“Voicing your opinion is important!” is what you hear especially when it comes to elections, “It is your basic right to say what you think” is what you are taught in school. Yet, when looking at reality we notice that we must not use a vast variety of words to actually express ourselves, and neither are we allowed to offend other people if necessary to point out mistakes. So how free is our freedom of speech really?

 

Examples of American colleges show how bad the situation truly has become. Students are told which words to use and what to say at the school grounds. Free-speech-zones are existent at most campuses, however they usually only take up areas of about 1-2% of it.

Another demonstration for the limitation we are facing nowadays, which also includes many parts of political correctness, is that many titles as well as the content of numerous pieces of literature, music or games had to be changed because they contain words as for instance “nigger”. Yet, as the fantasy novel “Harry Potter” shows with the usage of the name “Voldemord”, restraining from utilizing a word only makes it more fearful and gives more power to it.

Therefore, after having gone through all the mentioned issues about our freedom of speech the main question whether we actually are allowed to use the language we want to express ourselves with, but most significant of all also to criticize people, as this is the only way change can be brought along, arises. Looking back to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, changes are needed as only the best adapted can survive. So why should we make life comfortable for the weak ones who are not capable of sustaining themselves, but are slowing down the process of change at the cost everybody else when nature would have already dropped them? Still our twisted society keeps on dragging them along, but for how long can this continue?

 

People fought for our right to say what we want which seems to vanish so quickly in some parts of the world, we should not take it for granted. So if we had to decide for all or nothing, I’d go for no rules concerning freedom of speech rather than having every word you voice aloud doublechecked, no matter whether religious, socio-critical or any other aspects alike have to be faced. There is only one thing that should  forbidden – the telling of lies.

 

Add. 1: Looking at my home country Austria in specific, I feel like the influence of media obtains a very significant role. When voicing an opinion which does not accord to the journalists’ ideas you are “marked” as either Communist or Nazi and have several status-destroying articles written about you. Therefore, saying what you really think is impossible when you are not willing to risk what you have, even though the new image media is giving you might not be true.

Add. 2: Also this text had to be censured not to upset anybody reading this text from any part of this world too severely.

Images: Opinion, Freedom of Speech

Those are the links to the comments we were asked to write in assignment #17. Have a look at…

…Jillian’s blog

…Tiki’s blog

…Trinitty’s blog

The text I am probably most satisfied with is my Worst Case Scenario chapter containing the final showdown of our fighters for surviving. I figure this is because we could write completely freely and had no restrictions at all. Still our plot was well thought through and there was enough time to build up tension as well as to indicate what might happen next as we worked in groups where many brains had many ideas and could write a whole lot of words.

Second in my ranking is the story “B13 – Threatening Occasion” which we had to write at the very beginning of the school year with the help of a picture we had to build the content around. What I really liked was the fact that we could simply make up a fantasy story and find out what being under suspense whilst writing actually means.

Last but not least, what I also enjoyed was the text “Saving Our Planet” as I really put a lot of effort into it. It should be one of our best and this is what I tried to make it. Also, I liked that we could just go into ourselves to bring up innovative ideas concerning the topic “Inventions”.

I hope that the possibility of writing such texts will still exist in our future time, especially doing another project as the Worst Case Scenario one would be great and welcomed by probably everybody. Hardly anywhere the chance to be creative in that kind of way is given. Thank you!

This is what I expect myself to have reached by the year 2020 when I am done with school:

 

• Be part of the EUSO (European Union Science Olympiad) team at least once

(This in every case hast to be reached due to sisterly competition)

 

• Gain some more social-interaction skills

(I’m sure I have improved on that a little this year too, however, there is still a far way to go)

 

• Stay as optimistic as I am in spite of whatever difficulties might have to be faced

(I am proud of the way I am able to look at the world and to motivate myself as a consequence of that)

 

• Never lose my ambition and self-consequence

(That point connects to the previous one and is at least of the same value; the fact that if I decide on something I am (most of the time) really going to do it is what helps me to manage my time so easily as I do the things I have to do just really fast without letting me be distracted)

 

• Have (had) a real boyfriend

 

Images: bucket list (CC0 license); optimistic (CC0 license)

Life has become harder throughout the years, especially for young people. Education as well as work are more challenging now and real friends to rely on can hardly ever be found. All those aspects describe only a small part of the variety of difficulties that many people neglect to be enhardening. However, are they right?

 

The first point to look at would be education. As scientific knowledge has improved dramatically, also the curriculum at school had to adapt and enlarge. In addition, teaching methods have changed giving more information in shorter time, leaving no time for comprehension, time which then has to be sacrificed from leisure.

Working-life has become harder, too. Especially the competition for jobs has increased, as more people are living on this planet, but also due to the fact that machines take over many tasks.

Besides that, the balance from those two parts of life given to you by friends and family vanish. Time is spent with smart phones instead of people and those who are looking for social connections will find themselves relaxing the few free minutes they have as our fast spinning world doesn’t grant any more.

 

Overall, taking into consideration that not only school- and work-life have become harder also their balance given by friends is lost. Therefore, trying to stop this development has to have our highest priority.

