“…We have all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the power we choose to act on. That's who we really are."

I don’t see anyone as being distinctively good or evil. Leah Kleppinger should not be considered the “epitome of good” just for returning a wallet; nor is the individual that would have kept the wallet the archetype of evil. We cannot even go as far to say that Leah is generally an altruistic person. In this particular situation, Leah acted out of respect and benevolence. And we appraise this as so. But we tend to overlook the motives of any given response. We instinctively condemn those who steal, murder, or destroy. Ultimately, a wrongdoer with reason or purpose is more virtuous than the humanitarian with corrupt and immoral values.

The idea of something or someone altogether pure and good exists, as does the idea of evil and sin. But, I do not believe one such idea can exist on its own, much as certain atoms cannot exist in the natural world as a single entity. They must bond—they are always part of a whole. Humans are comprised of both good and evil, just the same. And this is where this ongoing battle rages between the polar ends of this two-way spectrum of human nature. As Sirius Black so duly states, “You’re not a bad person. You’re a very good person, who bad things have happened to… Besides, the world isn’t split into good people and Death Eaters. We have all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the power we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”

Good and evil… Selfishness and selflessness… Ethical and unethical… In some respect, they’re all the same. And there has never been a time in human existence where these forces have not been at work. Honestly, I am more inclined to believe that “evil” hold a greater power over all of us. We must make choices between what is right and what is easy, faster, or more advantageous. The temptation to regress into our wicked, egocentric selves is something we must always (with great effort) confront and triumph over.
The final question of whether evil can ever be eternally eradicated can be answered by the simple statement from Albus Dumbledore:

“It is important to fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then can evil be kept at bay, though never quite eradicated."

Harry-Potter-nerdy answer

When I read this prompt, I saw the name "Harry Potter." Immediately, a quote from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix came to mind. This is the exact quote:

Harry Potter: This connection between me and Voldemort... what if the reason for it is that I am becoming more like him? I just feel so angry, all the time. What if after everything that I've been through, something's gone wrong inside me? What if I'm becoming bad?
Sirius Black: I want you to listen to me very carefully, Harry. You're not a bad person. You're a very good person, who bad things have happened to. Besides, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are.

Paraphrased, Harry is concerned that he is becoming evil, but Sirius explains that Harry is the one in control of who he is. The part that stood out to me the most was this from Sirius: "We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are." This has to be one of my favorite quotes of all time. I believe in it wholeheartedly. It means that every person has the power to good or bad things, but what we do is our choice. Our actions define who we are; no one is born good or evil, nor will anyone ever be just one or the other. So I would say that the difference between good and evil is never black and white, but always gray.

Everyone is "tyrannically good"

There is no such thing as pure good and pure evil,outside of the Bible. Jesus supposedly gave his life to counteract our sins, he is the epitome of good and painted as a portrait of perfection. There is good and evil in all humans, and that is perfectly normal due to our nature. Sometimes, good people are forced to stoop to low levels to sustain themselves. Devoted Christians and the most charitable "do-gooders" have been known to transform into savages at the brink of starvation. Food is a basic need and the starving will do anything to attain it. The plane-wrecked soccer team, in the Andes Mountains, resorted to cannibalism when faced with the lack of food. Many cultures consider cannibalism a horrendous; if it can not be defined as evil, then I do not know what can. When it comes down to the wire, humans primary desire is to survive. For this reason, we can not blame devout Christians for stealing food when faced with starvation, or victims who kill their attacker in self defense or parents that lie for their children. People do what they think is right and sometimes it blurs lines with the unspeakable.
With good there comes evil, and one will not overcome the other. There is balance in the world; without evil, like the terrorists in 9/11, the good would have no purpose (ie volunteers). One has to be something or life would be bland. The human race would not know what to do if good and evil did not exist: nothing to argue, nothing to fix and ulitmately no passion for life. Sometimes, good people have to do evil things for the greater good. The United States executes criminals, on occasion, and this could be seen as evil. This action is justified by the assumption that we are making the world a better place.

Abi

The Clashing Clan and Og's Woolly Mammoth Dilemma. Yeah, that's where this blog goes.

By the third blog post you picked a subject touchy enough to insult almost everyone. And it's only uphill from here! I like your style.

Absolute good and evil do not exist. No magnificent proactive force of good grants people courage, selflessness, kindness and hope. No despicable reactive force of evil tempts people with cowardice, selfishness, bitterness and despair. No; good and evil are such subjective concepts they differ from person to person.

Caveat: Sometime in the future we may discover some latent quantum forces simultaneously inspiring kindness and cruelty. But RIGHT NOW I know about nothing of the sort.

"Where did these concepts of universal 'good' and 'evil' come about," you ask, "if they are in fact just opinions?"

The answer is not religion. And even if it was, I wouldn't waste my blog post bashing the one source of happiness for millions of desperate people around the world.

No, it goes back farther than religion. All the way back to the first societies--hunter-gatherer clans. Once humans had "defeated" the different species, inter-tribal competition started. So right here, some 100,000-200,000 years ago, humans started to demonize other humans. That is the first, more obvious half of good and evil: favoring your "team" and antagonizing "rivals." So right here is an example of the utterly subjective side of good vs. evil. Every clan has a different take.

