The Drummer

The year was 2008. In Los Angeles, on the Northeast Corner of Pico and Robertson, there was a Starbucks. If you started walking east, you'd pass a Subway and than you'd come across a music venue. It was called the Joint. Abe Horowitz passed it every day on his way to pray at shul. Was he religous? Kind of. But it was more a sense of duty that kept him (religiously) going to synagogue. That, and the tasty pastries and beverages. And friends. He recently had retired from his job at a small accounting firm. He had 4 children and they'd all flown the coop. One of his sons, Sy, was in a local band, Ginger, playing bass- and he often played at the joint.
    Usually, Abe would forgo venturing to his gigs because they were too late. But one night after a game of backgammon with his wife Alice, he slipped out the door to catch his son's band at the Joint. They were opening for a more famous band called Redub Orchestra. He didn't know their music but he knew that his son was  a huge fan.
    When 65 year old Abe sauntered into the Joint, his son was already there on stage, rocking out on his fender P bass. Abe went down to the front near the stage. His son did a double take. Than he nodded down towards his father without becoming too distracted. A waitress came over to take his order. He tolder he didn't want anything alcoholic, just a 7 up. Than he focused his attention back on the band.  They were a 4 piece rock band, with Sy on bass. They were pretty good! Better than Abe expected. If this had been 1992, an A&R guy may have come in and signed them to a record deal. But it was 2008 and they sold CDs to cover gas money. They didn't make a lot, but it was fun and there didn't seem to be any reason to stop.
Abe was actually impressed. He'd had low expectations of what the band would be like. The singer reminded him of Cat Stevens, but with slightly more testosterone. The guitar player Dave had some very tasty licks, and his son was a very capable bass player. But he was most captivated by the drummer. It wasn't something he'd noticed before. He was entranced by the athlecticism of drumming.
    "How could he keep up with those hard beat for an hour or even more?" He thought excitedly. Sy noticed his dad seeming to enjoy himself and cracked a smile. He was glad to see his pops having a good time for once. He was happy he finally had retired, and the whole family had been trying to get him to slow down for years. Maybe he would come down to gigs more often!
   The waitress came over with his 7 up. He opened a tab, figuring he could be thirsty later, and also he was certain his son and other band members would appreciate a drink. After a little while, the band finished up.

shut up ego

When I am at my happiest, my ego is at it's quietest. Whether I'm training, biking, singing, or writing. My ego has shut up and is listening to what the universe has to offer. My hubris has been shut down. I am beyond criticism and praise. I am here to improve myself in order to better serve my people who surround me presently and my ancestors who are responsible for my current existence.
It's time to move beyond the past.

Kyle walked the Petaluma streets carefully. It was his new home for now after years living in Los Angeles. A safe distance from his hometown Santa Rosa, about a 20 minute drive, yet enough newness to keep him from being bored. There were some cool venues, like the Mystic. Right now, though, money was tight. He decided to put out feelers for jobs. He saw that there was a sign up at a sushi restaurant on the main drag looking for dishwashers and servers. When he walked inside, he was greeted by an older Japanese waitress who was eager to seat him.
"Can I get an application?"
"Wait here," She said politely and dissapeared into the back. Within a half minute she was back with the owner, Ray, a Chinese man around 40 years old. He had a youthful vigour about him, and playfully inquired whether Kyle had any experience.
"Yeah, but a long time ago." Kyle had avoided restaurant experience the past 5 years after working for a small mom and pops cafe in Los Angeles that went out of business. He found that the businesses that paid well were more corporate and the ones that were nice to work for didn't pay well. But at the minute he needed whatever he could get.

Mischling Manifesto (new jew manifesto)

