Critical Reading — Entendu

Posted on May 7, 2015 by entenducomp2

PTSD has inflicted Brannan Vines for years even though she has not directly experienced a traumatic event.  After her husband came back from the Middle-East with the mental disorder.  PTSD is known to affect veterans of war, but there is still so many unknowns about the disease.  Brannan could be experiencing PTSD symptoms because she has been watching a loved deal with it for so long.  The trauma the victim feel could make a close loved one feel sympathetic every time something happens.  They can be so close that she can be experiencing it with him.

PTSD only tortures some trauma victims, but others who experience the same trauma don’t feel the same effects.  Some people have healthier brains or are more desensitized than others.  There is a correlation between physical trauma on the brain and emotional trauma.  This is a big deal in boxing and the NFL, people with multiple concussions end up with mental disorders, not necessarily PTSD, but things like depression which eventually cost them their lives.  I am not saying that playing a sport with head injuries is anything like being a vet and being blasted through a metal fence head first, but that these head injuries can leave someone more susceptible to mental disorders.

The problem Caleb has is not something new, but something as old as war itself.  It was only recently that PTSD could be diagnosed.  It was always named something else that was not really a diagnosis.  This could be because of how complex the brain and other mental disorders can be.  Back in ancient war times they just said “they were unwilling to encounter danger” which could have definitely been PTSD.  Back then there was barely any knowledge on mental disabilities.  Since they did not see anything physically wrong, they might have just been a coward.

“Kids in the Congo and Uganda don’t have PTSD” is a very subtly brutal statement.  It basically says that those kids are braver than Caleb.  The problem is this statement is completely flawed.  There are kids in the Congo and Uganda I’m sure would develop PTSD, but there is the problem, it takes time to develop and there are not many people to diagnose a mental disease in a child army located in an impoverished country.  There are many reasons why children would have PTSD and even more reasons why people would not know anything about them having it.  This is a very sad subject to insult someone with as well.  I just want to add that anyone who said this to a veteran is ignorant and vile.

The rate of soldiers with PTSD rises with the amount of tours they have done and combat they have seen.  This is a clear correlation that definitely makes sense.  The amount of combat a soldier has seen increases the amount of traumatic experiences they have the possibility of encountering.  This also opens a longer amount of time for injuries to occur to a veteran, especially head injuries.  The more injuries and traumatic event make for a higher chance of PTSD.

Secondary traumatic stress among spouses has been documented.  It is not a documented illness but I imagine it could be discovered soon.  It is none that some people closely related or counseling someone with PTSD can feel “compassion fatigue.”  This can happen because of the empathy some people have.  If someone cares enough they tend to feel bad for someone suffering and bear some of it themselves for their loved one.  Empathy can closely be related to developing PTSD in loved ones and is the reason some say PTSD to be contagious.

Posted in Author | Leave a comment

A10: Causal Rewrite — kidhanekoma

Posted on May 7, 2015 by kidhanekomacomp2

Police brutality tends to set off a chain reaction of events among the public. When situations of excessive police force arise, news media will immediately jump to get the latest scoop on the events. Often times being so concerned about spreading as much news as they can, they immediately take the reports of the police before all else. Sometimes creating their own narratives to spread, that serve more as commentary instead of actual news.

“Look at MSNBC, Fox News and CNN. Go between those three. There’s a take, there’s a take and there’s a take. It’s just commentary,” Freeman told the Daily Beast. “CNN wants to be pure news, but the others are just commentary. They’re just commenting on things.” (Clifton and Freeman, In One Quote, Morgan Freeman Said What Everyone’s Thinking About TV Coverage in Baltimore)

So it all begins with police brutality, then the media reporting the events whether they are truly relevant, factual, or not. With poor media coverage, and lack of genuine information that sticks, it causes the public to become fed up with what they are being told; or in most cases lack of what they are being told. The media chooses one side to support and report on while ignoring the other side. Take the recent events of the Baltimore riots. What started out as peaceful protests demanding justice for the victim of an act of police brutality, quickly became a full scale riot. However, most were not even aware of there were protests before the riots because local news sources did not report them. They were not there to cover the situation when it was at peace, but immediately jumped on board as soon as looting, property damage, and arrests were being made.

” Where were all the cameras before the situation escalated into riots? People are saying, ‘You were not all there when we were just talking and trying to make a point, but if we set something on fire, all of a sudden you’re all here. Why is that? What’s the difference?'” (Clifton and Freeman)

In some cases, these news sources will get a hold of the victim’s past criminal actions or the community in which they hailed from and use that to further discredit the victim and paint them in a negative light. Poor media coverage of events normally ends up helping police officers whenever situations like this come up because not only do they serve as distractions to the public, but it pushes the idea that it was the victim’s fault for what happened to them instead of focusing on main issue that is police brutality and excessive police force.