But in order to survive, everyone in the clan had to work together. This is the origin of the other half of good and evil: societies cherish constructiveness and demonize subversiveness.

Here's an example. I am Og of the Yug clan. I have just killed myself a big, juicy mammoth. I have 2 choices: (1) keep the mammoth to myself and have enough food to survive for a month, or (2) share the mammoth with my clan, feeding everyone for a week, and creating additional value because, say, Zog and Zogette know how to knit mammoth fur into clothes. Everyone survives longer and happier, and I make quite a few friends--friends who will give me their mammoth in the future.

Which do you choose? Option 2. That is because humans, as social beings, understand that selflessness is the best way to ensure long-term survival. But we aren't born with that. We have to learn it. So our natural selfish inclination (very evident in the "everything is mine" stage of toddlerhood) always tempts us. And what does that sound like? That sounds a lot like God encouraging while the devil tempts. That sounds a lot like Karma. That sounds a lot like Confucian deference. See? It manifests in every culture. So *drumroll* selfishness vs. selflessness come the closest to a universal concept of good vs evil.

So, "good" and "evil" apply to inter-clan warfare and intra-clan social behavior. In my opinion, for humanity to succeed we must abandon one of these concepts. As I'm an ardent pacifist, I bet you can guess which one it is.

The dark side, I heard they have cookies

The battle of good vs evil never ends; there is always a Lex Luthor or Joker that comes in the way of our superman or batman. The archetypal good guy vs bad guy plot has been around since the beginning of literature. Though the passage of time clumped many morals and values onto the the two, when all of the fluff associated with them are removed, when they're striped down to the most basic definitions, there is a rather fundamental theme that both define themselves by. An action that helps others is considered "good"; an action that harms others is considered "evil". In other words, it doesn't matter what you does to yourself, the evaluation of good and evil relies solely on the effects on other people.

In order to better understand the two, it's important to look at its embodiment in real life. Lets say in this scenario, there are two kings, King A and King B. King A is caring to his people and rules to ensure their happiness. The people enjoy happy lives under his rule and the idea of good attaches itself to the king. King B is a tyrant who only wants power and do so at the cost of the people. King B's people live in poverty, and in turn they consider the king to be evil.

The concept of good and evil guide civilizations to strive on the basis that people should be "good" and help each other out, thus promoting contributions to society as a whole. At the same time, laws are created to prohibit "evil" actions that harm society. It can be safe to say that King A's empire will be more prosperous and powerful than King B's, because King A ruled in accordance with the idea of "good" and cared about the welfare of others. Perhaps the two sides of the spectrum were created by man, or maybe were already a part of human consciousness. Either way, the two are a natural protection that steer people to put the good of the many over the good of oneself.

Good Will Hunting

In my perspective, good and evil essentially do not exist in a universal manner. Everyone's perception of what is good and bad is different; therefore, what I think is good might be the work of Satan in your eyes. It can be related to the concept of protagonist and antagonist. While the protagonist is usually a benevolent character, literature never gives boundaries to the ideals of the protagonist. That character is merely the central one, and can be either what people call "good" or "evil."

What all of us know and perceive are our realities, and whether we accept things or not is up to us as individuals. Since there is no universal standard for good and evil, how do we know what we're doing is right? Perhaps we think that a small-time criminal stealing money from others is a truly wicked person, but have we ever thought of why that person commits such acts? Perhaps it is because there is not enough money to feed a family, and stealing from others seems to be the only option, which it is not. While we can all sit back and decide what is good and what is bad, we are not to judge others of their actions until we truly see things from other's perspectives.

It is because of such contrasting opinions that conflict starts. Due to different views of malice and benevolence, disputes rise to settle them. While the existence of good and evil varies, it is clear that both must exist at the same time. One cannot dominate the other. Sure, we can all try to benefit others, and avoid conflict, but it is basically impossible for good to win, and impossible for evil to win. As I have said, there are too many views of right and wrong; it creates a loop where good becomes evil, and evil becomes good. Even if there is no conflict, eventually something will occur that sparks intentions in people, which will grow into conflict.

What I am saying is that while good and evil may or may not truly be real, we as human beings are naturally inclined to conflict. Eventually, we will cause our own end due to our dispositions. However, while one cannot exist without the other, I do believe that there will be a day where we will all truly understand one another.

Bad things do happen, but so do good things. As a result, we shouldn't put our goals towards what we think is good. Instead, peace should be what we all strive for as human beings.

technologyyyyyyy

I am a supporter of advances in technology. I love my iPod and I can’t wait to get an iPhone (hopefully for Christmas.) I use my computer, cellphone, iPod, and television everyday; my daily life would be very different without it. However, all these new products that have become widespread within the last few decades don’t come without consequences, many consequences. Texting is a major distraction in school, home life, and most dangerously, driving. I find it to be very convenient when calling someone to tell them something isn’t practical, but it seems that a lot of teenagers usually text at times that aren’t practical. Using messaging as a mean of communication his two disadvantages: it lowers social skills used in person, and it opens up an opportunity to say to people that you’re afraid to say in person, hence, cyberbullying. Yes, I went there. Now, the worst part of the internet is, without a doubt, teachers’ inclination to create online homework in addition to regular homework, not instead. But what is important to learn to how to use technology to improve communication, not take away from it. It should be used as a tool, not something to always rely on.

