Veni, Vidi, Didici - The Final Stretch, and How I Plan to Spend Blessed Release

   It is true that hindsight is 20/20, but in this case my foresight was equally as good. Back when this semester started, I made a few assumptions about the upcoming academic quarter, and I am glad to say that nearly all of them were correct. Here are a few.

Self Musings of the Gryphon upon the Fall-2013 Semester:
1: It is going to be a peaceful...er....boring semester without a wingma....um...woman to keep things lively. (it was machine like, punctual and everything. Erika, you would have died) check 
2: Higher level courses should be fun (I know I'm a nerd). check
3: Without a pressure valve for my intellectual musings  mentally challenged mutterings, they were most likely going to come out explosively in class. They did. ( I have been called rascist, sexist, elitist, and even morbidly logical.HEY! Stop laughing! It's true!) check
4: Being there after three semesters, my reputation would begin to proceed me. It did. (twice, I was met with the phrase, "hello my name is Jordan Reed." "OH! You're Jordan!" from professors. I aim to be memorable.) check
5: I would blog. check 
6: Something unexpected would happen. (hmmmm.....heart attack, buying a dog, and two great book series rip my hopes out and crush them, yup I would think that this counts.) MEGA CHECK
7: I was going to have trouble when someone mentioned x-mas! (yes, one of my profs wrote "xmas" on the board, and after the class I went up and wrote merry Christmas under it.)


Anywho, I have been planning what I wanted to write about for my next blog posts, and I have I decided to try something a tad bit more ambitious for an amateur historian. I want to do a series of posts on the four kings of the Reformation, Henry VIII of House Tudor, Francis I of House Valois, Charles V of House Hapsburg, and Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire. Hopefully, I will complete these in a somewhat systematic fashion, and they will be of higher quality than what you all are used to seeing from me, but no promises.

Let's see now what else?
ahh yes!
For the purposes of enjoying your holiday season to the fullest extent, I have compiled a College Hobos Guide to Christmas Vacation. Before we dive into it though there a few guidelines one must remember in order to implement this plan effectively.
1. NEVER say you're bored!!!!!!!! Remember parents can smell lethargy. If you give "I'm bored" as a response to anything, it will mean the end of everything we are building here. The parent can always think of something else for you to do, and a parental task will take you farther than you want to go and keep you longer than you want to stay. Remember, being bored is a privilege that thousands of generation of our ancestors would've killed for. Embrace the boredom!!! (p.s: Make sure to complete chores and responsibilities, but consider being bored as an act of fun in itself.)
2. Turn guiltometer to "0". I have noticed that at times I guilt trip myself over having fun....don't....just don't. The key to overcoming this annoying habit is to view having fun as a serious business. I have prepared the whole year, studying and working, and it all comes down to this moment. I need to draw as much fun as I can out of this experience. (P.S: This isn't to say fun should be forced. Sleeping and lounging can be fun.)
3: Embrace your inner geek. Computers are the culmination of thousands of years of technological development. Don't let things like being ridiculed as a computer geek keep you from utilizing their beauteous opportunities. (p.s: Human interaction should be used to supplement technological enjoyment.)

SO
JORDAN'S COLLEGE HOBOS GUIDE TO SYSTEMATICALLY ENJOYING CHRISTMAS VACATION IN AN EFFICIENT AND ENJOYABLE FASHION.(please note that exaggerations are evident.)
Step one: food coma- This is required for Christmas. You starve yourself in the upcoming weeks just to prepare for the one day when you get to taste the angelically delicious delicacies brought down via venerable traditional recipes.
Step two: enjoy gifts- I maintain that the amount of fun gotten from a gift comes from the person receiving the gift. For this reason, there is never a reason why gifts can't be enjoyed, no matter what they are. This step will usually take up most of Christmas Vacation if done right, but I realize that this is an advanced skill.
Step three: Free to play games- Find a few. They are free and usually only require an internet connection.
Step four: READ- If you get a book on christmas, you are obligated to finish it within the week. Even if it takes you day and night, YOU MUST FINISH IT!
Step five: Enjoy the snow- YESSSSSSSSSS! We have snow for Christmas in WNY! ENJOY IT!
Step six: Blog- Well, this should come after the other steps, but sure why not?
Step seven: Look up every single Christmas song you can think of on youtube and play with family- I would suggest: Trans-siberian orchestra (a bit of a rocky take on Christmas favorites.), Feliz navidad, Angels we have heard on high, Chipmunks Christmas, A miser brothers Christmas, and basically every Christmas Carol that can't be misconstrued to point towards anything except the real reason for Christmas.
Step eight: sleep-nuff said
Step nine: sleep- if it's worth saying once.
Step ten: Board games- If all the family is present, a board game simply must come out at some point. Massive multiplayer computer games also count. Note: this is also true for friend get togethers.
step eleven: find a new tv show or movie and watch it a million times. May I suggest The Count of Monte Cristo, Thor 2, Ender's Game

That's that. Please let me know how you are planning on spending your Christmas vacation. You will probably want to comment relatively quickly, cuz after Christmas, I may not be on for a little (long) while.

My Dragons

My sister was recently reading the book Eragon, and there was a picture of the dragon Sapphira on the cover. I was taken aback, truly astounded at what Paolini considered his dragon to look like. Then there is the different dragons shown in How to Train Your Dragon. Don't get me wrong I loved the movie, but I just can't accept a dragon that doesn't look cool. I come from a long line of fantasy. My earliest memories are sitting on my father's lap, watching him slay dragons on our antiqued Windows 94. For this reason, I have been collecting pictures of Dragons from across the internet to show what dragons should look like. (This is also partly because I am hoping they do Smaug correctly in the next hobbit movie. Fantasy is a serious business.)

BTW: This is a phoenix and a dragon and an apophis like snake creature. They are no doubt rushing at each other in order to hug.

A night wing. Particularly fashionable this year with the night owl who likes to party above the clouds with glowing swords.

Don't mind Chapman over here. This Black Dragon is really a softie at heart.

This is what Sapphira should look like.

It must be a drag blowing out your birthday candles.

If you look very closely, you can see bob's next meal on the outcropping in front of him.

I don't even want to know how uncomfortable riding that thing would be.

I like to think that he is saying "HHHHHEEEELLLLLOOOOOO!!!"

This big fella takes getting a tan a little too seriously.

This wyvern will heroically fly into the sunset.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO THIS!?

It is official folks. Amazon has announced that starting in 2015, optimistically (pffffttt I am a realist, so it will more than likely be 2020 or something.), customers will be able to choose a "30 minute shipping policy", and your package will be delivered right to your front door by your friendly neighborhood.....drone?

Yup! Feel free to read that again folks.

The new Amazon Air Prime division of the global shipping company will be able to deliver certain packages right to your doorstop with remote controlled drones!

