Sevir Yakcam Nekwah

[nbm] Erich Remarque Summarizes His Thoughts on World War I

Hawken — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:08:48 +0000

Dear Mr. Remarque:

Hello!

I have read your book with great sadness. I think I understood a lot of what
you meant to convey, but Paul’s last statement about his friend Katczinsky
just doesn’t make any sense to me.

First off, let me apologize for not making my intentions clearer.

I meant to say that the only people that other people can realize have died
are those people that they were close to&mdashor even those who they know
about.

For example; if you have a friend who went to war and was killed, you feel
that loss. You know that he has died, and if you attend his funeral you get a
modicum of closure. You know in your heart that you’ll never see him again.

Compare that with the reports you read in the newspaper, of soldiers who have
died. You logically know that someone has died, but because you did not know
them, you have no (up close and personal) sadness.

I hope you will not be offended. I would truly like to understand what you
meant. Would you please explain?

See above

Thank you.
Sincerely,
Your Admiring Reader,
/s/ Sandy Kursten

Not a problem. I’m always happy to explain my works.

—Erich Remarque

During the 1920′s

Hawken — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:31:31 +0000

If the decade from 1920 to 1929 was rendered as a chart, it would go up, and up, and UP – all the way to ’29, where it would take a steep dive.

Important Events

Prohibition (Jan 16, 1920)

What would the world look like today if Prohibition had never happened? There might be fewer gangs; there might be more alcoholics. But say it with me: What happened, happened, and there is no point in trying to change it.

League of Nations (Feb 20, 1920)

In theory, a consortium of nations the world over. In practice, it was hampered by the failure of the United States to join.

Penicillin Discovered (Sept. 1928)

The most potent non-toxic antibiotic discovered at-the-time.

Wall Street Crash (Oct. 24, 1929)

Aaand… the point where the chart drops off. Two records set in a week: first, 12 million shares traded on OCtober 24, 1929. Second, the next Tuesday, 16 million shares were traded. By December 1932, the average stock value was 79% lower than it’s 1929 peak.

Semi-Important Events

The end of WW1

Only to be followed by another war just 20-odd years later.

King Tut’s tomb found (Nov. 4, 1922)

This sparked the modern intense interest in ancient Egyptian culture that persists to this day.

Events that I find interesting

Tokyo Earthquake (Sept. 1, 1923)

There was another of these last year, one that I think was less devastating.

Joseph Conrad dies (Aug. 3, 1924)

I read one of his books (Heart of Darkness). I associate the name Conrad with “Conrad of Conrad”, from Robert Heinlein’s Variable Star.

Tennessee prohibits teaching anything other than divine origins (1925)

Can’t believe that anything like this ever passed. Unfortunately, I think that today’s US is moving towards this type of environment again.

General Strike in Britain (May 3, 1926)

I saw a play based of this period once: Billy Elliot. It was on a choir trip, and they hadn’t audited the play carefully enough beforehand, I guess—anyway, there was a lot more cussing than the chaperons expected. But to this day, when I hear “Solidarity”, I think of the act “Solidarity.”

Less Important Events

Lenin Dies (Jan. 21, 1924)

Television invented (Jan. 27, 1926)

Houdini Dies (Oct. 31, 1926)

Sound introduced [in movies] (Oct. 6, 1927)

Lindbergh Crosses the Atlantic (May 21, 1927)

First Oscars Awarded (May 1929)

All Quiet on the Western Front | Response, Part 1

Hawken — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:25:48 +0000

What do you believe is the cause of wars? Is it always evil to participate in
a war? Why or why not? Don’t forget to take into account the scriptures!

THESIS: There are two causes of wars: disagreement and boredom.

War. No other three-letter word has as much baggage attached, nor as much
history, for without war, the landscape of the planet would look much
different—although who can say if it would be better? The real question,
however, is: What causes war? Why do people constantly fight? Can’t we all
just get along?

In short, no. There are two root causes of war: Disagreement, and boredom. One
needs at least two very powerful people, and the other only takes
one… Guessed yet?

