This weeks post

Some of the talks this week were really interesting. I was confused by the hemp talk with some statements such as: Hemp can help prevent some environmental issues such as desalinization. Desalinization is the making of fresh water from salt water... so stopping desalinization, the process by which major environmentalists hope to provide fresh water to third-world countries that lack potable water, shouldn't be and isn't the goal of any humanitarian environmentalists. When I find major basic flaws like this, it's hard for me to accept any real sort of credibility from the rest of the presentation.

This week

I'm pretty excited about the presentations this week. I commited to presenting today, so I was under a little more pressure than I wanted. But after working very hard on the presentation, I think I covered my topic (OTEC) very well. I'm actually kind of excited to see what other people present in class today especially becaise we were allowed to do such a variety of different topics.  I'd write more, but I don't want to give anything away about my project.

11/20

This last weekend's field trip was actually pretty fun. Although
I helped arrange it on the ranch's end, I had no idea what to expect. The boat ride across the fish pond was a lot of fun. Once we got to the beach, it was really disappointing to see just how much plastic was everywhere on the beach. Not even large debris, but pieces the size of pencil erasers or smaller really shows how much trouble humans are getting themselves into.

Then, we moved on to the trench digging. I should mention that I broke up with my girlfriend of 3 years on Friday. The trench digging was very helpful by working our some of the frustration I have regarding the whole situation. It was very rewarding to see the stagnant water meet the ocean water once the two connected. I'm really hoping we made a difference. I wish we would have had time to enter the ranch so I could show the class what I do there, but oh well.

Week of 11/15

I just finished my Midterm. Sadly, because I tend to leave things until last minute, I found myself reading two books over the last week and completing a midterm! My own fault....

The books were very interesting. I lean heavily towards science and facts so I really enjoyed Eat Here. It gave a good breakdown of the food system and why eating locally is important. I wish the author would have done more to address the views of the major companies he critiqued such as the benefit of employing thousands of workers. I feel it would have strengthened his argument had he shot down the other side.

Ishmael was also an interesting book. By having an intelligent being that isn't human critique the human existence and way of life, the book became more than just people complaining about people hypocritically.

I think I might even read the next book in the Ishmael series.

Week of 11/2/2010

I have to say that I'm disappointed I didn't get a chance to share my opinion in class. I found what our guest speaker had to say to be very interesting. His rebellion against the Board of Health is admirable. His success despite growing up in a rough neighborhood and dropping out of high school is a great success story.

However, his views on religion were poorly formed. Stating that Christians don't understand their religion because the Bible has been translated is equivalent to saying I don't understand what my girlfriend is saying because she's Spanish and she has to translate her thoughts to English.
Also, for someone in an academic setting, the swearing really surprised me. We all swear, but doing so while trying to voice your thoughts discounts your credibility. Also, the joke about "Catholic Priests and little boys" just showed that he really hasn't done a lot of research into Catholicism and that his opinions (too) are based on popular culture rather than facts or actual study. "Who's actually witnessed a miracle first hand?" <--- This is an ignorant question. Anyone who has studied Catholicism knows that God doesn't just answer prayers on a whim. To ask for something and expect it, is to test God, which is against the Ten Commandments. We believe, and are taught, that God gives us the skills and tools to deal with situations on our own. Regardless of the turn out, it all fits into his master plan. There is a reason your dog dies even though you pray for a miracle cure for aging.

Overall, I think people are confused about Catholicism. Being Catholic or even Christian doesn't make you an expert, it makes you a student. Being a student of Catholicism means you're committed to life-long learning based on your beliefs. People who want a religious debate are foolish to approach the average Christian young adult and expect a fair or even voluntary fight. We are not experts, but we hope to be.
To be approached so strongly, knowing that the other person dislikes your religion, would lead most people to walk away from a situation. In class we don't have that privilege. If your mind is made up, why ask the question?
Instead, how about a fair playing Field that addresses all religious views? Why not start a debate with "Religion, what's your view?" All religions have their soft spots, all religions have their strengths, and everyone has opinions, why not hear them all equally?
Had the speaker looked at all religions so critically, he would have been more credible in my eyes.

11/2/2010

This time of the year is getting very exciting for me. I'm graduating in December, don't have a job lined up, and have lots of big school projects! (a bit of sarcasm) Actually, I'm going to miss this though. I was in such a hurry to graduate early and now that it's approaching, I could use another semester of the college life. Anyhow, I'm kind of fearing the midterm we'll be getting this upcoming week. I don't know what Dr. Cruz's tests are like, so I'm a little nervous. Thankfully, it's take home!

See everyone in class!

This week's post

Last week's field trip to Kevin's farm was fun. It's very interesting to hear about the things he plans on doing on the farm. I hope things work out the way they hope for. The veggie quesadilla was very good and I always appreciate homeade guacamole.

This is my last semester at HPU, and It always seems like I'm short on time. Because of that, I haven't been able to attend many field trips. It felt good that by driving the HPU van I could still be involved and help the class out.

Dr. Cruz,
I'm sorry to hear about your mother. I will keep your family in my prayers.