HW 58

          I interviewed two people about their thoughts regarding prom. One was a senior days away from her prom, the other a college freshman. I didn't interview a substantially older person as there was no one available for comment. The first interviewee was a senior awaiting her prom. She seemed very excited and had high hopes. I asked her why she was excited, her response was "Because it's something that I've been looking foward to, and every body else is excited so that makes me even more excited. Also, it's the last celebration that I'll have with people in my grade" I thought it interesting that she was looking forward more to the community aspect more so than the dance or the date. What do you expect? "Just to have a good time, see people that I've never seen dressed up before, and bond with the people in my grade" Again the community aspect is very strong. The one on one emotion between dates isn't at the top of her mind.

         Speaking to the college student, he wasn't as positive about prom. I asked him if prom lived up to expectations, to which he responded "Yeah, shitty" I asked him if he could elaborate, "SOF is a tiny school. We have a hundred kids a class. I figured it wouldnt be much. We pay a lot for tickets. I spoke to other kids at my college who said they only paid about 20 to 30 bucks. We pay a lot of money for something not that fun" The negativity was obvious. He said that the senior trip fulfilled the community aspect more so than prom did. He thought prom was pretty much unessescary. He thought it nothing like the dominant model of prom and thought the only cool thing was seeing everyone dressed up. He also said, "I wouldn't have minded missing it." This was really interesting that he wouldn't care that he missed his senior prom, that to others means so much. I do hope the senior that I interviewed doesn't share these views and gets something valuable out of her experience.

         I feel we overplay the social importance of prom. It is one night that will mean nothing in a few years time. We picture this huge ball where everybody is beautiful and happy. But in reality, we're looking forward to what may possibly be a huge let down. A feeling I've noticed among my peers is the excitement not for prom, but for the parties that will come after. Community seems to be playing a huge role in prom expectations. As for those choosing not to go, maybe because they say it's stupid or it's this huge contest or that it epitomizes teenage stupidity, maybe they just aren't a part of the community? Food for thought.

 

HW 57

I think prom is overrated. You spend weeks planning for a period of 6-12 hours. In the city, and especially SOF, prom isn't some extreme ultimate rite of passage. It's simply a celebration of unity and love. I think prom shouldn't be about the individual, but the community. Another part that doesn't make sense is that you go with a date, possibly someone you've known for years, and dance, party and spend the night together. But for one night only. If you're a boy you've worked up the guts to ask them, and if you're a girl you said yes for one reason or another, but will anything ever come of your one night fling? Prom dates are single-use and single-purpose, they're good for one night, maybe for only the prom and not the after party. Then the idea of the loss of virginity factors in. Do you lose your virginity to the person you've come with? If so, isn't that sort of shallow? Up until now, you haven't had an intimate moment with them, but you share with them the most important experience of love? Is it lust or love? What is the correlation between sex and prom? A huge thing at prom is dressing up, suits, tuxes and dresses. I think these things represent cleanliness and some purity, yet the sexual energy is unmatched. What happens if you have no date? It's a sort of stigma, everyone feels bad for you. Why should they? Why can't they have the same amount of fun as someone with a date? Is after-prom as important as the actual prom? What are the functions of teachers at prom? Why does SOF hold prom on a Thursday? Why do people not want to go to prom (other than monetary restrictions)? Where did the word "prom" come from?

XC-COTD

 I walked around two cemetaries in dowtown manhattan. One thing I thought odd was that gravestones are really boring (no offense dead people) we're supposed to be celebrating these people's lives, right? So why do we put their name on a plain stone slab with some numbers. There also weren't many flowers, as I was expecting. It was a depressing place which makes sense but I think a little more liveliness (no pun intended) wouldve been great.

HW 56

COMMENTS I MADE

Sarah,

Your video was different and actually interesting. Although I didn't understand the shots of people walking in the street-I'm assuming it was added for artistic effect-I thought it was well put together and it's fun to watch a video as opposed to your usual super-lengthy blogs, not that that's a bad thing. One thing I think you could've done without was the first part of the analysis where you explain what each girl said, it's redundant. Also, a few males would have been a nice addition. Nonetheless, good post/video.
http://sarahfrancesca23.blogspot.com/2011/05/hw-55-culminating-project-care-of-dead.html

Larche,

Your research and explanation of home funerals is well structured and informative. It was easy to read without being too fluffy. A counter-argument paragraph would have been an interesting addition and there were a few grammatical errors. But the fluidity and amount information made up for that. Strong post.
http://larchegnormalisweird4.blogspot.com/2011/05/hw-55.html

Ally,

Seeing your brochure for a few seconds in class made me want to come to your blog. I thought the idea was very original and I liked that you decided to go your own way with it. The simplicity of your brochure is great and something like this should be implemented in the funeral society. Something like this could be of great use to families who are in too much grieving to research care of the dead option. They could simply pick up a brochure like this and learn more about different techniques quickly, and they could then research further into the ones they are interested in.
http://normalisweirddaj.blogspot.com/2011/05/hw-55.html
_____________________________________________________________________________

COMMENTS I RECEIVED

michelle

Jay

You and Rossi went to funeral homes looking for more information and another view on the care of the dead, straight from the people who work in these homes. An aspect I valued from your post was the type of questions you asked the receptionist, because they received interesting responses from this woman. The reason why this project matters to me is that it let me understand why these people work in this industry, how I at first like you mentioned thinks it is weird to have such a passion fro death or the care of the dead. But now I wonder why is it so different from having a passion for fashion or computers? Is it because our society makes us look at this as weird? The only thing that you could've done to make this post even better would have been analyzing what she said a little more or even just comparing it to what you want done when you die. Overall good job!

amhara

I believe that it was smart of you to include an opposing view of home funerals because so far a lot of the information we've received has been for it. It makes sense that home births make certain people uncomfortable because that the memory is alive in your own home which you walk into daily. I also thought asking about people's lack of information on the topic was important. Her answer was honest and accurate but it was never explained why people "don't want to know" and I think that would have been a nice follow up question for you to ask.

rossi

Jay,

I enjoyed reading your post and I liked how you only included the interesting aspects of the conversation. It makes it easier for the reader to digest the information while still showing that you had an enlightening worth while experience. The quote, “After talking to her and listening to Skip and his colleague, it seems that care of the dead specialists actually like their job, which I think is really weird. How can you like being around dead people and grieving all of time?” stood out to me because I feel the same way you do. I think that Skip’s relationship with death is the most meaningful to me because he is actually an emotional person and admits it, which may seem weird to some but I think it is something that will somehow make him better at what he does. I suppose that it relates to “the calling” that people in the business refer to, as you mentioned in your speech. Also, there were also no obvious grammar mistakes, which allow for a smoother read. Nice job.

