Here, have an app.
The Predictable Stuff
Name: Diana
Age: 20
Sex: I am woman
Location: New York City
Country of Birth: USA
Favorites:
Author: Kurt Vonnegut - he has such an interesting perspective of the world and his political commentary is so poignant and clever
Book: Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky - I think Alinsky is a brilliant activist, and, as an activist myself, I really love reading his stuff - every sentence is like an epiphany.
Historical Figure: Harriet Tubman - she has to be one of the most brave and selfless people in the history of the world.
Poet and poem: "Birches" by Robert Frost - I think it's such a vivid portrayal of something that is beautiful merely because of its simplicity, which makes it even more beautiful.
Movie: Big Fish - I think I like it for a lot of the same reasons I like "Birches" - it's a beautiful story, and it's beautifully told. Big Fish almost makes you feel like magic is real.
Album: Innuendo by Queen - I love Queen - I think Freddy Mercury is unbelievable, and there are few artists or groups that are capable of the breadth of genres that Queen was capable of - rock, ballads, opera... and they do them all well. I had a hard time picking my favorite album by Queen, but I just really like this one.
Famous quote: "A page of history is worth a pound of logic." -Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
Voice your opinion:
Capital Punishment: Given that the legal system is flawed, I don't approve of punishments that are permanent. At the same time, capital punishment might actually be better than a lifetime of prison. I think capital punishment should be optional, but those who ask for it should undergo psychological evaluation first to make sure they're not merely suicidal, but thinking rationally.
Religion: I think spirituality can be really fulfilling, but I am not such a big fan of organized religion. While organized religion can be a good thing, there have been too many instances of manipulating it for political goals that have had really unfortunate consequences.
Time travel: I think if time travel was possible, it would do two things - 1) of course it would give people the ability to manipulate the past. I am not such a fan of this. You have to let it lie. One could easily make a strong argument for using it simply to prevent major catastrophies, but then you have to decide where to draw the line. Moreover, some catastrophies can be a good thing. Without the entire conflict between Castro and the US, I never would have been born, since my father would never have immigrated to the US. I'm not complaining. But I am digressing. 2) It would make history much more real for people, and it could have the potential of helping people (I particularly have world leaders in mind here) not to repeat mistakes, since history would be so accessible. So I think time travel should be for viewing purposes only.
Cloning: I don't like the idea of cloning loved ones (including people and pets), because then one person is creating another because they can't deal with their own grief, which isn't going to be good for the clone or the person requesting the cloning. Otherwise, I don't see what the problem is.
The dreamer may die: You know, this is a really nice sentiment, but I think it's much more idealist than realistic. Therefore, I say, "The dreamer may die, but if he was an intelligent dreamer, he will have passed on the dream."
Mental Health Care: Is complicated. People with mental illnesses (myself included) are not simply criminals or lunatics but people with... illnesses. Medical professionals (those who work in hospitals, for instance) have a pretty good grasp on this, but mental health institutions can be another story. And the government needs to step up and address the crisis of overcrowded mental health institutions and start building more of them, which do a better job.
President Bush: I wish I could say something nice about him, even if it's something as trite as "well, his heart is in the right place" but I'm pretty convinced that it isn't. Before him, I didn't think it was possible for any one person to cause so much damage to the country and the world. I know I'm supposed to justify my opinions, but there's a risk of a really long rant starting here addressing lots of different issues. If you really want to hear it all, comment.
Euthanasia: I personally would get really tired of a white room, being drugged and semi-conscious, hospital food, complete immobility, and being hooked up to lots of tubes and machines REALLY FAST. If people can't respect that, that's their problem. We all have to die at some point, and delaying the inevitable so that you can live miserably for a little longer is really pointless. To each his own.
Aliens/Extra Terrestrials: How can one have an opinion about something we know nothing about? The only thing I can state is that we're overfunding the search for extra-terrestrials. Millions of government dollars are spent on sending out this really powerful radio signal and building huge receptors to scan for distant radio signals. I think the frontier mentality has been taken a bit too far. Can't we just have these people go to Fiji or something?
The single most important technological advancement over the past thousand years:
I'd have to say the telegraph. It was the first machine that could relay information instantly between long distances, was the first machine that starting bringing the world closer together... Ever since then the world has become more and more connected, smaller and smaller. This isn't all good or all bad, but it is important. It and the subsequent inventions it inspired have had a huge impact on so many aspects of mankind. Because of the telegraph, cultural exchange between peoples has been possible, immediate communication of ideas and news is possible, and these changes have had huge impacts. Exchange of ideas has resulted in new social and political movements springing forth, it has improved learning and other scientific discoveries, it has resulted in increased mobility between regions, both in the transport of goods and people, which has subsequently resulted in changes in stereotypes. I feel like if I go on much longer this is going to become incomprehensible because it's 3am, so... you get the idea.
If I could take back a single historical event: Well, I'm not sure if this is a "historical event" per se, since no one really knows how or when it happened, but I would take back the transmission of the HIV virus to humans, because I firmly believe that AIDS is the biggest crisis in the history of the world to date. It has killed more people than anything else in world history, and has caused immeasurable suffering, economic troubles, and security problems (I can elaborate on this if desired). As for how the world would be different, well... I don't think the homosexual rights movement would be where it is today, which would really be unfortunate, but I think it would be worth the preservation of life and happiness, and I say that as a bisexual.
Why do you want to be a member of the community: I really appreciate intellectual stimulation and conversation, and I want to hear the opinions and ideas of intelligent, well-thought people instead of those who merely regurgitate others' thoughts. Discussion with people who can think critically inevitably leads to a strengthening of one's ideas, and it also forces one to constantly rethink one's ideas and to keep an open mind, which is *so* important. As for what I can bring to this community, I think it is the same thing I'm looking for - educated opinions and critical thinking. I'm just not very good at picking apart my own ideas.