Nihilism

I love my political econ class, it's opening my eyes (like my Korean Politics class) and making my mind think in ways I have never even imagined I could. Cost-benefit cost-benefit cost-benefit ...and on and on... It is so drilled in my head right now. Well, that's probably largely due to the fact that I just crammed 3 weeks worth of studying into two nights haha I am screwd in 5.5 hours! Oh well this is what I get for procrastinating right?! But this subject is so interesting I just want to keep reading. My professor probably has picked out the best selection of books for a course out of all the classes I've had so far in my two years at college. No textbook but six different books. Like real books/novels that you can find at Barnes, ones that people would read for their enjoyment. I absolutely think this book, Trade Offs by Harold Winter is so clever. EVERYONE should read it whether you like economics or not. He writes it almost dummy-friendly so that someone like me who didn't even know what economics even meant before this quarter, understands.

These are some of the issues he addresses (they are mostly social issues which is why it's such an entertaining book) I just picked random ones but there are alot more other interesting ones.

• Smoking is actually beneficial to both the smoker and society more than we think. The benefits are understated while the costs or in other words the risk/health factor are overstated. Some people smoke too little! (WTF right?)
  
• Organ conscription or a market for organs would perhaps be very cost-beneficial in stimulating our economy just as much as it could save a life... (Let's go organ digging at the cemetary right now and make it an efficient crime puhaha.)
  
• We all actually set a dollar value amount for lives even though we (well you who hasn't read it yet) don't want to believe it.
• America has one of the highest pharmaceutical drug prices, (obviously this directly affects people like me with no insurance lmao) but while we may be unhappy with high drug prices, they may be the only thing spurring on and giving physicians in new drug research.
• There is a benefit to society if people die young.
  

These sound pretty disgusting and immoral right? I know Iknow, I think so too. Thus you must read the book! Aren't these points enticing you to go read this? Haha. But yes basically he's saying everything is a trade off...this vs. that. What do you value more in situation X or Y?

Anyways, I am beginning a project here on my blog for many reasons. One, to continue practicing and exercising my writing skills since I am not in an English class right now. Two, to expand my vocabulary. Three, for my own personal study mechanism. And four, to share all my academic knowledge I learned from my classes, research, books to my friends because I find all my three classes this quarter to actually be relevant in our real lives and just because I'm learning so many cool and interesting facts haha.

Ok the project is simple actually haha. One vocabulary word/term that I never knew, every other post! But it must be relative to what I am learning in my one of my classes. =)

Moral nihilism: Also known as ethical nihilism, is the meta-ethical view that morality does not exist; therefore no action is preferable to any other. For example, a moral nihilist would say that killing someone, for whatever reason, is not inherently right or wrong. (Wikipedia)

I chose this word, nihilism, because like I said the author covers very sticky/controversial issues and makes some daring and I say DARING statements! All of which he concocted up because he was able to set aside ideology, ethics, and morals to see the cost-benefit gains of social issues such as smoking. But nihilism is a broad word with many meanings for instance I think it can also be synonymous for anarchy but instead of being associated with law and government nihilism is like a moral/philosophical version of anarchy lol. I am so confusing. I'm sorry. I like words.

I enjoy being a nerd.

Anyhow. Tonight is going to be my last all night-er. I am never doing this again too unhealthy!

California.

The current temperature here in Seattle is 36 degrees F, "freezing rain" is the description. I miss my spring break in LA. It is so ridiculously bright and sunny there even if the temperature isn't that high. I love love love the temp when it's late at night but you can still be in shorts and a thin cardigan and not be shivering cold but just a nice cool fresh feeling. Here are some pictures from the trip.


My friends are so stylish!


I love palm trees! I wish Washington had some lol.




All you can eat Korean BBQ. We were there while the Korea v. Japan game was goin on and it was like a crazy jungle in there with lots of Koreans yelling lol.


A pretty park/lake we randomly stopped by...I forget what it was called.






Yummmm~!


Disneyland fireworks were soo pretty!


Santa Monica 3rd street promenade.


I love LA I'm going to move there later.

Eye Opening... North Korea

I am currently taking this quarter Politics in Korea. When I registered for this I was so excited because I really wanted to learn about the political system in Korea...and by Korea I automatically assumed South Korea. Later I found out when the class description was updated, that the topic was actually on North Korea and specifically on their status with the rest of the world and nuclear weapons. I thought yeuckkk great what did I get myself into I don't want to learn about no North Koreans!! But to my surprise I'm really glad I didn't switch out and I think I'm going to learn a lot, not only about North Korea but to know North Korea we have to learn about Koreas past history..which is the same for both North and South... the pre-Japanese annexation and WWII to be more exact was just ONE Korea. It's such a shame that it had to end up like this. So yesterday in class we watched a film by National Geographic and it really opened my eyes and my heart is with all the people there... I want to do something to help them but I feel so frustrated and sad watching them so ... unaware of their lives. We discussed in class whether we thought their loyalty to the "Great General" aka Kim Jong Il is out of fear or true loyalty...or is there even a difference for them in the two that it can be distinguishable??

If you can, please take the time to watch the video, fortunately I found it on youtube (I love youtube!)and the rest of the video is there on youtube I believe from start to finish but they are separated in parts as usual.



Our professor also commented that on top of Kim Jong Il being one of Henney's top customers, and owning over 20,000 movies, supposedly he watches South Korean television... and you know what our television is like... lol Korean dramas for Kim JOng Il? Haaa ugh I hate him.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/2797734/Kim-Jong-Il-North-Koreas-Dear-Leader-Profile.html