The Lie Detector

The Lie Detector is a marvelous essay with details concerning lie-detecting technologies and the moral implications thereof. The author is clearly against using lie detectors although he does not shoot down some of their uses. In The Lie Detector the author first explains how lie detecting technology works and some of their uses. Clearly the technology would be quite interesting and useful in certain settings. Albeit, a person with the correct skills and training could falsify the results.

Finally the author ends with the moral dilemma concerning Lie Detector technology. And that is a humane and moral one. We shouldn't need lie detectors, most of us know inherently that lying is wrong; Some of us know that lying in any case even when it seems good, is wrong. When we have to resort to a lie detector, there is a problem. And as the Author says, God forbid man ever creates a machine that can see into the mind and heart.

Embalming in the USA

Embalming in the USA is a descriptive essay describing how Embalming works. Embalming is the rather unsightly practice of preserving our dead. It is necessary so that bodies refrain from decomposing while they're being viewed in a funeral setting. The process starts by draining the blood by making slits at the wrist and filling the body with Formaldehyde. A large needle is stuck into the stomach to drain it of its fluids. Eyes are tied shut and so is the mouth. The entire operation is rather grotesque.

Reading about the embalming process was definitely enlightening. While I knew the filling of formaldehyde I wasn't aware of the other things morticians did to the body. Like draining the stomach, sealing shut the orifices and the eyes. Putting the body back together in the case of dismemberment. It puts a cold and logical feel to something that is supposed to entirely logical. It makes an emotional catastrophe into a job aspect. Some one once told me, "The money is in being a mortician, because you can run out of products, but you can never run out of corpses." The statement itself is a very grim prospect but in its own twisted way it is the truth.

Embalming in the USA is not just a description of the job, but the effects of the job. And it can apply to other aspects of our lives, metaphorically.

Cinema Types

Cinema Types is a category classification essay about the men the author has dated and their correlation to cinema. The essay begins by explaining the first man she dated which was into artistic films, or, independent films as we know them. It goes onto explain the next date which was a man that enjoyed films of political intrigue and war. Lastly, the final man who enjoyed comedies and light-hearted films.

To put my thoughts into words, Cinema types offered an insight into the lives of three men, and how their personalities coincided with the films they watched. The independent film lover was solemn, rather introverted and had eccentric tendencies. The second one, the political film lover, was a fort of moral rectitude and was the deepest of the three. The last one was the most romantic and light hearted, though he was a bit of a two-timer. I believe she liked the third best. However, in the end, none of them truly managed to capture her heart, and failed to enjoy the cinema as she had.

Cinema types offers a brief glimpse into the life of this woman, her experiences and her strong beliefs revolving Cinema and romance.

Why we crave horror movies

Stephen King's Why we crave horror movies, what can be said about it? It takes a look at man's most basic and aggressive instinct and shows us the correlation between it and violent video-auditory horror movies. Mankind has a history being violent, enjoying scenes of excess violence and even participating in them. Public lynchings, executions, arena battles, stoning, mankind has been there for each one. But in modern day where all of the above are illegal, what does man has to turn to? Simple, horror movies and horror games.

Mankind has a fascination with violence, a fascination with death. Stephen King says metaphorically that there is an alligator pool somewhere in the confines of our mind, constantly threatening to break lose and bite some one. He said he believed in happiness, as long as we kept the gater's fed. And perhaps there is some truth to what he said. The masses were always more content where blood was spilled. In Rome, people were desensitized by Arena fights and ignored their own needs. Perhaps in truth, Horror movies do keep that gater fed, and bring satisfaction to our most basic instinct.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Stephen King's Why we crave horror movies, and I think it poses an interesting point for all of us.

Sexisms in the English Language

Sexisms in the language is a new spin to an old truth. While it is widely known that males are mostly favored over women (Though it has much changed in the past decade) we seldom look into sexisms within the language itself. If language is a cultural reflection of that culture's identity, then by analyzing it, we can tell the current state of the culture. And one woman set out to see if sexism was present within the English language itself. Little surprise, the sexism within the English language was overwhelming.

From sexisms of title such as, Master and Mistress, Callboy and Callgirl, and even names of things such as Kingdom and Sportsmanship, the author explores it all. It is clear that Sexism is quite present within our language, and it labels women as sexy and men as successful. Even the name for women, woman, is simply a term used to describe "man with a womb." All-in-all, it was a great read for me and a good amount of knowledge to add to my repertoire.

I have a dream

I have a dream is exactly as it explains... It is the dream Martin Luther King Jr. had for his people, put into words. It explains the means in order to reach an ideological future where men, white, black, any color, could stand together in unity. Where men are not judged by the color of their skins, but by the color of their hearts. I have a dream was a breathking speech in which Martin Luther King Jr. masterfully used Ethos, Pathos and Logos in spectacular fashion.

