Current Event: McCain Secures Republican Nomination

With his latest primary win, Presidential candidate John McCain has acquired the amount of delegates necessary to clinch the Republican Party's nomination for the nation's highest office. McCain's campaign has been a turbulent one. Originally discounted as a front runner in favor of hard-line candidates like Giuliani and Romney, McCain’s bid for the presidency suffered through severe shortages of capital, until his appeal to moderates secured a primary victory in New Hampshire and revitalized his campaign. After a string of victories, and impressive showings in debates, McCain gained a commanding lead in delegates, which prompted his main rivals to drop out of the race and endorse him. Since then, McCain has enjoyed running almost uncontested, as the only remaining Republican candidates were Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee, both of whose appeal was limited to their small, but highly motivated bases. As of last week, both Paul and Huckabee have dropped out of the race, making McCain the de facto nominee.


Although the Republicans will be at a severe disadvantage in the upcoming general election due to the current President's unpopularity, and the public's dissatisfaction with what they see as the "Republican Establishment", McCain has several advantages over his Democratic adversaries. The first of these is time. While the Republicans have already chosen their nominee, and are now organizing for the general election, the two main Democratic front runners are busy tearing each other down. It is likely that the Democrats will not have nominated a candidate before their national convention, which will give McCain time to raise funds and strategize. In addition, while Senator Clinton criticizes Senator Obama over his lack of experience, and Obama touts his reputation as a bipartisan, McCain has been in the senate longer than either of them, and has a more established record as someone willing to reach across party lines than Obama.

Current Event: Northern Rock Nationalized

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10732976

Documentary Viewing Guide

The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara

This Academy Award winning documentary focused on former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara and his role in the Cold War. McNamara, who had attended University of California at Berkeley and Harvard Graduate School, and later became an adviser to the then Army Air Force, an Army officer himself during World War Two, and the first president of the Ford Motor Company not related to Henry Ford, was offered the position of Secretary of Defense in late 1960 by President Kennedy, a deal McNamara ultimately accepted despite having only spent a few weeks in his new post as president of Ford. The style of the documentary was primarily interview based; McNamara would speak about one of the lessons mentioned in the title of the film, or respond to a question, this response often taking the form of a voice-over as supplementary information was displayed through pictures and video. We will be utilizing some techniques used in The Fog of War in our documentary. Firsthand accounts of events and historical commentary will be accompanied by related imagery.

Vocab

con·cil·ia·to·ry: to gain (as goodwill) by pleasing acts.
In order to undermine the characterization of the United States as an imperialist oppressor, it would be a wise foreign policy decision to greet the new Cuban leader in a conciliatory manner.

bol·ster: to give a boost to
The lack of responsibility and seemingly non-existent capacity for logical thought in the average teen bolsters my support for raising the voting age. I would gladly and without hesitation sacrifice my own right to vote if it meant that I could disenfranchise at least two other teen voters.

coun·ter·mand: to recall or order back by a superseding contrary order.
Hillary Clinton seeks to countermand her husband's support of the North American Free Trade Agreement.



com·plic·it: association or participation in or as if in a wrongful act
Josephs Stalin often justified his purges by alleging that the victims were complicit with Western conspiricies.

acu·men: keenness and depth of perception, discernment, or discrimination especially in practical matters.
Hillary Clinton's reputation for political acumen has led many to believe that her televised crying session was a calculated ploy devised to humanize her.

Your Mind is on Vacation

Song: Your Mind is on Vacation

Written by: Mose Allison

What is a Song: A song is a combination of music and lyrics meant to be viewed in a particular context.

Category: Jazz

Creator’s Motive: The purpose of this song seems to be to condemn mindless rhetoric and acerbic pleasantries, as they serve no purpose aside from avoiding saying something of meaning. Since no real benefit can be derived from these or other, similar practices, the author of this song advocates a moratorium on them as a whole.

