Thanks to National Day Calendar, I now have the following information on the amazing event that is Back to the Future Day, which I share with you now:
“Back To The Future Day is observed one time only on October 21, 2015. This day is significant for millions of fans of the movie trilogy “Back To The Future”.
In the movie, the main characters, Marty McFly and “Doc” Brown, use a time travel machine to go to October 21, 2015. The arrival of this day has been anticipated by many for years and many celebrations across the country will take place…
Take some time and watch the movie trilogy. Part two takes place on October 21, 2015.
Watch part two on the big screen. Many theaters will be playing the movie so check your local theaters for times.
Of course, you can also enjoy the movie with family and friends at home.
Listen to “The Power Of Love” by Huey Lewis and the News, the theme song for the movie.
Use #BackToTheFutureDay when posting on social media.”
This is how many people are “following” me on Twitter.
This number consists of friends, family, acquaintances, work colleagues, stalkers, members of common organizations, people I have followed throwing out an obligatory follow-back, that guy I met at the club that day, that girl I talked to at the leadership summit, the potential client I connected with at that networking happy hour, the person who liked a comment made two years ago, my friends kids, my dog, and possibly your dog too.
This number represents my total lack of effort at actually forming a Twitter “presence”.
Be engaging! Be witty! Be proactive! Be a force for change!
The focal point of our new world order is an all-encompassing Social Media ostensibly meant to connect us with the world and give our individual voices a platform upon which to share our “uniqueness” with others. Blah. We can harness this power to share ideologies and educate the world with our expert opinions. Blah blah. We too can effect change, by exchanging ideas for making the world a better/cleaner/happier/adjective place. Blah x 3.
Or maybe to share what we are for eating dinner. And where. And with whom. And here’s a picture of a plate covered with that dinner we are eating at that place with so-and-so don’t you wish you were here?
Enough already!
Personally, I find it exhausting. Deciding what to wear most mornings for work is hard enough (where I will physically plant my butt on my office chair in front of my office computer and deal with physically present co-workers). Deciding how to enthrall my virtual followers with stories of my day and my ideas is just too much responsibility.
During the course of yet another random bitch session on the stupidity of Social Media (a/k/a why don’t I have more friends/followers/hits), my friend bet me that I could not get 1000 followers on Twitter. Call it boredom. Call it curiosity. Call it whatever you want, but I took the bait.
So, now what? How do I go out and convince 574 people to follow me on Twitter, without bribing them or joining a follow group or anything else not quite on the up and up?
The services that are the building blocks of Social Media – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. – are deceptively easy to access. All you need do to take your place on your very own pulpit is to open an account and say something. (See? I’m doing it right now! Hi Mom!) You can say anything, really, a grunt will suffice, because content is key. Or was that context? It’s debatable, as it seems the terms are sadly interchangeable. Not only do these services provide us the opportunity to interact, in doing so they have, in turn, become multi-billion dollar industries in and of themselves. This means everyone is either actively using or actively not using their accounts. They have it, even if they don’t use it. Like me.
So ease of access is not an issue. I get that. I already have the accounts, I have a decent base, and I have a network of people to exchange content. So now that I have a goal, a number to work towards, I am stumped. How do I start?
I’m giving myself a homework assignment. I will look up 10 articles on how to increase my Twitter presence, and share my findings. Wish me luck!
Answer: If you want big booms and bright colors and a hint of the irreverent, you are Team Marvel. If you are into angst and sorrow and sucking all of the joy out of life, DC is the perfect destination. As they are so fond of pointing out ad nauseum, they “are not Marvel.” I guess that makes them the Anti-Marvel?
There are generally two schools of thought when it comes to universe construction: the seven day method and the Big Bang. The former defines itself as a thoughtful process with a note of fantastical whimsy. The latter works–but damn if it isn’t loud and messy.
After this year’s San Diego Comic Con, DC Comics made clear it favours the Big Bang. They recently revealed two film trailers, one each for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, to explode the idea of a shared DC film universe into the minds of the general public. The films are set for release in March and August of 2016, respectively, and together represent DC’s first tangible attempt to achieve this end. The reason for this new direction is obvious. DC just spent much of the last decade losing ground to their rival, Marvel Comics.