How is being half jewish different than being jewish? How is it different than not being jewish? God I didn't want to write this but it seems to write itself as I can't believe people's ignorance sometimes. If I don't want to write about it, somebody will. As a mischling, you are an outsider who is also in the circle. Some mischlings become even more jewish than their full blooded brothers through much trial and error and blood and tears. I find the whole thing daunting.
Anyways, I have a bit of ADD so I may skip around here. Me and my brother have been working a temp job at a lumber mill. A lot of the workers there have complaints about the new owner of the business, that he doesn't pay enough. That he doesn't keep temp employees past a few months because than he'd have to hire them permanently. Anyways, my brother heard one of the employees say "What a JEW." Is the guy a jew? No. But to many people, he is what jews represent. And I for one, am sick of the stereotype.
Before you gripe, I'm not one of those people who complains "antisemitism" at every turn. I have been friends with every type of person under the sun, including some who claimed to not be very fond of my mother's people. Am I a masochist? No, but in my youth I had things to prove. Now I don't. If somebody wants to be a bigot I let them be. As far as I can tell, if I tell a guy like our fellow employee that I'm jewish, he will probably find something about me he doesn't like and match it up with his stereotype. Like maybe he thinks I'm a liberal long haired hippy even though I don't consider myself liberal OR conservative.
My father, who is not jewish, took me and my brother to visit an old man he had known once. He was a guy in southern california who used to employ my dad to mow his lawn and do various other chores. When the guy was going off on jews and how he hates his them worse than anyone, my dad reminded him that "my wife is jewish." The guy turned pale and looked like he was going to croak on the spot. He apologized profusely. My dad wasn't angry. He too had heard this stuff quite a bit I'm sure. Plus it was an old guy. What are you going to do?
But the memory stayed with me for a long time. Why did the guy hate jews? I loved my jewish family. They were fun. I enjoyed passover and it always seemed like a fun and mystical holiday. Why did the stereotype about greedy jews bother me so much? I think it was because I felt like it was such a flagrant misunderstanding.
When I see people on twitter who believe the jews run everything, or the holocaust didn't happen, I'm not sure what their endgame is. I will speak about the holocaust. A lot of people these days call it the holohoax because they don't believe it actually happened. I guess they believe if jewish people started this myth it would put them in a position of power where they could take over israel and run shit and nobody could say anything because of their past oppression. I guess if I wasn't jewish and I never met a jew in my life and everytime I turn around I see Wolfowitz and whoever seeminglyis in political positions of power, a lot of jews obviously in showbiz, I might wonder what the trip is. But I'm here to say, I lived among jews and I've lived among nonjews. In my experience, I generally love us. I spent time in Ireland too. I have Irish blood. If I had to choose between Israel or Ireland, I'd choose both. I'd be bi-continental. But I don have to say jews stick together partially because of antisemitism. With all of that out there, it's comforting to be around people who are of a similar background.
Anyways, back to the holocaust. On my mom's side, My grandmother was put into concentration camps as a teen. She had been starving in the ghetto where she watched her father die. Her boyfriend and mother and siblings (all but one) were all killed, most in the gaschambers that some say today did not exist, and one in the warsaw uprising. She had one brother who survived and moved to Israel. When I was cleaning out her apartment I found notes from a psychiatrist who talked about how my Grandmother suffered from post traumatic stress from watching SS officers throw babies into the air and shoot them. Did she talk about this anyone else? NO. The general stereotype of we jews going around throwing holocaust hissyfits at everyone we meet goes against the odds of what my grandparents were like. They tried to keep it under wraps as much as possible. My grandmother only granted an interview about what happened to her when she heard about people saying it never happened.
My grandfather was quite a bit older and had a family of his own, a wife and two daughters, who were taken from him and massacred. My aunts I would never know. I often think that if the holocaust hadn't happened, I wouldn't be here right now. My grandparents would have carried out their lives with their significant others of that time and would never have married each other. On a sidenote, if my father wasn't a vietnam veteran who, having survived being a marine and going to school, wouldn't have met my mother without that experience. This doesn't mean my birth is so important that I'm glad the holocaust and the vietnam war happened. It's just something I ponder sometimes. It's so strange to me that people argue about something  they supposedly think didn't happen whereas I wouldn't be here if it hadn't happened. But the problem is, what can I say to these people that hasn't already been said? They are frustrated by what seems to be a staggering number of jews killed. Ya know what? That's what a genocide is. And I'm not one to say it hasn't happened to others. Look how many other people were killed in world war 2! I don't suggest that isn't a tragedy. The reason why the holocaust is a big deal to the jews is because of the huge percentage of the population it wiped out. And something I think about is my grandma used to say it was the best ones who died. Maybe she meant the children, maybe the elderly. Or maybe the ones who were selfless and didn't cling to survival. The ones who gave up their bread for others.
I just wish I could take some of these people who hate jews and have them meet my grandmother and eat her delicious food. I wish they could take part in the fun holidays, sing the songs, dance the dances of my mother's people. But that's only a part of me. The other part of me knows that hate runs very deep and isn't given up very easily.
A lot of people these days, including a group of  men who claim that they are the real jews and the  ashkenazi jews are evil imposters, cling to a belief that the ashkenazi were not original biblical jews and instead converted to judaism in the 15th century. I don't know what's true or false, I wasn't there. But judaism afterall, is a culture and a religion. If your great great grandparents converted to catholicism and you're a practicing catholic does that make you a fake catholic because of their conversion? BUT the argument stems from the fact that people don't think ashkenazi jews belong in israel. There is a guy on the internet who makes videos and interviews people who did an "expose" on how ashkenazis are fake jews, and how we are horrible clowns that run around in big hats. Yet than he goes on to interview a drummer who "PLAYED WITH THE BEASTIE BOYS!" Hey Brodius Maximus,quit hating on jews and than idolizing their art at the same time. This happens all the time with basic bitch jew haters. I knew this one asshole who would go off of on me for being jewish and than he would proclaim his love for Kubrick. "Best director ever." "He was jewish," I'd say. "All you jews want to claim everyone for you own!" I merely mentioned it because I was so tired of the hypocrisy. If you're going to hate on us than stop celebrating our art. It reminds me of how Joe Strummer used to say people who don't smoke shouldn't be allowed to listen to art created by people who smoke. It's kind of A silly thing to say, but it speaks about his authenticity.
when you're a mischling, it's like the jewish version of being mulatto. You don't quite fit in either side. But you're extra close with your fellow underdogs too. I am not saying this as woe is me. I don't know if I would enjoy the comfort and homogeneity of a people who are perfectly accepted. It's not what I know.
I just know that all my life I have heard people say rotten things about jews. Am I oppressed? NO. Guarded? Yes. I even recently had a roommate who confided to me that his grandparent had been a nazi. He didn't know I was jewish, and I kept my mouth shut about it. I don't know why.  A lot of people would think it was a subservient position. For me it was one of survival. I don't have a lot of money, I'm living in a convenient affordable circumstance, and I wanted to avoid awkwardness. We became pretty good friends. The worst he'd say about jews were a lot of them lived in beverly hills and a lot of them had money. That's probably why he never guessed I was! I was broker than him.
Now recently, I responded on twitter about the young lady who was mean to the lyft driver with the hawaiian bobblehead. I made some  quips directed at the absurdity of the situation. Pretty soon, Alt right people started retweeting me. I went through one of the guy's tweets and he was a pretty stereotypical jew hating holocaust denier. I wasn't thrilled about that.
But what are we going to do? Whine about it like the ADL? Personally, I think the jews on the Alt right are dealing with things in a better way. They are reaching out all across the board. They are having conversations online with people who have never met jews before. They are listening to their point of view.They are arguing with them. They are communicating and expressing their freedom of speech. It could be said that it's healthier to bash it out over the internet than to do as we have in midevil times. On the other end of the coin, people who completely sell out to the other side remind me of the jews who considered themselves patriotic germans before jews, but still got sold down the river. And what about jews who don't give a crap about being jewish? Internet bigots wax philosophically about the "Evil Talmud," but how many jews even read the Talmud? And furthermore, there is weird stuff in every kind of midevil literature, religious and otherwise.
The idea that jews are pushing for mass immigration is complicated. A lot of jews, believe that if they take the position of sovereignty, it would be hypocritical because they needed the help in the 1940s. They can't believe in good conscience that they could ignore Syrians, for instance. But there's a hell of a lot of jews who are as diehard as any confederate flag waving good old boy when it comes to the subject. To lump a whole group of people is ignorant. But a lot of people who preach this stuff aren't necessarily stupid in the classical sense of the word. What I actually believe about jewish power, and I've thought about this  a lot, is that a lot of jews are put in positions of power, some from merit, and some from masters above them to be sort of frontmen and make it SEEM like jews have a lot of power. Some jews have money but look at where the real dough is! You think Stephen Spielberg is even in the same category as these billionaire sheiks from Saudi Arabia?
The judaism I sometimes feel at odds with is certain sections of orthadox judaism. In some ways, there's a comfort to that world. I lived in Pico robertson in LA for a number of years and enjoyed it. But the kosher thing, come on. Really? My whole thing is I think you're better of eating as little meat as possible. I feel like most orthadox stuff is obviously not divine. All the rules, the separation. I find it embarrassing actually. But than if you meet these people, many of them are likeable! Not all but many. I just couldn't live like that, worrying about whether I flicked a light switch or not on the sabbath. And separating your dishes, etc. I'm already OCD enough. I also HATE the concept of circumcision. I think it's a crime to chop off our foreskin. Lets us have the whole thing please! Life is already fucking hard enough. So basically I think Judaism would be pretty rad if they stopped chopping off foreskins and taking kosher laws so damn seriously. And don't get offended about christmas. Anyways I think there's a new breed of new jews coming along. We don't get shocked so easily. We mix easily with the crowd. We work blue collar jobs.

Why U2 is influential to me.

    When I was a young kid for years my favorite band was the Beatles. I got my first cassette of theirs, a greatest hits collection, and wore it out. I went through my parent’s record collection and listened to Seargent Peppers, Revolver, and other LP’s. But than one day almost thirty years ago, I was on a camping trip with my family. I was in the very back of the station wagon near the rear speakers. And out of that speaker came a loud blaring repetitive guitar line that echoed into my ear. There were vocals that sounded like they came from a modern day impassioned philosopher. The song was called “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” And the band was U2. I was probably 11 or 12 but it was the most essential piece of music I ever heard. Pretty soon it became my favorite band, even more than the Beatles.

