Final Reflection of Honors 202

My first day in Honors 202 was full of surprises and questions. Being introduced to blogging and digital culture at the same time, being invited to consume, create, and connect, and being challenged to find online sources that could be better than the professor's material were all new concepts to me. I mean, "self-directed learning"? What kind of class is this? However, my views on this class have drastically changed over the past semester. From this class, I not only learned about historical concepts, but also actively integrated these concepts in my daily life through digital culture. I am excited to share with you a few of my last thoughts about this class.

CONNECT- GOOGLE CALENDAR

Sometimes, planning group meetings can be as complicated as the project itself. Members often have conflicting schedules, random emergencies, and secret agendas. However, through the use of googlecalendar, all these things can be remedied.

CONSUME- Academic Research

nickiedee.com

Many times, our first source of information is Google or Wikipedia. While these sources offer quick, brief, and convenient answers, deeper and more detailed information can be found elsewhere. Where else can we find information on the internet? Dr. Burton shares some valuable information sources on his blog "Ten ways out of the Google or Wikipedia rut". Also, I discovered another wonderful presentation on how to more effectively find information. Another source of information I want to share is the BYU Library!

The Start of Something New

I can't say it any better. The end of this semester and specifically, the end of Honors 202 is only the beginning of something new! Coming into this class, I did not have a blog, did not know how to create and manage websites, and did not truly understand the impact history had on my everyday life. I had fallen into a rut of memorizing and regurgitating materials, getting A's, but not really applying principles into my life. Honors 202 has changed that.
Attending this class has been a magnificent journey. Full of sharing ideas, making connections, networking, research, and hands-on-experience. I saw many class principles in daily life. Principles such as mormonism, capitalism, romanticism, and science all came alive.
The greatest thing about this experience is that I LEARNED how to apply digital tools and civilization concepts to my life. Here are some examples. These might apply to you :)

Club using Web 2.0 principles

For the final project, my group and I are starting a microfinance club. Not only are we applying principles of humanity, mormonism, and economics, we are also integrating Web 2.0 principles into this club. For a more detailed description, you can go to our blog or website.

Web 2.0 principles have energized the world. How? Beneath is a list of Web 2.0 ideas that, if applied to clubs, will yield positive results.

Web 2.0
Living, changing, thriving
It is an all-accessible platform
Aids in the transfer of information
Facilitates usage and participation
Friendly interfaces encourage frequent visits
Information is light, brief, and simple
Easy to use
Extends physical friendships to online friendships
Ideas can flow from all angles
It is readily accessible
It is in our hands

As we adapt to a more social interface, encouraging feedback from members, and making it easy to communicate, there will be more participation.

Working with Jeffrey and Leanne has been very fun. We work very well together. Some specific things I have contributed to the group are
- Starting the website
- Drafting a project justification page
- Starting the facebook page
- Writing the club charter with Jeffrey
- Searching for and making note of other university clubs
- Recruiting a faculty advisor
- Researching the requirements for a club
- Writing blogs on the club blogpage.
- Helping with the Prezi presentation

There are still so many things to do, but we are excited to continue to make this thing work

Thank you, all who nominated me :)

First off, I'd like to thank all those that nominated me :)
I feel as if my hard work really has paid off and was glad it was recognized. I can assure you that more posts are on the way and we can all celebrate to a new and bright future!

Second, I came up with a catchy phrase. Feel free to use it. This is Phrase 2.0, anybody can use it, change it, fix it, contribute! Make the best thing ever! It is a "living" phrase. As I was debating whether or not to grab a quick subway sandwich or go home to eat, this inspired line popped into my brain:

"Five bucks here, Five bucks there, equals Five bucks Everywhere"

You save here and there, and you end up with more money than you started!

please enjoy.

Science 2.0

With the introduction of web blogging, tagging, social networking, and creating, known as Web 2.0, comes a whole new way of operating and thinking. The table on the right was compiled by Tim O'Reilly in his article, "What is web 2.0". As you can see, the web 2.0 adds life and true attendance to the web. It allows for individuals to add, create, connect, correct...You can even make your own website! This entire new face gives rise to an increase in websites and knowledge shared. Some may argue that as knowledge becomes increasingly edited by the masses, it may lose authority or fidelity. However, thousands of eyeballs are still more effective than an elite group of a few.
As web 2.0 took off and has added an increase of knowledge and obtainability, scientists are beginning to toy with the idea of Science 2.0.

Nominations

As the semester has progressed, I have been exposed to numerous well-written blogs, many of which are uplifting and inspiring. These blogs inspire my work to delve deeper into life and notice trends, themes, and make connections. I would like to nominate a few of the blogs that stood out to me.