Caveat Ein: This announcement by Amazon has been met with with a lot skepticism so it may not even fly anyway. (get it, "fly"?) But, I would just like to say that if this does go through, I plan on putting a giant magnet on my property to bring the little buggers down, and then reprogram them to be part of my little drone army. (Plus, I would happily help myself to any little souvenirs they may be carrying.)

Great Idea: Numero Zwei In order to help streamline the government, I suggest we disband the intelligence service, and instead America could subcontract espionage with Amazon Drones. That way, the terrorists could get good service while we are scoping them out for a cruise missile to the cranium. (Hey, I am just being humanitarian. Terrorist scum should at least be able to order the latest video games.)

Question Drei: I hate just calling these little darlings amazon drones. What would you call them? Amarones? Dromazon? Your Friendly Neighborhood Delivery Drone? Amazon's Delivery Helicopter Dreadnoughts (ADHD for short)?

Belated Veteran's Day Tribute- I'm Proud To Be An American

I know this is one day late, but I want to salute all the brave men and women who fought  to secure my freedom, my great-grandfather and both grandfathers. I salute those who died in our service. Thank you veterans. Your service shall never tarnish. I am a Christian and an American, and, no matter how screwed up we get, no matter how much revisionist history is thrown at us, no matter how much politicians and others betray her, I pray that God would bless the USA. Let us be one nation under God.

President Obama says he’s sorry for Americans losing insurance plans

quote form his majesty “That means that no matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise to the American people: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period. If you like your health-care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health-care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what.” he said lots and lots and LOTS OF TIMES but well you know he lied .....again  so now he's sorry........... And you think we wont think you ling now.... why ?

I'm no I pad fan but this is just Awesome

http://www.zazzle.com/leather+book+ipad+cases

Week 8: Hello My Old Friend Failure. (Plus Ralph)

Walking down a corridor, our intrepid author runs into one of the more annoying aspects of college, social interaction with people who may have annoyed you in past semesters by one upping all of your answers. He decides to make the best of this situation by acknowledging her existence in passing.
ANNOYINGLY-SMART-COLLEAGUE: Hello
YOURS-TRULY: Hey
This ends one example of my Machiavellian mastery over the use of verbal language to defuse socially awkward situations.

I know. You all have been waiting by your computer since the Friday of week 7. Desperately hoping beyond hope that if you kept hitting the refresh page, eventually a new post would emerge. I feel it is my duty to be honest....I was unable to post anything last Friday, and I am now late to post something this week.

Pauses for collective gasps and expressions of awe. 
Holds up hand for silence.

I don't believe in excuses for even the smallest of infractions on my word......but I have a really good excuse this time. Besides that, which most of you undoubtedly already know about, I feel responsible somewhat for raising hopes and cruelly dashing them down. Hence, the title referring to my re involvement with the popular acquaintance of Failure. But, to give recompense, I will give a slight touch of historical humor. Behold....Ralph! It must have happened. What must have all those innocent people who had Hitler mustaches have thought when they had one man ruin their facial hair? (While I think the video is hilarious, I looked up this "Cracked site", and I wouldn't advise it, seriously.)

Moving on to the academic tid-bits of the week, It was slim-pickings. Between midterms and fall break, there wasn't a whole lot of formal lessons to write about, but I did get to know one of my prof's favorite historical characters, Alfonso V.

    To add some definition, the man known as Alfonso V of Aragon could also be called Alfonso I of Sicily, Alfonso III of Barcelona, and Alfonso 'the magnanimous'. Living from 1396-1458 AD, Alfonso inherited the maritime empire of the Iberian kingdom Aragon. It often seems that in regard to the Spanish people the history books skip from the Battle of Tours in 732, which marks the high tide of Muslim advance in Spain, to the unification of Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella. This method ignores the fact that the Iberian kingdoms were all individual feudal territories with unique cultures, dynasties, and ambitions. Aragon was one such territory. The Mediterranean bordering kingdom had become less interested in reclaiming land from the Muslims as time went on, and the sea going Aragonese began to cast an imperialistic eye across the Mediterranean. Islands were consolidated under Aragonese forces, and the trade network that was established rivaled even the Italian city states. By the time of the Renaissance, this Spanish empire was outgrowing simply island hopping. It looked at the peninsula of Italy with a covetous gaze. One area in particular that became easy pickings was Southern Italy, Sicily and Naples. This territory was rural, under-developed, and already being exploited by its northern neighbors in a nearly colonial fashion. It was relatively easy for the kingdom of Aragon to absorb the island state of Sicily, which was nearly completely independent from Naples, southern Italy, in the first place. The challenge for these Spanish empire builders was how to conquer Naples itself. Naples was just as bereft of political unity as it was of any sort of economy. Knights and nobles were plentiful, and they often went about in roving bands plundering. This prevented any sort of centralization of power, but it also made foreign invasion quite tricky. If one didn't have the support of at least a good portion of these barons, it would mean fighting throughout the entire mountainous country side of Naples.
   Enter Alfonso V of Aragon. This King was born into a world of Spanish chivalry, honor, and etiquette. There is much evidence that showing that Alfonso cared for none of this. Alfonso spent most of his early reign expanding Aragon's Mediterranean holdings. At some point during his far flung adventures, the absent king caught the eye of the aging, widowed, childless queen of Naples. This queen, Queen Joanna II, had a very turbulent reign, and she had no biological heirs. The ruling line would end with her death. Knowing this, Joanna adopted different nobles, giving them hope of inheriting Naples, in return for favors. Alfonso was one such individual, and it looked as if he would inherit Naples without bloodshed. But, it wasn't going to be that easy for the Aragonese king. Joanna had also promised the kingdom to a French Duke, Louis III of Anjou. When Queen Joanna died, a civil war broke out between supporters of the Alfonso and Louis. Alfonso drew upon the estimable finances of Aragon to pull together a army of mercenaries, known as Condottiero, for crushing resistance. While the reliance on mercenaries might seem unwise to moderns, even the contemporaries hated the use of mercenaries (see Machiavelli), Alfonso had seized upon the key to controlling Naples. Previous kings of Naples had never been able to bring power to the kingdom, because the barons would oppose measures that led to an increase in a king's power base. By using Aragonese troops and mercenaries, Alfonso created an independent power base from which to dictate policy after his victory, and this foresight would reap enormous dividends when he did win in 1443 AD.
   After conquering Naples, one might expect Alfonso to exploit in much the same way as it had been exploited. It was after all a part of the Aragonese empire, and therefore it was by right of conquest a colony. At this point Alfonso surprises all expectations. He gives administration and regency of the sophisticated, strong, developed Aragon to his brother, and he devotes himself entirely to the ruling of uncouth, weak, poor Naples. There has been speculation that this was simply a moment to get away from his harridan wife, or that he fell in love with the Italian culture and countryside. Whatever the reasoning, Alfonso threw himself into the development of Naples. He instituted reforms of the government and legal system, centralizing power into himself and the capital. Using his independent military force, he cut the nobility's power and guaranteed a safer freer economy. Into this new economy he built, Alfonso ordered special preferences for his own Aragonese banks, capital, and industry, making Naples an important member of the empire. Alfonso was also a rabid supporter of learning, and he sponsored many academies and humanist clients. Understandably, the common people of the realm adored him, and it was said that he was so beloved that he could walk about completely without armed guards.  
   This is all very positive, and it was pretty much the story that my prof gave. However, there is another side to look at this from. Spanish historians often discount Alfonso as a flighty monarch, who seriously mismanaged his dynasty by practically creating a situation for civil unrest. When Alfonso died, he left behind a newly thriving Naples and a prosperous Aragon, but he failed to leave behind a legitimate heir. In his twilight years, the king had gotten the empire to recognize his illegitimate son, Ferrante, as king of Sicily and Naples, but Alfonso's brother was to inherit the Spanish holdings. This dynastic instability, and the subsequent power struggles, are often laid squarely at his feet by Spanish contemporaries.

