THANKS, OBAMA

Welp. The federal government has shut down. In a nutshell, that means that the government is no longer allowed to legally spend money. First time in seventeen years that this has happened.

Well... now what? For starters,

• About 800 thousand federal employees will be furloughed (unpaid leave) until the government passes a bill that permits any further spending. 
• Less than 600 of NASA's 18,000 employees will keep working through a shutdown. 
• It will shut down all national parks as well as all Smithsonian museums, costing local businesses about $30 million per day.
• It will shut down a small number of Headstart programs.
• It will reduce GDP (market value of all officially recognized final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time, an indicator of the health of a country's economy) by 1.4 percentage points for the quarter.

And many, many worse things to come. But of course... 

• SENATORS AND CONGRESSPEOPLE (THE PEOPLE WHO GOT US IN THIS MESS) WILL STILL GET PAID.

Even after essentially holding their country's economy hostage to get what they want, they will still get paid an average of $174,000. Despite acting like children and being completely inconsiderate of their constituents, they will still get paid. Even with congressional approval rating at an all-time low of 19% (pre-shut down), it is estimated that House And Senate Incumbent Re-Election Rates Top 90%. So we're likely to see another similar debacle (if not worse) within the next years, probably even months.

It is likely that the United States will suffer yet another credit downgrade, which will only push us back into the miserable pit that was the recession of 2008 that we were slowly (but steadily) crawling out of. This will lead to a further global economic crisis and perhaps even a world-wide depression.

God Help Us All.

CHARACTER STUDY (III)

Javier’s head was pounding and he had no idea where he was at. He opened an eye and noticed himself still in complete darkness, but he sense that he was not alone. As he began to sit up and recollect his thoughts, there was a ray of light before him that appeared to get bigger and bigger as time elapsed. Soon the silhouette of three creatures appeared. Frightened, Javi slid back on his posterior and hands until he reached a barrier. His mind began racing with possibilities of what could have been happening: was he kidnapped by cartel members that were going to harvest his kidneys and after toss him face-first in a ditch in Tijuana? Or worse, was he abducted by extraterrestrials? As his life flashed before his eyes and he prayed to the based god for his safety, a timid voice broke the silence. “H-hello? Is a-anybody in here?” Javi slowly stood up and heard the hungover groans of my fellow captives. “Where am I? What is this?” he said in a confused tone.

Another, more imposing voice answered him “You in the ‘quipment shed, foo’.”

One of the other unidentified denizens of the shed responded with “What? Why are we in here?” to which the same imposing voice answered “Hell if I know. Y’all best get yo asses out of here though.” Javi and the others in the shed complied and slowly got out. The sun was blinding, but he could see what appeared to be a huge stadium in front of him. The three figures were clad in what seemed to be some type of battle armor. They looked dirty and rugged. Javi looked back and soon recognized his fellow captives. They were Andrew Alcazar, Mia Levy, and Kevin Lake, all classmates of his. They looked at each other with a combined look of confusion and relief. The three figures stepped closer and began to introduce themselves. The large, bulky one with a slight underbite and furrowed eyebrow was named Donkey Teeth, the tall, charismatic looking one was named the artist formerly named 4_­­², and the shy looking one with circular glasses was named D’Jasper Probincrux the third (do not forget the third). We introduced ourselves to them as well and they informed us a bit on our situation and location. “You see,” the artist formerly named 4_­­² informed us, “you’re trapped in the magical kingdom known as Righetti. We live under a huge glass dome with trolls patrolling it 24/7 to prevent any escapes. Honorable Supreme Leader Saunders controls every facet of life here. And there is a constant war between the tribes of the rats which inhabit the dessert that stretches between the candy forest and Honorable Supreme Leader Saunders’s fortress of doom.” Javi looked at the artist formerly named 4_­­² and asked If there’s any escape.

“They is but you mus’ pass through the dessert and the warring rats to find the legendary Wizard, Notserp. He will help y’all defeat Honorable ‘preme Leader Saunders and his goons an’ ‘scape through the fortress.”

“Can you help us on our journey?” Mia asked the men. At first, they were reluctant, but then I locked eyes with the artist formerly named 4_­­² and said “You will help us through this”. He gazed back with a blank facial expression and repeated “We will help us through this”. And off we were on our mystical trip through the magical domed kingdom of Righetti.

