Outside Reading #5

For this outside reading, I am going to talk about the new graphic novel that we are reading called Persepolis. I started reading this book yesterday, and have already found myself at page 140. I have really enjoyed this book, and the pictures have been a really nice change from the normal all-text books we have been reading. The novel is about a young girl in Iran that has to grow up during a time of war. She undergoes a lot of changes, and matures as the war goes on. She is a very rebellious girl, but usually for the right reasons. She slaps her teacher, but only because her teacher was trying to get her to practice the religion of the fundamentalists. Many of her close friends and relatives die in the book, but she perseveres and stays strong through times of hardships. Right now I am at the part where her parents are considering shipping her off to Austria.

Outside Reading #4

For this outside reading, I am going to comment on the rest of the book, "Slaughterhouse Five" by Kurt Vonnegut. I really liked this book, and I thought it was really interesting. Basically, throughout the rest of the book, I got more familiar with the whole time travel aspect, which really helped me understand it better. Once understanding that, I was able to familiarize myself with his thoughts and the significance of the "flashbacks." I really liked the idea of the Tramalfadorians capturing Billy and how they placed him in a zoo on their homeland. The whole 4 dimensional thing was really cool, and Kurt Vonnegut gave a good way of describing it with still leaving much room for imagination. Moving on towards the end of the novel, I liked how the book ended, but I thought that I would be open to different endings. I thought it was strange that such a dreary and dismal book could end in such a happy and satisfying way. Anyway, I am overall pleased with this read and happy that I chose it.

Outside Reading #4

For this outside reading, I am going to switch topics and blog about the book that I am reading for english. The book that I have just started is Slaughterhouse Five. I am only sixty pages into this book, but already I really like it. The first thirty pages or so are just about Kurt Vonnegut, the author, and how he has decided to publish this book and why he wanted to write about it. At first, he thought it would be an easy topic to talk about, because he had experienced it firsthand, but he soon realized that he didn't remember a lot of what went on. He ends up calling some of his old commerades from the war to ask them if they remember. After writing the book, Vonnegut says that the reason for publishing was to talk about anti-war, and the tradgedies of what goes on. In the next thirty pages, it switches to the young boy in the forests of Germany toward the end of WWII. He is walking around with his commerades, when to are shot. The other two are captured in a riverbank and taken to a cottege by the Germans. The German troops just took pictures of the Americans, trying to show that they just captured them.

Outside Reading #3

Okay, so starting on where I left off last time, Reacher found out that the murder was indeed due to natural causes. Reacher drives to the dead General's house to break the news to the newly widowed wife. As he enters the door, he finds the wife dead on the ground with a blunt would to the head. The coincidence of the couple dying within twenty-four hours of each other is too much for him to handle. He decides to look in to it and goes back to the hotel. He then goes to the strip club next to the bar to question some of the girls. The owner and bouncer of the club sees what is going on and tries to fight Jack. Although Jack is outweighed by over 50 pounds, he has the skills necessary to take down the large man. The man runs forward as Jack stuns him with an elbow to the face, followed by a strong kick to the kneecap. The bouncer's kneecap bends backwards, and he falls on to the floor screaming in pain. Reacher then casually gathers his coat, and walks back to his Humvee.

Outside Reading #2

For this outside reading, I am going to comment on the movie that we have been watching in class. This movie is called "Duel" and is written by Steven Speilberg. I really enjoyed this movie even though it was a little old. Speilberg used a lot of interesting camera techniques to portray different things. For example, to make the truck look bigger he shot with an angle low to the ground. Also, to make the truck and the car look as if they were traveling faster, he had them shoot up against a landscape. Seeing the landscape whiz by the truck made it seem a lot faster. Although I'm a little upset I didn't get to see who the driver is, I still really enjoyed this movie and would recommend it to many people.

Outside Reading #1

For these next few blog posts, I will be commenting on a book that I am just starting to read. It is called, "The Enemy" by Lee Child. I have read just the first twenty pages, and already I am really enjoying it. It is about a man named Jack Reacher who works for the Army. The book opens with Jack receiving a call from an officer saying that there is a dead general in a hotel 50 miles out of town. He goes down to check it out and finds out that it is an Army general. I stopped reading where Jack is waiting for the autopsy report to see if the mysterious death was natural or a murder.

