The demon boy will find his place in this world of pleasure and pain.
Will they learn the faults of the world’s profligacy?
Tell me this oh fools of the netherworld.
Can we seek the truth through the eyes of the dead?
We can learn from the mistakes of the dead.
As the dead can make only so many—as they have no point living.
But as for the living that walk around us,
What can they teach us?
Teach us to follow what one says because it is right,
Teach us to answer without any questions,
Teach us to become the existing and not the non-existing,
The living has guidelines that one must follow to be independent of oneself.
Will answers be answered by taking the lives of the living?
Will the demon boy find the truth of his existence—
Through depriving his body of blood—
Blood that brings sorrow to those without an existence.
Truth can be found in these living dead creatures—
The truth of comprehending hypocrisy in its purest form.
A death of inconvenience can never cleanse your soul—
As your so called cleanse soul—have now stain the souls of others
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Book Review: The Hound of the Baskervilles
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous character, Sherlock Holmes, once again proved himself to be one of the most observant detectives in the detective fiction world. In the mystery, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sherlock manages to solve the case of the myth about a supernatural hound that hunts down the Baskerville family. This intriguing story keeps the reader addicted and captivated into the plot of the story.
In The Hound of the Baskervilles, the setting of the story was set around the time of 1889 due to the fact that was the year of the cane given to James Mortimer. At this time, the Victorian Age was beginning and ready for the turn of the century. People of this time believed that they had a reputation to uphold and had to present themselves to be more knowledgeable and better manner than anybody else. This type of personality can be found in The Hound of the Baskervilles with many of the character especially with Sherlock Holmes. Although back in modern times today when people who read Sherlock now may perceive him to being egotistical and self-absorbed. This type of personality was not look down upon in the Victorian society. When in the beginning of the novel where Sherlock seems to be insulting Watson’s intelligence for Watson trying to solve the owner of the cane, such sentences like, “Some people possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it. I confess, my dear fellow, that I am very much in your debt (Discovering Sherlock Holmes).” The attitude that Sherlock demonstrates to Watson is enjoyed by many Victorians as they believe in flaunting their intelligence.
The style of writing that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used in his story, The Hound of the Baskervilles, dealt with intriguing writing that brings the reader into the story, gothic literature, and the element of mystery. In order for this style of story to be replicated, the writer would have to master the writing skills of keeping the reader on the edge of their seats. Doyle manages to keep his reader into the story by letting them try to solve the case for themselves. Although it is known in numerous Sherlock Holmes stories that only Sherlock has the information to solve the case and not the reader. However; the reader love the fact that they can try to wrack their brain over how the cased could be solved. As more clues are brought into the story, the more interested the reader is into the story. This Sherlock Holmes story revolves around a dark, foggy moor with an evil, demon hound that hunts down the Baskerville family and kills them one by one. This is a form of gothic literature that was very popular in the Victorian Age. The idea of a character making a deal with the devil to achieve his goal makes the reader intrigue of what will happen to that character and anybody else involved. The dark mood in the story has an eerie feeling that keeps the reader in wonder of what might happen next. The next element of the story would be the element of mystery. This style of writing keeps the reader in a vague idea of what is exactly going on in the story. The reasoning for doing this is to keep the reader wanting to find out what happens next in the story which they allow themselves to continue on reading to find out what happens next. The writing hooks the reader into wanting to find out what happens in the story towards the very end.
This was an exciting style of writing especially during the time period of the Victorian Age. This style of writing during the turn of the century was probably some sort of release valve for the people during this time. These types of novels have a great appeal to the people who have very boring and dry lives. These people, such as the classic Victorian Age wife, only had to clean the house, take care of the kids, and make food for the family and nothing else new. These daily everyday routines during the Victorian Age created a need for something that can give them a rush. A Sherlock Holmes novel such as The Hound of the Baskervilles had the excitement that people during that time needed in order to satisfy that urge of something new. The Victorian Age people lead very strict and mundane lives that kept them repress of doing anything that would be consider unorthodox. Reading these Sherlock Holmes stories allow them to be the noble Victorians, but yet were able to satisfy their urges for excitement.
Sherlock Holmes is still a famous character today in the modern world. Although people do not read books as much as people did back in the Victorian Age due to the inventions of radio, television and internet, when the name “Sherlock Holmes” is mention then most people have a good idea to know who exactly Sherlock Holmes is due to his famous detective skills. Sherlock Holmes stories are still popular and interesting in the modern world because people are still interested in detective work. When people watch shows like CSI or similar shows, they are given certain evidence and given the opportunity to solve the case. But in reality, the people who try to following along usually do not have the same information to solve the case like the characters do on the show. This is the same example that goes for Sherlock Holmes stories. As the reader tries to solve the case with the clues given to them, Sherlock is always one step ahead since he has information that the reader does not have. But either in the Victorian Age or all the way through the modern times, people love to reader these thrillers, mystery stories. People have this natural attraction for crimes that seem insolvable, but with the right information and the right character then that case is consider case closed.
“Discovering Sherlock Holmes.” The Hound of the Baskervilles. A Community Reading Project From Stanford University. Stanford University. 2006. 11/12/07.
In The Hound of the Baskervilles, the setting of the story was set around the time of 1889 due to the fact that was the year of the cane given to James Mortimer. At this time, the Victorian Age was beginning and ready for the turn of the century. People of this time believed that they had a reputation to uphold and had to present themselves to be more knowledgeable and better manner than anybody else. This type of personality can be found in The Hound of the Baskervilles with many of the character especially with Sherlock Holmes. Although back in modern times today when people who read Sherlock now may perceive him to being egotistical and self-absorbed. This type of personality was not look down upon in the Victorian society. When in the beginning of the novel where Sherlock seems to be insulting Watson’s intelligence for Watson trying to solve the owner of the cane, such sentences like, “Some people possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it. I confess, my dear fellow, that I am very much in your debt (Discovering Sherlock Holmes).” The attitude that Sherlock demonstrates to Watson is enjoyed by many Victorians as they believe in flaunting their intelligence.
The style of writing that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used in his story, The Hound of the Baskervilles, dealt with intriguing writing that brings the reader into the story, gothic literature, and the element of mystery. In order for this style of story to be replicated, the writer would have to master the writing skills of keeping the reader on the edge of their seats. Doyle manages to keep his reader into the story by letting them try to solve the case for themselves. Although it is known in numerous Sherlock Holmes stories that only Sherlock has the information to solve the case and not the reader. However; the reader love the fact that they can try to wrack their brain over how the cased could be solved. As more clues are brought into the story, the more interested the reader is into the story. This Sherlock Holmes story revolves around a dark, foggy moor with an evil, demon hound that hunts down the Baskerville family and kills them one by one. This is a form of gothic literature that was very popular in the Victorian Age. The idea of a character making a deal with the devil to achieve his goal makes the reader intrigue of what will happen to that character and anybody else involved. The dark mood in the story has an eerie feeling that keeps the reader in wonder of what might happen next. The next element of the story would be the element of mystery. This style of writing keeps the reader in a vague idea of what is exactly going on in the story. The reasoning for doing this is to keep the reader wanting to find out what happens next in the story which they allow themselves to continue on reading to find out what happens next. The writing hooks the reader into wanting to find out what happens in the story towards the very end.
