IS CONSIDERED EVIL

          

FOR  TRYING TO FEED HIMSELF

                               
                                Quotes

"The nuclear arms race is like two sworn enemies standing waist deep in gasoline, one with three matches, the other with 5." -Carl Segan

Carl Segan was an astronomer who died in 1996. He was well known for his books, his tv show "Cosmos" and his public enthusiasm for sharing science with the younger generation. Here, Carl demonstrates that he liked to talk about more than just whats happening outside of our planet, but express his opinion on the brewing of nuclear war happening on the planet. In this simple analogy, Carl points out that whoever has the most matches, or nuclear weapons, doesn't matter if we all lose in the end. A good simple explanation why the nuclear arms race is a dangerous and pointless endeavor for humanity.


"I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people that make you feel alone" -Robin Williams

This year, the world was devastated by the tragic suicide of beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams. I personally was just astounded when I heard this had happened. Like this should not be something that can happen in our reality. The words "Robin Williams killed himself" still don't sound like they should make any sense. A man who brought so much joy to others was hiding enough pain to end his own existence. Reading a quote like this, in light of this tragic event, is painful. It puts in perspective just how unclear it can be what kind of depression people are living with. Scary stuff, but something can be learned from these words. Don't let yourself get stuck with people who don't make you feel special, or important. The impact of not being surrounded by people you love can drive you to some dark things.

"When you tear out a mans tongue you are not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world that you fear what he might say" -Tyrion Lannister

While the previous two quotes are from actual people, I decided to use the quote of a fictional character for my third, but I do not believe that diminishes its value in the slightest. The character of Tyrion is very inspirational, as he is a little person (dwarf) in medieval times when this was viewed as a source of great shame on his family. Tyrion struggles to live up to the expectations of his father and his family name, and never lets anyone get the best of him. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with his cleverness and quick wit. That, however, is fairly irrelevant to the quote, I just felt I should explain why I think this character is so worth quoting, and a very good point is made by Tyrion. This quote can be applied to  things likegovernment propaganda, it can be applied to murder based on a difference of religious views, or it can be refereed to people getting in a fist fight over difference of opinion. Violence doesn't change the sides of an argument, and resorting to it may only make you look worse.

"Dude, suckin' at somethin' is the first step to bein' sorta good at somethin'" 

As a bonus fourth quote I decided to include my favorite quote from my favorite show "Adventure Time". I won't go into much detail here as I think it speaks for itself. In a show as silly and childish as Adventure Time has a tendency to be, every now and then there is a really nice moment. This is the shows way of telling you to never give up, even when things get hard. Nobody is perfect right away, and hearing Jake say something simple, silly, yet inspiration might mean a lot to kids. I enjoy the thought of those words maybe inspiring a child to stick with his piano lessons, or keep kicking the soccer ball. Don't stop playing because your older brother beats you every time, cause one day that could change, but it won't if you give up. I may not have appreciated these words that much if I heard them as a child, but as an adult it puts a smile on my face.

                                                   The Time Police         


             "I've finally done it!" He cried out with triumph. "All these years hiding away, working in secret will finally pay off!" The professor stepped back and marveled at the culmination of his life's work. A real, functioning time machine, which could take him back and fourth to any time period up to September 23, 2043, or in other words: present day. He laughed to himself at all the people who had scorned him, mocked him, and betrayed him over the years. Now he was the only one left, but he also knew what was coming. He took one last look at the tattered, run down wreck of an apartment complex that had been his hiding place for all these years, before abandoning this future and setting off for better times. He set the dial, adjusted his co-ordinates for the year 2014, and in a blinding light he vanished .

              When he arrived he appeared to be in the basement of a dingy building. He could hear footsteps overhead, and his own voice. This was a secret bunker he had prepared over 30 years ago in the basement of his apartment, having always believed time travel could be achieved. Unsure of the consequences, he knew he had to avoid himself at all costs. He used a secret door in the back of the room, and went on his way.


               The professor had one desire in the past, having lived a hard and miserable life, and his choice of time period was no random selection. All the years hiding and working in secret, the professor had kept one thing. A newspaper clipping with the wining lottery numbers for the very next day. He would live out the rest of his days in luxury before the uprising took place.  He took what little money he had bothered to keep, bought a single ticket, wrote down the winning numbers, and tucked away in his bunker waiting till morning. As he lay there, he recounted all the terrible memories from his lost future.


              He had once been part of a respectable league of scientists, unknown by the public, tasked with engineering the things that were going to launch mankind into the future. However mankind is an unstable species, and the marvels they were creating were destined to be abused. Leagues of highly technical, nearly indestructible robots, designed to be the perfect law enforcement, were used to start a totalitarian takeover of earth. There were traitors among the ranks of his team, and the designs were sold to those who would fight back, creating a devastating worldwide war of robots and men. The professor himself held a key code that would override all computing systems and AI for the machines, but this information was also betrayed to the usurpers, and he had been hunted every day since.


