Reflection 2

While in college, I was fortunate to have my younger brother next to me.  In high school we were on very different academic paths (I studied music and he was in all the accelerated math/science classes), but we both choose to get a degree in media communication and thus had many of the same classes together.  Whenever we would get a project assignment, we would often work together on it.

Now, one would think that partnering with a sibling would be just awful (I too, at a time, would have thought that), but the two of us not only got along and listened to the other, but we grew closure together as we worked.  Where he is great at writing drama, I am good the comical anecdotes.   He knew the technical jargon and would help me to understand it better.  I tend to be a bit more outgoing, so I would often do the preproduction work, scouting talent, locations, etc.  My brother, who is a bit shy, loved locking himself in an edit suite until the project was something to be proud of.

Seth now live is LA, and I am here on the east coast.  I still would love to partner with him on a film project someday, but for now our paths are too far a part.  Hopefully they will swing together again and we can be creative together once more.

Weblog 4

God and Science: can they co-exist? This was the main point of a debate that TIME Magazine arranged between two highly published scientist. In one corner, Richard Dawkins, author and professor at Oxford University, who has written many books in which he tries to debunk the creation theory and considers God a delusion. He comes from the Darwinist point of view (the world was created by chance). In the other corner is scientist, and Christian, Francis Collins, Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute. In 2000, President Bill Clinton honored him at the White House, for co-mapping the 3-billion biochemical letters of our genetic blueprint. Both gentleman are highly recognized the scientific community, but have very different views when it comes the subject of God and science.

This debate resonates with me because I am a believer who was brought up with a very literal version of the creation story. My husband, also a believer, is a scientist who leans more on the intellectual design (I.D.) theory (that evolution took place, but it was under the watchful hand of a higher being, who he believes is God). This theory is a wonderful marriage of God and Science, which Collins shows throughout the debate.

The first part of the debate has to do with the existence of God. Dawkins calls the question of God a “Scientific Question” and said no he doesn’t believe in it. Collins replies that the question of God is not a scientific one; “God cannot be completely contained within nature, and therefore God’s existence is outside of science’s ability to really weigh in.” He goes on to say that since he believes that God created the world, “studying the natural world is an opportunity to observe the majesty, the elegance, the intricacy of God’s creation.”

Dawkins replies that those beliefs are “a cop-out.” They are just an excuse for not being able to explain things scientifically. He believes as a scientist, there is always a search for understanding and that beliefs, such as Collins, are just giving up and saying, “Well, God did it. And God needs no explanation because God is outside all this.” He believes that bringing God into scientific equations “will close off the discussion.” He goes on to say, “Once you buy into the position of faith, then suddenly you find yourself losing all of your natural skepticism and your scientific—really scientific—credibility.”

There are a few times more times, throughout the debate, that Dawkins throws an insult towards Collins and believers in general. He refers to Collins by his first name, Francis, as if the he (Dawkins) were above calling him by his well-earned title Dr. Francis. (Collins takes it lightly and referrs to Dawkins by his first name, Richard). Dawkins also refers to (Christian) fundamentalist as “clowns” when he knows that Collins shares not all, but many of those beliefs. Dawkins always seems to be the bully and throws the first punch, as if he needs to get an advantage-or is afraid to lose.

By the end of the debate there is no winner or loser, but Dawkins does backtrack, a bit, stating that a higher being could be the hand behind science. At first he says, “it could be any of a billion Gods. It could be God of the Martians or of the inhabitants of Alpha Centauri. The chance of its being a particular God, Yahweh, the God of Jesus, is vanishingly small…” Later he says “If there is a God, it’s going to be a whole lot bigger and a whole lot more incomprehensible than anything that any theologian of any religion has ever proposed.” I believe Dawkins is saying that if he’s wrong, then we’re all wrong. I find that sad.

Dawkins can’t get beyond himself; what he can see or what can be proved. He has no hope beyond what he can do and any chance that he may be wrong will make him feel like less of a person. Collins is able to look past science and accept that there are still questions out there that we may or may not answer. His beliefs do not make him less of a scientist; it motivates him to be a better scientist. He is proof that God and Science can co-exist.

Dan Cray. “God vs. Science.” TIME. CNN. Sunday, November 5th, 2006. http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1555132,00.html. October 25h, 2009.

