Unemployment benefits: Helpful for future contributors? Or cause for future bums?

I have mixed feelings about the extension of unemployment benefits. I know there are some people out there desperately trying to find jobs with no luck. I even have a few friends in that situation and I found myself in a similar situation last summer. I was looking for a job for the summer, put in 15 applications, and heard nothing back. The market for jobs, especially in Michigan, is tough. I can see how those looking for jobs may need help from the government so the extension is good. However, I also know that there's people out there that are taking advantage of the government's help. They have the mindset that, "Oh, the government will help me with food, shelter, etc. Why should I do anything when I can have it handed to me?" These people do NOT deserve help from the government. And yes, I know people like this too. Some people deserve the extension on benefits, but some don't. So I have mixed feelings about the issue.

Are Beauty Pageants Bad for Women?

According to the Miss America organization, more than twelve thousand women compete in local and state beauty pageants ever year. Of these twelve thousand, only fifty two are chosen to compete in the Miss America competition. (“Key”) So what happens with the other eleven thousand nine-hundred forty-eight? Two contestants per state will get $1,000, and a few others may get other scholarships (“2008”). However, most of them will get absolutely nothing, except maybe the feeling that they aren’t good enough. What about the women who don’t even try to compete? Just seeing the competition can lower their self-esteem. Beauty pageants are bad for women because they place too much emphasis on looks and lower self-esteem for women.

Advocates of beauty pageants may say that the contests aren’t based solely on looks. They say that the pageant is broken up into various aspects that show off many characteristics that make a beautiful woman. However, when you take a closer look at the some of the rounds of a beauty pageant, this doesn’t seem to be the case.

The private interview and on-stage questions are designed to showcase the contestant’s intelligence. Some of the questions asked can showcase a small amount of smarts and world awareness, such as “What do you think about the growing number of foreign investments in the United States?” and “What would you like to see done to improve the public’s understanding of the importance of organ donation? Why?” (“Sample”) However, some of the most frequently used questions hardly seem to showcase anything more than good planning and self-knowledge. “Name 3 words that describe you and explain how.” “What is one feature you would change about yourself and why?” “What quality do you most like about yourself and why?” (Dohack) This barely seems to showcase intelligence anymore than it showcases smooth talking and good planning.

In the talent competition, the women are showing off their Artistic Expression (“FAQ” Miss America). According to Pageant-Tips.com, the first tip to doing well in the talent portion of the pageant is to “be an entertainer!” (“Beauty”) It suggests doing a dance or singing a song, which seem to be the most popular choices. How does this express artistic ability or uniqueness when most contestants do something similar? Also, being talented at singing or dancing, or just being able to do something with a smile on your face when you’re an attractive female can earn you decent points in this category. Does this really show artistic expression?

The evening wear portion of the competition showcases the contestant’s poise and presence (“FAQ” Miss America). The Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines poise as “ease and dignity of manner; self-assurance; composure.” How can walking across a stage in heels and an evening gown show dignity? Does that showcase a women’s manners? The only logical aspect this round can show is how well the contestant looks in a dress.

The most popular major aspect of the Miss America pageant is the swimsuit competition, also called Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit (“FAQ” Miss America). This portion of the competition is designed to showcase the contestant’s fitness and requires them to walk across the stage in a bikini and high heels. How does walking around in a swimsuit showcase fitness? It only shows how thin that female is. However, can’t a person be thin but not be fit? Or vice versa?

These major aspects of the Miss America pageant, although designed to showcase different aspects of the individual, seem to only showcase looks. The intelligence portion can be passed with smooth talking and good planning, the talent portion can be won with a pretty smile, and the evening gown and swimsuit competitions don’t showcase anything other than how the contestant looks.

Along with the different rounds showcasing very little other than appearance, they are also scored and weighted in such a way that puts more emphasis on looks. In the preliminary competitions, the swimsuit and evening wear rounds make up a total of 35%, the talent competition makes up 35%, and the private interview and on-stage question forms the last 30% (“National”). While these are relatively even, the appearance and talent portion make up a majority of the points, while intelligence has the least amount of value. This is just in the preliminary competitions.

In the final rounds, the value is even less. The swimsuit and evening wear portions have a combined 40%, talent is reduced to 30%, the composite score from the first rounds make up 30%, and the on-stage question isn’t even included (“National”). How does that include intelligence as part of the scoring?

Once the contestants are narrowed down to the top five, the judges rank the women as they see fit (“National”). As humans, we can’t help but judge others based on appearance. So, without any general outline to weigh each portion, it just comes down to what the judges think. How can you know they’re judging on more than just looks?

