Industrial Revolution Brought Many Good Long-Term Effects

If it had not been for the Industrial Revolution, life would not be the same way it is for us today.  We would not have televisions, telephones, computers, iPods, automobiles, airplanes, and all other kinds of modern technology that we often take for granted.  All of these complex inventions can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution.  The Industrial Revolution brought with it some terrible side effects, but now looking back at it, the long-term results have been great.  We are currently in an “Information Revolution,” as nearly the whole world is connected through the Internet, television, telephones, and the media.  Friends and family can remain in touch from opposite sides of the world.  The entire knowledge of the world is scattered throughout the Internet, which can be accessed anywhere with Wi-Fi.  People can share ideas, experiences, personal thoughts and feelings, and information literally with the touch of a button.  Every day, countless videos are uploaded to YouTube, millions of messages are posted on social networking sites such as FaceBook and Twitter, and people everywhere have access to these postings.  Information is everywhere.  None of this would have been possible without the Industrial Revolution.  The factories of the Industrial Revolution were crucial then and now.  Factories are necessary for today’s society and economy, as they produce everything.  From televisions to machinery, food to clothing, factories are efficient because of their speed.  It would be impossible to keep up with the demand of the six billion people in our world without factories.  Also important in the Industrial Revolution was the steam engine.  The steam engine was a vital element of ships and trains, and led to their inventions.  The ships and the trains evolved over the years, branching off and becoming the modern forms of transportation we have today.  Overall, the Industrial Revolution made everything we have today possible.

Thoughts on Animal Farm

I have enjoyed Animal Farm throughout what we have read so far.  One of my favorite aspects of the book is how it can be read on multiple levels—as a fairy tale of maltreated animals taking over a farm, or as an allegory of the Russian Revolution.  While reading the novel, I find it interesting to read it on both levels, and see the comparisons from the characters and events to the actual Russian Revolution.  Napoleon, who stands for Joseph Stalin, becomes to be ruthless leader, doing whatever he feels necessary to remain in power.   Snowball, who represents Leon Trotsky, often fought with Napoleon over power earlier in the novel.  This compares to how there was a power struggle among Communist leaders after the death of Lenin in 1924.  Trotsky and Stalin were the main competitors.  Eventually, Stalin was able to take Trotsky down, and Trotsky fled.  This compares to when Napoleon turned things around after losing in the number of supporters, sending the dogs he trained to attack Snowball, who then fled.  Napoleon then took over Animal Farm, and insisted to the animals that Snowball was an agent of Mr. Jones (who stood for Tsar Nicholas II).  Later on, when working on the windmill project that had been the idea of Snowball (although Napoleon insists it was originally his idea), work on the farm comes to be more difficult than ever.  Poor Boxer, who represents the Proletariats, motivates himself to keep working harder, and tells himself that if Napoleon says something, it is true.  This compares to how the working-class Proletariats were responsible for all of the hard work, yet received nearly nothing in return for their labor.  As Napoleon continues to make changes to the laws without the animals’ knowledge, they soon begin to realize that they do not always remember their existence.  Even Boxer, who is not of first-rate intelligence, begins to notice something odd is happening.  These ideas suggest another revolution might be approaching.  Overall, I enjoy reading Animal Farm, and recommend it to anyone, whether or not they know much about the Russian Revolution.  If they do not, this story will be a great aid when the time comes that they do learn about the Russian Revolution.