HW 55

            For my project, Rossi and I visited Lanza Provenzano, a funeral home downtown in the Lower East Side. We spoke to the receptionist who was also a mortuary science student in college. She was very friendly, and it was obvious that she loved sharing her knowledge. She answered all of our questions with great enthusiasm. The place was very dimly lit and exactly what I expected to see in a funeral home. It was fully furnished with classy looking chairs, couches, clocks and carpets. It seemed like somewhere people go to talk about dead people. The brightest thing in their was the woman we were interviewing. She was so enthusiastic about care of the dead and aspires to be a funeral director. The way she talked about it was very warm and I found it really odd that she was so fond of care of the dead. One thing I found really funny was that she subscribed to a Funeral magazine. When I said it was a little weird, she responded, "No way. It's really cool. All the new caskets, urns and stuff. It's so interesting. They have this new casket made for hunters where the inside is totally camoflage and there's a place for his rifle. It's sick! And it's sealed with a key if you ever want to get the gun back." I'm still laughing thinking about that. One thing she told us about that I found particularly interesting was this new method of "cremation" where they dont burn the body, but it into a mix of water and chemicals and the flesh disintegrates and the only thing left is bone. She seemed to be having a great time telling us all of this stuff. She said she wants to be cremated when she dies which is weird given her fascination with caskets. We asked her if she thought that people weren't knowledgeable enough about the care of the dead industry to which she retorted, "People dont want to knowledgeable. They're not knowledgeable, but it's because they don't want to be." Another really interesting thing was that she said "I don't like home funerals. In Puerto Rico they had them, it's too sad. Every time you go into that house or room you can't help but feel sad. People don't walk into a funeral home everyday, but they do walk into their house every day. I just hate feeling so sad every time I walk into my grandmother's house." After talking to her and listening to Skip and his colleague, it seems that care of the dead specialists actually like their job, which I think is really weird. How can you like being around dead people and grieving all of time?

Side Note: We also visited RG Ortiz Funeral Home, a few blocks away. When we inquired with the receptionist she told us that she was busy speaking with a man who was clearly her friend and not a client. I thank Lanza Provenzano Funeral Home for their honesty and generosity.

HW 54

I chose to research Catholicism instead of Atheism because it was how I was raised. From Pre-School to the 5th grade I attended two Catholic schools, and thought it interesting to actually attempt to gain an understanding of the doctrine. Until about 6th or 7th grade I was certain that pearly gates awaited me after I died, but those thoughts vanished as soon as I started thinking logically. I did research into some texts, even pulled out my old bible, haha. I went to my former pre-k/kindergarten and spoke to the pastor about some things. I'm not sure he actually remembered me, which isn't all that bad because I don't know what he'd think if he saw that I was no longer the good little catholic that I used to be.

HEAVEN

For my whole childhood I was always told that if you were good and free of sin you get to go to the majestic place where white gates and g-d await. A huge incentive for us to be good people, is it not? "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" I found it interesting that it's a kingdom, which insinuates some sort of tyrannical monarchy, they say g-d is all powerful, but are we expected to bow down to him even in the afterlife? I spoke to the pastor about this, I asked him what his perception of heaven is to which he answered, "People tend to think too much about the aesthetics and not enough about what heaven actually means. It's not about the pearly gates or angels. It's about the purity that awaits us. We will be our perfect selves living in harmony." Even though I disagree with him, he said it with such conviction and firmness that he made it same possible and amazing. I personally think that there is no heaven. There is no physical or spiritual place.

HELL

Hell was the place no one ever wanted to go. All the bad people go there. I found a great bible quote about hell and Satanism,

"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, ¹⁰The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: ¹¹And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name"

Basically if you worship Satan, you'll go to live with him and will be tortured. I found this a little contradictory. If these people worship Satan, wouldn't they want to live with him? And why would Satan torture his followers? It seems to me that g-d tortures his followers. During the Crusades and the Inquisition, people killed (a mortal sin*!) in the name of g-d, the go to heaven, but someone gets an inverted pentagon tattoo, they're condemned to hell? It shouldn't be called the bible, it should be called "The International Book of Double Standards" So hell is this really horrible place with burning sulfur (which means it smells really bad) and flames everywhere, and the ruler is a demonic looking guy,

who was an angel that fell from heaven after defying g-d,

So, you defy g-d and suddenly you fall through the sky into hell and become some demonic sadistic super evil thing? I've defied g-d on many occasions, I never got wings. I love reading about hell, it has great comedic value. I'm trying really hard to take this stuff seriously, but honestly, like really? Come on.

ETERNITY

You live your whole life, then die, and go to heaven and live more? That's my understanding anyway. I just don't comprehend how that could be in any way coveted. You've either fulfilled your life dreams or not, if you have, you die content, then wake up after an indeterminable amount of time and your in heaven watching everyone. If you haven't fulfilled your dreams, well, it's not like you get another shot at it.

"12:2 Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake – some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence. 3 But the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever."

You catch that last part? Forever and ever. Like always. Never ending. The most redundant lifestyle possible. What do you do? Live in paradise the whole time? Doesn’t that get boring after a while. Whether you either in hell or heaven, you’re still being tortured with the burden of nothing to do.

Catholicism is really intricate and requires way more time to understand, even just the afterlife part. Basically, Catholics believe you go to either heaven or hell, live with g-d or Satan forever. _________________________________________________________________________________
*mortal sin: an unpardonable sin entailing a total loss of grace

HW 53

Articles

Zezima, Katie. "Home Burials Offer an Intimate Alternative - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. The New York Times, 21 July 2007. Web. 09 May 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/us/21funeral.html.

Home burial is cost effective, greener and more personal. Many people are taking it upon themselves to bury their dead.

Horton, Allison. "Funeral Home Sued for Bad Embalming, Too-small Grave - Chicago Sun-Times." News Articles and Headlines from the Chicago Sun-Times. The Chicago Sun-Times, 07 May 2011. Web. 09 May 2011. http://www.suntimes.com/5226059-417/funeral-home-sued-for-bad-embalming-too-small-grave.html.

