Ethics and values are really similar, but they have important differences as well. The way I see it, ethics are what you think is right and values are what you see as important. I've never given much thought to either topic as it pertains to me, and I don't really want to today, so I really don't see how this journal is going to go anywhere in the span of 325 words.
Ethics for me mainly consists of common sense and general hospitality rules in the form of manners. The golden rule applies nicely in a question of ethics. Treat others as you would want to be treated pretty much sums it up. If everyone applied that, the world would probably run a lot smoother. It would also be kind of boring though, too.
As far as values go, I'm not really sure where I stand on that one. I change my mind a lot, so I don't think I can really pin down what's important in my mind at any given time. The one thing that's a constant is the value I place on a good book. I'm kind of old school that way, but I'd have to say that reading is one of life's more important things in my mind.
I don't really know what else to say in this blog. Ethics/Values was a pretty vague and general topic. I don't do well with vague and general, which is kind of surprising due to the size of my imagination.
The person most suited to write this blog would probably be a journalist. They have to deal with questions of ethics and values in almost every story they report on. Same with politicians. Their whole careers are built on their ethics and values. Not that they always follow what they say, but it's still an important aspect of their career.Everyone has to question their ethics and values every once in a while, but those two professions especially.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Journal # 10: Science vs. Religion
Science vs. religion has always seemed like a pointless topic to me. Why does it matter how the world came about, just as long as it did?
There was a character on this TV show that I love (Bones) who was a devout Muslim. The other characters didn't see how he could be a scientist and still be religiously active. He said it was because he believed that Allah created the world and science is just the human way of trying to understand his work. I like how he blends religion and science into one. He does it so neatly that the other characters accept his reasoning and move on without asking any more questions.
Personally, I agree with that character from Bones. Except replacing God for Allah. I don't really see how anyone could argue with that logic except for atheists. If you're religious and you get into that argument, it's like would God or whoever really want you to be fighting? And if you're a scientist, it wouldn't be rational to get into that argument especially since it wouldn't gain anything. It just doesn't make sense to me.
That's really all I have to say on that subject, but I still need a lot more words. If I could have, I would have made this into a detective or spy thriller again, but I couldn't think up a plausible story that would incorporate the theme for today. I doubt I'll be able to use next class's theme in that way either. Such a shame. I could have written something awesome for those. A lot of my dreams involve me being a spy or detective in some shape or form. That fact makes it kind of surprising to realise that I don't necessarily want to be a spy or detective when I grow up. It would be cool, yeah, but I wouldn't actively pursue a career in that field. Maybe my fascination comes from the fact that espionage is such a fun word. It could also be that I read a lot of murder mystery books.
There was a character on this TV show that I love (Bones) who was a devout Muslim. The other characters didn't see how he could be a scientist and still be religiously active. He said it was because he believed that Allah created the world and science is just the human way of trying to understand his work. I like how he blends religion and science into one. He does it so neatly that the other characters accept his reasoning and move on without asking any more questions.
Personally, I agree with that character from Bones. Except replacing God for Allah. I don't really see how anyone could argue with that logic except for atheists. If you're religious and you get into that argument, it's like would God or whoever really want you to be fighting? And if you're a scientist, it wouldn't be rational to get into that argument especially since it wouldn't gain anything. It just doesn't make sense to me.
That's really all I have to say on that subject, but I still need a lot more words. If I could have, I would have made this into a detective or spy thriller again, but I couldn't think up a plausible story that would incorporate the theme for today. I doubt I'll be able to use next class's theme in that way either. Such a shame. I could have written something awesome for those. A lot of my dreams involve me being a spy or detective in some shape or form. That fact makes it kind of surprising to realise that I don't necessarily want to be a spy or detective when I grow up. It would be cool, yeah, but I wouldn't actively pursue a career in that field. Maybe my fascination comes from the fact that espionage is such a fun word. It could also be that I read a lot of murder mystery books.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Puritan Exam Project
Synopsis: This presentation explores the values of the early Puritan society in colonial America and the various works that came about because of them.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Journal #9: Organized Religions
Organized religions are boring to me for the most part. The only ones that I think are interesting are Methodists and cults. Methodists are interesting to me because I'm actually a Methodist and learned about them in confirmation class at my church. John Wesley was a beast, starting the Methodist Church and all.
