Candide, Chapter 1-6

Reading Candide, at first seems like a hard task, but when 'shown' how to do so it is an amazing book. Basically as a reader one can notice that Voltaire is trying to make a fool out of society and he accomplishes in a very 'decent' way if it can be called that. We learn that Candide is a young boy who lives at a Baron's estate and that he has been conceived by the Baron's sister and a peasent or servant of the Baron. This is really interesting because Voltaire uses certain words to describe this, when actually he's just trying to say that Candide is a bastard. The young boy falls in love with the Baron's daughter and is thrown out of the estate. We later on find out that Candide is recluted by the Bulgars and is sent into war against the Abar, who he later finds out 'killed' his loved one (Lady Cunégonde) or at least that is what Pangloss tells him. We later find out that Lady Cunégonde isn't really dead and reunites with Candide, her family is assasined, so in a way Candide is free to do whatever he wants with her. Reading this book is really interesting because you learn how laugh at what seems to be a common phrase, but when looked into closely has a double meaning so profound that it's impossible not be shocked. Candide is a book that really makes you look at each sentence and say "what is Voltaire actually trying to say?"

Making a connection to this book was really simple. The Simpsons could be used, but since we did that one in class i've decided to use Family Guy. This show uses satire amongst many other ways of comedy. In Family Guy you see how the writer of the scripts is always looking at movies or series and makes really harsh comments about them. For example, the other day they made a whole episode about Star Wars and the critique was really shocking. There is a part where Peter (Han Solo), Brian (Chewbaka) and Chris (Luke Skywalker) are saving Meg (Princess Leia) from Stewie's (Darth Vader) grasp and while doing so their ship falls under attack by the robots, everyone runs into the ship except for Peter and Brian who are stealing a couch and can't fit it in so Peter tells Brian to start the ship because they can't leave without the couch. There making critique to the movie here because Han Solo and Chewbaka who are heroes in the movie, are being called theifs by the directer or creater of Family Guy (who is the creator of The Simpsons). This is the connection I made, because underneath all those clips or phrases which make you laugh like an idiot there is a deep message which if not thought of correctly, it is simple not understood.

Hamlet Actors

Hamlet: Orlando Bloom

Ophelia: Kate Beckinsale

Queen: Monica Bellucci

Claudius: Christian Bale

Ghost: Jeremy Irons

Polonius: Martin Sheen

Laertes: Sean Patrick Flanery

Guildenstern: Matt Damon

Rosencratz: Mark Wahlberg

Horatio: Harold Perrineau

Act 3 (Scene 2, Lines 96-317): Words

Capon: A male chicken castrated when young to improve the quality of its flesh for food.

Epitaph: A commemorative inscription on a tomb or mortuary monument about the person buried at that site.

Confound: To throw into increased confusion or disorder.

Accurst: Under a curse; doomed; ill-fated.

Fain: Gladly; willingly.

Beguile: To influence by trickery, flattery, etc.; mislead; delude.

(All of the definitions were searched at www.dictionary.com)

Selfish Gene (pg. 245-266)

During this last chapter of the book, Richard Dawkin's talks about parasites and how they live off other organisms. Throughout this chapter, we learn about a wide variety of parasites and how some may be 'useful' fo the host or they can cause serious damage. During his explanations, the author uses beetles as one example of an organism which carries parasites and he also explains how instead of damaging or causing harm to the animal, it actually does some good. "It turns out that 'cooperate' is putting it mildly. The service they perform for the beetles could hardly be more intimate. These beetle happen to be haplodiploid, like bees and ants. If an egg is fertilized by a male, it always develops as a female. An unfertilized egg develops into a male. Males, in other words, have no father. The eggs that give rise to them develop spontaneously, without being penetrated by a sperm. But, unlike the eggs of bees and ants, ambrosia beetle eggs do need to be penetrated by something. This is where the bacteria come in. They prick the unfertilized eggs into action, provoking them to develop into male beetles. These bacteria are, of course, just the kind of parasites that, I argued, should cease to be parasitic and become mutualistic, precisely because they are transmitted in the eggs of the host, toghether with the host's 'own' genes. Ultimately, their 'own0 bodies are likely to disappear merging into the 'host' body completely. (The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkin, Ch. 12, pg. 244)" Basically what we learn throughout this chapter is that some parasites, should not be given this name, because instead of harm they do some good to certain living organisms. This is why Dawkin's tries to -in a way- 'defend' some organisms from being called parasites.

Selfish Gene (pg. 223-244)

During this passage of the book, Richard Dawkin's talks about the Prisoner's Dilemma and gives every day life examples to make the explanation easier, he also expresses how to identify a nonzero sum and zero sum conflict (which can affect a Prisoner's Dilemma game). "Spectator sports like football are normally zero sum games for a good reason. It is more exciting for crowds to watch players striving mightily against one another than to watch them conniving amicably. (The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkin, Ch. 12, pg. 224)" Later on, the reader learns about segregation distorter, which according to James Crown -quoted by Dawkin- is a 'gene that beats the system.' The author explains that this 'evil gene' can be destructive and that the biggest problem is it's ability to spread like a virus throughout the genes. "Nevertheless, most of them have at least some adverse consequences. (Almost all genetic side-effects are bad, and a new mutation will normally spread only if its bad effects are outweighed by its good effect. If both good and bad effects apply to the whole body, the net effect can still be good for the body. But if the bad effects are on the body, and the good effects are on the gene alone, from the body's point of view the effect is all bad). In spite of its deleterious side-effects, if a segregation distorter arises by mutation it will surely tend to spread through the population. Natural selection (which, after all, works at the genic level) favours the segregation distorter, even though its effects at the level of the individual organism are likely to be bad. (The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkin, Ch. 13, pg. 237)" The positive part of segregation distorter's is that they normally don't occur, it isn't a very common gene, so this could be considered as 'good news.'

There is a connection one can make and it has to do with the idea of the 'diabolical gene' (as Dawkin calls it). As we already know, this gene is very hard to find or it doesn't seem very common in an organism and it spreads it's 'evil' as much as possible. The connection I decided to make was to our -as human beings- ability to spread our hatred amongst ourselves. The main difference between this gene and our hatred is that the gene is not commonly seen, but our hate towards each other we experience everyday. The best example one can give to show our hate (and in a way our jealousy which leads us to Dawkin's theory of being selfish) is war. Why do we go to war if not for wealth, power and glory? Throughout history our greatest civilizations have fallen because of there hate for each other, for their insatiable desires, among others. Like the 'evil gene', human beings can also be called diabolic because all we do everyday that passes is spread our hatred amongst each other and not unify ourselves, some say it is because of our differences, I say it's because thinking that we have differences will never let us come together.

Passive Voice Exercise

Original
Children cannot open these bottles easily.
The government built a road right outside her front door.
Mr. Ross broke the antique vase as he walked through the store.
When she arrived, the changes amazed her.
The construction workers are making street repairs all month long.
The party will celebrate his retirement.
His professors were discussing his oral exam right in front of him.
My son ate all the homemade cookies.
Corrosion had damaged the hull of the ship.

Some children were visiting the old homestead while I was there.

Passive Voice

The bottles cannot be easily opened by the children.

A road was built right outside her front door by the government.

As he walked through the store Mr. Ross broke an antique vase.

The changes amazed her, when she arrived.

All month long repairs have been made on streets by construction workers.

His retirement will be celebrated with a party.

His oral exam was being discussed in front of him by his professors.

The homemade cookies were eaten by my son.

The hull of the ship was damaged by corrosion.

While I was there, the old homestead was visited by some children.

The Choking Dog Exercise

1. Joanne was delayed by a client when she was leaving the office.
2. A meeting was being held by the tennis club at 6.30.
3. Sheba, the dog, blocked the doorway.
4. Sheba had to be taken to the vet.
5. The vet was worried by her condition.
6. The vet treated the dog while Joanne went home.
7. Joanne was told to get out of the house.
8. Joanne was confused by the telephone call.
9. The burglar was captured by the police.

