Progressive U blogs

Media: Straight To The Point

The Colour of Catastrophe — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:11:16 -0400

I came out when I was 17, almost two years ago, however I have known that I was a lesbian for a long time. There are two things that continue to frustrate me beyond comprehension:
1. Gay/Lesbian movies/ television shows being filed under "Alternative Lifestyle"
2. Match.com

Considering the first, how much more can that be ostracizing an entire community? How would it be if every movie revolving around "black" people was put in a separate place? Why, when referring to these movies are they classified as having "gay couples"? When you read a description or summary of The Notebook, or P.S I Love You, do the words "straight couple" come to mind? That would be absurd if every movie started with, "Bobby and Mary, a straight couple from New York..." But it is perfectly normal to read, "Jane and Sara's lesbian relationship..." Or how about As The World Turns, one of the most popular daytime Soap Operas. When you pick up a copy of Soap Opera Weekly, are the shows described as being ones of heterosexuals and their daily lives and trials? But go ahead, Google The L Word. My favourite is probably the Wikipedia entry, the first line reading, "The L Word is a television drama series on Showtime that portrays the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual and transgender women and men and their friends..." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_L_Word). How about just, "The L Word is a television drama about a group of friends from California..." etc.

And second, what?!?!? Am I not entitled to find a match because I just happen to like people of the same sex? Would it be that difficult to add an "interested in" feature? Not only is it the fact that Match.com is strictly heterosexual, but I have found that finding a same sex partner is really a lot more difficult. I did not meet my partner by chance, we were introduced by a mutual friend.

I'm not sure why of all the discrimination that people like me face, these two are the ones that top it. The two that infuriate me like no other.

Isn't it time we started loving people for who they are, and not hating them for who they love?

Alizai Who?

Tim the Rogue Scholar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:06:49 -0400

What to write about? Mmm, I could write about my father who is still in the hospital after a car accident, or I could write about my grades that are lower then Death Valley at sea level. What I should write about is how much I love the girl I am with as she sits across from me staring at her computer. No I don’t really want to do that either nor do I want to write about how my dog has been sick all day.

The worse thing that can happen to a writer is to have writers’ block. You open a blank document and just stare. You know what you want to say but just can not get the words out.

You could start out by writing about all the things you don’t want to write about, but sometimes that does not work either.

The best thing you can do is take a random topic and just see where that leads you.
Taking a random article form Wikipedia we get this.

The Alizai are a strong Afghan Pashtun tribe of Afghanistan and Baluchistan Province (Pashtonistan), Pakistan. The Alizai are a sub-tribe of the Pashton tribe referring to the Durani.

The Alizai tribe usually resides in Afghanistan and in Pashtonistan as well.
Dawari which is relating to Zamindawar and the strong tribe Alizai's main residential location in Helmand and Afghanistan, they are a bashful, strong, hospitable tribe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alizai_(tribe)

After reading this I can only come up with one thing to say. Does any one care? People see the word Afghanistan and they could care where the people lived only if they are a terrorist or not.
So this concludes my not thinking of anything to write about and leaving it up to random chance.

Education in an Unaffordable World

AngelAsh88 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:05:29 -0400

so getting accepted to the college of your dream is suppose to be the jump up and down moment of your life.
till the aftershock after the afterglow of the acceptance sinks in ...how am i gonna pay?

and the glow fades..tears set in..
why mom and dad why didn't we save better?
and now with the economy all unstable and going crazy...

the dream looks a bit hazy. and my dream for an amazing future and cool job that i'd love flickers like the the heartbeat on a monitor.

BUT no i refuse to see this amazing dream i've had since before i can remember. the passion for this dream can not be killed by the fact that there is less in my pockets

well technically the families pocket but still i will cut corners and make this work
dreams are to precious to just slip away especially an opportunity like this . a truly once in a life time chance to be the best that can be in a place where education is nurtured and you ultimately get the feeling that you belong here as soon as you enter the halls.

it's what you've wanted and what you know in your heart you need. and you know you'll find a way because something this important can't be overlooked. because for once in your life someone wants you to live up to the potential that is inside you and they see it and recognize it.

everything will be alright i believe in the beauty of my dreams and i will achieve them.

Alizai Who?

Tim the Rogue Scholar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:04:10 -0400

The worse thing that can happen to a writer is to have writers’ block. You open a blank document and just stare. You know what you want to say but just can not get the words out.

You could start out by writing about all the things you don’t want to write about, but sometimes that does not work either.

The best thing you can do is take a random topic and just see where that leads you.
Taking a random article form Wikipedia we get this.

The Alizai are a strong Afghan Pashtun tribe of Afghanistan and Baluchistan Province (Pashtonistan), Pakistan. The Alizai are a sub-tribe of the Pashton tribe referring to the Durani.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alizai_(tribe)

If It Bleeds It Leads

amatgumby — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:58:45 -0400

How many of you have heard this statement before? If you haven’t you maybe wondering, what does it mean? It is in reference to the America media, and how the first stories relayed to the people are the “bloody” ones. The murders, rapes, and all sorts of other crime and tragic stories are the ones we hear first. Anytime something bad happens it makes the front page of the newspaper, or leads the news broadcast. Does anyone else think that this is wrong?

Why doesn’t the media stop beating us with sad stories, all they do is depress us. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I want to hear isn’t how many murders there were over night. It can ruin your day.

Yes, there will always be tragedies in the world, and it is good to stay informed about what is going on around you but there are positive stories out there. For once I would like to see a whole newscast on people helping others, people making a difference, kids raising money for good causes. Why must we always be bombarded with new diseases, and told what products to stay away from?

So this is what I want from the media:
1. Less depressing stories
2. More optimistic/positive stories
3. Don’t start out with a depressing story
4. Spread the depressing stories out

I think that if the American media could do this people would be more inclined to watch the news or read a newspaper.

