Believe in Yourself!

One of the first steps to success in life is believing in yourself and your abilities.  Every successful and happy person I know has a reasonable confidence in his/her abilities.  You don’t have to be perfect, but you must have an unshakeable self-confidence.  

It is astonishing when I come in contact with people with inferiority complexes.  Friends of mine have shocked me time and time again when they come to me all stressed out about grades, for example.  They generally blame their perceived poor performance on external things such as a bad teacher or a lack of study time.  However, I can tell that a lack of self-confidence underlies many of their concerns.  

I am not advocating that you go out and parade your knowledge and skills.  The best kind of confidence is a humble confidence.  I generally see this modest assertiveness exhibited through individual’s body language.  This special type of person usually has a slight grin at all times, a thoughtful appearance, and a positive outlook.

There is a significant difference between confidence and arrogance.  I can identify my talents and abilities, but when I get asked questions about myself, I always sprinkle in a little bit of self-deprecation.  Quite honestly, over-confidence is a turn-off.  By now, you’ve probably met that person who is annoyingly conceited and egotistical.   Everyone makes mistakes, and to meet someone who is not afraid to admit an error is quite refreshing.

The Four Immeasurables

May all beings have happiness and causes of happiness.

May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.

May all beings rejoice in the well-being of others.

May all beings live in peace, free from greed and hatred.

A Short Story About the Beginning of Everything

Recently, a good friend of mine composed this story and gave it to proofread.  After reading it through a couple times and making a couple minor changes, I decided it must be posted here.

Before the beginning of time, there was a single consciousness.  That consciousness thought and dreamed an infinity of thoughts, feelings, landscapes, and worlds, an infinity of possible creations. These mental creations thought their own thoughts, and these secondary thoughts also created their own inner worlds. The original consciousness observed and interacted with these inner beings as they interacted with one another, and that original consciousness begin to provide the environments required for its creations to grow and develop. All of the entities within the mind of the first longed to exist independently and grow and create as they had been created.

The first consciousness, in order to allow its progeny full freedom of expression, began to imagine the conditions that would be required for the release of these inner worlds into objective existence. As it did so, all of space, time, and matter, including our universe, exploded into being. On the highest level, this physical existence contains an infinite number of dimensions and environments that match the infinite variety of possibilities that had formed in the mind of the original consciousness.

This process continues as the progeny of that first mind grow and create new thoughts and new worlds. We are a result of that process, and our purpose is ultimately the same: to grow, to develop, and to create, in order to express all of the potentialities within ourselves. We are still in contact with the original mind because we are made of it, we sprang from it, and because time has no meaning outside of the physical universe, our past, present, and future exist together as an infinite variety of possibilities within that larger moment.

What Does Metaphysics Mean?

Recently, a friend and I were hanging out in downtown Lawrence on a sunny, Saturday afternoon.  After our usual trip to Subway, we went down to the Border’s on Vermont Street to see if we could find a few bargains.  As you might know, Border’s is closing over 150 of their bookstores across the nation, and the one in Lawrence is holding an “everything must go” sale.  Fixtures, furniture, and all books must be gone by the time the lease expires.  

While perusing the bookshelves, we came across a bookshelf labeled “metaphysics”.  The shelf contained books about pseudoscience, the occult, paganism, Wicca, and ghosts.  My friend then asked me what metaphysics are, and I didn’t have a great explanation off the top of my head, so I tried to wing it.  I used the example of a book.  “Metaphysics tries to determine whether there is a difference between my perception of this book and the book in itself.”, I explained.  I didn’t get the feeling that he was enlightened, so I went on to give a few examples of metaphysical questions...

-Does God exist?

-Is the external world real?

-What are the contents of reality?

For someone newly acquainted with the study of philosophy, these concepts can be daunting and confusing.  Because my explanation at the time was less than satisfactory, I wanted to give it another shot here.  

The word ‘metaphysics’ was first used by students of Aristotle to mean “after the physics”.  In the philosophical sense, metaphysics deals with questions that go beyond the physics.  Metaphysics attempts to wrestle with questions that lie deeper than other sciences- questions concerning the fundamental assumptions and theoretical foundations of all other disciplines.  As a result, metaphysics came to mean the branch of philosophy that addresses questions about the nature of reality.  Here’s a few examples of metaphysical questions...