When the police lie or falsify their reports, it causes public outrage and the media to spread that false information. In this new age of spreading information over the internet, when these news sources report false evidence or evidence that can be easily debunked with logic, national outrage is capable of quickly evolving into global outrage.

Posted in X Archive | Leave a comment

Rebuttal -taddo

Posted on May 7, 2015 by taddocomp2

It may seem insane that the city of Vancouver is actually offering heroin to the people that live there, but it helps them more then we would come to think. They are getting good clean heroin, really they are getting some of the best heroin around instead of getting it off the street; so it is reducing the use of street drugs. While of course heroin is still heroin, the stuff they are getting in the clinics is better then what they were finding on the streets of Vancouver. It is extremely difficult to say that this heroin is better for them, because obviously no heroin is really good for a person, but it is better then street drugs by a long shot. Not only are they receiving some of the best heroin, but they are receiving clean needles which they use to inject the drug. While most addicts tend to live off the streets, they also tend to use dirty or contaminated needles. Contaminated needles could lead to all kinds of problems for these addicts, aside from the problem of using the needles in the first place. Dirty needles can lead to transmitted diseases or sicknesses, which usually just lands these addicts in the hospital. Unsanitary needles are not the only reason these addicts end up in the hospital. Since they are not being monitored in the streets are where ever they had been doing heroin before, there is always the risk of a dangerous overdose, which would also land an addict in the hospital. In the clinics, if an overdose does occur, there are people that are trained to deal with it and make sure the overdose does not end in a death. They do not always have the money to pay for the treatments they need, but they still get treated. Not only are these clinics keeping them off the streets, but essentially they are keeping addicts out of the hospital as well.

With a situation like this, where there is a positive side, there is always a negative side as well. It sounds absurd to give people drugs that can harm them, and basically kill them. The thing that needs to be recognized about these clinics is that their main purpose really is not to get people clean from the drug. For most addicts, that is the goal of course, but for others it is really just containing the addiction. Some addicts are to the point of their addiction that the continuing to use the drug is better then trying to get clean. They have become so used to and accustomed to it that their body needs it to function and live. The clinics are not killing these people by giving them heroin instead of giving them the things they need to get clean, the clinics are just helping these people contain their drug habit the safest and cleanest way possible.

Posted in X Archive | Leave a comment

Professor for Life

Posted on May 7, 2015 by davidbdale

Best SP 2015

Posted in David Hodges, davidbdale, Professor for Life, Professor Post | Leave a comment

Stone Money — Entendu

Posted on May 6, 2015 by entenducomp2

Trading Value

The world is ending and life as we know it is completely changing.  It is a post-apocalyptic time and 90 percent of America’s population has disappeared.  I find a 100 dollar bill and I use it to start a fire.  That is the most value that I could ever get out of that bit of currency since it holds no actual value.  It is just as useful to me as a 50, a 20, or even a single.  When it comes down to brass tax, that paper currency is just that, paper.  The only reason we value it so much today is because others value it.  We work for it, keep it safely in our pocket, get angry when its stolen, and feel happy when we receive it.  Money can change lives and all it is is paper.  That is just how it is and how it has always been from the people of the Yap to the people of Brazil.  Money is not what holds value, but it is the way people look at it and believe it to be that holds value.

America started printing paper money because it was backed up by silver and gold.  With that paper money, citizens could redeem gold and silver worth the amount noted on a small piece of parchment.  When the Great Depression hit, the government no longer had the ability to do that, so in 1934 it was made so that paper money was just “lawful money.” The things that people work so hard for are just pieces of paper.  Even worse, most people put their money in the bank directly from work.  PEOPLE NEVER SEE THERE MONEY.  It is simply understood to be there.  My favorite part of it all is that someone can go to redeem all their money from the bank, but when they ask for it, it is not always there.  Yet, purchases can be made with the money that is not actually there using a colored piece of plastic.

Value of money is strange because the government literally just makes it.  Brazil started having problems with their economy because of inflation and therefore just reinvented the system.  Brazil simply stopped accepting the inflated paper money and created new money to fix the economy.  It is completed made and decided by the government.  There is no actual value to decide on.  Think that if just worked like this, anyone could have absurd amounts of money.  However, as soon as money fails,  paper means nothing anymore.  Only actual essentials and material objects will hold meaning.

