Popular drugs, unpopular laws

High-potency skunk

What I read

In "Most UK cannabis 'super strength skunk'", Michelle Roberts (2018) says that over the past decade the percentage of marijuana in the form of skunk, made from plants containing relatively much higher amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) than cannabidiol (CBD), has increased from 85% to 94% in 2016 based on analyses of the drugs seized by police. Roberts reports that this rise is likely a result of the illegal drug users' preference for the stronger "high" that comes from high THC levels, although health experts are worried that this also appears to increase the risk of psychological disorders. 

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My response 

As I was reading Roberts' article, I kept wanting more figures. She reports that the use of skunk rather than the other types of marijuana that are popular with users carries higher health risks, but she very annoyingly only gives comparisons among the different types of marijuana. This is interesting, but it's really not enough information to make informed decisions about the risks the drug carries. It's a bit like saying that eating chocolate cake correlates with a 60% higher risk of severe obesity than does eating plainer types of cake: this sounds worrying, but if the risk from plainer cakes is in fact low, then 60% more might also still be very low. 

I just made up the 60% figure for the purposes of my example. I have no idea whether it reflects reality or not. I'm not about stop my own addiction to chocolate cake. Mmm ... chocolate cake! I think it's afternoon coffee time! More realistically, I am certain that alcohol is a much more harmful drug to users than marijuana in any form is, and yet it's the more harmful alcohol, such as the red wines that my family and I favour, that are legal whilst the less harmful marijuana is not. This seems not only stupid to me, but positively unjust. Whatever arguments are used to punish marijuana users for enjoying their favoured drug of choice must apply even more strongly to people like me who enjoy a glass or two or Merlot or whatever at a family dinner. And then there are those champagne drinkers! And don't get me started on the deadly whisky addicts! (Another confession: I'm also partial to a cognac occasionally.) 


Although I think it is important for people, especially drug users, to have accurate information about the drugs that they are using, and for the law to protect others from the harms that drug users might threaten them with, I can't think of any good reason why something like marijuana should be illegal while the worse drug alcohol is legal. Thankfully, some countries, and an increasing number of US states' are realising that their seriously irrational drug laws are also morally bad, and they are reforming them accordingly. 

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My question

What do you think? Should marijuana be legalised in Thailand? 

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Reference

• Roberts, M. (2018, February 28). Most UK cannabis 'super strength skunk'. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/health-43196566 

Australia wins again!

99-year-old record breaker
George Corones

What I read 

According to "Swimmer, 99, 'breaks world record' in Australia", George Corones says that he "smashed a world record for his age group" due to his "pacing and technique"  (2018). The Australian swimmer cut the record for the 50m freestyle from over one and a half minutes to less than one minute. Although a swimmer in his youth, Mr Corones had stopped at the start of World War Two, only taking it up at age 80. Having won his race, in which he was the only competitor, he is now aiming to also smash the 100m record for the 100 - 104 age group.

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My response 

A lot of the news we read daily is not cheerful, and this cheered up my morning coffee time. It might sound odd, but I also like the fact that the photographs of Mr. Corones are not particularly attractive. He looks like a 99-year-old man. 

First, it did make a good start to my morning routine of a large, strong coffee to read this encouraging story about a man enjoying his old age, even though it reminded me of my own lack of exercise. I keep meaning to exercise more regularly, but somehow never get around to doing it. Or I do get around to exercising, but lack the persistence that Mr. Corones has clearly shown for the past twenty years, since he again started swimming after retirement. I used to exercise regularly, even getting up at 5:00 am to put in a good hour or so at Lumpini Park at the start of the day. Now, I start my day with a hearty dose of my favourite drug and no exercise until I walk to AUA, which only takes me ten minutes – not exactly a challenging workout. 

I was actually in two minds about the photographs of his sagging body. It is clearly that of an old man, with plenty of sagging and not much sexy muscle, but I like that he seems to accept that it's OK to look his age. It also reminded me of my mum, who is now 87. Although she is not about to break any world swimming records, she remains active and alert. Her main exercise is nagging her children and eating, which she still does with a hearty appetite and some red wine. On my annual visits to see her and my brothers and sisters in Australia, food features heavily, and red wine. 