Halloween Countdown: 24 days!

khanna47 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:48:39 -0400

Halloween Countdown: 24 Days!

Halloween factoid:
A similar Chinese holiday to the American Halloween consists of worshippers in Buddhist temples fashioning "boats of the law" prom paper, some being very large, which are then burned in the evening hours. This tradition exists in order to remember the dead and free the spirits of the "pretas" in hope that they can ascend to heaven. "Pretas" are spirits of those who have died of an accident or drowning and whose bodies were consequently never buried. To the Chinese, the presence of "pretas" is thought to be very dangerous and with the aide of Buddhist temples they are made to carry out ceremonies for them. The ceremonies consist of lighting lanterns and monks are invited to recite sacred verses and offerings of fruit are presented.

In Hong Kong Halloween is known as Yue Lan (Festival of the Hungry Ghosts) and is known as the time when spirits are believed to roam the world for twenty-four hours. Some people burn pictures of fruit or money believing the images would reach the spirit world and bring comfort the ghosts.

The Japanese celebration of “Obon Festival” also known as “Matsuri” or “Urabon”, is similar to Halloween festivities in that it is dedicated to the spirits of ancestors. Special foods are prepared and bright red lanterns are hung everywhere. Candles are lit and placed in lanterns which are set afloat on rivers and seas. This festival takes place in July.

My Persepective On The Debate

dazoneman — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:43:28 -0400

With the debate just finished, let me give a few points of comments from what I saw from the debate.

I liked how both candidates gave out what they were actually going to do and how they were going to solve crisis happening in our country these days ( especially the economic bailouts).

Obama continued to make good points aginst the war on terror. We "liberated" Iraq and they have a 79 billion dollar surplus. Thats all and good if you like that perspective but they have they surplus and were in a huge amount of debt

The actual style of the debate I thought was akward. The town hall style really did not seem like town hall as the questions were rehearsed and nothing spontanoues off of what the candidates said could have been asked. In addition no real follow ups were allowed until the end just allowing none senseless bashing of both candidates. If I wanted to listen to that I could have SNL on my tv not the debate.

The poise and structure of Obama really struck me. While I knew he was a good orater of speech, his mannerisims moved me and just coolness in the situation and with the crowd seemed like he was talking to me rather then at me.

Maybe both candidates should get tips from their vice presidents on how to draw in more viewers for the debate. The VP debate was something out of a comedy rotuine ( say it ain't so Joe), and this needed more umphh to lighten up the oldness and John McCain.

Any responses?

Abortion: Does it matter?

monodav19 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:39:38 -0400

The issue of abortion is confusing for some. Today, many people think as abortion in distorded views; for example, some say that women have a right to "choose" to have her baby killed. The truth is that abortion is one of the most horrible crime allowed throughout history. Abortion does matter especially since so many people today are told lies that lead them to continue to promote the worst injustice in human history. The fact is that life starts at conception; this is a scientific statement not a religious one. When someone has an abortion, a doctor kills a human life. The only difference between an unborn human and a born human is amount of cells that each one has. An unborn human still feels pain and this statement has been proven countless of times in science. Abortion is not just an issue but it is a moral obligation that everyone must face regardless of background. One of the saddest events is reading the history of slaves and seeing how a people were denied human rights because of there color and yet unborn humans are denied their human rights just because they can not speak up. Abortion in this country needs to be faced, moreover, people need to be taught the truth. People, especially politicans, can no longer continue allowing the killings of millions of lives because if they do the consequences will get worst.

Should We Earn Our Citizenship?

KKhanna — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:07:26 -0400

With the recent revealing of a new citizenship test, I wondered: how many born U.S. citizens would pass the test?

If you're a few years removed from school, some questions may escape your memory. I mean, how many people remember what the Philadelphia Convention is after taking a history course several years before?

Nonetheless, I feel that the test is now begrudgingly difficult, yet I know, deep down, that there are many people who could easily fail. Natural born American citizens dodge this exam for their well valued citizenship; immigrants receive it through the basic education of this country's history.

I'm not against testing immigrants on U.S. History in order to grant them citizenship; wouldn't it be logical to learn about the country you are declaring loyalty to?

But on this same idea, should born American citizens not have to pay as much attention to facts about the nation, just because they were born within the country?

I questioned this for several reasons; my parents came to the United States from India when my sister was a few months old. I was born in Brooklyn, making me the first "American" in my entire family. My father and mother always held a great interest in this country's history and politics; my immediate family now holds American citizenship.

I wonder...if I were alone in this country and a citizen of another nation, how would I approach earning American citizenship? Would I even want it?

Is there a difference between natural born citizens and immigrants who become citizens later on? If so, is one more favorable than the other? Please don't interpret anything written here as a distinct answer - I'm pretty confused myself. Share your thoughts!

Regards,
Kanika

PS- If you'd like to take a version of the test, go to:
http://noticias.aol.com/inmigracion/quiz/citizenship/?icid=100214839x121...

No sooner begun than done: Baby-farming and Bastardy

Fallon — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:04:04 -0400

It's August of 1834 and Whig reform is in the air in Britain. This time, that reform is in regard to the poor and surprisingly perhaps, little discussion seems to occur before the act of the day passes into law.

That act, of course, is the Poor Law Amendment Act which effectively changed the poor laws as they had been for years.

But that isn't what this is about, not really. This is about a very small part of that act and the situation that arose in England as a result. When the PLAA passed, it was with what is commonly referred to as the Bastardy Clause tacked onto it.

That Bastardy Clause aimed to restore morality to the female population by absolving males of any responsibility to children born out of wedlock. To put it quite simply, if you were female and got pregnant outside of wedlock, you were screwed.

To add insult to injury, not only did the father not have to help, but you were incapable of seeking relief under the poor laws for yourself or for your child. You were considered immoral and that was the end of it so far as the law was concerned.

