3/28 Plato Assignment

1. Short Paragraph – Personal Reflection: Before reading the selection from Plato write at least one full paragraph on this question: Why do you think Plato (or anyone else) would want to censor Homer? Think about Achilles as a "hero," and why or why not his personal characteristics are something that should be promoted, or not.

I think that Plato would disapprove of it because of how Achilles acted towards his leader. He is supposed to be the hero of the story, but he was rebellious against Agamemnon and fought only for his own pleasure. These are the qualities of a bad hero and a bad influence.

2. Then read pp. 76-85 (Section b). Secondary or Literary Education)
In Process...

3. Short Answers – Text based questions. Answer both questions, answers can be just a few sentences

a. According to Plato, what are some aspects of poetry that should be banned and why? In other words, how can poetry undermine the education of a Guardian?

1. He believes we should not describe the afterlife as a dark and gloomy place, for it will teach our guardians to fear death.
2. We should not allow lines that encourage our Guardians to be rebellious or witty.
3. Characters should not be obsessed with material things.

And

b. What should poetry “teach” and why?

Poetry should teach our guardians to be strong, brave and obedient. Otherwise, they would not do as well in their job of guarding, and would be much like Achilles in the Illiad: Rebellious, secluded, and protecting nobody but himself.

4. If you were talking to Plato what would you say to him? Do you agree with his ideas? Do you think poetry, or literature in general, should be put to the purposes that he says it should?

At this, I am torn. I do agree that these are not things we should be teaching our guardians, but at the same time, I do not think we should stifle the creativity of the writer, either. In fact, at one point, Plato even states that "The better a piece of literature is, the more harmful it is to our guardians."

My belief is that we should let the writers write and the guardians guard, and simply tell them during their training that, although these may be heroes, not all their qualities are good.

DISCUSSION TERMINATED. END OF LINE.

Now, before I get into the copied and pasted Clan Darkterror Productions updates, I have a slightly more academic announcement/request to tell you all. I was speaking with one of my acquaintances online, and she brought up how silly my love of Disneyland is, and how I make such a big deal about this being the first time in a long time I haven't visited it over the summer, and how it's silly that I had to go and "make a big deal out of material things like that." In response, I posted this:

'My Disneyland withdrawal... it's not about "[making] a big deal out of material things like that," It's about the feeling that comes from Disneyland. You are a fine example of why the world is in the horrible state it's in: You all focus on the bad times in life, and thus the world reflects your thoughts. You all use it as an excuse to say "My life sucks more than yours," as if it's some sort of honor. Disneyland is where I go to get my mind off of that stuff. I've practically spent a fourth of my entire life there, I've seen just about everything there is there. Atop that, everyone says I've already "grown out of things like that." But I still go anyway. Why? If I may quote from an episode of The Twilight Zone, that episode being the "Passage Aboard the Lady Anne," "All people know now adays is hurry, hurry, hurry, quick, quick, quick, rush rush, why? They've scrapped our beautiful boat, what's to say they won't scrap the world next?" Time is violence. Time is infinite, but there is never enough of it. You'll never have "Time enough at last." In Disneyland, there is almost no sense of time. You only realize it exists when you realize it's already 10 at night, and you didn't even notice that the sun went down. With the state that the human population is in, I may never live to see utopia, but at least in Disneyland I can emulate that feeling, if only to a very small magnitude. That's why it always pisses me off when I hear people my age gloating about how they flicked off the camera on Splash Mountain, or made sex jokes in one of the kiddie playgrounds. Disneyland has gone so far as to grow a FOREST around it to block out the outside world, and people try to bring the evils of that world inside anyway. They ruin my utopia.

You all blindly run about Plato's cave, some of you unshackled, some of you unknowingly still tied by the feet to your prison. But you all share some similarities: You all try to search for the exit, for the outside, and you all don't seem to realize that you've caused that exit to cave in from all your blindness and bumping into things. Me? I need not the sunlight. I'd rather voyage deeper into the cave, and see what treasures I can find. If ignorance is bliss, then knowledge can be damned."


Now, I've suddenly grown quite an attachment to this post. I was really just following a train of thought, I didn't purposefully mean to use Disneyland as an allegory for utopia, but now that I have... I'm thinking of taking this and turning it into a complete philosophical piece to post on My Deviantart (The tentative title, of course, being "The Allegory of Injun Joe's Cave" XD). So, I do ask this of everyone who reads this: Please, read through aforementioned post, and critique it. I would really like an emphasis on logic and/or lack of, since this really was not written to be a literary piece...yet. Thanks!

