Osama bin Laden – DEAD!!

So finally on May 1^st, almost 10 years after the September 11^th attacks the most wanted man in the world was killed by some of our troops. Come to find out our troops had been looking in all the wrong places….bin Laden was in a home instead of in a suspected hole or cave. But either way we finally still got him; this day will go down in history. History textbooks will have to be rewritten and now there is someone else who took the place of America’s number one wanted person. But all of this doesn’t mean we are out of the clear and it hasn’t made the war come to a screeching halt….we killed a very powerful man I am sure was someone to take his place and I am sure his followers want revenge…we constantly have to be on our toes and watching our backs. It is a reason for a huge sigh of relief but also a reason for continued and maybe even more stress.

There have also been rumors that they made it up just so they would get more support…especially Obama because he hasn’t had too much support lately and they think something like this would help him get reelected in the next election. This is crazy and I hope it’s not true…imagine what would happen if it all really was a rumor…sometimes it makes me wonder if this puts Obama at greater risk for assassination.

Question:

How does this make you feel as a citizen of America??

“Do Unto Others as You Would Want Done Unto You”

During last week’s discussion of torture all I could think about was the saying, do unto others as you would want done unto you. I was thinking how does this work with torture because overall we seemed to agree that there can to exceptions for torture. I would think that this creates a double standard which I can’t stand. But anyways I think this is a good saying to live by and it is a good one to teach young children. For example no one wants to be punched, kicked, slapped, etc. so you shouldn’t be doing that to others.

                                                                                     

Question:

Do you always treat others in a way that you would want to be treated??

In response to Jenny’s question, “Have you ever done anything extreme such as sky diving to experience that feeling?”

When I first read this question I thought no but I wish I had the guts too but the more I thought about it I have done a couple things that some people might feel is extreme. I have been parasailing in Hawaii over the ocean and I was actually dipped in the ocean before I was brought in. It was the most amazing feeling, I can’t even describe it but I would definitely do it again. The other thing I did was the free fall thing at the Great Escape and I was the person who pulled the rip cord. At first I didn’t know how to act and I didn’t know how I felt so I closed my eyes and I screamed but then I realized that I was fine. This as well was an awesome experience, I kind of felt like a bird, and I would definitely do this again as well. I have also wondered about how much higher or how much bigger of a drop I could handle.

Question:

Why do we feel we need to do something extreme within our life time? Why do we make “Bucket Lists”??

In response to Kim’s question, “Should people arrange their own funerals before they die?”

I think this is a really strange question…something I would have never thought about on my own. I think in some ways if people did plan their own funerals it would help their family members and friends that they left behind. But funerals are supposed to be a reflection on someone’s life and all the good memories of them. They way family members and friends might remember and might want to respect one of their loved one’s would be different than what the dead person would want. But I also think if my parents told me how they wanted their funeral I would be obligated to do it that way out of respect…and who knows maybe if I didn’t they would haunt me ( I do believe in the afterlife and ghosts, etc.). When answering this question there is another factor that we have to consider; the cost of the funeral….they can be very expensive, so if someone was to plan their own funeral I would think that they should have to leave the necessary money to pay for it because unfortunately many people don’t hold the services they would like to for their loved one’s because of costs.

Question:

How or what do you want to be remembered most for…why??

In response to Katie’s question, “Have you ever tried to stop discrimination?”

Honestly I don’t think I have ever been in a situation where I have tried to stop discrimination. The only thing I could count is lecturing my brothers when they make a racist or other degrading remark; like making fun of people with disabilities or gay’s. But I have chosen my career based on discrimination. I am double majoring in psychology and early education so that I can work as a special education teacher but my ultimate goal is to own and run a therapy ranch for people with disabilities. I think these children who have Down syndrome or autism, bipolar disorder, etc. can be some of the cutest kids in the world. And it drives me insane when people make fun of them because they may seem to be ‘stupid’ or they look different because of their disability or disorder. My argument is everyone has the same stuff inside and we are suppose to look different on the outside that’s what makes us interesting….if we all looked exactly the same that would be really boring. Anyways I want to work with these children because I want to help them realize that they are just as smart and just as important as the quote unquote normal kids….they deserve an equal opportunity and I want to help them to get that.

Question:

How could you use your chosen career to lessen discrimination??

In response to Griffin’s question, “Why do humans feel the need to always have recognition from something superior? Be it god, a boss, or simply one’s role model or hero?”

I think the answer to this question is simple…humans always feel the need to recognized by a superior because of the pressure from society to be recognized for their work. Being recognized and rewarded for something makes us feel good. Think about it you don’t get praise for failing the only thing you get is a lecture and possibly even screaming and yelling…something no one wants. It is a part of our human nature to want attention but for most of us we want positive attention rather than negative attention.

Question:

Why is failure so greatly looked down upon??

In response to Catherine’s question, “Would people look past clothing and more toward personality if uniforms were mandatory for all work places/schools? What are your feelings on uniforms?”

