...------------------------------------------------- An Exciting story; The Closet One bright morning in April, I was preparing myself to school. The first day after spring break. Everyone was excited! It was meant to be the best day of the entire year! I was packing my stuff, when suddenly my phone was vibrating. A message from John; I am waiting? I totally forgot everything about meeting up with him before school! I quickly dumbed the rest of my stuff down the bag, and went outside. The stone filled yard was cracking under my white new shoes. At my way down the street, I received a new message; should I go without you? I choose to ignore it. I was only a few blocks away from him anyway. Just a moment after I got another one saying; Closet. I did not understand that one. Was this supposed to be some kind of bad joke? I arrived at John’s house about 7:30am. When the message copied itself. Closet. I did not know the number it came from. John helped me looking it up. However, no one owned that number. There was not even an IP-Address showed. The cold word was teasing me. John told me to ignore it, that it possibly only was some random 10 year old messing around with me. When we arrived at the school, it seemed to be a quite normal day. However, something did not feel right. Like that feeling, you get when someone is watching you all the time. I felt stalked. The goosebumps was slowly starting to catch up. We walked down the hallway. I was not paying attention to what John was...
Words: 1151 - Pages: 5
...Free Writing – TV Habits We all watch television. Whether it’s when we are at home, on work, at a pub, etc. The bottom line is that the modern human, or teenager to be more specific, today spent 21 hours a week on just watching TV. In my opinion that’s a waste of time, since that more than a half of time we watch television, we use on programs with very low content. I spend about 1 hour a day watching television. It varies, because in the weekends I watch a lot more TV, than what I do in the weekdays. But in average I watch about 1 hour TV a week. My favorite program is American DadTM. It’s an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. I find it entertaining because of its ability to break people limits. It has, all though, been criticized by Parents Television Council (US) They have the opinion that the program is featuring suggestive dialogue, offensive language, moderate to strong sexual content, and graphic violence. But, as I mentioned earlier, that’s what I like about the program. American dad is of course not the only program I watch. Another program if find very interesting is TirsdagsanalysenTM which I watch with my dad every Tuesday. I like to be nuanced in my politician views, and therefore I think it’s a good property, that the program has both a leftist man and a rightist man to comment on the features the host brings up to debate. Watching TV can be both entertaining and damaging...
Words: 391 - Pages: 2
...On Wikipedia — The Technology, The People, The Unfinished Work Shuo Xiang, 20074330 University of Waterloo Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1 sxiang@uwaterloo.ca ABSTRACT Wikipedia is ubiquitous in the current age of the Internet. Every search conducted in Google is more than likely to turn up quite a few links to relevant articles in Wikipedia. However, Wikipedia also suffers major problems in numerous areas and its impact on society at large goes way beyond an extra Google search result. In this paper we will first examine the history and origin of Wikipedia. Secondly, a brief discussion of the underlying technologies and features of Wikipedia will be discussed. Thirdly, the results of the “Micro Wikipedia Survey” will be summarized and relevant commentaries given. Fourthly, the two major issues of Wikipedia and their impacts on society at large will be exposed and discussed in detail. Fifthly, positive and negative consequences Wikipedia have on different segments of society will be identified and discussed. Lastly, some concluding remarks and recommendations will be given that adequately summarizes the author’s stance on the past, present and future of Wikipedia. Categories and Subject Descriptors Computer technology, Wiki technology, Web 2.0, Impact and ethics of new computerized technology Keywords Wikipedia, Wikipedian, Wiki, credibility, NPOV, CS, 492, impact, computerized technology, ethics, McHenry INTRODUCTION Computer information communication has undergone several stages...
