Maybe my fear of being eaten by sharks can be attributed to the fact that I was obsessed with Animal Planet or because I watch way to much shark week. Wherever this fear has originated from it is a deep and very real fear for me. Helplessness, vulnerability and the inabilaty to fight back something that is ultimately way more powerful than I am, is a daunting thought. Whenever I find myself swimming in a pool or lake I find the thought of having that giant behemoth lurking behind me, waiting to strike my helpless body.
It's not dying that is the real fear, its the struggle of getting to that point. Even if im in a ten foot deep pool that is crystal clear, full of people, my mind flushes all of thes blatantly obvious indicators out and puts me into the open ocean. The small bumps and nudges of those around me turn into inquiring taps from a man-eater, sampling his soon to be lunch. If ever my feet were to leave the tiled bottom of that pool floor, the ten feet soon turns to a bottomless pit of nothingness, a perfect hiding place for something like a shark. It sounds rediculous, even to me, but no matter how I try to reason with myself or tell myself how ludicrous I am it just makes it worse. The more i think about it, the more real it becomes.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Wikileaks Response
Up until recently I had never heard obout this site called Wikileaks. After discussing it in class, I discovered that it is an international online website on which, sources can anonymously post top secret information. This information can range from classified government military files to secret business strategies. To many this site is cause for controversy, should secret information be made public? Who should decide? Founder of Wikileaks, Jullian Assange, defends his website on a range of different points. In an interview with TED, Assange stated something to the effect that he believes the sites purpose is to reveal things that are considered immorral or wrong and should be brought to the publics knowledge. The info that is leaked on his site is not to cause trouble but to do good.
Some of the strengths to Wikileaks are many. The information revealed within the site, according to Assange, is to always produce a positive result and not a negative one. By having all this open documentation, the site is revealing the true nature of the government and business. Through such openess the public is able to hold institutions such as businesses and government more accountable.
I think there are a few flaws to Assange's defenses. For one he doesn't consider the source and therefore all the information cannot always be completely accurate. Second, what is published on Wikileaks can very easily sway the public's opinion, start a revolt or even a war. Although I haven't heard of any wars happening as a result of Wikileaks, the idea is not that far fetched. Lastly is it morally right to reveal something that was meant to be kept secret? The end doesn't always justify the mean in the case of Wikileaks.
I have a very hard time deciding whether or not I agree with Assange's beliefs. What if he decides to publish something that does more harm than good? I struggle deciding which is worse, having someone withhold information that may or may not protect me or having someone decide whether or not this information should be made available, whether it causes harm to individuals or not? I tend to stray towards the belief that if information is made secret, theres probably a good reason for it. In the instance of information such as a scandalous e-mail exchanged between a public official and some mistress, then this doesn't nessecarilly bring any damage to me but it may ruin the life of that official. Whether he deserves it or not i don't think it is our business to mess with other peoples lives or thier own business. In Assanges case however, this is precisly his business.
Some of the strengths to Wikileaks are many. The information revealed within the site, according to Assange, is to always produce a positive result and not a negative one. By having all this open documentation, the site is revealing the true nature of the government and business. Through such openess the public is able to hold institutions such as businesses and government more accountable.
I think there are a few flaws to Assange's defenses. For one he doesn't consider the source and therefore all the information cannot always be completely accurate. Second, what is published on Wikileaks can very easily sway the public's opinion, start a revolt or even a war. Although I haven't heard of any wars happening as a result of Wikileaks, the idea is not that far fetched. Lastly is it morally right to reveal something that was meant to be kept secret? The end doesn't always justify the mean in the case of Wikileaks.
I have a very hard time deciding whether or not I agree with Assange's beliefs. What if he decides to publish something that does more harm than good? I struggle deciding which is worse, having someone withhold information that may or may not protect me or having someone decide whether or not this information should be made available, whether it causes harm to individuals or not? I tend to stray towards the belief that if information is made secret, theres probably a good reason for it. In the instance of information such as a scandalous e-mail exchanged between a public official and some mistress, then this doesn't nessecarilly bring any damage to me but it may ruin the life of that official. Whether he deserves it or not i don't think it is our business to mess with other peoples lives or thier own business. In Assanges case however, this is precisly his business.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Is Google Making Us Stupid?