Funeral home sued for inadequately preparing remains and size of grave.

Yurkiewicz, Shara. "Medical School: A First-year Student Works on Her First Cadaver - Los Angeles Times." Featured Articles From The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2011. Web. 09 May 2011. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/25/health/la-he-gross-anatomy-20110425.

Med student's accounts of her endeavors of cutting up a dead body.

 Expert

I spoke to a man at the John Krtil Funeral home. I asked him what their embalming alternatives are and he admitted that there was no freezer on site and most funeral parlors don't have freezers. He told me that there is no need for embalming, and said they dont push embalming on their customers. He did say however that "You can have closed-casket and not have them embalmed." I asked him why not have an open casket and not embalmed, to which he stuttered a little and said, "Well yeah, of course. You can do whatever you want." I admired his not being deceptive and being straight up, it's a quality I wasn't expecting to see. But maybe, that too is deception that he was being so nice.
I aso spoke to a woman from the Greenwich Village Funeral Home on the phone and asked her if they recommended embalming, she said that she wasn't able to answer the question and would tell her director to give me a call, I told her I'd call back tomorrow, not wanting to leave my number. She seemed to be covering until a superior took it over, fearing she may say something that she would regret or would jeopardize the appearance of her employer.

HW 52

In the last third of my book I present alternatives to the dominant coffins and places of burial in the funeral industry. I introduce the idea of simplistic, carpenter-made coffins and more natural and personal places of burial. I explain the green role of the natural cemetery and speak about how it is more favorable than a cookie-cutter cemetery.

"She thought it handsome, though, and Ed said he'd go back to Pierson and buy her an even more attractive casket made from oak, if she wanted."

"When he and Jane then declared that they simply wanted to provide families with an afforable alternative to the high-priced casket, the funeral director look at them and said, "Oh, it won't be cheaper. We'll get their money"

"'Our goal is to restore the land," says Billy, "and we're using burials to do it.'"

This book wasn't really similiar to any other book from the course, in that it presents alternatives and makes them the driving focus of the book, whereas FFN was a harsh critique of the fast food industry and American lifestyle, Tuesdays was an anecdotal novel with great pathos , and Birth was historical with critique. I guess you could say that Grave Matters was the perfect mix of all of those qualities, it was a little critical, slightly evocative, and gave simple background history. It was the best written of the four.

HW 51

In the second third of my book, I introduce two new burial practices. Both fall under the category of sea burial, by way of spreading ashes and putting bodies in artificial pieces of reef. There are many alternatives to the standard burial and some of the most peaceful and majestic are aqueous. They are beautiful ways of going about care of the dead and should seriously be considered.

"Floating on the vast Pacific, surrounded on all sides by the original source of life itself, Ken felt the smallness of the human condition and his connection to the larger, natural world." p 72

"When divers recently hauled up ten sample reef structures that the state had sunk offshore over a period of seven years, biologists found that each one supported eight hundrerd times more marine life than the surrounding sandy seafloor."

"Hiring a company to take you out for a scattering can run from $300 to nearly $2,000"

The book is really interesting and doesn't have the usual dark tones that come with novels of its genre. It's a very light happy read that doesn't patronize or accuse the reader. The alternatives that are provided are well researched but are not really long and boring. The author gives you the points in an interesting way without out all the excess. It is by far the best written book thus far in the class.

HW 49

Jay,

That was very interesting to learn about your moms experience growing up in ireland. Did her experiences with death over there affect you in anyway when you heard about it? I find it very interesting that she wanted to be cremated for the reason of not wanting to go in the ground. Great post.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Max,

Your post was detailed and very personal. You did well to ask insightful questions without pushing boundaries. You had respect for the interviewees and your post was very interesting. Next time, maybe, you could analyze the interviewee's thoughts more.

Rossi,

Good post, good work. I like your analysis and application of your own opinions. You went into depth and your interviews were gold. Next time, you might wan't to proofread closly because there were a few mess ups.

Larche,

Your post was great. Really detailed and extensive. One line that struck me was; "we have a set of rules for everything in life, so you don't have to give much thought into making your own decision or trying to figure out what’s right for you." I was bewildered by this, and couldnt understand why your interviewee would want common routine to rule how they cared for loved ones. However you interviewed your interviewees was great and brought out a bunch of great stuff. Solid post.

HW 50

In the first third of my book, Grave Matters, I go over two scenarios on how people with dead loved ones are treated in the funeral industry, and how their loved ones are treated. I also go over one popular alternative, cremation.

"the protective caskets families pay hundreds of extra dollars for are 'routinely unsealed after the family leaves'"

"the intimate familiar setting also makes for a welcome contrast to the funeral parlor Brian visited to handle his father's burial"

"those that allow you generally ask that you gain a permit beforehand"

"the Johnsons are obligated, however, to lease Fielding's "flower van"


The book, thus far, has been really interesting and the facts have been accurate and helpful. The representation of facts and research through stories is a great way to get the reader to actually read and enjoy it. So far, the author isn't bashing the system in place, he's just revealing it with fact and offering alternatives that factually are less evil and less atrocious. I like the honesty of the author and the attempt to show truths without extreme bias. So far, after reading I've made the decision that I'm not going to be buried. I'm not sure what will happen to me, just not burial. Not because of the affect it will have on me, but my loved ones. I want this experience for them to be transparent and only about saying goodbye, not some over priced scam of a funeral.

HW 49

For this post I interviewed only my mother. I would've interviewed my father had circumstances been ideal, but I did not and won't go into why. Suprisingly, my mother had a lot to say about the topic, it seemed as though she had already thought about it. She told me that she considers herself a traditionalist, she thinks "it's all about the ceremony and prayer", and that funerals are very important because they "signify closure". My mother grew up around funerals, they were a big to-do in Ireland when she was growing up, and coming from a town where everybody knows everybody it's safe to assume she attented quite a few of them. When my mother was growing up in Ireland religion was stressed and so religious funerals were in abundance. They were very personal and the wakes were often held at home. My mothers remembers going to her grandfather's wake in his own home where his casket was in his bedroom. I presume that when a wake is in the house of the loved one it evokes strong feelings. What I thought was odd though, was that my mother wants to be cremated, which contradicts her being a self-proclaimed 'traditionalist'. When I asked her why she wanted to be cremated, she responded "I don't want to go in the ground at all. I want my ashes to be spread." It's interesting that she doesn't want a normal religous funeral, seeing as she is very familiar with them and thinks they hold importance. When I asked her what she thinks about being at the grave she said  "It is very final when the coffin goes into the ground, and it hits you that you're never going to see that person again." I've been to a funeral with my mother and know we were both feeling the same way - really really sad. And I sort of agree with her cremation choice, because if I had to look at my mother in a casket, and watch the coffin lower into the ground I wouldn't be able to take it. This unit is going to be really depressing.