When my family pulled up into a pizza joint in southern Oregon, I looked on the juke box. There was that song again. I put it on and sat transfixed as I listened to the song again. A couple years later, I had the whole Joshua Tree album. I was also learning how to play the guitar. I was at a bookstore and saw that there was a chord book for every song on the whole album. I would sit down with my guitar and chord book and play along with the cassette until I knew every song.

A few years after that, I saw them play the Zoo TV tour. It was an amazing concert. How was this band of four guys from Ireland able to transfix a crowd of several thousand all by themselves for nearly three hours? The songs. The reason why U2 is the most important band isn’t because Edge is the best guitar player, Bono is the best vocalist, or Adam and Larry are the greatest rhythm section. What makes them important is their body of work. No band that has been around for four decades can compete with their discography and continue to create compelling music at the same time.  Even though their latest album is not quite they dynamo that their first albums were, there is still enough great material to make it worth listening to. Their music means something to people. It’s spiritual, yet it leaves you alone at the same time. “I can’t change the world, but I can change the world in me when I rejoice,” Bono sings on October, their second album. I rejoiced along with their records growing up in my youth, and I still do as I gravitate towards middle age. And I believe they will be listened to for a long long time. 

  Nothing was charged on any

credit cards. But my peace of mind had dissolved and my paper went unwritten.  So that’s my excuse,

along with waiting too long to finish it. That’s when I decided sometimes I’d rather not have to think for

 myself. I’m kidding of course, but maybe, Dystopia is fun sometimes.

This got me to thinking about our hero Mae in Dave Egger’s book “The Circle.” Why had she

decided to suppress her emotions so many times in this novel, going against her own conscience

and what she felt was comfortable? The answer lies in the need for comfort and security. It also

shows how easily somebody can be controlled when you lavish all kinds of gifts upon them. Mae

 is not that much different from you or I. She wants to provide for herself. She wants her sick father to

get the proper care he needs. When it’s realized that her parents are able to be put on her medical plan,

the pressure is compounded as well. Mae feels a need to prove herself. She starts going to more

meetings, accepting copious invitations to parties and luncheons that she no longer has time for. Her life

becomes all about the Circle.

                When Mae decides to go on a Kayak ride, she is given a guilt trip. Why would she want to go

alone? Why not post it onto the online forum and see if other employees from the Circle would want to

go? But anybody knows that when you’re making plans it becomes so much more complicated with each

extra person invited. Mae soon begins to realize that she doesn’t have the luxury of alone time

 anymore. The spontaneity of the past is gone. She must do whatever she can to keep this job.

                  Nicholas Carr, when writing his book the Shallows, makes some interesting observations about

Google and it’s godlike omniscience in the lives of it’s employees. On page 151 he mentions how

“Google recruits volunteers for eye tracking and other psychological studies at their in-house usability

lab.” And that “Google continually introduces tiny permutations in the way it’s sites look and operate,

shows different permutations to different sets of users, and then compares how the variations influence

the users’ behavior- how long they stay on a page, the way they move their cursor about the screen,

what they click on, what they don’t click on, where they go next.”  All of this research greatly contributes

 to Google’s bottom line. And Google is no different than many other businesses out there.

                I once worked for an App development company and one of the Startups we were working with

wanted to be able to take user information based on all past purchasing and push coupons and

advertisements towards them. This is something we are seeing more and more of. I’m afraid that even

though transparency is convenient, people are losing something sacred at the same time.  On page 202

in the Circle, Francis records a sexual interaction with Mae. Even though she is startled by this, she has

 become so used to these intrusions of technology that she no longer seems to be capable of outrage. Is

this what having cameras on our phones is setting us up for?  

                “I won’t advertise it or anything,” Francis assures her. And there’s really nothing she can do. She

is so caught up with becoming transparent that she figures she just has to let it go. The other end of the

coin is that there is probably so much stuff out there, eventually, it doesn’t matter if a video of you

having sex is out there because people will probably ignore it.

                What Mae doesn’t seem to realize in this story is that for every newfound freedom and

convenience that she accepts, she seems to give up more and more of her freedoms.  It makes me think

of the 40^th law in Brian Greene’s book “The 48 laws of power” where he states “What is offered for free

is dangerous- it usually involves either a tick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for.

 By paying your own way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt, and deceit. It is also often wise to pay the full

price- there is no cutting corners with excellence. “  Although, I do realize she is not trying to get by as a

freeloader, I recognize how easy it is to sometimes takes the shortcut. But Mae is merely doing what a

lot of us do.  Because it’s fun to surrender and be part of the pack.   People in general crave a sense of

belonging. But is the workplace the proper place to find this sense of belonging?  Are we designed to

choose our social schemes around people who happen to be found in our workplace?

                Mae’s friend Annie, who initially is ther person who got her the position at this place, is a

mentor of sorts. She constantly calms Mae down and urges her to fall into line. When

misunderstandings happen, like Mae unknowingly turning down an invitation for a Portugese themed

party, Annie assures her it’s not that big of a deal, that these things happen to everybody at the Circle.

Everybody seems to revere Annie. It’s a lot for poor Mae to live up to. So she gives it her best. She works

extremely hard to prove that she is worthy of the gifts bestowed upon her.  She soon is working

overtime to become the dynamo of social media that everybody at the company is encouraging her to

be. And she seems to be having fun. Because Dystopia can be fun.

Even in Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, where employees take a mellowing drug called Soma, people are

generally content. It’s all some people care about. The danger is that eventually does society begin

punishing those who don’t fall into line?

Report on Debates 

I think that the debates were overall very impressive and informative. I’m grateful that I listened to them, and wouldn’t have thought of sitting down and actually listening to a whole debate if I hadn’t taken this class. The first debate I watched was the Democratic Debate in Flynt Michigan.

One of the things that impressed me the most was Bernie Sander’s history with civil rights issues. Sanders was arrested in Chicago in the 60’s for trying to desegregate the schools in protests. He has a lot of “street credibility” on these issues. I believe that Hilary was also sincere when she talked about seeing Martin Luther King speak when she was 14 years old. I believe that is what makes the Democrats in some ways more likeable than the Conservatives is their ability to converse about race more honestly. When they talked about the anti-crime bill of 1994, Bernie Sanders made a great point overall about bills- that they have good and bad issues within them. A man was saying that because of that bill, more black men were incarcerated. But Bernie pointed out that if he had voted against the bill, it could be said that he voted for assault rifles and violence against women. I believe both candidates are excellent speakers.

In the Democratic debates, Bernie Sanders brings up over and over again the loss of the middle class. He talks about having been to Mexico and seen people working for .25 a day. He believes Hillary sided with Wall Street, and if she's going to say anything against them she shouldn't be giving speeches for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Hilary defended herself to claiming that Sanders is a one sided candidate and criticized him for not seeing the whole picture on many issues, and for voting against the Export import banks. Bernie believes that we have to do all that we can to avoid jobs going overseas so that the “fatcats” can save money by employing slave laborers.

