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In 2007, the United States of America fell into a crushing financial crisis. Unemployment increased, the housing market crashed, and many of America’s largest and most important corportations were left in ruin. This recession persists today, so we must ask the question: how did this crisis occur, and how can we stop it? In short, the financial crisis was created by selfish and naïve political decision-making that pressured banks and firms into issuing sub-prime loans into an already immature and unsufficient financial infrastructure. Meanwhile, Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FHLMC) were pressured to underwite and repackage these mortgages into CDO’s and CDS’. When borrowers defaulted on these loans, the banks were short on capital reserve and transferred this chaos onto the repacked mortgages that they had sold, and on to the rest of the economy.
The financial crisis had its roots in 1999 of the Clinton era, as the President was aiming for a second term in office. He sought to extend his presidential tenure by augmenting his popularity. To accomplish this the Clinton administration relaxed lending restrictions, which helped to set the grim stage for the sub-prime crisis seven years later. Steven Holmes of the New York Times reported in 1999, “Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.” Holmes would go on to correctly foresee the consequences of these actions: “But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescue similar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980s.” As detailed in the introduction, and as Holmes foresaw, ill-advised lending would certainly lead to the meltdown of the economy.
Many factors combined to throw the economy into tailspin, one of which was the new and complex structure of mortgages. Adjustable-rate mortgages, mortgage-backed securities, and collateralized debt obligations (CDO’s) were all used extensively in the years leading up to the crisis, and only served to intertwine more sectors of the economy into the housing market. This led to U.S. households, and financial markets in general, to overleverage themselves in the housing market, leaving them extremely vulnerable to even small changes in price.
Indeed, the housing bubble burst, and the financial institutions that had bought these mortgage-backed securities were spited. The top five U.S. investment banks all together reported $4.1 trillion dollars of mortgage debts in 2007, which accounted for about 30% of the USA’s GDP. In the end, Bear Sterns and Merrill Lynch were sold exceptionally cheap, Lehman Brothers was dismantled, and Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley were forced to become commercial banks subjected to intense regulation. Fannie and Freddie were $5 trillion in mortgage debt, and were placed under government control in September 2008.
| 18 | English | male | Some college | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
ll | I’m not saying you, the reader, is a serial poster, but everybody knows or has seen somebody who posts and/or comments on the Internet. And yeah, it can get annoying. But Collier’s spotlight on these people shows how our interest with the Internet can be taken to the extreme. This is not only a satire, but also a warning call.
In Satire we briefly covered Aristotle’s appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos. In addition to satirizing former baseball player Barry Bonds’ battle with the law, this is an example of pathos. How could it not be when the case is titled “USA v. Steroid-Using Liar Barry Bonds.” On another level, though cases are never actually titled with such bias, people are generally slanted on that level towards players who have used performance-enhancing drugs. The article is a satire in that it pronounces so clearly what most of us are thinking about steroid users, but generally do not say so emphatically.
“Dodgeball” is a tremendous comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller. It is the tale of a man (Vaughn) who creates a dodgeball team to compete in a competition, so that he can raise enough money to keep his gym open. Stiller’s character operates a rival gym, one that is the opposite of Vaughn’s “average joe” establishment. His gym, Globo Gym, centers on transforming the weak and ugly into “perfection” through unhealthy and intense exercise, dieting, and even surgery. Though this may seem appalling, as the linked video demonstrates, many gyms are taking close to that approach now. Globo Gym is certainly satirical, but like much of satire, it is also a warning to gyms like itself that actually exist.
Ernestine is a character created by Lily Tomlin. Tomlin, a famous and great actress in her own right, used Ernestine in many shows and sketches. The character has a great influence on much of character-driven sketch comedy today. This is because Tomlin would act as Ernestine- even at events and interviews! This immersion in character was unique at the time, and has paved the way for modern comedians like Stephen Colbert to successfully wear their persona in public.
Charlie Sheen’s antics have been well-documented lately. Since Sheen’s characters in movies and on TV are often crazy like himself, one could make the case that he is pulling an Ernestine and simply acting out his life through his roles. The satire here, though, is simply that that is not the case. Sheen is clearly going through a strange place in his life, and listening to his interviews is like listening to a top comedy sketch.
A remake of Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels” was released in 2010. This continues the theme of remakes astray from the predecessor’s mark. Though this version is more of a modern retelling, it is almost a satire how hilariously bad it is. Well, then again, I’m not sure they were looking to wow the critics. | 18 | English | male | Some college | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
ll | In the case of the Pacific, even if the disaster was not predicted by the tools we think can effectively foresee the future, precautions still could have been taken in case a disaster were to hit. Taleb describes moving people away from the coasts, and modifying house and building structure to be better able to weather the effects of an earthquake or tsunami. Taleb is right in his thinking. We need to take a general approach to events rather than an overly specific one, and have the capability to foresee black swan events, but at the same time, we must also use the predictive tools we have to make further adjustments if we actually foresee a black swan. It is most effective for us to consistently prepare ourselves in case a black swan event occurs, but we must also try to see them coming to gain specific and valuable insight.
The recent disaster in Japan has taken over the news and our hearts. But if black swan theory was incorporated, could the consequences have been lessened? Most certainly. The earthquake affords us the opportunity to witness a black swan event in present time. The earthquake was a surprise, it was high impact, and people tried to rationalize its unexpectedness in hindsight. But the earthquake was not expected. Japan had not had an earthquake of that magnitude in hundreds of years. So what should they have done? They should have prepared for and kept in mind the possibility of a black swan event occurring, just as what should have done in the Pacific. But Taleb focuses mainly on the idea of preparing for a black swan event, and dissuades predicting it. But a mix of preparation and prediction can be the most effective method. Preparatory methods should have been taken in Japan, as Taleb would advise, but prediction is still an important tactic. Looking for a disaster can give a country, like Japan, further insight on how to prepare for a specific event. Though overall preparation can shield countries from damage, specific analysis has significant value. The barbell theory is indicative of this, as it lets one manage their business specifically, while still leaving space open for preparation for black swan events.
Another thing we can learn from reading Black Swan is being well prepared for unexpected errors and different ways to prepare for those, such as using a barbell strategy for investing. The Barbell strategy says that because of uncertainty and possible prediction errors when investing you should be “hyperconservative” and “hyperagrresive”. This means that you need to invest most of your money in safe, stable, and reliable investments and then invest a little bit of your money in higher risk investments. The advantages of using an investing strategy like this is that it minimizes any exposure you would have to a negative black swan event. As Taleb states if you put “85-90 percent in extremely safe instruments, like Treasury bills—as safe a class of instruments as you can manage to find on this planet. | 18 | English | male | Some college | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
ll | Said a dying Ponzi, “"Even if they never got anything for it, it was cheap at that price. Without malice aforethought I had given them the best show that was ever staged in their territory since the landing of the Pilgrims! It was easily worth fifteen million bucks to watch me put the thing over."
How can we prevent another Ponzi scheme? These types of schemes are hard to spot until they are over and innocent people have been swindled, but there are always financial irregularities. A financier’s rise may be too fast or the numbers may not add up. But one of the most indefatigable problems is the widespread corruption, and inability to say no. This was evidenced in the Enron case, as numerous executives from firms such as Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs let blatant dishonesty occur. vWho bore the brunt of the damage? It was the honest workers, such as the oil lineman see in the movie “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room,” directed by Alex Gibney and based on the watershed reporting by Bethany McLean.
Whether the issue is Enron or Madoff, or any other bubble or fraud, the culture of American business must be changed if we all want to survive, Says Alex Brigham, executive director of the Ethisphere Institute, “many companies paid lip-service to corporate ethics and compliance, maintaining such departments but sidelining them in major decisions.” Brigham has started the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance, “inviting corporations to commit themselves to a set of ethical standards and pledge to follow ‘the letter and spirit’ of the law to curb illegal behavior.” PepsiCo, Wal-Mart Stores, Dell, General Electric and United Airlines have already signed up, but it will require a greater importance of ethics, and its enforcers, across the board to actually make the significant change that our company so desperately needs. Bubbles are only blown to be popped, and fraud only exists to be foiled. We are doing ourselves no good by carrying on this pattern of corruption within business, finance, and corporate culture. As the former president and general Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Only Americans can hurt America.”
What if you were in high school, going through the daily grind of schoolwork and social life, getting ready to take the SAT’s and apply to college- and your high school shut down. This would be a black swan event in your life. Nassim Taleb is the author of “The Black Swan,” a book that covers such phenomena on both a micro (as detailed above) and macro level. A black swan event must meet three main criteria: the event is a surprise, it has a high impact, and the event is retrospectively rationalized as a natural occurrence, even though it is not. Taleb argues that we need to do a better job of preparing for these events; he says that 9/11 and the Pacific disaster in 2005 are results of a lack of foresight for black swan events. | 18 | English | male | Some college | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
ll | As the company moves its assets over to an oil-based approach, it will need to monitor its holdings cautiously and alertly.
A move to oil is prudent- If SD can successfully navigate the murky waters of the Middle East. Though gas is rising, its overproduction limits its value, making oil the more potentially successful play. SD is wise to sell non-core assets in both oil and gas, as they will need CAPEX flexibility to handle unexpected developments. As Canacoord writes, there is much to look out for: “Global crude oil prices are affected by overall supply and demand, political developments worldwide, pricing decisions and production quotas of OPEC and the volatile trading patterns in the commodity futures markets.
Woody Allen is one of the most famous comics- perhaps ever. Though he is becoming less well-known with newer generations, his movies are still relevant like “Scoop” and “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” His older material is barely known to our generation, though it may be the best of his stuff. The link provided contains some of Allen’s best skits, such as “The Moose,” which we covered in class. Dan did a great job of performing the bit, and even gave a great attempt to replicate Allen’s Brooklyn accent. A Brooklyn accent may be the most satirical part of this citation. A Brooklyn accent is constantly emulated these days in comedy and movies, but rarely ever done well. The accent seems so easy to do but there is something distinctly “Brooklyn” about it. On the surface it may seem sort of cliqued, but in reality very few can master the Brooklyn accent (that is unless you grew up there.)
The Onion is a great resource for relevant and funny satire. The linked video tells of a man giving up his dream of owning a chain of bars and grills, effectively killing the American dream with him being the last believer. The clip is funny and entertaining, but more importantly, it is a satire on the real American dream. The American dream is changing and is no longer what our parents and grandparents were working for. With the advent of the Internet, and different trends in American culture, people are not looking to modestly support their children though creating a little business anymore. People are looking to get rich quick, and move quickly in this fast-moving American culture.
As a fantasy baseball player myself, I understand the agony that the linked article describes. Don’t get me wrong, I love baseball, and fantasy baseball at that, but it can get tedious to continually check your fantasy baseball roster. There are 162 games in a year, 30 teams, and 25 players per team. So yeah, it can get a little bit hectic. The man in the article claims that he is tired of researching rosters, and is done for good, but he will most likely hop on the bandwagon again next year. | 18 | English | male | Some college | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
ll | I also wonder how good of a fit Jack Black was for Swift material.
Short films before movies are very common these days. One of the best I have seen is a Goofy short, “How to Hook Up Your Home Theater.” The short entails Goofy hilariously trying to hook up loads of complicated DVD players, audio systems, and TV hardware, to watch the “big game” on his new gigantic TV. In addition to being a very fun film within itself, it is also a satire on our consumer culture of bigger, bigger, bigger.
There is a sketch comedy group on YouTube called Good Neighbor, and they do great stuff their their channel named, aptly enough, GoodNeighborStuff. YouTube has become such a portal for all kinds of media satirical or not, but comedy channels have flourished on the platform. Good Neighbor has a skit titled “lakers.” All of their titles are equally concise. The video shows a faux reporter interviewing Los Angeles Lakers fans as awkwardly as possible. It gets pretty awkward. It could be a satire on the poor and/or awkward news reporting that we sometimes see, but it is also just plain funny.
The site linked above is the website for the Musclemania Natural Bodybuilding Championships. I cite this source, because the images on the page could be a satire on America’s fascination with working out and getting “huge,” but this is all for real. It is their personal choice to work out in such a fashion, and at least they’re doing it naturally as the title of the website details, but I still find it very interesting to watch these men and women.
Most people may not know, but Bart Simpson is voiced by a woman. And one in her 50’s at that. Nancy Cartwright is the voice of Bart, as well as many other cartoon characters in shows such as “Rugrats.” People may expect Bart to be a boy, but it often takes a woman to perform the the truly high voice of a prepubescent cartoon character.
The website linked above is simply to the Pokémon website. Pokémon is still pretty popular, though it’s popularity waned a bit in the mid to late 2000’s before picking back up again. It is the most successful video game franchise outside of the Mario series. Outside of Pokémon there have been many imitators and similar games, such as “Digimon” and “Yugi-Oh!.” It is satirical how kids’ attentions move from one game to the next, though Pokémon has endured for the long run.
“Glee” is a popular show, based on the successful models of enterprises like “High School Musical,” but it is not without its critics. The cited article tells of Slash dismissing the “Glee” producers’ request for him to appear on the show. After Slash said no, the producers came back with remarks dissing Slash. The Foo Fighters, Bryan Adams, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers also rejected “Glee,” and “Glee” again came back dissing these artists. | 18 | English | male | Some college | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
ll | The overall damage on the economy in the most recent crisis projects to be worse, as it has become much more intertwined due to the proliferation of mortgage-backed securities, and became much more financially unsafe due to a greater degree of overall deregulation.
As our government and our economy puts policies in places and devotes great effort to the crisis, will these actions even help? In short, though some will not, these regulatory policies are having and will have a substantially positive effect on our economy. The housing bubble is popped, and so is the lenders’ confidence in giving out money to potential house owners. Quite simply, the banks do not have the liquidity to resume, or rather start, sound business practices, but programs such as TARP and actions such as increasing FDIC insurance and insuring money market accounts are working to recoup losses and to make the economy a must safer place for loans and mortgages. These programs are slowly but surely bringing us back to financial stability, but to maintain this stability we must tighten up lending regulation.our moral sense. Our country was much too highly leveraged in the housing market; Because of this, we were not able to house ourselves.
Within an economy, there are always booms and recessions, but when a crisis is created solely from incomplete ideas and incorrupt business practices, the crisis can be prevented. The programs in place now look like they may prevent a future recession and/or crisis, though the game is still very early. The government, the banks and the large corporations must continue to build up capital, practice proper and fair business fundamentals, and overall, to instill confidence in the American people to the point where we feel confident in taking out a loan and the banks feel confident us- but have to work for the credibility. We will need to take credit.
The programs instituted to stop the financial crisis are slowly but surely bringing us back to financial stability, but to maintain this stability we must tighten up lending regulation. More importantly, we must tighten up our moral sense. Regulation has an important place, but we cannot prevent another collapse until we all give ourselves a gut check. We need to check ourselves, before we wreck ourselves.
If the desired end result is for SandRidge to have a higher value stock over the next three years, then the oil market is the right direction to move into. SD has made the decision to move from exclusive involvement in the natural gas market to a virtual 50/50 split between oil and natural gas. Though the market for oil certainly appears to be a steadily growing investment, jumping to $94 from $81 just this past day, there are several precautions that need to be taken in order to make this transition as successful as possible. Conflicts in the Middle East have always driven price/supply of oil as the prices often fluctuate quite frequently. | 18 | English | male | Some college | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
ll | Management not only needs to be well adept to spot the right chance to get involved in the oil market, but also must be flexible to deal with any problems that may arise in the near future. Tom Ward(CEO) had an impressive track record during his time with Chesapeake Energy, but that is a company only focused in the natural gas market and the oil market is a completely different animal. The company needs to hire experts concerning their shift into the oil market so they can construct a business model for short and long-term success. We recommend that SD should sell some of its non-core assets and use that generated revenue to invest in oil as the company’s key growth area.
The biggest problem with SD currently is the debt they have incurred over the past year. The company is having some cash flow issues and because of their shift into the oil market they have purchased Forest Oil and Arena Resources. They currently have a debt of around 3.00B. The belief is that oil prices will continue to rally and therefore the cash flow will strengthen. As Sandridge (SD) diversifies their assets, obtaining more oil plays, they must refine their operations on both sides to make sure they are getting the most out of their assets. With EBITDA currently trailing CAPEX, it is essential that SD carefully plays out their oily transition. As Deutsche Bank specifies, planned transactions include the selling of non-core oil assets in the Permian Basin, as well as plans to sell inessential plays on the Mississippian properties.
Sandridge has been aggressively switching into the oil market. SunTrust summarily describes that the company “should derive over 80% of production/revenue this year from oil versus over 75% from natural gas in 2008.” Why is SandRidge switching over? Oil trades at a significantly higher price on the market than oil, and through internal research, does not project as much success as oil could provide for them. And after underperforming in recent years, it is time for SD to improve their standing. Over the next two years oil prices are predicted to steadily increase from $92 to $99 from February 2011 to December 2012. This bodes well for equity investments in SD and should help to shrink the current operating margin of -31.31%.
Though SandRidge derives their oil from American sources, the oil market is predicated on the Middle East. As such, recent turmoil there has created volatility and an uncomfortable feeling within the market. Take for example, the uprising in Libya, a significant country in the oil trade at 5% of OPEC and 2% of global production.
February 22nd, 2011 was a particularly chaotic day for Libya, and the unrest is reflected in a significant drop in SD’s stock on that very day. Though the stock has since risen to normal levels, the volatility of the Middle Eastern oil market cannot be discounted in its direct relationship to SD. | 18 | English | male | Some college | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
ll | That’s the case for most fantasy baseballers: they usually all return spurred on by the agony of defeat. At the start of the season everbody is rejuvenated by the offseason and excited to win, but first place goes to the teams that don’t lose focus and continue their analysis and work throughout the entire season. But trust me, that’s hard.
Recently the company Downy put comedian Mike Birbiglia in a a Macy’s window for a week with sheets cleaned by Downy softener. This was done both to show the effectiveness of their product and to market it on a larger scale. It was a cool demonstration, but companies have pulled even larger stunts to market their products. Though the clip is relatively tame, it shows that companies are willing to go to great lengths to market their products- and make money.
There’s probably not a student in our satire class who didn’t throw in Rebecca Black’s “Friday,” but I still think it’s important to look at. Although Black is not a bad singer, the music video is infamously ill-directed. People went crazy (in a bad way), on the grounds that the song was poorly written and the video depicted 13 year-old kids driving a car, which I’m guessing is not allowed in any state in the USA. Yes, “Friday” was bad, but it is satirical how people slam Rebecca Black while most popular music today is, not very creatively, about women and partying. If you ask me, the lyrics in such songs, are not much better than Black’s. It’s not really hard to think of the simple lyrics put out today by most artists.Some of them do not even make sense. Take this example from Jay-Z: “Thirty-eight revolve like the sun round the Earth.” Sorry Jay, other way around. And 13 year-olds driving may be unrealistic, but how many people can only compare their lives to the clubbing and partying that is the focus of most music videos today. Looking through that lens, “Friday” may not be that relatively bad as it may seem.
Remakes and retellings of classic movies, shows, and stories abound these days. A few examples include “Transformers,” “Pride and Prejudice” and “Alvin and the Chipmunks.” Some of these are good, and some are not, but it is interesting to see how many abound. The example cited here is “Clueless,” the coming-of-age Alicia Silverstone film which also doubles as a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s “Emma.” The film is good, compared to most retellings. The real satire here might lie in the characters’ exaggerated Beverly Hills fashion and verbiage, which contrasts well with Austen’s British.
McSweeney’s is a satirical web site run by the author Dave Eggers. The post cited here shows histories of comments for serial posters that article author Kevin Collier has sought out. | 18 | English | male | Some college | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
ll | It is ironic how the show handled the situation, instead of dealing respectfully with the revered artists who they were dealing with (who are on a much higher pedestal than Glee.)
Gucci Mane is a rapper who has had some trouble with the law, and is notable for having tattoos on a large percentage of his body. In January of this year, he got a new tattoo- on his cheek, of an ice cream cone with lightning bolts, and with “brr” written on it. Sometimes the best satires are true events, and this exemplifies that thinking. Though some parts of the rap game are filled with violence and stupidity, Gucci Mane’s tattoo takes it to a new level.
A year or two ago, the Shamwow commercial was an Internet viral video, highlighted by the crazy antics of its host, Vince. The video is a satire on infomercials in itself, but now, it also shows how viral videos can fade as quickly as they popped up. Most people do not remember the Shamwow commercial, and in 10 years, will anybody? The Internet lets things gain popularity more quickly, but it also takes away their importance.
How do people define themselves? People today align themselves among many different groups and societies- are we more part of one than other? This rings especially true for Jonathan Swift, and is represented well in Swift’s landmark novel, Gulliver’s Travels. Gulliver’s Travels details the experiences of explorer Lemuel Gulliver as he travels to strange and distant lands, while both he and the reader uncover the fundamental truths of human nature that Swift blends in. The author himself was part of two countries, employed a litany of professions from assistant to, of course, satitirs and was an active part of every one. Swift’s experiences within England and its change in political power, as well as the human tendencies in the countries that he inhabited, Ireland and England, are directly represented in Gulliver’s Travels, and serve to explain how we define ourselves as part of groups and societies.
Swift composed his novel out of honest reflection of his own ideals. It is nothing but the representation of his own experiences. With Lemuel Gulliver as his figurehead, Swift explains his reasoning:
Within the context of the book, Gulliver is saying that his accounts were factual, and should not be criticized or remarked against due to the vailidity of their nature. Within the context of Swift’s writing, and this novel in particular, the quote is especially relevant. Why, one may ask, how Swift’s writing is satire and would not undergo criticism. The answer is, at least from the author’s point of view, he is writing nothing but the truth. Satire is at once astray from the facts, and together with them. Gulliver’s Travels is a frank and sincere representation of the groups and types of people present in Swift’s era.
When George I took the throne in 1714, the Tories were dethroned, counting Swift among them. | 18 | English | male | Some college | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
ll | In essence, the ideals of one group people were traded for another’s. The same phenomenon is exhibited in Gulliver’s Travels. From the Lilliputians to the Houyhnhnms to the Yahoos, each group holds their own practices. Take for example, this practice from the diminuitive Lilliputians:
It is commonplace to observe groups with certain tendencies, but Swift highlights the differences between them, as was done in the real era that he lived in.
One of the main contrasts in Gulliver’s Travels is the difference between the Yahoos and the Houyhnhnms. The Yahoos are described below:
Strange creatures? No, they are people. Swift is showing human beings at their base form. The Houyhnhnms, are wise, kind, and benevolent horses. Their society does not even have words corresponding to lying and other things of foul nature. Gulliver feels significantly more at home with the horses traditionally under human rule, than with his own species. Writes Gulliver: “My horses understand me tolerably well; I converser with them a t least four hours every day. They are strangers to bridle or saddle, they live in great amity with me, and friendship to each other.” (Part 4, Ch. 11) Why does Gulliver identify with the horses over the humans? The Yahoo’s exemplify all of the base traits of human nature- or at least these traits are amplified in the presence of the physically and mentally beautiful horses. This draws a parallel to Swift’s life in England and Ireland. Not only did Swift experience a separation of politcal powers, between his Tories and the opposing Whigs, but his era was also filled with class division. In Gulliver’s Travels, Gulliver is eventually able to live among the Houyhnhms. According to writer Irvin Ehrenpreis, Swift displayed similar characteristics: “He had a Houyhnhmn’s contempt for any fine-spun probing of social issue.” Ehrenpreis went on to detail Swift’s view of freedom and identity pertaining to groups of people, of which this esay is a focus:
As Ehrenpreis would indicate, the lines between freedom and otherwhise continually become blurred in Swift’s novel, from Gulliver’s capture by the Lilliputians, to the Lilliputians’ own battles with Blefuscu.
Jonathan Swift passed away on October 19, 1745. Swift composed a Latin epitaph for himself before he passed. Below is the William Yeats’ loose translation:
Swift states that he served “human liberty” and he did nothing but that. Through is satire of people and their actions he is able to give hos critique of what has gone wrong within their society, as well as discern the characteristics of different types of people and groups as he he does in Gulliver’s Travels. Jonathan Swift shows how different groups condense and create, and how the characteristics of these groups derive from both human nature and the Ireland and England of the era that he lived in.
I consider myself a moral person. One capable of making honest and ethical decisions that both reflect well on myself and create benefit for others. | 18 | English | male | Some college | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
ll | It hurts, then, when a person or organization that I love, or obsess over, is damaged by an ethical crisis. The New York Mets, my favorite team (and hopefully future employer) were burned badly by Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. It is no denying that Madoff was wrong, and though he did not actually “make off” and is in jail for life, the Mets are on their financial deathbed. The Amazin’s were not the only victims, though. How was Madoff able to convince so many people into giving so much money to his Ponzi scheme, and what were the ethical implications of those who assisted him?
Bernard Lawrence Madoff was born in New York City on April 29, 1938 to Ralph and Sylvia Madoff. He attended Hofstra College, and quickly went to on to start his own firm as a stockbroker; his father Ralph was a stockbroker himself. Madoff was well-known figure on Wall Street, who seemed to be on the path to financial fame and fortune. But he turned to be less figure than figurehead. On March 12, 2009 Madoff pleaded guilty to leading the Ponzi scheme, and on June 29, 2009 he was sentenced to the maximum 150 years in federal prison. The United States Attorney Southern District of New York detailed the charges:
Making Madoff’s story more unpalatable than before is the fact that he was a man of patronage. For example, Deborah Coltin was the leader of an $8 million dollar foundation with supported Jewish programs along the coast of Massachusetts. The money funding these programs: washed away with the harsh truth of Madoff’s illegitimate activities. Summarize Binyamin Appelbaum, David S. Hilzenrath, and Amit R. Paley of the Washington Post: “It may be the largest fraud in the history of Wall Street, authorities said. Madoff is charged with stealing as much as $50 billion, in part to cover a pattern of massive losses, even as he cultivated a reputation as a financial mastermind and prominent philanthropist.”
It is clear, simply though inferring what I have written that Bernie Madoff committed an act of financial heresy. But some readers may be asking: what, exactly, is a Ponzi scheme? It is actually quite simple; much simpler to the financial jargon and troubling promises that Madoff made to his clients. Merriam-Webster defines a Ponzi scheme as “an investment swindle in which some early investors are paid off with money put up by later ones in order to encourage more and bigger risks.” It’s not too hard to envision how one can be consumed by such a scheme. Bernie Madoff certainly was. He had money, more than enough to live lavishly. But it was apparent that it soon became game for the “stockbroker.” One in which he thought he would never get caught. The original schemer, Charles Ponzi, maintained his innocence almost until his deathbed, when he admitted he had cheated his clients. Business ethics were not an issue for Madoff or Ponzi; they didn’t matter. | 18 | English | male | Some college | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
ll | The crisis might have never been induced if the financial markets had not been deregulated. Deregulation let financial corporations relax their lending standards, which as detailed in this paper, led to the subprime housing crisis and the failure of the economy and its financial infrastructure. Political decisions over the last thirty years have continually loosened restrictions. 20 years before Clinton, in 1980, Jimmy Carter introduced policies that removed many restrictions on the financial practices and lending practices of banking, while in 1982, Ronald Reagan helped to pass a law creating adjustable-rate mortgages. The market would soon sour in the Savings and Loan Crisis of the ‘80’s and ‘90’s, just after homeowners flooded the real estate market due to the president’s ill-fated policies, just as Clinton and US politics in general did in respect to the most recent crisis.
To put an end to the financial crisis, many policies and programs have been adopted. One of these actions stand out as the largest and most influential: TARP. So, what method should be used to determine their relative effectiveness? Here, the guidelines are quite simple: if a program has shown a direct improvement on America’s financial situation, or has set the ground for future growth, then it can be classified as a success.