Weblog 3

As I began reading Peter Singer’s essay, “The Singer Solution to World Poverty,” I wasn’t sure of what his angle was-but it didn’t take me long to figure it out. He began by summarizing a film about a girl who received $1000.00 for delivering a boy to organ peddlers (not something I’m familiar with). She used the money on a materialistic item, a television for herself, but then rescued the boy when she learned of the purpose of the delivery. After this, he lectured us about judging her for this foolish spending, when we spend on ourselves everyday.

His next example told of a man who had to choose between the life of a child or a beloved car. This man didn’t have the ability to move a child from railroad tracks, but he did have the ability to pull a switch on the tracks that would remove the boy from harm, but in turn, wreck his car. He chose the car. Again, we are told not to judge this situation, because even though we don’t see the children who are dying, we have chosen our own possessions and desires over donating to an organization that helps children.

He then presented information for two organizations that take care of the needs to children. It would have been a great place to end and readers would have hopefully felt encouraged to make a donation, but the paper didn’t end there. Before I go on, let me bring in the second essay, “Singer’s no-so Persuasive Solution to World Poverty”, by Greg Schaefer for a moment. Schaefer began his essay by summarizing Singer’s essay, as I have done, and like me agreed that we do need to do something for the needy, but that’s where the agreement ended.

The second part of Singer’s essay tried to convince us that we should give everything we don’t need; our surplus. Not everyone has felt the burden to take on the world’s needs, so we need to give as much as we possibly can. Singer even did the math for us. If we make $50,000 a year, but really only need about $30,000 to survive, we should give the rest of it away. It’s that view that Schaefer, and I found too extreme. It made it seem like what we give will never be enough.

Schaefer and I understood where Singer was trying to go, but people don’t want to be guilted into giving, that is a turn off and then no one wins.

I believe, as well as Schaefer, that Singer had good intension and a passion for giving, but needed to take smaller steps in convincing people. If he had asked readers to donate $200.00, maybe they would have given that; maybe more.

I believe thanking people is also a good step. It makes the giver feel good about what he or she gave. It will encourage more giving. Beginning an essay by berating people for not giving it all up will only hurt everyone in the end.

Writing Reflection 1

My writing “career” began in the 3rd grade when my teacher spent the year having us write stories and create little books for our classmates to reads. My first was about camping the back yard and going out in the middle of the night to watch a meteor shower. Another was about my stuffed animals coming to life one new years eve. I can’t believe I remember them, but because I enjoy writing these memories are imprinted in my mind. I continued to write though out school, not just various papers, but also stories, scripts, and poetry. I tried not to let the blank page intimidate me, but to be a canvas of my thoughts. The most rewarding writing I did was my final project in college. I wrote a 1-hour drama pilot for my media ministries class. My teacher said I had a gift for writing dialogue that felt natural to the reader/viewer. Yes, I still write stories on occasion, but most of the time they feel more like a scripts that would be on a screen. I think this is why my favorite authors have either written books that have also been made into films, or television writers.

Nicholas Sparks is one author that I can’t read enough of. His pages come to life in my mind so much so that I want to visit the locations that his books were based out of. When I first moved here from Michigan, I drove to Rodanthe because Nights in Rodanthe was a favorite book of mine. I wanted to feel what the characters felt as they walked the beach, and drove down the strip. A year later I drove to New Bern, Sparks’ hometown, just to be inspired. There is a reason so many of his films hit the silver screen. You want to see if your vision and the director’s is the same. (So far I haven’t been disappointed). His latest book was being shot before it hit the shelves. at Barn N’ Noble. I’m not sure if I’m going to read it first, or go into the theater cold. I don’t have a preference of the order of reading the book or watching the film first.

Aaron Sorkin is another author who I adore. Grant it, his most famous work is either his play, A Few Good Men, or his hit TV show The West Wing, but as the head writer who did a majority of the writing the first 4 seasons, I believe I can respect him the same way I can respect book authors. Sorkin is able to get people to look past the politics of the characters and helps the viewers see the people who are trying to run the country. I’m mostly a republican, but as I learn more about President Bartlett’s character, I find myself relating to him as a person. Great writing transcends boarders and helps us to see new things.