Disagreement takes at least two people because it needs (at least) two
differing viewpoints to pit against each other.

With only one (let’s say) religion, there is no need to compete, so therefore
no need to attack anyone. If you’re the only religion in the world, there’s
no-one to convert, right? If you have more options, then the most effective
way to gain more followers in to obliterate your competition. The best way to
obliterate your competition is to remove them from the minds of the local
populace; however, since no-one has yet figured out how to modify memories,
you have to simply settle for hoping that no-one remembers them. Ordinarily,
you wouldn’t care if anyone remembered your opponent, but in today’s cutthroat
world someone will remember the little things that your competition did for
them—that’s why removing memories would be nice.

However, if – say – the god-king who rules your country gets bored one day—there is nothing to stop him from taking the local army, marching to the next country over, and attempting to conquer it. That still counts as an act of war, so they will retaliate… and it will simply escalate.

I do not belive that it is evil to participate in war. The regular private does not have any say about what the army does, and so can only be held responsible for his own actions. He cannot be held accountable for what decisions his superiors make—which does not make him inculpable, as any individual’s actions can have effects reaching far beyond what they intended (see The Hunger Games).

So, to answer the two questions at the beginning: Disagreement and boredom, and No.

Real-Life Writing, Part 1: Response to “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller

Hawken — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:52:29 +0000

This is a essay that I rewrote. I did not write this.

Response to “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller

Commonly viewed as naughty little fellows in red jumpsuits with horns and
pitchforks, demons are not ordinarily thought of as a threat to society. The
Bible negates this impression, saying that they are fallen angels working
under Satan to do harm. Demons are at work now, just as they were 2,000
years ago. In his play “The Crucible,” Arthur Miller tends to treat any
semblance of demonic activity, which includes witchcraft, as a farce. Demonic
powers are glossed over; any claims to witchery in Salem are made up by lying
little girls. However, after reading portions of a book by Cotton Mather (a
minister during that period,) it seems that demons were at work in New
England. The timing was right for a witch hunt, as demonic powers affected the
people. Children were experiencing convulsions and shrieking, and the demons
possessing them summoned up the dead—just as they did in Biblical times.
The mysterious happenings around Salem had direct parallels to the demonic
occurrences in the Bible.

By the late 1600′s, most—if not all—of the original Puritan
settlers had died out, leaving children and grandchildren not as dedicated to
the scriptures and the Lord. Witches began to show themselves, at first saying
they could cure warts, but later moving on to curses and spells (TLATG, p.
235). In “The Crucible,” Tituba and some girls were accused of trying to
“conjure up the dead” (p. 16), which, although trite these days, was a major
breach in Biblical protocol. In the Old Testament, Saul, King of Israel, went
to visit a medium. She brought a prophet back from the dead, who then claimed
that Saul and his sons would die the next day – which they then do (I
Samuel 28:7-20, 31:2-6). Seances occur by demonic power, so for the Christian
people of Salem, stopping any such matter was important.

Cotton Mather described a brush with a demon possessed boy: … a
drumming on the boards was heard, which was followed with a voice that sang
‘Revenge! Revenge! Sweet is Revenge!’ At this, the people being terrified,
called on God, whereupon there followed a mournful note, ‘Alas, alas, we knock
no more, we knock no more!’ and there was an end of it all. (TLATG, p.
236).

The New Testament book of Luke recounts an event, showing that demons can
speak:

And when He had come out onto the land, He was met by a certain man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs.

Mather (the preacher from the 1600′s) also describes the plight of a young boy
who was “flung about at such a rate, they feared his brains would have been
beaten out … The poor boy was diverse times thrown into the fire, and
preserved from scorching thereof, with much ado” (TLATG, p. 236).

Demons can take control of the body. In Luke, a father begs Jesus to get rid
of a demon, saying, A spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it
convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and bruising him, it parts from
him with great difficulty (Luke 9:38-39).

