Ethan's College English Blog

Strains on the body and mind.

2010-03-13T19:07:00.000-08:00

School lately has been quite taxing. There never seems time to relax anymore and all the teachers are strung out trying to make us pass ap tests. Really teachers we dont care just let us be through with highschool.

#6

2010-03-08T05:03:00.000-08:00

"On the Rainy River"

- Tim O'Brien only goes to the war because he doesn't want to embarass himself or bring shame onto his family. He is prepared to dodge the draft, but can't make the plunge because his ego gets in the way.

- O'Brien seems very young in this story, a youthful innocence is exuberated by him. A college graduate with a new opinion of the world and now its about to get turned upside down.

-Tim can't make the important decisions by himself or at least without someone pushing him towards a decision. The old man makes Tim make a decision by bringing him closer to the Canadien border. Tim has be pointed in a direction by someone other than himself.

"The Ghost Soldiers"

-Vietnam settles him down into the person that he should naturally be if he had believed in his own decision making at home. Being in this place made him grow up very quickly.

-O'Brien seems to become numb to all emotions. He isnt scared or proud or anything. He is just plodding through an existence he did not choose.

-Tim O'Brien has become acclimated to the warzone and the death and destruction that human beings cause. He also experiences the bonds of brotherhood with his platoon. War brings friends closer and enemies further apart.

Second semester of my senior year

2010-03-07T17:45:00.000-08:00

Im slightly perturbed because my teachers seem to be piling the work on now when it doesnt matter anymore. Our grades dont matter for anything but hope at this point and we have already proved we can do the work so why not lighten up and let us enjoy our final days with no responsibilities.

#7

2010-03-07T17:37:00.000-08:00

I have learned that the truth is in the eye of the beholder and depending on your life experiences, personality, economic status, etc... you will have a different view on the truth. I believe based on the authors criteria this story is a true war story, based on other peoples criteria it might not be, but everything is biased towards each individual. I would recommend this novel because it is an easy read and really makes you think and ponder the facts of truth and life.

#5

2010-03-07T17:25:00.000-08:00

I agree with O'Brien in this aspect, sometimes the facts just have to be written down. The process is like removing a large weight. The story truth is a solid entity it doesn't change, once a story is written down it is there for good, the happening truth is biased based on who is experiencing it and it is constantly changing. "The Lives of the Dead" tries to express the sickness of the human condition after it experiences the trauma of war and also to express the fact that people are inherently mean and evil. The story of Linda illustrates the fact that death is horrible and unfair and it shows how people turn a hard heart towards death as a way of coping. Linda is the symbol of all that is innocent and good in this world and how people kill or destroy all the positives in the world without meaning too.

#4

2010-03-07T17:13:00.000-08:00

My favorite story was "Love" because everyone can relate to it and it gives the story as a whole a softer side. My least favorite story was "Speaking of Courage" because its really depressing to see what the veterans had to deal with and for life to almost be better for them back in Vietnam. I most identify with Jimmy Cross, he is thrown into something he is not prepared for and lacks the love of the woman he most wants in the world. Im about to start a new chapter in my life and its a big step that I'm not sure if I'm ready for. I despised Azar, he was a sick person who dealt with his problems by preying on others pain and killing innocent animals. Everyone copes differently, but his methods were just unacceptable.

#1

2010-03-07T16:54:00.000-08:00

In the movie "Braveheart" William Wallace is attempting to wrest Scotland from English rule. Wallace rises as a an unlikely leader among his people and wins several key victories against the English. I thought the movie was a great representation of the struggle the Scots went through. It was a very entertaining movie from a viewing pleasure and historical standpoint. The words based on a true story enhanced the viewing because it showed what these people really endured and how they really fought against oppression.

Addendum for Essay #1

2010-01-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

I felt that I did fairly well at my first attempt. It seemed to meet the criteria very well and hopefully my grade will reflect this. I think I covered all my points well, I had all the information that needed to be in the paper in the paper. I struggled with the present tense of the paper because I kept getting confused and second guessing myself. My greatest problem was mechanices.

Semester 2, senior year.

2010-01-25T14:22:00.000-08:00

It seems like all I do is physical exercise in school now. I have a required weight lifting class and a team sports class which I dont mind, but im playing so much soccer also it gets tiring. Overall I have a very easy semester ahead of me and I look forward to it.

THE HEART IN CONFLICT

2010-01-21T15:42:00.000-08:00

The book that shows the heart in the story to me is Prey by Michael Crichton. The protagonist is torn between killing his wife who has been taken over by a swarm of nanoparticles and leaving her alive, but dooming the human excistence. He kills his wife, but she is so warped by the particles that she isn't the woman he married anymore and he refuses to doom the world for one warped woman. It is heartbreaking because of his love for her and the protagonist is broken inside.

STORY vs. ESSAY

2010-01-20T17:01:00.000-08:00

The movie that comes to mind is Braveheart. An oppressed people are fighting for their sovereignty from a brutal king. The truth revealed is that controlling other people is wrong and in the end will come back around. The Scottish are being held in check by the English when all the Scots want is to live their lives. The truth comes out when William Wallace is drawn and quartered by the English, who hope to crush the rebellion by killing the leader. This however makes the people fight more fiercely and show that you can't control a free peoples way of live and their culture for your own selfish motives or for any other reason. Freedom prevails as the Scottish win their freedom and preserve their way of life.

lately I have been...

2010-01-19T18:15:00.000-08:00

I have been reading incessantly. Crichton and Payne who is the author of youth in revolt which is awesome. It's all about getting a good mix of easy reading and reading that makes you think in new ways.

