Ratings

I ran across a link to the Planet Shortbread blog site yesterday. Someone had ranked the site 3 stars out of a possible 5-star rating system. I've always wondered how these so-called rating systems work. What variables do raters use other than their own personal likes and dislikes?

When Star Wars opened in 1977, it created a huge following and gave George Lucas a huge name. Star Wars, however, was first rejected by Universal. Whoops! They blew that one, huh? Dr. Seuss' books weren't viewed favorably by book publishers, yet to this day, his books are among the most popular.

Three stars. My site was rated three stars, yet no reason was given for the rating. Did I receive three stars because my site lacks a lot of graphics? Is my grammar atrocious? Do I fail to say anything of importance? Improvement can never be made until the strengths and the weaknesses of the thing reviewed are pointed out. Would I change the way I write here even if constructive criticism were given? No. Why - because this is my on-line journal. My creative outlet. This is my cyber-space canvas on which to paint.

The funny thing about variables used to critique or analyze is that the outcome is affected or altered by what is deemed important to look at. I first realized this when I did an architectural analysis on a site in Mexico. Depending upon how much emphasis I placed on certain variables, I could alter the outcome of my research. I began paying closer attention to so-called "results of the latest scientific study" portrayed on the nightly news channel - and to what my colleagues were reporting as the latest "find."

Case in point: A few years ago American researchers studied the herb, Echinacea. They wanted to see if taking Echinacea while having a cold would reduce the average number of days you were sick. Their conclusion - it made no difference.

In contrast to the American study, German researchers performed a similar study. Their conclusion - Echinacea reduced the average number of days a person was sick by two to three days.

Why the difference - after all both research groups wanted to see if Echinacea would reduce the number of days a person would be sick? The difference lies in the variables used in the research. American researchers used hard capsules made here in the United States - by a single company. Herbs are regulated in Germany. The quality and quantity of any given herb is known. The Germans used the actual Echinacea plant and administered a tea. In the U.S., herbs are not regulated; therefore, the quality of the capsules used is questionable. Also - nutritionists will tell you - you receive the most nutrition from unprocessed foods. I would imagine that unprocessed herbs would contain more of their natural constituents than what would be found in a capsule.

It's all bias. Biased by the author's point of view. Welcome to my egocentric viewpoint.

Hurricane Season

The sign said, "10 Days to Hurricane Season, Are You Prepared?" Guess not. I don't have the prerequisite 30,000 batteries, 600 gallons of water, enough canned food to last the next ten years, and duct tape...I don't know what I'll use it for, but I'm sure it's on the list...duct tape is the answer to all your "fix-it" needs! I admit, I smile everytime I read that sign...which has been counting down for months. It makes me think we should warn Oklahomans about the impending danger during tornado season - let's count down to next March! Surely they'll have basements by then. Or, what about the Pacific Rim and all those earthquakes? The big one will strike soon, I just know it. Move while you still can!

It's a fact of life - a hurricane, or a few of them, will hit Florida. It's a big peninsula after all - a pretty enticing target to a roaming hurricane. Oklahoma will get tagged by several tornadoes and the Pacific Rim will have some earthquakes - perhaps even a tsunami. It happens. Not to sound callous, but I'm not going to wall myself in somewhere waiting for disaster to happen. It happens everyday - when there's a car accident, a shooting, an overdose. I'm not going to stop living because Nature happens.

Now, if I were going to worry about something, I'd worry about that giant volcano under Yellowstone National Park.

Are You Prejudiced?

I have heard many people say they aren’t prejudiced. They will tell you they don’t judge people based on their sex, age, race, religion, or even their sexual preference – sounding like an employment disclaimer. They will say this with a smile of satisfaction and a sense of pride. I applaud their openness; however, I still say they’re prejudiced.

Most of us hone in on one particular definition for the word, prejudice, that is - having irrational suspicion or hatred of a particular group, race, or religion. The word, group, is a broad-based term. I, frankly, don’t particularly like rude people. I can’t stand it when they park too close to my car and bang my door when they get out. I hate it when they let the door slam in your face when your arms are loaded down. I find them rather annoying when they cut in line, blast their music so that it invades my space, and speak derogatively about others. I find this group of individuals irritating. I don’t want to be near them. I am prejudiced against them. Rude people, taken as a whole, is a group. I tend to make snap judgments about people who I perceive as belonging to this group.

Another group of people I regularly place on my prejudiced list are those that belong to groups that attempt to force-feed their religious beliefs or worldviews on you. These individuals seem to get angry, or at the very least, very upset, if you disagree with them. This group tends to ignore your viewpoint, treating it as irrelevant. I don’t mind people who have different opinions, religious beliefs, or even worldviews than me. I enjoy the fact that there are so many different views of the world. I love discussing these differences, but only when both sides actively respect the viewpoints of the other. My viewpoints have changed because of active discussions.

The term, prejudice, doesn’t only apply to race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or ethnic background. It’s a broad term. Unfortunately, it’s the “politically correct” thing to not to be. I, however, am honest.

Other Poetry

New York Intersection
Frenetic and frenzied hurried energy
...everywhere

light changes
a heaving horde of people spew across

A beeping horn, a weaving car
winding through the human maze

A well choreographed chaotic dance
understood by all

....but tourists

Visiting observers from the Quizzical Minds Blog

Where'd the Middle Go?

I've noticed a disturbing trend in this country--a reduction of the bulging middle. I'm not referring to the spare tire we seem to acquire with age; I'm referring to common sense and the ability to react to each individual situation. We, as people, are not cardboard cutouts that react to situations in exactly the same way.

School rules are an excellent example of far left/far right decision making. Let's take the high school student in Georgia whose Mom phoned from Iraq. Rule--no cell phone use during school hours. Absolutely, positively, no exceptions. Pardon me while I blink several times in astonishment after hearing that the student was suspended. Has this school forgotten that perhaps, this individual is stressed having his Mom in Iraq in the first place? Does the administration of this school not listen to the news--which is usually headed with the latest "Kill" count? What if...this was the last time this individual got to speak to his Mom? What if...something happened--it has before?

Perhaps instead of seeing the world in black and white, we should view it for what it is--a vibrant collage of color.