Reflections on 2012...

                                      Reflections on 2012...                                             



   As New Year's Eve looms ever closer by the hour, and I begin to reflect back on 2012, and look forward to 2013, there are memories which have been joyful, or painful, but all of them have changed me in some way.


   One thing that I have come away from 2012 knowing more surely than ever before is to not take people for granted. Each person is unique and special, and deserves respect, even if we disagree with them politically, or in any other aspect. Our common humanity unites us all, and provides a bridge to understanding all people.


  Another thing that I have had resonate deeply within me in 2012 is the extreme preciousness of the gift of life. This was brought home to me in a special way with the birth of our second granddaughter in August. To be able to hold baby Mary was the highlight of 2012 for me.


  Another thing that I experienced in 2012 was travel, as I flew three times to the East Coast. These trips allowed me to view the landscape of our beautiful country from up above. I saw the Great Salt Lake from the air for the first time, and was in awe of its magnificence. I also got an aerial view of the Rockies, and the farmlands of the Mid-West, along with a distant view of Chicago, my birthplace.

  In 2012 I experienced the beauty of volunteering for a cause I believe strongly in, and have enjoyed becoming more involved in this non-profit these past five months. I have also spent more time in 2012 sewing and knitting and baking for others, and have discovered anew my passion for all of these hobbies, which is fueled by my desire to give them to others.

  Finally, in 2012 I rediscovered the irreplaceable gift of family, and friends and neighbors, without whom my life would be very impoverished. 

  Wishing each of you a very wonderful end to 2012, and new beginnings in 2013!
  
  Happy New Year!

~ Kathy~



  

  

Transhumanism and Posthumanism

                                       Transhumanism and Posthumanism  (Part 1)

  New technologies may soon begin to enhance the biological and physical realities of the human body, potentially creating bodies and minds that transcend human limitations. With such technologies come ethical questions about extended longevity, and re-engineering the human body to expand its functional capacity. 

  Transhumanism and posthumanism are worldviews that strongly favor the development and implementation of technologies which would eventually replace homo sapiens with biologically and technologically superior beings.

  Transhumanism has been defined as "the intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally improving the human condition through applied reason, especially by using technology to eliminate aging and greatly enhance human intellectual, physical and psychological capacities" (Bostrom, 1999). A posthuman would no longer be a human being, having been so significantly altered as to no longer represent the human species. Underlying this worldview is a core belief that the human species in its current form does not represent the end of our development, but rather its beginning(Bostrom, 1999).

  The tools that transhumanists would use to achieve their ends include genetic manipulation, nanotechnology, cybernetics, pharmacological enhancement, and computer simulation.The most controversial transhumanist vision involves the concept of mind uploading. According to proponents, advances in computing and neurotechnologies will, within several decades, enable individuals to completely read the synaptic connections of the human brain, enabling an exact replica of the brain to exist and function inside a computer. This simulation could then "live" in whatever mechanical body-form it desired (Kurzweil).

  The first assertion of transhumanist thinking is a rejection of the assumption that human nature is a constant (Bostrom, 1999). There is nothing sacred about nature in general, or about human nature in particular. Criticisms of attempts to modify nature as 'playing God" are rejected as inappropriate.

  Katherine Hayles, in her book How We Became Posthuman (1999), describes four characteristic posthuman, or transhuman, assumptions. First, information patterns are more important or essential to the nature of being than any "material instantiation, so that embodiment in a biological substrate is seen as an accident of history rather than an inevitability of life". Second, consciousness is an epiphenomenon. There is no immaterial soul. Thirs, the body is simply a prosthesis, albeit the first one we learn to use and manipulate. Therefore, replacing or enhancing human function with other prostheses is only a natural extension of our fundamental relationship with our begotten bodies.Lastly, the posthuman views the human being as capable of being "seamlessly articulated with intelligent machines. In the posthuman, there are no essential differences or absolute demarcations between bodily existence and computer simulation, cybernetic mechanism and biological organism, robot technology and human goals".

