Dialectic Journals (Book 2)

I really have to read the book thoroughly before I type these things up... ah well. I'll finish Book 2 soon, but these things are more important right now. Picture explaining time! The Radiant Sun represents hope, courage and bravery. The Dark represents fear, lost, and malice. When both are together, an Eclipse, it represents the "end of hope" or "beginning of fear". It can also represent "dawn of new courage" after times of fear and cowardliness. Of course, I'm reading all of this off a symbolism book... but it fits into the subject, right?

Chapter 9, page 82 -

"A spasm of the lungs seized Alexandros; his throat constricted, he began to choke. My punch hesitated. A three-foot switch burned my back. "Hit him!" I obeyed; Alexandros dropped to one knee. His lungs had frozen, he was helpless. "Pound him, you whore's son!" a voice shouted from behind me. "Finish him!"

It was Dienekes."

You can hear the hate in his voice. You can hear the fury of that moment. When I read this quote, I held my breath, waiting for it all to finish. Alexandros and Xeones (I finally learned the narrators name...) brawled, a form of "training". Everyone gathered and cheered them to fight until one breath is cold. I couldn't believe it. The agony of the fighters, forced to battle. The blindness of the crowd, watching this "dance of death". Even one of the greatest warriors, Dienekes, urged this meaningless battle towards the end. I couldn't believe it myself. Battles like this happen everyday, its frightening to read it in a book. Its frightening to see two children fight like this.

Chapter 10, page 87 -

"The Spartans are schooled to regard the foe, any foe, as nameless and faceless. In their minds it is the mark of an ill-prepared and amateur army to rely in the moments before battle what they call pseudoandreia, false courage."

When I read this quote, I started thinking about what courage is. Courage is bravery and fearlessness. I wonder, who really has true courage? Even the fiercest warriors coward at the face of death. Every one person muster up false bravery, no matter what situation. Whether if its war, or facing one's fear, I've seen noone with true courage. The Spartans was taught to make every enemy faceless, every foe to be killed just as the last. Face up to them without thought of fear, and fear will not conquer you.

Chapter 11, page 101 -

"'It took no diverner's gift to discern their state of agitation. 'Watch their spearpoints,' Alexandros said, pointing to the massed foe as they jostled and jockeyed into their ranks. 'See them tremble. Even the plumes on their helmets are quaking.'"

Read the above journal for some idea of what I'm about to post about. When I read this, I put down the book and reflected on what life is today and was back then. Even before a great event, now and then, everyone would've been afraid. Even the bravest soilders in time tremble before the next battle. If you know whats going to happen, then you tense up and let fear take you over. Bravery is only something thats in your head, never to be there unless you replace its opposite, fear. Bravery is never there in the first place, you'd muster up everything you have just to try to conquer your fears, only to make too little room for courage. In war, fear would be your greatest enemy. And only that enemy will lead you to your death.

Dialectic Journals (Book 1)

You know, resizing pictures is a pain. Lets get this started.
This picture is a flame. A fire represents three things: burning passion, the flames of war, and betrayal. The fire is a beautiful thing, but used for destruction and battles. It can ruin and scar many things, including humans. Elegant, but dangerous. Many can control this element, but if you aren't careful, it will turn on you.


Chapter Four, page 21 –

"This I learned then: there is always fire.

An acrid haze hangs in the air night and day, and sulphurous smoke chokes the nostrils. The sun is the color of ash, and black stones litter the road, smoking. Everywhere one looks, some object is afire. Timber, flesh, the earth itself. Even water burns. The pitilessness of flame reinforces the sensation of the gods’ anger, of fate, retribution, deeds done and hell to pay."

Read the quote. Just read it! I enjoyed each and every word in this paragraph. This passage was incredibly written, it brings you into the world of the Spartans. The pure use of metaphors and descriptive writing is beautiful.
When I read this, my entire world changed from a peaceful, cold bedroom to a dark, burning battlefield. You can smell the ashes, you can feel the heat. You are surrounded by a malicious flame, ready to devour you whole. Everything is burning. Even your comrades next to you.
The blaze of war, happening in front of you, right in your hands. The indignation of one’s wrath, captured in the words in your eyes. You are there, in the “Gates of Fire”.

