Pardon or not to Pardon... A turkey

Apparently every year the President of the United States pardons a turkey. Meaning, he publicly announces he is not going to eat a turkey. Not only does he pardon one turkey but he also pardons an alternative just in case. That may seem odd but it is rather likely that the first person would rather die because we breed turkeys to be so fat that their organs cannot support their huge size. The typical turkey bred to be eaten only lives for about 18 weeks.

What is the meaning of pardoning a turkey? Does this mean that the first family eats no meat on Thanksgiving or do they just eat chicken and feel like that's better than eating a turkey?

The article can be found here National Turkey Dies, but the Alternate Lives

Another interesting turkey pardoning story is about Sarah Palin. Brett showed this to us in class.



While she is talking about pardoning a turkey the other poor turkeys who weren't pardoned are being killed behind her.

I hope this doesn't ruin eating turkey for you.

Persuasion

After working on the same topic all semester, it is hard for me to finally end it in a persuasion presentation and paper. This is bad of me to say but I don't care about my topic as much as I used to and I don't expect others to either. I don't even know what point I want to get across. I also feel like my topic, the treatment of Alzheimer's in home care compared to residential care facilities, is only interesting to those who have had personal dealings with Alzheimer's or for those who wish to work with Alzheimer's in their career.

My ideas of what to give my presentation on are as follows

- Argue that home care is better than residential care facilities - Audience = general public

- Aruge that residential care facilities are better than home care - Audience = general public

- Rehab should be an integral part of Alzheimer's treatment - Audience=Drs.

Let me know what you would be most interested in hearing of if you have any other ideas.

In my english class we have talked a lot about how one creates an identity or self. We have yet to talk about the identity of groups. My ideas about the formation of group identities are as follows

- The groups similarities (i.e. a bunch of pregnant women get together - they talk about family, being pregnant, and life but they are known as the pregnant women)

- Common Task - mulitple people doing the same thing (i.e. requirements med school)

- Common Goal - a group of people working for a common goal (i.e. getting a president in office)

Just looking at those three I guess it all could fit into the similarities group. Having anything in common can become the identity of the group. However, just as you get to know someone and you find you have more in common or there is more you want to do the group identity can change.

I also wonder if there is a social group self. Does the way other groups interact with one group effect they way the group sees themself?

These are just ideas as I am brainstorming how to form an identity for one of my groups on campus. Let me know if you have any insights or thoughts.

Generation X, Y, Z...

At work today I was talking to my boss about going on the trip to Kenya to work in the local schools. I went my senior year of high school but haven't been able to go back because it is a two week trip and I can't take two weeks off of college. However, my friend is doing this. The reason she can is because she is taking all online classes but one, so she can do that class while in Kenya. My boss was amazed that between his generation and mine how much technology has become a huge part of our schooling and education.

Generations are very interesting in the fact that every generation has their own identity. The definition of who fits into what generation is not completely understood, but whatever one I am placed in I am apart of the overall identity. For instance the generation that I consider myself to be in is known for being very technologically advanced. My grandpa's generation was known for being very hard workers.

In The Selves we Live By, Reisman talks about how as societies change mostly in size, it creates a social environment that produces a predominant character type that dominate the social scene. This could also have to do with the identity of the generation. The whole generation usually grows up in a similar national environment. This national environment can effect how individuals in the generation see themselves and those around them.

The difference in generation's identities may also have an affect on the negative stereotype the younger generation has. I have heard old people say "All you youngins don't care enough, when I was in college we protested this and that". I think we still are active in our community (maybe not as much, but still) but through a different medium. We unite people and protest over facebook not in the streets in front of Mary Sue's house.

Different identities for different generations is a known subject, however when different generations are compared I never hear about how the national environment has caused one generation to behave like this and another generation to behave like that. I find that very interesting.

Identity of a Soldier

At work over the weekend, I met a young man who was trying to regain truck control and stability as well as work on upper extremity strength in case he was never able to walk again. He was a soldier from Afghanistan, who was blown up. He was only 20 years old. He was telling me that even though he was hurt so badly he has a 60% chance of walking again so he is required to finish. He has three years left.

He was telling me how his whole perspective on the world has changed yet he will be required to be the same person he was before the accident. He was proud to serve his country and his family but now he is anxious about going back and not sure he wants to.

Can identity voluntary change? I don't think we have the ability to say "I want to be smarter and more outgoing". In this case how is the military going to help this soldier so he is ready to go back over seas and have the same fearlessness and pride to be fighting for his country?

I guess I am just confused as to how the military requires this. I am not very knowledgeable about the military and its workings so if anyone knows please let me know. Since meeting him I have become very interested because I don't believe he should have to go back to Afghanistan. Couldn't he just work somewhere in the U.S.?

Why should people with Alzheimer's try to maintain their old identity?

I searched "Alzheimer patients in home care" in Google and this picture was on the first results page. I thought PERFECT!! This is obviously a couple who has got to extend their life together because one of them has Alzheimer's and they are receiving home care. Perfect for my paper. I clicked on the picture and it brought me to the picture along with the article it was posted with.

The article was about Supereme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and her husband who have been married for 57 years. Her husband has Alzheimer's and lives in a residential care facility. He has found a new girlfriend in his RCF, yet he is still married to Sandra Day O'Connor. His son is quoted saying his father acts like a teenager in love.

People with Alzheimer's have no choice but to give into the diesease that is taking their memory and messing with their Brian. Sandra Day O'Connor's husband doesn't remember he has a wife but he knows he is in love with this new woman he met.

In my paper I argued for home care not RCFs because it is easier for the person with Alzheimer's to maintain their identity. During my inquiry phase I never encountered any information or questioned myself whether it matters if the person maintains their identity and therotetically their past. I feel like I may be researching a moot point. As long as the person with Alzheiemer's is happy isn't that all that matters?

My roommate actually told me a story about her Mom's Grandma who had Alzheimer's and would forget to put clothes on and would go garden naked or eat dinner on her porch naked. She was so happy though and when someone told her she wasn't wearing clothes she didn't care. My roommate's mother said she had never seen her grandma so happy. I feel like I was just making my argument before out of selfish reasons for being the family of a person with Alzheimer's and not for the person with Alzheimer's.

This must be the week for second guessing. Not only am I second guessing what I am doing with my life and why I'm at Michigan, but also my topic that I have chosen for the semester. My topic is comparing home care to residential care facilities on the topic of identity of Alzheimer's patients. I know I am supposed to say people with Alzheimer's, but really there is only so many times you can type that without going crazy.

During the inquiry phase I was so overwhelmed with the amount of information and I had thought I really picked a great topic. I did, don't get me wrong. However, I am sick of reading, writing, and thinking about home care and RCFs and how they affect someone's identity. Do I even believe what I'm writing? I don't really believe identity is composed of just the environment and interactions one is in. I don't believe one solution solves all. It all depends on something else, nothing is static.

The hardest part for me is trying to make my paper interesting and through provoking when I am not even interested in writing it.

I started thinking about Brett and how she is getting her masters or PHD in rhetoric. That made me feel a little better (no offense Brett) because my topic could be a lot worse (rhetoric) and I could have to read, write, think, eat, breath it for a few years. Now I know that I probably don't want to work in a RCF or as a home care aide.

After my convincing paper is in on Wednesday and my physics exam is over on Thursday. I am relaxing.