Jump Training: Plyo-What?
Posted by Kuuku De-Graft-Duncan in Anything Goes, Sports on February 15th, 2010
- Plyometrics: Derick Robinson slam dunks
Derick Robinson blazes faster than the road-runner through the top of the key past his opponents, he takes off with blistering explosiveness as he soars way above the rim with his arm stretched out and slam dunks the basketball with powerful execution.
The pulse of the dunk elicits loud screams of awe and cheer but it is not only the dunk that gets the crowd rallied up. Robinson’s height of only 5’9 is what really turns heads and raises eyebrows.
“I’ve been jumping since I was little kid but I didn’t know I could enhance my flight until I started working really hard at it. Right now I’ve added 14 inches to my vertical jump,” Robinson said.
The secret behind Robinson’s ability to jump higher and dunk on a 10-foot rim are the workouts he implements from time to time- Plyometrics.
Plyometrics are exercises that merge physical qualities of speed and strength. This involves the toughening of tissues and training of nerve cells to stimulate a pattern of muscle contraction. These exercises help a person to run faster, hit harder, throw further and jump higher.
The Eastern Europeans first used plyometrics in the 1970s to develop greater strength and power in their Olympic athletes. They based their programs on scientific evidence that stretching muscles prior to contracting them enhance muscle contraction according to the American Council on Exercises (ACE.)
Sports Massage Therapist Dennis Wright from Miller-Motte Technical College states it is a workout that focuses on enhancement of muscles in the body
“Plyometrics bridge the gap between speed and strength thus developing power. Muscle mass versus velocity equals power which results in explosiveness. Some exercises include leg training, box jumps and core training,” Wright said.
When used safely and effectively, benefits from Plyometrics result in stronger muscles, increased vertical jump and decreased impact forces on the joints.
Plyometric exercises are generally tailored to athletes but Wright recommended it as part of any regular workout if proper precautions are taken.
“Plyometrics should only be used after you’ve conditioned the body and developed adequate core strength and joint stability. That’s when you mostly benefit,” Wright said.
Plyometric training has its benefits but has received its fair share of criticism. It is labeled as complex and extremely dangerous.
Anybody considering Plyometric training should proceed with extreme caution due to reported cases of injury and severe muscle cramps from dangerous Plyometric programs such as depth jumping and drop jumping. Some of these programs involve jumping up and down from boxes or benches that are as high as 42 inches.
The ACE recommends only simple ground-level jumps from soft surfaces and training under proper supervision for anyone, even athletes. Plyometric training can be a smart addition to a healthy individual’s training program, as long as it is used wisely.
“When you start out with plyometrics, it is not something you should do by yourself. I had a trainer help me with my jump training,” Robinson said.
Robinson is fairly pleased with his results after 16 straight weeks of plyometric training.
“I feel like it’s definitely helped me a lot with my basketball even though it took some work. It was worth it because when I take off on the court it’s like I got springs in my legs,” Robinson said.
A Not so Few Good Men: Killings at the Canal
Posted by Kuuku De-Graft-Duncan in Anything Goes on November 19th, 2009
killing at the canal
Doing the right thing is never easy. When emotions run high and people have their backs against the wall, they will do what they think is right. Unfortunately, three American soldiers who thought they did the right thing are being severely punished for their acts.
After six months of secrecy, a U.S. soldier Sgt. Michael P. Leahy confessed to the murders of four Iraqi detainees. An investigation ensued and led to the arrests of Master Sgt. John E. Hatley, Joseph P. Mayo including Leahy himself. Hartson was one of the soldiers under Hatley’s squad but was not arrested because he was only a witness.
In March 2007, Sgt. John Hatley led his squad in his third combat deployment mission in Iraq. During their patrol, Hatley’s squad were under fire. They searched and detained four Iraqi suspects with a weapon stash nearby, according to CNN.
“There were sniper rifles, light machine guns, AK-47s, night vision goggles and duffel bags full of ammunition,” former Private First Class Joshua Hartson said.
After arresting the Iraqi prisoners of war. The U.S. Army required that the soldiers deport the prisoners to the Detainee Housing Area (DHA), which is standard and strict policy of the American army. In addition to that, the DHA said Hatley and his squad had no direct evidence between the Iraqis and the weapons and would have to release them. However, Hatley, Mayo and Leahy took the prisoners to a canal. They blindfolded them, zip-tied their hands and shot the prisoners execution style.
“Like, my arm went up to the right, and I fired again. I’m pretty sure I didn’t hit anybody, but I’m not gonna say that because I don’t know for sure. I wasn’t even looking when I shot the second time. My arm just went to the right.” Leahy said.
There were inconsistencies with his story. He later admitted that his bullet struck the second detainee, but said Hatley fired two more shots that killed the man, according to CNN.
