Devil in the White City #1

                                                                                

In the note "Evils Imminent," Erik Larson writes "Beneath the gore and smoke and loam, this book is about the evanescence of life, and why some men choose to fill their brief allotment of time engaging the impossible, others in the manufacture of sorrow". This simple yet mysteriously confusing book revolves and thrives around the idea that the ineluctable conflict between good and evil" is absolutely inevitable. The entire novel revolves around that very complex idea that you cannot do good without committing some kind of evil. The format of the book is the first intricate and obvious indication that good can be evil. The chapters  of the book are coordinate so that the face of evil and the profile of good are juxtaposed and contrast these two different "motifs" so to speak and to show how similar good and evil can truly be. For instance, one chapter will be all about the formatting and architecture of the fair. The fair is to be full of fun and entertainment but first it is just a building. Holmes buys a building intended to contribute to the fun of the fair, his building will be a part of the fun at the fair. The book reveals that you can't have fun all the time. You can get in trouble if you have too much fun unsupervised.

                                                                                     

A masterpiece has never been created without a mastermind behind it. Burnham and Holmes  were  the brains behind each of their master plans. Surprisingly, the two men are more similar than different. First, both men's main objectives are to lure people in for business. They both rely heavily on the local train station to bring them doe-eyed customers into their  "fun fairs"so that their quenches for lack of things to do can be satisfied. Burnham's satisfaction will be that the fair will become the best World's Fair on the planet even better than the fair in Paris. Holmes desires prey to hunt so he can satisfy his fancy to take a life. Nevertheless, their slight differences make them that much more alike. The two men both covet power. Power to control, power to fill them up and make them feel stronger than any other man. Power to deceive and ultimately succeed in their passions.
Not only are Holmes and Burnham similar in their hunger for power and so-called "riches" but they are also equally genius. As strange as it sounds just like any other criminal, Holmes is an extremely intelligent man. He is somehow able to bamboozle debt collectors, manipulate grown adults and fool the best constables and detectives. Holmes lured in his victims without them suspecting anything to be suspicious. He managed to kill his victims, come up with a lie as to where they disappeared to and successfully sold the remaining skeletons to various science academies. And not once did he get caught. Holmes did all this crime while managing a hotel and his own private "business" and yet he was still capable of keeping his reputation and the composure of the average human being. He was able to transform from human to minster in seconds without being caught. Obviously, Burnham is similar to Holmes in this case, after all he is the head of the construction and management of the Chicago World's Fair. Both men had such responsibility.

One difference between the two, perhaps the one difference that is least evident, is stamina. It's hard to catch it and I hadn't realized this until I sat down to my keyboard but Holmes never grows tired. Burnham of course is always exhausted. Maybe Holmes isn't drained from all his activities because he has much more passion towards his "career" than Burnham does for architecture and business. Burnham may be exhausted because he is losing his knack for running this big affair but to me, it seems as though as the days progress and as weeks turn into months, Holmes only becomes more advanced in his murders. And then of course there is the fact that Burnham is physically ill and is growing weak. Holmes is sick in the mind but he is growing stronger.

The Chicago World's Fair is the only thing that keeps them both going and in business.