So love him or hate him, I enjoyed learning of good old Alfonso the Magnanimous.

Signed,
Late-but-better-than-never,
Gryphon
  

Through the parting of the Myst Riven has come....

If you don't get the play on words it just means your not a hard core gamer :) but anyway the massive upgrade is complete ( I hope "~" ) for those of you who asked about it I built it myself with some help so I the best I can answer your "what computer did you get" question is to say a custom desktop PC. specs can be provided on request :)

So here is a random thought I had.

Since we now have Gryphen doing his own posts of random life happenings, I was wondering if people think it would be a good idea to give him his own little page to post on like thimble? Or should we assimilate the thimble tracker into the battle arena, seeing as how thats the spot people tend to check most frequently? The new "Nested" commenting system that disqus so kindly made the default would allow all the conversations to remain separate while still being on the same page. Of course I am interested to see if this makes the conversations die off faster. That would, In turn, keep the subjects "Flowing" with new posts and not get bogged down with an endless continuation of one conversation. I could go on speculating but lets hear it from the users. What say you?! I realize some of our members are on electronic hiatus for a month but that gives some time for everyone to think it over..........Loga style. (yeah, I said it)    

One Last shot.....

Well guys this will be the last post on the old system "when next I post will will be with new wings...."

Week: 6 My New Title

Professor Gryphon, "A weapon of mass instruction!"

My new title. Thanks to my dear Father. Consider me the strategic ICBM of academia.

I am writing to say that this post will be quite short compared to my others. "Why?!" you ask plaintively? I am glad you asked. I currently am under the gun with three papers, and a church function over the weekend. Ergo, I am playing the wonderful balancing game of life, scholastic achievement, and responsibility.

"Does that mean that you won't be giving us some otherwise useless data?!" You all think desperately. Never fear! I will give a slight foretaste of what is coming in the future.

Platonic Dialogue.
Castiglione 
Courtiers
The Ideal Form

There you go. That should be enough to wet the whistle.

Good bye bloggers. I hope to see most of you over the weekend.

signed,
future-retired-professor-turned-dapper-cane-wielding-monocle-wearing-country-gentleman,
Gryphon
AKA: A Weapon of Mass Instruction

fatherly advice

Me : Hmmmm....
Dad : Just go ahead and do it !! Push the button ! Spend tons of money !
Me: ?! ( uh thanks dad)

Week 5: Tests, Tests, And More Tests

WELL-RESTED-COLLEAGUE: Hey man! I slept in. Did I miss anything important for class?
YOURS-TRULY: uhhhh......today was the midterm test.
[I suddenly have the overwhelming urge to buy an alarm clock and hit him over the head with it.]

Hello all readers, and all not readers who happen to be having this read to them by family members who understand that my little snippets are chuck full of wise witticisms for all ages, or maybe you are watching the movie after I sell the rights of my life to a reality tv show company. Either way, welcome!......I am tired. Can you tell? This week has officially been indescribably busy. The title says the whole story. The week started with some tests, after which we segued into more tests, then moved onto some more testing, and I have rounded out the week with a test, which is but a prequel to the test I have online tomorrow. 

*sigh* 

Fun times! 
I will say that some of the tests were fun. It is a great feeling when you score high enough on an economics test to skew the curve and force the professor to drop the curve all together. Man, I hate testing curves. It simply rewards incompetence and punishes decent work, but I digress. (I have always wanted to use that phrase in a logical fashion.) On the docket for today, we have my first mid-historian crisis (Feel free to comment on it. You may help quell some serious nerd doubt), my morning with a liberal talk show host/baptist/professor/visiting speaker, and a very interesting class discussion.

Well, it came upon me so suddenly that I couldn't even tell you how it happened. I guess that is these things happen. There I was innocently reading school material, when BAM. I was hit square in the face with a 600 page interpretation of Alexander Hamilton. That's right folks. I couldn't resist it. I just had to read this biography that had been given the "best biography of the year award". As I was browsing this balmy book's pages, I had the worst thing possible happen for a historically interested individual, ANOTHER BOOK.....ON THE SAME PERSON......THAT PRESENTED THE EXACT OPPOSITE VIEW......AND IT HAD 600 PAGES TOO. (give or take on the page count that is.) You can see my problem. Needless to say, I simply had to read them both, and they were both so excellently written that I was just floored. So, I was caught between two rocks, two hard-places, two overdue library books, and a mind totally stressed by tests. This is not conducive to making up one's mind. Was Alexander Hamilton amazing or no.  Now I have always been a bit of a fan of Hamilton. The boy prodigy that came from a rough background. He came to the good old USA, and he basically became Washington's right hand, to the point that Washington raised him to the position of Aide-de-camp. He was one of the writers of the Federalist Papers. A near visionary of the kind of government and economy the USA would have, and he was murdered honorably in a duel with one of my least favorite characters in American History, Aaron Burr. All this I knew, and it was only reinforced by the first book, added to it even. But, this other book is also quite good and points out how many of Hamilton's policies would actually clash with many Conservative political principles which I hold. Plus, I hold the anti-Hamilton author, an intellectual with deep connections with the Tea Party, in higher regard than the pro-Hamilton author, a journalist that calls himself a democrat that has been betrayed by his party (not a bad stance, but not the best either). Plus, there is also the issue of Hamilton's moral character in his later years, which, despite his confession, is inexcusable in the study of this man. *sniff* "please, Obi-[insert name of historically savvy individual here. e.g. Rennuke, Nadea of Kelly Hill, etc..etc..] you're my only hope." (Star Wars reference) I will be crafting my own arguments, but any opinions would be appreciated.

