I believe that heterosexual marriage should be outlawed. I believe that marriage is an old tradition that is no longer relevant. Marriage in the past was essential to the survival of man and woman co-existence. Women have traditionally been dependent on men. “As more women enter the workforce, they can better afford to premise their marital decisions on something other than a man’s income” (Beedles 287).
Since women are becoming more independent, the union of marriage is no longer needed. “There are only about twenty-five years of fertility per woman” (Beedles 288). This span of time could explain some of the reasons behind divorce. I believe that the other purpose marriage serves is to provide a healthy environment for children to be raised. It has always been believed that a supportive family is necessary for child development. However, divorce is over fifty prevent in this country.
I personally grew up with divorced parents. They divorced when I was five and always had custody battles and constantly fought in front of me. This constant battle propelled me onto depression and I had to attend therapy many times. Since the divorce rate is fifty percent, the chances of growing up with divorced parents have drastically increased. Could the dissolution of marriage today be seen as beneficial to a child’s development?
Hello my name is Justin Alexio Vizcaino and I am just starting my junior year at ASU. I love surfing and doing fun outdoor activities. I am currently living in Los Angeles training to be a better improviser. I also love to write poetry so if you like that artsy stuff let me know and we could have a wonderful discussion! Also I love football and the Phoenix Suns. Steve Nashty for life.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Blog Reviews
Jacqueline Pridgett
Jaqueline I thoroughly enjoyed reading your article and I believe your Kll Bll article was very strong. I believe that your Hidden Histories article could have been a little stronger by offering more support. In your post you stated some great ideas but they will come across more strongly if you back them up with factual evidence. Also, if the blog post was a little bit longer I could have really been able to hear your opinion. I would have liked you to delve into the topics a little more. However, the structure was good and I liked the organization. You also found a way to hook me and I was interested in your post from the beginning..
Armando Teran
I really like your article on Jersey Shore and it was very interesting from the beginning. However, on paragraphs two and three I was a little bit confused of the point you were trying to make so you could possibly clear that up a bit. One way to clear that up would be to make a concise statement and then follow it up with facts. I also like your hidden histories article and I could really hear your voice coming through. Once you present your ideas I would like to hear more about your topic because you introduced your article so well. The only I would give is to het me hooked earlier with a more enticing intro but other than that it was really good!.
Jaqueline I thoroughly enjoyed reading your article and I believe your Kll Bll article was very strong. I believe that your Hidden Histories article could have been a little stronger by offering more support. In your post you stated some great ideas but they will come across more strongly if you back them up with factual evidence. Also, if the blog post was a little bit longer I could have really been able to hear your opinion. I would have liked you to delve into the topics a little more. However, the structure was good and I liked the organization. You also found a way to hook me and I was interested in your post from the beginning..
Armando Teran
I really like your article on Jersey Shore and it was very interesting from the beginning. However, on paragraphs two and three I was a little bit confused of the point you were trying to make so you could possibly clear that up a bit. One way to clear that up would be to make a concise statement and then follow it up with facts. I also like your hidden histories article and I could really hear your voice coming through. Once you present your ideas I would like to hear more about your topic because you introduced your article so well. The only I would give is to het me hooked earlier with a more enticing intro but other than that it was really good!.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Pg 244 Free Write
I have encountered many conflicts with my mother. One of the main conflicts I encountered growing up was my method of consoling my younger brother in high school. Whenever my brother had a social problem, I was the first one he would come to. When my brother Jason would tell me of his girl problems I would tell him that he was over reacting and that his problems weren’t that bad. This advice would infuriate my mother because she believed that I was being insensitive to my brother.
Our book states “women reassure each other by implying that the other party shouldn’t feel bad because the women herself has suffered a similar experience. Men reassure each other by saying that the other party shouldn’t feel so bad because their problems are not the horrific” (Beedles 243). My mother was disapproving with the way that I consoled my brother because I was going against her natural tendencies to console people. If I was naive to think that my way of consoling people and if I would have understood her viewpoint, I could have resolved conflict.
I also encountered intimacy issues with my girlfriends. I would not like to talk about my feelings because my dad had always trained me that men are not supposed to show their emotions. “For women, talk creates intimacy, and for men it is the opposite” (Beedles 244). If I would have been able to recognize that my girlfriend felt secure by talking, I would have been more comfortable engaging conversation with her and growing intimate with her. Understanding how your partner feels is the key to developing relationships.