Unlike the song by Alanis Morisette, this really IS ironic.
During WWII, my jewish grandfather wrote home to my grandmother on Hitler’s Stationary.
Why? Because “F**k you Hitler” – that’s why!
I used to play with his trunk from the war when i was little, which included a helmet and a pack of cigarettes. (Those are the only items I remember). It sat in our basement forever until my mom sent it to my uncle almost 20 years ago.
The Miami Herald picked up on the story after my uncle contacted the Holocaust museum in D.C. to donate the letter, among other items.
I’ve been neglecting my blog for quite some time – “real life” can really interfere with my social media and internet addiction.
It’s definitely time for me to start expressing myself here once again. This tiny corner where I share my thoughts helps put a lot of issues into perspective, and it is simply a comfortable place to VENT sometimes.
There are so many interesting topics surrounding our daily lives. We are living history every day – AMAZING, SCARY, INFURIATING, FUN, CRAZY – you name it, it’s out there and we are all a part of the story.
Some of the topics that interest me are charities and causes, Anti-Bullying, the Arts, social change, mental health awareness, current events, and whatever else may catch my attention (IFLS, after all).
I WELCOME COMMENTS – keeps it interesting. I’m all for open discourse. By no means do I think everyone will share my opinion, but I do hope that people will engage and upgrade the conversation by commenting on a post, or even emailing me directly! We are always learning and growing 🙂
If you want my take on a specific subject, feel free to hit me up! Not sure whether I will have anything of value to say on the subject, but I will try my best.
Fair Warning – I’ve been collecting graphics and memes for as long as I can remember (psp tubes anyone?), and I plan to upload my favorites as often as possible. I also have the tendency to share random photos of my dogs (hey, everyone has their quirks – no apologies).
Recently, unless you have been living under a rock, or in the woods preparing for a Zombie Apocalypse, some NFL and college football players have ‘come out of the locker room’, and their teams have come under fire, after very serious allegations of hazing have surfaced.
Everyone seems to be weighing in on the topic, so I figured why the hell not?
Heck, Jeremy Shockey has been telling people about this issue for YEARS.
Definition time for those of you who don’t know but think you may have a good idea:
Hazing: humiliating and sometimes dangerous initiation rituals, esp. as imposed on college students seeking membership to a fraternity or sorority.
Bullying: to use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants.
Based on these two definitions, the separation between hazing and bullying is that bullying has no purpose of initiation, but otherwise, hazing and bullying are the same abuse of power.
Some disagree, based on the premise that hazing is something that eventually STOPS once you are considered part of the team/group/fraternity/club, and its intended goal is to promote solidarity and shared experience between members based on a sense of belonging since everyone has been through the SAME initiation.
In that vein, Hazing is TECHNICALLY a more socially accepted term considering the negative connotations that are attached to the word ‘bullying’.
So where is the line drawn? Do you feel that hazing is simply bullying that society deems as acceptable?
The high-profile parties to the current controversy have brought this distinction to the forefront of our current life debates.
The Miami Dolphins suspended Richie Incognito over alleged bullying and harassment, after, over a prolonged period, he is said to have repeatedly abused tackle Jonathan Martin, leaving voicemail messages on his phone which included such abuse as, “Hey, wassup, you half n—– piece of (expletive)…” and “(I’m going to) slap your (expletive) mouth. (I’m going to) slap your real mother across the face (laughter).” Incognito had even intimidated Martin into paying $15,000 for a meal in Las Vegas that he didn’t even attend.
According to one op-ed piece in the New York Times they are one and the same: “Hazing is simply another name for bullying, and it is unacceptable in all its forms. Bullies will do only what bystanders allow; it is a group process and a social dynamic that grips a victim’s entire world.”
I URGE you to read this quick post on Hazing and the top Myths surrounding such practices.
Hazing is not limited to certain areas or disciplines – the military, athletic teams, marching bands, professional schools and so on all have a history of hazing members.
