Based on the way I was raised and my religious views I believe that marriage is essential and that this sacred union should only be shared as man and women. I was raised very conservative in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and I still practice this religion. My parents were married on August 30th, 1989 in the Salt Lake City, Utah Temple for time and all eternity. They are currently still happily married and they have five beautiful children. This short summary of how I have been raised has greatly influenced me growing up. This is my dream to someday be happily married for time and all eternity in the temple to a worthy returned missionary that I love dearly. Having said this is my opinion the correct one?
Obviously as I have grown up I have formed a very narrow opinion of the way I think things should be. Is this right? Should I be this narrow minded? My religion tells me yes but I also believe that there should be acceptance for all people and their beliefs. Granted I don't believe that they should have all the same rights that married heterosexual couples have but we should still accept these individuals for what they believe. Fortunately history and science back up my way of thinking. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth," stated in Genesis 1:1. As the creation process started God created man and women and made them compatible in order to create children to multiply and replenish the earth. This is a commandment from God to multiply and replenish the earth so that all of his children can come here and enjoy the fruits of life. Man and women were made for each other; to be partners in life and to rear their children in righteousness. Granted this might be a little extreme. Many people will have children but not all of them will be raised in "righteous" homes. Who am I to judge to say whether anyone is righteous or unrighteous?
Yes, my opinion is very right wing conservative. Man and woman should be married and should multiply and replenish the earth with their seed, but there is far more to marriage and finding the person that you want (or are supposed to) spend the rest of your life with. Life is hard and no one is perfect and no one has the same exact feelings, experiences, or can even come close to having your life mirror the person next to you. We are all different and have different lives and opinions and beliefs for a reason. There is opposition in all things to give people the right to choose based on how they believe and think. Therefore although I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman and that is how it has been ordained for a reason and that is the way it has been practiced for thousands of years I still believe that we should all be given the choice to decide for ourselves by our beliefs.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Week 6 Blog Reviews
Morgan Paulson-
I enjoyed exploring your blog and taking a look at your readings. We have some things in common! I'm a speech and hearing science major too. Its probably the coolest major ever. I'm excited to be part of your peer group for this unit. I enjoy the way you write. You engage the reader as though you are sitting in front of them talking. I really liked your point of view and the way you brought it about in the blog about homosexuality and their rights. You definitely connect with the topic emotionally because of your experiences.
Richard Kriebel-
Just like Morgan we have something in common. We are all speech and hearing science majors. I plan on going into speech though but audiology is still a great field. I enjoyed scanning through your work in the past and reading the work that you have posted from last week. You are a great writer. You see a different perspective than I do. Mr. Mom is a great movie and also a great choice for real wild men and women. I liked the way you talked about the roles and how it is more common these days to have the "expected" roles of men and women flopped in some homes. I'm excited for what you have in store next.
I enjoyed exploring your blog and taking a look at your readings. We have some things in common! I'm a speech and hearing science major too. Its probably the coolest major ever. I'm excited to be part of your peer group for this unit. I enjoy the way you write. You engage the reader as though you are sitting in front of them talking. I really liked your point of view and the way you brought it about in the blog about homosexuality and their rights. You definitely connect with the topic emotionally because of your experiences.
Richard Kriebel-
Just like Morgan we have something in common. We are all speech and hearing science majors. I plan on going into speech though but audiology is still a great field. I enjoyed scanning through your work in the past and reading the work that you have posted from last week. You are a great writer. You see a different perspective than I do. Mr. Mom is a great movie and also a great choice for real wild men and women. I liked the way you talked about the roles and how it is more common these days to have the "expected" roles of men and women flopped in some homes. I'm excited for what you have in store next.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Important Information
My best friend Brett and I get in fights all the time. We've been best friends for almost 5 years now and still we don't see eye to eye on all subjects. Many a time we have gotten in fights over not hanging out enough, not talking, wanting to do something other than our usual movie time, and many other things. I think the most fought about subject though is his inability to tell me important things or leave out important information. To this day we still fight about it but I feel as though we both have good reasons behind our argument.
