Karma: The Final Superstition Blog...Or Is It?

All good things must come to an end. It seems like just yesterday that all of us were scrambling around to find an empty seat with a computer that didn't have issue for that first day of English 112. Some of us had no idea what to expect; some of us just figured that this would be another boring English class where you read a piece of literature and write papers about them. Alas, a curveball entered into the pitch count [a baseball metaphor explaining how something was different from the normal]. "Professor Peluso [or Quinn, whatever you want to call yourself now!], first of all, you mean I don't have to call you Professor? Second, you are saying that this class does not have any required text to read, no papers to write, and no strict syllabus to follow? Lastly, you are telling me that this class will be all about internet blogging? This is madness!" All of these things immediately rushed into my brain housing group that first day. I must admit, I was a little nervous. I didn't know anything about internet blogging, let alone even know how to create my own.

Blogging for me has been enjoyable. Often times, I would catch myself feeling proud of a post that I just created or quickly jumping on the computer to see if anyone posted comments. Even though superstition is not the easiest of topics to choose from, I felt like I made it my own. Maybe I did not bring anything new to the table, but hopefully, I entertained or educated.

Karma is the belief that if something good is done for someone, then good will be reciprocated back on the doer. This class has done just that. By opening ourselves up for comments, critique, and suggestions from other students about our respected blogs, we ultimately became the benefiter of something better. Think about it; by leaving a positive comment on a classmate’s blog, you personally connected with that person and vise versa. Speaking for myself, if someone commented on one of my blogs, the next class that I saw that person, we made some kind of personal encounter, something that is hard to do in an eight week class.

Blogging in this class has expanded my knowledge of everything from drive shafts to Japan. I am glad that I had this chance to learn, share, and grow as a writer.

Response to some tough questions

Blogging is in deed interactive, so this is my chance to reply to some questions asked of me about superstitions.

My last post was about horoscope as a superstition. In case you didn't read my last post, I defined what a superstition was and compared it to a horoscope. I also touched on the attributes that my son possess as an Aries, the first sign of the zodiac. A couple of questions came of that post, and I will do my best to explain and answer those in this one.

Julie P asked, "So in the end, do you believe it's [horoscope] true when you consider your son?" Although your question is a simple one, it is a bit complicated to answer. I am not one of those people who checked yahoo.com everyday to see my horoscope, but I have been know to see glace at mine (Virgo), my wife's (Pieces), and now my son's (Aries). I guess what I am trying to say is that I do believe in them, but only to a certain degree. To me, I would have to compare a horoscope to a fortune cookie, broad and vague but one that will fit the bill of any occasion. My son is shaping up to be the typical Aries, energetic, a bit of a dare devil, and a leader (he is the only kid that I have even know to start children milestone [rolling over, crawling, etc] earlier than expected).

BloodSweat. Your question is even harder to answer. "In your opinion what is the difference between the definition of superstition and a organized religion?" When you asked what the difference between organized religion and superstition, I must admit, I had to look up "organized religion". In one of my earlier post, I stated that superstitions are deeply rooted in religion. In a way, I believe the two terms can be interchangeable. A religion can have superstitions, but not all superstitions are religious. Some are just cause and effect.

Another answer to your question would be that religion refers to a god or higher being where as superstitions do not all have that common ground. While a lot of superstitions deal with spirits [good and evil], some do not.

I consider myself a fairly superstitious person as well as a fairly religious person. Growing up, my mother instilled in me a strong since in God, Jesus, and his teaching. Growing up in a rural community deep in the piny woods of Texas, she also exposed us to a grocery list of superstitious acts. For instance, she would make us eat something green on New Years Day to bring money into the house, we always had a horse shoe over the front door for good luck, and heavy help you if you swept over someone's feet, hit someone with a broom, or stepped over one for that matter.

All in all, if you believe that something good or bad, positive or negative, something is right or wrong, then that is what you believe. Whether it is rooted in religion, tradition, or you just do it because that is all you know, then I say stick with it.

I had a western civilization class last semester, and my professor said numerous times that the Romans never really invented anything. When they conquered civilizations, they just assimilated the culture, customs, and religions of the conquered. If their civilization had 10 deities, and the Romans had 30, then the Romans would have 40. My point behind saying that is this: the more you believe, the merrier.

