Machiavelli and President Snow

President Snow

     If Machiavelli was around to see The Hunger Games, I think he would agree with some of the actions President Snow took in the movie. Machiavelli argued that if the choice came down to being feared or loved, it is better to be feared. His reasoning was "fear preserves you by a dread of punishment, which never fails". He basically is saying that the fear of punishment keeps people from doing anything to upset the person they fear.

      President Snow shows it's better to be feared by creating the Hunger Games. These games take a man and women (Tributes) from each of the twelve districts and have them fight it out to the death. These games are highly publicized as famous people serve as sponsors to help each of the tributes survive. They are also recorded for the public to see as the action is happening, like a T.V show! He explains at the Reaping video that there was a rebellion a long time ago and that was the reason for the creation of the Games. Now people are afraid of rebelling because they might get chosen for the Games.

"Too much hope is dangerous"

     Another aspect of The Hunger Games is the fact that the victors of each games get treated so well. According to The Hunger Games Wiki, victors get paid for life from the Capitol, receive special status in their own District, and living arraignments in the Victors Village. These prizes  give each tribute a sense of hope, and President Snow says hope is very important in the purpose of the Games. "Why don't we just line up 24 people and execute them all at once, it'd be easier...hope is the only thing stronger than fear, but too much hope is dangerous". The conversation pictured is about how each tribute gives their District hope and that is another reason they don't rebel. In this case though, Katniss might be giving them too much hope.
     Finally, Machiavelli stated hatred should be avoided because "he can endure very well being feared whilst not hated". In other words, people can still put up with you if you're feared. However, in this case being hated will only fuel a rebellion. An example is the riot in District 11 after Rue died. Those people hated the Capitol for forcing a little girl with practically no chance of winning to compete in the Games. So as a result, they started a riot that the Capitol ended shortly after.

District 11 riot

Bergson's Blog

Cameron defending Meryl Streep

Henri Bergson's theory on comedy states that people laugh at certain things because of the anti-social behavior being displayed. In other words, when we see others doing things that we normally wouldn't see, we laugh because of the different behavior. Also, another aspect is the fact that we would never do some of these things and are surprised when another person does it. This applies to some things people say as well because most people wouldn't think of saying these things, so therefore we find it funny. An example of this is Cameron Tucker from Modern Family. This instance applies to the theory because we normally would not expect a middle aged man to defend Meryl Streep, so when he does we find it odd and laugh at the unusual comment. The way he says in the episode also adds to the comedy of the moment.

Thanksgiving Friendship

A friendship that I can connect to Aristotles concepts is with my friend Larry Carney. I've known Larry since freshman year and I've gotten to know a lot about him. We first met at cross country practice while we were still considering staying on the team as freshman. One day he came up to me and just started talking about running and since then we've been great friends. So we decided to stick with running and it turned out to be a great decision for both of us. We became captains this year and lead our team to a state championship. Also, he became one of the best runners ever at Lowell High by finishing 4th at the All-State meet, the second best finish ever by a Lowell High runner. I would put this friendship in the pleasantness category because we both enjoy hanging out together and have common interests that we can debate about. I'm thankful I met Larry because we made memories that I'll never forget.

Holding the championship trophy

Aristotles Friendship

The dynamic duo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utility- The first example is when two people benefit from having one another around. One example is Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. They both need each other in order to do their jobs successfully. Brady needs Gronk to catch his passes and score, while Gronk needs Brady to pass it to him and move the team down field. When they are both on their game, it's a scary combination.







 Pleasantness- The next example is when two people are attracted to each others good looks or other pleasant qualities. An example of this is Penny and Leonard from The Big Bang Theory. Penny is attracted to him because of his intelligence and his chivalrous personality towards her. Leonard is attracted to her because of her amazing looks and her outgoing personality. At first look, you wouldn't think these two would make a good couple but they actually do, and are engaged for marriage.

Leonard and Penny

 Perfect friendship- The last example is when two people admire each others goodness and strive to help one another to reach that goodness. A great example of that is Woody and Buzz from Toy Story. At first Woody gets jealous of Buzz for stealing Andy's attention away from him. However, after a scuffle underneath a pizza delivery truck they come to terms and end up being best of friends. In fact, later in the movie they are strapped to the back of a lit firework in order to save the other members of their gang. Slowly these two create a bond that lasts to infinity and beyond!

A classic combination

Harry Potter House Assignment

Hufflepuff Crest

Beginning my first year at Hogwarts would without a doubt be pretty cool. However, I would be worried, like Harry, about what house I would be assigned into. After doing some research and identifying my character traits I believe I would be a great fit in the Hufflepuff house.

The post on Wikispaces described a Hufflepuff as "Where they are just and loyal, Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil." I think this a dead-on description of who I am, and what I try to be. To be specific, I believe the traits of loyalty and courage (unafraid of toil) are the two that match my personality the best.

I am a part of the Cross Country team at the high school (ALL-STATE CHAMPS by the way) and we have a little saying that everyone on the team knows. The coaches say that to be apart of the team you have to be "consistent, reliable, and loyal". This saying has many interpretations, but I always thought loyal was the most important word in it. A loyal person keeps his promises to others, doesn't leave people hanging when they are in need, and they certainly do not forget where they came from. I try to be loyal to my teammates and friends at all times because I know that how important it is to be a good friend or teammate. Another aspect I just thought of was doing things that you might not want to do, but you know is the right thing. An example I have is going along with Deprofio to the school visits around Lowell. Its not the most fun thing but I know how much the kids look up to us high-schoolers so I go along anyway. It's one thing to say you'll do something, it's quite another to actually do it.

The second trait of courage is one that I value very highly. Being a senior and one of the older kids on my teams, I'm looked upon by younger kids trying to find their way in high school. A responsibility that goes along with this is talking to my teammates and encouraging/motivating them to stay positive and try their best. The only problem with this is that I'm not the most outgoing person so my style has to be adjusted a little in order to be a good leader. This is the best example I have of being courageous because I had to break out of my shell and be a more vocal leader. This also relates to what I said earlier about doing things you don't want to do. At first, I was very nervous I wouldn't be a good leader, but as the year went by it got easier, and I got more comfortable with it. Finally, another less serious example of being courageous is when I got my mohawk. I never had a haircut like that before, and I was wary it would come out bad. As it turns out though, I liked it and other people said it looked cool too. Maybe I should try different things more often.

My XC mohawk

  
 To summarize, based on the character traits given and the examples I provided, I would be a great fit in the Hufflepuff house at Hogwarts.

Kierkegaards Blog

Josh is Done

One of the best shows of my generation, Drake and Josh, has numerous examples of two opposing characters in Kierkegaards stages. The ethical character in this show would be Josh, and the aesthetic character would be Drake. These two brothers would constantly go back and forth at each-other for various reasons. Most of the time Drake would do something and Josh would have to freak out and then fix whatever he did. One example would be when Drake and Josh were temporarily, no longer brothers. In this episode Drake forgets to wait for Josh going to school, and as a result Josh misses his final test. When Drake gets home Josh angrily announces that he's "Done" with Drake. They end up avoiding each-other until Drake makes it up to him. The point is however that Drake thought he could do whatever he wants. The reason he left Josh was to get to school early and have a make-out session. Josh pointed it out to him that he made a conscious choice and knew he forgot Josh. Josh was done with Drake doing this to him so he made a choice to no longer have a close relationship with Drake.

