the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

Why am I still Having a Hard Time with Feeling Like Graduation is Important?

Is it expected for the master painter to be impressed when he creates a simple and non-challenging work? Should the master of debate be impressed with dominating a debate with a high schooler or the master chess player be proud of championing over the amateur? If nobody would be shocked with Valentino Rossi (considered the god of MotoGP racing) being able to drag knee at a local track day, why should anybody be impressed with me as an AP student graduating high school?

              Look, I’m not saying that I’m not somewhat proud of my achievement, if one can call it that, but what I do feel proud of has nothing to do with high school as an institution. Yes, I am proud that I could see how integral calculus applies to real-world scenarios. I do somewhat find my ability to see how the pulling of union troops from the south and prematurely ending reconstruction following the civil war led to Jim Crow rising in the South. Obviously realizing how events in World War Two such as Japan’s Rape of Nanking impacts the tension between Chinese and Japanese people today or how the provisions within the Treaty of Versailles led to Hitler’s rise to power in Germany (as well as the rise of BMW motorcycles and cars as they exist today) is something few high school sophomores could grasp. However, I don’t see my diploma as that. I can’t honestly say that I feel I even earned it; honestly, the American high school diploma may as well be considered a constitutional right at this point.

              Can you really say that it’s an achievement to be awarded something that everyone has too? I understand that my GPA is well-above a 4.0, but what’s that matter if the jackoff in the seat next to me slept through class half the time, nearly never gave an effort, and was a C and D student? Having been to a graduation ceremony, I know that they try to make it out like everyone is accomplishing something big. Really? How is it that my struggles in high school were the same as the person next to me, or three rows behind me, or so on and so forth? No, I reject this theory. For many, high school was just a passive thing, perhaps even one actively resisted. For some, it was more difficult than for me. But given the roughly 80% graduation rate of last year, I don’t know if it’s all that special.

              Back to me for another minute here. Would one rather ride a slow bike fast or a fast bike slow? The experienced rider always picks the former. Why? Because to do such a thing is a challenge and an achievement, but to stick a BMW S1000rr or a CBR 1000rr on a highway at 65mph is not. To an extent, I feel like that was much of my high school experience. Go there, sit down, shut up, and do the work. Hell, I don’t know that I ever had a major point where I was worried that I wouldn’t pass a class. I look at high school and my experience with it and feel like I’m John from Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Within the novel, a nanny-state that is totalitarian in nature keeps power by socially engineering castes of people based on intelligence via artificial breeding and birthing, encouraging sexual promiscuity, distributing drugs, and the like. Effectively, the state has created perfect stability; there is no need for any struggle. John, a savage from outside the society at one point proclaims, “ I want justice, I want good, I want evil, I want Sin…” The world controller he is with retorts by saying, “ You are in a sense proclaiming the right to be unhappy.” John then responds, “I claim them all.” I look at high school and I’m not even sure I earned my diploma; even if one does put in solid effort, can one say it matters when the bar for success is set so low?

              And on the topic of claiming them all and questioning whether or not you’ve earned something, why does everyone feel obligated to give me a graduation present or money? When you get a paycheck from your job, if you’re a good employee you never question if you deserve the money you’re receiving. Why? Because you know damn-well you’ve earned it. I look at those who have already made it clear that I’m getting a graduation gift and I question why I’m even getting one. I’ve provided no service for them, done no deed for them, and truthfully not worked all that hard. So, why then are they giving me shit? I honestly find it slightly suspect. Are they using me to jack themselves off and gratify their own existence? If so, they can shove that money up their ass. I’m not here to let them live vicariously through me; there’s a fucking reason I’m not the starting quarterback. Are they doing it because it’s what’s socially acceptable? Look, they’re my family and they love me; I get that. But, there’s something nongenuine about giving sums of money in excess of $500 dollars[1]. I don’t know, it feels like this is turning a private victory or achievement into a public spectacle that I didn’t ask for. I think part of it may actually be a ploy by the high school graduation industry. When we had the salesman for the company that does our caps and gowns come talk to us, he started talking about graduation presents and gifts. I told him flat-out that the word for that is called bribery; he responded that’s exactly what it was. How in the fuck is bribery okay in this instance.?!

