Sunday, December 12, 2010

"Be a Man" Macbeth assignment

1. Act 4 scene 3 lines 67-69 : "Not in the legions of horrid hell can come a devil more damned in evils to top Macbeth."  While Malcom and Macduff are in discussion about Macbeth and how he is king, they also talk about how such a horrible man he is, and how not even a devil is more evil than him, because he is so manly, that he shows no mercy.  They describe him as a murderous monster that took over as king over greed.

2. Act 4 scene 3 lines 252-254 : "Be comforted.  Let's make us med'cines of our great revenge to cure this deadly grief."  After Ross tells Macduff that his whole family and house has been slaughtered, Malcom suggests that they get revenge on Macbeth.  Macduff would really like to get revenge on Macbeth now, that he has taken everything away from him.  Macduff needs to pull himself together and be a man and fight back and get revenge on Macbeth for his family.

3. Act 4 scene 3 lines268-269 : "Be this the whetstone of your sword.  Let grief convert to anger.  Blunt not the heart; enrage it."  In this quote, Malcom is encouraging Macduff to use his grief and transform it into anger so he gets motivated to kill Macbeth.  Macduff takes his manly advice and quickly turns his sadness into anger and becomes furious at Macbeth and wants no more but to get payback on Macbeth.

4. Act 5 scene 2 lines 1-5 : "The english power is near, led on by Malcom...revenges will burn in them, for their dear causes would to the bleeding and the grim alarm excite the mortified man."  Mentieth speaks to Angus, Lennox, and Caithness about how Malcom, Macduff and their army are coming to get their revenge on Macbeth and his actions.  She tells in detail how much Malcom and Macduff want revenge and want to see blood in Macbeth's kingdom, which will excite them to see that they can defeat Macbeth.  This shows how manly they are, being excited to see people die for revenge on a bad person who killed innocent people.

5. Act 5 scene 3 lines 17-20 : "...What soldiers, patch?  Death of thy soul!...What soldiers, whey-face?"
In this quote, Macbeth talks to his servant how she and he think how the battle will turn out.  Macbeth  has a gut-feeling that he is already a dead man, he knows that he is not a coward and will not run, and he will fight till his last breath, like a man on the battle field, defending his throne from Macduff and Malcom.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

The Odyssey analysis writing assignment


Life needs to be valued, and you should never give up

In first place, life should be valued.  Every person is unique and nobody is worthless. Although they might think they are nothing they are still living on earth, therefore they are something.  To illustrate my point, this quote tells how much Achilles wished he was alive. “But you , Achilles, there’s not a man in the world more blest then you- there never has been, never will be one….’I’d rather slave on earth for another man- some dirt-poor tenant farmer who scrapes to keep alive-‘…”(p.265, 547-560).  In the quote, even a bad life, living on earth is sweeter and more valuable than a great life in the underworld.  Living as a poor old peasant on Earth is of much greater value than being the king of the underworld, because life is such an experience to go through. You learn so much throughout a lifetime and the memories last forever.

Secondly, if you find yourself failing at most tasks very often, you should keep trying and never give up.  Patience is the key to life and you shouldn’t rush things if you know that it would fail.  Taking life one step at a time will make your life much less stressful and you will have a good idea on where you’re headed.  To show my point, this quote tells how Odysseus has been very patient on his quest to reach home, and when he takes his time, he will have a plan in advance on what to do next.  “’First I will transform you-no one must know you….I’ll dim the fire in your eyes, so shining at once- until you seem appalling to all those suitors”’(p.299, 454-459).  In this quote, Athena had disguised Odysseus into an old man.  At first, Odysseus is mad at her because he does not know why, but later on he notices that it is all part of his plan to get revenge on the suitors.  Since Odysseus has been so patient in such obstacles such as losing his men, and getting stuck in the middle of Poseidon’s wrath, he has been through much and has been very patient every step of the time.  Now Odysseus has been granted a great plan to regain his throne and kill the suitors.  If you are patient and live your life one step at a time, a great reward will eventually come to you, such as a plan that will guide you when you are lost, which will make your journey much less stressful.

Lastly, always trust your elders and be never give up on them.  Even though you have doubt in their ideas and plans, you should be patient, and see how the situation turns out.  Most of the time they are right, and sometimes you just have to deal with it, and not give up all hope.  To illustrate my point, this quote shows how Telemachus has no faith in his father’s plan and how Odysseus reassures his son to trust him and that it will work.  “’How on earth could two men fight so many and so strong?’…’Trust me’ his seasoned father reassured him,’”(p.346-347, 271-298).  In the quote, Odysseus explained his thought of how to kill the suitors and Telemachus had great doubt that it would be successful.  Odysseus then convinces Telemachus that his plan would work out and asks Telemachus to trust him.  Telemachus decides to trust his elder, and contribute to his father’s plan, even though he does not have a good feeling about it.  Now that they are both in agreement on a specific plan, they both have trust for each other, they are not giving up, and are committed to getting revenge on the suitors.  Trust between the father and son is the most important thing in order to live, and it requires patience at times to get there.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Telemachus and Odysseus

3. I do believe that Telemachus is a hero based off of the elements of the hero's journey and within the events that happened in books I and II.  Telemachus was a hero in my eyes because he was willing to leave his house to go on the quest to find his father, Odysseus.  He could have stayed home at his house and lived with his family and his servants, but he was on the search for the truth.  Telemachus had the choice to go or stay and live his own life without his father.  He chose to find his father because he felt that that was the right thing to do.  Telemachus also had the guts to stand up for his own house and his life.  When the suitors were somewhat pusing Telemachus around and acting all bossy over him, just because he was a boy, Telemachus spoke up and explained that they had no right to do that.  He will fight for justice and will not quit until he gets the answer that he is searching for.