CHARACTER STUDY (II)

It was an usually warm September day. Javi was taking his daily stroll to Dr. Preston's class after lunch. When he arrived, he noticed a peculiar water bottle just sitting there on his desk, minding its own business. Well, Javi was having none of that and showed the bottle who was boss by drinking it. Being quite parched on this hot and sunny afternoon, this action seemed justified. After he drank it, he crushed it and tossed it into the recycling bin. He thought nothing of it besides the fact that there was a slight metallic taste to the water, but it was probably nothing. After the journal write, Javi laid his head down for a moment and quickly fell into a deep sleep. He opened his eyes and was surprised at what he saw. It seemed as if his entire surroundings was animated in Squigglevision™. All the colors were a million times more vibrant and the carpet appeared to be made out of villi, slowly waving to and fro, to and fro. Then, Preston spoke up and told us that we had to write some essay on some hoopla on literature. I locked eyes with him and told him "We do not need to write that essay" and at that instant his face went blank and dully repeated "You do not need to write that essay". I went on to say "We do not have any homework" and like clockwork, he repeated "You do not have any homework". He then proceed to sit down in a rather automated way and he spent the rest of the period gazing around the room, feeling as if the colors were talking and noticing details he had never noticed. The bell blared and Javi dashed out of the classroom and leaped over the handrail. But something was wrong. As Javi began to descend, everything around him seemed to begin to melt and he spiraled down a seemingly bottomless abyss, the world slowly fading into a singularity above me until Javi was submerged by complete darkness.

Character Study 1

The tall, lanky creature slid out of bed. The first rays of the morning sun were barely penetrating through the blinds. He slipped on his Janoskis, some jeans, and a "HELL KIDS" sweater. He descended down the stars and ducked to avoid hitting his head. He walked outside and placed his headphones on and began blaring 808s. A figure appeared through the mist and he realized that it was his friend. He decided to continue walking without her; it was far too early to be social. When he arrived at Righetti, he kept his headphones on rather than hear the ignorant comments that came out of the mouths of some of the baboons that inhabited these halls 5 days a week. He ignored this thought and went to class, because he understood he was hear to acquire knowledge, not make fun of the less fortunate.

CANTERBURY TALES (I)

Chaucer's use of irony is somewhat subtle. The reason for this was because he wanted to illustrate that people aren't always who they appear, what we nowadays render as "Don't judge a book by its cover". The Monk and Friar are morally corrupted and the reader can easily discern that. More than anything, the prologue seems to serve as a satire of medieval English society than anything else. Chaucer is an impartial narrator and seems to treat all the characters with the same respect (or lack therefore of). He seemingly just throws in the irony in there as if it's no big deal and it's easy to see how people during his time period would be oblivious to it. Out of all the characters, I look forward to reading the Friar's because he seems like the biggest hypocrite of them all but it's so bad that I want to know of his exploits.

Song of the Week

This week's song is Sunset by The XX. I came across this song through a YouTube recommendation and i immediately fell in love. I heard it and automatically went "Jesus Christ, this song is amazing" and proceeded to eargasm. The gentle guitar rifts coupled with the thumping bass and almost ghostly singing just makes this song extremely chill and send nothing but trill irie vibes. The lyrics only add to my love for this song, because they touch on an issue very close to home. This song is simply amazing and I recommend you take some time out of your day to listen to it.

vocabulary #6

obsequious: obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
Last night we were served by an obsequious waiter that catered to our every need.

beatitude: supreme blessedness.
When she said yes to the request to become his girlfriend, he feel into a beatitude. 

bete noire: a person or thing strongly detested or avoided
April 15 is one of the biggest betes noire of American society.

bode: be an omen of a particular outcome.
A week of hard practice bode a victory for the Chargers.

dank: disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold.
They went inside the dank garage to find some matches.

ecumenical: worldwide or general in extent, influence, or application
The FIFA is seen as the ecumenical authority in soccer.

fervid: intensely enthusiastic or passionate, esp. to an excessive degree.
Many of Obama's supporters were extremely fervid leading up to election day, only to lead to disappointment a few months later.

fetid: smelling extremely unpleasant.
The fetid odor of rotting lettuce soon engulfed the kitchen.

gargantuan: enormous.
The sight of a gargantuan spider would surely make even the most fearless man a little frightened.

heyday: The period of greatest popularity, success, or power; prime.
It has seem that America's heyday as global superpower has passed.

incubus: one that oppresses or burdens like a nightmare
For about ten years, Osama Bin Laden was Americas incubus.

infrastructure: the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, and power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.
The flaws in building's infrastructure led to the collapse of the entire building.

inveigle: persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery.
The creepy man inveigled the little girl into his van by promising her candy.

kudos: praise or respect that you get because of something you have done or achieved
I receieved a wide variety of kudos on my blog.

lagniappe: a small gift given a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase
As a result of their purchase a jersey, they received a lagniappe in the form of a lanyard.

prolix: (of speech or writing) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy
The principle's speech was so prolix, that students and faculty soon began falling asleep.

protege: a person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person.
Aistotatle was Plato's protoge.