              And, if this really is my big achievement, should I not have the right to not celebrate it. My grandmother was less than amused when I told her I wasn’t participating in the graduation ceremony. She gave the whole rundown of how my family would feel and how it’s disrespectful to teachers, etc,etc. Look, if it’s not my achievement, fucking say it. Admit that you’re an authoritarian prick and that I just need to shut up and take the dick up my ass of letting graduation be a big deal. But if it’s not, let me do as I please. I would rather be sitting on a riverbank with a couple of friends and a fishing pole than listening to my principal who doesn’t give a shit about me talk about his philosophy of life. I feel like Stan Marsh in the episode of South Park on voting where he says that it doesn’t make sense to vote if his choices are between a turd sandwich and a giant douche. I feel it’s quite relatable to my situation here. It’s my achievement and it’s a big grand thing…unless I don’t want it to be. In which case, I’m just an asshole and need to shut up because it’s not about me (my current stepdad had literally said that to me in eighth grade when I first said I wasn’t interested in High school graduation).  

              Look, I’m trying to figure out why this irks me and disturbs me so much. Maybe there’s something inside me that is being upset by this, and maybe there isn’t. I wish I felt like this was a big deal, I really do, but I don’t. There were things in high school that I am proud of myself for doing, but I don’t feel my diploma reflects those things; I’m a critical thinker and a free thinker, no piece of paper could ever internalize that for me—it’s something I’ve already done and that only I can do. Even when it comes to celebrating it, I would rather it be sitting around a campfire with a couple of friends being dumbass teenage boys. I would rather it be out on a motorcycle ride with those in my family who also ride. The last way I want to celebrate it is by shaking the hands of a bunch of school board members who’ve passed policies that I genuinely feel were massive middle fingers to those in the school who are academically-concerned. I honestly just don’t get the point. I look at high school and graduation, and I guess I don’t feel like I had much purpose for it. To quote Eminem: “And even though the battle was won, I feel like we lost it. I spent so much energy on it honestly I’m exhausted.” I’m looking at it going, “What for”. I guess I’m at a loss.

[1] That amount is based on a conversation between me and my grandfather. He said that just the money I would receive from them is enough for a set of high-end aftermarket lights for my motorcycle. These lights start, start, at around 800 dollars.

#graduation #high school #life #meaning #family #do i care #what's the point #frustration

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

The rule is "Fuck yes, or no." If you get a meh, ok, what's the point? If you like me, say yes. Dont test me. Or rather, please play this game. At least then I know youre not worth my time.

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

I AM the version of me who ends up with the girl of my dreams--I just haven't found her yet.

Perseus C. Joe

#Dating #relationships #men #motivation #women #positivity #strength #courage #life

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

Masculinity is What You Make it:

     Within the scope of the past year or so, most recently demonstrated by the Gillette’s controversial advertisement a few weeks ago, there has been much debate regarding the state and status of masculinity. Of course, if you ask someone who deems masculinity toxic, they may claim that masculinity at its core is about being overly aggressive, hiding emotions or being stoic, and about being aggressive when pursuing women. When you ask someone who finds toxic masculinity an obscene concept what masculinity means to him or her, you may hear that it’s being courageous, perhaps something about knowing how to fix things, or maybe being the family protector of women and children. Why could the answers possibly be so different? If masculinity is this thing in society that is tangible and can have definite impacts on the culture, shouldn’t everyone have a roughly consistent answer on its definition? I propose instead that because masculinity is an abstract and intangible idea created by humans to describe or give meaning to the world around us and ourselves that how society defines masculinity is based not on what it indeed is but rather who the person you are asking thinks it is.

 How Perceptions, lenses, and worldviews shape the definition of masculinity:

               As humans, we view our world through our own lenses, ideas, perspectives, and beliefs. If you don’t believe me, consider this thought experiment. If you were to ask a conservative and a liberal what the central issue surrounding abortion is you could possibly get two different responses. I would postulate that the conservative may claim it’s about life beginning at conception based on some religious reasoning. It may be a safe assumption to say that the liberal would say it’s about a woman’s right to choose. And because of this difference in political preference, the entire way in which they frame their arguments is widely different; they looked at the issue from different lenses. Abortion is a tangible and legitimate thing in the world, but the concept of whether or not it should be allowed and why has much more to do with a person’s beliefs and values.

          Similarly, because there is no exact definition of what masculinity is, two people may very well come to different interpretations of it. If you were to take a man who works as a construction worker, is a married with two kids, goes out drinking with the boys on Friday nights after work, and drives a truck; he would probably claim that masculinity is a positive thing and that its definition is something that fits his own life. That is, he may define masculinity as knowing how to do “man stuff” (fixing and building things), providing for and protecting your family, and drinking and watching sports on your days off. But, if you were to ask a feminist who grew up with an abusive father, went to college and got caught up in a women’s activist group, and maybe did her thesis on United States rape culture; you would most likely receive a negative view of masculinity or of its definition. Again, because of life differences, they define the same concept entirely differently.

