Another Link in the Chain

I read, “In Praise of Chain Stores” by Virginia Postrel in chapter ten of Joining the Conversation: Writing in College and Beyond. Any news I’ve ever heard about chain stores has been negative. Everything from them destroying small, local businesses to supporting labor from outside the U.S. has been thrown into the mix. Now these may have some value, but I’ve grown up always wanting to see the best in things. I also have grown up enjoying occasional shopping at the mall and eating fast food when I’m in a rush. Sometimes, it’s hard not to feel guilty for supporting chain stores due to all the negatives being passed around. This article by Postrel shed light on the positives of chain stores within the United States. These stores are comfortable to American citizens, they’ve proven themselves time and time again. When people make a move from one side of the country to the other, they know that they will be able to find a Starbucks there or a Wal-Mart there that can ease their transition; it’s like having a little piece of familiarity no matter where you go. Postrel also argues the point that it’s not the stores or restaurants that make a community, it’s the memories and the climate and the scenery. People focus too much on the brands that spatter the buildings when all they have to do is look at the people around them. While I will admit that their are negatives that come with chain stores here in America, I am glad that someone took the time to point out that there is so much more to a community than the brands that are within them.

Foot-In-Mouth-Disease

Just the other night, I was watching the Netflix series “Orange Is The New Black.” The main character, Piper Chapman, had just entered prison. During her first meal, a woman came up to her table and slipped her a yogurt cup. Piper thanked her profusely, adding how disgusting the prison food was. Who was the generous bearer of yogurts? The cook herself. With that little slip-up, Piper began getting starved out. She was refused meals every day for a week! Had she kept her mouth shut, she would have stayed on good terms and avoided hunger. I cannot even count the number of times individuals have ruined their careers and lives because of the stupid things they say. Sometimes people are even only remembered by what they had said in the heat of the moment. I’m sure everyone can remember a time where they may have slipped something inappropriate on a small scale, but some people do it on a massive scale! Just think of all the politicians in the world, half of them have probably done this during a debate, interview, or speech. What causes such major accidents? Well, humans are social by nature; we talk, gossip, text, on a daily, even hourly, basis. We want people to hear our thoughts, to agree with us, have our back. Sometimes we just share our information with the wrong people, the people who it may actually directly affect and we just didn’t know. Other times, we get caught up in the heat of the moment. Maybe it’s been a long day and you get it an argument with your significant other; things get said that are hurtful and mean. Of course we never really mean these things, we just speak before we consider the consequence. All people really need to know is summed up in the anonymous quote, “Sometimes not saying anything is the best decision. You see, silence can never be misquoted.” Maybe if more people heard this, they could save themselves a lot of heartbreak.

Going Digital

Donovan Mikrot wrote an essay titled “Download This: Why Digital Rights Management is a Bad Idea for Hollywood.” Within this essay, he gives information about digital rights management software that prevents people to “rip” the music or videos that they have purchased. To an average American citizen this seems like a great idea, it ensures that the companies and artists responsible get the funds that they worked for. Mikrot, however, informs us that this is in fact detrimental to the technological advancements, consumers, and media companies. I found this article to be very interesting for many reasons. For one, I grew up thinking “ripping” things was wrong, people deserve what they work for, but this essay shows the good that can come from being able to. For two, Mikrot points out that a consumer who pays for a product has the right to be able to use it in whatever way they want for their personal use. DRM can obstruct this from occurring. And finally, I learned that having barriers such as DRM can prevent developments in the technological realm. Mikrot used the example that before a copyright act was in place, inventors were able to create the VCR. After the copyright act, this technology was seen as illegal. This seems like such a trivial thing, but looking back on my childhood technology such as the VCR is a big part of my memories. I wish Hollywood could read this essay and take Mikrot’s advice. 

Career Outlook

“Grads in Health Care Fields See Bright Job Market” from U.S. News by Katherine Hobson talks about the growing healthcare field, why it’s expected to keep growing, and who will benefit from it. According to the article, “the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a net job growth of almost 3 million healthcare jobs in the decade ending in 2020, a 29 percent increase.” One reason they gave for this growth is the free health care for the uninsured starting in 2014. Since those who couldn’t afford going to the doctor before will now be able to, hospitals and clinics will be much busier. Doctors aren’t the only ones who will benefit from this, physician assistants and advanced practice nurses (e.g. nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives) also enjoy easier job placements and higher salaries.

Finding this article was a very encouraging to me as I am planning to become a nurse practitioner. After I graduate, I shouldn’t have much trouble finding a job with high enough pay to support a comfortable lifestyle. Also, it is encouraging to know that I will be able to treat those who previously couldn’t afford medical attention, which would improve the overall health of our country. The healthcare industry is one that will be around forever. Everyone will need medical attention at some time or another. This article reinforces that statement and puts me at ease as I prepare to spend thousands of dollars on my education.  