I Like Technology but it Hates Me

I was the kid who wasn't into technology growing up. This is no doubt the reason for the karma that has followed me ever since with the monster of technology. As a kid I would have much rather been swinging on a swing than playing a video game or on the computer. As a matter a fact my parents made it that way I to this day can't play a video game to save my life. I've been diagnosed with a rare disease called Video Game Challenged Syndrome. This illness is most present in my attempts to play call of duty. I try not to play any more, that's how embarrassing it really is.

Also growing up computers never favored me. I was the one who was a step behind in all things computer related, or I was the kid who when in computer class in fourth grade my computer freezes up once a week. Where ever I go the spite of technology follows me. Here's a short story on how one of my phones broke. That night I was texting and I fell asleep with my phone in my bed. I had a bottle of water sitting on my nightstand. When I woe to my alarm I swiped at it knocking the water bottle on the ground spilling it all over my phone. By the time I had seen what had taken place my phone was in a pool of water and it was too late.

Although technology hates me, I love it. I have an apple computer and an iPhone. They are my sweethearts when they are being good to me, but this sparks another story. My apple computer has a short in the battery I don't know why and now she has to be plugged into a charger at all times or else she shuts down randomly.

With the great technology that I have comes many benefits but also a few risks that demand responsibility. The benefits I get from technology are I have access to the internet, email, and call at any time of day thanks to my iPhone. This comes in handy in certain situations where I need to check something or even enhance a situation with one of my nifty apps. My computer also has many benefits such as incredible speed, the lacking of trouble shooting problems, and some nifty gadgets of her own. There are risks that come with these machines though. For example you have to be careful on the internet what you look at, who you accept as a friend on facebook, and spam and pop-ups. The real danger is my phone. Texting and driving is statistically more dangerous than driving under the influence. This is why I do not text and drive, but I am in the generation of the texter and this is prevalent in our society today, and even if your not doing it it can still affect you. So if any one reads this which you probably won't cause its a day late which is dumb this should be due tonight, DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE.

I Completely Forgot About This Until Today; I Hate Technology

So I know I'm a day late on this, but I decided that I might as well do it anyways. I hate technology. I mean sure, I love what it does for me; how my life is infinitely easier and the fact that I'm more knowledgeable as well as worldly with it, but overall I'd say that I despise the many effects of technology.

When I was little, my parents tried to ensure that I used as little technology as possible, and I thank them for that every day. Instead of staring mindlessly at the television screen, playing video games, and doing little but sitting in one place for extended periods of time, I spent my childhood having good, pure fun outside. I developed social skills, an imagination, a knowledge of my environment, a need and love for play, and a taste for the great outdoors. I learned everything from how to trap minnows in the creek behind my house to where the best hide n' seek spots are, and I give all credit to the limited access to technology I had. And now, at 17 years old, I wish that we still didn't have the technology that gives us a lack of basic human relationships.

I LOVE MUSIC AND MY IPHONE

I am constantly using my iphone to listen to music. I don't know what I would do with myself without it. No matter where I am, or what I am doing, I almost always have music playing. My top 5 songs for a chill, summer playlist would be;

1. Don't Carry On Like a Rude Boy When Daddy's Got a Yacht- By High Rankin. This is one of the strangest songs I have ever heard, but I am obsessed. Dubstep is my favorite type of music, and this song is a mix of dubstep and odd dialogue. I love it.

2. Static Waves- By Andrew Belle. This song is more alternative and is very calming. It puts me in a good mood whenever I listen to it.

3. Raise Your Weapon- By Deadmau5. Deadmau5 is amazing. All of their songs are great. This song is more upbeat and exciting. It's a good pump up song I guess you could say.

4. Hide & Seek- By Imogen Heap. This song was played in the OC, and ever since then I have loved it. It's very different and not like most other music. It's really hard to understand the words, but it has a good style.

5. Love Lost- By the Temper Trap. The Temper Trap is a new band, and I am literally obsessed with all their songs. It's a more alternative style, and it will relax anyone. It's a good by the beach summer song.

There are so many more songs that I could have put, but those are just a few of my Top 25 Most Played. Without technology I wouldn't have even been able to look back at my most recently played. I love my computer and iPhone, and would be completely lost without them.

Positive Technology in Just One Day

Technology is constantly helping me to do pretty much everything; take Saturday for example. I was in Evansville for a soccer trip and was impacted by technology pretty much as soon as I woke up. I used my phone for an alarm clock so that I wouldn't oversleep. Then using my phone again I was able to text coach and ask what we are wearing and what time we had to meet back at the lobby. Once we left I realized that I didn't have the socks I needed so I just called my dad and he was able to drop them off before the game in plenty of time and it wasn't an issue an all because I was able to instantly talk to him. After the game we got straight on the bus and we can use technology to post to Facebook or twitter the results and talk to everyone you might need to. The three hour bus ride that followed would've been a lot less tolerable without an ipod that you could put in and entertain yourself. Thats a fairly normal day and to think that I used to technology that much is hard to imagine what it would be like without some of these devices. I could've overslept, been late to the bus, not had any socks, and then stared out the window for three hours if it weren't for technology. It would make life much more difficult and its easy to overlook just how much technology is helping us every day.

