Final Essay

I don't think I will ever know the true meaning of life or even if my life has any meaning, but I think the most important thing is to have fun and live YOUR life not what others want you to be. There will always be certain things that you can say are and aren't meaningful but at the end of the day it is already done and that is that. Once you do something there is no going back and changing it. There is not one person on this earth who can say that everything they have done is meaningful or everything they have done is meaningless. No one has the right to decide if an other's life is meaningful or not. You make that decision about your own life.

I think a lot of the time having a meaningful life can be mixed up with having a successful life. The successful life that most people think of as just having money and a good job. Not everything has to have a purpose or meaning. I play basketball and I know that it is not going to bring me any "success" but I do it, because that is what I like to do and is fun to me. I try making my life "meaningful" by having fun. Everyone can have their own solutions. For example my parents tell me all the time to spend less time having fun and doing what I want and that instead I should be doing homework and studying. But I tell them that this is my life and they can do that stuff in their life if they want to.

As life goes on your mind evolves and you learn more. You become more wise and understand life is not what you thought it was in high school. Things you may have thought were meaningful may not be meaningful anymore. The longer you live the more experience you gain and experience is the best teacher.

I think that in our society today the dominant corporate messages are that materials will make you happy. For example in the commercial that says "Every kiss begins with a Kay". The commercial is for a jewelry store and basically what they are trying to tell the viewers is that the jewelry will make your girlfriend/ boyfriend happy and that their love for each other will become greater.
In the magazines that teenage girls read talk about what the celebrities are wearing and what they think is cool. When the girls read this they think that dressing and being like the celebrities are going to make them popular and feel better about themselves. The girls think they feel better about themselves but really feel better that they are more like the celebrity so really they are not feeling better about themselves. The dominant message that materials will make one happy cause people to rely on the materials they want so that if they don't get what they want they are angry until they get that thing. I think it is sort of similar to a drug addiction. People who are addicted to heroin or cocaine try it and then their bodies rely on the drugs and the junkie must get the drug or they go into a different state where their body gets all messed up. Then to keep on getting the drugs for their system they do things like become prostitutes so they can get what they need. People who think that the materials will make them happy buy and buy then when they don't have enough money or can't get the material they rob banks and steal from people because they think they will be happy with the money.

Another Dominant message is from religion. Everyone must do what their "God" or leader thinks is right. You must follow their beliefs or do what they would have done. Sometimes I think that religion is a way for people to be controlled because they don't want to sin. No one wants to sin so it is a way to scare people and get them to do what they think is right.
"I believe
Man made god, outta ignorance and fear
If God made man, then why the hell would he put us here?
I thought hes supposed to be the all loving
The same God who let hitler put the jews in the oven" -Dead Prez

I still think that these are dominant messages that most people tend to follow. They will probably always be the dominant because the media, religion, government, etc push them on us. I don't think that they are needed to live a meaningful life but that is what the media trys to tell you that you need.

If I was to organize my own funeral I would invite family and friends. I wouldn't want people to be sad and crying, because thats not going to do anything but waste time. I don't really think that death should be thought of as a bad thing. Me personally I'm not really scared of death because once you die you die. You don't know how you will feel when you are dead or where you will go. It could be another world for all we know and we just start over. I think the only message that I would want to get out is that death doesn't have to be a bad thing that is feared and that sitting around crying that someone died is a waste of time because they are not coming back.

I still feel the same way about death and how I would want my funeral organized. I am not the type of person that wants people to feel sorrow for me. I would rather them forget about me than mourn for the rest of their lives.

To me being emotionally healthy is just being able to survive and think on your own. I don't think that I feel more emotionally healthy than other times, because no matter what my "emotions" are whether Im happy, mad, sad I am still able to make my own decisions that I feel are best for me. I don't think that "constantly happy" is the same thing as emotional healthy. One being constantly happy may make them feel like they are emotionally healthier but for me i don't think constantly being happy makes my mind work any better. On wikipedia it says that to be emotionally healthy it includes enjoying life. I disagree with that because in life many times things happen and you don't always enjoy life but that doesn't mean you are not emotionally healthy. What makes it wrong to not enjoy life and who gets to decide weather or not someone is emotionally healthy or what it means to be emotionally healthy?

I think that the therapists believe enjoying life means one is emotionally healthy. So then they would probably just look for ways to make you feel like your life is good and you should want to live it. I disagree with this because life isn't always fun and can't always be enjoyed but that is part of life. Existentialist therapist look to try and make their patients feel like their lives are meaningful and have a purpose. To me everyone's life has meaning just because everything has a meaning but just because it has meaning doesn't mean they must want to live. And it shouldn't be considered emotionally unhealthy if one doesn't want to live their life anymore. Either way they are going to die sooner or later so why should they waste there time with something they feel is a waste.

I still feel the same way about emotional health. As I am thinking about the sentence I wrote "Either way they are going to die sooner or later so why should they waste there time with something they feel is a waste." maybe it is the best thing if they just kill themselves instead of wasting oil (Just kidding if anyone reading this is thinking about suicide). But I also think the same way about a meaningful life. You don't have to be emotionally healthy or happy to life the meaningful life its just whether or not it is meaningful to you.

I think it is wrong how the animals are treated on these farms. They should not be tortured while becoming food. At least put them to sleep or something when their necks are slit and they get chopped up. It is bad enough how the animals are raised on these farms and the conditions they must survive in. When watching the video and seeing how the animals are treated and the way they look before going through the machines makes me not want to eat. I could not imagine being cramp up in a small space with other creatures surround me and never being able to fully stretch my legs before be killed in a terrible way. I prefer the way that the Muslims kill the animals. The animals are actually treated like they have brains and can think for themselves. I think that most of the food that Americans eat are raised on these types of farms. I eat food from mcdonalds and all the other fast food places and that food does come from these farms. I think that the farms are able to get away with this because a lot of people don't really care they think that animals don't have minds are just on earth for us humans to eat.