prototype: an early sample, model or release of a product built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.
We learned from early prototypes that we needed to make the car more aerodynamic.

sycophant: a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage.
He was such a sycophant that he would go out of his way to be on his teacher's good side.

tautology:  a statement in which you repeat a word, idea, etc., in a way that is not necessary
The president's speech was full of tautologies because he wanted to get his message out to everyone.

truckle: to act in a subservient manner
When the bosses anounced they were going to promoted someone, John immediately began with his truckle. 

accolade: an award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgment of merit.
He's received various accolades, such as the scholar-athlete award, MVP, and Honor Roll.

acerbity: bitter
The bartender was full of such acerbity that he kicked out anyone who went for the opposite team.
attrition: the act or process of weakening and gradually defeating an enemy through constant attacks and continued pressure over a long period of time
bromide: a statement that is intended to make people feel happier or calmer but that is not original or effective

chauvinist: a person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism.
When Europeans envision a typical American, they probably envision an ignorant chauvinist saying  " 'murika" at the top of his voice.

chronic: pertaining to a long-lasting medical condition
His chronic back pain prevented him from being able to play soccer with his on.

expound: present and explain (a theory or idea) systematically and in detail.
He expounded his argument greatly and was providing evidence and support for it.

factionalism: The splitting of a group into factions
The country is experiencing factionalism when it comes to military action; some support it while other oppose it.

immaculate: perfect.
The immaculate wife would be able to cook, look beautiful, be smart, and funny all at once.

imprecation: a spoken curse.
The old lady laid an imprecation on whoever walked on her lawn.

ineluctable: unable to be resisted or avoided; inescapable
That bluberry cheesecake ice cream was so ineluctable that I stayed a little longer than I planned.

mercurial: changing moods quickly and often
People who have a bipolar disorder are often quite mercurial.

palliate: make (a disease or its symptoms) less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause.
Sammy constantly took Xanax to palliate his anxiety disorder.

protocol:a system of rules that explain the correct conduct and procedures to be followed in formal situations
The club's protocols prohibited drinking.

resplendent: attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous.
Colorful, bright peacocks are quite resplendent birds. 

stigmatize: describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval.
For millenniums, homosexuality has been stigmatized.

sub rosa:  denotes secrecy or confidentiality
We met sub rosa after school to discuss private matters.

vainglory: inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements; excessive vanity.
Narcissus was full of so much vainglory that he fell in love with his reflection.

vestige: a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.
Many vestiges of dinosaurs and ancient civilizations are held in a museum.

volition: the faculty or power of using one's will.
He left the club through his own volition, he was not kicked out.

WHAT A CHARACTER

The character that made the biggest impression on me was Eddie Blake (a.k.a. the Comedian) from Alan Moore's Watchmen. He's the archetype of the antihero. He's extremely brutal and sadistic, often described as being "deliberately amoral". This is evident in his killing of the pregnant lady in Vietnam. His total amorality and actual enjoyment in destruction made him really stick to me and stand out. By juxtaposing him and his character with Dan Dreiberg, who was more of a by rule following "good guy", Moore further calls attention to his character. Out of all the characters in the graphic novel, the Comedian is the only one that saw Ozymandias's plan for "world peace". He acts as a mockery of society and symbolizes the evil and selfishness that is in every human. He believes human life is just a joke and all the Minutemen's attempts to fight villains are futile, saying that they don't solve anything. He is somewhat of a realist because he sees the world for its true grit and its dark underbelly. The Comedian's name itself is ironic. His lack of morality and/or care for other humans really set himself apart from the others.

Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.

DECLARATION OF LEARNING INDEPENDENCE

Due to the broadness and ambiguity of the assignment, I will post a quote that most describes my approach to education (and life in general)...

"Think outside the box, collapse the box, and take a f****** sharp knife to it." - Banksy

VOCABULARY #5

obsequious: obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
He got the teacher coffee every morning. This was such an obsequious act that he was clearly doing solely for getting a good grade.

beatitude: a state of utmost bliss
My beatitude is sitting down in nature on a clear, warm sunny day surrounded by people I love.

bete noire:  a person or thing that someone dislikes very much
The Westboro Baptist Church are the betes noires of American society.

bode: be an omen of a particular outcome.
The use of chemical weapons in Syria could bode disaster for all sides involved. 

dank: disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold
The dank cave served shelter for hundreds, if not thousands, of bats. 

ecumenical:  worldwide or general in extent, influence, or application
The United Nations is often regarded as the ecumenical governing body of the world.

fervid: having or showing feelings that are very strong or too strong
fetid:having a strong, unpleasant smell
The house had such a fetid odor to it that it was evident that there was a decomposing body in there.