The arrests of these three men has been the one of the most unfortunate events for the U.S. Army. It has brought them nothing but bad PR. The media feeds off the controversy and society has mixed thoughts on the soldiers’ actions. The soldiers have been labeled as either cold-blooded murderers or American heroes.
Personally, the thought of letting terrorists back onto the streets after being detained must have hit the soldiers hard. Thus killing them was the only viable option. They did it to protect their friends and keep their fellow soldiers safe. They had justified motives. However, those justified motives became their own downfall.
Personally, I think this is the war taking its toll on people who are naturally good at heart. There is no doubt that emotions were running high and that the three soldiers got caught up in the moment. It is hard to point fingers at them and call them murderers. But such an unfortunate event scrutinizing the U.S. Army today could have been avoided.
Hatley and the rest of the squad might have done the right thing but in the context of legalism and standard procedure, they are criminals. Keep in mind that they are not ultimately being punished for shooting detained prisoners or supposed terrorists but are being punished for overriding DHA policy.
It is a classic case of revenge, people taking matters into their own hands and acting out in a way which we think serve us best. We are still subject to punishment from an authority somehow.
The three culprits were convicted premeditated murder and conspiracy in a military courtroom in Germany. Hatley and Mayo both faced 35 years at military prison Fort Leavenworth. Leahy received 20 years after plea bargaining.
Modern Warfare 2: AHH! You’re a Video Game Terrorist!
Posted by Kuuku De-Graft-Duncan in Anything Goes on November 12th, 2009
- Modern Warfare 2
Video games are only for kids. Like addictive drugs, they only dull the mind, destroy lives and are a complete waste of time. Well these days that is not entirely true. The development of video games since the 70s have come a long way. The video game is currently a multi-billion dollar industry, heavily competing alongside with the movie/film industry and has expanded to all age groups. If time is moderately spent on video games, they can provide an enjoyable escape no different than reading a novel or watching a cinematic film.
However, video games have faced a tireless wave of discrimination and smug ever since their inception. Especially the adult-intended games that have been slapped with ridiculous bans and bombarded with complaints from angry parents and congressmen because there is a “direct link” between violent video games and children.
Yes it is true some games contain inappropriate content such as strong violence, sexual images, use of drugs and vulgar language. But that is why there are rating systems such as the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in the States. The ESRB fully equips parents with the power to educate themselves on various kinds of video game content and the ability to proactively decide which games are or not suitable for their children.
The media also contributes to the unfair lookdown of video games. They purposefully take some parts of a video game out of context for sensational headlines and provide one sided views.
The highly anticipated military first-person-shooter (FPS), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) had been released in November. However, one of the missions in the game sparked some major controversy with the media because it involved a terrorist attack in an airport. Of course, headlines from several news outlets would read:
“Outrage as new video game lets players kill civilians in terror attacks! Modern Warfare 2 accused of promoting terrorism! New game lets players massacre civilians!”
The one-sidedness does not stop there. Several news outlets keep failing to get the facts straight.
“In one of the missions, players can join a group of Russian ultranationalist terrorists and massacre civilians with assault weapons in an airport. A scene from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The mission effectively simulates a terrorist attack from a first-person view,” according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
An opinion show called “Fox and Friends” from Fox News hosted Founder of Slash Gamer Jon Christensen and CEO of Common Sense Media Jim Steyer on a debate/report on MW2 that was far from accurate.
“You essentially get to be a terrorist and kill people and it’s very realistic,” The Fox host said.
Wrong. The player is not a terrorist. The player actually takes on the role of an undercover agent trying to infiltrate a group of Russian terrorists but the player does participate in the attack as he or she watches the terrorists slowly walk through an airport and fire at large groups of innocent, unarmed people with assault rifles and grenade launchers. Some of the defenseless victims crawl to safety while they bleed to death, others drag the injured away from gunfire and cry in fear.
The scene is graphic and horrific. Even those with thick skin would feel a chill run down their spine. Regardless, that is the shocking realism and effect of terrorism that the game is trying to create and is an essential part of MW2’s storyline.
“We push the story. We want the player to be emotionally attached. We want them to be emotionally shocked,” according to head of Infinity Ward game developer Vince Zampella.
Infinity Ward warns gamers that the scene may be disturbing and they can choose not to play through the part. Infinity Ward does not advocate terrorism in anyway and honored U.S. troops on Veteran’s Day after the game’s release.
It is no doubt video games strive to get more realistic each day and that some game content is intended for more mature audiences only, hence MW2 is labeled Mature (M) by the ESRB and intended for players of ages 17 and over.
In addition to that, it is unfair a military video game like MW2 should be bashed by the media for trying to present and confront the issues of terrorism.
