IMAGINE

01/21/2007

B1u

Imagine that you were a Dark-Skinned erson living in this world we live in now, especially living in the Projects. Especi lly, were there's loud music every week-end at the comer store, people walking about 1 te hours every night, loud talking and fights. The neighborhood is dirty all around, such a the streets, side-walks, and playgrounds. Drug dealing and shooting going on, sometim s serving it off your front porch. People picking fights with you because they simply do 't like you or they think that you're "soft.' Some times when you want to order food fro a particular restaurant, they quickly say that they don't service that area.

Imagine that your household is the only ouse doesn't have up-to-date TV/cable. Every time you want to watch a particular mo ie or soap opera, you have to put an antenna to get a signal. The furniture's in the hous is fealty, tom up, and the mattresses are all pissed up. The house is over crowded w th sibling and rodents. But it doesn't bother you because you're immune to that kind of! ving. You get into fights with your siblings/ or family member because they used your lothes or stuff without permission. Then mom gets upset because you making noise, w en she knows your right.

Imagine yourself being so hungry every time, especially, during lunch breaks. All your friends eating something, while you just standing in front of them, faking it, playing it off, like you're not hungry. Doesn't it akes you angry when they won't offer, knowing that you don't have the money. Meanw ile, your belly is growling and you feel like fainting. Let's not forget, you're the on one that came to school with a brown paper bag, which contains only, boiled eggs, 0 slices of bread, no mayonnaise, just dry bread. Some how the teacher, noticed the may hift bag, and rats you out; how embarrassing is that, uh. Then she would call you up to ick on you in front of the class because she knows you're the less unfortunate.

IMAGINE, it gets deeper than that; I w~. 't elaborate anymore, it's for you to sit down now and envision yourself in that partic lar situation. Think of how would you survive, how long would you survive or endure s ch conditions.

Jus imagine for a minute, because I do, II'm still1iving the pain, humiliation, but glad that I survived.

Post N ame- Plincess Katera

PAD 6061- Visionary and Creative Managel~ent I

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Spring 2007 - January 22,2007

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The story that you told about the YOU~~g lady who had no fear until certain events

occurred in her life, was very similar to howl ~ was and still how I am today. There are times I

when I feel so confident about myself and I ~rise to any given challenge/situation. However,

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when the slightest obstacle arises, I cnnnblej land I begin to doubt myself.

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In 2006 I applied for law school bec~~se that is what I wanted to do since I can

remember. I loved law. I loved the adversarifll approach. I loved everything about it. Everyone I

around me said positive things about me get~ing into law school. They stated I had greatness in I

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me and that anything and everything that I \\j~nted I will get as long as I believed it. I did at first

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and then everything began to fall apart.

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I did not get into the school of my chpice nor the school that I thought anyone and

everyone could get in. I had hit rock bottom [In "Lame Ville". When I think about it I remember

how hard I worked to bring my grades up an~ do everything and anything possible to make sure I

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got in, and yet it still didn't work. I guess fai~~re is inevitable in some cases. Its' bound to happen

to the best of us, hut it depends how we han41e it after the fact that makes it a failure or a

success.

After that happened I could have giv~b up, but I didn't... I'll try again after I get my i

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Master's in Public Administration. It probabl~ wasn't my time anyway, but I will remember

NEVER TO GIVE UP! I hope I do not beco~ke like the girl you spoke about and lose my

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confidence and shive for success even whenlfailure seems to be the end product.

This is the start of my paper By J.P. PrGWitt

Thoughts on the class, 'The E~rimenting Self and Safekeeping Self'

After the initial class for ViSione and Creative Management, I was pleased with the amount of flexibility and creativity . otted to us. Giving the students the :freedom of thought and being able to set that in a dscussion structured style, I believe, will allow for some interesting class debates and disc ions.

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After reading the excerpt on the f experimenting self,' one element in particular

struck a nerve with me. Prince identifie 'the experimenting selfby listing various attributes that entail it. The one elemen lor attribute Prince suggests, which I found to

embody much of me was 'making im

ible wishes.' 1bere is much to be said on the

power of wishes, goals or objectives in • ur lives. I believe the moment you choose to stoJ: wishing or dreaming big, is the moyou relinquish you aspirations, In my life I must have some new and large goal in the fo I front. It keeps me focused on where I am going and at what I am doing. Along with 'im I ssible wishes Prince suggest that the

'experimenting self also relies on

. 'risks, experiencing feelings, ~t1f rol~ see:3

connections, recognizes patterm\ plays, $peCU~ is ~ sees the fun in things, like surprises, is open to practically an . 'does not mind being wrong, does not mind

being confused, sees images, thinks '

'vely, is :impetuous, uses seemingly irrelevant

ideas, and is highly aware of dreams.'

ofPrin<:e's attributes lead me to believe that

'the experimenting self' is one who eng I

life, mther then having life engage you.

