cwalterswrite

Overall Reflection On Blogging Through The Semester

2006-05-08T11:39:00.000-04:00

I've looked through most of the blogs I have written throughout the semester and noticed most of them were revisions of philosophy work I have done, as well as music and poetry. This might seem a bit unrelated, but I don't really think so. I've actually learned something about myself for what it's worth. (The philosophical nature of music as it relates to the poetic structure of its lyrics, perhaps?) Through all of this I've been able to revise philosophical views I've previously written which have given me fresh insights. I've looked more deeply into the music which is the inspiration for quite a bit of my poetry, and I've drawn out the philisophical viewpoints of a few of my favorite artists. All in all I think without realizing it I've focused on these things for a reason. That reason is because my passion for music, poetry and philosophical thinking is my way of describing who I am as a person. I don't think I would have realized this had I not been required to do these blogging exercises and I can honestly say I am glad for it. (I know I swayed quite a bit from what was originally recomended for our blogs, but I think I gained more from doing so. I might suggest requring blogging for future classes, but giving students more leeway as far as what they write, then requiring an overall reflection of what they're entries tell them about themselves as people and as writers at the end. Maybe that was the original point of this whole exercise, maybe not. Either way I feel I have taken something away from this class and gained a new insight on myself both as a writer and as a person. Thank you.)

Song Critique - Ani Difranco "32 Flavors"

2006-05-07T23:34:00.000-04:00

"thirty two flavors"

squint your eyes and look closer
i'm not between you and your ambition
i am a poster girl with no poster
i am thirty-two flavors and then some
and i'm beyond your peripheral vision
so you might want to turn your head
cause someday you're going to get hungry
and eat most of the words you just said
both my parents taught me about good will
and i have done well by their names
just the kindness i've lavished on strangers
is more than i can explain
still there's many who've turned out their porch lights
just so i would think they were not home
and hid in the dark of their windows
till i'd passed and left them alone
and god help you if you are an ugly girl
course too pretty is also your doom
cause everyone harbors a secret hatred
for the prettiest girl in the room
and god help you if you are a phoenix
and you dare to rise up from the ash
a thousand eyes will smolder with jealousy
while you are just flying past
i'm not trying to give my life meaning
by demeaning you
and i would like to state for the record
i did everything that i could do
i'm not saying that i'm a saint
i just don't want to live that way
no, i will never be a saint
but i will always say
squint your eyes and look closer
i'm not between you and your ambition
i am a poster girl with no poster
i am thirty-two flavors and then some
and i'm beyond your peripheral vision
so you might want to turn your head
cause someday you might find you're starving
and eating all of the words you said

I was introduced to Ani's music through a good friend. At first I thought her songs were too mellow and light which is generally not my type of music. However, after I listened to this song I completely changed my mind. I found "32 Flavors" to be as deep as it is inspiring. One message I got out of this song is pretty much a philosophy I've always held. No matter who you are, society can always find a way to try to bring you down, but it's up to you to prove them wrong. Don't try to be anything other than what you are and focus on the things that make you unique. Eventually you will surpass everyone's expectations and they'll end up eating their words- which to me is all the gratification I would need.

Society...

2006-05-06T23:34:00.000-04:00

I was eating dinner with my parents in a rather pricey Japanese Steakhouse last night when I realized our society causes people, especially high school girls, to feel the need to behave a certain way around boys in order to conform to a certain image. There was a group of high school students seated across from us who were on their way to the prom. I watched in amusement as the two girls hardly touched their meals which probably cost around $30 each, while the boys cleaned their plates, and then commenced to pick at what was on the girls' plates. The girls were both obscenely thin, so I'm sure a good meal wouldn't have hurt either one of them. However, because of the social stigma placed on women in America today to stay as thin as possible, it is most likely that the thought of actually eating their food never occured to them. Some people may refute my idea by saying they may have just been nervous. I'll say that perhaps this might have been a factor, but if you look around, it is very obvious that women today are under a great deal of pressure to be as thin as possible. Our role models over the years have transformed from people such as Marilyn Monroe, who by today's standards would have been condsidered to be full figured, to Twiggy, to the supermodels who slink down the catwalks of todays fashion runways. This trend produces unhealthy eating patterns in women who feel that in order to be beautiful they must starve themselves down to an "ideal" weight.

Near Death Experiences In Children

2006-05-05T23:24:00.000-04:00

I was sitting in the doctor's office looking at a copy of Reader's Digest when I noticed an article on the near death experiences of children. I thought it was interesting that the doctors who studied these cases were able to determine that the children, who ranged in ages 5-17, were in fact having near death experiences and were not just simply hallucinating. However, the question this brought to my mind was that of religion. The article said that the children all described very similar occurences. What I was wondering was whether or not these children all had similar religious backgrounds. The article said they used children's experiences because they did not have the same fear of sharing their experiences as an adult would have. They were less tainted by the world and the social implications of what they were telling the doctors. This may be true, but most children are exposed to religion at a very young age. This leaves me wondering if the doctors had patients who they knew for a fact were raised, for example, Christian, Pagan, Hindu, and Athiest, would they all report similar experiences? The ultimate question this leads up to is if these experiences are sufficient evidence of an afterlife, and if so, which religion is correct in their guidance to this afterlife? I have always been fascinated with these types of studies and I think there is still much more to learn.

Poem

2006-05-04T23:27:00.000-04:00

How much longer
Do I have to wait
To know for sure if everything
I have been working towards
Is going to blow up in my face?

I've held on for so long
Believing in you
Telling myself as long as I stay true
You'll be with me and nothing will go wrong

But the days are growing colder now
And the nights are growing longer
I've waited for eternity
I can't wait any longer

New temptations are calling me
And you're not there
To keep me feeling whole
There are some days
Where I just don't know

If I should let him turn my head
Or if I should just quickly pass
And keep straight ahead
You won't let me know
How you really feel
You won't tell me what I want to know
When all I ask
Is if this is real...

Final Soc. Abstract

2006-05-03T23:00:00.000-04:00

It is apparent that crime is socially constructed and that because of this, people view crime, as well as justice, in different ways. For instance, one person might view a crime such as a murder in which the criminal used a gun differently than another person. According to Kleck (2001) many people are inclined to make the assumption that because the criminal was allowed access to a gun, he was able to murder somebody with it, and that stricter gun laws would have prevented this crime. However, Kleck (2001) points out the idea that this conception of guns and the resulting fatalities from people having access to them is out of proportion. He asserts that it is actually the case that there would be more harm done if anti-gun laws were enforced because a criminal is not apt to follow the laws anyway, thus, these laws would simply be leaving the victim without an equal means of protection.
Barak, Flavin, and Leighton (2001) reinforce the idea of the social construct of crime. They assert that the criminal justice system, as well as who is defined as a criminal is based upon social labels and that these labels are a “product of moral agents”. They also bring to light the fact that people often see people who are like them, (their same race, age, gender, and social status) as being less likely to be a threat than someone who does not fit into the same category as the person making the judgment. These ethnocentric views on crime and deviance often times affect how people relate to each other. If people view others who they feel are the same as them as being less likely to be violent, or criminal, then it is more likely that they will feel tension around and perhaps hostility towards people who they do not view as being their equals (Barak, Flavin, and Leighton 2001). Another issue Barak, Flavin, and Leighton (2001) bring up is that certain ethnic groups are more likely to be socially criminalized than others. For example, they use the image of the African-American women who trade sex for crack. They suggest it is more socially acceptable to perceive this image as true due to the social construct of crime than it would be to perceive the image of a middle-class white woman snorting cocaine (Barak, Flavin, and Leighton 2001).

Honesty as a Virtue

2006-05-02T22:19:00.000-04:00

An important moral virtue which Aristotle does not discuss in his Nicomachean Ethics is honesty. The moral virtue of honesty would require a man to tell the truth about everything all of the time. His honesty would have to be his prime virtue. Thus, it would have to override all of his other virtues. An honest man would be expected to put everything aside for the sake of his honesty. If he were to even exaggerate the truth, then he could not be considered an honest man. If he considers honesty to be a moral virtue, then for him to lie would be immoral. A man who is honest would then be considered a moral person. Thus, if he is a moral person, he must then be considered to be a good man. Although, even if he is a good man, he would even be required to be completely honest even if his honesty were to cause harm to others.
For example, if a friend were to ask him for advice, he would have to give a completely honest opinion even if he knew what he had to say would hurt his friend. Another example of this would be if he were to find out that a friend had stolen something and the friend was being sought by the authorities. Because he is an honest man, if he were to be questioned about his knowledge of the crime, he would be obligated to tell the truth. Although in these situations, it may seem as though the man should spare his friend’s feelings, or his friend’s freedom, he could not be considered an honest man if he did so.

From this I have gathered that honesty is a complex idea. What does it mean to be honest and how can you go about being honest without being crass? Do you have to sacrifice one for the other? Which is more important, being completely honesty, or being tactful? It's hard to do both because if you're completely honest, many times you can not avoid hurting somebody's feelings, yet, if even if you are tactful, you risk sugar coating the truth.

Soc Abstract on Deviance

2006-05-01T23:21:00.000-04:00

Inequality is a major issue and can be found in any stage within the criminal justice system. A major form of inequality is seen regarding who even gets arrested for a crime. For example, as Chambliss () notes, two different groups of people, in this case the “Roughnecks” and the “Saints”, can commit basically the same types of crimes, at the about the same rates, and have completely different arrest rates. Chambliss () finds that because of their higher status within the community, the deviance of the “Saints” although equal to that of the “Roughnecks” went almost unnoticed. The fact that the “Saints” were involved in numerous school organizations, had high GPA’s and were known to come from families who were financially stable, they were not seen as deviant, rather they were seen as simply kids who were “having a good time” (Chambliss). This idea of class inequality can also be seen in terms of race. Many people of color are of a lower class and therefore are many times punished differently from the white middle and upper class. As seen in Seigal (), there are what are considered to be “race-specific” crimes. These crimes, such as drug crimes for example, are punished more harshly when they are committed by people of color rather than when they are committed by whites. This fact can almost certainly be related to the idea that deviance is related to social norms ().
People of a lower socioeconomic status are more closely watched because they are assumed to be the ones most likely to go against the norms of society due to their lack of resources. Even if this is not necessarily the case, due to inequality and bias, the criminal justice system is more likely to single out such people, as did the police in regard to the “Roughnecks” (Chambliss), because of their lower status. Inequality is also a major concern in the administration of the death penalty. For example, many people who are in fear of receiving the death penalty will claim insanity. If a person is deemed insane, or it is found that the person was not mentally stable at the time he or she committed a crime, they are more likely to be put into rehabilitation than they are to receive the death sentence. This is a cause for concern because as Rosenhan () points out, it is almost impossible to detect a truly sane person from an insane person. This causes problems in that almost anyone can plead to insanity as a way to avoid the death penalty. On the other end of the spectrum, simply because anyone can plead to being insane as a reason for why they should not be put to death for their crime, does not mean that each person will be judged fairly and be thoroughly examined for signs of mental instability. Because of the way our social structure is set up, and because of the inequality among races in the criminal justice system, it is presumably more likely for a white middle class person to be able to successfully use this defense than for a lower class person of color. This creates an issue because the main reason most people oppose the death penalty, according to Bedau (), is because it is inhumane. This supports the fact that people of color are more likely to receive a harsher sentence for the same crime that a white person commits.
This is a major issue regarding the inequality of the criminal justice system because the death penalty is the one form of punishment which is irrevocable (Bedau). The reason this is such a big issue in terms of inequality is because people are judged unfairly, there have been numerous cases where people are put to death, then years after the person’s execution, new evidence surfaces which concludes that the person was actually innocent. Unlike incarceration, where the person can simply be released, the death penalty can not be taken back. It is the ultimate form of punishment for which there is no retribution if it is found to be administrated unjustly.

