These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Just some AMAZINGNESS I just happened to stumble upon....

Fight Club Philosophy

This is an actual paper that I turned in for my philosophy class last year.

Enjoy.

I chose to analyze the movie “Fight Club” which is the 1996 film adaption of the novel by Chuck Palahniuk. I believe that the plot of fight club shows how extreme behavior and irrational thinking will only lead to ruin. The movie starts out showing a tired, frustrated young man working at a boring job who meets an eccentric soap salesman on a plane, Tyler Durden. The two form a secret society known as “Fight Club” where frustrated average Joes come to beat the pulp out of each other and let out their inner desires for violence.

The club gets out of control when Tyler starts plotting violent crimes and makes plans to blow up several buildings. The narrator must stop Tyler and in the end realizes Tyler is simply his own desires manifested in a human form. The two men are really one person. One is the rational personality and the other, extreme. At the end of the movie, the narrator finds a way to kill Tyler and live a life of balance.

I believe this is a philosophical movie in several ways because it deals with ethics. It is the age-old battle of right and wrong and in the end, Aristotle’s “Golden Mean” prevailed. The narrator did not have to live a mundane life of solitude but he also did not have to live a life of excessive fighting, women, and crime.

A quote from the character Tyler Durden in the movie explains why this alter-ego exists, “All the ways you wish you could be, that's me. I look like you wanna look, I f*** like you wanna f***, I am smart, capable, and most importantly, I am free in all the ways that you are not.” The narrator created Tyler as a way to give in to unnatural desires that should not be satisfied and almost ruined his life because of it. But in the end, reason rules over passion.

Origin Assured: Just A Way of Justifying Evil?

“Origin Assured” guarantees that its fur comes from countries where national or local regulations or standards governing fur production are in force in an attempt to change the negative image of the fur industry.

While visual shock within the pages of Vogue magazine is as common as gum on the pavement, an ad in the September 2008 issue nevertheless left me stunned. The advertisement portrayed an attractive, fur-clad model with the following caption: “When you see the OA™ label you can be certain that, wild or farmed, the fur comes from a country where national or local regulations or standards governing fur production are in force.” A supporter of animal rights, I wondered: is this for real? Or is it simply an attempt to keep pace with a more environmentally conscious society?

The cruelty and overall profligacy of the fur trade has been publicized for years. And as the public becomes more ecologically conscious, fur-wearers are now being classified as extravagant, uncaring, out-of-date individuals. Due to this growing awareness, an increasing number of luxury markets are now letting people know where exactly the product is coming from and how it is obtained. “The ‘Ethical consumerism’ trend is now affecting the luxury sector around the world, including the emerging markets of Russia and China” explains Andreas Lenhart, Chairman, International Fur Trade Federation. Catering to this new “guilt-free” luxury trend, founder Suzy Menkes launched the Origin Assured™ label in Moscow at the IHT luxury conference sporting the slogan, “Fur, The Natural Responsible Choice.”

The deciding factor determining if label is given the OA™ stamp of approval is whether or not the fur comes from a country where state and national regulations on fur production are enforced. So what are these standards governing fur production? Many “regulations” governing fur production do not address the issue of cruelty or humane slaughter; they apply solely to economic issues and trade. Regulation 90-27 of New Brunswick Canada, for example, states, “’Fur industry loan” means a loan advanced by the Board to a farmer engaged in the business of fox or mink fur production for the purpose of meeting operating costs.” Other regulations in other countries deal simply with exporting and importing fur, tariff, taxes, and licensing agreements for fur farms. Are these really the ethical dilemas the “responsible consumer” should be concerned about?

Millions of fur-bearing animals including foxes, raccoons, minks, coyotes, bobcats, lynxes, opossums, nutria, beavers, muskrats, otters, and others are killed each year on fur farms as well as in the wild by use of traps and hunting. Fur regulations fail to address the issue of humane slaughter for these animals. To kill the animals without damaging their fur, trappers usually strangle, beat, or stomp them to death. Animals on fur farms may be gassed, vaginally electrocuted, poisoned with strychnine, or have their necks snapped. These methods are not 100 percent effective and some animals "wake up" while being skinned. These are not however the methods the fur industry is concerned about. They instead would prefer to care more about whether or not a fur shipment is being properly taxed.

