When I was young my Dad told me that. no matter what, family ties were the strongest and most important ones I'd ever have. Later in life though, I found myself questioning the adage "blood is thicker than water" due to family circumstances that led me to realize the extreme dysfunction that had been occurring for a very long time within the walls of our household. I had already moved out roughly a year earlier which gave me some perspective on the inner workings of my family. This perspective and a situation in which the life of my youngest sister (then 10) was endangered forced me, because of my love for my siblings, to challenge my parents on their issues. When I spoke to my parents about the problems my mother's eyes became wide like those of a liars; she denied everything, full of guilt. My father at first just lowered his head (he reminded me a little of a sleeping bird in that moment), later in the conversation though, when my mom was weeping and asking how I could accuse her, my father jumped out of his chair, ready to beat me. I simply sat there, calm. I stared at my blubbering mother until she realized that her tears no longer affected my judgment. As soon as she knew that she could not trick me in that manner, the tears were shut off; it was perhaps most unnerving of all to see how quickly my mother regained her composure, like an actor after the director has yelled "cut!"
TowerMart's blog
Wine is Thicker Than Blood
A Response and a Hope: More Thoughts on the Topic of Immigration
The following is in part a response to a comment on another post of mine; I am taking the time to answer the comment in this manner because the issue connects to another that is of particular concern to the future of
America. My worry (and all of us ought to be very worried) is that many people hold very strong views on issues without having any reason to hold those views. In other words, a great number of people don't back up their views with logic or evidence. Of course, this site is a semi-informal setting, and I am not saying that my arguments are always perfect, but in general my arguments are well crafted and supported; in cases where someone has pointed out a flaw, I have amended the argument for clarification (though what happens more often is that the person did not fully read the argument and, thus, they simply need correcting).
Help with HTML, please
I chose "broad prosperity" as my "relevant progressive principle" because I laugh every time I read that phrase; I dunno. Anyway, I'm looking to make my posts more dynamic and I know that I can do this via some simple HTML knowhow. The problem is, I don't have the time to pick up a book on the subject! So, please, if anyone could give me some resources and some simple tips on HTML I'd be grateful. Thanks! Read More »
A Better Babysitter...Robot?
NEC has put out a prototype robot that functions as a family companion of sorts. It is suprisingly advanced: it recognizes individals based on stored images, it can understand rougly 650 words, it reacts to the way a person interacts with it, and it connects to the internet to gather information on the weather and driving conditions. See NEC's site at: http://www.incx.nec.co.jp/robot/english/robotcenter_e.html Read More »
American Injustice: An Argument For "Illegal Immigration," and a Challenge to Those Opposed
As a Californian liberal and a F. O. C. (follower of Christ-different than a Christian), I am typically upset by gross social injustice; and I consider America's stance on "Illegal Immigration" unjust. I am posting the following because I am interested to see if there are any people who agree (because despite the ever mounting evidence against the human race's integrity, I am still hopeful) and, for those who disagree, I'd like for once to hear an argument that actually follows a train of logic or one that goes farther than "I think it's wrong" or "because its illegal." Read More »
Captain Planet
Growing up in California in the eighties and nineties was, odd...Perhaps everyone says that about the years in which they experienced childhood, but I must say, looking back it feels like I was fed quite a bit of propaganda via the television programs I watched, and school. And though the propaganda I endured wasn't as bad as, say, "A red under every bed," it has left lasting effects which lead me to question the ethics of the creators of some cartoon shows. Take the show "Captain Planet" for instance: Read More »
The Best TV Drama Ever?
So I know that this is late news but, did anyone see the Emmys this time around? I watched a good deal of it in anticipation that my favorite television drama, Six Feet Under, would finally be awarded some prize. Six Feet Under was a five or six season long HBO show about a family that ran a funeral home, but more so it was about their lives as human beings, and the show explored (I think) the depths of human character to a suprisingly profound degree. In addition to a great storyline, well shot scenes, and fantastic directing, the actors were amazingly convincing. I have as yet to watch a show that so fully engaged me, and I was very dissapointed when Six Feet Under lost again (and for the last time) to shows that were not half as good. What is up with that? Read More »
Are you depressed?
I am currently taking an upper division course on depression at my university and wrote an article review on the article: Suicide and Depression Among College Students-A Decade Later (Furr, McConnell, Westefeld, and Jenkins, 2000). Below is an excerpt from the review I wrote, and I've attached the article which is in PDF format. I think that, though this study isn't the newest out there, it is relevant to current college students, because it reveals just how common depression is on college campuses.
