A Speech for All

As a final speech before we all depart, one must summarize all the time the class has spent together. Ironically, the lyrics from the song "Friends Forever" by Vitamin C continuously pop into my head every time I think of graduation. Be it from the countless video montages of high school graduates or just the song itself, the tune most certainly hits on the modern topics of this year's class.

Although this year is a bit different than the years past, we may be graduating but thanks to the dawn of the internet age, social networking is a breeze and we will still be able to maintain a large network of friends, colleagues, and family. Thus, graduation isn't as fearsome as it used to be in days past. The pressure of adapting to college life or a career is still present, however it is lessened by the fact that we know our friends are just a few clicks away.

Amir's Atonement

Amir's past is one that he considers soiled by his 'sins'. His actions towards Hassan were cold and ignorant. He watched him get raped, framed him of stealing his watch, and sent him away. Amir's thoughts were clouded and his judgment was not just. He was and still is young. However, he wants to be forgiven. He wants to atone for his sins. A major theme of this book seems to be overall forgiveness and how characters interact with each other while being able to forgive each other's sins.

Atonement

Atonement is a word that is not used lightly. One that shows the weight of one's sins and past wrongdoings. To atone for something means to give reparations for a injury or wrong that one has done to another. In order to do this, it takes a certain degree of self-consciousness, guilt, care for the other party/parties involved, and a sense of justice. Atonement for past sins and mistakes may be possible if the injured party allows it. Atonement is something that the individual must view as an equal weight to the injury. There are plenty previous Nazi believers whom have reviewed their actions at Concentration camps and deemed it inhumane. They are working towards their goal to 'atone' for their sins in their own way, be it by educating the youth about the Holocaust so it may never occur again or by their own personal goals of relief.

Brotherly Love

One of the many mistakes that I have made throughout my life that I have regretted is probably the period in time I never related, spoke, or acknowledged my own brother. He was very different than I am in both personality and mentality. There were many a time where we could not see eye to eye and his own desires matched my disdain for them. During this time, we treated each other as total strangers whom happened to live in the same household. My parents did not participate in his affairs, which probably only made the situation worse. However, we did eventually break through to him and everyone started listening to each other. From illegal activities and drugs he went to teaching art at a college in university in Malaysia and I am very proud of him. We bonded in more ways than just academia as life went on and I firmly regret not trying to talk to him about anything from our lives to what grub we should grab that night.

The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture is a book that reflects about the internal conflicts and extraordinary burden of one man whom is faced with terminal cancer. In the university he teaches at, there are certain lectures known as "The Last Lecture" where in professors take the lecture as if they were to die soon after. However, for Randy Pausch, whom was faced with terminal pancreatic cancer, it was truly his last lecture.

So far in the story, Randy is faced with the sudden realization of his own mortality and how he wants to deal with it. His family, especially his wife, desires to spend the rest of their days using the precious time he has left together. This is quite understandable given the circumstance but Randy can't help but shake the thought of giving a truly final lecture in his own habitat, on school campus. After months of talking it over with a therapist whom specializes in helping families of which one member is terminally ill, Randy and his wife decides to go through with the Last Lecture. To Randy, he hopes that this could be the sort of 'legacy' he may leave behind to his five, two, and one year old children when they grow of age.

This is all a true story and his lecture was recorded by Carnage-Mellon, which is now available on youtube to watch. I haven't watched the actual recording of the lecture on youtube yet, however I wish to once I get to the respective chapter in the book. As for future chapters, I believe it will detail how his thoughts, ideas, and experiences shape the form of his lecture and the internal strife he must deal with in order to prepare such a lecture.

Injustices Unrighted

Throughout history, individuals, societies, and even nations find themselves at a loss at how to act towards a certain situation. Each and every day, we see small injustices occur right in front of our very eyes and yet we do not do a single thing in order to prevent or halt it. Society finds it a hassle to meddle within other people's business and makes a point to say it's in fact rude to butt one's head into other's affairs, even when they are in need of aid. The United States of America has always interfered with other countries for better or for worse. By acting as the world police, the US is able to stop horror and conflict in it's path, however it is often for an ulterior motive.