Impact of Health Technologies

nextscience.org

Humans have always needed solutions to illness, injury, and other related health issues. These issues range from cancer to childbirth. As more and more is understood about the human body, more discoveries and treatments can be made. These discoveries undergo new forms of treatment that are more efficient and safe. Today, we can see the increase in longevity of humans. This can be due to cleaner living conditions, more specific antibiotics and vaccines, isolation of harmful genes, and better organized health care systems.

However, the improvement of technology has also introduced multiple problems that are currently being solved. One deadly example is heart and cardiovascular disease. This disease that dates all the way back to the Egyptians and medieval times has risen up again. This is a prime example to see the response of physicians and scientists to this deadly disease.

To better understand the impact discoveries in the area of health have in our lives, let us focus on the development of cardiovascular treatments.

Reflective Blog Post 2

One thing I love about Honors Civ 202 is the passion our professors have for their fields. Dr. Zappala teaches with such enthusiasm and excitement about numbers and programming and these cool things I want to know more about. Dr. Burton writes sonnets daily! He shares experiences from his work and serving and travels. Their passion is contagious and encourages me to discover things I am passionate about myself. I realize that since the last midterm, I have grown to appreciate history and digital civilization more fully. I even see various forms and influences of history in my daily life! This post is a reflection of the past few weeks and my progress in digital civilization.

quick note: one of my favorite blogs to read is by Sarah, and I use a similar format to hers in this blog post.

A whole new world- the atomic century

Yearly Growth of Total Structures

As the world progressed into the 19th century, many scientific discoveries were made. Some most notable discoveries were the development of evolution, the understanding of energy, knowledge of the solar system, and the ability to manipulate the ever-so-small atom (to give you an idea, and helium atom is 10^-10 meter, something you can't see with the naked eye). Interestingly, the knowledge of chemistry and physics we have today arose from the upheaval of scientific progress in recent times, which replaced eons of previous discoveries. (see the example of protein structures that have been characterized and discovered from pdb). With these new ways of thinking and incredible new technologies also came a great issue of power and ethical use of these technologies. More specifically, the atomic age.

Peer Review of Danny Patterson's Blog

I am very lucky to be the reviewer of Danny Patterson's blog titled, "Danny Patterson". Honestly, Danny's blog was one of the first ones I have ever read and I have been following it ever since. It is an honor to write a review about his blog and the insights he shares. This review will be mainly focusing on Danny's fulfillment of class goals of "Consume, Create, and Connect" along with highlights of his exceptional posts.

CONSUME!!! Boolean Searching

Have you ever seen this before and wondered, "HOW IN THE WORLD AM I GOING TO FIND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR?" With so many options, AND, OR, NOT, how does this all work?
HAVE NO FEAR! This is not as hard as it seems, and it will help! It has helped me!

Boolean Searching provides a very efficient way for searching things in databanks or the web. Because there is so much information, the more specific you are with your search, the more applicable your search results will be. This skill has saved me so much time, and will save you plenty of time as well!

I apply this type of searching as I gather information for research papers.

For this specific research paper, I am interested in finding articles about the structure of the cyclooxygenase protein active site. Because all three topics are the focus of my research paper, I use 'AND' so that the search engine will know that I am looking for articles on all of these topics. As a result, I get articles that fit my interest :)

This post is a simple explanation on Boolean Searching

CREATE!!! FLYERS

Ever want to make an awesome flier?
Ever want to publicize an event?

Now you can with www.band-flyers.com

Band-flyers is a web site that provides you the free service (you have to print your own stuff still) of creating fliers and sending them to friends or posting them on websites or printing them and posting them on billboards. You can print in a variety of sizes! It's fast and easy! This blog is a simple walk through of how to create this flyer.

Mind boggle

Remember those crazy algorithms introduced by Dr. Zappala? What sort of algorithm can solve 100% of the innumerable variables one puts in? There are just some algorithms that cannot be written to solve some problems. For example, an algorithm to check another algorithm is an example of an impossible algorithm. When I think of the why, it blows my mind. Here is another interesting example of an interesting problem in the world of biochemistry. These ideas are taken from Dr. Gregory A. Petsko's "On the Other Hand".

This question has to deal with amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. These amino acids are chiral molecules, a molecule that "lacks an internal plane of symmetry and has a non-superimposable mirror image". (wikipedia) For example, our hands are chiral. They cannot be superimposed on each other, however, they consist of the same 5 fingers and palm.

tonga.usip.edu

A picture of the two types of chiral amino acids are on the left. L-Amino acids and D-Amino acids are mirror images of each other, but not superimposable.