I think if uniforms where mandatory everywhere we probably would focus more on personality rather than looks and this would be a good thing. But uniforms take away from how we have learned to express ourselves and it would be a dramatic change for many. Although some people would find a way to manipulate their uniform to better match how they would like to express themselves. No matter what I think there would be positive and negative outcomes due to uniforms. Personally uniforms aren’t that big of a deal but I would want to have to wear them all the time. I have to wear a uniform for one of my jobs and at first I hated it but over time I have come to not even care about it…although I would still prefer to wear what I am most comfortable in. But uniforms are kind of good because they eliminate a lot of distractions that ‘regular’ clothes can create such as being provocative. But again I suppose there could be ways around this because like in my job where they are required, different types of uniforms particularly the shirts express status…when you become management, as I am, you get more choices. The two levels below management can only wear a red shirt or a blue shirt but when you are management you get to pick out your colored shirts. So I suppose uniforms just like anything else are all a matter of opinion and they can turn into a touchy subject.

Question:

If a college(s) you were considering required a uniform, would that become a deciding factor for you??

In response to Lauren’s question, “Do you think that wanting to torture others is in our nature?”

Unfortunately I think it is a part of our human nature to want to torture others. But lucky I think it is something that is suppressed in the background until it is triggered by something. The reason I think this is because some people get violent for different reasons and for some of us it takes a lot before we actually become violent enough to inflict physical harm on someone else. I suppose it could kind of be consider a survival technique that we all have available to us if we needed it.

Question:

With torture in mind how do you classify self-defense??

War and Torture

Our current discussion about torture has got me thinking even more about the war our country is currently in. Hundreds and thousands of innocent people are dying every day for absolutely no good reason. And this bothers me; I don’t believe it is necessary, I mean how would the people who are killing the innocent feel if someone randomly killed their family.

Something that I think many people forget to think about when discussing war is the physical and emotional/psychological toll it puts on people. Not only does the war have affects on the soldiers fighting in it but it also affects their families and the other innocent people caught in our line of fire. These people constantly have to worry about death and injury, even permanent injury. And this injury doesn’t have to be just physical it can also be psychological. These injuries can include missing a limb or being paralyzed, or something like post traumatic stress disorder. Even the families of the troops are affected. The families go long periods of time without seeing their loved ones. During this time they can experience feelings of loneliness, abandonment, and fear. Families are left to constantly wonder if their loved one will ever come back and if they will come back the way they left them…in one piece.

Question:

Is asking soldiers to go to war a form of torture…for whom??

In response to Kim’s question, “Do you think that certain people do not succeed in life because of a fear of failing?”

Yes I do believe that some people do not succeed because of a fear or failing. I think if you set it in your mind that you are going to fail than you inhibit yourselves from being able to think anything else and thus you will fail. Instead of saying I am going to fail I am going to fail, these people should take after the Little Train that could, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can”.

I also believe that the others fail because they are lazy and or give up. Some people may even purposefully fail just to prove themselves right and the ones who believed in them wrong. Some people may purposely fail so that other will have lesser expectations for them. Honestly I think in many cases it is harder to fail than it would be to pass. I think what people “fail” to realize is in order to succeed all you need is a little bit of effort and confidence.

Question:

Has failure driven you to work harder so you will succeed or has it driven you to give up??

In response to Cameron’s question, “Do you agree that pleasure is born from pain?”

Yes I do agree with this. I believe that in order to know what pleasure is you need to know what pain is first. And I don’t just mean the definition of the two or examples I mean actually personally experience it. It reminds me of the saying, no pain no gain. It also goes along with the saying you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Need to appreciate everything we have before we can say that we want more. I complain a lot but I am constantly telling myself you have nothing to complain about there are people out there who have it a lot worse. This bothers me because these people are experiencing pain every single day while I, myself and others are complaining about everything they have. I think it would be a good experience for everyone to go into a poorer community than the one they live and experience the pain the citizens are experiencing and then we should do something to improve their lives. I think after an experience like this then one would appreciate everything they have ten times more and I think they would complain less; after an experience like this then someone can say they know what pleasure is.

Question:

Must you experience sadness in order to experience happiness??

In response to Katie’s question, “Why are some kids better behaved than other kids?”

Due to the fact that I am a psychology major I suppose my answer to this question could be a bit bias. But I do have two younger siblings, some of my neighbors are kids and I work with kids, so I am surrounded by them. I think there are a number of factors that can be blamed for kids’ behavior but I believe all of them can be tied to the child’s parents.

First of all, thanks to psychology there are four types of parenting styles. They include authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and uninvolved. Authoritative parents emphasis personal growth of the child and flexible dealings with the child but they still maintain high expectations. Authoritarian parents emphasis strict obedience and have high expectations of their children. Permissive parents serve as a resource for their child to use as they wish; they place very few demands on the child. Uninvolved parents are self explanatory….they simply aren’t involved. Again thanks to numerous studies it has been found that the best parenting style is authoritative parenting. The reason for this is because although they are willing to listen to their children and are open to possibly changing their decisions, they don’t let their children walk all over them. They are supportive and understanding of their children but they won’t let them get away with murder.

Others factors which can be related back to the parents are the child’s environment, the type of people they hang out with, and the time of attention they get. I believe even if a child has wonderful parents but they live in a bad neighborhood, they still have to potential to be bad kids. I also believe the opposite is true; if they have horrible parents but live in a wonderful neighborhood they can still turn out to be bad children. I also mentioned attention because of a little girl that I use to teach ballet. She is 7 years old, she was the oldest girl in the class and she was the worsted behaved. The 3 year olds were making better progress than her. She also had a sister who danced, but her sister has a learning disability so her sister got more attention from everyone, not just at dance but also at home. These poor girls have a bad home life; their father isn’t in the picture because he is in jail (and they know it) and their mother is a lesbian (not that I have anything against them…my best friend is a lesbian) and their mother was really sick…the one time that she actually brought them to class she told me that she was fighting cancer. So this poor 7 year old wasn’t getting the attention she needed or wanted. As much as she drove me insane I understand why she acted with way she did. This is a great example of the ever so popular nature/ nurture debate.

