National Security, or National Database?

What is this picture? What is this ominous, black building? Well, it  has an equally ominous purpose. This is the headquarters of the National Security Agency, or the NSA. This is a government agency which has been executing mass surveillance on all civilians, without warrant or reason. This agency is the reason why people use the deep web, VPNs, proxies, and other security measures. They  monitor and collect all the data that they can, sift through it at an alarming rate, find "Threats" (They haven't really done much for the past couple years they have been operating).

    So what are they doing, if they only caught 50 cases of terrorism and played less than a 20% role in catching terrorists? Well beyond gross violations to privacy and our basic constitutional rights, and the fact that they are storing all the data and forcing companies to give them information, not much but being a money drain and a reason to despise the government. What is this data being used for? Why are they collecting data on everyone? Why does this sound like 1984? Now that I said all of that, I await the arrival of NSA officials or, more likely, some FBI/CIA agent to arrest me for either some made up charge or because they can.

    This is what internet activists have been fighting. They have been under assault from a government which is violating everyone's rights. Organizations such as FFTF, ACLU, and many others have been fighting these violations as much as they can. The only way to stop these programs is for more people to be aware and to stand up against such atrocities.

Computer Science and Big Data: @BigData

There is an estimated 1.2 zettabytes (1.3 trillion gigabytes) of data on the internet. That’s a LOT of data, more than what me and you can fathom. Web searches, web pages, downloads, code, games, YouTube, email… the list goes on. But here's an interesting question: How does one sift through this literal sea of data. There is WAY more data than people at a company, and attempting to go through all of this data requires a complex system of data reading and scanning. Online privacy is a joke; online archives store your facebook post. In fact, there is a bot which is almost guaranteed to read all of your posts. GoogleBot, the name of the googlebot that sifts through hundreds of thousands of web pages, is given access to all of your facebook posts. But what is this bot doing? When it travels through websites, it collects data that the website has. So statistics, key phrases, and many other key points of data that the site has. So what’s the point? What does all of this data do?

The answer is advertising. Google makes most of it’s money from advertising, and this funds all of their projects and data collection. It can target ads to you based on your search history, the websites you browse, etc. Also, some companies sift through massive amounts of data to provide investors with advice and statistics on trending companies and services which would be profitable soon. Big data has a lot of applications, from just a simple advertisement to millions of dollars in the stock market.

So what is big data doing? It is monitoring everyone. This can be used for good and bad.

Raped or Not?

Article: “Son, Men Don’t Get Raped.” from GQ Magazine, written by Nathaniel Penn.

Key Passages

1. “Sexual assault is alarmingly common in the U.S. military, and more than half of the victims are men. According to the Pentagon, thirty-eight military men are sexually assaulted every single day. These are the stories you never hear—because the culprits almost always go free, the survivors rarely speak, and no one in the military or Congress has done enough to stop it.”

Analysis: This statistic is alarming and people definitely do not understand what is going on behind the military walls. I think this shows that military personnel feel as if they have so much power, rationalizing this cruel act in their mind. The victims of these crimes are too afraid to speak because no one is taking the action to stop the risk. If the military or Congress was willing to put in an effort to stop this from happening, stories would be told and culprits would be arrested.

2. “The moment a man enlists in the United States armed forces, his chances of being sexually assaulted increase by a factor of ten. Women, of course, are much more likely to be victims of military sexual trauma (MST), but far fewer of them enlist. In fact, more military men are assaulted than women—nearly 14,000 in 2012 alone. Prior to the repeal of "Don't ask, don't tell" in 2011, male-on-male-rape victims could actually be discharged for having engaged in homosexual conduct. That's no longer the case—but the numbers show that men are still afraid to report being sexually assaulted.

Analysis: I think this passage shows the strength and bravery it takes to join the army. With statistics like this, showing your chances of sexual assault go up by a huge amount when you join the army,  it is shocking that so many people still inlist. This paragraph is trying to inform that men and women are both targeted for this crime. Unfortunately there is still so much wrong going on in the military, but this passage shows there was a positive change. Men no longer get discharged for getting raped.

3. “An overpowering shame prevents many enlisted men from reporting an assault—a sense that they must somehow be complicit in what has happened to them. Straight men often question their own sexual orientation, while gay men may struggle to find intimacy in relationships because they don't trust other men (or their own judgment). Telling the secret ruptures families and friendships. So does not telling.”