A specific time when we fought about him leaving out information was after he went through the LDS temple to take out his endowments before he left on his mission. In the LDS culture this very sacred practice is very exciting and important. In layman's terms this basically means that he preformed sacred practices that only worth members of our church at a certain point of their life (before marriage, a mission, or when they feel they are ready) participate in. In order to go into the temple you have to have a badge with your name on it that is scanned. Once inside the temple you basically preform ordinances for yourself that kind of ensure your salvation and seal you to your family and your father in heaven forever. This is kind of a big deal and a really exciting thing that is looked upon highly in my religion. So when he didn't tell me that he was going through and a week later I found out that he had been though and still hadn't told me I was a little bit mad.
As a girl I am a little dramatic and a little more emotional than Brett is. So fighting over him not telling me something that was kind of a big deal was not a new thing. I remember not talking for a while and making him "grovel" for my forgiveness. I look back on this experience and I was pretty mean and all of my meanness was not called for especially because I should have celebrated and been happy for him over this great accomplishment that he had just had but not telling your best friend something this important was uncalled for. I think that a better way to resolve our situation probably would have been better to talk about why he hadn't told me and also just to talk about the situation in general. Being as important and as sacred as this ordinance had been he was not ready to talk about it and he just needed time to process it and the right setting to tell me his good news. Instead of being supportive and understanding I over analyzed the situation and made it a big deal which was not necessary.
A specific time when we fought about him leaving out information was after he went through the LDS temple to take out his endowments before he left on his mission. In the LDS culture this very sacred practice is very exciting and important. In layman's terms this basically means that he preformed sacred practices that only worth members of our church at a certain point of their life (before marriage, a mission, or when they feel they are ready) participate in. In order to go into the temple you have to have a badge with your name on it that is scanned. Once inside the temple you basically preform ordinances for yourself that kind of ensure your salvation and seal you to your family and your father in heaven forever. This is kind of a big deal and a really exciting thing that is looked upon highly in my religion. So when he didn't tell me that he was going through and a week later I found out that he had been though and still hadn't told me I was a little bit mad.
As a girl I am a little dramatic and a little more emotional than Brett is. So fighting over him not telling me something that was kind of a big deal was not a new thing. I remember not talking for a while and making him "grovel" for my forgiveness. I look back on this experience and I was pretty mean and all of my meanness was not called for especially because I should have celebrated and been happy for him over this great accomplishment that he had just had but not telling your best friend something this important was uncalled for. I think that a better way to resolve our situation probably would have been better to talk about why he hadn't told me and also just to talk about the situation in general. Being as important and as sacred as this ordinance had been he was not ready to talk about it and he just needed time to process it and the right setting to tell me his good news. Instead of being supportive and understanding I over analyzed the situation and made it a big deal which was not necessary.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Peace, Love, and Computers
In our world of ever changing values, identities, and technology it is difficult to be who you are and stand for what you believe in. Each day brings a new light and a new technological advancement. This ever changing world has gone from the American conservatism of the early 1940's to the radical movements of the 1960's. We clearly live in a new day and age when there are different values and opinions all around us. D'Emilio believes that the shift of gender identity and openness to homosexuality began during our change to a capitalistic society. Although he brings up many good points that lead people to believe in his opinion I beg to differ. I would attribute the shift to a more technological world and the belief that we are all created equal rallied the homosexual society to become more vocal about their identity. The changing American values have push people throughout the country to become more accepting of every person and what they choose to be or believe in.
Technologically and liberally America has advanced. We have gone from the writing of the constitution by hand to having ipods, laptops, and many more technological advances that have changed our country for the better. During these changes that we have witnessed a shift to a clearly more liberal America. I attribute much of the decision for the gender identity debates and the push for homosexuals to "come out of the closet" not to our capitalistic society but to the technological advancements that we have seen and to the change in American views.
The shift to a more liberal society is a huge aspect. In 2010 people are far more accepting of homosexuals, children born out of wedlock, abortion, and many other controversial views. The acceptance from our society has encouraged homosexuals to come out and admit openly their gender identity.
Technologically and liberally America has advanced. We have gone from the writing of the constitution by hand to having ipods, laptops, and many more technological advances that have changed our country for the better. During these changes that we have witnessed a shift to a clearly more liberal America. I attribute much of the decision for the gender identity debates and the push for homosexuals to "come out of the closet" not to our capitalistic society but to the technological advancements that we have seen and to the change in American views.
