America and its feuds

Feuds are not unique to America, of course -- they're the basis of, for example, the plot of Romeo & Juliet, set in Italy by an English writer -- but this one has some uniquely American features. It involves an "Elvis impersonator," i.e. someone whose job includes dressing up like and imitating Elvis Presley. (I used to run into one of these every so often at my local drugstore in Los Angeles. In full costume, he was kind of hard to miss.) Anyway, this particular Elvis was arrested and charged with sending letters laced with the "ricin" toxin to public officials, including President Obama and an obscure local judge. Fortunately, nobody was injured. (It is, by the way, completely ridiculous to send poisoned letters to the president. Guess what, Mr. Criminal Mastermind? He doesn't open his own mail.)

It soon came out, though, that the guy under arrest was innocent and was apparently being "framed." By whom? The FBI now thinks the real perpetrator was a different guy who was having a feud of some kind with the first guy. And, although this wasn't the reason for the feud, the second guy is a Wayne Newton impersonator. Wayne Newton is less world-famous than Elvis, but appeared quite a bit on America TV in the '60s and is still performing in Las Vegas, apparently with the help of fairly intensive plastic surgery. (What was the suspect's motive for manufacturing home-made ricin and trying to kill people with it? Not entirely clear, although the local judge who got one of the letters is the mother of a third guy who once defeated the suspect in a local political campaign.) And just to round out the absurdity, the new accused guy has a lawyer named George Lucas, which you might recognize as the name of the creator/producer of Star Wars.

Other ridiculous feuds include one currently underway in upstate New York between vendors of children's ice cream. Seriously. Already this one, too, has led to criminal charges, although thankfully no attempted murders. I would blame it on the hyper-competitive capitalist culture of the US, except the situation resembles the genuinely deadly "Glasgow Ice Cream Wars" of the 1980s, as well as the premise of a Scottish comedy from that era called Comfort and Joy. Maybe it's best in general just to watch out for ice-cream vendors no matter what country you're in -- those guys don't mess around.

Further notes on the ever-changing English language

Here are a few interesting and/or amusing items I've been collecting that relate to English. First, the good news that the redundant and usually pretentious word "whom" is dying out. Unfortunately, as with most changes in language, this is probably going to take a few more decades. Meanwhile, new forms and usages are developing through slang and social media. One writer recently described how the punctuation mark "slash" has become a word people use in conversation. Another defended "texting" against critics who say it's dumbing down the language. Another discussed the origins of emoticons, offering the (to me) surprising news that not only is the "smiley-face" older than I thought, but there were suggestions already back in the 19th century for developing some way of punctuating text to express subtle emotions and effects, particularly irony. And here we have the news that "Like," the button one uses to respond to posts on Facebook and some other sites, was originally going to be called "Awesome." This writer, contrary to the one linked to above, does think that there's some kind of dumbing-down at work here.

Finally, words you can’t use legally use to name a child in New Zealand. (Contrast this with these jokes from the American comedian Louis CK, who imagines some names that Americans might give their kids because there's no such legal restriction.) And for those of you who like to sing along to pop/rock tunes in English, here's the invaluable Aarchive of Misheard Song Lyrics. Get it right! :-)

NBA player comes out

I don't know whether any of you like basketball but I think this is great news for other players and fans. NBA player Jason Collins came out today in Sports Illustrated. I thought you might be interested in the article he wrote
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130429/jason-collins-gay-nba-player/#ixzz2RrizK55r
The whole article is well written, I think he makes some good points about stereotypes.

Big Brother, crime fighter

CCTV surveillance in the US is on the rise, as BBC News report. The attitude of Americans towards security systems has been slowly changing because of undeniable importance of security cameras in the fight against crime, especially taking into consideration the recent events in Boston.

CCTV systems are typical of the UK, where there is reportedly one CCTV for every 32 people. In London, the average person is caught on one of these cameras 300 times a day! This is why the opponents of CCTV claim that such measures violate the privacy of people, and thus deprive them of their civil liberties.

