Final Essay

Introduction to Communication CMST 1A03- Final Essay

Comparing Alan Turing’s Concepts of Artificial Intelligence and Steven Pinker’s Theories of Communication.

Steven Baisley

#0648307

T-22

Diego

Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, seems to be the precursor for the next generation of artificial intelligence. What edge do humans have? Is there a place for us in the future or will the human race become an obsolete “meat unit”, as Sévigny deemed it in Communications 1A03? “Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied. Even the interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation”(Chomsky). These basic principles govern how humans have evolved to communicate. Furthermore, it is how the concepts of artificial intelligence have developed to be more human like. This paper will compare Alan Turing’s concepts of artificial intelligence to Steven Pinker’s theories of communication. More specifically, the concepts and theories of the writer’s relating to universal grammar, the development of communication as an art, and finally how artificial intelligence is bridging the gap from man to machine.

Universal Grammar simply put, is the most basic and simple set of biologically encoded, innate rules in the brain that with the proper stimuli, can produce language. Pinker adopts Noam Chomsky’s theory that “Language is a complex specialized skill which develops in the child spontaneously and without conscious effort or formal instruction. It is deployed without awareness of its underlying logic, and is qualitatively the same in every individual and is distinct from more general abilities to process information of behave intelligently”(43). Therefore, every being starts with the same innate skill to acquire a language. However, due to the differences in stimuli in each learning environment, developments of unique languages emerge in people.

Moreover, Universal Grammar can be equated to Turing’s concepts of binary code instilled in artificial intelligence. Underlying all of the software and mimicking programs, a basic ‘grammar’ of sorts governs the computers’ actions and protocol. Ones and zeros in lines of code are similar to the innate skill of the computer when it is first assembled. Without this code, there is no way for the computer to learn new programs that are installed by the user. As the programmer introduces new lines of code to the computer, its abilities evolve through the formation of software, similar to environmental stimuli in humans.

The views of the two theorists differ in the ways that a computer can learn and evolve compared to that of a human child. Pinker explains that “is that [language] is universal because children actually reinvent it, generation after generation” (50). An example of this is the grammar of Creole, which is largely the “product of the minds of the children, unadulterated by complex language input from their parents, it should provide a particularly clear window of the innate grammatical machinery of the brain”(Pinker 51), compared to the Pidgin native language of their parents after they migrated to Hawaii. Turing’s concept of evolutionary learning for artificial intelligence is directly linked to the intelligence of the programmer. Turing agrees with the statement “The Analytical Engine has no pretensions to originate anything. It can do whatever we know how to order it to perform” (Turing 83). This leads to the computer using the collective ideas and knowledge that the programmer has inculcated in it through imitation or mimicking.

On the contrary, Pinker believes the opposite. Human children do not imitate in order to learn language. The example he provides is the preschooler named Sarah. Sarah when communicating, created several different forms of the English agreement rule in complex sentences. “She must, then, have created these forms herself, unconscious version of the English agreement rule.” (Pinker 57) Her parents were only high school educated and had no concept of these sentences. Therefore Pinker argues “if children are general imitators, why don’t they imitate their parents’ habit of sitting quietly in airplanes” (Pinker 57)? Additionally that Sarah could have only learned the complex knowledge of English language by a deeper underlying understanding, the result of Universal Grammar. In conclusion it is evident that Pinker’s ideas on humans and Turing’s concepts of artificial intelligence with computers share many of the same attributes in the innate skill to acquire an language but differ in how they perceive the development and refinement of the language skills.

To better understand how Turing’s concepts of artificial intelligence compare to Pinker’s thoughts on communication as the ability to acquire an art, the definition of ‘art’ must first be understood. Art as defined in the Oxford dictionary is “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power” (Oxford1990). Therefore, before starting to compare Turing’s concepts of artificial intelligence to Pinker’s ideas of communication, one first has to realize that the root word in artificial is ‘art’.

Can machines produce art? Art means different things to different people, and to some, the work that machines complete can be classified as such. An excellent example of this is fractals. Although the beautiful, captivating, swirling designs are simply random digits evaluated through integrals by the machine. Another example of Turing’s concepts in the real world is the 1’s and 0’s of binary code creating games, models and even simulations. To illustrate this point, take fighter jet simulations for example. Many pilot’s heart’s race as they are put into the simulation. It is how they perceive the binary information bombarding them, to construct an artificial environment based on combination of sensory inputs to the pilot. As previously discussed, Pinker endorsed the idea of universal grammar. He believed that the grammar was completely different than the language. As a child ages, the language develops in to a specialized skill. Pinker defines this language skill as an art that develops as the child grows and learns.

Finally, it is evident that a both humans and machines are capable of producing art, depending on each individuals definition of art. Machine stimulation even though it is simply binary code, which feels real enough, can replace the real thing as evident in training simulators.

Humans are like mechanical meat entities. As time progresses, humans are becoming more like machines and machines like humans. One could say that the gap between man and machine is closing as we evolve to collect the best traits of each side. Pinker’s ideas of humans being intelligent biological machines appears very accurate. So without the biological component, nothing separates us from being intelligent machines. Furthermore, Pinker believes that language is an individual piece of the biological makeup in the brain (Pinker 43).

If language is an instinct, it should have a specific spot in the brain, and possibly a set of genes that wire it into place (Pinker 42). This suggests that language is a human mental organ and it has evolved over time according to natural selection. Pinker suggests it all began with the theory that there was the first grammar mutant; that is the first individual undergoing a genetic change, which produced some capacity for syntax. The mutants comrades would have partially understood what the mutant was saying just using basic intelligence. Natural selection could have enhanced language ability by favouring the speakers in each generation that the hearers could best understand, and the listeners who could best decode the speakers. This theory makes sense in that utility of language development is because humans everywhere depend on cooperative efforts for survival, forming alliances by exchanging information (Pinker 43).

