It's not the least bit surprising there are companies that write papers and sell them. There are companies that pay to do all sorts of despicable stuff. Another prime example: A woman owns a company that brings "sexy" women to parties.
It's a no brainier the people who would buy these papers are hurting themselves in the long-run because they might get the grade, but will not have the necessary knowledge they needed from actually writing the paper. But what about, as the example given in the article, a nurse who's cheated? The patients, innocent people, are likely to suffer as well.
This topic points out human laziness as well as problems with the grading system being number based.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Society is a machine and you are the fuel
"The way our society is ordered has nothing to do with the human genetic make up. It is not encoded in our DNA. We can argue that certain mechanisms evolve to accommodate the construction of society, social identity, and social norms. To this extent, we are always in the process of producing "virtual realities," some more functional than others for our survival.
Knowledge of how to behave in social situations is contained in cultural scripts or blueprints that are themselves products of human interaction and symbolic communication about nature of reality. The media play a significant role in rewriting our cultural scripts, altering our perceptions, our social relationships and our relationships to the world."
I would first like to talk about this particular except "we are always in the process of producing "virtual realities," some more functional than others for our survival."
Going off of this. We are always in the process of producing ourselves through these virtual realities, through our interactions with the media, through interactions with other people who are affected by the media and our relationships with others and the world. Everyday we become a different person through gaining different experiences. This concept of "self" was further investigated by the philosopher David Hume. His theories that everydays we build and build upon separate experiences that the self that we are because this collection of experiences. Therefore, the self we were a week ago is not the self we are this very second.
Our culture creates constraints and norms that become our reality--that ultimately shape our 'self.' Our reality is the reality we know. A structured idea made to look natural and correct, when really, it's a box with intangible walls we're living in.
Why do people always greet eachother with a "how are you?" and why does the other person always respond with "good" or a different word with the extent of that meaning.
Why does each family need two cars? Why are skirts for women and not for men? Why is marriage the only way to signify people are TRULY in love and committed to each other? These are rules of our culture most people don't even think about, they merely accept them and move on, helping construct the reality that already exists.
But can we make our own realities ... thus making our own selves? Can we break from these cultural norms while still be a productive member of society? And why is it, we say "productive member of society??" Is the only way to be of use to the mass culture is to work a 9-5 job, vote republican or democrat, buy a house, a 60-inch TV, have 2 kids who go to college, pre-order our tomb stones and be done with the damn thing?
We are products on an assembly line and the only way to the cycle is to take the time to do something unusual, create experiences that'll surprise or even scare you, something to remind yourself you're real, and not just a plastic component of one big machine being carried through life.
If nothing else, we owe this to ourselves.
Knowledge of how to behave in social situations is contained in cultural scripts or blueprints that are themselves products of human interaction and symbolic communication about nature of reality. The media play a significant role in rewriting our cultural scripts, altering our perceptions, our social relationships and our relationships to the world."
I would first like to talk about this particular except "we are always in the process of producing "virtual realities," some more functional than others for our survival."
Going off of this. We are always in the process of producing ourselves through these virtual realities, through our interactions with the media, through interactions with other people who are affected by the media and our relationships with others and the world. Everyday we become a different person through gaining different experiences. This concept of "self" was further investigated by the philosopher David Hume. His theories that everydays we build and build upon separate experiences that the self that we are because this collection of experiences. Therefore, the self we were a week ago is not the self we are this very second.
Our culture creates constraints and norms that become our reality--that ultimately shape our 'self.' Our reality is the reality we know. A structured idea made to look natural and correct, when really, it's a box with intangible walls we're living in.
Why do people always greet eachother with a "how are you?" and why does the other person always respond with "good" or a different word with the extent of that meaning.
Why does each family need two cars? Why are skirts for women and not for men? Why is marriage the only way to signify people are TRULY in love and committed to each other? These are rules of our culture most people don't even think about, they merely accept them and move on, helping construct the reality that already exists.
But can we make our own realities ... thus making our own selves? Can we break from these cultural norms while still be a productive member of society? And why is it, we say "productive member of society??" Is the only way to be of use to the mass culture is to work a 9-5 job, vote republican or democrat, buy a house, a 60-inch TV, have 2 kids who go to college, pre-order our tomb stones and be done with the damn thing?
We are products on an assembly line and the only way to the cycle is to take the time to do something unusual, create experiences that'll surprise or even scare you, something to remind yourself you're real, and not just a plastic component of one big machine being carried through life.
If nothing else, we owe this to ourselves.
beauty ... oh the horror
From a biological standpoint, the symmetry thing makes sense. Symmetry, even these days, is what is said to make the most beautiful things. But it's clear in many ways that our bodies are very unsymmetrical, at least when looked at in detail.
Beauty is very much socially constructed, but I think some concepts of beauty do root in "survival of the fittest" techniques. Also, I think what some people find attractive, may not neccessarily find beautiful. Beauty is such a general term. People seem to WANT attractive people but ADMIRE beautiful people. It can often times be both. However, more often than not, people will discard "attractive" people after the physical attraction is sufficed, but keep the beautiful people around.
Attractiveness and beauty mostly coincide. However, I feel you can think someone is beautiful without being attracted to someone. I am someone who often tells people blindly what I think of them without taking into account their initial reaction. I think many people are beautiful, in fact, but are not attracted to them. I don't feel beauty and attractiveness are interchangeable, but they can come in the same package. Oh, but this is quite the rarity.
Beauty is very much socially constructed, but I think some concepts of beauty do root in "survival of the fittest" techniques. Also, I think what some people find attractive, may not neccessarily find beautiful. Beauty is such a general term. People seem to WANT attractive people but ADMIRE beautiful people. It can often times be both. However, more often than not, people will discard "attractive" people after the physical attraction is sufficed, but keep the beautiful people around.