The shift to a more liberal society is a huge aspect. In 2010 people are far more accepting of homosexuals, children born out of wedlock, abortion, and many other controversial views. The acceptance from our society has encouraged homosexuals to come out and admit openly their gender identity.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
In honor of Nathan Palmer Askins: Bandits
Bandits!!! Wild Real Men and Real Wild Women
The movie Bandits came out in 2001 staring Billy Bob Thornton, Bruce Willis, and Cate Blanchett is the perfect example of wild real men and real wild women. The movie starts with Billy Bob Thornton and Bruce Willis in escaping from prison. As they continue they steal a car and rob the nearest bank and then go into hiding only to formulate a fool proof plan of stalking the bank manager and later taking him and his family hostage for the night. They then wake up early the next morning and have the manager get them through bank security so they can rob the bank and go back into hiding. Throughout the course of going into hiding Billy Bob Thornton hits a woman with his car and is forced to take her with him into hiding. Cate Blanchett steps into the picture as a young, rich, unhappily married woman who's husband is cheating on her. She is eager to leave her life of luxury and join these crazy men to a life a mystery. As they continue on through out the movie the bandits rob bank after bank and become know as the sleep over bandits and become more infamous with each steal. In the end both men fall in love with Cate's character and they die fighting over her during one of her bank robberies. Ok not really. They stage their death, steal millions in their last heist, make off with Cate, and retire in Mexico happy and old.
Both of the male characters in this movie exhibit behaviors of wild real men. Billy Bob Thornton is a bank robber and a literal nut. His quirky and dorky personality drives Bruce Willis insane but he puts up with is because Billy Bob is very meticulous and intelligent in his planning for their heists.
Bruce Willis's character is crazy and outgoing. He always gets what he wants and if he can't get it he finds a way to. In the beginning of the movie he steals and truck and drives him and Billy Bob out of prison. His strong willed personality over powers the bank managers and as a result gets them money. He isn't afraid to speak his mind or get him what is necessary in whatever way possible. He truly is a wild man.
Cate Blanchett's character is a crazy lady who is sick of her life so she decides to basically run away and throw her old life away for this exciting life on the run. Her character is literally nuts and sick of her unhappy marriage. She wants a new life and a new love. When she meets the bandits not only is she not afraid of them but she basically begs them to keep her around; insisting that she will cook and help out. She falls in love with both men during the course of the movie and yet she still holds her own by participating in their crazy plans to hit up bank after bank that finally leads to their staged death and escape to Mexico.
All three of these characters exhibit people that are wild, out of the ordinary people that went out of the way to be and do something new. You don't have to rob banks or run away from what you have to be wild, you just have to live a little. Be a little weird and live out of the ordinary. Step out of your predictability and just choose to be not only yourself but a new wild and crazy you that does new and exciting things! Try something new!
The movie Bandits came out in 2001 staring Billy Bob Thornton, Bruce Willis, and Cate Blanchett is the perfect example of wild real men and real wild women. The movie starts with Billy Bob Thornton and Bruce Willis in escaping from prison. As they continue they steal a car and rob the nearest bank and then go into hiding only to formulate a fool proof plan of stalking the bank manager and later taking him and his family hostage for the night. They then wake up early the next morning and have the manager get them through bank security so they can rob the bank and go back into hiding. Throughout the course of going into hiding Billy Bob Thornton hits a woman with his car and is forced to take her with him into hiding. Cate Blanchett steps into the picture as a young, rich, unhappily married woman who's husband is cheating on her. She is eager to leave her life of luxury and join these crazy men to a life a mystery. As they continue on through out the movie the bandits rob bank after bank and become know as the sleep over bandits and become more infamous with each steal. In the end both men fall in love with Cate's character and they die fighting over her during one of her bank robberies. Ok not really. They stage their death, steal millions in their last heist, make off with Cate, and retire in Mexico happy and old.
Both of the male characters in this movie exhibit behaviors of wild real men. Billy Bob Thornton is a bank robber and a literal nut. His quirky and dorky personality drives Bruce Willis insane but he puts up with is because Billy Bob is very meticulous and intelligent in his planning for their heists.
Bruce Willis's character is crazy and outgoing. He always gets what he wants and if he can't get it he finds a way to. In the beginning of the movie he steals and truck and drives him and Billy Bob out of prison. His strong willed personality over powers the bank managers and as a result gets them money. He isn't afraid to speak his mind or get him what is necessary in whatever way possible. He truly is a wild man.
Cate Blanchett's character is a crazy lady who is sick of her life so she decides to basically run away and throw her old life away for this exciting life on the run. Her character is literally nuts and sick of her unhappy marriage. She wants a new life and a new love. When she meets the bandits not only is she not afraid of them but she basically begs them to keep her around; insisting that she will cook and help out. She falls in love with both men during the course of the movie and yet she still holds her own by participating in their crazy plans to hit up bank after bank that finally leads to their staged death and escape to Mexico.
All three of these characters exhibit people that are wild, out of the ordinary people that went out of the way to be and do something new. You don't have to rob banks or run away from what you have to be wild, you just have to live a little. Be a little weird and live out of the ordinary. Step out of your predictability and just choose to be not only yourself but a new wild and crazy you that does new and exciting things! Try something new!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Week 4 Blog Reviews
Jacqueline Pridgett
I loved your insight on the Frida Kahlo piece. I could feel and see everything that you were describing. I felt as though I could feel her pain on a whole new level. You captured her every thought and feeling perfectly.
Katie Kosturik
Katie I really enjoyed your writing a lot this week. Your explanation of Frida Kahlo's work was amazing. I could see everything in the painting and understood all of the meaning behind it.
Tasha Cerimeli
Thank you for your writing this week. I enjoyed both of them. I loved how you thought about robots (computers) not only thinking but feeling ans loving. It puts a whole new perspective on humans and how we should never take our emotions and abilities for granted.
I loved your insight on the Frida Kahlo piece. I could feel and see everything that you were describing. I felt as though I could feel her pain on a whole new level. You captured her every thought and feeling perfectly.
Katie Kosturik
Katie I really enjoyed your writing a lot this week. Your explanation of Frida Kahlo's work was amazing. I could see everything in the painting and understood all of the meaning behind it.
Tasha Cerimeli
Thank you for your writing this week. I enjoyed both of them. I loved how you thought about robots (computers) not only thinking but feeling ans loving. It puts a whole new perspective on humans and how we should never take our emotions and abilities for granted.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Cristina My Sister
This painting was painted after Frida found out that her sister had an affair with Diego. In her rage she created this painting of her sister. Frida Kahlo is a very famous Mexican painter. She created many of her painting from her life and what she saw and experienced. Her paintings are not only beautiful but interesting. She meticulously filled her paintings with culture.
Cristina my sister is a very interesting painting. As you view the painting the focal point is on the her sisters face. You can see the seriousness and anguish on her face. Her eyebrows are furrowed as though she is in deep concentration. I can only imagine the thoughts going through her mind as she is sitting for this painting. As you think of the background Frida has just discovered her sisters affair with her husband Diego. You can feel the pain that Frida is feeling as she paints the rage in her sisters face. Her face is a light pink and her lips are pursed. This displays the frustration in her face but also the frustration ans betrayal that she is feeling. As Frida continues to paint the pain that she feels as it is reflected in her face you move down the painting to her body. Cristina is wearing a white dress. I feel as though after betraying her sister she should be wearing red or some sort of angry color to represent her feelings. I think that her choice of white is appropriate though. She didn't want to blame her sister and she wanted to keep the focus of the painting on her face and her emotion that she is trying to portray instead of the coloring. Her body is rigid and her hands are folded across her lap. Her body seems uncomfortable and unsure of how to act and feel and of what she is planning on doing next.
