my life is complex, in the wrong at best, judged and defintiely a test.
backroom in the pack soon, addict swoon for a gram of that yesterdays tune. Back ways paid my math plays. I say but my friend stays. What do I do now, who knows how to do anything but allow, a protest is words that speak. Failing the time I know its not free but I cant stop that feeling tinge which is weak. Pain stains the back way of my brain. Metaphors, images and sting rays play rewind in the slow motion time. Drop dime but pop nine. a pround fine now a doing line swine. From the top to quick low faster to More not less to pass this test. Master to the servant says plenty of blood lets. Needles and happy dermics, once pure now a nightmare, and everyone else asks how he got there. Judge but dont stare. Not to budge just relax the guilt care. The director says action and you lower the eyes here.
We must stand above the surface, above the last chance of the advanced, creation is the key, purpose is the me, the way is the He. Faith is the plea.
Modern skeptics and brain sceptics. I stain with hectic, anxious and full of wreck it. Packed with emotion, tight like a bottle, large like an ocean.
Assume nothing but believe it. I steep over and peep a little while the blinding face of the password and distaste is obvious upon my weeping face. The shake. The sand. The vomit. The band. The key. The lock. The sunrise. The walk. The gun. The store. The money. The poor. The drugs. The craze. The addiction. The taste. The beast. The in. The laugh. The sin. The sickness. The loss. The repetition. Where am I right now and why? Thats one thing you can never understand when high.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Information on Definitions on Government Stuff - Russ L
Focus groups- Tool for exploring public opinion. Small groups brought together to talk about issues or candidates at length or in depth. Used to explore how ordinary people think about issues and how they react to the language of political appeals.
Ideology- Not the same as public opinion. System of beliefs in which one or more organizing principles connect the individual's views on a whole range of issues.
Issue public- Group of people particularly affected by, or concerned with, a specific issue. Issue's are relevant to them for specific reasons.
Mass public- Ordinary people for whom politics is a peripheral concern. Usually are not ideological.
Measurement error- The error that arises from attempting to measure something as subjective as opinion. Reason for in-depth reporting. Includes errors such as sampling error, selection bias, method of asking a question etc
Political efficacy- The belief that one can make a difference in politics by expressing an opinion or acting politically. Gets greater with higher education.
Political elite- Activists and officeholders who are deeply interested in, and knowledgeable about, politics. Have well-structured ideologies that bind together their views on policy issues.
Public opinion- An essential element of all conceptions of democracy. This is the aggregation of people's views about issues, situations, and public figures.
Sampling error- This is an error that arises in surveys as a result of relying on a representative, but small, sample of the larger population. Variability because of chance differences in demographics, etc.
Selection Bias- Another error in which a sample systemically includes or excludes people with certain attitudes. This is because the place where the samples are taken from are prone to certain demographics or attitudes.
Socialization- The end result of all the processes by which social groups give individuals their beliefs and values. This occurs through institutions of a society such as family, religious institutions, schools etc. Can also occur indirectly when someone observes or imitates others. MOST IMPORTANT SOCIALIZING AGENT IS FAMILY.
Why might we be skeptical about polls? We might be skeptical about polls because of various forms of error or miscalculations that may occur. Some of these are sampling error, selection bias, measurement error. It's hard to accurately measure something as subjective as opinion.
What do good pollsters do to try to address the reasons for skepticism about the validity of their polls? They use a large amount of techniques to ensure samples mirror the population. Also find ways to avoid selection bias by making sure their sample is completely random, such as random number dialing. 95% of the time a random sample will generate opinions that fall within 3 percent of national opinion.
Is public opinion well-informed? Ideological? Consistent? Public opinion is uninformed, only a third of adults over 36 can identify the political party of their state legislatures. Young adults are even less informed. They are too umotivated to cover the information cost; the time and mental effort required to absorb and store information. COMPLETELY UNINFORMED.
Public opinion is NOT IDEOLOGICAL either. Most people's views are not firmly connected by a unifying ideology. Even when these beliefs are firm, which is rare, there isn't a strong belief that connects their various different views. The mass public is completely unideological, but political elites are the ideological ones.
Public opinion is NOT CONSISTENT. This is because people often have not thought about issues, and send contradictory messages. This is explained by ignorance, and a misunderstanding of politics. People tend to just guess at what they think sounds right. Some people say Americans tend to be hypocritical. I.E supporting freedom of speech but not wanting a member of their least favorite group to be allowed to give a speech. THE BOOK BELIEVES that Americans view rights as flexible and practical. They are prepared to make trade-offs on a case-by-case basis.
Political Parties
Critical elections- Elections that mark the emergence of a new, lasting alignment of partisan support within the electorate. These mark realignment of the government, which occurs about once every thirty years. Usually triggered by a social crisis or something that divides the existing parties and increases participation in politics.
Direct primary- Has only really occurred in the US. This method of election is a method of choosing party candidates by popular vote of all self-identified party members.
Divided government- exists when a single party does not control the presidency and both houses of Congress. This was the case early in George W Bush's presidency and most of the eighties and nineties. It is confusing because the parties attempt to manufacture responsibility- blame bad things on the other party and good things on their own, even when it is completely untrue.
Machine- A highly organized party under the control of a boss, and based on patronage and control of government activities. Machines were common in cities in late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This was also known as the urban machine.
national convention- Quadrennial gatherings of party officials and delegates who select presidential and vice presidential nominees and adopt party platforms. Extension of the direct primary to the presidential level after 1968 has greatly reduced the importance of these.
Progressives- Collection of political activists, politicians and intellectuals at the turn of the century. These were Middle-class reformers who weakened the powers of the 'machine' and attempted to clean up elections and government. Main effect was to undermine control of public employment and nominations, in order to stop political parties from keeping their firm hold on the system.
proportional representation- Electoral system in which parties receive a share of seats in parliament that is proportional to the popular votes they receive.
Realignment- This happens about once every thirty yrs in American history. This is when the pattern of group support for political parties shifts in a significant and lasting way. Four stable characteristics describe a party system: The identities of major parties, parties' relative balance of strength, the major issues, the party coalitions (general demographic of supporters)
single-member, simple plurality system- United States relies almost exclusively on this system. Country is divided into geographic districts, and the candidates who win within their districts are elected.
ticket splitting- this explains the eras of 'divided government' when a different party controls the Congress than the president is. This occurs when a voter votes for candidates of different parties at the same election.
two-party system- System in which only two main parties compete for office. This is the US. Although third parties regularly arise, one of the two main parties candidates' always gets the white house. THE TWO PARTY SYSTEM IS UNUSUAL IN FOREIGN DEMOCRACIES.
party systems? There are six party systems...
1. Jefforsonian- Federalism vs. Anti-federalism (Democratic-Republicans) Debated about the strictness with which the constitution should be read and interpreted. The election of 1800 between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, was the main of the era. After Adams lost, and Jefferson, democratic-republican, won, the federalist party dwindled and soon faded away. By 1816, the United States was technically a one party system, “the era of good feeling”. Slavery was also an issue, the one party system didn't result in much great governing.
2. Jacksonian – Occurred once Jackson ran for president in 1824. John Quincy Adams was given the nod after Jackson didn't get the majority of electoral votes, even though he got the popular vote. Jackson came back and won the next election. The parties during this period were Whigs (started by Jackson) and Democrats. The main difference between them was that the Whigs wanted the government to promote national economic development by investing in 'internal improvements'. The Democrats also believed in more power to the president than the Whigs. Both parties contained active opponents and strong supporters of slavery. This is a period in which national conventions were used and very important, they are still used but not as important. The Democrats were the dominating party over the Whigs.
3. Civil War and Reconstruction – Slavery was a main issue during this time. How to deal with slavery in new territories was a key debate of this time. The Whig party died out during this period after Democrats passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, allowing settlers to bring slaves into Kansas and Nebraska. Eventually, the remainder of the Whigs, disaffected Democrats, and Free Soil Party members came together to create the Republican Party. Parties eventually became so organized that they led to the creation of the urban machines in many big cities, and these machines ended the era.
4. Industrial Republican- Industrialization and urban poverty were big issues during this time. The Progressive party came to exist from those who wanted reform, the urban middle-class mainly, and the populist party, comprised of agricultural people who supported popular vote and working class, came to exist. Severe depression hit the country in the 1890s and Democrats were blamed. Reforms of the progressives that targeted real corruption but also weakened the mobilizing agents bringing low class and status people into politics. A major depression, the Great Depression, as usual, is what ended the Era.
5. New Deal – Franklin D Roosevelt became president in the beginning of this era, during the Great Depression. This is after Republicans lost almost all hold of Congress and FDR easily won as the Democratic candidate. He was determined to fight the Depression with a much more active and forceful use of the federal government. Democrats soon became the party of the 'common' people. Democratic dominance over the Republicans marked this period. Foreign policy was also a key part of this time period. World War 2, dealing with Asia, and the Cold War were all in this time period.
6. Unnamed current party system. - It is unclear when this new political time period began to occur. Scholars are puzzled by the transition, but the elections of the last 1960's mark the estimated start of this period. Electoral coalitions have changed, meaning that anyone could be voting for either party. Issue agendas have also changed; crime, abortion, gay rights, porn, school prayer, affirmative action have all become issues. Foreign policy has also lost it's consensual, nonpartisan character. Different parties could win any different election.
Why do third parties face an uphill battle in the US? Citizens are usually set on one side of the spectrum when third parties come into play. Only once the party has replaced one of the two parties, such as the Republicans and the Whigs, the party becomes prominent. Otherwise, parties usually disbanded are are assimilated into one of the two major parties.
What are the reasons for the decline of parties since the beginning of the Progressive era? The party system was unable to contain or adapt to new pressures during the Progressive era. As industrialization took hold of the nation, party divisions only seemed to get in the way. Corruption and excess of the urban machine spawned many third parties and interest groups to destroy their influence. The Progressives also undermined two principal resources used by political parties to maintain power; control of public employment and control of nominations. Direct primaries weakened control of nominations and influence that parties could extend over officials and officeholders. Later, during the New Deal era, racial divisions and different views would also weaken the Democratic party fundamentally.
What are the reasons for the revival of parties?
Congress
Affirmative action redistricting- Efforts to create majority-minority districts, this has generated considerable controversy. These districts have unusual shapes to allow for these districts. Often result in accusation of gerrymandering. According to the case of Shaw v. Reno, this redistricting might be constitutionally questionable.
Bloc voting- Occurs often in ethnically diverse constituencies in which groups vote as blocs. Voting in which nearly all members of an ethnic or racial group vote for the same candidate or party. This is an obstacle in districting. When voting is racially polarized, African Americans are very unlikely to win unless they are a majority in the district.
Casework- An activity to which modern representatives of congress devote a great deal of attention, this is also known as constituent assistance. Efforts of members of Congress to help individuals and groups when they have difficulties with federal agencies and problems are not solved through normal channels. This is effective at the polls and is an overwhelmingly successful and satisfactory process.
Coattails- this is the positive electoral effect of a popular presidential candidate on the congressional candidates of that party. Many congressional candidates ride into office on the president's coattails. This effect has decreased significantly from the middle of the century with ticket-splitting and the decline of parties and also the manufacturing of blame on the president's party.
Constituency service- This includes district service and constituent service. This is the effort by members of Congress to secure federal funding for their districts and to help constituents when they have difficulties with federal agencies. Includes federal projects or grants. Candidates will often help constituents of different parties and businesses because there may be significant benefits.
Filing deadline- The latest date on which a candidate who wishes to be on the primary ballot for office may file official papers or pay required fees to state election officials.
Frank (“the frank”)- the free use of the U.S mail by representatives and senators for sending communications to constituents. This has grown through the last century with increased technology. Also higher during election years, obviously.
Gerrymandering- Congress drawing the lines of state districts, during redistricting, for partisan or other political advantage. Very common charges against Congress.
