Current Event - Killing of the U.S. Ambassador and Embassy Attack

Article: U.S. ambassador to Libya killed in Benghazi attack
Purpose: To simplify and describe the events that happened in Benghazi Libya and allegedly how and why the ambassador and embassy were attacked.
Accomplished?: Yes, the article made it simple to get up to speed with the events that transpired in Libya and raised many questions in my mind and no doubt many others as to the motives of the "Al-Qaeda-linked" gunman.
Agree?: Although no clear biased statements are made by the author, President Obama called the gunman's actions an "outrageous attack" to which I agree. They claimed that because of the film released, depicting Mohammad as a fool, they took action for being insulted religiously.
Disagree?: I feel that that is not the only reason for the acts, that it was a terrorist act as well. It could have easily been retaliation to the insulting film, but I believe that they took the initiative to attack claiming that it was only because of the film.
Not Understand?: I don't understand why Al Qaeda would go as far as killing our ambassador for just an insult. I don't clearly see their motives which as previously stated could have simply been aggresion.
Connections?: I can connect this article to other actions preformed by Al Qaeda (9/11 and such) due to their unclear motives then and now.
Take responsibility for my learning: By doing what I am doing now and making my own inferences about the current events happening now.

Current Event - The Gunrunner Project

Article - Fast and Furious Falling Apart by Russ Vaughn
Purpose - To explain what exactly the gunrunner project is and question the motives of our Department of Justice as to why they did it.
Accomplished? - Yes. It was very informative and did hold valid points on the motives of our government.
Agree? - I agree that the Department of Justice's excuse about how they were using the guns to track the drug lords was a lie.
Disagree? - I disagree that the whole government knew about the operation.
Not Understand? - I don't understand why the Department of Justice did what they did.
Connections? - Myself, I would wonder and question these unbelievable motives and excuses that they made.
Take responsibility for my learning? - By thinking and pondering on things without the guidence of a teacher. By taking it into my own hands to make myself question and understand things 'written between the lines' so to speak.

Booket List :3

1. Beautiful Darkness
2. City of Bones
3. Chobits (manga)
4. Yozukura Quartet (manga)
5. Sailor Moon (manga)
6. Linger
7. Beautiful Chaos
8. Thirteen Reasons Why
9. Torment
10. This Present Darkness

Jr. to Sr.

I am very soon going to transition from a junior in high school to a senior, and really I am relieved that the hard part is finally over (arguably). I feel that the drama, headache, and rush of being a junior is over, and I'll get to kind of slow down and enjoy the rest of high school.
Now with my junior year, it's exactly what I said previously, drama, a headache, and a rush, although it was fun. Most of the important things in my teenage life have been dealt with this year, and I'm glad it's over.
So I'm a senior now, or will be soon, and I finally get to actually stop and think about things, like the rest of my life! And what it's going to be like being in the senior class at the school, standing out among all the younger students. It will definitely take some getting used to.

My survival

To guarantee my own survival I really don't know to what lengths I would go, but I guess I would go to the limits of my abilities, and use/do whatever I could until my last breath. To be honest I've never thought about it but I think I would even resort to the most desperate of measures, although I value the survival of others over my own. I would definitely not go to the lengths as say a sociopath would, or a killer, or anything like that, but i would do whatever I could until I could do no more.

140 character claim

Sociopath's minds control others for protection.

A sociopath goes to the greatest of lengths to survive by using others for his or her own gain usually causing much internal emotional havoc.

Sociopath's will to survive

Sociopath's minds control others for protection.
A sociopath goes to the greatest of lengths to survive by using others for his or her own gain usually causing much internal emotional havoc.