Norm Violation

2006-04-30T23:36:00.000-04:00

Our social norm violation was that we went up to people we did not know in Estes and asked them how they felt about female orgasms. We received a variety of responses which ranged from laughter to absolute repulsion. In general, the women felt more uneasy about bein asked about this than the men. Men generally laughed and said "it rocks". With one couple we asked, the woman was compeltely offended. She yelled at us and asked us why we would ask her something like that while she was eating and she was not going to answer our question because she felt it was "inapropriate". On the other hand, one group of women we asked appeared shocked at first, but then were able to respond in a positive manner.
We chose this as our norm violation because sex in general is a taboo subject, and the female orgasm is an especially taboo topic. People do not generally consider the female orgasm when they talk about sex, which caused most of the people we spoke to to be caught completley off guard to the point where they didn't know how to respond. When there was a mand and a woman in the group, the guy was more likely to respond, and the woman would generally agree with whatever the man said. However, when we spoke with the woman who responded by being offended, we noticed that she spoke up after the mand did not respond. We assume that this reaction was due to the fact that she felt that if she responded to our question in a postitive manner, he might view her in a negative way. We believe this because of male dominance in our society. This was further enhanced with another man's statement that the male orgams are what are most important in sexual relationships.

Song Critique

2006-04-27T23:53:00.000-04:00

PaintersEighty years, an old lady now, sitting on the front porchWatching the clouds roll by.They remind her of her lover, How he left her, and of times long ago,When she used color carelessly, painted his portraitA thousand times, or maybe just his smile,Her and her canvas would follow him wherever they would go.
(Chorus 1)'Cause they were painters, and they were painting themselvesA lovely world.
Oil-streaked daisies covered the living room walls.He put water-colored roses in her hair.He said, "Love, I love you, I want to give you the mountains,The sunshine, the sunset too.I just want to give you a world as beautiful as you are to me."
(Chorus 2)'Cause I'm a painter, and I want to paint youA lovely world.
So, they sat down and made a drawing of their love,They made it an art to live by.They painted every passion, every home, Created every beautiful child.In winter they were weavers of warmth,In summer they were carpenters of love.They thought blueprints were too sad So they made them yellow.
(Chorus)
(Bridge 1)Until one day the rain fell as thick as black oil,And in her heart she knew something was wrong.She went running through the orchard, screaming, "No God, don't take him from me,"But by the time she got there, She feared he already had gone.She got to where he lay, Water-colored roses in his hands for her.She threw them down, screaming, "Damn you, man, don't leave me with nothing left behind But these cold paintings, these cold portraits to remind me!"
(Bridge 2) He said, "Love I only leave a little, try to understand.I put my soul in this life we've created with these four hands.Love, I leave, but only a little,This world holds me still.My body may die now, but these paintings are real."La de di, la de di, la de di, de di.
So, many seasons came and many seasons went,And many times she saw he love's face watering the flowers,Talking to the trees and singing to his children.When the wind blew, she knew he was listeningAnd, oh, how he seemed to laugh along, andHow he seemed to hold her when she was crying.
(Chorus 4) 'Cause they were painters, and they had painted themselvesA lovely world.
Eighty years, an old lady now, sitting on the front porchWatching the clouds roll by.They remind her of her lover, How he left her, and of times long ago,When she used color carelessly, painted his portraitA thousand times, or maybe just his smile,Her and her canvas would follow him wherever they would go.Yes, her and her canvas still follow.
Because they are painters and they are painting themselvesA lovely...
'Cause the are painters and they are painting themselvesA lovely world.

This song, from Jewel's 1995 album "Pieces of You", is as beautiful as it is tragic. The words paint a delicate picture of a love lost but not forgotten. I think this is the kind of love everybody searches for- the kind of love that is eternal. The woman Jewel sings about in this song loses her lover at a young age, but no matter how much time passes, she is still wholly and truly devoted to him. Even though all she has left of him are the paintings they created, they are enough to keep him in the foreground of all of her thoughts. Even as she ages, the song never speaks about her moving on, or simply forgetting what she had. Instead, Jewel focuses on the idea that when you find "the one", love outlasts everything, even death.

Compatibilism

2006-04-26T23:35:00.000-04:00

Compatibilism is important to personal identity in that neither free will nor determinism alone can fully explain personal identity in terms of how people make decisions. Compatibilism is important because it is a mixture of the two extremes. Compatibilists feel that people do not necessarily have complete control over their actions, and that choice does play a part in how people make decisions. In essence, from a compatibist’s perspective, “a person can be free and determined because what he does can be caused by something that goes on inside him even though he is not forced by some circumstance outside him to act as he does, then he acts freely” (Williams, 32). Rather than theorize that free will is based on the notion that people are able to make decisions about everything, and nothing is predetermined, (or that there is in fact no free will, and therefore everything is determined), compatibilism focuses on the fact that people make choices inside of subsets of their lives which are predetermined.
An example of this would be if a person decides to write a novel. Something internal could make him want to write the novel (in other words he would be predetermined to want to do this); however, nobody (or nothing), is in fact forcing him to write the novel. Therefore, he is writing the novel by his own free will, meaning the fact that he writes the novel is not predetermined. Yet another example that supports the compatibilitst view would be the the book itself. In this case, the author determines what point of view the story is told from. However, the reader has the free will to be able to use their imagination. For instance, the author is not able to give every single detail in the story, such as the setting, how the characters look, move, etcetera, therefore, the reader is able to use his imagination to fill in these gaps. Further, the reader has the free will to decide when and if he will read the book. He is able to choose when he wishes to begin reading, as well as when he wishes to stop. However, it can be argued that it is determined that the reader will have an interest in reading the book in the first place.
The basic principle here is that both free will and determinism affect our lives. Nobody is truly free, but we have the ability to deliberate and make choices for ourselves as well. (Compatibilism is the middle ground of two extremes: free will and determinism.)

I am a firm believer in the compatabilist viewpoint. Throughout my life I have often raised this exact question with myself. How can life be predetermined when so much seems to be left to chance? Yet, there are other times in life where things seem like they are almost destined to happen. The middle ground? Compatibilism. In the end it comes down to the idea that we are free to choose between a set of predetermined choices and the choice we make determines our next set of choices, and so on. You might never know what "could have been", yet the options were presented, you simply chose the one that was most appealing at the time.

Very Angry Poem

2006-04-25T23:12:00.000-04:00

This game just isn’t worth my time
I’m getting fucking tired
Of playing within the lines
One step two step three step
I’m done.
Suddenly this isn’t
So much fun
I told you not to fuck with me
And I thought you understood
The next time I say goodbye
I can promise it’s for good.
You’ve toyed with my emotions
And treated me like a bitch
You do this right to my face
And you seem to have no shame for it
How can I trust you
When this whole façade is a lie
You mean to demean my demeanor
I don’t know why I even try
I can’t go on being this
This lifeless doll you call your own
I’ll never trust you
I’ll never love you
Why don’t you just go home.
I know what you’re doing
I can see it in your eyes
Even through these dark clouds
That forever shame my skies
I know you’re a liar
I know this isn’t true
Why can’t you just tell me
And I swear I’ll walk away
I don’t have time for this
And you’re making it such a mess
Just confess to what I already know
I don’t need you and all I want
Is to go home
I’ve forgotten love
I’ve forgotten trust
No matter what
Everyone and anyone
Always gives in to lust
You won’t be faithful
So don’t even try
There’s no faith involved
When you’re playing from my side.
I know too much
And I can’t see the good
In trying to kill what’s left inside

And this is what I get for being kind
No matter how hard I try
It always blows up in my face
I’m tired of being shafted
Like I’m nothing but some whore
All I know is I’m not
Playing these games anymore
How long do I have to wait
Before I can really say
Everything that’s written
In the back of my mind
Further
How long before I walk away
You drain me
You shame me
And I’m tired of these lies
Why do you ask me these questions
When you know what I’m going to say
Why don’t you just pay me
What I’m owed
And let me walk away.

Soc Abstract

2006-04-24T23:20:00.000-04:00

A sociological perspective concerning crime is that crime and deviance are socially constructed. For example, a person who steals from a convenience store would be considered to have committed the crime of larceny if “it does not involve force or the threat of force” (Conklin ). However, bring in force and the crime is considered to be a robbery which carries a harsher sentence. Another example of this type of differentiation between levels of crime occurs in the case of rape. In some instances, a rape may not even be reported as a crime. This usually occurs when the rape is committed by “a woman’s husband or ex-husband” (Conklin ). However, rape between strangers is almost always reported as a crime.
Another stigma associated with the way rape is viewed is in the terms of college students. Rape on college campuses is widely seen within a fraternity setting. Within these settings, some fraternities are seen as “high risk” while others are seen as “low risk” houses (Boswell and Spade). The brothers in “high risk houses” generally had degrading attitudes towards women and were encouraged to keep out of relationships and treat women as objects rather than as people (Boswell and Spade). There was a significant difference in the way women when in the company of men from “low risk” houses versus the men from “high risk” houses, who were seen as being more “sexually aggressive.” When around men from “high risk” houses, the women tended to be more on guard aware of themselves. (Boswell and Spade).
Being as I am currently a college student I interact with members of fraternities on a daily basis. I do not generally attend their parties, and have no insight as to how the men on our campus behave towards women in these situations; however, from what I see in my day to day interactions with them around campus and in the classroom, I find that most of the fraternity brothers on Randolph-Macon’s campus, regardless of which fraternity it is, seem to treat women with respect. However, I have heard otherwise even though I have never witnessed these actions for myself.
The issue, however, is that of personal perception. What I may see as a student who does not attend social gatherings held by fraternities frequently may be different from the perspective of a student who does. This idea of difference in perspective can also apply to the stigmas people place on what they consider deviant behavior. For example, “perceptions of tobacco users have changed dramatically” since the early 1940’s and 1950’s (Tuggle and Holmes). In this era, cigarette smoking was considered “socially desirable”, versus today where there are numerous anti-smoking campaigns (Tuggle and Holmes). This can also be seen in the idea that “drug scares must be understood sociologically on their own terms” (Reinaraman). For example, the stigma against drinking in the early 1900’s, which lead to “the passage of Prohibition in 1919” (Reinaraman). As with cigarette smoking, “crimes” such as these depend on how people want to view them at the time, and what can be gained and lost from stigmatizing them. The way in which people view certain crimes and taboos can be summed up to how “sociologically mindful” they are (Scwalbe). Sociological mindfulness is important because it “helps us see how our lives are intertwined and how our words and deeds help or harm others in non-obvious ways” (Scwalbe).