Novels, movies, and TV shows like 24 have trenched on similar ground but never get on hot seat. So what is so different about a video game that implements storytelling and a creative drive in its gameplay?
Overall, video games have constantly achieved the level of realism and technology they aspire to for over the past 30 years. But they will not achieve the acceptance other forms of media entertainment enjoy today.
The Smartphone Transition
Posted by Kuuku De-Graft-Duncan in Anything Goes on November 5th, 2009
iPhone
Technology is constantly changing. It has enhanced most electronic devices that are a part of the average American household today. An evident example includes how television evolved from monochrome to color to the nearly mainstream HDTV. Overall, communication keeps changing and becomes more accessible because of technology.
What is most impressive out of all these transitions is the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell’s invention has been one of the most successful advances in communication. He was aware of its huge impact that it would have in America. But it is safe to say he had no idea how far the use of the phone would come and cement itself in the lives of so many people. The telephone has now reached various forms including the home phone and cell phones.
Seriously, the thought of not having a cell phone is unthinkable. Cell phones have also evolved to a new generation of sleek-looking, multi-tasking and touch-screen devices known as smartphones. Smartphones have applications (apps). Programs capable of e-mail, video, alerts, and GPS. Like HDTVs, smartphones are also on the verge of becoming mainstream.
“Touch-screen phone adoption grew by 159 percent between August 2008 and August 2009. The firm also found that by the end of August 2009, there were 23.8 million users with touch-screen mobile phones in the United States alone. In August 2008, just over 9.2 million people were using touch-screen phones,” according to ComScore.
Popular smartphones include the BlackBerry Strom, LG Voyager and Palm Treo. However, these smartphones are no match for the dominant iPhone.
“Unsurprisingly, it was the iPhone that led the way during that period. the iPhone was the top touch-screen device for users aged 13 and older, capturing 32.9 percent of the touch-screen market. The LG Dare placed a distant second, accounting for 8.7 percent of the touch-screen phones in the wild. That device was followed up by the LG Voyager, BlackBerry Storm, and Palm Treo, which captured 7.8 percent, 7 percent, and 6.5 percent of the market, respectively,” according to CNET News.
Of course the iPhone is the leading smartphone this year and has been the most sought after smartphone ever since its debut in 2007. The iPhone is notoriously known for having an unlimited number of apps. There is an app for almost anything.
“Apple’s App Store is now serving over 100,000 downloadable iPhone apps. iPhone owners worldwide have downloaded over 2 billion apps to date,” according to Apple.
Need to convince your boss that you are working while you are actually sleeping? There is an app that makes the random sounds of rustling papers and typing on the keyboard. Trying to hit on that girl you are interested in? There is an app that generates pick up lines that will have her falling for you. Are you a germaphobe? There is an app that simulates a virtual hand on the iPhone that you can use touch to faucets, door knobs and shake people’s hands. Forgot to turn in your homework? There’s an app that give you excuses such as being abducted by aliens that you could use on your professor
Some of these apps are really dumb but they are still a lot of fun as they are always in demand. Sometimes, apps alone are the sole reason people want to purchase smartphones. Who could blame them? Smartphones are cool and are naturally a big hit with the younger crowd.
“51 percent of smartphone users are under the age of 35. A whopping 58 percent of touch-screen users fall within that age range. 21 percent of touch-screen users range in age between 18 and 24. Less than 5 percent of touch-screen users are 65 and older,” according to ComScore.
As a result, other phone companies, like Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Motorola have been trying to make their own version of smartphones with apps. It is good most companies are following the same trend but in actuality it is a losing battle as the iPhone remains number one in development of apps.
Even though smartphones are a great advancement in technology and taking over the standard cell phone, they still have their problems as they are expensive, have expensive service charges and are 50 percent more likely to have problems and fail than regular cell phones. Still it is hardly a dent in the transition of smartphones and technology itself.
Abstinence and the Next Best Alternative
Posted by Kuuku De-Graft-Duncan in Anything Goes on October 28th, 2009
Teenage Pregnancy
In Oct. 2009, a high school principal and city developers planned to turn a ramshackle crack house into a day care center in Chicago. From the sound of that, it seems admirable and a positive thing to do but there is one problem with this picture here. The day care center is being built for kids that are having kids.
In Robeson High School, there are 115 teenage girls that are either pregnant or already given birth. That means in each classroom, it is probable to find one in seven girls with a protruding stomach or a baby carrier.
These girls also make up the 4.2 percent increase in teenage pregnancy in the U.S. this month alone according to CNN.