Affirmative Action

Affirmative actions deals with the consequences and the nature of that which we call Racial Equality via Affirmative Action. The professor goes on to explain that Affirmative Action is the antithesis to Racial Equality. Rather than solve the problems of racial inequality by giving equal opportunity, Affirmative Action gives opportunities to those who do not deserve them. It belittle a race, creates supervictims, and then does not allow them to go beyond a certain point. Affirmative Action gives a very good outlook on something many of us previously thought as good, but now we know is quite bad.

Territorial Behavior

Territorial behavior is an essay describing the psychology and sociological workings behind human's reaction toward territory. It goes on to explain that humanity has three categories of territory, Tribal, Family, and Personal. Tribal consists of mass people in a nation, country, or literal tribe setting. Family is the basic unit of blood-related individuals. And personal is the amount of territory one has around oneself. It was a very interesting read and taught me a great deal of a subject I had not really dwelt on before.

WhaleRider

What can I say about Whalerider? Whalerider was a movie about cultural acceptance and about the importance of cultural evolution. A young girl by the name of Pikea strives to be accepted by her grandfather, Koro. However, Koro stays true to the old ways in believing that only the male heir retains the right to become Chief. Pikea sets out to show her grandfather that she had the potential to become Chief, and to show her grandfather the devotion she had to family and friends. As expected, in the end she manages to succeed at this. All-in-all, Whalerider was a good movie to watch.

A day with games

Recently I attended a game day at Student Life. I ventured forth into the fray of guns, magical abilities, and competitive gaming. Why did I do this? Partly because of extra credit, and mostly because I wanted to kick some ***. Now, in the end, I was the one who got owned. Why? Because I'm a PC Gamer primarily, I haven't really played console games these past few years as much as I used to. I wasn't used to the controls. Of course, this is not to justify my defeat, but to explain the reasons why. Either way, it was fun, however, I did not go the second day... For obvious reasons.

But hey, I had fun, sort of... Ah well, I got owned, what can I say?

Death of a Moth

Death. The final stop, every man's destination, kicking the bucket, hitting the dusty trail, falling and never getting back up, an everlasting blink, the last breath, the longest journey. There are many words, phrases, and saying we use to describe death. But ultimately, we know nothing of it. We know that death is the last stop for all living things, there's no escaping it. One can deter it, for a time, but never stop it. Nothing in the physical world, is excempt from death.

Death of a moth describes the titanic struggle of a moth against this vastly powerful foe called Death. A tiny moth, an insignificant lifeform by human standards, fights against a foe no man could ever stand face to face with. The author, observes as this moth fights against the cold claws of death. She does nothing, simply observes as the life escapes this tiny moth, this tiny bead of life.

I will not begin to explain my understanding of the author's opinion on the moth's struggle; She has clearly given her opinion. Now I will voice my own. The moth is semblent to ourselves; In our final moments, we are like that moth. We struggle against that powerful titan called Death, we attempt to usurp it, to beguile it, to pacify it. But to no avail, though we struggle against it, we falter, though we attempt to stand against it, it is like a single solitary straw struggling against the winds of a mighty maelstrom. There is no surviving it, but the moth kept fighting.

There is something so awe-inspiring about the story. Something so powerful, a message so subtle, and yet so deliberate that it is all too easy to miss, and all at the same time, all too easy to comprehend. And it is the struggle the moth puts up, not at the beginning, but at the end. As it lays on its back, seemingly defeated by death. All hope of survival gone, the tiny was all but defeated. As the Author seemed to concede to the idea it was dead, the tiny being went against the odds. It violently struggled one last time to rectify itself, and succeeded.

How can any one not be awe-inspired by such a thing? The breathtaking moment... The moth struggled against the odds, and won. Death took it all the same, but the moth rectified itself. It put itself right-side up. Though I am a firm believer that what is most important is how one lives, and not how they die, I cannot be help but be moved by the final effort this moth put out, to simply turn itself right-side up. This tiny moth, this seemingly insignificant creature, made of elements we could purchase for but a dollar, struggled against death, and managed, to die with dignity. It is befuddling, how this tiny creature managed to put up such a struggle, and yet, so many of our own die without so much of a fight. When things become difficult, we begin to accept our fate, and simply perish. But this tiny thing, despite the odds against it, still managed to rectify himself.

It's amusing to think, that a moth could struggle against death, and still manage to die with dignity.

But so many of our own, fade away without a struggle. To think that a moth could manage to do what man often will not... Fight against death, and retain its dignity, to the end.

Holocaust Remembrance Day

This blog may seem a tad bit late. Seeing it is June. I was not aware that we could write a blog about it. However, after one dreary after noon, some idle time, and deciding to check my class-mates blogs, I was enlightened to that knowledge. So while it is a bit late, I'll make a blog of it now.