Analysis: This passage shows the emotional toll that sexual assaults take on people. With the already judgmental world and military, it can be extremely taboo to talk about a situation like this. The emotional struggle is already extreme that they are dealing with being sexually assaulted, while now they struggle with relationships and individuality.

Kill People with Kindness

Kindness is a virtue that people have been taught since they were a little kid. It’s the golden rule. People might think “obviously it’s important to be nice to people” but when put in situations of high stress or anger, we as humans, tend to lose sight of it.

Image Source

Article: "How Kindness Will Change Your Life and the World" from the Huffington Post Author: Tina Williamson (Student of Buddhism) Link to Source

Key Passages

1. “It is said that The Buddha first taught kindness to a group of monks meditating in the forest. These monks were scared of "spirits" in the forest. Likely just afraid of the dark, their fear turned into anger and their anger turned into hate. Many conflicts arise this way; we mistaken and exaggerate our fear of the unknown. The frightened monks went to the Buddha and asked for advice. Through meditation and mindfulness, they were taught how to live a life of kindness, they learned to protect others. The monks went back to the forest with a refreshed outlook. As they practiced the teachings on kindness the forest began to feel safe. They no longer feared ‘unknown spirits’ and with a heart of kindness the creatures and aliveness of the forest became beautiful.”
   
   Analysis: I think that when people are constantly paranoid about others being a threat to them or take things the wrong way, they tend to have negative attitudes toward those people. This passage shows how rather than assuming people are rude, it’s important to take the first step and go out of your way to be nice to someone. That’s only the real way to find out if those around you have the potential of being a friend to you. If they act negatively towards you, at least you tried by being kind to them.
   
   
2. “When our mind is full of agitation and aggression we become overly sensitive to everything that happens to us. Irritation arises at the slightest provocation. If you dwell on other's negative habits you won't get along with many people, we all have faults, big and small. Those who annoy you will increase -- not decrease. When you look at the world through a lens of kindness, non judgement and compassion, you would see good people. People just like you -- people who want to be happy.”
   
   Analysis: This passage teaches how we should not constantly be critical of those around us. We can’t let the negative things happening in our life or little irritations affect the way we treat those around us. Everyone is going through hard things in life, and treating people poorly because you’re having a bad day isn’t a good excuse. If you are having issues with someone that isn’t worth real confrontation, kill them with kindness rather than giving them a cold shoulder.
   
   

3. “Don't underestimate the ripple effect of your actions on the planet. And don't underestimate the boomerang effect your actions will have on your own life; even if not immediately apparent. Allow kindness to become the natural and spontaneous response to every situation, with this increased ability to respond compassionately, true success will follow.”

Analysis: We normally, as humans, don’t think that saying “hello” or smiling at a stranger will make a difference, but it really could make someone’s day. Something as simple as that. This also makes me think about “the bystander effect” we learned about in Psychology. If someone drops their books in the hall or just fell on the ground, we usually think “oh, someone else is going to help, I don’t need to”. It’s important that we start being that person who IS going to help out that person and not wait or assume that someone else will. Small acts of kindness go a long way.

A New Pair of Eyes

U.S./European Union Flag on the left, Ukraine in the middle, Russia on the right (source: www.social-searcher.com)

A couple of weeks ago, I ran into a kid in Florida. What are the odds that I am following the Ukrainian-Russian conflict and he happens to be a seventeen-year-old junior in high school that speaks Russian that spent several years living in the Ukraine, where his family is from? To gain a different perspective on the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, he allowed me to interview him to see how a Ukrainian kid living in the United States feels about what is going on. These are the questions followed by his response:

1. What is going on between the Ukraine and Russia?

“Ukraine and Russia are two neighboring countries that have a very long, shared, tense history together. During many episodes in history, they have been one combined nation. In other instances, Ukraine has been independent from the classic world power to the East. All that is happening now is that Russia is seizing the opportunity to attempt to take back what has at many times been theirs, taking advantage of glaring political weaknesses that have plagued Ukraine in the past decade. Many of these political failures have resulted in large chunks of the Ukrainian population challenging the notion of whether or not they are capable of self rule, and therefore favor an annexation from the apparently more stable Russia. Russia in turn welcomes the opportunity, because while unstable and rebellious, the Ukrainian territory is one of the richest chunks of land in the world, in terms of natural resources, which the government of Moscow would love to once again control.”

