Exam season

The holiday season is quickly approaching, but before the presents and celebrations we must first conquer the stressful barrage of final exams. Exam season wasn't as awful as several claim it to be. I blame lack of preparation and mass procrastination. I believe I am slowly going insane due to several weeks without exercise and sitting around the computer alternating studying and taking breaks (mostly taking breaks). School is really taking it's toll on students although it may not have struck me yet. I've already seen several mental breakdowns and people complaining about the difficulties in social media, but then again, this is a natural daily occurrence. Isn't social media solely for building confidence for those that lack it through approval of society? Anyways, I digress. Thinking of keeping this pace of academic determination is quite daunting as I still have a minimum of four years remaining, but I'm sure it's worth it in the end. Engi life.

Failure Report

1. Introduction

This memo is a failure report on the Ford Pinto design flaw. Ford accelerated designs on the Ford Pinto to achieve “a large market share” which resulted in a faulty design of the fuel system (Leggett, 1999). The easily ruptured fuel system would cause explosions in rear-end collisions; although this was a known fact by Ford engineers, financial benefits influenced “top Ford officials” to continue with production (Hoffman, 1982). Due to unethical decisions made by Ford leaders, the Pinto design lacked many safety features as the cost of paying for fatalities were less than implementing the new design (Baura & Ebrary, 2006) The upcoming sections will interpret the decisions that caused the failure, reasons for the failure and future lessons to be learned.

2. Description

In May, 1968 Lee Iacocca, the Ford Motor Company vice-president introduced the design of the Ford Pinto, a subcompact car which was largely popular, but the flawed in design. Prior to the distribution of this design, a flaw in the fuel tank was noticed as subsequent cases of fuel tank explosions were brought into question (Leggett, 1999). Figure1 below provides the image of a crash test done with a Chevrolet Impala rear-ending the Ford Pinto which led to an immediate combustion of the gas tank (Gibson, 2011). In order to enhance the trunk space, the fuel tank was placed behind the rear axle with only “nine inches of separation”. This danger was further emphasized due to the position of bolts near the gas tank and the “fuel filler pipe design” which provided an increased possibility of the disconnection of the tank in the event of an accident, causing fuel tank explosions (Leggett, 1999). In 1978, two major law suits were filed against. The first one resulted in $6.6 million to be awarded to a Pinto burn victim while the second one involved three teenage girls that died after being rear-ended by a van in relatively low speed collision as proposed by a witness. This was not only a burden to Ford’s financial costs, but also a testimony on their indifference when dealing with consumer safety (Baura & Ebrary, 2006). On The Ford Motor Company was charged with many cases of homicide subsequent to this due to Ford executives’ decision which allowed an unsafe car be sold to consumers (Evan & Manison, 2002).

Figure1: Pinto Fuel System Explosion. A 1971 Chevrolet Impala rear-ending a 1972 Ford Pinto in a crash test. (Gibson, 2011)

3. Reasons for the Failure

In hindsight, we notice that the main flaw was found in the initial design of the Ford Pinto and the dangerous placement of the fuel tank in close proximity to the rear axel (Evan & Manison, 2002), but even though a new design was proposed, the officials refused to implement as the cost for implementation of Standard 301 fuel tanks would have been $137 million as opposed to $49.5 million paid to victims of collision fatalities. The fuel tank upgrades following regulations of the Standard 301, would have cost $11 per car and according and to the “risk/benefit analysis” in this situation, the Ford executives decided that the paying for the 180 burn fatalities was more cost efficient than implementing the new design. As a result the new design was not implemented until 8 years prior to the law suits (Baura & Ebrary, 2006).

4. Lessons to be Learned

Through the flaws of the Ford Pinto design, stricter safety regulations were further implemented in future designs. Also the “risk/benefit analysis” should not be used for safety decisions as it does not account for all costs of accidents due to many unclaimed lawsuits as well as the time and money spent on arguing lawsuits. Furthermore, engineering ethics were brought into perspective as even though safety costs may seem to be more proficient than benefits received, financial benefit decisions should not cloud our moral judgments.

5. References

Baura, G. D., & Ebrary, I. (2006). Engineering ethics: An industrial perspective. Boston: Academic Press.

Evan, W. M., & Manison, M. (2002). Technological catastrophes: their causes and prevention. Technology in Society, 24, 207-224.          http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X02000052

Gibson, John. (2011). Legendary Crash Test Video: 71 Impala vs 72 Pinto – Full Rear        Impact. Chevy Hardcore. Retrieved from            http://www.chevyhardcore.com/news/legendary-crash-test-video-71-impala-         vs-72-pinto-full-rear-impact/

Hoffman, W. Michael. (1982). Corporate Obligations and Responsibilities: Everything Old             Is New Again. Case Study The Ford Pinto, 222-229. http://businessethics.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/files/2012/01/HoffmanPinto.pdf

Leggett, Christopher. (1999). The Ford Pinto Case: The Valuation of Life as It Applies to   the Negligence-Efficiency Argument. Retrieved from       http://users.wfu.edu/palmitar/Law&Valuation/Papers/1999/Leggett-       pinto.html

Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Should Patients Be Offered Prescriptions?

