If given the power to create life as Frankenstein did, what choice would you make? Would you create such life? No?
If I was given the power to create life such as Dr. Frankenstein, I would not use it. There are several reasons why, and some can go very deep into personal beliefs or human rights, and there can also be consequences to that choice, such as the military or government becoming aware of what I was doing and getting arrested, or having the military use my creations for warfare.
My first reason: I would probably be too afraid to mess with life and death in such a manner. The military and government would most likely hear about what I have been doing, as I said above, and then my life would become very hard and the government would want to know my secrets about how I created that life.
My second reason: I do not want to "play God" as some people call it. I am no different than any human being on this world, and I as a human do not have a right to create other humans. I am not better, I do not deserve the right to make something that is, in a sense, equal to me. Also, the beings I created could turn against me, and that would probably be one of the worst things that could happen. After working hard, or not, depending on how difficult the process is, I would not want my work to turn against me and having me end up wounded or killed.
So no, I would not use this power at all, and these several reasons why are proof of that fact. In fact, I would probably try to forget I had that power in the first place, or get rid of the information that I had received in order to reduce the temptation to use it, as I most likely will have. I would not give this power to someone else, because I do not want to put that kind of pressure on the morals and values that someone else has, and all the hardships that will come with that power and responsibility.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Frankenstein
We are about to read the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley in my English 11 class. I do not know what to expect, other than it is an older book and is a higher "reading level" than what we normally deal with. Also, it was a surprise to find out that a woman wrote this male dominated book. From what I have heard most of the characters in this book are male and therefore Shelley had to write from a male's point of view and try to determine how a male would react in different situations.
A few questions we were asked were: Can man create life? and, Does man have the right to create life?
Currently, we have technology to clone and therefore "create" life in a sense. So, the answer to that quesiton would be yes, we mankind can create life.The second question is a little more complicated. I do not think I have the power to determine what mankind's rights are, but I think that man should not clone or otherwise create life. Once mankind has that power, I am absolutely certain that a least one person will take that power and become extremely greedy and take it too far. Once we have the power to clone effectively, scientists will start to mess with genetics and altering, in order to make the animals we clone for food grow larger or produce more tasty meat, or try and clone humans to become war machines like in the popular video game series Metal Gear Solid.
Two more questions asked were: Do you believe in the sorcerer's stone? Immortality?
No, I do not believe that the sorcerer's stone exists, can exist, and immortality cannot be gained. This, in my mind, is impossible. There is nothing that can stop the aging process, other than cryogenically freezing an organism, which I am not sure if that is possible now.
A few questions we were asked were: Can man create life? and, Does man have the right to create life?
Currently, we have technology to clone and therefore "create" life in a sense. So, the answer to that quesiton would be yes, we mankind can create life.The second question is a little more complicated. I do not think I have the power to determine what mankind's rights are, but I think that man should not clone or otherwise create life. Once mankind has that power, I am absolutely certain that a least one person will take that power and become extremely greedy and take it too far. Once we have the power to clone effectively, scientists will start to mess with genetics and altering, in order to make the animals we clone for food grow larger or produce more tasty meat, or try and clone humans to become war machines like in the popular video game series Metal Gear Solid.
Two more questions asked were: Do you believe in the sorcerer's stone? Immortality?
No, I do not believe that the sorcerer's stone exists, can exist, and immortality cannot be gained. This, in my mind, is impossible. There is nothing that can stop the aging process, other than cryogenically freezing an organism, which I am not sure if that is possible now.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Word of 2012 - Triumph
I chose this word because I have a few goals for 2012 that I want to overcome this year. Hopefully I can use this word as my theme for the year, keep it beside me as I accomplish my goals and, by the end of the year, say that I did triumph over everything I planned.
I want to pass from a senior NCO in CAP to become an officer. Right now I am a Cadet Chief Master Sergeant, and I have been for maybe 2 and a half months now. Hopefully by February I will be able to make my promotion and become a cadet officer.
I want to keep training on my physical fitness so that I can start riding my back the three miles to school in the morning and three miles back in the afternoon, and hopefully those six miles every day will help prepare me for the Marines later on in my life.
I want to pass from a senior NCO in CAP to become an officer. Right now I am a Cadet Chief Master Sergeant, and I have been for maybe 2 and a half months now. Hopefully by February I will be able to make my promotion and become a cadet officer.
I want to keep training on my physical fitness so that I can start riding my back the three miles to school in the morning and three miles back in the afternoon, and hopefully those six miles every day will help prepare me for the Marines later on in my life.
Monday, December 19, 2011
My Antonia
Willa Carter in her novel My Antonia offers her view of life during the pioneer time. The book is well written with very well thought out characters, in which all have their own personality and character traits that link to each other and make the novel flow easier to the reader.