-Is there a difference between the way things appear to us and the way they really are?

-Does mental or spiritual reality depend on the physical world, or is it the other way around?

-Is everything that happens predetermined?  If so, does this eliminate the possibility of us making free choices?

-What makes something the same thing at two different times?

-What makes a person the same person throughout the course of his/her life?

As you can see, metaphysics covers a wide range of philosophical topics.  If it helps, you can think of all these questions as having one common theme- the nature of reality.  Particular sciences focus on some aspect of reality, but metaphysics takes in everything that exists and tries to reach conclusions about its basic nature. 

Dispatch 3/27/11

Sitting in my dorm room back in Lawrence, Kansas.  The weather here is gloomy, but students are beginning to arrive, which makes the atmosphere more collegeseque.  The Jayhawks tip off in about an hour against Virginia Commonwealth.  If 'Hawks win, they go to the Final Four.  I can't imagine Lawrence when KU makes it to the Final Four.  There is probably scenes of pandemonium everywhere. Assuming a victory today, the Jayhawks will face Butler next.  Butler is a scrappy team, but the Jayhawk's size and speed will be too much for the over-achieving Bulldogs.  


The uprisings in the Middle East have proliferated in the past week to Syria and Yemen.  While it's a positive thing that the people over there want democracy, America and its allies should be very careful because there are radicals who desire authority.  What if the groups we are assisting turn out to be sympathetic with Al-Qaeda?


Former Vice-Presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro died last week at the age of 75.  She was the first woman to be nominated for vice-president in the United States.  President Obama's latest tweet called her a "trailblazer".  Sarah Palin also tweeted her condolences and posted her memories of Ms. Ferraro on Facebook.  It took 24 years before another woman (Sarah Palin) ran for Vice-President.  The 2008 election also saw a woman running for President- Hillary Clinton.


Earlier this week, I read in the Wall St. Journal about a huge telecom merger in which AT&T has planned to but T-Mobile for $39 billion.  This might not mean much to you, but the impact on consumers could be a price-hike.  With less competition in the cell phone market, there will likely be higher prices.  Innovation will take a hit because T-Mobile is smaller and more nimble than AT&T.  When AT&T takes over, that kind of small-company inspiration might be washed out by the cash cow.


Schoolwork and exams will come back with a vengeance starting tomorrow, but I still plan on publishing a post a day here on Joe's Musings.


Have a wonderful week,


Joe

Questions to Get You Thinking

One of my favorite blogs, Marc and Angel Hack Life, has recently published a list of 365 Thought Provoking Questions to ask yourself this year.  I skimmed through the list and thought deeply about several of them.  Here they are.

When is the last time you tried something new?

What is a belief you hold that many people disagree with?

What is the difference between living and existing?

What activities make you lose track of time?

Would you break the law to save a loved one?

What’s important enough to go to war over?

What’s the most desirable trait a person can possess?

Where do you find inspiration?

Amusing Courtroom Quotes

So far, Joe's Musings has been a rather serious project with most of my posts covering topics such as college advice, life hacks, and current events.  Today, I want to take an amusing break and focus on the humorous aspects of our legal system.  These quotes illustrate the various uses and interpretations of language.  Everyone of these are genuine, real extracts from courtrooms.  It's a good thing recorders and transcripts are required in the courtroom, or else none of these funny blunders would have been preserved.

Lawyer. What is your date of birth?
Witness. July fifteenth.
Lawyer. What year?
Witness. Every year.

Lawyer. This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
Witness. Yes.
Lawyer. And in what ways does it affect your memory?
Witness. I forget.
Lawyer. You forget.  Can you give us an example of something you have forgotten?

Lawyer. Now doctor, isn't is true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

Lawyer. The youngest son, the twenty-year old, how old is he?

Lawyer. She had three children, correct?
Witness. Yes.
Lawyer. How many were boys?
Witness. None
Lawyer. Were there any girls?

Lawyer. All of your responses must be oral, okay?  What school did you go to?
Witness. Oral.

Lawyer. Was that the same nose your broke as a child?
Witness. I only have one, you know.

Accused, Defending His Own Case: "Did you get a good look at my face when I took your purse?"

