End: Reducing Ecological Footprint

My altered ecological footprint score decreased to 3.2. I do feel that an attempt to reduce waste is important to the world. I turned my TV off at night instead of leaving it on all night like I usually do. I also attempted to recycle more and eat less meat. Despite the lower score I received, I still feel I should keep living the way I am, maybe with some more recycling. Eating meat is important to my personal health and I, like everyone else, put my health first. Not only do I feel it is good for me, but I love to eat meat. Leaving my TV on all night is wasteful but I am never home during the day so my TV is ONLY on at night. I leave it on because of a fear of the dark and again, I put my self comfort first. I probably sound really selfish but that is what I learned from this assignment.

Start: Reducing Ecological footprint

First score: 4.8 worlds

End: No Technology Reflection

From abstaining from the use of cell phones, internet, television, and radio I learned that these things are not as necessary to my existence as I once believed. Not using my cell phone was absolutely the most difficult hurdle, but instead of listening to the radio in my car I just planned out my day and thought about papers I had due. Instead of watching TV before bed, I hung out with my mom and sister and cousin and had a great time. I'm not usually on the internet unless for homework or to check my email, so that wasn't too difficult. This assignment gave me time to reflect on what is important in my life and what should be my first priorities. Honestly I got more out of this assignment than I expected.

Start: No Technology

Blog 1: One Challenge

One challenge that may exist in the next four years is universal healthcare. I am aware that the majority of my classmates will disagree with me after hearing their opinions in our class discussion. However I feel that the cons of universal healthcare outweigh the good. Doctors in the United States are highly educated and trained. The process to become a doctor of any sort is grueling and very difficult. Yet when they overcome the hurdles of training, they are highly qualified and reap the rewards of the time, money, and effort they spent in order to become doctors. So if healthcare is altered to accomodate everyone with an ache or a pain, those doctors that were so highly trained will be no more. Who would go through the process of becoming a medical professional only to make the salary of a public school teacher? The qualification of our doctors, as well as sheer number of doctors, would exponentially decrease. I don't believe that our healthcare system is perfect by any means, but solutions to this system are not found in a socialist system because America is not socialist. To prevent universal healthcare we as Americans must reform our healthcare system that does not compromise the democracy and capitalism that our country was built upon.

Blog # 4

One direction I may take my paper on Bioshock is discussing the ethics of scientific research with and without limitations or any sort of moral code. For this direction I would bring in sources like a medical journal of ethics and the novel Next by Michael Crichton.

Another direction I might take this paper is to discuss a Dionysian society that is completely centered around the advancement of one's self rather than the group. For this topic I would use Ayn Rand's philosophies and Nietzsche's Birth of a Tragedy.

I suppose I could also talk about the ethics behind choosing your own path in the game. You can choose to save the little sisters, who will grow up to be doctors and lawyers, or harvest their eve to advance your player.

Blog # 3

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061226134706.htm

This author claims that research has suggested that most gamers play video games because of an "intrinsically satisfying" feeling, not just for the fun of the game. The author also states that people play video games because they provide "opportunities for achievement, freedom, and even a connection to the other players." I believe it is true that people like to feel a sense of achievement and freedom and feel like they are a part of something, however the first claim that people feel an "intrinsic" satisfaction that runs deeper than fun is kind of silly. I would describe intrinsic satisfaction as fun, plain and simple.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060818014551.htm

This article is about how video games may actually enhance or encourage one's social skills. The article focuses mainly on mmos like that of WOW. The article has a quote from a researcher that believes mmos owe their popularity to a lack of "cool hangouts" in real life. I think the suggestion off mmos enhancing social skills is just ridiculous. Most people that engage in mmos do so because of a lack of social relationships in general, not just "hangouts", so to suggest that they encourage sociability through a computer screen is just odd to me.

Blog # 2

Thesis: Of the persuasive games, "Terrorist Alert" and "Political Duel", the latter is more effective in suggesting that war is really a battle between politicians rather than nations in its one on one combat style, as well as its suggestive player and weaponry options.

Outline:

Introduction: Restate thesis statement with supportive examples of weaponry.

Body 1: Focus on one on one combat style in "Political Duel" vs. the first person shooter in "Terrorist Alert" and why the one on one combat is more effective in persuading the audience.

Body 2: Discuss the political leaders that are used in each game and why some of those used by "Political Duel" are more controversial and well known than those used in "Terrorist Alert".

Body 3: Give specific examples of each politicians' arsenal and what that suggests about war and the leaders of the world. Explain why this suggestive arsenal is more persuasive than using a generic gun to kill the enemy.

Conclusion: Reiterate main idea of thesis statement.

Blog # 1

I found two games online that are examples of persuasive video games. A game called "Go Michael Go!" is played by you (Michael) trying to cover up pedophile evidence before the cops find out. It could be classified as persuasive because it has a clear statement about an issue and the game is played through that point of view.
A game called "Clubby the Seal" is played as a seal on "a mission of violent revenge!" clubbing seal clubbers and then collecting their "hides" and selling them on the black market. It has a clear opinion about the clubbing of seals and the game works to persuade the player to the same viewpoint, just as in, "GO Michael Go!"