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Author: Bryan Wager
Posted on December 13, 2019 by Bryan Wager - No Comments on Learning How to Think Again
Learning How to Think Again
When I look back at the beginning of the course, I see a senior biochemistry major sitting down for his first English 100 class. He was only present because he needed an additional class in English in order to apply for medical school in the coming months. He skimmed through the lengthy syllabus, looking for what he had to complete in order to receive an "A" and keep up his GPA. He neglected to notice most of the material provided for him, including the course epigraph. He had other things on his mind, applying medical school, captaining the men's soccer team, completing his upper-level science courses and figuring out a way to find a little extra time for sleep. From his abbreviated look at the syllabus, he determined that he would likely be able to put in a moderate effort, complete the course then forget it. I am this student. Correction: I was this student. The reason I introduce myself in the third person is that the student I was when I sat down for my first day of class is unrecognizable to the person I am now.
In one of the first days of class, Dr. McCoy asked the room full of students to go back over the syllabus and identify one item in particular. The course epigraph. A quote from Dionne Brand read "My job is to notice… and to notice that you can notice." It's very fitting that Dr. McCoy has noticed that students tend to overlook important items when presented with multiple pages of a dense syllabus. At first read, I believed the epigraph meant, that I should improve my power of observation, and notice small things that I would commonly overlook. In my blog post "Knowledge and the Ability to Notice", I claimed the ability to notice came through acquiring knowledge. If you learn about things that have happened, you can notice similar things that are happening. I now believe that I was only partially right. The ability to notice is connected to how we think.
The title of the course is Literature, Medicine and Racism. These are topics that are not normally discussed together. The course title led me to infer that everything that we would learn and write would carry enormous weight because of the pain and distress associated with it. I had imagined this course to be full of learning about the history of racism and how it intertwined with the practice of medicine. It was, but only in part. We were introduced to Harriet Washington and her documentation of the problems of discrimination in the medical field in Medical Apartheid. Washington illuminates some of the lesser-known acts of discrimination and cruelty towards minority groups. However, the syllabus contained other books, some of which were considered science fiction. How is science fiction interconnected with Medical Apartheid? Over the course of the semester, it became increasingly apparent that the science fiction novels were far more significant than mere stories but provided import commentary on social issues. In order to interpret the relationship between the novelists we would read and Harriet Washington, I would need to be able to notice and, more importantly, think in a way in which I was unaccustomed.
I was intrigued by a recurring comment that Dr. McCoy provided me as feedback on many of my blog posts. One rendition of the comment was "…keep going, keep thinkING, keep figuring things out." I realized that my ability to notice wasn't rooted in my attention to detail but in the process of thought. As a biochemistry major, I have been trained to absorb vast amounts of concrete material that generally was not open to interpretation. Science consists of explicit mechanisms and direct cause and effect relationships. Initially, I approached the stories and concepts presented in this course with my previous mindset. Although this has provided me with the ability to understand many intricate chemical and biological concepts, I was at a loss when presented with materials of fiction. I was unable to grasp the commentaries and their significance, that were presented behind complex fictitious plots, and my ability to comment on major course concepts was limited. I needed practice in thoughtfully navigating socially important course materials and noticing the connections.
Percival Everett's Zulus is a novel that is very stimulating of thought, but only if you commit to it. At first, I didn't. Can you blame me? The world was not relatable, the characters were peculiar, and the writing caused me to constantly re-read sections with the hope I could find some context to help my understanding. Even the headings of chapters were filled with abstract quotes and allegories. With some guidance, I was able to navigate the plot but struggled to grasp how Zulus connected to the concepts from class. Dr. McCoy was able to walk the class through a statement made by Kevin Peters, one of the main characters, when he said that "We are the great wound." This connected to the government's mistrust of people due to their unpredictable nature as presented in Harriet Washington's Medical Apartheid. A doctor, in 1867, had purposed that the cause of John Patterson's mental condition was due to his newly acquired freedom as a former African-American slave. Washington wrote, "The doctor believed that, as with other black patients with this condition, the psychological pressure of caring for himself when Patterson possessed neither the intelligence nor the judgment to do had proved too great, and Patterson had sunk into madness." This illuminated the tendency of people in power to attempt to prevent the free-thinking in the oppressed class. It was proven to me that Everett is providing social commentary, not just trying to infuriate his readers.
After, Dr. McCoy pointed out that the main character, Alice, might be trapped inside of the actual book. Everett described Alice's severed head as being placed in a cube filled with "strange primitive drawings and isolated words, some in languages she did not know, but there, speaking to her." This quote fell in a section that I did not understand and quickly swept over. Dr. McCoy was able to interpret this section in order to illuminate its significance to the novel. I committed myself to "figuring things out" because I was overlooking significant parts of the novels. So far, I had missed extremely important details to both the story and to the underlying commentary that the author was trying to convey. I did not want to miss anything that important again. I had realized the importance of being able to notice.
The growth in my ability to think through and reveal concealed commentary is demonstrated in my blog post "Who is Mark Spitz ?." In the blog post, I introduced Mark Spitz both as a character in Zone One by Colson Whitehead and as the Olympic swimmer. The character was given the name because instead of swimming to safety, as his companions did, Mark Spitz fought off a horde of dangerous skels in an incredible act of bravery. However, his act of bravery was really enticed due to his inability to swim. Equipped with the training to notice and the commitment to figuring things out, I began to think about Whitehead's commentary on racism. Whitehead subtly brings in an element of racism during a conversation that occurred after Gary had been bitten by saying "Plus the black-people-can't-swim thing." The conversation also revealed that, in the story, Mark Spitz was an African-American. As a result of noticing these small details, I began to formulate an idea. I created an analogy, where Mark Spitz represents an idea of a better world. The idea that one day all people would be treated as equals without any form of bigotry or discrimination. The idea for hope, that cannot be killed or destroyed even if it faced with a whole world full of forces that opposed it. While this may not have been Whitehead's message while writing this book, it incited this idea in me. It was a powerful thought. It gave me the hope that if we fight against racism without discouragement we can create a better world for those to come. The deep analysis of the text had a profound impact on me, and it could for everyone. Expanding my process of thought allowed me to understand the weight of the text.
My growth in the combination of noticing and thinking can be seen in my blog post entitled "Eugenics, Genetic Counseling, and Jacob." In the post, I discussed the controversial nature of eugenics and the practice of genetic counseling and related it to Octavia E. Butler's Clays Ark. Two characters in Clay's Ark, Rane and Lupe shared different opinions regarding giving birth to genetically altered children. Lupe, who at this point in the story is depicted as evil, explains that "Eli says we are preserving humanity. I agree with him. We are." I paused after reading this line. Butler had trapped me. Do I side with Rane who was portrayed as an innocent victim? Or do I side with Lupe, who Butler uses as a villain? Normally, I would have cut my losses and abandoned the topic because of the controversial nature of eugenics and the weight my words would carry. While noticing that I was afraid of engaging such a topic, I chose to commit to it. I noticed something in the reading and myself and then worked through my thought process.
I didn't commit to a side, but the process of thought. In my blog post, I explained what I was noticing in the text and in myself. Butler posed a question to me as the reader. I answered it with more questions, which would have earned me a failing grade in my biochemistry courses, but well demonstrated my thoughts. It was difficult for me to find the right words to responsibly navigate this topic. I found myself re-writing the post again and again in order to find the right combination of words that would thoughtfully describe what I had noticed without portraying myself as controversial or insensitive. I realized the significance of what I was actually doing. Like Butler, I was trying to convey the significance of thought about a difficult topic. Letting people decide for themselves what they believe to be right, without persuasion, is the importance of thought. Only through your own thinking can you truly understand troublesome topics and establish your own personal beliefs.
My understanding of Dionne Brand's quote changed over the length of the semester. The first part of the quote reads "My job is to notice". The significance of this portion was clear to me. In order to be a successful writer, one must be able to notice the intricacies of the world to be descriptive and relatable to readers. At first, the understanding of the second part of the epigraph eluded me. What did it mean to "notice that you can notice"? Perhaps it meant that everyone had the ability to notice and they should be aware of their capability. Of course, like all of the other materials provided, the entire epigraph connects to the course topic. I believe that it means that everyone can indeed notice, and has a responsibility to do so. In order to eradicate racism, every act of discrimination needs to be identified in order for it to be corrected. The latter portion of the epigraph is the more powerful part of Brand's message. I interpret this piece as a call to action for everyone, including myself, to be aware of the fact that they can initiate change by using their ability to notice. Without noticing deplorable acts, no rectifying change will ever occur.
I have learned a great deal about the history of racism. Although the historical knowledge I have gained is extremely important, I feel that my growth as a thinker is the more beneficial effect of enrolling in this course. I have grown to be able to better understand my own thoughts and to communicate my unique interpretations to others. Everyone has different experiences and will have different reactions and thoughts regarding the text. The world is full of different voices each with something unique to say, and this course has allowed me to be able to responsibly contribute mine. This class has helped to train my ability to notice through improving my process of thought and will have a profound effect on everything that I encounter in the future. I can confidently say that I am now better equipped to navigate the world and have a positive impact on my fellow human beings. There is still a lot for me to learn and much room for me to grow, but the experience that I had during this course has set me on a path to becoming a more complete and socially responsible human being.
Posted on December 4, 2019 by Bryan Wager - No Comments on Who is Mark Spitz?
Who is Mark Spitz?
As I read Zone One, I was able to notice many intricate ways that the author Colson Whitehead used to provide commentary on social issues. In my last blog post, "Let's Talk About Teeth", I discussed the role of teeth in both the novel and in a modern context. I also shared what I believed to be Whitehead's underlying purpose behind his words. Throughout the course, I have been training my ability to notice. I was able to notice numerous instances where Whitehead hinted at social issues and provided his opinion without openly stating it. However, there was one concept that I found difficult to unpack and was forced to dig deeper in order to understand Whitehead's purpose. The naming of Zone One's main character, Mark Spitz.
Mark Spitz is the name Whitehead gave to his main character. This was not the character's real name but an ironic nickname given to him by other characters in the novel. He received this nickname when Richie, the Quiet Storm and he were in danger of being overrun by a group of skels on a bridge. Realizing that they were unlikely to overcome the massive group of infected, Richie and the Quiet Strom jumped from the bridge into the river below, escaping what they believed to be certain death. Mark Spitz didn't move. Instead, "he leaped to the hood of the late model neo-station wagon and started firing." After remarkably taking down all of the skels, he informed his companions that he could not swim. From then on he would be known as Mark Spitz.
I did not immediately recognize the name Mark Spitz, which may be an unfortunate consequence of being a member of my young generation. Luckily to make up for it, my generation has access to an incredible tool, Google. According to his Team USA Hall of Fame Biography, Mark Spitz was an 11-time Olympic medalist swimmer. Spitz throughout is career set 33 world records and won 9 gold medals at the Olympics. His crowning achievement as noted in his Hall of Fame bio was "in Munich, where he dominated, becoming the first athlete to win seven gold medals in seven events, all in world record time." Spitz was a dominant athlete, who is considered to be one of the greatest swimmers of all time and achieved massive fame and recognition for his abilities in the pool.
The nickname Mark Spitz may seem entirely ironic, but is also fitting for the character in Zone One. Before the Last Night, Mark Spitz was described through a proposed superlative as "Most Likely Not to Be Named Anything most likely." He was average, a B-student who was unremarkable until he found the one thing he was truly exceptional at, surviving. This is fitting because the Olympic Swimmer Mark Spitz shared a similar story. In an article authored by Scott Stump for Today, Spitz is quoted as saying "I've always thought of myself as a regular guy, and I happened to do something extraordinary in the journey of my athletic career." Both the fictional character and his namesake were regular people that became special under the right circumstances. Whitehead supports that the new situation benefits his character by stating, "Now the world was mediocre rendering him perfect."
