Only When He

Have you ever noticed that certain people are only attractive in certain situations and that others could be doing anything and still be hot? Depending on how we experience attraction we might only be attracted to certain individuals under very specific circumstances. For instance, many people find particular actors attractive when they play certain roles, but are not attracted to the actors themselves. Try and make a list of three people, consisting of one of each of the following:

1) Someone who is always attractive.
2) Someone who is only contextually hot.
3) Someone who is usually attractive and made contextually unappealing.

Once you have this list, compare and contrast the differences between the three. Also, if specific instances don't come to mind, consider delving into broader archetypes of people (e.g., firemen, nurses, teachers). Do you find various stereotypes surfacing in your wants? If so, to what degree would you say the attraction is based on how you were socialized while growing up? How similar or dissimilar are your entries? In the sense of context, give ample consideration to what is erotic and what is definitely a turn-off. Make sure to weigh your own general sense of contextual eroticism and how much of a factor it is when forming the list.

Defrost on High

Combinations of modern medicine and science have potentially brought us the gift of receiving treatment for our terminal illnesses in the future. The proposed solution is that we essentially let people "die" today and then cryogenically preserve their body so that we may resuscitate them at an unknown point in the future when medicine is capable of correcting their ailments. Do you agree with long term cryogenic preservation, and if so, why or why not? Though no successful attempts have been made to restore one of these individuals, it is largely guess work at this point. Would you allow a loved one to undergo cryostasis if they requested it? If so, what if the treatment was only available through the usage of this individual's entire life insurance plan? Furthermore, consider the psychological shock imposed on an individual that is now potentially hundreds of years out of context. Your education is primarily useless and you would have no understanding of the pop culture of when you are restored (consider someone from the 17th century attempting to browse the Internet). It may not even be on Earth. How substantially would that alter the remainder of your life, and does that psychological shock still seem worth it for the chance to artificially extend your life? Discuss the potential outcomes and pitfalls of a world where indeterminate medical preservation is possible. Be sure to state your assumptions.

Slut Pride

Margaret Cho has often self-identified as being a slut, and generally asking where her parade is going to be held. Though slut is a term we hear often, it can mean several different things depending upon context. For some of us, myself included, it can be a term of endearment. However, it is also potentially a firebrand used by others to indicate disapproval of promiscuity. From your own perspective, is "slut" a term that you identify with or aspire to, or is it a term that you would find highly offensive if directed toward you? If you do identify with it do you consider it a point of strength, or a vice you have simply been caught with? For those that find it offensive please elaborate and provide a context for why it is used negatively or why it indicates something you would never want to be identified with. Consider social implications, long term personal goals, experiences, and sexual wants. Also, identify your criteria for using the term and what constitutes a person being a slut versus not being a slot. Are these fairly black and white criteria, or do they provide a full gradient of grays with blurred boundaries and exceptions? Lastly, does the context (or the answers to) of the previous questions change if we add the Spring Break effect, that is to say "What happens on Spring Break, stays on Spring Break" (ethics in a vacuum)?