And now I've confessed to a fondness to two addictive drugs. Perhaps I should stop before you think that drugs run my life. 

I wonder whether Mr. Corones is also a regular recreational drug user? 

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My question

Do you agree with Mr. Corones on the importance of "technique and pacing"? How does this apply to your life? 

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Reference

• Swimmer, 99, 'breaks world record' in Australia. (2018, March 2). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-43251125

Getting into Unit 1 = Identity (B&S3, p7, Discussion point)

What we read 

Bixby and Scanlon introduce each unit with a discussion activity, that is, an opportunity for us to share our ideas on the topic of the unit in a way that relates it to our own lives, ideas and experiences. Unit 1 of book 3 (Bixby & Scanlon [=B&S3], 2013, p.7) does this. 

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My response 

The research solidly shows that brainstorming or discussion activities for groups are more effective if participants start by working individually (O'Connell, 2010; Markman, 2017). In fact, experts at Harvard University's School of Management and elsewhere are sure that this can be very effectively done using online tools (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2015). Blogging is one effective way to do this, which is the reason I've turned Bixby and Scanlon's discussion exercise into a quick blogging discussion. 

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Bixby and Scanlon's questions

In a comment, or two if you prefer, share your ideas on these three questions: 

1. What are five words that you would use to answer the question, "Who are you?" 
2. What are some of the social groups you belong to? 
3. In what ways are these groups important to you? 

For all of these, you should write full sentences. You will also need to write a few sentences for each of your ideas, giving explanation, examples and other details to clarify and develop your ideas. 

You can address the questions in any order. You can write one comment, or if you prefer, two comments, but not three. 

Open a new comment box and start writing. You have five (5) minutes.   

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References

• Bixby, J. & Scanlon, J. (2013). Skillful Reading & Writing, Student's Book 3. Oxford: Macmillan Education.
   
• Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2015, April 2). Why brainstorming works better online. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2015/04/why-brainstorming-works-better-online
   
• Markman, A. (2017, May 18). Your team is brainstorming all wrong. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2017/05/your-team-is-brainstorming-all-wrong
   
• O'Connell, A. (2010, February 4). Sometimes, it’s better to brainstorm alone. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2010/02/when-its-better-to-brainstorm 

Pao's academic interests

I have some academic interests.
The first is Economics. I think Economics is in everything in our life.
Demand and supply are everywhere.
The second is Sport Science. I watched Thai national football team plying their matches.
I saw that they have improved their performances from past to now and I think that because of Science. Good sport players need practice wisely. Hard work might not affect if it's in the wrong ways.
The last subject is Medical. We can have a good health by taking care of ourselves but we cannot have a long life without medical.

Sine's academic interests

I have several academic interests. First, Digital Marketing is another degree I am looking for and hesitating if I want to study for master degree. Second, Interaction Design is my most possible master degree, because it is very interesting to work with people or user experience. Third is Architecture, I have always had a dream of designing my own house or a beautiful building. Last is Visual Communication Design which I am studying right now. This degree is very enjoyable to study, We get to design various media in the most suitable and useful way. There are many media I have been working with For instance, application, video and publication.

Bank's academic interests

My academic interests are business, management and education because I want to know more about business and management which could support my own business and work in some companies. Moreover, I also interest in education field since I studied bachelor of education. I also want to support Thai education system in some ways by myself even though I am not work in this field such as support my friends who work as a teacher or a volunteer job.

POR's academic interests

I was a finance and banking for many year ago. I want to learn about Plan-o-gram system in the future. It's important of my job. This system can display product on a shelf for increase sales.  My company will sent me to learn it with supplier. I'm going to choose a Neilesen company because it had experience  about plan-o-gram and the world class would like to used them. 

Mon's academic interests

I study in economics because I like Mathermatic. But  another interesting is writing a novel book due to I really like to read novel book. I want to be author so when I have free time I will try to write the story and help my friend review mistakes.  My friend is the author, she writes the romance novel. I practice by myself but sometime my friend has free time she will help me. And my dream I want to be the famous writer same J.K.lowing.