The Chairman of IFTF, Andreas Lenhart, said; “Fur is a natural partner for the Supreme Luxury conference; it embodies the very best aspects of luxury today: craftsmanship, heritage and quality. The fur industry has also been responding to the spirit of the times; by answering our consumers’ desire to understand the ‘story’ of their fur. A fur carrying the Origin Assured label provides the consumer with an assurance that the fur they have purchased comes from a country where good welfare standards apply. The label reinforces the fact that we are a responsible industry, committed to transparency.” This transparency does not however include allowing the public to see into the means used by the industry to obtain the fur and slaughter techniques. Reportedly, recent research shows that a fur garment becomes more desirable to consumers by between 12% (in Switzerland) and 30% (in Russia) if it has an OA™ label attached.” These customers who believe they are making an ethically sound decision when buying Origin Assured might be surprised to hear that the regulations and standards OA™ supports do not address animal rights issues whatsoever.

A more ethically sound decision for the modern-day consumer would be to either buy faux fur or purchase from designers such as Stella McCartney, Kenneth Cole, Calvin Klein, and many others who have decided to be fur-free. Until the real problems with the fur-industry are addressed and corrected, the idea that fur can be worn with confidence of its origin is a false statement.

Sources

1. Vogue magazine.
2. Originassured.co.uk
3. Furisdead.com
4. “Animal Rights: A Very Short Introduction.” By David DeGrazia 2003
5. Press releases:

April 2008

WWDCollections April 2008 -

20th February 2008

Namibian Karakul Granted OA™ Mark

19th February 2008

Independent Monitors Of OA™ Pass 80% Of Furs In First Tranche

7th December 2007

Luxury Brands Agree - Origin Assurance Is In Vogue

December 2007

"Fur the most beautiful fabric"
The Fashion World Celebrates Fur In Moscow

13th December 2006

This is Origin Assured

1. Furcomission.com
2. Canlii.org/nb/laws/
3. Fur Industry Loan Regulation - Agricultural Development Act
4. Tdctrade.com

The Other Side: Life in Skid Row

Graffiti in South LA in Skid Row

Photo by: Kirsten Hall

An American Tragedy

by Kirsten Hall

Every social worker in the United States is familiar with the phrase, "from a broken home." It refers to growing up in a household where the parents are divorced or may not be living together in a stable relationship. Children and teens who are defined as "at-risk" may come from homes such as these and others simply do not have a healthy home life. While these are all legitimate concerns, there is another group of people in this country, of all ages, who have no home. They are simply trying to live to see another day.
For the almost 2.5 million homeless persons living in the United States, everyday life is a tremendous struggle. Not knowing whether you will have food, shelter and basic sanitation are a continuous challenge. Not to mention the habitual fear of getting robbed, molested, or physically assaulted. And for the 100,000 homeless children living in the United States, these dangers are even more prominent. The Institute of Medicine estimates that almost half of these children are younger than six years of age.

Common misconceptions about the homeless are that they can rise above their circumstances simply by applying for a job and working hard. That is not the reality of the situation. While many homeless people have fallen into their current state because of addictions to alcohol and drugs or a debilitating mental illness, many are just normal, average, hard-working people that have fallen onto hard times. While videotaping in Skid Row, Los Angeles--a district that claims the highest concentration of homelessness in the country--we interviewed an elderly man named Peter. "I've lived in this area for six years," he told us, "but I've only been homeless for a year because of a robbery." He had worked several jobs before he lived on the streets as a computer specialist.

There are also many stories about people who have been laid off and ended up on the streets as well. With the housing market being what it is people are no longer able to afford to rent even a modest apartment in Los Angeles. Peter has not only been a victim of a crime which left him financially crippled, he suffers from severe arthritis which forced him to quit his job and left him in a wheelchair. He applied for government disability benefits but his claim was denied. "They could at least give me a supplementary account," he said, "I don't even receive social security, let alone a disability check." For him to receive a supplemental income he has to first apply for disability. Peter is in limbo. He cannot apply for a job, but he is not being granted social security or disability from the government. He is in a quagmire. Figuratively and literally. He can simply sit in his wheelchair on 4th St. in Skid Row and pray that one day someone will he able to help him once again become financially secure, an almost hopeless situation.