Aries

I want to pose a questions to the readers of this blog. The question is this: Do you think that believe in horoscopes and zodiac signs are considered superstitions? Well, lets look at the definition of the two words.

Superstition: 1 a: a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation b: an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition2: a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary. (Merriam-Webster)

Horoscope: 1 : a diagram of the relative positions of planets and signs of the zodiac at a specific time (as at one's birth) for use by astrologers in inferring individual character and personality traits and in foretelling events of a person's life 2 : an astrological forecast. (Merriam-Webster)

To me, the key words that stand out in the definition of horoscope is,"foretelling events of a person's life", while the big ticket in the superstition definition is, "fear of the unknown". So, I iffer is that if you fear what you don't know, then checking out your daily horoscope can be form of superstition. Makes sense right?

Whether it is in the back of a magazine, or next to the Sudoku puzzle in the paper, I bet everyone has glanced at their daily horoscope once or twice in their life. Some people check their daily horoscope before they go to work or school just to keep themselves sharp on what to expect for the day. Others use it to check the compatability of their siginificant other, or even to predict their child's personality.

I am not one to really believe in horoscopes, but I got to thinking about my eight month old son today. He was born on April 7, 2008, which makes him an Aries.

Arians are usually very energetic, daring, adventureious, confident, quick on their feet, passionate and friendly. On the other side of the pillow, Arians tend to be self centered, quick tempered, hasty to action, "me first" attitude, and naivé at times.

My son is definitely a square peg for a square hole. Highly energetic, attentive, adventurous, and self motivated, Quinten already posseses several of the Aries stong points. Being that his skin is the color of cappuccino, his eyes change like the leaves of autum, and his hair grows like rip curls of the ocean, I know he is going to be the monkey that stops the show [From the expression, "One monkey doesn't stop the show"]. I guess we will have to see him grow up to find out if the bad attributes of the Arian will come out!

Works Cited:

"horoscope." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008.
Merriam-Webster Online. 2 December 2008http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horoscope

"superstition." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008.
Merriam-Webster Online. 2 December 2008

Give Me A Break

"About 46 million turkeys will be eaten on Thanksgiving Day," said Sherrie Rosen Blatt, spokeswoman for the National Turkey Federation(Fredrix).

As Thanksgiving nears an end, I hope that all of you had a happy Turkey Day. The intent of this blog is to enlighten you on a couple of well known superstitions about Thanksgiving.

Probably the biggest Thanksgiving tradition is pulling the wishbone. The superstition goes that two people hold the wishbone of the turkey with two fingers and pull. Whoever gets the larger end of the bone will have their wish granted.

Ok, where is the wishbone locate? The wishbone, also called the Merrythought, can be found in the front of a breastbone of foul such as ducks, chicken and turkey. It is a "forked bone...consisting chiefly of the two clavicles fused at their median or lower end (Merriam-Webster)."

Here is how it works. Once the turkey has been cooked to perfection, sliced and diced to dine, and the remains discarded, one should set the wishbone out to dry. Once dried, two people grab the ends of the bone at it's lowest point with two fingers. They both pull in opposite directions until the bone breaks. Whoever gets the larger end of the bone will have their wish granted. The winner is not to tell anyone what he/she wished for, or else it will not come true.

According to Jane Marie, this tradition dates back 2,400 years during the times of the Etruscans. These Italian dwellers believed that fowl were fortune tellers and sacred. They would set the bone out to dry, and anyone was allowed to come stroke the bone and make a wish, giving it its nickname. Once the Romans conquered the Etruscans, they assimiliated this custom of good fortune. Unlike the Etruscans, the Romans would fight over the bone, often times breaking it.

It is said that the phrases "I need a lucky break" or "I never get a break" come from being the loser in this tug of bone contest. The English heard of this superstition from the Romans and called their wishbones merrythoughts after the merry or happy wishes that most people desired. When the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock in the New World, they brought along the custom of breaking the wishbone. When they discovered the northeastern woods of North America were filled with turkeys, they changed their custom from the chicken bone to the turkey bone (Marie)."

