“Philosophy professor gets students thinking - Digital Collegian” plus 3 more

Philosophy professor gets students thinking - Digital Collegian
Bullpen philosophy 101 - Weblogs.baltimoresun.com
Bill Sizemore in court: Baring the poverty of his ... - Oregonian
Conservatives of America Calls for Republican National ... - PRWeb

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Philosophy professor gets students thinking - Digital Collegian

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 08:27 AM PDT

The meaning of human existence has long been the subject of questions and theories. In the College of Liberal Arts' PHIL 100 (The Meaning of Human Existence), students can find some answers.

PHIL 100 is a class that instructor Aaron Krempa (graduate-philosophy) said is meant to get the students comfortable with thinking.

"When you're teaching an intro to philosophy, when you know these students won't be philosophy majors, the goal is to just get them to think," Krempa said.

The course takes a historical journey through the meaning of human existence, starting with the Greeks and moving forward.

"I've never taken any philosophy course, I've never taken an arts course, or anything," class member Loren Hall (sophomore-economics) said. "This class is a whole new way of contemplative thought. It's out of the box and gets you thinking of your existence, why you are here,"

The class was Krempa's first choice to teach, as he said it adds a lot of value to everyone's lives. Most of the words and concepts were taken from ancient philosophers and required more than the simple memorization of terms a typical class demands, Andrew Paterson (sophomore-psychology and integrative arts) said.

"I think it's challenging and a totally different way of thinking," he said.

Discussion in Wednesday's class was not limited to human existence, covering things that Krempa said many people find difficult to think about, such as "Dasein." Using everyday examples and images, Krempa demonstrated how the philosophy applies to students and the objects that surround them.

"Dasein is a being who questions being. My water bottle is indifferent to being," Krempa said, holding up his green bottle.

One student questioned whether humans were the only example of Dasein or whether animals were included.

Krempa elaborated on this concept by telling a story about his cat and how it sticks to the same habits even after moving to a new apartment where the habits no longer are necessary.

"Certain people see activities in animals that seem to be higher than animal behavior as we normally see it," Krempa said. "But we are the only example of Dasein."

Krempa doesn't mind all the questions. That's what he's there for, he said.

"It's a really good introduction to philosophy if you are looking for a broad and more general class," Krempa said.

e-mail reporter: klk5332@psu.edu

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Bullpen philosophy 101 - Weblogs.baltimoresun.com

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 07:37 AM PDT

With the exception of Mike Gonzalez's blown save on Tuesday night, the Orioles bullpen has performed admirably through the first two games of the season, so I've got no problem whatsoever with the way manager Dave Trembley has handled it.

Will Ohman has pitched well twice. Jim Johnson and Matt Albers looked good in their first outings. Cla Meredith gave up a home run to Evan Longoria last night, but that's going to be a big club by the end of the season.

If I have a problem with the bullpen, it's really more philosophical. Trembley, like almost all major league managers, goes with a fairly standard bullpen schematic that calls for a couple of matchup middle guys for the seventh inning, an eighth-inning setup guy and a go-to closer that starts the ninth inning.

It looks great when it works, and it generally will work pretty good if you've got a good bullpen and your starters get you an out or two in the seventh inning. It looks even better if you hit well enough to have more than a one-run lead at that point in the game.

Even in that situation, however, I've got a problem with the doctrinaire nature of the thing, since it contains one mathematical flaw that almost guarantees a surprisingly high level of failure if you don't have an absolutely outstanding bullpen.

If you have an average bullpen and trot four relievers out to pitch in a close game, there's a pretty good chance that one of them is not going to be at his best, and it only takes that one shaky guy to wipe away all the good things that happened in the course of a hard-fought game.

This theory has not come into play for the Orioles...yet. Trembley got exactly what he was looking for from his bullpen on Tuesday until Gonzalez gave up three hits in the ninth, and there isn't a manager in baseball who wouldn't have brought in his new closer in that situation. Dave pretty much got what he needed on Wednesday night, too.

But looking down the road, there's something to be said for playing the hot hand once in awhile and leaving a middle guy in to pitch to a couple more batters -- regardless of matchup -- if he's throwing well. The more buttons you push, the more the likelihood that you push the wrong one.

For instance, if you're eighth-inning setup guy comes in and looks overpowering getting out of the eighth, doesn't it make more sense to let him start the ninth than gamble on how sharp your closer is going to be at the start of the inning?

I know the argument against that. If you do it too much, you might wear out your setup guy. Maybe so, but I'll start worrying about that when the Orioles have enough leads going into the ninth inning to find out.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Bill Sizemore in court: Baring the poverty of his ... - Oregonian

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 08:56 AM PDT

By Guest Columnist

April 08, 2010, 9:00AM

Jack RobertsBy Jack Roberts

When Bill Sizemore was running for governor in 1998, he pointed to his rise out of childhood poverty as evidence of his ethic of self-reliance. When you grow up poor, he explained, "you can either accept it or say, 'I'll never be on welfare.'"

Essentially raised in a single-parent household (his father was absent 13 out of the 20 years of his marriage to Sizemore's mother), Bill was embarrassed by his family's need to rely on public assistance from time to time.

"I gave up the food stamps," his mother told The Oregonian, "because it bothered him so bad."