The shocking thing is, if it was not for people believing money had value due to government standards, we would all have paper and plastic.  Money is supposed to buy you material items and essentials.  These are the actual things with intrinsic value.  It seems kind of strange that someone would trade anything of actual value for abstract value, but then I think about it.  I do this everyday and if someone wanted to give me paper money for something of value I had, I would be all about it.  I would even set an amount of abstract value that I would take for my actual valuable item.  The fact that this system is successful and has been for a long time blows my mind.  I only hope that nothing happens that will end the world and turn all my paper money into fire tinder.

Murray, Teresa D. “Money Matters.” Cleveland.com. Cleveland.com, 24 Apr. 2012. Web. 06 May 2015.

“Current FAQs Informing the Public about the Federal Reserve.” FRB: Is U.S. Currency Still Backed by Gold? Board of Governers of the Federal Reserve System, 2 Aug. 2013. Web. 06 May 2015. <http://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/currency_12770.htm&gt;.

Friedman, Milton. “The Island of Stone Money.” Diss. Hoover Institution, Stanford University , 1991.

Joffe-Walt, Chana . “How Fake Money Saved Brazil.” NPR.org. 4 Oct. 2010. 30 Jan. 2015.

Posted in Author | Leave a comment

Reflective — Entendu

Posted on May 6, 2015 by entenducomp2

GOAL 1: I used a multi-stage, recursive, and social process for my writing and took into consideration feedback from my instructor, classmates, and other readers. Throughout this class I realize I have not issued many rewrites, however, I have gone through papers and revised them as well as helped others.  I did not realize how necessary revisions were until I started having people read my papers.  I was very stubborn about people reading my papers, not embarrassed, but I liked keeping them to myself and the professor.  This class helped me embrace that other people could see my papers.  Before this class I was in the habit proof-reading papers only by myself and not letting anyone else read the for revision.  I now have understanding of how important it is to get help from others and I also feel comfortable with it.  One of my rewrites was from the beginning of the semester.  Having others revise it gave me a better grasp on the assignment and why there are revisions.  Here is my Visual Rhetoric Rewrite.

GOAL 2: I read source materials closely and analyzed them critically to learn how and why texts create meaning.  All the sources that I used for my research position paper took some time to gather.  I read a lot of things that I did not read as well as a lot of things that distracted me because I was so interested by them.  Some of them were just used for statistics and facts, however, I analyzed the statistics and after a lot of critical thinking ad practice, I was able to formulate arguments.  This is most clearly seen in my Research Paper.  A big part of this was finding things such as crime rates and expenses due to heroin addicts.  Using this I was able to argue how things were improved.

GOAL 3: I wrote with a particular audience in mind, allowing my purpose to shape the language and methods I used not just to communicate information but to persuade readers.  I think that the blog for this class was very effective.  I did not want to put anything embarrassing up so before I posted I made sure I was proud of it.  I’m very shy in my work normally.  In my arguments I was always focused on the audience that would be against my proposal and thought that everything could have an argument.  I believe the personal experiences of people spoke the most to me and therefore utilized that in my papers.  For example, my Rebuttal Argument used a quote from someone who quit heroin due to a clinic.  I felt this was one of the most persuasive things that could be used.

GOAL 4: I demonstrated my information literacy by synthesizing my own experience with new insights and information from a range of outside sources to produce new material. In doing research for my main counterintuitive argument,  I was enlightened to how a free heroin clinic can actually help people.  About a week after choosing my topic, I changed my whole argument and was then arguing for the side I was originally against.  This helped me realize that I always need to keep my mind open.  I know I did not mention many personal experiences in my essays but I understand that I have a lot of work to do to be a great writer and this is just something else I need to learn to do.

GOAL 5: My writing is ethical. Writing about meaningful topics, I have engaged responsibly with them and represented my ideas and the ideas of others honestly, fairly, and logically.  If I did anything right this semester, it was getting my opinion across in my paper for a good cause.  I think my topic was meaningful and can really help people that have made mistakes in their lives.  I think everyone should have a second chance, just because someone made a mistake to do heroin, does not mean it should haunt them for life.  In my research paper I believe my ideas were well thought out and logical.  I did my best to not make any of my work fallacy and all of my arguments are honest and valid.

Posted in Author | Leave a comment

Reflective Statement—cypher

Posted on May 6, 2015 by cyphercomp2

GOAL 1: I used a multi-stage, recursive, and social process for my writing and took into consideration feedback from my instructor, classmates, and other readers. By multi-stage, I mean drafts. Professor Hodges is rigorous in his usage of re-writing. Wave after wave of re-written drafts eventually produce a more refined, desirable product. The feedback from Hodges is like nothing I have ever seen. Though I regret not truly taking advantage of the feedback  available to me, I was impacted by the unparalleled push for perfection in all of the writings produced in class. The class took time to evaluate every word Hodges presented for closer study, finding that every one of those words built an argument. The long term impact of David Hodges teaching will be positively immense.