In addition, Turing’s concept of artificial intelligence can be understood by language as a symbolic representation of an object through neurological signals decoded in the brain, similar in the way that a computer can comprehend the words typed by a human operator. Each individual keystroke is a representation for a series of electrical signals sent to the motherboard, which are displayed as a representation of pixels on the screen. The ways in which artificial intelligence and humans understand information through communication is in essence identical except for the comprehension of emotional information in a person.

Turing explains his thoughts on human consciousness and how they differ than a machine. He explains that the consciousness objection, machines cannot feel emotions so therefore they are not intelligent, is not a valid argument against his theory. Touring says, “consciousness and thinking are two different things. He is not trying to build a conscious machine; he is building a thinking machine” (Turing 80). He is implying that anything that could pass his test is intelligent. He put forward the idea that a simulation that runs well enough can replace the original, so a machine that looks like it is thinking, is really thinking. Pinker takes the side that “language is a complex skill, which develops in the child spontaneously, without conscious effort or formal instruction”(Pinker 42). Pinker believes that language and therefore intelligence is linked to consciousness even though no effort or instruction is needed, whereas Turing believes that consciousness and thinking are two completely different things.

However, both writers share similar views on how stimuli from the surrounding environment shape communication. Steven Pinker deems that humans convert all stimuli and feeling into information for the brain to create a mental representation so we can have an understanding. Compare this with Turing and how an artificial intelligence being interacts with the surrounding world. Computers also interpret external stimuli to construct a virtual representation through the use of microphones, web cameras and scanners. All of these input devices take in audio, or visual stimuli and convert it to digital signals that they can understand by the processor.

Therefore, it is evident that the communication gap between man and machine is closing, although the authors offer differing opinions how. One can understand that everything in the world is just information and understanding. This is the basic principle of communication, whether it is between humans, machines, or between the two, like is increasingly becoming the case.

This paper has outlined the similarities and the differences amid Steven Pinker’s ideas of communication and Alan Turing concepts of artificial intelligence. Such topics as universal grammar, art and the closing gap between humans and machines are further realization these theorists may be correct. Turing states, “The consequences of machines thinking would be too dreadful ”(79). Some members of society do not want to admit that machines will do for themselves and may be a threat to us. If you stick your head in the sand and deny it, one is only prolonging the inevitable realization this will occur. This also begs the question, with machines and new technology, what will stop them from gradually replacing aspects of human life? Perhaps this intelligence is merely providing enough information to society in order to persuade them. Noam Chomsky said it best when he stated, “If we choose, we can live in a world of comforting illusion” (Chomsky 2006), but a future with artificial intelligence is inevitable.

Works Cited:

"Art." Def.1a. The Concise Oxford Dictionary. 8th ed. 1990.

Chomsky, Noam. Language and the Mind. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc, 1968.

Chomsky, Noam. “‘The Noam Chomsky Website:’ Interviews.” 2006. 15.10.2007. http://www.chomsky.info/.

Pinker, Steven. “An Instinct to Acquire and Art.” Introduction to Communication. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., 2006. 41-45.

Pinker, Steven. “Chatterboxes.” Introduction to Communication. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., 2006. 47-61.

Sévigny, Alexandre. Communication 1A03. McMaster University, Hamilton. 5 Oct 2007.

Turing, A.M. “Computing Machinery and Intelligence.” Introduction to Communication. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., 2006. 77-85.

Whats not to Love??!!

Maclean's annual How the World Sees Canada poll shows deep admiration for a country we don't seem to like so much ourselves. I am not sure why this is the case. Why don’t we like ourselves, there is a lot to loike. Sure there are some aspects that are less than happy to be proud of. These exist in every country.

People from China and England, India and Mexico converged in a Canadian courtroom, and the Citizenship Judge Shinder Purewal presiding. Granting people Candadian citizenship.

It is a growing consensus that Canadians are amoung the most well like people around the world. Why is this?? Well I guess only these people new to Canada can explain. In reading the article in McLean’s, it appears that the only poor aspects of Canadians is out of their control. Such things as high taxes deter American from liking this country. People who come from warmer climates, find the Canadian winters shocking to say the least.

Candians are a very inventaive race. For example, all of the following items have been invented by Canadians:) 911 cpr dummy 2)anti-gravity suit 3) basketball 4) the chocolate bar 5) electric cooking range 6) electric wheelchair 7) electron microscope 8) five pin bowling 9) football goal post with a single base 10) fuller brush 11) ginger ale 12) green garbage bag 13) green ink 14) hydrofoil boat 15) Imax film format 16) insulin 17) java programming language 18) jolly jumper 19) kerosene 20) light bulb 21) McIntosh apple 22) news print 23) pablum 24) pacemaker 25) paint roller 26) panoramic camera 27) snow blower 28) snowmobile 29) standard time 30) superman 31) synchronized swimming 32) telegraph 33) telephone 34) trivial pursuit 35) velcro 36) walkie-talkie 37) zipper38) CanadaArm 39) HOCKEY!!!!

Cultural Diversity



Canadians helped bridged by volunteer groups from both society at large and from specific ethnocultural groups for newly arriving immigrants. Language training, translation services, information on government programs and other services for new Canadians were offered by volunteers, many of them affiliated with religious organizations.

Today, volunteering continues be actively involved with immigrants. A wide variety of voluntary groups across the country help immi- grants make the difficult adjustment to a new country, by addressing their immediate needs and longer-range needs for successful integration into our society.

These groups help new Canadians understand many aspects of Canadian life, from filing income tax returns to civic responsibilities. They teach English or French; they help with immigration problems; they offer orientation and training to help with job searches. They also work to increase cross-cultural understanding and to eliminate racism in our society.