As a fish in a very small pond, I got invited along with about 50 other students to meet with a visiting speaker. Let's just say we didn't agree on much, or anything for that matter. First of all he was late. Quite a bit late in fact. Despite this, he continued to give us the full liberal lecture, with no regard to our busy student schedules. But, I was good. I didn't say anything that would further isolate me from my campus compatriots or start a lynch mob. Granted, the highlight of the whole happened during the intermission when all the "Socially-deficient-individuals-who-were-carrying-conversations-with-the punch-bowls-and-their-shoes-on-the-periphery-of-the-group" were cornered by a zealous member of our student government. He was newly elected, glowing with that idealistic blush, and he had that new politician smell. (There is nothing quite like the smell of a new politician. You just can't get it back.) This guy was VERY happy about everything, and he introduced himself to everyone very vigorously. Later, I found out exactly why he was being so darn outgoing. The headline news for our school newspaper was that the student gov had the least amount of students in its history participating in it or participating in its electoral process. All in all, that was the meeting in a nutshell. I do think I will need dental work (more dental work) for the amount of teeth grinding I did though. 

The interesting discussion centered around a primary source document. It was a copy of a debate between a man and a women in the Renaissance about who was more at fault for the first sin, Adam or Eve........yeaaahhhh......You can tell how well that went over with the crowd. Theological thinking doesn't come naturally to my classmates, and I am so proud of the lads and lasses that they actually came up with what they did. Unfortunately, I opened my big mouth (you know, the one I kept shut throughout the visitor speaker's lecture mentioned above?), and I was dubbed "right-faithful-anti-feminist". Well, actually, that did kind of cover my views on the subject, and I had already been accused of being racist in my American History class so why not go for the gold, right? Anywho, the discussion eventually degenerated into a "it depends on what your definition of 'is' is." I'm not in the business of getting into losing arguments though, so the professor basically had to end the discussion as a tie. The prof was absolutely giddy (he is an atheist who studies Christian history. I know weird). As he closed the debate, he said, "I wish there was actually a place were little debates like this actually happened over coffee or something." I could only think, "One sec, lemme check what day would be good for you to come over." 

I am hungry. So, I will sign off now. 
Ciao for now everyone.
Gryphon

P.S: Sorry for the different format this week, but there wasn't much "class" work. The tests remember?

Week 4: Everything One Needs to Know About Science, and Everything I Never Wanted to Know About Florence.(With A Little Milton on the Side!)

DIRECTOR-BLESSED-WITH-DRY-WIT: All right! Does anyone have ideas about how mentors could easily get ahold of their mentees, while still having a somewhat informal setting?
YOURS-TRULY: We could try mugging them!
 DIRECTOR-BLESSED-WITH-DRY-WIT: hmmm...It's certainly informal enough. Tell you what, we can try that with the wrestling and Karate teams.
YOURS-TRULY: Sounds great!
VIOLENCE-PRONE-NEIGHBOR: Awesome!
NAIVE-FRESHMAN: Sounds like fun!
 DIRECTOR-BLESSED-WITH-DRY-WIT: *Rolls eyes while sighing extravagantly*

 
  Hello all! My weekly reminder to you all that I am still alive. You can let out that pent up breath of anxiety that I, the Gryphon, might not survive the week. This week has been one of extreme contrasts. It has held a "Eureka" moment, and a "you have GOT to be KIDDING ME!" moment. The bright part of the week is split into two events (A) Science and (B) Milton Friedman. The so-so parts include the mentor program and an opportunity. The devastatingly disappointing part is due to Renaissance Europe.

  I might have said this before, but I truly like this science class, because it allows students to come to their own conclusions through a very flexible, almost debate style, series of conversations. I know for a fact that the current professor is an atheist or agnostic, but he gives students quite a bit of leeway in their development. This is why I am having so much fun. We are currently going over the scientific method in depth. The observation part has been interesting to me in particular. The very basic facet emphasized throughout the lectures has been that observation, whether through unaided senses or applied technology, is the central part of explaining any scientific endeavor. Taking a moment to chew this over, one can come to an intriguing conclusion that many people might argue. Science is very limited in its scope. While it seems as if much of society worships science as the end all be all of creation, its capabilities are only as accurate as our senses. This throws a wrench into the argument of those who would say that a belief in God is unscientific. This argument tries to use a wrench to transport water, wrong tool for a job. Science can be used, quite convincingly in fact, to create evidence for God, but in the end it can't prove or disprove his existence. Faith is the tool the Christian relies upon in the end.

  Milton Friedman is an economist that basically became the leader of free market principles for America. We got to watch an excerpt where he basically destroys the ideas of socialism and communism (but I repeated myself right there). It was fun to watch. You could see some people just hissing and spitting, and on the other side you had me and some other students salivating and nearly clapping. I am not sure if the Prof knew how to deal with all the tension. :D

  I had been voluntold (Volunteer + told) that it would be good for me to enroll in this mentorship program. It sounded decent. I would simply act as a wealth of sophomoric information, and the mentees and I would meet once a week to discuss his or her troubles. Basically a collegiate psychologist. Well, I had no problem with this. (pshh....It might even be fun to do. I have never had any trouble giving advice before, much to everyone's detriment.) The problem occured when I realized that in order to be a mentor one needs two things, yourself....and mentees who will return your emails. Needless to say I shared this at a conference we had. It seemed I wasn't the only one having the trouble of being ignored. It was slightly disappointing to say the least. "It tore me apart. But I learned an important lesson. You can't count on anyone, especially your hero...er...flaky, overstressed, freshman mentees." (somewhat paraphrased Incredibles quote for anyone who didn't know) It shall be interesting to follow the exploits of Gryphon the menteeless mentor.

  long story short. There is an opportunity to graduate with a cool award as long as I keep grades up and am accepted.

  Okay, I know I just wrote about how cool studying the Medicis was, and it was really awesome. Unfortunately, the city of Florence was, unbeknownst to me, considered something of a Las Vegas of the renaissance, and my Professor couldn't help but devote an entire lecture to the subject of its nightlife. Needless to say, I am getting rather adept at blocking out people talking. (evidenced by the fact that a sister was yelling up to me, and I just completely had it tuned out. I know, "I am a despicable human being." Tangled quote) Anywho, one other person looked as uncomfortable as me, and I was impressed with some of the points he struck on the prof. In the subsequent discussion, I am happy to point out that I got him to admit that no not all renaissance cities were this immoral. In fact, most cities were much more conservative. This was a deflating experience for a class that was verging on one of my favorite ever. Ah well, such is the life I live.

