S'more
Nisaa Pouncey
Gas Lighting
Nisaa Pouncey
Danley
British Literature
26 April 2016
S’more #13
Gas lighting is a form of psychological abuse in which false information is presented with the intent of making a victim doubt their own memory and perception originating from the 1944 movie, “Gaslight” in which a psychopathic con artist husband tries to drive his wife insane. One of the methods that he uses is to change the level of the gaslights in the house. When she questions him he denies that there has been any change. The wife ends up almost completely dependent upon her husband to tell her what is real and what is not. She believes him despite the fact that he is clearly lying. Gas lighting is done in an effort to force someone’s will upon their victim without resistance. The victim will begin to doubt themselves, gradually lose their sense of reality and question their own sanity. Their purpose is the create a new reality beneficial to their own needs.
Americans have become the victims of political gas lighting. As our technology grows, so does our exposure to gas lighting. Gas lighting was once considered a personal relationship issue, but as the ability for widespread communication increases, so does gas lighting. Donald Trump is not the only politician guilty of gas lighting the American public. Ben Carson has recently been accused of gas lighting on many issues. Gas lighting has also been an issue with both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. We as citizens, can stop being victims of gas lighting by insisting that politicians and leaders support their claims with hard background evidence, and also by looking deeper into what is said before aimlessly believing it.
Happiness vs. Freedom
Nisaa Pouncey
April 19th 2016
British Literature
Danley
S’More #12
In Chapter 3 of book three in 1984 , Winston knows “that the choice for mankind lay between freedom and happiness, and that, for the great bulk of mankind, happiness was better”. In this statement, Winston is expressing his belief that mankind must choose between freedom and happiness. He believes that for the majority of the population, happiness is a better choice. But this happiness comes at the cost of freedom. I disagree with Winston. If you are truly free, you are free to do what you want. True freedom would allow you to make the choices that will make you happy without being told what to do. Are we choosing between freedom and happiness? I believe that we must give up some of our freedoms to be safe and secure as a nation, and with this safely and security comes happiness. When Snowden released sensitive information about the government’s actions, he jeopardized the safety and security of the entire nation. Despite my concerns, I believe that the Snowden experiences shed light on the actions and practices of the government what indicated that we, as a nation, are not as free as we once believed.Is Technology Really From Heaven
Nisaa Pouncey
Danley
British Literature
31 March 2016
S’more #11
Orwell is saying that Technology; cars, phones, laptop, television,etc; was fastly developing and was thought to continue developing at this rapid rate. Because of war and poverty there was a stop in mass production of all thing technological. He also includes science I his reasoning. Advances in Science and technology require a growing economy and innovative thinker. In the scenario of the book 1984 this was not the case. The government of Oceania strictly prohibited independent, and innovative thinker. This gave the government open ground to do as they pleased because everyone was becoming more dependent on them. Without this there way no way for science and technology to progress, so instead it came to an halt.
Get it Straight
Nisaa Pouncey
British Literature
Danely
25 March 2016
S’more 10: Get It Straight
Edward Snowden, born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina in 1983, worked as an computer programer for the National Security Agency, NSA. While working for the NSA, Snowden came across disturbing documents involving the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance practices. He began to secretly collect these documents without proper authorization from the United States government. In May of 2013, Snowden fled to Hong Kong, China from his position with the NSA in Hawaii. The following month Snowden revealed thousands of classified documents to journalist from The Guardian and the Washington Post. These publications printed the leaked documents. Later in June, the United States of America charged Snowden with violation of the Espionage Act and theft of US government or foreign government property. To the United States government Snowden was a traitor, but to many he was a hero because he relieved information indicating that the government that was secretly spying on the citizens of the United States of America. This left many Americans feeling flabbergasted and feeling as though their right had been violated.
