CLE Morality SW

 

I chose divorce as the issue that I will be discussing. This issue has a lot of bearing/personal significance because for the longest time my parents have been in conflict with each other. (That is the nicest way of saying it.) I understand that the only reason they’re maintaining their marriage is because divorce is not yet allowed in the Philippines and that it is looked down upon in Chinese culture. Personally, I believe that it is neither right nor wrong (NEUTRAL). I know that saying this in this day and age isn’t really that surprising considering that so many people are doing it (Hollywood, etc.) I also know someone whose parents are separated. I think that it is neutral because of the fact that conflict is something that is not new to the world. I think that when people fight such that there can be no resolution to the conflict, it’s better for them just to part ways, especially when others are affected. As previously mentioned, I have a friend whose parents are separated, but they maintain a civil relationship, which is a lot better compared to them being together but at each other’s throats every minute. The easiest way to explain this is that marriage is like a contract between two parties. When one of the terms of the contract is violated, then the contract is void. At the same time, when both parties in the contract are not satisfied, then they have the option to renegotiate the terms, given that they both agree. Nevertheless, divorce should only be an option when all other alternatives are tried (unless of course, the marriage is already life threatening, etc.)

 

Based on what I learned in my previous CLE classes, a marriage can be considered void if:

1. one of the parties is being abused

2. one of the parties is not legally separated from a previous marriage (annulled marriage)

 

I understand the fact that the Church doesn’t allow/support divorce because it supposedly breaks the sacred union between a man, a woman, and God. However, there may be certain instances when divorce isn’t considered sinful. I think that these conditions may be valid enough:

1. Arranged marriage (forced) – no consent, prior to the marriage

2. Life threatening (when one partner is physically, verbally abusive) – also has the element of being forced; this causes less harm especially if it could save lives/prevent death

3. When one party is unfaithful – the hurt party doesn’t acknowledge this act as harmful or wrong because she has just reason to do it; perhaps the hurt party is also forced because of the shame she has to carry if she decides to go on w/ the marriage

Ultimately, it depends on the situation or the circumstance.

 

I think that I am a moral rationalist because I do consider the issue alone and the circumstance. The issue alone shouldn’t be something that is wrong, however the circumstance may cause the act to be sinful. For example, if the divorce was done on terms because one party wants to marry someone more attractive/younger/etc. then on those grounds, it is sinful.

 

Hey, (insert name of friend). I understand that your marriage is on the rocks. You guys are fighting everyday, and you got kicked out of the house more times than I can count already. I think that we should all sit down an talk about this in a civil and rational manner. If, we really can’t find a solution, then maybe you should consider a divorce. But, first, think about why you want the divorce. Are you sure you’re doing it for the right reasons? If you feel that you still have any doubts, then maybe you should stop for a while. Your parents are devout Catholics! Are you sure they’ll be fin with it? Are you sure that you’re doing the right thing? After all, you’re the guy. If you’re having doubts, then maybe it’s safer to assume that what you’re doing is wrong. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to give me a call. You guys got married early, but maybe there’s a reason why you got married at a young age.

 

Much love and support!

 

Food? Food!

I grew up watching Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern travelling to obscure parts of the world, trying out different delicacies. In hindsight, I always thought his show was better compared to the mindless adventures of Bear Grylls. Apart from the element of class, Bear Grylls never had the same appreciation for food as Andrew Zimmern. I found it quite heartwarming for someone to have such an appreciation of food in general that nothing seems weird or strange. In truth, I think that any type of food shouldn’t be considered as strange. The notion of having weird food is a result of effective propaganda of Western civilization. I think that their type of closed and inward-looking culture doesn’t allow or accept that level of food adventure. But, forgive me, I’m being overly Chinese. I think that the concept of weird simply stems from the fact that people are off to things that they’re not used to. Whenever something is different, socity will try it’s best to squeeze out the imperfections and “ugliness” of that thing. And food is no different from any other thing. As an object that is necessary to daily life, society’s take on food is pretty much something that is both harsh and unforgiving. It’s very easy to label weird on food. But, my personal belief is that food is something that: a) has a story b) has sentimental value and c) is meant for enjoyment. On its most bare nature, food is for physical sustenance. But, when it can give both physical and spiritual happiness, then that is real food. Despite all my preaching, I did grow up in a society that easily labels things anyway, and so here is a list of the many things I find unusual:

(In some particular order…)
1.Insects – I think they’re absolutely wicked (not as in cool, but like…ewww)
2. Rodents (I once watched an episode of Bizarre foods which featured guinea pigs as a delicacy in Ecuador. That’s just sick…)
3. Balut (I’m sorry, there’s just something about eating a fetus that turns me off…)
4. Dogs (Awwwwww….. Why would someone eat something so cuddly?)
5. Human Fetus (Cannibalism is just wrong. I’d understand if like a lion or a tiger ate a fetus. I’d feel sorry for the kid, but I wouldn’t think that it’s wrong because that’s the natural flow of things, but eating your own kind (?!). I just find it absolutely revolting.)

UAE (Dubai Modern) Video Conference WWWEBI

What went well:

1. There was clear communication on the part of the Xaverians. We talked slowly and clearly.

2. The IT and video call was working well. Although there were some minor glitches on Dubai Modern’s line, the video call went well in that we were able to understand each other.

3. Both schools had good questions and good answers. It was very interesting to see the religious diversity in Dubai Modern.

Even better if:

1. The Xaverians could have asked more questions. Halfway into the VC, Dubai Modern students were asking many questions and the Xaverians just keep answering. There were no response questions from the Xaverians.

2. Dubai Modern students talked too fast to the point that the sound was kind of muffled.

 

Holy Spirits

Disclaimer: To Catholics, Christians, Jesus-worshippers:

God gives people the strength to get off drugs; alternatively, God gave me the balls to get on them.

 

 

CLE Matters

Three relevant lessons/topics in the first semester:

1. Epistemological World Views

2. Religious Tolerance

3. The Bible (Understanding Literary Text and Beyond)

 

The two most important skills:

1. Awareness, Analysis, and Action Method

2. Sense of Justice (particularly in society)

 

Most significant insight:

Perhaps my most significant insight from the first semester is a better view on the issues of the world by using the epistemological world views. The world views allow me to analyze the different ways by which people think and react to the various issues of the world. By understanding this, I was able to reflect on how I myself view the world, and why my way of thinking is not necessarily the most effective. I learned that the most ideal way of viewing the world is by not necessarily accepting everything (or in slang terms, ‘chill’), but rather by evaluating everything and comparing to find the best option or realization. This allowed me to understand and analyze the plethora of issues regarding religion in today’s society particularly the effectiveness of religion and other issues like the RH Bill.

Here Comes The Pain…

So here are the Top 5 Most Painful/Excruciating Moments in my life:

5. Experiencing an IV needle for the first time. (Pain Level 4)

When I was younger, I fell ill with pneumonia, which then caused more illnesses thereafter. I was hospitalized and right when I entered the hospital, they injected a HUGE IV needle in a region near my wrists. I yelled out the crispiest “P*TANG INA”.

4. Falling on my head from an elevated plane (Pain Level 6)

Erghmm… This is quite a lengthy story. Um… anyway, long story short, I fell on my head. It started bleeding, so I was rushed to the hospital. Apparently, my head fell on concrete, they had to stitch a small part of my head together, which has permanently left a mark on me in the form of a bald spot.

3. Cutting my thumbs (Pain Level 4)

I’ve cut both of my thumbs already. The first time was because I was cutting onions. They had to stitch my thumb up because the cut was quite deep. They also wrapped my thumb up to the point that it looked like there was a condom on it. The second time I cut my (other) thumb was when I was in Guang Zhou with Glendon. I was being stupid, and I tried to test how sharp a knife was. I ended up cutting myself, and buying a cigarette (to use the tabacco to stop the bleeding).

2. Puncturing my wrist (Pain Level 5)

I was really stupid as a kid (well, maybe until now), so this will not surprise anyone. After watching tons of shows about superheroes who couldn’t be hurt, I thought that I could do that myself. There was broken glass on the countertop, and slide my left hand across the countertop. This wound also left a permanent mark on my left wrist.

