9/16/08 Book Entry

"...it was early morning in Ankh-Morpork, oldest and greatest and grubbiest of citties. A thin drizzle dripped from the gray sky and punctured the river mist that coiled among the streets. Rats of various species went about their nocturnal occasions. Under night's damp cloak assassins assassinated, thieves thieved, hussies hustled. And so on."

This passage, quite obviously, helps to paint a picture in the reader's mind of the city of Ankh-Morpork, which is the setting where the story starts. We learn that the city (at least at night) is filled with all sorts of shady characters, such as assassins and thieves. It also makes very strong use of imagery, with words such as "coiled" and adjectives such as "nocturnal" and "grubby." However, even though this image isn't a positive one, it pulls the reader into the city and make them feel like they're standing in a dark, wet, and empty street of Ankh-Morpork.
This passage also raises the question: How did the city end up like this? It was described as old and great, which would imply that at one point the city had been majestic and beautiful. What turn of events could make a place such as this a center of terrible crimes and deeds? It's a bit confusing to here what the city was and what it is now, but I imagine it will be explained (at least somewhat) later in the story.
I think one question that may help guide me is "How is this city going to transform over the course of the story?" I'll have to keep it in mind as I read.

Fate and Stuff

I believe that free will, destiny, and determinism all intertwine. However, each of them can have an effect on the other. For instance, what is encoded in your DNA and how you are raised (determinism) will influence what choices you make when you're on your own, but your DNA isn't going to tell you to go left instead of right at the intersection. Another example would be that your destiny is an ending, the main thing to accomplish in your life, but you have to use your free will to get to the destination, the journey is not predetermined. Free will, destiny, and determination all guide you through life, each one affecting the way, however slight, you do things. Each relies on the other to help every person go through life, pushing them to their final destination. If you remove one, then the entire formula of life falls apart. They are all completely necessary.

Final Podcast Draft

I believe in challenges, and the value of challenges. Challenges can range from big to small, from curing the common cold to figuring out what “x” equals in your last Algebra problem. Through life, I have had my fair share of challenges, but the reward I receive after completing the challenge is always the sweeter for the difficulty I had getting it.
Let me start with a small example. I greatly enjoy video games, and if for no other reason it is that they challenge me. Such was the case in "Call of Duty 4", a war shooting game I received just this past Christmas. After going through it the first time in a matter of hours, I decided to play on “Veteran” difficulty, which is one of the greatest challenges a video game connoisseur could hope for. After a good 2 or 3 weeks of “hard work,” I got stuck. It annoyed me immensely, and I was feeling quite hopeless by the 20th or 21st try. It was at this point, I regret to admit, I allowed this challenge to best me. Then, just a few months ago, I went back and was determined to finish what I'd started. It was not long after I resolved to win that I finally managed to get past where I was stuck. However insignificant beating a video game may seem to most, getting through this very difficult challenge made me feel ecstatic, like I had earned the credits now rolling across my screen.
There are also much more significant examples, such as the entirety of my AP Chemistry class. I skated by in advanced chemistry like an expert Olympic figure skater, doing next to nothing and still managing A's. However, this all changed when I fully delved into AP Chemistry-and I was more excited than I had been in a long time. After the very first assignment I thought to myself: "This is going to push me to my academic limits." And it did. I knew from the first day that it would challenge me, and I spent that entire semester working and thinking like I had never had to before. As the semester ended, I looked upon my report card to see I received a (high) B in the class, the first time I had ever gotten a B in a class. However, the class actually made me think, and I was happier with this B than all of the A's I'd ever gotten combined.
Challenges present themselves everyday, and I love to take on any and all that I have time for. I can't even think of the last time I saw or heard a challenge that I wasn't inherently drawn to. I just can't ignore them (then again, perhaps I should challenge myself to ignore one sometime, that would be a good one). I don't think I'll ever stop seeking them out, because when I complete a challenge, my sense of victory is a great feeling.

Battle Royal

I believe that the prostitute is symbolic of the black mans relationship (at the time) with America. The black men obviously represent black people, and the prostitute is symbolic of America, shown by the colors used to represent her and the flag tattooed on her. In the passage, the black men are allowed to look, but nothing else. However, most of them can't even look, as if they're ashamed to. Black people of the time period had a similar relationship with America, they had a vision of what it was, but were not allowed to take part in the vision. The white mans America was not the black mans, the white men could have their way, while the black men could only sit on the sides and watch (if that much).

Old Man with Wings

I believe that the old man with wings in the story is actually an angel. In my opinion, this is made obvious by the fact that he made flowers sprout from a lepers skin and making the blind man grow more teeth. However, he is also metaphorical for the mistreatment of foreigners. Even though this man is a supposed angel, we know so little about him that we throw stones at him, regardless of him being some sort of holy figure.

Wednesday Post

Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people. - Unknown

I like this quote, for it is very true. It takes a powerful brain to discuss ideas, without having some sort of physical manifestation of them.

And this is my picture:
http://z.about.com/d/paranormal/1/0/T/T/sniper_cat.jpg
Sometime I just feel that way.

