Sunday, February 24, 2008
the stanford experiment.
The Stanford experiment says a lot about the power of context. the context in the case of the experiment was a mock jail. It was an experiment with a frightening outcome. the captors began to exhibit sadistic behaviors. unfortunately this experiment holds true in the real world. It's one of the most disturbing facets of context in Gladwell's book. It's also a fairly common issue...who remembers Abu Gharib that was just a few years ago and a few months ago we heard about black water. there are all kinds of alarming stats on how often incarcerated women are sexually assaulted by guards.When i read about what guards are capable of inflicting on prisoners it makes me wonder about the human psyche. Is it possible that if put under the right level of stress and supplied with relatively unchecked power that we default to sadistic behavior. Or is it possible that prison guards are a sort of self selecting breed that subconsciously or consciously lust after these kinds of situations. We may all have this capability with in us but are conditioned out of it. If i was ever in the position of a guard i would like to think that i wouldn't resort to this kind of behavior. From my experience with being incarcerated I can tell you that i might not necessarily be able to resist. when i was in jail I didn't feel connected to any thing I felt stripped and raw and dehumanized. I think its very possible that the guards may be reacting to their subconscious worries that they are just one misstep away from being in prison themselves. When they treat the prisoners in completely sadistic and dehumanizing manner it creates a difference between the captor and captive. Its a sick way to comfort yourself when you add the context and stress together with the laws of Gladwell's epidemic people can be caused to do some twisted things.
The grayscale
Morality is many things to many people. It's also many things on an individual level. when i was a kid it all seemed pretty simple a life is a life, premarital sex is bad and drugs just say no. Now i'm seventeen and much to my parents dismay I've grown fast. when you deal with these issues of morality you see how many facets there are too life and how it's ridiculous to make judgments for others. I'm no longer pro-life (anti-choice), I believe sexuality is fluid, personal and there's no set time when its okay to become sexually active. I've learned that saying no to drugs isn't my strong point and drug use is a health issue not a law enforcement issue. I'm not the person I envisioned when i was young my morals have done a three sixty. I think I'm better for it i see things in a gray-scale and I'm not worried about what god thinks. the right choice isn't the same in every context. there are no absolutes. society needs to make allowance for that and people should have the right to choose based on the context of their lives.
If yr interested.
I came upon this post on a blog I read discussing a trend piece that appeared in the ny times about the rise of female teen bloggers.
my uncle mike.
I have absolutely no exposure to school shootings. I don't know what to say about them everyone takes a crack at what they think causes it. could it be lax gun laws, violent video games or school bullies. However all these theories are really just bullshit excuses draw attention away from the root cause. we have a mental health crisis in our country. These people snap and do things because they are sick. We cannot not leave the mentally ill in our country w/o care and not run into these tragedy's.
Although i have no expierance with school shootings i have seen what happens to the mentally ill citizens of our nation. My uncle has skitzophernia, I loved him when i was a kid we played all kinds of games together. we watched movies together and took trips to the zoo. He was very patient w/ me i don't remember him ever yelling at me. my family was up front with me and let me know from a very young age that there was a part of his life he couldn't control. As i grew older and matured he deteriorated. His mental illness wore him down and cost him many things in his life. He didn't have anything to live for. He lived off of government benefits and my grandparents he couldn't hold a job he stayed at his home my grandparents bought him and used his social security check to drink all day. Eventually some events unfolded and he ended up in a nursing home in his late fortys. He has no memory and can barely walk because of oxygen deprivation that damaged his brain. Noone in my family calls it a suicide attempt though, just like no one talks about how when he was in his twentys he tried to burn down the house my mother and grandparents live(d) in. i guess my parents and grandparents chose to ignore these things because all kinds of treatments didn't fix anything he was still sick. they took a path of quite resignation trying to reduce harm along the way. my grandparents became happier people when he was put into a nursing home because now he cant hurt himself or others and he well have people to take care of him. If my family can't take care of him or find him the help he needed i don't want to think whats happening to the mentally ill that are born into working class and impoverished families. The sad truth is these unfortunate and mentally ill individuals are ending up on the streets and in prison because there is no where for them to go. We are running a for profit health care system and very few are getting the care they need. These are the same faction of society that are shooting up schools. you want to feel safe in school then step up speak out and make sure there is universal care available to every American.
In our society we aren't addressing the root issues and we tend to try and punish others first instead of helping them. We really need to implement a new approach to our health care system and devote our resources to helping those w/ mental illnesses. we can pay now in tax dollars or later in the loss of human life, pain, anguish and the cost of keeping mentally ill inmates incarcerated. I say we spend now and intervene and hopefully we can cut down on the human turmoil and violence stemming from mental illness.