Post Race Feelings

milesplitma.com

 

     Yesterday my team participated in the Amherst Invitational at Hampshire College. It was a cross country race with over 25 teams from 4 different states. Our team had two teams (13 runners) in the varsity race, and various runners in the JV and Freshman race. Scoring for cross country is similar to golf, the lowest score wins, and your overall place in the race determines the point value. The top five runners for each team are scored and compared with other teams. Unfortunately, our varsity A team and JV team came in second, while the Frosh finished first. After the race was when I had a conflict Kant would categorize into desire and duty.
     I finished about 30th in the race and was the sixth man for the A team. I ran a personal record 5k time of 16:42 which I was glad about, but there was one thing that bothered me. Right in front of me there was two kids from the same that edged me out. Those kids were from Danbury, CT and were favored to win, so I was afraid that those kids in front of me would win their team the race. Two points in cross country could be the difference between a win and a loss.
     Therefore, I was quite upset that I couldn't muster the energy to pass them. So as a result, I walked away pretty upset and didn't talk to anyone from my team. When I got back to my teams spot, I threw a lollipop I was given into the wall and kind of hid myself from the team. I think this would be my desire for the conflict aspect, I was upset and didn't want to talk to anyone. At that moment though, my moral duty took over and I started to calm down. I'm a senior captain and I knew that making a scene and pouting wouldn't be the best example. So after that, I started to relax and talk to my coaches and teammates, and I found out we did lose to Danbury, but I would not have made a difference passing those kids. It still was disappointing but not the end of the world.
     The categorical imperative of that whole situation was being a good leader to my teammates even though I wasn't 100% satisfied. I think Kant would agree because being a baby when your supposed to be looked upon for advice isn't the correct way to act. I know I probably shouldn't have ignored my teammates at first but I still fired up from the race. At least I did change my attitude before It was too late.

Aristotle Character Types

Aristotle Character Types

Virtuous: A person who displays Virtuous character traits in my world is Sue Heck from The Middle. Sue is the middle child out of three and is the only girl. Because of this she is constantly overlooked and ignored by her parents and other siblings. Regardless of that, Sue has an incredible personality and tries her hardest in everything she does. Although her athletic ability is practically nonexistent, she has tried-out for every team at her high school. She even creates her own club called the "Wrestlerettes" which are cheerleaders for the wrestling team. A specific example of her showing Virtuous character is when Sue creates a huge hole in her room wall and tells her parents right away because they just got it fixed. Her siblings were strongly suggesting she hide it but she told the truth.

Continent: A person that displays the Continent character is Phil Dunphy from Modern Family. Phil is a father of three and a real-estate agent that shows his unique personality throughout the show. He is constantly trying to be a fun-loving dad while at the same time the good husband to his wife Claire. Sometimes his outgoing nature blinds him of the facts that are right in front of him. An example of Phil being Continent is when his ex-girlfriend visits the house and starts seducing him. She tries to convince him to meet at a motel but he declines even though it is evident he was thinking of going.

Incontinent: A character that displays Incontinent character is Officer Ramirez from The Dark Knight. Although she was a minor character in the movie she had a major role in the plot. In short, she is bribed by the Joker to get Harvey Dent captured and tied up, which ultimately turns him into Two-Face. Earlier in the movie, the Joker made a threat to blow up a hospital if Batman didn't reveal himself. When he didn't Joker did in fact blow it up however, Ramirez's grandmother was in the hospital and was removed because of the threat. As a result, her bills piled up and she couldn't afford to have her grandmother moved. The Joker knew this and bribed her with money to help with his master plan. We find out this whole plan later on from Ramirez when Two-Face threatens to kill her.

Vicious: A Vicious character I found was Loki from Thor. Loki is Thors half-brother that turns out to be the villian in the movie. At first he was Thor's ally, but once he found out he was born a Frost-Giant (Thor's enemy species) and was turned into a God like Thor he lost it. He was extremely upset at their father King Odin and turned on his family. He shows he is truly vicious when he gives the Frost Giants a way to get into a secret chamber that has the power casket, which gives endless power to whomever has it. The only reason this plan fails is because The Destroyer kills the two thieves before they can get away.

The Summer of 2014

The past summer was quite memorable. It certainly wasn't how I thought it would go, but it still ended up being pretty fun. I wanted this summer to be a good one seeing it would be my last public school summer vacation. Just typing that makes me feel old. Anyway, the two most memorable things I did this summer was play in the Bay State Games for hockey, and go to a friends lake house in Lake George, New York. I'll get into the major news stories after my stories.