Just some "food" for thought!

So, if you haven't already thrown away your turkey, here are a couple of ways that you can win the wishbone pull. Again, Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Christmas is only 28 days away.

Works Cited:

Fredrix, Emily. "Consumers to win '08 wishbone pull." Denver Post 14 Nov 2008 27 Nov 2008 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_10989420.

Maria, Jane. "Wishing on a Wishbone." greenlightwrite.com. 2008. 27 Nov 2008 http://www.greenlightwrite.com/wishbone.htm.

"wishbone." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008.
Merriam-Webster Online. 27 November 2008

Haka!!!

Superstitions tend to be along the line of, "If something is done, then something else will happen." For instance, if I break a mirror, I will have seven years of bad luck. I guess this is true for the most part, but some superstitions are just rituals, customs, or something traditional that generations to follow will continue to carry on. An example of this is the Haka, the Maori dance that originated in New Zealand.

Alan Armstrong, author of Maori Games and Haka, defines the Haka as:

"A composition played by many instruments. Hands, feet, legs, body, voice,tongue, and eyes all play their part in blending together to convey in their fullness the challenge, welcome, exultation, defiance or contempt of the words.

In football, it is not uncommon to see the team come together before the game, huddle around each other, and hype themselves up to prepare for a big game. The University of Hawaii took this tradition to a whole new level. In keeping with the Polynesian sprite, the Warriors began preforming the Ka Mata, the Maori war chant. "[Maori] Warriors used the Ka Mate to prepare for a battle. To focus their strength. To proclaim their powers, To celebrate the triumph of life over death, but mostly to challenge and intimidate the opponent."

Being that college football can be "war on turf", it was only fitting that Hawaii would use this chant. During the 2006 football season, two UH Warriors, Tala Esera and Leonard Peters wanted to do something memorable for their senior year. According to Steve Uyehara reporting for KGMB, Esera asked his cousin from New Zealand for ideas, and he taught them this Haka that was orginally written for New Zealand's Rugby team.

During the Ka Mata, the leader will try to hype up the member by yelling a series of commands. He will tell the members to "Slap the hands against the thighs!Puff out the chest!Bend the knees!Let the hip follow!Stamp the feet as hard as you can!" Next, the leader and members will recite these words: "

Leader: Ringa pakia! Uma tiraha! Turi whatia! Hope whai ake! Waewae takahia kia kino!
Leader: Ka mate, ka mateTeam: Ka ora, ka oraLeader: Ka mate, ka mateTeam: Ka ora, ka ora
All together :Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuruNāna nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te rāĀ upane, ka upaneĀ upane, ka upaneWhiti te rā, hī!

Translation:

Leader: ’Tis death, ‘tis death (or: I may die) Team: ’Tis life, ‘tis life (or: I may live) Leader: ’Tis death, ‘tis death Team: ’Tis life, ‘tis life All together :This the hairy man that stands here……who brought the sun and caused it to shine. A step upward, another step upward. A step upward, another step upward. The sun shines! It is death, it is death: it is life, it is life; this is the man who enabled me to live as I climb up step by step toward sunlight."

The story has it that a Maori chief fled from an angrey neighboring tribe and hid in a kumara (sweet potatoe) pit. When the rivial tribe came looking for the cheif, a woman from an allied tribe sat over the pit. "In Maori legend, female sexuality is very potient..." The hairy man mentioned is said to be in reference to the cheif of the allied tribe, and others say it is a tribute to the woman who exposed her pubic hair over the pit.

As I mentioned earlier, this is not really a superstition, but more of a ritual. The All Blacks Rugby team believes that don't think so. Since Wayne "Buck" Shelford got the All Blacks to preform the war dance the way it was intended to be preformed in 1985, his team was unstoppable in the '87 Inaugural Rugby World Cup! Check out this comercial which shows how the Ka Mata transforms the All Blacks Rugby team into Maori warriors!

Possible topics to come.

I seem to be in a small rut right now on where to take my blog next, so I just simply jotted down a few that I was thinking about doing. If you have any more superstitions that you would like to know about or have any questions, feel free to comment. I will do the research for you and answer your questions or comments as best as I can.