Anyway, cults are a lot more interesting to learn about. They're totally awful in reality, don't get me wrong, but they sure are interesting to read about. In this one book I read, (I can't remember which one- only that it was part of the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs) the murder victim was in a cult that was trying to find immortality through spiritual means. It was kind of scary how easily the leaders of the cult were able to control the members. It made things so much more difficult for the investigators on the case.
Anyway- random thought -why are disorganized religions never considered? You could still practice a religion on your own. It wouldn't have to be organized, you could just believe it. Or what if you're atheist? The term "organized religion" totally neglects everyone who falls into that category. Same with the people who mix and match their religions, believing in different parts of several religions to create their own kind of worship.
My friend has this book that is a dictionary of old and rarely-used words. It's pretty awesome. The point of that that relates to organized religion is this one word in it. I can't remember what it was (which makes me sad), but it meant that you believed in all the religions equally. It was a really cool word.
By now it's probably become apparent that I'm stalling for more words. I really don't have much of an opinion on organized religions. I've never given very much thought to the subject, other than what I've had to for church. It has worked, however, as I now have the required amount.
Anyway, cults are a lot more interesting to learn about. They're totally awful in reality, don't get me wrong, but they sure are interesting to read about. In this one book I read, (I can't remember which one- only that it was part of the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs) the murder victim was in a cult that was trying to find immortality through spiritual means. It was kind of scary how easily the leaders of the cult were able to control the members. It made things so much more difficult for the investigators on the case.
Anyway- random thought -why are disorganized religions never considered? You could still practice a religion on your own. It wouldn't have to be organized, you could just believe it. Or what if you're atheist? The term "organized religion" totally neglects everyone who falls into that category. Same with the people who mix and match their religions, believing in different parts of several religions to create their own kind of worship.
My friend has this book that is a dictionary of old and rarely-used words. It's pretty awesome. The point of that that relates to organized religion is this one word in it. I can't remember what it was (which makes me sad), but it meant that you believed in all the religions equally. It was a really cool word.
By now it's probably become apparent that I'm stalling for more words. I really don't have much of an opinion on organized religions. I've never given very much thought to the subject, other than what I've had to for church. It has worked, however, as I now have the required amount.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Journal # 8: Proofreading Video
That video was pretty funny. Taylor Mali is officially my hero now. I hate it when people don't proofread their papers or stories or whatever it is they are writing. I read a lot of fanficiton on the Internet, and it has gotten so bad with spelling and grammar mistakes that, even though it may be a good story, I won't read it if the author keeps making mistakes. I've even reported someone before for murdering the English language. They finally got someone to proofread it for them, so I considered my mission completed.
Anyway, back to the guy on "The the Impotence of Proofreading". I thought this video was epic. Hopefully it succeeds in its mission of getting more people to proofread, not just spellcheck, their work. He pointed out that, though a word may be spelled correctly, you could have still used the wrong word and spellcheck wouldn't notice. It's only a computer program after all. I have a piece of flair on Facebook that says "Spellcheck doesn't check stupid". Truer words were never spoken. He did a good job of staying on topic and using stupid spelling/proofreading mistakes to get his point across.
It even amazes me how many kids in my grade at school make stupid mistakes on their papers due to a lack of proofreading. I get that you can't catch all the mistakes you might have made. It's hard to proofread your own work because you know exactly what you were trying to say and just read it the way you imagined it. I always have my dad proofread my major papers for school, just in case I missed something. It's always a good idea because he finds a lot of mistakes that I had missed. I always have him check research papers especially. Nothing is worse than making a mistake on a research paper that you want to sound intelligent in. If you make a mistake, people might think that you don't know what you're writing about and be hesitant to believe your writing.
Anyway, back to the guy on "The the Impotence of Proofreading". I thought this video was epic. Hopefully it succeeds in its mission of getting more people to proofread, not just spellcheck, their work. He pointed out that, though a word may be spelled correctly, you could have still used the wrong word and spellcheck wouldn't notice. It's only a computer program after all. I have a piece of flair on Facebook that says "Spellcheck doesn't check stupid". Truer words were never spoken. He did a good job of staying on topic and using stupid spelling/proofreading mistakes to get his point across.