The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) was created in October 2008, with an original mission to help lift failing and important American corportations through buying back bad loans. This proved to be too cumbersome, and TARP’s focus then shifted to buying equity and assets in these corportations. ThouThe operation exceeded predictions of failure and an expected taxpayer cost of $356 billion, and now projects to have a taxt cost of only $30 billion. In retrospect, TARP has proven to be very important in economic recovery, through greatly helping to prevent the important firms, and the important financial infrastructure, to collapse, while at the same time putting less of a strain on taxpayers- the people- than originally predicted.
As the economy attempts to recover under the guidelines of the actions and plans that have been put in place, one must ask wonder if the results would have been different under a better plan. Specifically, would debt reduction be more effective than economic stimulus? No, it would not, as the economic stimulus in place creates mechanisms that recoup the money lost as best as possible, and for the most part, put it to work in the parts of our economy they need it. We are in this crisis because our economy and politics were immoral; to rescue ourselves from it, we need to work hard to work off our debt to set the precedent for a hospitable financial environment.
The S&L crisis bears core similarities to the one we are currently experiencing. In both crises, “savings and loan associations” did not reserve enough capital to survive in the case of a recession, and failed when the unexpected actually occurred. | 18 | English | male | Some college | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
s | Socrates then asks which man would be happier, a man who lives immorally with no negative consequences, or a man who lives justly with no positive consequences. The two conclude that the former would be happier, and that it is the perception of morality, not morality itself that ought to be desired.
However, I contend that such a lifestyle would be unrewarding and unfulfilling. The aforementioned hypothetical scenario includes the unjust man bringing offerings to the gods, to win their favor. The basic argument here is that all morality is in fact selfishness in disguise, and that if morality pleases the gods, then we need only to appear moral, thus escaping any eternal ramifications of immorality. But this argument is indefensible, for such a presumption ignores the very factor by which the presumed gods know of a man’s morality in the first place: omniscience. It is most commonly suggested that morality is not limited only to actions, but encompasses thoughts as well. Let us assume then that the god in question judges all moral actions, including one’s thoughts (as is taught by most major religions: Islam- Surat at-Taghabun, 64:4, Christianity- 1 John 3:20). Such a god would be aware of any selfishness motivating apparent morality, thereby exposing it as in fact immoral.
The argument made by Socrates does not necessitate the gods being unaware, only restricted in their ability to punish. I contend that the desire to please a creator in such a situation is the only sincere motivation behind morality. Selflessness towards others always brings with it a reward, even if only warm fuzzies. But just as I chose my father’s desires over my own in enrolling for school, moral men choose a path of morality out of honor to a creator, rather than with selfish expectations. All major religions suggest that such sincere morality is rewarded with eternal gain that outweighs any of the inconveniences of a moral life. And because it is impossible to have a purely moral action with selfish intentions, it is impossible for reward to ever be the motivation for true morality.
I enrolled in college to please my father. I was 18, I had a legitimate desk job, a girlfriend, and I was renting a decent house. I was content. But I knew that if I did not go to school, my father would feel like he had failed as a parent, as a man. So I chose to do that which I was not obligated or naturally compelled to do, in order to honor the man who had given me life. This tendency toward pleasing my dad, not for gain, but out of gratitude, is a principle that has been overlooked in the conversation regarding morality. But I will demonstrate that this principle, already similarly seen in nature, is true morality’s sole motivator.
It should be noted that it is difficult to defend the concept of a non-subjective, consistent moral standard without acknowledging some higher power, presumably a creator, who put such a standard in place. | 21 | English | male | College | Musician | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
s | But on the points of disagreement between the latter and the Atomists, history, logic, and science have proven the victor. Atoms have been proven, as has their motion, as well as much of Democritus’ original concepts regarding them. Even the dispute of the void has been settled by Isaac Newton, and later Albert Einstein, who both validate the claim in their own way. (Russell)
However, what is astonishing about the Atomists’ ideas is not their content itself, but rather the means through which they discovered it. Their only laboratories were their minds. Their most important contribution is not proving what humans are made of, but rather what they are capable of.
It is asked from time to time what the most significant contributions to human history have been. Some would say the light bulb, some the wheel. The answers would of course be quite diverse. But often overlooked is a practice that can bring more significance to a man’s life than any technological advancement. It is easy to ignore the simple reality that the root of all growth, all knowledge, is the asking of questions. And while there have been many great minds, many wise philosophers and poets, one man above all others taught us the art of asking. His contribution was no small one, and the sacrifice that ultimately inspired the way most of us examine the world around us was this man’s very life.
In 399 B.C., there lived a man named Socrates. Hailing from Athens, Greece, Socrates was a stonemason by trade. But Socrates is of course not known for his masonry. He did more thinking than actual work, and that thinking got him into a bit of trouble. Socrates’ thoughts drove him to ask questions, questions that often led to the humiliation of those at whom they were directed. This habit of inquiry ignited the fierce disapproval of some very powerful people, and it was at the hands of these influential few that Socrates was brought to trial and subsequently executed.
In order to gain an understanding of the circumstances that led to the trial of this significant historical figure, one must begin not by analyzing only the charges brought against him, but the entire pursuit of knowledge that led to these conflicts. For Socrates, it all began with a message from God. Socrates had a friend named Chaerephon. Chaerephon went to the oracle of the god Delphi, and asked whether there was any man wiser than Socrates. The oracle said no, that there was no man wiser. When Socrates heard of this news, he was not exuberant, as most might be. He was instead baffled. “What can the god mean?” he asked himself. This profound experience was a spark that began for Socrates a life-long quest. Socrates assumed that this revelation must be a riddle of some kind, as he found no wisdom within himself. So he determined that he had to resolve the mystery, and sought to find someone wiser than he was.
| 21 | English | male | College | Musician | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
s | The human mind is faulty and unstable. This is not to suggest that nothing can be reasonably assumed. Obviously, our minds and our senses are all that we have to interpret the world around us. But it would be quite arrogant to assume that just because we can personally observe or think something, that it is necessarily a part of reality. The only thing that I can know with absolute certainty is that I exist. My ability to think the thoughts that I am currently articulating is the only irrefutable evidence I have. I must concede that even the reader of this paper may very well exist only in my own imagination. This would certainly explain his cartoon-like features.
John Stuart Mill is an idiot. “Why,” one might ask, “would you assert such a bold accusation against a man who has so heavily influenced the thought of others in a positive way, a man who has brought happiness to so many who have studied his work?” The answer is that I have recognized a reality that Mr. Mill has not: the value of happiness is but a vapor when compared to the value of truth.
Let us consider for a moment a man named John. John is not a bad guy. He is close to no one, but he is a hard worker and an honest man. The only abnormality within John is the fact that he is crazy. He has, as my mother would say, a screw loose. Consequently, John is prone to occasional fits of rage in which he feels particularly inclined toward homicide. In these times, nothing short of quenching his thirst for blood brings John any happiness. Then one day John has the good fortune of meeting Frank, who we shall condense for the sake of brevity to being a grumpy, lonely man who periodically throws soup cans at his neighbor’s kids. Upon their first encounter, it occurs to John that until he has eaten Frank’s brain, his own cannot be at rest. To follow John Mill’s concept of morality would suggest that there is no decision more moral, no action more pure, than John painlessly murdering Frank and eating the contents of his skull like a Cup-O-Noodles. Let’s examine the line of reasoning here. The moral decision is the decision that brings the most happiness into the world. John is a good dude, pays his taxes, and throws an average of zero soup cans at children per day. Frank is mean, and his soup can average is much higher (not to mention his can to kid ratio). Between the soup-free kids and John’s own satisfaction, the world will be a happier place with Frank out of the way. And while Mr. Mill would probably find some exception (as he seems fond of doing) if he were present at the time, to do so would be a direct contradiction of his concept that “the balance of traceable consequences” determines the morality of a decision.
| 21 | English | male | College | Musician | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
s | This task led Socrates to a particular style of interrogation. Whenever Socrates found a man thought to be wise, he would ask him a series of questions. He would often flatter the person with whom he was talking by insisting that if anyone knows the answer to these questions, it must be him. He would then proceed to unravel whatever position this unsuspecting sap held as truth. Almost without exception, Socrates would leave these interactions having made an enemy, and having come no closer to his pursuit of one wiser than himself. It is hard to say whether Socrates was truly humble in his belief that he knew nothing, as there is a humorous tone of sarcasm that seems present in these examinations. But regardless, it is clear that he was never satisfied. He found the only redemptive point in these interactions to be his own self-awareness, concluding in one instance, “Well, although I do not suppose either of us knows anything really beautiful and good, I am better off than he is, for he knows nothing, and thinks he knows; I neither know nor think that I know. In this latter particular, then, I seem to have slightly the advantage of him.”
Such was the life of Socrates. Around he went, day after day, asking questions for which he rarely found answers. He gained a reputation for his tactics. Some regarded him as wise; others hated him. But because any other man’s claim to wisdom was an affront to the words spoken by the oracle, Socrates felt it was his duty to prove that any who claimed wisdom in fact possessed none. One such man was Meletus.
Meletus was one of three men who brought charges against Socrates. He represented the poets. Throughout the trial, Socrates used his unique brand of logic and questioning to systematically disprove every claim brought against him. He concluded by saying of Meletus, “[He] is reckless and impudent, and he has written this indictment in a spirit of mere wantonness and youthful bravado.” Meletus was accompanied in his indictments by Anytus, who represented the craftsmen and politicians, and Lycon, who represented the rhetoricians. Together, these three men were symbolic of the people whom Socrates had offended and humiliated: powerful, arrogant, foolish, and pissed.
Of course, Socrates’ arguments were not enough to save his life. In his attempts to win over the court, he refused to use the customary style of debate: emotionally groveling and wailing. Instead, he stated quite plainly, “I would rather die having spoken after my manner, than speak in your manner and live.” It is this noble, virtuous approach to life that set Socrates apart, and inspired many who would follow. By illustrating the value of truth above the value of life, Socrates set a bold precedent. His honest death kept true to his beliefs more than a dishonest life would have. In his death, he taught us how to live. And in the conclusion of the trial that would end his life, he remained adherent to his own profound words: “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
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s | To Plato’s idea, Aristotle essentially asks what would happen if we got rid of all the horses. He is questioning the basic element of forms, which is their existence regardless of the objects that emulate them.
Aristotle suggests that Forms are not the basis for objects, but are rather the consequence of objects. The Form of a horse, then, would cease to exist the moment the last horse died. Additionally, the form of the horse never existed until the first perceivable horse did. This notion seems to view forms as much more theoretical than Plato’s incarnation of the concept. Aristotle looked to the Earth, not the heavens, for truth. Let us use a bronze statue of Apollo as an example of Aristotle’s thinking. He would say that the bronze, by itself, has no form. It is only when molded into the shape of Apollo that it takes on the form of Apollo. This room for change is an element unique to his Form theory.
Essential then to understanding Aristotle’s own view regarding the existence of objects is a comprehension of his views on change. Aristotle suggested that all change stems from four basic causes: material, formal, efficient, and final. Material cause addresses the matter or stuff of which an object is composed. Formal cause is the arrangement of that matter, the definition or form of a thing. Efficient cause is the main source of change, such as an elephant sitting on a peanut, changing it into peanut butter. The final cause is the end goal or purpose of an object. This is the broadest and most holistic change. This concept, though complex, is significant, because change occurs every time an object comes into being. This theory then is a valid refutation of elements central to Platonic Form theory.
While these two men may have had some disagreements regarding the topic of Forms, each of their contributions on the subject were significant. While Plato’s concepts may seem laughable to us now, his thoughts were a great stride in philosophy, and moved human thought in a positive direction. Even Aristotle’s views on the subject may be bizarre to us. Many misconceptions were in fact present in Aristotle’s philosophies in general. But even in acknowledging the errors present in Aristotle’s work, Bertand Russell notes that “errors make it difficult to do historical justice to Aristotle, until one remembers how large of an advance he made upon all of his predecessors.”
Immanuel Kant doesn’t think I should kill myself. Neither does John Stuart Mill. Don’t get me wrong; I certainly don’t disagree with the guys. But they have some interesting reasons for why I shouldn’t call it quits. I, for instance, don’t want to kill myself out of purely selfish reasons. I just got a new set of DVDs in the mail from Netflix, and I’ve got a date tomorrow night with a hot red head named Wendy. | 21 | English | male | College | Musician | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
s | We’re having Baconators. My particular brand of ethics in relation to this subject falls under the category of Egoism, as it’s really not in my personal best interest to be dead.
It has been suggested by some, however, that basing morality exclusively on one’s personal best interest is selfish. So in the spirit of open discussion, let us consider two prominent schools of thought regarding morality: deontology and Utilitarianism. For the sake of a fair comparison, we will examine how each ethical theory would view the subject of suicide.
Deontology is an ethical approach that maintains that morality is guided by unchanging principles that cannot be broken in any circumstance without stepping outside of morality. This approach is sometimes referred to as a non-consequentialist view because deontological ethics do not take into consideration the outcome of an action. They would say that the motive of an action is moral or immoral in and of itself. To better understand the deontological approach to morality, let us examine the work of one of its most significant contributors, Immanuel Kant.
Kant has been a helpful addition to the conversation on ethics because of his willingness to lay out specific parameters for what makes an act moral or immoral.
First, ask what action is being considered. Second, form a generalization of the essence of that action. Third, ask if the generalized version of the action could be a universal moral law without contradicting itself. And finally, if the generalized action can become moral law without contradicting itself, ask what the consequences of such a moral law would be. (Kant)
Let us now apply these principles to the subject of suicide. We will use, as a theoretical example, celebrity Paris Hilton. Paris is feeling depressed after realizing how terrible everything she has ever done is, and recognizing that the odds are not in her favor that she will accomplish any good for the world, she is now considering jumping off of a bridge. The generalization of this principle would say that everyone who is feeling depressed about their lives kills themselves. When we ask if this principle can be applied universally, the answer is no. To do so would be a contradiction. Depression and sadness are often the greatest motivators for self-improvement. It is human nature to desire happiness, so sadness is used to motivate a change that would presumably lead to happiness. It would be logically impossible then for this progression to also universally lead to suicide.
In short, because it wouldn’t work for us to all go around killing ourselves every time we get bummed, deontology dictates that there is an inherent moral law that it is never moral for anyone to kill themselves under any circumstances.
Utilitarianism takes a different approach to the subject entirely. Utilitarian ethics, unlike deontology, claim that the morality of an action is determined solely by its consequences. Philosophers like John Stuart Mill would suggest that whatever action produces the greatest amount of total happiness is the moral decision. | 21 | English | male | College | Musician | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
s | Fortunately for us all, Immanuel Kant is not an idiot. Kant, if present for the debate surrounding the aforementioned scenario, would no doubt point out that if every person who found joy in murder killed every person who made the world a worse place and had no one who cared for them, our would be less than ideal. It is through this appeal to universally applicable reason that the true understanding of morality is attained.
If an action cannot be generalized and applied to all similar situations, it is immoral. Happiness is fleeting. Happiness is not concrete. Two plus two will always equal four. What is moral will always be moral, regardless of context. Kant’s position needs no more defense than gravity; it is inherent. Isaac Newton does not get credit for causing objects to fall to the Earth. He merely recognized the truth that already existed. More precisely, Pythagoras is not remembered as an inventor, but as a discoverer. The only truth worth knowing is that which exists beyond ourselves.
I enrolled in college to please my father. I was 18, I had a legitimate desk job, a girlfriend, and I was renting a decent house. I was content. But I knew that if I did not go to school, my father would feel like he had failed as a parent, as a man. So I chose to do that which I was not obligated or naturally compelled to do, in order to honor the man who had given me life. This tendency toward pleasing my dad, not for gain, but out of gratitude, is a principle that has been overlooked in the conversation regarding morality. But I will demonstrate that this principle, already similarly seen in nature, is true morality’s sole motivator.
It should be noted that it is difficult to defend the concept of a non-subjective, consistent moral standard without acknowledging some higher power, presumably a creator, who put such a standard in place. For the sake of brevity, we will assume the existence of such a god or gods, since such an assumption was presupposed by the majority of the philosophers that we have studied so far in this course. To make such a presupposition is not a leap in the logic of the subject at hand, since we are not discussing what morality is, but rather why one ought to be moral, a question that is irrelevant, or at least trivial, if morality is subjective.
In A. J. Ayer’s “Emotivism Affirmed,” he asserts that “ethical judgments have no validity,” a concept that he spends the majority of the passage defending and explaining. But much more importantly, he concludes with the statement: “One of the chief causes of moral behavior is fear, both conscious and unconscious, of a god’s displeasure, and fear of the enmity of society.” In this statement, Ayer echoes the conclusion of a story Socrates told Glaucon of a magic ring that made it’s finder, Gyges, invisible at will, allowing him to do all sorts of unjust things for his own gain, with no repercussions. | 21 | English | male | College | Musician | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
s | For the sake of brevity, we will assume the existence of such a god or gods, since such an assumption was presupposed by the majority of the philosophers that we have studied so far in this course. To make such a presupposition is not a leap in the logic of the subject at hand, since we are not discussing what morality is, but rather why one ought to be moral, a question that is irrelevant, or at least trivial, if morality is subjective.
In A. J. Ayer’s “Emotivism Affirmed,” he asserts that “ethical judgments have no validity,” a concept that he spends the majority of the passage defending and explaining. But much more importantly, he concludes with the statement: “One of the chief causes of moral behavior is fear, both conscious and unconscious, of a god’s displeasure, and fear of the enmity of society.” In this statement, Ayer echoes the conclusion of a story Socrates told Glaucon of a magic ring that made it’s finder, Gyges, invisible at will, allowing him to do all sorts of unjust things for his own gain, with no repercussions. Socrates then asks which man would be happier, a man who lives immorally with no negative consequences, or a man who lives justly with no positive consequences. The two conclude that the former would be happier, and that it is the perception of morality, not morality itself that ought to be desired.
However, I contend that such a lifestyle would be unrewarding and unfulfilling. The aforementioned hypothetical scenario includes the unjust man bringing offerings to the gods, to win their favor. The basic argument here is that all morality is in fact selfishness in disguise, and that if morality pleases the gods, then we need only to appear moral, thus escaping any eternal ramifications of immorality. But this argument is indefensible, for such a presumption ignores the very factor by which the presumed gods know of a man’s morality in the first place: omniscience. It is most commonly suggested that morality is not limited only to actions, but encompasses thoughts as well. Let us assume then that the god in question judges all moral actions, including one’s thoughts (as is taught by most major religions: Islam- Surat at-Taghabun, 64:4, Christianity- 1 John 3:20). Such a god would be aware of any selfishness motivating apparent morality, thereby exposing it as in fact immoral.
The argument made by Socrates does not necessitate the gods being unaware, only restricted in their ability to punish. I contend that the desire to please a creator in such a situation is the only sincere motivation behind morality. Selflessness towards others always brings with it a reward, even if only warm fuzzies. But just as I chose my father’s desires over my own in enrolling for school, moral men choose a path of morality out of honor to a creator, rather than with selfish expectations. | 21 | English | male | College | Musician | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
s | The most notable rebuttal that Heraclitus gave to such arguments was his famous quote: “No man ever steps in the same river twice.” (Patrick) This analogy is perhaps the clearest way to articulate his idea.
Plato was not alone in his criticism of fire and flux. Parmenides, another prominent Greek philosopher, was emphatic about the principle of non-contradiction, a concept that simply states that contradictory statements cannot be simultaneously true. (Cohen) He concluded that Heraclitus was wrong, and objected that change leads to unknowability. He suggested an alternative theory regarding the composition of all things, sometimes referred to as “the One.”
This concept rejects the notion of plurality of objects. Parmenides believed that the One of which all else was comprised is eternal, changeless, and homogenous. According to his writings, our senses deceive us, and we must only perceive change in objects, because an actual change in composition cannot exist.
As you can see, the Atomists did not walk into a quiet room of people waiting to hear their revolutionary (or at the time, farfetched-sounding) idea. So if Democritus’ ideas about atoms were to hold up against the arguments of Heraclitus and Parmenides, he had some explaining to do. Let us look then at the primary problems that the aforementioned concepts would present for the Atomists, as well an Atomist response to them.
Heraclitus suggested that everything is made of fire, and is constantly changing. On one point, Democritus would agree. The Atomist hypothesis included the idea that atoms are constantly moving, which accounts for the flux portion of the fire and flux theory. There is, however, no agreement between the two parties regarding fire. Heraclitus’ concept of fire being the root of all things begs the question, from what is fire made? An Atomist would respond, of course, that all things, including fire, are comprised of the same basic structures. And while you may not be able to step into the same river twice, your foot will still in fact be wet.
On the unchangeable structure of atoms, Parmenides might agree with the Atomists (despite an obvious discrepancy in semantics). The biggest dispute between Parmenides and the Atomists would be the notion of void. Parmenides rejected the idea of movement on the premise that for there to be movement there necessarily must be a void, but a void is nothing, and a nothing cannot exist because of the principle of non-contradiction. Historically, the Atomists mostly disregarded this argument, based on the simple reality that movement can be observed. (Russell) But in theory, one could certainly argue in defense of the atomistic concept that a void is not necessarily nothing, and that it is instead a material (perhaps too comprised of atoms) that is between the visible, and that just like wind, the inability to perceive it does not inherently negate its existence.
There are certainly some valid ideas represented in the theories of both Heraclitus and Parmenides.
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s | All major religions suggest that such sincere morality is rewarded with eternal gain that outweighs any of the inconveniences of a moral life. And because it is impossible to have a purely moral action with selfish intentions, it is impossible for reward to ever be the motivation for true morality.
Poet Christopher Marlow advised us all to “Live and die in Aristotle's works.” Some would suggest that we already do. Rarely does any one man so dramatically shape the future of our entire race as Aristotle did. Philosopher Bryan Magee said of him, "it is doubtful whether any human being has ever known as much as he did." Just as noteworthy in philosophical history, however, was his predecessor, teacher, and friend, Plato. The work of these two men account for a great deal of our modern concepts of logic and truth. Yet there was at least one point on which they had a considerable amount of disagreement: a concept known as Forms.
According to Plato, who originated the general theory of Forms, Forms are the pure conceptual version of every perceivable object or quality. For example, every tree that we see is merely a tree. Each of them is an imperfect replica of the tree, or the Form from which all other trees are derived. The Forms are intangible, exist outside of space and time, and are perfect. They are the very essence of their prospective objects, what gives an object its identity and definition. Now that a basic understanding of Forms has been established, let us examine Plato’s beliefs specifically.
Plato believed that Forms existed in an abstract state, and that they are the only things that actually exist within reality. He categorizes reality into two main categories: the sensible world and the intelligible realm. The sensible world is the world that we experience, the things that our senses can inform us of. It is home to particular objects, rather than Forms, and is within time and space. It is imperfect, which is why there are so many visible differences between objects of the same variety. Because of the constant change that occurs, any information gained within it can merely be opinion, not actual knowledge. Contrastingly, the intelligible realm is home to the Forms. It exists outside of space and time, and is perfect and unchanging. Men who exist within the sensible world cannot experience the intelligible realm, but they can know of it, and Plato believed such knowledge to be true wisdom.
Plato maintained that Forms are the primary substance from which all other things are derived. They are the roots of everything that we can perceive, and are in fact what enables anything that exists in the sensible world to do so. By his line of reasoning, the Form of a horse is what enables any particular horse to exist.
Herein lies the most significant point of disagreement between Plato and his student, Aristotle. Aristotle throws a wrench in the gears of Plato’s theory by doing what philosophers do best, asking one simple question. | 21 | English | male | College | Musician | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
s | Both of these arguments are flawed with such perfect equality that it is impossible to determine if one is superior. Aquinas’ argument successfully proves that there is a missing piece of information, but fails to prove what it is with enough specificity. Anselm’s faith argument is enough for belief in God only if the logical need for God has been established. But the arguments alone are equally insufficient. Both arguments are insightful, but virtually unrelated, and consequently incomparable. Which is more necessary for a bicycle to exist, the frame or the wheels?
In 1923, a French Psychiatrist identified a disorder known as Capgras’ Syndrome. People who fall victim to this rare affliction suddenly, and for no apparent reason, become convinced that their loved ones have been replaced by imposters. One case cites a woman shooting her spouse because she was so certain that he was a stranger wearing her husband’s clothes. She noted that he looked quite similar to her husband, but that this could be attributed to the brilliance of whoever had successfully made the swap. The problem is attributed to a fairly complex issue in the mind’s visual receptors. There have been hundreds of cases of Capgras’ syndrome since it was first identified, and it has presumably occurred for thousands of years prior as well. This phenomenon, though rare, is quite troubling, not only for those afflicted with it, but for all who consider its existence. The fact that there is now always a chance, however slight it may be, that what we are observing may not be reality forces us to concede that there is nothing that any of us can be certain of, aside from our own existence.
Since the fathers of philosophy started asking questions, mankind has been forced to answer by examining almost everything that we accept to be truth. The existence of God, the origin and purpose of life, what everything is made of – these basic questions examine admittedly quite significant matters. But the basis for any answer that can be given to any question that can be asked will be rooted either in observation or in thought. The understanding of undisputed physical principles such as gravity is based upon human senses, which, as demonstrated through Capgras’ syndrome cannot be cited as a perfectly reliable system. Other concepts, such as love, hate, and guilt, understood as emotions, are in fact rooted in neurological activity. For a person whose brain is underdeveloped in the frontal cortex, guilt may never occur. And finally, let us consider theoretical concepts such as math and geometry. Dyscalculia, known as a “math disability,” is a condition in which the portion of the brain that processes math, either as a result of underdevelopment or injury, does not interpret mathematic concepts the way that the rest of us do. People who suffer from this disorder can perform mathematic functions, but the logic in their brains confidently forms different conclusions than the average person’s would.
| 21 | English | male | College | Musician | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
s | The most significant name in the conversation regarding ancient atomic theory is that of Democritus. Born in approximately 460 B.C., Democritus is primarily regarded as a natural philosopher. While he was highly esteemed, Democritus may not have been particularly well liked in his time. English writer E. Brewer records that he is known as The Laughing Philosopher, for his reputation of endlessly mocking human folly. More significantly, his concepts were seen by some as radical, and Bertrand Russell wrote that one of his most well known contemporaries, Plato, suggested that all of Democritus’ books ought to be burned. But as is the case with much of radical thought, history is the most honest judge of truth, and it is history that has remembered Democritus as the father of modern science.
For the sake of clarity, let us briefly summarize Democritus’ atomic theory:
Everything is made up of atoms, which are the smallest tangible unit. These atoms cannot be divided, and they are indestructible. The atoms themselves are constantly moving, and are infinite in number, as well as in variety. The specific kinds of atoms vary in their size and shape. Atoms are separated by empty space, or a void. Atoms can join with one another, forming larger objects. And finally, the more atoms that are clustered together, the heavier that cluster will be. (Russell)
It bears noting that Democritus was not alone in his formation of this hypothesis, and that he was a student of Leucippus, who is often credited with being the first to suggest the concept of atoms. Later, Epicurus also helped in further developing these ideas. But it is Democritus who is remembered as the most significant contributor to the cause. (Russell)
The Atomists had a tough case to make. They were certainly not the first ones to ask what everything was made of, and the consequential range of ideas had already been hotly disputed. Before Democritus, Heraclitus and Parmenides each proposed their own unique answer to this question. To properly understand the Atomists’ defense of their ideas we must first take a moment to examine the context in which this debate took place.
Heraclitus is not regarded as the nicest of men. He was abusively critical of every other philosopher, painting himself in an almost comedic light. For example, he publically stated that Pythagoras lacked understanding, and that Homer deserved to be beaten! (Bakalis) One might conclude then, that his primary contribution to philosophy is suiting. Heraclitus stated (and defended with certainty) that everything is made of fire. Bertrand Russell summarized his idea this way: “Heraclitus considered fire as the most fundamental element. He believed fire gave rise to the other elements and thus to all things.”
