template
class AVLNode {
public:
int balance;
int height;
AVLNode() {
left = right = balance = height = 0;
}
AVLNode(const T& el, AVLNode *l = 0, AVLNode *r = 0, AVLNode *p =0) {
key = el; left = l; right = r;
parent=p;
}
T key;
AVLNode *left, *right, *parent;
};

So, after just having finished reading Conceptual Blending by Billes Fauconnier, i find myself looking back at all the computer science that i have done. One of the currents projects we have been looking at is the AVL tree which is a self balancing Binary Search Tree. Just as the article describes, this concept is a blending space. AVL Trees are only used for efficient data storage and retrieval, but we give them the tree appearance to help visualize them. The code above represents a node used in the AVL Tree. Its just code, but through conceptual blending, we can cross this straight code with the idea of a tree, and a visualization of the structure appears. Order at last!

Now how can we look at religion in this same blending sense? The first thing that comes to mind is, because blending is taking two things and finding the middle ground to better understand a certain concept, that religion is made up of the scriptures certain beliefs mixed with our own life experience. Religion plays off of our own life experiences so that we can better understand the ideas it conveys. Take for example, the Bible. It was written many, many years ago. In order to understand its meaning, we blend it with our own lives today to make sense of the teachings.

Also, the second thing is the conceptual blending of god's word and a crazy situation. Elise mentions Noah's ark and i really liked her example. It may seem crazy for an individual to take a pair of each animal on earth and put it on an ark, but since it is god saying to do so, and he always has the best in mind, everything will turn out fine. Its the combination of the action and god's word which will lead to a better life.