Sports superstitions
OCD vs. Ritual
Wedding Do's and Don'ts
Death superstitions
Phobia of Friday
Where do they come from?
What superstitions do I believe in?
Who, what, when, where, why, how?
Horoscope
Fear and superstition
Superstitions from around the globe
"Break a Leg: Superstition in Theater"
Predicting the Weather
What to do on New Years
Feng Shui:
Breaking down the Placebo Effect
...

“Now that you bought the cow, Toby, you can get all the milk you want.”

This post originally started off as an entry explaining about wedding traditions and superstitions. It was going to be about the usual stuff that we probably have all heard or experienced: something old and something new for brides, the couple will have bad luck in their marriage if the groom sees the bride before the ceremony, the next single lady to snag the bouquet will be the next to get married, etc.

As a kid had, I had only attended one or two weddings. I don't know if it was because my twin brother and I were just too young and would be a hassle or people around my way just didn't get married, but I had always heard of unique tradition among African Americans. It was called "Jumping the Broom". I just assumed it was a cliché for marriage much like "Getting the Ball and Chain" or "Tying the Knot". It wasn't until I was old enough to comprehend what marriage was that I realized that Jumping the Broom is an actual tradition practiced by many people through out the world.

The first time that I ever saw this custom preformed was in the mini-series based on the book by Alex Haley called Roots. Watch. (clip begins at 5:55-6:55)

"It's original purpose and significance has been lost over the years because of the association with slavery." The tradition originated in the African American community during the times of slavery. Slave couples were not legally permitted to wed, so "Jumping the Broom" was a symbol of holy matrimony. "During slavery, our ancestors sought the legitimacy of marriage by jumping over the broom and into the bonds of domesticity. For our ancestors, this small ritual was a legal and bonding act connecting them with the heritage of the home land and giving legitimacy, dignity and strength to their unions. In there eyes this union was now sanctioned by 'the almighty'."

Jumping the broom is a symbol of a man and woman to start their new lives together. There are other superstitions involved brooms too. My mother always told me not to step over a broom lying down because it was bad luck. If a woman did this, she would be a mother before a wife. I was always taught to never hit someone with a broom handle. Through some research, I found an old African superstition explaining it. They believed that if a man was hit by a broom handle, unless he knocked on the handle several times, he would be impotent! Needless to say, I never hit my brothers, or anyone for that nature, with a broom. The superstition of Jumping the Broom still lives on today despite it's close ties to slavery. I now pronounce you Man and Wife. You may jump the broom!

Is 13 Too Many?

Have you ever gotten into an elevator of a high rise building and noticed that there was no button for the 13th floor? Have you ever been looking for your seat on an airplane and noticed that normal sequence of numbers from 1-24 are missing a certain number? Have you ever wondered why some cities do not have a 13th street, ave, or blvd? Is this just an awful coincidence or is something really up? It is called Triskaidekaphobia, or the fear of the number 13.

"Thomas Fernsler, an associate policy scientist in the Mathematics and Science Education Resource Center at the University of Delaware in Newark, said the number 13 suffers because of its position after 12." (Roach)

The number 12 to most numerologists is said to be a lucky number for several religious, mythological, and legislative reasons. In the Hebrew bible, Jesus Christ appointed 12 apostles to be by his side, spread the gospel (good news) of his death and resurrection, and continue his teachings. "God promises to give the Holy Land to the descendants of Abraham (see Genesis 12-50..." (Just). Abraham's son was Isaac, Isaac's son was Jacob (who later changed his name to Israel), and Jacob's twelve children are said to be the ones who were given the Holy Land. The Heavenly City, which is spoke about in Revelations 21: 10-21, "The city has twelve gates with the names of the twelve tribes on them. Twelve angels stand at the gates, the walls have twelve foundations garnished with twelve precious stones, and in them the names of the twelve apostles. The city is twelve thousand furlongs square, and the twelve gates are twelve pearls." (Harris) Greek and Roman mythology tells of 12 gods of Olympus and 12 labors of Hercules...(Roach) Just keep these things in mind too: 12 hours on a clock, 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, and 12 in a bakers dozen. Ummm doughnuts!!!

