On the Waterfront

Personally, I really enjoyed the movie. I think that pride and reputation werethe most important things in the movie, and if you lost them, you were nothing. The mob was very hush hush, and if you were someone like Doogan or Joey who told the truth, you were considered a traitor/ tattle tale, and no longer good to the mob. Terry told the truth as well, but I considered him more of a whistle blower, because he had other people telling him to do the right thing, and I guess I believe this partly because the whole movie followed him, but I don't think his purpose in confessing was to be a traitor, it was just people that told him to do the right thing. Of course, he lost his reputation because the mob considered him a traitor because he confessed, but he gained it back by standing up to Johnny Friendly and the rest of the mob. I believe he did the right thing.
I think you are being a tattle tale when it is unneccesary to "tattle". Tattling, to me, is more of a whiny behavior because something didn't go your way, so you want that person to suffer. I think that speaking out against improper behavior is better, and more of something that you believe is right, and that should be told when absolutely neccessary in your mind. Speaking out is mostly about having the courage to do so, when your conscience is flaming at you because you should tell the truth.

Reading Lolita in Tehran 3

When I stopped reading, the author was describing the characters more in detail. It was good, because I really felt that I somewhat knew them, and had similar life experiences as the characters she described. Still don't feel there is a conflict ALTHOUGH, there is two girls in the class that do not like each other. As I keep reading, I continue growing to like it somewhat, no matter how jumbled it may be. I like it because the story that is being told is real. Some people that write autobiographies sometimes play with the truth a little bit, but not this one. You hear every opinion and gruesome detail about the people and events that they had to overcome like wearing veils and what not.
I think a theme that is developing is, (kind of cheesy) but to just speak your mind. The book is getting really into detail about the discussions that they have together about books like Lolita, and it is really interesting to see the shy on the outside girls come up with very true, and overlooked opinions. In the beginning it talked about a girl not making it to the end, and I can't wait to read on to see what happens, and I secretly wonder if SHE spoke her mind...to the government..

All My Sons Question

In the play All My Sons, many characters act quickly to what will benefit them. There are many examples, but I will focus on the example of Joe Keller lying about the scandal where his company sold broken parts to the army which ended in a result of 21 dead pilots. He blamed his partner for it, when it was really his decision to go through and give the parts to the army. He kept it a secret all this time, until his partner's daughter Annie came to town. Joe believed that the needs of his family were much more important than the needs of society. So he lied to society to protect his family and his buisness. So when Chris finally finds out his father's big lie, he is very upset. Keller says to him, "Chris, I did it for you, it was a chance and I took it for you. I'm sixty-one years old, when would I have another chance to make something for you? Sixty-one years old you don't get another chance, do ya?" (Miller 70). Keller thought that by protecting his family from scrutiny by lying, he would make it in society. His family was what really mattered to him by keeping the buisness and a good name for them.
I believe that in some ways Joe is right, but in some ways wrong. Yes, you want everything the best for your family, but you shouldn't lie to them. At the end of the day they are your family and you should love them regardless, but there are also some people out there that have a very hard time forgiving. In this incident of Joe's, I probably would have done the same thing, however I would have told my family what I did, and they can decide how they would like to handle that.

Reading Lolita in Tehran 2

Reading farther into Reading Lolita in Tehran, I started to get a little bored. Nothing has happened! All that she has been talking about are the works of books that they study and how it pertains to her life. She is a very jumpy writer, and tends to go off on random subjects a lot. I do like the fact though, that even though her no nonsense talk is annoying, it helps develop characters and her voice as a writer. I have realized that to me this book is not as interesting because there is no main conflict. The only thing that would be considered as a conflict I presume is the role that the women have now in their country due to the invasion of other people. I hope more interesting stuff comes along.

