Cloning Beagle Dogs

There have been cases of cloning dogs in South Korea. Scientists in South Korea say they have engineered four beagles that glow red using cloning techniques that could help develop cures for human diseases. The four dogs look like typical dogs by daylight, but they glow red under ultraviolet light and the dogs' nails and abdomens. They glow red to the naked eye. Seoul National University professor, Lee Byeong-chun is the head of the research team.
He called them the first transgenic dogs carrying fluorescent genes. His team has identified the dogs as clones of a cell donor through DNA tests. Scientists in the United States, Japan, and Europe have cloned flourescent mice and pigs but this would be the first time that a dog has been successfully cloned. What is so significant about this is not neccessarily the cloning aspect, but the the fact that they planted genes into these dogs. Lee stated that his team took skin cells from a beagle, and inserted flourescent genes into them and put them into eggs.
They then implanted those eggs into the womb of a surrogate mother. These beagles were born in December 2007. Two died but four others survived. The glowing dogs show it is possible to successfully insert genes with a specific trait. They believe it could lead to implanting other genes that could help treat specific diseases. Scientists are now starting to implant human disease relatd genes in dog cloning, saying that it will help them find new treatments for genetic diseases such as Parkinson's.
Many people seem to be for it. Veterinary professor Kong II-keun stated, "we can appraise this a step forward. What is important now is on what specific diseases Lee's team will focus on." There was however some question on whether or not Lee's data was true or not. Due to scientist Hwag Woo-suk, whose breakthroughs on stem cell research were found to have been made using fake data. However they were able to prove that Lee's team cloning was genuine.
I believe this could potentially not turn out so good. I mean sure the flourescent gene worked for the dogs, but what about the other genes they later try and implant in the poor dogs? They might not work so well. Just because one study went well does not neccessarily mean that the other one will. We are talking about a whole different gene they will be implanting these dogs with, who knows how the dogs body might react to it, or how the gene will react to the specimen?
I feel as though scientists are always believing that they can do anything and the reality is that they can not. More importantly just because it works well with dogs does not mean it will work well with humans. Even though they did do the study on mammals,humans DNA does not match that of a dog. Therefore you could have a case where the implanting might work well for a dog, and then try it on humans and potentially have a very fatal case. It's just too much to risk I believe.

The underlying question that many people have about communication technology is tough to answer. Has the advent of all this new advancement in communication technology actually made people’s lives easier? Because time machines do no exist yet, the exact answer can’t be discovered right now. There are many experts that render their opinion and try and find out if new forms of communication technology are helping society or hurting it.

There are plenty of good uses for technology like the internet like email for example. Tons of people take advantage of this instant form of communication instead of using “snail mail” like in the olden days. The email applications now have the ability to send the same email to thousands of people with a click of a button.  The fact that people are using the internet instead of mailing also helps the environment by cutting down on waste. Large amounts of paper are saved every time a company sends and email to it’s employees instead of faxing them all letters. Other simple applications that computers have made possible are things like storing all one’s music in Itunes, or creating a personnel video in Windows Movie Maker. Simple things like this help to make people’s lives easier. 

Back in the time before word processors, people would type letters on a type writer. If they made a mistake, they would have to use white out or tape off the mistake and correct it. Now with our latest advancements, people can do everything from spell check to print thousands of copies of their work. This is an obvious reason why so many people feel that these systems are beneficial to own and use. 

Gerard Noonan, the social issues editor at Digital Life.com thinks that these word processing systems are depleting people’s ability to hand write things. Children are experiencing this the worst at these cross roads of computer education. 

“The disjunction between the acquired skill of keyboarding and the need to handwrite exams has led some schools to incorporate handwriting lessons in years 11 and 12 as students find they have to relearn the art of using a pen and paper quickly - lost after years of using computers, laptops and mobiles.” (Noonan,shm.com)                      What Noonan is saying is that children these days are not even learning hand writing skills to the extent that children in the past have. Tests like the SAT require intense writing segments that unless one has a proven disability, must be turned in hand written.   The State Examination Commission out of Dublin, Ireland said in a report that in many cases, teenagers seemed “unduly reliant on short sentences, simple tenses, and a limited vocabulary” and that with the use of phonetic spelling and little or no punctuation, it’s the beginning to pose a threat to traditional conventions in writing, not to mention oral communication. This phenomenon is becoming more and more popular with younger people around the world mostly due to new “text message priority phones” with full keyboard features and large layouts. 

Phones and PDA’s are becoming very addicting says PC magazine. “You’ve probably heard the term “cracberry.” (Deleo,PC mag) They say society has started to compulsively check their email, even at negligent times like on vacation with the family. Personal attention that could be going towards one’s family and friends is now going to a hand held device and many people don’t even realize is happening. Many new phones have the capability to surf the web at high rates of speed and allow applications like Facebook and Myspace to be stored on each device. This is becoming a large scale problem in schools across the United States. Dr. Claire Summers, an associate professor at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia said in a Oct. 5 press release that there's an ongoing battle between teachers and students over classroom cell phone use that “has become a substantial problem.” (Summers, Associatedcontent.com) She said that the students who are continually distracted by cell phones are unable to engage in the class as fully as others. An article by associatedcontent.com reviewed an argument that was debating on whether or not to fully ban cell phone use in schools. While several teachers gave their opinions, a fourth grade teacher from Arizona said cell phones “should absolutely be banned from school. They are nothing but a disruption to class instruction.” She believes that “if a student is waiting for a call for example, they think about nothing but receiving that call, therefore blocking out anything that is being said, and it’s simply not a necessity for being successful in school”  Another teacher in Pennsylvania said that “cell phones and other electronic devices can be a distraction, but students need to learn when and where a cell phone can be appropriate...This is one of those life lessons we can teach them. Technology is a wonderful and useful tool when used properly.” 

Is technology in communication making people’s lives easier? Even though the truth may not exist as one concrete answer, it is safe to say that it varies with situations and the use of personal responsibility. Anything can be rendered bad if used to often and technology is no different. Society must find a way to responsibly limit it’s use and if accomplished, technology can be a very helpful tool but if ignored, society can grow self centered and distracted.

Text messaging

Text messaging can be dated back to 1989 via NASA. It wasn't until the early 1990's when it became commercial. This feature wasn't very popular with people until about the 2000's. But when it took off, it ruined lives. A survey done by Nokia has concluded texting to be "an addictive activity" Texting is sending simple messages through text via phones or computers. These messages are limited to 160 characters including spaces.

Texting has had a bad effect on our society and have been the cause of a new public nuisance. Enhanced cheating within relationships, given people new ways to cheat on tests and exams, and caused many teenage girls to cause brutal car accidents. With some states even beginning to enable laws against texting while driving and/or walking. Recently Arnold Schwarzenegger has deemed it illegal to text while driving in the state of california. First offense being 20 dollars and 50 dollar fine for subsequent violations. It has even been reffed to as “Sexting.” Sexting is slang term, the act of sending sexually explicit or suggestive content between mobile devices using text messages.

This has created monsters within society, people texting non stop. It has changed the youth greatly. I am for social use of texting, but there has to be a line drawn somewhere. The question is where, what laws should be made in order for the world to be a safer place. Eliminate texting all together, I'm sure this would cause an uproar and riots within junior high schools. For the time being people in power can only limit and make small restrictions to attempt to stop people from ruining their own lives via text message.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Text-Messaging-Started&id=1882851

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/sep/25/local/me-arnold25

I never actually found out what the assignment was... so i just read other peoples and tried to make assumptions of what the assignment was. I hope this works and/or makes sense.