Our book states “women reassure each other by implying that the other party shouldn’t feel bad because the women herself has suffered a similar experience. Men reassure each other by saying that the other party shouldn’t feel so bad because their problems are not the horrific” (Beedles 243). My mother was disapproving with the way that I consoled my brother because I was going against her natural tendencies to console people. If I was naive to think that my way of consoling people and if I would have understood her viewpoint, I could have resolved conflict.
I also encountered intimacy issues with my girlfriends. I would not like to talk about my feelings because my dad had always trained me that men are not supposed to show their emotions. “For women, talk creates intimacy, and for men it is the opposite” (Beedles 244). If I would have been able to recognize that my girlfriend felt secure by talking, I would have been more comfortable engaging conversation with her and growing intimate with her. Understanding how your partner feels is the key to developing relationships.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Pg. 236 Directed Freewrite
I believe that family structure is heavily affected by economic structure. I believe that the financial freedom that D’Emilio describes allows for many freedoms in the way we live. “Economic independence has allowed for the homosexual identify to emerge” (pg 229). Once people are able to support themselves, they are more free to be themselves and not be confined to certain societal norms. D’Emilio explains this perfectly and he states “Sexual identity is not the same as homosexual behavior” (pg 229).
People have been documented for centuries as having homosexual feelings but they always had to mask their identity in order to survive in American society. I find it interesting when D’Emilio examines olden America. Procreation was seen as an essential occurrence needed to occur for financial survival. The transition from farm life to city life has greatly decreased the birth rate. I wonder what other factors could come potentially affect the family landscape. Does our greater tolerance of non-Christian faith have the potential to change traditional American conduct?
What effects would a depression in our current times have? I think that children could be seen as a financial burden because of high education costs and increasing living costs. Even if children are a financial burden on a family, I ponder whether increased birthrates positively impact America as a whole. With more babies being born, there are more chances for Nobel Prize winners, distinguished doctors, and astronauts to be born. Or do increased birthrates harm America’s economy because of excesss tress on our limited resources?
People have been documented for centuries as having homosexual feelings but they always had to mask their identity in order to survive in American society. I find it interesting when D’Emilio examines olden America. Procreation was seen as an essential occurrence needed to occur for financial survival. The transition from farm life to city life has greatly decreased the birth rate. I wonder what other factors could come potentially affect the family landscape. Does our greater tolerance of non-Christian faith have the potential to change traditional American conduct?
What effects would a depression in our current times have? I think that children could be seen as a financial burden because of high education costs and increasing living costs. Even if children are a financial burden on a family, I ponder whether increased birthrates positively impact America as a whole. With more babies being born, there are more chances for Nobel Prize winners, distinguished doctors, and astronauts to be born. Or do increased birthrates harm America’s economy because of excesss tress on our limited resources?
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Real Wild Men
I think that a movie that presents “real wild man” is Denzel Washington’s character in Training Day. Denzel’s Washington’s character is named Alonzo Harris and he is a ruthless killer who extorts people to get ahead in life. Alonzo is a product of his environment, and the main place he resides is in the ghettoes of Los Angeles. Throughout the film we see the effects that gender roles have in the inner city culture. “It has been proven that people treat their children differently depending on their sex, boys are socialized to be more sports-oriented and aggressive” (Beedles 204).
This encouragement towards more aggressive behavior for men is demonstrated by Alonzo’s associates. Alonzo’s associates brutally torture cops in front of their women significant others. The women just watch the torture and do not at all engage. The associates would benefit greatly from assistance by the women to aid in the torture of the police. However, the women stand and just watch because of the gender roles for non-aggression that are engrained into them.
The men also believe that physical assistance from women de-masculinates them and this is the reason they choose to torture alone. I relate to a similar feeling because when I am carrying boxes, I refuse help from women. I feel as though if I receive help, then my self-worth will decrease. This is not how I believe society should be run by this is the way I was raised. “Love-making has become an act that is looked upon as an act between a man and a woman” (Beedles 203). Any man that engages in love making with another man is then not seen as a true man. This is apparent when Alonzo uses homophobic slurs to people he does not like.
This encouragement towards more aggressive behavior for men is demonstrated by Alonzo’s associates. Alonzo’s associates brutally torture cops in front of their women significant others. The women just watch the torture and do not at all engage. The associates would benefit greatly from assistance by the women to aid in the torture of the police. However, the women stand and just watch because of the gender roles for non-aggression that are engrained into them.
The men also believe that physical assistance from women de-masculinates them and this is the reason they choose to torture alone. I relate to a similar feeling because when I am carrying boxes, I refuse help from women. I feel as though if I receive help, then my self-worth will decrease. This is not how I believe society should be run by this is the way I was raised. “Love-making has become an act that is looked upon as an act between a man and a woman” (Beedles 203). Any man that engages in love making with another man is then not seen as a true man. This is apparent when Alonzo uses homophobic slurs to people he does not like.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Week 4 Blog Reviews and Compliments!
Waliah Shamsiddeen – No current blog postings.
Morgan Paulson –
I really enjoyed your article and once again you prove your ability to thoroughly research a topic. I liked your interpretation of the photo and your analysis of Frida and Diego’s relationship. I also like your article on robots and I believe your article could be improved if you support your claims more. You do a good job of citing your sources and backing up what you say, but more examples of how robots have artificial intelligence would help your essay. Also, I like your stance in the blog post but it is semi-subtle at first. A more definitive opinion and stance would make your essay more appealing and intriguing. Overall it was a very solid effort.
Darien Allen-
I also really enjoyed your analysis of the painting you selected. I believe that you choose a painting with many meanings which is difficult, but you were able to interpret all of the images nicely. I believe your article on the painting is very strong and the only slight critique I could add is concerning your abstract science article. I believe that you could summarize the article while weaving in your opinions. The points you make are justified by the facts you present, but the whole entire blog post would be more interesting if you speckled your opinion throughout your writing. I liked the flow of your post and I believe that your voice was very present and I honestly enjoy reading your work!
Morgan Paulson –
I really enjoyed your article and once again you prove your ability to thoroughly research a topic. I liked your interpretation of the photo and your analysis of Frida and Diego’s relationship. I also like your article on robots and I believe your article could be improved if you support your claims more. You do a good job of citing your sources and backing up what you say, but more examples of how robots have artificial intelligence would help your essay. Also, I like your stance in the blog post but it is semi-subtle at first. A more definitive opinion and stance would make your essay more appealing and intriguing. Overall it was a very solid effort.
Darien Allen-
I also really enjoyed your analysis of the painting you selected. I believe that you choose a painting with many meanings which is difficult, but you were able to interpret all of the images nicely. I believe your article on the painting is very strong and the only slight critique I could add is concerning your abstract science article. I believe that you could summarize the article while weaving in your opinions. The points you make are justified by the facts you present, but the whole entire blog post would be more interesting if you speckled your opinion throughout your writing. I liked the flow of your post and I believe that your voice was very present and I honestly enjoy reading your work!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Pg. 199 #1
The focal point of the picture is a child holding a flame. A mother wearing red garments is holding the child in her arms. The child is naked and there is an eye protruding from his forehead. The woman has long black hair and her hands appear to be choking the baby. The woman and child are in the arms of a green earth woman. The green earth woman has a crack in her bosom and a tree growing from her shoulder.
Near the head of the red woman is a cactus and near the head of the child is a prickly cactus. Holding the earth woman is a backdrop of a sky forming the outline of a woman. The sky is bright on the right side and dark on the left side. The spirit has hands that intertwine and hold all the people and fauna together. There is a wild animal on the right hand of the spirit. There is a moon on the dark side and a sun on the bright side. The sun is more central to the picture and the moon is in the distance.
This picture symbolized many things to me and I believe that this picture showed the hierarchy of the world. The highest ranking spirit is god followed by earth followed by adult followed by child. The contrast of night and day shows that god is both good and bad to people. The cactus near the child’s head symbolizes that being youthful is very dangerous. The flame in the child’s hand represent’s that the youth is the only way to keep civilization warm and healthy.
http://mexig0.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/kahlo-paintings/frida-kahlo-abrazoamoroso1949/
(The add link button isn't working so in order to see my photo you will have to copy and paste the above url).
Kahlo, Frida. Abrazo Amoroso. Photograph. Wordpress. 1949. Web. 8 September 2010.
Near the head of the red woman is a cactus and near the head of the child is a prickly cactus. Holding the earth woman is a backdrop of a sky forming the outline of a woman. The sky is bright on the right side and dark on the left side. The spirit has hands that intertwine and hold all the people and fauna together. There is a wild animal on the right hand of the spirit. There is a moon on the dark side and a sun on the bright side. The sun is more central to the picture and the moon is in the distance.
This picture symbolized many things to me and I believe that this picture showed the hierarchy of the world. The highest ranking spirit is god followed by earth followed by adult followed by child. The contrast of night and day shows that god is both good and bad to people. The cactus near the child’s head symbolizes that being youthful is very dangerous. The flame in the child’s hand represent’s that the youth is the only way to keep civilization warm and healthy.
http://mexig0.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/kahlo-paintings/frida-kahlo-abrazoamoroso1949/
(The add link button isn't working so in order to see my photo you will have to copy and paste the above url).
