Sunday, December 29, 2019

Quotes and Jokes From Dumb and Dumber

For moviemakers, comedy is not an easy genre, yet the two leading characters in Dumb and Dumber make comedy seem like a cakewalk. They really know how to get under your skin with their inane behavior. Here are some Dumb and Dumber movie quotes that demonstrate the great comic timing of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. Lloyd Hey, look, the Monkees! They were a huge influence on the Beatles. Excuse me. Could you tell me how to get to the medical school? Im supposed to be giving a lecture in 20 minutes, and my drivers a bit lost. We got no food, no jobs... our pets heads are falling off! Thats what were gonna call it. I got worms! Were gonna specialize in selling worm farms. You know, like ant farms. Hey, I guess theyre right. Senior citizens, although slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose. Ill be right back. Dont you go dying on me! Harry [after Lloyd trades the van in for a moped] Just when I thought you couldnt get any dumber, you go and do something like this... and totally redeem yourself! I cant believe we drove around all day, and theres not a single job in this town. There is nothing, nada, zip! What if he shot me in the face? According to the map, weve only gone 4 inches. Joe Mentalino Shut up! Now we dont even know who the hell they are! You dont kill people you dont know. Thats a rule.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

The New Tattoo - 1225 Words

When I was a child my mother had a tattoo of a bird on her chest. One of my earliest memories is of tracing that tiny bird with my finger. It was a tiny grey line of a bird and tattooed underneath it were the words, Free Bird. When I was eleven she had it covered up with a different bird. I tried to talk her out of getting the new tattoo. In my eleven-year-old mind that tiny grey bird was a part of her in a way that new bird, drinking nectar from a flower, wasn’t. I still remember that tiny grey bird, but now I sometimes wonders of its true meaning. My mother was a teenage when I was born. In a lot of ways, we grew-up together. She didn’t always make the most responsible choices and those bad choices shaped who I would become as an adult. My mother grew up in conservative rural Montana, where sex education was non-existent, and in a Catholic home where any conversations about sex were taboo. When she found out she was pregnant with me, the doctor had to explain to her how babies were made. Yes, my mother found out how babies were made after she was already pregnant. The first time my mother lived independently, from my grandparents, I was three. We lived with my mom’s sister in a white house at the end of a long dirt road. The house was surrounded by fields of grass and wild flowers. Although my memories of that time are few there was a feeling of overall happiness and wellbeing. My aunt would ride her bike to work every day and my mother and I would run down the road toShow MoreRelatedPersonal Affect Of New Tattoo Policy1391 Words   |  6 Pages Personal Affect of new Tattoo Policy SGT Carter, Christopher 91L30 EN ALC CL#004-14 Abstract The tattoo policy has always been part of the Military, to keep a clean and professionalism appearance. But how much do tattoos really matter in today’s world? It is getting harder and harder to find soldiers that are in the Military that do not have a tattoo, to some it is a way to show what they have been through, a story that tells there life and time in the service or from experiences overseasRead MoreTattoos Should Be Allowed in the Workplace Essay1507 Words   |  7 Pageshaving a tattoo could ruin every hope one has of getting the job. One may ask, â€Å"why does having a tattoo ruin ones chance of getting a job?