Technology is Awesome

Technology makes life easier. No matter what people say they would not be able to last one day without it. Just think every person who thinks technology is bad and hurts them and writes it on an online blog is just proving their point wrong because they are using the internet, widely known as the greatest invention of the 20^th century. I myself love technology, I guarantee I can’t go one hour without using some form of technology for personal use: texting, facebook, or twitter they all are great! Who would think that you could connect with another you’ve ever met by just clicking a few buttons and poof now you can talk to them and see how there doing, now if that isn’t amazing to people I don’t know what is. Peoples lives today are much better than the people just one or two generations ago, and most likely it will just get better and better as technology gets better. Well now I’m going to fall asleep using my new Rock-It 2.0 speaker, check it out its crazy ->http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH3fNl5jEp8

me and my friend technology

Technology is something that has touched the lives of almost everyone in the world in some way or another. I honestly can't imagine what my life would be like without phones, computers, televisions, and all of that which we seem to take for granted on a daily basis. It is sad though; why must our society be so reliant on these new contraptions? I cannot answer this question, as many probably couldn't either. Is it because we just like technology so much? Or have we created a constant need for new technology? I think it's because these inventions make our lives so much easier in so many different ways, and what more does our society love than than to have its lives be made easier. For me, technology has had an almost completely positive effect on my life. Just think about it, how many ways can you communicate with someone now? You can utilize email, Facebook, and Twitter just to name a few. The majority of my homework requires me to use my computer, from "Googling" things to typing up Word documents, yet I also use my computer for a source of entertainment as well. And what would I do without my iPhone? In some ways it has my life on it, and it also serves as my iPod to listen to all of my music! I can still remember when I had my little walkman CD player years ago with my little CD case. But now Apple has produced a wondrous new thing that allows for optimum functionality; you can listen to your music while texting a friend, and of course you can't forget you've got a built-in camera whenever you feel the need to snap a picture on the go. I could go on and on about how fabulous all of this technology is and how it has drastically simplified our lives, but we have to remember that all of this is also a great distraction in our lives. This technology draws us in and seems to have addictive qualities to it that keep us constantly coming back. What we must remember is that it's healthy for us to take a break and escape from it all sometimes though. Yes, technology has changed our lives, but we don't want it to be the thing that changes or shapes us as individuals.

Technology and why it's wonderful.

Technology is really a wonderful thing. We can accomplish so much with it that it's amazing. I have the capability to purchase items from overseas and have them arrive on my doorstep in days, that is something that would not have been imaginable years ago. That's just one thing that affects my life right now, the implications of increasing technology are superb. With processor power increasing exponentially, there's no telling what could happen when it reaches the power of the human brain. A gigantic leap in technology. Space travel, immortality, space, a cohesive hive mind, more space, the end to all world suffering, no one can tell what could happen. There's a chance that space might be involved, but most signs lead to it being great. Our lives are so much better than our ancestors, and it only gets better from here.

Assignment 3: Come to the dark side, Luke

The news does not shy away from stories that show the moral flaws of humanity. Read any newspaper and there is always something about the latest crime in its pages. Every so often though, we are fortunate enough to hear stories of people who still want to do the right thing. For instance, Leah Kleppinger recently found a wallet when no one else was around. When she opened it, she saw $4,600 in cash and credit cards and had every opportunity to pocket it, but instead returned it to its owner.

But just because we hear about bad things and nice things happening does that mean there is a true battle versus good and evil? Is Leah Kleppinger the epitome of good while someone who would have kept the wallet the definition of evil?

So...you're prompt for the week:

Do you believe in absolute good and evil? Is it as clear cut as Harry Potter versus Voldemort, the Sith versus the Jedi? Is there no war at all between good and evil; is there just this gray area where sometimes good people do bad things? Are good and evil even things that have to exist? Can one eliminate the other once and for all? What is evil? What is good?

Use examples when applicable!

Y2K is Coming, and we're all Doomed.

It never happened? Well, we still have 2012 to look forward to.

If I were born in 1975 instead of 1995, I’d be, well, strictly speaking, dead. You see, I was born two months premature. I was in the ICU for forty days, the doctors making sure that everything was right, and to let me grow to a more healthy weight. Luckily, aside from being smaller than most of my friends for the next few years, I was perfectly fine.

Well, assuming that I did turn out fine, my social life would have been radically different, with the technology of the time being a huge influence in this. How everyone communicates in the 90s is what it has been for a long time. The only thing that’s new and hip is the internet, except it doesn’t really have much of anything on it and Google doesn’t even exist yet. That means that the only way to talk to someone is either by phone, face-to-face, or snail mail. Almost everything we take for granted in 2011 hasn’t been invented yet in 1991. Here’s a few of the major technological differences.