Conformity to society, working 9 to 5,

routines and patterns are aU to me, contrary to

Princes "experimenting seIf.' I compl

Y agree with this type of living.

Along with the "experimenting self' is the 'experimenting self' the safekeepin Establishment, analyzes, is realistic, aVl makes and supports rules, is serious, is wrongness, punishes mistakes, and disapproved of. The safekeeping self is

keeping to schedule"(prince).

of the 'safekeeping self.' Different than that of ,self"evaluat~ reassures and supports the

,ds surprises, avoids wrongness, avoids risks,

, IUtiOUS, is suspicious, is fearful, punishes

y punishes what Mom and Dad would have

so very much concerned about wasting time and

Prince suggests that both these Odes can work interchangeably_ Hence one could utilize both modes simultaneously. I bel ~e these two modes could rely heavily on life status or environment. One may choose p break rnl~ take more risks if they are financially covered. On the other side, o. who is financially pressed may attribute more to the safekeeping mode, because he or be may not have the financial backing to be able to take risks or break rules. All in all,. I neve one can never be one or the other. Our lives are too dynamic for things to be 'ply categorized into one sphere or another.

This is the start of a paper by Amazig to Be. The overwhelming theme in this week's discussion seems to be about control or ~s I like to refer to it, the illusion of control. We talked about the foundation of academi I and how its rigid rules, regulations, and politics suck most, if not all of the creativity ou !of individuals. I couldn't agree more, but it seems without structure and discipline : ost humans might never accomplish anything.

The pressure of deadlines and param ters can provide some direction and a sense of balance. I think humans enjoy and even crave a sense of order and control up to a point. However, when it begins to hinder thei \creativity and they begin to feel like they are being watched and they have be careful pf everything they say and do (Big Brother is watching ... ) that is when performance j1d creativity begins to suffer. They begin to bum out mentally and/or depending on their . ersonality type, rebel. Of course there are always the exceptions that could do the $ame job over and over again and remain content. Those people in my opinion must be do rig something much more interesting with their lives outside of work, or at least dreami g of something fun and creative.

We also discussed why the inapprop late is often appropriate? I would say that the idea of what is appropriate vs. inapprop . ate or right vs. wrong is subjective no matter how you look at it. You have people th t come from all walks of life with scattered beliefs, raised in very diverse cultures a d what to one is inappropriate may be very appropriate to another. The idea of 0[£ ding another with words and/or actions seems silly because it happens all the time in e eryday communication. Misinterpretation, language and culture differences are jus a few of the culprits. I think the Four Agreements written by Miguel Ruiz sho . ld be required reading for all humans, but there I go attempting to control other's beliefs. iThere is one agreement though that is worth mentioning in this case and that is: "Ne ,er take anything personal". Ha! Easier said than done I presume, yet a fundamental prin iple for interpersonal relationships and success in the business world.

There is certainly a difference betwe :b abuse and hypersensitivity both of which I have experienced in the workplace, but it sur i helps to view situations from a logical perspective and see them for what they ~ally are. Imperfect people trying to understand and to be understood making mistakes !ong the way. Sometimes harmony is achieved and problems are solved and other time problems are heightened and even created during interaction. Bottom line is that, !opefully both parties learn something from the interaction and are challenged to grow a! d open themselves up to newer and more enlightening experiences.

And finally 1'd like to discuss the saD feeping vs. the experimenting self as I believe there is no one person that is completel lone or the other. There may be some imbalance in the two, but likely it seems that peopl possess several traits from each extreme. I would say that generally I am more of a experimental type person seeking adventure and discovery and openness, but I also have i y protective side and depending on my mood or the experience I may be very rigid in mdecisions and careful in my analysis of situations and right vs. wrong. This is t ~ end of the paper by Amazing to Be.

This is the start of a paper by B $S Lady '08. This is the first entry to a log that will develop over the course of Dr. Jay Emdell's course entitled, Visionary and Creative Management commencing in the Sprin' 2007.

During the first class meeting, r. Mendell's began a discussion on William J. J.