On the 2^nd amendment issue, they had the father of a 14 year old girl who was nearly killed by a man with a gun in an Uber car in Kalamazoo Michigan. HE pointed out that the man who shot his daughter had no mental illness or record in his past. I think that this issue is complex but I agree more with Sanders. They both feel that guns should be restricted. Where it seems they differ is that Sanders doesn’t believe that gun sellers should be punished if somebody buys the gun and uses it. Hilary seems to want to completely outlaw guns where it seems that Sanders has a more realistic view, and even though he is “not popular” with the NRA doesn’t believe in completely outlawing guns.

On March 10, 2016 there was a Republican Debate. It seems like they behaved themselves a bit better than other debates but there was a lot of arguments

One thing that impressed me about Cruz was taking a stance against Common Core. My ex girlfriend is a school teacher in Pacoima California and believes that Common Core is not useful in increasing knowledge and productivity. It seems to add more confusion than anything. I think it’s great that Cruz took such a strong stand against it, saying that he would end it as soon as possible.

I know that a lot of people think that Trump is full of it, but I think he has a pretty accurate grasp on a lot of things. I like that he says that we are too easy on other countries that we Trade with. He says that as a businessman, he can’t believe what a bad deal we have China. He says China makes it very difficult to do business in over there, and yet we make it easier for them. He seems to be interested in evening out the playing field. As a business man it seems like he thinks that America has been getting screwed.  I agree with him that we should build more products in America.

Regarding Islam, Rubio makes a very good point that a lot of people who serve in the armed forces are Moslems. Trump feels that there is “tremendous hate” from Islam and points out how horribly women are treated. I think it’s a very complex problem. . I thought it was cool when Rubio countered Trump by saying he was interested in being politically correct, but just plain correct. When I was in India I knew a lot of Muslims who weren’t radicals. Rubio believes we need to work with the Sunnis to try and improve our relationship with Muslims. I think Trump takes a harsher position with them, which makes him popular with the conservatives.

Short Essay - Position Paper:  Throughout the semester, students will be researching their debate topic.  The internet assignments will supplement other research materials and the arguments used in Taking Sides by focusing attention on the civil liberties/civil rights aspect of the question, the ideological and partisan dimensions, and the involvement of interest groups and the branches of government.  By the end of the semester, it is hoped that each student will have significant mastery of the topic and the issues involved, as well as being prepared to take a personal, well-reasoned position on the policy question under discussion.  Students are not expected to defend their assigned debate position, but rather formulate their own stance on the issue. It is at this point that the student should compose a three to five double-spaced page position paper on their topic.  The paper is worth 60 points and the bibliography is worth 30 points.  Peer review is worth an additional 10 points.

 

The following format should be used:

Opening paragraph:  The first paragraph of the essay should briefly define the issue being addressed. (what policy is under review) and state the thesis.  The thesis in this instance should include the student’s position on the issue linked to the most compelling support for the selected positon.  It should sum up the main idea the student wants to make about the position chosen to defend.  The thesis statement serves as a working guide to organize the defense of the selected position.  The best opening paragraph begins with a general statement, followed by a clarifying statement or two, and ends with the thesis sentence.  Some introductory paragraphs pose questions that are explored in the discussion of opposing points of view.

Supporting paragraphs/Body of the Paper: 
For each of the main arguments (review the debate worksheet), write a paragraph that supports the position.  As applicable, identify those who advance this argument and the rationale they use in making the point.  The paragraphs in the body of the essay break down the central point

or thesis into manageable parts, discuss each part, and relate each part to the others.  For each paragraph include a general statement or topic sentence, a specific or clarifying sentence and sentences that provide details or examples.  Remember that this is a good place to cite sources.

Paragraphs to Discuss Opposing Views/Body of the Paper:  For each of the main arguments that run counter to the student’s selected position, write a paragraph that first lists the opposing perspective and then refutes it.  Be careful not to criticize unfairly those who hold opposing views, but rather explain why the argument is not convincing, may be irrelevant, or only be partially true.  Again include in each paragraph a general statement or topic sentence, a specific or clarifying sentence, and sentences that provide details or examples.  As applicable, identify those advance this argument and the rationale they use in making the point.  Remember that this is a good place to cite sources.

Concluding paragraph:  The final paragraph should restate the thesis as the student summarizes their main assertions or points.  Make certain that any questions posed in the introduction are answered and that a course of action based on the evidence presented is suggested.  

Sources Cited:  Sources used in the essay should be cited either in the text or in a bibliography (any academic format is acceptable, but MLA is preferred).   A separate link to Purdue University’s online writing lab is shown as a resource separately.  This gives excellent guidance on how to cite your sources in the text and to complete a solid bibliography.  The SRJC Writing Center (in Emeritus) is available to assist students less familiar with academic citations and bibliography formats.  Remember that citations and bibliography is thirty points out of the total grade for this assignment.  Spend enough time on this part of the assignment to get all your points.

 

 

Should corporations be awarded religious freedoms? For me, as a libertarian, this is a difficult question. I feel that we as a society should not inflict our religious beliefs on each other in the workplace. But I also feel that business owners have the right to run their business as they see fit. I guess these views are not fully compatible. Through some soul searching that I've taken, I'm more on the side of the businesses to choose how they want to run themselves in terms of religious freedoms as opposed to the employees and their need to be taken care of. If the corporation is upfront about their position from the very beginning, A person can choose not to work for them.

 Business owners and entrepreneurs are up against a lot in this nation. Various codes are stringent and one can easily lose their ability to do business. Permits are costly. It takes a lot of courage to start a business or corporation. I feel like they should have the right to run it how they see fit. As much as I wish I was more liberal on the subject, I just can't seem to side with the employees in most cases. Although a person who is running a business has no right to inflict their views on other people, I think it's worse to go work for somebody and then expect them to capitulate to your demands regardless of how they feel about this. At the same time, I feel that the business or corporation needs to be honest with their employees from the get go so that they know what is and isn't available to them.

As I argued in my debate, Hobby Lobby offered several forms of contraception for their employees. They just didn't want to participate in anything that would be damaging to an embryo anytime post-fertilization, including sponsorship of the morning after pill.

 

 

Neuroplasticity and Nicholas Carr's book "The Shallows."

In Chapter Two of The Shallows, which is titled “The Vital Paths,” Nicholas Carr presents a thesis whereby he presents an example of the ability for our tools, or “writing equipment” to inspire the way we create. There is almost a sense of Pathos when he discusses the suffering of Fredrich Nietzsche, his illness and desperation that nearly drive him over the edge until he buys a typewriter! But this typewriter wasn’t just any old contraption. It was “A Danish made Malling-Hansen Writing Ball,” one of the cutting edge instruments for writers of the day. “It resembled an ornate golden pincushion. Fifty-two keys, for capital and lowercase letters as well as numerals and punctuation marks, protruded from the top of the ball in a noncentric arrangement scientifically designed to enable the most efficient typing possible.”  (17)

Could it be that in imagining Nietzsche sitting down for the very first time in front of this new work of Art, the author reminisces about the first time he himself had ever sat down in front of a computer? In contrast to the times, although A PC or A Mac is worlds away from a typewriter, consider that the year Nietzsche received his was 1882. So   Carr,  is, I believe, meaning to convey how similar that  was to his experiences with Computers, laptops, and even smartphones in current times. Before he felt a need to write this book, he had written articles like “Is Google making us stupid?” in a bid to be a rare case of somebody who’s career was in Technology, yet criticizing that very thing that was his bread and butter at the same time. He understands the seduction of game changing technology and the allure of something that can jump start a project or even a career. Yet it now seemed like he was acknowledging the danger of it also.

