The Blogging Crusade

Last week archeologists found fifty seven unearthed Egyptian tombs.  Most of these tombs contained many painted wooden sarcophaguses that contained intact mummies.  Egypt’s Supreme Council on Antiquities made this information public on Sunday May 23^rd. 

According to the Council on Antiquities, the oldest tombs that were discovered date back around 2750 B.C.  That era took place during Egypt’s first and second dynasties.  This means that some of the tombs that were discovered date back to the origins of Egyptian civilization.  Other tombs were estimated to have belonged to the 18^th Egyptian dynasty.  Rulers such as Tutankhamun and Queen Hatshepsut ruled during this dynasty. 

Now what exactly do these new discoveries mean for archeologists? The council claims that these newly unearthed tombs shed new light on Egypt’s ancient religions.  Egypt’s chief of archaeology Zahi Hawass reported that the mummies discovered within the tombs had unique patters imprinted on the linen that they were wrapped in.  It was concluded that the patterns were a religious text derived from the Book of the Dead.  Other Egyptian texts depicted scenes which featured ancient Egyptian deities.  The oldest tombs that were discovered proved to be the most fascinating.  Most of the oldest tombs were completely intact despite being thousands of years old.  Religious writing covered the walls of these ancient tombs which the Egyptians believed carried the deceased through the underworld. 

I find it very fascinating that these discoveries were made.  Archeologists have been excavating in Egypt for years and yet they continue to unearth new tombs and secrets about the country’s ancient past.  As a fan of history I’m thrilled to know that historic discoveries are still being made about our ancient past.  As modern human beings, it appears that we never stop learning about the methods of our earliest ancestors.  In conclusion, I hope that historic discoveries keep being unearthed not only in Egypt, but around the globe. 

A mummy that was found. Picture from msnbc.

Cigarettes, perhaps the most disgusting things in the world actually serve some sort of beneficial purpose after all.  It has been discovered that the toxins found in cigarette butts can be placed on steel pipes to protect them from rusting according to scientists in China. 

According to the Chinese Scientists, they found a total of nine chemicals that they extracted from cigarette butts that were immersed in water.  They then applied these chemicals to N80 which is a type of steel used to make oil pipes and they found that the chemicals protected the N80 from rusting.  This information was published in the American Chemical Society’s bi-weekly journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 

The Chinese recorded that the toxins found within cigarette butts acted as a shield around the N80 that prevented corrosion.  They also recorded that nicotine as well as other chemicals were responsible for the anti-corrosion effects. 

The oil industry places millions of dollars every year into anti-corrosion funds.  This money is used to repair or replace rusted oil pipes.  There are also trillions of discarded cigarette butts in the world.  Using cigarette butts that are scattered all over the globe to protect oil pipes is an amusing idea.  Cigarette butts are everywhere and only cause problems.  They were once useless and littered cigarette butts had a chance to cause fires.  Littered butts are also a threat to wildlife in littered areas.  If cigarette butts begin to serve a positive purpose, they will not only become recyclable, but will also be seen less in the wild. 

China is the country with the world’s largest smoking population.  Since China has found a purpose for cigarette butts, they can be given to the oil companies of the world and this will save millions of dollars that companies spend each year on repairs and replacements. 

I believe that this new scientific discovery is remarkable.  I do not only believe that but I am also completely dumfounded by it.  I find it surprising and ironic that there is a positive fact about cigarette butts.  Not only that, the positive fact can potentially save millions of dollars that are spent each year to repair or replace oil pipes.  More research should go into this topic so that oil companies using cigarette butts becomes a reality.  In conclusion, I find it rather amazing that cigarette butts in actuality can save corporations millions of dollars.

Cold blooded animals are among the most fascinating on Earth.  Sadly climate change is beginning to affect cold blooded organisms in disturbing ways.  Species of lizards are now threatened by climate change. 

Since lizards are cold blooded organisms, they are required to bask in the sun for certain amounts of time in order to survive.  Climate change in some areas has caused the sun’s rays to become more powerful.  Since the rays are much stronger on the lizards, it becomes too hot for them and they must retreat to shade every so often.  In order for lizards to successfully reproduce, they must hunt for food.  Since the heat is starting to affect the lizards, they are unable to hunt and therefore begin to stop reproducing.  Lizard species are not being killed off by heat, but by the lack of reproduction.  The lack of reproduction alone is enough to spark a population crash. 