It even amazes me how many kids in my grade at school make stupid mistakes on their papers due to a lack of proofreading. I get that you can't catch all the mistakes you might have made. It's hard to proofread your own work because you know exactly what you were trying to say and just read it the way you imagined it. I always have my dad proofread my major papers for school, just in case I missed something. It's always a good idea because he finds a lot of mistakes that I had missed. I always have him check research papers especially. Nothing is worse than making a mistake on a research paper that you want to sound intelligent in. If you make a mistake, people might think that you don't know what you're writing about and be hesitant to believe your writing.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Journal #7: Superstitions
Superstitions are the most fun thing ever. Not really, but they're pretty awesome. Unless you actually believe in them, then they're just something else that scares you.
I don't really follow many superstitions. A lot of them are just common sense. Don't walk under ladders- something could fall on you. Don't break a mirror- duh, those shards are dangerous. And a lot of them I just ignore. I have a black cat, so it's pretty hard to not let her cross my path and avoid tripping over her.
My grandma used to be really superstitious. If she were still alive, she would be freaking out that I own a black cat, let alone that she crosses my path at least ten times a day. She always got really nervous when a bird flew into our windows at home. Apparently that means a family member is about to die. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if that were actually true because I have a huge family with a lot of old people that are all close to dying anyway.
Or it could just mean there are a lot of stupid birds at my house or just one bird that hasn't learned it's lesson yet. None of those options would surprise me in the slightest. I'm usually a very level-headed, rational person when it comes to things like that. Though I do enjoy reading about them and stuff like that: I think it's interesting.
The theatre superstitions are the best of all. My favorite is the "fact" that green is bad luck. According to a dictionary of superstitions that I read, whole troupes have been known to send back their scripts because they were bound in green. That seems really restricting to me. What if you really wanted to do a play about Robin Hood. You surely can't have him dressed in red, that would ruin everything. Another good one is that it's bad luck to use another actors makeup. That does make sense though, because if one person's sick and you use their makeup, then you would get sick as well.
I don't really follow many superstitions. A lot of them are just common sense. Don't walk under ladders- something could fall on you. Don't break a mirror- duh, those shards are dangerous. And a lot of them I just ignore. I have a black cat, so it's pretty hard to not let her cross my path and avoid tripping over her.
My grandma used to be really superstitious. If she were still alive, she would be freaking out that I own a black cat, let alone that she crosses my path at least ten times a day. She always got really nervous when a bird flew into our windows at home. Apparently that means a family member is about to die. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if that were actually true because I have a huge family with a lot of old people that are all close to dying anyway.
Or it could just mean there are a lot of stupid birds at my house or just one bird that hasn't learned it's lesson yet. None of those options would surprise me in the slightest. I'm usually a very level-headed, rational person when it comes to things like that. Though I do enjoy reading about them and stuff like that: I think it's interesting.
The theatre superstitions are the best of all. My favorite is the "fact" that green is bad luck. According to a dictionary of superstitions that I read, whole troupes have been known to send back their scripts because they were bound in green. That seems really restricting to me. What if you really wanted to do a play about Robin Hood. You surely can't have him dressed in red, that would ruin everything. Another good one is that it's bad luck to use another actors makeup. That does make sense though, because if one person's sick and you use their makeup, then you would get sick as well.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Journal # 6: The Blame Game
There are several repercussions that could come about due to blaming others for things they didn't do. The least severe would be that nothing at all would come of it, where the most severe would be that one or more people die. In the case of the Crucible, the latter is what happens. It's pretty stupid to blame others for things they didn't do. They could come back later and blame something even worse on you. I'm pretty sure there's an Aesop's Fable about it, so you know this is serious stuff.
I'm assuming this topic is supposed to tie into the Crucible, because of the way Abigail is accusing others of things they didn't do. I have, however, gotten sick and tired of talking and writing about the Puritans and the Crucible. They're not a lot of fun, and this is supposed to be creative writing instead of me just complaining about how stupid everyone in this play is.
I'm really at a loss for something to write about this time around. Usually, I'm pretty good at just making up stuff that looks okay. Now, however, all I can think to do is another story about Jeremy the turtle and friends, but I've already used up a lot of words. Besides, he wasn't that good of a story anyway.