Question:

What kind of parenting style do you think your parents had/have?? Do you think you would be different, if they had raised you using a different parenting style??

In response to Lauren’s question, “Do you think that people are “born to be” theists, atheists, or agnostics or does environment and personal experience have more of an effect?”

Based on my experience I would have to say that the environment and personal experience have more of an effect on religious beliefs. As I have said many times before I was born into Christianity but as of about four years ago I no longer practice. The main reason is because of issues with the church.  So I guess a better answer to the question would be you are born into a belief…the belief of your parents….but as you grow up your environment and personal experiences have an effect.

I am pretty sure if my parents weren't divorced then I would have finished my religious classes, I wouldn’t have been offended by what the priest said, and I may even continue to go to church. I also think if my friends practiced then when I was given the option of quitting I might have decided to finish because I only had a year left. But then again I haven’t had anything miraculously happen to me to make me believe that there is definitely a God so maybe I still would have lost faith.  

Question:

Do you believe your religious practices are due to your upbringing by your parents or do you believe you’ve decided on your own??

In response to Julia’s question, “Do you find people more attractive because of their looks or their personalities upon first impression? Most people make an initial impression of someone based on their looks. Do you agree or disagree with this? Why are looks, and not other qualities such as intelligence and compassion, most highly valued in our society?”

Unfortunately, I have to admit that I do base a lot of my first impression on looks but I also take into account personality….good looks don’t make up for being a jerk, at least for me. I like to think that nice looks are just an added bonus. If all you have are looks then you don’t have anything at all.

Again unfortunately, I have to agree with your statement that most people make an initial impression of someone based on their looks. Think about it how often to you see a really “attractive” person with a really not “attractive” person…umm, almost never. Honestly not only is it disappointing but it is sad that we don’t judge our first impressions and base our relationships off of different qualities other than looks.

I think a lot of it has to do with social pressures and pressures from the media. They are always portraying young, skinny, “good” looking people. And for those of us who may not be so good looking they have a solution, whether it’s a new cream, a new exercise, or a new procedure. There are always commercials on for acne creams or washes, like Proactive. Or a show about someone who finally got their happily ever after thanks to their Botox or liposuction procedure. 

Question:

What is your first impression when you see a young female with an elderly man or the opposite, a young male with an elderly woman??....Thanks to the media and stereotypes I bet most people think the younger person in the relationship is in it for the money. Do you agree or disagree??

In response to Jenny’s question, “What do you think people who win the lottery should do with the money to reduce the possibility of ending up in debt?”

I actually have a friend who’s mother won a million dollars thanks to the lottery and she spent it in the snap of a finger and I can guarantee she is in debt, although she doesn’t work and I don’t think her partners would be happy if they were the only one’s providing income. Her one daughter that is in college has had to take out student loans in order to pay for it and the daughter will be the one who has to pay it all back. Although I am sure this will be a lot easier said than done here is what I think should be done with significant lottery winnings…

First of all any debt that already existed prior to winning the lottery should be paid off, including current bills that could be paid off and could be paid in advance. The next thing to do with left over money would be to start a college fund savings account for any kids that the winner has or may plan to have in the future. Then make home improvements (if you have one…or put money way towards a future home) such as windows, roof, painting, additions, etc. After all this if there is any money left take a small amount and go on the shopping spree you always dreamed of, donate to a charity you love, and the rest of it put it in a savings account so it will collect interest and DON’T touch it unless there is an emergency.

Question:

Do you think people who win the lottery for say a million dollars realize because of what gets taken out in taxes they don’t actually get a million dollars, they get a significant amount less??

In response to Samantha’s question, “Why has Facebook become so important in today's society?”

I have very similar feelings about Facebook. I feel it takes up way too much time in my life and although I have been overexposed yet, there is always that fear that it could happen. For the longest time I said I would never get a Facebook, but of course I did. So then when I got it I said I would only use it to stay in touch with friends who have gone away to school or have moved, or family members that aren’t in the area. I also said that I wouldn’t put any pictures on it; they would only come from other people. Well once again, this isn’t the case…I am friends with people I see just about every day and I have uploaded pictures. I also said that my page would be lucky if I looked at it once a week, if that and now I check it at least once every day. And as for comments, yea sometimes I post stuff with the hopes that certain people with see it and either make a comment or says something to me face to face about it….it’s bad I have to agree to some degree I do let it control my life.  

I don’t think it is important in society I think it is an addiction. We always want to know what people are doing and we are always trying to get ourselves involved. One addictive factor for many users is the availability of games…I bet many users feel like they have to play all the time in order to try to beat their high score and others high scores. What’s made it even worse and what I think may make it seem like it is important in society is the fact that now business are using it to promote themselves and there is all sorts of other types of media available through Facebook. It’s as if it has become a search engine for everything and anything.

