Whether or not we should eat meat is, clearly, a serious question in the domain of practical or applied ethics. Aside from the obvious animal welfare issues, advocates of the vegetarian diet may also now be prone to argue that meat production is a hugely inefficient use of natural resources, and that in a world of burgeoning population growth, not to mention the potential shrinking of habitable land mass following from the byproducts climate change (rising sea-levels, increased desertification), a meat-based diet is environmentally unsustainable.

However, even accepting these arguments, a recent report in the Times suggests that we might, in the future, be able to tuck into a steak – or at least sausages – without being afflicted by the niggling pangs of conscience.  The article states that scientists at Eindhoven University in Holland have, for the first time, succeeded in ‘growing meat’ in a laboratory for the first time. Cells whose natural role is to repair damaged tissue (myoblasts) were extracted from the muscle of a live pig, and then incubated in a ‘nutritious’ (to the cells, I would presume) stew that is currently ‘derived from the blood products of animal foetuses, although the intention is to come up with a synthetic solution’. The upshot?

“The result was sticky muscle tissue that requires exercise, like human muscles, to turn it into a tougher steak-like consistency.”

If the method can be perfected (I will leave the notion of ‘exercise’ here to your imagination), we will have a source of meat-protein with little-to-none of the bad ethical side-effects of the real deal. (At least, this is the reported view of PETA, notorious for taking a hard-line on animal welfare issues.)

The downside? OK, so admittedly it might not sound all that appealing so far (the scientists themselves have, it is reported, so far not tasted their handiwork). But before we are too quick to write-off synthetic meat, one might suggest that the above description of laboratory produced meat is probably at the very least no less appetising than an equivalent description of modern factory farming practice.

Related Article:

Environmental Ethics: An Overview
By Katie McShane, Colarado State University
(Vol. 4, May 2009)
Philosophy Compass

Earlier this month, Mr Justice Michael Burton ruled that employees holding philosophical views based on science and reason should be afforded the same legal protection from discrimination as those with religious beliefs. The case concerned Tim Nicholson, the former head of sustainability for Grainger, the UK’s largest listed residential property company. Nicholson claimed that he had been sacked due to his environmental beliefs. But Grainger’s lawyers contended that environmental views are political and a “lifestyle choice” which cannot be compared to religion or philosophy.

Mr Burton ruled that Nicholson’s views were entitled to the same protection as religious views and that the case should go before an employment tribunal. The written ruling, which looked at whether philosophy could be underpinned by a scientific belief, quoted from Bertrand Russell’s History of Western Philosophy and ultimately concluded that a belief in climate change, while a political view about science, can also be a philosophical one. Interestingly, Mr Burton ruled last year that Al Gore’s environmental documentary An Inconvenient Truth was political and partisan as he assessed whether it should be shown to schools. (You can read about the case here and here.)

Camilla Palmer, of the legal firm Leigh Day and Co, suggested that the ruling opened the doors for an even wider category of deeply held beliefs, such as feminism, vegetarianism or humanism. Palmer commented: “It’s a great decision. Why should it only be religions which are protected?” However, perhaps not everyone will be so pleased by the ruling. Trade unionists campaigning for BNP members to be banned from public sector employment might fear that this ruling will also serve to protect far-right extremists. Indeed, might this fear also be what lies behind the government’s decision to remove protection for “political beliefs and beliefs in scientific theories” in it’s new equality bill, currently before parliament? Paragraph 10 of the new bill states:

“Communism, Darwinism, Fascism and Socialism are not beliefs that fall within the definition; nor is adherence to a particular football team. However, beliefs such as atheism and humanism would be covered.”

You can read the entire bill here.

Related articles: Teaching & Learning Guide for Business Ethics: An Overview
By Jeffrey Moriarty, Bowling Green State University
(Philosophy Compass 2009, May 2009)
Philosophy Compass
Related articles: Precedent
By Grant Lamond , Balliol College, University of Oxford
(Vol. 2, July 2007)
Philosophy Compass

Stained glass image, Naval Academy Chapel, Annapolis, MD

On our trip to Annapolis, MD over the weekend, we decided to visit the campus of the U. S. Naval Academy there.  We’ve been to Annapolis a few times, but never really saw the campus except from outside the gates.  It’s an impressive place.  Not to mention all of the history wrapped up in the institution itself and the navy in general.  I wish I’d been able to spend more time there.

One place we did loiter a bit, though, was the Academy Chapel.  Renovated earlier this decade, the interior is striking.  As you enter, you can see a large open dome above the altar and a stained glass likeness of Christ walking on water behind it (hey, it’s the navy).  It is the stained glass windows in the chapel, in fact, that seem to generate the most visitor interest.  I believe that all of them were made by Tiffany.  Extremely detailed, you can spend a lot of time just admiring the colors and the designs in this beautiful glass.  Some of it is religious, of course, but much of it depicts U. S. naval history.  It is the mixture of the two, however,  that strikes me as a little “odd”.

The image above, for example, is part of what is known as the Farragut Window.  For those not well versed in U. S. naval history (which would include about 95% of all Americans), David Farragut was the first rear admiral in U. S. naval history.  His accomplishments were many, but his biggest claim to fame came during the Civil War in a naval action in Mobile Bay in 1864.  It was here, during some early and confusing moments for the Union fleet (one ship was sunk), that Farragut supposedly lashed himself to his ship’s rigging (so he could see over the smoke) and yelled, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!“.  At that time, by the way, “torpedoes” were like mines; they weren’t fired from submarines as they are now.  The fleet then moved through the torpedoes without sustaining any more damage and defeated the Confederate forces.  If you look at the picture, you can see Farragut lashed in the rigging leading his forces to victory.

