Outside Reading #22

Watching the movie of All My Sons added a different perspective on the story. It was very interesting to see how the actors took each role. I didn't imagine several of the lines to be read in the way that they were, especially the end. I didn't really imagine George to be the way he was. Maybe I just missed the stage direction but I didn't envision he to be covered in mustard stains. I liked actually seeing the 50s style set, it was kind of funny.

Outside Reading #21

For this outside reading I watched the movie Downfall. It is about Hitler's last few weeks in his Berlin bunker, while the Russians invade Berlin. It was a really good movie even though it was really sad. The story involves Hitler's secretaries who do not know what Hitler is doing. It is very sad when they feel blame for what Hitler did, because it is completely undeserved. The movie was interesting because it was filmed in Germany, so it is all in German. Also it was interesting to have the German perspective. Especially when you the compare that to Letters from Iwo Jima which I also watched recently. It is interesting to see the desperation on for the German's, and the Japanese.

Outside Reading #20

For this outside reading I read more Fightclub. The main character explains how he first met Tyler Durden. He says that he met Tyler on a nude beach while he was on vacation, and that Tyler had costructed a hand out of drift wood. He did this so that he could sit in the palm of perfection when the hand's shadow was just right. This shows a lot about Tyler's character. First it shows he is clearly very different than most people. Second he knows that he is not perfect, and he knows he must improve himself. He aspires to be better, but in his own way. The chapter also describes the main character's job.

Outside Reading #19

Well I'm finally going to do it. As a huge Chuck P fan I have to read it. That's right I have finally started reading Fight Club. Fight Club is by far Chuck Palahniuk's most famous novel, in part because of the movie starring Brad Pitt, but also because it is a really good book. It should be interesting to compare and contrast the two. In the opening lines of the novel we are told that someone named Tyler is shoving a gun down the main character's mouth. It is made clear that they have known each other for a while. Then the chapter just gets more and more confusing mentioning stuff that has already happened. Then the book goes back in time were the main character has not yet met Tyler, and is going to various support groups so that he can cry, and then sleep. He does this because he has insomnia. Suddenly a woman named Marla shows up at all of his support groups, and because she doesn't have any of these problems he can't cry anymore. The only reason he could cry before was because of all of the other peoples sincerity which is wrecked by Marla's lying.

Outside Reading #18

For this outside reading I watched the TV show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. This is a hilarious, mainly due to the excellent characterization. Once you know the characters the show is amazingly funny. The five main characters are Dennis, Sweat D, Charlie, Mac, and Frank. Dennis is obsessed with himself, but still has horrible self esteem problems. Dennis will use anyone to get what he wants. Sweat D is Dennis' sister and also has self esteem problems, she often is pulled along with the rest of "the gang's" plans. Charlie is very childish and easily tricked into Dennis' and Mac's schemes. Mac is easily flattered and very into his own muscles. Frankis played by Danny Devito and is Dennis' and Macs father, kind of. Frank lives with Charlie in a one room apartment.The three boys own a bar, and Sweat D is their bartender. My favorite part about the show is how competetive everyone is, almost every episode involves some kind of competition between the main characters. Overall it is just a really funny show.

Outside Reading #17

Well I'm finally finished with The Road and I'm actually pretty surprised. Considering how sad, and depressing the rest of the book was I was expecting a very depressing ending. I am happy to report that this is not the case. Although the end is still very sad, you can infer a very hopeful future past the parameter of the book. I will not say anything more for fear of giving too much away.

