A Visit to the Doctor

I wanted to take some time to reflect upon the article we read in class the other day about evolving attitudes within the doctor's office. I agree with the article's message completely, having experienced the seemingly brief in-and-out examinations myself. Notably, a couple years ago during my junior year of high school, during a game of lacrosse I managed to break a couple of bones in my right hand. It wasn't the worst injury possible, but I can assure you the experience was not fun. Following several x-rays and being poked and prodded a bit, my doctor verified the damage and...told me to go home and keep it iced and elevated. Thank you, Captain Obvious. Following such outstanding advice, I could not help but wonder just how much this guy was getting paid on my (or my parental units') behalf. Health insurance is one of the biggest issues in our country today..so I can't help but emphasize this line, "There are a lot of doctors in town. There's no need to settle for one that doesn't treat you well."

A Dismal State of Affairs in Baghdad

I have been surprised by the decline in media coverage of the ongoing operations in Iraq...BBC news published an article the other day speaking briefly upon the state of affairs in Iraq's capital, Baghdad. A curfew has been enforced upon the city, carefully scrutinizing every incoming/outgoing vehicle, in hopes of disbanding insurgent militants. Troubling footage was released by American military, which showed Iraqi-militia men on the move being killed by a missile released from an Apache attack helicopter. Now I know the situation in Iraq is very volatile at the moment, and drastic times call for drastic measures - but is this really moral? Military casualties continues to fluctuate within the hundreds, a disturbing statistic. These harsh restrictions have affected civilian life in Baghdad immensely, making basic food supplies scarcer and harder to obtain as these curfews remain extended. Inflation has caused prices of food to skyrocket as well, making basic supplies like kerosene, bread, and chicken more difficult to obtain. Electric power outages are frequent as well...reading this article made me wonder what our goal was/is in the Middle East. I hope the next presidential candidate will be able to handle these issues more efficiently...

Where is our tuition going?

In a recent conversation with my dad, I was informed that Ithaca's tuition will increase some 3-5% next year. Our tuition today stands at about $28,670, coming to about $995 per credit. (HOLY EXPLETIVE!) This number doesn't take into account the $10,000 some-odd dollars for living on-campus and enjoying the wonderful meals in the dining hall...haha just kidding. There are a number of things I could pick out, but there are a lot more important things that could be improved on - accommodating parking, for example. I'm sure many of us this semester have experienced the dreadful freshman parking lot, which not only destroys your tires with its unpaved-ness, but it is also more and more difficult to find a spot that is not on the entire other side of campus. Wi-Fi has also been a major concern of students, and word on the street is that IC administration is "workin on it..." Okay, you managed to get the business school up and running in about 12-16 months, but you can't implement a wireless network? Unless you professors are making bank on us, I really wonder where all of our tuition is going. Although I hate making comparisons like this, my friend pointed out that Cornell's tuition is actually less than ours. Part of me would not like to believe the rumors that we are building a new athletic center, as well as a "gateway" building representing the office of admissions. Are you kidding me?? I'll probably get a lot of heat for saying this...but I don't understand why we're trying to emphasize athletics so much, when we're a Division III school. I just feel like there are a lot more beneficial ways our money could be utilized.

Re: "When Monogamy Becomes Monotony"

This is in response to Liza's post about the emergence of a website called ashleymadison.com. An astounding 2 million people have signed up with the company in order to engage in "extramarital affairs" - yes, these individuals are married, and seeking 'other' partners on the side. When I was 16 my parents ended up separating after my mother caught my father cheating, and consequently i've been raised with the very firm belief that a true relationship is founded on loyalty and trust, two key principles which seem to grow less and less important in today's society. It would probably be the worst feeling in the world, to hypothetically use your potential spouse's computer one day, and stumble upon his/her ashleymadison profile. My husband would probably need to file a restraining order for the things I would do to him if that ever happened to me. This ties in rather closely with the topic for my argument of definition paper, defining sex in today's society. Exemplified through events like the Spitzer scandal, it worries me to think of where our society's moral integrity is headed.

Shifting Towards a Hybrid Age

This in response to Beth's post about the new fuel-efficient BMW 5-Series. With rising gas prices burning a hole in our pockets, fuel efficiency in our vehicles has become an eminent concern for all Americans. We have seen a series of Hybrid vehicles from household-names like Toyota (the Prius) and Honda (the new Accord/Civic), however luxury companies like BMW and Lexus seem to be taking up the trend as well. While this is definitely a positive change in the right direction, it still seems like a catch-22 situation, being that the MSRP on these Hybrid vehicles can be as much as $10,000 more than a standard car - the non-hybrid 2008 Lexus LS starts at $62,000, whereas the hybrid version starts at jaw-dropping $104,000. In the long-run I'm sure the benefits would outweigh the lofty price difference, however we are all familiar with the astoundingly fast rate at which a car's value depreciates - is it really worth it to invest the extra couple thousand dollars now? The new 5-series BMW gets 42 miles to the gallon because it runs on diesel fuel (as opposed to gasoline), which is more efficient in terms of performance, but also produces a significant amount of harmful soot particles. With all-due respect to tree-hugging liberals, I don't think these hybrid cars do much to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, unless you have an extra $10-20,000 lying around.

I recently read this article originally posted by the Los Angeles Times...it basically explained how the Federal Flood Control has designed simulated floods through the Grand Canyon. When I first saw this headline on CNN, I was pretty startled. There has been plenty of research to back up the fact that these "floods," which at peak volume reaches 41,500 cubic feet per second, will destroy a substantial amount of the natural bottom wildlife and ecology. Park officials have suggested that these floods are timed appropriately with demands for electric power, which would be generated by the hydroelectric turbines. This article really bothered me, because I've noticed recently a grisly clash with the evolution of our society and the natural world, from shopping malls to traffic jams. Even though we've seen an increased recognition of sustainability within the past 2 or 3 years, I don't know if it's enough. With our administration allowing such procedures as this, purely motivated by the desire to cut costs, it really makes me wonder what's in store for us within the next 20 years. Americans are notorious for being the greatest consumers, but how long can this trend hold up?

This is in reference to Amanda's post...I had a lot of misgivings about Ithaca first semester, considering the daunting pricetag. One of the biggest decisions I had to make was choosing between a bigger university, or a close-knit community like Ithaca. While I could definitely see the appeal of going to a big hyped-up school like Penn State or ASU, I have really grown to appreciate Ithaca as home. My sister, who is about to graduate Syracuse University, visited our campus once and didn't find any of the buildings too outstanding...I guess compared to the cathedral-like architecture of Cornell and Syracuse, it's kinda hard to compete. Nevertheless, I have to agree with Sean that the natural beauty of Ithaca overrides all these factors - plus the business school is pretty cool.

Re: Juno

This is in response to Amanda's blog about the movie Juno. After all the hype and plenty of reviews praising the movie's comedic value, I decided to see this movie a while ago. Unfortunately, I failed to see the real appeal of this movie. It was definitely a "cute" movie with some good laughs, however I really didn't find the plot appealing at all. As far as the depth of the plot, I have to agree with Amanda that the film dealt with the concept of teen pregnancy pretty lightly. I see this as just another example of how Hollywood misrepresents social issues, and really wish production companies could actually produce real, meaningful movies.