The Tao Of Siddharhta

Thomas Wiesner Ospina
December 8, 2008

The Tao of Siddhartha

I decided to compare Taoism to the book Siddhartha by Herman Hesse because Siddhartha was trying to find the meaning of his existence or, in other words, he was trying to find his Tao.

· Tao is a way, a path or a route.
· Taoism is NOT a set of ideals to be attained but rather a functional reality that is encountered on a daily basis
· Through working in harmony with life’s circumstances, Taoist understanding changes what others may perceive as negative into something positive
· “Lots of people talk to animals but not many listen and THAT is the problem”
· Siddhartha is the name of a boy whose life in India during the time of the Buddha (6th century BC) is described in the book of the same name written by the German author Herman Hesse in 1922. I think Siddhartha’s life experiences relate to Tao.
· Siddhartha means “one who has found meaning of existence” and it is this desire that motivates him to leave his home in search of the reasons for which he exists. If he is able to understand why he exists, he will have achieved wisdom which will help him understand and manage the experiences of life. And it is these experiences which he goes looking for in the world so that the more he experiences the more he understands.
· He joins a group of people whose life style is characterized by abstinence, abstinence from sex and from alcohol something I have heard of at CNG from very early on because of my brother’s Consentidos program. Through this abstinence he finds strength in knowing that
o he can fast,
o he can wait, and
o he can think.
· If Tao is a path or a route, I find that Siddhartha’s path or route to enlightenment was, at first, unknown to him. Then, as he grew and lived through different experiences he was able to find the meaning of his life so that the experiences themselves were the ones that helped him understand why he was on the planet. His Tao was experience through will-power. From his experience as a father he learned empathy, from his experience as a friend he learned loyalty. The experience of being a father taught him to love. So, the more he experienced, the more he learned.
· Finding his route (Tao) allowed him to be at peace with his life and with his surroundings. It gave him harmony. It also gave him the strength of character to face the challenges and shortcomings of life.
· In essence all human beings are trying to find their Tao, in order to live in harmony with themselves and find a meaning to their lives.

GO!

Go is a game where your objective is to use pebbles to suround your oponents pebbles. By surounding his pebbles and not leting him suround your pebbles you destroy them. You are able to win the game when the oponent is left with no pebbles or with no moves. There are many diffrent types of moves or strategies. Some strategies are Ko were there are no more moves and you will go on eternally.

True Learning

The Tao mentions some things that I agree with completely but like everything I don’t agree with all its ideas. It leaves much room for interpretation which I already mentioned could be a good thing or a bad thing but it also mentions some things that I find are very straight forward. In chapter twenty they mention “Give up learning, and put an end to your troubles. Is there a difference between yes and no? Is there a difference between good and evil? Must I fear what others fear? What nonsense!” (chapter. 20) It is very clear to me that there is no room for interpretation where they say to give up learning. This is an idea which I totally disagree with. I can understand his point very well when he mentions that our ideas are influenced by others and therefore we can’t for our own ideas. This is true but you also have to understand that our ideas have to be formed on a combination of what we learn. A human learns from many things like experiences, school and family and if we take a combination of all these teachings we will be able to have an all around knowledge.

Many things in the Tao have led me to have two very different opinions. I agree with what it has to say and at the same time I don’t. This is something that I like about text because it can lead to very different opinions which are both very well supported. It has taught me that true learning lies where you see everybody’s point of view and then you form your own.

Open To Interpretation

The Tao Te Ching is a very different text that the Analects. I would say that the Analects are a text which states its teachings clearly and doesn’t leave much room for interpretation. On the other hand Tao Te Ching is a text much like the bible in that way. Every different person can have a different interpretation. A book that can do this is interesting but at the same time dangerous. It is interesting because if you take all the interpretations that the people give you will be able to form a better and more accurate interpretation. It will also teach more since a different interpretation may come from the background a persons in. A Christian person is more likely to have a different interpretation than a Jewish person. You will learn about different cultures just by seeing how they interpret the text. It can also be said that it is dangerous because people sometimes interpret it in wrong way. I remember that a few years ago I saw a movie about the crusades where the term “God wills it” was used a lot. The way they used this term was to justify war and killing. These people interpreted the bible in a very different way than what I would have interpreted it. It is clear that different interpretations can bring good and evil. This quote mentions how good will not exist with ought evil ad how evil will not exist with ought to good “All can know good as good only because there is evil. Therefore having and not having arise together (chapter 2).” This may lead to very different interpretations that can harm people and at the same time benefit them.

Count and Noncount Exercises

1.

world C
textbook C
acid D
smoking N
poetry N
applause N
thought D
banana C
conduct N
progress N
biology N
essay C
crystal N
shopping N

2.

defense X
beauty ___
garbage ___
experience X
baggage ___
rain X
rug ___
nature ___
bag ___
emotion X

3.Diabetes: Beyond the Basics

Because diabetes can cause devastating damage to virtually all body systems, people with diabetes should not underrate the seriousness of their disease. Learning to live with a chronic illness such as diabetes must be an ongoing process.

The Hospital's Center for Family Life Education is sponsoring a five-part educational series on diabetes. The series will begin on April 30 and continue through May 29. The program will be held in the second floor classroom of the Education Center from 7-9 p.m.

The diabetes series is free and open to the public and will be of specific interest to people who have diabetes and their families and friends.

4.

a table
X these person
this furniture
that assignment
a boy
the poetry
a difficulty
a research
X this eggs
X those argument

5. The Computer Jungle

Though you can make the decision on purely economic grounds, buying a computer is often more like joining a religious cult. Buy an Apple, for example, and almost by default you join Apple chairman Steve Jobs in his crusade against IBM. Every machine has its "users' groups" and a band of loyal enthusiasts who tout its merits. That makes it all the more difficult for the uninitiated to decide what machine to buy. Students have a huge advantage, however. The computer companies are so eager for students' business (it builds "brand loyalty") that many offer huge discounts.
In the past six months, IBM, Apple, and others have brought out new computers, and the fierce competition has forced prices down. Also, time is on your side: next year at this time you'll have even more choice and more computing power and features for the same price. On the other hand, this will probably be true for many years. So for those who need or want a computer now, it's a great time to buy one.

6.

1. Quite a few students have trouble with economics.
2. It requires quite a little reading.
3. Few advisors spend as much time with their students.
4. He has little hope of passing his exams.
5. George's advisor spends quite a little or quite a bit of time with him.
6. He knows few people in the class.
7. Bill spends little money on clothes.
8. She spends quite a little or quite a bit of money on CDs.

A Great Teaching

After finishing Confucius I have come to one conclusion and that is not to believe everything I see. Sometimes human beings can be very trustworthy at what is thrown at them like the newspapers and media. This is very dangerous because if you do this then you are not forming and opinion for yourself but you are following what other people say. Sometimes it may not hurt the person but other times the public’s general idea can be wrong. As the master mentions “When the multitude hates a person, you must examine them and judge for yourself. The same holds true for someone whom the multitude loves.” (15. 28) a person might argue that Confucius is wrong and it is important not to believe what that person is saying but to form a personal opinion on Confucius. If you are able to do this then you will be able to live your own life. I don’t agree in all that is mentioned because I also believe that you can take the different opinions and use them as back up to form your own opinion. It shows us how important it is to compare but still have our own opinion. Overall I believe that Confucius is one of the greatest texts that I have ever read and that by reading it I have learned some of the most important teachings in my life.

A blog that I could really compare myself to was Daniel Toros “Universal Community”. I felt as If his ideas about women and how he interpreted what the book was saying was very similar to mine. I agree with him that women have been mistreated for a very long time and there still is some preference of men over women. To me this point is clear but I don’t necessarily agree that this has had nothing to do with women. I believe that no problem comes when one person is totally innocent and by saying this I feel that women have let men take the advantage and now it is very hard for them to catch up.

