Separation of Church and State

I’m writing my paper on separation of church and state and its ethical implications. I’m somewhat familiar with the subject but chose to write about it so that I can clear up my ideas about it and be better able to discuss it with others. I guess its such a strong subject for me because of my own personal beliefs, but I think it is also very important to other Americans. It’s always interesting for me to compare America with other countries and see how our government and its policies are alike or different. In this whole separation of church and state issue I find there are a lot of nations that have similar policies and many states only allow or endorse one religion (or no religion at all).

Top 5 Worst Songs Ever

Top 5 worst song ever
My boyfriend and I have been working hard to make our list of the top 5 worst song ever. It was hard to narrow down, but this was my final list:

I would do anything for love- Meatloaf
We didn’t start the fire- Billy Joel
Mortal Combat theme song
Cotton Eyed Joe- 38 Rednex
Achey Breaky Heart- Billy Rae Cyrus

Then we decided the songs that cheered us up when we where down. My list looked like this:

You can call me Al- Paul Simon
Bring it on home to me- Sam Cooke
Seems Fine Shuffle- The Concretes
The way you do the things you do- The Temptations
Dancing on the Ceiling- Lionel Richie

Web log awards

In response to http://wizbangblog.com/poll.php
WEBLOG AWARDS
Did you even know there was such a thing? I didn’t.
I looked at some of the blogs to see if they really deserve the awards. Some of the blog names are really funny, among them: “Allah in the House”, “Yourish”, and “Yale Diva’. The “Allah in the house” blog (http://allahakbar.blogspot.com/) was really funny! The one I stumbled upon was about the authors marriage to an adult film star. Classic. There was also some sarcastic insight into a Jewish dating website.

USF and Hartline Upass

IN Response to http://tvanncam.blog.usf.edu/2005/10/10/hartline-and-upass
Hartline and UPass

I completely agree with this. I was wondering myself were all the money in the Transportation Services budget went to so I did a little research. I found out a couple of interesting facts:
Revenues:
53% of the revenues come from parking permits, 12% from fines, and 22% from something called a “Transportation Access Fee” (what ever that is?)
Expenses:
46% of the expenses are toward wages of transportation and parking personal.
19% goes toward debt service

*These numbers include the UPass service.
So my question is: if we are going to cut this program where is the money going to go? Also, why would one of the largest commuter schools in the country feel the need to eliminate a program that so many people take advantage of?
On the other hand, the people who are taking the busses probably don’t have a car and didn’t pay for a parking pass, so some would argue that if they want to ride the bus, they should pay. I think that we should keep the program and make it available to everyone. God knows where pay enough money.

Miers: Who are you?

I am surprised by the lack of interest from the general public in deciding who will be out next Supreme Court justice. Actually, I’m surprised in the lack of knowledge that most people posses when it comes to our judiciary system, or even our political system as a whole. I think this lack of understanding causes people to underestimate the importance of these kinds of decisions. As far as Miers goes, with the information I have right now, I would vote no. Hopefully the senators that represent me will also do the same. There is a fine balance on the Supreme Court that pretty fairly represents this nation and its views. To disturb this balance would be to destroy the equilibrium that we have all worked so hard for.

Sodom, South Georgia

Sodom, South Georgia

Since we didn’t have any assigned reading this week I decided to do my blog on a song I heard that has not become relivant to my life. My uncle died Friday night and I went to the funeral today. I found these lyrics to be fitting:

Sodom, South Georgia
By Iron & Wine

Papa died smiling
Wide as the ring of a bell
Gone all star white
Small as a wishing well
And Sodom, south Georgia
Woke like a tree full of bees
Buried in Christmas bows
And a blanket of weeds

Papa died Sunday and I understood
All dead white boys say, "God is good"
White tongues hang out, "God is good"

Papa died while my girl
Lady Edith was born
Both heads fell like
Eyes on a crack in the door
And Sodom, south Georgia
Slept on an acre of bones
Slept through Christmas
Slept like a bucket of snow

Papa died Sunday and I understood
All dead white boys say, "God is good"
White tongues hang out, "God is good"



You see, a lot of my family lives in a very small town in Georgia called Blakely. Its one of those places where everyone sits on their porch in the evenings and sips Iced Tea. There are 2 lights in the town, one at the corner of the new McDonalds, and one at the corner of the towns 2 gas stations. The Elementary, Middle, and High School are all right next to each other. Most of the people who live in the town are farmers, or they work for the major industrial plant. I spent 3 summers there with my grandmother, learning how to grow food, make paper, skin animals, and most importantly: I learned the kind of things that should be important in someone’s life. The reason this song is especially striking is because no one in my family is really that religious, but at the funeral its all “Praise God” and “Holy Father, Jesus” etc. It made me realize that everyone is afraid of those things they don’t know. I guess they figure there is no harm done in believing in god once in a while.