Question:

How drastically do you think our lives would change if Facebook was shut down?? How “lost” would we be without it??

-In response to Katie’s question, “Is it possible to ever completely stop loving someone you have loved in the past?”

This is a hard question to answer and honestly I think it depends on the reason as to why you “stop” loving someone. For example I think in the case of some divorces you can completely stop loving your ex-spouse. I can help you my mother says all the time she will never love my father again and with everything that she has had to deal with and continues to have to deal with because of him I believe her. When she says for all I care he could fall off the face of the earth I believe her, especially after he has does something wrong. But my Dad on the other hand tries to tell me that there is still that part of him that loves her and always will. Honestly I think he says to try to make my brothers and I feel better but I would rather he not because I feel it’s a lie. But I have never been in a martial relationship and don’t plan on being in one or having any kids for a long time; maybe once I experience marriage and having children my thoughts and feelings about my parents could change.

Personally, I also feel there are those people who no matter what you will always love even if you weren’t in a “romantic” relationship with them. One reason may be because you were able to pursue a romantic relationship with that person and you always wonder what it would be like. My reason for continuing to love someone is because of the great friendship we have developed. We get along and when we do disagree with each other we quickly get over, we can talk to each other about anything and everything at all times of the day, and we can trust each other with these conversations. Due to the type of bond we have developed this person is someone that I am always going to want to stay in touch with; what we are doing in our lives….our relationships, our careers, etc. no matter whether or not it’s good or bad.

Question:

 Does anyone really know what love is?? What is it??

In response to Catherine’s question, “If teachers, cashiers, and other service oriented careers require hygiene, should the people utilizing the services be obligated to be clean as well?”

To bluntly answer your question, YES people who use these services should practice good hygiene as well as the employees, especially when the customers are the ones who complain when an employee isn’t clean. Just like the customers, the employees don’t want to have to try to hold their breath while dealing with a customer who may have bad body odor or bad breath. Another complaint as an employee I have is when customers have dirty hands and try to hand you money…I don’t want to touch that especially when there is lint and hair and dirty and who knows what else mixed in with it. Even people who have dirty clothes or who haven’t brushed their hair or teeth gross me out. If we as employees have to be clean than customers have to be clean too…double standards don’t fly with me at all…when it comes to hygiene there are no exceptions.

Do you feel there are any exceptions to double standards??

In response to Brittney’s question, “Do you think a majority of people want to live this type of lifestyle? Why do others cling to material objects that serve no purpose? What about hoarders?”

I am the same way I keep just about everything and then come spring/summer and winter I have a major clean up…I go through every inch of my room. I think the majority of people don’t want to live a cluttered life; it just may appear this way because they don’t know how to stay organized. Another reason as to why it might appear this way is because people don’t know how to let go…they put a sentimental value on everything even when they serve no purpose. Sometimes people just don’t know how to let go. Some people have the mindset that even though something can’t be used now they can probably find a use for it in the future.

Hoarders usually aren’t organized and don’t know how to let go there is usually an underlying reason. Many times they keep things because of something that happened during their childhood or to help fill the feeling of emptiness. There is actually a show called Hoarders. This week’s episode is about a women who when she was in high school she only had 2 skirts, a sweater, and 2 blouses and she always wanted to be able to have a variety of clothes to choose from so as a result she has become a hoarder. Another example from the show is a who was a single mother and after all her children moved out she felt very lonely and as a result she started hoarding to try to make up for the loneliness. Also hoarders unlike “typical” people can’t let go.

How do you think people who are dirty and live a cluttered life find this type of lifestyle acceptable??

Manswers

For those of you who don’t have a clue as to what I am talking, Manswers is a show where viewers can submit any type of questions they can think of and then the show answers the questions. As you may or may not be able to infer many of the questions are from men about women or other “man” related topics. The questions that are asked can be very funny to very sexist. Whenever I watch it all I can think is “oh my god, guys think of some really weird stuff”. Although I am sure if there was a show can Womanswers men would be think the same thing.

Do you think shows like this and others similar to it are sexist or should people who are offended by it, should just not watch it???

Patriotism vs. Nationalism

Does anyone really know the difference? Is there a difference? As far as I am concerned the answer is no. Patriot is defined as one who loves and zealously supports one’s own country, according to Webster’s Dictionary. Also according to Webster, nationalism is defined as devotion to one’s nation; patriotism or the advocacy/support of national independence. See what I mean; what’s the difference expect the wording? And notice how the word patriotism is used in the definition of nationalism? Even the Microsoft Encarta Thesaurus lists the two as synonyms of each other. So how can we be expected to know a difference if the almighty dictionary and thesaurus doesn’t list them as different. To me it doesn’t matter, according to the article we read by Jenson I am an internationalist and in reality I think most of us are. I just don’t see how anyone can say they are being loyal to their country when they don’t agree with everything it is doing. And for people who participate in overseas business exchanges I don’t see how they can only be loyal to their country because they must also respect the country they are doing business with in order to continue doing business. I think you can still be considered supportive to your country even if you support another country (like in the case that you had to move). I only think this becomes controversial when they are fighting against each other. If this were to happen it would raise many questions such as who do you choose or don’t you.

Question:

Do you believe that in order to be considered completely loyal to your country you have to be willing to physically fight for it??

In response to Lauren’s question, “Do you think acceptance for different body modifications will continue to grow for the work environment?”