 What this Means about Re-drawing Masculinity.

      How does all this relate to the hoopla about re-defining masculinity as a society? It means that there is really no way to do it. Why? Because there is no supreme entity that defines masculinity, Sure, there are dictionary definitions out there, and marketers at corporations do sell gendered items based on gender stereotypes; however, masculinity is still just an arbitrary and abstract concept. It’s this fact that is causing so much of controversy around needing to redefine masculinity.

      To someone who genuinely sees masculinity as being a collective of toxic traits, it seems reasonable to re-draw what masculinity is. Yet, to someone who considers masculinity as a collective of positive traits, there’s no reason to even deem masculinity toxic. And, you cannot redefine what society thinks about something when everyone has different opinions on what that something is.

               Furthermore, there’s no real way to objectively say what true masculinity is or isn’t. As Mark Manson asserts in The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, people are never “right” about anything; we just go from being wrong to being slightly less wrong (as an aside, he also discusses the concept how people see the world). So that feminist who claims masculinity is toxic is wrong, but so is the Trump voter from the south.

               The bottom line here is that from my point of view, which in being truly fair is probably wrong and slanted as well, there is no point in the media or society arguing about a concept which no authority could objectively give a definition to.

 So, what are We to do?

     I propose that you define what being masculine or being a man is to you. If it’s an abstract concept that nobody can define, you may as well give it the meaning that you can live with.

      And, ultimately, I’d argue that this is also the best expedient for fixing anything the anti-masculinists may see as problematic with masculinity. I say this because what relatively sane person being as objective and self-aware as their opinions be would be able to justify defining their core values as being overly aggressive or hiding from their emotions or raping women? In that same logic, what sane person could find fault in being courageous enough to run into a burning building or for protecting and providing for his family? While these examples are more reflective of my views, the basic argument is that it’s hard for a person who isn’t a sociopath to have shitty values if they are forced to write out what their values are and critically examine them. In the same note, it’s hard for someone to look at values that the average human wouldn’t call reprehensible and deem them as such.  

      The other thing I’d say is that we should all try to be a little more understanding of where we are all coming from and why we say and claim what we do. I think that it’s essential that those who wish to reform masculinity to understand that lots of men don’t believe in harassing women nor do they believe masculinity should embody that. It’s also important to examine why you may feel that men are taught sexual harassment is okay. And, perhaps those same people should realize that most men are also just living their lives. On the flip side, those on the other side should potentially consider the arguments being proposed; maybe men on average do try to hide our emotions. Perhaps we need to examine why some of us may hide our feelings. And maybe that feminist claiming rape culture is herself a rape survivor. But, regardless, we should be at least aware of why we hold the views we do and why others hold the views that they do.

 So, what is my Definition of masculinity?

      Of course, I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t mention my own definition of what being a man is. Well, I’ll tell you. The majority of this comes from my personal mission statement; the rest from what I like doing in life and other worldviews I hold.

     Regarding character, I believe that all men should act honorably. We should have the integrity to do the right thing and the courage to stand up for what we believe is right. I believe that men ought to be honest in all circumstances, even when it is uncomfortable to do so.

     Regarding women, I believe that chivalry shouldn’t be dead. Being overly aggressive in trying to woo a woman to the point where she is uncomfortable should be considered obscene; however, there needs to be understanding that there’s nothing wrong with making an approach or trying to compliment women. I believe that fidelity is one of the most important things a man can show to a woman. I also believe that it is man’s role to act as the provider and as a protector should the need arise; an American man should have one arm around his girl and his shotgun in the other. With all this said, men’s relationship statuses shouldn’t define their self-worth as relationships are volatile and potentially hard to come by.      

     Regarding technical ability, I personally think it’s important for a man to have it. I believe that a man should be able to work on an engine, find studs in a wall, and not be afraid to get dirty. However, this is my definition of masculinity, and as such technical ability shouldn’t be a metric for those who may very well not have it. But a man should be equally as competent in ironing a shirt, doing laundry, cooking, and cleaning as he is in doing shop work.

     I also believe that men should be intellectual. We should never stop learning nor should we ever stop questioning things.