Chapter Five, page 36 –

“Have your instructors taught you why the Spartans excuse without penalty the warrior who loses his helmet or breastplate in battle, but punish with loss of all citizenship rights the man who discards his shield?”

They had, Alexandros replied.

“Because a warrior carries helmet and breastplate for his own protection, but his shield for the safety of the whole line.”

“I shall be a protector as long as I bear this shield; I shall be a warrior as long as I bear this sword.” It’s a pledge for most knights during the Dark Ages, and the moral reigned through most centuries, even before the Medieval times.
When I read this part, I couldn’t help but think of a bunch of quotes that relate to this. One in particular was from the movie 300, said by Leonidas. How did it go…? “A Spartan warrior fights not only to defend himself, but the man fighting beside him. He protects his friend from neck to thigh [with his shield].”
One of the Spartan battle formations was the doctrine, where all the solders prepare a defense with a wall of shields. “Punish… …the man who discards his shield”, his shield is to protect everyone, not just himself. It is “for the safety of the whole line.”
I found this as an interesting concept. A Spartan must be synchronized and act as a whole, and with one fault the entire formation and defense is lost.

Chapter 6, page 40 –

"I called out again and again to the gods but received no whisper in reply. They had abandoned us, it was clear, now that we no longer possessed ourselves or were possessed by our polis."

“Believe in it, even if no one else does.”
This passage struck me. The feeling of abandonment and loss is something you cannot overlook, especially if you have felt it so many times already. Someone, or something, that you would look up to and ask for guidance, but no signs appear to help you.
When you are completely lost, when you can’t walk on your own two feet, when you really need that sign… then “maybe” kicks in and flips a coin.
“I called out again and again to the gods but received no whisper in reply”, do you really think something you believe in would magically come down and put you on the right path? There is no coincidence in this world; there is only what fate decides. And usually, fate can be cruel.
I’ve felt this way before; I almost said the exact lines too. When you lose all faith; when you refuse to open your eyes to the truth, when you keep denying that you can’t go on without a sign; then you lose all reasoning to go on with anything: with work, with love, or with life.
In the passage, the narrator lost both his hands’ ability to move his fingers. He wanted to protect the ones he loved, and he believed he couldn’t because he couldn’t hold a spear anymore. He lost his family, his home, and now his hands. When he prayed to God, they never replied to guide him (they did, but not immediately). Narrator resolved to end all of his misery, a life of which cannot fight any longer.
When “want” isn’t pleased, then births greed. And with greed, expectations become significantly large. When greed isn’t fed, it leads to distrust.

Political Blog Post - Election 2008

Wow... either I've been sleeping too much or I forgot about this until now... God, why do I procrastinate? Gee, I feel brain dead right now.... Wait, I'm always brain dead when I write these things. Must be something wrong with me...

I really don't want to do this, but its my nature to finish all work I have started. Gah... I hate politics.

To think, one average man can change a not-so-average campaign. Joe Wurzelbacher, now formally known as "Joe the Plumber", unintentionally walked into the political scene in Holland, Ohio. Meeting Senator Barack Obama, he had questions about the tax plan. Wurzelbacher thought about buying a company that could make over $250,000 per year, but was afraid that Obama might tax him for because of it.

"I think that when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody," Obama told Wurzelbacher. Obama explained his plan to Wurzelbacher, telling him its better to lower taxes for Americans doesn't make as much money as others so they can make end's meet. In the upcoming debates, Obama and Senator John McCain mention his name various times, making appeal to win his vote.

Wurzelbacher made his name public for all to hear, it even caught the upcoming presidents ears. He wandered into a scene, now "Joe the Plumber" is chanted in debates. An "Average Joe" (no pun intended) who is now mentioned everywhere.

God, this topic is hard to do... I'm leaving it there because (I believe) it meets requirements ¬_¬ Sue me. My grades are good enough as it is, I'm going to be lazy for a while. I'll comment soon, just not right now.

Note: This was posted on Sunday, Blogger senses it as a Thursday because I made a draft of it during school.