In addition, volunteers give people from all backgrounds the opportunity to deal with common social, cultural and economic concerns. While some public funding may be available for certain activities, these organizations rely on dedicated volunteers to help meet real needs.

Candians advocate for social change to ensure equality of rights and opportunities for Canadians of all origins and other countries.

Around the Globe

Helping developing countries

A rich nation, Canada began undertaking the obligation of helping poor or disaster-stricken countries just after the Second World War. Beginning with postwar reconstruction in Europe, Canada developed programs of international aid and social development that are respected around the world.


In the years immediately following the Second World War, a number of relief and refugee agencies were established in Canada. Many of these served primarily as fundraising branches of foreign charities, usually British or American: CARE (originally the Committee for American Relief in Europe), Foster Parents' Plan and WorldVision are just a few.

When Catastrophe Strikes

Canada helps in disaster and emergency relief

In the 1940’s a large explosion that wrecked a giant grain-storage elevator in Port Arthur, killing twenty people and trapping many injured workers.

Whenever a Canadian community is struck by catastrophe, a host of volunteers arrives on the scene, ready to provide crucial assistance to the victims and to bring order out of chaos.


Volunteer fire departments remain an integral part of many smaller communities and assist in other countries when they are needed. In Canada today, there are approximately 94,000 trained volunteer firefighters 80 per cent of the country's firefighting forces. Many of these volunteer firefighters also take part in search and rescue operations. For example with the Wild fires in California, thousands of Canadian emergency worker aided in helping battle the blaze.

In times of disaster, victims also receive support and encouragement from many other volunteers in local community and religious groups. Private pilots undertake search and rescue operations; amateur radio operators provide vital communication links, and some are on continuous alert for sudden, unpredictable changes in the weather. As well, many people who have not previously been associated with such volunteer groups turn out to be willing and eager to help.



Today, Canadian society's attitudes favour greater acceptance of disabled persons in mainstream society in areas such as education, housing and employment. Disabled persons are being taken out of institutions and returned to their homes and communities. Disabled children are being integrated into their community schools and, in some cases, even into regular classrooms.


Canada's history has been marked by dramatic changes in our society and its institutions. Yet the irrepressible dedication of Canadian volunteers to the shared task of improving our life together, evident from earliest times, has remained constant.

The traditional Canadian qualities of concern for fellow citizens and commitment to causes have taken new forms as we tackle present-day challenges and chart our course for the 21st Century. Indeed, the willingness to help has always been a fundamental Canadian value of a caring and democratic society.

Tasers?? Should they be legal for ANYONE?

I thought the days of the Wild West were over. Those were the days that you could shot first and ask question later. In this case, the Vancouver airport was transformed into a seen of an old Clint Eastwood movie. Canadian Royal Mounted Police were widely criticized on Friday for using stun guns on an unarmed Mr. Dziekanski, who collapsed and died after being stunned and restrained, all displayed in a graphic 10-minute video.

Mr. was in the airport for many hours before he was “Stunned” on Oct. 14. He spoke no English.

Moments after being stunned, three or four officers pinned Robert Dziekanski to the ground as he screamed in pain. One officer placed his knees against Mr. Dziekanski's back and neck until the 40-year-old went limp. This is absolutely unacceptable. Limp, meaning the life had been drained out of him!

Meanwhile, Mr. Pritchard, taped the entire ordeal.
At the request of police, he gave them the video on the understanding the RCMP would return it immediately. When they then refused to give it back, he launched court action. Police returned it last week. Why would they refuse to give it back, did they have something shameful to hide? I think so!

Dziekanski, who came to Canada to live with his mother in BC mistakenly waited for her in the baggage area rather than passing through the customs section to enter the main part of Vancouver's airport. A simple misunderstanding leading to excessive force and unprofessional conduct resulted in his death.

After several hours he became frustrated and threw a small table at a window seen below. He was standing still when police arrived and fired at him almost immediately.

Police first said “they could not use pepper spray because there were too many other people in the vicinity”. The video footage, shot by another passenger, showed no one else present apart from the police and Dziekanski.

The footage of Robert Dziekanski howling in agony after he was hit by 50,000-volt Taser blasts at Vancouver International Airport is another blow to Canada's famed Mounties, who have been shaken by a number of recent scandals.

Earlier this year, an inquiry cast severe doubts on the RCMP's explanation about how a police officer shot and killed a young man who had been arrested in 2005 for holding an open can of beer at a sports game in British Columbia.

The quick use of a weapon designed only to be fired as last resort raises very troubling questions. Should these devices even be used, clearly after a rash of teaser related deaths? Should deadly force even used? I don’t think so.



Since the full length video has not been released anywhere other than youtube.com at this point, I can only link to the video rather tahn download it and embed it in the blog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHKk5qQRz

The following is a video from the USA where a lady gets tasered after failing to cooperate.

The tabs: No Men Allowed, because no one really cares!

I just think that the cliental for tabloids is not interested in hearing about male celebrities in the wrong. Proportionally, more women are in the spotlight for doing things. The majority of people buying tabloids are females. Females are interested in learning the faults of other women, especially those in “superior” or successful positions like actresses. It makes the reader feel better when they here about a female celebrity plummeting out of control to the bottom. It goes back to the feeling of the celebrity being up on a pedestal. Average working woman feel inferior. So when that star falls, it makes them feel more as an equal. People get joy from other’s heartache or pain!(Human Nature, sorry!)




Look at Brittany Spears. Started off as a huge pop icon and within a month lost her kids, and underwent a messy divorce. Now if you think your life sucked as a single mother or a regular ‘Joe’ . Many female actress fall into this category. Lindsay Lohan, talk about a train wreck! This coked out “celeb” has pretty well hit rock bottom, I don’t know about you but I sure feel better!