  These world views raise several significant ethical issues, one of which is: should human beings augment or enhance themselves and future generations? 

~Kathy~

*To be continued in Part 2

*** Comments appreciated***

Internet Resources:

Bostrom, Nick. 1999. "The Transhumanist FAQ." Available from <http://www.transhumanism.org/resources/faq.html>

Bostrom, Nick. 2001. "What Is Transhumanism?" Available from: <http://www.nickbostrom.com>

Books:

Hayles, N. Katherine. 1999. How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies in Cybernetics, Literature and Informatics. Chicago:University of Chicago Press.

Kurzweil, Ray. 1999. The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence. New York:Viking.

Thankfulness...

                                  Cultivating Thankfulness...



     In just one week my favorite holiday will be here. Each year it seems that Thanksgiving gets more and more hidden between the plethora of Halloween costumes, and the overabundance of Christmas decorations. I have often thought that stores don't make much money from Thanksgiving, and that is why it seems almost forgotten by the retail industry. Indeed, there is a possibility that as we progress, and technology takes over, that unless there's an app for it, it won't exist. Currently there is a great need in our world to develop appreciation, which goes hand in hand with cultivating thankfulness. 

     If Thanksgiving were to evaporate away in the future, we as a country would lose a vital connection to our early history. The Pilgrims and the Native Americans forged a bond, and it had a connection to eating together. The focus was the sharing of knowledge and food. The tradition of cooking a turkey with stuffing, and having cranberry sauce, along with pumpkin pie stems from the core of the holiday, which is food and friendship. If Thanksgiving eventually fades away, it won't be due to a food shortage, but rather a failure to reflect on all that we have to be thankful for.

    Recently I was working to find housing for a homeless woman, and I felt the desperation and exhaustion that come from a lack of basic needs. It forced me to drive home that day with a renewed gratefulness for what I have. It was a good reality check for me. Sometimes I do take what I have been given for granted. 

   Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because its not about the gifts, but about family and friends and cooking for them. I also love this holiday because it causes    us to slow down a bit, and reflect on our blessings. The fact that it ends with a piece of pumpkin pie doesn't hurt either.

~Kathy~

Education in California...

                        Education in California...who is to pay?


   Once upon a time, California had two of the top college systems in the United States, with the CSU system and the UC system. Compared to other states, these two systems were very affordable for the quality of education that you were getting. Sadly, times have changed from the 70's, 80's and even 90's or early 2000's. Increasingly, students have had to carry the burden of huge loan debt to pay for a CSU or UC education. According to numerous studies, the average student loan debt by the time a student earns a Bachelor's degree is $26,000. That is astronomically high, and predicted to rise even higher. What can be done?

   Numerous proposals have been made by educators, administrators, the governor and others, but currently it seems that many in the educational field are putting all of their eggs into the basket of Prop. 30. Basically what this Prop. 30 will do is tax those who make over 250,000/year to help fund K-12, community colleges and universities. It is predicted that if Prop. 30 doesn't pass, then a community college will lose $9 million in the current year.This is a dire situation, however, it took years to get into this situation...and Prop. 30 is only a band-aid solution. 

  The real tragedy here are the students, as approximately one in four students at a Bay Area Community College cannot get into an entry-level English or Math class. Many programs have had to cut their course offerings severely  which has resulted in overloaded classes.This delays the ability to transfer to a 4-year college, and increases the costs for the students who are affected by these cutbacks. In addition, overcrowded classes put an extra burden on the instructor, and stretch the amount of time and attention given to the students who may be having difficulty in the course.

  I believe that there are other potential solutions to the budget problem that haven't been put into place as of yet. Rather than asking the wealthy to shoulder the burden to keep our schools from having to make more drastic cuts to education, why not ask the top heavy administration to take salary cuts, and decrease the number of administrators. Surely, that would be more fiscally prudent in the long run.

