Dialectic Journals - GOF Books 7/8

BOOK 7:

PAGE 321
"Every hand flew to a weapon."

I love this quote because you can really see the Spartan's hands fly to different weapons. Instead of just blandly stating, "They picked up their weapons." He really used a fresh bold technique. This is also not to be taken literately,because their hands didn't actually "Fly". I will be sure to use this the next time I write something.

PAGE 322
"Every man froze"

Once again the author used a way to describe the men's actions that isn't literal, and creative. Now in this case it can be considered a cliche, since this is commonly used, but If you read the book you will notice the author dedicates an entire line to it. It made me freeze too.

BOOK 8:
PAGE 362
"At last came the fight, which was like a tide, and within which one felt as a wave beneath the storming whims of the gods,"

Now in this one line, the author manages to throw in a fight, a tide, and gods all into one thing and make it really smooth. I love how you can just mentally visualize exactly what is happening in the book. I personally hate writing in detail, and cut straight to the point, but this really made me think I could use more detail in my writing.

PAGE 364
"The ear could hear His Majesty bawling orders,"

I feel like I'm repeating myself, but this guy really knows how to write a line. He makes you come into the story, and makes you picture the majesty "bawling" orders. Look the point is he did such a good job with the book, and now that I'm done with the book I have to say the detail was simply amazing. A+ Steven Pressfield.

Thankfulness (If that's a word)

Since it is Thanksgiving weekend I thought I would post about what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for (Drum Roll)......... the Rice Crispies I'm eating right now. Well actually they're a little soggy but it's ok, because I know there are so many people in foreign countries and right here starving with little to nothing to eat. All I had to do is go to my kitchen, grab a bowl, put the rice crispies in, and pour some milk. I actually would have had toast but we were out of bread. See all I need to do is go to the store and buy bread. Some countries don't even have bread in their stores. Heck some places don't even have stores.

The point is, I am grateful for the luxuries in my life. Sorry If it sounded like I was mocking the whole idea of being thankful, it's just what I do. So go out there and be thankful, whether it's the Computer, Phone, iPhone (It's not just a phone!) PSP, etc. that you're reading this on, the house you're in (You shouldn't be reading this at work!), or whatever! Just find something to be thankful for.

Gates of Fire Blog Post

Chapter 8, Page 72, 10-30-08

"..if Ariston was afraid of him, then he was a coward. And if he wasn't, he was reckless and ignorant, which was even worse."

Now before this sentence these exact thoughts ran through my head. When I read it I literally smiled. It was like the author was reading my mind. But the author does bring up a good point. In this type of situation it is extremely difficult to make a decision. I don't even know what I would choose. The author says being reckless and ignorant is worse, but I have to disagree. I'm still thinking about what to say in that scenario.

Chapter 9, Page 82, 10-30-08

"I swung with everything I had. Alexandros spun and dropped, face-fist into the dirt, blood and spittle slinging from the side of his mouth."

This whole scene is extremely intense. It was really one of the few moments in the book where I was not able to stop. This is near the end. After I read it I stopped and read it 3 more times. This quote is just perfect. I absolutely love how the author paints the scene. I don't know about you but I can see a young solider, tired, swinging using all of his energy, and his opponent falling down, blood gushing out of his mouth. Yes the scene sounds ugly but just read that quote again and you'll see a crisp clip playing again and again in your mind.


Chapter 10, Page 88, 10-30-08

"I fear the sea anytime, but never more than on a moonless night and in the hands of strangers."

With Halloween tomorrow, you couldn't have said it better. I actually shivered when I read this line. I personally love the sea, and would love it when the moon is out. But when that disappears and you're surrounded by strangers, it's a little spooky. I would hate to be there. But it gets worse when they are forced to swim to land. I could never survive the intense training and war based life that these people lived.

Gates of Fire: 3 Dialectic Journals

Chapter 4: 10-27-08, Page 24

"Fifty of them!" the man still shouted, while his wife struggled to tug him back to the safety of the trees. "Five! One would have saved us!" (Referring to how the Spartans could have saved the city)

The above quote shows the deep belief in the Spartans amongst the Greeks. This man believed a single Spartan could have prevented an entire city from entering collapse. Obviously the Greeks worshiped their warriors. I was amazed. It's very interesting how they are treated like gods, and how the boy all wanted to grow up to be just like them.