gargantuan: very large in size or amount
The United States has such a gargantuan debt that you'd have to spend $5 million dollars per day for 546 years to equal the amount of debt.

heyday: The period of greatest popularity, success, or power; prime.
In his heyday, Mac could run a 4.20 40-yard dash.

incubus: one that oppresses or burdens like a nightmare
His older sister was such an incubus; no matter what he did, he was never good enough and his every move was scrutinized.

infrastructure: An underlying base or foundation especially for an organization or system.
In order to build tall, the building's infrastructure must be solid.

inveigle: persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery.
Dee inveigled me into giving her money by promising to go to Homecoming with me.

kudos: raise or respect that you get because of something you have done or achieved
My presentation was so good, I kept getting kudos from nearly everyone for the entire day.

lagniappe: a small gift given
Breadsticks are often given to Olive Garden customers as lagniappes.

prolix: tedious and lengthy.
President William Henry Harrison's innagural speech was so prolix that it took him nearly two hours to read the over eight thousand words.

protégé: a person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person.
I was the man's protoge; I learned everything I needed to know about business from him.

prototype: an early sample or design.
The earliest prototype of the car had a few kinks that were hammered out and fixed by the new design. 

sycophant: a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage.
Sycophants are often referred to as "brown noses" in our contemporary society.


tautology:  needless repetition of an idea, statement, or word
Phrases such as a round sphere or a new beginner are tautologies. 


truckle: To be servile or submissive
With a gun to his head, the hostage was truckled into doing the bidding of the criminal.

LITERATURE ANALYSIS #1

For the first literature analysis, I chose George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

