At some point in life, almost everyone asks themselves the question "Who am I?". Usually this happens early in life, when children are deciding what they want to be when they grow up. People begin to form an identity, which comprises of the things they do and believe: religious or not religious, singer, athlete, scientist, reader. People define themselves by their abilities and traits.
It is a question that I think about quite often. I have many interests and abilities just like anyone else, but sometimes I think I try to simplify myself to just a few of these. In high school especially, everyone saw me as a basketball player. That is how I began to view myself. It felt good to see my name in the paper and here the crowd cheering, but I tried to make basketball my whole identity. While it is still one of the most important things in the world to me, I am more than just Nathan the basketball player.
Being in a band also got to me. When I wasn't playing basketball I was playing with the band at practice or gigs. It wasn't that I was big headed about it, but I just had so much fun playing and meeting people, that I tried to simplify myself to Nathan the guitar player. This was another big mistake. I saw this because my two interests started to conflict. I couldn't decide between Nathan the basketball player or Nathan the guitar player, when in reality, that was not a decision that I should have made at all.
Thankfully, I realized that those are just pieces of who I am. I am much deeper than just an athlete or a musician. I have beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and many more things that make up my identity. Friendship is something, I believe, that really defines and shapes one's Identity, particularly as an adolescent or young adult. People who fall in with the wrong crowd tend to become just like everyone in that group. This is why I have always tried to avoid cliques. There is nothing wrong with having an inner circle type group of friends, I think it is not healthy to completely ignore other people. I believe that limits our outlook on life, and keeps people from actually going out and forming their own beliefs.
Because of that, I only have one best friend. He is someone that I can talk to about anything. Since we are not part of a group, we try to look at things from all sorts of different perspectives. We try to come up with different ideas that no one has ever thought up before. Friendship is something that just has a major effect on who a person is and who a person will become.
There are other things that are very important to my identity. Some are small like what books I read, what television shows I watch, and what kind of music I like. Others are what I believe in, who I trust, who I don't trust, and my feelings. My interest in music is something that I take more seriously than I think most people do. I'm not talking about it as me being a musician like I was earlier, but as a listener and a fan. My musical interests really reflect who I am as a person.
Something special about me as a listener is that I have an extremely wide taste in music. The only types of music I really don't like are country and rap. Other than those, I can listen to anything. My favorite band is U2, but I also listen to metal, jazz, classical, alternative, and the list just goes on and on. This reflects me as a person because, while there are some things I'm opposed to, I'm interested in many different subjects and I'm always willing to try something new.
Something I haven't mentioned yet is my creativity. Creativity is probably one of my strongest intangible traits. I try to include it in everything I do. Creativity is something that I can include in both of my favorite hobbies: playing basketball and guitar. I love coming up with creative plays or ways to play the game, and I also love to write a creative piece of music. But creativity is something that goes well beyond my hobbies. It is something that I am able to use in school, work, relationships and really in every aspect of my life. These aspects of my life I have mentioned are not nearly all the things that make me who I am. But they are all very important parts of who I am.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Alligator
The Alligator River Story is quite interesting. It begins in the mold of an old tale about love, but quickly turns off that path. Abigail is the first character I will rate. At the beginning and through the middle of the story she looks like a 1. But once she realizes that the boat is the only way, she makes a bad decision. Sleeping with one man to get to another is just not something I agree with. While I don't agree with the way Gregory handled the situation, I must say that Abigail was a bit stupid to not expect it. Abigail laughing at Gregory in his pain seals her rating of a 5. No matter what he did, she shouldn't take such delight in his pain.
The next character is Gregory. Throughout the story, I really don't like him. He should be the one getting to her, not the other way around. He is a terribly unchivalrous character. Gregory is a 5 from the start. It stays this way the whole time. Rejecting her, while expected, is not what he should have done. If he truely loved her, he would accept her no matter what.
Ivan is a bit hard to rate. While I think he should have helped his friend, he ends up being the only one in the story with a brain. He realizes the situation and stays out of it, though his actions are easy to disagree with. Ivan lands about a 3.5 in my book. He should have helped, but I can't blame him that he didn't.
