For hopheads only: beer culture and preferences

Assignment 1
Reply to Guy
I have met someone who believed that the moon landing was fake, and yet I did not listen to their arguments. Reading these specific arguments now clarifies why some people might believe that the moon landing was fake. If these people did not believe the photographic evidence, they are actually thinking critically. Ironically, though, too much skepticism can be as irrational as too little. Personally I think that it would be impossible to have manufactured a fake moon landing without any reporter or government spy having noticed. The moon landing did take place during the Cold War, which would mean that any attempt to discredit the United States by the Soviet Union would have been made. Also, the current advancements of space exploration are built upon those initial landings.
Reply to Sarah
This is an interesting topic of discussion. I have heard about John Edwards and other “charlatans” like him, who are expert at reading body language and culling information and then making it appear that he is psychic or speaking with the dead. His show is a type of performance art, not unlike that of a performance hypnotist or magician. While entertaining and seemingly harmless, these shows can be detrimental in that they give people false hope and detract from the real possibility of an honest confrontation with death.
Reply to Markita
I also believe that if Bigfoot did exist, we would know for certain by now. Biologists and other life scientists are continually searching for new species and examining the life forms they encounter. Bigfoot also is an American phenomenon, and it is unlikely that there would be a creature like this that was only viewed by a select few in such a populated nation. I do not understand the fascination with Bigfoot, other than that it may provide entertaining campfire stories.
Assignment 2
Reply to Elisha
This is an interesting scenario that shows the importance of clear communications. First of all, there should be a system in place where shift trading can be formalized. Sarah should have been able to make the formal request and make sure that Kelly would be held accountable for fulfilling that specific time period. Second, Sarah also has a degree of personal responsibility. After all, it was her shift to begin with. Kelly was going to be doing Sarah a favor, and Sarah is reacting in a way that shows how she is abnegating her personal responsibility. Sarah should have phoned Kelly to remind her of the shift change.
Reply to Kristal
It sounds like the grandmother in this situation is acting out of bitterness. It seems that this incident is indicative of a larger pattern or underlying issues that the grandmother has struggled with her whole life, such as feeling underappreciated. She could have been supportive of whatever choice you made on the clothing instead of making a comment about it not being what she would have chosen; it is not her interview but yours. Second, it is passive-aggressive to mention that she did not feel properly thanked and then to reject the show of appreciation as being false. Unfortunately it will be difficult to reason with her, given that her patterns of behavior and communication may be ingrained.
Reply to Steven
You are being very generous in your analysis because it seems that your friend handled the situation poorly. There was no reason for her to put it so rudely, saying “I cannot waste my paid time off for something like this.” If that is how she felt, she should have declined your request in the first place. If she changed her mind, she should have been more conciliatory and kind, offering perhaps to find another friend who could help.