Response to Cameron's Post: "Surgeon Defends Amputations"

My reaction to Cameron’s post is much the same as her own. I agree, the desire of a surgeon to want to help his patients and make them as healthy as possible as quickly as possible. When a surgeon performs an operation, it is under the impression that they are helping the patient. The fact that sometimes, maybe in the particular case mentioned in the BBC news article, people are often going under a certain feeling or desire that could soon vanish, doctors must use their head before feeling like they need to help a certain patients. Patients often want things done to themselves at a specific moment that a day, month, or even year later they may find themselves regretting. Doctors and surgeons do not want to be the one person they place the blame on. Therefore, doctor’s, particularly the one mentioned in the article, should use their head – as Cameron put it – not their heart.

Response to Matt's Post "todays class about obesity"

After reading Matt's Post, I completely agree with Matt's opinion. Me Me Roth’s comments regarding American Idol finalist Jordin Sparks’ weight issue was completely uncalled for and downright wrong. The fact that America would not pick the most talented individual in a competition based on weight would be downright ridiculous. Ruben Studdard, an overweight male, won the competition in the past, and he was overweight. Roth points out that Sparks is a woman and overweight, and those two attributes will hurt her in the competition. The fact that people are judged on their weight, as Matt states, is wrong and should be discontinued in the current age. Matt also brings up the point that many athletes take steroids to enhance their bodily image. I agree with what Matt states: athletes that take steroids on their own, they digging their own grave and have become a result of the pressures of society. Maybe we, as a citizen population, should take a step back and reconsider our values.

Thoughts on Essay 3

In my opinion, essay three was the easiest of the three essays to write. I feel like I have established my opinion very clearly throughout my paper, and I was easily able to find sources that I believe contributed significantly to the process of writing my paper. Writing a paper has not ever been difficult for me throughout this class, and I truly believe that I didn’t have any trouble whatsoever with this essay. I strongly believe that I think people should have the final say when having a surgical procedure conducted on them. The doctor is not the patient. They perform the surgery, but do not experience the aftermath and the effects that come along with it. Having surgery performed on you can be a very traumatizing experience and the fact that it sometimes is left up to specific hospitals and doctors to make the final decision is rather saddening.

Response to Brianne's Post, "removing of limbs"

I agree whole-heartedly with Brianne’s post about the removal of limbs. I do not completely agree with the idea that someone should be able just to have their limbs removed for the sould purpose that it bothers them that they have the specific body part. When someone is troubled psychologically to the point that they cannot even look at their unwanted limbs, I believe that signals a time to see a psychiatrist, not a surgeon. People can overcome mental thoughts, and eventually they will with the proper care. However, to completely remove a body part because you don’t like it? Something is wrong with that picture. Personally, I had never heard of such a condition before I had read the assigned reading about the doctor being sued for removing a patients’ limbs upon their request. Obviously, the doctor has to serve the patient, but the situation of removing a limb is rather ridiculous.

Reaction to the last reading from the New York Times

In response to the last reading we did and our class discussion today, I can only say that I am somewhat surprised at the woman’s family for the vast majority of them being against the surgery to have her breasts and ovaries removed. Yes, she has not yet contracted breast cancer, however, why take the risk when it has been stated that she does, in fact, have the mutation and has a 60-90 percent chance of developing breast cancer down the line. I guess the thing that surprised me the most was who supported the ordeal and who was against it. The woman’s mother, who one would think would be completely for having her daughter have surgery after experiencing the trauma of breast cancer herself, was actually against it. However, the woman’s father, who I guess saw his wife experience it and didn’t want his daughter to as well, was for the surgery. Either way, in my opinion the woman made the correct move, because her health and happiness is foremost, and eliminating the possibility of cancer was the smartest move she ever made in her life.

Reaction to the recent class discussions

Recently in class we have been discussing the idea of making the human body a form of artwork. Personally, I have found this somewhat odd and seeing the actual pictures of those who have done it, make me rather nauseous. To have a star inserted under your skin as a way of showing art just does not appeal to me. In fact, I think it is quite disgusting. However, in the past few classes we have met individuals through the readings and discussions that have led to us learning more and more about specific people and what their motivation is for making their bodies works of art. For example, in the reading for yesterday, we met a gay couple in which one of the two men said he wouldn’t have gotten into body piercing if it weren’t for his partner. It appears sometimes all people need is to be opened up to a particular idea. Then they will just be able to run with it. All in all however, I feel that the idea of making the body a canvas for artwork and piercing and tattooing all over the place is rather repulsive and I do not find it attractive in the least bit.