Although i have no expierance with school shootings i have seen what happens to the mentally ill citizens of our nation. My uncle has skitzophernia, I loved him when i was a kid we played all kinds of games together. we watched movies together and took trips to the zoo. He was very patient w/ me i don't remember him ever yelling at me. my family was up front with me and let me know from a very young age that there was a part of his life he couldn't control. As i grew older and matured he deteriorated. His mental illness wore him down and cost him many things in his life. He didn't have anything to live for. He lived off of government benefits and my grandparents he couldn't hold a job he stayed at his home my grandparents bought him and used his social security check to drink all day. Eventually some events unfolded and he ended up in a nursing home in his late fortys. He has no memory and can barely walk because of oxygen deprivation that damaged his brain. Noone in my family calls it a suicide attempt though, just like no one talks about how when he was in his twentys he tried to burn down the house my mother and grandparents live(d) in. i guess my parents and grandparents chose to ignore these things because all kinds of treatments didn't fix anything he was still sick. they took a path of quite resignation trying to reduce harm along the way. my grandparents became happier people when he was put into a nursing home because now he cant hurt himself or others and he well have people to take care of him. If my family can't take care of him or find him the help he needed i don't want to think whats happening to the mentally ill that are born into working class and impoverished families. The sad truth is these unfortunate and mentally ill individuals are ending up on the streets and in prison because there is no where for them to go. We are running a for profit health care system and very few are getting the care they need. These are the same faction of society that are shooting up schools. you want to feel safe in school then step up speak out and make sure there is universal care available to every American.
In our society we aren't addressing the root issues and we tend to try and punish others first instead of helping them. We really need to implement a new approach to our health care system and devote our resources to helping those w/ mental illnesses. we can pay now in tax dollars or later in the loss of human life, pain, anguish and the cost of keeping mentally ill inmates incarcerated. I say we spend now and intervene and hopefully we can cut down on the human turmoil and violence stemming from mental illness.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Class Ideas
Idea One
Personally so far im fine with the class and like the set up. however i think there are a few things that might be beneficial. One thing that I've heard from people taking the class is that they can't relate to the topics picked. Jen however mentioned that we need to keep the structure. i think a good comprise would be giving the option that for one post a week if one of the assigned topics just isn't doing it for you you can find your own topic and blog it. I think this would be a useful option and add to the over all dialog of the class. I'd much rather read about something original and off the assigned topic than a few bland paragraphs on the actual assignment. since jen wants us reading the book i guess it would make since to not let the option be applied to the reading and response posts. So basically in case thats a little long winded and hard to follow here is the changes i would make to the postings:- Every week we should be allowed to replace one of the research and linking or OC postings with a topic of our liking.
- Or if we are particularly into one post and ended up writing a Long post we could have it count for two.
Idea Two
alright i know Jen really wants us reading but what if we replaced the reading at least for a few weeks with some sorta of blogging topic. for a few weeks instead of reading a book we could all pick a topic we are interested in and write posts on it with our opinion. i think it would be pretty interesting to read up and follow developments on a certain topic and blog about them. there are so many topics that we could blog about ( technology, politics, whatever) and i think we could learn a lot reading peoples opinions on something they took the time to research and actually are interested in.Idea Three
I think it might facilitate discussions if every once in awhile for variety we could be assigned to post a response on our blog to something someone else has written in the class. of course it would have to be done in a respectful and well thought out manner. It could a post adding on to what some one else said or debating it. i think this would be a good thing to assign because sometimes i read things other people have written and it gives me a jumping off point to go on a tangent. these tangents cant always just be a comment because sometimes they snowball and develop into something else entirely that deserve there own post. I think this can be really interesting and could add some spice to things. I think this would work really well in conjunction with my first idea. I think it could potentially start a dialog on things that we may have otherwise not even thought to blog about!SO WHAT YA THINK?
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Confusing Crisis
in the last few years ive become more aware of the Palestinian israili conflict. i have no idea what side I'm on and it doesn't really matter. In America i think we hear alot more about the israli side of things since they are one of our few allies in the middle east. What you may not have heard is that right now the Gaza strip is being barricaded by Isreali troops. The Palestinians are running out of Food, Fuel and medical supplies. Recently isreali forces shot and killed a mentally disabled man. France is urging israil to let aide through but, as of yet it has not happened. I haven't heard any of these stories on American news and they sound like something people should know about.
If you'd like to learn more read this article.