Now, for your regularly scheduled CDP update:

So, throughout the production of Eternity's End so far, I've been really experimenting with the concept of a virtual office (Partly inspired by Tom Clancy's talk of it in "Teeth of the Tiger"). Until now, I've only been recruiting classmates and close friends, so I can still meet up with them in person if the Virtual office fails.

Well, I feel confident, and feel like stepping up this concept to the next level. Now's the time to, ah, "overcome topography through the use of the topological plane", as McKenzie Wark's "Gamer Theory" would probably put it.

I've decided that I MAY be publicly hiring for the last main voice-acting job, the voice of the younger of the two princesses of Kakana and the mercenary team's only Kunoichi, Dimona. However, I'm going to be a lot more strict. You gotta go through an audition, of sorts. In reality, that just means email us, I'll send you back a little script, and you send me back the soundclips.

I warn you though, since this is a REALLY BIG test on the concept of a virtual office, you gotta be serious about this. That doesn't necessarily mean putting in 16+ hours of work a day (Although I would love it if you do ;)), but just that you don't fall behind too much.

Oh, there are also a bunch of little jobs up for grabs, too. These are only a few lines or so, so these aren't as serious ;) For all genders, too!

So, if anyone is interested, mail us at eternitysendrecruiting@gmail.com

Republic assignment 3/27

1. Short Paragraph – Personal Reflection: Before reading the selection from Plato write at least one full paragraph on this question: Why do you think Plato (or anyone else) would want to censor Hesiod? Remember that Hesiod was the poet who wrote about the fight between the gods and the titans.

Plato believes that the "Guardians," or in this case the gods, should show knowledge, courage, and strength. In Hesiod, the Gods are shown as fools, killing each other off in the pursuit of power, and cowering in fear from those that may do the same to them. Sure, they showed immense strength, but they lacked all the other, more important qualities of a good guardian.

2. Then read pp. 67-76 (Section I. Secondary or Literary Education)

In the process of doing that right now

3. Short Answers – Text based questions. Answer both questions

a. What are Homer and Hesiod guilty of?

Homer and Hesiod are gulty of "Misinterpreting the nature of gods and heroes, like a portrait painter whose portraits bear no resemblance to their originals"

And

b. What are the two main characteristics of “god” and what are the laws/principles of story telling based on those characteristics?

The two characteristics of god is that he is the ultimate good and can cause no bad, and because of that he cannot be responsible for everything, but only a small portion of human life. Because of this, we should not inaccurately portray him. Since he is the ultimate good and thus can cause no bad, we cannot say he is "the dispenser of good AND evil."

4. Compare what you wrote in your personal reflection above (#1) with what Plato wrote. How close were you to what Plato wrote?

I think I hit it rather close to the mark. My only false assumption is that Plato was referring directly to the gods when he spoke of the "Guardians," and not just inspiration for said guardians.

DISCUSSION TERMINATED. END OF LINE.

Now, before I get into the copied and pasted Clan Darkterror Productions updates, I have a slightly more academic announcement/request to tell you all. I was speaking with one of my acquaintances online, and she brought up how silly my love of Disneyland is, and how I make such a big deal about this being the first time in a long time I haven't visited it over the summer, and how it's silly that I had to go and "make a big deal out of material things like that." In response, I posted this:

'My Disneyland withdrawal... it's not about "[making] a big deal out of material things like that," It's about the feeling that comes from Disneyland. You are a fine example of why the world is in the horrible state it's in: You all focus on the bad times in life, and thus the world reflects your thoughts. You all use it as an excuse to say "My life sucks more than yours," as if it's some sort of honor. Disneyland is where I go to get my mind off of that stuff. I've practically spent a fourth of my entire life there, I've seen just about everything there is there. Atop that, everyone says I've already "grown out of things like that." But I still go anyway. Why? If I may quote from an episode of The Twilight Zone, that episode being the "Passage Aboard the Lady Anne," "All people know now adays is hurry, hurry, hurry, quick, quick, quick, rush rush, why? They've scrapped our beautiful boat, what's to say they won't scrap the world next?" Time is violence. Time is infinite, but there is never enough of it. You'll never have "Time enough at last." In Disneyland, there is almost no sense of time. You only realize it exists when you realize it's already 10 at night, and you didn't even notice that the sun went down. With the state that the human population is in, I may never live to see utopia, but at least in Disneyland I can emulate that feeling, if only to a very small magnitude. That's why it always pisses me off when I hear people my age gloating about how they flicked off the camera on Splash Mountain, or made sex jokes in one of the kiddie playgrounds. Disneyland has gone so far as to grow a FOREST around it to block out the outside world, and people try to bring the evils of that world inside anyway. They ruin my utopia.

