Academic Application: Bill of Rights

As an American citizen, here are your rights (look at the Tenth Amendment for more information concerning additional rights):

The First Amendment provides that Congress make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise. It protects freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The Second Amendment gives citizens the right to bear arms.

The Third Amendment prohibits the government from quartering troops in private homes, a major grievance during the American Revolution.

The Fourth Amendment protects citizens from unreasonable search and seizure. The government may not conduct any searches without a warrant, and such warrants must be issued by a judge and based on probable cause.

The Fifth Amendment provides that citizens not be subject to criminal prosecution and punishment without due process. Citizens may not be tried on the same set of facts twice, and are protected from self-incrimination (the right to remain silent). The amendment also establishes the power of eminent domain, ensuring that private property is not seized for public use without just compensation.

The Sixth Amendment assures the right to a speedy trial by a jury of one's peers, to be informed of the crimes with which they are charged, and to confront the witnesses brought by the government. The amendment also provides the accused the right to compel testimony from witnesses, and to legal representation.

The Seventh Amendment provides that civil cases also be tried by jury.

The Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishments.

The Ninth Amendment states that the list of rights enumerated in the Constitution is not exhaustive, and that the people retain all rights not enumerated.

The Tenth Amendment assigns all powers not delegated to the United States, or prohibited to the states, to either the states or to the people.

Private Colleges Face Applicant Decline

Many private colleges have seen or are concerned about a decline in applications. In a survey of 371 private institutions by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, two-thirds said they were greatly concerned about preventing a decline in enrollment, according to a Dec. 21 New York Times article...

...In Massachusetts, early applications to UMass-Amherst are up 27 percent, Framingham and Westfield State are up 40 percent, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts are up 60 percent and applications to Massachusetts College of Art and Design are up 75 percent, according to a Dec. 23rd Boston Globe article. But the budgets of public colleges are equally tight if not tighter, meaning they still cannot exceed capacity and will need to be more selective than ever before with a large and talented applicant pool.

"A lot of Ivy League kids are applying as a backup and that complicates admissions for the average student," said Catherine Leger, the head of the guidance department at Brockton High School in Massachusetts, in the Globe article. - BCHeights.com

Makes sense.

Romney Paves Way For 2012 Campaign

Republican Mitt Romney is laying the groundwork for a possible White House campaign in 2012, hiring a team of staff members and consultants with money from a fund-raising committee he established with the ostensible purpose of supporting other GOP candidates.

The former Massachusetts governor has raised $2.1 million for his Free and Strong America political action committee. But only 12 percent of the money has been spent distributing checks to Romney's fellow Republicans around the country.

Instead, the largest chunk of the money has gone to support Romney's political ambitions, paying for salaries and consulting fees to over a half-dozen of Romney's longtime political aides, according to a Globe review of expenditures. - Boston Globe

Thanks to Mr. Lang for bringing this up in class. Bold words are "academic application" kind of words.

Classic Dialogue

When I was independently reading this passage from All The Pretty Horses, I didn't realize how awesome it really was. Once Mr. Brennan read it, I did. Here it is (Page 26-27)

- Rawlins propped the heel of one boot atop the toe of the other. As if to pace off the heavens. My daddy run off from home when he was fifteen. Otherwise I'd of been born in Alabama.
- You wouldn't be born at all.
- What makes you say that?
- Cause your mama's from San Angelo and he never would of met her.
- He'd of met somebody.
- So would she.
- So?
- So you wouldnt of been born.
- I don't see why you say that. I'd of been born somewheres.
- How?
- Well why not?
- If your mama had a baby with her other husband and your daddy had one with his other wife which one would you be?
- I wouldnt be neither of em.
- That's right.
- Rawlins lay watching the stars. After a while he said: I could still be born. I might look different or somethin. If God wanted me to be born I'd be born.
- And if He didnt you wouldnt
- You're making my goddamn head hurt.