The good people of Salem hoped to halt these instances. They had read about
demonic parallels in their Bibles. Crafty people capitalized on these fears,
for personal gain or revenge, by faking visions of demons or slandering
people’s names. This doesn’t excuse their over-reaction or frenzy to weed out
the “witches”, but it still explains some of their hysteria.

Demons are not phony beings with cute red outfits and horns; they are
followers of Satan, capable of doing much destruction. And so the greedy and
evil people of Salem capitalized on knowledge (or lack thereof) of the Bible,
and harmed many.

Euthanasia, and The Metamorphasis

Hawken — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:41:32 +0000

We have an old dog. We do not, however, intend to euthanize her—not yet, at least. Not while she can still walk around, taste food, hold it in, and enjoy life (in a limited fashion, at least.)

This contrasts to The Metamorphosis, where Gregor is forcibly turned into a animal (I believe it to be a centipede) without the benefit of anyone’s memories changing. At first, only his sister is on his side—the beginning of the book allows him to speak, but as it goes on he talks less and less—and so, no-one realizes that he can still think inside his animal body. Eventually, though, even his sister looses favor with him, and the family decides to put him to sleep (also known as euthanasia.)

I could use this as a metaphor for many things – even more, now that I’ve read the book (for some reason, I don’t seem to read as much into tracts of text as most people), but I will choose not to. Instead, I’ll end with this: The biggest difference between out dog and Gregor is that we love Missis. She has been a part of our lives for about 16 years, now, and since she’s 17— that’s a loong time for a Dalmatian to live. We are in no hurry (usually) to end her time with us—just when she looses it on the floor or in the car—and we’ll keep her alive for as long as it takes.

Gregor had none of those benefits. Not a loving family; not advanced age; just the memories of having been human to keep him sane. This was the only logical conclusion.

Biology Lab 03: Data Measurement

Hawken — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:22:31 +0000

Abstract

Measurements galore await you in this fine document. Unfortunately, the ability to make a table-of-contents automatically has eluded me, so you will need to scoll.

Introduction

This is the third lab report from my Lab Reports box, the eScienceLabs kit.

Background

The goal here is to measure things. Measure away, busy beaver.

Objective

“Measure in the target unit; don’t convert them!” seems to be the mantra of this lesson, for they devote several pages to the metric system and none-at-all to converting from imperial units.

Hypothesis

I’ll end up converting some of them, simply because I don’t have a tool to measure in Liters.

Results

Exercise Block 1

Convert the following:
- 3m = 300cm
- 83m = 83,000,000um
- 41,692m = 41,692,000mm
- 110km = 110,000m = 110,000,000mm
- 3.7hm = 370m = 37,000cm
- 451,000,000um = 451m = 45.1dam
Imagine a field 100m long. If you run a 5k race, how many meters did you run? Approximately how many “fields” does this equate to?
- A 5k race is a race run over 5 kilometers.
- If the field is 100m long, then it is .1k long.
- The equation is, therefore, 5/.1 = 50; 50 lengths.

Exercise Block 2

Measure the following objects:
1. Your computer screen (in meters):
  - Height : .2667 meters
  - Width : .3937 meters
  - Depth : .009525 meters
  - Area : .10499979 square meters
  - Volume : .00100012299975 cubic meters
2. A 100mL beaker (in millimeters):
  - Depth : 70 millimeters
  - Width : 75 millimeters
  - Area : 5625 square millimeters
  - Volume : 393750 cubic millimeters
3. Your lab kit box lid (in centimeters):
  - Length : 40 centimeters
  - Width : 36 centimeters
  - Depth : 8 centimeters
  - Area : 1440 square centimeters
  - Volume : 11520 cubic centimeters