This extinction problem that has recently emerged is a threat to the animal kingdom as we know it.  Lizards are a vital part of the food chain in all the areas they inhabit.  Lizards eat insects while lizards get eaten by snakes and birds.  Without lizards, insects will over run given areas and snakes/birds will die off due to lack of food.  According to Barry Sinervo of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, about 5% of all lizard species have gone extinct because of climate change in given areas.  He also claims that if the Earth continues to heat at its current rate, about 20% of all lizard species will be extinct by 2080. 

The given locations of lizard species are also a huge problem.  Most of the species that are threatened live in countries/continents near the equator where it is especially hot.  According to Sinervo, the extinctions of lizard species are taking place in what are known as hot spots of biodiversity.  One example of a biodiversity hot spot are locations in Mexico.  A large number of species exist in Mexico because of adaption to different volcanic mountain ranges.  Since most areas near the equator are diverse, there will naturally be more species of lizards living there.  Lizards in areas such as Mexico, South America, Africa and South-East Asia are at risk of extinction because of climate change. 

Although this news is very grave, I believe that the lizard population has nothing to worry about.  Sure, species may die off but new species will emerge.  Referring to Charles Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection, the species most fit for its environment will survive.  In order for lizard species to continue living in areas such as Mexico and South America, they will evolve naturally in order to adapt to the changes of the climate.  It is only part of life that species die off.  Lizards are not going extinct because of human influence like animals such as the Panda Bear or Manatee.  Some lizards are beginning to die off because of natural change, it is only logical that lizards will change as well.  In conclusion, I believe that the mighty lizard will continue to roam this Earth no matter what the climate changes to.

This is my second set of vocabulary words.  I had the privalige of selecting my own words this time.  These are words that I found very interesting/funny.  Check em out!

Astute: To be clever, cunning or ingenuous.  http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Astute

The astute card player was renowned for his skills in Las Vegas casinos. 

Captain Kirk from Star Trek is perhaps the most astute character in the series.  Captain Kirk always manages to find a way out of situations that seem impossible to escape.  His skills as a star fleet captain and as a leader make him an excellent example for this vocabulary term. 

Blatherskite: Non-sense or empty talk. 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Blatherskite

The man’s blatherskite during his speech earned him no votes when elections came around. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBeiKpAGXzc

This is the courtroom scene from the movie Liar Liar starring Jim Carrey.  For well over half the scene all Carrey performs is complete non-sense. 

Confab: The act of confabulation, or discussion

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/confab

A massive confab quickly began as soon as everyone arrived at the family reunion. 

The Yalta Conference in 1945 is an excellent example of a confab.  The Allied leaders during World War II gathered together to discuss Europe’s future after the war. 

Ergo: A formal way of using the word therefore, usually to prove an argument. 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Ergo

The lock on the door was forced broken.  Ergo, we can conclude that someone had broken into the Fonseca’s house. 

Miles Edgeworth from the Ace Attorney series is one of the only examples anyone can imagine for this word.  In Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, he uses the word ergo on several different occasions to state a logical conclusion. 

Erudite: Characterized by great knowledge, scholarly, intelligent. 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Erudite

The erudite scientist received many questions upon his arrival at the University of California Berkeley. 

Spock from Star Trek is arguably the most erudite character in the series.  There is almost nothing this half human half Vulcan man knows.  His mind is a valuable asset to the crew of the starship Enterprise. 

Flabbergasted: To overcome with surprise and bewilderment. 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Flabbergasted

The king was flabbergasted to hear that his armies had taken over an enemy territory. 

Forrest Gump overcame pretty much everything that life threw at him.  He broke free of his metal legs, became a war hero, and helped everyone he cared about even though he wasn’t as mentally strong as the average person.  No doubt were people flabbergasted to see a person like that achieve what he had done. 

Mugwump: A person who is unable to make up their mind, especially in politics.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Mugwump

The mugwump ambassador kept revising his speech before it was to be given in front of the embassy staff. 