This was an exciting style of writing especially during the time period of the Victorian Age. This style of writing during the turn of the century was probably some sort of release valve for the people during this time. These types of novels have a great appeal to the people who have very boring and dry lives. These people, such as the classic Victorian Age wife, only had to clean the house, take care of the kids, and make food for the family and nothing else new. These daily everyday routines during the Victorian Age created a need for something that can give them a rush. A Sherlock Holmes novel such as The Hound of the Baskervilles had the excitement that people during that time needed in order to satisfy that urge of something new. The Victorian Age people lead very strict and mundane lives that kept them repress of doing anything that would be consider unorthodox. Reading these Sherlock Holmes stories allow them to be the noble Victorians, but yet were able to satisfy their urges for excitement.
Sherlock Holmes is still a famous character today in the modern world. Although people do not read books as much as people did back in the Victorian Age due to the inventions of radio, television and internet, when the name “Sherlock Holmes” is mention then most people have a good idea to know who exactly Sherlock Holmes is due to his famous detective skills. Sherlock Holmes stories are still popular and interesting in the modern world because people are still interested in detective work. When people watch shows like CSI or similar shows, they are given certain evidence and given the opportunity to solve the case. But in reality, the people who try to following along usually do not have the same information to solve the case like the characters do on the show. This is the same example that goes for Sherlock Holmes stories. As the reader tries to solve the case with the clues given to them, Sherlock is always one step ahead since he has information that the reader does not have. But either in the Victorian Age or all the way through the modern times, people love to reader these thrillers, mystery stories. People have this natural attraction for crimes that seem insolvable, but with the right information and the right character then that case is consider case closed.
“Discovering Sherlock Holmes.” The Hound of the Baskervilles. A Community Reading Project From Stanford University. Stanford University. 2006. 11/12/07.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The Problem with Big-Box Stores
Everybody knows the famous Wal-mart slogan, “Everyday Low Prices.” When you think about a store that has about every single item you can possibly think of within a reasonable walking distance, then you think to yourself how could a store like this could have a harmful effect on the economy and society. These big box stores such as Wal-Mart, Home Depots, Target, K-Mart, and numerous other big box stores all share the hidden problems rarely seen by the public.
Big box stores such as Wal-Mart cause numerous different problems for the economy in the United States. These stores are creating a huge class of low-paid, non-union workers who can not afford basic needs such as health insurance or school lunches for children. They are forcing U.S. Suppliers to manufacture products in low-wage countries overseas in order to meet demands for increasingly low prices. They cost the American taxpayers millions of dollars in road construction, public safety, poor health care coverage, and sending manufacturing business overseas.
In a study compiled by the University of California, at the Berkeley labor institute, the average Wal-Mart employee in California earns 31 percent less than the average employee at other large retail stores. The average Wal-mart employee’s wage in California is around $9.70 as other retailers in California is around $14.01. This same study states that fewer Wal-Mart employees are covered by company-based health insurance. This will result in the Wal-Mart employees, who have families to support, having to use more taxpayer subsidized public assistance such as health care and food stamps. Wal-mart offers inadequate health insurance plans, throwing more health care responsibility to the workers. Wal mart encourages employees to seek charitable and public assistance for meeting health care needs. The amount of public assistance used yearly by employees of Wal-mart ranges around $1,952 as the other retail stores employees averages around $1,401. These big box retailers carry hidden costs. In addition to millions of dollars in tax breaks and other government subsidies paid to big discounters, these companies often pay below-subsistence wages. The average Wal-mart clerk made $8.23 an hour in 2001 or $13,861 a year, below the federal poverty line of $14, 630 for a family of three. The study from University of California, Berkeley found that Wal-mart employees in California cost taxpayers 86 million dollars due to reliance on government services.
These big box stores have a representation of putting smaller stores out of business because they can not compete to the big box stores ridiculously low prices. These big box stores such as Wal-Mart or Home Depots have harmed the economy by putting these small town businesses out of business. A local community of small owned stores has three times more money stay in the local economy when goods and services are brought from locally owned businesses instead being bought at these national chains and big box stores. According to a study, the percentage of revenues spent in the local and state economy of a locally owned business is 53.3%. As the big box stores only have 14.1% of revenues spent for the local and state economy. Because of stores like Wal-Mart having about every kind of item a consumer can possibly think of buying, bookstores, music retailers, electronic chains and supermarkets are struggling to compete with the low prices of Wal-Mart. Even stores like Toys “R” Us announced that it might abandon the toy business due to the more successful toy sales of Wal-Mart. Not only does these stores cause problems for businesses trying to sell, but also cause problems for the manufacturing businesses. Wal-Mart demands companies that the suppliers have to lower their wholesale prices or they will threaten that manufacturing company by find another business that will help them. This forces these manufacturing companies to send their business overseas to places like Mexico, China, or other oversea manufacturing plants. This in the end results in more jobless Americans. Levi Strauss & Co., America’s ironic jean maker, shuttered all its North American manufacturing plants in the past two years, eliminating some 5,600 jobs; foreign factories now handle the work.
These big box stores such as Wal-Mart have also use strategies such as creating 325 “dead” stores in America. These are stores which used to be a Wal-Mart, but decided to move their business somewhere else. However; they still own the empty store and will refuse to let it be occupied by other brand of big box store. These big box stores have made a negative impact on America’s economy and needs to be regulated before any more harmful actions are done towards the American economy and people.
Big box stores such as Wal-Mart cause numerous different problems for the economy in the United States. These stores are creating a huge class of low-paid, non-union workers who can not afford basic needs such as health insurance or school lunches for children. They are forcing U.S. Suppliers to manufacture products in low-wage countries overseas in order to meet demands for increasingly low prices. They cost the American taxpayers millions of dollars in road construction, public safety, poor health care coverage, and sending manufacturing business overseas.
In a study compiled by the University of California, at the Berkeley labor institute, the average Wal-Mart employee in California earns 31 percent less than the average employee at other large retail stores. The average Wal-mart employee’s wage in California is around $9.70 as other retailers in California is around $14.01. This same study states that fewer Wal-Mart employees are covered by company-based health insurance. This will result in the Wal-Mart employees, who have families to support, having to use more taxpayer subsidized public assistance such as health care and food stamps. Wal-mart offers inadequate health insurance plans, throwing more health care responsibility to the workers. Wal mart encourages employees to seek charitable and public assistance for meeting health care needs. The amount of public assistance used yearly by employees of Wal-mart ranges around $1,952 as the other retail stores employees averages around $1,401. These big box retailers carry hidden costs. In addition to millions of dollars in tax breaks and other government subsidies paid to big discounters, these companies often pay below-subsistence wages. The average Wal-mart clerk made $8.23 an hour in 2001 or $13,861 a year, below the federal poverty line of $14, 630 for a family of three. The study from University of California, Berkeley found that Wal-mart employees in California cost taxpayers 86 million dollars due to reliance on government services.
These big box stores have a representation of putting smaller stores out of business because they can not compete to the big box stores ridiculously low prices. These big box stores such as Wal-Mart or Home Depots have harmed the economy by putting these small town businesses out of business. A local community of small owned stores has three times more money stay in the local economy when goods and services are brought from locally owned businesses instead being bought at these national chains and big box stores. According to a study, the percentage of revenues spent in the local and state economy of a locally owned business is 53.3%. As the big box stores only have 14.1% of revenues spent for the local and state economy. Because of stores like Wal-Mart having about every kind of item a consumer can possibly think of buying, bookstores, music retailers, electronic chains and supermarkets are struggling to compete with the low prices of Wal-Mart. Even stores like Toys “R” Us announced that it might abandon the toy business due to the more successful toy sales of Wal-Mart. Not only does these stores cause problems for businesses trying to sell, but also cause problems for the manufacturing businesses. Wal-Mart demands companies that the suppliers have to lower their wholesale prices or they will threaten that manufacturing company by find another business that will help them. This forces these manufacturing companies to send their business overseas to places like Mexico, China, or other oversea manufacturing plants. This in the end results in more jobless Americans. Levi Strauss & Co., America’s ironic jean maker, shuttered all its North American manufacturing plants in the past two years, eliminating some 5,600 jobs; foreign factories now handle the work.