Things Carried

2010-01-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

I carry the bare necessities of my life as of now. The wallet that was a gift from my parents which contains pivtures of my girlfriend, hunting license, drivers license, the basics. A pen and/or pencil when I'm at school because I have to write things down to remember them. My truck key and house key are both on a key chain that commemorates pearl harbor that my great grandfather gave me, he is a combat veteran of th Pacific theater. Also I have a USB drive on the key ring because in todays world everything is digital. In my right pocket my cellphone is ever present as it is my connection to the outside world and makes everything more simple and yet complicates some things as you run out of things to talk about with your friends. On the whole the contents of my pockets are dull and seem commonplace. From an outside point of view I travel light like many teenagers, especially males, and I dont carry anything extraordinary, but upon closer examination there are some items unique to me. I carry a keychain with a relief of a flying American plane of the World War Two era and it stands for a time that I love to learn about and it means more to me because my grandfather gave it to me and it connects me to him. If someone was to look into my wallet they would assume first off that I had dated my girlfriend for some time as I have many different pictures of her and different mementos of our relationship and secondly they would assume that I was a hunter. All of these items are similar to the items carried by many of the students around me, but the devil is in the details and that is where I differentiate myself from the rest. Everyone has an identity it just depends on how long it takes a person to tell yours by the things you carry and just because you carry more items than another doesnt mean that you are more knowing of your persoanl identity. In the area of identity it's quantity over quality every time.

New Year

2010-01-09T14:38:00.000-08:00

my first blog of the new year. Had an awesome christmas break and new years was pretty sweet also. I havent done much but play soccer and hang out, but thats how I prefer it. Hopefully this semester wil go by as smoothly as the last.

English 1101 Final

2009-12-17T16:54:00.000-08:00

I'm really anxious to see what my average is in my first class taken via a college! Last day tomorrow and i'm not even gonna have to be at the svhoo because i am going on an awesome field trip to the high museum. Peace.

Final

2009-12-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

I thought the topics for the 1101 final were easy to write about, but my handwriting is horrible and to make matters worse it is tiny. I thought I answered the question well, however I dont know if my writing flowed as well as I wanted it too. Now i'm ready to finish my final and get to Christmas.

so much to do...

2009-12-06T11:57:00.000-08:00

So it's sunday and I still have to read to chapters of ap euro, refresh for my english 1101 test, do a statistics worksheet, and find time to relax. Its gonna be a busy night I believe. Oh well, only two weeks until christmas break which will provide the much needed down time.

School

2009-12-02T15:54:00.000-08:00

The break was great, but I'm really tired now because I was used to sleeping in really late. I went to a jones county basketball game last night and it was epic. Jones county won 72 to 69 i a thriller. Time to go relax before another "fun" block day.

Kite Runner

2009-11-28T13:33:00.000-08:00

• Women- In the book women are basically second class citizens in the Islamic world. They have to cover their faces and wear long clothing that is very conservative. They are subject to their husbands wants. This is completely opposite from women in America who have every right that the men have; this is a hard habit to break for the Afghani refugees who still follow the customs of the place of their birth.
• Betrayal- Amir and Hassan are as close as brothers in the early part of the story, but they are of different classes and that makes the relationship awkward in public and other situations. Amir’s betrayal of Hassan by not helping him in his time of need seems to stem from the fact that Hassan seems to be Baba’s favorite and Amir just wants the attention he deems that he deserves. Amir feels horrible for not helping Hassan, but deep inside he feels that Hassan deserved what he got as a sort of retribution. When Amir gets older and wiser he realizes the error of his ways and wishes more than anything that he could go back and change is action.
• Brothers- This story has an interesting view of brothers because for the majority of the story Amir and Hassan do not know they are brothers and Hassan never knows. Amir, when he learns the truth, feels horrible for putting Hassan down and treating him badly when Hassan treated Amir as a brother and loved him more than any other. The story takes a note from the story of Cain and Able who were brothers and their strife for the praise of their father causes the death of one of the brothers. Amir doesn’t directly kill Hassan, but he feels that through his actions he could have stopped his death. The story of brothers is one that has been told with many different variations throughout time and the story in Kite Runner is completely dependent on Hassan and Amir being brothers.
• Guilt- hidden vs. open- Hidden guilt eats away at you and causes you to second guess all of your decisions. Open guilt makes you feel relieved to not have to carry the burden, but a powerful secret that is out in the open can cause major pain to all the parties involved. Amir hides the guilt he feels when he allows Hassan to be sexually assaulted, but every time thereafter he can barely stand to see Hassan. Once the secret is out though it causes the breaking up of a family, in this case Ali and Hassan leave the household of Baba and Amir when Ali learns of what happened to Hassan. This takes a weight off of Amir’s shoulders, but it adds the weight of remorse at what he has caused.
• Redemption- When Amir learns of Hassan’s death from Rahim Khan he sets out on a mission to relinquish himself of the guilt he feels at Hassan’s death. Sohrab is Hassan’s orphaned son and Amir learns that he is still in Kabul so he sets out to help the manifestation of his guilt so as to ease his pain. When Amir goes through the long process of bringing Sohrab to live with him in America he sets his conscience free in his mind because he helped his dead half-brother’s son to have a new life in a new land with new opportunities.
• Exodus- With the arrival of the Russians many families seek shelter in other countries so as to escape the persecution and control of the Communists. Then when the Russians leave and the Taliban take over everyone believe that Afghanistan will go back to normal and this is not the case. Baba and Amir leave when the Russians move in; they take an oil tanker to a neighboring country where they then leave for America. This is a hard thing to do because leaving your country of birth is like leaving your identity. Amir and Baba have to start over in a new and strange land; Baba’s wealth is almost nonexistent in America and their large home is Kabul is tiny compared to the mansions in their new city. They leave their identity in Kabul and when Amir goes back he feels suddenly whole again, as if a piece of him suddenly found its way back into his being.
• Fathers & Sons- Amir and Baba’s relationship is one of constant tension. Amir wants the attention that he can’t get from Baba because he isn’t the son that Baba had dreamed he would have. Amir strives his whole life to make Baba like him and this is one of the causes of his slight dislike of Hassan because Baba seems to like Hassan much better and has to include him in everything they do. The patriarchal society is a common type of society where the father is the main bread winner and he is the boss, what he says goes. The conflict of Amir stopping at nothing to gain his father’s approval is one of the underlying conflicts throughout the story culminating with Amir winning the kite battle.
• Class distinction- Hassan and Ali were Hazaras and Baba and Amir were Pashtuns; this was a master servant relationship in the outside, but on the inside they were all close friends. Many Pashtuns outside of this relationship looked down on the Hazaras and viewed them as second class citizens; this leads to many of the conflicts in the story, mainly the conflicts between Ossef, Amir, and Hassan. Ossef believes he is better than Hassan because Ossef is a Pashtun and Hassan is not. Ossef also sees Amir consorting with a Hazara and views this as punishable by any means he deems necessary. The underlying hatred the classes show for each other is an old world stigma that is part of their culture and is the cause of many genocides and wars.

