Technology

I find it ironic that this blog post about technology needs to be written for me. I had planned on posting a video but I am having trouble getting my camera to work. Technology is one of those words that imply it will make everything easier, yet it is so frustrating.
For me online learning is very beneficial. Being that I am a firefighter I don't have a traditional work schedule. I work 48 hour shifts with 96 hour off time, so being able to work at my own pace has been very beneficial. In fact, all of my general ed. classes have been online, with one exception. By doing it online I have been able to not have to take anytime off work to go to class, saved money in fuel costs and saved travelling time. It has also allowed me the opportunity to review and comment on other students work. It has been beneficial to me to see that their work reflected that they have had the same struggles as me. A big downside to online class has been getting distracted while working on the computer. With things like Facebook, on line gaming, you tube and etc. it is very easy to find that what should have taken an hour to do chewed up 4 hours of my time. Another downside was not being able to meet new friends in person and not seeing the instructor in the class room setting.

All in all this class has been a good experience for me. I believe that I will continue to use my blog to express myself creatively. With the completion of this semester I will have completed my AAS in Paramedicine. I don't know whats next for me. Original goal was to transfer to NAU and get my BA in Fire Science Management, but now I don't know. A BA in the fire service is really only needed for Fire Chiefs and some federal jobs. Truth is I would never even consider being a Chief, the politics are horrendous and in the current climate they are only two year jobs. As far as federal employment, again it's politics. I like my job, I enjoy providing care to the sick and injured, so I can't imagine not doing so. Besides, I have been a partime student, full time employee, full time daddy and husband for the last 3 years ( longer with out the school) and I am burned out on being so busy. I think I will take next semester off and concentrate an my faith, family and friends.

What Have I Learned?

As I try to decipher what it is I have learned in this class my mind keeps pulling me back to a 7th grade English class. I was 13 years old and just starting to find that I was capable of putting my imagination into words. I was experimenting with a kind of creative literature that was supposed to be poetry. I have had a fascination with poetry from early elementary. So, as a thirteen year old, I was casually experimenting with creating my own works. I'm sure it could hardly be called poetry, it was more like some dumb kid was just randomly writing down paragraphs. My parents should have recognized this and bought me a journal. Then I could just say I was journaling. This was in 1987 though, words like blogs didn't exist yet, computers still had a lot of growing up to do and the internet wouldn't be known to the general public for another decade.. So, I would venture to say that my poetry was probably be more like a blog if anything. Just some ramblings of a thirteen year old kid who was on the verge of discovering love and pain. All in the same day. My point is that the experimental, melodramatic ramblings going on in my head were finding there way through my body and out through the lead of a No.2 point lead pencil.
 Anyways, I was sitting in class, day dreaming about Lord knows what, probably about my future sex life, when my English teacher walked by and placed a graded writing assignment of mine on my desk. I don't even remember the score, based on my life time GPA, it was probably a low C. I don't remember the assignment or the teachers name. What I remember is, as the teacher placed the paper on my desk, she whispered, "Your writing" then made a gasping sound and walked off. That was it. I was left to having to decipher what the hell that meant. Was that an exasperated gasp? Or was it to express her joy and sensation at reading such an epic piece of literature. The grade didn't reflect. Any marks higher than a C would have elated me, cementing the moment into my memory forever. Did her words indicate that I was such an exceptional pupil and capable of properly finishing her thoughts. Or, did she just choose wisely to not finish a cruel thought. Did she want to say ' Your writing makes you sound retarded'. I am also left handed, so anything hand written in ink, or lead, would slightly smear as I drew my hand across the page as I wrote. Righties won't understand, lefties will. Was she just stating that reading through my lead colored paper was tough to do? Whatever she meant, I took it as as a positive, negative. Used it continue exploring my thoughts with a lead pencil to get better and enjoy. I have long since discontinued my creative writing, lost with my innocence I suppose. I know that my words as a young writer grew dark and ominous. I was a troubled teen, from a broken home. I would soon experience pain, addiction and sorrow. So my writing would reflect that. Just thinking about all of that causes me to feel that little tug at my heart. That need to communicate my thoughts creativity. In an effort to express his sorrow about the worlds inability to communicate positively Paul Simon wrote, " Hello darkness my old friend, I have come to walk with you again". These lyrics would be the opening words in the Sound of Silence. A song that would propel the careers of Simon and Garfunkle. Kind of how I feel at the moment thinking about all of that.( Song Facts).

