I am sure some might think I am just being overly self-critical. I am really not, if anything I am far too often lackadaisical. It comes from a low sense of urgency. Some might call it procrastination and while that may be very close, I argue that it is not exactly the same. Let us be honest, however, this is all purely semantics and relatively few are willing to debate with me on that. No one cares, I get it.
I have so much writing to do for school and so little is getting done. I start as many blog posts as I finish. I think of more than twice as many as I even started. I am taking English 300 in the summer, it is my last class to graduate with a degree in marketing and if I pass three of the classes I am taking this semester and get a match for the two statistics classes I have already taken, I'll graduate with a degree in Psychology as well. I am worried though, because of all the writing that entails. Just an idea of what I have to write for classes right now (not every class I am involved with is required for me to graduate): 3 research papers (10+ pages each) by April 11th, a research paper with each section due at different times throughout the semester, a 30 page group project on a economic industry cluster in Thailand, an eventual advertising plan with a group, a mini-case study on medical tourism in Malaysia, and a business framework for an idea that targets college students. All-in-all that is every bit of 150 pages. Every time I think about writing something that is all I do is think. Until eventually I distract myself and waste a bunch of time doing something like reading up on current events, checking facebook, starting a blog post that I never finish, or playing games.
If I cannot get out of this semester, English 300 is not going to go well. I would really rather not graduate with one major. I ended up taking two extra semesters for the extra degree. I calculated it up as taking one semester, but that did not work out as planned.
I am frustrated. I cannot just write. I have to read and read and read and read. By the time I start writing I have spent so many hours getting to the point where I feel comfortable to write and countless hours lost in thought about what I would write. At that point, I am just finished with thinking about it and I cannot write without thinking. Unfortunately, I can think without writing.
On top of it all, I am struggling in French class. I just do not remember what I have learned in the past. I am picking up new understanding, but I can tell when I should know something and it just is not there. I need to try harder, to study more. It is the same thing though all that requires more time. How am I to best use my time with all this in-front of me? I do not know, but I can say that I am not doing it right. Something needs to change and fast!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Murder is not justifiable
Personal opinion: Trayvon Martin's murder; George Zimmerman; Stand your ground law (link supplied for those that need it, those could also try Google)
The Law
I am neither a proponent of weapons and violence nor any crime. Indeed I have a great respect for life and expect any that carry a weapon do so responsibly and with the same respect for life. In fact, I am oft overcome with anger simply thinking about individuals, that do not share this respect with me, carelessly brandishing weapons. This simple thought forces my jaw to tighten and my teeth clench. The reason I bother sharing this is that I believe that if I am ever put in this kind of situation where someone threatened to do harm to myself or those I love, then I would be overcome with emotion and the sole purpose of my life would become ending theirs in that moment. However, I am fully aware that if this scenario every truly occurs, I will still be held accountable for my actions if I were to live.
From this perspective, I can understand Florida's "stand your ground" law. I mean if one were to pull a gun on me and I manage to kill that person and save myself then it is by this individuals actions that they have died and I would be grateful that my reaction was not punished as if it had not preceded the individual's action. However, one fallibility behind such a law is that in its petty attempt to protect the right of one individual severely impedes on the same right to all individuals. Likewise, it provokes an inaccurate belief that murder can be justified.
First of all, the Florida law leaves it for an individual to decide if there is "reasonable fear an assailant could seriously harm them or someone else." Therefore, in a state of fear, one is asked to make a logical judgement to use (or refrain from using) deadly force. Right! That makes sense, fear bolsters one's logic and reason capabilities so well. Another major problem is the law was developed to account for the exceptions not the rule. There are far fewer exceptions than people that believe they are the exception. Another flaw to the law is reciprocity. What I mean by this is that the very people that the law intends to protect become targeted by law-abiding citizens simply following this same law. If an individual has shown precedence to administer deadly force then they should be expected to do the same in the future; therefore, eliciting a reasonable fear in anyone they might encounter. My final comment on the law is that a person should not have the opportunity to act based on the fact that such action is permissible by law. Instead such a decision should only be made in earnest and when the understanding that such action defies the law.