Holocaust Remembrance Day and the paper clip project. I was not well-aware of the former, but I have heard of the latter. What can one say about the holocaust? The horrific event which engineered the death of over 6 million Jews and other minorities. It is for certain a difficult topic to muse upon, though we are not shy to dwell upon it. The paper clip project was a monumental undertaking when one clearly thinks about it. Collecting millions of paperclips to represent the lives of those whom died to the hands of the Nazis.

Though it has been sometime since the Holocaust, it is still a sensitive subject for many. The survivors live to tell a tale of what happens when we destroy moral sentiment, when we ignore the guilt within us, and turn our hatred for our own inability toward another. But the paper clip project shows the flip side of the coin; When humans find it in themselves to bring out sympathy, compassion, and attempt to heal the wounds caused by their own. A tremendous effort was put into collecting these paper clips, so much so, that it moved the hearts and minds of many, to sway them into helping them also.

What can be said of this day, of the task which a community set out to do, in order to remember these tortured souls? Nothing words could ever suffice. Though the paper clip project did little to mend, or remedy the damage done. It serves to remind us that though there is much evil in the world, much racial inequality, there are those who stand against it; Those who look into the dark sins of our past, and hope for a better future.

Why don't we complain?

It is perhaps difficult, or complicated to fully explain the reasons why I have chosen this; But if I had to put it into a few words, it would be, that this story gives us an important outlook on the degeneration of character in our society. If we look back into the history of the American people, we would see a history where patriots stood up in the name of liberty, freedom, and the persuit of happiness, even if standing up meant death. While the events, and circumstances in this essay are not quite as extensive as to say, the repercussions were death, it's a good observation on how many small, seemingly insignificant acts, can lead up to a great whole significant harbinger of our slowly crumbling society.

We can note here that the writer is clearly distressed by what is happening to our people; Indeed, any man with any sense would be distressed. We cannot simply ignore the way people are being coaxed into a state of silence, a state where mishaps are ignored, wrongs and faults are dismissed without a single fuss. In the very first example, the overheated train, we observe a very important truth; If one does not speak against his situation, if one does not move against the stride, then nothing will ever happen. The inertia that moves our society toward moral and character evolution will be broken down by opposing forces, and when the single person of a society fails to grow, then society crumbles.

It was such a simple thing, to simply tell the conductor, "It's too hot in here, is it at all possible to please lower the thermostat?" It would not have caused any real trouble, just the simple yet all significant monotonous task of turning a dial down. Would it have vexed a man who is paid to maximize the comfort of his patrons, to simply turn a dial? But people want to avoid confrontations at all cost, now constantly living in fear of repercussions. A good movie that further explained this point, was Fight Club, in whom, the members of this fight club were given a homework to fight and to lose. However, as the movie astutely observed, the common man will try to avoid conflict at all costs.

In a society where the common man fails to speak up for his plight, where people avert their eyes from trouble because of fear of repercussion, a single man loses his value as a person, and the masses lose their voice. When that voice is lost, as the essay says, we will cease to be people, but automotons, only capable of following the tasks set before us. I believe this essay gives an important overview of what could happen when we fail to speak up; We can't live in comformity to our troubles if we can do something about it.

But this reflection, is empty in action. Because no matter how one reflects, in the end, we are doomed to follow the path set before the masses; The masses will continue to remain silent, and perhaps, one in every few will speak, but the rest will silence him. Eventually, our voice will be gone, and our society will crumble. We have already betrayed many of the cornerstrones our forefathers set before us, it is only a matter of time before everything else crumbles.

In the end, one must wonder...

What will we be left with?

A Chase

To be completely honest, at first I was drawn to the Hanging by George Orwell. The dark nature and cynicism behind Orwell's The Hanging is more to my liking than The Chase, as dark themes that deal with the harsh realities of our human world appeals to me more than the drive that brings us to happiness. But today, just as George Orwell faced a certain revelation when he saw a single human action, I too was changed in my decision of what to write of by a single human action, though I won't detail what that was, I will give my thoughts on The Chase.

The Chase can be summed up quite easily, it's a narrative on the life of Annie Dillard and a moment in her life that she summed up to be the happiest moment of her life. And that moment was a chase, a chase where a single adult man persisted and stopped at nothing to capture her and her companion, simply because they had thrown a snowball at his car. In logical deductive terms, it's a rather simple situation, child does something mischievous and adult reciprocates. But there is a much deeper meaning.