I have rambled on. The point that I am trying to make about my learning outcomes in this class is that we began learning what we have just learned when we were children. We began summarizing when we learned to read. We started analyzing when we took our first breaths. Elementary school started to teach us punctuation and structure. This class just stressed those at an accelerated level. I guess for me this class has taught me to explore things in literature a little deeper by exploring them with our minds.

Ever wonder what the paramedics really think? See video.

Works Cited:
Song Facts, http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=796

Final Presentation

Zombies in Film

I found it interesting to read in Kyle Bishop's article on Zombies about the connection to Zombies and film during times of war. It makes me wonder what the populaces connection is with a zombie and war. There seems to be a link between consumerism and war. Anytime America has been involved in war time activities it does appear that war causes a large need in consuming materials, time, money and emotion. During WWII America experienced a shortage in precious metals. This intern caused the need for Americans to donate scrap metal to be used inn the war effort. Even the Deptartment of Treasury saw a need to stop the use of copper in penny production and use steel instead. Many toy manufactures experienced loss of business due to the unavailability to obtain metals used in their toy productions. This also caused an increase use in plastics as many items formerly made of metal were now being made of plastic. Also of note is fuel prices during war time. As we currently experience higher prices for gasoline, the Department of Defense increases its fuel reserves for use in the Iraq and Afghanistan war.
Zombies reflect this increase in consumerism by their constant need to eat human flesh. Could it be that Americans subconsciously view zombies as war? Since war is so consuming of our time and resources. This link is to a web site that has done some research into this phenomena. I find it interesting that between the years of 2000 and 2008 over 120 zombie movies have been produced.

Image Source; http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkezvLshOHgkAY2aJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?

Werewolf; Blood and Lore

                                                            Werewolf; Blood and Lore

The fear of the werewolf was born with early man and his interactions with nature. Specifically, his loathsome hatred towards the wolf. When considering myths and lore, in regard to werewolves, one must understand the wolves’ involvement with the everyday living of early humans. Stories of human cannibalism and wolf like actions through mental illnesses have created werewolf legends. The werewolf is also said to be closely related to other entities such as witches, vampires, shape-shifters and the devil himself. It is the werewolves thirst for blood and taste for flesh that has instilled fear into mankind since the beginning of time and advanced the myths and lore surrounding werewolf activity.

In order to comprehend the lore of werewolves one must first have a simple understanding of the initial source of that lore. Most scientists that have studied the wolf will say that it is one of the most misunderstood animals on earth and that very little is actually known of the wolf and its habits. Since the dawn of creation people had to live off of the land and that meant living with wolves. The wolf was considered a deadly nuisance. They commonly killed livestock that people raised for their own means of survival. A pack of wolves would sometimes kill more than they needed. In his book ‘Of Wolves and Men’ Barry Holstun Lopez writes “…they sometimes kill in excess” (Lopez). It is not uncommon for wolves to decimate a heard of sheep, ravaging and killing several, often a dozen, some of it for feed, but then mutilate its victims and strew their parts about. In Lopez’s book he also describes an incident in Alaska in which wolves killed over 42 dogs in a year. Biologists would explain to residents that due to an unusually hard winter the wolves had turned to dogs for prey. The Athabascan Indians would not accept this explanation. They believed that this occurred because wolves just hated dogs. Lopez writes of a sled dog team’s owner who “…argued that the wolf was a born killer … Some creatures God put on earth to help man…and others to hinder him, and the wolf was a hinderer”. (Lopez). These are some of the misunderstandings that humans have of the wolf that have helped lead to werewolf legends. There have also been understandings of the wolf that helped aid the creation of werewolf mysteries.