You all blindly run about Plato's cave, some of you unshackled, some of you unknowingly still tied by the feet to your prison. But you all share some similarities: You all try to search for the exit, for the outside, and you all don't seem to realize that you've caused that exit to cave in from all your blindness and bumping into things. Me? I need not the sunlight. I'd rather voyage deeper into the cave, and see what treasures I can find. If ignorance is bliss, then knowledge can be damned."


Now, I've suddenly grown quite an attachment to this post. I was really just following a train of thought, I didn't purposefully mean to use Disneyland as an allegory for utopia, but now that I have... I'm thinking of taking this and turning it into a complete philosophical piece to post on My Deviantart (The tentative title, of course, being "The Allegory of Injun Joe's Cave" XD). So, I do ask this of everyone who reads this: Please, read through aforementioned post, and critique it. I would really like an emphasis on logic and/or lack of, since this really was not written to be a literary piece...yet. Thanks!

Now, for your regularly scheduled CDP update:


So, throughout the production of Eternity's End so far, I've been really experimenting with the concept of a virtual office (Partly inspired by Tom Clancy's talk of it in "Teeth of the Tiger"). Until now, I've only been recruiting classmates and close friends, so I can still meet up with them in person if the Virtual office fails.

Well, I feel confident, and feel like stepping up this concept to the next level. Now's the time to, ah, "overcome topography through the use of the topological plane", as McKenzie Wark's "Gamer Theory" would probably put it.

I've decided that I MAY be publicly hiring for the last main voice-acting job, the voice of the younger of the two princesses of Kakana and the mercenary team's only Kunoichi, Dimona. However, I'm going to be a lot more strict. You gotta go through an audition, of sorts. In reality, that just means email us, I'll send you back a little script, and you send me back the soundclips.

I warn you though, since this is a REALLY BIG test on the concept of a virtual office, you gotta be serious about this. That doesn't necessarily mean putting in 16+ hours of work a day (Although I would love it if you do ;)), but just that you don't fall behind too much.

Oh, there are also a bunch of little jobs up for grabs, too. These are only a few lines or so, so these aren't as serious ;) For all genders, too!

So, if anyone is interested, mail us at eternitysendrecruiting@gmail.com

By Jove, I've done it.

I just finished Gamer Theory. It was rather interesting. Granted, I skipped half of the section on America on Civ 3 (Politics is not really my thing.) As well as half of Complex on Deus Ex (I'm a gamer. I know what multiple endings are. And if I didn't it doesn't take the entire section save one paragraph to explain.)

I'll probably share my experiences with this on a later blog. For now, I'm pooped, and off to watch Bo-bo-bo-bo bo-bo-bo.

But before I do, quick update on CDP:

So, throughout the production of Eternity's End so far, I've been really experimenting with the concept of a virtual office (Partly inspired by Tom Clancy's talk of it in "Teeth of the Tiger"). Until now, I've only been recruiting classmates and close friends, so I can still meet up with them in person if the Virtual office fails.

Well, I feel confident, and feel like stepping up this concept to the next level. Now's the time to, ah, "overcome topography through the use of the topological plane", as McKenzie Wark's "Gamer Theory" would probably put it.

I've decided that I MAY be publicly hiring for the last main voice-acting job, the voice of the younger of the two princesses of Kakana and the mercenary team's only Kunoichi, Dimona. However, I'm going to be a lot more strict. You gotta go through an audition, of sorts. In reality, that just means email us, I'll send you back a little script, and you send me back the soundclips.

I warn you though, since this is a REALLY BIG test on the concept of a virtual office, you gotta be serious about this. That doesn't necessarily mean putting in 16+ hours of work a day (Although I would love it if you do ;)), but just that you don't fall behind too much.

Oh, there are also a bunch of little jobs up for grabs, too. These are only a few lines or so, so these aren't as serious ;) For all genders, too!

So, if anyone is interested, mail us at eternitysendrecruiting@gmail.com

3/22 prep for socratic seminar

Today's prompt:

10) If you act justly, will you find happiness? (Socrates)

Well, to that, you must first discover what justice is. For this prompt, let us assume that Justice is the opinion I have been expressing the past few blog entries: the idea that justice is living life as to avoid conflict, and if conflict arises, to make sure it does not happen again. If that is so, then one may be able to find happiness easier, but if everyone were to follow said justice to the letter, it is very likely that it would turn into a hellish nightmare. Much like in the Twilight Zone episode, "A Nice Place to Visit," man would become so bored from all the peace, that they would eventually go insane. Not everyone may be a "Glutton for Punishment," as the saying goes, but it is definitely part of human nature to despise monotony, even if that monotony is an absence of conflict.