The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world. One-third of girls get pregnant before the age of 20 according to the Center for Disease control. There are 750,000 teen pregnancies annually. Eight in ten of these pregnancies are unintended and 81 percent are to unmarried teens according to Teenpregnancy.org, a site managed by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy (NCPUP).
So why are there 115 teenage mothers in high school? Certainly, no high school should fail its student body by not educating teenagers well enough on sex and how to avoid teenage pregnancy.
No high school should resort to building day care centers for pregnant teens and their offspring just because there is a pregnancy surge. It is sending out the wrong message.
“Pinning down the reasons that rates have increased so widely isn’t easy. Some blame a more sexualized culture and greater acceptance of births to unmarried women. Others say abstinence-only sex education and a possible de-emphasis on birth control may play a part,” according to USA Today.
These problems that are causing teenage pregnancy need to be addressed or revisited.
First off, Congress needs to look at a way of buffing up George W. Bush’s absolute abstinence-only policy plan. It is a really good plan the only problem is that it does not work effectively.
“On one point, however, experts agree when it comes to teenage births, the United States is backsliding. Between 1991 and 2005 the teenage birth rate declined by 34 percent. Between 2005 and 2007, it crept up five percent,” according to the National Centre for Health Statistics.
The policy plan is anti-sex education, anti-birth control and anti-family planning. That is like having a Plan A without a Plan B.
It is good most high schools are teaching abstinence as a way to avoid pre-marital sex and teenage pregnancy. Primarily and foremost that is what all schools and other institutions should teach teens. However, to teach a teen or young person abstinence is to also teach them sexual morality, integrity and a commitment to be like Christ. That is where the problem lies, not every young person will choose to commit to be sexually moral. Some teenagers will unfortunately give in to the urge and pressures to have sex then get pregnant or pick up an STD.
In addition to the abstinence plan, schools should be able to teach sex-education and the use of contraceptives to prevent teen pregnancy with the given consent of parents. Schools need to teach and stress this but only as the next best alternative if teens decide not to abstain from sex. It could be the emergency cushion that protects teenagers from the hard blow of teenage pregnancy and STDS if they miss the high abstinent mark.
Another thing that does not help teen pregnancy in the U.S. is the newfound culture that perpetuates teen pregnancy to be part of the social norm. You have movies and TV shows that glorify teen pregnancy. In the movie Juno, a 16-year-old gets pregnant but it all works out in the end because she has the full support of her family, puts the baby up for adoption and goes back to having sex with her boyfriend. This is very unrealistic.
“Less than two percent of teens place their babies up for adoption. The vast majority keep them. We have large numbers of teen mothers, whereas in an earlier time, we had large numbers of married teen mothers, Most teens giving birth now are single,” CEO of NCPUP Sarah Brown said.
“Research on teen mothers shows that their children often are raised in poverty because teenage mothers are less educated and likely to have fewer job skills. Most of them will be and remain single parents as well,” according to LiveStrong’s online magazine.
That is far from the easy-going and rising popular trend that is associated with teen pregnancy these days.
Overall, abstinence is the key and safest way to avoid teenage pregnancy but all other options should be available as well even if that means sex-education and contraceptive education because prevention is always better than cure. Sometimes unwanted pregnancies can lead to desperate abortions.
Parents should actively talk to their children and warn them about the dangers of teenage pregnancy. Parents also need to take a step forward and reverse this cultural mentality that getting pregnant during teenage years is socially acceptable.
Seriously, whatever happened to the good old days when a parent sat with his or her kid and said “If you ever get pregnant, I will kill you?”
When the Light Bulb Flashes
Posted by Kuuku De-Graft-Duncan in Anything Goes on October 1st, 2009
The Light Bulb
On an extremely cool and rainy night, I am lost in a very deep sleep. I find myself dreaming about the next time I get to savor the perfectly warm syrupy goodness of a sausage Mcgriddles. Right when I am about to consume my fantasized delicacy, an epiphany struck me across the face. Eureka! I instantly woke up from my dream at 3 a.m. to post my own theory on love and hate on my blog.
Has that imaginary light bulb ever flashed over your head especially when you were doing something idle, ordinary and your mind was wandering? Trust me, it definitely has. It was at that moment my brain suddenly came up with a theory. That moment also helped broaden my perspective of certain things but how can I explain it?
Well studies have shown that the brain is most actively engaged when the mind is wandering and if a person has lost tracks of his or her thoughts.
“By most measures, we spend about a third of our time daydreaming, yet our brain is unusually active during these seemingly idle moments,” Science Journal Columnist Robert Lee Hotz wrote.
“Left to its own devices, our brain activates several areas associated with complex problem solving, which researchers had previously assumed were dormant during daydreams. Moreover, it appears to be the only time these areas work in unison.” Hotz added.