So, why is this important?

In chemistry, when forming these compounds, there is a 50% chance the product will be in the L-configuration and a 50% chance that the product will be in the R-configuration. However, within the human body, there are only L-configured amino acids.
This leads to the big question of "why L-amino acids?"

When prebiotic experiments were performed and electrical discharges were passed through mixtures designed to mimic the chemical composition of the early world's atmosphere, there was a formation of 50% L and 50% R! So now what?

From Rezoan Ratul

Perhaps something in the environment favored L-amino acids? but that is presumably random. Perhaps the earliest life forms were imported onto Earth from other planets, so the chirality on our Earth is a reflection of that on other planets? We don't know how to prove that yet. The most productive theory is that D-amino acids are more prone to beta decay than L-amino acids? That is not enough reason to explain why all proteins in animals are L-configured. D-amino acids are just as good.

Now just like the different colored tiles Dr. Zappala presented, the L and D amino acids are not compatible with each other. Proteins must be made of 100% L amino acids or 100% D amino acids (these D amino acids, rarely occurring naturally, must be synthesized). There is just no way to make an L and D protein. There would be unacceptable side chain clashes. Furthermore, L amino acids can only act upon other L-configured proteins/molecules. A D-configured protein remains unaffected by the L-configured enzyme. Using this principle, much research has been performed to enhance immune systems, prepare antibiotics, and create long-lasting proteins. crazy.

To end this thought like Dr. Petsko did, with the science fiction writer. Science fiction writers often speculate about parallel universes. If the choice for L-amino acids on our planet was random, then perhaps other universes consist of the opposite. Their molecules may be incompatible with ours. Either way, the mystery of why L was chosen is still up in the air.

A big bubble

John Maynard Keynes is one of the most influential people in the economic history of the world. His excellent economic analysis of reparations in the aftermath of World War I and the quantity theory of money revolutionized the economic world. His major policy was that the way to stabilize the economy is to stabilize the price level. The government's central bank must lower interest rates when prices tend to rise and raise interest when prices tend to fall. And finally, his great controversial theory of "the key to a healthy economy was by spending, not saving." (slideshare)
John Maynard Keynes has influenced the world of economy so much, but he is still a great example of evolution. Many of his original works have remained untouched or unmodified today. His ideas have formed the base for endless new economic theories. His principles have been expanded and even criticized. Many of his principles stay true today. Here is one example:

Today, there is a great economic crisis known as the bubble effect. The government, with an effort to improve prospects for home ownership, began making homes increasingly expensive and beyond the economic reach of first-home buyers. This causes a problem once interest rates rise and housing prices fall, many home buyers are stuck in an investment that they cannot afford. However, when this economic bubble "pops", the home owners are left with a house less than what they paid for.
Housing prices peaked in early 2005, but began to decline in 2006 and 2007. The impact not only harms home value, but also mortgage markets, real estates, wall street, foreign banks, overall, a nationwide recession. This drop became so serious that President George W. Bush announced a limited bailout of U.S. housing market for homeowners unable to pay mortgage debts. So, the United States government then allocated over $900 billion dollars to special loans and rescues related to the US housing bubble.

Pretty crazy things going on in the economy these days.

Don't get me started on Healthcare reform. Great idea, but a lot of holes. Talk to me about it if you have questions. :)

Blog Check

In Class Topics                                                    My blog posts    
Democracy and the Social Contract                     In God We Trust
The Industrial Revolution/Marxism                     Labor Unions
Romanticism                                                        The influence of romanticism
The Frontier/ Civil Disobedience                         The new frontier
Origins of Computing                                           Evolution: look what we can do
Evolution                                                              Evolution and LDS theology
Mormonism                                                           Mormon Media
Final Projects Introduction                                    Results of Microfinance
Modernism                                                            Shapings of Modernism
Psychology                                                            Applying Sigmund Freud
Computing and Intelligence                                   Does History Matter?
Economics                                                             (On it's way)

Does history matter?

Possibly, a person could go on with his or her life without knowing about how everything got there. Just hop into cars, read Shakespeare, go vote, see old friends, eat, and sleep. Life would move on. People live in the present and plan for the future. So why history and the past? The American Historical Association states the following reason. "History should be studied because it is essential to individuals and to society, and because it harbors beauty." History helps us understand people and societies. History helps us understand change and how the society we live in came to be. For example, the book, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, is a great story! How cool that Dr. Frankenstein could create a living creature from dead materials. How interesting it is that the creature became a monster. Cool story. However, as I read the book in the context of the classroom discussion on Romanticism and the history behind this era, I learned so much more from the book Frankenstein, which I put on my blog under a post titled Book Review of Frankenstein.