Gordon's view on the Safekeeping S If and the Experimenting Self. This was a very intellectual, interesting and thought-prooking discussion, as the individual characteristics outlined in the class discussion and thcorresponding reading are commonly played out in everyday real-life situations. Over t e years, I have had the opportunity to work with various organizations, and as a intuitiv .,.type individual I have a strong tendency to notice individuals' behavior and personal cha acteristics. For eight years I was employed in a local fire department staffed by 51 fire 19hters. Now, it takes a very special person and devoted civilian to operate effectively as a firefighter. And yes, during my tenure I was able to sort out various personalities-but su prisingly enough somehow these individuals just seemed to "fit together, " or complete a puzzle. There were the down to the second arrivers vs. one hour early reporters, 'by the book" officers vs. laid back officers (one particular officer was definitely "obsessi e with the rules"), there were the movers and the shakers vs. the "find me a way out-ers, ' and the doers and the takers.

Overthis past weekend, I had an pportunityto proctor a state administered teacher certification examination at a local com unity college. As I sat and observed test-takers arriving, listening to instructions and diectives, completing examinations and departing from the testing site, Gordon's view on the Safekeeping Self and the Experimenting Self became a true reality. One test taker repeatedly worked ahead on each examination, another test taker tended to lag behind nd ultimately had to ask questions for clarification of the instructions, another test taker proceeded to review answers recorded from a previous test (a violation of the rules), some test takers returned to the testing area as directed (10 minutes early following the break) while others skidded-in just in time before the door was closed. As a proctor andn observer, it seemed to me that the elements of the discussion held during the first cia s meeting had been rehearsed and now I was watching the play.

Even more revealing are the in ividual characteristics I observe as a vocational evaluator for mentally and physically di abled clients. Some arrive up to one hour ahead of the start time, others arrive late or no at all without contacting the agency; some listen and follow the rules while taking tests w i1e others tend to disregard the rules (continue to work after being told to stop, incorrectly ecording answers, starting a test before being told to do so). Even though some clients re experiencing mental disabilities or disorders, evidence of the Safekeeping Self and t e Experimenting Self is yet present.

During my tenure as an undergr duate student, I had to complete an internship. I chose the psychiatric ward at a local hos i ita!. Talk about the "Self-ves" coming out-whew! It was very intriguing to witness how in . ividuals still tend to exhibit true "Self-ves" even though they may be temporarily or in s me cases permanently out of touch with reality.

Well, as you can see, I had a lot of un with this one and am looking forward to future class discussions during this term. Th title of the course appears to be living up to its name and I am sure Dr. Mendell will co tinue to ensure that it does. Goodbye.

This is the end of the paper by B ss Lady '08.

This is the start of a paper by HeavyM

. The first class, syllabus and suggested

readings will be the subject. My first i pression was that the class was to be a strange experience, and certainly outside the n nn. With colorful, entertaining, and not politically correct language, Professor Mendell se the tone for what is certainly to be an unusual, and thought-provoking experience not i line with most of the core courses in the Public Administration major such as Applied ethods, Administrative Law, or Personnel. Maybe some of the mores highlighted i Personnel will be broken. The class was certainly on edge and not knowing wha to expect next. The topic of "The Safekeeping Self and the Experimenting Self' brou t out the concept of two modes of human behavior, the cautious mode and the ris-taking or experimental mode. The tone of the discussion leads me to believe the centr theme ofthe class is for managers to operate in the risk-taking, or experimental mode' order to be more successful, but at the same time being secure enough in your position so that you can take risks without fear of losing your job. The experimenting-self mode f operation makes better use of the subconscious (dream-state) and its provocations, incl ding bending or breaking the rules. This will result in more creative thinking, but co d cause confusion as most of us are trained to follow the rules and be conformists. Of ourse, it is more fun to break the rules and think outside the box. The readings on Georg Orwell's 1984 brought me back to junior high school English class and the discussions of both 1984 and Animal Farm. Those discussions, and the tone of this course, evolve around the themes of totalitarianism and mind-control (brainwashing), which ob iously train us to be conformists and follow the rules. So the themes of human behavior, and the theory of operating in the experimental­ mode in order to break the cycle of "gro pthink" run through the readings. "The Third Sector" was an interesting short story an reminds me of writings by a scientific or engineering-type mindset, similar to fu . stic writings by Michael Crichton and others. I did not think it was lurid at all, and did ot find anything offensive that would cause the story to be banned by Public Voices. I fo lowed the readings by browsing Professor Mendell's various Internet pages on the ebpage GollyGrantsOnline.com. While devoted to numerous links on grant writing, whic I agree are tedious, I found it interesting that the Professor did focus in some links on ecurity at Jewish institutions. These links were interesting in that the procedures to be:£ Howed are very rigid, similar to the National Incident Command System training I ha e received, focusing on response to terrorist attacks and procedures to be followed in order to keep synagogues and other institutions less vulnerable. I just felt there was a dic otomy, in that this form of management is certainly centered around the cautious-m de of thinking, and that experimental thinking would probably not be appropriate, give the serious nature of the consequences of failure. These weblinks also focused on ostage negotiation, including the famous Israeli Raid on Entebbe. Again I thought these tpics were completely out of the realm of creative thinking. Maybe some of the Pr fessor's past training in mechanical engineering and employment at Pratt-Whitney create different mind set at times than the risk-taker. Another dichotomy, or maybe hypocrisy, I find is in the syllabus itself, where rigid confonnance to attendance is so emphasied. But overall, I found the first class and the readings to be thought-provoking and pi ed my curiosity in the future topics of political correctness, and new theories of manage ent. I think my own rigid training in engineering, as well as my own fun-Iovin style of management will make for an interesting experience. This is the end of he paper by HeavyMetal.

