Kevin's Blog

GE: Lesson

2009-03-22T18:46:00.001-07:00

My Lesson:

When I planned the lesson I had a few objectives in mind. One objective was to present the information. I wanted to present enough history and facts about Austria for my classmates to absorb. The second objective was a little more challenging. I wanted to incorporate "humanities concepts" (buffer-states, land-locked, xenophobia) into the lesson and have the students use the facts/history to back up their views on these concepts in light of Austria. This was the "learning" objective for the lesson.

Content Objective: Austria's current xenophobic state is related to Austria's history and geography. I had to choose parts of Austria's history to present. I had to filter out irrelevant facts about Austria. This facts are extraneous because they do enhance the lesson objective. Hopefully, the information I presented was "just right" for the students to come up with their own thesis and be able to back it up. The activities that I chose to apply incorporated researching new information, reading documents and manipulating information.

1. Critical Thinking: The lesson forced the students to take in information and use the information to back up their own ideas. The students had to come up with their own views.

2. Active Learning: The lesson gave enough stuffing but also expected students to research additional concepts on their own. Hopefully, the lesson will instigate discussion among the students.

3. Community Contributor: I went beyond and tried to teach the class a complete and thorough lesson. I wanted the students to learn and take away important concepts from the lesson.

Max's Lesson:

Max gave a very holistic view of the environmental status in Finland. He was also able to incorporate his own knowledge into the lesson. I enjoyed reading the article and discussing it in class. With that being said however, I thought the lesson could have been more detailed and technical. Max was able to give us many different facts and statistics but did not employ concepts or conceptual learning in the lesson. It was very obvious that Max knew his material because he had facts, statistics and information within his mental grasps. Overall I find the lesson enjoyable. I did, in fact, learn quite a bit from his lesson.

Critical Thinking: Max made us read an article and digest it ourselves. In the discussion, we had to come up with our own thoughts about the information presented in the article

Community Contributor: Max was very well read in his own topic. He probably spent a solid amount of time on the topic and read numerous web pages in order to give us a good lesson.

Person of High Character: Max was well composed during the lesson, did not fidget or eat his breakfast. This demonstrates respect towards the students and to the class.

Kassy:

This lesson was well-organized and clear. It also presented plenty of information for the students to digest. Kassy was clear, louder than usual (which is good) and, efficient. The only suggestion I have is that maybe incorporate more humanities concepts into the lesson. The lesson was enjoyable and quick but still clear and understandable.

Person of High Character - Kassy was able to get the work done, not just on time but done well.

Critical Thinking - The lesson not only wanted us to absorb a lot of information but also be able to come up with your own stance on whether Denmark is an ideal society or not.

Active Learning - It was obvious that Kassy did more than enough research in order to do this lesson. However, quite a lot of it was from her report. (hehe)

Europe Science: 17th century

2009-02-11T06:21:00.000-08:00

During the 17th century, science was at its peak, achieving new levels of thought. "During the seventeenth century, the world became a machine, and mechanics became the mathematical science of motion" (http://www.magicdragon.com/UltimateSF/timeline17.html). This anonymous quote describes very well the new concepts that were being developed about the world. The world had order and things worked mathematically. This was the time when Galileo Galilei discovered the mysteries of the stars. This was when Isaac Newton invented the reflection telescope. It was also when Robert Boyle showed that an animal can survive on artificial respiration. These scientific achievements are just some of the many during this period.

The Scientific Revolution occurred in the 17th Century. This was when the foundations of modern science were laid down. Rene Descartes, at this time, developed the philosophy of the scientific method. He played a huge part in this scientific revolution by developing the idea and concept of using "scientific" and logical ways to prove the phenomenons of our world. As absurd as this sounds, the existence of this scientific revolution is much argued today. Many scholars say that there was no such revolution. A recent sociologist and historian of science, Steven Shapin, opens his book, The Scientific Revolution, with the words, "There was no such thing as the Scientific Revolution, and this is a book about it." However, there is so much evidence that backs up the existence of this revolution. New inventions, concepts and groundbreaking scientific studies tell us that science did undergo a revolution during this period. Personally I find it silly how people are able to disregard the existence of such an obvious and important scientific movement.

Before the 17th century, the world was governed mostly by religion. The Scientific Revolution did not always "sing the same tune" as the Roman Catholic Church did. Because of this, the church did not like the scientific revolution very much. Galileo was arrested for being a great scientist (which was not what the church claimed him to be) and many other scientists were repressed and put in prison because of their groundbreaking discoveries. This was a time when religion, superstition and fear were replaced with reason and knowledge. With the new ideas of reason and knowledge, governments may have turned to science instead of religion for the answers . The fundamental workings of a government might also have undergone change. Things were argued with reason, logic and science. Religion was challenged. As you can see, the Scientific Revolution changed and influenced many things. Whether or not this change was good can be and has been disputed. However, we cannot ignore the impact of the Scientific Revolution.

Sophism

2009-02-03T18:12:00.000-08:00

What is sophism? What is a sophist? What is your opinion of this term? Does it seem like someone can really act as a sophist?

These are the questions that I will answer in this blog. I will simply just write the question and write my answer in paragraph form below the question. Forgive me for this extreme simplicity.

What is sophism:

Sophism has two meanings. One of the meanings originates from ancient Greece.

The Greek words sophos and sophia (both apparent in the word sophism) both mean wisdom or wise. From these two words came the term sophists. This word was used to describe a group of teachers. These were teachers of philosphy and rhetoric. They were intellectuals who taught courses in philosophy and employed rhetoric to achieve their purposes. These purposes were usually to persuade or convince others. Sophists claimed that they could find the answers to all questions. Most of our depictions of Sophists today comes from the rival school, Platonism. Therefore, depictions of sophists are very condescending. Plato creates an image of a Sophist as "a greedy instructor who uses rhetorical sleight-of-hand and ambiguities of language in order to deceive, or to support fallacious reasoning" (www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/554699/sophism). As you can see, it is extremely hard to have an unbiased view on Sophists because all of our references are either from the rival schools or rival philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle.

If we do not have an unbiased view on what sophists are, it is extremely difficult to come up with an accurate definition of what Sophists studied, sophism. From different Greek writers and historical studies we know that sophism was a philosophical movement that started around the fifth century B.C. that was based on rhetoric not virtue. Instead of being ethical it was practical.