In reality, of course, it wasn't that simple. Women had to care for the children some way and so comes baby farming. With baby farming, individuals would sell their children, often illegitimate, to women, who often claimed, with the assistance of advertisements, to want to nurse or adopt the child for a specific amount paid weekly or in one lump sum.

The mother would meet up with one of these women in a public place and hand her child, and the payment, over. Whether most knew what was really happening to those children, I don't know. It's certainly easier to hope they were simply ignorant as well as desperate instead of truly aware of what they were doing. In reality, what may have sounded like a good deal was often actually quite horrible.

Many of the women that would take the children would either kill them outright or slowly starve them to death, retaining the payments from the mother. They knew, of course, that the more room they had, the better off they were. If they took a payment from a woman and killed the child, they would then have room for another child... and another payment. The older children that were taken this way were often worse off than the youngest. Their torment could be drawn out for months at a time before they finally succumbed to the abuse and neglect.

When an inquest was held about the deaths of these children, the women accused were, more often than not, let off. To admit there was a problem would have been to admit that perhaps the way the law had chosen to attempt to restore female morality wasn't the best and that that very law was to blame for the problem. Few wanted that.

It was infinitely easier to ignore that there was a problem than to do anything to stop the problem. So, for decades, what reform came in the laws was halfhearted at best and baby farming continued to thrive. Finally in 1897, thanks to the case of one of the most well known baby farmers, Amelia Dyer the year before, true reform began to occur.

Of course, the problem didn't really end there. Baby farming continued to some degree for several more years both in England and even here in the United States. But... the attention of the public was finally upon the atrocity that had been occurring for 60 or so years in England while they looked the other way and pretended it did not exist.

So... why am I sharing all of this now?

A few reasons actually.

First amongst them is that at the beginning of the year I researched the subject for a novel and when all the difficulty with my sister's pregnancy came up, it was placed on the back burner. Somewhere over the subsequent months, the research was lost and I recently started compiling all of it again. It's one of those subjects that never fails to bother me... which means it's, naturally, one of those subjects I find worthy of sharing.

Which leads me to reason number two. The history of baby farming is a subject little discussed and often even less known. We study history for years... but rarely ever touch upon the every day people that lived during those times and the realities that existed for them. It's important, every once in a while, to shake off the history tomes and remember those people and how the lives of those people have shaped the way we view things. Given that this month is national Family History Month... what better time to revisit the past and remember the children the world never got to know?

And if that isn't reason enough, remembering baby farming and the changes that were brought about to foster care and adoption as a result of this horror is particularly fitting this week. On October 11, 1870, Margaret Waters was charged with five counts of the murder of children through her baby farming venture and was hanged.

While Amelia Dyers' case brought about reform, the case of Margaret Waters was one of those that began to bring attention to the problem, both in England and here in the United States, and began setting the stage for that later reform. Indeed, thanks in part to her case; the Infant Life Protection Act of 1872 was brought to fruition. And while that act did not end the problem...it was a step further than England had gone since the creation of the problem 38 years before.

If anything good can be said to have come from such horrible beginnings... let it be the realization that sometimes the atrocities we accept in the name of morality are infinitely worse than the lack of "morality" itself. We hear a lot here about not making progress for the sake of progress. Sometimes, however, it’s prudent to remember that not all progress is made merely for the sake of progress. Sometimes progress is made because to do otherwise is the most unconscionable thing one can do.

Why does funding get cut where it's needed most?!?!

cristabelpaxton11 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:53:25 -0400

As a U.S. military service member I have dedicated the past four years of my life to helping others in need. Now I may not have agreed in the reasons we are "helping" others nor do I have a choice in why we do. Nonetheless I still have a job to do, mine in particular is to make sure our military members have the appropriate gear needed for deployment. I have no problem doing this when it comes to GPS systems for a HMMVW or a vest that will stop a piece of shrapnel, but when I am told spend, spend, spend on anything justifiable so that out budget doesn't get cut, that's when I become upset.

This past year my nephew brought a piece of paper home that explained the school needed donations for a new copy machine. Now this made me think "Why on earth does this school need to scrounge up money for a copy machine?". I am being told by my superiors to get rid of this money before the fiscal year end closeout and this school doesn't have the funding they need. I have spent countless amounts of money on things that will sit on a shelf for years so that the war on terror will have funding. Funding that it really doesn't need, yes it needs some but not the massive amount that we are given. This is a nationwide problem i.e; my sister who worked for a school system was telling me how they were asking for donations so that they could provide classrooms with enough supplies. This school needed donaitions for simple little things that they couldn't purchase because their funding was cut although they needed it.

Tell me why we are putting so much money toward another country when we need to take care of ours. The school system is only one of the areas that is suffering. Our kids today need to have the best education along with the most up to date supplies, because they are our future. Why not let the War on Terror's budget get cut, if all of that money is not being put to good use then give it to someone that needs it.

F...Is For Fear

jlepp_journey — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:50:55 -0400

You can smell it. It is in the air. Fear is not far when the stock market is tumbling, banks are failing, and more and more bad news is assaulting us in every broadcast. The candidates keep swapping pokes and promises, and the generalities that sweep in their rhetoric is frustrating. Though it is what gets them the votes, so they deliver. The message is capitalizing on people's fears for the future, about money, and jobs.

This current administration became a big peddlar in fear when the Iraq war began. Any voices that protested were treated as criminals. It was a "You're with us or you're against us" mentality. We isolated our allies and the culture of patriotic zealotism reached a level that people were almost scared to speak out. The same sort of fear was raging during the McCarthy era in the communist witch hunt.

Our economy is paralyzed by the banks' fear to lend, consumer's confidence etc. etc. We are in danger of losing 1/4 of mammals to extinction.

Fear has a lot of power right now.