The background of this picture is white with green grass as the foreground and a little bit of a pink in the right hand corner. I think that the barren background represents her feelings of hurt and despair but that in the far distant future the pink is her small ray of hope that someday everything will turn out for the best. Everything will work out. In the far distance in the right hand corner sits a small, lonely tree and out of the right hand side in the mid part of the picture a section of a tree branch is coming out. The background is almost barren. This is a stark comparison to many of her pictures. It displays the emotion that she is currently feeling. Lonely, distant, and apart from everyone. The little amount of green life in her picture not only takes the focus off of her sister but it represents the distance between them and the hope that she has of starting a new life and forgetting the past.
My Sister Cristina 1932
Kahlo, Frida. Cristina My Sister. 1932. Roseanna Lee Frida Kahlo Self Portraits. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. <http://www.roseannalee.com/fridakahlo/0008.jpg>.
Cristina my sister is a very interesting painting. As you view the painting the focal point is on the her sisters face. You can see the seriousness and anguish on her face. Her eyebrows are furrowed as though she is in deep concentration. I can only imagine the thoughts going through her mind as she is sitting for this painting. As you think of the background Frida has just discovered her sisters affair with her husband Diego. You can feel the pain that Frida is feeling as she paints the rage in her sisters face. Her face is a light pink and her lips are pursed. This displays the frustration in her face but also the frustration ans betrayal that she is feeling. As Frida continues to paint the pain that she feels as it is reflected in her face you move down the painting to her body. Cristina is wearing a white dress. I feel as though after betraying her sister she should be wearing red or some sort of angry color to represent her feelings. I think that her choice of white is appropriate though. She didn't want to blame her sister and she wanted to keep the focus of the painting on her face and her emotion that she is trying to portray instead of the coloring. Her body is rigid and her hands are folded across her lap. Her body seems uncomfortable and unsure of how to act and feel and of what she is planning on doing next.
The background of this picture is white with green grass as the foreground and a little bit of a pink in the right hand corner. I think that the barren background represents her feelings of hurt and despair but that in the far distant future the pink is her small ray of hope that someday everything will turn out for the best. Everything will work out. In the far distance in the right hand corner sits a small, lonely tree and out of the right hand side in the mid part of the picture a section of a tree branch is coming out. The background is almost barren. This is a stark comparison to many of her pictures. It displays the emotion that she is currently feeling. Lonely, distant, and apart from everyone. The little amount of green life in her picture not only takes the focus off of her sister but it represents the distance between them and the hope that she has of starting a new life and forgetting the past.
My Sister Cristina 1932
Kahlo, Frida. Cristina My Sister. 1932. Roseanna Lee Frida Kahlo Self Portraits. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. <http://www.roseannalee.com/fridakahlo/0008.jpg>.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Robotic Beings Rule the World
To be put simply this essay is about whether computers can think and if they will ever be able to surpass human intelligence. Robert Wright expresses his feelings and impressions that he has about robots. Fortunately I believe that robots will never be able to surpass human intelligence. Robots only know as much as we do. Not only that but robots are unable to take on human attributes that way that we do. Computers can never truly think, act, feel, or create human attributes.
Humans will never surpass human intelligence. Given this statement I am 100% positive that there are quite a few computers out there that are way more intelligent than I am. I'm not super intelligent or the smartest person in the room. I am very far from that. This just means that there are people all around me surpass me in intelligence on a regular basis. I find comfort in this statement because although others are far more intelligent than I am then these people are far more intelligent than robots or computers. Only the people creating these machines control the level of intelligence that the machines represent. In other words, robots will never be able to be more intelligent than their makers.
Another thing I find comforting is that robots cannot assume all human attributes. Why do I find comfort in this? Well this just means that robotic beings will never be able to rule the world!!! Why? Robots will never be able to think, feel, love, cry, grieve, or function as human beings do. As a human I can never be replaced. I am valued for my emotion and incompetence. I am very different from a machine and this gives me value.
Humans will never surpass human intelligence. Given this statement I am 100% positive that there are quite a few computers out there that are way more intelligent than I am. I'm not super intelligent or the smartest person in the room. I am very far from that. This just means that there are people all around me surpass me in intelligence on a regular basis. I find comfort in this statement because although others are far more intelligent than I am then these people are far more intelligent than robots or computers. Only the people creating these machines control the level of intelligence that the machines represent. In other words, robots will never be able to be more intelligent than their makers.