New's academic interests

1. Finance and investment : It is because I really interest to know how to generate profit or increase your wealth by investing in other company rather than running your own business. Moreover, I have a dream to have a financial freedom which means you can do anything you want by doing nothing because you don't have any concerns about your income.

2. Foods, Restaurant : Although I have never learned about it before. I have just to start cooking for couple a moths because I have to prepare myself before going to aboard. It is very fascinating to know how to cooking and prepare it. It is rewarding to eat your own dishes.

3. Pets especially dogs and cats : I love to play with my pets.When I was a child, I was a dream to open dog farming. I love when I play with him and really happy to see him grown.

4.Foot ball manager : I hate to say I am not good at playing football but I love to watch it in TV. I also like to study the tactic of football manager and the way to keep football players fit.

Yok's academic interests

My different academic fields I have been interested in are management and textile.

It would be good if I can develop my managing skills due to I can adapt the relating knowledge to my work. For textile, with my favorite hobbies, sewing and embroidering, study of fabric and fibers in deep details provides me the understanding about different textiles and how to use them. However, now I focus on my work, it is my priority.

Ben's academic interests

My major in the undergraduate level is Economics. I finished my master's degree four years ago. Currently, I am interested in Finance and Coding. In my perspective, Finance is what we are using in our daily life. For example, everyone has to plan for the revenue and expense for each month and also invest in some financial assets when you have the rest of money. Moreover, we are in the globalization period and that means everything goes so fast and changed a lot. Computer is an essential tool that we use it for every single day. Therefore, coding is pretty important.In the United States especially in the west coast, there are a lot of start-ups that required people who have background in Coding. America is one of the developed countries in the world. If Thai people wish to change our country to be a developed country. We may need to imitate what the developed countries have been done.

Jane's academic interests

I am interesting in acute care nursing, especially cardiology. That is because during the critical time, well-decision should be made by healthcare provider in order to save patient's life. If they can through this stage, they will be likely to have more survival rate. From my perspective, this major at the university is not only studying about nursing but also science courses, such as Pharmacology and Pathology. Therefore, the critical thinking will create from the holistic care.

Moreover, I am interested in Pharmacology the most even though it is not the main subject because all chemistry formulas which are combined to create the drugs usually be reasonable, and can be proved by science. I also would like to study Pharmacy as my major.

Lek's academic interests

I am  accountant  . I want to work  online  in  English accounting  .  It is a freelance for my career. It means tutor on line.  So , I would like to improve in English skill  to work  and study too. My job responsibility is  i must can explain  to customers or clients ask me when have a problem in English.

Gaii's academic interests

I am a health system researcher. In my opinion, there are a few researcher in this area but this is very importance thing to improve our well being and that why I am interested in its.  There are many issues in the heath system composed of health financing, health system governance, health workforce, health service management, etc. My most interested topic is a health system governance which is how to manage and organize health system to be a quality and effective system and everyone can afford its.

Peter's academic interests

My first academic interest was biology, more specifically, botany. I didn't know what it was called when I was in primary school, but I grew up on a farm, and from an early age, I loved growing things, especially difficult things. One of my successes was a fig tree which I also practiced Japanese bonsai on. It is now grown large on my parents' farm.

Botany led to an interest in biology, and from the start of high school, I loved all of science. I spend my travel time reading science books. After biology, I wanted to know how cells worked, which led to chemistry. that was my fascination for a couple of years, but then I wondered how atoms and molecules worked, so naturally physics became my favourite. But all the time another interest was growing: mathematics. This was great because unlike physics, in mathematics, we proved things with 100% certainty forever. Pythagoras's theorem is absolutely true forever. And 2+2=4 absolutely and forever.

But are those things so certainly true? In my last years of high school, my maths and physics teacher, who was also a Catholic brother, introduced me to philosophy to challenge my thinking a bit more. That was a bit risky. He introduced me to a Christian philosopher, Soren Kierkagaard, but I quickly moved on to Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant and modern thinkers, which did not help my belief in the Christian god.

Mathematics and physics were what I started studying at university, but then switched to a philosophy major, with a couple of dead languages throw in for fun.

