Angels and Demons

Prompt #2:

At this stage in my independent reading novel, they are talking about a lot of conspiracies with American History. Fore example they link a lot of it with the American dollar. There is a pyramid on the dollar if you look at it and it has nothing to do with American history which causes the question as to why it is on our dollar bill. There is also something that says "Novus Ordo Seclorum" opn the dollar bill which Dan Brown translates to New Secular Order implying that there is a new, no religious order which conflicts with the "In God We Trust" which can also be found on the dollar bill. I linked this to the September 11th attacks and how after it happened people found the twin towers on the dollar burning if you folded it in a certain way. It is very interesting and it makes you think about these conspiracies and if they have a deeper meaning.

Commencement speech

If i were elected as a commencement speaker, there would be many things i would like to address to my fellow classmates of 2009. I would first talk about pride. No matter what you do in life, whether it is in school or at your job, take pride in what you do because people will notice that and respect you a lot more for it. Whether you are the CEO of a large company or are cleaning toilets, take pride in your work because it will get you a lot further in life and as an individual. I would also take the time to speak about our past 4 years in Wissahickon and how great it as been to share the high school experiences with everyone. I would talk about our futures and wish everyone good luck as we part ways from this stage of our lives.

Prompt #1-Independent Reading

In this section, Robert Langdon is sent to Italy to research and analyze another famous particle physicist named Maximilian Kohler. The illuminati symbol had been branded onto Kohler's chest. Langdon could not believe that this had happened and he paired up with Vittoria Vetra to try and figure out how this happened to Kohler. I noticed that Langdon is very scared and in disbelief as to what he is seeing. He knows it will take a lot of time and effort to discover the illuminati and I am anxious to see what obstacles he and Vittoria are going to have to pass by.

Amir's sins

In the second section Amir continues his negative attitude towards Hassan. Amir can't live with himself knowing what he has done to Hassan. Amir is a thief and does the worst thing he could possibly do. He framed Hassan to make it seem like he stole his birthday money and watch. Amir continually steals Hassan's right to fairness and it would take immense amends for him to make it up to Hassan. In my opinion, he would have to sit down with his father, Ali, and Hassan and tell them everything that has happened. Even at this point they may not forgive him and Amir should receive further punishment. I think he could only achieve full atonement if these 3 people forgive him and he never does anything like this again. However, since they are in America now, i doubt this will happen.

My mistake

Fourth grade was the one year of my life that I was not well behaved and caused a lot of mischief for whoever had to deal with me. I thought I could do anything and not get in trouble for it, as if stealing was alright to do. Day in and day out, I would steal my teacher's sugar cubes and jolly rancher's at every chance I got. I was a candy fiend and the only way I could get sugar cubes was if I had the hiccups so once she realized the recurring theme that I was faking my hiccups, she wouldn't give me anymore sugar cubes and I had to resort to bing a thief. I eventually got caught and was pulled outside of class to be confronted about it to my teacher. She knew I was guilty and I admitted it so I had to go to the principal. I was able to apologize and everything went back to normal after that and I was no longer a thief.

Picture freewrite

In this picture i see a man battling in a war. It seems as if he is being shot at and is running for his life. It leads me to believe that the majority of his troops and friends have been killed perhaps. He looks like he is very courageous and is never willing to give up. It reminds me of the movie Saving Private Ryan as well. It looks like he is running himself into a deeper hole and although he is determined to get out, i don't think the light at the end of the tunnel looks too bright for this man.

Evil

There are many different ways that you can look at this quote and I agree with it to a certain extent. It is true that if evil people are doing evil things and the good people are doing nothing, the evil people will obviously feel more powerful and important in their own minds. This is triumphant for the evil, but is evil really something to be triumphant about? I guess it depends on who you ask and that is one point that I disagree on with this quote is that I don't think it is. Nevertheless, it is an interesting quote and you can take it many different ways which is why I like it.

Decisions

There are many different factors that affect people's decisions nowadays. Convenience is one of the more evaluated determinants when making a decision because people are always looking to make their lives more suitable and less stressful for themselves. When i make decisions, i try to decide on the most efficient and least time consuming way to do things depending on what it is that i am deciding on. Lately, my decisions have been revolving a lot around college. I know where i am going next year but it is still difficult to make decisions about things especially when there is a lot of money involved. My decision making is revolved around saving money for college and thinking of the best ways to do that and to be conservative once i am in college as well. These decisions are going to be the ones that help me grow as a person by the time i am out into the real world. They will shape me to become the man i want to be because in a lot of ways it will set the foundation for much of my decision making and i think it will benefit me in the long run.