Incumbency advantage- The electoral advantage a candidate enjoys by virtue of being an incumbent, over and above his or her other personal and political characteristics. This grew from 2 percentage points before 1960 to 12 points in more recent elections. This is due to five factors; the weakness of political parties in the mid-twentieth century, the growth in resources available to incumbents, changes in the activities of representatives, campaign funding disparities, and more responsive incumbents.
Majority-minority district- the requirement to create these was caused by a 1982 amendment to the Voting Rights Act and subsequent decisions. These are districts in which a minority group is the numerical majority. This adds liberty and equality to the voting process and is a great effect of the redistricting process.
Open seat- A House or Senate race with no incumbent, because of death or retirement. These are the hardest fought primaries
Professional legislature -Legislature whose members serve full-time and for long periods. An example is Congress, the world's foremost example of this. Characterized by stability and voluntary service.
Reapportionment- The allocation of seats to the states after each decennial census. This means that a census is held every decade, and after the census the 435 seats in the House of Reps are redistributed to the states based on their populations.
Redistricting- Drawing new boundaries of Congressional districts, usually after the census. Refers to the actual changing of congressional districts within states, not the entire state as a whole. This is also done in estimated close proportion to the population of the areas in the states. The smallest states do receive a minimum of one seat in Congress, a minimum guaranteed by Article 1.
Safe seat- A congressional district certain to vote for the candidate of one party. Given that the great majority of House districts are drawn to favor one party or the other, party-line voting will determine the winners in such safe-seats.
Why has the incumbency advantage grown since the 1940's? The representatives in the house are very electorally sensitive and work very hard at serving their districts, representing policy concerns, and attempt to eliminate any basis for a strong challenge against them.
Ideology- Not the same as public opinion. System of beliefs in which one or more organizing principles connect the individual's views on a whole range of issues.
Issue public- Group of people particularly affected by, or concerned with, a specific issue. Issue's are relevant to them for specific reasons.
Mass public- Ordinary people for whom politics is a peripheral concern. Usually are not ideological.
Measurement error- The error that arises from attempting to measure something as subjective as opinion. Reason for in-depth reporting. Includes errors such as sampling error, selection bias, method of asking a question etc
Political efficacy- The belief that one can make a difference in politics by expressing an opinion or acting politically. Gets greater with higher education.
Political elite- Activists and officeholders who are deeply interested in, and knowledgeable about, politics. Have well-structured ideologies that bind together their views on policy issues.
Public opinion- An essential element of all conceptions of democracy. This is the aggregation of people's views about issues, situations, and public figures.
Sampling error- This is an error that arises in surveys as a result of relying on a representative, but small, sample of the larger population. Variability because of chance differences in demographics, etc.
Selection Bias- Another error in which a sample systemically includes or excludes people with certain attitudes. This is because the place where the samples are taken from are prone to certain demographics or attitudes.
Socialization- The end result of all the processes by which social groups give individuals their beliefs and values. This occurs through institutions of a society such as family, religious institutions, schools etc. Can also occur indirectly when someone observes or imitates others. MOST IMPORTANT SOCIALIZING AGENT IS FAMILY.
Why might we be skeptical about polls? We might be skeptical about polls because of various forms of error or miscalculations that may occur. Some of these are sampling error, selection bias, measurement error. It's hard to accurately measure something as subjective as opinion.
What do good pollsters do to try to address the reasons for skepticism about the validity of their polls? They use a large amount of techniques to ensure samples mirror the population. Also find ways to avoid selection bias by making sure their sample is completely random, such as random number dialing. 95% of the time a random sample will generate opinions that fall within 3 percent of national opinion.
Is public opinion well-informed? Ideological? Consistent? Public opinion is uninformed, only a third of adults over 36 can identify the political party of their state legislatures. Young adults are even less informed. They are too umotivated to cover the information cost; the time and mental effort required to absorb and store information. COMPLETELY UNINFORMED.
Public opinion is NOT IDEOLOGICAL either. Most people's views are not firmly connected by a unifying ideology. Even when these beliefs are firm, which is rare, there isn't a strong belief that connects their various different views. The mass public is completely unideological, but political elites are the ideological ones.
Public opinion is NOT CONSISTENT. This is because people often have not thought about issues, and send contradictory messages. This is explained by ignorance, and a misunderstanding of politics. People tend to just guess at what they think sounds right. Some people say Americans tend to be hypocritical. I.E supporting freedom of speech but not wanting a member of their least favorite group to be allowed to give a speech. THE BOOK BELIEVES that Americans view rights as flexible and practical. They are prepared to make trade-offs on a case-by-case basis.
Political Parties
Critical elections- Elections that mark the emergence of a new, lasting alignment of partisan support within the electorate. These mark realignment of the government, which occurs about once every thirty years. Usually triggered by a social crisis or something that divides the existing parties and increases participation in politics.
Direct primary- Has only really occurred in the US. This method of election is a method of choosing party candidates by popular vote of all self-identified party members.
Divided government- exists when a single party does not control the presidency and both houses of Congress. This was the case early in George W Bush's presidency and most of the eighties and nineties. It is confusing because the parties attempt to manufacture responsibility- blame bad things on the other party and good things on their own, even when it is completely untrue.
Machine- A highly organized party under the control of a boss, and based on patronage and control of government activities. Machines were common in cities in late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This was also known as the urban machine.
national convention- Quadrennial gatherings of party officials and delegates who select presidential and vice presidential nominees and adopt party platforms. Extension of the direct primary to the presidential level after 1968 has greatly reduced the importance of these.
Progressives- Collection of political activists, politicians and intellectuals at the turn of the century. These were Middle-class reformers who weakened the powers of the 'machine' and attempted to clean up elections and government. Main effect was to undermine control of public employment and nominations, in order to stop political parties from keeping their firm hold on the system.
proportional representation- Electoral system in which parties receive a share of seats in parliament that is proportional to the popular votes they receive.
Realignment- This happens about once every thirty yrs in American history. This is when the pattern of group support for political parties shifts in a significant and lasting way. Four stable characteristics describe a party system: The identities of major parties, parties' relative balance of strength, the major issues, the party coalitions (general demographic of supporters)
single-member, simple plurality system- United States relies almost exclusively on this system. Country is divided into geographic districts, and the candidates who win within their districts are elected.
ticket splitting- this explains the eras of 'divided government' when a different party controls the Congress than the president is. This occurs when a voter votes for candidates of different parties at the same election.
two-party system- System in which only two main parties compete for office. This is the US. Although third parties regularly arise, one of the two main parties candidates' always gets the white house. THE TWO PARTY SYSTEM IS UNUSUAL IN FOREIGN DEMOCRACIES.
party systems? There are six party systems...
1. Jefforsonian- Federalism vs. Anti-federalism (Democratic-Republicans) Debated about the strictness with which the constitution should be read and interpreted. The election of 1800 between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, was the main of the era. After Adams lost, and Jefferson, democratic-republican, won, the federalist party dwindled and soon faded away. By 1816, the United States was technically a one party system, “the era of good feeling”. Slavery was also an issue, the one party system didn't result in much great governing.
2. Jacksonian – Occurred once Jackson ran for president in 1824. John Quincy Adams was given the nod after Jackson didn't get the majority of electoral votes, even though he got the popular vote. Jackson came back and won the next election. The parties during this period were Whigs (started by Jackson) and Democrats. The main difference between them was that the Whigs wanted the government to promote national economic development by investing in 'internal improvements'. The Democrats also believed in more power to the president than the Whigs. Both parties contained active opponents and strong supporters of slavery. This is a period in which national conventions were used and very important, they are still used but not as important. The Democrats were the dominating party over the Whigs.
3. Civil War and Reconstruction – Slavery was a main issue during this time. How to deal with slavery in new territories was a key debate of this time. The Whig party died out during this period after Democrats passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, allowing settlers to bring slaves into Kansas and Nebraska. Eventually, the remainder of the Whigs, disaffected Democrats, and Free Soil Party members came together to create the Republican Party. Parties eventually became so organized that they led to the creation of the urban machines in many big cities, and these machines ended the era.
4. Industrial Republican- Industrialization and urban poverty were big issues during this time. The Progressive party came to exist from those who wanted reform, the urban middle-class mainly, and the populist party, comprised of agricultural people who supported popular vote and working class, came to exist. Severe depression hit the country in the 1890s and Democrats were blamed. Reforms of the progressives that targeted real corruption but also weakened the mobilizing agents bringing low class and status people into politics. A major depression, the Great Depression, as usual, is what ended the Era.
5. New Deal – Franklin D Roosevelt became president in the beginning of this era, during the Great Depression. This is after Republicans lost almost all hold of Congress and FDR easily won as the Democratic candidate. He was determined to fight the Depression with a much more active and forceful use of the federal government. Democrats soon became the party of the 'common' people. Democratic dominance over the Republicans marked this period. Foreign policy was also a key part of this time period. World War 2, dealing with Asia, and the Cold War were all in this time period.
6. Unnamed current party system. - It is unclear when this new political time period began to occur. Scholars are puzzled by the transition, but the elections of the last 1960's mark the estimated start of this period. Electoral coalitions have changed, meaning that anyone could be voting for either party. Issue agendas have also changed; crime, abortion, gay rights, porn, school prayer, affirmative action have all become issues. Foreign policy has also lost it's consensual, nonpartisan character. Different parties could win any different election.
Why do third parties face an uphill battle in the US? Citizens are usually set on one side of the spectrum when third parties come into play. Only once the party has replaced one of the two parties, such as the Republicans and the Whigs, the party becomes prominent. Otherwise, parties usually disbanded are are assimilated into one of the two major parties.
What are the reasons for the decline of parties since the beginning of the Progressive era? The party system was unable to contain or adapt to new pressures during the Progressive era. As industrialization took hold of the nation, party divisions only seemed to get in the way. Corruption and excess of the urban machine spawned many third parties and interest groups to destroy their influence. The Progressives also undermined two principal resources used by political parties to maintain power; control of public employment and control of nominations. Direct primaries weakened control of nominations and influence that parties could extend over officials and officeholders. Later, during the New Deal era, racial divisions and different views would also weaken the Democratic party fundamentally.
What are the reasons for the revival of parties?
Congress
Affirmative action redistricting- Efforts to create majority-minority districts, this has generated considerable controversy. These districts have unusual shapes to allow for these districts. Often result in accusation of gerrymandering. According to the case of Shaw v. Reno, this redistricting might be constitutionally questionable.
Bloc voting- Occurs often in ethnically diverse constituencies in which groups vote as blocs. Voting in which nearly all members of an ethnic or racial group vote for the same candidate or party. This is an obstacle in districting. When voting is racially polarized, African Americans are very unlikely to win unless they are a majority in the district.
Casework- An activity to which modern representatives of congress devote a great deal of attention, this is also known as constituent assistance. Efforts of members of Congress to help individuals and groups when they have difficulties with federal agencies and problems are not solved through normal channels. This is effective at the polls and is an overwhelmingly successful and satisfactory process.
Coattails- this is the positive electoral effect of a popular presidential candidate on the congressional candidates of that party. Many congressional candidates ride into office on the president's coattails. This effect has decreased significantly from the middle of the century with ticket-splitting and the decline of parties and also the manufacturing of blame on the president's party.
Constituency service- This includes district service and constituent service. This is the effort by members of Congress to secure federal funding for their districts and to help constituents when they have difficulties with federal agencies. Includes federal projects or grants. Candidates will often help constituents of different parties and businesses because there may be significant benefits.
Filing deadline- The latest date on which a candidate who wishes to be on the primary ballot for office may file official papers or pay required fees to state election officials.
Frank (“the frank”)- the free use of the U.S mail by representatives and senators for sending communications to constituents. This has grown through the last century with increased technology. Also higher during election years, obviously.
Gerrymandering- Congress drawing the lines of state districts, during redistricting, for partisan or other political advantage. Very common charges against Congress.
