...Cat’s Cradle and the Meaning of Life “The web of life is a beautiful and meaningless dance. The web of life is a process with a moving goal. The web of life is a perfectly finished work of art right where I am sitting now” (Robert Anton Wilson) Life has no meaning. This is a common theme of Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle. Life is much like the game of cat’s cradle: while it may seem complex and intricate, in reality it is simple and leads to nothingness. The religion described in the book, Bokononism, follows the teachings of a man, Lionel Boyd Johnson or Bokonon. In the beginnings of his books he warns readers to “close the book at once! It is nothing but foma” (Vonnegut, 265). Foma, are lies. Despite this, most of the island of San Lorenzo follows this religion. Bokonon realized the meaninglessness of life and created a religion based on lies to provide happiness for people as a result. This is why Bokonon leads people to believe they will find out their karass and reason for life only after they die. He wants to spare them the disappointment of knowing everything they do has no purpose. Throughout Cat’s Cradle, there are a few references to the game the book is named for. The first is when Dr. Hoenikker, Newt’s father, tries to show his son the game on the day his bomb was dropped on Japan. (Vonnegut, 11) Later on Newt goes into detail explaining the game to the narrator, Jonah. Atop a mountain, Newt had just finished painting the game...
Words: 963 - Pages: 4
...Vidyarthi - Sonic Cradle “Mindfulness can be thought of as a moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness, cultivated by paying attention in a specifc way, that is, in the present moment, and as non-reactively, as non-judgmentally, and open heartedly as possible.” - Jon Kabat-Zinn (p.108, “Coming to our senses”) In “Sonic Cradle” the user is suspended horizontally, in a leaned back sitting position, in a completely dark room. Sensors mounted around the subjects chest generates ambient spatial sound from his/her breathing, real-time. It was designed to “artifcially emulate mindfulness.” Conceptually it is inspired by the feld of “Calming technologies”, and Jon Kabat- Zinn´s work on Mindfulness-Based-Stress-Reduction (MBSR). Kabat-Zinn...
Words: 434 - Pages: 2
...nations are creating a strain on world resources never before witnessed. Faced with this trend, businesses can no longer afford to continue along the path of “being less bad” through traditional green practices. Cradle to Cradle offers a transformational new approach to solving this problem, one that embraces the power of human innovation rather than attempting to limit it. An analysis of the text reveals several key lessons for decision makers in today’s global businesses. In order to properly analyze them, the strengths of the book will first be discussed, followed by the shortcomings of Cradle to Cradle. After that the discussion will move to three main lessons learned, specifically Cradle to Cradle Strengths Perhaps the greatest attribute of Cradle to Cradle is its pure ambition and its reinvention of traditional definitions regarding environmentally conscious management. The authors’ ability to debunk myths and challenge perceptions regarding green management has the potential to be transformative. In the following paragraphs several of these illuminating perspectives shall be reviewed. In the minds of many managers, recycling is a great way to reduce the use of virgin raw materials and slow the destruction of the environment. However, the authors point out recycling, or downcycling more accurately, often requires more chemicals or natural resources to make the degraded materials useful. Firms must therefore consider the actual materials that go into the design...
Words: 1857 - Pages: 8
...situation regarding the development of a sustainable business. The case tells a story of how this particular business ended up where it is today. The context of this assignment will give a description of a situation regarding the development of a sustainable business. This case tells the story of how “Andi Druk” started evolving in sustainability and how the company is doing nowadays. Below I will describe the relevant information about the sustainable company. Table of Contents Introduction 4 Section 1: Industry Background 5 1.1 Printing Industry background 5 1.2 Innovation in the printing industry 6 1.4 Government Regulation 7 1.5 Firm size 8 1.6 Trends 8 1.7 Sustainability in the printing industry 9 1.7.1 Cradle- to-cradle and fully sustainable 10 1.8 Opportunities and Challenges for the Sustainability Printing industry 12 1.8.1 Opportunities 12 1.8.2 Challenges 12 Section 2: Company Background 13 2.1 Company Overview 13 2.2 Environment 14 2.3 Services 15 Section 3: Competitors 17 Conclusion 18 Reference 20 Appendix 1: 22 Interview 26 Introduction “Andi Druk” is a printing industry, situated in Maastricht, The Netherland. The company is established on the market for almost 80 years and is specialized in...