-Cell Phones: These are large and cumbersome. They’re also very expensive, and you don’t get a lot of coverage. Also, what’s a text message?
-Facebook: The only book with faces on it is a photo album, and those photos were taken with real film that had to be developed in a dark room. As stated before, there’s not much of an internet right now, and most computers are still text-based. But hey, on the up side, all of your personal info isn’t readily available for the entire world to see.
-Twitter: The only things tweeting are birds.
-Skype: What’s that? Is it like Skynet from Terminator?
-YouTube: All the funny videos you’ll be watching will be on the TV on America’s Funniest Home Videos.

A time-traveler would probably experience culture shock several magnitudes higher when traveling from 1991 to 2011 than if she/he traveled from 1971 to 1991. This is because the growth of technology is exponential; the higher the level of technology, the faster it grows. Now that I’ve explained the background of the differences in communication and social interactions of 1991 and 2011, it’s time to return to the original topic: the implications of the technology level versus relationships.

These social networking sites allow for people to communicate much more than they used to; rather than setting up a hang-out time and location, people can simply use Skype or Apple’s FaceTime to have instant voice and video chat with one or more people, or have a simple text-based chat through Facebook or text messaging. Sure, these allow for a more constant connection between peers and it can help less socially-adept people acquire more friends; however, whether these relationships are more real is debatable. Sure, there were superficial friendships in the 90s and today, but developing a friendship solely through technology is a completely different world from actual contact; text can’t convey emotions or body language – and while there is video chat, the quality isn’t enough to convey everything that is felt between two people who are physically feet from each other.

So yes, all relationships, including mine, would be different in 1991 than they are in 2011. Even if I could have grown up in the 80s, I still prefer 2011. Sure, it would be fascinating to grow up in the 80s, living through events such as the end of the Cold War, the release of the Game Boy, the Chernobyl Disaster, and many other events that my parents remember, but only if just temporarily. Every year is unique; not only that, but every month and every day and every moment, history is created. So to answer the question, I prefer living in the present and experience all of the brilliant advances, but I still do take the opportunity to meet with friends in person, because there’s no substitute for reality (yet).

Back in MY Day.....

More than a couple of times, I've thought about what my life would be like if I were in my parents' generation; if I was born in 1975 instead of 1995. And whenever I have given it some thought, the first thing I think "What about technology?". To put it lightly, we are spoiled by the benefits that modern technologies have to offer, them being having the ability to look things up on a whim, "Facebook" or "Twitter" our friends, or even manage our entire lives. But whatever happened to doing things on our own? Or interacting with real people? This question presents itself to me.

In our parents' day, the way they would interact would be to invite their friends over and play games with each other. My dad used to play pretend "cowboys and Indians" with his next-door neighbor, while the most that we look forward to is a notification on Facebook. But what if we were in our parents' day?

I envision people would have much more personal relationships with one another. Not to say that people are personal with one another; it's just that we rely on technology to do the work for us. I would also envision that people would have more secrets than they do now. With a click of a button, people on Facebook can find out anything they want about you, or with the touch of the "Send" button can send a message to eight different people on their SmartPhone.

Which do I prefer? I prefer the middle ground. The decision between no technology and all technology is simply an ultimatum that I wouldn't like to make. However, having real relationships and expressing myself using more than an emoticon is an appealing thought, and I hope that we don't go too far into the realm of technology before there's no turning back.

cullen_smith signed off

BACK TO THE FUTURE (Only, like, 26 years later.)

SEPTEMBER 2, 2011

A young girl stands in her room. It is 5:30, and, as will hopefully be the pattern for the rest of the year, she is going to wake up at this exact same time every single day in order to get to jazz band. She hopes that she has actually gotten into jazz band, at least. This, as well as the fact that today they announce the placements for CKYO, is quite exciting. She’ll have to wait until she gets out of school to talk to the CKYO director over the phone, though, because who wants a call at 5:30 AM? Admittedly, this would be much simpler and less time-consuming if she had an email account.

But she doesn’t.

Email doesn’t exist yet, so it’s pretty much a moot point.

As she travels through her many classes, she finds an unpleasant surprise in English. A three-page written assignment is due the next day. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have a computer, as her parents say they aren’t getting one until it is totally and absolutely necessary. But that’s okay, really, because she doesn’t have anything better to do with her time. She has no social-networking sites to talk to acquaintances on, she has no means of putting any of her drawings and sketches into the computer, and she’s got no way to talk to people who are just on the internet and interested in the same graphic novel as her.

So, basically, her life is pretty ordinary.

But to me, this life is quite odd! Social networking sites are a very large part of my life, especially as some of them allow me to talk about art and developments in both real life and fiction. But I would agree that social networking is not exactly necessary, and it would be very easy for me to find other outlets for my creativity.

My relationships with others, should I have lived 20 years earlier, probably wouldn’t change very much. The ones in real life wouldn’t, at least. My online friends would have no way of getting in contact with me, so I wouldn’t know anything about them. Because of this, I’d prefer to live when I am right now, because my interactions with online friends have helped to strengthen my work as an artist and to motivate me into creating more art than I would if I had never met those friends.

