Group 3 Rebbutal

We feel that people do need a basic understanding of English. Some Americans can be very judging people, there is no denying that. There are however always people willing to help. Should foreign people use judgmental Americans as a reason to not learn English? English is one of the hardest languages to learn. There are many programs and services to help people learn to speak English. We also don't feel that they need to become fluent in English or give up their own language. They should be proud of their heritage and use their own language. They do however need to have a basic understanding of English, for their own safety. In emergency situations it is important they be able to effectively communicate. Almost anyone would work hard to learn the basics of another language if they knew it could help save a loved ones life.

Group 2 Rebuttal

Well our question to you is, if you don’t work hard aren’t you just getting further away from getting that promotion everyone wants? You say that there is no guarantee to that you will have your job if you work harder, but anyone who is being a bit of an overachiever will be noticed a lot faster than someone who is doing bare minimum work. Everyone likes the thought of stay home with their family but it is not always that easy. No one really gets money handed to them and if they did this would be a completely different world. Most people use the term “hard worker” as a compliment not a means of making fun of someone for having goals and a good work ethic.

Group 2 support

People in American have many reasons to work their hardest even if they don’t like what they do. The first reasons. Most of us do it because we have no other choice (Curry). If everyone was happy with what they do, the world rejoice around this harmony. But the fact remains is that it’s not possible to achieve this level of joy.
Some people get stuck in jobs they once found suitable for their satisfaction, but for one reason or another, being satisfied with an occupation takes a turn south. If we didn’t work, what would we do? Would every one of us be homeless? Probably not, but again the question remains; what other options are available? Switching careers may be an option, but this is a difficult task to complete.
Being dignified is the best thing to do if someone doesn‘t like their occupation. If there are reasonable alternatives available, this is an acceptable solution. But simply giving up isn’t an option. There is nothing more noble than someone who can deal with personal preference when evaluating their current situation, and realizing that maybe this is the best option available.

Works Cited

Curry, Andrew. Across Cultures. Seventh. “Why We Work.” New York: Pearson Education, Inc, 2008. Print.

Group 5 rebuttal

Many people think that you have to work hard to provide a living for yourself and your family, but this is not true. In America there are many reasons why you should not work hard.You have no need to worry about a house as there are homeless shelters, for example, Maryhall. Another thing that there is no need to worry about is food. We are living in a country with very fertile soil. On top of that, we have places like Dorothy Day that will provide us food. Why pay all this money to make home cooked meals when you can head to the local soup kitchen and not only eat for free but have the meal made for you. Next, we have the gov't. the gov't has taught me that we dont have to work harder. we only have to work smarter. For example, instead of using your tax stimulis money the gov't gave out to pay your bills off you should take all the money and head to the casino. By doing so you can increase your chances of not having to work hard, or at all, by possibly winning the jackpot. The last reason you do not need to work hard is you can just take out loans and borrow money. It is clearly known that borrowing improves the economy. So, why spend your life working hard when you can get food, money, and shelter for free?

Works Cited

Bossman, Bob. Money as Debt II.Promises Unleashed. n.pag. Moneyisdebt.net. 2006.23 July 2009

Understanding English

We feel that all people living in America should have a basic understanding of English. The numbers of people that don’t speak the language continues to rise. “…nearly 50 million Americans spoke a language other than English at home in 2004—nearly one-fifth of all U.S. residents age 5 or older” (www.prb.org). We don’t think they have to be fluent; they just need to know basic English. The LPGA thinks the same way too “We want to help our athletes as best we can succeed off the golf course as well as on it.” (www.deseretnews.com). We have two reasons, first emergency situations, and second self sufficiency. Our first reason is for use in emergency situations. People need to be able to communicate effectively in case of an accident or a crime. Examples would be such things as a heart attack or stroke, burglaries, murders or traffic accidents. In all of these cases it is important to be able to effectively communicate with authorities, especially in medical situations where time is of the essence. People able to translate may not available. The second reason for a basic knowledge of English is for self sufficiency. They need to be able to shop for necessities such as food and clothing. It will also help keep them from being taken advantage of. The more English they know, the harder it will be for someone to convince them to do something they don’t understand. They may feel the person is trying to help them when in reality they are taking advantage of their lack of understanding.

http://www.prb.org/Articles/2006/IntheNewsSpeakingEnglishintheUnitedStates.aspx
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700254131,00.html

Group 5- Working hard, what's the point?