  To raise taxes on the wealthy to help pay for public education doesn't make logical sense either because many who have the financial means to send their children to private colleges, do just that, bypassing the public education system altogether. So, why would people who are not personally invested in the public educational system feel a desire to be taxed in order to allow it to survive?

~Kathy~

Affirmative Action Debate...

                                Affirmative Action Debate

  A new book titled Mismatch by Richard Sander and Stuart Taylor delves into the  issue of affirmative action, and looks at this issue through the lens of academic preparation.

  According to the authors, the problem of educational inequality results from a deficient K-12 educational system for minorities. Sander and Taylor agree that "there just aren't enough academically prepared black and, to a somewhat lesser degree, Hispanic students to fill America's top colleges at the median level of academic preparation, a level that is determined mostly by Asian and white applicants." To remedy this problem, according to the authors, administrators add the equivalent of 100 points or more to the SAT scores of many minority applicants. The book makes the point that "administrators tend to call this policy affirmative action, because surveys show that Americans of all races approve of affirmative action, however, it is actually a system of racial preferences, which surveys show that Americans of all races overwhelmingly reject.

  In the view of Richard Sander, a professor of law at UCLA, and Stuart Taylor, a distinguished legal journalist, the current system of preferences does discriminate against Asian and white students. What is most disturbing to the authors is the lack of academic preparation given to many minority students.The thesis of the book is the reality that "placing unprepared students in challenging academic environments humiliates them, frequently derailing their lives and careers." It could be said that "a system of racial preferences was placing students with the strongest scientific ability at the institutions where they were least likely to achieve their goals."

  The authors look at the bigger picture as well, by delving into the 'breadth of the mismatch" in the larger university culture. They describe the psychological effects of preferences,the complicated judicial reasoning surrounding affirmative action, and the results of Proposition 209 in California, where universities ignored what they described as positive academic results, and began implementing 'holistic" policies to keep up minority enrollment.

Ethical Reporting on the Decline...

                          Ethical Reporting on the Decline...


  Recently I read a copy of a newspaper from a  local Community College. I was struck in a negative way by the front cover story about the President of the college. This person apparently is leaving the post of president, and searching for a position elsewhere. I am not familiar with the pros and cons of this persons leadership capabilities, however, this person is vilified in the coverage in this student newspaper.

  What has happened to ethical reporting? There are always two sides at least to every story. This front page article presents a very one-sided viewpoint. I was disappointed in the lack of fair and ethical reporting. It seems that certain people really don't like the president of this college, but no one is all bad. Certainly this person has done something good during his/her time as college president. There was no hint or mention of any positives whatsoever in the article. 

  This type of article gives me cause for concern in a regular newspaper, but even more so when it comes from student journalists who are supposedly learning how to be good, fair reporters. Where is the student supervision of these budding journalists? Could we aspire to higher goals than denigrating another persons character and abilities? This type of "reporting" causes me to disregard everything that was said in the article as either partially or wholly false or fabricated. I hope others who read this article do the same.

~Kathy~

Changing Role of California Community Colleges...

                   The Changing Role of California Community Colleges

      
                                                      "The times they are a chang'in"
                                                                                       Bob Dylan

     How quickly the educational landscape can change. The mission of the community college used to be tied to being an open door to educational and vocational betterment, and pursuit of knowledge for knowledge's' sake.It was a place where anyone could further their education, and jump start a new career, or update their knowledge base. For me, the community college learning experience provided me with a wealth of information from many diverse subject areas, but more importantly, gave me a desire to go on and pursue a Masters in English.There weren't hoops that I had to jump through. I didn't need to meet with a counselor, or have a transfer plan in place to take classes.

     Times have changed. Given the dire budget constraints, and even worse cuts if Governor Browns' tax measures don't pass, perhaps the open doors to a community college education needed to be addressed. One of the latest changes being implemented in terms of community colleges is the new Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T/AS-T) pathway, that lets students earn an associate degree and a bachelor's degree with no wasted units. The Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act (SB 1440, Padilla) became law in 2010, and requires the California Community Colleges and California State University to collaborate on the creation of AA-T and AS-T degrees. Upon earning these degrees, students will be guaranteed admission to a CSU campus with junior standing. While not guaranteed admission to their campus of choice, students will be given priority consideration for admission to a CSU campus that offers a program that has been designated as "similar" by CSU. Currently, there are approximately 450 new associate degrees for transfer in 20 of the most popular transfer majors, and more are being added. 