Meaning: The most common interpretation of this song is that its writer is fatigued by all of the glib conversationalists and meaningless dialogues he is forced to endure. He seems to believe that those who surround them speak not to make a point, but just for the sake of speaking. This is evidenced by the lines:

“Because if silence was golden
You couldn't raise a dime
Because your mind is on vacation
And your mouth is working overtime”

And

“If talk was criminal
You'd lead a life of crime
Because your mind is on vacation
And your mouth is working overtime”

One could extrapolate that the author feels a sense of longing for authenticity and genuineness among those he speaks to, but is met only with duplicity and superficiality. Since his need for something as simple as an intelligent, constructive conversation with a peer cannot be met, the songwriter implies that he would like to pursue a more direct course of action. This can be seen in the lyrics:

“I see you laughin'
Right in my face
I guess i'm gonna have to
Put you in your place”

Structure: A, B, C, B, D, E, F, D, G, H, I, H, J, K, L, K, M, N, O, N, P, Q, R, Q, S, T, U, T, V, W, X, W

Strophic format with hooks: “Because your mind is on vacation
And your mouth is working overtime”

Stanzas: 6

Historical Context: This song was written in 1976, an era characterized by profound distrust in the government, due to the Watergate scandal, and mounting evidence of deception by several consecutive administrations in regard to the situation in Vietnam. At this time many politicians were viewed in a very negative manner, as they had been almost irredeemably discredited in the public’s eyes. This atmosphere of distrust and cynicism could have contributed to the meaning of this song, as it speaks out against the sort of pseudo-intellectual jargon allegedly spouted by the government and other supposed” agents of the status quo” of the time.

Primary Context: Recorded at Atlantic Records in 1976, by Mose Allison (vocals, piano) and Jack Hannah (bass).

Secondary Context: The meaning of this song can also be applied to the partisan, reactionary politics that inhibit the political discourse of the nation today, as they are equally as pointless and destructive as those referenced in the song.

Why We Fight

In class we watched the film, "Why We Fight", a documentary on the "military-industrial complex" so famously mentioned in President Eisenhower's farewell address in 1961. Unfortunately, I was not able to view the entire movie, as I was taken out of class early to by another teacher to talk about an upcoming event. Therefore, I can only comment and critique the small portion of the film that I actually saw.

Based on what I witnessed, "Why We Fight" is not a film that I would use as a template for my documentary. It relied almost exclusively upon emotional arguments, "experts" whose credentials were only vaguely described, or omitted entirely, misleading or unverified information, "interviews" obviously edited to suit the filmmaker's purposes, and shock imagery. Clearly the creators of this film subscribe to the same film making philosophy as Michael Moore and his ilk.

Although this style of "documentary" can be very effective in achieving its objectives, I find the methods it uses to do so immoral and offensive. I believe that a film should persuade not through catering to the lowest common denominators of its audience, namely ignorance, fear, and gullibility, but instead by appealing to the viewer's sense of logic reason, and self interest. I will attempt to put these ideals into practice in my documentary by relying heavily on statistics, credible experts, and logical arguments.

Although I cannot decry the brutish tactics used by this film in strong enough language, I probably agree with much of its message. It is our government's close relationship with the private sector than ensures that our military best armed and armored armed forces in the world, and that enables us to maintain the technological supremacy over our adversaries that we have enjoyed and befitted from for so long. The research and equipment provided to our military has saved countless lives throughout the years, both those of civilians and our fine soldiers. Clearly we owe much to the military industrial complex, as it has rendered us a service that cannot be overestimated. However, there is a limit to what these corporations can and should be able to provide us with. The arms industry must be viewed as exactly that, a collection of businesses that provide our armed forces with the equipment they need; it is not a foreign policy think tank, or a congressional committee, or any sort of expert in the field of geopolitics, and this is a lesson we ignore at our own peril. It is only when this distinction is blurred that the military industrial complex poses any sort of threat to our country's self interest. Ultimately, it is up to government officials to ensure that the roles of this valuable relationship are clearly defined and enforced (through independent thought, not regulation), the government pursuing U.S. interests abroad, while the arms industry produces the equipment vital to the defense of our nation.

