Social Chat

This week we will be talking about prisoners’ rights while incarcerated. Whether you like it or not, society has the responsibility to care for inmates once they are incarcerated by the state. That said this “care” is subjective and comes in various forms. Inmates don’t get cellphones, cable TV, and such. The state is required to feed, cloth and preserve the safety of each and every inmate.

But how far does this care go? There are numerous inmate lawsuit challenges to the quality of care provided to incarcerated inmates. One such suit challenges the conditions under which a group of inmates are being subjected. Check out this VIDEO/ARTICLE and let me know you thoughts on the subject. Agree/disagree and why.

There’s a great deal of negative press out there about prison inmates. However, here’s an ARTICLE that gives an example of some inmates that are making a positive impact on society. Should we have more inmates doing these kinds of things? What are some positives/negatives?

This week in class we’ll be talking about incapacitation so I thought we’d take a look at one fairly new facet of the American Prison System: the privatization of prisons. There are some benefits to private prisons that we’ll talk about later on in the semester, but this week’s ARTICLE will address some of the more negative aspects. What are some things that stand out to you?

So we are all adults, right? So it’s okay  for us to talk about “Tripping the switch,” “Abusing the wicked stick,” “Beating around the bush,” or “Adjusting the antenna.” Yes, you’re not seeing things…I’m referring to masturbation. Historically the old adage was that 98% of all people over 14 masturbate and the remaining 2% were lying. However, recent studies suggest that masturbation may not occur as often as previously thought. Check out this ARTICLE on “How Common is Masturbation, really?” One of the more interesting findings for our discussion is that

“…sex involves both physical and emotional closeness…any disconnect between these two elements, i.e., physical contact but no emotional closeness or visa versa, was associated with increased masturbation. In fact, for women, one of the best predictors of masturbation was a relationship that lacked emotional intimacy.”

So how does the above relate to prisoners?

Should prisoners be allowed to masturbate while incarcerated? More to the point, should they be punished for being caught engaging in this behavior? Read this ARTICLE from Slate Magazine that addresses the issue. A good number of state prisons and local jails not only forbid inmate masturbation, but issue formal violations for such behavior. Some of you might think  the subject weird, but let’s take it seriously for a moment, Thoughts?

There is no denying it: murder and rape are heinous offenses and must be dealt with carefully. Individuals who commit such offenses pose unique safety concerns to the greater community. The ways in which we deal with individuals convicted of homicide and sexual assault are vital to the system as a whole.

That said, how long should these individuals be locked up? Should they be allowed to spend a part of their sentence in the community? Should all persons convicted of homicide or sexual assault serve prison time? Moreover, with an awareness that variances exist regarding homicide and sexual assault  types (see article), should we treat all offenders alike? Click and read the ARTICLE and let me know how you feel about the author’s opinion and why.

This is my first post for the semester. I hope we can cultivate at least a bit of positive social chatter about the topics that emerge. But first, a couple of logistics:

Please know that I will delete any posts that disparage another individual’s comments.  It’s okay to disagree with another’s post, but we must all respect one another in our disagreements. Thanks.

Check out this ARTICLE published back in 2014, which basically summarizes a lot of the material we’ll be covering this semester. There’s a great deal in the small piece to consider. What stands out most to you and why?

Summer is the time for wearing shorts. I never wear long pants in the summer. Never. Period. But summer has gone and it’s time to find them and dust them off. Oh summer, where have you gone

Actually I’ve had the best summer ever. Alex and I spent June and July in Colorado. We stayed at the Sunset Motel in Grand Lake, but visited Frisco, Redcliff, Steamboat Springs, Twin Lakes, Georgetown, Idaho Springs, Winter Park and Leadville. Frisco is still one of our favorite day trips and you must eat at Prost if you visit. We were disappointed with Steamboat Springs (sort of reminded me of Aspen or Vail). Basically it’s a tourist trap. The views are spectacular, however. Of course we spent a night in Leadville, CO. Over the past 20+ years, we’ve spent alot of time in Leadville and have fond memories of the place (especially the clothes at Melanzana,  and food at Quincy’s and Mountain High Pies). This year we took a day trip back to Georgetown and Idaho Springs. In the past, Idaho Springs was a small and fairly quiet town just into the mountains. It has become a town that is “busting at the seams.” Now maybe our choice of days to visit was the problem (Sunday afternoon when everyone was driving back to Denver), but the town is crazy busy. To our surprise, Georgetown, CO has changed little, if any. Spectacular views here. The Winter Park/Fraser area has become a favorite of ours. Nice restaurants (especially Sharky’s Eatery) and shops, including a great laundry facility.

It’s nice to revisit these places in my mind (O how I wish I was still there) while sitting in my basement with a cup of java. These memories remind me of summer and hopefully will keep me till next May. Meanwhile, fall, which is my favorite season, is quickly approaching here in WI. Bring it on!

And now, I must go and locate my long pants:)

Week 4 has been fun and relaxing. I’m still walking approximately 50 minutes each morning and reading (actually I’ve done some work this past week as well). The pictures shown here are of a moose I encountered this morning. He was about 25 feet off the road I walk down each morning.

I was startled at seeing him, as I walk with music and earphones and didn’t hear him eating. Our eyes suddenly met (he was staring straight at me), which stopped me dead in my tracks. Pretty crazy. We both decided to mind our own business which made my heart rate slow down significantly.

I finished one book this week. It was Mary Louise Parker’s Dear Mr. You. A memoir of sorts, I found her writing witty and delightful. I would highly recommend it. I’m also reading Michael Eric Dyson’s The Black Presidency: Obama and the Politics of Race in America. Although quite thought-provoking, Dyson’s book is slow going as it contains a great deal to unpack. Today I started reading Hunter Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Very interesting, but I’ll talk more about it later.

Another week has flown by. I’m still exercising (walking), kayaking and reading. This past week I finished two more books:

Beaneath the Bonfire by Nickolas Butler. I haven’t read many books of short-stories. However, I loved his Butler’s Shotgun Lovesongs so I decided t give it a try. Butler has written a dozen or so interesting, well-written, fun and many times sad stories here. They are smart and varied in scope. Well worth a read.

Drinking With Men: A Memoir by Rosie Schaap. This book was listed as a must read for summer. I’m drawn to memoirs for some reason so I checked it out. Drinking with Men is the story of Schaap’s life and how it revolved around bars. As a sociologist, I found the book interesting, as it highlights the social aspects of bar culture (somewhat similar to Ray Oldenburg’s Third Place). Schaap nicely interweaves her life with various bar venues and the ways in which they have complimented her life. Her writing is witty and she has lived an interesting life thus far.

Week two in Grand Lake has been lovely. Below is a brief summary of how we spend most days:

MORNING-Exercising for about 45 mins per day (I have to do some type of daily exercise to counteract all the good food I eat in the evening).

MID-DAY-Lots of coffee and a fair amount of reading. See MY GOODREADS for details. And Alex goes kayaking every two to three days.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154435589769928&set=pb.510994927.-2207520000.1465420643.&type=3&theater

EARLY EVENING-Driving through RMNP and dinner. You can check out Alex’s Facebook account for hundreds of pictures of RMNP.

EVENING-Movie (Netflix or rental from Circle K) and cocktails.