How do you encounter that. What can you do? Well, we get up in the morning. We think big thoughts and act on them. We vote with our values and with our hopes. We hold those in power accountable to greater standards. There is enough real, scary things going on in the world that we don't need to create a fear-based reality. We don't have to manufacture reasons to do action. There are plenty of worthy causes and actions for us to tackle, right here and right now. The thing that is important is to not let the fear paralyze you. We must get beyond it's power, if we are ever to move forward

Advertising in the Media - Its Straight Up MIND CONTROL!

Peace.Love.Brownies. — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:38:03 -0400

There's nothing more frustrating than having to sit through another advertising ploy while watching a channel entitled Music Television. MTV will never be a channel I depend on to find out about excellent music out there. They try to trick us young people again and again by making this wierd anti-advertising advertising, if that makes sense. The teens of the 90s could no longer be fooled by the athlete just standing in his locker room telling everyone to drink a Sprite. How relatable is that? Nowadays you will ads geared toward kids that have an alternative style. They may feel outside or alone. Since so many teens go through this during this time in their life, it feels great to have someone other than themselves understand, or appear to understand, rather. This gets kids to buy the clothes and listen to the music associated with "the outsiders" or the "misfits" and believe that they are individuals when in all reality they are falling into the same trap everyone else is falling into. WHy do you think our televisions run so many ads? WHo are these ads geared towards? The young children, the young teens. There are not that much ads that run to try and get older folk to buy something, it exists, but there is not such a battle over their minds, they already like what they like, its hard to convince their aged wisdom. As for us young people, we want so much to be a part of something, and buying into these images and labels give us a false sense of independence, psuedo-independence, if you will. All the reality shows, all the clothing stores with american eagle, hollister, amber-crotchy and fish showcasing this image laced with all sorts of prejudice, exclusion, and offensive view points. These things are a distraction. A distraction from what? From what is really going on in the world. The fact that many kids that are 16 and 17 do not know the war in Iraq continues or that Sarah Palin is running for Vice President, or that the Bailout plan is a mistake and America's economy is set up for implosion should call for the applausal of NewsCorp and The Walt Disney COmpany, AOL Time-Warner etc. because they have their stuff on lock. They know what they are doing, they know how to sell to you so that you won't have that chance to save your country from downfall, to expose the corruption that has plagued this country for years and future years if our generation continues to be distracted. The fear of protesting has been instilled in us upon learning of the powerful 60s generation. CIA killed and dismantled many antiestablishment groups that challenged the government because they were tired of being controlled and being treated as mindless people. Don't worry, no need to be fearful, the government fears us too. If we step out and fight for our rights, then the government would have to give us what we need to function in this country, how can they take us all when we come together? Just asking.

The Post Office Commercial Complex

ksullivan — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:32:39 -0400

Just recently, I saw on TV a United States Post office commercial. The commercial talked about how the Post Office doesn't charge any extra for fuel charges, obviously in an attempt to gain business from companies who have rising fuel surcharges. At first, the commercial passed through one ear and out the other ear, like any other commercial. Then, it floated back into one of my ears suddenly awaking me to a horrible realization. At this point, I realized that the government takeover of business had gone too far. With the recent bailouts of multiple companies and the government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, socialism is creeping up on America. How can we have let the government get so far in taking a stake in business? This Post Office only confirmed the worst:
1) Without fuel surcharges, someone has to pay that money and the people that are going to pay for it are the taxpayers whose government runs the Post Office. But wait a second. If more customers are paying for the mailing of their letters without a fuel surcharge and are then paying for it in taxes, doesn't that seem like unnecessary stealing of business from other shipping companies like UPS and FedEx? This commercial symbolizes our government's new steps into taking a hold on business and that certainly was not what America was founded on.
2) It also came to my attention why the Post Office is another federal expense that should be cut. I think that the U.S. Post Office should be shutdown and rights for the mailing of letters should go to the other worthy private businesses that would be more than willing to gain that business without making the taxpayers pay for it in a never ending circle. Here, the small-government congressmen and women can make a stand against the growing government business involvement by ending the expense of the U.S. Post Office and thereby strengthening the shipping industry of our economy.

Inspirations

Lennon12 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:18:16 -0400

I draw my inspiration from John Lennon's "Imagine". I ask you now to imagine a world free of war, of hunger, of unnecessary suffering, of hate, of ignorance. I believe you have the power to create this world, you and I. No one can do it alone, but if we join together we can improve the world around us. What are you doing? What are you going to do? Whatever you do, it makes a difference, if you believe in it and if you do it for the right reasons. Whatever you do must come from the heart. It can be simple, like smiling at strangers, or major, like giving up a significant part of your life to help another.

I also would like to know, and for you to ask yourselves, what inspires you? What is your utopia? What is your solution? Knowing what makes you tick can be instrumental in discovering how best to go about making a difference. Take time out of your day to make the world a little friendlier! If it doesn't work, at least you tried. At least you made an effort! I think every little bit helps. Doesn't it feel great to know someone cares about you? Doesn't it feel great when a stranger notices (in a good way) your existence? Why not return the favor?

The World Through My Eyes

Kinkatia — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:14:56 -0400

This morning, I woke up with a terrible case of eye strain. In part, I know it's my fault, for spending entirely too much time surfing the net or playing NES games with friends. But it in part has to do with things beyond my control, such as the constant presence of fluorescent lighting, photocopied readings in print hardly big enough to read, and the fact that my eyesight is in general going downhill way too fast, and my prescription for my glasses is, only four months after the last eye exam, already incorrect.

I was not going to wear my glasses today. They cause me enough of a headache for not sitting on my face right, and for the glare from the annoying fluorescent lights. But I cannot wear my contacts when I've got eye strain. Iy simply hurts too much. So, taking a chance, I decided to just simply go without today, and went to class practically blind.

It was a rather interesting experience. I can see well enough up close, but with distances, all I see is a mass of color merging together, and my depth perception tends to go in and out. It was a risky thing to do, being in unfamiliar territory and unable to make out the faces of the people around me, unable to tell if the cars were far enough off to cross the street safely and whatnot. And I began to think: the world through my eyes is a scary place.