In my view, I would say that O’Brien is most like Edward Snowden in the book 1984. O’Brien in an inner party member who is very well off, living is a house far too big for himself and living a life only dreamt of by the outer party members like Winston. Although O’Brien is an inner party member, he by no means believes in the practices of Big Brother. This is a huge similarity that Snowden and O’Brien share, they both worked on the inside for the government but both find the actions done by the party a disgrace. The only thing that differentiates the two is that Edward Snowden took the extra step of copying the information and exposing to the would. While O’Brien on the other hand kept his thoughts to himself and dares not to share it with any other inner party members because he knows the consequences that will follow if he does. Edward Snowden and O’Brien are very much alike in the aspect of going against the government but Snowden did not think of what would come to him after he exposed the information, he was careless. O’Brien is careful, he thinks before he acts because he knows that he is also being watched and can at any moment be terminated if he acts outside of the standards of Big Brother.Anti Rebellion Fine
Nisaa Pouncey
Danley
British Literature
23 March 2016
S’more 9: Ain’t Rebellion Fine
The Cuban Revolution was a powerful revolution because it put Fidel Castro in power. Fidel Castro established the first Communist state in the western hemisphere. Castro ruled Cuba for nearly five decades before officially ending his rule by handing over power to his younger brother Raul Castro in 2008.
On March 10, 1952, General Batista overthrew the then current president of Cuba, Carlos Prio Socarras. He cancelled all elections and successfully kept the lower class in poverty while the upper classes gained additional wealth. These actions angered a young lawyer by the name of Fidel Castro. In the following years, he led several attempts to overthrow General Batista and the Cuban government. In July of 1953, Fidel Castro led an attack on a military barrack in Santiago. He was defeated and sentenced to jail. However, he was released from prison in 1955 as a statement of Batista’s supreme power. Following his release, Castro gathered a new group of rebels in Mexico with the intent of overthrowing the Cuban government. On January 1, 1959, Castro forced General Batista to resign his presidency and flee the country, never to return.
Castro used guerrilla tactics, irregular warfare with small groups of armed civilians, para military personnel, to fight off armed forces with the help of rebels throughout Cuba. This irregular use of military tactics included ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tactics, and having the mobility to fight a larger and less mobile traditional military. Soon after assuming power, much like General Batista, Castro suspended all future elections and named himself “President for Life”. Castro establish a communist government making himself dictator. To solidify his power he jailed or executed anyone who opposed him and his rule, including over five hundred and fifty of General Batista’s supporters. The Cuban revolution was a turning point in history. Castro’s communist reign allowed Cuba to become an important source of global power for the Soviet Union.
This revolution is kind of like the ISIS, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, revolution that is an ongoing issue in present day society. ISIS is a group of islamic people from Iraq and Syria standing against the government of countries in the United Nations; United States of America, Paris, Belgium, and more; using military tactics such as suicide bombings to further their cause. Although their cause may not be to spread communism it is direct representation of a small angered group of people who are revolting against a much bigger group.
smore 7
The only way to prepare for peace is to be prepared for war”
“The only way to prepare for peace is to be prepared for war”,(1984). Some people may see this quote as false but I see it as the truth. Good things in life never come easy. To me this means that in order to get to what you want you have to work hard. In all reality there is no get out of jail free card. You have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. This quote relates to my life and my work very well. Each semester, I miss three to four weeks of school to work as a fashion model during fashion week in New York City. During the time I am away from school, I go on countless meetings with designers every day. These meetings take me from one end of the city, to the other end of city. I am often up and working before sunrise. I usually work into the late evening. This hard work and the long hours are not a guarantee that I will work for the designers I have met with. This is simply because there are thousands of other girls out there working just as hard, if not harder to get the same jobs I want to get. My peace is to see my face on a billboard or to work for a well known designer. In order to get what I want, I have to go the my war with the thousands of other models that have the same goal as me. There is always someone willing to take a job you weren’t willing to work hard enough to get. You don’t always get what you wish for, you get what you work for. “There is no secret routine, there in no magical number of reps and sets. What there is, is confidence, belief, hard work on a consistent basis, and a desire to succeed.” Steve Justa
smore 6
Nisaa Pouncey
British Literature
Danely
22 March 2016
Politifact
Marco Rubio "has the No. 1 absentee record in the United States" Senate.
