Kwame Newton
Mr. Priest (Great Books)
21 November 2001
MY EXPERIENCE WITH "NICKEL AND DIMED"
When I first opened the thick paper covers of this exhilarating novel, I wondered to myself, "What interesting and tasty tidbits of information lie inside?" Little did I know that there would be no marvelous morsels of intellectual mastery; no delectable delights derived from delightfully drawn data; there would be enormous erudition. I thought to myself, "Wow! This is amazing. I have never encountered something so exciting in my life!" I decided to take notes on each chapter as not to forget anything; I enjoyed the book so much.
I decided to create a reading schedule that would allow me to take in a lot of information at a time, without going too fast. If I were to read it too slowly, I would have very little time to create a quality project. If I were to read it too quickly, I would skip over very important information. I wanted to be as efficient as possible, mainly because I love this class so much.
When I started reading chapter one, I learned about all of the hardships Barbara Ehrenreich had to endure while attempting to get a job. In some instances, she had to get drug tests, take computerized interviews, etc. It was bad.
11.21.2008
11.05.2008
Lol, wut?
What someone learns in school may or may not be connected with his or her life. It all depends on many things; what the person is learning, what the person is interested in, and whether or not the person is truly learning the material all. Some things can be very interesting to someone, whereas others might be the most boring thing in the world. These are two of the things that affect whether or not something can or cannot be connected with someone’s life.
If someone (named “Bill”) were really interested in sculpting, a sculpting class would be very beneficial to Bill, in both his personal life and his academic life, which one might or might not say can or cannot be forced upon him, possibly by outside influences. He would most likely be very good at sculpting, thus positively influencing his academic grade.
If someone (named “Bill”) were really interested in sculpting, a sculpting class would be very beneficial to Bill, in both his personal life and his academic life, which one might or might not say can or cannot be forced upon him, possibly by outside influences. He would most likely be very good at sculpting, thus positively influencing his academic grade.
10.29.2008
Who's who when whose what won't what how?
US Senators: Bayh, Evan (D); Lugar, Richard (R)
US Congressperson: Steve Buyer (R)
State Senator: Lawson, Connie (R)
State Congressperson: Thompson, Jeff (R); Steuerwald, Greg (R); Behning, Robert W. (R)
Governor Candidates: Daniels, Mitch (R); Thompson, Jill Long (D); Horning, Andy (L)
US Congressperson: Steve Buyer (R)
State Senator: Lawson, Connie (R)
State Congressperson: Thompson, Jeff (R); Steuerwald, Greg (R); Behning, Robert W. (R)
Governor Candidates: Daniels, Mitch (R); Thompson, Jill Long (D); Horning, Andy (L)
10.22.2008
Is it really that hard? Just get a shovel...
[4]
In some cases, it is extremely difficult to help someone realize that he or she has been treating you unfairly. The first step in getting someone to this realization is figuring out how you are being treated unfairly. What things does this person do or not do to you that are unfair? The next thing to find out is why this person is doing what is perceived as unjust. Is the person deliberately being unjust, or does the person think he or she is doing the right thing? The final step is to assemble the information previously gathered in a way understandable to the person, and to present the information in a friendly and helpful way.
As with most things, the first step is always either the hardest or the easiest. In this case, it’s the easiest. There is not much difficulty, because it does not involve you talking to anyone else but yourself. You just need to asses the way you’re being treated and why it is unfair. Although this is the easiest step, it is also the most important. Without this step, one cannot move forward.
The second step is to ask why the person is doing it. Does the person think it’s fair? Some people have skewed ideas about what is and isn’t fair. Prejudices are usually installed into people from a very early age. They are installed like cable TV; it’s pretty hard to rip out. It could also be because of something that you did to him or her. Were you being fair? Was it revenge? This can sometimes be the most difficult step.
The final step is actually asking, or in some cases, confronting person about the problem. He or she most likely will not want to stop doing what he or she is doing; this could be because of many reasons. The person most likely is stupid. If he or she does not agree with you, the person should be put in jail.
In some cases, it is extremely difficult to help someone realize that he or she has been treating you unfairly. The first step in getting someone to this realization is figuring out how you are being treated unfairly. What things does this person do or not do to you that are unfair? The next thing to find out is why this person is doing what is perceived as unjust. Is the person deliberately being unjust, or does the person think he or she is doing the right thing? The final step is to assemble the information previously gathered in a way understandable to the person, and to present the information in a friendly and helpful way.
As with most things, the first step is always either the hardest or the easiest. In this case, it’s the easiest. There is not much difficulty, because it does not involve you talking to anyone else but yourself. You just need to asses the way you’re being treated and why it is unfair. Although this is the easiest step, it is also the most important. Without this step, one cannot move forward.