It really astounds me that the authority figures in Salem haven't figured out yet that they're all being played. I think they might actually know what's going on, but don't want to admit that they were wrong and sent innocent people to die. Either that or they're bored and wanted something interesting to focus on for a while. If the first, they're all a bunch of idiots. If the second, they're being incomparably cruel. I'm partial to the first option.
Abigail is lying now, and obviously (by Puritan standards) going to Hell. I really don't see what see has to gain from continuing this charade. She's probably just gone crazy or power-hungry or some other such nonsense.
I'm assuming this topic is supposed to tie into the Crucible, because of the way Abigail is accusing others of things they didn't do. I have, however, gotten sick and tired of talking and writing about the Puritans and the Crucible. They're not a lot of fun, and this is supposed to be creative writing instead of me just complaining about how stupid everyone in this play is.
I'm really at a loss for something to write about this time around. Usually, I'm pretty good at just making up stuff that looks okay. Now, however, all I can think to do is another story about Jeremy the turtle and friends, but I've already used up a lot of words. Besides, he wasn't that good of a story anyway.
It really astounds me that the authority figures in Salem haven't figured out yet that they're all being played. I think they might actually know what's going on, but don't want to admit that they were wrong and sent innocent people to die. Either that or they're bored and wanted something interesting to focus on for a while. If the first, they're all a bunch of idiots. If the second, they're being incomparably cruel. I'm partial to the first option.
Abigail is lying now, and obviously (by Puritan standards) going to Hell. I really don't see what see has to gain from continuing this charade. She's probably just gone crazy or power-hungry or some other such nonsense.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Journal #5
I think it's kind of sad that an acceptable punishment in today's world is taking away Facebook and online games from kids. The cell phone thing confuses me even more: why would parents take away the one thing that their kids actually use to communicate with them? Facebook and online games take away the social aspect of that part of the child's day, but they should really just be able to deal with it.
I've never been seriously grounded for more than a day, so I don't really know how taking away those kinds of things would affect me or anyone else. I read most of the time anyway, and would still have to use the computer for homework, so grounding me from the computer wouldn't really work. Neither would the cell phone thing because that's the only way my parents can get in touch with me at my extracurriculars. The only way my parents could ground me and actually make me feel something about it would be if they took away my books for any period of time. I know I'm kind of old school and outdated on this, but I spend most, sometimes all of my free time in a day reading. Taking away books is ind of harsh though, and I never do anything worth grounding for anyway, so I don't have to worry about that.
I also don't see how taking away Facebook would be a good punishment. You see your friends at school everyday, so you should be able to deal with not reading about/stalking them on Facebook. It would be annoying, like any punishment, but completely bearable and a total waste of a punishment.
These example groundings really show how reliant we are on technology to help and entertain us. I would hate to not have the Internet and other such technology, but I really wish more people would just read. I worked at the library this summer, and there were fewer people than one might think who stopped in regularly to check out books. That makes me sad.
I've never been seriously grounded for more than a day, so I don't really know how taking away those kinds of things would affect me or anyone else. I read most of the time anyway, and would still have to use the computer for homework, so grounding me from the computer wouldn't really work. Neither would the cell phone thing because that's the only way my parents can get in touch with me at my extracurriculars. The only way my parents could ground me and actually make me feel something about it would be if they took away my books for any period of time. I know I'm kind of old school and outdated on this, but I spend most, sometimes all of my free time in a day reading. Taking away books is ind of harsh though, and I never do anything worth grounding for anyway, so I don't have to worry about that.
I also don't see how taking away Facebook would be a good punishment. You see your friends at school everyday, so you should be able to deal with not reading about/stalking them on Facebook. It would be annoying, like any punishment, but completely bearable and a total waste of a punishment.
These example groundings really show how reliant we are on technology to help and entertain us. I would hate to not have the Internet and other such technology, but I really wish more people would just read. I worked at the library this summer, and there were fewer people than one might think who stopped in regularly to check out books. That makes me sad.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Journal #4 Travel Tales
Long trips provide the opportunity to do a lot of things. A person can catch up on their reading, take a nap, write a story, or even investigate a crime. One fine fall day in the life of Amy Spencer, private eye, found Amy aboard a train. She was absorbed in her novel, determined to finish it before the train reached its destination. So absorbed was she in that novel, she didn't become aware of a scream in the next car until it was brought to her attention by the passenger next to her. Her seat buddy was a man in his late thirties with an awful mustache who had been trying to flirt with her the entire trip. Glad to get away from him, she proceeded to walk to the next car, which happened to be the sleeper car. She was greeted by the sight of a sobbing woman, a stern-looking police officer, and several train personnel. She walked up to the police officer, explained who she was, and asked what had happened. The police officer gestured wordlessly into the compartment next to him.