HW 47

I interviewed my peers on their thoughts regarding the care of the dead. There were some very interesting answers.


Me: What do you think about the presentation of the body in an open casket?
Person1: I think it's odd. They try so hard to make the body look less dead and more good looking. It's as if they're trying to hide the truth and mask the ugly side of death. If we can't stomach what the bodies really should look like then we can't accept death.
Me: Dont you think they're just paying respects to the dead by making them "pretty"?
Person1: No, we should see our loved ones for who they are, not with a mask.


Me: Would you rather be cremated or buried?
Person2: Cremated
Me: And why is that?
Person2: I think it's just more freeing, like I'm being released into the world.
Me: But you'll be dead, so why does it matter?
Person2: My body will be dead but my spirit wont.
Me: So if your body is dead, why does it matter whether or not it's cremated?
Person2: I don't want my body to be on the planet it should be gone so that my spirit can live free.

These interviews were insightful and a little odd.
It was really hard to get interesting interviews, as most of my peers hadn't considered care of the dead, or just didnt care about it.  I thought the second interview was odd and the spiritual thing was a little weird. I am excited for this unit for these reasons, no one really cares about this and I want to learn about it in order to educate others.

HW 46

Care of the dead has been a unit I’ve been looking forward to since the beginning of the class. It has intrigued me mostly because it’s a topic I haven’t really considered before. Honestly, I have no pre-meditated thoughts regarding the matter, not even bubbles. Now that I’m faced with the objective of actually thinking about it, I find myself processing bubbles about the “industrialization” of the funeral business. I presume that it is a very profitable industry, being that people die all the time. It’s an industry that will always have customers, people are always going to die and people in developed countries will always need professionals to handle these deaths. There is, presumably, some deep atrocity involved and I’m thinking it will most likely be related to the exploitation of grief. The way I see it is that people die, then the people close to them are the ones organizing their wakes, funerals etc. and whilst organizing such events they can’t help but reminisce on their late loved ones, thus fogging their rationale and attentiveness to how exactly the care for their loved ones is carried out. This is certainly a plus for the companies providing such services, it is much easier to exploit those whose minds are fogged with memories and sadness rather than those who are aware and focused. I’m interested in studying this exploitation, and also studying the positive aspects of the system in place, yes I do believe there are some, ie making death more affordable and accessible. I am actually legitimately excited for this unit
Questions
How, exactly, do funeral homes, graveyards, undertakers etc. profit from the exploitation of the emotionally unstable?

In caring for the dead, what corners are cut in the funeral industry in order to maximize profit?

I’ve heard of coffins that are made to protect against the elements. Is this true? And, why do people care so much that the body is preserved, or protected if they will never see it again?

What was the purpose of mummification?

Like a lot of marriages - which are very representative of the unification of people who share love for one another- priests are often present at funerals of the dead, which is the detachment of someone from all of their loved ones. Why is this religious symbol so important in tying bonds and breaking them?

Why we should we care about the care of the dead? They don’t seem to mind.

HW 45

To Willie:

Thank you for your comment. While I would like to take credit for finding the hospital, I can't. We were told to go there, so we went. It just so happened that they had the lowest Cesarian section rate in the city. As for the nurses being against c-sections, I'd have to disagree. In my blog you can see that the nurses were not totally against it, they believe that if c-sections were the last measure that they should be taken. They were, however, not fans of cesarian for convenience. Regardless, thank you for your feedback.

To Max

Thanks for the comment. I'm glad that their contradictory viewpoints intrigued you. And yes, I was very lucky to talk to women who were 100% honest and shed light on their views. And as to whether or not she's considered traditional in her line of work is up for debate, this may be an insight into how all nurses are. It would be interesting to see if seeing birth daily changed their views.

To Ally

Thanks. And just to clarify, the lady we talked to who trained with midwives was not a doctor, she was a nurse. I totally agree that it is dog eat dog and that the midwives and their supporters are pitted against the doctors and their supporters. I think we havent studied into it enough and we should've. Anyway, thanks for your comment.

Hw 43

Comments I made

Larche

Your post was a deep insightful look into not only the problem of infertility, but the stigma surrounding it. A line that struck me was; "Infertility can lead to some women feeling and being ostracized by other women for something that isn’t in their control . "People see them as having a "bad eye" that will make you infertile, too. Infertile women are considered inauspicious," says Inhorn. Other people simply "don't want to have them around at joyous occasions," This was very insightful and evokes anger from the readers, while we think it's outrageous to see infertile women in this light, we can't be sure exactly how we would feel with having people with this complication around our developing children. This project is important because it is really informative and covers a topic we hadn't considered throughout the unit.

Ally

Your decision to use a visual to represent your finding was very refreshing and different. The in-depth research of Indian birth customs was on point and actually really interesting. The different rituals involved actually grasped the attention of the class, something not often acheived. Your project matters because Americans tend to be more close-minded about different cultures and their rituals, you brought to light many interesting factors of birth that we may have found odd or different and showed us how what we view to be normal may in fact be out of the ordinary to others. Your project epitomized the course name.

Megumi

Your fact backed, curiosity fueled look at cesarean sections was a nice read and without a doubt the most informative post I've read thus far. While we went into depth in this topic in class, you managed to compile the valuable facts and necessary information into one informative concise essay, very important in terms of educating the ignorant.

Michelle

Good job with the elevator speech, I actually came to look at your blog. Your post is a very easy read. It is well written, and well revised. Your in depth analysis of Indian birthing methods, while comparable to Ally and Leah's, is very well done and it is clear your research was extensive. I feel much less ignorant after reading your post, and reading it didn't feel like drudgery. This post is very important because information is key to understanding and acceptance. Those who shun others for their customs are ignorant and uneducated.