Lawyer. Did you blow your horn?
Witness. After the accident?
Lawyer. Before the accident.
Witness. Sure, I played for ten years.  I even went to school for it.

Lawyer.  How far apart were the vehicles at the time of the collision?

Lawyer. What happened then?
Witness. He told me, "I have to kill you because you can identify me."
Lawyer. Did he kill you?
Witness. No

Lawyer. Now sir, I'm sure you are an intelligent and honest man--
Witness.  Thank you.  If I weren't under oath, I'd return the compliment.

Lawyer.  Were you alone or by yourself?

Lawyer. You say the stairs went down to the basement?
Witness. Yes
Lawyer. And these stairs, did they go up also?

Lawyer. Any suggestions as to what prevented this from being a murder trail instead of an attempted murder trial?
Witness. The victim lived.

How To Decide On A College Major

Many college students switch their academic major multiple times, but it’s important to at least have a general idea of what disciplines interest you.  After all, it would be a waste of time for you to major in sociology when you are far more interested in business for instance.  Fortunately, there are many resources out there to help you decide what you want to major in.  Here’s my list of tips to make a more informed decision.

1. List your interests and talents

You are going to want to major in something that interests you.  While it is possible to pursue a college degree in a field without much passion, going after such a degree will likely make you miserable in the long run.  So take about 10 minutes and list out the things that you are passionate about.  Then research available college majors at your school and see if any of your interests correspond with academic majors.

2. Talk to a Counselor

Back in grade school, going to see the counselor was something that was frowned upon.  It made you appear weak and prone to personal problems.  In college, the opposite is true.  Seeking out assistance in choosing which courses to take is often a wise decision.  On almost every college campus, there are individuals who make a living by informing college students advice and insight you might not get elsewhere.  

3. Experiment

Never be afraid to venture out and take new courses.  I didn’t even know what philosophy was until my freshman year when I took an introductory class.  Now, philosophy is one of my majors.  I caught the philosophy bug so to speak, and the same thing could happen to you if you take an elective course that you find very interesting.

4. Audit Classes

Most professors are more than willing to let you “sit-in” or audit their class.  If you sit in on a class, you can avoid the embarrassment of dropping the course if you don’t enjoy it.  After auditing, ask the professor a few questions about career paths or requirements related to their field.  If they don’t know, they will probably point you in the direction of someone that does.  

5. Talk to Other Students and Your Family

Often times, people have a different perspective that you hold of yourself.  Just as you can see talents in others that they cannot see in themselves, others can see talents in you that you might not perceive.  Ask your close friends and family what careers they could see you in.  However, it is important to take what they say with a grain of salt, because after all, the career path you choose is entirely up to you.

6. Consult a Course Catalog

A course catalog will list information about each major as well as provide a synopsis of each course.  Look at this book early and often to find out if a class is a right fit for you.

The Dalai Llama's 18 Rules for Living

I stumbled upon these a few days and I was impressed enough to post them here.  

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs- respect for self, respect for others, respect for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life.

12. A loving home in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation.  Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge.  It’s a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. The best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Rock Chalk Cakewalk?

Last Sunday, the Kansas Jayhawks defeated ninth-seeded Illinois 73-59 in a close, but decisive victory.  The Kansas win secured a trip to San Antonio to face the Richmond Spiders this Friday.  Although the remaining teams in KU’s regional bracket are talented, the Jayhawks have one of the easiest road to the Final Four in recent history.  On paper, the Jayhawks have either the first or second easiest path to the Final Four since 1985 when the NCAA expanded the field of teams to 64.

The teams left in the Southwest Region include #1 KU, #12 Richmond, #11 Virginia Commonwealth, and #10 Florida State.  The sum of KU’s opponents is either 48 or 47 depending upon whether #10 Florida State or #11 VCU wins.  Back in 2008, the sum of KU’s seeds on the path to the Final Four was 47, but as we know, some of those victories did not come easily.  The game against Davidson came down to the last shot.  The UNLV game was close throughout.  Furthermore, because KU has been on the wrong side of early tournament defeats in my lifetime, this softened bracket does not mean a cakewalk to the Final Four host site- Houston.  We all hopefully recall when KU lost in the first round to Bucknell and Bradley in consecutive years.  Then last year, there was the painful loss to Northern Iowa in the second round.   

