About me
Gender Male
Introduction Immediate answer to FAQ. Questions of protection pierced me when I was a maricopa county inmate. For as much as I gained routine that I don't express to others as much as I could, now and then, God works as inorganic and an omnicapacitor even though man and earthenworks are organic.
Finding yourself with directionless platitudes, forgive. Have we been taught only how to respond to life when life goes wrought with indecision? Then, forgive. Below you will be caught in things that were only meant to be momentarily absorbed before the future of the original responder was in desperation for alliterative self acknowledging of all past writing platitudes, those intensive timelines too. So it may be that you want to not read as though you're in to a consented timeline of disconnecting in order to again reconnect but rather take the timeline to forgive your old ways and read like I've, when in for which this sphere been advocating, to read with less user interaction interplay of emotions, taught reason, and excuses to stop: html marquee reading. I cannot take all the credit, but if this is your first timeline of such reading, it will help knockout bulk pasted reads. In doing so, you are not alone, the timelines is. There may never be an update to this tech that may never give users points for reading in html marquee (timeline application) the best reads, may never be more than a header-title and body, may never be overcramming enough to stop and start again in maintaining more than the least common denominator for button-tags on the page. Go ahead through old collegiate discussions from the original responder that include diversification of non current and medicinal topics that are obviously not current and contemporary for the normative person: read with the stipulation that college repurports intelligence to feign in-group discussion so the vault of what was "learned" is now made vaulted as my "redeeming qualifications" of which two I never quote.
Is forgiving the highest medicine?
The academic plan really opened my eyes to see that I am now I college which before I honestly did not know what to make of it. This project was planned to be due in such a time where we just finished the pie chart and were already moving on to another big assignment and I did not know how to handle it because I was not organized and prioritized. This class was only once a week and I just plain forgot that I would have things to do for it. Obviously, this is a very important class but it where I was at that point in my life I really cannot explain it almost seems like now that it completely glossed over and all that time was spent hanging around the wrong people and depriving myself of good relationships with people who actually live around me and not buildings away or outside of campus.
This was an academic assignment so there were no real excuses for not handing it on time. I had to hurry the process to get meetings with Dr. Nolan, my advisor, even though she really wasn’t available until after the fall break in which I did neither work nor socializing. However, the plan for my four years here is obviously to finish all of the Psych Major requirements but also to direct it towards some social work and therapy. Not every psych major has to be a Psychiatrist and I know that it takes a lot of determination, time, and money to become it especially now because there is so much competition. I hope though to learn more about Immunology and if it requires much of the science requirements. I do not really like the natural sciences and I detest physics but maybe my perception of it will change a while down the road. Anyways, I think this was a learnable experience and I hope I can use this assignment to help structure my path to graduation.
In my writings the major road block for me, which I assume is the mundane for all of us writers, is having a particular word on the tip of one’s tongue and not being able to remember it specifically. In my day I have experienced this a lot with formal writing. Essays for class especially research papers. The type of papers that require an annotated bibliography. That works cited page is filled with different summaries and condensed writing pertaining to what has been said in the essay and in my experience I have had trouble avoiding the restating of words. Throughout my schooling I was led to believe that using the same adjective twice or idiom twice is literally unacceptable. To find my way around this obstacle I had to delineate my thoughts by either brainstorming, a widely used technique, or by starting a different activity to let the mind wander in a controlled manner so that once done it is somehow easier to go around what you were initially trying to say in a new and creative way. I do not exactly know the science behind this, let’s just say it’s another one of those ineffable mental capabilities innate in us all.
This depiction of the ideal Man is in a sense bias and open to opinion. When looking at this famous image I automatically think, where is the hair? He has a lot on his head, but everywhere else is barren. There really much else besides the body to talk about when it comes to this picture. It is meant to evoke different emotions and actions from different people. And as man I am not in awe nor am I aroused in any way at this, whereas a female might be. I do not know where at all is convenient for me to look when I actually do look at this so my eyes are drawn towards the outstretching of his arms. I have long arms, in fact I have the longest wingspan in my family. Exceeding that of my two older brothers and my father. I found this out at a resort in Arizona when my brothers and I were luxuriating in a public pool. But, I digress, this may be one of Da Vinci’s immaculate works of art and there were definitely different ideals and virtues belonging to his contemporaries.
Newman displays a common rhetorical technique known as empathy when he states, “these are the natural qualities of a large knowledge; they are the objects of a University; I am advocating, I shall illustrate and insist upon them; but still, I repeat, they are no guarantee for sanctity or even for conscientiousness, they may attach to the man of the world, to the profligate, to the heartless”. In this Newman convinces his audience that he is together with them in their struggle and is offering up his time and services to lead them out of despair and ignorance. Although, he does not condemn them for their innocent unknowingness, however, he is obviously is a man of persuasion and acknowledge that they do not have as much knowledge as he has because he is the one who is articulating his own to them. He implies that others who oppose him are “heartless” and have no sanctity and no integrity. Therefore, it must be smart and the right thing to do to support Newman as a lawful and credible leader.
Now in the journey comes the time for acknowledgement of the oldest known tradition in the world that is still in existence. That of Hinduism, and although, it is not my sacred indubitable belief, I have noticed some mind blowing revelations in this text. It is not my place to say if all that is written in this scripture is true and undeniably the way we as humans should live our lives, however, my opinion of this text is not fettered by its overly repetitive statements that someway or another lead myself and the rest of our race, the contemporary human race, towards “destruction”.
In numerous places the Deity, whether it is Vishnu, Krishna, Roma, Shiva, or whoever, they all mention annihilation of our people if we do not sufficiently oblige them. So apparently, Krishna and Arguna are in the middle of two warring armies in a period of frozen time. Krishna, some may say is one of the more understanding and compassionate gods of this faith, engages in dialogue with Arjuna and I cannot help but notice that Arguna is simply asking Krishna a ton of existential questions whenever it is his turn to speak. This just so happens to remind me of the Socratic Method. Is there any possible way that the Ancient Greek could have been at all exposed to Hinduism? If so, is this questionnaire method for obtaining knowledge original? Then again is anything truly original? This must be what Hindu’s mean when they profess that everything is cyclical.
Now let’s delve into the text a little. This might just be my perception of this text but I think it is very contradictory and flawed in some areas. On page 180 The Deity says “The wise who have obtained devotion cast off the fruit of action; and released from the shackles of repeated births, repair to that seat where there is no unhappiness. When your mind shall have crossed beyond the taint of delusion, then will you become indifferent to all that you have heard or will hear” which directly contradicts a statement made by another Deity on page 187: “The devotee who worships me abiding in all beings, holding that all is one, lives in me, however he may be living. That devotee, O Arguna! is deemed to be the best, who looks alike on all pleasures or pain, whatever it may be, in all creatures, comparing all with his own pleasure or pain”. Maybe this was just another Deity professing his own will I am really not all too sure but how can one be both indifferent and sensible to all these things? Is there any middle ground?
By far the most interesting pair of passages I have come across in this reading starts on page 192 where at the beginning of the eleventh chapter Arguna is pleading to Vishnu to see him in his natural, persistent, and utterly inexhaustible form and then on page 194 once again he is pleading to be shown it again almost like his world has been turned upside down and he cannot live on unless it is revealed to him once more. And what is this form? It’s a four handed creature resembling an androgynous! This is actually some perplexing yet fascinating stuff I have now come across, so much so that I do not even know where to start with the questions even though I have a lot of them. So I will conclude with these gargantuan questions: Is this where Plato’s androgynous form came from in his The Speech of Aristophanes? And although I do not want to really talk about evolution any time soon, was this form actually real? Is there any specific physical evidence of it aside from the written word that may have been exaggerated?
I can now superficially see the fundamental similarities between many of the religions we have discussed and read about this year in class. I’m going to be honest and say that I kind of sort of dozed off through the first reading, the wheel one but was reawakened in a sense at the ending when the Blessed One exclaimed Kodanna knows! Anna Kodanna – who knows. Whenever I see this phrase I cannot help but to think of myself and why I was a given the name Eniefiok, also meaning who knows. Is it a question? Do I know? Why did my parents give me that name. Over the years though, I have grown accustomed to having people call me E.J. just because it is easier by I realize now that in a way I am keeping those people at a distance, in the darkness. For just wanting to know my real name I have shunned them and replaced them with someone else. This may be just a little bit of anxiety but I always feel like I spread myself to thin. Especially when it comes to friends. Longer, stronger relationships have got to be better than quick flings right?
The idea of what goes up must come down is also in this section: “Whatever is subject to arising is all subject to cessation.” And even more so the sensation of visualizing what has occurred in one’s life. What will happen and what has happen has nothing to do with what is currently happening. Open your eyes to what’s directly in front of you.
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave to me was the first and original text of the darkness element in everyone’s lives. We all experience in one form or another a period where we either unfortunately position ourselves or are forced to incarcerate our minds and limit our thinking. In my life that obscure period of darkness and regret was high school, specifically, my senior year of high school.
Before my senior year everything was swell, my grades were all in good standing and my friendships were intact. However, it always felt like I knew too many people and that turned out to not work out in my favor. I was out of town for the majority of the summer visiting my mother in Arizona and because I did not have a twitter nor a care for facebook I was left utterly alone to dwelling thousands of miles away from any one who actually was friends with me earlier on in school. It’s safe to say that throughout that year I looked past my current endeavors and environment and kept dreaming up a utopian world of what I thought college life would be. I could not live in the present and so I was essentially living in a cave.
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave encompasses a wide variety of different symbols and motifs including fire, shadows, walls, and prisoners. Plato poses the implicit question who are we? And what is our reasoning for the things we do? Those are questions neither I nor an ancient Greek philosopher can respond in a way that all can understand and concur. The answer is different for everyone. Everyone has a different paradigm and worldly perspective and everyone has different experiences. So who’s to know whether we are all in reality living in darkness or are living in light and are tediously manifesting our own existential darkness?
This comparatively long reading did in fact initially fool me. Going in I thought it was to be an actual written apology by Plato that was spoken through Socrates, but as it turns out the apology was not an apology at all it was just the name for trial of Socrates in which the court was to decide whether he should be put to death. But why? Why was Socrates so disliked? Why was he misunderstood by his contemporaries?
My background knowledge of this grave situation was that Athens was either in the midst of the Peloponnesian War or that it had finished, but regardless, a man who devoted his life to improve those of others, and consequentially his own, was accused and sentenced to death. This man, Socrates, is who he is. Without a doubt I know that this man did truly know himself and therefore felt compelled to be naturally inquisitive and curious of the world around him. Many of his counterparts despised him for it and did not like his methods of acquiring information.
If I were to assume thoroughly the world in which Socrates lived, I would think him to be very duplicitous and full of himself. To him everything had to make sense and like many philosophers his way, his modus operandi, was the penultimate way. The divine way. He supports his reasoning with arguments saying that he was chosen by God and created by Gods to serve others and help others yet it is those others who are now persecuting him and want to commit the greatest sin of all: killing man. It may be unjust but Socrates has no regrets and is content with dying.
I would like to find out how his prosecutors actually killed him. What was it death by lethal injection or poisoning, a hanging, torture, anything would push me closer to knowing how exactly the Ancient Greek citizens thought of this extremely wise philosopher and giver. Only the most virulent of men would be this evil as to detest and kill this man.
Upon initiating the daunting process of reading these Hebrew texts my only exposure to these topics a vague lesson in my global history class my freshman year of high school and from what I have heard from the multitude of youths my age from back home in Niskayuna, a town inhabited by countless men, women, and children of the Jewish faith. The most astounding thing to me before engaging in these readings was that Jesus, the messiah and savior of all according to Christian belief, was in fact a Jew. His followers range from I wide variety of different cultures and ethnic groups, but I digress, this reflection is supposed to be focusing on the various traditions and happenings that make up the sacred Hebrew texts in which the origins of Judaism is scripted.