If you'd like to learn more read this article.
to educate the whole human
When researching alternative schools i found a alternative boarding school of sixty students outside of London called Brockwood park school. The school follows the the philosophy of Jiddu Krishnamurti. Who was also the founder of the Brockwood school. his vision for the alternative learning establishment was:
" The young are inheriting a complex world. It is a world in which rapid technological progress goes hand-in-hand with environmental, social, economic, and political crises.Must the young take the world as it is, accepting an education that enables them to 'fit in' to society, or can they learn to question deeply what they see and respond creatively out of a sense of personal integrity that enables them to meet whatever life may bring?"
the value they place in questioning things is amazing i think its great that they foster that sort of enviorment. Also the school is set on an old English country side manner. there are about 60 students age 14 and over. the teachers go by their first name and they emphasizes that they are a learning family. they also feed their students an organic vegetarian diet. The student body is diverse and multi cultural so there is no typical student. The school emphasizes a strong relationship between the community and student.
I like that this school focuses on the ability to question things and the deep personal lesson that come with it.
Okay so i was reading about a different alternative school and one of the things they said was that you couldn't tell the difference between a student-student realtionship and a teacher-student relationship. HOW IS THAT A GOOD THING?
- To educate the whole human being
- To explore what freedom and responsibility are in relationship with others and in modern society
- To see the possibility of being free from self-centered action and inner conflict
- To discover one's own talent and what right
livelihood means - To encourage excellence in academic studies
- To learn the proper care, use and exercise of the body
- To appreciate the natural world, seeing our place in it and responsibility for it
- To find the clarity that may come from having
a sense of order and valuing silence.
" The young are inheriting a complex world. It is a world in which rapid technological progress goes hand-in-hand with environmental, social, economic, and political crises.Must the young take the world as it is, accepting an education that enables them to 'fit in' to society, or can they learn to question deeply what they see and respond creatively out of a sense of personal integrity that enables them to meet whatever life may bring?"
the value they place in questioning things is amazing i think its great that they foster that sort of enviorment. Also the school is set on an old English country side manner. there are about 60 students age 14 and over. the teachers go by their first name and they emphasizes that they are a learning family. they also feed their students an organic vegetarian diet. The student body is diverse and multi cultural so there is no typical student. The school emphasizes a strong relationship between the community and student.
I like that this school focuses on the ability to question things and the deep personal lesson that come with it.
Okay so i was reading about a different alternative school and one of the things they said was that you couldn't tell the difference between a student-student realtionship and a teacher-student relationship. HOW IS THAT A GOOD THING?
the war on shake.
I think the school administration is ridiculous. i have issues with people being detained against their will while their cars are searched for drugs. this is the kind of thing that the constitution was meant to be protect against. i don't care that we leave our rights at the school house door or that most high school students are under the magic number of eighteen. We should still have rights. we are still human.
I think that its ridiculous that all a drug dog needs to hit on is a half gram of marijuana, now i know not everyone realizes how small that is but its TINY. It could be sprinkled around the floor of the car and you'd have NO idea. Now lets contrast this to coke and heroin you need to have around 2 gs for a drug dog to hit on... thats around a hundred dollars worth of coke. depending on the purity you could have over that amount w/o getting hit on. now why is the administration not addressing the drugs that lead to huge dependence and kill people. FYI most addicts don't keep their shit in their car or locker that stuff is gonna be in their pocket or in their system. why worry about a roach and some stems instead of heroin, painkillers, speed and cocaine? that is a huge problem but not on a criminal level its a health issue. that makes me lose all hope for twhs, as if i ever had any. it causes me to lose faith in society when i see how people who are treating their mental health issues with drugs end up in criminal court. isn't there some saying about be judged on how you treat the least of those around you. well guess what we are failing at treating the health issue of addiction that permeates EVERY level of our society. I think the issue of drug abuse needs to be approached with compassion.
Now why bust some kids for a little bit of weed and let other students waste away addicted. Thats not compassion. Its happening because the administration wanted fast results. Its easy to bust some kids w/ a few nugs but its hard to identify, gain the trust of and help those who need it. the research is out on pot its harmless and used by TONS of Americans. Heroin that has sent five of my friends to rehab in the last oh six months (two went to the hospital). if i think a little more and count those addicted to cocaine that checked into rehab the number is around seven. now if i tell you how many times collectively they have checked in it would be quite large. These are just the ones who made it to the point were they were given some help. Instead TWHS is going to suspend people for marijuana. when some one lights up a joint its not cause for alarm but when i see track marks on a friend my heart sinks because i know they hurt emotionally and i know they may die. To help these people takes dedication and its not easy. if these administrators had any idea what it feels like to hold someones head in your lap to make sure they don't choke on their own vomit maybe they wouldn't be worried about making it look like they are trying to get to the problem by busting some kids for paraphernalia and an 1/8th of mids. To help that kid whose life is at risk daily is way harder and doesn't make any headlines.
