Post 132: Thoughts on Phil. - Ring of Gyges

Phil. as in Philosophy, my almost minor.

The Ring of Gyges:

The Ring of Gyges is the story about a Shepherd who finds a 

magical ring that makes him invisible. He uses the ring 

to seduce the queen, kill the king, and take over the kingdom. 

Glaucon's argument seems heavily focused on the immediate consequences of an action. His example of the just and unjust man (unjust is loved by all and given all the rewards of being just while the just man is hated by all and suffers as if he was unjust) proves this because it relies entirely on the idea that because the unjust man is happier now, he will always be happier. Though, even in a situation where he is always happier, he may not know he will always be happier. Also it is suggested in later works that Plato's definition of a happy life is one of contentment and mediocrity.

This is suggested when he is talking about the perfect city as one where people are at a level, but they never move higher or lower. They just serve a single purpose that they are best at. So, if the two lives were graphed, with the just mean experiencing low highs and lows, while the unjust man has extreme highs and lows, then maybe Plato would argue their experiences were equal or even that the just man has a better life because he did even though he did not experience as high-highs, he also doesn't experience the dramatic shift to the low-lows.

Though, this could be argued, another question comes up for me regarding Glaucon's argument of things valued. Does something necessarily have to make someone's life better to be valued? Does someone's life being happier necessarily mean it is better? If someone smokes, they might be happier in the moment, but does it make their life better?

Glaucon's argument about the two men seems to rest on the idea that just living is better only if the man is happier than an unjust man. Is it not possible for the just man to still have a better life even if he is not happier? And even if he does, does that really mean being just isn't of value?

Someone might cheat to get ahead and beat all the other players in a game, but does that mean they will benefit in the long run?

In Glaucon's discussion of the Ring he doesn't take into account what could happen. Just because the Shepherd killed the King and tool over the kingdom doesn't mean he will always get away with it. Claudius killed the King, married the Queen, and took over Denmark in Hamlet and for awhile he got away with it, but in the end he loses everything. And because he had so much he more to lose. So who's to say the shepherd isn't going to eventually get caught?

I also disagree with his point that if someone were to turn it (the ring) down people would mock them for it behind their back. But since a lot of people assume that they could be just even with the ring, why would they mock someone for turning it down? When in mocking them they are doing it because they turned down the opportunity to be unjust.

Grace and Frankie

Of things I regret this month, watching this show is one of my greatest regrets. Not to say that it is bad. In fact, it is quite the opposite. The reason I regret it, is that it was only after watching the first season, that I realized that only season 1 was out and that because it only came out a week or so before, it would be a long wait for the next season. And what a cliff-hanger!

As a fan of both West Wing (I even did a review for it) and Law and Order, it was strange seeing Martin Sheen and Lily Tomlin from West Wing. But even stranger seeming Detective Jack McCoy and President Barlet as a couple.

But, the show is interesting and it brings up some very real issues. The show is about two married couples that have been close, though also strained. The husbands confess that not only are they looking for a divorce, they are gay, and have been having an affair with each other for 20 years.

It brings up some real issues: from how the wives feel people will see them and how they couldn't see it themselves, and the husbands deal with coming out as two successful lawyers in their 70s, to how the kids come to terms with it. A big issue that comes up with the kids is, 'can we be mad?'

Which makes sense, their dads cheated. Their dads were leaving their wives. But the main reason they didn't do it sooner was because they felt ashamed and scared. Does that make it better? Does that make it more excusable? This is something they try to work through.

The issues are all treated with the right amount of seriousness mixed with the right amount of humor and respect. It was good. It was funny.

I liked all the characters too. Not to say any of them are perfect. they are flawed in some way and they are all the better for it: from the recovering addict to the way-too-blunt CEO.

I would reccomend it, and have. My friend Negin reccomends it as well. She also says that Nwabudike is her favorite character, and to pay special attention to him. Personally, I like Brianna. But, Grace and Frankie's relationship brings the most heartwarming moments and the most humor, in my opinion.

Post 131: Sympathetic Bad Guys and Evil-doers pt. 2

I was thinking about my last post about bad guys and evil-doers who didn't deserve what they got, and it made me think of Into the Woods, the musical. It is a great musical, though the original is better than the movie in some ways (mostly relating to Rapunzel and the second prince who barely make an appearance in this movie as well as the ending song that in the original is funny but in the movie is more sentimental).

