Manifestation miracle

Why It Benefits to Read the Motivating Quotes

Image result for feeling happy

When you start to feel down or depressed, a simple solution for a quick pick me up is to read a series of inspirational or motivating quotes. Whether you decide to read William Shakespeare, Buddha, or Rumi quotes, there is an endless list to read which should keep you entertained for a long time. Here are five positives of reading the motivating quotes:

Provides inspiration

Reading the motivating quotes is certain to help improve your mental well-being with its ability to give great inspiration. After reading a series of quotes, you are more likely to have a positive outlook, feel happy and motivated, and willing to get on with your day-to-day activities or even try something different for a change.

Gives encouragement

For those feeling down and depressed, the motivating quotes provide a simple, fast, and cheap remedy to help improve your general outlook on life and leaves you feeling better within yourself. Experts believe that a person's thoughts can have a significant impact on success in life and by removing the more disturbing or negative thoughts it is possible to be more content and productive.

Cures postponement

A regular reading of quotes is certain to benefit from its ability to help cure postponement. Anyone that regularly experiences issues with delaying a certain action will find reading a book dedicated to quotes can give a boost of motivation and encourage you to move on and get working on what you keep leaving to one side.

Capture your subconscious mind

Anyone that reviews the motivating quotes on a day-to-day basis has the benefit of being able to capture the subconscious mind. Psychologists believe the subconscious mind is extremely resourceful and creative. If you are able to fill your mind with positive thoughts that come from reading quotes, this has the potential to give an all-round boost to your personality.

Theme for meditation

Reading quotes from the world's spiritual leaders or scriptures can make it possible to feel quite relaxed and this can become a useful theme for meditation.

How best to read quotes

There are several simple techniques that can be used to help increase the potential benefits of reading quotes, including:

Read the quotes more than once

If you really want a quote to sink in and resonate with you it usually helps to read several times. Reading a quote on a daily basis has the potential to affect you in a positive manner in relation to both behavior and mind. For ease in reading the quote it can help to print it out or copy it so that it is always readily available.

Think about the quote just read

Once a quote has been read make sure to think about its meaning and how it might have a positive influence on your life. Not every quote written is meant to have a deep meaning, but if able to carefully think about those you read, there is usually some inner meaning that can benefit you.

Read between the lines

If you really want to get a deeper understanding of what is being said in the motivating quote it helps to try reading between the lines. By fully understanding the meaning of the quote it is positive to take ideas and inspiration that can improve your day-to-day life.

Collect favorite quotes

For complete ease in reading the favorite quotes it is possible to create a personal collection that is stored in a pocketbook or on the smartphone. So, if you have a free moment at home or work, it is possible to pull out your collection of quotes and have a good read.


Varoom 35: Tell Me a Story – Julian Glander

Nature Movie, Julian Glander

In these extracts from the Varoom 35: Storytelling article, Varoom talks to 3D animator, illustrator and “art person”, Julian Glander. Celebrated for his dazzlingly coloured humourous gifs and illustrations, he recently created a dozen intriguing time-lapse plant growth videos, created in residency at the Folly Tree Arboretum (a collection of rare and unusual trees ‘devoted to nature’s sense of humour’), that transform hypnotically as one watches.

What compels you to tell stories?

Julian Glander: Narrative is the most powerful tool an artist can use to get their audience personally invested in a work. When you’re held in suspense and curious to see where a story goes, you become totally open and let that story into your mind completely. It feels like magic.  As an artist, I just really like that I get to be part of someone’s day in that way.

Which storyteller, from any medium, do you most admire and why?

JG: Miranda July, a filmmaker, artist and writer. Everything she does feels so alive and intimately personal, and she makes it work across every media you can think of.

The Wind, Julian Glander

What are the most important elements in a narrative piece?

JG: The ending. To me, narrative is a promise and fulfillment of that promise.  Every narrative piece starts with a “promise” — sometimes it’s a plot goal: our heroine sets out to kill a crocodile, etc. In my work it’s more often a tonal promise — you can expect from the first frame that the piece is going to be funny, or be zen and hypnotic.

A lot of great narratives deliver on these promises directly, but just as often the best ending is one that subverts the expectations you set up. The heroine can get eaten by a crocodile. The heroine and the crocodile can become best friends. In a tonal piece, the subversion might be more of a shift in atmosphere: a serene and calm nature scene getting interrupted by a tractor running through it, for instance. But for a story to feel satisfying, the end has to be connected to the beginning in a meaningful way.

Screen-Shot-2016-08-16-at-6.40.37-PM_800 copy

Clone Babys, Julian Glander

Julian Glander

The full article is available in Varoom 35: Storytelling.


Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 (A Mixtape of Might, Mirth and Melancholy!) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 (A Mixtape of Might, Mirth and Melancholy!)
      Minor spoilers ahead! Also, when discussing the film and story details, please be considerate of others who have yet to see... Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 (A Mixtape of Might, Mirth and Melancholy!)

Minor spoilers ahead!

Also, when discussing the film and story details, please be considerate of others who have yet to see the sequel via adding spoiler tags (e.g. <spoiler>spoiler</spoiler>) in the comment section down below.

After the huge box office success from yet another movie based on a fourth-tier marvel comic, Guardians of the Galaxy has return but like most first sequels, it’s more ambitious than the previous film. But is ambition good enough to surpass the 2014 blockbuster hit both critically and commercially?

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, the gang is back in town but this time, they are up against a new enemy Ayesha who is the leader of a race of gold skinned humanoids called the Sovereign (Hmm, “gold skinned”, sounds familiar…) thanks to Rocket resort back to his old ways despite being a “Guardian” steals valuable power source as in batteries. A pissed off and piss colored Ayesha, dispatches unmanned drones in a hilarious spoof on videogame culture, to ambush Rocket and his teammates only to have her attack diverted thanks to a mysterious stranger riding atop an egg-shaped vessel.

“Golden Lady, golden lady, I’d like to go there..”

The “savior” revealed himself to be Peter Quill’s Father-Ego a god like celestial being as obviously hinted from the movie’s prologue invites Quill, Gamora and Drax to his planet. But what lie behinds Ego’s true intentions for this family reunion? Could it be to groom Starlord as an heir and succeeding protector of the universe or something sinister?

Despite my skepticism going in due to the first film’s screenwriter Nicole Perlman being ousted from the sequel, I really enjoyed Volume 2. It’s more of what you have seen from the first GOTG film however, the focus is primarily based on Peter Quill’s arc and there are some amazing revelations between him and his omnipotent daddy. Kurt Russell (Ego) delivers a fantastic performance and is a welcomed addition to the MCU. I was amazed at how convincing the CGI effects were implemented when creating a young Kurt during the prologues. This is way above what was seen in previous films such as X-Men3’s younger Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr. Imagine a sequel to Escape from New York using these effects, instead of yet another unnecessary remake. But allow me to digress a bit.

Old Snake (in the grass?)

The special effects and set pieces a twice as good as the first not because of explosions and ship battles but majestic scenery as in Ego’s landscape and his palace is a sight to behold. It’s as if they were referenced from legendary Writer and Artist; Jim Starlin’s designs. Brilliant trippy aesthetics regardless if you are watching it in 3D or that old undisputed format-Two Dimensional!

Russell makes Ego seem likable and trusting due to his grounded nature while reminiscing about Quill’s departed mother accompanied by dialogue like Patrick Bateman’s rather song trivia, then drops a bombshell which I cannot reveal to those who have yet to see Vol.2 and man, is it a jaw dropper!

Other notable appearances are Sylvester Stallone who also makes his debut within the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Starhawk, Yondu’s mentor and true leader of the Ravagers. There’s an abundance of Easter eggs thrown about and fans of the comic will experience a few goosebumps throughout.