The second step is to ask why the person is doing it. Does the person think it’s fair? Some people have skewed ideas about what is and isn’t fair. Prejudices are usually installed into people from a very early age. They are installed like cable TV; it’s pretty hard to rip out. It could also be because of something that you did to him or her. Were you being fair? Was it revenge? This can sometimes be the most difficult step.
The final step is actually asking, or in some cases, confronting person about the problem. He or she most likely will not want to stop doing what he or she is doing; this could be because of many reasons. The person most likely is stupid. If he or she does not agree with you, the person should be put in jail.
10.21.2008
Life in the Fast Lane...
Kwame Newton
Mr. Priest (Great Books)
14 October 2008
Supersize…Me?
Supersize Me was a very interesting documentary. Before I started watching it, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew that the “guinea pig” would experience adverse side effects, but I did not expect them to be as bad as they were. I was also not expecting the film to address the issues of corporate responsibility and school lunch programs.
I’m not exactly sure what I thought would happen to Morgan Spurlock (the “guinea pig”), but I had a pretty good feeling that it would not be anything good. The massive (relatively speaking) amount of weight gain was expected, but what I did not expect were all of the other changes that occurred.
Spurlock, before the documentary, was a healthy person with a healthy weight and healthy vital signs. This did not surprise me; a diet like the one he ate would do that to anybody. The excessive amount of calories is not the only thing bad about McDonald’s’ food. The ingredients used are of low-grade quality and, in my opinion, are not fit for human consumption. An experiment was conducted, again by Spurlock, that tested something else. He put McDonald’s food and non-fast food in containers and left them to decay. Within one week all of the normal food had decayed. The McDonald’s food took at least two weeks, with the exception of the BigMac. The BigMac took 5 weeks to decay significantly! This could only mean that something, aside from the lipid and caloric content, is wrong with McDonald’s food. The food is generally disgusting and putrid. I hate it, just like I hate the devil.
Another experiment was produced, this time in Sweden. College students at Linköping University were subjected to a 6000 calorie a day diet; this is about 1000 calories more than Spurlock’s. The difference, however, was that they were not eating food from McDonald’s. They were given high-calorie shakes at bedtime if they did not eat enough during the day. At the end of the 30-day experiment, they gained 5-15% weight, and ALT levels were elevated. Their livers also showed some damage. The damage was never close to dangerous, as was Spurlock’s. This should definitely say something.
Mr. Priest (Great Books)
14 October 2008
Supersize…Me?
Supersize Me was a very interesting documentary. Before I started watching it, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew that the “guinea pig” would experience adverse side effects, but I did not expect them to be as bad as they were. I was also not expecting the film to address the issues of corporate responsibility and school lunch programs.
I’m not exactly sure what I thought would happen to Morgan Spurlock (the “guinea pig”), but I had a pretty good feeling that it would not be anything good. The massive (relatively speaking) amount of weight gain was expected, but what I did not expect were all of the other changes that occurred.
Spurlock, before the documentary, was a healthy person with a healthy weight and healthy vital signs. This did not surprise me; a diet like the one he ate would do that to anybody. The excessive amount of calories is not the only thing bad about McDonald’s’ food. The ingredients used are of low-grade quality and, in my opinion, are not fit for human consumption. An experiment was conducted, again by Spurlock, that tested something else. He put McDonald’s food and non-fast food in containers and left them to decay. Within one week all of the normal food had decayed. The McDonald’s food took at least two weeks, with the exception of the BigMac. The BigMac took 5 weeks to decay significantly! This could only mean that something, aside from the lipid and caloric content, is wrong with McDonald’s food. The food is generally disgusting and putrid. I hate it, just like I hate the devil.
Another experiment was produced, this time in Sweden. College students at Linköping University were subjected to a 6000 calorie a day diet; this is about 1000 calories more than Spurlock’s. The difference, however, was that they were not eating food from McDonald’s. They were given high-calorie shakes at bedtime if they did not eat enough during the day. At the end of the 30-day experiment, they gained 5-15% weight, and ALT levels were elevated. Their livers also showed some damage. The damage was never close to dangerous, as was Spurlock’s. This should definitely say something.
9.17.2008
Why Me?
Many things in society are influenced by public opinion. Companies renounce products, people buy bigger homes and faster cars, and city-states conquer one another just to prove something to the public or world, whether it be their monetary status, military supremacy, or marketing strategy. We all know it’s there; the question is, why? Why would someone try to impress peers, citizens, or even other nations? Why is there that desire to be approved of? Essentially, the way we act usually affects the way people think of us.
Most people have the desire to be wanted by other people. If someone were to feel unneeded, or even completely ignored, as William James described, he or she would feel as if his or her life were unnecessary. This means that people must find a way to feel needed. This usually comes in the form of having friends. Obviously, if someone thinks poorly of another person, he or she most likely will not become friends with the person.
