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Saturday, September 27, 2014

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 9-27-14



Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:






U.S. Launches Air Strikes Against ISIS Targets in Syria
The Guardian has the story here.Obama said in a televised address on 10 September that he would expand the US war against Isis into Syria, reversing a longstanding caution against involving the US in the bloody confusion of Syria’s civil war...The escalation of the war into Syria comes without explicit congressional authorisation. Last week, Congress agreed to provide $500m requested by Obama for

SEP 20

Strong Mayor Proposal for Sacramento: Debate on Monday
Students in periods 3 and 4, here is an opportunity for political participation credit by learning more about the controversial November ballot proposal backed by mayor Kevin Johnson to change city governance into what's commonly known as a "strong mayor" system. Details:The Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association will host a community forum/debate on Measure L, also known as the "St

SEP 12

Politics and the English Language
Periods 5 and 6 read George Orwell's Politics and the English Language this week.  The essay is an appropriate starting point for our study of government and politics because it focuses on language and writing, specifically how the modern decadence of our language is both a cause and effect of our corrupted thoughts.    Political language is especially important because, as Orwell, argues,  "

SEP 07

Stop and Seize: How Aggressive Policing is Taking the Property of Those Never Charged with Crimes
Many of you in periods 5 and 6 read The New Jim Crow this summer.  Here are two must-read and watch pieces that underscore and illustrate even more acutely the use and impact of asset seizure and forfeiture as explained by author Michelle Alexander in Chapter 2, "The Lockdown."  The Washington Post, with a blockbuster multi-part investigation into police asset forfeiture practices: Stop

AUG 30

Ferguson Readings
                                 Photo: Scott Olson, GettyHere is a very incomplete list of thought-provoking articles on the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the protests as a result and the militarization of local policy forces.Mariame Kaba with a commentary in the Washington Post: For Blacks, America is Dangerous by Default  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (yes, THAT Kareem Abdul-Jabb

AUG 26

Ferguson, Missouri
The New Yorker's cover for the week we return to school,  Eric Drooker's "Ferguson, Missouri." “An artist friend of mine was killed by a cop in lower Manhattan, back in 1991. He happened to be black, and the police officer was never indicted.” Drooker continues, “As a resident of Manhattan’s Lower East Side, I witnessed the blurring distinctions between the police and military during the

JUN 10

New Parents Depending on Apps for Parenting Guide
New parents, starting with this generation, are depending on their smartphones to help them survive raising their child. Instead of using their own knowledge to raise their child, the parents download parenting apps online. These apps help parents in all ways physically and mentally. There are apps that relate to a baby's health and emotion; parents would determine whether their child was healthy

JUN 08

The Leading Web Browser; Google's Web Browser
Since computers were invented, the web browser, Internet Explorer (IE), was the most popular web browser to be used. As computers and software start expanding, different web browsers, such as Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome, were developed but were not used as much as IE because every new monitor purchased comes with IE already installed. This lead to IE being the most used of all the ot

JUN 02

AP U.S. Government Summer Reading (Periods 5 and 6)
Summer reading assignment for all AP US Govt students (non-HISP) who will be in my classes next year is available here. 

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 4-26-14
Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:Russia is Still Having Fun with the UkraineSo there are now up to 40,000 Russian troops equipped with all their fighting machines on the border of the Ukraine. Russia has annexed Crimea and clearly shows intent of not stopping there. Ethnically Russian cities inside of the Ukrainian border have exploded in revolt and violence has torn the streets. There are cities in the