An Intellectual's Guide To Alternative Diction

An Intellectual’s Guide To Alternative Diction

By Glen Maganzini

Harangue in place of Scolding
Harbinger in place of Forerunner
Haute Couture in place of Highest Style
Hegemony in place of Influence
Heinous in place of Evil
Herculean in place of Powerful
Hotspur in place of Impulsive Person
Ignominious in place of Disgraceful
Imbibe in place of Drink
Imbroglio in place of Entanglement
Imbue in place of Saturate
Immolate in place of Kill
Imparity in place of Inequality
Impasse in place of Stalemate
Imperative in place of Essential
Impertinent/Insolent in place of Rude
Impervious in place of Unchanging
Impetuous in place of Impulsive
Implore in place of Plead
Incessant in place of Continuous
Inchoate in place of Incomplete
Incognito in place of Unknown
Indolent in place of Lazy
Inimical in place of Harmful
Intransigent in place of Uncompromising
Jejune in place of Immature
Jocund in place of Cheery
Lambaste in place of Reprimand
Lethargic in place of Sluggish
Lothario in place of Seducer
Malinger in place of Pretender

A Lang List

Here are great words and sayings used by the legendary AP Government fill-in, Mr. Lang:

"One hand feeds the other"
"Bureaucratic hacks"
"Bureaucratic ennui"
"They don't hang you for what you don't do"
"There's graft and there's corruption"
"It's like shifting sand"
"Greased by patronage"
" Scotty beemer down"
"Bureaucrats run on red tape and inertia"
"Shadowboxing"
"Just got off the boat"
"A conservative is a liberal whose been mugged"
"Built by the lowest bidder"

*Keep in mind that nearly all of these quotations are referencing some aspect of the political arena, be it machine politics or otherwise.

Excellent Short Story

Popular Mechanics by Raymond Carver

Early that day the weather turned and the snow was melting into dirty water. Streaks of it ran down from the little shoulder-high window that faced the backyard. Cars slushed by on the street outside, where it was getting dark. But it was getting dark on the inside too.

He was in the bedroom pushing clothes into a suitcase when she came to the door.

I’m glad you’re leaving! I’m glad you’re leaving! she said. Do you hear?

He kept on putting his things into the suitcase.

Son of a bitch! I’m so glad you’re leaving! She began to cry. You can’t even look me in the face, can you?

Then she noticed the baby’s picture on the bed and picked it up.

He looked at her and she wiped her eyes and stared at him before turning and going back to the living room.

Bring that back, he said.

Just get your things and get out, she said.

He did not answer. He fastened the suitcase, put on his coat, looked around the bedroom before turning off the light. Then he went out to the living room.

She stood in the doorway of the little kitchen, holding the baby.

I want the baby, he said.

Are you crazy?

No, but I want the baby. I’ll get someone to come by for his things.

You’re not touching this baby, she said.

The baby had begun to cry and she uncovered the blanket from around his head.

Oh, oh, she said, looking at the baby.

He moved toward her.

For God’s sake! she said. She took a step back into the kitchen.

I want the baby.

Get out of here!

She turned and tried to hold the baby over in a corner behind the stove.

But he came up. He reached across the stove and tightened his hands on the baby.

Let go of him, he said.

Get away, get away! she cried.

The baby was red-faced and screaming. In the scuffle they knocked down a flowerpot that hung behind the stove.

He crowded her into the wall then, trying to break her grip. He held on to the baby and pushed with all his weight.

Let go of him, he said.

Don’t, she said. You’re hurting the baby, she said.

I’m not hurting the baby, he said.

The kitchen window gave no light. In the near-dark he worked on her fisted fingers with one hand and with the other hand he gripped the screaming baby up under an arm near the shoulder.

She felt her fingers being forced open. She felt the baby going from her.

No! she screamed just as her hands came loose.

She would have it, this baby. She grabbed for the baby’s other arm. She caught the baby around the wrist and leaned back.

But he would not let go. He felt the baby slipping out of his hands and he pulled back very hard.

In this manner, the issue was decided.

Academic Application: Voting

I found one of my sister's old handouts from AP Gov and it is actually pretty interesting. What I have below is a summary of an excerpt from The Empty Polling Booth. There are six groups, the book argues, of people who do not vote:

1. The Positive Apathetics - 35% of Refrainers - These are usually educated, well-off individuals who think that voting is irrelevant. Many of them actually tell you that they are voters when they really are not.
   