"Hero in My Eyes" Project Reflection

1. Project Description - What was the assignment?
   We had to write a two page (double spaced) character sketch about a person who changed our life, or more accurately a "Hero". In this writing, you had to use sensory details and precise description to bring to life a moment where your chosen person is most "heroic". If a person were to read the piece, they must understand who they were, how they are like, how they are a hero to you.
   
2. Process - What steps did you take to get to the final product?
   I had a hard time deciding who my hero was... there was a controversy of "I don't have a hero" and "I don't know who my hero is". Eventually, I narrowed it down to one person who I remember the most: my friend "Hermit". When I did decide on my hero, the newest problem was "What's the heroic moment?". How fun was that? For the first two or three drafts, I completely ignored the concept of a heroic moment and wrote down a bunch of nonsense that made it look like I tried to incorporate it (:P) The fourth, and pretty much last, draft I finally started to incorporate something that could be considered a heroic moment (see Artifact for more info). And I thought that was the worst part (laughs). The character sketch was only half of the project! I had to get two pictures of my hero and post them up onto a page for a book (note to self, post Side Photo up later), and the worst part was I had to get those two pictures. I didn't have any photos of my friend, nor did he have any to leave behind (T~T) I improvised with Charlotte and had to draw them from scratch. Thank God I still knew what he looked like, or I would've to start the entire process over (laugh).
3. Reflection - What did you learn? What challenges did you encounter? What would you do the same or different? How will this help you later?
   What did I learn, hm? Can't recall learning anything, just a refresher course. ¬_¬ It has been a long time since I wrote like this, so it does seem like something new to me.
   Challenges... challenges... I think I already stated them in the above post! (laugh) The only other challenge I had (and still do have) is spelling and grammer mistakes.
   What would I have done differently...? Well, for starters I would've taken pictures of my friend when he was still alive (laugh). What I can do is what I would enjoy to do. I like the work I have done. I have no regrets.
   How would this help me later? Do I really have to answer that... this would help me later on to write better stories and improve my writing tenfold. There, meets requirements ¬_¬
4. Artifact - A physical piece of evidence

Yeah... Sue me. I took Jame's ideas and used them for myself. And this computer can't do my usual keystrokes (Sigh...). Click on the picture for the final product

Hero in My Eye's Character Sketch Template

Thanks to James, it is now complete. Download below and finish the task on hand.

Download Template

After downloading the file, double-click on the ".zip" and it will begin un-compressing. Inside, you will find a folder filled with 3 documents. The first document, "template.ai" is the Adobe Illustrator document you will use to put your character sketch and side photo on. The second and third, "eight.ai" & "full.ai", you will use for your hero picture, depending on which format your image is in. If your image is in 8x8 ratio format, you will use "eight.ai". If your image is in the 8.5x11 ratio format, you will use "full.ai".

Notes:

In the document "template.ai" place your side photo where the image of the water polo players are. There are bright blue guidelines where you should place your image. After you have completed, delete the original image of the water polo players. The latin you see on that image, is just a place holder for where the words go. Simply "Select All" and place your story in the same area. The "-James Armenta" is where you put your name. PLEASE be sure to keep the first letter of your name green. The same goes with the first word of your story. Thanks.

If you have a question, please ask your peers BEFORE you come to us for help.

Two Blog Posts: Pictures and My Hero (Part Two)

I think I'm brain dead right now... the second part of this post is down (A blurb of my hero). I need to post a picture of them too... this is going to be a loooooooooooong weekend...

Note: I had to draw this picture because I didn't have an actual photo to use ¬_¬ Please don't kill me >.<
With eyes of passion, and a heart of gold, he became one with the World. With open arms, he accepted another life into his own. He was a man who lost his past, reborn anew to share his story. He was my hero, and his name was Hermit.

Two Blog Posts: Pictures and My Hero

Gee, I thought I stated this a few posts ago... I don't have anyone (any public figurehead) I respect enough to be a "hero"...
That's it, I think I'm going crazy... I'm going to post this and fall asleep...

This person, as you all might know, is Barrack Obama. This picture shows him standing uniformly in front of what appears to be the White House. At first glance, this picture shows Obama's strive and determination. I like this photo because of its angles and lighting, it looks nice. I believe this photo shows Obama's cheerfulness and his charisma.