Weblog 2

Part 1

1. People still being sold…modern slavery

2. Auto workers loosing benefits and CEO making record earnings.

3. Society teaches spending and not budgeting.

4. People working hard and not making enough to get by (yes, even with a college degree)

5. Health plans so big and consuming, no one has time to fully understand them.

6. People are all about the I, and me; and not about the we and us.

7. Parents think teachers need to raise their children, and teachers struggle with kids that have no discipline.

8. If you disagree with something you may be considered a racist…or worse. What happen to freedom of speech?

9. God is forgotten, unless something tragic happens.

10. Thanks to reality TV, people you’d have never heard of are becoming the voice of our nation.

Part 2

“People still being sold…modern slavery”

We have come along ways as a country. From a little nation that once bought and sold men to do the work, clean the house, and take care of the yard; to a land of 50 free states where an African American can be the most powerful man in the country. This will not be about those slaves. Our history is important and well studied, but something that is not well seen, or talked about, are those who still live in the bondage of slavery. Most of us have never seen a slave, or someone held against his or her will. For us, the closest we have gotten is viewing the pages of a history book, or seeing a film like Roots. People say we can learn from the past so we don’t repeat it; well it’s being repeated. It may have never stopped. We have families in Africa who are so poor and uneducated; they have children they cannot afford. As a result, they sell them for a bit of money and these children become cheap labor for whatever master they are working for. Girls are being kidnapped and shipped across boarders to be sold by pimps for the highest dollar. Children are being kidnapped and held against their will for sex. How is this happening? How is this situation not being shouted from the highest platform and stopped as it so-called did in our history books? Are we so concerned about ourselves, and our way of life, that this person in another country who is being tortured every day doesn’t exist to us? There are organizations out there trying to put an end to this injustice. The International Justice Mission (IJM) goes into countries and works with law enforcement to put an end to this modern day slavery. There is a slow “Not For Sale” movement happening that speaks about this issue and talks about free trade products that were not made by modern day slaves. It’s not enough though. Until everyone is living in freedom and not under the hand of a master of some sort, there will always be slavery in the world.

Part 3

Opposition would have been easier to write 100 years ago when I could ask someone how he or she justified having slaves. I don’t know of anyone who even has a maid or butler, let alone someone being held against their will. I guess the opposition today would be the other issues that are at the forefront pushing this one back to almost non-existence. The opposition is ourselves afraid to look in the direction of people who need help. I happened to catch a special on MSNBC about slavery on a Sunday in a not so good time slot. Who do I see everywhere else in the news? Jon and Kate; Heidi and Spencer; Jessica and her coyote-eaten-poodle. These are the water-cooler-not-important life issue that we are talking about. The closest to this issue we have seen in the news recently is Jayce Duggard, who was kidnapped and fathered several children while being held in a make shift prison. We wondered how this went unnoticed and why it took so long to surface. This is not a new issue and this happens everyday. We need to get our heads out of the tabloids and out among the issue. We need to get to know the situations that affect not only us but also the real world we live in. That is how things can start changing. Until light enters the darkness, these issues will remain unseen.

Weblog 1

Part 1

I Believe…

 

~I believe that people are a product of their environment but can change if they want to. They just need a little inspiration. People who have no desire or motivation to make things better won’t and those who do can change the world

~I believe that society can shape beliefs of those in it’s midst. If people don’t know what to believe, or why to believe it, society will tell you both.

~I believe the government wants to do good but how much of their personal gain are they willing to sacrifice? They need to look at their own beliefs and see what is really important.

~I believe justice gets overlooked and overshadowed. People who turn a blind eye to abuse and those who let abusers off the hook because there isn’t enough evidence to make a case-or they just want to win.

~I believe knowledge is key in knowing what you believe and how to back it up. If you just say you believe something, but don’t know why, where does that get you? You could change your mind, go back and forth and loose yourself.

~I believe science give us knowledge and motivation to look deeper at something. Once the surface of discovery is scratched you want to keep looking and learn more.

~I believe that reality is harsh at times, but rewarding at others. Sure it can hit you in the head at times (like getting a job, or saving money), but it’s firm and not a dream.

~I believe that life is ours and what we do with it is ultimately up to us. We can listen to others as they try to tell us what to do and believe, but it’s our decision. We must find our passion and live it.

