Dirty Mouth, Clean it up with Orbit Gum

I take no offense to books containing obscene language and I think it makes it more life like. People curse all the time in real life and while it may be looked down upon by some people, it is a part of life and at the end of the day the curse words that are uttered are just words and thats all. Good books and stories are supposed to be as believable as possible, so the language that is chosen is chosen to enhance that aspect. There are some cases however when the profanity gets too out of hand and it seems like every other word in the book is an obscene word, and in those cases, when the cursing is not necessary to get the point across, I think that it should just be taken out. I think we have to deal with the obscene language directly and not be afraid to say what is written because the author put those words in the book for a reason, not for them to just be skipped over.

Independent Reading Blog Post 1

For my independent reading project I am reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I like the book a lot because it has a unique story line that is unlike any other book. The writing is fantastic and JK Rowling does an amazing job at describing all of the magical elements so that they are all believable. I definitely think that I will enjoy this book and I'm not considering switching my choice.

Kite Fighting

Kite fighting and flying is a huge part the the Afghan culture. It can be considered to be the national past time of Afghanistan and can be paralleled to the sport of baseball in America. It is an activity that anyone can do and the fact that people participate and take pride in all aspects of the activity from the making of the kite to the fighting of the kites gives the Afghan people a real sense of pride, and gives them something that they can escape into other than the horrible events going on in their country. Khaled Hosseini may have chosen to include this as a major part of the novel because it is something that is distinctly Afghani and it is an important part of Afghan culture. Also, kite fighting is considered to be a father-son activity and Hosseini can easily use it to portray the rifts between Amir and Baba in the novel.

Free Write

I ran up the slightly inclined hills trying to concentrate on not tripping over one of the dangerously jagged rocks. I didn't know where everyone was I was simply running for my life. They were chasing me but I was supposed to be chasing them. How could this have happened? I heard the trickling creek with each step I took, and the watering seemed to be cheering me on telling me "faster, faster". My loaded gun was a heavy burden as I tried to run up the hill towards the home base and I just hoped that my fellow soldiers would be back there waiting for me. We had been separated for a while now, and all I could do was to tell myself to keep running. I knew my life depended on it and that's all the motivation I needed.

Walk the Line

Authors include disturbing and shocking events in their text because it portrays the seriousness of their point better and makes the situation more life like and believable. I think the vivid description is necessary most of the time unless it is a trivial event when the description is irrelevant. While these descriptions may have a bad affect on the reader, like shocking them or causing a bout of depressed feelings, they help to enhance the book. The disturbing event that Khaled Hosseini described was necessary and the description was valid because the rest of the book will probably revolve around this event, so to make it stand out and signify its important it had to be vivid and even disturbing.

To Atone or not to Atone

I think atonement for past sins is definitely possible. Most times it can take a long time to atone sins, and it depends on how severe they may be. One time I said something bad about one of my friends and she found out and was furious with me. It made me feel bad about what I said and I told her that I was extremely sorry, but I knew that it would take more than just my words to prove to her that I was sorry. It took a long time for her to forgive me and I had to prove through my actions that I was worth forgiving, she wouldn’t just take my word for it. It takes a lot of time to heal the hurt caused by sins.

Decisions...Decisions

There are many factors that go into influencing my decisions. I have to think about how the decisions I make will affect other people, but I also have to primarily think about how they will affect me. I have to think about the consequences of my decisions and have to weigh the pros and cons of each choice before I make it. My decisions have a large impact on those around me because the choices I make will almost always affect the lives of other people. For example, me deciding that I was going to try hard in school and get good grades affected me, my parents, my friends, and my future.

Independent Reading Post 10

Prompt: 16
Chapters: WHOLE BOOK

This marking period we have been reading The Motorcycle Diaries, by Ernesto Che Guevara, in class. The Motorcycle Diaries was about a care-free Argentine adventurer who traveled around Latin America in search of thrills. This relates very well to Neither Here Nor There because Bill Bryson was extremely adventurous and courageous and left everything he knew to go on this trip, just like Che did. Bryson's care-free attitude led him through many peculiar situations just like Che. While Che didn't comment so much on the people of the countries and what made them unique, he did describe landscapes and events in terrific detail just like Bryson. It is very easy to see the parallels between the two travel diaries.