               The one detail nobody knew was that the robots would never be able to track him down. They hunted using the DNA codes from the personal records of all mankind, but he had excluded his own in the design process. He took what he could from the lab before he fled: old journals, parts, and blueprints, and put all his faith into his old schematics for a time machine. Now it was all going to pay off. He didn't care to prevent the future, for he had grown to hate mankind. They did not respect his works, they only sought power, and those he thought could be trusted would eventually betray him. No, he would let the future go on as scheduled, with himself caught in an infinite time loop of wealth and satisfaction.

                The next day arrived, and the professor took his ticket into the office where he could claim his millions. He was so excited, he didn't have a care in the world. He showed his winning numbers to the lady up front, who lit up like a Christmas tree, and invited him to come to the back.

                "This will be big news for sure! Nobody has won a lottery jackpot this huge in a long time, and never around here" she chuckled. "I'm sure you and your family must be so excited!"

                  The professor never responded. He was too lost in thought. He would miss working on his machines and gadgets, but there was no way he could go back. He would have to switch his mentality to that of a carefree man. He continued to follow the woman back into the building, lost in daydreams. He failed to notice the strange change in decor from a nice oak office to a steel corridor with very few lights and countless doors with no labels. They entered a room with nothing but a long steel table and a backwards chair on the opposite end. The professor was finally snapped out of his daze by the door slamming behind them.

                  "Where are we exactly? When do I collect my winnings?" The professor inquired, but the woman did not answer him, although she continued to smile. Then the professor noticed there were no windows, barley any lights, and a man was slowly turning around in his chair.

                     "Hello again professor" the man sneered with satisfaction. "I see you have fallen for our trap once again. I will be taking you back to the future now, so you can reveal once again how your time machine functions and where we can expect to find you when you leave. There are men who are very excited to see you in the future, lucky for me I get to see you every single day"

                     "Is somebody down there?" The man called out, having been certain he heard a rummaging sound coming from his basement. Having decided his mind was overreacting, he opted not to investigate further, for today was an exciting day! Today he was going to submit his research for approval to the board of technological advancement for a grant and a lab to begin working on his most ambitious project yet. He was confident in himself, and left the house eager to change the world!

                 

                       QUALIFIED NEWS!
BREAKING NEWS STORY: MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGH CHANGES EVERYTHING YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW ABOUT CIGARETTES!

A recent study done by the most qualified men in St. John's has revealed an absolutely shocking statistic that will change your life, and put your mind to rest about the dangers of smoking.                                                              

These new studies indicate that smoking is in fact NOT dangerous at all, but perhaps essential to live, as 100% of all people who do not smoke DIE! That's right, every single person alive who does not smoke will die. the correlation between life span and cigarettes smoked has not been conclusive, but research is being done to bring you all the most up to date news on the subject.  

NEXT WEEK: COULD DRINKING WATER BE RELATED TO THIS HUGE HEALTH SCANDAL? SECRETS OF IMMORTALITY UNLOCKED? ALL ANSWERS REVEALED TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE IN NEXT WEEKS ADDITION OF QUALIFIED NEWS!

                                                Poetry of everyday life. 

An example of poetry in everyday life I think often goes ignored is that of architecture and human civilization. Everywhere you go you see houses, roads, signs, and landmarks that all had to be crafted by people. If you stop to appreciate the size of great buildings like the ones here on campus, or just the one you live in, you will see the great work of poetry that lay around you. It must be designed, and carefully planned, like the base of any good poem, by the architect, or writer. A statue or carving must be crafted by the hands of a different sort of poet, who uses physical object to express his work upon the world. Museums are also a great place to experience poetry. Not only are there many great statues, but paintings, which make another great example of poetry. Colors and feelings crafted seamlessly onto a page to represent a person, a place, or just a feeling of pure emotion. I believe paintings to be very comparable to poetry, as just as much feeling, emotion, and even story can be absorbed through appreciation of either. Something else you might appreciate in a museum is the poetry that is the human being. On the surface it appears quite simple, but inside it is very complicated, intricate, and perfectly molded together to form something that has life and feeling. These were the best examples of poetry in everyday life I could think of, essentially anything with a complicated structure that has the potential to be amazing and beautiful if we are willing to look at the inner workings of what we see. Save perhaps for paintings i would say all these examples are very often overlooked, and all are certainly a great example of poetry that is a part of our lives on a daily basis.
                                