Important Teachings

Something that I had missed when reading the Analects was Confucius ideas about other people. He believes that you should respect the elderly “To bring comfort to the aged, to inspire trust in my friends, and be cherished by the youth.” (Pg. 15 5.26) The first time I read I had missed this but now I realize how important it is to treat the elderly well and with the respect they have earned. Many people believe that old people don’t have anything interesting or anything that they can take from them but they are wrong. Old people have the most important teaching of all. They have the teaching of knowledge and experience. For me these are the most important teachings since experience is not something that can be learned but if you are able to include your experience with the experience of someone else you will be very rich in knowledge. He is telling us that we are the ones who will shape the future and that we want to leave a good legacy behind us. This is very important and it is very important to realize that even though you may read Confucius once you will miss a lot of things. This is also a very important teaching and something that I can apply in my life. Sometimes I don’t read things as attentively as should and by not doing so I miss very important details. Confucius is telling us that the elderly should be treated with respect and what impresses me the most is how he is able to have a vision that is predicting the future.

Writing Exercises

1. Where is my jacket? I wanted to wear it today, and if I can't find it, we're going to be late.

2. Jane wanted to go on the school trip, but her mother said that two hundred dollars was too much for the family budget.

3. As she waited for Rodney to become conscious, Selma was seized with an attack of conscience -- was there anything she could have done to prevent the accident?

4. The map led the intrepid treasure hunters to a lead box of precious stones.

5. Have you seen their coats? They're going to need them; it's cold outside. I last saw the coats over there .

6. After conducting careful research, Shufang had a brilliant idea ; she'd write a paper on Thomas More's concept of the ideal society in Utopia.

7. Even though Bob would rather play video games than study, he decided to hit the books and then play some Halo.

8. It's easy to admire a business that puts so much effort into creating its signs and window displays.

9. You're fortunate to have survived the car crash without a scratch; it must have been because you were wearing your seat belt.

10. I would advise you to seek qualified legal advice about how to handle this situation.

Never Too Late

In Analects we can see different way of life from the one we live in. I don’t agree with all the ideas that the master proposes but I generally see them as something that will make the world a better place. When I read these sections of analects I found the greatest teaching of all and that is to serve the community. The master mentions the effects of public service “To avoid public service is to be without a sense of what is right… The gentleman takes office in order to do what is right even though he already knows that the way will not be realized (book 18.7).” but what is important to understand is that this lesson can only work if the community as a whole works together. There are some people that believe the good of the public is above their personal good but we can also see people who believe their good is above the good of the public. This is the reason why our society is stuck and will not work. The good action of one person is taken away by the other person because of a lack in trust. What people don’t understand is that if I believe in the benefit of the public over my own benefit and everybody else believes the same thing the public as a whole will be better off. My good deed will eventually come back and I will receive a good deed from somebody else. If society is able to change and remove that self serving mentality the world will slowly become a better place.

Some people believe that it is impossible to change because of the mistakes we have made. This is entirely false “To make a mistake and yet not to change your ways- that is what is called truly making a mistake (book 15.30).” What you have to do when you make the mistake is make it right. It is very important to understand that it is never too late for improving.

Choosing The Correct Path

Something that the master said which I really liked was “I will not open the door for a mind that is not already striving to understand, nor will I provide words to a tongue that is not already struggling to speak.” (Book eight) I felt that this could really apply to my daily life since some days when I am very tired and don’t want to play golf I see the teacher struggling to teach me but he can’t. This is a problem that is very common it is impossible for a teacher to teach his pupil if the pupil doesn’t have the will to learn. It is the same as the people who won’t accept or ask for any help, the other person won’t go looking to help them.

This brought me to another very important topic. In order for a person to want to learn he has to be learning something that he likes. Many people often say that their goal is to make money but if they want to make money through something that they don’t like it is very likely that they don’t make money and don’t live a happy life. When this happens the person ends up with ought his original goal and without happiness which is probably the most important thing in life. As the master mentions “If wealth were something worth pursuing, then I would pursue it, even if it meant serving as an officer holding a whip at the entrance to a marketplace. Since it is not worth pursuing, however, I prefer to follow that which I love.” (Book seven) Your goal should be something that you like and this will bring upon very positive effects. You will live a happy life and probably make enough money to live well. What many people miss is that money is not what is important and happiness comes with money but this is false money cant buy happiness and happiness will probably bring money.

A Better Life

Perhaps one of the most important things in life is to be one’s self and not to act as society tells you. Many people want to be at par with society so they act according to some of its rules and not to their own beliefs. What these chapters are trying to teach us is how to be one’s self. In order to resist societies pull it is very important that you have good and trustworthy friends. If you have friends that support you and they themselves are a good example to you then you will become a better person. The problem is it is not easy to choose good friends but we must do as the Analects propose and “Observe closely the sort of mistakes a person makes—then you will know his character.” (Book 4, verse 7) Once you have chosen good friends the next step is to learn to accept one’s self. Many people believe that their way of being is not acceptable by society but what they should do is believe that they are correct and they have a great way of living. People don’t understand that if they seem independent and confident enough as we see Barack Obama people will start following them. Something that I liked very much and which is very true is “Do not be concerned that no one has heard of you, but rather strive to become a person worthy of being known (Book4, verse 14).” If we are able to follow these ideas we will start living a better and more independent life.

A Confident Speaker

Obama has marked history by becoming the president of the United States. His great speaking skills are in great part what helped him get to the white house. He employs great use of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. This lets him capture great audiences and convince them of his ideas. He is letting the people know that change has finally come to America and by using his great speaking skills he is able to convince them of what he is saying.

Obamas joy must have been overwhelming but thought the speech he was able to maintain a serious and professional tone of voice. By using great tone and changing the tone, when necessary, he is able to create a feeling of pride and suspense in the public. He uses a constant tone through most of the speech but he is able to change it when an important event comes up. Part of what makes him a great speaker is his self confidence. When you see him in the stage he is standing with his head tall and totally straight as if he knew exactly what he was doing. By doing this he is creating a feeling of confidence within the public because they feel he is experienced and a man of great knowledge. He constantly changes the direction he is looking at which makes everyone feel included in the speech and not just the people in front of him. Obama is a master at publicly speaking and with a single speech he is able to convince a total stranger of what he believes. His confidence makes us feel like he is right and anyone that is in disagreement with his ideas is wrong.

A Question Of Belief

These two great texts have brought me to a very important question which is the question of if god really exists. Thought the harsh and trying times in our lives we sometimes doubt god’s existence, fairness and power. Job and Elie are both angry at god because the world has not changed and is exactly the same even though there are horrors going on “Yes, man is very strong, greater than God. When You were deceived by Adam and Eve, You drove them out of Paradise. When Noah’s generation displeased You, You brought down the Flood. When Sodom no longer found favor in Your eyes, You made the sky rain down fire and sulfur. But these men here, whom You had betrayed, whom You have allowed to be tortured, butchered, gassed, burned, what do they do? They pray before You, they praise Your name.” (Pg. 64) These two characters constantly doubt god’s existence and fairness. They believe something should be different because of all that is going on in the world and that brings them to the question: Does god really exist?

Elie is sad with what god has done and Job is doubting god’s power. There is a point where they are compared “How I sympathized with Job! I did not deny God’s existence, but I doubted His absolute justice.” (Pg. 42) When I compared these texts I myself started asking the same questions. When people in Colombia are taken and held against their will for years most of them start doubting god’s existence. Some people doubt gods existence more than others but that depends on the person. The truth is that they are totally changed the people who the Fark have taken, Elie, and Job all suffered from a life changing experience that make them see the world differently. Some of them see the world and god in a bad way “God is dead, the God of love, of gentleness, of comfort, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, has vanished forevermore, beneath the gaze of this child, in the smoke of a human holocaust exacted by Race, the most voracious of all idols.” (ix) Other people see everything in a better way but that all depends on the person’s belief.

It is certain that a person will never be the same after an event like the ones they have suffered, but it is also true that not everyone will have been changed in the bad way. Some people see the world as something different, they understand things that nobody else can and all of this is due to their experiences. After all experiences is what forms the way we live our lives and the only thing that determines if we believe in god is our belief.

