Jack S.
AP Human Geography
12/18/15
The Future of Oil
Per. 6
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Introduction & Chapter 1 for The Future of Oil
Monday, December 7, 2015
Thoughts and Ruminations on Chapter 6: Language and Where Languages Go to Die, Where English Words Come From, and How Americas Wars Have Changed the English Language
Jack S.
AP Human Geography
12/7/15
Where Languages Go to Die
Where English Words Come From
How Americas Wars Have Changed the English Language
Thoughts and Ruminations
Essay Question: How do the terms Dialect, Language Families, and Sub Families used in chapter 6 relate to Where Languages Go to Die, Where English Words Come From, and How Americas Wars Have Changed the English Language?
In today's world, language is one of the most diverse parts of human culture. According to BBC News there are over 7,000 languages spoken all around the world. At first glance language might seem like a quite simple topic, but in reality it is quite complicated. To break it down, there are 15 Language Families in the world which include, Indo-European, Uro-Altaic, and Basque to name a few. Within the language families there are Sub Families. For example, within the Indo-European Language Family there are Sub Families which include Germanic, Romantic, and Baltic. There are more Sub Families, but Germanic is the family for today's Lingua Franca, English.
English is a spoken world wide in many countries. Because of that it is spoken in different dialects. This means that the way phrases are pieced together and the sound of certain words will be slightly different than in a place where English is the main language such as the U.S. English also got many of its words from other languages. According to the article English Words From Around the World, by Brittany Ross, English gets words from folklore of Haiti and the West Indies. Ross writes, "We can thank the folklore of Haiti and the West Indies for contributing one of the most terrifying and popular creatures in the modern horror genre: the zombie. But the origins of zombie may not have been so scary. The word can be traced back to West Africa, and possibly derives from a Kongo word meaning 'god.'" This is a prime example of how languages from all over the world have been intertwined and connected throughout time.
Over the years, new words have been added and altered in the English language. There are many ways that this can happen, but a surprisingly large way this happens is through war. Many terms have been created in war, but their meanings have also been changed from war to war. In the article How America's Wars Have Changed the English Language, by Sara Sicard, there are multiple examples of this. Sicard writes, "Through wars, some words have changed or garnered new meanings while others were newly coined for specific places and things. During the Civil War, “skedaddle” became “skeet” or “scoot.” In World War I, the word “lousy,” which was intended to describe lice infestations, came to mean weary." Sicard gives great examples of how new words can be created in war and then have there meaning altered in a completely different place. While this process can be seen on the battlefield it can also be seen in our everyday lives. Many new words are introduced to us every day whether it's from music, movies, social media, or just random people we talk. People take new words that they hear and use them in their everyday life of even give them a whole new meaning. This is very similar in what Sicard writes about in her article.
While history shows that languages rise and fall over time, some believe that English will be around and stay popular for a much longer time than any other language. In the article Where Languages Go to Die, by John McWhorter, some of the reasons why English will be around longer than any other language are given. McWhorter writes, "I suspect that English will hold on harder and longer than any language in history. It happened to rise to its current position at a time when three things had happened, profoundly transformative enough to stop the music, as it were: print, widespread literacy, and an omnipresent media." The overall point being made is that English will be around for longer than any other language because it has been documented and distributed the most of any other language in history. This is due to music, literature, and things like social media which are all areas that McWhorter touches on.
English is a language rich in history and it continues to grow everyday. While it might not be the Lingua Franca forever, it will always be one of the most popular and wide spoken languages in the world.
Projects Abroad wanted to give teachers a chance to teach children in other countries with subjects such as English but it is hard to seek out and find people willing and capable of teaching especially overseas so they created a website where teachers looking for that type of work can go for opportunities and then they sent over 50 teachers to South Africa to teach English to children there.
