Steve Jackson

I found Mr. Jackson to be very insightful in his talk about truth. The fact that many people can experience the same event and have vastly different stories to tell is an interesting phenomenon. I can definitely see where the truth can be an issue in non-fiction writing.

PS: If you haven't seen Rashomon, you really should. It's a perfect example of the truth being told from many different points of view.

Reservoir of Images

I believe that we are all aware of the reservoir of images that each of us carry. It is how we form our ideas of what is 'default' and how things are 'supposed' to be. Some of these images are normal and help us form useful judgments. If I'm looking for a house, for example, and I notice that the one I'm touring is rotting from the inside out, the image I'm taking in does not coincide with what a house 'should be' according to my reservoir of images, so I don't buy the house. In this sense, the collection of images I carry around can be an invaluable asset to functioning in society. However, these images, especially ones that are fabricated by the media, can also be detrimental. These are the images that tell us what it 'is' to be male or female. According to many sources, to be male is to be muscular, tall, heroic, and unafraid. To be female is to be sexy, thin, fashionable and passive. While these traits may fit some, they certainly do not fit the everyone and because we compare everyone with images from our reservoirs, we are quicker to judge others and ourselves due to unrealistic expectations.

So I guess what I'm really trying to say here is that it's important to know which images in our collection are realistic and which are fabricated by authorities that do not directly govern our lives or our thoughts.

Are books dangerous?

I suppose it depends on who you are and how you look at the world. If you're coming from a standpoint that books inform and educate their readers and you find that fact disturbing or wrong, then I suppose you would think that books are dangerous. Also, there are no real restrictions on what can be written in a book, unlike newspapers and magazines. Without any censorship, some may find that the language or ideas that are presented in certain books is unsuitable for young children or other groups of people.

From my perspective, I think books are essential to the preservation of human history as well as to the betterment of the mind and soul. Books can be more powerful than any other medium. They can stir emotions, educate the masses, and draw us into unforgettable stories. I can't imagine a life without books and I'm not sure how I would unwind at night if I didn't have access to them.

EXTRA CREDIT NOTICE!

I attended the talk by CWU alums in which they discussed their post-collegiate career paths.

Magazines

The New Republic -

Pointyhead Pinnipeds by Britt Peterson

This little article touches on a New York Times article that suggests that some animals are more "worth saving" than others. Peterson notes that the Walrus depends on the icecaps for its yearly routine and the species would be devastated by the effects of global warming, just as the Polar Bear would be. Unfortunately, people seem to care a little more about the saving the Polar Bear than its less cute-and-cuddly arctic neighbor, the Walrus.

Mother Jones Magazine-

The HIV Morning-After Pill by Justine Sharrock

This article talks about the injection PEP that, if given immediately after infection, can negate the effects of HIV. Health care providers say that in order for the treatment to be effective, the possible infection of HIV needs to be treated like a gunshot wound - as soon as humanly possible. The vast majority of the people in need of the injection don't even know it exists because it has received very little advertising in any medium. Many health facilities do not even offer the PEP shot, which has many people who need the drug outraged.

Song

Well, I felt a little silly after bringing a song to class that had virtually nothing to do with politics...but that's really not the kind of music I listen to. My song was "I Want a Day" by the Living End, and even though it isn't at all political, it speaks to me and I listen to it when I'm frustrated with how busy I am all the time. One of the lines is: "I want a day when I don't have to get up. Sometimes I'm sick of being in a rut." If I could have one thing right now, it would be a day where I have nothing to do. No obligations, no responsibilities, no homework, no work, no nothing. You may be wondering to yourself right about now, "What about the weekends?" Well, let me clarify something: even on the weekends, I have a list of stuff to do. I have hours of homework and studying to do, and when I'm not actually doing homework or studying, I think/worry about homework and studying. I don't have a day off, ever. And when I'm feeling really down about everything that I have to do, "I Want a Day" is one of the songs I listen to that keeps me on my feet. Music has always had a powerful impact on my life, even the obnoxious stuff that I listen to.

Just for easy reference, here are the lyrics:

I Want a Day by The Living End

10:50, 3 minutes till
Till 11, I don't want the alarm again
9:30, 3 minutes till
On the way to work, not smiling

I know time to go and punch my card in
Today, just another day at 11
Gotta help, so much to tidy up
Too much too soon!

I want a day when I don't have to get up
Sometimes I'm sick of being in a rut
I want a day where I don't have to go to work
This low life job makes me feel like a jerk

So dirty, burnt fingers to the bone
Not fair to be left to the job all alone
No help no, no credit for
Making sure this evil machine doesn't stop

I know time to go and punch my card in
Today, just another day at 11
Gotta help, so much to tidy up
Too much too soon!

Am I gonna spend
Every day of my life living this way
NO WAY!

I want a day when I don't have to get up
Sometimes I'm sick of being in a rut
I want a day where I don't have to go to work
This low life job makes me feel like a jerk

I want a day when I don't have to get up
Sometimes I'm sick of being in a rut
I want a day where I don't have to go to work
this low life job makes me feel like a jerk

NYT Editorial

For as long as there have been laws, it seems that there have been a select few exempt from following them. Celebrities and the Government seem to be at the top of that little list. In the case of the torture sessions approved and supported by the highest members of the government, including the President and most of his cabinet, I am not as disturbed by the fact that we are torturing people than I am with the fact that the government feels that it is beyond the laws that it made itself. This may sound cynical, but I'm sure that every country tortures their P.O.W.s, so I don't think that's the main issue here. The part that bothers me is the hypocrisy. These people are put into office, whatever office that may be, to run this country and to provide a sound framework of laws that govern it. How can we be expected to bow down to laws that the government itself does not follow? I don't condone anarchy in any way shape or form mind you, I just can't stand the deceit, the lies and the double standards that are being used by the people that represent us, the citizens of America, to the rest of the world. I would love more than anything if our politicians would give us a reason to trust them, but I haven't seen any evidence so far.