Today, philosophy is a continuing passion, but I also read a lot of history, economics and of course literature. Homer might be the best, but Jane Austen is also great. Even Dan Brown's rubbish when I want something silly to relax with.

Cold is not cool

What I read

According to "Europe severe weather: Death toll rises amid freeze", the unusually cold weather affecting Europe has not only closed airports, cut road and rail links, and disrupted other services, but has also killed at least 60 people from Poland to Britain, mainly "rough sleepers," who mistakenly think that alcohol will help them stay warm. 

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My response 

As I was enjoying my large, hot coffee this morning, the image on the BBC's homepage reminded me why I love living in Thailand, specifically in Bangkok. One reason is that it's never really cold here. It gets cool for a week or two around Christmas, but nothing like Sydney gets for months on end in winter. Cool is OK, even cool, but cold is just miserable. In Sydney's long winter, it's cold and often rainy. You have wear sweaters and coats, and glove and hats. And being cold it not nice. Of course, it does get hot in Bangkok, and I love my air conditioning, but hot is much more bearable for me than cold. When my air conditioner died last year and I was without it for a few days, I didn't die or even suffer too much. 

And then there is the inconvenience caused by seriously cold, snowy weather. When airports, roads and rail links are closed, and even medical services shut down, life is much harder. Bangkok, and even my home area of Silom, is occasionally affected by floods, but these are usually localised and pass relatively quickly. I think there has only been one day in the last few years when I've had to wade to work with my trousers rolled up, and annoying as that was, it was also kind of fun, at least to look back on afterwards. 

And as I was reading the article, I was again reminded that it is alcohol, not yaa baa or marijuana, that is the killer drug. No one has ever overdosed on marijuana, but people do die from alcohol overdoses, and the suppression of bodily functions it causes can combine with the cold to kill people, as it has the homeless of Europe over the past week. Alcohol also kills people in Thailand, but at least not by allying with deadly cold weather, except perhaps in northern provinces for a few days a year. I'm not about to give up my occasional glass of red wine with dinner, but it is a reminder that my own drug of choice is actually more dangerous than most other drugs that people use for fun. 

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My question

Do you like the weather in Bangkok? 

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Reference

• Europe severe weather: Death toll rises amid freeze. (2018, March 3). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43247205

Welcome to RW2A and to our class blog

What I read

Although I've read a lot in preparation for it, this post, the first of 2018, has a different purpose. I want to welcome you to your EAP class. 

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My response 

and welcome also to the resuscitated EAP class blog, which has been dormant for several months. Thank you for joining our Saturday class in Reading and Writing for academic purposes. I hope you find the next six weeks enjoyable and even a bit challenging. 

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My question

I hadn't planned on a question, but I guess I should follow my own template for our blogs. Perhaps it's worth asking you to write a comment on your previous experience or ideas on using online discussion boards. As you will see in our book, online discussion makes an appearance early on in Unit 1 (Bixby & Scanlon, 2013, p. 9) and there is a more extensive coverage of this common part of modern university courses on page 66, so I do have a question. 

Do you agree with Bixby and Scanlon? Is a class blog a useful addition to our class this term? (This is two sentences, but it's one question for you to respond to.) 

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Reference

• Bixby, J. & Scanlon, J. (2013). Skillful Reading & Writing, Student's Book 3. Oxford: Macmillan Education 

Critical thinking: Steinbeck v. Law v. Singer

What we read 
In his essay "Carving the Roast Beast", Stephen Law quotes from the philosopher Peter Singer, who is perhaps the most famous philosopher now working. In fact, reminding us that Socrates was sentenced to death by the law in democratic Athens, Singer received death threats from people who hated his ideas when he took up his post at Princeton University. 

Death threats? Yes. Even 2,400 years after the Athenian democracy killed Socrates according to the rule of law, philosophy can still be a dangerous business: some people hate critical thinking, sound reasoning and solid evidence, which signs of healthy education often tend to threaten traditional falsehoods, customs, myths, and prejudices, among other morally and factually bad beliefs inherited from our ancestors or elsewhere. 