As long as KU utilizes its inside game, there is no team that can defeat them.  KU does not need to rely on outside shooting if the Morris twins and Thomas Robinson get the ball in the paint.  In a unpredictable March replete with upsets and close games, one consistent thing is the post play of the Marcus and Markeiff Morris.   

U.S. Military Launches Strikes On Libya

After about a month of government brutality in Libya, the rest of the world is finally getting involved.  Last Friday, the United States military launched an attack in an effort to destroy Libya’s air defenses.  The United States has now joined an international air campaign against the dictatorship of Moammar Gadhafi.

The first key strikes are expected to occur along the Libyan coastline where the missile defense systems are located.  The idea is to enforce a U.N. mandated no-fly zone around the rebel-held cities.  Gadhafi’s regime has been imposing a merciless offensive against Benghazi.  Last Friday, French warplanes began flying over Libya to protect the embattled city from Gadhafi’s air force.  

Currently, five nations are participating in the coalition against Gadhafi- the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Canada.  The French plan on dispatching an aircraft carrier to Libya on Sunday.  

In the Libyan capital of Tripoli, Gadhafi is irate.  On Saturday, he sent enraged letters to world leaders, warning them they would regret any military action against his regime.  The Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa made a statement saying Libya has abided by the U.N. Security Council resolution and that the cease-fire is still in place.  Yet, Libyan officials declined to answer questions about reports of intensifying violence around Benghazi.  

I think America is making the right decision to intervene in Libya.  Fortunately, we have the support of four other countries this time around.  The world cannot sit on the sideline while thousands of innocent people are slaughtered at the hands of a ruthless dictator.  My hope is that American officials are actually concerned about the humanitarian aspects of this international issue.  Libya is one of the world’s largest oil exporters, so you can’t help but wonder if the US would bother if Gadhafi’s regime was not sitting on a pool of natural resources. 

It should be mentioned that President Obama has limited American exposure in this conflict to a minimum.  The French have spearheaded the air strike against Libyan military assets.  The British have imposed a naval blockade.  The United Arab Emirates and Qatar are supposedly a part of this plan as well.  Saudi Arabia and Egypt might join in the next few days.  It is good to see that this effort is more collaborative than the invasion of Iraq.  

Bracket Madness

Every March, some huge prizes are offered for anyone who can correctly pick the winners of NCAA men’s college basketball tournament games.  Yahoo is offering $10,000 for the best bracket.  I’ve seen gambling sites that put up as much as $10 million for a perfect bracket.

The odds of winning are tremendously slim--more slim than you could possible imagine.  Filling out a perfect bracket means correcting predicting the outcome of 63 games.  If the probability of each team winning is one-half, that would mean your chance of perfection is one in two to the 63rd power, or one in nine million trillion.  One Yale statistician states you are about 60 billion times more likely to win the multistate Powerball lottery.  

Currently, my bracket is in 490,105th place on Yahoo, falling in the 82nd percentile.  That means I’ve picked more correctly than 82 percent of other people who filled out brackets on Yahoo.  I’m slightly embarrassed, but it just goes to show you how difficult the task of filling out a winning bracket is.  The current leader has selected 37 of 40 games correctly, but this individual has Illinois going to the Final Four.  Because Illinois will be eliminated later today by Kansas, this guy has a slim chance of winning the overall cash prize.  (Think I’m biased?)  

Of course, each game is not simply a coin flip.  Some teams are better than others.  Even if you are a basketball fanatic, the most generous estimate I was able to find for the chance of a perfect bracket is 1 in 150 million.  For instance, a 16 seed has never defeated a 1 seed.  Only four 15 seeds have defeated 2 seeds.  That means the probability of you choosing the winner in these scenarios increases greatly assuming you choose the higher seed.      

How To Help Japan

On March 11, Japan was hit by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded.  Shortly after, a massive tsunami struck and dumped billions of gallons of water on the Japanese mainland.  The National Police Agency has officially confirmed 6,911 deaths, 2,611 injured, and 10,692 missing as of March 18.  These numbers are expected to increase.  Save the Children reports that as many as 100,000 children have been uprooted for their homes.  