This is a map of Australia where a certain dialect of English is spoken. It is called Australian English. It is noticeably different from American English due to the pronunciation of the words and the addition of new words to their dialect.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Yugoslavia Conflict essay
Ethnicity was one of the main causes of conflict during the Yugoslavian Civil War, for people in former Yugoslavia identified themselves mainly as Serbs, Croats, or Bosnians. Conflict would arise between these ethnic groups when a certain ethnic group would identify against the "other" and want there to be segregation between the groups. This concept of ethnic segregation was also intertwined with religion. Out of the former Yugoslavian state, the Bosnia and Herzegovina region was one of the biggest conflict areas. 40% of the population of the region was Muslim, also known as Bosniak. 33% was Serbian, also known as Bosnian Serbs, for they were people living in Bosnia that identified with the Serbian ethnicity and the dominant Eastern Orthodox Church of Serbia. 19% of the population in Bosnia identified as Croatian, also known as Bosnian Croat, for they were people living in Bosnia that identified with the Croatian ethnicity and the dominant Roman Catholic Church of Croatia. Serbia wanted to expand its territory and concentrate people that identified as ethnically Serbian in Serbia by expanding its state into enclaves of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Because of the unique distribution of ethnicity and religion throughout Yugoslavia, they played a vital part in the separation of Yugoslavia during the civil war. Nationalism was quite a big factor in the conflict in Yugoslavia. This is because the conflict was oriented around different groups of people with different cultures. With that being said people became more and more loyal to their certain group of people and less friendly and willing to accept other groups of people. None of the groups involved necessarily sided with one another because the Serbs had the strongest army and tried to take control of the area on their own. This created a huge conflict between groups of people in Yugoslavia and eventually lead to the fall of Yugoslavia. Language did not play a huge role in this conflict, but it is worth noting. There were multiple languages spoken in this area due to the different types of cultures that resided there. Language reinforced the ideas of separation, segregation, differentiation. This made people want to stay within their own group even more than before because if they left they would not be able to communicate with others. This is a prime example of how language strengthened the ideas of separation and segregation among the different groups in this area. Politically, the Yugoslavian Civil war was a mess. Not only did Croatia’s constitution guarantee that its minorities were weak, but Serbia still favored a communist system and a united Yugoslavia while Croatia favored independence and a free market democratic system. Countries picked a side. This was the heart of the conflict because like many other wars going on at this time, it was Democracy vs. Communism. While Serbians favored communism, everyone else was trying to break away towards a free market democratic system. Furthermore, the Albanian population of Macedonia, which is 40%, felt like they were being treated like second class citizens. They wanted to break away from Macedonia and become its own country towards the eastern side. This created yet another internal conflict, separate from Democracy Vs. Communism. The communist country Serbia was landlocked at the beginning to the civil war and wanted to take enough Croatian territory to have access to the sea. This meant lots of fighting with the goal of taking over land. This would also further the amount of land the communists controlled, and for all countries whom favored a free market democratic system, giving more land meant giving up more power. Migration attributed to some important events over the course of the civil war. Over 600,000 war refugees existed in Yugoslavia, as they were displaced from their home countries. Citizens in Serbia who didn't want to be ruled by a communist government migrated to surrounding countries that pushed a free market democratic system. Furthermore, because Croatia and Slovakia sided with the Nazis, there was a exodus of the jewish population during the early 40’s, fleeing persecution.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Thoughts and Ruminations on Chapter 5: Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Sexuality and The Big Heart
Jack Shams
AP Human Geography
11/15/15
The Big Heart
Chapter 5: Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Sexuality
Thoughts and Ruminations
Essay Question- How do the terms Race, Ehtnicity, Racism, and Succession used in Chapter 5 relate to The Big Heart and how can they be used in terms of talking about neighborhoods in the U.S.?
In New York an interesting aspect of how humans can move to a certain area and take it over can be seen. In the mid 19th century a mass amount of Puerto Ricans began moving to East Harlem. With the the influx of the Puerto Ricans a different race was kicked out. This is called succession. Succession is a process by which immigrants move to a new area and dominate take over the areas perviously occupied by an older group of immigrants. This caused the area of East Harlem to completely change. The Puerto Ricans brought their unique ethnicity along with their culture which left a noticeable imprint on the land around them. They made spanish the primary language in that area and also brought spanish stores and restaurants to Easy Harlem which completely altered the culture there.
While this process of succession can be seen in New York, it is not the only place it happens. In 1980, the population of Houston, Texas was 63% White. In 2013 the population was much more diverse with 41% being Hispanic, 18.4% being Black, and 7.8% being Asian. In The Big Heart, by Tony Perrottet, the huge influx of different races, and ethnicities is a product of the oil drought and a major loss of jobs. Perrottet writes, "Houston was then an overwhelmingly Anglo city...But then the eight decade long Texas oil boom fizzled and the city lost 100,000 jobs mostly among Anglo oil workers." This major loss of jobs allowed caused the economy to crash which completely changed the population patterns in Houston. With this being said, the stereotype of everyone from Texas is a racist rich cowboy shifted to a town that is known for its diversity in race and ethnicity. This is another example of how multiple different races succeeded the White Anglo population that preciously made up Houston.