In the Kite Runner, Haasan is a boy whom manages to catch the last kite in the kite running competition. However, he is then forced into an alleyway and raped by several other boys for the sake of vanities such as 'vengeance' or 'pride'. Another boy watches this happen without doing a single thing to help or prevent such an evil to occur. That boy would be Amir, the main narrator of the story. He watches his servant be raped in front of his eyes and ignores the fact that it even happened.

It is indeed true 'That all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.'

Decisions, Decisions

The factors that affect decisions today are the same that have plagued the minds of those long before us. Family, morals, public opinion, self-confidence, time, etc. are all factors that lead to the ultimate choice of a conclusive decision. Depending on the situation we happen to be in, our thought process and priorities change to accommodate.

Humans are naturally adaptive creatures whom play with the cards that they are dealt with. If there is an obstacle in our path, we use our wits in order to bypass or eliminate the problem entirely. However, every instance in which we make such decisions, there are always draw backs and opportunity costs involved with said choices. We must use our education, intelligence, and common sense to weigh the decisions in order to wind up at the final goal with the most proficiency.

Afghanistan Recipe

Afghanistan

• Multiple years of civil unrest
• 3 Groups of Islamic extremists
• Constant United States Intervention
• Several fruitless US bombings
• Sprinkles of death for anyone involved, voluntary or involuntary
  

First, you take the a bowl of civil unrest and agitate with constant united states intervention. Slowly start to add in the three groups of Islamic extremists while applying fruitless US bombings throughout the civil unrest. Finally, sprinkle some death for garnish and viola, an Afghanistan is made.

Spring Break

Spring break, senior year. The great break for high school teens. However, for me, I took this time to take some good old rest and relaxation. Throughout the vacation, I wished to enjoy my family and take time off from tedious school dabble in order to spend time with friends which I will not see in my college years. It is truly heartbreaking when one finally realizes the fact that they will not be able to visit any of their childhood comrades for long gaps in time after high school. Creating a healthy memory of high school and thoroughly enjoying life is one of my top priorities as a young teenager. Thus, my spring break was indeed enjoyable.

Life, the Universe and Everything revisited (P18, Ch.END)

Blog Prompt: [18] Discuss your book’s title. Why is it called what the author chose? What would you call the book if you could choose a new title?

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After reading the book, I've come to the conclusion that the title really does fit the book. It's wacky, far-fetched, over-extending and preposterous but that's how the book really is. It's a fun, wild tromp through the universe with Arthur Dent and his companions. Throughout the book, Adams touches on the various subjects of life intricacies and how the universe, as Arthur Dent knows it, works.

Be it by voicing the thoughts of a vengeful, reincarnated antagonist or showing Arthur's panicky thought process thought by thought, Adams truly did a job well done narrating this novel, especially with the ending that gave one more exciting push as Arthur finally came to realize that the universal Hactar threat was not over during a simple game of bowling. Coincidentally enough, his bowling ball that was in mid-bowl was the weapon of galactic destruction that the genocidal supercomputer Hactar had created. Alas, this leaves us off with a cliff hanger and leads into another book within the series, which I anticipate, I will enjoy equally as much.

I like the title and agree with my previous post. I wouldn't change the title for anything else, since it represents the whole novel very well.

Symbolism and Irony (P17, Ch.31-33)

Blog Prompt: Comment on the elements of a story in your book.

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Symbolism is an element that is taken very lightly in 'Life, the Universe and Everything'. Much of the characters or events that happen within the book are very straight forward, which makes things easier for the reader to figure out. Such as Ford Prefect literally being a sofa in the very beginning of the book, since Ford has quite an affinity to furnishings.

