amywinchester's posterous http://amywinchester.posterous.com Most recent posts at amywinchester's posterous posterous.com Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:09:00 -0800 Political Correctness http://amywinchester.posterous.com/political-correctness http://amywinchester.posterous.com/political-correctness

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When  my parents were children in the 50s and 60s, political correctness was not in vogue.  People were not afraid to speak their mind, whether it was right or wrong.  And sometimes offense was taken.  Now the liberal media and Hollywood types control the public’s opinions on everything from race to religion, political views to health issues.  Heaven forbid (oops, sorry) that a person thinks for himself and is not told what to think by so many of the uneducated, inexperienced or those that find themselves in front of the camera.  Life experience teaches so much and should not be left by the wayside in order to keep from upsetting the apple cart.  Sometimes, generalizations are a good thing.

There are so many facets of political correctness and it seems to grow everyday.  So much so that it seems some peoples’ brains have completely fallen out!  Where is the common sense in this world of ours?

There are so many differences in opinion on all of these issues. Each group has a different collective memory and trying to voice it. Each of which are trying to get their voices heard and their agenda met.  By each group needing everything that has to do with them to be politically correct, how are we supposed to know what’s the truth? There are too many different opinions on every matter.

Some examples come to mind at this time of year.  Why is it not OK to say “Merry Christmas” anymore?  Why is every newscast, store advertisement or Christmas card (sorry) have to contain such generic greetings as “Happy Holidays”?  Just come right out and say it people!  MERRY CHRISTMAS!  HAPPY HANNUKAH!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Whatever…these are not offensive!

Yet another example is the gender-neutral terms.  Now a fireman is referred to as a firefighter, a female police officer is a policewoman, a female congressman is a congresswoman, and on it goes.  I’m all for women’s equality, and these terms really aren’t a big deal, but it’s the forced political correctness that bothers me and others like me.

How about the disability terms we know get to enjoy?  Instead of blind, we have visually challenged; deaf is now hearing impaired.  Fortunately, the IRS has not become politically correct.  Not only will they take everybody’s money, they still give exemptions for the blind.  Please don’t tell them or all of our 1040 forms will have to be reprinted at a cost of who knows how much.

Then, of course, there are the racial identity terms.  Indians are now Native Americans.  How have so many of the old Cowboy and Indian movies survived?  How about all the school mascots that have been changed so as not to offend our Native Americans?  What is so offensive about being called an “Apache”, for example?  Of course, this can be seen through all the races; white is now Caucasian, black has evolved over the years and is now African-American.  I can’t keep up, and what’s more, I don’t care to.

Political debates are no longer debates.  Candidates for whatever office are so worried about offending anyone, they can’t answer in a straightforward way.  Let’s just skirt around the issue and hope they don’t notice!

Political correctness has its’ trends too.  How about gay marriage, global warming or removing God from our money and public institutions?  There are educated opinions for both sides of these issues, but the politically correct opinion is to accept gay marriage, God should not be mentioned within earshot of a school, and yes, the world is going to end due to global warming.

As for me, I’m keeping my hat on so my brains don’t fall out and I’m reading between the lines to make up my own mind  Want to join me?  Good!  MERRY CHRISTMAS to all and to all a good night.

 

http://conservapedia.com/Politically_correct

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politically_correct

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Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:22:00 -0800 Adderall Use By College Students http://amywinchester.posterous.com/adderall-use-by-college-students-70926 http://amywinchester.posterous.com/adderall-use-by-college-students-70926

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Adderall is a prescription drug intended for use by patients diagnosed with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  In addition to treatment for ADHD, Adderall is used to treat certain sleeping disorders.  It is not intended for treating tiredness or to keep awake in people without a sleep disorder. Adderall is the brand name but it is also known under its’ generic name of amphetamine-dextroamphetamine. It works by restoring the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain.  Neurotransmitters are natural substances found in the brain.

Adderall is becoming increasingly popular with college age students.  It allows students to focus, stay on task, and stay awake on those long all-nighters studying for finals.  Much like the effects it has on people with ADHD.  Adderall has reportedly become so popular, there has been a shortage for patients who are prescribed the drug.

With society becoming more and more “McDonaldized,” students are expected to perform well without putting in as much time or effort. Adderall is viewed as the drug that will help students with this. It allows students to not put in as much effort studying. It allows them to retain information without having to repeat studying as many times. Adderall allows for the studying experience to be quick and efficient without being time consuming.

Adderall has been known to cause withdrawal reactions in patients taking high doses or being taken regularly for more than a few weeks.  Some of these symptoms include severe tiredness, mood changes, depression, sleep problems, weight loss and lack of appetite. Adderall, being an amphetamine, can be an addictive drug.  Close monitoring by your physician is a must and a full health screening should be completed before it is prescribed.  Unfortunately, college students are acquiring this drug without these health screenings.  This is not only dangerous but life threatening in some cases.  Adderall has been classified in the group of drugs with the highest potential for abuse or dependence.