Thoughts on the show, "Critic"

The show, “Critic” reminded me of a “Family Guy”-esque type show. It definitely had its funny and random parts that make it more entertaining. However, the underlying theme was something that we have discussed a lot in class-the idea if being accepted into normalcy. I thought the show did an excellent job of focusing on what many people do actually think when it concerns a person’s image. In the case of the episode, the main character and his little boy go to a weight loss camp to lose weight because they feel it will help them. The main storyline is that of the younger boy, who loses so much weight that he looks like a completely different person. When he’s skinny, many people look at him differently, the girls flock to him, and he even leads the main role in his school play. As an overweight individual, the show implies that this would not have been possible. Personally, I feel that the show is a comedy, and obviously used the whole idea of being skinny to be normal as a way to poke fun at society. They used a lot of different things that otherwise wouldn’t be necessarily true. However, I do feel that the show was a great depiction of how many people feel they need to change their bodies to fit into society today.

Response to Danielle's Blog Entry, "Hair=Politics???"

In response to what Danielle said about the Arizona State Professor’s take on hair trends in today’s society, I completely agree. Society today has taken the shape of the popular trend, and that is a trend in itself that I don’t see changing anytime in the near future. One point that Danielle made that I am in agreement with is that many girls, especially young black girls, are frequently dying their hair blonde to emulate older black superstars, such as Beyonce. This is also being seen with black girls attempting to mimic some white women, such as Jessica Simpson, Carrie Underwood, and other young, famous blond women. On the same token, not all black women are changing their hairstyle to a blonde look. In fact, many black young girls are cutting their hair to incredibly short lengths to emulate stars such as Halle Berry. Apparently, as Danielle points out, it is definitely a long way away from a time when popular culture won’t have an influence on society. And as is our present situation as the professor talked about, it doesn’t seem to matter whether or not one is black or white, the society will always be under the influence.

Thoughts on Essay 2

Before this essay, I never really thought that much about what was considered "normal" in society. I mean, I had never really thought to myself, "there are only perfectly fit people in underwear ads", or that everyone in a toothpaste commercial has an unbelievable smile. Normalcy has such a varied meaning and it is always interesting to hear about different people's opinions of what is normal in society. I particularly pointed out in my essay how I personally am influenced by the current society's obsession with being viewed as normal. I exemplified this through my daily trips to the gym to try to develop a muscular and toned body. By viewing many of the current ads out there today, it is obvious that the most appealing male to the masses is that of a muscular man. I have tried to follow suit and hope that it can work out for me. Anyway, the whole idea of being normal truly has gotten out of hand. I wish people would just accept everyone for who they were and forget about being viewed as a "normal" human being.

Response to Jeremy's entry on February 10th, "Ears"

I couldn't agree more with what Jeremy said about his ears. I treasure my ears and really value everything they bring to the table. I even wrote my body collage essay about my ears, just to exemplify how important they are to me. One similarity I had to Jeremy's blog entry was the concept our ears played in our love for music I talked about how my love for the Dave Matthews Band was ignited through my ears' hearing the songs performed by the band. Ears are such an integral part to life, and it sometimes is odd that people take the concept of hearing absolutely for granted. Hearing is so much more than people understand. To be able to hear is basically opening another world that would otherwise not be reached just through the concept of vision. Hearing allows us to understand what we see, and decide for ourselves whether we like it or not.

Reaction to Jodi Eisenberg's Entry on "Welcome to Cancerland"

****i understand this entry is technically the next week, but I wanted to let you know taht I have been having some trouble with the blogger account I've set up, so that is the reason why I am doing this so late.

After reading Jodi's thoughts on the "Welcome to Cancer land" piece I found myself completely agreeing with everything Jodi wrote. Barbara Ehrenreich's stress and pain throughout the whole process of dealing with cancer is truly a situation that many people I know thankfully can't relate to. Honestly, I feel that I would be in an emotional breakdown from the second I was diagnosed, and even if I went clean for a little, I would be incredibly paranoid that the disease would come back. To continue on what Jodi said, reading a piece like this really makes one take a step back and think about life for a second. Personally, my aunt's brother, which i guess is my great uncle, was diagnosed with leukemia and died when I was really young. I don't even remember the man, but all my family has to say is great and wonderful things about him. When you hear things like that happening to people, it truly makes you appreciate what you have in your life that much more. I wish only the best in health and happiness for everyone who's path I cross in life, because no one should have to go through what Ms. Ehrenreich went through, including herself.