As time goes on, more and more races and ethnicities will be succeeded. This is a natural process that happens throughout time. With so much in our world changing everyday in so many different places succession can and will happen very quickly and very soon.
Erica Pinto wanted to show how some races have been held back and discriminated against but it is a complex topic that can be hard to explain so she simplified it and used an actual relay race as a wa to depict how some races were treated unfairly then the video went viral and now has over 140,000 views on YouTube.
This map depicts Mexicali which is an area in which two different races and ethnicities have collided. Rather than pushing one of the others out, the two cultures blinded and created a town where a mix of two different races and cultures can be seen.
Monday, November 9, 2015
Thoughts and Ruminations on Chapter 4: Local Culture, Popular Culture, Cultural Landscapes, The Rise and Fall of Pop Culture, and Cultural Intercourse and Landscape
Jack Shams
AP Human Geography
11/9/15
The Rise and Fall of Pop Culture
Cultural Intercourse and Landscape
Chapter 4: Local Culture, Popular Culture, Cultural Landscapes
Thoughts and Ruminations
Essay Question- How do the terms assimilation, local culture, and popular culture used in chapter 4 relate to The Rise and Fall of Pop Culture and Cultural Intercourse and Landscape?
In the past decade popular culture, or pop culture, has changed quite drastically. It has gone from a rather small group of things such as TV shows, books, and people that are commonly known throughout a large area to quite the opposite. Nowadays, there are so many new facets of pop culture that not everyone can keep up with them. In the article The Rise and Fall of Pop Culture, by Don Aucoin, describes pop culture as a foundation that is breaking due to the sheer amount of new things that qualify as pop culture. Aucoin writes, "Its foundation was a large but essentially knowable range of movies, music, TV shows, and fads that most people were assumed to be familiar with. But that foundation is buckling under the sheer weight of all the things that now qualify as pop culture". So many new things are becoming a part of pop culture that the old "foundation" of pop culture that most everyone was familiar with is now starting to disappear.
Even though pop culture has lost the old "foundation" and become more diverse, there is also an aspect of it that makes people very much alike. This is called assimilation. Assimilation is the process through which people lose originally differentiating traits such as dress, speech particularities, or mannerisms when they come into contact with another society or culture. In our world today with social media outlets such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook people can see certain things from other cultures they like through pictures and videos and then adopt them and incorporate them into their own culture. In the article Cultural Intercourse and Landscape, culture is defined as, "patters of learned behavior that leave permanent traces and are transferred from generation to generation". Adopting the smallest thing from another culture such as a way someone talks and slowly having that incorporated into another culture can make a huge impact because of how quickly it can spread through things such as social media, and after it has spread it is going to be passed down through generations.
With so many people altering their way of life due to pop culture there are some who decide to do the exact opposite. This is known as local culture. Local culture is a group of people in a particular place who see themselves as a collective or a community, who share experiences, customs, and traits, and who work to preserve those traits and customs in order to claim uniqueness and to distinguish themselves from others. An example of local culture would be the Amish. The Amish do not use modern commodities such as cell phones, cars, electricity, and much more. This is in an effort to preserve their old customs and to not give into popular culture and change their way of life.
With so many different aspects and niches pop culture has quickly become one of the most discussed and important topics in today's world. As things such as social media continue to get bigger and bigger, there will only continue to be more different aspects of pop culture.
The Rap group NWA from Compton wanted to express their feelings about certain topics but were discriminated against by people like the police because they were African American so they made the police look like the enemy through their lyrics then their fan base bought into the new idea and culture of hating the police and then they became one of the most popular rap groups in history.
This map shows how NWA began rapping in Compton and then their music began to get popular in densely populated cities like Harlem and The Bronx. After it spread to New York it truly blew up with rappers like Jay-Z and Nas who then made rap one of the most beloved types of music in America. Compton, Harlem, and The Bronx are now known as the hearths of rap music.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Legal Voluntary Migration, Christina Veraza's Story, Chapter 3: Migration
Scenario- Voluntary Migration
Outline- Christina Veraza was born in Mexico City, her family moved to Spain when she was in second grade for one year so her father could get her degree. Then she returned to Mexico until 6th grade. Then in 6th grade she moved to the U.S at a bilingual school to learn English. She would then go back to Mexico to finish her high school career. After attending college in Mexico, and working a few internships, she would marry Carlos Veraza. They moved to Guatemala for a year to work before returning to Mexico and having Jorge and Sophia. When Sophia was only a few months old, Mr. Veraza took his family to Dallas in search of a better job, pay, and opportunity. They would stay in Dallas for seven years, before moving to Omaha, and then from Omaha to where they reside now in Lafayette Colorado. She enjoys living here because of the safety, the opportunity for Carlos, and the environment that is best for raising kids.
