Blogging Around

Rich's blog.

Rich wrote a blog connecting freedom vs. security to the matrix and then gun control. Here is my response to his blog.

Rich, freedom and security are both powerful elements that require a complex balance  with in our society. With gun control, I can see how that can be seen as freedom vs. security argument. I would also add though, that the pro-gun people believe owning a gun is security because it allows them to defend themselves. They feel without their guns: A- They are not secure, B- Their freedoms are being violated, and C- a tyrannical government could take over which happens to be quite illogical because no matter how many guns we buy as a people, there is no way we could out gun the US military. They have something called missiles, planes and tanks. Additionally, in Australia, this same dilemma occurred in the 90's and they dealt with it. They based a ban on assault rifles, going against much public outcry. But it worked, there was no revolution or anything, and they have not had any massacres since 1996 when they passed this legislation. I hope the United States will come to our senses and do the same.


Jordan's Blog

Jordan wrote about truth vs. reality and the matrix. How taking the pill, really is you making that choice. 

Jordan, the question of whether our world is true always fascinates me. How do we know our world isn't fake? We don't. We just accept our world like how we accept what we are ignorant to. If I am ignorant to the truth, I will believe in my own ignorant truth. Now is it bad for me to live with this ignorance? Is it really hurting me? Probably not, who cares if I am living is an ignorant reality. I will never know the difference between that world and the truth. Sure we would like to know the truth, but there is really no way for us to know, or at least for thousands of years, when our science advances enough to find this out. 
Now onto the pill, I personally have no idea which one I would have chosen. It seems like it would have been more fun to take the same pill Neo chose and I think I would have felt pressure to take that one regardless because they would have came over to me for no reason.

Dialectics: Matrix and the "Real World"

The matrix presents two opposing worlds; one within a computer simulated world and one that is “real.” Primarily, these two worlds contradict. For instance, one could question which world is more real. The matrix to most people appeared real to the average person within the matrix. The “real” world presented no more “real” of a world (just an alternative reality where robots control the world) than what most people experienced in the matrix.

Then the movie claims that the “real” world is of truth and freedom while within the matrix people are restricted as slaves. This claim is quite flawed. Although in the “real” world we no longer live within the machines computerized matrix, both worlds present a feeling of freedom. In the matrix people are given “free” choice to the extent felt by people with in the “real” world or even in Northbrook. Even with the machines controlling the world, people still feel free and live what feels like a free life. Additionally, in the “real” world or even in Northbrook are we really free? Not exactly, it depends on how we define freedom. In our world, we still abide by laws and are subject to limitations of our freedom of speech. Furthermore, society limits how we can act and what we buy is largely influenced by our culture and lifestyles. I cannot threaten the President, use the bathroom where ever I want or wear a dress because those are all either illegal and/or not socially acceptable (nor do I desire to do most of these tasks but I am simply using them as examples to further our freedom limitations). Both places people feel they can make choices.

However, not only is our world and the matrix not 100% free, but it also is not always true. The matrix, as we all know, is a fake world, but in our real lives, we are also constantly lied to. When I turn on the TV I see shoes that would make me a “professional” athlete  (Nike) and insurance agents that appear whenever I sing the companies jingle (State Farm). Both of those examples turned out be false; the shoes didn’t help and the agent never showed up. Furthermore, Lance Armstrong was a fake and Bernie Madoff scammed many investors. Everywhere we look there are so many examples of how we are lied to and made out to beleive our world is more true than it it.

Furthermore, is the “real” world any more true than the matrix. Both appear true to the user. I would never notice if I was living in a fake world. Who knows, maybe I am living in a fake world right now. There is just no way to prove if any world is real if its all you ever knew. Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” presents an outstanding explanation of how you do not want what you don’t know. This concept can be used to relate how the matrix and the “real” word both share practically the same realism even though the movie claimed that one was more true than the other.

Metacogition: Jane Eyre Mashup

Metacognition: Jane Eyre Mashup

Doing the mashup allowed me to think of Jane Eyre in new ways. As I used other sources to make connections to Jane Eyre, I discovered additional levels within Jane Eyre. I used other models to view Jane Eyre and that created a very exciting expierence. New understanding came from using other works to further comprhend Jane Eyre.

My thinking of this reminded me of how Heart of Darkness was used as a way to understand the Vietnam War. I began to see other things as a way to build on how I saw Jane Eyre. The song "Hey there Deliliah" by the Plain White T's, began to be a song about the the longing Rochester had for Jane. This not only allowed my mind to process there relationship with more depth but it also allows me to really feel the longes that Jane and Rochester felt. The song "Falling Slowly" and the movie "Once" deepand understanding of how Jane and Rochester fell in love and became close without any romantic contact.

I was surprised by how my mind was able to use other a means of thought as wages to view Jane Eyre and how they really furthered my understanding by just looking at other sources. I didn't have to read further into Jane Eyre but I could just look at other sources and use those connections to build on how I saw Jane Eyre and see what the characters were feeling. I began to see even more levels from Jane Eyre thus making the book more interesting than if I had looked at it alone because I want to start comparing it to whole bunch of other works of literature became so much more deep for me. However, I did see room for improvement in how I how I think about who literature when I read because after doing this project I developed skills to look for connections to other sources as I read books. For example if I read Jane Eyre again or some other new book I would be able to see so many more connections to other words with you make it so much more interesting for me.