The Bay State Games is a huge organization that basically holds their own version of the Olympic Games in Massachusetts. There are many different sports that are available to play ranging from basketball, to archery. I participated in the ice hockey games for team Northeast. There were five different regions: Northeast, Central, Metro, West, and Coastal. Anyone from these regions could try-out to be on these teams, the only rule was you couldn't be a senior the past school year. The year before I made the team so I didn't have to try-out again. Once the team was picked we had a few practices at the Burlington Ice Palace, the home rink to the coach, and then it was off to the Foxboro Sports Center. This tournament went from Thursday to Sunday and consisted of at least 5 games, so there was a lot of hockey to be played. The top team got a bye into the Gold Medal game and everyone else fought to either play in that game or the Bronze Medal game. After a 2-2 preliminary round record my team was the 3rd seed and had to play Metro to see what medal we were playing for. It ended with us losing and playing for Bronze which actually wasn't bad because the 1 seed, Central beat us 10-1 earlier in the tournament so that definietly would have been a loss. The Bronze Medal game was Northeast v. Coastal, a team we beat before. After a tight game in regulation, and a late goal to tie up the score, it required over-time. Again, over-time was back and forth with many chances on both ends. However, two penalties against Coastal proved to be deadly. With a 5 on 3 power-play, I was sent on to complete a special play off the face-off. Then just as planned, my center-man won the draw and I came in dragged it around him, and closed my eyes and shot. It went in! I scored the winning goal to clinch the Bronze Medal game for my team. I was so excited that we won it after a long and exhausting weekend of hockey. I certainly will remember that moment for as long I live.

My other exciting thing I did this summer was stay at a friends lake house in Lake George, New York. Lake George is a major attraction center in New york state, and it's only 25 minutes from Saratoga. For 4 days and nights my entire family stayed at a quiet lake house and bonded, if you want to call it that. After the whole experience, I would say the worst part was probably the car ride. Everything else was fun and relaxing, so I would go back again. To summarize the trip, the first day we climbed Prospect Mtn, the second day we played mini-golf, the next day we walked around town and played mini-golf, and the last day we packed up and left. It was a nice trip to get away from the confines of Lowell and experience other parts of the country. I have to say though that it was weird seeing all the Yankee and Mets apparell in the stores. We didn't do everything we wanted due to time and money, but it was still better than staying home. My favorite part was climbing the mountain. I've always liked hiking, and that was the first time with the whole family. In fact, that was my first hike in three years so I was glad to get back out there. Overall, it was a fun trip that was a memorable experience for the whole family.

This summer was filled with interesting local, and national news stories that won't soon be forgotten. The first and probably most publicized story was the Market Basket saga. Longtime CEO Arthur T. Demoulas was voted off the Board of Directors in late June, and that lead to some nastyness. About a month later, customers and employees started a boycott that ranged throughout most if not all stores. This boycott left stores empty for about 6 weeks, and forced people to find new stores to shop at. All the while, the Board still wouldn't reinstate "Artie T" as he was called, and the company was losing millions everyday the boycott continued. However, just 2 weeks ago, the Board decided to sell the majority of the company back to Artie T and end the boycott. The rallying support of the customers and employees ulimately saved the company from being bought out.                     

CNN.com

 

 

 Another national news story that effected millions of people was the death of beloved actor, Robin Williams. On August 11, Williams took his own life and died of asphyxiation in his home in California. Williams was a versatile actor that appeared in many famous films including, Good Morning, Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting, Jumanji, and Mrs. Doubtfire. Williams was loved for his energetic and boisterous personality and his uncanny ability to make people laugh. After his death it was revealed that he was experiencing the early symptoms of Parkinson's Disease, but wasn't ready to share publicly. To conclude, Robin Williams death not only effected those close to him, but also the numerous fans that loved his work.

Time.com