Sinbad is 5, period. He should have been kind and let Abigail use the boat, but instead, he demanded something in return. In my mind, I see Sinbad as some sort of macho kind of guy who is concerned with nothing but being a "man". I picture him as being a rugged, large, bearded man. If he just would have been a gentleman instead of a he-man, then everything bad could have been avoided.
Slug is another difficult character to rate. His compassion for Abigail's situation is the only hint of humanity that anyone shows. However, his compassion is somewhat overshadowed by the brutal measures he takes. It would have been better if he had talked to Gregory instead of beating the crap out of him. Before awarding him a high number, I must say that this is another display of that he-man, macho type of personality. This being said, his was much more valiant. He did it to make Abigail feel better, whereas Sinbad took advantage of Abigail's situation for personal pleasure. Gregory gets a 3, which is the best of all the characters.
In the end, none of the characters really did the right thing. They all were either plain stupid, or extremely self centered. Slug is really the only character who showed the possibility of getting passed the greedy, me first mentality.
The Alligator River Story is quite interesting. It begins in the mold of an old tale about love, but quickly turns off that path. Abigail is the first character I will rate. At the beginning and through the middle of the story she looks like a 1. But once she realizes that the boat is the only way, she makes a bad decision. Sleeping with one man to get to another is just not something I agree with. While I don't agree with the way Gregory handled the situation, I must say that Abigail was a bit stupid to not expect it. Abigail laughing at Gregory in his pain seals her rating of a 5. No matter what he did, she shouldn't take such delight in his pain.
The next character is Gregory. Throughout the story, I really don't like him. He should be the one getting to her, not the other way around. He is a terribly unchivalrous character. Gregory is a 5 from the start. It stays this way the whole time. Rejecting her, while expected, is not what he should have done. If he truely loved her, he would accept her no matter what.
Ivan is a bit hard to rate. While I think he should have helped his friend, he ends up being the only one in the story with a brain. He realizes the situation and stays out of it, though his actions are easy to disagree with. Ivan lands about a 3.5 in my book. He should have helped, but I can't blame him that he didn't.
Sinbad is 5, period. He should have been kind and let Abigail use the boat, but instead, he demanded something in return. In my mind, I see Sinbad as some sort of macho kind of guy who is concerned with nothing but being a "man". I picture him as being a rugged, large, bearded man. If he just would have been a gentleman instead of a he-man, then everything bad could have been avoided.
Slug is another difficult character to rate. His compassion for Abigail's situation is the only hint of humanity that anyone shows. However, his compassion is somewhat overshadowed by the brutal measures he takes. It would have been better if he had talked to Gregory instead of beating the crap out of him. Before awarding him a high number, I must say that this is another display of that he-man, macho type of personality. This being said, his was much more valiant. He did it to make Abigail feel better, whereas Sinbad took advantage of Abigail's situation for personal pleasure. Gregory gets a 3, which is the best of all the characters.
In the end, none of the characters really did the right thing. They all were either plain stupid, or extremely self centered. Slug is really the only character who showed the possibility of getting passed the greedy, me first mentality.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Metaphysical Beliefs
Metaphysical Assumptions
Metaphysics is a topic that everyone thinks about whether they know it or not. Everyone has their own view on the physical world, the spiritual, and whether there is a God or a higher being. Thoughts like this are good. It is important to establish beliefs. I think about the make up of this world and what is beyond quite often. I believe in the Biblical God, but this does not mean my beliefs end there. I try to understand more and more about what I believe to be creation every day.
When it comes to the creation of the world, I obviously believe that God created the world. After thinking about it and looking at human nature and nature itself, the world is just to complex to not have been created by someone or something. The origin of the world is one thing that really just doesn't make sense from an evolutionary standpoint. I refuse to believe that a meteor explosion could create a world with complex things like photosynthesis, condensation, and reproduction.
