Onmogelijk

We all want isolation, an escape from society- the radical ideas, the limitations, corruption in the government and in the minds of people that walk beside you. We strive for perfection, but one should realize there is no ideal world without mishaps, for what contrasts - results in our idea of perfection. Achieving utopia is impossible but, as Sir Thomas More stated “What you cannot turn to good, you must at least make as little bad as you can” and with that in mind I will attempt to create a world of my own.

My utopia will be open to all, for discrimination is forbidden yet I want every person to be able to express their individuality and stand out of the crowd. Every person has the right to join the community but there will be restrictions or rules that will not permit extreme crime. All utopians will in some way affect his/her surroundings, an example being community service; helping the elderly, recycling, tutoring, etc. Poverty isn’t dominant in Onmogelijk but, it does occur and so citizens have a choice to give aid to those in need.

There may be differences in classes, some people will be born into wealth, some gain wealth over the years, many will never be able to afford themselves more than one house, and some may have to work very hard for their monthly rent. Of course there are people that are poor and rich, it gives character. Although they may have different amounts of money in their bank accounts they all will be treated with the same level of respect. Men and women will be considered equal, just like the elderly and children although sir, mister, or any titles of respect shall not be expected unless asked for by the person him/herself. The disabled shall not be treated any different although if any extra care is necessary it will be taken into account. They have the right to go to the same school and receive the same education as other children but will be granted the opportunity to attend a special school in which they receive proper attention and work at the speed reasonable for the student. They may also decide to hire a specialized teacher to help in class. Housing is left for the person concerned to decide but the community provides special apartments built for groups of disabled or mentally ill people. This way they can work together under each other’s responsibility instead of being dependent on a care taker.

In the case of politics my community will strongly support and apply the Zeitgeist Movement with slight alterations- I believe that the political system will need to be wary of both the past and the future and as such the government will have to aim for sustainability over materialism and wealth. The government will consist of a council of specialists from three main sectors: environmental, societal, and technological. Each sector will strive for harmony. Environmentalists would aid the society, and the advancement of technology; Sociologists would help the revitalization of the environment, and the advancement of technology; and finally the Techno-centrists would devise technology which improves society as well as not harm and even rebuild the environment. All three sectors will have to take into account the Earth’s carrying capacity and base their decisions upon this capacity. Although the decisions of Onmogelijk will be voted upon by the whole population, some aspects of democracy will be lost when the government comes with a solution to benefit the future generations and preserve a re-growth of the environment

Onmogelijk will not live under a superfluous amount of laws, just five to keep a perfect balance between a citizen’s freedom and limitations.

             1) You shall not harm another in body, mind, or speech

a.)    You shall not steal

b.)   You shall not kill

c.)    You shall not conflict any harm onto another both physically and mentally

d.)   You shall not receive punishment for minor instances of violence or language

       2) You shall respect the environment as you respect yourself

a.)    You shall not destroy nature without thought or purpose

       3) You shall help make the world a better place for yourself and others

a.)    You should think of the next generation’s future

       4)  You shall be punished for breaking the law

       5) You have every right to fair trial

a.)    Trial by jury of fifteen

b.)   Jury is selected at random

In the community marriage of all races, sexes, and religion is permitted. To get an Onmogelijk citizenship you have the right to a trial by jury, with which a brief background check will be included. Drugs will be legal in small quantities, that way you can limit, and control the amount that is used, and so prevent drug abuse, trading, and to diminish the disturbance of the public and safety of others (societal deviance).

Money does not exist in my utopia- for that will only result in greed, yet another economic crisis, and more unnecessary problems. Instead the source of income will be the trading of resources, such as water, land, oil, etc. There is also a possibility of paying favors in return for something else, such as working in a store, working at a hotel, or even food for favors.

The cities will be built in a radial circular pattern, interlocked with canals to support the means of transport. Buildings will also be somewhat circular. Buildings will be a maximum of 25 stories (considering the floors are approx. 4 meters in height) to prevent them from interfering with bird migration. At the top of each building will be a garden in which the inhabitants can grow their own crops.  In addition each floor will have a balcony garden filled with plants to increase the O2 production and to create aesthetically pleasing urban jungles. A series of walkways will be suspended between buildings to promote relations, and tighten bonds between citizens. These walk ways will be made of a wire frame intertwined with vines. Apartments will not be in a strict right angled order, but instead arranged around a central “commons area” which will be furnished with couches and again supports the making of relationships. Then there is also an option to live in more rural areas, which are a majority of lone standing houses made out of organic, biodegradable materials.

Education is obligatory for my community as it is considered important that everyone receives a good education and the chance to get a good job – if they will continue to work after finishing high school is a citizen’s choice, and may be their loss. Being employed is not mandatory but highly recommended. Also to make it possible for all people to attend schools and receive proper education, it is provided without cost. The teachers in the school use teaching as their community service which required from an Onmogelijk citizens.

Considering my utopia is made up of canals and no roads, the only means of transport are boats. Every resident owns a gondola with which they can get around easily on their own, although when traveling long distances ferries are required. These ferries run on water that is consumed when sailing. Entertainment for my utopians will be very similar to the entertainment of our world today; traveling is a very important and often enjoyed pastime in Onmogelijk, along with sports, the arts, and the usual everyday activities. The only activities that are not available in the community are hobbies that necessitate diesel or oil – such as go-carting and games like paintball that require excessive amounts of paint, plastic, or other harmful materials.