Devil in the White City #2

In its extravagant size and cost, the Chicago World's Fair was ultimately an exhibition of arrogance. Burnham's goal for the fair is so that it will be known as the greatest,most wondrous,most beautiful World's Fair on the planet -or on any other planet. When a new building needs to be constructed three architects come up with three insane blue prints for three impossible to build constructions. One man suggests his idea of a building that encases another slightly smaller building and inside that building will stand yet another building. The second hopeful architect proposes his idea to construct a building almost exactly like the Eiffel Tower but made out entirely of logs. At the very top of the building there would be a log cabin of some sort. He then boldly proposes that this cabin is to be dropped thousands of feet, attached by some "good rubber" and before smacking the ground, the cabin would bounce. He also slightly hinted that the floor below the tower should be layered with eight feet of feathers for unlikely emergencies. The final proposal from the third architect features a very tall building which, at the very top,would sprout a bridge or two leading to certain important American cities such as New York. Tourists would have the opportunity to visit these cities as they pleased. As you can see, all these outrageous architects had their crazy blue prints all laid out to be chosen and to be selected you must be the best. What fuel this ambition? What fuels anything between any group of men? Arrogance. This fair was just a huge opportunity for Americans to show off. When Mr. Eiffel himself was asked to come up with a blue print for a building just as great as his tower in Paris American architects from all over petitioned and rallied for the tower to be thought up by an American artist because Eiffel was not an American. The entire fair was about pride and arrogance which can often be mixed up together. And regarding such creative acts there is always the chance that creativity may lead to a dark and destructive parallel. One, because it is universally known that you can have too much of a good thing and get carried away. Yes, the Chicago World's Fair is an extravagant masterpiece of a landmark but you can't control absolutely everything that goes on during hours of business (obviously, there was a murderer feeding off of innocent fair-goers everyday and somehow NO ONE EVER KNEW).  Holmes for example was a talented business man or  rather , Mr. Holmes was an excellently creative con man who got a little out of hand and went much too far with his skills in the field of business. He took his talents beyond the boundary line. However, I do not believe that such creative acts  engender a darker, destructive parallel automatically. I think that the parallel evolves very slowly over time because like the construction of the fair, everything takes time to develop.

 

    Have you ever been so mad at someone or something that you are willing to jump off the deep end just to try to get your good point across? You are so frustrated that anything that passes through your brain will most definitely come out of your mouth and make you sound insane but you could not care less as to how insane you sound. 

   In his piece, A Modest Proposal, Swift recommends that the people of Ireland feed on "infants flesh...seasoned with a little pepper or salt..." He takes this seemingly outrageous tone and point of view because he is outraged with the poverty stricken people of Ireland that have brought it upon themselves by having one too many children. Of course Swift doesn't really want people to eat their own children but he basically wants to say this: don't have kids that you cannot afford to support. or society will crush them and they will suffer. Swift probably wrote this essay because kind words were no longer getting through to people and no one took this poverty problem seriously. Sometimes you have to yell, wave your arms and jump up and down to be seen I'm sure Swift was frightened and worried at first to publish this writing but perhaps he was a bit more anxious more than anything else. But with his satiric attitude I think people felt reality being thrown at their faces and finally understood what he and many others were thinking. 

   Since Swift's essay was published in 1729 there have been corrections to society that help poverty-stricken families help themselves. Welfare has been helping families out for years and years, giving them another option for their kids than having them for breakfast. 

   Now for a problem to be considered a problem and for a solution to be thought of to fix it, it doesn't have to be super obvious and impairing  our society with it's commodities. It can be subtle to some people but uncomfortable to others. Swift saw a problem with the way people were "carelessly" conducting themselves and he spoke his mind. I see a problem and it is a bit comedic but it is, in fact, extremely relevant to our country, right down to the little town we live in.

    Summer is the best time of the year, without a doubt. Why? Well, first and foremost because school is out for two full months and then some, flowers are blooming, the sun is out until late in the evening, you have all the time in the world to hang out with your friends on road trips and to ride your bike to the ice cream parlor. It's just such a happy time of the year! There are some bad things about summer, believe it or not and I'm not just talking about the air conditioner breaking down...I'll just be frank. What really bothers me about summer time is when I'm driving down the street and I see an old, beer-bellied man, watering his front yard or fetching his mail from the post box wearing pants but no shirt. 

