What to do with ex-PMs and all that pent up bile?

Have you ever wondered: So where did all of these guys go?...

Many Canadians just see our PMs come and go, but where exactly do they go and what exactly do they do when hey are no longer in power?

This article talks about the bitterness PMs experience once they are elected out of power: given the big BOOT by Canadians. Even though all former Prime Ministers are taken care of by Canadians through tax money, they are still unsatisfied. It has become a major problem especially over the last few decades, now that as a country, our health has continued to improve significantly over the years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ77kN8Yh2Y

In this clip, Jean Chretien is expressing his hostile bitterness towards his predecessor Paul Martin.

I feel that the PMs should hold no bitterness when they leave. They were elected into power, by the people, for the people. So if the people are dissatisfied, then they must leave. They must understand that as politicians, they are under much scrutiny for upholding their promises and holding the interest of Canadians at heart: but if you look, many of the ex-PMs do not hold a good reputation in the eyes of Canadians.

So what to do with these angry people, who are no longer needed in the Canadian society? In my opinion, I say that as long as they continue to live their life as normal Canadians... I mean, isn't that what they are now? Travel the world, explore new endeavours, advocate for and join commissions that are of interest to them. But in my perspective, once your out, you are out! Use your intelligence, and experience as the most influential person in Canada to grow as an individual.

Sex & Marriage with robots? It could happen

If this picture doesn't freak you out completely, then I don't know what will? This controversy over the development of robots in the near future, for me is the beginning of the end of society... And now we are proposing that we are going to have the urge to marry these things?

Science and technology have evolved so rapidly, that I think most people can agree it has spun out of control. Dr. Levy, in his Article, "Sex and Marriage with robots? It could happen" states all the research that has been done in creating the artificially intelligent robot, that will replace the need for human beings, mentally, physically, and emotionally.

We spoke in class about the use of technology, and how we do not know when an event is occurring until it is over, and too late. In today's society, we rely so heavily on the use of technology, and it has come to the point where it's involvement is necessary in order for us to function from day to day. It comes as no surprise that someone would want to take it to the next level where we would even consider relying to artificial intelligence for emotional support.

In my opinion, I think that although robots are capable of many things: they can never feel emotion. Humans ourselves, struggle in understanding why we feel the way we feel, when we feel... How can we implement it into another "being"? The ability to feel and convey emotion is innate. While Dr. Levy argues that the robot can have sex, we humans feed off of each other's drive, and compassion and love, displayed by our partners, not necessarily that they are engaging in the act of sex. So can a robot respond, in the same way a human can? I argue that they cannot. As well, how would we, as a species, be able to pro-create?

Dr. Levy speaks about who the robots would be designed for, but I think that there is a stigmatization set in his argument, and that the social context we have created makes us believe that "ugly" people cannot obtain love, when in fact everyone is beautiful in their own way.

In tutorial we spoke about A.I and how similar to humans technology can become. But like we discovered, humans can only program machines to know and do as much as we do: we have yet to uncover the mystery of emotion, so how do we re-create it into a robot? In my opinion, this is just a waste of money researching into something that will not better the lives of humans, and we would be better off putting that money towards better use.

THE BLAME GAME

Erna Amoah
0556229
TA: Rita
October 11, 2007

The Blame Game- “I” Statements vs. “You” Statements

Katie: “Danny! Didn’t I tell you to wash the dishes? You are so lazy, and you never help out around the house. You leave everything to me, and all you do is watch football all day. I’m so fed up with you!”
Danny: “Well, what do you do? I work, and all you ever do is nag and complain. You don’t do that much yourself, and you just told me to do the dishes five minutes ago, and I was just about to do them, so get off my back!”

The 21st century in North America has seen a huge recent increase in divorce rates, reaching almost 50! Why are all these relationships and marriages suffering? The primary cause of the failure of relationships is a lack of communication: both verbal and non-verbal. I will focus on the verbal sector of communication in relationships, which are the “I” and “you” statements. In every healthy relationship, there will be times of disagreement between two individuals. It is the way we can effectively and clearly express ourselves that will determine the way our partner reacts and understands the situation. In lecture three, Dr. Sevigny revealed the importance of the power of language and responsibility. “In North America, I messages are assertive and given higher status. “I” messages show power, and acknowledgment that a person is taking responsibility for one’s actions.” (Sevigny-Lecture 5, Sept 28)

“You” statements, however, deflect blame, which is the cause of the blame game in relationships. It places the opposite person in a defensive position, and they in turn will go on the attack. This means nothing is solved, feelings get hurt, and therefore communication is lost. Dr. Sevigny stated that “I messages are very effective conflict management tools.”(Sevigny-Lecture 5, Sept 28) It gives us power and allows all of our thoughts and feelings to be conveyed in a manner that is clear and concise and least damaging to your partner’s self esteem. By exercising the use of I messages, you will get much positive feedback, and future success in your relationships.




