Clichés

Don't you just hate overused phrases? Like, they are so common and easy to say that we sometimes forget that we are unconsciously using them on a daily basis and what emphasizes and justifies this use of cliches is that literally everybody is saying them. As a result, the American conversation have become overly casual. Like, you know what I mean? These words such the life out of writing, and yet people are using them, but why? Decades and decades of repetition of certain phrases makes it obsolete and to the point where clichés don't even make sense anymore:

This stuff is "selling like hotcakes:" Why does this phrase even exist in this day and age? Let's get something clear here: pancakes are NOT hotcakes. Hotcakes are made out of cornmeal and cooked in either your preference of bear grease or pork lard.  Isn't saying "selling like hotcakes" in twenty-fourteen literally mean selling nothing? 

"Don't cry over spilled milk:" Do you know a single person who has balled his/her eyes out over spilled two percent? If you someone that has, you need to introduce him/her to the MAIN concern of life to cry about, like spilled ice cream. 

So why do clichés exist? The reason for this is that there is truth to them, and because of this, these phrases have been used and used to such an extent, that it isn't good to say or write anymore. Clichés are very catchy and communicate exactly what you want to say in a given moment

So how does one avoid using clichés? The first step is acknowledging and being aware of the problem. One way to do this is by noticing if you are overusing certain words or sayings. With time, you will start to notice it and then will subsequently change your vocabulary, if you choose to do so. The other way to notice clichés is by noticing what other people are saying. Usually, if a friend or a family member says a cliché of some sort, we choose to unconsciously ignore it and proceed on with the conversation. I am not saying to correct your friend's or family member's mistake, but next time you hear them talk, you might want to CONSCIOUSLY acknowledge the mistake, but choose to say quiet. What I am trying to say, I do not go around and correct other people's mistakes (unless the mistakes are problematic), but trite sayings are something that an individual has to notice on his/her own, and then decide on whether or not he/she wants to fix the problem. A way to replace the clichés being use. Google is a great source that can help increase one's vocabulary. By utilizing this technique, your voice will be "fresh" and attractive. This skill will help you in the long run, in that, it will give you a higher chance in landing a job and meeting a whole new variety of people. It is all of a process. Even I am currently trying to change I speak to other people and it can be tricky at time, because the vocabulary I have is a development of over 17 years of my life, but there is more to life and it is never too late to make a change, so I encourage all of you to do the same: Change your trite sayings into something different and make your voice "fresh." 

TED Talk reaction to David Gallo

Recently, I have been thoroughly viewing multiple TED talks this past week. The reason? In a matter of  less than two weeks, I will be performing one of these talks, and watching multiple TED talks helps me see the multiple ways a TED talk can be performed. The most interesting TED talk, in my opinion, is by David Gallo. David Gallo is an oceanographer, ( a geologist by training) who wants to map out our uncharted world. Here is the video to his TED talk (Check it out. It's short, I promise) ....

As a person who reads science blogs and articles on a daily basis, the description and title of the video caught my attention, with a close second to time/ video length (Just kidding. I can listen to the topic of this video all day.). 

David starts by introducing the audience to his topic of discussion: the magnificence of the great ocean blue. His presentation is accompanied by a series of short videos to keep the audience engaged in the presentation, focused on the topic discussed at hand, and mesmerized at the creatures that lie in the deep. 

The first video he starts off with involves creatures that exhibit bio-luminescence. Bio-luminescence is a fancy way of saying glow-in-the-dark.  Bio-luminescence is used to avoid becoming prey, attract potential mates, and hypnotize prey (I always think of the Finding Nemo scene where Dory and Marlin are staring at the pretty light.). From a blue pinwheel, green fireworks and yellow pulsating light flows, these designs of bio-luminescence can come in a variety from colors and shapes. According to David, we have only discovered three percent of this underwater jungle at most. Well, in actuality, underwater jungle is an understatement. 

David then shifts his talk to parts of the ocean we have discovered: the shallow waters. David goes on to display several videos in which sea creatures such as octopuses and cuttlefishes use their magnificent camouflage ability to fade into the background. He also goes on a side note on how aggressively beautiful squids can be. In the entire video he sets up multiple jokes, which brightens the audience's mood creating a better atmosphere.  

