some food for thought

Here are some food for thought...

1. Why do they call it "head over heels in love" if our head is always over our heels?
2. Why is the name if the phobia for the fear of long words Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia?
3. If someone can't see they're blind and if someone can't hear they're deaf, so what do you call people who can't smell?
4. Why is it called a TV set when there's only one?
5. Why do they call it an escalator if it takes you down?
6. If a person owns a piece of land do they own it all the way down to the core of the earth?
7. Since we see little birdies when we just get knocked out, what do little birdies see when they just get knocked out?
8. Why is a male ladybug called?
9. Why is an alarm clock going "off" when it actually turns on?
10. How fast do hotcakes sell?
11. If you mated a bull dog and a shitsu would it be called a bulls--t?
12. Why are they called stairs inside but steps outside?
13. Does the President have to pay taxes?
14. If Dracula has no reflection how come he always has such a straight parting in his hair?
15. If an ambulance is on its way to save someone and it runs someone over in the street does it stop to help them?
16. Why is Grape Nuts cereal called that when it contains neither grapes, nor nuts?
17. Why do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front?
18. What ever happened to an E grade? We have A,B,C,D,F but no E.
19. Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?

Racists Come Out of Woodwork After Obama Win

According to a recent Associated Press investigation, hundreds of race-related threats and crimes have been reported in the wake of Obama's election as president. Some of these include, "Cross burnings. Schoolchildren chanting 'Assassinate Obama.' Black figures hung from nooses. Racial epithets scrawled on homes and cars." For a full list of the reported incidents and to read the article, go to:

Election spurs 'hundreds' of race threats, crimes

What's your take on these crimes, in light of conversations we've had about "othering" and the "potential for violence"?

Did American Idol Kill Paula Goodspeed?

In light of our recent conversations about Mirroring and Othering, this strange news story caught my eye.

American Idol Contestant Found Dead Near Paula Abdul's Home

Especially in the "audition" episodes of a new season, is American Idol guilty of promoting Othering as a nation?

Here's an editorial about the effects of AI on a nation.

reflecting on crash

The objective for sharing this powerful film with you was so that you can reflect on human nature and more specifically draw conclusions about your personal connections to the characters and the events.

I urge you to expand on your thoughts either through a post on this blog or through a one page journal entry. Here are some questions (which you are not limited to) to inspire your thinking.

1. REFLECT ON THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN ANTHONY AND PETER WATERS AS THEY LEAVE THE DINER.
*CAN YOU THINK IN STEREOTYPES ABOUT YOUR OWN RACE? IS THAT ACCEPTABLE? WHY? WHY NOT?

2. REFLECT ON THE DISCUSSION BETWEEN JEAN AND RICK CABOT ABOUT DANIEL RUIZ, THE LOCKSMITH, WORKING IN THEIR HOME.
*CAN YOU EMPATHIZE/SYMPATHIZE WITH JEAN CABOT'S REACTION CONSIDERING HER CIRCUMSTANCE? WHY OR WHY NOT?

3. REFLECT ON THE CONVERSATION THAT RICK CABOT HAS ABOUT THE IRAQI WHO HE ASSUMED WAS BLACK.
* IS IT RACIST IF WE CANNOT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN RACES?

4. REFLECT ON THE PHILOSOPHIES OF LUDACRIS' CHARACTER ANTHONY.
*AT WHAT POINT DO YOU AGREE WITH HIM? DISAGREE WITH HIM? WHY?

5. REFLECT ON THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN OFFICER JOHN RYAN AND SHANIQUA JOHNSON.
*SHOULD SHE HAVE HELPED HIS DAD?
*SHOULD WE BE TOLERANT OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT TOLERANT OF US?

6. REFLECT ON TERRENCE HOWARD'S CHARACTER CAMERON THAYER.
*IN WHAT WAYS IS HE A VICTIM? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HIS REACTIONS? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HIS WIFE'S REACTION TO HIM?

7. COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE CHARACTERS OFFICER JOHN RYAN WITH OFFICER TOMMY HANSON.

* WHO IS MORE OFFENSIVE? IGNORANT? DANGEROUS? WHY? CITE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES!

8. WITH WHICH CHARACTER DO YOU IDENTIFY THE MOST? WHY? CITE SPECIFIC DETAILS!

So, Racism's Over, Right?

Tuesday's dramatic win for Barack Obama has finally put an African-American in the White House. This is an historic moment for the presidency, considering that up until Barack (with the exception of Catholic John F. Kennedy) every president of the United States has been white and protestant. So, now that we have a black man in the highest position of power in our nation, this can only mean one thing: To quote Stephen Colbert to Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree, "Is then Racism over?"



(The question, at about the :43 second mark.)



Stephen later, discussing this historical moment, as only he can.

EBHS Differences

We tend to think that everyone in EBHS is pretty similar. After all, we all live in the same place and go to the same school. What are the ways in which we differ from each other?

Laughing about Racism

Many stand-up comics and television shows use racism as a go-to for laughs (ex. Chapelle's Show, Mind of Mencia). Does laughing about racism actually help stop racism, or does making jokes just help racism grow worse?

American Language

Are you irritated by people who speak foreign languages here in New Jersey? If America is the great "melting pot", and very few of our families actually began in this country, why would anyone be frustrated by individuals speaking languages other than English?

Stereotypes in the Media

Should videogames, television, and other forms of media attempt to be stereotype free? Why or why not?

Tolerance vs Acceptance

What is the difference between "tolerance" and "acceptance"? Is one a more useful term when we talk about diversity and our differences?

Tolerance

Must we be tolerant of those who are not tolerant of us? Why or why not?

College Diversity

Is diversity (racial, religious, geographic, socioeconomic, etc.) an important factor for you when you consider where you will go for college? Why or why not?

**Since MOST OF YOU says yes to this, how can a college go about providing a diverse student population without in some way asking questions about your race, religion, etc.? Is there a good way of going about this?

Lunch Table

In a famous book entitled "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" psychologist Dr. Beverly Tatum Daniel suggests that it is a very important and healthy phase of identity development for minority students to form homogeneous groups--groups that share their characteristics (for example race, religion, sexuality). What do you think? Would you ever choose to sit at a lunch table of people with whom you felt you had nothing in common?

*Bonus suggestion: try it and write about the experience. Go sit at a random table; call it an anthropological experiment...How did they react; how did you?

Bias?

Is every person biased? Are you? Is it ever possible for a person to be bias-free?