Is Bigger Better?

“Living (and Dying) Large” by Ali Bizzul is all about football players and their weight gain. Many players are trying to gain weight in attempts to be more desirable to future coaches. While this seems smart, it is actually very dangerous. Players who are obese and overweight have a greater likelihood of heatstroke, heart disease, and weakening of their cartilage. Even though coaches say that weight is not as important to them as skill, the players just aren’t getting the memo. This essay was an eye-opener to me for many reasons. For one, when people, myself included, think of athletes we picture fit individuals. More often than not, I never think of serious athletes as being obese. According to this essay, many football players—linebackers in particular—are in the overweight to obese levels of the BMI scale. For two, players often know about the health risks, and even the deaths, caused by obesity. It’s hard for me to fathom how an athlete can know about something that serious and not try to correct it or make any effort in prevention. In high school, I was a varsity basketball player until I was forced into retirement by a heart condition; if there was anything I could do to prevent getting that condition and save my basketball career I would do it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, my condition wasn’t preventable nor was there any warning. These athletes have plenty of warning. They need to take advantage and protect their futures in athletics!

Welcome to Dreamland

My town is in a panic, a woman will be coming to our town. This woman is the most feared woman in America. She comes in and takes over towns within a week leaving missing children in her wake. My family (consisting of my parents, sister, and boyfriend) start preparing for the onslaught that will ensue. The woman will tempt us with what our hearts have desired our entire lives but it’s fake. Don’t fall for it! We go over this for hours every day, when finally one night, the woman’s stretch limo pulls into our driveway. She is trying to read our hearts, trying to find a way to brainwash us. We hide. She drives away, on to the next house. The next day, my boyfriend Ryan and I head to the supermarket and are met by a barrage of uniformed men; unnerved, we quickly walk past and see a cage full of puppies. The exact puppy we had seen and longed for just weeks earlier was hopping and playing in the little cage! It was part of the woman’s trick! If we stayed, she would brainwash us and we would surely disappear. I yanked Ryan away, trying to remind him what we had been learning but it wasn’t making sense to him. We kept walking down an aisle and ran into a group of Ryan’s friends. This would be the final trick that would entrap my boyfriend. He ran off with them to the woman’s camp. I ran home as quickly as I could and prepared my bag, informing my family of the tragedy. Ryan’s only chance for survival was if I could find and rescue him. I searched the countryside and eventually discovered a checkpoint by the men in uniform who would let you into a large shed. Apparently that day was visiting day and they let me in. I walked in cautiously, my eyes darting around the room searching for Ryan. I found him! He sat behind a table, offering raffle tickets to the crowd. I ran up to him and pulled him aside, talking a mile a minute trying to reach the old Ryan. I told him to meet me outside after the visiting assembly and we would escape. Then, my alarm went off; waking me up for my day. My heart racing, I climbed out of bed. What in the world had just happened?

Antigay Discrimination

After reading “The Legacy of Antigay Discrimination” by George Chauncey I just sat in shock for a few minutes. Personally, I feel no discrimination towards gays because what people do is their own business and I feel any kind of love is a beautiful thing. When I read this article it just made me sick at how the LGBT community was treated. I remember being taught, in great detail, about the Civil Rights Movement for African Americans and all of the horrible actions taken against them. Throughout all my years in my history classes, I cannot recall ever learning about the discrimination the LGBT community faced in the history and even today. Why should any racial or social group be considered more important than any other, especially when it comes to teaching students about the history of the United States. This makes me question what else our society has failed to inform us of. I am also infuriated that we continue to call ourselves members of a “free country” when it has clearly been anything but free for many of our citizens. My anger of reading this just will not subside. How can people have their rights stricken from them just because of who they choose to love, what color skin they have, or any other reason. In case the people of this country have forgotten, but the only reason we were founded was to escape religious persecution. The settlers themselves were escaping the situations that we have been putting other groups through. Wake up, America. This is insanity.  

Noah

This past Sunday, I was enjoying an evening with my boyfriend and his family watching TV when I got a phone call I never imagined I would get. My sixteen year old cousin was in an accident; there was bleeding in his brain, he was on oxygen, and they didn't know if he would make it. I was completely shocked. How could this be happening? Eager for more information, I anxiously awaited more phone calls. Throughout the evening and the next day, more details flooded in. Noah, my cousin, was being pulled behind a car on a skateboard at thirty miles an hour when he flew off and hit his head. He had always done stupid things, like the “cinnamon challenge”, but never anything as dangerous as this. As a result, he suffered from two skull fractures, a basilar bleed, and a frontal lobe contusion. Thankfully, despite what was originally thought, Noah was moved from the ICU this morning and will begin in-patient rehab soon. While my family can breathe easier knowing his life isn't at risk, the way he lives his life will definitely have to change. We have yet to find out how much damage there is to his personality, behaviors, fine motor skills, or language and articulation which can all be affected by such a serious head injury. Just in case those effects aren't enough, the sports that Noah has worked so hard in will most likely have to be put in the past. He will be a walking example of how one stupid decision in his teens can damage the rest of his life. 