Sophism today means something different. A sophism, in modern definition, means a confusing or illogical argument used to confuse or deceive someone. It is basically a fallacious statement or argument.

Jae's question:

To say the truth Jae I am not quite sure exactly how to use it. I doubt that this is a commonly used word. A sophism basically means a false argument. The word is used as a noun. Below is an example of how I think it could be used (deducted from the mass amount of research done).

e.g. The judge clearly saw that the prosecutor had just presented a sophism that condemned the defendant.

My opinions on the term "sophism":

After much research, I think this term is the equivalent of logical fallacies. This kind of stuff interests me because I am very much interested in things like debate and discussions. Often people use a sophism and they do not even realize it. However there are people who use a sophism deliberately in order to weasel their way out of situations. This, I think, is just plain cleverness.

Now I will go onto a tangent. I am sure Ms. Galland is thinking " O God..." but I will go on. What is logical can very personal. Depending on different backgrounds and education systems, what is logical can vary from person to person. Therefore if a sophism seems logical to a person and it has been used to your advantage, then so be it. I believe that many politicians are sophists or study some form of sophism in order to manipulate the crowd. I say good for you. Many people succumb to the illogical logic of a sophism.

Does it seem like anyone can act as a sophist?

From the description it seems like anyone can be a sophist. However in order to be a successful sophist I think there are certain qualities that need to be there. Let us measure the success of a sophist by how many students he or she (most likely he) has (had).

In order to gain lots of students, I believe that you must be a pursuasive and likable sophist. Therefore I believe that certain things should be apparent in a sophist. A certain level of intelligence will be necessary. After all, you must be able to out-muscle someone with your brain. I also believe that in order to act as a sophist you must be able to speak well and be able to pursuade others. One last quality I believe a succesful sophist needs is the ability to lie. So is anyone ready to pursue this profession?

Baraka: The Movie

2009-01-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

Baraka, for me, is about humans. It circles around a central premise, which is a question. We will get to this question at the end of the blog. By panning around amazing landscapes and zooming in on awe-inspiring cultural hot-spots, we see the human world.

Images of mountains and rivers flood my mind when I think of Baraka. The movie pans around these majestic products of nature. By using the technique of panning nature we feel a great appreciation to nature's beauty. The images persuades us to give respect to the mountains and the rivers.

I remember vividly an amazing shot of Cambodia specifically, Angkor Wat. By using the still shot at Angkor Wat we feel the tranquility and calmness. The tranquil yet loud footage of the history of Cambodia really represents our amazing history as humans. There are also several other representations of human history, like the Stonehenge zoom-in.

After showing some of our amazing history Baraka shows an unbelievable scene in which we see a time lapsed Tokyo street intersection. It was organized and calm yet so busy and modern. The directors deliberately muted the whole scene to create a serene feel. However after the clean and calm intersection, we see the destruction of modernity as well. We see the cutting down of the forest and the killing of animals.

The movie then goes on to show the rich cultures of the human world. In the movie there is a scene where we see Indian's bathing in their holy river, the Ganges river. There are also several shots of different monasteries and Buddhist temples. Both these scenes display our rich culture.

By using techniques like the zooming in, panning and still shots, the directors paint a picture of the human world. The picture consists of majestic nature, man's incredible past, man's rich culture and man's modernity, which in turn comes with destruction.

Baraka ends by showing us a view of the sky and the stars. I think this symbolizes the unknown. By zooming up towards the sky, the image was intimidating. What is the unknown? The unknown, in this case, is our future. Baraka, the movie, poses a question. What next? What comes after the amazing history, diverse cultures and modernity of the past century? This is the question that Baraka poses. This question allows us to reflect on ourselves and our world. It also forces us to think about what we are doing and how that affects what comes after. So now ask yourselves, what is next?

Parable: Ishmael

2008-12-07T01:02:00.000-08:00

The sun did not rise when he read the morning paper. The morning paper was, once again, full of violence and atrocities. News only about his kind. As he got out of the house, he noticed the colors around him. There was no trace of green. There were only artificial colors, dead and sickened. He got into his car and adjusted the rear-view mirror. He gazed at his own reflection and he sighed. It was a sigh for his people.

He was, once again, off to work. Work that was full of ambition, promise, glory and joy. On the way there he heard nothing. He saw nothing. There was nothing left to be seen. Again, he looked in the mirror and sighed. He drove on and forgot.

As he passed blue light by blue light, the chaotic traffic from the never-ending red lights along the sides of his road were so common that he saw them no more. He never got to work. Never has he gotten to work. Not today and never before. Never has he touched or felt the promise, the glory and the power. Each day he would take this road and each day he would feel more distant. Each day he would ignore more and more red lights on his side.

At first, today was no different. He did not expect any day to be different. It was the same routine everyday. Everyday he had faith in his work. He believed in the glory, promise, power and joy that he never got.

He drove smoothly along the perfectly fabricated road. He looked into his rear mirror again. Little did he know that this was his last glance. This time he saw something different. He saw, out of the corner of his blue eyes, a truck.This never happened. Then he saw many trucks, helicopters, tanks and all kinds of vehicles. He panicked. An explosion of fear and shock burst in his head. This road was not made for any of these other vehicles. What were they doing here?

The car was found by the great buffaloes of the plains a day later. The car was somewhat recognizable from the fall but the man was not. Like paper crumbled and torn, he lay in his blood soaked seat. His legs nothing but sticks and twigs sticking out from his custom tailored suit. His maggot ridden hands and arms were no more but pieces of meat and skin mashed together. His face was a Jackson Pollack of crimson and black. No, he did not survive the cliff fall.

I have no idea what to call this...

2008-12-03T21:08:00.000-08:00

Wow, I have no idea what I should write. I am still digesting the emotional, psychological and intellectual impact from the movie. I did an improvising thing on my violin just a minute ago with all this in my head and just wow. Absolutely powerful movie. It encompasses so much. I must wait for my speech function to turn back on...

What are we living for in our lives?

Ishmael Section 10: Reflection

2008-11-24T23:06:00.000-08:00

What we are trying to do, as takers, is take the world. We are not allowing leaver cultures, animals species and our Earth to survive and thrive. Our Earth has withstood the test of time and is crucial for our survival. Animal are just as important as humans and without the animals, we would not be here.

