The Smugness of the Recovered Christian

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/taylor-glenn/the-smugness-of-the-recov_b_979764.html

The piece of writing I found is a bog post by British comedian Taylor Glenn. In the post Glenn is giving her experience of deciding that she no longer agrees with her former Christian views. She starts by mentioning that she almost felt a sense of freedom. She felt like she could do anything and not be judged or have it matter. Glenn then starts to mention how smug she became when she gave up Christianity. She had so much pride in the fact that she was atheist. And she would even go as far as to make fun of, and turn her nose up at people who weren't atheist. Glenn finishes her blog post by talking about her recovery from the smugness. She realizes that her smugness was unnecessary, and that she shouldn't have acted that way. Of course Glenn still holds her opinions about religion, but she now lets other people have their own opinion without judging them or letting her pride get the best of her. 


One of the reasons that I chose this blog post was because I felt like I could relate to it. I had a similar experience to Glenn. I also had a point where I questioned my faith. And, just like Glenn, I had a weird, almost smug attitude about the whole thing. I think her writing was easy to relate to. I also liked the writing style, and I felt like it added a lot to the writing. The part of Glenn's post that stood out to me the most was her tone. I felt like it was easy to get a sense of just how smug and sarcastic she really was. I like that even though she's talking about a problem she had, she still manages to keep the tone pretty light, and not too serious. Because the word choice is so informal, it helps keep the tone light. Another part of Glenn's writing that I like was that she never tries to sugar coat her experience. She's not afraid to just tell her story like it is, and I have a lot of respect for the fact that she is truly honest to herself and her readers. 




Catherine Giunta

After the Maestro

Shortly after James Levine announced his resignation as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, I found this article in the Boston Globe. After reading it, I felt a more heightened feeling of what it is like to be involved with emotions on this level. I was intrigued by the reference to "Lenny", aka, Leonard Bernstein, the famed composer and conductor who passed away shortly after conducting a program at Tanglewood, the Summer home of the Boston Symphony. Why would an orchestra be pining for someone dead to lead them, when there are many fine conductors alive and well? Something that most people fail to realize is that the music director of a symphony orchestra is not just a random person on the podium waving a stick, there is, among the best music directors and their orchestras, a very real and very powerful emotional connection. This makes the truth so much more tragic. People could see that there was clear potential for a very intense relationship between Levine and the BSO, but it was brutally curbed by Levine's health. Who will replace him? No one can answer that right now, as we need to do some soul searching and find the right persona to lead the BSO, as opposed to a quick solution.  Such personas are scarce nowadays, and getting scarcer. With the growing cultural recession, Orchestras are in peril, and really, all of the more notable music directors are taken, or wouldn't fit with Boston. It will be an arduous journey, as finding the right music director takes time, strife, and lots of effort. As someone who aspires to be the Music Director of a symphony orchestra someday, I feel that if I want to be the best figurehead I can be, I must take steps to ensure my good physical and mental health, and always maintain longevity in music and in my soul.

-Benjamin G. Ruesch
Aspiring Maestro

http://articles.boston.com/2011-03-13/ae/29348148_1_music-director-bso-officials-conductor

Deformed Puppy, Rescued from Trash, Learns how to Walk by Laura T. Coffey

      As I was searching the web I stumbled upon an article that caught my eye.  I saw a cute little picture of a puppy on my homepage and I thought I should check it out.  Little did I know that I would find an article about the brave story of a thrown away animal left fort dead that conquered all odds and made a full recovery thanks to the kindness of a single person.  This story touched me as it would any normal persson and I thought it would be good to share with the rest of the internet world.

      In the article, a woman by the name of Erica Daniel, had encountered a man with a trash bag.  The trashbag however seemed to have more than just trash in it.  It appeared that it was moving and squirming.  She asked "what's in the bag" and he replied, "don't worry about it." But after consistently questioning the man he finally just gave her the bag and went on his way.  Erica looked in the bag and found a puppy that was just sprolled out as if it were dead.  The puppy apparently had swimmer puppu syndrome.  Erica took the puppy in as her own and raised it back to perfect health with no reward in return other than knowing that she just saved another life forms well being.  Her selflessness should be remembered and embraced by all.

    The way the article was written was quite interesting.  At first the author introduced the person, Erica Daniels, and described a little about her.  Later on she introduced the puppy as a part of Erica's world.  I was expecting it to be the other way around.  And the final icing on the cake was the ending.  Like all good stories you always leave the reader wanting to know more and in the end of this story, Coffey does just that.  Erica Daniels was asked if she was going to keep Harper, the puppy, and she responded I'm not sure yet, I want to give her up for adoption but I'd hat e to see her go.  Written like a true artist.