Essential Details- She was only in Spain for one year so her father could finish his studies. After they moved back to Mexico her father sent her and her sister to the Oceanside public school in California to learn English. She then moved back to Mexico and finished high school and college and then met Carlos Veraza. The major push factors for Christina was the safety of her family was in jeopardy in Mexico. The major pull factor for Christina was diversity and new job opportunities.
Terms used- Voluntary migration, push factors, pull factors, international migration
Script-
She was born in Mexico City, Mexico
She lived there until 2nd grade
Her family moved to Spain for a year so her father could finish his studies. This is an example of international migration.
She returned to Mexico and lived there till 6th grade
The following year Her father then sent her to a bilingual school called ocean side public school in America to learn English
After a year she returned to Mexico to finish her high school career at the American school in Guadalajara
She attended college in Mexico and worked a few internships before meeting her husband, Carlos Veraza
Her and Carlos moved to Guatemala to work for a year
They moved back to Mexico for 3 years and had their first son Charlie. Then they voluntarily migrated to Atalanta, Georgia for a job at Coca Cola
After 2 years in Atlanta they moved back to Mexico with Charlie so Carlos could work for Frito-lay
In these three years in Mexico Jorge and Sophia were born
Christina and her family then moved Dallas for a new job opportunity for Carlos
While this was a voluntary migration a push factor for them to leave Mexico was that it was not the safest place for Christina and her family beciase they were a wealthier family
They lived in Dallas for 7 years before moving to Omaha, Nebraska for a new job opportunity for Carlos
They did not like Omaha because the people were so closed minded
They spent 3 and a half years in Omaha before moving to Lafayette, Colorado where they currently reside
Carlos found a great job in Colorado and Christina loves raising her family here because of the safety Colorado provides
All of Christina's migration was voluntary and most of the time it was international migration as well
The pull factors for Christina and Carlos were always new job opportunities and a safer home for their children
The major push factor for Christina and Carlos was the violence in Mexico which could affect their children's lives. The kids would have needed body guards and a chauffeur to go out and Christian did not want them to have to deal with that
The Veraza family loves living in Colorado and have Just sent their first son, Charlie to college while Jorge and Sophia still attend dawson school
Map- 
This map shows Syria and the countries surrounding it. This is relevant to our chapter because people are migrating out of Syria into the surrounding countries which are colored in this map.
Sentence- The Syrian people wanted to change the government in Syria but it did not happen and the government stayed in place so they wanted to leave and then they began migrating into the surrounding countries.
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Thoughts and Ruminations on Chapter 2: Population, ThePopulationFizzle,The Population Surprise , and U.S. Population Drop
Jack Shams
AP Human Geography
10/1/15
The Population Fizzle
The Population Surprise
U.S. Population Drop
Chapter 2: Population
Thoughts and Ruminations
Essay Question- How do the terms population explosion, total fertility rate (TFR), and population distribution used in chapter 2 relate to The Population Fizzle, The Population Surprise, and U.S. Population Drop.
One of the most present topics in today's world is population growth. People have become increasingly worried with the population explosion in the past two centuries. According to Max Singer who states in his article The Population Surprise, "the worlds population has grown from one billion to over six billion in the past two centuries." People believe that the population will continue to grow until our world can't support us any longer, but as one takes a closer look that does not seem to be the case. According to The Population Fizzle by Anne H. Ehrlich, a demographer named Nicholas Eberstadt anticipated the population will stop growing and immediately start to shrink in the year 2050. Eberstadt states that the population size will just surpass 9.4 billion in the year 2050 and then the population will begin to drop quickly due to higher death rates than total fertility rates. Demographers believe that there is a low chance that this variant will be followed.
Even thought this variant has a low chance of being followed Eberstadt makes quite an accurate prediction. With TFR's slowly dropping in areas like the United States the population should peak within the next 50 years and then begin to decrease. While we might not see an immediate and drastic drop off it should begin to happen. According to the article U.S. Population Drop by Derek Thompson, "the U.S. government announced that our birthrate fell to 'another record low' in 2012, following a long, steady slide since the Baby Boom after World War II." The reason fertility rate is dropping is because people are just having less babies compared to past centuries when TFR's were much higher due to instances like WWII.
