Art in the slums and streets

Here’s another one on the art world.  (This by recommendation from Oli.)  Should an artist like this really be considered a philanthropist?  How much can his art really help those in whose neighborhoods he installs his works?  Is there a certain mystique about being outside the norm (or even outside the law) which adds to his popularity?  Does all genuine art, in fact, come from outsiders?  This article is fairly short and does not give a lot of information about the artist and his work, so you may want to do a bit more research to comment on this…

Erica Jong says modern motherhood is a trap

A really fascinating article on child-rearing with a lot to comment on.  Are parents being asked to sacrifice too much for their little darlings these days?  Is the emphasis on being a good parent sapping their ability to see the larger picture and become politically active?  Is attachment parenting just one of a long line of different theories about parenting, or does it show a marked improvement on the past?  Jong obviously has an ax to grind here.  Where does she make some interesting/important points and where does she exaggerate?  A look at the comments may also be enlightening…

Swedish town burns garbage for fuel

Rather more optimistic than most news about the environment, but how encouraging is this?  It takes care of two problems at once, waste disposal and the use of fossil fuels, but will it really catch on?  Doesn’t it also produce greenhouse gases?  Some people say that the search for alternative fuels simply masks the real problem: we are consuming too much.  What do you think?  With a continual increase in population and industrialization, is this just a drop in the bucket?  Or is technology part of the solution rather than the problem?  And what about the fact that it seems to have been spurred by a tax on emissions?  What do you think of these sorts of environmental laws?  Is this the best way to encourage individuals, governments and corporations to be responsible?  What about the economic effects?

Did Slovakia sail through the economic storm?

Here’s one for those aspiring businesspeople out there.  What do you think about this writer’s optimism in terms of Slovakia’s economy?  Is he right that being in the Eurozone is a good thing at this point?  What about dependence on the auto industry?  Some have said that we have too many eggs in one basket and that the jobs provided are mostly low-wage industrial positions.  What do you think?   Finally, is the debt that serious and what should be done about it?

Narcissism considered normal?

This article is ostensibly about narcissism and its removal from the manual of mental disorders, but it seems to be more about the effects of celebrity.  It may help you when responding to look up the Wikipedia article on narcissism to find out what the psychological pathology entails.  Also look at the comments below the article, some of which are quite interesting.  Three obvious questions come to mind.  Should it be considered a mental disorder or just a personality trait?  Are we really living in more narcissistic times than in the past?  Finally, do the pressures of celebrity and fame and the unnatural nature of such lifestyles automatically lead to a deformed or distorted personality, or does someone seeking such fame already have these problems?

Chernobyl: the next hot tourist destination?

So, would you like to take the trip?   What do you think about disaster tourism?  Is this similar or different from visiting concentration camps?  Do you think that this plan to raise awareness about the continuing problem of the site will work?  Also, it seems that the popularity of nuclear power is on the rise because of global warming and other factors.  Is Chernobyl an exception because of faulty construction or safety procedures?  Or are nuclear power plants more problematic than people seem to think? 

What happens when women bring home the bacon

This is the last article you can comment on for December.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?  Since women’s school results keep getting better than men’s (at least in the U.S.) and the information age is phasing out some traditional (physical) male jobs, where will this all end?  How soon will this issue arrive in Slovakia, if it hasn’t already?

Copying in the arts is becoming the norm

What do you think of artists using other artists’ work to create their own?  Where does allusion and creative reuse end and plagiarism begin?  Or is pure originality a myth anyway?  There are lots of examples in this article, but try to use some of your own in your response.  (Perhaps, for instance, one of those tunes which were copied from Western songwriters and given Czech or Slovak lyrics instead…)

The new press code in Slovakia

This article touches on a very basic topic.  What should the limits of the freedom of the press be in a democratic society?  How can the press encourage a healthy democracy and how can it hinder it?  I know this is a rather technical article, but take a look at some of the actual provisions of the code.   What, for instance, do you think of the idea that in choosing to become a public figure, you give up some of the rights that you have as a private citizen?  What do you think of the fact that the new code no longer requires newspapers to print their ownership structure for readers?  Finally, how would you characterize the state of the press in Slovakia today?  Are a variety of viewpoints represented?  Is the coverage adequate, accurate, detailed and/or critical?  Will the new law help or hurt?

Yummy weeds

As some of you probably know, there are plenty of things growing out there which are edible but that most people ignore.  What do you think the attraction to wild edibles is?  Or, why aren’t people attracted to them and just stick with what they know?  Do you think this is a trend which will spread from New York to, say, Europe or even Slovakia?  Or are Slovaks already more in tune with this sort of thing than Americans?  Do you yourself enjoy mushroom hunting or herb picking, or is it a waste of time or even dangerous?  How adventurous are you as an eater or cook?

Women beating men

Here’s an opinion piece (make sure you read the whole article and not just half) which basically argues that some people are using the fact that both men and women are physically violent towards each other to downplay the seriousness of men abusing women.  What do you think?  Is it the same thing when a man hits a woman or a woman hits a man?  The article quotes an expert who claims that men beat women to express their power whereas women beat men to express their frustration (or lack of power).  Is this true, or is violence always an expression of frustration, a lashing out when one one feels powerless otherwise?  The article also deals with the recent glorification of female violence in the entertainment world, and argues that people may admire it in the movies but not so much in real life.  Is female violence encouraged in our society today?

Superheroes hit Seattle’s streets

This is the last post you can respond to for the second half of November.

Is this one possible solution for making city streets safer?  Should ordinary citizens take a more active role in crime fighting when the police seem incapable of making things safe?  Or do these people have other motives?  Are they making the situation better or worse?   Some people think that television news and entertainment programs encourage a fear of crime that is exaggerated and a glorification of a violent response to it.  What is your opinion?

The neuroscience of metaphors

A fairly long article, but a very interesting one, with a lot to react to, especially for those of you with a scientific bent.  What do you think of neuroscientists trying to explain all human behaviour according to brain structure/chemistry?   Do you think the studies given as examples are good ways of measuring how the brain can perceive things metaphorically?  Would it interest you to carry out experiments like this?  (Perhaps there are some good ideas for extended essays here.)  Do you agree with the writer’s observations about the advantages and disadvantages of our brain’s tendency to confuse the literal and the metaphorical?

British couple freed from Somali pirates

The main point of this commentary seems to be that psychologists and other experts on trauma appear to thrive in a situation like this, freely commenting on a particular experience which they know little about and generally taking the pessimistic side in terms of the vulnerability/resiliency of the human psyche.   What do you think?  Do professions like this tend to encourage the bad things that they treat?  Should we go to trained professionals like psychologists for advice or help, or is a good friend or family member a better alternative?

Secondly, the kidnapping incident itself would seem to deserve comment (as long as you make clear references to this particular article too).  Do you admire this retired couple for the adventurous life they had and the risks they took?  Do people have a hypocritical tendency to admire those who take risks that pay off, but say “I would have” or “He/she shouldn’t have” when they fail?  What should governments do in a situation like this?  Should the “no negotiating” or “no paying ransom” rules always be strictly followed?  Finally, if you were a young Somali who was living in a country with no effective government and few if any means to make a living, what might you resort to?