† A tattoo would ruin one’s chances at getting a job simply because it is wrongly viewed as unprofessional. Starting off as juices and markings, tattoos were nothing more than ways of identification and personalization. Rubbing juices extracted from plants onto your face and arms is the most notable to people. Also using bone needles and pigments to tattoo in aRead MoreTaking a Look at the Tattoo Culture786 Words   |  3 PagesUp until recent time’s people adorned themselves with tattoos as a symbol of self-expression. However they are now most commonly used in mainstream culture as a means of self-decoration. Today’s generation of youth are experiencing a positive relation to tattoo culture. As they are in the middle of an increasingly â€Å"tattoo friendly† and â€Å"tattoo flooded† society. The aesthetic value of tattoos has exponentially increased as they become a more legitimate art form and are accepted as fashion accessoriesRead MoreAnalysis Of Leslie Jamisons Mark My Words. Maybe1433 Words   |  6 Pagesa simple phrase, thousands of people get tatto os daily. Tattoos play a significant role in self-expression and identity in the modern age as well as since ancient times. Tattoos can be just for fun, symbolic of heritage and ancestry, representative of accomplishments or life events, or can be just for style. For some people, it’s an expression of identity and personal beliefs. This is exactly the case for Leslie Jamison. She tells the story of her tattoo in â€Å"Mark My Words. Maybe.† On Jamison’s forearmRead MoreEssay about Tattoo Acceptance in the Workplace840 Words   |  4 PagesTattoo Acceptance in the Workplace Specific Purpose Statement: To persuade my audience that Tattoos should be widely accepted in the workplace. Thesis Statement: The number of people with tattoos is continually growing, but employers are still reluctant to hire those with visible tattoos. Introduction: Is there anyone here that does not like tattoos or likes them, but would never think of getting one? Today, tattoos are a growing in popularity when before tattoos were only seen on peopleRead MoreTattoos Have Been Popular Throughout Time All Over The World Essay1425 Words   |  6 PagesTattoos have been popular throughout time all over the world. Yet, rumors have it that tattoos are a modern day trend that originated in prison. Tattooing actually dates back to five thousand years ago. They have not just become some new pop culture fad. Prehistoric clans, ancient Egyptians, Native Americans, sailors, circus people, royalty, celebrities, and plenty of young adults today have all participated in some form of body art. Tattooing has played a significant role in mythologies and customsRead MoreVce Language Analysis Essay1276 Words   |  6 PagesTattoos have recently become increasingly popular in youth, due to the hidden meanings and symbolism that they are endowed wit h. Helen Day’s opinionative blog entry, The Power of Ink, asserts that the significance of tattoos have diminished due to the fashionable aesthetics that tattoos project. A highly casual, yet acknowledging tone characterises her blog entry, which is predominantly catered to young Australian readers who are interested in receiving a tattoo. Accompanying her blog entry is aRead MoreTattoos : Tattoos And Tattoos887 Words   |  4 Pages The Need to Know About Tattoos Tattoos are not just putting ink into your skin there’s a lot more behind it. Such as the meaning of the tattoo, the origins of tattoos, how to care for a tattoo, where to get that tattoo, and the understanding that this decision to get a tattoo is permanent. There is a long timeline for tattoos that stretch back to early history, since the the meaning, method and understanding of tattoos have completely changed. Some of the first tattoos that were ever found on mummifiedRead MoreTattoos And Piercings : Work Environments1417 Words   |  6 Pages Tattoos and Piercings in Work Environments â€Å"According to a 2010 Pew Research report, about 23% of adults born between 1981 and 1991 have piercings other than their earlobe† (Pfeifer, Web). Also, in 2012, 2 in 10 adults in the United States reported to have at least one tattoo. That number has increased to 3 in 10 adults just last year in 2015 (Shannon-Missal, Web). The prevalence of tattoos and piercings have increased dramatically over the past few decades, especially in teens and young adultsRead MoreThe Changing Trends of Tattooing820 Words   |  3 Pageschild is like a new trend in today’s society, there is Beyoncà © and Jay-z naming their daughter â€Å"Blue Ivy Carter† after that there is Kanye West and Kim naming their daughter as well â€Å"North West†. Two years back you had a mother name her baby â€Å"Hashtag†, which is a twitter symbol. Taking traditional things and turning them around or even putting a new twist on them helps make a new trend. Let’s take a look at one of the most common but yet constantly evolving trend â€Å"Tattoo†. Tattoo are said to be around