Incumbency advantage- The electoral advantage a candidate enjoys by virtue of being an incumbent, over and above his or her other personal and political characteristics. This grew from 2 percentage points before 1960 to 12 points in more recent elections. This is due to five factors; the weakness of political parties in the mid-twentieth century, the growth in resources available to incumbents, changes in the activities of representatives, campaign funding disparities, and more responsive incumbents.
Majority-minority district- the requirement to create these was caused by a 1982 amendment to the Voting Rights Act and subsequent decisions. These are districts in which a minority group is the numerical majority. This adds liberty and equality to the voting process and is a great effect of the redistricting process.
Open seat- A House or Senate race with no incumbent, because of death or retirement. These are the hardest fought primaries
Professional legislature -Legislature whose members serve full-time and for long periods. An example is Congress, the world's foremost example of this. Characterized by stability and voluntary service.
Reapportionment- The allocation of seats to the states after each decennial census. This means that a census is held every decade, and after the census the 435 seats in the House of Reps are redistributed to the states based on their populations.
Redistricting- Drawing new boundaries of Congressional districts, usually after the census. Refers to the actual changing of congressional districts within states, not the entire state as a whole. This is also done in estimated close proportion to the population of the areas in the states. The smallest states do receive a minimum of one seat in Congress, a minimum guaranteed by Article 1.
Safe seat- A congressional district certain to vote for the candidate of one party. Given that the great majority of House districts are drawn to favor one party or the other, party-line voting will determine the winners in such safe-seats.
Why has the incumbency advantage grown since the 1940's? The representatives in the house are very electorally sensitive and work very hard at serving their districts, representing policy concerns, and attempt to eliminate any basis for a strong challenge against them.
Greek Play Analysis - Russ L
WRITTEN ANALYSIS
by Russell L
WHO ARE YOU?
In this monologue, I am Zeus, king of the gods. I am speaking to Eros, the god of lust, love and desire. Eros, a deceitful god, has been playing tricks on me, and I am angry about it, giving him a neurotic rant.
WHERE? WHEN?
This takes place in ancient Greece, on Mount Olympus. This is where most of the gods gather, and a private argument is occurring between Zeus and Eros.
INCITING SCENE
The scene that preempted this one is one in which Zeus is having a conversation with Prometheus, discussing his plans in life, and his intention to seduce some more mortals. Prometheus then “spills the beans” about a prophecy in which a mortal woman would lead to Zeus' doom. This prophecy incriminates Eros, as he is in charge of all matters of love and lust in the lives of the Greeks.
IMPENDING SCENE
I, Zeus, am about to punish Eros severely, or find someone to punish who is responsible for the bleak prophecy. I'm already annoyed at Eros, as he has made it difficult for me to have a good time with mortals in the past. I am on a witch-hunt, looking for the person responsible for my planned demise.
OBJECTIVE
My objective is to obtain a confession and/or apology from Eros about my current state of affairs. I want to find out the truth behind the prophecy of my doom and put an end to it!
OBSTACLE
The obstacle in this piece is to convince Eros to tell me what he knows and to scold him for his deceitfulness. I want Eros to let me be myself with women and also to stop his tricks. I need him to stop my impending doom as well.
TACTICS
Venting, debating, convincing, scolding and whining are the tactics that Zeus is using.
CLIMAX
The climax of this monologue is the line “Why can't these women ever be in love with me?” Earlier lines in the piece seem dramatic and climactic, but this line denotes a shift in the way in which Zeus is talking. In the first part of the piece, Zeus is angry and scolding Eros. At about the middle, in this line, Zeus starts to rant about himself and becomes very neurotic and whiny, rather than angry directly at Eros.
EMOTIONAL ARC
Zeus begins at his most angry, then becomes more of a logical debater, then at the end is in a humorous neurotic and frustrated rant. So he basically becomes less angry and more frustrated and whiny as the piece progresses.
AUTHOR'S OBJECTIVE
The author's objective in this selection, and in the entire play, is to satirize the ideas of Greek mythology. At the time when this was written, people were struggling between a new school of philosophical thought and the old ideas of polytheistic mythology. By writing this piece, Lucian ridicules the idea of Greek gods by presenting them as flawed, average people who are overly arrogant and petty.
by Russell L
WHO ARE YOU?
In this monologue, I am Zeus, king of the gods. I am speaking to Eros, the god of lust, love and desire. Eros, a deceitful god, has been playing tricks on me, and I am angry about it, giving him a neurotic rant.
WHERE? WHEN?
This takes place in ancient Greece, on Mount Olympus. This is where most of the gods gather, and a private argument is occurring between Zeus and Eros.
INCITING SCENE
The scene that preempted this one is one in which Zeus is having a conversation with Prometheus, discussing his plans in life, and his intention to seduce some more mortals. Prometheus then “spills the beans” about a prophecy in which a mortal woman would lead to Zeus' doom. This prophecy incriminates Eros, as he is in charge of all matters of love and lust in the lives of the Greeks.
IMPENDING SCENE
I, Zeus, am about to punish Eros severely, or find someone to punish who is responsible for the bleak prophecy. I'm already annoyed at Eros, as he has made it difficult for me to have a good time with mortals in the past. I am on a witch-hunt, looking for the person responsible for my planned demise.
OBJECTIVE
My objective is to obtain a confession and/or apology from Eros about my current state of affairs. I want to find out the truth behind the prophecy of my doom and put an end to it!
OBSTACLE
The obstacle in this piece is to convince Eros to tell me what he knows and to scold him for his deceitfulness. I want Eros to let me be myself with women and also to stop his tricks. I need him to stop my impending doom as well.
TACTICS
Venting, debating, convincing, scolding and whining are the tactics that Zeus is using.
CLIMAX
The climax of this monologue is the line “Why can't these women ever be in love with me?” Earlier lines in the piece seem dramatic and climactic, but this line denotes a shift in the way in which Zeus is talking. In the first part of the piece, Zeus is angry and scolding Eros. At about the middle, in this line, Zeus starts to rant about himself and becomes very neurotic and whiny, rather than angry directly at Eros.
EMOTIONAL ARC
Zeus begins at his most angry, then becomes more of a logical debater, then at the end is in a humorous neurotic and frustrated rant. So he basically becomes less angry and more frustrated and whiny as the piece progresses.
AUTHOR'S OBJECTIVE
The author's objective in this selection, and in the entire play, is to satirize the ideas of Greek mythology. At the time when this was written, people were struggling between a new school of philosophical thought and the old ideas of polytheistic mythology. By writing this piece, Lucian ridicules the idea of Greek gods by presenting them as flawed, average people who are overly arrogant and petty.
The Opposite Gender - Russ L
Flickering eyelashes while flaunting new fashions
I try on new clothes and find new passions.
Where did the man go who I see in my dreams?
Why is my life unstitched at the seams?
Give me a chance to make it all right,
forget fate and fly forward to fight.
The truth is I can't find it on my own,
lost and alone, broken heart and home.
Like a wanderer, a lily floating down
a class five river that's sure to drown.
But I'm just a lily, drifted far downstream.
Weather and worry are an unstoppable team.
On the road again, in the plateau of life,
die from boredom or die by the knife.
Like a blue wind caught in the trees,
Like a growing shrub stuck in a freeze
I try on new clothes and find new passions.
Where did the man go who I see in my dreams?
Why is my life unstitched at the seams?
Give me a chance to make it all right,
forget fate and fly forward to fight.
The truth is I can't find it on my own,
lost and alone, broken heart and home.
Like a wanderer, a lily floating down
a class five river that's sure to drown.
But I'm just a lily, drifted far downstream.
Weather and worry are an unstoppable team.
On the road again, in the plateau of life,
die from boredom or die by the knife.
Like a blue wind caught in the trees,
Like a growing shrub stuck in a freeze
MySpace My Space My Spaces - By Russ L.
Entrepreneurship Essay 2
Russell L
DeWolfe and Anderson capitalized on a great idea when they created MySpace. The most important factor in the success of MySpace was the perfect timing of its launch. Just as the idea of social networking was beginning to take off, DeWolfe and Anderson created a site that would capitalize on this new trend in a new way, with greater potential than its competitors. At the time, the social networking market was just developing, with sites such as Friendster, Tribe and Facebook. Although these sites were fairly successful, the creators of MySpace realized that there was an immense opportunity for a more broad social networking site, as the existing ones were all niche sites. Basically, instead of just applying to college students or online daters, MySpace would appeal to everyone and have many more options available. This was a breakthrough idea, and inherently had vast potential and a unique aim.
According to the article, DeWolfe found that sociological trends are as important to monitor as technological trends. This is how the idea was formulated. The new technology of the Internet opened many new opportunities for entrepreneurs, but the successful opportunist found the sociological needs that were unmet within the new trends. MySpace took the already developing trend of social networking and expanded it in several unique ways. MySpace expanded the target audience, opening the doors to anyone who wanted to have their own online profile. Just as importantly, MySpace greatly expanded the content that was associated with the social networking trend. Instead of just a profile, users would express themselves, share music, photos, art and play games. This brought all the functions of the other sites together and added even more, in one convenient social networking site.
The original recognition for the MySpace opportunity was made when DeWolfe and Anderson received a constant stream of requests through e-mail to join the social networking sites. These invitations led them to investigate the new trend for business opportunities. After analyzing the sites, the two decided that the current social networking sites were too niche-based and didn't have much potential to become huge. So, they formed the idea to create MySpace.
The creators of MySpace used the same e-mail invitations that had alerted them to the social networking trend, but with a new twist, to propel the company to new heights. Instead of just getting regular people to invite their friends to MySpace, the creators got bands to create their own pages, which was hugely innovative, and an important step in the success of the site. Once bands created their own pages, they would invite fans, stream music and express themselves, bringing them closer to their fans and providing them with free publicity. This, in turn, attracted many more users to MySpace, especially due to the e-mail invites that people would receive from bands. As this example shows, the DeWolfe and Anderson created a successful site by having a good sense of what the people want, and figuring out how to provide it to them.
Russell L
DeWolfe and Anderson capitalized on a great idea when they created MySpace. The most important factor in the success of MySpace was the perfect timing of its launch. Just as the idea of social networking was beginning to take off, DeWolfe and Anderson created a site that would capitalize on this new trend in a new way, with greater potential than its competitors. At the time, the social networking market was just developing, with sites such as Friendster, Tribe and Facebook. Although these sites were fairly successful, the creators of MySpace realized that there was an immense opportunity for a more broad social networking site, as the existing ones were all niche sites. Basically, instead of just applying to college students or online daters, MySpace would appeal to everyone and have many more options available. This was a breakthrough idea, and inherently had vast potential and a unique aim.
According to the article, DeWolfe found that sociological trends are as important to monitor as technological trends. This is how the idea was formulated. The new technology of the Internet opened many new opportunities for entrepreneurs, but the successful opportunist found the sociological needs that were unmet within the new trends. MySpace took the already developing trend of social networking and expanded it in several unique ways. MySpace expanded the target audience, opening the doors to anyone who wanted to have their own online profile. Just as importantly, MySpace greatly expanded the content that was associated with the social networking trend. Instead of just a profile, users would express themselves, share music, photos, art and play games. This brought all the functions of the other sites together and added even more, in one convenient social networking site.
The original recognition for the MySpace opportunity was made when DeWolfe and Anderson received a constant stream of requests through e-mail to join the social networking sites. These invitations led them to investigate the new trend for business opportunities. After analyzing the sites, the two decided that the current social networking sites were too niche-based and didn't have much potential to become huge. So, they formed the idea to create MySpace.
The creators of MySpace used the same e-mail invitations that had alerted them to the social networking trend, but with a new twist, to propel the company to new heights. Instead of just getting regular people to invite their friends to MySpace, the creators got bands to create their own pages, which was hugely innovative, and an important step in the success of the site. Once bands created their own pages, they would invite fans, stream music and express themselves, bringing them closer to their fans and providing them with free publicity. This, in turn, attracted many more users to MySpace, especially due to the e-mail invites that people would receive from bands. As this example shows, the DeWolfe and Anderson created a successful site by having a good sense of what the people want, and figuring out how to provide it to them.