However, it's rather unlikely that such a utopia would occur, sad as it is. If one were the only man in the area to participate in what we call "Justice," then it would still rely on those around him. Were those around him kind souls, then they may accept justice, and peace will reign until monotony destroyed it. Were those around him not as kind, some may take in Justice into their own lives, some may shun it and cause more conflict. From there, it is all dependent on how good the followers of Justice could uphold it.

**3/21 Republic Assignment

Once more, philosophy. Revel in it's glory. Let's see the assignment today... oh, this looks interesting:

As usual you can develop your own prompt. If you do, keep in mind the guidelines I have written in the previous blogs.

Yes. I think I shall go with that today. Here goes nothing!

So then, my prompt for the day is as follows: On the first paragraph of page 37, Plato talks about how justice is still an undefined concept. If possible, connect this idea to anything you are currently reading.

Hmmm... let's see... what am I currently reading... How about McKenzie Wark's GAM3R 7H30RY? One of the main arguments McKenzie Wark makes in Gamer Theory is the idea of Analog vs. Digital, and how video games always have a defined set of rules, or an "Algorithm," if you will, and how the modern-day world tries to replicate said algorithm. As Wark puts it,: "Work is a rat race. Politics is a horse race. The economy is a casino. Even the utopian justice to come in the afterlife is foreclosed: He who dies with the most toys wins. Games are no longer a past time, outside or alongside of life. They are now the very form of life, and death, and time, itself. These games are no joke. When the screen flashes the legend game over, you are either dead, or defeated, or at best out of quarters."

Now, at first, one may think that that is a paradox. You may be thinking "But Justin... Video games are supposed to replicate reality, not the other way around. Video games are not but the shadows upon the wall, your computer room a cave, the outside world the light. Much like in the Allegory of the Cave, you act like one of the prisoners who were set free. And yet, despite your freedom, why do you decide to stay within the Cave, instead of head towards the light?" Wark makes the same connection between the Allegory, too, and here's what he says on it: "Suppose someone, a parent maybe, a teacher or some other guardian, drags you back out into the light and makes you stay there. It would still be blinding. You could not look directly at things. Maybe the guardian prints out some pics of your family or maybe a map of the neighborhood, to acclimatize you, before you can look at things. Gradually you see the people around you, and what it is that they do. Then perhaps you remember the immense, immersive games of The Cave™, and what passes for wisdom amongst those still stuck there. And so you return to The Cave™, to talk or text to the other gamers about this world outside. You communicate to fellow gamers in The Cave™ about the outside world of which The Cave™ is just a shadow. Or try to. Plato: “And if the cave-dwellers had established, down there in the cave, certain prizes and distinctions for those who were most keen-sighted in seeing the passing shadows, and who were best able to remember what came before, and after, and simultaneously with what, thus best able to predict future appearances in the shadow-world, will our released prisoner hanker after these prizes or envy this power or honor?”1 You bet! The Cave™ is a world of pure agon, of competitive striving after distinction. But suppose you are that rare, stray, thoughtful gamer who decides to try this new game of getting beyond the game again? Suppose you emerge from The Cave™ and decide to take stock of the world beyond? You find that this other world is in some curious ways rather like The Cave™. The pics of family, the map of the ‘hood, seem made of the same digital stuff as your favorites games inside The Cave™. If there is a difference, it may not be quite what it seems." Once again, the outside world is not all to different from the video game world. In fact, it may even be better. Everything has an algorithm. A set definition. An AI pattern. Do the same actions, you'll get the same results every time. Everything is digital. It's not at all like the real world, where everything is analog. Everything is a mess. Kick a soccer ball one day, it may head straight. Kick it within the last five seconds of the grand championship, and it may curve to the left and miss. Nothing is set. Nothing is defined. In the end, the video game world may be one shadow upon the wall, but the analog world is a light that is built from hundreds of thousands of shadows all congregating together. It's like a quilt. If you find a loose thread and tug on it long enough, eventually the entire thing falls apart.

DISCUSSION TERMINATED. END OF LINE.

Now, as always, here's the latest news from Clan Darkterror Productions: After some talk with the team, we're thinking that, if there is enough interest, we may start selling some Eternity's End merchandise once the game is out. The two most likely possibilities at the moment are artbooks and soundtracks, although if anyone can hook us up with a way to produce them, we may start selling items such as T-shirts, figurines, replica weapons (Made out of our favorite non-lethal material, plastic!), and... dare I say it? PLUSHIES. But if nobody is interested, it probably won't come to fruition! So, if you would like them, or if you wanna hook us up with a way to make this swag, either email us at eternitysendrecruiting@gmail.com, or head over to our forums and post in This topic!