2.

• Parallelism- In the book the author puts Amir and Hassan’s relationship on a parallel to the invasion of Afghanistan by the Russians. Their country is going towards demise the whole time that they are growing up and when their relationship culminates with Hassan and Ali leaving not long afterwards their country is invaded by the Russians. When you get in-depth in the story you focus on the personal struggle, but you forget the bigger picture even though it is there; Hosseini brings you back to the world wide view and then back to the personal level with precision.
• Character Foils- Khaled Hosseini uses contrasting characters to show the major differences in each and to show how their differences are needed by the story to make it flow. Amir and Hassan are complete opposites; Amir is rich and haughtier whereas Hassan is poor and very congenial, the author plays them off of one another to show how their differences when they are together create a storyline that is really complex emotionally.
• Foreshadowing- Throughout the story the running of the kites is talked about; it is a big accomplishment to win it and Amir wishes to win it to makes his dad proud. It doesn’t occur to you until it happens that maybe this event will be the best day for Amir and the worst for Hassan. When the Amir cuts the last kite and Hassan runs off promising to bring back the kite you get a feeling of unease as a long time goes by without Hassan’s return. Then the turning point of the novel occurs and somehow you felt something bad was coming before it actually did.
• Flashback- Amir continuously has flashbacks of him and Hassan walking with the last kite and blood dripping off of Hassan’s pants into the snow. This is a powerful flashback because the author uses it to show how guilty Amir feels about that moment when he could have helped Hassan, but instead he did nothing. Khaled Hosseini uses flashbacks to recall us to particular instances throughout the story where major events happened that will continue to influence the story until its end.
• Positives and Negative aspects of the writing- The author had a clear idea in mind and he followed it to create a great novel. It is a flowing story of brotherhood and the relationships between sons and their fathers. The story follows the invasion of Afghanistan by Russia and its eventual control by the Taliban so that the reader could have an idea of the time period when this story takes place. Negatively I think that the novel was slightly more graphic than it needed to be, but it is all opinion because I assume that the author deemed everything in the novel as necessary for him to be able to tell his story.

3.
• Settings- Kabul, Afghanistan, 1970’s/ Fremont, California, 1980’s- Kabul vs. Fremont, Pashtun vs. Hazara, Afghanistan vs. Palestine, Women in America vs. Women in Afghanistan, Afghanis who stayed vs. Afghanis who left.

4.
• Minor characters- Farid was Amir’s transport when he went back to Afghanistan and they learned to like each other one Farid learned of Amir’s plan to rescue to his half brothers child from an orphanage. Soraya is Amir’s wife and she brings stability to his life and a love that he has missed since Hassan had left his life. She encourages him to bring Sohrab to live with them in the United States and she actually sets up the transfer of Sohrab to America. General Taheri is Soraya’s father and he allows the marriage to happen even though he saw Amir talking to his daughter directly which is against Afghani custom. Rahim Khan is Baba’s best friend and Amir’s mentor. He calls Amir to Afghanistan to come seek out Sohrab and he is also the person who tells Amir that Hassan is dead and also that Hassan was his half brother. Ali was married to Hassan’s mother; however he was not Hassan’s father. He was the servant in Baba’s house and he looked after Hassan and Amir when they were younger. He takes Hassan and leave Baba’s house when he learns what had happened to Hassan in the alley.

5.
• Symbols- Shah Faisal Mosque was to Sohrab a symbol of purity and it comforted him. Flying of the Kites signifies Amir’s desire to be free of his guilt and to gain his father’s praise. Slingshot used by Sohrab to partially blind Ossef, it was also used by Hassan to threaten Ossef when Amir and him were kids. It was a symbol of Hassan and Amir’s bond that was permanent and lived on through Sohrab. Baba’s Black Mustang was a physical representation of how Amir saw his father; the strong man that everyone respected and some feared. The oil tanker signified how the Afghanis felt leaving their county, they felt smothered almost like they couldn’t breather as in the drum of the tanker.

college

2009-11-27T18:10:00.000-08:00

So i've kinda sorta chosen to go to mercer because I can go many different directions in that college and it's a really good school. It's so expensive and they offered me a large scholarship, but I would still owe around $20,000 and thats not chump change. So i have to get started applying for scholarships so as to make it easier. It's not definited, but I'm strongly leaning in favor of the Bears.

Veni, vidi, volo in domum redire

2009-11-18T14:09:00.000-08:00

I went to Kema's Hobby to turn some books in for store credit and believe I should have gotten more, but it's cool because I got a book in great condition that I'm really excited to read...eventually. I have so little time and so much i want to do. Eventually I will read it, but when exactly that time is I have no idea.
Club soccer is almost over, then I will get a short break and then indoor soccer will start. Once that ends school soccer and club soccer will start again. So basically I play year round which only means I get more practice and do what I love all the time.