Even if only the US stays on this path, which it is likely they will not be the only ones, the overall population of the world will begin to drop after a certain point. The reason that the overall population of the world could drop even if only the U.S. has a significant population drop is because of population distribution. Population Distribution is the arrangement or spread of people living in a given area, and North America has the fourth highest population distribution in the world. Connecting those dots, if the U.S.'s population were to take a hit the entire world would feel it due to the large amount of the world's population that lives here.
With all of these points in mind there is truly no exact way to predict how the world's population will change in the future completely accurately. This is because there is no way to see what might happen in the future. If another world war to break out there might be another huge increase in TFR's, causing the population to increase rather than decrease. The only true way one would find out what exactly is going to happen to the worlds population would be to sit back and see what the future centuries bring.
The Indian government wanted to help stop population growth in their country but there were not many options for women who accidentally got pregnant so they began family planning programs in 1965 and then the total fertility rates were cut in half.
http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/society/family-planning-in-india-its-history-programmes-importance-and-impact
This map shows the fertility rate in India. The average fertility rate is around 2.4-3.2 With the help of family planning programs that were put in place by the Indian Government the fertility rate was cut in half. If the Indian Government continues to use family planning programs the fertility rate should continue to drop.
The Demographic Transition Model (DTM) seeks to explain the transformation of countries from having high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates. In developed countries this transition began in the eighteenth century and continues today. Less developed countries began the transition later and are still in the midst of earlier stages of the model.
Source of info on the DTM: Rosenberg, Matt. "What Is a Demographic Transition Model?" Web. 3 Oct. 2015.
Video Link: http://youtu.be/q1sIpRuvO6w
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Presentation Link
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1AriVdVuGAeOxLamMDWMTYwk6KQHpDsNduq1uMVJIe6E/edit
Monday, September 14, 2015
Friday, September 11, 2015
Thoughts and Ruminations Chapter 1: Introducing to Human Geography in aBottle, and The Tipping Point
Jack Shams
AP Human Geography
9//15
Globalization in a Bottle
The Tipping Point
Chapter 1: Introduction to Human Geography
Thoughts and Ruminations
Essay Question: How are the terms Hierarchical Diffusion, Relocation Diffusion, and Contagious Diffusion discussed in chapter one and how do they relate to Globalization in a Bottle and the Tipping Point?
In today's world the Coca-Cola symbol is the most widely known trademark in the world. This may be due to its addictive taste and cute polar bear commercials at Christmas time, but don't let these small aspects fool you. The Coca-Cola brand built their empire through war and United States military. This may sound crazy at first, but it truthfully was genius. As World War II began and thousands of American troops began to mobilize the president of the Coca-Coal company, Robert Woodruff, decided that, "Every man in uniform gets a bottle of Coca-Cola for five cents, wherever he is, and whatever it costs the company." With the drink already popular among American troops, this caused even more of them to start drinking it. In fact, it was so popular that the military itself began to supply it to the troops because it was a refreshing non intoxicating beverage. With the entire United States military endorsing Coca-Cola, the general population of America got on board as well. This is called Hierarchical Diffusion. This means that once a popular figure such as the military began drinking Coca-Coal regular American citizens began endorsing it even more. This caused the Coca-Cola brand to take off in America and soon it would take off outside of America as well. With the military now supplying Coke to the troops overseas, people who had never heard of Coca-Cola were being introduced to the popular American brand. This is called Relocation Diffusion. This is when a group of individuals have already endorsed a certain idea or product and take it somewhere els and begin to spread the ideas or product. In this case the American soldiers had endorsed Coke and with Americans being so present in other countries Coca-Cola naturally followed them. This allowed the Coca-Cola brand to be introduced to the rest of the world which eventually caused it to become a globally endorsed company.