Utopia might be an unrealistic fantasy yet there is always a possibility of coming as close to perfect as possible – there are certain aspects of a society that you can realistically alter. Some may argue that with war, disease, and other unfortunate happenings still present you haven’t reached a perfect world – but imperfections are necessary to keep a world stable and balanced.

Leonardo De Vinci's Self

Leonardo Da Vinci's most well known self portrait, painted in 1512 portrays a very sad, yet wise expression. I chose this piece because of it's originality when compared to other art produced during the early renaissance. Unlike many other artists, his sketches represented the final piece instead of painting the canvas with a large variety of rich colors to express the wealth or abundance in a  person. Da Vinci chooses not to polish his aged face, but to show the good side of wrinkles, and disproportional facial features, his nose for example. His eyes show years of hard work and the artist admirably used no impressive head wear or cloak to show wealth. This sketch is a good example of realism- the use of shade, or shadows and perspective was used correctly and so fits in with all the other art that rose in popularity during this time period. Like most portraits at the time, the poser is sitting in the usual position of doing absolutely nothing, some other examples would be some of Lorenzo De Medici's many self portraits, and one of his most renowned works  the Mona Lisa. Although this sketch is similar to other renaissance paintings it does not have the same theme, this work is not religious nor classical, it's just a realistic sketch with out any beautification's, abundantly colored robes, or  signs of respect, for this figure is not unrealistically overweight.

http://animeonly.org/albums/FEDOROS_RULES/1600x1200/Fine-Art/Fine-Art---Renaissance/Self_Portrait_in_Old_Age,_Leonardo_da_Vinci,_1512.jpg

Victim

I felt her arms tremble as they embraced my frail figure; I felt the ground shiver beneath my bare feet. Come inside she told me, but I already knew we were out of time. We stood, hidden behind the stained window, looking out into the foggy distance and there they were- dozens or maybe hundreds of them. Mama had called them the Saxons, I hadn't come up with a name yet but I was well aware of the damage they could cause. I was told it was just a rumor, but this was reality, there was no way out and all we could do was wait. I heard a faint cry of despair as the first lifeless body fell to the ground, Mama whispered into my ear. I didn’t want to leave but her grip had loosened.  I glanced at her for one last time, and noticed the fear expressed in her eyes, tears had begun to form and I turned away.

I lay in silence beneath the hay; I could hear the rapid beating of my heart as I heard nearing footsteps, I held my breath. There was a violent rustling sound along the side of the barn; I clenched my hands, expecting the worst. Shutting my eyes, I hoped for this to be a dream, just another nightmare but my trance was instantly brought to an end when I heard a scream, and again. I heard my name and then silence, I wanted to break 

into tears but I knew I couldn’t so I sat there, shivering, beneath the hay. I’d hear shuffling and familiar voices or cries through the night, I wanted to fall into a deep sleep and never wake up. The shivering had stopped, and comfortable warmth seemed to have arrogated me. And the silence had turned into a soothing snapping and crackling. There I sat, beneath 

the hay, letting the heat envelope 

me into my deep sleep.

Dark Ages - Dark or Not?

The brutal accusations and punishments of the dark ages, the poverty and lack of creativity overwhelmed the people  There is a significant difference between the dark ages and the following era known as the Renaissance, this contrast probably also being the reason for the choice of  words to describe the era (dark ages) I believe the name perfectly describes the time period, for it was a depressing age provided with numerous new ideas for torture, many of them for very insignificant reasons such as false accusations, often of witchcraft. There was corruption taking place through the centuries and an excess of diseases or plagues causing thousands of deaths. The absence of a sewage system also lowered the living standards, this resulting in the common use- 'dark ages', preferably called the middle ages.

Ten years later

Millions of people around the world witnessed one of America's greatest disasters, if it was on television, radio, or out of their own apartment window it was a great shock to the world and a loss for many. Ten years later the ninth of September is still a day the whole world recognizes, thanks, and mourns for the people that were lost in the tragedy. Some out of bravery, others just innocently had their lives taken away looking forward to seeing their families back home. Hundreds of civilians still mourn, to this day, for the loss of their loved ones but many ask whether through all the depression, debt, and deaths there were several positive contributions to the american government, or society, or even the world.

 

After the tragic event in which four planes were planned to hit some of the most renowned  buildings of America, two managed to hit the twin towers, killing and injuring thousands and another plane flew into the pentagon. With admirable bravery NY policemen and firemen risked their lives for the people of their country, yet many were not appreciated the way they should have been. The US military and government gained in a way because of their enormous military growth, they started the war of terror against terrorist organizations. So far, they have successfully managed to find several people connected to the attack and kill the very detested Osama Bin Laden, although his death was nothing more than a statement considering the very well-known terrorist organization, Al Qaeda surely have a successor to continue this 'fight of faith'. These few accomplishments have brought America together as a whole, uniting them- celebrating or mourning. The US has become a major superpower and even though doubted after the 9/11 attack they have defied the common opinion and once again rose to one of the most successful and wealthy countries.

Every year on this very day, people around the world pay tribute to the people that past away and the ones that managed to escape from the ruins of what used to be one of america's biggest symbols. All around the world people hoping that there will be an end to the ongoing fight between what we call the 'good and evil'.