So, what's the big deal with 13? "Adding anything to that which is already perfect [the number 12] can only make it imperfect, mar it, corrupt it." (Harris) Dinners and meetings seem to play a large role in why 13 is a bad number. The superstition goes that if you have a dinner party with 13 guests, the first person to rise from the table will be the first to die. Christians believe that there were 13 people present at the Last Supper. Jesus and his 12 disciples all sat down the night before his trial and crucifixion to break bread, drink wine and celebrate Passover. "Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest to the Last Supper." (Roach) He also was the first to die after he realized what a terrible mistake he made! It is interesting to know too that the Norse also have a similar story. "...a Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla, their heaven. In walked the uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous Loki. Once there, Loki arranged for Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. ... From that moment on, the number 13 has been considered ominous and foreboding. " (Roach) A normal number for a covenant of witches was 12, however, the 13th was considered to be the devil! (Sounds like Bobby Boucher's momma from The Waterboy!)



Workes Cited:
Harris, Andrew. "Bible Numeric." 07 Apr 2002. 13 Nov 2008 .
Just, Felix. "An Overview of Israelite and Jewish History ." Catholic Resources for Bible, Liturgy, Art, and Theology. 15 Dec 2007. 13 Nov 2008 .
Roach, John. "Friday the 13th Phobia Rooted in Ancient History." National Geographic News. 12 Aug 2004. 13 Nov 2008 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/02/0212_040212_friday13.html.

Apricots, Charms, and Women=Bad Ju-Ju

For all of you that are interested in my blog about superstition, please be patient with me for a minute. I want to touch on something near and dear to my heart. In case you did not know, Veterans Day is upon us. As we enter into the holiday season, I would like to take time out to remember those veterans who have served their country before me. Earlier today, I was talking to a window salesman. He asked me general questions about my occupation in the Marines, if I enjoyed being in the Corps, and if I planned to make a career of it. Later, he added that he was prior military, serving four years in the US Army and serving in Vietnam. It seemed a little odd that he thanked me several times for my service, but really, I owed him all the thanks. It doesn't matter if you did four years as a administration clerk in Camp Pendleton or forty years kicking down door in Fallujiah, marching in sub freezing condition in Korea, or calling in air strikes in Vietnam, a veteran is a veteran! I ask that if you know a service member, enlisted or officer, active or in the reserves, take the time to thank them for their self-less acts of patriotism. Please enjoy this clip and remember that our country is a remarkable place due to the sacrifice of brave men and women who put their lives on the line everyday for the freedoms we enjoy today!

Being that we are talking about the military, particular the United States Marines, I thought that it would be fitting to explore some of the superstitions we Jarheads engage in. By the way, Happy 233rd birthday Marines!

Again, I will refer to earlier post about how the word "superstition" is generally linked with other words such as, "omens, myths, beliefs, customs, traditions, and even religion." From the first day of Recruit Training, Marines have countless customs,courtesies, values, and ethics that are embedded into not only their mind, but their lifestyles. Marines are no different than civilians when it comes to believing in superstitions. Some, like most superstitions, are less common or prevalent throughout this small organization, and others are practiced even by the most junior Devil Dog.

Being that Marine are considered "Soldiers of the Sea", we have adapted many maritime superstitions. Sea travelers have been and still are some of the most superstitious people in history. One myth is that women possessed the power to anger the sea gods or had special abilities to cause storms by whistling, however, this superstition is a double edged sword. While some believed that having a woman on board was a sure fire way to have a storm destroy the ship and all of it's crew, others say that if the woman bares her naked body to the storm, all will be saved. Still, most navigators in ancient times tended not to even have women aboard. This probably explains why figureheads on ships were women with breast-a-blazin'! I found it highly ironic too that the names of most vessels are those of women!

Ancient mythology tells of how Greek figures such as Jason, the Argonauts, and Odyssesus encountered exotic winged women called Sirens. These lustful creatures would lure ship captains into the rocks of their island by singing beautiful songs. In the case of Odyssesus, he had his men tie him to the mast while the crew plugged their ears with bees wax. Jason escaped death by having Orpheus play his lyre louder than the Siren's voices.