I believe that our physical state of being is very special, because we were made in the image of God. We get our morals from God. These are basic beliefs such as not murdering, not stealing, and not committing adultery. Someone who doesn't believe in God or some other spiritual being would probably get his or her beliefs from within. A sense of self would also be different. As a christian I believe that we find our sense of self in God. Humans were created by Him and should serve him.
My beliefs don't come without their obstacles at times. The obstacles are almost always from me. I try to find my sense of self in what I do at times. Throughout High School I defined who and what I was with basketball because that was what I was good at. Many people do this with sports, grades, jobs, and other things. For an atheist or a non-believer, this is very understandable. My beliefs though, are that everything that is comes from God. The universe itself is for the most part, beyond human comprehension. Creation by intelligent designer, to me, seems to be the only explanation.
Metaphysics is a topic that everyone thinks about whether they know it or not. Everyone has their own view on the physical world, the spiritual, and whether there is a God or a higher being. Thoughts like this are good. It is important to establish beliefs. I think about the make up of this world and what is beyond quite often. I believe in the Biblical God, but this does not mean my beliefs end there. I try to understand more and more about what I believe to be creation every day.
When it comes to the creation of the world, I obviously believe that God created the world. After thinking about it and looking at human nature and nature itself, the world is just to complex to not have been created by someone or something. The origin of the world is one thing that really just doesn't make sense from an evolutionary standpoint. I refuse to believe that a meteor explosion could create a world with complex things like photosynthesis, condensation, and reproduction.
I believe that our physical state of being is very special, because we were made in the image of God. We get our morals from God. These are basic beliefs such as not murdering, not stealing, and not committing adultery. Someone who doesn't believe in God or some other spiritual being would probably get his or her beliefs from within. A sense of self would also be different. As a christian I believe that we find our sense of self in God. Humans were created by Him and should serve him.
My beliefs don't come without their obstacles at times. The obstacles are almost always from me. I try to find my sense of self in what I do at times. Throughout High School I defined who and what I was with basketball because that was what I was good at. Many people do this with sports, grades, jobs, and other things. For an atheist or a non-believer, this is very understandable. My beliefs though, are that everything that is comes from God. The universe itself is for the most part, beyond human comprehension. Creation by intelligent designer, to me, seems to be the only explanation.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
American Empire or Not
Prompt:Mailer 2
As those who have read his book know, Norman Mailer tries to convey to us in "Why Are We at War?" that President Bush's goal of the War on Iraq is to ultimately build an Empire. This happens to be the topic I addressed in my previous blog. In this entry, I stand firm in my belief that Bush is not attempting to build an empire.
I am not Bush's biggest fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I see no conclusive evidence that points to the construction of an empire. One main reason I say this, is that I do not think Bush is clever enough to plot an empire. He is the president of the United States of America, so he obviously has some brains, but he just doesn't fit the diabolical profile of a Hitler or a Stalin. Some that agree with Mailer may argue that Bush is trying to come across as a patriot only to hide his true goals.
This really is a silly notion though. Bush is simply not that cunning and he is not building an empire. If he was, then he would have had to attack other places around the globe since his term will be up pretty soon. Some may argue that this is because he's setting the stage for the net president, but that would be another bad assumption. There is never a guarantee that a particular candidate or party will win the election in any given term. This is especially true this coming election.
I do not see any evidence of this in my everyday, ordinary life either. Politics has never been something of major interest for me, but I do try to keep up with what's going on in the world. I watch many of Bush's speeches(what a talented rhetorician!) and some of the other political events. In these speeches and gatherings I do not see a man who wants to take over the world. He comes across as someone who is trying to do what he thinks is best, but isn't always able to do so.Other than when I watch him, the news, or read the newspaper, I really see nothing in my life that leans towards him building an empire.
As those who have read his book know, Norman Mailer tries to convey to us in "Why Are We at War?" that President Bush's goal of the War on Iraq is to ultimately build an Empire. This happens to be the topic I addressed in my previous blog. In this entry, I stand firm in my belief that Bush is not attempting to build an empire.
I am not Bush's biggest fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I see no conclusive evidence that points to the construction of an empire. One main reason I say this, is that I do not think Bush is clever enough to plot an empire. He is the president of the United States of America, so he obviously has some brains, but he just doesn't fit the diabolical profile of a Hitler or a Stalin. Some that agree with Mailer may argue that Bush is trying to come across as a patriot only to hide his true goals.
This really is a silly notion though. Bush is simply not that cunning and he is not building an empire. If he was, then he would have had to attack other places around the globe since his term will be up pretty soon. Some may argue that this is because he's setting the stage for the net president, but that would be another bad assumption. There is never a guarantee that a particular candidate or party will win the election in any given term. This is especially true this coming election.
I do not see any evidence of this in my everyday, ordinary life either. Politics has never been something of major interest for me, but I do try to keep up with what's going on in the world. I watch many of Bush's speeches(what a talented rhetorician!) and some of the other political events. In these speeches and gatherings I do not see a man who wants to take over the world. He comes across as someone who is trying to do what he thinks is best, but isn't always able to do so.Other than when I watch him, the news, or read the newspaper, I really see nothing in my life that leans towards him building an empire.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Bush's Empire? I think not.
Prompt:Mailer
Even though I don't agree with Mr. Mailer, I must admit that he makes good arguments and supports them fairly well. He is a well respected writer so I wouldn't expect any less. The thing that I disagree with though, Is probably his main point. This is, that President Bush is basically trying to build an empire.
I don't quite understand where he got the idea that Bush only wants an empire. Many people do not like Bush; I must say that I'm not his biggest fan myself(although I'm really not that interested in politics). But to say that by trying to defeat terrorism, Bush is trying to establish an empire is a bit over the top to say the least. Personally I just don't see where he got that idea. While I'm not sure how much I agree with the war, I do believe that something needed to be done about terrorism.
September 11, 2001 was a terrible day in the United States' history. Most people will be able to remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when it happened. That just shows how important a day that was. After that, we started hearing about car bombs, anthrax, and other terrorist threats. Bush got us into this war to defeat terrorism. Not to build an empire. It would have been absurd to let the terrorists run wild.
I believe that if Bush hadn't done something, then there would have been many more attacks. George Bush simply is not starting an empire. His term is almost up as it is, and if he tried to extend it illegaly then he would be taken down. So this assumption just doesn't make much sense. Through Bush's decisions we have been able to bring down some of the top terrorists and have foiled other plots. I'm not, however, justifying the war in any way. I am simply arguing that Bush had to take action to protect our country, as opposed to starting a war so that he could build an empire.
I do commend Mailer on coming up with some very interesting ideas. He causes people to think, and that is a very good thing. So many books and other works now days don't accomplish this.
Even though I don't agree with Mr. Mailer, I must admit that he makes good arguments and supports them fairly well. He is a well respected writer so I wouldn't expect any less. The thing that I disagree with though, Is probably his main point. This is, that President Bush is basically trying to build an empire.
I don't quite understand where he got the idea that Bush only wants an empire. Many people do not like Bush; I must say that I'm not his biggest fan myself(although I'm really not that interested in politics). But to say that by trying to defeat terrorism, Bush is trying to establish an empire is a bit over the top to say the least. Personally I just don't see where he got that idea. While I'm not sure how much I agree with the war, I do believe that something needed to be done about terrorism.
September 11, 2001 was a terrible day in the United States' history. Most people will be able to remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when it happened. That just shows how important a day that was. After that, we started hearing about car bombs, anthrax, and other terrorist threats. Bush got us into this war to defeat terrorism. Not to build an empire. It would have been absurd to let the terrorists run wild.
I believe that if Bush hadn't done something, then there would have been many more attacks. George Bush simply is not starting an empire. His term is almost up as it is, and if he tried to extend it illegaly then he would be taken down. So this assumption just doesn't make much sense. Through Bush's decisions we have been able to bring down some of the top terrorists and have foiled other plots. I'm not, however, justifying the war in any way. I am simply arguing that Bush had to take action to protect our country, as opposed to starting a war so that he could build an empire.
I do commend Mailer on coming up with some very interesting ideas. He causes people to think, and that is a very good thing. So many books and other works now days don't accomplish this.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Fear of those that are different
Human Rights vs. Majority Rule
This is a major topic in today's society. It seems like ever week something on the news is informing people of another celebrity or other well-known person that has "come out of the closet". Everyone has a different opinion or reaction to this subject. Some people seem scared, some are creeped out, some are angry, and some just flat out do not care. I think that the last type I mentioned is obviously the best way to go. People shouldn't care about another person's sexual preference. It's that person's business and no one elses.
Before this generation, it seems like talk about homosexuality was avoided and overlooked. People were afraid. They were afraid because it was different from what they grew up knowing and being taught. This made it much harder for someone to come out and be open about their lives. That's just a terrible way to live. In this day and age people are still scared. They are scared of what people might say or think. This fear is usually of the family or friends of the person. However, though people are still frightened of being open, it does seem to be a bit more accepted.
Accepted or not, some people will still find it frightening to have a homosexual teach their children. There are a few different reasons that this would really get under people's skin. First, some people seem to think that gay people are all "sexual predators". It's understandable to be scared of that type of person, but homosexuals as sexual predators is just a stereotype. All it means is that they like members of the same sex. This does not necessarily mean they are going to take advantage of your children.
The second reason is probably the most "sane" reason. Parents could be afraid of a gay person shoving their beliefs down the children's throats. Children are young and impressionable. The problem with this phobia is that anyone is capable of pressing beliefs on others. Straight people, religious people, politicians, journalists, and sports fans. From the major to the minor, anyone is capable of this. So in other words, parents could be scared of this from a straight person teaching their kids just as much(if not more than) a gay person.
It's pretty obvious that both of these reasons are just plain stupid. They are stereotypes that need to be broken. The only problem with this is that there will always be naysayers and people who just disagree with others. People really need to think about other's feelings. It's not right to bash and thrash people just because they like others of the same sex. Going back to the image of the gay teacher, the parents are making huge mistakes. First, they are obviously, as mentioned before, wrongly stereotyping the person.
No one should judge a person without first meeting and talking to them. But that's exactly what the parents would be doing. Second, they are just being flat out nosy. The life of the educator is solely the private business of that educator and their partner. Parents and students alike should never be poking themselves into other's business.
Now when it comes to the match up of Human Rights and Majority Rule, the latter will probably always be victorious. It's like Vegas; the house always wins. This does not necessarily make it right though. People should have the same rights whether they are gay or straight. If marriage is going to be allowed, then it should be called marriage for both groups of people, not just for the hetros. People need to realize how uncivilized they are being to others. Though it may take a while for this realization to happen, hopefully someday the belief that "all men are created equal" will be followed.
This is a major topic in today's society. It seems like ever week something on the news is informing people of another celebrity or other well-known person that has "come out of the closet". Everyone has a different opinion or reaction to this subject. Some people seem scared, some are creeped out, some are angry, and some just flat out do not care. I think that the last type I mentioned is obviously the best way to go. People shouldn't care about another person's sexual preference. It's that person's business and no one elses.
Before this generation, it seems like talk about homosexuality was avoided and overlooked. People were afraid. They were afraid because it was different from what they grew up knowing and being taught. This made it much harder for someone to come out and be open about their lives. That's just a terrible way to live. In this day and age people are still scared. They are scared of what people might say or think. This fear is usually of the family or friends of the person. However, though people are still frightened of being open, it does seem to be a bit more accepted.
Accepted or not, some people will still find it frightening to have a homosexual teach their children. There are a few different reasons that this would really get under people's skin. First, some people seem to think that gay people are all "sexual predators". It's understandable to be scared of that type of person, but homosexuals as sexual predators is just a stereotype. All it means is that they like members of the same sex. This does not necessarily mean they are going to take advantage of your children.
The second reason is probably the most "sane" reason. Parents could be afraid of a gay person shoving their beliefs down the children's throats. Children are young and impressionable. The problem with this phobia is that anyone is capable of pressing beliefs on others. Straight people, religious people, politicians, journalists, and sports fans. From the major to the minor, anyone is capable of this. So in other words, parents could be scared of this from a straight person teaching their kids just as much(if not more than) a gay person.