Boundaries blur and melt, nothing is clear, and things tend to not be what they appear. Granted, I've got the luck of all the walls of my college being painted different colors, so corners were easy to avoid. But I couldn't always recognize the person I was talking to, especially if I didn't know their voice all too well.

I did cave and don my glasses for the afternoon, which helped me to prove my self-proclaimed status as the Jenga master. But I've been thinking a lot about how different everything is when I can't see clearly. Not just the appearance of the people and things around me, but the way I behave and think in general. It's as if my whole world view is forced to shrink, until I only consider what's in my presence, simply because I have increased difficulty in discerning what's going on in my immediate vicinity. By giving up the ability to see clearly, I give up the luxury of concerning myself with things that have nothing to do with me in that moment. Only when I'm sitting alone in my room, trying not to squint at the keyboard, do I have time to think of other things.

I'm curious as to how prolonged exposure to the world without my eyesight being corrected by lenses of any kind will affect my view of the world, even if it's only a temporary shift. So I'm going to see how long I can make it without my glasses or contacts, and keep track of what's different in every aspect of my life. Granted, I will need them for readings with tiny print (such as tonight's reading) and for work, but other than that, I'm going to lay them aside. I think it'll be an interesting experience in truly seeing the world through my eyes.

DAUGHTRY - WHAT ABOUT NOW

neeliexbabie — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:02:31 -0400

--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV6DT7U9M1E <--

this is the most inspirational video i have seen so far. It shows us what our world is becoming slowly if we continue the way we react towards things. Most of us take many things for granted. When we eat dinner most of us throw away the food when your done intead of keeping it as leftovers. Their are people who are eating of the ground because they have nothing to eat. We have clean water and a bed with a mattress to sleep on. These people are basically fighting for their lives. You might ask "Is this right?" No it is not, but it's LIFE. Like the video repeats many times, we need to make a difference. We are the ones who need to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the hurting, and shelter the homeless. Talking to a homeless person will probably brighten up his/her day and feeding the hungry at a shelter will show that you care. Are we really going to let all the achievements people made to help out go to waste? If you see someone who needs help, don't hesitate just do it. Because one day, your going to want someone to be there helping you. Put a smile on your face and show everyone that you love your life no matter how bad it is because even the poorest people still have a smile on their face. We shouldn't care so much about materialistic things because we won't have that forever. We should be the ones fighting for our lives. Help make a difference before its too late.

Really. you would do that.

Magandakoi — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:59:42 -0400

Really? Really? The dow jones dropped AGAIN? All right. I don't know about anyone else, but I was totally under the impression that the bailout was designed to cease the falls and falings of the stock market. But apparently, that's not the case. So. My understanding is as follows:
a.) If people don't trust our government, then our economy is going down down down
and
b.) The government is spending a lot of money with projects that aren't working out too well.

So.. let's set the basis of the problem. The bailout was passed which sent 700 billion (with another 150 billion ish tax incentives added on) and that pumped cash into our economy which either has inflaiton or recessions happening. Then, too top that off, that gamble didn't make any other stock owner feel safer, so they keep sell selll selllllling their stocks. That's a no-no people. If anything, everyone should be buying. When everyone feels like, oh hey, let's buy some now, the stock market might finally start to go up. The thing is that whether in one year or ten, the stock market will go up again. The stocks will be worth something again and it would be silly for people to pull out in the red (unless of course they need the money ASAP...but really, patience America? Impatience is what got us in trouble the last time...)

But anyway, another big trouble is that the banks are being stupid with a capital S. They aren't lending and that's cause problems everywhere. First businesses can't get loans, then business dont have loan money to give to employees, then employees get laid off and don't pay taxes and reap government programs (like welfare), and then the gov't goes crazy and decides to pump hundreds millions of more dollars into the economy again. Which means more borrowing from foreign countries like China (remember when we freaked out about Communist?) or it means more inflation and recession. But who knows, maybe some good old recession is the slap in the face people need to be fiscally responsible. Don't live outside your means. But then again if we aren't spending, then our economy where more than half is based on buyers buying, isn't as powerful. Anyway. I think we should just take the money the CEO's got from their golden parachutes and put it back into the banks instead of printing more bills. Or we could just bully the banks into lending money with decent measure.

Sigh... it just seems like people are too extreme. There's a happy medium and I'd be freakin happy if we all just found it.

Abortion... a get out of jail free card for irresponsible girls

kdmakesyousmile — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:50:51 -0400

I am sick of girls getting abortions because they are too lazy to go to a free clinic and get FREE birth control. How hard is it to make your boyfriend put a condom on? If you dont want a kid you shouldnt be having sex... especially careless sex. If you cant handle the responsibility of a kid how are you able to handle murdering an unborn child? At least carry the baby to term and give it up for adoption. how selfish is it for some girl to kill her baby while thousands of woman can not get pregnate and would do anything for a baby. Abortion is murder. Get your free birth control or stop having sex. dont be selfish and irresponsible and dumb.
Also teenagers should not be getting pregnate. I am seventeen almost eighteen and have not had sex. i have had the opportunities but i know that if i did get pregnate i would never achieve my goals and would damage the chances of my child achieving her goals. Take responsiblity for your actions! Dont sleep around! I may say no to sex but i still have fun. If the guy your with gets mad at you for saying no then obviously he doesnt really love you or even care about you for that matter.... how about having some respect for yourself

The price of knowledge

mitzi14 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:04:22 -0400

For some reason, it feels like the world is against me.
But not just me, everyone my age trying to make something of their lives.

There are possibly the single most ridiculously incompetent people attending my school, and only a small portion are the brains that can get into a top rated college on a full ride scholarship.
So the rest of my school, regardless of whether they are average or completely stupid, is pretty much screwed.
I live in Michigan, which is pretty much famous for cereal, and having people live there that don't want to be living there. So, in addition to high costs for school, getting out of this state is an aspiration many people have but cannot attain because of the cost of out of state tuition.