4. I also do believe that Odysseus is a hero based off of the elements of the hero's journey and within the events that happened in books I and II.  Odysseus was a herp to me, because  Odysseus knew that he was far from home, and that he needed to go home to see his son and wife, and bring back order and honor to his throne as king.  When Calyipso offers Odysseus to become immortal if he stays with her and marrys her, Odysseus refuses because he knows that that is not the right path to take in his life.  Although Odysseus would like to marry Calyipso and become her husband, he refuses because he has a wife of his own, and he cannot betray her.  Odysseus is also a hero because no matter what comes in his path, he keeps on fighting to get home.  For Example, when Poseidon strikes Odysseus with a great big sea storm, Odysseus spends 18 days at sea, and never gives up, no matter what, because he knows that he needs to go home, and restore order.  Odysseus always does what is the rightful choice, and never gives up, because he is eager to finally meet up again with his son and wife.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Randy Moss editorial responce

For the Viking’s sake, I think that its great to have Randy Moss back on the team.  I really like the idea of Favre and Moss working together to win some games.  After Sydney Rice left the team temporarily to have hip surgery, Minnesota was desperate for a player that was talented and had experience at being receiver.  Number 84, seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, Randy Moss was the perfect match.  Although I do agree with the editorial about his field play and his contract controversies.  He left the Vikings on bad terms in 2005, and left the Raiders on bad terms again in 2007.  Also, he was accused of not trying his hardest on the field.  This, most noticed when he is unhappy about his contract deal.  This leaves a lot of people wondering if all of this was a good idea to trade him in after all.  I think Moss does want to get paid more money for no other better reason, rather than because “he can”.  But for now, it is official that Moss is playing for the Vike’s, and hopefully our team will be back in business of winning together as a team.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Opinion on the study of trash

Editorial: Take a good look at the trash

The American people are hurting the environment everyday by throwing away waste.  More and more people are starting to turn “eco-friendly” by buying organic, all natural, nontoxic, and “green” household products.  How about the water bottles that we drink from at sporting events or at work?  Whenever we throw that plastic bottle in the garbage, do we ever think twice about it?    What about at schools, where there are plenty of students that do the same?  All of that plastic adds up, and needs to go somewhere on this planet, and we need to take action about the situation.  I think that more attention should be paid to reducing garbage at schools and increasing recycling throughout the community by placing recycling bins for specific items next to garbage bins.

We could separate our waste from garbage more easily and efficiently by placing recycling bins for specific items next to garbage bins.  That way, most people would take the time to recycle on the spot, because there are bins to put your waste in at one location.  Imagine how much waste could be properly disposed of at the schools in your community.  Last April, the pollution control agency picked through the trash of six Hennepin county schools over a two day span.  In September, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency released a report on the experiment.  It is estimated that on average, each person at those six schools, including students, teachers, and staff, created  about a half a pound of waste each day.  Of that waste, 78% could be used for composting or recycling, but over the two day period, only 40% was.  This statistic shows that people either do not know what kinds of things can be recycled or composted, or that it was not convenient for them to place items in appropriate containers, or they maybe just did not care about doing it.   


For whatever reason only 40% of the waste was recycled, the message is clear-people need to be educated about what can be recycled, and the method to collect the recyclable items needs to be convenient and easy.  People in communities also need to think about creating less trash.  For example, use real silverware instead of plastic at the next family barbecue.  Bring your water to work in a reusable water bottle from home instead of using disposable plastic ones.    Buy food items that have less packaging, such as larger bags of snacks instead of single serve bags that create more garbage.  Make sure to teach yourself about what items can be recycled and which items cannot, and be sure to recycle them or dispose of them properly.  Promote recycling in public places like schools, offices and movie theaters.  Encourage business owners to place recycling containers right next to garbage bins, so that people can easily sort their waste without any hesitations.  All of these small tips can help the environment be cleaner for us to live in.  So next time, think twice about how to throw that plastic bottle away.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Herb Brooks Real Life Hero's Journey

Birth-Herb Brooks was born and raised into the lifestyle of playing the sport of hockey.  Growing up, he played hockey in high school, college at the U of M, and he was cut from the 1960 olympic team just before the games started.  He lived, breathed, ate, and slept hockey... his whole life was hockey, ever since he was born.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Brooks

Call to Adventure-In 1983, Michigan's coach had passed away and Michigan were in need for a new replacement coach.  Following up with the death of Michigan's coach,  John Maclnnes, Brooks was offered a spot there to be a replacement coach for the Michigan hockey team. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Brooks#Later_career

