PLEASE READ!!!!!

Listen, this blog is a way for me to express the massively important thoughts that occupy my brain but don't fit in a facebook status, so PLEASE READ IT!!!!  It'll be super interesting and not lame, and I'll post dirty pictures all the time.

still bloggin

yo what da fuck!<!<!??? i'm still bloggin mothafuckas@@!!!!!!!!!

sources

The leafcutter ants : civilization by instinct  
its a book


Ant encounters : interaction networks and colony behavior
  Gordon, Deborah (Deborah M.)
its also a book

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VRT-4JG4MPC-8&_user=209810&_coverDate=03%2F07%2F2006&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000014439&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=209810&md5=ffd5dbc07743d631c9b3bbddc045c9e7&searchtype=a
not a book

Ant encounters: interaction networks and colony behavior

Author: Gordon, Deborah

another book

noles

If I had to take a guess, which here I am forced to, the author's research question was, "are Native Americans offended by tribe based mascots?", or something like that.  The purpose seems to be that making a big deal out of mascots like this now is silly, that if these tribes can survive being attacked by men wielding vastly superior technology, that seeing mascots that may not portray them in the greatest light is certainly not a big deal.  He focuses in on the Seminole tribe, which I think makes that point difficult to apply to Natives as a whole, but maybe I got the purpose wrong.  One thing he does that didn't thrill me is that he talked about the Seminoles' business ventures, acquiring Hard Rock International, and mentioning that the girl's father was a casino operator.  This gives to the stereotype of Natives currently as casino lords, rather than a proud people of strong tradition.  If somebody has given up their ancestral way of life for what many may consider a relatively "dirty" career running a casino, they are much less entitled to be irritated by any caricatures of their people.  He did not focus on the Illini or Sioux tribes, though that may have made for a totally different paper.  Nonetheless I agree with his point that anger over long used names is ridiculous.

Is the Google Making us Stupid?

Carr definitely raises some good points in this about the effects the internet has had on the way we think and process information.  It is interesting to bring up this topic, because I was thinking the other day about whether Google was a good thing or not.  On one hand, there is very little information that cannot be found by simply typing it into the Google search bar, on the other hand there is very little information that cannot be found by typing it into the Google search bar.  The repetition was intentional, as Google has made my generation almost dependent upon it for routine questions.  With the development of smart phones and other portable internet capable devices, any question or curiosity that pops up during the day is punched into Google, and the results are instantly shown.  While this may not seem like a bad thing, this is another way in which Google diminishes our thinking ability.  Rather than critically thinking about the relationship between two things, or just trying to recall facts about something, our brains no longer get the exercise these tasks would normally provide, as they immediately go to Google for their response, almost like a dependence.  Though Carr's reasoning is semi-logical, it seems to me that he has abused the internet as much as anybody, the guy still reads blogs.  Realistically blogs are pretty much for people who can't fit all their useless thoughts for the week into one facebook status, so they post it on blogger for nobody to care about.  If Carr spent a little less time glued to the computer screen and bothered to read a real book every once and a while, he probably wouldn't be having the problems that he is blaming on the internet.  Much like many other things in life, the internet can be nice and is definitely convenient, but if it is abused it can do harm to those who do not use it carefully.   

joy

Joy's primary concern in the article is that people will fail to pay proper attention to what they are creating, and not fully weigh the consequences that may ensue its creation, basically 90% of science fiction without the excitement.  I did not mean to discredit Joy as I think he makes a good point, and it is useful to see it made in a straight forward way as how he does it.  He makes very clear that he is not anti-technology, but that he is aware of the power of current advancements and realizes that they must be kept in check.  His ethos is impeccable.  Joy makes good references to various pieces of literature which support his point, and I found the Unabomber anecdote interesting and most effective.  I think that the issues are as relevant as ever, especially because many people do not think much about these matters.  What was once the future is pretty much here (yes cliche) and while it may not be the Jetsons, in many ways technology has shaped the lives of everybody outside of Lancaster.  Robots have already taken the Jeopardy crown from humans, who knows what they may be capable of doing next.  While that seems a silly comparison it does prove that robots are getting closer to human level intelligence.  Though I maintain that robots could not totally take over humanity as they are developed by humans and owe all of their "intelligence" to us, genetic engineering leaves many possibilities.  Knowing that we can synthetically produce almost any life form with genetic alterations makes very few things truly impossible.  While many of the nightmares related to genetic engineering seem unrealistic, they are not as far fetched as we might like to believe.  There is little aside from ethics to stop people from creating races of superhumans or human devouring carnivores, especially if a time comes when genetic engineering becomes a wide spread commonplace in many nations.  People worried after the first nuclear bombs were dropped about the implications of the Soviet Union obtaining such technology, and later of countries such as North Korea or Iran.  If that is considered a problem, imagine if somebody such as Kim Jong-Il were capable of the White Plague mentioned in Joy's essay.  While it is easy to worry about a robot that one cannot stop, it is almost a guarantee that the robot's creator knows exactly how to stop it, and the fate of others rests in his/her decision to stop the machine.  With genetic engineering the creator can easily lose control of their creation, as it is a living thing, and no matter how much research has been done and precautionary measures taken to prevent disaster, the creation has a mind and life of its own and is capable of anything, which could be the downfall of a careless society.

