Affording a transplant to save your life

The other night I was watching a program on TV talking about getting a transplant in America. The way they do it is they put you on a list for the certain body part you need and you could be on this list for years! Whether you get that part or not depends on the blood type of you and the donor or the demand for the part. Money also plays a huge part in getting the right transplant at the time you need it. If you were dying and needed a transplant as soon as possible and you could not afford one and you had to wait on a list for a long period of time, you may lose your life. When your life is at stake, being put on a list is not something that I see as fair. You want to fight for your life and waiting for a long time and having to pay an extreme amount of money should not determine your self worth or right for life.

There was an American man who got a lot of publicity because when he was told he was going to die unless he got a liver transplant and from there he was put on a waiting list. He waited on the list for two years and when he felt he was getting worse in health he went to China and within two weeks of being there he received his transplant and went on living wit his life. The controversy of his story is that China has a bigger supply of these body parts because they are taking them from recently executed prisoners. These prisoners have no clue that when they die their parts will be taken from them and given to an American. The man who got his part was informed of how he got his new liver and after finding out how he responded that it didn't change anything. He was still grateful for the liver because now he can continue to live his life.

If I needed to get a transplant to live I would do the same thing, as long as no one is getting killed purposely for me to have it then I feel there is nothing wrong. It is my right to fight for my life.

Teenage Pregnancy

In my Sociology class we currently discussed the issues with teenage pregnancy in America. It seems like with every generation, teenage pregnancy has increased and is seemingly becoming more common. My friend was reading an argument that two freshman girls in high school were having via facebook comments and I was so appalled by what they were fighting about. These girls were fighting over why one of them was a slut going back and forth on a public wall calling each other slut and skanks. I hated reading all this and I hated especially when one of the girls said, "I'm not a slut I have only slept with one guy." This statement to me was outrageous!! This girl was about 14 or 15 years old! Still a little baby in my eyes and she was using words like slut to hurt someone and saying she has ALREADY slept with someone. Not only has she given up her virginity at an incredibly young age, she feels comfortable enough to share with everyone on facebook what she has done sexually. Sex within the teenage age is starting earlier every generation. Teenage pregnancy is out of control because teenagers are not having any consequences for their actions. shows like "16 and Pregnant" that is aired on MTV show tons of stories of girl who are pregnant and in high school. Most of the girls have help from their parents, meaning their parents raise their children while they go out and party in high school. This all makes me feel old because I feel like these are just children who are making these mistakes and they are getting worse and more frequent.

Gender

In today’s American society, the views of women have changed for the better and continue to make progress. Compared to the views of women in other societies, women in America seem to have a more privileged life. Is the way that women in America are shown in media non-discriminatory or fair? Movies and shows portray women as the weaker and helpless sex while men being the strong and valiant. The media shows that there are still some unfair opinions of women and their rank in this society.

There are shows and movies in America that take female characters and portray them as the stereotypical weak and helpless damsel in distress. There are certain T.V. stations such as the “Oxygen” channel that are made for shows about women and their struggle against some predator, usually men. These shows are about women being victims to life threatening events and show women in a state of weakness in which they have to fight for their life. These female characters are fighting for their life and showing strength against a man who’s hurting them yet, in almost every story like this there is another male character that always saves the day and helps the “weak” woman fight off the antagonist. For example, the movie Halloween shows the main character named Laurie, female, being hunted and attacked by her older brother Michael Meyers. The movie portrayed her as this weak, pathetic damsel in distress; she could not stand up for herself in any way. At the end of the movie she is saved by another character that of course is male. Throughout the whole movie, Laurie was running, screaming, and crying helplessly and could only find comfort in another dominant male character. There are many examples of women being the poor, helpless characters that stand and watch someone else fight the villain instead of trying to help themselves. The fact that women are always portrayed so stereotypically is frustrating because any one would try and fight for their life with all their strength with help or without help.

