Philip Morris and NOAA

No there's no connection between the largest tobacco producer and the Ocean and Weather people. Except that I've run into both in the past few days.

So Sunday afternoon I took off to the local spear fishing spot. No, I still haven't speared anything worth mentioning. In fact I don't spear anything that looks pretty or I can't post. I saw a fish swim under an overhangin piece of coral about 20ft down. By the way I can hit 50ft and stay at 40ft, just thought I'd share. Oh yeah story. So I took off down after it.

I reached the bottom and held on to a rock to peak under the coral. I looked. The fish was gone, but some smaller fish greated me with looks of fascination. That's when I heard the guy with the chainsaw. Wait... There aren't any chainsaws in the water. I looked up and saw a boat zipping overhead. So I got run over by a boat.

I hopped up to talk to the person and let them know I was in the area. I also thought it might be someone I knew. Nope. Apparently NOAA was doing a fish survey. So that's how I was ran over by a NOAA boat.

Philip Morris. I found something interesting on their website. "It can be very difficult to quit but, if you are a smoker, this shouldn't stop you from trying to do so." What? I didn't get that one. And "Millions of smokers in the United States and around the world have succeeded, though - most without outside assistance." Sure you don't need help quiting. That's exactly what I'd tell any addict; if I was the supplier. I guess if I made billions of dollars off people inhaling nastiness into their lungs I'd throw down on some confusing language too. Sure they couldn't just say- Quit smoking- it'll kill you. Apparently 1 in 10 people death in the world can be attributed to smoking. And 67% of men in China smoke. Reason #342 China won't be eclipsing the U.S. anytime soon.

What sort of poor soul would work for a company like that? I guess they'll have to answer to God some day.

Paul "Jab Jab Jab duck" Murphy

Unfinished

I get frustrated with my students from time to time. Not because they don't have the highest energy level, color cooridanted projects, or because they can complain. No. I get frustrated when it seems like the realm of their abilities lies only in what we covered in class yesterday. But maybe I've just forgotten what its like to be in highschool.

I do remember having trouble with assignments from time to time. But the hardest assignment ever handed to me wasn't in highschool or even at Harding. It was in my African American Experience since 1865 class at USC. Hist649.

I signed up for the class on the advise of my advisor. Apparently that was a better choice than some graduate level economics class for my program. The first day of class was a little overwhelming. The demographics of the class were to be expected. Dr. Littlefield was our African American professor. And she knew her stuff. Also to make class a little more daunting was ------ (I can't remember his name) a history doctoral student. ----- later became the president of the graduate student council.

One of the books for the course was "Trouble in Mind" by Leon F. Litwack. I surmized from the cover it was about sharecroppers and maybe some thoughts about Booker T. and Ida B. Just another history book I'd add to my shelf. But then I had to read it.

Dr. Littlefield assigned bits and pieces to be read one day at the end of class. The first chapter was called Baptisms. I don't remember any of the other chapters and mostly because I never finished the reading.

Trouble in Mind was different from any other history book I'd read. It wasn't an overview. It didn't state facts and causes. It wasn't some historical fiction trash that so many history teacher try to use. It was interview, after interview. People telling a story and reliving the facts. It was personal.

The stories were disturbing to say the least. People talking about "place" in society, and how society kept them in a state of fear to stay in that "place." And so went the stories; injustice after injustice. A son killed for arguing against an unfair tobacco price here, mobs hanging inocent victims there. Its kind of a blur now. I couldn't believe it. It was unbelievable. Some of the stories.

Stories about white people traveling to a lynching like it was a carnival, bringing their families; picnic blanket and all. One Atlanta man was burned alive and his body parts taken as souvenirs later to be sold and displayed in storefronts. In one horrific account a African Americans family is hung with him. I don't remember the details or the supposed crime. What I do remember is the depiction of a pregnant woman being strung up on a tree, her stomach sliced open and .

Yeah. I couldn't believe what had happened. I never finished the reading assingment, and most of the class didn't either. Sometimes we try and sweep the not-so-pretty part of history under the rug. Avoid it; it'll go away. But those are the most important parts to learn from.

Paul " " Murphy

Squishy

I've been in the ocean spear fishing a lot lately. Every afternoon I get the chance I go. I still haven't caught anything worth mentioning. But every time I get a little closer to something I might be able to post a picture of.

In the mean time I've made some acquaintences out past the breakers. One of those is a white tip reef shark. The first time we saw eachother we bolted the other way. Over the past few weeks we've gotten a little more familiar with one another. I decided to name it. Its name is Squishy. Squishy isn't very big and is getting more and more curious each time we spot eachother.

Paul "If Squishy gets too close its dinner" Murphy

The Clock Dealer (long)

Ok last post in the series of social change.

The Industrial Revolution, WWII, and everything else has created a drastic change in our society. We now have the independent woman. Something quite remarkable because it was unthinkable 200 years ago. But the independent woman has changed social behavior.