My heart is Ice Cream - Russ L
My heart
is a melting scoop of mint ice cream
sitting on a sidewalk
in the summer sun.
You try to hold on to it
but it just melts
away, the harder you try
the more it is slip-sliding
out of your hands.
It leaves a sticky residue,
a reminder of
what you once had.
She's a mega-bitch
someone once said
holding a cone with
a gooey puddle
sloshing inside,
overflowing in little rivers
down the sides.
Chocolate chips floating in
the lime-green marsh,
all that remains of
my ice cream scoop.
is a melting scoop of mint ice cream
sitting on a sidewalk
in the summer sun.
You try to hold on to it
but it just melts
away, the harder you try
the more it is slip-sliding
out of your hands.
It leaves a sticky residue,
a reminder of
what you once had.
She's a mega-bitch
someone once said
holding a cone with
a gooey puddle
sloshing inside,
overflowing in little rivers
down the sides.
Chocolate chips floating in
the lime-green marsh,
all that remains of
my ice cream scoop.
Foolish Fitness - By Russ L
Foolish Fitness
By Russell
Getting a spring break body can be a long and frustrating process.
As this time of year approaches, many college students resort to strict dieting or supplements to get lean fast.
People are just much more active at this time of the year, and more people are in the gym, said David Angotti, a strength and conditioning specialist, supplement salesman and athletic trainer.
Even with the bad economy, he said, there is always a slight increase in supplement sales and personal training at this time of year.
Before people jump in to the world of supplements or rigorous exercise, they should know what they're doing and put safety first, he said.
The truth is, the vast majority of people who are trying to get in shape fast do not use the right methods to do so.
The key to getting in shape is to focus on nutrition, Angotti said.
“Getting healthy is 80 percent nutrition, 20 percent exercise,” he said.
An effective nutrition plan should include five or six small meals a day, and these meals should include a decent amount of protein and carbs.
For energy, one should eat brown carbs, or complex carbs, such as pasta and sweet potatoes, Angotti said.
Avoiding late-night sugar or carbs is also essential to getting healthy, Angotti said, a beginner doesn't need to do anything extra.
To get extra from their workouts, people often begin taking supplements.
Using supplements is a complicated and often confusing way of boosting the effectiveness of workouts.
A supplement is basically anything that's consumed for health benefits besides the food that a person eats, Angotti said.
There is a vast range of supplements available, such as whey protein, creatine, energy boosters and multivitamins.
With so many supplements on the shelf, how does someone know what will work for them?
“I see people looking for heavy duty supplements when they are just starting to work out and I try to tell them that that's not the way to get results fast,” said Jordan Newstadt, a professional bodybuilder and employee at Vitamin World.
The best supplement for a beginner, if anything, is a whey protein shake post-workout, Newstadt said.
“I know a lot of people that try to jump right in to it and take some intense supplement like creatine,” said Joe Packer, a student at the University of Florida (UF).
Creatine is a supplement designed to increase the strength potential of a workout and must be taken correctly to be effective, Angotti said.
“I'd say about 95 percent of people I see using creatine do not take it the right way, and this can cause serious setbacks when it comes to getting results,” Angotti said.
The best thing to do when taking creatine is to follow the labels and drink a lot of water, he said.
Creatine is a supplement that should not be used by someone with an inconsistent routine or a person who is just starting to work out.
It is best used to add that extra boost for a person who has seen his results plateau, Angotti said.
The problem with taking creatine is that many of the gains made while taking the supplement will disappear when it is discontinued, Newstadt said.
Even the most complex type of creatine adds primarily water weight to the body, and a person will lose at least 20 percent of their gains when they stop taking it, Newstadt said.
This is a problem that applies to most supplements.
“No supplement is really going to last if you stop taking it,” Newstadt said.
Other than supplements, students may also do riskier exercises to see faster gains, Angotti said.
Exercises such as deep squats and benching with an arched back may lead to increased results, but could also lead to serious injuries, he said.
“My friend just blew out his knee from doing a deep squat, trying to fully work his muscle,” said Brian Weiss, a student at UF.
Strained joints and herniated disks are common injuries in the fitness world, and people could even experience complications later in life from improper exercise.
“The risk should never outweigh the reward,” Angotti said.
No matter how intense the exercises or what variety of supplements are taken, it all comes back to nutrition, he said.
Eating healthy is the most important part of a healthy lifestyle, he said.
“Supplements enhance nutrition, they don't replace it.”
By Russell
Getting a spring break body can be a long and frustrating process.
As this time of year approaches, many college students resort to strict dieting or supplements to get lean fast.
People are just much more active at this time of the year, and more people are in the gym, said David Angotti, a strength and conditioning specialist, supplement salesman and athletic trainer.
Even with the bad economy, he said, there is always a slight increase in supplement sales and personal training at this time of year.
Before people jump in to the world of supplements or rigorous exercise, they should know what they're doing and put safety first, he said.
The truth is, the vast majority of people who are trying to get in shape fast do not use the right methods to do so.
The key to getting in shape is to focus on nutrition, Angotti said.
“Getting healthy is 80 percent nutrition, 20 percent exercise,” he said.
An effective nutrition plan should include five or six small meals a day, and these meals should include a decent amount of protein and carbs.
For energy, one should eat brown carbs, or complex carbs, such as pasta and sweet potatoes, Angotti said.
Avoiding late-night sugar or carbs is also essential to getting healthy, Angotti said, a beginner doesn't need to do anything extra.
To get extra from their workouts, people often begin taking supplements.
Using supplements is a complicated and often confusing way of boosting the effectiveness of workouts.
A supplement is basically anything that's consumed for health benefits besides the food that a person eats, Angotti said.
There is a vast range of supplements available, such as whey protein, creatine, energy boosters and multivitamins.
With so many supplements on the shelf, how does someone know what will work for them?
“I see people looking for heavy duty supplements when they are just starting to work out and I try to tell them that that's not the way to get results fast,” said Jordan Newstadt, a professional bodybuilder and employee at Vitamin World.
The best supplement for a beginner, if anything, is a whey protein shake post-workout, Newstadt said.
“I know a lot of people that try to jump right in to it and take some intense supplement like creatine,” said Joe Packer, a student at the University of Florida (UF).
Creatine is a supplement designed to increase the strength potential of a workout and must be taken correctly to be effective, Angotti said.
“I'd say about 95 percent of people I see using creatine do not take it the right way, and this can cause serious setbacks when it comes to getting results,” Angotti said.
The best thing to do when taking creatine is to follow the labels and drink a lot of water, he said.
Creatine is a supplement that should not be used by someone with an inconsistent routine or a person who is just starting to work out.
It is best used to add that extra boost for a person who has seen his results plateau, Angotti said.
The problem with taking creatine is that many of the gains made while taking the supplement will disappear when it is discontinued, Newstadt said.
Even the most complex type of creatine adds primarily water weight to the body, and a person will lose at least 20 percent of their gains when they stop taking it, Newstadt said.
This is a problem that applies to most supplements.
“No supplement is really going to last if you stop taking it,” Newstadt said.
Other than supplements, students may also do riskier exercises to see faster gains, Angotti said.
Exercises such as deep squats and benching with an arched back may lead to increased results, but could also lead to serious injuries, he said.
“My friend just blew out his knee from doing a deep squat, trying to fully work his muscle,” said Brian Weiss, a student at UF.
Strained joints and herniated disks are common injuries in the fitness world, and people could even experience complications later in life from improper exercise.
“The risk should never outweigh the reward,” Angotti said.
No matter how intense the exercises or what variety of supplements are taken, it all comes back to nutrition, he said.
Eating healthy is the most important part of a healthy lifestyle, he said.
“Supplements enhance nutrition, they don't replace it.”
By Russ L - The Bone Against the Plate
The Bone Against the Plate
By Russell L
Earth celebrates as a new season approaches,
The yellowing grass is fallen confetti
and the sun is a dime in the sky.
The leaves are shrapnel of past battles.
Trees made it through the harshest winter,
With flowing beards they are grizzled vets,
Their Spanish moss, the hair of a corpse,
Their leaves will soon return from death.
The trials and famish of winter,
I love the sound of the bone against the plate,
When the sun is just a penny in the clouds,
we will soon discover a better fate.
The ants on the ground are making it through,
painfully marching in a staggered line
like soldiers across an icy battlefield,
bringing home the scraps that they find.
The sky is murky right now,
hiding the sun like icing on a cake,
Whipped cream clouds float over
the strawberry sun frosted in snowflakes.
By Russell L
Earth celebrates as a new season approaches,
The yellowing grass is fallen confetti
and the sun is a dime in the sky.
The leaves are shrapnel of past battles.
Trees made it through the harshest winter,
With flowing beards they are grizzled vets,
Their Spanish moss, the hair of a corpse,
Their leaves will soon return from death.
The trials and famish of winter,
I love the sound of the bone against the plate,
When the sun is just a penny in the clouds,
we will soon discover a better fate.
The ants on the ground are making it through,
painfully marching in a staggered line
like soldiers across an icy battlefield,
bringing home the scraps that they find.
The sky is murky right now,
hiding the sun like icing on a cake,
Whipped cream clouds float over
the strawberry sun frosted in snowflakes.
The Carnival by Russ L.
The Carnival (in iambic pintameter)
Russell L
They come and see the carnival
with games and sights and fun for all
turkey legs steaming, salty, sweet,
Ice cream and cotton candy treats.
The dancers swallow fire and swords,
the jousters smash and ride their beasts.
The jesters tease and play with words
While tourists only watch and feast.
But out there stands a skinny mime,
with jokes and dance to please the crowd.
He tries to make the world his stage
but folks are hard to entertain.
Now he is stuck in a glass cage
he built it with his two best pals.
His hands are still his only friends
Imagination never ends.
The crowd is cruel, throw rotten fruit
or jeer and laugh or boo for fun.
The snake man gets to play his flute,
the mime just stands in scorching sun.
He wants to show others his world,
To open up his mind for them.
so soon he must plan an escape,
a world that everyone can see.
Russell L
They come and see the carnival
with games and sights and fun for all
turkey legs steaming, salty, sweet,
Ice cream and cotton candy treats.
The dancers swallow fire and swords,
the jousters smash and ride their beasts.
The jesters tease and play with words
While tourists only watch and feast.
But out there stands a skinny mime,
with jokes and dance to please the crowd.
He tries to make the world his stage
but folks are hard to entertain.
Now he is stuck in a glass cage
he built it with his two best pals.
His hands are still his only friends
Imagination never ends.
The crowd is cruel, throw rotten fruit
or jeer and laugh or boo for fun.
The snake man gets to play his flute,
the mime just stands in scorching sun.
He wants to show others his world,
To open up his mind for them.
so soon he must plan an escape,
a world that everyone can see.
Boston Strangler Play Review
B.S- The Boston Strangler
Extra Credit Florida Players Review
B.S was a compelling play that made me much more interested in the story of Albert DeSalvo, the alleged Boston strangler. The play was marked by incredible acting, an awesome set and a truly captivating story. I was extremely impressed with the quality of the acting and the technical qualities of the show overall. Almost every feature of this play was extremely entertaining and surprised me with it's quality.
The first aspect of this play that I will analyze is the set. The set was fairly simple and remained the same for the duration of the performance. This was not a setback, though, as each piece in the set was utilized for several times and was used to its maximum potential. The set included of a bed in a prison cell, a bench, a desk with scotch on it and a couple of chairs. Each of these was used for several important scenes chronicling the life and mystery behind Albert DeSalvo. The prison cell/insane asylum was the most important part of the set, as it showed the intense conversations between DeSalvo and his cell-mate, who was probably the real Boston strangler. The desk was used also for intense scenes between the attorney general, the police officer and the scumbag lawyer. Every piece of the set was used to its maximum potential.