Exercise Block 3

Determine the mass of the objects listed below (in grams). Pay attention to the units. Since you do not have a metric scale, we will provide you data to work with.
1. Baseball:
  - Mass (1) : .145kg = 145g
  - Mass (2) : 145.05g = 145.05g
  - Mass (3) : 145,750.77mg = 145.7508g
  - Mass (Average): 145.3g
  - Convert to kg: .1453kg
2. Piece of fruit:
  - Mass (1) : 310g = 310g
  - Mass (2) : .318kg = 318g
  - Mass (3) : 309,143mg = 309.143g
  - Mass (Average): 31238.1cg
  - Convert to g: 312.381g

Exercise Block 4

Determine the volume of the following objects. If you cannot do so by measuring the dimensions, use a different technique.
1. The chemical box inside of your kit:
  - Length : 22cm = 0.22m
  - Width : 11.5cm = 0.115m
  - Height : 10cm = 0.1m
  - Volume : 2.53L
2. Test tube:
  - Length : .025m 93.75
  - Width : .025m
  - Height : .15m
  - Volume : 0.09375L
3. Pick an object (book):
  - Length : 8.5in, so 0.216m
  - Width : 6in, so 0.1524m
  - Height : 1.5in, so 0.0381m
  - Volume : 1.254191L

Exercise Block 5

If you want to determine the volume of a swimming pool, name two ways you could do this.
1. Assuming that it is one depth:
  - Measure the width, length, and depth of the pool.
  - Multiply together to get cubic[units]
2. Assuming that it is not even:
  - Measure across the entire pool bottom, collecting measurements.
  - Average those measurements
  - Take the measurements, along with the length and width of the pool, and multiply them.
Measure the volume of a soup bowl from your cupboard.
- Approx. 6in6in4in (across, across, deep)
- Volume: 2360mL

Exercise Block 6

Convert the following:
- 121°F = 49.44°C
- 32°F = 0°C
- 0°F = –17.78°C
- 77°F = 25°C
With your thermometer, measure the temperature of the following objects:
1. Glass of cold tap water : 18° celcius
2. Your kitchen : 19° celcius
3. Inside your freezer : –15° celcius
4. Palm of your hand : 35° celcius

Discussion

My freezer doesn’t seem to be very cold, as my first measurement was 9°c; the second, however (–15°c) is plenty cold.

Conclusion

The fridge is plenty cold!

Biology Lab 02: Writing a Lab Report

Hawken — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:19:40 +0000

Abstract:

(fill me out last)

Introduction

This is the second lab report from my Lab Reports box, the eScienceLabs kit.

Background

The objective of this experiment is to see how many beans will sprout after I have my way with them. This is, as I have already mentioned, the second lab report in my kit, and the first one that makes me use a specific format.

Objective

Or the objective could go here, I guess. Umm, so my objective is to see how many beans will sprout after I put several batches of them through rigorous tests of strength. I get four batches of beans, one control and three not—each of which will be placed under a different stress.

Hypothesis

I’ll have several different bean packets, for which my (unofficial) goal is to get only the control packet to sprout.

Materials and Methods

Materials

100 beans
10 5x8in bags
Permanent marker
Ruler
Paper towels
Water
Masking tape

Methods

Results

Table 1: Variables that may influence seed germination
Variable	Hypothesized Effect
Temperature of the soil	Warm: faster. Cold: slow. Baked: N/A.
Amount of Water	None: N/A. Trickle: Slowly, maybe N/A. Normal: Rapid growth. Torrent: N/A.
Sunlight?	None: N/A. Direct: N/A. Moderate: OK.
Beans soaked overnight before planting?	Soaked: N/A. Not soaked: Growth.
Number of bags surrounding the soil	1: Good growth. 0: N/A. 2+: N/A.
Fertilizer?	Y: Rapid. N: Normal

Table 2: Variables that will be tested
Variable	Hypothesized Effect
Sunlight?	None: N/A. Direct: N/A. Moderate: OK.
Beans soaked overnight before planting?	Soaked: N/A. Not soaked: Growth.
Temperature of the air around bag?	Warm: Good growth. Fridge: N/A. Hot: Slow.