1. The novel starts by introducing the main character, Winston Smith, an outer Party member in the dystopian super-nation of Oceania. The novel takes place in Britain (now called Airstrip One) in 1984. The world has been broken up into three totalitarian super-nations which are perpetually war with at least one other country. Winston is a member of the "outer Party" and works for the ministry of truth, which, ironically, focuses on altering historical documents to fit the desires of the Party. The Party is omnipresent and has placed "telescreens" in every citizen's home to view and listen to them at every possible opportunity. Winston illegally buys a journal in which he writes his grievances against the Party, which is the ruling government. At work, he notices a girl constantly looking at him and fears that she is a member of the "thought police", which are like the Gestapo of the novel. The rising action is when one day, she (Julia) bumps into him on accident and receives a letter from her saying "I love you". From that moment on, they start an undercover affair and Winston discovers that Julia is also has hatred towards the Party and their God-like leader, Big Brother. Winston rents a little apartment from the man who ran the store where he bought the journal from. Here, him and Julia continue carrying out their affair and Winston's hatred for the Party ferments. They discuss the possibility of a "brotherhood" existing that wants to overthrow the inner Party. Winston always suspected that one of his superiors, O'Brien was part of this fabled brotherhood. The confirmation Winston has been waiting for finally arrives: O'Brien invites Winston to his home. Winston and Julia both go to O'Brien's apartment and he informs them that the brotherhood is real and that he too, hates the Party. O'Brien (an inner Party member) gives Winston a copy of the book written by the fabled leader of the Brotherhood, Emmanuel Goldstein. This book serves as the Brotherhood's manifesto and gives background information on how the world came to be the way it is and why the nations are in a state of perpetual war as well as how they've managed to suppress people's thoughts. While Winston is reading the book, men in uniform bust down the door and arrest them. This is the climax. It turns out Mr. Charrington, the proprietor of the store, is part of the Thought Police. Julia and Winston are separated and taken to the Ministry of Love, where they are tortured. O'Brien turns out to also be a spy for the government. The Brotherhood was all fabricated to trap people in committing an act of defiance against the party. O'Brien personally tortures and brainwashes Winston for months and tries to break him into accepting and loving Big Brother and the party. It is revealed that they don't kill any prisoners until they truly love Big Brother. After months of this, O'Brien sends Winston to the dreaded room 101 where Winston encounters his worst fear: rats. Faced with the threat of having his face devoured by rats, Winston finally breaks and pleads to O'Brien to do it to Julia and not him. With his spirit finally broken, Winston is released. The book is concluded when he later sees Julia in the streets and has a brief conversation with her but he reveals he no longer feels anything for her. Later, a telescreen announces a huge military victory against the army of Eurasia. A huge celebration occurs outside and Winston joins in. While celebrating, Winston finally relinquishes his hatred towards the party and Big Brother and finally accepts to love him. At this moment, he is finally "executed" in the sense that his former self is broken by O'Brien and he is now as conformist as the rest of society. Orwell's purpose is to warn society about the dangers of a totalitarian society and how individuals will lose their freedom and have their emotions and thoughts control by an omnipotent government. Through the use of telescreens and the giant posters of Big Brother throughout the novel, his purpose is clearly conveyed to the reader.
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four covers the themes of the hazards of totalitarianism and the control and manipulation of history and information. Orwell warns society of what would happen if government becomes too big and this is obvious in the book. Oceania is ruled by a totalitarian government which controls every facet of life. They are constantly watching over their citizens and even rebellion through thought is punishable by death. The citizens have lost their humanity. They are nothing but shells of humans that do not think for themselves or form relationships with others unless when mandated. There is no love, no freedom, no conscious. Only conformity. All because the government controls EVERYTHING. This ties in with Orwell's other theme in Nineteen Eighty-Four, which is the control and manipulation of history and information. Through the Ministry of Truth, the government manipulates the past. For example, if production reports read that 20,000 boots were produced the previous year while the quota was for 30,000 boots, the Ministry of Truth would go back and change the quota to 15,000 boots to make it seem that they produced more boots that they predicted. Oceania is also at constant war with either Eastasia or Eurasia. When it is at war with Eastasia, it is in alliance with Eurasia and visa versa. If Oceania turned from being in an alliance with Eastasia to war, it was always at war with Eastasia. Since the beginning of time it has been at war with Eastasia. Same is true if that happened with Eurasia. The Ministry of Truth reconstructs the past to fit the needs of the party. In a conversation with Winston, O'Brien asks him where does the past exist, to which Winston replies that the past only exists in memory and through documentation, which is easily destroyed or altered. The party controls both the minds and memories of the citizens as well as all documentation. Since individuals do not have the ability or desire to document the past, they believe anything the party tells them as their own memory is fuzzy and improvable. By altering the past, the individual believes he is better off than his ancestors when he, in fact, might not be. The past is what the Party wants it to be. The motto they use is "Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past". This statement is essentially the overarching motif and theme throughout the book.
3. The overall tone is dark, depressing, and pessimistic. In the start of the book, Winston goes and watches a movie where "Audience much amused by shots of a great huge fat man trying to swim away from a helicopter after him...he was full of holes and the sea around him turned pink ...audience shouting with laughter when he sank." This is an example of depressing and dark tone because the audience are being entertained and laughing at the brutal death of a man. This hints to the lack of humanity in the citizens in this novel. Another thing that points to the lack of humanity and contributes to the overall dark and depressing tone is when a bomb hit the city (pg. 107). "When he got to it he saw that it was a human hand severed at the wrist." When he approached it, "he kicked the thing into the gutter...". He does this in such a apathetic, non-caring way that it is a bit disturbing. Winston  has very little hope for most of the book. He acknowledges that it does not matter what he does, he feels like he is going to get caught eventually and is only slightly prolonging his pathetic life. His pessimism is shown in chapter one when it says that "...at any rate, they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live- did live, from the habitat that became instinct- in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard and... every movement scrutinized."
4. 1. Symbolism: The glass paperweight that Winston buys is highly symbolic of the past. It is one of the few things from the past that still exists. It serves as a connection that Winston is trying to establish with the past. When Winston and Julia get arrested, the paperweight shatters. Symbolically, this means that the past has been destroyed by the party into unrecognizable pieces.The paperweight ties in to the fact that the party controls the past and alters it at will. 

2. Analogy: 3. Juxtaposition: When Julia and Winston have their first sexual encounter, it is out in the countryside.Here, they are away from any government intrusion. There is no telescreens or microphones or any forms of spying on them. Here, they can love each other and experience emotions  and actions that were forbidden by the party. Orwell juxtaposed the freedom and liberty of the countryside to the oppression of the city.

4. Repetition: The posters of Big Brother are plastered throughout the novel's world and is often mentioned by Orwell. This is to remind the readers and the citizens of Oceania that no matter where they are, all their actions will always be seen by the unblinking eyes of Big Brother and the party. The party's slogan WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, and IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH is also repeated throughout the novel to remember the reader of the world that                         Nineteen Eighty-Four takes place in.

5.Allusions: Nineteen Eighty-Four is obviously alluding to Soviet Russia and Joseph Stalin. In the book, three men (Rutherford, Aaronson and Jones) who were leaders of the revolution were convicted of thought crimes they did not commit and promptly executed. This was much like the purges and show trials of early Soviet Russia under Stalin. This allusion is proof that the world of Nineteen Eighty-Four is extremely possible and must be avoided.
6. Irony: There is irony in the fact that the few people that Winston trusted turned on him. He believed that the owner of the antique store could be trusted but it turned out he was a member of the thought police. He also believed that O'Brien was part of the Brotherhood and inspired hope in Winston. Instead, O'Brien essentially destroyed the humanity that was left in Winston. The irony conveys the complexity of the novel.