I think that My Antonia would be very different if the book was written in Antonia's point of view. Mainly, the book would then focus on the struggle of the Shimerdas' as they come to America and start off in a small house, then grow more comfortable as Antonia and her younger daughter learn English and they can start communicating better. Also, instead of being in a masculine form, the book would be written more feminine (maybe) as it would be Antonia's thoughts (although, she is a tomboy).
All in all, I think that Willa Carter is very talented in writing from a man's point of view. She shows emotion in the way that a male would portray it, and the actions and thoughts of Jim are what I would expect in reading a book written by a male author. That earns bonus points in my book, to pass the gender boundary and write a story in the opposite sex's eyes.
I personally think that Jim changed the name from "Antonia" to "My Antonia" because of everything he went through with her. According to the novel, he "wrote down of herself and myself and other people Antonia's name recalls to me". So the book is written on his memories of Antonia, which could be a different person from who Antonia is at that moment, and so that is his personal Antonia.
The novel was a good one, well written and the characters were meticulously thought out. The flow from one thought to the next with the characters evolving as the story goes on makes it more realistic, and the old pioneer times gives an interesting setting as America is just being born.
I think that My Antonia would be very different if the book was written in Antonia's point of view. Mainly, the book would then focus on the struggle of the Shimerdas' as they come to America and start off in a small house, then grow more comfortable as Antonia and her younger daughter learn English and they can start communicating better. Also, instead of being in a masculine form, the book would be written more feminine (maybe) as it would be Antonia's thoughts (although, she is a tomboy).
All in all, I think that Willa Carter is very talented in writing from a man's point of view. She shows emotion in the way that a male would portray it, and the actions and thoughts of Jim are what I would expect in reading a book written by a male author. That earns bonus points in my book, to pass the gender boundary and write a story in the opposite sex's eyes.
I personally think that Jim changed the name from "Antonia" to "My Antonia" because of everything he went through with her. According to the novel, he "wrote down of herself and myself and other people Antonia's name recalls to me". So the book is written on his memories of Antonia, which could be a different person from who Antonia is at that moment, and so that is his personal Antonia.
The novel was a good one, well written and the characters were meticulously thought out. The flow from one thought to the next with the characters evolving as the story goes on makes it more realistic, and the old pioneer times gives an interesting setting as America is just being born.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Author Willa Cather embedded literary devices, such as metaphors, similes, and personification, within her writing.
"As I looked about me I felt that the grass was the country, as the water is the sea. The red of the grass made all the great prairie the colour of wine-stains, or of certain seaweeds when they are first washed up. And there was so much motion in it; the whole country seemed, somehow, to be running."
"The grave, with its tall red grass that was never mowed, was like a little island."
"Winter comes down savagely over a little town on the prairie. The wind that sweeps in from the open country strips away all the leafy screens that hide one yard from another in summer, and the houses seem to draw closer together. The roofs, that looked so far away across the green treetops, now stare you in the face, and they are so much uglier than when their angles were softened by vines and shrubs.
The use of setting on characters is important. Setting affects mood, if the area is dark and stormy then the mood will be dark, maybe suspenseful, and the characters will react accordingly. In books, if a character has to walk down a long, dark hallway then they are usually on their guard, nervous, and hesitant. Setting has a big effect on how characters react towards one another and their surroundings, adding depth into a novel and making it more enjoyable for people to read.
Walking around in the woods has always felt peaceful to me. Seeing the bright colors all around me, the sharp greens and browns and the huge expanse of the forest. If I am alone or with friends, I still feel like I am small in this world next to these huge trees. Sometimes I stand at the top of the hill and look down the clearing, taking in the expanse with the grass rolling and swaying like waves in the ocean. I feel peaceful, I feel calm. I am away from my troubles, nothing to think about but the feel of the breeze on my skin and the birds in the trees.
"As I looked about me I felt that the grass was the country, as the water is the sea. The red of the grass made all the great prairie the colour of wine-stains, or of certain seaweeds when they are first washed up. And there was so much motion in it; the whole country seemed, somehow, to be running."
"The grave, with its tall red grass that was never mowed, was like a little island."
"Winter comes down savagely over a little town on the prairie. The wind that sweeps in from the open country strips away all the leafy screens that hide one yard from another in summer, and the houses seem to draw closer together. The roofs, that looked so far away across the green treetops, now stare you in the face, and they are so much uglier than when their angles were softened by vines and shrubs.
The use of setting on characters is important. Setting affects mood, if the area is dark and stormy then the mood will be dark, maybe suspenseful, and the characters will react accordingly. In books, if a character has to walk down a long, dark hallway then they are usually on their guard, nervous, and hesitant. Setting has a big effect on how characters react towards one another and their surroundings, adding depth into a novel and making it more enjoyable for people to read.