With the many global issues and problems that the taker culture is experiencing, we are learning that the takers way is not always the best way to do things. Yet, we will not admit this. Takers must do things their way. They force everyone around them to do things the taker way. By forcing onto others the taker way of life, we destroy culture by culture and species by species. Why can't we just let these cultures and species be?

What Ishmael is saying in this chapter is, we must admit that the world was a better place before takers started to "take" the world. Taker's started to manipulate the Earth and animals. Thus takers lost the harmony that man had with nature and our Earth. This harmony is the same harmony that Leaver's live with.

Man started off as a leaver. Now, as takers, we have forgotten the leaver's way. We do things our way. By doing things our way, we have severely shortened the Earth's life-time and absolutely destroyed a big part of Earth's biodiversity. Is it not time to acknowledge that the leaver's lifestyle was, and is, more ideal?

Robert Mugabe: The Destroyer

2008-11-19T04:59:00.000-08:00

This article from the New York times is quite disturbing. It made me feel extremely uncomfortable and guilty. I felt guilty reading the article because, while I buy my drink from 7-11, there are people in the world that can not even get clean water. Fear was then added to my guilt when the article started talking about the white family. This family, and many others like it, was forced to give up ridiculous percentages of the family's earnings. The family lived in constant fear. Imagine how you would feel living under a kleptocrat that uses force and military power to enforce his tyranny. For me, I would want to get out as soon as possible. However for many of these families this threatening place was home. Zimbabwe.

Robert Mugabe was knighted by Queen Elizabeth, was deemed a hero of Africa, was a poster boy for African liberation and had Bob Marley play at his inauguration. He could do no wrong. This was exactly what he thought. He thought his vision of Zimbabwe was perfect. The vision of Zimbabwe was that Zimbabwe will be able take control of itself and purge the land of white people. He extended this vision to basically cutting out western help and negotiations. He then allowed his greedy side to take over him. He literally, with a machete, cut down any opposing group against his government. Yes, "his" government. At this point, people started questioning his regime and started talking. With inflation at 11 million percent, it sure is a big surprise that someone spoke up. What did Mugabe do to these people who did speak up? He murdered them. He tortured them.

Robert Mugabe ate from the tree of knowledge. He thought he did. He thinks to this day that he can not do wrong because he has supreme knowledge of what should go on in Zimbabwe. His political party admits to the abuse of Zimbabweens and the violence at the "reeducation" camps. They see no wrong in abusing, torturing and "beating" these people (his own people). The honor, support and power he had in his early years allowed for his head to swell. He thought he ate from the tree of knowledge.

The idea that he has the knowledge of the gods, justifies every action he makes. After being the first and only president of Zimbabwe for 28 years, he finds it hard to admit his wrongdoings. Mugabe has fully convinced himself and his party that his way is the right way. Mugabe is seen as Moses in his nephews eyes. Mugabe's pictures and posters are posted everywhere just like Jesus. For Mugabe, to admit his wrong and to give up his power would be impossible.

I believe Mugabe knows his wrong-doings. However, in his mind, it is just too late for him to go back and admit that he never ate from the tree of knowledge. I hope he will have the courage to admit his faults and step down.

This is a great example of power having you. Instead of you having the power, it has you. Maybe the human race is at a point where Mugabe is. We are unable to admit our destruction yet we can not afford to keep on going as destroyers.

E.O. Wilson and Ishmael.

2008-10-18T23:29:00.000-07:00

E.O. Wilson and Ishmael talk about a central premise which is mother culture. They also are telling people the same message. Humans are destroying the world because of our selfishness. We need to open our eyes and stop before we destroy ourselves and our Earth.

The majority of E.O. Wilson's talk centers around insects. He says that humans are trying their best to rid the world of these creepy-crawlies. Yet the Earth would not be what it is today without these bugs. They are vital to nature's cycle. They are much more diverse and much more essential to life on Earth than humans are. This mindset of ridding our world of these "bad" insects is a perfect example of what Ishmael is saying.

Ishmael tells our narrator the story of creation, which of course ends with the birth of jellyfish. Our narrator says that is not right because it is supposed to end with the birth of man. With this myth of creation we establish that the world is made for man. Ishmael then establishes that mother culture tells us it is man's duty to conquer the world and to make it perfect.

There is an obvious connection between the two. Wanting to get rid of these bad bugs is a perfect example of mother culture talking to us. Mother culture speaks to us, "Conquer the world my sons and daughters." Therefore we must conquer and get rid of these bugs. Mother Culture and her myth speaks again, "We are the most important in the world, whatever bothers us is unnecessary." Thus we tell ourselves, we do not like the critters so they are unimportant to the world. We are the most important. Bugs annoy us therefore, they are destined to be exterminated.

Ishmael and E.O. Wilson tell us that this is not true. Bugs are necessary to our world. The world does not revolve around man and we were not sent here to conquer everything. We need to realize that there are many other things in this world that are very important, not only man. We need to stop destroying the very thing that keeps us alive, our Earth. Our Earth consists not only of the essential human resources, but it consists of animals, insects and tiny living creatures as well. What E.O. Wilson and Ishmael want to tell us is that these tiny living creatures matter and our existence could easily depend on these insignificant little buggers.

*With all that said, I can not help but to smack the mosquito that is sucking my blood, or the cockroach that is crawling around in my bathtub...okay this time I will not smack the cockroach, just shoo it away.

Our Future

2008-10-14T07:54:00.001-07:00

This was sparked by Kassy's blog about how we do not look into the future.

We have schools, companies, professional people, students and working people dedicated to studying the past, whether it be scientific or historical. We have Archaeologists, paleontologists, history professors. Why do we not have professions dedicated to studying what we do now and our future? We hear astrology, reading tea leaves etc. but we see most of these as absurd unreal guesses not scientific studies. Why do we not have subjects in school dedicated to our future?

Yes, there are people in the world that realize that we should look into the future. They have started to do something about it and compile and study information. However there are very few people like this.

The Laws of Civilization

2008-10-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

Our universe is written in laws. Many laws govern the way things work, however sometimes these laws intertwine with one another and might even come into conflict with one another. We have not even discovered the majority of these laws.