Comments on Soc. Reading

2006-04-23T23:17:00.000-04:00

I was doing my reading for sociology which was discussing the theft of social security cards and identity theft. I was thinking, if this is such a big problem, in our age of techological advances, why doesn't somebody come up with a new system? If people are having their cards stolen or their numbers taken from online transactions, why not then find some way of transforming the system? I was thinking along the lines of the way a debit card is used. Even if you have the card, you can't use it without knowing the pin number. So, why not when a child is born, issue him a social security card, and allow the parent to make up a pin which the child will have access to and be able to change one he turns 18. After initially setting up the pin with the social security number, not only does a person need the actual number to gain access to a person's private information, but they also need the access code. Maybe it's not feasible, but I figure if you have to have pass codes for everything else in today's world, why not have a code to protect your social security number from being used as well.

Now I Remember Why I Avoid Getting Haircuts...

2006-04-22T18:21:00.000-04:00

So I went to get my hair cut today and I swear I now remember why I do this as little as possible. I told the woman I just wanted a "trim" to get rid of the split ends. She says okay then promptly sets to work chopping my hair into something like, well I'm not sure. Needless to say it's not what I told her at all. It pretty much looks like it did, except it's shorter and that doesn't help when I've been trying to grow my hair out. I'm just summing this up to be another one of those life lessons. Don't ever let someone cut your hair unless you're sure they're actually going to listen to you. Oh well, at least I she didn't cut my bangs too. I absolutely hate having bangs. They're not bad if they're long, but most of these people want to cut them so short that it just doesn't look right. Now I guess I'll just have to wait until my hair grows back out and then make sure I, oh I dunno, write in big letters what I want done to my hair and tape it to the hairstylist's forehead the next time I go to get it cut. That seems to be about the only thing that might work.

LSAT...

2006-04-21T23:23:00.000-04:00

So, I went to Barnes and Noble earlier tonight and picked up a study guide for the LSAT. I'm only a sophomore, but I figured the sooner I begin studying the better my chances are of getting a high score. After I flipped through the book and suffered a few of the practice questions, I'm glad I decided to buy the book! The SAT's weren't too much of a problem for me, and I thought the LSAT's were going to be similar, but I found out very quickly it's a whole separate game! I'm not too stressed out about it because I'm giving myself about a year to study for it. Yeah, I know it seems like a really long time, but all I can say is if I'm getting into law school it's definately not going to be because of my undergraduate GPA! I'm planning on going through this book at least three or four times and taking a prep class like the one I took for the SAT's. Well, I guess the more time I take to study the better, and only time will tell!

The Only Real Truth

2006-04-20T08:56:00.000-04:00

Last night I was reading back through a paper I did for a philosophy class I took last spring. One of the questions was about Descartes philosophy on deciphering dreams from the real world. I'm still trying to figure that one out, but I've about come to the conclusion that he was right, there is no way of telling. That got me thinking about how it is that we *know* anything for sure. When we are little, we depend on our parents to teach us things. We consider everything they tell us to be the truth. We don't bother to think for ourselves at that point so we don't question whether or not what we're being told is really true. As we get older we rely on teachers and later professors to provide these truths to us. Even though at the point we are able to, or should be able to, consider what they are telling us and decide for ourselves what is true and what is not. The main question though, is how do we *know* whether what we're contemplating is true or not? I could tell you that the sky is purple and I would challenge you to prove me wrong. Sure, you can sit there and say that you can see the sky and it is obviously blue, therefore, I'm obviously wrong. From here I'd have to ask you to define blue. How do you know it's *blue*? You can say you know it's blue because that particular shade is defined as *blue* and any child who has ever been taught their colors could tell you this. Okay, but how do you know they're right? Color is a personal perception. What may appear blue to you may not appear the same way to me. Thus, if I say the sky is purple, well, that may be true for me because that may be the way my mind registers the color of the sky.
Another example is the classic case of a group people witnessing the same event and then telling the story in very different ways. It's not that one person is lying and the others are not; it's just the way each person saw the event. What they saw with their eyes it what is true for them, even if it is not true for the other thirty people who witness the same event. Thus, truth is a personal perception and the only real truth is the one which you determine for yourself to be true.

Soc. Class

2006-04-19T23:13:00.000-04:00

We started the criminology section of soc. 200 today. Well, considering I want to be a lawyer...eventually...I've been waiting to start this section anyway. However, what made it more interesting was when professor Bissler asked us to pair up and share a crime we had committed with our partner. As we went around introducing our partner and the crime they had committed, I was amazed at some of what I heard. I never would have thought some of the people in that class had done some of these things. (I think the most prevalant crime had to have been stealing road signs.) It's just amazing to me what you learn about people through some of the exercises they have you do in class. What's more, I think it was more of a humbling experience for me. After I left class it dawned on me how human each of us really are.

So far away

2006-04-18T23:26:00.000-04:00

Why does it seem
Like every time I talk to you
I'm in some distant dream

The only time the world seems alive
Is for that split second
I forget your not mine

Yet as soon as I put down the receiver
I don't know if I should either
Give up or give in

Try to live my life without you
Or try harder to pull you in
To everything I know we can be

But there's just too much distance
And time is a losing battle
Every second of every day

Brings me closer to you
Yet I still feel
So far away

Poem....

2006-04-17T23:40:00.000-04:00

When did I allow myself
To become a victim
Of my own longing?
How did I manage
To find such a sweet song in
Someone I know
I will never call my own?
Where did I go wrong
When I promised myself so long
Ago that last time
Was the last time
I would be this far gone?
A voice like silk
Eyes are the rays of the sun
All the things that make me
Simply come undone
But I can’t do this again.
No, I won’t fall into line
Too many tears
Have fallen from my eyes
For way too long now
So why can‘t I, no, how
Do I walk away from this
Completely intact
When I know in fact
That a piece of my soul
Will be gone when I leave
And how long until
I will once again be whole?
Oh mercy please grant me
Give me the strength to keep fighting
And maybe I will
Leave this game with at least
A piece of my wounded pride
Even though I know
Inside I have died
Oh so long ago
On the day
I let my thoughts stray
And now I fear
This is how it will stay
And forever my tears
Will fall gently like rain.

How Do I Manage To Do This To Myself???

2006-04-16T22:45:00.000-04:00

Yeah, that's the question of the day. How exactly do I manage to always put myself in these situations with guys? It's beyond me other than I'm really just that stupid. So as anyone that knows me has heard, millions of times, I'm talking to one of my ex's and I've been down to see him in Florida...blah blah blah, well lately he's been kind of short with me on the phone. He'll call me and then say he's going to call me back. That would be fine, except either he never calls me back, or he calls me back long enough to tell me he'll call me back again, and then doesn't do it. So what do I go and do? Instead of just forgetting about him completely and telling him where to go and how to get there, I blow twenty bucks on one of those prepaid cards for his cell. Why? Well, I'm just going to chock it up to the fact that I'm hopeless. I still love him and when I get like this, which has only been once before, I do stupid things. I guess it could have been worse right? Twenty dollars isn't really that much, but I guess it's the point of the thing. I'm just going to say it's my...amicable nature...because I'm such a kind outgoing person...yeah right. Well, that's not to say I don't do things for my friends. Actually it's quite the opposite. Anyone that's in class with me probably thinks I'm quiet and unsociable because I keep to myself all the time. Well, no, I'm just extremely shy, but I'll go through hell and high water for someone I've gotten close to and consider to be a true friend. Although, I don't think that really applies in this case now does it?

Thoughts

2006-04-15T20:46:00.000-04:00

When I was a junior in high school I had a friend who committed suicide. I went and visited his gravesite today and thought about a lot of things, mainly my life. And for the first time, I think I actually cried for him instead of because of him. What I mean by this is, well, I was there with one of my other friends when he killed himself, and to make a long story short I think back then I cried from the shock of it all, rather than because he was gone. It sounds weird, but unless you've experienced it, you probably won't understand. Well, today I stood there and realized how young we really were and how sad it is that he cut his life so short. We were only 17 and I know it doesn't seem like it's that big of a difference from 17 to 20, but it really is. I just sat there wondering why someone would do that to themselves and to everyone that cares about them. All of this really stems back from my research that I'm doing for this class because the boy in my narrative did the same thing. It just makes me wonder how anyone can have it so bad that they choose just to end things instead of sticking through it. I've had times in my life where I thought things would never get better, I'm kind of going through that right now, but then I realize that no matter how bad things may seem, it could always be worse, and it will get better. I just wish he would have realized this as well.

Nyquil Dreams and Vodka Induced Headaches

2006-04-14T22:36:00.000-04:00

I’ve got little time and even less meaning
Gone through so much to receive such little happiness
I’m losing my mind, losing my reason
To sit here and write these rhymes
Nothing is stable anyway
My patience is stretched as far as it can go
I’ve got Nyquil dreams and vodka induced headaches
Every morning is just the same
Opening my eyes just to slam my head into a wall
Just shut up and I’ll be okay
Once the aspirin stops eating my stomach (x2)
You said you’d be here forever
I never thought it was a lie
Six months later I’m left with nothing but why
This bed is so big now
All I can warm it with
Is memories and kerosene
My patience is stretched as far as it can go
I’ve got Nyquil dreams and vodka induced headaches
Every morning is just the same
Opening my eyes just to slam my head into a wall
Just shut up and I’ll be okay
Once the aspirin stops eating my stomach
Strike a match for an unlit cigarette
So much better now
But the smoke is so thick
And my cigarette remains unlit
For now…
My patience is stretched as far as it can go
I’ve got Nyquil dreams and vodka induced headaches
Every morning is just the same
Opening my eyes just to slam my head into a wall
Just shut up and I’ll be okay
Once the aspirin stops eating my stomach
I’ve got Nyquil dreams and vodka induced headaches
Vodka induced headaches

Just read it like a poem...that's all it really is...

2006-04-13T23:23:00.000-04:00

I’m an enigma…a social downfall on the face of this breathless void in humanity…my mind is an open casket filled with an emotional corpse…decomposing in the heat of this self-destructive mistrust of everything I’ve ever known…until the point that all of the petals on this wilted rose I call life, have fallen and returned back to the meaningless dust from which they came…but what is meaninglessness? Is it in fact anything other than what I am? Is what I call life anything less than in fact a naked rose…a bleach stain on your favorite jeans…the one thing everybody looks at, but in all reality, never really sees…for to see something…is to wonder…to wonder is to try to understand…and at this point…understanding is impossible. How can one understand anything that the eludes the very thing which you are trying to understand? A physical deficiency .like an ember burning in a suffocating fire. Help me…find myself…beyond this thing that I am. Teach me how to breath…beyond this stale air that surrounds me. I’m falling so far down, that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to see anything other than this eternal darkness that slowly swallows me. Do it again and again and again….until neither of us can take it anymore. I’m almost at that breaking point? Where are you? I know I can’t see you and you no longer care to try to see what it is that makes me indicate some small sign…that I am truly alive. But what this comes down to…is…what is living…if not some hellacious mind game…drawn out until all of the rules intertwine, yet, none of them make sense. What is the probability that this pain I feel will ever subside? Sedatives in the mind of the numb. An anarchist’s revelries. Touché.