2. How do you feel about the annexation of Crimea?

“The annexation of Crimea is the first step in Russia’s plan to annex Ukraine back. I feel that many could call it a flagrant invasion, but really, the population of the area seems to be divided on the matter, so it’s difficult for westernized countries to judge.”

3. How accurately do you believe the American media is portraying what is going on?

“The American media has not portrayed ANYTHING accurately, even in its long, shameful history of ‘reporting on matters,’ and these issues between Russia and Ukraine are obviously no exception. This attitude has traditionally been particularly true when it comes to discussing matters related to Russia and its dealings with its neighbors and its foreign policy.”

4. Should the Ukraine fight to get the land back?

“Ukraine needed to fight to stabilize their situation long before any of this started, and they didn’t. Now, their population’s opinion is divided, and they first need to work to redefine their identity before they ‘fight’ for meaningless issues, like territory that they can’t control on their own.

5. Should other countries, such as the U.S. and those in the European Union, get involved?

“They should, if their intentions are to help stabilize the region, insure that there are no human rights violations, and help justice prevail. But really, they shouldn’t because in reality what they do, they do so to wield their own influence in the region, defend their own interests and reputation, and undermine their enemies like bickering children."

The results of this interview are very interesting. Although a Ukrainian native, the young man gave a very intriguing and different perspective on the entire situation. In all the articles I’ve read about this conflict, nothing has ever come up about the Ukraine’s instability in the first place. Even though I’ve heard it before, it’s shocking to see how this young man feels about the U.S. getting involved in the conflict. In the U.S., our country is portrayed as a helper and hero; however, in the eyes of some of these Ukrainian people, the U.S. does not have a positive reputation at all.  

WKB St. Louis Legacies

Photo by Janet Weed

With the wealth William Keeney Bixby accumulated throughout the years he was able to contribute much to the city he thrived in, St. Louis. The question is what exactly did he contribute? His most significant lasting contributions are seen in the Washington University in downtown St. Louis, the St. Louis Art Museum, and the Missouri History Museum. In Sally Bixby Defty’s book, Passionate Pursuits: William Keeney Bixby, she addresses these contributions, which I will further explain in the list below.

1. WKB first emerged as an important public figure when he was named to the head of the Fine Arts Commission for the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Bixby was picked for this leadership role due to his already extensive knowledge of art from around the world. Bixby’s role as the head was to choose different art pieces to be displayed during the fair. This demonstrates the esteem that Bixby had gained throughout the years and the respect that others paid to him. Having such an educated worldview and cultural understanding others saw him as a highly influential individual who had a lot to offer to society.
2. As Washington University in St. Louis was becoming established, Bixby saw the university as a great investment. Going along with his interest and admiration for the fine arts, in 1921 WKB donated $250,000 [$3 million in 2010] that led to the construction of the W.K. Bixby Hall of Fine Arts on campus. By 1926 art students were able to use these new facilities. Although this was a great opportunity for the college, it also served as another mark and reminder of the importance of Bixby’s economic expenditures in St. Louis.
3. Not only did WKB contribute to the Hall of Fine Arts at Washington University, but also him and three other St. Louisians each gave $150,000 [$3.4 million in 2010] to endow four chairs at the medical school, which established the William K. Bixby Professorship in Surgery. I believe this donation shows that with Bixby’s financial resources he knew that he both could do good for the local school, as well as continue to establish a legacy that we clearly see now.
4. Bixby was a major donor to the St. Louis Artists’ Guild, both as the principal contributor to the Guild’s building on Union Boulevard in 1908 and in the funding for prizes. This guild eventually became the St. Louis Art Museum in 1971 when tax support for the museum was approved by residents of the St. Louis County. Once again, this shows Bixby’s passion for art and his desire to make it a prominent sector of the St. Louis culture and something that would come to attract individuals to the city in the future.
5. The Missouri Historical Society, founded in 1866, was relocated to a structure on the north side of Forest Park in 1912. That building, now known as the Missouri History Museum, was very important to WKB. He was a mainstay of the organization and served twice as president. He believed that this was the perfect place for the museum to be located, in the center of the St. Louis, allowing easy access to both residents and visitors.
6. The list of Bixby’s gifts to the Society in one month alone, March 1915, takes up 35 pages in the Society’s minutes. The museum now houses an archive center that includes all records of the World’s Fair and documentation of the history of St. Louis and the state, the Mississippi and Missouri valleys and the Louisiana Purchase. Once again, this shows how Bixby wanted to influence future generations by making sure they were able to learn about the history of St. Louis.