His views on welfare, he claimed, "expose my philosophy more than anything else."

Now engaged in a second run for governor, Sizemore's philosophy is being exposed again. Last month, he appeared before a judge and requested a court-appointed, taxpayer-funded attorney to defend him against charges of criminal tax evasion. Sizemore admitted failing to file tax returns that he fears could help his creditors collect the money he owes them.

Originally Sizemore insisted he would decline legal counsel and represent himself. The judge remains skeptical of Sizemore's claim of poverty but agreed to appoint a lawyer so that the case could proceed. If it later turns out Sizemore misrepresented his lack of financial resources, he could be required to repay the state for the cost of his legal representation.

This would simply be another sad tale of human frailty except for the fact that Sizemore has chosen to again offer himself to Republican voters as our potential nominee for governor. He seems surprised no one is taking him seriously.

In 1998, Gov. John Kitzhaber gave Sizemore the worst beating any major party candidate has received in an Oregon governor's race, surpassing the record set when Gov. Vic Atiyeh thrashed Ted Kulongoski in 1982. But if Sizemore hopes to emulate Kulongoski's political comeback, he's off to a shaky start.

As of last week his campaign committee had reported no contributions, perhaps because of the court order prohibiting Sizemore from raising money for political purposes. That may not matter much, however, since the only people likely to fund his hoped-for rematch with Kitzhaber would be the same folks who bet on the Washington Generals against the Harlem Globetrotters.

But asking taxpayers to pay for his lawyer may lead some to question whether the new Bill Sizemore is an improved Bill Sizemore. At one time even those who disagreed with his politics credited his sincerity. Now it's hard to understand why he believes his mother's need for food stamps was less morally compelling than his need to have those of us who file our tax returns pay to defend his right not to.

Somehow it doesn't quite square with the young man whose philosophy toward government assistance used to be, "Work harder, Mom."

I'm not questioning Sizemore's need for a lawyer, which he amply demonstrated in comments he made while asking the court to appoint one for him. Saying that he still intends to give his own opening and closing arguments at trial, Sizemore explained that unlike testifying as a witness, these statements would not be made under oath.

No doubt the prosecuting attorney will remind jurors of his words and encourage them to ask themselves, "Which of the statements that Mr. Sizemore is making to you now would he not be willing to make under oath and why not?"

Republican primary voters, to the extent they take Sizemore seriously at all, should ask themselves that same question. If they do, even those who like Sizemore's message are likely to find him a fatally flawed messenger.

Jack Roberts was Oregon labor commissioner from 1995 to 2002 and now heads the Lane Metro Partnership.

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Conservatives of America Calls for Republican National ... - PRWeb

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 02:32 PM PDT

Conservatives of America, a national grassroots organization serving the conservative community, is calling for an emergency session of the Republican National Committee. Conservatives of America hopes to foster a discussion that will lead to the ouster of RNC Chairman Michael Steele.

Saint Louis, MO (PRWEB) April 8, 2010 -- Conservatives of America today called for an emergency session of the Republican National Committee (RNC) in order to discuss the possible ouster of RNC Chairman Michael Steele. Conservatives of America believes its constituency shares the organization's concerns about the RNC's spending habits under Steele's leadership.

"As conservatives, an elemental part of our philosophy is fiscal responsibility. That philosophy must apply to conservative leaders as much as it applies to the progressives that are in power today. Grassroots conservative activists at the state and local level need to contact their RNC members immediately and urge that they call for an emergency session of the Republican National Committee and request Steele's resignation or termination," said Bill Murphy, Founder of Conservatives of America.

This year, with the growth of the Tea Party Movement, we have seen the American people waking up as the "Obama Kool-Aid" has worn off. Now more than ever, grassroots conservatives and Main Street America are coming together to halt the Obama Administration's March to Socialism. We are poised for victory in 2010. Unfortunately, Steele has become a major distraction in the 2010 election cycle. Almost every day, it's a new issue at the RNC, which takes away from what conservatives activists are trying to accomplish at the grassroots level.

"What is most disturbing is the impact this is having on the RNC donor base," said Murphy. At a time like this, when we have a socialist President, and the American people are waking up, the RNC should be significantly out-raising the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Instead it is the other way around, because of all the distractions.

Grassroots conservative activists need to hold their RNC members accountable and contact them immediately to call for an emergency session of the RNC to address this issue. What is so sad, is that a number of qualified candidates for RNC Chairman, who know how to raise money and get candidates elected, ran for RNC Chairman against Michael Steele. Instead, RNC members wanted a "media personality." Well, they're getting more media attention now than they ever bargained for. Now, it's time to take the boot out of the mouth of Michael Steele and put it on the ground, and win elections for conservatives this year.

Conservatives of America is a national, grassroots conservative organization dedicated to reducing the size of government, lowering taxes, promoting fiscal sanity, protecting the Right to Life for the Unborn, preserving the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, having a strong national defense, staying on the offense in the "War on Terror," and securing America's borders. Recently, Conservatives of America has emerged as America's leading conservative organization dedicated to training grassroots conservative activists and the conservative movement.

Find out more at www.conservativesofamerica.com.

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Philosophy

Thursday, April 8, 2010