As much as I don’t want to say this and hope that it isn’t true, absolutely. More and more people are having some kind of body modification done. As a result the more people to do it, the more pressure there is on those who aren’t doing it to start.  Also because of the pressure from society including the work force people who have body modifications feel like they need more. Unfortunately many people have gone so far that they aren’t beautiful or handsome anymore, to the point where they looked better before they did anything. It is like everyone has become blind and now they are unable to see true natural beauty; instead they only know how to see what they want to see. I think many people are forgetting that beauty doesn’t always have to be on the outside; many times it is inside the person. And those of us who haven’t become blind have developed an eye that detects that fakeness or in other words the modifications. People are pushing it too far especially because of the health hazards involved. Unfortunately for now I think the push for body modifications will grow but I hope that in the near future the opposite becomes true.

Question:

Do you think doctors will get to the point where they refuse to perform body medications??

In response to Israel’s questions, “Do you feel as if we HAVE to label ourselves an agnostic, atheist, or theist? Do you think that sometimes in philosophy discussion, there is too much of a need to be technical and abiding?”

To answer the first question, NO. It shouldn’t matter what we believe in, if anything, and thus there should be no requirement to label ourselves. Labels just give us a reason to argue against one another. If we could get rid of the labels life would less stressful because many of the unnecessary arguments would be eliminated. Now I may be thinking to the extreme but without labels racism and segregation and stereotypes would also be technically eliminated, which would stop a lot of the fighting and other violence. But this would never happen because of how bound we are as a species to be constantly labeling everyone and everything.

To answer the second question, yes I agree. To me in philosophy there is no need to come up with a direct answer; it is okay for something to be deceiving. Philosophy is just options, thoughts, and beliefs, thus no one can ever be wrong (although some people will argue that one’s options can be wrong).  I also agree with the comment from your blog that many times it does seem like people are arguing just for the sake of argue not only in philosophical discussions but about anything. To me this isn’t necessary and at times it becomes annoying.

Question:

Why do you think we always feel the need to put ourselves in categories, and if someone isn’t in a category why are we so quick to place them in one??

In response to Cameron’s question, “Is it ok to be selfish on the path to your dreams if your dream is an altruistic one?”

First I want to say this is a great question…good play on words.

Before anyone can answer this question first they have to decide what selfishness is. To me selfishness is when you don’t consider others in your actions especially when these other people are near. But I also feel not everything you do in the absence of consideration for others is selfish. Many times our actions are performed with consideration of others just the consideration may be unconscious. Usually if you go back and think about something you did you can come up with a reason as to how or why it was considerate of others but then there are times when you can’t.

For example many times one of my family members including myself will be in the kitchen getting ourselves a drink and we don’t offer each other a drink even when they are right there. Or if we are pouring ourselves a drink and someone ask us if they can have some they reply with a no. This is a classic example for my brothers (note they are both younger) if they are pouring a drink or popping some popcorn and I ask if I can have some they always reply, “no, get it yourself, get your own, were not your slave, you have two legs” and on and on and on. Now these are examples of selfishness but I don’t believe they will affect the path way to our dreams and goals.

So to answer your question I guess it depends on the degree of selfishness and whether or not if the act just appeared selfish rather than actually being selfish. So I suppose yes to some degree I would agree it is ok to be a little selfish to achieve your altruistic goals and dreams.

Question:

What is your definition of selfishness….how does it affect what you consider to be a truly selfish act??

In response to Mariah’s question, “If beauty is really in the eye of the beholder, why do you think that people go to such extremities to modify themselves?”

I believe the main reason why so many go to such extremes to modify themselves into something that they think is beautiful is due to the pressure from the media and their social environment. No matter where you go there are always advertisements for the next new beauty treatment such as new make-up that’s actually good for your skin, new pimple treatments, anti-aging treatments, ways to straighten and whiten your teeth, etc. etc. etc. Even in the work environment there is pressure to be beautiful. Many times people who are viewed as more beautiful even if they are less qualified are hired over the person viewed as less beautiful. These pressures not only apply to women but also to men to be handsome. Hygiene and physical weight (which are both a part of appearance) are also big factors. You wouldn’t believe how many times  at my work comments have been made about other employees or customers such as, “it’s called a toothbrush and toothpaste”, “some water and soap would be nice”, “does so and so know how to use a brush with their hair?”, etc. etc. We have been taught through the media and for most of us our parents since the day we were born anyone who smells, is dirty, has crooked, dirty, smelling teeth (if they even still have teeth), dirty clothes or torn clothes, messy hair, etc. is gross and thus they are ugly.   

Question:

Although hygiene is very important do you think it is right to discriminate people in the workforce based on beauty instead of qualifications??

Theism, Agnostic, or Atheism….Who Cares?

We can all agree that theism is the belief that a God or Gods exist, atheism is the belief that any God or Gods are non-existent, and agnostic is somewhere in the middle. We established in class that being agnostic could mean that you might believe or you might not and/or you may not have a clue.