I think that the way that these animals are tortured make their lives meaningless. The only reason the farmers raise these animals is to make money for themselves. The animals never get to experience anything but cruelty and terrible ways of living. These techniques of farming should be put to a stop because it is wrong.

I think that this class really helped my thinking. It helps the students see what is really going on in this world. Before this course many of us were blind folded not having an idea about the units we covered. Andy is a very intelligent teacher that can see things below the surface. Not believing what you are told by the media but finding the truth on your own. Every school needs to learn these types of things so maybe we can change the world and prevent this collapse. I think this class is important, because what I learned in the classroom I also take outside the classroom and use in my everyday life. We learn all this other bullshit in school that I will never think about or need in my life after high school. The things I have learned in Andy's class will stick with me for the rest of my life because it is a new way of thinking and see things.

Collapse Assignment 2 - Short and Smart

I think that America will eventually collapse. I don't think that it will happen as soon as everyone thinks but it will happen. The Easter island collapsed because they depended on the trees and ended up cutting ever tree down in their forest. America depends on the oil. We keep on using more and more oil. Sooner or later there will either be no more oil left or it will take up to much oil to get more oil. While the oil decreases the population and demand of oil will increase causing America collapse.

Almost everything produced needs oil. "Oil in particular is the most convenient and multi-purposed of these fossil fuels. Oil currently accounts for about 43% of the world's total fuel consumption [PDF], and 95% of global energy used for transportation [PDF]. Oil and gas are feedstocks for plastics, paints, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, electronic components, tyres and much more. Oil is so important that the peak will have vast implications across the realms of war and geopolitics, medicine, culture, transport and trade, economic stability and food production. Significantly, for every one joule of food consumed in the United States, around 10 joules of fossil fuel energy have been used to produce it."http://www.energybulletin.net/primer This shows how much we rely on oil and how fast we use it up.

Once peak oil is reached the amount of oil starts to decrease. Meaning that America will not have the oil that they need to prevent a collapse. As the amount of oil decreases the amount of people will still be increasing, causing a larger demand of oil. There will be more people which means more oil is needed. In 1930 there were about 1.5 billion people. In 30 years that number doubled so there were 3 billion people by 1960, 4 billion by 1974 and there should be 7 billion by 2010. These statistics show how the growing population is out of control. Since there will be less oil the price for oil will also start to increase, which will cause the oil dependent companies to collapse. When oil dependent companies can not afford these prices their products will not be made which will leave humans without many resources that are relied on to survive.

I think a good example of explaining Americas need for oil is: "The issue is not one of "running out" so much as it is not having enough to keep our economy running. In this regard, the ramifications of Peak Oil for our civilization are similar to the ramifications of dehydration for the human body. The human body is 70 percent water. The body of a 200 pound man thus holds 140 pounds of water. Because water is so crucial to everything the human body does, the man doesn't need to lose all 140 pounds of water weight before collapsing due to dehydration. A loss of as little as 10-15 pounds of water may be enough to kill him."http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/. This shows how we don't need to fully run out of the oil. We can just have a little bit less that will have a large effect on America. Such a small amount being reduced can lead to many things not being able to be done.

Collapse Assignment 1

I think it was interesting how the Easter island people were able to create these big detailed statues. They did not have the same machines and tools that we have today. I also found it interesting how the Easter island also did not have any industrialization. Most people would probably think that an island like this would not do so well because they didn't have all the resources that humans depend on today. I think that the Easter island was doing well in the beginning for what they had.

I think that America is very different from the Easter island because Americans depend on tools and machines for everything that we do. I think when most Americans would read this they would wonder how the statues were made without the tools and machines that are needed today. We depend so much on technology that we don't want to use our hands and do thing on our own. We always have an accessory to do everything instead of using our hands. I think that we are sort of similar because they cut down all their trees on the island. We keep cutting down trees and destroying our environment and soon there will be no more trees and plants leaving everything living to die.

I think America needs to make sure that we don't follow the foot steps of other societies that have collapsed. We depend on so many things and often over use them. If we were to be conservative and only use the amount needed not using it just because we have it then we will have these things for a longer period of time.

Final Food Assignment

The cows with guns video shows how the cows are thought of as important only for their meat and milk. The cows eat to grow, grow to die and then eaten by humans. The cows are given hormones to make them larger so that they have more meat to offer. The cows can get so large that their legs can no longer support their weight and so they are unable to go eat food and have their utters emptied. This leads to a long painful death. I think farmers will do whatever it takes to produce what they need even if it means torturing the animals and making their lives miserable.

This connects to the animal cruelty video because the animals are mistreated and abused. The only reason the animals are kept alive is for them to grow big and fat so they can be eaten and used for our food. I think it is wrong how the animals are treated on these farms. They should not be tortured while becoming food. At least put them to sleep or something when their necks are slit and they get chopped up. It is bad enough how the animals are raised on these farms and the conditions they must survive in. When watching the video and seeing how the animals are treated and the way they look before going through the machines makes me not want to eat. I could not imagine being cramp up in a small space with other creatures surround me and never being able to fully stretch my legs before be killed in a terrible way. I prefer the way that the Muslims kill the animals. The animals are actually treated like they have brains and can think for themselves. I think that most of the food that Americans eat are raised on these types of farms. I eat food from mcdonalds and all the other fast food places and that food does come from these farms. I think that the farms are able to get away with this because a lot of people don't really care they think that animals don't have minds are just on earth for us humans to eat.