Perfection Is Not Perfect

It is important to understand that humans aren’t perfect and that not even god can expect them to be perfect because he will be disappointed. After all that he had gone through Job was finally starting to lose faith and this angered god "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?" (Job 38) It was not reasonable for god to have put so much on Job and expect him not to change and when he did change he felt great disgust. Sometimes when I entrust people to do certain things I get angry because they didn’t do it how I expected them to do it. I believe that I could have done it better and I stop trusting the person. This is wrong because something that I have learned from the bible is that nothing is perfect and if I expect it to be I am only losing hope myself. After reading what the lord should have done “the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.”(Job 42) I realized that what I should have done was thank the person for helping me and instead explained how to do it next time. By reading this we not only realize that there is no such thing as human perfection but that there is no such thing as perfection. God himself is nothing close to perfect and he has taught us that perfection is not good. It will only bring us despair and make us unhappy and if people have strengths and weaknesses it will make the world a better and more interesting place.

Fallacies

1. Obama: Because in a bipartisan way, everyone agrees, that's a big ticking time bomb that will eat us up maybe even more than the mortgage crisis."

2. Obama: I think everybody knows now we are in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. And a lot of you I think are worried about your jobs, your pensions, your retirement accounts, your ability to send your child or your grandchild to college.

3. McCain: Well, thank you, Oliver, and that's an excellent question, because as you just described it, bailout, when I believe that it's rescue, because -- because of the greed and excess in Washington and Wall Street, Main Street was paying a very heavy price, and we know that.

4. Obama: Part of the problem here is that for many of you, wages and incomes have flat-lined. For many of you, it is getting harder and harder to save, harder and harder to retire.

Stop Searching

It is important to realize that problems can always get worse and that we are the ones who make the problem worse. Job is a person who simplifies things and doesn’t use blame in his judgments. His friends instead made the problem worse by saying Job must have sinned and it is important to learn from the way Job stopped them. He explained why he had done nothing wrong “And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth? (Job, chapter 24).” Good is contagious but so is evil and that teaches us that we must choose good friends who will support our actions even if it goes against their ideals. Choosing good friends won’t make you happy you also have to learn how to stop people from taking away the good in your life and filling your head with bad ideas “I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you (Job, chapter 16).” For me Job has been one of the best examples of the bible and by learning not to search for things “When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness (Job, chapter 30).” I have made my life a much happier one.

Complete Trust

By reading Job I quickly realized something that I have always known but have always ignored. I realized that people only believe in god when he is being good to them. For example when people have health and they are wealthy they say god exists but when something starts going wrong they say god doesn’t exist. We have to avoid contradicting ourselves like that and learn from Job. When god took everything from Job I was expecting Job to say something like “The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he? Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good (Job, chapter 9).” We must accept that many people only use things for the good it brings them but once it brings them something bad they ignore all the good things that had come to them and focus on the bad ones. It is necessary if you want to live a happy life to start focusing on the good things and ignoring the bad things. As Job did throught his harsh times “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly (Job, chapter 3).” We must do through our hard times in order to get through them. In the end people often start reflecting on what they did in their lives and what they would change “Are not my days few? Cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death (Job, chapter 10).” If as a human race we are able to do this before our lives are coming to an end then we will make the world a better place. Learning from the bible will lead us towards the path of a happier life.

The Importance Of Understanding

It is important to realize that not all that David does and not all that we see in the bible is good. The only way for the bible to be taken seriously is if it realistic, for example if it was filled with good then people would not have applied it into their daily lives. When I see something that is not good by my ideals in the bible I simply say that it must be an example set there to teach me what not to do. I don’t believe that we have an obligation to be nice to someone because they were nice to us. As David said I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. (Samuel 2, 10) This proves that he will only be nice to the people that are nice to him. I believe that you should do whatever comes to heart. You should also try always to be nice and to be respectful, but it is not necessary for you to be mean to someone if they where mean to you and vice versa. It is important to realize that not everything in the bible has to be taken directly and to know what to take directly and what not to take directly. If you are able to do this you will be able to understand the bible much better.

What We Can Learn

Many times people fight over very simple things. Brothers fight about which TV program to watch and even simpler problems. This is what happens to many countries they will go to war over very small problems which can be solved with dialogue. This is a big mistake and when they do this they don’t realize how much they are hurting their country. You can see this in the bible, David said god supported him and he had his power. People would fight because of who had gods power and in many cases the person with god’s power won. They would fight for things as slavery “Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.” (Samuel 17, 8) We have to take these examples and learn from them. David started losing gods support slowly and we can realize that great power has to be very well kept but it can go very easily. We have to think about what we fight over and if it is worth it. If I start applying this in my life I am sure I will fight less with my brother. They bible has lots of examples which you have to apply to your life in order to learn from them, if we are able to do this we will become better people.

Barack Obama Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Ethos:
“These are my heroes, theirs are the stories that shape my life. On their behalf I intend to lead this country as President of the United States.”

Pathos:
“We love this country too much to let the next four years look too much like the last eight years.”

Logos:
“I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power.”

Total Power

Sometimes we believe in something so much that we will obey whatever it has to say. This is what many times happens with the bible and the idea of god. People like Abraham will obey everything he sais and most of the human race obeys under a certain god. It might not be the same god but they are all similar. God is a being that has more power than everything else on this planet. He protects those who honor him “But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.”(Exodus 23) This for me was a strange discovery that god will help the people who believed in him, I thought that he would protect everyone. I can understand what god id saying by helping those people who help him but I believe god should help anyone no matter what their belief is and instead make them believe in him by helping them. He has given us everything “For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year.” (Exodus 34) It is very important to recognize god’s power and to learn of it and not take it in a bad and jealous way.

God As An Example

It is important to realize that from the bible we have taken our modern way of life. You might believe that since it is very old it might not have any relevance to our world except it being an important text. This is fake, the basis of our society are formed on the bible and as god said “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day” (Exodus 20)This is from what our week is based on. The week is the most fundamental part of our lives and everything works around it. This is not the only thing that we have taken from the bible. We have also taken feelings like jealousy rage and many others that our clearly represented in the bible and we can see today. The lord shows us that in a way he is also human and that he has some of the feelings that we have and expresses them in similar ways. This is very important for the bible to be considered. If god was not at all like humans then he could get some of his messages through but not all of them. Instead if god has certain human attributes then we can use him as an example of how to deal with our lives.

Rhetoric In Presidential Debates

These are some examples of Rhetoric in Senator John McCain and Senator Barrack Obama’s third presidential debate. There is past present and future.

Senator John McCain:

Past:
“I saved the tax payers six point eight billion dollars”

Present:
“Americans are hurting right now, and their angry, their hurting and their angry.”

Future:
“We need to cut the business tax rate in America, we need to encourage business in America.”
“We need to spread the wealth around”

Senator Barrack Obama:

Past:
“The financial rescue plan that senator McCain and I supported is an important first step.”

Present:
“We are experiencing the worst financial crisis since the great depression.”
“I provide three times the amount of tax relief to middle class families”
“I want to give them a tax break now”

Future:
“I want to provide a ninety five percent tax cut”

Precious Balance

God is a very powerful being, he is the one who brought the humans onto earth and we must realize that he can take them out. In my previous blogs I spoke about gods power to kill and if he had any right to kill himself if he punishes people for killing. I have not been able to solve this question and once again I see a situation where he is taking human lives. I ask myself if he has a good reason to do it and realize that for me he does. The Egyptians were not being reasonable and therefore god had to do something but for gods standards that is not enough. In gods standards I don’t think anything is enough, he said if someone hits one cheep you should turn the other. God told the Egyptians “And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:” (Exo.8) This is a threat coming from god and he carried out his threat by saying “For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.” (Exo.9) after some time I realized that god is forced to make these decisions, he is in charge of holding a very precious balance of good and evil. His task is like nothing else and in order to carry it out he must do things which no other human can do. I agree with this but it still left me with another problem if god can make super natural decisions then we are not all equal and that is a very big problem which I have not found the answer to.

