there are no universal ethical accepted standards- ethical relativism.

She didn't hear , but she understood.

depends on the place, people, and etc.

existant reasons to subscribing to ethical relativism.

everyone has a moral compass within his or herself, determining what is moral for them what isn't.

societal-society has the moral compass.

fantastic discourse

undergrad log 10.04.2010

Poli Sci = systematic study of political behavior; study of politics.

who governs= type of govt
by what means = power
what purpose = politics

Politics how society makes its binding authoritative decisions (public policy) + allocates resources (power)
excercise of influence and struggle for power.

public policy = gov't does or does not do

power ability to influence by granting/withholding valuable resources

govt= makes decisions (public policy)
resolve disputes (politics)
allocate resources (power)

federalism is power divided by a written constitution. between a central government or state/provincial government.

powers delegated to national government
powers reserved to the state
powers denied either/both govt
concurrent power.
states role in the make up of the nation.

SIMON says.
Michelle types.
Zach laughs
Tamina tires.

Is there a final in this class??

Zach: I don't know, you're the teacher.

Got my test back.
I got a C
I will get a B.

I HAVE ONE QuESTION! WHY DO WE HAVE POLITICAL PARTIES!?!
George Washington was right about parties dividing the country.

Fantastic Observation, Mr. Simon

Tea Party Conservative?
Too early to asses the Tea Parties' identification.

today was not a fun day.
he is picking up a paycheck for doing no work.

:(

undergrad log 9.29.2010 930-1045

I had the music bug in me.
I was belting Sledgehammer with leejay up to my class.
Then I went into a disney medley "serenading" Alli.
I hooked my laptop up, and sang Break on Through by the Doors before
Zach disconnected my laptop
lame.

Class starts. . .
And my Laptop restarts. . .

We spent the first fifteen minutes discussing extra credit assignment
then Giana walks in late.
She discusses how she has to walk a great distance to get here every morning.
The professor doesn't understand what she exactly means.

she lives in an apartment
parks her car at a grocery store
and drives down to another grocery store close to campus
and walks.

Scope of ethics in public policy.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

How to think carefully, critically, and effectively.
How to avoid common errors in evaluation.

"ARE WE GONNA TALK ABOUT COMMUNISM"
simon asks

"KARL MARX WAS A PHILOSOPHER, I GUESS YOU COULD RELATE COMMUNISM to ETHICS"

so every philosopher who knows something about ethics?

do you know what the theory is of Karl Marx?

Historical-Materialism.

Do you think that is a part of ethical discourse.

IT CAN BE

How? Mr. Marx says are revolution is based on class struggle in the economy.

Alli Steps in.
What you're willing to do get economic benefit.
How far are you willing to go to obtain.

Prof.
No corporation--Class struggle.
One type of system to another.

Offend a communists by saying that it's about ethics.

There is no middle class in the mind of Marx.
It's a bourgeouise attempt to make you feel good.

There's a bunch of things that he says that really I am not paying attention
It's Communism 101. nothing big.

Zach begins his next class drawing.
They're pretty far out.
maybe he'll let me scan a few.

eh.

Capitalism will lead to communism--Marx was wrong.
Applying that theory was applied to the west.

WAS ADAM SMITH IN FAVOR OF THE BOURGEOUSIE
no, let the market determine what gets made.

Zach shakes his head.
The professor says let's get to something that actually relates.

I try to bring up Meg Whitman and the illegal housekeeper
he brushes it aside.

was that not an ethically-ripe--oh here we go
now he answers
but just sort of qualifies it.

Driving under the influence and killing someone is now being treated as murder II.
first time: 3 years. classes, probation.
second time: greater punitive rulings.

SOME LAWS ARE DUMB!
Simon says.

There are no true ethical principles; to be discovered by reason.
It is not based on reason.

It is useful to start about critical thinking
you will have to use reasoning

ETHICS IS NOT PHILOSOPHY OR IT IS?

ethics is a branch of philosophy.
our own.
doesn't mean we can't question the things to be in existence.

Mussolini was a philosopher?
--I guess you could call him that.
AN IDIOT
ThEY PRAISED HIM
not today.

How to be clear on exactly what is at issue.
when examining an argument, think precisely what the argument is supposed to be proving.

You need to be absolutely clear.
What is it that you are asking? at issue?

How do we determine who is a philosopher?