Independent Reading Post 9

Prompt: 17
Chapters: WHOLE BOOK

Neither Here Nor There is a book that is not rich in symbols and themes and big ideas. It's rich in description and setting, as a travel diary should be. Everything that happens and that is discussed in the novel is a result of where Bryson is, thus setting is probably the most important aspect of this story. The people he describes, the events he partakes in, and the other cultural aspects that he describes are all based off of the setting. Therefore, the plot is based off of the setting. A travel diary should be primarily based off of the setting, so this book conforms very nicely to this.

Independent Reading Post 8

Prompt: 18
Chapters: 21 & 22

"At the same time, I had a quite irrational urge to keep going. There is something about the momentum of travel that makes you want to just keep moving, to never stop. That was Asia over there, after all-right there in my view. The thought of it seemed incredible. I could be there in minutes. I still had money left. An untouched continent lay before me. But I didn't go. Instead, I ordered another Coke and watched the ferries. In other circumstances, I think I might have gone. But that of course is neither here nor there." (page 245)

The last sentence of the above quote, "But that of course is neither here nor there," is where the title of the book most likely came from. Towards the end of the book, Bryson is speaking about how he could have kept traveling but it was his choice not to. The last line alludes to that fact that Bryson does not regret not traveling more and does not regret stopping where he did. It seems to define the book well because it speaks to the care-free and spontaneous attitude that Bryson possessed on the trip, one with no regrets. I don't think I would change the title of the book because it is a title that speaks well to the main issues presented. However, if I had to change it I would maybe call it, "The ups, downs, ins and outs and everything else that you will ever need to know about Europe and it's people." I think this title also speaks well to what the book is about because Bryson truly does describe more than the stereotypical travel book, and he does so in a way that makes his reader understand fully what the culture of the country is like.

Independent Reading Post 7

Prompt: 4
Chapters: 13 & 14

"Even the little didn't greatly disturb me. I know Rome is dirty and crowded and the traffic is impossible, but in a strange way that's part of the excitement. Rome is the only city I know, apart from New York, that you can say that about. In fact, New York is just what Rome reminds me of-it has the same noise, dirt, volubility, honking, the same indolent cops standing around with unfocused electric buzz of energy. The only difference is that Rome is so wondrously chaotic. New York is actually pretty well ordered. People stand in line, and for the most part obey traffic signals and observe the conventions of life that keep things running smoothly." (page 135)

One aspect of Bryson's writing that I enjoy is the way that he relates places and events that he knows most of his readers have never been to or experienced to things that most of his readers have experienced. In this case he is relating the lesser-known Rome to New York City, a place that many Americans reading this book would have been to. When he was describing Rome as a dirty and chaotic city it really surprised me. I wouldn't think that with all of the wonderful history and tourist attractions that Rome has to offer that it would be like New York City. I thought it was more of a sacred and clean city rather than like New York. I am going to Rome this summer so I will be very interested to see if it actually parallels to New York City.

Independent Reading Post 6

Prompt: 2
Chapters: 11 & 12

"On top of that, the Swedes and Norwegians have shackled themselves with some of the most inane and restrictive laws imaginable, laws that leave you wondering what on earth they were thinking about. In Norway, for instance, it is illegal for a bartender to serve you a fresh drink until you have finished the previous one. Does that sound to you like a matter that needs to be covered by legislation? It is also illegal in Norway for a bakery to bake bread on a Saturday or Sunday. Well, thank God for that, say I. Think of the consequences if some ruthless Norwegian baker tried to foist fresh bread on people on the weekend. But the most preposterous law of all, a law so pointless as to scamper along the outer margins of the surreal, is the Swedish one that requires motorists to drive with their headlights on during the daytime, even on the sunniest summer afternoon. I would love to meet the guy who thought up that one." (page 121)

These laws confused me just as much as Bryson was confused by them. In America I think some laws are quite ridiculous, but I guess I can't complain until I live in Norway. These confusing laws spurred me to research more of Norway's laws and see if they were just as ridiculous. In Norway you are not allowed to drink in public, which even encompasses your own balcony if people can see you. Alcohol is also extremely pricey in Norway and a glass of wine/beer in a restaurant can be in the range of $12 (http://iguide.travel/Norway/Drinking). All of these laws puzzled me just like they puzzled Bryson. Who would ever think of these and why would the public allow them to rule? It will be interesting to see if Bryson runs into any other such situations in other countries.