SO2 destroying history

Due to acid rain, ancient structures that have lasted thousands of years are now being destroyed by our generation’s pollution in the air. Rain is naturally acidic but air pollutants have added more acid to the rain. The air pollutant mostly comes from car exhaust, industrial, and power-generating plants. For years this silent killer, sulfur dioxide, has been destroying ancient architecture around the world that have stood against the hands of time until now do to negligence. For example, the article discussed the caryatids in Erechtheion on the Acropolis. This stone masterpiece is a perfect example on how pollutants in the air have had a devastating affect on ancient marvels. The basic ingredient in marble is calcium carbonate (CasCO3) which sulfur dioxide (SO2) has the most damaging effect on. Sulfur dioxide is found in water vapor that carries pollutants. The problem is the acid rain is turning the structures once made of strong marble to gypsum, a weak porous stone. Gypsum is easily eroded by wind and rain. Gypsum crumbles easily under stress thus the reason why these ancient structures are falling apart and disintegrating at a rapid pace. Mathematicians have come up with a solution to slow down the process to the sulfation taking place near ancient structures. First they must calculate the intensity of sulfur dioxide in the air. To find this out they would need to know the amount of porosity in gypsum, the diffusion of the sulfur dioxide in the air, and also the average velocity of air molecules. From there, the equations would be put together and the simplified to a smaller equation. From their, the mathematician would then go through more difficult and complex equations that have to do with determining the motion of water vapor, motion of air, and motion of gypsum. With certain mathematical equations, specific levels of sulfur dioxide is measured determining how much it takes to deteriorate a structure and exactly how long it would take to completely destroy one. With this information preserving ancient structures would be possible allowing us more time to enjoy their greatness. Along with these mathematical equations used to preserve the past, recognizing that pollution is now at an all time high will help the decrease of pollutants in the air with this awareness.

PLEASE REDUCE POLLUTION=(

Jon Wos

I work in the Annex Art Gallery in the Art and Communication building on campus and we are currently showing my favorite living artist's work. His name is Jon Wos and he has 25 oil paintings on display in the Annex. He is my favorite artist because his oil paintings are so realistic and brilliantly painted. They hold so much emotion in them and even without an eye for art you'd be able to see what he is trying to tell his audience through each painting. Jon Wos is a very unique man who I had the pleasure on meeting last week. He is a alumni of the University of Oshkosh and is easy to pick out from a crowd. Jon is handicapped. He was born with a growth problem and must ride in a electric wheel chair for the rest of his life. In his paintings, Jon draws himself in the stages of his battles through his physical disabilities. He has a series of nearly 20 paintings of himself in the hospital after surgery on both of his legs. The series shows the emotion and mental struggle Jon went through in those longs days of being trapped in a hospital. The colors of the painting show the good and bad times of those days. My most favorite painting Jon has mad is one call "The Pity Party" which portrays 5 different sides of himself sitting at a round table. One is of him wearing a cast on his arm drinking a bottle of liquor, the next of him blowing smoke out of his mouth into the air, the middle Jon is looking at the audience with a vacant expression on his face, the next is staring with a bottle of liquor next to him, and the last is of him holding a shot. This picture is beautiful and complicated at the same time. I feel it is a painting people would study and learn about in a classroom. There is so much symbolism and feeling behind every part of Jon. The next painting that went along with this one is of himself "Leaving the Pity Party." This painting is of the five Jon's all doing something different. Two are still sitting at the table in their wheel chairs, one is on the floor motioning for them to join him, another is looking out a window while he sits on the floor, and the Jon is standing up looking our that window with a white light shining on him. Jon has so many meanings behind every single piece of art work he has made. I could go on for forever explaining and bragging about all his work but it wouldn't do him justice. You have to see it understand and appreciate its greatness.

Porn in America

After watching the documentary "Price of Pleasure" in class, I have began to think of the effects of pornography. When looking into the porn industry you see 80% of men call themselves casual watchers. You see these men who look at porn on a regular basis who have a hard time having a good sex life because they are making the comparison to the fantasy world they see in their porn. Men are thinking about these sexual fantasies that they can see as easy as a click of the mouse and comparing those fantasies to sex in real life. By this, I think it is unfair to women because most of them are not able to live out those fantasies for their men and start to feel like they are not as good or desirable to their husband or boyfriend. These women that are in these porn flics and photos are women who have unrealistic bodies and "desires" for the men who are involved with them. These women are big breasted, skinny, and have sex drives like teenagers making a real woman feel even more inadequate when compared to these women. Men who take these fantasies and bring them into their relationships make their woman feel less of a woman and men jerks for even looking at porn while dating someone!