Another great feature of the work was the costume design. The costumes really set the mood in this play. These costumes consisted of the police uniform, the prison jumpsuits and the suits of the attorney general, lawyer, psychic, psychiatrist and hypnotist. All these costumes were used efficiently, and reflected the time period. The setting in which the play took place was the era of the '60s. These costumes were excellent, and even helped the psychic/hypnotist change characters effectively.
Another great aspect of this play was the acting. This was the highlight of the play. Albert DeSalvo was played brilliantly as a rambling, confused and troubled man who wanted infamy and fortune. Every other actor in the play was also excellent, and this complemented a truly riveting story. The story and the acting combined drew me into the play, and made me extremely interested in the actual story behind the Boston strangler.
One subtle feature of this play that added greatly to the performances was the fantastic lighting. The lights were always placed perfectly on the actors in the scene. The timing of the lighting and the entrances of the actors was perfectly coordinated. This spotlighted the actors in the story and helped bring me into the story. The lighting is an often overlooked, but essential, feature of an effective play.
The only small thing that bothered me about this play was the pacing. The play was a little too long, lasting way more than two hours. However, the intermission was poorly placed, as the ten-minute intermission occurred an hour and a half into the play. The second half of the play was only about twenty minutes, which made me wonder why it didn't occur earlier. The play could have easily been shorter, as there were many extraneous scenes between the lawyer and police officer, or between DeSalvo and his hallucinated victim. If some of the more pointless scenes were cut, the play would have been a perfect rendition of this interesting story. Amazingly, the screenplay was written by a theater student. This is an impressive feat, and the wonderful direction and storyline of this play are a credit to the theater program.
Extra Credit Florida Players Review
B.S was a compelling play that made me much more interested in the story of Albert DeSalvo, the alleged Boston strangler. The play was marked by incredible acting, an awesome set and a truly captivating story. I was extremely impressed with the quality of the acting and the technical qualities of the show overall. Almost every feature of this play was extremely entertaining and surprised me with it's quality.
The first aspect of this play that I will analyze is the set. The set was fairly simple and remained the same for the duration of the performance. This was not a setback, though, as each piece in the set was utilized for several times and was used to its maximum potential. The set included of a bed in a prison cell, a bench, a desk with scotch on it and a couple of chairs. Each of these was used for several important scenes chronicling the life and mystery behind Albert DeSalvo. The prison cell/insane asylum was the most important part of the set, as it showed the intense conversations between DeSalvo and his cell-mate, who was probably the real Boston strangler. The desk was used also for intense scenes between the attorney general, the police officer and the scumbag lawyer. Every piece of the set was used to its maximum potential.
Another great feature of the work was the costume design. The costumes really set the mood in this play. These costumes consisted of the police uniform, the prison jumpsuits and the suits of the attorney general, lawyer, psychic, psychiatrist and hypnotist. All these costumes were used efficiently, and reflected the time period. The setting in which the play took place was the era of the '60s. These costumes were excellent, and even helped the psychic/hypnotist change characters effectively.
Another great aspect of this play was the acting. This was the highlight of the play. Albert DeSalvo was played brilliantly as a rambling, confused and troubled man who wanted infamy and fortune. Every other actor in the play was also excellent, and this complemented a truly riveting story. The story and the acting combined drew me into the play, and made me extremely interested in the actual story behind the Boston strangler.
One subtle feature of this play that added greatly to the performances was the fantastic lighting. The lights were always placed perfectly on the actors in the scene. The timing of the lighting and the entrances of the actors was perfectly coordinated. This spotlighted the actors in the story and helped bring me into the story. The lighting is an often overlooked, but essential, feature of an effective play.
The only small thing that bothered me about this play was the pacing. The play was a little too long, lasting way more than two hours. However, the intermission was poorly placed, as the ten-minute intermission occurred an hour and a half into the play. The second half of the play was only about twenty minutes, which made me wonder why it didn't occur earlier. The play could have easily been shorter, as there were many extraneous scenes between the lawyer and police officer, or between DeSalvo and his hallucinated victim. If some of the more pointless scenes were cut, the play would have been a perfect rendition of this interesting story. Amazingly, the screenplay was written by a theater student. This is an impressive feat, and the wonderful direction and storyline of this play are a credit to the theater program.
Poetry Analysis for A Change of Maps
I chose to analyze the poem A Change of Maps, from the anthology “A Change of Maps,” by Carolyne Wright. I found this book in a library and decided to write my critical essay about this poem for many reasons. First of all, I really enjoy the use of language and the abstract nature in the poem, which contribute to its somewhat ambiguous but heartfelt meaning. Another reason I chose this poem was because I wanted to find a poem that I have never read before and that hasn't been overly scrutinized by others. I wanted to find a piece that I can make my own project with a close reading and a careful analysis.
In A Change of Maps, Carolyne Wright combines many images of the modern and ancient world to explore the advancement of technology through the ages, but also to show that the same qualities of the human condition remain and are put into conflict with the changing world. Both of these ideas are shown in the work, but none are overly dominant, as the author's direction wanders with an intentional carelessness. This allows the poem to have many themes and many images that contribute to the overall unifying idea of the poem, which is the passage of time. The main idea is reflected through many different themes such as nature, technology, human curiosity and maps themselves.
The first stanza of this poem jumps right into the theme of time, stating how “Every fall looks both ways.” I believe that this means that as people, we are constantly thinking about the future and the past. We are also thinking about “how we will outsmart the distance” between different times. Basically how we will get by and get through life without feeling the stress of aging. Aging is a significant idea in this poem, as it mostly reflects the changing times from an older point of view, a wizened perspective. The stanza ends with “our childhoods wave goodbye in the rear-view mirror.” This is a powerful image of the passing of time and is a depressing idea to think about. There's no going back when it comes to time. You just have to look forward and face the future, not live in memories.
The idea of looking ahead is how the next passage starts, “We look ahead.” This stanza introduces the theme of nature, as Wright uses poplars to represent the passage of time. These trees have a lot in common with humans, as they also experience aging as we do. You can trace the past of these poplars through their limbs, which are almost like memories. The “X-factor,” the thing we can never know, is the future. This idea applies to both poplars and humans.
In the next several paragraphs, the poem becomes more complex, more confusing. This is because the poem finally gets to the heart of what is to be discussed; It starts to explore the x-factor, the idea of the future. Wright imagines the future as a blank map, a map with indescribable shapes and figures. This map is impossible to explain or decipher, with ridiculous coastlines and “impossible directions.” To stress the unconventional nature of time and the future, Wright compares these new x-factor maps to other maps that we use. Wright draws a distinction between “our maps” and “the Triple A's” network of routes, its field guides. Our maps are more like old, archaic maps that are impossible to determine and “rough as Magellan's reckoning,” with “blank seas and terrae incognitae.” Basically, the maps of our future are not maps of an established world, but are magical guides to unexplored lands with unknown features.
In the next part of the work, Wright suggests that the vast improvements and power of technology are lessening the possibilities of our future, “shrinking our wildest dreams.” Technologies such as micro-chips and satellites tracking the geography of earth and the moon are also taking all the secrets and mysteries out of the world and, simultaneously, human life.
This isn't a strong and passionate statement against technology, but it is more of an observation of the effect of technology. The advances in science are bringing us closer to the creation of maps of our personal futures. Similar to “the old cartographies” and ancient, uncertain maps of the world, our own x-factor maps are slowly being determined by science. Our once imaginative future of blank seas and mysterious worlds is being filled in with “more transparent certainties.” “Where now?” Wright asks, stating that soon we may analyze the maps and “look both ways for distances that shift their bearings in our favor.” In other words, these maps will someday be realized and our futures may be set in stone. The author fears that our imaginative dreaming, and hopes for the future, may some day fall victim to calculated reasoning and cold, rational decision-making, as we read our 'maps'.
This poem evoked many strong feelings for me. It has a deep significant meaning that become clearer as I closely read the lines. The passing of time and uncertainty of the future has always been a poignant theme in my life, and I feel that this poem captures the essence of passing time well. Wright makes a brilliant point in that the future is constantly becoming less uncertain, as people are put on predictable paths in life, and technology often determines our destiny.
The free-verse is used very well in this poem, and is a highlight of the writing style. The way that the poem flows reflects the overall theme of time. The poem is anything but predictable, and the narrative wanders unpredictably, drawing metaphors and symbols from unexpected places. The organization of the stanzas actually makes the poem far more powerful, as sentences, and even words, are broken up to make sure that each paragraph has its own distinct theme. This is seen in the line “batteries of data, micro-/chips shrinking our wildest dreams.” The fact that micro and chips are in different stanzas shows that the author wants the previous stanza to be strictly about satellites and technology, and the latter to be about the transition that the technology is putting the world through, the loss of wonder.
Another literary device that is used exceptionally in this poem is metaphors. The beauty of the metaphors in this poem is not just their appropriateness, but the unique images and ideas conveyed by their seemingly unrelated nature to the object of comparison. One such metaphor comes in the first half of the poem, between the second and third stanzas. The author introduces the main subject of the poem, the X-factor, stating that it is “unguessed as the distance between wavelengths.” This metaphor is incredibly appropriate and descriptive, as it encompasses the entire meaning of the poem in one line. This effectiveness occurs for several reasons.
The distance between wavelengths, just like the X-factor (or future), is slowly becoming realized by modern science. As technology advances, small subtleties in science, such as this distance, are being revealed as measurable and predictable objects. According to Wright, this effect of technology on scientific mysteries is the same as its effect on the 'maps' of our futures. The future of every individual, and of humanity as a whole, is becoming less mysterious and more determined with the scientific, concrete nature of the modern world.
The metaphors are used to help convey this poem's abstract meaning, and so is the deep symbolism found within this poem. Some of the symbols embedded in the work are ancient maps, such as those of Magellan and other cartographers, and the trees (poplars). The ancient maps are both a symbol and a metaphor for the uncertainty of the future. The world used to be a magical and mysterious place, and these maps draw a comparison between the once unknown frontier of geography to the frontier of the future, which is quickly being determined and concrete.
The poplars are also an intense symbol of time and draw a overarching metaphor between nature and time. The poplars have progressed through time and physically represent the passage of time, which “reflect in limbs that take root in the water.” The poplars have a more predictable future than that of a human, but this gap is quickly dissolving. Humans are partially subject to the predictability of nature, and technology will soon be able to map out every child, poplar and house. The landscape, as Wright calls it, will soon be convenient and as easy to read as a map.
Overall, this poem was an excellent and rewarding experience to read. When I first read it, I really had no idea what it meant, but upon further analysis, it reveals complex layers and deeper meanings. Comparing and contrasting large themes such as time, technology and nature while telling a story is an amazing feat that Wright accomplishes in this piece. After reading this piece several times, I have found that the main message is almost a warning. As time progresses and technology gets more advanced, humanity as a whole begins to lose its natural curiosity and wonder, and the future has become a more predictable and calculated certainty. The way to solve this dilemma is to follow the old cliché: live in the moment.
In case you can't get the poem, here it is, typed out:
Every fall looks both ways
into the year--how we will outsmart
the distance. Behind us, our childhoods
wave goodbye in the rear-view mirror
We look ahead, down avenues
of poplars whose buried pasts reflect
in limbs that take root in the water.
Where we are going: the X factor,
unguessed as the gaps between wavelengths.
Our maps: not the Triple A's
network of routes, its field guides
to speed traps and warm weather;
but navigation charts, parchment
rough as Magellan's reckoning.
Blank seas and terrae incognitae.
Coastlines wandering off in fanciful
directions, peninsulas bulging
wrongly as anatomically
impossible limbs. The mapmakers'
crabbed Latin can't explain
how such charts voyaged into the New World
of our luggage. Magic, we say,
armchair pilgrims, turning page
after page of color-coded nations,
asking no questions of our whereabouts.