According to a report by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), approximately 6.4 % of full-time college students ages 18-22 used Adderall non-medically.  These same students reported the abuse of alcohol or binge drinking. Full time college students also were more likely to use,  non-medically, other drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine, prescription pain relievers and tranquilizers, than were students not using Adderall.  Combining cocaine and other stimulants, such as Adderall can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The abuse of Adderall by those who have had no health screening can be dangerous, if not deadly.  So the question is, potential lifetime of addiction to drugs or is not worth the “A” on that final?

 

http://www.samhsa.gov/samhsanewsletter/Volume_17_Number_3/Adderall.aspx

 

http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drugreview-63163-Adderall

 

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k9/adderall/adderall.htm

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Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:14:00 -0800 Celebrities Commercializing Christmas http://amywinchester.posterous.com/celebrities-commercializing-christmas http://amywinchester.posterous.com/celebrities-commercializing-christmas

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Sandra Bullock talked to Access Hollywood about her and her 23 month old son’s upcoming First Christmas. She joked of how he was going to get nothing so that he wasn’t spoiled. As I read this part of the article, I thought “Finally! celebrities who are somewhat normal!” Upon reading further, Bullock went on to say “I want the photo ops to be really great because he's not going to remember it.” The article then said that Bullock had purchased life-sized stuffed animals and play toys. Not only did she purchase the toys, but she found the need to purchase Louis an Andy Warhol painting (for $14,000) and two paintings by artist Patrick Roberts. Jay-Z and Beyonce even bought outrageous gifts for one another. They spent over a million dollars on each of their vehicles, trying to impress other celebrities during their Christmas shopping.

            With gifts like these, kids who follow celebrity gossip are expecting more from their parents. And with an economy like that in the United States, parents aren’t able to give them all that they want during Christmas. Society has forgotten what Christmas was meant for. Everyone spends all their money and effort on gifts. The Grinch put it best in How the Grinch Stole Christmas,That's what it's all about, isn't it? That's what it's always been *about*. Gifts, gifts... gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts. You wanna know what happens to your gifts? They all come to me. In your garbage.”

            It’s traditions like those of Melissa Joan Hart where her family ALWAYS  has a ugly holiday sweater party. Or even Teri Hatcher, who bakes Gingerbread Houses with her daughters every year just so she can spend time with them. These traditions are those that our society has a collective memory of. Those that are about bonding with friends and family.

            How much do people really care about their Christmas gifts by the end of January? How much re-gifting is done for the next Christmas? Our memory and understanding has shifted so greatly in the last decades. Christmas was a time where family gathered together over dinner and created memories. Now, it’s about kids opening mounds of presents on Christmas morning and family members competing with others on who gives the best presents. My guess would be that Sandra Bullock would win that competition. We need to go back to the collective memory of so many older people who remember a Christmas where it was about friends and family. Lou Lou Who got it right, “You can't hurt Christmas, Mr. Mayor, because it isn't about the... the gifts or the contest or the fancy lights.”

           

 

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/sandra-bullock-giving-louis-a-r...

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Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:31:00 -0700 How far is too far? http://amywinchester.posterous.com/how-far-is-too-far http://amywinchester.posterous.com/how-far-is-too-far

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The Bill of Rights was written by our forefather’s to protect our rights as U.S. citizens. So shouldn’t every right be protected? In Gilbert, Arizona that right has been taken away from a high school cheerleading squad.

USA Today wrote an article about an incident where these cheerleaders’ right to freedom of speech was taken away from them by their high school administration. The cheerleaders were told they “cannot wear their pink T-shirts to raise money for breast cancer awareness during the school's football games because the administration finds the shirts display an objectionable slogan. The shirts say ‘Gilbert cheer’ on the front and ‘Feel for lumps, save your bumps’ on the back.” With something as small and minuscule as not being allowed to wear a shirt to a football game, what’s the next infringement on our rights?

As Wendy Griswold puts it in Cultures and Societies in a Changing World, the Cultural Diamond is being disturbed. The squad is the “Producers” of a “Cultural Object” (the pink shirts) and the administration is trying to block others from “Receiving” the shirts and making it a part of the “Social World.” The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights has a lot of its basis on this. By telling all U.S. citizens that they have the right to the freedom of speech, they are allowed to create their own Cultural Object and therefore insert it into the Social World.

These shirts weren’t meant to cause any sort of trouble. Instead, they were meant to do good for others affected by breast cancer. If we aren’t allowed to help others that need it, how can our society improve? Isn’t this something we should strive for every day?

The cheerleaders went on to say that they were going to wear the shirts regardless of what the administration said because they wanted to raise breast cancer awareness. Why wouldn’t they? This minor offensive shirt is nothing in comparison to other attire that raises awareness for other causes. The “I (heart) Boobies” bracelets and “Save Second Base” shirts are much more offensive than “Feel for lumps, save your bumps.” “The cheerleaders also said they've seen Gilbert High American sign-language club shirts said, ‘I'm good with my hands’" (USA Today). Why did the administration discriminate against breast cancer awareness but allow the sign-language club to wear “offensive” shirts?  If there is no set boundaries to what is allowed, how will the students know what is socially acceptable at the high school level?