Afghanistan Recipe

2 parts to the name
4 systems of government
34 provinces
80,000 troops
32,738,376 people
Add Muslim community
Bake for 2 hours

Main ingredient: Muslims

Finished Product:

Spring break

Over spring break I was not fortunate enough to go on a nice vacation. I worked a lot with my dad throughout the week which kept me busy but got annoying as well. I saw three movies over the break; They were Fast and Furious, Knowing, and Duplicity. My favorite out of these three was Knowing and my least favorite was Duplicity. Other than that i slept a lot and went to a couple family parties which is always good for a nice meal.

The Potter Life (Chapter 10)

Prompt #18

As you know, The book that I chose to read was called Mr. Potter. Jamaica Kincaid is the author of this book and I believe that she chose this to be the title simply because Mr. Potter is the main character in the novel. Jamaica Kincaid has always had very simple and original titles in most of the things that she writes so it is no surprise to me that this book was named after the main character. If I named this book, I would name it The Potter Life. The reason why I would name it The Potter Life is because I felt the presence of not only Mr. Potter throughout the book, but also the way his father, Nathaniel, and his mother, Elfrida raised him into the man that he became rather quickly. I felt that they were a big part of what Mr. Potter did and I also would name it The Potter Life because his sister was the narrator so her presence was also felt constantly. Regardless of the title of the book I really enjoyed reading it as my independent reading book and it kept me intrigued the whole time unlike many other books.

Style Points (Chapter 9)

Prompt #11

Kincaid's style and use of language is one that I have never seen in any other book that I have ever read before. When something in the novel is important, she will beat it into your head so you do not forget it. For example, when talking about the Dr. Weizenger's wife, she says that her name is May several times within a 2 page span. She says it in a way that whether it is the first or seventh time you are hearing it, she makes it seem like it's always the first time. I think this is very effective because reiterating the key points in the novel really helps me throughout the book and makes it an easier and more enjoyable read for me.

The "Usual Place" (Chapter 8)

Prompt#14

"That day the sun was in its usual place, up above and in the middle of the sky, but Mr. Potter did not note that, so accustomed he was to this, the sun in its usual place, up above and in the middle of the sky."

Reading this quote in the beginning of the novel, it did not make much sense at all to me but as i read on I made more sense of it. This quote sums up the novel in a nutshell all in one sentence. It is referring to not the sun but to Mr. Potter. Each and every day he does the same thing without even realizing how repetitive his lifestyle is. The author uses a metaphor to show this by using the sun and how it, like Mr. Potter, rises and falls the same way each and every day and this quote is one of the most if not the most important quote in the novel in my eyes.

Mother Potter Response (Chapter 7)

Prompt #7

I predicted that we would get to hear a story about or meet Mr. Potter's mother within the next few chapters. My prediction was somewhat correct. Mr. Potter's sister, the narrator first started off by telling about her mother. Her mother was 16 when she had her and when she turned 25 Nathaniel Potter had another child with another woman. This woman was Mr. Potter's mother. They tell us about the mothers of Nathaniel's kids as a whole. They had a one room house with four windows where all of his children lived and their mothers. They had no choice because Nathaniel could not always gather enough fish to support everyone so they were very limited as to what they could afford. It took a lot of unity for all of these people to co-exist under one roof but they managed to do it. It was extremely hard for them because Nathaniel Potter had all daughters until Mr. Potter came along so he had a lot of people to take care of. Mr. Potter's mother spent a lot of time with him when he was a child to make him strong with the intention that he would be a fisherman like his father. This never happened but we learn that his mother was very caring and loving.

Mother Potter (Chapter 6)

Prompt #6

So far in this novel we know that out of Mr. Potter's family the narrator is Mr. Potter's older sister, Mr. Potter is the main character, and his father's background and life story. I have been thinking about his mother. When talking about his father, they told us that Nathaniel Potter had kids with more than just one woman. I am curious to know if we will ever meet Mr. Potter's mother and what role she plays or played in Mr. Potter's childhood and life. I think that we will eventually meet his mother because we have met every other important person in Mr. Potter's life and who could be more important than the mother who gave life to him. This is why I think there has to be some type of story about his mother soon.

Chauffeur (Chapter 5)

Prompt #5

Something that moved me was when the man who employed Mr. Potter, Mr. Shoul, shared his thoughts on Mr. Potter. One thing he said was, "Mr. Potter will always be thinking to himself forever and ever; this is his story." This moved me because I felt bad for Mr. Potter for many reasons. He could not speak English well at all and he had no family who he could relate to. He was a boy who was forced to become a man at an early age and work countless amounts of hours. His conversation with people was very simple if there was any at all. He could not have intelligent conversations, not because he did not want to but because he did not know how to. This made me wish for a better life for Mr. Potter because he deserved to have people who he could bond with and not have to work for the people who are closest to him.