Those affected by ADHD (Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), are easily distracted from the task at hand. This disorder has been questioned for legitimacy for several years due to Leon Eisenberg’s claimed that “ADHD is a prime example of a fabricated disease” (qtd in Blech). Although many medical specialist agree that ADHD is indeed a widespread disorder, one would question the necessity of prescribed medication for such a mild abnormality. The International Consensus Statement on ADHD encourages patients to seek treatment to control the symptoms (Barkley et al.) and Paul Wender believes that “stimulant drugs [are] the most effective treatment for ADHD” (Wender 34). In contrast, several critics would oppose medication due to the various health risks as demonstrated through studies from Columbia University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the negative side-effects of prescribed medication (Carrizales 4). The previously proposed arguments for and against offering prescribed medication to patients center around negative health effects; they have neglected to consider the result of possession of drugs. Prescribed medication should be limited or discredited entirely when dealing with children as the negative consequences to their future outweigh the positive. In order to properly assess the credibility of drug distribution, we must consider emotional and moral drawbacks as well as the effects on cognitive ability.

Considering the effects of increasing amounts of drugs being available to the public is essential in determining the viability of loosely prescribing medication. The medicine provided to ADHD patients are generally stimulants that raise dopamine levels to allow the patient to focus (Robinson et al.). Although these stimulants can be used to benefit ADHD victims, the medication is also infamous for it’s promise of temporary euphoria when abused by users. Young children with possession have the opportunity to abuse or even distribute such substances illicitly. “Many health professionals believe that ADHD is being over-diagnosed” (Carrizales 1) due to the vague criteria for diagnosis based upon “a person’s pattern of behavior” (1). The International Consensus Statement on ADHD does acknowledge that environmental factors play a part in ADHD, but also claim that it does not arise “solely or primarily the result of these environmental factors”(Barkley et al.). In an attempt to argue for the legitimacy for medication, the statement informs us of the studies on the benefits of such anaesthetic drugs, but also makes reference to the necessity of “educational, family, and other social accommodations” (Barkley et al. ). Although there are obvious benefits of the medication, the statement neglects to access the negative health effects. Studies have shown that “some of the more troublesome symptoms gradually diminish and finally disappear at the time of puberty” (Wender 57). One would question the importance and necessity of medication when there are alternatives that are more beneficial health wise, especially when it comes down to a child’s well being. Because children can be feeble and naive, they do not understand the full consequences of their actions; surely children that are introduced to drugs at a young are more likely to be the ones that abuse them later on in the future as they have the opportunity to.

In addition to the emotional effects of stimulants on children, we must also consider the morality of offering a child prescribed medication that can potentially harm them. Several health issues may arise from medication such as “heart-related problems” and “psychiatric problems” along with various side effects that may cause mood swings that involve “irritability, depression, agitation, or other emotional side effects” which lead to the question: is it right to evoke such distress to a child? A child taking medication is probably not doing it because he wants to, but rather because he is forced to by their parents or guardians, supposedly for his/her own well being. Examining this situation more closely, we can observe a child, unknowing of consequences, being forced to take medication that is potentially life threatening that would anesthetize them in an attempt to cure them of their abnormality. The child has no opinion over the decision of accepting medication as the judgement is almost entirely based on the views of the caretakers. Certainly this violates one of the fundamental freedoms on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which states everyone should have the right to “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression” (Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms 2b). Being under the influence of prescribed medication, childrens’ thoughts are inadvertently limited, impeding their ability to be individuals. Children under the influence of medication are seen to be more “concentrat[ed] and focus[ed]”, demonstrating, “reducing hyperactive and impulsive behaviors” (Robinson et al.), but are they truly themselves? Children under the influence of stimulants are restrained in their ability to show genuine emotions. In an attempt to maximize their mental abilities, we are paradoxically limiting them. How can this be fundamentally just?

Besides considering the morality of prescribing medication to children, we must also consider the effects of medication on their cognitive ability. The ability of ADHD patients to develop general thought processes is not inhibited although some patients do face learning disadvantages. Prescribed medication benefit attentiveness and hyperactivity, but does not address the uneven learning development problem that affect some ADHD children. A recent study on the educational and behavioural effects of stimulants on children with ADHD has shown that Ritalin, a commonly prescribed stimulant for ADHD patients, cause “short-term deteriorations in academic outcomes among both boys and girls”, contradicting the fallacy of benefits to cognitive abilities (Currie et al. 25). Also, several intelligence tests have shown that ADHD does not affect intelligence (Wender 18), but taking prescribed medication causes cognitive deterioration as demonstrated by Currie’s study; certainly medication is not viable for the developing minds of children. The risks of influencing brain development is significant as brain damage to a child would greatly influence their future. We must emphasize the fact that those affected by ADHD are initially not lacking in mental ability and only some are affected by learning disorders, but the effects of medication can handicap them into a far worse situation.

