OMG! OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD! YAY! :/

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/05/01/bin.laden.obit/index.html?on.cnn=1

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/02/osama-bin-laden-dead-obama?CMP=twt_fd

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/01/national/main20058777.shtml

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05/u-s-forces-kill-osama-bin-laden/

And why his death doesn't really matter:

http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/05/01/why-bin-ladens-death-no-longer-really-matters/

For those who haven't heard, apparently OBL has been caught and killed in Pakistan (which depending on your perspective, may or may not be true, accurate, or even real). Naturally, the morons of Facebook and Twitter rejoice in his death, typing the same stupidity over and over again:

army wives: "This is fantastic news! Support the military! <3. I haven't seen my hubby for 2 years but I'm sure he isn't doing things like raping women and killing children indiscriminately. Keep them in your prayers because a well-outfitted soldier is going to need your thoughts, not some poor, little boy mistaken for as a terrorist in his own homeland."

tough guys rejected from the army: "FUCK YEAH! WE KILLED THAT SUMUVABITCH! I'm overcompensating on the internet to try and fit into the generic, "real" man stereotype that society perpetuates through movies and RL."

civilians: "About time we got him. Now we can go on with our daily lives being unaffected like we have been for the past 10 years. I actually don't care about politics but when some huge story like this hits the front pages of every MSM source in the US, then I just have to say something or I'll be considered unpatriotic."

Also, since this is a Peace Studies class, here is a video of Bin Laden's son calling for peace http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY4wGpPbz0E

NYT article about "Three Cups of Tea"

I found a recent article from the New York times talking about the "Three Cups of Tea" that Kahlor refereed to in class. The article supposes that when things don't work out for those who want to do good and they appear as though they aren't do what they are supposed to, we vindictively project our lack of trying onto that person, which in turn, makes us feel better for not trying.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/opinion/01rakoff.html

Week 16: Oral history reflection/Final post

I'd like for you to reflect on your oral history project. What did you learn about peace from this individual? What does this individual have to offer to the world that is unique? Also, what do you have to offer to the world that is unique, perceptive, insightful? Do you believe that individuals have a responsibility to make use of these qualities or to contribute accordingly? Explain.

I learned from him that it is up to people to do kind acts regardless of what situation they are in or who they are with. He said that enacting revenge only continues the cycle of violence that is present throughout society. He says even if someone intentionally does you wrong, to not retaliate because it helps no one and only further these petty type of dilemmas. He gave advice and insight to anyone that asked for it. He lent an ear to listen to people's problems and helped them recover from whatever they were going through.

I can only offer insight into my own personal situations. Not everything is as it seems. Make sure you know the whole story of a situation before jumping in to rush judgment. It is easy for one to assume and stereotype or even mis-characterize another because it's easy to do. It takes virtually no work to vilify someone, especially if you haven't been in their position before. So rather than rush to anger about trivial events, perhaps it is best to be patient and try to understand the problems that other people are going through so that, if their is something that needs to be discussed or fixed, it can be done so under mutually beneficial circumstances.

I do believe people have some sort of responsibility to others if they have a quality or skill that can be helpful to those around them. However, sometimes other people can be demanding and put a strain on that person that is trying to help. So I understand if skilled people or people with helpful qualities don't accept a community position. But I think there is a point to where sometimes it is just necessary for that person to step in the the betterment of the community. So not everyone needs to contribute but I posit that if everyone did their best to help out someone else, violence in general would be down in all areas.

The "guardians from Plato and Kant - PHIL2200

I found a clip from a pretty corny and weird sci-fi show called "The Event". I noticed that as in class we were talking about elites which may help or hurt society, this show delved into the story of a man who worked behind the scenes and tried to kill the VP as well as manipulate certain outcomes through his economic resources from various scenarios. He speaks of "taking care of mankind", painting himself as an angel, yet you see how he is willing to kill and maim for that purpose. It is implied over a series of episodes that he is older than his human body appears to be, making references to thousands of years and, in this case, breaking an ancient pot just found by an archaeologist because he knew there was a scroll inside (according to the episode, the same cave where the Dead Sea scrolls were found). Also, later in the same episode he speaks to a trained but rogue intel agent and points to the sky as he says "them" when he responds to a question of who he is protecting the world from.

