Having learned about confucianism and daoism I can see how its seems that children of asian descent have much more respect for their elders than some other cultures. In life and death parents, grandparents and all ancestors are highly respected and honored. I think that this is a quality that more people should have because the elderly have so much wisdom to share with the youth.

Learning about the Bahia faith and how important unity is in the faith, it made me think about society in general. In the U.S so much is based on how things are different instead of similar. From the beginning of our educations we are taught to single out the differences in things more than what is similar. This mind set of grouping and singling out, may be the cause of many of the problems in today's world. I think that we should change our way of thinking from differences to similarities. Bob Marley said "even the biggest man was once a baby," just like all of us.

While looking at the news a story came up about a Hindu man only eaten a very few times in years. He said that when he meditates he receives all that he needs to live from god. He is now being observed in a hospital for two weeks without food so that doctors can try and figure out what is keeping him alive. This made me think about testing for my black belt when I have to do a thousand sit up nonstop. It sounds like alot but the real trick is preparing the mind first and the body second when looking to complete a task like this. The magician David Blaine who once held the Guinness world record for holding his breath for 17 mins. He would go through mind games to get over the pain that his lungs were going through. Looking at examples like this shows that mind over matter is truly a saying to live by.

Its finally starting to sink in that these are the last days that I will ever be walking through the hallways at Oakland Mills. I have spent the last four years of my life at this school and in about a months time I will be graduating. It seems as though time has gone by super fast, now thinking back. I can still remember my freshmen year thinking that I will take forever to become a senior. Back then there was no thought of graduation, everything seemed so distant. All faces I have come to see every day, are soon to be much less frequent if at all. These last four years seem like only yesterday

A while ago in class we talked about the use of performance enhancing drugs, in sports. This is one where I have mixed views. I would like to see sports stay pure, and based simply on the genetics and talent of the players. This gives the average Joe a chance to make it to the big leagues one day. On the other hand a professional game of athletes at a super level would be very interest. Players would be hitting harder, throwing farther, and jumping higher making the game more fast paced and possibly better. I dont think however steroids should be allowed in bodybuilding. I think that the sport has become one of shear size, instead of who was the most proportional. Early bodybuilders were going for the look of Greek statues, now it seems it only who can be the biggest on stage. Over all in competition I think these sort of drugs should stay banned. So that the kids growing up can actually aspire to an obtainable goal.

"I do not want a friend who smiles when I smile, who weeps when I weep; for my shadow in the pool can do better than that" This is a quote from Confucius and I think that the meaning goes beyond the company you keep. I think that this quote could be applied to the way that you live your life. Since I was young my parents always introduced me to new things, whether it be food, language, or a different country. I would not want to live a life that has no variation or options in it. I'm glad that my parents exposed me to different things so that I didn't grow up as a child that would go to another country or new restaurant and order chicken tenders every time. Without new experiences life becomes a shadow in a pool.

   Today in class we were talking about doctors treating people who could not afford to pay the medical bills. I agreed with some views and not others. I think that doctors should help, those who do not have the money to help themselves. Many of us who live in Columbia are from upper middle class families that really don't have to give a second thought about paying for a doctors visit. But in many places outside Columbia single parents, or even both parents are working two jobs and still cant afford the simplest of procedures in the doctors offices. Many people are lazy and do ride off the taxes paid by others. But there is the other half that works twice as hard as the next guy, but because of their circumstances cant help themselves. These are the people that I would pay taxes to help. We look down at the people cleaning our floors but they are often more hard working than the owner of the floors they are cleaning.

Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Nanak was born at Patna Sahib on 22nd December 1666. He was said to be very athletic and energetic. He was also a master poet, and practiced swimming, ridding, and archery. A neighboring ruler became jealous of his exercises and attacked him with a group but failed. One day Singh announced that he need a sacrifice and ask for some one to step forward. A day later someone went to his tent and, Singh came out, sword dripping with blood and asked for another. One came and he again called for three more. Those who came to his tent to die where dressed in saffron colored clothes and were initiated as Gurus.

The rifle scopes the U.S army purchased from a private business had bible verses printed on the side. This offended many non christian soldiers who felt that it was wrong to put religious views on weapons the had to use. Some said that the verses should be taken off, because they promoted a religious view but this is not the responsibility of the business to take religious views off their products. The businesses have the right to print anything they want on the products that they sell. The customer has a choice of whether or not they want to buy from the company. Therefore they don't have to purchase the product if they don't agree with it. The Army however should not purchase products that support a specific religious view. People of many different religions serve in the military and should not have to use products that express religious views other than their own. The army did not know the religious views were on the scopes when they purchased them. But in the future they should try not to purchase products that express one view over another.