Current Event: Economic Demagoguery Misleading At Best

Although economic fear mongers would have you believe that the United States is on the brink of all out class warfare, their commentary on the fiscal situation of America is best taken with a grain of salt, if not the entire salt shaker. Although liberal economists such as Paul Krugman (a controversial figure in the field, Krugman has been criticized by detractors as dissimilar as Bill O'Reilly, The Economist, and even The New York Times for his questionable methodology and partisan rhetoric) are quick to point out that we are entering an era of rising income inequality, while this may be true, that does not necessarily mean that the economic well being of Americans even approaches the dire inequalities that ravaged the monopoly plagued economies of the world at the turn of the century, as they would insinuate. Although income inequality has risen, consumption inequality (the amount of goods that lower income Americans consume, versus the amount that well off Americans do), has not fluctuated at all, indicating that there is no drastic material inequality upswing accompanying the difference in wages.
To be continued. . .

Current Event: Oil Tops $100 a Barrel

Record high oil prices are influencing almost every aspect of the American life. However, many of those affected are not given an accurate explanation of the cause of the rapid inflation of the cost of oil. This issue is being purposefully misreported in order for political gain. Many politicians would have their constituents believe that the rise in the price of oil is due solely to the nefarious machinations of the oil companies, and they cite the historically high profit margins of "Big Oil" as evidence of market manipulation. However, the increased profit of oil companies has much more to do with streamlining their operations, increasing efficiency, and lowering the cost of extracting and refining oil than it does with price gouging. That is not to say that the prices are artificially high, as OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) is still pursuing their policy of purposefully underestimating their own supplies of fossil , and producing much less oil then they ideally could, to keep supplies artificially low, thus giving them an excuse to charge exorbitant amounts of money for the product. Additionally, a massive increase of demand from the booming economies of China and India, couples with unrest and violence in the oil fields of Nigeria have ensured that the price of oil would do nothing but increase.
http://economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10311266

Adam Smith Essay Outline

Essay Outline

Intro- Basic background of Adam Smith, short summary of life and times. Political and economic status of 18^th century. Accomplishments and achievements (Wealth of Nations and other writings)

Body paragraph 1: Influence on modern day society. Economics (free market, competition, “invisible hand). Politics (limited government, regulations, subsidies, New Deal/Great Society and opposing movements, communism and socialism, conservative and liberal ideologies, American revolution, morality).

Body Paragraph 2: World without Smith. Economic/Political effects (command economy, state run monopolies, no competition, nationalization, no meritocracy, individual freedoms curtailed as state power expands). Historical effects (American Revolution, British economy, Russian revolution and cold war, communist expansionism).

Body Paragraph 3: Modern figure. Milton Friedman. Conservatism and advocates of the free market. Morality of laissez faire capitalism, deregulation and condemnation of subsidies. Outspoken proponent of economic and social freedom.

Conclusion: Magnitude of Smith’s contributions to America and to the world. Dismal outlook without him. Friedman and others carried on his legacy. World drastically altered by his ideas.

Adam Smith Fact Sheet

Name: Adam Smith

Brief History: Born in June of 1723 in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, he was raised by his mother, as his father had died before his birth. Educated at the Universities of Glasgow and Scotland, Balliol College, and Oxford University, he became a respected writer and teacher, regarded as the stereotypical absent-minded professor. In 1751, at the age of 27, Smith was given the Chair of Logic at Glasgow University, soon to be followed by the Chair of Moral Philosophy. In 1759, Smith published a book about moral approval, called The Theory of Moral Sentiments, a novel which significantly enhanced his credibility and reputation. Five years later, Smith travelled to France, where he stayed for a year and a half. There he began to ponder the intricacies of the economy, and the nature of value and took notes on his findings. These became the basis of his political and economic manifesto The Wealth of Nations, published in 1776. Gave speeches on the ideas laid out in his book until his death in1790.

Contacts: David Hume, Francis Hutchesan, William Hamilton, Edmund Burke, François Quesnay.

Height: 5 feet, 6 inches.

Weight: 154 lbs.

Financial Situation: Professor’s income, supplemented by book sales. Estimated income: £40,000 (adjusted for inflation).

Clothing: Mismatched and often incorrectly sized.

Hair: White, curled at sides.

Preferred Drink: Scotch.

Preferred Food: Haggis.

Jewelry: None. Believes it to be a frivolous purchase.

Embarrassing Moment: Wardrobe malfunction during economics lecture. Has never worn a kilt since.

Secret Conversation: While in France, a source close to the French government quoted him as having said that Louis XVI would surely provoke a rebellion if he pursued his misguided economic policies.