I strongly believe that there are laws governing the collapse or success of civilizations. Ishmael explained beautifully why these laws are here, by comparing them with the laws of physics. The law of physics apply to everyone and everything on earth, just like these civilization laws do.

However, I definitely think these laws will be a lot more general. They will not be about minute details but rather big ideas that include many different interpretations and many different ideas. They are there and I can not wait to find them.

With this said, I do not believe that there are laws governing how we should live. I do not believe there should be any laws on how to live. That kind of takes the fun out of life. If there were laws I do not think I would want to know them. I would be very impressed if Ishmael does come up with a compelling set of laws that teaches us how we should live however I am doubtful that he will give me what I have in mind. Hopefully he would not just address the obvious needs and wants of man. For now, these set of laws are nonexistent.

I fail to see how Ishmael will separate himself from religion and the many proverbs that "govern" our lives. Then again, I have failed to see many of his mind-blowing points. People are essentially governed by their wants and needs. These wants and need are our laws. We can do anything around them, play versions of them, zig-zag in and out, whatever, but our wants and needs will always be there. Some people have big dreams. They strive to achieve them through whatever means possible. However, these wants and needs govern us as well. I will now wait for the gorilla to enlighten me or to disappoint me.

Bacteria

2008-10-04T05:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.vedicsciences.net/design/bacteria5.jp

(Human Version)

I am a bacterium. I have been on earth longer than any other living organism. There is no myth of how we came to be, only hard facts. The world began as a cloud full of bacteranimamus, the divine form of bacteria. This cloud began to take the form of a sphere. These divine bacteranimamuss created the molecules, atoms and quartz that the foolish humans have seen only recently (100 years ago to be exact). They are unable to see the bacteranimamus partly because they are so indulged in themselves, and partly because they lack the technology. They think they are the center of the world, but they are not. Bacteranimamus are. Being bacteria, we are the most modern species in the world today.

We are the most developed species. We multiply at an alarming rate. We double in numbers every 9.8 minutes. We reproduce asexually and sexually. The bacteranimamus has created our universe to accommodate us. Obviously, everything was created for our benefit. Toxic waste allows us to thrive. Rain is here to create moisture for us. Animals were created for us to live on.

Humans think they are the center of the world but really, one bacterium can easily kill the whole human race. Humans will never be able to destroy us. Everything on this world is renting space from us. They are luck that we do not ask for rent. We cover every inch of skin and every inch of hair. We cover every metallic and plastic material. We live everywhere, on everything. We will never die. Adaptation is our strength and we have adapted extremely well to all environments. Bacteria are the end product of evolution. We have been the most successful living organism in every way; therefore we are the best and supreme life form.

Of course all I am saying is well known to you. This article is written for some other intelligent life form to comprehend. Maybe some other life form will accidentally find this article and read it. It is highly unlikely they will be able to comprehend our communication but you never know. A recent study by the Schizomycetes group has shown that humans have the capability to breed. The breeding, however, could take up to many hundred years to double. It is understandable that they are not as advanced as us. However, this enlightening research shows that one-day humans might be able to understand that they are renting our world, our earth. Who knows, maybe one day they will be able to communicate with us.

AP English: James Baldwin's intent in writing "Stranger in a Village."

2008-09-24T23:12:00.002-07:00

Baldwin’s intent:

Baldwin, through the essay, expresses his rage towards the ignorance and superior
mindset of the white man. James Baldwin wants to express his views and feelings to our world. He tells us that the world should not and cannot, treat black men as strangers in society anymore. In paragraph 25, the last line, Baldwin writes, “[t]his worlds no longer white, and it will never be white again [.]” Baldwin wants to tell us that it is time that society has accepted black men in. Black men are not strangers anymore but rather a part of society so treat them like humans not “…exotic rarities..” as Baldwin says. Baldwin writes that the white man should treat black men as human beings and that black men insist on being treated equally. I believe that Baldwin’s intent is to the white people, the thoughts of a black man. The rage that is felt, the inequality, the injustice, the feelings of being a stranger. It is time to recognize that black men are part of our society. No more can we be lazy and just pretend they do not belong, we should acknowledge them, not to “preserve simplicity.” We should not avoid being called to account for crimes committed by his forefathers, or his neighbors but rather admit the acts of racism and discrimination done. What Baldwin is saying is just, allow black men to belong because they do belong.

How do we become conscious of the ethical and social rules in our societies?

2008-09-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

In our society, we are conscious of ethical and social rules because we grow up in them. The rules were fed to us and society teaches us these rules. There are also other rules that are just rules of nature. Rules humans biologically abide by.

These biological rules are just moral and human rules to abide by. People do not eat others because we are not programmed to eat our own species. It is not right. Another one of these human rules is not killing other people. It just does not feel right to kill another person.

There are some other rules that are fed to us by society. These rules are statements like, money is success or we must conquer everything. These rules are taught to us through our parents and everything around us. These societal rules are taught since the day we were born.

How do we become conscious of societal rules such as, money and conquering? As talked about in Ishmael, we are told stories. Every little story is tied to the big story. These little stories feed us our rules. These stories come in many forms. It could be your parents nagging you everyday. It could be MTV defining what cool teenagers are like. From when we were babies, we absorbed these stories. They make up the rules that we live by. Little by little, what you hear, what you see, what you feel, and what you experience gives you these rules.

Another way we learn of these rules is making societal mistakes. We do things that are not accepted in society. We learn from these mistakes. After doing the "wrong" acts, we get punished, embarrassed or ostracized. Finally we learn that what we did is not accepted. An example would be, wearing different clothing. There are many cultures where the clothing style is very different from our society. However we are taught that their clothing style is wrong and offensive while our style is correct and modern.

Other ways of learning include observation. Being humans, we want to conform. When we see everyone wearing a certain thing, we want to be accepted and to be the norm, so we wear it as well.

There are many other ways that these little stories are delivered to us and there is nothing wrong with the stories. Nevertheless, we must ask ourselves questions. Why we are abiding by these rules? Are these rules worthy to abide by? The last question we must ask is, are we being lied to?

TED Talk: Wade Davis

2008-09-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

This blog entry will solely be based on the talk given by Wade Davis because it was far more interesting, enjoyable and had much more of an impact on me. The Phil Borges talk, although brilliant, had a typical approach. To be frank it bored me.