Because the symptoms of ADHD are so vague, improper diagnosis is a possible outcome which is a major problem due to the powerful medication used to treat this disorder. Improper diagnosis could lead to improper prescription of medication that is potentially dangerous to a person’s health. Although many studies show the obvious benefits of ADHD medication, the drawbacks are clearly significant. Children affected by ADHD are still naive, living under the influence of their caretakers and unable to make their own decisions. Offering children medication is as rational as offering them cocaine in that they stimulate dopamine levels in the brain  and have an overwhelming amount of negative effects on mental and physical health (Robinson et al.). Considering the results of several studies on the impacts on medication on health along with the moral, emotional, and mental effects caused by prescribed medication we can conclude that prescription medication to children is unviable and should be discontinued. The prescription of stimulants for ADHD children is still evident today. Through the insight provided by this paper, critics can reconsider the merits of medication and search for an alternative that is less detrimental to health. [1219 words]

Aging population

Aging populations have been an upcoming trend in the modern era due to the increasing business of people’s everyday life. The Canadian government’s attempt to solve the problem is to bring in qualified immigrants to further develop the workforce, but ultimately this would only promote a temporary resolve to this developing problem. In order to access a probable solution to this problem, we must first realize the flaws of education and evolution of societal practices that cause the population to abstain from reproducing until a later age. The promise of additional years education offering a better job is a key factor in delaying family development. Immigrants that are allowed into Canada are limited to investors, educated personnel, or ___________; not only does this create additional competition for locals in higher end jobs, this also does not fill the niche for lower wage jobs. Rather than qualifying immigrants by investing ability, the government should also access age, mental capacity, and _________.

Beneficial Innovation

The child held up the glimmering, innovative apple device, pressing on the screen displaying radiant flashes of pictures and lights. As the bus hummed to a temporary stop, I notice a male youth sitting in the four seat arrangement in front of me with a group of friends, casually browsing and texting social media applications on their smart phones. Occasionally I would overhear an exchange of a few words, but strangely enough, their eyes would remain focused on the vivid illustrations projected by the mobile devices. I guess they have their priorities straight. I find such behaviour shocking. Why would one decide to text and commute with others long distance when there are people that you could interact with around you?

We live in a world where there exists a constant development of new innovations that are designed to improve modern lifestyles and ease connections between people. “[t]he most forward thinking phone in the world” (qtd. in Gallo), was the slogan for the apple iPhone which captivates so many, becoming one of the most popular modern cellular devices in the world. This technology has many integrated functions like allow access to Facebook, Twitter, and numerous other social media applications which “helps you connect and share with the people in your life” (Facebook). All this innovation is supposedly benefits our social interactions and ability to share. Although this may be true, there is a paradoxical side effect that this ideal ultimately becomes a burden to social interactions.

        During this technological era, people are constantly sharing our experiences online daily through various pictures on Facebook, tweets on Twitter or other idea sharing programs; we strive for interesting aspects in our daily lives to project the significance of ourselves as others embrace or reject our opinions. Slowly we build a dependence. As people get approval from various posts from the general public, they gain status in their own minds which results in an addiction towards building a perfect image of themselves that everyone will approve of.

        “Texting, email, posting” allows us to “present the self as we want to be” (Turkle) and cut, paste, and edit the things we do and say.  There is no restraint on response time as society accepts edited responses due to the assumption of a busy life as opposed to in real time where we have little to no time to articulate a fluent and ideal response or act without flaws. Eventually, this leads to the deterioration of communication skills which in turn, decreases the demand for building intimate relationships and promotes the building of a greater web of virtual relationships.

        Social media provides an opportunity for people to escape solitude through providing a means of communication through the internet that is accessible virtually anywhere, but rather than create relationships, social media has merely caused people to become more isolated. The image we build of ourselves may be ideal, but without flaws, we aren’t actually demonstrating our true selves. Our expectations of ourselves and each other are growing exponentially due to the necessity of building of an ego that other people will perceive as something that is admirable. The public has become accustomed to a life controlled by great expectations. As we communicate behind a screen, we are alone, attempting to make connections, but because we seem to be so busy with our lives, we are no longer creating experiences with others, rather for others.

        Our society has adopted norms in which people are naturally pressured to abide by, as opposing them would result in exile. Many people speak of individualism, encouraging others to be themselves and accept each other’s differences, but due to the greater influence of news, social media, and advertisements people are allowed to individualize only to a certain extent. How can we be unique if every passerby is judging and objecting certain opinions that go against the norm? The fear of isolation drives us towards acting as a mindless zombie that abides by the laws of social order. When there is a fat lady walking across the street, we are influenced by social prejudices to depict this type of person as fat, therefore she is lazy. When a homeless man spotted on the streets of Downtown eastside, society deems him to be worthless drug addict because he is homeless and begging. What we fear is becoming one who is looked down upon by society, allowing societal pressure to influence our daily actions. In a world where everyone is always judging, individuality is only an ideal concept. Although we are allowed the freedom to act as we please, our roots are ultimately from the same society as we are taught every single day of our lives since childhood of what is acceptable behaviour. We may have the freedom to choose our actions and who we associate with, but being with a certain group influences us to adopt the group ideology. Our personality is based upon the influences of those around us. We are figures placed onto a field full of dirt paths that may lead to great things, but we do not have the option of exploring the grass.