The most relevant aspect of Heraclitus’ argument is that everything is constantly changing. This “fire and flux” theory proved troublesome for many of his contemporaries. Plato, for instance, asked in response, “How can that be a real thing which is never in the same state?” (Cratylus)
| 21 | English | male | College | Musician | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
s | He would clarify that greater value is placed on Eudemonistic happiness, happiness rooted in virtue and wisdom. (Mill)
Utilitarianism would say that Paris Hilton killing herself is morally wrong, not because of her motives, but because of the consequences of the act. Think of Paris’ family and her loyal fans! Woe to the tragedy that they would experience not having their favorite role model to look up to! Who would take care of that stupid dog that for some reason lives in her purse?! Then there are the people who would have to fish her carcass out of whatever unfortunate body of water broke her fall… inconvenience all around. So despite how much better Paris herself might feel, if her death would bring more pain to the world than it would joy, it is immoral.
Most of us are not suicidal. But the principles outlined in these two moral theories are probably incorporated in some ways into most people’s personal moral codes. To some degree, each of these approaches contains elements that seem to be intuitive to human nature. It is not necessary for us to accept either holistically. Perhaps there is something to be learned from both. But regardless of whether or not there is any value in the application of these concepts, there is an almost irrefutable gain in the act of examining them.
In 1965, one of human kind’s greatest philosophers did what many great minds before him had done. He posed a question. To a captive audience, Bill Cosby simply asked, “Why is there air?” Now, we will ignore for a moment that our beloved, sweater-clad genius answered by suggesting that there is air so that we can fill up basketballs, because he demonstrates an important aspect of human nature. When people are given an opportunity to sit and think, they will almost always ask at some point: “What is everything made of?”
Modern mankind answers this question through a method only recently made possible. We now possess technologies through which everything on our planet can be broken down to its smallest form and examined with astounding clarity. We know, as a result of this technology, that everything is comprised of irreducible, indestructible materials known as atoms. Our children are now taught with certainty that atoms are the building blocks of everything that they see, and that even they themselves are comprised of these tiny units. This concept, while easy to comprehend when simplified, is by nature actually quite complex. It has taken years of research and careful examination for the scientific community to develop its understanding of what we now accept as truth about atoms. This comes as no surprise, as it is hard to imagine that such microscopic, intricate particles could ever be understood. But what is hard to imagine, what truly baffles the mind, is that the basic concept of atoms, known as Atomism, was being discussed by some philosophers earlier than 400 B.C.
| 21 | English | male | College | Musician | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
s |
“The fool hath said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” The preceding quotation is seen first in Psalm 14 of the Christian Bible, and is found at the beginning of St. Anselm’s argument regarding the existence of God. This belief seems to also be held by the other author whom we will be discussing, Thomas Aquinas. Because each of their arguments is in defense of the same concept, and our challenge is to determine who’s is the better of the two, we must, for sake of brevity, begin with the presumption that they are both correct in their belief in the existence of God, specifically the God of the Bible. To allow for a God-type figure that may not resemble the one in whom our two authors believe would not permit us to appropriately compare their two arguments, as they are essentially in defense of one specific concept of God. That being said, I would suggest that while each of them brings up valid points, neither truly provides a holistic basis for belief in God.
To illustrate this point, we will first examine the basic argument of St. Anselm. Anselm’s passage reflects a path of gaining understanding through faith, looking within one’s self to find proof of God. He explains that because God exists within our understanding, we cannot effectively conceive his nonexistence. While this concept, when spelled out in his terminology, is a bit tedious and at times unclear, the basic gist of it is that the proof for God lies within one’s own mind. St. Anselm is suggesting to us that we needn’t go beyond the confines of our own soul to find truth about God, but that the existence of this being is found to be true simply by examining that which we inherently know to be true within our own minds. Foreign evidence is presumably unnecessary. This concept of accepting that for which there is not an irrefutable body of empirical evidence is often referred to within Christian texts as faith.
This idea is very different from that held by St. Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas instead suggests that the existence of God can be proven entirely through reason and empirical evidence, with no need for faith of any kind. Such an idea would be beneficial in evangelism, an important element of Christianity, because it would enable the recruiting of new converts without any dependency upon their willingness to accept something that cannot be proven. They could instead be persuaded by logic alone. St. Thomas elaborates on five different logical arguments supporting the existence of God: change, causation, contingency, degrees of excellence, and harmony. In each he essentially demonstrates that the proof of God lies in the logical necessity for God. If you are told that that you are missing one puzzle piece, and assemble the rest of the puzzle, logic dictates that you can know of the features and the existence of the missing piece without having to see it.
| 21 | English | male | College | Musician | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
nn | Preserving, at least part, of their culture as well, is just very interesting.
Of the types of Ildefonso pottery. Personally I strongly prefer the black pots. They're just so beautiful and mysterious. These black pots have a black or bluish black base color, and greyish colored designs. Though I've never seen one of these pieces in person (they're extremely expensive), from what I can tell of photographs, these pots are very uniform for hand building. The coloring and designs is also quite perfect. After all, the black pots are what the entire Martinez family is known for. Although, I cannot deny the beauty in any of the pots; black, red, polychromatic. They are all very beautiful. However, I simply prefer the black pots.
The process of making the black pottery is quite interesting. Some might even think it's a bit gross, but growing up with ranching grandparents, it doesn't bother me at all. They cover the pit and pottery in dung during the firing process. Maria and her husband Julian actually helped to develop this method of firing in New Mexico. As for the beautiful coloring effects, this is achived by a variety of colored slips and burnishing, not only in the black pots, but also in the red and polychromatic pots as well. The Martinez family, including Adam and Santana has caried on this tradition after Maria's death.
In conclusion, though I do prefer certain pots over others, I am a huge fan of Adam and Santana's work, and actually, the entire Martinez family's work in general. I chose to do this report on the team or Adam and Santana Martinez , their black pottery to be more specific, for two reasons really. The first being that I have always highly admired Native American art works. I've always found something incredibly deep about it. The second reason is because the unique and stunny beauty of these pots is what peaked my interest in ceramics in the first place. If it were not for pots like this, I might never have taken any ceramics course, and I certainly would not have found the joy in working with clay that I have found. It is my hope that the Martinez family continues to pass down this craft and these traditions so that further generation can enjoy these beautiful and inique pots, as I and many other's have.
There has been a lot of talk in the United States regarding gay marriage. Both arguments for and against the subject have gained momentum. It is no secret to those who know me, that I am 100% for gay marriage, and gay rights in general, so I'd be lying if I said that this paper doesn't hold any personal meaning to me. One argument against gay marriage, that has struck me the deepest, and I believe is the most worthy of studying. | 22 | English | female | Some college | food service | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
nn | This is essentially the Witness concept of heaven. Those who live their lives by Jehovah's will, and who live their lives to please him, will inherit the Earth.
Unlike the common Christian idea in the holy trinity, or god the father, son, and holy ghost, as equals, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania points out that Witnesses believe that Christ, the son, to be inferior to the father, and also that the Christ was Jehovah's first creation. The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania also asserts that Witnesses cannot take blood into their bodies. This includes blood transfusions, which are rejected by the Jehovah's Witnesses community, even when necessary to safe one's life. Red blood cells, while blood cells, platelets, and plasma are all rejected.
As was explained, in the particular service I attended actually, Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate most holidays including: Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Mother's day, Birthdays, and many more. This is because most of these traditions are based in Pagan rituals, which the Witnesses believe to be improper for a Christian to celebrate.
As I arrived at the Kingdom Hall for a meeting (what they call their services) I was very nervous. I didn't really have any idea what to expect. I was really afraid of offending someone, or doing the wrong thing. But as I entered, I realized how friendly everyone was. So I walked in. The Kingdom Hall didn't really look anything like a normal church; their were benches like a church, and a podium, but otherwise, it really just looked like a room. A well decorated room, but still just a room. The atmosphere before the meeting commenced was very social. Everyone was talking to each other I met a woman named Jan who introduced herself to me, made an effort to find out a bit about me, and actually helped me through the meeting, with things that I didn't have a clue about. She even set me up with the right texts. I hadn't had the right bible. The King James Version, that's all I've had since I was a kid. And I also needed other texts to follow along with.
As the meeting began, I realized that this experience was going to be very different from the typical church service. There was no pastor or priest, or any equivalent. The meeting was lead by just a few “senior” members of the congregation. The congregation wasn't exceptionally large, but I wouldn't call it a small congregation, maybe 20-25 people. The “size” of the congregation is relative to the size of the building as well. Unlike the typical huge church, the Kingdom Hall wasn't all that big. The meeting began with a hymn. Then there was a section of bible study.
| 22 | English | female | Some college | food service | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
nn | Some believe that a monetary value can be put on it. Some believe that it is a person’s experiences that give their life value. There are also those who believe that the value of life should be bases off of happiness verses despair. However, I don’t believe that these things necessarily determine the value of life. Of coarse these idea’s have some influence on the value of life, but self acceptance is the most important factor in the value of life.
So what does self acceptance mean? I believe that it means to accept the way that you are, to just be yourself, and to never apologize for truly being yourself. The reason that self acceptance is the most important factor in determining the worth of a life is because it is the only way to be truly happy. If a person can be happy with who they are, then the opinion of others has less meaning; criticisms are not as effective. This leads to a since of contentment that I do not believe anyone can feel complete without. I know these things from experience. It took me a long time to accept who I am; I had literally struggled with my sexual orientation for years, only recently accepting the situation for what it is. Looking back I can definitely say that people’s negative opinions of me do not affect me as much has they used to. I can also say that in accepting myself I, now, feel something that I had not in so long, a sense of happiness and contentment in knowing who I am.
In “What Is A Life Worth,” an excerpt from the New York Times, a monetary value is put on the lives of those lost in the September 11th attacks. The families of the deceased are given a certain amount of money based upon the calculated worth of the individual lost and how much assistance the family would need to maintain their lifestyle. However, this is the completely wrong approach to determining the value of a life. This is because the life of one person could mean more than just financial support to someone. As one woman put it, “I just can’t accept the fact that the Federal Government is saying that my husband and brother are worth nothing.” People make an emotional impact on one another; for all we know that woman’s husband or brother may have inspired her to go to college or make a significant change in her life. If that was the case, the two would not necessarily have had any monetary value to her, but they certainly would have made an impact on her life.
A person’s experiences do give their life value. In an excerpt from It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life, Lance Armstrong describes his battle with cancer: “My illness was humbling and starkly revealing and it forced me to survey my life with an unforgiving eye. | 22 | English | female | Some college | food service | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
nn | I don't need any study, or expert to tell me that without a good, structural basis for learning English, that these kids will not benefit from immersion or a duel language system. I know it from my experience.
I truly believe that this sort of approach would help thousands of students who's first language is not English. But I have to ask myself, why isn't this already being done? I highly doubt that I'm the first person to ever come up with this kind of solution. The answer here is quite clear. Xenophobia and the hatred (or perhaps fear?) of Mexican immigrants, is the root of the problem. I can't get through one day without my own father saying something negative about people who's first language is Spanish. Several times at work I've witnessed undo anger and hostility towards my coworker who is from Mexico, despite the fact that he speaks near perfect English, just with an accent, and is, in fact, in the country legally. A huge problem, that is only exacerbated by people like Newt Gingrich (former Speaker of the House circa 1995) making statements like this: “'Allowing bilingualism to continue to grow is very dangerous,'”Gingrich said after addressing a technology and business forum at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. “We should insist on English as a common language. . . . That's what binds us together.” The thing is, that idea couldn't be further from the truth. Why do people like this, in true xenophobic fashion, separate those who's first language is English, and those who's first language is something else, as if we aren't all part of the same country. Early on in our history, this country has been the definition of a cultural melding pot. Spanish speakers are hardly the first to face this prejudice; the Irish, the Chinese, and many more all faced cultural backlash and discrimination. What makes me sad though, is with all of the efforts and leaps we've made in civil rights today, that this sort of thing is still going on. We are truly discriminating at the cultural and lingual (but really are the two not deeply connected?) level. Yes, illegal immigration is a huge problem. However, I think what many fail to consider, is that Spanish is not unique to illegals; legal immigrants sometimes speak it too. Yes they may know English (they have to if they're legal), but that doesn't mean English is the dominant language spoken at home. And certainly doesn't mean that English would dominate at home printed material. Last, but certainly not least, I think a lot of people fail to realize that anyone born in the country is a citizen, even if their parents are not (or perhaps they just don't like this fact, and do not want to comply with it). None the less, we should be taking care of the primary education needs of our citizens; federal law dictates that we do.
| 22 | English | female | Some college | food service | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
nn | So yes, I have come up with what I believe to be an excellent way for Spanish speaking students to both flourish in the American class room, and learn English. I think that combining many of the ideas like immersion, ESL classes, and the dual language system really is the best way we can do this. However, it's not that simple. Anti-Spanish and anti-illegal immigration backlash makes turning ideal to reality very difficult. How can we implement policy that many Americans will strongly reject? As with exploring any controversial issue, we are left with more questions than answers. One proposed solution has lead to the necessity of solving another problem. No doubt a social problem that needs rectifying. So will these sorts of programs ever become reality? I am hopeful, but I know it will take time.
To begin with, my own religious background began as a child, when I entered school. Before school I do not remember any sort of religious ceremonies or traditions, that my family upheld. Of course, we observed holidays like Christmas, and other holidays that most American families celebrate. But I really don't remember any sort of religion in particular. My religious experiences began as I entered preschool. The school which I attended, Mount Calvary Lutheran School, was very close to my home, and I ended up going there. However, not really being of any particular faith, I don't think, I've always found it odd that my parents decided then, that I should learn about Christianity and be raised in that faith. Much less Lutheran, which I know is not the denomination of most of my family.
To give a bit of perspective, my paternal grandmother, Carol, is Catholic (though she currently attends a nondenominational church), and my paternal great grandmother, Vivian (and my great step-grandfather Aaron), was baptist, if I remember correctly. According to my grandmother, she was very unhappy in the Baptist faith, fell away in her early twenties, and after a bit of soul searching (and wild days) found Catholicism. She is actually quite open about her spiritual beliefs and encourages questioning them. She has offered me a very unique perspective on religion throughout my life. I think, in part at least, she is the reason that I try to keep an open mind to religious experiences and be respectful to all faiths. I don't really know about the religious affiliations of my mother's family, except that they're some sort of Christians.
In my mid teens, I fell away from the Lutheran faith. I found myself to have a major problem with what the religion (and I'm going to say Christianity in general, because it's more or less pretty true across the board) taught regarding sexual behavior, and homosexuality more specifically. I found myself feeling so strongly that this particular attraction is not wrong. Ironically, it was my previous belief in Jesus's teachings of peace and love that brought me to this conclusion. | 22 | English | female | Some college | food service | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
nn | I just cannot believe that any god would condemn love, yet encourage some of the more violent teaching of the Bible....stoning, violent “missions,” and crusifiction come to mind. After that realization, I considered myself to be an Atheist, though I have since studied Buddhism, and strongly considered adopting the faith, however, there are just some things concerning the religion that I am not sold on. Particularly the precept (a guideline a Buddhist is encouraged to live his/her live by) suggesting that one should abstain from any sort of intoxicating substance. I personally don't think responsible use of alcohol and stimulants like caffeine are wrong, or to be avoided. I also struggle with the Buddhist concept of reincarnation. I wouldn't way I even kind of believe that. However, I haven't ridden Buddhism off completely, but for now, I remain an Atheist.
My perspective and views on religion aren't really all that negative. I am unsure whether religion itself has had a positive impact on my life, but the opportunity to question and explore my beliefs has certainly led me to be a more free thinking, analytical individual. I definitely try to keep an open mind. I don't like to make assumptions on anyone's faith until I actually get to know what it's all about. I also am very against telling people of different beliefs than me, that they are wrong. I know and accept that I just don't know when it comes to religion. For all I know I could be very wrong. I try to use that perspective to be respectful of other people's religious beliefs. However, that can definitely be a challenge, especially when confronted to religions very different than my own. For example, I very much struggle to take Scientology seriously. I'd love to learn more about the religion, however that information isn't exactly readily available to the public. That's certainly not the only faith I'm wary of. Certain sects of Christianity even I find very odd, for example, Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are two Christian denominations that I man not have exactly accepted with arm wide open in the past. Which is why, I chose to do this report on one of those denominations; Jehovah's Witnesses. Granted, it's a denomination of Christianity, but one that is very different in practice to the denominations which I am experienced with.
According to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (2000) Jehovah's Witnesses are a denomination of Christianity which believes in the basic Christian creation, and the one almighty god, who created the universe. This god they call Jehovah. Also, according to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania “Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the earth will remain forever and that all people, living and dead, who will fit in with Jehovah's purpose for a beautified, inhabited earth may live on it forever.”
| 22 | English | female | Some college | food service | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
nn | Most of the controversy surrounding gay marriage, is the fallacy that allowing homosexuals to marry would destroy the sanctity of marriage, and eventually cause the complete break down of our society. I intend to present both sides of the argument, and prove that such beliefs are unfounded.
One cannot even fathom the conflict over gay marriage, without looking at the religious aspect behind the issue. It is no secret that most Christians and Muslims believe that homosexuality is a deadly sin. “For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds.” “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.” Granted, with all of the translations that these books have undergone, to become what we read today, there's no doubt that some religious verses and entire texts themselves may be open to interpretation, via what can become lost in translation, or mistranslated all together. However, with the majority of the country being either Muslim, or Christian, there is no doubt that many religious citizens have taken these texts to heart. Why is this relevant to the topic? Well, with the majority of the population being one of these faiths, the religious connotation definitely factors into what the majority of Americans, and American families defines as marriage.
According to dominant religious ideals in this country, gay marriage isn't even valid. So it makes sense that a large population disapproves. In fact, I'd go as far as to say, that gay marriage is a threat to their definition of family. However, is this a compelling enough argument to flat out decide that gay marriage is a threat to the American family as a whole? Absolutely not. The great thing about this country is that it's so culturally diverse, and allowed to be! This country's founders were smart enough to separate Church and State so that certain religious ideals couldn't control ever culture, and every individual. Therefore there is a religious aspect to many marriages, but there doesn't have to be. In fact, marriage in the United States is nothing more than a contract with the state. A family isn't just what Christians and Muslims define it as, there is a much broader spectrum of cultural diversity; if one were to ask ten different people what their definitions of a family is, one may get ten completely different answers. By allowing dominant religions to declare gay marriage as a threat to the American family, their definition of family anyway, we're completely overlooking not only a huge population that doesn't think like that, but the idea of religious freedom itself.
Next is the idea that gay marriage would bring selfishness to society, and therefore the institution of marriage itself.
| 22 | English | female | Some college | food service | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
nn | Think of it this way, unemployment is a huge problem in California, this idea would create new jobs. Surely there is an abundance of bilingual people living in California; I know at least five personally. Really, something like this would benefit the whole community too.
Then there is the idea of mainstream immersion, that is, English being the dominant language in the classroom, and that the Spanish speaking children will pick it up. Such programs are a perfectly horrible idea by themselves, as they pave the way for many children to fall through the cracks. “ELLs in English-only programs often fall behind academically. Many ELLs who are assessed using traditional methods are referred for special education. Such children often become school drop-outs.” But combining the idea, with the dual language system, I think is a pretty decent way to go. “Studies have shown that children who receive several years of instruction in their native language learn English faster and have higher overall academic achievement levels that those who do not.” You may be asking yourselves, how could we possibly facilitate both, aren't they opposites? More or less, yes they are opposites, but both can be implemented, if we consider age appropriateness. What I am suggesting, is the dual language approach all of the time for younger students, and the majority of the time for older students in which schedules lessons to be taught only in English. This will allow first language Spanish students access to clarification when they don't understand, the majority of the time, with lessons meant to challenge them, and keep them from using the duel language program as a crutch. Sort of how we go about teaching second languages in the college setting. At first, a lot of the dialog and instruction is in English, but as the students improve, more and more of the second language is used for dialog and instruction. As the children get older and older, and progress through the grades, we can cut down on the duel language approach. For most students, by high school, ideally they would be learning in an English dominant environment.
Another necessity, I believe, is the existence of ESL classes available to students. If the foundation for correct English learning isn't there, neither immersion nor a dual language system will do much good. I can say this because I have studied both French and Spanish. I can tell you, that when I am in an environment where a language is completely foreign to me, I don't pick up on anything. I simply stew in confusions. For example, foreign films. Any film I try to watch, without subtitles that is not in French or Spanish, I don't pick up any of the language, none. But films that are in French or Spanish, not only do I pick up some of the language (and sometimes I can follow what is going on without subtitals), I find myself eager to try and decode what is being said, and what is happening. | 22 | English | female | Some college | food service | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
nn | A couple years ago, I worked in an after school program tutoring Elementary age students. I did my best to help them in whatever subject they were struggling in, but my strengths were in English and reading. I was recruited by one of the instructors to help a little boy named Adrian (I believe he was in third or fourth grade), who was having a lot of trouble reading. It dawned on me, that something was wrong; he was having the most peculiar problems. Some letters he understood how to pronounce perfectly, others, not even close, it was the strangest thing. You know, he was of Latino decent, that I was sure, but the boy spoke perfect English. We struggled from there, until the day I met his mother. I was helping to babysitting (for lack of a better term) a few straggles while the rest of the after school group was on a field trip when his mother walked in. His mother didn't speak a word of English, only Spanish. With my very bad knowledge of Spanish (I was only just learning), we managed to communicate. But it was then that it hit me like a sack of bricks: Adrian could read fine, he just didn't know the English alphabet very well. I don't know if that revelation ever helped him much, but I do hope that he's doing better now.
I tell that story, to address the problem of the language barrier in schools, especially here in California. I also tell it to prove that it's not always as obvious as we'd think. Even for a child who speaks perfect English, reading it can still be a huge obstetrical. I think everyone can agree that this problem exists, so what do we do? In Adrian's case, the solution was fairly simple: tutoring in English reading, particularly the alphabet and pronunciations. But for the many children who barely speak English, the solution is much more complex. There is no one answer. The dual language system, mainstream immersion, private tutors, ESL classes, not one of these things, by itself, will fix this problem. The key lies in combining all of the above!
First of all, the dual language system is a great idea. Not just for children who's first language is Spanish, but for all children. “Children in two-way bilingual education programs have been found to outperform their peers academically.” A lot of fear surrounds this idea, that it's a waste of resources, and that the majority of children in schools will reap no benefit. But that's false. If we were to apply these sorts of programs in the classroom as the rule, rather than the exception, all children would benefit from it. How do we go about this though? Do we require all teachers to be bilingual? No. That would be unreasonable and slightly unrealistic. However, I do think that there is no reason we can't have special Aids, tutors, whatever you want to call them, who are bilingual. | 22 | English | female | Some college | food service | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
nn | “This narrow focus of the [homosexual] couple dominates even the campaign of legal recognition of gay marriage....They demand these “benefits” and other “rights,” the legal side effects that accrue to marriage that rarely on the table when a man and woman decide to wed.” There is no doubt, that in most cases this is absolutely true. I've never seen or heard of a heterosexual couple consider marriage simply for legal benefits. However, here is something that this idea neglects to acknowledge: it's not all about the legal benefits.
Heterosexuals may not think twice about the legal benefits of marriage because it's a given for them. But for homosexual couples, in places that they can't marry, it's not a given, at least not entirely. If homosexual couples automatically received these things with some sort of union, I really don't think that they'd think about the legal aspect any more than any heterosexual couple. Just to clear things up, I would also like to add that a civil union or domestic partnership does not necessarily grant all the same rights as marriage. It can include hospital rights, tax right, things of that nature. However two important rights that are missing or lacking exist. First of all the issue of children. If one partner were to die, or the partners were to split up, though they may have a legal agreement, if the two are not legally married, it is much easier to contest guardianship and things of that nature. The second issue is that of inheritance. If one, or two married partners is to die, the state grants the surviving partner what is willed to them, tax free. This is not a liberty granted to anyone in any civil union or domestic partnership. It is only a marriage right. This can translate into one partner losing their house, because that partner can't afford to pay the taxes due after the partner owning the house dies.
Another theory as to why gay marriage is a threat to the American family is that gay marriage opens up the door to polygamy. In an article written by Bernadette Malone, she insists that the push for legalizing gay marriage will “put society on a 'slippery slope' down which it will tumble until there is nothing left of the institution of marriage.” Here is the problem with that idea. Though it sounds good on paper, and has in fact convinced a great many people, “slippery slope” is also known as the “slippery slope fallacy.” That is, by the laws of logic, a completely invalid though process, that if one thing happens, it will trigger a chain reaction to more and more horrible events. It is a fallacy because it is not supported by deductive or inductive reasoning, rather it's based on fear.
One issue that I take very seriously, that argues against gay marriage, is the possible effects on children. The basic concept here is that marriage is for children, to help them develop, and to model how they are supposed to behave in a family.
| 22 | English | female | Some college | food service | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
nn | “Marriage is the fundamental, cross-cultural institution for bridging the male-female divide so that children have loving, committed mothers and father.” This is a problem, yes, and yes, it is probably in a child's best interest to have both a mother, and a father who love each other and are in a committed relationship. However I cannot overlook the fact, that there is absolutely nothing that a homosexual family could do, that is not done every day by a heterosexual family, be it an absentee father or mother, a divorce, a single parent.
If being a “family unit” without two parents of different genders a damaging enough to a child, to justify denying a couple the right to marry, why isn't being a single parent grounds for being an unfit parent? Why is divorce legal? After all, may will argue that marriage is only for raising children in the best environment possible, why is breaking up that union legal when children are involved? Why is it not a crime to be an absentee parent? Last, under the issue of children, that perhaps has more to do with gay adoption that marriage, but I find it appropriate none the less, as the two are undeniably intertwined: are two same sex parents worse than no parents at all? Some would say no. “More than 20 studies have been done on about 300 children of lesbians and gay men....The results are quite clear: Children of lesbian or gay parents turn out just fine on every conceivable measure of emotional and social development....”
So where does this lead us? No doubt, many of the arguments supporting the idea that gay marriage is a threat to the American family, and society itself are flawed; using logical fallacies, outdated thinking, religious tyranny, and emotional propaganda, that as it turns out isn't necessarily true depending on who you ask. Does this prove, without a doubt, that gay marriage is not a threat to the American family and society? Personally, I'm absolutely convinced, but from an objective, academic standpoint, no, absolutely not. I've brought to light some of the strongest arguments and issues surrounding the controversy, but in reality, there are thousands of issues, more than one could cover in a lifetime. And beyond that, there are so many more possible problems and issues that we haven't even thought of yet. Gay marriage, no matter how deeply studies, will always leave one with more questions than answers. But of this I am absolutely certain. Fear, without any sort of solid proof, is no good justification to deny someone a civil right. We will never know, not even without a doubt, but even reasonably so, what the consequences of gay marriage will be. We won't until we legalize it, in the entire United States.
How should the value of life be determined? This is an age old question and many people have come up with many answers to it. | 22 | English | female | Some college | food service | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
nn | For example, where we came from. The Jehovah's Witnesses faith follows the basic creation story that most Christian denominations follow. The faith also explains what happens after one dies. As science doesn't really have any answers to that particular question, other than we cease to be “living” being. And that can be rather scary, not knowing what may happen to our consciousness. This faith, believing in an afterlife, helps alleviate that fear. This sort of alleviation of fear is and important basic need of the Witness community. Accordingly, people of this faith try to influence their outcome in the afterlife, by pleasing their god, Jehovah, and living their lives according to their religion. The bible study classes are an important part of that, as they teach the Witnesses how it is that Jehovah wants them to live their lives.