Here's my question, why the hell doe it matter where you live?
Colleges could be discouraging potentially great students because of the tuition costs alone.
When did it become a law to make college more expensive that a house payment of 20 years?

I hate some of my friends that have such great potential, but cannot go to a school to fuel their knowledge, because it is so damn expensive. The cost of college in state is bad enough, but Michigan doesn't have half of what other states do in choices for further education. I guess our failing economy and greedy politicians can be blamed for the rising costs of things, but why must America's future leaders suffer?

One day, my generation will run this country, and the way things are going, alot of people are going to be unqualified. It's not that there is a lack of money in every household, but some of the smartest people in the world are some of the poorest. I don't see why money should hold a person back if they want to make something great out of their lives.

I guess I'm just rambling, but I recently was accepted into an out of state college, and I'm scrambling like crazy to calculate how much debt I'll be in by the time I graduate. I actually had to drop out of a play I was in so I can get a part time job to help pay for college, and acting is pretty much my life.
I don't do any other sports, clubs, or anything, but I have to give it up!

I don't enjoy giving up what should be a normal extracurricular for a teenager so that I can meet the goals of the government's fine facilities called colleges.

This place better be much more than "fine," for the price I'm paying.

Remote Free TV!

vern — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:38:36 -0400

Just when you thought the media infiltration in America couldn't get any worse...it has. SURPRISE! According to the Washington Post, a study has found that the shorter network commercial breaks are, the more apt we are to keep watching. DUH! Like a six year old couldn't have told you that? This revolutionary discovery was made by media buyer Magna in looking at early returns on Fox's new genre drama "Fringe."
Fox executives cut commercial time during the show to 1 minute 18 seconds compared to the average break of 3 minutes 30 seconds. This means that viewers are getting 84% show compared to the prior 70% show. Fox has now dubbed this strategy "Remote Free TV" because they believe that with shorter commercials viewers have less reason to touch the remote to change channels.
And it seems as though they're right. Magna's studies show that 88% of Fox's viewers sit through commercial breaks while 92% of viewers for "Fringe" sit through them. This is giving the station higher ratings and more money. And it's not just that, with shorter commercial breaks that bring in more viewers the good ole boob tube is going to be controlling our lives even more.
I must admit though, that at a time when our economy is failing I'm not surprised to see networks going to such measures to stay afloat...I actually think my heart may be warming for them a little bit...NAH! Who am I kidding?

America: Who's Really in Charge and How Much Do You Trust the Government?

son_of_disaster — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:31:49 -0400

How much can you trust our government and the Presidential candidates? By the looks of it not much. Take a look at Strike the Root, a liberterian website. Most will say, well this is a biased website. Yes and no, it gives inside looks at both the Republicans and Democrats and then at the government. It isn't a partisan website so to says, anyone from anachists to liberterians write and are posted here. Now I'm not pushing them, just saying. We need to maybe stop watching just our local television stations and listening to those radio stations. Take a look at foreign stations, more than not they tell the truth about what is going on in America.

Obama has been found out to have contributions made to him and then taken when they came from bogus donors. McCain is under scrutiny for his involvement in covering up the amount of POW's actually left after the Vietnam War. Our financial market is in ruins as of right now, and senators are coming out saying that economic terrorism and fear mongering were used to pass the new bill through. Obviously this isn't getting out into the MSM, why? Who knows?

The founding Fathers were wary of too much government. The government should be working for the people. They should be passing laws in our interest, not in the interest of the government. We claim the financial crisis on free market economy, unfortunately, there has been no free market economy since The New Deal. Why must tax payers pay to bailout the banking industry? And why does the government have its hands so deep in the banking industries pockets?

George Washington warned that that partisan politics and intangling treaties would destroy the United States. What do we have now, but both of those things. And does America seem to be doing really that well? Don't think so. Our rights and liberties are instilled in all of humanity whether you believe in an intelligent being or not, everyone agrees on basic rights and liberties. People in American seem to believe in the idea of freedoms. You want liberties, not freedoms. Freedoms are given and taken away by the government, but liberties and rights are not.

The government works for the American people..well it should. Our government needs to leave our rights and liberties alone and stay out of our business. It needs to govern by will of the people, not the government. The Chicago School of Economics has been corrupted by partisan politics. So how much do you really trust your government? And who's in charge in America?

Religion: Personal or Political?

Miss_Stoic — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:01:09 -0400

If you are an individual with strong personal religious beliefs it would be very difficult to ask of you to separate yourself from them when deciding on a candidate to vote for. After all, one’s religious beliefs help shape them into who they are and can impact the decisions they make on any average day. Yet, I very much question how valid it is to decide on a vote, whether in regional or national politics, based on the religion of the candidate.

How exactly does the version of God they pray to affect their abilities to govern or lead? I would have to say that whether or not a person attends Synagogue or First Baptist Church does not impede one’s mental abilities nor does it hinder their political decision making. A Muslim is not any more capable than a Christian in politics, nor is a Christian more capable than a Jew, etc. A person’s religious persuasion does not relate to whether or not they are effective at the job they do. I think you only need to look at our current president to clearly see that simply being an Evangelical Christian does not mean that you have the wisdom to effectively lead a country.

What of religion in regards to decision making? Does it have any affect on a candidate then? I believe that if a person believes in a certain set of morals and in one set mode in which the world should operate, as many people of strong religious belief do, that it will affect the decisions that they make each and every day. For an average person this makes little difference or impact on a national or global scale, but for an individual in political office this influence can make a difference on both a small and large scale affecting many. For example, if an individual has very strong Christian beliefs and they are pro-life then it only logically follows that the majority of laws and bills that they support in regards to reproductive health will, more than likely, be from that standpoint and to serve the aims of their personal beliefs.