This is the start of the paper by Anita math.

I sit here wondering what I sho ·ld be writing about. So, for this first assignment I'll just ramble for one page and see w at others are talking about as well. Right now this assignment seems to serve no purpose, but I know there's a reason that Dr. Mendell has us doing this. Dr. Mendell always has some weird way of teaching a lesson or expressing himself. But, in the end there's alway a valuable lesson that is learned. I really do not know what to expect from this course, but I have faith in Dr. Mendell's teachings.

It is really unfortunate to knowt,that Dr. Mendell is retiring. He's the one professor in the MP A program that's atually entertaining, enjoyable, and one you can count on to improve your grade point verage. Hopefully he will change his mind and atleast teach part-time.

Most importantly, the Dolphin have selected a new head coach. Hopefully this will be the coach that can turn the te around back to where it was when Don Shula was the coach. The great thing about this ¢w coach (eam Cameron) is that he is an offensive minded coach and that is where the D lphins need the most help. The past few coaches the Miami Dolphins have had are defesive minded coaches, leaving the Dolphins with a lackluster offense. Cam Cameron has en left with a mess of an offense. The Dolphins have two starting quarterbacks, one w 0 has been plauged with injuries and one who has poor decision making. The offensive I e can't open a hole or make any room for the running back. The other running back an't stop smoking marijuana and getting suspended. The receivers can't seem t catch the ball and the kicker had one of his worse seasons last year. So, as you can see,e Dolphins need a lot of help on offense.

The Miami Dolphins had a res ectable defense last year, but unfortunately the defense is aging and some of the pro-b wIers are considering retirement. The good thing is Wayne Huizinga will do anything to have himself a Superbowl win and I think he made a good decision on choosing an w coach. He has spent millions on his team and

on Dolphin's Stadium. Hopefully, C

Cameron can turn this team around.

In the meantime, I hope the C Its go to the Superbowl and win it. 1m tired of the Patriots being in the Superbowl year a r year and always winning. Additionally, Peyton Manning is a great quarterback who de erves a Superbowl ring. I really hope he does not follow the legacy of Dan Marino. Dan Marino is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, if not the greatest, but he never g t a Superbowl ring. Marino has his name on many of the records, but he was never Ie to win a Superbowl. Because of this, some analysts do not consider him as the bes quarterback of all-time.

This is the start of a paper by chilli~j

My ideas on the class are p sitive and I like the way the class is set up. In management problems arise an more agencies are struggling with crisis management. Every company, lar e or small, publicly traded or privately held, runs the risk of a crisis. Forward thinking companies across the country and around the world are proactively pr . cticing crisis management.

Crisis management is a r latively new field of management. Typically, proactive crisis management acti ities include forecasting potential crises and planning how to deal with them. Hopefully, organizations have the time and resources to complete a crisis ma agement plan before they experience a crisis. Crisis management in the face 0 a current, real crisis includes identifying the real nature of a current crisis, intrvening to minimize damage and recovering from the crisis. Crisis manage ent often includes strong focus on public relations to recover any damage 0 the public image and assure stakeholders that recovery is underway. Crises ccur where issues are neglected or otherwise mishandled. Crises produced by di asters should not create surprises.