Tracing lineage (Chapter 4)

Prompt#4

Something that surprised me this chapter was when they were telling the story about Mr. Potter's father. It gave me a greater sense of appreciation for Mr. Potter and how he became the person he is as a chauffeur. They explain how his father, Nathaniel Potter, was a fisherman and it was not always easy to raise all of his children to be able to read and write. He had 11 children and because he was on his boat much of the time, he did not have the opportunity to teach his children the vital lessons and give them experience in certain areas where they would need to be successful later on in life. Mr. Potter was the final child of the eleven and this whole story surprised me because Mr. Potter taught himself to do nearly everything he has ever learned. He has been able to find a decent job and make a living for himself regardless of what his past was like and I thought that was very strong of him and it surprised me.

Mixed Signals (Chapter 3)

Prompt #3

In the novel, Mr. Potter meets new people on a relatively regular basis because of his job. Being a chauffeur helps Mr. Potter with his social skills especially since he is not fluent in the English language. Throughout the book I noticed that it was the clients Mr. Potter was dealing with who made the excahnge awkward and uncomfortable. For example, Dr. Weizenger who was one of his clients once said, "Just then I wanted to shut off Mr. Potter's ability to take in oxygen, I wanted to silence him forever." I felt this was a harsh comment to be making and that characters like Dr. Weizenger acted in this way because Mr. Potter was a black boy and they felt the need to put him in his place if you will. Since this book is held in the 1950s and the main character is black, this factor contributes to a lot of the feelings of many other characters who are mainly rich and white. This is the best and most clear cut explanation as to why they acted the way they did at times throughout the novel.

Repetition(Chapter2)

Prompt 2: Although I liked the beginning of the book, the second chapter confused me at times with a couple of minor details that perhaps may progress into greater significance. I do not know if this is Kincaid's style but she seems to repeat many words or phrases frequently in the same sentence. For example, her most used line is, "that day, the sun was in its usual place, up and above and in the middle of the sky," and she repeats this twice each time she says it. I encountered this phrase at least 5 times in the first two chapters and I started to question why the author chose to do this. I don't know if this has a deeper meaning or not and I wonder if she will continue to do this in later chapters and throughout the book.

Setting the stage (Chapter 1)

Prompt 1: I like the way Jamaica Kincaid sets the stage for the book and the main character, Mr. Potter. When you open the book and start reading you instantly know that this book will be taking you through the life of a black chauffeur and what hardship and difficulties he has to go through day in and day out. She doesn't rush into any story or event, she simply tells you the background of Mr. Potter. I enjoyed this because it helps me know what to expect and makes it an easier read. I get uncomfortable with authors that put the reader into a situation they are unfamiliar with to start a novel and with this book Kincaid does a good job in the introduction so everyone is on the same page.

Independent Reading Project

I will be doing my Independent Reading Project on the novel Mr. Potter by Jamaica Kincaid. I will take you through my experience and insight of the book as i read it. Feel free to comment on any post, it will be greatly appreciated. You can expect me to add two to three posts on my blog regarding my independent reading project every few days. Stay tuned.

Thesis

Che's character and charisma caused him to drop his medical career to become a leader trying to impact the world, which he never successfully accomplished.

My do now

Imagine yourself in Che's position in Peru. You are in a foreign place where not many people speak the same language as you and each day is an adventure not knowing what to expect. How would you handle it or could you handle it? How would it change you as a person? I chose this because I think it is interesting to see what people think about putting themselves in Che's position.

Che's dreams

The young Che was more of your original, normal person. He wanted to be a doctor and help people and felt he would be well-respected by having this occupation. He wanted people to feel like they could go for him for help. Che realized that this was not his destiny after going on his road trip with Alberto. Che did not feel like he was doing much of anything for people by becoming a doctor. This is where the later Che developed. Che wanted to be in control and had been for most of his life in whatever he did. As he got older, he knew that he didn't want to help only a few families but a whole nation worth of people and this is when Castro becomes a part of his life. I think Che wanted to go out in more of a fashionable way and actually have a grave where people could visit him. I think he was happier with his life after his motorcycle road trip.

Chilean history

Long and narrow coastal southern cone.

America, 6-word memoir

opportunity, freedom, choice.
The best country.

Personal Ideology

At this point in my life I feel like I am still figuring out what my personal ideology is. I am ready to move on to the next step and go to college. Once I am in college I think more things will start falling in place for me. As of right now, I am looking forward to graduating and doing everything that I can to prepare for college so that I will be ready for whatever is in store for me so I can continue to progress from there. I don't think life always has to be planned out and you should take the good times with the bad times and live with them. No one is perfect so take life one step at a time and everything will be alright.