Next up on the list: The demo of our first game. All the cool kids are playing it. Go check it out ;)

Third off: Voice acting and other oddjobs. Unless you want to be listed in the credits as "Additional voices," there's only one spot left (One specifically reserved for a female). So, better be quick!

Finally, The Devlog. Check it out to see what Clan Darkterror Productions is up to!

3/20 Republic Assignment

Once again, philosophical goodness ensures. Let me warn you, though, that I'm in an unusually good mood today. Sometimes that means that you'll see my optimistic side, sometimes that means you'll see my more deluded side. Sometimes both. Sometimes neither. So, be warned ;)

1. Notice that our reading on Thrasymachus is divided into two parts. The first part is entitled – “First Statement and Criticisms”. In this first part, what are Socrates’ main argument(s) against the idea that justice is whatever the strong (i.e. the government) says it is?

-If it is right to do what is in the stronger party's interest, and the stronger party sometimes makes rules that are not in their interest, then it must be right to go against the rules not in their interest. However, this contradicts his other idea of right, where one is obedient to the stronger party.

-The rules the stronger party makes are always in the interest of their subjects, not themselves, the same way a doctor's actions are in the interest of their patients

2. In the second part – “Second Statement and Final Refutation” – what are Thrasymahcus’ two main points and what are Socrates’ two main points in response?

-Justice is what is good for someone else, mainly the stronger party
Socrates' response: This contradicts what he said earlier, where a doctor (Stronger party) will always help his patients

-Injustice is just as good as justice
Socrates' response: There is punishment for injustice

In your opinion, is it ever right to harm somebody? Why or why not? What would Socrates and/or Thrasymachus say in response to your answer?

It is only right to hurt someone if it is in self-defense, and even then only as a last resort. This is so because, in my opinion, justice is a way to live by that avoids conflict. Were conflict to arise, one should always try to negotiate things out before resorting to violence.

Socrates' response: Really, now? Wouldn't the just man always be able to find a non-violent way to solve everything?
Thrasymachus' response: Pffft. It all depends on your opponent. Were he stronger than you, it would be in both of your interests to simply submit to him. Otherwise, by all means, kill him.

END OF LINE. Now, as always, here's the latest going ons with Clan Darkterror Productions: First and foremost, WE FINALLY GOT THE DEMO UP. REVEL IN IT'S GLORY. Once you are done enjoying that, be a pal and Help us finish the whole game, so that you may enjoy it too!(Better do it fast, though, because the main characters are being taken up rather quick! If you wait too long, you might end up as one of the additional characters!) And while your at it, see what we're up to At the new Eternity's End devlog! Also, (Although I still gotta talk to tivicus about it,)there's a possibility of Eternity's End merchandise that will be released alongside the game, such as soundtracks and the like. So be on the lookout for those!

3/16 personal reflection

Philosophy. Joy.

In one paragraph (or more) define what a friend is and how you should act towards a friend? Instead of that, you can write a paragraph (or more) that defines what an enemy is and how you should act towards an enemy. Of course you can also write about both if you like. These are topics that you will read about in the assignment below.

An enemy can be considered one that you hold a long-withstanding quarrel with. An enemy can also be considered someone who poses an immediate threat to progress in whatever task is currently at hand. It really rather depends on the situation you are in. As McKenzie Wark puts it in Gamer Theory, "The enemy has to be identified, localized, and highlighted in order to become a target." In any case, there are two ways to "tackle" an enemy, so to speak. The most popular option, especially with the youth, is to kill, kill, kill. It won't be a problem if it's blasted out of existance, right? However, as Socrates put it, violence is not justice. The more... ah... perferable alternative, the one more mature people take, are to try to negotiate, to make peace. Instead of eliminating the source of the problems and possibly spawning new ones, eliminate the problem itself, and the source will stop creating them. Of course, there are times when negotiation is ineffective, when the enemy will not listen. It is only then that one should take a violent course of action. As William Sherman once said, "War is Hell."

END OF LINE. Now, as always, here's the latest going ons with Clan Darkterror Productions: First and foremost, WE FINALLY GOT THE DEMO UP. REVEL IN IT'S GLORY. Once you are done enjoying that, be a pal and Help us finish the whole game, so that you may enjoy it too!(Better do it fast, though, because the main characters are being taken up rather quick! If you wait too long, you might end up as one of the additional characters!) And while your at it, see what we're up to At the new Eternity's End devlog!

3/16 personal reflection and plato assignment

Once more, Plato assignments follow. Enjoy.

A) In your opinion, is Polemarchus definition of justice, derived from the poet Simonedes, an improvement from his father’s definition?

I think that the idea of helping one's friends is a far better improvement. It's not only easier to understand, but it covers more than just "pay one's dues and telling the truth" and such. However, much like Socrates, I don't think the idea of hurting one's enemies is the best.