Anyway, this movie is such a great example of this kind of thing because the whole movie is about what happens outside the basic fairy tale. After ever after, is it really always happy? And are the stock Prince characters more than what they seem?

In the movie there are two giants, who are probably the main antagonists, along with the witch. The witch uses the baker and his wife to get what she wants, but at the same time, she really cares for Rapunzel. Meanwhile, the giants are almost never fully shown, because everyone knows the story.

But even in the original story, the giants didn't really deserve to die. A complete stranger came to their home and stole from them. In the musical, Jack went up and stole from the giants three times. And when the giant came to get his stuff back, they caused his death. Then when his wife came down, they killed her too.

I think what is so interesting about this musical is that it really exposes some of the problems with fairy tales: from the Princes' lack of personality to the illogical 'happily ever after's.

Post 130: Why do we root for Elle Woods: Man-Stealer?

It didn't occur to me until I'd watched it a few times, but the major premise of the movie is following a man's ex as she tries to ruin his current relationship with his fiance. I mean, she does have an epiphany later on that she doesn't actually want to be with him, but the main motive she has is getting him back and proving herself to him. This is not the character we usually root for. This is the character that is usually the antagonist, but in this movie the fiance is the antagonist.

Elle goes so far as dressing up as a playboy bunny and flirting with him at a party. Honestly, i understand why Vivian is so hostile towards her. If I was engaged to someone and there ex started following him around and flirting with him with the clear intention of getting him back and acting as if I didn't exist and he was single, then I'd be pretty pissed off too. 

I think that they both crossed the line. I mean, it was one thing for Vivian to want Elle out of her way, but another to turn other students against her for no reason. For example, when Elle went to join a study group, it made sense that Vivian wouldn't want Elle to be in the same group as her and Warner, but telling the head of another study group that Elle had called her a 'dyke' was crossing the line. It hurt the girl she told and it hurt Elle, because it meant another study group she couldn't join. 

Elle does have a change of heart after the party when Warner still doesn't seem to be interested, even though she basically showed up in lingerie to flirt with him, and she becomes more interested in proving herself to him more than getting him back- but even then, it starts off mainly for him. 

I think that Elle is actually pretty self-centered. She didn't even think about Vivian's feelings OR Warren's. I mean, if they had just split up then it would have made sense, but he was ENGAGED to someone else - that would suggest that he actually CARED about someone else, but Elle didn't even think about that. She didn't ask him about it or anything.

She basically just acted like he was single and if she hung around enough that was all it would take to win him back. 

It was Paulette's advice, but still...it was not a good plan. 

I think the reason we still root for her is because we are first hit with an emotional connection to her pretty soon, when we see her get dumped when she thought she was going to be proposed to. It helped create a connection to her of sympathy so we wanted her to have a win. So, this way we could better ignore what it was we were rooting for her to win. 

It also didn't last very long. I mean, she didn't say she wasn't interested in getting back together with him until the end, but after the party she stops flirting with him and that certainly helps it from being hard to root for her. 

Still, I think it is interesting to wonder, if the movie was from Vivian's point of view or if the movie had started with Elle just deciding to go to Harvard to get her ex back, would we have rooted for her or just seen her as a crazy, obsessed ex-girlfriend?

Post 129: Family, Fame and Focus.

Family, Fame, and Focus: 

How Ghost Whisperer and Medium are actually very different.

When I first saw the descriptions of the two shows, I kind of just lumped them together as two parallel shows. After all, they are both about a female medium who sees ghosts and communicates with them to get things done. Both are pretty, both are married, and both struggle to come to terms with their gift's effect on the people in their lives. 

But, they are actually different. In many ways,  Medium is closer to something like Law and Order than Ghost Whisperer. And Ghost Whisperer is closer to Oprah. Medium is about a woman named Allison who can see ghosts and who has dreams sent to her by ghosts about how they died. She uses these dreams to help the District Attorney prosecute cases against murderers, kidnappers, and other criminals.

There is very little focus on the ghosts themselves. There are times where you don't even really know where the dreams are coming from, because the victim is still alive so technically they can't be the one sending her the dreams.

Also, there are times when they have a different effect on her. Like a young girl who was deaf was kidnapped, and until the girl returned to her mother, Allison was deaf too. Which didn't really make sense. It isn't like her being deaf helped her find the girl, it may actually have impeded her ability to find her.