GOAL 2: I read source materials closely and analyzed them critically to learn how and why texts create meaning. As mentioned in GOAL 1, every conglomeration of words will eventually create an argument. Every argument contains a series of claims. Reading source materials closely can be likened to exposing the claims for what they are. After analyzing everything I read as a source, I personally came to the conclusion that all of a source’s credibility and relevance comes from interpretation. The interpretation of critically analyzed text forms a meaning based on an experiential scale.

GOAL 3: I wrote with a particular audience in mind, allowing my purpose to shape the language and methods I used not just to communicate information but to persuade readers. My audience is myself. The most difficult challenge I have faced is pulling apart the complex mesh of contemplation that I am familiar with, and putting it into a defined and understandably organized form. As my own audience, I am forced to seek the truth in all of my conclusive interpretations. The only persuasion is directed at me, as I attempt to convince myself on the soundness of my logic. Professor Hodges does a fantastic job simultaneously being skeptical but empathetic while ripping apart every argument, persuading writers that what has been written has much more potential.

GOAL 4: I demonstrated my information literacy by synthesizing my own experience with new insights and information from a range of outside sources to produce new material. The new material I feel I may have produced feels deviant. The information I presented in all of my writing was only organizing what I feel is already obvious but remained unwritten. My own experience is truly up for interpretation. I trust that the product of both produces a compilation of information that is both plausible and concise.

GOAL 5: My writing is ethical. Writing about meaningful topics, I have engaged responsibly with them and represented my ideas and the ideas of others honestly, fairly, and logically. If the basis of what is ethical is also honest, then my writing is ethical. If the basis is something that satisfies the emotions, perhaps my writing is not. If text creates meaning, and I am writing, anything I write about is meaningful. My goal in writing is to produce an accurate interpretation of information that honestly, fairly and logically evaluates the problem posed by what is being argued.

Leave a comment

Visual Rewrite—cypher

Posted on May 6, 2015 by cyphercomp2

Florida Orange Juice

Video Link (If you watch it, turn your computer sound off, the video starts with sound immediately. Watch without sound first, then compare with my “Without Sound” interpretations first)

Without Sound: Immediately jumping right into the warm and lively early morning nuclear family hustle and bustle, the camera continues a pan down to the middle of a suburban kitchen. The rich sunlight casts subtle shadows across the earthy wood grain countertop of the island. The sparkle of glass is just slightly noticeable aside from the bright orange liquid it contains. A young boy, not much older than 12 jumps into the conversation of the morning while simultaneously, almost as if by routine, grasping the pitcher that contains what every morning should contain. The camera begins panning up and out from the now steady flow of orange juice being poured into a glistening glass cup. The viewer cannot help but focus on the vibrant, deep almost radiating orange color of the juice. As the last filling drop of liquid sunshine tops off the brim of the glass the boy begins to take responsibility for what seems like a meeting of sorts. 

With Sound: Immediately jumping right into the warm and lively early morning nuclear family hustle and bustle, the camera continues a pan down to the middle of a suburban kitchen. The rich sunlight casts subtle shadows across the earthy wood grain countertop of the island. The sparkle of glass is just slightly noticeable aside from the bright orange liquid it contains. A young boy, not much older than 12 jumps into the conversation of the morning while simultaneously, almost as if by routine, grasping the pitcher that contains what every morning should contain. The camera begins panning up and out from the now steady flow of orange juice being poured into a glistening glass cup. The viewer cannot help but focus on the vibrant, deep almost radiating orange color of the juice. As the last filling drop of liquid sunshine tops off the brim of the glass the boy begins to take responsibility for what seems like a meeting of sorts. “Good morning everyone” the boy says in an innocent and carefree tone, “what’s on our agenda for today?”.

.Screen Shot 2015-05-06 at 3.58.00 PM

Without Sound: What was once assumed to be a normal family breakfast has just turned into an early morning board meeting. A shift in focal points sends the viewer slowly around the island counter top flashing to new faces. First a black man in his early 60’s speaks to the boy’s left. Dressed in a tan wind jacket suitable for a meeting with a friend, the man makes a slightly important remark about what the day’s future might hold.