2. The Bypassed - 13% of Refrainers - These are less educated, low income income individuals who have a tough time following political campaigns.
   
3. The Politically Impotent - 22% of Refrainers - These are alienated individuals who feel that they don't have any control over their political/personal lives. Teenagers, at least many of them, are politically impotent.
   
4. The Physically Disenfranchised - 18% of Refrainers - These are the physically or legally disabled individuals who just can't make it out to the polls.
5. The Naysayers - 6% of Refrainers - These are individuals who know damn well why they don't vote and will go at great lengths to explain to you why (click on "The Naysayers" for an example).
   
6. The Cross-Pressured - 5% of Refrainers - These are individuals who are so torn between the candidates that they don't end up voting at all.

Ben Tan, do you remember this article?

Academic Application

Fallacies have always intrigued me. So on this fine day, I have decided to piece together an article that discusses all the major fallacies. Helping me out is The Nizkor Project.

Ad Hominem

• Used to reject an argument using the basis of an irrelevant fact
• Usually involves something along the lines of "therefore your claim is false"

Ad Hominem Tu Quoque

• Used to conclude an argument using the basis of inconsistencies
  
• Usually involves the words "I guess"

Appeal to Authority

• Used to add basis to an argument by claiming to be an expert
• Usually involves something along the lines of "so it has to be true"

Appeal to Belief

• Used to add basis to an argument by claiming that since many people in believe in something, it must be true

Appeal to Common Practice

• Used to add basis to an argument by claiming that since many people do something, then that certain something is correct or acceptable
• Very similar to "Appeal to Belief"

Appeal to Consequences of a Belief

• Used often simply as a means of trying to rationalize a way of thinking
• Often referred to as "wishful thinking"

Appeal to Emotion

• Used often to manipulate a person's emotions in order to get them to accept a claim
• Advertisers and marketing execs love this one

Appeal to Fear

• Used as a threat in order to convert people to your line of thinking
• This one is especially fallacious, because absolutely no line of evidence is presented

Appeal to Flattery

• Used, very often, for personal gain and it goes a little something like this: You are great, now give me (insert something here)
  
• This one is well known under myriad names. Namely "sucking one's dick"

Appeal to Novelty

• Used to claim that something is better because it is new

Appeal to Pity

• Used typically as a way to create sympathy and once there is a level of sympathy present, that will be used to achieve some kind of goal.
• Typically concludes with a sentence beginning with "After all"

Appeal to Popularity

• Used as a persuasive device to get people to believe that since something is popular, that certain something must be favorable
• Very similar to "Appeal to Common Practice"

Appeal to Ridicule

• Used as means of saying that since something is ridiculous, that certain something must not be true

Appeal to Spite

• Used to bring back memories of something unfavorable and using that very something as a means of proving something false
• Typically includes the words "Remember when (someone did something bad)?"
  

Appeal to Tradition

• Used to verify a claim by insisting that since something has "always been that way" that certain something must be true

Acamademic Application

We've come so far. The Democratic candidate for president will be either a woman or an African American. But remember, before these two were candidates, they were senators. Before we had such a diverse batch of candidates, we had such diversity in Congress. As Mr. McKenna told his Government class today, white, middle-aged, Christian males no longer dominate the government. There are more women in Congress than ever before, among them Hillary Clinton and the first female Speaker, Nancy Pelosi. And the House has recently gotten even more diverse.

On Tuesday, Andre Carson (D) won a special election to replace his grandmother -- the late Rep. Julia Carson (D) -- in Indiana's 7th district. The younger Carson is the second Muslim in U.S. history to serve in Congress, following the trail blazed by current Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.).

Acamademic Application

In today's installment of Academic Application, I will be putting my years of study of the Spanish language to use, attempting to translate a story from Telemundo's website for all you gringos.

