A curious concoction of crazy logic

   Like most of us, I carry an interesting set of moral and ethical beliefs which stem from my education, experiences, and family life. Unlike the ethical philosopher quiz might suggest, I think that none of us fit entirely within the ideas of a single philosopher, but rather we take aspects from each to create our own unique set of beliefs.
   Albeit the quiz said I was 100% matched to Hume and Sartre, I also believe in the validity of statements from each philosopher in the quiz. From Aristotle's thoughts on action to receive virtue, to Rousseau's ideas about society, I can find grains of useful guidance within each. Each philosopher brings a new, enlightened point-of-view that  can be learned from.
   Although I do find bits and pieces of each that make up my philosophy on ethical and moral behavior, I do find myself generally associating with the ideas highlighted by the skeptics, empiricists, and relativists. These groups describe how our own morality and perceptions are influenced only by the environment and society around us. Once we have said perceptions, they are not necessarily true for society, but they are to us as individuals.
   By aligning myself with these groups and adding in a very Nietzsche-like Satanist attitude for selfishness, I complete my ethical code. With this code, I can make my moral decisions, usually focused on what will suit me best without making everyone else's lives considerably different or worse.

The Evolution of Creation

Through this process, I have studied the way that people look at the huge creation of how we came to be. I started by looking at creation stories from around the world. I looked at the similarities between these stories and the Genesis bible story. Throughout the stories there is a common aspect of the idea of a creator. After reading these stories I looked at the other way people look at how we came to be: science. Through science and evolution people can answer this question of how we came to be with evidence. However despite the evidence for evolution many people still believe in creation.

So while evolution explains how we came to be, it doesn't necessarily answer why. Why do humans exist on earth? Every time we turn around we see the effect of humans on the environment and the other animals. People can still turn to religion to explain why people exist on earth. The creator or God created them and placed them on earth to do his bidding. People can look to religion to answer these existential questions in human life.

The argument can be made that an in ability to accept evolution inhibits scientific and technological advancement. Nye argued this point throughout Undeniable. However that doesn't mean he is against religion. He states quite simply that he argues against the idea and teachings of creationism not against the Bible or the importance of religion. This is the line between science and religion as they work together or against each other to explain the world we live in.

Currently I'm almost done with Am I a Monkey? which has a chapter about the ability to accept religion and science. I'm narrowing my paper to the ability and importance of science and religion to answer the great questions of humanity. This meshing of these two ideas comes to conflict on the matter of creation. It is this conflict and the way people have learned to accept both that I am exploring in my paper.

A Dark Journey to the Light

I am still on track to write my research paper about the nature of humans as unveiled by the Black Metal subculture. Performing extensive research into this intriguing topic has led my curiosity on a wild journey. It began with the philosophic essays in the Helvete Journal. I began to contemplate my own life and existence through a different lens than I had previously. Having meaningful meditation sessions with myself allowed me to experience certain emotions and feelings that were entirely new to me. I don't know if I would say that I am newly enlightened, but I am comfortable saying that I understand some of the concepts which puzzled me prior to my research. These topics include suicide, self-harm, satanism, and crime. I then read Lords of Chaos which again led me on a wonderful journey of exploration through the culture. The book helped uncover where the concepts originally began and all of the history which sparked the revolution throughout the world. I have really enjoyed writing so far and my analysis of human nature should be very interesting when it is completed.

Embryonic Stem Cell Research

After reading books and researching articles on stem cell research, I decided to alter my topic a bit. I went from the ethics of stem cell research to a more specific topic, the religious controversy surrounding embryonic stem cell research. Throughout my paper, I will try to stay unbiased and show the perspective from both the scientific view and the religious view. The controversy of stem cell research relies on the essential question: is the embryo considered to be an individual? No one will ever truly know the answer to that question, but each side has strong evidence to back up their view. 

By reading my paper, I hope people will have enough evidence to be able to form their own opinion about the topic. As I said, I hope to stay unbiased so everyone can develop their own, true opinion. 

RP Blog Post 4: Humans and Nature

Since the beginning of this research project, the course of my paper has changed a great deal. Initially I wanted to focus my paper on how humans should or shouldn't act with or within the natural world, so I found that the topic of “Environmental Ethics” would be an appropriate topic to start with. As I read Walden by Henry David Thoreau for a second time for this paper, I interpreted it differently than the first time I read it. When I closed the book, I decided to change my topic into what it is now,  “Humanity’s Relationship with Nature”. 

Reading Walden and A Walk In The Woods gave me a new perspective on how I view nature and the human race. They can be compared as two separate entities, but humans are truly just a very evolved form of the primitive nature that they build buildings, farms, and whole cities in. Through even my early research, I saw how humans typically act in nature, and how they feel separated from it. Just in the last few thousand years ago humans have evolved from beings who were reliant on nature, to beings that have lost their primal instincts through becoming civilized. I have learned a lot from my research so far, and some of it has even changed how I think about myself and my personal relationship with nature.Unfortunately,  I have yet to make as many conclusions as personal revelations with nature. I am sure that in my paper I will not only show that humans have become distant from nature, but why and how as well. I look forward to putting everything together and being able to show my interests and findings in this topic.

The Transition from Traditional to Modern

When I started thinking about my research paper, I knew I really wanted to do something that was relevant to Judaism. After reading my books about Jewish prayer, I became really interested in the music part of prayer and how it currently compares to the traditional style of worship and the original tunes people used to sing. After I started reading, I began to wonder what other sources could help me out and am excited to ask a good friend of mine some questions about the music of Jewish prayer. This person could also help me find out other reliable resources also well. My research paper is going to need some historical information to back up my evidence that tunes are changing and I plan on talking about the different branches that have broken away from more traditional aspects of this religion. I am excited to rewrite my thesis and make it more specific to the actual point I am trying to prove. 

Indie Passion

My topic started as a general overview of indie culture, but it slowly started to take shape into something more detailed. Now, I'm researching indie culture's DIY philosophy and it's contribution to the music scene. My research consisted of interviews and narrative nonfiction literature that tell the story behind indie culture. Not only do they give insight to the philosophy of the culture, but they provide information about record labels that made it big when indie first surfaced. After reading all of this I decided to write my paper on the success of these labels. They embraced the DIY culture and worked their asses off (literally) to become something big. This kind of dedication to music, or anything someone loves in general, deserves to be written about. I'm so passionate about making music for the sake of making music, so It's so easy for me to write about this topic, and I cant wait to start the writing process. 

Beat Generation Philosophy

The two books that I have read so far have not been studies, non-fiction, or even articles on the Beat Movement; rather they have been poems and stories of lives, adventures, opinions, and inspiring, impressive situations. I have read Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg and On the Road: the Original Scroll by Jack Kerouac. In Howl,  I learned about the connection between the beat movement and religion- more specifically Hinduism and Buddhism- through beautiful poems about sunflowers and sunny days. I learned about daily activities, opinions on current events, reactions to the current culture, and wild adventures too controversial to put into this blog post. In On the Road I learned about the beat movements inspiration fueled by a thirst for adventure, sensory pleasure, extremes, and freedom. I learned about the delicate respect for nature that Jack Kerouac, as a front runner in the Beat Movement, has and his gentleness and lust and search for love and human connection. It is sort of a generalization but it is widely accepted that Jack Kerouac is the paragon of the movement. 

I have decided to alter my topic. I have a new point of interest. I find myself being drawn into the philosophers we have been studying about in our aesthetics unit. As I learn more, I am being to unravel similarities between philosophers such as Neitzche and Oscar Wilde to Beat Movement symbols such as Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassidy, and Jack himself. I have decided that I want to write a paper analyzing the similarities and therefore the differences between the two. I will have to start with finding out if there are actual philosophy books written by the patrons of the movement and if not, continue reading their published novels etc. 

I personally find philosophers such as Neitzche and Wilde very intriguing and exciting, which is not to say I totally buy in to all of their controversial ideas, but still... The more I read of work from the beat movement the more I feel compelled to relate the texts to these ancient but relavent aesthetic philosophers. Their ideas transcend the ages. 