Husk Puppies are a well known shoe in today's world, but before 1994 that was not the case. The the early 90's Hush Puppies were not a hip or in style brand that could barley sell 30,000 pairs a year. On set at a fashion shoot two Hush Puppies executives, Owen Baxter and Geoffrey Lewis, made a huge discovery. A stylist from New York told them that Hush Puppies had suddenly become popular in huge New York City clubs. He continued to tell them that people were going out of their way to go to the small village stores that carried them to buy them up. With this sudden resurgence of the Hush Puppy Baxter and Lewis were baffled. They did not know why this was happened or what caused it, but Hush Puppies continued to become one of the most popular shoes in America. In 1995, some of the biggest designers from around the country wanted to feature Hush Puppies in their new collections. After this over 430,000 pairs of Hush Puppies were being sold and each year that number grew. In 1996 Hush Puppies won the prize for best accessory at he Counsel of Fashion Designers award dinner. One might be asking how did such a dead brand become a staple in America style so quickly. The answer is Contagious Diffusion. This is when a small group of individuals decides to begin endorsing something for reasons such as the certain thing, is not popular anymore and they want to stand out, or they just think it looks cool to them. Whatever the reason may be, this causes others to being doing the same and a certain type of domino effect beings to take place. In this particular situation, the group of people who began wearing the Hush Puppies to clubs made other people think they were in style again, and therefore many people began wearing them again. This infectious spreading of the Hush Puppies caused them to go down in history as one of the most popular shoes of all time.
Somebody wanted to connect similar groups of people and ideas on social media but all the ways that people were coming up with were too complicated so he tired using the pound sign (#) then it became known as the hashtag.
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/11/07/good-question-how-did-the-pound-sign-become-a-hashtag/
This map shows where the hashtag started and the two largely populated states. The hashtag started in San Francisco, California when Chris Messina, a former Google developer, sent a tweet in 2007 bringing up the idea of the hashtag. Messina's tweet read, "How do you feel about using the # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp?" This tweet started the hashtag rage. The hashtag spread from San Feancisco to other densely populated cities such as New York City and Dallas. This caused many people to begin using the hashtag making it a widley known symbol and idea. This sudden surge in the social media world caused stocks to rise and brought over 30 million dollars to the social media companies. Today the hashtag is a symbol almost everyone is familiar with and uses on a daily basis.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Digital scrapbook entry #8
UDigital Scrapbook Entry- Rome
Jack S.
5/1/15
Per. 4
Praetorian Brutality
In Ancient Rome the Praetorian Guard was the emperor's personal guard. While it was supposed to just serve as a guard for the emperor they turned into their own self lead army. They went from protecting the emperor to robbing, murdering, and raping citizens of Rome. The guard focused especially on the poor citizens because they thought less of them. While the Praetorian Guard started as a sign of safety and protection the morphed into an enemy of the lower class of Rome.
In today's world the police force in the U.S. has been morphing in the same way that the Praetorian Guard did. In the past few years and even months, the police have had an unfortunate streak of "accidental" killings in which all of them the victim happened to be black. This has caused an outrage in the black community and even in communities of other races. For example , in Baltimore there have been riots the past two days and on the first day it was only blacks, but on the second day there were people of all races including students from Johns Hopkins. These recent events have turned the police into an enemy of the people instead of an ally and it is completely self inflicted.
The transition that both of these so called protectors of justice have gone through has tarnished their reputation and turned the public against them. In the type of work that these people do it is hard for them to work without the cooperation of the people and by doing this like this they loose all of the publics cooperation. The police must prevent things like this from happening to regain the trust of the public and continue making our safe.
Links: http://www.unrv.com/military/praetorian-guard.php
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/police-brutality/
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Emperor Project- Titus and Vespasian
Jack S.
4/13/15
Per. 4
In a thrilling and excitement filled biography, you will learn everything you need to know about the mighty emperor Titus. The text will follow the life of Titus very in depth and accurately from when he was named emperor to his death. Known throughout the land, Titus was loved and known as a powerful military commander who served under his father, Vespasian. Titus was compared to the emperor Nero as a young man due to his, charm, intellect, and ruthlessness. Some of Titus's most storied achievements include, the capturing of Jerusalem, completing the Colosseum, and his acts that kept Rome alive after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Titus accomplished so much in his life and in his short reign that the Roman people built the Arch of Titus and he is one of the most highly regarded emperors in Roman history. Titus was loved throughout Rome and had quite an interesting life and this biography will take you on a historic roller coaster through Ancient Rome and the life of mighty Titus.
"Better than the Biography of Vespasian."