Should the public be at all concerned with the religion their candidates belong to? I feel that in looking at this topic from whether or not a person can do their job effectively based on their personal spiritual beliefs then I would have to say that making your decision based on that fact is a very shallow and narrow-minded way to decide. Essentially what you are saying is that the individual has no right to be in a place of political power and is not capable of handling such a position because of what they believe – not based on their experience, education or any other concern of relevance, but because of a petty surface issue. Even in regards to the previous paragraph it just simply does not make sense to think that simply because a candidate is Christian that they will then be pro-life (for example) and base your vote on an assumption. What you should do, instead, is to look at the history each candidate has on the individual issues that you hold to be important. What is important to you? Does either candidate hold similar stances on issues such as the economy, abortion or the war as your opinions on those matters?
I think that people should look beyond the broad and general label that a religion gives a person and look at the person themselves. Not everyone who belongs to a particular faith automatically behaves and believes exactly the same as everyone else who follows that religion and it’s foolish to think otherwise. Therefore, it is not safe to assume that you know exactly how a candidate will perform in office based simply on their religion. To me, the religion of a candidate is one of the least important aspects on deciding who gets the vote.

What do you think?

700 Billion Please

Chausman — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:11:52 -0400

So, you might have heard that congress has finally passed that 700 Billion Dollar Bailout Plan. I mean, wow. 700 Billion. How much is that?
700 billion Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers from Wendy's!
No, seriously.
You could buy 2333333 houses that cost $300,000 dollars apiece.
70000000000 Books that cost $10 apiece!
46666666 Semesters of College at $15,000 dollars each semester. And lets face it, that's cheap.

Now... I know that I'm not a taxpayer, and I know that I'm just a kid.
But I also know that most people SHOULD be able to know if they can or cannot afford a $500,000 house. My family wants to move, we can afford a $250,000 house (we live in Nebraska, not California so that buys a really nice house) we can't afford a $500,000 house. The bank shouldn't loan us $500,000 for a house because with our income the bank knows that we cannot afford to make a payment towards $500,000 each month
Our economy depends on credit, and on loans. We cannot survive as a nation without having some amount of debt out there. I know this. It stinks, but I know this.

The thing that makes it the worst?
The fact that the banks did this themselves, and the fact that we can't just let them burn for it, because there's gotta be some sort of banking structure out there. AND THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT AGAIN!
this is really frustrating.

There's no real solution to this stupid thing. First of all, we as taxpayers(when I start paying taxes it will be right around when this finally comes to a head) will have to pay that all. We can't expect the banks to pay it back, because they won't. But if congress doesn't do anything, than eventually when the economy crashes people will be all, "I can't believe the government didn't do anything!" <--[insert screechy voice here]

I don't know the purpose of that rant.
But I'm just frustrated.
But hey, $90 a barrel for oil? A-Whaa-Hoo!

~Chausman

Philosophical Musings in a Political Time From My Mind

son_of_disaster — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:44:00 -0400

What if all we were told was a lie? Scientifically, religiously, anything like that. What if we woke up and realized that all that was a lie? It's weighty stuff, I know, but you know me...well if you knew me before college than you'd know me. Actually, this is me, the me before college, the me that I missed and what wrote the kinda things ive been writing.

Yes, I picked out science and religion, not as a means of picking on them but because they both are probably the two major influences throughout history. Both fighting with each other trying to prove the other right. Science of course is far easier to prove because it deals in the natural. While religion usually deals with the supernatural. However, you can look at the history of certain aspects of religion to prove parts are right, namely places. Both say that they are the truth in this world that we are a part of. Question is, what if they aren't? What if the reality that we believe in, isn't as real as we think.

Do you ever look into the stars and feel so much closer to home than here on earth? When I'm having a shitty, horrible day, I lay down or just look at the stars and I feel so much better. A friend and I bounce around the idea of maybe we're not from this planet. Science and religion have been unable to prove or disprove the existence of extraterrestrials. In a issue of Science Today or something like that, the question was asked of a philosophical physicists if there is a possiblility of extraterrestrials like from Transformers. His response was that there is a 50/50 chance, if I remember correctly, that they exist. Yet that they'd be far more advanced than us to probably even care about us. That leaves a lot open for non-robotic extraterrestrials.

So what is real? We claim that this is reality, but do we know if what we see, experience and feel, is actually real? It could be a clever ploy by a higher being as a science project, or maybe it's a computer program that we're living in. This is what happens when I'm up late surfing Wikipedia and listening to music that makes me think. There could be so many different meanings behind life, so many different beliefs that are unfound. How do we know any of this is right? Because someone tells us? Thats's a horrible excuse but we've got no other way to prove their wrong, especially on a religious and philosophical level. What if everything is a lie...what if what we think is real isn't? I have no idea what the answer is, I wish, but that's what I do...think...too much and not enough.

Staying home or going away?

alm1126 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:20:00 -0400

For the longest time I thought that I was only going to apply to colleges that were away from home...until this year. Throughout my high school years I researched majors and minors, activities, dorm life, and campuses for multiple colleges and thought that maybe the 'getting away from home college experience' was right for me. This year I thought about it more carefully and realized that there were so many oppourtunies for me here on Long Island and that there were plenty of beautiful schools with great programs available. I also thought that there's no reason for me to go away now. I'm most definatley not one of those people that NEEDS to get away from their family and is dying for a way out of their home town. I love Long Island and I love my family. I'm excited to find a school here and stay home next fall, I'll still be with my family in my own bed and with my own dogs, it's still possible for me to make new friends and experience college life if I go somewhere that has dorming and I know people that are a part of it.
I've realized that the argument of going away or staying home for your first year of college is yes, a big one, but there isn't a right or wrong answer. Everyone does what is best for them and I am pretty convinced that staying home is what is right for me.