Outside Reading #16

After the father and son's stuff was stolen, and they almost killed the thief to get it back, I thought about the importance of their stuff. Without it they would die. So I began a list of survival equipment, and food, that I would want in a post apocalyptic scenario. It is a short list and could no doubt need some adding to.
Here it is:

• Winter Clothing
• Hot Weather Clothing
• Hatchet
• Knife
• Rope
• Sleeping Bag Rated to at least -40 F
• Water Bottle
• Empty Plastic Container
• Flint
• Matches
• Bunsen Burner
• Propane
• Non-perishable Food Items
• Vitamins
  

Outside Reading #15

Well they've done it again. The boy, and his father have run out of food, and then managed to find a more then they could possibly eat. This time they found a ship filled with all of the supplies that they need. As I mentioned earlier them running out of food then finding a bunch has become a common pattern. They have now spent about two days sleeping on the beach, and salvaging the ship. It is not safe to stay in one place for very long, so they need to get going. I think that the pattern that has been established is showing that they are going to run out of food again. Only this time they won't be able to find anymore. Then they might starve, our get saved by someone.

Outside Reading #14

I know The Road should be done now, but I still haven't finished. The thing is I've been reading off and on for a while. Anyway I back to it and it's kind of becoming a pendulum story. The boy and father had food, then didn't. Then they found a bunch, and then they ate it all. Now, they found a bunch more. They're going from starving to full, a back again. They have been travelling this whole time though, so they've made some progress. They are crossing over into the civilization. For example they found a city with many people burned into the pavement, a rather grim sight. Well, I'm getting closer to the end now and I should be finished pretty soon.

Outside Reading #13

For this outside reading I read the official xbox magazine's article on the new game Left 4 Dead. It is about four people trying to survive the zombie apocalypse. Xbox Magazine gave Left 4 Dead a 9.5 out of 10. This is obviously a very good score, but considering the games they have given 10s in the past I would say it also deserves a 10. This is probably because of my obvious zombie bias. But really, it is a really great game. I really love playing with my brother who is at college on xbox live. Mainly why I like this game is because it has co-op and you get to kill zombies, but there are other really good reasons to love this game. For example the various location in which you must survive, or the variety of zombies. Overall this game is what I've been looking for for a long time.

outside Reading #12

The man, and the boy have officially left the bunker. They loaded up a shopping cart with supplies and left. Then, they travelled for a while down the road without anything special happening. After a while they found an old man walking along the road. The old man could barely walk and could not remember the last time he had eaten. The boy convinced his father to feed the old man, so they gave him some fruit cocktail. Then, they let the man eat dinner with them. That old man was pretty lucky because they didn't skimp on the food. They ate beef stew and coffee, thats a really good meal by post-apocalyptic standards.

Outside Reading #11

It's back to The Road as the father son team struggles their way across America. After an extremely disturbing run in with mutilated starving people, who were all locked in a cellar; the boy and his father have finally caught a break. Yes, that's right something happy has finally happened. Just as they were about to give up hope they found a unused survival bunker stocked with everything you could ever want in a post apocalyptic situation. But, in a very Road like manner, there's a catch. They can't stay there because the cannibals will eventually find and kill them. well, that's as far as I got this time, stay posted for updates. (The picture is a visual aproximation of the world of The Road.)

Outside Reading #10

I read an article in Videomaker Magazine called "Editing Dirty Little Tricks" by Morgan Paar. In the article the author describes a bunch of editing tricks gathered from several experienced editors. I thought one of the best ones was when they said that there are often scenes in which you need to add dialogue that wasn't in the original script. They said they often record the dialogue in a studio, and then dub the audio tracks over wide shots of the subjects. That way you can't see the actors lips, and the illusion is sold.

Outside Reading #9

For this outside reading I decided to write about the last movie I watched. The movie was Chinatown, starring Jack Nicholson. It was filmed in 1974, and was directed by Roman Polanski. The film takes place in Los Angeles during the 1930s, and is about a Private Detective named J.J. Gittes who is hired by a woman claiming to be Mrs. Mulray to investigate Hollis Mulray. When it turns out she was not actually Mrs. Mulray Gittes investigates. He ends up uncovering a wild and scandolous mystery that includes the real Mrs. Mulray, a girl named Katherine, the now deceased Mr. Mulray, Mrs. Mulray's father, and a group of elderly women. I especially enjoyed how they kept bringing up Gittes' history of working for the police back in Chinatown more and more as the movie went on. In this way you uncover more and more about the mysterious past of J.J. Gittes. Of course all of this hinting at Gittes' past in Chinatown leads up to the brilliant climax that is the first and only scene to actually take place in Chinatown.