My opinion on this video, I really like it. His delivery is clear, his videos are interesting, and his jokes are funny. He has managed to keep me engaged during the duration of his talk and he had a solid exit. My only regret is that this video wasn't longer. I wanted to hear him speak more and see the compilation of videos in his arsenal, because I know that as an oceanographer, he's hiding the goods. If I can even manage my TED talk on Bollywood, I might rely more on my performance, rather than using a collage of videos. 

()(-_-)()

I <3 to talk about ()(-_-)() and emojis. These symbols formulate a language used by teens when texting. It is a unique type of rhetoric that involves using art to express on's emotions,rather than words (The concept of this idea is either mad genius, or incredibly stupid. It can go both ways really). Everyday more and more symbols are being added and it's very hard to keep up. It has come to a point where if you don't know an emoji, you would search it up on Urban Dictionary, the Wikipedia of slang. When it comes to internet slang this is the go-to place for most adults (and some clueless teens). But a question that many may ask is: Why do these emojis/ ()(-_-)() even exist in the first place? 

Well, an answer to that  may be because we are limited on how we express ourselves. As social media becomes more and more advanced, our tendency to pay attention to something decreases. Youtube was created so that the whole world can share videos with each other, but recently Vine is becoming more and more popular. Vine is basically Youtube with seven videos. Snapchats are becoming increasing popular along with Instagram. Basically, our attention span has decreased to such a standard that maybe in future generations, Vines may not exceed three seconds. Like these social media sites, texting in as few words as possible has also become a norm. Pictures are worth a thousand words so why not use them?   

It is important to note the difference between an emoji and an emoticon/()(-_-)(). A emoji is a presaved image on a smartphone (that can help save the letter count) while an emoticon is a manually typed out image (for example <3, :), ;D). In my opinion, emoticons are more creative because you can create an unlimited number of expressions while emojis have a set, limited number of images. 

The addition of an emoticon has the power to change the meaning of a sentence entirely. Here are some examples:

 I'm going to eat early tonight :-)          (Happy face)

I'm going to eat early tonight :-(           (Sad face)

I'm going to eat early tonight :-||           (Angry face)

I'm going to eat early tonight ;-)           (Wink)

I'm going to eat early tonight :-D         (LOL)

I'm going to eat early tonight :-/           (Uneasiness)

I'm going to eat early tonight :-P          (Tongue out)

As the years progress on, who knows what is in store? Emojis are used more often than emoticons, and thousands upon thousands of different variations of emojis are being added on each day. Maybe in about twenty years or so, books may start publishing in emojis (I seriously hope not).

Evolution of Bollywood

WARNING: The truth is that I always do the content of my paper first before I do the intro and the conclusion. I feel as if the intro is one of the tougher parts of the essay, so I leave it alone until when I actually need it. If the intro feels jumbled up, then I am truly sorry. I apologize for giving you guys something so crappy to read (cause I know that you guys deserve better). Because Bollywood is such a diverse topic, it is hard to narrow down on the specifics points to use in this essay. I plan to encompass all of Bollywood in this essay, because I enjoy it from the bottom of my heart.


Ever wonder how the term "Bollywood" came to be? It's a simple matter really. Just take the word "Hollywood" then take the biggest city in India, which is Bombay, then mash the words together, and violà, out comes "Bollywood", but unlike its Hollywood counterpart, Bollywood is not a real place, but rather, it is a representation of Hindi films, especially popular Hindi movies. What sets Bollywood apart from other cinema industries are that its movies are filled with heartfelt music and colorful dance sequences. Although the concept of cinema came from the West, this idea has evolved as a parallel culture in India. This culture can be traced from 1913 till present day as the culture of the world keep changing. The evolution of Bollywood cinema can be seen through what the people valued most during that particular time period, which can be seen through the dancing, music and plot of the movie itself. 

The Art of Understanding a Deduction

For the past couple of weeks (more like one day about two weeks ago...), our class has been discussing a term called "stasis" or the stalemate of a problem that has equal arguments, thus, both sides are neither right nor wrong. Examples of this can include the everlasting argument of abortion or gun control, but as fun as stalemates are, what really gets me hyped up are solutions to problems, especially if the solutions are correct and creatively approached. Nothing gets me more excited than correct deductions.