Research Paper Rough Draft

2009-11-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

Ethan Parrish
Sharon Aiken
English 1101
November 17, 2009
Alexander, the Great Strategist
Alexander the Great was the son of Philip, who was the king of Macedonia at the time. Alexander did not come from obscurity and neither did his brilliance and great ability to command. His father was a great general and leader of men in his own right. Alexander was a great commander because he learned to adapt and innovate. These traits and many others lead to the successes that he garnered throughout his short life. Through learned strategy, adaptation, and a superior intellect Alexander the Great conquered the majority of the known world in an organized and efficient way that was before his time.
From an early age Alexander gathered the knowledge he would need to lead his grand armies. He served in the cavalry of his father’s army before he inherited the empire. These hands on approaches coupled with a high level of learning set Alexander up to be very complete strategist. When his father was killed he inherited a well trained army of veteran soldiers. The army was based around heavy pike men with a supporting cast of very mobile light cavalry and infantry that could fill any gaps left by the heavier ground units (Fisher). Philip, Alexander’s father, had planned to invade the area known as Asia Minor before his untimely demise; Alexander decided to commence with the invasion as arranged. He gathered an army of 30,000 that was composed of pikemen, infantrymen, and also engineers; 5,000 cavalry was also included in the force (Fisher).
The most important of his early battles was the conflict at Issus. This fight was against the main Persian force that outnumbered him by a very significant amount, one estimate is 600,000 to 75,000 (A.C.). As the story goes Alexander hears that the Persian king Darius is waiting for him in Syria and leaves the city of Issus to go confront him, at the same time Darius is camped in an area that would make an effective battlefield for his superior cavalry (Plutarch). The problem from the Persian side is where is Alexander? Many of them believe he is being cowardly and waiting for a move to be made by the Persians before he will come out of hiding, they don’t know that he is looking for them. So Darius decides to make the move and go to Issus where he believes that Alexander is camped, when Alexander hears that Darius is on his way there Alexander turns his force and fast marches to the city. On arriving, Darius realizes he has made a large tactical gamble and will lose miserably if he does not escape the city where Alexander was rumored to be, but in actuality he was not. The terrain around the city is rough and made up of rolling hills that make his numerical superiority in cavalry void (Plutarch). Alexander helps himself by arriving in a very timely fashion to discover his information was correct and the Persians were in the city. This is where Alexander’s tactical greatness comes to light; to start the battle the Macedonians don’t attack, but try to invite the Persians to attack a much smaller force (A.C.). Alexander’s right wing was launched into the center of the Persian formation where their king was stationed and the Persian front gave ground very quickly to the stoic Macedonians who were better trained and had clear instructions due to Alexander’s open lines of communications with his commanders. This was a small victory for a small force, however the phalanx endured some bad luck as a gap opened in their ranks and the Persians leapt forward into the breach and to counteract this Alexander brought his cavalry behind the Persians which effectively cut them off from their main force (A.C.). Cooler heads did not prevail in the Persian camp as Darius, seeing these early Macedonian victories, decided to retreat hastily to fight another day. This is one of Alexander’s most written about battles because it showed the Persians that they weren’t the only ones in the Aegean anymore. The significance of the battle is also shown in the fact that the Persians lost around 100,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry, whereas the Macedonians lost only 450 infantry (A.C.). This is a staggering kill to death ratio that would be more likely to be seen today with our system of small kill teams attacking large targets; Alexander is seen from this point on as a master tactician and his men loved him for it almost as much as his enemies hated him for it.
Alexander, now that he had shown exceptional skill at open war, decided to try a siege of Tyre. This surprised many people because Tyre was an island with very high walls and they also controlled the sea (Chinnock). He started to build a ramp from the mainland to the city which would be a vast undertaking today under terms of peace. The Tyrians controlled the sea and so they would send out ships to disrupt the construction and destroy and kill all that they could (Chinnock). Alexander decided to build a wider ramp so that he could put war engines on it that could deter ships, also he gained the use of many ships because of his reputation and the cities he had conquered (Chinnock). This was a new type of warfare to Alexander and he shows his ability to adapt to every situation and even incorporate his enemies’ techniques of waging war. He was beaten back several times during the siege and had to recoup and change his plan of attack. The Tyrians at one point sailed out and caught the Macedonians napping or close enough to it that they were able to destroy many of the Macedonian ships before Alexander rallied his troops and actually snatched victory from the jaws of defeat (Chinnock). Then Alexander launched an attack and actually gained the walls by attacking from many different points so as to confuse the defenders then he put bridges up on the walls and gained ground on the Tyrians who were slaughtered. Alexander innovated many new battle techniques and also new siege engines that would be used throughout the Mediterranean world.
Alexander created the first use of strategy in warfare on ancient battlefields. Pre- Alexander battles were mainly decided on who had more men and who could pay for better weapons; with the inclusion of an intelligence factor Alexander changed the way war was waged in its entirety. He championed new techniques, such as luring a larger force into the middle of his army and then using his flanks to encircle the enemy and effectively trap them. He incorporated navies into his military system and sought newer designs that were used for sea warfare for a long time after his death (Fisher).
The use of highly mobile troops that had an adequate form of communication all throughout the formations and were more highly trained than any other force were some of the key elements of Alexander’s victories. He used less troops than most other empires, therefore they could traverse large distances faster and did not need as much food or pay. Alexander was a proponent of using strategy as opposed to might; he was more of an artist than a general. He was the Michelangelo of the sword and the Rubens of the shield. He truly deserved the title of the Great if for no other reason than he did everything he set out to do on the battlefield and once he set his mind to a battle he would find a way to win with the least casualties to him and the most to his enemies. Alexander the Great was a true champion to his people and to his art of strategy which is still studied today. He conquered the majority of the known world before his death at the age of thirty-three and controlled the single largest empire ever all because he could out think his opponent and was in command of one of the best armies in the history of the world.