Above us, satellites measure the drift
of continents, dissolving vows
of bedrock, offshore shelves conceding
all their striations to the sea.
They track the moon's loosening orbit,
explorer shuttles homing in
with batteries of data, micro-
chips shrinking our wildest dreams.
We roll up the old cartographies,
coordinates overlaid with newer,
more transparent certainties
in the subatomic shadow's glare.
Where now? We want to know of landscape--
houses and poplars and children the maps
and master planners have no idea of.
Our arrival will coincide with the true
colors of our going. We look
both ways for distances that shift
their bearings in our favor.
In A Change of Maps, Carolyne Wright combines many images of the modern and ancient world to explore the advancement of technology through the ages, but also to show that the same qualities of the human condition remain and are put into conflict with the changing world. Both of these ideas are shown in the work, but none are overly dominant, as the author's direction wanders with an intentional carelessness. This allows the poem to have many themes and many images that contribute to the overall unifying idea of the poem, which is the passage of time. The main idea is reflected through many different themes such as nature, technology, human curiosity and maps themselves.
The first stanza of this poem jumps right into the theme of time, stating how “Every fall looks both ways.” I believe that this means that as people, we are constantly thinking about the future and the past. We are also thinking about “how we will outsmart the distance” between different times. Basically how we will get by and get through life without feeling the stress of aging. Aging is a significant idea in this poem, as it mostly reflects the changing times from an older point of view, a wizened perspective. The stanza ends with “our childhoods wave goodbye in the rear-view mirror.” This is a powerful image of the passing of time and is a depressing idea to think about. There's no going back when it comes to time. You just have to look forward and face the future, not live in memories.
The idea of looking ahead is how the next passage starts, “We look ahead.” This stanza introduces the theme of nature, as Wright uses poplars to represent the passage of time. These trees have a lot in common with humans, as they also experience aging as we do. You can trace the past of these poplars through their limbs, which are almost like memories. The “X-factor,” the thing we can never know, is the future. This idea applies to both poplars and humans.
In the next several paragraphs, the poem becomes more complex, more confusing. This is because the poem finally gets to the heart of what is to be discussed; It starts to explore the x-factor, the idea of the future. Wright imagines the future as a blank map, a map with indescribable shapes and figures. This map is impossible to explain or decipher, with ridiculous coastlines and “impossible directions.” To stress the unconventional nature of time and the future, Wright compares these new x-factor maps to other maps that we use. Wright draws a distinction between “our maps” and “the Triple A's” network of routes, its field guides. Our maps are more like old, archaic maps that are impossible to determine and “rough as Magellan's reckoning,” with “blank seas and terrae incognitae.” Basically, the maps of our future are not maps of an established world, but are magical guides to unexplored lands with unknown features.
In the next part of the work, Wright suggests that the vast improvements and power of technology are lessening the possibilities of our future, “shrinking our wildest dreams.” Technologies such as micro-chips and satellites tracking the geography of earth and the moon are also taking all the secrets and mysteries out of the world and, simultaneously, human life.
This isn't a strong and passionate statement against technology, but it is more of an observation of the effect of technology. The advances in science are bringing us closer to the creation of maps of our personal futures. Similar to “the old cartographies” and ancient, uncertain maps of the world, our own x-factor maps are slowly being determined by science. Our once imaginative future of blank seas and mysterious worlds is being filled in with “more transparent certainties.” “Where now?” Wright asks, stating that soon we may analyze the maps and “look both ways for distances that shift their bearings in our favor.” In other words, these maps will someday be realized and our futures may be set in stone. The author fears that our imaginative dreaming, and hopes for the future, may some day fall victim to calculated reasoning and cold, rational decision-making, as we read our 'maps'.
This poem evoked many strong feelings for me. It has a deep significant meaning that become clearer as I closely read the lines. The passing of time and uncertainty of the future has always been a poignant theme in my life, and I feel that this poem captures the essence of passing time well. Wright makes a brilliant point in that the future is constantly becoming less uncertain, as people are put on predictable paths in life, and technology often determines our destiny.
The free-verse is used very well in this poem, and is a highlight of the writing style. The way that the poem flows reflects the overall theme of time. The poem is anything but predictable, and the narrative wanders unpredictably, drawing metaphors and symbols from unexpected places. The organization of the stanzas actually makes the poem far more powerful, as sentences, and even words, are broken up to make sure that each paragraph has its own distinct theme. This is seen in the line “batteries of data, micro-/chips shrinking our wildest dreams.” The fact that micro and chips are in different stanzas shows that the author wants the previous stanza to be strictly about satellites and technology, and the latter to be about the transition that the technology is putting the world through, the loss of wonder.
Another literary device that is used exceptionally in this poem is metaphors. The beauty of the metaphors in this poem is not just their appropriateness, but the unique images and ideas conveyed by their seemingly unrelated nature to the object of comparison. One such metaphor comes in the first half of the poem, between the second and third stanzas. The author introduces the main subject of the poem, the X-factor, stating that it is “unguessed as the distance between wavelengths.” This metaphor is incredibly appropriate and descriptive, as it encompasses the entire meaning of the poem in one line. This effectiveness occurs for several reasons.
The distance between wavelengths, just like the X-factor (or future), is slowly becoming realized by modern science. As technology advances, small subtleties in science, such as this distance, are being revealed as measurable and predictable objects. According to Wright, this effect of technology on scientific mysteries is the same as its effect on the 'maps' of our futures. The future of every individual, and of humanity as a whole, is becoming less mysterious and more determined with the scientific, concrete nature of the modern world.
The metaphors are used to help convey this poem's abstract meaning, and so is the deep symbolism found within this poem. Some of the symbols embedded in the work are ancient maps, such as those of Magellan and other cartographers, and the trees (poplars). The ancient maps are both a symbol and a metaphor for the uncertainty of the future. The world used to be a magical and mysterious place, and these maps draw a comparison between the once unknown frontier of geography to the frontier of the future, which is quickly being determined and concrete.
The poplars are also an intense symbol of time and draw a overarching metaphor between nature and time. The poplars have progressed through time and physically represent the passage of time, which “reflect in limbs that take root in the water.” The poplars have a more predictable future than that of a human, but this gap is quickly dissolving. Humans are partially subject to the predictability of nature, and technology will soon be able to map out every child, poplar and house. The landscape, as Wright calls it, will soon be convenient and as easy to read as a map.
Overall, this poem was an excellent and rewarding experience to read. When I first read it, I really had no idea what it meant, but upon further analysis, it reveals complex layers and deeper meanings. Comparing and contrasting large themes such as time, technology and nature while telling a story is an amazing feat that Wright accomplishes in this piece. After reading this piece several times, I have found that the main message is almost a warning. As time progresses and technology gets more advanced, humanity as a whole begins to lose its natural curiosity and wonder, and the future has become a more predictable and calculated certainty. The way to solve this dilemma is to follow the old cliché: live in the moment.
In case you can't get the poem, here it is, typed out:
Every fall looks both ways
into the year--how we will outsmart
the distance. Behind us, our childhoods
wave goodbye in the rear-view mirror
We look ahead, down avenues
of poplars whose buried pasts reflect
in limbs that take root in the water.
Where we are going: the X factor,
unguessed as the gaps between wavelengths.
Our maps: not the Triple A's
network of routes, its field guides
to speed traps and warm weather;
but navigation charts, parchment
rough as Magellan's reckoning.
Blank seas and terrae incognitae.
Coastlines wandering off in fanciful
directions, peninsulas bulging
wrongly as anatomically
impossible limbs. The mapmakers'
crabbed Latin can't explain
how such charts voyaged into the New World
of our luggage. Magic, we say,
armchair pilgrims, turning page
after page of color-coded nations,
asking no questions of our whereabouts.
Above us, satellites measure the drift
of continents, dissolving vows
of bedrock, offshore shelves conceding
all their striations to the sea.
They track the moon's loosening orbit,
explorer shuttles homing in
with batteries of data, micro-
chips shrinking our wildest dreams.
We roll up the old cartographies,
coordinates overlaid with newer,
more transparent certainties
in the subatomic shadow's glare.
Where now? We want to know of landscape--
houses and poplars and children the maps
and master planners have no idea of.
Our arrival will coincide with the true
colors of our going. We look
both ways for distances that shift
their bearings in our favor.
School Reports for University and College made
High School History X
“Almost everyone and everything you take for granted is a lie.”
A hush fell over US History class, and every eye was on the man in the tweed jacket who stood before us with chalk in hand.
“You need not bring your textbooks to this class again as long as I am teaching you. You need not mind the syllabus given to you at the beginning of this course as I will be your teacher for the remainder of the year. Mrs. Jennings has been diagnosed with cancer. You do need to, however, get acquainted with my name.”
And that was how he began it. Prompt, unapologetic. He said his name was Cartwright- Professor Cartwright.
“You will address me as Professor, or Professor Cartwright. I didn’t spend eight years in
I could tell the thought of having a professor in a high school history class was frightening some of my classmates who were long used to coasting through Mrs. Jennings’ fluff parade with gentle serenity. Poor Kyle Frasier looked like he was going to shit a brick wall. The party was over.
“Now, I’m told you left off at the end of World War II. I’m tempted to go back and revisit some of the bullshit your textbook and teacher, God bless her, tried to cram into your pliable teenage brains, but I suppose this is as good a place to start as any. A quick disclaimer: some of you might object to what you hear in the coming weeks, but remember, I’m doing you a favor. Knowledge is power and you better believe I plan on empowering you goddamn castoffs. What I’m going to tell you is not disputed, just marginalized. This is the information the publishers keep out of your textbooks. This is the kind of information that is kept off of corporate-owned news. This is the kind of history that you probably won’t hear anywhere else, so you’d better listen up.”
And that was how I met Randal Cartwright. From that day on there was no time wasted on pleasantries, none of the usual substitute teacher falderal. He never passed out a worksheet then sat behind the desk and read a book. He was like a man possessed, spitting out the dregs of American history at breakneck speed; the Empire laid bare.
“American foreign policy post-WWII... Where do we begin? What do you want to hear first? You need to know that the things our leaders are able to rationalize in the name of protecting our business interests are many and they are not reserved to any one period of time. If you think we’ve stayed on top by hard work and playing fair, you’ve been grossly deceived. Coercion, deceit, drugs, and murder have been the name of the game in any corner of the world you care to look.
“Let’s start with something easy. A quick review of our relations with, say,
“But we do get cheap bananas in every supermarket.”
And he just kept going on like that, pausing only to sip from a bottle of water between anecdotes. He discussed coups in
After a few days I became familiar with his modus operandi. His favorite thing to rail against was what he called the “Corporatocracy”, businessmen in government office using their positions to enrich themselves and expand the Empire. After listening to him speak for a while it failed to shock me when he said that 6 of the 7 CIA department heads came directly from Wall Street businesses. It no longer shocked me that war profits from the current conflict were benefiting companies associated with high-ranking officials, profits reaching to the billion and trillions. The more he talked, the sicker I felt, until right around the time he started talking about the
“The collusion and intermarriage of government and business is not restricted to either party, folks. This has been going on for a long time, and lobbyists in
“In 1954 international leaders, bankers, and business men began meeting annually in what is now called ‘the Bilderberg Group’. This is big, people. You might want to ask yourselves why you never heard of it. The most powerful people in the world meet every year with no…. media…exposure.
“How can this be? When we look at G8 summits, they’re all over the press. And that’s only eight world leaders. So why not Bilderberg meetings? Royalty, banking, politics, media, and industry coming together to talk business and there is virtually no media outcry? It’s very simple, ladies and gentlemen: when you own the media, you can dictate what is known to the majority of the people. Every newspaper, TV station, and most radio stations in this country are controlled by a precious few corporate interests. This, sadly, is undisputed.