-Brenten

Stem cell research

Stem cell research has been a topic of controversy for a while now. Some people think it is a great idea and others think that it is against God’s will. First brought up in 1908 by a Russian histologist Alexander Maksimov. In 1968, the first bone marrow transplant was successful between two siblings. It wasn’t until the 90’s when break through really started to happen. Stem cells are basically an internal repair system that replenishes other cells in the body as long as it lives. Stem cells can stay the same or change to be another cell that may be needed. They are able to divide to renew themselves either after being inactive or to become tissue. Scientists have been mainly doing research on two types of stem cells, embryonic and non- embryonic cells. Non- embryonic cells are also called “somatic” or “adult” cells. This research helps scientists understand how an organism develops from a single cell. It also plays a major part in finding a cure for cancer, birth defects, and other serious diseases. It is already being used in bone marrow transplants fro leukemia patients. Scientists are hoping that soon, stem cells will be able to help treat and possibly even cure other diseases like cancer, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and muscle damage, as well as others.


The controversy about the research goes even deeper into the issues. It comes down to thee ethics of things and how testing is done for stem cells. People against stem cell research claim its because they feel like it could lead to cloning and they are uncomfortable with that idea. It has been a big debate in politics as well. In May of 2000, George W. Bush , who was running for office at the time, opposed stem cell research and told pro-life groups just that. He allowed scientists to use the embryos that they had for research, but he cut all other funding for future research on the topic. One option Bush had was to fully decline all funds to all research and make them stop what they were doing with what they had. However, this wasn’t possible due to the Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court decided that a woman can do with her body what she pleases. This is why women are able to have abortions or donate embryos to stem cell research. And this is why women are still able to donate their embryos for the research. It’s like a loophole.

Personally, I’m all for stem cell research. A really good friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer when he was just a freshman in high school. Last year, he was given another chance at life by having a stem cell transplant. It is because of the work and research that has been done, that this boy will be able to graduate high school, he is able to finally work again, and live like a normal human being. It has been over a year now since he received the treatment and he is cancer free. As a personal opinion, I am all for stem cell research because I will be able to have more time with someone that means a lot to me.

Cocaine

Cocaine use dates back more than fifteen centuries to the indigenous people of the Andes Mountains, who would use the drug for medicinal and recreational purposes. The first person to synthesize processed cocaine hydrocholoride was a man by the name of Albert Niemann. Dr. Niemann worked at the University of Gottigen in Germany and synthesized the drug in 1859. The immediate reaction to the new supposed miracle drug was that it could cure any ailment, from fatigue to toothaches to headaches. In later years, cocaine began to be used as an anaesthetic and as a treatment for addictions to morphine.
One of the first warnings that the effects of the drug could be problematic was the addiction to cocaine by Dr. William Halstead. Dr. Halstead was the first doctor to use cocaine as an aplicable form of anaesthetic. In the 1900's, the United States mixed cocaine in with everyday products. Hay fever elixers, nerve tonics, and even Coca-Cola - which changed its perky incredient to caffeine in 1903 - contained cocaine as a main incredient.
Since cocaine was found to be highly addictive, it was declared a national threat by former-President William Taft in 1910. In 1914, the Harrison Act was passed. This act prevented the non-medical use and importation of cocaine into the United States, delt the same penalty for abuse as harder drug users, and strictly required prescriptions to obtain cocaine. Through the Harrison Act and the introduciton of amphetamines, police attention to cocaine use, abuse, and addiction was no longer considered necessary by the 1950's.
In the 1960's, cocaine use spiked back up and was at it's highest peak since the Harrison Act was put into effect. Congress declared the drug a Schedule II controlled substance. This means that cocaine could have a high abuse or dependancy rate but still had legitimate medical uses. In the 1980's, psychiatrists claimed that cocaine had no major problems associated with its use as long as it was limitted to two or three times a week. The use of cocaine has since risen, and the fight to control its abuse is once again in effect.
The obvious controversy about cocaine is that it is an addictive and illegal drug. The effects of cocaine range from Short-Term Effects to Long-Term Effects. The short-term effects are noticable immediately and include increased blood pressure, heart rate, energy, and temperature as well as constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, mental allertness, and decreased appitite. The long-term effects prevail in high tollerance abuse of cocaine and include addiction, paranoia, irritability, mood disturbances, and auditory hallucinations.
The punishment for possesion of cocaine can range from four months to fifteen years in prison and a person can be fined from $1,000 to $500,000. The punishment for selling cocaine is one year to life in prison and a person can be fined from $2,500 to $1,000,000.
I believe the use of cocaine is wrong, even with the practicle medical implications. I'm sure people who use cocaine disagree with me, but of all the lives and relationships and careers the drug has probably ruined through its addictive nature, I couldn't understand anything positive about it.

Design Your Baby!

First of all I wanted to thank Chet a whole bunch for stealing the picture I was going to use for this post…thanks a lot, now I have to pick a new one.

Anyways, for this blog I wanted to focus on the new fad “designer babies”. I didn’t know much at first when I began 

researching this topic and I had only heard small details about it from some media. My initial thought was: “Why the hell would people want to do this to their unborn children?” I had set my mind to the fact that I thought in no way should this be legal. I think children are born a way for a reason, and that we, still pretty immature in human sciences, should not be able to change aspects of a persons’ physical appearance to the wishes of parents for social acceptance later in life. Also, you never know what could happen if something with science goes wrong, we are still not fully formed as a society to deal with the thought of manipulating life.  

The term “designer babies” is used to describe a child whose hereditary makeup would be, using various reproductive and genetic technologies, purposefully selected to be the optimal recombination of their parents' genetic material. It works by using InVitro Fertilization to fertilize eggs with sperm in test tubes outside the mother's body in a laboratory. At the moment it is only legally possible to carry out two types of advanced reproductive technologies on humans. The first involves choosing the type of sperm that will fertilize an egg: this is used to determine the sex and the genes of the baby. The second technique screens embryos for a genetic disease: only selected embryos are implanted back into the mother's womb. This is called Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis.  

There is a mixed reaction with the idea of people being able to change the genes of their babies. On the one side there are people who think that its “playing god”, by getting to decide the sex or physical appearances of their children. On the other side there are the people that consider this process because it can also reduce the chance that a child will be born with a genetic disorder. There are huge pros and cons on this topic. Everyone has his or her own opinion and ideas to how creation of a human should happen. It scares people that the original way of birth and human development is changing and makes them wonder what else can come from this advancement, good or bad.  

After researching the topic more my opinion has changed somewhat. I still don’t believe that people should be able to change appearance for aesthetic qualities. However, I have someone in my family who was born with a genetic disorder, and if this process was available when she was still developing as a fetus, and someone told our family that we could take away that disorder, then maybe I would have considered this a good idea, because it could have helped her for the future.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,989987,00.htmlhttp://www.bionetonline.org/English/content/db_cont1.htm

Dish Washers

A dishwasher is a mechanical Device used for cleaning dishes and eating utensils. Dishwashers can be found in restaurants and private homes. Unlike manual dishwashers, which relies largely on physical scrubbing to remove soiling, the mechanical dishwasher cleans by spraying hot( 55-65 degrees celsius or 130-150 degrees farenheit) water on the dishes now detergent- added products is used for cleaning purposes, then clean water to remove the detergent residue. Some dishwashers have multiple wash and rinse periods within the complete cycle. In some dishwashers a rinsing aid can be added to the rinse cycle. As there is no human contact during the process strong detergents may be used which would be to alkaline for habitual exposure to the skin. Many dishwashers have a heating element to achieve fast drying and sanitation for the dishes. In some models this element can also be used to heat cold water to the desired water temperature.

