The Last Page Pt. 2

The Last Page

Matthew Evans

3/25/14

Citation for the poem:

Smith, Horace. “Ozymandias”. Amarynthus, The Nympholet: A Pastoral Drama, In Three Acts, With Other Poems. New York. Garland Publishing, Inc. 1977. Print.

I chose the poem “Ozymandias” due to its statement about the relics that a civilization leaves behind after its passing. This is explored, in the first part of the poem, through an examination of the monuments of Ozymandias, or Ramesses I. The reader is then asked to ponder the fate of our civilization; the future explorers of our ruined cities view our monuments with awe, or will they fail to make an impression? While the last page will most likely be temporary because of the nature of the medium that it is printed upon, the statement that the poem makes is universal: Although the people and culture of a civilization will probably be destroyed after it has disappeared from the face of the earth, many of our monuments will survive, thereby making any human civilization immortal, in a sense, and provided that there are monuments to be passed down through the ages. Many of the most famous examples monumental architecture throughout the world is influenced by the concept, from the Capitol Building to the Cristo-Redentor. On a more sinister note, Albert Speer (Hitler’s personal architect) even wanted to rebuild the entirety of Berlin so that it would stand testament to the glory of the “1000 Year Reich” for all of eternity. Ideally, the last page would not be written on a temporary medium so that whatever species rises to replace us will know of the mindset of the last representative of our civilization, and the worldview of the civilization as a whole.

The Last Page - Ozymandias (Smith)

In Egypt’s sandy silence, all alone,

Stands a giant leg, which far off throws

The only shadow that the desert knows

I am the great OZYMANDIAS, saith the stone,

The King of Kings, this mighty city shows,

“The Wonders of my Hand” -- The city’s gone --

Nought but the leg remaining to disclose

The site of this forgotten Babylon.

We wonder, and some hunter may express

Wonder like ours, when through the wilderness

Where London stood, holding the Wolf in chace,

He meets some fragment huge, and stops to guess

What powerful yet unrecorded race

Once dwelt in that annihilated place.

Mini Movie

Citizen Nuclear Crisis Emergency Guide

Post-Tech Assignment

News Blast - Part 4

October, 2017

Washington (AP) -- Across the world today, people woke up to massive space-ships floating above Earth’s major cities. In a press conference, President Christie has announced that all world governments have received a message from the aliens. “We have been transmitted a list of demands from the alien commander. It demands the unconditional surrender of all governments, and the disarmament of all national armed forces. The alien administration has also demanded an annual tribute totalling about 95% of Earth’s GDP.” As proof of their capabilities, the aliens have destroyed, unprovoked, the cities of Frankfurt, Shanghai, Denver, and Lagos. All that remains is rubble. The President also elaborated on the world’s response to the extraterrestrial threat.  “Most nations have agreed to a unified military command structure headed by representatives from the United States, Great Britain, China, Russia, Japan, France, and Germany. I assure you that after this crisis has been resolved, the sovereignty of our nation shall not be in peril.” The President then had the Secretary Homeland Security expand on the domestic situation. “The United States is now in a state of martial law. Elections shall be suspended for the foreseeable future. Every able-bodied citizen aged 18-50 shall report to the nearest Military Administration Post to receive information on their wartime assignment. Our economy is being converted to prepare for total war.” Finally, the President ended the news conference saying, “We shall fight to the last man to defend our freedom. Sacrifices will have to be made, but the alternative is a millenia of slavery to an extraterrestrial overlord. May God bless our struggle, and may He bless the United States of America.” Quoted on a condition of anonymity, a senior Pentagon official has stated that the World Military Council has developed an “extensive” military plan to drive the invaders from the planet. Further questioning revealed that “weapons of mass destruction have not been ruled out as viable options

The exact nature and origin of the invaders has not been established. Their craft are large require “significant technical advancements from our current state of technology”, according to California Institute of Technology physicist Sheldon Cooper. “However,” he continued, “There is no indication that our current technical expertise is not sufficient to ultimately win the war, even if we ultimately have to rely on terrestrial pathogens to defeat them. Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that they (the invaders) will have access to reinforcements any time soon. We could beat them in a war of attrition, although it should be noted that any strategy will involve the loss of a large number of civilian lives.” When asked if he had been approached by the US government to develop capabilities to defend against the invasion, Cooper replied “I am not at liberty to go into detail, but we have a number of projects that look very interesting”.

The Associated Press will attempt to offer the most current information available about the conflict; however, if conditions on the ground are not found to be conducive to effective newsgathering, then the organization may have to cease operations.

News Blast - Part 3

CIVIL LIBERTIES SUSPENDED

News Blast - Part 2

FRANKFURT, SHANGHAI, DENVER, LAGOS, DESTROYED; WORLD MILITARY COUNCIL VOWS “RETALIATION”

News Blast - Part 1

ALIEN SHIPS OVER NEW YORK CITY, LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO

Prophecy - Assignment One

A Future Without Day or Night

Matthew Evans

1/27/2014

Every item that man consumes must be manufactured; and these products are

often constructed from materials that are created from environmentally hazardous substances. When the Industrial Revolution began, the smog from the new factories started to clog the skies of Great Britain. As manufacturing moved to the United States, and now to Asia, the pollution followed. It seems that wherever man deems worthy to produce his goods, that area will be doomed to the same pollution that was found in previous industrial nations. As man has an insatiable appetite for the products of consumerism, the day may come when a permanent grey fog envelopes the entire planet, illuminated by an endless megalopolis that represents both the best and worst aspects of our politico-economic system.

The basis of our modern civilization - natural gas, oil, and coal - will eventually force us to wake up to a day where one looks out on the vast expanse of our power plants, refineries, smokestacks, and open pit mines, and be unable to tell difference between night and day. Carbon dioxide will permeate everything in the world, acid rain will fall (as it already does in countless cities across the planet) and supplies of fresh water will dwindle. This future can already be seen in Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Delhi. Rapid industrialization may produce a “rising tide” of prosperity, but people often forget that the tide can recede in the face global warming, air pollution, and the other assorted detritus of civilization.While the average American may still live a relatively pleasant life in this future (due to our nation’s power and prosperity), one will only need to look to the continents of Africa, Asia, and South America to realize what everything we have been blessed with has cost us.

Sources:

Reuters. “Beijing Wages War Against Pollution As Mayor Prepares ‘All-Out Effort’ To Tackle Growing Concerns”. The Huffington Post. January 2014. Web. 1/27/2014.

Reuters. “China Pollution Wafting Across Pacific To Blanket US, Report Shows”. Fox News Online. January 2014. Web. 1/27/2014.