These big box stores such as Wal-Mart have also use strategies such as creating 325 “dead” stores in America. These are stores which used to be a Wal-Mart, but decided to move their business somewhere else. However; they still own the empty store and will refuse to let it be occupied by other brand of big box store. These big box stores have made a negative impact on America’s economy and needs to be regulated before any more harmful actions are done towards the American economy and people.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Driving through the Night
Anytime I am about to embark on a journey that requires me to travel through the night, I get this excitement that builds up within myself. I not exactly sure why is it that I am always so eager to drive through the night. This includes four hour trips to the beach to five minute drives to the grocery store. If the opportunity of driving through the darkness of nights is available to me, then I do not hesitate one bit to take up on that offer. I often wonder what the reasons are for me having such a fascination with traveling through the night.
Maybe it is the idea of how many unexpected things can happen at night that makes me want to drive in the night. A person can feel so vulnerable and afraid when they do not exactly know what their surrounds are around them. I think it could be for that reason why I like driving through the night. The idea that only thing that is providing me the ability to drive through the night is the headlights on the car. If the headlights goes out then not only I am consume in the darkness and deprive the ability to continued on with my journey, but I am in a situation that gives me an adrenaline rush as I have no idea what could happen to me. The mind is a powerful weapon that can make you believe that anything can harm you when your sight is taking from you. Maybe if that is not the case, then it is how different the environment is around you when you travel through the dark. When driving up a mountain or driving through a heavy forested area, objects appear much more different when they are presented in the daylight. It is almost like entering a completely different world. When I drive up a mountain with trees far as the eye can see in the dark, it sometimes reminds of some kind of setting of a Tim Burton movie. Just how what looks like trees in the daylight with a little darkness can make the harmless trees into large, creepy people reaching for your vehicle at night.
Yes, the idea of not being aware of your surroundings can give anybody a decent amount of adrenaline to the brain, but I think I have other reasons for having a strong attraction of driving through the dark. Anytime I have to travel to Myrtle Beach for vacation I know this one stretch of road that I know I have to drive on it during the night. It is somewhere in South Carolina that has hardly any houses or lights. Also, the environment is just an open field with little or no trees. When I travel through this area at night I love to gaze upon the thousands of stars in the sky. I am use to live in an area that lets me see a view stars, but it amazes exactly how many stars can fill up the sky in the one special area of South Carolina. It is a relaxing and calming feeling when I see these things when I am driving through the night. I am a big fan of listening to metal and rock music while I am driving long distances, but it is times like this when I slowly turn down the volume to a mute and roll down the window to just embrace the fresh air of the night. It is when I drive through the night; nature reveals its mysterious, quiet beauty that is always hidden during the daylight. Seeing the sun set out into the west are the rare times that the dark beauty of nature reveals itself. Some people may perceive the dark night as melancholy and gloomy, but I believe that the dark night has a calming effect that allows me to slow down and reflect on my life.
So it is a possibility of the excitement of not knowing where I am in the dark and the calmness of the night that makes me eager when somebody asks me if I care to drive in the dark. Sometimes I think there are things in life you just can not explain through words, but only through experience. My experiences in driving through the night have not always been good. I have been pulled over for speeding and have drove into ditches during times of driving through the dark. Events such as these or numerous other types of examples might discourage people from driving through the dark, but I am not one of those people. I choose to risk my life as the unexpected is always wanting for you when driving through the night. I think people with this fear of driving through the night are unnecessary. Never let your life be hinder by experiences that you think are to terrifying to experience again. Learn from the mistakes of those experiences and applying to helping others or yourself in the future. I am truly addicted to driving in the night because I want to have more experiences of life that I can use to help others and myself. Think about that next time you drive to the grocery store at night.
I know I will.
Maybe it is the idea of how many unexpected things can happen at night that makes me want to drive in the night. A person can feel so vulnerable and afraid when they do not exactly know what their surrounds are around them. I think it could be for that reason why I like driving through the night. The idea that only thing that is providing me the ability to drive through the night is the headlights on the car. If the headlights goes out then not only I am consume in the darkness and deprive the ability to continued on with my journey, but I am in a situation that gives me an adrenaline rush as I have no idea what could happen to me. The mind is a powerful weapon that can make you believe that anything can harm you when your sight is taking from you. Maybe if that is not the case, then it is how different the environment is around you when you travel through the dark. When driving up a mountain or driving through a heavy forested area, objects appear much more different when they are presented in the daylight. It is almost like entering a completely different world. When I drive up a mountain with trees far as the eye can see in the dark, it sometimes reminds of some kind of setting of a Tim Burton movie. Just how what looks like trees in the daylight with a little darkness can make the harmless trees into large, creepy people reaching for your vehicle at night.
Yes, the idea of not being aware of your surroundings can give anybody a decent amount of adrenaline to the brain, but I think I have other reasons for having a strong attraction of driving through the dark. Anytime I have to travel to Myrtle Beach for vacation I know this one stretch of road that I know I have to drive on it during the night. It is somewhere in South Carolina that has hardly any houses or lights. Also, the environment is just an open field with little or no trees. When I travel through this area at night I love to gaze upon the thousands of stars in the sky. I am use to live in an area that lets me see a view stars, but it amazes exactly how many stars can fill up the sky in the one special area of South Carolina. It is a relaxing and calming feeling when I see these things when I am driving through the night. I am a big fan of listening to metal and rock music while I am driving long distances, but it is times like this when I slowly turn down the volume to a mute and roll down the window to just embrace the fresh air of the night. It is when I drive through the night; nature reveals its mysterious, quiet beauty that is always hidden during the daylight. Seeing the sun set out into the west are the rare times that the dark beauty of nature reveals itself. Some people may perceive the dark night as melancholy and gloomy, but I believe that the dark night has a calming effect that allows me to slow down and reflect on my life.
So it is a possibility of the excitement of not knowing where I am in the dark and the calmness of the night that makes me eager when somebody asks me if I care to drive in the dark. Sometimes I think there are things in life you just can not explain through words, but only through experience. My experiences in driving through the night have not always been good. I have been pulled over for speeding and have drove into ditches during times of driving through the dark. Events such as these or numerous other types of examples might discourage people from driving through the dark, but I am not one of those people. I choose to risk my life as the unexpected is always wanting for you when driving through the night. I think people with this fear of driving through the night are unnecessary. Never let your life be hinder by experiences that you think are to terrifying to experience again. Learn from the mistakes of those experiences and applying to helping others or yourself in the future. I am truly addicted to driving in the night because I want to have more experiences of life that I can use to help others and myself. Think about that next time you drive to the grocery store at night.
I know I will.
