After finishing watching one of those violent police shows (which I normally don't watch). It made me think back to what Dawkins said about altruistic, and selfishness. Why are we naturally like this? In the movie the top gangster man had just been captured by police. Turns out that some of the police were involved in all the blood money the top gangster man had. Now the Gangster guy was captured, he was going to be killed, along with other police that had nothing to do with the blood money. Selfishness. The selfishness of the boss policeman (now bad guy in movie) led him to kill off innocent lives. The gangster man, who was first seen as a bad guy, used altruistic, and so did the other leading policeman. They saved each others lives, even though it meant to put one another in danger. The bad guys were all about me.

In part ways, Dawkins theory could be true. It could be all part of our genes, our way of life. But I believe that it is our culture that has lead us to think this way. Movies, media, and books, are a big influence in our lives. Humans might as well be the most selfish and altruistic creatures that stand on this earth. Richard Dawkins says that all creatures are here to fight. We are here to fight for the same sources, such as mates, food, and living space. Reading this makes me think that this could be a reason there is so much a mess in this world. He suggests that this selfishness comes from a small part of our DNA. Is it so? It scares me so. That's all I have on my mind. Good night.

Soup Eating Machine

So we survival machines eat one another.Dawkins suggests that the first specimens ate a kind of "soup". These later on became plants, and some animals. Do we continue to eat the soup? Plants use sun and water for energy. That energy is passed down to animals that eat other animals. When these animals die, the minerals from their bodies is used by plants. So its a cycle. Why is it compared to a soup? Maybe because a soup contains various foods and condiments. Just like our bodies. Our bodies need iron, vitamins, Calcium, water, carbohydrates: Is it a mixture like a soup?

Work That Body

Car; Body

-Engines: Muscles
. - Levers: Bones
. - Hinges: Joints
.- Cords: Tendons

-Electronic Computer: Nerve Cells
-Hundreds of Transistors: Human Brain
-Telephone Cables: Axons

-Store: Memory

- Programer and Program: Father and Son: Genes and Survival machine.

-WC: Digestive System

Groove. Slam. Work it back. Filter that. Robotic Life Track.

Lets see. A car can move (animals can move), a car can release fumes (animals excrete), a car needs gasoline and water to keep going (animals need food and water) and a car needs to be taken care of so it won't get damaged (animals need to take care of themselves so it won't die). So how does this stop us from saying that a car is not alive?

In the book, 'The Selfish Gene' by Richard Dawkins, it is suggested that, "We are survival machines"(pg21). Its true, all the different species are made differently and are genetically different. Just like a Car is different from a motorcycle, and a motorcycle to a boat. We have animals that go by sea and animals that go by land. That's exactly what Mr. Dawkin shows us, at least that's what I understood, "Different sorts of machines appear very different on the outside and internal organs", just like a car and an airplane.

Later on in the book, on page 24, Mr. Dawkins states, "A survival machine is a vehicle containing not just one gene but many thousands." Than on the last page of the chapter he says,"It is to survival machines themselves, and the sense in which genes may be said to control their behaviour, that we turn the next chapter."

But wait, yes I realise that this is just a comparison, machines can't think, and machines don't have genes. What separates living things from non living things? To try and answer questions like these, biologists use a list of things that living organisms show: Respire, Movement, Nourishment (by themselves), Grow and develop (cars can't grow), Excretion, and Reproduction.
TA DA.

"We Are Born Selfish" (pg three The Selfish Gene)

I am now currently reading a book called, "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins. The book was written in 1976 which caused a wave of excitement among biologists and the general public during its time. After reading chapter one and two of "The Selfish Gene" I decided to do some research on Richard Darwin.

Based on the first two chapters, he appears educated in what he is talking about. He is prepared to declare openly what he believes in, and he explains how human nature is selfish, and how our genes effect our personality. He shows us both examples of Selfishness and altruism. I later found that this man is an atheist, which may explain even more why his belief in evolution is very strong. It is also to be found that he seems to believe that religion is a delusion. This makes me wonder : How much of his belief influenced his opinions for the book, "The Selfish Gene." As I can see in the book, he provides evidence to his beliefs, and clarifies what the book is, and what the book isn't.

Culture Shock (Candide Voltaire Chapters XVI-XVIII)

Candide Voltaire is man from Germany. From Westaphilia to be exact, but it does not seem to me that he has been around the world that much. When he is out of his own country, he seems to be in culture shock. Something that I have experienced my whole life. Moving from country to country I always see new customs, new holidays, and new ways of life. I should not be surprised since I have moved plenty of times, yet I still get the same shock value Candide gets when he is picked up and dropped in another place. We can see this shock when he did not expect the woman to have monkeys as lovers. We can see this shock when he is surprised that the kings children are trained to despise gold ans precious stones. We also see this shock, when everyone blames the earthquake on him and on poor old Pangloss. Why do we get culture shock? I suppose its human nature. It has been happening ever since the beginning of man kind. Cause and effect? Right Candide?




I have never lived in the United States, although I am an American. So this video came as both as a shock (as an American) but I found it true, as a globe trotter.

Are you afraid of the world? Are you afraid of Americans?
The following video shows American culture. One of many in this world of confusion.