TOKIO (AFP) - Científicos japoneses se declararon el jueves convencidos de que existe un noveno planeta, hasta ahora desconocido, que gravita en los confines de nuestro sistema solar, dos años después de que la comunidad científica excluyera de esa categoría.

TOKYO (AFP) - Japanese scientists announced Thursday that they are convinced that a new planet exists, which they did not know until now, and that lies in the confines of our solar system, two years after the scientific community ignored that topic.
Okay, let's see the English version of that article and see how close I got.

TOKYO (AFP) — Scientists at a Japanese university said Thursday they believed another planet up to two-thirds the size of the Earth was orbiting in the far reaches of the solar system.

The researchers at Kobe University in western Japan said calculations using computer simulations led them to conclude it was only a matter of time before the mysterious "Planet X" was found.

"Because of the very cold temperature, its surface would be covered with ice, icy ammonia and methane," Kobe University professor Tadashi Mukai, the lead researcher, told AFP.

The study by Mukai and researcher Patryk Lykawka will be published in the April issue of the US-based Astronomical Journal.

"The possibility is high that a yet unknown, planet-class celestial body, measuring 30 percent to 70 percent of the Earth's mass, exists in the outer edges of the solar system," said a summary of the research released by Kobe University.

"If research is conducted on a wide scale, the planet is likely to be discovered in less than 10 years," it said.

Planet X -- so called by scientists as it is yet unfound -- would have an oblong elliptical solar orbit and circle the sun every thousand years, the team said, estimating its radius was 15 to 26 billion kilometres.

The study comes two years after school textbooks had to be rewritten when Pluto was booted out of the list of planets.

Oh...two years after Pluto was excluded. I got three out of four clauses right...not too bad.

Acamademic Application

The last book we read in English was Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House. I've found a nice article about a production of that play over in the Midwest.

Tickets are now available for the IPFW Department of Theatre production of A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, directed by Jeff Casazza.

Read more here.

Academic Application: November 28, 2007

Vector Addition in Competitive Online Gaming

The aspect of competitive online gaming that will be discussed is straferunning. Strafrerunning is simply running sideways. For those of you who play FPS games on the PC, this can be achieved by pressing, for example, the left and right key while moving your mouse to the right. For those of you who play games on say the PS3, this can be achieved my using the left and right thumb sticks. Here is a visual of the vector addition used in straferunning.

Academic Application - 11/8/07

In Calculus, we learned that demand and revenue can be expressed as functions, and how to use the demand function to calculate revenue. Today, C.N.N. reported the current demand for oil...

HOUSTON -(Dow Jones)- The chief executive of ConocoPhillips' (COP) Thursday said oil demand will be constrained by supply, adding that it will be "very difficult" for the world to produce more than 100 million barrels a day.

Also today, Reuters reported the current U.S. oil price...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Energy Secretary Sam Bodman said on Thursday the Bush administration will not change its policy of using the government's oil reserve only for major supply problems and not to curb prices, in spite of record high oil prices and market fears about tight winter supplies.

Bodman also said at an energy conference that the Energy Department's plan to keep about 12 million barrels of crude oil off the market and begin delivering it to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in January won't "materially affect" oil prices.

Bodman said he was "very concerned" about soaring oil prices, which he said suggests more supplies are needed from OPEC and other major oil producing nations.

Though the U.S. oil price hit a record $98.62 a barrel on Wednesday at the New York Mercantile Exchange, Bodman declined to say whether $100-a-barrel oil was inevitable.

Let's pretend for a second that ConocoPhillips can meet the demand for oil, which is 100 million barrels. How much money would they make? The function for calculating revenue, given the demand, is R(p)=pD(p), where p is the price charged per unit, D(p) is demand, and R is revenue. In this instance, p=$98.62 and D(p)=100,000,000. So R(p)=98.62(100,000,000). Multiply that out, and ConocoPhillips's revenue is $9,862,000,000, or $9.862 billion. The lesson is that you should get into the oil business.