Even Nietzsche’s close friend Heinrich Koselitz “noticed a change in the style of his writing. Nietzsche’s prose had become tighter, more telegraphic. There a new forcefulness to it.” It leaves questions about the fate of Nietzsche’s work. Would he have become the literary giant that he had become without this Malling Hansen Writing Ball? Would Nicholas Carr have written a book criticizing technology if he hadn’t been educated backwards and forwards on the subject? I think not.  Maybe both Nietzsche and Carr would have created works altogether different without their tools. It reminds me of playing a guitar verses playing a guitar through an amp, with pedals and effects. Sometimes a different tone will inspire a whole different direction, a melody that would not have been thought of by just playing a guitar by itself.

The tone I sense from Carr’s writing is not one of regret, because I think he’s intelligent enough to know that he may have reached new heights partially due to the same technology he is gently criticizing. He presents facts about neuroplasiticity,  how even “during the twentieth century, neuroscientists and psychologists also came to more fully appreciate the astounding complexity of the human brain. Inside our skulls, they discovered, are some 100 billion neurons, which take many different shapes and range in length from a few tenths of a millimeter to A few feet.” His ethos is definitely one of a scientist first and foremost, but one who has an omniscient sense of the cosmos. I feel intuitively that the author is so in awe of human potential that he has decided, at one point, to try and figure out how to strike a delicate balance between the world of technology that he knew so well, and a more natural landscape that he may have felt he and many of his peers had definitely been lacking. In some ways I feel that “The Shallows” could be the instruction book for a 12 step program of Internet addiction. Even though that sounds sarcastic of me, due to the highly addictive nature that often comes with being in this human form, I accept and am grateful to Nicholar Carr for this book, and the message of his which resounds so deeply within me.

This book, and particularly to me, this chapter, succeeds in laying foundations subtly and entertainingly. We are drawn into the stories of Nietzsche, of Scientists, Biologists, and Psychologists discovering insights into the brain and mind that had never been considered before. And than his autobiographical meanderings turn what some could have seen as an anti technology rant into A search for meaning, A nuanced, sensitive journey into striking what may be A perfect prescription for creating peace within ourselves, without a sense of repression.

 He goes back to being a child and watching “Marshall Mcluhan and Norman Mailer” (24) debating on the television, and we follow his own research into neurology, and the possibility of adapting our brains no matter what we previously had gone through. It’s sort of a strange coincidence to me, because I am interested in everything he’s talking about.

 We are on a journey and we all do the best we can. Nicholas Carr became an IT specialist, and then he realized he was spending too much time in front of a computer screen. Through his studies not only of scientists, but of philosophers as varied as Aristotle, Hippocrates, and Descartes, he has finally come to the conclusion, after much doubt, that “A computer, a mere tool, could alter in any deep or lasting way what was going on inside my head.” I believe this is a man who is grateful. He has figured out that gifts have their limits.  And that “The brain- and the mind to which it gives rise- is forever a work in progress.” (38) At the same time, he is not disparaging. He is fortunate, to have been able to discover, amidst his intellectual pursuits, and his career, a philosophy that has positive implications upon the reader.

Overall, I feel Carr’s message is one of inspiration and change. The fact that, as James Olds puts it,  our brains are “very plastic,” (26) conveys that no matter how damaged we are we can improve.  “The brain has the ability to reprogram itself on the fly, altering the way it functions.”(27) I find this magnificent! It is riveting and thrilling to believe that we can change. For years when I was younger I thought it would be fun to play tennis. But for some reason I was terrible at it! When I lived in Los Angeles I played a smaller version of the game, Paddle tennis. I was really bad at first, but for whatever reason I loved the game. I didn’t feel the same pressure I felt growing up with three brothers who were much more athletic than I was. I played a lot and got better and better- for me. And than when I came to visit my family and friends in Santa Rosa, I slowly but surely started playing regulation tennis. I can even beat my brother once and a while, which was impossible before. I’m even taking a Tennis class. Even though I’ll never be Andrew Agassi, I love the game and feel that it benefits me. And I also feel like the neural pathways in my brain must be different than they were when I could barely his the ball over the net. I didn’t realize it, but on a certain level, I was practicing neuroplasticity. I knew I had limits, but I also knew I could somehow improve. I didn’t know than that my brain was so adaptable. I have heard others talk about it, but this book shines a light on it in A way that is educational yet not so overbearing to understand. And I’m grateful I decided to continue my educational journey so that I can build neural pathways in other ways I abandoned because the challenge felt too great for me at earlier. I was diagnosed many years ago with having attention deficit disorder. I know it’s a pretty common analysis, but my therapist recommended that I go on medication. I never went on medication but have tried to influence myself positively through diet and exercise. A psychiatrist had me try Omega 3, since I don’t eat a lot of meat, he thought I should try fish oil tablets. I believe that my brain has been repairing. I have been on a journey for a long time- one that has had peaks and valleys, and one where I started out with a lot of promise but also with a lot of failure regarding my academic life and other aspirations. I remember after finding out that several mercury cavities in my mouth were dangerous to me, according to a holistic dentist I trusted, I wondered if that could have contributed to some of the brain fog I felt and my inability to concentrate for long periods of time.  I began A journey of saving up money through various jobs to get the fillings removed.  How much did that affect my brain? How much harder do I have to work on this paper because of brain fog? How much better would I be at Math and Sciences if I hadn’t been poisoned? I’m not expressing this as a victim and I understand how much are we all poisoned to a certain degree in this society. On the flip side, maybe the poison tuned me into a creative world where I could madly write poetry and songs for hours on end. And maybe now that I KNOW about neuroplasticity and the brain’s ability to do heavy lifting, I can push myself much harder than I would have if I never felt handicapped from years of  attention deficit disorder, A complete inability to focus, and now the fog finally being lifted. I somehow feel that if my brain had been in perfect working order all those years, I wouldn’t still be attempting a career in the arts, as strange as that seems.

In Chapter Two of The Shallows, which is titled “The Vital Paths,” Nicholas Carr presents a thesis whereby he presents an example of the ability for our tools, or “writing equipment” to inspire the way we create. There is almost a sense of Pathos when he discusses the suffering of Fredrich Nietzsche, his illness and desperation that nearly drive him over the edge until he buys a typewriter! But this typewriter wasn’t just any old contraption. It was “A Danish made Malling-Hansen Writing Ball,” one of the cutting edge instruments for writers of the day. “It resembled an ornate golden pincushion. Fifty-two keys, for capital and lowercase letters as well as numerals and punctuation marks, protruded from the top of the ball in a noncentric arrangement scientifically designed to enable the most efficient typing possible.”  (17)

Could it be that in imagining Nietzsche sitting down for the very first time in front of this new work of Art, the author reminisces about the first time he himself had ever sat down in front of a computer? In contrast to the times, although A PC or A Mac is worlds away from a typewriter, consider that the year Nietzsche received his was 1882. So   Carr,  is, I believe, meaning to convey how similar that  was to his experiences with Computers, laptops, and even smartphones in current times. Before he felt a need to write this book, he had written articles like “Is Google making us stupid?” in a bid to be a rare case of somebody who’s career was in Technology, yet criticizing that very thing that was his bread and butter at the same time. He understands the seduction of game changing technology and the allure of something that can jump start a project or even a career. Yet it now seemed like he was acknowledging the danger of it also.