      This new transfer pathway was designed to streamline the educational process for students. However, there are nuances to the pursuit of education that are lost, or minimized in this process. The educational process is becoming more goal oriented, and given the tough financial times we are in, I understand why. But, nevertheless, something intangible is being lost in the pursuit of a well-rounded education. For some students, in order to decide on a pathway, or career goal, or major, they need to be exposed to a variety of subject areas. This new transfer degree pathway doesn't seem to be the best option for those students. There is so much to be gained from being able to take courses from a large variety of subject areas.

    For example, I never wanted to major in history, art history, algebra, or economics, but I was deeply enriched by taking classes at the community college level in each of these areas. In addition, I was able to take piano and music literature, not with a transfer degree in mind, but for the sake of gaining knowledge. This used to be one of the core goals of the community colleges mission statement...personal development. Sadly, budget cuts are severely changing the role of the community college. Taking courses for personal enrichment will be difficult, if not impossible in less than 12 months. Repeating a course, for example a music class, will also be forbidden.

      The question arises, will the community college system ever be able to regain what it is losing? More importantly, will students and the population at large ever be able to reclaim education for the pure beauty of being educated? 

~Kathy~    *I welcome any and all comments or thoughts on this issue.*

         

      

Resonance...

                                           Resonance...


While I was in the D.C. area recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial at night. This memorial is on a beautiful spot overlooking the Potomac River. With the effects of special lighting, the words engraved on the walls surrounding the massive figure of Dr. Martin Luther King resonated deeply into my being. Many of the quotes were from speeches he had given during different moments in our nation's history. 

At this moment in our history as a nation, as we approach the presidential elections in early November, I found many of Dr. Martin Luther King's words to have a special relevance, for example; " We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people." (Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963)

Another quote; "Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." (From Strength to Love,1963)

 Another  quote on the wall of this memorial caused me to stop and pause for a few minutes, as I reflected on events in my own life not that long ago; "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." ( Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, Dec. 10, 1964)

I came away from experiencing this memorial with lasting impressions about Dr. Martin Luther King the man, and the politician and civil rights leader, but what resonated at a deeper level within me was his words, and the truths that they carry within them. At this time of political rivalry, it is well to try to rise above the fray, and the words and ideas of this great man are not dead, but continue to live on to inspire future generations.

Rebuttal to N.Y. Times Op-ed piece "Men, Who Needs Them?"

                                                              Men, We All Need Them!

      In a recent (Aug. 24, 2012) N.Y. Times Op-ed article titled "Men, Who Needs Them?", author Greg Hampikian states that men are becoming less relevant to both reproduction and parenting. In terms of men and their role in reproduction, there does seem to be a proliferation of assisted reproductive technologies, which relegate men to the "sperm donor" category. In other words, men are viewed as assistants in creating new life, but not of vital importance in being part of the child's' life as he/she matures. 

       The stance this male author took in his op-ed piece prompted me to do a little fact checking of my own regarding what the research is showing on the role of a father in a child's life. I didn't have to look too hard before I came across several research-based articles on the role that fathers play in the family, and in the development of children. According to authors E.M. Cummings and A. O'Reilly, "one of the most important ways a father influences the family is in his interaction with his children's mother. That is because the relationships which children observe and experience at an early age influence their own relationships later in life" (The Role of the Father in Child Development, pp. 49-65).

       According to author M. Shinn, "statistics about children who do not live with their fathers can be grim.On almost every outcome that has been tested, including educational achievement, self-esteem, responsible social behavior, and adjustments as adults, children do better when they live with both of their parents" (Psychological Bulletin,85, 1978, pp. 295-324).