The degree and scope of damage cased by the earthquake and resulting tsunami have been devastating.  Estimates of the cost of the damage fall into the range of tens of billions of dollars.  Although Japan has invested in anti-tsunami seawalls, the tsunami simply washed over the top of some seawalls.  Power plants in Fukushima, Onagawa, and Tokai were shut down immediately following the earthquake.  However, cooling is needed to remove decay heat for several days after a plant has been shut down.  The cooling process is powered by emergency diesel generators, but when the water overflowed seawalls, the diesel backup systems were destroyed.  The result was two large explosions and radiation leakage.  Officials from the Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency have reported that radiation levels inside the plant in Fukushima are 1,000 times normal levels.  

All of Japan’s ports were briefly closed after the earthquake and many of them were destroyed.  Irrigation hams in Sukagawa have ruptured, causing flooding and washing away homes.  At least 1.5 million households are estimated to be without access to water.  Rolling blackouts due to power shortages have left about 4.4 million households without electricity.  In Ichihara, a 220,000 barrel per day oil refinery was set on fire by the earthquake.  Japan’s transportation systems have suffered severe disruptions.  

Most of these problems can be remedied through the work of aid agencies, but the economic impact of the earthquake and tsunami are arguably just as devastating as the physical damage.  The northern Tohoku region, which was most affected, accounts for 8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.  The Miyagi area includes manufacturing and industrial zones with chemical and electronics plants.  Toyota, Nissan, and Honda suspended automobile production until March 14.  GlaxoSmithKline, Sony, Nestle also suspended operations following the quake.  Globally, financial markets have been volatile in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake.  Stock markets around the world were adversely affected.  

The Japanese people need our help.  So far, 113 countries and 24 international organizations have offered their assistance.  The Japanese government specifically requested teams from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  Here are some ways that you can help out...

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross is supporting and advising the Japanese Red Cross.  By making a donation to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief, you are providing hot meals and medical relief to displaced Japanese citizens. Donate here.

GlobalGiving              

GlobalGiving has established a fund that will disburse to relief and emergency organizations.  GlobalGiving is working with the International Medical Corps, Save the Children, and other organizations on the ground.  Donate here.

Save the Children

Save the Children has an immediate goal of $5 million to launch a long-term recovery plan for children affected by the earthquake and tsunami.  Donate here.  

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is working tirelessly to assist people in Japan.  They have dispersed teams to the most severely affected areas to distribute basic necessities to survivors. Donate here.  

AmeriCares

AmeriCares and its relief workers are working to deliver medicine and supplies to hospitals and shelters.  It is also dispatching health responders to treat and care for survivors. Donate here.  

(links to these organizations)

Movie Review: The Cove

Recently, I had the opportunity to watch a very disturbing documentary called The Cove.  However, one of the purposes of documentaries is to expose something that the public does not know about.  From my viewing, I concluded The Cove has a few objectives:

-to stop the placement of dolphins into captivity

-to stop the brutal slaughter of dolphins

-to inform and educate the public about mercury poisoning caused by eating dolphin meat

The film follows former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry, a man who has now dedicated his life to document and end the dolphin hunting operations in Taiji, Japan.  In the 1960’s, O’Barry helped capture and train five dolphins for the TV show, “Flipper”.  The show caused a widespread adoration of dolphins, which led to the creation of Sea World and other marine theme parks.  

You’d think as a former trainer, Ric would be all for the capture of dolphins, but a singular event made him do a complete 180.  Dolphins are a highly sophisticated and intelligent creature.  They are not automatic breathers, meaning every breath they take is a conscious effort.  Dolphins can end their own life by not taking another breath.  One day after filming, one of the dolphins swam into Ric’s arms and didn’t take another breath by voluntarily closing her blowhole in order to suffocate.  In essence, the dolphin had become so stressed out that it committed suicide.  It was this event that caused O’Barry to see dolphin’s captivity as a travesty that needed to be stopped.  The next day, Ric was arrested for attempting to free dolphin from a marine laboratory.  From then, he has made it his life’s mission to free every captive dolphin he can.  In his words, “I spent 10 years building this industry up, and 35 years trying to tear it down.”