Words: 6344 - Pages: 26
...With two “tough” Australian brigades going into battle singing “Have you heard of the wonderful wizard, The wonderful Wizard of Oz..” it was a song that was spread from Australia to England. The song reflected a classic 1939 Hollywood production of the story, which not only introduced millions to the land of Oz, but also to a talented young lady named Judy Garland. Published in 1900, Lyman Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was immensely popular- providing a base for a profitable musical comedy, three movies,and plays. The tale that Baum has created has been seen by interested scholars, such as Russel B. Nye. being neither critically acclaimed nor critically examined. In the Oz book, Professor Nye finds a “strain of moralism” as well as “ a well-developed sense of satire”, however in Baum’s stories, he often includes parodies of the contradictions in human nature. In 1900, Baum was surrounded by an astonishing degree of political reality. While Baum was living in South Dakota, not only was the frontier and actual thing of the past, and with the stark reality of the dry, open plains served to crush Romantic Idealism. In Chicago, Baum saw the results of the depression which had closed down upon the nation in 1893. Baum took part in the pivotal election of 1896, marching in “torch-light parades got William Jennings Bryan” With Baum’s allegiance to the cause of Democratic Populism, it must balance against the fact that he was not a political activist. I always like the...
Words: 499 - Pages: 2
...When it comes to my own personal organization techniques for writing, I tend to use different methods to help me get to where I need to be. I most commonly use brainstorming lists or what I call grocery lists, web maps, and freewriting drafts. When I use lists I start off with just a list of items in a random order, then I organize them by subject/topic, and importance. If I use web maps, I branch off the ideas from one central location, continuously building off a section of the map until I can no longer think of anything else. When I free write, I proceed as if I were writing my first draft, inserting ideas and notes as I go on. I find that as I continue on with this class, my writing has become more organized in a sense that I now put more emphasis on pre-writing. I allow myself a chance to dig deeper into my ideas and notes without skipping ahead to free writing. I do not feel as if my writing per se has become different, but more effective. The great thing about this class is that I learned to ask better questions, for better ways to create notes and brainstorming, as well as adding more finesse to my pre-writing stage by using lists, maps and outlines. These techniques allow me to remain focused on my audience, purpose, and content. These techniques have been beneficial in allowing me to create more balanced and effective...
Words: 254 - Pages: 2
...Effectively brainstorming is essential for writing essays because it allows you to develop your own ideas. Many essays at the same time are using free writing that can expand thoughts and all that can be organized by charting especially when preparing to write an effective paper. Brainstorming is an essential part of writing that concerning the subject you will be writing on and helps you organize it into a readable format. Failing to brainstorm leads to a disorganized paper filled with weak reasoning and logical fallacies. Spending time to make sure you understand your subject completely will allow you to assess the subject and identify areas of weakness in your argument. A paper that has been carefully thought out can then be written in a way that poignantly conveys meaning to the reader. You can brainstorm several times throughout the writing process. You can do an initial brainstorm to help you identify the subjects you need to study. Once you have studied on the subject you can use brainstorming to help you organize the information you have gained. If you get stuck any time throughout the writing process, you can stop and brainstorm to help you identify the information you need. Free writing can help you identify and shape your thoughts. It’s helpful when you only have a vague idea of what you want to write or need help fully understanding the subject. To free write, simply begin to write and continue writing any ideas that come to your mind on the subject. Don’t worry...
Words: 452 - Pages: 2
...Collaborative Versus Individual Writing Processes University of Phoenix Collaborative Versus Individual Writing Processes “Collaborative writing is a slippery concept. It is clear that collaborative writing refers to writing in groups but there are as many ways to write in groups as there are possible combinations of individuals.” (What is collaborative writing?, 1991, ¶ 1) To write a team paper effectively many components are essential to think about before starting. For example, how does a team brainstorm, revise, edit, proofread, and deal with conflict together? How does a team combine each member’s different creative thoughts and ideas into one? Doing research about how teams write together before starting the project will help with the process once the team is ready to begin. Even though everyone has creative differences, collaborative writing is more effective than individual writing because each person brings a variety of thoughts to the table and five heads are better than one. “In an article on the technology and processes of collaborative writing, David Farkas offers four possible definitions useful in approaching collaboration through an analysis of processes. For his purposes, collaboration is: 1. two or more people jointly composing the complete text of a document; 2. two or more people contributing components to a document; 3. one or more person modifying, by editing and/or reviewing, the document of one or more persons; and ...