IDEOLOGY AND THEORY IS DIFFERENT

true and significant are not always relevant.
red herring

IS THAT A FISH?
DO YOU EAT FISH?

something irrelevant being talked about as if it is relevant.

The class has gone off the rails.

Before I inhale...oxygen, I lose control of the class-Nabulsi.

undergrad log 9.20.2010 1100-1215

Class with Professor Paramonova
An easy name to glance at, a hard name to pronounce correctly.
An exercise Henry Higgins would have given Eliza Doolittle.

She's straight out of a 60s/70s live action-with-cartoon disney film.

her voice tinged by slight cigarette habit throughout the years.
She sings glories of Rev. Lawson. who has a series here at CSUN
goes from speaking at Vanderbilt to CSUN
Oh how the recession has struck.

"DJ Attias is going to get down"

Fun event on Wednesday, supposedly

I wrote a paper on inception that she said was...
AMAZING! but too long.

Now we have broken off into...class work
a.k.a. I don't have anything planned besides helping people individually on their essays, however, --stay in the class...please.

and then she covers 8th grade grammar and punctuation proclaiming as if she's got the gospel we've never heard.

A quiet falls over the class, I chit-chat small chat folks, and Olivia remains somewhat rigid. She informed me of a professor who did not take to liking me too kindly, for which I'm most appreciative, but our interactions are rather terse, unfortunately. She probably perceives me as a grade a slacker who's interested in her. And that would be accurate. Her apprehension is understandable--but not justified ;)

I talk with this beautiful girl (there are many in my classes at csun), and for the life of me--her name slips my mind every time. Some Guy I am, Sam I'm not--but then again, Sam never addressed the man by his name... and he was thought to be a cool guy, so I guess I'd be just as cool, too--as long as I have some green eggs and ham.

Alvin starts a discussion about marriage when Jessica talks about being engaged.
She feels very strong and committed about her relationship. Alvin is rather surprised and taken aback, and got rather reflective about the subject.

A nice way to wrap up the class.

Marriage, the idea of it is so amazing. I love it enough that I would marry it ;)

now to break down the Op-Ed

undergrad log. earthdate 9.20.2010 0930-1045

Policy and Ethics in Administration: POLS 462

Taught by a hoarse-voiced israeli muslim.
The absurdity continues...

He changed the date of the test solely based on the study guide not--shoot gotta take notes.

Define Federalism and examine it in the context of the other two systems. confederation and unitary system. list and explain the terms by which the constitution identifies Federalism.

Politics, power, govt, public policy, and public administration, explain the relationship between them.

Define separation of powers and checks and balances--explain how they operate (giving examples) and analyze their compatibility with democracy.

Now to the important things.

Discussion of the recession. Nobody understands how long it really is or what the report really meant about it. Not even our professor.

Politics are about interests, not morality or justice--wise words.

Harry Reid is apparently in trouble (what else is new?)
In a last ditch effort he reaches out to the LGBT and Hispanice voters with Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy, and 'the dream' act.

Today he called a girl in our class, "Mr. Jessica." eh, what can you do?

And then he asked everyone in the class what a filibuster is (by show of hands of people who didn't know--only one person raised their hand--so he felt compelled to take 5 minutes out and discuss what we've discussed 3 weeks earlier). A mildly amusing moment occurred when Simon, a very cool outspoken man who prefers striped collared shirts, stated "isn't that like kill the bill--kill bill?"
NOT KILL BILL!! the professor retorted, I want to make that very clear.

Meanwhile I made sure I worked on my 425 Argumentation assignment.
I'm reading Frank Rich's "Time for the Dog to Bite Back"
I believe that it is important to deconstruct those arguments of your opponents, and not merely align w/what you find easy to read or believe.

Although interesting, doesn't seem best suited for what I need. But it's wealthy information to read.

So I go to the LA Times instead. Basically the arena football league of news publications. It's showy, it's grand, but doesn't really mean a whole heck of a lot to anyone except the parties highly vested in it. And it makes for good "pulp" entertainment.

More notes:

1. Powers delegated to nat. govt
2. Power Reserved to the States
3. Powers denied to either/both govts.

Garret Greuner of Ask.com success wrote an Op-Ed "I'm Rich Tax Me More"
to which I reply (and the IRS, I'd imagine)
"Your Money, Send as much as you'd like."