Today the people of the Jewish faith are said to be descendants of Abram and Sarai, two lovers that were unable to reproduce before being subjected to the will of the LORD. Rule number one of Judaism: fear the LORD. Out of fear, obedience and happiness will emerge. Abram as a 100 year old man was finally able to share a child with his wife and this child came to be known as Isaac. This information may be widely known to millions around the world but to me it was knew and it gave me a new outlook on where I come from, Niskayuna. I never truly grasped what their religion meant to them and honestly, I always felt a little distant from them. You may hear all the time that Jews and Blacks are similar in that they have both undergone slavery, which, is true but there are plenty of moments that you may not be able to tell a person is Jewish just by looking at them, yet you can almost always discern if someone is black just by the color of their skin. However, both races have been victims of vicious brutality in the past century.
Exodus is defined as the mass departure of many people or things and up until this day I never made the connection of the word to the instance where Moses parted the Red Sea and led his people out of bondage. This makes me think Dr. King leading the March through Birmingham, Alabama and in both events the leaders were true pioneers. I do feel inspired and satisfied after doing this reading, I mean not to the extent that I would take up learning Hebrew and read these texts in its original language, but if I ever change my mind I do personally know a guy that has a collection of texts that he himself has never actually read but nevertheless adds to his affluent nature by holding on to them.
Thus says the LORD that all people of the Jewish faith will be bound together if they heed the word of the LORD and continue the sacred traditions of Judaism. This section, however, was surprisingly harsh I think. Here are the Jews who were just released from slavery and it is strictly reiterated to them that they are not to do this and not to do that. Yes, this does remind me of The Ten Commandments of Christianity, but there were only 10! And then 7 deadly sins, but still there are so many restrictions listed here that makes me wonder: What in the hell are Jewish Atheists? To me this faith is completely befuddling and stultifying. There are Jews that the do not believe in a God, I do not understand. Why follow all of the various rites and obligations of Judaism if not to serve the almighty if not in a state of obedience. I don’t know what the true reason is for these select few Jewish people, but whatever it is they must have a profound sense of self-discipline to live that particular lifestyle.
One of the several commandments emphasized in these passages is that of justice. Do not pervert it, preserve it. This is Socrates’ last wish while he was on trial. Be fair and let the good men continue to assist the greater will of the people. This sacred rite was just one among many, but it strikes me the most because justice is still a prevalent topic here in the modern world. We have court systems, we have laws, we have appointed judges, et cetera. This just goes to show timelessness of these documents. Documents that are in some ways considered to be exaggerated, but the ultimate end is to bring about peace and unity among us all.
Lastly, it is written that Moses traveled to the mountains and there he spent 40 days and 40 nights. Well, didn’t Jesus do that in a desert? The two instances are incomparable, so anyone else audacious enough to state who may have the harder time surviving, be my guest. I could not even begin to estimate how their time was surviving in desperate conditions.
I personally believe that one learns from experience. Discovering a new interest is like unlocking a door of possibilities and much of the time spent afterwards is of doing and thinking about it and it becomes a fixation. Whether it may be socioculturally viewed as an academically or athletically stimulating activity it will ultimately improve your life in the long run. We all as humans have an innate reflex to classify things we encounter and when actual people are discussed we quickly diagnose their strengths and weaknesses. To me the question of "street smarts" compared to "book smarts" isn't a question at all. We all come from different walks of life and when we become challenged and confronted with adverse situations it is human nature to react to what you're more inclined to doing in a dignified and comfortable manner. The term "street smarts" already contains negative connotations because of the drug and crime induced world we live in. Typically, one does not need to leave one's domicile to read a book, on the other hand, the phrase "street smarts" in and of itself means how one behaves when they are not at home. However, essentially, "book smarts" and "street smarts" are equal beneficiaries if both are dealt with in moderation.
In my experiences I have seen tons of allegorical symbols and scenes illustrated in movies and television shows and that is no surprise because that is expected in today’s technologically advanced world. Books are great because they are physical objects that connect our generation to those of way back when even before Christ. These scriptures have been preserved for all this time because we as humans have an innate sense of what is truly important. Although, some of us have lost sight of what it really means to live and KNOW why we are here and our reason for the things we do. Truth is we don’t know anything especially today in the 21st century when it becomes harder and harder to create something truly original.
What we can do is continue to connect to ourselves in a deeper more significant way. We cannot truly no others actions unless we put down the distractions and observe and watch all the little implicit details. These clips of the highly-touted movie “The Matrix” do really demonstrate some of the really existential questions from Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. One of my favorite actors Laurence Fishburne is fenomenal in this scene with the gap tooth, the large dark coat, and the mirror glasses! So classic! The thunder in the scene really elevates the tension and unsettling nature of this scene. Seriously, none of us really want to answer questions such as “Do you believe in fate?” or to have to make a decision that can lead one down to complete and utterly different paths in life. For all intents and purposes I’ll say the red pill was the best decision to make so that he is actually aware of what he is going through and can really experience the changes in his mental and spiritual self as he progresses.
Just by observing this scene I feel like the whole thing with the mirror glasses really exemplifies that we as humans are alone in this world. It takes a lot of introspection to grow and make proper decisions to fit one’s unique self. For me, when someone asks me to make a crucial decision I have to look around and make eye contact not just for approval but for acknowledgement that they are with me and are a part in my decision making. I have not seen this movie yet but I got to check it out soon.
Yes, finally, we as a group have come to the Christianity portion of our studies of ancient texts. The wait is over, my fellow classmates and I, are blessed with the opportunity to be exposed to the Bible. I, myself, have done some readings in the Bible, but not very extensively and the most recent one of which I can remember was of Genesis 3:16 and it was only a couple of weeks ago on one of my first days on campus.
I really hope to get the most out of literature this year, but at the same time I do not want it to consume all of my free time and change me to the point where I have to always compare the different things I come upon instead of staying content with what I already have. The most impactful part of this reading was of Chapter 4 when Jesus goes to spend 40 days and 40 nights in the desert. In this existential challenge, Jesus is subject to temptation to the Devil’s many traps. And he ultimately survives by staying true to himself and submitting himself to the will of God. This passage obviously relates to the self-assessment in which Moses undertook in the Hebrew Bible, however, in the case of Jesus, he was not alone. All the while, the angels were beside him protecting from evil.
I am a typical insatiable teen who is always looking for more out of life and I really cannot help it. This reading actually reiterated to me that anything outside of the realm of basic necessity is one step closer to committing a sin and be condemned for doing so. In a way this also relates to Plato’s texts, the ones we have read so far, when he says through Socrates that we should live for thyself. God is within us all and by staying true to ourselves we can thoroughly serve God in the best way possible.
What makes communities thrive? What establishes the foundations for civic good? The answer is knowledge. With it human beings can live like no other species on Earth. We can write, we can read, we can speak and understand each other’s wants and needs, and in doing so, we can be superior amongst not only our peers, but in the midst of a wide range of followers. Knowledge is a necessity. Yes, there are certain institutions for higher learning such as school and church, however, those are not the only places to increase mental capacity nor is it even the best place.
In my life I have received one especially significant training and that is how to do Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, commonly known as, CPR. This hands-on training can be implemented in various different forms of emergency. And I know for a fact that with the one day training for CPR I am now certified to be a first responder in a crucial time. I can easily get a job pool-side as a lifeguard, or riding in the back of emergency truck that is on call 24 hours a day; 7 days a week. I could make money or do volunteer work but regardless I will still be serving the public as an indispensable entity.
CPR for a number of reasons is not taught in schools. It is only offered to those who will take it seriously and abide by strict guidelines. Every situation is grave and victims and their families trust in professionals to give orders and act quickly and decisively. There is no room for error, a person’s life and well-being is at stake. Many of history’s most influential men were well educated and disciplined when it came to pivotal moments of time that can ultimately change the course of Humanity. They might not have known it at the time, but their knowledge and standout moments of true wisdom have had a profound effect on the whole wide world. Activists such as Lucius Annaeus Seneca, John Henry Newman, and Frederick Douglass have all paved the way for the upbringing of millions of youths by displaying different forms of individualistic enrichment through writing. I may not have ever written anything on CPR, yet my experience has been established and is validated by a written certificate.
Seneca, a Roman philosopher, greatly impact those of his fellow domain. He was given first rate education back in Rome and he wrote Letters that were pretentious and philosophical. He argues that many people in his time were not given the same education as he but can serve as a general good if they obtain certain qualities that are unequivocally good in any person. He writes, “Bravery is the one which treats with contempt things ordinarily inspiring fear, despising and defying and demolishing all the things that terrify us and set chains on human freedom”. He is fair in making this statement because essentially in order to grow one must take risks and test the waters outside of their comfort zone. Bravery is an integral part of learning one’s own capabilities. However, Seneca before stated, “I have no respect for any study whatsoever if its end is the making of money”. Yes, he did live in a different time period but nowadays this would be considered utter blasphemy. The main reason most of go to school and do other forms of learning is to ultimately increase our value to those who can in turn pay us for our services. The world runs on money it is the driving force for almost every aspect of our lives. It is safe to say the value we as humans place on money has increased substantially since the days in which Seneca lived.
Another pioneer for the acquiring of knowledge was John Henry Newman back during the mid-19th century. He argues that knowledge in its own right pays off in the end and is “undeniably good” and serves us as compensation for what we did and may have suffered to attain it. Furthermore, he states that it “does not at once reach its perfection, but depends, in order to it, on a number of external aids and appliances” meaning, knowledge isn’t worth anything or even discovered until we inevitably apply it to something in which we may or may not initially be conscientious of it as we are doing it. So developing, may first require an act of bravery and in its process it would yield a greater propensity to accomplish and achieve success. Also, Newman references Aristotle’s Rhetoric, “Of possessions…those rather are useful, which bear fruit; those liberal, which tend to enjoyment”. This accrues to knowledge as a sort of property that can be a source of private enjoyment in the form of a material either physical or spiritual and conversational. Therefore, once again, the fact that knowledge, in and of, itself will pay off in the end, is emphasized to those of us who seek it.
Lastly, Frederick Douglass was instrumental in the good of the world not just for African Americans like himself but for all. His ascension to wisdom came through books, most notably the Colombian Orator. This book helped him to learn like no other slave in his time and it is with this new found wisdom that he continually pushed for more and more. One of his first teachers became really mad at him he writes, “Nothing seemed to make her more angry than to see me with a newspaper”. It was as if this lady never really wanted him to learn if he was just going to use it to act like an actual citizen with the privilege of reading a simple newspaper like common folk. Young Douglass also always tried to figure out what the words abolition and abolitionists meant because he knew it was very significant in his time period. This, to me, really reminds me of how people in modern society are fixated with creating and being updated on the vast new trends in society. It’s virtually the same thing just a different generation and a different time. Staying in tune with a specific generation of ideals and emotions is a fundamental part in relating to people across various topics.
All these historical characters are both influential to me and many others who are trying to acquire knowledge by any means necessary. In terms of CPR, qualities like book learning, bravery, calmness, decisiveness, and quick rational thinking and acting are all integral in saving one’s life. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is not just a single form of training, it encompasses a wide range of different intellectual fields that can and cannot be discovered in certain institutional settings. My book learning has helped me substantially in memorizing how different people, who live in different time periods, and whether fictional or not, react in critical situations.