sure Thomas maybe you conned some parents into believing your right on that drug issue but you aren't. Worthington well always have users it hasn't changed since my parents graduated in '82. very few well be helped by what you did and I'll be surprised if anyone stops because of it. They will just adapt to the new threat of dogs and learn from their mistake.There will be another kid to die from an overdose because of how we treat metal illness and drug use in our society. we need to stop pushing these things farther and farther underground if we ever want to reduce them. some people will use no matter what and its not your choice to stop them but, please show them some compassion and treat them like a human.
I wonder what would have happened if they had an assembly with Ex-addicts telling their story then handing out information on where to get help if you want it. Instead of talking down to kids and suspending them maybe giving kids a few resources and options would actually help somebody. instead of ruling by compassion care and understanding they well rule by fear and punishment. It does little to actually stop anyone.
I think that its ridiculous that all a drug dog needs to hit on is a half gram of marijuana, now i know not everyone realizes how small that is but its TINY. It could be sprinkled around the floor of the car and you'd have NO idea. Now lets contrast this to coke and heroin you need to have around 2 gs for a drug dog to hit on... thats around a hundred dollars worth of coke. depending on the purity you could have over that amount w/o getting hit on. now why is the administration not addressing the drugs that lead to huge dependence and kill people. FYI most addicts don't keep their shit in their car or locker that stuff is gonna be in their pocket or in their system. why worry about a roach and some stems instead of heroin, painkillers, speed and cocaine? that is a huge problem but not on a criminal level its a health issue. that makes me lose all hope for twhs, as if i ever had any. it causes me to lose faith in society when i see how people who are treating their mental health issues with drugs end up in criminal court. isn't there some saying about be judged on how you treat the least of those around you. well guess what we are failing at treating the health issue of addiction that permeates EVERY level of our society. I think the issue of drug abuse needs to be approached with compassion.
Now why bust some kids for a little bit of weed and let other students waste away addicted. Thats not compassion. Its happening because the administration wanted fast results. Its easy to bust some kids w/ a few nugs but its hard to identify, gain the trust of and help those who need it. the research is out on pot its harmless and used by TONS of Americans. Heroin that has sent five of my friends to rehab in the last oh six months (two went to the hospital). if i think a little more and count those addicted to cocaine that checked into rehab the number is around seven. now if i tell you how many times collectively they have checked in it would be quite large. These are just the ones who made it to the point were they were given some help. Instead TWHS is going to suspend people for marijuana. when some one lights up a joint its not cause for alarm but when i see track marks on a friend my heart sinks because i know they hurt emotionally and i know they may die. To help these people takes dedication and its not easy. if these administrators had any idea what it feels like to hold someones head in your lap to make sure they don't choke on their own vomit maybe they wouldn't be worried about making it look like they are trying to get to the problem by busting some kids for paraphernalia and an 1/8th of mids. To help that kid whose life is at risk daily is way harder and doesn't make any headlines.
sure Thomas maybe you conned some parents into believing your right on that drug issue but you aren't. Worthington well always have users it hasn't changed since my parents graduated in '82. very few well be helped by what you did and I'll be surprised if anyone stops because of it. They will just adapt to the new threat of dogs and learn from their mistake.There will be another kid to die from an overdose because of how we treat metal illness and drug use in our society. we need to stop pushing these things farther and farther underground if we ever want to reduce them. some people will use no matter what and its not your choice to stop them but, please show them some compassion and treat them like a human.
I wonder what would have happened if they had an assembly with Ex-addicts telling their story then handing out information on where to get help if you want it. Instead of talking down to kids and suspending them maybe giving kids a few resources and options would actually help somebody. instead of ruling by compassion care and understanding they well rule by fear and punishment. It does little to actually stop anyone.
Monday, February 11, 2008
not up to yu.
