Since my last blog post, the main character has completely changed. When Bernard and Lenina went to the “savage reserve” they met a man named John who was apparently the son of one of the directors back in civilization. Having a child was the worst thing that could possibly happen in civilization. Bernard decided to take him back with them and John became known as “the savage.” At first, he was praised but as life went on in he decided that civilization was corrupted. People were unable to live for themselves so he moved to a lighthouse in the countryside to seclude himself. He was constantly then ridiculed for his ways. So basically, he was not accepted in the uncivilized or civilized world. In the end of the book, John is driven crazy by civilization and ends up killing himself. One aspect I see in society that relates to the book is the seclusion of people who are different. In today's society anyone who is different is looked down upon. Though we are striving to fix this problem, it is still present. Other than that everything is pretty much the opposite. In our society we have unorthodox of many types and in the book unorthodox is a fear that one day might litter their society. “Unorthodoxy threatens more than the life of a mere individual; it strikes at Society itself.” I have mixed feelings about this book. I like it, but don’t like it at the same time. It was really interesting to see the difference in society. I would only recommend this book to someone if they wanted to see a polar society to what we have and to make them think, but not a book to read for fun. Comments on other class members blog post:Wyatt Fluck:
Maddi Perales:
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Since my last blog post, a lot has happened in the book Brave New World. A man named Bernard decided to take a woman named Lenina to a “Savage Reservation” in America. On the “Savage Reservation” it shows the difference between what is socially seen as civilized and uncivilized. For example, children are created in laboratories in the “civil” world, while on the reservations children are created the natural way and are born. Another example, is the contradictory of relationships. In this new civilization, “everyone belongs to everyone,” but on the reservations people have husbands, wives, and children (so basically, modern life as we, the readers, know it). Bernard and Lenina reacted with disgust to these changes in society. This gave an insight on how brainwashed the “new world” has become. This book reminds me of the graphic novel V for Vendetta. In V for Vendetta, citizens are controlled by the government, similar to the brainwashing and control over the citizens in Brave New World. In both these books, there is one person who is escaping the social standards who takes a bystander under their wing. This aspect is more present in V for Vendetta, but it is leaking over into Bernard and Lenina. If I had to compare this book to the world we live in today, I would compare it to everyday life. In Brave New World, people are made for specific jobs and run assigned shifts. Then they go out with the opposite gender and either play socially accepted sports, fly helicopters, or have sex. Plus in the meantime, they take dose of soma which is a “safe” drug that causes euphoria. I would say this is pretty different than the average day in our lives. Teenagers usually go to school and after hang out with their friends, play sports, or do other things that they enjoy. There are no set standards to follow everyday of your life unlike in the book, Brave New World. Comments on other class members blog post:Wyatt Fluck:
Madison Perales:
Imagine if you were to no longer have parents. The book Brave New World is placed in the future of London. Scientist have figured out how to generate human life without a carrier, only using fertile human eggs. This method of conception has become the new normal and there are no longer any families. In the process of creating humans to populate the world, scientist introduce different environments and chemicals to the growing embryos to limit emotions and create a caste system in ability, behavior, and features. Once “born” these children are brought up in state facilities and literally programmed to follow the social standards and create bias among the castes. Here is where it gets even weirder, the new motto surrounding the world is “everyone belongs to everyone.” Since partners and couples are no longer a thing everyone has become sexually active with literally everyone else. Sexual behaviors have become the new normal among all ages and society “needs stability.” Brave New World is unlike any other dystopian book I have ever read. This book is definitely weird and very twisted but it is interesting. I personally find interest in this book because it is so different from our current society, almost in every aspect. Comments on other class members blog post:Wyatt Fluck:
Madison Perales
Article Title: “What would happen if the world suddenly went vegetarian?” Publication by: BBC Date of Publication: December 27, 2016 Author of Article: Rachel Nuwer The article “What would happen if the world suddenly went vegetarian?,” is about… well, it is pretty self-explanatory. This article takes you through the pros and cons of this sudden “change.” Showing you the dramatic benefits, but the drastic reformation that comes with it. Carbon emissions and human health have been constantly getting worse as time goes on. From global warming to obesity to ocean acidification to cancer. All these problems are at a stable incline and are not considered a priority. What we eat has a lot to do with these problems. If the whole world went vegetarian, vegan, or even just plant-based overnight there would huge benefits. “Global vegetarianism would stave off about 7 million deaths per year, while total veganism would knock that estimate up to 8 million.” Not only is human health affected, but carbon emissions also decrease. “If everyone became vegetarian by 2050. The results indicate that – largely thanks to the elimination of red meat – food-related emissions would drop by about 60%. If the world went vegan instead, emissions declines would be around 70%.” You might be reluctant to give up meat, but “these are dietary changes consumers would barely notice, like having a just-slightly-smaller piece of meat,” Jarvis says. “It’s not this either-or, vegetarian-or-carnivore scenario.” Becoming vegetarian overnight is not a perfect solution, these benefits come with quite a bit of change. A universal nutritionally appropriate substitute (plant variety) would need to replace meat. Plus, what would happen to the people who have jobs revolving around raising livestock and poultry? These workers would need to be subsidized and the actual jobs would need to be modified into culturing and replenishing the land. There are many other changes, such as cultural, that would be affected by this change. Now here is the question, are all the changes worth the health of the human race and the Earth itself? This realization applies to Earth and all of its people, therefore, it is present within all countries. Modifying the human diet to benefit the Earth’s and human’s current and long-term health, has been a written solution for many years. Yet, it has been shut down due to stereotyping of vegetarianism and veganism. Big corporate business are also putting this option down through labeling and consistently hiding the truth from the public eye. As I have previously stated, multiple results from studies have shown the benefits of these diets/lifestyles. I am not telling you to go vegetarian or vegan, but I want you to ask yourself could you do it? Why? Why not? Personally, I follow a plant-based vegan lifestyle and the rest of my family has transitioned into a plant-based lifestyle. Wait, do you even know what plant-based means? I know that “plant-based” might sound scary to you omnivores, or even carnivores, out there but it is not. A plant-based diet is a diet, rather a lifestyle, that does not cut out meat entirely, meat just is not the main dish for every meal. In the end, you eat more plants and smaller amounts and portions of meat. Not only does this make your bodies system healthier, but it allows the earth to catch up and heal itself from the excessive amount of carbon emissions the humans produce. Plus, it allows for livestock to transfer into a more natural life. Basically, the livestock will become animals again. Once again, I am not trying to convince you to go vegetarian or vegan, but I will ask you to consider and at least try a plant-based diet. One person can make a big difference. Will that person be you? Comments on other class members blog post:Hailey Senna:
Angeline Santa Romana:
Article Title: "Soil Power! The Dirty Way to a Green Planet" Publication by: New York Times Date of Publication: December 2, 2017 Author of Article: Jacques Leslie The article “Soil Power! The Dirty Way to a Green Planet” is about how soil, otherwise known as dirt, is the secret to solving Earth’s major carbon pollution dilemma. Carbon pollution is not being caused by organic events but by humans consistent and exorbitant use of things such as cars, machinery, and livestock. Excessive amounts of carbon cause many problems that are endangering the Earth’s natural amenities. Have you ever heard of climate change or Global Warming? Well, a big contributor to Global Warming is carbon, but the weather is not the only thing carbon destroys. Carbon is being pulled into our oceans making them more acidic and inhabitable, forest and wildlife are diminishing, and finally, our underground fossil fuel reserves are being emptied. This is