10. His fingers had been bitten off by the dog.

Selfish Gene (pg. 202-222)

Thought the 12th chapter, Dawkin talks about how nice guys finish first. To show that his theory is correct, the author uses a game called Prisoner's Dilemma, where the players have to chose between two option which are to Cooperate or Defect. At first the reader is given an example of two prisoners who have been convicted of the same crime, but given a tempting option of cooperating with the police and getting of the hook (while sinking your inmate/friend). The only problem is if both prisoners give themselves in nobody wins and they both get a harsh punishment. Since neither know how the other will act it's a stressful situation. There is a third way out where both prisoners get a 'mild' punishment (if none of them cooperate) because there is not enough evidence to convict either of them. After reading along the chapter, Dawkin let's one know that the most probable situation that will occur is that both will give themselves in because the temptation is to great. Later on in the chapter, the author mentions an experiment done by a man named Axelrod. This tournament that he had established consisted of sending a computerized strategy to win Prisoner's Dilemma. There were a wide variety of strategies, but after a close analysis the people who chose to base their idea (to win) on being the good guy got the highest points and went further along the game, than those who had the bad thoughts. Once again selfishness has been beaten, as shown in the game.

The most interesting part of this chapter for me as a reader was when Richard Dawkin started to use lawyers as one of his examples. This really caught my attention because as my future career I would like to become a successful lawyer, so reading about how this job always looks for the 'nonzero sum' as Dawkin calls it. "In what are called civil 'disputes' there is often in fact a great scope cooperation. What looks like a zero sum confrontation can, with a little of goodwill, be transformed into a mutually beneficial nonzero sum game. Consider divorce. A good marriage is obviously a nonzero sum game, brimming with mutual cooperation. But even hen it breaks down there are all sorts of reasons why a couple could benefit by continuing to cooperate, and treating their divorce, too, as nonzero sum. As if child welfare were not a sufficient reason, the fees of two lawyers will make a nasty dent in the family finances. So obviously a sensible and civilized couple begin by going together to see one lawyer, don't they? (The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkin, Ch. 12, pg. 221)" Reading this made me remember a wide variety of stories from my grandfather (who was a lawyer) about all the fights he had to pursue at first to make his name important in the 'business.' Although this chapter has been the most interesting up until now, I haven't understood completely how the strategies to win Prisoner's Dilemma work. How does Tit for Tat actually work, it copies it's adversary, but if he or she is wrong? What exactly does the 'zero sum' and 'nonzero sum' do in our daily lives? What can be the perfect example of their uses? Throughout this chapter the selfish gene and it's negative side arise in more than one way, it's like Dawkin wants us to rethink selfishness by showing all the examples of the worse case scenarios.

Scrooge: Secondary Sources

- http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=27500062&site=ehost-live
- http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=26882938&site=ehost-live
- http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=24785705&site=ehost-live
- http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=24428647&site=ehost-live
- http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=23616248&site=ehost-live

Selfish Gene (pg. 46-65)

The fourth chapter of the Selfish Gene talks about animals, evolution and how survival has lead the strong to rule the earth and the weak to parish. At first the author explains the 'gene machine' which is any living organism. Dawkin gives a small lecture on how the organism we know today have evolved from a certain branch and have been divided into sub-branches throughout history. As the reader advances, it is clear (given by the author) that the subject that is going to exposed is about behaviour and how it affects living organisms. "Animals became active go-getting gene vehicles: gene machines. The characteristic of behaviour, as biologists use the term, is that it is fast. Plants move, but very slowly. When seen in highly speeded-up film, climbing plants look like active animals. But most plant movement is really irreversible growth. Animals, on the other hand, have evolved ways of moving hundreds of thousands of times faster. Moreover, the movements they make are reversible, and repeatable an indefinite number of times. (The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkin, Ch. 4, pg. 47)" Throughout this chapter (as usual), Richard Dawkin uses an engine to explain how the body functions. For example when explaining how the muscles in a body work he compares them to valves in an engine and how they are timed to open and close at a specific moment which makes their functioning even more complex. One of the most interesting parts of the chapter is when Dawkin talks about how the 'behaviour gene' affects our survival probabilities. For example hygiene is one of the fundamental characteristics of this gene, because without hygiene diseases are just the beginning, instead if hygiene does exist their is a probability that this diseases will not appear, thus incrementing our possibilities of survival.

The connection I decided to make was to an experiment I say in a movie about fear and power. This test was done by Stanford University and it consisted of twenty students (ten as officers and the other ten as inmates) living together and taking on their roles during two weeks. The main idea of this experiment was to see if the feeling of authority could take control of the students and make them do unthinkable acts. Throughout the whole project no teacher or student could interact with those in the test and if something went really wrong only then and there could something be done. The policemen where ten 'nerds' and the inmates where ten guys from the American football team. At the end of the first week the experiment had to be terminated because the policemen where taking advantage of their power and had started to mistreat the inmates and in a certain case had almost beaten a student to death. This project showed a certain superiority of behaviour from the policemen and this is why I decided to use it as my connection. During the test survival of the fittest was show at it's best because the policemen when hungry would use their 'superior' power to take food from the inmates by intimidating them. "Therefore, in order for a behaviour pattern -altruistic or selfish- to evolve, it is necessary that a gene 'for' that behaviour should survive in the gene pool more successfully than a rival gene or allele 'for' some different behaviour. (The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkin, Ch. 4, pg. 60)"

Up until know no questions have been answered, but I have a wide variety of uncertainties I would like them to be answered along the book, because the last questions were not really answered.

- Does the selfish gene have to be in every organism?

- Do we create the selfish gene or are we born with it?

- How can the behaviour gene affect altruism, if we are born selfish?

- Does our behaviour depend on our parents genes?

- Selfishness and behaviour go hand by hand, but can they both inherit or do you acquire them in your life?

The Selfish Gene: YouTube

Amazingly the book is thirty years old, I think was the most shocking part from the video. While listening to Dawkin talk about what he thought of his own piece many of his ideas (that I have read until now) began to appear or show themselves in my head and in a certain way his brief explanation helped undertand where his ideas are coming from and where they are going. It was interesting to hear Richard Dawkin explain that he would of given the book a different name like the "altruistic animal" this was really interesting because it makes one think what other ideas would he have added to his piece.

Evaluation During Reading: Paraphrasing

How To Research Effectively:

1. The first thing one should identify is what the author is going to talk about throughout his/her piece. Looking at the index helps because you can know before hand if your subject is in the source and how in depth it goes.

2. Look for a wide variety of sources, these will help you get a larger view of your subject.

3. Identify if the material is written for what you're trying to look up. Does the information meet your level of comprehension? Does it meet your requirements?

4. Identify your information into the different categories, so it may be easier when researching.

5. How in depth are your articles? Every time you read does your understanding increase? If so you're information is well organized and will be useful for your paper.

6. What kind of language does your research use?

7. Is your information to broad and does not meet your full requirements?

8. How many sources are used in every article? (Try to look for an author that uses more than one preferably primary or secondary)

9. Is the author of your information liable?

10. Does the information you've looked for have to do with your subject? Or at least does it have a strong connection to it?

11. Is your information recent? Use current articles, pieces, etc. information is updated every day.

12. Look for authors that don't close themselves to other points of view, generalization is very important for an authors reputation.

Selfish Gene (pg. 21-45)

During the third chapter, Dawkin's explains the 'immortal coil' theory (which represents DNA). Throughout this passage of the book we learn how the human body works and how information is passed down by generations through genes, chromosomes, etc. To make the explanation simpler Richard Dawkin uses architectural terms and gives each process a specific name that is used in construction. After giving a small introduction, the writer talks about the replicator and how it influenced in natural selection. Dawkin also mentions alleles which he explains as a competition between genes to choose the dominate eye color, hair type, etc. The author later on gives a small explanation on how the human body works and how other organisms function as well. "You cannot, of course, literally go and choose your genes from a pool of genes available to the whole population. At any given time all the genes are tied up inside individual survival machines. Our genes are doled out to us at conception, and there is nothing we can do about this. Nevertheless, there is a sense in which, in the long term, the genes of the population in general can be regarded as a gene pool. This phrase is in fact a technical term used by geneticists. The gene pool is a worthwhile abstraction because sex mixes genes up, albeit in a carefully organized way. In particular, something like the detaching and interchanging of pages and wads of pages from loose-leaf binders really does go on, as we shall presently see. (The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkin, Ch. 3, pg. 26)" While reading this chapter, one can find a wide variety of useful information, for example Dawkin explains that you can read, study, etc. and expand your mental capabilities, but this sort of thing will not be passed down to your children because it is not carried in your genes, but rather in your brain. This seems like a useful piece of information for parents who think that their 'brilliance' must be handed down to their children.