Xenocide

2009-11-17T05:02:00.000-08:00

I'm at the end of the Ender series and I must say it has been really interesting. Xenocide is the last installment and so far it has been great. Orson Scott Card writes in a style that is all his own. Today I have to miss soccer practice to finish up my research paper which doesn't bother me too much becuase I could use a break. Also, my topic really interests me so when I'm writing the paper, it doesn't feel like work to me. LOng day ahead...

11/11/09

2009-11-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

Today I tried to go to the library to get some more sources for my research paper, but of course it was closed for veterans day. Also I don't have a library card because you can't get a card by yourself until your eighteen. Stupid rule I think so. So now I have to use the internet as my only source for the moment which is not my favorite at all. Oh well at least I'm writing on an interesting topic.
I got accepted to Georgia Southern today also, but I have no interest in going there so i'm disappointed it wasn't one of the other colleges I applied to that emailed me my acceptance letter. Now to the annotated citations page.

Alexander the Great

2009-11-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

I've decided to write my research paper on Alexander's battle tatics throughout his military campaigns. I have always been interested in military strategy and the great commanders of past times. So naturally this was an easy topic for me to choose and I'm hoping to write a very good paper on it. -I would rather excel others in the knowledge of what is excellent than in the extent of my powers and dominion. -Alexander the Great

Final draft/ comparison paper

2009-11-05T13:37:00.001-08:00

Ethan Parrish

Sharon Aiken

English 1101

November 5, 2009
Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?
Concerning Next and Jurassic Park
Few names are more known for science fiction writing than Michael Crichton’s. Two of his novels are at the forefront of all others, Next and Jurassic Park. They are very different novels that have a similar base. Both have major centralized conflicts and conclusions, but in many ways they diverge. Two of the most influential science fiction novels of our time, written by the same author, that have few, very large similarities and many small differences.
Next was written for entertainment, but it has major value as a warning to humanity. In essence the novel warns against meddling with our own genetics. Jurassic Park carries a similar warning, but it warns against meddling with the genetic material left behind by the earliest masters of the continent, the dinosaurs. Next hits closer to home because of the research pertaining to stem cells. Scientists are coming ever closer to being able to grow human organs and the ability to change genetics is not as far away as people might imagine. Jurassic Park brings a conceivable problem to light, but it will be close to impossible for scientists to bring this fiction into reality because viable genetic material from dinosaurs is about as hard to find as it was to actually map the human genome. Both of these novels present situations that are nigh from impossible and closer to being a reality than many people would like to consider.
There are many conflicts that are central to the storylines of both novels. In Jurassic Park there is the obvious man v. nature conflict, but there are several man v. man conflicts as well as the inherent man v. God struggle. Next differs only because there is no man v. nature conflict. Jurassic Park exemplifies the struggle with God because it shows men that are trying to do God’s work by creating and altering life, Next also has this struggle, but instead of creating life man is simply altering people which is supposed to be an ability allowed only God. Michael Crichton in his novel Next portrays many negative relationships between people. The characters tend to be all antagonists in Next as opposed to Jurassic Park where there is a clear division between good and evil. Each novel displays Michael Crichton’s masterful use of inner struggles and the outward struggles that always tend to be present in everyone’s life.
As an author Michael Crichton isn’t known for being an optimist in the normal sense of the word. In both novels the stories end with people dying, being arrested, or just being broken. In Next the large corporations are indicted for misuse of science and the heads of the companies are broken men. In this story God wins and it portrays the majority of the population as inherently good while it still ends badly for a minority of the characters which tend to be the puppet masters. It could be viewed as optimistic or pessimistic; the glass is half full or half empty. Jurassic Park comes to a close with the creator of the rogue fossils being eaten by said fossils, it is the ultimate irony. The protagonists escape unscathed and humanity is saved, but it still shows that some people are inherently bad and will stop at nothing to upset the normal order of the day. Either way you see the world as either inherently evil or inherently good, both novels can come to terms with all of your opinions and views.
Most importantly these novels both come to terms with all facets of humanity. Neither novel takes a single side in the argument of transcendentalists and anti-transcendentalists; the debate that has been carried on for many decades by authors, poets, and great thinkers alike. Both can be picked up and read and be viewed from many different perspectives. Michael Crichton created two very intuitive crowd pleasers that will continue to draw audiences into the fold of science fiction writing for many years to come.

Veni, vidi, volo in domum redire

2009-11-04T17:16:00.000-08:00

I applied to college for the first time last weekend and it was a long/annoying process. Then once I get letters back I have to choose which college to go to and I just really have no clue what I want to do in life. Oh well I have time to think, I'm not gonna stress over it and waste my senoir year freaking out about the future. You only live once so I'm gonna enjoy my highschool years before I actually have to participate in the "REAL" world and whatnot. "I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 96% how I react to it." -Scipio Africanus

Ender's Game

2009-10-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

I've recently been introduced to this series of books and I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed them. The original novel in the series is Ender's Game and it's about a chils genius that is trained from a very young age to fight an alien race. He eventually destroys them even though he thinks he is only playing a game on a simulater as opposed to commanding starships. He ends up regretting killing the aliens and realizes the only reason for the conflict was because the two races couldn't communicate and he starts on his journey to bring the alien race back to life using their only remaining egg. It is a gripping adventure that I would recommend to anyone, no matter what you enjoy reading.