What do you think about these security systems? Would you agree to be "constantly" watched  if it helped to lower the crime rate or would you consider it to be a big intervention in your privacy? 

I found quite an interesting article about cosmetic procedures. I'm not really against it but I'm surprised and frankly even shocked by how she talked about the whole procedure, like it's a trivial thing, something to be done between having a lunch and going back to work.
What do you think, would you ever consider having something like that done to you? There is also a short video for those of you who are not squeamish.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22277890

FAKE ARTICLE: The Former Governor of Alaska Calls for Invasion of Czech Republic

Yesterday, I came across an article posted by The Daily Currant which described an interview for Fox News, where Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska, spoke openly about how the US should invade Czech Republic, which is, according to her, a Muslim country and also a part of Russia.

She was repeatedly corrected by the hosts of the show:

"Yes there were Muslim and they were ethnic Chechens," Doocy started, "but they grew up mostly in Kyrgyzstan and the United States. And more importantly, Chechens don't come from the Czech Republic, they come from Chechnya, which is part of Russia. "

...but she kept on going...

"What's the difference?" Palin responded. "Isn't Russia part of the Czech Republic?"

... But then I realized it is FAKE! But I believed it for a while, and I was not alone because a lot of people shared it on Facebook etc. Well who can blame us, due to the events of the past few days, right? It was pretty believable :)

You can find the whole article here. What do you think about the Daily Currant? Their articles are pretty inventive... :)

The explanatory pic

I found another pic relating to Czech and Chechen topic...

Men can't read women's emotions

"It's a cliché that men just don't understand women. "

Now, there is a scintific proof!! It's obvious for centuries that sometimes men aren't able to understand women as well as women face to the fact that they can't read men's emotions properly :P   On the other hand, this misunderstanding between two genders could lead to reciprocal attraction. For instance, a woman could be winking at man for ages and he takes no notice of this gesture. However, a man who catches this sign is supposing incorrectly that a woman has a problem with her eyes. At this moment some of men are completely discouraged from an attempt to make a conversation but some of them ask what's wrongat least, and there is a possibility to start an interesting talk. Surely, there are men who are familiar with the right reading of this particular expresion and they are't interested in making a contact too. Moreover, it also depends on a certain gesture and many other things... Finally, I don't want to insult anyone. Personally, I have to agree with the statement that men are worse than women in reading emotions but from my experience it's a challenge to understand man's mind :)

The whole article you can read here:
http://bodyodd.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/14/17748017-its-true-men-cant-read-womens-emotions-study-confirms?lite

Geographical enlightenment in the US: Czech is not Chechen

As you have already noticed the issue of the Boston Marathon bombing has got a new dimention: Some Americans confuse Chechnya with the Czech Republic. During yesterday determined statements appeared on Twitter, including those of declaring war on us. This provoked some of the Czech users to fight for their country’s name and started explaining the difference between the Czech Republic and Chechnya.

Yesterday it seemed that only Czech media are interested in this topic, today the news touched even some American websites. The Czech Ambassador in Washington has also made a statement explaining the difference betweeen the two countries. Has a geographical enlightenment in America been started?

Gun control blocked

Fifty-four senators supported the gun bill (a ban on assault weapons and a ban on high-capacity gun magazines) but they did not manage to overcome the 60-vote treshold. Opponents of this bill argued that it would violate the right to bear arms and “that passions (especially the Newtown massacre) had no place in the making of momentous policy.“

Here are several interesting comments:

President Obama : “a pretty shameful day for Washington.” (abou Wednesday when the bill was blocked) "Most of these senators could not offer any good reason why we wouldn't want to make it harder for criminals and those with severe mental illnesses to buy a gun."