Works Cited

"Facebook Has a New Homepage, But Is Still Not a Social Networking Site." L'Atelier: Disruptive Innovation. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.

Gallo, Carmine. "How Apple Guarantees You'll Remember Its Twitter-Friendly Message."Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 10 Sept. 2013. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.

Turkle, Sherry. "Sherry Turkle Quotes." Sherry Turkle Quotes (Author of Alone Together). Goodreads, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.

Motivation

What motivates you? There are times when I feel that giving up is a viable option and opting out will be easier. If life was easy, it would be too boring. Step up and and dominate the unrelenting enigma that impedes greatness and some day, I will be success. Success has to be earned; you have to want success as much as a drowning person strives for that one gulp of air. Although things may seem dire, failure on the horizon, tank through the difficulties, push aside entertainment, and zone into success. You won't be able to get anything without putting in work, first law of thermodynamics. Heat is work plus internal energy. There are so many unexpected occurrences as the universe strives for increasing randomness, second law of thermodynamics. The universe strives for increasing entropy. There will be no movement if you don't act, third law of thermodynamics. At zero Kelvin, the substance will be at the lowest energy level. There will be struggle. There will be failure. There may be success, that's why everything is worth it. The what if factor is strong. Don't just wish, do. It's not going to be easy, but through this hell, a sliver of light is what gives me the will to push through. If I fail, everyone around me will see me as such. If others can succeed, so can I.

Everything is easier said than done. I know.

This.

Most Importantly.

Because odds are, but a probability. We decide the outcome.

And maybe, you'll end up here

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good stuff.

What comes to mind all the time

Engi life in a nutshell

As an engineer, you'll probably think you'll end up like this boss right here.

Nope.

Reality:

Confined Love Analysis

CONFINED LOVE.

by John Donne

   Some man unworthy to be possessor

Of old or new love, himself being false or weak,

   Thought his pain and shame would be lesser,

If on womankind he might his anger wreak ;

       And thence a law did grow,

       One might but one man know ;

       But are other creatures so?

   Are sun, moon, or stars by law forbidden

To smile where they list, or lend away their light?

   Are birds divorced or are they chidden

If they leave their mate, or lie abroad a night?

       Beasts do no jointures lose

       Though they new lovers choose ;

       But we are made worse than those.

   Who e'er rigg'd fair ships to lie in harbours,

And not to seek lands, or not to deal with all?

   Or built fair houses, set trees, and arbours,

Only to lock up, or else to let them fall?

       Good is not good, unless

       A thousand it possess,

       But doth waste with greediness.

Paraphrase

Confined- limited or restricted

wreak- to inflict or execute (vengeance)

jointures- an arrangement where a man sets asides property to support his wife after his death

Stanza 1 : Some men are not worthy of possessing love because they are false and weak. His pain and shame would be lessened if he took revenge on womankind. From that time he invented a law where one man can only possess one love. But do the other creatures do this too?

Stanza 2: Are there laws that govern the movement and actions of the stars, the sun and the moon? Are birds divorced or yelled at for leaving their male to go elsewhere? Animals do not lose jointures even if they choose new lovers. Humans cannot because we are lesser than animals in this regard.

Stanza 3: Who says ships have to be in harbours and not explore new lands? Made houses and settlements to store only to leave them to decay. Good things are not useful unless they are used. We waste these things through greed.

 

Research

John Donne’s, “Confined Love”, may have been inspired by Publius Ovidius Naso`s work. Ovid, who lived from 43 BC to AD 17, is a Roman poet that wrote Amores, poems that showcased wit and rhetoric to woo a woman named Corinna. Ovid’s writing is similar to Donne’s early works based on young unrefined love.

Analysis

Donne’s “Confined Love” is based on young unrefined love. Through usage of metaphysical conceits and rhetorical questions Donne creates a logical reasoning towards the idea of allowing men to love as many others as they please.

In the first stanza, Donne states that some men are “unworthy to be possessor/Of old or new love” because they are “false and weak” causing them to create a “law” that states a man can have only one love, followed by the rhetorical question, “But are other creatures so?” With a mocking tone, Donne devalues the commonly held rule that arose from an impotent man. Additionally, he questions the validity of the rule by comparing humans to other animals with a rhetorical question; Humans, like other animals, should be able to have the freedom  loving however many and whoever they choose.

In the second stanza Donne compares human actions to natural phenomena. In the first two lines, Donne uses rhetorical questions,

“Are sun, moon, or stars by law forbidden

To smile where they list, or lend away their light?