So when, JAIME J. WEINMAN asks if there is a double standard in celebrity gossip? If not, why do gossip publications mostly go after women? I think this is simply not true. How many weeks did we here about Camer’s racist “routine” at the New York Comedy Club? What about Mel Gibson’s Jewish remarks? It was all over the place and how he was portrayed.




















The majority of people buying tabloids are females. Females are interested in learning the faults of other women, especially those in “superior” or successful positions like actresses. That’s how I see it anyway

CCA #4- Surrendering To the Hands of the Crowd

The reason why crowds are easily controlled by an individual is because crowds are driven by basic primal instincts such as emotion and passion, rather than conscious actions like intelligence, reason. This is due to a lack of individualism in a crowd that creates individual invisibility, contagion and suggestibility for crowd members.
Recently in my community, I observed this type of crowd behaviour displayed between Natives and non-Native Caledonia residents over land claim disputes. To begin, individuals in a crowd gain a sense of invincibility due to the number of members involved. One feels their actions will not be noticed, and it validates them to do bad things. An example of this invisibility is when the prominent members of the Native and non-Native Caledonia community involved themselves with brawling.
In addition, crowds become victims of contagion. All acts are contagious to a degree, thus leading to the individual sacrificing his or her own interest to the collective. At the protest, a crowd member beat up a reporter and stole his camera as to protect the crowds’ image. He was charged with aggravated assault. He ‘surrendered’ himself for the crowd.
Finally, Gary McHale was an outsider who organized the protest against the Native land claim occupation. As LeBon states, “having entirely lost his conscious personality, he obeys all suggestions of the operator who has deprived him of it” (LeBon,124). In this case the operator was Gary McHale. Those involved in the crowd lost their sense of personal boundaries, morals and beliefs. This demonstrates how suggestibility is used by the operator of the crowd.
In closing, it is easy to see how crowds can be controlled. As discussed, this is due to a lack of individualism in the crowd, which creates individual invincibility, contagion and suggestibility for crowd members. Although effortless to spot for a foreign observer, crowd members will be oblivious to the control over themselves.
LeBon, Gustav.” General Characteristics of Crowds- Psychological Law of Their Mental Utility.” Introduction to Communication. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2006. 121-125.

CCA #3 Self- Disclosure, The Thing We Do When We Spew.

In everyday life, one discloses information about themself. Although there are varying degrees of disclosure, the basic characteristics remain the same. That is to say that self-disclosure is influenced by culture. There tends to be a symmetrical exchange of self-disclosure, and finally, self-disclosure almost always occurs in dyads.
To begin, it is evident through talking with someone from a different culture, that levels of disclosure tend to be different. Certain lower context cultures allow people to disclose more about themselves, whereas high context cultures tend to be more closed. “In fact people born and bred in English Canada and the United States are more disclosing of themselves- not just to friends but acquaintances and even strangers” (Alder, Rodman, and Sévigny 235). Additionally, people feel compelled by the law of communication reciprocity. If you think about it, usually you receive personal information from someone, you feel obligated to tell them something personal about yourself. This reciprocity is common and occurs subconsciously. Finally, and most importantly, self-disclosure occurs in dyads. I can attest to this myself. When you are communicating in a dyad, it is relatively easy to self- disclose information because of a feeling of privacy and intimacy with the other person. On the contrary, when a third enters the conversation, the feeling of privacy and intimacy evaporates. Therefore, in order to protect yourself from unpleasant consequences, limiting self-disclosure to one person at a time proves safest. As one can see, examples of self-disclosure characteristics occur on an ongoing basis often subconsciously. Although it may not seem as though a structure governs how we disclose to others, simple characteristics are ubiquitous when self- disclosure occurs.
Adler, Ronald B., Rodman, George., Sevigny, Alexandre. Understanding Human Communication. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Stop Whining Jeff Zucker!!!

I agree 100% with Mathew Ingram, the writer of this article.
I personally do not see what Jeff Zucker’s case is. He tried to make deal with the market dominating Apple Computers and he didn’t get what he wanted. Maybe he should go back and read the fine print over. After all, Jeff Zucker is the same guy who tried to pitch that the 911 plane crashes were a hoax! DUMBASS!
If Jeff Zucker felt as though Apple was wrecking the music and video world, when he signed a deal with them in the first place.
Sounds to me like someone is jealous and wants a bigger piece of the cut. If you network takes that kind of stance against Apple, why are they trying to associate themselves with Apple? It all comes down to money!


The only thing I respect about Jeff Zucker is having the stones to try and stand up to Steve Jobs. ( Although these huge stones may be the result of utter stupidity!) The chief executive of NBC, recently pulled its TV episodes from iTunes, complaining in a recent interview at the University of Syracuse about how little revenue the network from Apple.

NBC’s lashing out at Apple was one of the only imperfections on Apple’s pristine record of market domination. Zucker accused Apple of shortchanging them in revenue.

In an interview, Zucker described how little NBC got from the deal, $15-million in revenue in a year as reported by the network. Zucker classified Steve Jobs as a notorious control freak, well I guess in order to be worth 3 Billion dollars you kind of need to be in control. Zucker accuses Jobs of refusing to budge on the fixed-pricing model for iTunes shows. Currently, Steve Jobs and Apple are responsible for 70% of all legal music downloads, bringing Apples total net worth to a “tune” (haha get the pun?!) of over $100 BILLION!

Jeff Zucker blamed the computer company for “killing the music industry in terms of pricing,” and for threatening to do the same to the video business. (which he is a part of… interesting!) I think Apple has saved the music industry from the vast www. Until iTunes got involved, the record labels were wondering aimlessly all over the web as CD sales plummeted and everyone began to participate in illegal downloading.