In a way, deductions are persuasive arguments backed up by evidence and logical reasoning. With many logical statements comes a logical conclusion, or in other words the solution to the problem/case. The first people who probably come to your mind when hearing the word "deduction" is most likely detectives and then the fictional character of Sherlock Holmes from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. This character was popular because of his very high logical reasoning, which in itself transcends past human understanding, and his use of forensic science to back up his deduction. Surprisingly, if it wasn't for Doyle, blood and toxicology (poison) analysis may have never existed.

There are three laws used whenever making deductions is involved: The Law of Detachment, The Law of Syllogism and The Law of Contrapositive. Of course, all of these techniques are not displayed at the same time, but these go through the minds of detectives and those who try to understand a event and find a meaningful conclusion. 

The Law of Detachment: Also known as "affirming the antecedent" that basically states that if a statement that is conditional is made with a stated hypothesis, than the conclusion is deduced from the conditional statement and the hypothesis. Here is an example:
1)If an angle satisfies the condition 180° < R < 360°, then R is a reflex angle. 
2)R = 270°
3)R is an reflex angle.
Because the measurement of angle R is greater than 180° but is also less than 360°, we can conclude that R is an reflex angle.

The Law of Syllogism: For this there are two conditional statements and by combining with the hypothesis, a conclusion is made by combining this with the conclusion of another statement.

1)If Michael is sick, then he will be absent.

2)If Michael is absent, then he will miss his classwork.

3)Therefore, if Michael is sick, then he will miss his classwork.

The Law of Contrapositive: Basically, this states that if the conditional statement is false, then so is the hypothesis.

1)If it is snowing, then there are clouds in the sky.

2)There are no clouds in the sky.

3)Thus, it is not snowing. 

Before announcing the deduction, it is important to make sure that the argument makes sense. One can be completely wrong with the final product, but if there is a logical reasoning for backing it up, then you can never be truly wrong.

Sources:

"Deduction." About. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2014. <http://grammar.about.com/od/d/g/deductionterm.htm>.

"Deductive Reasoning." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Oct. 2014. Web. 16 Oct. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deductive_reasoning>.

"Kairos." About. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2014. <http://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/kairosterm.htm>.

"Sherlock Holmes." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes#Habits_and_personality>.

"Stasis." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stasis>.

Paradigm Shift

The way I think of the words "paradigm shift" is not necessarily a change but more of an evolution of a concept. These are some of the ideas that I am currently interested in:

1) Evolution of Indian Cinema
For as long as I can remember, I have always loved Bollywood films. The dresses, the songs, the emotions, the choreography, everything about Bollywood flicks can make a person become addicted to it (it's usually the music though); however, it can be excessively mushy and long, depending on the movie. In honor of 100 years of Indian Entertainment, here are some of the most notable ones:

• Raja Harishchanda- Directed and produced by Dadasaheb Phalke
• Released in 1913
• First film in Indian Cinema
• The Silent Age- Period from 1913-1931
• Madras and Mumbai rising centers of cinema industry
• ICC (Indian Cinematograph Enquiry Committee) created by the British Government to promote British films in India more than the American ones
• Musical Talkie Era- Sound emerged in film and people realized that cinema was more than just dialogue, it was music and dance as well!
• Actors were required to sing their own songs (not the case today)
• Political Changes- WWII and Indian Independence
• Movies depicted political turbulence (Kismet)
• Films made in multiple languages 
• Music industry started expanding
• Social Changes - 1970s-1980s
• "Masala" films
• Films dealt with unconventional issues ( ex. unwanted pregnancies)
• 1990s-Present
• Various genres (horror, mystery, comedy, action, thriller and romantic genres)
• CGI used in various films

2) Evolution of Broadway Musicals

As you can see the trend, I am a HUGE fan of music.I grew up in America my whole life so it is only natural that I listened to American music; however, I've always hated the songs where you can hear more of the music rather than the artist's voice, and with the introduction of EDM, this is possible, which is scary because it is becoming a trend. I respect the raw voice of the artist, thus, I am more inclined to listening and watching Broadway musicals. Everybody on stage is so talented and wonderful that it gives me the shivers.  Many of my friends are trying to make their debut in Broadway musicals, so in honor of them, I am considering to do my paradigm shift on this topic.  I might also do it on Indian cinema, maybe not. I am not sure what I am doing, but I do know that it will involve music in some way or another.