     I personally do not see any bearing sports should have on a man; however, I understand that sports bear importance for many men in society. I also believe that trying to live vicariously through your children by forcing them to play a sport is abhorrent and should never be tolerated by anyone.  

     I believe that a man should be able to ride a motorcycle. I also believe that a man should be able to drive a manual transmission and pull a trailer. But these are my values, not anybody else’s.

     I do not believe men should hide their emotions. It is better to cry than to hide behind alcoholism or violence. I also think that men should be comfortable experiencing their softer side. However, I also believe that a man needs to learn how to handle his emotions and possibly mask them at times; a warzone is no place to start bawling because your feelings are hurt. In his children and his peers, I believe that a man should also promote this belief.

 Synopsis and Conclusion:

     Masculinity is an abstract concept that nobody can really define. In the same tone, what people define masculinity as is really more a reflection of them and their lives than of what it truly is. Because of this we shouldn’t really try to “re-brand” what masculinity should be, and those who are trying to do so are not objectively right about what masculinity should be. But this is really a great thing and should set us all free. Since it’s an abstract concept, we can all define for ourselves what masculinity and being a man is or ought to be. Furthermore, in knowing that we can only go from being wrong about stuff to being slightly less wrong, we can change our own opinions on the definition of masculinity when we hear or learn about opposing opinions on the topic. If nothing else, just know that nobody is really “right” or “wrong” on what masculinity in our culture today is. We all just see the undefinable concept differently, and that’s okay too.    

#men #masculinity #toxic #toxic masculinity #gender #society #gillette #male #boy #boys #feminism #egalitarian #egalitarism #equality #perspectives #truth #life #polarization #conflict

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

Huxley's Brave New World, was NOT supposed to be a fucking instruction manual!

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

Gillette: Perpetuating Division and Polarization

     I initially started writing my opinion piece on this ad talking about how it perpetuated gender stereotypes about men. Now I feel like my biggest connection is that I feel it’s just one more strand in a tapestry of things trying to divide human society by focusing on our flaws, rather than unite us by pointing out our strengths.      It feels like there is a conspiracy to divide and pit everyone against each other. Sometimes it feels like our society parallels that of the episode of Rick and Morty where a political candidate says that the divide he saw wasn’t between Ricks and Mortys but between those who liked the division and those who didn’t. I hope that the majority of people still feel we are united as a society; as for myself, I can’t say what I think about humanity anymore. I would just like one day where there wasn’t any bickering or blanket labeling. I’m tired of hearing Meghan Trainor’s song “No”, where she essentially says that men shouldn’t try to approach women at bars or clubs; how then, are men supposed to start relationships and talk to women? I’m tired of the MGTOW movement trying to paint all women as gold diggers who are snakes. And, this Gillette commercial is equally toxic; why are you assuming that all men catcall or are okay with sexual assault or rape? I would rather have seen a commercial upholding the men in the world who are positive influences. I’d like to think that most men don’t see women as sex objects and that most women don’t see men as potential rapists; I fear that if that dichotomy is true or becomes true, that our species will go extinct due to lack of breeding (yes, I know I’m exaggerating here).      The frightening thing is that as we continue into the future, we need to cooperate more than ever. Our farmers will continue to need to feed exponentially growing populations with continually decreasing acreages of land; to accomplish this, we will need more agricultural scientists and engineers, farmers, field hands, and distributors. We will need to continue to develop and build housing for this increasing population. Here again, we need more people: Civil engineers, architects, construction managers, construction workers, mortgage brokers, and developers. Politics too will continue to grow: More legislators, executives that can appeal to mass swaths of people, government agencies, and countless local officials. The common trend here, across any industry, is that we need more people. It doesn’t matter your genitalia, what genitalia you find attractive, what your color is, or even your stance on what end to break your egg from; what matters is your merit, your character, your ability to perform your job well, and your ability to work with others. And, it’s ultimately the last aspect of that which I fear is in jeopardy. How can you ignore the aspects of a person that shouldn’t matter, when all anyone talks about are those aspects? We are an interdependent society; when you make one person bleed, the entire world sheds blood.      “I am talented and amazing, and I stand among countless others who are equally gifted. We will work interdependently to make the world a better place for all.” That quote is out of my most recent personal mission statement, which I ratified December of last year. If I had one wish right about now, it would be that enough people had that same line in theirs to definitively outnumber those who seem to want our society pitted against each other like rabid wolves. Beyond that, my personal request to Gillette is to make a commercial that is centered on men’s strengths rather than our alleged weaknesses; if, as they claimed in a press release, they are aiming to uplift men, that’s what would be best in my eyes.      