Most people also find it difficult to not care what others think of them for the previously mentioned reasons. They want to be thought of as a good person, or sometimes even a great person. The sense of being respected gives one a sense of accomplishment; being shunned provides defeat and sadness. People have the instinctive desire to impress people they meet, hence the saying, “first impressions last.” People care so much about what others think about them because what others think is essentially what creates the “SOCIAL ME.”
How we act most definitely affects what others think of us; if this weren’t true, the whole concept of the “SOCIAL ME” would be obsolete. Most people perceive others’ characters by the way that they act. The SOCIAL ME is created by what others think, so what others think obviously affects the SOCIAL ME. If a politician were involved in an illegal music piracy ring, the public would most likely think of this person as sneaky and corrupted, or even criminal. Everything someone does in public adds up to the common perception of that person. Basically, what we do I public defines ourselves to other people.
An important aspect of people is one’s social perception; it can be a true and genuine representation of that person, or a façade created by that person or someone else. Generally, it is very hard for most people to not care what others think of them; what people think of them defines their SOCIAL ME. To ignore what other people think of themselves would necessitate the people to create their own SOCIAL MEs.
Most people have the desire to be wanted by other people. If someone were to feel unneeded, or even completely ignored, as William James described, he or she would feel as if his or her life were unnecessary. This means that people must find a way to feel needed. This usually comes in the form of having friends. Obviously, if someone thinks poorly of another person, he or she most likely will not become friends with the person.
Most people also find it difficult to not care what others think of them for the previously mentioned reasons. They want to be thought of as a good person, or sometimes even a great person. The sense of being respected gives one a sense of accomplishment; being shunned provides defeat and sadness. People have the instinctive desire to impress people they meet, hence the saying, “first impressions last.” People care so much about what others think about them because what others think is essentially what creates the “SOCIAL ME.”
How we act most definitely affects what others think of us; if this weren’t true, the whole concept of the “SOCIAL ME” would be obsolete. Most people perceive others’ characters by the way that they act. The SOCIAL ME is created by what others think, so what others think obviously affects the SOCIAL ME. If a politician were involved in an illegal music piracy ring, the public would most likely think of this person as sneaky and corrupted, or even criminal. Everything someone does in public adds up to the common perception of that person. Basically, what we do I public defines ourselves to other people.
An important aspect of people is one’s social perception; it can be a true and genuine representation of that person, or a façade created by that person or someone else. Generally, it is very hard for most people to not care what others think of them; what people think of them defines their SOCIAL ME. To ignore what other people think of themselves would necessitate the people to create their own SOCIAL MEs.
Why Opinion?
Many things in society are influenced by public opinion. Companies renounce products, people buy bigger homes and faster cars, and city-states conquer one another just to prove something to the public or world, whether it be their monetary status, military supremacy, or marketing strategy. We all know it’s there; the question is, why? Why would someone try to impress peers, citizens, or even other nations.
Most people want to be wanted. In order to be wanted, they need approval from other people. Approval is gained by improving the way others think about you.
Most people want to be wanted. In order to be wanted, they need approval from other people. Approval is gained by improving the way others think about you.
Why Opinion?
Many things in society are influenced by public opinion. Companies renounce products, people buy bigger homes and faster cars, and city-states conquer one another just to prove something to the public or world, whether it be their monetary status, military supremacy, or marketing strategy. We all know it’s there; the question is, why? Why would someone try to impress peers, citizens, or even other nations.
Most people want to be wanted. In order to be wanted, they need approval from other people. Approval is gained by improving the way others think about you.
Most people want to be wanted. In order to be wanted, they need approval from other people. Approval is gained by improving the way others think about you.
9.08.2008
True Hope, False Hope...
Hope is a word that can take on many meanings—I hope we win the game; his only hope is surgery; I see some hope for the future—but its general meaning still remains the same—the desire for something positive to happen. Hope is something that most (if not all) humans experience at one time or another. Much of the time, hope is expressed when one’s fate lies in the hands of another person (or even oneself), i.e., “I hope John doesn’t drop that infinitesimally small grain of sand,” or “I hope I pass the test that I didn’t study for.” Hope is can also be a quasi-prediction of the future. Most people wouldn’t even have the audacity to hope to pass a test if it was never studied for. I know I wouldn’t. Ok, that’s a lie, but regardless, most people hope for things that have about a 50% chance of happening. Most people, that is…
(Ok, so I like to use italics just a little bit. At least I’m not ONE OF THOSE ALL CAPS PEOPLE, right?)