For example, Witnesses partake in spreading the word, in most aspects of their lives, but particularly by taking their message door to door on Saturdays. This is really a group effort, and an activity planned by, and executed through the Kingdom Hall, it's not an individual undertaking. It's definitely a church activity. By doing this, not only do Witnesses believe that they are pleasing their god and doing his will, but also “saving” or bringing their message to other people; this is perceived as Jehovah's will.
Even the seemingly odd traditions (as perceived by other Christians and those of most non-Christian faiths) are meant to please their god, and effect the outcome of their afterlife. Refraining from receiving blood donations, for example, is based on the scriptures. And refraining from celebrating most holidays, also relates to this because as the Witnesses perceive these holidays, they are based in pagan traditions (which, for the most part is actually true), and celebrating them is actually unChristian, and displeasing to Jehovah.
Adam Martinez (~1903 - 2000) and Santana Martinez (1909 – 2002) were a husband and wife team in the art of pottery. Adam was the oldest son of the infamous Maria Martinez and Santana came from another famous San Ildefonso family; she learned the craft from her grandmother. The two were married in 1926 and lived very near Maria and the rest of her family. Both Adam and Santana learned this art from their families, and Maria Martinez in particular. Their style greatly reflects that. Like Maria, Adam's and Santana's pottery reflects the beautiful black pottery that Maria became famous for.
While Adam and Santana's work may not have carried on the community spirit of Native American pot making, the two still mixed, decorated, and fired their pottery in the old way, without the help of modern technology, premixed clays, glazes, and electric/gas kilns. The two actually fired their pots in a shed behind their house. I think this is actually pretty awesome, that they were able to accomplish such beautiful work, without the aid of all this modern technology we have. | 22 | English | female | Some college | food service | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
nn | We did this out of a book specifically designed to do so, it was complete with questions and bible chapters to reference The most unusual part, that is what was so different from what I'd experienced with other Christian services, is that this was interactive. A member of the church actually went around to congregation and members actually answered the question. It was really more like a class setting, then a church service.
Next we has a part of the the meeting that seemed almost like a training course to be honest. A training course in how to “preach” or “spread the word.” Or even, I'd say, how to talk to other people about their religious beliefs, what they entail, and why certain things aren't observed. During that segment, members of the congregation actually got up on stage and did these exercises that were preassigned and rehearsed. After performing them, a member of the congregation which is more or less leading the meeting, critiques the rehearsing. Next we had another hymn. Then announcements and a few readings from a flier-like hand out.
After the meeting, Jan gave me a tour of Kingdom Hall, pointing out all of the little details. For example, she explained to me that instead of a collection plate circulating, donation boxes are on the wall exiting the church. She also explained that the Kingdom Hall has services for the def, and for Spanish speaking individuals. introduced me to pretty much all of the congregation, all of which were very friendly and welcoming. Yes they did know I was attending as part of a class assignment, and still they were definitely very welcoming. To dispel a common myth, these people weren't overly pushy at all. They didn't push to try and convert me or anything. They were very respectful. I mean to be fair we were in a house of religion, some discussing of religion is to be expected, but there was no pushiness. That actually really surprised me, I'll admit I did expect them to try and convert me, or something along those lines. But to get back on track, after the meeting ended, I actually stuck around for a while and met most of the congregation, having conversations with many of them. They really are very nice people.
One of the major aspects of this religion (as with most) is to alleviate anxiety. This is demonstrated in the common theme of pleasing their god, Jehovah. This was further expressed with some of the congregation members I spoke to who expressed their concern with possible end-times like events, she also expressed that she'd put her faith in Jehovah to take care of everything. In this case, the Jehovah's Witnesses religion alleviates fear about declining environmental conditions and all of the increasing negativity in the world. Their faith is how they cope with it, and live without being in constant fear.
This faith also answers questions that science cannot. | 22 | English | female | Some college | food service | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
bb | CC is sure that he recognizes her from a social function meanwhile Fran embraces him and thanks him for his help. It turned out Fran’s cousin “Toddy” was Todd Oldham and she turned a possible disaster into a raging success.
The show was a hit for seven years until it ended in 1999. The series ended with Maxwell and Fran marrying and eventually giving birth to twins. CC and Niles realize that they have always been in love and also marry after she finds out she is pregnant with Niles child. The family moves to California because Maxwell will be producing a television show based on one of his plays. Fran cannot bear to leave her family and convinces Maxwell to take her parents and grandmother with them. The series ends with the two elder children (Maggie and Brighton) flying off to live in Paris. Fran in a series of flashbacks reminisces how her life was transformed in the New York home while they are packing to leave.
This program just like “I Love Lucy” has become more popular in reruns, than it was in the original run. It is estimated just like “Lucy” at any given time is being aired on some television station in the world. “The Nanny” however has been taken one step further because it also one of the most “re-made” shows in the world. There are at least 8 different countries that have their own version of “The Nanny”. The Russian version proved to be so popular that original writers were commissioned to write additional scripts. The show has Spanish and Italian version and many more. “The Nanny” seems to cross all cultural barriers as did “I Love Lucy.”
The most striking similarity of course is that all the characters especially the male and female leads love each other. This love drives both Lucy and Fran too many extremes and “The Nanny” often directly points out these parallels. Drescher and the cast did many parodies of “I Love Lucy” during the run. If you are familiar with both programs you will see Drescher mimics Ball right down to her mannerisms and facial expressions. The stories may seem different but many parallels will be drawn if you watch. Both Fran and Lucy are some of the funniest women television has ever produced. If you have never watched “The Nanny” you don’t know what you are missing. If you take the time and watch both programs you will see the homage Drescher pays to Ball in each episode of “The Nanny.” Take a chance and I am sure you will agree both women are very funny and deserve much credit for their contribution to television comedy.
I have nothing but the utmost respect and praise for Mr. Gene Bateman of Chauncey, Ohio and his views on illegally downloading music and its obvious connection to terrorism. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
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Arbuckle’s reputation soared in Hollywood. He began to make unheard-of amounts of money for his work. Eventually he signed a contract for a million dollars a year; this was a major success in the early 1920’s. It seemed Arbuckle could turn his comedy into gold; his movies were loved by almost everyone and he was in great demand. Arbuckle’s successes seemed to hide secret pain; he did not like to be called “Fatty” and insisted that his proper name be used by all who worked with him. He would allow “Fatty” to be placed on the film credits and Theater Marquee’s but he wanted to be addressed in person as Roscoe. He self-medicated his pain with alcohol as he was widely known as a heavy drinker. In 1916 he became afflicted with a boil/carbuncle on his left leg. This infection was so bad that his leg was nearly amputated, Arbuckle managed to lose some 80 pounds and kept the leg; however became addicted to the morphine/heroin that had been used to treat the pain.
Arbuckle, made many great films during his career; he acted in and directed and produced over sixty films. He was also a mentor to many other film stars of the era; namely Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Bob Hope. Chaplin worked with Arbuckle at the Mack Sennett Studios in the Keystone Cops films. Buster Keaton came to work with Arbuckle in 1917 in the film short “The Butcher Boy.” Arbuckle’s work can been seen today in the work of many comedian’s and even characters such as Peter Griffin; the animated creation of Seth Macfarlane. Arbuckle made the “Fat Guy” funny. He was such a contradiction to the stereotypes of overweight people. Arbuckle was not a dumb, lazy, clumsy oaf as might have been perceived; he was an intelligent, agile talented man. He could evoke laughter by giving the viewer just a preview of what was about to begin.
In September of 1921 Arbuckle had been badly burned on his buttocks during a film stunt, and decided to take a much needed vacation. He and two friends Lowell Sherman and Fred Fischbach decide to make a trip to San Francisco for a short vacation. The trio checked into the St. Francis Hotel; they rented a total of three rooms, the third room was to be used as a party room. They invited several women to the suite in order to relax and enjoy the time they were to spend in San Francisco. One of the Women who attended the party was Virginia Rappe. She was a thirty-year-old aspiring actress. Rappe’s character was very questionable, she was known to have had several abortions (then illegal) and also heavily used alcohol (also illegal at the time). Sometime during the trio’s stay at the hotel Rappe was found seriously ill in Arbuckle’s room. She was initially examined by a hotel doctor. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
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The second new cast that I recorded was an early morning version of Fox 28 News for Saturday Morning. The lead story was about Juvon Williams, 19 an Active-Duty Solider (US Army) who had shot and killed his girlfriend. He had taken her dead body to another location; and continued to elude the police. The police eventually caught up with him on Hamilton Road in Columbus. He led police on a chase and eventually they stopped him with an intentional crash, he came out of the car firing and the police shot and killed him. Several minutes was devoted to the story, I do not believe the race was mentioned of the victim or the dead solider.
The next story was about a Marion Middle School teacher who was busted for selling pot. Laura Sayler, 35 had been arrested for selling marijuana. She was selling the pot in other counties and the focus of the story was she was not selling to students and how that school districts graduation rate had recently risen. No mention of what charges (other than she was arrested for selling pot) were made. I would have focused more on her crime and not the graduation rates. If my child attended that school I would want to know that she was not coming back to teach or be near any children.
The next story was weather related and again about the coming storms this afternoon and evening and reassuring the viewers the weather would remain nice until then. They just like NBC 4 used this as a teaser; they mentioned a little and said they would be back with all the details about your day to keep you watching.
I realize they try to vary the news a little from station to station, but of course they all want to “scoop” one another. And in this area some days are busier than others. I think we do hear a variety of news and information and each stations point-of-view. However, they have to report what the people want to hear. They can’t ignore a “big story” even if all the other stations are covering it. People are somewhat loyal to certain stations, but would switch stations if they weren’t getting all the news. In this day and age of electronic media we have many choices to get our news. If the stations are not staying competitive they will lose viewers, and ultimately advertisers dollars.
The text book mentions the beginnings of deception of the public by the coal mine owners and operators in the early 1900’s. Little or no concern was given to the truth as the bottom line was profit and sensational stories. A young public relations publicist Ivy Lee stepped in with new ideas how to improve public perception of the media. This has certainly gone a long way to improve the image of the news media and “yellow journalism” that prevailed in years past. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
bb | Arbuckle’s father William believed from birth that Roscoe was not his biological child. His father came to this conclusion simply because of the Roscoe’s weight. It has been estimated that Arbuckle’s birth weight was somewhere between fourteen and sixteen pounds. His father who was a staunch Democrat, named his son after a notorious philandering Republican Senator Roscoe Conkling. The elder Arbuckle treated his son harshly and abused him throughout his childhood. William also blamed the birth of Roscoe for Mollie’s untimely death.
Through his mother’s encouragement Arbuckle began working on the stage at age eight. Arbuckle was a talented singer and surprisingly agile. He continued to work locally until his mother’s death. When his mother died his father refused to support him, and Arbuckle began working odd jobs at a local hotel. Arbuckle liked to sing while he worked, and a guest at the hotel who was a professional singer recognized his talent. The singer invited Arbuckle to perform in a talent show. During this show Arbuckle’s singing, dancing and clowning around did not impress the audience. During the performances at the talent show “bad acts” were pulled off the stage with a shepherd’s crook. When Arbuckle saw the crook coming for him, he somersaulted into the orchestra pit; this move put the audience into a fit of laughter and Arbuckle ultimately won the talent show. Arbuckle was greatly influenced by Vaudeville and slap stick comedy; however some said he could have also been a great singer. Enrico Caruso had commented that he should “Give up the nonsense, and become the second greatest singer in the world.”
Around 1904 Arbuckle began singing for Sid Grauman at the Unique Theater in San Jose, California. He was called an illustrated singer as beautifully colored slides were projected behind him while he sang and thus illustrated the songs. He then joined the Pantages Theatre Group and he toured the West Coast of the United States. In 1906 was asked to join the Orpheum Theater in Portland, Oregon owned by Leon Errol. Arbuckle became the main attraction and the group took their show on tour.
In 1909 Arbuckle’s break into film and silent comedy came along. He began his film career with the Selig Polyscope Company when he appeared in “Ben's Kid”. Arbuckle continued to appear occasionally in Selig’s one-reelers until 1913 when he moved briefly to Mack Sennett’s Studio and became a star and producer-director in Sennett's Keystone Cops comedies. Although Arbuckle realized his weight added comedic value to his on-screen appearances he refused to be put in demeaning situations. He would not appear in scenes that would cheapen the film or make it appear that his weight was a problem. Mack Sennett was quoted as saying “Arbuckle skipped up the stairs as lightly as Fred Astaire"; and, "without warning went into a feather light step, clapped his hands and did a backward somersault as graceful as a girl tumbler". | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
bb | Fran eventually begins to somewhat settle into the Sheffield home. She cares and loves (although she is constantly reminded she shouldn’t) for the children and Maxwell. It is obvious to the viewers that Fran and Maxwell are in love early on in the series. Both of them deny this for the most part in the beginning, later on Fran openly admits she loves him but realizes they could never be together.
Fran dates a new man in every week in the start of the series. The relationship always fails and Maxwell is always there to comfort her. Niles is acutely aware of the love they share and continually tries to push them together. CC on the other hand is continually trying to push them apart and get Fran fired.
In each episode much like “I Love Lucy” Fran is getting herself and often times Maxwell into some hilarious situation with her well-meaning intentions. In one episode Fran (much like Lucy) in her quest for her own fame, has gotten Maxwell to let her design all the costumes for one of his plays. Maxwell’s arch enemy Andrew Lloyd Webber (another running gag) will be in attendance of the play. Maxwell has for years been in competition with Webber in the world of Broadway. It is often brought to his attention he was offered plays such as “Cat’s” before Webber and turned it down. Only, for it to be picked up by Webber and turned into a major success. In this episode Maxwell had recently told Fran he loved her (and took it back) so to get her mind off this issue he is allowing her to design the costumes for a very important play. Everyone tells him he must be a blooming idiot for doing this. Fran has very tacky and outrageous taste in clothing and they are sure it will be a disaster. Fran reassures him everything will be alright. She has a cousin who is helping her with the job; by the name of Toddy. Maxwell is sure this will be a disaster as most of Fran’s relatives are more “whacked” out than she. On opening night of the play with Webber in attendance, Maxwell is sure of disaster and will not go in to watch the certain disastrous play. He instead stands in the lobby drinking Jack Daniels Whiskey and smoking a cigar. He decides to set off the smoke alarm with his cigar, thus causing everyone to flee the building but, it doesn’t work. Moments later the play ends and loud applause can be heard from behind the doors. The people began to come out raving about the costumes and how beautiful the set was. CC and Fran meet up with Maxwell (not realizing he didn’t watch the play) and are gloating on the success. At that moment designer Todd Oldham is walking out of theater and approaches the three. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
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In 1941 Ball met Desi Arnaz a Cuban-born bandleader and they were eventually married. Arnaz was six years Ball’s junior and in 1944 this caused them to file for divorce, however the marriage was reconciled and they remained married until 1960. In 1948 Ball was starring in regular radio program “My Favorite Husband” as “Liz Cugat” (Cooper). CBS asked her to develop this character in to a television program and a pilot was made; CBS was not impressed. Ball and Arnaz took the “I Love Lucy” concept on the road with a vaudeville act; with Lucy portraying a wife trying to get on Arnaz’s show and it became very popular. CBS picked up “I Love Lucy” and it became a hit. Ball and Arnaz had created Desilu and retained all rights and creative control over the program. Although the concept of re-run was unheard of at the time; “I Love Lucy” was the first program to ever be shown again and again and consequently is the highest earning television program of all time.
Francine Joy "Fran" Drescher (born September 30, 1957) is an American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer, author, singer, talk show host, political lobbyist and health activist. Drescher was born in Flushing, Queens, New York to Morty and Sylvia Drescher. Drescher’s first major break was for the role of “Connie” in Saturday Night Fever. Drescher went on from there to star in American Hot Wax, The summer of Fear and in a rare dramatic role in Milos Foreman’s “Ragtime.” In 1978 she married her high school sweetheart Peter Marc Jacobson.
In the 1980’s Drescher mostly found herself in character roles the most notable was the role of Bobbi Fleckman in “This is Spinal Tap.” Her career floundered for several years. In 1993 Drescher and Jacobson created their own television series “The Nanny.” This is perhaps the role Drescher is best known for. Drescher portrayed a lower middle class Jewish woman from Flushing, Queens, New York who worked as a Nanny for a Broadway Producer Maxwell Sheffield. Large portions of the show were based on Drescher’s real life. Many of the characters had the same names as her own family members. Drescher was sure to let her audience also know that she drew inspiration from Lucille Ball (and the “I Love Lucy” show) as well as the Dick Van Dyke Show and many other classic television programs.
“I Love Lucy” Description and Premise
The “I Love Lucy” show was set in New York City and centers on the married life of Lucille “Lucy” Ricardo (nee`McGillicuddy) and Ricky Ricardo A.K.A Enrique Alberto. Ricky is a singer/bandleader and Lucy is his devoted wife. In the series Lucy is supposed to be a housewife and later mother however, she is anything but a housewife and mother in the series. Lucy does try however to be a devoted wife; she and Ricky share a small apartment in Manhattan. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
bb | Maxwell has contacted the nanny agency to send him another nanny so she can tend to the children, enter Fran Fine the new nanny.
Fran is mistaken for the new nanny when she rings the doorbell that day. She is there to sell cosmetics but Niles assumes she is the new nanny. Niles takes a liking to her right away. Fran tries to tell him she is not the nanny but the “Shades of the Orient” cosmetics girl. Niles ignores her and fetches Mr. Sheffield to interview and approve her. Quick on her feet Fran decides that perhaps she might try this “gig” as it is better than door-to-door cosmetic sales. She quickly scribbles out a resume with a tube of lipstick on a sheet of paper. Mr. Sheffield comes into the room and is very wary of Fran. Fran gives him her resume and he attempts to read it. Sheffield questions one of her references and says “I see you list the Queen Mother as one of your references?” To which Fran quickly replies “No, that is my mother in Queens.” Sheffield walks away in disgust. Niles then reminds him of his urgency to find another nanny for the weekend and Fran begs him to let her at least try the job. Sheffield gives in and says he will hire her but only for the weekend, and thus begins “The Nanny.”
Fran Fine is a woman from a lower middle class Jewish background. In the beginning this is a source of much of the comedy because Fran is not familiar with many of the customs and the lifestyles of the rich upper-class people that the Sheffield’s are. Niles the butler attempts to help her “fit” in with the Sheffield’s and the people that come in and out of their lives. Niles is Maxwell’s butler and has been his constant companion since childhood as Niles’ father was Maxwell’s father’s butler. Once Maxwell made the move to New York from London, Niles naturally stayed with him. Another one of the running gags is Niles is very nosy, and he is aware of everything going on in the household. He is constantly using the intercom to spy on Maxwell and eventually Fran. As the series progresses Niles and Fran become very good friends. Niles is in the end always looking out for the good of the family and never betrays them.
CC Babcock is Maxwell’s long-time assistant and one of the protagonists of the show. She is secretly in love with Maxwell and believes that her feelings are reciprocated due to her length of employment and working closely with Maxwell in his home. Maxwell is oblivious to this for the most part and only sees her as a business associate. She comes from a wealthy family and is well educated. She sees the new nanny as a buffoon and over-sexed tart and is in many ways jealous of her. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
bb | This physician felt most of her problems stemmed from intoxication and he administered morphine to calm her. When Rappe did not seem to be recovering, she was hospitalized two days later.
Rappe after being hospitalized for only one day succumbed to peritonitis and passed away. The rumors flew around Hollywood and in the Media. Rappe was said to have had an abortion only a few days prior to the party at Arbuckle’s suite. She was also said to suffer from chronic cystitis that was exacerbated when she drank alcohol. Many theories abounded she was thought to have been crushed by Arbuckle’s weight during sexual intercourse; it was also thought that Arbuckle had used a Coca-Cola bottle or a champagne bottle as a sexual device and punctured her bladder. These rumors were never proven, and to the contrary it was said that Arbuckle was very concerned about her health and even applied ice to her stomach to try and relieve her pain.
Ultimately, Arbuckle went through and arrest and three trials concerning this tragedy. The first trial ended deadlocked 10-2 not guilty, after forty-four hours of deliberation. The second trial resulted in yet another deadlock 9-3 guilty, and another mistrial was called. Eventually, during the third trial Arbuckle was acquitted. Arbuckle although found innocent was not the same man and continued to suffer tragedies. His then wife Minta Durfee filed for divorce on grounds of desertion and won. He was practically banned from Hollywood due to the Virginia Rappe Case; it seemed that he would never work again in the film industry.
Buster Keaton attempted to help his old friend re-enter the filmmaking scene, but was not successful, Arbuckle further retreated into alcoholism at that time. Arbuckle used a pseudonym of William Goodrich (after his father) and did some minor work in Hollywood but had little success. Arbuckle tragically suffered a heart-attack and died in his sleep in 1933.
Arbuckle, inspired many people even after his death. The late Chris Farley was said to have drawn heavily on the work of Arbuckle. Arbuckle will continue to inspire comics with his genius as long as his legacy remains. Arbuckle is perhaps the original Funny Man of all Hollywood films and still provides entertainment to the world some seventy-eight years after his death. Roscoe Conkling “Fatty” Arbuckle will always be remembered as one of the greats.
Pretty in Pink is a 1980’s teenage romantic comedy. It stars Mollie Ringwald as Andie Walsh; Jon Cryer as “Duckie” aka: Phillip Dale; Andrew McCarthy as Blane McDonough; Annie Potts as Iona; Harry Dean Stanton as Jack Walsh; James Spader as Steff McKee. The comedy is typical romantic comedy and contains most of the elements that Shakespeare used in his plays. Although this is set in the 1980’s all the events could have happened several hundred years ago.
The film’s set up shows us Andie Walsh (Ringwald) is a poor working class girl. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
bb | She lives with her unemployed father who is severely depressed (Stanton) on the “wrong side of the tracks.” She manages despite this adversity to have fashionable clothes and even an older sports car. She works at a local record store with her boss and good friend/mother figure Iona (Annie Potts.) Her best friend is Duckie (Cryer) and he is madly in love with her. She doesn’t seem to notice or care about this. She is somewhat of an outcast at school because she does not come from a wealthy family; although, several of the “rich boys” have taken notice of her beauty. She is initially approached by Steff McKee (Spader), he is rather crude when he “asks her out” and is known to be very vain and fickle; Andie rebuffs his advances (which upsets him). Blane McDonough is also interested and it more of a gentleman and doesn’t flaunt his wealth/power as does Steff.
Andie doesn’t have a dress for the prom or a date in the beginning. She is encouraged by Iona to go to the prom even without a date. Iona gives her old prom dress and her father buys her a used prom dress; which in a Cinderella type move she creates a beautiful dress from the two old dresses. Meanwhile, she dates Blane and never quite fits in with his crowd; and Steff (due to his jealousy) constantly berates Blane for choosing to be with Andie. Duckie provides the comedic best friend role (although, he is also jealous of the relationship) to Andie. He would like nothing more than to be with her himself. Iona is the other comedic relief, she is a middle aged woman who has refused to grow up and dresses in outrageous clothes and hairstyles in order provide the audience with a laugh.
Fast forward to the end of the movie Duckie takes Andie to the prom (because of a misunderstanding between Andie and Blane) but, once they arrive Blane immediately finds himself more in love than ever with Andie. The movie ends with Andie and Blane reuniting and sharing a kiss; and Duckie finds a girl of his own. Everyone is happy; Andie and Blane ride off in Blane’s car.
Andie and Blane are the two central characters of the movie. The movie centers on “Andie’s” side of the story, she is the “poor girl” who has fallen for the seemingly unattainable “rich boy”. They are in love with each other despite their different back grounds.
Andie and Blane are the focus of the movie. There are several underlying plots but most of the movie centers on the couple getting together.
They have several obstacles to overcome. The biggest one is coming from two very different classes. Andie is poor working girl and Blane is a rich affluent boy. Neither seems to fit in with each other’s friends. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
bb |
I watched two newscast’s from Columbus, Ohio. The first one that was “live” was NBC 4 this morning (August 13, 2011). The lead story was about a man in Ashley, Ohio who had stabbed his wife, it did not state her name however his name was Shad Hostettler. They showed his mug shot and he looked like pure evil. They devoted only about two minutes to this story as it was developing. The only details they provide he had stabbed her multiple times and had been arrested. I think they spent an appropriate amount of time on this story.
The second story was about an early morning shooting of Travis Buyers, 18. He was shot in the Sharon Woods area and had been critically injured; there had been no arrests made at the time or any suspects. The SWAT Team was investigating the crime. This story seemed to be short, and I believe that might have been due to the fact this was a “black” man or a black neighborhood. I noticed (and have for years) that minorities are glossed over when they are a victim of a crime. If say a “white” child or adult is kidnapped or missing or a victim of a crime the media goes nuts; but if a minority person it’s lucky if it is even mentioned.
The next story was about the gunshot hole that had been found in the Med-Flight helicopter. Details were given about where they thought the incident happened. It had been determined that it was a .22 caliber bullet from a rifle that had hit the helicopter. Crime-Stoppers are offering a five-thousand dollar reward for tips that lead to the arrest of the shooter.
The next story was concerning the rain and thunderstorms predicted for Saturday afternoon. They said the temperatures would remain in the mid to low eighties for the weekend. The length of time was a little short, but they wanted to use it as a “teaser” so that you would stay tuned.
They also ran with a story about a robbery of a Clime Road UDF in Columbus. They said it was dark-skinned black man who robbed the store he was wearing a hoodie sweatshirt. They said he was about six-foot tall and weighed about one hundred and fifty pounds. I thought they devoted an unusual about of time emphasizing he was black and how dark he was.
Another story was about a Rene Rodriguez who was a convicted Texas Drug-Kingpin. He had been convicted of conspiring to distribute marijuana in large amounts to Ohio from Texas. One curious thing I noted, was instead of saying he was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison they said “300” months. I am not sure what the angle was there, whether they thought that sounded more harsh or what. They also mentioned he was a Hispanic man, I don’t believe that was really germane to the story. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
bb | The apartment’s owners and landlords are Fred and Ethel Mertz former vaudeville performers. In addition to being Lucy and Ricky’s neighbors and landlords they happen to be their best friends. Although portrayed to be much older than Lucy and Ricky; Vivian Vance (Ethel Mertz) was in reality only two years older than Lucille Ball. Fred was much older than all the characters by many years.
Each show began the same with Lucy and Ricky having some squabble or misunderstanding and Lucy always getting in some sort comedic trouble. Lucy seemed to always be looking for her own chance of stardom only to have those dreams quashed by Ricky or something else. In the second season Lucille Ball in real life gave birth to her first child Lucie Désirée Arnaz. On the “I Love Lucy” show Lucy and Ricky had a son to coincide with Lucille Ball’s real life pregnancy. During that time in television pregnancy was very taboo and the word “pregnancy” could not be used instead they used the word “expecting.” Lucille Ball was the first woman openly portrayed as pregnant on television.
Lucy seemed to be in some sort of trouble every week, it usually was connected her quest for stardom; or a least to please Ricky in some way. Lucy was not above using costumes or fibbing to get her way. In one episode “Ricky Asks for a Raise” Lucy pressures Ricky to ask his boss at the nightclub for a raise. He and Lucy practice asking Mr. Littlefield (Gale Gordon) for a raise. Ricky is reluctant to ask but Lucy keeps pressuring him. Littlefield and his wife come over for dinner, and Lucy sees Ricky’s chance to ask for the raise. After many false starts and much comedic stumbling, Lucy lies to Mr. Littlefield about other offers Ricky has supposedly had from other nightclubs. Littlefield tells him he cannot give him a raise and to take one of other the jobs. Suddenly, Ricky finds himself unemployed and Lucy takes matters into her own hands.