When it comes to humor and there is a huge abundance of it, Drax is the scene stealer in this one. Sure, both Rocket and “Baby Groot” have their share of the spotlight but Dave Bautista’s Drax had us cackling it up thanks to his condescending nature especially between a potential romance between him and Ego’s empath and pet-Mantis. Practically, almost every major character got a chance to shine and that includes Yondu who is a real badass. At first, I wasn’t very happy with Michael Rooker as the Blue alien archer but this guy gave a more humanistic portrayal that outdoes anything I have read from the fictional hero during the comics. I laughed my ass off when that sneaky bastard Gunn, parodied the iconic scene from the Avengers when the group joined together when facing a major threat.  XD

Wait for it…..

Here are a few critiques: Part of the narrative had the central protagonist splitting apart ala 1996’s cult classic Transformers: The Movie and like said animated feature, there are plenty of songs/mixtape from various recording artists thrown in but unlike Transformers, they weren’t that impressive and some like Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” was poorly implemented during action sequences. But I have to give props for both Brandy and especially Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr.Blue Sky” during the film’s quirky intro reminding me of GIJoe: The Movie’s spectacular opening sequence. Well played!

This sequel is not without other minor flaws such as borrowing scenarios from other films be it Empire Strikes Back, Blade or Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan well, if you’re gonna imitate, at least do it from the best and that, Gunn and co have!

I was a bit annoyed at the catharsis of Gamora and Nebula’s arc due to it resulting as an all-too familiar trope however, the overall context of GOTG Vol.2 is about family and redemption, so I can’t really chalk the narrative as being flawed.

If you like the first Guardians, you’ll like or even love the second film. With its quirkiness, heart tugging moments and cosmic retro vibes straight out of Jim Starlin’s 70’s and 90’s era, you’re in for a treat!

Warning: Unless you really have to go to the restroom during the credits, stick around to the very end because there is a total of five, yes FIVE post credit strings with one being the most important for fans who demanded the inclusion of a certain cosmic superhero! Praise be.

Don’t forget to checkout our Disney merchandise on your way out!

Wanna know what’s missing from the Mixtape vol 2’s Soundtrack??

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What does volunteering require?wild goose volunteer
Volunteers commit to 16 hours of service on a team, training, and upholding the Volunteer Values. Most shifts are 4 hours at a time. Shifts are available before, during, and after the festival.

What is the process for volunteering?
* Complete the application form.
* By May we will open the self-scheduling program where if selected you pick your team and your 16 hours of service.
* Team Leaders will follow up with training instructions by email and in groups the week of the festival.

What are the benefits of volunteering?
* Ask 100 volunteers and you may get 100 different answers.
* Volunteers receive a full-festival pass, camping, parking, t-shirt, and breakfast.
* Use your skills and talents to help make the festival come alive for everyone.
* Try something new and discover things you didn’t know you would enjoy.
* It’s a great conversation starter in interviews. Put it on your resume.
* Sometimes it’s hard (because it’s hot, or it rains, or…) and hard can be good because sometimes it can help us to grow.
* Make friends you can stay in touch with, encourage, support, post cat videos…or crash on their couch when you travel across the country.

How many volunteers do you accept?
Each year the number of volunteers increases with the growing festival…180, 225, 260. Many hands make light(er) work, so we really do need volunteers to are willing to commit to the values that keep our community safe and fun to work and play together. We anticipate that more people will apply than we can accept, and even if you are accepted we are not able to guarantee a match that fits each person’s schedule or preferences, but if you are flexible, we will certainly try our best to you plug in.

What if I’ve never been to the Wild Goose Festival…should I volunteer?
Volunteering is a unique way to experience the festival. It can be a great way for first-time participants to jump in with both feet and plug into the festival community. An advantage of being a volunteer is that you will automatically get to know a smaller group of people by seeing them every day or working closely with them. Plus, volunteers often are interacting with other festival participants so they connect with many stories, get feedback about how the sessions are received, glean highlights and go deeper in conversation. Volunteers may not get to attend every session; however, they usually say the volunteering was the highlight of their weekend.

How old do I have to be to volunteer?
Some teams have age requirements of 18 and older. We also have several teams for 16 and 17 year olds with Parental Consent. We love having responsible, enthusiastic, hard-working young adults jump in. They often say volunteering was their favorite part of the festival because they met people and they felt a part of the big picture.

How do parents with children volunteer?
Our hope is that volunteering is an option that makes the festival a more affordable experience for families. Here are some creative ideas on how to make the 16 hours of service work for you:
* Sign up for pre-festival or post-festival shifts. This may provide more flexibility for your childcare options.
* Sign up to work in the kids programs. This way your schedule will be mostly concurrent with your child’s schedule.
* If you and your co-parent both sign up as volunteers, sign up for different schedules in order to alternate child-care.
* Sign up to volunteer and communicate with your Team Leader about the possibility of splitting the shifts with a co-parent/friend/family.

Can I schedule my volunteering around all the sessions I want to go to?
Great news is that you will have the freedom to schedule your 16 hours of team service. Unfortunately, the program schedule will not be finalized until much closer to June. You can work with your other team members and Team Leader to switch shifts where possible.

Thanks again for your interest in volunteering!


has raised certain issues connected with the International Conference on Cyber Crimes organized by CBI in Delhi. While the conference is now in progress here are some thoughts on the issues raised earlier through our article of september 10th.

A suggestion was also made on the need for setting up a Cyber Crime Help Desk at CBI. Here are some more suggestions on new Cyber Crime definitions required to be added to the statute. These have not been addressed even in the proposed amendments to ITA 2000 which are now under consideration.

Cyber Terrorism:

Cyber Terrorism is an area of attention to the Cyber Crime Managers. This includes not only use of ICT for off-line terrorist activities but also online terrorism such as those which destabilize the e-economy. Hence it is suggested that the following sectionÂ  be added to ITA 2000.

Â A Section to be introduced in Chapter XI of ITA 2000 to the following effect:

Â (MN) Whoever Â

uses aÂ  Computer or any associated device or an Electronic Document

Â to create destabilization of the economy or any segment there of,

intimidate or coerce the government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, or

to create disharmony in the society, Â

Â in furtherance of political, religious or social objectives or to harm the community injuriously

Â by any means

Â shall be liable for imprisonment upto 10 years or and fine upto Rs 100 lakhs

Spam Control

Â â€œSpammingâ€ is related to â€œMarketingâ€, â€œFreedom of Speechâ€ and â€œPrivacy Rightsâ€. It is necessary to therefore bring legislation on controlling â€œSpamâ€ without affecting the genuine right to use the Internet media for marketing both for commercial, social and political purpose. Similarly, the legislation should not curb the freedom of speech while upholding privacy of individuals.Â

The suggestion on â€œSpam Controlâ€ therefore includes modalities for managing genuine use of Internet as a communication medium through a â€œBulk E-Mail Licensing Programmeâ€.

Â It is open for the Government to designate the CCA (Controller of Certifying Authoritiesâ€ as the appropriate authority for the purpose of Spam Control.

Â XY) Sending Unsolicited Electronic Messages:

Â Except under a valid Bulk E-mail license from an appropriate authority

Â Whoever,

Â shall be punishable under this Act with any or all of the following

b) Imprisonment subject to a maximum of Two Years

c) Fine subject to a maximum of Rs 2 lakhs

Notwithstanding the punishment or penalties mentioned above, if the offence as defined under (XY) above results in or is intended to result in an act that is an offence under any other law in force, the offender shall also be liable for punishment or penalty to which the offender is liable under such laws.