kjhhlkgh

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/18/utah.state.firearm/index.html
In a time where state budgets are trying to cut back, why in the hell are officials working on things such as naming a state handgun?  If I lived in Utah, the first sign of increased taxes or removal of union bargaining rights would send me straight to the capital if this is what the state government is doing with their time.
http://us.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/20/nuclear.risks/index.html
I'm a big fan of nuclear power, as it is a low emission source of electricity.  Unfortunately, many people are terrified of nuclear meltdowns, mainly because every time we come anywhere near one the news acts like the whole world is going to be radioactive.  A properly built and maintained nuclear power plant is as safe as any other power plant, and hopefully this doesn't ruin nuclear for the whole world.

sunglasses

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42166988/ns/world_news-europe/
This is important to me because we watched the movie about Knut in my high school German class, and I am sad he died more importantly though it brings up talks about raising youth of various species, and whether it is a human's place to do so.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42165769/ns/today-today_fashion_and_beauty/
I just thought this one was kind of funny.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Libyan-Forces-Take-Aim-on-Benghazi-as-World-Leaders-Convene--118293224.html
 Legitimately important story, though it is a tough call.  While Gaddafi undoubtedly has to go, getting into civil war type situations in other countries is really not bright as we have seen in the past.

this sucks

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/18/wisconsin.budget.restraining.order/index.html?hpt=Sbin
I think this is a really important issue because without unions there is practically nothing stopping employers from abusing workers, especially in tough economic times where people absolutely cannot afford to lose their jobs.  Not only that, but to do it to teaching unions and other important public services is just wrong.  Hopefully this stays as is because talks like this have been spreading through the mid-west and could continue to spread through the country.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/03/14/smallbusiness/japan_earthquake_small_business_opportunity/index.htm
As important as it is to help improve earthquake safety in someplace like Japan, I was more interested in this for the science.  I'm in civil engineering so this is pretty  much gonna be my job, or something like that.

Etherfire

1.  Swift identifies many issues such as unemployment, poverty, overpopulation, and street riff-raff.  The exigence here is to suggest to the people of Ireland to be proud of their country and do what they can to help it through tough times, and help their neighbors through these times, rather than turning to crime and violence against one another and the state. 

2.  I would like to propose the removal of Barack Obama from the presidency, on the grounds that he is a foreign born socialist.  Clearly his health care policy is an attempt to seize full control of the U.S. government and destroy capitalism.  Seeing as he was not born in America and is not a U.S. citizen, his loyalties lie with other nations and he is clearly plotting the downfall of the United States from the inside.  Also, those of us familiar with the "Baracka Flacka Flame, Head of State" video are aware of his role in urban street gangs.  Upon removing this horrendous mistake from the Oval Office, I believe that to fill the void it would be in the nation's best interest to revive the body of Ronald Reagan, or just leave his corpse to rest at the president's desk.  Go America!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpq1oKOd9nEThough I typically like satire, I think that this was not an ideal way to use it, as I had a difficult time understanding part of it.  Perhaps my difficulties are due to the dialect of the 1700's, and if I were more comfortable in that style of speaking the point would be clearer.

2.     

Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs

http://blogcritics.org/music/article/andrew-bird-the-mysterious-production-of/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf1CI0vNfq4

The review never really focuses on one thing, rather it gives short descriptions of each song occasionally referencing how it fits into the album.  I liked the review, though there is a bias to that considering I would be more inclined to like a review that I agree with.  Regardless, the review does a nice job giving a small idea of what the sound conveys to its listener, but did not quite go in depth enough to really give the full impression.  I would probably evaluate on similar criteria, only I would try to be more specific, really bringing out some of my favorite parts or ideas in the album.  Possibly my favorite thing about the review though is that it does not ignore the short untitled pieces on the album (registered on iTunes as /=/ and /=/=/).  Though they do not seem of great importance, I think they give a better idea of the sound and style of Bird, in addition to his musical foundation. In the briefness of the review, the it also fails to go far into detail of the lyrical style, which consists of a surprising amount of scientific references and other metaphors while keeping just a small bit of a folk feel to it.  My other favorite thing about the album is that it seldom relies on visceral instruments such as drum and bass to keep the song interesting, but focuses more on the various melodies produced by Bird's ability to whistle and play numerous instruments.  It gives a gentler (more sophisticated?) sound without being boring due to the intricate melodies and uncommon sounds of whistling and glockenspiel which are trademarks of Andrew Bird's sound.  Though I just found out Radiohead just released their new album... might have to re-do this after listening.