Concept of historical Guardians - The Event S01E15

Week 15 - Chapter 11

Although stereotypes they don't represent or even describe the majority of a primary characteristic group (race, age, gender), they turn people into pathetic puppets, just waiting to agree with or follow someone with the same beliefs. The other day I went to the license tag office and was a spectator to a pretty horrible situation. I was sitting in my car in the parking lot waiting for friend to help them out with getting their tag. While I waited a few cars started leaving to drive out off the lot. There was a gold Caddy and a red F-150 behind it. I'm not sure what happened but before each pulled out onto the road, the white guy from the F-150 began yelling slurs and insults. He yelled (and I could hear from my car about half a block down), "What the fuck are you doing? Fuck you nigger... I'm gonna fuck your mother in the ass!" To say I was shocked is to understate what was said. After they both drove of, I kinda sat there just pondering "Nothing , especially something petty done in a tag office parking lot, deserves those kinds of insults." I was just realizing how I've never seen true hatred of another person, and here goes some douchebag yelling racial obscenities at a guy who probably didn't even know what was going on. It really is disheartening.

On a similar note, the media is adept at using race as a "hot button" issue. It doesn't surprise me anymore if anyone would actually become a racist based on the news cycle. It is ludicrous to say this entire country suffers from blatant discrimination when sometimes the reasons for a certain situations are due to "natural" reasons. For example, men are likely to earn more than women because more are aggressive in their work place, ask for more raises, are at risk in more job areas, and are usually more experienced in their field of work. That is not to say women are less able to work as hard, it just so happens that men's natural traits allow them to flourish in the work place. So it's "an economic versus a nature" dilemma, not necessarily a sex discrimination one.

Week 14 - Teaching Presentations

I decided to join Jason and Josh's group about relativism and absolutism.

Week 13 - Intended Major

1) My intended major(s) is/are: Computer Science and Information Security. I have only added InfoSec as a major since attending KSU. Well, I've always liked the idea of understanding and implementing complex technical skills to build programs and secure data.

2) The four type of professional experience that can help me in my studies are:

-job shadows (where one follows around someone already in a job position that you want so that one may experience the intricacies and nuances of a real world job.)

-internships (a short-term hands-on experience which lets one maintain their study time while also working usually part-time for a company they wish to apply to and so one gets a feel for how juggling responsibilities and keeping focus will feel like)

-co-ops (basically one semester, one will study and be able to concentrate on academic responsibilities, and the next semester, one can essentially, "intern" for that period of time, allowing one to be devoted to their work) and

-volunteering (a position which one devotes time to an organization, simply because one wishes to, not because they will receive payment).

I believe an internship would be my best option. It would allow me to continue learning at school while experiencing the life of a job at a company. If I still wish to apply to that company, I can; but if I do not, then an internship will allow me to find out if that environment is right. The next best would be a co-op. It woiuld allow my to concentrate on my studies for a limited time, then be able to devote my attention full-time to a temp job position.

Week 12 - Life Challenges

Week 11 - A Class Divided

1) I was very surprised by the students' reactions. At the beginning of the video, the kids seem like nice, normal people. But halfway through the "experiment", best friends are nemeses and people who didn't like each other from the start now had allies in those of the same eye color.

2) It proves human nature isn't as resilient to this type of conditioning as people thought. Many of us think this conditioning is horrid and outside of the realm of possibilities affecting us but the reality is that most of us could be made to believe something that isn't true solely because it has been repeated over and over by others. It also goes to show how malleable children's minds are and that adults need to be careful as to what teachings are introduced into their child's education.

3) Well, this experiment would obviously vary from city to city but taking metro-Atlanta as a possibility, I think this experiment would be less effective considering the amount of diversity. Growing up I had all types of friends: black, Asian, Hispanic, white, and even Indian. So from a young age, that type of "diversity = equality" thinking had been instilled in me from a young age. I don't think that experiment would take much hold in the more urban areas of a city simply because kids are more likely to be exposed to different cultures early on and learn to accept those cultures growing up.