Thesis and topic sentences: Odyssues' major flaw

Odysseus' major flaw is pride, which is shown through many events in The Odyssey.

Odysseus' major flaw is pride and glory seeking, which is expressed through his shouting his real name to Polyphemus, he waits to long in Polyphemus' cave, and he stays on Calypso's island.

Odysseus' pride is shown through his telling to Polyphemus his real name.

Odysseus is prompted by free sheep and wine and stays too long in Polyphemus' cave.

Odysseus seeks glory by staying with Calypso to become immortal.

Endorsement Letter

I endorse Telemachus for hero of the year. Out of the candidates he is clearly the better man. Telemachus is without question the hero of the year, because of his courage and selflessness.

Telemachus has shown many heroic traits, such as courage, and selflessness. He has shown the courage to speak out against the suitors, even though he was young and they were many. Also he has shown the selflessness to stand up in his mother's defense, even though he would most likely be ridiculed. As shown by my hero in a box blog these are two very important traits. Also if you consider the competition, Odysseus. You can see at least one major flaw, one that is certainly not heroic. When Odysseus tells Polyphemus his real name. This was a prideful act that ultimately endangered the lives of him and his crew, certainly not a selfless act.

Telemachus should be hero of the year because of his selflessness, and courage, as well as Odysseus' clearly very large ego.

Outside Reading #8

Things are looking even bleaker in The Road. The father and his son, have now run out of food, and are having a very hard time scavenging for more. On the upside the have been running into increasing human activity. On the downside, most of those humans want to kill them. The only ones who haven't were a lost boy and his dog, as well as a man who was just barely clinging to life after having recently been struck by lightning. This would not be an uncommon occurrence considering the constant storms and the barren landscape. Still there is something about the father and son that pull you into the story and do not let you go. Their tale is so bleak you can't help but be thinking about them. So if you are looking for a happy and fun book don't read The Road. But, if you are looking for a great novel with superb storytelling and in depth characters The Road is definitely worth picking up.

Outside Reading #7

I am still reading The Road, and lately it has been getting more and more depressing. I find my self feeling terrified for the boy and his father. Just recently in the book they came upon a gang of cannibals. One of them grabbed the boy, but the father shot him, and they fled into the forest. Fortunately, they escaped but there is the ever present fear of the rest of the gang. Also I learned that the mother of the boy killed herself (before they saw the cannibals) because she thought that the cannibals would in the end rape and kill them anyway. This book is becoming darker, and darker, and unfortunately I there does not seem to be a happy ending in sight.

Outside Reading #6

I finished reading Survivor, but I cannot in good conscious ruin the end of a Chuck P. book. So I started reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Although I haven't read much I can tell you that it is about a father and a son traveling south along the road. They are trying to make it to the south before winter. The landscape around them is a desolate wasteland that once was America, a biproduct of a nuclear war. The book so far is shaping up to be a warning for the aftermath of modern warfare, and the tale of the desperate struggle of a father and son.

Heroes in a Box: Russian Heroes

I decided to make my category of heroes Russian heroes. I have collected artifacts on three main heroes, Yuri Gagarin, Grigory Zinoviev, and Vasily Zaytsev. Although they are all three heroes they are very different from each other. I chose this group of heroes for that exact reason. I decided that three very different heroes would help me best analyze what it truly is to be a hero.

Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space, undeniably a dazzling accomplishment. But what about this makes him a hero? To become the first man in space Gagarin

had to undergo very intense physical and mental training. He also had to be selected from all of the pilots in the Soviet Air Force to become the first Astronaut. After he was selected he had to face the uncertainty of being the first to travel into space. This must have been terrifying. As shown in this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2C1FkPz5vU) crawling into the tiny compartment of the ship, all alone, on a voyage into the unknown, would have been terrifying indeed. Certainly Gagarin's courage alone makes him a hero. So if there is one trait of a hero that Yuri Gagarin has shown us, it is courage.