#division #equality #egalitarianism #humanity #important #peace #life #society

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

If a ship has been sunk, I can't bring it up. If it is going to be sunk, I can't stop it. I can use my time much better working on tomorrow's problem than by fretting about yesterday's. Besides, if I let those things get me, I wouldn't last long

Admiral Ernest J. King

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

I want to start a watch and clock company where all the pieces go counterclockwise just to fuck with people and be a troll

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

Society: Men just need to open up more

Me: I cant just barf up everything at point blank. Why do you think therapy has never worked for me?

Society: That's just toxic masculinity. Men just need to get in line.

Me: So you want me to barf up my heart and all my emotions but then collectively attack my gender when we say it's not that simple? Yet, you wonder why we stay clammed up?

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

How do you define right, wrong, good, and bad in a world where there seems more uncertainty in those concepts than the uncertain episode of Rick and Morty

Perseus C. Joe

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

Dont ever overthink stuff. Trust fall backwards into your own creativity and mental foresight.

Perseus C. Joe

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

Another Privilege

Media Privilege: n. The ability to write pieces of misleading, misinterpreted, or entirely false information that you know nothing about but still get people to believe

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

The Smearing of Cops Due to Police Shootings by the Media

BACKGROUND

           Oftentimes after a police shooting, seemingly exclusively with minority victims, the media instantly exploits it as a tool to smear or label all police officers as evil, racists, soldiers of Satan, or otherwise repulsive people. The recent, tragic shooting of Botham Jean by off duty Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger is no different. One article specifically, written by Phillip Stinson, aimed to provide shoddy statistics in a risible attempt to claim incidents of police crime are common.

THESIS/CONNECTION TO WORLD:

All shootings are leveraged by a despicable media machine in its death throws, to push a false narrative of repugnant officers; however, the facts they provide are misleading and legitimate data shows the conduct of cops as laudable both on and off duty.

BODY:

           The crusade by anti-police zealots to push the narrative that police violence and use of force on while on duty is rampant and uncontrolled is blatantly dishonest. To begin with, the media has portrayed cops as regularly having poor conduct in their interactions with the public. However, a Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) survey from 2011 centered around police interactions with people found that 91.2 percent of people reported that officers acted appropriately during interactions (Berzofsky, 2017). This percentage is consistent with a separate BJS report from 1996 dealing with 1991 data which found only 11.3 complaints against police per 100,000 people. Clearly, the media has tainted the public perception of police, they haven’t simply reported on it. Speaking of media lies, they unashamedly overexaggerate the police shooting of suspects. However, the (BJS) report from 1996 of 1991 data only found a .9 suspect frequency of firearm death per 1000 police officers and an even more miniscule .2 frequency of firearm wounding as a result of shootings per 1000 officers (McEwne, 1996). This miniscule rate, when factoring in the nearly 1.1 million sworn police officers in the United States, substantiates the claim that most officers will never fire their service weapon in the duration of their career; this truth is certainly a far cry from dystopian journalists who push a myth of cops calling open season on innocent civilians. Of course, the statistically ill-studied also argue that the use of force, or even the threat of force, is grossly overused by officers. Yet again, true statistics refute this comical claim. The BJS survey conducted in 2011 about citizens’ interactions with police found that only 4.1 percent of those interviewed recalled police threatening or actually using force (Berzofsky, 2017). So, if only 4.1 percent of all police contacts with civilians appear to result in a threat or use of force of any kind, how can the apocryphal narrative about police beating every old lady in the nation exist? Of course, then there is the tiring, ignorant, and internecine argument that cops are racist. Well, then are law enforcement officers sexist as well? After all, 73% of formal complaints against officers in the 1996 BJS report originated from males (McEwne, 1996). This disproportionate rate of complaints, as the BJS said themselves, is most likely a result of males perpetrating the majority of crime in the US, not sexism. The same is true for minorities who are arrested. How can police be blamed for the fact that African Americans commit a disproportionate amount of crime? Of course, the church of cop condemning also argues that many of these reports are swept under the rug. However, though the 1996 report did find that of the 3053formally logged complaints made in 1991, only 480 were sustained (McEwne, 1996), this doesn’t mean the system turns a blind eye to officer misconduct. Just to begin with, why do departments have Internal Affairs divisions? Beyond that, if there is misconduct, why would a police chief let it run rampant and allow a media firestorm against his department to possibly arise? And, of course, DA’s love cases against corruption because of how good it makes them look during election years. In other words, the system has a vested interest in keeping its own nose clean. Given these numbers, it is dumbfounding how reporters can so easily paint police as evil and frightening that most people will believe it without question or research.