Proverbs #2 and #3

2) "The early bird catches the worm" or "the early bird gets the worm" is a phrase that pretty much defines the America people. This phrase can be interpreted to mean that one has greater chance of being/becoming successful, if one acts early. Rewording this statement, if one does something before anyone else/earlier than anyone else, then one has the advantage. The city that comes to my mind when this statement is said is New York City.
In the city that never sleeps, New York City is home to everything you can possibly think of. Businessmen, entrepreneurs, students, families, civil workers, the list goes on. Because New York is home to these diverse groups of people, it has become the epicenter of opportunity. People from all over the world leave their home countries to start a life in America. Trailing back from Columbus's "discovery" to Ellis Island, and even today, immigrants are rushing in to take advantage of a better life. This idea of a better life is more commonly known as "The American Dream."

3) "Practice makes perfect", the term that can describe anyone and everyone who has a goal in life. If one works hard at something, then one masters the techniques/becomes knowledgeable when it comes to that specific subject. This concept is also a roundabout way to define the American Dream. Immigrants, when they come here, are thrown in a life of chaos. With no income and little connections, immigrants are forced into labor intensive/laborious jobs that barely make ends meet, and if they have a family, it makes living even harder, even with government benefits. So how do first generation immigrants survive? They practice how to survive, of course. When my dad first came to this country, he would work 12 hours a day in a grocery shop by day and study at a trade school by night. He had a fixed schedule on how to do things and he "practiced" this schedule every day, and he eventually raised enough money to bring my mother to this country and raise a family. He now builds rockets for other countries. Like my father, many other people have this dream and want to achieve it, and for each one of them, the dream exists so that the next generation can carry it on.

Proverbs exist to educate the mind as well as give advice. It upholds the "common truths" each society respects, and America is no different. As seen throughout the ages, proverbs define both culture as well as history.

Proverbs: The Key to Understanding a Language/Culture

"Don't judge a book by its cover.""The early bird catches the worm.""Practice makes perfect." We have heard these types of sayings at least a gazillion times in our lives and we understand the meaning of these sayings pretty well but did you know that these sayings can define a culture?

Proverbs reveal many aspects about the cultural traditions of a society. Proverbs originated from indigenous humble folk who handed down these wise sayings over the centuries, generation to generation.Many proverbs serve as advisory tales. wise advice, and occasionally chastisement, thus these are the sayings that can define a culture and what it values. Let's take a look at the three proverbs above and analyze what  these mean in the greater context of American culture.

1)"Don't judge a book by its cover.": This may be one of the most used sayings since its inception. People most often use this saying literally,

but in a sense it can also define our outlook on people. Almost every joke I see/hear about black people involve either crime, slavery, or fried chicken. Asians (Chinese, Koreans, Japanese ect.)  are smart at math, can't drive cars for s*it, and that they eat cats, dogs, and snakes (which is somewhat true...). Indians worship cows, drive taxis and tend to smell like curry 24/7 (We can't help it if we like it. For those of you who haven't tried it yet, your missing out on something amazing). Middle Easterners can't help but know everything and anything there is to know about bombs and coincidentally they all happen to be Muslim. Hispanics are mostly illegal immigrants who are stealing the jobs of white people. And last but not least there are the white people. These over weighted, sport obsessed, money hungry idiots are ignorant of the world outside of their own. What do these generalizations say about our own culture. Within this topic there exists religious racism and sexism. This proverb is meant to overlook all of these generalizations and accept a person as a human being, not by what they practice or how they live their lives. This quote is meant to encompass a diverse America. Since the very beginning, America is the land of the free. People from anywhere are welcomed to practice what ever they want without being stopped. Everybody who lives in America is an American, and you can never talk away our rights. If you happen to do so, we will come back and sue your a*s into the next century!
*The explanations of the other 2 proverbs will follow in the next blog or two. Thanks for reading :)