The history of dishwashers-The first reports of a mechanical dishwashing device are of an 1850 patent by joel houghton of a hand powered device modern dishwashers are descended from the 1886 invention of josephine cochrane, also hand powered, which she unveiled at the 1893 chicago world fair. She never washed dishes herself and only unvented it because her servants were chipping her fine china. By the 1970s dishwashers had become commonplace in domestic residences in the U.S
My Belief- I believe that dishwashers are one of the greatest creations ever they were created for those that don't have time to wahs dishes themselves or that just don't like washing dishes and its great for people that want to multi-task and do other things while the dishes are washing.

human genetic engineering

With science improving everyday nothing is off limits, this includes manipulating an unborn baby to be designed to the parents specifications; although the actual doing-of hasn't been done yet the idea of getting closer is pretty weird. While a major focus lies on the ability to give the fetus a certain eye color, hair color and other aspects of their appearence there's also a big focus on controlling the traits, behavior and intelligence of the child. This then brings up the ethical question about the future of the child and their happiness, knowing that they're not necessarily and individual and got to decide things on their own but that they were "made" a certain way. It also brings up an argument about altering the course of nature and the right or wrong of it. They're saying that if a parent desires a strong, athletic kid messing with the genes can help achieve this.
However, in this article they also discussed some benefits in being able to go in and test for diseases whether they be lifetime or as the individual gets older. In a way of knowing it lets them prepare. My parents went to a genetic doctor to find the chances of both me and my brother getting the osteogenesis imperfecta (which we both did) because it's a dominant gene, that my dad has, that has a 50% chance of getting passed down. I think for cases like this it's acceptable to do whatever "engineering" that can be done to prevent such diseases.
The latest forms of genetic engineering, not just with humans, was dated back to the late 70's, not until the 80's did it reach humans and then stir up the controversy. Obviously since then it's been causing debate and in my opinion I think things like using the term "designer babies" should not be a neccessity. I think that the appearence of a child should just be as is, how it was intended to be, parents already control alot of the aspects of their children's life why take it to the extreme? But to actually use this discovery in a good way would be to test for those genetic diseases and procceed with gene therapy to maybe cure what could've been. Or what they also said in the article, to prepare the indivdual for later in life.

http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/Genetic-Inequality-Human-Genetic-Engineering-768

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2003/07/16/human_genetic_engineering.htm

Cloning

In my research I focused on Cloning. Cloning was first invented by a man named Hans Spemann. He did cloning with differentiated cells by nuclear transfer. This was founded in 1938. Also in 2001, the first animal was cloned. It was a baby bull gaur named Noah. This shows that we can save endangered species. Cloning is the process of making a genetically identical organism through nonsexual means. It Has been used for many years to produce plants. Their are many different types of cloning but a common one would be reproductive cloning. This has to do with people, animals, and plants. Three common types of cloning technologies are recombinant DNA technology or DNA cloning, reproductive cloning, and therapeutic cloning. Recombinant DNA refers to the transfer of a DNA fragment of interest from one organism to a self-replicating genetic element such as a bacterial plasmid.

Therapeutic Cloning is the production of human embryo for the use of research. The goal of the process is not to create cloned human beings, but rather to harvest stem cells that can be used to study human development and to treat disease. This is very expensive and highly inefficient. More than 90% temps fail. Cloning animals is easier but they seem to die young or at an early age. I believe this was recreated for a new way of life. Helping families have a child that they lost or to save endangered species. I could not just find one reason why this was created but he had good intentions.  

Meghan Stoll

 

http://www.ask.com/bar?

q=Who+Invented+Cloning&page=1&qsrc=6&ab=0&u=http%3A%2F%2Flibrary.thinkquest.org%2FC0122429%2Fhistory%2Fhistory.htm

http://science.howstuffworks.com/genetic-science/cloning.htm

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=how+does+cloning+work&page=1&qsrc=2106&ab=6&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ornl.gov%2Fsci%2Ftechresources%2FHuman_Genome%2Felsi%2Fcloning.shtml

Designer Babies

Fertility doctors and reproductive specialists have been helping couples become parents for years. With innovations such as in vitro fertilization, doctor's were able to fertilize the egg outside of the womb and theoretically alter it. The concept of 'designing' babies first arose when we discovered the technology to cure genetic diseases in embryos by replacing faulty DNA with healthy DNA. The knowledge of it's success turned the 'engineering' of children into a new field of science in itself. Reproductive Specialists have been working for years to try and help parents choose things such as the gender of their child. This technology allowed us to go further and alter the physical traits of a child. According to L.A.'s Fertility Institute, parents can already select the hair and eye color of their unborn fetus. 

This brings up some serious ethical questions. What happens if parents pay millions to pick and choose what their son or daughter will look like and they don't get the results they paid for? Will they love the child less? Will they not want the child anymore? Doesn't this objectify children and turn them into products? 

While I'm fascinated with the new technology we have, I'm also scared at how close we are to crossing the line. Playing god is dangerous and something that won't go without consequences. I personally love that we are growing as a race and still learning so much about the mysteries of life. On the other hand I do believe that by 'designing' babies, we are turning children into products. Like I mentioned before, what happens when the product doesn't turn out how the customer wanted? Children aren't objects and they certainly shouldn't be products you can buy. I mean think about it, if you can buy the kid you want, what's stopping someone from selling the kid they don't want? I know that's farfetched, but it's just something to think about. We need to be careful and responsible with the knowledge we continue gaining and respect human life for what it is. 

in vitro fertilization

Artificial Insemination research began in the late 1800’s and became widely experimented throughout the first half of the 20th century. There was not one single creator for the method, but a collaboration between many doctors and scientists (pbs.org). In vitro fertilization is a process by which egg cells are fertilized by sperm outside of the womb. The Latin term in vitro means within the glass. The procedure got this name because the process is done in glass containers such as Petri dishes. Babies conceived using IVF have often been referred to as “test tube babies” (Wikipedia).
IVF conception starts with stimulating the woman’s ovaries and inducing ovulation. After this, anywhere from ten to thirty eggs are retrieved from the uterus. Once in the laboratory, the eggs as well as the sperm are treated so that they are prepared for fertilization. The two are incubated together for about 18 hours, which is enough time for the egg to be fertilized. Once it reaches a certain stage and is now an embryo, it is transferred back into the woman’s uterus for the continuation of the pregnancy (Pandora’s Baby).
In vitro fertilization was created to replace surgical approaches for fertility therapy. It is a revolutionary way for couples to get pregnant when it is not happening naturally (Brave New World). Despite the positive aspects of IVF, there can be many complications and it is the topic of much controversy. First of all, the treatment can carry physical as well as emotional burdens on the mother as well as long term health risks. Often the process takes several tries and a number of treatment sessions. This can be stressful to the patient as well as expensive (Brave New World).
IVF has sparked controversy and ethics. When it was first introduced it was very unpopular. Many people thought it would be the first step towards controversial scientific research. This includes things such as genetic engineering, designer babies, stem cell research and human cloning (Pandora’s Baby). Some other ethical issues surrounding IVF include who it should be able to be used for, specifically older woman past the age of menopause and same-sex couples. It is also widely opposed by religious denominations, as they see it as “taking God’s work and putting it into their own hands” (pbs.org).
Many people are for it because it gives infertile couples a chance to have a child of their own. It may not be the easiest process but in the end it will change peoples lives. People are against it because of the ethical and controversial issues surrounding it. There are definitely pros and cons surrounding the topic. My opinion is that IVF is a fertility treatment that should be used. While I understand the research aspect could lead to dangerous things like cloning, I think the act of creating a life for a couple who can’t conceive on their own is brilliant. I think children are important and that it is worth the risk of getting this procedure if necessary. I did not know much about this topic before my research, but now I definitely have a stronger opinion and stance on the topic.