Irony, however, is very abundant in the book. Douglas Adams uses irony almost every chapter to describe characters and events going on within the universe. An example of such would be the Krikkit people, whom were a very peaceful and understanding society, suddenly turned genocidal at the sight of other species to the point of building vast fleets of galactic warships for the mission.

The more you Lose, the more you Gain (P12, Ch.26-31)

Blog Prompt: [12] Guess as to why the author included some things in the chapter/book and left other things out. What would you have added or omitted? Why?

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Adams is a very spontaneous writer. Many fans and I love that side of him. I believe he leaves many things out of the chapters within the books he writes to perpetuate the feeling of surprise. You never can really tell what is going to happen next with Adams' works, especially with the 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' series such as this.

During these chapters, Adams suddenly introduces the fact that the galactic threat is over because the time envelope that the Krikkit people are encased in had interfered with Hactar's evil influence over the Krikkit people that he had infected. This conveniently ends all ties and main dilemmas of the novel as the climax drops.

He generally leaves out large foreshadowing so that he does not stumble over himself later on in the later chapters, which is a smart move. Although he does use foreshadowing on a smaller time scale, in the same chapter for example. Adams also has a quaint habit of being very sarcastic towards a topic or half-hearted in a humorous way, which draws the attention of readers. It's a great contrast to more of the serious books that we have read during the marking period such as "The Motorcycle Diaries" or "The Invisible Man". Personally, I wouldn't have it any other way otherwise it would ruin the rhythm of the storytelling.

Hactar, a genocidal supercomputer (P4, Ch.20-25)

Blog Prompt: Write about something that happened in this chapter or the book that surprised you, and explain why it is so surprising.

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As the Krikkit people were seemingly about to resume their galactic genocide, they suddenly lost the bloodthirsty urge to destroy the rest of the universe. The way that this was explained however was one that made sense yet surprised me with it's sudden appearance. Douglas Adams writes in such a way that he does not reveal anything to the reader beforehand, hints or foreshadowing included. This adds to the surprise factor that many people love Douglas Adams for.

However, it does seem as if he was skimping just a bit on the storyboard planning and wrote what he had imagined that exact day on impulse. I don't hate it but at the same time it does urk me just a tad. I rather do enjoy the spontanity of his ideas but wonder at times, was he just rushed to meet deadlines and wrote the most convenient thing that first came to mind?

Here it Goes Again (P6, Ch.16-19)

Blog Prompt: [6] Make a prediction on what you think will happen in future chapters. What support can you find?

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In a recent chapter, Arthur Dent encounters a creature that has a deep hatred for him. Mainly because he has been killed by Dent in various reincarnations, such as the first time when he was a fly and Arthur swatted him to death. After a while of all these deaths by the same person, he built up a memory of his past lives and remembers the man whom was the cause of his death for so long, Arthur Dent. However, knowing Douglas and how he writes, he likes the idea of continuity in his books. Thus, I believe that some how in the future chapter(s), Arthur Dent is going to accidentally kill off the creature Agrajag, whom is trying to assassinate Dent.

Adams and the real World (P1, Ch.12-15)

Blog Prompt: [1] Tell what you like or dislike about the current chapter in the book.

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During Arthur's travels, he encounters a group of people known as the "Krikkit". These people were peace loving and self sufficient on their own planet until a space shuttle crash landed on their planet. The Krikkit reverse engineered the space shuttle in order to build their own and went out searching the universe in exploration. However, they did not like what they witnessed and vowed to destroy all the species in a genocidical mission very similar to that of early Catholic religious history.

There are many parallels to the crusades of the early Catholic vatican and the people of Krikkit. Both went out and ventured to unknown lands and did not agree with the rest of the world, resulting in their overall choice to wage war on everyone whom did not agree with them. I find some of Douglas Adam's ideas to parallel greatly with history which is a great resource for a writer.

Style is Everything (P11, Ch.10-12)

Blog Prompt: Comment on the author's style and use of language. Is it effective or ineffective? Does it add or detract from your enjoyment of the book?

