The Arch of the Sky

For a quick review, look here: Shifting Gears #2: The Good Left Undone

+ Why try to live well? Why bother being good? Is that power – to choose to live “morally” – worth anything?

+ Can I choose my own moral and ethical codes? Should I do so? How do I do so? If I’m not allowed to construct them myself, is that a threat to free will?

+ Can we be trusted to shape these things ourselves?

+ Do we need guides to help bring out our better angels? Can we figure out what is “good” by ourselves?

+ If you are able to shape the concept of whatever qualifies as “good” yourself, does “goodness” lose all real value? Is there a “universal bad” or “universal good”?

+ What defines ‘the’ good life? What defines ‘a’ good life? Are you living one?

+ Do morals and ethics hold us back, restricting our vision rather than opening our minds? Do you feel that your own sense of morality – regardless of whether it is valid – limits or frees you? In what ways does it affect you – and are you comfortable with those effects?

+ Is virtue the most important part of life? Is it completely arbitrary?

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This post is due at 11:59pm on Monday, April 26th.

Please remember to be insightful, specific, and polished writers. Your post should be at least two seven-sentence paragraphs long, and punctuation, grammar, and mechanics all count towards your grade. Compose your replies carefully, and always remember to state the why for every what!

For this post, written feedback for two of your peers is required. You guys did a great job with this in the creative writing thread!

Good luck!

I just figured out that the NFL Draft AND a Lakers playoff game happen tonight.

No deadline can withstand that combination.

This post is now due by 11:59pm Friday night.

Enjoy!

Post your last-minute questions about the research paper here!

NOTES:

Some of you have been placed in presentation slots that are earlier than the ones you signed up for a couple of weeks ago.

I also need some of you to sign up for two seminars. My hands are tied with regards to these slots.

There's an extra credit opportunity if you sign up for one of the "movie slots." I'm watching over the movie during the A Session (B, C, D, E, and F sessions are devoted to my presentations). Ideally, at least 55 of you will sign up. If you plan to sign up for that one, post that you've done so in this thread so people will have some idea of how much space is left.

Lastly, please sign up for the seminar I have assigned you here. If you don't, the whole tapestry comes unraveled. I really need your help here, guys!

Seminar assignments after the jump! Everyone has been assigned to at least one seminar. If you need to trade with someone, work it out with one another in the comments.
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Here's your file! Remember to upload your file to turnitin.com by the due date. Rack up some extra credit points on Easter, and have an amazing Spring Break!!!

In response to Sophia's query: Yes, the transcript is due tomorrow. The transcript format is very easy:

Q: Words words words words words?

A: Insight insight insight insight.

Q: Words words words words words words?

A: Insight insight valuable quote insight insight.

etc.

If you cannot finish a transcript, please submit notes instead. I do not wish for you to stay up until the wee hours of the night finishing.

If you have your interview lined up for Spring Break, we've already spoken (probably). Your transcripts - as well as the transcripts from people submitting notes - will arrive on my desk the day you get back from Spring Break.

Hope this helps,

Mr. Feraco

It's gonna rain like this for days,
I'm gonna drown in my old ways,
But I'm fine...
I'm fine...

It's gonna hurt like [heck]
When you pull back the hammer and fire,
But I'm fine...
I'm fine...

-------------------

You see, a storm knocked out my superpower,
Now I sleep through thundershowers.

Wake me when you learn to be cool...

If I'm the captain of this boat,
Then all my shipmates are fools.

And all the the stars in the world
Couldn't help me steer my way out of this kiddie pool.

-------------------

I'm gonna wake up from these dreams
With nightmares lined up on my street,
But I'm fine...
I'm fine...

Needed a hand to keep my head up
So you put hooks in both my ears,
And I'm fine...
I'm fine...

-------------------

Yeah, it's a chronic pain in my [back]
But no, it's not a burden.

It's ironic that I drink
To make my insides stop hurting.

And it's love that gives me heartburn,
It's a song that makes my stomach turn,

And I wouldn't trade in my hand
For all the aces in the deck.