Che v. Pakistan

I would say that you could compare this to what Che was doing in Bolivia to a certain extent. It is a more modern and technological version of what Che had set up in Bolivia. In that sense I think they are similar but they’re intentions were not the same. In Che’s case, he felt the need to get away and hide from everyone to the point where people did not know if he was alive or not. In Pakistan, Al Qaeda and Taliban are not hiding the way that Che had to hide so I think that is one difference between them. The article talked about how 9 of 20 commanders were killed on the aircraft attacks and in Che’s situation, he was really the only commander and I think there are a lot more differences between these two then similarities.

Che's Execution

I think that the person or people that killed Che had to have been someone that knew him or had something against him. It may have been someone who he did not see eye to eye with back when he was in Cuba or maybe it was someone sent by Fidel Castro to find and execute him. I am not positive as to who killed him or how it happened or came about, but I think that one of these scenarios are the way that Che was executed.

“There is nothing lonelier than an adventure."

Typically an adventure is a journey where you do not know what is in store for you or what may come about. An adventure is an experience that I believe should be rare and exciting. An adventure can be a lonely thing in many ways and you do not have to be by yourself for it to be lonely. At times they make you feel lonely because it is something different than what you have known your whole life and you are not used to it. Usually adventures should not last very long, but for Che Guevara, he made his life into an adventure.

True Che

I think that Che was looking to do what he felt was best for the people. He did not always do whatever Castro wanted. He had his own set of beliefs. Castro was more about his own power while Che was more genuine and wanted more for his people. He sacrificed his own time to work and showed how he was just like any normal citizen. This is why the people thought so well of him and he acted as a backbone to the people. I think what guided him to this started when he first went traveling with his friend on his motorcycle. His determination made people view him the way they do. Once he was traveling and experienced everything he did, he seemed to have realized what he wanted in life and never looked back.

If I were to make a documentary about a person, I would make it about Kobe Bryant. There are a lot of things that people do not know about him that I think will make people perceive him differently then they do now. It would be very relevant considering he is one of the best sports players in our country and has achieved so much throughout his career. He is also in his prime right now winning the league MVP last year and perhaps this year as well. People would enjoy seeing the life of Kobe Bryant with depth in a documentary.

Director Nick

If I were to be the director of a documentary on Che there would be a lot that I would want to cover. I would show how he was before he went to Cuba and when he still had good values and morals. I would show him in his early life with his family to show them that Che was not always the man linked with Cuba and Fidel Castro. I think it would be necessary to show all aspects of his life because it is not fair to only show a few major things about one persons life because after all, many things make a life not just a few.

On the Road Again

I have taken one road trip in my life and it was with my family on spring break about five years ago. We went to Florida and there were seven of us piled into our minivan set to hit the road. We decided to go to Florida because we had never been there before as a family and my parents wanted to do it while we were still young enough to enjoy it. We went to Disney World obviously and went to all of the parks and rode many of the rides. On the trip down to Florida we made a couple of pit stops and my favorite one was when we stopped at South of the border. We stocked up on fireworks so I could not wait to be able to use them. This was the only road trip I have ever been on and I had fun so I would like to do it again definitely but maybe with friends next time instead of family.

Reflection

I have never heard of The Motorcycle Diaries before but it seems like it will be an interesting book from what I have previewed. From looking in the inside of the book, the layout intrigues me because it is different and unexpected so I feel like the book will keep me guessing as well. It looks like it is going to be an adventurous book about his journey and I like action books so it may be a good fit for me. It has the potential to be m favorite book that we have read this entire year so I’m pretty excited to get started.

Do Now 2/3

Before reading a book, I judge it by the cover before anything. I like when it has a cool cover with colors and such. I then read the back of the book to get more information and possibly open up to a random page and read a paragraph. If the book does not intrigue me after all of this then I will not read it. One book that caught my attention was Holes because it kept me guessing and wanting to keep reading. Holes is probably my favorite book of all time.

Glen Beck

I thought that Glen Beck's take on the whole Che idea was rather interesting. The way he attracts his audience is different and a bit sarcastic which can get annoying. I agree with some of his claims like how kids should not be wearing T-shirts with a picture of him on it. The comparison of Hitler to Che was interesting and I am not sure if it should be to that extent because i think Hitler is more worldwide known than him so i disagree on that aspect. I think Beck's guest Humberto made some good points about how Che is a bad guy. I do not understand why so many people n Hollywood think this guy is such a great figure when these two men are talking about him like he is the scum of the Earth and perhaps even worse than Hitler. To me, it is hard to confuse someone as being great when other people are comparing him to Hitler.

Welcome

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