Revamped

A very wise (and also very likely southern) man once said “if something ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” However, if something is “broke”, such as my “This I Believe” essay, it should be fixed. In this case, it will be fixed by being completely overhauled and re-done. So, here’s the new one:

I believe in challenges. Not the old arcade franchise that is on its last leg, but good old-fashioned difficult math problem challenges. Challenges can range from big to small, from curing the common cold to figuring out what “x” equals in your last Algebra problem. Through life, I have had my fair share of challenges, but the reward I receive after completing the challenge is always the sweeter for the difficulty I had getting it.
Let me start with a small example. I greatly enjoy video games, and if for no other reason it is that they challenge me. Such was the case in Call of Duty 4, a war shooting game I received just this past Christmas. After going through it the first time in a matter of hours, I decided to play on “Veteran” difficulty, or as the non-video game inclined people should call it, the “nearly impossible” mode. After a good 2 or 3 weeks of “hard work,” I got stuck. It brought me much anger. Then, just a few months ago, I went back and completed the game after an intense 3 hour playing session. However insignificant beating a video game may seem to most, getting through this very difficult challenge made me ecstatic, I felt like I had earned the credits now rolling across my screen.
Of course, there are much more significant examples, like this essay that I am typing at this moment. After I had done my second essay on a topic I really had no interest in, I read the comment from my always enlightening teacher, basically saying I had gone astray and needed a total reworking. So, rather than go through making up some nonsense about my experiences, I took it upon myself as a challenge to craft a well-written, A (or B) worthy podcast. So, as I sit and reflect on the two hours spent writing this up, I find it has been a worthy challenge to my less-than-marvelous writing ability.
Challenges present themselves everyday, and I love to take on any and all that I have time for. That niggling AP stats problem to beating that impossible level, the feeling of completing a challenge is always the same: Awesome.

2nd Draft

Cell phones, you can't live without them, and probably have hd an easier time in life living with them. A powerful device with humble beginnings, it is now one of the most useful tools of our time.
It has evolved from the giant, solid monolith of 1983 to the slim, sleek, and small models of 2008. In this time, any teenager, adult, or person with an income has one, and it's uses are limitless (as far as phone calls go, at least). We can get in touch with just about anyone in a second, handy if your grandmother has just collapsed to the floor, if you've just gotten into a fender bender, or even something as insignificant as inviting a friend out for drinks at the last minute.
I can still remember the day I got my first cell phone. It was a warm August day, and I was sitting in the air conditioned Verizon store of Northlake Mall. After going through the necessary half hour of contracts, bills, the the routine money pumping of customers, I walked out with a shiny, brand new Motorola RAZR. Once out of the mall, I took a seat on one of the many uncomfortable benches and flipped open my new gadget. Internet access, text messaging, it's power seemed limitless.
Then, just a month or two ago, I got my first upgrade in two years. Of course, the process has changed by now. Nowadays, it takes about an hour to sign your name 20 times, and you have likely sold your soul by accident once they hand you your phone. Irregardless, I am now in possession of the LG Voyager, the Verizon equivalent of the iPhone. "It doesn't get much better than this," I thought as I walked out of the store. As I sat in the food court trying to figure out all its functions, it sprung a surprise on me. It flipped open to reveal a full keyboard! I was in shock and awe, eager to try and out, and have not gone a day without using it since. I once had the text messaging ability of a man whose arms have been amputated, and now can outdo most of the people I frequently communicate with.
As is natural to anything so widely used, it begins to develop its own minor annoyances and issues. For instance, the man sitting next to you on the subway, or the woman walking behind you blabbering away on her Bluetooth headset, looking more like she belongs in a room full on computers talking about how Houston has a problem.
However, even with its minor flaws, the cell phone continues to be one of the greatest tools of the 21st century.

Modern Technology

Cell phones, computers, and the internet. These three things have something in common, which would be that our modern world would likely collapse without them. These things are the foundation of our modern world. I believe in this advanced technology.
Let us start with the cell phone. It has evolved from the giant, solid monolith of 1983 to the slim, sleek, and small models of 2008. In this time, any teenager, adult, or person with an income has one, and it's uses are limitless (as far as phone calls go, at least). We can get in touch with just about anyone in a second, handy if your grandmother has just collapsed to the floor, if you've just gotten into a fender bender, or even something as insignificant as inviting a friend out for drinks at the last minute. However, it does have its drawbacks, but nothing so bad as to even consider not using it. For one, you might have to listen to 20 different conversations on the subway on your way to work, which is rather unpleasent, especially if you're trying to have one yourself. And secondly, it can end up eating a fair share of your salary or allowance, so cell phones must be used wisely.
Then there is the computer/internet, devices that have changed the face of information gathering forever. Their most obvious ability is to give you almost any information you could hope for with a few simple clicks of a mouse or tapping a couple button taps on a keyboard. From the average airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow to the time of the next Olympic event, there is virtually nothing you can find. It has also created a brand new form of communication, by way of e-mail and instant messaging. Like the cell phone, information can now be transmitted almost anywhere with a hard drive and internet hook-up. However, this does have some drawbacks. Now, many people feel less of a need to see people face to face, because they don't actually ever have to leave their seat to get in contact with most people. It also creates a form of anonymity, which could lead people to act differently than normal.
All of these things have given mankind a new power, and with this new power technology is increasing at an ever-faster rate. This power completely amazes me, and I will believe in it until the day it dies.

A Quote.

LEEEEEEEROOOOOOOY JEEEEEEEEENKINS!!!!