7. Imagery: Orwell is very descriptive in the novel. The Ministry of Truth is described as "...an                       enormous pyramidal structure of glittering white concrete, soaring up... 300 meters into the air." When           O'Brien is torturing Winston, O'Brien goes on and tells him "Look at this filthy grime all over your                   body...Do you know you stink like a goat?... Look at your emaciation. Do you see? I can make my               thumb and forefinger meet around your bicep. I could snap your neck like a carrot...." Orwell does this         to convey to the reader that O'Brien broke Winston physically and made him a shell of his former self.

8. Selection of Detail: By staying away from the details of who Emmanuel Goldstein and Big Brother, it         adds to their mystique and perhaps even the fact that they may not exist. Goldstein was created so                 that the citizens would live in perpetual fear of a "boogeyman" and stay loyal to the party. Big Brother             was created by the party to represent a bigger-than-life idol that the citizens of Oceania worship and            fear and obey without question. The selection of details add to the slogan that "IGNORANCE                      IS STRENGTH ; it is, but only for the party.

9. Anecdote: In the beginning of the novel, Winston goes and watches a movie. The movie is of a sinking enemy ship and a chopper gunning down those trying to escape, including a woman and her child. The movie serves as an example of how dehumanized the enemy becomes through the eyes of the Oceania citizens. They laugh and cheer at the death of those trying to escape. They don't see them as humans. They absolutely hate them simply because of the lies the party has been feeding them for their entire lies. It exemplifies the control of emotions and information that is ever-present in the novel.  

10.Personification: Orwell personifies the party such as on page 43, where he says "If the party could  thrust its hands into the past and say this or that event, IT NEVER HAPPENED- that, surely, was more terrifying than mere torture and death?" By personifying the Party, it makes it seem as BIGGER than any character in the story. The inner party is the brain while the other party and proles are the body, with the inner party making all the decisions the outer party must follow.

ALL OF THE ABOVE

Correct answers are designated by a check mark (✓)while incorrect answers will be designated by a cross (✖). 1.C✓ 2.E✖ 3.C✓ 4.E✓ 5.A✖ 6.B✖ 7.E✓ 8.B✓ 9.E✓ 10.C✓ 11.C✖ 12.A✖ 13.B✓ 14.C✓ 15.E✖ 16.B✓ 17.C✓ 18.E✓ 19.B✖ 20.B✓ 21.E✓ 22.C✖ 23.A✓ 24.A✓ 25.D✖ 26.B✖ 27.E✖ 28.C✓ 29.A✓ 30.B✓ 31.A✖ 32.B✓ 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46.c✖ 47.B✓ 48.A✓ 49.C✓ 50.E✖ 51.C✓ 52.A✖ 53.E✓ 54.C✖ 55.E✓ 56.B✓ 57.C✓ 58.D✓ 59.C✖ 60.D✖ 61.E✖ (I could not find questions 33-45 so they will not be counted).

 I got a 28/48, which is a 3. The poem used for questions 16-32 had a strange syntax and style which was a bit confusing and convoluted. Occasionally, I wasn't sure what the authors were trying to covey or didn't catch the symbolism they used. I definitely need to brush up on my vocabulary and literary/poetry terms as well as learn the different poetry rhyming stanza forms. The questions I found the easiest were the ones that you can directly infer from the text and were more straight-foward in what they were asking.

On Syria

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

That's the phrase that best describes United States involvement in the quagmire in Syria. The United States is arguably the wealthiest country with the greatest military capability in the world. If we do get involved in the civil strife in Syria, many would criticize us for acting out of simply selfish motives. They would shame us for being the policemen of the world. If we do not intervene, on the other hand, we would be seen as cowards and weak in the eyes of our adversaries, such as Iran, North Korea, and Hizbullah to name a few. We set a "red line" that was crossed and we did nothing. Assad got off essentially scot-free with no consequences, so what's to stop them from using chemical weapons? If we do not intervene, the international community would look at the United States and say  “Why did you sit by and just watch these atrocities occur and not do anything?” But there is a very strong anti-war sentiment within the American people as well as many senators and representatives. After 10 years of two wars that essentially made this country go belly-up economically, we are war weary. Most still remember the blunder that was Iraq. We invaded under the guise that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction; none were ever found.

Iraq is eerily similar to Syria. Both had a dictator massacring his own people. Both were allegedly possessing and using weapons of mass destruction. There shouldn't be a doubt in anyone's mind that chemical weapons. But by who, is the true question. The Syrian rebels have been desperately seeking US intervention and have obtained many Syrian equipment. Once the United States set that "red line", the rebels knew what had to take place in order for the US to intervene and (hopefully) turn the tide in their favor.

I am by no means saying that the rebels did it or that Assad's regime didn't. I'm simply saying there is no clear, concise evidence that points to the true perpetrator of these grotesque acts of war.   