-The General Public Book Review
Titus-
yo my name is Titus my rhymes hurt like Arthritis
Step to me I fight you until you look like human stew
You might be my dad but you still gon make me mad so you beta watch out before I make you pout
Imma memba of the Flavian dynasty im looking at all these haters and they wanna be just like me
Vespasian- That was some pretty good flow but I was the first emperor andyou don't even know how good it was when I was in charge everybody loved me now let me go hard
I owned the dynasty for 27 years and when you hear these rhymes they gonna hurt your ears
I built temples of peace and brought rome together built me a colosseum that's what I call freedom
Titus- You okay pops you looking kinda old
All the soldiers respect me and treat me like gold
You started the colosseum but I finished it so don't even start with me and take all of the credit
You weak and not on my level so when you die of diarrhea say hi to the devil
Vespasian- that's not even cool cause you don't do a lot you just sit around and let rome rot
Yeah you my son but I don't even love you so if you on a cliff I might just shove you
I'm done with this rap battle cause I'm the best so just lay ya head down and go back to rest
Titus- the population loves me dad you wish you could be me so go back to your grave cause you know you ain't free
I'm the new face of Rome so just go back home cause you can't compete with me so let me deplete the
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Digital Scrapbook Entry #7
Digital Scrapbook Entry- Greece
Jack S.
5/5/15
Per. 4
Columns in Ancient Greece
Columns in Ancient Greece were not only an architectural statement inside of Greece but also around the world. The Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns were some of the most popular and most recognizable columns in Ancient Greece. While the columns might only seem like a very minor part of a whole building such as the Parthenon, but in reality they were debatably the most crucial pieces of the entire building. This is because the columns are very pleasing to the eye and help the building look more complete. Lots of thought also goes into how big the columns are to make them look just right. For example, on the Parthenon the corner columns are shorter than the center columns so from a front view it looks straight. For how little the columns seem to be at first glance they are truly a huge piece of every building they are found on. Columns were a huge part in Greek architecture but they are also a very big part of modern American architecture as well.
In today's world we see an enormous amount of Greek influence in our architecture. For example, at Davidson College in North Carolina (which is pretty far away from Greece) we can find hundreds of Doric columns throughout the campus as seen in the picture below. We also see Ionic columns on the White House as well which is the home of our nations president. Greek columns can be found everywhere in the United States including places that probably do not even know the history behind the columns themselves.
The Greeks made such a huge impact on architecture with these columns that they have been used over thousands of years and are still just as popular as before. These columns are held in such high regards that they are on the home of a world leader and at one of our nations top collegiate schools. The Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns were the foundation of modern architecture and were one of the most well known parts of Greek history.
Links- http://greece.mrdonn.org/columns.html
http://www.greekgateway.com/news/ancient-greek-to-modern-architecture-with-greek-influence
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Jack S.
2/19/15
Per. 4
Thoughts and Reflections on: When Free Speech Was First Condemned
In Ancient Greece Socrates was put on trial. He was much wiser than his prosecutors and the jury. With his wisdom, he made all of his foes look like fools by out smarting them and ultimately convincing them to give him the punishment he wanted. Socrates put sentenced to death by poisoning. In this trial Athens saw someone speak their own mind to the jury instead of begging to them and kissing up. This was even new to the jury and the prosecutors and it caught them off guard. They were all extremely offended by the hidden insults and complex questions that Socrates was throwing at them because he proved to them that he was smarter than them. By doing this he angered the jury so much that they wanted to put him to death even though that is what he wanted as well. The bottom line is that Socrates was killed for speaking his mind and expressing his opinion, so that is why this article is called, When Free Speech Was First Condemned. This article did not change my opinion on Socrates in any way. It did allow me to realize how wise Socrates truly was by realizing that his death was inevitable and he came to peace with it. If I were the head attorney of the prosecution team I would call Meletus to the stand to be the prime witness. I would do this because Meletus hates Socrates and would go all out to sway the jury in our favor. On the other hand, I would call Plato to the stand because he loves Socrates with all his heart and would go to great lengths to keep Socrates alive. I would call these people to the stand because they are either devoted to killing Socrates or saving him, but either way they will do whatever it takes to get the jury on their side.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Jack S.
2/18/15
Per 4.