With Sound: What was once assumed to be a normal family breakfast has just turned into an early morning board meeting. A shift in focal points sends the viewer slowly around the island counter top flashing to new faces. First a black man in his early 60’s speaks to the boy’s left. Dressed in a tan wind jacket suitable for a meeting with a friend, the man makes a slightly important remark about what the day’s future might hold. By slightly important he means that the boy is about to miss his bus. “Is it because of my dillydallying?” the boy asks, already knowing the answer.  

Screen Shot 2015-05-06 at 3.58.21 PM

Without Sound: The boy, now feeling the kick of his orange juice sternly, confidently looks into the man’s eyes and spurts his solution to the remark.

With Sound: The boy, now feeling the kick of his orange juice sternly, confidently looks into the man’s eyes and slackly says “ggreat”.

Screen Shot 2015-05-06 at 3.58.48 PM

Without Sound: The glow of the orange juice dancing on his face brighter than the sun on his slightly curled, moderately long blonde hair. The man practically obediently nods in respectful agreement with the boy’s response.

With Sound:  The glow of the orange juice dancing on his face brighter than the sun on his slightly curled, moderately long blonde hair. The man practically obediently nods in a way that denotes an understood “washing of the hands” in the situation. 

Screen Shot 2015-05-06 at 3.59.06 PM

Without Sound: The first problem of the day tackled with a swift, vitamin C filled breath, the meeting continues. The boy leans back in his multidimensionally colored green t-shirt. With a slight look of relaxation and a definite aura of preparedness the boy initiates the day in gesture. As he glances down at the orange juice out of view from the camera, a new voice is present to his ears. A snap to his next daily planner reveals an eastern women who is dressed nicely in a scarf and shirt that immediately resemble the colors of fresh cut beets. Eyebrows sharply raising, she lifts a stack of questionable math papers into view of the leader.

With Sound: The first problem of the day tackled with a swift, vitamin C filled breath, the meeting continues. The boy leans back in his multidimensionally colored green t-shirt. With a slight look of relaxation and a definite aura of preparedness the boy initiates the day in gesture. As he glances down at the orange juice which is out of view from the camera, he says “Mrs. Meyers….?”. A snap to his next daily planner reveals an eastern women who is dressed nicely in a scarf and shirt that immediately resemble the colors of fresh cut beets. Eyebrows sharply raising, she lifts a stack of questionable math papers into view of the leader. He is now aware that he has a pop quiz in his least favorite subject, math. But this is not a problem, he has his orange juice. In fact, he in a tone that is almost to at ease to contemplate he lets Mrs. Meyers know he loves the idea.

 Screen Shot 2015-05-06 at 4.00.08 PM

Without Sound: Firmly gripping his now 3/4 glass of orange juice, the boy gives a knowledgeable and confident nod that denotes his understanding of the situation. A slight smile assumed by his complexion, he motions for the meeting to continue.

Screen Shot 2015-05-06 at 4.00.29 PM

Without Sound: Sharply bringing his gaze to his right, blonde hair just nearly keeping up with the motion of his head, his lips read, “how about you?”. The recipient of the question is a girl around his age, possibly his sister. From the almost obnoxious initial facial reaction to the question, we can conclude the two know each other well. Subtly, seemingly frustrated by her lack of leadership position on the matter; she begins explaining what must be done. Blue sweater clad arms folded in a mother like tone she rambles on.

With Sound: Sharply bringing his gaze to his right, blonde hair just nearly keeping up with the motion of his head, he says, “Emily”. The recipient of the question is a girl around his age, a girl from school. From the almost obnoxious initial facial reaction to the question, we can conclude the two know each other well or she likes him. Subtly, seemingly in control for the next few seconds; she begins explaining what will happen to him by her doing. Blue sweater clad arms folded in a mother like tone she rambles on.

Screen Shot 2015-05-06 at 4.00.39 PM

Without Sound: After a steady stream of what would, under normal conditions be a lot of information, we see a “huhm” as the boy jerks his head backwards slightly as if to say, “easy, understood”. With the possibility of a financial situation being preposed by his equally aged advisor, the boy motions with an expectant remark to his mother across the island.

With Sound: After a steady stream of what would, under normal conditions be a lot of information, we the boy jerk his head backwards slightly saying “perfect!”. With the possibility of a financial situation (penalties) being preposed by his equally aged side stitch of a friend, the boy motions with an expectant remark to his mother across the island.

Screen Shot 2015-05-06 at 4.00.53 PM

Without Sound: Mother, in a salmon colored sweater much like our assumed sister in blue, responds in a pleasing manor to the young entrepreneur of the day.

With Sound: The boy asks what he will be grounded from, him and his mother exchange understood luxuries.