Bixby was gracious enough to contribute his knowledge and material wealth to the city of St. Louis. He made it possible for those who come to St. Louis, both those who are visiting and live there, to learn more about the rich history of this city and have access to copious resources.

How Great Britain Shaped Who America is Today

A Police Officer salutes the American flag. source: nytimes.com

There are certain fundamentals that America and its citizens treasure that make the United States of America a unique country including its dedication to freedom and  it’s pride. These three characteristics, although taken for granted and sometimes disliked, are the root of the American Dream. We have Great Britain to thank for all of this.

When Great Britain put their soldiers above the colonists, imposed unfair taxes, punished for speaking (or writing) out,  they were framing the ideas that our countries’ Bill of Rights lays out. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press are two of the most influential and impactful privileges that our citizens have because it creates a feeling of safeness and an openness that many people in other countries don’t have. Our freedoms which include speech, press, religion, guns and privacy. These freedoms directly correlate to events where the British abused colonists, and the new American framers wanted to make sure it couldn’t happen again. There have been issues in the recent past which affect the view of America’s dedication to equality. For this, I think if we all, as Americans, went and studied the fundamentals of what this nation grew on, many people would have a different view on these issues and racism as a whole. America needs a call to action to come together and act as proud Americans, not a separated bunch of people from different countries. The pride that one feels when studying how the oldest people from our nation fought for our freedoms could somewhat help the issues, I believe.

The effect of Colonialism and Great Britain’s oppression created the basis of what our country was built on. We see this, also, through the ways our laws were/are created, how our government works. The system of checks and balances we subscribe to is a key part of our nation’s government and part of it comes from Great Britain’s oppression. The creators and editors of our government system wanted to make sure one area didn’t have too much power, because before becoming an independent nation, the British government that ran the thirteen colonies had too much power. This is why we have a system to make sure that no single part of government is too powerful or abusing the rights that we’ve laid out in the Constitution. The separation of power lets more people have a say and allows for equal discussion and interpretation of the nation’s possible laws and rules; which differs from how Great Britain ran the colonies by randomly announcing new laws without explanation or notice for the public. Now we, as the public, have the ability to know what is being legislated months, and sometimes years, in advance, so there are never surprises. If our government was still run the way Great Britain ran the Thirteen Colonies, there would be huge issues every time a piece of legislation was passed. The oppression created a desire to be knowledgeable and in-the-know about what was happening in the country, and now Americans have that.  

Great Britain didn’t intend on creating the most powerful country in the world with it’s oppression, but through its actions, it did. Americans, although always disagreeing, should be proud of the country they live in and the fight that has already been won. If thirteen colonies can win against the then-most powerful country in the world, we as a country can overcome hardship and unite.

The Flat Tax in America.

Other countries have implemented a flat tax and have had success. They are not the only ones because not only have we had a flat tax in the past, but presidential hopefuls Steve Forbes and Jerry Brown have advocated one.

Matt Cherry wrote an article on CNN, titled “America’s History With the Flat Tax”, which is a news website that can give information to people about taxes, the economy, and events in the world.

Source: penniesfromstones

“The country's first experiment with a flat tax came in 1861. The nation was mired in civil war, and President Abraham Lincoln's administration had to find a way to help raise money to wage the conflict.”

My opinion on this statement is that it is a good example of a reason we could use the flat tax. The flat tax is probably going to make the biggest dent in the economy during war time periods such as the Civil War. Lincoln implemented this tax in order to pay for defense and army supplies, as well as for the increasing price on tariffs. I believe this would work during war time because that is when we would need the money the most. As we start to get more involved in the war on terror, we will need more money to supply our soldiers and our allies against the terrorists. We could use the flat tax to implement a fair tax percentage from everyone and then use that money to research into new war materials and to fund the expensive war items like the stealth bombers. The flat tax would not only make the tax system fair, but it also helps defend the country in which we live.

  “The income tax was seen as a way of giving Congress a way to lower the tariff rates. In 1894, it enacted the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act. This included another flat-rate tax - 2% on incomes above $4,000.”