B) What is Simonides definition of justice? Has Polemarchus interpreted him correctly?

Simonides definition of justice is to give everyone his due. Polemarchus interprets it as helping friends and hurting enenmies, which is somewhat true.


C) What problem does Socrates see in the phrase, “helping one’s friends and harming ones enemies”? Why is this not an accurate definition of justice?

Socrates sees that a just man would not hurt anyone, friend or enemy, for that is not justice.


D) What lesson do you think Socrates/Plato is trying to prove by having Polemarchus give in to Socrates when his father (Cephalus) would not?

I think he is trying to prove that wisdom comes with age


E) Whose argument do you find more convincing, Polemarchus or Socrates? Why? (This should be a longer response, short paragraph, about 5 sentences).

Socrates is more convincing. He understands that doing harm should not be a part of justice. Also, Socrates gives a few hypothetical examples, such as how hurting a horse makes it a worse horse, thus hurting a person makes him a worse person. Atop that, Socrates has a reputation for being a philosopher, while to my knowledge Polemarchus does not.

END OF LINE. Now, as always, here's the latest going ons with Clan Darkterror Productions: First and foremost, WE FINALLY GOT THE DEMO UP. REVEL IN IT'S GLORY. Once you are done enjoying that, be a pal and Help us finish the whole game, so that you may enjoy it too!(Better do it fast, though, because the main characters are being taken up rather quick! If you wait too long, you might end up as one of the additional characters!) And while your at it, see what we're up to At the new Eternity's End devlog!

3/16 Republic Assignment

I. Answer the following questions – short answer (about a couple of sentences or more)

* Who are Cephalus and Polemarchus?

Polemarchus is a friend of Socrates, and the owner of the house in which this scene takes place. Cephalus is his father.

* What is the profession of Cephalus?

In section 330b, it mentions him as a money-maker, but it doesn't get any more specific than that

* What was Cephalus doing right before the discussion that took place?

Relaxing in his home

* According to Cephalus, what are the virtues of old age?

One should let their desires lose intensity if they are to live a peaceful life at an old age

* What are Cephalus’ view of justice?

Cephalus believes justice is telling the truth and paying one's debts

* What is Socrates response?

It is not always justice. For example, if you borrowed a weapon from a friend, and he were to become homicidal, it would not be justice to return the weapon to him.

II. Write a one paragraph response to the following question:

* Do you agree with Cephaus or with Socrates? Why? If you don't agree with either of them, write about which one you think makes the stronger arguement - even if you think it is not "right" - and why?

I agree the most with Cephalus. Even though Socrates' point about the homicidal friend was a good one, Cephalus' philosophy still remains as a general truth. Socrates is merely exploiting the idea that there is an exception to every rule. Of course, I don't think Cephalus' idea is the entirety of justice either. I think Justice is to avoid conflict, and if conflict is reached, to prevent it from occuring again.

III. Try to give this a shot, if you can’t answer it that’s okay: What do you think Cephaus represents? What is particular or unique about his view of justice compared to the others you have discussed in class?

I think Cephalus represents the more mature group of people, usually seniors, who would rather try to not worry about anything as opposed to try to gain and keep some form of power. I don't see much different about his idea of justice, though.

END OF LINE. Now, as always, here's the latest going ons with Clan Darkterror Productions: First and foremost, WE FINALLY GOT THE DEMO UP. REVEL IN IT'S GLORY. Once you are done enjoying that, be a pal and Help us finish the whole game, so that you may enjoy it too!(Better do it fast, though, because the main characters are being taken up rather quick! If you wait too long, you might end up as one of the additional characters!) And while your at it, see what we're up to At the new Eternity's End devlog!

**3/15 Simile of the Cave reading reflection

Alas! If only I knew about this assignment a few months earlier, I would have saved what I wrote here for now! Pity.

Ah, well. I shall try my best to make this an addendum to my former post, as opposed to a simple restating.

SMALL EDIT: Just so I don't look like a hypocrite, let me simply say that whenever I go into "Philosopher mode", as it were, I tend to stereotype and/or address mankind as a whole. Let me simply say that I mean the majority of mankind, and that I understand that there are more than a few exceptions to the claims I make. In fact, I'm friends with quite a few of them ;)

. Compare and contrast what Socrates says in “The Simile of the Cave” with Fahrenheit 451. How are characters like Mildred similar to characters in “Simile of the Cave”?