Throughout history an innumerable amount of work place injuries and deaths have occurred. It was not until the 21st century that working conditions have been indubitably safe, however, no one can say when or where something can get out of hand and leave innocent proletariats in danger. Radium Girls by D.W. Gregory delves into one case in particular that effected many families in Newark, New Jersey in the early 20th century, a time period where many big corporations in the United States were emerging and gaining influence all around the world. Due to uncontained radium a corporation goes under a full-blown attack from workers who are victimized by radium poisoning. Radium Girls, is a short play in which many characters are portrayed with opposing backgrounds and personalities.
At the top of any big corporation there is a leader. An authoritarian who is a force to be reckoned with and is a man who demands obedience. In this case, Arthur Roeder is the President of the U.S. Radium Corporation, the world’s largest supplier of Radium. It’s no secret that this guy has a lot of money, power, and resources at his disposal during the investigation into his Newark Plant. Roeder has a keen sense for business and knows how to get what he wants and he is very capable of manipulation as depicted on page 88: “Every penny. Every penny I’ve put by in the last seven years I have sunk into this company. Why? Because of you. Because you said it was a sure thing. No miss – ‘why work for Von Sochocky when we can work for ourselves?’ Remember that one? ‘Take a chance, Charlie. Take a chance!’” This is the boiling point of the relationship between the two colleagues, Arthur Roeder and Charlie B. Lee. Lee has been Roeder’s hand puppet for the majority of the last decade and he is finally fed up. He cannot take Roeder’s highly unethical methods of running his business and he does not want anything to do with him anymore. Therefore, Roeder has to take matters in his own hands and deal with them by paying as many people as he can to sway the case in his favor. By paying off doctors and other investigators Roeder still has a slim chance at keeping his company and pleasing himself and his wife, the only two people for whom really cares.
The other dynamic character in this play in Grace Fryer, a victim of Radium Poisoning who is entreated to public sympathy and offers of sponsorship. Grace had been working at the plant and thought nothing of her deteriorating health even though she knew of other girls who died from angina and other diseases caused by the intake of too much radium. The death toll had reached 13 before the media called attention to the disturbance and immediately asked her to speak out against the company that had recently expelled her. Different committees and organizations such as the Women’s Club Civics Committee, the Women’s Club of Orange, and the New Jersey Consumer’s League, offered assistance to her in her time of distress and unemployment. All of this while Grace and her fiancé Tom are discussing marriage and if they want to have kids or not with her current state of illness. An illness which was said to be caused by poor diet rather than radium by a physician, Dr. Flinn, another one Roeder’s associates. Grace and her future husband Tom also declined a $5,000 deal to put their story out and their photo, which was another attempt by the media to exploit her condition to gain public followers.
All in all the story of Radium Girls is another tragedy that fatally took the lives of many workers and left many families in a state of shock and animosity. However, those who survived were given $10,000 cash and $12 per week as part of a settlement and compensation. The U.S. Radium Corporation was one of many to be exposed in the early 1900’s and in this instance, Dr. Martland published his findings in his book released in 1906 detailing radium found on dialpainters and in the air of the plant.
In this field one would need to be able to apply psychology using their knowledge of behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods, and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders i.e. ADHD and Dyslexia. All these capabilities fit under the skills a graduate would have after receiving their degree.
Registered Nurses
The bachelor’s degree encompasses all of the skills and abilities stated above, however, to get this job one needs to also possess skills such as knowledge of information and techniques used in hospitals to diagnose and treat human injuries, disorders, and deformities. One would need to check the symptoms of the patient as well as be patient and polite to them. Other notable skills required include, active listening, speaking, social perceptiveness, and service orientation. One would really have to want to help others on a daily basis.
Psychology Teachers
Along with the mundane skills of which a Bachelor’s degree would qualify, one would also need to be able to foremostly engage students in active topics that require active learning by both the teacher and student. Handouts and visual aids would be necessary to truly foster a well-productive environment for the student. Researching current psychology would be well worth while in discipline as it is ever-growing. The class needs to be relevant, however, these skills can also be used outside of the classroom to relate to other individuals, especially, other teachers at the school. The two biggest skills needed overall would be speech clarity and problem sensitivity. Knowing when there is a problem and being able to discuss that problem furtively so that others may feel comfortable cooperating in order to solve the problem.
Arguably, the most invigorating season of the year is Summer, a time for fun under the sun and plenty of sleepless nights. For the youth, any time away from school feels stupendous in every sense of the word. This summer a groundbreaking challenge emerged from the depths of pathology. The experience of a freezing cold, ice cube bath has been condensed into one short splash of ice water on the top of the head and subsequent muscle constricting, screaming, and shivering that is all caught on video and is released to the public domain. This is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that has swept America off her feet in an unrelenting fervor. However, it had become a predominantly adolescent craze that unfortunately incited a group of teens to do the unfathomable: bullying an autistic kid. Autism is a prevalent disorder across America and is known to be unpreventable and incurable, therefore, any action against anyone suffering from this disability is undeniably sadistic.
Autism is a very complex disorder that has perplexed millions of people around the world as to where it originated, its preventability, and the most efficient modus operandi to undertake during treatment. In the technologically advance world of the 21st century, there are numerous opportunities for the sick to be healed and for all to seek guidance in whatever it may be. Although when it comes to medicine and disease, only the best of the best of professionals and equipment should be utilized in an effort to cure and prevent future institutionalizations. As with many psychiatric syndromes, such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism is identified by observing and evaluating behaviors. It is very difficult to notice the particular effects of autism on the brain and so a technique known as Naturalistic Observation can be implemented by a parent, guardian, or Doctor, when assessing how severe this affected individual is by Autism. So in this study, no effort shall be made to change the behavior of this person in their environment so that they may act naturally. Whatever happens is used to make a diagnosis even if it takes a long time to make sufficient observations. The mental processes that occur within the brain are extremely difficult to pinpoint and notice, but in this day and age, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scan, can make the mind easier to track within the brain. The parts of the brain that light up while the brain responds to the stimuli or performs the assigned tasks, researchers assume, provide the answer to the what does it do question. The Autistic brain differs from the typical healthy brain in that it is substantially underdeveloped. Anomalies in some brain structures such as the cerebellum, frontal lobes, hippocampus, temporal lobe, and amygdala can all lead to symptoms of autism. Indubitably, without the full functioning capability of these brain structures an Autistic person is susceptible to social exclusion and derision and may never feel accepted.
Due to excessive cruelty by ignorant teens an entire community is left shocked and exasperated. A 14 year-old boy who had been diagnosed with autism was victimized by a group of teens that convinced him to do the ALS ice bucket challenge, but instead of dumping water and ice they chose to fill the bucket with feces, urine, cigarette butts and spit and then proceeded to post the video to Instagram. Not only did these useless ingrates humiliate this kid they also put up a video to the internet that could have been seen by millions of people. This is in every way outrageous and infantile human behavior that is completely unacceptable. With the innumerable amount of people virtually connected through the internet these days there is absolutely no possible way these abusers will avoid any punishment or negative publicity. Since June 1st there have been a total of 15.9 million mentions of the Ice Bucket Challenge on Twitter alone and Facebook’s stats are even more impressive however, a total of 28 million mentions for the same period, furthermore, 2 million users are sharing content on Instagram and a total of 6.2 million videos have been uploaded to YouTube. All this to raise awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). So why even think of doing this? What makes a human audacious enough to demoralize a person suffering from an incurable disorder? What is innate in all human brains that needs to be nourished by any means necessary for one to feel empowered and alive?
Throughout history and especially in recent history, scholars and orators have developed a wide range of beliefs and theories as to what makes us human. What is it deep down that is the core of human life and experience? Sigmund Freud used to contend that sex was the dominant impulse, and Adler came with a new argument saying that this quest for recognition, this desire for attention, this desire for distinction is the basic impulse. This is the era in which we live, with the emergence of Social Media in the last decade more and more people are compelled to establish a mainstream reputation by procuring embarrassing moments and at the very least making fun of others in the process. The final great tragedy of the distorted personality is the fact that when one fails to harness this instinct, he ends up trying to push others down in order to push himself up. The fact that the victim in this assault is Autistic is a large part of the sorrow this community is facing, however fundamentally, any one who is subject to this kind of treatment deserves reparation and justice. We perceive the world not exactly as it is, but as it is useful for us to perceive it. We cannot truly know if anyone is inherently evil or if their environment molds their sinful and irrational behavior, but this type of cruelty has no place in the world.
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge may have been a very enriching experience especially since so many others took part in it. From celebrities to 2 year olds, millions of people have loved being an integral part of increasing awareness for that disease. However, for those left out (those who did not get nominated to do the challenge), a feeling of social depravity may have lingered throughout the summer. Yet, still there are several who are looking to poke fun at those who, for some reason or another, were not given the opportunity to join this faction. This is without a doubt the most cruel and brutish way to bully another person: through video and social media. There is absolutely no one who could have seen this coming, only the most virulent of humans would undermine an Autistic boy to fulfill their appetite for contempt.
Here we may need to focus for the timeline-being on war and cultural activism.
In this day and age we as humans really do not know exactly what has previously occurred in history nor can we change anything. What is done is done. All we have is books that can transport our way of thinking into a new realm of thought that encompasses the old way and the current, but when it gets down to it, how much do we really know about us as a whole now? And how much can we possibly know about what happened centuries before us? There is no way to truly know because we did not live and experience that certain time period, however, pioneers in the philosophy of human nature such as Thomas Hobbes and Lao Tzu have written extensively on what exactly make us humans and how we should live accordingly with others. The easiest way may be to not care about anyone else but yourself but how far will that go before impudent begging for the assistance or company of others occurs?
One picture that emphatically engrosses the American 19th century is “Storming Fort Wagner” by Louis Kurz and Alexander Allison. This painting depicts the Civil War and one of its most crucial battles. In fact, two soldiers had actually painted it. It shows the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry overwhelming the confederate soldiers as their lead General, Robert Shaw, is inflicted with a fatal gunshot wound that would ultimately kill him. He is placed right next to the flag bearer which is symbolic because the general called out the bearer of the national colors, and grasped the flag, saying, “If this man should fall, who will lift the flag and carry it on?’” right before the attack. Other notable symbols and interesting things about this paining are that one Union soldier is laying on the ground but does not look to be dead but rather is in a comfortable sleeping position. And also, on the Union side of the painting there is an ambiguous sparkle of light in the sky during the day which could mean that the Union army is guided and protected by some higher power. With all these symbols this painting still shows a government failure that of which comes from allowing secession of states and national disunion due to essentially the lack of love by two opposing sides.
From looking back at old texts, scholars since, have been able to accurately denounce what has happened over the course of history. Language has kept civilizations around for hundreds of years and now it has become so mundane that we take it for granted. We look to government for answers to all our problems without first examining ourselves and the way in which we can help. So we get mad when things are not going our way and let’s face it that is just human nature. We inevitably project our frustrations onto the government as government officials also become stressed and oppression occurs and the state becomes unstable. In the case of the Civil War, many years of slavery and pent-up aggression led to the fall of the union and the outbreak of war. An ancient philosopher, Lao Tzu, who has seen his fair share of war states, “Where troops dwell, there grow thorns and briers. After great wars, there follow bad years”. This undeniably applies to state of the union after the Civil War in a period known as Reconstruction, and freedom of the slaves. Were slaves actually free though? Yes, slaves were free from slavery but African Americans everywhere were still oppressed. With no money and no shelter, where could these temporarily jubilant freemen go to earn a living? It was almost as if they were forced into bondage and old tensions were never alleviated.