Some instant flash bulb moments have led to amazing scientific discoveries and wonderful insights.
When Isaac Newton had his light bulb flash over his head, he was sitting in an orchard and watched an apple fall. As a result that led to his amazing breakthrough of what the world now knows as universal gravitation.
Albert Einstein’s light bulb idea hit him like a bolt from the blue when he was imagining trains and lightening. He later came up with the theory of special relativity.
“To be sure, we’ve all had our ‘Aha’ moments. They materialize without warning, often through an unconscious shift in mental perspective that can abruptly alter how we perceive a problem. An ‘aha’ moment is any sudden comprehension that allows you to see something in a different light,” says psychologist John Kounios from Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Now the light bulb moment does not mean it always leads to some ground breaking scientific discovery. Some light bulb moments can include something as simple finding the solution to that stubborn math problem, getting that joke you might have missed earlier or coming up with a better way to end this sentence here.
“People assumed that when your mind wandered it was empty. Mind wandering is a much more active state than we ever imagined, much more active than during reasoning with a complex problem,” cognitive neuroscientist Kalina Christoff at the University of British Columbia said.
I strongly agree with these findings. My brain was definitely active to have come up with a theory for why human beings love and hate while I was dreaming of McDonald’s. It is beyond me and I am still not sure how I came up with the systematic process known as Emotion Stimulate Response (ESR, but that is a whole another story.)
Even renowned psychologists such as Joydeep Bhattacharya regarding this matter can explain how the brain works and gives us the light bulb ideas. However he cannot explain why as he tested several subjects on solving puzzles
“By monitoring their brain waves, he saw a pattern of high frequency neural activity in the right frontal cortex that identified in advance who would solve a puzzle through insight and who would not. It appeared up to eight seconds before the answer to a problem dawned on the test subject, Dr. Bhattacharya reported in the current edition of the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.” Hotz wrote
“It’s unsettling, the brain knows but we don’t.” Bhattacharya said.
Now that I think about it, I can explain how the brain does this. It’s simple, God. Even though we human beings have finite minds, God still gives us this amazing capacity to flash our light bulbs and come up with genius discoveries, theories and reasoning at such a level no other species can achieve. Next time the light bulb flashes, think about “Who” actually turned on the switch.
A Lost Friendship
Posted by Kuuku De-Graft-Duncan in Anything Goes on September 27th, 2009
I’m laid out on the floor
I tried to write a song about you
But I punched a hole in the wall
I take a look in my yearbook
Above your signature reads
“I’ll really miss you, don’t forget to call”
I didn’t wanna forget about you and miss you so much
So I thought I call you everyday
Just to keep in touch
But now you’re acting all different
Don’t even care about how am I doing
Not even a little bit
I know you’ve been busy
But you know that’s irrelevant
That’s no excuse for you to act like
You don’t know who I am
What I ever do wrong?
I really don’t undestand
And I’ll never know why
Because I’m trying to forget about you
And put you out of my life
But a part of me
Feels like it withered and died
There’s was that something we had
That I wished it’d never end
And that was the time
You and I will were still friends
To Love and Hate: Emotion Stimulate Response
Posted by Kuuku De-Graft-Duncan in Anything Goes on September 21st, 2009
Recently, I had a epiphany when I was tossing and turning in my sleep. I thought about how I had been single for over a year and I was contemplating if love even existed. Trying to find the right girlfriend for me was damn near impossible. Whenever I got close to entering a relationship, my self-doubt would trigger insanely and I would back out. Then I realized love and hate played a major part in my relationship ordeal.
The idea of love and hate is very complex but can also be simple at the time. I believe ideas such as love and hate can be defined, are present and can be manifested given the appropriate situation. I believe love and hate are systematic processes. I believe love and hate are the result of an active mechanism. This active mechanism is known as Emotion Stimulate Response.
We can define love and hate as the result of Emotion Stimulate Response (ESR). ESR is a three-part process where love or hate can exist and be manifested. The first part of ESR is the object (any object or thing) that triggers or stimulates an emotion in a person or thing as the subject. This part is called the Emotion. Note that the Emotion can be a positive or negative force. The Emotion can embody or represent various feelings. Feelings such as anger, fear, rejection, disgust, happiness, bitterness, sadness, compassion, identity, obsession, desire, lust, ambition, curiosity, greed, companionship, willingness, tranquility, jealousy, determination, excitement, security, warmth, hope, trust, completion and all the abstract things which the subject can possibly feel.
As a result, the subject is emotionally stimulated leading to the second stage of ESR. We can also refer to the subject as the Stimulate.
Following these feelings, the subject is compelled to perform a certain action in order to acquire or maintain those feelings or reject them. This third and final part of ESR is known as the Response. This is when either love or hate comes into play.