Image: pencils (CC0 license); phone vs. love (CC0 license)

Imagine there was a way of stopping global warming; imagine that a type of energy harnessing could convert the heat stored in our oceans into electricity; imagine what would happen if we were the ones to decide about our climate. In theory this idea is only pretty close to possibly saving our planet.

This is how it could work: As physics class taught us heat is only another form of energy. It is the kinetic energy carried by any atom which is swinging in place more intense the warmer it gets. Now look at our oceans constantly being constantly heated up by sunrays that can only hardly leave our atmosphere due to the greenhouse gases blocking them off. The potential of energy they contain is enormous. If we then only used this capacity like we do it anywhere else with either a dynamo powering your bikes light at the usage of a circular movement or like with a pressure system as done in wave energy converters to power a turbine just in a much smaller way on a larger scale, we would be able to cool the seas by harnessing electricity. Therefore less fossil fuels would have to be burned and the temperature of our planet could be controlled.

All of our ecosystems, fauna as well as flora, could be preserved. Coral reefs especially suffering from only slightly higher water temperatures as well as all other marine life and that on land could be preserved. Also the formation of destructive hurricanes which are in need of warm ocean currents could be prevented, however probably most important of all; polar caps would be able to enlarge their size again saving vast coastal areas from drowning.

Yet, that type of energy harnessing still is dangerous to a greater extent than we might imaging as if the control over those power plants fell upon the wrong ones the potential damage is devastating. Corrupt politicians could take advantage of their position as it would be a matter of pressing the correct button to make our globe drown in order to valorize the land that is still available and sell it to those who can afford. But also into the other direction harm can be caused. If our earth was cooled down too much making all our crops be destroyed by frost, expensive artificial food would be the only way those who have the financial liquidity could survive. So only imagine what would happen if the power arose upon those who misused it.

After all, energy gaining could redevelop on a new scale by using the oceans heat to produce electricity instead of combusting fossil fuels releasing even more greenhouse gases that would even encourage that vicious circle of destroying our planet. It would be a way to save all of it, however, if used wrongly it could also turn into a money-driven disaster. In this sense, would it really be reasonable to make people be able to control their climate?

Images: Save the Planet (CC2 license); Earth on Fire (CC0 license); Ocean (CC2 license)

Why is our world so unfair?

Why does it give me a nightmare

To think of all that’s going wrong,

Things that shouldn’t continue for long.

A reason for war is what I’m looking for

Why should we go shoot each other?

Replacing love for evermore?

Let’s spread joy and peace, rather.

There are other problems to face too,

How about terrorism,

Or looking at prejudice which’s not true,

Like often practiced racism.

Why is it that people die of thurst

and that others starve to death?

How come that our system still’s not burst

And that we’ve not run out of breath?

People wandering about all those questions

Seem to have no suggestions

However, what needs to be done,

Is simply: love EVERYONE!

Image: Unfair (CC3 license); Love Tree (CC0 license)

„We live for today and assume tomorrow will take care of itself”, a wise quotation with deep meaning. However, is it really the best to ignore that the future is constantly approaching and that its crucial difference is up to us?

No, we have a responsibility, a responsibility the quote misses to discern. Of course, no matter what we do, tomorrow will come. Somehow it will find its way through the paths we create today. It is up to us whether we dig holes or fill plains. Concerning global warming for instance, imagine we stopped burning fossil fuels and shifted to renewable energy sources instead. We might be able to prevent people in dry areas to starve as well as on the other hand rescue the ones that would be drowning in floods. If we just continue combusting everything we can find more greenhouse gases will be emitted until our species will extinct due to the lack of food sources, available water and overpopulation.

But now also think about the small scale consequences of not planning ahead, of not considering future at all. What would happen to you if you spent all the money you earn within days after having received the wage. You would have nothing for the oncoming weeks and might be starving by the end of the month. All that could have been prevented by planning only a little and by thinking about the approaching time at the beginning.

One has to be aware of the significance of our way of living today to ensure a bright future. Become clear what satisfies you as well as think whether you manage to limit yourself to the point your desires are saturated to be able to exhibit a sustainable lifestyle as we have the responsibility to pass on the world to our descendents as we were born into it. Understand that delight cannot be caused by money or anything tangible, it is about feelings. Make others be happy and you will sense the same – this is the satisfaction life is about.

So as tomorrow is about to arrive for you and me and for everybody else on this whole globe, let’s not destroy what has been given to us. Preserve it to know in the end that you have acted correctly.

Images: Carpe Diem CCO licence; Delight Quote certain rights reserved, changes in size and color

Part 1

3 Sentence Summary:

The story begins with a short flashback of what has happened to the narrator. Then it continues with that person looking for somebody named Calum MacInnes whom the narrator wants to be shown the way to a cave on the Misty Isle by. He expects a treasure of gold there, therefore both of them head towards west where Calum MacInnes guides them as he has already been to that cave.

