Word Power

The power of word and language has been with humans for about 100,000 years, and it has facilitated some remarkable achievements for mankind. Before this period, the hominid’s vocal tract wasn’t developed enough to produce the range of speech sounds that people can today. This is not to say that language did not appear at all before 100,000 years ago. In reality, the combination of physical changes and an increased complexity of communication from the early humans created language in a series of stages.
The more fascinating aspect is how language has progressed over the thousands of years and how it has come to control and dominate society. However, it controls society in both positive and negative ways. For example, speeches are the best example for how word has true power over people. Two names clearly explain the matter: Martin Luther King Jr. and Adolf Hitler.
     King was famous for his civil rights movement, and the single most important element in his movement was peace. He did not believe in violence, and instead of promoting violence, he advocated for peaceful protest in his speeches, the most famous being I Have a Dream. His words called people to action, they called for a realization that something needed to be done about equality in America.
King would represent the bright side of the word’s impact on society. Sadly, there is a dark side, Hitler being the example. Known for his emotional, powerful, and nationalistic speeches, he used the power of his language to influence the masses of Germany into a fever that led to World War II. One terrifying account by Alfons Heck explains how Hitler took control of people while giving his speech: “We erupted into a frenzy of nationalistic pride that bordered on hysteria. For minutes on end, we shouted at the top of our lungs, with tears streaming down our faces: Sieg Heil, Sieg Heil, Sieg Heil! From that moment on, I belonged to Adolf Hitler body and soul.”
The power of word and language is many-sided. It can be used with the purpose of evil, but also with the purpose of love and kindness. Speech can rally people up in a wild frenzy, or it can assemble them peacefully to a state of realization.  Having power isn’t all about strength. Having power means having the ability to control language and influence the surrounding people.

Pet Peeves

Everyday, I go to school and talk with my friends in English. The previous sentence may sound unusual, because in a way it is. Nobody specifies that they speak English at school in America, but this is an important part of my daily life. Why? Well, English wasn't my first language and, therefore, I have an accent. My parents grew up in Poland, and moved to America about one year before I was born. Since, this blog is to be all about pet peeves, here is my first.
It bothers me when people don't understand. I get the question a lot about how could I have an accent when I was born here. Even though I tell people that Polish was my first language, they still continue to believe that it isn't possible. When you grow up in a country like this, English surrounds you everywhere. It isn't like I live in Chicago or New York either, where there might be ethnic neighborhoods. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio and ethnic communities do not really exist here. Possibly, this is why people do not understand how it is that I could have an accent. The answer: 24/7 Polish at home. Even today, we never use English at home.
Since I have an accent, it affects my pronunciation of words as well. In the Polish language, all the letters in a word are pronounced. However, this is tremendously different when it comes to English. I am ok when people correct me on long and complex words, but when it comes to the word “the” I tend to get mad sometimes. First of all, the letter “h” is placed with the letter “t”, which changes the sound. The sound change is perfectly exemplified in the difference between “though” and “tough”. The change is significant because one word evokes a strong and harsh pronunciation of “t”, while the other softens the letter and makes it sound smoother. This first part of the word “the” is easy. The problem I have is with the second part and my biggest pet peeve is when people try to correct me on my pronunciation of it. I say the “e” with the soft sound, like in the word “phenomenal”. Most people say it with the strong “e” sound, like in the word “seek”. Some people say that my pronunciation is wrong, yet I have no idea how.
In afterthought, my pet peeve with the English language is not grammar mistakes or spelling mistakes. The problem resides in pronunciation. This is why it is probably a hard language to learn. Similarly to French, many letters become silent. Others change sounds when they are in different combinations. I have my own English, and when others are correcting me, maybe they should realize that I am bilingual and learning two other languages, instead of laughing at the matter.