Words: 11027 - Pages: 45
...that wouldn’t be a thorough portrayal and most likely you would be incorrect with said approach. While we might not have all the answers, we have the ability to look at and beyond the text to form an interpretation that is not only reasonable but relevant, both to the work and to ourselves. The more detail we can gather, the closer we can stay true to our goal to objectively dictate a response. In reality, of course, we will always have our subjective thoughts trailing; it is how we combine both our subjective and objective thoughts to form a conclusive end result. A poet known as Walt Whitman gives us a taste of his objective and subjective realities through his poems, specifically: “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry”, “Song of Myself”, “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking”, and “As I Ebb’d with the ocean of Life”. Whitman’s poems provide insight into many aspects of nature, the individual/’s, and the cosmos. This adds a unique symmetry to what Whitman is trying to express and explore. However, the poems also are filled with complexities that are contradictory, yet are necessary to truly convey his meaning. His style exhibits a repetitive cycle keen to understanding the poems entirety, but is very tedious to say the least. The union of principle and contradiction allow for connections to be made throughout his works. Which foreshadow his ideal of contradiction and how he brings such works into unity or from unity into contradiction? Since the two usually go hand and hand Whitman explores...
Words: 1339 - Pages: 6
...that is actually an iconic nursery rhyme poet with a target audience of babies and small children. Such a poet would be thought to write tales of kittens or rainbows rather than political taxation, overturned societies, the painful deaths of bubonic plague, or the murderous path of Bloody Mary. Mother Goose nursery rhymes such as "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary," "Humpty Dumpty," "Ring Around a Rosy" and "Baa, Baa Black Sheep" are inappropriate for children and expose young minds to the horrors of the world that should not yet be their concern. The image of Mother Goose is a sweet-looking old woman who tells tails of wonderment. But, is this who Mother Goose really is? Many believe,...
Words: 1914 - Pages: 8
...Understanding Hinduism, you must first understand what the religion is all about; Hinduism is an infinite collection of religious, philosophical ideas and cultural practices, which originated in India. Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion, with over a billion followers, which is characterized by the belief in one absolute being, “the Way”, or the “united Self”. The Hindu follower whether they be male or female takes much pride in the many “gods” they worship and hold true. Believers practice truth, honesty, non-violence, celibacy, cleanliness, contentment, prayers, etc. Hinduism is his or her beliefs in reincarnation, and the multiple manifestations in life, the belief in karma, or the law of cause and effect. With trying to reach a “god like” belief in oneself, following the path or paths of righteousness, and has the desire for liberation from the cycle from birth until death is a life changing path to follow. There is no such thing as “one Hinduism”; so therefore, it lacks any integrated belief system or ideas. Different cultural and societal influences have made Hinduism such a vital and widespread lasting part of the region in which it originated. By the social systems and many of the numerous traditions which were adhered to by the people of India. Ethnically, Hinduism contains various myths and ideologies that have implied the many faces of the “divine” to come and interact in different forms with the people. Within the vast amount of cultural...
Words: 732 - Pages: 3
...Kenyatta, the author explains the basic organization of the earthly and social formation of humankind by Mogai, the divider of the universe. According to this legend, sent by Mogai, Gikuyu was the founder of the society. Upon showing the beauty of world which Mogai had created for Gikuyu, he bestowed him with a companion, Moombi (creator or molder) his wife. With this marriage came nine beautiful daughters however, all though life was great Gikuyu lacked male hier therefore he reached out to Mogai whom instructs him which sacrifice he must make in order to appease him, in exchange for his request. Gikuyu complies thus is granted husbands for all daughters. As time passes and humankind multiplies, a point in time came where the original form of living amongst each other became too over crowded. Since this kingdom was under matriarchal ruler ship it was decided families would separate under each of the nine daughter’s name. Thus clans with various names were born. As women in this society continued to be the heads of their family group at one point this ruler ship changed to patriarchal. The flaw narrated in this legend is abuse of power by the women which in change precipitated desire for change. The women began to kill over...
