Final

Unit 9 Final Project Michelle Diedrich 7/13/2010 Unit 9 Final Project Hello, my name is Sloan. I am 40 years old and am currently employed as a computer support technician for a small business in Minnesota. Minnesota is a beautiful and friendly state. We have wonderful summers and harsh winters but we survive them (what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger). I live in an extremely small town (population 700) with the same number of churches as there are bars. It is a comfortable place but sometimes can prove to be a little too personable. I would rather sit at home on my deck with my family than venture out to the local VFW. Every morning I get up at about 5 am and make myself a pot of coffee, I then proceed to wake my youngest son which can prove to be a challenge. I get her on the bus and then I drive my red Ford Escape to a town 20 minutes away. On the way to work I hook up my I pod and lose myself in music. I work 9:00 am – 5:30 pm and then I race back home to spend time with my baby before time steals her like it did with the first three. I love to work in my garden but that is a rare luxury since I went back to school. Late at night I work on homework for my online courses because I am hoping to receive my bachelors and then my masters in accounting at Kaplan University. “Time is Precious” is such an understatement. My husband Vaughn works long and unpredictable hours but we try and spend as much time together as a family as possible. He is the hardest working man I know and my best friend, he is also dependable, sensitive and overly protective. My youngest daughter Teagan is 8 years old and she is the most precious, innocent, honest child anyone could ask for, she is definitely our little angel. She expresses herself by drawing and writing and every room in our house is a glimpse of her infinite imagination. In the hands of a child, a piece of paper and a crayon can be a powerful reality check for a busy mom. My oldest daughter Melody is 22 and is a teacher at a childcare facility in a town about an hour Unit 9 Final Project away but makes her way home on the weekends My favorite moments are when she comes home and we sit on the deck, sipping margaritas while I listen to her animated stories about the children she works with. If I pry hard enough, sometimes I can even get information about the guy she is currently interested in. She is a brilliant writer and artist, who finds beauty and depth in the most unlikely places. This intuitive ability has given her a unique sense of humor and an overabundance of quick wit. She is also stunningly beautiful and very strong willed. My oldest son Levi is 21 and he has his own successful business designing and wrapping race cars, snowboards, computers, clothing, etc. The absolute dedication he has for his work is a trait I rarely see anymore (he moved into his shop and sleeps on a couch…..). His creative and artistic talent never ceases to amaze me. He is our loyal child, there is nothing he wouldn’t do to protect his brother and sisters. They are the most important thing in his life. My youngest son, Colton is only 18 but has already received his wings in the United States Air Force. Right now he is stationed in Las Vegas and we miss him more than I can ever put into words. We are all a bit lost without him. He is the rock of our family and far to wise for his years. He sets high standards for himself and believes excuses aren’t an option. He will always give you the raw truth of reality while still being one of the most lovable and hilarious people I could ever dream to know. My nights also consist of me catering to our family dog, Princess Nikita the 13th. She is a white Pomeranian whom we call simply call 'Kita' even though her full name is much more fitting because she is one of the most ridiculous, spoiled creatures I have ever dealt with but we have had her for 10 years and I consider her one of my children. My family is my everything and fill my life every day. Unit 9 Final Project Examples of Morality and Decision making: My daughter works with young children every day and some of the stories she tells me would have me to believe that morality is definitely something that is taught. A quote I'd like to discuss is from the book: "Morals are an acquirement - like music, like a foreign language, like poetry, poker, piety, paralysis- no one is born with them." - Mark Twain. My daughter absolutely adores the children she works with but as she goes back and forth from the toddler to the infant room day to day she ends up being exhausted by all the simple rules you are constantly teaching children. "No biting, that hurts our friends," is a phrase that leaves her mouth about 4 times a day. Even with my own children I believe they are all programmed with a personality when they are born but morals are not the same thing. If you are born a gentle or kind person that is different than developing the sense that calling names or hitting is wrong. It is definitely a fine line but one's environment is what helps them develop morals. Religious morals are developed as well as personal morals, all the things you allow your brain to absorb will help you form your morals. When someone takes your toy when you are a child and you cry you are learning that its not a nice thing to do. Self interest is the main moral demonstrated by children as even the book discusses and as we get older or depending on our personalities we learn to use the different systems of morals. Learn is the main word in that sentence and that is definitely what I believe, that as we go through different experiences we are taught our own versions of right and wrong. The television show I chose was Dexter. The show itself would be impossible to break down because of the dark reality of the fact that the main character is a murderer. Though one could argue that he only kills people he feels deserve it, and he does it to keep himself mentally involved in the world and society. Dexter himself definitely demonstrates 'moral relativism' because he has his own 'code' or moral system, that his adoptive father taught him on who is a Unit 9 Final Project bad enough person for him to kill. His father taught him this because he knew Dexter was going to be a killer but he thought if he at least taught him to kill the right people that Dexter may not be a condemned person. Its extremely far fetched but it definitely demonstrates a different set of morals on which the characters believe are right. It is the exact opposite of altruism because Dexter is doing this merely to keep himself sane but on the other hand he is killing only people that have killed other people themselves so one could argue that 'utilitarianism' is somewhat demonstrated on the basis of