Although iTunes makes huge profits from the music business, there’s no question the industry has made far more from iTunes than it would ever have been able to make by itself in the online world with illegal downloading.

Zucker then proceeded to complain that Apple refused to pay NBC a cut of its iPod hardware sales. His argument was that “Apple had sold millions of dollars worth of hardware off the back of our content.” NBC primary reason from separating itself from Apple was a result of Apple refusing to pay a portion of its hardware sales to the network. I am pretty sure NBC isn’t responsible for increased sale for iPods. How many people do you know run out and say I am going to buy an iPod because I can watch NBC content on it! That is straight up bullshit. Apples catchy commercials like the following below are the reason for its popularity and success, not NBC. Steve Jobs and his marketing people are very smart in targeting the iPod to a ounger crowd by the use of commercials like the following:



All I have to say is good luck to Jeff Zucker and his new plan of action. Judging by his arguments the judge will just plug in his iPod and laugh his way out of the courtroom.

The following is a link to some of the interview from Zucker.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/10/29/nbc_chief_says_apple_destroyed_music_pricing.html

This is some background information on Steve Jobs that is very interesting.

http://www.forbes.com/static/bill2005/LIRHEDB.html

China Investing In Africa- Settle Down western world, its a good thing!

Recently in the news, it was noted that Chinese leaders including President Hu Jintao have been making trips to 8 countries in Africa. Of course this sent alarms ringing all the way through the Whitehouse.
Below is some interesting information about China and African trade relations from the original article:

China-Africa trade

Africa's merchandise exports to China increased an average of 48 per cent per year from 1999 to 2004. Here's Africa's top five exports to China (and share of total):

* Oil: 62%
* Ores and metals: 17%
* Agricultural raw materials: 7%
* Manufactured materials: 6%
* Textiles, apparel, footwear: 5%

These are Africa's top five imports from China (and share of total):

* Textiles, apparel, footwear: 36%
* Machinery and transportation equipment: 33%
* Manufactured materials: 18%
* Ores and metals: 9%
* Agricultural raw materials: 3%


The idea of “helping” Africa and heavily investing in the country without mentioning such issues as human rights makes them cold sounds like the USA a little bit jealous. China is helping Africa in developing and breaking the poverty cycle; in return they are fueling their booming economy. China must really want African resources to shut down factories to reduce pollution and traffic when 40 African leaders came to Beijing to talk politics and make their stay more comfortable. To shut down Chinese factories for even a day means huge revenue, this definitely shows how important the summit was to China.

China needs Africa's natural resources to support its exponential economic growth. China has done more than $60 Billion worth of trade this year, Africa's third most important trading partner.


China has helped pay off 70 million dollars in debt for Sudan, which helps break the poverty cycle and have pressed into letting UN peacekeepers into Sudan, which is what western countries wanted. Furthermore, Hu wrote a $13 million cheque for a new presidential palace in Sudan. This may be a little too obvious and seen as a bribe.

It has been said that some Human Right groups want to boycott the 2008 Olympic Games in China if they do not force fro democracy and human rights in Africa. Why would they push something on another country that they themselves do not believe in (Democracy)? However, they are not pushing for communism either, which may be a good thing.

Hu had to cancel a trip to a copper mine in Zambia because there were fears employees of a Chinese mining company were planning to protest safety and other work-related issues. Is it really the responsibility of the Chinese to ensure safe working conditions in another country? Although it is their country, it is also the role of the African government to step in and assess the working conditions.

“They are not here to develop Zambia," a prominent Zambian legislator said. "They're here to develop China." Ya so what! China is trying to develop their country. It makes perfect sense what they are trying to achieve. China has limited land space and limited resources. However they are technologically and economically advanced compared to African countries. To continue growing at the current rate, it only makes sense that they would align themselves with these countries.


In Nigeria, several Chinese oil workers have been taken by local military, which accused the Chinese and the Nigerian government of stealing oil. The South African President who Hu met on his trip warned of what he called a Chinese ‘neocolonial adventure' in Africa. It sounds like the people of Nigerian have a problem with their government rather than the Chinese; it is their government who is selling its resources from the people. If they didn’t want the Chinese in their country, they did not have to allow them. It is because of their weak economy that has made them susceptible to Chinese dominance.


Who are we to step in a block China from its dealings with these African Countries? After all, we exploited the Native Americans that lived on the land we now call home! Some shinny beads and alcohol (Firewater) and we came out ahead. It all comes down to development. Each society tries to further better itself on a global scale. I think the only reason people are concerned is that cheap African resources (oil) aren’t coming to North America to benefit us!

So I say, good for you Mr. Hu! You have helped further advance your country like a leader is suppose to do, and in turn you have helped decrease the poverty cycle in some of these African countries! Is this a bad thing?


This is a very good and informative news story about this topic, it is a 3 part special.

Part #1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy3G3fldLfI
Part #2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTXVi35vi_k
Part #3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdmHFlbc9rQ

Ya right, well I guess I can only speak for myself. How I am to know what those MIT students are doing late at night in the lab. When it comes to David Levy, I think his predictions of marriage to robots obscured. We are barely able to get a robot climb a set of stairs for under 50 million dollars. How are we expected to produce a machine to take us to “pleasure town” and back that people can afford?

The very thought itself scares the crap out of me! What if the thing goes haywire? The idea of penetrating or being penetrated by half a million Volts is terrifying.

Above: Maybe the fun doesn't just stop with the robot making you super!