Reading this chapter was not easy and I had to stop several times to think and organize all the information that was given by the author. Several times I had to go back and reread because understanding right away was not easy. Writing blogs for this book seem to be getting harder every time, but getting questions for the next time one reads keeps getting easier. I still don't understand where the replicator goes with all of the information that has been given by Dawkin's. Can the selfish gene be stronger in some creatures than in others, but not demonstrate it? If I were to have a stronger selfish gene than my colleagues is it possible to control it better than they can? Does our life expectancy have anything to do with our genes? Or is it just a matter of how we develop? One of the thing I did enjoy was the author way of explaining DNA as the 'immortal coil' because as we all know a coil never ends. This was an interesting way of putting it.

So That Nobody Has To Go To School If They Don't Want To: Paraphrasing, Summarize and Quoting

Summary

This article by Roger Sipher explains how education in the United States has become very poor in quality. In his piece Sipher gives theory on how children should not be obligated to attend school. He explains that some children simply don't want to attend school and by doing so they affect those who do want to learn. According to Roger Sipher, children who do well at school will attend (even though school is optional) while those who don't wish to learn won't participate and this will cause a positive affect the children that do go to school. This law that he is trying to propose breaks up into different arguments which he believes are brilliant, but in reality children without guidance will most probably fall into problems and no one will be able to help them. During the whole article Sipher tries to prove that his theory is the way to go, while proposing for a law to become of it, but in reality he is just talking about a subject which he does not know the consequences.
Paraphrasing

Original: The solution to this problem is simple: Abolish compulsory-attendance laws and allow only those who are committed to getting an education to attend

To finish the problem of low quality education at public school's in the United States, the law which states that children are obligated to go to school should be abolished, allowing only those children who wish to learn something to attend and protect their future.

Quotation

Roger Shiper explains how public education in the United States has decreased and has given the idea that attendance at these schools should not be obligatory, so that only those who wish to learn can attend. He also explains that he doesn't want to close public schools when he says, "This will not end public education. Contrary to conventional belief, legislators enacted compulsory-attendance laws to legalize what already existed. William Landes and Lewis Solomon, economists, found little evidence that mandatory-attendance laws increased the number of children in school. They found, too, that school systems have never effectively enforced such laws, usually because of the expense involved " (So That Nobody Has To Go To School If They Don't Want To, Roger Sipher, Owl Material).

Selfish Gene (pg. 1-20)

These first two chapters of the book start talking about the Theory of Evolution by Charles Darwin and how his ideas opened many peoples eyes to the truth. Richard Dawkin's uses Darwin's book to explain his theory of an existent gene in all living organisms which he believes makes them selfish or altruistic. Throughout the first chapter, we learn the main difference between these two and how they can be identified by small details. Afterwards, Dawkin explains Darwin's theory on Survival of the Fittest and how this affects his own. "This line of thought can be put into vaguely Darwinian terms. Evolution works by natural selection, and natural selection means the differential survival of the 'fittest'. But are we talking about the fittest individuals, the fittest races, the fittest species, or what? For some purposes this does not greatly matter, but when we are talking about altruism it is obviously crucial. If it is species that are competing in what Darwin called the struggles for existence, the individual seems best regarded as a pawn in the game, to be sacrificed when the greater interest of the species as a whole requires it. To put it in a slightly more respectable way, a group, such as a species or a population within a species, whose individual members are prepared to sacrifice themselves for the welfare of the group, may be less likely to go extinct than a rival group whose individual members place their own selfish interest first. Therefore the world becomes populated mainly by groups consisting of self-sacrificing individuals. (The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkin, Ch. 1, pg. 7)" The second chapter of the book talks about the Replicator, which Dawkin explains as a molecule which makes copies of itself, but instead of an identical copy, it creates -what Dawkin calls- a 'negative' one. This replicator ad it's origin at the 'Primordial Soup' or widely known as the Ocean.

Connecting this book seems really simple, but choosing the correct and interesting topic is harder than I thought. I've decided to use the series Planet Earth as my link to the book. In this series we can notice a wide variety of examples of selfishness and altruism in the animal kingdom. This series contains five different DVDs, so I chose a scene from the first disc which shows both examples at their best. When the documentary emphasises on Emperor Penguins, it says that these animals will try to 'eliminate' the competition for their babies, by either pushing other penguins so they drop their eggs or stealing food from others. This selfish act makes only the chicks with strong and 'intelligent' parents survive and when grown up make part of the community. This is one of the many selfish acts which we see, but there is also altruism between the animal species and it is seen in wolves. When threatened by larger animals, a wolf is separated from the others and lures the predator away. This wild dog is a decoy and what the larger animal doesn't know is that he is going to be surrounded by the other wolves of the pack and is going to be threatened with his life. There is a high probability that this plan is successful most of the times, but basically the decoy risks his life just so the others can flee and the men of the group later catch up to this 'kamikaze' and help him out. This is why I decided to use this series as my connection, not only because the book refers to the animal kingdom, but also the examples are very clear.

- What does Darwin's theory have to do with the selfish gene?

- How does altruism affect Dawkin's theory?

- Do humanities mistakes have a connection to the selfish gene and evolution itself?

- What else affects altruism and the selfish gene?

- What are the Immortal Coils?

The Power & The Glory: Chicago Tribune

The columnist describes the novel as a thriller, historical fiction novel and also includes a bit of tragedy in it. Basically what the man is trying to say is that the reader should prepare himself (while reading The Power & The Glory) to feel a wide variety of emotions rush through his/her body, find historical facts and at the same time 'presence' terrible acts against the priest and the people of Mexico. You can even see these three genres listed on this passage of the original article. We see dates and facts which lead us to the historical fiction, he mentions the thriller genre and at the end he talks about the people's flaws which lead to a tragedy genre.

Chicago Tribune Column

"The Power and the Glory" by Graham Greene. You want a novel about atonement? In a Mexican state in the 1930s, the Catholic Church has been outlawed. The last priest--the whiskey priest--is on the run from the firing squad. Greene's 1940 classic, as gripping as a modern thriller, is a generous yet merciless portrayal of humans and their church. Everyone is flawed--the priests, the people who loathe them, the people who want them to be saints--but courage sometimes flickers even in the cynical, corrupted soul.

Paraphrasing Exercise II

1. Jacques Cousteau talks about the Artic in this passage and compares it to the sun. He then explains that our source of heat comes from this entity and that the cold source is from the Artic. Afterwards Cousteau talks about how the cold water of Antarctica mixes with warm water from the tropics and this is helpful for both the earths surface and the atmosphere. He later says that this "regulating system" (Jacques Cousteau, May 1990) is being damaged by human activities.

2. This passage talks about the twenties, when drinking was illegal (but everyone knew where to go drink), organized crime ruled the cities and jazz was the new sensation on the streets. It explains how the police where powerless against these crime groups or gangs. Classical music was very famous before the twenties, but because of the no drinking law people like Bix Beiderbecke, Count Basie and Louis Armstrong (all jazz players) became heroes for the young. The flapper was also born during this time period and according to this 'article', this represented "America's break from the past" (Kathleen Yancey, English 102 Supplemental Guide '1989').

3. This passage talks about bicycling deaths. It expresses that more than 1000 deaths occur each year from bike accidents and that three-fourths are head injuries. Half of the people who are killed in cycling accidents are children who still go to school. Wearing a helmet might save your life. If one crashes or has an accident and is using a helmet ,85 percent of any head injury is reduced because it absorbs the shock and creates a head cushion.