Personally I would say I am agnostic. I was raise as a Christian and thus to believe in a God. After some issues with the church (a long story I believe I already told) I no longer practice. Also thanks to science being a requirement in school I have come to believe in scientific reason; proof that you can actually see and touch. But occasionally I still talk or pray to God and sometimes I wonder whether or not I should start going to church again. The reason why I say I am agnostic is because I am really unsure and I really don’t care. I don’t understand how anyone can believe in a God when there is physical evidence as to how something’s happened. But then again I suppose I couldn’t believe in things like destiny and fate if it wasn’t for a God. So as you can see I am stuck in the middle but normally I don’t think about it and let it run my life; to me it’s not that important and it doesn’t really matter.

Question:

Why are we so worried about “fence riders”…is it really that important for them to choose a side?? Many times it is the fence riders that open us up to things that we normally wouldn’t see if we were completely on one side…the fence riders get to see it both ways….what is wrong with that??

 

Industry and Cancer… Makes Me Sick

I recently just watched a movie in one of my other class’ about Cancer Valley. For those of you who may not know what Cancer Valley is, it is all the communities along the Mississippi River. Within these communities hundreds of big name companies, such as Shell and other gas and oil companies, etc., have built factories along the river and it is believed that they realize their chemicals not only into the air but also the river. As a result many citizens, including children have developed tumors that have been diagnosed as cancer. Much of the cancer has been rare types. Many people have died as a result and for those who have survived have had the cancer come back or they have been left with a permanent developmental disorder. Watching this movie was so hard to the point I was tempted to walk out. This is so WRONG and it bugs the crap out of me because it hits home.

First of all the middle school in my home town was closed down a few years ago mainly because of structural issues but also because there was/is asbestoses in the ceiling tiles (which were/are falling). While I was a student there one of my teachers developed a brain tumor (this teacher is healthy now). Since then a number of other teachers have been diagnosed with similar cancers. And I am sure if they went back they would find out that many of the older and retired staff and students have had or have cancer. Now maybe it’s just me but, hello, asbestoses in the ceiling, teachers developing cancer…I am pretty sure there is a relationship here. But wait this isn’t even the catch yet…come fall they are going to reopen the school so necessary repairs and additions can be done to the high school so it can better accommodate the high school and middle school and thus because of the time involved  the high school is being temporarily closed. They claim they are going to fix up the middle school enough so it is safe but I am pretty sure they haven’t started anything yet and well, there is only so much you can do in a summer.

Another example…a high school only a town away from the college was built on top of an old airport runway…actually at least one airplane hangar is still intact. Anyways the chemicals from the planes leaked and seeped into the drinking water supply that the school uses. And yup you guessed it a number of factually and students have developed cancer. The alumni that I know who developed cancer developed a very rare type of cancer to the point where specials from all over had to be brought in to treat him. And to make matter worse this kid already had a tough life sense birth (he is now in his mid 20’s). So the catch here…he decided that he was going to do something about this. He did a bunch a research and began to take the necessary steps to hopefully get something done about this. Well guess what….after a certain point the authorities cut him off and no longer would help him.

Also in Berkshire County GE built its factor along the Hudson River and released PCP’s into the water. As a result many of GE’s former employees and other people in the area have developed cancer. For once there is actually being something done about this but it is very expensive and very time consuming…they are attempting to clean the river. But I believe within a five year period they have only been able to clean about half of a mile of the contaminated river….this is simply not fast enough.

And one more example for you… Just bearably over two years ago my grandmother (the only biological grandparent I had left) passed away due to cancer. It was all over her body and only two months after she was diagnosed she ended up in the hospital until she died. Now when she was younger she worked in a wire factory where there were many chemicals…it was even said you could see them falling in the air. Although it wasn’t proven we are pretty sure there is a relationship between the factory and the cancer.

Every time I turn around I am hearing about another person dying of cancer. And obviously there is cancer in my family history on both sides. But the scariest part is I went to that middle school for three years…so how have I been affected. (Please excuse my language) this is completely unacceptable BS and it really bothers me (as if you couldn’t tell this is the longest post I have ever done) that there isn’t much being done about it.

Question:

                                                                                                

Why is it that morals and ethics seem to be pushed aside when industries produce these harmful chemicals?? Why are we still letting this happen?? When will it stop….how can we make this stop??

In response to Julia’s question, “So are you more likely to donate to a cause if you have been through such a situation yourself? Why does it always seem that though you may help others while they are in need, when the time comes for you to get help, no one will give it to you? Are you more likely to be more “charitable” after such a thing happens?”

I definitely believe you are more likely to donate to a cause if you have been through a similar situation or have depended on the charity before. I think many people feel they are obligated to, more or less pay, back the charity for everything they did and continue to do. I work at a McDonald’s and we always have the little cans for the Ronald McDonald House put sometimes we sell hands and hearts too. When we do this I get some people who tell me about how much the Ronald McDonald House helped them so they will always donate.

As for why it seems like when there comes a time when you need help no one is willing I have no idea as to why this is. All I know is it is oober disappointing and annoying. It also causes me to develop a very negative attitude….it makes me think , “that person better not ever ask me for a hand out”. I think it would be interesting to see if there is any research being done or already done on the reason for this.

I believe the last question ties into your first one as well. Again if you have received helped from someone you are more likely to help them in return. As for whether or not you become more “charitable” if it seems like no one helps I am not so sure this is always the case. Some people may do this because they may think that if they help more and others see that they help more they think they will be respected more and thus get more in return. Or if they develop more of a negative attitude like in the example above they may become less likely to donate.

Question:

Why do you think it is that so many people think that in order to be altruistic you have to donate to a charity??