Modern Day Slavery

In 2010, there are twenty-seven million people in slavery which is the most people enslaved in all of American history. That fact right there makes me sick to my stomach thinking about how much things have not changed and how they have gotten worse. Modern day slavery is found in factories, farms, and sex trafficking. These people that are being enslaved are being lured in under false promises at something better than what they have. I have also watched so many stories on TV about young females going on Spring Break with some of their friends in a hot spot for college students on spring break. Some of these girls are never even heard from or seen ever again because they were kidnapped and sold in sex trafficking. These women that are being help captive in sex trafficking slavery cannot escape because most of them are drugged up to a point where they cannot even function. Also their lives are in danger and they are going along with things because it is their only way to survive. The U.S. hosts a lot of immigrants that they have saved from their country and were enslaved into sex trafficking.

The movie Doubt and trouble in the Catholic church

I was just watching the movie Doubt which is about the Catholic church and it's issues with sexual molestation of little boys. The movie is all about one priest who is well liked by everyone but is suspected to have touched a boy by a tough nun who is sure she will find him guilty by the church. The movie is really relatable to what is going on today with all of the claims of priest's touching little boys. The movie is one heated fight after another between the priest and the nun. The nun is sure that he is guilty and the priest claims his innocents and says the sister has no slightest proof that he has done something to this boy. I love the movie because the sister is a strong willed nun who is trying to break the religious norms on sisters having to stay quiet and be run by a priest. She tries her best throughout the whole movie to have justification for this little boy but is constantly shut down because the Catholic Church is run by priests who will stand up for one another. The film shows that a nun has no say in anything that happens in the church which makes this movie very frustrating to some. The movie's end to me is brilliant but may not be pleasing to others. The movie never tells you what happens with the priest. The nun never finds the proof but claims that she has her doubt's that he is innocent. She feels that she knows that he did and it eventually breaks this hard nosed nun when she realized that he will get away with it and move on to another parish where he will do it to another boy. She is frustrated because she knows that their is no justice and she cannot do anything because she is a nun working under priests.

This movie makes you think about how this could be happening now with all of the claims that have come up throughout the years of priests touching and abusing little boys. It's hard to think positively about the world sometimes and be trusting of people because the people who are supposed to be the purest out of all humans are the ones who are doing the most sinful things and getting away with it. This kind of stuff makes me sad for the world.

Amreeka

I watched the film Amreeka the other day and I really fell in love with it. They made the main character Muna really lovable and you as the audience really started to care for her. The story is about Muna, now a single mother of a son who works as a banker in Palestine in 2009. War has completely destroyed her hometown and safety is no longer an option for her and her family. Muna's husband had left her, we find out in the beginning of the film, for a younger woman leaving Muna to care for their son. By her husband leaving her Muna becomes depressed and self-conscious. She no longer finds living in Palestine suitable for her and her son. They pack up and move to Chicago, Illinois to live with her sister and her family. Not having any money, Muna begins a long search to find herself another bank job in Chicago. All of the banks that she has applied to are not hiring her because of silly reasons but as the audience you know why, her race. Muna is considered as a threat to American's after September 11th and prejudice against her begins to show through all of the characters she meets.

The movie really opened my eyes to other side of the story, those who come from the middle east trying to escape their country. Muna is a good woman who just wants to make a better life for her son and herself and she is not able to do this easily because the prejudice she faces in our country. It made me sad and ashamed knowing that some people come all the way from a different country to find happiness and is faced with hate. It seems that once America has moved on past one prejudice they find another.

Walmart

Being the average, poor college student that I am often I look for the best places to get cheap clothes and groceries. When you are a strapped for cash as I am in my Junior year of college and becoming more and more independent from my parents its a no brainer to shop at the cheapest grocery store. Walmart. Walmart is known for it large size and variety of things that you can get there. It is a one-stop shop where you can get all your groceries, appliances, clothes, shoes and the whole works at an incredibly cheap price. I am really helping out my budget but I also just learned that with my devotion to Walmart I am destroying other grocery stores. Walmart has becoming one of the biggest monopolies in America, it's greatness has expanded across the nation and only continues to get bigger and more powerful. What Walmart is doing is buying its supplies in huge bulk allowing them to sell their products at cheaper prices than other grocery stores would be able to sell them. These other grocery stores are then losing business and are not able to compete with the low prices. Buy trying to compete they may be losing more money because if they lower the prices of their products the may have to buy more in bulk costing them more. It is a lose lose situation for these smaller businesses. If you look, you can see that once popular stores you may have shopped at are one by one closing down. In my area of town I saw two grocery stores that I grew up going to go out of business.