                         


                                  

                         South Park season 18 premier episode review "Go Fund Yourself" 

                                                  (Spoilers ahead)


South park is one of the longest running TV comedies of all time, and somehow manage to stay sharp, funny, and controversial with each passing year. The most remarkable thing about creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker is their ability to make episodes that stay so on top of the most current issues, down to making an episode about Obama being re-elected the day after he won. Still, after all these years, you would think they would lose the edge, or the passion to keep making fresh, hilarious episodes without ever seeming unoriginal.  Well, the season 18 premier, like every season before it, is here to put those fears to rest.


                                             "Washington Redskins; We do nothing"


The episode starts out with Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny trying to think of a name for their start-up company that does nothing so they can "Start up, Cash in, Sell out, and Bro down" using Kickstarter. They want to come up with a catchy name, since according to Stan that's all it takes to have a successful start-up company, then have people pledge money so they can cash in, and not go to school anymore. Cartman comes up with the name "The Washington Redskins" due to the recent loss of the trademark, and in classic South Park style, Kyle and Cartman butt heads over it. This immediately made me partial to this episode, as seeing some classic elements mixed with current events is my favorite thing they do on this show. It makes the episode feel very with the times, which is good since South Park is mostly social satire, but it never stops feeling like an episode of South Park, which is just how I like it.




So naturally, the boys start to see money coming in from people who think its cool that they do nothing. The Washington redskins themselves show up, and the interaction with Cartman is a great moment as the owner of the team begs Cartman to stop using their name "out of decency". That goes about as you would expect. There are several social standpoints and mockeries scattered throughout the episode, making fun of press conferences, the NFL giving meaningless statements in defense of players, and a few throwaway jabs at ISIS. None of it takes itself to seriously though, it's all very silly, unlike harsher social views discussed like the finale of the previous season which ended on a very dark note. All the skits are very funny, playing off the boys personalities well, such as Kyle deciding to make his own company, and Stan giving a speech that brings them back together in classic fashion. This episode is mostly just Stan Kyle Cartman and Kenny, with a bit of Butters and Randy for brief interactions. As much as I love these characters, it is still nice to just get an episode with just the 4 kids.

Eventually it all wraps up with a pretty humorous ending, as things come crashing down on the company after a clever joke about cowboys slaughtering Indians turns the people against the Washington Redskins. Overall, this episode made for a nice season opener, and while it was a non-stop laugh, it was definitely very entertaining. More clever than funny at most times, but that's something I always appreciate in a comedy. It's always nice to see, but never surprising, that Matt and Trey haven't lost their touch, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the season has to offer.

I'm really not much of a picture taker, so I wont be using any pictures I have personally taken. I have tried to think back to all the cool pictures I have seen floating around and find the ones I found the most interesting.

 This is Strengite, I don't think there is much point in discussing the properties of this mineral, and I'm not a super earthy guy generally. However I love this picture because it looks like it was chipped right off the back of a dragon, or some sort of valuable ancient treasure. It looks like something right out of mythology, and it is the coolest mineral I have ever seen. There is unfortunately not a tremendous amount to be said about this, but I picked this specific picture of Strengite because it usually appears in light purple. Whether because of strange lighting or unique conditions of formation, this picture shows Strengite in a beautiful warm red, and it looks awesome.

This is a cool picture of a parrot in a tropical forest. I've always found birds interesting, and I find colorful birds especially cool looking. It amazes me that these birds have adapted these really bright vibrant colors as an evolutionary defense to hide from predators. The truly special thing about parrots, however, is the ability to speak without vocal cords by conditioning their trachea just so. If that wasn't cool enough, this parrot is extra special, because its not a parrot at all! Look very closely and see if you can tell, but I bet you can't. I'll give you a hint though, start at the tail. Do think it looks a little odd? Then move up from there. If you can see what I see, then you shouldn't have to ask why I think this picture is cool. I really do love parrots though.

                                             "Dosed" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers

I got dosed by you and
Closer than most to you and
What am I supposed to do
Take it away I never had it anyway
Take it away and everything will be okay

In you a star is born and
You cut a perfect form and
Someone forever warm
Lay on lay on lay on lay on
Lay on lay on lay on lay on

Way upon the mountain where she died
All I ever wanted was your life
Deep inside the canyon I can hide
All I ever wanted was your life

Show love with no remorse and
Climb onto your seahorse and
This ride is right on course
This is the way I wanted it to be with you
This is the way I knew that it would be with you

Lay on lay on lay on lay on
Lay on lay on lay on lay on

Way upon the mountain where she died
All I ever wanted was your life
Deep inside the canyon I can hide
All I ever wanted was your life

I got dosed by you and
Closer than most to you and
What am I supposed to do
Take it away I never had it anyway
Take it away and everything will be okay

Way upon the mountain where she died
All I ever wanted was your life
Deep inside the canyon I can hide
All I ever wanted was your life