To Call Celebrity: Dial 007

In the beginning, the elite consisted of military and political leaders, statesmen, and religious authority. Poets, pianists, composers, and painters were considered celebrities. The differentiation between the two was that one side held a ruling power over the people, while the other side wowed the crowds with its production of masterpieces and talent. As history started unraveling itself, the transformation began: a new group of people were going to emerge wielding power in one hand and talent in the other. This talented elite came to settle one area of the country, Hollywood, and revolutionized pop culture.
These people are known as celebrities. Although the most prominent and most famous are actors, actresses, and singers, others have become celebrities through other careers in the entertainment industry, like show-hosts. Society has demanded and still is demanding a lot from these stars. They must look beautiful, be fit, have the proper clothes, always do the right thing, set an example for others, and so on, and so on. It is no surprise that if the celebrities have to do so much for society and deal with personal problems, mistakes will happen. Sadly, people do not understand that nobody can be perfect. Therefore, they will always find some way to reveal a scandal, or terrorize a celebrity for a bad decision.
Yet, some celebrities are able to keep up with societal demands and morally right decisions. They can also go above and beyond. One of these celebrities is one of my favorite actors: Pierce Brosnan. Many know him as the all-time best spy, James Bond, and his acting career has made him into a very well-known personality. He gives the public what they want, a handsome face, thrilling action movies, and a sort of obsession to be like him. However, he goes above and beyond this as a generous and kind person.
Born in Ireland, Pierce Brosnan has come to fulfill the position of the Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland. Along with Liam Neeson, he founded the “Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS” campaign. Brosnan is known for being an environmentalists and financially supporting environmental groups like Greenpeace. Being an artists as well, he makes and sells paintings as part of fundraisers for other organizations.
Brosnan can be considered the stereotypical celebrity society has demanded: a talented beautiful person that holds power as well as kindness and a sense of public service. This stereotype isn’t a bad thing at all, but sometimes the pressure builds up from so many demands, and certain celebrities cannot handle it. Others are so fed up with their popularity that they become terrible role models, like Justin Bieber. But not Pierce Brosnan! He is an excellent celebrity example.

Anonymous: the New Barrier of the Century

Since the invention of social media and advancements in technology, people have found themselves forming new barriers and barricades. These social camouflages arise from the decline of face-to face-conversation. Once people sit behind a computer or a smartphone, they feel safer and forget to use mental brakes, meaning they could say something even if they wouldn’t in a normal conversation. Therefore, social media has created a dangerous place in our world where people open up more freely about their personal thoughts, even if they can hurt others.
Although the computer might act like a shield, it most certainly acts as a key to personal locks as well. When a closer examination is preformed of an individual’s public profile, it can be determined what kind of person he or she is. Furthermore, analyzing what this person has said and the way in which he or she communicates in online situations can reveal character and traits. Is this person kind, insulting, lacking intelligence, or just plain-old goofy?
What social media does is it tears down human firewalls. It gives the false sensation of becoming another and worst of all, in most situations, it never goes away. Once the “send,” the “post,” the “tweet,” or the “comment” button has been pressed, there is no turning back. Information will spread like a wildfire and even though one might delete the post afterwards, there is no guarantee that someone hasn't taken a screenshot and re-posted.
That is why today’s social media is a dangerous trap. Certain people can get pulled in so addictively, that they begin to check there multiple sites every few minutes. They lose track of time and waste hours of their weeks. However, the more important problem is that social media has found a way to create an even greater barrier: the anonymous user. Popular, new apps, like Yik Yak, are based on anonymous platforms and postings remain without a name attached.
To sum it all in one definition, social media is a complex system of exposing people, hiding people, hurting some, and empowering others. It is also a teenage vacuum, in which youth gets sucked into and forgets that what really matters is life beyond the digital screen.

Trivia Crack

I have just finished playing a round and, as I begin to write, my iPod emits a sound. It is alerting me that my opponent has taken his turn, thus making me anxious to return to the game. But, I mustn’t. It is calling to me: “Play, play, you know this trivia game is the best. It will only take a minute.” And then I stop writing…
Trivia Crack is the “new thing” these days. It is an app that generates trivia questions in the categories of history, geography, science, sports, art, and entertainment. It is addicting, a waste of time, but at least a person can learn from it. So, it might as well fall under the educational category. I say it wastes my time because, indeed, I find my self stopping numerous times throughout the day to play, even when I am doing homework or other important activities. Oh, wait! Here’s the sound again. May I be excused for a second? …
Where was I? Ah! Trivia Crack also makes students loose their train of thought. It is the kind of education that should be reserved for the summer or weekends, but more and more are playing it during the school week and in school! (I admit to being one of those people.) The strange part of it all is that students are playing the same game with their teachers. Those who refuse will soon join in, or shall be sucked in, by peer pressure. There is no escape!
Ultimately, I reserve this blog as a review of the new app. First, the name should be changed, for using “crack” does not sound appealing. The app is a waste of time, but at least it’s not merely just a game. It is the flow of information, and knowing something new will always trump a simple game, like Clash of Clans. A smart choice made by the designer was that the app runs itself. A player can make questions, rate questions, and even translate them. Overall, I would give it a 8/10. (1pt lost for it crashing sometimes and the other for it wasting my time). And it is my turn again…