Well, OK.  It is, after all, a chapel on a military installation.  What kind of bothers me, however, is the stained glass window directly above this one, in the balcony area.  Here it is:

The Archangel Michael leading the Fleet

Here we see the Archangel Michael “leading” Farragut’s fleet through the minefield and on to eventual victory.  Now, if I was a product of the American south and decided to get my education at Annapolis and perhaps have a naval career, I might possibly be offended by this.  Does this mean that God was on the Union side during the Civil War?  Were northerners better Christians than were southerners?  Were my ancestors, if I hailed from Mobile, Alabama, the “bad guys”?  Hey, I’m just asking……

Oh, one other historical note.  The body of John Paul Jones, the naval hero from the Revolutionary War, lies in a crypt below the chapel.  For some reason, though, this area was closed over the weekend.

Today, 1st December, Improvement Skills Consulting begins its third year of trading.  Time flies when you’re having fun. 

In the past two years we’ve worked with more than 40 clients in the public, private and voluntary sectors.  Our work has been diverse, with assignments across our three main areas of business:

• Process Improvement
• Performance Management
• Project Management

Assignments have included:

• Implementation of Nimbus Control 2007 as an enabler of Process Management
• Development of Balanced Scorecards as a framework for business planning and performance management
• Desiging and helping clients implement practical Project Management approaches, for “real people”, using relevant and scalable tools and techniques

We’ve continued to provide pro bono support in the voluntary sector, as part of our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and a belief in Ethical Consulting.

We work with a network of Associates and Partners, each of whom is equally committed to meeting agreed customer needs and helping to improve performance continuously.  We measure and track our customers’ feedback and we aim to share learning freely, for the benefit of all.

What if you could know when and how you were going to die? Would you choose to remain ignorant, or would you prefer to confront the facticity of your own mortality directly? This question has engaged philosophers for millennia. Until recently, the question was merely a matter for personal speculation, eliciting intuitions about mortality, self-determination, and free-will. This has all changed. At least, so it seems.

A new industry has emerged, as a result of the last decade’s exponential technological advances in the field of bioinformatics. Now, a glimpse of our most likely personal Reaper is less than 100 dollars away (just two years ago the glimpse was ten times the distance and ten times more blurry). Gene sequencing companies have sprung up everywhere, like mushrooms after a rain. For a modest price, each of us can have our DNA analyzed, and receive a report of our personal predisposition to acquire a variety of potentially debilitating or terminal diseases. Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, lung cancer, breast cancer, obesity, and multiple sclerosis are but a few of the many worrisome conditions targeted by such DNA analysis.

The question – would you want to know? – is no longer limited to philosophical speculation. Today, it commands a real presence in the life of each individual. Some conditions, such as obesity, are preventable and treatable, whereas others, such as Alzheimer’s disease, may be neither preventable nor treatable. In all cases, however, it is only probabilistic knowledge that is available. So, what is the value of such information? This is a question for personal reflection. However, one thing is sure: We are all free to give up smoking and to keep a healthy diet, irrespective of our genetic predisposition for lung cancer, obesity, or diabetes. We should take advantage of that freedom. It is the only way that we can keep our personal Reaper at bay… at least for a little while longer.

See Sharon Begley’s recent article in Newsweek, It’s in Our Genes. So What?

Related articles:

Recent Work on Free Will and Moral Responsibility
By Neil Levy and Michael McKenna, University of Melbourne Florida State University
(Vol. 3, December 2008)
Philosophy Compass

Causation and Responsibility
By Carolina Sartorio , University of Wisconsin at Madison
(Vol. 2, August 2007)
Philosophy Compass

The Thread begins a new series on London’s Resonance FM, starting with an episode entitled ‘The Poetics of Twitter‘. The Twitter device reveals interesting and often counter-intuitive phenomena that challenge pre-conceived philosophical and aesthetic notions – about formation of the self, about Ego, about what ’space’ or ‘network’ might mean, about semiotics.

Most fascinating are the multifarious manipulations of the Twitter form by artists, poets, academics: a piece of software designed to attract followers according to an exponential scale and then groom these followers according to a specific demographic; another that posted every letter typed into a particular PC directly onto a Twitter account, revealing intimate details of a person’s activities; another using Twitter as the structural framework for a kind of automatic poetry.

Fascinating also is what the response to such new media may be from traditional academic circles. In an attempt to keep up with hyperspeed technology, will we see more fragmentary, topical discussion-based analysis and less long-form literature?

Related articles:
Experimental Philosophy
By Joshua Knobe , University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
(Vol. 1, November 2006)
Philosophy Compass

The Text-Performance Relation in Theater
By James Hamilton , Kansas State University
(Vol. 4, June 2009)
Philosophy Compass

Hello there and welcome to wirelessDevices! Here we provide a unique and creative way to post and feature various kinds of media. The system securely advocates that all different types of media should include interesting themes and that all purposes for the selected media is consciously chosen. A way of saying “media” to us is like saying food to a body. It is taken in, should be properly digested, and fed so we can grow strong and just like bones in a human body, be tough and have strong bonds.

Furthermore, we strongly believe in socializing healthy and conscious media. An example of this can be referenced to something like an organized, professional HD video. It is well thought-out, provides relevant information, and tends to naturally attract the average viewer. Whether that be through the high video quality, sound, acting, information, or helpful tips on the subject matter, all of it should be strongly proven and real. The viewer should leave with something interesting or informative. In other words, it informs the person and puts their minds on the right track!