Kahlo, Frida. Abrazo Amoroso. Photograph. Wordpress. 1949. Web. 8 September 2010.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Week 3 Blog Reviews
Review for Morgan Paulson
Morgan I really liked your articles. I liked how you were engaged throughout the writing of your posts and constantly brought up interesting facts. I liked your use of questions throughout your post because it made me stop and ponder the points you were trying to make. One thing that I think you could improve is to answer your questions more throughout your posts. I know a lot of them are supposed to be rhetorical but if you answered some of them I would be able to more fully understand your stance. Other than that, I thought they were solid posts and I’m really excited to keep reading your work!
Review for Waliah Shamsiddeen
Waliah did not have these posts created.
Review for Darien Allen
I really liked your posts; I thought they were extremely informative. While reading your posts, I feel like you were very educated on the topics and thoroughly understood the reading. On your 9/2 article I think it could be a little more interesting if you stated whether you agree with Brook’s assessment. I do not really have any other criticisms because your articles are so fantastic. I liked how you supported every fact you presented. I also never questioned the relevance of what your facts because you tied in everything very nicely. Keep up the good work!
Morgan I really liked your articles. I liked how you were engaged throughout the writing of your posts and constantly brought up interesting facts. I liked your use of questions throughout your post because it made me stop and ponder the points you were trying to make. One thing that I think you could improve is to answer your questions more throughout your posts. I know a lot of them are supposed to be rhetorical but if you answered some of them I would be able to more fully understand your stance. Other than that, I thought they were solid posts and I’m really excited to keep reading your work!
Review for Waliah Shamsiddeen
Waliah did not have these posts created.
Review for Darien Allen
I really liked your posts; I thought they were extremely informative. While reading your posts, I feel like you were very educated on the topics and thoroughly understood the reading. On your 9/2 article I think it could be a little more interesting if you stated whether you agree with Brook’s assessment. I do not really have any other criticisms because your articles are so fantastic. I liked how you supported every fact you presented. I also never questioned the relevance of what your facts because you tied in everything very nicely. Keep up the good work!
Pg 165 #5
Wright’s essay invoked great thought and speculation from me. Wright’s essay explored the notion of whether or not machines could someday be classified as living. Machines have become increasingly more sophisticated in the past couple of years and they are able to perform more tasks. Wright’s essay explains the notion of programming a machine to have the same thought processes as humans. Wright details this by explaining the human reaction to pain.
“When a human hand experiences pain, the natural impulse is to recoil” (144). Scientists are creating a machine that will have data sensors that will recoil when a danger is presented that could hurt the robot. However sophisticated machines are becoming, they are still not able to pass the Turing test. The Turing test is a test that is used to determine human qualities in robots. While robots are able to complete mass calculations, their lack of common sense propels them to fail the Turing test. This failure of the Turing test can is delved into when Wright explores consciousness.
Wright’s exploration of consciousness leads me to believe that robots will never be able to be classified as living. Wright explains that machines may be able to be programmed to have reactions, but they will never be able to feel pleasure and pain. The idea of pleasure and pain is an interesting issue that is debated throughout the essay. “Pleasure and pain and the existence of love and grief are central items to life’s meaning” (145). If robots are not able to experience these emotions I do not believe that they will be able to ever have a human’s complexity.
“When a human hand experiences pain, the natural impulse is to recoil” (144). Scientists are creating a machine that will have data sensors that will recoil when a danger is presented that could hurt the robot. However sophisticated machines are becoming, they are still not able to pass the Turing test. The Turing test is a test that is used to determine human qualities in robots. While robots are able to complete mass calculations, their lack of common sense propels them to fail the Turing test. This failure of the Turing test can is delved into when Wright explores consciousness.
Wright’s exploration of consciousness leads me to believe that robots will never be able to be classified as living. Wright explains that machines may be able to be programmed to have reactions, but they will never be able to feel pleasure and pain. The idea of pleasure and pain is an interesting issue that is debated throughout the essay. “Pleasure and pain and the existence of love and grief are central items to life’s meaning” (145). If robots are not able to experience these emotions I do not believe that they will be able to ever have a human’s complexity.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Are Computers Smarter than Us? pg 122 #3
Can Computers Think?
The top down school is “programming computers to process information using symbols” (Davidson 117). Computers will never be able to process information like humans because we use , complexity when analyzing problems. We can instill rules into a computer to make decisions but rules will never be able to replace real world experience and emotion. I believe emotion is key when making decisions because we make many decisions using ethos and pathos. A computer is not able to decipher emotion and could make incorrect decisions based on a set of rules that can be broken by emotion.