   There have been many instances when I have been riding my bike to the park with my sister or driving from store to store on an adventure with my friend in her little red car and you turn the corner and BAM. There's an old guy standing there all non-chalant in his front yard topless. I mean seriously if you are going to walk around that way at least you could be fit. I know it's hot outside and all but come on, just wear a shirt. Women don't go around that way because they have respect for themselves and more importantly others. There is a certain province in Europe, more specifically somewhere around England, where a topless man is treated like a person riding a bike without a helmet or a driver in a car without a seat belt on. Yes, if the police catch you without a shirt on you receive a ticket. It would be so nice if we had that law in California. Just because a man is a man it doesn't mean he should be allowed to just walk around half way clothed. It's uncomfortable for passer-by's, don't you think? It's not like there are a bunch of Abrocombie and Fitch models walking around everywhere (if there where there would not be a problem, I am sure of this, that'd be a plus for summer time) and since a perfect world like that doesn't exist, let's polish it up a little and have some modesty...it would make my summer a whole lot nicer :)

  

    For the past month, the only news in television has been the progress and happenings of the protest in Egypt. For years, the Egyptians had suffered under the rule of Hosni Mubarak who ruled under a  communist government. Since 25 January the citizens of Egypt have congregated for justice in the form of riots and protests. No countries intervened in this upheaval, no one tried to step in and tell the Egyptians to lay down their arms because this had to be done. Instead the whole world took a step back and saluted them. Military units where set off against the protesters but not even guns and tear gas could stop them. Mexico saw Egypt. Thailand saw Egypt, Holland, Australia and Quebec are all witnesses to the stepping down of Mubarak. But if any part of the world really saw this revolution it was Libya because right now, as I type, they are attempting to accomplish freedom too. The people of Libya admire Egypt's courage and strength under pressure. The world admires the fact that the Egyptians achieved what seemed to be the impossible.

     In his highly acclaimed novel, The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway made a successful attempt of capturing the essence of a hero of his era. Hemingway singles out one young man who shines brightly throughout the depressing story. Pedro Romero, a handsome, charismatic Spanish matador is described and idolized by all the characters in the book as a romantic hero. Romero stands out from his fellow matadores. He dis not fear the angry bulls, for he worked closely with the bulls, his red silk cape barely skimming their lethal horns in the wind. He was so passionate about his art and everyone felt it. Romero's grace was so powerful that Hemingway devoted chapter after chapter to emphasise it.

   All eyes where on Romero in the ring. He was a hero. He did not save anyone but he was a hero because he dared to do what the common person dare not and when someone does something out of the ordinary, we admire it. When people hit above the mark and achieve what seems to be the impossible like stepping out of the bullring victorious after dancing with an enraged bull or overthrowing a cruel ruler and setting your people free of all things disabling. When great things are at risk everyone stops and watches.

   Since bullfighting is strictly a Hispanic and Latin tradition and the United States consists of a variety of cultures, not may can say they know the fluidity of a bullfighter's grace. But think about it. A hero does not have to be majestic or foreign. Take out the "Bull" from bullfighting, keep the word "fighting" and so many different heroes come to mind. Thousands of miles away and across the ocean,  thousands of soldier's lives are at stake and we honor each and every one of them. We honor them because they have risked something precious for a chance at something better. They are able to function under the unbearable tensions of war. Heroes, we call them. 

   Not all heroes are armed with a cape and spear like Romero or a gun and grenade like soldiers. Some are armed with their hope and faith. They come in every age and color. They may suffer differently but they all do. Cancer patients. Whether they survive or not all cancer patients are heroes today. There are so many people battling it out with cancer. I'm not sure if it is because I am older and more aware of my surroundings now but so many people I know have cancer. It has even affected my family multiple times. Cancer patients are heroes because they go into this battle under surprise attack, unarmed and without knowing how to fight back, but they still somehow manage to. They encourage others to keep striving. They have no plan yet show no fear. It seems impossible yet there they are. They have experienced therefore they are strong and heroic.

    Bullfighters, soldiers, cancer patients, athletes, firefighters, the judged, the profiled, the abused: our heroes. We all look to them because they face the ultimate equalizer: death. People fear the fact that at some point in our lives a bull is bound to come along and challenge us. And for those who have  faced their own bull, already know how to defeat it. They are our examples to look to. They are our heroes because they have conquered  the invincible.  They inspire us to fight back when we are locked in the arena with a ferocious bull. They teach us to trade in retreat for a red cape, fight swiftly , confidently and get back up after the first blow to face each one to come.