I recently read this story from Curvature.com which is a leftist-feminist (surprise) blog focusing on politics. Its a story about a school district in Maryland that has adopted a policy of informing pregnant teens parents, whether or not the teens ask them to. my comment on that situation is simply that its ridiculous! My doctor could not inform my parents for me of any of my medical history against my choice, its on the law books that even minors have that right to privacy! so why should my teacher be able to or forced to do any different? every teen has a different family situation, a pregnancy is not something you can hide forever. unless of course the teen has the means to quietly get an abortion without notifying her parents or needing their help. If that is what the teen decides than so be it if they can pull it off good for them. in most other circumstances the parent well find out, probably through telling the parents themselves. honestly if a teen confides in a teacher about a pregnancy its not the teachers business to run and tell their parents. if the pregnancy is the product of rape then by all means the teacher has the legal obligation to report it to the proper authorities but i think that in the situation of a flat out teenage pregnancy the young women can suffice without intervention from a nosy faculty member. It has nasty repercussion and few benefits. there are teens w/ abusive parents and faculty could be reprimanded for not complying to the policy. Also if i was a teen w/ abusive parents who had the school inform them that i was knocked up. i think I'd know exactly who i wanted to sue first. I think anyone in that situation may have a sturdy case because "Maryland’s minor consent law, which applies to those younger than 18, says teenagers do not have to inform parents to receive health services, including pregnancy testing, contraceptives and treatment for sexually transmitted infections."
So clearly this policy is on some very shaky legal footing and unneeded.
So clearly this policy is on some very shaky legal footing and unneeded.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
without grades.
I love the idea of alternative learning environments and the benefits they can bring but clear water is not a shining example. one thing i think that needs to be measured in letter grades is the students drive to reach their potential. However many times the staff at a school cant form the relationship necessary to make this happen. None the less I dont think casting out grades completely is solution. What this article reminded me of was the year and a half i spent home schooled. The times i picked up a text book in those years could probably be counted on one hand. however my mom was never alarmed because i never got much out of the public school system and had always preferred learning on my own. i did go to the library weekly and would check out books. i usually finished one a day, I loved historical fiction particularly American history. i also was drawn to books on world cultures. I taught my self various things including sign language although i never got very proficient. Ultimately even though i was learning about a lot of things through my reading i wasn't developing. i was staying entirely in my comfort zones and even when i returned to public schools for a long time i always elected to not even try rather than put effort forth and not succeed. i wouldn't have ever taken a math class had it not been required. I wouldn't have pushed my self if i didn't have the carrot of Linworth dangling in front of me. Staying at Linworth meant performing to my potential. even though you can argue that you don't need grades to learn or need advanced math to get a job, you do need to learn to challenge yourself. For most including my self you need the fear of not getting a high school diploma is enough to force yourself to do things your not gifted in.
Also I dont think the Clearwater experience can prepare you for the real world.To function in society you need to learn to bullshit your way through a few elements. Thats just how things are. how would you ever learn the subtle ways of appeasement that are often necessary without grades or what it feels like to go beyond that level and be acknowledged for what you've put forth. these Little, intricate, stupid, strategies, social skills and rules are taught and reinforced through grades. that in its self to me justifies the practice of letter grades.
I love Linworth and i have this fear of what would have happened to me if i lived in any other community besides Worthington. if i had no other options in my education other than the main campuses it would have been a nightmare. I think our school reaches a balance that the Clearwater school does not. To really be a knowledgeable person it is necessary to learn things from other people and not sitting at home reading. I wonder how the kids of Clearwater learn to be critical of themselves and others if they don't have people around to bounce off of. It seems too isolated to me but, i am a very extroverted person and learn a lot through discussions and questioning the validity of a situation. I also think not having other around in the learning process is an easy way to learn to overlook the many facets of a topic. i think it could cause people to be overly black and white about things if they have been total self taught.
Us Linworth kids follow our passions, can balance our time and they are more than proficient in the art of bullshit. We also know what it's like to work for ourselves and succeed. Just think of all the amazing walkabouts we send our seniors on. I would be scared to send a Clearwater kid into a situation as challenging as walkabout. At Linwoth we have ample opportunity to learn from the entire community. Linworth kids have a chance to really hear and consider their peers opinions. In the classes that our teachers (sometimes students) hold there are so many different opinions and much knowledge to be absorbed. It would be a waste to learn only on your own and not have access to those types of group learning situations.
Maybe the clear water school could be a viable option if that was how things ran in the real world or college. How ever unfortunate you may think it is our society is no where near that. There are quotas and sales figures to meet and problems that need to be fixed in a time frame. I'd gladly pick letter grades, Linworth and Larry any day because I know that the teachers and environment have given me all the tools i need and given me an opportunity to explore what cannot be taught within the walls of Linworth.
Also I dont think the Clearwater experience can prepare you for the real world.To function in society you need to learn to bullshit your way through a few elements. Thats just how things are. how would you ever learn the subtle ways of appeasement that are often necessary without grades or what it feels like to go beyond that level and be acknowledged for what you've put forth. these Little, intricate, stupid, strategies, social skills and rules are taught and reinforced through grades. that in its self to me justifies the practice of letter grades.