___________________________________________________________________________

Willie

I really liked how you found a hsopital that ctually didn't do hardly any c-sections. Most other hospitals seem to do C sections alot, so to be able to find one was really cool. Also when you mentioned C section and you said one of the ladies didn't feel right, it was cool to , because that showed that they are completely against it

Max

Jay,

I really enjoyed reading your interview. I especially liked how the women you interviewed was not seen as the traditional standards of someone in her line of work. Your most insightful line was, t's terrible. I think it's just a convience to doctors and patients (mothers). If you dont want to have a baby on a Saturday, you just have a C-Section. That was interesting because it showed her true opinion on the matter.

Ally

I love how the opinion of this woman completely goes against the hospitals beliefs. I dont think it was a bias opinion because she works there and she has the first hand point of view.

My favorite part was,
JM: Do you think it's right that doctors are trained to think every birth is a high risk, emergency/surgical procedure?
N: I think doctors are not educated enough in the natural birthing process. OB/GYNs need more education. When I was in school, we trained with midwives, it was mandatory.

The fact that doctors are actually trained by midwives is really interesting but yet its like the battle of the fittest and they try to out bid one another, they try to prove why they're better than one another. I actually enjoyed reading this post.

HW 42

For this project, my peers and I visited St. Luke's Roosevelt hospital on 59th and 10th. There we interviewed staff in the Delivery Education Department, the Delivery Department, and the Post-Partum department about their views and the views of the hospital regarding the birthing process.

All interviewees are anonymous in order to protect them, as they may have said things that contradicted with the beliefs of their employer. I realize that providing their job title may shed some light on who they are, so I will be vague. In my speech, I will provide this information.

The first lady that we interviewed, was a nurse from the Post-Partum Deparment. The interview went as follows.
(Interviewer: JM Interviewee: N)

JM: Why did you choose this field of work?
N: I'm not the right one to be asking, but I'll tell you what I'm supposed to say. I chose it because I love mothers and babies. Not because my friend was head of the floor and told me to work here.
(We exchange laughter.)
JM: What are your views on the rising rates of C-Sections in America?
N: It's terrible. I think it's just a convience to doctors and patients (mothers). If you dont want to have a baby on a Saturday, you just have a C-Section.
JM: Do you think the use of Epidural and Pitocin are more beneficial to mothers & babies or the doctor?
N: They're not always beneficial for mothers & babies. They should only be used if the baby is long overdue. Birth should be natural and vaginal. Some doctors do believe in natural birth, too.
JM: How do you feel about midwifery and homebirths?
N: I think it's great, we should have more midwives.  You should write this down somewhere, 'Birthing has always been one of the most natural processes, we need to remember that.
JM: Do you think it's right that doctors are trained to think every birth is a high risk, emergency/surgical procedure?
N: Well, I wouldn't say that's totally true. But, at any sign of distress it;s necessary to save the baby. You've got to get the baby out.
JM: Thank you so much.
N: No problem.
(We walk to the nurses' station)
N: You need to leave now.
JM: Okay. Thank you, again.

The second lady we interviewed was the Director of the Educational Department (within Delivery).
(Interviewer: JM Interviewee: D)

JM: What are your views on the rising rates of C-Sections in America?
D: I'm proud to say that we have the lowest C-section rate in the city. I think C-sections should happen when they're needed.
JM: How do you feel about midwifery and homebirths?
D: Midwifery is great.
JM: Do you think it's right that doctors are trained to think every birth is a high risk, emergency/surgical procedure?
D: Doctors are trained to deal with high-risk cases, but most cases are normal. Their training teaches them to be aware of risks.
JM: Thank you so much.
D: No problem.

The third lady we interviewed was the a nurse of the Delivery Unit.
(Interviewer: JM Interviewee: N)

JM: Why did you choose this field of work?
N: As a young girl I was very interested in nursing and pregnant women and their babies.
JM: What are your views on the rising rates of C-Sections in America?
N: I don't like them. They should only be carried out when absolutely necessary.
JM: Do you think the use of Epidural and Pitocin are more beneficial to mothers & babies or the doctor?
N: Women should have the choice on what drugs they want administered. I personally didn't have epidural when I had my two children, but I would never judge someone who did. Pitocin is a very serious drug and should be used judiciously. You should use the least amount necessary. Instead of using six, maybe use two.
JM: How do you feel about midwifery and homebirths?
N: In my country, most babies were born in homebirths, but it is a different culture. Personally, I would feel more safe in a hospital, knowing there is medical equipment on site and rooms for surgery. It's more appealing.
JM: Do you think it's right that doctors are trained to think every birth is a high risk, emergency/surgical procedure?
N: I think doctors are not educated enough in the natural birthing process. OB/GYNs need more education. When I was in school, we trained with midwives, it was mandatory.
JM: Thank you so much.
N: No problem. Good luck on your project.

HW 41

James, Kim. "Epidural Risks and Side Effects." Kim James. Kim James, 2011. Web. 31 Mar 2011. <http://www.kimjames.net/>.


Kim James is a certified birth doula and birth educator from Seattle, Washington.


Epidural Anesthesia." American Pregnancy Association. American Pregnancy Association, 08 2007. Web. 31 Mar 2011. <http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/epidural.html>.


American Pregnancy Association is a web site with information regarding pregnancy.


Elson, Vicki. "Reported Side Effects of Epidural Anesthesia ." ChildBirth.org. ChildBirth.org, 1996. Web. 31 Mar 2011. <http://www.childbirth.org/articles/sideeppi.html>.


A list of the side effects of edpidural.


"The History of Epidurals." birth.com.au. Birth, n.d. Web. 31 Mar 2011. <http://www.birth.com.au/Epidural-during-labour/The-history-of-epidurals>.


The history of epidural. 


Understanding The Epidural." GYNOB. gynob.com, n.d. Web. 31 Mar 2011. <http://www.birth.com.au/Epidural-during-labour/The-history-of-epidurals>.


Weighing the pros and cons of epidural.




I can use this research to write a report on the use of epidural, it's effects and the common discourses regarding it.

HW 40

JM-Hey, Tina Cassidy thanks for writing Birth. Your reflection on the history of birth with unique connections really got me to rethink my ideas on birth and the common practice surrounding it.

 

 TC-Really, which parts were most effective or important for you?"

