I think that the death of Osama Bin Laden was a good accomplishment made by the U.S.A. I think this because we have been after him for the longest time and now we finally caught him and defeated him so now we dont have anything to worry about anymore, hopefully. I mean there could also be another terrorist leader thats part of the al-quaeda that we have not discovered yet and he could pose a threat to the U.S. as another dangerous target we should hunt down just like we did to Osama. Im glad that we got him after all this time, but at the same time i am a little bit worried because who knows, Osama Bin kLaden could have been a hero to the middleeastern people. I also think that people in general think that the leader of their own native country is the best hero that does everything right and everybody loves him. For us Americans, obviously the hero would be Obama and Bush, because they put the most effort into finding Bin Laden in order to bring him into justice (especially Bush). But for the Middleeastern people, their hero might have been Osama because he was the most powerful ruler of the time with the most authority. So there is two sides to this story and you kind of have to look at the event in both perspectives of the Americans and the Middleeasrern peoples, even though it may be hard because we are American and we support the U.S.A. and its decisions. I first experienced the emotions and reactions of terrorism when I was in the first grade, when the famous 9/11 event happened. I was about to go to school when I saw what had happened on the news on the television. When I arrived at school, all the teachers and staff were loitering in the hallways when class should have been in session, watching the terrible news on the television. I was pretty young at the time to understand what had all been happening but now that i know what had really happened and why, I was angry and upset with the terrorists. And now when i am seeing that on the news that Osama bin Laden is dead, I at first did not think that this day would come. I thought that it was all just a phony scheme to arise tension between the public and the government and the military action. I thought that this would be like a counter attack when the Americans killed the terrorist leader, they would pull out all troops out of the Middleeast and send them home. Then after that, the al-quaeda would regain a whole lot of power and strength so they would comeback at the U.S.A. with very strong military action and terrorist forces. At first I didn’t believe it was true but then I logged onto facebook and everyone had posted stuff about the whole event. I saw posts such as “im glad im American” and “he is finally dead, go U.S.A.”. Then after that I saw all over the news that Osama Bin Laden was actually dead after all. Now I believed the truth but I still could not believe that all of a sudden the U.S. military forces finally capture and kill the most dangerous terrorist leader in the world when he has been in hiding for over5 or 10 years or so. This really shocked the U.S. too because I also saw that th event was posted all over the front page of the newspaper. I also believed it was true when I arrived at school Monday when all my friends were cracking jokes and talking about the terrorist leader being dead. At school that day, the whole talk was about Osama bin Laden being killed after so many long and hard years of fighting to get to him, the Americans finally defeated and killed him so he poses a threat to the United states no more. Over all, I believe that his death was good because after all, Osama didn’t do anything good for the world, he just murdered mass amounts of innocent civilians and started an evil terrorist organization destined to harm and bring terror to the world.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Osama yo mama
I think that the death of Osama Bin Laden was a good accomplishment made by the U.S.A. I think this because we have been after him for the longest time and now we finally caught him and defeated him so now we dont have anything to worry about anymore, hopefully. I mean there could also be another terrorist leader thats part of the al-quaeda that we have not discovered yet and he could pose a threat to the U.S. as another dangerous target we should hunt down just like we did to Osama. Im glad that we got him after all this time, but at the same time i am a little bit worried because who knows, Osama Bin kLaden could have been a hero to the middleeastern people. I also think that people in general think that the leader of their own native country is the best hero that does everything right and everybody loves him. For us Americans, obviously the hero would be Obama and Bush, because they put the most effort into finding Bin Laden in order to bring him into justice (especially Bush). But for the Middleeastern people, their hero might have been Osama because he was the most powerful ruler of the time with the most authority. So there is two sides to this story and you kind of have to look at the event in both perspectives of the Americans and the Middleeasrern peoples, even though it may be hard because we are American and we support the U.S.A. and its decisions. I first experienced the emotions and reactions of terrorism when I was in the first grade, when the famous 9/11 event happened. I was about to go to school when I saw what had happened on the news on the television. When I arrived at school, all the