On the surface, it may look like Whitehead gave his main character the name Mark Spitz as a comedic mocking of the character's inability to swim. Although the name has a far greater meaning. The Olympian swimmer Spitz was nearly impossible to defeat in competition. Mark Spitz is also impossible to defeat in Whitehead's post-apocalyptic world. Mark Spitz is seemingly invincible, "He had suspicions, and every day in this wasteland supplied more evidence: He could not die." How can a single man, in a world full of constant danger and overwhelming amounts of death, be impossible to kill? It is my interpretation that the character doesn't represent a man, but Mark Spitz is an idea. An idea cannot be killed or destroyed. An idea cannot be defeated much like the Olympic swimmer Mark Spitz. There is power in an idea and it lasts longer than those who believe it. Mark Spitz probably should have died several times throughout the story, but somehow escapes with his life every time, supporting the claim that he represents an intangible concept.
I believe that Whitehead wrote this story to create an analogy for the resistance against social injustice. This idea came to me when Whitehead quietly slides racism into the story. After Gary is bitten, Mark Spitz explains how he earned his nickname and then adds, "Plus the black-people-can't-swim thing." Revealed as an African-American character, Mark Spitz uses this conversationally to provide some humor in Gary's last moments, but I believe Whitehead is cluing readers into his underlying message. The infected skels and stragglers represent social injustice, discrimination, and racism. The world is contaminated with racist ideas and discriminatory practices, like Whitehead's world is infected by zombies. Inaccurate racial assumptions can spread much like a disease. Misinformation, when spread, can become powerful and difficult to overcome. Whitehead is showing his readers the dangers of what could happen when prejudiced ideas grow beyond control.
In addition, Whitehead's message includes a beacon of hope. In the analogy, Mark Spitz represents an idea of hope for a better world. There are people remaining who are fighting back against overwhelming odds even though the future looks bleak. Even when everyone around him is dying, he survives. If we continue to be diligent in our fight against social injustice, even when setbacks occur, we cannot be silenced. Whitehead uses the final scene of the novel as a call to action. Mark Spitz is alone, cornered and doesn't like his probability of ever finding success, "No, he didn't like his chances at all." Whitehead encourages us to "swim" against the tide, and to combat against society's flawed values. Like Mark Spitz, we all need to step out of the door and continue the fight because a better world is possible. After all, we all "have to learn to swim sometime."
Posted on December 1, 2019 by Bryan Wager - No Comments on Let's Talk About Teeth
Let's Talk About Teeth
Teeth are the weapons of the dead. Colson Whitehead, in Zone One, creates a world where teeth are the single most feared object. Incisors, canines, and molars are weapons capable of killing a person and also infecting people to become another member of the vast zombie army. The seriousness and danger of teeth can be felt by Whitehead's comparison to guns, "a gun to his temple or teeth to his jugular." Teeth are to be feared as a tool that functions as a weapon against the living. In the apocalyptic world, teeth hold an obvious and significant role in society. Whitehead explains the primary objective of survivors living in Zone One, the "first priority was keeping their limbs and associated parts attached to their bodies free of teeth." The importance of teeth in this society is established very early on in the novel.
However, Whitehead also subtly indicates that teeth are not only a functional tool but may have additional significance. After discussing the importance of dental health and reading Jack McKeown's blog post, I realized that teeth are seen as a proficient indicator of socioeconomic status. Whitehead questions the role of teeth in society through Mark Spitz wondering, "Did it work the hairdo, the bleached teeth, the calculated injections, did it transform the country rube into the cosmopolitan?" Society places substantial weight on the condition and appearance of teeth. Unfortunately in most cases, the quality of teeth is dependent on a person's socioeconomic status and access to dental care. Teeth are another aspect of society that qualify people based upon socially constructed principles rather than substantive content.
White, straight teeth are a trait that many people admire and wish to obtain. Teeth are a variable trait of all human beings and are commonly altered for physical appearance reasons alone. According to a survey conducted by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, 86% percent of dental patients indicated that a major reason for receiving treatment was to "improve physical attractiveness and self-esteem." Less than half (46%) of the respondents listed "for restorative or oral health reasons" as a major reason for seeking dental treatment. Those with financial access to dental procedures see the industry as a tool to improve their overall appearance in accordance with societal values placed on white and straight teeth. While many individuals seek treatment for cosmetic reasons there are patients who require treatment in order to improve their oral health.
According to the FDI World Dental Federation, oral disease affects 3.9 billion people worldwide and untreated tooth decay occurs in nearly half of the world's population. They also report that 110 billion dollars are spent annually treating oral conditions, and worldwide more is spent on oral healthcare than in the treatment of cancer or respiratory diseases. The FDI also claims that oral disease can be extremely damaging when untreated, " Oral disease is associated with significant pain and anxiety, as well as disfigurement, acute and chronic infections, eating and sleep disruption, and can result in an impaired quality of life." The treatment of oral conditions is an extremely expensive endeavor and there are many Americans that lack the financial means to receive necessary treatment.
The Washington Post Article, authored by Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan, titled "The Painful Truth About Teeth", brings light to the separation in dental care due to socioeconomic status. Jordan and Sullivan report that more than a third of American adults have no dental coverage. Although there are proven detrimental overall health implications that come with oral disease, Medicare, "which covers 55 million seniors and disabled people, does not cover dental problems." Many of these people cannot afford supplemental dental insurances and are forced to go without. Jordan and Sullivan also explain that "if you are poor enough and live in certain states you can get coverage through Medicaid." However, only 38% of dentists accept Medicaid and it only covers an average of 37% of the bill, leaving even those with additional government aid unable to receive imperative dental treatment. American people are desperate for affordable medical care. The article also describes a free medical clinic in Maryland where 1,165 patients waited to receive dental treatment of serious oral conditions. Many lower-class Americans are not receiving the support that they require in order to receive necessary treatment while many Americans use insurance to help pay for cosmetic treatments.
There is a serious separation in dental treatment, between socioeconomic classes, that needs to be addressed. I believe that Colson Whitehead is very creative by placing a heavy reliance on teeth in Zone One and hinting at the disparity in dental coverage. Zone One is a novel that tears down societal constructs and coerces readers to question what is truly important. Whitehead describes the teeth of skels as "black", "rotten" and "broken" and hints at the idealized appearance through the American Phoenix mascot as "square and white." When the skels finally overrun Zone One and prevail over a camp of the American Phoneix, black teeth overcome white teeth. I believe that Whitehead is providing the commentary that the superior white teeth provide no actual benefit and are simply a social construct. He forces the readers to question whether or not society should be using dental care as a socioeconomic indicator rather than necessary universal medical treatment.
Posted on November 28, 2019 by Bryan Wager - No Comments on Society and Racism in Zone One
Society and Racism in Zone One
What is society? Merriam Webster defines society as "a community, nation or broad grouping of people having common traditions, institutions, and collective activities or interests." In other words, society is made up of people and the culture that they establish. Culture is made up of everything that people create whether it is art, music, entertainment, fashion, and many more aspects that make up the daily lives of people. Society and culture are social constructs that are developed by people to enhance the everyday lives of people. These are things that seem important and concrete to members of society. Colson Whitehead, in Zone One, describes what happens when society falls apart.
The Last Night marks the end of the civilized non-zombie society when the plague is released and tears throughout the world. Whitehead constantly refers to the pre-zombie society with a sense of fragility. In retelling the memories of Mark Spitz on The Last Night, Whitehead describes Mark's family home and behaviors of his parents as mundane and material. The parents were normally focused on "every room, every reconsidered and gussied square foot, was an encroachment into immortality's lot line." Like the rest of society, Mark Spitz and his parents were consumed by culture and felt safe and secure in the societal roles. They placed value on material things that society valued. However, the "twin leather recliners equipped with beverage holders", carried no value after Mark Spitz walked in on his mother chewing on the intestines of his father. Society had fallen.
Throughout the entire story of Mark Spitz finding his way in this new world, Whitehead consistently reminds us of how the old society has died and a new society has taken its place. The American Phoenix is the name given to the post-infection society. The phoenix is used to symbolize the attempt to reboot society and restore it to its former glory. The government in Buffalo hopes for a return to the past and does not consider the changing circumstances of the world. Human nature is resistant to change as Whitehead explains that the "tendency of the human mind, in periods of duress, to seek refuge in more peaceful times, such as a childhood experience, as a barricade against horror." People hold on to what they know, even when the entire world has changed around them. The people of Zone One try to find hope that eventually society will return to what it once as even though that is an impossibility. Society cannot return to what it once was it needs to change and adapt to current situations.
I could not help but connect the social constructs of society to the idea of race. Returning to Geraldine Heng's definition of race in The Invention of Race in the European Middle Ages, " that race is a structural relationship for the articulation and management of human differences, rather than a substantive content." Race, like society, is a social construct put in place by people of social influence. Racism is a purely social idea that is used as an attempt to explain obvious human differences and is not based on concrete evidence. The collapse of society in Zone One is analogous to the abolishment of slavery. Both are monumental changes in society, the plague in Zone One had a negative impact while the end of slavery had a positive impact. In both cases, due to the nature of human beings, there were people who held on to the old ideals of the outdated society. As Whitehead points out, if the change in society causes duress, humans return to ideals of past times. This may be a reason that racism remains present in our society today.
Persons of power during the time of slavery became accustomed to the organization of races. Even with changing circumstances in the world, there are people resistant to change, which makes racism difficult to truly eradicate. There were many people that belonged to a society that racial distinctions were an accepted part of society. Even after the major societal change many of these individuals held on to the previously accepted ideas. Unfortunately, the racist beliefs were passed down to children and to subsequent generations. The human nature to hold on to past beliefs after times of change is a major reason that I believe racism remains in existence today. Racism is an intangible idea that will remain in the world until individuals who perpetuate the ideas are able to recognize the fact that it is no longer a sanctioned aspect of society. I believe Whitehead is trying to convey the idea that people need to fight against societal ideals of the past, and that the world changes and we need to change with it.
Posted on November 19, 2019 by Bryan Wager - No Comments on Respect for the Dead
Respect for the Dead
In Colson Whitehead's novel Zone One, the story follows Mark Spitz and his fellow "sweepers". Being a "sweeper" involves leaving the safety of the camp and ridding a designated area of Zone One of zombies. The primary target of the volunteer sweepers were zombies known as "stragglers". Stragglers are a form of zombie that is not outwardly aggressive and present a reduced risk to the remaining unaffected. Stragglers are thought to be "mistakes" as the Lieutenant puts it. These zombies are stuck in a task or in a location that had some significance to them during their life and posed no threat except the slight possibility of infecting others. Whitehead describes stragglers as regular people that when infected become trapped in a moment after being infected. He describes the straggler existence as "…winnowed to this discrete and external moment." Stragglers are a small percentage of the zombie population that do not attack humans. In essence, stragglers are like humans that paralyzed in shock. The zombies and the healthy are regular people that are only separated by the fact that some are infected and others are not.
Mark Spitz and the other sweepers are tasked with simply putting a bullet in the head of any straggler they find and place the body in a body bag. I, along with Mark Spitz, have some apprehension about the treatment of the stragglers. When Mark, Gary, and Kaitlyn find a straggler bent over a copy machine, Mark instinctively asks the group "What if we let him stay?… He's not hurting anyone." His indication of unease caused a similar feeling for me. What if the infection can be cured? The Lieutenant explains to Mark that there are Nobel prize winners working on a cure. In my opinion, because the stragglers do not present a clear danger and have the potential to be cured, they should be kept alive until their affliction is completely understood. They may still be, at least partially, human. However, I understand the panic associated with keeping these zombies alive because the knowledge of the plague is not yet completely understood. Mark explains fearing the unknown by saying "The plague doesn't let you in on the rules; they weren't printed inside the box."