Independent Reading Post 5

Prompt:
Chapters: 9 & 10

"At all events, this relaxed and genial air was something that I hadn't associated with Germans before, at least not those aged over twenty-five. There was no whiff of arrogance here, just a quiet confidence, which was clearly justified by the material wealth around them. Those little doubts we've all had about the wisdom of letting the Germans become the masters of Europe evaporated in the Hamburg sunshine...I don't think I can altogether forgive the Germans their past, not as long as I can wonder if that friendly old waiter who brings me my coffee might once have spent his youth bayoneting babies or herding Jews into gas ovens. Some things are so monstrous as to be unpardonable. But I don't see how anyone could go to Germany now and believe for a moment that that could ever happen again. The Germans are becoming the new Americans-rich, ambitious, hardworking, health-conscious, sure of their place in the world." (page 100)

The way that Bryson just realized that the Germans are not like the way they were in the 1940s is moving because he came to a realization that made him think about the changing times. While he states that he may never be able to forgive the Germans for what they did, which most people wouldn't be able to do anyway, he does realize that it will never happen again. Her connects the Germans to the Americans which in itself is a way of forgiving them and pardoning them because he is seeing them in a new light. The way that Bryson described his realization is moving because anytime anyone can see the better in something or someone it is inspirational.

Independent Reading Post 4

Prompt: 3

Chapters: 7 & 8

"When I was twenty I liked Amsterdam-indeed, admired it passionately-for its openness, its tolerance, its relaxed attitude to dope and sex, and all the other sins that on can't get enough of at twenty. But I found it oddly wearisome now. The people of Amsterdam were rather stuck with their tradition of tolerance, like people who take up a political stance and then have to defend it no matter how untenable it gets. Because the Dutch have been congratulating themselves on their intelligent tolerance for all these centuries, it is now impossible for them not to be nobly accommodating to graffiti and burned-out hippies and dog shit and litter. Of course, I may be completely misreading the situation. They may like dog shit and little. I sure hope so, because they've certainly got a lot of it." (page 89)

During his current journey around Europe Bryson recalls aspects of his last journey 20 years earlier. This is one example of him comparing the two trips. Since the passage of twenty years Bryson has grown a lot as a person and has experienced enough to make him change from the last time he traveled throughout Europe. As expected he is over the party phase that everyone goes through in their twenties, and now is happily married in his forties. He described his earliest trip through Europe as a care-free adventure with his buddy Katz and now he is going solo and learning more about himself. For example, as described in the quote above, he used to love the city of Amsterdam for its tolerance and freedom and now he doesn't want any part of it. He sees bad parts, like litter and graffiti, in the tolerance which are things he probably didn't even notice the first time that he was in the city. This exemplifies the changed Bryson.

Independent Reading Post 3

Prompt: 10
Chapters: 5 & 6

"I took three years of French in school, but learned next to nothing. The trouble was that the textbooks were so amazingly useless. They were always written by somebody clearly out of touch with the Francophile world-Professor Marvis Frisbee of the Highway 68 State Teachers College at Windstock, North Dakota, or something- and at no point did they intersect with the real world. They never told you any of the things you would need to know in France-how to engage a bidet, deal with a toilet matron, or kneecap a line jumper. They were always tediously preoccupied with classroom activities: hanging up coats in the cloakroom, cleaning the blackboard, opening the window, shutting the window, setting out the day's lessons. Even in the seventh grade I could see that this sort of thing would be of limited utility in the years ahead. How oftnn on a visit to France do you need to tell someone you want to clean a blackboard? How frequently do you wish to say: 'It is winter. Soon it will be spring.' In my experience, people know this already." (page 64)

This quote describes a phenomenon that I have questioned since 6th grade. I can totally connect to Bryson on this topic of useless foreign language textbooks. I have taken a Spanish class in school for 6 years and still can't speak a lick of the language, let alone enough to be usefull in a Spanish country. Bryson is completely correct in saying that the foriegn language textbooks focus on classroom activities and not usefull conversation. Bryson's frustration with this topic is very easy to connect to and the way he describes it is nothing short of perfect. Bryson connects this issue to his inability to eavesdrop on the French speaking people and what they are saying, which is something I think that I would be very frustrated with as well.