I really don't know how to finish that paragraph... ¬_¬ It meets requirements, thats all I care about.

Secret Life of Bees: Preview, Predict, Code

Code

1. How accurate were your predictions?
   My predictions were very accurate, except I only predicted how to story would start ¬_¬ My prediction was that it would describe the main character(s) and the situation(s) they would be in. In Secret Life of Bees, Lily was introduced as the girl who is taken care of by her terrible and demanding father and a hired Negro maid (later introduced as Rosaleen). It was the time of the Civil Rights Act, and a lot of people still insist on being racist.
   
2. Which predictions were very accurate? Describe.
   Um... oops? I already did describe how well my predictions (which were accurate) were in the above question... ¬_¬;
3. Which predictions were less accurate? What were the differences between what you predicted and what actually happened?
   Well, for starters I can't say any of my predictions were "less" accurate, because I barely made any to judge which is more or less accurate! My only prediction was describing the main character(s) and situation(s) in the first chapter (which was what happened). The only difference between what I predicted and what really happened was I didn't include character names or specific events (LOL)

Vignette Project Reflection

Because I don't feel like making a separate blog/page for one single project ¬_¬ Besides, I already stated that I didn't feel like using Dreamweaver to do all my stuff. Lets start this...

Vignette Reflection

1. Project Description: What was the assignment?
   We had to write about a "Moment in Time" that affected us in one way or another, or changed our life in a drastic way. We were required to use the five senses (sensory detail) and dialog to bring our reading into the moment. We had to Show, not tell.
2. Process: What steps did you take to get to the final product?
   I at first didn't know what to do. The first thoughts that went though my head at the time was "What stuck me the most?", "Should I include this?", "Would this be good enough?". That eliminated all the events except three, which were the deaths of my three closest friends. I was only there for two of them, sadly, so it was down to two devastating moments. My friend, Hermit, died of old age, but he slept happily. What really stuck me was my best friend's death, when he fell down the stairs of school (they were steep, and he was fragile). I was there when it happened, how do you think that made me feel? I took that event and reminisced back to that moment to share my pain into a paper. Now that I think about it... all of these events happened four years ago...
   Either way, continuing on. After I chosen my event, I started writing. I captured my pain and my sorrow, and I tossed in some of my anger into there as well. Flowing, my fingers danced across the keyboard until the piece was done. After I finished the first draft, I figured I was crying. ¬_¬ Thats when I started sharing it to the world, getting revisions and drafts back so I can fully capture the moment.
   To see the writing, see below to find my piece.
3. Reflection: What did you learn? What challenges did you encounter? What would you do the same or different? How will this help you later?
   Hm... what did I learn? Other than I gained my writing skills back, I barely learned anything. I already knew how to use dialog to my advantage, I already knew how to show my story, all I needed was a refresher course.
   The challenges I encountered... other than bursting to tears during writing or being stuck there trying to think what change my life? I don't see anything other than those two challenges (oh, and the grammer/spelling mistakes I made).
   The same or differently... during the moment or during the writing? Specify please... (what I do know that I would change differently is that I shouldn't delete all my writing and regret doing it again). During the moment, I can't change the past because the course of the future might have changed as well (I've been reading comicbooks ¬_¬). During the writing... I don't see anything I could've or would've changed.
   How would this help me later? Writing maybe... otherwise nothing much.
4. Artifact: A physical piece of evidence that shows the project and its components.
   

