REHUGO 2

Reading:

     The Phantom of the Opera, a mystery novel written by Gaston Leroux in 1910, is mostly known for it's antagonist for which it gets it's namesake. One of the more important parts of the Leroux's novel was the mental complexity of it's antagonist and Leroux's questioning as to what we believe a monster to be:"Shall we pity him? Shall we curse him? He asked only to be 'someone,' like everybody else. But he was too ugly! And he had to hide his genius or use it to play tricks with, when, with an ordinary face, he would have been one of the most distinguished of mankind! He had a heart that could have held the empire of the world; and in the end had to content himself with a cellar. Surely we must pity the Opera ghost!” While as dark and mentally unsound as the Opera ghost may be, Leroux makes sure that the reader see's both sides to the madness and tragedy in him.

Entertainment and Arts:

   Hedgehog in the Fog was a Russian animated short film made in 1975 directed by Yuriy Norshteyn and is one of the most highly acclaimed animated films of all time. Wether it be the ominous yet mystical atmosphere or the dream like surrealism, Hedgehog in the Fog has become the influence to many well known animators including Hayao Miyazaki. The film is about a journey into the unknown, as the hedgehog descends into the fog, he encounters strange creatures veiled by the fog, which cause a sense of suspended reality, adding mysticism to an everyday routine. The film is mainly known for it's captivatingly unique animation skills, but it is it's poetic simplistic which brought in most of it's prestige.

History:

     This is the Antikythera mechanism and is estimated to date back to 87 B.C. Going only by the picture, it would seem to just me another old artifact, but what make's the Antikythera mechanism unique is that it is the oldest known scientific calculator, used to calculate astronomical positions; no other machine like this would be created again until the 14th Century. It is one of the most significant artifacts ever found and still more is being discovered about it and how much more advanced ancient civilizations were then modern society gives them credit for. The Antikythera mechanism could be the key to understanding the amazing abilities of ancient civilization's and the outstanding potential of the human mind. 

Universal Truth:

   "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind"

   Mahatma Gandhi said this during the Indian Independence movement, which he played a crucial role in. Gandhi used this as a rebuttal to the use of force against the British who were committing crimes against humanity against the Indian people. Gandhi's practice of civil disobedience proved effective in India and would also become the inspiration to the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. This universal truth does not only need to apply to world wide events but also to any form of injustice; whenever getting even, the result is never just and both sides become guilty instead of one. 

Government:

   "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the consent of the Governed"

   This is a quote from Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence of the United States. Jeffersons point is that government, in order to be just to it's people, must be decided by it's people. His purpose in the Declaration was to point out the unjust and illogical rule of the monarchy which is decided only on devine right instead of popular need. Jefferson's reasoning for what should be the institution of government, appealed to anyone who felt that their political decisions were being done without their consent and without it, it was a time for a new government.

Observation:

   

   One of my favorite things about spring is the blossom trees, but this year, a cold front has killed a large portion of the blossom petal's, causing them to fall prematurely. Most of the tree's were yet in full bloom and have already shed there petals, which is very unfortunate not only to the trees but to everyone who enjoyed their beauty. My purpose for bring up this observation, is to bring to light the effects of climate change by bringing up a small, yet very noticeable change. If we do not look around now and start to act, we as a whole could not only lose the famous blossom season but also many important natural effect which keeps this planet stable.