Week 10: GALILEO

The author, James, Heft, basically gives a general overview of Christian history and goes on to show the attitude of a sizable group within the church, as well as the papal authority. What the author describes is a pendulum of Church (and the populace's) doctrine. He states that Christians, in the first century did not want to join the Roman Army, but then later on, joined in on the Crusades, and as a final swing, most Christians (particularly) Catholics, have embraced the idea that even more limited war and rules for those wars are needed to usher in peace.

Heft lists the Popes who have tried to push the Church into a "peace" era but notes that Pope John Paul II, like the Enlightenment philosophers, changed the perception of peace by linking war action to an affront on the rights of every human being involved. John Paul II drastically moved the "just war" theory in a new direction by exposing the sins of the Church from centuries ago, also imploring that relations between factions continue to exist even after armed conflict has ruined the countries involved. Heft says mainline Protestants has endorsed John Paul II's ideas of restrictive warfare and forgiving aftermath but somehow a good number of evangelical churches actually support preemptive war and do not share the same talk of peace that Jesus himself gave to his disciples.

Heft, James. "Religion, World Order, and Peace: Christianity, War, and Peacemaking." Cross Currents60.3 (2010): 328. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 17 Mar. 2011.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/50958853/Religion-World-Order-And-Peace-Christian

Week 9: Spring Break

Week 8: PSA assignment

1) I'll be working with Kyle and Julie on a topic in the topic. Not sure which one though. We were thinking about a PowerPoint presentation or something visual.

2) To be honest, I haven't been keeping up with the book. I'll be sure to begin finishing the book this week.

Edit: I thought I had published this post but I had actually saved it. :/

Week 7: Myers Brigg Test Indicator

I took a took but I think the questions were too-opened ended. I got INTJ but feel as if I swing back and forth from that to INTP (by comparing the descriptions).

ntroverted (I) 76.67% Extroverted (E) 23.33%
Intuitive (N) 58.06% Sensing (S) 41.94%
Thinking (T) 63.64% Feeling (F) 36.36%
Judging (J) 52.94% Perceiving (P) 47.06%

INTJ - "Mastermind". Introverted intellectual with a preference for finding certainty. A builder of systems and the applier of theoretical models. 2.1% of total population.

I found a site that delves more into the overall life aspects of these personalities, and even has career options that might be suited or your "type".

Week 6: Mark Braverman

1) We as humans strive for the attention and affirmation of others. A wall is the anti-thesis of that; it suggests willful separation due to my dislike or annoyance with you. However, a wall also signifies order and isolation of people that others may deem to be threats (whether real or imagined). This type of "segregation" tells us 2 things: 1) That the people instilling the wall aren't murderous monsters on an ethnic cleansing campaign (for the "short-sighted" hyperbolists out there) and 2) that there is a threat to be quelled, whether it is justified or not. The supposed "intellectuals" who continue to vilify Israel while not recognizing the threat posed by extremists (because they are real and do exist), only continues to anger the Jews who feel persecuted while pandering to the Palestinians, who for years, have been unwilling to cooperate yet arrogant enough to believe that they are entitled to a land they lost not only in Abrahamic times but just as recently as 1948.

I believe the first step is to leak out that Israel is willing to compromise (perhaps even paying reparations to the families in controlled areas) and maybe even have a news conference where the leaders agree to meet for the explicit purpose of reintegrating both peoples. Then, every week, tear down a certain section of the wall (with proper appropriate support, of course). The next step would be to have public meetings and votes (all adults, no exceptions) to show the Palestinians they are willing to reinstate what the UN proposed almost 70 years ago. However, he Palestinian must show that they are willing to support this move. All random bombings in civilians areas must stop and any public outburst of aggression on Israeli citizens must cease. It makes no sense for one side, who has been on the brink of extinction for milennia, to be the ones to give up the up the land they earned. After the previous have been done, the actual proposal is that the original UN Partition Plan be re-drafted with approximatively half the land given to the Israelis and half given to the Palestinians, with the UN having oversight over Jerusalem but delegating any possible changes to the people of both states. Have the ICJ (or other nations) keep both sides in balance and see how it goes from there.