      Studies seem to consistently reveal that fathers matter in the lives of their children. Rich Batten of Colorado State University states that "well-fathered children are shown to be more emotionally intelligent and socially successful as adults. Maureen Black, PhD, a researcher and professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine states that " fathers who are involved with their children have children with fewer problems. That added involvement from a father helps children tremendously." Specifically, her research found better language skills and fewer behavioral problems in children with an actively involved father. This result holds true even if the father doesn't live in the same home as the child. Researchers at the University of Oxford reached the same conclusion about the link between paternal involvement and academic success in their study of 17,000 British school children.

     In the op-ed piece, Hampikian dwells on the female biological role in nurturing a newly conceived life, along with the need for maternal nurturing influences on a child. He dismisses the male contribution to the creation of a new human being, but he doesn't fully dismiss a fathers role completely, stating that his own father was the more influential parent in his life. However, fathers, according to Hampikian, are not "necessary and sufficient" for reproduction. He ends the article with a chilling statement- "with human cloning technology just around the corner, and enough frozen sperm in the world to already populate many generations, does "mankind" really need men? My answer to his question is an emphatic YES! Mankind needs men and their important role, both in society, and most importantly within the family. Without fathers, families suffer...economically and intellectually and emotionally. Fathers have a vital and irreplaceable role to play in the family with their relationship with their wives, and in the day-to-day development of children who are emotionally stable and well-adjusted, and academically successful.

~Kathy~

Teaching vs. Promoting an Agenda

                            Teaching vs. Promoting an Agenda


Teach: to show, to instruct, to impart the knowledge of

Agenda: a list, a plan, an outline, matters to be acted or voted upon




           When promoting "critical thinking" is tied to promoting the instructors'
 agenda, then it shortchanges the student, and cannot be called good teaching
 practice. Too often it seems, teachers fall into promoting an agenda of their own beliefs regarding politics, religion, gender issues or other "hot button" topics of the day. We are all tempted to do this in our daily life in encounters with friends, neighbors, or even with strangers. The classroom, however, is sacred space, where in order to facilitate growth and learning, one's personal agendas need to be shelved.
           As a student, I don't need, or want to know the personal viewpoints of the instructor. I want to learn the course content, whether it be philosophy, art history, or composition theory. In fact, when teachers use the classroom as a soapbox for disseminating their viewpoints, there is much that is lost in terms of good teaching and maximum student learning. 
           Another educational casualty that occurs when teaching takes a backseat to a personal agenda is a very un-level playing field. Instead of all students being valued equally by the instructor, some students become favored because they agree with the instructor on certain issues. This unequal treatment is felt, and is often displayed in critical ways towards students who hold viewpoints that differ from those of the instructor. This negativity reverberates within the confines of the classroom setting, and can grow over time, causing a decrease in certain students being interested, engaged and motivated to learn from this particular instructor. 
           Our educational system is not well served in divisive classroom environments. Even more sadly, students are not being served in these types of polarized classroom environments, where they are not valued by their instructors as unique individuals, and treated with the respect that they deserve.

~Kathy~

               






     

Appreciation...

                                             Appreciation

Appreciation is like fine wine...it needs time to mature and develop. Often a sense of appreciation can come and go like the rising and ebbing of the tides. Why is it so fickle? Why so seemingly dependent upon circumstances, or feelings?

Rather, appreciation should be like bedrock to our character. It should provide nourishment to our inner life, and point us in the direction of gratitude. Otherwise we run the risk of going through life, but missing out on the important aspects that make for a joyful life. 

One remedy for cultivating a sense of appreciation would be to closely observe small children and their heartfelt gestures of love. See with what joy they give of their crayon drawing, or their finger painting. Reflect on the importance of showing that you appreciate their small gift to you, and that this message ripples down through the generations in your family, connecting each one of you in an unrepeatable way.

Little by little, try to take minute vacations, where you stop what you are doing and listen to the birds, or study a rosebud. Get down to eye level with the earth, and contemplate the intricacies of an insect. Mainly just slow down, and take a few deep breaths, and begin to pay attention to the natural world. 