  That is that. I will wrap this post up with a slight look into my US history and pull out one, Andrew Carnegie. A millionaire, Andrew Carnegie put upon one of the key tenets of Capitalism in my opinion. This is the idea that there is a large difference between government "charity" and philanthropy. Carnegie defines charity as the public administration giving away money. This ultimately hurts the community because money will most likely be distributed and spent inefficiently by bureaucracy, and just giving people money won't help very much in the long run. On the other hand, philanthropy is providing the means for people to raise above poverty and by contributing to the community to create opportunity. Carnegie saw opportunity as education, firms, and investing to create more jobs. I will say that I don't agree with all the things Carnegie upholds, he was an agnostic for one, but there is some truth I think to this. If properly seen through a Christian lens, this kind of proposition appeals greatly to me.

signing off
Guten Nacht
Gryphon



 

 

And so William said to him ...He said um....he said.....................

As you can see I'm making  great progress ...Or not. I'm have trouble coming up with inspiration to keep Writing. Any suggestions??.

O.K....
I'm actually only at the beginning of the story.
And I mite just come back to this part later.


I also em not really liking how this is sounding. It's just not flowing the way I want it to.


 A warm breise breathed in the late summer's morning. A small castle stood on a man made rise.Yet Despite its size, there was a sense of grim pride in the old weathered fort. Its three towers were not much to look at. Only seven feat in diameter and less than six meters high. The walls buttresses were starting to crumble. In short, not exactly Buckingham palace or Antioch. Yet its pried was well founded. It was located in Surry,close to the border of West Sussex._________________________________.
William took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was going to miss this place,he thought. He looked around at the old decaying walls,supports and bedraggled towers. A door creaked   behind him. He smiled slightly that would be Hallard he thought. He knew it would be. (Hallard's has a bit of a local ascent)
Hallard came and stood next to him. He was solid built man with broad shoulders. although Will Was a hair taller than him.
 Will miss it lad? Will nodded. He would miss it. He would miss The roping about with the village children. Playing in and out of the castle's nocks and hid y holds. He'd miss the shear freedom of the forest,it's paths and the time he had spent with the forester.
Your father is proud You know that your doing this. Hallard said,pulling William out of his line of thought. Hard to tell he said. glancing meaning at the mane keep where the lord of the castle lived. Hallard cocked his head at him. Now Will he said a little sternly your fathers a good man he wants what best for you.
 William nodded,I know... I just wish... He shook the thought off. He knew    ? his father was glad he was doing this.
 William was the youngest of 4 brothers. Each of witch had moved out and gone on to become knights. Harelld the eldest had gone to lord Udol's castle to the est to become a knight. He quickly worked his way to the top of his class. He alwas had a strong sense of honer and justice and after he was knighted lord Udol decided to make him sherif. Whitch was a honerble position.
 Alfred the second born was not as reserved as his brother.He became a knight when he went on a campaign with the baron he was aprentest to and brout great honer to his famly.

Week 3: Revenge of the Professors

PROFESSOR: Because the market takes time to adjust to changes in Supply and Demand, economies often encounter shortages or surpluses. 
LIBERAL STUDENT: If economists can predict these changes, why don't we have the government tell everyone how much to produce?
PROFESSOR: You would trust the government to run the entire economy that composes of millions of billions of transactions?
LIBERAL STUDENT: Sure.
PROFESSOR: I would like to know where your going to find the angels that won't abuse that sort of power.

Welcome to week 3. This week was characterized by professors who were truly agitated over the fact that the majority of the students in their classes had barely said five words. While there was a minority of talkative collegians, they couldn't make up for the silent masses that inhabited the desks. Two different approaches were adopted by the frustrated faculty. One, the nice method. This method entails a honest heart-felt speech that  was nuanced [ @Psmithn nu·ance. noun \ˈnü-ˌän(t)s, ˈnyü-, -ˌäⁿs; nü-ˈ, nyü-ˈ\ : a very small difference in color, tone, meaning, etc. 1:  a subtle distinction or variation 2:  a subtle quality :  nicety 3:  sensibility to, awareness of, or ability to express delicate shadings (as of meaning, feeling, or value)] (A personal joke. Please disregard if you aren't Psmithn) with the dueling emotions of frustration and pleading. It even went so far as to say that, while the five relationships of Confucius may not seem relevant, what we learn may come in handy one day. This was very effective and inspiring for those who cared. I even felt bad for the guy (a new professor on campus). Plus, his lecture was awesome, and I tend to be more responsive when I am in historical ecstasy. Approach numero dos was a bit more interesting. She reminded us that college was a contract, and that if she came with everything prepared, students should as well. Then you kinda understood the veiled threat that non-paticipating students would be penalized. I didn't like that one as much, but it seemed to energize the rest of class discussions. So hurrah for dealing with laziness!

The great lecture by my Asian professor was about the Han dynasty (pronounced like the star wars character). Now, I am not a macho Chinese buff. I tend more towards the Japanese side of the studies spectrum. This made me all the more surprised when my prof brought up the title of his lecture, "The Han Dynasty: The First Laissez-Faire Economy". This seemed absolutely absurd to me. I always viewed China as autocratic and utterly hierarchical, completely at odds with the laissez-faire principles. [Laissez-Faire is an economic system that emphasizes small government and free markets] I learned that the Qin (pronounced Chin) Dynasty had succeeded in uniting China after a period of chaotic warfare. But, the Qin turned out to be pretty terrible. They attempted to destroy learning, conscripted peasants into a labor force for public works, and then screwed up the economy big time. Needless to say, as soon as the emperor died there was insurrection. The rebels eventually won out, and their leader (a peasant) became the founder of a new dynasty. This new dynasty, the Han, emphasized a path of non-intervention in their society. This included such acts as lowering the taxes, reducing spending except for infrastructure, encouraging learning, reducing the importance of the bureaucracy, and creating a system of trade. While this didn't lead to outright capitalism, China did achieve a prototype version of it, and there was quite a bit of prosperity. This prosperity did eventually lead to the downfall of this free-market system, but it is an interesting mental experiment to wonder what might have happened if China had achieved capitalism. I was quite surprised to learn that while Rome was descending into feudalism China was proving the merits of free-markets and small government.

In my other history class we learned of the Medici family. They were a family that lived in Renaissance Florence. Through their strangle hold of money and banking, the Medici family was able to subvert the republic and control it. It may just be me, but I found it morbidly fascinating the way that the Medici was able to control Florence. They used a network of connections, marriages, and businesses to put all major powers in their debt. The republic was in fact never dissolved and continued to function, but the Medici family controlled everything. They were so intertwined that when someone did try to stop them, they simply removed all their business from Florence, and the city went into a severe recession. Eventually, the Medici did fall onto hard times, but, for a time, they show historians the power of the indirect control that individuals can have on governments.

That has pretty much been the highlights of this academic week. Professors, Free-market China, and the enigmatic Medici family. 