Relgion and Psychology

When I first began my research I was looking into the topic of how religion effected psychological treatments of the mentally ill.  Since that topic was obviously far too broad I chose to focus on one religion, which I decided would be Christianity because of its large influence on American culture. From there, I began to read more on how the mentally ill were treated throughout history, and found that gender had a huge influence on treatment methods and patient care.  As I researched more into the causes behind that difference in treatment, I found that historically depression and anxiety have been more commonly attributed  to women, and found a connection between the perception of anxiety and "madness" in women, to how religious beliefs were perceived and implemented based on culture.  With that being said, I made my final decision to write my paper on how religion has influenced the treatment of anxiety and depression in women.

RP Post 4: Post Hardcore Music

My research has shown me the beginning roots of the music and the music that came before. I especially liked the band interviews because I haven't read those from the time period and they gave more insight into what the base of the music actually was.
My research has led me to see the influences in the modern day hardcore and post hardcore scene that brought it to the forefront as a counterculture. I am beginning to realize the emotional themes of music, and that is why it appealed to many people.
Some new questions I have are pertaining to the lasting impressions. As in how else has it caused music to change. Something I am interested in is looking into the mixes of music, as in pop punk and other genres that mixed with hardcore to create new music.
I hope readers realize the impact that this music had and has a subculture. That its originality changed a lot of the music today, and to come from understanding of what the unclean vocals and emotional lyrics meant.

A Wild Religion

I first started researching the commonalities between scientology, christianity, and pastafarianism.  This topic was a little to broad and I ended up slimming it down to just scientology, and then once again into the main beliefs of scientology.  Reading both a current book on scientology and a book that was the foundation of the religion helped me see how the roots flourished into the tree.  This also helped me see some of the turns Scientology has taken and how it has really differed from its original purpose of self-help and more into revenue.  Learning about the controversies that Scientology has been a part of has shown me how corrupt the organization really is.  I will keep looking for corruptness but also will continue investigating how they treat critics, which historically has been awful.  I have done enough research on the creation story but I hope to be able to portray the story in my paper accurately so readers can see the ridiculousness of  it.  I still have some research to do but the bulk of it has been completed.

Yoga as a Path to Self Realization

    I've learned a lot through my research on Hinduism. Not only have a grasped the overall idea of the beliefs of Hindus and expanded on my common knowledge of the religion, but I have also been able to dig deeper into Hindu practices and philosophies. I didn't really know what I was looking for when I was researching, I just wanted to learn about Hinduism and be able to research and have a better understanding of a foreign religion to the Western World. But as I was looking for a book to read for research, I found Patanjali's yoga aphorisms. I didn't know a lot about yoga, and so I've decided to bring my focus of research to Yoga practices, because it's a very interesting topic and an idea that it unique to Hinduism. I learned that not only is there the idea of yoga, but there are also many different types and stages of yoga. From the simple exercises that we know to help our minds and our bodies be healthy, to Patanjali's teachings that help Hindus climb the ladder of the Caste System and reach their own self realization and become one with the divine being. I find that there are different types of yoga to be very interesting, and they are all very unique and different from each other.
      I would really like to focus in even more on Patanjali's aphorisms and how they helped Hindus reach the ultimate goal. To further my research, I want to look Hindu philosophy and the concept of reaching realization, and connect it back to yoga. I still have a lot of research I need to do before I can write this research paper. But I also think I've come a long way since we've began this assignment.

Archetypes and Personality Traits

My topic over the past few months has evolved from humanistic psychology to psychoanalysis, to how dream analysis and using the archetypes and their meanings to draw on the rituals and myths seen in cultures. I expanded my search after I had sat down with Mrs. Chapman, asking for advice and guidance, and she suggested the idea of using these archetypes and leading them into the personality traits of a culture as an individual. This diverted my research away from the idea of psychoanalysis as a whole and more into dream analysis and the ideas of Carl Jung, as he is the major figure in the concept of archetypes today. I’m continuing my research further in reading books on personality as well as a more in-depth analysis of the archetypes universally known and the archetypes within given cultures. With the idea of using archetypes and symbols in my research of cultures and their development of personality traits, I'm curious to see even where this will take me, as ideas and paths taken to write are always changing. I’m thankful that I’m currently in psychology, as it has helped my research and the development of my topic and that I’ve able to use the resources I have learned and can apply them to the cultural aspects of myth and rituals that give a culture its personality. 

Shakespeare's Philosophy

         When I first began to explore the vast world of Shakespeare, I thought it would be easy to specify on a particular work of his and connect it to his life in regards to philosophy. I have found it much more difficult. I have tweaked my subject slightly to focusing on how Shakespeare's life experiences influenced Hamlet. This incorporates Shakespeare's ideas in reference to death, court politics, and mental illness just to name a few themes that are explored in Hamlet. He saw things in an interesting light and this light is definitely represented in all his works. Hamlet being my favorite piece of Shakespearean literature, I felt it would be much more interesting for me, anyway, to analyze. I found that Shakespeare's life and especially his childhood really instilled a sense of longing and love for the theatre and the teachings and plays he learned at school inspired some of his best works. Shakespeare's later life is what really encouraged the creation of Hamlet and the themes that are expressed in it. He experienced the death of his son, Hamnet, and his father in the same year, or around the same year, thus adding to the idea of a son grieving over a father or vice versa. Because of this experience, he was able to explore death and not just in a general sense, but deeper and more philosophical. What was happening around him during his lifetime inspired other themes as well. As one can tell by reading his work, Shakespeare had strong opinions and viewpoints of the social and political issues of his time. By incorporating them into plays, he was able to express them more strongly. With the second book that I read for his project, I found even more of a sense of how Shakespeare's life really impacted his work. This is why I am deciding to focus more on that than philosophy, as I have much more information and sources. 
         In my paper, I hope to clearly analyze the topics I mentioned at the beginning of this post, and how those relate to Shakespeare's life and the time period in which he lived. I also want to connect them to see how he incorporated those into Hamlet. How did Hamlet deal with the death of his father? Is death simple or more complex than we believe? Other questions I hope to address are questions such as "Is Denmark's court influenced by the Elizabethan court?", etc. By reading my paper, I hope that viewers/readers will see the connection of history (Shakespeare's experiences) and art, or in this case, Hamlet. 

Magician from Magus

Over the course of my research, my topic has gained more of a direction from its initial start as magic in western culture. I realize now, after in-depth exploration, that there are so many aspects of magic in the western world that can be focused on, and that even different time periods have a wealth of information on the topic. There seems to be a steady progression of intolerance as new cultures arose, beginning with Egyptian sorcerers who used magic, just like their gods, to Greeks, who feared magic as a people but held it in high esteem in their culture and myth, to Romans who met magic with rejection and disapproval. The advent of Christianity officially demonizes magic and Christians began hunting down magic users. Christianity's views on and actions against magic may very well be the final pairing down of my paper, because it itself is such an in-depth topic. The Bible has reference after reference to magic, including stories that present the almighty power of God over human magicians. These particular examples are not found only in the Bible, but throughout history. The thing that links these actions together is how the magicians in question are presented: they are presented as having little power or significance. However, these practitioners were often priests in their own cultures, worshipers of different gods. Therefore, dominant religions have been known to label lesser religions who place power in arcane symbols and rituals as magic: a power that can only bow to the might of religions like Christianity. The habit of using religion to justify persecution is not a new idea either, and actions like the Inquisition and the Salem Witch Trials. I plan to read two books on witchcraft, science, and occult to gain more information. I feel as though I could narrow down the topic a lot if I had more time to do so, but I think connecting magic to Christianity helps to narrow the time frame and subject matter enough so as to make it more manageable.

Expanding My Topic: Astronomers & Psychology

My topic hasn’t really changed much since I first started my research, but in a way it has broadened. I’ve found many more connections between isolated cultures than I originally anticipated. I was researching parallel myths from around the world that focus on the creation and background stories of celestial bodies, specifically the sun, moon, and constellations. I found many stories that are similar but each have a twist that relate to the the culture or geography of its creators. For example, many cultures say that the sun and moon are driven across the sky in a boat or chariot, but in Greece they were pulled by horses or pegasuses while in china they were pulled by dragons. I realized that in order to really discuss these connections, I couldn’t just look at the myths. I have to look at ancient astronomy and what each culture knew about the way the solar system works. I also need more information about why humanity was so enraptured by the sky. I need to look into the psychology behind why most religions worship towards the sky, and why many cultures believe that their god(s) live in the sky. This also connects to tall or high places being religious, and the general connection that humans have and still have between religion and height (as seen in church steeples). I am currently in astronomy, and although that class had nothing to do with my choosing this topic, it has proven to be very helpful for me to have a deeper understanding of the science behind the solar system. I am able to evaluate the ancient astronomers’ discoveries and the validity of how ancient myth and science connect.