Remember to be sure the subject matter, quality and feel of the media is well thought-out, backed up with proof, and strongly informative. Well, now that that’s out of the way, you can begin to start with a fresh outlook, even if you are still getting things together. It might take a little longer than you think, sometimes it won’t. Remember to be patient and it will be all worth it.

Today we live in the Age of Green. Everyone has realized that we use our natural resources carelessly and thereby are not only slowly destroying the Earth but also ourselves, whereby the speed in which that will happen is not yet determined. Energy generated by wind power therefore seems to be a wonderful solution to many of the problems. Wind is a natural resource that we do have in abundance and it seems to be easy to use. But the wind parks we have so far encounter huge problems. The wind turbines in these parks are huge and very tall propellers that frighten human beings and animals alike, and two-thirds of these turbines are not rotating most of the time. So now an article in Science points out that scientists have developed a new wind turbine that is far more efficient and is designed in a way so that migrating birds can circumnavigate the turbines easily and that the wind parks will need much less space then they are using now. That should be exciting news, since it would solve many problems. The question however is if this solution will be looked at at all. The reason for my skepticism is that those companies that have build these giant wind parks have already spent a lot of money on them and are probably very unwilling to change the system as entirely as it would needed to be changed. In terms of evidence based policy making, the wind parks illustrate the problem of the accumulation of evidence. They were a perfect idea in theory but not in practice, as so many scientists had pointed out already at the time. But the quick solution to the energy dilemma won out over the skeptics and now, when new evidence is available, it seems doubtful that something will change, because the financial interest of those involved in the wind parks is probably more important. But if we really want to make changes, should we not be waiting for the right evidence, and maybe newer science, in order to make the right decisions? We live in the Age of Green and we want to save our planet. Hence we should carefully and patiently accumulate all the evidence we can get to achieve that goal.

Related Article:

Environmental Ethics: An Overview
By Katie McShane, Colorado State University
(Vol.4 May 2009)
Philosophy Compass

Happy Thanksgiving (just about)!  It has been a busy month for me since my last update, but progress is occurring in almost every aspect of my life.  The last few weeks have been an exercise in trial and error and I have learned so much.  Now I have a chance to enjoy a break, savor some rest, and contemplate what I have learned.

This past weekend, I attended a Butoh Workshop at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina.  This all came about because by pure chance, while researching Butoh for my structural analysis paper, I happened to find a link to an Asheville-based website devoted to Butoh.  The three hour workshop fit my schedule and was a drivable distance, so I decided to go for it.

Julie Becton Gillum, a dancer with more than 40 years of experience behind her and who had studied in Japan with the living masters of Butoh this past summer, led about thirty of us students through the workshop.  We warmed up together and “danced.” It was a wonderfully freeing experience, because instead of being locked into the vocabulary of modern dance movement, we were free to create our own vocabulary.  No movement was restricted, and thus the only barrier on our ability to physically express ourselves was our own inhibitions.

This removal of a set vocabulary or system of movement, and this embracing of physical freedom, kept bringing me back to the training I had received this summer in Suzuki and Viewpoints with the SITI Company.  In particular, Barney O’Hanlon’s words kept echoing through my head: “Dance is simply conscious movement.” But the remarkable thing about Butoh is (and I couldn’t have grasped this from merely reading about it, I had to experience it) there comes a point during your dance where your movement is barely conscious.  At times during the workshop, I was becoming so in-tune with listening to my body, listening to the impulses that moved me from within on a visceral and even animalistic level (instead of an intellectual one), that I began to move in ways that surprised or even shocked my own senses.  I had a new Viewpoint.

Perhaps that seems a bit of a contrived tie-in to my research, but I will try to argue my point: Anne Bogart’s system of Viewpoints are a way of breaking down and experiencing time and space, theatrically, within the context of the ensemble.  To achieve the level of precision and specificity, on an individual and group basis, that Viewpoints requires, you have to get out of your own way.  You have to listen, you have to embrace all possibilities, and only then can you make a choice.  The conscious movement that Barney talked about at SITI was the product of all that precision, specificity, and listening – it was a conscious choice in reaction to infinite possibilities.  And through the Butoh, I found that my choices became easier and easier to make and (based on the reactions of the Julie and others in the workshop) more and more compelling.  I achieved a state of such careful listening that my body was one step ahead of my mind, and consequently, I was free to create with an unimpeded physical imagination.

This is a powerful and useful tool at the disposal of the performing artist – the ability to lead with the body, to kinesthetically respond instead of intellectually.  If the body leads, the mind will follow.  Because of this, my experience with Butoh has been phenomenally helpful in not only improving my acting and my appreciation for dance and movement, but also in my understanding of the efficacy of Viewpoints in building a dynamic and compelling ensemble of actors!

A quiet stretch, Taughannock Falls SP, NY

My friend (and I sincerely mean that) over at The Landscapist has been keeping me mildly entertained the last couple of days.  First, he offered up a quote  from Ralph Waldo Emerson that I guess is an explanation of sorts for the rather edgy photograph that goes with it.  If you know Mark, you know that he’s just being himself and advertising his particular brand of photography.  Can’t fault him for that.  It’s just the way he views the world.  For Mark, “ugly” is simply part of a well – balanced visual diet.

Soon after that, he posted some more images from his visit to Taughannock.  In this post, he says:

Once I had achieved my Saturday, November 14th objective of picturing Taughannock Falls, I began picturing what really piqued my picturing interest at this location – the narrow strip of land between the trail to the falls with the river/stream that flowed from the falls to the lake and the opposite gorge/chasm wall as a backdrop.

I found it interesting that, while people were picturing up a storm at the falls, nary a camera was in sight or in use along the 3/4 mile trail to and from the falls.

I have to say that I found this highly amusing.  He’s saying – once again – that while the “pretty picture crowd” was busily snapping away up by those iconic waterfalls, he was looking for the “real” stuff, the stuff that everybody else ignores.  Those places where “reality” hides. 

Wrong.  Each time I’ve visited Taughannock, I’ve walked down the path to the falls.  And each and every time there were people making photographs in that area between the path and the stream that Mark is talking about.  In fact, if you wanted to find someone with a “serious” camera and tripod, that would be the place to look.  They might also go to the base of the falls, but most of the people at that location are toting point – and – shoots or just cellphone cameras.  These folks are taking pictures to show that they were there.  That’s all.  They could care less about reality or art.  Now, maybe these were the only people around when Mark visited.  I don’t know.  But believe me, Mark isn’t the only one who thinks that there is potentially good subject matter away from the main attraction. 

Today’s image was taken in the same general area.  I always explore this area, as well as the paths above the main falls.  You can spend a lot of time here.  But to be perfectly honest, I’m not real crazy about any of the images I’ve gotten in this particular spot.  Why?  Because to me they tend to lack energy.  They’re not bad, I guess; they’re just kind of static.  I could have come back an hour later and taken pretty much the same picture.  To be sure, it will look different this winter and much different next spring, but for a fall day, this is pretty typical.  It’s a mediocre photograph.  And so is Mark’s.

So is it ”art”?  For me, no.  And the one above is my own.  I am extremely reluctant to label any of my own work “art” (that’s for someone else to judge),  but I have no problem saying that an image of mine doesn’t qualify.  If there is no energy, then it’s just a two dimensional representation of what was in front of me.

And what, exactly, do I mean by “energy”?  Now that’s a good question.

The quote at the top, by the way, is from Harry S. Truman.  I have no idea what he was referring to…….

Oh dear, oh dear. Once again, the Blues found it impossible to put in an effort for 60 minutes. 20 minutes seems to be what the Blues do now. The first period was good. The second period was bad. The third period was sloppy and slow. So, what do they need to put a rocket up them? In the Central Division, the Blues are last. 6 points behind the fourth placed team, Detroit. However, three of our next four games are against division opponents – namely, Nashville, Detroit and Columbus. Should the Blues stand pat – and see where we are after these games? We’re carrying 8 defensemen – with Junland, Strachan and Bell currently in Peoria. All very well to think of trading one or more…but who is available out there to help the Blues anaemic powerplay? Or even to simply put the puck in the net? It seems the Blues have lots of playmakers and no finishers at the moment.

Anyway – here are last night’s game reports:

• St Louis Game Time sums up the “one period Blues”.
• Jeremy Rutherford explains how the special teams are letting the Blues down.

The next few weeks are going to be very interesting for Blues fans.  Will the Blues be patient – and wait for players like Paul Kariya (no goals in 14 games) to solve their issues and start scoring?  Or will they dip into the trade market?  A number of supposedly good teams are having trouble -  the Ducks and Hurricanes to name two – so it could very well be the case that a change of scenery for a player or two could do some good.

I came up with an eight step system for individuals looking for a long and lasting relationship.  After much personal experience, observation and research, I have discovered these steps provide a greater chance for a lifelong partner versus just a one night stand.  These steps are not ingrained in stone and there are certainly rare and wonderful cases where a one night stand can turn into a successful marriage.  However to increase your chances, I have determined these steps provide the proper criteria and mind set for marriage.

Building Blocks for a Successful Relationship from Meeting to Marriage

First Three to Six Months

1.  Meet

• Encounter at work, school, gym, grocery store, running/ walking club, art/ writing class, workshop, or any personal interest group.

2.  Establish a Friendship

• Treat each other as buddies.  No pressure for sex and truly get to know the person without expectations for the future or external demands.  In this type of relationship, you are permitted to be yourself and learn each other’s character, values and beliefs.

3.  Set Boundaries and Stand-up for your principles and viewpoint

• Be willing to end the relationship if they aren’t met.   You may be surprised how the relationship turns for the better after someone takes a stance if there is something special brewing between the two of you.

Six to Nine Months

4.  Continue to build boundaries; working on polite yet assertive communication.

5.  Respect

• Respect naturally forms if there is admiration and deference toward each other.  Appreciate signs of mutual respect such as thoughtfulness, consideration, politeness and respect of privacy.  Small considerate actions mean the most.

Nine Months to a Year

6.  Love is revealed

• Revel in your love, tender affection and romantic desires and longing for each other.

Year to Two Years

7.  Persevere the relationship

• Steadily persist in consistent thoughtful actions toward each other despite problems or difficulties if they exist.

8.  Marriage

• Make a 100% Commitment.  Be willing to work and give the relationship hundred percent; through thick and thin; the good and the bad times. During difficult times, look for the positives and enjoy your spouse more each day. You may be pleasantly surprised how your spouse responds; naturally reacting nicer.  An amazing transformation will eventually occur, illuminating happier times together.

• There is a remarkable difference between a commitment of 99% and 100%. At 100%, you are seeing your problems all the way through to their solutions. At 99% we can still find a way to take the path of least resistance…and usually do.