 

First Person Narrator:

The first person narrator has a wife named Morag whose eyes are red-ringed as well as a daughter who brought dishonor over their family. After having done that she had disappeared for one year during which she was hated by her father who wanted to take revenge upon her. He is a small man often stealing and judging things by his own truth. He does not believe in accidents or anything alike even though he is devout and prays regularly.

 

Genre:

• Legend: As I expect the story to display some abysses about the gold, a legend telling people to stop being greedy would make sense.
• Fantasy Novel: The author Neil Gaiman has already written many fantastic novels, so it would fit his scheme as well as the story would fit into his scheme.
• Thriller: The cave could be so mysterious, guarded by somebody, making the story turn into a thriller or after having found the gold, the whole plot could turn into a hunt where everybody wants to get the precious metal.

 

Part 2

Summary:

The second part of Neil Gaiman’s story “The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains” is about the journey of the first person narrator and his guide Calum MacInnes to the cave on the Misty Isle.

On the first day of ascending mountains neither of them says a word. When they continue the successive morning they initially meet a tinker with his donkey and then a woman who claimes to be able to read fortunes out of palms when being handed some money which the two men do. According to the lady, the narrator’s past as well as his future should only be about death, whereas Calum MacInnes’ fate is supposed to look completely different, no dying at all. Then both of them continue their journey for another day until they come past a small farm house which they enter. The woman living there offers them shelter, food and a place to sleep at night. When her husband arrives in the evening he is enraged, however, doesn’t say a word. The two travelers feel that they are unwelcomed, so after having had a little bit of sleep they sneak off and walk on, MacInnes explaining what the cost of the gold out of the cave was to him. Then they finally reach the shore where they get onto a ferry boat to be brought over to the Misty or also called Winged Isle.

As soon as they leave the craft, MacInnes suddenly starts sprinting questioning the narrator to keep up. However, a well-kept secret of his is the speed he can run at and the strength he has. Therefore, he outruns his companion to wait where they discussed to so on the boat. When also the second man arrives, they eat something and go to sleep. In the night the narrator then awakens, feeling cold steel pressed against his throat, MacInnes leaning over and claiming not to trust him. Nonetheless, he lets go of him when the threatened person persuades his partner that the journey is still too far to go alone.

The next day they continue traversing another mountain. The paths are wet and slippery, so as they are passing a waterfall, MacInnes decides to secure themselves with a rope which he ties around his waist. Then first he, afterwards the narrator, walk past the waterfall when MacInnes looses hold and falls down into the abyss. His companion then pulls him back again, unwantedly demonstrating his strength. After that little shock they continue first talking about how the narrator outdistanced the Campbells, discussing their hatred to killing women and explaining some of their family backgrounds. Then they go to sleep.

At their last day of travelling they head towards the cave until they reach it. During that time of walking, they talk about their dreaming habits. Then they finally stand in front of their goal. It is already evening, therefore MacInnes recommends going into the cave only the following dawn. Before nighttime they once more speak of the consequences of stealing the gold, seeing only indifference in everything, and also what the narrator’s guide had done to a woman wanting to protect her cattle.

The following morning the narrator then enters the cave.

 

Story Sequel:

When the sun was up, I entered the cave. It seemed narrow and smaller towards the end, rugged rocks pointing out of every corner. The light inhere was dim and became even more scare with every step I made towards its interior. Yet, I continued walking, one hand up in front of my chest the other before my face to not bump into anything, as I saw nothing but dark black.

After what had felt like hours of wandering around I suddenly perceived faint rays of light which became more intense the further I strolled through the what would be the last turns of the path until I reached my aim.

Finally, I entered a large circular chamber illuminated by a fire right at the back of it. In front of that a large pile of gold coins was visible. I wondered whether there were any security establishments protecting the treasure, but as Calum MacInnes ensured that there were none I simply set one foot before the other and slowly approached the middle.

By now, I was close enough to reach for the gold and did so. However, only seconds after that I pulled my stretched-out arm back. A fiery pain went through my whole body, then I turned over my hand to gaze at my palm which ached most. It was burned and curled by the from the inferno given off heat warmed coins.

I wondered what Calum MacInnes had told me that day about his hand as did I start thinking about what else might not correspond to his descriptions…

 

Image: dark mountains CCO license

Less people seem to value going to cinemas for watching the newest movies just when they are released anymore. They rather fancy seeing the specific film a few weeks later at online platforms as for instance Netflix. However, is that really a good decision?

At least one pro argument is the cost-factor. Cinemas are rather expensive. Of course also platforms like Netflix are needed to be paid for, yet, for the money you invest to see one film in a movie theatre you could also finance one month of Netflix.

However, at home usually the quality of the motion picture is way worse than the original which can be seen at a cinema where large screens and better loudspeakers than any television could have are available.

Last but not least the probably most important thing about a movie is only given when watching with other people – the cinema feeling. This is what you experience when people laugh at the same time as you do or when you’re able to sense the tension throughout the whole cinema hall. It is what makes up the pleasure of watching a film.

Altogether, despite the high cost something to prevent the loss of the cinema feeling has to be done!

Images: Netflix Logo certain rights reserved; cinema hall certain rights reserved