Thesis: environmental philosophy

I have learned so much about the environment in the past semester. Between my environmental science class and our humanities class, I feel as though I have become extremely aware of the world around me. I really enjoy having a class that opens my eyes to so much. When it comes to humans place in nature, there is so much to say that I cannot even imagine where to begin. I want the focus of my paper to be on human's place within nature and how they have disrupted the balance of the ecosystem. I found it interesting how obvious it was that humans ruined the system of the ecosystem, and it made me think about how we ignore all of these things because we think they won't impact us. I am still searching books and websites to find new perspectives on the topic of environmental philosophy, but I am more than confident I will have plenty of material for my paper!

I want to look specifically at how humans morally place themselves above other organisms. I will be using some of our texts from class to study how humans moral standing of nature has changed over time.  I'm going to discuss the idea of intrinsically and instrumentally valuable things, and the moral club. I was introduced to both of these ideas in Mark Rowland's Animals Like Us. Though it was a bit off-topic, there was a specific section of this book that discussed the processes of which animals go through in food manufacturing settings. This description definitely left me with a new level of distaste towards the way humans treat animals. I'm really interested in learning further about humans place in nature and what will happen when we have all died off.

The Evolution of Environmentalism

Recently, I’ve had a chance to dive deeper into the evolution of the environmental community, and in the process, I’ve learned a lot that’s influenced not only my research paper, but also my own ideology.  In the past, I’ve been… vocal in my criticism of the environmental community, and if anything, this project has only continued to further solidify my notions of the environmental community.  

Throughout my research process, my primary focus was looking at the origins and evolution of the environmental community.  These origins are firmly rooted in the rise of Industrial America during the Industrial Revolutions.  This initial rise of environmental thinking sparked the rise of the Conservation and Preservation Movements during the late 1800s and 1900s.  Organizations such as the Sierra Club originated during this time, for example.  For several decades, this “First Generation” of environmentalism lead to the establishment of the National and State Park systems as well as efforts to preserve American forests.  In the years following the First World War up until the early 1960s, there was a period where the environmental movement was cast aside.  Post-war America was left disillusioned by the senseless loss the nation and world had experienced as a result of WW1.  Following the Second World War, there was a drive for near-limitless growth with little regard for the environment.   This growth can be compared to the early years of the Industrial Revolution in that environmental factors were often disregarded in order to allow for cheap development.   It was with the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring that the environmental movement officially originated.  The release of the book sparked a new generation of environmental thinking with some famous philosophers being Paul Ehrlich, Bill McKibben and Amory Lovins.   Additionally, climate change has become the central issue that the environmental movement has come to revolve around. 

My paper will look at the similarities in the philosophy between the first and second generations of environmentalism.  At this point, I’ve looked at the underlying philosophies that drove each of the generations.  I’m now in a position where I can easily compare and contrast the similarities between these two underlying philosophies.  While I’m not necessarily in a position to gauge the success of each generation, based off of what I know, I would say the first generation of environmentalism was significantly more successful than the second.   Today, the legacy of the first generation is deeply evident throughout our nation.  However, I would question the extent of the success that the second generation has had.  This is one of the areas where I could examine further.  However, it is unlikely that I will adapt my paper much at this point if I choose to further explore this direction. 

One of the major themes that I would like to capture in my paper is that the environmental community throughout its history has deeply romanticized man’s relationship with nature.   This notion of man’s relationship with nature has driven many of the solutions that the movement has advocated for.  For example, solar and wind are often thought of being harmonious energy sources compared to natural gas or nuclear.  Wind and solar, after all, are carbon-free sources of energy and don’t release pollutants into the atmosphere (One a side note, this ideology has turned me off from much of what the environmental community advocates for). 

The Influence of the Vietnam War on American Music Culture

I began my topic quite broadly, simply looking into the history of rock music in the US. I quickly located my first book, Shots From the Hip, and began reading about the most intriguing encounters of rock artists in the 60s and 70s. I became especially interested when my research led me to the controversy over the Vietnam War. As I delved deeper, I found that the War was a major turning point in the musical culture of that era, and that the influence can still be felt even today. I found my second work of literature, Battle Notes: Music of the Vietnam War, as I searched for more material covering music that was specific to 'Nam. This book describes the influence of the general populations' opinions surrounding the war on the musical artists of the era, and vice versa. As I have read further into it, I have discovered just how much impact the events of the Vietnam War really had on American culture. This being said, the focus of my paper moving forward will be the impact of the Vietnam War on music culture in the US. The opinions of American citizens in regards to 'Nam were very split, and as a result, so were those of the artists in the music industry. This controversy makes for a fascinating topic, and hopefully an intriguing paper too.

EC: LGBTQ reflections

Last week on the morning of the LGBTQ assembly I was less than excited. In fact I was quite grumpy at the thought of sitting through a block long seemingly pointless presentation. First block I was discussing the upcoming presentation with a friend. We had both been a part of the test run version last year and were not looking forward to seeing it again. I felt that it was repetitive and that they couldn't possibly say anything I didn't already know. She felt that putting these kids up on a stage would separate them more and cause people to more discriminatory towards them. So needless to say I didn't have the best attitude going in, I was not being a great role model or even a decent person.

Last year as a member of Student Council, I was part of the test run version of this presentation. Truth be told, that presentation was better. However it was not the type of presentation that could be brought to the whole school so they had to evaluate and edit it. In that version, it was a much smaller group, held in the LGIA, without microphones, with more audience participation, and seemingly longer (I don't actually remember how long it was but I think it was two blocks). We sat in groups, brainstormed, and discussed the issues we saw in our school. Everything from gender stereotypes to pronouns to slurs to personal experiences was shared. We also watched the very same video. It was enlightening but that didn't mean I wanted to watch it all over again.

This time around we were seated in the Auditorium something I found disappointing as it divided the speakers from the audience in a way that we didn't encounter in the LGIA. One of the first activities we participated in was a stand-up sit-down exercise. During this exercise one of the questions was to stand up if you have a friend or family member who is LGBTQ and I didn't stand. I sat there untill my best friend yells at me "Lil! what are you doing? stand up!". I looked at her surprised and asked who. She answered and of course I stood up. She was correct the boy she mentioned was both gay and one of my close friends meaning I absolutely knew someone. Later telling this story I could list off way more names including members of the panel, but in the moment I couldn't think of anyone. It just doesn't matter to me. I don't define people by their sexuality. When I think of someone the first things that come to mind are how I know them, their age, often their birthday, and frequently their favorite color. Those are the things that define people to me. So when asked to define someone by their sexuality I failed. I didn't share this story to prove why I didn't need this assembly or how good of a person I am but to prove a point about the way your sexuality isn't the only significant piece of information about you.

Naturally, despite feeling I already know everything there is to know and that I didn't need this assembly, I heard words I didn't understand. I had heard of asexual before but never of panromanitc. Finding once again that there are infinitely many ways to define your sexuality and your gender identity.

Probably the most interesting part of the assembly was listening to my brother talk about it. My brother is a freshmen and went to the 4th block presentation. He had a similar experience to mine in forgetting that not everyone is as accepting as we can hope. My brother came home livid at one of his classmates shocked by her comments on the way back to class. She mentioned the fact that she didn't believe in it being a choice. My brother began to argue with her and she said, "it's not a choice. Love is not a choice". Which further proves the point that you can not choose who you love. Unfortunately my brother got frustrated and school ended before he could change her mind. However this just proves the importance of these presentations in order to change culture of our school.

In the end I was impressed with the presentation and especially with the courage of the panel members but it wasn't till afterwards till I realized the true importance of this assembly. In the halls walking back to class some of the comments were heartwarming, but others were appalling. It was as if people had not learned anything in the entire presentation. The slurs and comments reminded me once again why were are continuing to work for change and also the importance of the role models to set a standard for the school and how they should act. In the video the football team rallied behind him and supported him. That is what it takes to change the environment in a school. Especially as upper classmen, we set a standard for the freshmen to follow. Hopefully ours is one we can be proud of.

Undeniable

The second book I read is Undeniable by Bill Nye. This book is about "evolution and the science of creation". The focus of this book is to argue the case for evolution and its importance. After arguing with a popular creationist minister, Bill Nye wrote this book further proving the case for evolution. The book is filled with examples, details, and most importantly evidence proving evolution. Further the book proves the importance of teaching evolution. The concepts of evolution are central to the understanding of science.