Critical Analysis of Thomas Aquinas' "The Five Ways"
Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican monk, created five arguments that all are proving the existence of God. Before Aquinas explains why God does exist in the world, he provides the objections that are against the existence of God. With one objection dealing with if God has infinite goodness, then evil should not exist. But evil does exist in the world so this idea contradicts with itself and thus means that God could not exist (Pojman 51). The second objection Aquinas points out is the discussion of the existence of God requires little principles that manage to produce numerous things in nature. But nature proves that all of these principles can be accounted by other principles. With this in mind, all things in nature can be reduce to one principle. As all voluntary things can be reduced to one principle, which is human reason. In the end resulting that there is no reason to believe that God has an existence (Pojman 51). Aquinas decides to disprove both these objections with his five arguments.
Aquinas first argument is based almost on the idea of Isaac Newton’s third law of motion, which is for every action is a reaction. Aquinas discuss about how there must be some kind of cause that would later cause the creation of the universe. The “first cause” argument Aquinas argues that in order for the world to exist there must be some type of infinite being that must be the first cause. Since God would be that infinite being, then God would cause the world to come into existence. An example that Aquinas provides an example about fire and wood that related to the first cause argument. In order for movement or an action to happen, then a thing cannot be brought from potentiality to actuality without a thing that already exists in actuality. Hot is an actuality, like fire, makes wood hot in potentiality. But in order for wood to be hot actuality, then a cause must happen such as fire set the wood aflame in order for the hot become an actuality (Pojman 51). Aquinas believes that God is the first cause of the universe or even existence itself to be an actuality. This argument does make some kind of sense in the idea that in order to have a finite existence that some kind of infinite existence must exist in order for such a cause to happen. The one flaw that can be recognize in this argument is the idea of how is it possible to be against the idea of existence coming to existence due to random events that happen in the cosmos billions of years ago, but yet believe in the idea that a God has existed before the universe was created. Aquinas’ argument makes some sense if the argument is related to the idea of Newton’s third law of motion. The idea that in order for a finite existence to exist, then an infinite existence must exist for that first cause to take place.
The fourth argument presented by Aquinas discusses the idea of degrees in life. He believes that God must be the highest degree of nobility and goodness. That like the fire example, fire is hot at its highest degree. This would mean that fire is the first cause for anything to be hot (Pojman 53). This argument presented by Aquinas argues against the second objection for the principles in life. Aquinas’ fourth argument is like a tree diagram of some sort. With God being at the top of the tree diagram, the graph that branches out must be existence.
The fifth argument presented by Aquinas is the idea of harmony. Aquinas argues that it is hard to conceive the idea that these events in life that caused existence can not arrive at their goal simply by chance, but by purpose (Pojman 53). That thing in life that has no knowledge does not move towards a goal unless a knowledgeable being guides that unknowledgeable thing to the goal. Aquinas uses the example of an arrow and archer. The arrow has no mind or goal, it is just an arrow. But with the help of the knowledgeable archer, then the arrow has a purpose and a destination (Pojman 53). God is this being that is all knowledgeable and guides the unknowledgeable beings, such as the world, to a goal or purpose. This is what Aquinas calls harmony within the relationship of God and humans. This idea of harmony might seem to contradict the idea of God giving human beings the ability of free will. If God works like Aquinas explains in his fifth argument, then human does not truly have free will since God is directing the universe. So according to what Aquinas argues about, God might have allow evil to enter this world since he is the guiding the world.
In all of the five arguments that Aquinas uses to prove the existence of God, when any of these arguments are only look on the surface. Then they provide great reasoning of how God could actually exist. But when any of these topics are discuss even more and a critical analysis is applied to any of the arguments. Then flaws and contradictory appears in Aquinas’ text. Aquinas use arguments that can be supported if certain topics are avoided in the explanation of God’s existence. In Aquinas’s first cause argument, one would have to ignore the fact that even though Aquinas refuse to believe in the idea like the Big Bang theory since they can not comprehend the idea of a universe just having a spontaneous explosion that created life in the end. But yet in his first argument, he argues that God, an infinite being, must have created existence. This is some form of contradiction as if he could accept the idea of a being that has always existed before existence itself, then why is it so hard to believe in the idea of the universe to create itself? The totality of Aquinas’ five arguments makes some sort of sense, but these arguments can not be consider a fact since the arguments seem to contradict within itself.
Pojman, Louis P. Philosophy The Quest for Truth. Ed. L. P. Pojman. 6th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Aquinas first argument is based almost on the idea of Isaac Newton’s third law of motion, which is for every action is a reaction. Aquinas discuss about how there must be some kind of cause that would later cause the creation of the universe. The “first cause” argument Aquinas argues that in order for the world to exist there must be some type of infinite being that must be the first cause. Since God would be that infinite being, then God would cause the world to come into existence. An example that Aquinas provides an example about fire and wood that related to the first cause argument. In order for movement or an action to happen, then a thing cannot be brought from potentiality to actuality without a thing that already exists in actuality. Hot is an actuality, like fire, makes wood hot in potentiality. But in order for wood to be hot actuality, then a cause must happen such as fire set the wood aflame in order for the hot become an actuality (Pojman 51). Aquinas believes that God is the first cause of the universe or even existence itself to be an actuality. This argument does make some kind of sense in the idea that in order to have a finite existence that some kind of infinite existence must exist in order for such a cause to happen. The one flaw that can be recognize in this argument is the idea of how is it possible to be against the idea of existence coming to existence due to random events that happen in the cosmos billions of years ago, but yet believe in the idea that a God has existed before the universe was created. Aquinas’ argument makes some sense if the argument is related to the idea of Newton’s third law of motion. The idea that in order for a finite existence to exist, then an infinite existence must exist for that first cause to take place.
The fourth argument presented by Aquinas discusses the idea of degrees in life. He believes that God must be the highest degree of nobility and goodness. That like the fire example, fire is hot at its highest degree. This would mean that fire is the first cause for anything to be hot (Pojman 53). This argument presented by Aquinas argues against the second objection for the principles in life. Aquinas’ fourth argument is like a tree diagram of some sort. With God being at the top of the tree diagram, the graph that branches out must be existence.
The fifth argument presented by Aquinas is the idea of harmony. Aquinas argues that it is hard to conceive the idea that these events in life that caused existence can not arrive at their goal simply by chance, but by purpose (Pojman 53). That thing in life that has no knowledge does not move towards a goal unless a knowledgeable being guides that unknowledgeable thing to the goal. Aquinas uses the example of an arrow and archer. The arrow has no mind or goal, it is just an arrow. But with the help of the knowledgeable archer, then the arrow has a purpose and a destination (Pojman 53). God is this being that is all knowledgeable and guides the unknowledgeable beings, such as the world, to a goal or purpose. This is what Aquinas calls harmony within the relationship of God and humans. This idea of harmony might seem to contradict the idea of God giving human beings the ability of free will. If God works like Aquinas explains in his fifth argument, then human does not truly have free will since God is directing the universe. So according to what Aquinas argues about, God might have allow evil to enter this world since he is the guiding the world.
In all of the five arguments that Aquinas uses to prove the existence of God, when any of these arguments are only look on the surface. Then they provide great reasoning of how God could actually exist. But when any of these topics are discuss even more and a critical analysis is applied to any of the arguments. Then flaws and contradictory appears in Aquinas’ text. Aquinas use arguments that can be supported if certain topics are avoided in the explanation of God’s existence. In Aquinas’s first cause argument, one would have to ignore the fact that even though Aquinas refuse to believe in the idea like the Big Bang theory since they can not comprehend the idea of a universe just having a spontaneous explosion that created life in the end. But yet in his first argument, he argues that God, an infinite being, must have created existence. This is some form of contradiction as if he could accept the idea of a being that has always existed before existence itself, then why is it so hard to believe in the idea of the universe to create itself? The totality of Aquinas’ five arguments makes some sort of sense, but these arguments can not be consider a fact since the arguments seem to contradict within itself.