where soil plays a part. Soil absorbs carbon restoring health to neglected soil and encourages climate stability due to taking carbon from the atmosphere. Scientist have been trying to unnaturally pull carbon from the atmosphere by overcoming nature. By reinforcing nature and using soils natural abilities you can decrease the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and restore nutrients to plants and the soil itself. Did you know if we cover as little as five percent of California’s rangelands with one-quarter to one-half an inch of compost it would absorb the equivalent of nine million car’s greenhouse gas emissions? That is a lot!!! Not only will this absorb carbon emissions, but it will benefit health among people due to not needing to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. By healing our soil we can improve the Earth’s habitability and heal our crop production process. Since carbon pollution is one of the main causes of Global Warming. This problem is present in every country on Earth, but this article focuses on America. Carbon pollution has been happening since the 1800’s and the amount of carbon emissions drastically increases each year. This problem is constantly brushed under the carpet, but as I stated before causes environmental problems that are starting to rapidly deteriorate the Earth’s ecosystems. Extreme carbon emissions first started when the Industrial Revolution hit America. The first step of the Industrial Revolution was the use of machines to replace human labor. The second step was machines producing other machines. The third step was the use of machines for mass production. As the years went by these steps accelerated and machinery was incorporated in almost all business production. Ten-thousand years ago destructive agriculture was constantly used, becoming another feeder to this overarching problem. Industrial farming and ranching has expanded to record levels and has been releasing massive amounts of carbon and other gases into the atmosphere. I personally believe that a problem as huge as Global Warming and climate change should not be ignored. In today’s society, we see Global Warming on the bottom of the priority list, but it should really be at the top. A simple way to help solve this problem is to start your own at home garden. This will bring you fresh produce, but will also absorb carbon from the atmosphere. If everyone in America had a garden we could massively decrease the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Comments on other class members blog post:Angeline Santa Romana:
Game of Thrones Elisabeth Dukes Pages 218 - 284 I have now been reading “Game of Thrones” for four weeks and the drama is starting to pick up. At King’s Landing Eddard Stark, hand to the king is trying to unravel the mysterious death of Jon Arryn, the previous hand to the king. Discovering some treasonable actions Queen Cersei might have taken against King Robert (an attempt of murdering the King!). On the other side of King’s Landing, Eddard Stark’s daughter Arya is learning to fight and use the sword while Sansa is fawning over boys, Prince Joffrey and the Knight of Flowers. Catelyn Stark, on the road back to Winterfell, stumbles upon Tyrion Lannister accusing him of the attempt to assassinate her son but ends up contemplating her conjecture. So... what’s going to happen next? Let’s start with Eddard Stark. I believe, due to the simple act of asking questions Queen Cersei will start to become suspicious and his stay at King’s Landing will become a matter of survival. Arya will continue to defy the social standards and become a great swords “woman” while keeping her stubborn and resilient attitude. Sanasa will realize that her betrothed, Prince Joffrey, is a total hothead who is controlled by his mother and will somehow meet the Knight of Flowers and they will fall in love causing more scandal. Catelyn while on her way to her widowed sister territory will discover another side of the story of her son’s attempted assassination. Catelyn will then further investigate. The news will reach King’s Landing that Catelyn is with her sister and Eddard will work hand in hand with her to uncover the truth about Jon Arryn (Catelyn’s sister deceased husband) and their son. I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys action, adventure, fantasy, and especially making your own conjectures. This book is a very fast paced and the plot is on a constant rising action hinting at the main conflict. I would definitely recommend the book the “Game of Thrones” to any mature reader. Comments on other class members blog posts: Sophia Morrison:
Wyatt Fluck:
Game of Thrones Elisabeth Dukes Pages 160 - 218 I am currently three weeks into the book the “Game of Thrones.” So far, Eddard Stark and his daughters have reached King’s landing. Bran has awoken out of his injury coma, paralyzed from the waist down. While Daenerys has accepted her role a Khaleesi and has broken free from her brothers grasp. Let's just say I was to place myself inside the book the “Game of Thrones.” Who would befriend and who would be foe? Based on the character development throughout the beginning of the book, I would think of the Stark family I would be friends with Jon, Arya, and Bran. In the South, I think Daenerys Targaryen would pretty much be my only friend. These characters like to break the social standards and find their own way. I encourage this ideal in my everyday life. I feel I would have a harder time getting along with Viserys Targaryen, Robert Baratheon, and Cersei Lannister. These characters are all hot-headed with only their view in mind. I can't stand people with this type of attitude. What would be my character's identity? Of course, I would keep my same features, blonde hair, and blue eyes. I would probably be in a commoners family but have a dying dream of having more than just a ranch with a farm and livestock. Basing my father figure on my own dad, he would want me to be protected. So unlike a normal village girl, he would train me in the arts of the sword and combat. The inner dream of adventure would lead me to go out on my own horseback. My goal would be to travel to the great wall and there I would stumble upon Jon. Eventually, heading to Winterfell to meet the rest of the Stark Family and take refuge as their guest. Once I decided to start my journey, again, I will head South. Accidentally, meeting the traveling Dothraki and befriending Daenerys. I would then travel with them and learn about the Dothraki culture. I would continuously journey looking for friends and adventure Comments on other class members blog posts:Sophia Morrison:
Wyatt Fluck:
Game of Thrones Elisabeth Dukes Pages 98 - 160 For the last two weeks I have been reading the “Game of Thrones.” In this blog post I will be focusing on the Stark family who are currently moving to King’s Landing. King Robert declared Eddard Stark his new Hand. This caused the Stark family to split up into different living arrangements. Eddard took two of his daughters, Sansa and Arya, and some of his sons to live in King Robert's palace, King’s Landing. On the journey to King’s Landing, Arya and her friend Mycah, the butcher's son, were sparing with wooden brooms. Prince Joffrey and Sansa, his betrothed, stumbled upon them. Prince Joffrey sees Mycah winning their fake battle and steps in, in attempt to show off his superiority. Prince Joffrey pulls a steel sword to Mycah’s wooden broom handle and begins to hurt Mycah. Arya and her direwolf, Nymeria, attack Joffrey. Arya wins the battle and Joffrey suffered minor wounds on the forearm of his sword arm due to Nymeria biting him. Immediately this caused chaos. Since Arya attacked the prince a trial was held. King Robert dismissed the behavior, but the queen wanted the wolf’s skin. Nymeria was in the woods hiding so the queen immediately looked to Sansa’s wolf, Lady, and wanted her dead. Before this interaction, Sansa would drool over Prince Joffrey and her heart would flutter at the sight of him. They were arranged to be married and Prince Joffrey feels that she is his, in a sense. Arya is Sansa’s little sister and would eventually become a sister in law to Prince Joffrey. If I was to give advice to Sansa I would tell her to look deeper into Prince Joffrey’s personality and create a deeper connection with her sister. I would tell Prince Joffrey to wake up and realize that he is not the most important person in the world and to consider other people. Finally, I would tell Arya to keep being the rambunctious girl she is and to keep breaking the social standards, but think before you act or speak. These characters are all major points in the plot of this story. For example, Prince Joffrey will eventually become king. Overall, I am really liking the Game of Thrones and unlike I said in my last blog post I am starting to really catch on to who is who and who is related/connected to who. Comments on other class members blog posts:Sophia Morrison:
Game of Thrones Elisabeth Dukes Pages 1 - 98 The book I will be sharing about for the next four weeks is a book written by fantasy novelist George R. R. Martin, the famous "Game of Thrones." I personally really enjoy reading action, adventure, and fantasy books. The "Game of Thrones" brings together all of these genres so this book really grabs my attention and pulls my interest. This book has many main characters whose lives all unravel at the same time, but in different areas making it hard to keep track of who is who. Each chapter is about a different character so the first hundred pages have been focused on character development. The basis of the plot is just about finished being laid out. So far, Daenerys Targaryen is