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Douglas Adams has a very witty tone with his words and a sarcastic yet humorous view on his fictional universe and the inhabitants that live within it. Regardless of how terrible or horrendous or mind-boggingly life-threatening the situation is, the narration of Adam's works retains a sense of pure objectivity and blatant half-hearted interest regarding the entire ordeal. This is extremely effective with his storytelling and sets up a very good rhythm for the book, luring the reader to read more with interest and curiosity for what would happen next. To me, this adds to the enjoyment of the book. In fact, Douglas Adam's writing style is possibly one of the main reasons I enjoy the book.

Random yet Logical (P2, Ch.6-9)

Blog Prompt: Tell about parts of the book that puzzled or confused you.

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In the book, Slartibartfast is an alien that tries to explain the computations of space travel to Arthur Dent. However, in his explanation, there are so many holes and random facts that silly ideas that really contrast the complexity of such an idea with simple solutions. For example, he notes that "In space travel, all the numbers are awful. I was just trying to save you the trouble of asking me why all the ship's computations were being done on a waiter's check pad."

Although, he goes on to explain the reasons behind the check pad being the main computational factor in the ship's controls, it only serves to show the absurdity of the idea. Perhaps he is trying to be sarcastic or humorous by contrasting space travel and simplistic thinking but I was rather confused with this bit. Although I did enjoy it since the explanation was told with such fervor that it sounded legit.

The Adventure Continues (P13, Ch.2-5)

Blog Prompt: Comment on the choices made by the characters or people in the book. What advice would you give them?

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Well, Arthur Dent is a man whom has been through much in his travels. However, the one thing he wishes out of all the countless adventures and trials he has been through is to return to normalcy.

In the beginning of the book, he is introduced in a state of calmness that quickly turns into panic as he discovers he is stranded on Earth. This would normally be a great thing, if it were not for the fact that it is earth during the pre-historic era. Everything he once knew is thrown out the window and he begins to go insane while in the early earth age. However, before he goes full insane, he is visited and saved by his friend Ford Prefect whom is in the form of a couch. He pulls him into a space-time continuum portal which than leaves off into the next chapter.

My advice to Arthur Dent would be slow down and smell the roses a bit. Relax and take it easy instead of panicking. However, it is quite normal to be in that state of mind taking into account the pre-historic setting of which he was stuck.

Life, the Universe and Everything (P18, Ch.1-2)

Blog Prompt: Discuss your book’s title. Why is it called what the author chose? What would you call the book if you could choose a new title?

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Life, the Universe and Everything. This sounds like a pretty versatile book. I like it.

The author of this book is none other than the renowned Douglas Adams, whom is famed for his series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". His book titles are filled with humour and sarcasm, which quaintly fits his writing style. Adams chose the title of this book to not only show that it is more of a work of fiction than reality but gives a sense of hilarity that makes the reader can't help but smirk. I don't think I could of named this book anything else, however, I will have to revisit this part of the prompt later since I've only begun the book.

Thesis of Che Guevara

Che's impact presented the world with a revolutionary and radical view on government which changed history as we know it.

A global icon and the symbol for revolution, Che Guevara changed Latin America through blood stained hands.

*Che Guevara's love for the common man and social equality led him to usurp governments across Latin America.

Che, Now and Then

Che was a man whom was a revolutionary. However his methods of attaining such revolution for the people are debatable. His actions were by no means moral but his goal was very much so. He wanted to help the Cuban people rebel against their oppressive government and give equality to every soul living on Cuban soil.

The common man before the revolution loved him. However, those whom already had power had come to hate him. He slaughtered not only the ones responsible for the oppressive dictatorship of Cuba, but their family and relatives as well. In this way, he spared none. Women and children were massacred, innocent people whom were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and those whom were suspected of association lay dead in piles of mass graves.