James G. Blaine is not a mugwump himself, but he knows mugwumps very well.  He was the Republican Candidate in the election against Grover Cleveland.  Many of Blaine’s Republican supporters decided to vote for Cleveland instead because Blaine was suspected of political corruption.  The Republicans that sided against Blaine are classified as the original mugwumps. 

Pestilence: A deadly or virulent epidemic disease. 

 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Pestilence

The pestilence was upon all the peoples of Europe, therefore leading to a continental disaster. 

This rat may be a carrier of one of the worst pestilences of all, the plague.  The rat itself symbolizes pestilence for being the cause of the Black Plague during the Dark Ages. 

Propriety: Conformity to establish good behavioral manners. 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Propriety

The young boy was incapable of propriety.  As a result, he was lectured a lot about the importance of behaving and respecting your elders. 

This cartoon character is from a flash animation series known as Blockhead.  This character has no known name and is simple known as Blockhead.  He is the most immature and silly cartoon character imaginable.  He is an example for propriety because he tells us exactly what not to do in order to conform to good social behaviors.

Zeitgeist: A German term which means, a trend of thought or feeling characteristic of a particular period of time. 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Zeitgeist

The zeitgeist of our generation will earn us a place in history until the end of time. 

During the Victorian Period in England, the Zeitgeist or generation outcome was industrial progress.  What better way to represent industrial progress during that time period than using a steam train as an example?

            The medical world has been working on something that has remained quiet for quite some time.  Apparently, the world of medicine has been looking at bone marrow transplants and how they should really be preformed.  After much work, bone marrow transplants are no longer used just for cancer.  Research is currently under way that will not only ease the risk of the procedure, but also target more people with diseases such as sickle cell anemia and deadly metabolic disorders. 

            After researching more about bone marrow transplants, doctors have created a new method for performing the procedure.  Originally, high doses of radiation were used to obliterate a patient’s own bone marrow before a donor’s marrow was infused to replace the destroyed marrow.  The new method does not destroy a patient’s bone marrow entirely.  Instead, a patient’s bone marrow is tamped down enough so that there is room to place a donor’s bone marrow.  The combination of bone marrow will supposedly act as a duel immune system.  Doctors call this “mixed-cell chimerism, which is defined as patient blood, donor blood, and immune cells living together to improve health. 

            Hospitals around the country are currently experimenting with different doses of radiation and drugs in order to prove which methods will best support the new bone marrow transplant.  It is highly important that radiation and drugs be used in moderation as much as possible.  The less radiation and drugs a patient receives the better. 

            Other transplant experiments have also been sparked by this bone marrow revolution.  Several hospitals are currently testing how to combine kidney transplants with bone marrow transplants that are from the same donor.  This method will establish a hybrid immune system that will lessen the need for lifelong anti-rejection drugs. 

            It appears that the medical field is only becoming more and more advanced.  We are able to do things that our ancestors never could have dreamed of in terms of medicine.  The bone marrow revolution that has taken place is the precursor to something much more valuable.  Imagine a medical world in which the creation of a hybrid immune system is simple and efficient.  This new method of bone marrow transfer is just the beginning.  New hybrid immune systems will rise and perhaps the deadliest diseases of our time will cease to exist.  In conclusion, there seems to be almost no limit as to what doctors can do as time goes on.

What is justice? Is justice a divine power? Or is justice only a myth? Justice lies with one individual.  This individual is called a Prosecutor Attorney.  Their purpose is to present cases against individuals that are suspected of breaking the law in a criminal trial.  At first this may seem cruel, but in reality, Prosecutors are heroes.  Their weapons are their words, their thoughts and their knowledge.  Prosecutors are masters of law and it is their duty to make sure that justice is severed.  

Prosecutor attorneys work together with police organizations and detectives in order to establish a case.  Police and detectives gather evidence at a crime scene that may point to a prime suspect.  Prosecutors are allowed to visit crime scenes and discuss what happened at the scene with law enforcement.  Law enforcement personnel must submit evidence to a Prosecutor and this Prosecutor will take the evidence to court.  The Prosecution is also responsible for selecting witnesses to a crime.  Prosecutors are required to call forth witnesses in court to give testimony about what they saw when the crime was committed.  This is the system that is used to convict citizens of wrongdoing.  First, law enforcement investigates a crime scene.  Second, Prosecutors come in and must press the police’s case further.  Prosecutors then take given cases to court and argue an individual’s guilt.  If an argument is strong enough and the selected evidence and witnesses point towards a defendant’s guilt, a judge will declare a guilty verdict and a Prosecutor will win a case. 