It is only natural that insurrection would occur after an excruciatingly long and unrighteous episode of oppression. This painting does not portray the reason behind the reason why these Union Army soldiers were fighting so vehemently. The answer was because for too long slavery has taken a stronghold of their lives, their ancestors’ lives, and their children’s lives. “The people are difficult to govern. Because the rulers trust in possessions and activities”. By dissecting this statement as it relates to slavery, we notice that those plantation owners back then really thought of slaves as their property and put them to work for countless hours in order for them to enjoy luxuries like dinner parties and other activities of which the slaves were not permitted. This is not only wrong but shows a profound sense of egotism and inconsideration which are definitely not qualities of a good state.
So what does make a good state? A wise man named Abraham Lincoln knew that a nation could not exist if it was divided. That is why he never acknowledged the Confederacy and painstakingly tried to prevent breakdown of the union. Even though they may seem like the enemy they must be treated with love and kindness all the more. “To harmonize great enemies we must possess that which far surpasses enmity”. Both Abe and Tzu knew that love conquers all, any slight act of kindness can have profound effects in any situation. Tzu also states, “If the government is from the heart the people will be richer and richer. If the government is full of restrictions the people will be poorer and poorer”. As we have seen before, people, like the blacks in the south during Reconstruction, were restricted legally so much that it was incredibly difficult to vote, hold down a job, or even get by without encountering ruthless violence. However, in a state where people are governed freely and love one another the good effects sprout everywhere, socially, economically, and artistically. One example of this is the Harlem Renaissance. The blacks in Harlem were so content and unrestricted that there was a whole flourishing time period of intellectual emergence. The popular music form of Jazz emerged then and has lasted till now due to the backbone of a steady government that allowed the people to love one another as well as their environment.
Lastly, to summarize, Love is the only way a government can exist peacefully. As portrayed in “Storming Fort Wagner”, no love exists between the two sides fighting to the death of one another. So much hate has boiled up throughout the age of slavery, so much so, that its features of racial tension and mutual animosity overflowed into the subsequent period of Reconstruction after the Civil War. However, the two sides learned to coexist in a still separate but “equal” nation during segregation which was not entirely bad in some respects. In some geographical areas, whites and blacks could both profit from maintaining their distinguishable communities to the extent that later on it became easier to finally live contently alongside one another. With time and love anything can heal itself.
Why is it important for us as humans to think so highly and superior of ourselves over other animals? Why is it that we almost always have to have a goal to strive for in life? Other organisms may do the same things over and over again everyday of their entire lives and think nothing of it. Once the day is over they sleep, they do not waste time reflecting and overanalyzing every single moment of their lives; they just live. Why is it so mundane for us to have an impact over others and not just resort to our basic instincts? The answer is not because we have knowledge but its because we subjugate our knowledge to a higher power. Everything has to make sense or else we mean nothing in the world. This is the reason why we look to books to attain knowledge and we look to religion to apply that knowledge to something. One of the oldest living traditions we know in this world is that of Hinduism. The sacred Bhagavad Gita has been preserved, multiplied, and translated over thousands of years and has touched the lives of billions of people. This scripture states the way we should live our lives is to ultimately please the Gods, however, many people, including Socrates disagree and say that being good is the best way to live. Truly, being good to yourself and to those around you is better than devoting your life to please the Gods because, in the end, devotion leaves no impact on the world around you.
The Ancient Greek philosopher of 4th and 5th century B.C., Plato, was a student of the man said to have created the school of Western Philosophy. Socrates, as he was known, was curious and inquisitive naturally and sought after enlightenment with the help of others. Thinking that it is for the greater good of the people he incessantly asked his fellow citizens and strangers of Athens, alike, what it means to be who they are, to do what they do. A series of complex questions to Professors of scholars of his time became too complex and it ultimately led to his persecution. He was also very stubborn and thought his ideas were irrefutable and just. He contends, “Wherefore, O judges, be of good cheer about death, and know of certainty, that no evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death”. Although, Socrates thought of himself a good and wise man, this was essentially the seed of his demise: his nosey and esteemed demeanor was neither governable nor tolerable by his contemporaries.
So does that mean devotion is a better way to live? That depends on what exactly you take devotion to mean and to what extent you’re willing to devote yourself. In Hinduism, devotion means to humbly worship your god and to hope that he may bestow mercy and grace on all of humanity. Furthermore, one should dedicate their life to their god and take responsibility for maintaining the spiritual well-being of the world. This means that every day one needs to do all that their god asks of them and do it with restrained urgency, as it is their duty. This takes a supreme amount of self-discipline and patience, especially in an ever-changing world, one needs to stay true to his own essence. In the Bhagavad Gita, the warrior-prince Arguna, to whom Krishna communicates, realizes the true implications of the devoted life and pleads, “For, O Krishna! the mind is fickle, boisterous strong, and obstinate; and I think that to restrain it is as difficult as to restrain the wind”. Arguna understands that it is natural for humans to fall vulnerable to all of life’s pleasures and to sometimes forget why they do things and the purpose to which their actions serve. The wind is a natural element of the world, so this comparison exemplifies how difficult this path of life is to follow.
If a person lives out their life to serve others and to be good, who is to say that evil has or will ever corrupt them? We may not know every good deed they do, however, good elicits good. In other words, the good someone does doing volunteer work, for example, may have a profound effect on those that were helped, and may in turn lead them to also do a good deed. Thus, creating a domino effect. The essence of this effect is closely related to the Hindu belief of Karma, in which actions create reactions. Even the Hindu god, Krishna, asserts, “none who perform good deeds comes to an evil end” reiterating to us that one who can discern between right and wrong, good and bad, and do right to himself and others is on the right path to living harmoniously with nature. However, being good is not the only righteous way to live according to Hinduism.
The Hindu faith encompasses a wide range of beliefs and goals in life. Hindus have always placed a high value on family, devotion, and action. And correspondingly, material possessions are very insignificant and their obtainment is sometimes looked down upon. Krishna indicates:
The sage who excludes from his mind external objects, concentrates, the visual power between his brows, and making the upward and downward life-breaths even, confines their movements within the nose, who restrains senses, mind, and understanding, whose highest goal is final emancipation, from whom desire, fear, and wrath have departed, is, indeed, forever released from birth and death. He knowing me to be the enjoyer of all sacrifices and penances, the great Lord of all worlds, and the friend of all beings, attains tranquility.
This is the broad perspective of the Hindu way of life and what the gods want out of humans to please them. It begins with extricating one’s self from attachment to materials both physical and emotional. Then, it is by retraining the mind and by looking on all things in the same manner that one will not become deluded or deviated from the correct path. Lastly, by truly knowing the god who lives within, the soul may be free and the spirit will be immortal. Everlasting freedom is the ultimate end in life. However, be that as it may, do we really know that there is even anything after the life we are living presently? Wouldn’t it be better to find peace and happiness here on earth and die then to continue to live forever and ever? Socrates was a man who was content with his impact on the world and would have rather died true to himself than to live with others who despised him. Therefore, he confesses, “I go about the world, obedient to the god, and search and make enquiry into the wisdom of any one…who appears to be wise…but I am in utter poverty by reason of my devotion to the god”.
It is a Socratic belief that being good and happy on earth and rich in possessions and knowledge, is better than being blinded by god, and as a result, poor due to extreme devotion to god with the belief that there is nothing else in the world but oneself and their god. This is in complete opposition to the lifestyle of modern day monks. Monks devote every day to worship and have no care for popularity, possessions, or leisure. Everything they do is to please a higher power and according to Plato that is a life of darkness. Both the Bhagavad Gita and Plato’s texts present obscure principles of life. The Gita is a very difficult text to interpret and understand because there was not one indubitable author, and likewise, all we know of Socrates is through Plato and other distinguished writers of the time, but how would we know that every relayed detail and caricature is entirely correct or pure. The values of society are always changing. What we appreciate today in America is different from that of which was appreciated thousands of years ago in India, and is also different from what is appreciated now in India, for that matter. This is just another reason why those who have taken the time and effort to find truth or meaning in anything are not so willing to divulge of it to others. It is the experience, however much persistence it may require, that conducts transformation.
This [next] reading did give me a broader perspective of pacifism. It is not just about being anti-war or anti-violence it’s about what goes into resisting it. So in fact, it has connections to influential people for me such as MLK Jr. and Gandhi. George Orwell has been known to write about crucial things in his time period and relate them to many different other things to suit a wider audience and be more socioeconomically effective. Animal Farm was a reading done in class in my sophomore year of English. I thought it was very ingenious to use an actual farm and its animals allegorically to represent the Soviet Union in a time where he could have been killed for doing so. This and other writing done by Orwell including Pacifism and the War fueled the Cold War and stirred tensions throughout Europe.
This guy Thomas Merton gives us a good understanding of what our individual impact on the world around and to our self really is. I like how he integrates his own favorite pieces of writings and references many famous writers who have inspired him and who have helped him to discover himself. He adds his own personal flavor and informs the reader that writing in this way is different for everyone because we all have different experiences and training that makes us who we are. We all truly hold a dignified paradigm.
I especially extol Merton for the part concerning Universities. That the best ones encourage students to find their own way to develop and that his in fact helped him to realize all the times where he was wronging himself and examined himself and changed his ways. He reflects, “During the few years in which I was there, I managed to do so many wrong things that I was ready to blow my mind.” We all have these existential periods in our lives where we come to find ourselves caught on the wall of a bottomless pit of trifling and forlornness.
The famous philosopher Aristotle once said, “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.” Sometimes are mind and body lead us astray and sometimes we have no one else to blame but ourselves. These are the true tests of manhood. Can you rebound and become better than ever? Or will this be the be all end all? We cannot count on anyone to fix our ways or continue to find new meaning to our lives unless we realize our worth in every situation and adapt.
Why is it that we who walk this earth on two feet can remember so much? We know about all these previous cultures and ways of life and also so much about what makes us who we are based on where we come from and what we have done. Our paradigm is complex and dynamic yet we can explain and get the gist out of the people, places, and events we are exposed and retain it for future reminiscence. It is wonder how our memory works the way it does and in high pressure situations i.e. tests and interviews it is possible to delineate between what must be true and what must be false and know what we know. Although sometimes our minds can play tricks on us and lead us down the wood of err, there are many things we can do to memorize what the correct route to intellect and success. For the determined student of life three forms of studying such as immediate recollection, rehearsing before sleep, and taking breaks all help to improve memory.
Ever had the feeling that the end of class will never arrive? Plenty have, and although, the act of leaving may be exhilarating, studies have shown that recalling information from class right after class is not only easier to remember, but will also help remember later on down the road. It is innate in humans to associate the things in our lives to help us understand better so pair the things just learned in class to all of the sensations felt right then and there on the spot. When we review material immediately upon learning it, everything is familiar and we experience a rapid rush of recall. It is just plain easier to know what you just learned some minutes ago than what you learned a day ago or even a week ago. The notes you took seem more compatible relatively soon after writing them than they would after a long period of time when they were not looked at. A week after our memories inevitably become clouded and we have to work harder to remember. New memories are weak; exercise them and they will strengthen. It takes time and effort for memories and information to leave a lasting imprint. Therefore, continue to look back on notes, especially right after class, to retain the information much longer.
Another study technique for improving memory necessary to be emphasized is studying before sleep. During sleep, the brain reorganizes and consolidates information for long-term memory. Sleep deprivation disrupts the process. Throughout the day we may come upon God knows what and most of it is wiped away from our memory for good and we really don’t know if we ever actually did what we did unless we take the time to examine what we did, if it was successful, and if we are likely to do it again. We all need to sleep in order to remain effective for the work to be done and it makes sense that the wakeful and refreshed feeling after a good night’s sleep is accredited to how we were able to sleep. Whether, it was a comfy bed, a good movie, a good book or whatever the feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day helps our minds to shut down and we sleep and dream of all sorts of things, big and small. The implicit knowledge becomes explicit and therefore becomes easily transferred to other areas. The brain has many functions and during sleep anything can happen, most notably the unconscious merging with the subconscious to form what we like to call a totally wicked dream. It’s no wonder that studying right before sleep will force the brain to utilize that information once more and see what is useful and what is not.