Che's goals were noble, I just believe that his thought process to us is skewed. His methods were unnecessarily violent and his reasoning was not always based on moral values. To him, the result mattered more than the method of attaining it. To me, he wanted to be a symbol of revolution, the 'common man' whom rose up against the government, the rebel fighting an evil dictatorship. In this way, he was somewhat of a romantic. His romanticism really shows throughout his young years as well as his older.

Chilian 6 Word Memoir

Prospering nation of future hope, Chile.

America in Six Words

The white picket fence? Not today.

Ideals, Principles, and Life

I want to help others.

It's as simple as that. I have realized that throughout my life, I have always been saved or helped by others on my journey as a child to an adult. I still am. However, I want to grow to become the one whom can help others, prevent the loss of loved ones, and protect the ones that are important to me. For this reason, I am going to college for premedical in order to become a physician.

When I was a young boy (Pun Intended), I was hit by a golf club in the left temple of my skull. This fractured the bone structure which pierced into a section of my brain. However, I was saved through the wonders of modern medicine and good surgeons/nurses/medical staff and brought back to a healthy state. And for this, I wish to repay my debt to society. I wish to help others the same way that others have helped me. I want to become a doctor.

- - - - -

Justice is one ideal in which I hold dear to my heart. When the scrawny kid in class gets picked on, I can't stand idle and let it go. I believe in dealing with injustice with a firm hand and giving retribution to those whom deserve it. I try my best in life not to be biased or one sided, not to see things in black and white but in shades of gray. This, however, can lead to many complications - many of which I have faced - when dealing with those whom are close to you or one's friends. People that you know personally believe that if you are their friend, you will always side with them. However, if my friend is in the wrong, I try to help them become a better person - not by letting them slide by.

U.S. Influence in Pakistan

The United States special forces in Pakistan are currently training the Pakistani government army in order to root out and capture Al Qaeda and Taliban throughout the region. While this method of training another army in order to spread a common goal is similar to Che, the reasoning behind it is totally different. However, it is true that this is the same exact tactics that Che Guevara had used in Bolivia in order to spark revolutions throughout Latin America.

The United States government has many special force task troops in various pockets of the world. Their job: To train other armies or guerrilla factions to accomplish a task that benefits America. This is a common trend in history, however I do not condemn this act of foreign influence. America's tactic with training the Pakistani Army is more effective and politically sound than sending in American troops to deal with the problems of terrorism. However, the US Government must make sure that the armies that they are training are indeed just and morally righteous otherwise its efforts will only lead to a bloodbath of civilian lives.

Voice and Diction

"This is not a story of heroic feats, or merely the narrative of a cynic"
This excerpt shows the reader, from the beginning, that Ernesto Guevara is a man that does not want to be seen as a hero nor as a raging critic, but instead a regular man and his thoughts. However, the way he puts himself in this way, makes him seem rather over-emotional and somewhat of a radical dreamer whom wishes to share his views in a journal for others to eventually read. The voice he shows in the opening statement is almost a pseudo-fake down-to-earth sort of feeling. With this, we can understand how Che will most likely react to the situations he will encounter and what his thought process will maybe be.

"The poor girl! I know the gold didn't matter, despite what they say; her fingers as they held the bracelet were merely weighing up the love that made me ask for it."
Ernesto a this point seems to be somewhat of a ladies man whom knows how to woo the opposite sex. He uses suave technique to procure what he desires and doesn't seem to mind the method of doing so. This gives the reader another view on Ernesto's behavior, morals, and overall thought process as he advances onwards through his journey.

Lone Adventure

There is nothing lonelier than adventure. Through my travels and visitations to various uncharted lands, there is nothing but one's self to rely on. No one to help you when you are down, no one to enjoy conversation with, no one to hear you scream for help. Thus, lone adventure is not only lonely, it is quite dangerous as well. Thus, bide your time when coming to a decision to travel or not, for if one takes it lightly, there will be repercussions.