By standing up for what he believes is right, O’Barry has interfered with a lucrative business, and thus, he has been ostracized by many and harassed by more.  Each live dolphin that is captured off the coast of Taiji sells for $150,000 and each dead dolphin goes for $600.  The Taiji Whale Museum brokers the deals and the town and fisherman share the profits.  Taiji is the largest supplier of dolphins to marine parks and “swim with dolphins” programs around the world.  Sea World has not allowed Ric to talk about the dolphin slaughter at their park.  Even the International Whaling Commission, a intergovernmental agency responsible for regulating whaling, has banned Ric from attending.  When the selection process is complete, the remaining dolphins are herded around to a secret cove, slaughtered with knives and spears, and sold for their meat.  Approximately 23,000 dolphins are killed in Taiji every year.  Even the International Whaling Commission, a intergovernmental agency responsible for regulating whaling, has banned Ric from attending.  In 1986, the IWC, a organization Ric described as “toothless”, banned commercial whaling in 1986, a measure which included dolphins.  The next year, Japan responded by tripling its kills of dolphins and started a lethal research program on large whales.    

When filmmaker Louie Psihoyos and his crew attempted to get evidence of the dolphin slaughter, they were harassed and blockaded by local fisherman.  Why?  Because if they attack a fisherman, they will be arrested and banned from the coves.  If that happens, the fisherman will be able to continue their sinful business without any interruption.  One time, a fisherman held up a dolphin and cut its throat in an clear act of provocation. O’Barry was barely able to refrain from hauling off and punching the guy.  In another instance, a bleeding dolphin swam towards the film crew, presumably hoping that they could save its life.  Before the dolphin got to the shore, it came above water to take its last desperate breaths and went down never to be seen again, leaving a bright red trail of blood.  After witnessing this horrible event, one diver broke down and cried, but a gang of Japanese fisherman laughed.  Throughout the film, Ric and the film crew are tailed by the local cops.  At one point, they stop them in a mall and proceed to interrogate.     

The Cove also elaborates upon how gentle, sensitive, and intelligent dolphins really are.  One surfer told a story about how, in an act of defense, a dolphin t-boned a tiger shark and saved his life.  Dolphins have a highly advanced sense of hearing.  When dolphins are surrounded by a crowd of screaming people and filtration noises that make a lot of noise, they experience unbearable amounts of stress.  When Sea World was just getting started, it could not figure out why dolphins would die off so quickly.  Then, it realized the sound caused by a noisy filtration system was the culprit.  The fisherman in Taiji know about the dolphin’s sensitive hearing, so they put poles in the water and bang on the poles with a hammer to create a wall of sound.  The dolphins start swimming away from the sound towards the shore, and once they are in the cove, the fisherman rope off the area.  There’s something morally wrong with killing off such an intelligent creature.  Dolphins can communicate with humans, and humans can connect with dolphins.  “Dolphins can understand how to manipulate situations, how to relate with people, how to create innovatively out of their own imagination,” one scientist says.  “It’s not about intelligence, its about self-consciousness...when they are in that cove and they see their babies being slaughtered, they can anticipate what is going to happen to them” Ric says.

With regard to international politics, this issue has more breadth than just Japan.  At the International Whaling Commission, the Japanese delegates seek the support of bankrupt Caribbean countries- Antigua and Barbuda, and Grenada.  Japan gives huge discounts and incentives to these countries for their business.  One diplomat argued that the whaling industry goes far beyond fishing and business.  It has to do with empire, global positioning, and sovereignty.  He argued that Japan is tired of being told what to do by the West, so it desires to control their own whaling without international restrictions.     

The end of the film made my stomach turn.  The film crew installed secret cameras in the water and on rocks in the cove.  The brutality that was used in killing dolphins made me sick to my stomach.  The water, which was originally blue, became a disturbing shade of crimson.  Fisherman sunk their spears into innocent dolphins.

Non-Traditional Semester

One of the first things you learn in Blogging 101 is to avoid talking about yourself excessively.  So far on Joe’s Musings, I have used personal stories to make a larger, more universal point about humanity and how to improve the quality of your life.  Today, I am going to take a risk by breaking this rule of thumb, but only temporarily.  I promise I’ll provide a little insight at the end of this.

