Rhetoric in: “Whoa, Dude, Are We Inside a Computer Right Now?

  

The article “Whoa, Dude, Are We Inside a Computer Right Now?” by Ben Makuch, published on September 11, 2012 on “vice.com”, discusses the question of  our world being a simulation. The author explains how far research has gotten up to now and introduces Rich Terrile as an important scientist in this field. For the explanation of the theory he uses both Logos and Ethos and uses them alternating. However, he also establishes a personal level with the reader through the usage of Pathos. By using Pathos he makes the topic easier understandable and at the same time expresses his own opinion in a sarcastic way. In the second half of the article Makuch’s sarcasm subsides and the reader gets the feeling that he himself believes more and more in Terrile’s theories. All in all you could say that the author takes his readers on a journey. In the beginning he influences the audience with his doubts, which leads the readers to scrutinize the whole theory of a simulated world. However, as the article goes on he chooses the right words to convince the readers of the actual possibility of this theory being truth.  

Narrative Journalism Article

"Suicide Forest- where death is a daily occurrence"

We meet a middle-aged Japanese man, Mr. Hayano, at the foot of Mount Fuji. We agree to follow him on his daily tour through the "Suicide Forest". This is the place where over hundred people a year choose to draw their last breath.

As we follow Mr. Hayano into the dense evergreens  the beauty of nature awes us and it becomes unthinkable to commit suicide. However, Mr. Hayano becomes restless because he is afraid of what is to come. He alone has found over 100 dead bodies over the last 20 years. At first it occurs as if he is doing this work due to some morbid fascination, however after wandering through the still forest, it becomes clear that he wants to understand the people committing suicide, in order to prevent suicides.

Hayano defines a "point of no return" for those committing suicide, since they cannot return alive from the forest because the forest seems like a labyrinth. When we reach this certain point, Hayano suddenly stops in his tracks as he sees...

CAJ: Doomsday Preppers- Introduction

The day many people fear but only a small percentage of mankind believes in the possibility of it happening- Doomsday. According to Oxford Dictionary, Doomsday is "The last day of the world’s existence". A great number of people are sure that this certain day or event will happen in the near future. This event can for example be of natural, technological, biological or nuclear nature.  

Throughout history, humanity always feared the day called Doomsday. Over the last centuries however, people did not fear being attacked by a nuclear weapon or being killed by some kind of virus. Doomsday back in the time was also called "the day of judgement". On this day God will come to separate the believers from the sinners. God would send those who lived a proper life to heaven and those who sinned to hell and the world would cease to exist.

This poem by Sylvia Plath shows that mankind no matter at which point in time  believes that God will come to judge upon them.

Doomsday
The idiot bird leaps out and drunken leans
Atop the broken universal clock:

The hour is crowed in lunatic thirteens.
Out painted stages fall apart by scenes
While all the actors halt in mortal shock:
The idiot bird leaps out and drunken leans.

Streets crack through in havoc-split ravines
As the doomstruck city crumbles block by block:
The hour is crowed in lunatic thirteens.
Fractured glass flies down in smithereens;
Our lucky relics have been put in hock:
The idiot bird leaps out and drunken leans.
The monkey’s wrench has blasted all machines;
We never thought to hear the holy clock:
The hour is crowed in lunatic thirteens.
Too late to ask if end was worth the means,
Too late to calculate the toppling stock:
The idiot bird leaps out and drunken leans,
The hour is crowed in lunatic thirteens.
By Silvia Plath (1932-1963)
http://www.artvilla.com/doomsday-poem-by-sylvia-plath/


"The poet describes a world where all normalcy is blighted. The world is now insane and time is marked by an insane cuckoo clock which heralds the 13th hour...the end of the world. It is a poem written by one plagued by depression and dread."

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100513121931AACYORr


From what I heard and read so far I would define a "Doomsday Prepper" as follows: A person/ groups of people who fear that the world as we know it, will cease to exist. Therefore they are trying their best to prepare for this case. They do everything possible to protect themselves from whatever will happen on Doomsday.  

Over the next two to three months I will post a series of texts concerning this topic. I will take a detailed look at the phenomenon of an Electro Magnetic Pulses (EMP) and the possibility of various feared events happening in reality. I hope you are prepared to dive into a completely different world with me.

Do dreams come true?

Every one of us has a dream. Some people however, are too insecure to say them out loud.. I personally, was too afraid too tell my family or my friends about my dreams because I didn't think that I would ever be able to fulfil my wishes. Over the last six months I talked too my old friends and even gained some new friends. While talking to them about my insecurities and my wishes I decided that it doesn't matter whether my wishes come true or not. I at least have to try to reach my goals.

