I see nothing but nonsense on both sides. Even some of the most brilliant people refuse to converse, to listen,
to actually challenge their own beliefs. To respect and consider an opposing opinion is an intellectual whetstone.
Sharpening one's mind in this fashion allows one to gain utmost confidence in their beliefs. They will be ridiculed
for this by less sharpened minds. Walls have been built, defending against any opposing arguments and
encouraging exceptionally dull conversation.

I'm not a Buddhist, but Buddhism might give you a good impression of my personal philosophy. Striving to
gain objectivity, I try to approach all things as new and unique while still applying the harsh bite of logic.

Emotion is valued as well, but to speak logically of emotion is a difficult task. I'll try my best.

This is where I will post thoughts about the world. I'm moving to Africa around the end of November; maybe I'll actually keep up with this thing. It would be nice to organize some of my thoughts before I go.
Topics will likely range from the politics of race and gender to Science and Mathematics.

There is an issue in question about whether or not Whites should wear dreadlocks.


The argument is something like this:
Dreadlocks are a piece of black culture, worn primarily within the Rastafarian movement.
This hair style has been criticized by white culture, but is seeing popularity with some white people.
Some say that this is not okay, because whites are offensively using a piece of black culture, which
they have systematically oppressed.

My thoughts:
First off: I am not my skin color. My skin color is a part of me. The actions of other whites are
not credible reasons to refuse me a fashion right. I am not here to deny that whites have
systematically oppressed blacks. I understand where their argument comes from. However,
it seems silly to propose that a particular race may lay claim to a hairstyle, even if it is highly
valued by the people of that race.


The use of dreadlocks dates back thousands of years. The hairstyle, though more prevalent
within black culture, is really a result of not grooming one's hair. It has seen cultural significance
specifically in Indian culture before being primarily worn by blacks.
This kind of idea is a major road block for the modern feminism/civil rights movement.
To say to whites "We own this hairstyle, you can not use it." reflects the kind of racism
that whites are responsible for. Assuming that such statements were permissible, there is
still the point that numerous cultures may lay claim to the dread lock hair style.


At the end of the day, however, you are trying to apply ownership to a hairstyle.
This is ridiculous, do your hair as you please. If somebody criticized you for doing so, try to defend your stance against them in a calm and effective way.
Some progressive folk hold strange opinions (myself included), but anybody who is willing to reason can be reasoned with.

This post was edited by ringo794 on Oct 6 2016 04:18pm

A flaw within feminism:
I feel a deep concern when fellow feminists assert that the voices of the privileged should be disregarded.
Though you do not have any obligation to respect the opinion of a white male (using the most common example),
any opinion based on critical thinking and curiosity is valid. To disregard an opinion because of the race/sex of its source is a testament to ignorance.
In order to critically think, we must question the opinion itself. We must question the logic behind the opinion, noting whether or not it is based on truths
and reasonable steps. We must not dismiss it based on the mouth from which it came.
Though white men may not be able to relate to the struggles of others, are their thoughts are invalid?
This gives the following message to white men:

You don't have the right to form and report your opinion. You don't have the right to tell other people what their rights are.
Your opinion is useless and you need to listen to our opinion of what you should be doing.

This is a disturbing message to get from people who almost always believe that it is not ok to tell people what they should do/think.
I personally believe that we should not tell people what to do/think. Criticism, however, is valuable.
I have the right to criticize anybody. This of course means that I must accept the fact that people do not always react well to
criticism. I also must accept the fact that nobody has to do what I see as right. My goals are not to tell people what to do, but
rather to encourage them to use their brains and question some of the dubious opinions that are mixed in with a good cause.

This sort of exclusion of men from feminism is very frustrating. I am a feminist and wish to see this cause succeed, but these are
the sorts of things that make it easy for people to oppose feminism (they associate the movement with some absurd claims by people who identify with feminism).

I'm reading about this news regarding the x chromosome.



People are asserting that a child's intelligence is determined by the mother's genes.

The reasoning:
Mothers pass down x chromosomes only. Women produce eggs that contain only x chromosomes.
A male sperm produces either an x or y chromosome. Two x chromosomes produce female offspring,
while an x and a y produce male offspring. Because the male gives either an x or y chromosome, with a
50% chance of each, a coin flip within male ejaculate is what influences your genetic sex.

Some study indicates that the x chromosome contains genetic information that pertains to cognitive ability.
This information may or may not be entirely factual. Genetics is not developed to the point where I can say
much for sure.

My thoughts:

First off, if it's true, thanks mom

It makes sense to entertain this notion, only for males, though!
If the x chromosome is indeed responsible for the quality of one's cognitive ability, then the case of a male
offspring (x chromosome from mom, y from dad) is the one in which the mother's intelligence is responsible
for that of the offspring. A female, however, receives an x chromosome from both parents, meaning (assuming
that the x chromosome is significantly responsible) their cognitive abilities would represent those of both their
parents.

I don't know whether or not this is worth investing too much thought into, but it is definitely interesting.
Future studies of genetics that solidify or weaken this assertion should prove interesting!

Current Mood: Stressed

My dental clearance for Peace Corps service is currently in jeopardy. One tooth may not be in satisfactory condition.
My dentist expressed to me that the tooth is fine, and included that in her report. However, the Peace Corps dental examiner may think otherwise.
I am waiting on their response; hopefully it is a positive one.
I have sunk roughly $2,000.00 and an enormous amount of my time for the past 6-7 months in preparation for the Peace Corps. This includes learning another language and quitting my jobs.
If they say this tooth is a problem, then there is no way to meet my dental clearance date (tomorrow) in time.

GL me

Thoughts on this fairly poorly written article that brings up an interesting point:
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/male-contraceptive-injection-successful-trial-halted-a7384601.html?cmpid=facebook-post



"When it comes to contraception, medicine is clearly biased towards men. Women can have such ailments as
depression and acne thrust upon them for the greater good of preventing an unwanted pregnancy, but the
same level of discomfort cannot be expected of men. Researchers are now going to spent millions trying to alter
this medication so that its side effects are lessened."

This article doesn't do much work to support its assertions. Without comparative numbers, we are
lost. From the article, I gather that 6.25% of the subjects experienced the side effects. This seems quite high!

What are the numbers for the equivalently effective drugs designed for female
use?

Due to the differing desired effects of male birth control and female birth control, what other factors must be
considered? (These are drugs with highly different uses and thus their side effects may not be reasonable to
compare equally.)

Because sexism affects females negatively in an overwhelming number of ways, it is very easy to believe that
it prevails within the production of birth control. However, without these questions considered, this article seems
lacking in its argument. On a positive note, it got me thinking about something that I likely would not have come
across otherwise.