Anyway, Melissa, the medium in Ghost Whisperer, does not solve crimes. She is kind of like a social worker or therapist. You see the ghosts come to her. Every episode (with the exception of three or four), is about her finding a ghost or a ghost coming to her with unfinished business and her helping them move on by talking to their family.

Melissa feels like she cannot ignore them, if she sees a ghost she has to help them. Allison helps ghosts who ask her for help. Basically, Melissa will go out of her way to help if she even sees a ghost, Allison will avoid them.

The best example of this is in episodes where they go to the hospital. Obviously, a place high in ghosts. Allison puts on headphones and ignores them, so they don't know she can see them. Melissa goes to help the ghost who needs her, but acknowledges the ghosts she meets and then comes back later to help them.

The focus of the two, and the show itself, is different. Medium is about solving the crime. Ghost Whisperer is about bringing peace to the families and finding closure before people move on. Medium almost never (only three times) talks about something other than just being a ghost. Most of the time, it is in reference to a ghost that she says 'should pack for the heat'.

In regards to the Fame they have, obviously Allison will get more because she is working to put people away. A news reporter even outs her as a "psychic", while Melissa had a few people (a blogger and a professor) start to question her, they both let it go. The blogger because he dies, the professor because he sees what she can do and becomes an ally.

Family, though, I find is a really big difference. Allison has three kids. Melissa has one in the final season. But the biggest difference is with the husbands.

Allison's husband annoys me. A lot. He has really no character development. Actually, he does. He just gets worse. From the very first season he seems annoyed with Allison 80% of the time. And most of that time, it isn't things she can control.

The ghosts have more of an effect on Allison than Melissa. In Ghost Whisperer, they can move things and effect lights. Things like that, but not much more. In Medium, ghosts can make Allison deaf, make it so everything she hears is gibberish, make it so all she hears is a song, make her hand move on her own, and in several episodes a ghost completely takes over her body. None of these things are in her control.

But her husband always gets mad at her for it. In one episode, he apologizes and says sometimes it just gets to him and he is sorry. But, he doesn't actually change. He still gets mad at her every time, like she can control it. And in the final season, it starts to suggest he is going to start an affair with her doctor. Not the first time this suggestion came up, but the only time it escalated instead of ending. (Ex. his business partner who kissed him, but then he didn't tell Allison, his ex who invited him to lunch and he went even though Allison said he shouldn't, and that she could tell his ex was still interested in him). The only reason he didn't was because he died first.

On the other hand, Melissa's husband is hugely supportive. He only ever questions it once when she is in danger. But he loves that she helps people, he loves that she is selfless. And when she says that she can't just ignore a ghost in trouble, he says he is constantly amazed that he could love her more.

Also, Allison's husband in the beginning basically suggested that he didn't even really believe her gift. And there are other times where it seems like he wants to try and undermine it as real. While Melissa's husband totally accepts and even when she thinks she has lost it, is supportive her.

Allison's husband doesn't just get mad at her. When he finds out the kids are psychic he is just as annoyed with them. He is teaching his daughter to drive and she can tell what he is going to say before he says it, at least that is what he assumes. It is totally possible that she actually knew what to do because she studied, but no, he assumes she is just reading his mind and gets mad at her and acts like he is miserable spending time with her. He even constantly blows her off.

Meanwhile, when Melissa said she was worried about passing her gift on, her husband said that he would love any kid they had no matter what.

It is just two very different relationships. And what is interesting is that, I don't know if Allison's husband would have married her if he had known about her gift or the job she would have. While Melissa's husband knew before and accepted it. Maybe that is why Allison's husband sometimes takes issue with it, because he didn't really have the chance to accept it.

Like in Bewitched, she tells him on their wedding night. After it is more difficult to just walk away. If he had known before and come to terms with it first, he might be more accepting now because he agreed to it. This was kind of just sprung on him, and he seems bitter about it.

Not to say that Allison is totally innocent in their relationship. She is pretty narrow-minded, in that she misses big things. She doesn't notice her kids miss her, her husband is frustrated and lonely because she isn't there, and in one episode she completely ignores her daughter's feelings and drives her away.

She is so blinded sometimes by what she does that she doesn't see how it affects her family. And then she thinks about it briefly, but then dismisses it almost instantly. (Ex. in one a man is hunting her for her gift putting her and her kids in danger, she thinks about giving up her gift, and then next morning after having a dream she has completely moved on from that idea).

So, I can kind of see why her husband is frustrated. But he just kind of doesn't really talk it out, his solution seems to be get mad, ignore it, or pout. Then, later, he turns to infidelity.