One of my favorite parts of the book so far is when the class is still just getting started and it is still in the awkward stage. Azar Nafisi asks them to do an exercise asking questions like what are 6 traits that you like most in people, what do you think of yourself, what is most important to you...etc. One of her students responds to the question saying, "I am not ready for that question yet," and then Azar says, "They are not ready-yet" (Nafisi 57). This quote interests me because it has a little bit of foreshadowing, saying that they aren't ready for what (I) have in store for them. Also, something that this book reminds me of is the things that we learn about in AP World. We learned that women's roles are very minor in the earliest of times, and once it seemed like we as a world got over that and started to see women somewhat as equal, people invade Tehran and make the women wear headdresses, and make them oblige to all of these unfair customs. I am very grateful for where I live today.

Reading Lolita in Tehran 1

I am reading a book called Reading Lolita in Tehran. The book is about a teacher in Iran who taught at the university, but then the university became too strict. It worried too much about the appearance and presence of the Iranian women than the education they were getting. The teacher could not take it anymore and resigned. She proposed the idea of having a secret class at her house with 8 of her students to discuss literature.
This book reminds me a lot of All the Pretty Horses. Unfortuanately, like All the Pretty Horses, the author does not use qutation marks either. She is worse however, because she does not start new paragraphs when someone new is speaking, it is all in one paragraph. I found a couple of quotes I enjoyed throughout the book. One was about losing someone, "Yet my tale would be incomplete without those who could not or did not remain with us; their absences persist, like an acute pain that seems to have no physical source" (Nafisi 5). I really like this quote because it resembles the thought that losing someone is hard, they will always be there playing a small role in your everyday lives, because of the pain that they have caused. This quote ties in with All the Pretty Horses, when John Grady Cole and Rawlins hear Blevins get shot. Even though they did not like Blevins and he caused them a lot of trouble, they were still very sad about his death. Especially Rawlins, the one that hated him the most, had the most sympathy for Blevins. Another quote I found that I liked was, "How well could one teach when the main concern of university officials was not the quality of one's work but the color of one's lips, the subversive potential of a single strand of hair?" (Nafisi 11). This book reminds me of how Alejandra's grandma (blanking on her name) always strived for the best for Alejandra. She did not care exactly how Alejandra came about things, as long as they were proper and did not disrupt her reputation. That was the only thing she was fixed upon, and didn't really care too much about how Alejandra felt toward different things, especially John Grady Cole.
This book seems very interesting and I am curious to read on and see how Nassrin supposedly does not make it through the journey with the rest of the secret group!

Outside Reading 4

Dillow, Clay. "Movie Ratings: Running the Numbers". Fast Company 2008: 1-1.

I read an article about the changes in movie ratings. On November 1, 1968, people argued that movies were corrupting children, so the film industry created a voluntary rating system, according to appropriateness. Ratings have changed, but they still give kids the desire to sneak into R rated movies. It then gave me many stats on how many different rated movies people see a year, and how many are rated G, PG-13, R and what not. 

Looking at these stats I was so shocked about how naive society is to these raising problems of R and X movie exposure to teens. One stat proved that, "Teens with high exposure to R-rated films are seven times more likely to take up smoking than teens with low exposure to them" (Dillow 1). This freaks me out, that by just seeing one movie, that people are drawn into that type of life style that we see in those R movies. "In 2007, more than half the movies were rated R" (Dillow 1). This just shocks me at how I have seen R movies, just like it's no big deal, not knowing that maybe some day, it will end up effecting me when I have to make a  decision, and from seeing these movies, does that help me make the right one? This article proves that society is corrupting the youth with some of these inappropriate movies, that some people model their lives after. Let's stick with PG-13 movies!!! I know that some people may think R movies are more interesting because they don't cut anything out, and are relentless, but that is why society has problems like alcoholism and what not, because they see these party movies, and want to be just like those kids, but end up dead, or with a life time problem, because of what the media has shown them. So upsetting to find out that people are taking movie concepts the wrong ways, movies are meant for enjoyment and for things like in a fantasy world that can boost our imagination!  