Technology can be a bad thing too

Technology has impacted everyone, even those who has never had the opportunity to directly use it. Technology has changed the world along with everyone and everything in it. Because of technology, ideas previously thought as impossible have become a reality. At the same time, technology has also caused issues never thought possible. Obviously, technology has made life easier. Countless tasks can be done at the press of a button, procedures can be performed without a human presence needed, and people can communicate without having to get off the couch. Concurrently, people's lives are ruined, reputations are trashed, rumors are spread, and people are killed. Everyone has been affected by technology whether directly or indirectly. Technology is something that if it disappeared, the human population could very well cease to exist. With the exponentially growing population and the demand of humans, technology is what keeps us alive in a way; it is the base of today's society. There are pros and cons for pretty much everything in the world, but technology's pros and cons have probably been the most influential and effective on humanity. Right now I'm not quite sure I have the whole 150 words thing accomplished so this sentence is primarily to fulfill the 150 word requirement..so I think that does it.

Technology is a Pretty Cool Thing

Having grown up in the past decade, I personally love technology like a brother. It has been with me my whole life and has served to help me out when I am in need, as well as pester me often. This being said, I would feel very empty if I went back in time twenty years or so; almost like having phantom limb syndrome.

First off, I’ll start with the main negative affect it has had on me personally. As many students will agree, the internet is the bane of my attention span. When doing homework, I will often have somewhat of a tick that makes me want to check my email and Facebook for no particular reason. For example, in the time it has taken me to write this much of this blog, I have checked Facebook two times.

Technology’s positive effects much outweigh the negatives for me. I have an iphone to communicate from a distance while away from home; a computer for access to information of all kinds; and an mp3 player to listen to music and learn songs to play on guitar/drumset. All of these functions are very important to my daily life and I feel very blessed to be able to use them.

So the main point I am trying to get across is that the internet and other modern technology have had both positive and negative effects on my life, however I believe the positives far outweigh the negatives. I welcome, with open arms, future technology; that is unless we accidentally create Skynet at some point...

A Stroll through Suburbia

I really enjoy walking. I don't it for the exercise; I do it to " breathe". During my walks, I get to turn my mind off. I put my earphones in and just relax. So here is my soundtrack:

Thievery Corporation- Until the Morning- This song has just a really unique sound, all the different sounds meld together and flow really well. The voice really penetrates through the music and puts you in a trance. I have to be careful when I am listening because if not I will just wonder through traffic like a zombie.

Led Zepplin- When the Levee Breaks- This song hypnotizes me. The first thing I hear are the drums, Bonham beats his way into the soul. Next the harmonica, the echo of the thing really just entraps me. The guitar riff is a constant which is like the glue, it unites everything. Then it doesn't get much more hypnotizing than Robert Plants voice.

Beck- Loser- This song isn't really that special compared to the others. Truthfully, it just makes me feel cool. I really want to wear sunglasses when I listen to this song. This song is simply to make me feel good about myself; which I guess is the important part right.

Lost in the World- Kanye West feat. Bon Iver- Once again the drums, maybe their the key. This song is crazy well produced, one of the best uses of auto-tune ever. The really surprising part is how well the working in of Gil Scott- Heron, who is pretty awesome. It just works, it feels nice. Also, I like Bon Iver. Does that make me a hipster?

James Taylor- Carolina in my Mind- This might sound a little fake or cliche, but I can't describe the feeling of being on the last stretch of road until my house and this song comes on Pandora. It almost made me tear up. James Taylor just has an incredible voice. Just listen to it, it's beautiful.

I didn't really see anyone else doing this, so I thought it would be fun. As a farewell: blam, bop, skidoosh. Im out.

Edit- Sorry about the links, all the songs are on the internet ( man technology is awesome).

P.S- If the links work, ignore this(obviously)

P.P.S. - Good night and blam.

I never use an iPod.

Are you shocked? I may be the only person in the world who has never owned an iPod. It’s not that my parents never offered to buy me one, but I would probably never use it. The only time I have found that it would have been nice to have one is on long car rides and even then, I usually just listen to the radio. I think it’s interesting to always listen to the different music and music as it changes when you drive to new parts of the country. Even though I don’t have an iPod, I probably listen to more music than most people with iPods. Music is almost constantly on at my house or when I am driving. When I’m working on homework, I’m listening to Pandora. When I’m relaxing, I’ll usually look up new music on YouTube. When I’m driving, I turn on the radio to 104.5 or 106.3 or put in one of my antiquated, but beloved CDs. On my usual homework playlist, there are so many different songs, artists, and genres that it is hard to describe my music tastes, but the first five songs that appeared on my Pandora while I worked on this blog post were:

• · Inventing Shadows- Dia Frampton- This song caught my attention because it was on the season finale of The Voice and it was an original song created by one of my favorite contestants. It’s just a very relaxing song because it just has voice and piano and it makes great background music when I’m working.
• · The Way It Ends- Landon Pigg- I actually first heard this song on my Pandora and then completely liked it. It is scary how well my Pandora can know that I will like a song. But sometimes, I just go to Landon Pigg’s Facebook page and listen to all of his songs because they are just so pleasant and calming.
• · Crazier- Taylor Swift- Yes, I know this song was on the Hannah Montana movie, but it is one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs. It has a very natural sound and it is one of the few songs that isn’t about a breakup.
• · Somewhere Only We Know- Keane- The lyrics of this song are very peaceful and simple. It’s very easy to listen to and it reminds me of my childhood memories at my grandparent’s backyard playing with my cousins. Their forested backyard reminds me of the Hundred Acre Wood, which is funny because this song was used in the trailer for the new Winnie the Pooh movie that came out this year.
• · Beautiful, Beautiful- Francesca Battistelli- This song reminds me of this summer when I was working at camp. The staff used to blast music in the cafeteria as loud as possible and have dance parties when we were setting up or cleaning before and after meals. It always makes me smile whenever I hear it.