Book Report: Shogun

Clavell, James.
Shogun.
Delecorte Press: 1975.

Reason, Type, and Setting: Lately I have been reading and reporting on philosophical and political books, and although they are fascinating and thought provoking, they are not written to entertain. I never like to read one type of novel for too long, so I decided to pick up one of my old favorites, James Clavell's Shogun. This novel is an epic tale, full of adventure, political intrigue, swordplay, and romance, and I thought this fast paced (albeit long winded) story would be a nice break from the other books I had been reading. The novel is set in feudal Japan, near the turn of the 17th century. The island nation, which has remained untouched by the wars that ravaged Europe at the time, has had no contact with the West, save for a few friars and missionaries that traveled east from Europe to convert the great heathen nations the Marco Polo spoke of.

Plot: Shogun focuses on the life of John Blackthorne, an English ship's pilot. Blackthorne has been hired by the Dutch, England's ally in their war against the Spanish and Portuguese, to sail the ship Erasmus through the Spanish blockade and into the Strait of Magellan, a secret route used by the Portuguese to access their colonies and other assets in the East Indies. Once there, the Erasmus was to trade with the indigenous people, attempt to secure alliances and trade agreements with the local governments, and undermine the Spanish and Portuguese influence there. Unfortunately, the merchant ship was blown off course by a storm, and became beached on the shores of Japan, previously unknown to the English and Dutch. Blackthorne and his shipmates, stranded in a foreign, and largely hostile land, with no means of communicating with their captors, or escape, are faced with a bleak future. The Japanese look down on Westerners, thinking them to be barbarians, and the ones that they do tolerate, Spanish and Portuguese priests and traders dedicate themselves to persuading the Japanese to destroy Blackthorne and the rest of the crew, to deny their adversaries a foothold in what was previously their exclusive territory. Blackthorne eventually secures the safety of his compatriots by offering his services as a pilot to his jailers, only to become embroiled in a complex power struggle between two of the most influential factions in a nation that has been torn apart by civil war for centuries, and has only recently known unity. Blackthorne, although originally disgusted by the seemingly barbaric and primitive Japanese culture must assimilate into it in order to survive the coming confrontation between the two feuding Japanese warlords.

Character: The protagonist of this epic saga is John Blackthorne, English pilot and merchant. An imposing man, he possesses a shaggy blond mane, and piercing blue eyes, the likes of which the Japanese had never seen. Blackthorne, although physically intimidating, is exceptionally quick witted, has an excellent memory, is a gifted linguist, and is one of the best pilots in any nation's maritime forces. After defusing the initial threat to his safety by offering to help the warlord who captured him create a modern, European style army and navy, Blackthorne quickly begins to learn Japanese, so that he would not have to communicate through Portuguese translators, who would like nothing better than to see him be executed for a breach of etiquette. Once the barrier of language had been all but eliminated, Blackthorne not only survives in this inhospitable environment, he thrives, rising in status from a mere barbarian, to a full samurai, and retainer to the warlord, a title given to him for the services he rendered to the Japanese.

Evaluation: Despite having already read this book several years ago, it once again exceeded my expectations. The massive scope of the novel, the many interconnected plot lines, and the fascinating characters in this book make it an enduring classic, and a masterpiece of storytelling. The plot is one of the most engrossing tales that I have ever read, and I spent entire days of my break doing nothing but working my way through this brick of a novel. Despite the fact that this is one of the longest books that I have read, at over one thousand pages, it could not have been a sentence shorter, in fact, my one criticism of the book is that it could have been a bit longer, so that more plot lines could be resolved, and to give a more detailed description of the climactic battle that the entire book had been leading up to. I would recommend this novel to anyone who has a lot of free time on their hands. It has anything you could ever want in a book, blood, sex, power, ninjas, etc.

Author, Context, and Trivia: Shogun is the first book in Clavell's critically acclaimed Asian Saga, which follows the history of British entrepreneurs in Asia. This book is a bit different from the rest of those in the series, as most follow the Struan Trading Company, and the events surrounding it. The author, James Clavell, also worked on the famous World War Two P.O.W. film, The Great Escape, was a major proponent of laissez-faire capitalism, and the free market economy. He was also an admirer of Ayn Rand, and once sent her a copy of his book Noble House, accompanied by a note saying "This is for Ayn Rand – one of the real, true talents on this earth for which many, many thanks. James C, New York, 2 Sept 81."