teachers and staff were loitering in the hallways when class should have been in session, watching the terrible news on the television. I was pretty young at the time to understand what had all been happening but now that i know what had really happened and why, I was angry and upset with the terrorists. And now when i am seeing that on the news that Osama bin Laden is dead, I at first did not think that this day would come. I thought that it was all just a phony scheme to arise tension between the public and the government and the military action. I thought that this would be like a counter attack when the Americans killed the terrorist leader, they would pull out all troops out of the Middleeast and send them home. Then after that, the al-quaeda would regain a whole lot of power and strength so they would comeback at the U.S.A. with very strong military action and terrorist forces. At first I didn’t believe it was true but then I logged onto facebook and everyone had posted stuff about the whole event. I saw posts such as “im glad im American” and “he is finally dead, go U.S.A.”. Then after that I saw all over the news that Osama Bin Laden was actually dead after all. Now I believed the truth but I still could not believe that all of a sudden the U.S. military forces finally capture and kill the most dangerous terrorist leader in the world when he has been in hiding for over5 or 10 years or so. This really shocked the U.S. too because I also saw that th event was posted all over the front page of the newspaper. I also believed it was true when I arrived at school Monday when all my friends were cracking jokes and talking about the terrorist leader being dead. At school that day, the whole talk was about Osama bin Laden being killed after so many long and hard years of fighting to get to him, the Americans finally defeated and killed him so he poses a threat to the United states no more. Over all, I believe that his death was good because after all, Osama didn’t do anything good for the world, he just murdered mass amounts of innocent civilians and started an evil terrorist organization destined to harm and bring terror to the world.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Maus-Night Blogging assignment
In both books, Maus and Night, one mutual pattern i noticed is that family and friends work as hard as they can as a team to survive the war. I also spotted that there is a great deal of compassion between jewish prisoners helping each other become free from Nazi influence and the death camps. For example, in the book Maus I and Maus II, Vladek trys his hardest to stay alive in the death camps because he desires no more but to see his wife again, and in the book, Night, the only thing that keeps Elizer alive is the desire to live with his father at home, and not in the concentration camps. In both books, Vladek and Elizer's father both do their best to keep their children informed of how bad the nazis actually were. In Maus I and Maus II, Vladek explains verbally to his son, Artie, about his times during the war and what it felt like to be a jew during the time. In the book Night, Elizer and his father both live together during the tough times and struggle between life or death at all of the concentration camps that they venture to. Then also in both books, they discuss certain details about the life in concentration camps. They both explain how important food was, and in order to get some soup or stale bread for your food ration of the day, you have to either paass the prisoner exam, the lice exam, or maybe even both. Vladek and Elizer explain the essence of food, and how hard it was to have such little food in a day, while working hard and doing tough manual labor all day. All the prisoners crave food as a delight in the concentration camps because everyone is starving, and will do whatever it takes in order to get some scraps of food. For example, in the book Night, Germans throw some stale bread or scraps of food onto the train car, and watch the jewish prisoners fight to the death for it. They do this for enjoyment, to watch starving people try to seriously injure or even kill for some food, and it entertains them. Elizer mentions that he feels completely like he is in a zoo and lives with a bunch of wild animals who fight eachother so they can survive. Similar pranks to taunt the jews are committed by the Germans in the book Maus also. For example, some German soldier once snagged a prisoners cap from him in a concentration camp, and threw it then he yelled at him to go and get it back. The German nazi soldier then shoots and kills the poor innocent prisoner for the "attempt of an escape". The German then is awarded many honorable war metals, and is granted a few days of vacation time. Also, the Germans lie completely to the jews in the book Maus. Once, the jews were marching to another death camp and they offered the Germans all of their gold and possesions if they could escape. The Germans then agree and when the jews try to escape, the Germans all open fire on them and completely break their promise. I recomend to future classes to read both books, Maus I and Maus II, and Night, because they are both so similar, but they show the different expierences that the people have to go through along with their views and opinions. Personally, Maus I and Maus II were a very easy read, and it caught my attention so i was never bored with it or disliked it, because it incorporated a real life story along with a whole comic strip storyline. Night was good too, because it was short and the book made sense. Night also was very interesting because it is a book based on a true story of surviving during the holocaust. I also feel that if you read one book, you might as well read the other one because they are both super easy, short, and enjoyable. I am glad that I had the opportunity to read both books.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Restrepo Blogging Assignment
