Church shooting, truck attack kill dozens in two separate incidents in the U.S.

34 people were killed and 31 others injured in two separate incidents that happened less than a week apart - one in New York, and the other in rural Texas. On October 31^st, a man drove a rental truck down a busy bicycle path in Manhattan, killing eight and hurting 11. Then, last Sunday, a man opened fire at a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 and injuring 20.

The truck driver in Manhattan was identified as 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov, who is from Uzbekistan and has lived in the U.S. since 2010. A note found near the truck said Saipov acted in the name of the Islamic State (ISIS). The shooter in Texas was identified as 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley, who grew up in a town near the church. Kelley is believed to have targeted the church because members of his ex-wife’s family worshipped there.

The political response to the two incidents largely differed by party. Following the truck attack, President Donald Trump and other top Republicans called for an end to the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, a lottery system that enabled Saipov to come to the U.S. Following the shooting on Sunday, Democratic lawmakers resumed calls for stricter gun control measures.

Silvio Berlusconi begins political comeback

After the victory of center-right candidate Nello Musumeci in a regional election in Sicily last Sunday, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi appears well-positioned to return to Italian politics. Musumeci represents a coalition of parties that Berlusconi put together – and his win may be a sign that Berlusconi might run for office again before national elections next spring.

Musumeci captured 39.9 percent of the vote on Sunday, more than 5 percentage points ahead of second-place candidate Giancarlo Cancelleri of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (5SM). The center-left party placed a distant third. High unemployment and immigration, key issues in the Sicilian race, are expected to be important factors in next year’s national election.

81-year-old Berlusconi, who has served as prime minister four times, is barred from running for office because of a 2013 conviction for tax fraud. However, he hopes that the European Court of Human Rights will overturn this ban when they review the case later this year. Even if he cannot run, he will likely be an influential figure if the center-right wins the national race.

Crowds worldwide rush to buy latest iPhone

Apple’s highly anticipated iPhone X went on sale last Friday, drawing thousands to Apple Stores around the world. By Sunday, the phone was sold out in 20 U.S. cities, including New York, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

The iPhone X -- named to mark the smartphone’s 10th anniversary -- includes a number of new features. Among the most notable are facial recognition, which allows users to unlock the device simply by looking at it, and animated emoji, which users can customize based on their facial expressions. The phone also features a sharper, more vibrant display and more advanced cameras than previous versions, as well as the ability to charge wirelessly.

Prices for the new device are steep, starting at $999, and increasing to $1,149 for models with more storage. The phone sold out in less than 10 minutes when it became available for pre-order on October 27^th.

Houston Astros win World Series

The Houston Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventh and final game of the Major League Baseball World Series last Wednesday night. With the 5-1 victory, the Astros earned their first championship and thrilled a city still recovering from Hurricane Harvey in August.

This year’s World Series is widely considered to be one of the most entertaining in history. It was also one of the most evenly matched: For the first time since 1970, both teams had won at least 100 games during the regular season: Los Angeles won 104, while Houston won 101. The two teams set the record for most home runs in a single World Series, with a total of 24.

Astros outfielder George Springer was unanimously voted the Series Most Valuable Player. Springer had five home runs during the Series, tying a record set by Reggie Jackson in 2007 and Chase Utley in 2009. After receiving the Most Valuable Player award, Springer acknowledged the Astros’ fans. “I'm so happy for all of our fans, who have endured a lot,” he said.