Listening to this talk (Wade Davis) has not changed my views of our world but rather given a whole new dimension to my thoughts and ideals. The talk was a bloated bag of chips waiting to burst open. Plentiful and stuffed with chips while offering a total new flavor. What really stood out to me was, the heart of the world. This is different for everyone. It could be a place (in the talk he mentioned that one of the indigenous groups took him to a place where it was believed that Mother Earth spun her magic, the heart of the world) . It could be a state of mind. It could be power, money or pursuing scientific explanations. There is, in fact, no such thing as modern or advanced in our world today. We are just different. We try to reach our heart of the world in different ways. Let us take the example of small indigenous groups that do not text message or send emails every 30 seconds.

This small tribes might not understand how to dial a phone, or use a computer but that absolutely does not make them better or worse than us. Just different. They are on a different track, a different journey. They develop natural senses, nostalgic powers, memories, feelings for their surroundings, understanding of themselves and the questions of life. Why are we here? What is our purpose? Their explanations of how the moon revolves around our Earth could very well be true. The reasons are very logical and the connections made are specific and observant enough to even be called, science. It is their science. They thrive under rituals, symbols and nature because these things help them progress and advance in a different way. They are much more "modern" and advanced than us in many ways. Yet we see ourselves as modern and advanced while they are barbaric and primitive? Even the studies of their sacred landscapes, the unexplainable beauty of the Earth, all these things are amazing and absolutely out of science's reach. I know that many of us do not live fuller lives than these indigenous people. We are of the same intelligence and of the same species. We have the same powers and abilities. It is just how we use it. They try to seek and enjoy beauty while we try to analyze it.

I want to expand and maybe even answer what Wade Davis has pointed out for us. I believe that things are there, we just have to discover it. I remember, lucidly, one quote he says. Davis says that we see the indigenous people as " failed attempts at being modern." Is this really true? Maybe we are failed attempts at answering life. The reason why we find these people ignorant and barbaric is because we do not understand. I will be frank, I thought many indigenous people were ignorant and stupid because they did not understand things the way we do. They did not do math or physics. I have never put myself in their shoes though. Davis gives an excellent example of this. Davis's friend, a Buddhist monk, says that they do not believe we reached the moon, but we did, so they accept it. We do not believe that they have reached enlightenment (by reach, I mean able to reach and only some), but they did, however we do not accept it.

We are all on different tracks to find our true meaning of life. Each one of us will be different but the roads that we take can be categorized. We are on our track, full of technology and explanations and physical things and skepticism and complication. They are on a different road. I can not explain their roads because I have not seen it, I can only imagine of it from what I HAVE seen. Their feelings, nature and enlightenments weigh just as much as our technological conquers. They develop memory, culture, tradition and meaning. We develop cellphones, laptops, microwaves and instant noodles. This is not saying these things we develop do not have meaning or culture. They are full of meaning and culture, but they are different from what is developed by the Indigenous groups, or people of Mother earth (I have always wanted to call them that, really hope it is not offensive)

I have just hit a dead end in my train of thoughts so I guess this will be the temporary stop for this blog. Please feel free to comment.

Wade Davis has really changed my view of the world. However if you were to ask me to live as an Inuit for a year...I would have to think about it....

* I apologize for any typos or grammatical errors. Did not have a chance to go over and fix mistakes yet.

"What aspects of human life over the past several thousand years could be likened to a gorilla going from a forest to a zoo?"

2008-09-13T04:30:00.000-07:00

As we expand, our world gets smaller. We have planes, we have discovered our Earth, we have increased in numbers. The end result is a smaller world. We do not feel as if we are in the "forest" anymore. We have discovered everything, we live in tight quarters. We own land and by owning land we create the concept of trespassing. This concept further "cages" us in our cage. This feeling, however, can not be compared with being actually caged in a 2 m by 2 m metal cage. However there are commonalities. The commonalities being:

1. The feeling of being crammed

2. Not feeling any exploration or excitement left

3. The feeling of being trapped.

In the paragraphs below, I will write about what I believe in. I believe in both ideas yet believe in neither. This does not make sense but hopefully it will

We are losing our roots. We are losing what makes us human. As we gain more and more in material things, cars, houses and all these things, we lose our sense of direction in life. Our feelings are also lost in these material possessions. As we have more complicated technology and things that make our lives "convenient" and lazy, we lose feelings of accomplishment. We lose the joy in working together and we lose the very things that us human. This is likened to a gorilla losing his primal instincts. He does not run, or pound his chest anymore. He gets fed and does not need to swing from tree to tree to avoid a predator (ironically the predator is most likely us, humans). He does not need to help nurture his sick baby gorilla because that becomes our job. They lose what makes them gorillas, just like all this complicated "stuff" is making us forget our instincts, our feelings and the essence of being human.

That is one way of looking at it. Those are all lies. In no way are we like the gorillas, having been confined in a cage. The first reaction people have about this, would be technology. They say how technology has made us insensitive and has confined us. Technology has no way confined us, in fact it has given us a new realm to explore. We do not lose our human instincts, feelings or cooperation work but rather technology has helped us find numerous ways of displaying human instincts and exploring ourselves in new ways through technology. Technology is endless and in fact, is part of being human. Our world is getting smaller sure, but it is still 197,000,000 square miles (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_exact_size_of_earth). We are superior thats why we will not feel like we are being trapped in a zoo. We have explored space and this adds to our freedom, our exploration and continued expansion of being human. We express ourselves just in different ways, but we do not forget to express ourselves.
In no way have we boxed ourselves in a cage. Our human mind is constantly exploring through art, science, culture etc.etc. This will never stop.

As you can see, I have contradicted myself between the two paragraphs. As I have mentioned before, I do not fully believe in either of the ideas. I am torn between being caged and being free. Sometimes I feel as if technology allows me to express my ideas. Other times I feel technology has hindered so many of my human feelings and instincts.

Global Ethics: What choices have we made that led to our current global situation ?