Blog Post for Friday 4/7/06

2006-04-12T15:55:00.000-04:00

While on my way to Tenessee my parents brought up the topic of shopping at Wal-Mart. I couldn't help but stifle a groan from the back seat. When they asked me what my problem was I simply informed them that Wal-Mart is nothing more than a corporate scam. Of course they had not idea what I was talking about, so I enlightened them. Simply stated, Wal-Mart is like any other capitalistic buisniess we have in America, only, something about how they do business gets under my skin. I don't know whether it's the part about violating child labor laws, firing their employess at the first sign that somebody might possibly be even considering forming a union, or the fact that the cameras in the store are not in place for the safety of the consumer, but in place to watch the employees and ward off such unions. The whole things just irks me in a way I can't even describe. When you see the ads on tv, you are disillusioned by happy smiling faces, the big yellow smiley face logo people know so well, and the idea that Wal-Mart provides the lowest prices and best deals. I just wish they would tell you that in order to give you, the consumer, yes you, these "great deals" they force their workers to work through breaks and off the clock for hours. They also employ the use of sweatshops. So, be sure you thank all those hardworking children, you know, the ones with the missing fingers, and the employees, mainly the ones who can't figure out how putting in probably 80 hours a week amounts to less than 40 hours of pay, the next time you buy something from Wal-Mart. I'm sure they'll appreciate the recognition.

Soc. reflections

2006-04-12T10:35:00.000-04:00

I was sitting in my sociology class today listening to a lecture on the medical model and how Americans basically are more concerned about capital gain than about people's health. It made me sick knowing that the people we turn to for help when we are sick are really interested in little more than how much money they can squeeze out of you as a result of your illness. For example, my professor was discussing the case of a lady who had open heart surgery (this was in Richmond for those of you who live in the area!) and was sent away from the recovery unit after a few months. She was declared "recovered". The issue there is that her husband didn't even know she was sent home with an IV and a bedpan to her husband who didn't even know she was coming home. Both the lady and her husband were elderly people which made it difficult for him to help take care of her. She wasn't able to do anything for herself, implicating she wasn't as *recovered* as the recovery center claimed she was. Her husband was infuriated and called the rescue squad because he simply couldn't take care of her, they couldn't afford a live in nurse, and she needed medical assistance. When the rescue squad took her back to the recovery center they denied her readmittance and said that they had released her, not because she was well enough to go home, but because her insurance had run out, and besides that she didn't have long to live anyway! (Well, considering the circumstances, I could imagine not!) These are the types of people we have not only taking care of our generation, but our parents and grandparents. We go to a doctor believing that they have our best interests in mind and they want to help heal us. This just is not the case. All the medical professionals seem to care about is what their reputation looks like (i.e. how many people they've kept alive, not necessarily how many lives they've saved, that's a whole other tangent), and how much money they have in their pockets. I used to believe whole heartedly in our medical professionals; however, after taking this section of my sociology course I'm not too sure I want to see another doctors office again unless I absolutely have to.

Poem

2006-04-10T22:52:00.000-04:00

Take this yearning in my heart
Feel what I've been feeling
Try to understand
And then you can tell me I'm wrong
For thinking maybe one day
You can forgive me my insecurities
And we can be like we were back then...

I see now something has changed
Deep inside of you
The person I once knew
Is there for my eyes to view
But my heart sees beyond that
To what you have become
Regardless I still love you
The passion that burn within me
Is just as true...

Yet you say we can be nothing
More than "just friends"
And until this wound I'm nursing mends
I'll never be satisfied
No matter how many tears I've cried
I know I'm still not over you
And it kills me to know
Nothing I can say or do
Will make you change your mind...

Yet through all this you manage
To fill my mind with false hopes
And a million maybes
That remain in my mind
Time after time you say you love me
Insist you still care
So why is it that when I say I want to be with you
You seem to just not hear
And carry on like I'm not even there...

Poetry

2006-04-06T23:14:00.000-04:00

A dark desperation looms deep within my haunted soul
As hard as I try it seems as though I can’t break free
And unfortunately, I can’t seem to let go
Of this misery that binds me in this eternal hell
And the contempt that demeans my soul.
Follow me down love’s dark path
As you relish in the aftermath of my misfortune
Which I allow since your greatness does surpass my own
Because I know down deep in my soul
That I’ll never find the light I so desperately long for.
I’m nothing but your plastic doll
With dead eyes and a fake smile
Play with me now like a child, so shallow
As your intentions which like the winter snow
Dry up and leave nothing but puddles on the ground.
In which I am left to bleed so solemnly for I never take heed
To anyone’s advice, not even my own, though granted I’ll never be alone
For this misery that overwhelms me will forever be my company.

Abstract For Sociology

2006-04-05T23:42:00.000-04:00

The bureaucratic management of medicine and medical training restrict health intervention to tissue manipulation because from the beginning medical students are expected to cast aside their emotions. This leaves little room for anything other than viewing the patient in an objective manner, as something to be worked on rather than a living person. “Their strategies will include transforming the patient or the procedure into an analytic object or event…” (Smith and Kleinman 1998). Voiding themselves of emotional attachment to their patients may help physicians deal with their own emotions, and allow them to maintain a sense of professionalism within their practice; however, this objectified view can also be problematic for the patients in certain situations.
For example, because of the lack of personal attachment for their patients, it is easier for some practitioners to deny that a patient even has an ailment. This type of malady can be seen in the case of black lung disease. In many cases, physicians denied that patients who came to them claiming to suffer from the disease had the ailment because their x-rays did not prove their condition. (Smith 2001). As a result, many mineworkers who had the disease were denied compensation, even if “by all appearances they we equally or even more disabled by the lung disease” (Smith 2001). The same type of issue rises again in Cassell’s work when he speaks of the objectification of the mind and body being viewed as separate entities. It is related in that if the doctor does not find physiological sings of sickness, patients are often told that “the pain is psychological (in the sense of not being real) or that the patient is “faking” (Cassell 1997).
As with black lung disease, it seems that because of the objectification of the patient by the physician, if there is no clinical evidence, or the evidence does not match up with what is expected, the patient is disregarded. This seems to conflict with the Hippocratic Oath, which all doctors are supposed to abide by. The oath is in place to ensure that physicians to everything they can to try to preserve life and diminish suffering. However, this too is problematic because of the bureaucratic management of medicine and medical training. Often times the patient suffers more under a physician’s treatment than they do from the ailment itself. This is problematic because while physicians are supposed to do what they can to preserve the life of their patient, they are then left with the ethics of the fact that they are ignoring life quality in exchange for quantity. For example, Cassell speaks of a sculptor who was being treated for metastatic disease of the breast. Each phase in the treatment was a source of ongoing suffering for her (Cassell 1997). All of this is directly related to medical intervention, which in some cases may even be needless in that they may not necessarily .preserve life, thus simply causing unnecessary suffering. As McKinlay and McKinlay point out, “in general, medical measures appear to have contributed little to the overall decline in mortality rates in the United States since about 1900” (McKinlay and McKinlay 2004). Such medical interventions can also have great impacts not only on individuals, but also on whole societies.
For example, as Erickson addresses such an issue in regards to the Ojibwa Indians. “The problem was that traditional healers proved powerless to cure or even explain that alien disease” (Erickson 1994). In this example, influenza stuck the native people who required Western medical intervention to cure the disease. However, with this type of intervention came others which ultimately destroyed their society. In this light, I feel that sociopolitical factors and cultural standards are responsible for the quality
of human health.

Random Venting...

2006-04-03T23:02:00.000-04:00

So I'm doing all I can to figure out why men are the way they are. It's simply beyond me. Maybe I should be looking at why I am the way I am. For instance, I spent, oh I don't know, over $1,000 to go see him over break. Sorry, let me fill in here, I'm talking about my ex who recently moved to Florida. So basically I was down there (long story behind it and I don't feel like explaining) and this would be the second time I've seen him in a month. Before that he was in Virginia getting the rest of his stuff. Well, basically even though we did let's just say *everything* we used to do, and he was still saying how much he loved me, he still is acting like all he wants is to be friends in case one of us decides we want something else. It's just getting on my nerves so incredibly bad. I'm not rich by any means. I don't just go dropping money like that to go see people, no way. It just gets under my skin how he can pass us off as being so casual, especially after seeing what I'm willing to do just to see him for a few days. It's ridiculous. I don't understand how he can be so bipolar. You don't go from telling someone that it "doesn't have to be our last goodbye" and "I love you" to nothing. Just no. So yeah, I officially give up!!!

Book Vs Movie "Memiors of a Geisha"

2006-04-02T23:35:00.000-04:00

I've heard many people numerous times tell me most books are better than the movie. Generally I've never thought so. I've always thought movies were much better;however, not in this case. I would have to say that the book is much better than the movie. There are many important and very touching scenes in the book that are cut out or changed in the movie. I think that in order to get a true understanding of what is being said, you have to read the book. I normally do not continuously read a book. Generally I'll read it for a half an hour at the most and then put it down and find something else to do. I found I couldn't do that with this book. The imagry and language is captivating and you are instantly drawn into her world. I haven't read a book that I felt was this completely riveting in many years. I would definately recomend it to anyone who is looking for a compelling read that will tug at their heart strings. As for the movie, it gives you a general overview of the book, and the acting was generally okay, but I do not feel it did the book any justice at all.

I hate planes...and booking flights =(

2006-03-22T23:48:00.000-05:00

So this is a very random venting about me managing to screw up my flight to Florida. Apparently when I was rushing to do this online at 7:00 this morning, I accidently put the tickets in my mom's name instead of mine. These are almost $500 tickets. I didn't realize it until I looked at the flight details at 10:00 tonight. I called up Travelocity, the people I booked the flight through, and they said most likely they can refund everything except for a $5 service fee because I booked the flight today. They weren't sure if they could cancel it with the airline because they were paper tickets instead of e-tickets. So I talked to my mom and thankfully she let me make another reservation with Orbitz, which needless to say has e-tickets. So hopefully they can refund the price to my mom's credit card, and hopefully nothing screws up with these tickets or else that's going to put a major damper on my travel plans. To add to all of this, I've never been on a plane, so needless to say I'm kind of worried about it. One of my friends said that airport security is so tight now that I shouldn't really have to worry about anything. With all that's happened though there's still some concern in the back of my mind. Oh well, hopefully everything works out! I guess I'll just have to hope for the best!

On My Sociology Reading...

2006-03-21T23:27:00.000-05:00

One of my sociology readings for Sociology 200 was about the increasing demand for the harvested organs from executed prisoners in eastern countries. I found the article to be a very distrubing insight to this economic market. The country where organ harvesting seems to be the most popular is China. Although this practice is technically not legal, and thus very few are willing to speak openly about it, tens of thousands of executions for things such as petit larceny are conducted each year. The primary purpose of these executions is not to keep peace on the streets of China, but to keep up with the supply and demand for these organs, especially kidneys. In some cases, organs are harvested from the prisoners before they are executed. In one case, a prisoner had his kidney extracted under a local anesthetic; the prisoner was executed the next morning by a bullet to the head. The reason this practice is becoming such a gold mine is because many wealthy foreigners will pay sums of up to $30,000 for an organ, even though the mortality rate from such operations in these countries is rather high.

Reflection of the narrative account I'm working on...