Table 3: Sample Bags
Bag #	Variable	Effect	Location
3	Control	None	Wall, between Dining and Living Room
1	Sunlight	None	Cookie Jar to Right of Stove
2	Sunlight	Direct	Picture Window in Dining Room
4	Bag	Open	Wall, between Dining and Living Room
5	PreSoaked	Overnight	Wall, between Dining and Living Room
6	Temperature	Fridge	Refridgerator
7	Temperature	Hot	Under the Stove Vent
8	Temperature	Freezer	Freezer
9	Weather	Outside	Picture Window in Dining Room

Table 4: After `n` Days
Day	Status
1	No change.
6	They started sprouting!
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Discussion

Conclusion

Biology Lab 01: The Scientific Method

Hawken — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:16:54 +0000

Exercise 1

Table 2: Water Quality vs. Fish Population

Dissolved Oxygen (ppm)	0	2	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18
Number of Fish Observed	0	1	3	10	12	13	15	10	12	13

Fish need dissolved oxygen, as shown by the fact that there are 0 fish at 0ppm. They also appear to do better when the amount of oxygen is over 6ppm, and, unless my eyes deceive me, there is a repeating pattern every three samples (above 4ppm, at least) of 10, 12, 13, 15.
Fish need oxygen to live; therefore, the more oxygen you have present, the
more fish will be there.
I would find a place where I can control the amount of oxygen dissolved in the water, then (starting at 20ppm and 20 fish) slowly lower the amount of oxygen present in the water until I reach zero ppm. At this point, my hypothesis states that I will have 0 fish left alive.
The independent variable in the amount of dissolved oxygen. The dependent variable is therefore the number of fish observed.
A stream with fish that I constantly measure the dissolved oxygen in.
I believe that a line chart would be best here. The alternatives, pie and bar charts, do not lend themselves to this type of data as well as a good ol’ line graph.
Fish live best when the oxygen in the water is at right around 12ppm, and
do not live at all when the oxygen is at 0ppm.

Exercise 2

Determine which of the following observations are testable. For those that are testable:

Write a hypothesis and a null hypothesis

What would be your experimental approach?

What are the dependent and independent variables?

What is your control?

How will you collect your data?

How will you present your data? (Eg. charts, graphs, types)

How will you analyze your data?