I think that similarly to animal cruelty the farmers also abuse the seeds, fruits, vegetables and plants. Seeds, fruits, vegetables and plants are sprayed with all different types of chemicals and pesticides. In the video "VROOM - Farming for Kids" they show a plane dropping chemicals on a bunch of grown sun flowers. The chemicals kill all the flowers and then machines are used to drive over the dead flowers and pick up the seeds.

I think that most people don't realize that they are supporting these techniques of the farmers, because they think the food is already made so its not going to stop them. But if no one was to buy the food due to how the animals were treated the farmers would have to stop making as much, because no one would buy it and it would go bad.
Another reason why so many people may support is just because the food is so convenient. The food taste pretty good, is prepared quickly and doesn't cost a whole lot of money. Those are some of the reasons I also eat this type of food. You also don't really see a lot of fast food places that have the natural animal meat. If they did I'm sure people would buy that if it was as good, cheap and quickly prepared.

My mother buys milk that says the milk does not come from cows who have been on growth hormones to make the cows bigger and produce more milk. I think this is important, because it as at least one thing that I am not supporting from these farms. It is hard for me not to buy the meat from fast food places, because I am on a low budget and the only other options really are salad but I need meat and chicken. I do eat halal food which is from Muslims. The Muslims don't get their meat from these torture farms. They have their own ways of killing the animals that don't include torture and harsh raising of the animals.

I feel like the growth hormones that the animals are given make the meat fake. The meat is not naturally grown by the animals. Its like when the athletes take steroids all the muscle gained is fake and unnatural. This shows that food is turning fake, because there is usually a substitute food that is similar to the real food but isn't the real food. For example when they were talking about when the baby is given either breast milk or formula. Pollan talks about chips and food that isn't good for you is okay every once in a while. It gets really bad when the junk food is eaten everyday. He says making your own food is the best way to eat, because you know exactly what is going into it. Many people don't really want to know what is in their food, because they like how it taste and don't want to dislike it due to the ingredients.

In Omnivores Dilemma, Michael Pollan also talks about Americans food culture. He thinks that Americans way of eating is mixed up with so many different food cultures that we don't have one of our own. I understand his point, because many Americans eat differently. America is known for obesity so everyone thinks that the American food culture is the only the unhealthy and fatty foods. Everyone bases their opinions of what foods are healthy and unhealthy on what the media and tv tell them. I think that to much of one food is unhealthy and also that everyone has a different body so they can react to foods differently than others. Many people go on diets and think that their body is becoming more healthy but a lot of the they aren't getting all the proper nutrients and protein that is needed.

Food # 8 - Industrial Food

Animal Cruelty
I think it is wrong how the animals are treated on these farms. They should not be tortured while becoming food. At least put them to sleep or something when their necks are slit and they get chopped up. It is bad enough how the animals are raised on these farms and the conditions they must survive in. When watching the video and seeing how the animals are treated and the way they look before going through the machines makes me not want to eat. I could not imagine being cramp up in a small space with other creatures surround me and never being able to fully stretch my legs before be killed in a terrible way. I prefer the way that the Muslims kill the animals. The animals are actually treated like they have brains and can think for themselves. I think that most of the food that Americans eat are raised on these types of farms. I eat food from mcdonalds and all the other fast food places and that food does come from these farms. I think that the farms are able to get away with this because a lot of people don't really care they think that animals don't have minds are just on earth for us humans to eat.

Pollan vs Colbert
I think that food is turning fake because there is usually a substitute food that is similar to the real food but isn't the real food. For example when they were talking about when the baby is given either breast milk or formula. I also agree with Pollan that chips and the food that isn't good for you is okay every once in a while. It gets really bad when the junk food is eaten everyday. I also agree with making your own food is the better way because you know exactly what is going into it. Many people don't really want to know what is in their food because they like how it taste and don't want to dislike it due to the ingredients.

Food Assignment 7 recipe

Mac and cheese recipe

Ingredients
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Remember to save leftovers for fried Macaroni and Cheese.

Food # 6 - Response to Pollan 1

In Omnivores Dilemma, Michael Pollan is saying that Americans don't have their own food culture. He thinks that Americans way of eating is mixed up with so many different food cultures that we don't have one of our own. I understand his point because many Americans eat differently but because America is known for obesity everyone thinks that the American food culture is the only the unhealthy and fatty foods. Also everyone bases their opinions of what foods are healthy and unhealthy on what the media and tv says. I think that to much of one food is unhealthy and also that everyone has a different body so they can react to foods differently than others. Many people go on diets and think that their body is becoming more healthy but a lot of the they aren't getting all the proper nutrients and protein that is needed.

Grocery Store and Habitual Food

My parents are the ones who go to the grocery store. They usually buy what ever food they want or think is needed in the house. A lot of the time my brothers and I will tell them food to pick up but they usually don't get them because my parents think they aren't healthy. I think grocery stores "push" certain products by selling more for less. Sometimes they will try and have deals that will save you money if you buy the much larger packages. I think they also try and have pictures of food that most people will think look good when looking at the labels. The food does not always come out or look the way that the producers display it. The food labels also won't say things that will keep the customers from buying the food. Instead they will put things like now 20% less sugar or something like that. Like discussed in class the food will never say that the chickens or other animals were treated cruelly in order to produce the food. I learned to eat a different variety of food though my parents. I don't eat all he different fruits and vegetables every week but when my parents buy it I will eat it. I will usually eat all types of fruits when they are in the house but usually we only have bananas, pears and apples so I don't get the different variety every single week. Other fruits that I eat that I don't have weekly are watermelon, pineapple, peaches etc. One of my favorite meals is my grandmother's spaghetti. This is far from healthy but I don't get to eat it very much. Se is the only person who can make it the way she does. Many have tried but none have succeeded. I don't think there is any part of this meal that is healthy but it always hits the spot.