Pojman, Louis P. Philosophy The Quest for Truth. Ed. L. P. Pojman. 6th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Is Morality Relative or Not?
In the argument of morality is relative or not, Ruth Benedict approach the discussion as a cultural relativist as the opposing view of James Rachels approach the discussion as a moral absolutist. In the end, Rachels provided a much stronger argument that morality is not relative.
Rachels discuss both the ideas of cultural relativism and moral absolutism, and explains the problems of cultural relativism. He points out problems that lie within the ideas of cultural relativism. Rachels uses examples such as infants in society and how if cultural relativism was applied then a society could not support itself. The example begins with the idea if those human infants are forced to depend on others for care and assistance. If society beliefs did not focus on the care of human infants, then the young could not survive in that society (Pojman 411). If the lifestyle of this society chooses to continue this type of living, then this society would not have any other people to replace the old that have died in the group (Pojman 412). The cultural relativist could not just accept this type of lifestyle just because they have different moral standards or moral code. This style of living must be an exception rather than the rule (Pojman 412).
The moral absolutist understands that there is that universal order that dwell within every society. Rachels provides an example that in some way society does not differ from each other as much as we think they do. View a society that does not believe in eating cows because in this society, cows are very sacred. They are a country that is starving, but they choose not to eat the cows because they believe that life after death return into other beings, such as cows, and that cow could be somebody’s grandparent. Our society has the same reasoning with the idea of eating your friend or grandparent is wrong and should not be done no matter how hungry the person is in that society (Pojman 410). This example provides an understanding that this world has a universal connection with all other societies. That moral absolutism has to be the answer because cultural relativism does not accept the idea that these types of universal connections exist in the world. That the cultural relativist believes that societies have their different opinions and cultural beliefs that do not hold them accountable for any actions they do since it is the way of their lifestyle.
The problem with cultural relativism is the fact that no one can possible says that any culture is wrong. Different cultures in different societies have to respect one another since one society’s values are different from another society’s values. At some point of reasoning how respecting different society’s is beneficial, the idea seems to conflict with itself. Rachels gives another example of this situation. During World War II, the Nazi’s leader, Adolph Hitler, created a society based on Anti – Semitic ideals and even went as far as trying to exterminate the entire race of Jews (Pojman 409). The cultural relativist would have to respect his type of view since they just have different cultural beliefs compare to the rest of the world. The cultural relativist would have to respect their view even to the point that they would have to agree that a society tolerant of Jews is no better than Hitler’s Anti – Semitic society (Pojman 409). The moral absolutist understands that at some point there is a wrong and a right in every society. This idea has to exist because if it did not exist, then a society could not support itself for a long period of time. Rachels also provides the example of murder, and how the cultural relativist or the moral absolutist would have to view the idea of murder. The cultural relativist could not disapprove murder in one society because that is there lifestyle. Societies that do not look down on murdering could not support themselves because people would begin to distrust each other. People would become independent and hope that they can survive without the interaction of others so they can live a long life. In the end, this type of lifestyle makes any type of society vulnerable to collapse (Pojman 412). The moral absolutist understands that murder is wrong no matter what the society thinks, and decides to prohibit murder in any society. This idea of making murder wrong no matter what the society thinks can give people trust to each other. This type of society can exist since it has an understanding of murder being wrong (Pojman 412).
The moral absolutist believes that the world has to function with rules and boundaries. That stating every society can do not wrong just because they have different cultural backgrounds or different lifestyles is completely ludicrous. A society can not sustain itself by going against the universal rules that exist within the world. Even if a society never heard of these rules that they still apply because the universal order that exist knows and understand what they could be doing is wrong. Rachels knows and understands that morality is not relative because of the fact that in every society, there is a wrong and then there is a right. Without a wrong or right can lead to a society that will in the end destroy itself cause of their beliefs. Cultural relativism allows everything to be right and not wrong just base on societies who believes that they are correct and are not held accountable for any actions, right or wrong. As the moral absolutism understand that no matter what the society thinks that the universal rule still exists even if what they think is right could actually be wrong.
Pojman, Louis P. Philosophy The Quest for Truth. Ed. L. P. Pojman. 6th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Rachels discuss both the ideas of cultural relativism and moral absolutism, and explains the problems of cultural relativism. He points out problems that lie within the ideas of cultural relativism. Rachels uses examples such as infants in society and how if cultural relativism was applied then a society could not support itself. The example begins with the idea if those human infants are forced to depend on others for care and assistance. If society beliefs did not focus on the care of human infants, then the young could not survive in that society (Pojman 411). If the lifestyle of this society chooses to continue this type of living, then this society would not have any other people to replace the old that have died in the group (Pojman 412). The cultural relativist could not just accept this type of lifestyle just because they have different moral standards or moral code. This style of living must be an exception rather than the rule (Pojman 412).
The moral absolutist understands that there is that universal order that dwell within every society. Rachels provides an example that in some way society does not differ from each other as much as we think they do. View a society that does not believe in eating cows because in this society, cows are very sacred. They are a country that is starving, but they choose not to eat the cows because they believe that life after death return into other beings, such as cows, and that cow could be somebody’s grandparent. Our society has the same reasoning with the idea of eating your friend or grandparent is wrong and should not be done no matter how hungry the person is in that society (Pojman 410). This example provides an understanding that this world has a universal connection with all other societies. That moral absolutism has to be the answer because cultural relativism does not accept the idea that these types of universal connections exist in the world. That the cultural relativist believes that societies have their different opinions and cultural beliefs that do not hold them accountable for any actions they do since it is the way of their lifestyle.
The problem with cultural relativism is the fact that no one can possible says that any culture is wrong. Different cultures in different societies have to respect one another since one society’s values are different from another society’s values. At some point of reasoning how respecting different society’s is beneficial, the idea seems to conflict with itself. Rachels gives another example of this situation. During World War II, the Nazi’s leader, Adolph Hitler, created a society based on Anti – Semitic ideals and even went as far as trying to exterminate the entire race of Jews (Pojman 409). The cultural relativist would have to respect his type of view since they just have different cultural beliefs compare to the rest of the world. The cultural relativist would have to respect their view even to the point that they would have to agree that a society tolerant of Jews is no better than Hitler’s Anti – Semitic society (Pojman 409). The moral absolutist understands that at some point there is a wrong and a right in every society. This idea has to exist because if it did not exist, then a society could not support itself for a long period of time. Rachels also provides the example of murder, and how the cultural relativist or the moral absolutist would have to view the idea of murder. The cultural relativist could not disapprove murder in one society because that is there lifestyle. Societies that do not look down on murdering could not support themselves because people would begin to distrust each other. People would become independent and hope that they can survive without the interaction of others so they can live a long life. In the end, this type of lifestyle makes any type of society vulnerable to collapse (Pojman 412). The moral absolutist understands that murder is wrong no matter what the society thinks, and decides to prohibit murder in any society. This idea of making murder wrong no matter what the society thinks can give people trust to each other. This type of society can exist since it has an understanding of murder being wrong (Pojman 412).