2006-03-19T22:22:00.000-05:00

I'm working on the controversy of homosexuality and the Catholic Church. Being as I do not know anyone who would be able to give me a personal account on this issue, I have taken to exploring accounts which have already been published. The one that struck me the most was the personal account of Robbie Kirkland. To make a long story short, being as I will be writing on this in greater deatail anyway, this boy committed suicide because of the pressures of being gay. While his issues and in a sense self-loathing were more directed at the fact that he was gay more than it was at the church itself, it is very evident that his faith played a part in his being uncomfortable with himself. His mother was a devout Catholic and he attended an all boys Catholic high school. Because the Catholic doctrine decrees homosexuality as a grave moral offense, he had very few people in which he could confide in within the school system. On top of this, the support group which his counselor recommended was only a few blocks away from his school. The short distance between the support center and his school caused him to avoid going to meetings out of fear that the boys from his school might see him. This, to me, seems like a tragedy in and of itself. It points out how, not even necessarily just Catholics, but people in general cause others a great deal of pain by being shallow and uncaring. It's just sad that a child took his life because he felt like he was that much of an outsider. What has the world come to when somebody so young and so full of promise choses death over life simply because they know their community does not accept them?

Poem I've been working on since High School

2006-03-18T23:46:00.000-05:00

The seconds pass like so many
Wilted rose petals returning to the earth
Every one so fine and precious
Yet meaningless at the same time
Blown by the wind
Down a lonely country road
Soon to be forotten
Burried by Winter's fist fall
A white blanket pulled over faded eyes
That once shone like the belt
Around the waist of the mighty Hunter
Who looks out from the sky
Until the clouds move in
Gray and angry, rolling
Like the crashing tides of the sea
Coming to take away the shells
Which lay in their sandy beds
Greeted by Dawn's light
Before they find themselves
Reflected in silver mirrors
Held in the eyes of an innocent babe
Soothed by a mother's voice
Sleeping sound against her bosom
Wandering by the Lady's light
Past the land of mirrors
Images so clear
Back to the cradle whre Dawn
Distorts the shells as the
Long fingers of the sea
Hiss and lick at the sky
Threatening to meet the Hunter
Whose belt still reveals
The sorrowful life that lies in the eyes
Of the snow that is the first to fall
Not yet melted, nor forgotten
By the people who reside on the same country road
Where the autumn wind
Rustles the leaves, all in real time
Each moment no less precious
Than each rose bud upon the earth
That remain for a while, but like many
Other things in this world
Can be gone in a moment's notice...

Don't know if this counts...but..

2006-03-18T00:20:00.000-05:00

ve vFar Away
Lyrics - All The Right Reasons :.

This time, This place
Misused, Mistakes
Too long, Too late
Who was I to make you wait
Just one chance
Just one breath
Just in case there’s just one left
‘Cause you know,
you know, you know

That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you’ll be with me
and you’ll never go
Stop breathing if
I don’t see you anymore

On my knees, I’ll ask
Last chance for one last dance
‘Cause with you, I’d withstand
All of hell to hold your hand
I’d give it all
I’d give for us
Give anything but I won’t give up
‘Cause you know,
you know, you know

That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you’ll be with me
and you’ll never go
Stop breathing if
I don’t see you anymore

So far away
Been far away for far too long
So far away
Been far away for far too long
But you know, you know, you know

I wanted
I wanted you to stay
‘Cause I needed
I need to hear you say
That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I forgive you
For being away for far too long
So keep breathing
‘Cause I’m not leaving
Hold on to me and
never let me go

I don't know if this really counts for a "blog"...but I would have to say this song is the best I've heard in a really long time. I think that's also because it captures everything I'm feeling right now. I think anyone that's ever lost somebody could relate to this. I'm in that situation right now. I still have really strong feelings for my ex, and he says he still loves me, but the problem is he's living in Florida now. So basically when I heard this song it really hit home for me.

Another Philosophical Perspective

2006-03-16T23:40:00.000-05:00

In Life on the Screen, Turkle describes the internet relationship between Stewart and “Winterlight”. In reality, Stewart is described as being a very closed person. He is not very social and does not have many friends outside of his life on the internet. To Stewart, his relationship with “Winterlight” is real. When they get “married“, even though it is strictly online, and therefore not legally binding, Stewart considers it to be real. He shows this when he is asked if he is married and immediately says “yes”. The emotions he feels are just as real as the emotions he would feel towards this girl if she were physically in the room with him. Just because their relationship is online, does not necessarily mean it can not be real.
To people in Stewart’s position, this is his life. His personal identity might not be completely formed by his relationships online, but they certainly play a large factor in how he views himself. Even though his personality may “change” when he is online, it does not necessarily mean he is a different person. As previously stated, some people feel that they can open up more online than they can in when they are face to face with somebody. In actuality, the “virtual world” of the internet is no more or less real than the world one wakes up to every morning. Rather, it is just another part of the world in which one lives.

Love's Most Beautiful Tragedy

2006-03-15T23:34:00.000-05:00

I can relive today by way of tomorrow
But there is still sorrow
For I will never again find yesterday...
To most would come as no surprise
Yet for me, it is no more than a representation
Of months passed by
I sit in this sullen solitude
With nothing put painted memories
When I will hear the sound of my name
Across your lips in that same sweet way
That so reminded me of a silk cloth sliding across a crystal table
So beautiful there is no label
For the paradox of love's most beautiful tragedy
Which is I can explain with just three words
You and me.

I was reading over an old paper and got a new perspective...

2006-03-14T22:22:00.000-05:00

The sun produces light, and light is knowledge. Without light, there is no knowledge. Because light is the ultimate source of knowledge, Socrates was correct in his belief that the philosophers should return to the cave. This is an important issue to resolve because of the social, scientific, and political issues that revolve around it. Without knowledge, there would be no way to differentiate social classes. Likewise, there would be no development in the sciences; for example, there would no advancements in the field of medicine. Also, without knowledge, there would not be competent rulers to watch over the city.
If this argument were to be proven false, then it would show that those who are enlightened should not attempt to share their knowledge with those who could benefit from it. Even though not all of the prisoners who are bound in the cave will flourish into future philosophers, unless the old philosophers return, those who do have that potential will not flourish either. going This argument will compare the philosophers and their return to the cave to students who become teachers and thus return back to their origins in the classroom.

Style 3

2006-03-13T23:54:00.000-05:00

I gathered the third lesson of Style was speaking of word order and sentence structure in relation to the ability of the reader to clearly comprehend what is being said in a sentence. In other words, the third lesson of Style focuses on word choice and sentence structure to improve clarity. (Case in point.) How a sentence is phrased and the diction the writer chooses to use can determine how easily the reader is able to comprehend the literature. If a passage is cluttered with words and phrases which could be simplified, it is likely that the reader will lose interest in the work. People generally do not like to read writing which is hard for them to comprehend. The easiest way to get and to keep a reader's attention is to be direct and to the point. The more confusing your writing is, the less likely it is that you will maintain your audience. No matter what type of writing you are doing, whether it be academic or not, simplicity and clairity are the keys to success.

Life...=(

2006-03-12T22:47:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I'm in here venting again, sorry guys. It's just that I'm still trying to figure out how less than twenty-four hours my life has gone from okay, to what the fuck? In that amount of time I've had to accept letting someone go that I really love, realizing I might not be able to graduate early like I wanted, lose most of my shit for my homework, and get a call saying my dad is in the hospital again for what could be another stroke. (Needless to say he was in the just in the hospital for that not too long ago, and not too long before that!)

To begin from the begining so to speak, I met back up with my ex earlier this week and we started talking and hanging out. We somehow managed to get past our differences with each other and realized that we still loved each other. Well, that's nice and everything, but he's living in Florida now and was just visiting for a week. So, we basically spent most of the week hanging out and catching up. He left this morning to go back and I'll admit it hurt.

We basically sat in my car until 5:30 this morning talking, so I ended up sleeping until 1:00 this afternoon. I don't think I was up for more than an hour or two when my mom called and told me she was at the hospital with my dad because he thought he was having another stroke. So I ended up going out to the hospital until around 8:00 tonight. He's okay, but they're keeping him overnight for observation.

To make things so much better, in the hour or two I was up, I was online trying to figure out how many credits I needed to graduate. I was planning on taking a ton of courses at a community college this summer and having them transferred to R-MC. So, all I came to realize out of that is even if I took the maximum amount of credits I can take over the summer (18), took 14 hours each semester next year, and doubled up during J-Term I would still be short by about 7 credits.

Then to top off a perfect day I misplaced a couple books I needed for my homework. After a lot of searching, however, I did manage to find them. So, I guess I'll go out on a limb and say today wasn't completely terrible, but it could have been better.

Poem I wrote for a friend

2006-03-11T15:22:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been so lost
That sometimes you can’t tell night from day?
Ever felt that no matter the cost
You want to be perfect in every way?
Yet it seems no matter how hard you try,
Nothing ever seems to turn out right
And you’re left still searching for a way
To simply make it through the day
But have you ever stopped to think
That just when you’re on the brink
Of losing everything that matters
Just when your soul begins to shatter,
That maybe you might be
Somebody’s angel?
Maybe he just doesn’t have the strength to say
That in your eyes he sees a light
A reflection in your soul, so bright
It simply makes him weak.
And perhaps the song he hears in your voice
Makes him too mesmerized to speak.
That passing glance from a stranger
Could mean more than what you think.
One day you’ll see that to somebody
Everything about you is already perfect
Until that day just make sure you stay
Exactly the way you are
Know that there are people who care
And come what may
They’ll always be there
So for now just smile-
To yourself stay true
And know that you
Are somebody’s angel.

Still working on my poetry

2006-03-10T20:13:00.000-05:00

Oh sweet angel,
How is it you hurt me so
Without a word
You thrust these jagged shards
Straight into my heart
A mirror that is broken
So many words remain
Unspoken
Like honey dripping
Off the end of a beehive
In the middle of a summer rain
So beautiful
Yet filled with
So much pain.
With silent tears
I cry to you
Hoping maybe you can undo
All that makes me jaded
So I can stand again
On my own
Oh, how I’ve hated
Leaning on this
Crooked crutch
The love I have for you
So out of touch
With what really is
The possibilities
Intertwined with the fact
That I know we’ll never be.