      This article has truly touched me the way a sad sappy story should.  It starts off with a terrible tragedy and then builds into this wonderful plot of an attempt at rescue and finally the taste of sweet success.  It makes me think of what a modern day hero is and I see Erica Daniels as fitting under that category.

Ryder Corey

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44617504/ns/today-good_news/?GT1=43001

Don't Skip: Schools Waking up on Absenteeism

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44704948/ns/today-education_nation/#.ToXSis2iVqA

I found this article and it caught my attention because I remember absenteeism being a problem almost every year from middle school throughout high school. Waking up in the morning is especially difficult for teenagers because we like our sleep. Most teenagers can sleep until noon and even later, so having to wake up at 6 or 7 in the morning is brutal. Yes, we could go to bed earlier and plan ahead to make sure we get enough sleep, but even then, I feel like 6am comes way too early. Also, I know that there are people out there who are night owls and just can not bring themselves to go to bed before 11 o'clock. When I was in high school, I used to help in the main office during my lunches. Everyday, there was an attendance sheet for who was absent and who had been tardy on that particular day. Of course, out of curiosity, I would sneak a glance at it every so often. It was very surprising how many students missed school or were late on a given day. It was more than I thought.

It always annoyed me when teaches would say how important it was to be in class and be on time. I never realized what they were trying to teach us until I got to college. Every class does count, so if you miss even one class, you could have missed some very important information. Announcements are made and key points are made about whatever subject that class may be for. You never know what you are going to miss. Also, it is probably even more common for college students to be late or miss class because they have overslept. In high school, I know many people whose parents had to wake them up every morning, so they just got into that routine. Well, at college, you are on your own and have to wake up by yourself. It is your own responsibility to get yourself out of bed. So, I think the idea of having a celebrity wake you up is a very clever idea. Waking up is never "fun," but having someone famous yelling at you to get out of bed could be both comical and helpful. It also may teach teenagers that going to class is in reality very important because if you want to be successful in whatever career you choose, you must be knowledgable in the information needed to succeed.

-Bridget Meehan

What Do You Think?

    I stumbled across this blog "Why I Bother to Get Married at Age 40" (http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/josey-vogels/marriage-later-in-life_b_935078.html)while researching just what type of blog would intrigue me. Call me crazy, but I was looking at a blog about the royal wedding, and was linked to this one. I read through it and was intrigued by Vogels’ narrative of her experience with the events leading to her wedding and a brief time after, but the real thing that made this blog memorable was her closing line.

    Josey Vogels chronologically narrates the story of this part of her relationship, starting with her own doubts about the whole point of getting married, especially at her "ripe old age" of 40. She thought originally (prodded on by a friend and by her sister’s mother-in-law) that marriage was “just a slip of paper” and that all it did was tie you down legally and financially and set you up for a divorce later.

Vogels then moves on to tell how her viewpoint on marriage began to change, though slightly. After she and her soon-to-be-husband were engaged, she found a thrill (almost a girlish giddiness) in telling complete strangers that she was getting married. And she was fascinated by their responses. Passers-by offered congratulations and added to her bewilderment.

    Then Josey explains the inquisitive state she found herself in. What made complete strangers want to share in her happiness? Why would some people spend so much on one day just to throw away all those memories after a few years? Was there any sacredness still attached to marriage? Or was it passed off as a hassle for some or an excuse for a big party for others? Even on her own wedding day, Josey admits, that they just did what felt right and she couldn’t explain why they did it. She and her fiancé just chose to get married…because.

    Not until the end of the blog are her feelings revealed. She is still unsure about why exactly she got married, but she felt a sort of finality in her relationship. She found that a piece of paper isn’t what makes a marriage a marriage, but the fact that you are officially in a relationship with someone, with more authority than just a Facebook update. Vogels still finds it difficult to define exactly what it is that feels so different but she ends with what I consider to be a great closing statement. She asks the reader to consider their own viewpoint on the topic she wrote about. It causes the reader to actually ponder what they read instead of just letting it wash over them and ebb away with the next thing they read.