Refusal of the Call-Rather than coaching Michigan, Brooks turned down the offer to go off and coach the St.Cloud State University's hockey team.  He led the team to become a division 1 hockey school.  Herb finished his his collegiate coaching with an incredible record of 175-101-20.  He then became the very first coach of the US to claim victory over the USSR in 20 years, along with his carefully selected hockey team.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Brooks#Later_career

Belly of the whale-Herb Brooks went on in his career coaching many other hockey teams.  He got involved so much in coaching, that he eventually coached the New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars, New Jersey Devils, and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/biography-of-herb-brooks.html

Sacrifice/Betrayal-Herb Brooks and his US team mainly consisted of players from the U of M and players of their rivals- Boston University.  Herb had to teach each and every individual player how to cooperate together and play as a team.  He would not allow any hatred between  his players, just because they are from Minnesota, or because they are from Boston.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Brooks#Early_life

Final Battle-Herb Brooks and his US team claimed victory at the Olympic games in 1980.  The US beat the USSR to win the gold metal in the last final minutes of the Olympic event for Hockey.  "Miracle On Ice" it was called, and later came up as a movie title in the theaters.  This event was so special, that it was claimed as the "single most indelible moment in all of U.S. sports history".
http://proicehockey.about.com/cs/history/a/miracle_on_ice.htm

Death of the Hero-On August 11th 2003, Herb Brooks was killed in a car accident north of the Twin Cities near Interstate 35.  At only 66 years of age, Brooks died at a young age.  It was a very violent way to die, and to be as big as a hero as Herb Brooks, this was a very tragic time for family and friends of Herb Brooks.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/news/2003/08/11/brooks_obit_ap/

Freedom to Live-Herb Brooks lived a good life as a Hockey legend.  Brooks was one of the best hockey coaches of all time, and led many teams of his that he coached to victory.  He was "a true American hero", and he will never be forgotten.
http://www.herbbrooksfoundation.com/history.html

Mr.Cheng I tried to include 10 characteristics of a hero, but I only came up with 8 and I could not come up with 2 more without being repetitive, or they just would not make sense. 

Monday, September 27, 2010

Luke skywalker and Doug PIE paragraphs

               Doug from "blue diamond" is a character that saves his best friend from committing suicide.  Luke skywalker from "star wars" is a character that destroys the empire and brings peace to the galaxy.  Both characters have success after they complete their long journey in the quest to save their best friend/destroy the empire.  Also, at the beginning of the quest, they both have a 'refusal to the call' to go on the quest but, they begin their journey in a different way from eachother.  Doug, from blue diamond, is somewhat forced into the situation because his friend Quinn offered to take him to dinner one night while Doug was in the middle of studying, and Quinn then kidnapped him, and drove him all the way to Las Vegas in his dad's car, which is off limits at all times for Quinn to drive.  Luke skywalker on the other hand, chose to go with obi-wan to alderaan, after seeing that the empire has killed his parents, and practically destroyed his home.  Luke did not have many other logical reasons to stay home, so his only choice was to go with obi-wan on the quest.  This shows that not all heroes are prepared for what they have to do, but rather that they have to find whats hidden inside of them, that makes them a hero.

               "Heroes" as we know them, most all the time have skills that they were born with, or have a certain power that only they can possess.  A similarity between Doug and Luke proves that you do not need to have skills or special powers to be a hero.  Doug is just a normal high school student that was not born with the ability to jump from building to building to save an old lady and her cat from their burning apartment.  Neither was Luke.  Although Luke's father was a great Jedi warrior that had the power of the force, Luke does not have to become a Jedi like his father, to bring peace to the galaxy.  Doug is a true hero that saved his best friend, Quinn,  from killing himself by being a nice guy and talking to him.  Doug listed the things in life that are worth living for, and Quinn thought about it, and decided that he would not kill himself.  Dog is a hero because he brought out the power of friendship that every person has, to talk to his friend and to stop him from killing himself.  On the other hand, Luke volunteered to help the rebellion in the fight for peace and power against the empire.  Luke is a hero because he had the courage to help the people that needed it most to bring peace to the galaxy.  This shows that any person can be a hero, born with special powers, or not.

               The reason why Luke skywalker goes on the quest with obi-wan to help destroy the empire is because the empire had destroyed all of his home, and murdered his parents.  Luke had nowhere else to go, and no interest in anything else but to become a great Jedi, like his father.  Throughout the story, Luke does not show interest in having fun, eating exotic meals and or drinks that he has never seen back at his home, or anything else.  The only few things Luke has on his mind are to: destroy the empire, save princess Leia
(for the rebel alliance), and to learn the ways of the force and to become a Jedi warrior to fight against the empire.  Luke skywalker could not be any more motivated than he was at helping the rebel alliance and becoming a Jedi.  At the end of the story, Luke destroys the death star, and is quickly known to be a hero.  Luke's motivation to be like his father is what kept him going, and is what in the end, helped him destroy the death star.  Sometimes, there is no better role model in life to look up to than your father, and Luke pursued his goal by following in his father's footsteps throughout the story to reach his goal.