Lights, Camera, Action

When people think about Hollywood, we think of glamor, fame, and fortune. Rarely ever is the first thing that comes to mind stunt-people. In the article "Danger Is Their Middle Name" by Chris Nashawaty, we are introduced to a family of stunt-people with roles that date back to the 1930s and as recent as Transformers. As I read about the Epper family and how they got started, I can't help but wonder what keeps them going. They have beautiful families that need them, yet they continue risking their lives and introducing it into their children's lives, for the sake of Hollywood but without the fame. Are they just a group of crazy, adrenaline junkies or is it all about the dynasty? While continuing the family legacy is indeed honorable, couldn't it be just as easy to honor family with a little bit safer of a pastime? Maybe they have been part of the business so long that fear is no longer a feeling they have, they've adapted to their lifestyle. It is very obvious that they don't fear injury or even death, but made it very clear that they are terrified of special affects taking away their careers. Since technology has enhanced and continues to enhance incredibly, this is a very valid fear. The only difference for me would be the fear that it won't radically improve fast enough for my grand-kids to get out of the business before they face a radical injury. I suppose that's why I plan on entering the health field instead of the stunt-double field.

Addams Family

Morticia Addams once said, “Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.” This philosophy can be applied to many different situations in life such as: how your family acts, how you dress, and what interests you. My family, for instance, seems very strange to my friends; my parents,who actually like each other, often spend time together outside of the home. Although they find that outrageous, to me it seems like a normal, everyday occurrence. Another area of life that people tend to classify as normal and not normal is the way people dress. I abjure wearing revealing clothing because it makes me feel uncomfortable, but for many, low cut T-shirts and short skirts are the staples of their wardrobe. Does that mean I do not dress “normal”? No, it just means that my normal is different from their normal.  Aside from clothing and family, our interests are often another subject on the chopping block. I remember being in primary school and hiding the fact that I liked Star Wars,a sci-fi series of movies, books, television shows, and games; because another boy liked it and he got made fun of, I hid my interests to escape their torment. Our class had decided what was normal for themselves and applied it to everyone they knew. When we take the time to really think about the decisions we have made, we can see that our lives are often wrought from what other people decide is okay for us to like. After hearing Morticia’s quote, I realized all the things that I find normal are very much different from everyone else and that their opinions really shouldn't affect me. I haven’t listened to social norms since. Hopefully others will hear her wise words and experience the same epiphany as I.  

Platform 9 and 3/4

This evening, I had the privilege of reading Stephen King's take on the Harry Potter series called J.K. Rowling's Ministry Magic. Having read the series myself and read a few Stephen King novels, this article really jumped out at me: I was not disappointed. Within the article, King touched on the bad reviews that Rowling's book had received; he made it quite obvious that he did not agree with such views. King reasoned that Rowling accomplished a difficult task by appealing to not only children, but also adults, her talents grew with her characters, and the reader could feel her enjoyment in writing throughout the series. At one point, King even described the series as a "seven course feast", and the people who wrote the poor reviews sucked down all the courses and threw it all back up with no appreciation. While I have never really been aware of any reviews of the series, I have always enjoyed them. My mother and I would read a chapter every night before bed. Since I was so young, the concept of other people not enjoying them never even crossed my mind. Finding out people disliked such a huge part of your childhood can actually be quite unpleasant. It feels like they are insulting a piece of you that you held near and dear to your heart. I can only be grateful that as I learned of their distaste, I also got to hear the great words of Stephen King in supporting the magical words that have shaped not only me, but millions of others.

 

Week Two

Every night, my sister and I meet at our kitchen table and I tutor her in math. I probably sound like such a great big sister, right? Wrong. In reality, she is my big sister, studying for a test that she must pass in order to work within a school. My sister is finishing up her last semester of grad school to become a speech-language pathologist. The last time she has ever had to do algebra or geometry was in her earlier years of high school; over six years ago! So every night I am faced with the same question: Why should a speech therapist be denied the ability to work in schools if they cannot pass a math test? I’m sure there are plenty of supports for this standard like, we want the people educating our children to also be educated, but someone in the position of a speech therapist will never be touching on anything more than basic math, if any math at all. I've had the privilege of getting to watch my sister in action with a wide variety of clients from small children to elderly stroke victims, and while I will admit that I am a little biased, she is incredible at what she does. Unfortunately, math was never one of her strong suits, and I’m sure many other SLP’s feel similarly. What the people in charge need to realize, is the only ones suffering from their testing set-up is themselves. I can’t imagine how many amazing SLP’s have not been allowed to practice within the school realm due to such an outrageous standard, and I will keep trying my hardest to keep that from happening to my sister.