Dating. Way back when dating wasn't like it is now. Courting I believe was the term. Basically, young men would sit in the living rooms of a family and talk during the evening. If he seemed like he was a good worker and honest person the coulple would usually get married. You found someone to help support you. It was very practical. And mariages ussually lasted a lot longer. (Bad logic courting = better marriages)

Things are different now. During the Victorian era the Romanticist ideas came about. Things got less practical. Life was more complicated. Life became less about survival and more about stuff. People started looking for partners that not only could support them but support them fashionably. At first it was a Burgeosis thing, but as time went on and the middle class began to triumph it became and everybody thing.

Now instead of looking for an honest person who was a hard working, men and women alike were looking for something more. We became more picky. Now it mattered what type of car he/she drove. Or how big her mothers bottom was; or fathers receeding hair line. It became about clothes and fashion and finding your soul mate. It astonishes me how for thousands of years marriages did just fine when people weren't looking for their soul mate.

It gets more complicated with the introduction of the independent woman buy the '70s. Before men had to worry about wooing the ladies in one way or the other. Woman were an inelastic quantity, the supply didn't change. 1 woman for 1 man. The demand stayed the same so guys continued to have to work and be charming to get a wife. But then the 60's and 70's came.

The independent women changed a lot of stuff. First of all the supply started to become more elastic as women started forgoing the 1:1 thing as they threw off the bonds of tradition. Suddenly men didn't have to work as hard at getting what they wanted and price of the stock fell faster Enron. It might as well be free. And that's when Chivalry died.

Nowdays we see dating as something completely strange from the past. Woman want the old higher price but with the market saturated in the product. Like the old saying goes, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?" Suddenly the men have come into demand. Women have to work at getting a good husband. And some woman don't seem to be happy with it.

I read this last week. It made me think alot about the social changes that have caused this situation. And people approach the problem in different ways. Woman market themselves to men. Men take the bait. It completely left the entire system in shambles. Its turned dating into a marketing campaign.

The Clock dealer analogy. Dating today has turned into something astranged of the past. Economists talk clocks and antiques when talking about positive outcomes. Basically you have a buyer and a seller. If the clock gets bought then both have had a positive outcome. Use to courting was a clear deal. Men looked for a good clock that kept time. Women looked for a solid buyer that could take care of the clock.

Its differnt now with the infusing of the independent woman and romanticism. Suddenly women are looking for a buyer with a big house and that likes Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movies. Men are looking for neat features in the clock like ornate designs and cool chimes. Fashion plays a role as well. People try to put their best foot forward while dating. Its like a buyer looking for a fashionable Rococco clock. The dealer knows thats fashionable so tries to explain how his clock is very similar to the Rococco clocks. In fact it might as well be the same. But both parties are dissapointed when the clock gets brought home. Suddenly the features are different b/c that's what was expected.

I see married people dating. In fact I'm to the point where I think I'm on the downhill side of wedding invitations. Sometimes they portray themselves as something they're not really. A girl will be flirty and fun loving while dating, and a guy will be mature and love art. Suddenly when they get married she turns out to be a real worrier and he really loves playing video games. The clock gets talked up and taken home and turns out to be something different.

I like old couples. I like talking to them about how they got married. Its simpler. Dr. Barry and Nurse Karen's story is my favorite. I'll tell it how I want to. Basically Dr. Barry was in Medical school and was a bright young man after graduating from Georgia Tech. Nurse Karen was a bright young woman in nursing school. Mrs. Karen had to coax Dr. Barry into calling her one night to go out. They started dating for a while, but Dr. Barry didn't want to get married without a job. Nurse Karen got tired of it and put together a budget for them and showed Dr. Barry how they'd make it if they just went ahead and got married. Romantic? Not classically. Practical? Very, and that practical attitude has kept them together ever since. At least thats how I see it.

A clock dealer and buyer. They each had an idea of what was important in a clock. When they found it, the clock went home. Easy as that. So what's importnant in a clock? Dad always says that if two people focus on their relationship with God first then everything else will work out. So we'll call a relationship with God keeping time well; what's a clock that doesn't keep time? Some people like pretty wood clocks that are ornate with nice carvings that will look good on the wall, while others want something they can take along in life. Some people like old fashioned clocks. Some like newer stylish clocks. Some like to work on the clock, while others prefer the low maintanence version.

I think a clock would be cool to have. Do I need one? Not really. Some people are looking for a clock to complete them, that's not me. I guess if I got a clock it would have to be more of a someone to join me in my complete life. It needs to be durable and portable. It needs to be water resistant up to 30 meters, because I like going in the water. It needs to be something that I can take to play frisbee in. It needs to be able to survive repeated lay-out attempts. It needs to be low maintenance, I don't want to be winding it or replacing the battery all the time. It needs to be practical. It doesn't need to be shiny or new. It doesn't have to have a calculator, chronograph, or gps. It needs to keep time well, be durable, portable, and able to take a spill. Like the Armitron Men's Digital sport watch.

Paul "More like a chapter" Murphy

New Title

The old one was kind of harsh. I'll call it

Carl's Junior Affect

On island we now have a cool new Carl's Junior. Apparently they call Hardee's that on the West coast. I've really enjoyed the new CJ's. Good burgers and fries and free refills, which is unique on island.