Phil

2006-03-08T17:08:00.000-05:00

Hoagland’s argument against self-sacrifice can be supported by Jaggar’s theory of emotion in that both arguments hold the same basic principle; both women argue the idea that women are expected to conform to a male structured society while still maintaining a position of political and social submission. Hoagland perceives that the idea of self-sacrifice as a strictly feminine trait. Women are culturally expected to push aside their own self interests when they conflict with the interests of men whether in the home or in the workplace. Women are also socially expected to put the needs of their children before their own self interests; however, this is not expected of men. This expectation puts women in the position of being considered the submissive gender while men are placed in the dominant role. "The possibility of ethics in this case seems to rest on the willingness of women to devote themselves to men and children by acquiescing to male authority and by bearing and being responsible for children whether or not they choose to" (Hoagland, 75).
Jaggar’s theory of emotion argues that emotions are seen as being associated with "the irrational, the physical, the natural, the particular, the private, and of course, the female" (Garry and Pearsall, 168). Within this definition, it is determined that emotions are irrational and inhibit rather than aid one’s expansion of knowledge. Knowledge, according to Jaggar, is associated with logic and rationale. These traits are viewed as being male virtues. Because of this, women are placed at a social and political disadvantage.
This view of emotion allows men to maintain power within social and political situations. In order for a woman to even be mildly successful in any industry, she must conform to male standards of an acceptable mindset. This requires women to detach themselves from emotional reactions in the workplace. An example of this style of required conformity would be displacing emotions such as anger or frustration. Rather than admitting to being angry, one might accredit their mood to a physical state such as being tired. This mindset aids Hoagland’s argument to the degree that it requires women to submit to a position of submission. They are also required to put forth more effort in order to even attempt to attain the same level of acceptance that comes almost naturally to men. Through conforming to male expectations, women are putting themselves in the position to once again abandon their own self interests.
(b) Hoagland’s conception of community can be associated with Bordo’s analysis of anorexia nervosa in that the anorexic feels she does not have a disorder, but instead is attempting to blend in with the expectations put forth by her community. The anorexic feels the need to conform to the social norms of feminine beauty in order to feel as if she is a part of her community. the anorexic becomes dependent on her pursuit of thinness in order to achieve the feminine beauty ideal of the culture. Because of the change in the ideals in feminine beauty, from the robust and shapely figure of Marilyn Monroe, to the now lean and ultimately "fat free" image of such celebrities as Kate Moss, women feel a great need to be as thin as possible in order to attain social acceptability. "At the peak of her popularity, [Marilyn] Monroe was often described as "femininity incarnate", "femaleness embodied"; last term, a student of minde described her as "a cow" (Bordo, 140).
The anorectic feels oppressed by her culture because she feels that if she doesn’t achieve this ideal body image, she will not be accepted by the other members of the community. In this, she slowly loses her personal identity as a woman and is instead placed in the social subcategory of anorexic. However, because she feels as though through her apparent suppression of identity she will no longer be oppressed within her community, she allows her longing for acceptance to be more important than her own identity. She then transfigures herself into the role of the anorexic, ultimately allowing the disorder to become her identity. "Similarily, a we shall see, the practice of dieting- of saying no to hunger- contributes to the anorectic’s increasing sense of hunger as a dangerous eruption from some alien part of the self, an to a growing intoxication with controlling that eruption" (Bordo, 143). Here, the anorectic has succumb to such a degree of dependency and is a such a loss of her own identity that she feels that a physical reaction as natural as hunger, is the ultimate threat to her being.
(C) When discussing the idea of traditional virtues, Wendell hits on several key factors which are important to women with disabilities and furthermore, the women who provide care to those with disabilities. Both women with and without disabilities must consider ethical values and moral implications regarding multiple facets of their lives. For example, Wendell brings up the topic of abortion. Abortion is a deeply moral dilemma for any woman. She must search within herself in order to realize whether or not having an abortion fits in with her moral values. Along with her own personal ethics in regards to such a situation, she must also consider the cultural bias against such an act. However, there are several other factors a woman must consider if the cause for the abortion is due to a disability in the fetus. Women who chose to have abortions based on the knowledge that their child would be born with a defect can be seen as degrading the value of the lives of the disabled. Such choices imply that if a child is born with a disability, then their lives aren’t as valuable as a child who is considered to be normal and healthy. "When a woman decides that she wants to abort, rather than carry to term, a fetus with Down’s syndrome, this represents a statement about how she perceives such a child would affect her life and what she wants from rearing a child" (Wendell, 152).
The choice to make such a decision can be viewed in light of the impact that it would have on the person who must care for another who has the disability. The fact that the primary caregivers in our society are women is what makes abortion an even deeper feminist issue. Women who rear children with disabilities must provide them with adequate care. "Caregiving often requires that mothers force their children with disabilities to take unwanted medications, perform unpleasant and/ or painful therapeutic procedures on them at home, and turn them over to doctors and hospitals for frightening and painful treatments" (Wendell, 141). Many women simply can not handle the responsibilities that come with raising such a child.

Completely Random Venting...Sorry Guys!

2006-03-07T13:48:00.000-05:00

I don't even know what to say to this one other than guys are confusing. Basically I met back up with my ex a few days ago after not seeing him for several months. We ended up sitting and talking for hours and basically came to the conclusion that despite everything that happened, we still loved each other. Well, that would be great except for the fact that while we were broken up he got this great idea to move to Florida. He was just back here visiting and getting the rest of his stuff.Needless to say we've been hanging out and talking just as much now as we were back then, and every time we do it kills me. He says because of the distance he can't see us getting back together right now, but in the same breath he'll turn around and tell me how much he loves stilll loves me. I'm just about fed up with this, but at the same time, I have this deep feeling that I'm never going to see him again and I want to spend as much time with him now as I can. I don't know. I guess everything will work itself out.

Another Poem

2006-03-06T13:35:00.000-05:00

Why is it that each time I hear your voice
My heart is the first to remind me
That you are not mine
I've tried to deny my feelings
Tried to tell you I don't care
But anyone that knows me
Can see it when I stare
Into your eyes

I get so lost in you
That for a moment I forget myself
The heartache fades away and all I have
Is that moment in time
Where I can pretend when I hold you
I won't ever have to let go
But then morning comes

And I'm so far from those days
When I could hold you for hours
Never knowing any pain
I understand now
I made my bed
And because of the choices I made
Nothing will ever be the same...

Regret...

2006-03-05T23:31:00.000-05:00

I looked into your eyes tonight
And saw the rays of a thousand sunsets
All in one brief moment
A collage of emotions I thought were long gone
God, I couldn't have been more wrong...

Each time I stare into your emerald eyes
I remember all the times I could have
Said "I'll love you forever"
Now all I can hope for is the day after never...

You say you still care
And I see somewhere deep inside
The passion we had is still there
But there's too much distance between us now
All I'm left with
Is wondering why I ever let you go...

What could have been so right
I let slip away in the blink of an eye
Over a few insecurities
Now all I know
Is how to not let these feelings show

What would I do if you knew
What would you do if you knew
How much I still love you?

The Legal System

2006-03-04T22:05:00.000-05:00

So I sat back last night watching COPS and I started thinking about our legal system. I'm starting to wonder what the point of sending someone to prison is. I'm sorry, but the more I thinking about it, what good does it really do somebody to sit in a jail cell? Okay, so I understand, for instance, putting away a murderer because it keeps them contained, but I'm talking about trivial shit. (Or for that matter things that people do because they are messed up psychologically.) I think community service and therapy are what people really need. I just feel that those are things that are really going to help people. I don't think sitting in a jail cell is really helping anything. It might solve the problem while they're in jail, but who's to say once they get out they won't do it again? I just think that getting people help instead of incarcerating them is the real solution.

By now, you should all be able to tell I'm a phil major =)

2006-03-03T09:05:00.000-05:00

Should Those Who Are Enlightened Return To Darkness?
Enlightenment is a gift achieved by those who have the heart to pursue it. Once a person has achieved enlightenment, he should share this knowledge with others who have the same desire to learn. The prime example here is that of the relationship between teacher and student. The teacher was once a student himself. Like his students, he learned from his teacher. He was one of the few who had the ambition to pursue the path of total enlightenment. He also realized the importance of passing on this wisdom to those who shared his passion. However, he was also aware that not all of his students would be interested in submerging themselves in attaining knowledge and wisdom. The teacher can not force all of his students to learn. He must understand that some individuals may be better suited for lives on paths other than that of attaining knowledge. However, he can provide the pathway for those who wish to learn.
Although it may seem as if a person who is enlightened should move on to pursue more important things, there is a great important in the person returning to where he started from. If he does not return to the classroom, although this time in the opposite role, the future of those who could also turn out to be just as enlightened, if not more so, could be at stake. In order for the students to learn, they must have a teacher. Regardless of how many of the students go on to achieve the same enlightenment as the teacher, the pure fact that the teacher was there to guide those who did learn is an important factor in itself. Without the teacher, there would be no learning. Without learning, once the men who were previously enlightened grew old and died, nothing would be left but groups of uneducated, unenlightened people. One must give great consideration to this position, for without these people, social, scientific, and political advances would either halt completely, or have an extremely slow progression.

Essay...or research?

2006-03-01T23:27:00.000-05:00

I'm still trying to figure out how this assignment is *not* a research paper. I feel like I've done, and am going to have research for this paper than anything I've done my whole time in college. It just seems like in order to argue all the points to something, it takes quite a bit of research. So far I've spoken to people and gotten information online, and I only have three points of view on an argument that probably has at least ten sides if not more. It's just incredible to me how this isn't a research paper. What's more is that it seems like I have to cram everything together as fast as possible. Having to turn in a rough draft today almost killed me because I felt like I had absolutely no idea what I was even talking about yet. My thesis is weak, and I don't feel like my arguments are really all that structured. All in all I d whon't know how this thing is going to end up and I don't know exactly where I'm going with it. I know that it's supposedly okay at this point, but it's just very unsettling knowing I have no clue where I'm going with a paper that will end up being a pretty fair part of my grade.

Sorry guys random ranting

2006-02-28T23:14:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I went to the community center in Caroline to help out my a friend of my friend's mom (Renee). She was giong in front of the county's board of supervisors so they would let her put an addition onto her kennel. (The county requires anyone who wants to build to advertise their intentions in the paper, then they have to go in front of the board if there are any protests.) Well, we sat there listening to people bitch about why she shouldn't be allowed to build onto her kennel. There were at least ten people who said something about it. The annoying part is they all said the same thing and half of what they said didn't make sense. For example, they were worried about the noise from the dogs. Well, Renee was planning on building a concrete building so that there wouldn't be as much noise. The people would have realized this, except for one thing- the board didn't let anyone from Renee's side speak. The chairman stopped the people who were protesting and asked if there was anyone there who was there on Renee's behalf. Well, about six or seven people raised their hands. We thought he was going to let us speak because he was talking about "equality". Well, instead of letting us speak, he asked the other board members their decision on her case. In other words, all they did was listen to the other side complain and didn't even bother to hear from the people who supported Renee. That seriously pissed me off. We weren't there to just sit and look pretty. We were there because we had an opinon too and we didn't get to voice it at all. I've decided Caroline County really is as ignorant as I thought.

Style: Chapter 2 Correctness

2006-02-27T09:58:00.000-05:00

This chapter of style focuses on the idea that although it is important to follow grammatical rules when writing, it does not mean you have to follow all of the rules all of the time. In fact, as Williams states, some rules are nothing more than folklore. For example, in school we are taught never to begin a sentence with the word "because". However, in many instances, using "because" to start a sentence is completely acceptable. As Williams points out, it is most likely that this "rule" has its roots in the idea of not writing fragmented sentences, which is easy to do when one begins a sentence with because.
This chapter also focuses on the difference between being correct and being obsessive. If you are overly obsessed with every point of grammar in your writing, it makes the writing less efficient. Long drawn out, yet grammatically correct, sentences are less appealing to a reader. It is better to keep your sentences short and to the point in order to maintain your audience's interest.

More Poetry

2006-02-26T23:36:00.000-05:00

Like Summer Rain
I try so hard
To shield my pride
Deny these feelings
I keep hidden inside
When you’re not around
Though in the comfort of night
Locked deep in a place
Only I can find
My tears fall soft like summer rain
Though through the mist
I see your face
Like the sun peeling away the grey
Nourishing my heart-
A flower leaning into the rays-
The ultimate warmth your smile brings forth
Though still I cry
For my pride and can’t tell you what I feel
No matter how much I want to, still, I hide
Maybe one day by Her grace
I will be able to flee this place
The sun will shine in my dismal mind
And I’ll finally find the strength
To let you see what you mean to me
How your sweet smile helps ease my pain
Until that day, when these skies aren’t grey
My tears will fall
Like summer rain.