One of the first things that Nye writes is that he is arguing against creationism and the idea that the earth is young (about 6,000 years apposed to 4.5 billion). He is not arguing against religion, just against the teachings. I find this to be significant in that Nye does not say you can not be religious or that the Bible should be discarded. He is simply trying to divide religion and evidence in the scientific world.

This book was fascinating in the points Nye makes about accepting evolution. For him it is detrimental to the scientific advancement of today's world to continue to teach creationism. He has found the divide between science and religion in education, one that is argued across the country today.

The argument for evolution and against the teaching of creationism is put forth in this book. Nye firmly believes that there is no room in the scientific world for this religious concept. In fact he finds it is putting our youth at a disadvantage. In my paper I plan to look at the history of creation myths and stories including those in Genesis and then the way in which these teachings clash with the theory of evolution. Further, I plan to look at how religion and science can compromise and peacefully coexist.

I know that we don't have to read any more books but I picked up On Being: A Scientist's Exploration of the Great Questions of Existence and Am I a Monkey? Six Big Questions About Evolution. Both books include sections about the conflict between creationism and evolution and the ability to accept science and religion. In addition to these books I also ordered In Six Days: Why Fifty Scientists Choose to Believe in Creation. 

EC: LGBTQ

The presentation led me to recognize multiple conundrums concerning the issue of non-heterosexuality. The address of the matter itself seems, to me, in our school, to be paradoxical in nature. The entire premise of the presentation, and indeed any and all groups supporting any other orientation than "straight" is to reinforce opinions that those other orientations are, in fact, normal. As far as I am concerned, I think the presentation did a wonderful job of bringing to light the fact that yes, people other than heterosexuals walk the streets of Keene, New Hampshire, and that those people do not have anything wrong with them, that they can even be outstanding citizens.

However, the issue is just as much centered around "outstanding citizens", if the term is taken literally. The people whom so many are trying to identify as normal are being separated from heterosexuals socially through presentations like this previous one. The captain of the football team seen in the film that was displayed did seem to have it all, and what seemed to surround the fact that when he came out, he was not put on display immediately and used as an example: "this is a homosexual. He is an outstanding individual, and all people like him are to be respected and accepted without question"...that part came later. However, when he first came out, he was essentially given the reaction of "so what". He wasn't different, he wasn't outside the norm and someone to be idolized or rejected; he was himself, and no more or less.

That kind of reaction is, what I consider to be, crucial to incorporating tolerance of sexual orientation other than heterosexual into our society. However the paradox lies in this fact: that the issue cannot be fixed if it is not addressed head on, yet addressing the normality of the individuals is doing just as much harm as good. Therefore, the most logical solution would be to respond to transgressions rapidly and forcefully. There is a no tolerance policy for so much in the school, yet language and actions concerning "alien" orientations is not dealt with any better than a minor curse let slip. Detention in school, fines or sentences outside of school: any kind of discrimination should not be tolerated if the issue is to be solved.

People who are just like everyone else do not need to be singled out from everyone else, and if any individuals are singled out, is not the purpose of the event defeated? Again, I entirely support the motivations and reasons driving the groups and actions taken in defense of this matter; I do, however, consider the matter to be far more complicated and require far more planning to solve than it seems is being considered. I ask the question: why are there groups for supporting people of other sexual orientation that seem similar in purpose as groups for recovering addicts? Why are these people who are the same treated as being different by their defenders? Why are the symptoms of the issue being addressed and not the root? Finally, why are we still struggling with the same issues of discrimination against "unlike" individuals and groups when on paper, during the development of this country, it was stated that "all men are created equal"?

Thoughts on LGBTQ Assembly

When I first heard about the LGBTQ presentation, I was very excited.  I was fortunate to have been part of the small "test" group last year that was initially introduced to the presentation, and it very much opened my eyes to the difficulties that students of sexualities other than straight face at KHS.  

This year, I was struck mostly by the theme of courage.  As a society, education equips us to make a change, but without courage that change will never happen.  When Corey Johnson was able to overcome his fears and come out to his teammates, it changed the whole culture of both his school and his community.  Our classmates who were brave enough to be a part of the panel amazed me.  Sexuality is a topic that everyone has an opinion on, and for those people to be willing to stand in front of a huge crowd of their peers and open themselves up to criticism in order to change the culture of the school, shows incredible strength and conviction. 

To change a culture, we as a society need people like the students who spoke at the assembly, and we also need people to be willing to shut down abusive and derogatory comments about those who aren't straight.  Even more than just accepting differences in sexuality, I think it is important that as a school we develop into the kind of group that supports each one of its members without any hesitation, regardless of whatever differences might exist person to person.  Every living organism has a value and a purpose, and no human being should ever discount another because of sexuality.  The courage that our classmates showed in standing up and talking about such a important part of who they are should be met by all of us with an equal amount of conviction in supporting them, and creating a safe environment. 

LGBTQ

At first, I was definitely apprehensive as to what this assembly was going to be about. I thought it was not going to be relatable, interesting, and that it was going to provide the ignants of our school with more fuel of which to harass people of different sexual preferences. To my relief, I would say that it could not have gone better. It was inspiring to see everyone stand up to support these people and the choices they decide to make. The video that was shown was also perfectly appropriate and obliterated stereotypes of gay male weakness and preferences. Seeing his teammates rally around him was awesome and I am sure that many people that formerly would not even consider coming to the defense of a kid with a different sexual preference were emboldened by this act. The most moving part was definitely having kids from our school share their own personal stories. I could not imagine the courage it must have taken them to stand up and speak in front of a crowd of that magnitude, especially one laden with people you will have to see everyday for the next couple of years.

The one thing that I hope people were able to take from this, if they were only capable of changing so little, is empathy. I cannot fathom why people think it is their right, or even their business, to try to control what other people do. They cannot possibly know how these people feel. They cannot possibly understand how much pressure, stress, and hate that people affiliated with LGBTQ must deal with from day to day. People that are gay, lesbian, bi, or whatever obviously feel very strongly about their sexuality otherwise they would not go through such great lengths to express it. It is basic to the rights of human nature to be able to express yourself, why should anyone be able to take that away from you? I am not trying to force people to understand or accept this, simply to let people be who they want to be. If you were gay or lesbian or bi or trans or questioning, wouldn't you want to be able to tell people? your parents? your friends? It is no one's right to prevent someone from expressing who they are. What does it matter anyways?

On a more personal note, and in all honesty, the presentation has made me realize, or rather forced me to reckon with, the injustice that I have been doing on my own. Too often have I misused words and joked about sexuality without regard to whom I may be affecting. For this, I truly feel awful. It just goes to show that one should always be considerate of the feelings of others, even if they are just joking around.

RP Book 2: Post Hardcore: Influence on Modern Music

The second book I read is POST: A Look at the Influence of Post-Hardcore by Eric Grubbs. In this book the author goes into the influences post hardcore has on modern music. It has chapters of Dischord Records, Jawbox, Sunny Day Real Estate, Jawbreaker, Braid, The Promise Ring, Hot Water Music, The Get Up Kids, At the Drive-In, and Jimmy Eat World. Each of these either musical groups or record labels started and spread post hardcore ideals and musical influence.
I think this book will be very helpful because it has copious amounts of information about the beginning of post hardcore. Unlike other books or resources I've used, it has information about the record labels signing the bands also. Unlike my last book it has a lot of information showing the influence of the musical change in post hardcore. The one thing this book doesn't have is the interviews like the last book I read, but because of that it will be more useful in research.

A Guide to Jewish Prayer

    For my second book, I decided to read A Guide to Jewish Prayer by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. This book is everything someone needs to know about the principles and rituals of Jewish prayer. I decided to read this book because there is a chapter that specifically talks about the music of prayer. This part was the main reason why I choose the book. I really liked that section because it explained that the original melodies of Jewish songs are unknown or have been changed because of many reasons. Steinsaltz also talked about the different subgroups of Jews which depends on where the Jewish descendants are originally from. Each subgroup has its own culture, traditions, and tunes of music. Steinsaltz also talked about how some temples around the world have similar/recognizable tunes which could contribute to the original tunes of many prayers. 

