Here’s something to put in that cup

What do you do when you see someone begging on the streets?  Is it a bad idea to give them money in case they spend it on (legal) drugs, or do they have a right to these simple luxuries like everyone else?  Is suspended coffee a way to solve this problem or is it also an unnecessary and perhaps even harmful luxury?  Or is it a good idea because it takes away an excuse from those who could afford to help the homeless but do not?

Back from the dead

Is resurrecting extinct species a good idea, or more trouble than it is worth?  Can two wrongs make a right in terms of interfering with nature?  If we decide to resurrect species, which ones make the best candidates?

What?  Can’t fix it yourself, you wimp?

In a world of specialization, should men be unduly concerned about their lack of handyman skills, or is being self-sufficient in this regard still important?  What expectations (if any) should be put on sons or husbands?  Should gender have anything to do with it at all?  How does Slovakia compare to America on this issue?

Humanity, Security and Freedom: Mission Accomplished 

It is the anniversary of the War in Iraq and one can hear quite a few comments about it these days.  Most seem negative, but here is a positive view of the intervention from an Australian perspective.   Do you see any holes in the writer’s arguments?  What good points does he make?

Dating to drinking to dropping out

This is surely an article that hits home.  Does an active romantic life hurt study habits and academic performance, or is this article making the wrong links?  Does it also lead to more substance abuse as this article claims?  What do you think about the study’s validity (follow the link to find out more)?

When we click on the share button

This is the last entry you can comment on for April.

Do you agree with this writer’s position that the “going viral” trend on the internet should be viewed more critically?  Can websites and social networks be a tool for positive activism, or are they more likely to cause manipulation, distraction, complacency and a mob mentality? 

Buzzing in your ears

Drones seem to be a hot topic these days.  Are they a legitimate form of technology for use in a war?  Is the comparison that the author makes to Big Brother apt?  It is obvious that they negatively affect the countries over which they fly, but what are the disadvantages for the country that sends them?

Can being competitive result from being equal?

 

There are some surprising things in this article about what makes a successful school system.  No standardized tests, no accountability in terms of teacher performance, no private schools or competition between schools.  Could this work anywhere besides Finland, as this article claims?  What would need to change in Slovakia for us to even consider a program like this?

Could you turn down your sociometer, please?

 Lots of interesting stuff to talk about in this article, so you can skim some parts and carefully read others.  What do you think about this writers explanation of insulting in terms of evolutionary biology?  Is it true that our sociometers are more sensitive to insults than to compliments?  Is it true that most insults originate in envy?  If it is part of our biology, should we embrace it or combat it?  Do you believe that willpower can fight this sort of thing, as the writer seems to think?  How do you combat feelings like the desire to insult or to boast?

Do we really need saints like this?

 

Here is an Indian perspective on a very critical book about Mother Teresa.  What do you think about saints and our attitudes toward them?  Do people tend to be sceptical of people that are “too good”, or do they tend to be overly protective of them?  Does personal charisma play a big role, even if this person might not be as saintly as their reputation? Is charity a bad short-term solution when it is really the system that needs to be changed?  Was Mother Teresia justified in taking donations from dictators?

Why don’t they learn the language? (Or have they already?)

 

I usually choose newspaper articles for these entries, but in this case it is another blog.  How do you feel about people coming to, or staying in a country, when they don’t speak the language well.  Many claim that this is a sign that they don’t want to integrate, but can they really know what others want based on this?  Why would newspapers inflate the numbers of those who do not speak well?  Can any parallels be drawn in terms of the attitude of some Slovaks towards the Hungarian minority here?  Feel free to follow the links that the author provides in his post to get more information.

Why the third Reich is still popular in Austria

This is the last post you can comment on for March.