4. Matisse is considered as the best painter that has ever lived. This 'article' explains how he uses color and certain figures to express himself and make the viewer not only feel the painting, but live it as well. Afterwards there is a small description of Matisse's painting "The Casbah Gate" where it is explained how he uses color and places (like the sultan's palace) to make the viewer get inside his master piece and feel the afternoon, the presence of the bowaab and guard who looks over the gate entrance.

5. The Sears Tower is one of the greatest skyscraper engineering achievements made by man, but does that mean that architects and engineers have left their quest for the world's tallest building? Engineer William LeMessurier has designed a skyscraper twice the size of that of the Sears Tower and architect Robert Sobel claims that a 500 story building can be built, so the answer to our question is no, architect and engineers have not left their goal for the world's tallest bulding.

So...whats your song Hamlet?

During this act, we finally get to meet the real Hamlet. From the start, the reader is confused because it is not clear if this character is in a constant state of depression or simply acts like it. We see a cheerful side of Hamlet, but at the same time a suicidal personality. One can notice these different personalities in his famous speech of "To be or not to be." Finding a song which reflects the character at his best was really complicated, but after searching for quite sometime I found a song where we see these two ways of thinking that don't really make sense. The song I chose was Take a Look at My Girlfriend by Gym Class Heroes. We see two different perspectives in the song first we look at the guy who doesn't care about his relationship with "Take a look at my girlfriend, She's the only one I got, Not much of a girlfriend I never seem to get a lot", but later on it's the same guy talking about how happy he is and we see it when he says "It's been some time since we last spoke, This is gonna sound like a bad joke, But momma I fell in love again, It's safe to say I have a new girlfriend." Throughout the song we listen to how happy the guy is in his relationship and later on in the chorus how bored he is and wants out. These two different personalities of being in love and later on not carrying, is the same as Hamlet being happy and later wanting to kill himself. This is why I chose this song. I see Hamlet singing this song in Act III, because it shows a passion for something and then a hatred for that same objective. This way of thinking is contridactory and doesn't make must sense at all.

Take Look At My Girlfriend Lyrics (Gym Class Heroes)

Ba ba da daBa ba da da

Ba ba da da

Ba ba da da

Ba ba da da
Take a look at my girlfriend
She's the only one i got (ba ba da da)
Not much of a girlfriend
I never seem to get a lot (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)
It's been some time since we last spoke
This is gonna sound like a bad joke
But momma i fell in love again
It's safe to say i have a new girlfriend
And i know it sounds so old
But cupid got me in a chokehold
And i'm afraid i might give in
Towels on the mat my white flag is wavin'
I mean she even cooks me pancakes
And alka seltzer when my tummy aches
If that ain't love then i don't know what love is
We even got a secret handshake
And she loves the music that my band makes
I know i'm young but if i had to choose her or the sun
I'd be one nocturnal son of a gun(ba ba da da, ba ba da da)
Take a look at my girlfriendShe's the only one i got (ba ba da da)
Not much of a girlfriendI never seem to get a lot (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)
Take a look at my girlfriend
She's the only one i got (ba ba da da)
Not much of a girlfriend
I never seem to get a lot (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)
It's been awhile since we talked last and i'm tryin' hard not to talk fast
But dad i'm finally thinkin' i may have found the one
Type of girl that will make you way proud of your son
And i know you heard the last song about the girls that didn't last long
But i promise this is on a whole new plane
I can tell by the way she says my name (ba ba da da)
I love the way she calls my phone
She even got her very own ringtone
If that ain't love then i don't know what love is (ba ba da da)
It's gonna be a long drive home but i know as soon as i arrive home
And i open the door take off my coat and throw my bag on the floor
She'll be back in my arms into my arms once more for sure
Take a look at my girlfriend
She's the only one i got (ba ba da da)
Not much of a girlfriend
I never seem to get a lot (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)
She's got a smile that would make the most senile
Annoying old man bite his tongue
I'm not done
She's got eyes comparable to sunrise
And it doesn't stop there
Man i swear
She's got porcelain skin of course she's a ten
And now she's even got her own song
But movin' on
She's got the cutest laugh i ever heard
And we can be on the phone for three hours
Not sayin' one word
And i would still cherish every moment
And when i start to build my future she's the main component
Call it dumb call it luck call it love or whatever you call it but
Everywhere i go i keep her picture in my wallet like you
Take a look at my girlfriend
She's the only one i got (ba ba da da)
Not much of a girlfriendI never seem to get a lot (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)
Take a look at my girlfriend
She's the only one i got (ba ba da da)
Not much of a girlfriend
I never seem to get a lot (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)

Paraphrasing Exercies

The answers are as follow:
- Unacceptable
- Unacceptable
- Unacceptable
- Acceptable

Tertiary Sources for the Persuasive Speech

Tertiary Sources:
1. Wikipedia
2. Encarta 2006
3. Encyclopedia Britannica
4. The quote from the movie was given to me by my sister who saw it and wrote it down
5. Almanac

The Power & The Glory, Part III (pg.202-222)

During this final part of the book, one finds out that the priests worst nightmare at the beginning of the book became true. After all his running and hiding he is finally caught. One would think that somewhere along the book the lieutenant could catch up with the priest and capture him, but the way the priest is caught is different to what the reader was expecting from the beginning. After reading this part of the book, one can deduct that the priest is a hero. It could be said that he's a poor role model, because he drinks and does not take his religious position seriously, but as a human being the priest never forgets about his position in life and always tries to do the right thing (even thought he doesn't accomplish it sometimes). His running away from the authorities never stops him from thinking about the people, the priest knows that he can be given in at any moment for the money offered for him, but he stills gives mass and helps people because he knows it's the right thing to do. At the end of the book the priest is completely alone, but after his death is remember by everyone. It's a bit ironic because his life's work is not worth a thing, but the moment he dies he's most probably going to become a saint or a martyr. " 'No need to have fired another shot. The soul of the young hero had already left its earthly mansion, and the happy smile on the dead face told even those ignorant men where they would find Juan now. One of the men there that day was so moved by his bearing that he secretly soaked his handkerchief in the martyr's blood, and that handkerchief, cut into a hundred relics, found its way into many pious homes. And now,' the mother went rapidly on, clapping her hands, 'to bed.' 'And that one,' the boy said, 'they shot today. Was he a hero too?' 'Yes.' (The Power & The Glory, Part IV, Chapter 1, pg. 219)."

This time the book will be connected to the movie City of Angels with Nicolas Cage, Andre Braugher and Meg Ryan. This movie is about an angel called Seth (Nicolas Cage) who falls in love with a human doctor called Maggie Rice (Meg Ryan). These angels which protect the city are always in the library learning new things and being on top of everything. One day while visiting a person who is about to die Seth sees Doctor Rice and falls in love with her, but she can't see him. The angels can never be seen unless they want it to happen. Later on in the film, Seth wants Maggie to see him and when she does he doesn't know how to react because he wasn't expecting this to occur. After this event, Seth starts to 'date' Doctor Rice and when he falls deeply in love with her he decides to give his immortality away so he can be with her. When they finally can be together she gets run over by a car and dies. The event mentioned before concerning Seth's lose of immortality is similar to the priests death. In the book, one can notice that the priest gives his life to what he believes is doing the right thing, which would be going back to the hostile territory and listening to the gringos last words of forgiveness. The priest knew his life would be placed in danger, but he didn't care and went back. This could be taken as the priest trying to stand up against humanities greatest fear which is death. At the end of the book the character's that where first introduced to us (Tench and the mother with her two daughters and son) reappear and are the ones who speak about the priests death. The weird thing is that at the end they talk about a priest or the man introduces himself as a priest, but they never say his name so it makes one think that maybe the priest has not died or been killed. We'll never know for sure.