Screen Shot 2015-05-06 at 4.01.02 PM

The boy lifts his now half glass of orange juice in a toast to the victory he plans on having in his day. The large glass container of juice is still prominently on display in the forefront. With a satisfied grin he guzzles down the last drops of his glass and he is ready to face the day. “At least I have my orange juice!” we can see him say.

Screen Shot 2015-05-06 at 4.01.21 PM  Screen Shot 2015-05-06 at 4.01.28 PM

Video Link

Leave a comment

Research Position—cypher

Posted on May 6, 2015 by cyphercomp2

Natural Selection, Innovation and Death

Innovation is one of the prides of human accomplishment, it really truly is remarkable. We as the human race are capable of keeping the dead alive, putting ourselves into orbit with the planets, creating moving, interactive pictures that obscure the boundaries between reality and fiction, erecting monuments to ourselves, but mostly just producing pleasure. Innovation at its center, revolves around a beating heart that humans like to call pleasure. The problem with pleasure is why it exists. Why does it exist? To compensate for feelings of inevitable death. Pleasure is not progressive, nor does it heal the wounds society inflicts on itself.

The health fields are growing, if not booming, we have more people alive than ever before in history. The average age of a human being is nearing the 80’s. Natural selection states that the strongest will always survive the winters of existence. We as humans have created an ecosystem that almost directly compensates for death, We have cheated its arrival date! The problem with natural selection is that the strongest are the ones who survive. Now, this is not exactly a problem if evolution is meant to be a progressive discipline. But taking a closer look at the innovation present in the health fields today, there is a problem. The world’s population is growing, that is a fact, but it is not growing by way of newborn children. The population is not dying. In our quest for immortality through innovation, we will directly cause our extinction. This position paper is meant to explain this in simple terms. The paper is going to use a scenario with  a character named Alex. Alex represents the Millennial in this argumentative scene.

Alex has lived a healthy life so far, raised by active, hard working parents, and given the best attention anyone could dream of, Alex is 4 years old. Jumping ahead a few years Alex’s parents are having a difficult time giving the much needed attention a child requires, so they acquire a video game system. Alex goes through all of intermediate school, middle school and high school playing video games every night, sometimes into the morning. They are so real, such an escape, the world that Alex is immersed in for countless hours at a time distract from the mundane realities of life. That video game system is fun, and a compounded system of countless innovative leaps in technology. Alex could have gotten amazing grades in school, with an attention to detail in combination with quick problem solving skills, math and science have always been within reach. It would make sense for Alex to get superior grades in school with such mental potential, then to reward the much worked mind with a simple escape in the much deserved video game room. However, Alex started video games before ever attending school, the feeling of accomplishment has always been closer than what was worked for by previous generations. Video games offer immediate sensations of accomplishment and pleasure, why focus on school so much when there are so many levels to beat? Alex has spent all of the average school age childhood just getting by in school, but doing spectacular against a worldwide network of other gamers. Alex has always played for no less than 2 hours an evening, hunched over yet starring right at the screen not much more than 2 feet from already strained eyes. Almost seventeen years of video game playing has forced Alex’s body to conform to the habits of an addicted gamer. Alex’s sleep patterns differ from the recommended 8 hours of sleep every night, Alex is lucky to get 3 hours. When Alex’s older neighbors are in the dining room eating dinner with the family, Alex is good friends with a bag of Doritos and a 2 liter bottle of Mountain Dew. It is not always video games that keep Alex glued to a screen, sometimes it’s a few hours of Facebook browsing or back to back episodes of a favorite TV show on Netflix. All of this indoor screen time has left Alex pale and malnourished. Alex’s diet consists of nutritionally empty, sweet, over processed foods and a lack of sunlight that does not help in the least bit with the conversion of the already limited amounts of vitamin D in the body. Alex has not told anyone of those concerned family members about the depression, social anxiety and physical problems that have plagued daily life since (only just) graduating. Alex’s neck has inflamed, herniated disks  that cause poor posture, and arched back from leaning towards a television for hours on end and blurry vision from eyes that have grown so accustomed to focusing on a single depth perception that they cannot loosen to focus on anything else. Alex has had thoughts of suicide, gets extremely agitated when family members recommend getting a college degree or maybe even getting married. After all a husband or a wife would never find their way into the life of an over weight, jobless, depressed technological pleasure addict. The power lost in this mind could have gone to finding ways to help people who are born this way. But the system that people like Alex accidentally produce only ends up causing the ingredients for genetic difficulties in the next generation.

Alex is an average scenario from various addiction sites that host anonymous consultations with multiple addicted persons. Our friend Alex would not stay healthy very long in these conditions created by a gratifying and pleasurable addictions to video games and internet browsing. But the problem is not necessarily just Alex’s fault. The industries that develop things like video games and internet sites do not want customers to go, they want them to stay. This is not to say that they want customers to hurt themselves in the process, but when the innovative measures to produce the most pleasurably addicting products ever known to man are taken, people wont be leaving any time soon. Alex now needs an eye doctor who has prescribed glasses, and multiple doctors for heart, back and mental problems. Alex is not used to hard work and will probably never take up a trade or learn any physically intensive skill. Alex is a product of quick fix living. Jumping forward Alex is now nearly 60 and has lived a life payed for by welfare and community churches. Alex never married, never had kids and does not plan on doing so anytime soon. Did I mention Alex is on life support? Alex’s multiple health issues have become life threatening and if it weren’t for the doctors over the past 20 years of professional life assistance paid for by the rest of the populace, Alex would have long since passed away.

The medical industry has moved leaps and bounds in creating treatments and cures for almost every disease and ailment known to plague the human race. As people become more dependent on medications to balance out problems with depression, weight loss and eating disorders and a long list of other problems, they lose touch with life in a scary way. Strength that comes from hard work or even minimal work has all but been eradicated in many sectors of life. What was once nutrition is now a pill, what was once called exercise is now countless pills. As people who are not strong enough to support themselves are kept alive longer the birth rate of those who could potentially grow up to be strong steadily goes down. This is called a demographic winter. When the majority of the world’s population is older than the age that can produce children. In a world that is constantly innovating and compensating for problems by easing the pain, no work is done to eradicate the issues at hand. While it could be argued that a vaccine can eradicate a disease if applied correctly to a population, it is not a fix that changes the habits of people. The habits are what need to change, natural selection does not wait for a species to catch up, humans are defying their own educational systems by stopping the process of natural selection. When the weak and the strong both live equally long lives, someone pays. While the majority of the strong work to innovate and eradicate the ailments and work strains of life, the product of eradicating strain and pressure creates a new pool of weak generations. I am not saying that the weak need to die, I am saying however that unless something changes within the next generation, every generation after the millennial generation will be dependent and weak in almost every aspect of life except pleasure.

The ripple effects that innovation has by removing work from living are small yet extremely vast in their reach. If we are to subscribe to natural selection as truth, we aren’t helping. If evolution is fundamental and progressive, we are failing. Every action we take in life should take into consideration how it will effect others. The old saying, “everything in moderation” fits nicely here.

Posted in X Archive | 4 Comments

Bibliography—cypher

Posted on May 6, 2015 by cyphercomp2

Annotated Bibliography of Sources

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11737743

K, Okada, and Tazawa Y. “Result Filters.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Dec.-Jan. 2001. Web.

This is a cross comparative study developed to understand health complaints by video game players and avid television watchers. 1143 children ages 6-11 including the parents were studied. Intended use: I intend to use this as a subtle fall back support for the repercussions of technology abuse.

http://www.lasentinel.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6528:top-5-consequences-to-bad-posture&catid=67&Itemid=157

Soraya, Daymon. “Top 5 Consequences to Bad Posture.” – LA Sentinel. – LA Sentinel, Feb.-Mar. 2009. Web.

Tension, breathing problems, unnatural fatigue among countless other difficulties arise from the poor posture created by addicted technology use. It makes one wonder if all of the back pain on tv commercials is from the commercials themselves. Intended use: I intend on using this a support for degenerative issues caused by technology in its addicting forms.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9558615/Got-back-pain-It-could-be-your-genes.html

Adams, Stephen. “Got Back Pain? It Could Be Your Genes.” Telegraph.co.uk. Telegraph.co.uk, Aug.-Sept. 2012. Web.

The poor posture mentioned in some other citations can cause an issue mentioned here. The disks in the back can begin bulging from abnormal pressure angles and herniate. If this occurs the only true help comes from surgery. While chronic back pain disorders and body functions cannot always be treated as they are passed down, some can be treated just by how we think. Intended use: support for the debilitating effects of human addiction to technology.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8057115

Authors, Multiple. “Result Filters.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web.

This article written from a study goes into basic detail of seizures induced by video game playing. The lighting changes and intense focus on specific frequencies of light and sound can cause major issues for already health deprived people. Intended use: Continued support for the effects technological entertainment and pleasure have on the human body.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23097053

Y, Hasan. “Violent Video Games Stress People out and Make Them More Aggressive.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 24 Oct. 2012. Web.