Another thing I find comforting is that robots cannot assume all human attributes. Why do I find comfort in this? Well this just means that robotic beings will never be able to rule the world!!! Why? Robots will never be able to think, feel, love, cry, grieve, or function as human beings do. As a human I can never be replaced. I am valued for my emotion and incompetence. I am very different from a machine and this gives me value.
Week 3 Blog Reviews
Jacqueline Pridgett
I loved your post on are we smarter than robots. It was well thought out and well written. You answered all of the questions and had your opinion with out having one over power that other. I can't wait to read your next post.
Katie Kosturik
Katie your post about the robots was so well written. It was very intelligent and well thought out. I appreciate your opinions and I totally agree with you. I also enjoyed your post on consciousness. I like how your incorporate your opinion and parts from the article in your posts. It makes your post so much better.
Tasha Cerimeli
I enjoyed reading your blog post about robots. It kept me thinking with all of your questions. Your writing style keeps me interested and makes me excited to read what your next post has in store!
I loved your post on are we smarter than robots. It was well thought out and well written. You answered all of the questions and had your opinion with out having one over power that other. I can't wait to read your next post.
Katie Kosturik
Katie your post about the robots was so well written. It was very intelligent and well thought out. I appreciate your opinions and I totally agree with you. I also enjoyed your post on consciousness. I like how your incorporate your opinion and parts from the article in your posts. It makes your post so much better.
Tasha Cerimeli
I enjoyed reading your blog post about robots. It kept me thinking with all of your questions. Your writing style keeps me interested and makes me excited to read what your next post has in store!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
RoBoTs!!!!
Minsky believes that machines or robots will have the capability to surpass the human brain. His belief is that these machines could be more conscious than humans. These artificial systems would be mimicking the brain's neural process. Computers would be able to have the capacity to think as humans do. With this statement in mind it is terrifying to believe that a computer would be able to have a higher thinking capacity than a human because this machine would be able to work harder than humans. To have our brain capacity and be able to use all of it would make a very powerful robot. Minsky called this type of capability Artificial Intelligence or AI. Lucky for us this powerful machine is impossible to build exactly like the human mind as he continued to research and found out that our brain cells and visual processing are difficult to duplicate.
Many people find his belief that computers will have the conscious capacity to pass the brain offensive and they take it as though he is saying that robots will and can be smarter than humans. Minsky argues that this is completely untrue. He sees it as if we were able to access our full consciousness we would not know what to do with it. He also tells us that full consciousness happens when you can recall every detail of something. In this way computers are more efficient than humans because they can never forget anything. Humans are not programmed for that type of memory and further more we do not need it. To be able to hold that much information would be pointless and impossible for someone to function.
Personally I agree with most of what Minsky has said. It is not that computers or robots are smarter than us they are just programmed to be efficient and to be able to recall any information given to them. I honestly have such a hard time retaining information that I would probably have some sort of over load if I was asked to remember everything. I believe that through careful programming and research that robotic machines would be able to preform many tasks that are impossible for humans and that they will be far more conscious than we are but that a machine is as only as smart as his maker. Meaning that without an intelligent creator there could not be an intelligent machine and that its capacity could be more conscious than the creator but it would never be more intelligent.
Many people find his belief that computers will have the conscious capacity to pass the brain offensive and they take it as though he is saying that robots will and can be smarter than humans. Minsky argues that this is completely untrue. He sees it as if we were able to access our full consciousness we would not know what to do with it. He also tells us that full consciousness happens when you can recall every detail of something. In this way computers are more efficient than humans because they can never forget anything. Humans are not programmed for that type of memory and further more we do not need it. To be able to hold that much information would be pointless and impossible for someone to function.
Personally I agree with most of what Minsky has said. It is not that computers or robots are smarter than us they are just programmed to be efficient and to be able to recall any information given to them. I honestly have such a hard time retaining information that I would probably have some sort of over load if I was asked to remember everything. I believe that through careful programming and research that robotic machines would be able to preform many tasks that are impossible for humans and that they will be far more conscious than we are but that a machine is as only as smart as his maker. Meaning that without an intelligent creator there could not be an intelligent machine and that its capacity could be more conscious than the creator but it would never be more intelligent.
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