Ishmael Questions

1. What are Ishmael’s two general rules on how to identify people from our culture? Do you agree with Ishmael when he says that people from all over the world are part of the same culture? Why or why not?
Two general rules that Ishmael states you can use to identify someone of our culture is to look if a culture has their food source on lock and key and to see if the people see themselves are flawed who are eventually going to die. I do agree with Ishmael when he says that people all over the world are of the same culture. I agree with this because even though the people of the world are American, Chinese, Indian, etc, we are all part of the Human culture. We all share the same idea that we need to love one another, and must stick together to succeed.

2. Ishmael disagrees with Mother Culture’s voice that says that humans are inherently flawed. After reading through page 66 of My Ishmael do agree or disagree with him? Why?
After reading these chapters, I do agree with him that humans are flawed. I agree with him because (just going off the book and not other reasons) we keep our food under lock and key and we think that the way we do something has to be the right way. I do not think that we should keep our food under lock and key after reading the story of tunes and dancers. I think that people should be able to “dance” for the amount of food they want and then be left alone. If some people wanted to dance all day, let them dance all day. But leave the people that only dance for a few hours each day to their own business. The second reason I agree with Ishmael is that we always see the way we do things as the right way, and when a different or abstract idea or process comes up, we condemn it right away because it is not the way we do it. Just because we don’t do it doesn’t make it wrong. It just makes it different.

3. Ishmael uses a parable of Tunes and Dancers to explain his idea of Takers and Leavers. Who are these Takers and Leavers and how do they relate to American culture?
The Takers are represented by the regular everyday people in the American culture. The Leavers are represented by farmers and food distributers. Ishmael’s parable of Tunes and Dancers relates directly to American culture because it is how we “operate”. At one time, all the people in the American culture used to be hunters. They would hunt only when they were hungry, and not store excess food. But as time went on, they became Leavers who turned to agriculture to keep themselves fed. Later, these Leavers (farmers) found that they could make money by withholding the food from the public unless they danced for the food (paid for the food). In time, food distributers appeared, who kept the food under lock and key. Even now, this system of food under lock and key still exists, which is why the parable of Tunes and Dancers relates directly to American culture today.

Sustainability

I think living sustainably means that we continue to prosper yet having no bad effect on the world. We currently are not living sustainably because we live in a world where we burn fossil fuels that are burning holes in the Ozone layer and leaving dangerous greenhouse gases that are heating up the earth, resulting in the melting of the polar ice caps. I also think sustainability means being able to live without exhausting the resources at hand, such as money or oil. If the world as a whole can go on their daily lives without running out of oil, then I consider that living sustainably. Alternative sources of energy such as wind and solar energy also help the world live sustainably.

I think I have a lot of freedom, but am also restricted a lot. I feel restricted in the sense that I cannot do certain adult things such as vote and drink, but I feel very free in the sense that I am free to express my opinions and talk about the government without any repercussions or consequences. I think that the latter is more important to me, even though at times I wish I could vote on topics such as the next president and bills regarding things like economic spending packages.

I think I could live my life more sustainably if I paid a lot more attention to the world around me and counted it as a whole instead of looking at the general city I am living in. I also think that I could live my life more sustainably if I looked more in depth at the decisions I make every day. Buy a reusable water bottle, instead of a plastic one that I just throw away. Not leaving the heater in the house running when it is not in use. If I put my life under a fine tuned microscope, I know I could find even more ways to live my life very sustainably.

My Goals

1. I think I am definitely more high schooler-ish. I'm starting to think about college and my life after school and what I want to do with my life. Other than that, it really doesn't feel different than how I started in August. I went through all of middle school in a High Tech school so coming into high school was basically just rising another grade level in the High Tech society.
2. I think that my most important skills in succeeding in Humanities is my ability to write well. This ability will help my bring more life to the papers I write, whether it be a writing such as a research paper or a creative writing from WEX.
3. One thing I would like to improve on this semester is getting my papers more often and by a bigger group of people. I will accomplish this goal by not only giving my papers to people in our grade level, but people in the 10th,11th, and 12th graders to proofread. I will also give my paper to people outside of the school, such as my parents and fencing friends.
4. The one thing that I would really like to learn about this semester is grammar and different writing mechanics. I think that learning more about grammar would really be beneficial to my writing because I will have a wider range of tools to use when I do write. I like how we have been keeping things like the writing concept of the week, it has really helped my writing. If we had even more tools, I think I could make my writing that much better.

Dialectical Journals Books 7 & 8

Chapter 30, 12/2/08
"Odd as it sounds, the feeling within that cozy copse evoked a hearth of home, a haven. One could still smell that deery smell, the gamy scent of their coats. None of the party spoke, yet each, I will wager, was thinking the same thought: how sweet it would be, right now, to lie down there like the deer and close one's eyes. To allow all fear to depart one's limbs. To be, just for a moment, innocent of terror."
~Page 321

I chose this quote because I thought it was amazing the way the author described the way this part of the story. It shows that even though the warriors are Spartans, they still feel fear. I could imagine how they feel because of this paragraph, how they want to just be free of war. Be free of the worries of dying and battle. It also struck me because I have felt like this before. Many times when I make the top 4 or 2 in a tournament, I always just want to lay down and let go the worries of "What if I lose this bout?". But I always persevere, just like the soldiers of Sparta.

Chapter 32, 12/2/08
"The Persians within the tent fought just as their fellows had in the pass and at the Narrows. Their accustomed weapons were of the missile type, javelins, lances and arrows, and the sought space, an interval of distance from which to launch them. The Spartans on the other hand were trained to close breast-to-breast with the foe. Before one could draw breath, the locked shields of the Lakedaemonians were pincushioned with arrow shafts and lanceheads. One heartbeat more and their bronze facings slammed into the frantically massing bodies of the foe. For an instant it seemed as if they would utterly trample the Persians. I saw Polynikes bury his eight-footer overhand in the face of one nobleman, jerk its gore-dripping point free and plunge it into the breast of another. Dienekes, with Alexandros on his left, slew three so quickly the eye could barely assimilate it. On the right Ball Player was hacking like a madman with his throwing axe, directly into a shrieking knot of priests and secretaries cowering upon the floor."
~Pages 337-338

I chose this quote because it shows the distinctions between the Persian and Spartan warfare. The Persians were more formal while the Spartans were more ferocious and beast like. The Persians had more long range weapons, whilst the Spartans had more close range weapons like the xiphos to slash away at opponents. I also chose this quote because of the way the battle is described. I could really see many Spartans such as Dienekes and Alexandros hacking and jabbing away at the Persians so quickly that the eye could not process it fast enough.

Chapter 35, 12/3/08
"'Do you hate them Dienekes?' the king asked in the tone of a comrade, unhurried, conventional, gesturing to captains and officers of the Persians proximately visible across the oudernos chorion, the no-man's-land.

Dienekes answered at once that he did not. 'I see faces of gentle and noble bearing. More than a few, I think, whom one would welcome with a clap and a laugh to any table of friends.'

Leonidas clearly approved my master's answer. His eyes seemed, however, darkened with sorrow.

'I am sorry for them,' he avowed, indicating the valiant foemen who stood so proximately across. 'What wouldn't they give, the noblest among them, to stand here with us now?'"
~Pages 360-361

I chose this quote because it shows how honorable the Spartans are. Dienekes shows that even though the Persians are the enemy that want to take over all of Sparta and Athens, he would still invite him in for a drink. I think this is because he knows that many of the soldiers that are fighting for Xerxes don't want to be there and would invite the Spartans over for a drink as well if they were not fighting in a war.

Chapter 36, 12/3/08
"'As when a wildfire upon a hillside at last consumes itself and flares no more, so my fit of grief burned itself out. A peace settled clemently upon me, as if gift not alone of that strong arm which clasped me yet in its embrace, but of some more profound source, ineffable and divine. Strength returned to my knees and courage to my heart. I rose behind the king and wiped my eyes. These words I addressed to him, not of my own will it seemed but prompted by some unseen goddess whose source and origin I could not name.
'"'Those were the last tears of mine, my lord, that the sun will ever see.''"
~Pages 373-374

I chose this quote because it is a very powerful quote at the end of the book. This is when Lady Paraleia is talking about Alexandros' death after word is reached that the 300 lost at Thermopylae. It is just so powerful the way that she relates her grief to a wildfire. Wildfires are very strong forces that often takes very long to stop. The fact that her grief is this strong is very interesting. I also chose this quote because I felt very strongly toward this quote. I had a very important in my life die once and I felt exactly this way. Yes the pain gradually grew weaker, but there was always that last dying spark of the wildfire of grief that still hung on.

What I am Thankful For

(<---That's Hannah)
I am thankful for a lot of things that I have that I take for granted everyday. The first thing that I am grateful for are my two best friends, Hannah and Lilia. They are always there for me, ya I know it sounds cheesy but its true, when I need them. They both are there whenever I need a hug or someone to talk to about girl troubles. Both of them have also been very supportive of my Olympics dream, always bringing it up when I'm feeling down and feeling like I won't be able to get there. I love them to death and are practically sisters to me, as I am practically a brother to them.

Another thing that I am thankful for are my parents. As this goes without saying, they have always been there for me in good times and bad. They are very supportive of my fencing dream and do anything they can to help me reach this goal. Both of them drive me to fencing and back every night, I am very thankful for that. They also buy me all the fencing equipment I need for tournaments and practice, which I will always be thankful for because fencing gear can add up really fast =/. But I love my parents, and will always be thankful for them.

Of course, these two things aren't the only two things that I am thankful for. I am thankful for my house, food to eat, and a wonderful school to go to everyday. I think that sometimes we take everything we have for granted. Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday because the things that we take for granted come into the spotlight as we give thanks for them.

Dialectical Journals 8-11

I chose a picture of a laughing person because during Chapter 8, it speaks of how the troops kept making such crude jokes that kept even Leonidas on his knees laughing.

Chapter 8, 10/30/08
"The sight of his native Hellas being reduced by the overmastering numbers of the imperial forces caused the man severe distress and seemed to fire his will to commit to record as much of his tale as he could, as expeditiously as possible."
~Page 65

I chose to write about this quote because I really thought about it after reading the chapter. I was just imagining how distressed the man had to have been in order to feel obligated to record the tale of the battle. But at the same time I made a connection to this quote. When I first started playing Halo 3, I really wanted to write down every even that happened in game because the story was just so enveloping, I never wanted to forget it. Because of this, I led to writing an epic about it when the assignment arose. I think this connection helped me feel how he was feeling during this time and the obligation to write down all the events that transpired.

Chapter 9, 10/30/08
"A spasm of the lungs seized Alexandros; his throat constricted, he began to choke. My punch hesitated. A three-foot switch burned my back. 'Hit him!' I obeyed; Alexandros dropped to one knee. His lungs had frozen, he was helpless. 'Pound him, you whore's son!' a voice shouted from behind me. 'Finish him!'"
~Page 82

I chose this quote because this one of the quotes that I literally reacted to. When I put my book down to write this quote into my blog, I found I was actually gripping the sides of my book extremely hard, hard enough to make my fingertips white. I just felt such a power from this quote, a voice yelling Finish him! in the background. A choice between saving a friend or becoming a warrior. This quote made me feel very mixed inside. It made me think about what would I do if I was faced with this same situation. How would I react? What would I do? Would I kill my friend and become a warrior? Or risk exile and then take my own life after sparring his? This quote just made me think about a lot of things.

Chapter 10, 10/30/08
"The mind plays tricks in conditions of such extremity. I cannot tell how much I spoke aloud to Alexandros over the succeeding hours and how much simply swam before memory's eye as we labored endlessly toward the shore that refused to come closer."
~Page 91

I chose this quote because I can make a direct connection to this quote. I know what he is talking about, the sense of paranoia that makes your mind fall into chaos before confronted with an extreme situation. I get this every time I go paintballing or am at the gold medal bout during an important tournament. I know exactly how he is feeling right now because of these real life experiences. I think this helped me picture the boat, and Alexandros trying to comfort him, while they were riding to the shore.

Dialectical Journals

Can you guess what this is? I'll give you a hint, it's Greek. Still don't know what it is? Well it's written on the letter. It's called a Lambda, or a lower case Alpha. According to page 15, Onaximandros argues that all Spartan shields carry this symbol to represent their country, Lakedaemon. I chose it because it represents how proud the Spartans are to fight for their country. It also shows that they are very courageous and noble to fight in battle with one another. I think that this is like everyone in the United States wearing a United States pin, a flag. It shows that even though we are 50 states and many citys and towns in between, we are all one country and are united against anything that threatens us.


Chapter 4, 10/26/08
"This is how I learned then: There is always fire."
~Page 21

I just thought that this was a very powerful quote to start a chapter off with. I felt a lot of power coming from this quote and what it means. I think that to this boy, it means that he is finally learning what the real world is like. I think that when he watched the drills that his father and many other fathers did, he thought that they were just for fun. But now since he has been exposed to this killing and death and battle, he knows what it means to be a warrior and what a war is all about. I also made a connection to this quote and the title, Gates of Fire. Now that I have read this quote, I think that fire will be a recurring symbol that will follow this boy throughout this book. Thermopylae means Gates of Fire in Greek, but that is only because of the hot springs that surround the landscape. The fire the author talks about now is fire of death and battle. I like how he combines literal fire with the philosophical fire he talks about in the title of the book.

Chapter 5, 10/26/08
"Two summers later subsequent to this incident, in Lakedaemon, I witnessed a different kind of ordeal: a Spartan boy beaten to death by his drill instructors."
~Page 32

This goes back to one of my first quotes about how brutal the kids were trained when they went though the agoge. I am 14 right now and I cannot imagine the things that the Spartan boys went through when they were training to be a Spartan warrior. When I read things like this it makes my nuisances of today seem petty and small, such as when a piece of technology fails to work for me. I also chose this quote because it really struck me in the core. Words fail me when I try to think about describing what those poor kids went through just to become a Spartan warrior and fight for their country. Even army training programs today don't take in 13 year old boys and whip and even kill them. They don't even kill the recruits that do join the army. This quote just really woke me up to what a part of Spartan civilization is like.

Chapter 6, 10/26/08
"A man without a city is not a man. He is a shadow, a shell, a joke and a mockery."
~Page 39

This is another quote that I felt just had a lot of power. I think that this really shows Bruxieus' emotions during the speech that he gives. I chose this quote though because it really dives deep down into the ego and dignity of what it means to be a Spartan warrior, at least that is what I think this quote means deep down. It shows that without his companions or fellow warriors, a Spartan warrior is nothing. I also thought of the idiom "It takes a village to raise a child" when I read this quote. I connected that quote with this one because even though a child has one pair of parents, his/her friends will contribute to his/her personality and how they act.