Reaction to "Freaks"

In all honesty, what we have spoken about for the past couple classes is somewhat dull. I can understand how someone would be very interested in the whole concept of a "Freak" and what their role in life pertains, however, I for one am not one of those people. I have never been a big fan of the circus, let alone the sideshows that come with them. The fact that there is a lady who can twist her arms around in a crazy direction, or a midget that can fascinate people simply by his size is somewhat demeaning to me. People cannot help how they look, or how they are going to be mentally and psychologically. It's a horrible thing that SOME of these people willingly sit to please others at their own unfortunate circumstances. What's even worse is that some of those featured in freak sideshows can't even make decisions for themselves with regard to them appearing in the shows. Do not take me for naive, because I do understand that some of these handicapped people cannot and will not find work in many other areas than a circus sideshow, I just feel that there can be other ways to make these people live a human existence than to describe them as legitimate freaks.

Response to "Rush"

After reading the piece entitled, "Rush", I started to wonder why so many people want to grow up so fast. Obviously, everyone always wants to reach a certain age and with each specific age comes a specific milestone: 18 means you're legal, 21 means you can drink alcohol legally. However, why can't people just take a step back and enjoy each and every day of their lives? I personally live by this motto. Each year older I get, I try to make the most out of it as I can. People only live for so long, and it means you're nearing the end with the older you get. I don't know others, but I have seen so many older aged people saying that they wish they were younger, and wish they could get back to their teenage years and college years, etc. I don't want to be one of those people! I mean, sure, when I'm in my 40's and 50's I'll be wishing I had my younger years back, but that begs the question: why on earth would you want to grow older now!?

I'll stay 21 or younger for as long as possible, please. (and that's only two more years...)

Reflecting on the Body Collage Piece

Now that the Body Collage Piece has been handed in and is ready to be graded, I wanted to take a step back and talk about the process of the paper.
Overall, I was very happy with what I handed in. The Body Collage Piece enabled me to reflect on my past memories through a specific body part, of which I chose my ears. My ears and I have been through many memories together, as I mentioned in my essay. However, it wasn't until I actually sat down and reviewed the essay that I actually realized HOW much I have gone through with respect to my ear's memories. When you reflect on your life, you remember a lot. It wasn't the fact that I hadn't ever done that, it was just that I hadn't ever gone as in depth as I did in writing this essay. I hope that I end up receiving a good grade on this essay, because I put a lot of time and effort throughout my time working on it.

Response to Dan's blog "Language"

The following is a response to Dan Adelman's February 21 blog:

I completely agree with what Dan says about language creating some of the biggest conflicts in society. When one looks at it, language is a huge instigator amongst many different people and cultures in modern day society. Whether it be, for example, an American tourist being ridiculed in France for his lack of knowledge on the French language, or just the accent of a man or woman of Arab descent, many people are quick to jump to fast, and often incorrect conclusions with regard to a person's race and/or nationality. The world that we live in today is extremely diverse, possessing thousands upon thousands of different cultures, backgrounds, and ethnicities. I also agree with Dan with respect to his point about sympathizing with Gloria in her trying times of being unable to express herself through language. To live in a society where I was a loner in the form of my race and nationality, and than to have to adapt to another culture's attributes would be an incredibly tough struggle.

Reaction to "The Socks" by Marjane Satrapi

For basically everything we have done in the class thus far, the material has predominately been that of written, and basically in story form all the time. However, "The Socks" by Marjane Satrapi had a different twist to it, which, I believe, made me like it more. In Satrapi's piece, the format was that of a comic book. I found this much easier to read, as well as comprehend. I also found myself moving from comic box to comic box, anxiously awaiting the next part of the story. As well as providing and interesting format, Satrapi also brought to the forefront the horrible living conditions for people in the Heavy-religious Islam cultures in the Middle East. Hearing about everything going on in Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan in the news is one thing, however, hearing about it from someone who lived directly through it is a whole different idea, and certainly a lot more interesting. I found it intriguing the amount of restrictions placed on the citizens of those countries under muslim faith. It seemed deeply unfair and flat out wrong for people to question their actions at all times for fear of breaking the law. As an American, it made more even more grateful that since I live in the United States, I don't have to undergo the daily worrying. This is obviously because I live in a country "of the people, by the people, and for the people." And after reading the horrors involed in Satrapi's piece, nothing can beat that.

Free Write From Class 2/9/08 -- When Have You Been Silenced?

I play ice hockey. I love to run my mouth out on the ice. It's part of my game. However, sometimes I run my mouth to the wrong people. For instance, one game, I just didn't stop talking to and aggravating this one defense man throughout the duration of the game. Every shift we were on the ice together, he heard my voice chirping in his ear. I didn't particularly have anything against him, it was just a matter of him being my opponent that evening. However, I should've seen my knock-out punch coming. Late in the game, I recieved a pass in the middle of the ice, only to skate directly into what I thought was a brick wall. Instead it was the defense man. I have never been hit so hard in my life. I flipped on my back and got the wind completely knocked out of me. For the rest of that game, and for one of the few times on the ice in my hockey career, I had been silenced.