There are two types of ESR. One ESR produces love and the other correlates hate. These two types of ESR are known as Constructive Emotion Stimulate Response (CESR) and Deconstructive Emotion Stimulate Response (DESR). CESR is what we usually associate with the idea of love. DESR is the device that usually pertains to hate or the device that harbors hate. However, that doesn’t mean CESR is good and DESR is bad. Both types of ESR are good and will be explained in further detail.
In CESR, The object triggers or stimulates a positive Emotion in a subject (The Stimulate.) The Emotion will embody or represent a positive feeling. For example, say the Emotion represents a positive feeling such as happiness. Once the object stimulates that Emotion of happiness in the subject, the subject may make a commitment or perform a certain action to attach itself to the object so that it can be emotionally stimulated by the object constantly. This third and final part is called the Response. Thus the Stimulated subject connects with the Emotion-stimulating object by making a Response. Hence all three parts of the ESR synergize and come together, we can refer to it as CESR. CESR is the device that enables love to exist and be manifested. Imagine it as a generator that needs all its components to be connected so that it can provide some sort of power that represents love.
Note that CESR can happen instantly or can act as a catalyst. Sometimes it will happen gradually. It will take a certain amount of time before the object can stimulate an Emotion or a Response can be made; until then CESR is not completed. It can be reciprocated or not. CESR can happen as a result of various situations. But it can also be antagonized, disrupted or eradicated by a decisive factor. CESR can happen between two or more people or forces. It can happen between a man and woman, a mother and her child, a musician and music, it can happen between Jesus Christ and His followers, it can even happen between a person and an inanimate object and so on.
All three parts of CESR need to sync and constantly synergize so that love can exist and be manifested. If any of the three parts of CESR is absent, love will not be able to exist.
I guess that’s why I’m still single. I haven’t come across any girl that stimulated me in a positive way that I’d respond in order to connect with her or vice versa.
A clear example of CESR happened not too long ago. I talked with my friend Nicholas who is currently in a serious relationship with his girlfriend Michelle. Things are going really well between them. I asked Nicholas if he had any positive Emotion when he saw or met Michelle for the first time. He confirmed. I then asked him to list or recall as many feelings as possible from his Emotion. He told me, “I felt awestruck, you know? I saw her and I was amazed, excited I felt attraction and I was kind of happy.”
In this case, Michelle is the object that stimulated the positive Emotion. Emotion that stimulated feelings of awe, amazement, attraction, excitement and happiness in Nicholas, who is the subject or Stimulate. As the recipient of these feelings, Nicholas was compelled to make a Response so he could maintain those feelings. Nicholas therefore made the Response by getting to know Michelle, communicating with her, asking her out, buying her gifts and making her his girlfriend. Thus Nicholas successfully connected himself with Michelle who is the object stimulating emotional Response. This is a prime example of CESR synergizing and love begins to exist. CESR works as long as Michelle is able to stimulate the positive Emotion in Nicholas. Nicholas must also constantly maintain the positive Emotion by making a Response in order to stay connected with Michelle as the object. It is only in this systematic process CESR is able to generate love . The love which Nicholas has for Michelle
Humans are able to love and we definitely have the ability to hate. When we think of hate we think of all the worst things and all the negative ideas associated with it. However, what we don’t think of is the rationale behind it. This is where Deconstructive Emotion Stimulated Response (DESR) comes into play. It has the same three-part process as CESR only this time all the three parts do not synergize or come together but are detached or disassembled.
Hate results from DESR when the object stimulates a negative Emotion in a subject (The Stimulate.) The Emotion will represent a feeling that is undesired by the subject. As a result, the subject will make the Response by trying to detach itself from the object in some way in order to get rid of the negative Emotion and lose its connection with the object. Unlike CESR, the three parts are not connected but need to be separated so hate can exist and serve as the stabilizer.
Hate in a general sense is not good but the hate resulting from DESR is actually a good thing pertaining to the subject. The subject needs to harbor some kind of hate to avoid the negative Emotion. Thus DESR is the defense mechanism that drives us to hate for our own purposeful reason.
For example, my friend Jessica absolutely hates spiders. She would shriek in terror if she ever came near one. “I can’t stand spiders; they’re so scary and disgusting.”
In this case, spiders are the object that stimulates the negative Emotion in the subject. The negative Emotion represents feelings of fear and dread. Since the feelings are negative, Jessica will have no desire to sustain or maintain those feelings. She will want to suppress or reject them. In order for DESR to happen, Jessica must make a Response. So I asked her what she would do if she saw a spider.
“Oh my goodness, I’d freak out big time if I ever saw one, I’d try to kill it or run away screaming my head off,” She said.