Even Nietzsche’s close friend Heinrich Koselitz “noticed a change in the style of his writing. Nietzsche’s prose had become tighter, more telegraphic. There a new forcefulness to it.” It leaves questions about the fate of Nietzsche’s work. Would he have become the literary giant that he had become without this Malling Hansen Writing Ball? Would Nicholas Carr have written a book criticizing technology if he hadn’t been educated backwards and forwards on the subject? I think not.  Maybe both Nietzsche and Carr would have created works altogether different without their tools. It reminds me of playing a guitar verses playing a guitar through an amp, with pedals and effects. Sometimes a different tone will inspire a whole different direction, a melody that would not have been thought of by just playing a guitar by itself.

The tone I sense from Carr’s writing is not one of regret, because I think he’s intelligent enough to know that he may have reached new heights partially due to the same technology he is gently criticizing. He presents facts about neuroplasiticity,  how even “during the twentieth century, neuroscientists and psychologists also came to more fully appreciate the astounding complexity of the human brain. Inside our skulls, they discovered, are some 100 billion neurons, which take many different shapes and range in length from a few tenths of a millimeter to A few feet.” His ethos is definitely one of a scientist first and foremost, but one who has an omniscient sense of the cosmos. I feel intuitively that the author is so in awe of human potential that he has decided, at one point, to try and figure out how to strike a delicate balance between the world of technology that he knew so well, and a more natural landscape that he may have felt he and many of his peers had definitely been lacking. In some ways I feel that “The Shallows” could be the instruction book for a 12 step program of Internet addiction. Even though that sounds sarcastic of me, due to the highly addictive nature that often comes with being in this human form, I accept and am grateful to Nicholar Carr for this book, and the message of his which resounds so deeply within me.

This book, and particularly to me, this chapter, succeeds in laying foundations subtly and entertainingly. We are drawn into the stories of Nietzsche, of Scientists, Biologists, and Psychologists discovering insights into the brain and mind that had never been considered before. And than his autobiographical meanderings turn what some could have seen as an anti technology rant into A search for meaning, A nuanced, sensitive journey into striking what may be A perfect prescription for creating balance. He goes back to being a child and watching “Marshall Mcluhan and Norman Mailer” debating on the television, and we follow his own research into neurology, and the possibility of adapting our brains no matter what we previously had gone through. It’s sort of a strange coincidence to me, because I am interested in everything he’s talking about.

 It reminds me of my own theories I came up with upon finding out that the nine mercury cavities in my mouth were dangerous to me, according to a holistic dentist I trusted.  I began A journey of saving up money through delivering pizzas to get them removed. And now, also the attempt to clean the mercury out of my body? How much did that affect my brain? How much harder do I have to work on this paper because of brain fog? How much better would I be at Math and Sciences if I hadn’t been poisoned? On the flip side, maybe the poison tuned me into a creative world where I could madly write poetry and songs for hours on end. And maybe now that I KNOW about neuroplasticity and the brain’s ability to do heavy lifting, I can push myself much harder than I would have if I never felt handicapped from years of   attention deficit disorder, A complete inability to focus, and now the fog finally being lifted. I somehow feel that if my brain had been in perfect working order all those years, I wouldn’t still be attempting a music career, as strange as that seems.

We are on a journey and we all do the best we can. Nicholas Carr became an IT specialist, and then he realized he was spending too much time in front of a computer screen. Through his studies not only of scientists, but of philosophers as varied as Aristotle, Hippocrates, and Descartes, he has finally come to the conclusion, after much doubt, that “A computer, a mere tool, could alter in any deep or lasting way what was going on inside my head.” I believe this is a man who is grateful. He has figured out that gifts have their limits.  And that “The brain- and the mind to which it gives rise- is forever a work in progress.” (38) At the same time, he is not disparaging. He is fortunate, to have been able to discover, amidst his intellectual pursuits, and his career, a philosophy that has positive implications upon the reader.

sound info

analog- before 1976 everything was. 3 mics- dynamic, ribbon, condensor. a mic is a tranducer- device that changes one form of energy into another.  dyamic mic- moving coil. ribbon mic
condensor- wide, smooth freqency response detaild sound, extended highs.omin type has excellent low freq response, transiet attacks sound sharp and clear. preferred for acoustic, cymbals, studio vocals.can be miniaturized
dyname- rough response, rugged, handles heat cold humidity, handles high volume  w o distortion, prerred for amps/ drums. can take edge off woodwinds and brass. ribbons- warm, smoothe. delicate. complements digital recording. preferred for horns and guitar amps.
omnidirection mic- sensitive to sounds from all directions
unidirectional - coming from one direction in front of mic- soften sounds from sides or rear
bidirectional- sensitive to sounds from 2 directions but rejects entering from side.
cardioid, supercardioid, hypercardioid
omni- all around pickup not much isolation unless you mike close, low sensititivity to pops
low handling noise, no up close bass boost
most instruments 80hz to 15 khz
bass 40 hz to 9 khz
brass and voice 80 hz to 12 khz
piano 40 hz to 12 khz
cymbals and some perc 300 hz to 15 or 20 khz
orch symph 40 hz to 15 khz
low impedance- long cables wo pickup hum
spl sound pressure level
polarity
large diaphagm condensor mics
akg c12vr, perception 100
higher bit depth and sample rate=higher sound quality

I haven't read tons of Tolstoy. Some of the stuff I read of his were the non fiction, autobiographical essays. They weren't  easy reading but I don't regret the time spent studying them and it definitely wasn't a waste of time. I wish I HAD read War and Peace.  I've read more Dostoyevsky, another iconic Russian author of a similar era. I was kind of shocked when Clay Shirky posted that "No one reads War and Peace, It's too long, and not so interesting."  Mr. Shirky is a digital media scholar and professor at New York University so I guess I shouldn't have been shocked. I will say that if I looked into a crystal ball and found that within a year I successfully completed and comprehended the full of War and Peace, I would be more proud of myself than if I suddenly found myself a Twitter Star with millions of followers. To read a period piece from another era takes a lot of concentration, motivation, and stamina. It's much like training for a marathon except it benefits our imagination instead of our heart rate. To suggest that long books from another time don't have a place in education is a great way to become popular with students who don't want to read that kind of stuff. But if future literature classes entail staring at books with large illustrations or breaking down the meaning of various profound tweets, I think we may be in trouble at least on an educational level.