Signing off.

Ciao 

Gryphon

Prayer request

Hi ever body I have a really important decision coming up and I really need to hear God about it if you guys could please pray for me. :)

Week 2: Sophmore Slump < Great Personal Life + Economics + Sir Isaac Newton

  "Well, you see. Confucius emphasized the proper hierarchy of society for a good out come, and he also wante....."  "Wait! Your a history major aren't you?" "yes" "Then you be the blasted group spokesperson instead of expecting me to remember all of this." "really?" "dude, you might want to do it. I think she'll attack you with that pen if you throw much more of this at her."
Me doing a group exercise with  three other colleagues (the certain student saying this was not a history major)

  Hello all! I am trying to be a good little Fredoniac by keeping my  pact of weekly updates. I certainly hope this doesn't fade into nausea for most of you.

   There is the common superstition that the Sophomore year is cursed with a let down for Freshman students. They might have a good first year, but their steam is quickly spent. I suppose for most it is a case of the brightest stars burning out the fastest. In my own experience, I can't yet say whether this is true for grades or not (in most classes I haven't even taken a test yet!), but the classes are more difficult. The difficulty simply makes me more psyched for those classes though. It is like finally getting to run after walking for a semester. (not that I would complain if I walked my way through college :) So it didn't look like the sophomore slump would hit me academically. But, the slump is powerful, and it will not let me get through the year unscathed! While my classes are getting harder, the insane bureaucracy and insaner colleagues are beginning to give me migraines. I know, "but Jordan you were saying this last year too!" I was. The problem is that it is happening sooner than before. :'(  On the brighter side this is more than balanced out by certain happenings in my personal life that give me great joy. (although I will not go into them they involve a good book series, an AWESOME computer game, and upcoming events.)

A bit of economics that truly blew my mind.
The core of economics is the study of trade-offs. This definition has often been shortened to the study of trade-offs of a monetary nature, but the fact is that there is so much more to it than that. Humans faces trade-offs and decisions every day, every minute even. sitting here writing this post on a college computer is a trade off for me. I could be using this computer to surf the net or to salivate over Rome 2 Total War reviews, but I am not. Going further, the time that I am spending on this computer could probably be used doing something else too. Economics is studying how people decide those trade-offs they encounter. It has been said that economics is a study in efficiency, because every person will seek to make the decision that is most efficient for that individual in that moment. Using time as an example, every person has a scarce (limited) supply of it, and multiple demands. Every moment that is used becomes a micro economy in of itself. It is overwhelming if one thinks about the billions of people making decisions about their time every second, whether it is simply moving, breathing, working, eating, playing, or praying. Every moment is a decision, every decision is precious choice, and things that are precious must be weighed and filtered. Examine the trade-offs, and treat every moment like you would a precious commodity.

Science is a great tool. In fact when used properly, it can be one of the greatest areas of human potential. Unfortunately, it is often misused by claiming to be more than it is. Historically, science had made great leaps and bounds through its proper place. The best thing about this is it can't be separated from an in-depth history course. We went over sir Isaac Newton today. Can you tell? :)

I visited the career counseling office today, and I learned that if I want a straight answer about anything I should consult their website.

This is Gryphon the Fredoniac. Signing off.

Week 1: The Phantom Menace

 "When you hook up an EEG scanner (a machine that scans brain waves) to a plate of lime jello, the kind made with real lime, it will give off an exact duplicate of a human's brain signal." 
                                                                                                           Science Professor

Well okay, it wasn't Darth Maul chasing me around campus, but I was being haunted by something all  this week, irony. YES! IRONY! But, before I get to the ironic bit of my life or the lime jello factoid, I believe it would be good to get some basic parameters and introduction in.

Hi, I am a college student. We collegiate people find ourselves flocked with much over the week; What with classes, homework, and so forth. So much of what I will write on these weeks will specifically be geared to what happened in college. I say this so that (1) I don't write a seventy page novel every Friday, and (2) I don't happen to offend someone by them thinking that they weren't noteworthy enough to be put in my little episodes (believe me this will be a blessing for all who know me). This will hopefully be an enlightening little overview of my perplexing little life.

 DISCLAIMER:
(all content in these insane ramblings are true to the best knowledge of the author. The author will not be held liable for any stupidity/hilarity that may be recorded. Furthermore, the author reserves the right to not post everything that happens at school as no one wants to hear about my lunch....except that it was good....very good. Further-furthermore, the author also wishes to say that identities will be protected in case a professor or colleague some day googles me for a job interview and comes up with this. Further-further-furthermore, the author retains the right to laziness and a life, which may be the reason he doesn't post. Thank you......)

Well, This semester I am taking five classes (15 credit hours a week) this includes two 200 level history courses (Renaissance and Far East Asia), one 100 level history course (US history II), one 100 level economics course (Macroeconomics), and one honors seminar (thinking like a scientist). I would like to share a brief critics review of each one with you.

Renaissance Europe: THIS IS MY FAVORITE!! ahem.... History is kinda why I am going to college. So, now that I have finished most of the basic courses, I can finally stop sleeping and actually sink my teeth into the sweet, juicy, delectable tid-bits of deep history. (sorry for salivating) I plan on devouring this course, and it being on the renaissance means that there will be plenty to devour. I have already had a truly fascinating little discovery about the renaissance that kind of made me stop and go "hmmmmm". It helps that the Professor, while I might feel like grinding my teeth at certain times, truly seems knowledgeable on the subject. He at least doesn't tolerate know-it-all kids who feel like it is their right to reiterate to the rest of us what the professor said five minutes before. (here is some of that irony....I have had a kid just like that with the same name in my past two semesters. Not the same kid. It is always a different one, but they always feel the need to vomit all their "superior" knowledge across the class.....I hate irony.)

Far East Asia: THIS IS MY SECOND FAVORITE!! ahem.... History is kinda why I am going to college. So, now that I have finished most of the ba..oops did that already. yeah see above. Except without the ironic know-it-all kid, but we do have an entire classroom full of students who have no idea why they took this class except that they saw the Last Samurai with Tom Cruise. [That being an awesome movie all the same. I love Japan (pre and post WW2 that is)]

US History II: meh, easy 100 level course. 45% of your grade is just showing up, raising your hand, and doing quizzes that aren't even graded. Professor is decent though, but you can tell she is bored.

