Comments on classmates' Blogs:

On Courtney A.'s Blog:  I see a good overview of what is going on in the chapters, and how those events relate to one another. I believe there could be some more analysis and personal reflection, however- I understand that one of the aspects of blogging for the class is supposed to be personal thoughts/reflections, and maybe expanding on the textbook material into more creative subjects. This kind of personal touch might not be very comfortable for everyone as not everybody wants to put personal stuff on the internet. But the personal thoughts don't have to be extremely controversial or slanderous- just something to allow the reader to ponder what the blogger might be thinking/feeling as she or he reads the material. That's the stuff which makes for entertaining reading...


On Bianca L.'s Blog:  The post I read from Jordanlee's blog gave a good look at the train of thought going from our modern way of living back to the paleolithic way of gathering/hunting. Although the seed was planted for an in-depth comparison of the two methods of survival, the post stopped short of giving more of the author's thoughts and opinions on the subject. The most interesting and fascinating reading arises from the author who is willing to give themselves up to the reader- I do not mean to say that every last detail and opinion must be expressed (after all, some might be too controversial or inappropriate to share!) but something should be given up to give the reader a sense of feeling or emotion. Comparing prehistoric life and modern life is a great way to express one's feelings on the current state of the human experience.


On Jordanlee C.'s Blog:  Very interesting to compare modern US with some of the ancient civilizations we have been studying- So many times people in the US believe that the system of government in use is a stand-alone and nothing can be added or removed, but there is room for reconsideration. This is the kind of thought process that can be expanded upon greatly; books are written on subjects such as this. When blogging about such a topic, the author may feel uncomfortable when expressing opinions about such controversy, but the thoughts and opinions are the real meat of the discussion. By giving this extra dimension to the discussion, any educated person will read it and reflect on their own opinions and thoughts- only the uneducated would use someone's thoughts and opinions as a threat to some long-standing tradition or institution.


On Rachel O.'s Blog:  This is the kind of blog that grabs a reader's attention and presents creative thoughts and material. By adding that personal touch, I as the reader feel a better connection to the blog because it stirs my imagination- I was glad to read that Rachel had pondered the existence of other culture and artifacts on the Greek peninsula. That is the kind of thinking that leads one to wonder about the material; upon doing that, the material becomes more than just words on paper. It becomes real; an actual world that is lost to winds of change. But the remains are still out there, waiting to be discovered.


On Ben G.'s Blog:  The philosophical questions raised in this blog really work over the mind- Was it all simply destiny? Was Man's pursuit of ultimate power a conscious decision? Did the rise of human civilization spell the end Man's connection with the natural world? As one can immediately realize, when a blog goes on this kind of philosophical journey, there tends to be no end to the questions one can ask. What is in far fewer supply is real, undeniable answers. But that is the wondrous thing about philosophy- the answers are not right or wrong; the only answers that matter are the ones that bring the individual and sense or peace and comfort. When no answer brings peace nor comfort, the individual is in a bad place- although one does not need to answer all of life's mysteries wrapped up in a neat bow, there must be a feeling of ease. When a person or peoples is/are uneasy, the outcome tends to be tragic...