I know that's creepy but just imagine that you will die in the next year, wouldn't you want to be sure that you tried everything to make your wish come true? Otherwise, I am sure that I would always regret not having tried my best.

One of my dreams is one most of you know about. Unfortunately,  my first attempt at reaching this goal failed and I was really depressed because of it. After a month of grieving I decided to do everything possible to succeed and since it took quite a lot to convince myself I wanted to show all of you out there that you aren't alone. Life doesn't always work out the way went it to but we have to try our best because life's too short to just sit around and let it fly by.

That's why I want to finish with a quotation to support you and all of your dreams. You should never be afraid or ashamed of your dreams.

It's a very big dream, but dreams are supposed to be big, right?
- Mblaq Thunder

Immortality... does not exist!

After-death avatars are a doubtful new invention which allows people to talk/chat with beloved deceased person. Since, according to me, they can fuck people's minds up I decided to create a PSA against death-avatars. 

Setting: A couple is sitting on the sofa watching a soccer match. The wife is talking about her day; however the husband doesn’t listen to her and is instead watching the match on TV.

Wife: Robert, you never listen when I try to tell you about my day. What would you do if I told you someone tried to kill me today?

Husband (completely concentrated on the match): Of course sweetie, sounds like you had an interesting day. What’s for dinner?

Wife: I hate you! Maybe I’ll get run over by a bus tomorrow. (starts screaming) Could you at least listen for 5 minutes?!

Husband: Honey, even if you or I die tomorrow, we can still keep in touch. That’s why they invented after-death avatars. You will have even better conversations with my avatar than you have with me now. It will be as if I am still here.  So now let me watch the game.

At the end a public figure/ celebrity says: Don’t get fooled, when a beloved person dies we can’t get her back through some software. There’s only one reality and that’s the one you live in!

Your home country vs. your home

Hey guys,

yesterday my friend Shirin read my latest post, in which I wrote that I feel more at home in South Korea than I do in Austria, and she asked why I feel like that. Actually I only stayed there for three weeks however, these three weeks were more than enough for me to decide that I want to spend a longer period of my lifetime living there. 

My answer to her question was "You know that feeling that one country is your home country, whereas another is your home?". She then told me "no", she said that she can't understand me since I didn't spend long time there. 

For me staying in Korea felt like coming home. This was probably the case because I know more about the Korean culture than about the Austrian culture. For most European or American people, coming to an Asian country, leads to some sort of a culture shock. Everything is different beginning with how people treat you and look at you. Of course you travel to get to know new cultures to be able to draw yourself your own picture about a country or a culture, however, a great number of people is overwhelmed with the impressions they get. 

 

I, on the other side, was really looking forward to see how Korean people react to foreigners and how well I can fit in everyday life in Korea. All my expectations were fulfilled and the city, the people and the culture matched better with me than I would have thought. 

After thinking about the real reason why I felt completely at home in Korea I came to a quite surprising answer. I suppose that Korea and its culture combines all the things in life that I'm missing in Austria. Such as the tight relationship within a family, caring deeply for others and people helping strangers on their own accord. I liked how the lady who cooked at the food stall tried to converse with me in English and how the doorman at my dormitory greeted me with a smile every time I went out or came back. 

After the three weeks I was happy to have returned home but at the same time I wished to be able to go back to Korea.  I hope to be able to visit Korea soon and I want to stay longer than before. There are so many things I haven't yet experienced and seen. 

That is why I would say that Austria is my home country, whereas South Korea is, at least, one of my future homes. 

One day in the life of......

During my stay in South Korea my newly found German friend Martina and I decided to make a trip to Seoul to explore the fashionable and modernised city. On our way to grab breakfast we came across two older ladies, in Korean they are called “Ahjummas”, which were exercising in a park while listening to old fashioned music. Immediately, we took some pictures of them since this wasn’t only a rare sight for us but also amusing.  After a nutritious and absolutely non-Korean breakfast, namely sandwiches, we found ourselves waiting for the subway when suddenly one of the Ahjummas from before started talking to us. Due to my poor Korean I could only tell her that we are from Austria and Germany, respectively. She started babbling uncontrollably about Angela Merkel and Germany, however I didn’t understand much. After 45 minutes she left us utterly confused and completely mind-blown, in a negative way, alone in the subway. Shortly after, a Korean girl came over and explained what the Ahjumma said and that it was her right, maybe even her privilege, to say whatever she wants to whoever she wants. Although I was completely out of it after the ride I suppose that Ahjummas are also a reason why I feel more at home in Korea than I do in Austria. 

                                   

     (The Ahjummas sitting on the bench after some gymnastics)

       
                                        (The ominous station where old ladies are waiting to lure you into their traps ^^ )

(My friend Martina; upon arriving in Seoul we went for some tea in a traditional tea house to calm our nerves)