One of the things that have aided in the development of werewolf legends is the wolves feeding habits. Wolves have an adaptive digestive system and feeding habits. They have a feast or famine style of feeding. They are capable of digesting large amounts of food in 2 or 3 hours, leaving a wolf always hungry. They tend to gorge after going for multiple days without food. They will often eat up to 18 pounds of meat at a time, then after digestion, eat again. It is not uncommon for a wolf to go up to 3 weeks without food then start to eat up to one- fifth of their body weight at a time. This would explain why a pack of wolves would kill a dozen sheep at one time, only to kill another dozen a day later if not hours later. Wolves, like most predators, usually kill the weak, old, young or lame out of a heard. In some instances though, they have been known to kill an entire heard of deer without eating any of their quarry. Lopez states that “In cases where wolf populations are small, or where the prey population is outstripping its food supply, wolves may kill indiscriminately across all age classes” (Lopez). It has been peoples witness to this type of destructive killings that have enhanced wolf lore. Rarely have wolves attacked humans, but it has occurred. When wolf populations were large and the most common means of human survival was raising livestock and living off of the land there was reason to fear the wolf. People feared for their safety and they feared for their livelihood. People fear the wolves thirst for blood and taste for meat. Out of this fear myths and lore of werewolves were born.

Cannibalism has always been viewed as one of the most atrocious sins. It is no wonder that the werewolf has always been associated with the devil due to cannibalism. Many people that have professed to be a werewolf throughout history have claimed that they became werewolves as an opportunity to eat human flesh. In Rosemary Ellen Guilley’s ‘ Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves and Other Monsters’ the author gives many examples of cannibalism in association with werewolves.

 In Pyrenees, 200 men, women and children were burned to death after being accused of being werewolves and cannibalizing. (Guilley).  Guilley also claims that there are two types of werewolves; voluntary and involuntary. The voluntary werewolf is one that likes to eat human flesh and therefore transformation is acquired by some sort of magical means. A person may transform into a werewolf voluntarily be obtaining potions, wearing a girdle made of wolf pelts or human skins, drinking rain water out of a wolf’s paw prints, magical prayers, or with the aid of the devil and his demons.(Guilley).  By chance it has been individuals who may have had awkward, wolf like appearances that have spurred the werewolf legends forward. Such is the case of Gilles Garnier.  

Garnier was an awkward looking man living in Amanges, France. He was considered to be a recluse and according to ‘ The Book of Werewolves’ by author Sabine Baring- Gould, Garnier was known as “the hermit of St. Bonnet” (Baring-Gould).  Gilles Garnier had bushy eyebrows that met in the middle, another myth that indicates a person is a werewolf, had pale skin and angry complexion. He wore a long grey beard and had an odd stooping gait, all signs of being a werewolf. In 1873 several small children had become missing from their village in Dole and later were found mutilated and half eaten. Then, in the fall of that same year a wolf attacked a girl. The commotion attracted peasants in the area who came rushing to the girls’ aid. Several of the peasants thought the wolf in question resembled the hermit Garnier. Then a few days later a little boy came up missing. During the trial of Garnier, he and his wife confessed to him being a werewolf. The hermit confessed that he liked the taste of human flesh so much that he brought meat home to his wife to enjoy. While explaining his deeds at trial he spoke of an incident in which he killed a young boy with the intent of eating him but the commotion of the murder attracted people and Garnier ran off. Peasants at the trial that responded to that incident identified Garnier as the murderer, but stated he was in human form and not that of a wolf. Garnier was found guilty and hastily dragged to the site where he would be burned to death. (Guilley ) Werewolf literature is full of lore about were-animals, particularly wolves eating human flesh to satisfy their taste for blood. It is also full of examples of people eating humans then either claiming to be werewolves or being made out to be werewolves by their accusers or society. People’s imaginations may play a part in helping them to understand these horrific crimes.

