Reaction to "the Black Knight" and how it has to do with Antigone

Today in Class we watched part of "The Black Knight" where the Convicts and the normal citizens had to make a choice between blowing up each other's boat, or all dying themselves.  This has to tie in with Antigone because Antigone is faced with a morality challenge, she can choose between burying her brother or letting him rot away. In the movie The joker said "You have a choice, to blow up the other ship, or at midnight, you all die." because he believed that everyone was coldhearted, just like him. The citizens in the boat wanted to vote if they should explode the other ship or let it be. one citizen said (about the convicts)  "They had their shots, and they didn't do anything!" the vote was 390 for exploding the other boat to 160 against exploding the other ship. the two people who were going to blow up the ship ended up not blowing up anything the head convict took the other ship's explosive, and threw it out the window, the citizen just put the convict's explosive, back in the box, at midnight the Joker said "I wouldn't want to miss the fireworks"  while he had Batman pinned down under a steel beam on top of the Empire State Building, and Batman said  "There aren't gonna be any fireworks."  he was right, and at 12:05 the joker was ready to explode both his ship's on his own.  that's where we stopped. Now back to Antigone, She's  ready to suffer the consequences of  burying her brother, and in the movie, the citizens, and convicts were both ready to suffer their consequences. 

Morality decision

Decision 1: you have the opportunity to cheat on a test and not get caught, Do You? 

This decision is easy. Even if I did have the opportunity to cheat on a test and not get caught I wouldn't do that. I was raised with good morals, and If I cheated on a test and I wasn't caught, I'd feel so guilty, and I couldn't ever imagine doing something like that. 

Decision 2: your best friend is dating someone who you cannot stand, and who you feel is totally wrong for your friend . Do you say anything about your feelings to your friend?  Well, that depends on how good a friend your friend is. If it's like your best friend then I'd probably say something. but if it was an acquantice, I'd let it be. but I feel best about saying that it's their decision, it's in their hands. besides, it could ruin the relationship between your friend and their date. Decision 3: you're a parent, you catch underage students bringing alcohol to a party where no one has a car. Do you let them go, or do you report them?  Um, let me think about that...It's a split. I don't wanna be like the "Evil Parent" but i'd report them.  It's not safe, and I really don't think it's a good idea to let them go because that means there'll be no advisory in anything. Decision 4: your parents refuse to let you go with your friends on a weekend trip. Do you sneak out and go anyway, knowing you'll get seriously grounded when you return? No, I wouldn't sneak out and go because it's stupid, and rebellious, I mean I know some people who would sneak out, but that's not me. I was raised to respect my parents, and their beliefs.  If my parents said no, then the answer is no. They know what's best for me, and I respect those things, so I would never go.  Decision 5: you are a landlord. A family living in one of your apartments can't pay the month's rent. Do you cut them a break, or kick them out?  Wow, this requires some thought...I feel the best about cutting them a break. Unless, it's a habit, and it's been months since they paid me my rent, then I'd kick them out. I'd honestly feel best about letting them stay.   Decision 6: A friend of yours has gotten a reputation (deservedly) of being a real trouble maker. being associated with him might get you unwanted negative attention. Do you hang out with your friend anyhow? No! I don't want any unwanted negative attention thank you. I have enough good friends, and I really never hang out with bad friends. So the answer is no. I'd drop that friend.  Decision 7: At college close to eighty percent of the students are members of fraternities. During pledge week you visit each, but don't find any that seem a perfect fit. do you join one anyway, or remain independent? I'll answer a  part of this with a song lyric 

"Miss independent

Miss self sufficient
Miss keep your distance mmmmm
Miss unafraid
Miss out my way" (Kelly Clarkson Miss Independent)  Yeah, I'll go with being independent. I want nothing to do with fraternities, and I think their superficial and a desperate cry for wanting to fit in. I've always gone against the grain, and I hope to remain doing so, sure, I may not have many friends in College (or life for that matter) but I know that's best for me. Decision 8: An uncle of yours has become an alcoholic. His behavior in public is embarrassing at best, and dangerous at worst. Do you invite him to the Thanksgiving get-together?  No, I wouldn't invite him to the get together. Okay, I love him but I really don't want him there. Besides, I don't hafta worry about any of that cuz no one in my family are alcoholics. Sure, they have drinks, but not in excess. Decision 9: The new school dress code is really over the top. Do you break the rules on purpose and get punished in order to publicly protest to get the rule changed? I wanna PROTEST!!! I would break that rule cuz I'm in a public school 4 crying out loud! I WOULD NEVER WEAR A UNIFORM FOR ANYTHING EXCEPT A STUPID CATHOLIC SCHOOL! Our clothing choices define us!  if we were to bench our uniqueness I'd drop out of school. Decision 10: you're a teacher, a well meaning and hard working student is about to fail out of school. Do you go easy on the student and give the good grades so they don't fail? No. I hate to say it, but no! If I gave the student free A's or B's then that adds to the sugar coated life we already have. It's like when you were little, and you played little league, you always got a trophy whether you won or not. That's not a reality, that's a lie. lying is really bad. I wouldn't give any student an easy A. That's just not a good plan. In reality you're not always gonna win all the time. So I wouldn't go easy on anyone. 

Reaction to the end of 1984

I thought the end of the novel was bad.  I Didn't like it at all because it wasn't he best ending. Actually, It was a horrible In the end, Winston became what he didn't want to become, he became a strong follower and believer of Big Brother, so did Julia.  It wasn't to good, I mean, yeah it was good, but not good good. I honestly hope I take what's important from the book, and dispose of the rest of it. 