Free Write From Class 2/11/08---My Ears at Age 12 or 13

My ears have always felt normal to me. I mean, I could hear out of them and they never hurt, so how could anything be wrong? However, there was something terribly wrong with them: they were too small for my head. Or so said my friend in school. One day, we were all sitting in class when I heard my friend Jesse say from the back of the room, "Josh's ears are so too small for his head." Immediately the class started laughing at me, and I didn't know what to do. It wasn't like Jesse was a bully in the school or anything; in fact, I considered him one of my better friends at school. However, from that period until the rest of the year, I became obsessed self-consciously with the idea that my ears were too small for my head. Was it true? Probably not. However, the face still remained that each day for about a year or so, I'd stare at myself in the mirror and pull them so I could try and make them grow. I hoped that it could work-hell, I was hoping for Dumbo ears in my predicament-but I knew deep down that nothing was going to happen. And it never did. My ears never seemed to grow. Jesse never said another thing after that one day, but the damage was done. He has since left me with an underlying conscience that my ears are too small for my head.

Reaction to John Updike's Piece, "At War with My Skin"

fter reading John Updike’s At War with My Skin, I had a general sense of sympathy for Mr. Updike. To grow up with such a difficult skin condition can be tough for anyone, but the fact that it was a genetic problem and his mother had it before him makes it especially tougher. However, to his credit, Updike has established himself as a well-known and talented writer. One of the small stories that he spoke about which truly touched me was the story about how he was turned down by the United States Armed forces because of his case of Psoriasis. Obviously, the upside to that is that one does not face themselves with the possibility of losing their life in war. However, that is also a very cowardly way to look at things. The fact that he didn’t get into the war because of the way he looked had to have bothered Updike, and as he stated, clearly bothered his mother. To me, I would be devastated if I was held back from anything because of the way I looked, especially something that I couldn’t control. Updike’s children were all in the clear from Psoriasis, except for his final one, of whom John does not go into much detail about. All in all, I found this reading to be quite moving and although perhaps not the goal, made me very sympathetic towards John Updike.

Body Collage

For the upcoming Body Collage writing assignment, I am debating as to which body part I will write about. I have narrowed down my choices to my ears, my hands, and my feet. The reason I wanted to talk about my ears is because I feel that I have experienced so much through them. The lessons taught to me by my parents, the many great forms of music I've heard, and even famous speeches that have been presented orally have all been a result of my ears. Another body part, my hands, have also been very important to me throughout my life. They have allowed me to excel in hockey, my favorite sport, as well as letting me be able to grip items and write my feelings down whether it be on a piece of paper or through a computer. The final one I am considering, are my feet. Without my feet, I would not be able to get around. I love to run, walk, and ice skate. Without my feet, none of those activities would be possible. Regardless of what I choose to write about, I am confident that I will be able to put together interesting information on the particular body part. Now it just comes down to me putting everything together and forming a series of vignettes on it.

Response to Alice Walker's "Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self"

Alice Walker, the author best known for her work in her award winning novel, The Color Purple, brings the reader to a different light of her life in this short story. I had not previously known that Alice Walker was blind in one eye. I have read The Color Purple and enjoyed the story tremendously. Obviously, a person with one correctly working eye can produce the same if not better writing than someone with two eyes, however, it always makes people take a step back when they learn of someone being different. To Walker's credit, she shows a lot of courage and determination in becoming a successful writer, even after her getting shot in the eye by a BB gun when she was eight. Throughout the short story, Walker describes a series of vignettes, all of which pertain to her eye. As was the case in The Color Purple, Walker's work flowed so smoothly and made it a very easy read. One particular vignette of Walker's that stuck out to me was the final one in the story.
Before beginning each of her vignettes, Walker starts with the phrase, "I remember:". However, on her final entry, she begins with, "But mostly, I remember this:". As the reader, that phrase made me significantly more drawn in to see what the topic of this vignette would be. The final short story did not leave me disappointed, and it actually left me closing the book with a good feeling about Alice Walker in general. In the story she talks about herself as a twenty-seven year old. At this point in time she has a baby daughter nearing the age of three. Walker tells the reader that her daughter is fascinated by a show on television entitled, Big Blue Marble. As Walker already explained in an earlier vignette, when she had the surgery to remove the blotch in her eye, it left her with a blue area in her eye, resembling that of a marble. Her daughter, oblivious to Walker's past, exclaims, "Mommy, there's a world in your eye." After hearing this, Walker states that "for the most part, the pain left then." Alice Walker is a remarkable story and a stellar author. I truly enjoyed reading her story and look forward to doing the paper in response to this in the near future.