The job of a Prosecutor is extremely difficult.  As we all know, in the U.S. criminal justice system, all those accused are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.  The burden of demonstrating guilt beyond reasonable doubt rests with the Prosecutor.  If a Prosecutor hits a dead end, they lose their case and the judge lets a possible criminal off the hook completely.  Prosecutors may sound like villains for always trying to place people in jail however the goal of a prosecutor is not to place people in jail, but to convict those who truly are guilty of serious crimes.  The duty of a Prosecutor is to seek justice, not merely to convict.  Prosecutors must never be bias toward the accused and must never tamper with crime scenes to place the trial in their favor.  One example is planting incriminating evidence.  Prosecutors must always play fair in the game of criminal justice and if Prosecutors are caught steering cases in their favor, they are immediately stripped of their duties and their right to practice law. 

One day, I hope to join the ranks of these brilliant minds.  One day I was thinking about what I would like to study in college and become later on in life.  I had no clue and was lost, until it hit me.  Becoming a Prosecutor hit me hard and fast, it was an amazing idea.  I’ve been around law my entire life and I dislike crime and those who think they can get away with committing crimes.  I’m almost out of high school and its time I figure out my place in this world.  Hopefully one day, the responsibility of bringing about justice will not only be the responsibility of a Prosecutor, but it will also be my responsibility.  In conclusion, Prosecutor attorneys are champions of justice and someday, I hope to become a champion of justice. 

The lead Prosecutor during the Scott Peterson Trial

The Greek philosopher Aristotle greatly believed in logical thinking.  Logic is the scientific study of reasoning.  Logical thinking is used in all intellectual activity and is mainly used in mathematics, computer science and philosophy.  Aristotle is the founder of the science of logic.  Aristotle believed that everything belonged in a certain category.   For example humans are mammals, which are animals, which are living creatures and so on.  During his life time, Aristotle demonstrated a number of laws and conclusions that were valid.  Aristotle is also responsible for writing what became known as the Organon.  The Organon is a collection of six works that were written by Aristotle.  All six works define logic in its entirety. 

The first of this series is known as The Categories.  This piece of work introduces Aristotle’s classification of that which exists.  Aristotle was not only a philosopher, but an organizer.  Aristotle decided that all things in existence could be divided among ten specific categories.  These categories are substance, quantity, quality, relation, place, time, situation, condition, action, and passion. 

The second piece in the Organon is called On Interpretation.  This work introduces Aristotle’s theories on proposition and judgment.  This work also characterizes the different types of propositions such as affirmative, negative, universal and particular.  This work also answered the Problem of Future Contingents which is a logical paradox.  These contingents are statements about future affairs that are neither necessarily true nor necessarily false.  Aristotle said that to pretend that the future is determined would have unacceptable consequences for man. 

The third piece in the Organon is known as The Prior Analytics.  This work introduces Aristotle’s syllogistic method.  A more simple term for Syllogism is logical appeal.  A logical appeal is a special kind of logical argument in which the conclusion of an argument is established from two premises in the same argument.  In this work, Aristotle also argues the correctness of the syllogistic method and discusses inductive inference.   Inductive inference is the process of finding a conclusion by applying clues from observation and knowledge.  For example, No reptiles have fur, snakes are reptiles.  From this is it can be concluded that snakes have no fur.  There are two clues in this proof.  It is a known fact that reptiles do not have fur and snakes are classified as reptiles.  With these clues it can be concluded that since snakes are reptiles, they have no fur. 

The fourth piece of the Organon is called The Posterior Analytics.  This work defines demonstration, definition and scientific knowledge.  According to this piece, demonstration must be founded in principles that are already known.  Something can only be demonstrated if it exists.  The only exception to this is something must be so evident to a situation that a demonstration is not necessary.  Overall this work by Aristotle deals with proper demonstration in the worlds of logical thinking and science. 