Here are some disturbing results of a recent survey conducted in the country across the river.  Are people often anti-democratic because democracy is messy and they would like a strong leader who could cut through the red tape instead?  Or is banning any political party anti-democratic in and of itself, and perhaps even counter-productive?  Do people have a tendency to whitewash darker periods of their nation’s history?  If your country has done something really bad, when have you atoned enough for it?  Would results be similar if Slovaks were polled about the Tiso regime?

Are you a dog racist?

Do certain breeds of dogs have more violent tendencies, or does it just depend on how they are raised?  Or is this mostly a non-problem blown up by the media?  What laws, if any, should a country put in place to keep aggressive dogs from becoming a danger to its citizens?  If dogs (of any breed) can be dangerous and even kill people, would it be better to stick to safer animals as pets?

Coddling and hobbling

What can teachers do when they find themselves pitted against parents?  How much should parents do to protect their children from overly stressful school demands?  In today’s competitive world, don’t children need extra help from their parents in order to succeed?  This is an American article.  Do Slovak parents tend to be similarly overprotective?

Why Germany has so many jobs

For all of you taking economics, do economists really tend to ignore the human element, as this writer claims?  Do you think Germany can be an economic model for other countries, including Slovakia?  Which of these suggestions appears doable?  Do you agree with the writer’s assertion that business should be socially useful? 

Abercrombie Blitz

Why do stores play music and why do some of them play it too loud?  Does music enhance your shopping experience or just annoy you?  What should be done to protect employees or others?

You can leave your hat on

 (The original title simply couldn’t be improved upon.)

Should religious expression through clothing be allowed in secular schools?  Is the religious indoctrination of children to be deplored, or simply a part of any child’s education, just as non-religious parents would also teach their children certain values and ideals? 

Bad chemistry with your partner?  Try a chemical solution.

This is the last entry you can comment on for the month of February.

Does the view of love which this article conveys seem too reductionist to you?  Is the failure of relationships today purely based on a clash between biology and societal factors, or is there something the writer is leaving out?  Is it fair to compare this drug to anti-depressents and other drugs which help relationships?  (You can also look at the author’s own discussion questions at the end of the article.)

Better than the majority is the majority

 Do you agree with this writer’s assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of a (perhaps overly) self-confident attitude?  Why, in your opinion, is such an attitude on the rise?  What do you think about the survey that gave us this information?  What would the results be if such a survey was given in Slovakia? 

Free, free, set them free!

 

We have already discussed this issue once in class, but now it has become relevant to the Slovak context.  Is having a presidential pardon a good thing, or should it be entirely up to the justice system whether prisoners get released?  What are the advantages and disadvantages of releasing prisoners early?  Should it be considered one possible solution to prison over-crowding?   Should it be done at once or only gradually?  Do you agree with which types of prisoners were chosen for this pardon?

Is Tumblr more than just orthographically challenged?

 

How can the format of social sites on the internet influence their content?  If you would like to encourage creativity and thoughtful expression, what are some of the best ways to do it?  Is the dumbing down of internet interaction inevitable?  Do you agree with this articles negative view of tumblr?  What is your preferred site and why?

The four-month-old teacher

Do you agree with the glowing description that the article gives of this educational programme?  Could all ages of students benefit?  What might be the downsides?  Would you be willing to donate your baby to the cause?

Give and take

 

Do you agree with the definitions of happiness and meaning given in this article?  Does looking for happiness ironically make one less happy?  Is everyone happier with meaning in life, or do some find meaninglessness more attractive?  Does this have anything to do with religious belief?  Is there meaning in suffering, or can looking for meaning in bad things cause more pain?  If some philosophers are right in that life has no intrinsic meaning, are we just deluding ourselves when we look for one?

Uncaring or uncarring

This is the last entry you can comment on for January.

How do you feel about cars?  If they are bad for the environment, how can we help people become less dependent on them and use them less?  Do attitudes need to change about cars, or do government policies?  What do you think about the solutions proposed in this article, both for urban and rural areas?  Is Slovakia become more or less like America in terms of being automobile-centered?