May Day

I don't think that any holiday has to be celebrated in order to live a meaningful life. I do think that americans should celebrate May day though. I have never heard of may day before but think that is because it is not really celebrated in america. It was created in american and by the americans but now not celebrated by them. They were fighting for their rights and what they believe was right. " As the most effective way of demonstrating was by striking, the congress made it mandatory upon the proletarian organizations of all countries to stop work on May 1, wherever it is possible without injury to the workers." Now not many people know what may day is or what happened.

Food #4 - Food Journal

Wednesday I did not really eat breakfast. My first meal was at like 2 in the afternoon. Before I ate I was sleeping but I was hungry when I woke up. I ate a bagel with cream cheese and drank my good old kool aid. I made the food by myself. I turned on the TV and ate by myself then washed my dishes when I was done eating. After the meal I went back to sleep. For dinner my father made some pasta with butter and broccoli on the side. My mother usually cooks dinner but when she works late my father will make something easy. I usually prefer those meals. No offense to my mother. Before I ate I was hungry and sleeping. I drank my usual kool aid and watched TV. I ate around 9 at the same time as my younger brother. My father left food for my mother to eat when she came home around 10:30.

Thursday I had waffles for breakfast around and drank chocolate milk. I ate by myself and watched TV. I always sit in the same place at my diner table. For lunch I had halal food. I tell the guy half lamb half half chicken no vegetables in the rice and barbeque sauce and a lot of white sauce. I had a can sprite to drink. For dinner my father made sloppy joes. I don't know how I felt before the meal because I was sleeping. My father ate first around 8:30. My brother ate second at like 8:45. And I ate around 9:30. I sat in my usual seat and turned on the tv. I ate by myself and after the meal I felt good like I had eaten enough food. My mother got home and ate around 11:30 by herself.

Food #3 - Food Cultures - Home & Corporate

In my house my mother usually cooks and prepares all of the food. My father will make food when my mother is working late or I will make my own food if I don't like what is made. I think that this is very similar to mainstream U.S. families because the female of the house is usually the one preparing the food. This also happens when I am at my grandmothers, aunts and friends houses. Different meals take different amounts of time to prepare. Freezer food will usually be the easiest to prepare and usually taste good. The chicken cutlets or frozen pizzas will usually take about 15-30 minutes to prepare but is still very easy because they just need to sit in the oven for than time. The food that I eat is not always the most healthy food. Usually when my mother prepares the food those are the healthiest meals but not always best tasting. I prefer the best tasting meals and my mother prefers the healthiest and least fattening. I think a lot of people preferrer the meals that taste better but they end up obese because the foods are all fast food. Some of the foods I think taste good are healthy so I am able to moderate myself from always eating unhealthy. I order fast food for dinner at least once a week. This is usually because my mother and father don't feel like making any food and I don't feel like making myself food so we order something. When I make dinner for myself I never make for anyone else because my parents think that the food I eat is not good and always complain about how much salt I use. Mainstream families probably order food the same or even more than I do. I think I probably eat a little bit healthier than most americans.

Food #2 - Internet Research

Everyone knows fast food is unhealthy but then why do we eat it?
I think most people eat fast food because it is usually the cheapest and fastest way of eating. Food that is considered healthier for the human body will usually cost more and take longer to prepare. If healthy food would take a couple minutes to prepare and cost just a couple dollars i am sure a lot more people would buy it. Subways is probably the cheapest food that is supposably healthy. Most people who think that fast food is convenient dislike cooking. They usually know that fast food is unhealthy but would prefer not to prepare their own food. I think that if you are someone eating fast food frequently it is important that you exercise to burn off the fat from the fatty fast foods. I eat fast food all the time but from being active and not sitting around watching tv the whole day like many americans I am still very skinny. I don't think that fast food is that bad food you if you are working it off and not only eating fast food. Every meal everyday should not be fast food no matter how much you are exercising. There must be moderation and food that is healthy for your body.
http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2009/04/30/why_do_we_eat_fast_food.php
http://www.fastfoodnation.co.uk/why-fast-food-considered-unhealthy.html

Refrigerator Assignment

chicken breast
milk
kool aid
lemonade
yogurt
syrup
butter
barbecue sauce
american cheese
bagels
white bread
honey mustard
mayo
cake
wine
beer
soda
potato
turkey
eggs

I guess this shows that I eat food that most americans eat. Im not a vegetarian or vega. I eat most food except for sea food. Some of the food is healthy some of it is not. My relationship to food is that I need it to survive. Usually there is some kind of chicken, steak, beef, turkey etc in my dinners when my mother cooks. Sometime she will try and make salads but to me that isn't real food that will fill me up. I rather enjoy how my food taste than worry about how its bad and not the healthiest thing to eat. I order food for dinner at least once a week.

Health Project

What stand out to me is that a lot of people think that being healthy means that the person is happy and enjoying themselves. To me you don't have to be happy at all to be healthy. A lot of times people think that a therapist will help them to become "emotionally healthy" but I think that they just try and make the patient happy. One is not mentally healthy if they can not get themselves out of a depressed state. Just getting the person happy still doesn't mean that they are healthy.
I don't think that someone is morally wrong if they don't give money to corporations trying to help less fortunate kids. No one has to give to anyone else unless it is their child. I think that it is the right thing to give money if you can afford it but if you can't thats not wrong either. I think if someone is not giving they shouldn't expect to get anything they don't work for. The person giving also should not be expected to give all they have because then they would be in need also. They should give what they can afford and use the money instead of buying things that they don't need to survive. I also don't think that all of these corporations can be trusted so you can't always blame the person who doesn't want to give since not all of the money goes to the children in need.