The offhanded comment Secretary of State John Kerry made early this week seems to have gained some ground behind it. Both the Russians and the Syrians have agreed to negotiate further to place Syrian chemical weapons under the hands of the international community (the UN). Hopefully, there will be a diplomatic end to all the bloodshed in Syria which has killed 100,000s+ and dislocated millions more. But I doubt that will be the case.

Even United States involvement will not alleviate the situation. It's a situation of too little too late. If the US had intervened and armed the rebels earlier, before Islamist militants such as the Al-Nusra front, Al Qaeda  and Jund al-Sham (all designated as terror groups by the United States and other Western countries) hijacked the revolution. Do we risk arming the mujaheddin again, much like we did in Afghanistan in the late seventies to early eighties? If so, what's to say they won't use those weapons against us a few years down the road?

What needs to happen is intervention on the side of the Arab league and Russia. These are the groups who have the strongest say in what is occurring in Syria and have the potential to help end this peacefully. 

The future looks bleak for Syria and it is going to be a while before this issue is fully resolved. Expect to see a lot more bloodshed as well as further tensions between Russia and the United States.

Beowulf Essay

Javier Solis

September 8^th, 2013

Luke Skywalker: The Modern Beowulf

Heroes frequently live in immortality. While they might die, the stories of their heroism outlive them for centuries, perhaps even millennia, to captivate the ears of new listeners. These heroes give us an insight on the traditions and values of the culture that created them. Beowulf is often regarded as such a symbol of Scandinavian and early English culture. A more contemporary rendering of Beowulf would be Luke Skywalker. Both Beowulf and Skywalker are courageous, selfless, and act as windows into their respective cultures.

Beowulf and Luke are both selfless heroes. Neither of them had to go and do what they did. Grendel wasn’t terrorizing Beowulf’s domain. The Imperial Army was not threatening Luke or his livelihood. Both Beowulf and Luke went out of their way to defeat an evil (Grendel and the dragon and the Imperial Army respectively) to save the lives of others. Grendel was eating Hrothgar’s men while the Imperial Army was being tyrannical and oppressing its own citizens. They both did what was right and reaped the recognition from it. While they were selfless, they both understood that their actions would propel them into immortal fame and recognition.

Both characters, as strong and brave as they are, relied on the support of their friends and allies. Luke would have been unsuccessful in decimating the Imperial Army and Emperor Palpatine had his comrades not knocked down the Death Star’s defenses on Endor while Han Solo destroyed the second Death Star’s main reactor. Similarly, Beowulf would not have been able to slay the dragon that threatened his kingdom if it wasn’t for Wiglaf who shielded Beowulf from the dragon’s flames and proceeded to kill the dragon.

                Beowulf was never flat out described; the author never gave us his physical attributes or his personality. Rather, the reader inferred them through the character’s actions and dialogue as well as how other characters treated them. Through the use of indirect characterization, Beowulf surpasses the status of being simply a human, but becomes a symbol; a symbol of ancient Scandinavian culture. By transforming Beowulf into a symbol, the readers can imply that courage, bravery, and selflessness were three attributes that ancient Scandinavia valued greatly.

                Luke Skywalker comes from humble origins. His adoptive parents are simple folks that own a moisture farm on the desert planet of Tatooine. Despite these simple origins, Luke does something when faced with something that he sees as wrong and evil. He is symbolic of doing everything to the best of your ability and refusing to surrender in the face of adversary, traits that are valued in our contemporary society.

 Since Beowulf formed in an age when Christianity started to become widespread and replacing paganism in many European cultures, he became a symbol that represented Christianity and good while Grendel represented paganism evil. Like with Jesus, there were people who questioned Beowulf’s ability (namely, Unferth), but Beowulf prevailed regardless. There are also various times in the text where Beowulf thanks God or makes illusions to Christianity and the Bible, such as comparing Grendel to Cain.

 Luke Skywalker is also representative of Christianity, serving as a Jesus-like figure while Emperor Palpatine represents Satan. Much like how Satan lured Jesus to worship him return for all the kingdoms of Earth, Palpatine tempted Luke into turning into the Dark Side in return for a ruling hand in the Empire. Both Jesus and Luke fought temptation and refused. The battle between the light side of the force (Luke and the Jedi) and the dark side of the force (Palpatine and the Imperial Army) is symbolic of Armageddon: the final battle between good and evil. Much like in Christianity, good (Skywalker) prevailed over evil (Palpatine) and now good will reign for eternity as evil has been vanquished.