   Silens Lacrima (Silenced Tears)
   “To himself, everyone is immortal; he may know that he is going to die, but he can never know that he is dead.” –Samuel Butler
   It was raining that day. His tears fell from the heavens, and his heart became one with it. Was it fate that he was meant to sleep eternally, or was it a choice that someone else made that brought it all to an end? Covered in scarlet mud, no one was there to grieve his death. No one there to hear his cry for help, no one there to help him as he fell…. No one…. Except me….
   I can’t seem to remember his name; I can’t seem to remember his smile. He was a good kid, always cheery, never to let his pain or emotions take away from his personality. I remember what he was like, I remember his eyes. They were always shining, looking forward to seeing tomorrow. I remember everything about “that time”… where our friendship ended in a second. I do not wish to remember, because it is not part of my personality to give over to sorrow; to reminisce on the past.
   It was four years ago, I remember it clearly as day. I was ten, a bit too innocent to see someone close disappear from this world. He was my best friend, always greeting me with a lighthearted, “Hello”. No matter what the situation, no matter what the mood, he seemed to always make the day brighter. Even in this downpour, he could bring sunshine.
   It was raining that day. He had no care in the world, and he lived there in the present, in happiness. It was the end of the school day, everyone went home already; there was no one around to realize what had just happened. He happily climbed the stairs he always took home. He climbed the stairs that he always enjoyed playing on. I stood there, in awe… in envy. I wanted to be like him, always to be happy just like him.
   There was a figure on the top of the stairs that he was climbing. I assumed it was his brother, as he always talked about how he adored his older brother. At that moment, I made that one mistake. I turned away and started back to my home. That moment, I regret all my life. I didn’t notice until it was too late. A cry of agony, and then silence… I turned to see what it was. The still body of a boy, tumbling down the stairs. His body fell to the earth it came from, ringing death’s knell. My eyes became dull, replaying the moment as if it was eternal… the last moments of my best friend, before my eyes, dying.
   It was raining that day. He lay there, covered in blood. He was motionless, silent. My body became numb; my legs fell to the ground. Tears fell like rain from my eyes. Everything that happened, it was all too soon, too much to handle for me back then. That figure, staring down at us like we were of nothing. I couldn’t handle it anymore; sorrow filled my heart and my voice.
   “You were his brother!” I screamed, “Why didn’t you save him!? WHY!?” That figure just stood there, doing nothing. He turned and walked away, ever so slowly. I couldn’t stand it; rage filled what emotion was left in me. “He adored you!! He loved you! Tell me why!? Why couldn’t you save him! Why… why….” I choked on my tears. I had no more strength. I use every ounce of my energy just to get over to my friend’s side, just like he always came to mine. He looked at me, with his eyes full of lifelessness. “Don’t die…” I pleaded. I lifted his head and cradled it in my arms. “Don’t die… please…”
   Cold tears fell from the clouds. The shadows embraced him, allowing its frozen darkness to blanket over the sky. His blood stained the earth maroon, his voice faded into the tainted wind. He never showed his pain or other emotions, always hiding behind that smile. He never cried, he never complained. He adored his brother, he adored this world…. Even when he was leaving it, he continued smiling. His last words… as silent as the grass under him… and as dark as the heavens above. His eyes closed, ready to sleep forever. He finally allowed himself to shed one last tear… a sign to begin his journey back to the world that brought him into this one. He smiled all the way through his pain, even when it was too much to bear. He smiled all the way to the end.
   Rain fell from my eyes. I clung to his frigid corpse, never letting go of either his body or his memory. He was my best friend. He was always there for me. I have forgotten his name; I’ve forgotten why he always smiled. I’ve forgotten to say “goodbye” as he parted with me, with the world. It was because of him, that I began to smile. It was because of him, that I expressed my feelings. It was because of his death, it was because of our friendship that I became who I am. He was always there for me… even now he’s here, watching over me….
   
   “Even if you forget, I will always remember. Even if you don’t know what to do, I will always be there to help you. ” – Dying words of a Friend. April 1994 – 2004

Literary Device of the Week: Alliteration, Assonance, and Consonance

I really really don't want to do this... my life is as uninteresting as the dust floating next to you. I'll only do this because its required, and I'll do it out of spite.

Tick tock, tick tock. Typing on my terrible keyboard, the text on the screen blinked on and off. I mashed the delete key, erasing my horrid writing. In this torrid weather; my hot, humid drink boiled. I looked at the clock, time seemed to stood still. 6:37 PM, seconds slowly ticked away. It was still Wednesday, but I wanted to finish this undesirable work.

I was overworked this weekend. My computer broke down, the TV burned out, and my MP3 player was busted. I had to fix all of the "fantastic" devices, first time in forever. It was absolutely no fun, and all I did was waste my time. I overworked myself for hours, and all I got in return was a criticizing comment that "I couldn't do it correctly".

My life sucks...