Oppression Photo

In this photo, a Caucasian youth is shown frowning, while holding an Ethnic Gourmet T.V. dinner. With our society's divisive focus on multiculturalism, emphasis is put on that which makes us different, instead of what unites us as Americans. This fracturing of The U.S.'s population into several smaller subcultures based on race and origin leaves those similar to the student pictured here without a sense of identity or community.

However, the problem is more complex than that. It is not the fact that "white" people frantically search for some sort of ethnic identity that is troublesome, the problem is that members of our society are encouraged to define themselves by some sort of collective grouping at all. There is no more potent of an example of idiocy than when someone supports a cause or position, not because they have decided through logical deliberation that it is the right course of action, but because it is a "cultural value", or whatever else they may call the collective mentality's will.

To define one's self by a culture or race is to abandon one's claim to their own mind. When someone allows others to dictate their own beliefs and opinions, they lose all sense of individualism and independence. The fact that one is a member of a certain race or group does not necessitate them having the same convictions and ideals as the rest of that demographic. To support something because the black community, or the Asian community, or the Irish community supports it is collectivism of the highest order, and the fact that such a mentality exists in a country that embraces intellectual freedom as much as ours is appalling to say the least. Democracy depends on the existence of a free market of ideas, and this simply cannot be achieved when people insist on not thinking for themselves.

Book Report: Conscience of a Conservative

Goldwater, Barry. Conscience of a Conservative. Victor Publishing: 1960.

Reason, Type and Setting: This book is Barry Goldwater's political manifesto, and a call for the Republican party to return to its conservative roots. I selected this book in particular because I have always had a profound interest in politics, and because Barry Goldwater was one of the foremost practitioners of conservatism, an ideology that influences world events to this day. The novel paints a stark portrait of 1950's America, the problems facing it, and two clashing political philosophies, each professing to be the nation's only hope.

Plot: The book focuses on the political issues confronting the country at the time, and conservatism's solution to each dilemma. These range from economic problems like unjust and inefficient farm subsidies, absurdly powerful unions, and extortionate taxation, to political ones, like the usurpation of state's rights by the federal government, civil rights, and the Soviet menace. All of these crises are addressed in a logical, concise manner, and unlike modern political discourse, the emphasis is not on proving that the opposition is wrong, but instead on finding a constructive solution to each problem through rational thought.

Character: Although there are no conventional protagonists or antagonists in this book. By reading it, one gets a sense about the character of the author. It is clear that the author's purpose in writing this tome was not to toe the party line, pander to a special interest group, or to engage in the rancorous demagoguery that is so common to day. Instead of conforming to his party's beliefs, he shuns them, condemning them as liberal ideology infiltrating a supposedly conservative establishment, instead of saying what will get him elected, he says what he truly believes, no matter how unpopular his positions may be, instead of slandering his political rivals, he respectfully disagrees with them on logical grounds without making any of the personal attacks that are ubiquitous in any modern campaign. It is apparent that Barry Goldwater was a man of unmatched political integrity, and who possessed a great love for his nation.

Evaluation: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I feel that it has given me a greater understanding of politics, the Constitution, and the history of our country. Reading it has renewed the zeal which I had once felt for politics, a feeling that had been extinguished by watching one unauthentic politician after another claim the title of conservative while pursuing goals that were irreconcilable with their supposed political philosophy. The message of this book is one of freedom, personal responsibility, and the ideals that so many of our countrymen have laid down their lives to defend. Although I have nothing but praise for this masterpiece of political literature, I would only recommend it to someone who has a firm grasp on the basics of political history and philosophy, and who doesn't mind reading several chapters on agricultural regulations and their impact on the free market. To someone unfamiliar with the roots of conservatism, this book may be confusing, as it contradicts many of the policies of the modern Republican party, which is frequently mistaken to be run by conservatives.