I love Linworth and i have this fear of what would have happened to me if i lived in any other community besides Worthington. if i had no other options in my education other than the main campuses it would have been a nightmare. I think our school reaches a balance that the Clearwater school does not. To really be a knowledgeable person it is necessary to learn things from other people and not sitting at home reading. I wonder how the kids of Clearwater learn to be critical of themselves and others if they don't have people around to bounce off of. It seems too isolated to me but, i am a very extroverted person and learn a lot through discussions and questioning the validity of a situation. I also think not having other around in the learning process is an easy way to learn to overlook the many facets of a topic. i think it could cause people to be overly black and white about things if they have been total self taught.
Us Linworth kids follow our passions, can balance our time and they are more than proficient in the art of bullshit. We also know what it's like to work for ourselves and succeed. Just think of all the amazing walkabouts we send our seniors on. I would be scared to send a Clearwater kid into a situation as challenging as walkabout. At Linwoth we have ample opportunity to learn from the entire community. Linworth kids have a chance to really hear and consider their peers opinions. In the classes that our teachers (sometimes students) hold there are so many different opinions and much knowledge to be absorbed. It would be a waste to learn only on your own and not have access to those types of group learning situations.
Maybe the clear water school could be a viable option if that was how things ran in the real world or college. How ever unfortunate you may think it is our society is no where near that. There are quotas and sales figures to meet and problems that need to be fixed in a time frame. I'd gladly pick letter grades, Linworth and Larry any day because I know that the teachers and environment have given me all the tools i need and given me an opportunity to explore what cannot be taught within the walls of Linworth.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
SHE ASKED FOR IT
Alright without starting a big fuss:
- She's fully clothed.
- She's in winter clothes .
- She's OBVIOUSLY MAKING A SNOW ANGEL.
to some it up the ad you saw from target wasn't what caused you to construe it as offensive. Our patriarchal society was the looking glass thru which it became offensive and I'd rather be rid of misogynistic outlooks than the ad. Yeah so this is a pet peeve and a passion of mine I'm not just my body. The day the world looks at that billboard and sees a forgettable ad for a department store will be a happy day for me.
MINI-RUSH
So i just finished having a yelling match with my brother over global warming...Debates over politics are a pass time in my house but no one enjoys them it's just a Bootes thing YOU DON'T BACK DOWN. For those of you who do not know chase he is quite the character. He is 12 years old in the 6th grade he loves to fight. we used to beat the shit out of each other but he's learned a much more sure fire way to tick me off. CONSERVATIVE POLITICS! He recently he acquired a MP3 player that he fills with pod casts of Rush Limbaugh and his favorite conservative talking head Glenn Beck. For Christmas my dad bought chase and my sister a copy of Glenn Beck's book. It was on their wish list they are 11 and 15! My sister reads it out loud to him its quite the bonding ritual. Another bonding ritual that many of my friends can attest to is the fact that upon walking to my house you well often find all the TVs off with my Brother and Sister listening to conservative talk radio. as I'm writing this he's taunting me with something about how Europe sucks. Some how since I'm liberal that means European/French policy are my supreme wish and I should take any offense to these far away lands very personally. not my logic don't ask. anyways this is a very regular occurrence in my house and since we are loud ppl and its 4-1 conservative to liberal ratio i often run to my room (sometimes in tears or in a slew of choice words) when i can't handle anymore abortion/global warming/Iraq/religious/yu name it debate.
so unsurprisingly when I'm looking for political blogs i like them left leaning. Sometimes i need a reprieve from the conservative bullhorn. When i get to feeling this way one of my stops is Alternet.org . upon opening the browser window I'm greeted with titles like Huckabee's Biblical Madness: Dispatches From the War on Stupidity and Your Time Is Up, Mr. President -- the National Guard Is Coming Home. Seeing these titles just gives the "femi-nazi"** "dirty liberal"*** child I am the warm fuzzies. I believe that the site is pretty bias but the stories there are interesting, thought provoking and liberal enough to keep me coming back for more. I mean i figure i deserve to cater to my bias since I'm so often listening to the red side (albeit unwillingly).
** NO, I'm not literally a Nazi! "Femi-nazi" is what Rush Limbaugh regularly calls feminists on his talk show...yeahh its high brow stuff google him and Glenn Beck if you'd like more of the sort.