Robots

I wanted to focus on a machine that somehow helped humans. Personally, I am not a big fan of robots or machines that do peoples work because it takes away the need for human work. So I went to Google and searched machines that help people. I then went to the iRobot website and found a few robots that actually do your chores for you. I was most intrigued by the iRobot Looj. It is advertised as the fastest and easiest way to clean your gutters. Now I know from my dad's complaints that cleaning the gutters is a grueling and tiring process. You have to pull out a ladder, climb up on the ladder and grab things out of the gutters. And you have to constantly go up and down moving the ladder because a ladder does not move itself. So generally, I would be for this product and most likely purchase it for someone who cleans their gutters. This machine can clean a 60 foot section of gutter in only 10 minutes, which is really fast. With this machine all you have to do is place your ladder in one spot and start the machine. It saves alot of time and you won't be in so much pain the next day. I would recommend this machine to anyone who is sick and tired of having to clean their gutters.
This is the website for the iRobot Looj http://store.irobot.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=3334470&cp=2804605&ab=CMS_IRBT_StoreHome_043009_cleangutters

With technology becoming more and more dominant in the world, it's no wonder that machines have a huge role in production. Many of the things we use in our everyday lives were built by machines and programs. Many movies and books have been diving into the fact of machines taking over the planet and early on that idea seemed so far away. 

   Two years ago, a Japan based robotics company created a robot known as CB2. It made world wide headlines this year because it developed human social skills by interacting with its creators. The robot was built by a team of robotic engineers, brain specialists, psychologists, and other experts. They created this robot in hopes to break a barrier between the science fiction world and ours. The scientists hope to have this android's intelligence up to a 2 year olds in the same amount of time. 

   In 1942, Isaac Asimov created a short story known as "Runaround". This story would soon become the story "I, Robot". The story comprises of rules that a robot is installed with. This are known as the THREE LAWS OF ROBOTICS. By following these laws, a robot cannot harm a human. This is science fiction of course but, with the technology available to us, should a system like this be programmed into these androids that we are created? 

   Bill Joy's article "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us" depicts what could happen if the technology of today becomes too "smart" tomorrow. He believes that machines and robots, like the CB2 model, will evolve into the dominant creature on earth and we will be living in a post-human world. 

Frankentopic

For this post I want you to describe your topic. What are its origins? Who created it? How does it work? Why was it created for? Etc.... Then I want you to discuss the controversy surrounding it. Why are people for it? Why are people against it? Discuss the pros and cons in detail. Lastly I want you to discuss your interpretation of the research you've done. Has your opinion on this subject changed? Make an assertion. What do you believe? And why do you believe it? And be sure to cite your sources!

500 words, due next Thursday. Please comment on one of your classmate's posts.

Brenten and Dillons Project

NMS Experimental Film from brenten on Vimeo.

Alex's Project

Kyle's Project

David's Project

Ninah's Project

Meghan's Project

Sandi's Project

Beth's Project

Unit 3 Project

A Silent Influence

When I look at myself, I see a woman.
Independence.
Intelligence.
When you see me, you see a girl.
Your child.
Your baby.
Maybe I should look at myself
The way you see me.

I watched you make decisions.
Some wrong, some right.
Every one had a consequence,
Good or bad.
Through it all,
You stayed true to yourself,
Your beliefs.
Your ideals.

You think of others, and yourself.
Not easily persuaded
Or easily jaded.
Ethics were something
Never to be challenged.
Do what’s right.
Do what makes sense.
Do what makes you happy.

Through mere observation,
And the silly questions of a child,
I obtained these qualities.
Without direction.
Without a lesson.
A silent influence.

When you look at me,
You may see a child.
You may see your baby.
But you should also see a woman.
Independence.
Intelligence.
Your influence has made me
Embody these things.
Because of you,
I am me.


Unit 3 Project
Stephanie Boisvert

I BELIEVE!

I believe most in family, my family in particluar. I have been through so many different things in my life and when the friends have come and gone, family is still there. I believe so much in my family because no matter the circumstances they are understanding. Not all families are like mine and that's what makes me so appreciative. I have witnessed some of my friends families who are not there for them. I find that to be so horrible. I feel like if you don't have family then what do you have? I know for some individuals that's not always the case. Sometimes people look upon their friend's as family. I have never felt that way. It seems like no matter what friend I've had in the past or present has in some way let me down tremendously. It's a good feeling when that anxiety does not have to be present in a friendship/relationship. One of my friend's in the past had told me that she doesn't think I value friendships. This made me laugh, due to the fact that this was the same lady who had messed up our friendship. I simply stated to her that I cherish my friendship's, I would love to actually have a good friend one day. I just have not found one as of yet. To her that sounded preposterous, but to me that sounded just right. I just let her know my family is always there for me, so there are no worries.

..

....

I Believe in

I believe in poetry. Its more than just a bunch of words that rhyme or a way of life. It is actually life itself. Everything in life is pure poetry. Whether it be the cry of a baby or the breeze that blows across the top of a tree. It is all that is beautiful and ugly in the world, expressed in the purest form. Before their were any other types of expressions their was poetry. If you look at most ancient literature you'll see that they are writen in a poetic form. Without the inspiration of poetry many other art forms may not even exist today. Here's an example of my poetry.

I can't tell anymore

Do you look at me or do you look through me
Do you talk me or talk at me
Do you want me or what I can do for you
Do yo love me or the idea me

We use to talk for hours about whatever came to mind
and unwind in the essece that was our love.
Or at least I thought it was.
Now I'm looking for the justification to the de-syncrinization
of the utopia nation that we created with or beings.

And it's killing me too kno that u are just willing to go
when you kno my heart is tangled in
those thorns that make up your motives

You dont know my pain

the pain that is only described by million daggers
falling from the rain cloud of scorn
that you have placed on me.
It's crazy up into now I only thought God
could control a mans heart, his soul, his spirt.

Why do you do this

Why do you cast me to the side
why do you crush my ego and dismember my pride
why do I see nothing in your eyes when you look at me
why do you deny my affections rather then let them be
why do you push me away when i try to touch you
Why do you say nothing when I tell you I love you

Why?

What did I do...

Beth's Post

I believe what goes around comes around, or in other words, karma is a bitch. Everything that people do, whether it be good or bad, will in some shape or form, will come back to them. The emotions one experiences because of the actions of another person will eventually come back in the forms of emotions to the other person. It takes its time and its own course of action. There is nothing you can do to control when it comes into play in your day to day life. It is a constant circle that is never ending. A single person has karma ties with everyone they interact with, whether it is a smile at a stranger or your best friend, we are all tied together.