Beauty pageants put a lot of emphasis on looks, as you can see. This can cause girls and young women to have lowered self-esteem. Obviously, not winning a beauty pageant can make a girl or young women feel like she’s not good enough, but the problem seems to start with child beauty pageants.

According to an article about children and beauty pageants posted on ABC’s news website, family therapist Terry Real feels that beauty pageants give children a sense of performance-based esteem. This tells the children that talent and beauty create their self-worth and this can be very dangerous. (Canning) These child beauty pageants are designed differently from the ones for older women and only have competitions based on looks. The judges look at the appearance, personal attire, and comfortable, natural overall appearance (Yates).

A study by the American Psychological Association about the sexualization of girls found that parents contribute to this sexualization and self-objectification when they enter their five-year-old daughters into beauty pageants. The study says that “In the world of child beauty pageants, 5-year-old girls wear fake teeth, hair extensions, and makeup and are encouraged to “flirt” onstage by batting their long, false eyelashes” (2). The study also found that with self-objectification, girls will take what people think about their looks and learn to treat themselves as objects to be judged by their outer beauty (18).

If little girls learn at young ages that their looks are more important, their self-image will be distorted, and their self-esteem may be shattered when they lose competitions. Also, most child pageant contestants continue competing for most of their lives. If they stay competing in a system that enforces looks and rewards being pretty, they’ll learn that their looks can get them what they want.

Aside from girls and women competing in the pageants, the girls just watching can be affected too. These pageants are trying to standardize beauty and result in brainwashing people into believing these standards (Rynski). Looking at the requirements for most pageants, you must be between 17 and 27, must be single, must never have been married, cannot be pregnant or ever given birth (“FAQ” Miss Universe). Is this telling us we are less attractive if we’ve given birth to a wonderful child? Are we less attractive if we’ve fallen in love and decided to get married? This doesn’t seem fair.

In conclusion, beauty pageants are bad for women because they place too much emphasis on looks and create problems with self-image and self esteem. The rounds involved in the competitions seemingly judge contestants solely on their looks, instead of what they’re supposedly designed to do. The way the rounds are scored and weighted also place a lot of emphasis on looks, instead of all of the aspects that should make up a pageant winner. If something isn’t done to change the way these pageants are judged and the way the women are looked at, those involved and those too afraid to get involved will continue to suffer self-image problems.

Research Paper Ideas

I'm not entirely sure what I want to write about for my reseach paper, but I do have a few ideas.

One of the items on my "Bucket List" is to stay awake for 24 hours (or longer). This gave me the idea of writing about sleep deprivation and the effects of not sleeping for a long period of time. It sounds kind of interesting to see if that can actually make you go crazy.

Another item on my "Bucket List" is to compete on the reality game show Big Brother. It's one of my favorite shows (it comes on this Thursday, July 8 at 8 pm on CBS) and I'm planning to try to compete during the summr of 2012. I was thinking I could do a paper about the show. How to get on it, what all goes into production, planning the competitions, picking constestants, and things like that. It might be interesting to see how the show comes together.

Fingerprints: The Infallible Means of Identification

Imagine walking into a stranger’s house, ducking under yellow “CRIME SCENE” tape, to find blood-spattered walls and a corpse on the living room floor. The blood and small hairs found in the room belong solely to the victim. How are you going to find this murderer? By finding the unchangeable means of identification that every individual has: fingerprints. Detecting, collecting, and identifying the different characteristics of various fingerprints found at a crime scene can bring you one step closer to catching a criminal.

There are three kinds of fingerprints that can be found a crime scene. Visible prints, plastic prints, and latent prints. Visible prints come from a finger that was covered with some sort of colored material, such as paint or blood. Plastic prints are prints left on a soft material, such as wax or putty. Latent prints, also known as invisible prints, are caused by body perspiration or oils that were on the fingertip and transferred to a surface.

Locating prints at a crime scene can be both easy and difficult, depending on the kind of print it is. Visible and plastic prints are relatively easy to find, because the prints are visible to the eye. Latent prints are much harder to find, due to the fact that they are invisible. There are different techniques to detect these prints, and the technique used depends on the type of surface being examined.

For hard and nonabsorbent surfaces, powders will work to develop fingerprints. There are many fingerprint powders of various colors and composition. It is important that the color of the powder used contrasts with the color of the surface being dusted. Testing a similar area with different powders is one of the best ways to know which powder will work best. As far as brushes to use, camel-hair will work for most surfaces.

