Wow those are some really touching stories. The one about the kidney transplant especially hit me. Often in this class, the topics are kind of gloomy and easy to get down on. However this was really uplifting and inspiring. It goes to show that there are still many, many good people left in this world. A lot of people say that we are crumbing as civilization and all common decency no long longer exists. This video proves there is still good left.

Also what was really interesting was how it was a white, successful man giving his kidney to a poor, Asian women. It crossed racial bounds, as it did not matter in the least that they were from completely different backgrounds. That guy made a huge difference in a person’s life that was really suffering. He is an angel I guess.

This also hit home for me because my grandfather on my dad’s side needed a kidney transplant a few years ago. Luckily he found a match, but there was definitely a feeling of dread and hopelessness among us who were not a match. I felt very strongly and would have given mine if I was a match. One of my 3rd cousins was a match and gave his. Still, it was a scary situation.

In my book, this all comes down to karma. I do believe in karma, it all comes back to you at some point in your life. It always does. If a person does something great like giving a kidney, they are setting themselves up for something good down the road. When this guy is in dire need of help, he will probably get it. The world tends to unfold as it should.

I thought that the other video was pretty interesting as well, although I didn’t fully understand it. Since they were different races is that why they couldn’t be together? It wasn’t explained very well in the video. I just thought that the kid was cute and I could relate it to my own experiences as a child. We all had those little embarrassing crushes as kids. Everyone did. We all were shy about it and we had no idea why. People all around the world are literally the same as us. Except for the color of their skin, everyone is the same.

I was cheering for the kid in the video at the end. It was really funny to see him grinning like a goofball when his crush was being interviewed. She didn’t like him, but she didn’t want to say it. He eventually grabbed her and walked off with her. At that point I was like “OK little pimp!” That kid is awesome.

Initially when I read this I was kind of pissed off. Just like someone said in an earlier post, who is this guy to judge me on how I did in school? I work very hard in college right now. I would like to think that by getting involved and diversifying I am not just “marching to the beat of the drummer”. I do what I do because I enjoy it, not because everyone else does it. That left me feeling a tad unsettled.

However, I could see where he was coming from. I tried to maintain free of judgment for as long as possible. Of course this was very difficult but I could still see his point. Now looking back on high school there were a great deal of stupid assignments and stupid teachers. Many times it felt like I was doing something just to do it. But this was not always the case. I had some really great teachers who tried new techniques and genuinely loved their job. I absolutely did not feel like I was regurgitating facts in every class in high school. I certainly do not feel this way about the classes I am taking right now at Penn State.

Another point that I would like to make is this. How else are we supposed to educate if we don’t lecture and use the methods we use now? If we could find a more interactive way of doing this, I would be all for it. But I just can’t imagine doing education any other way. You need textbooks and lectures. You need teachers explaining things. I think if we streamlined the system and just got rid of the bad teachers, things would improve dramatically. Too many teachers are tenured, so after they get their guaranteed money, they have no incentive to be creative. Running education like a private business would improve the quality of learning greatly.

I do have to give this guy props though. He has huge balls for taking on issues that are so touchy. I have respect for him because he seems very intelligent and has well thought out arguments. If it was a raving lunatic up there I would not have been as receptive. Since he is level-headed and logical about it, his side is easier to see.

As for conformity, I believe that there is a great deal in public and private education across the country. I do not think that this is a product of the schools as much as a product of human nature though. Humans just naturally conform. That’s the end of the story. Everywhere you go, not just the schools, you see conformity. That’s just how people are. The schools are not to blame for that at all.

I have always personally had mixed feelings about taking foreign language in middle school, high school and now college. A big part of me felt that it was completely useless and a waste of time. In middle school I took 3 years of Latin and learned nothing useful. In high school I took 4 years of Spanish. I finished with at least a B average in every Spanish class I took, but by the time I graduated I could not speak a word of Spanish. I just did not get anything out of it. The other side of me does recognize the fact that having a foreign language could be beneficial to the small percentage of students who actually enjoy it and do get something out of it. We need people to become translators and linguists, and the only way for them to find their passion is by taking foreign language in middle school and high school.

But overall, I do not find it shocking that foreign language classes are dropping in America’s public schools. The world mostly speaks English, so the necessity is becoming less and less. I am not moved in either direction really by the scarcity of other foreign language classes. However, I do believe that if any classes should be taught, it should be Spanish and Chinese. Spanish is one of the most spoken languages around the world. It is even spoken here in the United States with incredible frequency. I live next to a predominantly Spanish-speaking city back home. Since I took Spanish in high school, I could actually read some of the billboards and hear what people are saying. It actually was helpful. Other languages such as French, German, and Latin just are not that useful.