It's pretty obvious that both of these reasons are just plain stupid. They are stereotypes that need to be broken. The only problem with this is that there will always be naysayers and people who just disagree with others. People really need to think about other's feelings. It's not right to bash and thrash people just because they like others of the same sex. Going back to the image of the gay teacher, the parents are making huge mistakes. First, they are obviously, as mentioned before, wrongly stereotyping the person.
No one should judge a person without first meeting and talking to them. But that's exactly what the parents would be doing. Second, they are just being flat out nosy. The life of the educator is solely the private business of that educator and their partner. Parents and students alike should never be poking themselves into other's business.
Now when it comes to the match up of Human Rights and Majority Rule, the latter will probably always be victorious. It's like Vegas; the house always wins. This does not necessarily make it right though. People should have the same rights whether they are gay or straight. If marriage is going to be allowed, then it should be called marriage for both groups of people, not just for the hetros. People need to realize how uncivilized they are being to others. Though it may take a while for this realization to happen, hopefully someday the belief that "all men are created equal" will be followed.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Should we be afraid?
Technology
This is quite an interesting topic. Today's society would simply not function without the technology that is being developed every year. Technology is something that changes all the time. There is always some new computer feature, cell phone, or television. These things are all very useful, and seem to add to our comfort. Most new technology is made to simply make things easier or make us have to do less and less.
I will admit, it's very nice to have these things. But eventually you have to ask yourself if you really need all this. I can't imagine life without the internet or a cell phone. These things though, seem to have cause an spread of laziness. We can now do things with the touch of a button or by simple typing in a password. I admit that I would not ever want to give these things up, but I do believe we should be careful. It could be possible to become too dependant on these things. Things are so easy for us now.
Bill Joy seemed to be a little bit too paranoid about this subject, but I do understand having a slight bit of fear as to where technology is going. Alot of the things that scared him were from Sci-fi's and are probably a decent way off. As I said before, I think he is a little bit too scared of technology, but he could be right. Computers are getting more advanced all the time. We are always pushing the limits. Scientists are always trying to make robots that express emotion and other human chracteristics. I read something about the newest one last week and it has more human characteristics than any robot before.
These things seem very far off, but they may be closer than we think. In the early 1900's people probably thought they had gone as far as they could. People had no idea that cars would soon be going much faster than the typical 30 or 40 miles per hour. People had no idea what a computer was, much less what the internet. This was only a century ago. 100 years really isn't very long ago in the big picture of things. It may not be in our lifetime, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are things in the near future that blow even our minds.
This is quite an interesting topic. Today's society would simply not function without the technology that is being developed every year. Technology is something that changes all the time. There is always some new computer feature, cell phone, or television. These things are all very useful, and seem to add to our comfort. Most new technology is made to simply make things easier or make us have to do less and less.
I will admit, it's very nice to have these things. But eventually you have to ask yourself if you really need all this. I can't imagine life without the internet or a cell phone. These things though, seem to have cause an spread of laziness. We can now do things with the touch of a button or by simple typing in a password. I admit that I would not ever want to give these things up, but I do believe we should be careful. It could be possible to become too dependant on these things. Things are so easy for us now.
Bill Joy seemed to be a little bit too paranoid about this subject, but I do understand having a slight bit of fear as to where technology is going. Alot of the things that scared him were from Sci-fi's and are probably a decent way off. As I said before, I think he is a little bit too scared of technology, but he could be right. Computers are getting more advanced all the time. We are always pushing the limits. Scientists are always trying to make robots that express emotion and other human chracteristics. I read something about the newest one last week and it has more human characteristics than any robot before.
These things seem very far off, but they may be closer than we think. In the early 1900's people probably thought they had gone as far as they could. People had no idea that cars would soon be going much faster than the typical 30 or 40 miles per hour. People had no idea what a computer was, much less what the internet. This was only a century ago. 100 years really isn't very long ago in the big picture of things. It may not be in our lifetime, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are things in the near future that blow even our minds.
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