So, with the importance of history determined, can the same themes be applied to science and, more specifically, computing?

Results of Microfinance

From Accion

Microfinance is defined as "financial services for poor and low-income clients." (http://www.microfinancegateway.org) These "financial services", often loans, are provided by "microfinance institutions" (MFIs). MFIs deliver small loans to unsalaried borrowers, providing these borrowers with access to banking and related services originally out-of-reach. Robert Peck Christen in his article Financial institutions with a double-bottom line: implications for the future of microfinance, states that the object of microfinance is "a world in which as many poor and near-poor households as possible have permanent access to an appropriate range of high quality financial services, including not just credit but also savings, insurace, and fund transfers." Just think about the similarities of needs between people in developing countries and ourselves. As cited in Stuart Rutherford's book The Poor and Their Money:
Lifecycle Needs: weddings, funerals, childbirth, education, homebuilding, widowhood, old age.
Personal Emergencies: sickness, injury, unemployment, theft, death.
Disasters: fire, flood, cyclones, war
Investment Opportunities: expanding a business, buying land or equipment, improving housing.

So much good can be done from simple microfinancing. As a final project headed by Jeff Whitlock, we are brainstorming with ideas to form some group, publicize on the internet, use connecting tools to spread the word of microfinance, and establish a desire and curiosity to help people through this means.

missionlocal.org

The Women's Initiative provided basic business training and funding to 2,600 clients. These clients took about 10 or more hours of business training between 2004 and 2008. They created 2,244 jobs at a cost of a little over $4000 per job.






Microfinance Innovations is a group that discusses IDEAS which would help the nation and masses grow.

The Jamii Bora Trust, a microfinance group in Kenya, is building a new, self-contained town that may be home to 10,000 people!

As we explore the world of microfinance, more doors and opportunities of service will be open! I am the happiest when I put others first. This is a wonderful opportunity to help.

Applying Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud is best known for his theories of the unconscious mind and the defense mechanism of repression. This diagram from http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/freud.html depicts Freud's theory quite simply and completely. His theory consists of three main portions, conscious, preconscious, and unconcscious.

The conscious mind is, "what you are aware of at any particular moment, your present perceptions, memories, thoughts, fantasies and feelings.
The preconscious mind is "anything that can easily be made conscious, the memories you are not at the moment thinking about, but can readily bring to mind. Interestingly, these two portions consist of the smaller part of the mind.
The largest portion is the unconcscious, which includes "all the things that are not easily available to awareness, including many things that have their origins there, such as our drives or instincts, and things that are put there because we can't bear to look at them.

The unconcscious portion of our mind is what motivates us, the driving force behind our actions. These include food, sex, art. Sometimes, these portions or our minds are not appealing and dark. As a defense mechanism, we force these underneath and attempt to hide these feelings. This mechanism is often known as the ego defense mechanism.

Missionaries ONLINE!

In class, we were lucky enough to have an incredible experience...talking to Elders through Skype! These Elders, missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, proselyte on the web! Through the use of blogging, email, facebook, skype, prezi, and other forms of digital civilization, these powerful missionaries spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world! This new medium is effective and successful, resulting in wonderful conversion stories.

If the Church is taking advantage and learning how to adapt to the new technological world, so should I!

My dearest friend and wife of my mission companion, Kaylie, received an email from her brother's mission president (California Santa Rosa Mission) informing family members of the introduction of internet proselyting. A copy of the letter, with suggestions for family and friends, is posted on Kaylie's blog On, on to the victory!

Her brother's mission blog is http://armiesofheaven.blogspot.com/

Let's do as the MTC Elders and our Professors encourage! This is another great way to participate in something so dear to our hearts!

Shapings of Modernism

"One does not replace the past, one only adds a further link to it" - Paul Cezanne

The Card Players by Paul Cezanne

Paul Cezanne is an excellent person to start with as we begin the study of Modernism. Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) was a French artist whose work laid the foundations of the transition from 19th century artwork to modernistic art. His works convey intense study of the subjects, searching gaze, and a successful attempt to portray the world from the complexity of human visual perception. "Cezanne's use of colour as tone and his obsession with the formal elements of composition made it possible for artists who came after to question what they saw and how they represented what they saw on their canvas." (theartgallery.com)

The Forest by Paul Cezanne

Cezanne's influence on American artists and on modernism can still be seen through paintings using "patches of color, affinity for vibrant colors, tilted table tops, multiple views, and complex structures." (Cezanne and American Modernism) These pieces of art not only soothe the soul, but also convey the spirit of Modernism.