2008-09-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

Just to define what our current global situation is, will take pages and pages of writing. As humans we have made so many choices throughout our history. From chiseling stones to making the atomic bomb, each choice has a significant impact on our world. We live in a world of data, corruption, money, art, technology, change, acceptance, selfishness, selflessness, inspiration, depression, injustice. There are so many other words we can put in there. Overall, our current global situation is not that bad. We have restrained ourselves from very major wars. We luckily have been able to tame deadly diseases and reduced the risks. We have made our world so convenient and tech-savvy yet we believe in working hard, helping the less fortunate and our culture, our art. We drive technology and not allow technology to drive us. This is often the side we see at H.I.S. However the exact opposite of these things happen in other places. Deadly disease plague towns and villages in Africa, genocide is happening in Darfur, somewhere some high school student is cheating on a test by using spark notes, some hacker is using his data to steal government property. Our world right now is very much imbalanced. The poor are extremely poor and the rich are extremely rich. We are very fortunate to be rich. Yes I say rich because the majority of the world does not even have clean water.

As I have stated before, every choice we have made counts. The world's choice to not ban nuclear weapons (something to think about is, we say it is the world's choice to not ban nuclear weapons, basically countries decided to just have less of them but not to ban them. If you were to get a survey around the entire globe, I am curious to find the number of people that DO want nuclear weapons around). A country's choice to not give clean water. A family's choice to waste water. A person's choice to throw trash on the ground. Sometimes it is not a choice but we think it is. Our "choice" to be selfish. Our "choice" to want to be wealthy. I think what we have to do now is to think about our choices and try to make better ones. To think about others, the world and yourself when you make a decision. To do what is right. I think in all of us we know what is right, whether we want to listen to it or not, that is our choice. However once you keep doing the wrong we often are able to persuade ourselves that what we are doing is right. Well these are my initial thoughts on choices that have led to our current global situation. From picking up a stick to kill an animal to buying a laptop computer, all these choices have consequences and the result is our world now.

Regarding the environment, every choice we have made from when humans started have resulted in our poor environmental status now. However the choices during our industrial revolution and through the 20th century definitely weigh more as the cause of our environment.

Inspiration from Kids: Humanities final Blog

2008-06-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

There are so many inspirational kids out there in our world, yet when you deliberately try to find them by googling " inspirational kids" or " kids that change the world" it does not work. The reason why it does not work is because often kids change our world with subtle actions and ways. Others get more publicized. This entry is supposed to be specifically about one person but I have three kids in mind and they each represent a part of me. Whether this will have a negative effect on my grade, I do not know but I feel as if I must write about these three people, for me. One other thing I would like to note is that all three children I will be talking about were all inspired by some adult, someone who taught them. For many of us, a lot of our inspiration comes from Mr. Grant Ruskovich. I am inspired not by the things he has taught us but rather him as a person, always trying to inspire us, a non stop keep on working kind of guy, optimistic yet thinks of the good and bad possible outcomes. We should just do it, change he says, to inspire, to think, to do something with our lives and he has motivated me to start thinking about all these things and try to do something, even small for others, for our planet and for ourselves. For this I thank him. There is plenty more to say but I will not because now is the time to write about my inspirational kids.

Mattie ( Mathew Stepanek)

Mattie stepanek is a tireless 13 year old poet. He suffers from muscular dystrophy and the doctors said he would die in a few months right after birth. He survived. He has many older brothers and sisters, all dead right after birth. Mattie's mother also suffers from this disease, yet manages to live life and to be a good role model. Mattie regardless of his constant pain and weakness, he manages to be optimistic. He says he always sees the class half full. I chose Mattie not because it was an easy topic, nor because Mr. Ruskovich presented him to us but because his story stands out. There is a reason why it is publicized because he is truly remarkable. He says during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, " I believe I survived for a reason, after so many close calls. My life mission is to spread peace to the world. " He is truly an angel in child form. He also says how is poetry is his heart song and he does not care about what other people think about his poetry from a technical standpoint but rather Mattie just wants to spread his message of love. So in pain, so restricted yet he was so free at heart, so unbarred. I was truly inspired while I was watching the movie to see a child of that age, understanding and thinking of things, I do not think many of us dare to think. We are so distracted in our lives by such ignorant unimportant things. Yet a child of merely 11 years old (at the time of the interview) was able to dig deep into his life and find meaning, spread his message and love, to overlook his pain as a privilege almost. Truly amazing. It is something I wish I could do, to find true meaning in my life and to be able to be so optimistic, to love and to love to change the world for the better.

All of the Columbine shooting incident victims that had the courage to protect their friends, lead escapes and even sacrifice themselves for the safety of others.

Adam Foss 18 years old was able to get 60 students to safety and actually physically remove some of them from their chairs. Daniel Lee Rohrbough 15 years old held an exit door open long enough for his classmates to get out of the gunners path, Daniel did not get out in time. His friends survived.

Seth Houy 16, covered Crystal Woodman with his body to protect her.A bullet missed him by 3 inches, it missed her by his body and 3 inches.

There are so many more children and young men that show such courage to protect another human being. I would be scared to death. I might run, I might not but just hearing stories of teenagers being able to act like this for one another and stick together as a group really shows how capable we are of love, unity, kindness and of course courage. This is amazingly inspirational, yet we must think of the terrible deeds that we are also able to commit, the shooting of the kids.

Paul Dateh: Paul Dateh is a jazz/fusion musician. Now 22 years old and has somewhat made a name for himself. I would like to speak about his past, how he got here. At the age of 17 he entered The University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, destined to be a violinist. He was brought up classically and was very successful at a very young age. He was set and ready to become a concert violinist. That year he entered the school, he dropped his major and turned to jazz. There he learned to play the piano and to sing. " The move shocked his colleagues as it was hard to understand why anyone would walk away from fourteen years of classical training to begin learning an entirely new musical discipline. " (pauldateh.com) He is now an award winning song writer, instrumentalist, vocalist, producer, basically a musician. I deeply respect him because he was able to take up the courage and go against everyone's wishes and go his way. He knew what he wanted to do and he was able to go for it. Dateh at such a young age was able to make a life changing decision and stuck with it. Now he travels spreading his music around the world. He is #5 most subscribed music on youtube and is really a big name. This is not a story like my one but I can relate to his story because of many similarities. This inspiration is a different one from Mattie's. It is an inner ability to take the chance, be true to yourself, follow the dreams, make your own path. Whatever corny cliche you would like to use, Paul Dateh did it. I am at a point in life where I think I have to choose and make this decision and Paul is an inspiration for me to follow my heart and my music, nobody else.