1. Losing People (Pain Level 8)

Perhaps the worst type of pain in the world is not physical. I mean people who get hurt physically lose blood, or get scars and those are two of the worst things that could happen (well, death and decapitation not included). Anyway, I think the the worst type of pain in the world is something that can torment a person mentally and emotionally. Whether it’s to death or any other complication, losing people, in my opinion, is the worst pain anyone can go through, and to say the least, I’ve lost a lot.

Thoughts on Social Justice

The biggest challenge we face in accomplishing apt social justice is ourselves. In a world ruled by wealth, social class, and social predation, it is not a big surprise that the system itself has learned to lose its human origin by turning its back to those in need simply because the humans who created these structures have abandoned the suffering themselves. It’s not that people are innately greedy; rather, they fail to see the bigger picture. As in a phalanx, the troop is only as strong as its weakest member, and most people don’t see this yet. The more we create a gap between the ‘righteous’ and the ‘filthy’, the more we weaken the base of humanity. In effect, the system changes into a machine of oppression and exploitation.

I Want My Eggs …

I’d want my eggs to be boiled under the ocean. First, below sea level would translate into high pressure. Since surface area doesn’t really affect vapor pressure, there would be no difference if I do it above sea level and below sea level ( in that aspect, of course). As the altitude gets higher and higher, the temperature goes lower. That’s one reason why I wouldn’t want to do it on a mountain, because it would take a lot longer. Of course I wouldn’t go very deep in the ocean.

Disclaimer: This isn’t going to be some Dr. Seuss crap.

When I was a lot younger, I would usually visit my family’s fish port. I’d see people carrying gigantic yellow-fin tuna on a daily basis. It was a really cool experience, and it’s one of the very few things I remember about my past. Anyway, whenever I’d go to the fish port, my dad would bring me to one of the vendors nearby. Since my province (General Santos) wasn’t really developed back then (well compared to how it is now, that is), the vendors would sell things that are really cheap. In my case, I always went to the vendor that sold eggs. Boiled eggs. Come to think of it, when I was younger everything was a lot more simple. Instead of the routine scrambled eggs (with fennel seeds, thyme, and rosemary), I’d just eat boiled eggs with a bit of salt.

Epistomological World Views

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Kinetics Concepts

1. What are the two things that would determine whether a reaction would occur or not?

– Reactants (in order for two substances to react there must be collision between the particles of the two substances)

– Activation Energy (sometimes  even though substances are mixed together they still don’t react because of this; activation energy is the minimum amount of energy needed for a reaction to occur)
2. What are the factors affecting rate of reaction? Describe briefly each factor. Add illustrations. Explain the effect in the molecular level. (what happens to the actual molecules)

Temperature- the higher the temperature, the faster it is to achieve the activation energy; molecules move faster and will have more collisions

Activation Energy- the higher the activation energy, the slower the rate of reaction gets

Concentration- increasing concentrations also increase molecular collisions

Catalysts- catalysts make it easier for collisions to occur between molecules
3. What is the activation energy or Ea? Do all chemical reactions have the same amount of Ea? Comparing reactions with slow rates and that with faster rates, which kind of reaction has a lower Ea?

Activation energy is the energy needed in order for a reaction to take place. Not all chemical reactions have the same amount of EA, which is why some reactions are faster than others. High activation energies would lead to slow reaction, while low activation energies lead to fast-occurring reactions. :))
4. Draw the following energy diagrams and label Ea, reactants, and products:
a. energy diagram for an uncatalyzed exothermic reaction
b. energy diagram for a catalyzed exothermic reaction

c. energy diagram for an uncatalyzed endothermic reaction
d. energy diagram for a catalyzed endothermic reaction

5. How do Maxwell-Boltzmann curves for reactions look like and what kind of information can be obtained from these curves? How does the curve change when a catalyst is used?

A Maxwell-Boltzmann curve looks like this:

Since majority of the particles, as described by the curve, are not in the region beyond activation energy, a catalyst or a change in temperature will be needed. Catalysts move the location of the activation energies to accomodate a greater percentage of the particles. Temperature will change the energy of the particles, and will move the graph.