Modernism is a revolt against realism. In other words, the olden ways of art, architecture, literature, and even religion were outdating, boring, and non-applicable especially in this new age of social, economic, and political advancement. Furthermore, modernism rejects Enlightenment thinking, including the idea of an all-powerful creator.

But what was the purpose? Many modernists believe that "Modernism, aside from its virtuosity and playful approach, offers greater opportunities of inclusion through its questioning of natural distinctions, of language, culture, and politics." (blog of Rhys Tranter) Modernism allows for discovery and progression. Following are some examples of influences of modernism:

1) Arnold Schoenberg strayed away from "tonal harmony" in music and shifted towards a new way of organizing sound! Piano Concerto op. 42 (Exerpt)

2) Abstract artists, like the earlier mentioned Paul Cezanne, started the assumption of color and shape as the essential characteristic of art, not the depiction of the natural world.

From Artur Sikora

3) Photography strove to depict objects more as a spiritualist phase of development rather than a materialistic object.

4) Modern buildings with a newer/machine look emphasized materials and geometrical forms. Just take a look at the new skyscrapers.

So, in summary, Modernism is a fine example of our adaptation to the changing environment. With more technology and faster paced world, modernism is a necessary and excellent era that introduces deeper appreciation and beauty of the advancing society.

What makes me unique?

"We have 500 plus applicants in this pile and only 80 seats. Why should you be admitted to our school?"

From Ben Heine

This question is one of the most frequently asked questions as I interview with medical schools. In other words, if you are currently applying, or will apply to medical school, know the answer to this important question...WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE?
As I think about this question, I am reminded of the emergence of uniqueness in America. Many of the topics discussed in Honors Civ 202 have been essential to the development of this attitude.

Mormon Media

Martin Luther, in 1517, was able to influence the world with his 95 Theses. These protests against the old Catholic clergy were read and considered by many due to the power of the printing press. In our day, we have the internet, which is parallel in idea and effect as the old printing press.
Elder M. Russell Ballard, a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, states the following about the great internet and the incredible effect, if used properly, it can have on the world. (from Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet)
"Today we have a modern equivalent of the printing press in the Internet. The Internet allows everyone to be a publisher, to have his or her voice heard, and it is revolutionizing society. Before the Internet there were great barriers to printing. It took money, power, influence, and a great amount of time to publish. But today, because of the emergence of what some call “new media,” made possible by the Internet, many of those barriers have been removed."
There are conversations that go on about various topics, including the Church. Elder Ballard urges members to not "stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the Church teaches." So, let us "join the conversation by participating on the Internet to share the gospel and to explain in simple and clear terms the message of the Restoration."
From this simple statement by Elder Ballard, and my previous experience with the internet, I know that many things can be accomplished if we each participate and make a stand. There are millions of internet users in the world today, and a simple conversation declaring our thoughts and opinions will effect at least one person. Remember, the worth of souls is great. Who knows, maybe that person has a family who will also be influenced, and their families, and their families. It's a growing web.
From simple media, my parents were introduced into the Church, and now, all 7 of my family members are active members in the LDS faith! More to come :)

Each individual can be heard. The use of modern day media. Growing web and connections between people.

One of my favorite blogs to follow is Mormon Media. Simple but uplifting spiritual messages :)

Evolution and LDS theology

The much debated topic between evolution and theology has caused much confusion and doubting of scientific research and the powerful religion. If God created man "in mine own image", how does evolution come into play? Don't we have bones of early ancestors of the homo sapiens sapiens? 

Here, I share some personal thoughts along with the thoughts of leaders of the LDS church. In the end, science and religion go hand in hand. 

First, please do not begin to doubt in the important truth that religion offers. In the early 1900s, the LDS Church produced a statement of The Origin of Man. The statement begins with the statement that "Truth is what we wish to present, and truth-eternal truth-is fundamentally old". From the Bible, we know that "God created man in his own image" (Gen. 1:27). This is the fact, truth has one source, and "all revelations from heaven are harmonious with each other." Even Moses witnessed the creation of man. Various prophets have recounted visions where God is seen. And we look like Him.