This idea reminded me of something that I had overlooked while reading. That even if stragglers weren't curable, they still were once human, as were the skels. The sweepers treat the remains of the infected with indifference. It was common practice for sweepers to simply place a body into a bag and throw it from a window to the street. The practice was only halted because it created a mess and a possible source of infection, not because they were defiling the remains of someone formerly human. The Disposal unit disposes of bodies by the use of a machine called "The Coakley" which is capable of converting almost all of the infected remains into smoke and ash. The lack of humane treatment of the remains is clear in the speech of one of the disposal technicians Annie, "Usually we like to stuff as many as we can in there before we fire it." The cremation of the remains is conducted without any sort of care and respect for the dead. All of these zombies, through no fault of their own, were infected by a plague. Does the mere fact that they were infected prevent their remains from receiving the same respect as the remains of healthy humans? There are many cultures and religions that call for certain treatments of the dead, and none of them involve being shot out of an incinerator as ash by the handful. Ashes of the dead cover New York City. It is important to note that the characters in the novel would have no way of knowing what post-mortem rituals that the infected desire. However, I believe that the healthy should at least attempt to treat the remains of the dead with respect because they too were once fellow humans.
The mass disposal present in Whitehead's novel is parallel to actual historic events of maltreatments of corpses. Nina Golgowski, of the HuffPost, reports that approximately 7,000 bodies were located under the University of Mississippi Medical Campus. This land was home to the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum 80 years prior to the mass grave's discovery. Like in Zone One, these remains were disposed of in an efficient, though careless, way that was not in agreement with the post-mortem wishes of the deceased. Many descendants of the inhabitants of the asylum wish for the bodies to be exhumed and identified in order to learn about their family lineage and finally determine what happened to their ancestors. I believe that this needed to occur for a greater reason. The insane asylum inhabitants were never given a proper burial. The Social Life of DNA, by Alondra Nelson, describes events after the discovery of a mass African-American burial site in 1991. Hundreds of African-American slaves that lived during the 1600s were buried underneath what is now lower Manhattan. In an effort to determine genetic information on the inhabitants of the ground, the bodies were exhumed. However, the researchers failed to treat these remains with respect as well. The exhumation was conducted with "…little consideration given to the conservation of the remains." Their remains were treated as if they were less than human in life. It is noble to want to identify the dead in order to give their families closure about their ancestors, but the bodies themselves are worthy of respect. Like in Zone One, the infected were discriminated against after their demise. These are all human remains and deserve to be treated with the respect that they warrant as recently deceased human beings. Whether or not the remains belong to former slaves, those considered mentally insane or people who have been infected, they deserve proper burials or cremations. After all, our last acts as humans are to be put to rest.
Posted on November 5, 2019 by Bryan Wager - No Comments on Eugenics, Genetic Counseling, and Jacob
Eugenics, Genetic Counseling, and Jacob
All parents want their children to be happy and healthy. Harriet Washington, in Medical Apartheid, states that the discovery that many human traits followed a Mendelian pattern of inheritance allows reliable predictions of the outcomes in the child. There are many genetic conditions that a child can inherit from its parents that may be fatal or very detrimental to its quality of life. Eugenics, as defined by Phillip K. Wilson of Encyclopedia Britannica, is the "selection of desired heritable characteristics in order to improve future generations." From this definition, it seems that Eugenics may be a scientifically beneficial approach to limit the amount of genetic-based disease in our society. Washington points out that "Eugenicists proposed that society use medical information about disease and trait inheritance to end social ills by encouraging the birth of children with good, healthy and beautiful traits." In light of this quote, scientists could use knowledge to benefit unborn children so that when born are able to live healthy lives and avoid diseases that their parents may be carrying. With the use of genetic information, parents can be armed with the knowledge to make an informed decision on whether or not to have a child that may fall subject to genetic disease. So why is the practice of eugenics looked upon with disgust? It's simple. Persons of power, as Washington puts it, "…confused the concept of biological hereditary fitness with those of class and race."
According to Wilson, eugenics is commonly associated with practices that took place in Nazi Germany during the 1930s and 1940s. In Wilson's article, the German government adopted eugenic practices of involuntary sterilization in order to build a master race. Wilson also points out that "…Germany extended its practices far beyond sterilization in efforts to eliminate the Jewish and other non-Aryan populations." Hitler did not use eugenics to help limit genetic disease but instead as propaganda to galvanize his supporters in his racist efforts. Hitler would not be the only person of power that contributed to eugenics being used as a tool of racist oppression instead of medical benefit.
Washington points out that Americans were being sterilized as well, as many as 4000 in 1934 alone. In America, 27 states had laws that provided for the "compulsory sterilization" of groups such as the "feebleminded, those on welfare or those with genetic defects." (Washington) Like the Nazis, the American government officials were requiring sterilizations of groups of people without attaining any form of consent. African-Americans made up a large amount of those who were sterilized through legal means. Washington also explains that outside of the law that there was a common practice of involuntary hysterectomies and the practice was so common in Mississippi that is was referred to as a "Mississippi Appendectomy." Atlanta's Southern Poverty Law Center filed a class-action lawsuit that resulted in the discovery that "…100,000 to 150,000 women had been sterilized using federal funds and over half of these women were black." Eugenics being used as a tool of oppression against certain classes and races and not as a tool to benefit society as a whole.
After investigating the past crimes committed in the name of eugenics, a thought occurred to me. I thought of genetic counseling and wondered about its relationship with eugenics. In a blog post, authored by Ricki Lewis Ph.D., it is argued that genetic counseling is not a form of eugenics. Lewis explains that genetic counseling includes genetic disease carrier and BRCA mutation testing for potential parents. Carrier gene testing can detect whether or not parents are carriers of hundreds of genetic diseases and advise them on the chances of their potential child inheriting these diseases. Mutant BRCA gene testing identifies if the BRCA genes for DNA repair are altered. If they are, future children would have greatly elevated risks of several cancers. Lewis argues that these types of genetic testing are not a form of eugenics for a simple reason: "…the important descriptor of eugenics is INTENT; that of medical genetic screening and testing is CHOICE." In other words, genetic counseling differs from eugenics because it allows for informed consent. I agree with Dr. Lewis. The initial reason that eugenics was perverted into what it is known as today, was that people of power attempted to alter society through forced means. Genetic counseling takes the positive aspects of the eugenics and gives parents information in order to properly make a decision on whether or not to have a child. In addition, genetic screening is not mandatory and potential parents must provide informed consent before taking part.
One of the main goals of genetic counseling is to offer information about genetic diseases that would be passed down to children. Knowing this, I considered the children of the Clay's Ark community in Octavia E. Butler's Clay's Ark. Butler describes Jacob as a "catlike" child who was quadruped and "built for speed". The members of the community have a compulsion to breed children and thus have no interest in preventing the birth of their genetically altered children. However, Rane reacts to the child similar to that of a eugenicist, "What the hell are you doing sitting in the middle of the desert giving birth to monsters and kidnapping people?" Rane clearly believes that the birth of these children should be avoided. The community members have no possible way to control their births because they are controlled by the microorganisms that infect them regarding this matter. Even so, Lupe argues in defense of giving birth to children with the infection, "Eli says we are preserving humanity. I agree with him. We are." Butler is extremely talented at posing questions to readers that have no clear answer. Through this dialogue between Rane and Lupe, Butler provoked me to ask several questions of myself. Is Rane right to believe that these children are dangerous to the world and their births should be controlled? Even if the members of Clay's Ark community could refrain from having children, would they give up their basic human right to reproduce? Would they be willing to give birth to a child that they know will carry the disease? She was able to trap me into thinking like a eugenicist and also a parent. Honestly, I do not know what to think of these questions and I believe that is part of Butler's genius.
Posted on October 22, 2019 October 22, 2019 by Bryan Wager - No Comments on Uninformed Consent?
Uninformed Consent?
After having the privilege of hearing about the process of human scientific studies and the nuances of informed consent with Dr. Ben Chapman of North Carolina State, I was left with a troubling thought about what it means to be informed. Chapman, in his podcast Food Safety Talk Podcast Episode 163: "Grown on Chia Pets", discussed a particular participant that challenged the consent process of one of his studies. The chief complaint of the participant was that he felt betrayed that he was not properly informed before taking part in the study. To avoid biased results, researchers often use deception studies. Deception studies, by nature, cannot fully inform participants on the true aim of the study. The question I was left with was: Should we allow deception studies to continue being used?
In Percival Everett's Zulus, Alice is offered safety by being smuggled out of the city to a rebel camp by Theodore Theodore. Alice consents. However, her consent is meaningless. When she consents the only information she was given is that Theodore Theodore says "I will do everything I can to help you". Later, Alice finds out that she will be subjected to imprisonment and a violating verification of her pregnancy. Although Alice provided consent by asking for help, she in no way consented to the horrible acts she would have to endure. Alice was extremely uninformed and forced to suffer because of the deceit of the rebels. To properly consent, Alice needed far more information than what she was provided. Alice was not informed of everything that she would later encounter and therefore is a violation of informed consent.
Harriet A. Washington describes another situation of uninformed consent in her book Medical Apartheid. She recounts a story from Jesse Williams about participating in a footwear experiment that was really an attempt to induce a foot fungus that was extremely difficult to treat. "Investigators went to remarkable lengths to deceive inmates about the harms inherent in the tests". This is clearly a violation of attaining properly informed consent. While Williams was prison he was never given a consent form. Even if he had the ability to consent to a study of this nature, he was grossly under-informed about the true nature of the study. Williams experienced a lack of informed consent because he has deliberately misinformed about the aims of the study. He was also not aware of the risks that accompanied the true nature of the experiment. Williams's lack of knowledge of risks and the true goal of the experiment would have prevented his ability to provide informed consent if he was given the opportunity.
Alice and Williams's situations demonstrate a clearly unacceptable lack of information. However, deception studies also withhold information from participants. Deception studies are considered necessary and ethical in today's human research environment. According to the University of Wisconsin's Health Sciences Institutional Review Board, deception studies are necessary in order to "obtain unbiased data with respect to the subjects' attitudes and behavior when complete or truthful disclosure is expected to produce biased results". Human beings often aim to please, so if they know the aim of the study they tend to alter their behavior. The IRB of the University of Wisconsin indicates that researchers are allowed to active deceive and passively deceive research participants. Active deception involves providing inaccurate information to participants. Passive deception is intentionally withholding information that is vital to the study. Alice experienced passive deception because she did not fully understand what would actually occur at the rebel camp. Williams experienced active deception because the information provided was inaccurate to the actual details of the study. Alice and Williams both experienced deception in ways that current researchers utilize.
If the deception that was described in Medical Apartheid and Zulus was considered unjust, should researchers today be allowed to use the same methods? Yes, because there are oversight organizations that prevent deliberately detrimental practices. Chapman deliberately deceived his study's participants by not disclosing that they would come into contact with non-pathogenic E.coli bacteria. I believe that Chapman was just in doing so because the Institutional Review Board protects participants. The IRB ensures that studies can only involve minimal risks to participants and risks described to the participants cannot inaccurately represent actual risks. In William's case, the risks were not described accurately and thus an oversight board would have prohibited this study. Institutional review boards also have provisions that force researchers to reveal the actual details of the study to participants and allow them to withdraw from the study and completely eliminate any data acquired. These provisions protect subjects from initially consenting and then not being able to revoke their consent. Subjects may not be fully informed at the beginning of the experiment but are completely informed before their information is used.
In an ideal world, deception studies would not be necessary. True informed consent is currently not a reality in human studies. Deception is required in order to gain accurate knowledge to provide a benefit to the population as a whole. As long as research participants are not being taken advantage of and only experience minimal risk, deception studies should be allowed to continue. In the case of Chapman, deceiving his participant was a source of great regret and felt that he personally had a responsibility to revise his study to avoid problems in the future even though his study held up to IRB guidelines. Researchers, like Chapman, act in good faith and are subject to many rules that ensure the full protection of participants. While willingly deceiving research subjects may seem in bad taste, it remains a necessity.