— Donald Trump on Thursday, March 3rd, 2016 in a GOP debate hosted by Fox
This was said by Donald Trump on Thursday, March 3rd at the Fox News debate in Detroit, Michigan. During this debate Trump denounces Senator Rubio for having a low senate voting record. After this was stated, further research was done on this and it was found to be for the most part true. Marco Rubio, in the past year, has missed 77 out of 263 roll call votes. Although this is a high number of votes to miss, it should be taken into consideration that majority of these votes were missed after April 13th, when he announced his candidacy. This is not uncommon in senators who run for president. I in no way feel that this makes him unfit for the spot as president, in my eyes i see it as him being dedicated to becoming president.
There have been multiple media reports about (Donald Trump's) business dealings with the mob, with the mafia."
— Ted Cruz on Sunday, February 28th, 2016 in comments on Meet the Press
This was said by Ted Cruz on Sunday, February 28th on Meet the Press. It has been known to many that Donald Trump refuses to release any information on his taxes, this possibly could be because it may lead to evidence linking him to the New York mafia. It has also been found that when Trump was first building his empire in the 80’s he awarded a $7.8 million subcontract for Trump Plaza to S&A Concrete, which is known to be owned but Anthony “Fat Tony” Salerno the boss of the Genovese crime family. When confronted about this, Trump admits that he was well aware of the mafia ties associated with S&A Concrete, but denies that the relationship was anything further than business. This show that Trump has no problem working with people that are tied to illegal activity to get the job done.
Says Donald Trump "thinks that climate change is a hoax, invented by the Chinese."
— Bernie Sanders on Sunday, January 24th, 2016 in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press"
This was said by Bernie Sanders on Sunday, January 24th on Meet the Press. Bernie Sanders on several different occasions has taken on Trump about his views on climate change. November 6th 2012 Trump made a tweet stating “the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S manufacturing non-competitive.” Also most recently, Trump tells a crowd of people “Obama’s talking about all of this with the global warming and….a lot of it’s a hoax. I mean, it’s a money-making industry, OK? It’s a hoax, a lot of it”. And a many other occasions Donald Trump has referred to global warming as a hoax, this shows that Donald Trump doesn't take something that is a major concerns seriously.
ISIS is "going to people showing videos of Donald Trump insulting Islam and Muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists."
— Hillary Clinton on Saturday, December 19th, 2015 in the Dec. 19 Democratic presidential debate
This was said by Hillary Clinton Saturday, December 19th, 2015 during the Democratic presidential Debate. Hillary says that ISIS is using videos of Donald Trump bashing Islam and Muslims, however there is no evidence whatsoever to back her up in this. Many Google searches have been performed to find traces of evidence backing Hillary’s claim up and nothing has turn up. She also goes on by saying “they love him form the sense that he is supporting their rhetoric…. They follow everything Donald Trump says. When he says, ‘No Muslims should be allowed in America,’ they tell people,’We told you America hates Muslims and here is the proof”. Not only does this show that Hillary Clinton is a liar, but that she will say anything to get your vote.
smore 5
Nisaa Pouncey
Danely
British Literature
15 March 2016
Media Manipulation
Media manipulation currently shapes everything you read, hear, and watch today. In a sense it is kinda like propaganda used during war to alter your view on a targeted subject. The only difference is that it is not only used for war and it is the new way of advertising everyday items. This “propaganda” is used for advertising clothes, stores, food, politics, beauty, cars, etc. For example, reality shows are often staged and scripted but to those that are not behind the scenes, which are most viewers, it is real life. Not only are reality shows staged and scripted but most of the time the glamorous lives that we watch aren't really glamorous and the cast members most likely rented their over sized houses, and expensive cars. In the act of watching these television shows, we are persuading ourselves that their lives are better than ours, they are living quote unquote the good life. Photoshopping is a major media manipulation tool and is a constant subject brought in this society. In the media today, celebrities are routinely photo shopped for advertisement, promotion, and social media. On social media sites such as: Instagram Twitter and Facebook, photoshopped picture are seen more than you would think. For instance, Kim Kardashian has hired a professional private photoshopper to edit her pictures after she takes them and before they are posted. I for one, look at these pictures and think “wow she looks amazing” but in reality that isn't what she really looks like. Media manipulation alters our perceptions of reality.