I Believe In World Peace

I believe in world peace. I believe in the way it taste, sounds, and looks. I believe we can change the world. I be live that as a community we can work together to achieve this goal. I believe all people want this. I believe that this world one day will have peace. I believe everyone will be along on this earth without fighting or harm. I believe that their is all good in people. I believe the hungry will get feed and the poor will be given money. I believe a place like that will not exsist. I believe President Obama will fix this problem in the near future. I believe that as counrties we need to stop the fighting and the wars. I believe we need to try and share our goods and services. I believe in letting everyone have their own beliefs. I believe in one place that everyone can call home. I believe this will be the place soon. I believe in the peace symbol that represents peace. I believe when people look at the symbol they feel peace. I believe all people want peace. I believe in a world where we have no global energy problems. I believe in a world where we have no polluted oceans. I believe that someday the animals will get their homes back and be free again. I believe their will be a home for everyone. I believe in the peoples traditions. I believe the world will come around and give us a second chance at living life. I believe that we need to fight aids in Africa as one community. I believe we need to save the sick. I believe that we should all go green to save this world. I believe this can be done but we have to do it together. I believe in the peace core and helping others. I believe in schools to learn more knowledge. I believe in educated people and uneducated people. I believe both can make a difference. I believe world peace is coming soon but we have to help push our people. I believe it's we can get their. But how can we get their? I believe it is you that can get us their. I believe we just need one new idea, one new person to have an idea and get us started. I believe this will happen!

I believe in education.

I think that without education we would be no different from any other wild animal walking the earth. I feel that with lack of education comes intolerance, stupidity and discrimination. We live in a "puritan found" America. Because of this, many of our ideas reflect "purity." Sex is the broadest topic to use as an example. We are taught at a very young age that you are only to have sex once you are married. Any sex at all before that is bad. At least that is what society tells us as a whole. Not a whole lot is even taught other than plain ol' "don't do it!" They teach you that if you have sex you will get pregnant, you will get an STD, and chances are, you will die. (I know this is an exaggeration used in Mean Girls, but it works too well to not use it.) I feel that if children were taught about sex, instead of being taught to fear it, they could make more responsible and informed decisions. My theory on education holds true with many topics. We are taught to fear what society tells us is "taboo" and this is why so many kids get in trouble. If all of the facts were laid on the table instead of being hushed, perhaps curiosity would not kill quite as many cats. The current marijuana laws, for example, were only passed in the early 1900's because of racist lies. Educate the people about weed and there would be a mad revolution. The government wants us dumb and happy to make it easier to take our money and our freedom. Anyway, I could go on many tangents on this but the moral of the story is that education is the answer. =o]

I believe in FRIENDS

I believe in friends. In having someone to lean on and be there for you through the best and worst of times. I believe in having another person that knows your secrets, likes and dislikes and loves you all the same. In knowing your past and history. I believe in the inside jokes that are created that will remain till death, the bonds created forever. I believe in staying up all night and sharing stories, gossiping and watching movies. I believe in having someone to go out with till the sun comes up on the weekends. I believe in having someone to act like a crazy retard with and still not have a care in the world because you know they accept you none the less. I believe in the memories and stories that you will be able to tell your children and grandchildren about when you were their age. I believe in sitting on the kitchen floor till 3 AM eating mac and cheese and ice cream and other forms of junk food talking about the most random and pointless things that never make sense. In having photos of the crazy drunken nights and doing things you said you never would do in a million years. In having someone who will always help you push the limits of your comfort zone and be there for you when you fall. I believe in a support system outside of your family that you can talk to and cry to. I believe in fighting with your friends and then making up and saying sorry. In learning something from someone else but still having the bond and connection you can never have with someone else. I believe in making mistakes and being forgiven. In always having a reason to smile. Even through the drama and pain that life brings your way. I believe in having someone who will watch over you and take care of you when you are too weak. In someone holding your hair back as you throw up from drinking to much and then putting you to bed. In someone who cares about you in a way that no one else will ever care about you. I believe in that unbiological brother or sister, that person God forgot to make a part of our family because we all know our parents wouldn’t have been able to take it. I believe in having the house where if you aren’t at your own place, you are there. In having someone who will get you into trouble and then bail your ass out. In having someone you know that no matter what comes between you, life, death, boys, girls, school, home, or distance, they will always be there for you when it’s all over. I believe in nights you will never remember with the people you will never forget. I believe in life, love and laughter. I believe in the friends that are the make up of who you are and who you will become.

body modification

I believe in body modification. Altering one's look through the use of piercings, tattoos, stretching, scarification, the list goes on. I believe in finding a spiritual insight through these different rituals including suspension. I believe that these acts shouldn't be shunned on and only looked as a beautiful thing, I believe that the individual doesn't need to explain themself to a potential employeer but that they should be accepted based on work ethic and personality not what's on the outside. Even broader, I believe that the individual shouldn't have to explain themself to people when asked why they do these things, it's a personal choice and the answer is simple "because I can."
People do different things to make them happy if this is one of them then so be it, it should never be wrong to do what makes you happy unless it really is harmful to your body, but when done right and by proffessionals most of these acts are completely safe. People take interest to different things they shouldn't be ridiculed because a certain thing is more abnormal than something else. It's all about self discovery. Suspension is stereotyped to crazy people and looked at as self-mutilation why would someone want to put hooks through their skin and hang above the ground from just those? No one has to understand, they don't have to watch it, but they don't have to make assumptions about it. I personally have started getting interested in suspension, it goes deeper than just what it looks like, it's an experience that only those strong enough can say they did. It's a spiritual moment, they say that the suspension teaches a person to let go of fear, not just in this situation but in life. Overall it's nothing bad, it can only be a good experience with the right mindset.
I believe that no one should put boundaries on what they want to do because of many different factors, the main one being age and proffessionalism. The number one question I hate the most is "what are you going to do when you're like 80." I believe that no one should be thinking about their near death stage. Body modifications are just a way to express oneself now and become a stronger individual. There's nothing wrong with them and I believe that if makes you happy do what you want.

Self-Therapy

A person's happiness is among the basic needs for their own survival. If a person is unhappy, they are less likely to further their lives in other areas, such as their education or personal relationships, that would also cause happiness to occur in the person's life. I believe that people create their own therapy, specially formulated to heal their wounds so that they may strive for happiness and self satisfaction. There are many forms of therapy people choose to make for themselves, but they fall under two main categories: the short-term and the long-term therapy.
Short-term therapies are more of a quick-fix for much larger problems. They include dealing with issues by way of alcohol, drug use, self-mutilation, or even prescribed medication. I thoroughly disagree with these practices as means of therapy because they are painfully unoriginal. They provide temporary relief for a person's problems by masking the problem instead of helping the person work through it. Far be it from me to judge people for what they do in their spare time, but it says a lot about a person when they prefer to reject their problems in temporary euphoria only to face it tenfold when the blissful state wears off. These therapies also cause a certain dependency on whatever therapy they may choose to practice in this group. The key to happiness is self sufficiency, so although they may feel temporary relief, they have to work much harder to rely on themselves alone to solve their problems.
Long-term therapy proves much more creative and can actually eliminate the problems people must face to achieve happiness without numbing them to the world. These therapies range from traditional psychoanalysis to doing laundry, and they are acted on by the person actually wanting to fix their troubles. I am partial to these long-term therapies because they force someone to self examine and pinpoint what they have to overcome. The people who choose to use long-term therapies cannot cloud their problems with an unnatural state. They cannot push aside their issues only to frightfully face them later because they are always facing them and constantly reasoning with why their situation upsets them. Slowly but surely, they know exactly why they feel the way they do, reducing the power their everyday stresses hold over them. These long-term therapies eliminate the need for short-term therapies, allowing the individual to move past their problems so they can focus on attaining their own happiness. Whether a person uses short-term or long-term therapy, the goal to acquire happiness remains the same. I truly believe a person's own self-produced therapy is the most important aspect to achieving their happiness because to be happy, they must want to be happy. Therapy provides the platform to which this need for personal happiness will aspire to.