 

References:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-10-13/arizona-school-breast-cancer-shirts/50752830/1

Griswold, Wendy. Cultures and Societies in a Changing World 3. Pine Forge Press, 2008.

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Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:49:00 -0700 Sleep deprivation: A Social Issue http://amywinchester.posterous.com/sleep-deprivation-a-social-issue http://amywinchester.posterous.com/sleep-deprivation-a-social-issue

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As I sit here typing this blog (after a serious lack of sleep), I realize that sleep deprivation has become a social norm. As college students, we are told that we need to prioritize. We are given assignments, exams, study sessions, group projects, lengthy papers, office hours to attend, mandatory study hours, lecture seminars, labs and lectures. Most even have part-time and even full-time jobs. We are also taught that we need to socialize by joining groups, clubs and organizations. Not to mention the parties that are a part of your college rite of passage. And we’re supposed to fit all this within 24 hours? When are we supposed to sleep?

As a study in the Kansas City Star put it: “lectures + coffee + cracking books + energy drinks + study groups + pizza + goofing off + more coffee + last-minute cramming + finals = ZERO sleep.” Doesn’t this sound like a normal day in the life of the average college student? Not to mention working. I did a lot of research on this….it’s what I do best as a biology major….and found some stunning results:

On weeknights, 20 percent of students stay up all night at least once a month and 35 percent stay up until 3 a.m. at least once a week. (Medical News Today)

Twelve percent of poor sleepers miss class three or more times a month or fall asleep in class.  (Medical News Today)

More than 60 percent of college students have disturbed sleep-wake patterns and many take drugs and alcohol regularly to help them do one or the other. (Medical News Today)

Two-thirds of the students reported that they had pulled at least one all-nighter during a semester. (USA Today)

      But with all this lack of sleep there are some major consequences. Some of these include: headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, weakened immune system, irritability, stress, anxiety, loss of ability to focus and to concentrate (eHow). How are we, as college students, supposed to learn (the focus of college) if we aren’t given the opportunity by over-scheduling by professors and a greater expectations than can be met in a healthy manner?

      Students try to meet the needs and expectations of all their professors which in turn cause their health and well-being to be compromised. This becomes the social norm at every college campus. This will continue until at all campuses and accelerate over time until students are asked to get close to no sleep. Alcohol and drugs are then substituted in order to attain sleep when insomnia occurs or to stay awake to study after already suffering from sleep deprivation.

      Sleep deprivation, alcohol and drugs are becoming so normalized in our society that major medical costs are being felt. Society is changing into one that doesn’t think of their health first and lives by the clock instead. Has our sleep even become McDonaldized?

      Ritzer talks about how McDonaldization uses the aspects of efficiency, predictability, quantification, and control. As students we are told that we need to be efficient with our work. When we write an essay, we are told to get to the point but to include as much detail as possible. We are given a certain amount of time to take a test so that we are controlled. Assignments are to be turned in a certain predictable time. Grades are given to us to quantify our work. With all these expectations of college students, how is sleep supposed to be factored in? Sleep is controlled by our alarm clocks which go off every morning at a predictable time and much too early. We only sleep a certain amount so that our day can be efficient.

      What can we do to solve this? Professors can assign less busy work to allow for more time to study the material instead of doing the extra unnecessary work. Universities can also have fewer requirements for students to graduate and allow fewer units to be considered a “full-time” student. Classes should still ask for the same knowledge of material, though.

References:

http://www.ehow.com/facts_4852933_side-effects-sleep-deprivation.html

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-09-16-sleep-deprivation_N.htm

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/160265.php

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/10/3199602/if-students-dont-snooze-they-los...

Ritzer, George. The McDonalization of Society 6, Pine Forge Press, 2011.

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Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:55:00 -0700 My Life http://amywinchester.posterous.com/my-life http://amywinchester.posterous.com/my-life

I'm a fourth year student at Fresno State, majoring in Biology with an emphasis in Human Anatomy and Physiology. I am a very driven student and am always wanting to learn. I grew up in the country outside of Clovis, so that has created the greatest cultural emphasis on myself. I am very close to my parents, who are some of my best friends and biggest support group. Growing up, I had a creek running through my parent's property that we went fishing in every night. We would feed the ducks, go hunting and make frequent trips to the desert to ride our quads. Camping and traveling was also a big part of growing up in my family. We took many road trips and visited many places. When I got older, I began riding horses and competing in rodeos. I even hold a permit with the Women's Professional Rodeo Association where I compete in large rodeos in barrel racing. Sports was also huge since I played all my life. Being involved with all this kept me really busy, so when I came to college I wanted to continue to be involved. I ended up joining a sorority where I have met some of my best friends. All these experiences in my life have molded me into the person I am today.

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