Even if Peter could receive medical benefits and get back on his feet so to speak, going from the streets to maintaining a job is not an easy process. Most employers will not hire someone who does not have a permanent address or phone number. Even if they can secure a job, the number of hours a week it would take to get enough money to pay rent would be impossible when these people are spending all of their time trying to simply find food and water. "I am crippled," Peter explained to us, "I am crippled because of my situation. I am depressed, any human being would be."

The real tragedy is the second generation of the homeless. Homeless children face challenges that other children will never encounter. Many cannot attend grade school because of the paperwork that is required. Parents who cannot provide an address and phone number are unable to register their children in the public school system. The California State legislature has referred to education as "a way out" for these children, but it can only be as effective as the system itself.

Angie Taylor, an elementary school teacher at Irwin Avenue Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina is part of a tutoring program designed especially for homeless children. "The fact of never knowing where they're gonna be next really affects these kids," she explained, "Some become withdrawn and others become aggressive." She told us that a huge problem in the shelters is the separation of families. There are several homeless shelters for women and children but when the boys turn thirteen the shelters will not let them live with their mothers anymore and they have to go to the men's shelter. Rather than being subjected to this, many families end up living on the streets so they will not be separated.

Many of the children who come to Angie are neglected and malnourished. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, by the time homeless children are eight years old, one in three has a major mental disorder.

There is hope though. Angie has seen many of the student's in her program graduate high school and some have even gone on to earn a college degree. "In my tutorial program I've seen some of them come through because they found that one teach that they trusted," she said, "All it takes is one person to make the difference that will change their lives." In Los Angeles, many schools have adopted programs similar to Angie's. In skid row, many of the temporary housing facilities have tutoring programs run by volunteers which help kids on an individual level. In East Los Angeles, the Hollenbeck school has programs for homeless children and also those who are at risk to become involved in gang violence and other issues. To find out more information and also how to help the homeless population of Los Angeles you can make donations or volunteer to tutor homeless children at these websites:

http://www.schoolonwheels.org/

http://losangelesmission.org/Home.asphttp://www.nctsnet.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/promising_practices/Facts_on_Trauma_and_Homeless_Children.pdf

http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Hea-Irr/Homelessness.html

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL30442.pdf

Below is a documentary we made of a trip to Skid Row.

by Kirsten Hall

Proof that Human Cruelty Knows No Bounds...Or Reason

Today I watched a horrifying documentary about dolphin fishing in Japan. It received an academy award for best documentary and if you haven't seen it yet I would highly suggest you watch it. I was able to find it online at http://milledrive.com/videos/32340/The_Cove.html


I have never been so disgusted and horrified in my life. How can money and industry drive human beings to do such cruel things to animals? I have been a vegetarian for years because I found out how appalling animals are treated in factory farms in an effort to save money. But chickens and cows are one thing. Dolphins are intelligent creatures who I believe we can truly learn so much from. I don't see how someone can honestly think that a dolphin deserves to be slaughtered in such a heinous way just for their meat, which is contaminated with mercury and not suitable for human consumption.


In the documentary, OPS gave the fisherman an offer. They said keep your boats in the harbor and we will pay you the amount of money you would make today killing dolphins to not slaughter today. They turned it down saying it was not about the money, the government is encouraging these slaughters and deeming them as "pest control."


With each and every day I feel I lose more and more faith with human decency. Ignorance, greed, and cruelty run rampant, not just in our society, but all over the world. People do not care about this earth. They care about their wallets and filling their stomachs. God help me if I ever turned a blind eye to this cruelty.


Some argue that we have a god-given right to dominion over animals. That we are superior beings. I will not argue as to the validity of that statement but I do know that this sort of cruelty could never be "a God-given right." The Japanese fisherman claim that it is in their culture, their "right" to dominion over the seas. When in reality, most Japanese are completely unaware of this practice of hunting dolphins and find it atrocious.


People cannot all be this monstrous. It is my hope that if enough people become aware of this, action can be taken. I am currently in the process of setting up a fund raiser at my university to support the OPS's cause to stop the dolphin hunts and hopefully will one day be able to travel to Japan and write and publish a story about this. If you would like any more information about this cause and how to help you can email me at khall08@apu.edu or make a donation and get involved at http://www.takepart.com/thecove