The Power & The Glory, Part III (pg.183-202)

Reading this book is like being on a roller coaster, it has parts where you don't want to stop reading and other's where you loose interest completely. Up until know the third part has been the most exciting of the whole book, but it could still be a lot better. During this passage of the book, we learn that the priest has gone back to 'enemy territory' so he can reunite with the gringo who has sent him a letter asking the priest to forgive his sins before he dies. At first the 'Yankee' is very rude to the priest telling him to leave, but later we find that he acts this way so the priest doesn't get caught by the lieutenant. "I know what you want to tell me. I know it, do you understand? Let that be. Remember you are dying. Don't depend too much on God's mercy. He has given you this chance. He may not give you another. What sort of a life have you led all these years? Does it seem so grand now? You've killed a lot of people -that's about all. Anybody can do that for a while, and then he is killed too. Just as you are killed. Nothing left except pain (The Power & The Glory, Part III, Chapter 2, pg. 188)." After telling this to the gringo, he decides to tell the priest that he should take care and that their is gun under his arm but it isn't there, so he is given a knife just in case he need a way to protect or defend himself. As soon as the gringo dies, the priest turns around and the lieutenant is standing behind him and asks the priest if he is amazed to see him and the priest responds that no, that he has been expecting him. Since a storm is approaching, the lieutenant orders one of the officers or policeman to bring two boxes inside the hut and a candle so they can sit. Both the priest and the lieutenant begin to talk and the priest is spoken to horribly by the officer. To change the subject the priest takes out a pair of cards that Mr. Lehr gave him and starts showing tricks and games to the lieutenant. After this the scene becomes tense because this man starts accusing the priest of several things done by the church. " 'The trickery.' He broke out furiously with the one hand on his gun, as though it had crossed his mind that it would be better to eliminate this beast, now, at this instant, for ever (The Power & The Glory, Part III, Chapter 2, pg. 193)." Later on the storm leaves the area and the priest is taken by the lieutenant, most probably to jail while they wait for his 'trial.'

To connect this part of the book, I decided to take the part where the priest finds himself with his prosecutor (the lieutenant) inside the hut. "A VOICE said, 'Well, have you finished now?' The priest got up and made a small scared gesture of assent. He recognized the police officer who had given him money at the prison, a dark smart figure in the doorway with the storm light glinting in his leggings. He had one hand on his revolver and he frowned sourly in at the dead gunman. 'You didn't expect to see me,' he said. 'Oh, but I did,' the priest said (The Power & The Glory, Part III, Chapter 3, pg. 190)." The relation I'm going to make is with a book I once read called All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. This book takes place in Germany during the First World War. It's a about a bunch of friends who decided to fight in the German army because it sounds like 'fun.' The story shows how the main character Paul Bäumer goes through change and sees the reality of the war, pure horror. He engages himself into a new fight which will be against hate. There is a passage in this book where Paul describes being inside an abandoned house alone and how the enemy comes in and starts looking for survivors, but he hides and is not caught. This tense moment is also shared by the priest, so that is why they can be closely related. "-Terror can be endured so long as a man simply ducks; -but it kills, if a man thinks about it (All Quiet on the Western Front, Chapter 7, pg. 138)."

Up until know we know that the priest has been caught, we don't know if his going to be killed (although it seems like it) or sent to jail. The mestizo is a bad character because while the priest is pardoning the gringo's sins he gets lost and most probably he does so to tell the lieutenant and get the reward.

- Is the priest going to be judged and killed?

- Where did the mestizo go?

- Why does the lieutenant hate the church so much?

- Will the priest see his 'family' again?

- What happened to Padre José?

The Power & The Glory, Part III (pg. 161-181)

After a long journey, the priest has finally arrived to a place where he is appreciated. It seems to be a town close to the border Guatemala. When he arrives, the priest is shocked to find a place where religion is not persecuted. " 'A church?' The priest ran his hands incredulously over the wall like a blind man trying to recognize a particular house, but he was too tired to feel anything at all. He heard the man with the gun babbling out of sight , 'Such an honour, father. The bell must be rung...' and he sat down suddenly on the rain-drenched grass, and leaning his head against the white wall, he fell asleep, with home behind his shoulder blades. His dream was full of a jangle of cheerful noise (The Power & The Glory, Part II, Chapter 4, pg. 158-159)." It's incredible that after all the priest has been through -almost been caught twice- he finds a place like this town. Maybe Greene wanted to give the reader a bit of tranquility because something really important or catastrophic is going to happen. I believe this is the reason why the reader gets a break from the persecution. Up until know we've noticed that this book is thriller, always making one tense thinking on what's going to happen next. It's been really hard to read this book because I haven't really enjoyed it as much as The Stranger or The Soccer War.

Connecting this part of the book was really simple. Instead of a movie, a book or song, I've decided to make a personal connection. The priest is going through a rough moment in his life. He's being hunted down like an animal and even worse has lost every ones respect because of his reputation as a whiskey priest. "He whispered wearily, 'Drink is only the beginning...' he found he had no lesson he could draw against even that common vice unless it was himself smelling of brandy in the stable. He gave out the penance, quickly, harshly, mechanically. The man would go away, saying, 'A bad priest,' feeling no encouragement, no interest...(The Power & The Glory, Part III, Chapter 1, pg. 172)." During this part of the book we notice how people look at the priest and feel no respect towards him, no love or enthusiasm to see him. One could even say the people feel pity and that is why the ransom hasn't been collected. The personal experience I connected to this part of the book is similar, but not 100% the same. At some point in our lives we feel prosecuted by something or someone, in my case it would be the idea of growing up and having to deal with problems that I haven't faced before. It's no that I don't want to grow up ever, it frightens me to think that in a few years I'm going to have to get a job to survive and most of the times I believe I'll suck so badly that I won't get where I want to and most probably be a complete failure in life. The good thing is I still have time to react and lead myself far away from failure as much as possible. This makes me feel tranquil, but as well gives me the urge to prepare. The psychological feeling of been chased by something or someone is what I share with the priest in this moment.

One of the questions I asked last time was if the priest would have some luck as he had in Concepcion and the answer was yes he does. Later on he finds this small town where practicing religion is not illegal or at least the people in the town allow it and some of them practice religious acts. The story about the churches in the North Mountains is true and the priest sees them, but they are abandoned. Up until now I believe that the priest will never see his 'wife' and daughter again, because he has decided to follow the mestizo into enemy territory.

- Will the priest be caught or killed?

- If the he is caught what will be done with him?

- Is the mestizo a good or bad character?

- Where is Tench? Will we ever see him again?

- What will happen to the priest if he is not caught or killed? Will he leave Mexico?

Video Clip

The video I chose is Gears of War Trailer. In this clip one can notice that Marcus Fenix is running away from the enemy. The book The Power & The Glory also shows a run away, which would be the priest. Both -the clip and the book- show the fugitive face there enemy head on, with no escape (at the moment). This is why this video was chose, it can be located in the "Links To Videos" window.

The Power & The Glory, Part II (pg. 59-84)

During this part of the book we learn that the priest has arrived at a new town and there is a secret which is revealed to us. This secret would be that the priest has a daughter and has had a lover in this village, but it seems she doesn't really like him. As soon as he gets to this small town people look at him as if he we're a complete stranger because they don't recognize him without his religious clothes. So he wouldn't get caught he trades them with another man and gets on his way to the village were Maria lives. As said before, Maria has a bitter attitude towards the priest. "She said savagely, 'I know about things. I went to school. I'm not like these others -ignorant. I know you're a bad priest. That time we were together -that wasn't all you've done. I've heard things, I can tell you. Do you think God wants you to stay and die -a whisky priest like you?' He stood patiently in front of her, as he had stood in front of the lieutenant, listening. He hadn't known she was capable of all this thought. She said, 'Suppose you die. You'll be a martyr, won't you? What kind of a martyr do you think you'll be? It's enough to make people mock' (The Power & The Glory, Chapter 1, pg. 79)." One can see that Maria is not very happy to see the priest and after the lieutenant comes into town and takes Miguel she dislikes him even more, because in her mind he is the one who should suffer not the rest of the town's people. Afterwards the priest leaves the town on his mule and heads north because he is told that only trouble awaits him in the south. He rides until what seems to be a river that he must cross, but does not find a boat because the first man tells him that he has no boats and the second at the gaseosa stand (a boy) tells him the boat has been stolen. Up until know the priest has had some luck, lets see if he can find a boat.