A Trust Lost

The human race has a very big problem which is trust. It is a difficult topic to discuss since there are very strong arguments both on trusting and not trusting. The problem with our society and especially Colombian society is that we have proved that trust will only bring bad things. At the beginning most people trusted each other but over the years by realizing that people were getting cheated it started deteriorating. We can see a very similar situation when God asked mosses to free the people “And Mosses answered and said, but, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee (chapter 4)”. This means that trust has been lost. I agree that trust can bring bad things but it can also bring good things. Many times you just have to prove things to people like god did by giving mosses the rod which could turn into a Serpent. This is not always the best solution but if you can reassure people and steal deal with them then you are also doing a good thing.

A Different View

The bible is a very important book with many different meanings. It is very important to learn how you interpret the bible. The churches amazing power is that it has the right to interpret the bible however it wishes. It is what holds the power of interpretation and with its great power people become corrupt. God is not only the good being we might imagine him to be but he is a being that knows how to punish. He knows that sometimes the only way to make people understand is by punishing them “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; every man child among you shall be circumcised (chapter 17).” This is a fact that we all must learn to accept. A dog can only be educated if when he does something wrong he is punished and when he does something well he is rewarded. This is also something that we must learn from god, he knows how to listen and forgive. He will listen to your point of view and make decisions once he has heard both parts of the story And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake (Chapter 18)”. Those are all examples of interpretations of the bible. But one thing that I have learned is that there is no right or wrong interpretations. That is why I don’t fully agree with the church. I don’t believe that if somebody interprets the bible in a different way it is wrong. This is what forms our society, different points of view and those differences are what make our world interesting.

Good And Bad Examples

The human race has always been a selfish one. It has actually been the most selfish being ever to inhabit the earth. It is this selfishness that has brought us to where we are. Many people might believe that by being selfish you are actually saving more for yourself and getting an advantage on the rest of the people. This ideal is totally wrong and the bible is the greatest testimony that selfishness only leads towards disaster. Adam and Eve couldn’t see that they were naked because God believed it was not important to their daily lives. When they ate the apple they suddenly felt the need to get dressed "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons" (Genesis # 3 - 7). This shows you that selfishness only bring grief and that we should not be looking for things that we don’t want to know the answer to. A good example of someone who waited was Abraham. He was patient and got what he deserved. It shows us that doing the good pays of and that patience is a great attribute. What Abraham deserved was a prize and that is what he got And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram. (Genesis # 16) This makes me think that the bible is full of meanings which we can get from both good and bad examples.

The Touch Of A Finger

Together earth and heaven,
The people and the god,
Created with the number seven,
They shall all nod,

The touch of a finger,
The light of heaven received,
Together we all linger,
We have all achieved,

Show us the path, will the lord,
It only takes a single word

Where Are We Going

God is the creator of everything and controls everything on earth. The bible might be a reminder for some people that they don’t have all the power and this is probably why god exists. He is made to be a superior being to whom we all look up to and admire but what many people ignore is that he is not all good. Maybe it was desperation that led him to create a big flood but probably he did it to rid the earth of a great evil that would eventually destroy it. He chose a few to survive and left the others to die “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch (Genesis # 6, 13-14) God id what was right for mankind but what was not right according to many Christians. They say it is a sin to kill but god has proven that under certain circumstances it is ok to kill. This is a great contradiction that I hope to understand some day as well as all of the mysteries and teachings that come with the bible. It shows us that we don’t have all the power and teaches us about the creation of the earth. I ask myself if a flood will come again with our corrupt civilization or if we are all left to die here and a few were meant to survive. Where is it that we are going and how long can we keep up this cobstant destruction.

What We Should Take Into Acount

The making of the King James Bible was coming to an end and after a long and hard effort the fifty translators were about to finish. All that was missing was “the binding and melting of all fifty or so translators efforts.” (pg.198). They were all expecting a well deserved reward for serving their king and their country. The only problem was that James had over done it and become ambitious. Money in England was scarce and they money he owed to the people that had so loyally served him was missing. A few people were in charge of taking the Bibles parts and “make them a single volume (p.201).” Some did their work on time but Bois was the most dedicated worker. He finished his work on time and started helping the others. This teamwork lesson is very important to realize, some people say that Colombia’s problem is people don’t work as a team and I agree. When somebody finishes early they just leave and forget about everything else and it is that attitude that has brought us to where we are right now. They King James bible shaped history it is not just a normal book in history but it has a history of its making. The problems and solutions that come with its making should be taken into account when reading the bible and the effort of these people should be noted in order to appreciate it fully.

Different Problems

England was improving its condition and religion had become even more important than before. What I believed Jacob would be able to change like I mentioned in previous blogs “It became more important than ever that England, that upper, well lit country, needed a version of the scriptures that would bind together its people, its church and its king.” (pg. 107) he was not able to do. By the uniting of the people under one religion he gave himself great power but what he was missing was for the tolerations of other religions. This is a problem we have dealt with all our lives and there have even been wars because of ethnical differences.

During this time in England any religion that was not under the king became intolerable. The bible took all the power and how we interpret it became even more important. The people in charge of interpreting the bible for us were leading us to believe that "The words of the bible where the ultimate and encompassing truth itself (pg.182)." The bible is not only what it says it is very important to decrypt the real message and understand what it is that the religion states.

The King James Bible became the only bible in England and people were taught the wrong message in saying “listen to the words of the bible and you will be saved. (pg.175)” This was the message that started misleading people to interpret the bible in an effort to decrypt the real message and interpret it in the wrong way. James wanted the bible to be very clear and trusted in words. He only cared about words and with the different interpretations different beliefs of the bible started and with it different problems.

Spelling Exercises

Exercise 1:

Original Text

In deeling with students on the hih-school level - that is, the second, third, and forth year of high school - we must bare in mind that to some degree they are at a dificult sychological stage, generaly called adolesence. Students at this level are likely to be confused mentaly, to be subject to involuntery distractions and romantic dreamines. They are basicaly timid or self-consious, they lack frankness and are usualy very sensitive but hate to admit it. They are motivated iether by great ambition, probably out of all proportion to their capabiltys, or by extreme lazines caused by the fear of not suceeding or ataining their objectives. Fundamentaly they want to be kept busy but they refuse to admit it. They are frequently the victims of earlier poor training, and this makes evary effort doubly hard. They are usually wiling to work, but they hate to work without obtaining the results they think they shoud obtain. Their critical faculties are begining to develop and they are critical of their instructers and of the materiels they are given to laern. They are begining to feel the presher of time; and althouh they seldem say so, they really want to be consulted and given an oportunity to direct their own afairs, but they need considerable gidance. (From A Language Teacher's Guide by E. A. M�ras)

Corrected Text:

In dealing with students on the high-school level - that is, the second, third, and forth year of high school - we must bear in mind that to some degree they are at a difficult psychological stage, generally called adolescence. Students at this level are likely to be confused mentally, to be subject to involuntary distractions and romantic dreaminess. They are basically timid or self-conscious, they lack frankness and are usually very sensitive but hate to admit it. They are motivated either by great ambition, probably out of all proportion to their capabilities, or by extreme laziness caused by the fear of not succeeding or attaining their objectives. Fundamentally they want to be kept busy but they refuse to admit it. They are frequently the victims of earlier poor training, and this makes every effort doubly hard. They are usually willing to work, but they hate to work without obtaining the results they think they should obtain. Their critical faculties are beginning to develop and they are critical of their instructors and of the materials they are given to learn. They are beginning to feel the pressure of time; and although they seldom say so, they really want to be consulted and given an opportunity to direct their own affairs, but they need considerable guidance. (From A Language Teacher's Guide by E. A. M�ras)

Exercise 2:

Original Text:

They seldom admit that they need this guidance and they frequently rebel against it, but if it is intelligently offered they accept it with enthuseasm. If they are healthy they are capable of long periods of concentration and an extrordinary ammount of work. They are trying, most of them, to form political ideas and they have a tendensy to be either extremely idealistik (which is usually another term for radical) or conservativ, blindely accepting what their farthers and grandfarthers believed in. It is in this period that students can be most easily and permanantly influenced. It is the period in which they form strong atachments for their teechers. Thier outlook on life is usually extremely exagerated. They are iether far too modest and retiring, or extravegantly boastfull. They are much more susceptible to the influence of a strong personality than to that of a great inteligence. Of all periods of life, this is wat may best be called the 'plastic age'. (From A Language Teacher's Guide by E. A. M�ras)

Corrected Text:

They seldom admit that they need this guidance and they frequently rebel against it, but if it is intelligently offered they accept it with enthusiasm. If they are healthy they are capable of long periods of concentration and an extraordinary amount of work. They are trying, most of them, to form political ideas and they have a tendency to be either extremely idealistic (which is usually another term for radical) or conservative, blindly accepting what their fathers and grandfathers believed in. It is in this period that students can be most easily and permanently influenced. It is the period in which they form strong attachments for their teachers. Their outlook on life is usually extremely exaggerated. They are either far too modest or retiring, or extravagantly boastful. They are much more susceptible to the influence of a strong personality than to that of a great intelligence. Of all periods of life, this is what may best be called the 'plastic age'. (From A Language Teacher's Guide by E. A. M�ras) .

Through A Harsh Time

King James was the right person at the right time for England. After a continuous period of distress and a period of different opinions James united England over one rule. It was a violent time where people were expressing their discontent by performing violent actions. In a way it can be compared to the violence experienced in Colombia and the results are clear.

I have never agreed with armed conflict and I believe that a problem is better resolved through dialogue than violence. This is why James was so important for England. He was teaching his people how to tolerate and understand other cultures and with that came the bible. It united the government with religion and this made James a very important and powerful person at the time. “It became more important than ever that England, that upper, well lit country, needed a version of the scriptures that would bind together its people, its church and its king.” (pg. 107) Religion was not supported before James, previous kings destroyed all forms of religion and culture in order to protect their rule and their country. What James did was stop being an egocentric King and started thinking in the good of the people through a very harsh time in its history.

A Period Of Distress

King James was a call for change. People were tired of the old system of rule and that is when James became king. His way of ruling was against that of any previous king and shows us a great example of perseverance. It was not easy for James to be king since England was left in a period of war and distress. The people needed something new which James gave to them. Few moments in English history have been more hungry for the future, its mercurial possibilities and its hope of riches, than the spring of 1603” (pg. 1) James was the perfect ruler for the time he was calm even during harsh periods and believed in an England which was united and at peace. “More than anything else he wanted to believe in the possibilities of an encompassing peace.” (pg. 3) It was a question of what he was going to do with his power and tht is when he started wasting money and giving power to people who didn’t deserve it. England was very weak at this moment and it was very important for the people to keep untied. Unity made England persevere over a great period of change and disorder, and this is a lesson that we should all take into consideration.

One Of The Most Important Books In History

What forms the King James Bible is the context in which it is in and the situation in which the world was at the time. “It is the product of its time and bears the marks of its making. It is a deeply political book” (XIII). Every book belongs to a certain time period and that time period is what creates the books context. What is very important for a book to have is for it to be objective. An objective book will go down in history as a reference which people can use to see what was happening at the time period the book was based on. The god’s secretaries did a great job by having no ego in the time they wrote it. “As a result, it does not suffer from one of the defining fault of age: a form of anxious egotistical self promotion. It, exudes, rather a shared confidence and authority and in that is one of the greatest of all monuments of the suppression of ego.” (XII)

By reading the bible you are learning about the past and how it has formed our present. “Their translation was driven by that idea of a constant present, the feeling that the riches, beauties, failings and sufferings of Jacobean England were part of the same world as the one in which Job, David or the evangelists walked.” (XII) The Gods secretaries looked at the bible as a reference and as a book so important that it would go down in history forever. Today they bible is one of the most important books in the world and will be remembered for as long as our civilization exists.

Family Problems

Family has been the oldest way of life. Since the beginning of civilization families were formed and that is what has led us to this point today. This also answer one QUESTion of my own which is what forms us and I believe our family and friends are what make us the people we are. Today family problems are very common, the rate of divorce is each time higher. This leads me to believe that families are unhappier now than before but by reading some myths I realized that the only difference is before divorce was not an option. “During his absence his wife Clytemnestra had been false to him, and when his return was expected, she with her paramour, Ægisthus, laid a plan for his destruction, and at the banquet given to celebrate his return, murdered him.” It is very clear that Clytemnestra was not happy with her husband so she took to a more radical strategy which was killing him. When reading this I thought that divorce was a very good thing because if two people aren’t happy together then they shouldn’t be together. The important thing is to maintain the family as a center for shelter and a place where you are formed.

Words that Sound Alike Practice

1. Where is my jacket? I wanted to wear it today, and if I can't find it, we’re going to be late.

2. Jane wanted to go on the school trip, but her mother said that two hundred dollars was too much for the family budget.

3. As she waited for Rodney to become conscious, Selma was seized with an attack of conscience-- was there anything she could have done to prevent the accident?

4. The map led the intrepid treasure hunters to a lead box of precious stones.

5. Have you seen their coats? They’re going to need them; it's cold outside. I last saw the coats over there.

6. After conducting careful research, Shufang had a brilliant idea; she'd write a paper on Thomas More's ideal concept of the society in Utopia.

7. Even though Bob would rather play video games than study, he decided to hit the books and then play some Halo.

8. It’s easy to admire a business that puts so much effort into creating its signs and window displays.

9. You’re fortunate to have survived the car crash without a scratch; it must have been because you were wearing your seat belt.

10. I would advise you to seek qualified legal advice about how to handle this situation.

Cliche Titles

Five Cliche Titles are:

1. Mission Impossible

2. Live Free Or Die Hard

3. As Good As It Gets

4. The Bucket List

5. Catch Me If You Can

Five Cliche Plot Lines are:

1. A Bad guy warns the United States government that he is in posesion of a nuclear bomb and will detonate it.

2. An imposible love caused by a families rivalry

3. Aliens come to conquor the world but humans survivie at the last minute

4. Man saves woman from horrible disaster and they ive happily ever after

5. Police man is striped of job and saves the world secretly

The Trust We Lack

Trust is a very important part of our lives. The trust we have in people is what makes us live happier lives but the problem is we are becoming less trustworthy every day. Even though we have less reasons each day to trust people because of fear that they will harm us, an effort must be made since it is what unites us. A civilization cannot be created with ought to trust in each other, it is what made us who we are. “At first she was silent from modesty, and, if she could, would have hid her face with her hands; but when he repeated his questions, for fear she might be thought guilty of some fault which she dared not tell, she disclosed her name and that of her country, and her mother’s pride of beauty.” Here the virgin is afraid of speaking her name and telling Perseus where she was from. It is a perfect example of the trust we have lost over the years. This loss of trust is what has brought us to trust even less since nobody trust anyone to do anything our work is much harder. Clearly we have to take these examples from the gods and realize what we are doing. If we continue through this path we will get no were except end up in a place where everyone is alone.