My Secret Serenity
You are my secret serenity
The warmth I keep inside of me
Meant for no one else to see
A desire I must forever keep
Securely locked away
Until the day I somehow
Find the courage that remains
Hidden in a special place
Deep within my heart
And in those corners of my mind
Only I myself can find.
Whether or not I ever let you know
What your smile does to me
And if I ever let you see
This love that in my heart continuously grows
I will for all eternity know
You will always and forever be
My secret serenity.

More Philosophy

2006-02-25T23:27:00.000-05:00

Compatibilism is important to personal identity in that neither free will nor determinism alone can fully explain personal identity in terms of how people make decisions. Compatibilism is important because it is a mixture of the two extremes. Compatibilists feel that people do not necessarily have complete control over their actions, and that choice does play a part in how people make decisions. In essence, from a compatibist’s perspective, “a person can be free and determined because what he does can be caused by something that goes on inside him even though he is not forced by some circumstance outside him to act as he does, then he acts freely” (Williams, 32). Rather than theorize that free will is based on the notion that people are able to make decisions about everything, and nothing is predetermined, (or that there is in fact no free will, and therefore everything is determined), compatibilism focuses on the fact that people make choices inside of subsets of their lives which are predetermined.
An example of this would be if a person decides to write a novel. Something internal could make him want to write the novel (in other words he would be predetermined to want to do this); however, nobody (or nothing), is in fact forcing him to write the novel. Therefore, he is writing the novel by his own free will, meaning the fact that he writes the novel is not predetermined. Yet another example that supports the compatibilitst view would be the book itself. In this case, the author determines from what point of view the story is told . However, the reader has the free will to be able to use their imagination. For instance, the author is not able to give every single detail in the story, such as the setting, how the characters look, move, etcetera, therefore, the reader is able to use his imagination to fill in these gaps. Further, the reader has the free will to decide when and if he will read the book. He is able to choose when he wishes to begin reading, as well as when he wishes to stop. However, it can be argued that it is determined that the reader will have an interest in reading the book in the first place.
Another argument for compatibilism can be seen in the terms of United States citizens and the government. While it can be argued that the United States having a democracy is determined, and from this it is determined that the government will have control over the people, it is by the people’s own free will that they choose to follow the government’s regulations. A single person, or even a group of people, can easily decide not to follow a given law for any reason. The people also express free will in that they have the ability to change the government. For example, the people choose to elect a president every four years. It is through free will that the people cast their votes. The people are not forced to vote, however, who the president will be is determined by how the people vote.

Addition to a Philosophy Paper

2006-02-25T00:09:00.000-05:00

Descartes provides support for the subject’s view that one is able to differentiate the world of dreams from a wakeful state. Descartes argues in his Meditations that mathematics survives the dream argument. He suggests that no matter what numerical values are always the same. He feels that the truth which is found in mathematics remains stable no matter what a person’s state of mind, whether they are conscious or unconscious.
For example, Descartes argues that “…whether I am awake or dreaming, it remains true that two and three make five, and that a square has but four sides; nor does it seem possible that truths so apparent can ever fall under a suspicion of falsity (or incertitude)” (Popkin, 131).
Descartes also validates the subject’s view in terms of his belief in God. “Like I said, a person’s connection to God will determine how they live and how they view things. Reality can have a different perspective depending on somebody’s religious affiliation and whether or not they are devout believers of their faith” (Question 10).

Thoughts

2006-02-23T22:57:00.000-05:00

This misbegotten razorblade youth…raised up from the ashes of all that is considered immoral by those who don’t know what it is to be offended…defended by no one but the darkest part of humanity’s inner city scum. A fleeting moment of understanding…but it’s gone…picked up by the wind and drown in the sea…a body of water created by the tears of a nation…a nation which weeps relentlessly through the cinematic scandals of our time. One nation…under tension…indivisible…with fire arms and forgotten freedom…for all who once stood for something…but what is there to stand for…when you can’t stand anything?

Yeah, I know that probably doesn't make sense to a lot of people, but basically what I'm talking about here is this generation. It just seems as though we're being slowly losing everything we once thought of as being American. It seems as though what's going on in Hollywood is more important than what's going on in the lives of everyday people. It also seems that there is more hatred and loathing within our communities than ever. On top of it, all of the freedoms America once stood for are slowly disappearing. What's worse is it seems as though we're just sitting back and letting it all happen. I hear people every day say how disgusting their becoming with some of the things in this country, but at the same time, nobody seems to want to do anything about it. Now I'm just left wondering where that will leave us as adults, as well as our children.

Poem...

2006-02-22T14:30:00.000-05:00

Your words play across my ears
And speak directly to my heart
For so long I've been afraid
Until your voice banished my fears
How I wish I could see into your soul
Feel what you're feeling
Know this all has meaning
And never let you go.
But I can't and for this reasonI just know
There's no way for me to say
How you make me feel
When I'm in your arms
Or how all you have to do
Is look at me and I know
These feelings I have are real
And through all of this I hope
What's written on my soul
Shines through when I look back
And smile at you.

More in-depth writing on my controversy for English 300

2006-02-20T14:38:00.000-05:00

This semester I want to research the controversy of the Catholic Church and gay marriage. The reason I want to research this topic is because I am both a Catholic and I support gay rights. This idea in itself is a contradiction because the Catholic Church strongly opposes gays. However, I am torn between my belief that everyone has the right to be happy, and the beliefs of my religion.
Another reason I am interested in this topic is because I am not sure how to feel about this controversy due to the basic principles of Christianity. Christians are supposed to “love their neighbors”, and by this I would assume that would have to include their homosexual neighbors. I also don’t know whether or not the Catholic church should be able to have any say whether or not gays should marry due to the controversy of the priests who have molested altar boys. To me, that would be hypocritical because not only are they breaking the law by having sexual relations with minors, but they also secretly participating in a community which they swear is against God.
Yet, at the same time, I do realize that not all of the priests in the church are guilty of this. There are only a select few out of all of the priests that have done this. Therefore, the ones who have stayed true to their beliefs have the right to want to uphold their historic traditions. Apparently, according to the bible, marriage is a sacrament which is only intended for a man and a woman.
To counter this, however, there is the fact that the English version of the Bible is not the original text. It has been translated, and therefore could have been translated wrong, either purposefully or accidentally. It is not possible to make direct translations between any languages due to the vast differences in grammatical structures.
Another argument against gay marriage that I have considered is where children are involved. If a gay couple adopts a child, because of the world we live in, it is likely the child will be harassed by its peers for having two mommies or two daddies. It is also possible that these children will suffer taunts from people who are supposed to be adults. That is simply not an environment a child should be raised in.
A more ethical issue behind this is that lesbian couples will use artificial insemination to have a child. This is not what this method of impregnation was intended for. Artificial insemination was intended for heterosexual couples who wanted children, but were physically incapable of having any. This way, although the child was not conceived in the “traditional” manner, it would still have a normal life in terms of having a parent of each sex.
However, there is the argument that perhaps is isn’t normal that lesbians should not be able to have children in this way, but that people should be more willing to open their minds to same sex couples having children in the first place. For decades, people fought against blacks and women having rights because it “wasn’t natural”.
My question then is what makes this so different? If people went through the same ordeal with similar mind frames and ultimately let go of their inhibitions, then why not now? What exactly makes this so different from past issues?

2006-02-19T23:28:00.000-05:00

The controversy I would like to explore this semester is gay marriage and the Catholic church.
The reason I am interested in this topic is because I support gay rights, however, I also Catholic.
Although I am for gay rights, my religion is against it. The Catholic church feels that marriage is
something that is only meant for a man and a woman. They do not believe that two men or two
women should be able to be considered a couple in the eyes of God.
I feel that all people have the right to be happy and that people should be able to
marry whomever they choose, however, I also feel strongly in the traditions of the church
in which I was raised. I have an understanding for both sides, but I would like to explore
both sides of the argument more in depth.
People of the Catholic faith are supposed to believe in whatever the church says. However, in regards to this issue I am torn. I do not believe that it is fair to deny people the right to marry even if they are homosexual. If two people truly love each other it shouldn't matter if they are heterosexual or homosexual.
At the same time, I feel that it is of extreme importance to follow your religion. The church is supposed to be there as a guide. They are supposed to influence you to make righteous and moral decisions. My issue is whether or not I want to follow my logic or my religion on this matter.

2006-02-19T23:08:00.000-05:00

Philosophy Revision

By using the internet, people are able to completely change who they are. They
can also to alter how much they alter their actual identities. Turkle also goes deeper into
this by suggesting that some people may eventually feel that the world of the internet is in
actuality no more or less real to them than the physical world. Some people even form
relationships on the internet that they feel are just as real as the relationships which they
form at work, at school, or through any other social setting.
Through her writing, Turkle ultimately suggests that people are able to exist
within the cyber world and that they can make themselves whatever they want to be.
Given this, it can be determined that her view holds to the idea that the body is just a
physical “container” for the spirit. It is not as important as the spirit in identifying a
person. People are able to go onto the internet and totally recreate themselves, thereby
they are not simply bound to a physical body.
Through the use of the internet, people can, as in the previous example,
completely change who they are. They have the ability to be as close to, or as far from,
their “actual” selves as they choose. Turkle also delves deeper into this by suggesting that
some people eventually feel that the world of the internet is more real to them than the
physical world around them. Some people form relationships on the internet which they
feel are just as valid as they would be if they were physical.
Turkle ultimately feels that people can exist in a cyber world and make
themselves what they want to be. Given this, it can be determined that Turkle’s view
holds to the idea that the body is more of a physical compartment for the spirit, rather
than a way by which to identify a person. People have the ability to venture into these
situations and completely recreate themselves, thus, they are not, confined to a physical
body.

2006-02-16T20:05:00.000-05:00

I really can't think of anything to write about, so I'm going to post one of my poems that I've been working on for a while. I don't think it's anywhere near where I want it to be, but then again nothing is ever truly finished.

Each night I watch the setting sun
Colors mirror my emotions
A perfect mix of orange, pink, red and blue
Describes each moment I'm without you

Where one color ends
Another begins
The end of the begining of the end-
less nights I lay awake

Wondering if I can ever
Set things straight
But it's been so long
Since I was enchanted by your golden smile

How could I have let you go
Disappear like the sun
In an ever fading dusk
I know I made my choices

So live with them
I must, find a way
Through this storm
Before the rain destroys

What there is left to enjoy
Since my eternal night has begun.

2006-02-14T22:20:00.001-05:00

It is obvious that you can teach someone how to write. Teaching a person takes time and energy on your part, but if you are willing to put enough time into helping the person, you can surely teach them. People are not born knowing how to write even the most basic letters. They require help in learning to do even this much.
Further, if you can teach someone how to put together lines and form letters, you can teach them to write words. From there, it is up to you to help them learn to craft a sentence. Left to their own devices, somebody who is just learning to write may never achieve any type of status in the writing world. However, if they receive the help which they desperately need, it is possible for you as a teacher to influence their writing style and technique.
Depending on from whom they are learning the art of writing, a person can either flounder as a writer, or have great success. Mediocre writers are many time taught by people who only do mediocre writing themselves. The process starts at a young age. If the person who is teacher them does not have good writing skills, it is likely that the person they are attempting to teach will not have good writing skills. Likewise, if the teacher does have good writing skills but does not care to take the time to make sure that the person whom they are teaching learns how to write well, then ultimately the person’s writing will still suffer.
There is no specific method to teach somebody how to write. All that is really required is that the teacher has good writing skills, and more importantly, that he or she is willing to spend time truly teaching the person. If a teacher does not teach, no matter what the subject, then the student will not learn.