There are times in our lives, times we do not always suspect, but they come. They come like a flash-flood or a suddenly developed storm, and they overtake us completely. Sometimes these moments are negative, sometimes they are positive. This moment in the author's life was important, it was a moment where reality became distorted, where the ennui of daily living was ignored for the moment, the Chase through out the neighborhood she frequented, things she had seen before, the streets she had walked through time and time again. But it was different, this man, became the catalyst for change. He turned the dull into the exciting, he turned the mundane into the extraordinary. For a few brief moments in time, the world which she had only known to be a drab and dull place, turned vivid, colorful, and envigorating. Why...?

As human beings, we are doomed to a life of routine. Children are more easily able to bypass this, they are more capable of changing routine into momentary impulse. But ultimately, both children and adults are doomed to conform to a life of routine. However, this man, this man broke it all, with his action and his persuit, he divulged them both. They were both aware of the all-or-nothingness of Football and life itself, but they weren't fully cognicant of it, it was only now, when they were thrown into a situation where they were chased through out the whole of the neighborhood, that it became fully appreciated and understood. The strides they made, every gasp, every breath, every drop of sweat served to enlighten them and reassure them of the liveliness of life, the liveliness of that chase. Routine, reality, society, science, culture, everything faded away as the very street they played on blurred as they ran away from this solitary man. Moments where adrenaline took over, where wrong and good became vague, and the only thing left was a victor and the defeated; All or nothing.

Why was she happiest at that moment, more than any other in her life?

There are moments in our lives that define us more than any others, there are moments that push every faculty we have been endowed with by God and man to the test, these moments, these very few and brief moments impact us more than any other. We never know when they are coming, but when they do, we can be sure that we will not remain the same at the end of them. All or nothing, that is precisely what life is. Almost and close only count with horse-shoes and hand-grenades. Whether you lose or win, you lay it all on the line, that moment, that slight instant between loss and victory, is the moment when we are our happiest, or most miserable. The author knew this, she knew as a child, perhaps not able to put it into words, but she knew, that that moment, that chase, was where she was most alive. The common day routine, the ennui of daily living dulls us... But change, personal evolution, brings us life.

The Chase, is the account of a person who realized that in a single day, in a single hour, one can feel more alive, than they have in their entire life. We all have them, those moments.

But the question is, do we give it our all-or-nothing?

Do we dare lay it all on the line?

Animated Version of 'The Chase.'" ™

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Borges and I

Borges and I is first-person dour account of a man who is losing himself, to himself. The writer is torn up within himself, he placidly observes how he changes from himself, into Borges, the man which people see face-to-face. As people, we carry around masks, these masks are our adaptations to society, however, these masks are double-edged swords, as they suppress and suffocate whom we are, and the person inside becomes locked away, never to see the light of day. This was happening to the writer, he observed as his true nature slowly began to erode. Eroding under the pressure of being locked away, and the pressure of his mask, Borges, taking over.

The entire piece remains melancholy, with a powerful sense of nostalgia as the writer silently screams away his desire to persist, but accepting the finality of his situation. Through out the whole piece, writer admits to knowing that his end is at hand, he silently admits that he is fading away, every day bringing him closer to becoming the mask he wore, rather than living his life as the man he was. In truth, while he wrote, "I am giving over everything to him" This wouldn't be correct in my humble opinion. The most likely truth, was that everything he was, was being taken from him, assimilated by Borges.

As one reaches the end of this self-reflective piece, one notes the change of demeanor, from acceptance, to reminiscing the last struggles he had against Borges. "Thus my life is a flight and I lose everything, and everything belongs to oblivion, or to him." The writer recognizes that ultimately, either he fades away into nothingness, utter forgetfulness, or what remains of him must exist only in Borges. Howeverr, the greatest and most powerful piece in this entire reflection lays in a simple statement.

"I do not know which of us has written this page."

This is a powerful conclusion, with a complex and elaborate meaning. The writer recognizes in his entirety, that he is Borges, and Borges, is him. While he dejects Borges, he cannot deny that he is a part of Borges, and Borges, a part of him. He knows that his personality is changing, changing into the adaptation, the mask which is Borges. Borges which was created only for society, had encroached beyond the realm set for him to exist in, and now Borges and the writer had become one. They were always one, but they were one in their own territory. Now finally, they had become one, both inside, and outside. The last remnant of the writer, wrote this page in expressing his regret toward this union, his last feeble attempt to consolidate and create material that could protect and preserve at least a minor instance of himself.

By the end of this page, the writer fully recognized he no longer knew if he was even still himself.

By the end of the page, the writer essentially died. And Borges assimilated the last of him.

Acceptance is the final step before change overtakes you completely. Be that change one of personality, one of situation, or one of the end of mortality. Acceptance is the key to letting that in completely. The writer accepted, and then it was only a matter of time.

At the beginning was a defiant man. At the middle a man accepting. And at the end, the writer disappeared and another took his place.

Borges.