Write Your Own Do Now

After reading the book and observing Che's adventures and after watching the documentary about Che as a malicious communist leader can you see how Che changed from the beginning of The Motorcycle Diaries to who he was at the time of his death? Pick out one or two instances from the book that show Che's true transformation, and how the trip across Latin America transformed him into the communist dictator.

I think this is a good wrap-up question because it ties Che as an adventurer and Che as a dictator, and speaks to his trip and the transformation he mad on it.

Columbia and Venezuela

"...that you will die with a clenched fist and tense jaw, the epitome of hatred and struggle, because you are not a symbol (some inanimate example) but a genuine member of the society to be destroyed." (page 164)

"But despite his words, I now knew...I knew that when the great guiding spirit cleaves humanity into two antagonistic halves, I would be with the people." (page 164)

"I fell my nostril dilate, savoring the acrid smell of gunpowder and blood, the enemy's death; I steel my body, ready to do battle, and prepare myself to be a sacred space within which the bestial howl of the triumphant proletariat can resound with new energy and new hope." (page 165)

Each of these quotes describes the energy and the passion that Che feels. He speaks about how he wants to work for the people and how if he had to choose he would do anything for the people. He talks about how he is ready to go and fight for the people and what both he and they believe in. He seems to know that it will be hard but he wants people to have a new energy and a new hope. The first picture I chose were of a protest, which symbolizes how Che plans to work to benefit the people. The second picture is of a soldiers face but from an angle that is looking upward. This symbolizes how the people will be looking up to Che to guide them and how he is strong and a good leader.

Independent Reading Post 2

Prompt: 1
Chapters: 3 & 4

I particulary liked the Chapter titled "Paris". Paris was one of the first places that Bryson traveled to on his journey, and having been to Paris before I appreciated his ability to mention not only the well known tourist attractions but also the small little shops and cafes that define Paris. Paris is such a beautiful and magical city and Bryson pays tribute to that very well. Bryson talks about the famous Notre Dame cathedral and well as the Louvre, the worlds largest art museum. He also speaks to the smaller and less well known attractions that the city has to offer.
He spends much time commenting on the quaint little bookstore called Shakespeare and Company. While in Paris, I visited the bookstore and he describes it perfectly, "... (I) wandered across the river to Shakespeare & Co., a wonderfully gloomy English-language book store full of cobwebs and musty smells and old forgotten novels by writers like Warwick Deeping. Plump chairs and sagging sofas were scattered about the rooms and on each a young person in intellectual looking glasses was curled up reading one of the proprietor's books, evidently from cover to cover," (page 43).
Besides mentioning the places and events going on in the city, Bryson does not forget to speak about the people of the city. He comments on the death traps that tourists find themselves in while trying to cross one of the many squares in the city while finding themselves surrounded by rude and unsympethetic drivers. He also comments on the inability that French people have to line up correctly, and how it is simply puzzling to him. What made this chapter so enjoyable was that Bryson touched on every aspect to the city, the people, the places, and the events, which allowed the reader to gain a clear perspective on the culture of the city.

Theme #6 Introduction

I thought the 3rd website (http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Thesis.html) was the most useful because it stated the process of writing a thesis and not just examples. While the other sites with examples were helpful they didn't really explain the process of getting from the topic to the thesis like this website did.

Thesis for Theme:
Ernesto aspired to be someone who would make a difference while living a carefree, adventurous lifestyle. While Ernesto’s intentions of who he wanted to become were pure and valid, he let others influence him into someone corrupt and malicious, thus impacting the world in a ruinous, damaging way.