people benefiting from the fact that one more 'bad' person has been rid of and we are all a little safer. It is a very controversial idea and I am not saying I agree with it I just thought it would be a great example of different morals in a completely different mind set. My definition of happiness: Happiness is pure feeling, like love or pain. There are many different things that can make you feel it or that can numb it but happiness is an emotion that is strong and though there are a lot of words you could try and use nothing speaks as strongly as the word itself. When I think of happiness I always think of the quote "A man who can put his happiness into words, has little happiness to speak of" I wish I could remember where I heard it or who said but to that I lament. I always loved the quote because it portrays how strong of an emotion happiness is. There are so many forms of it but true happiness for me is eating a meal with my family and laughing at my children. Aristippus said that happiness was the sum total of pleasures experienced in a lifetime but I believe in the happiness of simple moments and its what keeps me going. Unit 9 Final Project My definition of Freedom: Freedom, to me, is not a word I can just sit down and define. Freedom is an idea or a feeling that we as human beings feel and think differently about. You look at someone who just wishes for religious freedom or a highschool student who wants the freedom to text during class. To define this word with all the different meanings it could have is impossible. In my mind alone I think of freedom as being as simple as the fact that I can make personal decisions as an independent individual, whether they are wrong or right, I made that decision and I had every right too. If anything I believe determinism because as humans who feel emotions we have way too many things to consider while making a decision. There will always be a factor pushing us one way or the other. At the same time I know individuals who are complete libertarians, they make their own rules and don't think the law and how they made another person feel will ever affect them. But this of course is a state of mind and they always learn the hard way. I chose children and human rights. You always hear of things going on randomly in the news or just by word of mouth but to actually read about it makes me sick. Children who are abducted and forced by government to be soldiers or spies are completely raped of their human rights. Call me ignorant but I also was unaware that places still put people/children to death for crimes they commit when they are children. Sudan, China, Pakistan, and Iran are the only places since 2004 but it is still shocking to me. I cannot even imagine having any of my children or anyones child having to suffer through these things. A 12 year old child should not have to fight in a war, they should have the means to receive an education, and they definitely should not be put to death for a crime they committed. I'd always heard of Amnesty International and I am so grateful that these children have people who know whats going on and who are fighting for them. I was so glad I was able to read about success stories in this case and I feel so very blessed that my Unit 9 Final Project children were never submitted to any of these injustices. In 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. This represents a milestone in protecting children from participation in armed conflicts. I feel so very lazy when I see what amnesty international is trying to do for these children and I just wish I could help. A significant literary work: I have chosen the poem 'Where The Sidewalk Ends' by Shel Silverstein as my literary work. I realize this is an odd and simple choice but I think it has such a sense of innocence and it is written beautifully and whimsically. It describes in perfect detail, in my mind anyway, the line between adolescence and adulthood. The line between losing that innocence that makes you a child and feeling the heavy responsibility of being an adult. Anyone can translate it however they feel it but this is my meaning of this poem. I would share it with other generations because it would age well and it can always be understood because its a cycle that every generation, every person, has to experience. A significant piece of art: I chose a piece that has been broken down to mean opposite things to different people, some take it as ominous and looming and others take it as hopeful and safe. 'Starry Night' by Vincent Van Gogh has always completely consumed me when it comes to art work. I, in this situation, am an optimist and I view the black tower as the town's protection from the swirling sky. The motions and thickness of the paint make this certain piece so incredibly unique that I could stare at it for hours and I think it is a beauty to be shared with future generations. Unit 9 Final Project A significant song: 'Renegades of Funk' by Rage Against the Machine is an extremely unique song with a beat like nothing I have ever heard. You immediately want to move to it. I think this would be perfect in a time capsule because the lyrics bring up revolutionary people like Martin Luther King Jr. It was the first song that came to mind and I had to voice it. Another song I would choose is 'Wish You Were Here' by Incubus, the main reason being the line, “The world is a rollercoaster and I am not strapped in, maybe I should hold with care but my arms are busy in the air.” I think that line displays the pressure and the attitude of youth today and I think it would be a great way to understand this generation. A significant film: 'Crash' was released and it changed minds and made people face so many realities. It made you think and it made you hurt. It is about human experiences that tie in painfully. I think it portrays racial discrimination and understanding and makes the viewer face it. It would be extremely helpful to create an understanding of how people dealt with each other and how far we still have to go in discrimination against anyone thats different than you. It is an extreme choice but I think it would be educational and create an awareness of how as human beings, we havent come as far as we should have. A significant item: An item that I feel dominates pop culture today is a cell phone. They dominate our lives and even I feel completely out of sorts if I do not have mine with me. People today are completely Unit 9 Final Project dependant on their cell phones and I have seen children as young as 5 who possess one. It may not receive service in a time capsule but it should definitely be present with an explanation of the human races obsession with the idea of constantly being accessible to their family and friends.