2) A tribal mindset allows the most optimum way of surviving. It is considered "barbaric" but one needs to be ruthless (or at least, uncompromising) if self-preservation is the ultimate goal (and considering the size of Israel compared to other nations, I would say it is a legitimate form of governance). However, this tribal mindset can lead to arrogant circumventions of justice, allowing very few to be tried fairly without a preconceived bias of harm to the state. I understand that in this supposed "modern era" that people have learned to talk with one another to talk most problems, but usually the people who argue against the "tribal mindset" do not have all the information that a gov't has and as a result do not know what the choices are in a given situation. Simplifying human nature and then applying "logic" to it, especially if it is used to help a population survive, is amateurish at best. It is preposterous to assume that we unelected citizens can someone how criticize gov't for it's justified misdeeds because of some idealistic notion that people are good and therefore no one should harm anyone, despite being under constant threat of annihilation. (To be honest, I expected more from Dr. Braverman)

3) It is, at its basic roots, the most common trait among humans. Everyone suffers; the poor, the rich, the tall, short, fat, skinny, pretty, ugly, smart, dumb (these words are pretty much used to describe subjective points of view). No one can escape being hurt, not those who lock themselves away or even those who are constantly in the spotlight. Human suffering is what binds one of us to the other and allows for an instant emotional or spiritual connection to people who we would probably never would have considered friends.

4)

1. I am Gabriel Gonzalez. I am 21 years old have interests in music, computing, history, and social sciences.

2. Simply put, to earn a degree in order to obtain employment in "a fast-paced business environment".

3. I need food, water, shelter, clothing, like everyone else. Some personal quiet time for my interests.

4. Social injustices really stir me up. Finding the "truth" (whatever that entails) also drives me.

10. Pay attention, delegate more time to studying my lessons, and researching material outside of what is given in class in order to gain a broader perspective.

11. I think I have been successful in understanding and applying the material I've learned from class to short-term goals such as tests and labs.

12. I need assistance on concentrating and using information that I have learned to form ideas which help others.

Week 5: "Foundations" chapter 5

1) Well, in this situation, I was in high school (sophomore year). The teacher was out but we still had to give presentations on "proofs". No one was really paying attention to the people presenting so other people just stood in front of the class, ran through their main points, and sat down. Of course, I had to be the one break the record. I went up there and froze. I literally stood there looking at my paper not knowing what to say or where to start from. And the worst part is, I stayed in front of the class for like 5 minutes. After that time elapsed, I just sat back down, and everyone started giving confused looks. The substitute saved me by making a joke that I was some Star Wars character using telepathy to insert the information I had into my classmates' brains. And that was the worst experience with public speaking I've ever had.

2) One situation in which a statement was an red herring was when I was at UGA and I disliked being controlled by my parents. I told my mom that she was emotionally blackmailing me by saying that would take away the money I used for college if I didn't go back home immediately. She responded with "Why are you mad at me? Weren't you saying that your dad is the one who mistreats you?" essentially trying to change the subject because she felt the need to shift the blame.

The straw-man fallacy, I think, is very prevalent in American culture, up to the point that is slows down any potential progress we might make on important issues affecting our country. A recurring situation among my conservative and liberals friends is that if one supports the army (in a general sense), then the must vote to fund the Coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. My liberal friends say that those wars were unwarranted and are illegal by int'l law and that we need to pull out those soldiers and use them for missions which directly affect American sovereignty. Both sides believe that if the other doesn't believe i their opinion, that they must hate the US and are somehow traitors. Only the arguments are given a space to be heard while the reasons and details for those arguments are kept from the public arena.

3)I don't think I have been very successful in the delivery aspect of speech presentation. While everyone should excel in all areas, I will do my best to improve in what I think is necessary for the information presented to be conveyed effectively, which is rate, volume, and posture. Eye contact and posture would be the most relevant way in which one could affect how their interest while listening to others.