In my opinion the flat tax in this situation would allow more goods to be bought and transported to America. The problem was that the tax imposed on imported goods and services was so high that Congress used the flat tax to try and eliminate this problem. By implementing the flat tax, it allowed the government to tax the people at a low enough percentage where they would not get angry, but they could still pay off the high tariff rates. This could work today in the U.S. because we are very deep in debt to other countries. If we implemented a flat tax then we could pay off that debt much quicker and have more money to spend on things like defense and education. Once our debts are paid off, then the percent taken could be set a little lower, allowing a small percentage of tax to be taken from the people and therefore make them happy.

How much debt is the U.S. in?

Are there any more presidential candidates in favor of the flat tax?

How We Can Save A Dying Resource

pacificwhale.org

Many of my past blog posts have been sounding like we are just destroying and destroying the oceans without trying to help it in any way but we can, and have been doing a lot to try and restore our oceans, if not to their original state but something close to it.

Here are some ideas from the National Geographic

• First these might sound a little bit crazy, don't take your car everywhere, try to leave it at home if you could.
•  Take the stairs instead of elevators, switch your light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs and don't always have your heater or ac on. 

 You can do many of these easily, walking to places nearby instead of using your car can greatly help reduce the amount of pollution you are putting into the atmosphere. Switching your light bulbs can cut greenhouse gases almost in half, like in Australia where in 2010 they issued a nationwide ban on incandescent bulbs (Regular white ones) and said that this would reduce their emissions by 800,000 tonnes by 2012. Their current emission total is about 564.7 million tonnes so it might not seem like a lot is being reduced in two years, but this is much better then if they hadn't enacted the ban where their use would be increasing instead of reducing.

• Another important point is to use less plastic products.

Millions of different fish are killed by plastic products, whether it's through the plastic dissolving in the ocean and releasing toxic chemicals which can be deadly not only to the ocean's inhabitants but to the ocean itself or fish just accidentally eating small pieces of the plastic that's scattered across oceans. You can carry around a reusable water bottle, store food in non disposable containers and bring your own reusable bag when grocery shopping. These all can help reduce the millions of tons of plastic that are put into the oceans every year.

Doing these different things can help greatly improve the condition of the ocean that we use so much of, and maybe if we do even more, we can start turning things around in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Sex War

Below is a question and answer about the specifics of sexual harassment in the military using the article from Huffington Post, “The Unspoken Sex War Thriving in Our Military.”

Q: Are women more affected than men when it comes to sexual harassment?

A: With the situation being so silent there is no way to tell exactly how many sexual assaults have occurred over the years in the military. “More than 50 sexual assaults occurred per day between October 2010 and September 2011, with women being the most common victims and high-ranking men the most likely perpetrators.” The men are not necessarily never victims, but unfortunately women are the common target. While there are not many women compared to men in the military, in 2011 there were approximately 203,000 women in service. Tragically, “one third of our female military personnel say they have fallen victim to this invisible wound.” If you do the math, that is around 67,666 women who have been pushed past their limits. Yes, women are more affected than men.

Q: What is happening to these innocent women?

A: These women feel as if they are to blame for this disgusting crime because of what our culture says. “They explain how the belief that they "asked for it" permeates through every discussion with the military officials tasked to tackle the MST problem.” What nobody realizes is the true feelings these individuals face every day. They are sleep deprived and suffering through an intense feeling of shame. The women “describe a numbness that radiates through every aspect of their daily life, preventing them from experiencing emotions freely.” The victims need support in this time of pain but they are being forced to deal with it on their own.

What is happening with sexual harassment in the military?

What is happening with sexual harassment in the military?

• Briefly explain why you are interested in studying your topic: I am interested in studying this topic because I am going into the military. In less than two months I will be at basic training and dealing with these problems first hand. I want to know what I’m going into so I don’t let it happen to me. When I go to military events such as taking my tests and physicals, the personnel there never stop talking about how sexual assault needs to be reported. It intrigued me to see the seriousness of the issue.

• The overall question I plan on answering by the end of the project: How does sexual harassment affect the reputation of the military?

• Sub questions I will need to answer in order to answer the overall question: Where is it happening? Is the military working to prevent it?

• My plan for research: I plan on using news websites like Huffington Post and CNN for my research. I will also look into interviews with actual women who were victimized while in the military.