The monsters that Beowulf battles in the epic all have allegorical meaning behind them. For example, Grendel is said to have descended directly from Cain, who murdered his brother Abel out of jealousy. Grendel represents evil and the killing of others. The battle with the dragon is allegorical in the way that the dragon symbolizes any arduous task all heroes must surpass to prove their true worth. The battle with the dragon also results in the death of Beowulf, which is symbolic of however strong one may seem, death is inevitable. Star Wars and Luke Skywalker are allegorical in the sense that the ill-armed and heavily outnumbered rebels take down the galaxy’s tyrannical overlords with the help of a brave man with humble origins. It is symbolic of persistence and perseverance despite staggering odds against you.

Hundreds of years from now, if humans haven’t gone extinct, they will look back on late 20^th to early 21^st century culture and see Luke Skywalker as a symbol of our times and values, much like how our society looked at Beowulf. Both characters are symbolic of Christianity, bravery, courage, and selflessness.

Song of The Week

So every week starting with this one, I will post a song that I enjoy on this blog.

Seeing as how summer is beginning to wind down (unfortunately), this week's choice is Analog by Tyler, The Creator and Hodgy Beats. This song makes me very reminiscent of summer and I love the deep bass and lyrics. I've been a fan of Tyler, the Creator and OFWGKTA since freshman year and the group has never ceased to amaze me with their musical talents. The video that accompanies the song is taken from snippets of the movie City of God. It's a perfect juxtaposition of the two. Take 5 minutes out of your day to enjoy the song and video!

WILL STUDY FOR FOOD

One scholarship that really caught my eye is the Gates Millennium scholarship, which is funded through Bill Gates. This scholarship will "Support for the cost of education by covering unmet need and self-help aid". This, of course, is extremely beneficial. I want to study either aerospace engineering or accounting and finance at the University Of Southern California in Los Angeles. The average cost per year is $62,245. This is quite a staggering sum of money which would be tough to meet without financial aid and loans. I hope to meet most of the money needed and minimize the amount of parent contribution. 

vocabulary #3

apostate: In the book Nineteen Eighty-Four, Winston Smith becomes disillusioned with the ruling party's doctrine and becomes an apostate.

effusive: I had nothing but effusive praise for the woman who found my wallet in the park.

impasse: Our congress has been stuck at an impasse for quite a while now. They have not been able to pass many laws because of trivial disagreements.

euphoria: She gives me a feeling of such euphoria when I'm with her that all my problems and worries just seem to fade. 

lugubrious: Jane wrote such a lugubrious eulogy for Sam, that it invoked feelings of sadness in even the most dispassionate person.

bravado: Beowulf was so full of bravado that he went and fought Grendel naked.

consensus: The group came to a consensus to eat at Fatburger after the game.

dichotomy: The dichotomy between the two yards was staggering; one had a nicely pedicured lawn while the other was full of weeds and patches of dirt and dry grass.

constrict: The killer slowly constricted his victim's throat until he could no longer breathe.

Gothic: Marry Shelley's Frankenstein is often regarded as a defining piece of Gothic fiction.

punctilio: Drinking with your little finger up is often seen as a punctilio.

metamorphosis: After not seeing John for the entirety of summer, it seemed as if he went through a metamorphosis; he used to be scrawny now he was ripped and chiseled. 

raconteur: My grandpa was quite the raconteur; his stories would keep you at the edge of your seat.

sine qua non: Patience is a sine qua non when dealing with children.

quixotic: He had quixotic dreams about getting into Harvard even though he only had a 3.3 GPA.

vendetta: The reason Romeo and Juliet could not be together is that there was a vendetta between their two families.

non sequitur: When we were discussing physics, she threw in a non sequitur about her dog.

mystique: There's a certain mystique to space, which only makes it that much more interesting to explore. 

quagmire: The situation in Syria is seen as a quagmire to much of the western world. They want to intervene to help the civilians but do not want to get stuck in another Iraq situation.

parlous: With what seems to be World War III right around the corner, the world is in an extremely parlous place.

WHY THIS BOOK?

For our first literary analysis, I chose a classic: Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. I chose this book because I've been meaning to read it for the LONGEST time and finally got around to it. I chose it for a couple reasons; I enjoyed Orwell's previous novel Animal Farm, I've always liked dystopian novels, such as Huxley's Brave New World, and Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. I also chose Nineteen Eighty-Four because of its relevance to today's society, with Chelsea (née Bradley) Manning's and Edward Snowden's monumental discoveries that the government has been spying on you. This, of course, should not be news to anyone.
So far, the book is really good and I would highly recommend it.

Just your friendly reminder....

My blog.

So me and my good friend Mia Levy  have decided to have a friendly competition on whose blog is better. I still believe mine is superior but she is making good advances. Expect some changes to my blog as well as a few personal posts on current events, music, entertainment, politics, et cetera.


PS. Mia, you will lose.