The concept of organizati nal change when used in business and management literature usually refers to planned, organization-wide change. Still, the concept can seem so broad nd general in nature that it's hard to keep perspective. The reader might be efit a great deal by reviewing information in this topic in order to understand asics of carrying out organizational change. The concepts included in this topic are associated with the nature of organization-wide change, and re not in and of themselves programs to enhance organizational performa ceo Organizational change is essential and, like continuous improvement and laming, change management must be part of the organization's culture. W thout continuous organizational change organizational success cannot be aintained.

Organizations need to provi e customized managing change training and consulting in support of your orga izational change management projects. The trainers and consultants provide managing change expertise to help you maintain an energetic, dynamic, fie ible and adaptable culture. The new changes in management training and cons Itancy services covers strategic reviews, total quality management and cultural hange. The organizational change services can be incorporated within the ma aging change and management development programs.

This is the end of the paper by chilllnj

This is the start of a paper by lIe

People in our society have beCO!e to sensitive. Weare either afraid to say what we think or we are offended when some. ne tells us what they really think. I work for a local government and recently had to a end a mandatory training on how to provide better customer service.

I believe that diversity training ~xual harassment training, and other similar trainings cause more harm than good. eople who would have not had a second thought about an off-color or vulgar remark beD re the training, will now focus, and possibly dwell on it.

The idea of the training I had to ttend is that you should go above and beyond the call of duty to assist customers and coIl agues. According to the training, one of the ways to do this is to eliminate mistakes. But, I have a few different ideas about mistakes. First, most of the time, mistakes can be ectified. Second, rectifying mistakes causes people to approach problems in new wa s. Finally, we are human and we all make mistakes. We should not be afraid to m ke them or intimidated by others when we do make them.

People have become to politicall correct, unoffensive, and afraid to say what they think. Political correctness is our r allife version of Orwell's Newspeak in 1984. Changing terminology used to refer to 0 describe a group of people does not change the attitudes of racism, sexism, or any other ism. The new politically correct term will eventually become as derogatory as wh t it is supposed to replace (garbage man -

garbage person - sanitation worker).

e Constitution provides for freedom of speech in

this country and we should be able to ex rcise that right. Politically correct language causes more divisiveness when the inco ect term is used.

Altering language to avoid offeffi· ing someone is really not possible. I am offended because people attempt to ch ge our language and words in order to not offend someone else. All this does is cover up e prejudices we have in our society without creating a reasonable solution. If you d n't have the courage to say what your think, then you suck.

This is the end of the paper by Ilene Dover.

This is the start of a paper by Renegade.

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During class on January 8, Dr Mend 'I stated that he was going to instruct the class on just how far rules can be bent without actual iy breaking them. Unfortunately, my coworkers and I practice this type of 'rule bending' on a da ~y basis; I have a supervisor without a spine. Many of my co-workers, including myself, have d ' e things that we should have received no less than a reprimand for, but our supervisor is compl ,tely afraid of confrontation.

If you want to come to work late on • daily basis, come work with me at my organization.

If I am running a few minutes late, I don't 4>rry about it because I know that nothing is going to happen. If I am hungry and want a donut be ~re I head into the office, I'll stop and get it even if it causes me to be late. You may be asking urself, "Renegade- why do you not care about getting to work on time?" Well, I don't purp sely make myselflate, but as I stated, I don't worry about it if! am. The reasoning ... I work wit someone ('Ms. Tardy') who is late every day. If Ms. Tardy shows up on time, my coworkers ~d I will express to her how surprised we are that

she is on time. Does my supervisor know t

she is consistently late? Yes. Has he ever done

anything about it? No. So, I find myselfbening the rule about being on time. If! am ever written up for being late, I will refuse to si Imy write-up until I see the write-up for Ms. Tardy. Working for a government organization, her write-up would be public record and is subject to examination by anyone- including me.

Now, I am not trying to pick on Ms. ardy here, but there are additional practices that should be discussed. At my organization, w lhave an area designated for employee parking. Once you park in this area, it takes about fiv ' minutes to get from your vehicle to your desk. But, there is a parking area that is much closer to ~ur office; if you park there, you can get from your vehicle to your desk in about thirty seconds. A.s previously mentioned, Ms. Tardy is always late, so she often parks in the closer parking area. !Although our supervisor does not reprimand for being late, he has stated several times at our eekly staff meetings that we are to park our vehicles in the employee parking area. As a atter of fact, he mentioned it just this past Tuesday. Logic would tell you that if employees are s .11 parking inappropriately after being instructed about 4-5 times not to, those employees wh lare breaking the parking rule should be spoken to on an individual basis. Well, that has not be b done. Since Ms. Tardy has never been spoken to, I have found myself on occasion parking in th ' closer lot to keep from being late to my desk. On those days, I go out on break and move my ehicle in the appropriate lot. Just 2-3 weeks ago, my supervisor observed me parking in the wron ] lot. Did I get a reprimand or spoken to for breaking the rules? No. Once again, if I am written up I I will refuse to sign until I see the write-up for Ms. Tardy.