Peru Diction Quiz

Che’s travels through Peru were not unlike the other places that he traveled to. During this section Che focused extensively on the culture and history of Peru and the native peoples of Peru. Their journey through Peru started out just like their journeys through Argentina and Chile, very carefree and not quite sure of where or how they would end up. They soon realized that it was slightly harder to get free stuff such as shelter and food than it had been in other countries. They were AFFRONTED many times when people tried to charge them for a ride. They came upon the Civil Union, and road in a truck with them throughout a good part of Peru. When Che and Alberto were in Juliaca they were speaking to a drunken sergeant and he was EVOKING anger from Alberto and the sergeant ended up causing some type of damage to the wall. The civilians in the bar blamed it on Alberto and one lady said, “These Argentines think they own everything” (page 101). This was one of the first incidents in which Che and Alberto were not embraced and were shown disrespect for being foreigners. After this incident they continued on their journey. Che kept mentioning how cold it was and how with each DAUNTING peak that they climbed they got colder and colder. Che describes the PLACID Lake Titicaca and his sail around the lake that means so much to the Incan culture. The men soon arrived at the IDYLLIC city of Cuzco in which Che spent a lot of time describing. He stated that it was the perfect city and kept describing how much it had to offer. He stated that there are three Cuzcos, “But there are 2 or 3 Cuzcos, or it’s better to say, 2 or 3 ways the city can be summoned…This is the Cuzco inviting you to become a warrior and to defend, club in hand, the freedom and life of the Inca…This Cuzco invites you to be a hesitant tourist, to pass over things superficially and relax into the beauty beneath a leaden winter sky… This is the Cuzco asking you to pull on your armor and, mounted on the ample back of a powerful horse, cleave a path through the defenseless flesh of a naked Indian flock whose human wall collapses and disappears beneath the 4 hooves of the galloping beast.” (Page 103/104). As much time as Che spent describing the city of Cuzco itself, he also spent describing the lives of the natives of Cuzco, the Incas. He described them as natives who were mysterious, intelligent, and pure experts when it came to living off of what they had. He described the ENIGMATIC Incan RELIC called Machu Picchu, of which to this day the real reason behind it is unclear. Machu Picchu was built on top of a high peak in the Peruvian Andes and many theories try to explain the reason for its existence. Che explained both the religious argument and the defense argument. Che and Alberto continue on their journey, and it seems as though they see greater amounts of poverty in Peru than anywhere else. They learn about the Peruvian Indian way of life and its faulty education system, as well as BESTIAL treatment of the Indians. As their journey continues Che describes how he and Alberto got their way to get free food and shelter down to a science. They called it the “anniversary routine” in which they were able to cop people out of food and into giving them a place to stay for the night. One of their final stops in Peru was to the San Pablo leper colony. In a letter Che wrote to his father he described the way that helping these people makes him feel, as though he is the greatest man in the world. The said that the way they look at him with INTERMINABLE gratefulness that he looked past their LESIONS and treated the as human beings was the best reward that he could of received. The lepers were used to being treated ABHORRENTLY, and they embraced Che and Alberto for treating them kindly. Their journey through Peru ended with them boarding the Mambo-Tango raft on the Amazon en route to Colombia.

Essential Question #2

Ernesto was someone who wanted to make a difference. He wanted to explore and to go on adventures and be care-free but he also wanted to help people. He was a doctor and he wanted to be able to help people who others wouldn't help, which is why he focused and was so keen on helping those with leprosy. Ernesto's journey throughout The Motorcycle Diaries explored both the care-free and adventurous side of him and the helping side. I don't think that he was aiming to have the impact that he did. While helping the rebellion to overthrow Batista, Che was executing his adventurous and helping sides, but he did in a rough manner which gave him a bad reputation. He impacted the world in a way that I don't think he was expecting to. He let the power get to his head, and felt that it was necessary to end the lives of those against him. He totally switched from what he was in Motorcycle Diaries to what is known for today. He let Castro influence him and use him as his personal puppet while losing sight of his original goals.

Independent Reading Post 1

Prompt: 11
Chapters: 3 & 4

"The hotel was one of those sterile, modern places that always put me in mind of a hospital, but at least it didn't have the curious times switches that used to be a feature of hotel hallways in France. These were a revelation to me when I first arrived from America/ All the light switches in the hallways were timed to go off after ten or fifteen seconds, presumably as an economy measure. These were a revelation to me when I first arrived from America. This wasn't so bad if your room was next to the elevator, but if it was very far down the hall, and hotel hallways in Paris tend to wander around like an old man with Alzheimer's, you would generally proceed the last furlong in total blackness, feeling your way along the walls with flattened palms, and invariably colliding scrotally with the corner of a nineteenth-century oak table put there, evidently, for the purpose. Occasionally, your groping fingers would alight on something soft and hairy, which you would recognize after a moment as another person, and if he or she spoke English, you could exchange tips....And from this I learned one very important lesson: The French do not like us." (page 40/41)

This quote exemplifies Bill Bryson's style. He can take any situation, ie light switches, and turn it into a funny description of a bigger idea. There is a quote on the back of the book, from the Chicago Sun-Times, that praises Bryson and describes his style exactly, "Bill Bryson could write an essay about dryer lint or fever reducers and still make us laugh out loud." He describes events and objects that most people have never encountered in a unique and humorous way that makes everyone want to experience it. Bryson's style is definitely effective, as it always gets his point across. He can take the most boring subjects and make his reader focus and understand his point using humor. His style adds to my enjoyment of the book because I find myself laughing out loud and just wanting to read more and see what humorous situations he gets himself into next.