This I Believe.

I believe in carpe diem. I believe in seizing each day to it's fullest potential. I believe that no matter what someone tells you, you should choose what you want to do, when you want to do it. You should do things that scare you. You should do things that are foreign. You should do things that create wonder. Fear should never stand in the way.

I believe that living by this saying, this saying that has become popular in movies, novels, and everyday conversation, has made my life  better. I have treated it as my own personal motto of achievement.  Whether that achievement was to go out even though I didn't feel like it, get extra work done, or just spend time watching movies. I did want I wanted to do, and that's all that matter. People are too preoccupied with doing what is right, and doing things for the sake of others. It's a good quality to be compassionate towards others, but I say care about yourselves first, do things that YOU like to do.

I believe in having fun most of all. I believe spending as much time as possible with the people that you love. I believe in never having regrets. I believe that the only way I can accomplish this task, no matter how selfish, is living my life the way that I want to. Who is going to care if you didn't do the work you were supposed to? Who is going to care if you forgot to do something? In the end it all becomes a worthless ball of insignificant occurrences. In the end you don't remember how scared you were that time you first skipped class freshman year, you remember how much fun it was to skip class for the first time freshman year. In the end all you remember is the good times that you had, so why not fill your entire soul with good times.  Forget worry.

I believe that life should be a journey. A journey remembered as a blur of memories created by the very moments that you have lived. The moments that at first made you terrified, but later made you feel alive. The moments that you would do anything to re-live. I believe that everyone should grow old with a mind full of wonderful stories to share. Life should be exciting. Life should be impulsive. Life should be spontaneous.

Carpe Diem.

The Chicago Bucket Boys Doc

This I Believe...

I believe in Satire, large exaggerations with papers I write, with the use of comparison to something out of the ordinary. Satire is part of my everyday life, I could almost say its incorporated in my daily routine. Whether or not it be burlesque or something ordinary or my mind juxtaposing things together to make it seem believable. I believe the pitch of voice when making a comparison can make it seem non satirical.
I believe that with satire I can make anything enjoyable, that any activity can become fun and/or every enjoyable. A little sarcasm can expose, mock, and convey my contempt towards a subject. I believe that satire is a type of art, a poetry almost, someway to express how you feel without actually showing it. May it be in a location when I can or can't I will use it to criticize peoples stupidity.
I love all types of sarcasm and satire, especially when people are gullible enough to believe and not understand the sarcasm. Sometimes it may not be humorous what so ever, but me merely expressing my feeling of anger towards something while hiding behind the truth. I do not believe there is a time and place for this, just that every time and place is adequate.
Sometimes with the use of subtext, hitting people with what is really going on, getting people to understand whats going on with out saying exactly. I believe that when ever I produce satire or sarcasm that I shall remain in humble at all times. I must not let the person realize what is going on all the time, but in some cases make them believe I am serious. While still proving a point, using my wit, cleverness, and for most of the time just regular common sense. Trying to do the impossible is usually what is attempted which helps me believe it that much more. Makes me think that even though it is thought and told to be impossible with the use of satire and sarcasm it can be done. Making anything into a joke is all I believe to steer clear of reality, but at the same time punching reality in the face. This is what I believe, this is what I do, for the reason I do it don't really matter its just more of that fact that I do it and believe it. Awesome totally awesome.

The Chicago Bucket Boys Doc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOBVfaJAzU4

No Place Like Home

I Believe there is no place like home. A home is more than just a house and the place you keep your belongings. It is a range of feelings. Family, love, safety, security. At least this is what it means to me. It is the one place where I can truly be myself, where I can hide and get away, and not feel guilty. When you spend years of your life growing up in one place, it becomes a major part of who you are. Not only the character of the house itself, but the street its on, the city its in, and all the surroundings. I spent fifteen years of my life in a big tan house on Ledgewood Road. This place was all that I knew. My family was the first to ever live in it, which gave me a feeling that it was truly ours. This house was the only definition of home I had known.
When I was eighteen, I was told we were selling the house and moving to a nearby town. I was devastated. I didn't think I could live anywhere else. Tangibly, nothing would ever be good enough, because this was my home. We moved to a small condo, and it was a big adjustment. At first I hated it and thought I had lost all sense of the feeling of home. But after a while, it came back. I realized maybe all of those feelings, love, security, may not have been held within the walls of Ledgewood Road, but in the family inside of it.
I believe that family is what makes a home. This belief has only been further proven since I came halfway across the country to go to school in Chicago. I have a "house" here called 2 E. 8th Street, but it doesn't feel like much of a home. Creating a life and home for myself was much different than the one my parent's created for me. While I have a sense of family in the context of my roomates, it doesn't compare to the real thing. I think I appreciate my family more now that I am away from them. Every day I am in Chicago, I am longing to be at home, in my own house, with my family, and with my dog. These are the simple things that truly make me happy and comfortable. I believe there is no place like home.

THIS I BELIEVE!!!!

I believe in music more than anything in the world! music is my passion, music is my life, music halps calm my spirit. I believe that when words fail music speaks. Music happens to be the one thing in the world that has never let me down. I believe that music was made for me. I love to sing and i love to listen to music. I believe that music is the most greatest things ever created in the world. Music makes me happy, music also makes me sad. But i believe that music is something that i will always have in my life and without it i don't know what i would do. I also believe in performing, i love to perform and entertain, it is what i do, it makes me happy and i feel really good doing it. I believe that it completes me, and i believe its the best thing for me, i believe that i there is nothing else in the world that could make me as happy as music and performing, i love doing those two things more than anything in the world and i believe it is what i am destined to do for the rest of my life. I also believe in myself, i feel that if i didn't believe in myself that no one else would either, i believe i can do whatever i want to do in life and i can achieve whatever it is that i want to if i work hard at it. I believe in alot of things but the one that i believe in the most is myself because i know that if i don't then i wouldn't be where i am now.

I believe

I believe that nothing is stronger than family. Friends can and sometimes will come and go, but family will always be there for you. I believe that you can be in the darkest corners of your life and family will be there to help you out of it. Sometimes we do things that even we don't fully understand but we are still excepted by our families. I believe that a parent's love for their children is the strongest kind their is. I believe that no amount of money in the world can replace a day of fishing with my dad, watching the Cubs with my grandpa, or playing some cards with my mom. I believe that an older brother, even though not told on a regular basis, is a kind of protector to his younger siblings and that they look up to him.  I believe that a brother's bond can be felt over thousands of miles. I haven't talked to my brother in a few months but i know he is safe and that we will be laughing and hanging out come this July. I believe that fights happen and feelings can get hurt but family can't fight forever; that family bond can't be broken.

This I Believe...