Posted on October 9, 2019 by Bryan Wager - No Comments on Sick with Sickle-Cell
Sick with Sickle-Cell
Harriet Washington, in Medical Apartheid, recounts the story of Walter Clement Noel. In 1904, Noel was a first-year dental student from a wealthy black family. He was admitted to a hospital for pain, bruising, and sores along with other symptoms. Noel was diagnosed with Herrick's anemia, which is known today as sickle-cell anemia. At the time of the diagnosis, James B. Herrick the attending physician published the findings and also claimed "…Noel's was a disease that struck only blacks" (Medical Apartheid, 155). Unfortunately, this inaccurate idea was soon widely accepted in the medical community and set the stage for sickle-cell to be a facet of systematic racism in the medical field.
During my undergraduate education as a student majoring in biochemistry, I have had the opportunity to study sickle-cell anemia. I have become familiar with the molecular and evolutionary basis of sickle-cell. Sickle-cell anemia affects the hemoglobin of red blood cells and causes them to have an altered form. According to Meredith Wadman, of Nature, the sickle-cell gene is a mutant "S" gene that replaces the normal "C" gene. People that have two copies if the mutant "S" gene, exhibit red blood cells that have a "half-moon shape" and altered function. Wadman also explains that people who carry one of the "S" genes do not typically exhibit symptoms of sickle-cell but are less susceptible to effects caused by the malaria parasite due to a slightly altered formation of hemoglobin.
Sickle-cell anemia in the early 1900s was wrongly used as evidence for the inferiority of black people as a race. Washington explains, "the erroneous belief that sickle-cell anemia strikes only blacks became fully entrenched, thus reinforcing belief in the inherent inferiority of African-Americans"(Medical Apartheid, 156). Although sickle-cell anemia is characterized as a disease that disproportionally affects people of African descent, the high rates of disease are not due to any racial differences. The theory of evolution says that traits that are advantageous to the survival of an organism will have an increased frequency. The gene for sickle-cell is no different. People who resided in Africa, where the malaria carrying mosquitos are native, were more likely to survive if they carried one of the mutant genes for sickle-cell. Medical practitioners of the Noel's time saw this condition as a disadvantage of the black race when really it is only present because it was advantageous. In addition, the sickle-cell gene does not exclusively reside in people of African descent but in all races. Washington describes it best by explaining, "…the common denominator of sickle-cell disease is not race, but living in proximity to the malaria bearing Anopheles mosquito"(Medical Apartheid, 155). Sickle-cell anemia is not based in racial differences but in ancestral location.
The idea that this disease was a physiological downfall of black people is not only incorrect but set up systematic racism in the medical community for years to come. In an article authored by Jennifer Adaeze Okwerekwu, the unfortunate truth about lasting systematic racism towards sickle-cell patients today is brought to light. As a third year medical student, Okwerekwu came across a sickle-cell patient in immense pain that had a fever and a cough that required treatments including fluids, pain medication and oxygen. She planned to ask her resident, her superior, to order these treatments. However, Okwerekwu then explains that she "… came to realize that she needed more than that: She had symptoms of acute chest syndrome, a leading cause of death for patients with sickle cell disease." This may not seem that significant, but it shows the lack of urgency that medical professionals take with sickle-cell patients. Emergency room systems are supposed to match the most serious cases with the most experienced and competent physicians. Okwerekwu, who at the time was not a licensed doctor, raises the question "As sick as she was, why was I, a medical student, the first one to evaluate her?" The patient required urgent care by an experienced physician. The mistake of making the sickle-cell patient a low priority could have cost their life if Okerekwu was less capable and did not recognize the symptoms.
The medical care of the patient that Okwereku treated was simply not a priority for the medical staff. The racial history of sickle-cell anemia has caused a lack of priority in research and patient care. In Okwereku's article she comments on how research for sickle-cell is disappointing as well. "More people suffer from sickle cell than cystic fibrosis, but cystic fibrosis research gets 3.5 times the funding that sickle cell does." Okwereku, as a doctor of color, states in her article that she is recommitting herself to treat patients equally and notice when her "attitudes have been wrongly shaped by racism, whether subtle or overt…" This lamentable story demonstrates one of the many ways racism remains present in our society. Washington, throughout Medical Apartheid illustrates many ways in which racism plaques the medical community. Hopefully, in the near future, more doctors will follow in Okwereku's footsteps to continuing to notice and combat discriminatory practices.
Posted on September 29, 2019 by Bryan Wager - No Comments on Racism in the Ranks: Discrimination in the Armed Forces
Racism in the Ranks: Discrimination in the Armed Forces
Toni Morrison in her novel Home, tells the story of Frank Money, an African-American Korean War veteran who returns home and is forced to battle racism. Frank, like so many other veterans, suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The men who fought in the Korean War witnessed countless acts of violence and returned home severely emotionally damaged. Frank as an African American was not only forced to endure battle and the loss of his best friends in Korea but racism as well.
According to the Korean War Legacy Foundation, racism towards African Americans servicemen remained a concern during the Korean War. Just two years before the United States became involved in the conflict in Korea, President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981 officially ending segregation in the armed forces. Truman believed that African-American troops were honorably risking their lives and deserved to be treated with the upmost respect. Unfortunately, many high-ranking military leaders simply ignored the President's new legislation, as many units remained segregated.
Although this was a major step for African-American civil rights, acts of racism towards black soldiers did not cease. In an article titled Black and White in Vietnam, Gerald F. Goodwin of the New York Times wrote of time he spent with soldiers during the Vietnam War, which took place years after the conflict in Korea. Goodwin explains that African-American soldiers were frequently denied promotions and were more severely punished than their white counterparts. For only making up 11 percent of the total servicemen in Vietnam, African-Americans accounted for 34.3 percent of court-martial punishments. Not only were black soldiers unfairly punished, but also assigned to more dangerous posts. This inequality resulted in African-American deaths representing 25 percent of all of the American deaths in Vietnam. In light of the discrimination that took place in Vietnam, one can estimate the magnitude of inequality that took place during the Korean War.
Soldiers willing to lay down their lives in service of their country should be hailed as heroes, regardless of their ethnicity. The acts of courage displayed of African-American servicemen often went unnoticed and unrewarded. However, African American soldiers returning home from World War II were treated with far less hospitality than they truly deserved. Isaac Woodard Jr. fought bravely in the United States Army in World War II and was honorably discharged and returned home to the United States. Only hours after being discharged, Woodard was pulled off of a bus by police and was beaten, resulting in the loss of his eyesight (Korean War Legacy Foundation). Woodard's story was not the only heartbreaking atrocity that took place. However, his story is noted as a major reason that Truman signed Executive Order 9981 into law.
Frank's PTSD in Home is attributed to the loss of his fellow soldiers in battle and the killing of a defenseless Korean girl. It is without question that Frank is an imperfect man. He committed an unforgivable act of violence that clearly haunts him and is a main cause for his alcohol abuse. However, Frank is also a victim. He witnessed the deaths of some of his best friends and was forced to deal with the added stress of being an African-American in the armed forces. I possess a great deal of sympathy for Frank. I believe him to be a good person who was unfortunately jaded by racist beliefs of the time. He protected his sister since he was just a boy and felt a great deal of guilt for leaving Lotus and enlisting in the military. A man who feels guilt by engaging in a selfless and honorable act cannot be bad person by nature. His environment and experiences twisted him into a man capable of killing an innocent girl. I believe that Frank is a complicated character who was coerced by racist institutions into becoming a man of sin.
After all Frank Money is a fictional character, but he represents a generation of African-American veterans. He is an analogue for veterans who chose to fight for their country even though their country treated them as less than human. I consider this act of the highest honor. As a descendent of veterans, I understand the sacrifice and selflessness of fighting for a country. Racism and discrimination is unacceptable, especially when it occurs to brave men that are willing to leave their lives and families to protect their nation. The military owes these men immense gratitude and reform. President Harry Truman realized the sacrifice of black servicemen and began to repair a broken system with the signing of Executive Order 9981. In modern times, discrimination remains present in the armed forces, as Carla Herreria reports that black soldiers are currently two and a half more times as likely to be punished through a court-martial or nonjudicial means than their white counterparts. Even though discrimination remains prevalent in the military today, efforts should continue in order to make sure that African American heroes are being treated as they rightfully deserve.
Posted on September 13, 2019 by Bryan Wager - No Comments on Knowledge and the Ability to Notice
Knowledge and the Ability to Notice
Dionne Brand once said, "My job is to notice… and to notice that you can notice." The ability to notice involves observation and understanding. "To notice" seems like a simple task but is a difficult skill that can be strengthened. For example, one day it was pointed out to me that one of my best friends used the word "like" very often. Even though I had never noticed this trait before, everyday thereafter I noticed and was frustrated by the overuse of that conversation filler. I believe that this same approach can be used to help eliminate racism. If everyone could be educated on atrocities that have occurred in the past they are far more likely to realize similar situations and avoid them in the future. Everyone is responsible to educate him or herself and notice acts of racism so that they can begin to combat it.
I believe that the skill of noticing is paramount in changing societal views on race. If we as students, and ambassadors of change, can understand the formation and origins of race, we can begin to affect positive change. Geraldine Heng wrote in her book The Invention of Race in the European Middle Ages, "…race is a structural relationship for the articulation and management of human differences, rather than substantive content". Human differences are evident, but the foundations of race as we know it were set in place to elevate some and reduce others. Now that race has been defined as a structural relationship, observers can begin to identify acts of racism. Once acts are identified as racist to the general public, actual informed action can take place to prevent it. As a member of a group of people that experiences little discrimination, not all acts of racism were obvious to me. By learning more about racist acts in the past, I have gained a new ability to notice the numerous acts of racism that occur everyday without being noticed by ignorant bystanders. Knowledge is a tool that is paramount in importance in terms of combating bigotry.
My prior belief of medical professionals is that they are some of the most knowledgeable, caring and selfless people in today's society. Harriet A. Washington has shaken my assumption in her book Medical Apartheid. It was a shock to me that doctors, in our not so distant past, treated African-American patients with such negligence. Washington tells of a story where a doctor "decided to amputate the leg of a fifteen-year-old slave girl without making any other attempts to treat the relatively minor injury". Previous to embarking on this journey I would have taken a doctors decision to be irreproachable. However, this act was willingly malicious to a poor girl who happened to be born with a darker shade of skin and it opened my eyes to the racism present among people devoted to healing. This education has allowed me to be more cautious of those I believed to be antiracist, and notice racism in the future.
I fear that without proper knowledge of past atrocities in the medical field, new medical professionals are unequipped to notice discriminatory acts. Dr. Lisa Cooper of John Hopkins University School of Medicine conducted a study that showed that nearly two thirds of doctors exhibited unconscious racial bias. These doctors lack the ability to notice their own discriminatory acts against certain races. I do not believe that the majority of doctors see themselves as racist but are subjected to the effects of racist professionals in the past. I believe that is should be every physician's own responsibility to educate himself or herself in order to notice that they are providing preferential care. The racism demonstrated by the doctors in the study may be unconscious but through education they can begin to "…notice that you can notice" as Dionne Brand has put it.
I enrolled in Literature, Medicine and Racism because it was a topic that was previously foreign to me. As a student applying into the medical field, I have not been informed on the racist past. I have been educated to think about physicians as scientists who pursue knowledge in order to better aid humanity. Of course, this has not always been true. In order to become a physician who combats racism instead of perpetuates the system of racist traditions I must become educated on the immoral history of the field. A philosopher named George Santayana, has explained that "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it". This quote inspires me to learn as much as I possibly can about the shortcomings of the profession that I am soon to enter, so I gain the ability to notice every act of racism and do everything in power to correct those actions. I vow to become more informed to strengthen my ability to notice and enlighten others that they to have the ability to notice.


