The Shins-Girl Sailor (Paper #2)

The gutter may profess it's love
Then follow it with hesitation
For there are just so many of
You out there for rent

A stronger girl would shake this off in flight
And never give it more than a frowning hour
But you have let your heart decide
Loss has conquered you

You've won one too many fights
Wearing many hats every time
But you won't win here tonight

You made it through the direst of straits alright
Can you help it if plain love now seems less interesting?
You haven't changed an ounce in my eyes
And I cannot lecture you

And does anything I say seem relevant at all?
You've been at the helm since you were just five
While I cannot claim to be more than a passenger

But, you've won one too many fights
Wearing all of your clothes at the same time
Let the good times in tonight
Oh girl, sail her, don't sink her
This time

Just a moment or two from now
Not a mind will retain even a trace
Of the thoughts that I struggle to tell
And how our stack of cards just fell

So settle this once and for all
The light no longer shows the cracks around my door
And I have no lantern to light your way home tonight

You are not some saint who's above
Giving someone a stroll through the flowers
You've got so much more to dream of
Oh girl, sail her, don't sink her
This time
This time
This time.

The Shins are an Indie pop alternative rock band or something like that. They are originally from Albuquerque but now they reside in Portland. That’s not important, but what is, is their music and how incredible it is. Their songs have an upbeat bouncy sing along feel to them, with the occasional sad mellow song. They have been featured in many movies and tv shows such as, Scrubs and Garden State. They are also a very popular band not only in the states but in the UK, Europe and all over the world. Their song,"Girl Sailor," from the album, “Wincing the Night Away,” sets off a huge chain reaction of thoughts and memories in my head. The song, from what I can interpret, is about a guy and girl who have split up and they both know they will not get back together. The guy in the song is talking about how the girl seems more experienced than him with, “You’ve been at the helm since you were just 5." He also tells her to, "Oh girl, sail her, don't sink her," this statement could be referring to him telling her not to mess up anymore relationships or decisions in life. I guess it all depends on how you take it in.

Surprisingly even though I know the meaning of the song; it still makes me think of one thing, the relationship I am currently in, ironic aye? Yes I know it seems pretty weird but this song makes me think of my girlfriend who goes to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. This is where the song title,”Girl Sailor,” comes in to play. It is a simple metaphor, she is a girl and the Navy has ships which make her a girl sailor. It never fails, this song always makes me think of her, but hopefully we won’t end up like the couple in the song. This starts another mind jump too when I went snowboarding with her and friends, which was the first time I had seen her since school ended. I absolutely love snowboarding and I feel so relaxed just gliding down the mountain.



Yet again my thoughts skedaddle off and it reminds me of my trip to Argentina and when I went snowboarding in San Carlos De Bariloche, which in my opinion is the most gorgeous place on this earth. It also reminds me of how I left for Argentina the day after graduation and I didn’t get to see my friends and family for two months. This trip helps me recall talking to my current girlfriend, my, “Girl Sailor,” on my laptop in the lodge at the base of the mountain and actually I had been dating another girl at the time.



Well wouldn’t you know it, my trip makes me think of another memory, and it is about the day I flew back to the states. The first family members I had seen since my trip were my grandparents from New Jersey. I lived with them in my early childhood and I have stayed very close to them. Funny how this all works out, but they have a boat, a big one, a 40ft monster which we take on a cruise in the Chesapeake Bay every summer. I’ve been around boats all my life and I basically grew up on one. Obviously this also makes me think of the song, “Girl Sailor,” because of the boat and water. I have been all over the Delaware River and all around the Chesapeake Bay, including Annapolis. Annapolis of course is currently where my girlfriend goes to the Naval Academy. It is amazing how I have ventured to this city at least 20 times and I absolutely love it. It’s a small old historic town full of lively people. Who would have known that this city would have such a huge impact on my life? Like the ride at Disney World, I guess it is a small world after all. I think it is absolutely crazy how, The Shins, and their song, “Girl Sailor,” jumpstarts all of these emotional memories in my mind.

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Euthanasia (Paper #1)

Euthanasia Link

A very controversial issue in today’s society is Euthanasia, or ending the life of someone who is terminally ill or in a vegetative state in a painless way. "Kearl's Guide to the Sociology of Death:Moral Debates--Euthanasia," is a link from Bertrand Russell's essay, “Social Factors Shaping Perception and Decision-Making.” In Kearl's Guide it talks about euthanasia in today’s society and how everyone has a different perspective on how to end a life. This disagreement can be contributed to how people grow up and experience different events, which leads everyone to have dissimilar beliefs on a subject. The argument comes in to play because there are people who believe taking the life of a living person who is terminally ill or in a vegetative state violates their right to live. On the other side there are citizens that think if the person can no longer think for themselves, then others should make the decisions for them, such as ending their life. Euthanasia has a wide base of followers with each having their own personal beliefs due to their exposure to different social experiences throughout their lives. I am writing in response to this and showing how age, political affiliation, and religious views can shape ones thoughts.

Age plays a major role in how one feels on a certain issue. When we are little our parents control what we learn and their thoughts can be instilled into our brains. An example would be growing up in a strict conservative home and learning about religious values, which in most cases would make that person disagree with euthanasia. Age also comes into play when we are teenagers because we tend to act as our friends do. So if a “popular kid” thinks that euthanasia is wrong, then their clique of friends will follow. When we grow older we become easier to persuade because of the beating our bodies and minds take over the years. This leads people to tell false information to unsuspecting elderly citizens to change their beliefs. An example would be someone telling an older person that euthanasia is painful and most don’t know that it is actually a painless death. This would lead the elder person to disagree with euthanasia and they would continue to tell this lie to other unknowing friends. Age plays a huge roll in how we think and feel, and our beliefs fluctuate over the years of our lives.

Politics are a major factor in determining how we think. We associate ourselves with a group of the people who think alike, and we usually follow this party on every issue. The two major political parties in the U.S. are the Republicans and Democrats. Republicans tend to be an older crowd who want to keep good values and religious views in place. Democrats on the other hand are more open minded and want what is best for the people. Most Republicans are against the idea of euthanasia because it involves ending someone’s life, and this smacks heads with their values because human life is so important to them. The Democrats do not think the same way. They believe euthanasia should be legal for anyone because they believe it’s the persons or loved ones choice to decide whether they live or die. So depending on our political affiliation, it could cause us to act in different ways.

Religion, if you believe in it, probably has the strongest effect on our thoughts and actions. There are many types of religions, each having their own values and ways. One who is a member of the Christian society would tend to be against euthanasia because of their belief in the importance of life. The same would most likely go for any other religion that also follows the bible such as Catholicism, Methodists, Protestants and etc. On the other hand, one who does not believe in religion will most likely lean towards their own personal choice of whether to live or die. With religion it all comes down to what your beliefs are and it alone will determine your actions.

Different social experiences affect the human mind in diverse ways which leads to many disagreements on one subject. There is always bias when growing up, belonging to a political group and following a religion. This leads many to only get one side of the story and in most cases people fight with emotion and not knowledge. This contributes to the ongoing debate about Euthanasia and it will continue to be an argument for years to come. Life is too short to be angry all the time, so try to find the common threads that bring us together.