“Ever since I visited Dr Robert Hare in Vancouver, I can see them, the psychopaths”-Robert Hercz

The sociopathic manipulator, also known as a psychopath, is a human being who lacks any and all emotion, remorse, guilt, or any feelings whatsoever. Due to their lack of emotional attachment to the world and what’s around them, they have no interest in anything except the emotions of other people, and how other people live their lives and react to every aspect of this world. The emotions of others fascinate them for they know not of such a thing. Because of this curiosity, they are driven to manipulate people by their emotions that “hold them back” and set back to watch how the person (pawn/victim) handles what they are put through.  Also this drives them to have to find a way to survive as what they are (sociopathic) and to keep them from being discovered; and what better way to do that than by doing what they know best? Manipulate. The process of gaining, using, and disposing of people they control (here on referred to as either pawns or victims) is a potentially lengthy and risky but destructive process that only a sociopath would be able to pull off with ease.

A sociopath excels in the ability to gain people’s interest and trust by promising hopes and dreams that they cannot obtain themselves, doing this to lure and deceive people into his scheme.

Fiona McColl writes in her article Eight Ways to Spot Emotional Manipulation “If you ask them to do something they will almost always agree – that is IF they didn’t already volunteer to do it first.” He begins by appearing subtly charming to attract and deceive a victim. He tries to see the weaknesses of these people so he can con and convince them with what they desire, promising power most of the time, but are incapable of achieving on their own. These cravings lead to “victims” deeper into the control of the sociopath.

 Fiona also says “When you tell them it doesn’t seem like they want to do whatever – they will turn it around and try to make it seem like OF COURSE they wanted to and how unreasonable you are.” Through the charm and deception of people by luring in and showing compassion, especially the ones that could protect or advance his position, he excels in his game and becomes almost invulnerable in his own mind. This ego causes him to seem very secure and charming to those around him, when really he is just happy his game is progressing as predicted.

 In conclusion, the game a sociopath plays to ensure his survival start with drafting in pawns for him to use to achieve what he wants, which is nothing more than entertainment and a position that will make sure he will not be discovered.

After the pawns are obtained and put into play, the next step is to move them; to manipulate them to gain what the sociopath needs and what is necessary for him to remain untouched.

Fiona once again says “They can make you feel guilty for speaking up or not speaking up, for being emotional or not being emotional enough, for giving and caring, or for not giving and caring enough.”The first act is to use the people’s conscience against them, and the sociopath is the best at this for he has not a conscience or guilt to tie him down. After finding the pawns weakness, he exploits these by pursuing their guilt, anger, fulfillment, hope, etc. to gain more intimate control of the person.

In the book The Psychopath Next Door by Martha Stout , it states “The problem with their game is that we don’t play by their rules” After that the actual control is implemented. He will use the person by putting them in situation and doing certain thins to help the sociopath gain what he wants or needs, all the while tearing down the victim little by little. For example, if the sociopath gains control over an aggressive, or very violent person, then he could simply have him kill another who he might have a problem with, or just for the heck of it and the enjoyment of the monster in which caused this to happen or maybe to remove a threat.

All in all, the second step is usually the most destructive and cruel part of his rampage, due to the fact that so many people get hurt, put through chaos, or even killed.

Finally, after a pawn is used to his full ability, or just has no further use, is thereof disposed of in any way possible and/or capable; no matter how inhumane physically or mentally.

One way to set up a victim for disposal is for the sociopath will “trap” him or her in a situation that they cannot get out of, then be abandoned by the person they relied on, their “master” as of this point, and are torn down by their inability to handle what they have gotten into.

And finally the last scene is entered, and the pawn in destroyed, mentally and/or physically. After the person is trapped and abandoned, they start to break down and view themselves as “losing everything” or just becoming mentally unstable as they are left with no further guidance. At this point they are broken and torn apart, and the sociopath has no sympathy for them, as they have no emotion to begin with; they are just another tool that has been used until it is broken and useless. The sad part being that they were nothing more than playthings to him, used to satisfy his own entertainment needs.

With all of this said, there are still those who think of a sociopath in a different light, that they are just like everyone else aside from their lack of emotion, and they are just trying to find a way to fit in; they aren’t all malevolent. This is true, they are not all evil in their ways, they are just trying to find out how emotion works, but many of them have the idea of “no emotion to tie them down” go to their head, and they soon think they are better or more powerful than the average person, causing them to begin with manipulation.