In response to Samantha’s question, “Why does music generate or invoke certain emotions in the listener?”

Music can generate or invoke emotions in the listener for a couple different reasons. One reason might be the song triggers memories, such as people and events. These different memories would then most likely be the reason for the emotions.  For example if you and your partner have/ had a song together than every time you heard that song you would not only be reminded of the person and some of the different events you were at together when that song was playing. My friend who pasted away about a year ago use to play the piano so whenever I heard a song that he use to play I always think of him and although it may make me smile it makes me sad too because e isn’t here anymore.

Another reason why it may seem like the music we listen to generates different emotions is because we choose the type of music we listen to based on how we feel and these songs just make theses emotions even stronger. For example many people when they break up with someone usually listen to love songs because they are upset. Another example would be is usually when people are happy they listen to more fast pace and upbeat music. I know this is true for me and when I am upset with my dad I listen to the song titled “Father of Mine” by Everclear. It all depends on how you use music to cope.

Question:

What about smells that generate memories and emotions??

In response to Catherine’s question, “Do parents have the right to refuse medical treatment to their children if they have religious reasoning for it?”

Religious beliefs and parental rights regarding a child’s medical treatment is a very touchy area. I believe that it depends on the condition of the child. If the doctor thinks the child can heal or become healthy again without the condition worsening and with the lack of treatment then the parents should have rights. But when it comes to things like cancer this is when there is a lot of controversy. I believe if the child has a life threatening condition then the doctor should have the right to overrule the parents or if the child is old enough to understand what is happening the child should have the right to decide whether or not he wants treatment. Either way there are still some problems to work out. For example if the doctor or the child overrides the parents who is responsible for the bill. Also I can guarantee that for the doctor it would raise some ethical issues. So no matter what I don’t believe there is a good solution to this problem because it will just lead to more problems all which could lead to a court date. But I believe if the government intervened people would still have problems. All I know is that if it was me I could not watch a child die no matter what the situation…it’s just wrong!

Question:

Do how you feel about the government intervening when it comes to this issue??

In response to Lauren’s question, “Why do you think some people would want to know their future, when they die, etc.?”

I think one possibility isn’t so much that they want to know their future but that they think it interesting that people believe that they can predict the future. Thus they get their fortunes told to compare what the fortune teller told them to what actually happens to them.

But for those who really do want to know what lies ahead in their future I believe there are a couple different reasons for this. One reason might be because they want to know what to expect and they want to be able to prepare for it the best way that they can. Many people are planners and they have a list of things that they want to accomplish by a certain time in life or just life in general. A great example of this is the movie called the Bucket List. Many people when they know they are going to die they make a “bucket list” with the hopes of being able to check off each item on the list before their death.

Another reason people may want to know their future such like when they are going to die or any other negative down points in their life so that they can try to change them. People may think that if they know the future they can make better decisions that will hopefully lead them to a better outcome than what was predicted. For example if you were told that you were going to die in a terrible car accident on such and such a day wouldn’t you avoid motor vehicles at all cost that day. I know I would to me getting in a car or walking near vehicles that day would be just as day as putting the gun to your own head. But then again there are those dare devils you would purposely go for a drive that day just to see if it really happened.

I am sure there are many more different reasons why people want to know their future, such as for things like who will they end up with if anyone, will they get married and have kids, how successful will they be in their careers, etc., etc. But now it’s my turn to be a smart guy and flip the question on you….

Question:

Why do you think there are people who don’t want to know anything about their future??

In response to Brittany’s question, “If your life were suddenly free from a constricting time schedule, do you think you would get more done? Would your stress level decrease or increase?”

Sometimes I believe that if there was ever a day without time it would be amazing. As for getting stuff done…forget…I would enjoy this time to relax (maybe finally get caught up on some sleep). And if this were the case I believe my stress level would definitely decrease. Then again I am always saying how there aren’t enough hours in the day so if there wasn’t a time schedule I could accomplish a ton…maybe instead of just getting caught up with school work and all the other things I do I could actually get ahead for once. And again if this were the case I believe that my stress levels would decrease. But there is a good possibility that my stress levels could increase. One reason for this might be because I would never know when anything was due and I would constantly be freaking out that I’ll miss the deadline. Also I would always be wondering if I was spending too much time on something and not enough time on something else. I may even continue to worry that I would be late to certain events even though there isn’t a time schedule. So I am really not sure as to how the lack of a time schedule would affect me but I do believe it would be a very interesting experiment to do.

One of my professors told over in I believe places like China there really isn’t a time schedule. He said in the schools there aren’t any bells signaling the start and end of classes. For example in colleges classes don’t have a set ending time. The reason for this is because they feel it is wrong to not finish teaching a topic and having to pick it up at the next meeting. So classes are as long as it takes to cover the material planned for that day. I found this very interesting because what about their other classes, they are just as important. It made me very interested in how their class “schedules” must look.

Question:

Do you think it is right to leave class without finishing a topic or would it be better if we stayed in class until all the material for that topic was taught???