Ok, back to reality. Before the times of equal opportunity and sexual harassment, ships were crewed by all males. Sailors would, and still do, pull into port looking for "Wine, Women, and Song". Ships are out to sea for long periods of time, and during the time of nature powered navigation, i.e. wind, sails, and good old fashion manpower, distractions would cause even the most disciplined of crews to neglect their assignment. Women brought that distraction to the table. It is a good thing that human intellect has developed, or otherwise ladies would still be used as human sacrifices!

Commonly confused for the "21 Gun Salute", graveside honors for fallen service members began as "cease fire" commands for the two fighting sides. Seven riflemen, as seen in the above picture, would fire three times to resume the fight after the battlefield was cleared of the dead. "This custom may well have originated in a perceived need to scare away evil spirits "escaping" from the dead. As in ancient times, it was believed that the hearts of the recently deceased were ajar at such times, allowing the devil to enter!" Today, it is considered one of the highest forms of tribute for dedicated service. The number seven and it's multiples are considered to be lucky number in naval superstitions. Maybe it is very fitting that all of Marines trousers (pants) have seven belt loops! "The 21-gun salute traces its roots to the Anglo-Saxon empire, when seven guns constituted a recognized naval salute, as most naval vessels had seven guns. Because gunpowder in those days could be more easily stored on land than at sea, guns on land could fire three rounds for every one that could be fired by a ship at sea. Later, as gunpowder and storage methods improved, salutes at sea also began using 21 guns. The United States at first used one round for each state, attaining the 21-gun salute by 1818. The nation reduced its salute to 21 guns in 1841, and formally adopted the 21-gun salute at the suggestion of the British in 1875."

Perhaps the biggest superstition of Marines comes from tracked vehicle [Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) and Tanks] units. "There are several stories which explain this superstition for each service, but one popular Marine Corps version details that maintenance units claim every Sherman tank that broke down in World War II had canned-ration apricots nearby. Tales are told to this day of tanks breaking down once this piece of fruit found its way on board."

Other superstitions include tapping a full rifle magazine on one's helmet for good luck, caring rank insignia for the next promotable rank in ones cover (military hat), ill luck to the person who lites 3 cigarettes on one match, bad luck to the unit who's flag touches the ground, Charms candy bringing rain during field exercises, and the destruction of Jump Wings if touched by anyone beside the owner.

I could go on and on breaking down these superstitions, but if you want to know more about them, just leave me a comment. Again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEATHERNECKS!!

Control Your Life, Overcome Your Superstition

Gentlemen, correct me if I am wrong, but it is not very often you are gazing the magazines and newspapers looking at your daily horoscopes. On your wedding day, you probably did not have “something old, new, borrowed, blue” etc. And unless you are that “guy” in Oregon that had a baby, I am pretty sure that you were not dangling a wedding ring over your belly trying to determine the sex of your unborn child!

In an earlier post, I stated that women are more superstitious than men and superstition intertwine with religion, but the question being asked today is, "Why?" Why is it that women tend to lean more on chance and fate rather than individual actions? The answer may be all in your head, literally.

“The desire to combat uncertainty and maintain control has long been considered a primary and fundamental motivating force in human life and one of the most important variables governing psychological well-being and physical health (Galinsky and Whilson.” The concept of Locus of Control was created by Julian Rotter in the 1950’s. Rotter, former president of the American Psychological Association's divisions of Social and Personality Psychology and Clinical Psychology and winner of the American Psychological Association's Distinguished Scientific Contribution award, developed the concept that “[An] individual believes that his/her behavior is guided by his/her personal decisions and efforts (Internal), or [an] individual believes that his/her behavior is guided by fate, luck, or other external circumstances (External) (Neill). “People with a strong internal locus of control believe that the responsibility for whether or not they get reinforced ultimately lies with themselves. Internals believe that success or failure is due to their own efforts. In contrast, externals believe that the reinforcers in life are controlled by luck, chance, or powerful others. Therefore, they see little impact of their own efforts on the amount of reinforcement they receive (Mearns).” Generally speaking, it may be more beneficial to you to be more of an internal believer than external, but there should be some balance between the two.