Hazing is not authorized by universities or the NFL, most of whom have strict no-hazing policies. However, group sports and fraternal organizations, traditionally, have their own internal guidelines, their own “initiations” to supposedly strength their bond.
Even NFL players have stated that they EXPECTED to be hazed, whether same did or did not actually happen.
EXAMPLE: When Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith reported to his first training camp two years ago, he anticipated being hazed by veteran teammates. He “had heard the stories and watched shows like HBO’s “Hard Knocks” that glorified the behavior and was prepared to be rudely welcomed to the NFL”. To his surprise, since of course the Ravens are AWESOME anyway, the rookies were welcomed by leaders like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs, who made it clear that the team had more important things to worry about. STORY HERE.
My sorority, Tri Delta, has a no-tolerance policy for hazing – unlike some others whose pledges would have to do embarrassing, yet not harmful, activities. However, I witnessed a lot of hazing in the other Greek organizations. Usually, this was light-hearted, such as making new pledges clean the house, or sing in a public place; however, there is a MUCH darker side.
There are times when hazing goes so over the line to amount to assault, battery, and even permanent physical and mental injury.
Take the case of Cameron Fagen, 19-year-old Grand View college student who was a member of the BOWLING team.
First thought? Seriously, hazing in BOWLING? What do they do, roll you down the lane? Put itching powder in your bowling shoes?
NOPE. THEY KICK THE SHIT OUT OF YOU AND BREAK YOUR JAW!!
Fagen has sued the university (GOOD!) after he was severely beaten by a group of fellow athletes AND IT WAS CAPTURED ON VIDEO!. Apparently, the incident “started after some rough housing among friends. It ended with duct-taped Fagen punched, kicked, beaten with a broom handle and rolled up in a carpet before being left bleeding and injured in a dorm common room. The diminutive Fagen suffered a broken jaw.” (Des Moines Register)
HE IS DAMN RIGHT TO BE SUING – it’s freaking criminal! The video is DISGUSTING and shows a total lack of humanity in every damn person in that room. It is assault. It is battery. I think the students who did this act were definitely not HAZING – they went way too far to call their actions something less than repulsive, inhuman and sickening (actually more like, they went insane).
The Huffington Post refers to this incident as BULLYING. Other outlets claim HAZING.
Forwarded Message from a Friend, edited by me with links and quotes. Please share if you agree and support this boycott/awareness campaign.
BOYCOTT!
Why is this post necessary?
To promote TOLERANCE and STOP the HATE.
Mel Gibson has a new movie coming out named The Edge Of Darkness.
I am asking you to not only BOYCOTT the movie but to forward this post
to every group affected by bigotry and hate, and every support group that you know.
SEE QUOTES AT END OF EACH SECTION.
_________________________
In recent years, Gibson has become better known for his public tirades — which have included racist, misogynistic, and anti-immigrant slurs.
(Detailed account of his “long, hateful history” available here).
However, there is little RECENT discourse, to utter silence, from women’s groups, the Anti-Defamation League, even the White House!
President Obama had a few succinct words to say about Tiger Woods, why not about a national celebrity who’s insulted African Americans, Latinos, Jews and WOMEN? (not an Obama rant, just a serious question)
PLEASE NOTE: His hateful public remarks are NOT representative of the Christian community, but he actively encourages such beliefs. He has also purportedly stated that he “called Pope John Paul II “the anti-Christ” and “the devil”. Source.
_________________________
LGBT DISCRIMINATION:
Before Mel Gibson made headlines for spewing anti-Semitic, racist, misogynistic, and anti-immigrant slurs at his ex-girlfriend, he was known for his highly publicized homophobic rants.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) accused Gibson of homophobia after a December 1991 interview in the Spanish newspaper El País in which he made derogatory comments about homosexuals. Gibson later defended his comments and rejected calls to apologize. However, Gibson joined GLAAD in hosting 10 lesbian and gay filmmakers for an on-location seminar on the set of the movie Conspiracy Theory in January 1997. In 1999 when asked about the comments to El País, Gibson said, “I shouldn’t have said it, but I was tickling a bit of vodka during that interview, and the quote came back to bite me on the ass.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Gibson.