In response to Phillip French’s “ Blog #1(Week 3) World Topic

In response to Phillip French’s “ Blog #1(Week 3) World Topic” found at http://mountfujifrench.blogspot.com


Although I agree with some of the things you say, there are a few things I would like to point out. First of all, you are entirely right: people are complaining about high gas prices, but with good reason. Many Americans live week to week, paycheck to paycheck, and any increase in there expenses causes a debt in their budget. There are many Americans also who do not live week to week, and it would seem they live a stable life (financially). High gas prices, however, affect both of these classes of people. To the poorest of the poor rising gas prices mean they have to cut something out of their budget: say a meal or a toy for their child. For those middle class people they also have to make some shifts in their budget. For example: if they enjoy going to the beach 30 miles away, they many no longer be able to go as often due to the rising cost of gas. I guess what I am saying is that the rising cost of gas has created an inconvenience for the American people and their pursuit of happiness.
To compare America to the rest of the world is like comparing apples and oranges. On a most basic level the planning (and layout) of most American cities is entirely different and requires one to rely on transportation (be it personal or mass). Coming from someone who was born and raised in Europe (Belfast, Northern Ireland) I can attest to the fact that the need for efficient cars and low gas cost is much different then here. First of all, you can walk (easily) to almost anyplace you need to go. When I was a child I always walked to school with my mother (yes! Parents actually do that there!) Our house was within walking distance to the school, pharmacy, grocery store, bakery, and so on. So we never had a car, until we moved here. Gas in Ireland is about 2.54$/litre, that’s about 6.50 a gallon. However, the cars there are much more efficient (even the new diesel engines are much cleaner and get great mileage). But again, you don’t even really need a car there.
Lastly, you mention the cost of hybrids. I own one so I can help you understand this a little better: I’ll use Honda civics (one of the most popular cars on the market) as an example:
Cost of regular Honda Civic: 15,775 - $22,275 (20-34 mpg)
Cost of Honda insight (electric hybrid): $19,330 - $21,530 (56-57 mpg)
Toyota Prius (hybrid): $21,815 (51-60 mpg)


You do the math…. It doesn’t take that long to start saving money (If you drove 200 miles a week it would cost you $25 dollars for a Civic and $10 for a prius), that starts adding up. Aside from that their base prices are nearly the same so its not like hybrids cost some outrageous amount of money.
This is also a good website to better understand the gas issue:http://travel.howstuffworks.com/gas-price.htm

Wk 3: Beautiful Losers

Although most students here are unaware, USF has a nationally known museum on its campus. The Contemporary Art museum, located between the theatre and art building, is a great museum. November 4th marks the opening for a show called “Beautiful Losers” (you can find out more about it here: http://www.usfcam.usf.edu). The exhibition is a collection of artwork that has evolved from the “subcultures of skateboarding, graffiti, punk, and hip-hop in urban U.S. cities.” It features work from well known skateboarders, street artists, and musicians. I’m UBER excited because this is the kind of thing I am studying at USF: i.e. the emergence of art from subcultures and how the infiltrate the main stream (willingly or unwillingly). I’m very interested in how many different aspects of culture combine to create visual expression. The great thing about this kind of art is that I fell like everyone can enjoy it. I want to help eliminate the idea that art can only be useful to the few, the rich, the powerful, and that you must be an academic to fully appreciate it. Art can and should be for everyone, and this exhibition proves it.