Although Law uses Singer for support, Singer does not agree with Law that killing is always wrong. On the contrary, whilst agreeing with Law that speciesism is wrong, Singer makes a strong case that it is Law's first supporting reason in "Carving the Roast Beast" that is the one that provides a solid basis for good morals, with the speciesism argument reminding us that we cannot justly treat living things differently merely because they are different species. I agree with Singer, which is why I think that Law is wrong when he says that "It's morally wrong to eat meat" (2003, p. 1). 

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My questions for readers 

What do you think? 
Unlike our other critical thinking exercises, you might like to spend a little more time thinking about these questions before you write your comment or comments. (You might prefer to discuss the questions in separate comments.)

• Would Peter Singer approve of the shooting of Candy's dog? Would he agree with Steinbeck's presentation that George was right to kill Lennie?
  In other words, what does Law's first supporting reason say about the shooting of Lennie by George?
   
• Why might Singer's ideas about the basis of good morals have so upset some people that they wanted to kill Singer?
   
• And you? Do you agree more with Stephen Law or with Peter Singer?
   
• Finally, was George right to shoot Lennie? Why was it right or wrong?
  And if you think that George should not have shot Lennie, what should he have done instead in the situation? 

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References

• Law, S. (2003). Carving the roast beast. In The Xmas Files: The Philosophy of Christmas [Kindle Edition] (pp. 124 - 140). Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/
   
• Steinbeck, J. (2015). Of Mice and Men (Online edition prepared for AEP classes at AUA). Bangkok. Retrieved from https://1drv.ms/w/s!AvLRvG3dUEtbvXfk3Udqvmkiyi34

Critical Thinking: The Secret Garden (Bixby & Scanlon, 2013, p. 92)

What we read 
We have just read an excerpt from the 1911 novel The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. In this reading, you probably noticed that in the dialogue, the speech, Burnett uses apostrophes (') in much the same way that Steinbeck does in Of Mice and Men to help show the language of her character, specifically of Martha, the young maid. 

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Bixby and Scanlon's questions for readers 
We spent some time discussing important details in the first chapter of Steinbeck's novel and also inferring what the lives of the people might be like, Bixby and Scanlon's critical thinking questions for this reading have similar purposes. 

This process of making inferences continued in the essays on the characters introduced in chapter 2. Steinbeck, like most great novelists, does not usually tell us what his characters are like; rather, he shows them to us through the action and the dialogue. Weak writers like Dan Brown cannot to this: they are continually telling readers about their characters because they lack the skill to show them. 

• What could be making the crying sound? Give reasons to support your guess(es).
   
• What can you infer about daily life from the story? 

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Reference

• Bixby, J. & Scanlon, J. (2013). Skillful reading & writing: Student's book 3. Oxford: Macmillan Education 

Before we read (Bixby & Scanlon, 2013, p. 88)

What we read 
As usual, Bixby and Scanlon have a prereading question for us to think about before we read their chosen text. 

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Skillful's question to respond to 
When you were young, do you remember a place that was secret or mysterious or where you used to hide? Where was it? What did you do there? Did you play games, read, talk with a friend? (Bixby & Scanlon, 2013, p, 88)

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Reference

• Bixby, J. & Scanlon, J. (2013). Skillful reading & writing: Student's book 3. Oxford: Macmillan Education 

Critical thinking: Steinbeck v. Law

What we read 
In John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men, the action-packed chapter 3 includes the shooting of Candy's dog, clearly paralleling the coming events in chapter 6, which conclude the novel (2015). We have also read Steven Law's "Carving the Roast Beast" (2003), in which Law argues that eating meat is normally morally wrong, countering the likely opposing arguments with which he expects his meat-loving readers to come up. 

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My questions for readers 

What do you think? 

• Would Steven Law approve of the shooting of Candy's dog?
   
• And you? Do you agree with the novel that it was right to kill the dog? 

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References

• Law, S. (2003). Carving the roast beast. In The Xmas Files: The Philosophy of Christmas [Kindle Edition] (pp. 124 - 140). Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/
   
• Steinbeck, J. (2015). Of Mice and Men (Online edition prepared for AEP classes at AUA). Bangkok. Retrieved from https://1drv.ms/w/s!AvLRvG3dUEtbvXfk3Udqvmkiyi34