Today I blogged about the fabulous Children In Need video by Peter Kay. No sooner had I linked to it, and tweeted it, than Sony BMG had filed a copyright claim against it, and taken it down.

I had clearly stated it was a Charity video, linked to the original, gave direct links to purchase the video for charity, and mentioned the aforementioned brand.

A couple of things bother me here. Firstly how this reflected on Sony and its perceived lack of desire for driving extra traffic to a charity. Secondly, its lack of understanding about how young people interact with content.

The first we could argue all day about, and I have no desire to get into some horrid lawsuit for defamation. But the second issue is clear: Allowing people to share content on the internet in a controlled way is an invaluable way of spreading the word. Major brands connecting with young society must recognise that the users are now in control. They are the force behind how you promote online media; they produce and distribute content. Sony, you need to think like your audience. It not only reflected badly, it damaged my perception of your Global Brand, and from comments I’ve received, damaged it beyond my remit too.

By users sharing the video it had the potential to have a nigh on viral effect from an official YouTube version. The whole production is mind-blowing. So Sony, upload an official one to YouTube. Link through to the song on iTunes, flag up where you can buy it, seed it, and watch it go viral and make you look amazing in the process. It’s great Sony, have faith here.

As I’ve written this it hit number one on iTunes’ video chart after being released on download at the weekend. So what do you think? When you do, I’d like to have the Official YouTube version on my blog, which if you’re watching this, get’s several hundred hits a day on such a post. That’s several hundred people who could be seeing the link to buy and donate cash to charity.

Work smarter. The world is changing Sony.

OWEN TAN

For the freshman, Vivace is close to the final round of initiation to the Singapore Management University. It is the last day where you are (most likely) going to stick together with your Freshman Teambuilding (FTB) camp group, before the tons of schoolwork start to hit you and you start spending more time with your project mates instead.

Vivace, or CCA Day as what other schools might call it, is a matchmaking session for the 100 and over clubs and societies in SMU. Traditionally, it is also a day where the Concourse becomes suffocating and, by all accounts, impossible to walk through. These are merely the views of the author, but by and large it seemed that this Vivace was different. Different, yes, with no pun intended, is not what Vivace should be. The problem with this Vivace was that it wasn’t exceedingly crowded. Now, you might think of it as a good thing, since it would have been easier to walk (and, certainly, easier to breathe), but from a macro perspective it’s certainly strange, when you look at the demographics.

Year on year, SMU admits a record number of freshmen into its campuses, and class sizes have conspicuously grown larger. Interestingly, there has been no corresponding increase to the following: the attendances at Vivace, the subsequent attendances of most CCAs, and the number of chairs in seminar rooms. It may not be as worrying to run out of chairs in school – but it certainly is to run out of passion.

The falling attendance in Vivace is merely one of several symptoms, not noticeable to most freshmen, but seniors. Taking into account once more the year-on-year increase in enrolment, we have not matched that to the number of people looking to get elected into constituent bodies (CBds). Fewer people are looking to be elected into the Students’ Association Executive Committee (SA Exco) than the previous year.

Are we not caring enough to join associations and organisations anymore? I look back at myself as a freshman in 2008 and wonder if I had ever thought I would write an article like this. Students who do not participate in these civic activities probably cite “priorities” as a reason, but do “priorities” ultimately matter most? I would like you to know that I am very much a believer in studies – my only concern is in why students are placing such an excessive emphasis on it and not on anything else. External pursuits matter as much as the textbook theories – and I am not talking about sports. Meeting people, talking to them, stimulates your intellect and in the long term, builds relationships that you may never have the chance when you go to work next time.

Think about something that you’ve always wanted to do – and it is likely that it would be the pursuit of something apart from academic achievement, or “priorities”. Learn something different, it has been said in psychology, and you’ll find it easier to learn something new in the future. Join a society, says sociology, and it is likely that you will benefit from the “strength of weak ties”, or what others term as “networking”.

In short, do something – and the world, including you, benefits from your participation. Don’t neglect your studies just yet, but never forget to broaden your horizons.

ELVIN ONG

“Because the students need to know” – that is the tagline adopted by The Blue and Gold.

This author recommends that it should be tagline adopted by all elected student representatives, namely – the SMUSA Exco, the Excos of constituent bodies (CBds) and in particular, the Students’ Association Council (SAC), which is the highest student body representing student interests.

Currently, there is an endemic lack of transparency and accountability at all levels in our elected student bodies. Except for the commendable emailers from SMUSA President Rachel Kok publicising what SMUSA has been doing, the rest of our student representatives have been silent throughout their terms.

No minutes of any of the general meetings are uploaded for access and scrutiny. No emails providing information about what is happening behind the scenes of negotiation with the school administration. Little publicity on what new initiatives are being considered – except for the one-time SMUSA Students’ Feedback Survey. In a nutshell there has been little sustained effort in using other avenues in the solicitation of feedback.

Future Excos might want to channel their energies into addressing this serious problem that has been left unaddressed by their predecessors. It is serious not only because nothing has been done about it thus far, but because of the resulting consequences.

Communication
Firstly, increasing transparency and widening the different forms of communication channels can help generate new solutions, initiatives and help improve overall student life.

No one person or group can monopolise creative thinking. A plurality of different views and opinions should be sought from the rest of the student population when approaching problems in school that everyone shares.