I feel bad for these small businesses because people are losing jobs and small business' are being shut down! I am in a predicament because I can only afford the cheapest things at this point and Walmart is the cheapest. I feel like I don't have a choice right now and that makes me sad for all the businesses being rundown by Walmart.

Dinner

I went out to dinner last night with my boyfriend of a year and I wanted to have a little experiment without telling him. I knew he would pay because that is how our dinner dates usually go. It's his choice to pay because he said that's how he was raised. Can't complain. After dinner I was going to grab the bill and see what his reaction was. It was a reaction that cracked me up. When I grabbed it, he leaned over the table and said in a low voice smiling, "do not embarrass me." I started laughing because I couldn't believe it meant that much to him to say something so blunt. I put the bill on the table and he grabbed. After we both stopped laughing I told him about my experiment. I asked him why he reacted that way and he went on to tell me everything that was going in his mind at that point. He told me that when I grabbed the bill he felt like the whole room was looking at him and that he felt embarrassed that I might be paying for the dinner. He felt that it as a little weakness in his manliness. He felt that everyone was looking and thinking that he was broke and had to have his girl pay for him. It made me laugh how this was such a big deal to him, that he felt he REALLY needed to be the one to pay for the dinner. It is weird how something as simple as paying for a meal can determine a man's manliness. It didn't make sense to m and I suppose it didn't have to. To my boyfriend, it's just the way things are. He couldn't explain it more than that.

Sex and the City theme

The show Sex and the City is my most favorite shows that is airing on television. I think that the theme of the show is unique and also hilarious. You fall in love with all of the characters who all have very different personalities. I am going to be writing a paper on the show for my Women's Studies class on the theme of the show. I am going to write about how all four of the characters, four women living in New York, go against the gender norms by living like "men." The four characters are all single women in their forties and early fifty's who have very successful careers. They live their lives dating MANY men and being very promiscuous. They are not living the stereotypical "spinsters" but like eligible bachelors. Many of the episodes talk about the women living against societies norms like getting married at a certain age, not settling down and having children, and going into hiding if you are single after the age of 35. All four characters laugh at these norms and talk about them with each other in the show over a coffee date or meal. These women can be considered "serial daters" by how many many they go through. When I write my paper I will talk about how eventually these characters do give in and settle down and some have children after they vowed in the show that they will go against those stereotypes. Only one of the characters stands her ground and does not give in and remains unmarried and without children. She is also a character that went against the gender norms by becoming a very successful business woman and wouldn't let any man stop her from achieving the top. For her, there was no glass ceiling. I would like to focus on her character a lot in my story because she stands out as the best example of going against a gender norm.

Gender obesity

More than half of Americans are considered over weight or obese. Men are more likely to overweight rather than obese, women obese more than overweight. Obesity has become a nation wide problem in America but has not been accepted as a social norm. Prejudice against overweight or obese women is more recognized than judgment towards men. Studies have shown than the number one cause of death in America is heart disease which is a risk factor when one is obese or over weight. The prejudice against those who are obese affects the lives and the social class of those who are obese. It has been shown that obese men and women are more likely to be refused a job or a promotion. They are more likely to have a lower salary and charged higher for their insurance.

Obese women pay more of a price then men do. They are criticized more for their weight and looked upon as social freaks. When thinking of an overweight man, the words that come to most peoples minds are out of shape, chubby, and big boned. When thinking of an overweight woman the words that would likely come to mind are fat, lazy, disgusting, and smelly. Women are being criticized for their overweight lifestyle more than men and it is unfair. In some cultures, overweightness is a sign of wealth or social prosperity. But in America it can be a sign of laziness and unattractive. Weight is a key factor to a woman's attraction it seems in society. It seems to determine their "worth" in society and over weight women have it the hardest.