The Killer
My first impression is he is both bigger than the victim and he carried a gun. In this instance, claiming reasonable fear of serious harm from an unarmed 17 year old child is just absurd. He stalked his prey waiting for the moment to strike. Obviously following someone around, even out of suspicion, does not suggest reasonable fear. Especially following them so closely that they both acknowledge the presence and realize they are being followed. The act of following, alone, makes him the aggressor; as such the assailant endangers one's self. How does one claim self-defense and engage in self-endangerment at the same time? Clearly without much thought of defense.
If following a person was not enough, I am inclined to believe this cold-blooded killer engaged in further provocation. People, when being followed, will simply do what they can to get out of the situation. Ignore it, hope the follower will go on and leave them be. Pretend they are not there, even doubt one's belief they are being followed. Therefore, contrary to what would happen next, people do not try to get into an altercation with the perpetrator. It is common awareness that the motive to follow someone is not for the purpose of good. Therefore to engage in following a person of suspicion one must maintain a belief in holding the upper hand.
Neighborhood watch in no way circumvents the police department. The police carry guns to protect themselves and citizens from those that would do harm, but even so they are expected to undergo extensive training. Acts of law enforcement should be deferred to the professionals. Being neighborhood watch is about looking out for and reporting suspicious activity not fighting back and definitely not transcending due process.
The Law
I am neither a proponent of weapons and violence nor any crime. Indeed I have a great respect for life and expect any that carry a weapon do so responsibly and with the same respect for life. In fact, I am oft overcome with anger simply thinking about individuals, that do not share this respect with me, carelessly brandishing weapons. This simple thought forces my jaw to tighten and my teeth clench. The reason I bother sharing this is that I believe that if I am ever put in this kind of situation where someone threatened to do harm to myself or those I love, then I would be overcome with emotion and the sole purpose of my life would become ending theirs in that moment. However, I am fully aware that if this scenario every truly occurs, I will still be held accountable for my actions if I were to live.
From this perspective, I can understand Florida's "stand your ground" law. I mean if one were to pull a gun on me and I manage to kill that person and save myself then it is by this individuals actions that they have died and I would be grateful that my reaction was not punished as if it had not preceded the individual's action. However, one fallibility behind such a law is that in its petty attempt to protect the right of one individual severely impedes on the same right to all individuals. Likewise, it provokes an inaccurate belief that murder can be justified.
First of all, the Florida law leaves it for an individual to decide if there is "reasonable fear an assailant could seriously harm them or someone else." Therefore, in a state of fear, one is asked to make a logical judgement to use (or refrain from using) deadly force. Right! That makes sense, fear bolsters one's logic and reason capabilities so well. Another major problem is the law was developed to account for the exceptions not the rule. There are far fewer exceptions than people that believe they are the exception. Another flaw to the law is reciprocity. What I mean by this is that the very people that the law intends to protect become targeted by law-abiding citizens simply following this same law. If an individual has shown precedence to administer deadly force then they should be expected to do the same in the future; therefore, eliciting a reasonable fear in anyone they might encounter. My final comment on the law is that a person should not have the opportunity to act based on the fact that such action is permissible by law. Instead such a decision should only be made in earnest and when the understanding that such action defies the law.
The Killer
My first impression is he is both bigger than the victim and he carried a gun. In this instance, claiming reasonable fear of serious harm from an unarmed 17 year old child is just absurd. He stalked his prey waiting for the moment to strike. Obviously following someone around, even out of suspicion, does not suggest reasonable fear. Especially following them so closely that they both acknowledge the presence and realize they are being followed. The act of following, alone, makes him the aggressor; as such the assailant endangers one's self. How does one claim self-defense and engage in self-endangerment at the same time? Clearly without much thought of defense.
If following a person was not enough, I am inclined to believe this cold-blooded killer engaged in further provocation. People, when being followed, will simply do what they can to get out of the situation. Ignore it, hope the follower will go on and leave them be. Pretend they are not there, even doubt one's belief they are being followed. Therefore, contrary to what would happen next, people do not try to get into an altercation with the perpetrator. It is common awareness that the motive to follow someone is not for the purpose of good. Therefore to engage in following a person of suspicion one must maintain a belief in holding the upper hand.
Neighborhood watch in no way circumvents the police department. The police carry guns to protect themselves and citizens from those that would do harm, but even so they are expected to undergo extensive training. Acts of law enforcement should be deferred to the professionals. Being neighborhood watch is about looking out for and reporting suspicious activity not fighting back and definitely not transcending due process.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Believing
I want to talk about myself for a second, because I am afraid there are too many people out there that are a lot like me. I want to talk about school spirit, encouraging and inspiring each other; I want to talk about heart and putting it all on the line, about how hard it can be to believe in one's self when no one else believes. I want to talk about sports.