As a child, I did not want to be disci iined by my parents, my teachers, or my elders. If I were able to get away with something, I was 'Very pleased at my accomplishment. Then, that would make it much easier for me to do som 'thing else. As a very young child, I took a piece of candy from the grocery store. When my mo . found out, she made me take it back to the store manager and apologize. Inever stole anythi g again after that day. Had I not ever been caught and disciplined, I probably would be likely t , steal things on a daily basis without any thought or remorse about it. As an adult and parent, I ow that discipline is good. Without it, we will continue to do the wrong things until we are . aught and held accountable. We will continue to bend and break the rules until we are caught.

This is the end of the paper by Renegade.

After electing Michelle Bachelet in C ile ... Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in Liberia ... Angela Merkel in Germany .. .it looks that the scene is ripe enough to see some more women power on the political throne of the w rid. Does this somewhere hint to the probability of having a women president for the w rld superpower United States? Yes, it does of course, Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., the fo er first lady, is once again in action with a view to return to the White House, but this t me as boss.

At the moment, Clinton has aIr ady been re-election to her Senate seat in New York, and she has also gathered a mulfmillion-dollar campaign war chest that's enough to give a boost to 2008. In case she b comes the President. .. she'll definitely have an edge over others and that is that she'll lways have experienced opinion of her experienced husband former President Bill Clinton. I think it will be a fresh change to have a women president ... and as far a her performance and capability is concerned, I think it's quite visible from the decisio of electing other females to the top notch political positions in other countries.

There is a lot of reasons a worn n would be a good choice for president. For instance most women are truthful (eithr that or good at not getting caught) with the example that of all the people held in j il today only 7% of them are women and the other 93% are, obviously, men. Though no ests have been proven to show that women are smarter then men, more women have raduated from college then men. So women may have more rational thoughts and can t ink things through before they take action, whereas men are more likely to act up n instinct rather than think it through, which has caused the government to create many economic failures that hurt America. A motherly ability comes natural to most women, nd most are willing to take care of, and fight as hard as they can to protect their subjec ... in this case the United States.

So with all of that, maybe Am rica is ready for a women to be put in charge of a country that, since the beginning of its time, has been represented by men. America might be ready for a women president ore than ever now and just not realize it, because everyone is afraid of change. No one an know how a women president can act until she is actually put into the position, which . s the case in many countries such as Finland, Ireland, Liberia and Chile. Everyone c n make there assumptions and say why or why not a women will make a good president. I think America should give women a chance to prove themselves, it might be a great i ea ... or it could be a bad idea. I think this country can handle more bad idea because sinc this country has started I think we have seen every man make at least one bad mista e during his presidency.

By Dammien

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This is the start of a paper by *****. ast class was the first class of the semester

and during that class Dr Mandell intr duced himself and provided information about the class and its requirement. his is actually the second semester I have the opportunity of taking classes wit this professor who is quiet knowledge and have now been told that this is the I st semester he will be teaching. This is such a big loss to the university but at the bame time I appreciate the wealth of knowledge I have gained from takin . classes with Dr Mandell. Well fortunately for me I am taking all three of his class s and I will try to scoop up as much information as I can from him.

When he started to tell us about the fact he is going to retire I started to wonder what he will do here on since he ha been teaching at this college for over thirty years. Will he take vacations to eve corner of the earth he has not visited or will he continue to work in another area by doing some of what he has thought like grant writing or fundraising or better yet will he just decide to come back and teach until feels he just cannot put p with the student of FAU or better yet stay home and be a pain to his wife. My gut feeling is that he will just take few short vacations here and there and then hen he gets bored he will just do some grant writing and show others how i is really done (since he is the master of this). Regardless of what he decid s to do I am sure he will do it well and do what he wants and in the time he w shes because as we know he is the type to have it his way regardless of what thers may think. One thing is for sure he will continue to have all those whom he comes in contact with laughing.