The last effective strategy discussed in this paper is the action of taking a break from studying. This may sound a little unconventional but it actually works. Say you’re reading a book, depending on the book, a flood of information may come as a huge surprise and may lead to rereading and/or checking back to see if something slipped past unnoticed. Taking a break in any studying may actually be useful just as is taking a vacation. Stress develops in all of us when we are bombarded with things to do whether they may be fun or not. Taking a break consists of leaving the area of which work is done and either relaxing your mind and body and/or transfixing it onto a new endeavor. That is why sports are so much blast and even practice is after a hard day in classes. Following a substantial break we lose the feeling familiarity and the feeling of knowing, forcing us to review more deeply because we are not lulled into complacency by competence. We do in fact become confident in our abilities to recognize information but it is all the time that we know the answer to why it is. Knowledge is different than understanding. To understand, one must be able to relay given information to another so that he/she may feel comfortable with applying it to themselves. One of the major findings of cognitive psychology is that all our knowledge is embedded in a web of understandings and this web is continuously being updated and modified. A break allows us to review material with a new mental set. Thinking from a different perspective allows us to free ourselves from a limited and stubborn theory that may be skeptical to suggestions and guidance. By accessing knowledge from a different angle it can be engrained in various areas of our memory and is more easily associated with the more profound.
There is a vast amount of methods for anyone to utilize when trying to increase memory on a specific subject. This essay most notably points out recalling information right after learning, rehearsing it before bed, and taking breaks in between studying as the top three. With lots of time any information can be locked away in the mind’s vault and reopened anytime. Staying healthy will only benefit and further add to their effects as it will help studying more manageable at any given time and it will make it more productive. To a healthy person, the value of sleep never goes unacknowledged. Memories can be consolidated, collaborated, and reiterated so that they “stick” and become very lucid and habitable. The best ones last a lifetime.
The two orators Gandhi and Lameck are essentially on two different sides of the economical spectrum yet due to the “poverty” and hardship that is seen in their respective countries, they have both talked about what is truly important and how to ameliorate the situation. Lameck says, “Hence, I don’t agree at all that our country is poor, and, indeed, when we use the word we only humiliate ourselves”. This is a bold statement especially from looking on as a foreigner to Tanzania. In actual money earned it may look like a substantially underdeveloped country, however, Lameck reiterates that is all about how one views the current circumstances. One’s state of mind, in consideration of the country’s resources, people, and culture, can see it as wealthy. Gandhi quotes the New Testament, “Ye cannot serve God in mammon” which is saying that the core values of life are not material goods and money. One does not have to have the finest clothes to be the best looking person at a function. Once again, to judge oneself relative to someone else, one will always perceive oneself to be worse off. That is just a natural human inclination.
The first thing that I noticed about this [next read] is that it is once again written in dialogue. This is the form of writing that Plato typically used and it always jumps around the meaning of what he is trying to say and never really does get there to the end where he emphatically inputs a long monologue that is supposed to answer all of the important questions. I especially extol the part that says rhetoric should be used as a competitive art but should not be abused just how a boxer wouldn’t train to fight normal, weaker people. I know that a man should not ever pick a fight with someone who is shorter and physically inferior to him. It is unbecoming and overzealous and also condescending. Rhetoric can really be applied in several aspects of life.
This [for a] picture really illustrates a famous quote from plenty of movies especially those of which involve war or an all-important fight to the death between two gangs. In Hobbes’ Leviathan, one of three principal causes of quarrel is glory, the other two are competition and diffidence. This concept of glory is what is innately evident in all of us. We all want to ascend to greatness and be the best so that our peers and colleagues can look up to us for guidance and assistance. I know this picture might come off as funny and that is exactly why I chose it because it is pretty funny when you look back and examine previous failures in your life. There’s got to be at least one that you know you could have done better at and you might have been really really close to being successful if not for that one instance of a mistake. However, even mistakes help one know what not to do in order to be better the next time around.
This [one of a] reading fascinates me in a lot of ways especially the beginning of it. Dante recalls, “When I had journeyed half of our life’s way, I found myself within a shadowed forest”. This really seems like in medias res but I’m not sure if it really is him beginning the story in the middle of it or if he is retelling the story and everything has already happened to him. Whatever it is I also like how he was capable of finding himself and was not so helpless that he would put his life in the hands of whoever happened to be in the wooded area. It may not really be a question of how he got to the woods, but of how he will find his way out. Interestingly enough he finds another esteemed poet named Virgil who makes it his duty to guide Dante. Virgil seems almost like a big brother figure to me sometimes they can twist their words around so I don’t know what they mean but they are always there for you when you really need it.
Dante encountered ruthless beasts before finding Virgil and I really don’t know if that was a true accomplishment fending them off or if it is just completely necessary for survival. Its like the Darwinian theory of survival of the fittest. Will he have the strength and will to incur damages on creatures in order to keep pushing on? This is a fitness mindset if I ever saw one: NEVER GIVE UP. One question I do have is that if Dante was banned from Rome before writing this does that mean he is using Virgil as a character who will ultimately lead him astray or betray him?
In Canto 24 Dante continues to explore the vast realm of the condemned and comes to those who suffer eternally because of stealing. Dante was a devout Christian and in the Bible it is clearly stated that thou shall not steal, among many other commandments. However, stealing also falls under the seven deadly sins. Therefore, it was almost imperative for Dante to encounter a thief in Hell.
Dante and Virgil first have to descend along a large dark pit just to proceed to next stages of Hell. Obviously, Dante is emotional throughout and cannot help but to be frightened at everything he sees. It is written, “Their hands were tied behind by the serpents; these had thrust their head and tails through the loins” and also, “that soul caught fire and burned, and as he fell, completely turned to ashes, and when he lay, undone upon the ground, the dust of him collected by itself and instantly returned to what it was”. So literally this thief burned in Hell!
This symbolic punishment must be the worst among many others but it is particularly relevant because there will always be thieves as long as there are people with things that not everyone has. It is very easy to fall to this way of life. Even me as a child used to steal. My toys were not enough; I always wanted more. However, time has passed and I’ve been forgiven for my sins. Interestingly though, the dust left from the incineration was able to reform the soul of the thief as a Phoenix would do after its 500th year. This must be a symbol for all of humanity: we will continue to make mistakes but we will eventually get a second chance. However, for a thief that reincarnation comes in Hell after suffering excruciating pain by fire.
There are moments in every journey where quick and rational decisions need to be made. Using one’s best judgment is crucial for the sake of not just oneself but for his family, his followers, for his followers’ family, and ultimately the state as a whole.
In Canto XXVI, Dante and Virgil come to a very special place in Hell, a place that hits home with Dante. That place was the manifestation of Ancient Greece where the hero Ulysses resides. The famous tale of the Trojan War featuring the trademarked Trojan horse are still relevant now in the modern world. However, it seems as though some people like Dante feel that Ulysses among others who hid in the horse, have committed a great crime. That crime was fraud and to Dante, it is a deceitful strategy that should not have been used.
For their vindictive war technique, Ulysses punishment in Hell is very similar to the thief’s punishment. For committing fraud, one will suffer eternally inside of a flame. There is no escape. This fraudulent person had kept things in the dark, and chose not to reveal the truth, therefore they must continue to stay locked up within their fraudulence for the rest of time. There is a pattern to the punishments of Hell in Dante’s Inferno. Whether it involves actual fire or not, the wrongdoer is trapped in suffering for eternity.
The people who inhabit this beautiful world are bigger, stronger, and faster than they have ever been. However, there are two sides to everything and although there are plenty of healthy humans there are also ones who are overweight and depending on how much so they are they may be considered obese. That word carries a heavy negative connotation yet it is still commonly used in jest. Obese individuals suffer from a wide range of issues and it is very hard for them to achieve success, especially because their weight is literally overbearing. We may assume someone is overweight by just looking at them and for that reason they are automatically imposed into a distinct class that is horrendously discriminated against. To examine obesity and hope to fix it one must study the underlying causes of it which include biological, sociocultural, and psychological factors.
The biology of an individual encompasses many different aspects of their life and in cases of obesity, obviously the food they eat becomes a critical, defining contingent of their well-being. It is not just what they eat, but also how they eat and when they eat. Every one of us has our own circadian rhythm and eating at the right times is crucial for maintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Eating too late at night may not only keep one up at night but is in most cases unnecessary. Depressed individuals are at a greater disadvantage because they lack serotonin, a neurotransmitter that has calming effects. Serotonin, according to Engel, Reiss, and Dombeck “is partially responsible for the regulation of appetite, creating a sense of satiation, and regulating emotions and judgment”. So obese individuals may be suffering from uncontrollable eating habits because the satisfying effects of their food take longer to set in and may cause someone to keep eating and not know when to stop. Another key point to remember is that certain foods can have different effects on the body. Also, we like foods that taste good and studies have shown that “binge eating is evident in the selective increase in palatable food intake, resulting in an overall increase in caloric intake”. We have our preferences but whatever they may be high amounts of it can cause obesity. Furthermore, most of us humans would rather ave something sweet over its counterpart, however, prolonged consumption of foods high in sugar in patterns can mimic substance abuse. This is just goes to show that even though we need to eat in order to survive, poor eating habits can become addictive and result in overindulgence.
We humans are known as the quintessential social animals, therefore, it makes sense that there would be cultural and societal influences on average people that may in turn cause them to overeat. Meyers reiterates to us, “People eat more when eating with others”. It is a tendency for us to behave naturally when around friends and family so while eating the pure act of it sometimes goes unyielded because everyone else is doing the same thing. Similarly, it is tough to eat in public alone because we place too much of an emphasis on time with others and for many students, most notably adolescents, it is hard trying to find an identity or where exactly we fit in without the help of others. On the other hand, different cultures produce different types of people of whom may consume seemingly peculiar foods whether they are alone or not. They grew up eating a certain food and have become more inclined to partake of it over others from different ethnic backgrounds. Yet, “in experiments, people who repeatedly sample an initially novel fruit drink or ethnic food typically experience increasing appreciation for the new taste”. That is why the occasional taste of an untried food may be very delightful and may be revisited. On a trip, the food from that area may be the most memorable thing because of the flavors and spices used which incites something truly ineffable in the brain. It can be summed up as the beginning of a craving that may in fact lead to overeating of its portions on one planned date i.e. Harold and Kumar’s trip to White Castle. This however, can be destructive general eating habits that follow.
We have to eat to survive and it is the most basic yet most important necessity here on Earth. All living things eat in one way or another so why should overeating pose a threat to us especially inwardly? The simple fact that we are bigger than several other animals is one reason why we have to eat more but why is it that bigger people are considered unhealthy? It really is not just a physical ailment, the workings of our mind tend to be slower and unorganized when we eat too much. “Research indicates that a diet high in added sugar reduces the production of the brain chemical known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Without BDNF, our brains can’t form new memories”. This means a complete and utter disadvantage for the obese. They may never learn from their poor eating habits and may turn to drugs to manage their preexisting unhealthy lifestyle laden with stress. But we all experience stress, some may say, but for the obese, lingering memories of being picked on and laughed at for their appearance may exaggerate their feelings. Also,their self-esteem is typically very low. Collin and Bentz assert, “Food is often a coping mechanism by those with weight problems, particularly when they are sad, anxious, stressed, lonely, and frustrated”. Those who suffer from obesity usually have a lot of baggage in the sense that their past is filled with pain and disappointment. Bad breakups, bullying, relapse, all of which can lead to overeating and other forms of unhealthy habits.