I believe in dance.
When I was young, it was just an activity that my parents put me in to get me out of the house. I dreaded my weekly dance classes. My parents would have to drag me out of the house insisting that I would have a better week and make a new friend. I would insist on staying in the car until my mom promised me some sort of reward if I just went to class. So then I went. The only thing I found exciting was the costumes that we got to wear at our yearly recital. Every week I would always ask "what are our costumes?" and I'm sure it annoyed the heck out of my teacher.
Once I became old enough to stand up to my parents, and slam and lock my bedroom door, I made my parents take me out of dance classes. A few years went by, and I guess you could say I became really bored. Out of nowhere, I started asking my parents to sign me up for a ballet class. Now they were hesitant, because they wanted to make sure that I would actually attend the classes.
After totally wrecking all the feelings in both of my feet, and having my feet hurt for long periods of time after I had taken off my pointe shoes, I realized that pointe was not the kind of dance for me. Unfortunately I became very angry, and then gave up dance again.
This was around middle school and early high school. During this time I went through a depression. My doctor suggested that I get involved in some physical activity. Now I have never been a sports person and I absolutely hated the schools that I attended, so I did not want to join anything at school. I thought for a while and my friend who was actually a professional ballroom dancer, and now a judge on a tv show and for many competitions suggested latin dance. She told me it changed her and brought so much more joy into her life. Now I was hesitant, at first because I had already tried the whole dancing thing, but she insisted that it would be different. So I thought I should trust the professional, and try it, and I did.
And I'm so glad I did. It just came natural for me. The dancing in the heels, the swinging of the hips, all the awkwardness. I can truly say that I have never felt so much joy in my life. I looked forward to my dance lessons twice a week, and I even took private lessons on the side. I found something that I LOVE to do and something that made me happy. I couldn't have asked for anything more in my life. So, of course, I have been dancing ever since. Which is why, I believe in dance. Dance gave me the power to become myself again.

This I Believe

For this post please update your This I Believe essay. Check out their website here. It has writing tips and many examples.

This essay must be at least 400 words and you also must comment on one of your classmates essays to receive full credit.

DUE Thursday April 9th.

p.s. I want every group to have some representation of their documentary on the blog so we can vote for which one we want to represent our class at Millefest! Please post your documentaries and vote!

Only 3 people voted for the Unit 1 projects, so there was no clear winner. If you would like you can go back and still vote in the comments of the project you choose.

NM Video

GLBT Community

MENS UNITED TO SAVE OUR YOUTH!!!

The organization that i found to be very helpful in my community is a group called mens united to save our youth it is a mens organization in my community that was formed to help create different programs that would help the youth. My father is a member of the group and it is really successful they do alot of charity events and different things for teens to participate in, so they have things to do to keep them off the streets. They also focus on different tactics on making the environment that we live in a better place, they have proved to be a success to me and they have made thir own calender and they have been in the newspaper numerous times, so i believe that this is a very helpful organization built around helping the youth and it is really working.

Broadway Youth Center

One of the community programs/organizations that I have heard about in Chicago is the Broadway Youth Center, and is a branch of Howard Brown and their services. They provide a place for kids to hang out, get help with legal issues and basic heath issues, community outreach programs, counseling, support groups and free testing and safe sex supplies. I learned about this program from one of the people who works there who came to one of my classes here. While I haven't been to the BYC, I couldn't have been more impressed with it after hearing about it. The man who told us about their services was very friendly, informative and seemed to really care about the kids they were helping. 

CMBWN

Searching Chicagoland area organizations, I stumbled across the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network. This organization provides healing by leading public advocacy and public policy efforts, providing education and public awareness of domestic violence, and connecting victims of domestic violence to service providers that can aid them in their time of need. I found that the organization's definition of a domestic violence offender as anyone who "physically assaults (which includes but is not limited to; hitting, choking, kicking, shoving, raping, destruction of personal property), threatens, harasses, exploits, neglects, deprives, intimidates dependents, stalks, or interferes with the personal liberty of another family or household member" (http://www.batteredwomensnetwork.org/id15.html)
This not only covers the physical aspects of abuse, but also the mental and emotional aspects that are equally sufferable.
If I were asked to change anything about the organization, I would make it more broadcasted. Before today I have not heard of this organization, and I'm aware of others who have endured what the SMBWN identifies as domestic violence. These people have swept it under the rug, and thought they have rid themselves about the problem, they still carry the emotional baggage that could have been easily delt with, provided the proper treatment was applied.

Kaitlyn Privett

Citations

Be sure to not copy and paste from websites without citing where the quote came from. Remember it is plagiarism to use someone's words or ideas as your own, even if that wasn't your intent.

Program

One of the programs that I found was Teen Reach (Teen Responsibility, Education, Achievement, Caring and Hope). "It is specifically designed to improve the lives of young people residing in public housing developments through academic enrichment activities, recreation and sports, positive adult mentors and life skills education. The primary purpose of the Teen REACH program is to provide delinquency prevention services to youth and their families. The program itself is structured to help formulate relationships with other neighborhood and community based agencies and institutions in developing structured activities."*

I think that this is a really great program because it is helping those in bad neighborhoods, which are the ones that need it the most. It is also providing these kids with people to look up to and not only things to keep them of the streets. I lived in a very bad neighborhood my entire life, and there weren't any programs like this around. Also our school system wasn't helping children like it should have. I think that if this kind of program was around in my neighborhood many of the kids that I knew growing up could have had a better life and would be in a better place than they are today. I don’t think I would change much about the program. I read that it is only in certain areas, so I would make it available for more children in more towns and areas.

*http://www.whfschicago.org/services/child_family/teen_reach.html

UCYP

A program I found here in Chicago is called the Uptown Community Youth Program. It was founded in 1998 on the north side of the city, using donated spaces at Loyola University and Truman College. It currently has about 100 participants and is staffed by over 120 volunteers. The UCYP offers a variety of opportunities and programs for kids in grades Pre-K to 9th grade. There are programs in Literacy, Tutoring and Mentoring, as well as college and career preparation. They also offer recreational activities such as sports, art & crafts, and field trips. Another attribute of it is their Comprehensive Volunteer Health Clinic. It is located in donated space within Children's Memorial Hospital and run by volunteer physicians. They offer medical services and 24 hour emergency care.
I think this organization sounds like a good place for kids to go and learn, as well as a safe place for them to be. There could be more programs added for more variety, but other than that it seems like it is very successful and working the way it is. There are many volunteer opportunities available as well, if you are interested in getting involved in helping Chicago's youth.
I found this information on their website: http://www.chicagoyouthprograms.org/Programs/UptownCommunityYouthProgram/tabid/78/Default.aspx

Community Programs

A community program that I know of in the suburbs of Chicago is called Kids Klub. Kids Klub is a before/after school "club" that is for children whose parents both work. It is held at whatever elementary school that you currently attend. It gives the children a safe place to go while they are out of their parents supervision. They do activities and games and are supervised by certified babysitters. Kids Klub, however, is only offered through fifth grade. I think in order to be more effective, it should be used in the higher grades as well, with different and more mature activities and games of course. Another fault, is in order to be a part of it, both of your parents have to be working. This is specifically remember, because my friend Helen, would always tell me how much fun she had in Kids Klub, making me want to join. But I couldn't as both of my parents did not work. However, children whose parents both don't work can still be getting in trouble. So I think it should be offered to anyone and everyone.

My mom works at Forest View School, one of the schools the program takes place at. That is how I got my information. I looked for a website but I didn't have any luck.

Blog Post #4: Community Programs

After listening to Ghetto Life 101 and Remorse: The Story of Eric Morse I want you to do some research on community programs in the Chicago area and create a post that details the work the program does.

1. Detail what the program is about.
2. Critique the program. Would you change anything? Why do you think it works? Etc . . .