-Megan Lusdorf

This War Can Still Be Won

 This War Can Still Be Won - By Fernando M. Lujan

The piece of writing that I selected offers an incredible outlook into a topic that has become a hot button issue in national and international circles. The article revolves around the author, Fernando M. Lujan, who is an Army Special Forces officer that has recently returned from a deployment to Afghanistan. He vividly describes the situation that he and his team encountered and how the reality of the situation is often a far cry from what higher-echelon government figures and media convey to the public on a daily basis.

This article struck a chord with me personally when I first read it because I have been in similar shoes to the author’s. I have served in Afghanistan with a Special Forces team and have embedded with Afghan military forces. I have slept at tiny outposts, eaten local food and stayed up late speaking with Afghan soldiers. So to me, the fact that this person so clearly has been involved in the non-glamorous aspects of service abroad generates even more credibility on his opinions. His description of his life while deployed truly resonated with me and instantly served as a sort of bona fides as someone who is worth listening to.

Lujan paints a bleak picture on the outlook of the war in Afghanistan at present from the point of view of the “policy wonks, politicos and academics.” He serves to discredit their conduct and opinions on the war with a sort of ad hominum attack by claiming that while the aforementioned policy wonks are “sipping their Starbucks, a few mutter the word ‘unwinnable."  He goes on to explain specifically why he feels this bleak outlook on the current state of violence in Afghanistan is certainly not most accurately portrayed by those that are located near a Starbucks. He and his Special Forces team, called an Operational Detachment-Alpha, or ODA for short, served right alongside our Afghan military partners and were involved in everything from training courses, to eating dinner and on into operational missions. Lujan and his team are clearly better qualified to comment on what specifically is occurring at the ground level and he does not shy away from doing so.

Lujan offers up an opinion on the war that I have not often heard. Typically most discussion on the war includes conversations just as he has described with people muttering 'unwinnable.' But he paints a picture of a nationalistic sentiment that has grown exponentially and of a sense of security that has spread throughout the civilian populace. I haven't been to that country since 2010 but if the feeling on the ground is as he describes, than I am proud to hear that a tangible product, so to speak, has begun to develop.

This article is applicable to this blog because by being published in print and online it serves to spread a first-hand account of a conflict that the average American has heard so much about, but usually only when filtered through second-hand and highly biased sources. Here is a real-time account from the front lines of Afghanistan as told to you by a veteran Special Forces officer. Regardless of what your personal thoughts may be on the war or our involvement, I think it is important for everyone interested to hear what is called in military circles as ‘the ground truth.’

- Mike Hubbard

"The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence" by Tom Fadial

Fadial Tom, “The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence”: http://erraticwisdom.com/2010/04/04/the-ethics-of-artificial-intelligence

Fadial Tom, “The Ethics of AI: Part One”: http://erraticwisdom.com/2010/04/05/the-ethics-of-ai-part-one

Fadial Tom, “The Ethics of AI: Part Two”: http://erraticwisdom.com/2010/04/18/the-ethics-of-ai-part-two

Fadial Tom, “The Ethics of AI: Part Three”: http://erraticwisdom.com/2010/06/04/the-ethics-of-ai-part-three

This series of blog entries is a surprisingly potent philosophical journey. Written by Tom Fadial (or “Thame”), the author of a seemingly personal blog entitled erraticwisdom which deals with a small gamut of subjects ranging from philosophy to web design, “The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence” is a series of questions (and proposed answers) about what some of the ethical implications that humanity's creation of artificial intelligence entails. Don't be deceived by the fact that this blog's author also writes about web media and graphic design: the thoughts described in these four posts probe fairly deeply into a subject that humanity is collectively coming closer and closer to facing (while still retaining an acceptable degree of accessibility).

A couple of preliminary notes: to be fair, I do not have much prior knowledge on this subject, and so I write that these works probe “fairly deeply” into these subjects loosely. I imagine that these blog entries hardly scratch the surface when lined up against other literature on the subject, but of this I am unsure. Secondly, it should be noted, I think, that the comments on these blogs are very much worth reading—a good deal of insight into not only the author's perspective but on the (often well-composed and articulated) thoughts of others may be gleaned from doing this.

Again, I feel it necessary to stress that this is a subject matter with real-world implications, whether or not those implications are immediate. As the author writes, we are given a rare opportunity with a subject like this to mull over the ethics of our actions well before we take them, not after we are already seeing their effects. Fully-conscious artificial intelligence may very well be a possibility within the foreseeable future. These articles raise a great number of questions that I believe we should be asking ourselves:

> What differentiates consciousness inside of a man-made machine with that inside of an organic body? Is there any ethical difference between them? Should they be treated differently, and if so, why?