Spring Break HW

I think I have been emotionally healthy the whole spring break. To me being emotionally healthy is just being able to survive and think on your own. I don't think that I feel more emotionally healthy than other times, because no matter what my "emotions" are whether Im happy, mad, sad I am still able to make my own decisions that I feel are best for me. I don't think that "constantly happy" is the same thing as emotional healthy. One being constantly happy may make them feel like they are emotionally healthier but for me i don't think constantly being happy makes my mind work any better. On wikipedia it says that to be emotionally healthy it includes enjoying life. I disagree with that because in life many times things happen and you don't always enjoy life but that doesn't mean you are not emotionally healthy. What makes it wrong to not enjoy life and who gets to decide weather or not someone is emotionally healthy or what it means to be emotionally healthy?

I think that the therapists believe enjoying life means one is emotionally healthy. So then they would probably just look for ways to make you feel like your life is good and you should want to live it. I disagree with this because life isn't always fun and can't always be enjoyed but that is part of life. Existentialist therapist look to try and make their patients feel like their lives are meaningful and have a purpose. To me everyone's life has meaning just because everything has a meaning but just because it has meaning doesn't mean they must want to live. And it shouldn't be considered emotionally unhealthy if one doesn't want to live their life anymore. Either way they are going to die sooner or later so why should they waste there time with something they feel is a waste.

Research a strategy of emotional health

Existential Therapy is when the patient feels lonely and that their life is meaningless. Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts. So basically the patient thinks that they should be able to do anything they want and they want to feel unique. I think that the therapist will just try and find a meaning in their life that isn't a true meaning. For example telling them that their job needs them because they keep the world going or something.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/existentialism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existential_Therapy

Emotional Character and Unemotional Character

Unemotional:
A father of two girls, husband of a jobless wife and son of an old ill widow pleads guilty on a first degree murder charge. He is not the one who committed the murder. He will only be able to see his family behind thick plexiglass and talk to them for a limited time through the phone. When he is sentenced to life in prison and his family bursts into tears and anger. His face does not change and a word does not come out of his mouth. His wife asks how they will survive since he brings home all the money but he just shrugs his shoulders as the cops cuff him and take him out the court room he doesn't even look at his family for a last good bye.

Emotional:
A father of two girls, husband of a jobless wife and son of an old ill widow pleads guilty on a first degree murder charge. He is not the one who committed the murder. He will only be able to see his family behind thick plexiglass and talk to them for a limited time through the phone. When he is sentenced to life in prison and his family bursts into tears and anger. He starts to cry and you can see the anger in his eyes. He begins yelling at the judge that he is innocent. The cops come to cuff him and take him away but he resists fights back, yelling and crying. He tries going over to his family to say a last good bye but the cops hold him back. He is dragged out the court house screaming and crying, insisting that he is innocent and has a family he needs to take care of.

Health Internet Research

1. What is the definition of health?
The general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/health

2. How do you stay health?
eating right
exercising
getting enough sleep
drinking lots of water
brushing, flossing and going to see the dentist
having your eyes checked
and talking about your feelings.
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/kids_health/111189

3. What does ‘healthy’ mean?
Our understanding of the term ‘healthy’ is dependent upon particular social and cultural constructions. What constitutes being ‘healthy’ in the UK may well differ from its definitions in other social contexts. Within the UK, different ethnic groups are said to have varied health needs. However, Currer’s (1991) research raised issues about the effects of institutional racism through stereotyping and Black (1989) contributed the understanding that the attitudes and expectations (in relation to health) of children of British minority groups are similar to those of their schoolmates. So, while there may be some special conditions or circumstances to which attention should be paid, and any relevant religious rules relating to diet, for example, need to be acknowledged and followed in ECEC settings, practitioners need, above all, to recognise parents’ and grandparents’ fund of knowledge, and to respect this, while ensuring they address all children’s health and safety needs.
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/eyfs/resources/downloads/rr444_114-117.pdf

4. What does healthy eating mean?
Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods that give you the nutrients you need to maintain your health, feel good, and have energy. These nutrients include protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, vitamins, and minerals.Nutrition is important for everyone. When combined with being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight, eating well is an excellent way to help your body stay strong and healthy. If you have a history of breast cancer or are at high risk for the disease, eating well is especially important for you. What you eat can affect your immune system, your mood, and your energy level.

5. Why is it important to stay healthy?
If you are healthy,you can do everything and you look very active. Unless you are unhealthy you can not do any activities. If you feel healthy you are able to do any work without tired. Other wise you can't. There is a saying that "Health is Wealth".It means if you are healthy you can do you work brilliantly, and you can get good results. That may makes you wealthy also. That's why everyone like to be healthy.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081124034251AA65qTv

6. Does physical fitness make you mentally fit?
Physical fitness can significantly improve the quality of one's life, both physically and mentally. However, physical fitness does not automatically translate into mental fitness. If you become physically fit, there is no guarantee that you will be mentally fit.
In fact, there are numerous well-trained athletes, who fail to reach their dreams, because of poor mental fitness. They spent a lot of time training your body and their professional skill, but ignore training their mind for victory and success.
http://www.northstarmentalfitnessblog.com/2008/08/does-physical-fitness-make-you-mentally-fit.html

7. What percent of americans are considered unhealthy?
For starters, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that about six out of 10 Americans were either overweight or obese. Furthermore, the prevalence of obesity almost doubled from about 15 percent in 1980 to 27 percent in 1999. Scientists use a measure called Body Mass Index, or BMI, to take height as well as weight into account. A BMI of 25 or more is considered overweight and one of 30 or more reflects obesity.A Rand Corp. study found that between 1986 to 2000, the proportion of severely obese Americans quadrupled, going from one in 200 to one in 50 people. That means having a BMI of 40 or greater, equivalent to at least 100 extra pounds.
http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20040101closeup0101p4.asp