The name of our next hero is Grigory Zinoviev. Zinoviev was a leader in the 1917 October Revolution. In which the Communists led by the Bolsheviks (including Zinoviev) overthrew the government in an armed struggle. At the time Russia was in horrible condition and just about any change was good change. Thankfully for them Zinoviev and the other Bolsheviks sought to do just that. Zinoviev wanted to help the people of Russia, so from him we see a kind of selflessness in a hero.

The final hero is Vasily Zaytsev. He was a Russian sniper during World War II. He killed over 242 Germans, many of which were high ranking officers. To say Zaytsev was good with a rifle would be a vast understatement. Zaystev was undeniably one of the most, if not the most skillful sniper of his day. He was awarded with countless medals, including the most prestigous Hero of the Soviet Union Award. As picture in this video (skip the first 3 mins os so http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zrdMO1a4EU) Zaytsev was the hero that the USSR needed, and he lives on as just that. So the hero trait we acquire from Zaytsev, is a special skill of some kind.

These three great Russian heroes have taught us three important traits of a hero, courage, selflessness, and a special skill. Another thing they all have incommon is that they accomplished extraordinary feats, and that is another important trait of a hero.

Outside Reading #5

I just started playing the game Fable 2. I wouldn't normally do an outside reading about a game, but because it pertains so well with our current unit, I figured it would be okay. The game is all about becoming a hero. Your aim is to do many different quests to gain, so that you will become famous around the world. You can choose to do good or bad deeds, to help decide wether you will be good or evil. In the end you ultimately decide which one. I like that this game helps examine what it is to be a hero, and mainly how to become a hero.

Outside Reading #4

It would be unbelievably frustrating to be unable to communicate with others. Using a word chart like the one in the article would be really annoying to use. That is why if I was paralyzed like that, I would want to use the word chart, and a common phrases chart. This chart would have things like "I want to watch..." or I want to listen to..." or "How are you?" That way if I wanted to say something they could ask me if it was on the phrases chart. I fit was they would go through it until we got there. If it wasn't then we would use the word chart. If it was but it was something like "I want to watch..." then I would use the word chart to spell out what I wanted to watch.

Siddhartha, the Enlightened Man

Siddhartha has lived one of the most interesting, and fulfilled lives I have ever witnessed, and I have known a lot of strange characters in my day. From growing as the son of a Brahmin, to becoming a Samana, to hearing the teachings of Gotama the illustrious one, to becoming a rich merchant, to being trapped in the pits of despair, to becoming a ferryman, to becoming a holy man, Siddhartha has lived it all. The last time I layed eyes on Siddhartha I was looking at a holy man. Siddhartha had reached enlightenment. Through Siddhartha's various experiences in life, Siddhartha had learned enlightenment.

Siddhartha started on the path of the average man of religion. He was told to meditate and worship. "Siddhartha had already long taken part int eh learned men's conversasions, had engaged in debate with Govinda, and had practiced the art of contemplation, and meditation with him" (Hesse, 3). Siddhartha was a talented and bright young man, who followed the path set before him. One day he left to become a Samana, but he was still very much on the path others were showing him. Even when he went to Gotama he was on this path. After listening to Gotama Siddhartha realized that he was following someone else's path, and that he could not reach his goal in this manner. So he finally left Govinda to follow his own personel path. "Immediately he moved on again and began to walk quickly and impatiently, no longer homewards, no longer to his father, no longer looking backwards." (Hesse, 42). Siddhartha was finally finding his own and ownly path to enlightenment, but before he could get there he had to experience the pleasures and sorrows of the world. And that is just what he did when went and lived in the town for several years. He became a rich merchant, he learned to love a courtesan, he became addicted to dice, and he learned to love the pleasures of the secular world. One day Siddhartha realized what had happened to him, so he left the town and its pleasures. From there he was cast into despair where he almost killed himself. After Siddhartha shed the pleasures, and despair of the world he experienced a rebirth. After which he learned to listen to the world from a ferryman named Vasudeva. From this Siddhartha eventually became at peace with himself and the world around him. He had finally reached enlightenment.