 

JM-Well, in the last third of the book where you focused on the aftermath of birth and the postpartum effects, but what I really identified with was the part about the father's role, which was good juxtaposition to the first 2/3rds of the book where it was heavily based on the woman. But let me be more specific.

1. The studies that showed the father's prescence made mothers relax (pg198)

2. The couvade syndrome and a fathers need to feel what the mother is feeling(210)

3. The negative affects of not breast-feeding (236)

TC- But what could I have done to make this a better book - that would more effectively fulfill its mission?"

 

JM-Well, let's be clear - your text sought to provide historical analysis from the perspective of a mother for the book-reading-public to better understand pregnancy & birth in our culture. Given that aim, and your book, the best advice I would give for a 2nd edition of the text would be, instead of basing the book so heavily on historical facts, get people's opinion. But I don't want you to feel like I'm criticizing. I appreciate the immense amount of labor you dedicated to this important issue and particularly for making me think about how the history of birth and the dominant practices in other cultures contrast with our own & whether or not we are doing it right, how we might figure that out, and what we would do from there. In fact, I'm likely to seriously weigh my options when I have a child as a result of your book.

 

TC-Thanks! Talking to you gives me hope about our future as a society!

HW 39

Cassidy, Tina. Birth. NY,NY: Grove Press,
      2006. Print.

1. Birth by Tina Cassidy dives into the history of birth and the standard practices and procedures surrounding it. She has far more examples and evidence to match, then Business of Being Born does. Cassidy shows us the history in much more depth, whereas Business of Being Born makes simple connections to highlight atrocities. Cassidy also explores different cultures and BoBB only examines American culture with some insight from foreign doctors.

2. The insight in the second part of the book is the same as the first, a general history of birth and the atrocities associated with it.
3. - The history of baby formula
    - The advancement of birthing technologies
    - The increasing cesarean section rates
    - The changes in labor positions throughout history
4. The author pointed out famous celebrities opting for cesareans, that was weird to me because celebrities tend to go for the all natural/healthiest option. After researching I've found the author's statements to be valid.

HW 38

1. The book is organized interestingly, it's a compilation of key events and people in the history of birth, that relate to the chapter they're in.

2. a. How do the dominant views about birth in the western world relate/contrast with the rest of the world? How have we got to where we are in terms of child birth? 

    b. It seems that midwifery is still pretty popular the world round, except for America, of course, because, you know we're progressive.

3. a. Birth is very different in different cultures. Heres the story of how we got here. 

    b. We often entertain the idea that everything is always better in other cultures, and that America is too industrialized and lacks the more personal experience. I honestly think the birth of a child should be carried out by someone with respectable credentials. But I find it odd that most midwives are female and most OB/GYNs are male.

4. 1. We need to be observant of other dominant practices in other cultures, but also need to understand that our own dominant practices didn't just become dominant overnight, they're there for a reason.

    2. It's important to understand the history of something that some of us plan to experience.

    3. Honestly, I've got nothing else. What else is there to agree with? You can't really tell me to agree with the author.

 

5. Her evidence is pretty balanced, based on textual facts, anecdotes, personal experience, and first-hand views of birth. With well-balanced research it's easier to be assured that for the most part, this woman knows what she's doing/writing about.

HW 37 Comments on Birth & Pregnancy Stories.

Comments I Made


Rossi
Your post was very detailed and actually interested me, when you actually do your posts they're really good. Quality work, Medium. A part i liked was; "Generally women, especially pregnant women, tend to be moody. Had her husband not been there to satisfy her needs when possible, then she would have likely been more angry and more often." While comedic, this was also interesting it brings up questions about the reliability that the mother has on the father and who single mothers have to lean on.
Max
I thought your post was very personal and was well thought out, I liked the structure of it. Putting the questions in between each paragraph as opposed to the end was a good idea. The insight I thought to be the best was; "In these types of situations i think that sometimes it might not be worth it if you go through that whole process and in the process your most prized thing in life dies. It is not worth going through all the painful memories." It was interesting that you thought this, and I think this brings up questions of the willingness of mothers to do what they have to do to protect their children, especially during birth.
Larche
Your post was well written and well structured. The part that I found insightful was "She spoke about needing a lot of help after having the c-section since she couldn't hold the baby for the first week, which didn't make her feel 'self sufficient'." It draws on our conversation in class about how we might demean women by helping them too much, this shows that maybe women don't want ALL of the help that they get. This would be an interesting thing to look into.
________________________________________________________________________


Comments I Received

Rich (Protoge)
i thought it was a very strong piece you included a interresting amount of detail in each of your interviews. I can tell you spent a large amount of time in your interviews.

Gavin (Mentor)
I think the post was very to-the-point and direct regarding the focus of your interviews and how thoughts can be scattered and varied on the topic of pregnancy. It's true that the feeling of having a living being inside the womb is mind-boggling. Women must agree even more.
As for some constructive criticism, coming from an English major, always double check your writing for grammar error and do a spell-check. Doing drafts before publishing the full piece is always helpful- it lets you get a chance to make sure that you're saying exactly what you want to say, and gives you the chance to review it for yourself and see where you feel you need to focus your strengths.
All in all, not a bad post. You should read some transcribed interviews to get a sense of how these things are done professionally.


Rossi
Your post was very well written. I like the way you began with the first person, summing up her feelings right away. This was a vague yet elegant introduction into the rest of the blog. The most insightful part to me was "
A father's place in birth is often undermined and their emotions aren't often taken into consideration. It may be possible that the father is more scared than the mother, because he thinks more solidly because he doesn't have the physicality of the birth to affect his feelings." I feel like this is a very true statement because all of the attention is on the mother. While this is appropriate, it seems as if fathers are not always given enough credit for there roles in the entire process from dealing with the mother and their mood swings and "cravings" to holding their hand in the delivery room in most cases. Mothers tend to be very dependent on their husbands and their role is significant to both the mother and the child, therefor i think they deserve more credit.
I think one way that you can improve your posts would be to try to make the later summaries of the interviewees as interesting as the first.

Larche
I enjoyed reading your interviews from three different points of view of the pregnancy and birth process. I liked the line "Pregnancy is like no other aspect of our lives, because there is a living thing inside of the women which is such a mind boggling experience." It shows that pregnancy and birth is an experience that is handled differently by mothers and fathers as they experience a variety of emotions ,knowing that they are bringing a life into this world.