RP Book 2: A Walk in the Woods

A Walk In The Woods is the second book I chose for my research project which focuses more on the human experience in nature in the modern world. Bill Bryson, the author of the book, and his old friend Stephen Katz embark upon a long journey together to conquer the Appalachian Trail beginning from the southern-most point of it in Georgia. This book shows Bryson’s and Katz’s struggle right from the beginning and all of the problems they face together and alone. The problems of equipment management, overburdening themselves with food and supplies, and worst of all, each other. In the end the trail proves itself to be too difficult for the two men, but this does not come with surprise since fewer than 25% of “thru-hike” attempts fail.
I personally found this book inspiring despite it’s unfortunate end. Bryson’s writing style was nothing particularly special to me, but it accurately portrayed human interaction with nature in modern times. A Walk In The Woods proved itself to be quite different from Walden mainly in it’s setting. Thoreau’s journey took place over 150 years before Bryson’s. Bryson’s modern-day journaling included his struggles with his companion, problems and concerns with wild animals, the epic struggle of being on the move, and his own personal doubts and thoughts. I am an avid hiker, and have done sections of the Appalachian Trail myself, and I can relate to all of Bryson’s thoughts. Most importantly, this book demonstrates to it’s readers what human interactions with nature are really like in the present day. I will use this book and Walden to compare what has changed between humans and the natural world around them in the last 150 years.

RP Book 1: Walden

Walden; Or, Life In The Woods was the first book I chose to read to further my knowledge on my research topic of Environmental Literature. Henry David Thoreau, the author of this book, was a man who viewed nature as his religion. In his words, he wished to “live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and… learn what it had to teach.” He did this by building a small cabin for himself in 1845 on the shores of Walden Pond, outside of Concord, Massachusetts. He lived there for two years, farmed much of his food, observed nature, wrote in his journal about his observations, and fulfilled his own personal definition of being human.

Since the year of it’s original publication in 1854, Walden has offered its readers insight and sparked curiosity about the concepts of human existence, society, government, and human placement in nature. Thoreau did these things by writing in a way that surpassed the complexity and depth of what some people had ever considered in their thoughts before. I found that this book put my thoughts of nature into words that I myself couldn't have phrased better. It offered me insight to look at not just the obvious things in nature, but to admire everything, even as small as an ant hill. Thoreau revolutionized literature that involved nature, and influenced his readers to consider and observe much more of their surroundings, and after reading Walden, I can express my feelings and observations of nature with more eloquence and meaning.

The Truth About Art and Beauty

As we discussed the significance of art, beauty, and truth in class, it made me think about what these three words really mean to me and how they connect in our everyday lives.  Art is the expression or application of human skill or creativity and it's main purpose is to be sensed with emotional power. Beauty is a combination of qualities that pleases the aesthetic senses and is typically viewed differently by different people. Truth is the real or actuality of facts of a certain situation. As I tried to find a relationship between each meaning of these words, I found that they all have a lot to do with human emotion or expression and human experience.

 

Art is the topic where you can find both beauty and truth within it sometimes. This does not mean that you can always find beauty in art or that you can always find truth in art, but in many situations you are able to find those deeper meanings within a piece of artwork.  When people are presented art, many want to jump to the conclusion that it has some sort of representation of an idea or an event or another person.  If a person finds a positive feeling from that connection to the piece of art, one might be sensing beauty in it. If someone is presented that same piece and feels some kind of realness or raw true feeling, that person may be sensing truth in it. 

Beauty and truth are unique because you can find beauty within truth and you can find truth within beauty. Although that's occasionally the case, you can also hide truth with beauty and you can hide beauty with truth. Sometimes truth is beautiful, and other times, it's the complete opposite. Defining and connecting both beauty and truth vary depending on the perspective and situation of something. The three words art, beauty and truth are all subjective and can be interpreted in multiple ways. This results in a variety of opinions about how one finds a connection between each word.

On the Road: The Original Scroll by Jack Kerouac

Considered as the Bible of the Beat Generation, On the Road was one of the most popular books during the late 1950's. One of the most amazing things about it was its ability to transcend demographics and appeal to more than just the "beats" and the non-conformists. The beats view this book as more than just an inspirational text, but rather, an informative and inspirational document containing ideals and the journeys come forth from those ideals while being both educational and entertaining. When it was first published, it was considered slanderous and profane, but if The Picture of Dorian Gray and the interpretations of Oscar Wilde have taught us anything, there is no such thing as an immoral book, and this book is most assuredly well-written.

On the Road was written in the mid-1950's by Jack Kerouac. When it was published, it immediately became a hit. In an age of conformity and white picket fences, people could hardly believe the stories transcribed by Kerouac in his catalogue of the cross-country travels he made during the early 1950's. Kerouac launched him sled across the country, traveling as a hitchhiker from New York City to Denver to San Francisco and back, compelling himself to experience everything possible from women to drugs to freedom to nature. Kerouac strived to be educated in the realm of experience and sought to achieve this goal by any means necessary. 

On the Road is the first and most definitive novel to be product of the Beat Movement. It contains not only the breadth of their lifestyle but the depth of their ideals. Kerouac uses his infamous trip to bring to light the motivations and inclinations of the Beat Movement and it's counterparts. The cross-country search for freedom is the epitome of what the Beat Movement stands for, and it is so eloquently captured by Jack Kerouac in his novel. This book is the perfect book for deciphering the mystery of the Beats. 

Side note- the benefit of having the original first draft is that all the names are accurate ( they were formerly removed because of the nature of the deeds attached to them) and the text is unadulterated and in its truest form. 

Henrietta Lacks

I'm currently in the process of finishing The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, a non-fiction book about a woman named Henrietta Lacks who's cancerous tissue is taken without consent and used for stem cell research. Henrietta's cells are some of the first cells taken from a human to actually survive.  These cells have flourished and reproduced.  They have been key in the development of stem cell research and have been used by scientists all over the world.  Even though her cells have helped make some of the most crucial medical developments in modern history, there is still controversy surrounding the situation.  This book outlines the story from the side of Henrietta's family, and elaborates on the ethics surrounding stem cell research.

I will be using the facts and information presented in this book and my first book to help focus my paper on the ethics surrounding stem cell research.  In the near future, I will try to narrow the focus of my paper down to the religious controversy of stem cell research.  I also want to specifically focus on embryonic stem cell research, as there is a lot of religious debate on the topic.

Wealth of Nations

For my second book, I chose to read An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith. In the book, Smith berates the idea of governmental interventions in an economy, instead promoting the idea of laissez-faire economics. Smith writes about how tariffs and other regulations prevent economies from functioning to their full capacity, and argues that economies instead regulate themselves due to market forces. While the book promoted similar classical liberal restraint upon governmental action, Mill argues that government intervention is sometimes required, a direct contradiction of Smith. In many ways, however, the philosophies espoused in each book are similar, leading me to the conclusion that read a book with a new, less libertarian ideology. 

Demystifying Patanjali

         For my second book, I choose to read Demystifying Patanjali, The Yoga Sutras (Aphorisms), which is the wisdom of Paramhansa Yogananda and is presented by his direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda. Through reading this book, I have managed to develop a deeper understanding on the ancient spiritual Hindu practice of Yoga. It presents the ancient teachings of Patanjali, and brings them into the modern world, for anyone to learn and understand the yoga sutras.

        The first thing that I learned is that what we think yoga is in our society, is not at all what yoga is. Yoga is not merely the practicing of poses for physical and mental benefits, but it is one of three ancient Hindu philosophical teachings that developed hundreds of years ago in India. There are three basic philosophical systems of ancient India: shankhya, offering the whys of spiritual search, yoga the hows and vedanta the what. Yes, yoga was also a physical practice, but in the eyes of Patanjali, it was also a philosophy. Because the teachings of Patanjali are ancient (about 2,200 years old), no one knows quite who Patanjali is, or if it is even a single person, but, perhaps, a group of ancient Hindu scholars.

       I have always known that Hinduism and Buddhism have always placed an importance on the self, but through reading this, I was able to see how their philosophy allows them to place a higher importance on the self, with the ultimate goal reaching and connecting with our inner selves. Through the yoga teachings of Patanjali, Hindus are able to guide themselves toward that goal of self-realization, to seek truth, and a union with the divine.