2006-02-14T22:20:00.000-05:00

2006-02-13T11:38:00.000-05:00

When writing a persuasive argument, my primary strategy is to appeal to the
reader’s emotions. I find that appealing to somebody on an emotional level is the best way to get a reaction. By appealing to a person’s emotions, a writer is able to penetrate the core of a person’s being. To develop an argument, for instance, by simply appealing to logic or reason can not even be deemed close to a surefire method of getting a reader to sway to the writer’s view of the argument. Facts and reasons can be argued against and rationalized out. However, people find it much harder to argue against and rationalize their emotions.
A supplementary technique I like to use in writing a persuasive argument is to appeal to the reader’s values. As with emotion, if a writer appeals to a reader’s values, he is more likely to pay closer attention to the argument. By persuading the reader that to agree with whatever the writer is arguing against would infringe upon their personal beliefs, it is more likely that the reader will be willing to follow and agree with what the writer is saying. It is in a person’s nature to become defensive when something they believe in is attacked. Therefore, either by the writer attacking a reader’s beliefs, or by insisting that whatever he is arguing against in the text would go against those beliefs, the writer has a better chance at successful persuasion.
While these methods are effective when used separately, I find it even more useful to use these persuasion tactics together. It is natural that attacking a reader’s beliefs will subsequently cause an emotional reaction. If a writer plays into these emotions, which are elicited from such an attack, it is easier to persuade the reader that what they are saying is correct.
For example, if a writer is trying to persuade the reader that driving above the speed limit is dangerous, it is effective to appeal to the idea that by speeding one is breaking the law. The writer may then imply that by breaking the law, the person who is speeding can be characterized as a bad person for going against what they know to be right. This appeals to a person’s sense of value and morals. However, to add a greater effect, and in turn attempt to be more persuasive, the writer can then appeal to the reader’s emotions by reminding them that many fatal automobile accidents are caused by reckless driving behavior such as speeding. Thus by appealing to both the readers values and emotions, the writer is in effect posing a more persuasive argument which would be difficult to rationalize away.

2006-02-12T22:14:00.000-05:00

In the anthropology, qualitative research methods allow anthropologists to have a closer and more subjective view into the lives of people in a foreign culture. By submerging themselves in the culture and studying, and participating in, the social norms and practices of that culture, the anthropologists can develop a more in depth and accurate portrayal of the community. For example, in her examination of prostitution, Sterk makes numerous references to the importance of being accepted by the active “members” of the prostitution community in order to gain trust and form bonds with the people about whom she intended to learn.
Sterk noted that she had “given countless rides, provided child care on numerous occasions, bought groceries, and listened for hours to stories that were unrelated to my initial research questions” (Sterk, 2000). At although these acts seemed unrelated to her initial purpose for becoming involved with these women, Sterk understood that only by first creating bonds with people would she be able to access the information she was looking for.

2006-02-11T23:33:00.000-05:00

Review: "The Negotiator"- Dee Henderson

"The Negotiator", written by Dee Henderson, is a compelling novel. Henderson intertwines captivating characters with an intense plotline. This suspense/romance novel combines pulse-pounding action, puzzling connections, and a what sems to be an underlying developing romance between Dave Richman, an FBI special agent, and Kate O'Malley, a top hostage negotiator. Through the twists and turns of this book, Henderson enchants the reader with a mixture of romance and suspense, while endorsing the idea behind the true values of family and friendship.

I would recommend "The Negotiator" to anyone who loves trying to piece together
puzzles. (Henderson has masterfully written what I would call a "literary puzzle.") I would also consider this book to be a good read for anyone who appreciates the value of family, even the value of a non-traditional family. Finally, I would recommend "The Negotiator" for anyone who has ever loved somebody so much...it hurt.

2006-02-10T22:02:00.000-05:00

Reflection: 2/10/06: Our Country’s Legal System?
I’m wondering if anyone else has noticed that our country’s legal system is a joke- specifically the juvenile/domestic area. I don’t know how many times I’ve opened the newspaper or turned on the news channel in the past week and read a story about an abusive parent that keeps custody of their children. I think the most recent story I’ve heard has been the most outrageous.
For example, I wish somebody would explain to me the logic in taking no action against a Virginia woman after she locked her children in the trunk of her car. That is absolutely incredulous. It’s incredible how any judge could not interpret an issue like that as anything other than a case of child abuse. There is no logical explanation for somebody locking their children in the trunk of a car. Further, there is no way to plead the case as “accidental”.
A case like this truly shows one of the many flaws in the United State’s legal system. It seems that people are able to get away with almost anything. President Bush passed the Patriot Act which basically allows the government to walk into a person’s house and seize whatever property they wish without any reason. With all of this “power” the government has, which is supposed to protect it’s citizens, it confuses me how the legal system can seem to turn a blind eye to child abuse.

2006-02-09T21:54:00.000-05:00

Style: Lesson 1: Understanding Syle
Joseph M. Williams (3-10)
In order for one’s readers to easily understand your prose, the writing style must be clear. If the text is plagued with overly complex sentences, words, and ideas, most likely the reader is going to have a difficult time completely understanding the concepts and main points of the text. Writing in a confusing style can create several problems for the reader. In many instances, the reader will put the text down with little understanding of the text. Another problem is that an unclear style is likely to cause misunderstandings. If a text is not written in a clear manner, it is possible for the reader to misunderstand the point of the text.
It is not possible to completely avoid unclear writing all of the time. However, it is possible to make your writing as clear as possible most of the time. A major factor that determines the clarity of the text is the writers knowledge of the subject of which he is writing. The better the writer understands the subject, the more clear his thoughts on the subject will be. If a writer has a clear idea of what he is writing about, then it is possible he will have a better chance of clearly relating his ideas on the text to his readers.
Writing more clearly is advantageous to the writer. The more easily his writing is understood by those who read it, the more likely is it that the reader will continue reading. If a reader is perplexed by the writing, it may frustrate him to the point of losing interest in the work. If a reader loses interest in what he is reading, it is very likely that he will stop reading the text. This poses a problem to the writer because in order to be successful, others must be able to understand and to enjoy reading his texts.
Overall, having a clear writing style is advantageous in many respects. Clear writing will ensure that the reader is able to capture the true ideas of the text. It also generally signifies that the writer has a clear understanding of the subject material. Additionally, clearer writing means the reader will more likely be more apt to continue reading the works of the writer.

2006-02-08T12:08:00.000-05:00

I expect English 300 to enhance my overall abilities as a writer. Overall, I expect the class to explore the core of what it really means to be a writer. I expect the class to focus on the technical side of writing. One of my weaknesses is technical grammar and I am hoping that this class will help me improve on that aspect of my writing. I also expect this class to help me identify more precisely who I am as a writer. Through this class, I am expecting to be able to explore and enhance my personal writing skills.

I want little more from this class than to leave knowing I have more knowledge of writing than when the class began. I am hoping to leave the class knowing that I am in fact a strong writer, but if that is not the case, I would at least find comfort in knowing that I am at least a better writer than I was a the beginning of the course.

My personal goals for the class are to be able to pinpoint my problem areas in my writing and make every attempt to better my weak areas. My ultimate goal in life is to be a juvenile/domestic defense attorney, and I understand that in order to eventually achieve this goal, having a strong and professional writing style will be vital. I don’t expect to walk away from this class and be a professional writer. However, I do expect to achieve my goal of having a more sophisticated writing style.

I can honestly say that I am looking forward to writing everyday for this class. However, even though I do love to write, I’m not looking forward to having assigned writing every day for that purpose in itself. I actually detest the idea of being told what to write about. Rather, I understand and appreciate the idea that the only way to improve myself as a writer is through continuous practice. In that respect I am looking forward to having these types of assignments. I normally am the type who would like to sit down everyday and write, but I seem to never be able to find the time. With this class, I have to force myself to make time to sit and write each day, which I believe in the long run will be one of the most valuable experiences I could get from this class.

However, even though I love writing, I’m nervous about having to share my writing with others. Even though I have been writing for years, I have never been comfortable with the idea of my peers reading my work. Writing is my way of expressing my private thoughts and I almost feel violated when other people are reading my work. To me, writing is a personal expression which you can choose to share with others. However, I absolutely disagree with the idea that people should be forced to subject their writing to other’s criticism. Although I feel this way, I do however understand the importance of outside opinion and critique. One can not better themselves as a writer if they do not allow their work to be seen by others. I know from experience that people many times do not notice flaws in their writing even when they proofread it. Sometimes it takes someone else to read your work to point out your mistakes, as well as the highlights of the work.

The most important changes that I would like to see in my writing that I think this class could foster are my process, style, and grammar. I think that “good writing” is not only about which words one puts on a page, but also how they deliver those words to their audience. I truly believe that through this course I will learn to better myself in these areas, as well as others.

2006-02-08T11:20:00.000-05:00

I would have to say that I have been interested in writing since I was in elementary school. Even then I used writing as a means by which to express my deepest desires and innermost secrets. I was an only child growing up and did not live in a community where children my age were nearby. Thus, I confided mostly in myself, rather than in others, through my writing. I dabbled in everything from free form journal writing, to short stories, to poetry. As I matured, I found that while I enjoyed all of these forms of writing, I was most easily able to express my thoughts and feeling through poetry.

Through writing poetry, I was not only able to put my thoughts and feelings into words, but I was also able to better comprehend unique aspects of the English language. By this, I am referring to the idea of “poetic license”. I found that I could use different styles of poetry to suit the message I was attempting to convey to my audience. Through the years, the style and technique executed in my poetry has changed, and hopefully matured, however, there are still numerous areas in writing, not only in poetry, but in general, which I hope to eventually excel in.

I would have to say my main strength in writing is my ability to be able to convey my messages in a unique manner. I consider myself to have an excellent vocabulary which allows me to choose more precise words. I also feel that I can easily articulate what I want to say through my writing. In my creative writing, I feel that I can clearly, yet creatively, pinpoint my main focus, or within a story create an interesting and compelling plotline. In my formal writing, my strength is my ability to put my thoughts together in an organized manner.

However, although I do not feel myself to be inadequate in my general abilities as a writer, I do understand my weaknesses. Within my creative writing, my weaknesses are most prominent in that I tend to be too wordy in certain areas, and not wordy enough in others. For example, when I am writing a story, there are times I realize that I can convey the thoughts, feelings, or actions of a character without using so many words. On the other hand, there are instances within my storytelling where I tend to be too vague.

In my formal writing, my main weakness is certain points in grammar. There are certain grammar rules, such as dangling modifiers, or having a preposition at the end of a sentence, which I have a tendency not to pay attention to while I am writing. Another weakness that hinders both my formal and non-formal writing is my overall writing process.

I do not usually do any type of prewriting or drafting for any of my work unless it is required, for a grade, by a professor. I also have a habit of procrastinating on writing assignments which. Because of this, I normally write whatever I can come up with in short spans of time. However, although this process would seem to be solely detrimental to my writing, I have found through the years that some of my best work is the result of the last minute “adrenaline” rush I seem to get when I realize that the paper I “should have” been working on for a week and a half is due in under two hours.

2006-02-01T18:32:00.000-05:00

Welcome