Wk 3: Let There Be Light: The Rwanda Project 1994-1998

Since we did not have a particular assigned reading this week I decided to respond to a book I recently purchase and fell in love with. Alfredo Jarr is a Latin American Photographer who spent nearly 4 years (off and on) covering the crisis in Rwanda from 1994-1998. He then published a book that is a combination of photography, poetry, and first hand experiences. The book is really well put together and the one aspect that I really enjoy is that on 2 opposing pages he will put a passage like the following: “April 6, 1994. A plane carrying the presidents of Rwanda and Burndi is down above Kigali, the capitol of Rwanda. Their deaths spark widespread massacres targeting Hutu moderates and the minority Tutsi population. The Rwandan Patriotic Front which had been encamped along the northern border of Rwanda starts a new offensive.” This is the only text on the whole page. On the opposing page he shows the cover of Newsweek Magazine (the popular American magazine) for the week of April 6, 1994. The cover has a picture of a bear and large font that reads “How to survive in a scary market”. The point the artist (writer) is trying to make is that America, though aware of the problems of Rwanda, chose to make it self naïve to them. This sort of effect is used throughout the book to demonstrate how irrelevant Americans were (and still are) to the problems that many African nations face. To me, an art history major, all pictures are visual arguments. The argument is just defined in a different way. For example, later in the book there are a series of pictures of two young Rwandan boys at a deportation camp. (you can view the picture here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/8489698449/103-0290622-8886245?v=glance) They are surrounded by masses of people crying and begging for their lives. The boys hold each other as to support themselves. In this situation the photographer becomes the “writer”. He chooses a scene, maybe rearranges the people, or maybe he is just lucky enough to stumble upon such a startling picture. Either way, he is presenting a point of view, but instead of paper and pencil he uses a camera and film.

Wk2.: Tampa, city of the arts?

Tampa’s Development Plan
I have always thought of Tampa as St. Petersburg’s ugly step-sister. They have beaches, we have ports. They have a active downtown, we have a ghost town after 5pm. But for the last few years the Mayor of Tampa, Pam Iorio, has been actively pushing the idea of “Tampa: City of the Arts”. You may wonder why this is at all interesting to me. Well, first of all, I have a lot invested in this city. I go to school here. I am an Art History major. I work in this city, at the Tampa Museum of Art. And I live in this city, in one of the most culturally rich neighborhoods: Seminole Heights. I spend money in this city and on this city and I believe that I should at least be aware of plans to change it.
If I had 20 minutes to sit down with the mayor I would probably have a couple of questions to ask her.
1. Why do you have people who in no way are connected to the arts building your “Arts district’? Most of the members of her Arts Planning board are, you guessed it, planners. Not artists, musicians, actors. Why hasn’t she asked the people she is building for what they would like to see in this city.
2. How realistic is it that Tampa will ever be “a city of the arts”? Has this investment been evaluated from every level? Do we have a backup plan?
3. What’s wrong with being an industrial town? Sure, I would love to see a Monets on the walls of the Museum, but we seem to be doing pretty good at this Import/Export thing.

The last question would be something like this:
“Mayor, why did you run your campaign for mayor on the issue that you would make Tampa a city of the arts, then why is it that when anything comes in front of you about art you close your eyes and stamp it No?”

Wk 2. Response to Governor on Abortion

This week I decided to respond to an article on “blogwood.com”, which was voted by the Weekly Planet as the “most left-wing politics in Tampa”. Though I don’t nessecarly agree with all the points raised on this website, I feel that this one is especially important. The exact blog I am responding to is on the main page and is titled “Jeb! Uses state money to stifle choice”.

I am outraged by the information in this article. I feel that though there are government parties, their contributions to the public should be as non biased as possible and only serve to better people, not to push their own private agenda. Especially when that agenda includes barring a right that was granted by the supreme court of this country: Abortion. As a tax paying citizen and an active voter, I am not comfortable with the fact that my tax dollars are being used to push a political (and directly religious) stance that I don’t agree with: Anti- Abortion. To fund a pubic help line for pregnant women in crisis that only refers them to agencies and doctors who have agreed not to represent, propagate, or offer abortion as an option. So that means that these women are not made fully aware of all of their choices. I also believe that the Planned Parenthood representative makes a very good point: “the $2 million could pay for 55,000 cycles of birth control for low-income women. Think about how many unintended pregnancies we could prevent.” EXACTLY! When will this state and country for that matter, follow the lead of the worlds other major industrial countries and realize that the more we spend on prevention and education, the less we will have to spend on treatments. Instead of teaching “no sex, no sex, no sex” why aren’t we teaching “this is the safe way to have sex”? Because there is a small minority in this country, albeit a rich and politically powerful one, that believes that education about sex is propaganda to have sex. But what do they have to worry about anyway: when their daughter gets pregnant they will have no problem paying for and taking care of the baby.