Gabrielle Giffords, former Arizona congresswoman : "These senators made their decision based on political fear and on cold calculations about the money of special interests like the National Rifle Association, which in the last election cycle spent around $25 million on contributions, lobbying and outside spending"

Patricia Maisch, a survivor of the mass shooting in Arizona: “Shame on you.”(she shouted from the Senate gallery after the bill was blocked)

Terror at Boston Marathon

I was shocked to see the news about the Boston bombings. Due to explosions during the Boston Marathon, 3 people are dead and more than 140 people are injured. "As authorities try to figure out who triggered the deadly bombings Monday at the Boston Marathon, which killed an 8-year-old boy and two others, many are at a loss to explain why anyone would target the annual event that celebrates thousands of runners from around the world."

Read the article, there are also some videos, e.g. the scene from the attack and the response of Obama, who said: "We still do not know who did this or why. But make no mistake - we will get to the bottom of this... Any responsible individuals or any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice".

It is sad. You really never know what can happen...

Banned Books Vs. Guns

In case you do not have Facebook, Ms Bilanová shared this article on our department page. I find it really interesting because I must say that America won't stop surprising me. After you get over the initial reaction to the picture because you're kinda getting used to the American's skewed view of what is right and wrong, especially when we're talking about the safety of children, then you find out the reason why this fairytale - Little Red Riding Hood - was banned. Not because of the potential violence (both the grandma and the little girl are eaten by the wolf) but because “one of the refreshments for her grandmother that Little Red Riding Hood carried in her basket was wine.” It's the same thing with movies - children can see blood, gore, etc...but there are strict policies, and very specific ones, on what part of body can/cannot be seen in a PG13 movie (even if it is shown in an artistic way). Now this - children mustn't read about wine because it's alcohol? I think that maybe they need to sort out their priorities.

"Explain why Jews are evil"

"You need to pretend that I am a member of the government in Nazi Germany, and you are being challenged to consider that you are loyal to the Nazis by writing an essay convincing me that Jews are evil and the source of our problems." Such instructions were students of a New York state high school asked to follow while writing their essay. The teacher responsible for this now faces the threat of reprimand or dismissal.

What do you think about this issue? Do you think a possible reprimand would be enough?

"One-third of the students refused to complete the task." What would you do if you were one of the students?

A striking look at (some) American university students

I had not heard about "SWUGs" before reading this, but if you're interested in "how the other half lives" -- i.e. the elite and, some would say, overly pampered (and perhaps a wee bit self-pitying) students at famous "Ivy League" universities like Yale -- well, this story gives you an insight. Doesn't sound like such a very happy existence, all in all.

New "studio schools" to be set up in England

It has been announced that thirteen new "studio schools" are to be set up in England from September next year. Schools of this kind mix academic studies with work-based training and thus enable their students to gain not only theoretical knowledge but also practical experience. Moreover, national and local employers are involved in this project, so the students should have better opportunity to find job in the future.

As a future teacher I like the idea of mixing theoretical and practical education. Especially nowadays when it seems that academic titles are more popular than practical skills, this kind of school appears to be very effective. I wonder how long it will take the Czech education system to adopt this idea as well. I know we have various vocational schools, but these are being less and less prestigious. Maybe at least a new name "studio schools" would help them.

The death of Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister, has died. There's lots and lots of coverage and commentary about this in the British press right now, and a fair amount in the American press too, with various retrospectives on her eventful political career. For the occasion, I looked up the video above, of her final "Question Time" as Prime Minister, after she'd been forced to resign -- over relations with Europe and a controversial "poll tax" -- but before her successor, John Major, had taken over. Various members of the House of Commons pay tribute to her, but typically for the Commons, the opposition still doesn't go easy on her, and she hits right back with her usual scorn for their "socialism."

Also Thatcher-related: This recent item on Thatcher's and Ronald Reagan's iconic status as the "household gods" of contemporary conservatives in their respective parties and countries. As the commentator says, it's a problematic situation for conservatives -- good to have images of leaders you find inspiring, but not necessarily helpful in recognizing today's problems and formulating policies that will appeal to today's voters, especially younger ones.