***I think it goes without saying that one.
so unsurprisingly when I'm looking for political blogs i like them left leaning. Sometimes i need a reprieve from the conservative bullhorn. When i get to feeling this way one of my stops is Alternet.org . upon opening the browser window I'm greeted with titles like Huckabee's Biblical Madness: Dispatches From the War on Stupidity and Your Time Is Up, Mr. President -- the National Guard Is Coming Home. Seeing these titles just gives the "femi-nazi"** "dirty liberal"*** child I am the warm fuzzies. I believe that the site is pretty bias but the stories there are interesting, thought provoking and liberal enough to keep me coming back for more. I mean i figure i deserve to cater to my bias since I'm so often listening to the red side (albeit unwillingly).
** NO, I'm not literally a Nazi! "Femi-nazi" is what Rush Limbaugh regularly calls feminists on his talk show...yeahh its high brow stuff google him and Glenn Beck if you'd like more of the sort.
***I think it goes without saying that one.
Monday, February 4, 2008
reach the tipping point
The Three laws laid out by Gladwell make a lot of sense. I think that for an epidemic to kick off, all three are required. One cant happen with out the other. Social epidemics start all the time. They aren't started by just anyone in any situation and there has to be that flash that makes it stick in your mind. I think this has so much to do with all factors of human behavior.
There are many instances were people wouldn't do things otherwise. without epidemics little would be accomplished. When i take time to think about it there are a lot of things i wouldn't bother doing if it wasn't a social epidemic. Clothes, Make up, spending money on frivoulous things and certain patterns of speech . These are all things that I wouldn't be motived to do on my own out side the context of modern society and its epidemics. I don't think these epidemics are bad things. Sure its annoying but there are also benifits. Without epidemics I think there would be a lot missing in my life. Epidemics can bring enjoyment to a lot of people. Just think of all the things you do every day and where your life would be without them. in some ways it maybe better but in others you may not be fufilled. I mean its a personal Stance but im not off put by all of societies epidemics. Alot of things would be missing in my life if there wasn't a women's right epidemic. Social Epidemics are a powerful medium for change. I think it can be positive I'm sure many may disagree.
HUSHPUPPY
So far to me this book is interesting. when i first picked the book up in the marketing section of Barnes and nobles i was concerned. However the way he relates epidemiology is very engrossing. the hush puppy story isn't that interesting though fashion trends especially ironic ones annoy me. I guess this raises an interesting point though people well wear all manners of shit if some exculsive group does it first. I guess this story of the outdated unattractive shoes shows just how susceptiable people can be. Its an excellant explaination of epidemiology
and this computer for sure i swear has no spell check. (MICHELLE)
Research and linking the second chapter
Sometimes I check on a blog called forksplit.com. Its written by a younger anonymous women living in new york. Her blog sucked me in because when i read it i feel like i know her. Although she keeps a distance from her readers never replying to comments or there urging for her to share more. She posts on her own terms and it reads like a theraputic outlet. She often talks about her trouble with her parents. Her father is an alcoholic and her mother is an anal retintive WASPy type. She's is a vivid storyteller and writes in a sarcastic confessional tone. She writes about a lot of tough issues like personal drug use, family relations and the distance she likes to keep from others. When she writes about these things it comes off so natural that it causes me to check back every once in awhile even though she posts maybe twice a month. This blog is a good humorous but meaningful read and i would suggest it to anyone.
handwashing?
Hand washing is kind of a mixed bucket. On one hand cleaniness is nice expect I it fron my friends and medical personal. However one of my fears in life is MSRA and crazy resistant staph infections. If i think about it too much Im terrified. These super strains of bacteria are breed by the over aboundance of anti bacterial products. So maybe if we were a little more lax with the purell the world would be a safer place.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
heath ledger?
Why do we care about heath ledgers death? as far as i see the tabloid media is an extension of high school. actually lets admit it life in general. gossip never stops. we all realize that a fair amount of us get off on knowing what others are doing. the numbers of us willing to admit that we hold this interest, doesn't add up to how much attention is generated. but honestly even if the Hollywood rumor mill is ridiculously out of control it doesn't make a difference to me. every time some one i vaguely know enters rehab, dies, overdoses or losses control, gets knocked up, or, in some way crosses that invisible wavering line of acceptable behavior. the information of the slip up it goes from mouth to mouth and i end up hearing it. the more surprising it is the more unlikely of the person the more buzz is created. people take mental notes and file it away letting it manifest in their sub conscience.
sure high school gossip sucks but i doubt it ever goes away. I've sat around with my grandma and heard her gossip about old ladies, parents gossip about kids, co-workers gossip everyone does it. gossip is just simple a matter of communicating hard to live by and unwritten social rules. it reminds us why we just don't do what we want independent of others opinions. obviously for some mere gossip isn't enough of a consequence to not partake. to some its one inconvenient part of life to others its a validation of there persona. we need to know whats acceptable and passing on information about another person lets us gauge others responses. we are simply just testing the water for when we fall in.