In their textbook, “Criminal Investigation,” Kӓren M. Hess and Christine Hess Orthmann give these four steps to dust for fingerprints:
1. Make sure the brush is clean. Roll the hands of the brush between your palms to separate the bristles.
2. Shake the powder can to loosen the powder. Apply the powder lightly to the print, following the contour lines of the ridges to bring out details.
3. Remove all excess powder.
4. Photograph.

Although every police department and crime lab has their own procedure, this provides a good outline for a proper way to dust for fingerprints.

Chemicals are generally used for prints on soft and porous surfaces. Three of the commonly used chemical methods are iodine, ninhydrin, and silver-nitrate (also known as Physical Developer). When using iodine, the object suspected of having fingerprints is placed in a cabinet with iodine crystals. The crystals are then heated, which produces a violet vapor that is absorbed by the oils in the fingerprints, thus revealing the print. Ninhydrin, available in spray cans or in a powder, will react with amino acids in sweat to reveal the fingerprint. This method, at room temperature, may take from as little to an hour to as long as twenty-four to forty-eight hours to develop prints depending on their strength. However, heat tends to speed up the development. The silver-nitrate method, also known as Physical Developer, turns sodium chloride in fingerprints to silver chloride. The material is briefly immersed in the solution and hung to dry. However, if combining these three chemicals, the order should be iodine, ninhydrin, and then the Physical Developer. The chemical reactions that take place in one test may destroy chemicals in the fingerprint used to react in another test.

After the fingerprints have been detected, they must be collected to examine in the lab, and later on during the case. Before any lifting or moving is done, photographs must be taken of all prints. Then, one of two procedures is followed. If the object with the fingerprint is small enough, it is to be covered with cellophane and transported back to the lab. If the object is too large or immovable, the print is lifted. The common way of lifting is to take wide adhesive tape, place it over the print, work out any bubbles, lift the tape, and place it onto a labeled card.

When it comes to the identification of fingerprints, there are three fundamental principles. The first fundamental principle says that fingerprints are individual characteristics. What this means is that no two people, and more specifically no two fingers, have identical fingerprints. There are many small details, known as ridge characteristics or minutiae, in every fingerprint. These exact characteristics will only match in fingerprints that came from that finger. This is what makes matches of fingerprints from crime scenes to those of suspects or victims important for solving crimes. Any fingerprint found will only match perfectly with the fingerprint of one individual.

The second principle says that fingerprints remain unchanged. Every individual is born with their fingerprints. Skin is made of layers of cells. Cells closest to the surface make up the epidermis, and beneath that layer is the dermis. It is the boundary of these two layers, known as the dermal papillae, that determines the fingerprint patterns. Therefore, once this area develops in a fetus, it will never change. According to Saferstein, many attempts to alter or destroy fingerprints have been made, including that of the “notorious gangster John Dillinger, who tried to destroy his own fingerprints by applying a corrosive acid to them.” It was later determined that his attempt failed.

The third principle of fingerprints says fingerprints can be classified based on general ridge patterns. The three classes are loops, whorls, and arches. Sixty to sixty-five percent of the population have loops, thirty to thirty-five percent have whorls, and about five percent have arches.

In general, a loop pattern has one or more ridge lines that enter and leave on the same side of the print. Loop patterns will usually have one core and one delta. The core is the center of the loop. A delta is a triangulation or dividing of ridge lines. There are two subdivisions of loops. Ulnar loops have loops that open towards the little finger, and radial loops have loops that open towards the thumb.

A whorl pattern usually has ridge lines that form a circular pattern. This fingerprint will have two or more deltas. Whorls are subdivided into four categories: plain, central pocket loop, double loop, and accidental. Plain whorls and central pocket loops are classified as such by having at least one ridge making a complete circle. A double loop has a combination of two loops and an accidental either combines patterns or does not fit into any category.

Arch patterns have ridge lines that enter on one side and leave on the other, while rising in the middle. This type of fingerprint has no core or delta. There are two subdivisions of arches: plain and tented. A plain arch rises smoothly in the middle, while a tented arch rises sharply.

Think back to the opening scenario. After detecting fingerprints and taking valuable lifts, you analyze and identify the general patterns and tiny details of the prints you’ve found. You take this information and compare it to the prints of all suspected murderers. You eliminate all possible killers to find the individual responsible. Of course! It’s the butler! It’s always the butler. Good detection, collection, and identification of fingerprints help to catch another criminal and solidify the usefulness of this infallible means of identification.

I can write about whatever I want? Cool! ROCKAPALOOZA!!!!

This past weekend I attended Rockapalooza at the Jackson County Fairgrounds. It was one of the best days I've had in a while. There were over 52 bands and they all rocked! They day was full of non-stop music and cool people. The crowds were't overwhelming and the local bands were all really friendly. They had tents set up to sell their merchandise and meet their fans.