Lucy feeling guilty later the next day cooks up a plan to get Ricky’s job back at the nightclub with the help of Fred and Ethel. Lucy decides that if she and Ethel make 75 reservations (disguising their voices) that the club will be booked and when no one shows up to see the new act, Littlefield will offer Ricky his job back. Fred tells them they should take the plan a step further; and dress in various costumes and show up at the club, and once they are told Ricky Ricardo is not the featured act of the night to leave. Fred happens to know a quick-change-artist and borrows a chest of costumes. Lucy, Fred and Ethel change in the alley outside the club and enter the club. Each time they enter as a different group of people. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
bb | Most people in the US personally know a Wal-Mart employee, so you are taking money from the government and from your friends and family. A sane individual can clearly see that Bateman is right on target when he says that illegally download music will only serve to strengthen terrorism.
We also have to consider that the blood sucking media is looking for every opportunity they can to sensationalize terrorist activities. Do we only want to fuel this fire? When you don’t pay taxes on the music that you have in your possession you indirectly participate in this blood thirst for news. It seems American’s love to watch tragedies unfold on the TV and Internet. We also like to get our music for “free” by using sites like Frostwire to obtain illegal music. Where has our sense of duty to our country gone? Does it take a simple letter from a man from Chauncey, Ohio to point out what should be obvious to all Patriotic Citizens of our country? Illegal Downloading of music hurts everyone in America.
When thinking about terrorism we often think of Middle Eastern Countries but the fact is; we really need to look no further than to our neighbors to our north. Canada has long tried to insidiously to destroy America. They taunt us with free healthcare and socialized medicine, BC Bud, Canadian Whiskey and Beer. Those Crafty Canadians are always looking for a way to overtake America; they realize that if they can’t turn us into lazy, shiftless drunken pot heads they have to come up with new tactics. Bateman saw through their plans; he knows that we need border patrol on all borders of this great land. Instead of writing this man off, he should be praised. Bateman may have single handily saved this country from a great tragedy.
So, before you push that button and illegally download a song you want to hear, consider the consequences of your actions. Are you ready to kill a small child innocently riding on a school bus, because you want to hear the latest Lady Gaga song for free? I think that you will agree with Mr. Gene Bateman and say: “No, I don’t want to harm and kill children; because I want to save a few dollars?” Instead I will like any Good America hop in my gas guzzling SUV and head to the nearest Wal-Mart and purchase my music. It is my patriotic duty to my country and to my government.
Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) was born in Smith Center, Kansas. Arbuckle was an American Silent Screen Actor, Director, Screenwriter and Comedian. Arbuckle was one of nine children born to Mollie and William Goodrich Arbuckle. Mollie recognized her son’s talent early on and encouraged him to perform in local Vaudeville Theaters until her death twelve years later in 1899.
Arbuckle’s relatively short life was a mixture of success and sadness. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
bb | Bailes felt that the attack brought nothing but shame to OU’s Mascots past and present. Bailes said “This is an absolute embarrassment to me and many other Ohio Fans.” Bailes was a former mascot himself and commented how easy it was to become the mascot for OU. Bailes stated “I simply e-mailed the department and expressed interest […] they asked me a couple of questions but nowhere near the amount of screening I thought there should have been.” When reading Bailes letter it is clear he is creditable he was a former mascot and had experience in the position. When considering logos with regard to Bailes, his letter is well-written and logical. Bailes tells us his story and just how easy it was to become the mascot for OU with little or no checking on his character or credentials. The Pathos is clearly seen in the letter as Bailes tells us he had a “wonderful, once-in-lifetime experience” being the mascot for OU. Bailes tells his readers that he felt the act of attacking Brutus was extremely unprofessional and brought much shame upon Ohio University.
When examining the article written by Terry Smith concerning the incident he has a totally different take on the attack of Brutus by Rufus. Smith maintains that it was done in jest and said in the opening of his article “The Great Mascot Ambush became a grand diversion after a bad week for Athens County. About the worst week ever for natural disasters in our usually safe little corner of Ohio.” Smith felt that Hanning was not bringing shame upon the school rather he was sacrificing himself on the altar of Ohio State University. It is only a quirk in the rules of Football that Ohio State even plays a game against Ohio University ever few years. Ohio State is a much larger school with a huge budget and a talented football team, and Ohio University is certainly no match. The game is usually seen as an easy win for OSU and a certain defeat for OU and the Bobcats. The game is never taken seriously by either school or football fans; it is just a chance to show some school spirit.
One can decide for themselves where they stand on the issue, it can be seen as shame or pure comic relief. Both men have creditability and logically presented their side and both have great emotional ties to the issue at hand. As Smith said after all “You don’t see that everyday […]. Thanks for giving all of us beleaguered hometown Bobcats something to grin about.” Everyone can take a lesson from Smith’s statement don’t take life so seriously, there are many more serious tragedies in this world other than two mascots taking a tumble on the football field. At the end of the story all is well with both teams and some fans got a few moments of comic relief. So rather than focusing on the negative, take a deep breath and realize life goes on.
| 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
bb | Andie is rejected by Blane’s friends due to her lack of social skills and inappropriate clothing choices; and ultimately they are jealous of her beauty and her unique style. Blane doesn’t fit in with Andie’s “crowd” mostly because Duckie is jealous of him and tries to continually foil him; and he doesn’t understand her friends in comparison to his own social circle. Andie on the other hand is ashamed of her home, car and her family and friends, so she tries to hide her “real life” from him. She realizes she doesn’t have the social graces and tact of his usual girlfriends. Additionally, Steff also is against the union of Andie and Blane because he really had wanted her for himself. They face this kind of opposition throughout the movie. The only two people who continually encourage Andie to pursue Blane are her father Jack and her friend Iona. They are the voice of reason when she becomes doubtful and unsure if they will “work” as a couple in the end. Duckie and Steff try to stifle the relationship because of their ulterior motives of wanting her for themselves.
The couples “Green world” seems to be when they are alone and not with either group of friends and outside of the school. We then seem them being more comfortable with each other and not constrained by the other characters. The biggest reflection of this is found in the ending of the movie when they are in the parking lot outside the prom. Once they got away from the crowd they were free to be themselves and everything came together.
We see the couple overcoming obstacles throughout the movie. Blane doesn’t listen to his friends concerning Andie; and Andie resists the advances of Steff and Duckie. Also they seem to mature and not care what each respective social group thinks of the relationship. We see the dress Andie made herself is so wonderful, and it empowers her. Similar to the “Cinderella” story the “rich girls” wonder where she got the dress and are envious; and the boys are awe struck by Andies presence in the beautiful dress. Blane and Steff are amazed she showed up to the prom. Steff says something about her (nasty) and Blane realizes at that moment Steff has been jealous the whole time. They finally overcome all obstacles, and they kiss.
Steff was definitely the alazon of the movie. He sees himself as above reproach and the “wisest” person of his group of friends. He had wealth and no parental supervision. He drank, partied spent his parents money and had many women. He wanted Andie but, to his surprise she didn’t want him. He couldn’t deal with this; he wasn’t used to rejection and not getting his way. There were many eirons in the movie but mostly Duckie and Iona. Duckie made a fool of himself trying to “scare off” Blane and Steff in the school hallway and in the club with just Blane. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
bb | Bateman can see through the lies and rhetoric that our current legal system has fed to the media outlets; he realizes that the real reason musicians do not want us to illegally download music is to prevent terrorism. Only through his simplistic country boy wisdom can we see the real issue; that when people “steal” music they are directly supporting terrorism in this country. Yes, Mr. Bateman people are depriving our border patrols of much needed money by downloading music and not paying for it. Illegal downloading of music is directly connected to terrorism in the United States.
Critics of Bateman’s wisdom might say that illegally downloading music only hurts people in the recording industry. That by not paying for the song you downloaded, you are only hurting the already super wealthy record moguls and recording artists. Bateman’s opponents say that they are only sharing music, and it is no different that listening to it on the radio. When I download the greatest hits of the Bee-Gee’s I am hurting no one as most of them are already dead. They might as go as far as saying by downloading this music; I am keeping the memories alive of past musicians.
The reality is persons who steal music online are hurting this country. When you do not march into Wal-Mart and purchase your music like a Good American you can only expect bad things to happen. It’s a well-known fact that bands like Metallica have long fought against this illegal activity, because they know the true price of these actions. Metallica and its members are aware that when you steal a song, you are really digging a grave of a small child who will be the target of terrorists. Bateman clearly predicts in his letter the chain of events that will happen if this continues. Bateman is acutely aware of terrorist cells around the world that lay in wait for their chance to attack the United States and its citizens. Bateman is also fully aware of the followers of such terrorists who hope you will download the latest Justin Bieber song and cheat the government of much needed tax money. The government is deprived of money, the clerks at Wal-Mart lose jobs, record companies lose money and the border patrols can’t do their jobs because they lose funding from the government. Wal-Mart and its employees not only pay state taxes (to the state they work in); federal taxes are also paid. It is these federal taxes that help pay for our border patrols. Bateman’s assumption that if you illegally obtain your music, you are supporting terrorism is right on the money.
The recent 2010 US Census states that Wal-Mart employs 1% of the American Population. Billboard Music states that in 2009 that Wal-Mart was the number two retailer in music only slightly behind Apple (I-Tunes). When you download music you are actually hurting 1% of all Americans; in addition to supporting terrorism. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
bb | Iona kept people at an arm’s length with her ridiculous dress and hairstyles. Iona comically tried to fit in with the younger crowd by pretending to be interested in Duckie, to help Andie connect with Blane. When I look up the definition of the “Buffoon” both Duckie and Steff could have fit that role as well. Both were crude at times and the joke was on them a few times. Steff again fit into the role as a churl, he was rude, boorish and surly at times. He was the person most adamant person against the relationship. He tried to end it many times.
Toward the end of the move the momentum picks up when Andie decides to attend the prom with Duckie and wear her dress. She initially hopes to show the “richies” and ultimately Blane she can fit in with the crowd and go to the prom. Blane decides to also attend the prom with some reservations. When the couple’s eyes meet, the audience realizes they are going to be together now no matter what.
At the end of the movie they both put aside their hang-ups about their respective social classes; and decide to be together no matter what. They ignore the crowd, and are going to be together no matter what anyone says or thinks.
The ritual here is the prom. It is a ritual for most high schools, a large fancy affair where all the attendees wear formal attire and pretend to be royalty of sorts. A king and queen are elected and it is often the first formal affair a young person attends. And this movie Andie (the princess/queen) meets and joins with her (king/prince) Blane; they leave and kiss in the parking lot to seal the deal. After the prom they are a couple.
I think the lesson learned at the end of this movie was to be no matter your social class if you truly love someone, that love can conquer all obstacles. It was typical of John Hughes movies of this era. Ringwald starred in many of these movies. They continued well into the 1990’s.
Rufus the Bobcat is the current Mascot for Ohio University and more recently the attacker of Brutus the Buckeye the Mascot of Ohio State University. During a football game played between the two schools on September 20, 2010 Rufus attacked Brutus on the football field. The reasons aren’t clear why Rufus (A.K.A. Brandon Hanning) decided to attack Brutus. Terry Smith editor of Athens News wrote in his article he felt it a grand diversion a much needed relief for the Athens, Ohio Citizens who were reeling from a recent tornado in the area. Shawn Bailes a former mascot himself commented with his letter to the editor that the incident brought calumny upon the heads of past Ohio University Mascots.
Bailes wrote his letter to the editor (Terry Smith) of the Athens News in response to the incident where Rufus attacked Brutus during a football game at the Ohio University Horseshoe. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
bb | We also learn in chapter 11 how advertising has shaped our media. On page 300 it discusses how The New York Sun was sold for only a penny even though it cost much more than that to produce it. Advertising money is used to offset the cost of providing people with news whether it is a newspaper or a television program. This is still true in the day of reading your news online. Look to the side and all around the page it is filled with advertisement’s for many products and services. The dates may have changed, but we still need advertiser to pay the bills.
I do notice WBNS 10 tends to cover more stories outside of Columbus, which in my opinion is a good thing. I have seen them many times covering stories here in Lancaster, whereas some of the other stations ignore “small town” news. I can’t recall recently seeing Fox, ABC or NBC in this particular area. So, choose your news wisely or go check them out online, you will get a better idea of all the facts.
This report will cover the work of two comedians Lucille Ball and Fran Drescher and the similarities in their television programs. Initially both comedians’ biographies will be given along with a short list of some of their work outside of the series they starred in; and a biography of each of the characters they portrayed and then finally a comparison of The Nanny to the I Love Lucy show.
Lucille Ball Biography
Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms. Ball’s career spanned from 1929 to 1989. Ball was born in Jamestown, New York to Henry and Désirée (Dee-Dee) Ball. At age 3 her family moved to Montana and eventually to Michigan. After her father’s death she returned to Jamestown, New York.
After a teenage relationship with a gangster’s son, her mother had allowed her to attend John Murray Anderson’s School for dramatic Arts in New York City. Her mother felt this would give the relationship time to dissolve as she did not approve. Ball met Bette Davis while she was there and they became life-long friends. After only a few weeks Ball was dismissed from the school as she was told she had absolutely no talent or future in the performing arts. Ball was determined to prove the teachers wrong. In 1929 she landed work as a model using the name Dianne Belmont and her career began to thrive; unfortunately Ball was stricken with rheumatoid arthritis and her career was put on hold for two years. In 1932 she returned to her acting and worked in Broadway for a few years. Eventually she moved to Hollywood and began starring in B movies and was given the title “Queen of the B’s” a title previously held by Faye Wray. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
bb | It seems although she has worked for Maxwell for many years and interacts with his children daily she can never remember their names this is another running gag of the series. She and Maxwell work in the Sheffield Mansion most days in Maxwell’s office. Maxwell’s office is always very busy with the family and help parading in and out with their day-to-day problems.
Fran’s parents are Morty and Sylvia Fine. Morty is never shown on camera until the last season and is portrayed by Steve Lawrence of “Steve and Edie” fame. Sylvia is an overweight Jewish mother from Queens. She is constantly eating (another running gag) and isn’t very well educated. While not a stupid woman, she occasionally gets in trouble because of her lack of education. She continually pushes Fran to marry and forces herself onto the Sheffield family and into many of their affairs. The children come to see her as a grandmother figure long before Maxwell and Fran become a couple.
Fran’s grandmother and Sylvia’s mother is a regular cast member. Her name is Yedda Rosenberg and she is portrayed by Ann Morgan Guilbert (Millie of the Dick Van Dyke Show). Yedda is a chain smoking elderly woman who lives in a retirement home within walking distance of the Sheffield’s home. She left Romania to come to America as a young woman, although she has no accent and speaks perfect English. In the beginning of the series she is portrayed as a widow who occasionally dates but toward the end of the series she marries her African American boyfriend “Sammy” (Ray Charles). Yedda is sometimes very forgetful but at other times very perceptive and wise. The Children love her and so does the rest of the cast. One oddity is however, sometimes when Yedda or Sylvia refer to themselves collectively as a group they will make statements like “We Fine Women” which doesn’t make since as Sylvia married a Fine and Yedda was her mother.
The other regulars in the cast are Maxwell’s Children: Margaret (Maggie), Brighton (“B”) and Gracie. Maggie in the beginning is portrayed as a very “plain” girl who is shy and unaware of her beauty. Brighton initially is portrayed as mean spirited selfish boy who picks on his sisters and his nannies. Gracie is a troubled little girl (in a comedic way) who is obsessed with her psychotherapy sessions. Fran eventually helps the children grow and become a happy normal family with her “Queen’s Logic” and love for them. Anytime someone has a problem in the Sheffield household Fran has a relative that went through a similar situation, yet another running gag of the show. Often the viewer is led to believe Fran is making up these wild tales but throughout the series her stories prove to be factual.
Though the storylines in “The Nanny” follow a similar “setup” as “I Love Lucy”, “The Nanny” is much racier and over-the-top than “Lucy.” | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
bb | Each time they are asked if they have a reservation and of course they do, and each time they are seated they claim they are there to see Ricky Ricardo, and each time they leave in disgust when they find out he is not appearing. This causes Mr. Littlefield the clubs owner much frustration and leads to many impossible moments of comedy. The viewer of course sees that Littlefield and his assistant should realize they are all the same people but they do not.
The episode ends with Ricky getting offered his job back and his salary doubled. This leaves Ricky thinking he is very popular that Littlefield absolutely cannot do without him. Lucy asks Ricky at the end of the show if he intends to take his to take his job back. Ricky tells her “Of course not, If I am that popular I can write my own ticket anywhere in town.” The show fades out and we the audience are left to wonder Ricky’s fate. Part of the appeal of “I Love Lucy” is that Ricky never gives Lucy and real credit, when the audience clearly can see if not for her he would be lost.
“The Nanny” is very similar in the set up as “I Love Lucy.” The theme song of “The Nanny” gives the audience the premise of the series: Fran Fine was employed at a bridal shop by her fiancé Danny Imperali. Fran is a Jewish woman, probably in her 30’s, but one of the many running gags, is no one knows her true age not even the FBI. She lives with her parents in Flushing, Queens, New York in their apartment. Her mother is the stereotypical Jewish Mother continually pressuring her daughter to marry. Danny Imperali decides he wants another woman (Fran’s arch enemy) Heather Biblo (Pamela Anderson). Imperali fires Fran and breaks up with her, and she is absolutely devastated. Fran unemployed and heartbroken takes a job selling “Shades of the Orient” cosmetics (and obvious parody of Mary Kay Cosmetics). Fran begins trying to move her wares in some of the upper-class neighborhoods in New York, City and arrives at the door of Broadway Producer Maxwell Sheffield.
Maxwell Sheffield is a proper English Gentleman and a widower as well as being a Broadway Producer. He is very wealthy and lives in mansion with his three children and their butler Niles. CC Babcock is Maxwell’s life-long assistant whom secretly pines from him; Niles absolutely detests CC and is constantly taking jabs at her especially in the beginning of the series. With Maxwell’s wife being deceased he has relied on a series of “Nannies” to help him with the children. His son Brighton usually does something to force any nanny Maxwell hires to quit. Maxwell is at the end of his rope. He has an important party planned that weekend with potential financial backers for his next play. | 44 | English | female | Bachelor's Degree | Social Work | N,N,N,N,N |
g | One second it is sitting right in the water, the next it is gone and the water is
clear. If you had blinked you would have missed it. This is the last time, the 51 st time, that you will
watch this happen. You are in the 51st bathroom of the 51st little restaurant in two and a half weeks.
You walk up to the sink, drop the plastic baggie into the trash, and wash your hands. You look into
your eyes in the mirror. This being the 51 st and final bathroom, you cannot help but think back and
remember. It was July 10 when you’d checked into the hotel, 18 days ago.
You check in just like everyone else. It is the middle of the summer so every hotel has
enormously high volumes of guests. The receptionist frowns at some magazine out of your view. She
suddenly looks up and sees you standing in front of her desk. She is confused for a moment but blinks
a few times to adjust. Her long shiny eyelashes flash noticeably, and you give her an artificial smile to
match the one she gives you. You give her your room and reservation number. You watch exasperated
parents pick up plastic pieces while their son stands with a blank Mr. Potato Head while the receptionist
types away with her long red nails. You walk to the elevator with your bag slung over your right
shoulder, the weight digging into your shoulder unbeknownst to the other travelers.
That night you wake up at 2:30am. Sharp vibrations from your pocket awaken you quickly and
nearly silently. You don your uniform. It is completely different from any outfit you would wear to
work, all black, all plain, all loose enough fitting so that you can move easily. You grab your bag. The
heavy enclosed materials sounded dull thuds—everything is carefully covered to be silent.
You walk through your door to the balcony. The scents and sounds of the ocean affect you
more than you thought they would. The slight saltiness to the air, the faint rush of the ocean, somehow
calm you a bit. Then you begin. This hotel was specifically chosen for its close balconies. You take
one more look around to make sure there is no one out on the beach, no one awake to see you, and then
you carefully hop to the other side of the railing. The black railing sends a quick chill through your
hands. It feels sticky like skin after swimming in saltwater. You crouch down, grab the sharp concrete
with your hands, and drop noiselessly to the balcony below. You step up onto the railing, and carefully
sidle around the wall that divides adjacent balconies. Then you do it again, and again, and again, until
an alarm in your room wouldn’t even reach your ears.
The very first door you tried was left unlocked. No one bothers to lock doors when they’re on
vacation, especially the sliding door to the balcony. | 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g | I would list ‘performance’ and ‘great engineering’ as the most important repetitions,
power and modernness as the most important strands, and lines/roundness and two halves
as the most important binaries.
I would say performance, modernness, and lines/roundness are the most important
details. All three of these contribute to the immediate feel of modernness and good
functionality of the advertisement. All three of these are related, the rounded, angled lines
contribute to a sense of modernness, as does the color scheme, the clean layout, and the
emphasis on the measurable performances of the vehicle.
For my cultural text I chose Arrested Development, specifically the 11th episode of the
1st season which is entitled Public Relations. The representative detail I chose was a fictional
school entitled The Milford Academy.
The most prominent detail was the credo “children should be neither seen nor heard.”
This mindset of the school has the implication that children should not participate in their own
educations, rather they should just be static observers. The fact that this is a comedic
element makes me think that most viewers will see this as an exaggeration of the reality of
many such ‘academies;’ that in reality the traditions and prescribed ways of teaching are more
important to some schools than the interaction with the students themselves.
Another detail was the repetition of the phrase “Milford man.” The repetition of this
phrase shows that there is a definite identity or model for what a graduate of the school
should be. This implies that the school has specific ideal identity for their graduates. The
repetition also has the implication that “Milford Man” is a sort of title: it is something to be
proud of that you graduated from that school.
The third detail I noticed was that the founder of the school ends up by himself at a
nursing home. Along with this observation was a statement by the new headmaster, his son,
that he is distancing himself from the traditions his father set. The distancing in principles
implies a somewhat estranged relationship. I found it interesting that despite being the
founder of a prestigious school, a man who accomplished a lot, he ended up at a nursing
home isolated from his son where the founder is admittedly unhappy.
Another detail I found interesting was a snippet where one of the characters says ‘The
graduates go on to do great things” and then there is a fast cut to one of the characters doing
nothing but remaining out of sight. The purpose of this cut was obviously to highlight the irony
of the statement, but if the school is meant to mock actual schools by exaggeration, this part
may be saying that graduates from these type of institutions do not always become
successful in the real world.
The fact that the son does not want to attend the Milford Academy also interested me.
What this shows me is that often these type of schools are not very enjoyable and possibly
that the families who typically enroll in these academies disregard their child’s happiness.
| 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g | The audience for this is expected to be knowledgeable
enough to recognize the references to our culture and smart enough to see that it is poking
fun at the standards instead of trying to comply with them. There is also a hidden message
that is very difficult to decipher, the a large part of the audience is supposed to be expected to
solve it, or at least enjoy the lexical games.
Step 1, repetitions. The phrases “all-new GLK” is repeated twice, as well as “GLK”
being repeated an additional time. The word size is repeated twice, as is the phrase “great
engineering.” The word performance is also used twice. The photo of the car itself seems to
have only about 3 colors, a silver which varies in lightness, a white in the lights and the
brightest parts of the silver, and black in the tires and windshield and grill. The text portion is
only white and black, and the background is a gradient of gray which approximates the overall
color of the car. The background in the photo, although it is sky, is still silver as are the struts
of the bridge and the road.
Step 2, strands. There are a number of words and phrases associated with power, in a
very raw way: rugged, off-road, outrunning, powerful, torque, horsepower, V-6 engine, and
even ‘weightier competition’ and ‘twice its size’ somewhat. Another strand is words
associated with proof, such as tested, performance, capable, proof, performance, and
engineering as well as listing four quantitative features of the vehicle. Compact, sleek, and
fuel-efficient are all traits that are becoming more valuable in the modern world. The
emphasis of the newness of the design goes along with this strand. The color scheme of
black white and silver has a very metallic and futuristic feel, in a way.
A visual strand is angled well-defined lines. The car is at an angle, as is the bridge it is
on. The struts of the bridge form clear lines, as do many features of the car (the grill, lines
down the sides, the roof rack etc.). Even the Mercedes-Benz symbol is made up of angled
lines. Somewhat paradoxically, a less prominent strand is roundness and circles: the circle
around the symbol, the shapes of all the lights, and almost all the lines on the car come
together not in sharp point but in rounded edges. The word sleek goes along with this strand.
Step 3, binaries. The defined angled lines strand and the rounded strands are very
opposing. The white and black are binaries. The ad is almost divided into two sections; the
upper section with words and the lower section with a picture. These are quite different.
There is also a dichotomy between the modern components and the components more
related to power and toughness. In the photo the car is clearly distinguishable from its
background; it is very shiny and in crisp focus whereas the background is all a blur.
| 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g | Another example of red is that the reader’s main hint of Gatsby’s all-important death is the “thin red circle in the water” (162).
There is, of course, a second reading that adds to Gatsby trying to look new and significant, the first
effect. This comes from Gatsby’s clothes always being a “pink suit” (122), or his shirts being almost
red—“apple-green”, “coral”, “lavender”, and “faint orange” (92) but none is quite there, he is never
quite red—new and exciting.
F. Scott Fitzgerald actually uses colors in another significant way besides giving certain colors
meaning then using that meaning to apply subtle details about other subjects, usually characters. The
main purpose of the applying meaning to colors for later use is to show that Daisy is just some generic
object with her “white childhood” (19) and “white dresses” (115) that Gatsby dreams for and to bring
the focus on Gatsby, always on the “crimson carpet” (116). Fitzgerald also uses the meanings he set up
for white and red, plainness or being an ordinary person and newness or being extraordinary, in a few
passages that show readers the message of the novel. The first is as Nick, Gatsby and Tom are at Tom
and Daisy’s, in the back, and they look “over the rose-beds” over the extraordinary items or people, to
the “white wings of [a] boat” simply plain people, they focus on the plain instead of the extraordinary
or new and exciting (118). The other passage is at the end of the book, as Nick looks at Gatsby’s house
one more time, he sees on the “white steps” and “obscene word, scrawled...with a piece of brick”
(180). This second passage seems to suggest that on the “white steps” the everyday world, “brick”
(red) items that are supposed to be new and exciting can be bad and ruin life; readers see this especially
when Nick feels the urge to erase it (180). These two passages together with the symbolic meanings
Fitzgerald earlier assigned them seem to suggest that one should just be an everyday person, not try to
be something new and extraordinary, this meaning is also supported by the mainly red character, the
only person trying to be extraordinary, ending up dead with nothing, a “poor son-of-a-bitch” (175).
One of the most interesting topics regarding the play Othello by William Shakespeare is the way
in which Othello completely falls from his high ranking and respected position so rapidly. The main
debate is whether the fall is the result of Iago’s plotting, or a flaw in Othello’s character, namely his
passion. If one examines the play, they will see the reason that furthers the plot resulting in Othello’s
downfall varies throughout the play. In the beginning of Othello, the only cause of the plot eventually
leading to Othello’s downfall is Iago; about halfway through, a combination of Iago and Othello’s
passion furthers the plot; but in the last part of the play Othello’s passion is the only reason for
Othello’s downfall.
| 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g |
Comparison of The Story of Master Hŏ with contemporary views on Korean education highlights the Westernization of traditional Confucian values.
Common knowledge views on Korean education are that Koreans push very hard toward measurable goals. In the 1960's Korean education level was on par with Afghanistan. Now, Korea is in the top tier of education, with 97% of its students have completed upper secondary education. Even compared to the previous generation Korea has been able to jump from having near lowest university participation to being ranked third in university participation. In terms of measurable achievements, Korea has done very well for itself in the education domain recently.
Korean education success has been attained through concentrated hard work. Korea has 220 school days compared to an average of 180 in the USA. Korean school days usually run from 8:00 in the morning until around 4:00 or 4:30, with most students then returning for private study sessions or tutoring until night when they go to bed. Asian countries like Korea and China are perceived to have parents that can be very demanding and push their children to work very hard to attain a quantifiable degree of excellence in prescribed areas like school and music. This view of asian parents was either established or confirmed in the public eye with the release and discussion of the book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.
In contrast to this is Master Hŏ. At the start of the story, Master Hŏ simply wants to continue his studies like he had promised himself. His studies in this story have no real practical application, as his wife points out: “Day and night, all you do is read! … You can't work, you can't sell!” (86). Only by the physical necessity of survival is Master Hŏ convinced to leave his studies behind, if only temporarily. To start off his plan Master Hŏ needs a loan, which he secures by basically being a good person. The rich man who loans him the money says that he did so because he was clear, direct, confident, and he “is someone who disdains material possessions, but possesses a strong inner drive.” (87). Once Master Hŏ converts robbers to productive and married farmers on an isolated island, and then helps random people. Master Hŏ even throws out a large amount of the money he earned before repaying what he borrowed with generous interest. In the end of the story Master Hŏ makes recommendations to a military official and upon their rejection moves away without a trace. Master Hŏ displays a desire to learn for just the sake of his own self-improvement, and rejects positions and titles given by the world.
The values expressed in The story of Master Hŏ contradict those of modern Korean education. Master Hŏ would frown upon putting so much focus on attaining measurable successes, instead of focusing on improving the self while working just for survival.
| 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g | Worries originating from the last economic strategy, by Bush, and regarding the use of the
money could possibly be cumbersome.
All of these alternate wordings have about the same meaning as the original, just as before.
Most of the words I chose to replace ‘questions’ and ‘concerns’ have a slightly more emotional and
impassioned tone. The word in the first paraphrase could cause some issues because it is not expressly
clear that President Bush did not also create the new plan, but this small ambiguity is clarified in the
first sentence and also exists in the original sentence. I would say all the sentences are about as
descriptive except that all of the paraphrases again lack the term stimulus package, which is very
efficiently descriptive.
The bottom of your hamburger is soggy with grease. The French Fries are already cold and
shriveled. You can’t take your eyes off a yellow stain on the maroon seat. The material clings to your
bare skin against it. It is a nuisance. You try to avoid contact but your hands continue to sink down
absentmindedly. The fans buzzing loudly above you are helpless against the overwhelming heat of the
summer. Your hands feel gross. You rise and sling your black bag over your shoulder. You head to the
bathroom, eyes focused on the golden man against the rich brown of the bathroom door.
You stand in front of the sink, washing your hands. The mirror is smudged and greasy—your
reflection is barely visible through it. The sliver faucet curls over the edge of the sink, dripping pink
globules into a ball of slime that looks on the verge of falling down to the drain. Cracks run through
the skiers cruising down a mountain on the yellowing wallpaper by the mirror. You stare into your face
in the mirror, carefully examining the tiny imperfections in your skin. Your eyes meet your eyes. What
a vacation it has been. You blink, carefully watching your eyes as well as you can.
Your bag still slung over your shoulder, you walk into one of the stalls, your feet sticking just a
little to the floor. You carefully open the Ziploc bag and dig your hand into the dark squishy matter
inside, squeezing it and letting dark red ooze through your fingers. The liquid drips from your hand to
the toilet. The walls of the stall around you feel somewhat like a cubicle. The only difference is the
odor. The smell is putrid. It is unclear whether the smell originates from the clump in your hand or
simply emanates from the dirty bathroom.
You dip the baggie in the toilet, rinsing the red remnants off to leave it clear. You drop the
clump into the toilet. You watch it slowly spread out in the water. You flush the toilet, watching the
mush circle around and around and finally disappear down the hole. The clump almost blinks at you.
You can’t quite explain it. | 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g | Although in
the beginning Iago and his plotting are the only subjects furthering the plot, he is simply setting up a
trap, like a springboard, that is completely dependent on Othello’s flaws for being set off. Iago sets the
trap in the beginning, but in the middle section Othello’s passion works to set him up in that firing
Cassio was essential to the plot. The third section where Othello is the only cause is simply Othello’s
downfall after the spring is sprung, which could almost be pinpointed to Othello hearing about
handkerchief, the beginning of the end. Since the cause for Othello’s downfall is ultimately his
passion, Othello fits the Aristotelian Greek tragedy: Othello’s hamartia is his passion, and as he falls
and has his anagnorisis, the audience has their sense of catharsis watching Othello fall.
Passing and Great Gatsby
Passing and The Great Gatsby have many similarities and many differences. One example is
the location of the climactic scene. In Gatsby, Nick and his group of acquaintances, Gatsby, Daisy,
Tom, and Jordan go to the city and rent a hotel room to cool off in. In Passing, the climactic scene is at
a party at one of their friends houses, which is an apartment. It is cold outside. The scenes are similar
in that they both occur in a apartment type room with a group of friends, but it is hot in Gatsby and cold
in Passing, and in Passing it is a permanent residence. Theme is another example: both Passing and
Gatsby have themes of appearance versus reality or false appearances, themes of color and dark and
light, and they both have themes of class and people’s place in society. Each does have some themes of
its own, for example, there is an east-west theme in Gatsby and a theme of sight and blindness, and
there is a theme of race in Passing. The characters and how they relate is another example of these
novels being similar in some ways and different in some ways. Both the Gatsby/Clare characters die,
but in Gatsby another character does it, and in Passing Irene, the equivalent to Nick because we see
inside her thoughts, kills the Gatsby/Clare character. Gatsby and Clare are different in that Gatsby
plans everything and Clare never thinks ahead, but the inconsiderate, ridiculous and unthinking actions
he demands from Daisy are very like Clare. Both Nick and Irene are possibly homosexual, but overall
Nick is a flatter character with almost no personality that is not the same as Irene, who thinks about and
has opinions about everything. The knowable purposes are pretty similar: in Gatsby the theme is like
you cannot always get what you want, sometimes you should just stay like you are, in social class and
other objects you might desire or something bad might happen to you, while Passing’s theme is like if
you are going to try to lie and change class, you should be careful or something bad might happen to
you.
| 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g | The beginning section where Iago is the only subject furthering the plot that leads to Othello’s
downfall is from the beginning of the play until partway through Act 2, Scene 3. In the very beginning
Iago is clearly at least trying to do harm to Othello: he says that “In following him, I follow but myself”
(1. 1. 64) and that he wants to “Plague him with flies” (1. 1. 78) and that he wants to make Othello’s
“joy / ... / lose some color” (1. 1. 78-80). Iago first tries to break up Othello and his love, Desdemona,
by getting Roderigo to come with him to tell Brabantio that his daughter and Othello are “making the
beast with / two backs” which does not have any direct repercussions to the actual plot that ruins
Othello, but displays how clever and plotting Iago can be (1.1. 131). Iago displays this cleverness soon
again as Roderigo comes to him saying that he “will incontinently drown” himself (1. 3. 347), and soon
has Roderigo convinced to “sell all [his] land” (1. 3. 425). At this point, Othello is still in control of his
emotions: when Iago informs him that Brabantio is angry with him, Othello reasonably responds that
his “services ... / Shall out-tongue [Brabantio’s] complaints” and keeps calm (1. 2. 21-22). Iago gets
as far as forming his plan to “abuse Othello’s ear” (1.3. 438) with the lie that Cassio, who “hath a
person and a smooth dispose / To be suspected” (1. 3. 440-441), is “too familiar with [Othello’s] wife”
(1. 3. 439) and to even discredit Cassio by starting a fight between him and Roderigo before Othello’s
passion even has any effect.
The point in the play where Othello’s passion combines with Iago to further the plot to Othello’s
downfall begins in Act 2, Scene 3 when Othello enters and says “My blood begins my safer guides to
rule” till when Othello’s passion really takes over (2. 3. 219). A combination of Iago’s plotting and
Othello’s passion lead to Othello declaring that Cassio “nevermore be officer”: Iago caused Cassio to
get in that fight by instructing Roderigo to start a fight and by convincing Cassio to drink, and the fight
is what caused Othello to become overcome by anger and fire Cassio (265). Although starting a
drunken brawl like Cassio did is no doubt an offense that should be punished, an action should by no
means have cost Cassio his entire position. Iago soon uses Cassio’s desperation to get his “reputation
... / ... the immortal part” (2. 3. 281-282) of himself back and “Th’ inclining Desdemona” (2. 3. 360),
who is easy “to subdue / In any honest suit” (2. 3. 360-361), to make “the net / That shall enmesh them
all” (2. 3. 381-382) by getting Desdemona to plead to Othello for Cassio that he will “repair his
fortune” (2. 3. 374), and then telling Othello that “she repeals him for her body’s lust” (2. 3. 377).
| 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g |
Many authors use different ways to give their readers a certain feeling or attitude toward
important subjects. Some of these techniques are more effective than others. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses
many of these different techniques in his novel The Great Gatsby. Sometimes, Fitzgerald pairs an
adjective and a noun together that do not usually fit that way to give readers a certain aura around a
subject. Other times, he applies meaning to a symbol, and then uses it for this same purpose.
Fitzgerald uses this last technique with many colors, including gold, green, white/gray and red/pink. In
his novel The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald builds up meaning for colors, namely white/gray and
red/pink then later uses that meaning to give readers a certain reminder of a feeling around an
important object.
The meaning Fitzgerald builds up and uses for white/gray is uniformity, with white being a bit
nicer and higher class and gray being more older and faded. Fitzgerald sets up this meaning in the
beginning of the novel with constant uses of both. Daisy and Jordan are constantly “in white” (8)—in
fact, everyone is always wearing white: Nick wears “white flannels” (41) to Gatsby’s party, Tom wears
a “white shirt” (36) when he meets Myrtle, and Catherine is “powdered milky white” (30). In fact, the
only time people are not wearing white is when Nick is getting his impressions of Gatsby’s party: “the
halls... are gaudy with primary colors” (40). Fitzgerald further defines these two colors in coloring
many common, unimportant subjects these colors: as Nick goes to work, he goes “down the white
chasms of lower New York” (56), the names of people at Gatsby’s parties are now “gray names” (61)
on Nick’s timetable, Catherine’s apartment is “one slice in a long white cake of apartment-houses”—
uniformity (28). He also describes plain or common people or places as white or gray: Jordan and
Daisy had a “white girlhood” (19) together, there are “gray cars” and “gray land” (23) in the valley of
ashes, the “Italian child” in the railroad is “gray” (26), and the dog-seller is “a gray old man” (27).
After Fitzgerald adds enough meaning to white/gray, he uses them to signify unimportance or
uniformity to certain subjects. This using colors to show readers something first starts with Daisy.
After a long time without any significant use of either of these colors, Fitzgerald comes out describing
Daisy as “dressed in white” in “a little white roadster”; readers begin to see Daisy as less of a character,
more like just a uniform addition, something that Gatsby wants and longs for (74). Fitzgerald uses
more of this technique around Daisy to give this impression of Daisy being a more uniform addition,
for example, there is a “gray haze of Daisy’s fur collar” (18), and she is again in a “white” (115) dress
before Tom and Gatsby’s encounter. | 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g | This
plot of course would not work Othello’s “soul” were not “so enfettered to her love”—if Othello was not
so passionate about having Desdemona (2. 3. 365). At this point Iago’s plot is relatively airtight, his
advice is “Probal to thinking” and there is not really anyone who can discover his plot until his wife
picks up the handkerchief Othello gave Desdemona. Because of Othello’s passion for Desdemona, this
plan works very well, Othello is “moved” (3. 3. 254) when Iago even hints of his suspicions, Othello is
later “eaten up with passion” (3. 3. 446) when Iago continues to hint of and plant images of Cassio and
Desdemona’s alleged affair.
Othello’s passion takes over when Iago hits a heartfelt subject: the handkerchief that was his
first gift to Desdemona. When Othello first hears of the handkerchief, he immediately commands his
“black vengeance” to “arise” (3. 3. 507) and this point is where Othello claims that his “bloody
thoughts ... / Shall ne’er look back” (3. 3. 518-519). At this point Othello does not even have proof
besides Iago saying so that Cassio has the handkerchief, and even if he did, Cassio’s possession of the
handkerchief would hardly be proof of an affair, but Othello is just so attached to Desdemona and the
handkerchief he gave her he jumps to his conclusion. As Iago brings forth more unproven accusations
that do not contain any supporting evidence, Othello begins to go mad—he cannot even talk in full
sentences: “Confess—handkerchief—O, / devil!” (4. 1. 50) and falls “into an epilepsy” (4. 1. 61). The
hardest evidence Othello ever gets of the alleged affair is when he watches Cassio display “the
handkerchief” as he laughs and talks about some unknown topic with Iago (4. 1. 192). This is hardly a
very good deception by Iago since Cassio and Iago will be discussing a completely different person
than Othello thinks, Iago even admits that Othello’s “jealously must construe / Poor Cassio’s smiles,
gestures, and light behaviors / Quite in the wrong” (4. 1. 118-120). Othello is so overtaken by his
passion, his anger at Desdemona because of what he thought she did with Cassio, when Emilia admits
she has “seen nothing ... / Nor ever heard, nor ever did suspect” the statement barely even registers (4.
2. 1-2). Even when Desdemona herself admits that she is Othello’s “true and loyal wife” (4. 2. 41) and
that “Heaven doth truly know it” (4. 2. 47), Othello is still so angry he still believes she is “false as
hell” (4. 2. 48). Even after Othello kills his wife and discovers the whole horrible truth of how he was
deceived, the first conclusion he comes up with “loved not wisely” (5. 2. 404).
Ultimately, the fact that the cause is in the end Othello’s passion becomes evident.
| 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g | You can hear the door’s mechanism scratch ever so
lightly, but you are the only one. The room only has a single bed with a single occupant, a stranger
lying face-up on the bed with his eyes closed, just as you expected. You knew how the hotel was laid
out, which rooms were singles, from a few evenings of easy research.
Your hands in front, careful not to touch anything, your feet carefully planning each step, you
grab a stray pillow and inch closer to the stranger. You step over a still damp crumpled t-shirt. A
cartoon pirate on it scowls as he appears to yell something. You walk up to the edge of the bed,
minutely aware of each movement of you toes and heels, making everything silent. A CD sits on his
night table along with a book. A crack in the hard plastic runs through the word Buddha on the front of
the album, and the white cover of the book lies open to reveal more about Malcolm Gladwell. His face
is right below yours. His face is slightly tanned, but you can see speckles of discoloration, especially
directly beneath his eyes. He is young. The hairs on his precisely trimmed beard are still visibly thin.
You can feel traces of his warm breaths on your face. His breathing is erratic and strange. There is a
faint hoarseness to every breath that you cannot help but notice. You looked into his eyelids just for a
moment before you covered them with a pillow. He was awake immediately. You felt him struggle
beneath you but you knew he could not match your strength. You hear faint noises but whatever the
pillow doesn’t catch is only heard by you. You feel different muscles flex, pinned beneath your legs. It
is exhilarating. Each movement of his feeds your pleasure. He is powerless to stop you.
A few minutes later he lies in the same position as before, eyes closed, mouth slightly ajar, the
lips powdery white at the corners from dryness. You breathe in the air deeply, you can almost taste
sweetness in it. You had never felt so alive and real as you did in that moment. It was all fast. If you
had blinked you could have missed it. Everything can change in the instant of a blink.
You pull on the feet. They are bare, but cold now. You had been staring at the body for quite a
while. The feet are dangling, helpless, off the side of the bed. You bent and clutched his body, one
hand on the undersides of the knees, the other just below the shoulder blades. You can feel bones from
his spine sticking uncomfortably into you. He was a bony kid, probably just out of college. The Robin
Hood design on his t-shirt makes you even surer of his youth.
You reach the bathroom with the stranger in your arms. | 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g | When Gatsby first is going to see Daisy again, he dresses in “a
white flannel suit” (84). Gatsby is trying to act like just a average, nonchalant guy, which ties into his
“strained counterfeit of perfect ease” (86) when Daisy arrives. Gatsby later wants to make more of an
impact on Daisy at his house: he “flip[s] a switch” which gives the impression that the “gray windows
disappeared” and “the house glowed full of light”: the ordinary looking house suddenly turns far from
ordinary (94). Finally, Gatsby’s father pulls at his “sparse gray beard” showing that Gatsby’s father,
Gatsby’s family is just common, low class people (167).
Fitzgerald sets up red/pink to mean a subject is newer, better, or special in some way. Fitzgerald
begins to set up red as meaning new or extraordinary in the very beginning of the book. The books
Nick buys that are like “new money from the mint” are “red and gold” (4), Tom and Daisy’s
“elaborate” house is “red-and-white” (6) and filled with “rosy-colored space” (7) and “wine-colored”
(8) rugs. Nick sees “new, red gas-pumps” (20) before he returns home. Red is at Gatsby’s high class
and exciting parties: in the “primary colors” (40) and a “red-haired young lady” (51). Red is in
Gatsby’s elaborate, exciting lies of his adventures: Gatsby claims he collected “jewels, chiefly rubies”
(65) with their “crimson-lighted depths” (67), as Gatsby finishes his lie Gatsby and Nick pass “red-
belted” ships (68). Red is the first color in exciting America’s “red, white, and blue banners” (74) and
it is the “Red Cross” (75) that Daisy, “by far the most popular of all the young girls” (74) participated
in.
As soon as Fitzgerald applied meaning to these colors, he began to use them to show readers
subtle things about important subjects. Gatsby’s house is full of red as we see from Fitzgerald’s
descriptions of “bedrooms swathed in rose” (91). Fitzgerald also puts red around Gatsby himself, for
example when Gatsby is standing “in the centre of the crimson carpet” (116) and later he is wearing a
“pink suit” (122) the day he and Tom have their encounter.
Fitzgerald furthers this second effect by the almost complete lack of red or pink
besides subjects related to Gatsby: the only other times are the “pink glow from Daisy’s room” (144) as
Gatsby is watching which could symbolize the room being the complete focus of Gatsby’s attention;
Gatsby’s last attempt to capture this lost dream, and when Gatsby, Nick and Tom look “over the rose-
beds” to the boat in the ocean which speaks to the overall message of the book through color symbols. These examples of
red surrounding Gatsby have two effects. The first is that Gatsby seems, or is at least trying to seem,
new and important and exciting, like red. The second effect is for readers—the use of red puts more of
a focus on Gatsby.
| 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g |
For my cultural text, at least for this assignment, I chose a music video for a song entitled
Wrap by Headmess.
This song has a very specific audience. There are a few parts of the song that require
you to know certain references. We are expected to know Houdini, who he was and that he
was a magician. We must recognize ‘abracadabra’ as words associated with magic. There
are a few French phrases that we are expected to know: “oui,” “s’il vous plait,” and “toi et
moi.” We are also expected to understand references to King kong, Conan the Barbarian.
These are hardly very exclusive requirements; apart from some of the French, almost
everyone adequately understands these references.
Besides these clues, there are also a large number of more cultural references in the
words themselves. The meaning of phrases like ‘Knockin’ you out ‘til the break a dawn,” and
“work it, mama” has to be clear. Even the understanding of more crass phrases like “lip-
smackin’ tongue waggin’ action from the expert” or “the way I run ‘em up my flagpole” is
assumed. All that these require is basic knowledge of some of our pop culture’s terminology.
The abundance of these almost offensive type of lyrics implies that we are supposed to
recognize a reference to a certain type of song. This category of songs is marked by
bragging and self praise, especially when related to sex. In addition to recognizing the
cultural phrases, listeners must understand these as a reference to this type of song.
There are visual examples of this required cultural knowledge. The vocalist is clad in
sunglasses, a black beanie, a large black t-shirt, baggie pants, and various long necklaces.
The audience for this video is supposed to recognize this as prototypical hardcore rap getup.
His dress in other shots is comprised of a Hawaiian shirt with a floppy hat with the necklaces
and sunglasses again. This type of outfit has also been worn by rappers. Almost every shot
is a type of shot that is very typical in rap videos: a group of men looking down and leaning
over a camera, a man walking the street while gesturing emphatically, a car filled with women,
and visuals of the tires of a car that appears to be bouncing up and down. The images of a
man walking in a long trench-coat spinning a watch is a reference to a pimp-type character
that is assumed to be recognized
Besides the knowledge of these elements of rap videos, we are also supposed to
understand the nerdy character from the beginning and end of the video from his formal
dress, large glasses, and self-conscious mannerisms.
In most ways, the exhibitions of these aspects of current rap culture are somewhat
mocked: the tires on the car obviously do not actually go up and down with hydraulics and the
‘pool outfit’ looks especially goofy. | 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g | Huxley's vision of the new world has some surprising similarities to our own world,
especially the fact that people are subconsciously forced into doing things. In the Brave New
World, people had things repeated to them while they slept to make them make certain
decisions without realizing it. In the world today, we are shown things through commercials
and advertisements so many times, till they come to us naturally. There are advertisements
everywhere, on the television, on the radio, by the roadside,
in movies, in magazines, basically everywhere. After hearing a message many times, even if
a person isn't paying attention to it, they can remember it if they just think a little bit. For
example, a couple of summers ago, there was a commercial for a legal team where an old
guy simply explained what they were and gave you the number. Later at a picnic, my step-
brother was able to remember the number in seconds when he found a pay phone even
though he never specifically paid attention to the commercial. This is
scarily similar to Brave New World, where if the situation fit, phrases from the sleep-talking
would simply roll off their tongues without giving it a thought.
One of the phrases often repeated to the children in their sleep is that old and torn
clothes are bad, and that if someone rips their clothes, they should buy new clothes instead of
mending them. Nowadays, if the average person tears their clothes, they don't even think of
fixing them, they simply throw them away. In the world of Brave New World, they may think of
fixing it at first, but because of the sleep-talk, they move away
from that idea. In the current world, most people don’t think of mending clothes because they
don't really know how anymore, and because everyone wants clothes that are "in style,"
anyway. People want new clothes all the time because the media keeps changing the way
that people are "supposed to dress," so that people are constantly buying clothes. For
example, a while ago, in all the media like movies, everyone wore ties that were very wide,
which made everyone want wide ties. After everyone had wide ties, all the people in movies
started wearing narrow ties.
The sleep talking in Brave New World also was targeted to make you happily accept
the part in the caste system that they had been put in. Here in America now, we don't quite
have a defined caste system, but there are poor people, middle class/average people, and
very rich people. The very rich and famous are obviously happy with their position since they
have so much money, which is like in Brave New World how all the alphas were happy to be
alphas since they were better looking and smarter than everyone else. | 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g | Throughout the episode, Michael, the main character jumps through hoops to try gain
his son’s acceptance to the academy. This reminded me of the American ideal of working
hard so that your children can enjoy certain privileges.
In one part where the old headmaster is believed to be dead, the caption on the news is
formatted so that the reading deadhead master is easily interpretable. To me this is simply an
exemplary detail, related to the school, of some of the clever humor Arrested Development
always contains.
In a photograph shown of the classroom, all the children’s heads are down on their
desks. From this angle, they all look the same, their individuality is not evident. From this
position, the children are also not in a place to contribute anything the class as well.
From the visuals we see of the school, the most prominent details were that the interior
was mostly dark wood and that the exterior was very plain and boxlike. It was the creator’s
intention to give their specific perception of the school as established and austere; it is
interesting to me that these elements are the quickest means to achieve this perception.
Original sentence: President Barack Obama, who arguably won a large chunk of political capital
in the 2008 election, is now looking to cash in as he urges Congress to pass a massive economic
stimulus package. President Barack Obama, who many say earned an abundance of credibility during
his election, now looks to take advantage as he attempts to implement his plan for sparking the
economy. President Barack Obama, who perhaps gained a surplus of sway in the political realm while
being elected, currently looks to capitalize in his enjoinment of Congress to enact his new solution for
the economy. President Obama, who possibly acquired a bundle of political love from his election,
desires to seize an opportunity to convince Congress to authorize his recommendations for the
economy.
For most of these paraphrases, the meaning changed very little if at all. All of them lost a slight
wordplay that the original text had with ‘capital’ and ‘cash’ and their relation to the economy. Most of
the new sentences do not contain the same united feel, the description of Obama does not seem to relate
to the active part of the sentence as well as in the original sentence. Although the sentences maintained
about the same level of descriptiveness, they each lost a certain amount of precision from lacking the
terms ‘political capital’ and ‘economic stimulus package’ since most people can clearly comprehend all
of the nuances of both of these terms.
But questions about how to spend the money and concerns about the last stimulus package under
former President Bush, may create a roadblock. Concerns on spending the money and doubts from the
last economic plan from former President Bush may cause issues. On the other hand, ambiguities on
the use of the money and anxieties from the previous plan from Bush’s presidency have the potential to
interfere. | 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g | You carefully lay him down in the tub,
manipulating his lifeless limbs so as not to make a sound. You know your next step will take you well
into the morning. You carefully stride to the door, past bottles of Renu, and fasten the ‘do not disturb’
sign on the dull metal handle.
On your way back to the stranger in the tub, you go to your bag and draw out your saw. You
drag the bag along with you, the fibers of the bag rubbing the rug the only noise in your ears. You give
the eyelids one last look before you begin with the saw. You remove all his clothes and place them
neatly, folded, in his suitcase with the rest of his clothes. You start with the toes by pulling the hungry
teeth of the saw across the flesh over and over. The skin tears open with the first stroke. The blood
seeps out like water from a crack in a dam. The red spills up higher and higher, faster and faster,
quickly coating the tub and the skin of their legs. It all looks somewhat surreal in yellowy glow of the
bathroom light. The bone is the hardest part, but you force your way through. You were initially
concerned with the volume of the crunching bone, but it is barely audible over the bathroom fan,
certainly no louder than a toilet flushing or a shower running. You continue from the feet all the way
up the legs, up the body, transforming the stranger into thick slices of meat. A deep scar runs from his
right hip to just above his belly button. You playfully trace the raised pink flesh with your saw, only
able to imagine what must have happened. The blood covers his whole remnants, the walls of the
bathtub, and then your arms past your elbows. You continue, slicing the organs with a contained
ferocity. An unknown purple organ spurts a pale yellow juice when you just graze it with the saw. You
think of when your mother used to slice red apples for pies, and the opaque juice would squirt out of
the dark skin. You smile as the bones of his ribcage quickly crumble, one after another, because of
your saw. You slice right through the center of his biceps. Muscles that the stranger must have worked
so hard to build up are now nothing more than mush. Soon all that is left is their head. You force the
saw to tear through the tough bone of his skull until finally you feel it slide through the soft brain. You
drag the saw across his closed eyelids. They too bow to the power of your saw. Unknown juices squirt
up onto your legs as you stand over them, but you don’t care.
You reach over and turn on the shower. You watch the thick red wash off your body, revealing
your skin once again. The body was in little pieces, just as you had planned. | 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
g | There are 51 piles of little
pieces, exactly as you planned. The 51 piles are all roughly the same size. You divided them just like
you planned: one has the toes to the heel of one foot, one has his bellybutton and the cylinder of
innards all the way to his back, one has the carefully sliced collarbones. You reach from your bag and
grab the 51 Ziploc bags you packed. They are the bags the size up from sandwich bags. Your mom
used to use them to store cookies when you were younger. You take each slice from the stranger, plac
them carefully in the clear plastic, and seal them with precision. You hold each bag under the cleansing
beads of water, and dry them before neatly stacking them in your bag.
You sleep until the early afternoon. You leave his room in a change of clothes from your black
bag, walk out their door, and check out.