Females are usually more externally focused. Simultaneously, women tend to me more religious than men as well. Sociologist Rodney Stark believes that there is a biological reasoning behind this hypothesis. By closely studying behaviors of men and women in criminology, Stark concluded that men are more inclined to engage in higher risk activity due to elevated levels of hormones naturally produced by the human male. “If women are more likely to avoid risk-taking, they naturally would be more likely than men not to take chances on the hereafter", Stark reasoned (Wingfield). He pointed to the famous philosophical tool known as Pascal's Wager, which says believing in God is the most logical option available, because even if God doesn't exist and doesn't promise eternal life, the believer loses nothing in the end. But if a person gambles on the belief that God does not exist, there's much more to lose if in fact it turns out God does exist (Wingfield).”

So, how do you know if you are an internal or external believer? The Rotter I-E scale “comprises some 29 items, 23 of which are designed to assess the respondents’ locus of control beliefs… Respondents are required to complete the questionnaire by choosing from a series of two alternatives, the statements that more closely reflect their own beliefs. …The scale is scored by simply totaling the number of externally worded items so endorsed. Thus the higher the score, the more external the respondent, and vise versa (Hodgkinson). If you have the time, take the test. Be sure to read the article relating to your score and how it can help your life. Also, don't forget to come back to my blog vote on your score.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_90.htm

"Men would never be superstitious, if they could govern all their circumstances by set rules, or if they were always favored by fortune: but being frequently driven into straits where rules are useless, and being often kept fluc­tuating pitiably between hope and fear by the uncertainty of fortune's greedily coveted favors, they are con­sequently, for the most part, very prone to credulity (Jahoda)."

Works Cited:
Galinsky, Adam and Whilson, Jennifer. "Lacking Control Increases Illusory Pattern Perception." Science 3 11 Oct. 2008: 115-117.

Hodgkinson , Gerard. "Development and Validation of the Strategic Locus of Control Scale ." Strategic Management Journal 13(1992): 311-317.

Jahoda, Gustav. The Psychology of Superstition. London: Allen Lane, 1969.

Mearns, Jack. "The Social Learning Theory of Julian B. Rotter." 6 Nov 2008 .

Neill, James. "What is Locus of Control?." 06 Dec 2006. 6 Nov 2008 . http://wilderdom.com/psychology/loc/LocusOfControlWhatIs.html


Wingfield, Mark. "Can biology explain why women are more religious than men?." Baptist Standard 06 Nov 2000 6 Nov 2008 . http://www.baptiststandard.com/2000/11_6/pages/biology.html

If it was not for bad luck, I would not have luck at all.

Being that I have had a rash of "bad luck", I decided to explore some of the so called "good luck charms."

In my quest to find good luck charms, I came across several superstitions about wishes. It is believed that if one wishes on a penny and throws it into a fountain, that their wish will come true. A falling star is not something most people see on a regular basis, so it is believed that if you see a falling star and wish on it, that wish will come true. On the grounds of wishes, what about wishing on any star? "Star light, star bright. First star I see tonight. I wish I may I wish I might. Grant this wish I wish tonight." What about wishing on your birthday cake candles?

Bringing luck to oneself could be as simple as finding something. It is believed that finding a horse shoe will bring a person good luck. My entire family has always placed a horse shoe or two above the doorway of a house. I asked my mother what it meant, and she told me that it was for good luck. Most people who believe in this superstition believe that the shoes should be placed facing upward so that the luck will not run out. The next time you find yourself walking through a field or pasture to find that horse shoe, pay close attention to the grass. You may find a four leaf clover. Three of the leaves is said to represent the Holy Trinity in some Irish beliefs. In others, the four cloves represent hope, faith, love, and luck, which the finder of one will have good luck in all of these areas. If you happen to walking in that same pasture looking for horseshoe and four leaf clovers, look for acorns. The superstition behind this is that an acorn carried in your pocket will bring good luck and long life. When you get home from your excursion in the pasture, take the acorn and put it in your window. This is believed to keep lightning away. If you find a cricket in your home, don't kill it! Little Jiminy may just bring some good fortune!