In summary, so many things contribute to causing obesity and may in some cases be very hard to prevent or avoid. Biological, sociocultural, and psychological influences can all impede a healthy lifestyle and cause instances where one overeats and is susceptible to becoming obese. There are ways, once obesity has set in, to reverse its effects and ultimately be happier in life. Both Classical and Operant Conditioning can be implemented along with exercising to cut out excess fats from excess foods. Also, eating food being seen as a “natural” high should not be taken so literally. We need food for energy and sustenance not strictly for pleasure or to win a contest!
What is different about Obama’s speech is that it examines so many different sides of the social strata and compels us to further our understanding of the importance of education. How to create a more perfect union? Invest in better health care and education especially for the youth of America, those of whom will change this nation just by growing up in an effective society. These kids may not even realize that they themselves will be changing the world but it will not happen if we as their guiders do not lay down a foundation for their success.
The comments made by Rev. Wright were not only harsh and hostile but they were uncalled for and unnecessary.
For many of us childhood stories of aliens taking over the world stimulated our young minds and served as entertainment. However, as we have grown older we come to realize that aliens are most likely not real and if they are they must not be anywhere near our planet or even our galaxy. But what if they were already here? Possibly living among us, off in a discreet, remote area not too far from humans? What would we do? The answer would have to be observe their behavior first and foremost and try to discern if they have the potential to wipe out our species. Then, we would have to act. Aliens present an unknown species and it may take years to check if they can peacefully cohabit this land. We simply do not have that amount of time to keep the people at ease. In this essay, whether or not there should be war will be discussed. However, humans should feel prepared to fight regardless if the aliens are hostile or not. A physical onslaught is bound to happen so we should not wait for them to attack or to agree to mutually engage in battle.
The distress alarm rings each day as news about the alien culture of a small and isolated community in the U.S., is released. These true foreigners are not only dangerous to harbor but can easily wipe out our entire species if they wanted to. They must have higher forms of technology that surpass our basic electricity and to kill them may mean sacrificing several people whom we love. But wait. It does not have to be that way. We can help them assimilate into our culture, it worked with some native Americans right? This procedure can take especially long, though, given the communicative restrictions. So many questions are there for the asking but the only thing we can do initially is to watch them closely, observe their habits and learn their likes and dislikes and that will help us understand much more about them. Did they actually land here recently? Or have they been here longer than us and we just did not even realize till now? How easily can they blend in with us? Orwell argues, “Like war propaganda, it concentrates on putting forward a ‘case’, obscuring the opponent’s point of view and avoiding awkward questions” . He is saying that peace propaganda and war propaganda are essentially have the same underlying course which is to upgrade one view by degrading the opposition. Movies and digital images give us a stereotypical appearance of aliens and it is easy to see their intentions with the characters they portray. Fact is, movies are propaganda and big box office movies such as E.T. and Paul have been commonly talked about in the last 30 or so years. The aliens in these contemporary hits were really peaceful but it’s hard to imagine if big name writers or early movie producers even knew or fantasized about the presence of aliens in the early-mid 20th century (emergence of video and lots of warfare) because they never did any pieces on them. We truly are the superfluous generation. So inevitably our minds run wild with even the slightest bit of what we don’t truly know. Many assume the possibilities and many try to reason, however, the most we can know is of ourselves and we will ultimately become the aggressors in a dynamic where we are trying to figure out as many details of these future terrorists as possible. Aliens, no matter what, pose a threat to national security.
The answer to the profoundly critical question of whether or not to fight is obvious: to protect the fate of the whole civilization we must sacrifice many of us in the art of war. Aliens are living among us, they are off to themselves in the wilderness but they are still here and are a force to be reckoned with. Assimilation would only be a valued idea if they were humans but they are obviously not. They are also not far weaker than us and may not be so willing to cooperate. Furthermore, since they have been hostile to us before they may be hostile again. George Orwell has reiterated, “He that is not with me is against me”. Although, they are on our soil we are superior to them in population for the time being, therefore, it is for the greater good of the state that we suppress them as much as possible. We have the odds!
It is evident throughout the history of man that we are prone to fighting, verbally and physically, However, verbal disagreements can be settled in mutual disagreement, when it becomes physical it is never settled until one side is clearly, the undisputed winner. This dynamic presents another problem. These aliens are on a completely different biological pattern, they have different experiences, and they think differently than us humans. There is no way that we will be able to realistically ever communicate with them effectively if we choose to coincide with each other. That means when it comes to a disagreement of any type it is bound to become physical. War is inevitable whether we like it or not we might as well start preparing our weapons of mass destruction capable of obliterating aliens. This need not be covered up either, due to certain restrictions of communicating, we can easily let all humans worldwide know what we plan to do. It does not have to be all decided by the President. If we as humans are all on the same platform when it comes to banishing this common foreigner than it will be easier to unify against them and manufacture our defense and weaponry much more efficiently.
The last immediate problem we face is from an ethical view. If these aliens are in fact peaceful then who are we to eviscerate them mercilessly? Just because they may look and act differently does not mean that they are evil. They may, however, be biologically poisonous to the Earth which makes it more of an obvious solution to destroy them or force them away. We are organisms that feed on competition, we inevitably fight for our beliefs. Who’s to say that we won’t throw the first punch? It is not like we ever have to go to war but sometimes it is very hard not to. We humans are the social animal. The fact that we can communicate with others orally, or through writing puts us above other animals. The pen in some ways can incite violence, for example, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This incredibly emotion provoking book practically led to the breakout of the American Civil War. Women do have just as much of an equal role in war as men. A war expert, Margaret Mead asserts, “Once an invention is known and accepted, men do not easily relinquish it”. Here the invention is war which she believes is a social construction that is not entirely necessary but is the “easy way out” of sorts. From cavemen, to the crusaders, to Washington and the Brits, all we can do at times is to fight and kill, especially, when it becomes a territorial disturbance.
In summary, war is not only impending but simply cannot be avoided. These aliens are on American soil and have no place being here. Their cause is one that cannot even be understood because of communications barriers and therefore they cannot assimilate at all. Also, due to biological discrepancies, our two species cannot coexist nor cohabitate this land. However, they can dispose of us and our land because they are home to somewhere else which definitely better suits them. They must leave. They do not have to be shown our wrath; they can actually benefit us by leaving Earth and by telling other aliens that we are a powerful and destructive species that is willing to fight to the death. George Orwell and Margaret Mead help us to understand that we are who we are and we will continue to fight with one another and against others until it is engrained in our minds that there are better solutions.
In [Voltaire’s Candide] Chapter 6, the aftermath of a large earthquake has incited the sages to conjure up a means to calm the people. The ironic joke here is that they think burning people alive is a sound way to prevent future earthquakes. So right off the bat Voltaire is accusing these wise men in authority of occasionally using it, their power, in an abusive and seemingly capricious manner. Unfortunately, Candide and Pangloss wound up in the lot of prisoners who will soon be punished. However, their punishment is as tentative as standing up for your beliefs even if it is just stating them (Pangloss), and following prohibited beliefs (Candide). It’s almost like two whole sides are being oppressed for one somewhat intolerable ideology. Unlike the newly independent America, France is lagging behind and is limited by lack of some unalienable rights such as free speech and free fellowship. Voltaire is really disgusted by the stagnant government led by cronies who are stubborn and suffer from complacency.
Instead of some other less reign-of-terroresque treatment, Candide and Pangloss are imprisoned for eight days and then ruthlessly beaten during a public ceremony. The only thing worse would be to be one of those burned alive like the men who chose not to eat bacon. Interestingly, pork is said to be what actual human flesh tastes like and so it’s almost as if Voltaire is condemning those in charge for not opening up to fresher ideas, but rather reinforce themselves by doling out pain. There is no way torturing and inexplicable sensations of pain will eventually motivate the wrongdoers to follow the rules, especially since most of them are murdered and not given a second chance. And for nothing too, there was another earthquake that same day so this treatment had absolutely nothing to show for it and was completely ineffective.
From this excerpt of Candide I have come to find out that this book must be very jam-packed and full of adventure. Other notable things that stand out to me are the ways some things do not get explained fully especially the part where Candide after being kicked out of the castle is now put in chains by Belgians who show a lot of patriotism and devotion to their king. So for being in superficial support of their king he is now put handcuffed and imprisoned within their regiment to submit to strange training in which he does actually show progress. This in a way reminds me of Dante, I know we just finished Inferno I see some similarities and parodies of sorts by Voltaire.
For one, Candide is exiled away from the great Castle and the kingdom immediately dwindling just like how Dante’s egress leads to him exposing all of Italy’s greats and establishing himself as the undeniably best poet to ever come from there. Also in Candide, both Miss Cunegund and Candide both faint at times and then eventually come to find themselves, just as Dante fainted and found himself in the Wood of Error and then continued to faint after witnessing the horrors of Hell.
Secondly, Candide’s old master Pangloss has also survived from the destruction of the castle, but barely. He thinks he is very close to death due to a disease he contracted sexually and now he barely resembles his prior self. This relates to sins committed in Dante’s Hell most notably the sin of lust and fornication. However, Pangloss would not be as bitter with the disease if he could die in the castle so I ponder if the real disease affecting the nation of Arabes and Belgians is really war. Our natural disposition is not to war yet for some reason it has served to be the final resolution in several differences.
Thus, this is foundation for the next civil rights activism probe.
Malcolm X is a pivotal figure in the transformation of America in the 20th century. He was born into a family that supported radicals of the migration of unfairly treated African Americans back to Africa which is said to be the home of humanity. Controversial men like Marcus Garvey, and the father of Malcolm, fuel the effort with their sharp tongues that get keener with every sermon. However, back at home, his mom and dad constantly fought and even with all the kids around they continued to act belligerently towards one another. It was no wonder that Malcolm would pick fights at school with white kids. Yet, when it came to boxing he continued to get beaten badly by the same white guy as if he was destined to fight with his mind and not his fists.
Growing up in the north rather than the south was really no different for the young Malcolm X because negroes were still susceptible to harsh treatment. Surprisingly, Michigan used to be a place where blacks and whites could coincide, however, the whites would constantly talk about the blacks and use derisive words such as the N word like it was nothing. It became so mundane in everyday language that even if Malcolm X spoke out against it, nothing would change. This means that on many occasions he was forced to restrain from speaking his mind. Having left his “crazy” mother’s home he was thrown about to different places and ended up with a racist women and her husband who put negroes in the spotlight in every one of their conversations even when Malcolm was with them, right in front of them. This carelessness along with the dismaying talk about future professions by Malcolm’s teacher, left Malcolm enough reasons to hate white people. He emphasizes that there is no hope for holistic integration because the white man will always feel deep down that he is superior.
There are a good amount of core ideas to the teachings of the Nation of Islam, headed by the “Honorable” Elijah Mohammed. However, seldom are his views regarded as holistically undeniable. Malcolm X has implied in ways that he is a sort of puppet of the meek and fragile Elijah Mohammed even though he has attacked many of his contemporary intellectual blacks because of their submissive and obsequious nature towards authority. Some of the most prominent ideas of Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam were that blacks in America were mistreated, that Allah has the power to save humans, and that Christianity was created to obscure the wrongdoings of the white man and the tricks he plays.
Evidence shows that blacks, have been for hundreds of years, been treated poorly and have been subjects to rape, pillaging, whipping and other forms of torture. Slavery, although it was outlawed in Europe, still carried on for half a century in America, and its aftermath featured long lasting tensions and numerous instances of violence directed at both sides. It is for this reason that one of the essential ideas of the Nation of Islam is that blacks should move back to Africa where it is said ironically that all civilization started.