When our  brains develop and  digest literature that is just out of our intellectual reach, this benefits us. Whenever our brains are stretched it's a boon, whether if we're learning to code a difficult language, or reading about circumstances that are completely foreign to us. I can get that perhaps there are titles within the literature community that are a bit dry (he mentioned Proust which I'd agree with.)  But something my dad used to say that echoes in the chamber of my brain is "Do you always need to be entertained?" If everything needs to be hyperstimulated for us to pay attention, our mind will lose motivation to seek out challenges and we will just want to study the low hanging fruit, whatever comes easiest. If we aren't encouraged and egged on to seek to understand the works of Shakespeare, or plays by writers like Ibsen and O'neill, it won't necessarily make us poorer financially but it won't make us richer culturally to miss out on classical works.

I also find Shirky's analysis in his blog on Carr offputting. He writes that he doesn't understand how somebody as seemingly knowledgeable on the medium he's writing about (technology) could end up being such a luddite. So does that mean that if someone was in war they should automatically like guns? If anything Carr has the authority to speak on the damaging qualities that he knows so well. Luckily, Shirky apologizes to him in a later blog post about other things, but not that. 

Conversely, I noticed that when I was reading about Shirky deciding to not allow his students to use technology during class, I found him to be quite a tolerant man. At first he put up with loads of interruptions until he realized it was no longer beneficial to let his pupils have their iphones on. He didn't want to deprive them initially, and wanted to give them the choice, and to have the discipline to police themselves but it didn't work! One other thing this makes me think of- I remember concerts in the 90's- you didn't see a sea of phone cameras across the Arena. I remember seeing a certain band and one of the few people that actually took a picture was escorted out of the premises. The rest were professionals.
Why do you need to watch live music on your phone while it's right in front of your face? I know why - because you're filming it so that you can say you were there.I'm not gonna say I haven't done it myself! But isn't being there enough? Isn't life great enough? Maybe we don't need to spend so much time documenting it and instead try to just enjoy it. Is that too much of a stretch?

I'm sorry if I'm not sticking to subject exactly, but Shriky's blogpost reminded me of something. Remember when you used to go see a rock and roll band how amazing it was? They still are. But the difference now is that there are thousands upon thousands of cellphones that people are looking through and recording while the band performs on stage. I remember seeing the U2 Zoo Station gig in 1992 at the Oakland Coliseum. One guy took a picture while Bono was seeing "Running to Stand Still on a side stage where I was nearby. That guy not only got his film removed from the camera, the bulky security guards escorted him off of the premises!
Think about in class how much easier it was for your teachers and I can sympathize with Shirky. He talks about his initial unwillingness to create a law out of it. He desperately WANTED to leave it up to the students, but finally figured out that it just wasn't serving them.

The Wanderer of Leixlip.

"...And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yeat a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, FATHER, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the Father said to his servants, bring forth the best robe, and put it on him: and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it: let us eat, and be merry. for this my son was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."
LUKE 15:20-24
     The silence in the ourr household was prevalent as usual around the time of 630 pm- except the kling klang of forks hitting the China plates like a faint churchbell ringing in the distance. Alfred the elder finished slicing a bit of pork. He than paused and looked across the table at me, Alex, his only son.
    "I don't want you to go," He said, his northern brogue rising up and down charismatically. My face felt red hot as I squeezed my eyes shut tight. I opened them slightly and stared down at my mashed potatoes.I did not want to look up at   dad.
   "But all of my friends will be there."
   "Ya can't go." This time he was more firm, as if I hadn't gotten the proper message the first time. "
    "I'm 16 years old- shouldn't I be allowed to go out with my friends on a friday night?"
    "Only friend you need is Christ, son. You don't need to lose your salvation through being around lewd talking, drinks and smokes."
   I could've mouthed that sentence by now. My thoughts turned to MA. She would have let me go. I imagined her smiling, those warm brown eyes, with hands reaching out to touch my shoulder.
    "I remember how kids were at your age- don't forget. I was one."
    Well, at least he was emphasizing with me. I couldn't imagine him ever having fun, or getting into mischief. I tried to change my thoughts because I felt like Dad could hear them.
    "I'm only doing it for your own good, son. When you grow up and move out on your own you will have free will to do what you like. But you're still under my roof and my rules."
    I put down my fork and stared again at the potatoes. I hated it when he said he was doing it for my own good.
    "You aren't going to finish your potatoes than?"
    "Lost my appetite."

Petition

To Whom it may concern,
    I have been denied financial aid for school because of actions of mine 20+ years ago. I withdrew from a lot of classes back than- sometimes not knowing that I hadn't dropped them. Sometimes it was because of work (I didn't know about financial aid back in that time so I worked.) In many cases I was just taking any classes I could get and didn't have a plan. Now that I have more experience, and went back to school in Los Angeles maintaining a 3.1 average, and I know that I want my bachelor's degree, I hope I will be given another chance. Back in the early 90's I left high school because I was feeling unwell and harassed.I took classes at JC, and in 1999 even tried to complete classes after I started a job in LA for United Airlines in April. I should have dropped the classes. I managed to pass English 1 A but failed Critical Thinking, which I am retaking.
    There are a lot subjects I'm interested in majoring in,   film or creative writing, Marketing, etc. but right now I'm focused on completing general ed courses. My financial situation is dire however and it would help a lot if I could get Pell Grants and possibly loans. Thank you, I appreciate your understanding,

Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address –

Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address – 

      In Barack Obama's State of the Union Address, he mentions that the Economy is stronger than ever

with 14 million Jobs being created. This is what I would ask him. How does the rate that these

employees are being paid compare with the standard of living? If I'm being paid $15 an hour, it may

sound great until you figure out that the average is rent for a studio apartment in this area is about

$1000 a month. So it takes about 60 hours just to pay the rent! I had to pretty much quit being an Uber

driver because I couldn't afford the bills. I was inspired to complete my schooling, which goes into what

he said about student loans. I love the idea of not having student loans, and school being free. I signed

up for school and wasn't able to get the Pell Grants because of withdrawing from classes 20 years ago.

    I think Barack Obama seems like a very nice guy, if not a little out of touch. To recommend free

college seems like a great idea, but is it something that can actually happen yet at the same time he says

that we need to pay teachers more. Where is all this money coming from? I would be all for taking

money out of our military budget and putting it towards education.  I believe for America to be great we

need to be less interested in expanding our powers and focus on problems we have at home.

     The fact that he says that people are full of hot air that say the economy is not in good shape

is hot air itself. I feel that he’s out of touch with the Blue Collared Americans who can barely pay bills.

     Some of the things Obama said I agreed with. When he said it’s easy to believe that politics don’t

matter, I feel a tinge of guilt for sometimes feeling in the past that it wouldn’t matter whom I voted for,

that my daily life would remain unaffected regardless who is elected. I also like the fact that he believes

everyone should learn coding. However, I also feel coding isn’t for everyone. Some people are drawn to

it more than others. But I do understand his sentiment that maybe a lot of people who don’t have

access to computer programming could benefit from it. On the other hand, with websites like Udemy

and Youtube, virtually all you need to teach yourself coding is online anyways.