Author, Context and Trivia: Barry Goldwater has written several other books, such as: The Conscience of a Majority, The Coming Breakpoint, and With No Apologies: The Personal and Political Memoirs of United States Senator Barry M. Goldwater. Although I have read none of the author's other books, I found Conscience of a Conservative fascinating, and eagerly await reading the rest of his works.

Book Report: The Fountainhead

Rand, Ayn. The Fountainhead. New York, New York. The Penguin Group: 1943.
Reason, Type, and Setting: The reason I chose to read this book, is because I had read one of her other works, Atlas Shrugged, several months ago, and it was nothing short of life changing. The Fountainhead is one of her earlier books, and I wanted to see how her ideas and skill as an author had developed. The story, as with Atlas Shrugged, mainly takes place in New York. However, unlike its spiritual successor, The Fountainhead is set in the time period it was written in, namely the early forties. Although both these books are fictional, it would be inaccurate to describe them as just fiction. Her novels have been described as part thriller, part romance, and part action-adventure, all bound together by a common philosophical message that is both elegant and practical.
Plot: Although the plot of The Fountainhead is set in the world of architecture, its lessons and morals can be applied to all aspects of life. The story is that of the independent, rational, and uncompromising individual against the unthinking, brutish, and immoral collective that surrounds him. The message of the book is one of hope, emphasizing the value of personal responsibility, independent thought, individuality, and logical thinking as the path to success and happiness. As these prerequisites are available to everyone, anyone can improve themselves and accomplish their goals, while simultaneously enriching the lives of those around them. As Rand said: “My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.”
Character: The protagonist in The Fountainhead is Howard Roark, an architect. He is described as a tall, imposing man, crowned with fiery red hair. Roark is the epitomization of Rand’s idea of the ideal man. When faced with adversity and animosity on all sides, crippled by his irrational and immoral peers and an unthinking society, he never once even contemplates compromising or capitulating. Intensely logical and independent, the whole world could be set against him and he would not yield as long as he believed that his goals and beliefs were rational. Capable of creating the concrete and stone odes to man’s greatness and achievements known as skyscrapers, Roark represents the best of all men, the embodiment of human virtue; it is for men like this that our country was created. His perfection and incorruptible goodness is what makes him stand out from the throngs of imperfect, self-pitying, and unscrupulous protagonists that have proliferated the pages of modern novels. These ubiquitous “anti-heroes” seem to appeal to readers today because they anesthetize the reader’s own sense of shame for their own shortcomings and failures. They are hailed as “realistic” characters, while those like Roark are scoffed at, as they are deemed to unrealistic for readers to empathize with. However, the mere presence of the modern marvels that surround us are a testament to their existence, and this is why I was drawn to Roark. Like many of Rand’s other “ideal men” the plot of the story has no affect on Roark. It is he who changes those around them, leading by example, and condemning the immoral lifestyles of his peers not through words, but through success.
Evaluation: I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I found it captivating and inspiring, managing to entertain as well as teach. The message the author is trying to convey is one of the importance of being guided by logic, and nothing else. Everything else in her philosophy rests on that cornerstone. Once it is in place, individuality, self motivation, and success follow. By sparing the reader the theorizing and speculating about traditional philosophical questions, and skipping straight to the practical applications of her creed, Rand demonstrates the usefulness and practicality of her philosophy. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone seeking direction in their life, a deeper understanding of themselves, their country and the world around them, or really anyone with an interest in anything, political, philosophical, or moral. I cannot understate the value of this book or any other book by Mrs. Rand. Their message is applicable to everything, be it economics, politics, love, education, or art.
Although there are some similarities between myself and the main character of The Fountainhead, I would have made several different choices than the ones he makes in the book. I believe that Roark is irrationally confrontational and abrasive to others at some points, causing people who would have been indifferent to him to begin seeking his destruction. This complicates matters for Roark, and is a problem that could have been avoided without compromising on his positions in any way.
Author and Trivia: As I said earlier, The Fountainhead was a precursor to Rand’s masterpiece, Atlas Shrugged, which was followed by other books that were primarily philosophical in nature. The Fountainhead was preceded by Anthem and We the Living. Rand, originally from Russia, was still mastering the English language when she wrote some of her earlier works, and it is astounding to behold the mastery with which she wields the tongue of her adopted nation. Having read both The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged now, I will move on to some of the author’s more philosophical works, like Philosophy: Who Needs It?, which is a collection of essays about her ideas.