Words: 1837 - Pages: 8
...Jonathan Santos Professor Zalkaske PHIL 1301 28 October 2015 Freedom of the Will Humans are considered rational beings, but it has always been asked what can human beings do and to what extent do their abilities reach This question focuses on free will and determinism. An easy way to show free will and determinism is to think of paths that are forked and with each decision there are alternate routes you could have taken from the one you did and that with those alternate routes there are alternate futures. So for example you have a choice of going to the park or the mall by choosing the park your decision would put a fork in your road and the other choice the mall would be another fork in the road, but it would become an alternate future. Firstly,...
Words: 1159 - Pages: 5
...he Cost of “Free” Will in Oedipus Rex (the King) Perhaps the Greek playwright Sophocles never had the concept of “free will” in mind when writing Oedipus Rex, but the play does allow for that interesting paradox we know today as free will. The paradox is: if Oedipus is told by the gods' oracles that he will kill his father and marry his mother, does he have any power to avoid this fate? That's a basic free will question. If Oedipus manages to avoid killing his father and marrying his mother, he will prove the gods wrong, and the oracle prediction turns out to be no prediction at all. How free can we truly be if created by an all knowing being? If God knows, even at the moment before our births, that we are already destined to ascend to Heaven or burn in Hell, can we move through life making truly free decisions? Or are we always to be viewed as puppets of destiny? Was Adam to be blamed for the fall? Or was that actually God's plan? So what is this idea of "original sin?" Shouldn't we celebrate Adam as a hero for freeing man from the state of unawareness that he lived in until he consumed the sacred pomegranate? Recall that the very first line following Adam and Eve's sin is "And they saw that they were naked." This nakedness is not so much of the body (though early Christians loved to view it that way), but rather a sense of viewing, as Joseph Campbell puts it, "duality," the basic difference between man and woman, right and wrong, and, ultimately, man and...
Words: 462 - Pages: 2
...and the rejection of the idea that humankind could achieve a utopian existence as a result. The narrator in this novel also known as the underground man is a pessimistic man who symbolizes what could happen to mankind should endless application of reason take over. Without any care for his health or well being out of spite, he becomes a perfect character for Dostoevsky to illustrate his argument against the enlightenment ideas. The narrator decides upon actions that oppose his interests for the sole reason of proving that he is an unpredictable man who enjoys his own free will and ability to make voluntary decisions of his own, without being restrained by the ideas of rationality and reason. Dostoevsky seems to be making the statement that rationality is indeed useful for analyzing situations but is ultimately damaging if focused on constantly. Reason does not, as many Enlightenment thinkers believed, free man but reduces us to something that can be scientifically explained, forcing us to lose a fundamental piece of what makes us human in the process: “All human actions will then, of course, be classified according to these laws – mathematically, like a logarithm table, up to 108,000 – and entered in a special almanac…with such precision that there will no longer be any actions or adventures in the world” (pg. 24). The Underground Man...
Words: 1286 - Pages: 6
...primarily as individual selves or as one greater, universal or transcendent self. If a true individual self does exist, another secondary question arises regarding freedom and, more specifically, to what extent an individual is free to make choices that determine the remainder of their life. At one extreme of the issue, a person could argue that an individual does not have any freedom whatsoever, and that all the events that occur throughout life are predetermined by some sort of higher being or plan and would, therefore, occur regardless of any choices one could possibly make. At the opposite end of the spectrum...