Attractiveness and beauty mostly coincide. However, I feel you can think someone is beautiful without being attracted to someone. I am someone who often tells people blindly what I think of them without taking into account their initial reaction. I think many people are beautiful, in fact, but are not attracted to them. I don't feel beauty and attractiveness are interchangeable, but they can come in the same package. Oh, but this is quite the rarity.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
"Melting Pot" --not so much
I wanted to put my thoughts on the "Melting Pot" concept mentioned yesterday in class. I feel very strong about this topic but didn't get a chance to say my thoughts.
Like many things in America, these idealistic attempts of explaining our culture often fall short. It's really easy to describe our culture as one big melting pot of all cultures where we gain and learn from our differences. Although it's often true we do learn from having such an enormous amount of cultures in one country, it just isn't that simple.
This so-called melting pot is merely an idealistic categorization of our country. It's not the truth. The term first came around when people from other countries like Italy, Ireland etc. started immigrating to the country in the late 1800's and on. Truth being, these immigrants (the people who made up this melting pot) were treated like second class citizens. Even in Wisconsin there was the "Green Bush" for Italians.
Fast forward to current times. This melting pot can better be described as each culture not melting, but being melding into fitting the Western-European way of life. Why are people so looked down upon for not speaking "clear english?" An obvious reference to not speaking the way white people speak English. A huge example was brought up in class with bars and businesses restricting people's hair to being the traditionally white. Why are black women expected to perm their hair? Why do black Barbie dolls have perfectly straight, black hair? It's bullshit, is what it is.
I challenge anyone who thinks this "melting pot" image is actually an accurate one to look and think a little harder into it.
Like many things in America, these idealistic attempts of explaining our culture often fall short. It's really easy to describe our culture as one big melting pot of all cultures where we gain and learn from our differences. Although it's often true we do learn from having such an enormous amount of cultures in one country, it just isn't that simple.
This so-called melting pot is merely an idealistic categorization of our country. It's not the truth. The term first came around when people from other countries like Italy, Ireland etc. started immigrating to the country in the late 1800's and on. Truth being, these immigrants (the people who made up this melting pot) were treated like second class citizens. Even in Wisconsin there was the "Green Bush" for Italians.
Fast forward to current times. This melting pot can better be described as each culture not melting, but being melding into fitting the Western-European way of life. Why are people so looked down upon for not speaking "clear english?" An obvious reference to not speaking the way white people speak English. A huge example was brought up in class with bars and businesses restricting people's hair to being the traditionally white. Why are black women expected to perm their hair? Why do black Barbie dolls have perfectly straight, black hair? It's bullshit, is what it is.
I challenge anyone who thinks this "melting pot" image is actually an accurate one to look and think a little harder into it.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
'the truth' grows more and more subject to impermanence.
Mass ideology has to be one of the most enlightening concepts I've come across in college. The fact that our society is complexly constructed through commercial interests is not only overtly alarming, but an exposure of truth. The very fibers of our society seem to be woven and constructed through "ideological power." This power, an attempt to define reality in a particular way, is unavoidable but becomes less effective (in its inevitable effectiveness) when aware of its intentions.
An excerpt of the text that I found to be brilliant was as follows:
"If a society is to continue existing, it must, therefore, ensure that its particular relations of power--its particular hierarchies of economic, political, and cultural power-- continue to operate with some appearance of legitimacy in the lives of the general population."
This class has really made me see the people who have no idea they're ideas really aren't their own. There's a huge different between those who are aware and those who are still blindly being led. Although we are similar, in such that, we've all been oppressed by the mass ideology of American culture to some degree. Some have just been more affected than others. Some are just more aware than others. It's a combination of those two, and experience that make up our personal realities, where 'the truth' grows more and more subject to impermanence.
An excerpt of the text that I found to be brilliant was as follows:
"If a society is to continue existing, it must, therefore, ensure that its particular relations of power--its particular hierarchies of economic, political, and cultural power-- continue to operate with some appearance of legitimacy in the lives of the general population."
This class has really made me see the people who have no idea they're ideas really aren't their own. There's a huge different between those who are aware and those who are still blindly being led. Although we are similar, in such that, we've all been oppressed by the mass ideology of American culture to some degree. Some have just been more affected than others. Some are just more aware than others. It's a combination of those two, and experience that make up our personal realities, where 'the truth' grows more and more subject to impermanence.
Fiber Optics - New Comm. Tech.
Fiber optics pure class fibers which transmit optical energies. LED's, light emitting diodes or LD's laser diodes carry these signals. LED generally carries smaller volumes, while LD has a high volume.
Some advantages of FO's are it is immued to electromagnetic and radio interference, offeres a higher degree of data security than conventional systems, and it's a valuable asset where space is a premium becuase the cables are extremely thin.
Some disadvantages include a loss of signal strength due to material properties and impurities. Fiber is harder to splice than the conventional phone lines. Because of the intricate fibers, the fiber ends must be accurated mated to ensure a clean transmission. Fiber optic cable can also become much more expensive.
Some advantages of FO's are it is immued to electromagnetic and radio interference, offeres a higher degree of data security than conventional systems, and it's a valuable asset where space is a premium becuase the cables are extremely thin.
Some disadvantages include a loss of signal strength due to material properties and impurities. Fiber is harder to splice than the conventional phone lines. Because of the intricate fibers, the fiber ends must be accurated mated to ensure a clean transmission. Fiber optic cable can also become much more expensive.
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