Public Speaking: A Shy Introvert's Point of View

Public Speaking is an art. It is a display of both confidence and rhetorical style (conveyed through the words of the speaker), but for some people, this idea of displaying "confidence" is harder to comprehend and present more than writing the content of the speech. As a shy introvert, I hate the idea of public speaking in general. Just talking to a large group of people (peers/classmates) will give me butterflies and this feeling will overpower me so much that in turn I will start forgetting the words to my speech, no matter how many times I practice. I will feel like I just ran across the Sahara  and preparing myself to run across the world next. The struggle is real. I will also become very exhausted from thinking about giving the speech, and sadly, it is hard for me to sleep well the night before. From the day before up to the presentation, I will count the minutes. When the time of the speech delivery starts getting closer, I will always count the seconds. The pressure that is put on you and the judgment of others is what scares me the most. I can talk to my friends easily. I can even talk to all of them in a very big group, but if I have to present a planned speech in front of them, I will die on the inside.
These are just some of the symptoms of nervousness, but trust me; there are a lot more embarrassing ones. The good news is that we aren't the only ones who suffer this plight. Famous people such as Barbara Streisand and Adele have suffered from stage fright as a result of their shy personalities, but because they are rich individuals, they can get their condition treated in rehab or a therapy of some sort. So how do we shy introverts conquer this fear of shyness (by the way just to be clear, not all introverts are shy and mot all shy people are introverts)? Well to tell you the truth, we never can completely conquer it. We might be able to give speeches on a normal basis, but we will get the jitterbugs. The fact is that we can't show it. For the 4-6 minutes we are up there presenting, we have to deal with it. It is something we can't avoid (unless you truly try). Having a fear makes me uncomfortable, but knowing that the fear is there, just makes me feel like something is holding me back. I can never 100% conquer public speaking but what I can do is plan what comes after the speech. After the speech I will go out and eat whatever I feel like and care less about how people view me. I will plan to go out the weekend and party it up to forget about my horrendous failure. Just remember, there is always for improvement and there are almost always great resources out there to help you. So the next time you feel like this, just remember that you are not alone.

Rhetoric and Civic Blog #1 "Igniting Cross fire on Crossfire"

Recently, I've had the pleasure of binge watching reruns of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  As a very political person, who enjoys debates, and a teenager, who enjoys entertainment, this show along with The Colbert Report gives me the best of both worlds when I am bored in my room. Chapter 3 of Rhetoric and Civic Life illustrates a heated exchange on the show "Crossfire" between Jon Stewart, and the hosts of the show Paul Begala (liberal) and Tucker Carlson (conservative). This heated altercation is eventually what got "Crossfire" canceled.

"Crossfire" defines itself as a show that contests the opinions of politically liberal and conservative people on their views of current events in a debate-like format. I say debate-like, because this show isn't really actually a debate. It is a travesty of what a debate should be. A debate is a formal discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward; however, "Crossfire" doesn't exhibit this. Instead, it exhibits trite remarks on the obvious scenario presented and gives little to no room for the guest speaker to voice his/her opinion. It makes me wonder why the guest is even there. 

Furthermore, if the hosts aren't even going to let the guest utter a word, they should have a bigger table with more political pundits and discuss and vent about/support the issues that the world is currently facing. They should also change the name from "Crossfire" to "The View with Political Pundits" and because no one would be watching this show (not that anyone was watching it before); it should be a good starting lineup for "The Shows Currently Airing on C-Span". This show might actually triple the viewership on C-Span if it presents itself as an actual debate show, because I mean come on, who doesn't like to watch arguments. 

Are you interested to see how good debating should proceed and be handled? Check out the Prime Minister's Questions held every Wednesday at the UK. The media is partially to blame for the way debates are viewed and handled because it has evolved debating into a “winner/loser” system. People/viewers expect to see winners/losers, but that is the entire opposite of what a debate is. The words of a debate are important and meaningful because the person presenting their side of the contest/rebuttal does so with their beliefs and heart, and thus it should be respected to a certain degree. A debate is the use of rhetoric and rhetorical strategies to get one’s point across about a certain topic and gaining the attention of the viewers they are presented to. I am glad that Jon Stewart went on this show to vent out his views because I completely agree with him. If a show with so much potential cannot present itself to be an inch of what it is supposed to be, then I am glad that it is cancelled because shows like these are indeed “hurting America”. 

Welcome to Rhetoric and Civic Life!

This blog is devoted to CAS 137H, a course dedicated to the interaction between rhetoric and civil life. Enjoy!