Some people, however, have the audacity to hope for things that have about as much a chance of happening as me getting an ‘A’ in Ancient Greece. Not much, eh? This kind of hope is called false hope. False hope generally (and usually does) misleads people; it can be manifested in several ways. False hope can boost confidence, usually resulting in overconfidence. Let’s say “Walter” is stranded on a deserted desert island. A cruise ship passes by at about one mile away. If he exhibits any form of false hope, he will most likely try to swim out to the boat. Now, you may be thinking, “But Kwame, I can swim one mile in 2 minutes! Surely the boat will still be there when Walter gets there!” But Walter is not an Olympic swimmer. He’s about 69 years old with a bad knee or two. He could have some twisted false hope that he would be able to swim out to the ship. He would get stranded, fall asleep, and drown, thus having the swim indirectly kill him.
Hope can also give strength, usually in the form of confidence. If someone were playing a soccer game (let’s say it’s Walter in his younger days), he could have hope that he could win the game. His hope could lead to confidence, which would lead to better plays. All in all, hope can do many things to a person.
(Ok, so I like to use italics just a little bit. At least I’m not ONE OF THOSE ALL CAPS PEOPLE, right?)
Some people, however, have the audacity to hope for things that have about as much a chance of happening as me getting an ‘A’ in Ancient Greece. Not much, eh? This kind of hope is called false hope. False hope generally (and usually does) misleads people; it can be manifested in several ways. False hope can boost confidence, usually resulting in overconfidence. Let’s say “Walter” is stranded on a deserted desert island. A cruise ship passes by at about one mile away. If he exhibits any form of false hope, he will most likely try to swim out to the boat. Now, you may be thinking, “But Kwame, I can swim one mile in 2 minutes! Surely the boat will still be there when Walter gets there!” But Walter is not an Olympic swimmer. He’s about 69 years old with a bad knee or two. He could have some twisted false hope that he would be able to swim out to the ship. He would get stranded, fall asleep, and drown, thus having the swim indirectly kill him.
Hope can also give strength, usually in the form of confidence. If someone were playing a soccer game (let’s say it’s Walter in his younger days), he could have hope that he could win the game. His hope could lead to confidence, which would lead to better plays. All in all, hope can do many things to a person.
8.15.2008
Vincent...van Gogh?
The format of the story surprised me at first. I thought that it was going to be entirely about one person, namely Edward, but it was a collection of stories and experiences of many special education students. At the beginning of the broadcast, I was strongly amused by the fact that Edward thought that the 'ed' in Special Ed was short for Edward. This seems like something I would try to convince people, although without much success. And him not knowing the special meaning of the word 'special' was also kind of interesting; not knowing what Special Ed exactly meant probably gave him a special perspective on his classes. An important aspect of the first section was the realization of the students’ situations. David was put into special education at 14 years of age due to poor reading skills. He said that he became sad and lonely because he thought he was “slow” or had a mental disease. There is an enormous difference between starting school with special education (“special ed”) and being placed in it after a while, especially at the age of 14. At the age of 14 one would be completely aware of the implications of special ed. Halley’s story (is that how it’s spelled?) also intrigued me. She said that the teacher put her in a corner and yelled at her; everyone laughed and she was very embarrassed. When the teacher yelled at her, she thought that the teacher thought of her as stupid, which the teacher might actually have thought. I think that the teacher’s job is not only to teach, but also to make sure the student does not feel intimidated, especially in this situation. Although there were multiple stories (Halley’s glue incident and David’s poor reading skills), the one that jumped out at me the most was Edward’s. I was strongly amused by the fact that Edward thought that the 'ed' in Special Ed was short for Edward. This seems like something I would try to convince people if I were named Edward, although without much success. And him not knowing the special meaning of the word 'special' was also kind of interesting; not knowing what Special Ed exactly meant would almost give him an advantage; he would have more confidence and he would be more proud of his achievements.
Vincent’s story was very interesting. His sister’s insight was extremely profound; she obviously knew him very well. When she talked about him going into the bathroom for hours, I imagined that he would be extremely sad because of his job, maybe even crying. He probably started to figure out more things about himself and was very disheartened. I agree with his brother about the reason for quitting. He was basically doing work that required no attention or detailing; work that probably was very tedious and boring. He didn’t feel needed there, so he probably didn’t feel he needed them. When he got a new job, his life’s importance was restored, and he re-started all of his activities. And the background track was groovin’.
Vincent’s story was very interesting. His sister’s insight was extremely profound; she obviously knew him very well. When she talked about him going into the bathroom for hours, I imagined that he would be extremely sad because of his job, maybe even crying. He probably started to figure out more things about himself and was very disheartened. I agree with his brother about the reason for quitting. He was basically doing work that required no attention or detailing; work that probably was very tedious and boring. He didn’t feel needed there, so he probably didn’t feel he needed them. When he got a new job, his life’s importance was restored, and he re-started all of his activities. And the background track was groovin’.
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