In the end, no matter motive of the manipulator, the old pawns are disposed of and replaced with a new more useful set.

A psychopath is a type of human that lacks many necessary and important human qualities, thus making them more open and free to do as they please. This makes them highly dangerous given the potential. So in the future, hope to never cross paths with this kind of person because the risks are severe and your life could be on the line, be wary.

Call of the Wild Book Review

Jack London's Call of the Wild interested me with it's anthropomorphic implementation to a pampered dog reverting to a wild and more primitive state of mind.

The setting plays a huge role in the development of Buck, so I find it one of the most important aspects of the book. The setting is the key factor in Buck's change from pampered to wild. This is because he goes from the calm and serene, mostly dull, country side to the harsh and unforgiving terrain of the Yukon, forcing him to change his entire aspect of life and himself. This is the main contributing factor to his change because if it wasn't the Yukon, then he wouldn't have become a sled dog, he would not have to deal with the snow, and basically every change that happened would not have happened, or would have happened differently.

In my opinion the life lesson (theme) of this book is that no matter how deep you bury your true instincts, they are still there and can still become dominant, especially if it is needed. For example, Buck was met with many hardships do to his buried primal instinct, as in the lack of leadership, and the lack of basically knowing what to do in a pack, but after his true primordial self began to emerge everything came easier to him as he accepted what he was.

I believe one connection I could make with this book would be to White Fang, also by Jack London. I would connect them because they both use anthropomorphism with a canine, a dog and a wolf. I find this interesting because in his novels he portrays the two animals with different humanoid personalities. Their personalities differ in that they both see and think of humans in a different "light". Buck thinks of humans as humans, while the wolf in White Fang thinks of them as gods, causing how they treat situations to differ. Another connection would be to that of real life, humans to be precise. Buck is so well anthropomorphically portrayed, that I believe even a human in those situations would have reacted in the same exact fashion, ironic given that Jack London (a human) is speaking for how he thinks Buck would react.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested at seeing life through the point of view of an animal, and that wants to read an engaging story about how a dog handles a situation given to him that no normal every dog could conquer.

Essay Summary

Being human means that you have the comprehension to mold and live a unique life, and in that life feel with emotion, feelings, and thoughts, those feelings and thoughts caused by the human soul.

First off, to be human requires to have human emotions and comprehensive thought. These kinds of feelings and thought is what's required to live the human life, therefore being a human requirement.

Second, an attribute that makes us human is that we can comprehend and interact with those around us, shaping different day by day life. Being human requires social interaction with the world beyond the limits of instinct.

Thirdly, human beings are the only creature with a soul on this earth, and this soul enables every other aspect of human life because without it I believe we would have no emotion, comprehensive thought, or sociability.

Counter claim- People argue that humans either don't have a soul or are not the only ones with a soul. Well my evidence comes from the Holy Bible, and my morals say so as well. Also what characterizes us according to others is that we are the only creature with a thumb, but I do not think that's significant enough to characterize an entire race.

Anthropomorphism - The Crow

The Bliss In Ignorance-

The innocent crow
Labled a grim messenger
Speaks fates final word

Foreshadowed ends
Shakes hands with the aging
Judges all the rest

Although unaware
Lives a blissful existance
Carrying no guilt

Just superstition
Have they spoken with the crow?
Asks for its motives?

Given proper say
Will show truthful ingorance
Attempt to explain

Under their consent
Through ignorance yet again
Victimized the crow

Under wrongful blame
The crow cries in the night's sky
but flies longer still

The responsibility of the cost of life

The responsibility of the cost of life is determined by the one who has either ended it, created it, or directly affected it, this includes man's responsibility to help one another if such a need arises, because that person affects you by just being there.

In the titanic, I believe that it was mostly the captains responsibility for the ship and the people on it, since all the lives on that ship were in his hands. He chose to ignore the iceberg warnings putting all the lives on the ship in danger. Also I believe that part of the responsibility goes to the passengers who could have helped one another.