Chapter 5: 10-27-08, Page 37

"Oh God," my cousin said when she saw my hands.

What amazed me was up until this sentence I did not imagine his hands were in as bad condition as they were. I thought this for several reasons. For starters he cried the entire time. Yes I sympathize for him because he's only ten years old. In addition he didn't describe his hands in detail. At this sentence, the very last sentence of the chapter, I knew his hands would play a big role in the following chapters, and that they were badly hurt. Amazing how throwing in another person's words can really just stop you and make you think.

Chapter 6: 10-27-08, Page 39

"I would never hold a spear nor grip a sword."

I personally have never held a spear or sword, and I don't care. This devastated the boy, and made him want to die. This really shows you how much ancient Greece put an emphasis on being a solider/ warrior. It was every boy's dream to grow up and become a Spartan fighter. Today war is considered to many as an evil thing, something that should never happen (Why do you think Bush's approval rating is so low?) We fortunately still honor those who serve our country. Today children want to be anything from doctors to firefighters (above picture) and even lawyers. It's amazing how things change.

The Media and the 2008 Election

These days, most Americans will base their votes based on what they hear In the media. This could be anything from analysis to debate coverage and those hour long documentaries with the cool music. That's why it is SO important the media covers this election right. And they haven't.

It gets really frustrating for me to try to figure out what's going on (in terms of the election) Every station has it's side, and it so rare to find someone that is actually fair and balanced. That's why it's up to the viewer do determine the real facts - which can be difficult at times.

What do I do? Number one I listen closely and figure out when these stupid left or right wing people are taking sides. Sometimes it's quite obvious, sometimes you need to pay close attention. Number 2 listen to what both sides have to say. Yes watch both Fox News and MSNBC, and try to figure out the center line. Yes I'll admit there are some fair and balanced people, but not only are they hard to find, sometimes it's good to get all 3 sides of the story!

You can try to come up with your own way of figuring out this election, but just don't take a side and stick to it (That's what I did just a few weeks ago) I discovered that both sides stretch the truth, and now I'm open to both candidates ideas. Hopefully you can be too!

Interesting article that basically says the point I'm trying to get across. http://www.thinkmoderate.com/2007/06/corporate-media-has-decided-2008.html

My Heros

10 News Anchor: Carol Labeau
Unknown to many, one person I am inspired by is Carol LeBeau from 10 news. The reason I chose this image is because I think it shows her deep passion for others, including animals. It shows that she doesn't like an animal because they're messy, gross, or chews things. She does love them for their loyalty, braveness, and commitment. Overlooking the negatives and staring the positives straight in the eye is the best gift of all.


She's my hero because I can't recall one time she quit. She also manages to inspire others through her unique ability to create and construct artistic products. Finally she manages to stay on the right side of a dispute, and even if you disagree you know that she's right.

Preview, Predict, and CODE

Our class read the Secret Life of Bees. At the beginning we were instructed to jot down our ideas on what the book would end up being about.

All my predictions were actually accurate. Yes this is mostly due to the fact that my predictions were shallow in terms of specifics. For example,"I think at first I will be bored. But then I will begin to get hooked," which is how all my books end up.

Some of the more accurate predictions would have to be how the book would be about discovering a new world. I was right. In the book the main character Lily, discovers a new life of beekeeping with the Boatwright sisters. She is also introduced to a new religion. She may not have exactly discovered "A new world," but she managed to discover a whole new life.

In one of my predictions I said that it would be both challenging and easy because I noticed several words I was new to. But as I read the book I realized that it was actually quite simple. The occasional unknown word would appear every 20-30 pages.

Alliteration, Consonance, and Assonance

This weekend I did homework. And some silly stuff I can't see clearly. I worked hard. I glared and Stared at my computer's screen and was scared. It was eight which is late and I blanked. My reading foundation was still white and clean.

I wished I could sip a mocha. But berating and beating myself I began to work. After two long hours, I was nowhere near done.

Finally I felt fright. I had to finish. I grabbed the Secret Life of Bees and began to read. I finally finished filling it out.


The End.