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-gruener-tax-the-rich-20100920,0,6399518.story

SIMON STRIKES AGAIN!!!

So you like to drink alcohol...isn't that against being a muslim?

It is...against God's will mr. simon

But you still do it?

a beat--no, Mr. Simon.

It's not bad,

Why do I need it mr. simon?

Because it gets you high--grey goose is the best vodka,

--Simon, that is NOT the Grey Goose

Mr. Simon, that is something else.

Habeas Corpus
Bill of Attainder
ex post facto

Suspension of Habeas Corpus Story: Abraham Lincoln and Civil War.
(Article 1. Section 9) unconstitutional--because Article 1 = Legislative branch.

GW Bush did not suspend Habeas Corpus. Thank you, Ashley ;)

And then we get the man asking the difference between "RHEtoric" and "rheTORic"
thank you state-driven education.

I really need to email Alexis back. She bared her heart, and I've been horrible in getting back to her.

Plus side--Tamina is very cool, and Simone, Zach, Ali, Ashley, and James are as well.
It was a bummer not having Michelle here though :/

off to the lab!

oh wait. Simon asks what habeas corpus is (oy!)

Because every now and then, it's important for them to know

I had quite the exhausting day February, 12, 2010.

I received my most current mix of Young Pretty. Absolutely Marvelous.

I had to finish a group project. I had to complete answers for a class assignment.

I had a show to perform. And I had a wonderful, hilarious night before.

Come around 930am I get a call for being too nice, too generous; admonished for giving a friend of mine an itunes gift card and a supply store gift card. Not because it wasn't what they wanted, but because it was too great a gift (totaling $45).

I received a lecture of how I was their friend they thought of as a brother; like family. To which I was dumbfounded; would they tell their family to send gifts back? It was not a phone call you wish to receive. Getting admonished for giving too greatly and being lectured as solely being a friend (like family), when I signed the card "sincerely, your friend". A most odd beginning to a schoolday.

I received guff and gripe from my group about not having a posterboard completed. I came in late with an alternative to which they were furious. I missed a quiz so that the alternative could be effective. The quiz was on the very section I was covering in my part of the lecture of our group project. They were conspiring to dissolve my due credit for they complained that I contributed nothing (that they wanted). Come lecture time, our group is presenting powerpoint. For some odd reason, I was given a section that was supposed to be covered by another group member. Claiming they never received my attachment for my part of the lecture. I received notecards three minutes before we were "live".

Our first group member starts talking and it goes downhill. fast.

I have to chime in with the correct pronunciations, how the definitions can be applied to concepts the class can relate with, etc. Next is my section. I read it as a cross between An Anchorman and Barack Obama. Suffice it to say, it was dynamic, slightly stuffy, but always engaging. Our last group member starts stumbling over her section...which was the section that I sent the attachment for nights before. So they're executing less than fantastically, and I have to provide proper examples and definitions for what she's addressing, so that the class won't hate us/we won't fail our grade when we're tested/evaluated.

We start the Jeopardy! game. And it works like a charm. (just like I had assured them)

After all this, they shake my hand and say you did a good job, Jesse.

Heartache for nothing.

I'm handed an attachment for the laptop to return to the equipment manager. Except he's gone.

So yes, they still are quite the not-so-great people.

By the way, before I ran copies of the Jeopardy! game, I had to make a bank run, to find out there was only $17 in my account.

I became a victim of identity theft. :(

After all this madness with the admonishment, astonishment, and aggravating accomplishment, I was drained, and I still had a show to perform.

78% of the music I performed is sung. .78X43= a lot of minutes of singing (38 minutes)= a lot of lyrics to memorize=a lot of brain work=a lot of energy=a lot of effort.

suffice it to say, my music is demanding; melodically and lyrically. I prepare extensively to make sure that it is pristine and excellent.

People complained they couldn't make it to a weekday show because they'd have school the next day.

People excused themselves from making it on a weekend night because it'd be too expensive.

So I took those two things into account when preparing this show; I made it free and on a weekend, and a few (a five, really) would receive what has been blogged about before; my album Young Pretty in its completed/correct state.

I made a trip home (running on E, because the 15 i pulled from the bank went to 30 copies of three pages, 2 gallons of gas, and one gatorade), grabbed 2 outfits and made my way down.

I showed up an hour late, however, other acts were to perform before me