This article was written by Nicholas Carr of The Atlantic Online website in the summer of 2008. Within the article Carr discusses the effects the internet has had on our ability to process and retain information. Instead of having the stamina needed to read lengthy, in-depth pieces of literature, we are instead crippled by the quick flood of information provided to us by the internet, causing us to skim instead of read. He talks about the internet as both a blessing and a curse, it gives us unparalleled access to copious amounts of information with just the click of a button. On the other hand, such quantities of information presented to us on a single page may do more harm than good.
The pros of the internet are many. It allows us to have unparalleled acces to virtually an infinite amount of information. With a simple click of a mouse we can enter a site with terabytes of data, all leading to other sites with the same amount of knowledge. All this can be controlled and processed through mediums such as your phone, computer or other electronic devices. Essentially what the internet has done, is shrunk the world to such a small size that within a few seconds we can know what is happening across the globe.
This may seem all fine and dandy to the procrastinator, journalist, researcher or basically anyone, but if we step back we realize that this is not the case. Through the internet and its tools, it is slowly taking over our minds like a robot from the matrix. Frederich Nietzsche said once about a typewriter, "our writing equipment takes the place of our thoughts. It changes arguments to aphorisms, thoughts to puns and rhetoric to telegram style." This is still the case today with all our fancy, high powered computers and their capabilities. When we sit down to write a letter or paper, we just type the keys and the words appear for us.
In my opinion, the internet is by far the greatest invention of the modern era, if not of all time. It connects people world wide, transacts business, gives information to anyone about anything. With that said, the article seems to be telling us that all of this is good, in moderation. On the other hand this beast known as the internet is ever expanding and there is no stopping it. Although the internet has hampered the development of our overall intelligence it has most definitely advanced the effectiveness of technology. Hopefully that technology never becomes more powerful than us!
The pros of the internet are many. It allows us to have unparalleled acces to virtually an infinite amount of information. With a simple click of a mouse we can enter a site with terabytes of data, all leading to other sites with the same amount of knowledge. All this can be controlled and processed through mediums such as your phone, computer or other electronic devices. Essentially what the internet has done, is shrunk the world to such a small size that within a few seconds we can know what is happening across the globe.
This may seem all fine and dandy to the procrastinator, journalist, researcher or basically anyone, but if we step back we realize that this is not the case. Through the internet and its tools, it is slowly taking over our minds like a robot from the matrix. Frederich Nietzsche said once about a typewriter, "our writing equipment takes the place of our thoughts. It changes arguments to aphorisms, thoughts to puns and rhetoric to telegram style." This is still the case today with all our fancy, high powered computers and their capabilities. When we sit down to write a letter or paper, we just type the keys and the words appear for us.
In my opinion, the internet is by far the greatest invention of the modern era, if not of all time. It connects people world wide, transacts business, gives information to anyone about anything. With that said, the article seems to be telling us that all of this is good, in moderation. On the other hand this beast known as the internet is ever expanding and there is no stopping it. Although the internet has hampered the development of our overall intelligence it has most definitely advanced the effectiveness of technology. Hopefully that technology never becomes more powerful than us!
Monday, November 5, 2012
The New Yorker's 'Talk of the Town' - John Updike & Susan Sontag
In The Talk of the Town, the theme of the essays has to do with the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center that occurred on the fateful day of September 11th, 2001. Within The Talk of the Town, there are two separate essays, one written by John Updike and the other by Susan Sontag. Both essays are very well written and give excellent details about what was transpiring around the writers at the time. John and Susan do not share the same opinion on the matter of the attacks however, as is apparent in their writing.
In John Updike's essay, he discusses the sights and emotions that he was going through during this "horrendous event." He talks about how the whole thing seemed so unreal and how even those on the television portrayed the same feeling and that somehow this could all be reversed. This unfortunately was not the case however, and because of that we are forced to pick up the pieces of the awful event. All in all, I really enjoyed this particular essay. Updike uses a lot of really well written analogies that bring out the sites and feelings that he was going through at the time of the crash. One such example of this would be when he describes the second tower "burst into ballooning flame." At first it seems as though the author is deeply moved and saddened by this catastrophe, but towards the end he says something that changes this view, "We have only the mundane duties of survivors - to pick up the pieces, to bury the dead, to make precautions, to go on living." This angered me greatly when I read this. It seemed as though the author played this off as some insignificant event, part of our every day lives.