The thing about Chinese, is it is the plays a role in the economic balance of the world. Pretty much all of our imports are from China, and it has established itself and a business powerhouse. Americans are doing business more and more frequently with Asian countries than ever before. I would be extremely helpful in communication to actually understand what the Chinese are saying without a translator. That is my view at least. And in pretty much all Asian countries, children are learning how to speak English. They don’t just take English as foreign language; they take it as a basic requirement, like Math or Social Studies. As a result, they can speak English as well as we can. But we can’t speak a lick of Chinese?

In my view, I would streamline the foreign language programs in public schools across the country. Pick a foreign language and go with it since middle school. This way, a student will be proficient by the time they get to college. That will give the more of an incentive to stick with it.

The first time I watched this video, I really was just dumbfounded. I didn’t really even know how to react to it. It has really crossed a line at this point. This takes it way to far. A game where the object is to rape women? Really? What are we coming to in society? That was my gut reaction though. It was also the reaction of pretty much everyone else who say this.

After we get over the initial nausea and sickened feeling, we have to look at this under a logical lens. Why would they put a game out like this? It is the same reason why we have violent video games like Grand Theft Auto. People want to live on the edge and experience their sickest desires without actually doing it and having to face the consequences. In all honesty, this game is no different that a violent video game. And shoot-em up games are allowed. Graphic violence is celebrated even in movies and video games. Violence is allowed on TV. But sex is a different thing. Its almost like sex is taboo in American. Aren’t extreme violence and extreme sex like rape the same thing? So why can we only see the violence?

In no way shape or form am I actually advocating this game, but it does bring up intriguing thoughts. Rape is such a horrible thing, that naturally some people are going to have inclination to wonder. This is why violent video games are among the best selling in America and overseas. We just love it. I have a feeling the same thing would apply to a “Rape Game”. Most people are able to separate the violent games from reality though. Would the same thing happen with this game?

Still, I feel that the Japanese government needs to do a lot more to prevent games like this from coming out. It really does cross a line and something needs to happen. There is too much that is unrestricted in the gaming district. However, it’s also a cultural thing. In Japan, the woman is bound to a much stricter social identity. Women in Japan have far less rights and are considered to be objects much more than here in the US. That is just their culture and their own way of life. Is it wrong? I don’t know. Its not for us to say. Its all just perspective really. They probably think that some of the stuff in America is dreadful that we just take for granted. Its all just perspective. Who gets to decide what is wrong and what is right anyway? I don’t know. We all just have to do our best to use a level head and take emotion out of the equation.

I though that this story was very interesting. I know there will be people split on both ends. There will be some who will be like “football is a man’s game and she has no place” and there will be some who think this is the next big step for women. I personally stand on the middle ground. One part of me recognizes the historical significance of it all, but the reality is if we lower standards and act like women were never capable of this, that is sexist. I think we just have to wait and see what happens with the upcoming season. I personally never had a woman for a coach so I don’t know what it will be like for her team. If she is successful, it is because she is a good coach. This should have nothing to do with gender once the season starts. I personally wish her the best. I hope she can whip those boys into men and make them run gassers until they puke. That’s what I did when I played. I hope she keeps her high standards that she has already set. Also she is hot and smart! I bet some boys are gonna be wishing they could “go long” with her. But I digress.

She seemed to be quiet and reserved from what I saw, but I believe she is tough. She has been an athlete all her life and a fan of football. She wanted to play in high school but she didn’t want to get injured for track. She then played in a women’s tackle football league and busted some heads. I saw some of her highlights and they were pretty impressive. She knows her stuff. She has the passion. That is the most important thing in a coach. Some will say that she is not a yeller, and therefore not going to be effective. You don’t have to scream to get your point across. As long as she is firm and commands respect, her team will get along just fine.

So do I think this is a big step for women? Yes and no. Yes because of the historical significance. But no because they have been capable all along. Like I mentioned before, to hold them to anything less would be wrong. The season will have to be played out, and then a few more seasons after that before we can make a real clear judgment on her. But all in all this is a great story, one that I enjoyed. It is also inspirational. Work hard and good things will happen. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says, just do your best and you will be fine. I am sure that if my football coach was a women I would be unsure of how to go about things, but I would get used to it after she told me runs some laps.