Instead, after asking for our votes during election and after the relationship is sealed with their successful election, our elected student representatives seem to lose interest very quickly in communicating with the constituents who gave them the mandate in the very first place.

It seems that they would rather hibernate in their respective rooms, planning and organising for the next big event that is along the way. The communication in the relationship is lost.

One does not need a marriage counselor to remind us that while planning and organising for beautiful anniversaries are important and definitely much appreciated, communication within a marriage is crucial.

Secondly, increased communication can allow constituents to better understand the functions of elected student bodies/organisations and generate more interest amongst competent people to stand for elections when the time comes.

In this author’s view, when one takes office, there are two immediate concerns: How to do your job well and, how to nurture a talent pool to take over you to ensure continuity and success. After all, we do not want our hard work to go to waste.

Over the long term, when people know what is being done and how things function, transparency can breed support and even appreciation from fellow school mates about the tough realities of the job. Non-transparency can only create harm and distrust.

At the end of the day, transparency and sufficient communication between students and their elected student representatives can only be a good thing. If done properly, active and enthusiastic communication channels can improve student life and generate understanding and appreciation for the job.

Accountability
But, most importantly, transparency of information allows us to hold our elected student representatives accountable for their actions or inactions.

How do we know who is actually really doing something and who is not?

For example, recently a member was removed from office in a vote of no confidence passed by the SMUSA Exco.

Yet the SAC did not deem it to be serious enough to inform the general student population on the developments before such a drastic measure was taken and did not explain the reasons for taking action.

Perhaps it is time for a reminder that student leaders are ultimately responsible to the entire student population. Elected student representatives hold a mandate for office and are vested with power from the electorate to carry out functions in their respective offices. Any lack of communication with the electorate ultimately undermines its own legitimacy and will erode the trust that fellow students have in student bodies/organisations. It might also explain the apathy that many students have with our elected student bodies.

There is no need for any marketing campaign to sell our own choices back to us. Just tell us the truth.

SHEENA LEE

What may have started as a joke has become a detriment to the success of future SMU graduates.

Last April, a student from SMU posted a video on YouTube entitled, “How to get an A+ at SMU”. The video shows what SMU students should do in the fifteen weeks of the term. During the first week, students should expectedly know their competition and find good project mates. In the second week, the students are advised to participate in class, even when what they say does not make sense. The video showed that finishing up the time with questions is the only thing that professors look for in giving high marks for participation. By week 3, the video tells the students to pay people for past assignment answers and projects from last semester. The advice that follows in the next weeks have pretty much the same concept: that getting an A in SMU could be achieved through sabotage and sucking up to your group mates and your professors. As a current student in this university, I can’t help but wonder, is this at all true? Is this really how people get their A+?

I haven’t been in SMU long enough to know if the video contents are factual or not, but this, for whatever reason this student posted it, has been demeaning to the status that SMU upholds. The video may have been made just for the fun of it, to loosen up the SMU community with its competitive nature. But this video has become so popular, with almost 15, 000 views, that surely, it has had an impact on the credibility of SMU.

Why did this student view SMU in such a negative way?

Over the years, the competitiveness among the SMU students has been increasing. One of the main reasons why this is happening is because of SMU’s bell curve grading system. Although this may seem to be one of the more common ways of grading, it has raised some doubts on the grades that the SMU students deserve. It is known from the first class meeting that there is only a number of As that could be given out. Sometimes the natural tendency of having this knowledge is that you put down your competition by any means possible and I think that in some ways, this mindset has left its mark.

Although there has not been any news on the decrease in applications to SMU for now, it is evident that this video has had impact on the viewers as seen from blogs and forums. Most of the comments that I have read say that they do agree in some ways that this is happening in SMU. This may seem trivial to some, but who knows? Incidents such as these may have bigger impacts in the future.

So, mid-January I will embark on an adventure as a study abroad student at La Sorbonne in Paris, France, not to return until the end of May. I have lots of thoughts surrounding the trip – many good, many bad.

My concerns…

• Will I be accepted?
• Will I get homesick?
• How will I maintain my American friendships?
• Will I go broke?
• Will I get lost?
• How will my host family treat me?
• Will race be an issue?

My excitements…

• I’ll be in Paris!
• The shopping is fantastic
• The culture is unbelievable
• I get to take a semester off from business school!
• Imagine seeing the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, l’Arc d’ Triumph!
• I can travel to Barcelona, Italy, Morrocco, and London in a hop skip & jump
• I’ll meet new people
• This will be one experiece I’ll never forget

So, those are my thoughts currently. I still have so many things to do in order to prepare for the trip, but I can’t wait! Of course, I’ll keep you posted

A GRATITUDE TO LORD THE ALMIGHTY ON THE PUBLICATION OF MY BOOK “MADDENING CORRIDORS OF INTRIGUES “IN U.S.
AND EVENTUALLY I RECEIVED HIS BENEVOLENCE
Life is good. It has been good all along. And while I had been saying to myself that it has been my own doing; in so doing I have been slighting over the person responsible for providing this goodness of life to me. That person who I knew as the force that pervades all over the universe has been the one who holds every man’s hand and directs it towards either the good or the evil doings of life. I have been lucky enough to find only the good doings. Touch wood,He never ever forced me to get into the bad points. That is so because I trusted Him always. Even while undergoing trials and tribulations set forth by Him for me. I have lived into the best of times. For I always knew that He is taking care of my interests over my shoulders. He has always held my hands. He has been graceful and I pay my gratitude to Him today when He has once again like the indulgent father handing over a piece of chocolate to the demanding child , has handed over to me the fame of getting published as an international author .
People who have had an excellent life, an enviable assortment of goodies in their life time often forget that there exists a force that had been benevolent enough to dole it out to them every thing that they ever aspired for. While they all enjoy this excellence they should also see if they have been able to accumulate those things that God wanted them to collect along with the goodies of lifetime…. At this juncture of happiness and over brimming sense of achievement, I want to take stock of the things that He wanted me to accept as the value additions to my humble self. I realize that I lack into many aspects. That kind of tells me that though I am earning a name and fame but I lack in terms of gaining a self respect in my own eyes.
I feel that I need to go little more humble in my attitude to build up my own self-respect. I should never say things that I can never take back from others, in order to ensure that along with my self respect each person that comes across me also retains his dignity. I wish I can make every one feel good about themselves, the same way that I am now feeling about myself.