           More deceitful than calling the on duty conduct of officers into question, the article by Stinson goes one step further and tries to claim the Guyger incident is common conduct for off duty cops. From the jump, Stinson claims that there are around 900 officers arrested each year (Stinson, 2018). While he offers no clear citation of this information, let’s use this number and combine it with the number of sworn police officers in 2012, which is 1,076,054 according to the BJS (Banks & Hendrix, 2016). This computes to a mere .0835% of officers being arrested while off duty. How can someone, let alone a professor of criminology who is a retired cop and attorney, try to paint an isolated incident into the tip of an iceberg, when the iceberg is less than one percent of a given population? His claim becomes even more shoddy when one institutes a control data set. The 2012 US population was 315,231,924 (U.S. and World Population Clock, 2018) and there were a recorded 12,196,959 arrests according to the FBI (Uniform Crime Report: Crime in the United States, 2012, 2012); this computes to a 3.87% of the US population being arrested. Again, where is the epidemic of police crime, as he calls it? Stinson then goes on to assert an even more laughable claim. Because 11% of all crimes perpetrated by off-duty cops involved guns, and due to the 41 convictions of off duty cops on murder/manslaughter charges between 2005 and 2013, Stinson asserts that citizens would be safer if cops didn’t carry guns off duty (Stinson, 2018). Yet, an NIJ report shows that 8% of all violent crimes perpetrated in 2018 involved a gun; therefore, there is only a marginal increase in the rate of gun crime among on-duty cops compared to regular citizens (Gun Violence, 2018). Then there are the convicted officers found guilty of murder/manslaughter; how can those 41 cases imply a rash of violent and out of control off-duty cops, when in 2012 there were 11,075 reported murder and non-negligent manslaughter cases in the U.S. (Uniform Crime Report: Crime in the United States, 2012, 2012)? Beyond the statistics, though, how can this professor seriously claim that police officers should voluntarily abstain from exercising their right to bear arms? Police, especially in today’s climate could easily become the target of a violent, anti-police, madman; should these brave men and women leave themselves undefended against such a threat while off duty? Furthermore, when officers are sworn into service, they are also sworn to uphold the law and protect the public regardless of if they are or aren’t on duty. So, if an off-duty officer witnesses an armed robbery, should he or she be expected to confront the perpetrator hand and fist against an armed aggressor because some criminologist thinks 41 murder/manslaughters over a nine-year period is substantial? Furthermore, why should we disarm a group of men and women who are some of the most well-trained individuals in the discipline of firearms? And of course, there is also the petty and shameless blow of stating that 42 percent of officer arrests are alcohol related (Stinson, 2018). However, the troglodyte conveniently omits that 40% of all violent crime involves alcohol, and about 60% of all individuals arrested for crime of any kind test positive for either alcohol or illicit drugs (Alcohol, Drugs, and Crime, 2015). So, all Stinson has done is prove that cops fit the general trend of the US population when it comes to alcohol and arrest. Regrettably, this is the trend of most news articles; they fail to put any numbers they list into context. The scientific method typically requires control tests to see if variables have any effect on experimental results. perhaps journalists should provide control population stats when trying to smear a group of people; of course, if they did this, they would inevitably disprove their own narrative as a result.

CONCLUSION:

           Every time a cop is involved in an incident leading to egg being on the face of policing as a whole, regardless of the justifiability of his or her actions, it allows journalism to do everything it can to assert narratives and incite police hatred. The Guyger case is no different; it follows the maxim of one cop does something and suddenly all cops are evil. However, even in the sea of skewed, misleading, or blatantly fake arguments and statistics, the truth can still be found. The majority of police activity is legitimate, and most cops have impeccable conduct. Yes, bad cops exist and yes, they need to be prosecuted; however, the system already handles these rare cases quite well. One of the problems is the lack of investigating of suspicious articles by the average reader as well as lack of consideration for the blue side of the line. And, although it is true, BJS, NIS, and FBI statistics and reports are time consuming and difficult to follow, there are other places to see the other side’s argument. TV Series like “Blue Bloods” offer very legitimate arguments and portray both sides of police issues, YouTubers like Donut Operator and Mike the Cop also give their two cents on police affairs, and there are also websites dedicated to the other side of the badge. However, if nothing else, the next time articles provide numbers with no barometer to compare them to, perhaps be a bit more critical of the author’s claim, regardless of his or her ethos.      