It won't be long before you will notice that you are seeing things with a renewed sense of vision, both interior and exterior. You will also notice that life takes on a different, more reverential perspective.

~Kathy~

Challenges...

                                         Challenges...


The old adage that it is not what happens to you, but your attitude in dealing with it that determines who you are, shines a light on the important role that challenges play in the development and refinement of the person.  


Clearly, life isn't a bowl of cherries. There are always stumbling blocks along the path of life, no matter who you are. Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture, believed that walls are there to give you a chance to prove how much you want something. I agree with him, as I have come to discover that the challenges I have faced in my life have been motivating factors, which have caused me to search deeper within myself for strength.


Challenges can also be humbling, because we come to realize that circumstances in life are not fully within our ability to control. This is a difficult realization, but also one of the beautiful aspects of a challenge, because our inner spirit is being polished for future opportunities. When we fully embrace a challenge, we push ourselves to new heights of character development. As we embrace challenges in our lives, we in turn become more compassionate and understanding of others who are facing difficulties. 


It could be said that challenges are blessings in disguise. The full impact of these challenges will not be fully understood perhaps, but an easy life, devoid of challenges, is not to be wished for if one desires full development as a person.


~Kathy~

East vs West...

I am on the East Coast for a week, and I am enjoying all the differences that I have noticed between Virginia and California. I have been steeped in the natural world of cicadas, fireflys, and woodpeckers,and enveloped in a sweltering mix of humid heat combined with rain. The moisture-laden air is scented with rich earthy smells emanating from the sodden dirt, leaves,and bark of the woodland forest.I wake to see a cardinal on the patio, while in the forest, the loud chirping of jays mixes with the sounds of sparrows, robins and chickadees.
I have gotten my share of mosquito bites,and they are a tangible reminder that I am far from home in a geographic sense,but right at home in a spiritual sense.

Ethics and Honesty...

Recently I came across information regarding a company called Ethics Point, which provides employees and students with a confidential and anonymous reporting system in order to foster a culture of honesty, ethical decision-making and educational integrity. Interestingly, the school district that is using this system needs more than a watchdog type of software.

Ethics, honesty and integrity are interior qualities that require development through making decisions that are ethical and honest. A software system can never instill these qualities into a person, or a school system. Without personal integrity on an individual level, no amount of lip service or technology will matter.

In my view, any organization that is relying on a system such as Ethics Point, in order to promote ethical behaviors, really needs to re-evaluate the employees currently working for the institution. If there are so many egregious lapses in ethical values and behavior among the faculty, then those should be grounds for termination. Adding another layer of bureaucracy to an already top heavy organization is not the solution to major internal problems...rather, it is just a band-aid, which will eventually fall off and reveal a deep and infected wound.

Been Thinking...

In the course of a day so many thoughts run through my brain, and many of them fall into the deeper realms, such as faith, morals,and living out one's beliefs on a daily basis in a concrete way. 


I would like to write about these deeper things as they evolve, or come to the surface of my thinking. Right now there is much media coverage of the HHS mandate, and the healthcare coverage proposed by the current administration.In the history of the U.S., the government has not created legislation that would cause persons of any faith to violate their religious beliefs...until now. These are uncharted and dangerous waters that we are treading. Religious freedom is being challenged in this land of freedom. It is time to stand up for our rights as documented in the Constitution. 


The erosion of liberties can be subtle, and it can seem as if this mandate will be the end of it. That would be unrealistic, however, given the backdrop of historical perspective. Once inroads are made, powers gain momentum like a steamroller. The time to voice concerns is now. The time to write to your representatives is now. The time to pray is now. We do not have the luxury of taking a wait and see attitude.During a time of crisis, a wait and see attitude allows the crisis to build into a devastating storm. Do not be fooled by the rhetoric. Do your own research. Don't believe everything you hear/read from the media. Check what you hear/read against the facts and reality.