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text:
Wentos
Everything posted by Wentos
Sonic Unleashed Generations Mod Project
Wentos replied to goku262002's topic in Green Hills Zone
but Unleashed didn't have balloons
I hate to kind of fade back into obscurity after all that, but I think that's what's gonna happen. I really appreciated all the kind words though, more than I can say.
FriendBot
It's cool, will be there to support ya and I always around to have a chat! (although i doubt i'd be active from sunday to wednesday because i have a summer job but that's besides the point)
Might sound weird, but is there a way to not get notifications for people I follow? I'd rather just get email updates.
I think there's an option for it on the notification settings. Check it.
Yeah there is
Go to Manage Profile Settings -> Notification Settings (on the right) and click the second circle
Found it, thanks guys!
FriendBot, Hui and Crow the BOOLET reacted to this
Papa bless
Whoops, I didn't realize you had to hit a confirm button to follow someone. Sorry, doing those follow-backs proper now!
Hui and FriendBot reacted to this
*in old man voice*
Back in my days, you didn't need to confirm to follow people on SSMB. You just do and also, they were friends, not followers.
Bah, the newer generation doesn't understand the strong connections in this community.
I think you made made a brave choice in doing what you did, and that takes character that I can respect
So if it's OK with ya, I'll follow on Twitter again
I'm probably not gonna become all that active again or anything, but I needed to get that off my chest. Sincerely sorry if it annoys anyone.
Klinsy
Eh, it's fine, this is legitimately a tough matter to go trough and you manged to stay strong as you can through it.
You will always has a friend in me.
Wentos reacted to this
Oh sht it's you
Uh, I don't necessarily remember what you did back then so it may not affect me but given that spoiler at the end and from what I did know takes guts to admit your wrongdoings and wanting to make amends genuinely
So that in of itself seems some respect from me
I mean to say 'gain' not 'seem'
And now that I remember who you are by another name the pieces are slowly coming together
I may not know you fue to me being a more recent member here, but I already have respect for you.
You got up, confessed and apologized for what you did wrong and are trying to move on. As TCB said, takes guts.
*due to me
You know I should apologize to you
I gave you shit before and with recent events and well some personal matters and character development but I should apologize to you.
I guess I just didn't understand you and I just flung shit at you for seemingly pigheaded at the time. And yes I did get annoyed with you but I think I've matured as a person that I'm willing to forgive and forget. At least you did came to understand your problems and I'm glad you've came to that.
But anyways I think after all this I think I should finally offer my hand in friendship. Its the least I can do.
I'd be very happy to accept that invitation.
We should catch up sometime. There's a lot that happened over the years.
Well, I finally did that thing. I'll be hiding now.
You finally visit us after 4chan escapades. Tell me. What have you done!?
Athena Cykes
Oh it's you. Afternoon.
Hey, Solvo, nice to see you, my friend.
Wish we could talk more/.
Hey Solvo!
(aka former Hatsune Miku ;p )
"The First Level of Every Sonic Game"; Analysis From Super BunnyHop
Wentos replied to Nepenthe's topic in Green Hills Zone
I guess we hear what we want to hear, because I came away from this video in no way thinking he was just "taking a cheap stab at the Sonic series for fun and money" like several people here seem to be asserting. I will admit I don't agree with him on every subject, and I honestly enjoyed the blunt flavor of the presentation, but seeing an analysis on how the first levels of each game make their impression was a fun little romp. I even think he brings up some things that most people familiar with the games probably have long since stopped questioning, such as the camera moving without changing the relative axis of control in Sonic Adventure. It's not necessarily a flaw, but it is something that takes getting used to, which is fair game when the point is to analyze how the game makes its first impressions. A game with a learning curve is by no means a bad thing, but Adventure had a lot more flaws than that, and I think it's reasonable to accept such. Hey, if you don't agree and think he's uneducated, that's totally fine. There were definitely holes in his research (Although the case of not knowing the run button in Lost World could be argued that the game didn't explain it very well. Why would you even expect a run button in a Sonic game to begin with? It says a lot about the game when his prior exposure was probably gameplay videos where the player spindashed the whole time because the running controls are honestly annoying), and again I didn't agree on everything, but I can't help thinking some of the reactions here are rather knee-jerk. I get that criticizing Sonic as a franchise is something done to the point of beating a dead horse, but SEGA also refuses to do anything (consistent at least) about it. Every time we seem to be getting on track, a new game comes out and it goes off the rails of quality and consistency again.
How to edit sub-catagories in Sonicglvl
Wentos replied to roket333's topic in Green Hills Zone
It's difficult to tell what you're asking, but I assume by the phrasing that you're simply attempting to move an object in the editor? If the object doesn't respond to a click, click "Manage Layers," close the window that appears, and try again. If this isn't what you needed, feel free to clarify.
He ran into some roadblocks cracking the shader format, and hasn't entirely had the time to dedicate to it, with his work position and all.
If you think the physics are "screwed up" that's fine, but clearly not everyone agrees with you, so it would be totally cool if you'd stop advertising and bashing in someone else's threads/videos.
Are you sure about that?
The mission gates are far more limited, however they can be used for some of Unleashed's acts that revolve around ring or chao collecting.
Mother 3 possibly getting a western release this year
Wentos replied to Kevin's topic in Video Games
Between Earthbound Beginnings and Lucas returning for Smash 4, I feel like it goes without saying that Mother 3 has to happen. Maybe I'll get into the series soon if it does.
Gregzilla
Happy anniversary of birth. Have a good one.
Why do so many people hate Zoe Quinn?
Wentos replied to Regen's topic in Chit-Chat
I refuse to become a pathos-driven activist because a professional board moderator told me I have a fucked up opinion for not absolving someone of their shady behavior because they've been harassed. The best thing I can and will do for myself is to stop giving attention to this whole controversy. It's clear to me that dissent is not considered okay in any sense, if I'm not giving all of my empathy to someone because of what they've been through; especially when their behavior is often misrepresentative. If you think I'm heartless or fucked up (and you've made it clear already that you do), congratulations on your vindictive attitude, but I do not care. People like you and her do not make me want to address the issue, but ignore it and consider myself better for that.
Please don't misunderstand; I absolutely want to create a welcoming environment for critique and debate, including what she has to offer. I just think that by highlighting harassment and nothing else, it unfortunately sends the message that harassment is what gets people attention and what gets a rise out of the people those harassers don't like. I don't want her to be harassed, I don't want anyone to be. I want her to reach out and engage with the people who really want to discuss, because I feel like that's how we're going to get anywhere as an industry. I think the best way we can teach people not to harass is by example, and if she connects with the people who want to discuss, it'll show that she gives attention to reasonable people and not to bullies. That's why I was suggesting the compromise that she do some of both, but my ideal scenario is that she engages with reasonable people exclusively, as much as possible. I know harassment is hard, I have experience being the target of it. I don't support people who engage in it, but what exactly are we supposed to do about that besides not give it the attention it craves and instead lead by example? But I guess I haven't been through exactly the same degree of harassment she has, so my opinion is completely irrelevant. I wasn't aware that defending myself against an accusation that I lack empathy was the same as trivializing harassment.
Please don't accuse me of lacking empathy. I've been harassed continuously for years on end over things I can't control, I know what it's like. Regardless of the fact, I am open and honest with the people who pay attention to me; I want to appear human. Perhaps Anita wants the same thing, but my problem is that she doesn't show her human side very often. She's very opaque in terms of public image, and perhaps that makes it harder to empathize with her, yes. I reserve complete sympathy because I know many controversial figures who receive just as much hate speech as genuine feedback, if not more; but they don't attempt to shut it down. That stuff sucks, sure, but plugging your ears doesn't stop it from existing. Like I said before, spotlighting is a good practice, even. But she clearly pays attention to the harassment if she's spotlighting it, no? So if she pays attention to that, and even gives it a spotlight, why does she never do similarly to people offering rebuttals to her content? At this point I could somewhat understand if she was blocking out everything, but this demonstrates she's clearly not. The selective spotlighting becomes even more frustrating then.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Herbert Mayer (* 1937 oder 1938) ist ein deutscher Tischtennisspieler. Er nahm an der Weltmeisterschaft 1959 teil.

