Wake Up Call on Ethics

Normative ethics is the attempt to provide a general theory that tells us how we ought to live. Unlike metaethics, normative ethics does not attempt to tell us what moral properties are, and unlike applied ethics, it does not attempt to tell us what specific things have those properties. Normative ethics just seeks to tell us how we can find out what things have what moral properties, to provide a framework for ethics.

Normative Ethics

For any act, there are three things that might be thought to be morally interesting: first, there is the agent, the person performing the act; second, there is the act itself; third, there are the consequences of the act. There are three types of normative ethical theory--virtue, deontological, and consequentialist--each emphasising one of these elements.

Virtue Ethics

This first normative ethical theory, virtue theory, concentrates on the moral character of the agent. According to virtue theory, we ought to possess certain character traits--courage, generosity, compassion, etc.--and these ought to be manifest in our actions. We therefore ought to act in ways that exhibit the virtues, even if that means doing what might generally be seen as bad or bringing about undesirable consequences.

Deontology

Normative theories of the second type, deontological theories, concentrate on the act being performed. According to deontological theories, certain types of act are intrinsically good or bad, i.e. good or bad in themselves. These acts ought or ought not to be performed, irrespective of the consequences.

Consequentialism

The third approach to normative ethics is consequentialism. Consequentialist theories hold that we ought always to act in the way that brings about the best consequences. It doesn’t matter what those acts are; the end justifies the means. All that matters for ethics is making the world a better place.

Application

To give an example, then, suppose that a man bravely intervenes to prevent a youth from being assaulted.

The virtue theorist will be most interested in the bravery that the man exhibits; this suggests that he has a good character. The deontologist will be more interested in what the man did; he stood up for someone in need of protection, and that kind of behaviour is intrinsically good. The consequentialist will care only about the consequences of the man’s actions; what he did was good, according to the consequentialist, because he prevented the youth from suffering injury.

What Are Facebook, Twitter, Youtube & Blogging All About?

Are you caught in the computing slow lane while everyone around you seems to be texting or posting things on Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube? Does "blogging" sound like somethign you'd do in the snow, or "podcasting" something coming from outer space? Don't worry, you're not alone. We're here to help get you up to speed. Social networks like Facebook, Twitter are online communities and they're fast becoming an everyday way for hundreds of millions of people to communicate and share information. I will help you set up your own Facebook, Twitter accounts and maneuver through them. You'll learn how to blog and podcast, and find out what makes Youtube so addictive. Discover ideas and methods for using these fun and fascinating sites to communicate with friends and business associates, including how to advertise your products or services and broaden your network of contacts. So come on in and join us!

Volunteer! It'll Pay You Back in Surprising Ways

We know: You’re busy, money-crunched and probably working more than ever. How can you possibly volunteer now? Because the payoff for you is huge. Consider: 63 percent of volunteers say giving back has positively affected their careers, one survey found. And another survey showed that more than 78 percent of professional women who volunteer say the experience helped them develop leadership and communication skills.

Volunteering may also make you healthier: Studies show that those who donate their time (less than an hour a week!) have lower incidences of heart disease and depression, plus longer life expectancies. And with this historic recession driving up rates of unemployment, hunger and homelessness, let’s face it: There’s more need now than ever for volunteers.

OK, you’re convinced. So how to find the time? Input your zip code and interests at volunteermatch.org for opportunities in your area. For the very busy check the “Virtual

Opportunities” box for ways to help from the comfort of your couch. “This offers the most flexible schedule and let’s you donate skills like building non-profit’s website or writing a business plan,” explains Robert Rosenthal, spokesman for volunteermatch.org.

“You gain experience, and they gain critical services they couldn’t otherwise afford.”

And it doesn’t have to be a multiyear commitment. Glamour features director Veronica Chambers took one hour to read poems to fifth graders at a school near her house during National Poetry Month. “You think, Oh, volunteering, I’m way to busy right now,’ she says. “But I loved feeling like I was part of my neighborhood.” Encouraged, she volunteered again with a teen journalism program. That time, “I met an editor who gave me one of the best jobs of my career.” Inspiring a future poet or community leader while getting ahead yourself? Not bad for less time than it takes to get your cut and color.

Find more ways to give back at glamour.com/about/glamourgives.

Glamour

Your World Around Networking Support

Words of Wisdom



By consciously choosing where to stand and what is good to hold onto, we create healthy support and harmony. We often take on characteristics of our environment. It is important to surround ourselves with what we wish to be or want to become, while remaining a unique and powerful individual.

Today We Transition From College

It's not about getting caught up in the details, it's about finding the right fit and the perserverance without giving up.

Most of us, when we become parents, rediscover what it means to truly love another person. Our children are born and then not a day goes by when we're not making sacrifices for them in all sorts of necessary, unplanned and sometimes even unpleasant ways. Most often we're only as happy as our least happy child. We tend to want for our children the opportunities we didn't have, whether that means dance and music lessons, theater classes or participation on sports teams that practice several days a week. And when our children succeed at something--at anything, really, but especially the things at which they want to succeed--we're filled with pride, and perhaps the sense that our parenting is "good enough" and that our children are fulfilling their potential.