This did present an interesting topic and dialogue for many. I would have to agree with Sam 100% on this one. People need to stop being sooo sensitive to everything racial. Yeah it says Negro. The government is not trying to offend anyone. Why would they want black people all up in arms? Of course they didn’t want that. They just put it on there because some black people still call themselves that. Plain and simple. Even the black people on the show were not offended. They said it sounded outdated and awkward, but they were not offended. A couple blacks were originally offended, but the other guy came over and explained it. People need to get a grip on themselves.

Also what I found interesting is the total lack of distinction for “white”. White people are just white people apparently. It seems a little harsh, but the reality is whites don’t celebrate our heritage like people of color. That is a fact. We just identify as white and embrace “white” culture. It is an interesting phenomenon, but true. The white guy on the show wrote a book call “Stuff White People Like”. I was curious about it, so I looked it up. It is actually really funny. It is all very true about white people. Out of all the races, white people stereotypes probably hold the most true. Think about it, it makes sense. Black, Asian, Indian and Spanish stereotypes are broken all the time. White holds through the best. We made a list of stereotypes for racial groups in my discussion group. I fit all the white stereotypes. Its because white people are just white people. There is no racial flair, we are just white-bread, mayo white people.

The reality is the census needs to be updated or something. Nowadays almost everyone is a mixed race in some regard. The old census pegs in narrow boxes that we do not necessarily belong. There is a lot of debate as to who goes where. But this census is as good as we have for now. People need to just suck it up, do the 10 questions and mail it in. End of story. Hopefully the next census that comes out will be more comprehensive in dealing with mixed backgrounds. That should serve the current population better.

This also goes to show how much racial issue still matter in our society today. We say race-relations have improved, but the reality is we are all still very sensitive to race. People on all sides are still afraid to talk about. Even the White-Hispanic in the video hesitated before she said black, even though it’s on the census. We as an American society still have a long way to go.

I have mixed feelings on this topic. On one hand, it makes me embarrassed and ashamed to be associated with conservatives and the Republican Party. On the other hand, it is the peoples right to protest, and I am glad to see them exercising that right. This topic of healthcare reform had divided the country, which is interesting, considering that Obama pledged to unite the country like never before. I am personally against the healthcare plan. I am not going to say why, because that is not he point here. But I am sure if I was at one of the TEA parties, I could easily get caught up in the moment as well. Mob psychology is a powerful thing.

Like I said, I am happy to see the people voicing their thoughts. We need that for a stable democracy. I do think part of the reason why these TEA parties have attracted so many is because many Republicans are just angry at Obama and this is an outlet. They go because they dislike his as a President, not just for the healthcare reason. However, people need to take a step back to realize what is going on. A heated protest is one thing. I am fine with signs that vilifie Obama as Hitler and so on. That has been done with pretty much every politician over the past 50 years. That in itself is not dangerous. It also does get the message across that they are serious. But calling “niggers” and “faggots” is not okay. Throwing a brick through a window and spitting on the representatives as they pass is not okay. Threatening to kill the politicians is not okay.

These TEA parties are beneficial to a point. But once they reach this point, then it goes in reverse. Then it just looks like a stereotypical group of republicans. Stupid, racist gun-toting rednecks. This is not the entire make-up of the crowds, but that is the image it gives off when these violent, senseless protests take place. Once it reaches a level such as this, Republicans are going in reverse. As a fellow Republican, I feel that we need to take it back a few notches. Hit the books and petitions. Its good to have a grass roots movement, but make it sensible. That will garner more respect than throwing a brick through a window.

A much better way would be to get a petition going, or set up a town meeting for fellow Republicans. If you take a more organized approach you won’t look like a bunch of mullets from West Virginia who came out here in pick-up trucks. I am interested in this whole healthcare debate, and want to do my part to stop it, but I am not going to be joining these ridiculous TEA parties anytime soon.

I am not angered by this guy at all. For all the people who say that he is racist and making a racist league, he is confessing that whites are no longer good enough to play in the NBA. Most of the players in the NBA are black these days, and it is a different style of basketball. Because whites do not have the same athletic ability as the blacks, they have to rely on the fundamentals more. That is a statement of fact. If blacks started playing hockey, they would dominate the league. Its no wonder all the track stars here at Penn State are black. It’s no wonder that all the football and basketball players here are black either. They are better athletes and that is fact. Whites play with the fundamentals. You can’t argue that. Look at all the freakish athletes in sports today, Lebron James, Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant, Vernon Davis, LaDanian Tomlinson. What is the common thread? They are all black. That is indisputable fact. You can’t find the same freakish white athletes. You just can’t.