When a plant id placed on a window sill, it grows faster than when it is placed on a coffee table in the middle of a room.
- Hypothesis: The rate of plant growth is dependent on the amount of sunlight.
- Null Hypothesis: The rate of growth is not controlled by the amount of sunlight.
- Experimental Approach: Move the plant around the room.
- Independent Variable: The amount of sunlight.
- Dependent Variable: The growth of the plant.
- Control: Another plant that stays in the shade.
- Data Collection: My favorite clipboard, a pencil, a ruler, and a stopwatch.
- Data Presentation: Bar Graph.
- Interpretation With my computer and Excel.
The teller at the bank with brown hair and brown eyes is taller than the other tellers.
- Hypothesis: Bank tellers with brown hair and brown eyes grow taller.
- Null Hypothesis: Bank tellers height does not depend on their hair or eye color.
- Experimental Approach: Observe the tellers at various banks.
- Independent Variable: The color of the bank teller’s eyes.
- Dependent Variable: The height of the bank teller.
- Control: My local RCB Bank.
- Data Collection: Table.
- Data Presentation: Bar chart.
I caught four fish at seven o’clock in the morning but didn’t catch any at noon.
- Hypothesis: Fish are more easily caught earlier in the morning.
- Null Hypothesis: The time of day has no effect on the number of fish available.
- Experimental Approach: FISHING TIME! Watch other fishers fishing for fish on the lake.
- Independent Variable: The time of day.
- Dependent Variable: The number of fish caught.
- Control: Another river.
The salaries at Smith and Company are based on the number of sales, and Billy makes $3,000 more than Joe.
- Hypothesis: Billy sells more than Joe does.
- Null Hypothesis: Joe sells more than Billy does.
- Experimental Approach: Call Smith & Co. to ask who sells more.
- Independent Variable: The number of sales.
- Dependent Variable: The amount of money made.
- Control: Bob, another employee of Smith&Co.
When Sally eats healthy foods and exercises regularly, her blood pressure is lower than when she does not exercise and eats fatty foods.
- Hypothesis: Sally’s blood pressure is linked to how much she exercises.
- Null Hypothesis: Sally’s blood pressure is not linked to her dietary habits.
- Experimental Approach: Follow her around for several weeks, monitoring her blood pressure.
- Independent Variable: The amount of exercise done and fatty foods consumed.
- Dependent Variable: Sally’s blood pressure.
- Control: None.
The Italian restaurant across the street closes at 9pm, but the one two blocks away closes at 10pm.
- Hypothesis: We will go to the open restaurant for dinner.
- Null Hypothesis: We will go to the closed restaurant for supper.
- Experimental Approach: Go out for dinner at 9:00 pm.
- Independent Variable: The time of closing.
- Dependent Variable: Which restaurant will take our money.
- Control: The place that closes at 10pm.
Bob bought a new blue shirt with a golf club on the back for $20.
- Hypothesis: Shirts with golf clubs on the back cost $20.
- Null Hypothesis: All shirts cost $20.
- Experimental Approach: Go to a store and buy a shirt.
- Independent Variable: The image on the shirt.
- Dependent Variable: The price of the shirt.
- Control: A blue shirt without any picture.
For the past two days, the clouds have come out at 3pm and it has started raining at 3:15pm.
- Hypothesis: When clouds come out, it will begin raining 15min later.
- Null Hypothesis: The clouds must come out at 3 for rain to start at 3:15.
- Experimental Approach: Keep track of when the clouds gather and when it starts raining.
- Independent Variable: The delay between clouds and rain.
- Dependent Variable: The amount of rain.
- Control: A day in another town.
George did not sleep at all last night because he was up finishing his paper.
- Hypothesis: Gergory’s sleep is tryed to how much homework he has left.
- Null Hypothesis: Gregory’s sleep is independant of how much homework he has remaining.
- Experimental Approach: Check how much sleep Gregory has gotten for the past month, then cross-reference that with the amount of homework he has had.
- Independent Variable: Gregory’s homework load.
- Dependent Variable: Gregory’s sleep.
- Control: Me.
Ice cream melts faster on a warm summer day than on a cold winter day.
- Hypothesis: More heat makes ice cream melt faster.
- Null Hypothesis: Ice cream melts at a steady rate, independant of the surrounding temperature.
- Experimental Approach: Put Ice Cream in hot sunlight, a cold freezer, and a lukewarm room, and measure which one melts fastest.
- Independent Variable: Temperature.
- Dependent Variable: Melting speed of the ice cream.
- Control: Ice cream in my hand.
How can you apply scientific method to an everyday problem? Give one example.
I would apply the scientific method to any number of things, such as:
- tormenting my brother
- cleaning my room
- running my scout troop.
- Hypothesis: It’s faster to clean my room as it gets dirty than all-at-once, after several months have passed.
- Null Hypothesis: It takes the same amount of time to clean my room, no matter how much stuff is tossed around.
- Experimental Approach: Keep my room clean, recording any time I clean it, for a month; then spend a month not cleaning it, and compare the two times.
- Independent Variable: The amount of stuff on my floor.
- Dependent Variable: The amount of time needed to clean my room.
- Control: Bridger’s room.

Deep Description

Hawken — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:12:35 +0000

Billboards: All the same, yet completely different. How can billboards, which all have the same dimensions, contain such different content?

Snow, snow, snow,
let it blow.
So weak, yet so strong,
my roof moans.

As the wandering souls moans, it awakens, wondering “What happened to me? Where am I? Who… who are you?” “Me?” I ask, laughing inside. “I’m just your greatest hopes and fears, personified.”

The Spirit of the Age

Hawken — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:07:25 +0000

Dwindling in the past,

our futures lie

Bright ahead;

If only we can see.

I did this one as a Haiku.