“It's true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?” This quote said by Ronald Reagan should be the thought of every American citizen. In today's poor economy working hard does not guarantee job security. For example, why would one want to work hard at their job when there is not any guarantee? Many people are laid off from their jobs and at the same time many jobs are being moved overseas to reduce costs for the companies. On top of that, we have welfare and unemployment that can help to support us. I like the thought of staying home with my family and not having to work for my money at all. So, plain and simple; why work hard (or at all) when you don’t have to? Last but not least, working hard also takes away from your personal life. When working long hard hours you do not have the time or the energy to spend time with your family or friends. I believe that the verdict is clear; there is no need to work hard at your job!

Works Cited
Trunk, Pelelope. Dont work too hard; it’s bad for you.The boston Globe. 27, May 2007. Web. 23
July 2009

Dictionary Quotes. Word Press 2008. Web. 23 July, 2009

Group 1 Pro

It is important for men in American culture to look and act masculine. In American culture it is the masculine male that is considered strong, virile, and competent; able to handle any situation. Masculine men are promoted in TV advertising, calendars, catalogs, and magazines. “American culture does little more for a man than prepare him for modeling clothes in the L.L. Bean catalogue.”(Theroux 103)Even in today’s culture, it is the masculine man that is predominantly selected to play the leading roles in action films (Taken, Liam Neeson), TV series (NCIS, Mark Harmon), and even reality shows where the man is competing for the woman (The Bachelorette, http://www.buddytv.com/the-bachelorette.aspx). The American culture has not progressed as far as most would hope and the stereotypical man’s man is still prevalent through out today’s society. “It is no wonder, then, that men lean toward dominance, authority, and control. Deep within them rest an inherent need to sire, or mentor great men who will become the heroes of sons yet unborn” (Davis 2002). A majority of American women are attracted to masculine looking and acting men; therefore, it is important to the men of American culture to look and act masculine in order to find a suitable mate. It is evident that in order for a man in American culture to be successful in business and family, he must act and look masculine.

Example of expected masculine looks for Heros: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FggSxfP0DSg&feature=related



Works cited:

Davis, Robert G. "Understanding Manhood in America:The Elusive Quest for the Ideal in Masculinity." Heredom 102002 9. Web.22 Jul 2009. .

Carroll, Bret E. Passionate Manhood. Google Books, 2009. Print.

Gillespi, Sheena. Across Cultures. Seventh. New York: Pearson Eduction, Inc, 2008. Print.

Group 6 Support

People coming into America do not need to learn how to speak English because they should not let go of their heritage, there are many of travel and communication books to help them learn necessary words and they most likely came here to escape from suffrage and be free so they should not be stressed with learning a new language.   First of all, Americans can be very judging of people who do not speak English because many of them are scared of losing their heritage. " Don't be ruled by other people's low expectations of you” (Torres 163) is a great quote for non-English speaking people to believe in to stay true to their heritage. There is so much pressure on minorities to speak the language; maybe we should do something to make things "Easy to read", like the story by Amy Tan, whose mother always spoke "broken English” (Tan 49). Second of all, people do not need to learn how to speak English because there are many books like the one used by the boy’s mother in the story "Mute in an English-Only World" by Chang-Rae Lee. These books help them try and speak only the necessary words that they need to use in order to live. Third of all, people should not have to speak English because they most likely came to America because it was a free country. English speakers should not expect people to be fluent with English because we also use other languages in our every day language, "There are examples of Spanish, French, Yiddish, and German words that have been absorbed by English and are now used by Americans every day. It makes for a richer language and culture" (www.cbsnews.com). Therefore, instead of trying to get rid of the other languages we should embrace them therefore we can all be more excepting of people who speak other languages.

Group 6 Rebuttal

People coming into America regardless of their minority do not need to speak the English language. First of all, many Americans who speak English do not use the proper form. For example, people who speak English say words like funner, instead of more funny or phrases like, "that’s between you and I, instead of you and me (www.cbsnews.com)". Second of all, Americans are also not very patient or supportive of minorities when they are trying to learn English. However, Americans get frustrated when signs go up in neighborhoods that they do not understand (Lee 157) such as, Korean signs. Third of all, when Americans who speak English travel to other countries, like Mexico, we do not try and learn Spanish instead we expect the people who speak Spanish to help us out. We rely on them to help us with counting our money, where certain attractions are and saying Spanish words.  We both have learned this from person experiences pronouncing Spanish words. Therefore, we should not expect people who are coming to America to be able to speak English because it is indeed a free country! 