Comparison essay

2009-10-25T18:54:00.001-07:00

Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?
Concerning Next and Jurassic Park

Few names are more known for science fiction writing than Michael Crichton’s. Two of his novels are in the forefront of all others, Next and Jurassic Park. They are very different novels that have a similar base. Both have major centralized conflicts and conclusions, but in many ways they diverge. Two of the most influential science fiction novels of our time, written by the same author, that have few, very large similarities and many small differences.
Next is written for entertainment, but it has major value as a warning to humanity. In essence the novel warns against meddling with our own genetics. Jurassic Park carries a similar warning, but it warns against meddling with the genetic material left behind by the earliest masters of the continent, the dinosaurs. Next hits closer to home because of the research pertaining to stem cells. Scientists are coming ever closer to being able to grow human organs and changing genetics are not so far from this as people might imagine. Jurassic Park brings a conceivable problem to light, but it will be close to impossible for scientists to bring this fiction into reality because viable genetic material from dinosaurs is about as hard to find as it was to actually map the human genome. Both of these novels present situations that are nigh from impossible and closer to being a reality than many people would like to consider.
There are many conflicts that are central to the storylines of both novels. In Jurassic Park there is the obvious man v. nature conflict, but there are several man v. man conflicts as well as the inherent man v. God struggle. Next differs only because there is no man v. nature conflict. Jurassic Park exemplifies the struggle with God because it shows men that are trying to do God’s work by creating and altering life, Next also has this struggle, but instead of creating life man is simply altering people which is supposed to be an ability allowed only God. Michael Crichton in his novel Next portrays many negative relationships between people. The tend to be all antagonists in Next as opposed to Jurassic Park where there is a clear division between good and evil. Each novel displays Michael Crichton’s masterful use of inner struggles and the outward struggles that always tend to be present in everyone’s life.
As an author Michael Crichton isn’t known for being an optimist in the normal sense of the word. In both novels the stories end with people dying, being arrested, or just being broken. In Next the large corporations are indicted for misuse of science and the heads of the companies are broken men. In this story God wins and it portrays the majority of the population as inherently good while it still ends badly for a minority of the characters. It could be viewed as optimistic or pessimistic; the glass is half full or half empty. Jurassic Park comes to a close with the creator of the rogue fossils being eaten by said fossils, it is the ultimate irony. The protagonists escape unscathed and humanity is saved, but it still shows that some people are inherently bad and will stop at nothing to upset the normal order of the day. Either way you see the world as either inherently evil or inherently good, both novels can come to terms with all of your opinions and views.
Most importantly these novels both come to terms with all facets of humanity. Neither novel takes a single side in the argument of transcendentalists and anti-transcendentalists. Both can be picked up and read and be viewed from many different perspectives. Michael Crichton created two very intuitive crowd pleasers that will continue to draw audiences into the fold of science fiction writing for many years to come.

Hagia Sophia

2009-10-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

I'm quite disgruntled about my grade on my last paper. I poured effort into that paper and it was one of the papers that i've felt the most confidence about in my life. The topic was a title that I knew a lot about and was very interested in. It seemed like papers of similar style had much higher grades than mine. I'm not discrediting anyone I just believe my paper was as good as many of the papers that received high A's.
Veni, Vidi, volo in domum redire

My Weekend

2009-10-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been pretty busy. Friday i went and saw the softball team earn a ticket to the state playoffs and then we all went to zaxbys and got politely asked to leave. Saturday I had a soccer game in Atlanta which we won 4-1. It was so cold there and it was also raining. Sunday I woke up early and went deer hunting. I shot a doe, but she ran into the woods and we tracked her for an hour unsuccessfully. All in all it was a pretty good weekend, but I'm living for the moment when I actually get to sleep in and enjoy my time out of school.

My experiences with my example essay

2009-10-07T05:04:00.000-07:00

I personally enjoyed writing the example essay. The topic was one that I was really interested in. It seemed like the paper was very easy to write, the ideas were free flowing and I didn't encounter a case of writers block on this particular essay. If I was to be a student taking this class next year I would just recommend that they always write on a topic that is important or interesting to them. I always find that I won't partake in something that I'm not interested in. On the blogging issue that everyone is seeming to have, well i've just been fortunate enough to have people leave me constructive comments. I have been commenting on many peoples blogs and I just believe that they are returning the favor. If you put effort into anything then you will always be able to reap rewards, they might not be the rewards you expect, but they can still be helpful. This is how I go about blogging and commenting. On the second essay I received a plethora of comments that were complementive and constructive, however on the first essay I received no comments, but I went by my teachers comments. The system of commenting is a double-edged sword and it seems to be by chance which edge you happen to be on.

One of my big little flaws

2009-10-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

Procrastination or senioritis as some would say, is a horrible trait that is learned much earlier in life than your senior year, even though this is a convenient excuse for being lazy. I am disgusted that I have this particular flaw because it makes me rush for time and cram in my studying. For example I had a biology test friday and I put off studying until friday morning and then as luck would have it my alarm didnt go off, therefore no studying at all. This is particularly unlucky because for any other class I would still do pretty well on a test, AP biology is a class that I have to study for. Now I have to study and retake it. Ill just be thankful I actually get to retake it. Hooray for bogus rules.