Another fundamental principle of the Nation of Islam is that the almighty Allah has 360 degrees worth of knowledge and power and can utilize his abilities to save helpless mortals and save them from a life of triviality. It is easiest to perceive one who has been saved if they were before very off in darkness. To elaborate, one must need to reach the furthermost depths of suffering to be rescued enough to feel full enlightenment. Malcolm X thinks that he himself is a very good example of this as he was a dope peddler, and a fiend for drugs, gambling, and violence. He was prone to test his mortality and the Nation of Islam found him and saved him from regression in prison.
The last idea discussed is of Christianity’s construction for the underlying cause of confusing blacks and misinforming a multitude of others. This religion is hated so much by Malcolm X and others under the Nation of Islam because they believe it has distorted the minds of whites and blacks. It is Christianity, they say, that permitted slavery in America. It is Christianity, that accepts everyone and says that all are sons of daughters of the Lord, however, Malcolm X and others believe that we do not all think ourselves as equals. They subject Christianity to an institution set on brainwashing individuals into thinking they are a part of something they are not and of whom are fools because they are continually tricked by the white man who, the Nation of Islam believes, is inherently evil.
Martin Luther King Jr. was another crucial figure of the Civil Rights movement who gained lots of followers both black and white. However, like many of his contemporaries advocating for social justice and reform, he found himself locked behind bars. Racism is a cry for dominance and in the America existing back then about 50 years ago, it stretched to all corners of the land. For a black minister preaching the word of God and pleading for equality were not acceptable forms of obedience and keeping the peace. MLK Jr. defends his actions by saying there was a political powers struggle in the south that made his demonstrations plausible and I agree, a mass of people marching and protesting is not a reason to harm them with hoses, gas, dogs or any violence.
His techniques vary from marches, sit-ins, etc. yet they are all forms of nonviolent direct action which he says, “seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue”. This is in many respects a tentative plan to start the movement or demonstration but one can never know how the authorities and commoners will respond. Especially, in Birmingham, a very dangerous area for anti-race-mingling, it would be easy for violence to unfold quickly and for nothing to get resolved. Like Malcolm X, MLK Jr. thinks it is up to individuals to change the way they view others and stop racism as their collective efforts ultimately makes a big difference. Scheduling a mass demonstration right after an election was essential for instilling in the community that segregation is a problem regardless of the conservatives may think.
There are many forms of injustice in the modern-day world, racism and corruption are prevalent in several areas and not a problem in others. Arguably the hardest hit continent in the world combines almost all social problems to produce a well-underdeveloped society of Africa. Many different field researchers have taken large pains to uncover what the real, core issues are in the socioeconomic atmosphere of Africa, however, it would need not only more money, but also time and effort of millions to help bring this land out of the slump it has been in since the pre-nomadic era. It is often stated that humans first existed on the land that would have been prehistoric Africa before left in search of food, however, communities never were unified and expansion of a State was, and is now, improbable. This region has been regarded as an archetype of what not to do in order to develop a powerful nation of the world and we have seen that hunger is Africa’s biggest problem. Hunger has only been exacerbated by colonialism, poverty, and conflict which will never be remediated without the help of other nations in resolving the factors of the chronic hunger experienced by millions.
In order to sufficiently grasp how hunger has ended up as such a tremendous problem in Africa, one needs to look to the relatively recent history of Africa, most notably that of the 20th century. It was only then when revolutions began to occur as widespread groups wanted to gain their independence. The Europeans had been invasive and abrasive for hundreds of years and had colonized much of the rich and bountiful land for its insurmountable natural resources. However, their practices tended to be cruel and unusual forms of punishment. In the Congo, for example, natives were sentenced to work and as a punishment would have their hands literally chopped off, leaving only stumps along with considerable trauma and risk of gangrene. Furthermore, news of colonization in Africa was largely obscure if not inexistent and their treacherous ways were only accounted for after some exposés, by means of letters, black and white photographs, and journals, reached influential countries. Careless brutalization and dehumanization was documented and featured the French, Belgians, British, and Americans. The Europeans scrambled to imperialize Africa from 1870-1914 and used cession and protectorate treaties to acquire territorial sovereignty and private property to lands in Africa. The basis for this expansion was for these countries to profit off resources and become world powers. However, that complied with trying to spread Christianity and “civilize” Africans pushed the depths of ethics. When they first arrived their plan was to divide and conquer and turn Africans against each other. The horrors experienced by imprisoned natives are inexplicable and provide the impetus for rebellion. Those natives in many cases were underfed, resettled, and tormented by patriots and devoted countrymen. It was their orders to do what they did and they blindly obeyed without considering the consequences. It was not long until everyone in the area, native or not, began to act like base humans, only trying to survive. After gaining independence throughout the 20th century it is no wonder why Africans were existentially demoralized and prone to aggression. Compared to big world powers of the time such as the U.S. and the Soviet Union, African nations were not only smaller but were irrevocably rudimentary in efficient agricultural strategies, especially when it came to the production and distribution of food. Traumatic episodes of field work from colonial times left Africans in no desire to develop agriculturally, especially without the European’s equipment.
Hunger is as much of a problem then as it is now and is terrifyingly greater than it was 50 or so years ago. This is becoming an ever-increasing issue in the world because nothing is getting done to effectively bring about a change in the ways people perceive this issue affecting millions across this continent. Experts have listed off several of the factors that contribute to hunger and have identified these:
As constraints to food production in Africa: land degradation, mismanagement of available water resources, pests and diseases, inappropriate food production and storage practices, inadequate food processing technologies, civil conflicts and wars, poor economic policies to support food production, as well as the low economic and social status of women, who constitute the majority of food producers.
All are legitimate reasons why Africa has been given a “false start” according to Rene Dumont and other colonization researchers. These factors’ onset happened in the oppression era of colonies and have persisted this long due to a lacking propensity for development stemming from ignorance of how the land should properly be used. This land’s beauty has been quickly overrun by industries that only serve to overpopulate its urban areas because of people searching for better jobs and a better livelihood. Many think that the agricultural cultivation lifestyle is too slow and instead desire fast-pace work in factories with low standards of sanitization. This holistic premature industrialization has bereft individuals of core values in life and has subjected them to immediate pleasures in urban sectors, however, both the rural and urban sectors of many African nations are still impoverished.
There were several notable events in Africa that occurred in the second half of the 20th century. However, since the independence of countries in Africa, many conflicts and wars have sprouted and lasted. The governments in Africa tend to be authoritarian and corrupt as many of the leaders are only in it for the money and the riches. Conflicts that include child soldiers in many respects because it is easier for them to be brainwashed into thinking they are upholding the reputation of their village. Also, the Rwandan situation was a deplorable situation. Hutus and Tutsis had been fighting since Rwanda’s independence and tensions finally culminated in mass killings and the crashing of the plane carrying Rwandan President Habyarimana. Also, the United Nations at the time refused to refer to this event as a genocide and only gave limited assistance in helping the Tutsis find safety from the Hutus. Unfortunately, the UN could not fund the aid that was so dearly needed. Its system is flawed because this was where a people really needed protection and it was not given to them yet it was an organization created for this reason. These are notable instances in which conflict has lingered in the postcolonial era and hunger will remain a problem during instability as long as there is conflict.
Stable governments are enabled when there is peace between people, yet overpopulation has sunken the freedom of choice for individuals. Many of the jobs in Africa are in industries instead of in local, family owned establishments like the ones here in the U.S. and so many factories across Africa may be producing a lot but cannot or will not pay their workers high enough wages. Which leads to food insecurity. That of which is defined as, “the lack of access to enough food for an active and healthy life”. Food insecurity continues to rise and individuals are left starving and malnourished. As of 2013 an unbelievable statistic quoted, “12 Africans die every minute as a result of hunger and malnutrition”. Also, Africa has the highest annual growth rate in the world which is why its cities are subject to overpopulation, deteriorating sanitation, and rising food insecurity creating animals out of people who are willing to fight and kill for food. It’s inclination towards industrialization is the reason why it is projected to be unable to feed 60 percent of its population by 2025. As a result of this projection, it appears that Africa is headed for self-annihilation.
The struggle for food and for economic security is so corrupt and so rigid that if no intervention occurs, then the cycle of internal conflicts will continue. The only country that has the true power to step in and solve as big of a crisis as this is the United States of America. We here in the States have showed willingness to maintain peace worldwide especially when it comes to nuclear warfare and this is no different except that in a way this may be easier to control. Even though Africans may be regarded as savages or uncivilized, they still have rights. Therefore since, “freedom from hunger has been described as a fundamental human right, this explains why elimination of hunger is one of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGS)”. The main goal of reducing hunger is connected with the reduction of cultural war and conflict. America needs to realize that it, in fact, is part to blame for the unbalanced and rigid economy in Africa. The whole slave trade had lingering effects and making up for it in this way is, at least, a step in the right direction towards complete reconciliation between blacks and whites. America is one of the few places where stereotypes and prejudice happen daily. Arguably, no completely effective reparation has been given to the descendants of slaves in America and it is difficult to do so now anyways. However, America has been considered as a father figure when it comes to the United Nations and plays a pivotal role in planning world affairs.
America has already initiated reform by releasing ads and commercials for the World Health Organization and others that encourage giving a dollar or two a day to help out which adds up very quickly and can become very useful since more than half of all Africans live below the poverty line (on less than $1.50 per day). However, Hardin reminds us, “As past U.S. foreign-aid programs have amply and depressingly demonstrated, international charity frequently inspires mistrust and antagonism rather than gratitude on the part of the recipient nation…”. America is doing a lot to fuel the effort of defeating the devastating hunger in Africa, it is up to those Africans receiving the aid to relinquish vanity and accept the benefits. Hardin asserts that a country fending for itself will be managed poorly, yet they can still learn from experience and let go of what has been restraining their development.
America has intervened in several conflicts over the years most notably the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Why is it that Africa is the only region that is not getting adequate help? Africa may even be where there is the most amount of corruption and violence so what is it that is holding America back? The only logical reasoning is that racism still exists. Even though there are whites that live peacefully in Africa, Americans are quick to stereotype Africans as dark skinned and very thin. Africans, do have different cultures and lifestyles than Americans but prejudice has persisted since slavery and colonialism. It has become a social norm to associate hunger with Africa, poverty with Africa, obesity with America, and prosperity with America. It is no secret that the ideals and values of each of these regions differ considerably. Myers says, “Ideal shapes vary across culture and time. In impoverished areas of the world, including much of Africa – where plumpness means prosperity and thinness can signal poverty or illness- bigger seems better”. It is something to ponder how skinny women in Africa are dying by the thousands and skinny women in America are living out their dreams as models. Additionally, many of these models suffer from eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and take food for granted when women in Africa are starving and may not even be able to find food on their own.
In summary, we have seen the deploring toll of colonizers in Africa and how it has inevitably led to hunger and suffering. It has been exacerbated by the fact that Africans now are bereft of the ability to cultivate their own land with their own means of production. This agricultural stagnation is a big impediment to food sources in cities which most people go to find a better standard of living yet it quickly becomes overpopulated, unsanitary, and hostile. Therefore, the best way for Africa to get out of the slump it is in is to receive all the help it can get from wealthier nations such as America. A nation that is lop-sided in comparison with Africa as it ranks as the most obese country of the world while almost half of Africa is suffering from malnutrition. Somehow the food supply can be dwindling in Africa, but can be in surplus in America. Africa on its own is hopeless, they have found themselves in a cycle of corruption, violence, and starvation which started with the postcolonial mismanagement of resources, lack of technology, and rudimentary educational system. Africa needs to find help from bigger world powers such as America which can work together with them to find a middle ground where both can improve upon healthy lifestyles and thus create a more easy-going and relaxed environment deficient of racial tension and hunger.