In the Book, Restrepo, and Fallen Angels, There are many similarities and perspectives one can tell during war. For example, in both Restrepo and Fallen angels, it explains how terrible the feeling is when one of your friends passes away in combat, Jenkins in Fallen angels, and Restrepo in Restrepo. Also, the soldiers explained their feelings towards the combat in the war with everyone during the nighttime in the base, while the soldiers in Restrepo do the same. There are also some funny parts to the war, like in Fallen angels, how Perry and Peewee are in a spiderhole, and also in Restrepo, when the opening fights start, the soldiers have fun with each other fighting the enemy. There was also some humorous parts in the book, like when a soldier tans in the sun, and in fallen angels, when peewee puts cream on his face, which makes it swelled. Also, in restrepo, when they work as a team in battle against the Taliban, in fallen angels, Peewee and Perry, and their squad do the same. When the soldiers in the afghan war are scared in battle of their enemy, Perry and his squad feels the same because they are fighting on the enemy’s homeland, and use guerilla tactics. The feeling is also mutual when the American soldiers in Afghanistan write home to their loved ones, American soldiers in Vietnam do the same because they are not for sure if they will live or not. When the American soldiers let out a flair for Restrepo, the enemy spots their location, and same in fallen angels when they let out a flair for help.
Fallen angels and Restrepo both showed many similarities and differences during wartime, specifically the Afghan war and the Vietnam war. Both watching the movie Restrepo and reading the book Fallen angels has taught and showed me many of the reality events that happen during the war. Such as in Fallen Angels, when Perry loses his close friend, Jenkins, at the beginning of the book, and when one of the soldiers loses his close friend, Restrepo, in the movie Restrepo. War is not pretty, and it is never like that of what they advertise of television. To realize what war truly is about and to experience what it feels like to be a soldier, you have to go to the war yourself and experience it hands on, by yourself.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Slaughterhouse Blogging Prewriting
Please list 10 ways you can improve your essay scores
1.Take my time 6.end with a good conclusion that sums up my ideas
2 find legitimate quotes 7make sure i read the directions
3.include more transition words 8.come up with ideas that can be backed up by evidence
4.use complete sentences 9.ask for help when i am confused
5.Start off with a good intro that explains why im writing 10.do prewriting beforehand to lay out what im about to write
Please write any 15 thoughts about the book Slaughterhouse-5. For each thought, please refer to a specific part of the book that generated this thought (for instance, “It was funny” receives no credit; “It was funny when he described the Tralfamadorians” receives full credit).
1.i thought that it was funny how weary would make fun of billy
2.it was funny when billy described the aliens, and the aliens describing him
3.it was very deep when thinking that there is a 4th dimension
4.it made me think real hard when the aliens say that there are a total of 7 sexes, but we can only see 2
5.it was depressing when billy would see death everywhere in the war
6.it made me think if there was actually a planet called tralfamadore where aliens roamed their planet
7.i was confused when billy would constantly time travel from place to place
8.i was confused on how billy and a few others survived the bombing, while nobody else did
9.i didn't completely understand why the book was called slaughterhouse 5
10.i found myself often lost when billy would jump from time to time throughout his life, seeing him as a soldier and a dad and a animal on another planet
11.i thought that it was kinda dumb how billy described the aliens, and how they look like...a shaft with an eye and a human like hand that surrounds it
12.i thought that it was really annoying when billy would say, no, i have to die, this is my destiny, it will happen sooner or later
13.it really confused me how billy was all calm about his 3 lives, he never seemed worried at all or nervous what will happen to him at any given time
14.i noticed a pattern throughout the book, that whenever billy drifts off to sleep, he time travels to somewhere else, and wakes up someplace else in a completely different world. like a bad dream
15.i thought that it was kind of funny but at the same time predictable and repentant when billy would always time travel back to his bedroom, making live to his wife. it was very easy to spot where he would go next after he was just in tralfamadore, or in the war in Germany, as a prisoner or a soldier.
State 5 possible themes for the book Slaughterhouse-5.
1.learn to accept the things you cannot change, for it is called destiny.