I also want to ensure that I do not act as self righteous always but provide an equal opportunity to others too to express themselves. I must present to them a complete picture of my humility. I must not act as ever out of my bloated ego, I pray to Him to help me in keeping check on my oversized sense of importance.
I pray to Him to provide me with the patience, because I am left with very little. I have always felt that things must materialize instantly. I forget that He knows the right timings and the opportunity will come as and when he desires it. I must continue doing my own things, and at the same time trusting Him to deliver the way I wanted every thing to happen.
I would seek from Him the loads and loads of — compassion. I need it at so many times and places in my life and when I do not show one where it is much needed, I feel ashamed of myself. And that again hits at my self respect. .

I know why it has taken me so long to get rewarded. He has been busy taking care of the others’ similar needs or who were possibly in more urgent and dire need than me. So I would request Him to bestow on to me the sense of understanding the needs of others. They must be taken care of first. I know that my time will come when others have been provided for.
The cups of joy are in HIS hands and these cups do not ever get empty, they just keep on distributing.

Last weekend I met two “new” writers, two women who share common interests and goals with the rest of our chapter members. These ladies don’t just want to read romance, they want to write it. I didn’t get the chance to visit with each one as much as I would like. But one of the aspiring writers made the comment that she had so much to learn, and that stuck with me throughout the week. I wanted to tell her that’s true for all of us. No matter how long we’ve been writing, there’s still something to be learned about our craft.

For the new and not so new writer out there, I’d like to recommend a book I’ve found to be invaluable: Elements of Fiction Writing: Character and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card. It’s published by Writer’s Digest Books, and I picked it up at Barnes and Nobles. It’s a short book, only about 172 pages, but it’s packed with useful information and terms that every fiction writer, regardless of genre, must understand in order to write well. For example, Chapter Fifteen covers “showing vs. telling” and gives some great examples to illustrate the difference. Chapter Seven describes techniques used to draw an emotional response from the reader. I especially like Chapter Two, which discusses the three questions readers ask:

“So What?”
“Oh, Yeah?”
And “Huh?”

Writers write because we believe we have something to say, a story to share that says something about the world we live in and about the human condition. As Card states, “If your fictional vision was a good and truthful one, your characters will help your readers understand their families, their friends, their enemies, and the countless mysterious and dangerous strangers who will touch their lives, powerfully and irresistibly.”

I’m sure some of you have other resources you can recommend. Care to share?

Lower Taughannock Falls, Taughannock Falls SP, NY

We all, I trust, are familiar with the notion of “the dark side”.  Made famous by George Lucas in the Star Wars movies, the term became synonymous with all things evil.  The “dark side”, of course,  is the domain of the bad guys, the ones who lie, cheat, steal, and otherwise do their very best to make our lives miserable.  Sort of like Republicans.  I never quite understood, by the way, why there wasn’t a corresponding “light side”.  Seems like there should have been.

Anyway, Paul Lester and I have been having a little fun with the term lately, mostly with respect to cameras and stuff.  I’ve called Nikon the “dark side” and he’s called digital the “dark side” (as opposed to film).  Again, all in fun.  He also had a post, though, in which he talked about “shadows” and the dark side of our own personalities.  In a comment, I pointed out that we often openly root for the bad guy in movies.  I mentioned that when I first saw the final installment of Star Wars the audience appaluded and cheered when Darth Vader made his initial appearance.  They loved the guy.  Nobody stood up and cheered for the hero when he first appeared.

Since then, I’ve been thinking about it (a lot).  Why is it that we often root for the “bad guys”?  Why do we make folk heros out of outlaws?  True, we do it for the Abe Lincolns, Mother Theresa’s and Nelson Mandelas as well, but we seem to really get into elevating our villains, whether they be real or imaginary.

American movies are full of lovable bad guys.  The real star of the most recent Batman movie – The Dark Knight – is The Joker (played so well by Heath Ledger).  In the classic Silence of the Lambs, we worry about Jody Foster’s FBI character, but we also want Hannibal Lector to escape, presumably to continue his cannibalistic ways.  And he does.  We also come to admire Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator, even though he isn’t even human.  Yes, he does turn into a “good guy” in the latter installments of the series, but he wreaks tremendous amounts of havoc in the original story.  But we forgive him his murderous excesses.  The list goes on and on – Michael Myers (Halloween), Freddy Krueger (Nightmare on Elm Street), and Agent Smith (the Matrix series).  We’re horrified by what these characters do, but it is them that we pay to go and see.