Words: 803 - Pages: 4
...The novel “Cat’s Cradle” written by Kurt Vonnegut is a satirical science fiction that scrutinizes the lies of religion, what the advancement of technology could mean for the human race, and the hypocrisy of science. He believes that religion is founded on lies, to benefit the people. Science and technology aren’t any better. The company in his story, General Forge and Foundry Company, researches to “expand knowledge”. The same company also created the atomic bomb that was dropped in Japan. Vonnegut indirectly but clearly delivers his beliefs and philosophies through his masterful use of character, plot, and setting. One of the literary elements Kurt Vonnegut used to create a novel filled with satire and philosophy was characters. By relating...
Words: 1048 - Pages: 5
...fine young man has grown from a novice soccer player just three years ago to a forwarder that instill fear to defenders who have to mark him. A elusive player who pass his opponent with ease and elegant he can match the highest standard of the land. The fond memories of the time we spend together still lingers in my mind. Bringing him to the movies, watching him fight with his sisters still sits in my mind. When he is younger, he never kept still and even climb out of the cradle that is meant to restrain him. That is when he is only two years old and that time nearly got a spanking from his grand mother. The coolest transformation is his hair. It uses to be always gelled and groomed into the "curry puff" look that is the trademark look that signifies his childhood days. Curry puff is a local snacks that has ultra ordinary puff when fried. Youth has robbed away that and reinstall a new image to befit the modern time. The "anime" type spike hairstyle is now the replacement. Skinny jeans with a smart tee shirts is the order of the day when he needs to go for a outing. While I would prefer him to be in long sleeved shirt and a business pant, his peer may feel out of place with this sort of strange outfit. Our favorite chat always centered on his favorite Barclay Premier League Club Chelsea and my Manchester United Football Club. Our exchange on the matter can turn into a feisty with each not giving way to the other. Glorified Manchester...
Words: 472 - Pages: 2
...A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard. Bangladesh, a country in southern Asia that is home to 140 million people, is widely known as a land of natural disasters. It is highly vulnerable to floods, famine, drought, earthquake, cyclones, and river erosions. Due to the effects of these disasters, the country is now permanently in distress. These disasters have become regular phenomena and have been causing suffering to millions of residents for many decades. Natural Disasters are occurring every year in our country. And so found to suffering in it. In Bangladesh Natural Disasters can be of many different kinds, but We suffer most, Some of this like floods, cyclones, earthquake and river erosions. The similarity in all is their massive destruction in the area of their occurrence. In the wake of all these, in one sweep there is complete devastation and destruction, due to which normal life comes to a standstill. Loss of life is well high complete, and belongings of people get lost, blown away or swept away. In Bangladesh we depends on the annual rainfall for our source of water, if there is no rain, for the water supply, the obvious famine comes in its wake. This condition of getting no rain is called drought, and with it, as its automatic corollary comes famine. For with the scarcity of water there is no vegetation and food scarcity follows. The crops get burnt up with heat, the earth gets parched for water, and all life comes in End. Just the opposite condition...
Words: 1404 - Pages: 6
...Living on a Time Machine Introduction The world and all its wonders is an amazing thing of beauty. The world is a seemingly endless provider of life that asks for nothing in return. Maybe, if our already stressed out and overworked single-parent earth could speak, it would ask humanity to show it some respect. Being a parent to billions of ungrateful kids needed to come to an end sooner rather than later. Humanity was causing immense damage to the planet and not making any significant moves to change their behaviors. The continued behavioral path of over consumption and wastefulness would have been the human races demise. After the violent meteor showers and tsunamis which happened in Australia and then in the Pacific Ocean and all bordering countries, people everywhere agreed that serious change needed to happen now. Man’s harmful substances had in fact attributed to depletions of the protective ozone layer that could have prevented harmful objects from entering it. It seemed that only fear could bring people of different backgrounds and cultures to work together. The biggest issue in creating a change was that it needed to include everyone. This was only possible with a shared connection. Unfortunately, the connection was made at the hands of tragedy. The world had then come to a silent agreement that the constant push of personal consumption had taken its toll. Gradually over time the need to purchase new items at a constant rate had lessened. People were relearning...