8. What does it mean to be mentally healthy?
It has always been easier to define mental illnesses than to define mental health. In the United States the American Psychiatric Association has traditionally been the organization to define mental disorders (beginning as early as 1917 when it was known as The Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions of the Insane). More recently many have recognized that mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. Even though many of us don't suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder, it is clear that some of us are mentally healthier than others. The study of the characteristics that make up mental health has been called "positive psychology." Here are some of the ideas that have been put forward as characteristics of mental health: The ability to enjoy life, Resilience (The ability to bounce back from adversity), Balance (Balance in life seems to result in greater mental health), Flexibility and Self-actualization.
http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/stressmanagement/a/whatismental.htm

9. What is the most popular type of exercise of Americans?
According to recent studies, more than 70 million Americans walk to exercise, making it the most popular form of exercise. Depending on the terrain and walking 3 mph, these walkers are burning 15 grams of carbohydrates per hour (100 lb. person), 21 grams per hour (150 lb. person), and 27 grams per hour (200 lb. person). They are also using about 50 percent of their body's major muscles.
http://www.diabetic-lifestyle.com/articles/nov_burni_1.htm

10. Does stress affect physical health?
Stress is the result of the forces from the outside world affecting the individual. An individual will respond to this stress in ways that will affect their personal “container” and their environment. Stress enables the body to function properly
http://stress.about.com/od/stressmanagementglossary/g/Chronicstress.htm

Animal Paper

Explain and analyse the most important of the 6 cultural obstacles to seeing ourselves as animals - explain and analyse the most important of the 4 benefits of seeing ourselves as animals for living a good and meaningful life. Conclude with your perspective, perhaps including additional obstacles and/or benefits. Please speak your own truth.

Once humans are able to accept that we are also animals our lives will become more meaningful and we would live better lives. We would live better lives because we wouldn't be ashamed of our bodies and the way we act. It should be illegal for humans to walk out in public without clothes on since everything is natural and animals do it. When people act a little crazy and start yelling they should not be looked at weird because animals will growl and make all types of noises. Humans are animals so this is natural and should not be considered unhuman. Animals are treated like when humans they are put into solitary confinement in prison. The animals are locked up naked and given food every once in a while everyday.

Before learning about animals I never really considered humans as animals. We are very similar in many ways because we have to do the same type of things to survive. Animals and humans both must eat, clean themselves and also have families that they live with and must take care of. No one really knows how animals really think and what goes through their mind so they may think like us but we wouldn't know. Someone might say that animals and humans are not the same because they can not communicate and talk, but if you take two people from different countries that can't speak the same language they can't really communicate and understand each other either. The only way they sort of could communicate is with hand gestures and pictures. Animals sometimes can understand us through gestures also. For example if you are trying to get an animal away and you cock your hand back they will sometimes understand and will get away.

Organizing Your Own Living Funeral

If I was to organize my own funeral I would invite family and friends. I wouldn't want people to be sad and cry because thats not going to do anything but waste time. I don't really think that death should be thought of as a bad thing. Me personally I'm not really scared of death because once you die you die. You don't know how you will feel when you are dead or where you will go. It could be another world for all we know and we just start over. I think the only message that I would want to get out is that death doesn't have to be a bad thing that is feared and that sitting around crying that someone died is a waste of time because they are not coming back.

Medical issues of old people Questions

Answers for old people questions

-Why does the immune system weaken?

I think because the body weakens from aging. Everything starts to weaken when around for a long time.

-What percentage of old folks have dementia?

Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia afflict up to 5 million people in the United States and about 26 million people worldwide. By 2050, there could be 13 million cases of Alzheimer's alone among U.S. baby boomers and the aging Generations X and Y, according to the National Institutes of Health.
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/41940037.html?elr=KArksc8P:Pc:U0ckkD:aEyKUiacyKUnciaec8O7EyUr
23.4 percent CIND to 4.8 percent dementia for people 65 and older NIA
(National Institute on Aging)

-How have medical advances affected the way that old people live?

I think that the medical advances affect the old people's lives by sort of making them less of who they really are. They take different medicines every mourning that change their mind of how they would think without the meds.

-How does aging affect one's perspective of the world and overall mindset?

-Is it possible for an old person to be as fit as a young person?

-What is the most feared thing for old people?

-When won't an old person be resesitated?

-How much money is spent on a person with 2 weeks to live?

-How much money is spent on old folks?

-How long does the average person live?

The average person lives about 77 years.

-What percentage of old people are on anti-depressants? Pills? Viagra?

Old Folks Assignments So Far

I do not interact with old people very much. The only old people I really know are my grandparents. I see my mothers parents only once a year and my fathers parents about once a month. None of my grandparents really fit the stereo type of old people that were brought up in class. They are all really nice to me and my brothers. I don't think they have ever yelled at us or gave us a hard time. They aren't always grumpy and they don't smell bad. I don't really think of them as old people because they are all in their 80s and in good shape. I think they love me and care about me the same way as I do for them.

Big Paper Draft

There are many different ways to life a meaningful life. I think that if you think that your life is meaningful then it is meaningful to you, because people think different things are meaningful. Not everyone thinks the same things are meaningful so if you think the things in your life are meaningful then I think your life is meaningful. For me to have a meaningful life is to have fun and do what you want. Not living to do what other people want or think is meaningful. No one can tell me how to live my life. My parents try to tell me how I have to live but I pay no mind to their thoughts and keep living how I want to. Everyone thinks differently so there is no real way to determine weather one's life is meaningful or not.