 \


"Dosed" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is a Poetic Ballad written in stanzas of four and five lines alternating. I find the structure of this song very interesting because it has two sets stanzas that refrain, those being the chorus 3 times between stanzas, but also the very first stanza is repeated right before the final repetition of the chorus. The rhyming in this song is also very creative, having two differing rhyme schemes for the refrain and the rest of the song. The connecting stanzas have an AAABB rhyme scheme, while the refrain has an ABAB, where the line "All I ever wanted was your life" is repeated. This is coupled by repetition of the endings and beginnings of many lines, such as "This is the way I wanted it to be with you This is the way I knew that it would be with you" and "Take it away I never had it anyway Take it away and everything will be okay." Repetition, as you can see, is a very large factor in what I believe makes this song so emotional, and also what I think makes the lyrics so creative and stimulating. It drives home a lot of the complex emotional elements of the lyrics, and gives the listener a feeling of the loss of the speaker, along with the pain he feels. The best way to observe what I mean is to just look at the repeated portions of the lyrics alone, the best example being "Take it away, take it away" which is repeated four times.

 Another interesting thing to note about this song is the choice of diction, which is used very well to project feelings and images into the listeners mind. The most significant choices of words, in my opinion, is the very first line "I got dosed by you". Comparing a persons love to a drug is not uncommon, however I think the choice of words offers more significance here. When most people compare love to a drug they use words like "Addiction" or "Hooked", something that sounds like they can't get enough, something fun. When I hear Dosed, I think a lot more of the darker side of drug abuse, chiefly overdose. It also makes me think of being tainted, or poisoned, but I don't think the speaker felt this person was poisonous to him. What I believe is being referred to with the drug metaphor is being dosed, getting hooked on something, but then having it taken away, leaving you forever craving more. Another interesting choice of words offers us a comparison of feelings in the chorus. The first line refers to this girl dying "way upon the mountain" where as the speaker refers to himself as 'Deep inside the canyon". There is an interesting comparison here, which could have many interpretations. The mountain could refer to a far away place, or the end of a long journey. It could also simply refer to being high, alluding to a drug overdose. However I think that it refers to total isolation. On top of a mountain you are alone, nobody can reach you. This thought is backed up by the line "Closer then most to you" which would imply this girl was no easy to get close to. On the other hand, you have the next part of the chorus referring to the speaker being alone in a canyon. This is fairly self explanatory, the girl has died, either metaphorically or literally, and now he is alone. The reason it is a little more interesting is the comparison of the mountain and the canyon, one representing the highest point on earth, closer to the heavens, while the other could be thought of as the lowest point, perhaps a metaphor for her being in a better place, and him being in a state of depression.

I have tried to view this song in a more positive light for the sake of examining all the angles. My main reason for arguing the point that this song may not explicitly be negative, however, is not in the actual lyrics, but the way Anthony Kiedis preforms them. It doesn't really fall in line with this assignment, but anyone who has never heard this song before should absolutely do themselves the favor. reading the lyrics as poetry shows you the beautiful mind of the writer, but the real tone of this song comes from listening. It is mournful, it is regretful, but there is also something else. if I had to put it to words, I would call it peaceful relief. This song honestly sounds like the last words of a man who is about to take his own life, but is not sad to do it, just sad about what he had to live through first. Now, he can return to the girl who's life was all he ever wanted.


Side note
Sorry if this is structured slightly differently than the outline stated, but a lot of the points I wanted to make went together unconventionally in my head so paragraph 2 and 3 kinda spliced. By The Way click that for the song.

Hello, and welcome to my blog! My name is Alex Coady, I am a 19 year man starting my first year of university after taking a year off to work. Most of my friends were a year younger than me so I decided waiting a year just made sense for me. I don't usually like to discuss myself, but since that is the point of the first assignment I'll have to suck it up. I am a huge TV show junkie, and I love to binge watch anything I can get into. One of my favorite activities include discussing show theories, predictions, and opinions with friends. My favorite shows are Adventure Time, Breaking Bad, Avatar: The Legend of Korra/The Last Airbender and South Park. I also love all kinds of competitive games, anything versus other people. I never seem to finish single player games anymore (except Pokemon). I love meeting new people, which is often contradictory to the vibe I give off since I don't really talk a tremendous amount until I get to know somebody. I can be judgmental at times, but I do try to be friendly. If I am annoyed by something you would probably never know it. I'm also a huge Red Hot Chili Peppers fan, along with being a big fan of classic rock. I'm usually not a big fan of current music, but now and then a good song makes it on the radio. I don't really know what I'm hoping to get out of my MUN experience just yet, I just want to find some courses I can enjoy and go from there. I'm looking forward to hopefully getting to meet some new people, and maybe this will be an easy way to do it. I appreciate the time anybody spent reading this, so thank you.

P.S my sister is also in this class, Emma Coady. I'm not entirely sure if she would want everybody to know that, but there it is. Sorry!