Wk 2.: Articles for Project 1

Week 2: Articles chosen for Project 1

The anthology of arguments in the back of the composition book is actually really well put together. And over all I find the book to be helpful. I have chosen to do my first project (comparing arguments) on two arguments presented on pages 524-533. The first is the Testimony of John Ashcroft to the Senate Committee on the Judicary, and the second is a response by Davis Cole, entitled “The Ashcroft Raids”. I found the section “Responses to Terrorism: Pubic Safety, civil liberties, and War” to be very interesting. Actually, I was already interested in this subject but this project will give me a chance to examine my own views. This book was published in 2004 so the articles presented are still mostly relevant to the things going on today. The other advantage of reading these articles now is that we have the gift of hindsight and we may or may not know more about the subject now then we did when the article was originally published. I also plan on using this project to really improve upon my writing skills, from a technical and analytical aspect.

Chapter 2 summary

Chapter 2
Chapter 2 presented information about how to examine an argument. It gave us 5 steps to follow:
1. Read as a believer.
If you are already a believer of the argument at hand then you will have no problem doing this. However, if you are not a believer there are steps you should follow to make sure you get the most out of the argument. They include:
1. Listen empathetically.
2. Write a summary. This should focus on the main point of the argument and a few supporting details. Summaries are not a place for opinions. A summary should consist of “says” statements, or those that summarize content, and “does” statements, or those which identify the function of the argument.

2. Read as a Doubter.
From this stance you should question what is not included in the argument. You should also examine all fact presented for their logical and value. You should closely examine all evidence, assumptions, and values of the writer.

3. Rhetorical Content and Genre
In this section we examined Genre, that is, the pattern of writing. There are many different genres including:
1. Letters to editors, Journals, homepages, etc.
You should also understand the format, purpose, and type of publication, these include:
2. Personal correspondences, letters to the editor, public affairs, scholarly
journals, proposals, legal briefs, and speeches, to name a few.

4. Consider Alternative Views
Are there disagreements about this view? Do you disagree with the writer’s beliefs, values, or assumptions? You must figure out exactly where the disagreement lays.

5. Use this disagreement to prompt further investigation.
This chapter explains that this is the step that a lot of people get stuck at.They agree that they disagree but can come to no further conclusions. You should try and synthesize alternative views. Logic is the key to understanding your views and alternative views.

Frivolous Lawsuits

frivolous lawsuits
In response to the website: http://www.power-of-attorneys.com/stupid_lawsuit_collection.asp?wacky=0

I hate nothing more then the abuse of our legal system. After reading about the lawsuits on this website I feel sick to my stomach. I find it hard to believe that these people actually live in the same country as me. After reading about people who have sued for various stupid reasons, including but not limited to: high school baton twirlers who were cut from the team, a woman who injured her back while opening a pickle jar, and a man who is suing two casinos because he claims they were negligent in allowing him to gamble away more than $1 million while he was intoxicated. These people are undermining our legal system. Can I sue them for that????

America as a Third World Country

We are in the midst of a social apocalypse. The Four Horsemen have made there was to the United States. We must now deal with pestilence, war, famine, and death. America the beautiful has just had her “revelation”. This war has been a long time coming, and like most wars, it will end with no real winner. It is a war between classes. It is a social war built around the fact that there are some people who believe that they, for whatever reason, have more of a right to live than others. There will be famine. There will be pestilence. And there will most certainly be death. Not just the death of humans, but the death of the American Dream. It will be the death of the idea that anyone in this country can do well for themselves. And most importantly, the death of the idea that American offers equality for all.
Okay, so as of yet there is no civil war going on, but there are the makings for one. This hurricane has been the antithesis of our last major national disaster: September 11th, 2001. On that day people, though in fear, really pulled together, set aside their differences, and worked as hard and as fast as they could to make sure all Americans were safe. It seems to me that Hurricane Katrina has created a division instead of bringing people together. A whole class of people feels as though they have been ignored, left for the dogs basically. I think that it’s time that the American people demand some sort of accountability for people at all levels. I was the looters to account for their actions. I want the police men and women to account for their actions. I want the local, state, and federal governments to be held accountable for their actions. I want America to work together to be a place for all.