Macroeconomics: THIS IS MY THIRD FAVORITE!! Yes! This isn't history. It is in fact economics, but I can't tell you how great it has been learning about a field of study where my professors, and I actually see the same reality. Who knew that economists, even in Liberal institutions, acknowledge, what conservatives have been saying! They teach these ten principles that I can just nod my head with. (well with one or two reservations, but still 7/10 is amazing). So far, I have only had one disagreement with what my econ profs have said! ONE in a week! That is unprecedented. I have begun looking how I can apply economics to daily life. Wheeeeee. who knew learinging could actually be fun? Now I simply need to get over all that math stuff. yuck. (oh well take the good with the bad)

Science: This class will be an interesting challenge. It is very open ended, and I am being cautiously optimistic, but anything with "science" automatically gives me shivers. The prof has been good so far. That little tid bit about lime jello at the top came from him. If he gives me any hassle, I can always say, "I am thinking like a scientist, Sir Isaac Newton. You know that Christian that basically carved science for a few hundred years." Oh! and we all had to tell a unique story about ourselves. Highlight of storytime: A girl got her dead grandfather's treasure box, and it turned out to be filled with glass eyes he had found while he was a paratrooper in Germany. She was wearing her grandfather's glass eye on a necklace.

General: I am optimistic for this semester. Although I realize it will most likely plummet. (There is that realism coming up from underneath the bed again.)

Irony: I manage to get higher classes, but the general IQ doesn't seem to be rising.
I can't escape know it alls. (may be God is trying to tell me something.)
I get sat behind and in front of a Jacob Smith in one class, and a Tim Reed in another.

That has been my week. I don't know if the next one will be like this or maybe a bit more academic. It will be something to play around with.

Feel Free to comment.

Week 0: My, my, I am going to try and be ambitious.

Well, hello from a long and lazy absence.

I have hearkened forth from my exile (imposed by the business of life and my own apathy) to hopefully do something interesting. I am planning to try and keep a journal/diary/compilation-of-crazy of the things that I am doing this semester (wow! that sounds kinda like....well....a blog!).
Hopefully, it will be updated every week on the weekend. However, this may or may not work out depending once again on life and my own get-up-and-go. Keep your fingers crossed. We shall see if this works out. It may be studious. It may be funny. But, I hope that it will never be boring.

P.S: Week Zero has been interesting with snippets of a new dog and poison Ivy outbreaks......fun

P.S.S: Wish me luck tomorrow! "To my prospects among the Fredoniacs, (my own word for maniacal college goers.)" SALUTE!

viventibus vita sanctorum

Now why doesn't this surprises me ?

Me " what are we having for dinner ? " Sister " Hamburgers." Me "um we're out of bread what are we eating them on?" Her "Tomatoes."

So about the dance

who all can make it and is it still going for Monday ? Oh and I think I found a solution to our man shortage. :)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jIadq4M6xk

soliloquy

Now comes that part of life...... the part you haft to pic a direction to go I know I can try something for a while but it still feels Like I'm picking something to do the rest of my life and Nothing seems like it worth spending your life on ........ But you haft to do something "aye theirs the rub" I definitely don't want to do something just to be doing something I only get one life I want to spend it doing something worth doing......
Sorry I made you all read this but I kind of needed to write it  : /

Just a Smile....

A Smile
costs you nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it . Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that it of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.

I'm Back.....

Muahaahaha HAHAHA !! What they didn't know I left ........ ho .......... why not ? IT was so quiet... WELL theirs Going to be some ruckus now boy!

Well its good to be back in the land of the living you see a few days ago I woke up and the first thing that hit me is Hm.... I'm sick. And so I was I flat on my back for two days. Not fun but I mostly better now sooooo Just thought I'd let you all know :)

What do you Think?

Now that I've posted my teaser,What do you think should, I post my story on the blog?

The long and the short of it.

Well ok I'll just tell the short of it :) as you can see from the lack of activity summer is here spare time spent on computers is being eaten up by gardens well alas the pore blog..... sie Well just to keep you all up dated I still put-puting away at a film project, biding a barn redoing a green house gardening working.. I like to eat sometimes to :) So if you get the chance let us know how your doing and what your up to! 

Ps Jess you don't haft to tell us what your doing we have a purity good idea already  ;)

Ronferd's Teaser.

This is the teaser for my story. Any suggestions or comments you may have please just post them.

 


    William looked up. Was that the sound of one of the castle's many settling joints? Or was it them? Or him? The sound that came to his straining ears had been almost indistinguishable. He trained his eyes in the direction of the uncertain sound. The hair on his neck stood on end and his heart started to speed up as another small sound came from behind him. It took incredible effort not to turn.
 So it was happening! He waited, but there was no sign of anything. He breathed a silent prayer as he slowly turned around. He saw no one. But somehow he just knew someone was there. And it was someone who could move silently.
   Another floor board squeaked slightly. This time in the bedroom!  It was up to him now. He lurched forward, Grabbed the door handle, turned it, and yanked the door open.
   A window was at the opposite end of the room, with a bed to one side. On his right was a massive desk where the earl probably did paper work with his chamberlain. Moon light lay in a small slice on the floor. He stood there a moment, unsure what to do next. It was answered for him.
 A small object caught the light as it spun toward him. He just ducked in time! He heard a light but solid thud in the door, right over his head!
   He dashed for the cover of the Earl’s desk! He dove behind it as two more projectiles hit the wall to his right!
  Will sat there, trying to still his pounding heart, unsure what to do next. He had never been trained against something like this! Cautiously he peered over the top of the magnificent desk, which was more like a "small" oak table he realized.

                                                                  **********                                                        
   Zared waited with silted eyes as the door swung open. A silhouette stood uncertainly in the doorway. He smiled thinly. When he had sensed him behind the anteroom table he'd thought he would be a problem. Now he could see that this fellow was not accustomed to this kind of thing. Standing in the doorway with a dim light behind him, he could have killed him the second he was visible. But it was never a good idea to underestimate. And it would best to get rid of him before he could sound an alarm. The fact that this person had not done so to begin with suggested that he hadn't been sure whether there was someone or not. And wasn't a fool to have done it when he’d first heard him. Zared had made those sounds on purpose to see what sort of fellow this was.
  His hand dropped and came up like a snake. In one smooth motion he threw the knife over-handed. The sharp, blackened blade caught the moonlight as it spun end over end toward its target. The figure ducked with the speed of a cat! Zared instantly followed his original throw with two more. The figure lunged to the cover of a table on the opposite side of the room. Zared raised his eyebrows. This guy had good instinct. A pity he had to dispatch him. With that, he rose from his crouch and ghosted to his left.


                                                                   **********
At first William could see nothing. Then a tiny motion to his right caught his attention.  His blood almost froze. An indistinct shadow came silently toward him. Seeming almost to glide. The shadow was upon him before he knew it.
  He just had time to rise when it leaped over the table. A foot slammed into his chest and he crashed into the wall behind him. Before he could catch his breath he was pushed down on the floor. He could only make out the general shape of the head above him! He felt a something sharp at his throat.

   What do you think.................................
I would like to give a special thanks to Cheyenne Ayda for being a volunteer editor.