2.do not fear death, death is a natural part of life, and eventually everyone will experience it sooner or later
3.life as a soldier should be valued, for you set your life on the line everyday in battle
4.be kind and use your manners, because it may just alter the enemie's decision to kill you
5.try hard and never give up, because if you don't give up, you have faith and you will eventually find peace and happiness
Write a conversation between yourself and Billy Pilgrim in which he tries to teach you a lesson based on his own experiences. You must explain IN DEPTH at least 3 specific events and details from the book in order to receive full credit. This conversation should go on as long as it takes to demonstrate YOUR UNDERSTANDING of Billy’s experiences.
EXAMPLE:
Billy: Hello, Matt
Matt: Hey Billy
Billy: have you ever heard of time travel?
Matt: of course i have
Billy: Have you ever experienced it before?
Matt: No. have you?
Billy: yes, i have been time traveling for as long as i can remember
Matt: you must be crazy, there is no such thing as time travel
Billy: oh yes there is such thing as time travel. When i was a new recruit as a soldier in the war, that is when they took me
Matt: who took you?
Billy: The little native aliens of the planet Tralfamadore, they live millions of lightyears away from planet earth.
Matt: so i take it that you were abducted by the aliens? just like all of the other alien movies?
Billy: yes i was, but i was also living three lives at once, and i had no idea it was possible.
Matt: When did you start to time travel?
Billy: first there were some flashes of my life, then it began to get rough. on the planet of tralfamadore, 6 earthling months in just a few seconds in real life.
Matt: so is it safe to say that it would feel like you have been gone for years, and then when they travel you back in time to earth, you have only been gone for a few seconds?
Billy: yes you are completely correct except that over time i found a reaccuring pattern within my life time traveling from place to place
Matt:...so, what is it then? you choose when and where you want to go?
Billy: i found out over time, that i time travel whenever i go to sleep or take a nap. i have no control over it and it is quite depressing.
Matt: wait, you told me something about you being in the war.
Billy: yes i was fighting in the was as a new recruit against the germans, and then where i was located in, dresden, germany, got completely bombed and looked like a ghost town. me and a few other soldiers were hit by a miracle to see that we were still alive. When i would time travel, i would usually go back and forth between my real life at home, my life on the planet of tralfamadore, and my life as a soldier in the war. In my life i got very confused on which way to go and even what to do. The aliens have manipulated my life, and i wish the flashes would stop and i could be finally free from being unstuck in time.
Matt: that is very deep, billy. your life sounds very stressful and full of obstacles you need to dodge in order to survive.
Billy: yes, and i wish i was back home now with my wife, for i am soon going to be taveling through time to the war again.
Matt: is there anything i can do to help you billy
Billy: no there is not. there is no cure or help you can assist me of the get me back into my beloved family life. Even if i die or get killed in the war, i will then wake up from a nightmare inside my cage in tralfamadore.
Matt: so you are technically invincible? did the aliens keep you as a zoo animal on theyre planet?
Billy: yes you could say that, and i am a filthy animal rotting away in an old rusty cage on that long lost planet. The aliens have such a different way of looking at life, and they think that i am beautiful. i am locked up in a cage and am nearly humiliated to death when those creatures point laugh or watch me as if i am some kind of stubborn brute.
Matt: i am sorry billy that your life has been too complicated.
Billy: i am getting tired now matt, i think it is time for me to go back to the frontline of the war and defeat germany, just like i have done in the past many times before.
Matt: okay billy, it was nice talking to you and i hope to see you again.
Billy: farewell my friend, be sure to say hi to mr.cheng for me
Matt: ok bye
1.Take my time 6.end with a good conclusion that sums up my ideas
2 find legitimate quotes 7make sure i read the directions
3.include more transition words 8.come up with ideas that can be backed up by evidence
4.use complete sentences 9.ask for help when i am confused
5.Start off with a good intro that explains why im writing 10.do prewriting beforehand to lay out what im about to write
Please write any 15 thoughts about the book Slaughterhouse-5. For each thought, please refer to a specific part of the book that generated this thought (for instance, “It was funny” receives no credit; “It was funny when he described the Tralfamadorians” receives full credit).