After finally being able to read the actual text, as opposed to simple summaries, here are a few more observations I made:

Upon page 242, it claims that in order to get one of these prisoners outside he must be "...forcibly dragged up the steep and rugged ascent and not let go till he had been dragged out into the sunlight, [and] the process would be a painful one, to which he would much object." Much like Fahrenheit 451, and much like the real world, people seem to be happy right where they are, and downright object to change. For what reason? Are they scared they may lose their "Comfort Zone" which they have so snugly settled into over the course of their life? Is it a fear of the unknown? As King Whitney Jr. once said, "Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better." So, if the entire world now resists change, what does that mean? Has the entire world become fearful? Has the entire world lost their hope and confidence?

Another important subject the Allegory touches upon is the difference between the real and unreal. In the Allegory, prisoners are chained to a wall and watch a shadow play their entire life, and they soon begin to accept these shadows as reality. When they then venture outside the cave and are shown that all they know is a lie, the world that they are shown seems less real to them than their beloved shadows. Once again, both in Fahrenheit and the real world, it is much the same. Fahrenheit has their beloved "families" within the Parlor Walls, and modern-day man has their beloved television, video games, movies, books, etc. etc. We may have slightly more sense than the prisoners in the Cave, and SAY we accept that the shadows we watch are naught but fiction, but much of the time, our actions do not reflect that. To Mildred in Fahrenheit, although she knew it was nothing more than an interactive TV show, she clearly showed much more affection for her shadows then for her own husband. With modern-day man, the youth in particular, we cannot help but long to be able to get the chance to at least TRY that which we see in the media. How many schoolyard killings have occurred because some weak-minded fool wanted to practice his Halo skills away from his Xbox? How many kids have been injured attempting to perform some form of stunt from The Matrix that involved running along or up a wall, and ended up either breaking their leg, or falling off and breaking their skull?

And finally, the ever so anti-climactic ending of the Allegory, in which the enlightened man returns to the Cave to share his knowledge with the other prisoners, and maybe even free them so they may see themselves, but instead the enlightened man wanders blindly through the cave, the prisoners mocking him since his so called "Enlightenment" merely ruined his eyesight. In Fahrenheit, when Montag is enlightened and understands the importance of books, he is branded as a madman and is eventually sentenced to a life on the run from the mechanical hound. In the real world, it is said that all geniuses are crazy, yet not all crazies are geniuses. For what reason is their knowledge branded as insanity? Because it goes against the beliefs of the majority. In the world, everything is decided by the majority. They are the judges of whether an idea is success or failure. If the general populace finds your idea amusing, then you are considered a genius. If the general populace either finds your idea folly or doesn't find it at all, then your idea is considered just another crazy idea.


END OF LINE. Now, as always, here's the latest going ons with Clan Darkterror Productions: First and foremost, WE FINALLY GOT THE DEMO UP. REVEL IN IT'S GLORY. Once you are done enjoying that, be a pal and Help us finish the whole game, so that you may enjoy it too!(Better do it fast, though, because the main characters are being taken up rather quick! If you wait too long, you might end up as one of the additional characters!) And while your at it, see what we're up to At the new Eternity's End devlog!

3/14 Personal reflection (Plato)

Since we are soon to start reading Plato's Republic (Joy!), Mr. Jana has assigned this small personal reflection:

Recall a time that you heard a statement of “fact” that was later found to be untrue. It can be from a parent, a teacher, a friend, a government official, a book, or a film. How did you find out it was untrue and how did it make you feel? Did it change your outlook on anything?

Well, in honor of the Republic, (Especially my all-time favorite, the Allegory of the Cave), as well as my return to the allegorithm known as Gamer Theory (Very good bit of reading, I highly recommends it. Especially if you're NOT a gamer), I shall share with ye all a story that I think relates to both of these philosophical pieces:

Some time ago, I was browsing Digg.com (A site where people share fun links they found), and I discovered a link to a supposed way to beta test one of Google's new features, Google TV. Of course, I had to try it. They even had a seemingly legit video, so I thought it must be true. I attempted and attempted it a hundred times over to no avail. I did some research on it, and it seems many experts agreed: It was a hoax. A fraud. Fake. Of course, this angered me, since I just wasted a few hours of my time for nothing, and it also made me realize something else:

It's amazing. In cyberspace, anything and everything is logical, everything is possible. Especially something like Google TV, something that brings the world closer to a "Topological Plane," as McKenzie Wark so puts it in Gamer Theory. Everything, connected. "The node may be a center, but there may not really be a center of centers. ...Every point connects through every other, every shape can be transformed into another. It can fold, stretch, morph and bubble. Time is constant, but space is not. It can pulse and bulge, warp and wobble. It is a network." How can one say no to that?

And yet...it's not real. Just a shadow on the wall. It's strange. In the real world, the line between reality and fiction is definite. But, in cyberspace, anything is possible, because everything is but a shadow. If that is so, can it even be considered real?