A Pilot Performs a Good Deed

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20110116/us_time/httpnewsfeedtimecom20110113pilotwhocaresthemostheartwarmingairlinestoryof2011xidrssfullnationyahoo

I found this article amazing.  A pilot held his flight from taking off until the grandfather of a child who was soon to be taken off life support reached the plane, even greeting him personally and apologizing for his grandson’s coming death.  The grandson was injured by the boyfriend of his mother for a reason not specified in the article.  The pilot of the plane is now being considered a hero by many.  I agree, as it is very kind of the pilot to have held the flight of many people by 12 minutes, despite the fact that it would likely result in many angry travelers.   If the pilot had not done this, the grandfather would never have had the chance to see his grandson alive one last time.  What makes this story even more unique is that nowadays, traveling using the airport has become increasingly tedious for travelers, with the many flight rules and regulations, as well as the extensive security measures in place, such as the full-body scanner.  Irritated travelers often forget that airline employees also get annoyed as well.  I believe that stories like this should be more commonplace.  When one turns on the news on television or opens up a newspaper, most of the stories they see are generally negative and display something bad that happened or that is currently going on.  It is somewhat rare to find a story such as this with a positive event.  People should read this and consider beginning to do more good deeds, as they make the quality of life for everyone better.  Good deeds such as the one seen in this article help make the world a better place and help spread positivity.  If everyone in the world did good deeds like this, the world would be one step closer to a utopian society.  The pilot in this article is a hero, and hopefully many people will follow his example and perform good deeds, helping contribute to a better, safer, and happier world.

If One Commits a Crime, Is It Their Parents' Faults?

http://content.usatoday.com/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=app&sParam=42570110.story

If one’s son or daughter commits a terrible crime, it does not necessarily mean that the parents were not good parents.  Mary Mitchell, the aunt of Jared Loughner, who attempted to kill Representative Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, says that Giffords, the families of the six victims who were killed, and the other injured victims are not the only ones suffering from the terrible act of murder.  Loughner’s parents must live with the memories for the rest of their lives, she proclaims.  I believe that what Mitchell is reasoning is correct--it would be unfair to label the parents of Loughner as insufficient as it is very possible that Loughner became the way he became by himself, from influence from friends, or simply from mental disorder.  It must be very difficult for Randy and Amy Loughner to accept the fact that their son just committed a murder that made nationwide (and possibly worldwide) news, killing six people and attempting to murder a Representative of Arizona.  People are casting blame on Lougner’s parents for the incident, and Mitchell has reason to call their blames disrespectful.  They are using the parents as scapegoats, while their son was the real suspect.  They likely did their best to try to raise him to be a good person, but he decided to make his own terrible choices that would have a vast impact on the rest of his life, his parent’s lives, the Giffords’ life, and the lives of the families of the victims.  Mitchell also added in interviews that she hadn’t seen Loughner for fifteen years, and is certain that her nephew was mentally ill.  This does not mean that in all cases of crime, it is not the fault of the parents.  Parents who don’t teach their children the difference between right and wrong, as well as parents that commit crimes themselves, are probably a large influence to any crime-committing children they may have.

Edit: The link has been fixed.

2 Hours Without Modern Technology

Several days ago, Ms. Murphy asked our World History class to attempt to go two hours without modern technology.  I managed to go the full two hours without it despite my typical frequent use of it.  I started at 5:52 PM and finished at 7:52 PM.  Before starting, I felt as if going a full two hours would be a very difficult task without modern devices, but soon discovered it all was not too strenuous.  I spent my time doing my homework at the table and playing the piano and it flew by relatively quickly.  However, I did resist a few urges to turn on the computer or my iPod.  My urges quickly dispersed.

After spending time without the use of modern technology, I realized how easy it is to turn off the television and computer for a while and to find other things to do not involving electricity (or, rather the modern use of it).  Although I cannot see how I could ever manage to survive in a world without modern technology, such as the world of the past, I now find it relatively easy to go a few hours without it.  I believe it’s necessary for everyone to take time and focus away from modern technology and its distractions and relax and have some “quiet time.”  At times, a constant connection with everyone you know and all the news in the world simultaneously can induce stress in one’s life.  If one's cell phone seems to be constantly ringing and they are is getting annoyed, shutting it off for a few hours might be the antidote.  If one is spending hours on the computer (like I typically do), shutting it off for a while and finding something else to do can allow one’s mind to shift focus and rest, away from constant stressors.