Friday, December 13, 2019

African American Males and Disparity in the Justice System Free Essays

Within our justice system there is a large disparity between the total number of African American males living within our society and living within our prison walls. African Americans males are often faced with overcoming environmental, economic and sociological inequalities while growing up as well as a lack of opportunity. Many of these issues may in fact lead to un-proportional numbers of African American males being incarcerated. We will write a custom essay sample on African American Males and Disparity in the Justice System or any similar topic only for you Order Now In additional prejudicial behaviors by the judicial community may also be a factor in the disproportionate incarceration statistics. More resources should be allotted at the community level to provide for disadvantage minorities to succeed in life and avoid participating in criminal activities, as well as providing resources for education of those within the system to combat prejudice and effect change. According to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) African Americans comprise nearly 1 million of the 2. 3 million incarcerated population and 1 in 6 black men have been incarcerated as of 2001. As can be seen these numbers are disproportionately higher then for their white counterparts. One of the main reasons stated by the NAACP as a causal factor for this disparity is related to inner city crime rates that are prompted by social and economic isolation. There is little opportunity for employment and high drop rates amongst inner city African American males. A study by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences indicates that employment for under educated African American males was approximately 25% while the incarceration number is around 40% showing that they are more likely to be incarcerated then employed. When prisoners are then released there is increase recidivism when there is no employment opportunities and the cycle repeats. In addition the family structure suffers as resources are decreased as family members are imprisoned. Studies have shown that children who parents are imprisoned are more likely to be victims or crime themselves, have little educational opportunity and frequently live in poverty, all which lead to increased propensity for criminal activity in the future. Lack of opportunity is forefront in the disparity between whites and African American levels of incarceration. The book The system in black and white: Exploring the Connections Between Race, Crime and Justice states that â€Å"Minority youths are often from neighborhoods plagued by poverty, high unemployment and underemployment, family dysfunction, low education, and crime. The minority youth is therefore, marginalized, and such marginalization engenders delinquent acts† (Jones-Brown, Markowitz, 2001. p172). By segregating minorities, primarily African Americans, into these areas without providing opportunity we perpetuate the problem by providing little to no opportunities for legitimate success. The authors indicate that the lack of access to social and economic opportunities and the attainment of socially desired symbols of success directly leads an individual to obtain those items by socially unacceptable means such as criminal activities. This general theme of the consequences of segregated communities is shared by Loury in his work Race, Incarceration and American Values. â€Å"Closed and bounded social structures-like racially homogenous urban ghettos-create contexts where ‘pathological’ and ‘dysfunctional’ cultural forms emerge, but these forms are neither intrinsic to the people caught in the structures nor independent of the behavior of the people who stand outside them†. (Loury, 2008. p 33. ) In this case the author is clearly pointing out that it is the situation that creates the criminal not any overt difference in the individuals themselves. There is no born propensity for criminal activity just a lack of social and environmental resources available to individuals living in these areas to allow for success based on achievement. These areas have developed as an ugly reminder of our one time overtly prejudicial society that deemed African Americans as inferior, lazy beings with little or no ability to learn. The path to participating in criminal activities for many African American adolescent males frequently lies in participation in gang activities. In an article entitled Poverty, Broken Homes, Violence: The Making of a Gang Member the authors state a strong correlation between the lack of opportunity and gang involvement. Risk factors include many that are prevalent in the before mentioned ghetto like areas such as â€Å"having gang members in the family already, histories of sexual or physical abuse, growing up in poverty, having access to weapons and drugs, and a lack of success in other areas of life, such as school† (Mueller, 2014). Gangs frequently form a surrogate family for adolescents in poverty stricken urban areas as well as providing a certain level of protection from other criminal elements. Another obstacle which African American males face is one of negatively differential treatment within the justice system. It is assumed that part of the reason for the disparity between whites and African Americans within the prison systems is related to the war on drugs. According to the NAACP African American are 12% of the population of drug users, 38% of those arrested and 59% of those convicted. These overwhelming numbers of convictions would lead us to believe that African American are committing more drug crimes yet the percentage of drug users is actually lower then their white counterparts. Sentences for African Americans convicted of drug crimes are almost equal to the amount of time that white males would spend in jail for violent crimes. According to author of the New Jim Crow this inequality in the justice system is a way to keep minorities from achievement while appearing to have put aside prejudice. It can be argued that our prison system in fact serves the purpose of a vehicle for social control. The long-term effects of conviction separate felons from the general population for life, excluding them from contributing effectively in mainstream society. Once they are released, they are often denied the right to vote, excluded from juries, and relegated to a racially segregated and subordinated existence. Through a web of laws, regulations, and informal rules, all of which are powerfully reinforced by social stigma, they are confined to the margins of mainstream society and denied access to the mainstream economy. They are legally