British Comedy

2009-09-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

I personally love watching a good, satirical British comedy. They have so many references in the actual show that you really have to think about. Shows like The Mighty Boosh are at the forefront of british comedies; they are similar to a present day Monty Python. I like to think the British, during their conquest of the world, gained a sense of humor. I just can't get enough of movies such as The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, provide such a comedic relief. So in conclusion, my love of Europe translates to all facets entertainment.

closer to the finished product, everyone feel free to leave comments

2009-09-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

Ethan Parrish

Mrs. Aiken

English 1101

September 22, 2009

Books are Knowledge, and Knowledge is Power

Knowledge is powerful, to get knowledge someone either has to be taught or they have to read. Many great thinkers of past times were self-educated and they became this way by reading the works of the great thinkers of the period before theirs. If someone puts forth the effort to read then they are giving themselves a leg up in life. Reading can change how someone views life as a whole, their view could become more pessimistic about people if they read Timeline by Michael Crichton or they could view the world as a happy place if they read The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Books are the single most powerful and influential items to ever be written and I blame them for preparing me for life better than someone who doesn’t read.
I prefer the classic literature that was written in time periods where serious learning was the whole purpose behind writing and the authors wanted to share their vast amounts of knowledge. For instance The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and The Hunchback of Notre Dame are two of my favorite pieces of literature. They were written for different reasons, but they still confer the fact that their authors were very well read and wanted to share this knowledge with the population. These books fascinate me beyond anything else in the world. I got lost for hours in Middle Earth with Frodo and Gandalf. This book made me want to be in the story with them, fighting Trolls and Goblins on the quest to the Misty Mountain and the antagonist, Smaug. Books to me are an escape, not from something bad, but from the everyday grind. On the weekdays I seem more like a robot than a living, breathing, and educated human. The Hobbit made me so excited and optimistic about everything; this proves the fact that a good book can change your outlook and mood. I don’t speak for everyone by any means, all I’m sure of is that I couldn’t function if I couldn’t or wasn’t allowed to read.
Hugo’s greatest work The Hunchback of Notre Dame for example shows all the personal relationships in medieval France from all parts of the spectrum; politically, religiously, and socially. This novel first appealed to me because it was a classic and it was based in an almost medieval France, I love all stories based on that period of time. When I started reading I had to force myself through several pages of description, which I appreciate now, that I thought was unnecessary. Once I got into the storyline I was mesmerized by the imagery that Hugo used and how he wove his story in a seemingly nonchalant way. The effortless way in which he spun his tale made me believe that I could do anything based on the fact that he was writing this during a period of exile in the English Channel. This made me think, if he could write an amazing literary work under those conditions, then I shouldn’t worry about anything I plan to do in the future. Victor Hugo’s novel made me mellow out and just go with the flow. My last statement to an outsider looking in would look like utter rubbish; however to me it is anything but.
In the modern era these new authors don't inspire me on the same intellectual level, but they inspire my imagination. For instance J.K. Rowling's books in the Harry Potter series incited me to have day dreams imagining that the world was full of magic and then I understood that the struggle for good and evil in the novel is the actual struggle in today’s world. Christopher Paolini in his book Eragon caused me to think in wonderment, what if I had a dragon? These new writings are so focused on piquing your imagination that they cause you to be in the story. This is a euphoric feeling, but there isn’t any longevity to the situation. I enjoy a shorter novel from time to time because I don’t have to think deeply into the novel and it is meant for pure leisurely enjoyment.
Reading a good book changes my life every time. If the book is sad or happy then this transfers to me and my mood then changes. Books are one of my favorite past times, not just reading the book, but understanding the authors intentions and his or her thought process. Some disillusioned people would have someone think that money is power or strength of arms; I find this limiting, because this is a true statement, however it doesn’t seem like anyone realizes that the leaders of the armies and the people with the money are usually very intelligent and this intelligence comes from reading. I feel as though I can make a difference and make an impact; I wouldn’t feel so powerfully if I hadn’t been able to read and come to my own conclusions on many different topics. I know that I could be one of the brilliant thinkers, artisans, or just someone who makes an impact because of my perusing of many different genres of literature with many different subject matters. Anyone who really knows me can tell you that I wouldn’t be where I am without the knowledge I have gleaned from my readings; reading is me and I am reading. In Charles Dickens novel a Tale of Two Cities the quote "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" doesn't work for me because when I’m reading it is always the best of times.

As of now...

2009-09-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

I'm working on this example paper, which is a little tricky, limiting myself to minimal examples is kinda tough. My paper is about how books have changed my life and I love reading so much that picking out my favorites to use as examples is proving to be a block.
I'm just thankful that I don't have practice today for soccer because it alwasy puts me in a foul mood. The reason being that the coach plays favorites and the majority of us who have started our whole lives are left out for nonsensical reasons. I'm not bragging, but I don't think I'm a person that people just look at and don't like. It's my last year, so no worries.
Back to the paper....

Example essay...I think?

2009-09-23T03:53:00.000-07:00

Knowledge is powerful, to get knowledge you either have to be taught or you read. Many great thinkers of past times were self-educated and they became this way by reading the works of the great thinkers of the period before theirs. If you put forth the effort to read then you are giving yourself a leg up in life. Reading can change how you view life as a whole, your view could become more pessimistic about people if you read a Tom Clancy novel such as Executive Orders or Catch 22 by Joseph Heller or you could view the world as a happy place if you read the Nicholas Sparks novel The Notebook. Books are the single most powerful and influential piece of literature to ever be written.

I prefer the classic literature that was written in time periods where serious learning was the whole purpose behind writing and the authors wanted to share their vast amounts of knowledge. For instance 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne or The Hunchback of Notre Dame. They were written for different reasons, but they still convey the fact that their authors were very well read and wanted to share this knowledge with the population. These books fascinate me beyond anything else in the world. I got lost for hours in the Nautilus with Captain Nemo and his crew of loners. Hugo for example shows all the personal relationships in medieval France from all parts of the spectrum; politically, religiously, and socially. There isn't much unnecessary fluff in their works which is the point, because their ideas that so inspire me were constantly flowing and they didn't require lengthy fillers.