For the purpose of the section (XY) above,

a.Â Â Â Â Â Â  the disclosure of source identity is considered sufficient if a reply can be sent to the disclosed source address and such reply does not bounce.

b.Â Â Â Â Â  an addressee may communicate his intention â€œnot to receiveâ€ a communication through a digitally signed message or in any other manner that may be laid down for the purpose and unless specified, such notice shall expire after 3 months.

c.Â Â Â Â Â Â  the unsolicited message shall be admissible as evidence in a Court of law even if it is not digitally signed. (Ed: corresponding change required to be made in Indian Evidence Act)

e.Â Â Â Â Â Â  a message is considered â€œsolicitedâ€ if it may be inferred from the conduct and existing business or other relationship of the recipient that he consented to such messages being sent to him.

f.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  â€œExpress Consentâ€ in sub clause (3) means only a consent obtained through a manually entered affirmative expression.

g.Â Â Â Â Â Â  â€œAppropriate Authorityâ€ for the purpose of this section shall be the â€œController of Certifying Authoritiesâ€ or any other authority specifically designated for the purpose by an order of the Government of India.

Cyber Squatting:

â€œCyber Squattingâ€ is related to â€œTrade Mark Rightsâ€. Further, any law passed on â€œCyber Squattingâ€ in India will interfere with the â€œUniform Dispute Resolution Policyâ€ which is a contractual obligation to which all domain name registrants are presently subjected to. It will also affect the rights of Indians who have to face charges of â€œSquattingâ€ in respect of international generic domain names such as dot com, dot org etc.

Â (PQ)Whoever, in bad faith and with the intention

Â to cause disrepute, harm to another person or

cause disruption of any legitimate business or

Â registers a domain name

Â shall be liable to pay damages to the person so affected not exceeding Rs 10 lakhs

Â Explanation:

Â For the purpose of this section exercising of due diligence including appropriate disclosures shall be considered as indications of lack of bad faith.

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As often happens, I hunted and hunted for a tell-able version of this myth before writing my own for use in Sunday service. Research tells me that the details have flexed over time in true folk traditional style, so I have made my own choices about what from which versions to keep and what to leave out. Tradition says, for example, that there were 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 pomegranate seeds–I suggest you pick a number that corresponds to the length of your winter.

The original title for this is “The Rape of Persephone”. Modern retellings often take “The Abduction of Persephone” as their name instead. For audiences with very young children, like mine, I prefer simply “Persephone’s Tale”.

Please do not reprint without permission, but feel free to tell it (out loud) with attribution. Enjoy!

Once upon a time a long time ago in the land of Greece there was a god named Zeus and a goddess named Demeter. Zeus was god of thunder and the sky, and king of the gods; Demeter was goddess of the harvest, of marriage, of the sacred law, and of life and death. They knew each other and wooed each other, and after some time, Demeter bore a daughter, Cora,–the maiden. Cora led a charmed life. She played in the fields, she ran in the woods, she spoke to the trees and the flowers, and everywhere she went her mother watched over her.

As she grew, the fresh air and sunlight was good for her, and she was as beautiful as she was wise, and young men and young gods across the land sought her hand in marriage.

But Demeter would not consent. No one was good enough to take her girl from the bloom of youth to the gravity of adulthood, and so Cora played on, and Demeter guarded her.

But then Hades, god of the underworld, set his eye for her, and having seen the other suitors fail, he tried something different. He went to Zeus, and offered his hand in marriage, saying, “When we are married she will have all the luxuries she needs; she will have gold and jewels unending; she will never want for a thing, and she shall be my queen, and rule the underworld with me.”

Zeus was persuaded, and so they agreed that Cora was to be his bride.
Hades knew that Demeter would never agree, so instead he bided his time, and one day, when Cora was picking flowers, he opened the ground before her and whisked her away in his chariot, to his palace.

When Demeter discovered that Cora was missing, she was stricken with grief. Nothing could comfort her, nothing could console her, she tore her clothes and unpinned her hair and dressed in mourning, seeking her child.

Everywhere she went she asked, and everywhere she went she came up empty—no one had seen, no one had heard, no one knew what had happened. At last, in desperation, she went to Helios, the sun, and begged him,

“If I have ever done anything to make you happy, to bring you joy or pleasure, please tell me; you see everything. What has become of my daughter?”

And he replied, “I have indeed seen, and I do indeed know. She was taken by Hades to the underworld, to be his bride.”

Demeter was furious. “Until she is restored to me,” she said, “Nothing may grow. No plant from the earth, no fruit of the vine. The skies shall be darkened but no rain shall fall. Let all the people know suffering, as I suffer.” So saying she wiped from the ground all living things and retreated to her home where she would see no one and speak to no one, and the world fell into a long famine.

Zeus, watching, thought she would realize her error. But as days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, he began to think that something must be done. People were dying of hunger and thirst; crops were failing; there was no food, no harvest, no store of grain. Finally he went to Hermes, the messenger of the gods, and said, “Bring her back. I gave my permission, but bring Cora back. The world cannot survive her mother’s grief.”

In the underworld, Cora had wedded Hades and taken the name Persephone; she ruled beside him but refused to eat, saying, “I did not know and did not choose this. I will rule fairly as I must, but I will not break bread here. What of my mother, and my days in the sun? Am I to be forever in this dark place?” And she was heartsick, and kind as he was, Hades could not persuade her. He offered her every kind of meat and bread and fruit, but she would have none.

Hermes travelled long and far to find the entrance to the underworld, and as he descended he could hear them once again: Hades, pleading, Persephone, resisting. Just as he crossed the river Styx he heard, “Just a handful, dear one, just a few, for you are pale and wasting.”

As Hermes and Persephone travelled back to the surface together, Hermes asked, “Did you eat anything?”

And she said, “Not until today, not until now, for he begged and pleaded and I was finally too weak to resist.” And Hermes said nothing, but his heart was heavy.

When they reached Demeter she cried with joy, and the earth at last sprung to life. Plants and flowers covered the land, trees bore fruit, and the people sang praises. But Hades had come too, and was petitioning Zeus, saying, “She ate the fruit; now the Fates will say she must stay with me.” Zeus asked Persephone, “Is this true?” And she said, “At the end, father, I was too weak to refuse his seeds; six seeds of the pomegranate I tasted and six I swallowed. I waited as long as I could.” And Zeus asked, “And was he kind? And was he good to you?” She said, “Yes, he was kind, and he was good to me, but Hades is dark and a place of the dead. I am also my mother’s daughter, and light runs in my veins.”

Zeus thought a while and then said, “You were fairly given in marriage, and fairly did you eat. But the world cannot bear your mother’s mourning, and I cannot bear yours. My decision is this: you shall spend six months with your husband, who is good to you and has made you a queen; and you shall spend six months with your mother, whose love and grief are so deeply entwined.”

And so it came to be that six months are dark and cold when Persephone brings her light to the underworld, and in the other six months Demeter rejoices, and the earth is full and plentiful, and spring and summer come again.


Bernat Martorell (1390-1452)

Martyrdom of Saint Eulalia, 1442-1445
Tempera and gold leaf on wood

Saint Eulalia (c.290-303), co-patron saint of Barcelona, was a 13-year-old Roman Christian who suffered martyrdom in Barcelona during the persecution of Christians during the reign of emperor Diocletian. The Romans subjected her to thirteen tortures, including cutting off her breasts, crucifixion, and decapitation.

Bernat Martorell (active 15th century) was the leading painter of Barcelona, and is considered to be the most important artist of the International Gothic style in Catalonia.