Identical Twins grow up to be similar even in different environments

Many of you might only know identical twins that grow up together, but have you ever heard about twins that were separated at birth for various reason, and how when they meet they have similar and different qualities due to the environment they grew up in

 

10 Facts about Nature vs. Nurture research done by Avi G.Haimowitz, professor at Rochester Institute of Technology  

 1. Even though our genes make up the person we are today, the environment we grow up in has an even bigger role in our lives. To learn how the environment changes us, psychologists have been doing research on separated identical twins for over a few decades. 

2. "Fraternal twins, or dizygotic twins, share exactly half their genes with each other. They are not as optimal as identical twins for deciphering the degrees of genetic influence, but they are a very good basis for comparison for identical twins. Fraternal twins are similar to first-degree relatives, except they are sure to share the exact same age, as do identical twins." These twin studies usually rely on samples of identical and fraternal twins; if biology has a greater hand than environment, then identical twins should behave or possess psychopathology similar to each other more so than fraternal twins, and that is what psychologist try to figure out through this research. To know can the environment you grow up in change you in a negative way or positive way.

3.  "One particular study sought to determine the heritability of attitudes among twins, as well as the genetic variables, such as intelligence, that could affect attitudes among pairs of twins. A questionnaire was provided to the participants, in which they were asked to rate their personality traits, physical abilities, and physical attractiveness. They were also asked to note their academic achievements." The results of the study showed that differences between attitudes of the participants had partially correlated to genetic factors. It also showed that attitudes related to self-reported perspectives or to activities were often correlated. The survey asked their subjects to rate themselves on the trait of sociability. This shows that intelligence of the individual also plays a significant role in the person they turn out to be. 

4.The mental state of a person is made up by the persons beliefs, intents, and desires. Many children acquire their mental state when they understand that objects and people can be wrongly interpreted and represented through their own mental state. For an exact age as to when a child acquires their mental state is at the age of four.

5. Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. The person finds it difficult to tell the difference between real and imagined experiences, to think logically, to express feelings, or to behave appropriately. "The first adoption study performed on schizophrenia showed that family environment contributes little to a child's risk for a disorder such as schizophrenia. Several of the adopted away children of schizophrenic mothers suffered from schizophrenia themselves, while the adopters whose parents didn't have schizophrenia also did not have schizophrenia themselves" Therefore we can conclude that the people who raise us and who we surround ourselves with have a big role in our lives. In this case it becomes a negative role.

6. Since America's divorce rates have been over the roof for the past couple of years, lets take a look on how divorce can effect a child in the mental aspect of their life.  Through research we learn that that adopted kids adjustment to divorce in terms of social ability, self-concept, and academic accomplishments were at least partially genetically influenced, but that their psychopathology could be attributed to environmental factor. 

7. "It was also found that adoptees experienced an even higher risk for antisocial personality disorder if both their biological parents and their adoptive parents came from criminal backgrounds. However, methodological problems exist with these kinds of studies because there are so many factors to consider. For example, it has yet to be clarified whether this disorder is more likely to be carried through the biological mother, or the biological father." This really interested me because most children grow up to seeing their parents doing good things, and they learn to acquire those same skills, but what if your parents were criminals, what do you do then? Do you trust in your instincts and do what is right to society or what your morals think is right? 

8. I just feel like kids in my generation automatically turn to suicide when they are faced with a problem they don't know how to handle. Instead of asking for help and reaching out to someone they find the easy way out of the situation. "Suicidal behavior is increased among relatives of suicide victims, but the singular cause of this is unclear. A study was conducted to figure out if the cause for this increased risky behavior was due to family heritability. It compared relatives of suicide victims with relatives of demographically similar adolescents." You can't really blame these kids because they aren't educated enough about all the people that can help them, and they turn to this because all they see are people committing suicide because they couldn't handle pressure or other reasons. 

9.Attitudes, beliefs, and norms are constructed during the adolescent age and made more concrete over time . This process of socialization most notably occurs through the contact that adolescents have with their peer groups. The theory of group socialization posits that the peer group and other outside-the-home socialization are responsible for shaping the personality of adolescents and teenagers
10. Adopted children are more likely to suffer from psychological mental issues rather than those children who are raised by their own parents.  Personality is a good example of a trait that has been studied in twins. Identical twins reared apart are far more similar in personality than fraternal twins. These observations suggest that personality is heritable. However, the environment must also be looked at. There are two kinds of environmental effects: shared experiences and not hared experiences. Although identical twins are genetically identical and share the same family environment, identical twins raised together do not have identical personalities. These differences must then be explained entirely by not shared environmental effects.