Creative Writing on Photograph

We recently visited the Museum of Photographic Art in Balboa Park. While we were there, we were told to choose a photograph, and write a story about it. The picture I decided to write about showed a marble building. The structure was supported by Classical pillars, but one was missing, and had been replaced with the trunk of a tree.

The Pillar

The architect tore his hair in revulsion. He begged and pleaded, but there was nothing he could do. His work of art was no longer his property. He stared at his defaced masterpiece, trying to see it as it once was. He visualized the building, jutting out of the earth, as if it were part of the rocky outcrop on which it rested. The gleaming white marble shone in the mid-day sun, its seams so perfect, it appeared as if it had been hewn from a single piece of stone. The symmetry and geometric perfection was the product of years of careful intellectual deliberation and dedication. Now his magnum opus lay ruined, and the distraught architect felt as if a part of him had died.

The building had stood proudly for years, a monument to human capability, and a standard of excellence by which all other buildings had been measured. It was in the seventh year of the structure's existence that the problems had started. A vandal had carved a cruel groove into a formerly immaculate marble pillar, an action akin to putting a cigarette out on the canvas of a painting. Mortified, the architect had immediately ordered an identical pillar from the masons who had cut the original. Several weeks later, the new pillar had not arrived. Upon questioning the stonecutters, the designer of the damaged structure found that his order had been canceled by the owner of the building, the city, who had said that an alternative solution had been found.


The architect had hurried back to the monument he had labored so hard to create to see what marvel of technology had allowed them to repair or replace the pillar without constructing a new one entirely. When the building came into view, its designer gasped in horror. His once perfect construction had been desecrated. Where the damaged pillar once stood, a tree trunk had been put into place, its roots still caked with mud. Horrified, the architect rushed up to one of the buildings occupants, and demanded to know what the purpose of the tree was. "Oh its really quite noble," said the man, admiring the clumps of dirt that now lay strewn across the once spotless marble floor. "The tree represents a fusion of the new with the old, modern technology with the primitive wisdom our society has strayed so far away from. It's really a superb improvement to those horrid marble pillars. They looked so unauthentic, so man made." The man scoffed and continued on his way, leaving the architect motionless, stupefied by the explanation. He stood there for a long time, his confused expression never changing. He stared at the tree, as if he was trying to bore a hole through it with his gaze. The tree, unaffected, stubbornly remained.

Several years passed. The architect had moved on to create new buildings, never returning to his raped masterpiece. The tree at first bore the weight of the marble roof stoically, but as the trunk dried out in the intense summer sun, the wood of the tree became brittle, and began to crumble under the immense load. The roof began to sag on one side,the soft marble stone warping slowly. The resulting crease in the roof began to collect debris, adding to the already massive weight supported by the tree. The demise of the building was a slow and painful one. When the roof eventually collapsed, the structure was abandoned, as architects of the caliber of the creator of the building were few and far between, and those who were available refused to work for the city, as they had heard of their treatment of their colleague. So the building was never repaired, and as it was now structurally compromised, few ventured near it. The forest surrounding the city began to reclaim the land, and as each part of the structure fell into disrepair, more foliage arose to take its place. Soon the once proud marvel of architectural design had been reduced to no more than a moss covered heap, indistinguishable from any other hill in the forest.

Ethics Problem

As each person's life is his or her own property and responsibility, and therefore no one can lay claim to the life of another for any form of involuntary support, their is no logical justification for one to hinder themselves from reaching their goals to prolong the life of another, as long as they did not cause the second party to be in a life threatening situation in the first place. That, along with voluntarily aiding the ailing person for your own selfish reasons are the only logical, and therefore moral exceptions.