In the Call of the wild. The responsibility for the sleds safety was divided among each dog and driver; the dogs because each was equally responsible for helping each other with pulling, and the driver for being the one in charge of leading the whole sled.

In a persons everyday life, who do you think is responsible for whom? Who's life is in who's hands? This is a thought that could mean the difference between someone's life and death someday given the situation.

Frankenstein- Creator and Created

I believe it is evident that by the end of the novel Frankenstein by Dean Koontz. The monster is the human and Frankenstein is the monster, figuratively speaking of course, because that by their actions and the feelings that they deal with, the true character of each "character" is shown.

Frankenstein purposefully created the creature to feed his own curiosity and satisfaction, then abandoned it and expressed no responsibility to what he had done, and through this expresses how truly monstrous he really is. This is especially shown when he even refuses to help him live a better life without misery and without being alone. No, he leaves him to fend and survive on his own in a world that despises him, and in turn, shows the monster that Frankenstein truly is.

The monster shows that deep down he is no different than any other person despite his outer appearance. He shows that he has a heart, feelings, emotions, and in my opinion a soul. And that soul in the end being not nearly as dark as that of Frankenstein's, due to the fact he is only reacting to how he was treated and it is not his fault that he is going through such misery, it is Frankenstein's responsibility that he refuses to accept.

Creation of life

Well...I really don't know many people that WOULD take the chance to create life that didn't belong, and I completely agree with most reasons they have. I would not create unneeded life, for many more than 2 reasons, but if I were to choose 2 then they would be that one; I have no reason or desire to become a God of sorts and use a Godly ability of creation of life. And two; because after its creation, I would be worried of what it would do, and if I could do anything to stop it.

My first reason for not creating life is that I am not God, and I have no right to try to artificially create a body, soul, and life. For one to want to do that, there would have to be evidence of a god complex within them, and I have no such desire. I cannot create a soul, and if I were to try, I don't know what that soul would be, because if  God didn't make or give the soul, then what soul would I get?

Second, if I were to create a life, then there is a possibility that I could become attached to it, and along with that, say it was evil, would I be able to stop it? Physically or by getting myself to even harm my own creation in the first place. 

So I hope my opinion is clear, that I have no desire to do something I am not meant to, because I am not God and because I don't know what would happen after the fact, and if could do anything about it.

Initial thoughts on Frankenstein

You know. I find myself questioning the motivation of a 19 year old girl has to write a story such as this. Is it to show that man has no right creating life? Or is it because she just wanted to write about a mad scientist creating a monster. I don't know. But in my opinion. Man cannot create legitimate life. No matter how hard they try or how advanced technology becomes. Simply because they have no right. That ability belongs to God and God alone. If man dares to cross such dangerous boundaries, then something is going to go wrong. Because the only way man would be able to even succeed would have to be under the influence and given by God, and until that happens, we should just leave well enough alone. Now on another note. Immortality. I really don't know nor do I have much of an opinion on it other than. If it does exist, then it is a curse. Death is a God given gift. It is destiny. It is meant to happen sooner of later. And to just... never die, and have to endure the world day after day, year after year, decade after decade, as the world slowly spirals out of control and into corruption, is a fate far worse than death itself. And finally, about monsters inside, yes, there are monsters hidden in everyone. A dark side to anyone, and how they deal with them is not for me to speculate.

2012 Theme Word Untheatrical

Though untheatrical is the only good antonym I could find of melodramatic, I think my point is shown. I want to not overeact to anything that isn't worth overeacting to.  So don't overeact because you'll be overeacting. I want to become more uderstanding and calm, so I can handle my stressful situations more effectively and the best I can.

Becoming less dramatic could mean less 'falling outs' with people that I am close to. Hurting anyone around me isn't something that can always be apoligized for. An argument isn't worth what happens
the word after. So I think losing the melodratic side and handeling things in a more logical and senseful way could affect my life for the better.