Ending Gender Mutilation

I stumbled across a website that was promoting the ending of female genital mutilation that has been a widespread practice. FGM is a violation against women human rights. The effects that these practices have on women have long and short term effects on their bodies depending on what procedure has been done. Not only do these effects have a physical damage they also cause mental damage like post-traumatic stress syndrome. some of the physical side effects are fever, urninary infections, shock, severe pain, and wound infections. There are a few reasons why FGM is practiced. Some cultures feel that by these procedures they can control the female sexual drive or sexuality. some feel that it should be required for their certain religion and some just feel that it helps with fertility. A lot of FGM is found in patriarchal cultures where women depend on the men and do not have the same rights in their society as the men do.

FGM takes away a woman's rights by denying them their sexuality. By cutting away their genitals they are not being given the right to pleasure or a healthy body. Many women die from the pain and stress of the procedures and for what? Because a man wants to control their body.

I was glad to read that there are many programs going on that are fighting to end FGM. They are having a hard time with it because it is invading another culture's practices. Like many people, I would love to see this practice end COMPLETELY. I would like to look into ways I could help these women who suffer with the aftermath of FGM.

Carry Out

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

The song "Carry Out" by Justin Timberlake and Timbaland objectify women as a carry out order.The song is about getting a woman's phone number because she has an appealing body. The lyrics are:

"Take my order cause your body like a carryout
Let me walk into your body till it's lights out
Turn me on my baby don't you cut me out"

: The women in the music video are wearing maid and waitress outfits dancing around the two singers. Some of the women have a vail covering their face with a cherry in their mouth. This reminded me of what Jean Kilbourne said in her documentary "Killing Us Softly." She talked about how some of advertisements with women cover their mouths almost to silence them. This gives the ideas that women should be seen and not heard. With the cherry in the woman's mouth I thought of how this silences her and puts the focus on the skimpy outfit she is wearing. The cherry gives the woman a sexual image as well.

I do not like this song because it makes it seem like if a guy is interested in a woman all he needs to do is ask for her number or "place an order" like he is at a drive-through and he will get what he ordered. These kind of songs make me have a bad attitude towards the artist. Come on Justin, you can do better than this radio yuck.

Freaknik

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2Mn8Qq7C4A

Above I have the link to a preview of this new show I saw the other night on Adult Swim. It's called Freaknik:The Musical. the only reason I was interested in seeing what it is about is because the cast of the cartoons voices are all well known rappers. Once I started watching this adult cartoon I realized this this ghost creature called Freaknik was nothing but a stereotypical black man in a stereotypical black community. The show is full of guns, bling, pimp cups, half naked black women AKA hoe's, and drinking. The way the portrayed women in the show immediately turned me off to the show. All the female characters had DD breasts and bikini's that HARDLY covered them. They are actually referred to by all the male characters as hoes. their butts are being slapped and grabbed and they are completely being sexualized and objectified. All of the characters are black and they play they stereotypical roles of a black man. The characters all have gold teeth and big jewelry covering their body. They all are carrying a cup full of some kind of alcohol that they are constantly sipping on.

This cartoon itself is the reason why stereotypes of the black culture remains. They are making a joke out something that should be changed. They are continuing to objectify women in the hip hop culture. The main focus of every woman in that show is to show their almost naked bodies falling all over these men who are calling the hoes and yelling, "shut up b****!" It makes no sense and if I were the one making this show I would feel guilty for even producing something so trashy.

Mississippi abortion

When we watched that documentary in class the other day about how women in Mississippi are not given the resources for getting abortions I got a little irritated. These women are not being given the choice on how they want to live there life really. There is one place in Mississippi where they can go and get an abortion and even there they are being criticized and abused. Men and women are standing outside of the clinic yelling at the workers and the women who go there. I personally do not ever plan on getting an abortion because I think of a child as a blessing. I have religious views on the topic but I would never push my religious views on to someone else. I feel that every women is entitled to the decision of what they should do with their body. I don't support the idea of abortion but I do support someone making the choice on whether they should get it themselves.

That's all I can really say about the topic. Everything else has been said over and over again for years.