Photo Analysis Picture

Outside Reading 3

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/08/nebraska.safe.haven/index.html

This article is about the Nebraska 'safe haven' law, allowing parents to hand over their children anonymously and leave them there without being prosecuted. This law is going horribly wrong, because frustrated parents are even crossing the Nebraska state line just to drop off their child at this hospital. "The few situations we've seen so far demonstrate the need for a change in Nebraska's safe haven law," Gov. Dave Heineman. The problem this law sets up is thankfully seen and is hopefully going to change soon, otherwise there will be a bunch of random children with no one to claim them, and no where for them to go.
This relates to Siddhartha, because where he is on his path to enlightenment, he sees that suffering exists, because of human desires. These abandoned children suffer because their irresponsible parents see that this hospital is just a drop off place that they can put something that is causing them suffering, and never have to deal with it again. The parents gave into their desire for leaving their children by dropping them off at this hospital, and never having to see them again if wanted.

Outside Reading 2

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/03/eviction.suicide.attempt/index.html

This article is about Addie Polk, a 90 year old woman who was being evicted from her home. Police came to her house to try and remove her from the home, when Addie shot herself twice in the upper body region. She is in the hospital recovering right now, but this story was brought up in the House of Representatives. They say that the bill of economic proposal is not addressing the millions of homeowners that are losing their homes.
I think that this is an absolutely horrendous story, in the case that Addie shot herself, because she could no longer keep her home. I suppose that when you are that old, that's the end. You no longer have a home, so what are you going to do with the rest of your life. Addie decided that she would rather end her life it seems, or at least tried to. But for others that are just starting their lives as homeowners, and can't afford to make payments, what's next? Many of people are going to be homeless, or jam packed into their parent's houses. I believe this relates to the Odyssey because with Odysseus gone, Penelope seems so weak without him. She lets the suitors in and all over her, because there is no strong force that is keeping them from entering. This is just like the banks/government stepping all over people like Addie Polk, who is old, and retired, and can't register money to pay for her house, so they take over her. They take things from her, and basically take all that she has in her life away. In Penelope's case, all but her husband and son.

Question 2

I believe that Odysseus would be in some ways a hero for our times, and in some ways not. He is very cunning, and can get his way out of most things, like when Cyclops held him and his ship mates captive, and then Odysseus came up with a plan that helped them escape. We would need Odysseus in times when we were in a jam, and needed a clever plan to escape. Odysseus would also be a good hero because he has a strong, willpower. Like when he is caught in Poseidon's storm, he does not lose hope, and still fights for his life. I would want a hero that never gives up, and one that is strong especially in times of trouble.

Odysseus would also not be a good modern hero because he is a killer. His plans include killing many people, and in modern day, you would be considered a serial killer. An example of his killing plans is the final plan to kill all of Penelope's suitors. They were all viciously killed, that would not be a normal thing in present day. Another reason why Odysseus would not be a good hero is that he is really not very self-conscious, and somewhat a rash person. Like when he woke to Nausicaa and her maids singing and bathing, and walked out to them naked and started asking for help and directions. We, at least I, want my hero to make very well and educated decusions, instead of acting on impulse and making yourself look like a fool.

Overall, I think that Odysseus would not make such a great modern hero, just because some of the things he does are not quite as acceptable in our society now, but some of his character traits would be GREAT in a hero that we could use today

Outside Reading 1

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/09/18/ultimate.fighting.championship/index.html

Rich Franklin was a high school math teacher before he was introduced into "the ring". He fights people every night in an octagon shaped cage in front of thousands of people. He tells reporters, "I do love teaching and working with the students, but I can't imagine sitting at home on a Friday night grading math tests or sitting in a faculty meeting." This ties in with the Iliad because Rich is like Patroclus. At first he starts out not fighting really, just kind of being Achilles helper and servant type, and then after Achilles did not fight when the Acheans truly needed him, Patroclus went and fought. It's a little different for Rich, he just wanted more excitement in his life, where as Patroclus felt that he was compelled to bring home a victory for the Acheans.

Welcome post

Helloo, this is my blog and i am up and runnin. Welcome to my blog and I hope you find it muy interesante! The weather this morning was very brisk when I arrived at school today. So far my day is shaping up to be a good one but a busy one! I hope you have a great day and thanks for checking out my blog!