Unfortunately CJ's isn't all good. I've been given a new option in the dining out world, but there are some unwanted consequences. Like maybe if I wasn't spending time swimming around in the ocean I might get fat. Even though CJ's is a good thing, it may have a unwanted consequence.

Society has changed a lot in the last 200 years. I blame Victorian erra social outcomes for some of it and the Second Industrial Revolution for the rest.

Factory work gave women a place outside the home to go and make a living. By the time World War II came women were needed in the workplace. They threw off the traditional role of homemaker and went into the workforce. The movement continued into the 70's where equality became the huge issue. Just like Carl's Junior on island I think equality in the workplace is fantastic. But it may have lead to an unforseen change.

The basic social contract. For thousands of years there was a unstated social contract between men and women. A man and a woman would get married. The man was responsible for working the fields and other labor intensive jobs. Women would labor at home. Each job as valuable as the next. And men didn't leave their wives because there was often no hope for a husbandless wife, except that. Conversly wives didn't leave their husbands, their survival sometimes depended on it.

Problems came up when a woman's husband would die if they didn't have any family to take care of them. Elisha found a woman about to starve to death because she didn't have anyone to help here and she had no field to work in even if she could. Women didn't work outside the house, but it should be noted the Proverbs points to a strong house managing woman.

So for years you had this unwritten contract. Husband and Wife. The demands of nature seemed to demand a team.

But something changed in the late 1800's. Women could find work. Factories needed labor. Suddenly the old social contract no longer stuck. Women could leave their husband's without fear of starvation. Divorce rates began to rise slowly. Also husbands could now leave their wives, the wife could survive on her own.

By the time the 70's came around and the women's working revolution divorce rates went through the roof. In fact they had doubled since 1950 (2.6%) to 1979 (5.3%). Something good indirectly led to something not so great. Just like Carl's Junior.

The century old social contract was altered.

Tomorrow the Carl's Junior Affect II

Paul "its back below 4%" Murphy

A new series

I decided to start a new series. Hopefully I'll be finished by Friday.
I've basically been thinking about a lot of changes in society. But more importantly how those changes affect social contracts and old ways of doing things. Call it postmodern if you like- but the problems don't start there. They go deaper.

So today- The Modesty Construct: ideas on modesty then and now
Tomorrow- If you're so strong quit complaining: changes in society have changed basic social roles
Thursday- Where would we land: Straight talk about where social change has brought us

Disagree with me as you will- just post a comment or three. I expect some regulars to comment; Philip commenting on my blatent errors, Josh laughing at me, Pete saying something I disagree with, Jason hasn't been here in a while but he'll show with some hyperbole. I guess I'd like to hear everyones thoughts. I'm not right. You may be.

The Modesty Construct

Modesty is something I've seen my generation battle with for years. Not everywhere but mainly at church. It seems like every time we had a split devotion of any sort the girls would get a talk about modesty and the guys would have a talk about intercourse. Obviously this is because teenage girls don't struggle with anything (Heavy sarcasm). When I got to Harding it was more of the same. The girls dorms would have talks about modesty while the guys power showered on second floor.

Tim 2. Ussually when we talk modesty we turn to Timothy 2. Women should dress modestly, not wear gold, braid their hair, or talk in any church meeting. While some still hold strictly to the words on the page, I think most of us realize there is some culture reflected in the verse. Like the braided hair thing. And gold. We quickly scratch these out b/c they're cultural issues. Sometimes we pick and choose.

Swords for $200. It seems like churches are saying Immodesty=the "s" word. If women dress immodestly then it will lead to our young men sinning and thinking impropper thoughts. So young ladies are scolded for short shorts and sleavless shirts at whatever church function.

Burka. Young men are young men. I can pretty much guarantee that young men in muslim countries are the same as young men in the U.S. It doesn't matter what young ladies wear. Girls have girl parts and guys will think about them "." Even if they're wearing a burka.

Modesty isn't the issue. When somebody has a fever we don't put them in ice, you give them antibiotics. See the fever isn't the problem; Fever=Infection=Antibiotics. I think the issue of modesty is similar. Stay with me for a little while.

Modesty as a symptom. Why? Here in AmSam women ussually dress very modestly. If they wear shorts they're basketball shorts past the knee. Shirts are always closely cut to the neck line. Sleaveless ussually doesn't happen. Ussually. But even with the modest attire of our young ladies we still have the same problems to the same degree as any community in the States. Teen pregancy and the "s" word are still just as big a deal here as anywhere else. Even though modesty is upheld, the values are still slipping through the cracks.

Let it go? So if modesty does not = the "s" word then why bother (via contrapositive). Its a hassle. Our culture has changed and accepts things the generation previous did not. Short shorts. Tank tops. They're common place in today's environment. Maybe we shouldn't worry about it so much and spend more time with the antibiotic. We're still not curing the fever with our proverbial icewater.

Distracting? Ok if its a complete distraction I understand. But anything can be distracting to a 15 year old. You might as well hand out paper bags with eye-holes and cardboard boxes for everyone to wear. Wait, scratch the eye-holes.

Paul "I'm still not wearing short shorts" Murphy