    Are birds divorced or are they chidden

If they leave their mate, or lie abroad a night?”

to create the conceit stating that humans should not be limited to having one love because astral beings have no laws that govern their movements and birds are not disciplined or divorced after leaving and finding other mates for a night.  Animals “do no jointures lose/Though they new lovers choose”, but humans “are made worse than those” because we are governed by the law of having only one lover. Donne justifies having multiple loves through usage of metaphysical conceits that show having freedom of action is natural and should hold no negative consequences, implying that nature’s intentions were for all beings to act freely.

In the third stanza Donne creates metaphysical conceits that question modes of human creations. He begins by asking the rhetorical questions,

“Who e'er rigg'd fair ships to lie in harbours,

And not to seek lands, or not to deal with all?

   Or built fair houses, set trees, and arbours,

Only to lock up, or else to let them fall?”

questioning human modes and devaluing the practice of having a single love. He compares ships to men, as ships should be used to “seek lands” and not just “lie in harbours”, men should also be allowed to seek new partners. “Fair houses, trees, and arbours” should not be left to be locked up to be destroyed in the future as men should not be locked up to a single partner, but rather exposed to many. “Good is not good” unless we offer it to many others, but since we do not, we “waste with greediness”. Donne states that humans should not be trapped with a single partner because they will be unable to share their assets with others.

Personal response

John Donne’s “Confined Love”  uses metaphysical conceits and rhetorical questions to disapprove fidelity and to reason that love should not be sheltered but be shared instead.

Although Donne’s arguments are quite logical, some statements are questionable. I disagree with Donne’s statement, “ Beasts do no jointures lose/Though they new lovers choose;/But we are made worse than those.” because comparing humans to other animals is ridiculous. Humans are civilized and have human qualities due to our heightened brain capacity that separates animals from us; allowing humans to act like animals diminishes our own society bringing us to a more primal way of living without law and order. The laws that govern our actions are what allows humans to work together in a civilized manner and if we begin to disown the laws and act like animals as Donne suggests, there will be nothing that separates us from the savage animals.

Even though some remarks are disagreeable, some of Donne’s arguments have merit. His statement; “Or built fair houses, set trees, and arbours,/Only to lock up, or else to let them fall.?” teaches people to be open to society or else their efforts will simply decay in the shadows. Every human has their own distinct characteristics and these qualities should be shared and loved with other people. Donne’s argument does not only applies to love, but also nearly everything because the world is able to develop due to human interactions with each other, to create and innovate.

Works Cited

"Analysis of Confined Love by John Donne." - Research Paper. Studymode.com. 30 Mar. 2013

<http://www.studymode.com/essays/Analysis-Of-Confined-Love-By-John-991629.html>.

Kline. "John Donne The Songs and Sonnets." John Donne. 2010. Poetryintranslation. 30 Mar. 2013

<http://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/English/DonneSongsAndSonnets.htm>.

"Ovid (Roman poet)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. 30 Mar. 2013

<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/436057/Ovid>.

Writing Problems?

I participated in an academic writing workshop and once again, am faced with an agonizing two hours of the overwhelming urge to sleep. I must tank through this hardship. Although this is all practical information, some people don't understand any of this. Sometimes, I'm genuinely surprised by the intellectual ability of certain classmates as they range from extremely smart to "how did this person make the cut?", but that's beside the point. Now, more on this power point of writing process:

First of all, we must organize our plan of attack: planning, drafting, and revising.

When drafting, we mus determine the topic and purpose. Actually, this is all practical. Plan what you'll do and basically find the target audience and establish your goal. When drafting, what I do is build map of several ideas, but this can be impractical when we are faced with timed writings. A great strategy is read example papers and take ideas, expand, and make them your own. If you are taking significant amounts of information, be sure to cite your sources; not giving others credit for helping you is just a scumbag move. Once we have established all this good stuff, we are probably well on our way. The most difficult times have already passed. We now have to just write and expand on ideas and we will be done. A successful writer is one that can build ideas from any topic and create links towards events that the target audience can relate to. By now, if you are still reading, you probably are really bored or are really stuck on what to write. Well, understand that anything can be related to anything. An example would be, a rotting apple is comparable to the deterioration of humanity and the coming of age, renewal of components into a purer source. Basically, if you write academically and sound really smart people will actually attempt to unveil and create links to the things you write, whether it be on purpose or not. Meanings can arise for a bunch of words that otherwise is total bs that you have just made up to complete an assignment. An amazing writer can bs something quite remarkable at any given moment.

Basically, this workshop is pretty ridiculous and I have probably learned nothing, yet I still tolerate. 

What I recommend is go home and make some applesauce cake because if you're really stuck, come back to it later. Do something more productive and rewarding.

Here you go, a recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/applesauce-cake-186855

University life.