Words: 1500 - Pages: 6
...The Cost of “Free” Will in Oedipus Rex (the King) Perhaps the Greek playwright Sophocles never had the concept of “free will” in mind when writing Oedipus Rex, but the play does allow for that interesting paradox we know today as free will. The paradox is: if Oedipus is told by the gods' oracles that he will kill his father and marry his mother, does he have any power to avoid this fate? That's a basic free will question. If Oedipus manages to avoid killing his father and marrying his mother, he will prove the gods wrong, and the oracle prediction turns out to be no prediction at all. How free can we truly be if created by an all knowing being? If God knows, even at the moment before our births, that we are already destined to ascend to Heaven or burn in Hell, can we move through life making truly free decisions? Or are we always to be viewed as puppets of destiny? Was Adam to be blamed for the fall? Or was that actually God's plan? So what is this idea of "original sin?" Shouldn't we celebrate Adam as a hero for freeing man from the state of unawareness that he lived in until he consumed the sacred pomegranate? Recall that the very first line following Adam and Eve's sin is "And they saw that they were naked." This nakedness is not so much of the body (though early Christians loved to view it that way), but rather a sense of viewing, as Joseph Campbell puts it, "duality," the basic difference between man and woman, right and wrong, and, ultimately, man...
Words: 914 - Pages: 4
...Can compatibilism be defended? Introduction This essay argues in favor of a compatibilist, that free will and determinism can co-exist. Consequently it will support the concept of compatibilism and determine that it can be defended. Two basic ideas will be outlined in this argument in support of this claim. Firstly, the notion of compatibilism, that actions can be both free and causally determined (Shabo, 2012; Sober, 2009). Secondly, it will be deliberated what it means to act freely. Followed by a reply, these counter arguments will also be discussed; Incompatibilists disagree with these ideas and believe that determinism is true and that no person has free will, this is called hard determinism. In addition, a libertarian’s point of view; that we are free and our actions are not causally determined (Sober, 2009). Furthermore, the trouble with determining what freewill is. Argument 1 Compatibilism is the idea that determinism is true; every event in the world has a cause, however, freewill can still exist. The aim of a compatibilist is to show that an act can be done freely if it has been caused a certain way (Sober, 2009). This leaves room for the idea that freedom doesn’t require the absence of causality, but rather, the right kind of causality (Millican, 2010; Sober, 2009). This makes reasonable sense because it is common knowledge that the way an individual acts and thinks has been determined by their genes and past experiences. Who the person is has been affected...
Words: 1458 - Pages: 6
...JUS 301 Criminology Final Writing Assignment Rosilyn Smith 06/03/13 Writing assignment Final In this writing assignment learners are to take a position on what you believe is the root cause of crime today in society. We know there can be numerous causes; however you as the learner must decide, based on theories we covered in class, which theory in your opinion best describes the root causes of crime in society. So, ensure your paper addresses the following: What you believe is the root cause of crime in America and why? Select a theory the correlates to the cause of crime Argue why the theory you selected is the most applicable theory Discuss why critics would not accept your theory and what theory they might suggest is the root cause of crime in America. I believe the root cause of crime in society today is hard determinism and soft determinism. Hard determinism is the belief that crime results from forces beyond the control of the individual. Soft determinism is the belief that human behavior is the result of choices and decisions made within a context of situational constraints and opportunities. Soft determinism is because most criminals are a product of their environment. The criminal groups are the ones up around a lot of crime and illegal acts. The criminal...
Words: 528 - Pages: 3
...The Underground Man is Hyperaware and very analytical which leads to him to suffer from inertia paralysis which is the failure to changeability. It makes him very unstable, inconsistent, and unreliable and leaves him subject to variation. Some would in this day say bipolar. There are no apparent reasons to the cause of this nor any motives to become of it that he can justify this inertia with. He feels like he can’t be or become anything which is a very detrimental way to think or be as a person. He also attacks the pleasures and elements of the world which causes him great misery. He often alternates between being a hero and being miserable because of this and if he is miserable he finds pleasure in his own misery and that of others as well. According to the Underground Man Russians and are better than the French and German because of their values grounding in reality. It seems that he fakes living because of the inability to be a person and compares himself to a bug, monkey, and other things of that nature. He wants friends but his misery it is just a phase for him. He claims the inability to act because there is no way for him to justify any of his actions so he succumbs to inertia and does not wish to change or is unable to change because he has accepted this. He has paralyzed himself by having to choose what decisions to make but he does not choose, so if he feels something needs to be done or he wants to do something but chooses not to do these things. He sits around and...
Words: 869 - Pages: 4