Independent Reading Introduction Post

Title: Neither Here Nor There
Author: Bill Bryson

I will be reading Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson for my independent reading project. The book is a travel diary about Bryson's trip through Europe. Bryson is also famous for other such travel diaries, such as a Walk in the Woods which is about his journey on the Appalachian Trail. I chose to read this book because I have read other books by Bill Bryson and they are absolutely hilarious yet informative and make for a great read. The task is to convey, using blog posts, the overall plot and interesting points in the book. These blog posts will present the interesting, confusing, surprising, and moving events and ideas presented in the book.

Chile

One experience that Che had in Chile that could affected his later life would be when him and Alberto decided to sneak on the boat, the San Antonio, to try to get to Easter Island. This may have affected his later life because it was an experience that he was doing illegaly but people still accepted him with open arms. Although they snuck on the boat and could have gotten in a lot of trouble the captain embraced them with no bad consequences. "He recommended that we say nothing about our previous meeting and that he would ensure nothing happened when we arrived in Antofagasta, the ship's destination. He let us sleep in the cabin of an officer on leave, and that night invited us to play canasta and have a drink or two," (page 75). One major impact that this may have had on Che would be to build his ego to think that he was above the law, and also to fuel his sense of rebelliousness.

Six Word Memoir America

Leader of the world fails miserably.

Apples to Apples

I don't think that this is an example of hypocrisy because the Americans have a right to be working with the Pakistanis to combat Al Qaeda and the Taliban because those are the terrorist groups that reign the world. They are behind the September 11th attacks of America and behind the recent Mumbai, India terrorist attacks. When Che was working with the Cubans there was no group that was terrorizing the world, he was simply working to overthrow an existing government. However, today America is trying to help rid the world of terrorists. America has the right to do this because they are simply helping the Pakistanis, not taking over the whole take down of the terrorist groups. The terrorist groups, as stated in the article, are destabilizing Pakistan so there really is a need to weed out Al Qaeda and the Taliban, not like in Che's situation in Cuba when it was a choice to start a revolution not a necessity.

Argentina

"In any photographic manual you'll come across the strikingly clear image of a landscape, apparently taken by night, in the light of a full moon. The secret behind this magical vision of 'darkness at noon' is usually revealed in the accompanying text. Readers of this book will not be well versed about the sensitivity of my retina-I can hardly sense it myself." (page 32)
This excerpt from the Motorcycle Diaries is a very good example of Ernesto's voice. His tone and diction are made clear through this short passage. The way that he phrases his words, such as "readers of this book will not be well versed about the sensitivity of my retina", convey his attitude as that he really doesn't care if the readers don't believe him, and he will describe the way that he saw it, not the way others saw it. He goes about it in a somewhat snotty yet familiar way by saying "I can hardly see it myself". This excerpt helps the reader gain a better understanding of Ernesto because it shows the aspects of his personality through the words he chooses to use.

"After an eternity of trekking through deep mud we recognized the stream flowing out into the Carrue, and almost immediately the trees disappeared and we reached the flat. The huge figure of a stag dashed like a quick breath across the stream and his body, silver by the light of the rising moon, disappeared into the undergrowth. This tremor of nature cut straight to our hearts. We walked slowly so as not to disturb the peace of the wild sanctuary with which we were now communing." (page 49)
This excerpt clearly displays the aspects of diction, detail, and imagery. He uses phrases such as "the peace of the wild sanctuary" and "silver by the light of the moon" to display his love for nature and for adventure and for life in general. He paints a picture that is easy to see in your head, which makes his experiences seem all that more real.

Theme #5 Introduction

"For Sale. Baby Shoes. Never Worn."

With these 6 words Hemingway could be telling many different stories. The first thing that came to my mind was that the baby died, which is why the shoes were never worn. Another possibility would be that the baby's shoes never fit, which is why they are for sale.