Walking around in the woods has always felt peaceful to me. Seeing the bright colors all around me, the sharp greens and browns and the huge expanse of the forest. If I am alone or with friends, I still feel like I am small in this world next to these huge trees. Sometimes I stand at the top of the hill and look down the clearing, taking in the expanse with the grass rolling and swaying like waves in the ocean. I feel peaceful, I feel calm. I am away from my troubles, nothing to think about but the feel of the breeze on my skin and the birds in the trees.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Argument: Switch from 9mm to .45
Assertion/Claim:
The military should switch the standard-issued 9mm back to the M1911 .45 ACP.
Evidence/Concrete Detail:
The 1911 is a larger caliber, therefore more stopping power than the smaller 9mm.
Commentary 1:
Men can get hit several times with a 9mm in the middle of combat and get up and continue to fight.
Commentary 2:
A shot with a .45 will completely knock someone down, and almost always is a one hit incapacitation.
Evidence/Concrete Detail:
The 1911 is a heavier weapon, so it is sturdy and reliable. The 9mm's slide can easily be taken off by an enemy in close quaters, making the weapon useless.
Commentary 1:
Heavier means steadier while aiming the weapon, and less recoil when fired. Also the weapon is more sturdy.
Commentary 2:
In a close quater situation, an enemy can easily charge the 9mm and take the slide off, making the weapon useless.
Opposing Claims/They Say:
All NATO members use 9mm for pistols, 5.56 for rifles, and 7.62 for light machineguns so they are not allowed to switch to .45. The .45 bullets are more expensive, less rounds in a magazine than the 9mm, and does not have the "superior stopping power" that it is rumored to have.
My Rebuttal/I say
Although I agree with some of what they say, the higher expense should not have a big impact on manufacturing the weapons and ammunition. The higher caliber pistol would save more lives, and an increase in cost should be a small price to pay for the lives that are saved.
My Paragraph:
The military should switch back from the standard 9mm pistol to the M1911 .45. The 1911 has more stopping power than the smaller 9mm pistol. In a combat situation, a man can get hit several times with a 9mm and get up and continue fighting although he is wounded. On the other hand, if a man is hit with a .45 they will completely get knocked over and it is almost always a one hit incapacitation due to the larger caliber, weight, and higher grain. The 1911 is heavier, so it is able to be held steadier than a lighter 9mm, and is more sturdy due to the weight. In a close quarter situation where the pistol is needed, if an enemy is able to charge the soldier carrying the 9mm, he can easily take the slide off due to how the weapon is manufactured for easy cleaning, and such would render the weapon useless. Not everyone agrees, as they say all NATO members use 9mm for pistols, 5.56 for rifles, and 7.62 for light machine guns and therefore cannot switch the pistol back to the .45. Also, they say the .45 is more expensive, has less rounds in a magazine than the 9mm, and does not have the "superior stopping power" that the .45 is rumored to have. Although this is true up to a point, the higher expense should be a smaller price to pay since the .45 will give our soldiers a boost in the battlefield and save lives.
My Thinking:
Inductive. Due to my argument and reasoning, it is likely that this is true but not certain. This cannot be proven without prior combat experience with both weapons.
Sources:
http://www.rt66.com/~korteng/smallarms/m1911a1.htm .45 weapon statistics
The military should switch the standard-issued 9mm back to the M1911 .45 ACP.
Evidence/Concrete Detail:
The 1911 is a larger caliber, therefore more stopping power than the smaller 9mm.
Commentary 1:
Men can get hit several times with a 9mm in the middle of combat and get up and continue to fight.
Commentary 2:
A shot with a .45 will completely knock someone down, and almost always is a one hit incapacitation.
Evidence/Concrete Detail:
The 1911 is a heavier weapon, so it is sturdy and reliable. The 9mm's slide can easily be taken off by an enemy in close quaters, making the weapon useless.
Commentary 1:
Heavier means steadier while aiming the weapon, and less recoil when fired. Also the weapon is more sturdy.
Commentary 2:
In a close quater situation, an enemy can easily charge the 9mm and take the slide off, making the weapon useless.
Opposing Claims/They Say:
All NATO members use 9mm for pistols, 5.56 for rifles, and 7.62 for light machineguns so they are not allowed to switch to .45. The .45 bullets are more expensive, less rounds in a magazine than the 9mm, and does not have the "superior stopping power" that it is rumored to have.
My Rebuttal/I say
Although I agree with some of what they say, the higher expense should not have a big impact on manufacturing the weapons and ammunition. The higher caliber pistol would save more lives, and an increase in cost should be a small price to pay for the lives that are saved.