1.i thought that it was funny how weary would make fun of billy
2.it was funny when billy described the aliens, and the aliens describing him
3.it was very deep when thinking that there is a 4th dimension
4.it made me think real hard when the aliens say that there are a total of 7 sexes, but we can only see 2
5.it was depressing when billy would see death everywhere in the war
6.it made me think if there was actually a planet called tralfamadore where aliens roamed their planet
7.i was confused when billy would constantly time travel from place to place
8.i was confused on how billy and a few others survived the bombing, while nobody else did
9.i didn't completely understand why the book was called slaughterhouse 5
10.i found myself often lost when billy would jump from time to time throughout his life, seeing him as a soldier and a dad and a animal on another planet
11.i thought that it was kinda dumb how billy described the aliens, and how they look like...a shaft with an eye and a human like hand that surrounds it
12.i thought that it was really annoying when billy would say, no, i have to die, this is my destiny, it will happen sooner or later
13.it really confused me how billy was all calm about his 3 lives, he never seemed worried at all or nervous what will happen to him at any given time
14.i noticed a pattern throughout the book, that whenever billy drifts off to sleep, he time travels to somewhere else, and wakes up someplace else in a completely different world. like a bad dream
15.i thought that it was kind of funny but at the same time predictable and repentant when billy would always time travel back to his bedroom, making live to his wife. it was very easy to spot where he would go next after he was just in tralfamadore, or in the war in Germany, as a prisoner or a soldier.
State 5 possible themes for the book Slaughterhouse-5.
1.learn to accept the things you cannot change, for it is called destiny.
2.do not fear death, death is a natural part of life, and eventually everyone will experience it sooner or later
3.life as a soldier should be valued, for you set your life on the line everyday in battle
4.be kind and use your manners, because it may just alter the enemie's decision to kill you
5.try hard and never give up, because if you don't give up, you have faith and you will eventually find peace and happiness
Write a conversation between yourself and Billy Pilgrim in which he tries to teach you a lesson based on his own experiences. You must explain IN DEPTH at least 3 specific events and details from the book in order to receive full credit. This conversation should go on as long as it takes to demonstrate YOUR UNDERSTANDING of Billy’s experiences.
EXAMPLE:
Billy: Hello, Matt
Matt: Hey Billy
Billy: have you ever heard of time travel?
Matt: of course i have
Billy: Have you ever experienced it before?
Matt: No. have you?
Billy: yes, i have been time traveling for as long as i can remember
Matt: you must be crazy, there is no such thing as time travel
Billy: oh yes there is such thing as time travel. When i was a new recruit as a soldier in the war, that is when they took me
Matt: who took you?
Billy: The little native aliens of the planet Tralfamadore, they live millions of lightyears away from planet earth.
Matt: so i take it that you were abducted by the aliens? just like all of the other alien movies?
Billy: yes i was, but i was also living three lives at once, and i had no idea it was possible.
Matt: When did you start to time travel?
Billy: first there were some flashes of my life, then it began to get rough. on the planet of tralfamadore, 6 earthling months in just a few seconds in real life.
Matt: so is it safe to say that it would feel like you have been gone for years, and then when they travel you back in time to earth, you have only been gone for a few seconds?
Billy: yes you are completely correct except that over time i found a reaccuring pattern within my life time traveling from place to place
Matt:...so, what is it then? you choose when and where you want to go?
Billy: i found out over time, that i time travel whenever i go to sleep or take a nap. i have no control over it and it is quite depressing.
Matt: wait, you told me something about you being in the war.
Billy: yes i was fighting in the was as a new recruit against the germans, and then where i was located in, dresden, germany, got completely bombed and looked like a ghost town. me and a few other soldiers were hit by a miracle to see that we were still alive. When i would time travel, i would usually go back and forth between my real life at home, my life on the planet of tralfamadore, and my life as a soldier in the war. In my life i got very confused on which way to go and even what to do. The aliens have manipulated my life, and i wish the flashes would stop and i could be finally free from being unstuck in time.
Matt: that is very deep, billy. your life sounds very stressful and full of obstacles you need to dodge in order to survive.
Billy: yes, and i wish i was back home now with my wife, for i am soon going to be taveling through time to the war again.
Matt: is there anything i can do to help you billy
Billy: no there is not. there is no cure or help you can assist me of the get me back into my beloved family life. Even if i die or get killed in the war, i will then wake up from a nightmare inside my cage in tralfamadore.