Technolo-ME

Technology has had both positive and negative effect on me. Firstly, it makes life easier. Instead of going to the library, I go to Google. Instead of sending a letter, I send an email. Instead of handwriting and essay, I can type it in half the time. Instead of driving to California, I can fly. It is in these ways that technology has a positive effect on me. I would say that these additions to my life have, for the most part, made my life more efficient. I enjoy technology for the most part. I find new technology and gadgets interesting.

Technology has become a distraction for me. The Internet is the primary culprit. Many times when I am supposed to be doing homework, I find myself surfing the Internet. Consequently, I finish my homework at a much later time. I hate staying up late to finish homework, and most of the time it is the result of procrastination via Internet. This is the primary negative impact of technology for me. Overall, though, technology has a positive impact on my life.

Luke Yurkoski

1974

How would your life have been different if you'd grown up 20 years earlier? How would you interact with others? Do you think your relationships then would differ from your present relationships? Which time period would you prefer and why?


If I would have been born in 1974 as a posed to 1994 my childhood would have been very different. My sense of auto correct would have been on my type-writer (if my family could afford something that fancy) and the most instantaneous form of receiving information was through an encyclopedia or dictionary. Maybe I would be more patient and resourceful. Not expecting information to throw itself at me simply by typing in my entry and clicking "search". Would I be smarter? I would have to be confident about the spellings of words before typing them, there isn't auto correct and research would be tediously flipping through books. I would know how to correctly navigate myself around a library and probably be a better writer (with all of those letters as a posed to texting short choppy half sentences).

However life and technology today makes life exponentially easier. If I need to ask my mom to pick me up I send her a text. If my car breaks down and all I do is press the tool button on my rear view mirror. If I misspell a word, back space and re-type. If I need to get a hold of a teacher I send them an e-mail. Everyone is much better connected. However, this can lead to relationships hidden behind machines as a posed to face-to-face interaction. Which are two very different ways at looking at relationships.

So saying whether or not we are better off or what not is hard to say. Life is just...different. Not better or worse. Just different. There are positives and negatives to both time periods of life, but I have to say I like my technology and without it I don't know how I would get through my day.

Luckily, there's an app for that

Technology is everywhere. we use it everyday and most of the time we just take it for granted. without technology im almost positive the world would stop spinning. to say that technology HASNT impacted me in a majorly positive way would be lying. it improves my life daily, but also it has impacted my life negatively. it has taken away the face to face value that most people of our parents generation appreciated so much.

the positive impact on my life though has been huge. i have been able to speak and hear the voice of my relatives living in distant places. technology has allowed me to keep in touch with people i would have normally not been able to. another hugely positive impact is that i am able to live longer. i am able to find funny videos on the internet so that i am able to laugh. laughing allows you to live longer, thus technology allows you to live longer.

technology is amazing, people just have to learn how to use it appropriately.

“All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace”

Has technology ever inconvenienced you or hurt you? Maybe technology got in your way, slowed you down or even literally hurt you? Have you seen technology have a negative impact on society?

I like to think (and
the sooner the better!)
of a cybernetic meadow
where mammals and computers
live together in mutually
programming harmony
like pure water
touching clear sky.

I like to think
(right now, please!)
of a cybernetic forest
filled with pines and electronics
where deer stroll peacefully
past computers
as if they were flowers
with spinning blossoms.

I like to think
(it has to be!)
of a cybernetic ecology
where we are free of our labors
and joined back to nature,
returned to our mammal
brothers and sisters,
and all watched over
by machines of loving grace.


(1967) Richard Brautigan



Brautigan envisioned a cybernetic ecological utopia. A perfectly harmonious and stabilized system composed of animals and computers alike. Although I could easily argue on behalf of all aspects of technology, I do not believe such a world will ever exist. As cybernetics has advanced, it has not progressed to a stage that allows for the return to the balance of nature. In fact, it seems far from that.

My working definition of cybernetics will be of that proposed by Norbert Wiener, as “the study of control and communication in the animal and in the machine.”

There is a great hiatus between biology and technology. Although one can be made in the image of the other, they are not nearly as interconnected and interchangeable as we are made to believe. Biology is on an entirely new level of complexity.