Werdegang
Mayer begann mit dem Tischtennissport beim Verein TSV Obergünzburg. Mit dessen Herrenmannschaft spielte er in den 1950er Jahren in der Oberliga, der damals höchsten deutschen Spielklasse. Von hier wechselte er um 1957 zum TTC Burgkunstadt und 1959 zum Post SV München. Mit Josef Seiz wurde er 1957/58 Bayerischer Meister im Doppel.

1959 wurde Mayer für die Individualwettbewerbe der Weltmeisterschaft in Dortmund nominiert. Hier schied er im Doppel mit Herbert Marx in der ersten Runde gegen Zbigniew Calinski/Janusz Kusinski (Polen) aus.

Turnierergebnisse

Einzelnachweise

Weblinks
 ITTF-Museum – 1959 Dortmund

Tischtennisspieler (Deutschland)
Geboren im 20. Jahrhundert
Deutscher
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


In an up close and personal mini-documentary, Shad Moss shares his inner most feelings and the effects of the music industry. We all know that social media has had it out for our childhood favorite, Bow Wow. On many occasions he has lashed out on Twitter and Instagram in response to prodding posts. In this mini-series, Shad Moss tells his side of the story. Misunderstood is under 15 minutes and very enlightening.
Moss explains the Lil Bow Wow effect and how it changed his childhood, and ultimately translated into adulthood. Growing up in the limelight has taken a toll, "I'm really on an island alone and people don't understand how that feels." He also talks about his battle with paranoia and anxiety. It's evident that the world is in dire need of more compassion and selflessness.
Here we have a man expressing that there is a portion of his life that he couldn't experience because he was a child star. We have to find it in ourselves to be more understanding; hoping others will offer us the same courtesy.
Watch Misunderstood below and stay tuned to SianiLeighPR.com for episode 2!