frankly i think we care more about heath ledgers death than Iraqi citizens because yr more likely to know a troubled young man w/ a drug problem sometime in yr life than yu are the victim of a suicide bombing. Americans CANNOT relate to that situation at all we aren't living in a civil war battle ground. heath ledger is much easily personified in a friend brother cousin husband than any Iraqi citizen could be to the average American. this death made us stop and think" well at least so and so's not dead" or "I'm glad i raised my kids right".
seeing those in high up places fall secures our faith in mediocrity. Its sickly comforting that not everyone who has everything is perfect. we see big flaws drug addictions, mental illnesses and say well at least i don't have that problem. Really its selfish of us to say that because its not your choice you didn't end up the same way because everyone is wired differently and life is mostly situational. at least you can be proud that you had one thing over heath ledger even if your not glamorous. you accomplished something you didn't over dose on sleeping pills yesterday night. you have gotten one thing right that heath ledger and Marilyn Monroe could not and that makes all the difference.
Humans have always had an appetite for the tabloids and its going to effect others. celebrities and common folk alike are tortured over it. maybe people well lose interest in one subject but gossip never stops and we have to move on with our lives and go on to the next big thing. purging all gossip thats unlikely because there are those who like to watch and those who want to be watched. it happens on every platform of visibility.
sure high school gossip sucks but i doubt it ever goes away. I've sat around with my grandma and heard her gossip about old ladies, parents gossip about kids, co-workers gossip everyone does it. gossip is just simple a matter of communicating hard to live by and unwritten social rules. it reminds us why we just don't do what we want independent of others opinions. obviously for some mere gossip isn't enough of a consequence to not partake. to some its one inconvenient part of life to others its a validation of there persona. we need to know whats acceptable and passing on information about another person lets us gauge others responses. we are simply just testing the water for when we fall in.
frankly i think we care more about heath ledgers death than Iraqi citizens because yr more likely to know a troubled young man w/ a drug problem sometime in yr life than yu are the victim of a suicide bombing. Americans CANNOT relate to that situation at all we aren't living in a civil war battle ground. heath ledger is much easily personified in a friend brother cousin husband than any Iraqi citizen could be to the average American. this death made us stop and think" well at least so and so's not dead" or "I'm glad i raised my kids right".
seeing those in high up places fall secures our faith in mediocrity. Its sickly comforting that not everyone who has everything is perfect. we see big flaws drug addictions, mental illnesses and say well at least i don't have that problem. Really its selfish of us to say that because its not your choice you didn't end up the same way because everyone is wired differently and life is mostly situational. at least you can be proud that you had one thing over heath ledger even if your not glamorous. you accomplished something you didn't over dose on sleeping pills yesterday night. you have gotten one thing right that heath ledger and Marilyn Monroe could not and that makes all the difference.
Humans have always had an appetite for the tabloids and its going to effect others. celebrities and common folk alike are tortured over it. maybe people well lose interest in one subject but gossip never stops and we have to move on with our lives and go on to the next big thing. purging all gossip thats unlikely because there are those who like to watch and those who want to be watched. it happens on every platform of visibility.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Research and linking
Feministing.com
the message of the blog is to illustrates how and why feminism is still relevant in todays culutre. posts often high light young activist and teaching feminism to younger generations by making it relevant. the highlighting of media issues like the recent article by Cosmo on "gray rape" was rebutted on feministing with the rebuttal being that if there is no consent, there is rape. in reply to this posting you saw many people sharing thier experience w/ what Cosmo was calling "gray rape" and the hole in Cosmo's argument for a gray area in relationship to forced sexual encounters. the highlighting of false and misleading information in the press is very important for young females because we are bombarded by them all day long.
there is also an abundance of political coverage on feminsting .This blog is a great way to find out what the current administration and political groups in America are doing for and against female equality. The writers of the blog regularly encourage letter writing ,phone calling and emailing campaigns to various political and private entities. activisms is also encouraged by posts about local protests and other opportunities to become involved appearing regularly.
when visiting this blog most often you can expect to come upon educated discussion of the issues at hand. there are few derogatory and useless comments. some thing that contributes to that is this blog has a pretty specific target audience catering to the tastes of most leftist politics and feminist issues. so although i wouldn't suggest this blog to a pro-life , pro-abstinence , conservative, for someone that appreciates feminist issues. its a great resource that i would recommend to find out about issues you may have interest in.
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