This aqueous vapour [1 minute, video]

John Tyndall was the first scientist to prove that Earth’s atmosphere has a greenhouse effect. [Wikipedia]

Tyndall’s experiments showed that molecules of water vapour, carbon dioxide, and ozone are the best absorbers of heat radiation. He concluded that water vapour is the most important gas controlling Earth’s surface temperature. [NASA Earth Observatory]

This eloquent scientist was a contemporary of Charles Darwin.

Some of Tyndall’s writings are available via Project Gutenberg


Down to Dunk Podcast Episode 267: Shooting Threes and Ranking OKC's Forwards

On today’s podcast we discuss the following topics:Comparing the ‘01 76ers to the current Thunder, Where do the Thunder forwards rank in the league?, What would it take for us to like Kyle Singler?, Over/Under 3pt% for each Thunder player, Central Division Preview, And more!


white background, studio shot, close-up, still life, orange color, food and drink, indoors, yellow, food, single object, freshness, table, high angle view, no people, fruit, copy space, healthy eating, multi colored, slice, two objects

Want to buy this photo?

📷 from South Australia.


FX Week

S&P rates Calyon AA-

The new rating is a downgrade for CAI, which previously had AA rating, but an upgrade for Credit Lyonnais, formerly rated A. But this is unlikely to affect the former CAI’s relationships with key clients, said S&P credit analyst Yves Burger. Instead, the size of the new group is likely to put the bank on a more equal footing with domestic peers.

The merger has created an entity about double the former size of CAI. Based on average revenues in corporate and investment banking the aggregated f


Oceanpunk (also known as Seapunk, or Piratepunk) is a sub-genre of Science Fiction dealing with a world of oceanographic colonization. It generally draws on Post-Apocalyptic themes, such as Global Warming. Though it may also draw from the realms of Fantasy, and Horror. Oceanpunk is known to feature Underwater Cities, Submarines, Floating Cities, and technology associated with exploring the depths beneath the waves. A common theme of Oceanpunk fiction is humanities relationship with the sea its self.

Pages in category "Oceanpunk"

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...how Trump threatened his political opponent with persecution. TO CHEERS.

Say what you will of American politics, I have never, ever heard anyone threaten an opponent with that kind of attack outside of existing demagogues and dictators. That’s huge, it’s dangerous, and it undermines the peaceful transition of power that keeps countries like ours from becoming Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia (hell, current Russia.)


A Belief-Imposed Learning Disability And An Administration Unethical At Its Core

One question too rarely asked in education is: What relation is there between ethical behavior and learning? Or is there a meaningful relationship? Does unethical behavior interfere with learning? Of course, from this comes the question of “whose ethics” or “what is ethics?”

A similar question arises in politics. It can be argued that the heart of ethical behavior for a politician is to serve the interests of his or her constituents. And, if this is true, does the ethical behavior of politicians depend on their willingness and ability to educate themselves about issues, take on new positions—in other words, to be empathic and subsume their own personal interests to that of those they serve?

I am not a professional ethicist but I recognize that all of us ask ethical questions all the time. Every time we consider which action to take, or we ask “should I think long term or short?” Or “should I think only of my self-interest or other people’s?” Or we try to figure out which actions will create the best possible life for us—these are all ethical questions. Ethics is often defined as a system of, or principles of, morals, or the way we decide what is moral. Moral usually refers to what is right versus wrong, good versus bad, socially acceptable versus unacceptable. Today, ethical and moral are often used synonymously.

Ethics and morals thus have to do with how we act, especially how we act in relation with others. And we relate differently to people according to what we think we know or don’t know about them. We relate to our parents differently than our friends, to our lovers or close friends differently than acquaintances. We relate differently with those we assume agree with us versus those we think disagree with us.

When we think someone agrees with us, we assume we understand their point of view. However, how often have you assumed someone agrees with you and then been proven wrong? Corradi Fiumara, a philosopher and psychoanalyst, points out that when “perceiving one’s own mirror image in others, it then becomes difficult to accept others as ‘real’ persons.” We can easily reduce the other to an image of our self. In a like manner, when someone disagrees with us, or we assume they do, we often reduce them to “not-us” or in opposition to us, and refuse to see them or hear what they have to say. We label them as opponents or enemies and we lose the sense of them as full living beings. We see them merely as an idea, our idea.

In either case, we have to be careful with our assumptions or we jeopardize our ability to learn⏤to learn who others truly are, or learn from them and their viewpoint. We remain closed-in. In order to learn from others, we must allow ourselves to change and take in something new. We can’t hear what we don’t listen to. We can’t listen without making ourselves vulnerable. We can’t be vulnerable to other beings without recognizing they are like us, but not us. That we know some things about them, yet don’t know so much more. Only when we realize that we don’t know can we begin to know others.

The philosopher Martin Buber said, “All real living is meeting.” The self arises in relationship. There is no “I” without a ‘you’. ‘I’ come to exist in relation to something or someone. There is no understanding of self without an understanding of other, and vice versa. To relate with others, we need an understanding of who the other is. We need to let them in.

Thus, to act ethically, we must be drawn beyond our already assumed answers, beyond what we think is true or untrue, like and dislike, beyond our old images of who we are. If our inner voice is drowned out by past understandings and beliefs, we can’t hear anything new and can’t hear or see what is happening, what we are involved in, now.

The same has to do with learning material in a classroom. If we don’t sometimes question what we think and believe, it’s difficult to know what we don’t know. If we think we already know the material, we won’t listen to it or see it. If we think we can’t listen, we won’t. If we feel threatened, we turn away. We can’t learn anything. And we can’t act ethically.

One problem with our political system now is that we have politicians who not only don’t listen to others, they have an ideology that says they should not listen to others. What does not mirror back to them their own self-interest is mirrored as evil and threatening, or as a lie, as something not-to-be-heard. They believe in egoism, and probably agree with the philosopher Ayn Rand that only by being selfish will the good of the whole be served. They believe that only by being selfish can you be rational— and think it is the height of irrationality to be compassionate, or altruistic.

In this way they refuse, as Lisbeth Lipari says in her wonderful book Listening, Thinking, Being: Towards An Ethic of Attunement, to listen for others, so as to hear the otherness, the reality, of others. That other people (and species) are feeling beings, alive, valuable, both like them and different. They cannot conceive or feel that others can live or think in a way beyond what they imagine and believe. All they listen to are the internally pre-recorded announcements of what they have already assumed as true. And thus, they fail to understand themselves as beings reaching beyond what they imagine and believe, beyond what they already have known.

They do not recognize that who they are is shaped in relation to how they understand, feel for, and relate to others. To usurp, dismiss, ignore the humanity of others is to undermine their understanding of their own humanity and ability to learn about and from others. Thus, they have a self-imposed or belief-imposed learning disability. And if ‘I’ only arises with a ‘you,’ then we are born with and out of an ethical concern. The belief-imposed disability thus creates an ethical disability. This administration, as is clear to so many, is unethical not just about one policy or another, but at its core.

**I recommend Lisbeth Lipari’s book to educators, to anyone interested in language, compassion, learning.

“Who Am I?” Ironies About Self

There are many ironies about feeling good about yourself and knowing who you are. For example, you might think of your identity as who you are. You might think the more you stand out, the more you are you. Yet, the more you stand out, the more lonely you might feel. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who I was, what my skills were, how I was unique, and thought that the more unique I was, the more others would like or love me. Yet, the root of ‘identity’ is ‘idem,’ meaning ‘same’ or like others. And one definition of self, in psychology, is how we see ourselves from the point of view of others. To be different, to stand out, you must be connected. To be unique, you must be unique in relation to something or someone(s). The philosopher Martin Buber said there is no ‘I’ without others. I agree.

So does neuroscience. When not occupied or engaged in a task, psychologist Mathew Lieberman says our brains turn to social concerns. Whether it’s integrating previous experiences with others or planning for future ones, a good part of our mental space, when alone, is thinking about others. The neurologist James Austin talks about the natural discursive quality of mind: we are often talking with ourselves, engaged in an “inner” conversation, when not in conversation with others. Our sense of self changes depending on the situation, who we are with or who we imagine we are with. The part of the brain that oversees social-emotional concerns, thinking and planning, the prefrontal cortex, is also the part of the brain that takes the longest to develop in each of us. It is an area highly developed in humans compared to other species. Humans were able to survive by developing not only a large brain but a social one. The larger our social groups, the larger our brains needed to be.

And whether you realize it or not, relationships, especially loving ones, are one of the greatest sources of happiness. These are most satisfying when you feel genuine, when you don’t have to “put up a front” or be someone you aren’t. You feel best with others who can see or hear you. You can be spontaneous and feel loved or appreciated no matter what. This is one element of what might attract you to someone. What makes the person attractive is a combination of their uniqueness and their ability to see or hear your uniqueness. What makes me most myself is what makes me able to hear others, or to be, to some degree, selfless.

One element of being “in flow” or fully, joyfully, engaged in a task, is that “you” are forgotten. You don’t think of the past or future or what others might say about you. You are focused entirely on what you are doing. You are focused on, filled by, one moment of life. Every one of us knows how wonderful such moments are and how destructive concerns of self image, failure or success can be. Yet, you need a sense of self to even step off a curb and cross a street.

A Zen Master named Dogen said, “…to study the self is to forget the self, and to forget the self is to be enlightened by all things….” Think about this. It is not just about “forgetting” but enlightening. When you are most empty of your expectations, worries, you are most able to take in “all things,” to appreciate others, to feel and enjoy what you experience. To be most full, you must be most empty. To study the self is to study how I am others, and others are me.

Feeling “off” or discontented, or that you are missing something, is feeling there is an intermediary or a distance between yourself and now, between awareness and the object of awareness. Feeling fully alive, “on,” is feeling there is no boundary, that you can deal with whatever comes up, that whatever arises can teach you something. It is feeling this very moment, in fact, all of your life, is worth living, not something to distance from or deny. Feeling “on” is enjoying the ironies of self.

Teaching With Questions: Should I Tell the Truth?

What happens if you don’t tell the truth?


Tuesday, 10 May 2011

Tutorial Eight: Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology, what is it? Cook and Hussey (1995, p.5) define an assistive technology device as "any item, piece of equipment or product system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized that is used to increase or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities".

What is that in simpler terms? An assistive technology device is an item used to assist somebody in a task and make it easier for them to carry out.

What does the first definition cover? According to Cook and Hussey (1995, p.6) it firstly includes "commercial, modified, and customized devices". Second, it emphasizes the "functional capabilities of individual with disabilities. Finally by looking at the individual it focuses on the importance of "treating each application of technology as a unique circumstance".

In other words it focuses on the device and the individual working together, and does not refer to individuals with disabilities by what they cannot do but focuses on improving what they can do.

Recently I was privileged to attend an assistive technology workshop for class, held by a representative from the wonderful Star Mobility (http://www.starmobility.co.nz/). Within this session we were presented with a number of marvelous assistive devices and were informed of their many practical uses. Even though I was interested by all of the items, I must exercise some restraint, and only speak about one of them in this post.

Today dear readers, I'm going to take you on a journey into the wonderful world of "TALKING TINS". That is right, you heard correctly, talking tins. No I am not in some magical Disney movie where kitchen appliances and food items can talk, this is real life. Hard to believe, I know, but by the end of this post, you shall be a believer.

These.....are talking tins.

This picture is from a very useful site http://www.talkingproducts.co.uk/talk_pod.htm

Talking tins are voice recording devices and can sit on cans via the magnet that is inserted inside. Individuals with a visual impairment can benefit most from these devices as at it can help them identify objects of a similar shape, by re-recording on the talking tin what food item it is. This can help them to remain more independent in the kitchen. Adapters are available to purchase that will enable these talking tins to be used on other house hold items such as cleaning bottles and containers.

The price for the talking tins pictured above is approximately $35 each, but are usually sold in packs of three. A pack of three talking tins and associated accessories can be bought from Star Educational (http://www.star-educational.co.nz/view_details.php?detail=true&cat=21&subcat=&id=46) for $106. These featured talking tins are able to record up to 30 seconds of  multiple messages, that can be played back sequentially through the two record buttons and the play button. These talking tins are re-recordable, reusable and the batteries are easy to replace. The size of these talking tins is 77mm x 22mm and should be able to fit any standard store bought tin. They are also designed in a way that still enables the tins to be stacked on top of each other for storage purposes.
So as previously mentioned it can help people with visual deficits identify food and other household items, but it has also been suggested that this particular talking tin would be useful for someone with a short term memory deficit because of the sequential message playback, to help remind them of the things they need to do.
The following are some helpful links about talking tins.

This is a link to a PDF that outlines the use and features of a talking tin and instructions on how to record and change the batteries: http://www.talkingproducts.co.uk/pdf/talking_tins.pdf
Here is another helpful link from the same company (located in the UK): http://www.talkingproducts.co.uk/talking_tins_visual_impairment.htm
Here is a blog that is around the use of adaptive switches used for gaming; talking tins are mentioned at the bottom of the this blog: http://switchgaming.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html

This is a link to a company that has developed an activity book to allow users to get the most out of talking tins: http://www.sitech.co.nz/product_details/c/280/p/203

This website is extremely interesting. It discusses the possible applications of talking tins within a school environment and the benefits that can come from it: http://www.taglearning.com/taglearning/talking-tins-40-second-digital-clip-recording.html

This is a link to the only video I could find of talking tins being used on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUt0KBq0yP4

Cook, A. M., & Hussey, S. M. (1996). Assistive technologies: Principles and practice. USA: Mosby.

Tutorial Seven: Linking to Blogs of Interest and Exchanging Comments

For this tutorial I had to make a blog feed to 5 chosen blogs as can be seen at the top right of my blog.

We were also required to post comments on other blogs and thus I left a comment on the group video posted on Erin's blog (See my links list of OT student blogs). Below is some evidence of this.

I too have had comments on some of my postings, and if you don't believe me here is some evidence.

This one from a fellow student and blogger:

And this one from my lecturer:

Monday, 9 May 2011

Tutorial Six: The Internet and Online Communities

Building on from the previous posts here are some hyperlinks to three relevant online communities:

Care Cure Community:

Alzheimer's Association Online Community:

CampbellTeaching (YouTube):

A brief description of each community:

Care Cure Community is on online forum specifically to do with spinal cord injuries. They have a number of forums that the public can contribute to that cover a number of subjects within the cares and cures for a person with a SCI. SCI nurses contribute to these forums to answer the questions from the public and provide information to people about the best care to give if you are caring for a person with a SCI and also the latest in the research for a cure. The public are also able to ask questions, answer questions, or share and discuss a relevant piece of information. Within the cares category is a forum set up specifically focusing on pressure areas.

How interactive is this site? This site is very interactive with many people asking questions, answering questions and sharing relevant and helpful information.
How can people contribute? People can contribute by starting or participating in a discussion thread. Members who join are able to ask any question relevant to the thread topic, leaving other members and the medical members to answer the questions and provide advice.
What do they contribute?  As mentioned they can contribute questions and answers, links to relevant information and share personal experiences of either having or caring for someone who has a pressure sore.
Example of the topics being discussed: This is an example of an online member who suffers from a SCI. The members introduces their current experience of a developing pressure sore and asks for some clarification as to what to do. The post is answered by a SCI nurse that is a moderator for the forum.