I've decided to connect the priest with Jesus, because in my reading I found a similarity between both that amazed me. As one reads along, it seems that the priest is on a journey to show the 'world' Gods love and teachings. We see him on a mule riding around from village to village and at the same time running away from justice who wishes to silence him. He even comes face to face with his enemy. The bible explains how Jesus would travel to different places showing people Gods love, teachings and will, as the priest is trying to do. Christ would also ride on a mule and as well would run away from the authorities so he could carry one with Gods wish of letting the world know him. It might be a superficial connection, but one can identify it by paying close attention to the story. As Jesus, the priest doesn't want anybody getting punished because of their ideals and there is a passage in the text that shows it perfectly. "He had no clear idea now about anything; he only wanted to put as great a distance as possible between him and the village where he had spent the night (The Power & The Glory, Chapter 1, pg. 83)." At first it seemed to be a vague connection, but once you think about it Jesus ran away from 'justice' to make and even greater one, he rode on a mule and showed Gods love for everyone and most importantly gave us life after death, the priest does exactly the same except for life after death, he only express it and does not give his life to give us this gift. It's incredible but these small details give themselves away to the connection I just made. Before starting to read I said to myself "what will my connection be this time, my last connection was impossible to make", but after reading, examining and exploring a little bit I found this to be a great connection.

Up until now we know that the stranger or priest has escaped the authorities and is on his way to hide and not place anybody else at wrisk of being caught and killed because of him. The priest heads north because he knows that south will only cuase him more trouble because they are looking for him and other priests, but he is the top priority at the moment. We still know nothing about Mr. Tench contacting his wife and the priest meeting Coral again.

- Will the priest have as much luck as he had in the village?

- Is it true about the churches in the north mountains?

- What happened to Tench?

- Will Miguel return to the village or be killed?

- Will Maria and the priest ever see each other again? Will he ever see his daughter again?

Rhetoric 2

Demonstrative (Past-Tense): "Complicating the picture, the striking Arctic change was as much a result of ice moving as melting, many say. A new study, led by Son Nghiem at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and appearing this week in Geophysical Research Letters, used satellites and buoys to show that winds since 2000 had pushed huge amounts of thick old ice out of the Arctic basin past Greenland. The thin floes that formed on the resulting open water melted quicker or could be shuffled together by winds and similarly expelled, the authors said."

"For one thing, experts are having trouble finding any records from Russia, Alaska or elsewhere pointing to such a widespread Arctic ice retreat in recent times, adding credence to the idea that humans may have tipped the balance. Many scientists say the last substantial warming in the region, peaking in the 1930s, mainly affected areas near Greenland and Scandinavia."

Forensic (Present-Tense): "While open Arctic waters could be a boon for shipping, fishing and oil exploration, an annual seesawing between ice and no ice could be a particularly harsh jolt to polar bears."

"Many Arctic researchers warned that it was still far too soon to start sending container ships over the top of the world. “Natural variations could turn around and counteract the greenhouse-gas-forced change, perhaps stabilizing the ice for a bit,” said Marika Holland, of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo."

Declamative (Future-Tense): "At a recent gathering of sea-ice experts at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, Hajo Eicken, a geophysicist, summarized it this way: “Our stock in trade seems to be going away.” Scientists are also unnerved by the summer’s implications for the future, and their ability to predict it."

"The Arctic may have another ace up her sleeve to help the ice grow back," Dr. Eicken said. "But from all we can tell right now, the means for that are quite limited."

Arctic Melt Unnerves the Experts
By ANDREW C. REVKIN
Published: October 2, 2007
The Arctic ice cap shrank so much this summer that waves briefly lapped along two long-imagined Arctic shipping routes, the Northwest Passage over Canada and the Northern Sea Route over Russia.
Arctic Study A Coast Guard work party in August deploying a buoy that helps scientists track the age of sea ice.
Over all, the floating ice dwindled to an extent unparalleled in a century or more, by several estimates.
Now the six-month dark season has returned to the North Pole. In the deepening chill, new ice is already spreading over vast stretches of the Arctic Ocean. Astonished by the summer’s changes, scientists are studying the forces that exposed one million square miles of open water — six Californias — beyond the average since satellites started measurements in 1979.
At a recent gathering of sea-ice experts at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, Hajo Eicken, a geophysicist, summarized it this way: “Our stock in trade seems to be going away.”
Scientists are also unnerved by the summer’s implications for the future, and their ability to predict it.
Complicating the picture, the striking Arctic change was as much a result of ice moving as melting, many say. A new study, led by Son Nghiem at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and appearing this week in Geophysical Research Letters, used satellites and buoys to show that winds since 2000 had pushed huge amounts of thick old ice out of the Arctic basin past Greenland. The thin floes that formed on the resulting open water melted quicker or could be shuffled together by winds and similarly expelled, the authors said.
The pace of change has far exceeded what had been estimated by almost all the simulations used to envision how the Arctic will respond to rising concentrations of greenhouse gases linked to global warming. But that disconnect can cut two ways. Are the models overly conservative? Or are they missing natural influences that can cause wide swings in ice and temperature, thereby dwarfing the slow background warming?
The world is paying more attention than ever.
Russia, Canada and Denmark, prompted in part by years of warming and the ice retreat this year, ratcheted up rhetoric and actions aimed at securing sea routes and seabed resources.
Proponents of cuts in greenhouse gases cited the meltdown as proof that human activities are propelling a slide toward climate calamity.
Arctic experts say things are not that simple. More than a dozen experts said in interviews that the extreme summer ice retreat had revealed at least as much about what remains unknown in the Arctic as what is clear. Still, many of those scientists said they were becoming convinced that the system is heading toward a new, more watery state, and that human-caused global warming is playing a significant role.
For one thing, experts are having trouble finding any records from Russia, Alaska or elsewhere pointing to such a widespread Arctic ice retreat in recent times, adding credence to the idea that humans may have tipped the balance. Many scientists say the last substantial warming in the region, peaking in the 1930s, mainly affected areas near Greenland and Scandinavia.
Some scientists who have long doubted that a human influence could be clearly discerned in the Arctic’s changing climate now agree that the trend is hard to ascribe to anything else.
“We used to argue that a lot of the variability up to the late 1990s was induced by changes in the winds, natural changes not obviously related to global warming,” said John Michael Wallace, a scientist at the University of Washington. “But changes in the last few years make you have to question that. I’m much more open to the idea that we might have passed a point where it’s becoming essentially irreversible.”
Experts say the ice retreat is likely to be even bigger next summer because this winter’s freeze is starting from such a huge ice deficit. At least one researcher, Wieslaw Maslowski of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., projects a blue Arctic Ocean in summers by 2013.
In essence, Arctic waters may be behaving more like those around Antarctica, where a broad fringe of sea ice builds each austral winter and nearly disappears in the summer. (Reflecting the different geography and dynamics at the two poles, there has been a slight increase in sea-ice area around Antarctica in recent decades.)
While open Arctic waters could be a boon for shipping, fishing and oil exploration, an annual seesawing between ice and no ice could be a particularly harsh jolt to polar bears.
Many Arctic researchers warned that it was still far too soon to start sending container ships over the top of the world. “Natural variations could turn around and counteract the greenhouse-gas-forced change, perhaps stabilizing the ice for a bit,” said Marika Holland, of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo.
But, she added, that will not last. “Eventually the natural variations would again reinforce the human-driven change, perhaps leading to even more rapid retreat,” Dr. Holland said. “So I wouldn’t sign any shipping contracts for the next 5 to 10 years, but maybe the next 20 to 30.”
While experts debate details, many agree that the vanishing act of the sea ice this year was probably caused by superimposed forces including heat-trapping clouds and water vapor in the air, as well as the ocean-heating influence of unusually sunny skies in June and July. Other important factors were warm winds flowing from Siberia around a high-pressure system parked over the ocean. The winds not only would have melted thin ice but also pushed floes offshore where currents and winds could push them out of the Arctic Ocean.
But another factor was probably involved, one with roots going back to about 1989. At that time, a periodic flip in winds and pressure patterns over the Arctic Ocean, called the Arctic Oscillation, settled into a phase that tended to stop ice from drifting in a gyre for years, so it could thicken, and instead carried it out to the North Atlantic.
The new NASA study of expelled old ice builds on previous measurements showing that the proportion of thick, durable floes that were at least 10 years old dropped to 2 percent this spring from 80 percent in the spring of 1987, said Ignatius G. Rigor, an ice expert at the University of Washington and an author of the new NASA-led study.
Without the thick ice, which can endure months of nonstop summer sunshine, more dark open water and thin ice absorbed solar energy, adding to melting and delaying the winter freeze.
The thinner fresh-formed ice was also more vulnerable to melting from heat held near the ocean surface by clouds and water vapor. This may be where the rising influence of humans on the global climate system could be exerting the biggest regional influence, said Jennifer A. Francis of Rutgers University.
Other Arctic experts, including Dr. Maslowski in Monterey and Igor V. Polyakov at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, also see a role in rising flows of warm water entering the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia, and in deep currents running north from the Atlantic Ocean near Scandinavia.
A host of Arctic scientists say it is too soon to know if the global greenhouse effect has already tipped the system to a condition in which sea ice in summers will be routinely limited to a few clotted passageways in northern Canada.
But at the university in Fairbanks — where signs of northern warming include sinkholes from thawing permafrost around its Arctic research center — Dr. Eicken and other experts are having a hard time conceiving a situation that could reverse the trends.
“The Arctic may have another ace up her sleeve to help the ice grow back,” Dr. Eicken said. “But from all we can tell right now, the means for that are quite limited.”