2008-06-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

Life is a pretty complicated bastard. It really messes with your head. It screws you over and it throws all kinds of things at you. Life wants to make you want to complain, move, leave and not be yourself. Life makes you hurt,makes you hate. Life wants you to love your friends then life makes them leave. Life wants you to love people but then it forces them to leave. Life makes you lose and lost. Life makes people sad and depressed.

Life is a pretty complicated bastard and that is why we love it.

Peace

2008-06-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

This word can mean so many things and it can have so many interpretations. It is a simple concept yet one so hard to reach. One that we often would love yet do not act on. It is the ability to cope with conflict, the ability to not result to violence and to solve problems or issues without physical or psychological aggression. It is a state of well-being and security. Peace. From the hippies to stopping a world war, it is something that will solve so many problems and something that does not have a road to.

String Theory

2008-05-07T00:25:00.000-07:00

Such bold and absurd guesswork. It is beautiful but is it true? I do not think I have enough knowledge on this theory to say if it is true or not, however the thought that everything is made together by tiny vibrating strings at different frequencies is beautiful. Amazing. Absurd. String theory feels like music, amazing, Bach's music was at the " golden ratio" and the sound which is most pleasing to ears is at the golden ratio. Such a simplistic yet amazing idea. However when do we stop? Are strings really the smallest fundamental building blocks? Can one not always split something smaller? What are these "strings" made of? energy? I feel as if I need more substantial evidence and calculations which I will probably not understand but based one what was told to us, which was very very little, I can not say it is untrue or true. Part of the reason why this theory is so amazingly hard to prove is because everything is speculation. You can prove mathematically but what about demonstrating it in our lives? You can apply all of the laws of physics, you can see them, you feel them. However strings are extremely minuscule and almost an impossible experiment to prove them. Mathematically, it may be beautiful, I don't know. Do I think that we are really going to find this unification? No. I do not think we are meant to find it. What is so beautiful is the process of finding and being more and more awed at how the universe is so amazingly pieced perfectly together. I think we will find the path to unification but we will not reach it. We will find clues of it and get very close, but never reach it. We as humans on this Earth are so insignificant on this very insignificant planet in one of possibly billions of multiples of universes. Yet we can imagine and think of such beautiful things.

"God does not throw a dice"

- Einstein

Reflection on our Science Project: Friction, How and Why things move

2008-05-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

What did you like about the way it was organized? What didn't you like about it? Do you believe you learned more or less this way? What would you like to see changed for next time?

We were able to work and figure things out by ourselves which was really enjoyable and fun yet Mr.Loken helped out enough for us not to be clueless. I overall enjoyed this project and learned a lot from this experience. There are many things that we could have done better but we could never have known those things without actually wandering into the darkness first. There is a little drawback however with this format. The mathematical calculations are hard to get across and lonnnnnnnnnnnggggg to explain, maybe there is a more efficient way to show these calculations...Overall I thought I learned more this way and was held more responsible because of the self assigned deadlines.

Please Sign

2008-04-24T17:19:00.001-07:00

http://www.landmines.org.uk/page.php?PageID=80

Escape from Huang-Shi

2008-04-17T07:55:00.000-07:00

"how did this movie impact you?, What new things did you learn about this particular story? How is your view changing on how ONE man can make a difference in the world?"

This movie was very well done and I personally enjoyed it. However it would have been a better book. Movies are supposed to be entertaining and although this is definitely a thought-provoking movie it is not exactly entertainment as we envision it. This movie has not impacted me too much to say the truth and it has not changed my thoughts on how one man can make a difference in teh world. However I have learned new things about this particular story. This central point of this movie was to first off speak of the atrocities that have been kept silent about the Nan-king massacres, second to speak of the orphans and children that have been abandoned and last to show how one man can make an impact on a whole Chinese race. As the last man said, the orphan grown up, the Chinese will always be grateful for the foreigners that have helped. I did not know that there were actually people like Hogg that are American yet risk their lives to save people he does not even know, frankly does not even care about at first.

Other than that, very typical story-line, person goes out thinking one thing but falls in love with something he hates at first, stays, sacrifices, dies and becomes legend. The movie shows how the Chinese were treated as second class citizens etc. but we have become desensitized so much that these things were givens, absolute no surprise etc. contradictory to some rumors spreading, this movie was not that graphic, was not gory and did not focus a lot on the Nanking massacre itself. There were many symbols in the movie but again, very typical symbols being conveyed. Things like, sacrifice, love, the " one-man" and the rebel are all included in the movie. Decent movie but really did not make me say "wow".

On the note about one man making a difference in the world, as I have said before in a previous journal entry for Mr. Ruskovich I do believe one man can. However he will need the right character traits, be lucky and most importantly he will need the help of others.

2008-04-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

Describe your feelings and thoughts as you were completing your video campaign - how did you feel while researching? What prompted you to create the type of ad that you did? What did you learn from this experience?

Music is such a powerful thing. The music absolutely changed the moods of a lot of clips. Throughout my research I have found very surprising facts and have started too look at what I can do. I wanted to create a commercial that wont be clear at first but will make sense at the end. I want the audience to think for a second after watching it. Therefore I gave them things they knew very well, everyday things like running, basketball, sports writing etc. and then I popped the question of landmines. What if you could not just do it. I wanted to use something that is known to everyone to advertise landmines. As I continued to work on my project I slowly started to feel how fortunate I was and how it is almost my duty to do something about these hidden killers. I hope that everyone will enjoy my landmine commercial tomorrow!

Life

2008-04-15T07:33:00.000-07:00

Life is amazing. It is unexplainable in words. I have been so lucky to endure the many things I have experienced. As I reflect back I realize how fortunate I am. For the past few days I have been thinking about the future, planning a little bit all the while discovering so many things. About myself, others and life in itself. Yes life is beautiful. An amazing picture. You may think it is bizarre but for me sometimes the longing, waiting or missing can even be beautiful. Yet sometimes you feel lost. Yet that is beauty in itself too. To enjoy it, but to experience it. To not lie to yourself. To live with no regrets. To love, to hate, to enjoy, to remember, to cry, to stand strong, to miss, to forget, to hurt, to learn, to think, to enjoy, to leave, to arrive, to stay, to go, to fall, to get up, to find comfort in pain, to hide yourself, to show yourself, to wait for someone, to know that you are one with someone else, to smile, to frown and so many other things, all part of life.

