earlier state, typically a worse one
     18. People that get meningitis tend to retrogress.
19. scrutinize- examine or inspect closely and thoroughly
     19. I scrutinize when I am trying to figure out what something is.
20. tepid- only slightly warm
      20. The seat is tepid after turning on the seat heater when I get to school.

Vocab Paragraph

I feel that the teacher's use of colloquialism creates a comfortable classroom environment. The assignments given by other teachers make me feel like they are provoking their students. I also think the assignments given to us in other classes can be a little superfluous because it's information we may never use in life. This class provides a sense of catharsis and that can a comfortable feeling. I feel like the teacher really cares about what we think and we are learning jargon instead of other information that we are going to forget about in a couple of days or after an exam. When we were first introduced to the teacher and he used profanity, I felt like it was egregious, but over time it starts to make sense and we can relate to the situations when he is talking. The teacher doesn't use archaism, he isn't traditional and it is nice to experience that kind of change in education. I have learned that what were are learning in this class is important including taking a step into the 21st century. I admit I think a majority of my classes are frivolous, but Idon't think this class is because I am actually learning something I will remember because it is of value. You don't realize it until you experience it that teachers using profanity is taboo and I have learned that profanity can also have some value because it allows us to express how we are really feeling. I can't say I am scrupulous, but I can saying I am learning in this class.

Vocab #3

1.catharsis- the process of releasing, and providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions
      1. I usually have a catharsis moment when I put under pressure.
2. taboo-prohibited or restricted by social custom
      2. Most upper class societies taboo profanity.
3. sordid-involving ignoble actions and motives: arousing moral distaste and contempt
      3. Knights were not sordid because they swore an oath to stay noble.
4. swindle- us deception to deprive (someone) of money or possessions
      4. Hustlers usually swindle tourists because they are vulnerable targets.
5. frivolous- not having any serious purpose or value
      5. I find that most homework assignments are frivolous.
6. inadvertently -without intention; accidently
      6. I inadvertently smashed the plate while washing dishes.
7. incendiary-(of  device or attack) designed to cause fires
      7. A lighter is incendiary.
8. jargon-special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand
      8. Doctors use jargon, but they go to school to learn specifically about it.
9. colloquialism-word or phrase that is not formal or literary, typically one used in ordinary or familiar conversation
      9. Colloquialism is often used by teenagers since their language barrier is limited.
10. archaism- a thing that is very old or old-fashioned
     10. Floppy disks are a form of archaism.
11. cudgel-a short thick stick used as a weapon
     11. I should keep a cudgel in my room for protection.
12. egregious-outstandingly bad; shocking
     12.  A student who talks back to the teacher is egregious.
13. anesthetize-administer an anesthetic to (a person or animal), especially so as to induce a loss of consciousness
     13. Veterinarians anesthetize animals before surgery.
14. euphonious-(of sound, especially speech) pleasing to the ear
     14. Pianos are euphonious because they are soothing/ calming.
15. scrupulous-(of a person or process) diligent, thorough, and extremely attentive to details
     15. My mom is scrupulous when it comes to cleaning the house.
16. perverted-(of a person or their actions) characterized by sexually abnormal and unacceptable practices or tendencies
     16. Some older men can be very perverted, while others are not.
17. superfluous- unnecessary, especially through being more than enough
      17. I find it superfluous when my sister gives me mean comments to a conversation she wasn't involved in.
18. Saxon-a member of Germanic people that inhabited parts of central and northern Germany from Roman times, many of whom conquered and settled in southern England in the 5th--6th centuries
      18. the name Saxon was modified when Germans occupied Great Britain to create Anglo-Saxons.
19. slovenly-(especially of a person or their appearance) messy and dirty
      19. My sister is slovenly when she wakes up early.
20. provocation-action or speech that makes someone annoyed or angry, especially deliberately
      20.  A form of provocation my sister uses is not cleaning up her mess, EVER.

Bad Words

I can't really figure out what makes words bad. Overtime words have evolved and so have their uses and definitions. Words like "gay" used to mean happy, but is now a slang word commonly used by teenagers to describe things that are "lame" or "dumb". I think what makes words "bad" is how aggressive they sound. If you think to yourself about all of the "bad" words used, you notice how aggressive they sound while others have more of a calm tone.  I think it is because people believe the "bad" words we use are unprofessional and they put bad impressions on people than those who don't use bad words. The idea of good/bad words decreases between people because as people use these "bad" words, their language barrier diminishes because they used those words in a casual conversation so much they don't use actual words needed to understand someone else.  The appropriate use of euphemism is most likely when you're angry. You don't hear people say "well that hurt" if they get hit with something or cut themselves, they use other words to express their anger through those words. Euphemism becomes phony or confusing when it used in daily conversations. You hear more and more kids say "well this f***ing s*** is f***ing stupid..." and so on and you just stare at them trying to figure out what the heck they were trying to say. I say just use real words now and say your other words later.

Satire

Why does everyone have to be racist or discriminatory? I hate when people are described using words that are very disrespectful and hurtful. Words we commonly hear when they don't like someone's race or gender or ethnicity seem to get used a lot more often than we would like to hear.  My solution this problem is having everyone's vocal cords cut. If we cant talk then we'll just have to use sign language. They may try to say words using their hands, but it wouldn't come out the same as if we had heard the tone in someone's voice. If we cut the vocal cords in everybody's throat then the problem will be solved. If you're caught writing anything offensive, jail time. Any age, any race, any gender, you're gone, no second chances. Voices can make a difference because even the tone in someone's voice can sound threatening even when it wasn't meant to. If we can get this done, a lesson will be taught to the next generation and so on to discontinue this hateful use of language.

Literature Analysis Questions #1

1. The plot of "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold is about a 14 year old girl named Susie Salmon who was murdered by her neighbor. The story begins with her murder and continues to escalate as cops are searching for evidence and her body while she watches all of this from heaven. Susie then meets a new friend in her heaven and their "lives" continue up there as her family and killer's lives continue down on earth.
2. The theme of the novel would probably have to be deception. The main character in the story and her family are all being deceived by their neighborhood. He is seen as a normal, lonely man so he is seen as an unlikely suspect. Through the book, Susie goes back to several scenes involving the man who murdered her by luring her into  "clubhouse" and describing what he did with the weapon that killed her and the remnants of her body. Deception is a huge issue in this novel; not only did her own neighbor killer, but Susie's mother had an affair with the detective on the case.
3. I imagine the authors morning routine as peaceful and quiet. She would be an early bird and she would just grab a cup of coffee and sit on the couch reading a book, possibly her own. Alice Sebold seems like the type of person who understands peace which is why she wrote a book such death and finding peace in it. In  the book She writes, "As I stood to go back to the duplex, they took wing and followed me. Had my brother really seen me somehow, or was he merely a little boy telling beautiful lies?" She puts the peace in a thing so negative. Alice Sebold must be a person who sees the world in a different way and her mornings may consist of a thought process seeing something she never saw before. In in excerpt she gives a character some wisdom by saying "'Like snowflakes,', Franny said, 'none of them the same and yet each one, from where we stand, exactly like the one before.'"  Another excerpt she found peace in when writing was, "The truth was that the line between the living and the dead could be, it seemed, murky and blurred."
4. One of the literary techniques seen in this book is characterization. An example of characterization is, "When Len Fenerman had gone door to door in the neighborhood he had found nothing remarkable at George Harvey's. Mr. Harvey was a single man who, it was said, had meant to move in  with his wife. She had died sometime before this. He built dollhouses for specialty stores and kept to himself." I think connects to the theme deception because I personally think people like this are particularly sketchy. Another literary technique is imagery. Imagery is very common in this novel such us, " Mr. Harvey made me lie still underneath him and listen to the beating of his heart and the beating of mine. How mine skipped like a rabbit, and how his thudded, a hammer against his cloth." This imagery compares to the theme deception because Susie's heart was descriptively heavy and she didn't know it would ever come to this. A literary technique in this novel is also alliteration. "This went to his strangeness by the standards of many in the neighborhood but not by my father's standards." This compares to the theme because not many people can see past how unusually normal some people are it did not get past Susie's father.