Thoughts and Reflections on: Socrates The Apology
Socrates will not use, "pitiful appeals" in court because he does not want anyones pity. He says that he will not bring his sons to the trial because it drew unwanted sympathy from the jury. Socrates also stays very calm and composed instead of crying and pleading to the jury. Socrates was very confident in himself and did not want anyones help in this trial. Many punishments are suggested in Socrates trial, but he finds out a way to shoot each one of them down. For example, Meletus suggests imprisonment and Socrates makes a joke by saying if he was put in prison the government was essentially just taking care of him. Socrates does not believe he deserves a punishment, but instead should be rewarded for his work by receiving free food from the Athenians. Socrates also suggests banishment over death, but then contradicts himself by saying that he would still teach even if he was banished. Throughout the passage he is comparing banishment and death and it soon becomes apparent that he would prefer death over banishment. Socrates pressures the jury to give him the death penalty by saying that if they do anything els he will still find a way to teach. Socrates gives all these suggestions because he wants to overwhelm the jury with his knowledge and essentially coax them into giving him what he wants, the death penalty. Socrates finally proves he will not do what he believed is wrong by telling the jury that he will not give in to them and allow them to give him an unfair punishment. He does this because he can not afford to be passive in this situation and he must tell the jury shay he believes in order to get what he wants. Socrates gives a prophecy that states, "I tell you, my executioners, that as soon as I am dead, vengeance shall fall upon you with a punishment far more painful than your killing of me. As soon as I am dead, retribution will come upon you-far more severe, I swear, than the sentence that you have passed upon me." This prophecy is saying that even if the Athenians kill him all of his followers will continue to question the government and live as Socrates did. Socrates believed death is a good thing and he shows this to the jury by saying, "Death is either annihilation, and the dead have no consciousness of anything; or, as we are told, it is really a change: a migration of the soul from this place to another." According to Socrates the two possible outcomes of death are both appealing to him, so for Socrates death is a good thing.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Jack S.
2/10/15
Per. 4
Thoughts and Reflections on: Socrates
Socrates was a philosopher in Ancient Greece who was one of the wisest people our world has ever seen. We know this because he brought many new innovations and ideas to the people of Ancient Greece that would spread throughout the world. For example, the Socratic Method is a series of questions asked not only to draw individual answers but also to encourage fundamental insight into the issue at hand. Socrates was important to society because he brought so many new ideas to the people who looked up to him. Some even said that Socrates brought his philosophies straight from the gods. Socrates did not worship the gods that others did and he introduced new divinities of his own which is one of the reasons he was brought to trial. Others thought that by Socrates introducing new higher powers to worship he was corrupting the youth. Even though Socrates was extremely wise he was not always the most liked person around. When Socrates says, "I am fairly certain that this plain speaking of mine is the cause of my unpopularity" he means that because his philosophies were not extremely extravagant and mostly said that humans do not know as much as they think people did not want to hear them. Many believed Socrates corrupted the youth, but Socrates is baffled led by this accusation. Socrates does not understand how the whole community can blame one man for corrupting all of the youth.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Jack S.
2/8/14
Per. 4
Thoughts and Reflections on: The Peloponnesian War and The Cold War
The Cold War was not like any other war; there were no face to face, guns blazing battles, but it was one of the most significant wars in American history. It was a secret war between America and the Soviet Union. America was a democracy and the Soviet Union was communist. Both parties believed their way of government was better than the other's way of government. The Cold War was so unique because each side was scared of the other. While they tried not to show it, one side would never truly confront the other but rather just try to get as many other counties to believe that the side they were fighting was also their enemy as well. In other words, this war was a race for allies. While the Cold War was very unique, there was one other war quite similar, The Peloponnesian War. The Peloponnesian War was between Athens and Sparta in Ancient Greece. Athens was democratic like America and Sparta was quite similar to the Soviet Union as well. Even though Sparta was an oligarchy and the Soviets were communist, each form of government did not care for giving power or any form of opinion to their people. The two wars were also very similar in the sense that each side was trying to gain more allies than the other. In Thucydides writing he mentions that Athens and Sparta were so equally matched because they were the most powerful city states at the time that one would never truly defeat the other. This is very similar to the Cold War. America and the Soviet Union were both to of the most powerful countries in the world at the time and neither country could ever defeat the other because they were so evenly matched. The Americans and the Soviets could have learned from the Peloponnesian War that fighting another super power only brings destruction and worry to your own country. For example, in the Cold War schools would constantly practice drills for if the Soviets invaded America on any given day. Making people live in constant fear can only be bad for a country. The Cold War was important as a statement to Americas power and resilience, but it was also a mistake. Countless amounts of money was lost during the war and people did lose their lives as well. History can help us avoid making mistakes like this if we actually pay attention to it. Thucydides said that if two super powers go to war nobody will win, but it still happened. It is very important that next time we are placed in a position like we were in the Cold War we approach it with caution, strategy, and use history to help us avoid make mistakes.
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