My Paragraph:
The military should switch back from the standard 9mm pistol to the M1911 .45. The 1911 has more stopping power than the smaller 9mm pistol. In a combat situation, a man can get hit several times with a 9mm and get up and continue fighting although he is wounded. On the other hand, if a man is hit with a .45 they will completely get knocked over and it is almost always a one hit incapacitation due to the larger caliber, weight, and higher grain. The 1911 is heavier, so it is able to be held steadier than a lighter 9mm, and is more sturdy due to the weight. In a close quarter situation where the pistol is needed, if an enemy is able to charge the soldier carrying the 9mm, he can easily take the slide off due to how the weapon is manufactured for easy cleaning, and such would render the weapon useless. Not everyone agrees, as they say all NATO members use 9mm for pistols, 5.56 for rifles, and 7.62 for light machine guns and therefore cannot switch the pistol back to the .45. Also, they say the .45 is more expensive, has less rounds in a magazine than the 9mm, and does not have the "superior stopping power" that the .45 is rumored to have. Although this is true up to a point, the higher expense should be a smaller price to pay since the .45 will give our soldiers a boost in the battlefield and save lives.
My Thinking:
Inductive. Due to my argument and reasoning, it is likely that this is true but not certain. This cannot be proven without prior combat experience with both weapons.
Sources:
http://www.rt66.com/~korteng/smallarms/m1911a1.htm .45 weapon statistics
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Book Review: Firestorm
David Klass's book, Firestorm, thrilled me with edge-of-your-seat action scenes throughout the whole book. Once I picked it up, I did not want to put it down. In fact, I read about half the book the first day I checked it out from the library.
One main reason I really enjoyed the book was the style of writing. The book is written in a high school senior's point of view, an 18 year old teenager. The book is full of sarcasm and witty one-liners, which really gives you the feeling of being there with the main character. The writing style adds depth, and also gives you a feeling of connection, as I myself am a teenager, and I feel like I would react about the same if I was in his shoes.
The characters are very in depth, each having their own personality. Klass makes a very big distinction between the characters he has and one he is introducing, while Jack might be a strong, witty teenager, his companion is a smart, critical thinker that gets them out of some tough spots. This adds a variety to the book, which is refreshing as some I have read have almost cut-out characters, hardly varying on the writing and persona of the characters. This adds a realism, making the characters seem more real instead of just fiction heroes.
This book really relates with the current issues on the economy. The book makes points on wildlife, and how important it is to preserve what we have now before it is too late, adding detail on commercial fishing, which reduces not only the fish population, but the very ecosystem they live in, destroying giant reefs that are a very large part of ocean life, without reefs there would not be as many different species as there are today. The book almost has a doomsday quality on the preservation, believing that if we humans keep doing what we are doing to the planet, we are going to ruin it to the point of no return, to where we cannot fix the problems we have caused, making life on Earth very hard on us.
If I would recommend this book to anyone, I would choose Phoenix, a close friend of mine who would most likely enjoy the book. The pace is fast, there is a lot of action and some very steamy parts, which adds some relief to all the fingernail biting. Overall, the book was a great one, and I currently am reading the second in this trilogy.
One main reason I really enjoyed the book was the style of writing. The book is written in a high school senior's point of view, an 18 year old teenager. The book is full of sarcasm and witty one-liners, which really gives you the feeling of being there with the main character. The writing style adds depth, and also gives you a feeling of connection, as I myself am a teenager, and I feel like I would react about the same if I was in his shoes.
The characters are very in depth, each having their own personality. Klass makes a very big distinction between the characters he has and one he is introducing, while Jack might be a strong, witty teenager, his companion is a smart, critical thinker that gets them out of some tough spots. This adds a variety to the book, which is refreshing as some I have read have almost cut-out characters, hardly varying on the writing and persona of the characters. This adds a realism, making the characters seem more real instead of just fiction heroes.
This book really relates with the current issues on the economy. The book makes points on wildlife, and how important it is to preserve what we have now before it is too late, adding detail on commercial fishing, which reduces not only the fish population, but the very ecosystem they live in, destroying giant reefs that are a very large part of ocean life, without reefs there would not be as many different species as there are today. The book almost has a doomsday quality on the preservation, believing that if we humans keep doing what we are doing to the planet, we are going to ruin it to the point of no return, to where we cannot fix the problems we have caused, making life on Earth very hard on us.
If I would recommend this book to anyone, I would choose Phoenix, a close friend of mine who would most likely enjoy the book. The pace is fast, there is a lot of action and some very steamy parts, which adds some relief to all the fingernail biting. Overall, the book was a great one, and I currently am reading the second in this trilogy.
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