Finally, I learned that time wasted is time that cannot be regained. "Time is violence."

END OF LINE. Now, as always, here's the latest going ons with Clan Darkterror Productions: First and foremost, WE FINALLY GOT THE DEMO UP. REVEL IN IT'S GLORY. Once you are done enjoying that, be a pal and Help us finish the whole game, so that you may enjoy it too!(Better do it fast, though, because the main characters are being taken up rather quick! If you wait too long, you might end up as one of the generic NPCs!) And while your at it, see what we're up to At the new Eternity's End devlog!

SUCCESS MACH 2

Well ladies and gents, the new user-friendly demo of Eternity's End is up! Revel in it's glory!

Success!

Aforementioned experiment was a success. A more user-friendly version of the demo should be up soon. There aren't any gameplay changes, just an easier way to install it. So those of you who already can get it to work need not re-download it.

Any... Volunteers? *Sinister laugh!*

Well then, ladies and gents, it is time for a little experiment, and I need lab rats.

A lot of people have been having problems with the extreme multitude of files found in the current setup of the Eternity's End Runtime Package, and are having difficulty finding which one to execute. So, I would like to try out a program I found, in which it will create an installer for the game, which in turn will compress everything into one nice, neat .exe file. Thing is, I do not know how compatible it is with my game, so I'll need volunteers to help me out with this.

Oh, and if you comply, let me warn you: The test area has no doors, and no windows, which offers you this chilling challenge: To find... A WAY OUT! HYAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!

Of course... there's always my way...

3/2 Personal Reflection

Write about a time that your pride had negative consequences (or related to that, your inablity to forgive). You can also write about someone else or write about pride in another book.

How was your pride, or the other person's, similiar or different to that of Achilles?

Well, in honor of the release of the demo of Eternity's End, I shall share with you all a little story about the troubles us game developers go through to keep you entertained. However, in order to avoid pointing fingers, I shall use the online names we use down at the EE forums. Gather round, children!

So, Neelpos and I were sitting around his laptop, and playing Need for Speed: Carbon (A game about illegal racing). He was in the middle of a pursuit, and doing pretty good. In passing, I told him about my infamous hour-long pursuit in Need for Speed: Most Wanted. Julian took it as a challenge, and devoted a large amount of his computer time trying to beat my record (He even bought Most Wanted in order to match the circumstances of my pursuit!). Because of this, he began to ignore his duty as spritist for a rather long amount of time. He even began to send me messages saying that he would not work on them until he beat me. Seeing how he was trying to beat a past record of mine, there was nothing I could do except try to get a new spritist until he either defeated me, or gave up.

Eventually, the good man gave up, and all in the world was right once more.

I am curious... Is this how Agamemnon felt when Achilles abandoned him? His best soldier abandoned him to try to prove a point, and because of that, he could not make any progress in the task at hand. My best and (at the time) only spritist abandoned me to try to prove a point, and I could not make any progress in the task at hand.

Alas, though, it seems all stories must come to a happy ending sooner or later! My only regret is that, in my case, it wasn't sooner!

END OF LINE. Now, as always, here's the latest going ons with Clan Darkterror Productions: First and foremost, WE FINALLY GOT THE DEMO UP. REVEL IN IT'S GLORY. Once you are done enjoying that, be a pal and Help us finish the whole game, so that you may enjoy it too!(Better do it fast, though, because the main characters are being taken up rather quick! If you wait too long, you might end up as one of the generic NPCs!) And while your at it, see what we're up to At the new Eternity's End devlog!

3/2 Illiad assignment

Before we start, it seems that once again my Illiad packet is M.I.A. So, once more, I am resorting to the lovely illiad.com.mx

Now then... shall we begin?

Simply summarize the main points and ask questions.

Allow me to start with my question, for then the rest of my summary shall make more sense:

Who's side was Cebriones on, and what about him made Patroclus fight?

Now then, the summary:

Patroclus, having donned Achilles' armor, is on the battlefield and on a killing spree. Soon, Patroclus makes it to the walls of Troy, and attempts to claim it. He, however, is thwarted by Apollo, who, after pushing back Patroclus, summons Hector to battle. Patroclus sees Cebriones, and goes over there to fight, where he encounters Hector, and dies in battle.


END OF LINE. Now, as always, here's the latest going ons with Clan Darkterror Productions: First and foremost, WE FINALLY GOT THE DEMO UP. REVEL IN IT'S GLORY. Once you are done enjoying that, be a pal and Help us finish the whole game, so that you may enjoy it too!(Better do it fast, though, because the main characters are being taken up rather quick! If you wait too long, you might end up as one of the generic NPCs!) And while your at it, see what we're up to At the new Eternity's End devlog!