Anyway, over all, I think while I thought both were interesting, they should not be compared or seen as similar. There are different things that are good about both, but one should not watch one assuming it will be like the other.

Ghost Whisperer is a feel-good kind of show. Most of the episodes end on a pretty happy, but emotional note (A mom saying good-bye to her child, as he moves on to a better place and she can move on and forgive herself). Medium is a crime show, things are often solved, but there aren't a huge number of truly 'happy' endings beyond the bad guy going to jail or dying.

Etsy

So, Etsy is an online store. (It has an app too). It is all about made and vintage things. There are a lot of really cool options and it is a great place to get unique and one of a kind gifts. And because a lot of it is hand-made, there are a lot of options for customization. I, personally, love this website and use it all the time to find gifts for people. At the end of this post I will include some pictures of things I got for people and who they were for. It will be using Paint, so it will not be a beautiful work of art, but it will be a good example of some of the things they have.

One of the things pictured is a pearl 'peas in a pod' necklace. This is a good example of how customisable things are. The pearl colors can be chosen based on birth months or personal preference. You can also choose the number of pearls. The one I got has 6. The first two are my parents' birthstones. Then there is the divider, like the one pictured. And then the birthstones of my friends, Ashleigh, Negin, Jessica, and Jalayna. But it could also be a gift for parents. With their kids with birthstones. It could be a gift for an anniversary with both people's birthstones. 

It is a great website for gifts, as well because it is handmade, it also means that a lot of things are fan made. Like the shirt pictured below that I got for my friend Negin. The picture and shirt were both designed by a fan, so not only is it kind of cute and funny. It also is not available in stores. 

There are a lot of things that are not available in stores. Even things that are very different from things in stores. And because they are personally produced, that can mean both more selection on style but also quality. 

My step-sister is a huge fan of Harry Potter, so I was going to get her a robe in her House. And they ranged in style and price. Some were lined with silk and in the $200-300 price range. Others were pretty standard and closer to the $60-70 price range.

All in all, it is a nifty place to shop for things for yourself or others. The app is also useful and pretty user friendly.

Post 128: #beCPE

I've been published on SFU's CSI blog.

Click here to read more....

http://www.sfu.ca/olc/blog/csi-blog/becpe-how-being-career-peer-educator-changed-my-idea-careers

Post 127: April Fools' Day!

Happy April Fools' Day all! I've got no 'just kidding' or 'April Fools' jokes for you I'm afraid. And it is hard to top some of the one's that have already been done. Which is why I want to dedicate this post to all the April Fools' Day jokes that cannot be topped (both fictional and real). Starting with the Spaghetti Tree.

1: The Spaghetti Tree. In 1957, BBC ran a 3-minute feature talking about how Spaghetti grows on trees. Some people took it so seriously, they called the network asking how they could grow their own Spaghetti tree. They also got less than enthusiastic calls from housewives who had gotten into argument with their husbands, because their husbands didn't believe them when they said pasta was made from flour.

2. On the show Family Guy, there was a fake dooms day joke. The local lews station reported that a meteor was hurtling towards Earth and they would all be dead in less that 24 hours. The joke itself was cruel. There were suicides and people quit their jobs and broke the law, but there was an interesting message to the whole thing. Though, perhaps, I am reaching. It was a local news show. If anyone had checked any other news station, ANY OTHER, they would have none it wasn't real. So, an extreme example of what happens when you rely solely on one source for the news.

3. The Mirror claimed that Fernando Torres was going to perform the ritual of “Dia de los Inocentes”, which would include him leading a goat around the Stamford Bridge pitch and then defecating in the goalmouths, to keep evil spirits form blocking his shots on goal. 

4. The iPhone. Yes, that's right, the iPhone was an April Fools' joke at one point. In 2004, Pocket-Lint announced that Apple was going to be making their iPod's into phones. In 2007, they did. Though, not exactly as was announced. Maybe that is where the idea came from, though I'm guessing it had been floating around for awhile.

5. CNET announced proof of the Force, as in the Force from Star Wars. They even quoted Ben Kenobi of the University of Mos Eisley, Tatooine. I wonder if anyone fell for this one like they did for the Spaghetti Tree. 

iStudiez Pro

I love this app. I really do. I mean, on Graduation Day if I am asked to give thanks, this would be the first thing I thanked.