I agree that the concept does make sense. After all we have learned about the Touring experiment, and how a human could not distinguish between a computer communicating with him or another person on the computer. If we were able to interface emotion and other sensory features that distinguish us as humans, then the idea is very possible. We have seen that the visual component of producing a machine to look like a human is within our capabilities. After all we live in a world of xxx realistic penis and vaginas’ anything is possible. Furthermore, if you look at the example of transsexuals, we have all heard the stories of guys going up to a “woman” later to find Josie was really Joe! If it looks really enough I guess people may be fooled into it. So for any of you worried about this very situation when it comes to robots, forget the condom, buy a metal detector.

"There's a trend of robots becoming more human-like in appearance and coming more in contact with humans," Levy states. Well I am in contact with my computer and TV and car everyday. I don’t have any unusual urges to “stick it” in the CD ROM drive or try to marry my 1998 Toyota Corolla. Its not that I’m manufaturistic (discriminatory against manufacturers), I just discriminate equally!

"If you have pedophiles and you let them use a robotic child, will that reduce the incidence of them abusing real children, or will it increase it?" Arkin said. This idea really gets my blood boiling! The very idea of sex with a child should not be encouraged whether it is with a child or a sheet metal, nuts and bolts. Owning a robot for sexual purposes would reduce the prostitution rates. Well how are prostitutes going to make a living? I once read many “good” prostitutes make more than many of the men working on Wall Street. ($100,000+ USD), why would we want to take their jobs from them?

Another statement Levy made was "But who knows, maybe some other relationships could welcome a robot. Instead of a woman saying, 'Darling, not tonight, I have a headache,' you could get 'Darling, I have a headache, why not use your robot?' " I don’t want to speak for women but I think the idea that you are having sex with something other than your wife may get you in hot water. Would it be considered unfaithful; after all, your are investing your emotional effort when you are having sex with the robot. Levy's arguement that the population will decrease is also bunk! If we look at the world today, developed natoions ( the ones that would be buying the robots), their population is currently not growing anyway. The developing nations who's populations are increasing will not have to worry about decreased in population becasue they do not yet have the resources or economy for such a robot. So, I think this whole idea of sex with robots and marriage is a total shame or sci- fi dreamed up by some bored people.

Just so you know, I will definitely not be running out to buy the first “Love Master 2000” complete with 5W30 dual purpose motor oil.

Maybe someday the woman in this picture will be replaced by the robot to her left!

CCA #2- Man and Machine

The days of Robo Cop and Bionic Woman may no longer be the days of science fiction. All around us new technologies are becoming extensions of ourselves; consequently becoming symbiotic hosts and the dependence on each other is ever growing. This trend can be observed in the transportation and even health sectors.
It all started when our legs were traded for a new technology: the wheel. The automobile has become an extension of man’s legs providing the link from a destination in his head to the rotating wheels beneath him hence, combining man and machine as one symbiotic unit. Man relies on machine to transport him and the completion of this task results in the machine’s needs of fuel and maintenance being taken care of by man. This phenomenon can be observed all over the world since the dawn alternate transportation. Therefore it is evident that machines have become extensions of man in order to symbiotically benefit both sides.
Additionally, technology has become integrated with our internal structure. Today with health science, humans have learned how to live in unison with machines. My friend who was completely deaf can know here up to five times better than a normal human because of a hearing implant, connecting his brain with a hearing aid. Thanks to the implant, he can now learn easier and live an otherwise normal life. It is clear that as humans we are utilizing technology to benefit and change ourselves and vice versa.
Perhaps Marshall McLuhan said it best when he stated, “Now man is beginning to wear his brain on the outside of his skull and his nerves outside his skin: technology breeds new man”(McLuhan, 1995). It is clear that technologies surround us and become extensions of ourselves and therefore grow into symbiotic hosts, benefiting each other. However, the most important question arises, when will man become the extension of the machine?
(McLuhan, Marshall. Interview, By Frank Zingrone. The Essential McLuhan, 1995.)

CCA #1 Choice of Behaviour While Communicating

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, what you are about to read may shock and terrify you and maybe even inform you of the behavioural choices behind communication.
Whether it is a dyadic, interpersonal or even mass communication, choosing the appropriate behaviour will influence the effectiveness of you as a communicator. Choosing a suitable behaviour while speaking depends on one’s goal, and audience for successful communication to take place.
To start, choosing the appropriate behaviour for a situation will depend on the goal you are trying to achieve. Recently, during the present provincial election, one of the candidates adjusted his pitch and volume in such a way to draw attention to him at a campaign stop like he was angry. Finishing with large hand motions and a loud finale, he received and huge applause and media attention. His goal to achieve media coverage was achieved by this use of behaviour, tailored to public communication. Therefore, depending on the goal one is trying to achieve, a suitable behaviour must be chosen.
Moreover, a communicator’s audience plays a role in the choosing a specific behaviour. “What is appropriate for one person won’t be appropriate for another one at all”(Alder, Rodman, and Sévigny 24). Yet again, a candidate was speaking in a small town up north with a large dropout rate. Thus he modified his language for all of the citizens to understand. He expressed everything in “Layman’s terms” and used many analogies to help communicate his message. Therefore, depending on the audience, one will have to tailor his or her methods for communicating to an audience.
In closing, selecting a suitable behaviour while speaking depends on one’s goal, and audience to be a successful communicator in any situation. As one can see, there are examples all around us everyday. As communicators it is up to us to determine our level of success through the utilization of these simple yet often forgotten tools.
Adler, Ronald B., Rodman, George., Sevigny, Alexandre. Understanding Human Communication. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2008.

63% of Voters Say "NO!" to MMP!

This is the second ballot voters were asked to complete at pollin station across the province.

