We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
Readers know that I view sex changes as a sort of cosmetic thing, an extreme version of nose jobs and tummy tucks. I have no problems with such things if people want to pay for them. Some people want to be taller and find a surgeon to lengthen their legs, and I have seen people who truly benefitted from breast reduction. Don't laugh, because huge breasts can be a sort of handicap.
So I do not hate cosmetic surgery. It makes plenty of doctors very wealthy, but it is not me. When it comes to elective sexual mutilation, though, I have to draw some sort of a line. In fact, I can't imagine a physician who would be willing to do it.
What are your criteria to label a person a "solid citizen"?
That topic came up over beers with friends a few nights ago. It was like a college bull session for adults. When I was younger I would have considered it to be an American bourgeois question, unworthy of consideration by sophisticated kids like we were. We were all young idiots and certain about everything as only youth can be.
Assuming that we all have plenty of flaws, what would it take for a person to achieve the label of Solid Citizen? And is it worth thinking about?
First year Organic is often viewed as one of the sieves to sort out chemists, biochemists, medical aspirants of all sorts, and so forth. First year Organic does not require Calculus, but it certainly requires a grip on all pre-calc maths. Lots of equations.
As a non-STEM college major, I figured out the tricks of Chem 1 and Organic quickly. It's just logic based on relatively simple math. Here are my tricks: 1. Have a smart study partner to challenge you, and to teach. 2. Approach manipulating carbon molecules as fun puzzles. 3. As with General Chem (Chem 1), make sure you can reconstruct the equations by understanding them, and not by memorization. If you understand them you don't need to trust memorization on an anxiety-producing exam.
My Organic Prof was useless, and the TA grad students were just annoyed with us wasting their research time. They just said "Study the textbook." This Prof seems like a real teacher:
Gone hiking trip in cool places, and a good getaway from reporting the daily news insanity. No internet, no phone access. Will bring home iphone pics tho. There will be lots of boating posts for those who enjoy them. I'd rather watch the Youtube than sail alone to Hawaii in a 30-ft sailboat. Plus some random items.
There is nothing wrong with low-intensity exercise (better than not moving at all), but as for heart, muscles, bones - and now maybe brain - the harder it is, the better.
Unfortunately, hard things are unpleasant. Self-improvement is not fun, but it's just a choice.
Gone hiking trip in cool places, and a good getaway from reporting the daily news insanity. No internet, no phone access. Will bring home iphone pics tho. 
Video Footage Captures
Image of optical illusion floor (to deter running) via 
WSJ: