Blog#6:Quarter 4: Tender Bar

In the story, although Moehringer develops a personality he likes and he talks positively of the men at the bar, it seems like the men were corrupting him and turn us into hating him too. At the beginning of the story, I thought that J.R. was pretty innocent, had ambitions, but was slowly being corrupted by the men at the bar that he had called his saviors. At one point, his uncle, one of the men at the bar, and the one who introduced him, took him to the bar where he would "mature." In my opinion, this lead to a downward paths in his life. For example, when his mom had been in the hospital because of a car accident, he didn't try to do anything. Instead, he decided to call up a girl he had met at a party by the name of Lana. At the point where his mom is in trouble, he gave her up. Even though she was being taken cared of, the extra comfort by him would've helped her. However, on that day, he took out Lana, to try and lose his virginity because he believed that it was what would transform him into a man. These were the ideas that the men at the bar had taught him and these ideas corrupted him, and as noted before by me, would ruin his life because as he adopted these new ideas, he had lost the ambitions that he had developed from before.

Blog#5:Quarter 4: Tender Bar

In this story, there are several ethical issues that the main character faces. J.R. Moehringer, all his life, was given the impression that he should hate his father because of what his mom said. His father had left him and his mother penniless and his mom just despises his father. Ever since, he had started to severe relations with his dad, and working to become a lawyer like his mom had dreamed. However, there were certain problems. When he wanted to fill out for YALE applications because the paternal figures of the bar insisted he do so, he needed his father's address. He put "NOT APPLICABLE" but he kept on hesitated about it. Later when he was interviewed and asked about his name, J.R. he didn't want to say that it was his father's because he was ashamed of his dad. He didn't want all his work to be his dad getting credit for it. His mom then arranged for him and his father to have time together. They spent time together and Moehringer began to like him. Soon it was time for his father to go. He was going to ask him why he left him and his mom penniless. He didn't have the guts to do so. However, later on he gave up on the idea of becoming a lawyer and suing his dad because he didn't want to betray his dad. He didn't want to help his mom and betray his dad. However, because of this, in his mind, he thought that he had betrayed his mom.

Blog#4:Quarter 4: Tender Bar

From what we are showed, Moehringer tells us that he didn't fit the qualities of a seven year old either. He had his "security blanket" which was kind of like the object he carried around him even when he was seven years old and he had started to develop strange tantrums. He had develop tantrums that his mom hoped to grow out of, but he just got worse. Soon after he returns from his psychiatrist meetings, we learn that he develops his problems from his anger developing inside of him. This adds to the problems that is lead throughout his life. He has to suffer living in the "Shit-House" while his neighbors are all living in such big houses. Such anger and jealously of them causes him to start suffering delusions and superstitions and fears. He would fear cats, dogs, ladders, and other things that can lead to trouble. All of this just add to how he disliked being of a lower class because of his grandfather's scrooge like attitude.

Blog#3:Quarter 4: Tender Bar

As we continue throughout the story, we find out about the life of Moehringer's life. As a child Moehringer had always wanted to see his father, whom he called the VOICE. The Voice was funny to him and was heard on the radio a lot, preaching. According to him. We learn from him the personalities of his mom and grandpa and how they don't approve of each other. She was unable to pursue her dreams of going to college because of the money factor. For that reason, she always wanted Moehringer to complete what she couldn't do. The mom shows herself as someone who puts pressure on a kid for what she didn't accomplish, for what she couldn't do but what she wants her kids to achieve for her. This can play an important role in Moehringer's development because we might see her not let him be able to take on his own goals. This is the reason why he lives in the Shit-House. This can play a significant role since his grandfather's scrooge like attitude might prevent him from achieving his goals. This also creates problems with his mom and his grandpa since they don't like each other.

Blog#2:Quarter 4: Tender Bar

Meohringer's memoir tells us of his everyday family life. We learn that he lives in a big house with many family members. His household is known as the "Shit House" and it includes his mother and him, his grandpa and grandma, his mother's two grown siblings, Uncle Charlie and Aunt Ruth, and Aunt Ruth's five daughters and one son. We learn that he is not happy in living there because he is bothered by noise that is made constantly from all the arguing and disgruntles in his family. We learn that he doesn't like the noise, however the experience of living in such a house has taught him to enhance his selective listening skill. He states that this skill was helpful whenever he wants to listen to the thing he wants to while ignoring every else. The reason for it being a "Shit House" to him is because his grandpa not caring about the house and so doesn't want to repair it so it looks like crap to him. This all adds up to the fact that makes him try to stay from the house as much as possible. By doing this, we can foreshadow that he will start hanging around at the bar more because he loves the happiness that is brought upon in the bar.

Blog#1:Quarter 4: Tender Bar

In J.R. Moehringer's memoir, The Tender Bar, in this story, Moehringer tell us about the life of his town and how it revolves around the bar. In his memoir, he states, "My hometown was famous for two things - lacrosse and liquor"( Moehringer 5). By stating this, he informs to us that his hometown is known for playing lots of lacrosse as well as drinking and going to bars. This helps us to understand the community that he is in. We also learn within the first few chapters of the book that his dad has left him and his mom by themselves. His mom decides to leave him because he is a tempered man. In doing this, his mom angered his dad and for that reason his dad to abandon them. This happened when he was young. Whenever he hears his famous dad on the radio, they try to hide it away from him by telling him that he never had a dad. However, we can see that he understands that even as a kid and because his dad has left him, he had to look for other fatherly figures throughout his community. This all leads him to the bar when men will act like his dad.

Blog #15: 2nd Semester: Overcomming Odds

We are just about an year and a half away from the world cup. Remarkably, Angola got into the world cup. Angola is a country wracked by decades of conflict. Many teams are expected to go into the world cup, such as Argentina, Brazil, and Portugal. But, no one expected Angola to go through the final rounds of eliminations. It came as a shock to many soccer fans, but I believe that the Angolan people had faith and cheered their team on.

Blog #14: 2nd Semester: Love

From – Twenty Poems of Love

I can write the saddest lines tonight.

Write for example: ‘The night is fractured
and they shiver, blue, those stars, in the distance’

The night wind turns in the sky and sings.
I can write the saddest lines tonight.
I loved her, sometimes she loved me too.

On nights like these I held her in my arms.
I kissed her greatly under the infinite sky.

She loved me, sometimes I loved her too.
How could I not have loved her huge, still eyes.

I can write the saddest lines tonight.
To think I don’t have her, to feel I have lost her.

Hear the vast night, vaster without her.
Lines fall on the soul like dew on the grass.

What does it matter that I couldn’t keep her.
The night is fractured and she is not with me.

That is all. Someone sings far off. Far off,
my soul is not content to have lost her.

As though to reach her, my sight looks for her.
My heart looks for her: she is not with me


The same night whitens, in the same branches.
We, from that time, we are not the same.

I don’t love her, that’s certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the breeze to reach her.

Another’s kisses on her, like my kisses.
Her voice, her bright body, infinite eyes.

I don’t love her, that’s certain, but perhaps I love her.
Love is brief: forgetting lasts so long.

Since, on these nights, I held her in my arms,
my soul is not content to have lost her.

Though this is the last pain she will make me suffer,
and these are the last lines I will write for her.

Pablo Neruda

- This is one of my favorite poems by Pablo Neruda. I recently discovered Neruda's poetry in m Spanish class. I read a few of his poems like "Poem XX", "Poem XV", and a couple more, In this poem he talks about a girl who broke his heart. He says that he loves her and he doesn't love her, he dreams about having her in his arm while she try's to push away. There are many interpretation's for this poem.

Blog #13: 2nd Semester: War

For decades the Israelis and Palestinians have been at war. Well the Israeli-Palestinian war began over fifty years ago. Today, the two enemies are not even close to an agreement of any sort. They continue to fighting in which seems like an never ending. In Israel every young man and woman must participate in the army at least one time. The war that the United State's is apart of, and the war that the Israelis are apart of. It has become apart of the Israelis and Palestinians. As for us, We also have an ongoing battle here in the U.S. The incident of September 11th, 2001. Since the first day of the attack, President Bush sent troops to Iraq to fight. And still today, our troops are still fighting for our country.

Blog #12: 2nd Semester: Imperialism

I read an article about the New Imperialism in Europe. The New Imperialism was all about aggressive territorial pursuit to have colonies and/or to have racial superiority. Many countries in Europe. By the 20th century only Liberia and Ethiopia were still free. Also, the Imperialism consisted of taking over India. Britain took over India from the EITC (East Indian Trading Co). I believe that all these country's had the right to take over all these other countries. Although, sometimes it may be over territory, culture, or even just wanting to get a hold of that country, that when these big wars start between country's.

http://www.2worldwar2.com/infantry-weapons.htm

Body Paragraph #2: Effects on European Colonization

One of the first colonization of the Americas that was know to man, was around the time of 1492. The expedition that was lead by Christopher Columbus, was what sparked the European to go on expeditions and colonize rapidly. The Europeans first went thought the Caribbean, then Hispaniola, Cuba, then into the Americas. The Europeans enslaved the indigenous people in order to have a labor force. After spending several years with the indigenous people, the Europeans learned new and innovated ways to cultivate their crops. The Europeans also learned the language and the culture of the indigenous people. They learned that some of the indigenous, the Aztecs. They learned that in order to please their gods, they has ceremonies in which they did human sacrifices and ate the beating heart of the deceased person. The Europeans also had trouble understanding the language that the people spoke. Soon many of them were able to translate one language to another that made it easier for the Europeans to trade and easier for them to later conquer their land. The Europeans did not only get a new way to cultivate their crops, but they also got necessary resources needs to conquer and take land from the indigenous people.

Research Project Notes: Causes #1

<.http://cvc.cervantes.es/obref/aih/pdf/03/aih_03_1_013.pdf.>
<.http://www.histocat.cat/pdf/catalans_al_canada.pdf.>

- The arrival of Christopher Columbus and the settlement of the Spaniards


-They colonized most of the new land they had discovered which at first they thought it was Asia.
"...over three centuries the Spanish Empire expanded from early small settlements in the Caribbean to include Central America, most of South America, Mexico, what today is Southwestern United States, the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of North America, reaching Alaska."

Blog #11: 2nd Semester: Global Issues

One of the main global issues we have today is Food Crisis. Food prices has risen in price in the past years. But in other countries, this has caused riots and in some cases, like in Haiti, food has risen to 50-100%. Food such as corn, wheat, rice, and soya, have risen a lot in just one year. From 2007 to 2008, corn has gone up 31%, rice 74%, soya 87%, and wheat 130%. But this did not happen over night, it has been dramatically changing since 2000, but no one seemed to notice it that much. When their seems to be a food crisis, we seem to ignore it, but there will be a time when the staggering prices are so high, that people are going to start revolting and causing a lot of deaths.

- Global Issues- "Global Food Crisis 2008"

Blog #10: 2nd Semester: Religious Holidays

St. Patrick's is celebrated annually on March 17 in honor of Ireland's patron saint. His given name, Magonus Sucatus, was changed to Patricius (Patrick) either after his baptism or after he became a priest. At the age of 16, Patrick was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Ireland. He remained in captivity for six years while he worked as a shepherd and began to have religious visions. Patrick then returned back to Ireland where he succeeded in converting the Irish into Christianity. The first time in Boston where the St. Patrick's day parade was held, that's when people started celebrating it in the U.S. But in Ireland, it is celebrated as a religious holiday.


- St. Patrick's Day- KU Medical Center

Blog #9: 2nd Semester: Culture

Traditional Russian food is passed down from generation to generation. All the Russian cuisine in restaurants came from all around the Soviet Union. When you go to a Russian restaurants, the best part of the meal is the starters which consist of salads, fish, meat and pickled vegetables. Russian food is totally different than American food because it is so much harder to prepare. The women in Russia are the ones who prepare the food at home, and the people who own a house usually have a garden when they can grow their own fresh vegetables. Russian food has improved dramatically in that past few years. Now the people in Russia have many more products at their hands, but if they want Western products they have to pay a little more.

Blog #8: 2nd Semester: Bollywood

The movie Slumdog Millionair, recently won an award. It was a very succesful movie. But allt eh stress of the actors also cought up with the parents of some of the actors. The father of Azharuddin Mohammed, a 10 year old actor in the movie, was slapped and kicked by his father. Supposely all the stress that was with the little actor somehow cought uo with his father and he had to payt for that. Later onm the father appologized publicly and said, "I was so confused and stressed by my son’s homecoming that I did not know myself for a minute. I love my boy and I am very happy to have him home." (Ismail, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Child Actor Kicked By Father in Broad Daylight). It must have been all the stress that the father had because of the part that his child had in the movie might of been to much for him and he finally burst but took it out on his child.

Blog #7: 2nd Semester: Change

Recently we have just elected a new resident of The United States of America. This election has done much more than just elected the 44th president, rather, than a huge huge change occured, we broke the racial barrier. Barack Obama has become the first black president that the U.S has had. According Adam Nagourney, " But it was just as much strikingly symbolic moment in the evolution of the nation's fraught racial history, a breakthrough that would have seemed unthinkable just two years ago." (Nagourney, Obama Elected President as Racial Barrier Falls) It took many years for our nation to. Ross the racial barrier. But when we did, it was a tremoundus and emotional moment.

Blog #6: 2nd Semester: Hope

Hope may come in many different ways. It may come from a gift received or may come with just a simple thank you. I you were to feel down and someone came up to you and said "Thank You" for something you did for them, it will bring up your spirit because you feel that someone respects you and acknowledges your kindness. For example, a couple of years ago, my soccer team went to the championship game. In the start of the second game of the final, we were up 3-2. Half way through the game they scored two goals and they were up 3-4. All my teammates were giving up and saying that there was no way that we could win the game. But I had confidence in my teammates that they come back from the deficit and probably win the game. The second half started, and 15 minutes in we scored a goal and tied up the game. In the last 5 minutes of the game we got a PK in our favor, and we scored and ended up winning the game. So even though situations may be hard to overcome, if you believe and have hope, it may turn out for the best.

Blog #5: 2nd Semester: Religion

Since this blog has to do with religion, I've decided to blog about the Pope and the Catholic religion since I am Catholic. Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter. During the first centuries of the Christin Church, the Roman Capital became known as the center for the Roman Catholic's. The office of the pope is called the Papacy. In the Vatican City, the Pope is the Head of State. Popes in the earlier year of the start of the Pope, they helped spread Christianity until Pope Stephen II was forced to speak out to the Franks, which Started a close interaction with the rulers of the West. In earlier deaths of Popes, they would tap their head three times with a silver spoon calling their name each time. Now, the Cardinal Chamberlain then retrieves the Ring of the Fisherman and cuts it in two in the presence of the Cardinals. The deceased pope's seals are defaced, to keep them from ever being used again, and his personal apartment is sealed. The body then lies in state for a number of days before being interred in the crypt of a leading church or cathedral. A nine-day period of mourning follows the interment of the late Pope.

Blog #4: 2nd Semester: Gender Roles

Gender roles has played a critical role in the development of our country. But even though we have made progress there is still a small hint that men are the still the top dogs. In television, for example, according to Television and Gender Roles, there is a 3:1 ration in voiceovers for men than women. It is said that woman's voices are to sell laundry detergent and jewelry and are also used as sex objects and to sell beer. There is evidence that gender may influence the viewers and specially the young ones. Although the evidence is inconclusive there is still a stereotypical idea that genders are misleading. But nowadays, you may find women working in places were back in the day were "meant" to be places were only the male gender were supposed to work at. You may also find the men staying at home and keeping an eye on the children while the female go off and works rather than female staying at home and having to take care of the children.

Bibliography-

- Television and Gender Roles- http://library.thinkquest.org/17067/you/nfgender.html

Blog #3: 2nd Semester: Culture

China's culture is very different form many of our culture. The Chinese culture derive their values through both Confucianism and Taoism. They also believe in reincarnation or rebirth (Wikipedia 2.2). Some of the most known holy figures are the Buddha, Jade Emperor, and Guan Yin. One Chinese fortune telling rituals are still in use today such as the fortune cookie yo receive when you go to the Chinese restaurants (Wikipedia 4). the Chinese refer to their food as a form of art. In which it consists from sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch (Chinese Culture: Food Culture).


Bibliography:
-Culture of China: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_China

-Chinese Culture: http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/

Blog #1: 2nd Semester: Naural Disasters

There are many different kinds of natural disasters that occur all around the world. One of the many different kinds of natural disasters that occur are earthquakes. According to Wikipedia, "Earthquakes by themselves rarely kill people or wildlife. It is usually the secondary events that they trigger, such as building collapse, fires, tsunamis and volcanoes, that are actually the human disaster" (Wikipedia 2.1.2) Earthquakes occur when the tectonic plates move into either a strike-slip or Thrust which causes the earth to shake. The most activity in volcanoes are in the West and East of the United States and Hawaii.


Bibliography:
-Natural Disaster: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_disaster

-Earthquake: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake#Earthquake_fault_types

Outside Post #17: Midsummer Nights Dream

In our English class we are watching the movie from Shakespeare's play "Midsummer Nights Dream." So far, the play has been about love. Lysander and Hermia, one of the main characters,are in love but they are trying to get her to marry Demetrius. But Helena, another of the main characters, is in love with Demetrius. So Lysander and Hermia ran off to get out of Athens but Lysander and Helena soon followed. Then Oberon had a spell put on Demetrius so he could fall in love with Helena, but he accidentally put on Lysander and he fell in love with Helena. But after a while he put another thing on Lysander that made forget about Helena and went back to Hermia, and Helena and Demetrius got together. Then both couples are about to get married.