I love sports. If the stories are true I played soccer one season when I was little. I also played baseball so many years I stopped counting. I started to play football as a freshman in high school (my quiet nature paired with an overly confrontational coach ultimately deterred me, much to my chagrin). Backyard football and basketball, the only church league basketball season (which we won), Thanksgiving day Turkey Bowl, Wednesday night basketball with friends (Tuesday when we got older), two-hand touch football at every scout camp I ever went to.
I love watching sports too. NCAA football, basketball. Premier league football (soccer) or any soccer (even in Spanish), hockey, baseball. Needle threading passes, flawless crosses, one-timers, one handed grabs, alley-oop dunks, even good defensive plays these all bring me to my feet. "That just happened!" There is something beautiful about sports, well played. In a moment of brilliance the athlete can become an artist creating a moment in time that is a masterpiece. Everyone, even me, can do this.
What is the problem?
Good question, no doubt. I was getting there! The problem is that as a university student, I have only attended a single game and that was at the urging of my best friends growing up, one of which now lives in Louisville. We went to WKU @Louisville earlier this season (Dec. 23, 2011). This dismal display of spectator-ship is not for lack of wanting. I have watched several games on television, no small feat, considering I have no television service. Rivalry games and SEC paycheck games come and go while I only think of how awesome it would be to watch these in person.
The 2011 football season conclusion brought with it some personal scrutiny; some say the toppers received no bowl bid because attendance was too low and FBS post season is driven by the almighty revenue dollar. I am not going to say it is true, but after the two previous seasons and the poor start to this season. I began to doubt; I viewed several games this football season up until the turning point. Despite finishing the season 7-1, I never viewed another game after the 0-4 start. I can tell you, I saw a team that was not living up to their potential the turn around came as no surprise to me. Nevertheless, when they finally started believing in themselves, I let them down. I vowed after that it would not happen again.
Here we are barely three months later and the basketball team stunned the Sun Belt and seems to have pointed out that I let it happen again. I always hope they will do well, they are my team. At the Louisville game, I saw a good team that could have won. After that loss they started losing more and I stopped paying attention. I never stop believing, but what does that count for when no one knows it. Even two weeks ago, I was reading some random article about NCAA bracket projections. The author was breaking down every conference, making picks, and who to watch for. I went to the Sun Belt and there was not even a mention of WKU, it was disappointing but not even he could keep me from believing (albeit silently).
I was reading this the other night, I would recommend it. There were several things that coach Harper said that really struck a note with me. Specifically, "Diddle Arena is gonna be a place of enthusiasm, a place of excitement and a place where you’re gonna see a basketball team play as hard as you’ve ever seen." When the coach says it like that, then to me it says that there is need to improve.
I love sports. If the stories are true I played soccer one season when I was little. I also played baseball so many years I stopped counting. I started to play football as a freshman in high school (my quiet nature paired with an overly confrontational coach ultimately deterred me, much to my chagrin). Backyard football and basketball, the only church league basketball season (which we won), Thanksgiving day Turkey Bowl, Wednesday night basketball with friends (Tuesday when we got older), two-hand touch football at every scout camp I ever went to.
I love watching sports too. NCAA football, basketball. Premier league football (soccer) or any soccer (even in Spanish), hockey, baseball. Needle threading passes, flawless crosses, one-timers, one handed grabs, alley-oop dunks, even good defensive plays these all bring me to my feet. "That just happened!" There is something beautiful about sports, well played. In a moment of brilliance the athlete can become an artist creating a moment in time that is a masterpiece. Everyone, even me, can do this.
What is the problem?
Good question, no doubt. I was getting there! The problem is that as a university student, I have only attended a single game and that was at the urging of my best friends growing up, one of which now lives in Louisville. We went to WKU @Louisville earlier this season (Dec. 23, 2011). This dismal display of spectator-ship is not for lack of wanting. I have watched several games on television, no small feat, considering I have no television service. Rivalry games and SEC paycheck games come and go while I only think of how awesome it would be to watch these in person.
