A Reflection On A (Very) Emotional Book.

Wool by Hugh Howey is the kind of book every author should aspire to write like. Not only is it written with flawless grammatical skill, the context also keeps the reader completely entangled. Vivid imagery allowed me to see through the author's eyes and become these characters while somehow managing to stay as myself. The author carefully balanced the connections forged between reader and character just Enoch to where it could still maintain my own perception while also seeing the characters. Each character is very well developed whether they are a side character or a protagonist. The author forced me to be deeply empathetic of these characters. Their pain was my pain. Their struggle was my struggle. Their joy was my joy. Despite the book taking place in an entirely different society, I could relate to at least one of these characters and even if I couldn't relate, I understood how and why they thought the way they did. That is a pretty remarkable achievement.

I cannot say that I connected to a single character because that is not true. I connected to every character whether it was Bernard who wanted to sentence an entire category of people to death or Juliette who just wanted to know what it meant to be alive because some days she wasn't sure if she was really even breathing. Each character had deep, personal struggle that was not revealed in plain sight. You had to think, and think, and think some more until that final epiphany came and everyone heard me say, "Oh!" With Lucas, I truly connected to his struggle to stay true to who he was despite not knowing who he was but only knowing he wasn't who people wanted him to be. He felt like he wasn't the right person in my opinion. Juliette was able to help him see who he was because for me, she symbolizes life. She told him that this was his life and it was who he was. His memories, his thoughts, his emotions, his pain, his joy, his dreams...they are who he is. This book is filled with struggles woven into deeper struggles woven into even deeper struggles until there is nothing left to see but darkness or light. There is either life or death, joy or anger, happiness or sadness. Wool made me question my fundamental beliefs not only in myself but in the world around me and that is why I love this novel.

The FedX Fallacy

The following print advertisement promoted FedX by claiming that two of UPS's trucks fit into one of FedX's.

First off, did anyone else notice that the UPS trucks are clearly a smaller model than the FedX one? In fact, they look to be the exact size if not bigger than FedX express couriers. They purposelessly chose a truck size that would fit twice despite the fact that UPS has an eighteen wheeler vehicle that appears to be a similar size.
Link To image of UPS Eighteen Wheeler
FedX misrepresented the size of UPS trucks to make it seem as if they were substantially smaller than FedX trucks when, in reality, UPS trucks are similar to the same size as their equals in FedX. This is clearly a use of the Texas Sharp Shooter.

Is love like a drug?

2) Write your own persuasive argument using rhetorical devices to convince an audience. Choose any topic that interests you, and write a speech or editorial that employs logos, pathos, and ethos

Love is like a drug due to the fact that it gives a chemical high; has the potential to become an addiction; is perceived to be a good thing despite multiple side affects such as becoming distracted easily, having extreme emotions, and a lack of clarity and logic that results in impaired decision making skills; stimulates certain parts of the brain; can cause a person to grow dependent on their lover; and slight personality shifts. When someone is in love, they get the same sensations as someone on cocaine. “The reason people are so attracted to cocaine is that it activates the area of the brain that makes you feel good,” researcher Arthur Aron, PhD, tells WebMD. “The same reward area is activated when people are experiencing the intense desire of romantic love." If a person can become addicted to cocaine, then why can they not become addicted to love considering that they both wield a similar result? The answer is, they can. "Romantic relationships can lead to the addiction of a specific person such as being obsessed with thinking of that person all the time and the capacity for risk-taking to get to that person. These behaviors are thought to reflect those of someone who is addicted to a drug. The same brain chemicals — large amounts of dopamine and norepinpherine — and the same brain pathways and structures are active when in love, and when being high on crack cocaine. Therefore, this leads to the belief that addictive drugs affect the brain in ways similar to love, Marsh says, which can help explain the painful, withdrawal-like symptoms of a breakup" (Oxytocin).
Like every medicine commercial that plays, there is always that dreaded list of side affects. In a fictional book titled Delirium, the author created a dystopian world that was similar to ours save for the fact that love was considered a disease that must be treated. The one thing that was not fictional about the first installment of the trilogy , however, was her list of symptoms. “Symptoms of Amor Deliria Nervosa
PHASE ONE:
-preoccupation; difficulty focusing
-dry mouth
-perspiration, sweaty palms
-fits of dizziness and disorientation
-reduced mental awareness; racing thoughts; impaired reasoning skills
PHASE TWO:
-periods of euphoria; hysterical laughter and heightened energy
-periods of despair; lethargy
-changes in appetite; rapid weight loss or weight gain
-fixation; loss of other interests
-compromised reasoning skills; distortion of reality
-disruption of sleep patterns; insomnia or constant fatigue
-obsessive thoughts and actions
-paranoia; insecurity
PHASE THREE (CRITICAL):
-difficulty breathing
-pain in the chest, throat or stomach
-complete breakdown of rational faculties; erratic behavior; violent thoughts and fantasies; hallucinations and delusions
PHASE FOUR (FATAL):
-emotional or physical paralysis (partial or total)
-death
If you fear that you or someone you know may have contracted deliria, please call the emergency line toll-free at 1-800-PREVENT to discuss immediate intake and treatment.”
This list of symptoms is realistic but most would laugh at the idea of love being a disease. It is seen as a beautiful thing to most and yet, could it possible be a socially acceptable form of insanity? Perhaps the world will never know. What the world can rely on, though, is facts.
Romantic love activates in the caudate nucleus, via a flood of dopamine at the sight of their loved ones. This means that a person becomes very happy upon seeing the people they love. The more a person is in love, the more tolerable they are to pain. Oxytocin is released while a person is in love and is a vital part of making a deep connection with the person they love. It also triggers the release of domaine when a person feels as if they have found their partner for life. People can often grow dependant on the person they are romantically involved with and substitute that person's emotions with their own. This results in a relationship where even the slightest hurtful remark can cause an extreme reaction from the dependee. The depended either do not realize that this is occurring or, if their love is morally off, they take advantage of the dependee. It's a tough situation because the dependee often times does not realize that this is happening without outside intervention.
Because of the high risk emotional situation that love lives in, people are often different after being in a relationship. The experiences a person has with their lover are highly emotional and, as a result, are much more memorable than an average date. If a relationship is hurtful, a person may have a much more negative outlook on life when it ends. However, a person may argue that people are constantly changing based on their own experiences and that love is just one of these. Both of these are true. While love is one of many experiences that shapes a person's personality, it is also one that has a very large affect on who the person may become one day.

Shylock: A Man Or A Jew?

The Merchant of Venice was written in a time when people were extremely narrow minded. People do not see what they do not want to see even if it staring them straight in the face. It is no wonder that Jews like Shylock were considered to be less humane than Christians. Jews were different, and anything that was different was wrong because it meant change. Shakespeare, however, did not share the same narrow mind as most people of his time. He had an open mind, and that is why this speech is placed so perfectly, an example of not only the future but of how to convince the people of something they do not even know they are being convinced of.

I believe this play to be a tragicomedy and, as such, it permits the usage of Shylock's speech.  If this play had been a comedy, the speech would not have fit in because it would be too, well, tragic. It would not have made people laugh and so the people would be confused by it and possibly angered at the mere idea of sympathizing with a Jew. If this play had been a tragedy, this speech would have been too much. It would have been too tragic and the people would not like it. Since the play was a tragicomedy, Shakespeare's speech right. I have reason to believe that Shakespeare built his entire play around this speech. He portrayed Shylock not as an evil Jew but as a man just like you and I whose spiritual beliefs caused him to plummet downwards.

Friendship and People.

Numerous discussions have been held about whether or not Antonio is, in fact, gay and in love with Bassanio. Numerous people say that he is not. A few say he is. It is my belief that Antonio and Bassanio are friends who have known each other for years and, as such, have grown close because of it. In the cast list, Bassanio is listed as a friend of Antonio. While this may be because homosexuality was a sin in the eyes of the religious, it may also be that it was because they were just that- friends.
While you and I may not give up a pound of our own flesh to ensure that our best friend has the possibility of wooing a gorgeous, wealthy girl, we are also from a different time. We see things through the eyes of a modern, Western teenager with money. Antonio and Bassanio lived in a time where the norms of their society were different from ours. It seems as if friendship is stronger there than here, but some may argue that that is because the things they are willing to do for their friends are beyond reason. That is why love was considered. People cannot even begin to fathom why someone would do something so seemingly foolish and yet, I can give you an answer. Antonio referred to having have known Bassanio for a very long time time. Perhaps Antonio saw Bassanio as a little brother of sorts, a man who needed nurturing and caring that went beyond the means of a parent and more into the means of a friend.
Yes, Bassanio screwed Antonio over twice or more over with loans but, at the end of the day, Bassanio was still Antonio's friend and seemingly life long acquaintance. Bassanio knew he easily might not to be able to pay Antonio and I do not think he really cared. Bassanio's loyalty to Antonio was significantly lesser than Antonio's to him. Bassanio wanted what he wanted and he did not care who he had to step on to get there. After all, business does not often find itself having morals. For Bassanio, his business was getting the girl. Bassanio would screw over his lifelong friend and allow him to lose a pound of his flesh just so he can have the mere possibility of winning over a girl. A girl, let's remember, that is won by a game of chance not wealth! Bassanio is such an opposite of Antonio that it is no wonder why they get along well. Some say that people who are like minded get along better, but I believe that to be a lie. Antonio and Bassanio are perfect examples. Antonio will always have Bassanio's back until the day Shylock comes to get that pound of flesh and his death most likely becomes a reality. Until then, Bassanio will be the muck he is.
Antonio and Bassanio walk a fine line when it comes to their friendship. Their friendship is unjust yet, aren't all friendships? There is always going to be that friend who goes the extra mile, that friend who brings you chicken soup, a bucket of ice cream, and your favorite movie when you get sick even though you two were in a massive argument the day before. Antonio is that friend despite his many flaws. He cares about Bassanio's well being but, most of all, he cares about his happiness. I don't think you have to be someone's lover to wish for them to be happy. I think you need to be a damn good friend to be willing to face the possibility of death in order to give a close friend a chance at happiness, and Antonio is that incredible friend.

Renewal.

   Considering that the Renaissance marked a massive movement in the arts, I believe that it is definitely a thing. Art tends to inspire people as well as to show the future. That may sound a bit absurd but it is true nonetheless. Since nobility supported artists, art was able to be widely produced during the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries. Ideologies began to change and, slowly, a more Western mindset began to spread. People looked to the past and, because of such, the revival of art began. Scholars started looking to ancient Greek and Roman history rather than the Middle Ages because the Middle Ages was a time of doom and despair and the other was not. The surge of art and literature during the Renaissance is a prime example of how humanism began to become prominent and eventually did become prominent. A person cannot state that this time period did not exist because of the fact that the entire ideology of a large group of people was altered.

Debate.

What are the main arguments presented by Team 1?

• Without colonization, technological advances would not have been made
• More humane traditions
• Who says though?
• Survival of the fittest
• Slavery became immoral and wrong as people began to 
• Foreign contact helps the people see more modern societies
• Sped up modernization which overall was a benefit because let's face it- there's the good, the bad, and the ugly 

What is the main evidence presented by Team 1?

• Sped up modernization
• Planes, electricity
• There are going to be differences between two different foreign groups
• GDP is 4 million
• Wouldn't have happened without colonialism
• A way of measuring African economy
• Now the economy is significantly better because the people were not utilizing their resources, colonialism helped 
• The claim that the tribes would advance could easily be predicted to be false because they had hundreds of years to progress and they were still in basic hunter gatherer tribes
• Colonizer gave the tribes technology 
• Admitted that these are theories
• Gained trust from audience

What are the main arguments presented by Team 2?

• Important cultural information was destroyed.
• The world could not have just been a better place because of colonialism.
• Western morals cannot judge other tribes' morals

What is the main evidence presented by Team 2?

• Little evidence was given in first round 
• The tribes did advance a bit.
• There would be no clashes of culture thus rendering people to be alone and peaceful. 
• Very, very bad point.
• Took a while to state
• Colonialism has helped massive parts of the world
• You can't see the people who were hurt because they ran out of room so they took something to take
• Used imagery to bring colonialism into today

Who won the debate? Why?
Rains and Brayden won because their argument had fantastic points, great evidence, and speaking was clear and precise. They were clearly well read and knowledgable when it came to their argument whereas the con side seemed to be unprepared and gave little to no evidence supporting their points

• Pro side
• Other team only made statements
• GDP fact

Technological advances