I think that in our society today the dominant corporate messages are that materials will make you happy. For example in the commercial that says "Every kiss begins with a Kay". The commercial is for a jewelry store and basically what they are trying to tell the viewers is that the jewelry will make your girlfriend/ boyfriend happy and that their love for each other will become greater.
In the magazines that teenage girls read talk about what the celebrities are wearing and what they think is cool. When the girls read this they think that dressing and being like the celebrities are going to make them popular and feel better about themselves. The girls think they feel better about themselves but really feel better that they are more like the celebrity so really they are not feeling better about themselves. The dominant message that materials will make one happy cause people to rely on the materials they want so that if they don't get what they want they are angry until they get that thing. I think it is sort of similar to a drug addiction. People who are addicted to heroin or cocaine try it and then their bodies rely on the drugs and the junkie must get the drug or they go into a different state where their body gets all messed up. Then to keep on getting the drugs for their system they do things like become prostitutes so they can get what they need. People who think that the materials will make them happy buy and buy then when they don't have enough money or can't get the material they rob banks and steal from people because they think they will be happy with the money.

Another Dominant message is from religion. Everyone must do what their "God" or leader thinks is right. You must follow their beliefs or do what they would have done. Sometimes I think that religion is a way for people to be controlled because they don't want to sin. No one wants to sin so it is a way to scare people and get them to do what they think is right.
"I believe
Man made god, outta ignorance and fear
If God made man, then why the hell would he put us here?
I thought hes supposed to be the all loving
The same God who let hitler put the jews in the oven" -Dead Prez

My winter holidays were alright this year. I saw most of my family on Christmas. The food was good as usual at my grandmother's house. But it just didn't feel like Christmas.
I think that my Christmas was meaningful, because I was able to see family that I don't see much. Everyone was happy and to me the meaning of life is to be happy and have fun. You could say that everyone was happy because they were getting presents and stuff that they want but there wasn't many presents and everyone was happy to see each other. The traditional Christmas is when everyone is happy and opening presents with their families that santa left. Kids would stay up all night trying to see Santa and can't wait to open their presents. However, as time progresses and one grows older, discovering certain truths about your childhood beleifs, Christmas becomes just another day in the year, except you are presented with gifts by people and are expected to give gifts to others. Things reverse polarities, where I would have found myself counting down days until Christmas arrived, this year I found myself shocked to find that Christmas was three days away, and I had nothing done in the way of shopping for my girlfriend. Another slight example of how things switch around between childhood and adolescence is gifts. When I was a kid, and I'm positive that most of us think this way, I hated getting clothes as a gift from my relatives. I don't think gifts are needed in order to celebrate Christmas. The family and love means more than anything.

New Years is a holiday celebrated by most Americans. The end of one year and beginning of a new year is celebrated. The reason people celebrate new years is because it is a time to start over and make up for your previous mistakes in the past year. I think that the messages sent are that it is a new year for new things and another year that you survived. I think new years is meaningful because it is a new year of your life and everyday should be meaningful. Some of the things that are usually done on new years are: the ball dropping in time square, fireworks, people drinking and partying. I guess the ball dropping is sort of meaningful to some people because it only happen once a year and its to show the new year that everyone is celebrating at the same time. I don't think that fireworks are meaningful or at least to my life. I haven't seen fireworks on new years or 4th of july in years. To me it is a waste of time to just watch decorations shot up into the sky. I think that the usual custom of people partying and drinking on new years eve can be meaningful to some people because they may be having fun and celebrating the past year that they have finished and the start of the new year. I don't think that there are really and contradictions on new years except for maybe starting it off the same as every other year.

I think that my Thanksgiving was meaningful, because I spent time with family members. I don't get to see my family much so it is a time for everyone to spend time together and catch up. I think part of the reason everyone is happy is because there is all this food and you can't be mad when there is a lot of good food in front of you and your with your family. Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for what you have and your family. At my thanksgiving dinner I did not bring up genocide as a topic, because everyone was happy and I did not want to ruin everyones day. I think that most people in my family know what really happen on thanksgiving day but no one wants to think about the bad stuff that has happened. This shows that in our culture the truth is not always what people want to hear. I myself prefer to hear the harsh truth rather than live a lie. Many people like to believe that everything is good when its not just so that they feel good. Thanksgiving should remind people to be thankful for all the small things that make their lives meaningful and worst living instead of thinking what they want to buy next like every other day of their lives.

On black Friday I did not shop. I think that the Wal-Mart incident shows how greedy people are and how they think that materials will make them happy. People would break down store doors and and trample a man just to save money. Also the pregnant woman should not have been there because there is always pushing in big crowds and when a woman is that big they don't have great balance or strength so can get knock over easily. This shows how people live and think that materialized products will make them happy. Their number one priority is to be happy and to be happy they must get what ever they want even if it means taking other's lives. Wal-Mart should not open their stores on theses days if the customers can not shop in a proper manner.

I think that Obama winning this election really showed America taking a big step forward, because he is not the same type of president that we have always had. He is not the white christian whose parents had all this money. Obama is a black man who went from rags to riches. I think him going through the struggles in his personal life shows how strong he is and that he is able to run our country. No other presidents have had to deal with the same problems as him. Now children can believe their parents when they tell them that they can be what ever they want because no one expected we would have a black president. I also think that even though he didn't have all this money he is the smartest candidate that we have had so far. I don't think that McCain spent enough time on his own campaign instead just tried to prove Obama wrong and make him look bad. There is a lot of work that has to be done and I think Obama is the right man for the job. Obama's winning has created some whites to hate blacks and I think that there will be many plans that are created to try and assassinate Obama. I think that the people who were yelling kill him when McCain announced Obamas winning are ignorant and not even McCain would agree with them. They are the ones who don't want change in America. I think that its good Obama won because Mccain just wants the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer. Obama wouldn't do that because he has been in the lower class when he was younger and knows how hard it is to live that way. Because he has grew up from the low class the people in the lower class are able to count on him to help them out.