> Is it ethically acceptable to create fully-conscious artificial beings with the intention that they do our bidding? Even if they are not created to carry out specific tasks, is it right for them to be our experimental subjects? If so, is it acceptable for us to experiment with humans—and if not, why?

> Is it ethical to create or give birth to something that may wish it had never been brought into existence? If not, how does one explain the propagation of humanity?

> If a race of intrinsically more moral beings were created by humanity, what would the purpose and value of the Homo sapien (then of less “worth” in contrast to the new race) be?

> Is it ethical to create a form of artificial intelligence that does not commit evil? Does this infringe on said life form’s freedom? Is it even conceivable to create such a thing? After all, “evil” is often relative—what many think of as bad deeds are often committed out of apparent necessity, or for some apparently good cause. Programming a perfect moral code may well be impossible!

> “Freedom is a necessary part of being human, as it allows for individual decisions towards good or evil, but what about evil itself, is it too a necessary human component? Can we know what it means to be good (and to make the necessary individuating choices) if there is no contrasting evil?”

> Why is it important that this prospective race of AI be composed of “individuals”? Why would a race with certain weaknesses in some entities be more favorable than a race of perfect beings? Is it unethical to purposely create a being with weaknesses (for doing so would surely increase their suffering in some way)? What is the true value of individuality, and life on a whole?

Fadial's writing raises these questions and many more. While his writing does include a few grammatical errors, I find that on a whole it is well-done and enjoyable to read. Each time I review these entries, the issue becomes clearer to me, and my opinions on the subject shift slightly. Some of my current conclusions in reaction to Fadial's words are as follows:

Firstly, Fadial comes to the conclusion that it would be unethical to create fully-conscious beings with artificial intelligence because it would violate Kant's categorical imperative (which basically states, in part, that humans [and other fully-conscious beings, for this argument] are to be treated as ends in themselves and never used as the means to achieve an end). In other words, it would be unethical to use these artificially intelligent beings as tools just as it is unethical to treat humans as slave labor. My objection to this is that we do not necessarily have to treat these beings as means to an end—is it objectionable to create them for the simple benefits of doing so? If it is objectionable, then how does one justify propagation of the human race, or how is that different? Further, I'm sure that at some point in the process of developing fully-conscious artificially intelligent beings we will be able to create machines who are able to carry out our needs without having a conscious mind. I can imagine very few situations when it would be necessary to have a fully-conscious robot do our work for us. This still leaves the issue of whether or not it is ethical to use beings with AI as experimental subjects unaddressed: to this I have no real answer. Perhaps with their fully-informed consent, it would be permissible. I would imagine that in the creation of these new forms of consciousness we would discover most of what we are curious about, and that experimentation on them after the fact might very well be unnecessary.

Secondly, the author seems to think that the invention of a race composed of completely moral artificial beings would render humanity obsolete, and that the only possible end result of doing so would be the end of the human race. This does not seem like a logical conclusion to me. He doesn't provide a very thorough explanation as to why this situation would bring about the end of humanity, but to me this seems like a false dilemma. Fadial seems to posit that this race would completely replace humans, without even acknowledging the idea that humans and the new race could interact in harmony. Although I'm sure that the weaving of entities with AI into Earth's culture would raise many, many dilemmas, I see no reason why this equates to the end of our species. A race of perfectly moral beings surely would not willfully eradicate us, anyhow—although there are undoubtedly dozens of science-fiction stories that tell otherwise.

Although I do not completely agree with Fadial's conclusions on this subject, I applaud him for raising the matter in a thoughtful (yet digestible) way. This is a subject that we should begin to think about now, far before it becomes a more immediately potential reality, for its implications are broad. Discussions such as this one involve many hypothetical situations about a time far in the future, but there are timeless questions of principle that we can start asking now, before it's too late. I hope that reading these articles was as stimulating for you as it was for me, and I encourage you to ponder these matters for the sake of what our futures may hold!

- Sean Adam Boucher

The Social Revolution in America: Spotify’s Influence on Social Media

http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2011/09/28/spotify-tries-to-soothe-angry-users-over-facebook-conditions/

Since Spotify’s original release on October 7th, 2008, it has grown to be one of the largest music-distribution websites of it’s kind. Based in Sweden, Spotify works much like a DJ at a party; you can listen to whatever song comes on next, or you can request to hear a certain song or artist. This is what makes the software so great. Spotify allows you to look up and listen to an artist’s entire album before you buy it, allowing you to search all of the music you want without the consequence of having to pay for it. The unlimited feature of Spotify allows you to branch out your musical tastes, and not listen to the same five bands over and over again because you bought their CDs.