Matt: so you are technically invincible? did the aliens keep you as a zoo animal on theyre planet?
Billy: yes you could say that, and i am a filthy animal rotting away in an old rusty cage on that long lost planet. The aliens have such a different way of looking at life, and they think that i am beautiful. i am locked up in a cage and am nearly humiliated to death when those creatures point laugh or watch me as if i am some kind of stubborn brute.
Matt: i am sorry billy that your life has been too complicated.
Billy: i am getting tired now matt, i think it is time for me to go back to the frontline of the war and defeat germany, just like i have done in the past many times before.
Matt: okay billy, it was nice talking to you and i hope to see you again.
Billy: farewell my friend, be sure to say hi to mr.cheng for me
Matt: ok bye
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Siddhartha Blogging Assignment
Siddhartha learns many valuable lessons about himself and the people he meets throughout his lifetime. Siddhartha has moved from place to place learning these lessons, and i think that Siddhartha learns the most from the people he meets when he least expects it. I believe that throughout the book, Siddhartha learns the most from his friend, Govinda. Siddhartha learns with Govinda that you should do what you feel is the right choice for you, even if your closest family or friends say you are wrong or disagree with you. For instance, "Siddhartha placed his hand on Govinda's shoulder. 'You have heard my blessing, Govinda. I repeat it. May you travel this path to the end. May you find salvation!'"(30). This shows that Siddhartha has found what he was looking for by himself, with nobody else's concern. Now he tells Govinda that he should do the same and look for something to satisfy what he seeks. An example in my life or other peoples would be that if your parents don't want you to stay up late doing homework, but you have homework that you didn't finish and is worth lots of points, you ignore what they say, and finish the homework. Overall, you could be tired the next day, but it was worth it because you got the assignment done and completed.
Also, Siddhartha learns from his friend, Govinda, to look at the world in a different way other than Govinda might see it to be, in order to become a happy person and achieve enlightenment. What I mean, is that Siddhartha imagines what the world looks like in Govinda's perspective, and thinks what life would be like if people with goods and valuable possesions are doomed, and the only way to achieve enlightenment is through nirvana. After experiencing what the world looked like to Govinda, Siddhartha tries to look at the world in a different way, and enjoys it very much and becomes happy. For example, "He bowed low, right down to the ground, in front of the man sitting there motionless, whose smile reminded him of everything that he had ever loved in his life, of everything that had ever been of value and holy in his life."(151-152). This quote shows that Siddhartha and Govinda remember every little thought of good and happiness from their lives. Therefore, they both have achieved enlightenment together. They thought and meditated together in order to get there, in a happy and peaceful state of mind. In my life and for other people too, sometimes you have to convince your friends to do something different, or look at it in a different way. This can sometimes relieve stress or make them happy in some cases. For example, if there is a project due in 1 day and you want to hang out with friends over the weekend, split the project up and get it done piece by piece rather than in one sitting, which makes the project look simpler to do.
Also, Siddhartha learns from his friend, Govinda, to look at the world in a different way other than Govinda might see it to be, in order to become a happy person and achieve enlightenment. What I mean, is that Siddhartha imagines what the world looks like in Govinda's perspective, and thinks what life would be like if people with goods and valuable possesions are doomed, and the only way to achieve enlightenment is through nirvana. After experiencing what the world looked like to Govinda, Siddhartha tries to look at the world in a different way, and enjoys it very much and becomes happy. For example, "He bowed low, right down to the ground, in front of the man sitting there motionless, whose smile reminded him of everything that he had ever loved in his life, of everything that had ever been of value and holy in his life."(151-152). This quote shows that Siddhartha and Govinda remember every little thought of good and happiness from their lives. Therefore, they both have achieved enlightenment together. They thought and meditated together in order to get there, in a happy and peaceful state of mind. In my life and for other people too, sometimes you have to convince your friends to do something different, or look at it in a different way. This can sometimes relieve stress or make them happy in some cases. For example, if there is a project due in 1 day and you want to hang out with friends over the weekend, split the project up and get it done piece by piece rather than in one sitting, which makes the project look simpler to do.
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