Perspective

Our world is simply a vast expanse of  uniqueness, or rather, I should say our worlds are individual expanses of unique experiences. One planet, one solar system, one universe, all contain us. It is common ground, but more specifically it is scientific. However, the definition of the world can reach beyond stable structures and mathematical formulas governing laws of nature. A world is one’s own mind at work. It is the brain creating an image and sound that accompanies it. All humans perceive their surroundings differently and this is how individualism comes to be. Therefore, the idea of “one” is broken. People are all different, and perspective proves just that.
For example, scientific studies and experimentation show that each person analyzes colors differently. Just like there is a difference in how different animals see color, there is a difference in how each person will see a color. This is not to say that green won’t be green to another person, but it might look slightly different. The differentiation becomes more evident in the transition between colors. As one turns into another, different individuals will say that the color has changed at different times (this only works if it changes very slowly). So, the phrase “to walk in someone’s shoes” really gains meaning now, in a physical way.
Yet another difference in perceiving the world is the intake of sound. Not all ears are the same, so not all people will hear the same thing. This can obviously take a detour: many kids protest that they heard something else than their parents telling them to do their chores. But, what I mean by different sound is the pitch, the tone, the volume, or even the speed. People say I have an accent, but I don’t hear my accent. Ears can also be accustomed to sound and will not hear it another way. A different example occurs with recordings. When I listen to myself from a recording I think it sounds totally different. I wonder if this is the way others hear me or do they hear me the way I do.
In this complex system we call the world, billions of perspectives exist. Humans all have their own perceptions, their own images, their own sounds. Each person is an individual and his or her perspective is one in more than a billion. Now that, well that is crazy!

Oh to Where has Our Spirit Gone?

Halloween has passed and another Fall holiday is fast approaching. It is symbolized by a traditional feast including corn, mashed potatoes, and the turkey. Thanksgiving is a special time of year when people should reflect on their lives and be thankful for what they have. After this comes Christmas, my favorite, and it is symbolized by giving, Santa Claus, and joy/happiness. Sadly, today’s society has poorly misinterpreted these “joyous celebrations.”
First, let me begin with the problem occurring during Thanksgiving. It is a great event for reuniting families and all would remain great if it weren't for its brevity and the one day after it: Black Friday. Thanksgiving has been reduced to a few hours at the table when the family is eating dinner. The sales that happen on Black Friday and before are putting some shoppers in a total frenzy. Christmas presents are the first thing that comes to mind and Thanksgiving is soon forgotten.
What is it that people actually celebrate during Thanksgiving? Most would answer with something along the lines of pilgrims celebrating a good harvest with the Indians. Thanksgiving should resemble peace, but everyone forgets how many Indians were killed by the Pilgrims and explorers that came to the Americas. Giving thanks to that seems a little ironic.
To show how much people belittle Thanksgiving, I will use an example from my own neighborhood. Shockingly, it is still a week before Thanksgiving and there are Christmas lights decorating two of the houses already! Christmas songs will start to play in the radios soon and, in my opinion, it’s too early. It ruins the Christmas spirit by being monotonous by the time the 24th and 25th of December come around.
Christmas has lost its value as well. The only thing people focus on is presents. For example, one of my friend’s family does not understand the concept of Christmas quite well. They right down their presents on a piece of paper, put the papers in a box and then draw from it to see what they need to buy. Christmas does not have to be materialized. Sure, it’s nice if you get presents, but the more important things is to share the love of family.