Who would have thought that locking lips with someone at a certain time would usher in good luck? Kissing under mistletoe is a common practice during the Christmas holidays. According to David Beaulieu, one of the guides to landscaping for About.com, mistletoe "was also the plant of peace in Scandinavian antiquity. If enemies met by chance beneath it in a forest, they laid down their arms and maintained a truce until the next day." Beaulieu also tells of the Norse myth of their most beloved god Balder, and how the mistletoe became a symbol for kissing.

“The Norse god Balder was the best loved of all the gods. His mother was Frigga, goddess of love and beauty. She loved her son so much that she wanted to make sure no harm would come to him. So she went through the world, securing promises from everything that sprang from the four elements--fire, water, air, and earth--that they would not harm her beloved Balder.
Leave it to Loki, a sly, evil spirit, to find the loophole. The loophole was mistletoe. He made an arrow from its wood. To make the prank even nastier, he took the arrow to Hoder, Balder's brother, who was blind. Guiding Holder's hand, Loki directed the arrow at Balder's heart, and he fell dead. Frigga's tears became the mistletoe's white berries. In the version of the story with a happy ending, Balder is restored to life, and Frigga is so grateful that she reverses the reputation of the offending plant--making it a symbol of love and promising to bestow a kiss upon anyone who passes under it (Beaulieu).”

Even though I have outlined a few of the many lucky superstitions, I feel like I must throw out this disclosure for all of you highly superstitious believers. Remember, luck is a two sided coin. If you practice any of these superstitions, you may want to get the entire facts so that you do not violate the “good luck” factors. It’s like the third law of Sir Isaac Newton, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. What you do with your lucky charm may not be the problem, but rather what you don’t do. Think about it!



Works Cited:

Beaulieu, David. “Norse Myths and the History of Mistletoe.” About.com: Landscaping. 2008. New York Time Company. 30 Oct. 2008

What is superstition?

What is superstition? Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines it as,"1 a: a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation. b: an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition 2: a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary1." Since the dawn of mankind, humans have strived to find one's purpose in life and rationalize common phenomena’s in life and nature.


As I think of the word "superstition", a few words come to mind: omens, myths, beliefs, customs, traditions, and even religion. In ancient Egypt, the bodies of important people were mummifies. As part of their religious beliefs, their organs were removed and stored in Canopic Jars. In ancient Greece, the custom of hospitality was greatly practiced because it was believed that gods adopted human forms and interacted with the people.

There is a good chance that just about everyone you know, and probably you too, practices some sort of superstition of some sort. A sports athlete who never changes his "lucky pair of socks", a health conscious phonetic who eats "an apple a day to keep the doctor away", even the math wiz kid who uses the same pencil during each flawless exam taken are all examples of superstitions.

Superstition, like most human behavior, can be explained psychologically and medically. Most have simply just been passed through the generations. Studies have shown that men are typically less superstitious than woman, as well as younger people tend to be more superstitious than the old. What do you think? My intent in these next few blogs is to dig a little deeper into the root of superstation and try to understand the orgins, beliefs, and backgrounds of some of the most common superstations we all typically practice or know.



Works sited:
"superstition." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008.
Merriam-Webster Online. 28 October 2008

Here I am!

My name is Federick Brooks, but to friends, I am know simply as "Fed". As a common misconception, most people want to call me "Frederick", so to correct the mispronunciation of my beautiful God given name, I just "KISS" (Keep It Simple Stupid/Silly). This is my first attempt at blogging, so bear with me, or just don't read it. Here is a quick down and dirty about me: I was born in Texas, two older siblings, twin brother, five younger siblings, married, one kid, and living life.

Allow me to eloborate on my family situation. My mother had four kids, my father had seven. My twin brother and I are the youngest of my mom's, but the oldest of my dads. In September, I just celibrated my two year wedding anniversay. My wife and son are the most precious things in the world to me.

Currently, I am serving in the United States Marine Corps, stationed at Quantico, VA. Virginia is cool, but not home to me. I don't really have a lot of hobbies, but being that I am very competitive, I am a sports nut.

As I previously mentioned, this is my first blog. It's for my English 112 class. Feel free to comment, critique, critize, etc. Believe me, I have thick skin, and an even smarter mouth.