In the modern era these new authors don't inspire me on the same intellectual level, but they inspire my imagination. For instance J.K. Rowling's Books that involve Harry Potter, such as The Prisoner of Azkaban, incited me to have day dreams imagining that the world was full of magic and then I understood that the struggle for good and evil in the novel is the actual struggle in today's world. Christopher Paolini in his book Eragon caused me to think in wonderment, what if I had a dragon? These new writings are so focused on piquing your imagination that they cause you to be in the story.

Reading a good book changes my life every time. If the book is sad or happy then this transfers to me and my mood then changes. Books are one of my favorite past times, not just reading the book, but understanding the authors intentions and his or her thought process. In Charles Dickens novel a Tale of Two Cities the quote "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" doesn't work for me because when I'm reading it is always the best of times.

Essay Writing, my trials and tribulations

2009-09-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

My first essay in my english class was slightly dificult to write. The topic was the best to me for that particular essay, it's just I couldn't put enough information into the paper. I couldn't find reliable facts to back up my thoughts and opinions. This was hard to me because I am a factual person by nature and I feel that I need to justify my thoughts by having supporting facts. I believe not having these limited my writing so it is not the best I have written by any means.

When I read the essays that others had written I really didnt get anything out of them. This is becasue the essays that I read weren't really essays at all, but just paragraphs. It was the difference between a Roald Dahl book and a Victor Hugo novel. Here I am trying to write an essay on a topic with complete formulation of thoughts and anecdotes, when I read these paragraphs that are a bunch of adjectives describing a very simple topic. I'm not saying these weren't really good descriptions, I'm just saying they didn't correlate to my writing at all.

weekend overview...kinda

2009-09-14T05:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend was quite busy which is the norm for me at this time during the year. My travel soccer team has a game every weekend in a different city that is usually two hours away minimum. Then my teachers deem it necessary to load me with projects because according to some educational analyst we, we being students, learn better with hands on activities. I loath being grouped into categories. Anyways, I have to balance my time between soccer, school, friends, and my girlfriend. We dont have a seven day school week so dont give us homework that occupies are only days off as students. I dont mind homework in the classes where I learn, but I dont need a four page essay in a marketing class where I have to create a super hero and explain how to sell his memorobelia. But back to soccer I already go back and forth to practice twice a week and now they tell me we have a mandatory meeting to discuss money. This has no relevance to me as I dont fund myself, my parents are in control of that portion of my life, so why am I required to go? This sounds like a bunch of whining about a particularly bad weekend, but I got to do what I love play soccer and hang out with my girlfriend, I had a great weekend.

Transcripts=GPA....apparently not

2009-09-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

I always thought that when your school handed you your transcripts they were supposed to help you by giving you helpful new information about where you stood; my life has been a lie. Today I was given my transcript that had no GPA on it and basically told me everything I already knew. Repetition is the key to many sports, but in school you are supposed to learn new lessons and broaden your horizons. I am thoroughly disinterested in being told about myself, whom I believe I know very well. High schools need to have a learning curve or get out of the business.

IPods or CD players?

2009-09-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

I grew up in the nineties listening to compact disks. Everywhere you went you would see people with big bulky music players. We all thought it was cool, and it was back then. Then the ipod hit like a marketing bomb. Everyone wanted this sleek new gadget. Slowly at first and gradually speeding up was the decline of compact discs. It quickly went from cool to very uncool to be seen with any music player that wasn’t an ipod. I didn’t give into the trend until years later, nut now I wouldn’t leave home without the device that single-handedly cornered the market on music devises.
When I was growing up I had one of those very bulky CD players that were so unwieldy to carry. Compounded with this was the fact that you had to carry multiple CD’s around. The original compact disc players were mostly grey in color with a tiny display screen and oversized buttons. Many of the functions of the player were too confusing to be used efficiently and if the player was shifted ever so slightly the disc would skip and really perturb you. Many of the people that you would see with a CD player were teenagers or young adults that fell in love with the grunge era of music.
The original ipod was introduced around the turn of the century. They allowed you to store all of your music in one place. They were smaller than a CD player, but they were very far from the ipod I have now. They were about an inch thick, all white, with a touch wheel that was used to navigate the programs. These devices were by no means perfect, many would refuse to work for no other reason than the sun was shining and it was a Thursday. The newer editions that have been released have fixed many of these bugs in the system that irked many music lovers. I have fallen hard for the shiny, sleek, touch screen ipod that I own and would not want to go on without it as I’m sure many others of my generation would not want to do. The people who use ipods vary much more than CD users; school kids to CEOs, farmers to lawyers, the list goes on and on.
I believe that the ipod is much better than the compact disc player because of its functions and design. The ipod allowed music lovers to store their entire music collection in one convenient place. They pioneered touch technology which has led to many electronic devices incorporating this technology. The ipod is the greatest technological advancement in music devices of our time.

So yeah...thats why I play soccer

2009-08-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

So yeah in life when you try something there always seems to be an equal an opposite force working against you. This is my version. When i signed up for classes for my senior year I wanted it to be challenging, however the school put physics, ap biology, and ap european history inot the same time block. This disallows me from taking physics and I now have to have an eighth period to accomodate biology which is offered only second and eighth period. So to fill up my schedule I have several electives that make my brain melt from entertaining countless nonsensical questions about marketing and first aid techniques. All of this stresses me out and my release is playing club soccer. I guess this was a roundabout way of saying it, but I believe it was necessary. So yeah this is why I play soccer.

English 1101 and 1102

2009-08-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

After listening to my teachers views on the class I naturally made my own assumptions. I want this class to be a kickstart to my college career. I believe it will give me a leg up on the competition. After graduation I want to do summer classes an GC&SU so that when I get to the college of my choosing I will be able to bypass some freshmen classes. I want to go to Georgia Tech and be an engineer or georgia southern where I will then transfer to Emory school of medicine and become a doctor. Hopefully this will be a successful senior year.