So, what is this fabulous app? Essentially, a planner. You know, the kind you used in school to write down your homework. Except it is so much better than that. There are a lot of different features, but let me tell you a couple of the one's I've found most useful.

The most useful has been the schedule/calendar. I put in all my classes and it looks like this. (This isn't my phone, but an image I found.)

So, you see, it says what classes on a particular day, as well as the assignments for the class, the professor, the location, and the time. But then in calendar view you can quickly see when things are. What's even cooler, it pulls from your phone calendar, so if I have a Doctor's appointment it will show up on the iStudiez calendar.

It sends you a notification 15 minutes before class starts, as a reminder, which has been helpful. It is really helpful having easy access to class rooms.

But that is just one useful component.

It also has a section for instructors. This allows you to have a sort of separate phone book for all your TAs, instructors, and Professors.

I love this because it is easier than trying to track down the syllabus if I want office hours, and sometimes the TAs don't have an official syllabus, they write it on the board during the first tutorial and that's it. That's all you get. And if you lose the piece of paper you wrote it on, switch tutorials, can't read your writing, were absent, or didn't think to write it down at the time you are in trouble. 

The third, and last feature, I will talk about is the assignments feature. 

It lets you put in the assignment information, what course it is, if you have partners and who they are, it lets you set a priority, and set up a reminder of anywhere between a week or a few hours before. It then keeps them all in a list and lets you sort by date, class, or priority. And once you complete it, you select it and it saves it but takes it off the list. 

Also a week before something is due, no matter the priority or reminder date, a little number will appear in the corner of the app just as a subtle reminder. 

I have taken online classes and gotten in trouble, because I lost track of dates and then had to rush or missed something. I have forgotten about small assignments. I have lost track of professor information. I am kind of scatter-brained and this app keeps that scatter in line. 

I would definitely recommend this app to ALL students of EVERY grade. It is really useful as an University student, but I feel like there are features that are here that will help students of every grade. Who knows, there might even be features that will help non-students as well. 

Post 126: Is Spring Here Yet?

I really hope spring gets here soon. It certainly is starting to feel like it. It has been pretty sunny lately, even (dare I say it) warm. But I hesitate to declare Spring is on its way, for fear of jinxing it. Though, if I had that much control over the universe that I could jinx away a season, I'd have a superhero name and a cape.

Actually, I don't know how I feel about capes. The idea seems nice. And as a fan of swishy skirts and dresses, a cape seems like it would fit well with that category.

Except, just because I like them doesn't mean I like them for me. I don't really wear skirts or dresses much anymore. For a variety of reasons.

So, would I want to wear a cape?

Although, the fact that I, personally, wouldn't pick to wear a cape might mean that to protect my secret identity I should wear a cape.

I have a secret name or two for websites and the like, but it isn't akin to a superhero name. Though, sometimes my pen name feels like it.

I mean, you can say more under a pen name about what you think about people, the world, issues, etc. without having to worry about the consequences the same way. I don't mean how people use anonymity to trash people. I mean having the freedom to say things about social issues without having to worry about getting fired for addressing real issues in the work place.

That's really more of an example than anything, but you can see how it would be important to have a pen name if you were going to talk about things that your workplace might want to bury.

I am currently only volunteering, and have no access to such information.

But I have friends who work in places and sometimes complain to me about things that are going on that are serious, but that they aren't really supposed to be talking about (sexual harassment from supervisors/ legal issues) and for some of them, they really want to tell someone to keep it from continuing.

Anyway, I have gotten really off topic from talking about if it is Spring yet.

So, I guess, I will conclude with a general shrug like answer that Spring is a constant reoccurring thing. Is it Spring yet? I don't know. But it will be Spring eventually.

Post 125: Post Gap

There has been a relatively long gap between the last time I posted and now. Not to say I didn't sign in or start a post or two, I just haven't had the chance to post anything. I have, at least, two or three started blog posts queued up in drafts, I just haven't had the chance to finish them. And some of that is because I've been busy lately, but it is also been a loss of my train of thought.

One of them I started and then had to put on hold, but when I went back to continue it, I no longer knew what it was I wanted to say.

I am so behind, but I will catch up. I have reviews to do (some of which are done but just haven't been posted because they were hand-written or typed when I didn't have internet) and I am going to finish the drafts that I have saved, but I might not get to the drafts for awhile.

Waiting to remember what I wanted to say for them might take longer than writing new ones.

Anyway, just a notice that I am in fact alive, if anyone was wondering, and that I will be back to posting soon.