Contract

I , Thomas Wiesner, hereby understand and will abide by the Pre-AP/AP (Print your name)Academy’s expectations, obligations, and admission/drop policy outlined below with respect to my admission status and standing in the Pre-AP/AP Course, 9 th grade.(Print the name of the Pre-AP/AP Course)Pre-AP/AP Academy Expectations;• Maintain Acceptable GPA,• Motivated and Positive,• Responsible and Dedicated Work Ethic,• Attend Opportunity Day and/or Additional Review Classes, • Complete AP College Board Exam,• Sign Pre-AP/AP Student Contract. Pre-AP/AP Academy Admission/Drop Policy;• First Progress Report with Teacher’s Signed Approval…receive no course credit,• End of First Semester with Teacher’s Signed Approval…receive only partial course credit for grade of 6.0+. No partial credit will be awarded for any grade below 6.0,• Students who Drop Pre-AP/AP Courses or who Do Not take the College Board AP Exam will have the Pre-AP/AP Designation for that course removed from their transcript and they will not receive any grade or GPA enhancement awarded for taking that Pre-AP/AP course.Please note that at any time during the school year if the teacher deems that you are not meeting the expectations above for any or all reasons, then that teacher will require that you sign an additional academic probation contract. Your admission status and/or removal from the above identified Pre-AP Course will then be re-assessed based on your abiding by the academic probation contract signed and agreed to by you and the respective Pre-AP/AP Teacher.Student Signature of Agreement,
Thomas Wiesner Date: September 23, 2008

The Balance

Love is the most powerful feeling of all. It has driven people to do many things which we must accept are not always good. “Leander loved her, and used to swim the strait nightly to enjoy the company of his mistress, guided by a torch which she reared upon the tower for the purpose.” In this case Leander lost his life because of love. Probably if he had not had the influence of love he would have chosen a perfect moment to leave or would have taken a boat. Love can be described as an obsession that never ends, it is necessary to our daily living but can take much more than it can give. “He caressed it, and gave it presents such as young girls love,—bright shells and polished stones, little birds and flowers of various hues, beads and amber. He put raiment on its limbs, and jewels on its fingers, and a necklace about its neck. To the ears he hung earrings, and strings of pearls upon the breast. Her dress became her, and she looked not less charming than when unattired. He laid her on a couch spread with cloths of Tyrian dye, and called her his wife, and put her head upon a pillow of the softest feathers, as if she could enjoy their softness.” Over the years there have been discussions about the benefits and consequences of love. It depends on the experience, for example Leander died because of love but Pygmalion ended up having the greatest gift of all. I personally believe that love is worth the risk since avoiding it will never bring you joy. We were created to share our advances and live in a community. Love is what keeps the balance there must be to avoid chaos.

Nature's Gifts

The gods are thought to live in heaven or in a sky sort of place but some of these myths prove otherwise. They explain the god’s interaction with nature and very earth like characteristics. I realized their similarity in the way they interact with nature to the way we interact with nature. “Before his house there stood an oak tree containing a serpent’s nest. The old serpents were killed by the servants, but Melampus took care of the young ones and fed them carefully.” It shows that since the beginning of our existing we have been destroying nature. The gods also destroy nature and use it to their short term advantages. In a way there is also a comparison to Gilgamesh since they also interacted with the gods of the Cedar forest like Huwawa. They cut down trees and built shelters for their convenience. We have always been a race that thinks in the short term and as always there are a few people who don’t. The problem is that there are so little of these people that they can’t make a difference in our beliefs. The only difference that I found we had with the gods was that the loved and knew that nature would give us the greatest gift of all including the gift of life. “On awaking he was astonished to find that he now understood the language of birds and creeping things. This knowledge enabled him to fore-tell future events, and he became a renowned soothsayer.” If we could all get that sort of mentality that nature is what sustains us and what can prize us then we will start taking care of it.

Our Influences From The God's

It is clear that we all know that we have learned many things from passed cultures but it surprised me when I realized how much we had learned from the Greeks and these myths. We have learned about love hatred and many feelings as well as customs from these myths. By reading Olympic and Other Games I saw that we also inherited the practice of sport competitions. “IT seems not inappropriate to mention here the other celebrated national games of the Greeks. The first and most distinguished were the Olympic, founded, it was said, by Jupiter himself. They were celebrated at Olympia in Elis.” All that we have been doing is making improvements n the basis that the Greeks gave us. These myths are a way to transport a message to show us that we have not invented anything but just derived it from past inventions. Not only have we inherited customs but also the need for competition. Since the beginning mankind has felt a need to compete with nature and ourselves. “MINERVA was the goddess of wisdom, but on one occasion she did a very foolish thing; she entered into competition with Juno and Venus for the prize of beauty.” In a way competition can be good since it is pushing us to go harder in order to beat the other thing but many times mankind has over done it. What is important to learn is when you have reached your limit and to stop. If we can learn that we will be much better off.

The Defects We Learn From

The more myths I read the more human attributes I see them have. The feel some of the feelings we feel, they have physical restrictions and the cant have everything they want. I liked this because if the gods were these super powered beings who had everything they wanted and needed then humans would envy and hate them. Instead the gods fight amongst themselves for example in Apollo and Daphne Apollo Sais “My arrows fly true to the mark; but, alas! An arrow more fatal than mine has pierced my heart! I am the god of medicine, and know the virtues of all healing plants. Alas! I suffer a malady that no balm can cure!” That shows you a battle that the gods have ended in a fight. Most of the times the way god’s fought are through their special attribute. For example cupid uses love to hurt people. “So saying, he took his stand on a rock of Parnassus, and drew from his quiver two arrows of different workmanship, one to excite love, the other to repel it.” It was very clear to me that the gods like no other being can be perfect because the fun in life is to have differences and things that are not good. If everything was perfect then people would have no purpose in life and that takes me back again to the QUESTions. Different myths have different points of view and different endings. Some of the beings of these myths dye and others end up in different forms. But what I like was that the gods were not perfect “Her strength begins to fail, and, ready to sink, she calls upon her father, the river god:”. It is a great way to learn from the gods.

The Gods And Their Human Lives

Through my reading of the myths I have realized that these gods live and feel as humans do. They feel anger, revenge, jealousy and many other traits or feeling that us humans do. This is probably because they are our example. In Echo and Narcissus they feel the need for vengeance, “One day a maiden who had in vain endeavored to attract him uttered a prayer that he might some time or other feel what it was to love and meet no return of affection. The avenging goddess heard and granted the prayer.” This is a clear example of human traits in the god’s life. This very important piece of mythology also answers many questions to terms we commonly use today and shows us that the god’s life human lives that are full of grief and sorrow. They are also trying to explain the QUESTions "The first woman was named Pandora. She was made in heaven, every god contributing something to perfect her. Venus gave her beauty, Mercury persuasion, Apollo music" It is clear that they are answering how we got here. It is very important to read mythology since it shows you the beliefs on which we based our own beliefs. They are the basis of our civilization and what they represent is very important.

Gods: Are they really what we think they are

Are the gods described in these myths really gods? That is a question I started asking myself after reading today’s tables. When I read Sphinx right in the beginning it starts the myth by saying that a king found out that his son would kill him if he grew up, so this king ordered for him to be executed. “Laius, king of Thebes, was warned by an oracle that there was danger to his throne and life if his new-born son should be suffered to grow up.” This brought me to wonder if the types of god like characteristics I had in my head included for a god to kill his own son. I realized that no a god should be an honorable being showing the humans an example of how to live through their own lives.

The gods live lives very similar to our human lives. Humans were the ones who created gods and it is interestin that they created them with defects. “he became the husband of his mother” this quote shows clearly how grave the defects of the gods are. That is when I realized that the gods are supposed to have mistakes in order for us to learn from them. The gods are an example to the humans, an example doesn’t have to be good but actually you can learn more from a bad example. “Among other places at which he arrived, following on his father’s footsteps, was Calypso’s isle, and, as in the former case, the goddess tried every art to keep him with her, and offered to share her immortality with him.” This is a perfect example of how temptations are what lure people to do things and that the best way to learn how to control your temptations. So to answer my question (Are the gods described in these myths really gods?) I would say that they are and that some of them show us that through their bad examples we can learn more than what we thought.

Comma Exercises

Exercise 1

He left the scene of the accident and tried to forget that it had happened.

Oil, which is lighter than water, rises to the surface.

Madame de Stael was an attractive, gracious lady.

Nice is a word with many meanings, and some of them are contradictory.

The contractor testified that the house was completed and that the work had been done properly.

Some people refuse to go to the zoo because of pity for creatures that must live in small cages.

Taxicabs that are dirty are illegal in some cities.

The closet contained worn clothes, old shoes, and dirty hats.

The uninvited guest wore a dark, blue, tweed suit.

After surviving this ordeal, the trapper felt relieved.

Mark Twain's early novels, I believe, stand the test of time.

December 7, 1941, will never be forgotten.

The field was safe enough, wasn't it?