Group 4

Helplessness is a hurtful emotion that we can feel deep in our soul. In this panel we see Judd’s shoulders are hunched and they both have long, sad faces. This is provides an indication that they are feeling helpless. They are barely looking at each other; Pedro is hanging his head in embarrassment. He has had night sweats, and when he wakes up form the dampness on his shirt and bed sheets, the spotlight is shining on him symbolizing the illness of HIV becoming front and center(Winick #91, panel 1). It almost appears as though the spotlight is from one of his speeches. But now instead being the one to inform the public on HIV, he is being debilitated by it. But now the spotlight isn’t Pedro’s story, it’s his illness. Even though Judd and Pedro are the best of friends, there is a mutual understanding that they are both helpless in fighting this disease. Though Pedro is ill in this panel, Judd is looking to him for guidance and direction on what he can do to help his friend.

I could not edit this blog, so I made the necessary changes and re-posted the paragraph. I hope this sounds better.
Dale

Group 2

Anyone talking about a serious subject such as safe sex to a group of people can always bring the pressure down by using humor. Like Pedro on page 97, panel five in the book "Pedro and Me" by Judd Winick. In this panel Pedro is talking with a group of people about practicing safer sex; to do so, he shows them the importance of a condom. Pedro explains to the crowd, "If your partner says a condom is to tight--tell them to see a doctor'' (Winick 97). In this panel there is a halo light around Pedro; the rest of the panel is black as Pedro's demonstration is to be the readers full focus. His face shows humor by his open, upturned mouth and the way his eyebrows are cocked upward in the middle. The tendon on his neck popping out, along with the diagonal wrinkle lines in his forehead shows the amount of strain it is putting on him to stretch the condom to it's fullest capacity. His arms are drawn up in the air as if to say....TADA!! This panel fits the book "Pedro and Me'' because it illustrates a part of what Pedro does for a living, an AIDS prevention speaker, and how he uses humor to relate to and capture his audience's attention. Without humor, this panel would not have been an effective demonstration, as most people would have looked away, maybe snickered, and definitely felt uncomfortable.

Group 5

In the novel Pedro and Me there are several themes; one of which is friendship. The panel we chose shows part of that friendship. The specific panel is on page 90 when Judd asks Pedro “Is that bad?” This shows that Pedro is sick in some capacity and that Judd is concerned about it. While you don’t know exactly why he’s sick from this one panel, you can tell that something isn’t right with him. It fits with the rest of the book in showing Judd and Pedro’s friendship and giving insight into how it grew. The panel also gives you a little more insight visually by the use of a lamp that is turned on by Judd’s bed. The conversation itself is short and to the point, showing concern for Pedro and what may be wrong with him. While the conversation is simple, there are details in the panel that give more away. For example, the bold print on Pedro’s sheets will draw your eyes. The symbolism of Judd getting out of bed showing concern and a readiness to aid his friend also gives more detail than words itself. You can see from this one panel that their friendship is starting to grow, and will play a big part throughout the novel

Group 1 - Page 156

Pedro has just passed away. In the previous panel, the nurses had come in and discovered this. His breathing had become weak, so everyone knew the end was coming soon. All the people that had been in the hospital with him are now standing surrounding his bed. In the following panels, Judd is hit hard when he realizes how quickly Pedro has slipped away from them. A lot of the feeling that comes with this panel is actually from what is outside of it. The small panel makes it feel like you are looking down into the hospital room from the ceiling. The rest of both pages are completely black. It gives the panel a very cold, isolated, and sad feeling. There are no words in or around this panel. Considering what has just happened, the blackness speaks louder than words. The reader is feeling sad and vulnerable, much like the characters in the panel. The actual drawing itself is not very detailed; faces are not clear, nor are the background images. A symbol in the panel is the people surrounding Pedro. Throughout his life, he was always surrounded by people who loved him. For example, his father or any family never out casted him for being gay, or having AIDS. Pedro Zamora lived a short life, but touched the hearts of many.

group 3 5.4

This panel tells us a tragic story. We can all assume that this is Pedro's family and friends surrounding and embracing him. He doesn’t seem to have much time left. Winick made good use of the black and white contrast and the people’s facial shapes and expressions. In Pedro’s picture, Winick makes his face skinnier to give him a sicklier look and the people around him all have a look of somber. It is interesting that he uses only black and white for a comic strip. Much like Pedro’s life, it was just straightforward with no gray areas. Most of the background in the panel is black, showing that things are not going well. However, in the picture with everyone surrounding Pedro, the background is white. Even though the overall situation is bleak, the people around Pedro are bringing positive and loving attitudes; much like the shuttle driver’s at the beginning of the book. The words in this panel are very deliberate. The author uses “…” to show a pause, which adds emphasis onto the particular passage. He wants you to think back to an earlier time in the book. The woman embracing him is a symbol of his mother being with him in life and in death. It also shows that his mother’s dream of the family being together has finally come true. The bed is symbolic because Pedro is in his final resting place. In addition, the people surrounding him symbolize his strength in his time of weakness. I think this panel fits in very well with the rest of the novel since it was the tale of his journey from living with AIDS to up to his death. In addition, he is surrounded with friends and family. This is significant because he feared his family would not be there for him when he needed it most but they were.

Work Cited (Winick #148)

Definition of Ho - Group 4

Ho, not to be confused with the words "hoe" like the gardening tool, or "ho" in the phrase ho ho ho that is commonly used by jolly folk in red suits, is a slang term for a prostitute or whore. A whore/prostitute is someone who will perform sexual acts if payment can be arranged. The payment does not have to be money, but many times it is. One is advised not to go around saying this word as it has a negative connotation but the more it is used in popular culture, the less impact it has on the recipient. It may be acceptable to use around your close friends but will be viewed as a derogatory term to older generations. For example, if I were to say "Hey ho, what u doing" to my best friend, she would not be offended. On the other hand, if I said that same phrase to my grandmother she would be highly offended. So, it is up to you to use your better judgment when using the term "ho".

Group 2 - Wasted

"Skip was totally wasted last night." In the previous sentence, wasted is being used as a slang term. If you take the Webster's dictionary definition of wasted, you might have a hard time figuring out why Skip laid waste to something last night. Using the example, it means Skip was completely intoxicated due to the use of alcohol or drugs. Another example of the word wasted being used as slang would be, "Skip wasted that guy in the Halo." In this example, wasted means that Skip beat someone in a game, usually with violence. Depending on the context, the word "wasted" can mean several things, positive and negative. But amongst young people today, if you hear, "Jim got wasted and ran around with no pants on," you can bet it relates to intoxication.

repost : Group 1 Definition Activity (dude)

Tommy answers his cell phone and the speaker says, “What’s up dude?” This tells us that Tommy is talking to one of his male friends. Dude is at least two centuries old, and has taken on several different meanings. Originally it was used to represent a well dressed man, and later it was used to represent a railroad worker. It is currently used as slang to represent a friend or partner. Dude can be used to denote different feelings such as irritation, surprise, and excitement. An example of irritation would be Ravi sitting on the couch and Dale walks by and steps on Ravi’s foot. Ravi jumps up and says “Dude, watch where you’re walking!” An example of surprise or excitement would be Ginger getting off a plane in Arizona, and seeing her longtime friend unexpectedly. Ginger ran towards him exclaiming “Dude, I haven’t seen you forever!” These are a few examples of how to use the word Dude in current English slang.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dude

Group Three--Bitch

In the english lauguage there are many slang words used on a daily basis; "bitch" is a very common slang word used. Before centuries evolved and using slag was inappropraite, the word "bitch" was used to represent a female dog. Although times have changed the word "bitch" can be used in a positive or negative matter towards another person however, its meaning depends on the tone the word is said. In a friendly encounter, someone could say, "Hey Bitch, whats up?", because the tone of the person saying this very calm and unaggressive the person recieving this statement would not be offended. However, this word may be used in a negative manner as well; for example, if a person says to you "That girl was such a bitch" or "You stupid bitch", you can notice that there voice is harsh and uneasily giving you the appearance that the are angry and upset showing you it was in a negative manner. Not only can the word "bitch" be directed towards someone, it can also be used as a figure of speech. When referring to completing a hard task someone may say, "That was a bitch". People use the word, which is meant in a negative manner, only to the task they are completing. Although, there are many ways to use the word "bitch" a person can always tell how it is directed towards the tone they use and how it is stated.

Group 5 the meaning of the word "Gay"

The word gay has many meanings in the English language, none of which are related. Originally, Gay was created to describe someone or something as being happy, but now, it is rarely ever used in that context. One of the ways it is currently used is to describe a person’s sexual orientation, mostly males, however can be used for females as well. It means that the person is sexually attracted to people of the same physical sex. This term can also be used in a derogatory way toward people who are “gay”. They may prefer the politically correct term, “homosexual”. The second is to describe something that the user thinks is stupid or lame. It could be a joke, an action someone else did, a particular activity, or something that the speaker felt that they should have known. You will hear it phrased as, “That’s gay.” Like many other words in the English language, “gay” has many meanings, and can easily be misinterpreted.