The moral absolutist believes that the world has to function with rules and boundaries. That stating every society can do not wrong just because they have different cultural backgrounds or different lifestyles is completely ludicrous. A society can not sustain itself by going against the universal rules that exist within the world. Even if a society never heard of these rules that they still apply because the universal order that exist knows and understand what they could be doing is wrong. Rachels knows and understands that morality is not relative because of the fact that in every society, there is a wrong and then there is a right. Without a wrong or right can lead to a society that will in the end destroy itself cause of their beliefs. Cultural relativism allows everything to be right and not wrong just base on societies who believes that they are correct and are not held accountable for any actions, right or wrong. As the moral absolutism understand that no matter what the society thinks that the universal rule still exists even if what they think is right could actually be wrong.
Pojman, Louis P. Philosophy The Quest for Truth. Ed. L. P. Pojman. 6th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Why 16 Year Olds Should Not Have Right to Vote
There have been numerous discussions about the subject of should the voting age should be lowered to the age of 16. People think this is a good idea for the idea that if these young adults are voting at a younger age, then they are more likely to vote again in the future. Hopefully, this will increase the numbers of people going out to vote. However; I disagree with this idea of allowing 16 year olds to vote. Although the 16 year olds are only 2 years away from the legal voting age, they are still young and naïve to certain issues that the country faces.
A factor that I see that it is not reasonable to allow 16 years olds to vote is that they are not aware of who is exactly running and might be swayed to vote not for themselves, but vote for whoever their parents decides to vote for. 16 year olds might not know exactly where to find the right places of information that will provide them with what issues the candidates are for and against. They might be more likely to vote for somebody that they heard their name repeated over and over again on the internet, newspaper, or television. Their parents might also influence in who they vote for. They might only vote for the candidate that their parents are voting for because they might have the mind set of they know that their parents knows what is best for the country, so they will vote for the same candidate as the parents. The whole point of voting is not to vote what other people are going to vote for, but they should only vote for the candidate that has the best ideas that can help the country. These 16 year olds might not access or have access the right kind of information that will help them vote for the candidate that has the same ideals and belief as the voter.
Another problem presented in allowing 16 year old to vote is the problem that they are not paying taxes and most are dependent. When people vote for a candidate, they take into consideration of what that candidate will do with the tax money that the voters have to give to the United States. 16 year olds do not pay taxes, so they are not knowledgeable enough to truly understand what the government might be doing with the tax money. Not only do they not pay taxes, but they also do not have to deal with insurances, Medicaid, and other places that deal with money that come from the tax payers. 16 year olds are not participating in paying for government programs, so they should not have the right to vote because of that reason. Voters need to be knowledgeable of what programs that their candidate will create or cut. Since the 16 year olds do not pay taxes, then they should not vote.
The argument of allowing 16 year olds has been discuss for awhile, but I think that the legal age of 18 should be left to what it is. Lower the age might increase the voting percentage, but the point of voting is for people knowing and understanding who they are voting for and as a representative democracy, they will vote for the candidate that best support the same ideals and beliefs that they support. Just allowing the voting age to be 16 will only supply more voters who vote blindly for a candidate that might not be for their best interest.
A factor that I see that it is not reasonable to allow 16 years olds to vote is that they are not aware of who is exactly running and might be swayed to vote not for themselves, but vote for whoever their parents decides to vote for. 16 year olds might not know exactly where to find the right places of information that will provide them with what issues the candidates are for and against. They might be more likely to vote for somebody that they heard their name repeated over and over again on the internet, newspaper, or television. Their parents might also influence in who they vote for. They might only vote for the candidate that their parents are voting for because they might have the mind set of they know that their parents knows what is best for the country, so they will vote for the same candidate as the parents. The whole point of voting is not to vote what other people are going to vote for, but they should only vote for the candidate that has the best ideas that can help the country. These 16 year olds might not access or have access the right kind of information that will help them vote for the candidate that has the same ideals and belief as the voter.
Another problem presented in allowing 16 year old to vote is the problem that they are not paying taxes and most are dependent. When people vote for a candidate, they take into consideration of what that candidate will do with the tax money that the voters have to give to the United States. 16 year olds do not pay taxes, so they are not knowledgeable enough to truly understand what the government might be doing with the tax money. Not only do they not pay taxes, but they also do not have to deal with insurances, Medicaid, and other places that deal with money that come from the tax payers. 16 year olds are not participating in paying for government programs, so they should not have the right to vote because of that reason. Voters need to be knowledgeable of what programs that their candidate will create or cut. Since the 16 year olds do not pay taxes, then they should not vote.
The argument of allowing 16 year olds has been discuss for awhile, but I think that the legal age of 18 should be left to what it is. Lower the age might increase the voting percentage, but the point of voting is for people knowing and understanding who they are voting for and as a representative democracy, they will vote for the candidate that best support the same ideals and beliefs that they support. Just allowing the voting age to be 16 will only supply more voters who vote blindly for a candidate that might not be for their best interest.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
What to Blog About?
Blogs have become the most recent type of communication that can express what is on the minds of the modern day public. People can just simply write whatever they want to type about and post it on the internet. This phenomenon has exploded because of how easy it is to type up a blog. People can express their opinions and even have other people commit back on their opinions. Sometimes the commits can be an in-dept, critical analysis or can be a simple response such as “I agree.” The statement, “the sky is the limit” truly applies towards the power of the blogs and how people use them to voice their opinions.
Sometimes when people are given the ability to type anything they want the public to know, then they end up not sure what subject they want to talk about. Blogs does not have any rules or regulations of what topics can and can not be cover. Blogs can be about a personal life experience. Life experiences that anybody can relate to because it affects them just like everybody else. Blogs can deal with politics and people opinions on certain important issues. A blog does not even have to cover life experiences or politics. A person can write a poem about peanut butter. A free verse, rhyme verse, haiku, or just any style of writing can be used in a blog. Sometimes blogs does not need any typing what so ever. A person with a digital camcorder can record themselves and place the video on the blog site. People can not only listen to what the author has to say, but they now know what the author looks like. Blogs can be about history, science, math, literature, and even about physical education. Blogs can be about reviews of music, concerts, movies, sports, or any type of event. A very creative person can even provide cryptic blogs where only a certain number of people know what he is talking about because they know the truth about the cryptic blog message.
There is absolutely no limit to what a person can post on a blog site. Not only is that kind of power given to the author of that blog, but that power is even provided for the people who reply back to the blog. They too have unlimited amount of ways to respond to the blog that is before them. They can agree with the person or completely shut down and reject what the author of the blog wrote about.
Blogs have truly become a powerful tool for not just the United States of America, but the entire world. People from different cultures can commit on the same issues that affect them and everyone else. The world is truly growing smaller place because people from different parts of the world give their own opinion as other parts of the world replied back to them. The internet has given the world more access to exchanging information, but blogs allow people of the world not just have the ability to write about poems about peanut butter, but people from different countries and cultures can know about the poems about peanut butter.
Sometimes when people are given the ability to type anything they want the public to know, then they end up not sure what subject they want to talk about. Blogs does not have any rules or regulations of what topics can and can not be cover. Blogs can be about a personal life experience. Life experiences that anybody can relate to because it affects them just like everybody else. Blogs can deal with politics and people opinions on certain important issues. A blog does not even have to cover life experiences or politics. A person can write a poem about peanut butter. A free verse, rhyme verse, haiku, or just any style of writing can be used in a blog. Sometimes blogs does not need any typing what so ever. A person with a digital camcorder can record themselves and place the video on the blog site. People can not only listen to what the author has to say, but they now know what the author looks like. Blogs can be about history, science, math, literature, and even about physical education. Blogs can be about reviews of music, concerts, movies, sports, or any type of event. A very creative person can even provide cryptic blogs where only a certain number of people know what he is talking about because they know the truth about the cryptic blog message.