Minsky is critical of artificial intelligence because he believes that the human brain is too complex. A computer has a greater capacity to retain information, but according to Brooks a computer cannot critically think and make decisions. The ability to store large amounts of data is highly useful but is not better than human thought. I agree with Brooks and I think that people forget that computers are made by humans. A computer can never be all knowing and superior because it was created by humans and is subject to human error. This is why computers have malfunctions etc.
I believe that the main reason people hates computers is because they are quickly making jobs obsolete. Computers and machines are putting people out of work because they are able to perform menial tasks. However, I am glad that we use computers for these tasks because it helps out society grow. By taking away these jobs, people are force to become qualified for higher status work. If people aim to better themselves and become more educated and qualified, then our society will benefit. I believe that one day we will be able to give basic human characteristics and brain patterns to a robot and I believe this will also benefit society. I hope that one day we are able to put robots in dangerous career fields such as police officers and fire fighters.
The top down school is “programming computers to process information using symbols” (Davidson 117). Computers will never be able to process information like humans because we use , complexity when analyzing problems. We can instill rules into a computer to make decisions but rules will never be able to replace real world experience and emotion. I believe emotion is key when making decisions because we make many decisions using ethos and pathos. A computer is not able to decipher emotion and could make incorrect decisions based on a set of rules that can be broken by emotion.
Minsky is critical of artificial intelligence because he believes that the human brain is too complex. A computer has a greater capacity to retain information, but according to Brooks a computer cannot critically think and make decisions. The ability to store large amounts of data is highly useful but is not better than human thought. I agree with Brooks and I think that people forget that computers are made by humans. A computer can never be all knowing and superior because it was created by humans and is subject to human error. This is why computers have malfunctions etc.
I believe that the main reason people hates computers is because they are quickly making jobs obsolete. Computers and machines are putting people out of work because they are able to perform menial tasks. However, I am glad that we use computers for these tasks because it helps out society grow. By taking away these jobs, people are force to become qualified for higher status work. If people aim to better themselves and become more educated and qualified, then our society will benefit. I believe that one day we will be able to give basic human characteristics and brain patterns to a robot and I believe this will also benefit society. I hope that one day we are able to put robots in dangerous career fields such as police officers and fire fighters.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Pg 96 Freewrite
Directed freewrite pg 96
What is an idea? What is a thought?
An idea is a collection of memories connected together to make an assumption about the world. An idea always makes an assumption about how something operates or will operate. I believe that ideas can be totally organic or can stem from other ideas. I believe that ideas require a plethora of support in order to survive and too often ideas are destroyed. Many ideas are destroyed every day and it is because of other ideas conflicting with them.
I believe that one idea can lead to the demise of another idea. Thoughts are vey opinion based and require a host to breathe life into an idea. Without the support of belief, a thought will die or alter. A thought can alter by the disbelief of another person. The disbelief of another person can result in the introduction of an idea that can only survive if the said idea is invalid. “The ultimate goal of a theory of consciousness is a simple and elegant set of fundamental laws, analogous to the fundamental laws of physics” (pg 103).
I believe that humans are always searching for knowledge. This quest for knowledge results in the construction of ideas. Without the thirst for knowledge, there would be no motivation to create ideas. I believe very basic organisms have no thoughts. “At each stage, visual information is reencoded, typically in a semi hierarchical matter” (pg 107). The animals just react to their environment and accept it based on the hierarchy of the animal kingdom. However, critical thought can allow for humans to not just accept their environment, but alter it.
What is an idea? What is a thought?
An idea is a collection of memories connected together to make an assumption about the world. An idea always makes an assumption about how something operates or will operate. I believe that ideas can be totally organic or can stem from other ideas. I believe that ideas require a plethora of support in order to survive and too often ideas are destroyed. Many ideas are destroyed every day and it is because of other ideas conflicting with them.
I believe that one idea can lead to the demise of another idea. Thoughts are vey opinion based and require a host to breathe life into an idea. Without the support of belief, a thought will die or alter. A thought can alter by the disbelief of another person. The disbelief of another person can result in the introduction of an idea that can only survive if the said idea is invalid. “The ultimate goal of a theory of consciousness is a simple and elegant set of fundamental laws, analogous to the fundamental laws of physics” (pg 103).
I believe that humans are always searching for knowledge. This quest for knowledge results in the construction of ideas. Without the thirst for knowledge, there would be no motivation to create ideas. I believe very basic organisms have no thoughts. “At each stage, visual information is reencoded, typically in a semi hierarchical matter” (pg 107). The animals just react to their environment and accept it based on the hierarchy of the animal kingdom. However, critical thought can allow for humans to not just accept their environment, but alter it.
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