Che's Ideology

What guided Che Guevara, a young medical student turn revolutionary to free thousands of oppressed while brutally massacring countless others? I believe he wanted to set a point, an example if you will of the old fascist regime to any whom dared oppose their revolutionary government. Che was the kind of man whom wanted freedom for the common man but realized that government and true freedom cannot coexist at the same time. One must give up certain freedoms in order to enjoy the benefits of a central government. Che Guevara probably started out with the right intentions but those intentions were never materialized.

Mechanical Beauty

If I were to make a documentary about a topic or person, I would have to choose something that I am passionate about. For me, I would enjoy documenting my hobby or the general hobby of model making. More specifically, creating models of large scale robots, planes, and battleships from modern or future time settings.

I love creating model figures and putting my time into a hands on project knowing that I had created something. Painting and putting fine touches on these models are quite an art that a whole community of people around the globe recognizes.

Model creation is slowly becoming an underground pop culture phenomenon that is quickly becoming quite popular. Competitions are world wide and showcases are global. All ages, young and old, are able to enjoy this hobby and share a common ground with each other. Model makers can completely understand one another's feelings by just showing their works to each other or collaborating in order to create a masterpiece. Thus, I believe this would be a great documentary in this day and age.

El Che: The Man, The Legacy, The Executor

Che, by far is a very layered man in terms of his values and ideals. He seems to believe in a certain set of principles and yet act on another. History wise, we know him as an Hispanic freedom fighter for his people whom also murdered countless souls in the name of peace and freedom. This sets up the stage of his character to be viewed in either a darker or lighter spotlight.

If I were the director, questions such as "Whom was this man, truely?" and "What swayed him from his ideals of equality and freedom to oppression and government sovereignty?" would be the first to be answered. Che is an interesting character to analyze because, like most of us, he started off with good ideas, good intentions, and thought of the wellbeing of his fellow man. However, as the old proverb says - "Power Corrupts." which holds true even for Ernesto Che Guevara.

The Motorcycle Diaries: A Preview

The book 'The Motorcycle Diaries' by Ernesto Che Guevara seems to be about a young revolutionary whom wishes to explore his country, his culture, and his people via motorcycle and take a break from his medical studies. However, what he finds is something that is totally unknown to him. Poverty, crime, and corruption are all factors that he finds within the timespan of his travels. This will obviously be a turning point for him and the point of writing this book will be about his thoughts on government and social behavior. The methods he had used throughout history are those that I cannot agree with, however I do side with him with the fact that corruption in the government is a problem that must be dealt with. I don't think this book will appeal to me in particular, but I hope I am proven wrong.

Judging a Book by it's Cover

The Motorcycle Diaries seems like it will be very much like the Diary of Anne Frank in it's writing. However, this will be more thought provoking in the fact that Che is an adult and will think differently than Anne Frank. Thus, this will present a different set of ideas, questions, and quandaries for the reading audience.

Books generally hold a reader's attention by appealing to their interests if they are similar to the author's. In this way, I have read many books which either appeal or don't appeal to me based on genre and the subjects they discuss within the book.

Che Guevara: 40 Years Later

Che Guevara was an icon for freedom and equality amongst people of a nation. He symbolized as an inspiration by younger liberal crowds. Although he has done ill in his past and contributed to the rise of the Cuban government, I believe that this report of Che Guevara is vastly biased to one side of the argument instead of being neutral as a news reporter. This show is one that shouldn't get much attention and does not give facts on both sides of a controversial issue.

Before today, I have never really known about Che Guevara or whom he was as a person or a political figure. However, I must say that I have seen the iconic stylization of his face in high contrast shirts or merchandise. Thus, this did stir my interest enough to do a little background research on Che Guevara. Yes, he was a brutal executor and a antagonist for consumer markets, however he was still a great idealist whom worked towards the freedom of his people.

Banana Pancakes

Welcome to my blog! This will be my blog for '09 English.

G'day, gentlemen/gentlewomen.