You are still looking into your eyes in the mirror. It is all done now. You have never felt so
satisfied. The 51st bathroom of the 51st random restaurant as you drove randomly up the coast, staying
in random hotels each night, eating three meals a day in random restaurants. It was just as your perfect
plan went. Everything was planned more than you had ever planned before, and everything went
according to plan. It is done now. Everything was perfect. This dirty, grimy bathroom is the final
stage for you two and a half week vacation. The 51 st baggie is empty and disposed of, everything is
gone, the stranger is gone. The 3rd baggie of the 3rd restaurant of the 17th day is done with. Your normal
life is there waiting for you to return to it.
Your eyes are barely visible through filthy grey streaks that coat the mirror. Shimmering pink
filth drips from the soap dispenser. The wallpaper distracts your eyes from your reflection. The cracks
that run through the yellowed surface make it hard to see the skiers. You squint your eyes at your eyes.
You blink at your eyes. You secure your black bag on your shoulder, push through the heavy door, and
return to your table. You try to enjoy your meal. This is, after all, the last day of your two and a half
weeks of vacation.
Aldus Huxley, the writer of Brave New World, is a very pessimistic person. A reader
can easily tell from his bleak prediction of the future in Brave New World Huxley doesn't really
think the future will be much better than 1946, when he wrote a foreword looking back into his
ideas. The citizens of the world of Brave New World are grown in jars, brainwashed to have
certain principles, and guided to live their lives without motion. Many of the principles the
children are brainwashed to believe are pretty
similar to what we are almost brainwashed to believe in the world now.
| 22 | English | male | Some College | Student | N,N,N,N,N |
b |
The swamp at dusk. Calming from its stillness – the only thing moving at the swamp was time and not too fast either. The sun was lolling past the horizon and the idea that I should dip my foot into the water became transfixed in my mind. I’m pretty sure it was my idea, but there is a possibility that it came from somewhere else.
Before that foot of mine could go in the water, I had to get the swamp’s edge. Something about dusk and alligator feeding jostled in my mind, but my friends and I had fed alligators earlier in the day on a swamp tour. Marshmallows. Dwayne, our tour guide, said alligators liked them and while it’s probably not the best thing to feed them the way in which these ancient hunters feasted on them indicated that Dwayne knew his alligators.
Gazing over the swamp again. This time with a more discriminating eye – to get to the edge, one first had to pass this green, spiky grass that was growing up to about a foot and a half from the water’s edge. Beyond this section there was a strip of brown soil – kind of like the compacted mud of a river bed.
“Get closer…. stick your foot into the water” ebbed into my mind again. I responded by walking through the spiky grass. As I got closer to the edge, the foot dipping decision seemed better and better. In my mind, it seemed that the pinnacle of success at the swamp clearly was to dip that foot into the water.
Past the spiky grass, now to the compacted brown mud. My foot’s first step hit that brown patch and the ground didn’t meet up with my foot. In fact, before anything else could be done, my other foot’s hold on gravity slipped. A giant slurp of a noise hit my ears and the compelling thoughts that drove me to dip a foot into the water switched to that of “don’t lose the car keys,” and “those shoes of yours are long gone,” and “I don’t want swamp water on my face.”
Clenching my left fist around those keys, I contorted my body and thwacked my arm onto the grass and pulled myself out of the swamp. I stood up. I looked down. Barefoot. Swamp muck oozing down my body and small little brown lily pads encircling my arms and waist. I looked over to the swamp again… brown algae floating back to cover my swamp entrance.
Perhaps my friends had started to worry about me? Where did she go? What had happened? But as I started walking back to them, a few of them shot me quizzical glances. I saw an “aha” moment pass over a few faces and then the laughter began. I reminded them that actually I had the last laugh since they had to ride back with in the car with me and eau de swamp.
Driving off, I took another look at that swamp. Maybe something else had the last laugh.
| 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | Nurses are allowed to take notes of the symptoms that are manifested and also provide spiritual reassurance. Most Christian Science nurses work in Christian Science rest homes. There are approximately twenty-five rest homes in the United States.
(http://members.cox.net/mthelixg/ and http://www.christianscience.bc.ca/wayside/)
Barbara let me know that she had taken “The Class” and that she was able to heal, but that she chose not to practice. After completing the course, the new Practitioner usually starts to heal as a part-time activity. As these Practitioners become more proficient and experienced, their healing services become more sought after and once a Practitioner can earn their living entirely from Christian Science healing then the Practitioner (or Christian Science Nurse) can advertise their services in one of the publications of the Christian Science Church, The Christian Science Journal, which is published monthly.
Also included in The Christian Science Journal as well as another monthly publication Christian Science Sentinel, are testimonials of cases that were healed. To be listed in the journal, the case needs to be corroborated by people who know you. No proof of medical tests prior or after the healing are used, this is because Practitioners and nurses are not permitted to label a patient’s disease, for fear of placing the wrong idea or the concept of disease into the mind of the patient. I also asked Barbara if there were any collections or efforts to categorize the healings that were done. Even if the members were afraid to classify an illness during the healing process, I was hoping that after the treatment was completed, if the notes of the Practitioners and Christian Science Nurses were included in the documentation. I was informed that no studies were undertaken at any point where any of the information I asked about was collected. Everything that existed was anecdotal and could be searched for through the Christian Science journals which went back to the 1800’s and could be found at Reading Rooms as well as the Mother Church in Boston, Massachusetts.
For the actual healing process, a Practitioner will read with the patient as well as pray for the patient. The Practitioner also encourages the patient to pray and read both the Bible and Science and Health on his or her own. I was also told that the Practitioners could detect the patients’ thoughts and lead them on the correct path. A concern that I had was that of treating children with Christian Science. Barbara shared with me that according to their beliefs; the mother had the most profound influence on the child. She said that mostly parents put disease and fear onto their child. As long as the parent (especially the mother) is not nervous about the illness, the child will heal. Children I was told are very open to understanding that disease is not real and that they generally are not afraid of disease. | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | Throughout life, we all encounter experiences and ideas that make us all question beliefs from our upbringing. For example, in Berton Roueché's book The Medical Detectives, there is an entire section on the placebo effect. The placebo effect that Berton Roueché discussed came from the medical literature where many times during clinical trials the placebo is as effective as the medication that is specifically designed for an ailment.
The idea that pharmaceuticals might not be the full answer was further proven to me from shadowing a doctor at Mount Sinai of Queens hospital. Dr. Butts was working with a diabetic patient who had severe ulcerations of the skin, edema and possibly bone infection from not treating her condition. Dr. Butts told me that most of her problems could be treated with salt water, quitting smoking and taking a walk once a day while wearing shoes. And most importantly, she would never have gotten into that condition if she had done those simple steps.
Over time, these claims and experiences made me want to investigate the role of using the patient’s mind and belief in a treatment to heal his or herself. The Christian Science Religion seemed to be a good starting point to me, because the religion had been in existence since the late 1800’s and I assumed would have a rich library of examples of healing. I began to think that if it were true that it were possible to treat diseases not with drugs, but with changes in people’s thinking and approach to disease, it would alleviate a good deal of problems. And, in addition to solving these problems, this would be done at a relatively low cost with fewer side effects. I began to question then, “Why doesn’t everyone treat disease at some level with this approach?”
As I began to research this topic, I began to encounter aspects that I had not expected. The records of the church were not scientifically documented and nor cataloged for research. There are various lawsuits against the Christian Science Church for child endangerment. Political issues were also discovered because of the federally funded Medicare/Medicaid system paying Christian Science practitioners for non-medical treatment of patients. In addition to these other concerns, there is a controversy with church doctrine in terms of using inappropriate marketing/false advertising to attract new members.
The official name of the church is The First Church of Christ, Scientist. It was founded by Mary Baker Eddy, a woman who had been chronically ill since childhood, in Massachusetts in 1879. In February 1866, after having fallen and suffered internal injuries, her doctors classified her case as terminal. Feeling that she had been abandoned by the medical profession, she began reading her Bible and had a spiritual awakening and according to her own accounts, instantaneous healing. By 1875, she had written her guide to healing via Christian principles and had it published under the name Science and Health. | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | Why do organisms evolve in the manner that they do? Are there restrictions or constraints that influence the direction of evolutionary change? Although in 1917 D’Arcy Thompson stated that “Even now the zoologist has scarce begun to dream of defining in mathematical language even the simplest organic forms” the same can be said today. More recently, mathematical modeling has been applied to general aspects of mollusk skeletogenesis through both ontogeny and phylogeny (e.g., Raup and Stanley, 1981). Our study is exploring how mathematical modeling of ontogenetic and phylogenetic change in Prunum, in combination with experimental studies, can be used to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the direction and magnitude of evolutionary-developmental change. We used X-radiographic images of Prunum species to delineate quantitative parameters that could in turn be used to model hypothetical and actual skeletal morphologies. These parameters were entered into the software program CerioShell (Stone, 1995). We modeled hypothetical shell morphologies that could be used to interpret the boundaries of possible morphological change in Prunum. These results are being combined with experimental and descriptive studies in order to better understand macroevolutionary events in this clade.
A shell can be thought of as a structure that is a tube that travels over time through 360 degrees of space. These revolutions or turns of a coiled shell are called whorls, which are considered to spiral around an imaginary central axis. This axis runs through the central column of the shell and is known as the columella. The speed at which the whorls enlarge can vary, and a continuous line separates each whorl and is referred to as a suture. In most shells, the largest whorl of a shell is the last whorl (body whorl). The spire is considered to be all the whorls except the last. The apex is the tip of the spire and the opposite end is referred to as the base. The animal extends out of its shell through an opening called the aperture.
Shells can be viewed in apical, basal, apertural and abapertural views. (The "usual" orientation of a shell is an apertural view, with the aperture toward the viewer and with the apex pointing up.)
A method for counting whorls is seen below. First, the shell should be viewed from the apical view and then it should be determined where the first suture begins. A line can be then drawn dividing the shell into two parts. Whorls are counted from this line, and are estimated to a quarter of a whorl.
A shell can be viewed as a series of apertures that travel through time and space as the animal accretes (i.e. builds) its shell. It is possible to trace the path of the aperture via coordinates of the center of each whorl’s aperture as well as the horizontal and vertical radius of the aperture.
This trajectory can be graphically and mathematically represented. Once a mathematical formulation is made, it is then possible to vary parameters and modify the mollusk’s skeletogenesis.
| 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | Because of the diminutiveness of the scale, objects/molecules that are created at this level, have different properties than what most people expect to see at the more familiar large-scale level. Some of these properties relate to the fact that the sizes of the nano-particles are below the scattering limit of visible light. These features of the nano-particle relate to mechanical strength, scratch resistance, inflammability, reflection and absorbance of UV light. This can be significant in terms of using the nano-particle for fluorescence markers.
Another characteristic relates to the fact that due to the small size of the particle, it will consequently have a large surface area. This is important because the increase of surface area can aid in the particle’s reactivity to reagents and catalysts. The importance of this can be found in the potential for drug and immunological studies. Other types of research in using nano-scale particles include, computing systems, carbon nano-tubes, read/write diamond data storage systems and miniature machines (nanorobots.)
One region within nanotechnology that is of particular interest in this lab has been quantum dots. Quantum dots can be thought of as nano-sized devices that have free electrons. The quantum dot structure’s size and shape can be controlled so therefore the number of electrons that it can contain varies according to the researcher’s requirements. The quantum dot behaves similarly to that of an atom, mostly in terms of energy quantization. The important aspect of quantum dots is that these devices can be connected to electrodes (unlike atoms) and therefore be used to aid in the study of properties of these materials/devices.
But specifically what is a quantum dot? A quantum dot could be thought of a nano-sized piece of a semiconductor that displays quantum-like properties. What properties does a semiconductor add to the feature sets of a quantum dot? A semiconductor is a material, which is neither totally insulating nor totally conductive at non-zero temperatures. The reason for this is due to its structure of a gap between its valence (almost full band at non-zero temperatures) and its conduction band (almost empty). If a photon has a higher energy than this gap between the valence and conduction bands (band gap), a charge carrier will be generated stemming from the transition of the electrons between the two bands. Photons can be passed through the bandgap and consequently emitted. This emission depends upon the arrangement of the atoms and of the peripheral electron energies. There are two types of semiconductors, n and p types. The two types depend upon what type of dopant (chemical impurity) has been added to the semiconductor. N-dopants introduce more electrons and p-dopants create electron vacancies, i.e. holes.
Aspects of a quantum dot also encompass the field/theory of quantum mechanics. Quantum theory attempts to describe the behavior of particles (matter and energy) at a small scale. | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | Besides cofactors, enzymes have inhibitors that slow or completely prevent enzymatic activity. Inhibitors change the enzyme kinematics by altering the rate of interaction between the enzyme-substrate complex or through the conformational change of the enzyme to prevent activity.
Enzymes are sensitive to the changes in the environment of the reaction. Changes in the pH or temperature can lower the effectiveness of the enzyme. The effectiveness of the enzyme is measured by how well a specific substrate can bind to its active site. By altering the pH or the temperature, the enzyme can denature. This denaturation is marked by a conformational change (i.e. shape) of the protein/active site and the substrate is no longer able to appropriately bind.
The highly unique structure of enzymes creates a high level of substrate specificity. Furthermore; the large numbers of enzymes create many opportunities for regulation. The diversity of enzymes also allows for group specific enzymes that act on a general group of substrates such as a particular bond or functional group. However, all enzymes follow a quantitative method of description called the Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Enzyme kinetics is the quantitative description of enzyme behavior. The Michaelis-Menten equation describes the relationship between velocity (rate of production of product) and the substrate concentration
Through this relationship, the Michaelis constant (Km) and Vmax can be calculated graphically. Km is the point where velocity of the reaction is one-half the Vmax. The Vmax is the upper limit of the reaction. It is important to understand Km because it indirectly describes how “effective” the enzyme is in reaction. The smaller the Km value, the smaller the substrate concentration necessary to have an effective reaction.28 If the Km value is large, a large concentration of substrate would be necessary to reach the same velocity as an enzyme with low Km. The Vmax is a useful tool in determining the likelihood of a reaction. In vivo, the Vmax is not an obtainable value, but this value can help determine the likely rate of reaction that is going to occur.
Plotting the substrate against the velocity does not produce an accurate value for important unknowns such as Km and Vmax. In order to construct a curve that assists in the determination of these unknowns, a Lineweaver-Burk plot is used. This plot and equation takes the hyperbolic relationship of the Michaelis-Menten equation and transforms it into a linear function.
The Lineweaver-Burk equation is a double-reciprocal plot with a y-intercept of 1/Vmax and an x-intercept of -1/Km and the slope is Km/ Vmax. The one weakness of the Lineweaver-Burk plot is that there is often a small amount of extrapolation necessary to determine the Km because that part of the curve extends to the negative region of the graph.
The importance of enzymatic reactions is that many times these chemicals that are undergoing reactions are part of cell’s mechanism for relating messages. Cellular messages can either be sent as chemical or electrical signals. | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | If however, the Exciton Bohr Radius is approximately the size of a particular quantum dot or even smaller, the exciton will not be able to travel throughout the crystal. This condition is considered quantum confinement, which relates to the fact that quantum dots by nature have discrete energy levels.
This quantum functionality is determined by the quantum confinement, which in turn is dependent on the material’s size, not its composition. An analogy would be if one was to chip at a red stone and yet the flecks that broke off were blue. Observing this phenomena can be accomplished by regarding the confinement in different dimensions. Three dimensions and the phenomena is referred to as a quantum dot. Two dimensions and now the phenomena is called a quantum wire. Lastly, one dimension and the phenomena is a quantum well. To determine the quantum confinement, the Exciton Bohr Radius (aB) is used. This measurement is compared to the diameter of the nanocrystal (D).
In quantum dots, the optical properties are affected when the diameter of the nanocrystal is less than two times the Exciton Bohr Radius. In a CdSe system, if the dimensions of the nanocrystal are below the Exciton Bohr Radius (approximately 5 to 5.5 nm) the result will be a shift towards the blue spectrum (i.e. higher energy.)
Earlier it was mentioned that by altering the size of the quantum dot, different properties for the particle could be obtained. This is due once again to the relationship between the diameter of the nanocrystal to its Exciton Bohr Radius. The next question to ask oneself is how to alter the size of this particle. This can be accomplished by the addition or the removal of electrons.
Dots can be connected via potential barriers to a source and drain contacts. If a barrier can be used that prevents the movement of electrons, the number of electrons on the dot (N) will be an integer. This number can and will change as electrons move (tunnel) towards and away from the dot. Another factor to consider at this point is the repulsion of the electrons, Coulomb repulsion. Because of this, a dot with N+1 electrons will have a higher value of energy, which consequently will mean that to add additional electrons, more energy will be required. A Coulomb blockade can be created when no current can flow. This can be bypassed via a gate contact.
The addition of an electron is referred to as the charging energy and is notated by e2/C. for an electron to tunnel, there cannot be any net energy difference. This means that the dot and electron can experience tunneling only when the dot’s size allows the charge to be neutral. This neutrality occurs when the dot has N and half an electron. However, since it is only possible for the value to be an integer, the net charge must be ±e/2, depending on whether there are N or N+1 electrons in the dot. | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | One particular type of Duty-based Theory is Kantian Deontology, where a perfect duty is one that a person is required to carry out, an example of which is keeping a promise. Keeping the promise may have a good or bad result, but according to Kantian Deontology the result of keeping the promise should not influence the decision to carry out the duty. This theory applies in the case of an institution that does not uphold its promise as stated in its mission statement. Duties are related to individuals.
Another example that can be applied in the case of an organization breaching its mission statement is Rights Based Theory. Basically, “a right is a morally or legally justified claim on someone else.” When dealing with a situation from a Rights Based Theory, it is important to consider the rights of those within the context of the circumstances. In particular, an action can be judged as correct only if the individual’s rights are upheld. Clearly, Rights based Theory dictates that the institution make a correction out of commitment to upholding the rights of the students.
Lastly, the “being” category of ethics relates to virtue. According to the presentation, Dr. Aultman states that virtue can include “justice, benevolence, loyalty, friendliness and courage.” In this case, one needs to concentrate on having the right motivation for action (justice, benevolence, etc.) and not adhering to rules at the expense of people. Also, virtues can be flexible and allow those following this “being” category to make assessments on each situation that one encounters.
Most institutions have a mission statement, regardless if the organization is a university, business, or other entity. However, there are times when this mission statement is not followed – whether due to lack of man-power, will-power or circumstances preventing the organization from meeting its obligations. In the case that I would like to present, a university did not maintain its mission statement.
As a child growing up, my mother worked as an administrator in a hospital in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. She would explain interesting cases to us at the dinner table, much to my father’s disgust. One case in particular that has stayed with me was that of a child who was diagnosed with appendicitis. A concern in this case was that the child’s family was Christian Science and therefore the child was not receiving what my mother deemed proper medical care. As children ourselves, we asked our mom about why parents would not give their child the care that was needed?
As a child myself, I believed without questioning what I was told and thought along the lines that my mother had taught us – that this family’s beliefs were jeopardizing their child’s life. I do not recall what the outcome of the case was, but the idea that Christian Science was dangerous and an unhealthy religion did stick. How could simple thought and praying fix a physical ailment? The child needed surgery and quickly! | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | According to the theory, once nature is observed at a level that is small enough, matter and radiation can be thought of as discrete or discontinuous. Also, according to the theory, an object is permitted to exist at an allowed energy level only by absorbing or emitting the energy required to exist at an allowed level.
Next to be investigated are how bandgap, conduction and valence bands, exciton, and Bohr radius holes relate to quantum dots. A bandgap in a quantum dot has the same basic function as that of a semiconductor. It separates the valence from the conduction bands. The main difference is that in a quantum dot crystal, the size of the bandgap can be altered, whereas in a traditional semiconductor, the bandgap is fixed, due to continuous energy states (i.e. at a large scale, the semiconductor does not behave in regards to quantum mechanics). The bandgap can be altered by changing the size of the quantum dot and therefore produce a range of energies.
In a quantum dot, the conduction band can be thought of as a band that possesses energy levels above the value of the bandgap. Due to the nature of a bandgap, its distance will be greater than that of the distances between energy levels. This distance provides a barrier to electrons and therefore not many electrons can jump from the valence band. However, electrons can cross the bandgap if the electron is able to absorb energy in the form of radiation greater or equal to the bandgap energy. As electrons drop back to the valence band, the radiation emitted, and what is identified as a qualifying feature of a quantum dot.
The valence band contains electrons with the lowest energy as well as electrons that are just below the threshold of the lower values of the bandgap. In nature, electrons occupy energry states with the lowest energy values, so this band’s energy levels are generally complete.
When there is an absence of an electron in the valence band, it is referred to as a ‘hole’. Convention treats holes with a positive charge, since they “appear” after the electron, which is negatively charged jumps across the bandgap to the conduction band. The next concept is that of exciton, which by definition is both the electron and the hole that is created as the electron crosses the bandgap. The separation between the electron and the hole also has a name and is called Exciton Bohr Radius. This can vary between different substances and because of it, is an average distance. The importance of the Exciton Bohr Radius is that it is used to differentiate between whether a crystal is a quantum dot or a semiconductor. If the Exciton Bohr Radius is small compared to the crystal in question, the exciton can easily move throughout the crystal, and this crystal would be considered that of a bulk semiconductor (i.e. large). | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | Once parameters are varied, different forms can be produced. These forms can either mimic pre-existing or model hypothetical possibilities. These hypothetical possibilities or morphospaces lead us to the question of why these forms are not present in the fossil record. Therefore these models can be the foundation of the study of the actual mechanism of evolution and the analysis of organic form.
One method for developing a model of shells is to create a formula to represent its trajectory of aperture movement. In this study, we estimated the shape of the aperture to be an ellipse. Coordinates of this ellipse were taken (center, horizontal and vertical radial distance.) This data was collected and used in add-on software packages to Mathematica.
CerioShell (author: J. Stone) is an add-on to Mathematica 5.2. An intermediate software package, Mappoint (author: G. Beck) bridges the two programs. Mappoint uses both classical Euclidean and modern differential geometry to develop mathematical functions for graphing. The utilization of these graphing functions to develop shell surfaces, whorl coiling and patterns of accretion/formation is the focus of CerioShell. All products run in a Microsoft Windows environment.
PreDraw3D uses arrays based off the coordinates supplied by the user to render two-dimensional shapes (i.e. polygon or circle) for each aperture. Using iterations, these shapes are repeated so that a representation of the shell can be made (i.e. a series of apertures represented by the 2D line drawing). Angles between these coordinates are calculated and then the sin and cosine of these angles are taken to be used to alter the rotational angle of how the aperture will turn through space as it travels the aperture trajectory.
CerioShell uses the above function for example in its GastropodShellRotate function. This is the function that provides the appropriate angle for the rotation around the columella. In the beginning of the code, it is possible to see which functions the GSR.M file are calling and which will subsequently be available to this function during its session.
Viewing the accretion of the shell as a series of apertures moving through time is one manner of how to look at growth patterns. Another approach is to view the shell from the apical side and analyze the curve of the spiral. Below is a picture that shows this curve on the shell. A juvenile was chosen due to the fact that the origin is clearly visible, during later stages of growth; this feature is not easily seen.
For working with spirals, the beginning or origin of the spiral is assigned to be the polar coordinates of 0, 0. As the spiral extends and rotates through space, it can be thought of in two forms. An equiangular or logarithmic spiral is one where the point along the line/curve travels exponentially from the origin. If there is uniform traveling of the point from the origin, it is considered to be an Archimedean spiral. | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | Consequently the charging energy is then (±e/2)2/C, for either case. This effect can be seen in metal and semiconductor dots. In the latter, the quantum-mechanical energy levels of the electrons are also important, as their wavelength is comparable to the size of the dot.
Note: The term tunneling should not be confused with a particle actually traveling through a substance. It is a term that references the quantum mechanical concept of the statistical likelihood of the particle existing in a particular location. If one uses the analogy of a quantum dot being a box, “Over enough measurements, that means that eventually an electron will be found outside of the box. We say that the electron has "tunneled" out of the box, but it never really existed inside the box. It only had a probability that it could be inside the box, and this particular electron, when measured, was one of the few that were outside the box.”
Nanotechnology and quantum dots can have significant applications outside the physical sciences. In biology, the uses can be varied, reactivity of enzymes, flow of ions in channels, aiding in immunity, imaging and detection developments with tags and DNA, as well as working with the electron transport chain in photosynthesis. To fully understand the role this development has, it is important to understand some biological functions.
An enzyme is an organic molecule that facilitates biochemical reactions, i.e. a catalyst. A catalyst cannot make a thermodynamically unfavorable reaction proceed. Rather, it can only speed up a reaction that is already thermodynamically favorable. Such a reaction in the absence of a catalyst would proceed, even without the catalyst, although perhaps too slowly to be observed or of use in a given context.
Catalysts accelerate the chemical reaction by providing a lower energy pathway between the reactants and the products. This usually involves the formation of an intermediate, which cannot be formed without the catalyst. The formation of this intermediate and subsequent reaction generally has a much lower activation energy barrier than is required for the direct reaction of reactants to products.
Enzymes share three properties that are common to all catalysts, whether the catalyst be organic or inorganic. First, the rate of reaction is increased through the lowering of the activation energy requirement. Therefore, the reaction is thermodynamically feasible without thermal activation. Second, catalysts form a transient complex with the substrate that assists in the reaction process. Lastly, catalysts affect the rate of reaction but do not alter the position of the equilibrium constant (Keq).
Typically, most enzymes are proteins that contain an active site within the polypeptide. The active site is usually a collection of amino acids that form a specific three-dimensional structure where a specific substrate can bind. The access or availability of the active site is altered through the conformational (shape) changes of the enzyme. Some enzymes have cofactors that increase or decrease the affinity of the enzyme to the substrate. Some cofactors can directly effect the conformation of the enzyme. | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | My question dealt with the fact that it takes a certain amount of time for a bone that has a fracture to heal. I stated that the body needs a specific amount of time to transfer calcium from locations in the body to the fracture. I also mentioned that the cells that build up the various tissues found within the bone have to grow and divide and repeat this process until the fracture was knitted. I was concerned because this took time and that it was an actual physical process – there are no shortcuts. Also, I did not understand how a broken bone could be considered not real. Barbara assured me that fractures could heal “instantaneously” and that the body was not limited by time or resources since God was perfect and that matter was not real.
I wanted to know how the healing process worked. Within the Church there are two types of healers. One is called a Practitioner and the other type is referred to as a Christian Science Nurse. A Practitioner begins by becoming a member of the Christian Science Church. A member does all the regular things, attends weekly Sunday services and on Wednesday nights twice a month, there are testimonials where members speak about their experiences with healing. Once the member feels that he or she is ready to become a Practitioner, they take a two week-long course. This course is referred to as “The Class.” Once “The Class” is completed, the member is now a Practitioner and can begin to heal. The Practitioner uses the 700 page Science and Health text as well as Bible verses to discuss with people how to let God (aka “Mind” or “Spirit”) to be reflected accurately in their bodies. These Practitioners set their own fees and can provide services either in person or via the phone. This treatment is called “Christian Science treatment.” Within “The Class”, the students do not learn about diseases or how to classify symptoms. The students spend their time analyzing texts, understanding how to explain health concerns from a religious standpoint and praying. “To the Christian Science healer, sickness is a dream from which the patient needs to be awakened. Disease should not appear real to the physician, since it is demonstrable that the way to cure the patient is to make disease unreal to him.” (Science and Health p. 417)
Christian Science Nurses, do not go through training at all, and are merely members who help with physical concerns during the “Christian Science treatment.” Barbara let me know that many nurses have taken “The Class” but they prefer to help other members in this path instead. All treatment that is provided by Christian Science Nurses is nonmedical in nature and includes care such as help with feeding, bathing, assistance with moving (i.e. from bed to chair). Simple medical tasks such as blood pressure measuring, temperature taking, or applying cold/hot compresses are not included in their duties, and are expressly not permitted both by the church and by law. | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | CHILD, is an advocacy group that is headed by Rita Swan, a former Christian Scientist, whose son died due to Christian Science treatment for meningitis. The original Medicare law was overturned in August of 1996, and Attorney General Janet Reno removed Justice Department lawyers from defending the case because she did not think Medicare should pay for nonmedical services.