Metacognition: Short Story

Writing my short story allowed me to really understand pressure. As I went through each revision I looked for spots in which additional levels of pressure could be added to further develop the characters shift. I began to realize pressure could be as simple as getting into an argument or standing in a closet with no need for death or other elements of drama. Pressure could be more realistic and normal such as getting fired or fighting with a parent.

I was surprised by how this thinking allowed my mind to work. Pressure began to become a key part of my creative process. I would use the plot to think of how pressure can build throughout the story. I now see how this use of pressure in my thinking about writing can now be used in other regards to further the message or point of my thought such as if I am someday making a documentary or political ad, I could try to use this thinking.

I begin to see stories in terms of the pressure put on characters. Coming this realization now allows my mind to think much more creatively but also understand other works of art by identifying the artful use of pressure such as in Jane Eyre. I know pay close attention to when pressure is being placed on her and can easily identify it. An example would be the scene in which Jane is in the room with the injured Mr.Mason, there is so much pressured going on. Worrying the door may open, Mr. Mason may die, how they can't talk and other levels. Its just creates a great scene.

Moving forward. being able utilize this skill would greatly improve my writing capabilities. I can continue to work to improve this though. In my short story I had several levels of pressure that I added after every revision but if I could yet another revision I feel there is even more potential pressure. In the future, I will work to see this pressure to allow me to gain a general level or mastery over writing good stories.

An Inconvenient Truth: Seeing is difficult

In both Cathedral and King Lear, they present a significant truth; that sight is sometimes only for those that can't see. In the Cathedral, it takes the blind man to teach a seeing man to see. In King Lear, Gloucester looses his eyes before he able to see at all.

What can be taken from this, is that in order to fully see something you must give up on only sight. In the world today, things appear better than they may actually be.

An historical example would be how in the Reagan administration, he lowered the effective tax rate, which at a first sight seemed to be a great idea with only benefits; the only clear choice, similar to how in the "Cathedral" the narrator seemed black and white in the early stages of the story. Now looking back, many of us our blind to this benefit and see how in reality he closed co many loop-holes in the tax code that he really raised taxes. In King Lear, Gloucester trusted Edmund with his life which turned out to be the wrong choice; it was fake, similar to these tax cuts.

Another example is the cause of the financial collapse of 2008. The mortgages that were in reality junk were being passed off as great investments. The investors just blindly invested. Once people discovered that these investments were junk the whole industry went bust. It took an entire financial crash for them to see just like how Gloucester lost his eyes, Lear lost his kingdom, and the man from the "Cathedral" lost his relationship with his wife before they began to see.

Now coming to terms with this, there will always be things that I am blind to and it is up to me maneuver around them; even though I cannot see them. I will have to try to look at things from more ways than one. Additionally  exposing myself to many levels, such as talking to the metaphoric blind man that can see what I blind to.

Connection: Capitalism Destroys Resraint

Capitalism changes how we see global markets and the world. One of our driving goals in a capitalist market is to maximize profit by almost whatever means possible. Looking at even in the 2008 and crash the financial industry profited largely especially Goldman Sachs. We have lost our restraints from doing immoral tasks to gain enormous profits. Around 500 year ago we made a shift towards this capitalist world.

In this book when they discuss how the Europeans have no restraint compared to the Africans, it is because we are taught we are only supposed to maximize profits. Capitalism really creates a view of a person as an individual and separates himself from everyday society.

This connection drove me to ponder, is having restraint better?

Looking at history, we used to have an economic system in which people had much smaller profits. If it costs $5 to make a product it would be sold for $6 rather than the larger markups in today's economy such that this same product would cost $20 or $30 dollars. But this is not necessarily a bad thing because then companies make more money to pay people more and thus spend more money into the economy. We no longer restrain our selves from charging people absurd prices.

Additionally, we will produce things at almost any means possible. If we have to use slave labor or sweat shops, we would. No matter the immorality we would still try to make more money. This has greatly changed how we live. Without laws people become more likely to steal and plunder because they are still working towards capitalist goals. 

Blogging Around Part 2

My first comment was on Eliana's blog. She talked about cleaning her room and how it impacted her. I wrote this a s a comment:

Eliana, I feel completely agree. My desk is a complete mess and I agree that it is very distracting. When I try to do work I always end up finding something on my desk to do instead. Additionally, you mentioned how your dad said it's like someone's desk who is on hoarders; I get a similar reaction from my parents. I have so much stuff every where and little time to devote to cleaning it up. School and life is too distracting to really clean. I feel that I am partially to lazy to clean it but also I find many things more important. So for people like us that have unclean desks and don't mind, I don't think it's much of an issue.

My second comment was on Toby's blog. She talked about how she saw writing and how it is difficult to write on demand, for a grade with her view of writing as a personal thing.

Toby, I feel that this same thing happens to me. When I am not writing, I will think of great ideas and then when I sit down to begin they all seem to disappear. I will have a topic picked out but it would be hard to find where to begin or even what to discuss. You mention that you "let a story that's been eating away at me spill out." I usually do the same thing. When I think of something I can start typing for hours as long as no one breaks my train of thought. Its always been difficult for me to just think of something on a broad topic instantly. Also, I agree that it would be hard to write a story on something with out experiencing it but i believe it can be done, it just won't be as good as some one that had experienced it. Lastly, I find writing not only as something personal but as a way to voice my ideas. I feel I think more clearly as I write. it helps me formulate and organize my ideas