The Dream Sourcebook

For my second book, I chose The Dream Sourcebook by Phyllis Koch-Sheras, Ph.D. and Amy Lemley. As I continue my research into the realm of dreams, archetypes, and interpretations that lead into ritual, I found this book very helpful. As I read along, it clarified and differentiated different psychologists’ and their views, along with their own interpretations of dreams. The book also went into describing different religions - including Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam - and their views on dreams and how they are read (if at all), as well as different cultural descriptions and beliefs in what dreams are. One of the Indian tribes it mentioned was the Australian Aborigines and their ideas into what dreams are and their whole idea of Dreamtime - the place where the creators resign.

Along with mentioning different Indian tribes, religious views, and ancient cultures, the book went into detail about the history of dreams and how the concept spans across time - since humans roamed the earth, essentially. For example, the book labels the ancient Mesopotamians and how they believed dreams were messages from the gods and how these “messages” were written down and documented in dream journals. What makes the mesopotamians so unique is that they not only recounted the dream, but also noted background information about the dreamer, where and when the dreamer dreamed the dream, how the dreamer felt about the dream, and what his or her interpretation of it was. Dreams are not meant to be interpreted by just professionals or spiritualists, the most important interpretation if by the dreamer, him- or herself (as noted by Mohammad).

By reading through this book, I have a greater understanding of where I want to go with my topic. I want to begin by exploring the furthered ideas of Carl Jung’s archetypal symbols and their meanings, and how they eventually - conscious or unconsciously - play into rituals practiced by the different cultures around the world. I want to explore the philosophies of the different peoples around the world and their view on dreams and how they practice rituals and by doing so, I want to see if I can notice the archetypes of Carl Jung and his ideas of symbols are cultural universals. I also want to see how they play roles into the personalities of specific cultures and individuals, along with the practices and beliefs of society as a whole.

Odd Girl Out: Rachel Simmons

Odd Girl Out is a book by Rachel Simmons that discusses the culture of aggression in females, and how our society deals with this aggression.  Since girls have been trained to be polite and quiet, they have learned how o hide their aggression and use more subtle and manipulative tactics to express their anger.  Through history, people's understand of religion (in this case Christianity, since that is the religion I am choosing to focus on for my research paper) impacts the perception of women and how they should behave.  Too often, people misinterpret religion to oppress groups of people.  In early psychology, women who had mental health disorders were often labeled as "demonically possessed" or "witches."  And a large portion of those occupying mental institutions were female.  However, as people's understanding of religion grew, so did their understanding of mental illness in women.

Odd Girl Out helped me to narrow the focus of my paper from general history of psychology, to a history of the mental health care of women.  Reading this book has helped me to see how big an impact our culture has on young girls.  The things they are taught they should be, and the ways they are taught to behave are a direct result of our cultural norms.  Those norms are very much affected by religion.  As our society has gone through times of both spiritual enlightenment and freedom, to periods of confusion and oppression, the treatment of mental illness in women especially has also undergone those same periods of enlightenment and confusion along side religion.  From here, I plan to find information about the growth of Christianity in America, and the ebbs and flows of understanding in the people who practice the religion.

Environmental Philosophy

Having read the books Animals Like Us and Ishmael, my opinion on the relationship between humans and nature has drastically changed. So many things have been brought to my attention that I would have previously never even imagined. This book, Ishmael, opened up my eyes to so many new perspectives. In case it is unknown, Ishmael is the name of a gorilla who, throughout the book, opens the eyes of the narrator through the process of telepathy. Ishmael explains how humans are divided into two groups: Leavers and Takers. Ishmael explains to the narrator how various cultures have shaped over the years, and how the relationship between man and nature has changed.

I am very excited to begin this paper. I feel as though my perspective on human life has been drastically altered by these two books in numerous ways. I have no specific direction for my paper yet, however, I am hoping to begin a general outline so that I may get a better idea of where I want to go. I am also reviewing other blog posts I'm hopes to get inspiration. Right now I think that I'm too fascinated by all of these new ideas and I have to keep reminding myself to focus on the essay! Though I know that I'll be able to work out a good outline soon enough.

Lords of Chaos: The Rise of Satanic Black Metal

   Let me start by saying this: This is the book I should have read before trying to analyze the compilation of intellectual essays that I read last time. This book not only chronicles the early history and origins of Black Metal bands, but also the theory and influential events of the era. Lords of Chaos by Michael Moynihan and Didrik Soderlind chronicles the intense development of Black Metal from the 1970s and through its heyday.
   The earliest directly related ancestors were the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. Both bands had a rebellious attitude and used Satanic lyrics in their music. They were reason that Satanism took root in most rock music until today. Jimmy Page primarily introduced it as he was an avid learner of the concepts engrained in the religion. Bands ever since have tried to emulate their massive success by employing the rebellious nature and satanic views which propelled the Stones and Zeppelin to the top.
   Possibly the most notorious band to utilize Satanism under the Metal genre was Venom. Founded in 1979 in England, this hard-driving group stepped-up the tones which were introduced to form what most consider Death Metal. Venom is often credited with being the origin of Black Metal even though they themselves didn't identify directly with that genre. Following Venom's huge European success, the international domination of Death Metal occurred.
   Slayer took many of the same sounds and ideas and spread them to the United States with great success. They also spawned a spin-off genre called Thrash Metal which contained such bands as Metallica and Megadeth. This sub-genre of metal is the most prominent to the mainstream listening audience. A small group of bands mimicked the sound of Slayer and Venom in the Norwegian countries. This is where Black Metal could spread like a wildfire through the societies which nurtured their adoption.
   Around the beginning of the 1990s, several important pieces to the puzzle were being laid out in order to ensure the eventual adoption of Black Metal throughout the population. Things like Slayer magazine and increased government censorship of violence in the media was causing a buildup of emotions in Norway. Bands built small fan-bases from the youth and preached Satanism as well as suicide, self-harm, and crime. All of the emotion was released when Black Metal swelled up to fill the void. Churches were burnt, people were murdered, and the cult following transformed into a massive congregation of dedicated disciples to the genre's many bands.

Staying Small in The Midst of Something Big

Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records by John Cook, Mac McCaughan, and Laura Ballance tells the story of Merge Records, a small indie rock record label founded in Chapel Hill, NC in 1989. Starting out in a small apartment, Mac and Laura, the cofounders of Merge, wanted to start a label that would help artists create the music that they wanted to create. Embracing the DIY lifestyle, the members of Chuck (just one of Mac's bands) turned to themselves to release their first 7 inch singles, signing with Matador Records so they could finance the project. Eventually, Chuck became Superchunk, and they released a new single making a huge profit, showing that they didn't need to sign with a big, fancy label to make it in the music industry. From financing their own tours, to individually screen printing and folding the sleeves for their records,  Mac and Laura were all about doing things for themselves, even if it meant sleeping in a van or not knowing what they would eat for their next meal. Mac and Laura's experience with recording records and successfully promoting them (at an incredibly low cost) lead them to start Merge. They firmly believe that it was their job "to put our records that [they] like. [They're] going to do it in an honest, transparent way."

Mac and Laura's story has inspired me to write about the philosophy of indie culture and it's influence on the music industry and the music independent artists create. The philosophy of indie culture is the reason for everything the culture has to offer, so it only makes sense to research it's impact on not just the music, but the people that live by the "indie code" day in and day out.

Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion

Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion, written by Arthur C. Lehmann and James E. Myers,  is an in depth study on the rituals and supernatural occurrences in which humans have engaged, and one that is made on the basis of anthropology. It connects certain occurrences between religions and cultures world wide: such occurrences may include healing through faith and relying on the divine to solve problems. Other phenomenon include the opposite, being rituals created by man to tap into mystical forces to provide solutions to the same problems. The book manages to describe how puzzlingly similar these processes are, involving certain chants or words used to invoke a higher power, and special substances or objects imbued with power. Thaumaturgy is a theme addressed several times throughout the book from both sides of the matter. Despite the fact that the book covers cultures worldwide, there are many references to western culture and its associations. One such association has an underlying current of science, just as Spellbound contained its own addition of science. Analysis of the text reveals the presence of science in many occurrences of magic. There is even a description of the American culture written from the view point of a tribal group, pointing out just how much regular activities follow the pattern lay down by religion and magic. 