Killed ( Voltaire, Candide Chapeter XV)

How can anybody be so dumb? Candide just met up with his beloved Cunegondes brother and what happens? He ends up killing him. Well that's a nice way to say, "Hello, great to see you." Off course the killing does not happen immediately, but Cunegonde does not even have a chance to know that her brother was still alive before he was officially killed. Candide killing Cunegondes brother seems to have even come to a surprise to him. They were going to go and both save Cunegonde. But instead Candide opened his big mouth and told Cunegondes bro that he was planning on getting married to her. I suppose that's what sparked up the small fight and than the death of Cunegondes brother. "O God! What have I done! I have killed my old master, my friend and my brother in law!"(Candide Voltaire pg67) yes you have Candide. Now what are you going to do? How are you going to tell Cunegonde? How can anybody be so dumb?

Six Word Memoir Practice

-Why do words change the soul?


-Maybe I care way too much.


-A globe-trotter, trotting too much.


- My mother was right, this is life.


-I can not tell a lie.


- Life is a big old book.


- Student: live for those "ah-ha" moments


-A stranger in strange world.




-Not quite what I was planning.

It Was Amusing Of The Good Woman To Pretend To Be More Unfortunate Then She

When one is suffering, we belive that nobody else has suffered as much as we have. For example, Cunegonde finds it incredible that the old lady says, "You haven't had misfortunes like mine to bear, I assure you." Who could go thourgh a worse experience than Cunegonde? No one! Nobody had two stabs into his or her belly. No one had been as unlucky to see thier own parents being butchered infront of thier own eyes. Nobody had seen thier lover flogged and nobody had gone from rich to poor. Nope, absoloutely nobody had suffered as much as poor Cunegonde. It just was not possible.

But to Cunegonde's surprise, this ugly looking old lady use to be a princess, and a very pretty princess at that to. Striped away from her own country and majestic ways of life. The old lady was captured by pirates, as a young fair lady. Her mother and everyone else who was on the ship with her was also captured. The young fair ladys company is slaughtered, and her virginity (which was being saved for a prince) is also taken from her. She almost died, but what may be worse than death is that she lost everything know to her.

Doesn't this happen in daily life? Talking to a friend on MSN. She told me about another MSN conversation she had with another friend of hers. They were comparing thier lives to one another. She told me her experience in life, and how it was worse than the other girls. But looking at her explanation of what the other girl had gone through, I realised that both of them had been through completely diffrent things, but they were just about equal on what had gone "wrong" in thier lives. We all suffer one way or another in life, but out thier in this world thier is always someone who has things worse or better than us. Sometimes we forget that, and just think of ourselves.

Eros and Pysche Are Watching

The drama of Love and Soul evolves into a comedy full of wonder and we never know what is going to happen. The Love and Soul in Greek Mythology is represented by Eros and Psyche. They themselves are lovers with drama diffused into the stories of their love. These Greek gods now play with the outcome of our love lives and with the love life of Candide and his lover Cunegonde.

As Eros sleeps and Psyche walks down the stairs. The growing curiosity in the soul begins to form in both Candide and Cunegonde about one another. This silent curiosity is played by flirts, they are in love and they are young, like Psyche.

Psyche finally walks up close to get a good view of her husband, Eros, and as she does this candle wax falls from the candelabra she is holding and burns Eros. They stare and she blows out her candle, now she will suffer. In the book of Candide they control the story, and Cunegondes mother finds out about their love and Candide is kicked out, Eros skin burns. As Candide is now left alone on the streets to wonder he finds out from his teacher that Cunegonde is dead; Eros stares in disbelief into the eyes of Psyche, he is now wide awake, and her candle is blown out.

Both Candide and Cunegonde suffer in different ways. Eros heals his wound as he is still shocked at what Psyche did. Psyche must suffer and she does, she is punished for her wrong doing, just like Candide was kicked out of the house he was living in Westphalia.

The earthquake is like Zeus saying, "enough is enough" which allows Candide and Cunegonde to join again. Eros and Psyche begin to move closer to each other. Candide does not know Cunegonde is alive, but at last they see each other. Eros and Pysche begin to flirt. Candide and Cunegonde are in shock, and they begin with small flirtatious talk. Eros and Psyche kiss and Candides and Cunegondes happiness has grown to another level.

Does Eros and Psyche play along with this relationship? Cause and effect? Who knows?

A Sailor Went to Sea Sea Sea

Why would somebody be so careless and greedy? Why would they take things from others that is not theirs. I write with a confusion, and a wish to understand. In Candide, a Sailor takes money from the unfortunate. Who have just suffered in an earthquake. Off course I understand that the chapter is full of satyr, it was one of the many things I wished to write about. But this is one thing that stuck to my mind. The tragedy of how humans are greedy, and how humans (not trying to generalize) can sometimes just think only about themselves and not others.

Candide's teacher, Pangloss, tells the wretched sailor to not do that, "This will never do, my friend: you are not obeying the universal rule of reason: you have misjudged the occasion." The sailor simply replies, "bloody hell, I am a sailor and was born in Batavia. I have had to trample on the crucifix four times in various trips I've been to Japan. I'm not the man for your Universal reason." Then who is? How can we expect peace and tranquility in this world if all we end up with is carelessness. But unlike the careless in this world, fortunately we have the caring loving people in this world as well. Pangloss is one of those people. His wise words show that he cares, he sees the pain, the anger and the agony.

Change

From the moment Candide is thrown out into the streets for falling in love with Lady Cunegonde change takes place. Not only in his new life, but in his past life. We learn this from his teacher, Pagloss, who we now come to see again, all frail, sick, tired, and in such a mess that we wonder why he was kicked out aswell. In Candides past life he was living in a rich neighborhood. Now he is poor, and does not have enough money to pay for bread. Lady Cunegonde is dead, and things have gone into ruins. Change also shows us how we may react diffrently depending on what our position is.

Time does not move slowly, and neither does change. It can be as slow as the grass grows, or striking fast like lightening.