It's amazing. For all those students currently enrolled in post-secondary worrying about all the hardships that lie ahead, don't. The only thing that actually matters anymore when you get to university is finding something that you'll enjoy learning. I understand that there will always be parental pressure, the typical "if you get a respectable degree, you'll be accepted into an exceptional job that you will excel in and earn a bunch of good dollars." Money ultimately equals good life. No, but yes money does give a better life, obviously. After secondary, everyone has to realize that no one gives a crap about you anymore as we all have our own lives to attend to. This freedom that results from this should be taken advantage of as we can do as we please and no one would care. Just don't do something you'll regret. All this is common knowledge, but lets unravel the trade off between "get a good degree and live rich on a job that you hate" or "find a job that you like and make less". There is also the option of "never work a day in your life", but we all know that this is one of the most ridiculous statements out there because finding a job that you love and allow you to make sufficient money to lead a happy life is very improbable. There's always a trade off. Many say, "what if money didn't matter", but it does. Working a job that you hate is baloney because money would be damn useless if you've already wasted half of your life working for it. Might as well take all that cash and use it right now and think about the consequences later. It's ironic how younger people are given the opportunity to do so much, but are limited do to an inability to provide funds and are burdened with heavy workloads on the job or at school while older people have sufficient funds and a tremendous amount of time, but have already passed their prime. Your years at school will probably be the most amazing days of your life. Treasure it. Even though I haven't finished, I know that the most important thing is not to think about money at the moment and experience everything that I can. Memories of things that have happened will last, but things that have not been experienced will forever be a wonder. The "what if" factor will drive you crazy. Just don't be stupid.

Heart of Darkness Journal

“Heart’s of Darkness” explained the difficulties in the filming project as the movie went over budget and took a long amount of time (about four years). The film explained that the filming of “Apocalypse Now” was not structured as the filming crew would film whatever Francis comes up with which lead to the long filming time. There was a time where Francis’s wife believed that Francis was going through a journey while filming. As the days went by, no one knew if the movie was going to be successful, but Francis continued to film and invest into the movie because they were in so deep and there was no turning back like Marlow’s journey up the Congo. Martin Sheen was a lead actor in the movie as he played the role Marlow. A scary moment in the film occurred when he suffered a heart attack. The producers were especially concerned because he was the main actor and if he becomes absent before the completion of the filming, the entire film would be ruined. The actors on set were given drugs and alcohol to enhance their acting as to allow wild and primal personality emerge to demonstrate the wild nature of people like the natives of “Heart of Darkness”. Similar to Marlow’s struggle with himself during his journey, the euphoria caused by the drugs and alcohol allowed the actors to more easily portray the struggle between sanity and insanity. The juxtaposition of the journeys in “Hearts of Darkness” and “Heart of Darkness” show a similarity of having a psychological journey.

December 9, 2012 8:33pm

Heart of Darkness is written as a story within a story. The story is written with a narrator telling the story that was overheard from Marlow. The story was mainly written in Marlow’s point of view as many of the thoughts in the novel were given as Marlow’s ideas, but his story is framed by the anonymous narrator that is telling the story to the reader. This way, the story is told in a way that makes the reader question the truth of the ideas portrayed in the book as Marlow’s thoughts could have been filtered by the anonymous narrator. Also, each character provides different points of view on Kurtz as he was described in a contradictory way. Some described Kurtz as a remarkable man, but others thought of him as a weak and ill character. Many facts and views are thrown at the reader that make the novel complex as the reader attempts to interpret the contradictory information given. The reader can view the the peripheral story is based on the five crew members waiting for the tide to come in before they depart on the Thames. Another view the novel could be interpreted as is the first person narrative of Marlow as he describes his journey and thoughts, but the story can also be viewed as first person by the anonymous narrator. The significance of this is that the author creates layers of the main story to distance the author and allow the reader to have a view of the bigger picture of the story and journey into the heart of darkness as well as providing the first person narrative to experience the action.

December 11, 2012 8:58pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSoIWEGL1YM

Imagine Dragons - Demons

“No matter what we breed

We still are made of greed

This is my kingdom come

This is my kingdom come”

I overheard these lyrics on the radio recently and I felt it related directly to “The Hollow Men” and “Heart of Darkness”. The author in this song created lyrics that inferred that greed is in the heart of human beings, similar to Joseph Conrad’s theme of darkness being within everyone. This song also makes reference to the “kingdom” which reminds me of the kingdoms found in “The Hollow Men”. The writer of this song wanted to “hide the truth”, but came to the realization that “with the beast inside/ theres nowhere we can hide” because the darkness lies within and we all have it. The darkness symbolizes greed like that of the Company in the ivory trade. England’s colonialism of Africa is also a result of a heart of darkness as they treated the natives as slaves and even killed many as a result of this. The writer of this song uses himself to represent all people as he warns not to “get too close” because “it’s dark inside”.