   A lot of other stuff he said seemed like obvious issues- criminal justice reform, equal pay, minimum

wage, recruiting great teachers for our kids, etc. He  didn’t mention that overall crime is

 down, because it’s more socially acceptable to look at the negative aspects of Criminal Justice than to

admit there have actually been some improvements. 

     Closing Statement- Debate on Religious Freedom 

In the first amendment of the constitution, it says Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Even if it seems outdated to allow people their religious freedom, it is still important to honor what it says here. Hobby Lobby has outstretched it’s hand above and beyond, providing 16 different measures of contraception, copay free.  

    They include Male condoms, Female condoms, Diaphragms with spermicide sponges with spermicide cervical caps, Birth Control pills with estrogen and progestin, Contraceptive patches and rings, Progestin injections, implantable rods, Vasectomies, Female sterilization surgeries and Female sterilization implants. Where they draw the line is at Abortions.

    Picture yourself having grown up your entire life abhorring and renouncing the idea of Abortions. Everything in the fiber of your being is against the concept. Whether you agree or disagree with these people, it is wrong to not let them have their religious freedom. A sin of Omission, in other words a wrong that is not directly done by somebody, is as frowned upon as a direct sin in the Christian Religion. So by forcing somebody to provide something that they see as a mortal sin is something they shouldn’t be asked to do. The constitution is there to protect the rights of everyone, including those who merely don’t want to be part of an act that they don’t believe in.

    In addition, the Freedom Restoration act “Prohibits any agency, department, or official of the United States or any State (the government) from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except that the government may burden a person's exercise of religion only if it demonstrates that application of the burden to the person: (1) furthers a compelling governmental interest; and (2) is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.

    I’ll end on this: If you can only stick up and agree with people who are in your own Political party and live the way that you want to, what is the use of a Constitution? What is the point in living in a Nation where some people deserve rights and some people don’t? I ask you to consider how difficult it would be for somebody to go against their beliefs and have empathy for their cause. Thank you.

    In Barack Obama's State of the Union Address, he mentions that the Economy is stronger than ever with 14 million Jobs being created. This is what I would ask him. How does the rate that these employees are being paid compare with the standard of living? If I'm being paid $15 an hour, it may sound great until you figure out that the average is rent for a studio apartment in this area is about $1000 a month. So it takes about 60 hours just to pay the rent! I had to pretty much quit being an Uber driver because I couldn't afford the bills. I was inspired to complete my schooling, which goes into what he said about student loans. I love the idea of not having student loans, and school being free. I signed up for school and wasn't able to get the Pell Grants because of withdrawing from classes 20 years ago.

    My Techie fast. I chose to completely abstain from my smartphone for a day. What's strange is that I use my smartphone in ways I didn't even realize. It's to the point where I don't even want to run if I can't use Strava. I've become addicted knowing how far and for how long I've been running when I do it. I often use the Waze app when I'm driving even though I know exactly where I'm going. I like to know how many minutes and exact distance I am from where I'm going. And the funny thing is I was not like this even a year ago.
    To be honest, it wasn't THAT challenging because I knew it would only be for a day and I knew it was good for me. It was kind of like going on a short juice fast but for the brain. I also had some books I've been wanting to finish that I had started and didn't want them interfering with my homework. It also helped that it was on a Sunday where I knew I wouldn't have a lot going on. I sort of planned it out. I imposed a no driving law on myself, which I broke to go to a Coffee shop and do some more reading. So my day was basically read in bed, eat a bit, go on a short run, read some more, go to A coffee shop and keep reading.
    Usually if I'm going to a coffee shop I'm going to want to bring my phone to listen to music while I read, and maybe type on my laptop. But things were more simple that day. I actually did bring noise cancelling earplugs because I get distracted easily by random noise.
   One thing I noticed is that it seemed like there was a lot more time in the day. When I checked the time at 5:30 I'd assumed it would have been much later than it actually was. And I felt an improvement in my overall sense of well being. In fact, the funny thing is, the next morning when I checked Facebook, I saw a few things that put me in a kind of sour mood.
   I find myself agreeing with Sherry Turkle's characterization of technology and it's effects on it's users. I think that if i continued this fast I would probably be better off it. I think that if I never signed into Facebook again I probably would not be missing out on much. I signed in today and I was tagged in a challenge to take a picture of a tree and post it. The person who tagged me is a friend and former roommate and I feel like if I don't do it, it will seem like I'm ignoring her. So I have another item on my to do list that has nothing to do with getting anything productive done. Not that that is her fault, and she probably wouldn't think twice if I didn't take the picture and post it, but I have a self imposed emotion that tells me it's the right thing to do!
   As Turkle says, "In every era, certain ways of relating come to feel natural. In our time, if we can be continually in touch, needing to be continually in touch does not seem a problem or a pathology but an accommodation to what technology affords. It becomes the norm."
    So in this new way of socializing, with Social Media, etc. I have become a digital hermit in some ways, in others not so much. I literally, this very second am getting a Twitter notification on my smartphone from a friend of mine who is in Dallas visiting from India. I recommended a restaurant to him and he "liked" my tweet, and returned with "Thanks, will try." This man is the owner of an App developing company that I interned with and I wanted to be helpful, as this man has been very helpful to me in the past. So when he asked for a restaurant, I tweeted one. I have a lot of friends from my trip to India in 2014 and I still keep in touch with them. It's important to keep in touch with our friends throughout the universe, and at the same time it's equally important to not neglect the friends who in a close radius.
    The ironic thing about technology that I've noticed is that now in this era, to be a Luddite is actually kind of an elite thing on a certain level. My father can do without a phone because he is already retired and doesn't have to earn a living any more. My mother books tickets if they travel, etc. He doesn't like modern technology at all. My take is that if you're a person striving to make a living in this day and age there's no way to get around it! If you even want to apply for a job you have to do it online.
    On the other hand, Jack White of the White Stripes doesn't have a cell phone but he doesn't need one. He earns millions of dollars and probably has assistants that use cell phones. Woody Harrelson is another celebrity who doesn't use a cell phone. Aubrey De Grey, the famous anti- aging researcher has rebuked cellphones as being terrible for the human need for solitude. I think the answer for someone like me, who is part of the soup of modern day humanity and cannot go forever without a smart phone, there is a balance to be had. I will continue these digital fasts as often as I can. If I can't go a whole day, maybe I'll just go part of a day. Maybe I will use Strava for running, but not go on Facebook. Maybe I will use Spotify to listen to music, but will not go on Twitter. I feel I can go online and be healthy and balanced person, I just have to do it a lot less.

    The book we're reading, "From Critical Thinking to Argument," outlines Critical Thinking in several different ways. The part that sticks with me is when the author speaks of a Critical Thinker being somebody who can draw logical conclusions to an array of different ideas, yet at the same time keep an open mind and learn to be self critical and open to other people's opposing views. Upon racking my brain trying to figure out what Critical Thinking really is, as opposed to meditation, where I am trying to clear my brain, I've come to the conclusion that a Critical Thinker must have a keen eye for the varieties of views that are not their own, and thus requires a certain amount of empathy, or as some have put it, an ability to "walk in somebody else's moccasins."