Write the editor of the Atlantic 8, Arlington Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02116.

He replied, "I have no idea what you mean."

After a good washing and grooming, the pup looked like a new dog.

Because of their opposition to institutions that force creatures to live in captivity, some people refuse to go to the zoo.

Men who are bald are frequently the ones who are the most authoritative on the subject of baldness.

Vests which were once popular have been out of vogue for several years.

As a celestial goddess, she regulated the course of the heavenly bodies and controlled the alternating seasons.

I hope that some day, he will learn how to be polite.



Exercise 2


1. There was no question that John's painting, a huge, colorful, and ugly mural, was the worst entry in the art exhibit.



2. Werner von Braun, Willy Ley, and Edward Teller noted authorities in the field of rocket development, have done much to guide the missile program of the United States.



3. Mr. Cready's ability to say the wrong thing at the wrong time is, I believe, amazing.



4. Running around, the house the dog was abruptly stopped by a fence.



5. If the opposition should win, our candidate would never have any political future.



6. Gracefully, lightly, and daintily, the ballerina moved across the stage.



7. Glamour, the woman's fashion magazine, recently incorporated with Charm, another fashion journal.



8. Joe was born on May 7, 1955, and his best friend was born exactly two months later, on July 7, 1955.9. Mr. and Mrs. Kwon, my parents' best friends, sat in front of us at the football game.10. November 11, 1918, the armistice ending World War I was signed.



Exercise 3


1. The problems involved in this operation are, I think, numerous.



2. Celene, who does not usually tell anyone what she feels, said she didn't want to go to the dance.



3. To get tickets for some Broadway musicals, one has to order three months in advance.



4. Listening to the radio, Jun heard an announcement that Spangler, his own dog, was lost.



5. I used to live at 16689 Sutton Avenue, Milpitas, California, but we have since moved to 1895 Holland Way, Dubuque, Iowa.



6. The Valley of the Moon, the name of a section in Napa County, California, is the heart of the state's wine producing area.



7. Chris did not see how he could organize, write, and proofread this paper in only two hours.



8. By the pilings of the old pier, I found four starfish, a clam, and a sea anemone.



9. Yes, Helen did mention that all three of you were coming for lunch.10. I believe, therefore, that fraternities are good influences on a college campus.

Since the Beggining

Bullfinch’s mythology has many aspects which we can analyze and comprehend. Mythology has always been a way for people to answer the questions that science couldn’t. Through the years humans have always had certain QUESTions. These QUESTions are unanswered by science, the more people try to solve though their logical manner the more questions come up. This is why we need mythology because it is a resource people use in order to answer some of the really difficult questions. It all leads to this, to the answer of the QUESTions and that is why it is so important to look at every aspect and solution people have come up with.

A myth is easy to read and though funny or entertaining examples they prove a point. Myths are read to little children as bedtime stories but it is important to read one and take out the message in it. That is why they are so important and that is why they have lived since the beginning of mankind.

A Different Story

In this last part of Gilgamesh I was not able to find it continuous to the story. It talks about Gilgamesh’s drumstick which falls into the underworld. He sends Enkidu to recover it which was very strange because he is supposed to be dead. Maybe what the author is trying to show us is that there is a place where death goes and that you have to be careful not to fall in. Really I did not like this part and felt as if it was a very bad ending since it sort of destroyed all the teachings I had taken from the rest of the book. It is as if it were a different story within the book, to which I have not found any important meaning. The teachings and ways of life that I learned in the book were totally different from the ending.

The end of mankind

This tablet in Gilgamesh showed me that since the beginning of civilization we have always been looking for certain things. This book showed me some of the beliefs of that time and that mankind have always been searching for certain things and that the gods have been testing us. At the beginning of this chapter Gilgamesh approaches a cabin where a man directs him to the boatman which makes him construct a boat. I liked this because it showed me that not everything was easy and that you have to work in order to get it. On page 75 the gods say “Let there be now a test of Gilgamesh”. This impressed me and showed me that since the beginning humans were being tested and they had to prove themselves.

In these tablets I realized what mankind was really looking for and it made me wonder if we got it. Gilgamesh is given a flower which does as said on page 79 “How-the-old-man-once-again-becomes-a-young-man.” All humans have always wanted more and especially more life. There was a point in history when humans couldn’t get more of anything except to live longer. It is said a snake steals the flower but how could the author know from so early in history that that is what mankind will get to. My favorite quote in the entire book was on several pages but I took it from page 56. “now Enkidu has undergone the fate the high gods have established for mankind.” This impressed me even more because in that time mankind was only starting and the author already knew that mankind will eventually come to an end. This made me realize that we have blocked out those beliefs and that today we don’t say that with such certainty. It made me ask myself when it is that mankind will come to an end.

The Question of Mankind

These two tablets of Gilgamesh are very important to the meaning of the book and life in general. They start with Gilgamesh mourning the death of Enkidu which shows how important having someone to accompany and love you is. “It is Enkidu, the companion, whom I weep for, weeping for him as if I were a woman.” Gilgamesh is hit very hard with the death of Enkidu and tells everyone to weep with him and to honor Enkidu. He builds statues of him and decides to go out into the forest in answer to the question of life and death. In a certain point Gilgamesh asks himself if he must die too, and then decides he will go seek the son of Ubartutu, Utnapishtin. “He said to himself that he would seek the son of Ubartutu, Utnapishtin, he the only one of men by means of whom he might find out how death could be avoided.”

This is the part of the tablets that I liked because it showed me that since the start of civilization we have always had a question which is that of life and death. Gilgamesh starts asking himself this question and heads out to find the answer. “I come to seek the answer to the question that I must ask concerning life and death.” When I read this I realized that it is one of the greatest questions of mankind. The only thing we know for certain is that we will die. The world knows that and has always tried to find an answer. Today modern medicines have tried saying that you get sick and therefore die but nobody knows why it was you who got sick. In the past they left those questions up to the gods but really no one has ever gotten even close to finding the answer. I wonder if this question can ever be solved, and really I doubt it because man was sent here with ought the answer to many things much simpler than life and death, and we will not know why we die unless we start solving some of the simpler questions.

Exercises 2 and 3

Exercise 2.

1. How can a person find patriotism in a local night club? Well, it did not take me too long. About four weeks ago in a little night club in Louisville, Kentucky, a couple of my friends, Rick and Lon, the duo who were providing the entertainment that night for the club.

How can a person find patriotism in a local night club? Well, it did not take me too long. About four weeks ago, in a little night club in Louisville, Kentucky, a couple of my friends, Rick and Lon, the duo who were providing the entertainment that night for the club.

2. For the past twenty years, the Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan has been measuring the level of Americans' trust and confidence in their politicians and quasi-political trust and confidence in their political institutions and their leaders. "Political" being all levels of government, and "quasi-political" churches, labor unions, large professional/business associations, educational institutions, and the like. The result is that a very sharp decline has taken place every year since 1964.

For the past twenty years, the Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan has been measuring the level of Americans' trust and confidence in their politicians and quasi-political trust and confidence in their political institutions and their leaders. This is “Political" being all levels of government, and "quasi-political" churches, labor unions, large professional/business associations, educational institutions, and the like. The result is that a very sharp decline has taken place every year since 1964.

3. For 200 years Americans believed in better jobs, better homes, a better life for one's children. This confidence no longer exists. Polls now indicate that fewer Americans who feel they are better off today than they were five years ago. A public-opinion analysis group has found that large numbers of Americans, at some times and in some places, see themselves as lower on the ladder. Adding worse living conditions and anticipation of further decline over the next five years.

For 200 years Americans believed in better jobs, better homes, a better life for one's children. This confidence no longer exists. Polls now indicate that fewer Americans who feel they are better off today than they were five years ago. A public-opinion analysis group has found that large numbers of Americans, at some times and in some places, see themselves as lower on the ladder creating worse living conditions and anticipation of further decline over the next five years.

4. Well, in looking at the picture at the left you see an old lady. She has a very funny look on her face. As if she's lonely and just wants to be left alone. She also looks as if she has seen a lot and experienced lots of things.