Mental illness is also a very complex explanation in regard to werewolves and explanation for cannibalism. For many, it is reasonable to think that a person that believes themselves a werewolf is crazy. The same could be said for someone that eats human flesh. When you combine both there is little doubt to a person’s sanity that pursues the opportunity to become a werewolf in order to eat their fellow humans. One mental condition that has been linked to werewolves, or people that believe they are, is Lycanthropy. Deriving from two Greek words lykoi, meaning wolf and anthropos, or man it has been a clinical diagnosis since the second century. The word itself, Lycanthropy, was not seen in the English language until 1584 when Reginald Scott used it in his book ‘ The Discoverie of Witchcraft’. (Scott) At one point Lycanthropy and werewolfism was used interchangeably during the Inquisition.  This disease is closely linked to schizophrenia, personality disorders, mental retardation, necrophilia, drug abuse and bipolar disorders. Some common behaviors of Lycanthropy mimic many of the previously mentioned mental disorders. According to the WebMD.com these behaviors are all signs of schizophrenia and  include; an alienation from society, demonic obsession, the belief that one can grow wolf like features, a blood lust, wolf like behavior, bestiality, hyper-sexuality, and an impaired mental function.(Chakraburtty) Since the invention of modern psychology the diagnosis of Lycanthropy has died out in favor of more reputable and scientific diagnosis of various mental disorders. One example given by Louisiana State University students in a study on Lycanthropy is that of French Peasants Pierre Burgot and Michael Verdum in 1521.

Burgot was a sheep herder who made a deal with a dark stranger for protection of his sheep. All Burgot had to do was renounce God and obey this stranger as his Lord. The unknown demon stranger gave Burgot money in exchange and guaranteed protection to Burgot’s flock. In due time, as the years passed, Burgot became reluctant to maintain his pact. That is when a man named Michael Verdum demanded him to rub a special ointment on his body. When Burgot obeyed he found that he grew hair all over his body among other wolf like features. The two, Burgot and Verdum, then ran amuck in the country side committing crimes. They dismembered a 7 year old boy and murdered a woman. They also ate a 4 year old girl before finally being caught. (LSU)

 A more modern example of Lycanthropy that was reported in a 1975 issue of ‘The Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal’ is that of a 20 year old patient referred to as Mr. H. This young man was in Europe serving in the U.S. Army when he took a dose of LSD and strychnine. Pharmacologically these drugs are what shape shifters used in the past to transform into were-animals, witches, vampires and the like. The drugs had an immediate effect on Mr. H causing, as he claims, fur to grow out of his face and hands. He then spent a few days in the forest chasing and eating raw rabbits. Mr. H returned to his post eventually where he was treated with anti- psychotic medicines and therapy for nearly a year. During this time he continued to have delusional thoughts and heard disembodied voices and experienced satanic visions. Testing indicated that he had acute schizophrenia and toxic psychosis. With continued treatment and medication Mr. H showed considerable improvement and was referred to outpatient care. After a few outpatient appointments Mr. H stopped taking his medicines and stopped going to his therapy appointments. Efforts to contact him failed. (lsu.edu).

American society today has romanticized the werewolf as well as other monsters like Vampires, Zombies and Witches. These once were entities that were only associated with the cult, Satan and demonology. Through the years they became associated with mental disorders, the same of which were and are often associated with evil activities. The monsters were often a person’s only way of understanding and accepting horrible deeds done by their fellow human beings. People need to understand and need an explanation to comprehend horrific atrocities such as dismembering an innocent child and feeding on human flesh. Modern medicine was, at one point, not available to treat the psychologically ill so society had to turn to myths and lore to be able to cope with heinous crimes. I feel that our modern affixation with the surreal is a common progression in society. For most it will continue to be a harmless form of entertainment. For the unknowing, the young and the impressionable it could be a dangerous game that could threaten their sanity and salvation.

Works Cited

Baring-Gould, Sabine. "The Book of Werewolves." Baring-Gould, Sabine. The Book of Werewolves. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1865. 37.

Chakraburtty, Amal MD. Web MD. 2005-2011. 4 October 2011 <http://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/guide/mental-health-schizophrenia>.

Guilley, Rosemary Ellen. "The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves and Other Monsters." Guilley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves and Other Monsters. New York: Checkmark Books, 2005. 317.

Guilley, Rosemary Ellen. "The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves and Other Monsters." Guilley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves and Other Monsters. New York: Checkmark Books, 2005. 134.

Lopez, Barry Holstun. "Of Wolves and Men." Lopez, Barry Holstun. Of Wolves and Men. New York: Charles Scriner's Sons, 1978. 4.

Lopez, Barry Holstun. "Of Wolves and Men." Lopez, Barry Holstun. Of Wolves and Men. New York: Charles Scriner's Sons, 1978. 2.