Maybe what I am trying to say is, how grateful I am that I can feel all these things and to be alive. This in itself is like a craving. To find fulfillment in life, just live. It is amazing and simple. Again it is indescribable in words, however you can not help to try to express it. Music is the language of life. I am thinking about taking a year off and just seeing the world. See life for others, see life everywhere. Add to my own life...

Self Evaluation (what a conceited post)

2008-04-07T00:31:00.000-07:00

Community Contributor:
I think I deserve a 2 because I am constantly helping people and if I dont know I talk and discuss with other about the problem. I contribute to discussions. However I can think of 2 instances in which I was not in the zone because I was very tired but at the end of the class I got back into my groove, therefore no one is perfect. I do not interrupt people and I am a good listener. Overall I think I am a good community contributor.

Critical Thinking/Problem Solving:

I think I deserve a 2 in this section because I try to answer my own questions before I ask the teacher. I try and I discuss with the others. If that will not work I will try to search online for things. A lot of critical thinking is done in the head and can not be explained well but for many things I often find that I am able to find the most efficient way. This sounded very conceited. If I can not figure the problem out I will ask instead of just ponder and waste time.

Active Learning:

I give myself a 1.5 because of the very few times I was a little late and that I can think of, although very very few, still instances where I was not paying as much attention as I could have been. However overall I know for a fact that the class, especially the problems/challenges proposed, interests me and prompts me to learn and often I use my skills in order to learn. I do this, I would say 90% of the time.

Person of High Character:

I will give myself a 2 because I do my homework at home all the time and that I do not cheat on the tests. However that is a given, I think much more importantly is I respect the others and the teacher, I do not get into heated arguments and be angry or annoyed but rather usually optimistic. I definitely think I deserve a 2. Everyone has there bad days but it is life and I just get over it and try to focus on the physics, because of this attitude I think I deserve a 2.

Effective Communicator:

I think I deserve a 2 because I am able to voice my opinions politely, respectfully and efficiently. I think that is the key word I do not run around in circles, I get to the point and I share my ideas. For examples during the discussions I can bring up important topics and participate in the discussions without disrupting the class or interrupting anyone. I make sure that everyone understands what I am saying and I speak so everyone can hear. I try to make everyone involved when I communicate. This is why I deserve a 2. I think I am lucky because up to now I have not gotten ma, angry or annoyed in science class yet. haha

People

2008-03-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

2008-03-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

MeeGoreng....Mee pok lah....too tired...siaaaa i return and finish dis later lah...meh me aled and connie make podcast fo you loh...talk about sporeans and singapore....

My Embarassing Lack of Knowledge on Newton

2008-03-18T00:36:00.000-07:00

Isaac Newton was a knighted British scientist. He studied at Cambridge and invented Newtonian Physics and he is one of the most important scientists of our day. He told us that there were a universal set of rules that governed the ways things moved. He came up with the concept of Gravity and the 3 laws of motion. He lived during the Renaissance and he did many astronomical explorations as well. The three laws of motion are inertia, that there is an equal opposite force for all forces exerted and that F = ma...His physical theories were backed up by studies on the Haley's Comet.

Land Mines, the hidden killers.

2008-03-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

We do not care. That is the simple truth. We are so fortunate, and often we take things for granted. We do not have the problem of landmines so we do not care (I do now and I dont want to say EVERYONE does not care..sorry if you are one of those who really do care) This Ad really puts us in the shoes of those who has this problem. It is really well imaged and manipulative of the audience. We are the ones that can make a difference. The ones rich enough to own SUV's and send our daughters to soccer games in a very nice and safe neighborhood. The victims are trying to create awareness but they need help, from us. This Ad really paints a picture in our heads. What if landmines were here??? What if my daughter gets her leg blown off by just going to a soccer game??? These things do happen and these things scare us. They dont when they are far away but when ads like these force you to think, you are afraid and you suddenly understand what it feels like to live in fear. Then maybe, this will impact you enough to care and want to make a difference.

Another aspect of this video is the shock. Maybe not to adults because we can analyze and dissect this commercial so well but a small child just watching this might be shocked and the images of the explosion could very well have a big impact. With this commercial and proper education I am sure that he will very much care about the problem about landmines and after watching this, the commercial could very easily prompt the child to ask teachers or parents.

Kobe Bryant

2008-03-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Kobe Bryant blog day. So why am I blogging today? No reason, because he is great. We always take him for granted. He revolutionized the words "work ethic" in the NBA. He revolutionized the fade-away jump shot. He is the most prolific scorer in the NBA today. He has put up 81 points in one game. There is no doubt. He has matured so instead of 50 points he puts up 50 wins. He is hated, for being arrogant, for being the best, for being feared, for having no mercy, for being so clutch, for making everything look so easy and for loving the game, the competition and the thing that everyone plays for, the ring.

Humanities Gun Violence posts

2008-03-09T18:32:00.001-07:00

Describe your ideal society that would be free from gun violence.

There is no such ideal society now and that kind of ideal society would most probably never exist.
However we can always imagine and try to work our way close to that kind of society.

Gun violence is obviously caused because people have guns, and people feel the need to use them. Therefore we should try to reduce the amount of guns and resolve all the insecurities and problems that citizens have. In order to get rid of the problems you must conduct researches, surveys etc. to find out the problems and insecurities of why people think they need a gun. Then you aim to fix those problems first. Things like poverty, safety etc. While you fix these problems you must reduce guns, have no guns for the public. Only the police are allowed to carry arms. This way it would be so much harder to get a gun and suddenly there is no reason to get a gun. However I think there will always be loopholes, so we can only do our best to prevent gun violence. If you think about it, it is hard to get rid of the guns when all our leaders and superpowers of the world are giving and supplying the most guns, not to mention making the most money out of the weapons. Understanding and Self Control.

1st Science Blog

2008-03-06T23:31:00.000-08:00

Science is something that you hear very frequently about and often when you hear of it you think of The Human Body, Earth Science, Physics etc. mostly the subjects that you can take. However I think that science is not only that. It is a belief, it is a process of thinking, a way of using our brains and it is something that we use everyday to solve problems.