In the spring of 1997, Senator E. Kennedy (D-Mass) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) worked together for an amendment to the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 that allowed Medicare to pay for “religious nonmedical health care institutions.” (RNHCI) Also included in this amendment, all references to Christian Science were removed, so the law could apply to other religious groups as well. CHILD as well as civil libertarians and medical groups have filed briefs opposing the payments as well as a suit in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Minneapolis. In 2000, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court ruled that the Medicare and Medicaid payments are legal and in April 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court turned down the appeal without comment, therefore allowing the 2000 ruling to stand.
Virginia S. Harris, spokesperson for the Christian Science Church, has addressed this issue in written statements: "Christian Science nursing facilities offer a loving and supportive atmosphere to patients requiring physical nursing care, who wish to experience transformation and healing. These facilities provide a great service to society." Attorneys for the church stress that Christian Scientists have paid into the Medicare system and that federal funds pay for the physical care of the patients.
One attorney for the church, Michael W. McConnell, who also is a constitutional law professor at the University of Utah and not a Christian Scientist, has stated: "It's awfully difficult to say in the context of Medicare or Medicaid that the federal government is endorsing Christian Science… It's hard to see how anyone is made better off by denying them nursing care, given that they aren't going to be accepting medicine anyway. It's an act of ideologically motivated cruelty. If the court were to strike it down, it would be a rather extraordinary blow to religious accommodation in this country."
An administrator of a Christian Science facility, Lynn House, Lois E. Herr stated: "Our patients have paid into Medicare for years, and they should have some benefit from it.” At this facility, Medicare in 1999 paid $300-a-day for each Medicare patient and this constituted half of the facility’s yearly revenue. Lastly, a concern with federal funding of these facilities is that these church facilities are exempt from governmental hospital and nursing home regulations.
In addition to the federally funded Medicare and Medicaid concerns the Christian Science Church has been involved with, lawsuits targeting the church with child endangerment have also been filed.
The Supreme Court clearly recognized the distinct personhood and moral standing of children when it stated, in Prince v. Massachusetts: “Parents may be free to become martyrs themselves. | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | Practitioners many times get phone calls from hysterical parents, and that the first goal of the Practitioner is to calm the parent by quoting verses from various sources and then asking the parents to read certain scriptures to the child and then sing a hymn over the child. She then gave me an example of a child listening and observing a mother singing a hymn or reading calmly from the Bible and that that made the child feel better and not feel sick.
I also inquired about the use of certain drugs – nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol. The official stance of the church is that members should not use any “mood changers.” Drugs are not permitted, even socially acceptable ones. However, there are approximately 2000 branch churches worldwide, and it is the standard practice of these branch churches not to ask its members if he or she uses caffeine or nicotine. Barbara then told me that the church allowed its members to take some medicine or to decline medicine – depending upon their choice. However, later I found out that according to practice, if a Practitioner finds out that a patient is using medicine or seeking medical care, they are required to stop treating the patient. Barbara mentioned a term in Christian Science called “scrupulosity” that referred to members being judgmental to other members who do not follow the religion totally and do take some medicine.
At this point, Barbara did something that reminded me of something that some patients did at various hospitals where I have volunteered. At the three hospitals where I have volunteered, I got chances to speak with the patients. Many times during the interview with these patients, they would turn their heads, motion me in closer to them and tell me that they were not following their doctors’ orders – some did not take their medication that was prescribed to them or that they also went to herbalists that gave the patients Spanish herbs and teas to take. I always reminded the patients that they should let their doctors know what they were doing, so the doctors could better help them. What Barbara did was turn to me and tell me that she did see a medical doctor. It was for “cosmetic” reasons – she got botox shot treatments around her lips for wrinkles. She also told me of a personal healing anecdote. One time when she got her botox shots, the area around her mouth where she had gotten shots had turned black and blue. She went to a reading room and within an hour or so, half the bruises were gone. She then introduced me to another member and told me that this woman did not see any medical doctors or dentists, which I completely believed, especially since she did not have front teeth. Also, at one point, Barbara went into her bag to give me a business card and I could see a prescription bottle as well.
I also asked about Christian Science’s role and its relationship to the government. | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | To judge whether a spiral is an equiangular spiral, certain measurements are made and then these values are placed into the established formulas. Following this, a model can be made using the data and if an equiangular model is produced, then it is valid. From what is known of the organism and its growth, the growth and consequent spiral is that of equiangular.
Using Mathematica, it is possible to get the plot coordinates of an image. The image was copied into a Mathematica notebook and the using the “Get Coordinates” feature, a series of polar coordinates were taken from the line. This process is manual and requires the use of the left mouse button and the “Control” keyboard button. Once these points were plotted, using Mathematica, these values were taken from the program’s memory and “copied as” MATHML formatted data. Once in this format, the points were “pasted as” into a notebook as formatted text.
Once the points were in the notebook, the following steps were taken to prepare the data so that the curve could be re-constructed, and its formula, coefficients and least squares of the line be generated.
Cerioshell may be used to quantitatively model patterns of ontogenesis and cladogenesis in Prunum.
Our modeling is being used to determine possible constraints or limiting features have influenced the constructional morphology of Prunum (i.e. functional/adaptational, fabricational/morphogenetic, and/or historical/phylogenetic).
When reviewing the pattern of frequency distribution, often it appears as if the distribution changed positions within the theoretical morphospace from geological period to period. However, it appears that when extinctions occur, and new organisms evolve, there is simply a repeating of the same morphologic themes in terms of proportions. Why is this?
Is it possible to take a shell and its mathematical function that represents it, modify certain parameters (i.e. translation – the abapical migration, offset & its effect on radial migration, and the changes in horizontal and vertical dimensions of the aperture, and model shells of different species?
How accurately do mathematical models represent the actual ontogenetic processes that generate patterns of skeletogenesis?
From the time that Richard Feynman gave a talk on December 29th 1959 at the annual meeting of the American Physical Society at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) – There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom, people have been fascinated by Feynman’s “problem of manipulating and controlling things on a small scale.”
Currently, this small-scale manipulation is referred to as nanotechnology. According to the definition provided by NASA, “Nanotechnology is the creation of functional materials, devices and systems through control of matter on the nanometer length scale (1-100 nanometers), and exploitation of novel phenomena and properties (physical, chemical, biological, mechanical, electrical...) at that length scale.”
To put this concept into perspective, it is important to note that a human blood cell measures approximately 2,000 nm, well beyond the realm of nanotechnology. | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | In the membrane of the cell, there are cell surface receptors that respond to such chemical events.
Cell surface receptors transfer an external signal through the cell’s membrane to an internal target. These surface receptors are proteins that are integral to the membrane. These integral membrane proteins have two domains, one being an alpha-helical region, which crosses the membrane and the other, is a region found in the cytoplasm. This cytoplasmic region (or domain) is what generates the internal signal after an external binding event has occurred.An interesting note about alpha-helices is that they are the most common form of secondary structure. Approximately 31% of all residues in proteins contribute to this structure. Most likely these alpha helices are common due to the fact that their structure leads to stability. And lastly, alpha helices are amphipathic, meaning that the molecule contains both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions. Since cell signaling is vitally important, it only makes sense that these amphipathic molecules would be found in cell membranes, where a distinction between hydrophilic and hydrophobic is necessary.
A mission statement of an organization is used to state the core driving principle that should guide the development of new ideas and services provided. According to James Donnelly, the author of The Fundamentals of Management, “the customers or clients of an organization are critical in determining its mission.” Additionally, it was stated that “the same necessity exists for both nonprofit and governmental organizations. That necessity is to state the mission in terms of serving a particular group of clients or customers and /or meeting a particular class of need.” An underlying implication of a mission statement is that those who interact with the organization owning the mission statement have an understanding of what expectations can be met. This also is an indication of a mutual relationship, the entity is expected to provide a service at a certain level and those participating or using the service have an obligation to follow the rules or established agreed-upon practices. However, there are times when an organization does not follow its mission statement and those interacting with the organization need to determine how to best resolve this conflict.
If an organization breaches its mission statement, one can look at this from different ethical theories. The ethical theories can be divided into two main categories, that of “Doing” and “Being”. Within the “doing” theories, one can find Duty-based and Rights Based. In terms of “Being”, Virtue-based Theory will be addressed.
For example, in the Duty-based Theory, whether an action is good or bad is not judged by the results of that action. Additionally, those using Duty-based Theory are not required to perform an action based on foreseeable results of that action nor are they forced to maintain or take a specific viewpoint. In fact, one does not have to take into consideration whether an action is moral or not. | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | Throughout the time she was writing the text, she was healing sickness and teaching others how to heal through her method. Originally, she wanted healers to stay within their own Christian denominations and heal sickness with her method. But, she discovered that her ideas and healing methods were modified too radically by others and she felt that it was important to consolidate into one group and by 1879 she founded this church and a teaching college that was chartered in the State of Massachusetts. One interesting note, there is no established clergy, but rather members who take turns presenting and overseeing events.
The Christian Science Church is well known for their reading rooms. These rooms are open to the public and house scriptural references, Christian Science Journals and magazines as well as Bibles and other study materials. One Saturday, I met with Barbara H. at the Christian Science Reading Room at 10 West 68th Street in Manhattan. The interior had two levels, the street level being where the church was located and the lower level housing the reading room. Immediately it reminded me of all churches – dark lighting, the smell of old books, wood and brass fixtures, and religious pastoral scene prints and sayings in frames on the walls. For some reason, I had envisioned it in my mind as more modern and less like the Lutheran Church I had gone to in Ohio in my youth.
Barbara asked me questions at first and when she found out I was studying science at school, she asked me if I had seen the movie “What the Bleep do we Know.” She also brought up how in Physics, especially in Quantum Physics, scientists are beginning to question what matter is and the scientist’s role when dealing with this concept. We began to discuss what matter was in terms of Christian Science practice.
According to Christian Science, matter is not real. The only thing that is real is God. God is also referred to as “Mind” or “Spirit.” Matter therefore is a reflection. What matter is a reflection of is, is God. Since God is perfect, this reflection, which is matter, has to be perfect. If matter is not perfect, it is a human’s mind (not to be confused with “Mind” which is God,) which is incorrectly perceiving this reflection. To be healed of disease, first a person must believe that matter is not real and therefore diseases do not exist. In a sense, they are a figment of a person’s imagination. “Maintain the facts of Christian Science, - that Spirit is God, and therefore cannot be sick; that what is termed matter cannot be sick; that all causation is Mind, acting through spiritual law.” (Science and Health p. 417)
Since some diseases could be viewed as psychosomatic or a chemical imbalance, I wanted a question about an ailment that would be one or the other. I asked Barbara about broken bones. | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
b | Barbara informed me that there are Christian Science Chaplains in the Armed Services and that they perform non-denominational services. Also, during World War II, the federal government had wanted to know if Christian Scientists were healthier. The federal government was going to look at records of the enlisted men and conduct a study (though I was told that the study never materialized.) Lastly, I asked her if she was familiar with Medicare and Medicaid paying for Christian Science Practitioners, unfortunately, she was unaware of this.
Barbara left me with two more anecdotal examples. Both of which were members in the West 68th Street church. One was an Alzheimer’s patient, who prior to Christian Science treatment, had been under a medical doctor’s care, which included drugs, doctor’s visits and group therapy. I was told that after Christian Science treatment, the Alzheimer’s patient was healed and did not require medication or group therapy. She was not able to tell me the length of the Christian Science treatment, nor how often the patient had seen the Practitioner. The other example was that of a woman who had fallen and broken her arm. This woman used a combination of medical healing (bone was set and she received stitches) as well as Christian Science treatment. Though, this woman did not have instantaneous healing. As I was leaving, the last thought she imparted to me was that Christian Science was a “thinking religion.”
To be frank, I was disappointed with what I had learned and experienced that day. I had wanted to find out that there had been studies of the healing. That these studies of healings had incorporated scientific research techniques and were documented cases with both anecdotal as well as hard physical evidence. I was further distraught by the fact that I had encountered a Christian Scientist who sought out medical treatment for a non-life threatening issue, that of wrinkles. I also had wanted to prove that people had more control over the course of their physical ailments than I had believed most of my life. And lastly, wanted proof against my initial findings in regards to the lawsuits brought against the church for child endangerment, the political controversy with Medicare payments as well as the schism within the church about how it was handling its public image through its expensive and controversial marketing campaign.
From 1992-1999, Medicare has paid approximately $50 million in claims to Christian Science facilities. Since 1965, when Medicare began, Christian Science facilities have been receiving government funding. In fact, in 1998, Medicare coverage for 851 patients at 22 Christian Science facilities totaled $8 million – only covering the cost of Christian Science treatment and Christian Science Nurses.
Beginning in 1996, a federal lawsuit was filed by CHILD (Children’s Healthcare Is a Legal Duty) against using Medicare to pay for Christian Science treatments, especially since the law gave the Christian Science Church the right to decide if the treatment facility should be given funding. | 40 | English | female | Masters | Student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
n | This frank statement, delivered with a remorseful tone, gives greater credit to Vonnegut’s argument that war is dark and destructive. Furthermore, the medium of science fiction allows the superposition of Billy and Vonnegut to be addressed metaphorically; Cox posits, “Like Vonnegut, Billy is taken prisoner by the Germans and witnesses the Dresden firebombing. Billy’s response, however, is not to write a novel but to become ‘unstuck in time.’” Billy being “unstuck in time” is the science-fiction equivalent of real-life Vonnegut replaying his memories into a novel. The audience is left to ponder—has war ravaged Vonnegut’s memory, leaving it as schizophrenic as Billy’s?
Finally, the more contentious aspects of Slaughterhouse-Five should be addressed. Many interpretations of the novel attribute numerous hidden meanings to the Tralfamadorian peoples and their ability to “see” into time. Vonnegut uses these hidden meanings to indict organized religion, which he views as continually perpetrating and abusing the philosophy of fatalism. One can view the Tralfamadorian “gospel” as an extended metaphor for Christianity. Specifically, in rejecting Tralfamadorianism, Vonnegut rejects the idea of an all-knowing, omnipotent Creator. He proposes that the idea of such a Creator causes people to accept violence, much as Billy accepts warfare as inevitable based on the advice of his Tralfamadorian captors. One obvious manner in which Vonnegut portrays the Tralfamadorians as gods is in his description of them as omniscient: “I am a Tralfamadorian, seeing all time as you might see a stretch of the Rocky Mountains”. The likeness presented is reminiscent of the image of God as an all-knowing Creator who foreordains the fate of humanity. Through the errors of the Tralfamadorians, Vonnegut essentially claims that this human image of God is abused in order to justify crimes as inevitable: “If Tralfamadorianism is a ‘new lie,’ it recalls an ‘old lie’—God... For Vonnegut, man’s belief in an all-powerful Creator, involved in human history, has resulted in two great evils: the acceptance of war as God’s will; the assumption that we carry out God’s will and that God is certainly on our side, which justifies all atrocities”. Vonnegut expounds on the belief that modern-day organized religion, especially Christianity, creates apathy like Tralfamadorianism does. He contends that humankind’s depiction of God as a fortune-teller often serves as a crutch for those who are unwilling to exercise their own free will. It is important to note that Vonnegut does not criticize God, merely the depiction of God co-opted by fatalists.
Throughout the novel Slaughterhouse-Five, Vonnegut presents his skepticism at the misguided idea that humankind is guided strictly by fate to commit violence unto one another. He asserts this belief through his subtitle, unique writing style, thematic conflict, hidden meanings, and inclusion of himself as a character. Slowly, through the eyes of Billy Pilgrim, the reader is able to take a glimpse through the eyes of Vonnegut himself and personally see how war ravages the soul. | 18 | English | male | some college | student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
n | At first glance, the title Slaughterhouse-Five might seem to be the best harbinger of the events to come; however, the direction of the novel is better foreshadowed by Vonnegut’s subtitle and the self-descriptive text that follows. The subtitle and self-description are arguably more important the title itself, for they epitomize Vonnegut’s sarcastic, disdainful tone towards war. Printed on the novel’s title page, beneath the title itself, is the prominent heading, “The Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death,” after the supposed historical event where children were sent to fight for Christendom, only to find themselves enslaved. In Chapter One of the novel, Vonnegut-as-character realizes after a meeting with a friend that this is what he must name his book; the friend’s wife believes that war is not something to be glorified, for it is ultimately “fought by babies,” referring to the young age of many enlistees. Vonnegut replies, “...there won’t be a part for Frank Sinatra or John Wayne... I tell you what... I’ll call it ‘The Children’s Crusade’”. The subtitle, therefore, serves as Vonnegut’s confession to the reader, his admission that he is fulfilling a promise to present war as it is—unadulterated by Hollywood or historians. In addition, “[the subtitle] shows how language falsifies war: ‘The Children’s Crusade’ transforms brutality into sentimental heroism, calculation into innocence”. In this manner, Vonnegut refutes the idea that war is fought by heroes in a “crusade”; warfare damages the most innocent members of society, “children.” Thus, the reader understands that Vonnegut’s book will be no ordinary war story.
Continuing down the title page, Vonnegut has included a short self-description of sorts to the novel; the introduction on the title page foreshadows Vonnegut’s approach to telling the story, again clarifying that the novel was written from his real-life experiences. The text reads, in part, “A fourth generation German-American... who, as an American infantry scout... witnessed the fire-bombing of Dresden... This is a novel somewhat in the telegraphic schizophrenic manner of tales of the planet Tralfamadore”. The text serves as advance warning to the reader that the story must be taken not as the unordered events presented, but as a conglomerate whole. Schatt claims that “[this] description might very well be the best one of a work that abandons the novel’s conventional linear plot for a Gestalt approach that asks readers to observe a series of seemingly unrelated episodes and then to share Vonnegut’s view of both war and death.” Thus, the title page text invites readers to understand how Vonnegut disdains war; he is simply asking the audience to bear with him through a confusing journey that, he promises, will lead to a great truth.
As one flips past the title page and attempts even a cursory reading of the novel, Vonnegut’s strange style of delivery becomes apparent. | 18 | English | male | some college | student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
n |
In looking through the Library of Congress’s library of early Edison films, I decided to view all of the trick films, of which there were fifteen from 1895 to 1901. These films generally take advantage of creative editing to produce illusions. My film study generally focused on describing the poetics for the majority of trick films and examining the evolutionary outlier characteristics present in a few of the later films. Largely, the trick film at the turn of the century is set-bound, composed within a frontal proscenium, features no camera movement, uses long and medium shots, and adheres to the strict one shot = one film methodology. However, there are some films at the beginning of the twentieth century that dare to break these guidelines by introducing aspects such as multiple shots.
One of the most noticeable aspects that the trick films share in common is their filming in an interior set within the frame of a frontal proscenium. The camera does not move from its proscenium position to follow figures or objects. This composition was very common in early films, and drew its root from the theatre and, for trick films, vaudeville and magic acts. One of the limitations inherent in the use of the stage is that figures in trick films generally only move side-to-side, and do not walk towards or away from the camera. Take, for example, the action in the film Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel (1900). The actors enter from the right side and move back and forth along the horizontal axis. Even as they go out of the frame, the camera does not follow them.
The frontal proscenium style of composition also means that shots tend to be long shots and, more rarely, medium shots. Close-up shots are never used in any of the trick films from the Edison catalog. This borrows from the theatre and vaudeville tradition, where the audience would see the entire performance at any given time, framed by the borders of the stage. As in most early films, the actors do not move from the middle ground towards the camera, so close-ups never occur.
Generally, most early trick films follow the pattern that one conceptual shot equals a film. This limits the length of most trick films to about a minute or less, depending on the frames per second used. It also limits the dramatic or narrative usage of the trick films; most of them focus on short vaudeville-style tricks, such as magic, disappearing, and switching acts with little story. Note, however, that in a trick film, one conceptual shot in the viewer’s eyes does not actually equal one physical shot. A single “shot” may actually be several joined together to produce the illusion of apparition or disappearing. Look carefully at The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (1895), one of the earlier trick films. A more thorough inspection reveals the moment where the physical shot with Mary’s severed “head” begins, even though the whole film is conceptually one shot to the viewer. | 18 | English | male | some college | student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
n | The island, an empty incubator for a capitalist “experiment,” compels Crusoe to act in his self-interest, and he chooses to further himself through work, bringing himself closer to God. Ian Watt argues that the parameters of the island force Crusoe into a condition devoid of enticements to covet wealth: “On Crusoe’s island, unremitting toil is obligatory; there, and only there, it is instinct with both moral value and calculable personal reward”. When man is left to fend for himself, he tends to work towards his own salvation, typifying the positive aspects of capitalism on the soul. Defoe posits that autonomous capitalism forces Crusoe to metamorphose from a slothful sinner to a religious man guided by a work ethic of self-interest.
While Crusoe initially loathes the money, he ultimately reverses his stance, hypocritically deciding to purloin the coins as if they compelled him to do so. He remarks in a hesitant aside, “However, upon Second Thoughts, I took it away”. A figurative exegesis of the passage with “drug” as a “substance with intoxicating, stimulant, or narcotic effects” exposes that Crusoe has succumbed to a fetish for money. Money has enslaved him, and idolatry compels him to rationalize his change of heart in capitalist terms. Since the money would have exchange value if Crusoe returned to England, he decides that it would behoove him to abscond with it. In mere seconds, the capitalist Crusoe has made opposing decisions, each justified by economic utility. This time, capitalism transfigures Crusoe into a ruthless economic man, whose addiction to money epitomizes what Watt describes as “the shameless and pervasive impact of the cash nexus upon the character and personal relationships of the archetypal economic man”. No longer is capitalism heroic. According to Watt, Crusoe’s transformation “supplied the antidote to the myth” of Crusoe as a triumph of capitalism. Economic reasoning causes Crusoe to claim the worthless gold in the name of self-interest, even though tools would have been more useful. Capitalism lures Crusoe into becoming an irreligious mercenary who abstains from work in order to chase an ethic of greed.
Crusoe’s parallel constitution as both an acquisitive bourgeois and a tireless laborer embodies the paradoxical nature of capitalism. Traditional Christians, of course, preached that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven. Crusoe, who hails from a middle-class lineage, epitomizes the capitalistic rat race, one where people see wealth as not the outcome of a well-lived life but the way to experience life itself. When he is free from the exile of the island, he does not work earnestly for his wealth but instead craves riches for their own sake. Defoe acknowledges this damning reality of capitalism, yet he does not oppose it as an institution, for he was assuredly a capitalist himself. He and other Protestants saw wealth as the product of great diligence and faith, a notion that Max Weber appropriated to claim that Protestantism birthed capitalism. | 18 | English | male | some college | student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
n | As the Serenity Prayer quoted in the novel says, “God grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change, courage to change what I can, and wisdom always to tell the difference”. As a soldier in the fire-bombing of Dresden, Vonnegut saw first-hand the barbarism that warfare can perpetrate on innocent people. His purpose in writing the novel was to inform people that, although they are powerless to affect the past, they must wield the wisdom and courage to make changes to the future, the elimination of warfare being chief among those improvements to society. Slaughterhouse-Five made people think when it was published during the Vietnam War, and it remains a powerful reminder in today’s troubled times.
When I hear the words, “Give me Liberty, or give me Death,” I no longer think of the American Revolution. My thoughts snap to the Arab Spring, a succession of Middle Eastern revolutionary events that have erupted within the last year. Like many Americans, I had an unfavorable initial reaction to the revolts in Egypt, Libya, and other nations. I saw these mutinies as nothing more than the rag-tag struggles that had plagued the Arab world for decades, and I believed that they would soon fade into the ether, returning to the unenviable status quo. I could not fathom that these Arab “Tea Parties” could lead to the overthrow of entrenched, immovable tyrannies.
I believe that we can draw an apt comparison between our reaction to the Arab peoples’ struggles and the world’s response to early American struggles. Our nonchalance to the events in the Middle East is not different from the indifference many Europeans showed towards the founding of the United States. Imagine that we are sitting at afternoon tea in a late-eighteenth century European household. We have heard of the insurrections occurring in the American colonies, yet we cast them aside as nothing more than the commotion of disgruntled colonists. We would never conceive that the revolts abroad would someday change the fundamental constitution of France, Britain, Spain, and dozens of other European neighbors. Our American response to the Arab Spring is a facsimile of eighteenth-century Europeans’ reaction to the American Revolution. Like many, I saw the revolutions in Egypt as faraway things that would never directly affect me. I even made the erroneous connection between the people fighting in the name of freedom and those waging violence in the name of terror. The people behind these revolutions are the modern-day equivalents of Paul Revere and Betsy Ross. They are ordinary people who chose to stand up for liberty when nobody else would.
The more I learned about the Arab Spring, the more I realized that American Founding Fathers such as Washington and Jefferson would have recognized elements of their own struggle recast in the fire of the Egyptian, Tunisian, and Libyan uprisings. If they saw government soldiers marching down the streets in guns, they would recognize British redcoats with muskets. | 18 | English | male | some college | student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
n | Mill argues that virtuous actions are those that have utility. However, how does society determine utility? In a heterogeneous society such as the United States, it may be difficult to determine one course of action that would increase the happiness of society more than another choice. For example, assume that the nation is equally divided over capital punishment. If we execute a criminal, half of the nation would have increased happiness while the other half would consider this act to be “generally injurious” to society. How do we choose between two sides whose utility values are approximately equal to the public happiness?
Mill’s theory of utilitarianism is very similar to Aristotle’s theory, which also claims that the ultimate end of human beings is to seek happiness, or utility, and that moral acts should contribute to happiness, not pain. After all, do we not institute rules and laws in order to make people happy? For example, paying your taxes does not make you immediately gratified, but we still pay taxes because we know that the effects of taxation will make us happy. Thus, it is an ethical thing to pay one’s taxes. On the other hand, utilitarianism is sharply contrasted by Kantian ethics, which argues that the intentions are more important that the consequences. Is not a man who dies attempting to save a drowning child acting more righteously than a man who saves the same child only for a reward? In my opinion, it would be the former, but Mill’s utilitarianism says the latter.
Throughout Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, contradictions abound in the portrayal of capitalism. Crusoe’s mercantile business summons the wrath of God and the seas, whereas his industrious labor on the island transforms him from incompetent to spiritual. Money evokes considerable controversy, with Crusoe vaguely describing it as a “drug,” simultaneously a useless commodity and an addictive narcotic. The ambiguity of “drug” in the novel characterizes Crusoe as an individual torn between disdaining money and idolizing it, and this depiction reveals how capitalism remains a respectable means to salvation despite its propensity to breed bourgeois avarice.
When Crusoe first encounters the gold and silver in the shipwreck, he exclaims with disdain: “O Drug! Said I aloud, what art thou good for?” In a literal sense, “drug” signifies a “commodity which is no longer in demand, and so has lost its commercial value or has become unsaleable”. Crusoe behaves as a rational capitalist actor by questioning the money’s actual worth in the absence of demand. In this situation, Crusoe articulates that he would rather take the physical capital of tools over the useless money: “Thou art not worth to me, no not the taking off of the Ground; one of those Knives is worth all this Heap”. He abhors the money as an abomination, commanding it to “go to the bottom as a Creature whose Life is not worth saving”. In forsaking the “drug” for the tools, Crusoe carries both the ascetic Protestant ethic and the belief that the love of money spawns evil. | 18 | English | male | some college | student | Y,Y,Y,Y,Y |
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