“Well, last week when we were discussing the creation of the world you said that life on earth could not have come about by evolution. We both agree on the one really essential aspect, that God created all living things; but when you say that He could not do so by an evolutionary process, are you not in effect saying that God could not do with the beasts and the lilies of the field what man can do with cows and dogs or wheat and roses?”
“Still I see no great problem; there are so many explanations. For example, evolution might account only for man’s physical body; the addition of that ‘divine spark’ that sets man apart from the other animals might have been the final step that created the man, Adam. Whichever way it came about, I am willing to wait until some future time for the details.”
“I never try to convert anyone to evolution, but I do believe in helping people to understand enough to judge for themselves. What I was trying to do was to convince you that one can believe in evolution and still believe in the Gospel. I believe the Gospel embraces all truth; then if evolution is true, it is part of the Gospel.” -Bertrand F. Harrison

Evolution: look what we can do

Generation 6

Generation 1

On October 23, 2001, Apple Computers publicly announced the development of a portable music digital player, the iPod. First generation, with a mechanical scroll wheel and 10 GB capacity. This was a hot new item, a sleek new mp3. Soon, a second generation ipod followed, allowing for 20 GB of memory, with a touch-sensitive wheel. Fourth and Fifth generation ipods emerged, ending with the final Sixth generation of the classic ipod on September 5, 2007, capable of storing 160 GB, audio, video, and photo capacity! Soon emerged smaller versions of the ipod nano, ipod shuffle, and ipod mini. The latest version is the ipod touch, and even the iphone, capable of video recording, retina display, camera, 64 GB, and touch screen.The ipod touch is more convenient, cool, and desirable. Way more are produced than the original 10 GB generation 1 ipod classic. It has taken over. (ipod history)

The ipod is a prime example of modern day evolution, or the change in traits of a population over time. Evolution must consist of descent with modification, a change within lineage. Like the ipod becoming faster, containing larger memory, and more convenient, species evolve over time.

So why do species evolve? Charles Darwin provides insights which are studied today in his Origin of Species

Populations are not perfect. There are random mutations. Mating is chosen. These points will result in progeny that is better suited and equipped for survival. 

Notice the beak of the cactus finch. In order to obtain food and water, this finch must be able to navigate the spines on the cactus. The short, stubby beaked birds will not be able to feed and will not survive. Thus, species evolve, each best suited to it's natural environment. This principle of survival caries into our daily lives. Why do girls put make-up on? Why are computers getting faster? Where did our big corn or juicy apples and tomatoes come from? Why is there calcium infused in our orange juices? What is a prius? Isn't everything evolving?

The new frontier

"The ideals of a people, their aspirations and convictions, their hopes and ambitions, their dreams and determinations, are assets in their civilization as real and important as per capita wealth or industrial skill." -Pioneer Ideals and the State University 


From the beginning our nation, pioneers have kept one common ideal: conquest. The first pioneers had to fight with nature for the chance to exist. Burning, cutting, fighting just to let the sun reach a few dozen acres of farming land. Soon, the pioneer made way all the way to the west coast. California is a beautiful example of the accomplishments of our original pioneers. For a beautiful work on this, refer to Jeffrey Whitlock's "The Frontier and the City of Angels".

But what happened once we conquered the land? Where to next? where was our conquering spirit to go? And where are the boundaries of complete knowledge? Here are some short examples of how many areas we have to explore, and how, in the year 2010, we are still making new, world-changing discoveries.

Book Review of Frankenstein

Review posted on Amazon.com

Many of the main ideas of Romanticism are seen in Mary Shelley's book Frankenstein. The romantic period is characterized by a movement and departure away from scientific and rational ideas, in literature, ideology, and art. The artwork from the romantic era strove to capture and represent the sublime, the experience of nature, and the personalization of these experiences. This particular work of Mary Shelley is a story that is not from her own personal experience nor written in her own voice. This work is about a quest to achieve the sublime. Through the use of emotionally stirring words and a creative, gothic mood, Mary Shelley creates a romantic piece of artwork that drives one towards personal discovery and romantic ideology. Frankenstein is about Dr. Victor Frankenstein's quest to create a living being out of raw materials in his laboratory. With an emphasis on a "new way of seeing things", Dr. Victor Frankenstein applied imagination and creative thinking in order to better understand the world, perfect the vision of human beings, and better characterize the society in which we live. Being the dreamer, who is preoccupied by the sublime, suggest Dr. Victor Frankenstein and this novel, as a wonderful romantic work.

Civil Disobedience

"That government is best which governs least"

The influence of romanticism

During the 19th century, a great change was in place! It was known as romanticism!!! Gaining strength from the industrial revolution, the romantic era was a movement against aristocratic social and political norms. This era, although mostly embodied in visual arts, music, literature, and nature, had a large impact on modern day education and history.

These are some pictures that embody the romantic feelings. Notice all the emotion, imagination, and subjectivity in the approach. The largeness of nature and how miraculously you and I associate with it so well. The feeling of discovery, not only of the wide world, but also of the inner man. Much emphasis was put on emotion as an authentic source of aesthetic experience. Intuition, imagination, and feeling replaced rationalism, logic, and order. 

Writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau found inspiration in nature and the human imagination. The beauty of this new realm differed largely from that of previous times. Nature was encouraged as a form of innocence in human kind. On the other hand, industrialism and modernization threatened this force. 

The new approach to life and discovering "man's desire to redefine himself" fed into the American ideology and philosophy: a new desire to discover belonging in a world of innovation. This quest for discovery and balance embodies the democratic spirit, where one must discover equality and liberty. Romanticism introduced a whole new level for learning and creation, which carries on today through various means.

Book Club

What could be better than book clubbin' with Jeffrey and Jake? Maybe sippin' mango shakes on the beach, uhh, nevermind. that's not as good. Anyways, books are so beautiful. I love being able to look deep into the thoughts of the author as I explore his book. It is enlightening and romantic (yeah? yeah? haha! this is my classroom application) Let's begin with lovely, innovative, artistic, literary, and intellectual music video. Followed by description of suggested books.


Book Number 1: Poor White by Sherwood Anderson. This is a story of Hugh McVey, an inventor who rises from poverty on the banks of the Mississippi River. In this book, we see the influence of industrialism on the more rural side of America.













Book Number 2: A History of English Romanticism in the Nineteenth Century by Henry A. Beers. This looks like a very interesting book that can be very informative of romanticism. We can learn of beginnings and results!

Book Number 3: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. This is a great book written in the romanticism era that depicts early science fiction, gothicism, and the complexities of the inner man. This book also warned against the expansions of the modern man of the industrial revolution. From reading this, we can gain a better understanding of romanticism.







Other possible works written in the romanticism era are Edgar Allan Poe poems, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

Catch ya reading a book!

(nice cheesy ending ;)

In God We Trust

"In God We Trust" is the official motto of our Country, The United States of America. This powerful phrase reflects of the influence of God in the building and functioning of USA. All the way from the War of 1812, when morning light showed that the American flag still flew above Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key said, "And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust!'" And on July 30, 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the law which established this phrase as our motto.

What does America stands for? Freedom! Opportunity! (your thoughts). Thinking about the growth of the nation is a powerful witness to me of the influence God has on the USA.

I want to take this idea and run some short ideas by you about how this relates to capitalism and communism. I'm not trying to impose ideas or offend anybody, just provide some food for thought :)

Let's begin with a brief comparison between capitalism and communism. Traditionally, capitalism means the ownership and control of the means of production by a class of "capitalists". A capitalist is one who owns capital or some means of production used by workers. On the other hand, communism means the ownership and control of the means of production by the workers themselves, whether as individuals, cooperatives, collectives, communal groups, or state. Capitalism is the private (non-government) ownership of the means of production. This means that the state does not participate in planning or in individual's capital. Communism, on the other hand, means the ownership and control of the means of production by the people as a whole, by means of the state, or some sort of local government. For a brief overview of the two systems or for further understanding, click on theses sources that outline Adam Smith's capitalism or Karl Marx's communism.

Capitalism cannot exist without God. I say this because for me, knowing that God is real helps me understand the importance of keeping morals and ethics. God teaches principles of kindness, charity, and honesty from scriptures like the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Prophets. Capitalism is based on the idea of 'self-interest' and requires morals to function effectively. "I work hard because of self interest. I put fair prices on my products, and use excess to invest in my business, resulting in better products and lowering prices." However, when these interest's turn into 'selfishness', the system begins to suffer.

Communism is the control of capital by a head party. Although communism attempts to lessen the gap and competition between rich and poor, it places a lot of power in just one group, that is in charge of distribution. The motives of this system are good, but the set-up is not quite parallel with principles of agency, self-governance, and growth.

I am grateful to God for so many things, and this offers another perspective into the economic world.

Labor Unions

In this clip from the movie, Newsies, Jack Kelly (the cowboy), begins a union and a strike against the big paper companies, with the idea of, "when you got a hundred voices singin', who can hear a lousy whistle blow?" The newspapers boys join together in order to protect their individual rights.

Labor unions resulted from the Industrial Revolution, which brought about dramatic changes in demographics, politics, social structure, and economy. With the growth of factories, people were drawn into the metropolitan centers. Capitalism was magnified in this time period. Factory owners who controlled the means of production, became rich very quickly. Soon, new technologies, like steam power, mining, and metallurgy, emerged. But with the new demand of workers also came an issue with working conditions. Work places were often poorly ventilated, over-crowded, and full of safety hazards. Men, women, and children (all of whom were employed), struggled to meet living expenses and formed urban slums.

Consequently, conditions of action were taken to protect workers. Safety laws were passed, minimum age limits, schools for the children, and other standards were created.
The individual workers also initiated activities for protection, and established labor unions.