Lopez, Barry Holstun. "Of Wolves and Men." Lopez, Barry Holstun. Of Wolves and Men. New York: Charles Scriner's Sons, 1978. 55.

LSU. lsu.edu. 2003. 4 October 2011 <http://www.lsu.edu/faculty/jpullia/lycanthrophy.htm>.

—. lsu.edu. 2003. 4 October 2011 <http://www.lsu.edu/faculty/jpullia/lycanthrophy.htm>.

Scott, Reginald. "The Discoverie of Witchcraft." Scott, Reginald. The Discoverie of Witchcraft. Yorshire, England: E.P. Publishing, 1973.

Bibliography

Guilley, Rosemary Ellen. "The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves and Other Monsters." Guilley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves and Other Monsters. New York: Checkmark Books, 2005. 317.

            This was what I picked for my first source. I should have switched my sources because this was a wonderful 2nd source and not a very strong 1st. As I read it I picked up on this cannibalism theme in werewolves that I wanted to write about and it was a great source for that. It is actually an encyclopedia of monsters. Full of stories and descriptions of actual cases and provides information on all types of monsters in film and literature.

Lopez, Barry Holstun. "Of Wolves and Men." Lopez, Barry Holstun. Of Wolves and Men. New York: Charles Scriner's Sons, 1978. 4.

           This was a very strong secondary source for me. It's primarlily just about wolves, but does touch on werewolf lore. It is a scientific study on the lives, habits and lore of wolves. It is written in a first person point of view from the author so it was very easy to understand. I plan to use some of the information about wolves habits and how they have aided in the generalization of werewolf myths.


LSU. lsu.edu. 2003. 4 October 2011 <http://www.lsu.edu/faculty/jpullia/lycanthrophy.htm>.


          This is an article I found through the library database. It is a research paper on a disease called Lycanthropy. It gives an over all explanation of the disease and has a some historical value and stories to support the history of the disease.

Final Project Proposal

For my final project I am choosing option # 2, which is to do a study on a specific monster. The monster of my choice is Werewolves. As a child I developed a fear of werewolves after seeing the movie " An American Werewolf In London". I'm sure it is a cheesy movie and I imagine that I would laugh at its context today. I have not seen this movie since I was 8 years old. I remember that night in vivid detail. It was close to Halloween and an older cousin was staying the night. My dad rented this movie for us to watch. Dad had that kind of sick sense of humor. He was always hiding in closets, just to grab your arm and yell "Rawr" when you opened the door. So it was not uncommon for him to bring home scary movies for us to watch. Definitely the soul source of my enjoyment of horror films and literature today. Needless to say, this movie scared the hell out of me. Thankfully, my dear cousin slept with me that night.

Image Source Page: http://werewolvesgamesinforms.webs.com/

I originally was going to pick option one and read Tim O'brien. I had red "The Things They Carried" about 10 years ago and found it an exceptional, intriguing read. But I felt that in order for me to obtain the greatest benefit and gain the most from the learning experience of this project, that it would be best for me to study a subject that I was less familiar with. So, I chose a monster instead. I was leaning towards Zombies, but they don't intrigue me at all. Besides, Zombies and Vampires are big business these days. So naturally, I picked a monster that had actually affected me at one point in my life. I'm still afraid of the Boogey Man and didn't pick him so as not to entertain or increase the source of my fears. There's still a child in us all.

I plan to use the online YC Library resource as my data base. One book in particular that I do intend to read is " The Mysteries of Vampires and Werewolves" by Chris Oxlade. It appears to be a research about the legends of werewolves in different cultures and it also explains some of the scientific reasons behind old werewolf stories. Another book I will research is " The Encylopedia of Vamppires, Werewolves and Other Monsters" by Rosemary Guilley. Honestly I have just randomly chose these reading because they are listed as non- fiction. For old times sake maybe I will rent " An American Werewolf in London". Maybe I can scare the hell out of my 7 year old too.

With this project I hope to discover if there is a common meaning in the creation of werewolf stories culturally. Specifically I would like to see what the significance is in American culture. I imagine its significance comes from the European immigration into America.