Monday, February 28, 2011

Video Games and Violence: Is There an Association?

Now a days, there are so many different types of video games. But we cant help but notice that one genre produces more interest than the other. Yes indeed, we're talking about violent video games. 

 What is it Doing to our Kids?
Kids start playing these games that involve shooting, killing, stealing, etc. at very young ages. This presents them with the thoughts and ideas that what the video game characters are doing is "cool". Certain video games often portray men as "pimps" and women as the object of sexual attraction. These women are usually not fully clothed and are dressed in an extremely provocative way. This can give young men the idea that it is okay to disrespect and degrade women; and can give girls the idea that is okay to dress the same way as the character.







 Something Else?


Not only is the treatment of women detrimental to the minds of children, but also the misuse of drugs, alcohol, and weapons. The kids are generally in charge of weapons and how to use them. This makes them think it is cool to shoot guns, use knives, etc. 


Proven Statistics!
 *  More than 70 percent of American teenage boys have played the violent and adult-rated Grand Theft Auto video game, and those teens are more likely to have been in a fight than those who have not played.
* In 98 percent of the games surveyed, aggression went unpunished.  In fact, in more than half the video games the perpetrators were rewarded for their aggressive actions.
*  Nearly 50 percent of violence in video games is found to be "humorous".


Links!
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_controversy
2. http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/children_and_video_games_playing_with_violence


Grand Theft Auto

Questions:
1. Do you think playing these games in excessive amounts affects your social skills?
2. How much time a day do you spend playing video games? Is this amount healthy?
 



More in Depth With The Secretary of State!

What is the Secretary of State?
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State.

What types of job does being Secretary of State include?
- supervises foregin affairs
- Custody of the Great Seal of the United States

A lot of the Secretary of State's job includes dealing with multiple issues concerning foreign affairs.

Past Secretaries of State:
- Condoleezza Rice
- Colin Powell
- Madeleine Albright
- Warren Christopher

Our current secretary of state is Hillary Clinton.



Links:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Secretaries_of_State_of_the_United_States
2. http://usgovinfo.about.com/

Questions:
1. What are your thoughts on the difficulty of the Secretary of State's job?
2. How important is the Secretary of State to the president?


Relation to Class:
We've been discussing the different member of the Presidential Cabinet.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Let's Meet The Presidential Cabinet!

 Presidential Cabinets
What is a presidential cabinet? A Presidential Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of the government, typically representing the executive branch. It is also sometimes called and Executive Council. What does the president's cabinet do? In a nutshell, the president's cabinet advises him and helps him to implement his new policies, etc. . .
Let's Meet Barack's Cabinet

Some of the main parts of the cabinet include:
Secretary of State: Hilary Clinton
Department of Treasury: Timothy Geithner
Department of Defense: Dr. Robert M. Gates
Department of Justice: Eric Holder
Department of Agriculture (USDA): Tom Vilsack
Department of Commerce: Gary Locke
  Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Kathleen Sebelius
Department of Education: Arne Duncan

President Obama With His Cabinet

Questions to think about: 
1. In your opinion, who is the most important cabinet member?

2. How would the president's job be affected if he did not have a cabinet?








The president speaks with his cabinet about some key issues.

How does the Presidents Cabinet relate to class?

We've been talking alot about the executive office and duties of the president.

More links to learn about the Presidential Cabinet:

1. http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/cabinet
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Cabinet