December 11, 2012 10:08pm

“The Hollow Men” had certain allusions to “Heart of Darkness” that I now see. A central idea in “The Hollow Men” was the inability for people to act as they were stopped by “the shadow”. The events that “The Hollow Men” made allusions to were events that were wrongly acted upon, but the people responsible were able to act. An example of this is Guy Fawkes attempting to destroy the parliament building. I see that Marlow is one of these characters that is unable to act as during his reflection of his journey along the Congo, he thought about Kurtz’s final words as he himself cannot sum up the events that occur in words. Kurtz on the other hand, happened to lose his sanity, but was still able to speak upon his actions as he described it as “The horror, the horror”.

December 12,2012 9:55pm

“Marlow notices an unusual painting on the wall, of a blindfolded woman with a lighted torch; when he asks about it, the brickmaker reveals that it is Kurtz’s work.”

The painting made by Kurtz found in the Central Station by Marlow is a significant symbol that represented the European goal of imperialism by colonizing Africa. Kurtz painted this picture because it represented his mission to enlighten the savages (natives). The torch symbolizes enlightenment as the white English people forcing their imperialistic views onto the Africans in an attempt to civilize them. Kurtz even becomes a god-like figure towards the primitive natives. The blindfold infers the blindness that the white Europeans have towards the reality and brutality against African people as a result of colonialism. The dark background symbolizes the darkness of the Congo that the white Europeans journey through “enlightening” the natives.

“She struck me as beautiful—I mean she had a beautiful expression.”

Marlow’s lie to the Intended symbolized the ignorance of the white Europeans towards the reality of the cruel truth of colonialism. People of Europe believed that Leopold’s mission in Africa was a noble act, but the reality of it is not explained towards the public. Marlow depicts the Intended like a celestial being with “This fair hair, this pale visage, this pure brow, seemed surrounded by an ashy halo”. She symbolized the idealistic views that Europeans had on colonialism as they are blind to the harm they have caused towards the Africans. Marlow chooses to lie to the Intendant about Kurtz’s last words to protect his reputation instead of creating the “justice” that Kurtz wanted. Like Kurtz’s reputation, the truth of the horrors and evil actions were not told to keep an idealized image from the public. Kurtz’s “justice” was his truth to reveal the true nature of the brutality caused in the Congo. Conrad uses the lie to the intendant to criticizes the evil actions of colonialism.

“In a very few hours I arrived in a city that always makes me think of a whited sepulchre. Prejudice no doubt. I had no difficulty in finding the Company's offices. It was the biggest thing in the town, and everybody I met was full of it. They were going to run an over-sea empire, and make no end of coin by trade.” The biblical allusion of the “white sepulchre” from the Book of Matthew is used to describe the Company. Like the sepulchre, the Company appears beautiful and ideal on the outside, but is full of horrors and deceit within. The horrors of the Company are depicted by the reckless acts of evil used to control the Africans and the ivory trade. The allusion to the “white sepulchre” could also describe Europe as a whole as the allusion of the white Europeans being ideal and civil, but inside their hearts arise a darkness that caused them to do evil. The only restraint from the acts of evil and loss of morality is the law and order of civilization.

December 15, 2012 5:43pm

Leopolds Ghost

To my surprise, the characters Marlow and Kurtz were created based upon real people. I found the effect of Europeans colonizing the Congo intriguing and slightly disturbing. I cannot imagine the cause of officers like Guillaume Van Kerekhoven to desire killing the heads of the natives. The propaganda created by King Leopold must have had greatly influenced the bulk of Europe into believing the mission of “colonizing” Africa was a noble cause because I find it hard to believe that brutal killings and slavery was seen as just actions and accepted by the public. These actions are evil as it provides no benefit towards Europe or Africa except for creating fear within the African natives. Creating fear invokes power. This power ultimately allows Europeans to conquer and colonize Africa.

Marlow’s journey in “Heart of Darkness” was dictated by the personal experience of Joseph Conrad. The novella reflects Conrad’s horrified feelings towards the memories of the brutality and greed in the hearts of white men. Conrad has witness the dead bodies, slavery, and torture during his apprenticeship trip from Stanley Pool to Stanley Falls. One theme of “Heart of Darkness” would be the darkness within the hearts of humans. Another theme revealed by “King Leopold’s Ghost” is the effects of imperialism. The journey along the Congo was “like travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world”. The novella was written with realism as the events that occurred were based upon real events without an idealized biased on events. This was effective in exposing the true dark happenings in the Congo.

The ivory in “Heart of Darkness” symbolized greed of the white men and was the root of evil as it fueled greed and was treated like a god by the natives and Europeans. “The word ivory rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it.” Kurtz can becomes a hollow character as his isolation from civilization lead him to lose his sanity. He was overwhelmed by his pursuit of ivory and power, praying towards materialistic things, lacking moral strength and courage and only during death does he realize this when he whimpers, “the horror, the horror”. Kurtz was after spiritual salvation.

Kurtz was a headhunter and an expert business man. He is multi talented as he is a poet, painter, and writer. We can see Kurtz’s loss of sanity because initially, on the report to the “International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs”, he wrote “exterminate all brutes!” He has forgotten his initial purpose of attempting to civilize the Africans. To the Africans, he was adored like a god, maybe due to fear of their own lives.