4)

Week 4: Bentley Rare Book Gallery

1) Foundations. chapter 3. Exercises 3.1, 3.2, 3.3. page 49.

3.1

1. Sometimes

2. Sometimes

3. Often

4. Never

5. Often

6. Often

7. Sometimes

3.2

1. Often

2. Sometimes

3. Sometimes

4. Rarely

5. Often

6. Always

7. Sometimes

8. Often

9. Often

10. Sometimes

3.3

1. Usually

2. Never

3. Usually

4. Sometimes

5. Sometimes

6. Never

7. Never

8. Sometimes

9. Usually

10. Sometimes

11. Sometimes

12. Sometimes

13. Usually

14. Usually

15. Sometimes

16. Usually

17. Sometimes

18. Usually

19. Sometimes

20. Usually

2) Chapter 7: The myth of Multi-tasking

Yes I do find that word to be misleading. A few weeks ago, I actually came to the same conclusion that the scientists reached and that is that people don't actually multi-task but execute a series of consecutive actions and then call it multi-tasking. It is also impossible to truly multi-task and get any real progress done. In order for your work to be good, you must devote your full attention to it. It makes no sense to do several things at around the same time, just to find out that you gave 50% or 30% effort and then received a grade that reflected that effort. It is better to complete one task at a time and get the full credit of your work.

3) Which mgmt tip is the most helpful?

I think making to-do lists is the most helpful time management tip that I could use. I have a very erratic short-term memory and sometimes need a physical reminder of what I need to accomplish. I have recently begun to use this method and it is really helpful in allowing me to be more efficient and use my time more effectively.

4) Goals for next 4 years.

I don't think I will be studying 'abroad' anytime soon. On a more serious note, I have made at least to long-term plans concerning my college education. I will either graduate from KSU, then pursue a graduate degree at Georgia Tech (if my ADHD-PI doesn't interfere too much) OR take 2 years at KSU then transfer to GT/UGA. I am leaning to the former because it will at least give me a stable, jumping off point if I am not able to keep up the complexity and speed of GT courses. I might be working at Micro Center or some other huge brand name computer store. Or maybe be recruited an software company as a programmer. Not exactly sure what I want right now.

Week 3: Discussion

1) Response to Outcasts United

When I began reading, I felt very disconnected (naturally) but as the author told Luma's story, I saw parallel's between her life and mine. Of course I am not “royalty” but just like Luma, I decided to a large school far from home that my parents did not approve of. And just like my circumstances, she was the first born and much was expected of her. I think parents, in general, need to stop this idea of being harsh with their older children in order to make them a “better person”. While this may lead people to lead “successful” lives, it also causes people to be angry and resent their parents for being held to such rigorous, unachievable standards, which in turn will, like Luma and I, push them to either willingly and forcibly disconnect from the entire family. I don't think it was fair of her father (in my case, my mother) to cut her off and prohibit her from talking to immediate family just because she did not want to follow her parent's orders. I am willing to bet most young adults adamantly agree with the following situation describing their own circumstances in finding a place away from home: “Luma tried to explain that she felt it was important for her to see if she could support herself without the social and financial safety net her parents provided at home...Hassan would have none of it. If Luma wanted to see independent she could be, he told her , he was content to help her find out. She didn't feel that she could be herself there (Jordan), and she was willing to endure a split with her family to live in a place where she could live the life she pleased.” (23 St. John)

One's life belongs one's self not to another so for other people, especially family, to bark orders then cut off their own children off because the parents are too emotionally unstable to accept that their children's lives are not theirs to control. The difference between Luma and I (and millions of other people) is the abrupt drop from one socio-economic class to another; The following quote details the core of Luma's situation in a short, quick sentence: “I went from being able to walk into any restaurant and store in the United States and buy whatever I wanted to having nothing” (23 St. John). Luma basically went from super rich to flat-out broke in a matter of seconds, and just because she wished to follow her own aspirations. How sad it is that in our day and age, one's dreams are controlled by worthless pieces of jean paper, or for this decade, “invisible” electronic numbers.