The fifth piece in Aristotle’s Organon is called The Topics.  This piece teaches readers about constructing valid arguments and conducting conclusions that are possible but not necessarily true.  Aristotle focuses mainly on the use of topics in constructing more effective arguments.  In his definition, topics are “A strategy for argument not infrequently justified or explained by a principle.”  Aristotle explains that topics relate to his theory of syllogism throughout this work.  Aristotle believed that a topic was an effective argument source. 

The final piece in Aristotle’s Organon is known as Sophistical Refutations.  This final piece of work identified logical fallacies.  In logic, fallacies are misconceptions that result from incorrect reasoning or argument.  Aristotle organized the logical fallacies in two categories, verbal and material.  Verbal fallacies include amphibologies, equivocations, compositions, divisions, and figure of speech.  Material fallacies include accidents, affirming the consequences, conversing accidents, irrelevant conclusions, begging questions, false causes, and fallacy of many questions.  

The Organon defines logical thinking very well.  Aristotle characterized many different things in this particular series of works.  In conclusion, the Organon is perfect evidence that Aristotle truly is the founder of logical thinking. 

Tragedy.  Perhaps the most depressing part of human life.  Although depressing, tragedy is not only about despair, it is also about recovery.  Tragedies are set before us in order to test our skills, our might, and our spirits so that we may press on and continue living our lives despite the destruction and loss of human life. 

Below is a link to my website about one of the many tragedies that has taken place throughout human existence, The Battle if Stalingrad.  The Battle of Stalingrad was the bloodiest battle of World War II.  The amount of death and destruction it inflicted upon Eastern Europe changed Russia forever.  This website will provide detailed information about The Battle of Stalingrad as well as an explanation of how the human spirit ultimately triumphed in the end. 

http://www.wix.com/JDruid57/Battle-of-Stalingrad

I have posted comments on the following blogs. 

Why I Don’t Like Pringles, http://countofbarcelos.edublogs.org/

It’s The Media….., http://countofbarcelos.edublogs.org/

            A new fad among young people has revealed itself to America.  The fad is known as sexting.  Cleverly named after texting, sexting is when young people send explicit photos of themselves over videos and chat via cell phone or the internet.  Apparently loads of young Americans due this despite the consequences.  According to an MTV review, more than a quarter of young people have been involved in some form of sexting rather it just be talking or something more explicit. 

            Sexting is illegal, young people all across the country in states like Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania are facing charges because of sexting, some of these charges are even felony charges.  Once young people started finding out the consequences, they stopped and said that they would probably never do it again, however that’s only about a half of the young people who said that.  The other half said that sexting is a serious problem, but they continue to do it anyway despite the consequences.  Some people believe that the whole “invincibility factor” that teens have prevent them from stopping.  Young people tend to think they are immune to things like death and imprisonment, however that’s not true. 

            Most young adults and teens don’t see the problem with sexting.  However it’s a serious problem.  Certain people are not trustworthy.  Explicit photos can potentially end up on the internet.  This is bad because photos may get to future employers and College Board members that will not be too pleased.  Another big problem that is more consequential than criminal charges is suicide.  In two cases sexting has been linked to suicide.  In the first case which took place one year ago, an eighteen year old woman in Cincinnati hung herself after being ridiculed for weeks at school.  The suicide victim known as Jessica Logan sent a nude photo of herself to her boyfriend. Shortly after, they broke up and he forwarded the photo to other girls.  In the second case which took place three months ago, a thirteen year old girl named Hope Witsell hung herself as well.  She sent a nude photo to a boy she liked and another girl got a hold of the boy’s phone.  The girl sent the nude photo to other students which led to much ridicule before the suicide. 

            These deaths are awful, pure forms of digital bullying at work.  Other teen suicides are linked to digital bullying.  Teens will sometimes talk trash over the internet and offend others.  Digital bullying is a cruel way of using the internet that is a lot more popular than sexting.  Rather its sexting or digital bullying, human beings are being hurt by fellow peers, the law, and their lives are sometimes at risk.  Sexting is a crime and must cease as soon as possible.  There is always a time and place for those kinds of things; the internet and mobile phone are definitely not the places.  As for digital bullying, that should just disappear.  Posting offensive material online for the whole world to see is just wrong.  In conclusion, the amount sexting and digital bullying should drop until they completely disappear.