Excerpt from http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?t=82229

Alzheimer's Association Online Community is also a public online forum that specifically focuses on topics related to Alzheimer's disease. Within this, a caregivers forum has been established and a specific thread of pressure ulcer's. This is a place where caregivers can ask questions, answer questions, share information or share their personal experiences of pressure ulcer's developing on individuals with Alzheimer's.

How interactive is this site? This site is also very active with members of the forum making regular posts that consist of questions, answers, information, links to relevant articles and sites and relevant personal experiences.
How can people contribute? Members can contribute by posting on a current discussion or by starting a new discussion or poll. They have the ability to make and reply to posts and share relevant information.
What do they contribute? As mentioned many provide links to relevant websites, articles, experiences with caring for pressure sores, relevant experiences, and asking questions for others to answer.

Campbell Teaching (YouTube) is an individual who posts educational videos on YouTube; many of which have a medical theme. Campbell has posted a number of videos regarding pressure sores giving an in depth look at how they develop and the different stages and types. One of his videos in particular has accumulated a number of comments on the online community of YouTube, some with general comments and others with question to which he has responded.

How interactive is this site? This site is interactive in that members can post and reply to comments, rate the video and have the ability to like and dislike the comments that are posted. Members also have the ability to subscribe the the YouTube channel of the person that has posted the video in order to "follow" them and any further videos that are posted.
How can people contribute? People contribute by sharing their opinions in the form of comments and ratings. They also contribute through their comments by starting discussions with other video views and even the poster of the video.
What do they contribute? In this specific case, many people have commented on how helpful and informative the video has been for them. There are also a number of members leaving relevant questions much like the previous forums discussed, in the hope that someone will give them an answer. Generally members do answer questions of other members with relevant helpful information, such as how to find a relevant pressure relieving cushion to improve their condition. Members also share their personal opinions, both positive and negative.
Example of topics being discussed:
The following example is one of a viewer leaving a an excerpt of her personal situation and the problem she is facing in terms of caring for an individual with a pressure sore. Her question is answered by the person who created and posted the video.

Why do people contribute to these online communities?
Online communities are similar to any communities in the sense that being a member of such a community gives you a sense of place and belonging; that you are not alone. By seeking answers from others with a similar experience or knowledge it provides it's members with the support that they may not be getting elsewhere. The information shared in these examples of online communities, the information shared is intended to be reciprocal; a give and take form of communication. Members respond to each others needs thus providing that communal support.

Of course like many other things I have discussed on previous blogs, these online communities post a number of ethical issues. It can open members up to be vulnerable when they share such personal experiences in such a publicly accessible space; that perhaps some individual might try and take advantage of them. Also some of the information shared is only based on experience and is not based on legitimate professional medical advice. There is also no means of proving members are who  they say they are, such as "medical professionals" that contribute "free medical advice" to the forums.

However the benefits of having such online communities is that it has a way of reaching a specific group of people from many walks of life, in many places of the world, finds a common link between them all and provides them with an opportunity to communicate. For individuals who suffer from or care for those who suffer from pressure areas/sores, it can be very difficult to find people with the same experience in real life, let alone people that want to talk about it openly. The internet has a way of giving people the confidence of having a voice and speaking up, partly because of the anonymity of the user names where faces cannot be put to names.

Apart from these benefits, online communities such as these can lack certain things that traditional communities can provide. Traditional communities provide true relationships and support, on a much more personal level. It gives the community a face. Many more things can be communicated on a face to face level such as body language, emotions, change in voice and tone that can not be communicated over the internet. Somehow I do not think that emoticons will ever be taken seriously :(

So really it all depends on what a person is individually seeking; sometimes an online community is all you need, and sometimes it may not offer you enough. However when seeking for online support keep a watchful eye on the information being shared.

Wednesday, 27 April 2011

Tutorial Five: Video Production Sessions

YouTube; the marvelous world of YouTube! Oh how glorious and magnificant it is! But how marvelous is it? What does it offer the world that it did not already have?

Karch (n.d.) describes YouTube as a "popular video hosting and sharing service". It allows users to upload and view videos, and is accessible to people all over the world. Users can also comment and rate the videos and subscribe to specific user channels, so they will be notified when another video is posted by that person.

Since being founded in 2005, YouTube has just exploded on an international scale! In May 2010 YouTube exceeded 2 billion views a day. Amazing! Who needs to pay for advertising when you have that level of traffic?

What does YouTube have to do with this post? Everything. Today I would like to paint you a mental picture using different online videos in order to demonstrate a topic of interest from one of my fieldwork placements. So allow me to start with the background.

It was my first ever Occupational Therapy placement; I was stationed in community intellectual disability. In terms of my personal knowledge and experience at that point, it was extremely limited in regards to both Occupational Therapy and intellectual disability. As my time on fieldwork progressed many new areas of knowledge were presented to me; one in particular was pressure areas (that develop into pressure sores or pressure ulcers) and pressure risk assessments. In fact I was so interested that I accepted the opportunity to complete a project comparing pressure risk assessments and their relevance to our client group and present it to a number of OTs. You could say I felt a little bit of pressure, however this pressure wasn't physical, but psychological. This is how I developed an interest in pressure areas.

As mentioned our client group was made up of individuals that had some form of an intellectual disability, however many of them also had accompanying physical disabilities as well, and were wheelchair bound.

Due to the fact that many of the clients were non verbal they were unable to tell carer's and family when they were in pain or uncomfortable and they were unable to move themselves to relieve that pressure; some clients were also unable to feel pain. Thus it became the duty of the carer's and family to be diligent in providing the necessary cares to prevent pressure areas. My supervisors job was to educate carer's on pressure areas and also identify the pressure risks that an individual client may have through assessments, the possible causes of developing pressure areas and apply appropriate solutions either in the form of skills training or the application of equipment.

The following are videos that are extremely relevant to this topic:

This is a great video that provides an overview of what pressure ulcers are, how they develop and how to prevent them through various types of equipment. This is the type of information that I witnessed my supervising OT sharing with client's, carer's and family members as a way to help them understand what to look out for and why.

This is a video made by two nursing students who are doing a teaching project on pressure ulcers. In this video (part one of two) the students explain to a patient a brief description of pressure ulcers - what they are and the four stages in which they develop. Information that is also relevant for an OT to use during education sessions.

In part two, these same students show and explain simple tips in how to prevent pressure ulcers. This information is helpful for Occupational Therapists, as it will give you extra insight in to what patients are susceptible to pressure areas and the ways in which they may be prevented. This information may also help during any education sessions for carers or family to help improve patients cares.

This video gives an insight to the type of mattress that an Occupational Therapist may prescribe for a client who is at high risk of developing pressure areas. It provides a great diagram as to how the mattress works to prevent pressure areas by using alternating air to shift the distribution of weight to different cells in the mattress and to help circulate blood flow. I was fortunate enough to see a number of alternating air mattresses during my fieldwork placement and to hear the benefits that they have had for the client's.

And last but not least, here is a video of a Physical Therapist explaining the important steps to go through when selecting a pressure relieving wheelchair cushion for a client. Personally I think this information is extremely relevant to Occupational Therapy, as this is one of the areas that an OT can come across often, depending on the setting.

As the first video explained that equipment to prevent pressure areas is needed in all areas of life; wheelchair cushioning is one of those important areas to address as it is where a client will spend a great deal of their day sitting; just as a mattress is where a client spends a great deal of the night sleeping. This video explains the important features to look out for and why.

During fieldwork, I meet with a client that had had a lot of difficulty finding the right cushion, and had to trial a number of them to get it right, as they were extremely susceptible to pressure areas. My supervising OT explained the difficulty they had had and the physical and emotion relief they experienced when they had finally found the one that worked best.