"March Madness" and divine intervention

"March Madness" is the annual tournament for the championship of U.S. "college basketball," i.e. a big competition among basketball teams representing universities. (There is also professional basketball, the "NBA" or "National Basketball Association," but the "college game" is about equally popular. The same is true with American football.) This is an elimination tournament in which fans fill out "brackets" like this one, trying to guess (or bet on) who will win each round and which teams will end up playing which other teams. President Obama, who plays basketball himself, is a big fan and always prepares a bracket, although apparently his bracket this year didn't do so well

As I write this, the "Sweet Sixteen" (a quarter-final round among 16 teams), the "Elite Eight" (a semifinal round among the 8 winners of those games), and the "Final Four" (a final round among the winners of those), have already been played, and the championship game among the last two remaining teams is due to begin at about 3:30 a.m. our time. I don't plan to be watching and wouldn't expect you to be, but here's why I bring this up: the reaction of one coach whose team lost in an earlier round. It was very typical of America's "Bible Belt," and also indicative of the almost religious devotion that sports inspire in some (large) parts of America, including Indiana (the state I was born in and where I attended university myself, as it happens). So far, there's no word on whether the winning team was somehow getting help from Satan or not.

Barack Obama forced to apologize after calling California Attorney General ‘good looking’

President Barack Obama apologized to California Attorney General Kamala Harris “for the distraction created” when he remarked on her appearance at a San Francisco- area fundraiser. Obama called Harris following his return to Washington and after his remarks generated criticism on social media and from political opponents. “He did not want in any way to diminish the attorney general’s professional accomplishments and her capabilities,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said yesterday. At the last stop of a fundraising swing in California on April 4, Obama singled out Harris at the home of Levi Strauss heir John Goldman, praising her brilliance and dedication. “She also happens to be by far the best-looking attorney general in the country,” the president said, prompting laughter from the crowd. “It’s true, come on.” In his call to Harris, Obama “apologized for creating this distraction,” Carney said, adding that the president “believes very strongly that Attorney General Harris is an excellent attorney general and that she’s done great work, and she’s dedicated and tough and brilliant.”

Groundhog charged with delaying spring

Here's an item relevant to our snowy April: a prosecutor in the US has charged Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who "officially" predicts the coming of spring (or not) every 2 February, "Groundhog Day," with getting it wrong this year. Apparently Phil came out, did not see his shadow, and therefore led everyone to think that spring would arrive soon. (Here is an explanation of this tradition.) The joke is that the prosecutor in question went to the trouble of drawing up a bill of indictment in formal legal language, just like you would in charging a criminal. There's also a bit of friendly interstate rivalry here, since "Phil" is a famous attraction in his town in Pennsylvania -- in fact, that's all this town with the unpronounceable name is known for -- while the prosecutor is across the state line in Ohio. (And apparently in a county where there's little enough real crime that he has time to indict groundhogs!)

A movie that came out 20 years ago, Groundhog Day, turned this odd tradition into a romantic comedy. The story is set in Punxsutawney, where an arrogant TV weatherman who is sent there to report on the groundhog's appearance finds that he is repeating the day over and over. The movie then tells the story of his various ways of dealing with this and trying to get himself out of his peculiar time warp. It's a clever film, a pretty good comedy and, I would say, a "minor classic" in that it's still well-remembered and well-regarded two decades later. There are sites where it can be watched online, for instance here.

Living on British-made goods

The Bradshaw family are on a mission to see whether they can survive for a year buying only British-made goods. Initially they struggled to find everyday items, like nappies, batteries and even British-made clothes. But after extensive research online and help from thousands of followers on social media James and Emily Bradshaw have been genuinely surprised by how much is still made in Britain. The one thing that has really disappointed them concerns their son Lucan. There just isn't much of a British toy industry.

British manufacturing has been in long-term decline for decades. Even though the cost of producing goods in developing countries is on the rise, it is still, in most cases, far cheaper to make things abroad.

"If we can come back to manufacturing things here and we put more value on to what it is that has been manufactured, then there is a message there - that it's not just how much it costs to make but what it's actually worth." It may sound idealistic, but this is the start of the Bradshaws' plan to get more people to follow their lead and buy British.

It's not just about Britain, is it? I'd say it's a global or at least european problem. What do you think?