NOT Dimensions, Planes, OR Geometry! Oh boy.........

You now have a "Back to the top of the page" arrow. It takes you to the top of the page.............yeah.
I have not worked out how to get it to go to the bottom of the page, yet. The green arrow will appear on the bottom right when you scroll down the page.
Oh, and Happy Easter. (o^-’)b

Dimensions, Planes, and Geometry! Oh My!

(disclaimer: This is the rough draft for my honor's essay so I may attempt to wax "collegey" at certain points. Maybe I can fool the professors into thinking I am actually one of "them". :D That would also be why I didn't bring out any spiritual aspects, but there are a few to be had.)


         This Work is Dedicated
By a Humble Native of Flatland
In the Hope that
Even as he was Initiated into the Mysteries
Of THREE Dimensions
Having been previously conversant
With ONLY TWO
So the Citizens of that Celestial Region
May aspire yet higher and higher
To the Secrets of FOUR FIVE OR EVEN SIX Dimensions
Thereby contributing
To the Enlargement of THE IMAGINATION
And the possible Development
Of that most rare and excellent Gift of MODESTY
Among the Superior Races
Of SOLID HUMANITY

There are few books that provide a universal application like Flatlands: A Romance of Many Dimensions. Written by Edward Abbot in 1884, this novel not only acts as an allegory of the social conditions in Victorian England but also gives a principle that can be applied to almost any discipline. Reading this novel gives a glimpse into the idea that assumptions are only as valid as the information that they are formed upon.  

  Flatlands begins with an in depth explanation into the 2-dimensional world where the narrator, A. Square, exists. The denizens of this plane are geometric figures with length and width but without height, and everything appears as a straight flat line to them. They must distinguish themselves and objects through the number of angles that something has, which they ascertain through either feeling the angles or through the “art of seeing”. These arts are important to the Flatlanders because too sharp an angle can kill them.  

   This leads to the explanation of their social system. Male Flatlanders are divided into the four classes which are dictated by the amount and degree of angles a figure has. The most numerous figures are the isosceles triangles that form up the soldier and laborer class. Next highest are the equilateral triangles which represent the middle class and tradesman. The gentleman class is comprised of squares and pentagons. Hexagons form the nobility class. Finally, once a figure has so many angles of small degree that it is nearly indistinguishable from a circle, it joins the ranks of the priestly class, who rule over every aspect of Flatland. This is not an absolute static system. There is a natural law in Flatland that every generation should have one more angle than the previous generation. While this is not always the case, the law does allow a method of social mobility. Although this mobility does not apply to females, they are not figures but appear as straight lines. Because it is a hazard for a figure to be of irregular size and shape, any person that has a misshapen angle is put into a penal institution, and it can impede the aforementioned natural law.

  At this juncture, the author explains more about the circles and the events surrounding their dominion. The higher up a figure went in the social ladder the faster that figure’s successive generation would gain angles, but this advantage has a parallel handicap. The more angles a figure has the less fertile it is, and the harder it is to create non-irregular offspring. This fact makes the ruling circles, which we are told have monopolized power based on “perfect configuration of angles”, conservative in the extreme. They fear revolts and the disappearance of their mandate, and this is the context for the main part of the novel.

  Part two of this novel is about the enlightening adventure of the narrator. He is living through the passing of a new millennium in Flatland, and he has a vision that takes him to a realm of 1-dimension, length. Called Lineland, the Square observes, through interaction with the king of Lineland, that the inhabitants of this plane are completely unaware of other dimensions, and they are unwilling to even consider the possibility. A. Square tries many ways to convince the king of a second dimension but ultimately fails, is shouted down by the inhabitants, and wakes to his own home.

  Further on during that night, the square meets a sphere which is likewise visiting him as he visited Lineland. Just as A. Square attempted to enlighten the King about a second dimension, the sphere tries to explain a third dimension. This is ultimately just as fruitless, and the sphere is forced to pull the square out of his 2-D existence into a 3-D plane called Spaceland.

  In this plane, our narrator is shown the “wonders” of Spaceland. He also observes Flatland in its 2-D state from a 3-D perspective. This has the effect of creating an insatiable curiosity on the part of A. Square. He pushes his guide for a 4^th and 5^th dimension, exasperating the sphere to the point where he returns him to Flatland. This does not last long as our narrator is again given a vision by the sphere to another new plane, the plane of 0-D. This plane is contained within one point and one Solipsistic inhabitant. This inhabitant can conceive no other being, existence, change, or movement. In fact, the very intervention of the Square is taken by the Point as a manifestation of his own mind.  

  At this point, one should begin to grasp the universal application of this novel. In any profession, relationship, or science that humanity has, there are assumptions and biases that have developed about the way things are done. These provide foundational tradition on the methods employed in those areas. But, it is important, imperative, to realize that these assumptions are based upon the observable knowledge present, and thus that premise is limited to that same observable knowledge. One can draw a parallel in this respect to these assumptions and the dimensional planes of this novel. Each indigenous life form of the respective lands drew their view from the knowledge that was available to them at that point, and the incorporation of these “extra dimensions” was incomprehensible to them until the proper observation of it was able to be found. If this idea is applied to historical examples, there are numerous references to be drawn.

  The development of science is just one such reference. Until the Copernican Revolution, it was widely considered that the universe was arrayed in a geocentric model. This was postulated with the observable data at hand, thus it was valid but still wrong. The discovery of the heliocentric universe was one instance where the “plane” of astronomy was lifted upwards to a better understanding. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek opened a similar transition when he unveiled the cellular construction and biology. This opened the door to a whole new understanding of biology.

  Science is not the only area where this thought can be applied. Business and economics also reflect this pattern. The understanding of the way money and production flow has moved from different “dimensions” of understanding across history. While there are many different views on this subject, that doesn’t invalidate the idea the perspective on the subject has changed considerably.

 In addition, it is worth noting that when this understanding is reached it doesn’t mean that all previous information is thrown away. Many times the facts we know are part of the larger truth.

  This is relevant, not only to the study of historical transitions, but also to modern individuals’ lives. If one analyzes the assumptions he holds, there is every chance that he may realize his own limitations. Through this realization, one can to look beyond this limitation for a solution to his own limited observable data.

  Flatlands can teach SUNY Fredonia students this universal principle of challenging assumptions to find the truth. It could be promoted through the series of special objectives for students in individual departments to find new ways of looking at problems and developing abilities. To motivate students for reading the book and achieving this goal, each department would provide a challenge for their majors. The winner would be the student(s) who were able to create the most creative solution to the problem. Winners would have this count towards their cumulative GPA, and would be given an award.

   While many books attempt to inspire the reader towards creativity, I haven’t read one that could do it better than Flatlands. This novel, while entertaining, shows a greater moral of expanding one’s understanding towards truth.