Max

I really thought that you post was very thought provoking. As opposed to in my post when i gave the names of my people i interviewed your people wanted to be kept private. And i undertand why their story's are very personal and really show how they feel about this topic. I felt like your most insightful line was, "The mother I interviewed said birth was very traumatic, scary, and exhilarating. "

HW 36

I interviewed three people about their experiences with pregnancy/birth. One was a mother of three, the other an expecting mother, and the third was a father who had witnessed birth.

first interview

The mother I interviewed said birth was very traumatic, scary, and exhilarating. Especially the first child, because at first she thought she was ready, but when it actually came to the day her emotions were flaring. Her husband and her were very scared but in the end they had a healthy child via cesarean section. Their second child was the easiest and most painless. He was also a c-section and was born without complication. The third was more of a roller coaster, being born when her mother was 35, the last child was more in danger of complication and this proved to be true. The last child had to be hooked up to oxygen/incubators for reasons I didnt find out.

I feel that the general consensus is that your feelings during birth are happiness over most. Birth is beautiful and we underestimate the day of delivery.

Second

The father  says birth is scary but worth it, because when you get to hold your child and realize that it's  yours and that you helped to make it the feelings are unmatched and it's one of the happiest feelings ever. He said that no book or class can truly prepare you for that hospital room when your feelings are never stationary or certain.

A father's place in birth is often undermined and their emotions aren't often taken into consideration. It may be possible that the father is more scared than the mother, because he thinks more solidly because he doesn't have the physicality of the birth to affect his feelings.

Third

I interviewed a pregnant woman. She said that pregnancy has been weird and  different and that the emotional ups and downs are unmatched. She goes to classes and has been reading a lot of literature regarding birth. She feels prepared but knows that  while all of her preparation may help in the delivery room, she still doesn't know what to expect and is very scared but excited.

Birth is a huge deal, as is the ninth month period where the baby is in the womb. The women's emotions are crazy without hormones, so the addition of them can only make it even crazier. Pregnancy is like no other aspect of our lives, because there is a living thing inside of the women which is such a mind boggling experience.

The affect of pregnancy classes and pregnancy literature on the actual birth.

HW 35

When interviewing my peers, I chose the topic of age and  birth and at what age it was acceptable to have a child. The general consensus was that we have the right to have a child and people are too judgmental in our society. Also, out of curiosity I posed the pro-life, pro-choice question. And as expected, the vast majority were pro-choice. When I asked one girl about if society puts age restraints on birth she responded, "I think our society thrives on judgment and that we judge these people a certain way because others judge them that way." When I asked another person about the same topic he thought that there is a set age bracket and it should be that way, "I think babies should be had between the age of 25 and 35. Otherwise the child's upbringing will be affected." While it was an interesting point, he was about the only one who said that age restrictions were important and needed.


When I asked another girl if she was for abortion, she responded, "No, only because I'm adopted and every child deserves a chance at living.. and there's so many choices.. like adoption" Most of the people I interviewed were pro-choice, one was even "ridiculously pro-choice" and all used the argument that it is the women's choice what to do with her body. But talking to my friend who is adopted got me thinking that there are so many different options when considering your circumstances and the best decision. The majority of answers I got were liberal, as expected, but it was refreshing that not all of them were the same.

HW 34

Birth is an interesting topic. What I find odd about it is that we hold it up on such a high pedestal, we consider birth to be such an amazing thing, yet it happens everyday and is pretty common. The sun rises every day without fail, we take that for granted. I think birth is so miraculous because it is the act of having something that is the combination of you and your loved one. You realize that you made this thing. And you are going to raise it according to your own values. Your child becomes a part of you. The idea of a living thing living within you or your spouse is many emotions at once. You want this thing to have the best life possible and you want to educate it so that you can be proud that you’ve produced a functioning successful seed.
There are over 4000 known birth defects. But we still have this idea of a perfectly healthy baby, nothing else enters our mind. Why can’t people envision themselves as having the same all-american lifestyle with a child that is ill. When people are having a child you often hear them saying, “I don’t care what gender it is as long as it’s healthy” I believe that parents with children who have medical problems are much closer to them, and their connection is far stronger. Health is a prime concern when it comes to our children.We want this perfect lifestyle, the american dream, it involves a perfectly healthy child or two. And we have left no room for compromise.

HW 32

Although this unit wasn't as thought provoking as the food unit, I still learned a lot. While most people in our class consider a lot of things in our society to be atrocities, I do not. I see it as capitalism at it's best. People seeing oppurtunity to profit where others do not. We can sit around and argue for class after class, but that will change nothing. If someone really felt strongly about these so-called "atrocities", they would do something about it. If a bunch of executives can herd all of the sheep of America into believing their lives are fine and fair, than congrats to them. That just proves they're smarter than you. The majority of our class sits around whining about the capitalistic mentality, but they're just lazy. These "horrible people" took advantage of what they had, you all just say we live in a world where we're oppressed. So I invite you to do something about. Excuse my digression. Back to the point, this unit did show me inside the world of American health and there were many great insights. I do, however, stand by my argument that capitalism is good and bitching and moaning never got anybody anywhere.

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HW 30

              We live in the technological era, and technology is only going to become more prevalent. Many view technology to be a good thing, that it's advancing the world and our understanding of everything. For my project, I decided to focus on the role of technology in medicine. New technology has helped millions of people who suffer from a serious ailment. I used three sources to make up my research. Theses sources are; internet research, real life interactions with AIDS patients, and the use of a text provided in class.
              