~I believe that happiness comes in many forms. It’s can be brief, or it can be a deep, long lasting point of view. If we choose to live that kind of happy, the bad times won’t shake us to our core (it’s not easy though).

~I believe that goodness is instilled in all of us, but it can be lost. How it’s lost is different for everyone, but goodness is something we should fight for, not only in the world, but also in ourselves.

~I believe that death is another journey. As a Christian, I believe that there is more past this life and death in this life is a birth to another.

~I believe that God love us all and gave us all of these things just mentioned. His way makes all of these perfect, but with our free will and wanting to see and do things “our way” we can screw them up.

 

 

Part 2

I Believe that People…

“I believe that people are a product of their environment but can change if they want to. They just need a little inspiration. People who have no desire or motivation to make things better won’t and those who do can change the world.”

Everyday I see and talk with many people (working in sales, it’s just part of the job). Some people are motivated; working hard for the money, the man, or whatever keeps them going. Some people, however, just seem bored. I’m not sure if they are bored with life, with me, my sales pitch, but everything in their voice seems uninspired. I see people out on the street, sitting there, not trying to get a job, or sometimes not even trying for a handout. It’s like they’ve given up on life. How sad. I don’t know what it’s like not to care about something, someone, or even life. Have they not been exposed to motivation and inspiration, or have they just given up?

Has no one taught them to go a little further, dig a little deeper, or have they been taught that society is suppose to take care of them?

What needs to happen is their environment needs to change-and that starts with us. We need to motivate people, and lift them up. We have to stop living for ourselves, and start inspiring others. We need to share that and be the change that others need.

Growing up I always wanted to work in Olympic broadcasting. The Olympics inspired me to not give up, to compete for what I believed in, and I wanted to spread the inspiration. When I was working for International Broadcasting I got to live that dream and tell others about it. I don’t like to brag, but people need inspiration in their environment. They need to see it, feel it, and then hopefully get out there and care about something. Maybe that’s how we can change the world, by changing each other.

 

Part 3

The opposing view

 

I think the opposing view to this is that people are who they want to be. They are selfish, they don’t care about others, and things aren’t going to change anytime soon. After all, they say the world is one big rat race. We all want to be on top, with the most money. Money is the root of happiness and the more you have is all that really matters.

But what happens when we get to the top?

As we look up to celebrities and athletes to be inspired, we see them get arrested, get dragged to the hospital and even die. What is that suppose to tell us?

That even when you have it all you life stinks, so why try at all?

That’s where there needs to be a shift. Quick looking for inspiration from others and start being that inspiration. Create a better environment for others to make a change. It can be as simple as a smile as your walking down the road. There is a choice to be made. You can be the successful attorney who walks down the street and ignores the guy sitting next to the homeless shelter-not even trying to ask for money because it’s a waste of energy. How is that inspiring?

What is that saying? I’m successful, so I can just ignore others?

The person will never be motivated by that lack or disrespect. They’ll just continue to sit there and watch life pass them by. Change their environment. Say “hi”, meet them where they are and help begin to lift them up. Maybe they’ll do the same and start to care for something again. We have to be the change we want to see, otherwise it will never happen and we’ll continue to live for us and prove the opposition right.

“Yawp!”

During college, vs. 1.0, I had a Literature professor who loved the film “Dead Poets Society.”  I believe he hoped to inspire us all like Robin Williams did in that film.  During one scene Williams character tells his students…well, I’ll just let him say it:

“I sound my barbaric yawp over the rooftops of the world.” W. W. Uncle Walt (Whitman) again. Now, for those of you who don’t know, a yawp is a loud cry or yell. Now, Todd, I would like you to give us a demonstration of a barbaric “yawp.” Come on. You can’t yawp sitting down. Let’s go. Come on. Up.”-Professor John Keeting (Robin Williams), Dead Poet’s Society, 1989.

 I love this because Williams is reminding us all to be heard, not to sit back and accept things that we hear.  We absolutely need to listen and learn, but there are times we need to doubt, argue, and challenge.  How else is there growth?

 

I believe “YAWP” is a great theme for this blog.  I’m explaining my beliefs, sharing my values, and will try to back them up the best I can.  I look forward to the growth this will bring and learning about everyone else as well.