There are more than seven billion people on Earth which is a dauntingly high number of people most of whom one will never see or interact with, however, for those we do communicate with, those memories are cherished and help nurture our development. It is very sad to realize that out of all those people a lot of them have a psychological disorder which causes them to be distressed, deviant of the social norm, and dysfunctional in society. Yet, sometimes these people can stand up and face adversity head on and become very influential and successful. This essay will discuss episodes of the behavior of Tony Soprano, the main character suffering from Panic Disorder in the hit drama TV show, The Sopranos.
The DSM-V is the manual used by all Psychiatrists and other curious and inquisitive researches when trying to diagnose someone who is acting strangely. Sometimes the patient or observed person is subject to the onlooker’s bias and an accurate diagnostic is not made. There is no doubt though that the Mob leader Tony Soprano suffers from full-blown panic attacks in The Sopranos. To actually be diagnosed with Panic Disorder it needs to be certain that one experiences at least 4 of 13 specific symptoms which are documented in the DSM-V criteria:
1. Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate 2. Sweating 3. Trembling or shaking 4. Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering 5. Feeling of choking 6. Chest pain or discomfort 7. Nausea or abdominal stress 8. Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint 9. Chills or heat sensations 10. Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations) 11. Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself) 12. Fear of losing control or going crazy 13. Fear of dying.
Tony Soprano is depicted in the first three seasons of having more than four of these symptoms and therefore would classify as a victim of Panic Disorder. He definitively suffers from symptoms 1, 2, 4, 8, and 13. The onset of a panic attack occurs when Tony is specifically exposed to meat because of some traumatic events in his childhood involving his mother, father, uncle, and the local butcher. Tony is like the 1 in 75 who are affected with this disorder in which anxiety escalates into a terrifying panic attack – a minutes-long episode of intense fear that something horrible is about to happen. This sort of episodic behavior is unexpected and can lead to social faux-pas and other emasculating acts. The TV show accurately depicts Tony to have this disorder because he is shown sweating, dizzy, and short of breath before collapsing to the ground in several instances. Tony was born into a life of crime and stress, it would have been hard for him to develop into someone who does not suffer from Panic Disorder, or anything worse for that matter.
The TV show took three seasons (three years of Tony’s life) to even begin discussing how to effectively treat Tony’s disorder. He has been talking to a therapist throughout those three seasons and she was advised by a colleague to eventually refer him to a behaviorist to treat his condition. All that Dr. Melfi (his therapist) has done so far is to prescribe him Prozac, which did not really help, and to analyze his relationships and dreams. However, that could only go so far, especially, when it is hard for Tony to remember much without reliving traumatic experiences. He knew that deep down he really needed to seek help from a psychiatrist and so he started meeting with them in private and did not tell his family and friends, however, he finally revealed that secret because it was becoming too stressful to be discreet and loyal (as if he was actually talking to the feds instead of a psychiatrist). Yet, he still gets upset from time to time and displaces his anger on his wife, his friends, and even Dr. Melfi even though it turns out that the better Tony’s condition gets the more depressed his wife is that he is sharing his joy with his friends and girlfriends rather than her and the worse his anger gets towards the people that love him which exacerbates the power struggles portrayed The Sopranos.
The overall theme of this show is that no one can be trusted. Tony’s anxiety of future panic attacks, getting arrested, or of impending doom, all serve to contribute to his atypical behavior from season to season. He is at heart a family man but the business he becomes the leader of has all these events that spiral out of anyone’s control. There are rats (insiders talking to the police), whacks (people getting killed and their bodies are usually never found or traced back), and adultery, which is the epitome of the drug system in modern day society. Also, his wife and kids are starting to hate how the family name is always in the news and how people are afraid of Tony. Things will only get worse as Tony accepts nothing else but to be treated as a supreme being which is ultimately only making his friends and family distance themselves from him as the audience is glued in to what will happen next. The Sopranos has been considered one of the best TV shows of all time and Tony’s condition really exemplifies one with Panic Disorder.
In the crazed TV drama, The Sopranos, the main character displays behavior common of one with Panic Disorder. He frequently has panic attacks which involve more than 4 of the 13 DSM-V criteria of symptoms. He seeks out help but does not apply it to everyday life and is forced to return to the same doctor who is obsessed with discussing his dangerous life. Therefore, he continues to be enraged when he goes to her and it seems like nothing is getting better because more and more things keep adding to his stress and anxiety from week to week (between appointments). Subsequently, the recurrence of panic attacks reinforces the idea that everyone in the show is vulnerable to one thing or another.
It’s hard to believe that this has been a very fruitful semester [in fall] for me. Yet I know that I have since previously laid the foundations for success whatever college I attend. My senior year turned out to be a tremendous blow to my conceitedness and sense of entitlement. I experienced embarrassing moments and a total repulsion to the kids my age. I truly did not know what to expect by coming here to Seton Hall University, however, I knew from registration that it would be an easygoing process with only 14 credits. One credit of which was devoted to Orientation to Psychology instructed by Dr. Levy. My first impression of him was that he was a fun spirited laid back man and I liked that about him. Also, one really cannot hate a class that is once a week. However, the assignments done for this class have changed me in numerous ways to further my development into an adult.
There was no reason I would skip a class that is directed for me to learn more about myself and my future plans. That is exactly how this class was oriented and I remember meeting a lot of my fellow classmates those first few days of class. I’ll state here and now that I have always been a little shy and introverted but when I find trust with someone I can be more comfortable at expressing myself and getting my voice heard. By just looking at me, one may think that I have a dominant personality and that I have to have it my way but it really is not like that. I learned that life is really not all that fair especially those homework quizzes that are due earlier than actual class time! I really could not get used to that throughout this semester. I guess a lot of my high school mentality lingered on with me till now.
The first project that really made an impact on me was the Two Week Pie Chart. This involved daily recordings of everything I did over a two week span of time and I can honestly say that I did not really know how to go about it until there was literally only two more weeks left to complete the assignment. I started it by first searching Google for pie chart examples and I came up with an image from Info We Trust that depicted the daily routines of several notable writers and producers of the greatest works of music and literature we have ever known. This jump started the process and it finally dawned on me that life is cyclical. Day in and day out we do the basically the same things at similar times of the day. From this assignment I noticed that my life during this semester generally consisted of sleeping, eating, doing homework, class, and using the bathroom. That’s college in a nutshell. The main thing I learned from this assignment is that college is in fact a place for me to do lots of work and I should definitely get it done sooner than later and try to leave the night’s time for sleeping and socializing.
The next big assignment was the Academic Plan and gosh how it blew me away! The deadline arrived so suddenly and I could not do anything but to hand it in late. Yes, one may have guessed that procrastination hit me, it’s more a matter of lingering “Senior-it is” from high school. Be that as it may, the Plan did in fact help me put things into perspective and assess my future goals and requirements of me while I am here on campus. I have people back home and in New Jersey that are depend on me to be successful and I do not want to be burden anymore. It’s my responsibility to strive for greatness and do it big. Even though my registration for spring semester was delayed I still have an inclination to try new things and value what I have already. Where I come from family plays a very significant role in developing one into an adult and now I know that I am truly grateful for all of them.
Lastly, organization has become a key factor in my life. It is just plain easier to succeed when one can distinguish between good and bad, clean and dirty etc. One of my biggest problems was always establishing priority over what needs to get done and when. In many instances I have placed friends and people I barely know over my school work which is really impractical. I honestly think the failures in getting work done for this class has opened my eyes to what I will have to do effectively for the coming semester and so on after that. Next is an 18 credit jam-packed semester that I know I have to buckle down for, and I know that I am ready for it.
This [to conclude] semester has inevitably changed me in a number of ways. No one but me would know what I have gone through unless I told them and that is something one really has to learn to do. No one already had a predisposed perception of anyone because they simply do not know anyone else that well enough. It’s funny because at times it’s what one says that changes how others act and other times it’s what one does not say. Some things I considered to be unspeakable until the end of the semester that I just recently revealed to my closest friends but other than that I was reserved and I kept everything locked up in my mind’s vault and in three self-journal entries that would ultimately be torn to shreds. The modus operandi that one writes with can tell a lot about a person and mine has changed substantially over the course of only a few months.
There are many well-documented examples of my writing’s growth as well as its shortcomings. One form of development is when I make connections between what I have read and relate it to a modern day circumstance. This is best noted in my first essay, On CPR and Intellectual Advancement, “Young Douglass also always tried to figure out what the words abolition and abolitionists meant because he knew it was very significant in his time period. This, to me, really reminds me of how people in modern society are fixated with creating and being updated on the vast new trends in society” (Akpanikat 3). This effectively grabs the reader’s attention and makes them wonder when they might have really wanted to be informed of something that most people knew about but did not know exactly to go about it. In both instances, however, the media is used to find the information or to, at the very least, know that it is commonly term. Therefore, my connection was across two disciplines, the past and present. The only way I can now explain why I used that type of writing was that in the beginning of the year I was more inclined to try and relate to people and try to make friends. One’s current environment always affects the way one writes.
On the contrary, I have also had plenty of shortcomings in my writing style. The most confusing thing about writing was how and exactly where to cite my sources and what constitutes as a credible source. Writing in formally and academically posed a challenge for me even though it was the eighth requirement for Outcome Statements for First-Year Writing Courses. I also have to write in APA format for my Psychology courses and that’s a little different than MLA. I had no idea that movies could also be a good source for essays and after watching the movie, Glory, I ended up using one of its lines but had difficulty finding an article that said the same thing in my essay titled For the Love of the State. In that essay I cited, “’If this man should fall, who will lift the flag and carry it on?’” as from an article instead of a movie which may have kept the reader in the dark on why that essay’s critical issue was so critical (Akpanikat 1). The movie changed the way I viewed things and it could have done the same for my readers. This is a prime example of miscommunication.
Another one of my strengths is stating ‘we’. This is helpful because it makes me sound assertive, it clarifies what is happening and to whom, and lastly, it includes me in the sentence. I am sure I used this technique in every single one of my essays this year, but here is an example from This Means War, “We humans are the social animal. The fact that we can communicate with others orally, or through writing puts us above other animals” (Akpanikat 4). As seen here, it is clear of whom I am talking to and why it is valid. This also reinforces the idea that we are together and it is us that can advocate or bring justice to any matter. However, another shortcoming of mine is that I can be very colloquial. In my research paper, Hunger in Africa, I wrote, “We here in the States have showed willingness to maintain peace worldwide especially when it comes to nuclear warfare and this is no different except that in a way this may be easier to control. Even though Africans may be regarded as savages or uncivilized, they still have rights” (Akpanikat 5). This examples demonstrates how the use of ‘we’ can be detrimental to getting my point across clearly. It shows too much assertiveness and it is not clear in the next sentence if I am speaking for myself or for all when I imply that Africans are referred to as savages or inferior. A lot of the time using certain vernacular can enhance or demean the point the author is making.
Over the course of this semester in English, I have read extensively on what makes us human and what qualities are good in not just man but in the whole State or economy etc. What really opened my eyes was the Margaret Mead essay in which she asserts, “Once an invention is known and accepted, men do not easily relinquish it”. This immediately made me ponder about the first civilizations ever and even the cavemen. Way back then warfare was nothing but a fight over territory or food and now it has taken on so many more levels of animosity and opposition, but is it really still necessary or biological? Who knows? It cannot be fully analyzed at the present moment but that was surely the most pressing issue discussed in class this year.
Overall, I changed in several different ways. My writing style and I have become a cohesive unit which can get my point across both effectively and decisively. I no longer have to wait and think about where I stand on an issue it has become easier for me to delve into situations where I am content if my argument is wrong or independent from the popular opinion. As long as I can state my ideas clearly, then I am well off, and honestly this course has helped me develop tremendously as a writer.
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