Research Paper

The Holocaust
The holocaust was a gruesome and terrible experience for millions. It started in 1933 when the German Nazis invaded other European countries to gain control of as much land as possible. While they expanded territory they tried to make a single superior race, which of course would be blond-haired, blue-eyed Germans, or Aryans as Hitler called them. Their leader, Hitler, was himself a Jew which was incredible because he was murdering millions of Jews.
The persecution of Jews was fuelled by many different reasons. First off, Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany believed that Jewish people were lower than everyone else, and that they were a direct threat to the German people. Also, the persecution of Jews helped Nazi Germany fund their war. Germany was in an economic depression, and needed more money. One reason why the Jews were picked was because after World War 1, the Germans needed someone to blame for their loss. Because of this, the Germans were able to take out all their anger on the Jews.
One reason why Jews were blamed and persecuted was because Adolf Hitler believed that Germans were inherently superior human beings, and that the inherently inferior Jews threatened them to their very existence. They believed that the threat was so great that the only option was to exterminate them as though they were vermin. About six million Jews were killed in the genocide. Jews were considered the scapegoats to Germany. Germany didn’t want to take all the blame from the first war, and needed someone to blame it on.
The effects of the holocaust were horrific it left thousands dead and changed Judaism forever. Some people say that it was a war every day they got up and they struggled to stay alive. This is just how it was if you weren’t killed as soon as you got to the camp they would work you to death. This affected not only thousands of Jewish family’s but countries as a whole. Germany would have to live with this reputation forever. After the war was over the Jews were freed but this wasn’t the end of the fighting for them. They protested for many years, the lucky families that made it through the camps had no idea where their loved ones went. The Nazis hardly kept records at all just a simple tattoo on your arm. Before the war Jews were outcasts and no one wanted to be associated with them. After the war the Jews were furious with their government a large amount of them moved. The long lasting effect on this is that the Jews were falling asleep every night wondering what happened to their mom or dad, or brother and sister but they would never find out.
Hitler the leader of the Nazis was killing not only Jews but Christians and other religions as well. He built concentration camps and started to starve and gas all that got in his way of his single race. Hitler’s actions were inexcusable and when the Americans started to take back control Hitler committed suicide. When Americans got to the concentration camps they could not believe what they have seen. The holocaust was truly a terrible thing that happened.

WORKS CITED

Holocaust - Direct Cause." Holocaust Understanding and Prevention by Alexander Kimel. 20 Mar. 2009 .

How was life for the Jews during the Holocaust?." United Jewish Federation (2002) 26 Mar 2009 .
The Holocaust." USHMM. 2009. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 26 Mar. 2009 [http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005143]
The Effects of the Holocaust on the Children of Survivors." About Judaism. 20 Mar. 2009 .

Second Research Paragraph #2

In this blog post, I will be commenting on the topic of the Holocaust. During the Holocaust, over six million Jews died. The Germans believed that they were superior to the Jews and that the Jews must be exterminated because they were a potential threat to society. The Jews were taken from their homes and moved into ghettos. They were then transported to concentration camps. Here, they would be required to do forced labor. The survivors of the Holocaust were moved into "displaced persons" camps set up by the Allied forces, and then moved from there. Even after the liberations took place, many victims still died because of the harsh conditions they were experiencing.

The Holocaust." USHMM. 2009. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 26 Mar. 2009 [http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005143]

Outside Reading March 22

For this outside reading, I am going to comment on a television show that I watched tonight on TLC. It was called, "Tree Man." Its about this guy who has a disease that makes him look like he has tree bark all over his body. I found this show very interesting. He had a bunch of surgeries to try to make him normal. He was in the hospital for 9 months. He must have had a lot of courage and strength to keep fighting when he could have just as easily given up. He had to leave his farm and his wife and kids to go to the hospital. Now that he has successfully finished his surgeries, he can finally go home and be with his family. I respect that this guy stayed with it and didn't give up.