Well, in looking at the picture at the left you see an old lady. She has a very funny look on her face, as if she's lonely and just wants to be left alone. She also looks as if she has seen a lot and experienced lots of things.

5. A president is an appointed leader. Someone who is a decision maker in the executive branch of our government. This doesn't necessarily mean that the person the people elect is capable. Just hopefully assumes. Assumes through his past record as a politician, over the years' buildup of experience and handling situations.

A president is an appointed leader, someone who is a decision maker in the executive branch of our government. This doesn't necessarily mean that the person the people elect is capable. They just hopefully assume, through his past record as a politician, over the years' buildup of experience in handling situations.

Exercise 3.

My brother was always my best friend when I was a child, especially as we two were almost alone in the world. We lived with our old grandmother in a little house, almost a shack, in the country. Whenever I think of him now I see a solemn, responsible boy, a boy too old for his years who looked out for me no matter what. Once there was a bully, John Anson, who looked enormous to me though he was probably an average twelve-year-old. John had it in for me because he liked Littice Grant who liked me. He decided to beat me up right before her eyes. I was lucky my brother came by. He didn't interfere any, he just stood there, somehow though his presence gave me confidence. I licked the stuffing out of John Anson. If my brother hadn't been there I don't think I could have done it.

The problem with friendship

This is a rather sad part in the book since Enkiru dies. The chapter starts when they are returning from the Cedar forest with Huwawa’s head. They are received very well and Gilgamesh is known as a hero. Then the goddess Ishtar fell in love with him and when Gilgamesh rejects her she is enraged. On page 32 she sais to her mother and father “The king of Uruk has insulted me. He has found out and told about my foulness.” She asks for the bull of heaven and it is given to her. It kills men of Uruk until Enkiru fights it and calls upon Gilgamesh to help him. This shows how important team work is and how together you can do much more than by yourself. On page 34 Enkiru sais to Gilgamesh “The life of man is short, let us contend with the bull of heaven, and win.” Thought the story a great relationship has grown between us and you can see how someone who was supposed to be enemies ended up being friends.

After they kill the bull Enkiru has a dream in which the gods have a counsel. They decide that either Enkidu or Gilgamesh must die, and after a discussion they decide Enkidu should die. Shortly after he gets sick and dies. I wonder why the author wanted to kill Enkidu and why they chose Enkidu. Maybe it was because he was sent there to create a disturbance to the rule of Gilgamesh and not to become his friend. All books need a problem in order for them to be interesting and with ought a problem the author had to create one.

The importance of Friendship

Enkidu and Gilgamesh travel to the cedar forest together and travel extremely fast. It said that they walk in three day what a normal human would walk in three weeks. They help each other and travel as one which represents how team work can help you in every situation. On page 21 is sais “The two of them traveled fifty leagues a day, never resting except at night trying to rest, stopping only once a day to eat; in three days’ walk a hundred and fifty leagues, a three weeks’ walk for an ordinary man.” I think that the author is trying to show us that they are not ordinary and that they have incredible strength both mentally and physically. During the night the dug a well Enkidu built a shelter and Gilgamesh prayed to the gods.

During the night Gilgamesh has a bad dream which sais on page 22 “I dreamed we were going through a mountain gorge and the huge mountain fell down on the two of us.” Enkidu said that this dream is good luck but the next day it happens again. Gilgamesh dreams and Enkidu reassures him that it is a good dream. This shows us how important friendship is and how much better you will feel when someone reassures you. This is probably the only reason that they are able to win against Huwawa. Finally the kill Huwawa and go back with his head. I wonder what the people are going to think of Huwawas death and how they are going to treat Gilgamesh. You can really see in these chapters the influence of the gods in these times and the repetition of phrases.

The story of a king and his double

In the beginning of Gilgamesh they explain to the reader that there is an ox king named Gilgamesh. He rules Uruk “the keeping place of Anu and Ishtar.”(pg.3) and has complete power over everything. An old man was not happy with the way he had no say in anything so he complained to the gods that he was to powerful. He called the goddess Aruru to create a double of Gilgamesh. He was born from the earth and lived in the forest. A hunter later complained to Gilgamesh saying that a hairy body man was unset his traps and he is not able to hunt. Gilgamesh said he will send a lady to charm him. After seven days together Enkiru the hairy bodied man goes into Uruk. Enkiru guarded the flocks of the Sheppard’s so they can sleep peacefully. On e day a man comes and sais he is going to a wedding and said “Before the husband Gilgamesh, will lie in pleasure with the bride in the marital chamber.”(pg. 14) This upsets Enkiru so he goes stops Gilgamesh. They have a big fight but make up and kiss. Enkiru tells Gilgamesh about Huwawa who is very powerful and was sent by Enlil to guard the Cedar Forest. They decide to go fight with Huwawa and after a discussion of who will go first they decide to go together. Rimat-Ninsun Gilgamesh’s mother decides to adopt Enkiru because he has no parents. You can really notice that this book is from Mesopotamia due to how they are polytheist and the repetition of the points. I was not expecting the story to be this good due to the time it was written in but it is still a good story.

Sentence Fragment Exercises

f____ 1. Then I attended Morris Junior High. A junior high that was a bad experience.
_f___ 2. The scene was filled with beauty. Such as the sun sending its brilliant rays to the earth and the leaves of various shades of red, yellow, and brown moving slowly in the wind.
__c__ 3. He talked for fifty minutes without taking his eyes off his notes. Like other teachers in that department, he did not encourage students' questions.
___f_ 4. Within each group, a wide range of features to choose from. It was difficult to distinguish between them.
____c 5. A few of the less serious fellows would go into a bar for a steak dinner and a few glasses of beer. After this meal, they were ready for anything.
__f__ 6. It can be really embarrassing to be so emotional. Especially when you are on your first date, you feel that you should be in control.
___f_ 7. The magazine has a reputation for a sophisticated, prestigious, and elite group of readers. Although that is a value judgment and in circumstances not a true premise.
__f__ 8. In the seventh grade every young boy goes out for football. To prove to himself and his parents that he is a man.
___f_ 9. She opened the door and let us into her home. Not realizing at the time that we would never enter that door in her home again.
__c__10. As Christmas grows near, I find myself looking back into my childhood days at fun-filled times of snowball fights. To think about this makes me happy.
___f_11. Making up his mind quickly. Jim ordered two dozen red roses for his wife. Hoping she would accept his apology.
___f_12. They were all having a good time. Until one of Joe's oldest and best friends had a little too much to drink.
___f_13. Although it only attained a speed of about twelve miles an hour. My old rowboat with its three-horsepower motor seemed like a high-speed job to me.
___c_14. With my brother standing by my side, I reached for the pot handle. Tilting the pot way too much caused the boiling water to spill.
___f_15. The small, one-story houses are all the same size and style. With no difference except the color.
___f_16. Being a friend of mine like he was when we first joined the soccer team. Together we learned a lot.

The Last Task

Chapter 13 is a very short chapter which really doesn’t explain much. It is just a conclusion from which you can deduce all of the teachings Ishmael passed on to the pupil. In a way you are the pupil of the narrator trying to pass on his knowledge. The narrator comes up with a very bad plan to rescue Ishmael from the carnival in which he withdraws all of his savings and rents a van. He is trying to return something to Ishmael for all of his teaching he has given him. He arrives at the carnival and goes to where Ishmael was kept. Here he can only find his belongings and receives very bad news. On page 260 they tell him “It was the pneumonia that got him – your friend the ape.” At this point I realized that the book was in a way trying to give out its last teaching which was for the pupil to pass on the knowledge he had received. The narrator takes most of Ishmaels belongings except the blankets and drives back home. When he is framing Ishmael’s poster he realizes that it has a message on the back “With man gone, will there be hope for gorilla? With gorilla gone, will there be hope for man? (pg. 263) These are the last word that appear in the book and with them comes the last task, for the narrator to pass on his knowledge. He has the task to save humanity, to inform it of the path it is taking and of where it is going.