We see labor unions today.
October 3, 2010, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, gives a speech at "One Nation Working Together" at the Lincoln memorial that contains many purposes of a trade union.

"We believe in America. It's time for America to believe in each and every one of us. And we have to ensure that working men and women have the freedom to make every last job a good job by joining together in a union to bargain for a better life." -Richard Trumka

What can you do if you are a worker in a factory, slaving away long hours, never even seeing the finished product. The capitalist in you screams "I have a family to take care of...self interest". How can one protect himself or herself?
Labor Unions provide one answer. Are there others?

Fruit of the Renaissance

Imagine living a couple centuries ago, looking at the stars, planets, and the sun from our beautiful planet. You observe that the planets follow different patterns, challenging the idea of the geocentric model, which has been the accepted model for more than 1500 years. This "complex interaction of circles" was challenged by various philosophers and astronomers, however, because of their lack of authority, the ideas of a heliocentric system never really caught on until the 16th century with Copernicus. 

Now imagine the great religious prominence of the Catholic Church in the 1500's. Controlling a lot of the political and social power, the church stood as a symbol of authority and power. The people in high positions of the church, namely the priests, were involved in all aspects of life, from baptism to burial to marriage to forgiveness. Some of these practices were questionable, but who dared voice an opinion without the risk of losing life? 

In 1517, Martin Luther posted 95 Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences,  which catalyzed the protestant reformation.

These examples, and many more, are points of the renaissance, a rebirth and a cultural movement. There began a great flow of creative thinking, realism, and humanism. Great theories of individualism, capitalism, and other new theories spread, shaping our world today.

One interesting point is the French Revolution, a period of radical social and political upheaval. The authority in France, Louis XV, fought many expensive wars. As a result, a lot of financial strain was put on the citizens, resulting in starvation, likelihood of disease, and poor trade. An assembly was formed to discuss issues at hand, and it turned sour, resulting in a stormage of the assembly by mobbers against the king. The people were not afraid of voicing their ideas. The renaissance period left man uplifted and protective of rights. The people of France wanted popular sovereignty, and dethroned the king.

The rights of the people is very important, and the French Revolution may seem well justified. However, Edmund Burke shared some thoughts about the revolution that question the reasoning and impulsiveness of man. Speaking of the French revolutionists, he wrote, 

"You might have repaired those walls; you might have built on those old foundations. Your constitution was suspended before it was perfected' but you had the elements of a constitution very nearly as good as could be wished. You had all that combination, and all that opposition of interests, you had that action and counteraction which, in the natural and in the political world, from the reciprocal struggle of discordant powers, draws our the harmony of the universe...You had all these advantages in your ancient States; but you chose to act as if you had never been moulded into civil society, and had everything to begin anew." (Edmund Burke. Reflections on the Revolution in France. pg 205)

So where is the line between complete revolution compared to modification? The French Revolution ended with a blood bath. 

On the other hand, the American Revolution resulted in the beginning of a great nation. What was the difference? We still feel the effects of the renaissance today.

Connecting through SKYPE!!!

Skype is a software application that allows users to call, video chat, message, and text to others all over the world. Here is the benefit. Calls to other skype users is free! This is a convenient method to stay in touch with people overseas, out of state, whoever you miss. Here are some basic instructions in getting started and using the basic functions of skype.

First, you will need a computer that has internet connection.
To register for skype, go to http://www.skype.com.
Scroll down to find "download skype" and click it.

Create a skype account by typing your Full Name, your skype ID, and password into the provided boxes.

You will then be asked to input your email address and location.

You can then sign in to skype.

ADD CONTACTS

1) Click on the "plus" sign at the bottom left of the skype box.

2) This box should pull up. You can enter another skype contact, search by name, or add a phone number.

3) Once a contact is found, you can add it, and the name will appear in your address box.

VIDEO CALL

1) Click on the name you want to call. If they are online, they will have a green check. If offline, there will be an 'X'

2) Click on the green phone to call, and it will ring them up :)

PHONE CALL or SMS 

1) To call, click on the phone grid sign at the bottom left of the home screen.

2) type in the number in the given space, and click call or text, depending on what you want to do.

      - Calling and texting phones costs money. It is still pretty cheap and very convenient.

      - for calling rates, go to this website: http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/prices/payg-rates/

CONFERENCE CALL

1) On the toolbar, select "Call"

2) Select "Conference Call"

3) Select the names or numbers of people who you would like to make the conference call.

4) Call

Skype is an awesome tool and a great way to stay connected. One of my best friends is away, studying in California. Keeping in touch with him is much easier with skype!