Small-displacement off-road bikes rock. The 2019 Husqvarna TE150 is one of the most effective trail bikes ever, building on a long history of smaller-is-better thinking in the off-road world. Check the records; small-displacement off-road bikes have always been considered a secret weapon, going all the way back to the first Penton, the Hodaka, the Kawasaki KDX and the KTM 200. The Husqvarna TE150 is the current product of that legacy, but it must contend with a recent market trend toward massive 450cc race bikes that have only kickstands and 18-inch wheels as off-road credentials. The 150 concept makes sense, but sense isn't always a part of the winning formula. Today, small-bore two-stroke lovers are more of a cult than a class.
The Husqvarna TE150 might be the ultimate off-road bike for a certain type of trail riding. What kind is that? Level.
Husqvarna's current version of the 150 dates back to 2016 when the company's 125 motocross two-stroke was redesigned. It wasn't a radical remake; the 125 didn't get an electronic power valve, fuel injection or any other technology that you might expect of a 21st century two-stroke. The new motor has much the same general description as always; it is a case-reed design with a centrifugally driven mechanical powervalve and a carburetor–this time a Mikuni TMX38. It did get the provision for an electric starter, which came later on the 150 off-road version. Unlike the earlier incarnation of the 150, this one has the same stroke as the 125 and owes its added displacement entirely to a 4mm increase in bore. The bike actually displaces 144cc.
Along with the electric starter and the displacement increase, there are differences in engine tuning, mostly gained through digital mapping. The ignition is different, and the flywheel is heavier. Both the motocross 125 and the off-road 150 have six-speed gearboxes, but the gear ratios are all different, aside from third. The ratios below third are set up for slower speeds, and the ones above are taller. Top gear isn't that much faster for the TE, though. Sixth is only geared about 8 percent taller, whereas first is something like 17 percent lower. Clearly, the thinking is that this bike will be used more extensively on tight trails and low-speed terrain. The 150 also got a larger fuel tank (2.6 vs. 2.0), an 18-inch rear wheel, Dunlop AT81 tires, a sealed chain, a headlight and a digital odometer. For the off-road bike, the fork is a WP Xplor 48 with coil springs rather than the WP air fork. The rear suspension is similar to the motocross version aside from spring rate and valving. It's still a linkage system, unlike the KTM version of this bike, which uses the PDS, no-link design. The Husky also differs from the KTM 150XC-W in brakes (Magura on the Husky, Brembo on the KTM), clutch hydraulics (again, Magura versus Brembo), handlebar maker (Pro Taper versus Neken), and rims (D.I.D versus Excel). Then there's also the bodywork, airbox and subframe, which are all different, primarily to give the Husqvarna brand its own look.
In order to make a 125 motocross bike into the TE150, Husqvarna added electric start, 4mm of bore and a whole lot of off-road mojo.
If you want to understand why this bike is so good, it can be boiled down to one number: 205. That's how many pounds it weighs on the Dirt Bike scale without fuel. You could strap the TE150 on the rear fender of a Honda CRF450X as a spare and probably not notice. We often hear people lament the loss of old-school bikes such as the Kawasaki KDX200, but we think their memory is clouded by nostalgia. Yes, all the 200s of the past were sweet motorcycles, but the KDX was around 40 pounds heavier. Even the last generation of the KTM 200 was at least 20 pounds more. The Husqvarna TE150 is so light that you barely have to think about what you want to do and where you want to go. The bike reacts almost before your brain can take action.
Hyperbole aside, there's a reason that the 150 is so agile that goes beyond the actual weight. The spinning crank of a small-bore two-stroke has less gyro effect than the big four-strokes we've grown accustomed to. There are various physical laws written by oddly dressed renaissance thinkers that say that massive spinning things like to maintain their place in space. Smaller spinning things, such as the internals of the 150, are much easier to move around.
Power is also inversely related to handling, but that isn't to say that the 150 is slow. It's much more powerful than the 250F motocross bikes of just a few years ago. When you rev the Husky and shift on queue, it can hang with a modern motocross bike on flat ground, but it's not much of a hill-climber. Sand, deep loam and steep terrain are the natural enemies of the small two-stroke. There's very little torque once you fall off the bubble. If you're a 125 guy, you already knew that coming in, but the 150 is still much easier to ride than a traditional 125 MX bike. It has enough torque to pull itself into the meat of the power without ever using the clutch, if you so desire.
The jetting is flawless, and there are no glitches or bogs anywhere in the rev range. Even in the sub-basement at idle rpm, the bike is difficult to stall. If you're in a hurry, though, a little clutch work speeds up the process. Sometimes it takes a lot of clutch work, depending on how impatient you are. As a side note, the TE150 has a much sweeter, easier-to-use powerband than the KTM 150SX motocross bike, even for motocross. It doesn't have the peak power of that bike, but the TE150's hit is so much mellower and easier to manage that almost everyone prefers it.
Husqvarna uses multiple suppliers for some components. Off-road bikes like the TE150 come with Magura brakes, whereas the MX bikes come with Brembos. The performance is similar, although the Magura units tend to be noisier.
As counterintuitive as it might seem, truly lightweight motorcycles often are at odds with their own suspension components. It's hard to get a really plush ride when the motorcycle moves and reacts so quickly because of those aforementioned physical laws. The TE150 can transmit a lot of small impacts to the rider despite having comparatively soft settings. The front end is a little divey and harsh at the same time–it's that way on all the bikes we've tested with the WP Xplor fork. The good news is that it doesn't matter that much on bigger impacts. The 150 is so easy to handle that even when you get out of shape, it's easy to recover. This is one of those bikes that makes you think you're a stronger, faster, more talented rider than you really are.
Running weight, no fuel 205 lb.
The 150's muffler doesn't have a spark arrester, so if you plan to ride on public land, budget for one.
The list of other things we like about the 150 goes on and on. The electric start is awesome, not because a small two-stroke is hard to kick, but because you can restart easily on the side of a hill when you can't get to the kickstarter. We still like the fact that the kickstarter is there, too, just for backup. We like the brakes; we like the feel of the clutch; we like the dual-map switch, and we like the fact that it's not loud. Is this the modern day 200? No. A 150 has its own identity. It's worthy of a cult all its own.


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Colorado theater shooting suspect offers to plead guilty
Posted 4:10 pm, March 27, 2013, by Brittany Green-Miner
James Holmes during a plea hearing March 12, 2013.
(CNN) — Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes has offered to plead guilty and spend the rest of his life behind bars in exchange for avoiding the death penalty, according to court documents filed Wednesday.
Prosecutors have not accepted the offer because they may choose to pursue the death penalty.
"Prior to arraignment, Mr. Holmes made an offer to the prosecution to resolve this case by pleading guilty and spending the rest of his life in prison, without any opportunity for parole," the documents read.
"If the prosecution elects not to pursue the death penalty, then it is Mr. Holmes' position that this case could be resolved on April 1."
Prosecutors have said they will make a decision on whether or not to seek the death penalty against the 25-year-old Holmes at a hearing April 1.
This month, a judge entered a standard plea of not guilty for Holmes, who is accused of a shooting rampage at a Colorado movie theater that left 12 people dead and 58 injured on July 20, 2012.
In the documents filed Wednesday, his attorneys said they are still exploring a mental health defense, "and counsel will vigorously present and argue any and all appropriate defenses at a trial or sentencing proceeding, as necessary."
"Nevertheless, Mr. Holmes is currently willing to resolve the case to bring the proceedings to a speedy and definite conclusion for all involved."
By CNN Staff.
Topics: aurora, Aurora shooting, colorado, James Holmes, movie theater shooting
Search for missing brothers continues at Strawberry Reservoir Friday morning
Woman critically injured after crashing stolen bike into campus police car at University of Utah
Baum pleads not guilty to Juab Co. teens' murders, death penalty on the table
Teen killed in Colorado shooting charged gunman, is credited with saving classmates' lives
Man who killed a woman when he drove through Charlottesville crowd gets life in prison
Man who lent gun to Lauren McCluskey's killer pleads guilty
Latter-day Saint student who helped stop Colorado shooter says he's no hero
Man accused of kidnapping, murdering Lizzy Shelley appears in court
A millionaire was sentenced to 9 years in prison after a man died trying to build secret tunnels under his home
Woman on honeymoon becomes 10th U.S. tourist to die after Dominican Republic vacation
Man found guilty, faces 10 years for killing of Unified Police K-9 'Dingo'
Man who used corpse to fake his own death pleads guilty
Charges filed against man accused of shooting Delta woman in the head
Ex-NFL signee sentenced for murdering his wife in Park City
Just minutes away from Columbine, students tried to stop another deadly school shooting