There is absolutely no limit to what a person can post on a blog site. Not only is that kind of power given to the author of that blog, but that power is even provided for the people who reply back to the blog. They too have unlimited amount of ways to respond to the blog that is before them. They can agree with the person or completely shut down and reject what the author of the blog wrote about.
Blogs have truly become a powerful tool for not just the United States of America, but the entire world. People from different cultures can commit on the same issues that affect them and everyone else. The world is truly growing smaller place because people from different parts of the world give their own opinion as other parts of the world replied back to them. The internet has given the world more access to exchanging information, but blogs allow people of the world not just have the ability to write about poems about peanut butter, but people from different countries and cultures can know about the poems about peanut butter.
Saw IV Review
Rushed and choppy is the only words I can explain about the recent movie, Saw IV. I have been a huge fan of the Saw series ever since the first movie was released in theaters, but the latest movie did not meet the hype and criteria that I was expecting. The plotline of the movie did provide information explaining the ideals of the characters in the movie, but some parts of the movie seemed to be thrown together at the last moment by the director and writers.
When I was watching Saw IV, I was hoping that the movie would follow its previous predecessors by having clues that the audience could retain and figure out the ending of the movie. I tried to pay attention to important details of the movies and try to listen for double meanings in certain lines of the movie which would hopefully lead me to know the conclusion to the ending. Unfortunately, due to the random moments and rushed scenes of the movie, I was not able to get why the ending happen the way it did ended. I was not expecting to know what would happen in the end even if I tried to figure it out like the past three Saw movies, but this movie makes it impossible to get anything from it. The Saw series has an incredible representation of revealing the ending to the audience by showing flashbacks that gave hints and clues about the ending. Saw IV provided the flashbacks at the end of the movie to reveal the twist ending, but still leaving the audience with a “huh?” in their mind instead of a “no way!”
Everyone who goes to the Saw movies has to admit that they go to see the scary, gory scenes of the movie. The biggest attraction the Saw movies had dealt with gory and gruesome scenes is the traps that Jigsaw creates to make people learn to appreciate their lives. Anytime when the movie would focus on the person trying to escape the trap made by Jigsaw, the movie would take its sweet time and allow tension grow within the audience as they hope these people would escape their traps or would have to face death. Saw IV did not use the same techniques as it did in the past Saw movies. Most of the traps in the movie were just as gory and horrible as the past three Saw movies, but the time that focus on the people trying to get out was very short and ended very quickly. Saw IV did not allow tension to grow within the audience who was watching this movie. They saw the person enter the trap, and then they would escape or die. It went by so fast that the audience did not have time to have some sort of pity or any emotion towards the characters in the traps of the movie.
The storyline of the movie was filled with numerous flashbacks and filled with random scenes involving with four set of characters. Mainly the flashbacks dealt with why Jigsaw became the way he is with people who does not live life to the fullest. The other scenes of movie dealt with two detectives trying to figure out how to stop Jigsaw, then also with one detective who has to play Jigsaw games with different people, then the movie deals with two guys who will die if the one detective does not rescue them under 2 hours. This many scene changes and flashbacks cause the movie to be rushed and choppy which in the end leaves the audiences feeling in disarray of wondering, “What just happen?”
Overall, the movie is not terrible and should still be seen, but this advice is probably stated more towards the hardcore Saw fans such as me. Saw IV is definitely more different from the past three Saw movies which might not be a good thing. Hopefully, the directors and writers will take more time in making Saw V than they did in the making of Saw IV. This movie still has potential to finish off as a great horror series, but Saw IV will not be the movie that everyone will remember how great the Saw series came to be.
When I was watching Saw IV, I was hoping that the movie would follow its previous predecessors by having clues that the audience could retain and figure out the ending of the movie. I tried to pay attention to important details of the movies and try to listen for double meanings in certain lines of the movie which would hopefully lead me to know the conclusion to the ending. Unfortunately, due to the random moments and rushed scenes of the movie, I was not able to get why the ending happen the way it did ended. I was not expecting to know what would happen in the end even if I tried to figure it out like the past three Saw movies, but this movie makes it impossible to get anything from it. The Saw series has an incredible representation of revealing the ending to the audience by showing flashbacks that gave hints and clues about the ending. Saw IV provided the flashbacks at the end of the movie to reveal the twist ending, but still leaving the audience with a “huh?” in their mind instead of a “no way!”
Everyone who goes to the Saw movies has to admit that they go to see the scary, gory scenes of the movie. The biggest attraction the Saw movies had dealt with gory and gruesome scenes is the traps that Jigsaw creates to make people learn to appreciate their lives. Anytime when the movie would focus on the person trying to escape the trap made by Jigsaw, the movie would take its sweet time and allow tension grow within the audience as they hope these people would escape their traps or would have to face death. Saw IV did not use the same techniques as it did in the past Saw movies. Most of the traps in the movie were just as gory and horrible as the past three Saw movies, but the time that focus on the people trying to get out was very short and ended very quickly. Saw IV did not allow tension to grow within the audience who was watching this movie. They saw the person enter the trap, and then they would escape or die. It went by so fast that the audience did not have time to have some sort of pity or any emotion towards the characters in the traps of the movie.
The storyline of the movie was filled with numerous flashbacks and filled with random scenes involving with four set of characters. Mainly the flashbacks dealt with why Jigsaw became the way he is with people who does not live life to the fullest. The other scenes of movie dealt with two detectives trying to figure out how to stop Jigsaw, then also with one detective who has to play Jigsaw games with different people, then the movie deals with two guys who will die if the one detective does not rescue them under 2 hours. This many scene changes and flashbacks cause the movie to be rushed and choppy which in the end leaves the audiences feeling in disarray of wondering, “What just happen?”
Overall, the movie is not terrible and should still be seen, but this advice is probably stated more towards the hardcore Saw fans such as me. Saw IV is definitely more different from the past three Saw movies which might not be a good thing. Hopefully, the directors and writers will take more time in making Saw V than they did in the making of Saw IV. This movie still has potential to finish off as a great horror series, but Saw IV will not be the movie that everyone will remember how great the Saw series came to be.
Rain
I woke up this morning with an unusually calmness. As I rise up from bed and glance over towards the window I observe the lucid, soothing sound of rain.
…………..rain………….
The sound of rain falling—echoing as thousands upon thousands of water droplets crash into trees, buildings, grass, roads, cars, or just puddles where their ancestors has gone before.
…………..rain………….
I just gaze at the beauty--seeming to wash away the impurities of the world. The filth and grime of the world fade away from existence as the droplets one-by-one, slowly binds themselves to the filth as the water pours into drains.
…………..rain………….
As I continued to gaze out the window, I witness people scurrying off to find shelter or pull out umbrellas to shield them from the rain—they shield themselves from the essential source of life—it is part of our very being.
…………..rain………….
I leave my room, my world of refuge and protection, to go outside to fulfill this side of me that yearn for the feeling of rain falling upon me. As I enter this world of purification—I consider it necessary to walk down the sidewalk to witness this cleansing in other places. I stare unto the sky as I travel down the sidewalk—thinking to myself exactly how many rain drops am I staring at the moment? Each drop that falls covers barely the top part of a blade of grass, but yet puddles and streams are forming around me—making it impossible to fathom exactly how many drops are falling all around me as I look around me.