The Bad

  What Negative Effects do Video Games have on Personalities?

In an article I read from PROCON titled; "Do Violent Video Games Contribute Youth Violence?", psychologists discuss the relationship between video games and violence. 

Source

"Video games often reward players for simulating violence, and thus enhance the learning of violent behaviors. Studies suggest that when violence is rewarded in video games, players exhibit increased aggressive behavior compared to players of video games where violence is punished. " This is very evident. Most video games do promote violence as a mean to solve problems in them. Players who play video games show increased aggressiveness. For example my brother when we got our first fighting game, he started to punch my sister. It makes sense that my brother started to show aggressive behavior after playing a fighting video game.  "Violent video games teach youth that violence is an acceptable conflict-solving strategy and an appropriate way to achieve one's goals. A 2009 study found that youth who play violent video games have lower belief in the use of nonviolent strategies and are less forgiving than players of nonviolent video games." Kids nowadays find violence to be an acceptable solution to solving real world problems. They find  more violent methods to get stuff done. Also they do not pick non-violent solutions. They are also unforgiving than people who play non-violent games.  "Violent video games require active participation, repetition, and identification with the violent character. With new game controllers allowing more physical interaction, the immersive and interactive characteristics of video games can increase the likelihood of youth violence." As I commented on in my previous blogs, video games can effect personality. When you have to pretend that you are a specific character and you are required to behave a certain way, it changes the way you think. That is why kids who play violent games can develop violent tendencies. "Violent video games can train youth to be killers. The US Marine Corps licensed Doom II in 1996 to create Marine Doom in order to train soldiers. In 2002, the US Army released first-person shooter America's Army to recruit soldiers and prepare recruits for the battlefield." As shown above, if video games can be used as a method to find people to recruit into the army and prepare them for the battlefield. It becomes obvious that video games can promote violent behaviors in people.

Discussion Question: What is the future of video games?

Mi País Is Your Country

time.com

Open your passports America, it is now possible to travel to Cuba - ¡andale, andale!  

For those seeking to tan on the white sandy beaches of Cayo Coco or those who want to salsa in the streets of Havana...unfortunately there are still restrictions for the types of travel allowed. Only 12 types of travel will now be permitted to Cuba including: family visits, government meetings, and competitions to name a few.

For authorized travelers, this means that they will no longer need a specialized government license: a benefit that still leaves the average leisure-tourist to question why traveling to Cuba is significant? Luckily, economics and immigration reporter Roberto A. Ferdman address this concern in article for the Washington Post which highlights what the  “New Cuban Travel Rules Mean To Americans.”  

As a result of the puppet wars fought during the Cold War, the economic embargo placed on Cuba has ruined it's economy and hopes for modernization. Fifty years since, the Obama administration has made significant headway towards “normal[izing] diplomatic relations” with Cuba. Achieving this goal takes time. Clearly the Obama administration understands the time needed considering that in 2009, the newly elected “president made it easier to Cuban American to visit family” and in 2011, “the administration made it easier for Americans to travel...for educational, religious, and cultural purposes.” Although there are still limitations on who can visit Cuba, the mere fact that more people can travel to Cuba shows sign of increased diplomacy.

Making it easier to travel to Cuba will not only establish more diplomatic relations, but Cuba’s economy will be given a chance to improve. Just like outsourcing jobs has proved advantageous for developing countries like India - cheap labor for business and more jobs for Indians - the same can happen in Cuba. 

As more people travel to the island, it is inevitable that even more people will want to go. Author on Cuba, Julia Sweig notes “without the bureaucratic hassle…[more Americans traveling to Cuba is] going to create a real impetus for officially lifting the travel ban once and for all.”  Regardless, tourism - of any type - contributes greatly to the economy. At its peak, Cuba was a hot destination for famed American writers and socialites. With the new travel regulations, economic globalization can spread to Cuba which will boost the country's popularity once more.

As more democratic societies travel to Cuba’s communist country, it likely Cuba’s communist government will be in question. Nonetheless, while it is uncertain if the new travel restrictions will bring about positive legislature, it is clear that the modernization of Cuba is in the developing stages - a step in the right direction for anyone with a passport book.

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Now, at the end of my blog posts, I have explored the cost of traveling - and yes, there are many!  But before I depart, I would like to conclude that as more people, countries, and ideas become connected through travel, it becomes clear that the intangible value of traveling far exceeds the monetary price.