As a result, Jessica’s Response is to panic, kill or run away from any spider if she ever encountered one. She makes this Response so that she won’t feel the fear or panic stimulated spiders. Once she makes the Response, Jessica is detached or separated from the spiders so she can suppress or rid herself of the negative Emotion. Thus DESR functions as an emotional stabilizer. It helps Jessica break her connection with the spiders by suppressing the negative Emotion Stimulated in her. Once that happens Jessica is able to harbor the necessary hate for spiders.
The ESR is a daily part of our lives and is the medium that helps us connect to whatever we hold dear or reject the things we despise in order to justify our own motives.
Whether it is the love of family, friends, a significant other; something that is an essential part of our lives or the hate of spiders, ESR is the device that helps us convey or demonstrate our love or hate of those certain things.
In conclusion, ESR is nothing short of but the actual representation and embodiment of all kinds of love and hate.
Kuuku De-Graft-Duncan (09/21/2009)
DISCLAIMER: THIS THEORY IS MINE AND MINE ONLY. I HAVE NOT PLAGERIAZED ANYONE. ANY SIMILAR IDEA OR THOUGHT PATTERN IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL AND MAY EVEN SHED A NEW LIGHT ON ANY PREVIOUS ESTABLISHED THEORIES. SHOULD ANY OTHER THEORY BE IDENTICAL TO THIS ONE IS A COMPLETE INFRINGEMENT OF MY WORK. I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS DECIPHERED THIS!
Kanye “Controversy” West
Posted by Kuuku De-Graft-Duncan in Anything Goes on September 17th, 2009
If you got Kanye West and MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in the same sentence, be aware it’s a recipe for disaster. If Kanye West had a middle name it would be controversy.
One of hip-hop’s attention-grabbing and biggest icons is at it again and has the media in a frenzy. It seems as if Mr. West has dug a grave for himself and his music but he’s definitely up to something. This is another one of those moments West could add to his collection of overly sensational outbursts.
On September 13, Taylor Swift had won her very first award at the 2009 MTV VMAs. It was an incredibly special moment for the talented country pop singer but it was short-lived. Swift’s graceful acceptance speech was disrupted as West stormed the stage and snatched the mic from the debutant winner. Then all hell broke loose.
“I’m sorry, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time, one of the best videos of all time!” as the rapper obnoxiously projected out onto the stage. There’s no doubt that West’s crazy stunt on stage was disrespectful, disgusting and inexcusable.
However, West couldn’t care less if Beyoncé won or not because there is a hidden agenda in all of this. To tell the truth, I’m not surprised at all. In one single moment, West stole Swift’s deserved spotlight and diverged all the attention away from MTV’s award show which was also a tribute to the late Michael Jackson (Gosh, how many more tributes could there possibly be?)
As a result, West catapulted himself to the top of the latest events. As of now, he’s become one of the leading trend topics on Twitter and there are countless status updates bashing and praising West on Facebook. He’s the one making headlines, not Taylor Swift and that is exactly what he wants.
West already issued an apology to Swift but the damage has been already done. This is not the first time that West has done something like this. Anything this shocking is usually an attempt to promote his work and flaunt his over-sized ego.
On November 14, 2004, the hip-hop artist hijacked the stage in similar fashion at the American Music Awards (AMAs) claiming he should have won the Best New Artist,
“Upon hearing he has lost the Best New Artist award to ‘redneck woman’ Gretchen Wilson, West storms out of the AMAs in a show of protest. He later tells reporters, ‘I felt like I was definitely robbed, and I refused to give any politically correct bullsh–ass comment … I was the best new artist this year,’” according to an article from MTV.com.
It’s a clear sign that West has a sore-loser complex. He will parade on any other artist’s accomplishment any chance he gets, forcing all the focus onto himself and his music.
After hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, the Red Cross organized a fundraiser for Hurricane Relief. It was going well until West opened his mouth that caused more chaos on an already critical event.
“Back in 2005, the rapper felt entitled to the best album award at the Grammys, so he issued a very brazen warning during a pre-show interview. Then in 2006, Kanye had an onstage outburst when he didn’t win at the MTV Europe Music Awards. But, the incident that may top them all is Kanye’s outburst during a 2005 Hurricane Katrina fundraiser concert, when he stated that ‘George Bush doesn’t care about black people,’” Mashable.com reported.
No doubt the rapper was entitled to his opinion but I feel as if that controversial statement somehow overshadowed the good intentions the Red Cross had. Once again all eyes were on Kanye West and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
In September 2007, Kanye West staged a rivalry with friend and fellow rapper 50 Cent prior to the simultaneous release of their respective albums in a desperate attempt to boost marketing sales. They aggressively used the media to their advantage. They taunted each other on late-night shows and acted out their ”beef” on award shows National Public Radio reporter Christopher Johnson reported.