The 2011 football season conclusion brought with it some personal scrutiny; some say the toppers received no bowl bid because attendance was too low and FBS post season is driven by the almighty revenue dollar. I am not going to say it is true, but after the two previous seasons and the poor start to this season. I began to doubt; I viewed several games this football season up until the turning point. Despite finishing the season 7-1, I never viewed another game after the 0-4 start. I can tell you, I saw a team that was not living up to their potential the turn around came as no surprise to me. Nevertheless, when they finally started believing in themselves, I let them down. I vowed after that it would not happen again.
Here we are barely three months later and the basketball team stunned the Sun Belt and seems to have pointed out that I let it happen again. I always hope they will do well, they are my team. At the Louisville game, I saw a good team that could have won. After that loss they started losing more and I stopped paying attention. I never stop believing, but what does that count for when no one knows it. Even two weeks ago, I was reading some random article about NCAA bracket projections. The author was breaking down every conference, making picks, and who to watch for. I went to the Sun Belt and there was not even a mention of WKU, it was disappointing but not even he could keep me from believing (albeit silently).
I was reading this the other night, I would recommend it. There were several things that coach Harper said that really struck a note with me. Specifically, "Diddle Arena is gonna be a place of enthusiasm, a place of excitement and a place where you’re gonna see a basketball team play as hard as you’ve ever seen." When the coach says it like that, then to me it says that there is need to improve.
---
I have been thinking about what else I wanted to say, because there is plenty more. I am afraid, that I will be unable to effectively communicate what I feel. It has been difficult searching for the right words; however, I must at least try.
It is a cruel world for the losing teams. While there will always be fair-weather fans, teams that have a history of consistently producing better teams are more likely to have fan support throughout. The fans know, or at least believe, it is probable that the team will turn it around soon. The more sporadic teams will still have a devout fan base, but there will be far more people that are looking around deciding if this is going to be an on or off year.
I am just not sure that is the message that we should be sending. It is not supportive, it is not encouraging. It is giving up one someone before time has expired. The thing about some schools (like mine) is the athletes are not so different from the rest of us. Most of them are not going to play at "the next level". Most of them are student-athletes because it either provides them with an opportunity at a free/reduced education or they love playing the game. It is almost like they are working to put themselves through college, but they have the disadvantage of not being able to actually take any money from their employer.
(This has been waiting for me to finish it for over a week as of now...I'm just posting it now and maybe one day I'll finish it.)
(This has been waiting for me to finish it for over a week as of now...I'm just posting it now and maybe one day I'll finish it.)
Friday, March 9, 2012
Quick update
I honestly was unaware that I had not posted in a while. I had started to post, on several occasions. However, I never finished and as always I really left most of what I had thought about writing in my head.
The turning point: last night I received, completely unexpected, a few encouraging words. I am grateful for any encouragement! Let's be honest, writing this blog, it is a completely selfish act. If any one that reads it actually enjoys it then that is just an unfortunate side-effect and although the reader may be able to live with that, I would love to know about it. Even talk about it, if there's time.
University
This may sound odd, coming from someone that should have already graduated, it is mind-bogglingly easy. If you do what you are supposed to that is. I try and then I get bored after a while and it is easy enough that I still do okay. I am just getting off spring break. I have had one week to think about it and hopefully I can get back to doing what I am supposed to. It's not that I have been struggling, I still have A's in all but one class. It is just that I realize that being in the habit of not trying, except to attend class, will not bode well for the semester when all is said and done.
Coming soon,
The turning point: last night I received, completely unexpected, a few encouraging words. I am grateful for any encouragement! Let's be honest, writing this blog, it is a completely selfish act. If any one that reads it actually enjoys it then that is just an unfortunate side-effect and although the reader may be able to live with that, I would love to know about it. Even talk about it, if there's time.
University
This may sound odd, coming from someone that should have already graduated, it is mind-bogglingly easy. If you do what you are supposed to that is. I try and then I get bored after a while and it is easy enough that I still do okay. I am just getting off spring break. I have had one week to think about it and hopefully I can get back to doing what I am supposed to. It's not that I have been struggling, I still have A's in all but one class. It is just that I realize that being in the habit of not trying, except to attend class, will not bode well for the semester when all is said and done.
Coming soon,
- Tonight, I hope to write something with a sports theme. (ohhh it's a secret!)
- There has also been this idea in my head for a current event piece that is starting to become not so current. Perhaps somewhat political, international relations.
- My principals of advertising class had an assignment that I'd like to "fill-out" and post.
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