The book has helped to offer a new perspective on western culture, and even a glimpse at cultures worldwide. I think one of the most valuable passages of the book describes American society under the guise of a tribe, under the pseudonym Nacirema. The objective look at modern society shines a new light on the entirety of western culture, and demonstrates just how much is done religiously in our lives, as well as the acts of magic we participate in daily. The matter of witchcraft, also discussed in depth, is the epitome of the conflict between religion and magic. Besides the addition of new information, the book helps provide a more interesting twist on common topics and information that should prove to be of immense use in my paper.

The Mind of William Shakespeare

            For my second book, I read Soul of the Age by Jonathan Bate. Soul of the Age was very similar to my first book, but went more in depth in regards to the mind behind Shakespeare. In other words, Bate went into greater detail of how each of Shakespeare's experiences affected his work. He used his plays as a platform to express his political and social perspectives in comparison to what it was at the time he was living. The experiences mentioned in Soul of the Age are the same as in Will in the World, my first book, but how Bate portrayed them and the relation to Shakespeare's work was quite unique. 

           Bate's rendition of Shakespeare's life was also quite different in that he separated, or divided, each stage of life - these are known as the Seven Stages, and is a reference to one of Shakespeare's most well-known monologues in As You Like It. Bate uses these to reference Shakespeare's work and tap into the mind of the world's most famous playwright. It helped to understand how Shakespeare viewed the world around him and how subtle, or not subtle, he placed his perspectives within his plays. Often, his characters were representations of said perspectives. 

           I believe that Soul of the Age will help me better portray how Shakespeare's experiences affected the philosophy or themes within Hamlet. By having a clear understanding of how he viewed his world and life, I will hopefully be able to show how it affected characters, specifically Hamlet. I think that Shakespeare truly emulated the idea that we incorporate our experiences into everything that we create, or onto further experiences that we may encounter later in life. 

The Vietnam War: A Cultural and Musical Divide

After reading deeper into my first book, Shots From the Hip, I decided to switch the way in which I looked at the relationship between American culture and music, specifically rock. After reading entries about what inspired some of the most popular musicians, especially in the 1970s, I was intrigued by the impact that events surrounding the Vietnam War had on the music of the later "Golden Age".

After investigating further, I stumbled across my second book, Battle Notes: Music of the Vietnam War by Lee Andresen. After beginning to read this, I have been enlightened to the incredible impact that the general (American) public's perspectives had pertaining to the music of the era. Many people were unhappy, hesitant at best, to support US involvement in Vietnam, and many of these opinions were reflected or even emphasized by the music of the time. Groups such as CCR, Buffalo Springfield, and The Rolling Stones were just a few of many to openly oppose the war through their music, but at the same time others such as Merle Haggard and Johnny Wright wrote pro-war songs to counteract them.

The atmosphere within the music industry was extremely unique during the Vietnam War, and created  musical rivalries of sorts - and with musicians feuding, so were their followings. For every group that hopped on either the pro-war or anti-war bandwagon, thousands (if not millions) of their fans followed, joining the cause of their role models. As a result, the country became increasingly divided, and by the time the war ended (for the US, that is) in August of 1973, there might as well have been two new political parties: Pro-war and Anti-war. Vietnam may have had little to do with music when it began, but as US involvement became more and more serious, it came to shape the entire rock industry.

Dianetics

For my second book I read Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health by L. Ron Hubbard.   Hubbard is the creator of Scientology so it gives me a look into his mind as he was starting the religion.  Technically the book was created before Scientology, but it is referred to as Book One of the religion.  It deals with the mental aspect of the religion and is extremely similar to a self help book.  It contrasts my first book which was created by a skeptic so that I now have a book from each side, with one actually being the creator.  It really shows the thoughts behind why Scientology was created, and some of the beliefs of the religion.  It does not really delve into the beliefs of the religion which is heavily talked about from a skeptics point of view, meaning that an extra source from a followers point of view would be helpful.  I think this book gave me a lot of good information of Scientology, especially about the years directly before its creation.

Human Brain and Art, Beauty, Truth

Art
The creative mind is what drives humans. Even in what's not visual art, it had to be created. Therefore art is in everything we know of and ingrained in what humans are. To think of art is to think of the artists own truth, their own perception. Not all art is however beautiful but it is truthful, even when it's not reality, because truth is only perception.
Beauty
Beauty is an illusion. As humans we covet what is rare or extraordinary. In times when food was scarce larger bodies were wanted, and in times when food is plentiful thin bodies are desired. Beauty is an illusion because perfect is always unobtainable. But we as humans are driven for that unobtainable thing, whether it be another person or entity. Much like the search of beautiful art, it is unobtainable to be perfect. The perception of what we actually see and what we think we can achieve is a gap that we will never obtain. This is truth.
Truth
No truth can exist. We all perceive things differently. What we think of as truth is completely different in the mind of another. So truth is the same as perception. What we think of truth now will change because nothing is permanent, therefore nothing can be or will obtain ultimate, permanent truth.

The Mistake Post: Love & Beauty*

When asked what we find beautiful we look to what we love. When a boy is asked to define what is beautiful they answer with their girlfriend. Mothers often answer with their child. There is an evident connection between what we love and what we find beautiful. Love and beauty are so interconnected that it's hard to find where one ends and the other begins.

When you love something or someone its almost as if every negative or unpleasant characteristic gets forgotten. In the hypnotizing feeling of love you learn to find beauty in their every action. The silly obnoxious way they sneeze is suddenly beautiful, not because it's no longer annoying but because you love them so dearly that every aspect is perfect. Similarly, their physical imperfections are suddenly beautiful as well, the crook in their smile, the size of their nose, or the frizz of their hair. Your love has redefined your sense of beauty. This person has become the way you judge everyone else, they are your beauty standard, your perfect ten. Love has defined what you find beautiful.

In the first thoughts packet, the very first response to love echos this concept, "love is looking at her when it's 6am and she's got her sweatshirt scrunched up around her entire face so you can only see her nose and you can't help but think you are so goddamn lucky to have her". This idea that no matter what state this person is in, you love them and that makes them beautiful. The last entry on beauty sums up this connection, "the way the individual in love means "beautiful" is more than just looks, or personality. It is meant that everything about the one that they love is more than just appealing. I believe that everyone is beautiful, but in order to see anyone's true beauty, one must love that person". Again the connection between love and beauty. There is an ability to find complete beauty only in the things you love. The beauty of everything or everyone else is dimmed by the lack of love.

In this way, love and beauty are eternally intertwined, an endless connection between loving the beautiful and love defining beauty.

*so originally I started writing this when I was reading off the calender prompt, but I was only a paragraph in when I realized the inconsistency in the prompts so I wrote a real post based off the correct prompt. But then I wanted to finish this one too, so this is just extra.

Different, but Ultimately Similar

It is difficult to tie a single definition to art, beauty, and truth, as they are all based on perception.  They are all also very broad and abstract concepts.  What one person thinks is beautiful could differ from what another person thinks is beautiful, and the same goes for art and truth. Even though the general definitions of art, beauty, and truth are very different from each other, they are all connected in some way.  Each topic can help define each other.  There is no central concept between the three, as they are all contained in one another.

Art can generally be defined as something that generates an emotion and appeals to the senses.  Any work of art can be beautiful to someone, as art is purely based on perception.  Art can also have a certain truth to both an artist and an observer.  An artist can portray the truth about themselves or a situation through art.

Beauty can generally be defined as something that is attractive or appealing based on one's opinion.  Beauty can also be contained in both art and truth.  Any form of art can be considered beautiful to someone, depending on one's definition of beauty and how they view that particular work of art.  There can be beauty in truth, as the truth can sometimes be beautiful.  They both are contained in one another.  Beauty cannot exist without truth, and truth cannot exist without beauty.

Truth can generally be defined as a belief or thought that is deemed to be true based on one's perception.  As stated above, the truth can be found in pieces of art.  Since art can be a form of self expression, the artist may utilize their ability to create art in order to reveal the truth about themselves.  Also, the truth can be beautiful in a way.  Certain truths can have an essential beauty behind them.

All three of these concepts play vital roles in the lives of human beings.  Without these three concepts, there would be no way to truly express emotion and feeling, which is crucial to human life.

Truth- The Underlying Connection Between Art and Beauty

Most can agree with the statement that there are two different aspects to defining art and beauty. There is an emotional aspect, which has more to do with inner beauty and personal interpretation of art, and a objective aspect, which has to do with outer beauty and the tactical interpretation of art. The subjective aspects are what I find most interesting, because of the inherent uniqueness of personal interpretation. These interpretations are backed by one thing- truth. Not truth in the universal definition, truth from a personal perspective. A truth that may only hold true to one person. The universality of the truth is irrelevant. The most important thing is that this truth of perspective, this personal truth, the truth of perspective, is not shallow. The most important thing is that it matters.