As for us the students, I guess we ill just have to appreciate what the other teachers have to offer but just in a fferent way. Hopefully Dr Mandell will have left some of humor and knowledge ith them so they can pass it on so we will not totally have to miss having him round and occasionally invite him in to be a guess speaker at some of our othe classes. All in alii hope he will enjoy his retirement regardless what he doe ,

Well this is my commentary for this Week. I guess I have to start thinking about what I will be writing about next wek. Maybe it will be about sports or politics

This is the end of the paper by **** I,

This is the start of the paper by worl traveler. ..

Based on the topics presente in the first class, a few thoughts came to mind when discussing the ideas of bing rule obsessed versus ignoring the rules. I truly believe that deep down all hu ans struggle with this dichotomy. It is the eternal good vs. evil battle, with the ngel and devil sitting on your shoulders.

I find it interesting that Gordon consi ers this struggle to be two personalities. As I stated above, I think that all human endure this struggle. I don't see it as being a conflict of two distinct personalities, more as a struggle to discover one's true self.

When reading the passage b Gordon, I thought of the various times throughout my life when I have wantd to break the rules but did not because I was afraid of the consequences or t 0 concerned with image. I have always considered myself to be a "goody-tw -shoes", never breaking the rules in order to be recognized for my good behavi r or intelligence. In thinking back to those times, it is sort of funny to consider te thought processes that accompanied my decision making. In addition, when c nsidering what I thought to be rule breaking behavior in high school versus what deem to be rule breaking now, is based on a completely different set of standar s.

I can honestly say that once I ntered college my ideas of what was safe and what was daring changed. Whil I was tame compared to most who experiment in college, I had my fun. here were the nights that I would go out dancing with friends and dress in a ay that said I am here to have fun and I don't care what you think of me. But t the same time, I was ALWAYS the designated driver and I was always t e one keeping an eye on my friends when they would walk off with a guy. I was the one to help my friends when they had drinking or drug problems. I was the ne to stay up with them late at night when they felt they had no place else to go. While I treasured this role, there were definitely times when I wanted some ne to do it for me.

I feel as if my travels to other ountries afJowed me to "show my wild side".

Thinking about it rationaUy today, bei g abroad was probably not the best place to be a risk taker, however for me, it as my escape. Yet throughout all of my experiences, I always made sure a f' nd knew where I was and when to expect me back. So even during my times 0 wildness,. I always stayed closer to the side of caution.

It is these memories that I go ack to when I wish for a change. When J am tired of working, going to school, nd being a mother and wife that t think about these times when I threw cauti n to the wind and enjoyed a sense of being free of always doing what is right. It i in these memories that I sometimes feel as if I had the chance to show off the rei me ... though not always to those whom ( felt needed to see the real me.

Today, when thinking about ig oring the rules or being obsessed with them, I look at the dichotomy in a d' rent light. I feel fortunate that ( have had the chance to be a risk-taker, though not as often as I'd like. However, I feet I get my little thrills throughout my life. So lease, don't think wrong of me when speed from time to time. I am doing the righ thing the majority of the time. , just need to let the risk-taker inside come out to pfay every once in a while.

This is the end of the paper by world traveler ...

This is the start of a paper by Bushwhacur.

The Safekeeping Self and the Experim nting Self are interesting concepts of being. It seems the experimenting self precede the safekeeping self but most people would believe the safekeeping self develop. d the experimenting self. There are some elementary expressions of this possible ~ichotomy. These old-line expressions are "you are either a leader or follower" and "yo i are either in the game or on the sidelines." The larger mass of humanity will fall into te safekeeping self because there are not enough strong incentives to experiment. e usually have enough money, educational opportunities, food and personal care to maintain a status quo or normalcy. During times of great chaos, impending death some types of altered mental states the experimenting self becomes stronger.

The mental greats such as Leon do da Vinci, Newton, Nikola Tesla, Marx, and all other scientists and philosophers wh : dared to experiment allowed all other humans to evolve into other levels of existence. S' ekeeping self in another view seems to be only temporary anyway. Safekeeping as iumes a constant existence including health, wellbeing, and known patterns of hum cultural traits, interactions and support. These assumptions are altered or destroyed all ,the time. The safekeeping selves do maintain a certain level of expectations such as living electricity, schools, clothing, food and a prosperous future. But it is usually al . ays the experimenting self which has surfaced somewhere that really gets our attentio. of human possibilities. Respecting Maslow's hierarchical model, perhaps when the basic safekeeping needs are fulfilled, then the experimenting self may express itself.