From Self-censorship to Official Censorship

This is a picture of the coffins coming back from Vietnam after the Vietnam War, we don't see that now during the Iraq War,

 In fact, we don't even know how many American soldiers have fallen in this war. 

the following three things intrigued me in the article about media portraying the Iraq War 

"Throughout the Iraq War, Media have rarely shown images of US battlefield casualties, almost never with visible pain or blood. Such restraint provides tacit support for the war" This is so true because all they do is show that war is good, which ties in the 1984 war posters "War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength"  because since they censor the truth it shows to the people back home that "War is Peace" because it shows soldiers in no visible pain or blood, so it's making Americans think "War is Peace".   

The second thing that spoke to me in the article was that  "The washington post recently discovered new photos of Iraqi citizens killed by US troops in Haditha among thousands of pages of Naval Criminal Investigative Service documents. The paper chose not to publish the pictures. Post editors decided that most of the images are to graphic to publish."  this bothers me because the press isn't afraid to show dead children in Iraq, but are to afraid to show some Iraqi citizens killed by us. How bogus is that? It says to me that we are cowards. We'd prefer to run away, than face the truth. 

The last thing that hit me the most was this "The media does not offer a true portrayal of the consequences of war. Showing blood on the floor, the fallen soldier, was too much for the military." This reinstates what I said above. We are cowards, we want to shut our eyes to the harsh reality of War, we want to pretend we are not at war, and we are at peace. We ARE cowards, we need to OPEN our eyes to reality, but we've been raised to believe everything is right with the world, and there is no such thing as war or death, or pain. We know nothing.

What Is Freedom?

5. "We buy our way out of jail, but we can't buy freedom." (Kanye West).

I Choose this quote because it's so true.  we can buy our way out of not only jail, but being sentenced, going to the police station and so much more.  but we really can't buy freedom, it's true.  Freedom is our given right, not something you can buy at a store, it's given to us, which also means it can also be taken away, but like he stated above, you can buy back your freedom, which is irony.   so when we buy our way out of jail, its like we're buying back our freedom.  Some people aren't  allowed to be given freedom.  It's hard to understand, but it also is easy to understand too.   below is a poem I wrote about freedom

Freedom: 

 Freedom is not free, 

well at least that's what they tell me. 

Freedom represents everything 

that we can be, or will become. 

Freedom is something you can't buy, 

but it's also something that will not lie, 

Freedom is what everyone dreams to have,

and many people don't receive

Freedom is what it means to be an 

American citizen  like me. 

Freedom is not free, 

well at least that's what they tell me. 

I really do believe freedom is totally free. 

Teen Drinking Issue

Hey Everyone, um, I just wanted to update my blog.  In Regards to Ms. Marootian's  assignment about the Social issues of our society, I choose 2 articles on Teen Drinking. (No one take that!) The First article I found was from  www.webmd.com.  To summarize that it states that Binge Drinking among teens is on the rise, and a very risky business that could totally ruin their health. The following Examples are true stats.  "Compared to nondrinkers, teen binge drinkers were:

• 11 times more likely to ride with a driver who had been drinking alcohol in the past 30 days.
• 19 times more likely to be current smokers (smoked on one or more days in the past 30 days).
• Four times more likely to be in a physical fight in the past 12 months.
• Nearly four times more likely to have ever been raped or subjected to dating violence in the past 12 months.
• Four times more likely to have attempted suicide during the past 12 months.
• More than five times more likely to be sexually active with one or more persons during the past three months.

Teen binge drinkers were also more likely to use marijuana, cocaine, and inhalants . The next article I found was from USA Today. It stated that teen drinking and anger is a bad mix. A study reports  that High school seniors who drink alcohol to cope with anger or other problems already show a risky pattern of alcohol use that could continue later in life

English Story

It’s the year 2220,  and it seems like a pretty normal place where the men and women are working, the children are playing in the yard, and the teenagers are at school.  There’s just one  difference; in the town of   Galevance, the residents of the town are under constant surveillance by the government.  The residents couldn’t do too much, even though they still acted like it was the year 2008. Everyone went about their business during the day, and some men worked like robots in the factories, putting wheels on victory cars, then going to their cubicles and typing like robots.  Women worked as well, and while some women worked alongside their husbands in factories, most women spend their time teaching in schools.  It’s at night when you notice that this town is different than others.   If you’re a stranger in the town, you’ll find it peculiar to see thought bubbles above the houses, but if you actually live in the town, you know that’s a common thing.  Inside the houses are Telescreens, which don’t go on until the residents of the family have fallen asleep.  While the family is still awake, the thought bubbles are above the homes.  The aim of the thought bubbles are to accuse the residents of something called thoughtcrime.  The head of the government would send out troops on planes, and by foot to see if any residents are committing “Thoughtcrime” or the act of thinking.  There’s one resident named E6 who is always committing thoughtcrimes, and being unique.  No one has actually caught E in the act of thinking, because he’s very good at hiding his thoughts.  He  also committed something called facecrime. In Galevance you’re supposed to have a single facial expression, and never change it.  E6 has a terrible time trying to keep his composure, and have the same face as everyone else. After his day at work is done at 22:50 p.m. he goes home and writes in his e-journal about the day. He has it password protected, and he may forget the password himself, but has it written on a piece of paper in invisible ink in his bedroom.  The Next day he went to work and ran into his friend F7 met at the canteen for lunch. “How are you Frank?” asked E6 “SHUSH! E6, you cannot call me by my real name! at work we don’t have names! Plus we shouldn’t even be near each other! Remember we live and work in separate sectors!” E6 responded “Oh, yea, that’s right”  and he sipped his victory tea.  Which wasn’t tea at all, just some muddy water. Later that night though, he and Frank met up in an underground café where they could meet up, and no telescreens would invade their space. While they were there they talked about how the  telescreens  ruined their lives, 

and how they couldn’t even have names unless they were in the underground Café.