      WORKS CITED

Alcohol, Drugs, and Crime. (2015, 6 27). Retrieved 9 13, 2018, from ncadd.org: https://www.ncadd.org/about-addiction/alcohol-drugs-and-crime

Banks, D., & Hendrix, J. (2016). National Sources of Law Enforcement Employment Data . BJS. Seattle, WA: RTI Intl. Retrieved 9 15, 2018, from https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/nsleed.pdf

Berzofsky, M. (2017). Police-Public Contact Survey: Assessment and Recommendations for Producing Trend Estimates after 2011 Questionnaire Redesig. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Retrieved 9 13, 2018, from https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/ppcsarpte11qr.pdf

Gun Violence. (2018, 3 2018). Retrieved from nij.gov: https://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/gun-violence/pages/welcome.aspx

McEwne, T. (1996). National Data Collection on Police Use of Force. Alexandria, VA: Bureau of Jusice Statistics (BJS). Retrieved 9 13, 2018, from https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/ndcopuof.pdf

Stinson, P. M. (2018, 9 11). The Federal Government Doesn’t Track Police Violence—But I Do. Retrieved 9 15, 2018, from The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/09/amber-guyger-fallout-how-common-is-police-crime/569950/

U.S. and World Population Clock. (2018, 9 18). Retrieved from census.gov: https://www.census.gov/popclock/

(2012). Uniform Crime Report: Crime in the United States, 2012. FBI, Washington, DC. Retrieved 9 15, 2018, from https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2012/crime-in-the-u.s.-2012/persons-arrested/arrestmain.pdf

#police #blue lives matter #blue lives murder #blue lives don't matter #black lives matter #police brutality #facts #truth #media #fake news #fake facts #lie #liars #statistics

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

How do You Define Creativity

List some of the most creative people you know. What names did you come up with? If you only defined creativity to include the artistic aspect of the word, then the list probably includes the likes of Picasso, DaVinci, and Rembrandt. But, what if I told you that creativity has a much broader context, and that in this context, revolutionary scientists, like Albert Einstein specifically, are probably the most creative individuals in the world? The majority of people see creativity only in the context of artistic works. However, creativity better defined as the ability for one to create something first in his or her mind’s eye before creating it in real life; or, to find an innovative or elegantly eccentric solution to a complex problem. Based on this definition, Einstein’s thought experiments on physics or an engineer’s design for an engine are just as creative, if not more creative, than an artist’s sculpture or portrait. Personally, I cannot draw or paint or sculpt to save my life; however, my creative side is evident as the day is long when I am striving to solve an arduous math problem, or when I am out in the garage working on a motorcycle or tinkering with mechanical objects.

           The majority of people would never see a complex computation as a creative, right-brain task; however, in the upper levels of mathematics, your ability to creatively find a solution is imperative to your success. In advanced algebra, calculus, and statistics, math implores creativity. No longer is the subject a one-way street or an if/then function. You no longer stand on a one-way street; you are in a maze of streets in a vast city. Because of this, you can no longer live in a paradigm of “how do I solve this”, you must use the perspective of “how can I apply my knowledge of the subject to get an answer?” This is why word problems are so difficult; similar to Einstein, you have to use thought experiments to obtain a solution. And this is why math is simultaneously a science and a bit of an art; although there are set rules and algorithms you must follow, you must be able to discern how to apply the algorithms to solve the problem. I have recollection of a calculus problem asking about the total number of algae in a lake; at first, it seemed daunting. However, when I examined the information provided in the problem, I found that an integral employing square cross-sections based on algae concentration would provide an answer. I had no idea exactly how it would pan out, but I found the solution after a bit of work and a creative approach to the problem. Sure, I could never re-create the Mona Lisa, but I could certainly use my right brain to decipher any math equation thrown at me.