Every aspect of Siddhartha's life was part of his path to enlightenment. Each event was part of cause and effect. Without listening to Gotama he wouldn't have left Govinda, without experiencing the pleasures of the world he wouldn't have experienced his rebirth. Siddhartha's experiences throughout his life all played a role in his reaching his ultimate goal of enlightenment.

Outside Reading #3

Back to Survivor. A lot has happened since my last post on Survivor. We have learned a lot more about the church that the main character grew up in. They are called the Creedish, and are very much like the Amish, in the sense that no outside stuff is aloud. But they are very different in their beliefs. The Creedish only allow their first born to marry. They send the rest of the kids out into the outside world to work. That is what Tender Branson is. Also we learn that they believed that god would call to them to heaven, and as soon as he did they would commit suicide. In the novel all of the Creedish within the church district committed suicide. Tender is one of the last ones, until a killer starts triggering cluster suicides among the other survivors. Then Tender becomes the last one. The mass suicide within the district happened along time ago, and was a huge story. It is really interesting how Palahniuk shows how it has almost melded into the pop culture, by telling having some people in the bus tell "Creedish jokes". Like "why did the Creedish cross the road? Because he couldn't get any cars to hit him." Although it sounds awfull you can't help but see Palahniuk is making fun of our current society, not just the one in the book. He knows this is just the kind of thing that would actually happen.

Outside Reading #2: Chuck Palahniuk

For this outside reading I would like to discuss one of my favorite authors, Chuck Palahniuk. Palahniuk is most noted for his novels Fight Club, and Choke, which are now both major motion pictures. I want to talk about him because I am currently reading Survivor, another one of his novels. In the past I have read his novels Choke, and Rant. Palahniuk's writing style is very unique. It conveys a type of satire, and humor that is truly unique. In my experiences Palahniuk's novels generally tell the wild story of the perfect anti-hero as the main character in a very believable modern world. That is the absolutely unique thing, the main character seems so diabolicly evil, but you can always picture them in the real world. It is almost scary how real it can seem some times. An example of one of these anti-heros is Victor Manchini, the main character in Choke. During the story Victor begins to constatly ask himself, "What woud Jesus not do?" Now in Survivor the main character is telling suicidal people to go ahead and kill themselves. These are cold blooded characters, who make for some really great books.

The answer

Dear Mukesh,
It seems like your friend is in a very different place in his life. It seems almost like he wass reborn. It is pssible that he has learn to shed the pleasures of our world, but he is still suffering from withdrawl from them. Just let him finish this path alone, but be there to watch him so that you may step in to help, if he needs it. This is a good thing that he is going through, so don't be worried. He is being reborn, a new man.

Need Advice

Dear Wise Advice Columnist,

I have been following a man by the name Siddhartha. He was a Samana,but he has become a very rich man. He has since left his riches behind, and is now traveling aimlessly like he used to. I am worried for him. I don't know if he was ready to experience the world in such ways. He was a secluded Samana who was suddenly thrust into the pleasures, and horrors of the world. It seems he is now deeply depressed. "He had become rich. He had long possessed a house of his own and his own servants, and a garden at the outskirts of the town, by the river" (Hesse 75). Siddhartha had grown very occostomed to his riches, and then he suddenly left them.

I am worried about his well being he is a completely new Siddhartha. I can not tell wether this is good or bad. So I ask you, what is Siddhartha experiencing? Is he okay? Can I help him? What should I do?