…………..rain………….
Almost as soon as I realized it was raining when I had risen from my bed—it had stop. And just had the rain stop—so did life at the moment. There is no sounds of people voices, no sounds of animals—just silence. Rain seems to almost have the supernatural ability to not only cleanse the earth, but it almost seems like it has the ability to stop time. But as the clouds disperse and the sunlight enters the world—life begins again.
…………..rain………….
The sound of rain falling—echoing as thousands upon thousands of water droplets crash into trees, buildings, grass, roads, cars, or just puddles where their ancestors has gone before.
…………..rain………….
I just gaze at the beauty--seeming to wash away the impurities of the world. The filth and grime of the world fade away from existence as the droplets one-by-one, slowly binds themselves to the filth as the water pours into drains.
…………..rain………….
As I continued to gaze out the window, I witness people scurrying off to find shelter or pull out umbrellas to shield them from the rain—they shield themselves from the essential source of life—it is part of our very being.
…………..rain………….
I leave my room, my world of refuge and protection, to go outside to fulfill this side of me that yearn for the feeling of rain falling upon me. As I enter this world of purification—I consider it necessary to walk down the sidewalk to witness this cleansing in other places. I stare unto the sky as I travel down the sidewalk—thinking to myself exactly how many rain drops am I staring at the moment? Each drop that falls covers barely the top part of a blade of grass, but yet puddles and streams are forming around me—making it impossible to fathom exactly how many drops are falling all around me as I look around me.
…………..rain………….
Almost as soon as I realized it was raining when I had risen from my bed—it had stop. And just had the rain stop—so did life at the moment. There is no sounds of people voices, no sounds of animals—just silence. Rain seems to almost have the supernatural ability to not only cleanse the earth, but it almost seems like it has the ability to stop time. But as the clouds disperse and the sunlight enters the world—life begins again.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
A Cellular Society
The cell phone has come a long way in its design and features. Back in the early 80's, the cell phone was the size of a brick and about as heavy as one, too. But the early years of the cell phone had a pretty good purpose. That purpose was to call any person or place at anytime, anywhere (or at least a place with a decent signal). Although this seem like a great feature at the time, the advances in technology allows the cell phone evolve into a device, originally used for calling people, which has become a necessity to peoples lives.
When my dad gave me a cell phone at the age of 15, I thought that having a phone that could call anybody just like the phone at home was good enough for me. Well the tech crazy society had a different opinion than me as they begin to add on new features to the cell phone. The first few, new features being added on the cell phones were the time of day and the calendar, which is pretty useful. Then the phone companies decided to think outside the box and add on games and program the phones that could send text messages to one person to another. Then the last few years, technology has made it possible to make cell phones record short movies, take pictures, have access to the internet, listen to music, and probably in the future will cell phones have the ability to project holograms of the person calling the cell phone. The cell phone has also change in the shape of the cell phone itself. Now cell phones can be a size of a thimble or it can be the size of a person’s palm, but has the ability to fold, flip, and rotate into a small, easy to carry phone. Recently, Bluetooth technology has begin to create cell phones that can be place on the ear, and when the wearer receives a call, they can just talk hands free without any hassle. So if cell phones now-a-days are basically a Swiss Army phones, then what is to complain about cell phones?
Maybe it is not the new and updated features on the cell phone that bothers me, but maybe it how people seem to have this incredible obsession over these little features. I remember when the iPhone came out that people would just be in line for days just to have a phone that they can brag to their friends, family, co-workers, or just random people on the street. I have a hard time understanding why people have this obsession over a cell phone with extra features. I have had conversations with people explaining to me how awesome their phone is and how it can do this and that. I usually ask how much the phone cost them and they usually respond, “Well it wasn’t cheap, but it was worth it.” Really? Why is it worth it? I have a good cell phone plan with a decent phone that can call people just as well as their overprice phone. Was it worth it because you really plan to use all the features of the phone for emergencies or to contact to people for important reasons? Or is it just worth it because you have this mindset that this phone will make you unique and different just like every other person who has this cell phone. To me, the tech society puts a great emphasis on the media to explain how having a phone like the iPhone will make one important and a step ahead of the rest of the out-dated society.
In conclusion, I think the cell phone is a great tool for connecting to people and using it for emergency purposes or calling people for fun, but I think that a lot of features being added on the phones are nothing but hype that the media influences to make the consumer thinks that they need the other features. I have had my same old cell phone for numerous years (well I drop and broken a couple, but mostly same model as the last one) and its original purpose works just as well as any iPhone or any cell phone that can take pictures, make home movies, or send texts to people. (Which text is the strangest fad to me because if you are willing to take the time to text a person on a phone. Why not just communicate to them on the phone?)
When my dad gave me a cell phone at the age of 15, I thought that having a phone that could call anybody just like the phone at home was good enough for me. Well the tech crazy society had a different opinion than me as they begin to add on new features to the cell phone. The first few, new features being added on the cell phones were the time of day and the calendar, which is pretty useful. Then the phone companies decided to think outside the box and add on games and program the phones that could send text messages to one person to another. Then the last few years, technology has made it possible to make cell phones record short movies, take pictures, have access to the internet, listen to music, and probably in the future will cell phones have the ability to project holograms of the person calling the cell phone. The cell phone has also change in the shape of the cell phone itself. Now cell phones can be a size of a thimble or it can be the size of a person’s palm, but has the ability to fold, flip, and rotate into a small, easy to carry phone. Recently, Bluetooth technology has begin to create cell phones that can be place on the ear, and when the wearer receives a call, they can just talk hands free without any hassle. So if cell phones now-a-days are basically a Swiss Army phones, then what is to complain about cell phones?
Maybe it is not the new and updated features on the cell phone that bothers me, but maybe it how people seem to have this incredible obsession over these little features. I remember when the iPhone came out that people would just be in line for days just to have a phone that they can brag to their friends, family, co-workers, or just random people on the street. I have a hard time understanding why people have this obsession over a cell phone with extra features. I have had conversations with people explaining to me how awesome their phone is and how it can do this and that. I usually ask how much the phone cost them and they usually respond, “Well it wasn’t cheap, but it was worth it.” Really? Why is it worth it? I have a good cell phone plan with a decent phone that can call people just as well as their overprice phone. Was it worth it because you really plan to use all the features of the phone for emergencies or to contact to people for important reasons? Or is it just worth it because you have this mindset that this phone will make you unique and different just like every other person who has this cell phone. To me, the tech society puts a great emphasis on the media to explain how having a phone like the iPhone will make one important and a step ahead of the rest of the out-dated society.
In conclusion, I think the cell phone is a great tool for connecting to people and using it for emergency purposes or calling people for fun, but I think that a lot of features being added on the phones are nothing but hype that the media influences to make the consumer thinks that they need the other features. I have had my same old cell phone for numerous years (well I drop and broken a couple, but mostly same model as the last one) and its original purpose works just as well as any iPhone or any cell phone that can take pictures, make home movies, or send texts to people. (Which text is the strangest fad to me because if you are willing to take the time to text a person on a phone. Why not just communicate to them on the phone?)
Thursday, August 23, 2007
The First Blog of many to come!
My name is Chris Childs and this is my first blog. Hopefully, my future blogs will be insightful and informative for anybody who dares to read my text. But for right now........ enjoy the moment.
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