Of course, each culture will have their respective generalities about true beauty and good art. In art, these generalities usually have characteristics such as relevance, depth, emotional content, and use of technique. While these are certainly appropriate characteristics to judge a piece by, they cannot capture the full affect that the art has on it's viewers. The true sign of a good piece of art is that it can be interpreted a million different ways by a million different people, that it can appeal to the emotions of it's viewers in such a profound way that they cannot get enough of it. The true sign of a good piece of art is that it can be stared at and contemplated for hours on end without ever becoming boring. The reason that this phenomenon, which is the emotionally charged reaction to a combination of colors and shapes, has it's basis in personal truth. The reason that we can be so smitten by a piece of art that reminds us of our home or provokes us to dream about different lands, or experiences, or foods, or even tastes is because we each hold in our memories experiences that have shaped how we interpret what we see. These are our truths. Just as a fine piece of art can enrapture our imaginations, a beautiful woman or man can captivate our thoughts.

Although beauty, when pertaining to humans, is under considerably more stress by societal norms than art, there is still much discrepancy between personal opinion of beauty. Some consider inner beauty more powerful than outer. Others become so obsessed with outer beauty that they become blind to personality and character. Personal truth does not discriminate between inner and outer, because, after all, it is the viewer whom holds the truth, and who can rightly say which is more valuable because value is a deeply personal subject. I will be the first to admit that I have been utterly captivated by beautiful women and had to use every ounce of my strength in order to be polite and refrain from staring and drooling (I exaggerate). There is something about a smile, the twinkle in an eye, the slope of a neck, and long, silky hair that gets me, and I'm sure, gets everyone else. No matter how civilized and sensible humanity becomes, outer beauty will always be important. The real variation and uncertainty takes place in the truth of inner beauty. People often preach the importance of inner beauty, swearing that they would rather marry the homely and innocent over the comely and corrupt, and I often wonder to what extent is this true. Each person has a varying truth on what they believe characterizes inner beauty based on their upbringing and hierarchy of moral importance. Some believe that charity is beautiful or that honesty is the most beautiful quality a human could possess. Regardless of specifics, the majority of humanity agrees that true inner beauty is based on positive moral character. They believe that most beautiful things on this Earth are characteristic of a pure soul.

These memories and experiences and the things we have learned along our life's journey, as short as ours have been so far, have evolved into things that we consider as true. When things happen to us, or we experience them, we begin to form opinions, and until these opinions get changed, either by argument, new experiences, or education, they are personally true. In other words, we believe them to be true. We use these personal truths to realize true beauty, true emotion, and truly good art.  

Perceptions

Beauty, art, and truth are all connected in the way they are viewed. The cliche phrase "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" shows up repeatedly in our first thoughts packet for a reason. Beauty is defined by the individual and it varies. Not everyone is going to find the same person beautiful just as not everyone finds the same piece of art beautiful. Similarly the truth changes from person to person. two people can experience the same event and come away with drastically different impressions of what happened based on their perceptions of incident. It is our perception that causes the individual to define beauty, art and truth for themselves.

In the video about art and the human form, it talked about the idea that art was a way in which to exaggerate the most important aspects of the human body based on the culture creating it. For example in Ancient Egypt order and consistency was favored resulting in a very exact human form that was not realistic or in Ancient Greece with the exaggerated athleticism. In this way culture influences the individuals concept of beauty. Further, each person has their own perceptions of beauty.

Art is up for interpretation. Each person person looks at art in a different way. A piece of art can evoke very different emotions in a viewer. People can look at a painting a see very different emotions in the subject often based on their own experiences. Again it is the viewer's perception of the painting that dictates their reaction and if they find it beautiful.

In the theory the truth is universal it is the one correct answer. However the truth also depends on the perceptions. The truth about an event, a feeling, or a relationship depend on the person and their perception of what happened. Two people can have an argument and the truth of what the argument was about can differ. In a relationship there can be widely different ideas of what happened based on the perception of each person. In a much broader example for some people the Bible is the truth where for others the truth of the Bible is that it is a work of fiction.

It is the perceptions of art, beauty, and truth that tie them. The ability to be completely different depending on the person. There is no right and wrong here, it all depends on perceptions. So despite how cliche the phrase is, the concept of "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" backs up this idea of perceptions defining all three.

An Illusionary World

Those who are artists see the world in all of its beauty. Those who are the beautiful people become art, and the beautiful things of this world become the same. Truth is the arms dealer, supporting and allying itself with art and beauty while doing the same with the spectator, and yet turning the parties on one another and becoming a puppet master, pulling the strings on art and beauty while covering the spectator with a veil. In beauty, art, or truth, one may find traces of the either two elements. Still, the remaining two may yet not be present at all, or even acting in opposition to one another. The way the three interact is determined by the spectator, and the fallibility of humanity makes all such determinations fantastically wrong.

What is art is indeed determined by the spectator as well, reliant upon whether an individual is enlightened or ignorant. The nature of a spectator, in regards to art, is not decided by any particular walk of life, but rather the openness one has concerning the matter. Being open is crucial to observing art, not only to its identification, but also concerning its meaning as, for the most part, art is created. The creator or method of creation is irrelevant, but art is created, not inherent, setting it apart from truth and beauty. Therefore, there is intent or latent meaning in it. Whatever those qualities manifest as are the product of an enlightened spectator. Yet, the measure of true understanding could lie in how strongly a detail is perceived or in how many qualities are perceived. The matter of truth manifests itself in this occasion, and one person's truth may not exist for another. The beauty in a piece is another matter entirely, a sense of what is beautiful being defined on both a cultural and individual basis. Art simply exists after its creation, and in art, beauty and truth can be both discovered and overlooked.

Beauty is just as easy to imagine as it is to overlook, and it is easier to redefine beauty than it is to find beauty in the world around us. Beauty is everything people want it to be, and rarely something that can be reached. In our society, many individuals will detect what they consider to be beautiful upon a glance of the world. If asked what beauty is in a person, many will either respond with their initial thoughts, yet are outnumbered by those that define beauty as being more than physical, an internal beauty defining what is truly glorious. Neither of these answers are true. Beauty may be found in any piece of art, the truth being that it exists, and the truth being that it is a phantom that may never be discovered in its entirety. A piece of art may have an initial beauty to it, but over time, after long preponderance of that beauty, its luster fades, and so it is assigned meaning beyond its visual appeal. This meaning will last longer and perhaps even hold more worth, but it is not an instinctual appeal. The opposite example being a piece that has no initial visual appeal, but an intellectual beauty an example being a piece of writing. The author's words hold a unique beauty, yet just meaningful words have, in fact, no meaning. Therefore, people create images or physical sensations, and the beauty of the piece is reincarnated in another form. Truth haunts all beauty; beauty is truly appealing and true beauty's appeal fades.

Truth is both the shoulder angel and devil, casting shadows in its absence and casting illusions in its presence. There is no such thing as one truth, there can, in fact, be many versions of the truth. Therefore, if there is no absolute truth, the word itself creates a paradox. Truth has this relationship with everything it touches. The movie Les Miserables depicts an inspector, Javert, who spends years of his life pursuing one man as a result of his version of the truth, never seeing the other side of the story. A classic example of the presence of truth, Javert is blinded by his truth. Yet, is not seeing only one point of a matter the antithesis of truth? Someone or something can indeed be considered beautiful by an individual. The same object may hold no charm or appeal whatsoever to another. Both sides hold their own logical reasons for the matter, and both sides are correct; there is a falsity in truth that is unlike any other. What is art is as much a question of truth as what beauty is, and holds the same answer for the same reason. The only truth about truth is that it is always wrong for the same reasons: it is based on opinion.

A beautiful flower, a painting of a flower, an acknowledgement of the flower's appeal, and an acknowledgement of the flower's demise all share the same basis in opinion. The three aspects that lend themselves to describing the world, excluding as much as they include, and becoming filters through which everything may be seen as an individual desires. The most pure forms of these filters may never be glimpsed, absolute truth as unattainable as universal beauty, and as unimaginable as perfect art. The institutions which so many consider vital to the human experience are as flawed as their creators.