'Cause I'm fine...
I'm fine...

- Alkaline Trio, "Fine"

(Slightly edited for clarity - sleep deprivation and blogging don't mix as well as they should!)
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EDIT: Good work, everyone! Three hours well spent. I probably won't be able to stop in again until much later, but you should feel free to use this as an arena to study with your friends and peers. Also, I'm putting the blog up really late tonight so as to avoid confusing people who come here looking for this thread. It won't be due until Friday at 11:59pm.

Welcome to the official 1984 study session!

I recommend asking specific questions that clarify areas you're not sure about. (Don't just re-write the "Understanding the __ Third" questions!)

Bad Question: "Who is Ampleforth, and why is he important?" (I expect you to have read the book well enough to identify the characters. If you do have this sort of question, and all you want is a simple identification, I strongly recommend visiting one of the free text editions of 1984 online, hitting Ctrl+F, and searching for "Ampleforth.")

Appropriate Question: "OK, I understand that Ampleforth's a poet who works for the Ministry of Truth, and I know that Winston sees him in the cafeteria and in prison. I don't understand why Feraco thinks he's important - he's in jail for leaving "God" in a poem, but why does that matter?"

Appropriate Response: "Well, Ampleforth matters because his crime matters. First of all, Orwell was a language nut - just look at Newspeak! Secondly, look at the word he left in - being imprisoned for leaving "God" in a poem is a symbol for the destruction of the human spirit. If you think about it, the entire purpose of the Ministry of Love - especially Room 101 - is to defeat the soul."

This thread will remain open until 8pm, but my lovely "Service Engine Soon" light came on during lunch, which means more car repairs! I might not be able to stop in until later as a result, and I would greatly appreciate any help you can offer. If you see a question you can answer, please do so!

Finally, I figured I should re-post the 1984 PowerPoints for last-minute review:

Learning How to Smile
Help, I'm Alive
The Heart of the Crystal
Heavy is the Cost

As a bonus, here's a link to the study session from Search for Human Potential 2008 - way back in Year 1! To be fair, the unit and test have overgone a complete overhaul since I did this, so some stuff will be less relevant to you than others. But I figure any information helps!

Good luck...

Shannon and I are finally leaving for Vegas - burned a couple of mixes, checked SigAlert, etc. However, since our hotel is planning to charge us $13 a day for Internet access, we're making the trip minus the UberLaptop. I'll be out of contact until Sunday at the earliest.

In the meantime, I figured I might as well post the "Heavy is the Cost" PowerPoint here for your perusal.

Wish me luck, and I'll see you next week!

(Nolan: Sorry about Wofford.)

The PowerPoint may be downloaded at your convenience here. It's a big file, so be patient. (And can you spot the little blog-centric detail in the photograph on the last slide?)

First-round match-ups after the jump!

Does it comfort you to know
You fought the good fight?
Basking in your victory,
Hollow and alone...
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In order to submit your personal statement, head to turnitin.com and log in (or sign up for an account if you don't have one yet). The class ID is 3180790, and the password is B2H5.

Please remember to upload your files - do not copy and paste your text. The only file types I can open are .doc, .docx, .rtf, and .odt...if you don't have the ability to save in one of these formats, paste your text into an e-mail to yourself and put it in a Word document on one of the library computers before school. (Solve problems proactively!)

As always, if you can't submit your paper to turnitin.com for some reason, e-mail me your file. Good luck!


EDIT: Awesome. Looks like my e-mail is down again, and not even my school computer will open either the client or the remote access. If you need feedback, have questions, etc., post your comments in here.


Second Edit: I'm going to go home and get a few hours of sleep. I'll check the blog again at 4ish/5ish, and while I'll post as soon as I see what's been written tomorrow morning, please don't stay up late waiting for a response! If anything, get sleep, wake up, and start early rather than staying up late.

Sorry for the e-mail hassles - I really don't know why everything's going haywire at an inconvenient time, but I'm trying to roll with it as best I can. Thanks for understanding, and good luck!

There is no enough.
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