“Viacom owns CBS; General Electric owns NBC; Disney owns ABC; and News Corporation owns Fox Broadcasting Company. . And not one of these affiliates dares to cover this group of global policy makers-whose participants include former and future Presidents- because the leaders of these corporations are in attendance. High-ranking journalists are invited, but only on the condition that no stories appear. Secrecy is their policy. This may sound looney tunes to you, but again, this is not disputed- just ignored. They’ve successfully loosened the FCC ownership rules for Radio and TV, allowing huge conglomerates to dominate the market. Back in 1938, when fascism was sweeping
I felt like I was waking up from a daydream and into a world that was foreign to me. Everything I had known Randal was smashing to bits and grinding into the floor with his brown loafers. The free press, democracy, and my own moral high ground was being eroded beneath my feet. A sneaking suspicion in my gut that was growing for years suddenly gave full voice to anger, righteous and pure at what had been perpetrated in the name of my country and without the knowledge of its people.
I couldn’t stop turning it over in my head, like a washing machine full of rocks. I thought the CIA sponsored coup of
It was funny; I looked around and saw my classmates enthralled, hanging on his every word. I would of thought it impossible with the version of history class Mrs. Jennings used to teach us. They never paid attention to the compromise of 1850, the Dred Scott decision, none of the traditional history unless it was bloody and violent. But here they were, rapt at his edification.
“I’m assigning you a new book to read in place of your text: ‘Confessions of An Economic Hitman’. It’s a quick read, but the insight it gives is invaluable to understanding the scale of the deception of what I’m telling you. It’s written by a man whose job it was to go around the world to third world countries and convince them to take out huge loans from banks like the International Monetary Fund, for the purpose of investing in building infrastructure. Not only was this cash funneled to American companies, but the catch was that these loans were so big and the countries so poor, they would inevitably default on the payments, leaving American corporations free to go in and demand their pound of flesh in whatever way they chose; natural resources, political support. You name it. This is how the term “third world debt” came into being, and this is how we got our worldwide Empire from a non-violent standpoint. Although that might be misleading, because it certainly caused harm to the indigenous peoples of “banana republics” like
This is how oil companies got to drill in the highlands of the Amazon rainforest. By the way, you should know that their pipeline there has leaked over twice the amount of oil dumped by Exxon Valdez directly into the fragile Amazon rainforest. Beyond that, they dumped thousands of gallons of toxic waste water into the Amazon itself and left standing pits of wastewater for humans and animals to fall into. But you haven’t been told about that, because it didn’t happen in
The next few weeks were surreal. Professor Cartwright never asked much of us, except that we listen closely, and on occasion research a topic. We all assumed he was breaking some rule by straying off the usual course path as a Mrs. Jennings would have taught us, but no one in our class told on him. It was a silent agreement. We all wanted to hear more.
One week he assigned us homework. He asked us to research on the internet, through independent news websites and even Youtube documentaries, about subjects he assigned. It was brilliant. Instead of him teaching the class, he taught the class to teach itself. He passed out group topics so that we could do presentations in front of the class. My group’s topic was the Council on Foreign Relations. Others got the Trilateral Commission, the Bohemian Grove, the Federal Reserve and so on. No one balked at doing the work, they were excited to uncover more. After all, we were exposing mass fraud, Nazi money-launderers, drug smugglers, election-riggers, and war profiteers in the highest ranks of American society.
I began to see Professor Cartwright as more than a teacher. To me he was a bona fide revolutionary. He was Thomas Paine. He was
Eventually he moved beyond historical events and got in to talking about our health and what we eat and drink. By now I wasn’t surprised in the least when he informed us that the FDA had also been infiltrated by representatives of multi-national corporations. Our trust in government oversight would be our downfall.
“There’s a lot to cover in this topic, but there’s one monster who has for years been behind some of the worst swindles in history. You all need to inform yourselves about a company called Monsanto, because it’s sure as shit that they’re involved in making the things you eat and drink. Monsanto began as a chemical company, and in that capacity they achieved widespread fame for their invention of PCB’s and Agent Orange. They’re also tied into production of Aspartame, the artificial sweeter, and Bovine Growth Hormone, which is given to cows to increase milk production. Aspartame is alleged by the FDA to be safe, although it is a neurotoxin and handfuls of independent scientists say it causes cancer in lab rats. Coca-cola itself was originally of the position that it was unsafe to use for human consumption, but that was before the FDA gave it the green-light. On Reagan’s first day in office he fired the FDA chief that was blocking Aspartame. Donald Rumsfeld was the man who was its prime pusher.
“Now, onto the topic of your milk. Bovine growth hormone is also linked to cancer in lab studies, and at the very least causes Mastitis in cows, an infection of the mammary. This means there is puss in your milk and to combat the puss, added antibiotics that are absorbed by your body. So, my little hormonal friends, do yourself a favor and buy organic. You’re teenagers, you don’t need any more hormones, human or bovine.”
And the hits just kept coming. We spent an entire week researching agribusiness around the world, namely Monsanto Corporation, which boasts Donald Rumsfeld as a former board member and Clarence Thomas as a former lawyer. Their entrenchment in the
Professor Cartwright told us that 70% of the food in the supermarket included genetically modifies crops and that 90% of modified crops came from Monsanto, the same company that dumped PCB’s on poor rural blacks in
By the first month you could say I was in a deep depression. Everywhere I looked I saw insidious influence, government doublespeak, corporate poisoning of the population. My parents noticed I had stopped eating most of the food they prepared for me. I was constantly checking labels, looking for neurotoxins like MSG and Aspartame. I didn’t drink tap water anymore, it had to be filtered Aquafina. I didn’t drink coke, because high fructose corn syrup was going to give me type two diabetes. I was beside myself with hatred for advertisements, mainstream news anchors, radio, mainstream music. It was all a lie that said everything was OK, that we could just ignore the suffering of millions and retreat into our enclosed little worlds. I wanted to tear down the establishment, not because I was for anarchy or communism, but because it had grown oppressive to the freedoms inherent to human life.
I was freed from ignorance just to be caged in paranoia. I wanted to be put back into the Matrix of mass media, back when I knew that people were basically good and that our country was incorruptible. But the moment I had the thought, I immediately hated myself for giving birth to it.
Only three and a half weeks after he started teaching us, Randal had the misfortune of going through a parent-teacher conference, after which he was promptly fired. Of course no one can be entirely sure, but the story goes that during a heated argument, Professor Cartwright called Kyle Frasier's mother a "neo-cunt".
She stormed into Principle Blackwell's office in a towering rage of fundamentalist fervor, steam practically pouring out of her ears, her little powdered face combusting in starbursts of red. Fire and brimstone rained from the ceiling along with sharp accusations of socialism, subversion, and paganism in public schools. Randal didn't stand a chance. When Blackwell learned he'd gone off the beaten path, he was sacked before lunch ended. No traces of his tenure as our teacher were left behind, save a tweed jacket left on his chair.
Professor Cartwright's replacement was a woman named Prudence Hapley. The first day she introduced herself and then put on a VHS from TimeLife about the first Gulf War. In all its talk about Saddam's biological and chemical weapons capabilities, it never once mention that America had sold them to him, or that he had been our ally only a few years prior.
We were given a worksheet to go along with the video tape, while Prudence- or Miss P- sat at her desk doing crossword puzzles in the morning paper.
I don't know where Professor Cartwright ended up. But not long after he left I found out I got into
I didn’t know where to go or what to do, but I did have just the right tweed jacket picked out for whatever came next.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Tax
Whats the best formation for a person starting a computer repair business? Is it an LLC or Sole propiertorship. This is for starting out. Sole proprietorship may help when it comes to income. LLC takes 30 percent taxes. Right now I am not worried about being sued for no money.
What the best way to pay as little taxes and only get a little back.
What the best way to pay as little taxes and only get a little back.
Schizo notes
Raw Unfiltered Schizophrenic Note Taking
Now need to figure out the warranty tax situation.
If they provide the parts do we have to pay sales tax?
If we order the parts then do we have to pay sales tax if its for another company? THey said there is an exempt form.
Anything billed is going to be exempt. We need sales tax number and warranty number. Should not charge warranty companies for ANYTHING covered in Florida.
Name of person issuing (comapny)
Identification of warranty
date of issue
fl sales tax issuer
amount of service to be claimed
Rule 12A-1.105 Subsection 4.
If collected sales tax and
any company - Need documentation
Microwave disposal -
EWS directly -
334-0440 - household harzodous waste center -
computers at no charge - residential
2.50 a piece
CRT embedded in glass -
microwaves - no charge -
laundry machines - dryers - take anywhere - fee based - non fridgerated - commercial metals, sunshine recycling, scrap metal
Still good need to turn it in so license is not suspended. Car repaired - $20.10 to get it back or renewal $10.
Fix up a letterhead to alltel - print out and mail to them. Need to type a letter.
Save and send certified mail. - will cancel. heres problem talked to many many times. come in store twice. told it would be fixed and it is not. I will not pay this. Even though you tell me it will be fixed it will not be fixed. If something does not change I am cancelling my contract and then going with at$t. If you ef with my credit I will sue you. This will be reported to the BBB.
Bill BWG
Part number Old price new price Difference
25001057 186.62 273.52 86.90
12002211 108.95 175.21 66.26
Total Difference 153.16
25 for overnight poss 50
12 for 2 day poss 25
Let her know that we have to wait until the 13th. If they are not in by then the we will see about getting the unit completely replaced. If she wants until
Ge profile - fresh food side is not.
Guy said probably computer board and need to order the part.
Discount repairs -
Now need to figure out the warranty tax situation.
If they provide the parts do we have to pay sales tax?
If we order the parts then do we have to pay sales tax if its for another company? THey said there is an exempt form.
Anything billed is going to be exempt. We need sales tax number and warranty number. Should not charge warranty companies for ANYTHING covered in Florida.
Name of person issuing (comapny)
Identification of warranty
date of issue
fl sales tax issuer
amount of service to be claimed
Rule 12A-1.105 Subsection 4.
If collected sales tax and
any company - Need documentation
Microwave disposal -
EWS directly -
334-0440 - household harzodous waste center -
computers at no charge - residential
2.50 a piece
CRT embedded in glass -
microwaves - no charge -
laundry machines - dryers - take anywhere - fee based - non fridgerated - commercial metals, sunshine recycling, scrap metal
Still good need to turn it in so license is not suspended. Car repaired - $20.10 to get it back or renewal $10.
Fix up a letterhead to alltel - print out and mail to them. Need to type a letter.
Save and send certified mail. - will cancel. heres problem talked to many many times. come in store twice. told it would be fixed and it is not. I will not pay this. Even though you tell me it will be fixed it will not be fixed. If something does not change I am cancelling my contract and then going with at$t. If you ef with my credit I will sue you. This will be reported to the BBB.
Bill BWG
Part number Old price new price Difference
25001057 186.62 273.52 86.90
12002211 108.95 175.21 66.26
Total Difference 153.16
25 for overnight poss 50
12 for 2 day poss 25
Let her know that we have to wait until the 13th. If they are not in by then the we will see about getting the unit completely replaced. If she wants until
Ge profile - fresh food side is not.
Guy said probably computer board and need to order the part.
Discount repairs -
Things to do someday.
1. Look into GAS LICENSING.
14. Look into mass mailing, letter of introduction, business card, like the one I saw for. Great for property management and other companies etc.
15. Need price list to tell people. One for COD, propert management, contractors.
16. Looking into paperless options. Scheduling, follow up, dispatch.
20. Look into online advertising. SEO etc.
24. Go through manufacturers list like GE and see who they use to find contractors.
25. We need to have a serial number and model number field for invoices. Serial number very important for our contractors. In quickbooks.
26. Need more work to do? - The Warranty Group, NEW (National Electronic Warranty). Northland Marvel
27. Get prices on each of our contractors.
14. Look into mass mailing, letter of introduction, business card, like the one I saw for. Great for property management and other companies etc.