my favorite character. Daenerys is a descendant of the previous King of the north, Aerys Targaryen. A war led by, the current king of the north, Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark caused Aerys and most of his family to be executed in war. Daenerys Targaryen and her older brother escaped to the south. Daenerys’ older brother treats her as property and sells her to be wed to the leader of the Dothraki, Khal Drogo, in exchange for an army. From what I have read, I predict that Daenerys will become a “legendary” figure and will start a journey to take back her territory, without her brother. By marrying Khal Drogo I believe that Daenerys will realize that her brother no longer has control over her and that she no longer needs to fear him. Daenerys has risen to power by marrying Khal Drogo, becoming queen of the Dothraki, so technically she is higher in ranks than her abusive brother. I look forward to her realization that this drastic change, marrying Khal Drogo, gives her freedom from her brother. In conclusion, I am enjoying the book "Game of Thrones" and am excited to see how the rest of the story unfolds. Comments on other class members blog posts:
Sophia Morrison:
Article Title: “Danish Man Who Burned Quran is Prosecuted for Blasphemy” Publication by: New York Times Date of Publication: February 23rd, 2017 Author of Article: Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura The article “Danish Man Who Burned Quran is Prosecuted for Blasphemy,” is about a forty-two-year-old Danish man who made derogatory actions through facebook degrading the religion of Islam. The name of this man has not been released by the authorities, but he calls himself John Salvesen on facebook. The Danish government took action by prosecuting this man with Blasphemy, yet there are still contradictions relating to John Salvesen actions, the Anti-Immigration Danish People’s Party, and Kurt Westergaard newspaper cartoons. On December 27, 2015, John Salvesen posted a four minute and fifteen-second video, in which he burns a Quran in his backyard, on a Facebook group called “Yes to Freedom — No to Islam.” This Facebook group is littered with verbal and written derogatory attacks against the Islamic religion. Along with the video, John Salvesen wrote: “Consider your neighbor, it stinks when it burns.” The post was shared four hundred and fifteen times and a multitudinous of derogatory comments were attached. Due to the steadily rising uproar caused by freedom of speech clashing with religious sensitivities, John Salvesen was prosecuted with Blasphemy. A law that has only been invoked a few times, most recently in 1946. In court, John Salvesen’s lawyer claimed he burned the Quran in self-defense. The reason being, stated by his lawyer, that the Quran implies “Muhammad's followers must kill the infidel.” In the end, John Salvesen’s actions outweigh his surmise and he was prosecuted for Blasphemy. The antagonism related to immigration all started when extremist groups started a war in the Middle Eastern countries. This forced refugees from the Middle East to cross the Mediterranean and immigrate to European countries. In this case, we are focusing on the refugee immigration to Denmark. Denmark’s views were split into multiple sides. For instance, the governing principles, the Anti-Immigration Danish People’s Party, and the civilians welcoming the refugees running from a fatal crisis. In 2010, twelve cartoons drawn by Kurt Westergaard were published in the Jyllands-Posten. These cartoons showed Muhammad in a black turban holding a bomb. Retaliation was immediate and there was an assassination attempt of Kurt Westergaard. The Danish government wants to prevent fatal conflicts. This is why the Danish Government takes such wary precautions when it comes to derogatory attacks, such as burning the Quran. Personally, I feel that John Salvesen’s prosecution was a valid verdict. Although religion is not a driving force in Denmark there is a point when ethnocentric actions cross the line. It is not uncommon in Denmark to make a comedy of religion. When it comes to burning a holy symbol in the circumstances of an attack against one’s religion and or beliefs, it is no longer considered comedy, but a blasphemous movement. In conclusion, I support the verdict of the Danish court and hope that this incident will serve as a lesson to others that even though you have the right to freedom of speech you are accountable for your actions and articulation. Comments on other class members blog post:
Zulema Maldonado:
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Elisabeth DukesThis blog page is designed to address current events in today's society. These topics addressed are universal issues, innovations, discoveries, etc. This blog will also be a reflection source for the current independent books I am reading. |