The above article talks about Spotify’s recent merge with Facebook at the F8 Conference. Spotify broke the 10 million member mark on September 15th 2010 and has been growing steadily since that point. Prior to July 2011, Spotify was only available in Europe. Since then, it has been released in the US and Denmark, in addition to several European countries. Facebook’s F8 Conference was held on September 22nd, 2011, and during this conference, Spotify and Facebook signed a merger agreement. The agreement stated that all Spotify users must own a Facebook account in order to continue using Spotify. This recent change created two sides on the matter: those in favor of the change, and those who use other social networks who were severely opposed. 

The merge made the two networks virtually seamless. Facebook now includes a synchronization feature that allows you to use your previously stated interests to browse music selections similar to ones you have already liked. Also, users who choose to share their interests who are also Facebook friends will appear in a window on the Spotify app. This allows you to not only browse your own interests, but also see what your friends are listening to at the time, allowing you to branch out your musical taste and find new bands to listen to. As both a Spotify and a Facebook user, I am in favor of the change. It not only synchronizes the two networks, but allows you to use one log-in for two social networks. 

Since the merge on September 22nd, Spotify has gained over 1 million members. That’s almost 170,000 new members each day. But, with the changes came privacy issues. As a default, the Spotify app will post your recent listening habits on your Facebook wall for all of your friends to see. Most people don’t realize that the feature is easily disabled, and quickly jump to the conclusion that their privacy is being breached. As the author of the article puts it, “if you don’t want your Facebook friends to know that you occasionally listen to the Spice Girls: disable the Facebook notification option in your Spotify player.” 

As a fan of the recent changes and an avid listener to music, it’s nice to see such a great concept being synchronized in the social media that we use everyday.

-Patrick Rowe

Sample Entry: "Wendell Berry's Sacred Environmentalism" by Mallory McDuff, Ph.D.

Mallory McDuff, Ph.D., “Wendell Berry’s Sacred Environmentalism”: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mallory-mcduff-phd/wendell-berry-religious-environmentalism_b_954902.html

I enjoyed reading this blog entry by Mallory McDuff, Ph.D., and I’m glad to have the chance to share the link with you. Her entry appeared just this weekend on The Huffington Post, one of the most widely-read blogs on the internet, and it was specifically categorized under “HuffPost Religion” on this site. McDuff’s essay focuses on an upcoming visit to her college by noted writer Wendell Berry. She describes her excitement about Berry’s visit, suggesting that she shares his Christian approach to conserving our natural resources through an embrace of “local economies” and through the pursuit of sources of renewable energy.

I like this entry for several reasons. One reason is admittedly personal. Berry is a writer who is aligned politically and religiously with many of the writers that I have researched: Christian activists who have viewed their faith as closely related to their political views. I have been interested in Berry’s work casually for a few years now, and I was excited to come across this piece about his writing and his involvement with political causes. My initial interest in this entry was rooted in its similarity to other works that I read regularly, but the interest only grew from there.

McDuff’s writing style is polished, interesting, and open. I like the way she shares personal details about her family life while also exploring the work of a writer and asserting that his work is worth our attention. She writes with a great sense of focus on Berry’s political activism, while still including phrases that sound almost conversational. Take, for example, her last sentence, which reads, “Now, I think it’s time to plant that kale.” Her entry covers some of Berry’s recent activist work and suggests that she and her students are finding ways to pursue his Christian environmentalist goals. While reading her words, I could imagine her sharing her love for the work of Wendell Berry in front of a group of colleagues.

The writing style found here makes McDuff’s piece a worthy first entry on our course blog, which is intended to showcase the best online writing published in 2011. Her entry is brief but it is filled with interesting ideas about the reasons that Christians and other people of faith should take an interest in conserving the environment. She makes good use of the rhetorical situation provided to her by The Huffington Post, which is generally considered a left-leaning website that reaches a wide audience. Perhaps the audience even includes members of a growing subgroup of American Christians who are taking an interest in environmental activism and conservationism. While she hasn’t included any links to related websites in her entry, she does show a good awareness of the conventions of blog writing, using brief paragraphs and a slightly informal tone. Overall, I was very impressed by McDuff’s piece, which enhanced my interest in The Huffington Post and my interest in the work of Berry all at once.

-Prof. LeBlanc