15. Need price list to tell people. One for COD, propert management, contractors.
16. Looking into paperless options. Scheduling, follow up, dispatch.
20. Look into online advertising. SEO etc.
24. Go through manufacturers list like GE and see who they use to find contractors.
25. We need to have a serial number and model number field for invoices. Serial number very important for our contractors. In quickbooks.
26. Need more work to do? - The Warranty Group, NEW (National Electronic Warranty). Northland Marvel
27. Get prices on each of our contractors.
Random appliance part numers,
417.44082400
control board - combined with speed control?
speed control
shock absorbers - on bottom of the tub
need one of them at least
Panel, control console
Part # 134443100
Control board,printed circuit ,with housing
Number: 134484101
Substitution: 137006010
Part Number: 137006010
Short Description : CONTROL-ELECTRICAL -US $98.80 - a-1
Shock absorber, air, stabilizer
Number: 131268200
Substitution: 134564200
ELO-134564200 VIBRATION KIT RQ In stock 28.65 18.65 - Fox
Cntorol board motor - Speed control?
Control board,motor
Number: 134409900
Substitution: 134743500
WCO-134743500 CONTROL BOARD In stock 123.18 94.75
ELO-134743500 CONTROL BOARD RQ In stock 159.33 122.56
12002139 10 KIT, SPINNER TOOL
WHO-25001057 SPINNER SUPPORT A 186.62 140.00
WHO-25001090 TUB SEAL In stock 17.94 13.33
FAV6800AWW
10246574EC
_______________________________
JBP82SF2SS
the two burners that are together on left side - GEO-WB03T10088 ELEMENT RADIANT02 Dealer:
Status: Reference Qty 1 Lot, 116.52 - 174.78
The warming unit on middle back. - Made by: GE
MFG Number: WB30T10087
Part Number: PT9607410
Warranty: One year
Our Price: $38.32
GSS22JEPDWW - interchangeable?
Need to
200D2260G008
MN - GSS22JFPAWW - control board and condenser fan motor. %15
control - WR55X10174/WR55X10656 - 111.56/128.29 - WR55X10656
Condenser- WR60X10209 - 26.50/30.48
total 158.77
AC- model - ACQ244XP - ACQ249PS2
touchpad control panel. behind that is an electronic baord with relays etc. need part numbers for both.
WHO-1186193 CNTRL-ELEC O Dealer:
Status: In stock Reference Qty 1 Lot, 59.46
Retail: 80.27
134.45 electronic control
18.52 - Fresh Food Thermistor
95.55 for damper
pt - 110.00
105 - two and half hours of labor.
tax - 23.87
control board - combined with speed control?
speed control
shock absorbers - on bottom of the tub
need one of them at least
Panel, control console
Part # 134443100
Control board,printed circuit ,with housing
Number: 134484101
Substitution: 137006010
Part Number: 137006010
Short Description : CONTROL-ELECTRICAL -US $98.80 - a-1
Shock absorber, air, stabilizer
Number: 131268200
Substitution: 134564200
ELO-134564200 VIBRATION KIT RQ In stock 28.65 18.65 - Fox
Cntorol board motor - Speed control?
Control board,motor
Number: 134409900
Substitution: 134743500
WCO-134743500 CONTROL BOARD In stock 123.18 94.75
ELO-134743500 CONTROL BOARD RQ In stock 159.33 122.56
12002139 10 KIT, SPINNER TOOL
WHO-25001057 SPINNER SUPPORT A 186.62 140.00
WHO-25001090 TUB SEAL In stock 17.94 13.33
FAV6800AWW
10246574EC
_______________________________
JBP82SF2SS
the two burners that are together on left side - GEO-WB03T10088 ELEMENT RADIANT02 Dealer:
Status: Reference Qty 1 Lot, 116.52 - 174.78
The warming unit on middle back. - Made by: GE
MFG Number: WB30T10087
Part Number: PT9607410
Warranty: One year
Our Price: $38.32
GSS22JEPDWW - interchangeable?
Need to
200D2260G008
MN - GSS22JFPAWW - control board and condenser fan motor. %15
control - WR55X10174/WR55X10656 - 111.56/128.29 - WR55X10656
Condenser- WR60X10209 - 26.50/30.48
total 158.77
AC- model - ACQ244XP - ACQ249PS2
touchpad control panel. behind that is an electronic baord with relays etc. need part numbers for both.
WHO-1186193 CNTRL-ELEC O Dealer:
Status: In stock Reference Qty 1 Lot, 59.46
Retail: 80.27
134.45 electronic control
18.52 - Fresh Food Thermistor
95.55 for damper
pt - 110.00
105 - two and half hours of labor.
tax - 23.87
random stuff from a random world
Inn and Suites off of university, block east of 75. Newberry exit and go east one block and left go north one block. 6:00 pm. Meet down in breakfast room in lobby. Shell station and red lobster.
Request
Million dollar for LP gas related -
Insurance-
$150 -
renewal - 200$ fee plus paperwork
Submit license app form =
take exam - and take class - pass - then submit license application.
----
Training costs 75.00 -
Can do the 29th or 30th evening, take the test right after.
Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print forms. Skip this step if Adobe Reader is already installed on your pc.
Print forms on white 8 1/2" x 11" paper.
Type or print the entire form in blue or black ink.
Make check payable to: FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES.
Mail check(s) to: FDACS-LP Gas, Post Office Box 6720, Tallahassee, Florida 32314-6720.
Whats a qualifier card??????
20$ exam fee
Request
Million dollar for LP gas related -
Insurance-
$150 -
renewal - 200$ fee plus paperwork
Submit license app form =
take exam - and take class - pass - then submit license application.
----
Training costs 75.00 -
Can do the 29th or 30th evening, take the test right after.
Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print forms. Skip this step if Adobe Reader is already installed on your pc.
Print forms on white 8 1/2" x 11" paper.
Type or print the entire form in blue or black ink.
Make check payable to: FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES.
Mail check(s) to: FDACS-LP Gas, Post Office Box 6720, Tallahassee, Florida 32314-6720.
Whats a qualifier card??????
20$ exam fee
Appliances and their makers
All Makes, All Models. Washer Repair, Dryer Repair, Refrigerator and freezer Repair, Dishwasher Repair, Disposals Repair, Range and Oven Repair, Water Heater Repair, Dryer Vent Cleaning and Installation, Icemaker Repair and Installation.
Whirlpool, Maytag, Fridgidaire, GE, Samsung, LG, Hotpoint, Kenmore, Bosch, Jenn Air, Amana, Gibson, Goldstar, InSinkerator, Kelvinator, Speed Queen, White Westinghouse, KitchenAid, Magic Chef, Electrolux, Gibson, fox
Frigidaire
Electrolux, Gibson, Kelvinator, Tappan, White Westinghouse
G.E.
Arctica, Harmony, Hot Point, Monogram, Profile, Profile Performance, Spectra
Maytag
Admiral, Amana, Atlantis, Caloric, Crosley, EWave, Gemini (Ranges), Holmes, Jenn Air, Litton, Magic Chef, Modern Maid, Neptune, Norge, Performa, Signature
Whirlpool
Calypso, Conquest, Duet, Estate, Gladiator, Inglis, Kenmore, Kitchenaide, and Roper
Quickbook notes from quickbook stuff
Sit down and critically think about quickbooks. Go back through service orders for this year only and do the taxes correctly. Also make sure that this months is all input for sales tax. Remove previous years invoice from magnolia but find out whether billed or not.
Need to know hwo to fix account balance if I download transaction details. Need to be correct for month of march. How to go back and fix bank balance from beginning of quickbooks start. Also how to tell when sales tax is due and when paid what do I put?
When we get a one check payment that is for five work orders from optima, how to organize them in quickbooks etc? How to let it be known what the orders are.
_________________
1. We need a place where we can keep model and serial numbers forever associated with a customer. Not efficient to have it on work order somewhere written. Not able to find it. An example is customer--Gusso - no model and serial number on the computer. Would be nice for dispatch program - keeps all model and serials by name
2. Snatchley - Could not find what was going on with this. Vague description - would be nice for dispatch program to have notes that are updated.
3. Have somewhere to put customers in Database. Two sets - Aarons and Jennifer , or at least a place where that we can know they have been referenced.
4. Keeping all notes, old and new so that its not just in summary of a document. Cannot tell what is up to date and what isnt unless go through the whole list
5. A how and what billed. Using quickbooks lets me actually invoice and keep track but no where to find out exactly how they were billed, what date and who I spoke with etc. That is key.
6. Keeping a place besides the excel sheet for contact info, what numbers are contractor relations, who they are, how to bill and who to talk to and who I talked to on a reg basis etc. When I have made contact with them. Ex. Normo called and asked about this. or Normo email, phone, fax to bill etc. Important for company contact info and up to date notes, just like customer contact info and up to date notes.
7. Somewhere that we can scan stuff in and save it for customers and contractors. Service orders etc. I belive ayanova has this feature. This means it would not have some thing scanned for some people etc. Make it routine and easy to find. Saves a lot of time.
8.Keep track of estimates we give people - may be able to be done in quickbooks. Good for proposals and stuff for associates.
9. Program so I dont have to find and ask different times. Ex. Boyarottano- since I was told over phone it was kind of understood. But needed to know this stuff when I spoke to someone about billing, when I billed, when I put it in quickbooks and when I had to write her the letter. This is four times. If it was easily accessible in quickbooks.
10. Referencing the status or progression of authorized servicers, LP gas and more. Nice to have that in database so we can track where and what is going on with them. Finding notes.
Go over quickbooks and find a place for everything- accounts payable etc. Find initial balance for 2008 bank.
I finally solved all above or most of it. Let me know if you have questions. Ill will email you.
Need to know hwo to fix account balance if I download transaction details. Need to be correct for month of march. How to go back and fix bank balance from beginning of quickbooks start. Also how to tell when sales tax is due and when paid what do I put?
When we get a one check payment that is for five work orders from optima, how to organize them in quickbooks etc? How to let it be known what the orders are.
_________________
1. We need a place where we can keep model and serial numbers forever associated with a customer. Not efficient to have it on work order somewhere written. Not able to find it. An example is customer--Gusso - no model and serial number on the computer. Would be nice for dispatch program - keeps all model and serials by name
2. Snatchley - Could not find what was going on with this. Vague description - would be nice for dispatch program to have notes that are updated.
3. Have somewhere to put customers in Database. Two sets - Aarons and Jennifer , or at least a place where that we can know they have been referenced.
4. Keeping all notes, old and new so that its not just in summary of a document. Cannot tell what is up to date and what isnt unless go through the whole list
5. A how and what billed. Using quickbooks lets me actually invoice and keep track but no where to find out exactly how they were billed, what date and who I spoke with etc. That is key.
6. Keeping a place besides the excel sheet for contact info, what numbers are contractor relations, who they are, how to bill and who to talk to and who I talked to on a reg basis etc. When I have made contact with them. Ex. Normo called and asked about this. or Normo email, phone, fax to bill etc. Important for company contact info and up to date notes, just like customer contact info and up to date notes.
7. Somewhere that we can scan stuff in and save it for customers and contractors. Service orders etc. I belive ayanova has this feature. This means it would not have some thing scanned for some people etc. Make it routine and easy to find. Saves a lot of time.
8.Keep track of estimates we give people - may be able to be done in quickbooks. Good for proposals and stuff for associates.
9. Program so I dont have to find and ask different times. Ex. Boyarottano- since I was told over phone it was kind of understood. But needed to know this stuff when I spoke to someone about billing, when I billed, when I put it in quickbooks and when I had to write her the letter. This is four times. If it was easily accessible in quickbooks.
10. Referencing the status or progression of authorized servicers, LP gas and more. Nice to have that in database so we can track where and what is going on with them. Finding notes.
Go over quickbooks and find a place for everything- accounts payable etc. Find initial balance for 2008 bank.
I finally solved all above or most of it. Let me know if you have questions. Ill will email you.
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