I like anything that amplifies my mental powers. The problem with most products is they're either filled with harmful ingredients.
Or they just simply don't work.
I've tried just about everything on the market. And I've only found 5 products that actually work out of the 100+ I've used.
Gorilla Mind Smooth is one of the products that work.
I am not a doctor. I'm just someone who likes to maximize their mental powers and get the most out of life.
Gorilla Mind Smooth has natural ingredients.
It gives me an elevated mood and I overall just think and feel better.
Gorilla Mind Smooth gives me mental clarity that I haven't experienced in but a few times in life every time I take it.
The video below is my full in-depth Gorilla Mind Smooth review. You can also read over my Gorilla Mind Smooth Review Notes as well.
When taking Gorilla Mind Smooth for the first time take 3 capsules. After you've seen how you feel. You can take up to 6 capsules.
However, I've found that taking 3 Gorilla Mind is perfect.
But it all comes down to your lifestyle. In my case, I do groundskeeping for 8-10 hours while also working online for 2-6 hours.
Somedays I will take 3 Gorilla Mind Smooth when I first wake-up. And then I'll take 1-3 more while on the way to my first property.
So as I said above, it all comes down to your lifestyle. Maybe just taking 2 Gorilla Mind Smooth is all that you need to be enhanced.
Gorilla Mind Smooth is made in a GMP FDA-certified facility in the United States and is packed with strong, high quality, clinically proven cognitive boosters.
DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol): DMAE increases the levels of acetylcholine in the brain; resulting in increased levels of processing and transmitting of information, enhancement of mental concentration and focus, better memory and elevated mood.
Phenylethylamine HCL: Naturally occurring in the nervous system, Phenylethylamine HCL acts as a neuromodulator.
In the brain, it signals the release of norepinephrine and dopamine, two hormones that greatly increase mood, sense of well-being, energy levels, and stress relief.
Phenylethylamine HCL also stimulates the release of Acetylcholine in the brain, which is critical for supporting memory, learning, focus, concentration, information recall, and a variety of other benefits.
N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine: The most bio-available form of Tyrosine, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine is an amino acid that balances neurotransmitter levels in the brain resulting in increased energy and motivation, relief in the mind of stress and anxiety, and the improvement of mental focus and concentration.
L-Theanine: L-Theanine works by targeting four key neurotransmitters: GABA, Serotonin, Dopamine, and Norepinephrine.
These neurotransmitters are responsible for feelings of attention, stress, arousal, and pleasure.
By mitigating the over-activity of neurons, L-Theanine helps to calm down the brain, reduce stress, and get rid of anxiety.
This is why L-Theanine complements stimulants like caffeine so tremendously too, as it takes the edge off of stimulants that can cause jitters and over-stimulation.
L-Theanine also improves memory, focus, attention to detail, information retention, and motivation levels.
Alpha-GPC: Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (Alpha-GPC) is the highest quality and most bioavailable form of choline, meaning it will work much better and much faster than standard choline.
After crossing the blood-brain barrier Alpha-GPC provides the brain with a rapidly absorbed form of choline.
It also starts aiding in the synthesis and release of acetylcholine.
The surge of quickly absorbed choline in conjunction with the release of acetylcholine causes a substantial improvement in cognitive functioning, memory, HGH levels, physical performance, concentration, focus, and information absorption/recall.
Bacopa Monnieri: Used as an anti-aging supplement that protects neurons in the brain from accumulative damage, Bacopa Monnieri acts as an antioxidant, cognitive enhancer, and neuroprotectant.
By increasing kinase activity in the brain, a faster rate of transmission is achieved which enhances mood, mental energy, information absorption/recall, memory, and reduces anxiety, as well as joint and muscle pain.
It may also produce mild amounts of euphoria.
Theacrine (as TeaCrine®): Theacrine is a compound that is structurally very similar to caffeine, and can exert stimulant-like effects in the body.
Theacrine is an amazing ingredient that allows those who can't handle traditional stimulants like caffeine to still enjoy the benefits that caffeine can provide, without any of the tolerance build-up, jitters, crashing, or stark feelings of highs and lows in energy.
It simply provides a smooth, long-lasting boost in energy with no desensitization to the compound with repetitive usage, as well as an improvement in mood, productivity, and focus.
Hordenine: This compound promotes focus, euphoria, mental alertness, an increased metabolic rate, as well as overall cognitive function.
Aside from that though, one of the main purposes Hordenine serves is as a very powerful potentiator of Phenylethylamine HCL.
Monoamine Oxidase (MAO) is an enzyme in the body that breaks down Phenylethylamine, dopamine, as well as other important neurotransmitters.
Normally, Phenylethylamine HCL is only potent in the body for a very short period of time.
However, Hordenine acts as a potent MAO inhibitor, meaning it inhibits the effects of the enzyme MAO, thus preventing the breakdown of neurotransmitters from occurring, allowing Phenylethylamine HCL to exert its' full benefits in the body, and significantly increasing its' active life in the body.
Piperine (Black Pepper Fruit Extract): Allows the body to absorb and utilize all of the ingredients in this formula more effectively.
This ultimately results in greater bioavailability and benefit from each individual ingredient, as well as making the effects last longer.
Huperzine A: Huperzine A blocks the action of cholinesterase in the brain.
The result of this is increased levels of acetylcholine in the brain.
It also promotes neurogenesis (the birth of new neurons in the brain), protects neurons that are already in the brain from damage, and acts as a neuroprotective agent.
These high acetylcholine levels ultimately lead to greatly enhanced memory and cognitive function.
Huperzine A has been used in China as a herbal medicine for years, and it helps offset neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's via its ability to improve memory and acting as a neuroprotectant.
It also acts as a potent Somatostatin inhibitor in the body, resulting in greater HGH levels, which has a multitude of benefits for body composition and anti-aging.
For me, I enjoy waking up and having a cup of Red Coffee with my Gorilla Mind Smooth. Like most things in life, coffee only makes it better.
Since Gorilla Mind Smooth is caffeine free. Adding in a cup of coffee gives you a burst of energy along with the mental clarity Gorilla Mind Smooth provides.
Modafinil and Gorilla Mind Smooth are comparable in their effects. The only big difference is on how it affects my creativity.
When I take Modafinil I'm focused but my creativity is almost non-existent. Obviously, creativity is how I make money online. Hence why I don't take Mod.
Gorilla Mind Smooth, on the other hand, enhanced my creativity. It isn't an accident that since taking Gorilla Mind Smooth my content production has tripled.
My creativity is not only enhanced. But my overall mental clarity has improved drastically. It's as if I can see reality for the first time.
Imagine that your hand is in front of your face. You can see through the cracks in your fingers by moving your head.
Then you take 3 Gorilla Mind Smooth and your hand gets out of your way. That is exactly how Gorilla Mind Smooth is for me.
I took Adderall for 6 years straight. While it's a powerful mind enhancer, it's hyped up feelings aren't worth the consequences.
Gorilla Mind Smooth delivers mental clarity without messing up your brain chemistry. So if you're taking Adderall or have problems focusing.
Gorilla Mind Smooth will help you greatly.
Buying Gorilla Mind Smooth is easy and doesn't require permission from a doctor. All you've got to do is fill out your info and the Gorilla Mind team handles the rest.
Awesome review Dylan. Just bought some Smooth through your link. Oh, and I grabbed some Dream while I was there too.
Excited to see how this enhances my creativity and motivation. I seem to hit a wall after 4-5 hours of deep creative work. If this stuff helps me get an extra hour or two per dose, I'll be satisfied.
Thank you for the comment and purchases brother. As for deep work it definitely will. I take 1-2 when I wake up, work for 2-6 hours, and then eat lunch with 1-3 more. Works wonders.


"Just as mariners are guided during the night by the needle, which replaces for them the shores and pole star alike, by showing them the course to pursue both in fair weather and foul, so those who are called upon to advise the King must always be guided by a spirit of justice."
"The sailors navigate the seas guided by the two stars called the tramontanes, and each of the two parts of the lode-stone directs the end of the needle to the star to which that part itself turns."
Brunetto Latini (1230-1294) was a man of great eminence in the thirteenth century; Dante was among his pupils at Florence. For political reasons, he removed to Paris, where he wrote his Tresor and also his Tesoretto. He visited Roger Bacon at Oxford about 1260.
"As the needle, after having touched the lodestone, turns to the north, so the mariner's needle (acus nautica) directs them over the sea."
Lully was born at Paima in the Island of Majorca in 1236; he joined the Third Order of St. Francis, dying in 1315.


Are you ready for some delicious cookies and ice cream supreme?
Papa's Scooperia is an upcoming restaurant simulation game developed by flipline.
Papa's Scooperia will be the 14th addition to Papa Louie's restaurant management game!
In this game, you are making delicious Cookie Sundaes for the hungry customers. Go serve them wholeheartedly!


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Home In the News Cherokee Nation Film Office Earns Recognition for Native American Talent Directories
Cherokee Nation Film Office Earns Recognition for Native American Talent Directories
TULSA, OK – The Cherokee Nation Film Office (CNFO) has been recognized for its talent directories featuring Native American citizens. CNFO won Film Commission Initiative of the Year during the 2022 Makers & Shakers Awards ceremony held at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) headquarters in London. The tribe's film office was the only finalist from the U.S. to be nominated for the honor.
"We are incredibly honored to accept this recognition, which is an absolute win for all of Indian Country," said Jennifer Loren, Senior Director of Cherokee Nation Film and Original Content. "Representation matters, and it is vital that Indigenous people see themselves accurately and authentically represented in all forms of media across the globe. It is the inspiration that drives our mission and encourages our team to continue working diligently on new and proactive ways to engage and support Native talent across the film and television industry."
Judges selected the tribal film office for its ongoing effort to help Native Americans be fairly represented across mainstream media, as well as its role in the exponential growth of Oklahoma's film and television industry. The award highlights CNFO's unique, all-inclusive talent, crew and consulting directories featuring Native actors, extras, crew and cultural experts, as well as Native-owned businesses and support services.
The Film Commission Initiative of the Year award recognizes a local, regional or national film commission for its significant impact on its region. The 2022 finalists included CNFO, the Dominican Republic Film Commission, Film Queenstown Lakes, The National Film Authority of Ghana, Roma Lazio Film Commission, Trentino Film Commission and The Ukrainian Content.


Tranquility, style, unmistakable romance, and fun family activities have helped shape Walker's Bluff into a saught-after location for events.
Many of our public events, such as holiday dining and fun family breakfast events are held at Legends. This venue was recently changed into an exclusive event center due to the high demand for private and public events.
The number of venues available at Walker's Bluff allows for a variety of options ideal for several types of indoor and outdoor interests.