Salvation Army Bell Ringing

While I was in high school one of the things I was told over and over again was that many schools require community service. So to help us fulfill this requirement they offered a community service club which was called the Leo Club...like the Lions Club. Through the year Leo Club would offer many different community service projects that you could sign up for....some of these included volunteering at pancake breakfasts, spaghetti suppers, going Christmas shopping for families in need, bell ringing, car wash, etc, etc. To keep track of your community service you would be given an hour for every hour you participated…for bell ringing because it was always freezing you would get two hours for every hour you participated. And when you graduated whoever had the most hours in the class you get a special reward or scholarship but I believe all the members received some kind of scholarship. Although it sounds like once you joined you had to participate in something this is not the case, you just benefitted more if you did. I know how many students that were a part of the Leo Club who didn’t participate in any community service opportunities.

So one of the very popular activities we did every year was helped the Salvation Army with their bell ringing during the holiday season outside the front of the local Wal-Mart. But as I mentioned above it never failed no matter what day you signed up for it was always freezing and the blowing wind didn’t help. Not only that sometimes the bells would break. Plus it was really disappointing if you didn’t get that many donations. But in the end it was rewarding because you knew that whatever money you did raise was going to help someone. I can’t say this is true for everyone but at least for me it also made me think of the less fortunate and made me realize how good I have and how much more I should appreciate what I do have. Although I was shivering and wished I could be inside someplace warm I enjoyed my experience and it made me happy.

Question:

Why do you think people take for granted what they have and complain all the time, wishing they had more and something better…why do people so easily forget about the less fortunate (like the poor starving children when we throw away food like it’s no big deal)???

In response to Jenny's question, "How do you think psychics work? "

This is an interesting question you raised and to be honest with you I have no idea. I have never been to a psychic and I don't know if I believe in them.

I do think it would be interesting to go to one just to see what they say and see if in the future that's what really happens but this could raise some problems....

First I think if the psychic predicted wrongly they would lose a lot of business. But here is the real problem what if you alter your choices because of what you were told. Some people may to everything in their power to make what the psychic said come true. While others might do the opposite and try to do everything they can to make what was said not come true.

Question:

How to we account for wrong psychic predictions??

In response to Kim's question "Why do people, like myself, enjoy looking and reading things about the supernatural even if they do not believe?"

Although I don't have a good answer to this question I can give a couple possibilties but be warned they may come off as bias because I do believe in supernatural events.

One possibility might be because its just interesting. Maybe you find it interesting to come up with different ways as to how these pictures have come about.

Another possibility may be that you just want to prove to yourself that you really don't believe in the supernatural.

I really don't know there could be a variety of reasons but like I said those are just some possibilities.

My mother has a friend whose father owned a plane and he died in a plane crash trying to come get them in a nasty storm. After the funeral they had the little get together at the father's house and someone took a picture of his bedroom window. When they took the picture there wasn't anyone in the house and the person didn't see anything. But after the picture was developed in the window of the bedroom was a human figure...now for those of you non-believers you might say it was dust in the lens or something happened when it got developed, etc. Well just to finish the story they sent the picture away to be looked at and the people said it could be his ghost.

Although I haven't seen the picture I think it is awesome. I find anything with ghost very interesting and I think it would be cool to have an interaction with a ghost. But if I was to tell a non-believer than they would just say it's hearsay.

So here's my question (I also raised it in class)...

If we were to get more evidence and were able to scientifically prove some supernatural thing does that make it no longer supernatural....is it now part of the natural world??

So the saying goes....

So the saying goes what they don't know won't hurt them. This saying also reminds me of the question; if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it does it make a sound? But I want to concentrate on the first saying for this blog entry.

In many ways I believe the saying is true...how can someone(s) be hurt by something if they don't know about it. I am sure all of us have at leeast one thing that we have kept from our parents because we were and maybe still are afraid of what their reaction would be along with the consequences. I know I fall into this category and many times when speaking to someone we can tell we either defend ourselves saying "what they don't know won't hurt them" or the person we are talking to tells us this. I am 99.9% positive that if my parents and others knew some of my secrets our relationship would be totally different and probably not in a better way. So yes sometimes I depend on this saying.

But what happens if they are suspicious and they start finding "clues" or hearing things and end up finding out your secret anyways then what? Honestly I don't know and I am afraid to find out because like I said above the reason for keeping something a secret in the first place was because of fear of the consequences. Personally I think that if they did find out it would hurt them and it would probably hurt them more than had they been told truthfully up front. It could also hurt the person keeping the secret even more because the consequences could be worse than what they would have been and it could ruin the relationship even more. So in this case what someone doesn't know could end up hurting them.

Question:

What do you think....does the saying, "what they don't know won't hurt them" hold true???

Destination...

Yesterday in class when we brought up destination the first thing that popped into mind was the Final Destination movie series...

For those of you, who don't know what I am talking about the concept of all the movies is that death has pre-determined who is going to die and when and how it will happen. But one of the twist is that there is one person in the group that can see what death has determined. So the group uses this person who can more or less see the "future" to cheat death. Although they can be very grusome movies I find it very interesting to see how when these people are successful in cheating death how death alters it's plan and still tries to get you at another time.

When I first watched these movies and any movie for that matter I don't notice the philosophy and other lessons, subject matter, etc. that is included. (Then again up until this semester I didn't really know that much about philosophy). In many movies they include the nature nutrture debate, fatalism, determinism, destination, etc, etc.

Question:

I am sure you can think of other movies or tv shows that include philosophical ideas but can you think of any that don't include these ideas??

How do you feel about including these ideas in the media, which influences people everyday??