Defnition Proposal

Word:  Alcohol
Definition:  Solution (sarcasm) of all problems
Exigence:  Watching the drama and mistakes of students due to its abuse
Goal:  To make the point that people rely too much on it as a part of their lives, that there is social life beyond booze
Audience:  College Students (specifically PSU)

Kind of unsure about this one, all I could think of to this point

Journal 2

1.)  Oswald defines a geek or nerd to be somebody whose tastes are slightly out of the mainstream, with great passion bordering on obsession for these tastes.  He defines otaku as something like a mental isolation emerging themselves into the details of these mildly odd tastes, as an escape from the world where they are somewhat isolated.  He noticed that with the development of the internet it is very difficult for any one thing to stay isolated to only certain groups (nerds), as it is easily available for everybody.  He seems to think it is increasingly difficult to immerse yourself in your own culture, as it is frequently taken and put into some type of mainstream pop culture, which is where I think he is wrong.  While it may be more difficult now to like things that stay out of the mainstream, it is still more than possible to immerse oneself into a different sub-culture.  Oswald sounds like some kind of whiny hipster (using the word as one with odd tastes) whose favorite band just got signed to a major label.  Sometimes things get famous after the fact, good examples would be Van Gogh or the Velvet Underground, neither of whom where supremely popular in their day, but are now regarded as brilliant.  I understand Oswald's idea of an otaku, though I don't understand how he thinks it is unattainable today.  Musically speaking, Oswald's youthful tastes are comparable to what is now written about on Pitchfork.com today.  He essentially regrets what I call "the second mainstream" becoming a part of the normal mainstream, which hate to break it to him is something that happens sometimes.  While the internet may make it more difficult to maintain a somewhat bizarre lifestyle, it is more than possible for one to have their own otaku today.

2.)  Supermarket Pastoral is basically a supermarket priding itself on selling foods labeled as organic.  Pollan seems a bit torn about the concept of a supermarket pastoral, seeing both the positive fact that it is easier for people to find and buy organic foods, but the negatives that organic is becoming just a label, with companies doing the bare minimum to obtain organic status.  He notes that organic food is becoming a corporation just like the normal food industry before it.  Soon enough almost all food will be organic in order to fulfill the needs of the supermarket pastorals catering to those trying to eat more wholesome foods.  Organic will mean little more than normal food, and those wishing to eat healthier will have to find even more pure foods, from Pollan's description these foods will likely come with a book telling the consumer of the life of the cow they are about eat.  Organic culture could be compared to the nerd culture in Oswald's piece, once something difficult to find and only practiced by those dedicated few, becoming a normal part of everybody's life.  As organic culture continues its journey to the supermarket pastorals, which become more and more abundant, the definition of both terms could need to be redefined.

Narrative Topic

I intend to write my paper about the time I jumped off of a bridge with my father at a state park, where we our actions were rewarded by state trooper who gave us a ride back the picnic table my family had set up.

Hitler

Burke writes rhetorically because he worries that what Hitler did in Germany could happen again if people are not aware of deceptive politicians.  He points out Hitler's tendencies to boost the egos of the average citizen, while giving them a blatant scapegoat to chalk up many of their problems to, freeing their minds from thinking that they are to blame for the bad situation they are in.  Hitler is a proper exigence because he gained control of Germany in a time of great economic despair, similar though far more extreme than the current recession faced by Americans today.  Leaders like this are capable of appealing to those who have lost everything, by telling them that their situation is not their fault, but rather somebody else's fault.  Rather than telling them to pick themselves back up and get back on the horse, he tells them they are not responsible for their current despair, and gives the impression that those who support him will be returned to their original well-being while he punishes the culprits.  Burke uses the word "devil" to describe the Jews from Hitler's point of view.  The term devil holds a strong connotation of evil, especially among Christians, who made up much of Hitler's following.  He later brings up the idea of the religion Hitler was so fond of and the fascism he ruled Germany with.  Burke notes that fascism is in no way related to any religion, and that anybody who did not buy into Hitler's propaganda would have been able to see it, unfortunately though almost all of Germany's citizens had been effectively brain washed by the time he took power.

The documentary "Food Inc" struck me as an unfair look at the food industry, showing only the worst parts of the worst factories and farms they could find, and exploiting them on video.  They often made a big deal when companies would not allow them to see their facilities, though to me no matter what kind of business I was running I would not have let them in because their intentions would only be to make me look bad.  By seeking problems in everything presented to them, they were obviously able to find a few and extrapolate upon them.  This is an easy topic for people to get roused about because it is their food, something they consume every day or they will die.  By describing every aspect of the food industry as pure evil they immediately capture the audience by showing them something that is willing to ignore their health in order to make a buck, though I personally felt the documentary ignored fair unbiased reporting in order to do the very same thing.