A band from New York called As Summer Dies was there. I saw them a couple times last summer when they were in Michigan so of course I had to go see them again! It was nice to hang out with them, watch them perform, and catch up with them! The lead singer, Adam, kept having problems with their microphone during their set and you could tell he was getting frustrated. We talked to them after the show and he just kind of laughed it off.

They got a new drummer from the last time I saw them so I got to meet him at this show. He was really cool. He was friendly and kept talking to me. I even got a picture with him. I love all five of the people in the band, but the drummer, Mike, is definitely my new favorite.

Sevendust was the headliner and did an amazing job, as always. This was my third time seeing them. I even got to meet them before the show. The first 40 people in line at noon got to go in early and meet Sevendust and Otep. I got their autographs and everything. I met Sevendust once before but that was a few years ago. It was nice to meet them all again! Those guys are so friendly in person. Just wish I could have gotten a picture with them but no pictures were allowed.

Even though I got a little sun burnt and I'm still a little sore, I had an amazing day!

Social Issue

One social issue that I've always had a strong opinion about is the death penalty. I am completely for capital punishment. I feel that if somebody murders an innocent human being, they should be put to death. I know this is a controversial topic but I feel very strongly in the way that I do. A lot of people think it's wrong to kill someone as punishment for killing. However, it only seems fair that the punishment matches the crime. Also, if you want to take the religious side of it, the Bible even says "an eye for an eye" and "a life for a life" (I can't remember exactly where but you can easily look it up). So, if you want to say it goes against Christianity, the Bible can be interpreted as saying that those who kill should be killed. Another argument people make is that innocent people can be killed, but that is another problem entirely. That is a problem with the court system and the way the cases are handled in court. That is a problem with the process of convicting a suspect. That has nothing to do with whether murderers should be killed.

Think of it this way: If your mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, or any other family member or close friend was murdered, would you not want redemption? Revenge?

Oil Spill

I think what is happening in the Gulf of Mexico is absolutely terrible. Corporations don't seem to think about the environment when they're trying to make money. This is something that is going to be affecting us for years down the road. Animals are going to be affected. The wildlife, the agriculture, the lifestyles of people living in the Louisiana, will all be affected. It's quite a tragedy that the environment seems to be so unimportant to big corporations.

Boycotting BP sounds like a good idea, but unless a large amount of people do it, the affect won't be noticed by the company. If a large group of people can agree to boycott the company, it might make them see how harmful what they've done is. Unfortunately, I don't think enough people will participate in a boycott. Punishments should be dealt out, but it seems the environment is losing its importance every day.

NJ Man Admits to Vomit Assault at Phillies Game?! Gross!!

So, I just read this article about a New Jersey man intentionally vomiting on another fan and his 11-year-old daughter during a Phillies baseball game back in April! I guess this guy and his friend were spilling beer, cursing, and heckling an off-duty police captain and his daughter. This guys friend was spitting and the police captains daughter got hit by some of it and the friend got ejected. Then, this guy stuck his finger down his throat and vomited on this guy and his daughter and then starting punching the police captain in the back of his head. The other fans in the crowd subdued the guy at that point. The guy ended up pleaded guilty to simple assault, disorderly conduct, and harassment. Because he pleaded guilty, charges for reckless endangerment and corruption of minors were dropped. The guy's family said that he's never had any run-ins with the law or been in any kind of trouble before. The offered up the fact that he just turned 21 in March and alcohol consumption as a possible explanation.

I cannot believe that people can be so disgusting at a baseball game, for no reason! I'm glad the guy got taken to court for this. Alcohol consumption or not, behavior like this is just unnecessary. The article didn't say what his sentence was but I think he definitely should be punished for something like this. Intentionally vomiting on somewhat is so disgusting. I can't get over that! It's people like this that make baseball games a lot less fun. I've been to quite a few baseball games, and they're always a lot of fun. But people who act like this kind of ruin it for the rest of us, especially if there's children around. People like this just tick me off!

~Chelsea

Where I'm From

I am from cut down trees and empty lots
Horses and pickles, and Mom's Oreo dessert
I am from passed on pets and cat hair covered floors
Old diaries and empty dresser drawers
I am from cut up cheese and "Cold hand, warm heart"
Old shoe boxes and remodeled walls
I'm from Saturday night card games and camping up north
Raccoons, canoeing, and candy-hunting squirrels
I'm from naming stray cats and late night basketball games
Concerts, baseball, Yahtzee, and road trips
I'm from rollerblading on concrete floors
"Postal parties" and afternoon bike rides
I'm from "There's no place like home"