Due Tuesday 3/10

the world of dance

A sub-culture that I am involved in is the world of Dance. I call this a subculture because it is something I have been apart of pretty much my whole life. The art of dance involves a variety of different things. There are different styles and techniques, which could divide the general subculture into even more smaller ones. I think it is unique because it is something that can be considered a sport or an art form. It depends on who you ask. Though it takes training and stamina, I personally consider it an art form. I believe it is more than just movement, but that it all has meaning and is connected to an emotion.
There are a few misconceptions of dancers. There are stereotypes - like how the common person thinks that all dancers have to be thin and skinny. In some extreme cases and professional levels this may be partly true, but for recreational dance weight does not matter. Its more about how you feel doing it necessarily than how you may look doing it. I love dance because it is personal and something that you can do for yourself. Another common misconception or stereotype is that all male dancers are gay. While this very common, it is not true of all of them. In my life I have known amazing male dancers who have stopped dancing because they were made fun of and accused of being homosexual by other guys. These things are the negative aspects of being apart of the dance world.
One last part of the subculture is that it has its own language. There are the many techniques and styles as well as all of the dance moves. Much of it, especially ballet, is entirely french vocabulary, so you learn some french as an added bonus. I am definitely proud to be apart of this artistic and beautiful sub-culture.

Road America

I belong to many different sub-cultures. Some of which are common among my generation, friends, and peers, but some are not. One of the sub-cultures I'm a part of is that of where I work during the summer. It's a road course style race track two hours north of my home town. It is a weekend thing and one of the best places I know to be in the summer. People usually are in disbelief when they hear that I work there. This is because I am a female who now lives in the city. People think that only guys know stuff about cars and that racing is a guy thing. But it's not. A lot of females work at the track actually and a good number of them deal with the safety team and control tower as well as at the gate selling tickets and in management. We have our own language as well. The jargon we use is not what people usually expect it to be. I confuse my friends and family when I talk about it because they have no idea what I'm talking about. The gate has its own dialect you could say and so does saftey and the control tower and security. However, we all also have a universal language by knowing where things are and what they are called. The turns on the track for example or the different places to eat or park. Everyone that works at the track knows where they all are and what to call them. We are a community as well. The people I work with up there, the spectators, we all share a common bond. A passion for cars and motorcycles and for true racing. This helps us create the sub-culture of race fans, but its more than that. it's family, friends, and to some people, it's a way of life. I was raised with cars and racing. I got this job because of some friends of the family who are the head of safety and work in the control tower doing disbatch to the safety crews. I use to listen to my family talk about racing and became very interested and even though I do not know too much about cars, I know enough to get me by. I also have learned from sitting with people in the control tower and listenin to them on the walkie talkies and how they communicate. I have an understanding of flags, signs, colors and maps that most people wouldn't understand. Racing is the subculture I belong to and I feel completely accepted in it.

subCULTURE

            I was a little unsure what subculture to talk about, because I think I belong to many.  I do think that one kind of over powers the others and that would be the Psychobilly subculture.  I don’t know how to really explain psychobilly to anyone, because it has a million different elements to it.  I looked to wikipedia to sum it all up or me, and I think they did a really good job.  “Psychobilly is a genre of rock music that mixes elements of punk rock, rockabilly, and other genres. It is often characterized by lyrical references to science fiction, horror and exploitation films, violence, lurid sexuality, and other topics generally considered taboo, though often presented in a comedic or tongue-in-cheek fashion.”

            It has everything that any other subculture has.  The fashion, which I love, because I’m all about red lipstick and heels.  Then there’s the fact that it takes a lot of influences from old 1940s/ 1950s horror and exploitation films.  These are my favorite kinds of movies and it’s pretty cool that a music culture can incorporate a different medium.  I also like how the scene doesn’t really take it self to seriously and is usually filled with some of the most amazingly funny people with insane talent.  Most importantly there is the music.  It’s hard to describe the exact sound of psychobilly because it has many genres mixed together, but it is usually a rockabilly and punk mix.  My favorite bands in this subculture would be The Cramps and Black Flag.  I mean I know Black Flag is almost purely punk, but I seen interviews were the band says they get a lot of influence for the psychobilly sound.  I like the fact that this subculture really defines everything I like, so I’m glad I’m part of it.

Sub-culture \m/

There are a lot of sub-cultures I belong to. Out of all of them, the one i think is most understood has to be a fan of the music genre known as Heavy Metal. I say it's the most understood because most people who can't understand the lyrics or the mood feel it's a negative message. There is no more of a negative message in this music than there is in any other type.  Aggression is part of life and things will piss everyone off at one point. I deal with it through music. I go to concerts, I play guitar, I write lyrics, and play in a band. Not all of this Heavy metal music is about hurting people or saying how you hate your life. For a lot of these bands, it's about releasing energy and having people that agree with that feeling, come together and rock out. A lot of songs relate to the state that this nation is in or how they feel about certain individuals in office. The feeling isn't just done through the lyrics. The drummer may have a bass drum pattern that sounds like a marching band, with fills to separate the neatness. The guitarist can pull out an awesome solo where he shreds the shit out of the high notes and then goes back to blowing us away with an amazing chorus and verse. When

When people hear Metal, they think of people wearing black and having bleeding mascara and fishnets around their arms and shit. Not everyone is like this, and most people dress this way to feel outside of their normal state. I don't dress up or anything, but when I play, or go to shows, I'm wearing black and throwing up my Metal Horns every chance I get. I get to let loose for three or four hours. It feels great. 

sub.culture.

A subculture that I would say that I belong to is the hardcore/post-hardcore scene subculture. It's the music, the shows, and also what comes with it, the style.
There are definately alot of misconceptions about this subculture. The fact that it's "angry" and "harmful" just because the music is heavy and screaming. A lot people will hear the music and think it's all about killing yourself and hurting people but if they really listened to it they would realize that it has some of the most meaningful lyrics with really powerful messages. Yeah, some of it is about revenge and a big 'fuck you' to those that have betrayed you but it's also about being stronger, being independent, and finding those friends that will always have your back. People also misinterpret the moshing for actual fighting. This is when they classify a person a part of this subculture an angry, pissed off, person who hates themselves and the world, this is partly wrong, yes the hardcore scene consists of alot of kids who are angry and pissed off but no, they do not hate themselves, they hate others. The music and moshing all put together in one definately gets alot of aggression out in a healthy way.
I guess you can say that there's a certain language, there's at least certain terms and rituals. There's the wall of death, circle pit, mosh pit, breakdown and pig squeal. You should know the "rules" of the pit before you go in it. There's usually some kid "running" it, but that's only sometimes.
The music is definately the majority of it. It's not metal or death metal, it's hardcore/post-hardcore just because hardcore is more like the older bands and comes more from the east coast while the post-hardcore are alot of the current bands with a lighter feel and some screaming mixed in with singing. It's a versatile type of music, there's the true hardcore bands like bane, hatebreed, converge, terror, first blood and then there's the newer ones that some can arguer suck alot of ass like heavyheavylowlow, bring me the horizon, a day to remember, august burns red; and then there's always the regional ones which could be a subculture within a subculture so Milwaukee has sleep serapis sleep, with hours waiting, hail archer, we had since by man but they broke up and not quite hardcore but worthy the promise ring. There's also a great number of Christian hardcore bands (underoath, the devil wears prada, attack attack, norma jean, any band on tooth and nail/solid state records) that are respected even though some of the kids that listen to them may be atheist or not believe in the Christian beliefs they're able to put that aside and listen to the music.
Also, like any other subculture, there's the style. The piercings, the tattoos, the tight clothes, but sometimes guys will opt for the baggy gym shorts and a hoodie or just a regular band tee. The stretched ears, sleeves, neck tattoos are very common things. Some people think that with this look brings a mean person but really these people are the nicest people ever and are so accepting of anyone with an open mind and respect. I love being a part of it, going with friends to shows and actually caring about the music and watching our friends in the bands on stage is awesome.