December 17,2012 8:15pm

The two knitters in the book were symbolic to the Three Fates in Greek mythology. These Fates named Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos decide a mans destiny. Clotho is involved in spinning the thread of life, Lachesis measures and determines the happenings during the life, and Atropos shears the thread of life at death. The black wool being knitting symbolize life and the darkness in the hearts of all humans. These knitters foreshadowed the dangers of the upcoming journey that Marlow is about to undergo as “Not many of those she [the old knitter]  looked at ever saw her again”, but the absence of the Atropos foreshadow the fact that Marlow is not close to death.

Conrad’s impressionistic style creates a deeper understanding of the novel by using symbols, allusions, and imagery. This allowed for a wide range of interpretations to be made about the book and reveals the themes.

Imperialism

• cruelty towards Africans
• leads to madness
• power and lack of order leads to insanity
• greed
• no moral boundaries
• mission to “civilize” Africans
• by “exterminat[ing] all brutes”
• reveals the evil nature
• Kurtz takes ivory by force
• enforces superiority through intimidation

Good vs Evil

• struggle to maintain morality
• Marlow witnesses acts of evil
• moral ambiguity
• the evil of Kurtz’s rule of the natives
• the evil of the Imperialistic Europe
• power leads to acts of cruelty
• causes the loss of sanity

Women

• symbolize their own societies
• eg. Intended symbolized European society
• eg. African mistress symbolized the African society
• naïve illusions
• public views with false understanding
• justify economic enterprise and colonialism
• objects that display a man’s success

Light

• London lights illuminated
• civilized
• believe to be enlightened
• ignorance towards evil
• knowledge

Darkness

• the view of white “good” and “dark” bad is challenged

• Europe
• civilized
• ignorance of cruelty
• colonialism
• “and this too, has been one of the dark places of the earth”
• greed of white men
• symbolized by ivory trade
• speaks of “enlightening” and “civilizing” Africans
• denying African culture
• Thames River
• known
• tranquil
• illuminated by city
• orderly
• symbolize society controlled by law and order
• Africa
• savages, primitive
• unknown
• acts of cruelty
• slavery, butchering, torture
• instead of enlightening, rules over Africans by intimidation
• white men forcing black men to work
• evil is revealed
• eg. gunboat firing randomly into the jungle
• acts of brutality
• Congo River
• mysterious
• rapid
• wild
• symbolize society of savages

December 18, 2012 9:13pm

The day has finally come in which I must prepare for the AP Composition for “Heart of Darkness” and feelings of doubt arise as it is quite difficult to piece together the scatter thoughts I have.

“Choose a novel or play in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape psychological or moral traits in a character. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how surroundings affect this character and illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole.”

MARLOW TRAVELS THROUGH THE CONGO AND WITNESS “THE HORROR, THE HORROR”.

Marlow has changed. In Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”, Marlow begins his tale with the words “and this also, has been one of the dark places of the earth”. Both Europe and Africa are dark places of the earth as the fear of the unknown and greed in the hearts of humans influence the actions that lead to the conception them both being places of evil. As Marlow journeys through the Congo, he witness acts of brutality and savagery that influenced his sanity. The fact that he was away from civilization and law provided an objective view of both the Congo and London that nearly drove Marlow mad.

London

• THE IDEA OF ORDER AND LAWS KEEP PEOPLE SANE

• initially described as bright, creates paradox “...lurid glare”, “this also...dark places of earth.”
• civilized
• enlightened
• ignorance toward the evil
• colonialism, darkness in the hearts of everyone

Congo

• THE IDEA THAT POWER AND WILD CAUSES INSANITY

• dark, unknown
• savages
• acts of evil
• brutality
• french warship
• disregard of the Africans
• wild
• ivory trade

Inner Station

• REALISATION OF INSANITY
• Marlow anxious to meet Kurtz as he was described as a remarkable man
• Kurtz
• lost sanity due to power and lack of laws
• keeps explaining he was on the brink of great things
• WAS a remarkable man
• He was overwhelmed by his pursuit of ivory and power, praying towards materialistic things, lacking moral strength and courage and only during death does he realize this when he whimpers, “the horror, the horror”.
• spiritual salvation
• DISSAPPOINT
• Gained a greater respect as Kurtz was able to sum up his belief
• “it had candour, it had conviction, it had a vibrating note of revolt in its whisper, it had the appalling face of a glimpsed truth”
  
  

December 20, 2012

Rivets. Rivets are what we need. The rivets hold the city together. The laws are simply rivets that contain the innermost thoughts of darkness. In the light we see a shadow; in the dark, we are the shadow.

I was walking home today from the shadows of the night sky. I look up to see tears falling down at a rapid rate. Mistah Kurtz. He dead. He died with conviction. The flashing lights of the police car caught my eye. A savage was being detained. In our hearts, full of greed, we wander onwards. Between the anticipation and the execution falls the shadow, but now I have been enlightened.