denied the ability to obtain employment, housing, and public benefits—much as African Americans were once forced into a segregated, second-class citizenship in the Jim Crow era (Alexander, M. 2010). Another issues related to the disproportionate numbers of African American males within the prison system are related to previous acts. Again we must look to the lack of opportunity in youth as a leading cause for juvenile detainment. According to the Juvenile Justice information exchange socioeconomic class plays a role in detainment. In delinquency matters indigent children remain within the system because the courts are reluctant to release these children back to the environments they came from as opposed to children with means. â€Å"The child welfare system, public schools, and neighborhood police presence — are structured so that few meaningful distinctions can be made between poor children and those who present a true danger to the community† (Birkhead, 2012). The impact of early interactions with the justice system can negatively impact a person for life. As adults persons who are known within the criminal justice system are more likely to be convicted of crimes as well as facing harsher sentencing as repeat offenders. This practice may not appear prejudicial as it is appropriate to face harsher sentences for repeat offenders, but is prejudicial as to how the person became a repeat offender in the first place. The above issues point to discrimination at a structural level not an individual one, but there are structural cases of discrimination that may support individual discrimination such at the Stop and Frisk law. This law allows officers to stop, question and physically frisk someone they deem suspicious. One of the main problematic issues of this practice is one of oversight; there are no governing rules as to what constitutes suspicion besides individual officers feelings. While this practice has led to some arrests, they are numerically insignificant and have been deemed unconstitutional but not illegal. According to the American Civil Liberties Union 85 percent of those stopped were found to have not committed a crime or have any contraband on their persons. The failure of this practice has far reaching implications as in it has served to foster feelings of mistrust between police officers and the minority population, specifically African American youths. Identifying issues and making changes to treatment of African American males, or any other minority, within the judicial system is a project undertaken by the Sentencing Project. They define Illegitimate or unwarranted racial disparity as the â€Å"dissimilar treatment of similarly situated people based on race† (201, p1. ). There goal is to acknowledge the effects of disparity building at each phase within the criminal justice system and it’s cumulative effects on an individual. They encourage communication within the system i. e. : law enforcement, lawyers, judges, prison personnel and parole workers to develop plans to reform individuals while working towards a systematic change. Through research they have addressed the need for cultural competency training within the judicial system and have made it a requirement. They also address issues pertaining to treatment of early delinquency, severity of crime as well as severity of sentencing. The Project allocates resources for research into other sentencing alternatives that have demonstrated success over incarceration. In addition to looking at the treatment of individuals within the system they provide guidance to policy makers in regards to investments in communities. They support low-income areas in providing education and employment opportunities, access to health care, including mental health care, and substance abuse treatment. Through research the project has identified that un equal opportunities for access to resources negatively affects the low-income individuals and their families. Simply changing the criminal justice system itself will not singularly decrease the disparity between the numbers of African Americans incarcerated in comparison to their white counterparts. Change must begin in the communities. Outreach programs started as early as birth are necessary to effectively create change. One group who sees the need for this change and has answered the call is the Harlem’s Children’s Zone. This group services approximately 17,000 children throughout the Metropolitan area. They begin with providing parenting classes, which outlines the need for proper nutrition and health care as well as courses on other parenting issues with a focus on the at risk child. They provide charter schools with longer school days as well as tutoring programs for those unable to attend. Resources are also available for crisis intervention, access to mental and physical health care, offering assistance in obtaining services such as food stamps, as well as assistance in forming community actions groups to combat crime and drugs. The group also provides afterschool programs including teen groups, fitness, educational, and classes on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and access to community gardens. Although our society has made great strides in the area of equality, with more African Americans holding important positions, negative differential treatment persists. Poverty stricken communities where there is little opportunity and the prevalence of gang activity increases the likelihood that African American youths will grow up to participate in criminal activities leading to incarceration. The first step towards change is understanding the need for increased resources in poverty stricken areas to provide access for at risk youths to community centers, hot meal programs, and safe afterschool venues. The second step is making these projects a reality. Although the government had earmarked 10 million dollars for neighborhoods to develop similar programs to the Harlem’s Children’s Center project it is not enough, resources must be provided by individual states, communities and persons to combat poverty and provide resources for children. In addition equality in how individuals are treated within the system must continue to be addressed by groups like the Sentencing Project. By early intervention and continued education and support we can move towards equality and diminish the numbers of African American males spending their lives within the criminal justice system. The long-term benefits of these actions will be felt by individuals as well as the community at large with decreased crime and access to the rich resource of an educated youth. How to cite African American Males and Disparity in the Justice System, Papers