Similes, Metaphors, and Cliches

Alrighty here it goes:

I am a yo-yo, I go up and down, and sometimes I get tangled. I am also like an ocean, with it's waves going in and out and crashing ever so often. It's ridable, but not always. I am sometimes as funny as a monkey. But I'll let you decide.


Now version #2:

From my toes to scalp, I am person who tries to be as approachable as a rich, creamy bar of dark chocolate. Sometimes I'll fail as miserably as those annoying shoelace things that you don't have to tie they sold during elementary school, and sometimes I'll succeed as well as Oprah, the women whose influence is unmatchable. I can adjust to a new environment, but it'll take as long as it'll take for our sun to collapse massively on itself. That's me.

I tried my best, and thanks for reading!

The Epic: My Literary Blog Post

What is an Epic?

An epic in my opinion is basically a long story that is told in a poetic style. It usually will talk about an important event that seems heroic to a society. For me this is a very difficult form of literature to write and comprehend.

3 Examples from the Iliad

#1: Long texts consisting of dialogue that reveals the character

Lines 217-224:
"I came to see if I could check this temper of yours,
Sent from heaven by the white-armed goddess
Hera, who loves and watches over both of you men.
Now come on, drop this quarrel, don't draw your sword.
Tell him off instead. And I'll tell you,
Achilles, how things will be: You're going to get
Three times as many magnificent gifts
Because of his arrogance. Just listen to us and be patient."

I selected this quote because the only way the author shows the character is through the use of dialogue. Here we listen to Athena speak to Achilles.

#2: The use of Patronymics

Line 212:
"Daughter of Zeus!"

Epics often refer to characters by their relation to someone else.

#3: Introduction

Lines 1-4:

"Rage
Sing, Goddess, Achilles' rage,
black and murderous, that cost the Greeks
Incalculable pain, pitched countless souls
Of heroes into Hades' dark,"

The beginning of an epic usually puts you right in the action and doesn't provide an introduction.

The Image

The reason I selected the image at the top was because the very first thing that comes to my mind when I hear "epic poetry" is Ancient Greece and their strong religious beliefs. I can just picture generations handing down stories until they were finally written down. The columns are also a reminder to me of Ancient Greece.

My Hero: Hillary Rodham Clinton!

When I first watched Hillary Clinton give a speech was after winning the New Hampshire Primary. Believe it or not it was not very inspiring at all. She just won the state and she had the biggest frown on her face. Everyone cheered her on and she couldn't put on a smile. Instead I was inspired by the person I now strongly dislike, Barack Obama. He had a smile. After losing. I thought Hillary should have learned from this day.

Some people think she's a hero. (Ms. Charlotte) And I think she is too. From my perspective I watched Hillary grow during the campaign into a woman fighting for the middle class. She shares her stories from across America, and these stories make you realize just how bad some people have it out there. People find her to be a hero because she fights for other people's rights. She manages to display herself as an individual who truly cares about others. And I believe she does.

Now Hillary's a politician. And you guessed it - no politician could ever get 100% support. So some people think she's a villain. Actually a lot of people think she's evil. It's politics, no one ever agrees. People dislike her for her positions (like universal health care). Some people also think she's not an honest politician. Heck I don't even think she's honest. But she's the best we got right now.

I say Hillary-Romney 08! What do you say!

30 Things You Don't Know About Me

1. I like Jeans
2. I have no sisters
3. I hate Target
4. I love Wal-Mart
5. I love shopping for school supplies :)
6. My first school choice was HTHMA
7. I hate Jonas Brothers
8. I enjoy sleeping
9. I don't like pajamas, I sleep in shorts
10. I enjoy ocean swimming
11. Surfing is boring
12. I like to eat bread
13. I really like Jack In the Box French Fries
14. I don't really like Elmo (Even though I have a picture of him on here)
15. I went to HTM for 2 years
16. I don't like walking up the HTHMA stairs
17. I am inspired by any type of speech
18. I get bored fast if I have nothing to do
19. I like watching debates (any kind)
20. One of my heroes is Hillary Rodham Clinton
21. I am privileged to have an education
22. I hate camping
23. I love San Diego
24. I lived in San Diego my whole life
25. I have 2 brothers
26. I have a dog
27. The furthest I traveled is Hawaii
28. I want to see New York
29. Urban landscapes inspire me
30. I have a difficult time coming up with 30 things about me