Essential Question

Truthfully I don't really know exactly what I want to become. I just want to be happy. Whatever path takes me towards the final destination of happiness is fine, as long as I get there. I want to be someone who is loved by my family and friends alike. I also want to travel the world and see everything that I can. I want to impact the world by enhancing understanding between cultures, both by learning about other cultures but also by teaching others about my culture.

TMD Introduction

The adventure was like one I had never been on before. The adrenaline pumped through my body like it was blood pumping through my heart. The places we would see, the people we would meet, the experiences we would have. I couldn't help but think of how much fun I was going to have. The consequences were irrelevant at the time. I didn't care how it would affect my career, my parents, or my friends. At that time I knew that this is what I needed to do for me. I needed to be selfish for my own good. The enormity of our endeavor escaped us in those moments; all we could see was the dust on the road ahead and ourselves on the bike, devouring kilometers in our flight.

Ideology

One thing that I would go to great lengths to defend would be my family and friends. If anyone tried to ever hurt any of my family or friends they would regret it. My family and friends are the people that get me through each day, and define my life. So, if someone tried to hurt them either emotionally or physically it would be just like hurting me. Another thing that I would go to great lengths to protect would be my rights. I believe that everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Therefore, if anyone tried to take away those basic human rights from me, it would be something that I would defend to the death.

El Che Reaction #1

One thing that stood out to me while watching El Che was the fact that the journey of Motorcycle Diaries is what started Che on his journey to join the Cuban revolution. Another thing that jumped out at me was the fact that Castro was looked up upon as a revolutionary and people wanted him to take power, while now it is the total opposite. It was also interesting to see that Castro and Che were such good friends. There was one random story about a lady sewing Che's pants that didn't really fit, so it was peculiar that it was incorporated into the documentary.

TMD Timeline

If Motorcycle Diaries is described as a mix between Das Kapital and Easy Rider, then I think we can expect to read about a trip of rebels moving across the continent in order to change the people and the way they think. Das Kapital was about Marxism and socialism which is essentially Communism while Easy Rider was about a bunch of fun-loving hippies traveling across the country in search of a good time. So, a conclusion about Motorcycle Diaries that could be made from the merger of these two sources would be that the main characters (including Che) will be traveling in search of themselves, fun, but also to make people conform to their beliefs.

TMD Bio & Intro Post

Since this book is considered to be a travel diary I expect a lot of descriptive passages that describe people, places, landscape, social experiences, etc. I think that the writing style will be focused yet descriptive. One other travel narrative that I have read is Bill Bryson's Walk In The Woods, which was about a man's journey through the Appalacian Trail. What stuck out were the long descriptions of landscape that were both informative and descriptive. This book will definitely be different than the last two books we have read because it won't so much be about individual self realization, but will now be more about the narrator realizing his place in the world, which will then help him find himself. The two prefaces to the book were completely different. The one by his daughter was filled with passion for her admirable father, while the one by his second wife was simply a synopsis of the book.

TMD Preface Comparison

The type of information that I found most helpful in gaining a deeper understanding of the books that we have studied is the information about the life and times of the author. I think that every author has a deeper meaning for writing their book/novel and there is always some piece of autobiographical information in their books. While they may not write directly about their lives, their own experiences almost always come into their works. It is interesting, and highly useful in understanding the book further, to see where the author was coming from when they wrote the novel.

TMD Preview Post

An epiphany, according to dictionary.com, is a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience. An epiphany seems to be a moment in your life that can change the rest of your life and the way you live. It may change the way you live through your morals, your feelings, or the way you act. An epiphany would impact your life because as stated earlier it would change the way you go about life and the way you look at things. It can change your whole perspective as to the meaning of life, why your here, and what your meant to do.

Glenn Beck Video

Since I don't know very much about Che Guevara, I can't comment much on whether I agree with Glenn Beck, but he does make a great argument. Apparently people idolize Che and Beck's argument that he should not be looked up to that way because he was essentially worse or on an equal level to Stalin, Hitler, and Castro. Based on the argument that Beck and Humberto Fontova make, it angers me that Che is idolized when he killed and executed so many people. Beck's style is very interesting. He is forceful and uses words that appeal to the senses such as "Stalin wannabe, cold blooded killer" and "heartless and clueless". Although Beck is forceful he seems to go about the conversation and persuasion with a sort of style that make you want to think that he is trying to be your friend. It's not a very casual tone/style but something about it is friendly. Overall his tone is very forceful, and he seems to be attacking Hollywood not Che himself.