Violent video games are proven to induce overly large amounts of unnecessary stress on young individuals. The ripple effects move right into the daily lives of these people and cause abnormal amounts of violence to be present in their actions. Intended use: Understanding that we can be controlled by what we feel we are in control of, in this case, violent scenarios. This shows the scarcity of human control via technology.

http://aspeneducation.crchealth.com/article-teen-sleeping/

Aspen. “Technology Takes Its Toll on Teen Sleep.” Aspen Education Programs. Aspen Education Programs, 2006. Web.

Sleep deprivation and insomnia are not uncommon among avid technology users. The habit forming need to continue using devices can infiltrate healthy regular sleeping patterns, thus causing a myriad of side effects that could eventually lead to things like suicide. Intended use: Showing technological addictions to be extremely unstable human phenomenon.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15013261

EA, Vaneawater. “Linking Obesity and Activity Level with Children’s Television and Video Game Use.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 27 Feb. 2004. Web. Jan. 2015.

Obesity is almost exclusively started through a life based around technological functions. The sleep deprivation and lack of social fulfillment bring about many eating disorders. Intended use: show the disconnect between health and technology social and physically.

http://www.nih.gov/news/radio/nov2010/20101109nindstv.htm

“Watching Violent TV or Video Games May Promote More Aggressive Behavior in Teens – National Institutes of Health (NIH).” U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 06 May 2015.

Repeatedly watching violent images such as tv shows and movies will cause many real social problems down the line. Intended use: further support for the infliction of violence on culture by means of the infliction of violent imagery on the mind.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19742374

“Young Children’s Video/computer Game Use: Relations with School Performance and Behavior.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. Jan. 2015.

Children who play video games are closer to bad grades in their future than those that do not. Video games are more instantly gratifying than grades. Intended use: To show the social decline via education that video games and innovative technology have.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/122/2/398.abstract

Http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/. “Vitamin D Deficiency in Children and Its Management: Review of Current Knowledge and Recommendations.” Vitamin D Deficiency in Children and Its Management: Review of Current Knowledge and Recommendations. Rowan University, n.d. Web. Jan. 2015.

Vitamin D is not something that is produce or entirely processed by the body. Humans need sunlight to perform the radiative processes that naturally convert the vitamin D that we ingest into a useable form. Pills need sun just as much as food does to work in the body. Intended use: The sunlight deprivation caused by almost all of innovative technology can cause serious vitamin lowering symptoms. No sunlight no health.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11737743

“Physical Signs Associated with Excessive Television-game Playing and Sleep Deprivation.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. Jan. 2015.

Furthering the understanding we have of the sleep deprivation caused by the effects of video game playing and how the body is hurt immensely by these habits is not uncommon. Intended use: Further proof that the most influencing aspects of pleasurable technology are actually quite deadly in the long run.

• http://www.video-game-addiction.org/physical-consequences.html

“Video Game Addiction.” Physical Consequences of Gaming Addiction. Video-game-addiction.org, n.d. Web. Jan. 2015.

This site is dedicated to educating the general public on the disadvantages that video game addiction has on the human population as a whole. Intended use: A site dedicated to an aspect of my research paper is a useful sidekick, however I intend to only use this as a basis of sound source material and not so much as a quotable medium.

• https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/Video-Gaming-Can-Lead-to-Mental-Health-Problems.aspx

“Video Gaming Can Lead to Mental Health Problems.” Video Gaming Can Lead to Mental Health Problems. Www.aap.org, n.d. Web. Jan. 2015.

The lack of nourishment that truly addicted gamers achieve is astonishing to say the least, without adequate sunlight and social activity, routine abnormalities in mental health can begin to become an individual normality. Intended use: This is yet another example of how simple gaming addiction, or presence in daily life can lead to serious issues down the road.

http://www.video-game-addiction.org/social-consequences.html

“Video Game Addiction.” Social Consequences of Gaming Addiction. http://www.video-game-addiction.org/social-consequences.html, n.d. Web. Jan. 2015.

The body is not the only thing brutally marred by video game addiction, the social aspects of one’s mental health are also altered by social norms of online gaming rhetoric and so on. Intended use: To show the predetermining sequences of events that cause major depression and death in those addicted or raised in a technologically reliant culture who seek mostly if not only, pleasure.

http://www.addictionrecov.org/Addictions/?AID=45

“What Is Video-game Addiction?” Video Games Addiction. Addictionrecov.org, n.d. Web. Mar. 2015.

An over-view of video game addiction and a brief outline of how many different approaches there are in terms of healing after the fact. Addiction is a major product of video games. Intended use: To show that there are literally millions of dollars being poured into the recovery process resulting from video games alone, not including the countless other technological innovations that exist and are being produced. Technology kills.

Posted in X Archive | Leave a comment