Ginger

Who would have thought that the next big English editing software would come straight out of Israel? But that’s exactly what has happened. In 2007 an Israeli couple, Yael Karov and Avner Zangil, developed what would become the smartest grammar editing software on the market to date.

Ginger addresses a need all native and foreign speakers of English strive to perfect, getting their grammar right. Communication is a key skill for success in this globalized world and as more and more people begin speaking English–a complicated language–the need f or a tool that can help native speakers as well as English learners was needed. Even in the world of blogging, Ginger can help, as writing posts with muddled grammar can prevent an author’s message from being conveyed to the audience.

As Ginger Software (http://www.gingersoftware.com/) explodes onto the map with its content aware grammatical checker, the company seeks to fill a void that classical spell check has been missing for a long time. Not only does Ginger correct the so-called normal grammar mistakes, subject verb agreement, plural vs singular pronouns, as well as many others, it goes one step further and focuses on the actual context of the text.

Traditional spell check does not take into account the context of a word before it offers a correction. Take the command “Please come here!”  for example. The correct homophone of here and hear in this case is “here”, but if a user accidentally types “hear” traditional spell check will not mark “Please come hear!” as a mistake.

This is where Ginger’s content awareness comes into play. By utilizing complex algorithms Ginger can “examine vast amounts of real-world examples, and then derive the rules that govern that natural language” according to an article written by Ginger’s CMO, Oded Lilos. (Read the full article here http://www.wired.com/2015/02/contextual-awareness-whats-all-the-fuss-about/ )

Overall Ginger Software is offering something no one else on the market is offering. Context driven spell check and grammar check that can predict exactly what a writer wants to say and just how the writer should say it. As this software gets more readily applied to other electronic devices the way grammar is checked will be changed for the better.

Money Money Money

Hey everyone! As a Communications major at SMU I took full advantage of being able to write for my Belgian Host Mom’s Blog while I was there. I got a by line and got to publish under Laura Sullivan and everything!

So check it out!

Money Money Money.

Bełżec

“That is really ugly…” I thought as the bus pulled up to the Belzec Extermination Camp.

Dr. Halperin had prepared us for that Belzec was a walled off hill, but he hadn’t mentioned it was covered in tons of broken rocks. It was jarring. “Why is this not more beautiful?” I thought as we slowly made our way back through center of the hill to the memorial in the back.

From a distance the hill looked inconspicuous, the seemingly small sloping hill it did not match my expectation of a steep harsh climb. But as we made our way I realized how wrong I had been. The walls got taller, feeling enclosed as we got closer to the memorial, I felt a lump in my throat, I have never been claustrophobic, but I felt trapped.

I took the stairs up to the top of the hill and looked out over the consecrated ground. “Why is this not more beautiful?” I thought again, frustrated that the makeshift grave stones were a bunch of broken rocks surrounded by concrete and metal scraps.

I took a deep breath and I felt the deep-seated anger that been plaguing me all trip begin to simmer. “Why is this not more beautiful?” the thought echoed in my head bouncing off the walls of my skull. I clenched my shaking hands into my pockets. I looked down and saw the names of the towns of where victims were from, cast in bronze surrounding the wall of the memorial. Now I don’t speak Polish but I was determined to say each of these towns in my head before I moved down to the next step.

Lwow. Wien. Rzeszow. Annopol. Kozlow. Lesko. Worms. Jarczow. Krakow. Horodenka. Krystynopol. Olpiny. Wiesbaden. Every step a new town. I walked faster. I wished for more beauty. I was breathing heavier now. My anger had boiled over into outrage. How I do I live in a world so permissive that we allowed entire communities to be wiped off the map? How can I live in a world that still allows it to happen. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to run.

As I got to the end of the hill just before the museum, I turned back around and it hit me.

The Holocaust was not a beautiful thing.

This memorial is not beautiful because there is nothing beautiful about the Holocaust.

Monroe

Marilyn Monroe is arguably the most identifiable sex symbol from the 20th century. She pioneered the way for female celebrities becoming one of the first actresses to be known world wide. It is easy to see her influence in today’s modern world. Whether it is the sheer amount of other female celebrities who have impersonated her look, her songs, and her sex appeal or when the average person quotes a snippet from “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” Monroe’s legacy lives on.

Multiple celebrities cite Monroe as inspiration. Famous names like Madonna, Lindsay Lohan, Anna Nicole Smith, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, have worn Monroe inspired outfits. Beyond this popular shows such as Breaking Bad have imitated her memorable “Happy Birthday” serenade to JFK. Dolce & Gabbana used Scarlett Johannson  to copy Monroe’s style in a popular advertising campaign.

(Right: Madonna impersonates Monroe classic look at the 1991 Grammy’s)

 

Above: Marilyn herself.

Modern movies such as My Week With Marilyn, This Year’s Blonde, Marilyn and Me as well as others have all been big hits at the box office.

Some might argue that a Hollywood starlet could not be considered the most influential American of all time. Yet the culture that surrounds Americans is one that is driven by Hollywood generated media. For one woman to have left such a mark on an industry that creates and perpetuates modern ideas of what is sexy and trendy is something that has been unmatched since–even by her male counterparts. Other famous  names from the time, such as Milton Berle, Humphrey Bogart, and Fred Astire are still famous, but are not as well known worldwide as Monroe.

Without the symbol that Monroe has become the romanticized idea of Hollywood glamour would not be as idealized as it is today. Monroe paved the way for strong female celebrities to make their mark in modern Hollywood. Without Monroe is impossible to imagine what the face of the movie business would look like today.

Monroe tragically passed away in 1962, but not before she left a lasting impact upon this world’s entertainment industry.

One Disbelief

We as One Direction fans feel disrespected.

We feel under-appreciated and upset.

People assume we are all 12 years-olds with bad taste in music and have nothing better to do than listen teeny bop pop. However we are here to let you know that we as fans have matured with the band over the past four years. We support them 100% as they go on to write their own lyrics and branch out into to the different musical genres.

People forget they are men in their 20s. Their audience is not your 12 year old daughter.  Their lyrics and style has matured as they have aged.

For example, we all fell in love with 17 year old Harry Styles on the British version of The X-Factor, but it has been an honor and a privilege to watch him develop into an artist. He is now a sought after writer and lyricists. Artists such as Ariana Grande, Meghan Trainor, and OneRepublic have requested he write for them. This is a clear representation of his pure artistic talent.

Music is music no matter what you listen to and you should not be ashamed. Whether you listen to underground music or “What Makes You Beautiful” on repeat, music is a universal language that speaks to every one on different levels. We, as 20 year old One Direction fans, enjoy relating to boys our own age who can not dance but who have fun with what they are doing and can harmonize beautifully.

Many do not understand what makes them beautiful. But what keeps real fans up all night is the stunning success of a band that did not actually win the X-Factor. Us fans understand the reasons for the success behind their four albums, three documentaries and countless their awards but the rest of the world still does not. The band is pigeon-holed into a stereotype that they have tried to break. Us as fans do not escape this stereotype. We are thought of as crazy children in a dream world where boy bands can not succeed as musical talents.

We are not afraid of all the attention, we are not afraid to run being wild. Maybe everyone is just afraid of falling in love–with One Direction.