Outside Reading March 18

For this outside reading, I am going to talk about an article that me and warren are using for the research project. This article is about Iraqi christians facing persecution. A recent poll showed that most of them feel safe in Iraq, but when a christian pastor was interviewed, he said that each year more and more of his congregation are getting murdered because they are Christian. I think that this is wrong and should be changed. Obviously people's opinions aren't going to change, but I think that some ways of protecting them could be put into place so they don't feel as persecuted.

Lyle, Jenna. "Iraqi Christians still face persecution." Christian Today 18 Mar 2009 18 Mar 2009 .

Warren's Blog - http://mrkoolsoffice.blogspot.com

Outside Reading March 8

For this outside reading, I am supposed to comment on a global issue that is occurring or has occurred recently. The article that I am going to talk about is called, "N. Korea warns against 'satellite' interception." North Korea is warning other countries that if their satellite that they are sending out gets intercepted, it will mean war. This was pretty scary to hear from some countries, because North Korea has been testing a new missile that has the possibility of reaching Alaska or Hawaii. The article didn't really specify what the satellite was for. I think that we should just let North Korea do what they want, as long as they are not affecting us, but if they do something that puts us in danger, we should attack.

N. Korea warns against 'satellite' interception." CNN 8 Mar 2009 8 Mar 2009 .

Outside Reading March 1

For this outside reading, I am going to comment on an article about some sort of culture. One article that I found very interesting was on CNN called "For sale: One life in China." This article is about this woman, Chen Xiao, who is letting people on the internet telling her what to do. She says that because her life last year went horribly wrong, maybe it will be better by having other people tell her what to do. Some things that she has been asked to do are taking care of stray cats, or feeding a homeless man. What she has found through this experience is that she is finding happiness through completing these simple tasks. I think that this is very interesting. I think that the culture has to be very different because I couldn't see an American person giving their life up to others. I think that most Americans are pretty self controlling, and I don't know if they would like this. It will be neat to see what else people ask her to do, and how long she keeps up with it.

Vause, John. "For sale: One life in China." CNN 26 Feb 2009 1 Mar 2009 .

Outside Reading February 25

For this outside reading, I am going to blog about the topic of "bollywood." Bollywood films are Indian films. The B in Bollywood comes from Bombay, which used to be where they were made. The title of the article I will be talking is called "Crew of Slumdog Millionaire in Jubilant Mood After Reigning Oscars." I thought that this article was very interesting because they won so many Oscars. Although I haven't seen the movie myself I would really like to. I think that this dominance is proving that international films are becoming more popular and we will be seeing them more in theaters. They crew said they they had a great time working on the movie and were very pleased to see the outcome.

Crew of Slumdog Millionaire in Jubilant Mood after Reigning Oscars." Bollywood-Stars 24 Feb 2009 26 Feb 2009 .

Outside Reading February 22

For this outside reading, we are supposed to blog about the idea of "change." I am going to talk about change that occurred during the Oscars. They did a musical piece on how the "musical" is back. I found this very interesting. One reason that I enjoyed it was because my mother majored in music and my dad also studied during college. My sister was always in musicals during her high school years and continued into college. Although I do not participate in musicals, I do enjoy them. Although I do not know exactly why musicals are coming back into the film industry, I think it is neat because they provide a different aspect into movies.

***Mr. Cheng, I am not sure how you want me to do a citation for this, so I will just post the title. "The Academy Awards"

Outside Reading February 18

For this outside reading, I am going to talk about an article that includes hope. The article that I picked was on CNN.com and is called, "Housing fix will help many, but not all." This article is about President Obama's 75 billion dollar foreclosure prevention program. I think that although this will raise taxes, it is a very good idea. Since the housing market is already not doing very well, we need something to give those families hope who are either in the process of foreclosure or those that are thinking about it. As we all know, President Obama's signature is "hope." I think that this is what got him elected. I believe so because during this recession, this is what the people who are struggling need.


Luhbi, Tami. "Housing Fix Will Help Many, But Not All." CNN 18 Feb 2009 18 Feb 2009 .