Karch, M. (n.d.). Youtube explained - overview of the google video sharing tool. Retrieved April 28, 2011, from http://google.about.com/od/moreaboutgoogleaps/p/youtubeprofile.htm

YouTube (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2011, from youtube.com

Thursday, 31 March 2011

Tutorial Four: Video Production Sessions

it's As eAsy As Abc

This is An Awesome video we mAde in clAss, bAsed on A letter of the AlphAbet.
Bet you cAn't guess whAt letter it is!

It wAs filmed in the spAce of 15 minutes. Absolutely AmAzing!

Absolutely no plAnning wAs done prior to filming; we decided to wing it in order provide ourselves An opportunity to exercise our Artistic Abilities. We hAd only briefly touched on filming techniques prior to this video being mAde, however the content spouted purely from the fountAin of spontAneity. Of course, editing of thAt mAterial wAs done in order to get the finAl product.

Tuesday, 29 March 2011

A chamomile flower

A chamomile flower by they_may_have_joy
A chamomile flower, a photo by they_may_have_joy on Flickr.

A purple flower

A purple flower by they_may_have_joy
A purple flower, a photo by they_may_have_joy on Flickr.

A bunch of flowers

A bunch of flowers by they_may_have_joy
A bunch of flowers, a photo by they_may_have_joy on Flickr.

A feijoa flower

A flower by they_may_have_joy
A flower, a photo by they_may_have_joy on Flickr.

Grapes from my garden

This is one of five images that I am going to post to demonstrate my own personal use of digital images.

Tutorial Two: Digital Imaging

In this post we will be discussing digital imaging by briefly looking at a number of aspects from the storage of digital images to their uses in Occupational Therapy.

One thing that the technological world offers us is the variety in which we can store information; the storage of digital imaging is included in this.

In the process of creating and storing a digital image, technology is with us every step of the way. You can create a digital image using a digital camera. From there you may choose to use a usb cord to transfer it to the computer, take out the memory card and put it into a card reader or you may even send the image wirelessly to another device using blue tooth. If you transfer it to a computer, you may  need to use specific software for the device you are using in order to transfer it safely to the computers hard drive.. Usually the software allows you to change the format in which the image is saved; one of the most popular and commonly used formats at the moment is JPEG (Joint Photo Experts Group). From there one may choose to edit the image using photo editing software such as Photoshop, in order to make your photo that much more of a masterpiece. From there, it is really up to you as to what you choose to do with that photo. The photo could be electronically stored, placed in a slideshow, printed and scrapbooked, transferred to another device or even posted on the internet.

There are many way in which digital images can be used to provide information; one which we have already touched on is the internet. Under the vast umbrella of the World Wide Web there are many ways in which digital images are used in this way. Here are three such examples:

1) Flickr ( http://www.flickr.com/ )

Flickr is an online website that specialises in storing peoples photos and provide a way for users to manage, organize and showcase their photos or videos. Web users create an account and upload their chosen photos. These photos could range from the scenery of the country side pictures from your family holiday. Users have the option of making their photos accessable to the public or limit the access to their friends and family only.

2) Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/ )

Facebook is similar to flickr in the respect that photos and video can be uploaded and displayed on a users account and access to them can be limited. However facebook does not soley focus on photos and videos, but is a social networking site. Generally the photos a user posts to their account is usually something that they feel is important to have on their social forum. Users can tag other people in their photos and leave comments on their photos as a means of making social links and sharing information from their lives to other people.

Google images is a side branch to the google search engine. What it does is it gathers as many digital images it can from as many websites as possible and collates them with in the topic of your search.

Let's discuss the following statement in relation to digital camera technology. Here goes....

"A new technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature"

What a statement! Where should I begin? I have to say that I am on the side of the affirmative; I absolutely agree with this statement. Why? Well allow me to elaborate. Lets look at film cameras and compare them to digital cameras by looking at their pro's and con's.

I will admit I do not know a great deal about film cameras but let me share that which I do know. I know that film cameras produce very good picture quality if done correctly. In general I believe that they were easier to use without all the millions of features that today's cameras seem to have. People were more likely take less shots due to the limitations of the film and the cost of developing. It was not possible to develop the photos from home unless you had a dark room which means traveling to a photoshop. Although taking less shots can be seen as a good thing, as you were more likely to develop and cherish them rather than keep them stored on the film. A negative was also that you didn't know what kind of shot you were going to get. None of this scroll and delete nonsense that we have today. With digital cameras, the picture resolution depends on what type of camera you have and how much money you were willing to fork out for it. You can have anything from 3mp to 18mp these days. Digital cameras are fast becoming more accessible (referring to social justice), and can be used in conjunction with a number of other technological devices, such as phones, iPods, even in a pen! Which goes on to say that digital cameras can come in a number of shapes and sizes and can be extremely compact yet functional. Zoom is rather compromised in regards to digital cameras and generally pales in comparison to its predecessor. Once again zoom depends the type of digital camera you have. To get decent zoom (optical) that does not compromise the quality of the picture (like the common digital zoom does) one must pay a decent amount of money for it. Storage of photos can be rather tricky business. The number of photos can depend on the size of your cameras memory card, which can be beneficial if you are a snap happy person and love taking photos. On the other hand we must not forget that a memory card is technology and can be know to fail from time to time wiping most, if not all of your precious photos. Digital cameras come with a number of functions, some can even record video and audio which its predecessor could not do. You can view and delete what photos you do not want and you can download, edit and print the photos all in the comfort of your own home, as long as you have the right gear.

So if we use this quick comparison we can see that while the modern technological choice is digital cameras, they do not completely surpass their predecessor; the film camera.

I believe that technology will never be completely superior to an old one in every feature, simply because all new concepts are conceived from the old. It is how this technological race was started in the first place; humans looking to improve aspects of current concepts. To make a new technology completely superior to the old, in my mind means changing the concept all together; the concept of which is the unity between the new and the old, it is the shared purpose that they each have. Technology is made to fill a need. That need never changes but rather the way in which we fulfill that need does. We can only improve on those current adaptive concepts in order to better fulfill our needs today and in the future.

Image capturing these days is much more user friendly and accessible then it used to be back in the day; no more standing still for minutes on end just for one photograph! Along with this it is also much easier to distribute these images as well. This is where our familiar enemy "ethical issues" comes along to ruin a good thing. I have already touched on ethical issues regarding digital images and their distribution as I spoke about photos being posted on the internet by Google Earth and the issue of "intellectual property". If this does not sound familiar I suggest you go back and read the post "Tutorial One: Information Technology and the Ethical Issues" to refresh your memory.

The use of digital images being implemented in OT was also mentioned in my previous post but here is an excerpt: Within OT "cameras are being used as a way of displaying the effectiveness of the use of prescribed equipment and are a means for providing baseline and evaluation information". They can also be used as a means of intervention such as taking a photo of familiar objects in order to cue an individual with limited memory or other cognitive (brain) functions, to carry out daily activities. I can honestly say that I have seen all of these examples in use and their effectiveness within this field whilst I was on my first placement.

So my dear readers, that brings me to the end of today's discussion. Just as a passing note let me leave you with a final thought; whilst it is easy to snap and distribute a photo, it is just as easy to tread on an ethical mine field.

Thursday, 17 March 2011

Tutorial One: Information Technology and the Ethical Issues

In my first ever post, I wish to briefly explore the world of Information Technology, which has become our world, and the ethical issues it poses to society as it is becoming rapidly accessible to society.

Before we dive into the deep end, we first need to know what information technology (commonly referred to as "IT") is.