              Technology has helped to increase life expectancy and has helped decrease the threat of death in cancer, heart disease, and stroke patients. All of those three are main causes of death in rich countries, such as the US. Coronary Heart Disease is the main killer in high-income countries, and "increased use of new medical technology and a spike in the use of prescription drugs has occurred alongside a continual increase in life expectancy and decrease in death rates for cancer, heart disease, and stroke." We have seen many improvents in the quality of healtcare and life throughout the advancement of medical technologies.
With diseases like, the one we focused on, AIDS, technology plays a huge role in the advancement of medicine. New drugs that are released further the fight against monsterous diseases such as HIV/AIDS. "Similarly, the introduction of low-cost antiretroviral drugs has allowed people already infected to lead longer, healthier and happy lives."
              This brings up the next part of the research, the real life incounters with people. My peers and I visited VillageCare, a clinic in Chelsea that is seemingly a clinic for general purposes, but whose patients seemed to all be infected with the disease. We spoke to one man who was from Miami who said that when he found out about his disease he was devistated and was told he only had 6 months to live. In those six months doctors release a new experimental cocktail of drugs that was extremely succesful. This was twenty years ago. This man lives his life in search of new technologies that can not only further his lifespan but also make it more comfortable. Another man we spoke with treated it like a death sentence at first but eventually came to be able to live with the disease, without modern technologies he wouldnt have had the time to learn to cope with his lifestyle. He was given new life because of modern technology and now he says he has learned how to live life to the fullest. A third person that we spoke to was not a patient but worked with the clinic and helped them with new patients and such. He had bad things to say about our healthcare system, but he had great things to say about the new technologies and how they helped these people so much with their ailments.
              The text we reviewed in class was from the World Health Organization, it showed us the facts and figures about the leading causes of death in countries ranging from low to high income. In low income countries, AIDS is a leading killer but is not in high income countries such as America. This could be because of the technological opportunities that people in America have. Seeing that the US is a rich country we have more opportunities and more access to technology. No one can disagree that AIDS is an epidemic, but maybe the reason that it is more prevalent in poorer nations is because of the lack of technology available in those nations. In rich countries the number one cause of death causes 1.33 million, in poor countries the leading cause of death causes 2.94 million. This is a huge difference. The number one cause of death in poor countries is Lower Respiratory Infection, a serious ailment that affects many across the globe, but can still be cured with access to technology.

Where would we be without technology?




aidsportal.org/
www.who.int/
abcnews.com
cnn.com
wikipedia.org

HW 29

　
Everybody has heard healthcare and insurance brought up a lot in the past few years. Some are well versed and most can hold a conversation about the problems and the solutions that they believe would work. Right now the current law that was signed in in March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, seeks to make life easier for the working class by prohibiting denial for pre-existing conditions, expanding the eligibility for Medicaid, giving incentives for business to offer care, subsidizing insurance cost, and pumping money into research. This act is unprecedented in America, it is a step towards universal healthcare, which if we get there will be revolutionary, as American insurance has always been privatized in our country.

The first documented form of insurance in America dates back to colonial times in Philadelphia, where Ben Franklin started a firm that insured houses in the event of a fire. Insurance is believed to be originally invented by Babylonian traders who paid into a large fund that whomever suffered a loss could take payment. Lloyds of London is the most famous of the early on private insurance companies. In America, before and during the Great Depression medicine got better and trips to the hospital were more frequent. However, when the depression hit, people were finding it very hard to afford the medical bills. So, in realizing that they had little revenue due to poor people, hospitals implemented a new insurance program that started a trend. Insurance went through a great phase, and then a not so great phase, now here we are hopefully transitioning to another great phase, but this time with fair care.

Death is inexplicable, unless you’ve been through it, in which case you have no voice in the dominant discourse, literally. How we die, well that we can explain, or at least attempt to. More often then not, we go to the hospital when we’re sick, and if you’re seriously ill, it’s really hard to recover. Some do, most don’t. Even people who know their chances are slim still insist on seeing a doctor, he eases the pain and tries his hardest to cure you, but if you know you’re going to die, isn’t that postponing the inevitable? But why do people go about all of this suffering in a hospital? I feel the suffering would be cut down monumentally if you were in your own home and around people who love you. Humans like what they’re used to, they find solace in familiarity. When we see a doctor, we know we must be in good hands. But who’s to say that holistic treatment isn’t better for your ailment. It boggles my mind why anyone would spend their last days, weeks, or months in a hospital when they know that they are their last days. How do we die? On a cold uncomfortable bed, hooked up to machines, eating shitty food, watching Jeopardy on a TV that must be circa 1993.

We look down on sick people, while also feeling strong distaste or embarrassment. This is stigma. We feel embarrassed for someone if they in a postion that we feel would be embarrassing if we were in it. We see everything as a disease, to the human mind anything not socially acceptable is on the level of leprosy. Someone get’s their as cleaned for them, we’re embarrassed. We feed off of other’s misfortune, we say we treat crippled people like everyone else, when we know we really don’t. You go against cultural norms, and you are met with social disapproval. Our social life is our everything, especially in high school. Our energy comes from the torturing of the different. We tell ourselves, “it’s their fault, they can try to make friends, they could be normal.” But we never ask ourselves, can we be more different?
　

Hw 27

I didn't visit anyone in the hospital over the break. I don't know anyone who is ill and had I known anyone or found someone, I would not have gone to visit them in the hospital. I would be uncomfortable questioning someone about their life when they were sick. I think its wrong, people should be allowed their privacy. Yes, sure the have the right to say no, buy even if they had said yes, even if they wanted to be interviewed I'd still feel wrong about it. Why do we always have to analyze everything? Can't we just let some things be? Not everything has to be our own little sociological project. We are so up on our high horse, looking down on people and examining them. Were so fucking great at judging other people but how often do we judge ourselves? Hardly ever. Were fine with observing others and making conclusions about them, but we never seem to bring ourselves to question our own lives.

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HW 26

What  I have learned:

- That dying contains many mixed emotions, for those who are dying and those close to the person in question. For example, when Beth visited the class she told us that for a while she didn't think about death or that it may happen to her husband. She pushed it to the back of her mind and decided it wasn't something to worry about. But when her husband died, she had no choice but to think about it. So, you kind of realize that death flips everything upside down and probably whatever you don't want to think about, you end up thinking about it.

- Documentaries may seem real, and some are, but often times directors will do different things to pursuade you, and they will show you so much that you agree with that eventually you forget the main argument of the movie. We saw this in Sicko, how Michael Moore strayed from the point all the time by telling us about laundry in France, or people who don't have healthcare insurance when the movie was originally about people who are covered.

-It seems as though the healthcare and insurance everywhere else is better than America's, it may be exaggerated slightly, but it is still true. Truth sucks.

-Doctors may not care on an emotional level, but they are not total jerks. They use what they logically think is the best course of action, and think with their brains, not their hearts, which is often the right thing to do.

The most helpful sources, have probably been the movies and Beth's presentation. This way we get a visual of death and illness.

I think it's important to study how we live, and how we take our health for granted.