In Susan Sontag's essay, she expresses her feelings of anger and frustration towards the American government and its leaders. My first impression after reading her article was that she was extremely venomous and critical of the government. She made it sound as though, the people running our country were a bunch of inept psycho's who have no idea how to run a country. She blames leaders such as the President for what she implies as 'lying to the public' when he says that everything will be ok, when "It is not ok." I disagree with this statement, for the reason that as a President, it is his job to exude both confidence and optimism even when things are not. Thats not lying, thats good leadership in my opinion.
In John Updike's essay, he discusses the sights and emotions that he was going through during this "horrendous event." He talks about how the whole thing seemed so unreal and how even those on the television portrayed the same feeling and that somehow this could all be reversed. This unfortunately was not the case however, and because of that we are forced to pick up the pieces of the awful event. All in all, I really enjoyed this particular essay. Updike uses a lot of really well written analogies that bring out the sites and feelings that he was going through at the time of the crash. One such example of this would be when he describes the second tower "burst into ballooning flame." At first it seems as though the author is deeply moved and saddened by this catastrophe, but towards the end he says something that changes this view, "We have only the mundane duties of survivors - to pick up the pieces, to bury the dead, to make precautions, to go on living." This angered me greatly when I read this. It seemed as though the author played this off as some insignificant event, part of our every day lives.
In Susan Sontag's essay, she expresses her feelings of anger and frustration towards the American government and its leaders. My first impression after reading her article was that she was extremely venomous and critical of the government. She made it sound as though, the people running our country were a bunch of inept psycho's who have no idea how to run a country. She blames leaders such as the President for what she implies as 'lying to the public' when he says that everything will be ok, when "It is not ok." I disagree with this statement, for the reason that as a President, it is his job to exude both confidence and optimism even when things are not. Thats not lying, thats good leadership in my opinion.
Monday, July 30, 2012
About Me
My name is Eagen Keeley. I am going to be a senior this upcoming school year at McFarland High School. Some of the things that make me come to life are: football, rugby, skiing, eating delicious foods (Chinese food especially), playing call of duty with my amigos and doing anything outdoors. In short, give me a ball or send me outside and I'll be set for life. Being out in nature, whether it be climbing a mountain in Colorado or camping at Devil's Lake, helps me find peace in this fast-paced world.
Music is also one thing that I am very passionate for. Don't get me wrong however, in no way shape or form am I in anyway talented in the art of playing and performing, I simply love to listen to the beautiful melodies others, more talented than I, create. Discovering music that I would never hear on the radio or see in Best Buy's aisles is something I relish doing, like a treasure hunt almost. For the most part I tend to stick to the Rock and Rap genres, but as of late i have gotten more and more into the alternative scene as well. Some of my favorite artists would include Angels & Airwaves, Bon Iver, The Glitch Mob, Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco and Sun Kil Moon. Favorite movies of mine are Inception, any of the recent Batman movies, The Town, Braveheart, and Saving Private Ryan. As far as TV shows go, I am an avid fan of The Office, Workaholics, Surviving The Cut, Modern Family, Who's Line Is It Anyways and Band of Brothers.
Some of my favorite books that I have recently read are, Timeline by Michael Crichton, The Cobra Event by Richard Preston and The Perfection Point by John Brenkus. I am really looking forward to AP Comp this year. I haven't ever been the best writer or most dedicated reader, but I hope to gain the knowledge within this class that will help propel me to the next level.
Music is also one thing that I am very passionate for. Don't get me wrong however, in no way shape or form am I in anyway talented in the art of playing and performing, I simply love to listen to the beautiful melodies others, more talented than I, create. Discovering music that I would never hear on the radio or see in Best Buy's aisles is something I relish doing, like a treasure hunt almost. For the most part I tend to stick to the Rock and Rap genres, but as of late i have gotten more and more into the alternative scene as well. Some of my favorite artists would include Angels & Airwaves, Bon Iver, The Glitch Mob, Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco and Sun Kil Moon. Favorite movies of mine are Inception, any of the recent Batman movies, The Town, Braveheart, and Saving Private Ryan. As far as TV shows go, I am an avid fan of The Office, Workaholics, Surviving The Cut, Modern Family, Who's Line Is It Anyways and Band of Brothers.
Some of my favorite books that I have recently read are, Timeline by Michael Crichton, The Cobra Event by Richard Preston and The Perfection Point by John Brenkus. I am really looking forward to AP Comp this year. I haven't ever been the best writer or most dedicated reader, but I hope to gain the knowledge within this class that will help propel me to the next level.
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