It is said need is the mother 0 invention. Invention requires experimentation.

Culturally and sociologically speaking, . e 1960's in the United States proved for better or worse, change can come from rebell bn to safekeeping. Of course some of the same rebels of the 1960's are heavily entr ched in the safekeeping effort now. It doesn't seem that long ago the popular rock- d-roll stars said they would never conform to normalcy and never "sell-out" to corpor te pressures. But watch the television any day at any time today and you will hear backg ound music of these experimenters played to sell Nike, Chevrolet and Kentucky Fried C icken. Reality television shows are interesting mixes of safekeeping and experimentati 'n. A good example is the Osbournes. The star, Ozzy Osbourne was a totally experimen" g man in all aspects of human existence in the 1960's through the 1980's. Now we get to view his insanity from our safekeeping world. Obviously, Ozzy has adapted back to th . safekeeping world but when he was with Black Sabbath and other older groups, he let afety fly in the wind as if there would not be a tomorrow. And that's what made him famous along with some talent in his musically artistic field.

Another way of perceiving this s a lot of rewards are given to the experimental self. The rewards may be fmancial if that is what is sought or the reward may be a greater fulfillment of one's human: perceptions and appreciation of existence. Existentialism is available for eve one and can be the beginning of greater experimentation. Metaphysics, some r ligious or spiritual involvement, and having the courage to develop and express your inn r perceptions will make life more interesting.

This is the end of the paper by Bushwhacker.

This is the start of a paper by Bushwhac~r.

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George Orwell's 1984 has many relevan Icoincidental realities paralleling life today. The

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atmosphere in which Orwell operated ~s described as " ... major powers are always at

war but the enemy keeps changing" h immediate relevance to modem dysfunctional governments. "Big Brother" is growing n strength through the internet, telephones, u.s. postal service, library book check-out cords, bank account transactions, IRS, Google search records, and all other personal iand interpersonal information made available through modem methods. The strengt I ening of social and economic class structural differences are becoming more evident e ch day. The rich are getting richer and the poor are growing in number only to suppo the powerful inner parties of government and commercial corporations. The "Though Police" are very active today disallowing media broadcasters to think and speak freely. e lower class or "Proles" are still kept in their place with alcohol, drugs, gambling, spo and sex. The "Ministry of Truth" has evolved into political spin and "Doublethink" 0 Idouble talk has become expected of all leaders

mday.

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The "Perpetual Wars" are a real ty today with the conflicts between the world's super powers. There seems to be a wor Uwide struggle to secure energy sources but the

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political doublethink speaks of all other olitical and social ills which must be exorcised

and blessed by freedom in order for all . d to live righteous lives. Worldwide living standards are deplorable. The desperati. n of poverty is growing at a faster rate. Wal­ Mart, or something similar, will set th I worldwide standards of economic and social normalcy. Common corporations such I Home Depot, Lowes, Toys-R-Us, McDonalds, Labor-Finders, and all others which are Ibecoming more powerful will continue to gain strength in the future. Corporations ha ~ captured every aspect of modem living from birth to death. Corporations continue t • join with each other to gain more power and

influence in the world.

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There is some belief that beca . se most men want to be like all other men, conformity to most any belief is a p Issibility depending on how manipulative the designers of the systems may be or b ~ome. Orwell speaks of the Victory products which the proletariat consumes while t e inner party consumes better food and drink. How different is the quality of food and . from Wal-Mart as opposed to Whole Foods market chain? There certainly seems be quite a divide between the Whole Foods organic wholistic products and the third- orId Wal-Mart atmosphere. The Whole Foods chain supports an elitist attitude which pears m be quite in vogue today. Our culture today is supporting an attitude of eliti m which basically discounts normal lives, of

which, the aspiring elitist are part of.

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This week in the media there 1 a story about a soccer player coming to the United States to play on a California s cer team. The reported salary is two hundred fifty million dollars for five years of s rvice. Most professional basketball players of note make at least five million a year .. ~ all other sports support salaries which makes a mockery of normal occupational incom~. Yes, these people have certain talents within their games but it is the attitude of '. ers and losers or elite and proletariat which reflects Orwell's predictions. Living I tandards are becoming lower. More people

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nowadays are too heavy for their own ood and diseases of all sorts are growing. It

seems that Oprah Winfrey has all the an ers m what is wrong and the ways in which a correct and successful life may be obtain d. And if Oprah can't fix it Doctor Phil can.

I This is the end of the paper by Bushwhacler.