The old redneck saying “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” seems to run true the recent referendum. Why change something that has worked since the beginning of Canada? Just recently, Ontarians have wisely chosen to keep the current electoral system. There was and always will be those who gripe about changing it and blaming elections Canada for not spreading the word. Quite frankly, these would be the same people who would complain when they immediately realize the downfalls of the new mixed- member proportional system. If the system had been in place last night it would have dramatically increased the NDP's seat total and put the Green Party into the legislature for the first time. Thank god it didn’t pass, can you imagine what those tree-hugging hippies would have done when they saw all of that glossy embossed carved Maple in Queens Park? I think a riot in the legislature was narrowly diverted!
Larry Gordon, the campaign manager for the citizens' group Vote for MMP, stated it appeared many voters simply didn't get the information they needed to decide. He said Elections Ontario, which said it sent out millions of leaflets and spent $6.8-million, still could have done more to spread the word. Well gee golly, if you wanted more publicity how about you shell out the cash or walk door to door instead of the rest of the informed tax payers paying for it. However, results showed that voters were strongly opposed to the new plan to make Ontario's voting system mirror the popular vote. In total, roughly 63 per cent of voters chose to retain the current system.

However, more disturbing is the fact that he issue of electoral reform will be back on the ballot there in 2009. Previously, PEI voters rejected MMP in 2005, as did British Columbia more recently. The main push for a new system is because it would eliminate the difficulty of parties forming majority governments with less than 50 % of the vote by making sure that a party's share of seats in the legislature more closely proportional its popular support.
Voters would still elect local MPPs, much as they do now, but there would be only 90 seats chosen this way. Voters would also be asked to vote separately for a party. Another 39 seats in the legislature, drawn from lists of candidates submitted by each party, would be given based on these votes, for a total of 129 seats, compared with the current 107. These seats would only be awarded to parties that win at least 3 % of the vote, to limit outside groups.
To me, all the new system would do is create more people in the legislature, 22 to be exact. That is an extra 22 people you need to pay a government salary to. If you were to guess tat the average salary was $65,000, multiply that by 22 people, and you are paying out 1.43 million dollars a year, not to mention paying them pension after they retire! Furthermore, think about how difficult it is with 107 people to pass any new legislation. Now imagine that with 22 extra people. I just really do not see how this could be any better for Ontario.

So it sits, 107 seats.

Halo 3... Worth the Hype?

Halo 3 is the latest version of the Halo series of games offered by Microsoft Game Studios. The Halo trilogy may have one of the largest followings of any game ever released. To most Halo game owners, the game is they're favourite, why is this?? Many speculate that the latest release is all hype, and Microsoft and Bungee programmers have blown the game out of proportion. Personally, I am all for the hype. It is a brilliant marketing strategy used by Bill Gates and his team at Microsoft. Many people bought the most advanced gaming console sold by Microsoft just for this game. The expectations were so high for this game; I guess it is only up to the owner to decide this.

Not only was Microsoft Game Studios' Halo 3 the most eagerly anticipated video game of the year, it achieved a milestone of a million preorders two months ago. This first person shooter has become a cultural phenomenon, spawning novels, comics, action figures and a top-secret project with Academy Award-winning director Peter Jackson.


So the big question is: Does "Halo 3" live up to the hype? Absolutely. The 3rd and final game e went on sale Tuesday at midnight, contributing to the billion-dollar saga.
The game doesn't stray from what made its predecessors so addictive, but die-hard fans can look forward to some new features, to make doling out their hard earned money justifiable.

The story in this third game is deeper than a usual "save the world" campaign. Halo 3 is mostly a first-person perspective like the previous games with the option to drive vehicles in the third person. The amazing high-definition graphics, which include many cinema quality story sequences, push the X-box 360 to its full potential. Thousands of lines of story and music help you immerse yourself in the story.

Screenshot of the graphics

The feature, which is probably most attractive to Halo 3 owners, is the fact that Halo 3 lets up to four gamers play through the entire game together in a cooperative mode either in front of the same television or on Xbox Live online gaming service. This may be why the hype is so anticipated, the fact that the game brings millions of people together with one common interest. Like we learned in class, the Internet and technology is a space binding. Making it able to bring gamers together into a small community. Also there is a new feature to record a portion of your game, to play back at any time, and from multiple camera angles. A new tool called Forge gives players the option to tweak existing multiplayer maps before playing on them with friends. While you cannot alter the general outline, you can place objects such as weapons and vehicles in different areas and change re-spawn points to structure the game differently.

Of course you may need to be an avid gamer to appreciate the new tweaks to the game. As well, because the game is for the X Box 360 platform, graphics are second to none.

In conclusion, I believe the game is worth the hype and so do many friends. I seriously think that with over 1.2 million preordered copies, many people have fallen for the hype. This game may not just be a game; it is a way of life to some and cultural phenomena amongst gamers.

These are some fans waiting in line for copies of the game at midnight.

Parking lot party the night of the release, note the booster cable to run the TV!!

The following is the link to the 90 second Halo 3 trailer. It's purpose again was to hype the game by reminding fans how epic the game was going to be. Alot of emotion is evoked by this concept of real toy figures combined with the music and finally the impending doom of Cheif.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjhSp7xGsMc

Another commercial with more run and gun hype to get the adrenaline flowing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCsdPszJLNQ&mode=related&search=

Finally the contrasting side to all the hype, Caution some people may not find this funny! View at your own risk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvanJYOGlus

Harper Joining Asia-Pacific Partnership = Terrible Idea

I think this is just another excuse for Steven Harper to show that his government is doing something about climate change. The Kyoto Protocol is no old, stagnant and forgotten by the citizens of Canada. As well, it was a Liberal government who signed it in the first place. Being the Steven Harper he is, he needs to show that the Conservatives are taking action.

The Harper government has fallen short of all greenhouse gas emissions deadlines. Who really thinks that this time will be any different?