I think I’ve figured it out. An already established artist like Kanye West is so obsessed with the attention from the media. He has an insatiable urge to constantly be on top and doesn’t care who he offends or hurts to get there.
He may be an obnoxious and an inconsiderate rapper but know that is typical Kanye West. Either love him or hate him. After all, he’s got a big “uh uh huh egoooooooo.”
Just a Reminder: Swine Flu’s No Joke
Posted by Kuuku De-Graft-Duncan in Anything Goes on September 10th, 2009
Swine Flu!
This is definitely one of the tritest topics to date and I feel like shooting myself for bringing it up. Generally speaking, there is not a lot that no one knows about this crisis.
Nevertheless, it is an issue that is significantly current and one that has been antagonizing America for awhile now. I just want to address some serious misconceptions and ignorant attitudes that have surfaced.
Meet H1N1 Influenza but it’d rather go by the infamous name of swine flu. The new menace that’s been making headlines along with other sore issues like health care reform. Not to worry though, at least there is a more rational and long-term solution for swine flu than health care reform.
The only problem is some people are not aware of the urgency or the need to control this new pandemic. It is not about propaganda or trying to have people living in fear. It may have the same patterns and symptoms as the regular flu but if anyone thinks that that’s all it is, they should seriously reconsider. This is the flu reloaded, coming back in its biggest and “baddest” state waging another war against mankind and the scary part is that it could win.
Swine flu is a mixture of the avian and human virus that causes a new strain in an infected pig. The new strain is the result of the avian and human viruses mixing with each other’s RNA. Once the new strain is formed, it can be transmitted from a pig to a person.
”The pigs are important, but they’re a little bit of — if you’ll excuse the expression, a red herring because this particular virus is not a pure swine virus. It’s one-third human virus, one-third bird virus and one-third pig virus. And the ability of this virus to make itself into new shapes — it kind of shuffles itself like a pack of cards with different viruses — is what causes new viruses to emerge, and that’s what starts pandemics,” according to epidemiologist Dr. Susan P. Fisher-Hoch from the University of Texas School of Public Health.
There’s no doubt that swine flu has had a major impact in the U.S. There are many cases of schools closing down, a friend or roommate that had to be quarantined and children dying.
Another reason why swine flu raises massive concern all over the world is because our relentless army of scientists can’t really pinpoint or come up with a strategy to defeat the virus. That is why it’s such a big deal because they are yet to predict the strain of the flu. There are mixed theories and calculations that the virus may mutate or remain stable. Ultimately, they are frantically trying to solve a pandemic puzzle.
“A single person gets infected with more than one virus at the same time. Those two viruses — which are quite different — get into the same cell. Each virus has eight little pieces of its genome … and when it gets in a cell it takes it coats off, and out pops its eight little pieces. Well if you’ve got two viruses in a cell, now you imagine yourself sixteen little pieces … eight little matching pairs, and then shuffle it like a pack of cards, and you come out with eight and eight, and you will see that you’ve got some different combinations.” Fisher-Hoch said.
Basically, the virus has made a shift in influenza. This happens every year with a “drift” which are tiny changes in the virus that require a new vaccine every year. However, the virus has taken a completely different shape which is called a shift.
“A shift results in a pandemic, and that’s what we … haven’t seen since 1967, so we were kind of overdue for this — it used to happen every ten years or so, and we haven’t had one for 30 years, so we really are overdue.” Fisher-Hoch added.
No kidding, swine flu has been planning and waiting for a long time to carry out its evil plot and is doing so with a vengeance.
As of Sept. 4, 2009, there have been 33,902 cases and 593 deaths in the U.S. and more than 254,206 cases and at least 2,837 deaths worldwide due to the H1N1 virus according to a report from the World Health Organization (WHO.)
In July 2009, Federal health officials told Congress would be available to produce a vaccine if necessary. It’s nothing to think twice about, the vaccine is necessary.
“ One choice already is made: The U.S. government has spent $1.15 billion to buy enough vaccine to immunize the entire U.S. population against the new flu. If the government makes the decision to go ahead with a full-scale vaccination program, it would be the largest, fastest vaccination program in world history,” an article from WebMD
This is no joke. This is not just another casual and regular flu season. The U.S. government and various medical organizations around the globe are constantly working hard and breaking serious bank to keep this dangerous menace at bay. If anybody happens to be exhibiting symptoms of the flu during this season, chances are that they might be prone to or carry swine flu. No need to freak out though. The virus is easy to avoid or survive if common sense and preventive measures are taken.
There’s no need to go into detail what those preventive measures are. After all, swine flu is not a lot that nobody knows about, right?