The Penguin English Dictionary (Allen, 2004) defines Information Technology as "the use of computers, telecommunications, e.t.c, in electronic processing, storing, retrieving, and sending information."

What does that mean in everyday English? IT is the use of various technologies to communicate, gather and process information.

 In what ways is this form of technology common in our society?In what ways isn't it? I believe modern society is grossly dependent on the use of IT; for many it has become their lifeline to the outside world. In most instances, it is at the point where an individual cannot go through one day without the use of at least one form of IT. Telephones, texting, emails, online chatting, facebook, downloading, uploading, blogging; are all examples of some of the most common, everyday things we do. With all of these things easily accessible to an individual, one now scarcely needs to leave their house if they so choose; even grocery shopping can be done online and delivered to your doorstep. Here's a link that shows just how common IT is becoming: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY7MyAg3mQI

My experience with IT hasn't been anything over the top; but then again, who can define over the top. I feel more than comfortable using online shopping, email, instant messaging, music downloads, Internet television and videos, social networking sites and travel booking. Although I may feel comfortable using these things, it does not mean that I am overly confident. I like to think that I am manage-ably comfortable in regards to using these forms of IT. What does that mean? It means that I know what I need to know and that's all I need to know; anything more will overwhelm me, anything less, I will not be able to function properly; in other words, the basics. There is a technological race in an effort to advance our lives, and yet people are struggling because they cannot keep up with the pace. One must be what I call technologically fit in order to adapt. Perhaps my tendency to know the basics is a method or an instinct that I use for my own technological survival; I know just enough to get me through.

Joining the technological race is the profession of Occupational Therapy (OT) as they begin to integrate modern technologies into practice. Primary hard copies of client notes are a thing of the past with most practices digitizing clinical notes, and using hard copies as back up. Cameras are being used as a way of displaying the effectiveness of the use of prescribed equipment and are a means for providing baseline and evaluation information. One article published, reports the use of Nintendo Wii's being used for rehabilitation in wards (Verdonck & Ryan, 2008) (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_6805/is_6_71/ai_n31909080/).

Of course with a positive always comes a negative. With the introduction of new technology in practice a number of ethical issues have worked their way in as well and threaten to eat holes in OT practice. Yes I said it ethical issues - one of the major things that the health industry attempt to eradicate. What issues could there possibly be? Major issues such as client confidentiality and the security of files and private information. In the old days, hard copies had to be kept under lock and key, but with many client files being digitized and stored online, it opens up a whole new area of security threats. There is also the threat of reliability in terms of technology being there for you when you need it. Unfortunately technology is like a friend that you love, but you can't trust. Sometimes things go well but most times it lets you down. Computer viruses, power failure, out dated and unrecognized storage formats a but a few things that can go wrong.

But in spite of all these, OT still stands to benefit from the implementation of IT into practice. The digitising of client notes and records makes it easier for the OT to access and update the files where necessary. Research is also made easier with access to relevant online data bases and article and magical things called search engines. Perhaps in the future OT will be armed with devices such as iPhones, iPads and android capable cell phones and devices that use specially developed applications that compliment OT practice. These devices are capable of storing hundreds of apps and a great number of data on their internal hard drives, as well as access the Internet via their wireless network finders. Applications such as medical dictionaries, assessments, articles and direct links to data bases. Applications could even designed for direct use by clients as a means of rehabilitation, just as the Wii is currently being implemented (see http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Technology-And-Occupational-Therapy/491163).

In order for such technological changes to be implemented, a great understanding of IT will be needed to help OT's in practice as well as our daily lives. For example it is nice to know how to use basic computer applications but it is equally important to know what to do when the computer freezes. If we did not know how to overcome technical difficulties, we stand to limit the productive potential that using the technology offers us.

But what happens when everyone around you is capturing sharing and transferring information, including yourself? Once again we look at the ethical issues that can arise from this. In today's society it is the norm to capture photos and videos of documenting what you did on the weekend and to post them on the Internet via a social networking site or photo sharing website. Often these photos are posted online without much consideration as to who else is in the photo and whether they want their face plastered on the Internet. A similar example is the publication of google maps, which takes landscape and street view pictures of different places on the planet and published them for public access on the Internet. However as people sift through the many images they are beginning to find that many of the pictures contain people going about their everyday lives unaware that their picture is being taken and used on a global scale. Many people have complained that their privacy has been invaded and are calling for the images to be removed (see http://www.seroundtable.com/archives/013780.html). Many argue that the person that takes the photo is the rightful owner of the image and has control as to what they do with it; on the other hand it has been argued that people have the right to privacy. The question is, who is right? Another ethical issue is that of the sharing of information and one's own thoughts via a social networking site or a blog. Although the information may come from one's own original thinking, it is very easy now for others to steal or copy your ideas and claim them as their own. How does one prove that they were the original creator?

It is in situations such as these where a term known as "intellectual property" begins to get thrown around as a means to settle such arguments. What is intellectual property? Domain Name Handbook (2003) defines intellectual property as "industrial property and copyrights, chiefly in literary,  musical, artistic, photographic and audio visual works. Intellectual property is afforded protection from imitation, infringement and dilution according to numerous international treaties, and federal statutes" (see http://www.domainhandbook.com/gloss.html ). In english this basically says that there are laws in place to protect your intellectual property, which could be a number of original individual ideas or creations, from being used, stolen, or copied.Within OT practice, much emphasis is used in referencing where the used material has come from in order to avoid the risk of not recognising the information's rightful owner and creator.

Another term that is thrown into the technological argument is social justice. Dictionary.com (2011) defines social justice as "the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within a society" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/social+justice). I understand that to mean that everyone deserves to have equal access to opportunities and receive their fair share of those things with society has to offer. Within OT this is extremely important, as an OT comes in to contact with many different clients, in a number of situations, but no matter how varied the client or the situation, ALL clients are entitled to receive fair treatment and equal access to equipment and assistance, just as the last client was.

Last but not least, comes a term known as informed consent. About.com (explains that "informed consent is a legal procedure to ensure that a patient or client knows all of the risks and costs involved in a treatment. The elements of informed consents include informing the client of the nature of the treatment, possible alternative treatments, and the potential risks and benefits of the treatment" (see http://psychology.about.com/od/iindex/g/def_informedcon.htm ). Which in other words means that a client should only give consent on the grounds that they have been fully informed about what is going to happen. This concept is extremely important in the health profession, and therefore it is no surprise that it is relevant to OT practice. Basically this is put in place as a way to protect the client from agreeing to something they did not fully understand, and it encourages the OT to fully inform the client before any treatment or modification goes ahead. With the presence of informed consent, many legal arguments can be held at bay as the treatment process in relation to the client has been conducted in a very professional manner.

In closing, I want to say that all of the matters discussed today highlight the characteristics of the society most of us are apart of. Whilst keeping up with the technological race helps us to stay on top of things, we must make sure that we don't allow the many changes to run us in to the ground with an overload of information. Remember you don't have to win the race, you just have to set a comfortable pace in order to remain in the race. So make sure you have your running shoes on, because I doubt the finish line is anywhere near.

About.com (2011). Informed consent. Retrieved March 17, from http://psychology.about.com /od/iindex/g/def_informedcon.htm
Allen, R. (consultant editor). (2004). The penguin english dicitonary. London: Penguin Books
Dictionary.com  (2011). Social Justice. Retrieved March 17, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/social+justice
Domain Name Handbook. (2003). Intellectual property. Retrieved March 17, from http://www.domainhandbook.com/gloss.html
Verdonck, M. C., & Ryan, S. (2008). Mainstream technology as an occupational therapy tool: Technophobe or technogeek. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71 (6).