It’s not just fictional bad guys, either.  How about Jesse James.  Butch Cassidy.  Billy the Kid.  All have been raised from the depths of criminal behavior to the lofty pedestal of folk hero.  Why?  Because they represent what most of us are jealous of – the courage to step outside normal, accepted behavior.  There is nothing exciting or romantic about obeying all the rules.  We pay homage to our saints, but we secretly admire (and sometimes not so secretly) our most famous sinners.

Need a more recent, ”real-life” example?  In 2006, a guy named Ralph “Bucky” Phillips escaped from prison and went on a shooting spree in western New York that eventually attracted national attention.  By the time it was all over, a number of people were dead or wounded.  Among the dead was a New York State Trooper who, along with 2 other officers, was ambushed by Bucky.  These men never saw their attacker.

Bucky is currently serving a life sentence.  He actually pled guilty (or in his own words, “guilty as hell”).  So what’s my point?  Simply this: While Bucky was on the run, he became one of these “folk heros”.  The longer he evaded police, the more popular he became.  As police threw more and more men into the manhunt, the more people there were who openly hoped that he would avoid capture or death.  At the height of this nonsense you could actually buy “Where’s Bucky?”  T-shirts.  The topper though, in my opinion, was the restaurant that proudly began serving “Bucky Burgers”.  Not surprisingly, they sold quite a few.  Right up until “poor” Bucky got caught.

The financial crisis hits the super-rich as well, says Forbes 400, the ranking list of the 400 wealthiest Americans which was updated this autumn. Within one year they lost a combined $300 billion, about 205 billion Euros. Number 1 on the list is Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder, with an estimated net worth of $50 billion. He had to swallow a loss of about $7 billion. Hit even harder was the investor Warren Buffet who ranks second. According to the American business publication Forbes he lost $10 billion.

But in these difficult times when announcing deficits are on the daily agenda, it is much more interesting to take a look at the winner: Marc Zuckerberg. Within one year the founder of Facebook climbed up from place 321 to place 158 of the Forbes 400. Originally the 25-year-old entrepreneur launched Facebook only for students of Harvard University. After some expansion steps, however, the social network today has more than 300 million members. Zuckerberg explained to Stern, a German news magazine, that it is his goal to gain one billion Facebook users. In Germany, also according to Stern, three-fourths of the 40 million internet users are already members of an online network, and this number is rising. But not only private networks are booming, also in business online networking is growing in popularity such as the business internet portal XING. But futurologists forecast much more: The personal presence on location will not be necessary any more. Research clusters can join their forces in networks. They can study in the same fields of research without being in the same laboratory. Nike picked up this trend: At the Nike+ 10km Human Race the runners don’t have to be present at any of the 30 race venues. Entrants only need a sensor and the corresponding software and with this, they can do their races by themselves at home. Afterwards they synchronize their data via the network. The Nike+ Community has grown to 1.2 million members from 142 countries at the Human Race in 2008.

But the topic of networks does also play an important role for the industry, e.g., to profit from results of the latest research or to educate employees. To push such networks between industry and academia, first and foremost platform- independent solutions and standardized interfaces are essential. The importance of standards is something the machine vision industry recognized early on, and consequently introduced the GigE Vision Standard. At the last Vision show, the three big associations, Automated Imaging Association (AIA), European Machine Vision Association (EMVA) and Japan Industrial Imaging Association (JIIA), entered into an agreement of cooperation for the common development and promotion of new standards in machine vision.

If you also know about the importance of networking: Become a member of our INSPECT network to share existing knowledge over thousands of kilometers. Our goal is one billion users as well – help us in attaining this!

Stephanie Nickl

Editor INSPECT

Everybody has their own secrets. Either top secrets or minor ones, those undisclosed matters are not supposed to be exposed.

Certain secrets are very very personal and confidential. No one knows except themselves―and the Lord for sure. It’s really hard to guard it only by ourselves, but it’s much harder to find someone else to share with. Finding the right people to keep the secrets safe is like finding a needle in a stack of straws. Not easy and time-consuming. Sharing your secrets, even your most private details, signifies that you’re ready to get them know your very intimate stories. It’s so risky, therefore you must be extra careful in sharing secrets.

For particular case, it had far better to masquerade than present the truth. Several secrets are severely harmful if it’s leaked to public. Those stuff are saved for the sake of your personal image and impression to people as not everyone can accept the truths about you, which are your secrets itself. Thus, you must keep it carefully within your deepest soul and make sure your reliable ones will never reveal it. Safeguard your secret―as well as people’s secrets in you―evermore. Don’t let any unrelated people scrutinize and screw things up.

To reveal or to conceal, that’s your own choices. Some people choose to keep it covert, but some others are ready to uncover it.

Because some people would rather live in disguise than live in disgust.

Lately, don’t know why, I like to say the word “random”.

Lexically, according to The Oxford English Dictionary, random means “having no definite aim or purpose; not sent or guided in a particular direction; made, done, occurring, etc., without method or conscious choice; haphazard.” Closely connected, therefore, with the concepts of chance and probability, randomness implies a lack of predictability.

In my own perception, random denotes “unplanned activities, done without exact purpose and planning; unexpectedly either boring or interesting situation; blurry; unattractive.” Randomness is a state of doing unintended things without precise objective.

For instance in sentences:

• “I live a random life.” means I live unintentional days, doing unscheduled bustles, and enjoying surprises in my life.
• “What a random day!” means that day was going unpredictably and might be tedious or even surprising.
• “Stop doing that random thing!” means what you’re doing is purposeless.
• “You’re so random.” means there’s something wrong with your appearance or in other words, not good-looking.

Just like my life recently. So random.