Are drunken quotes not indicative of honest and uncensored thought? You decide.
Quotes:
“Homosexuals take it up the ass. This is only for taking a s**t.”
Discussing homosexuals in an interview with El Pais magazine, December 1991.
“I became an actor despite that. But with this look, who’s going to think I’m gay? It would be hard to take me for someone like that. Do I sound like a homosexual? Do I talk like them? Do I move like them?”
Discussing homosexuals in an interview with El Pais magazine, December 1991.
“I don’t think there’s an apology necessary, and I’m certainly not giving one. [Those remarks were a response] to a direct question. If someone wants my opinion, I’ll give it. What, am I supposed to lie to them?”
Good Morning America
“I’ll apologize when hell freezes over. They can fuck off.”
Playboy in 1995, about whether he’d issue an apology to gays and lesbians, as GLAAD recommended.
_________________________
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY and ANTI-SEMITISM:
HOLOCAUST DENIAL:
If you recall Mel’s father is a fervent denier of the fact that the Holocaust ever happened, referring to the tragedy as a “hoax”.
“The annihilation of six million Jews must be a hoax, since it would have taken too long for the Germans to cremate that many bodies” “Germans did not have enough gas to murder that many people.”
Mel supports his father’s beliefs.
Gibson had this to say about his father: “My dad taught me my faith and I believe what he taught me. The man never lied to me in his life” –a curious remark, considering his father’s many lies about the Holocaust. Reader’s Digest.
Mel purports to believe in the Holocaust, but only in public, and in very coached terms:
During an interview “Do you believe the Holocaust had happened?” he replied:
“Yes, of course. Atrocities happen. War is horrible. World War Two killed tens of millions of people. Some of them were Jews in concentration camps.”
Mel Gibson may not have been denying the Holocaust, but he was certainly distorting and minimizing it. Instead of acknowledging that the Nazis carried out a deliberate strategy of genocide, he reduced the Jewish victims to the same kind of accidental and random casualties that take place in every war.
THE ARREST and ANTI-SEMITIC RANT:
In July of 2006, Mel Gibson was stopped and arrested for drunk driving near his house in Malibu by Deputy James Mee.
The police report detailed repeated threats against Mee made by Gibson, who said that he” owned Malibu” and “would get even” with the deputy.
The report also detailed Gibson’s “barrage of anti-Semitic remarks” in which he said, “The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world” before asking the deputy, who is Jewish: “Are you a Jew?”
He has to date never apologized to the deputy or to the Jewish people.
Audio tapes have also emerged that captured Gibson spewing violent, racist, anti-Semitic tirades.
Quotes:
“Fucking Jews… Jews are responsible for all wars in the world.”
July 28, 2006 on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California after pulled over for speeding and drunk driving.
Mel Gibson ‘hates Jews’, says screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, screenwriter for the now sidelined Maccabees film.
According to Joe, Mel has said:
“What I really want to do with this movie is to convert the Jews to Christianity.”
“Most ‘gatekeepers’ of American companies were ‘Hebes’ who ‘controlled their bosses.’”
“The Holocaust was ‘mostly a lot of horsesh*t,’
Gibson “regularly used the terms “Hebes,” “oven-dodgers,” and “Jew-boys”.
He added that Gibson made various false accusations, including that the Torah refers to sacrificing Christian babies.
_________________________
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION:
To his then-girlfriend (whom he physically and verbally abused):
“You’re an embarrassment to me. You look like a f***ing pig in heat, and if you get raped by a pack of n***ers, it will be your fault.” – ON TAPE.
The L.A. Chapter of the NAACP reacted to Mel Gibson using the “N” word … calling Mel “an out of date and out of control racist.” Source.
_________________________
ANTI-IMMIGRANT SENTIMENTS:
Mel Gibson has spewed hatred about blacks and Jews, and has been caught on tape making a bigoted remark about Hispanics.