  

Blog 16

“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway”

 

    In her piece, About Men, Ehrlich introduces us to cowboys from a less Hollywood perspective. When I imagine a cowboy I picture John Wayne or some Lone Ranger-type of a guy. Tough and strong, a hero on a horse. Cowboys are portrayed to appear this way but as Ehrlich explains, they are heroes but without the tough-guy ego. 

    According to the author, cowboys do more than round up the herd at sundown. They are midwives and caretakers. They love what they do and take pride in who they are. Cowboys care about each animal they keep and never complain or take a joke about their lives as ranchers. Cowboys never whine about the early hours or late nights. They, well, take it like a man. 

    Proud and hardworking-yes they are. But when it comes to affection and display of emotions, they have a rough time showing how they feel. It's not that they don't feel anything, it's just that they are around their animals and on the range so often that people leave  them to be at a loss for words. 

    Ehrlich's use of tone makes her opinion crystal clear. She changes her tone quickly to counter stereotypical views of cowboys. She uses personal experience and direct quotes from ranchers she has met and spoken to. 

    Cowboys are often misunderstood, but they are respectful people. Everything they do, they do it with sincerity in their minds and tenderness of heart. 

Blog 15

    In my opinion, the Internet is only a nemesis to privacy according to how one utilizes it.
Facebook, for example, is one of the many social networking sites where people are known to exploit their, and others, secrets. These people then complain that "no one was supposed to see that picture!" or "no one was supposed to read that!" I once saw on the news that a man got fired from his job after his daughter posted what he really thought of his boss on Facebook...and then her boss read it on his daughter's Facebook page.
   There are certain things that you cannot control about the Internet; hackers, viruses, stolen passwords. But there are a lot of security options when one uses the Internet too. When signing up for an email account you have pass codes and special questions to answer in case you forget your password. On  Myspace and Facebook you have the option of setting your account to private view (only you and your friends can see your photos and comments) or public view.
   A bigger issue would be something like shopping online or paying bills online. These websites are supposed to be safe and protected-but they can't promise you that your social security number won't get stolen.
   Just like in the real, physical world any of our secrets and personal information can leak out through the Internet. To keep our most important things in life to ourselves we have to use good judgement and logic. The Internet can be an untrustworthy place like the real  world. Keep your eyes peeled.

Blog 11: Metacognition Questions on Definition Essay

Culminating Writers Profile

1. My writing style has stayed the same since the beginning of the year. I think this is because we haven't done many writing activities yet.
2. My writing strength is the final paragraph. I always try to put emphasis on the recap. Each time I try to elaborate further.
3. Repetitiveness has always been a weakness for me. I tend to go on and on saying too much. I try to edit my writing as much as possible to see how I can cut down on words. I also have my sisters read my writing to get their opinions. 

Evaluating Your Writing Process

1. If I was given he opportunity to write my essay again I think I would change my topic. I went for the more cliche topic rather than thinking outside the box.
2. The easiest element to fix in my essay was punctuation. I tend to include unnecessary commas when I write.
3. The biggest problem with my essay was coming up with a topic to write about. Last year in my English class we wrote a definition essay but we were handed a topic. We didn't have to come up with our own topics for hardly any writing.

Evaluating Your Success

1.  In my essay I tried to include as many descriptive elements but I struggled a little in that area,
2. Considering the audience...I think I could have put some more personal experience in my essay. For some reason I felt that it wasn't allowed.

Being Honest With Self

1. What intimidated me most about this essay was that it was an out-of-class assignment. I'm used to writing in class and getting teacher in-put.
2. The pages we looked at with sentence structure really helped me with organizing my sentences so they don't seem backwards.
3. I tried to be organized like the student example essays but I don't think I was as successful as them.
4. From a peer I learned that if I was more organized my essay could have turned out better and it wouldn't have been so stressful. An outline of some kind could help me next time.
5. I have learned over the years that the first essay in each English class has always been the worst and most poorly written for me. Once I get back into the swing of things I find that it's easier to produce a decent essay.