           Another area where creativity isn’t necessarily thought to be commonly used, is the problem solving involved in the art of repair. Similar to math, working on any mechanical object like a motorcycle, is just as much a creative process of finding solutions to problems as it is a logical skill. Take an example from about a month ago. I was in a position where one of the cylinder heads on my BMW R1100S needed to be replaced. I was planning to take on the job myself, and I enlisted my uncle as a second set of hands. However, when changing cylinder heads in an overhead cam engine with a timing chain, diligence must be taken in ensuring the crankshaft is locked in place so that valve timing remains correct. Now, BMW has a hole in the motor where a locking pin can be inserted to be certain the engine won’t move; the problem was that the pin was too long to be inserted into the hole. This was very concerning because it was imperative to insert the pin, and we were thinking that the entire back end of the motorcycle would have to be removed ― all for a locking pin to be inserted into a hole. But, we zoomed out and shifted our paradigm: Like in math, we stopped asking “what do we need to do” and instead asked “what can we do”, “how can we use our mechanical knowledge to come up with a solution?” And eventually, we came up with an answer. By using a cutoff wheel to truncate the locking pin, we could use a pair of vice grips to maneuver the pin into the hole and lock the crank position in place. The remarkable thing about the mechanical world is that solutions like this are so common, yet few people would ever think of mechanics as creative minds. However, if thinking through a problem in your mind to determine a solution isn’t the essence of creativity, I don’t know what is.  

           The ways that I express my creativity are certainly not manners in which the majority of individuals would understand; however, my creative side is exists just the same. Indeed, math and mechanical repair would probably be viewed by most as left-brain dominant fields, if viewed as fields requiring thought at all. However, creativity is more a gene than an activity; and, like a gene, it can express itself in more than one way. Creativity is simply the ability to solve problems by looking at them at all angles and devising a solution in your mind’s eye that is then transferred into real life. In this sense, artists and engineers are equally creative, they just show it in different ways.  

#creativity #creative side #expression #paradigm shift #perspective #truth

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

I am NOT Fake

The number one way in which I am different from the majority of applicants to the UC is that I am not fake.

           In the modern college admissions climate, high school students are often encouraged to get involved in clubs or activities to become well rounded, which is the newest college buzzword to describe what makes a good candidate. ­­However, the problem with this is that having a plethora of extracurricular activities or club involvement doesn’t equate to a person of high quality or character; it simply means someone has been involved in numerous clubs. This results in the majority of applicants looking fake and devoid of substance because they are; they played the game they were told to play. I, in contrast, chose not to take part in this dog and pony show. For me, it boiled down to why would I try to associate myself in groups or activities that aren’t me; why would I waste my time trying to pretend to be someone I’m not to build character and become well rounded? Building character and becoming well rounded aren’t things that an activity can do for you; these are things that come from within you. Instead, I chose to spend my years in high school doing as I saw fit. I didn’t get involved freshman year; instead, I focused on my studies and spent the majority of my free time outside of class riding horses. Sophomore year, given the amount of AP courses I had chosen to take, I found it more prudent to dedicate time outside of class to studying than to get involved. Furthermore, when my riding instructor became overly dependent on me, I quit riding horses; to fill in the gap that left, I got my first job which I still currently have. Going into Junior year, I became somewhat disillusioned with the path I was on: Sure, I had a 4.6 GPA, but was it worth the workload and the stress? Although I continued on until the end of the year, I decided that I wouldn’t take a heavy course load during my senior year, even if it meant no longer being eligible for top ten or valedictorian. And, to be frank, although I am slightly nervous about what my lack of involvement and choice to not take a full schedule of classes during senior year will equate to during my college search, I wouldn’t change my choices. Why? Because if I had gotten involved, I would’ve hated any given club I signed up for. And as a direct result of that, anything I would be putting down on a college application would be fake, regardless of how well rounded it may make me seem.

           And, counter intuitive as it may seem, this lack of involvement and choosing to cut my own path most-likely makes me one of the most well-rounded, real, and self-made young adults in the United States. I came to this realization quite recently when I was reading an article in my English class. The author was a dean of admissions, and she was talking about how one of her recent interviews was with an individual claiming he was looking forward to have the opportunity to fail in college. Because of his response, he stood apart from every other applicant she had interviewed recently; what I took away from the article, was that all the things that the experts say will get you into a college is false; the secret is to be real and to not follow any rules or ten step programs. And because I’m not “well rounded”, because every decision I made in high school, both academic and otherwise, came from my own convictions and internal compass, anything I put down on my applications or in my application letters, will come from those convictions and be genuine as well. Therefore, by not doing things to make me look well developed as a person, I will stand out from every applicant who has.  

#college #fake #fake people #be yourself #stand apart #cut your own path #don't play their game

[the-chronicles-of-homo-sapiens]

I can honestly say I never thought of it this way

Pro abortion arguments be like