smore 4
Nisaa Pouncey
Danley
British Literature
15 March 2016
S’more #4
Advertising has an impact in all areas of society. These advertisements are designed to alter our opinions and beliefs. We see images of men and women in advertisements who have been photoshopped to unnatural proportions.These images make us believe that all women show be unnaturally thin, or with unnatural body proportions. We are led to believe that all women should have flawless skin, thick long hair, and a fantastic body. Advertisers have tricked us into believing that all men should be tall, dark, and handsome. We see advertisements for politicians that are full of lies and propaganda. We are to believe that Donald Trump is a racist idiot, but there is little to no evidence to support this. At the same time, political propaganda would have us believe that Bernie Sanders is a lazy bum who didn't hold a real job until he was forty years old. Everywhere you look, whether is be television, magazines, or the Internet, there are millions of advertisements for products and services that are pushed onto consumers today. The girls that are responsible for creating these advertisements are paid to coax you on what they think you need. Rather they agree with societal values or dictate these values.
smore 3
Nisaa Pouncey
Danley
British Literature
15 March 2016
Super Bowl 50
In the Super Bowl 50 commercial "First Date" (2016), Hyundai, nationally known car maker, argue that with the new 2016 Hyundai Genesis you can use a car finder feature to track your car from any mobile device. Hyundai illuminates this feather when Kevin Hart allows his daughter's date to drive his new car; when they drive off in the Hyundai, Kevin Hart actives the car finder feature from his smart watch, and effectively tracks his daughter though the course of the evening. In order to demonstrate this new edition Hyundai repeated shows Kevin Hart appearing in multiple places on several different occasions throughout his daughter's date in ways such as him showing up to the movies and sitting behind his daughter and her date, and also hanging off of a helicopter following the car while they drive home. Hyundai's targeted audience is any car buyer because they open the commercial showing the silver Hyundai Genesis in the driveway and the daughter's date admiring the car as he walks to the front door, throughout this commercial you can sense a very comedic tone with the things that Kevin Hart does to hide spy on his daughter's such as hiding in a pile of stuffed animals.
smore 2
Nisaa Pouncey
Danely
British Literature
17 march 2016
S’more #2
The act of body shaming is inappropriate or negative statements and attitudes toward ourselves or another person's weight, size or appearance. It can also reach into the discrimination against individuals who may be overweight, underweight or people with physical attributions that are perceived as unattractive. Within the last year body shaming has become a trend on all social media platforms. People have begun to see this as a real issue and have started hashtags to raise awareness. I for one plan to contribute to raising awareness by confronting those who perpetuate body shaming of themselves or others. I feel that after becoming aware of the issues associated with body-shaming, I have seen it happening a lot around me. Not only in people around me but those close to me, and most of the time it isn't intentional. I can make a huge contribution to the issue of body shaming by discussing with them how it is hurtful and suggesting ways to stop body shaming. In discussing this with them I plan on encouraging them to look in the mirror and find something that they like about themselves. Not only can I help others can, our daily life is consumed by watching advertisements about how to enhance your body. These advertisements encourage the viewers to lengthen our eyebrows, straighten our hair, suppress our appetite, and buy the latest gym equipment. But despite the struggle of your body image, you should find something physical or nonphysical that make you celebrate you every day.
smore 1
Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media. Media literate youth and adults are better able to understand the complex messages we receive from television, radio, Internet, newspapers, magazines, books, billboards, video games, music, and all other forms of media. In my opinion media literacy is learning about the development of mass media popular culture and digital media. It is about becoming competent in all forms of media, so you can control the interpretation of what you see and hear, rather than letting other people's interpretation control what you think. Media literacy builds an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self- expression necessary for citizens of a democracy. Media literacy is a 21st century approach to education.