Can Ireland become independent?

galenweibley — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:16:45 -0400

Should Ireland be independent? As a sub country of the isles of Britain, Ireland is one of the most unique of it's kind. Even after gaining independence from Great Britain in 1921 in the Anglo-Irish treaty. Even after the treaty was signed and finished, the new Republic of Ireland still had bitterness towards Great Britain. This was because of the treaty only gave Ireland the land that had a majority of Catholics in that region. The other faction was the protestants that still were loyal with the Crown. This caused many violent protests and battles between the two religions. Still to this day even after the U.S. got involved and tried to bring peace, the two countries Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland still have bitterness towards each other.
Here’s the question I have, why can't the two countries become one and tolerate each others religion. In a nation like the United States, we learned how to tolerate other religions so why can't they? Please let me hear your thoughts maybe I'm wrong. I would like to know because I think the world is starting to get tolerate of other’s religions and ideas, so why can’t a small country that wishes to preserve its heritage and history become one country and unite to show the world it can happen.

I Would Like Some Coffee and Weed Please

keanan — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:02:42 -0400

I recently visited Amsterdam were I encountered various “coffee shops.” I didn’t go in these coffee shops, but it provoked me to consider legalizing marijuana or at least lessen the offense.
Marijuana doesn’t necessary harm anyone but the user and the harms are not life threatening. If we did legalize marijuana there would be less street crimes committed and possibly less violence overall. There would be new business opportunities to explore, and the drug culture would perhaps dissipate, and children would be less tempted to experiment with marijuana if our society was already open to the idea of marijuana and didn’t treat it as a major crime. The tax payer’s money would go to more important issues of society rather than jailing teens because of procession of marijuana. Canada, Spain, and Germany have taken similar actions like lessening the crime of processing marijuana.
On the other hand, legalization of marijuana could lead to an overall increase in drug use. Since marijuana is the “getaway drug” it could perhaps tempt people into experiment with illegal mood altering substances. Another risk is psychological dependency on marijuana. We could just have a bunch of potheads walking our streets if we legalize. What are the reasons why marijuana isn’t legalized exactly?

My Travels in Second Life

Bridge — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:31:01 -0400

What do you know about Second Life? A friend of mine had me sign up earlier this year, but it’s only really been this semester of school when I’ve really been interested in it.

Second Life is very hard to explain. Wikipedia describes it as “an internet-based virtual world….[where people] interact with each other through motional avatars.” It is really hard to explain and understand. You can’t say it’s a game, though it is for entertainment purposes, right? And you can’t say it’s a program, because it’s so much more.

Think of it this way (if that wikipedia definition didn’t cut it for ya): Second Life is a virtual world that is an extensive and ever growing community that’s got quite the international community now. You as a Resident are represented with an avatar, which is a person you can alter the appearance of. You can chat with other Residents through IM or local chat, or even use a microphone with Voice Chat.

But I didn’t want to use Second Life as another stupid chatroom. I’d heard about business opportunities (people actually make money in this world, believe it or not) and I’ve heard that you can take actual classes with a real teacher and everything.

Before I got into all that, I decided to do a little traveling. I went everywhere from the ancient Roman Coliseum...

to Stonehenge...

to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre...

There are even worlds based on Harry Potter and Tolkien’s books.

On to the education aspect. Real universities have Second Life campuses as well, and they teach classes there too. I’m not yet aware of it you have to be a student of a particular University to take their SL course. I’ve heard there are classes you need to pay for. However, I found a great place for free education called “The Learning Experience”. This is a virtual campus where professors teach their classes completely free of charge. I’ve seen ads for classes on as vastly different as Angelology/Demonology to Writing Ebooks. I’m currently taking two free courses, one for Creative Writing and another for Playwriting.

(here's an image I took after the first ever playwriting class concluded.)

There are also museums you can visit in SL that have interactive aspects to them. I know of a Holocaust Museum and an International Spaceflight Museum so far. On The University of Ohio’s campus you can play educational games, like the Nutrition Game where you learn about how healthy you need to eat on a daily basis.

You can find more precise (and technical) info on the world of Second life by going to this Wikipedia Link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_life

There are also several great documentary-type videos on YouTube that highlight the educational uses of Second Life.

Interested in Nursing? Check this out: Virtual Nursing Education in Second Life

A very informative documentary about SecondLife education: Educational Uses of Second Life

Education in Second Life: Explore the Possibilities

If you are already a Resident and need a friend or some help finding these places, my avatar’s name is Bridget Metall. I’m a newbie, but I’m willing to help out even newer newbies!

A Drunken Haze

dazoneman — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:20:10 -0400

Play a little pong
Take some shots
Set a little fire
All in a drunken haze

Laugh it all off
Sit around and play
Shoot a gun to the wall
All in a drunken haze

Party like a Rockstar
Take it all off
Run into a Train
All in a drunken haze

Make out upstairs
Love is in the air
Baby is then born
All in a drunken haze

Throw in a lime
A few more Coronas are nice
Black out on the floor
All in a drunken haze

Do a little dance
Grind it hard
Puke it up all night
All in a drunken haze

Say a little joke
Offend a few
Get beaten up in a back alley
All in a drunken haze

Some like it hot
Some like it cold
Blow your kidneys like thier old
All in a drunken haze

Swing your head around
Take another drink
Bang it till it bleeds out
All in a drunken haze

Get into a car
Take home some freinds
End their lives and yours
All in a drunken haze

Get driven to hospital
Put into ICU
Watched over until you flatline
All in a drunken haze

Try to get shocked to life
Failed it once or twice
Third time is a charm
All in a drunken haze

Wake up in the morning
Cops next to your bed
Told you are on trial
When you were in a drunken haze

Taken to court
Told your friends are dead
25-life
All from a drunken haze

Sit in your cell
Look at the wall
See the ghost from your freind
That you killed in a drunken haze

http://writing.progressiveu.org/node/picture-13