Chris:	I love New York City. It’s the best city in the world.
Jessica:	There is definitely no other city like it. What’s your favorite place in “The Big Apple”, Chris?
Chris:	I like to walk on Broadway on the Upper West Side. I’ll typically walk from 116th Street all the way down to 80th Street. Sometimes I go to the fabulous delicatessens and eat a slice of New York cheesecake or a bagel. I also love to watch the cab drivers go by. The streets are always full of people and lined with used book sellers.
Jessica:	When I visit New York, I like to sit on a bench in Central Park with a slice of the best pizza in America while I people watch, especially when it snows. Nothing is more romantic than New York on a snow day.
Chris:	When I was a little kid visiting New York, I used to love to go to the top of one of the twin towers of the World Trade Center and watch the sun set over the skyscrapers. At just the right time, they would all look golden. But of course, since the terrorist attack of September 11th, 2001, the twin towers are gone. I’ve visited the memorial for the victims.
Jessica:	I really like the memorial. It’s a waterfall on four sides that flows into the footprint of one of the fallen towers. I especially love the Survivor Tree. When I go there, I pay tribute to the brave police officers and firefighters who died that day in the line of duty as first responders.
Chris:	The Survivor Tree? What’s that? I’ve never heard of it.
Jessica:	The Survivor Tree is a pear tree that New York firefighters pulled out of the rubble at ground zero. Its trunk and branches were severely burned and its roots were broken, but arborists, or as I call them, tree doctors, healed the tree and planted it next to the memorial for the fallen towers.
Chris:	As a symbol of rebirth?
Jessica:	Exactly. Life that is reborn from the ashes. Right next to the memorial, they built a new World Trade Center that is as magnificent as the towers that were destroyed on 9/11. It’s called the Freedom Tower. You can once again go up to the observation deck and look at the skyscrapers of New York.
Chris:	I will have to go up next time I’m there. I heard it’s once again the tallest building in America. The rebuilding of the World Trade Center was important because actions speak louder than words.
Jessica:	You know the spouse of one of my teachers died in a plane that hit the south tower. He was a flight attendant. It was a dreadful day in American history.
Chris:	Yeah. All in all, 2,977 people died on 9/11, and I’m not counting the 19 terrorists here. It was the deadliest act of terror in history and the biggest foreign attack on our soil since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. There was never a question in my mind that New York would recover. New Yorkers have true grit and a generosity of spirit that is unbreakable. No act of evil can touch that.

Unlike many other languages, most English nouns are not gender specific. For example, “doctor” can refer to a male or female physician, just as “professor” can refer to a male or female instructor at a university. However, some nouns are gender specific. In the past, a person who worked for the police department was called a policeman and the person who delivered mail was called a postman.

I. Gender Neutral Nouns

Today, most gender specific nouns are considered outdated, as they ignore women who do the same job. Now, we use the term police officer and mail carrier as they refer to both men and women. Consider the following gender neutral nouns:

stewardess = flight attendant chairman = chair, chairperson fireman = firefighter businessman = business person foreman = supervisor spokesman = spokesperson cleaning lady = cleaner fisherman = fisher

Some gender specific nouns are still used, as they have always had a counterpart for the opposite sex. Some of these nouns do have a third version that can refer to either.

actor, actress (actor) congressman, congresswoman (members of congress) husband, wife (spouse) waiter, waitress (server)

II. Gender Neutral Pronouns

When writing about a hypothetical situation or something in general, it’s important to be gender inclusive. This is done by using pronouns to include both men and women.

I’m not sure who will be the next president, but he must be thoughtful and considerate. The pronoun assumes that the next president will be a man. I’m not sure who will be the next president, but he or she must be thoughtful and considerate. I’m not sure who will be the next president, but they must be thoughtful and considerate. The pronoun considers that the next president could be a man or woman.

It is acceptable to use either both he/she or the third person they in this situation.