The Power & The Glory, Part I (pg. 30-58)

At first the book seems confusing, but after one gets the hang of it and organizes the characters it's simple to understand. I won't lie, there were various moments when going back to read the previous sentences was fundamental for my full understanding. The first part of The Power & The Glory is talking about the Mexican Revolution and during this period the catholic church was banned from the country. This is why the priests in the book must either leave the country or hide and not be seen practicing religious celebrations. During these first four chapters, we find out that the stranger is a priest trying to hide from the law. In one occasion the law keeps him hidden from itself. Captain Fellows who is helping in the revolution loves his daughter so much that he lets her help this priest in need or as we first knew him the stranger. " 'I'm braking the law enough as it is,' Captain Fellows said. He strode out of the barn, feeling twice the size, leaving the small bowed figure in the darkness among the bananas. Coral locked the door and followed him. 'What a religion,' Captain fellows said. 'Begging for brandy. Shameless' (The Power & The Glory, Chapter 3, pg. 38)." All along Part I of the book the reader encounters various people who say that there is a priest who always gets drunk and it seems to be this man. It's incredible how people love to talk about things without knowing. Maybe this priest drinks to take away his fear of being caught while on the run. We won't know the truth until the end, but up until know the fugitive priests are the main idea of the book.

Connecting this book has been a hard task because I've never seen a movie, heard a song or done anything that would make me connect two ideas quickly. We're talking about renegades or fugitives from justice. Maybe if I used this general idea, something would come up and it did. There was this one game that came directly to mind when thinking about a renegade and it was Gears Of War. In this game you play as a 'convicted' war hero who was thrown in jail for taking action without his superiors authorization. For this he had to run away, but later on is caught by his superior officer. When the war begins, Marcus Fenix is liberated from prison and thrown out into the field. At the beginning the General doesn't approve of Fenix getting back in the army, but has no other choice and makes the right one because he is the one who saves the world from the invaders. This could be connected to the book because at first Marcus is a renegade who runs away from justice and the government as well as the priest or stranger is doing. This is why the game Gears Of War and The Power & The Glory can connect, because in both stories we see someone running away from 'justice' and the government.

Last time some questions were asked and after reading the first part, most of them were answered. The stranger turns out to be a priest running away from the government, most probably because if he is caught he'll be imprisoned. We never found out if Tench catches the boat or not, we only know that he writes to his wife. It seems that the church won't leave Mexico because they talk about the bishop being in Mexico City, so if they allow him to be there is because the church hasn't fully left the country. We still don't know why Father Miguel is in the book.

- What will happen to the stranger?

- Will Tench contact his wife?

- Will the stranger and Coral meet again?

- Did Tench ever find out that the stranger was a priest?

- Where did the stranger head to?

The Power And The Glory, Part I (pg. 7-30)

The book starts off pretty simple, but after the first twenty pages it turns into a mess. We start looking at Mr. Tench's life. This man is a dentist that has left the United States or United Kingdom (not quite sure) and is residing in Mexico City. Tench is not a wealthy dentist and it seems that he's not a very good one either. The story begins by explaining that Mr. Tench is waiting for a boat to leave home and while he's waiting he meets a weird man that the reader knows as the stranger. This 'stranger' seems to be hiding from someone or something because he's always looking around, impatient and has the characteristics of a fugitive. "Somebody knocked on the door. The stranger slipped the attaché case under his chair, and Mr Tench went cautiously up towards the window. 'Can't be too careful,' he said. 'Any dentist who's worth the name has enemies.' A faint voice implored them, 'A friend,' and Mr Tench opened up. Immediately the sun came in like a white-hot bar. A child stood in the doorway asking for a doctor. He wore stamped and whistled on the hot beaten road. Mr Tench said he was not a doctor: he was a dentist. Looking round he saw the stranger crouched in the rocking-chair, gazing with an effect of prayer, entreaty...The child said there was a new doctor in town: the old one had fever and wouldn't stir (The Power & The Glory, Chapter I, pg. 16)." One can notice that this stranger has a deep secret. Later on in the book we start to notice that the Governor and the police are looking for a priest, so it makes one think that maybe the stranger is the man there looking for. There are wide variety of things that occur that make one believe that this stranger is being followed by the police and/or country.
The connection that I decided to make this time was with the stranger that Mr. Tench meets. This man reminded me of a movie I once saw with Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. In Collateral, Tom Cruise acts as Vincent a contract killer that gets into Jamie Foxx's characters cab. Max (Foxx), gets involved in Vincents killing streak and the police starts to look for Max thinking he's Vincent. It's a whole conflict between these two characters because Max is trying to escape because he knows that after Vincent finishes the job he'll kill him. The whole plot of the movie is how Max feels like a run away that is trying to escape from his prosecutor. In the novel, one can also see how this stranger is trying to escape from someone. Further along the book we get the feeling that the government is looking for him. It all seems to fall upon this character that up until now we know nothing, except for the fact that he seems to be running away or hiding from someone. If the stranger is a priest he would be hunted down by the government because during this period anybody who believed in God was punished. "The lieutenant sat down upon his bed and began to take off his boots. It was the hour of prayer. Black-beetles exploded against the walls like crackers. More than a dozen crawled over the tiles with injured wings. It infuriated him to think that there were still people in the state who believed in a loving and merciful God. There are mystics who are said yo have experienced God directly. He was a mystic, too, and what he had experienced was vacancy -a complete certainty in the existence of a dying, cooling world, of human beings who had evolved from animals for no purpose at all. He knew (The Power & The Glory, Chapter 2, pg.24-25)." This desire to run away is what makes the movie and novel connect.

- Who is the stranger?

-Did Tench get on the boat?

- Why is the government looking for priests?

- Will the church leave Mexico?

- What impotance does Father Miguel Cerra have in the book?