Words: 1219 - Pages: 5
...W.B. Yeats's "The Second Coming" W.B. Yeats' poem "The Second Coming" was written in 1919, just one year after WWI ended. The beginning of this poem reflects on how evil has taken over the minds of good Christians, and the world has turned into chaos. It is apparent that Yeats believes that a Second Coming is at hand, and he spends the last half of the poem discussing what that Second Coming could look like. Turning and turning in the widening gyre (line 1) Yeats imagines the world in a cyclical sphere known a gyre (shape of a cone). In Yeats' note on the text, he states that "the end of an age, which always receives the revelation of the character of the next age, is represented by the coming of one gyre to its place of greatest expansion and of the other to that of its greatest contraction" (2036). Yeats believes that the two thousand years of Christianity will be coming to an end, and after a violent reversal a new age will take its place. The widening part of the gyre is supposed to connote anarchy, evil, and the loss of innocence. The falcon cannot hear the falconer; (2) The falconer in this analogy is most likely God (or Jesus), and the falcon is the follower (or devotee). Humanity can no longer hear the word of God, because it is drowned out by all of chaos of the widening gyre. A wild falcon can symbolize an unconverted Gentile; someone who has sinful thoughts, and does sinful things. A tame falcon (one who listens to the word of God) is a Christian convert. In the...
Words: 23171 - Pages: 93
...Education! Education!! Education!!! This has been a great word in the sight of few individuals. It has been a source of joy, inner peace, an even a source of wealth to other people. To a layman, the word EDUCATION can mean a process of teaching and learning that is formally done in schools or colleges, to improve knowledge an develop skills. It can also mean a way of life of any human being… The word Education has been derived from the Latin term EDUCATUM which means ‘the act of teaching and learning’. It has come from another Latin word EDUCARE which means ‘to bring up’ or ‘to raise’. It has also originated from another Latin word EDUCERE which means ‘to lead forth’ or ‘to come out’. By educating an individual we attempt to give him some desirable knowledge, understanding, skills, interests, attitudes and critical 'thinking. That is, he acquires knowledge of history, geography, arithmetic, languages and sciences. He develops some understanding about the deeper things in life, the complex human relations, and the cause and effect relationship and so on. He gets some skills in writing, speaking, calculating, drawing, operating some equipment etc. He develops some interests in and attitudes towards social work, democratic living, co-operative management and so on. As an individual in the society, he has to think critically about various issues in life and take decisions about them being free from bias and prejudices, superstitions and blind beliefs. Thus, he has to learn all these...
Words: 846 - Pages: 4
...Fieger, Ernst Neufert and others in his private architectural practice – the Bauhaus did not have its own department of architecture until 1927. The Bauhaus workshops were integrated within the building’s interior design. The city of Dessau provided money for the new school building on a development site close to the train station and also for the Masters' Houses, and remained the owner of both properties. Designed in 1922 by Josef Hartwig, the best part about the chess pieces is that the design of each also indicates the type of movement it is capable of. Bauhaus Cradle The Bauhaus Cradle emerged in the early days of the German design school, but the simplicity of this magazine holder, both with regard to the form and colors used, doesn't undermine the inherent playfulness of the design. SEXPAND Bauhaus Wasilly Chair Of all the chairs to come out of the Bauhaus, this is the one that commonly comes to mind. Designed my Marcel Breuer, the Wasilly chair is a mix of steel and leather, using no more material than is absolutely needed, while providing maximum comfort. It's a design you'll still find in homes today. Bauhaus Nesting Tables Nothing quite says "smart" like five separate tables that fit into the footprint of one. And the use of colors with each table is something that would be revisited by Ray and...
Words: 1121 - Pages: 5