Chris:	It’s time to play guess that character!
Jessica:	Alright, what’s the category? History, culture, cinema…?
Chris:	Hmm… All of the above!
Jessica:	What? How is that possible?
Chris:	I swear that everything I’m about to tell you about this person is true.
Jessica:	Sounds like one of your cock and bull stories…
Chris:	OK, first clue: Many people have claimed to be him long after his death…
Jessica:	Jesus Christ!
Chris:	Oh, please!
Jessica:	Well, some people suffering from psychotic illnesses like schizophrenia claim to be people who died long ago like Jesus, or Moses, or Elvis… Is it Elvis?
Chris:	Nope. Next clue: A photo of him was sold a few years ago for $2.3 million.
Jessica:	Mmm...
Chris:	He was a celebrity in his own time, but his fame grew after his death thanks to novels, TV and films.
Jessica:	Films?
Chris:	Yes, he’s been the subject of more than 50 movies! Actors who have played him include Roy Rogers, Paul Newman, Val Kilmer and Emilio Estevez.
Jessica:	Billy the Kid!
Chris:	You got it! It was naming the actors, wasn’t it?
Jessica:	Yes, that’s what gave it away. But Chris, do you really want to say that Billy the Kid was a celebrity? Wasn’t he on the “Most Wanted List?” Didn’t he kill many people? He wasn’t famous… he was infamous!
Chris:	Hey, I never said he was a good guy! But, yes, his reputation gave him celebrity status. He is, without a doubt, one of the most remembered gunslingers of the Old West!
Jessica:	I’ve heard stories about Billy the Kid’s legendary gun fights and his impossible escapes from jail. But you have to admit that most of those stories about the Wild West are cock and bull.
Chris:	Sure, and we have a whole film genre about it: the Western! Heroic outlaws wandering the prairies and dusty towns of the western territories and getting into gunfights. Most of them are, of course, cock and bull stories, but they are so much fun to watch!
Jessica:	See, that’s my point! “Fun to watch.” It’s fun to watch an actor playing Billy the Kid showing off his skills with a revolver in a duel...
Chris:	The hot noon sun in the sky. Close-ups of the two men facing each other down. Sweat rolling down their faces. Their eyes twitch, and then...
Jessica:	…They both shoot! And there’s a dramatic musical score, and the winner rides off into the sunset… Stories like these blend with the facts, and reshape the image of a historical figure. A man who was also a gang member, a gambler, an outlaw, and a murderer.
Chris:	OK, but I think there’s more truth to the legend of Billy the Kid than you realize. Listen to this and tell me if you think it’s a cock and bull story.
Jessica:	Alright!
Chris:	The year is 1880. The place, a saloon in New Mexico. As the story goes, a drunk named Joe Grant was terrorizing the bar’s patrons and threatening to kill someone.
Jessica:	And then Billy the Kid walked in...
Chris:	Yeah! He approached Joe Grant and said, “That’s a mighty nice looking six-shooter you got there.” Then he took Grant’s gun, spun its cylinder so that the next shot would be an empty chamber, and handed back the gun. Later that evening, Grant tried to shoot Billy the Kid but when his gun didn’t fire, the Kid shot Grant dead.
Jessica:	Clever!
Chris:	So, does this sound like a cock and bull story to you?
Jessica:	I don’t know… It could be fake, but it also sounds like it could be true. I guess I just have to appreciate that the cock and bull stories about gunfighters like Billy the Kid are just part of the charm of the Wild, Wild West.

People are storytellers by nature. In fact, we could argue that the origins of all forms of culture can be traced back to our collective passion for storytelling. And with so many stories being told all the time, it’s no surprise that they are so susceptible to exaggeration. When we say that something is a “cock and bull story” we are pointing out that fantasy is being presented as fact.

So, quite simply, a cock and bull story is something improbable, unbelievable, or absurd. Whether it’s a short anecdote or a long, drawn out tale, if it’s obviously untrue then you can denounce it by saying it’s a cock and bull story. This phrase is often used to expose someone who is lying to get out of trouble.

This expression was probably inspired by myths about conversations between magical animals. It first appeared in writing in 1621, in Robert Burton’s “The Anatomy of Melancholy.”

Fun fact: It is also widely reported that this phrase originated in a town north of London called Stony Stratford. It is said that stagecoach travellers in the 18^th century who stayed at two popular inns called “The Cock” and “The Bull” would gossip and compete to see who had the wildest stories. These two inns really did exist, and still do today, however there is no evidence that their alleged feud produced this expression. Therefore this origin theory is, itself, a cock and bull story…

Example 1:

When he got pulled over for speeding, Sam started telling the officer a cock and bull story to avoid getting a ticket… It didn’t work.

Example 2:

Why is your report so late? And please don’t give me a cock and bull story. This should have been on my desk last week!

Example 3: - INCORRECT

My grandfather grew up on a farm and he used to tell me the most wonderful cock and bull stories. They were like pets to him!

Select the correct gender neutral term below.

Decide if the following sentences use gendered nouns and pronouns correctly. Choose if the sentence is correct or if it’s incorrect.

1. Congresswoman Nancy Smith will be the keynote speaker.
2. Go find a policeman for help!
3. Our company is looking to hire five new fisherman.
4. I’ll call down to the reception desk and request a cleaner.
5. My favorite actress is Greta Garbo.
6. The English department is looking to hire a new chair.
7. I hope in ten years, we’ll have a better mayor. Whoever it is, he’ll need to fix the public transportation system.
8. Sarah, Ron, and Greg have all been nominated for businessperson of the year.
9. I like flying first class because the stewardesses are more attentive.
10. I can’t believe Jane is retiring. She’s been a waitress at the restaurant for twenty years!