Academic Application: October 4, 2007

Academic Application Important

According to Richard Feynman, a renowned physicist, applying what you learn in school to the real world is essential. Learning through practice not only boosts memory, but gives the subject a sense of importance in the student's life. Said Feynman, who traveled to Brazil where students often memorize from cover to cover in books: “So, you see, they could pass the examinations, and ‘learn’ all this stuff, and not know anything at all, except what they had memorized." Of course, learning about subjects that you find enjoyable and interesting translate into success on graded assignments as well.

The Academic Application this week shows that Academic Applications are necessary! Don't think that I am a loser for typing up these, because you know that you should be applying too. If you have learned, are learning, or are going to learn about what I post, you might find some value in my writing.

Academic Application: September 27, 2007

Jena Six. You've read about it or heard it on the news, but you don't quite understand the situation. Here is a brief summary from Wikipedia which should help. (Not really an "Application" this week, more of an "Awareness")

The Jena Six refers to a group of six black teenagers who have been charged with the beating of a white teenager at Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana, on December 4, 2006. The beating occured after a series of racially charged incidents that began when nooses were hung from a tree at Jena High School after black students sat beneath the tree. The six black students were initially charged with attempted second degree murder and conspiracy to commit attempted second degree murder.

Mychal Bell, the only member of the "Jena Six" to be tried so far, has had his convictions thrown out, one by the trial judge^[3] and the other by the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal.^[4] Both convictions were overturned on the grounds that the defendant should have been tried as a juvenile, not as an adult, because he was sixteen when the incident occured.^[3][2][5] Bell was incarcerated for almost 10 months, before being released on September 27, 2007, after posting bail. The District Attorney has indicated he does not plan to appeal further, meaning that Bell will be tried as a juvenile.

........Some have pointed out inaccurate reporting by the media. In his article, Jason Whitlock of FOXSports.com brought up the fact that people keep referring to the attack as a "schoolyard fight" due to the lack of serious injuries. He also pointed out that in the beginning, nobody brought up the fact that Mychal Bell's public defender was black or that the jury was all-white because none of the blacks who were summoned showed up. Whitlock also criticizes for the lack of reporting Bell's prior criminal history.^[63]

Academic Application: 9/20/07

Yesterday, Glen reported that the Senate has decided not to restore habeas corpus rights to the Guantánamo Bay detainees. Wait, habeas corpus? Isn't that Latin? I don't take that class!
But I do take Government and Politics, where we learned the meaning of that phrase...

ha·be·as corpus (hā'bē-əs)
n.

One of a variety of writs that may be issued to bring a party before a court or judge, having as its function the release of the party from unlawful restraint.

So, the question is, can the government take away the right of habeas corpus? From suspected terrorists, yes. But wait, if the government can take habeas corpus away from the Gitmo prisoners, they can take it away from anyone, right? A post I made yesterday mentioned the President's desire to eavesdrop on suspected terrorists. If he can do that, he can eavesdrop on anyone, right? And hundreds of thousands of people have seen this video of a guy getting tasered after asking John Kerry a bunch of stupid questions.

Is America slowly becoming an Orwellian society, in which the government can take away our rights to privacy, trial, and free speech? As long as her people are vocal about their support of human rights, no. Speak your mind. If you like having rights, let the people in power know.

Academic Application: September 13th, 2007

We learn a lot in school, don't we? I would say that we do. Unless you are seriously interested in a particular course of study, you probably don't see an application to what you learn. The Application Academic of the Week will be published every Thursday. I will be taking something that I have learned in class and then make an application of it.

Hester's 40 Yd Dash Time Marked With Uncertainty

There is no particular reason as to why I am choosing Devin Hester in this example. Hester, a kick return specialist on the Chicago Bears (NFL-NFC), has reportedly ran a career high 4.51 40 yard dash. Hester, as you may or may not have known, is rated 100 in the speed category of Madden. However, there are a plethora of players who have higher marks than 4.51.

Demonstration - Uncertainty in Measurement
Could Hester's 40 yard dash time be erred, assuming that the uncertainty is 0.5 seconds?
.5/4.51 X 100 = Percent Uncertainty
= 11 % Error (89% Correctness)


Conclusion: The scouts couldn't have screwed up Hester's time too, too bad.