Peering curiously into the compartment, Amy was surprised to see a man lying on the floor, his neck twisted at an impossible angle. He was quite obviously dead. It was also apparent that there had been no foul play. The man's suitcase lay on the floor next to him, burst open with the contents strewn about the compartment. He had fallen off the seat where he was standing in order to put the luggage on the top rack. He must have fallen and landed on his neck wrong. Amy sighed and handed her card to the police officer, telling him to get her if he wanted to pursue any angle of foul play. She didn't think it likely, but it never hurts.
She walked reluctantly back to her seat and sat down. The man turned to her and again attempted to get her phone number. She settled in and tried her best to ignore him. She wished the commotion in the sleeper car had required her skills, if only to get her away from the man next to her and allow her to do what she did best: fight crime.
Peering curiously into the compartment, Amy was surprised to see a man lying on the floor, his neck twisted at an impossible angle. He was quite obviously dead. It was also apparent that there had been no foul play. The man's suitcase lay on the floor next to him, burst open with the contents strewn about the compartment. He had fallen off the seat where he was standing in order to put the luggage on the top rack. He must have fallen and landed on his neck wrong. Amy sighed and handed her card to the police officer, telling him to get her if he wanted to pursue any angle of foul play. She didn't think it likely, but it never hurts.
She walked reluctantly back to her seat and sat down. The man turned to her and again attempted to get her phone number. She settled in and tried her best to ignore him. She wished the commotion in the sleeper car had required her skills, if only to get her away from the man next to her and allow her to do what she did best: fight crime.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Journal # 3 Hostage Situation
I really don't know how it would feel to be held hostage, nor do I really know how I would react if I were held hostage. I'm hoping I would be able to remain calm, but like I said, I how no idea. Since I've been reading too many comic books lately, I'll describe the totally awesome story of why I would ever be kidnapped in the first place*:
My name isn't really Amy, my name is Agent 77. Why 77? Because I really like that number. My most recent mission came to me through a dream, you know, like Inception. Anyway, I received my mission and set out to complete my task. I can't say what that is, on account of security. I actually shouldn't have stated my name either, but it'll be okay. Like anyone would dare take on me after I relate this story. I headed out in my super special awesome spy car (may or may not look vaguely like the Batmobile), but I soon realised I was being tailed by a suspicious-looking black sedan. They ran me off the road, and when I was trying to get out of my car, they grabbed me and put me in the back of their vehicle. A short drive later I found out who my captors were. It was Agent 78 and Agent 79. I was completely taken by surprise. I asked them why they would kidnap me, and it turns out they were jealous of my higher position in the spy society. Needless to say, I totally wiped the floor with them using my awesome ninja fighting skills. I turned them in to my superiors and got a pay raise out of the experience. I visit them sometimes in prison just to rub it in that I completely beat them. That was the first and last time I was ever kidnapped.
*Note: these events are all completely made up. Or are they?
My name isn't really Amy, my name is Agent 77. Why 77? Because I really like that number. My most recent mission came to me through a dream, you know, like Inception. Anyway, I received my mission and set out to complete my task. I can't say what that is, on account of security. I actually shouldn't have stated my name either, but it'll be okay. Like anyone would dare take on me after I relate this story. I headed out in my super special awesome spy car (may or may not look vaguely like the Batmobile), but I soon realised I was being tailed by a suspicious-looking black sedan. They ran me off the road, and when I was trying to get out of my car, they grabbed me and put me in the back of their vehicle. A short drive later I found out who my captors were. It was Agent 78 and Agent 79. I was completely taken by surprise. I asked them why they would kidnap me, and it turns out they were jealous of my higher position in the spy society. Needless to say, I totally wiped the floor with them using my awesome ninja fighting skills. I turned them in to my superiors and got a pay raise out of the experience. I visit them sometimes in prison just to rub it in that I completely beat them. That was the first and last time I was ever kidnapped.
*Note: these events are all completely made up. Or are they?
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