This semester has been quite a transition for me.  I am now a student in the business school, taking 15 hours of business courses for the first time.  Within the B-School, I have made a few good friends and for the most part, life is going very well.  I am happy, doing well in school, and very active in a number of student organizations.  All of these new activities are great, but I feel that the past is fading farther and farther away.  I loved my high school days, but now those times are becoming increasingly distant in my rear view mirror.  I’ve come to the realization that it’s tough to create overlap between the traditional stages of life.  The mind has a difficult time accepting that you today is entirely different than you 5 years ago, so it often chooses to block out that person you were in the past and accept the person you are in the present.    

Even though time itself is moving forward at the same pace, life seems to be moving very quickly.  I have two more years left in college, then it’s time to hit the real world and show it what I’m capable of.  My hope is that I do not become so far removed that I cannot help other people with their struggles.  Think about it.  It’s been a decade since I was a fifth grade.  What advice could I possibly offer a fifth grader that would be on his/her level?  When I was in fifth grade, my life was consumed with baseball, Catholicism, and Dragon Ball Z.  Quite honestly, those three things still hold my interest, but I’m also fascinated by so many other things that it’s difficult to realize how narrow my worldview was back then.       

It’s remarkable when I think about how we change over time.  Even something as seemingly inherent as our personalities can be influenced by our environments.  I am an introvert to the highest degree by nature, but I have been forced to socialize and communicate effectively at the University of Kansas.  While change within an individual is inevitable, I am concerned that the past will become just that- a memory.  In my mind, the past should be active in the sense that you draw from it to help you in the present and the future.    

I apologize for the ramble, but these thoughts have been troubling me for awhile.  It’s good to finally get them out.  

Academic Choice Anxiety

When a young man or woman first gets to college, there’s a good chance that choosing a major will be a tough choice.  Lots of students will change their majors multiple times before graduation.  These changes are not unfounded.  The sheer amount of academic majors available to college students is enough to send anyone into a frenzy.  Here’s the list of majors for undergraduates at the University of Kansas

Business 

Accounting

Finance

Marketing

Information Systems

Supply Chain Management

Management/Leadership

Business Administration

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

African and African-American Studies

American Studies

Anthropology

Applied Behavior Science

Astrobiology

Astronomy

Atmospheric Science

Behavioral Neuroscience

Biochemistry

Biology

Human Biology

Microbiology

Molecular Biosciences

Chemistry

Classical Antiquity

Classical Languages

Communications Studies

East Asian Languages and Cultures

Economics

English

Environmental Studies

French

Geography

Geology

Germanic Languages and Literature

Global and International Studies

History

History of Art

Humanities

Latin American Studies

Linguistics

Literature, Language, and Writing

Mathematics

Philosophy

Physics

Political Science

Psychology

Public Administration

Religious Studies

Slavic Language and Literature

Sociology

Spanish and Portuguese

Speech, Language, Hearing

Women’s Studies

Painting

Printmaking

Sculpture

Expanded Media

Dance

Ceramics

Metalsmithing/Jewelry

Textile Design/Weaving

Film and Media Studies

Theatre-Performance

Theatre-Culture and Society

Theatre- Design

Clinical Lab Science

Cytotechnology

Health Information Management

Respiratory Care

Architectural Studies

Urban Planning

Education 

Athletic Training

Community Health

Elementary Teacher Education

Exercise Science

Health and Physical Education

Secondary Teacher Education

Sport Management

Unified Early Childhood

Engineering 

Aerospace Engineering

Chemical & Petroleum Engineering

Civil/ Environmental/Architectural Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Computer Science

Computer Engineering

Engineering Physics

Mechanical Engineering

Journalism 

News and Information

Strategic Communication

Music

Bassoon

Clarinet

Double Bass

Euphonium

Flute

French Horn

Music Composition

Musicology

Music Theory

Oboe

Organ

Organ in Church Music

Percussion

Piano

Saxophone

Trombone

Trumpet

Tuba

Viola

Violin

Violoncello

Music Education

Music Therapy

Theatre and Voice

Nursing

Social Welfare

That comes out to be a grand total of 113 possible majors.  Many of these choices will be eliminated right off the bat, but for many students, it will be difficult to choose between five or six that pique their interest.  I’ve chosen finance and accounting with minors in philosophy and communication studies.  If you are in junior high or high school, what will your major be?  If you are in college, what is your major(s)?  If you already attended, what major did you decide to pursue?