Outside Reading February 11

For this outside reading, I am supposed to talk about gender and gender roles. The article I read is called, "A Breadwinner Rethinks Gender Roles." This is about a family with a newborn baby trying to figure out how they are going to take care of it while supporting the family. Opposite to many cultures, the man quit his job to take care of the baby while the mother became the breadwinner. Although this is somewhat uncommon, I don't find it that extreme. I think that when a family is put into a situation like this, the adult who has the highest income should keep their job. This would be best for the parents and the family as a whole.

Dunleavey, M.P.. "A Breadwinner Rethinks Gender Roles ." New York Times 27 Jan 2009 11 Feb 2009 .

Oustide Reading February 8

For this outside reading, I am going to comment on a culture different from my own. The title of this article is "23 killed at Madagascar protest." These people were protesting outside Madagascar's Presidential Palace. The people didn't like what the president was doing, so they protested. Reports aren't sure who was shooting. Some say that mercenaries were shooting and others claim the army guards were shooting into the crowd. Either way, it was very hectic. I think that the government could have handled this a better way. Violence didn't have to be used and just caused more chaos.

"23 killed at Madagascar protest." CNN 7 Feb 2009 7 Feb 2009 .

Outside Reading February 4

For this outside reading, I am going to comment on someone overcoming a struggle or facing a difficulty. The article I am going to comment about is called "The shrinking of Federer and who will stop the Williams sisters?" It's about Federer losing once again to Nadal, and the dominance of the Serena sisters. Federer has been struggling a lot lately. He is 6-13 all time against Nadal, and is now the number 2 player in the world. He has been known for his dominance on hardcourt, but now that Nadal has beat him, he no longer is. Federer needs to get a better inside look on his game and how he can improve.


Wertheim, Jon. "The shrinking of Federer and who will stop the Williams sisters?." Tennis Mailbag 4 Feb 2009 6 Feb 2009 .

Ouside Reading February 1

For this outside reading blog, I am going to comment on an article about a natural disaster. The natural disaster is about an earthquake that occurred in Sichuan Province in China. It occurred last May. This particular earthquake scored a 7.9 on the Richter scale which is pretty high. Over 15 million people were living in that area at the time. 12,000 casualties were recorded but another 18,000 people were missing.

"Sichuan Earthquake." The New York Times 1 Feb 2009 .

Outside Reading January 14

For this outside reading, I am going to comment on an article in the Star Tribune called, "Blast of Heat withers Wolves' perfect '09." It was written by Jerry Zgoda. Let me just start by saying most good sports articles I read in the paper are written by Mr. Zgoda. I guess he's pretty good. Anyway... the wolves were on a five game winning streak before they blew the game Monday night. They had a 13 point lead in the second quarter. Watching the highlights, it looked as Dwayne Wade had a pretty good game, with 31 points and eight assists. I think that the wolves still suck because really how good can you be when you finish a five game winning streak and your record is still 11-23?

Outside Reading January 11

For this outside reading, I am going to talk about an article that I read in Tennis magazine. The title was "Pre-match coffee, good or bad?" It was talking about whether drinking coffee before a match helped your play or not. The end result was that it actually gives you more energy that lasts throughout the match, although it comes down to personal preference. I have never drank coffee before a match and don't plan to. Warm drinks usually make me tired so I don't think it would work for me.

Outside Reading January 4

For this outside reading I am going to talk about the Vikings game that was played today. The matchup was between the Minnesota Vikings and the phillidelphia eagles. It was a wildcard game. The Vikings didn't start off very well and after two field goals by the eagles, I started getting nervous. Finally the Vikings started scoring. Our defense started playing really well and got a few turnovers. Adrian Peterson's 40 yard touchdown run gave us hope, only to be shut down later by a long touchdown run by Brian Westbrook. The Vikings offense was really why we lost. I would blame it on the playcalling, but bad execution also played a big role. Tavaris looked good at times, but his inconsistency caused many turnovers. Even though the Vikings lost, they had a decent season and I am excited to see them next year.