2) Why are stories vital to society?

I think stories, on a very simple, basic level, help people connect with each other. The fascination of mystery tales and ancient lore, for some reason, draws people together. Stories handed down through oral traditions are very susceptible to intentional or accidental "editing". While the most important part of a oral tradition is the subtle lesson inherent in the story itself, I also think it is the duty of civilizations capable of written language to preserve the original version of the tale/story/legend for history's sake. Although it is unacceptable for societies to not record the original versions of fables and tales, it would be very interesting to note how these stories changed over thousands of years from the original. For pros, oral traditions allow stories to be told in a way that reflects current society and perhaps remedy the situation in a more personal tone. A con of oral tradiion is that the mythology and true original meaning of the story may be lost on future generations, thus causing cultures to be incorrect when retelling these stories, perhaps losing the original intent.

3) Find a study tip in chapter three

I haven't used the Cornell note-taking or mind mapping method into my study routine. I think I will try one study tip in one class and see if it suits me well. If it doesn't, the I might switch to another note-taking method and check if it helps me with subject retention. I have struggled with paying attention in class, long and short. (ADHD-PI). Sometimes I forget tools for class because I am in a hurry as a result of staying up to help my family or finish homework that I couldn't do during the day because of family issues. I need complete silence or I will zone out (like right now the heater is on and my hard drive is spinning quickly and instead of putting my full concentration into this assignment, I am preoccupied with a sounds that I have no control over.)

Week 2: Bloom's Taxonomy

a) Syllabus Scavenger Hunt

In the Philosophy class that is part of this community, most of the work done in there falls under 'analyzing'. We have about 4-5 books and our objective is to not only read the literature but to understand the concepts that make up the foundation of that literature. Our goal for the semester is not to just remember but to skim the texts and interpret them in order to then apply those ideas to our lives.

In this class (KSU1101), we have an oral history project which falls under the 'creating' category. The objective of that assignment is to take information that we 'understand', personalize it, and then present it to the class as a whole. It is supposed to make the students find an imaginative but efficient way to display information.

b) Keep your eyes open

In my Political Science class, the professor consistently talks about how the Founding Fathers relied on the concepts that the Enlightenment philosophers made popular as the foundation for the Constitution. The main idea behind most of these philosophers was that every man had a right to choose his own path in life and that no single person should be able to dictate orders to others. However, I have read several articles that question the notion that we are truly "free"and that the study that was conducted may show that many of us are pre-wired to think a certain way.

Telegraph

Sydney Herald

Ricky Gervais

I thought Gervais was "bloody brilliant". I usually don't watch his movies, but I can say that night he was pretty hilarious. It seems like he didn't have a care in the world and just wanted to project what he really thought into a joke form (that or he was buzzed and just said what came out of his mouth). Of course he went over "that" line a few times but the fact that it was so shocking to both Hollywood actors and the working man was what made me really enjoy that bit.

I love references so here are a few videos to relive those moments.

Opening Monologue

Some of the good parts

Week 1: Class Intro

Hey everyone:

My name is Gabriel Gonzalez. I am 21 years old. I attended R.L. Osborne High School. and graduated in May 2007. There are 5 members of my family: my dad, mom, and one brother and one sister, who both attend Lassiter High School. We have only had a bunny my sister wanted as a pet.

I have played many instruments throughout my life. I started with trumpet in elementary school, then continued with clarinet, tenor sax in middle and high shcool and now I am taking drum classes. I love golden age hip-hop, alternative rock, and occasionally a classical or indie song; I try to listen to all music genres but those are my favorite. I went to UGA for a year before coming to KSU and it was one of the best experiences I have ever had.

I am an INTP; I have a hard time connecting emotionally with others (probably why I put off doing this assignment). Of course I know I will have to turn this in on time the coming week; it's just frustrating that it takes me longer than normal to complete 'simple' tasks like this. I chose this class because I didn't complete my learning community from last semester. Plus, this class was attached to philosophy which I have been very interested in for a long time.