I find this funny because I have my own sports talk show for the student radio station. I even made a comment similar to this (good thing no one listens). I said that to bring back the older style of play, we need white player, who will bring back the fundamentals. Larry Bird was one of the greatest players of all time. Was he extremely athletically gifted? Not really by comparison of other black players. He got to where he was because he worked his ass off. He had one of the best work ethics in all of sports. He played with grit, hustle and the fundamentals. That’s why he was the best, not due to athletic ability. Before you curse me out that he had no athleticism, I know. He played in the NBA. He was a good athlete. But others were MUCH more gifted than he was.

My last point is this. This quy is simply creating a business niche. That is all. He wants to sell tickets and put butts in the seats. The game will be slower and stress the fundamentals. That is the bottom line. You may see even more hustle. We will just have to wait and see. Even here at Penn State there is “Mr. Black Penn State”. If blacks can have their niched special events, why can’t whites? Is “Mr. Black Penn State” racist then? You can’t have it both ways. If you want to say that “Mr. Black Penn State” isn’t and this new league is, then I can say that the pageant continues to highlight the division and differences between whites and blacks. Either have all of it or have none of it. That’s all I’m saying. And by the way, I am not racist, I just really say what’s on my mind.

This story is pretty incredible. And Sam is right on when he says that if it was a completely level playing field, many of the students here at PSU would not be able to compete with a woman like her. Unfortunately, there is not a level playing field. As harsh as that sounds, it is the reality of the world we live in today. The best that everyone can do is to try hard and make the best of it. It sounds insensitive coming from a clean student with a pretty cushy family and economic background. However that is true though.

This woman is the best example of it. The ceiling for different people is at different levels. For some people they get a head start and have a high ceiling. Other people start way behind and the ceiling is very low. But as long as you try your best and reach and push that ceiling, there is nothing more than people can ask of you. This woman comes from an extremely poor country in Haiti, whose situation is quite dire right now. She is making the best of it though. Her ceiling may be selling chicken heads, but she is trying her hardest and is making the best of the hand she is dealt. When she dies she can look God in the eyes and say she did all she could.

Too many people (and myself included), who come from educated and wealthy backgrounds all too often find themselves falling short of their ceiling. This is despite getting a substantial leg up on everyone else. Often times these people are born with a sense of entitlement and feel that they do not have to work as hard as everyone else. They still do. On judgment day this will be factored in. All people need to work hard. This helps everyone stay humble. I hope we can all learn a lesson from this Haitian woman. Work as hard as you can and no one will find fault in you.

One final thing that struck me is just how poor Haiti is. I always knew they were poor. I just never realized how poor. So poor that the Dominican Republic is wealthy. They literally have nothing. We just take so much for granted here in the US. Even the poorest of poor are still better off than the people of Haiti. It all reminds us that no matter how bad you have it, someone out there has it worse. I try to live with that everyday. This is a very humbling thought and it really helps to keep you from complaining about the trivial things in life. There are a lot of people who would kill for the chance to have the same problems that you do.

I was supposed to probably write about an article that Sam posted this week, but this one was too good to pass up. I really cannot believe this actually came out. Actually, I can believe it. We live in a day and age of artificial intelligence and “robots” are becoming commonplace. I think in the back of our minds we all knew that this day was coming, we just didn’t know when. It may be a little much for people right now. This is straight up reality, smacking us in the face. It could take a while for people to get used to it.

I personally don’t have a problem with it because I never plan on using it or buying one. Is it a little creepy and sketchy, yeah, I would say so. But I plan to continue having sex with regular, human women. That is all. In fact I will use this article as inspiration to always stay in shape and keep my “game” sharp. I hope I never have to resort to this. But getting back to my original point, it doesn’t bother me at all. In America you are free to spend your money however you want. Is $7,000 for a sex toy a good buy for some? I guess so. Who are we to tell them what to spend their money on. It’s ultimately their choice.

What I find very interesting is that this sex toy WILL sell. And it will sell WELL. There are men out there who just don’t have it cut out with the ladies. That must be lonely and depressing, and I do feel sorry for them. So if they need to feel satisfied, well then go right ahead and get this. One part of me wants to tell them to “sack up” and get a real girl, but I know for some its not that easy. If this is their game, then go for it.

Finally, I just want to salute the inventor here. Obviously he is a smart guy and pretty much could have invented anything else. But he decided to invent something totally original and unlike anything else. Because of this he ultimately succeeded. He will make a huge profit off of this. Someone else mentioned this in his or her post, but SEX SELLS. It really does. I am happy for this guy as he really took what it means to be an American and make a boatload of cash. All the people who are bashing his creation are simply jealous they didn’t think of it first. I’m sure actually a bunch of those people want to try it for themselves. Heck, I would try it if someone plopped it in front of me for free.