Current Events: Japanese Economy Shifting Towards American Values

Historically, Japan has been a nation that attached too much value to its past and traditions. This caused the island nation to be at the mercy of its more advanced trading partners for hundreds of years until they finally dispensed with their archaic policy of isolationism and maintaining cultural purity and industrialized. Now, one of the last remnants of Japan's feudal past is being swept away in the shape of economic reforms. Previously, the Japanese government had its hand in much of the country's industries, especially banking. This expansive and inefficient bureaucratic intrusion has hindered business and caused the national debt to spiral out of control. Currently the governmental debt of Japan is estimated at 180% of their GDP, by for the highest out of any developed economy. This will lead to an increase in the already high tax rate just to keep the debt at the same level it is now. However, Japan is taking steps to reverse the damage. Deregulation and economic reforms that should bring their struggling economy closer to a free market model, coupled with the dismantling of the governmental banking monopoly has caused corporations to post record profits, and has stimulated economic growth. Unfortunately, these improvements may be short lived, as the Japanese will also have to deal with their aging population and the rapidly shrinking labor pool.

Vocab 9

ag·gra·vate: to rouse to displeasure or anger by usually persistent and often petty goading
With the first election that I will be eligible to vote in nearing, I have made a concerted effort to scrutinize all of the presidential candidates, and one of the best means to do so is to watch the televised debate so that you can compare their policies side by side. Unfortunately, this once noble democratic tradition has been trivialized by the advent of the "YouTube Debates". Instead of political experts carefully crafting questions that cannot be easily evaded or deflected, and that give the viewers valuable information about a candidate's ideology, now both the Democratic and the Republican candidates have been forced to endure a barrage of questions from the general public, ranging from the inane, to the downright idiotic. This shameful display of networks pandering to the immature, ill informed, and insipid youth demographic mars the proud history of the presidential debate and disrupts the political process. Needless to say, I find the YouTube debates extremely aggravating.

ad·verse: opposed to one's interests; causing harm.
Allergies to some foods, such as peanuts or shellfish, and some varieties of medicine can cause a person to go into anaphylactic shock, a severe allergic reaction characterized by rapid inflammation of the tissues near where the allergen entered the body, and the constriction of the airways. This adverse reaction can be treated by administering adrenaline (a.k.a. epinephrine) to the victim. People allergic to bees often carry an "EpiPen" with them, a pocket sized syringe containing a dose of adrenaline that could stave off anaphylaxis should they be stung.

dis·in·ter·est·ed: not having the mind or feelings engaged : not interested
I am not going to make a myspace. Stop asking. I am disinterested.

averse: having an active feeling of repugnance or distaste
Aversion therapy is a form of behavioral modification utilizing conditioning techniques in which a habit or activity that is undesirable (like smoking or nail biting) becomes associated with a negative stimulus, usually pain. Whenever the subject of an aversion therapy treatment program has an urge to conduct whatever activity they are attempting to refrain from doing, pain is administered (this can be from something as harmless as snapping a rubber band on your wrist to more extreme measures, such as electrical shocks) until the idea of pain and the activity become indistinguishable, and the subject becomes averse to it.

Current Event: Education

New York's Schools

More to come

Vocab 8

lo·qua·cious: full of excessive talk
Mose Allison, a famous jazz singer and songwriter penned the song "Your Mind is On Vacation (and Your Mouth is Working Overtime)" in the mid 1970's, which would later help catapult him into fame. The song describes a loquacious individual who tries to make up for a lack of substance in his thoughts and actions by increasing the volume of them. The song became an anthem of condemnation against the unthinking and irrational, adored by the intellectuals and loathed by their vapid adversaries.


su·per·cil·ious: coolly and patronizingly haughty
It has repeatedly been irrefutably proven that the former host of the History Channel's "Digging For the Truth", was the most pretentious, pompous, bombastic, self aggrandizing, narcissistic, and supercilious individual to ever taint the earth. Swollen with an unwarranted sense of self importance, and a seemingly unlimited arsenal of smugness and blatant arrogance, it is projected that he will collapse under the weight of his massive ego in the year 2011. The resulting solid sphere of haughtiness will grow at an exponential rate thereafter, until it eventually implodes under its own gravity, and becomes the first ever black hole consisting solely of failure. The resulting swirling vortex of contrived triteness will engulf the world, and eventually the rest of the solar system.


tem·pes·tu·ous: of or relating to a violent storm
Patrick Stewart (of Star Trek fame) has a much underrated career as a Shakespearian actor. He is especially well known in the thespian community for his enthralling portrayal of Prospero in The Tempest.