The Emperor

This small passage of The Emperor has left me speechless. When one starts reading for some reason you see it coming. "In the thick night, a crowd of barefoot beggars stood huddled together. The dishwashers working in the building threw leftovers to them. I watched the crowd devour the scraps, bones, and fish heads with laborious concentration. In the meticulous absorption of this eating there was an almost violent biological abandon -- the satisfaction of hunger in anxiety and ecstasy." I'd love to say that such an act is pathetic, monstrous and disgusting. How come some the Emperor have this huge banquet were people steal the silverware, eat until there stomachs are about to explode and have a great time with the countries money when others are dying of hunger and most probably disease. In a smaller version, I myself can relate to this fraction of the book. The whole world suffers this problem, but I won't go so far. Sadly Colombia is tormented by these kind of actions. The beginning of this passage reminds me of Christmas in Bogotá. "When the guests had been seated at tables in the great hall, fanfares rang out and the Emperor walked in with President Nasser of Egypt at his right hand. They formed an extraordinary pair. Nasser, a tall, stocky, imperious man, his head thrust forward with his wide jaws set into a smile, and next to him the diminutive silhouette - frail, one could almost say - of Haile Selassie, worn by the years, with his thin, expressive face, his glistening, penetrating eyes. Behind them the remaining leaders entered in pairs. The audience rose; everyone was applauding. Ovations sounded for unity and the Emperor. Then the feast began. There was one dark-skinned waiter for every four guests. Out of excitement and nervousness, things were falling from the waiters' hands. The table setting was silver, in the old Harar style. Several tons of priceless antique silver lay on those tables. Some people slipped pieces of silverware into their pockets. One sneaked a fork, the next one a spoon.Mountains of meat, fruit, fish, and cheese rose on the tables. Many-layered cakes dripped with sweet, colored icing. Distinguished wines spread reflected colors and invigorating aromas. The music played on, and costumed clowns did somersaults to the delight of the carefree revelers. Time passed in conversation, laughter, consumption." In Christmas, one goes to visit the family, have lunch at your mother's family and dinner at your father's. During this transition, you see various beggars on the street, most of them with children so they are pitied, others just showing the awful truth. Every time they ask for a present or food and usually one looks them with disgust. Most of the times it's unconsciously, but it doesn't justify the fact that one does it. This came to mind when reading the small fraction from The Emperor. This is an everyday reality that is seen in Bogotá, but when you most experience it, is in Christmas.

The Passenger by Andrew Rice

Up until now, the only book I've read of Ryszard Kapuscinski is The Soccer War. At first many events seemed real, their cause pathetic and in some cases the actions taken petrifying. After reading Andrew Rice's Article The Passenger, he makes one think how real is the story told by Kapuscinski. Has all the truth been revealed? Or have we been sucked into a historic novel? Many events might be told as occurred, but maybe along the road someone believed the true story would not sell and decided to add some "tiny" details. This has happened before with other writers, if Kapuscinski is one of them, to bad. In the real world he's trying to sell. There is a section of this article that I could identify with because Mr. Rice explains how Ryszard Kapuscinski makes you one live the situation he is describing. The communist accusation against Kapuscinski comes at a very random moment. Of course during the 60's and 70's it was a sort of "treason" against ones country, but we live in a new era, where supposedly different ideas are accepted as long as no harm is brought upon humanity. Maybe I'm right or it's just another lie one would like to believe. Rice has a very opened mind to different subjects, one can notice that he doesn't swallow whole any story and thinks on every single detail before believing everything someone can say. Kapuscinski-according to the article- explains how the different tribes of the world will never meet each other and might never exchange their differences. That's not true today, but in the past it might of been. During the past twenty years-I believe- the world has experienced one of its greatest accomplishments for some and catastrophes for others it all depends on how you look at it. Globalization for example has led almost all of the world's communities to "learn" something from one another. Every single day we learn something new. Most of the times it's information provided to us by other "tribes." Information moves at powerful speeds and distances, from all over the world. What you would learn a week from know in the early 30's or 40's, is a sixty second (or less) journey on the Internet. Humanities accomplishments. This would be the only topic which I disagree with Kapuscinski not Andrew Rice. The rest of the article was incredible, every single subject was dealt with caution and most important reason.

Rhetoric

Type of Rhetoric: Logos (Argument by Logic)

- The Halo series, set in a future when humanity is battling a hostile alien race, has sold more than 14.8 million copies since its debut in 2001, making it one of the most successful game franchises. The last major game in the series, Halo 2, set a record in 2004 for first-day sales of any entertainment product, generating more than $125 million in the United States in its first 24 hours.

Type of Rhetoric: Ethos (Argument by Character)

- “There is no question the Halo 3 launch is the biggest event of the year in video games, and for a lot of people it will be the biggest entertainment event of the year, period,” said Andy McNamara, editor in chief of the magazine Game Informer. “Halo just has its tendrils into the imagination of a whole generation. Frankly, I don’t know if Microsoft would even be in the game business today if it weren’t for Halo.”

Type of Rhetoric: Pathos (Argument by Emotion)

- “Halo just has its tendrils into the imagination of a whole generation. Frankly, I don’t know if Microsoft would even be in the game business today if it weren’t for Halo.”

- “Certain games, like Halo, have a special place, and they can help drive the entire industry forward.”

Gamers, on Your Marks: Halo 3 Arrives
By SETH SCHIESEL
Published: September 24, 2007
Hoping to make entertainment history, Microsoft plans to release the latest video game in its hit Halo franchise tomorrow.

In Halo 3, humanity battles a hostile alien race in the future.
The Halo series, set in a future when humanity is battling a hostile alien race, has sold more than 14.8 million copies since its debut in 2001, making it one of the most successful game franchises. The last major game in the series, Halo 2, set a record in 2004 for first-day sales of any entertainment product, generating more than $125 million in the United States in its first 24 hours.
Microsoft and major game retailers expect to surpass that mark beginning at midnight tomorrow, when more than 10,000 stores across the country will open to sell Halo 3. In London, authorities have banned official “midnight madness” events amid fears of unruly crowds.
As early as July more than 1 million consumers had ordered the game, which will be available in three versions, costing $60, $70 and $130. (The top version comes with a space helmet inspired by Halo 3.) The game will ship in 17 languages.
“There is no question the Halo 3 launch is the biggest event of the year in video games, and for a lot of people it will be the biggest entertainment event of the year, period,” said Andy McNamara, editor in chief of the magazine Game Informer. “Halo just has its tendrils into the imagination of a whole generation. Frankly, I don’t know if Microsoft would even be in the game business today if it weren’t for Halo.”
Halo 3 is widely expected to be the top-selling game of the year for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console, the sole machine on which the game can be run. Halo 3 is also expected to drive users toward the company’s Xbox Live Internet service. The only other release that had been expected to compete with Halo 3 this coming holiday season was Take-Two’s Grand Theft Auto IV, often called G.T.A., but that game was recently delayed until next year.
“Halo 3 is the drive title for Xbox 360 to bring it to the next level, and given the fact that G.T.A. slipped into next year, Halo 3 is really in a league of its own this year,” said Ben Schachter, an Internet and video-game analyst at UBS Securities. “Certain games, like Halo, have a special place, and they can help drive the entire industry forward.”
The Halo series has been a cornerstone of Microsoft’s entry into the entertainment business. Perhaps nothing is more important to the company’s bid to control the world’s digital living rooms than the game’s success. Microsoft has not disclosed how much it cost to make, but industry experts put the figure at $25 million to $40 million.
“In the broadest context, you have to think about Halo as the property that’s made Microsoft relevant in entertainment, much like you’d say Word or Excel made us relevant in business productivity,” said Robert J. Bach, a 19-year Microsoft veteran who is president of the company’s entertainment and devices division. “If you want to talk about Microsoft as an entertainment company, it really starts with Halo. Yes, we have Xbox and have done other things in entertainment, but nothing has resonated with consumers like Halo.”
Reflecting the franchise’s broad appeal, particularly among young men, the television networks Spike TV and G4 intend to cover Halo 3 events around the world tonight and tomorrow morning.
“People have been talking about video games becoming a bona fide mainstream entertainment medium, and you really see that playing out with Halo,” said Neal Tiles, president of G4, which will begin its coverage in New Zealand, where the game will first arrive. “They’re looking at $150 million in the first day, which is bigger than any movie has done. Culturally, it’s at least as big as any film opening or TV premiere or book or Broadway opening, and probably bigger.”