I am sick and tired of people saying global warming is the end all of our world and life as we know it. We had freezing cold (Weather) not climate its minus 30 out, its not because the earth is warming!!! I never expected global warming to be so cold. Seems like whatever happens, we can blame good old global warming.
Got to blame someone or something when you lack common sense don't you? Isn't it strange that animals don't bitch about the weather or anything else? They deal with it. People would rather complain about being uncomfortable rather than preparing for whatever life may bring. When has blaming or bitching ever stopped hunger or kept anyone warm? When there is no electricity or gas for heat a lot of people are going to have to learn to cut wood and build a damn fire...aren't they! They will never blame themselves for not rolling up their sleeves and doing what we were born to do.....SURVIVE.

We have become so dependent on others to tell us why things happen and who or where to place BLAME, we have lost sight of the real task in life...again.... SURVIVE. When things got tough for my cousin, (after being paralyzed in an accident, and blaming no one), she would say " Wish in one hand and sheet in the other, see which gets full first." "There's no room for blame here, just room to improve what I got left."

If your average coldest winter temperature over the last 50 years is -25, and then there is a trend where that average coldest temperature is -22, that is still damned cold, but *does* represent a warming trend. You need to look at the big picture. They have only looked at the past 500-year in ice samples, however the earth is over 6 billion years old! You tell me does this represent a fair portion of time??? The Earth has always gone through warming and cooling periods. People say that it isn’t a natural process, and that humans are speeding up the process of climate change. We area part of the natural world, and we are shaping it naturally. Everything on the planet was a some point natural.

I guess what I am trying to say is that all of these commitments by our government are just a waste of time and money. We should start putting the funding into education, example Common Sense 101, or staying cool 101.
The Asia-Pacific Partnership lacks the mandatory targets to actually see if progress is being made. This is ironic because Steven Harper was quoted in saying, "It's critical that ... all major emitters have binding targets, and one of the reasons it's important for Canada to participate in the Asia-Pacific Partnership is these are the major emitters on the planet,” And I guess who is to say it is progress, we may be slowing the natural cycle.
The countries involved in the Asia-Pacific Partnership would like to see a “flexible framework” in which to approach climate change. Flexible kind of sounds to me like I will do it if I can but I guess it is no big deal if I don’t!

I had my own idea for changing and preventing global warming. A complete ban on atmospheric Dihydrogen Monoxide. It is noted as the largest greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. You in, well, this deadly greenhouse gas is also known as water vapour! That’s right, water vapour is the most common greenhouse gas. Chew on that one for a while!

Here is a link for the Asia- Pacific Partnership's website, you can make you own informed decision:
http://www.asiapacificpartnership.org/
This illustrates the global trend for emissions.

Found to be interesting as a possible solution: Everyone has a solution! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlqPDfKCiCk

Re: Should Your Daughter Get the HPV Vaccine? - Globe and Mail

It should be up to your daughter and only your daughter.
A health nurse should first give them a presentation without bias before making their decision privately. Why as another human being should we have the right to decide on someone else’s health and well-being? We are trying to teach youth to become contributing members of society at that adolescent age, so why can they not make their own informed decisions? The HPV vaccination is regarded as protecting girls from 4 main types of STD viruses. Although you may not think your daughter is sexually active, how many parents can truly say they know this. “Well they said they weren’t having sex!” They must really be telling you the truth then, because they said so! Pull that wool out of your eyes and listen up! This is the same teenager that said they were going over to Sue’s house to study and wound up passed out at a party with the catholic uniform still on and ended up on Girls Gone Wild! I am not saying all children are like this but the majority have lied at one point of their lives! I hate to be the one to tell you. Although the cost is estimated to within the 300 million dollar range, think of how many lives can be spared cervical cancer. Is there any price too high to prevent cancer? We in Canada believe in public health care that we all contribute to help each other. If you don’t want the vaccine then don’t get it, make it your daughter decision, after all it is her body. To those of you who say it will promote young women to be more sexually active, I have one question for you. Wouldn’t the introduction of any contraception, i.e. condoms promote an increase in sexual activity? Sure maybe they do, but the pro far outweigh the cons. The HPV viruses are microscopic and pass through tiny breaks in the skin; they do not necessarily have to be sexually transmitted. The HPV vaccine alone will not protect your teen. Education at home and in the classroom are needed together to help make young girls make the most informative decisions they can. According to Health Canada, "An estimated 70 to 80 percent of sexually active Canadians carry the virus at some time in their life. Most people don't know they have HPV because there are usually no symptoms"(Health Canada). Furthermore, Health Canada states that, "The vaccine protects against infection with two high risk types of HPV (16 and 18) and two low risk types (6 and 11). HPV types 16 and 18 cause approximately 70% of cervical cancers"(Health Canada).


Regular Pap (Papanicolaou) testing is a vital screening tool for cervical cancer because there is no accurate way to conclude in which people HPV infections will continue and lead to cancer.The HPV vaccine should be your teenagers decision and only hers. They have the right to make their own informed decisions. If they choose not to receive the vaccine that’s fine, but I better not here the parents complain about how the system failed their daughter with cervical cancer!

This is a link to youtube that shows how little people know about HPV:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXwDkTOL_tA&mode=related&search=

This is another link to a video that I believe should be shown in classrooms for girls to make the decision whether to receive the vaccine or not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fX-f-bAPOs&mode=related&search=

Graph Showing cervical cancer mortality rates for each province:
Graph proving that since the introduction of HPV vaccines, HPV has been rapidly decreasing.


References:
Health Canada
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/diseases-maladies/hpv-vph_e.html

Graphs from: Public Health Agency of Canada http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/updates/cervix-98_e.html

Videos from www.youtube.com

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