I find the “one cannot live while the other survives” philosophy entirely applicable to this situation. The machine destroys the animal. And while we can try to protect the original balance of nature by utilizing this technology, we have really only created more problems by deviating from it. Humans are now ravaging the land by pumping artificial fertilizers into the soil to meet the demands of our economic system-fueled by technology-that will probably lead to the downfall of our race. (Alright, this is a bit of a “slippery slope” here. And it most definitely represents only one facet of technology.)*

However, this is not the only thing we have lost as a result of wide-spread technological advancement. Hand-held, portable devices such as cell phones, ipods, ipads, laptop computers, Global Positioning Systems, and calculators are now interwoven into our everyday lives. It is a stark misconception that these means of technology have solved all of our problems regarding navigation, knowledge, and human interaction. Without them, we cannot survive.

Today, we don’t have half the knowledge base some of our parents do, we have lost sight of how to engage in candid interaction with other people, and sometimes we can’t just google “how to escape a sinking car” before its too late.

Computers have failed to liberate us. Instead, they have shaped us in a manner that has “distorted and simplified our view of the world around us.” (Adam Curtis, 2011)

We need to come back to reality. Plopping your toddler in front of a TV all day will make her IQ plummet into the realm of borderline deficiency.

We need to become self-sufficient again. Use a map. Learn a language.

Needless to say, I cannot picture a deer strolling around in a forest full of computers. When I think of “cybernetic ecology” or “mutually programming harmony”, all that comes to mind is this:





Yeah. Those freaky jelly-filled bubbles with people in them.












There needs to be a distinct divide between nature and technology; just as there needs to be a rift between human beings and their beloved gadgets.


*Catastrophic thinking aside… I must admit technology saved my life. I don’t discourage cyborg advancements, nor do I frown upon all biology-related cybernetics. But it reaches a point where we are just kickin’ out new ideas and advancements before we even consider the implications.

A day in the life of Retro-gustus

It is September 1^st 1991, and Retrogustus, an amalgam of “retro” and “Augustus,” has just woken up. He gets ready for the new day and goes to school. He tries to get as much information from his friends as he can, and then goes home to do his homework at his writing desk. He goes to sleep eventually, but not before he phones his friends to find out what's happening over the weekend. He hasn't once checked face-book, or text-ed anybody, or listened to an I-pod, or done web-homework; He doesn't even know what they are.

Luckily for his futuristic dopplegänger Augustus, these services are all too real. He knows exactly what his friends have been doing because they have synced their lives to face-book and twitter. He has already set up his weekend via text. He is even doing his web-homework just hours before it is due. He can scarcely imagine how Retrogustus ever survived back in 1991 without social media.

However, the question Augustus should be asking isn't how Retrogustus survived without every excruciating detail of his friends lives; the real puzzle is why he can't do the same himself. It goes without saying that the teenagers of twenty years ago were a far cry from the social-media centric kids of today. They knew out how to work around limited connectivity and weren't dependent on the Internet. This wasn't exactly a boon to their communication skills. Indeed, our now 30-something generation-x Retrogustus is still bamboozled by the simplest of face-book protocols, while his 16-ish millennium-kid contemporary is dancing around the Internet like a cyber-gymnast. Augustus uses words to speak when he can, but even his parents and superiors are now just a finger's tap away. The condition that presents itself is that digital technology is no longer just an arbitrary way for Augustus to talk; it is now and forever a bona-fide part of his vocabulary in the same way that writing is a part of his language. The humble :) holds more meaning to him than the phrase, “I am happy.”

Across the board, our relationships are now deeper, but also less personal. We don't have as much of a tie to our interactions as we did before the Internet. The consensus is that if it's on the Internet, it must not be real. I think this is favorable in the sense that our lives are easier to handle, but it's also more dangerous. If this trend continues, we may reach a point where there is no need for body-language or even vocal grunts. Even so, our current Internet savvy population, is much better off than they would have been twenty years ago. They have new, more effective tools for communication, and are therefore in a better position. Augustus probably had a better childhood than Retrogustus ever could, and that's just the way things are.

Put that book down, just Google it.

Well, time to write another blog! Technology is great, I mean, who doesn't love pressing their shuffle button seven or eight times until you get a song you want, or riding an escalator to the 2nd floor of the mall (because, you just ate and you don't want to get all sweaty)?

If we didn't have the TV, imagine all the things we wouldn't know? News would be at a total standstill, and we'd never get quality programs like Jersey Shore and America's Got Talent (okay, well those aren't really "quality" programs but you see where I'm going). We might actually have to exercise for fun if we didn't have a magical picture box to devote our evenings to. Plus, what would we name Justin Hui after if there were no TV's? He'd just be the mysterious unnamed problem child in the corner in 5th hour English.

We also have to thank technology for all the military advancements we've recently seen. Remember the days when we could only express rage on other countries with rocks, sticks, or bigger sticks? I sure don't, because I'm too busy reading about the group of $200,000 cruise missiles hitting a bunch of other super-techno-killing machines in Osamastan to care about simpler times when we couldn't kill each other as fast or awesomely. Yes, sir, technology has lit the sky of the third world with IED's and hellfire the warring nations of the dark ages could only dream of.

So in conclusion, technology makes everything simpler, from listening to your favorite tunes to blowing people up. So get out there and burn as few calories as possible today, Liberal Arts Academy, because for every menial, manual, task there's a gadget for that!