So what happens when we must pack our children up and send them to college? The choices before them will be vast and very often incomprehensible. As parents, we want reassurance that we've prepared our children for this. We want to be certain that while we've encouraged our sons and daughters to achieve at school and work, we've also instilled in them the deeper understanding that happiness comes not from perfect grades, job titles- or salary figures. Health and well-being--indeed, success--comes from our quality of relationships and the support system found within a college setting.

It is that very passage that each college student takes with their support system around them. To chear them on, to provide a shoulder to lean on and to be there through it all. Yet, whether or not the college student knows it, the parents take a simliar path and are there every step of the way. Whether they choose to tell you a lot or a little, we learn something from the different experiences in our college student's life.

But what happens when the diploma is delivered and it is time to find your way into another chapter? Now is when we as parents and our graduate might seem to struggle a bit. The transition may be a bit bumpy for each of us.

Yet if our college student remembers their support system and includes us in that group, we must remember that our student is still finding their way. Only then may it be possible for the two of us to meet in the middle.

Use the time to be creative, try new things and find yourself. We are trying to figure out our role. With patience and a little bit of humility, we actually might end up on the right path.

So parents, listen up - it's not about getting caught up in the details, it's about finding the right fit and the perserverance without giving up.

Special People

APPRECIATION

What joy there is in recognizing with gratitude the intrinsic value in a situation, object, or person. This heightened awareness of something allows us a glimpse into another's divinity. Keep appreciating and it will become more than a glimpse.

CONTEMPLATION

Serenely, calmly reflect on where you have been and where you are going. There is a profound understanding within you, about you, which only you will know. Learn to trust yourself; ultimately, you know yourself the best.

FAITH

Knowing without proof, even if you do not understand or if circumstances contradict your belief - this is faith. Faith or deep conviction of your soul guides and protects you. Even if everything crumbles around you, your faith is like a rope which you can grasp onto and find your way to solid ground. Honor your faith. It is uniquely and personally yours.

LA Girl Secrets

LA Girl Secrets is launching in 2010 as the premier online location for information dedicated to Girls of all ages living in LA or interested in what goes on here in the city of angels.

At LA Girls Secrets, we believe that being a girl never has to end. Jamie JJG is the creator of the site. LA Girls Secrets serves as a resource, a virtual guidebook, and a hub for women around the world and even more importantly along the golden coast. As women, we are constantly evolving, growing and coming into our own. Under the umbrella company of LA Girl Secrets exists: Bride Girls LA, Party Girls LA, Spa Girls LA, LA Goddesses Reunite and Blog Girls LA. Each of these personalities serve as a resource for each transition we experience as women in our lives.

At LA Girl Secrets you can experience exactly what it means to be a girl in LA. Party Girls LA is an alternative resource about all fun and exciting things happening in the LA Scene. At Spa Girls LA we hold, honoring your inner beauty as much as your outer beauty, close to our hearts. We assist you in choosing your Spa choices. Bride Girls LA is a helpful tool for women when they reach this very special stage in their lives. Bride Girls contains information pertaining to weddings that will provide you with the essentials and pixie dust to make your dream wedding come true. For the career-oriented women out there, there is Blog Girls LA. This particular Girl Secret personality is a great resource for women who want to learn about how to represent their multifaceted personalities online. Finally, there is LA Goddesses Reunite, there exists a place where the essentials of femininity come together with acceptance, gratitude, and love.

In closing, LA Girl Secrets would like to share with you this, “There is nothing more beautiful, powerful, or free than a woman who truly loves herself!”

Relationships are Key in Love

Relationships are a key part of developing and cultivating an understanding and appreciation of love. Relationships contain a powerful energy that carries with it the ability to change lives. This project is born from a deep love and appreciations for the value of strong connections. It is from these connections between friends, family, and even strangers that we learn to grow and expand in many ways. As our world evolves as a global society, it is becoming clear that each of us has a contribution to make to our planet. By accepting the responsibility to make an impact, we acknowledge and honor our role in the universe. There is no shortcut to discovering our place, but here are many tools that can be used to access our talents and awaken our full potential. This journey is different for each person, but it begins in the same place, desire. This desire for change, growth, and a life full of love is the catalyst for this path of self-discovery. When a person can revel in this path and appreciate the journey, the secrets of life begin to unravel. It is like a whisper at first, beckoning into the unknown. The uncertainty that can sometimes be created by learning to follow your personal path might seem daunting. This is my response to the growing need for clarity and guidance. Too often we are programmed to react to circumstances, but it is how we respond, our responsibility that determines our success as an individual. My goal was to develop a resource, a virtual guidebook where those who hear their calling can find the clues they need to turn up the volume on their inner voice, and turn that whisper into a beautiful song

The Amazing Process

"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties, and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be." -Patanjali