Sincerely,

Mukesh

Outside Reading #1

I am reading Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk. The book opens with the main character, Tender Branson, alone in a large plane, that he hiijacked, with about 5-6 hours worth of fuel left. He has decided to recount his life's story into the plane's black box, before it crashes into the australian outback. He begins by talking about how the newspaper printed a suicide hotline ad with his phone number on it. When people saw the ad they started calling him for advice. When people called he pretended he was a hotline and gave them advice, and often encouraged them to commit suicide. Once the newspaper corrected the mistake he put up flyers with his number on them saying it was a suicide hotline, and he continued what he was doing. I think that Tender enjoys the position of power that he has over the people that call him, in their desperate state of weakness. This is shown clearly through the fact that he put up his own flyers after the newspaper corrected the error. It is disturbing to think that there are people in the world who would find pleasure in telling others to kill themselves, especially when that person has called for them to tell them the opposite. "There's the blast, just a sudden burst of static, and somewhere a receiver clunks to the floor. I'm the last person to talk to him, and I'm back asleep before the ringing in my ear starts to fade" (Palahniuk, 280)*. In this all too disturbing quote, you can see how routine calls like this have become to Branson.

*Note the page number is 280, this is because the page numbers are counting down. This will be covered in a later post.

Siddhartha leaves Govinda

Govinda is clearly not taking his seperation from Siddhartha very well. I think Govinda is scared to step out into the world alone. Siddhartha would have been a very powerful person to have at your side, I can see why it would be scarey to be alone after traveling with Siddhartha for so long. Siddhartha is right though, you can not follow another man down your own path to salvation. Hopefully in time Govinda will recognize that this is the best way for both of them. That is, it is the only way for both of them.

Txt

G- Hey Mukesh I need some help
M- wat
G- Siddhartha left. now Im alone
M- why
G- he didnt want to follow the teachings of Buddha w me
M- why not
G- I dont know. I think he wants to find his own path
M- Siddhartha is a wise man. you must let him find his way
G- I know but I want him to be w me
M- wat did he say before he left
G- he said I was finally taking my own step on my own path
M- he is correct. although u want he to be there w u he cant because then u would never find ur path. it is a path u must follow alone
G- thank u i c u r correct. thank u Mukesh. ttyl
M- yes my son ttyl
G- g2g
M- bibi

Siddhartha Chptrs. 1-4

I am Mukesh, and I have been watching Siddhartha ever since he traveled into town with the other pilgrims. He was an interesting lookinking character so I ask around to figure out his story. I was told he had left home several years ago when he decided he had much to learn and discover that his home could not offer to him. So he travelled on and joined some monks who taught him some more things (not sure what I was only half listening, because at this point I had 9,000 rupees on the table and was getting pretty jumpy about their well being). Anyway he ended up leaving them because he believed he had learned all he could from them. Also his friend and him wanted to see the Buddha. So they traveled here and listened to the Buddha's teachings. The next day Siddhartha went and spoke to the Buddha. I heard (from a distance) him say things about how you cannot reach Nirvana with other people's paths, and that he layed eyes on a truly holy man and what not. Anyway Siddhartha left and didn't take his friend with him. I guess his buddy was gonna stay with the Buddha. Since I had to go to one of my plantations I followed Siddhartha out of town. I heard him speak of his new revelations about how he would find his own path to Nirvana, and that he was reborn, and seeing the world for the first time. Then I could see that he realized how alone he was. I could see that he thought he was the loneliest man in the world. He didn't even know I was there.

Avatar-Mukesh

My name is Mukesh. I am a very rich indian business man. I own several tea plantations as well as a fabulous hotel in Dehli. I enjoy testing my luck in cards in the bar at my hotel, with my many rich western business associates. I have been told by a now homeless employee of mine that I can be rather harsh and demanding, but that is the only way to make it without getting plowed over by the westerners.

Self Description

I am creative and fun. I have many interesting traits. My favorite hobby is making movies with my friends. I have made about thirteen and am working on a short film to enter into a national film festival. I also love to play soccer and listen to records on our turntable. We have a great collection of music. I have traveled to many places including Italy, Germany, France, Scotland, and Ireland, but my favorite place is still my cabin. I love my cabin because it is always relaxing. It is like a home away from home only better.