Women and hip hop

Women in the hip hop culture have really exploited themselves with the way they have let men portray them in their music. Rap artist like Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj are shown here on the right side adding to the image that the hip hop culture has given them. Both with their legs open inviting men to think of them as sexual objects. Nicki (right) has a lollipop with her tongue sticking out adding on to the sexual exploitation of her body. These two photo's frustrate me because the message is so obvious.

When I typed in on my computer women of hip hop or rappers and women I was not surprised what the outcome would be. Page after page I found images of multiple women surrounding one rap artist and women in the hip hop culture in barely there outfits in a sexual pose. Why does it have to be like this? Why do women need to be exploited in the hip hop culture? It is time for a change in the the community and all it takes is a couple famous artist to change the image. I feel once they change and make a statement other artist will follow.

The picture top left is a very disturbing image I stumbled upon that proves my point even further. This is a picture of rapper Snoop Dogg holding onto to two dog chains that are connected to the necks of two women. One of these women is Snoop Dogg's wife. Both women are wearing shirts that expose their breasts. He is parading them around like two dogs. I couldn't believe that he would ever even think this was a good idea to walk the red carpet with. This made me dislike Snoop Dogg even more than I already did. THERE NEEDS TO BE A CHANGE IN THE HIP HOP CULTURE.

Can I "holla" at you girl?

Late last night I went to a store with my friend Sadie and we experienced an annoying situation. We were stuck behind a van who waited for the light for five minutes to turn and it never did. So becoming impatient, the van went through the red light. Sadie and I watched in disbelief and moved up to continue to wait for the light. After five minutes we realized it wasn't turning and we went through the light too when the cost was clear. The car behind us must have been thinking the same thing we did when the van went because as we went through the light it finally turned green for the next car. We were embarrassed as the car pulled up next to us on the other side of our car and they rolled down their windows to scold us, so we thought. I rolled down my window slightly to explain ourselves and I got an earful of yuck instead. They were two young men in the car trying to "holla" at us. When I say "holla" I mean they were trying to get together with Sadie and I.

They said, "Hey ladies...what are you doing tonight?" Not only was I horrified that they stopped to roll down their windows but also that they thought they could come on to two strangers at a stop light. I turned to Sadie and said, "what are we hookers?" We laughed it off as they continued to try and convince us to hang out with them and when the light turned green we sped off like to bandits in high speed chase.

Later I began to think about how rude the boys were. They weren't concerned with our safety but with what our plans were that night and if they could be included in those plans. They had never even seen us before until they pulled up next to us and assumed that that's what we wanted, for the them to hit on us. Not only were they unattractive, but they were complete idiots as well if they thought we would ever include them in ANYTHING having to do with us. They must roll down their windows on a regular basis to "spit game" at females because their confidence in the situation was too strong. If he was going to treat me like a common prostitute he might as well have paid me for the effort of rolling down my window.

YUCK. That is all I can say about this despicable display of "flirting."

Emily Dickinson

Below I have the poem 401 by Emily Dickinson that I have analyzed and adored. I have been reading about Emily and her work in my English class and she has really sparked an interest in me. Her poetry is so complex that you need to read and decode each line one by one. Emily grew up in a time where society thought of women as just mothers and wives. They had no real purpose in society but to serve their husband and raise their children. Higher education and societal recognition were completely forbidden. Emily had a different idea for women and their role in society. Emily went outside her gender role by the way she lived and her ideas expressed through her words in her poetry.

This poem by Emily can be looked at as a criticism towards the women of her society at that time. She beings the poem by mocking women and describing them as these soft and delicate creatures of Earth. the poem goes on to make fun of these women who are trying to live the gender role of their society by looking the prettiest and acting in certain ways that are restricted to them by men. Emily describes them as freckles in society. These fake women are fake and they taint the meaning of women. Emily wants these "brittle" women to be ashamed of themselves for being someone they are not.

I LOVE THIS POEM!

401

"What Soft -- Cherubic Creatures --

These Gentlewomen are --

One would as soon assault a Plush --

Or violate a Star --

Such Dimity Convictions --

A Horror so refined

Of freckled Human Nature --

Of Deity -- ashamed --

It’s such a common -- Glory --

A Fisherman’s -- Degree --

Redemption -- Brittle Lady --

Be so -- ashamed of Thee --"

-Emily Dickinson