Bibliography
Sevigny, Alex. Communication Studies 1A03 Lecture 3 (chap 2- UAC). Tuesday Sept 18, 2007
Sevigny, Alex. Communication Studies 1A03 Lecture 5. Friday Sept 28, 2007

I AM BEAUITFUL

Erna Amoah
0556229
TA: Rita
October 11, 2007

I Am Beautiful- The Positive & Negative Self Concept

Take a minute to ask yourself the following questions: Are you happy with your appearance? Are you honest and trustworthy? Are you fun to be around? Are you confident? Are you a good person? Do people like you?

These are all some of the questions that can detect your current level of self concept. In lecture four Dr. Sevigny defined the self concept as “who we are to ourselves- also known as our interior monologue.” (Sevigny-Lecture 4, Sept 21) This is important because it will determine how we act and communicate with others. If you answered yes to all of the questions above, it is a clear sign of possible high self-esteem, which is closely linked to the outcome of our self-concept. A high self esteem shows that you have a positive view of yourself, and that is portrayed in our personality. Our personality is a measurement of our outward perception. As human beings, Dr. Sevigny stated that “we view ourselves as we think people see us, and we do this all the time.”(Sevigny-Lecture 4, Sept 21) By having a negative self concept, we reflect to others a low self-esteem, and as such people will treat us as such. A negative self concept is usually a result of the fact that we focus on failures and insecurities. Therefore, the stronger you know who you are, the better your chances of gaining people’s respect.

The idea of the self concept is linked to body image issues found in females, particularly focusing on females at the adolescence stage. Every female, including myself, has been affected by media and culture. What we see on TV and in magazines eventually become our standard of reality and desire. “I’m so fat” or “I’m so ugly”, are comments we commonly hear people say to themselves. I have found that personally by putting myself down, I set myself up for failure in accepting my looks and who I am. From the pressure of society to look a certain way, we place pressures on ourselves. These negative views of our physical appearance can lead to bigger more problematic issues, like eating disorders. By improving our self concept and by having a positive outlook on ourselves will assist in improving several other aspects of our individual lives.



Bibliography
Sevigny, Alex. Communication Studies 1A03 Lecture 4. Friday Sept 21, 2007

McGuinty's Liberals Roll To Majority

Once again, the liberal party has won the hearts of Ontarians. Dalton McGuinty must be very proud of the strong campaign he and his party made. But, did Ontario make the right choice?

As a citizen of this province, I felt it was important to vote, and I encouraged many of my friends to vote as well. It's important to have our voices heard, and since we are the future of Canada, it's best we implement what we want, starting now. Even my mother (who was not born in Canada, and did not really care too much about Canadian politics) has since the election in 2003 exercised her right to vote. However, only about 50% of Ontarians voted this year, a short-fall of 56% that voted last election. Why?

I feel very frustrated and helpless with the form of politics we have. As a first-world, democratic society, I feel our politicians have failed us in our event of pushing towards a greater Ontario for the future. Personally, I know I had a very hard time choosing who to vote for. The politicians say they will do one thing, but once in power, they implement their own agendas, which in my eyes defeats the purpose of electing a representative. I know many people that feel this same way, which is why many people chose not to vote. No one can be trusted, so why waste our time anyway.

I chose who to vote for based on a process of elimination: I really loved the campaign for the NDP party, who strive to enhance education by freezing tuition prices (something the Liberals removed immediately once in power). This was very interesting for me, seeing as how every year we have a tuition increase and I plan to be in school for a little while. The amount of debit that I will face once out of school can be over-bearing and stressful. However, the NDP Party would increase taxes, and have been known to have many hidden agendas (i.e. Bob Ray). The Green party was another one option for me, where I know that, if nothing at all, they will help the environment, which is a positive thing for me. However, the Green Party does not encourage immigration. My family immigrated to Canada, which many families have. Without immigration, this country would not have the incredible diversity it has. The Liberals have broken promises. They have not helped out with youth, crime, education and in my eyes have failed to represent Ontario in a positive light. However, they do help middle-class families, and as such they received my vote.

The problem is that the Liberal Party worries me. They have already started implementing half-public half-private hospitals in my hometown of Brampton. Tuition keeps increasing, taxes are not being lowered, our environment is in danger... Are they going to be truthful this time? I can't really blame people for choosing not to vote... why vote if you don't like anyone asking to be elected, and if you don't like what they stand for? But at the same time, if you don't vote, we cannot complain about what the politicians chose to do.

The Liberal Party has four years to fix the mistakes they made. Let us hope that, in light of this new confidence given by Ontarians, Dalton McGuinty will restore our faith in the Liberal Party, and embrace the values that Canada stands for: a free, and democratic world.

The following link from You Tube was a post I had seen when researching on the various politicians... it's very interesting, and puts the Liberal Party in perspective.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_DzkLNDXEE&mode=related&search=