When Obama was sworn in everyone was excited. People from all different countries were coming to Washington D.C. to be there. On the news people were talking about how they are proud to be Americans now. People from other countries were saying that they feel like an American now. I think it was probably the largest inauguration celebration. I have never heard or seen as much about the other presidents as I did with Obama. I think that now everyone feels that anything is possible and they can become what ever they want.

I think Martin Luther King was a successful man in getting what he believed in done. People still follow his beliefs even though he is dead. I think he would be proud of what America has accomplished because he believed in living without racism. There is still some racism but I think it is impossible for there to be none at all. I think that Martin Luther King would think that a meaningful life is when someone lives a life where they express their thoughts and beliefs. And then changing what they think is wrong. MLK may have some wrongs in his history but everyone does and then you are able to learn from your mistakes.

When asking strangers on the street and family members about the meaning of wisdom and life I got many different answers. Alot of the answers were worded differently but basically meant the same thing. For example a random man on the street said he thought that wisdom was "Experience repackaged as advice" and my father said "Wisdom is knowledge gained through life experience." Both of these answers are saying that wisdom comes from experience. When someone has experienced something they are able to get a better understanding because they have witnessed it and been through the motions.

Everybody i interviewed thought that family was one of the most meaningful things in their lives. When I asked my father why family was the most meaningful thing to him he said that everything that he does has to do with the family. Family is usually the closest people to you because you have spend a large amount of your life with them and have been through the hard and good times together. Family doesn't always have to be blood related they can be people who you have close relationships with. My younger brother thought that having fun was one of the most meaningful parts of his life. He thought that life doesn't always have to be meaningful but you should be having fun because you only live one time.

A pattern i noticed was that alot of people said that happiness and being happy and having fun was what made life meaningful. Most people say this because no one doesn't like being happy and being happy usually means that you are having fun and enjoying life. Having fun and enjoying life is meaningful because you are not wasting your life with things you do not want to do.
What is meaningful and meaningless can be different for everybody. The same types of things can be the meaningful for example Family, money etc but someone can't tell another that something is not meaningful to that person because there aren't them.

When watching the music video "good life" by Kanye West you are able to see his Point of view on a good life. His thoughts are to have money and be famous and more important than other people.
1. What is the song basically saying about how to live a good life? Paraphrase the main idea.

The song is basically saying that a good life is having cars, money , girls and being on tv.

2. What lyrics particularly speak to that perspective? Use quotes as evidence.

"So I roll through good
Y'all pop the trunk, I pop the hood, Ferrari"
I think that Kanye West is saying that he lives the good life because he has all this money and is able to to buy expensive cars. I think he says "we pop the trunk" because we are all poor compared to him so we don't have the cars that give someone a good life while he is "popping the hood" of his ferrari. (Ferrari's engines are in the back of the car.)

3. How do the video images support, re-orient, or challenge the dominant theme of the lyrics? Analyze.

The video images support what kanye west is saying because everything he says you see. They have all the words he say, when e talks about money they show money when he talks about cars they show cars.

4. What else do you notice that's interesting? Look for internal contradictions, aspects of the message that resonate with other messages from the pop culture, points that connect to your own perspective, etc. Analyze squared.

I think it is interesting how they think it is so important to them to be on tv. "I'ma get on this TV mama, I'ma
I'ma put shit down." I also think it is interest how everything said is shown in the video.

Folk Culture's Messages on the Good and Meaningful Life

The videos on how to be the perfect girlfriend/ boyfriend both tell you what to do to make the other person happy. Even if it means not being yourself and lying. To make them feel good they tell you to pretend that you are interested even if you are not. I think the other person would rather just have you seriously telling them you don't really care about what they are talking about. The videos also try to tell you that buying your partner materials will make them happy. For example buying girls flowers or taking them on a vacation, and giving men beer to distract them and make them happy. I think they should have tried to spread the message that you should be authentic and also be happy yourself instead of only trying to make the other person happy. I think that these videos do show a legitimate expression of dominant folk perspectives. I think the "be smart but not nerdy student" is just telling kids to try and fit in. They should dress and act how they want not do it to fit in.

Inauguration

When Obama was sworn in everyone was excited. People from all different countries were coming to Washington D.C. to be there. On the news people were talking about how they are proud to be Americans now. People from other countries were saying that they feel like an American now. I think it was probably the largest inauguration celebration. I have never heard or seen as much about the other presidents as I did with Obama. I think that now everyone feels that anything is possible and they can become what ever they want.

MLK

I think Martin Luther King was a successful man in getting what he believed in done. People still follow his beliefs even though he is dead. I think he would be proud of what America has accomplished because he believed in living without racism. There is still some racism but I think it is impossible for there to be none at all. I think that Martin Luther King would think that a meaningful life is when someone lives a life where they express their thoughts and beliefs. And then changing what they think is wrong. MLK may have some wrongs in his history but everyone does and then you are able to learn from your mistakes.

Holiday Analysis

New Years is a holiday celebrated by most Americans. The end of one year and beginning of a new year is celebrated. The reason people celebrate new years is because it is a time to start over and make up for your previous mistakes in the past year. I think that the messages sent are that it is a new year for new things and another year that you survived. I think new years is meaningful because it is a new year of your life and everyday should be meaningful. Some of the things that are usually done on new years are: the ball dropping in time square, fireworks, people drinking and partying. I guess the ball dropping is sort of meaningful to some people because it only happen once a year and its to show the new year that everyone is celebrating at the same time. I don't think that fireworks are meaningful or at least to my life. I haven't seen fireworks on new years or 4th of july in years. To me it is a waste of time to just watch decorations shot up into the sky. I think that the usual custom of people partying and drinking on new years eve can be meaningful to some people because they may be having fun and celebrating the past year that they have finished and the start of the new year. I don't think that there are really and contradictions on new years except for maybe starting it off the same as every other year.