Mel referred to one of his staffers as a “wetback,” Radaronline.com reports.
“I will report her to the f**king people that take f**king money from the wetbacks,” he said.
‘Wetbacks’ is a slur originally used to disparage Mexicans who swam across the Rio Grande to enter Texas illegally. It seems Mel was threatening to turn his staffer over to immigration authorities.
__________________________
So again – why is this post necessary?
To educate on the personal prejudices shown by a public figure – and to STOP the HATE!
The public DOES CARE, and we need to show, in solidarity:
THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!
WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY REMINDING THE PUBLIC OF THESE COMMENTS AND ACTIONS.
WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE THEY CAN FEEL – IN THEIR WALLETS!
I’m currently taking my last of 2 Masters in Science classes, and I’m going to share a post I recently made. Interested very much in YOUR take!
P.S. For some reason, the footnotes are missing (prob because I cut and pasted this) so I just added the references at the end.
Therapist liability or negligence.
Assignment:
Choose one of the malpractice cases described in this chapter. Describe one of the points of law, specific issues, or matters of doctrine that impressed, intrigued or frightened you. Since we have all read this chapter, there is no need to summarize the case. Rather, you should discuss one aspect of the case. You can argue the court’s findings, learn more about the issues involved through outside references, or describe a variation on the case that might have gotten a different outcome.
Me:
You know what scares me? Negligence claims. The fact that the rule put forth by the Court of Appeals of New York in Schrempf v. State, to wit, the physicians duty/professional judgment standard, is only a minority rule utilized by one state is troubling to me. The physicians duty (basis for the ordinary negligence standard) as explained by the Appellate Court in Schrempf incorporates both physicians duty and professional judgment:
“A Physicians duty is to provide the level of care acceptable in the professional community in which he practices. He is not required to achieve success in every case and cannot be held liable for mere errors in professional judgment . . . the line between medical judgment and deviation from good medical practice is not easy to draw particularly in cases involving psychiatric treatment.”
This is a rather low standard, but it is hopefully based on the facts of each particular case. However, the point herein is that this doctrine, which calls for jury instructions when applicable, has only been recognized and not “universally adopted”. This disturbs me in that the states who have not adopted this view instead judge psychologists more harshly and with stricter standards. While this can be good for egregious offenses where the psychologists ignores the duty to warn, and someone is hurt, it can also lead to ridiculous speculation over the physicians duty and professional judgment, which technically paves the way for counsel to poke holes in an experts testimony, and increases the chance of malpractice liability for the psychologist. This is a gray area, aside from the direct responsibilities such as duty of care, etc. Here, the psychologist was found not negligent, based upon exercise of professional judgment, even knowing that the patient had violent propensities and was known for rejecting his medication on an outpatient basis.
The only case I see as a saving grace is Stepakoff v. Kantar, which lays forth safeguards for psychologists acting in a reasonable manner. Here, the Court reversed a guilty verdict due to the judge’s failure to include the aforementioned jury instructions on a psychiatrists duty to his patients, which is definitely one of the central items in this case. The Court reiterated the definitions of negligence of the ordinary person and negligence of a specialist (i.e. physician). The Court then clearly states:
“We are unwilling to disturb our long standing rule that a physician, practicing a specialty, owes to his or her patient a duty to comply in all respects with the [reasonableness] standard set by the average physician practicing that specialty”.
I would like to say that I myself prefer that psychologists, etc. whom are general practitioners should be subject to the ordinary negligence standard. Those who decide to specialize, and gain additional education on a specific disorder or issue, should be held to the higher standard of good medical practice.
Yes, I know. My postings are somewhat of a rarity lately, but I am trying to work on that 🙂
Scorpio:
Be honest with yourself that a mistake you made recently is your own fault. Think about your motives for doing what you did, and don’t convince yourself that you’re in the right before you give yourself some time to analyze your behavior. The only way you can move on from this is if you fess up.
YEAH, no. I always make mistakes, but most of the time I don’t remember them!!!
I am. Are you? 