A Worthy and Important Challenge

English 150, frustrating at first, lots of writing and for me coming back to school after serving, as a ticketed carpenter for the last 10 years, the course has been a worthy opponent. I did English 150 in 2001, pretty fresh out of high school, not a lot of direction, as most seem to be diagnosed with at this time in their life. However as with the recent recession, which has affected the skilled labor trades in a negative manner, I decided to go back to school. Heading back to school in pursuit of a degree in Psychology and to compile that with the post degree middle school teacher program. I figured that my new career path would be full of reports and essay style research, so I felt I better re-do English 150 in hope to re-ignite my writing style.

            The most valuable thing I learned is to believe in my writing. I mean lets face it after writing with a square pencil on wood for ten years doesn’t really keep your writing skills sharp. In addition, being an adult student any positive feedback or reinforcement is helpful as with many adult students the odds are usually stacked against us. I personally loved the story “ Letter to America “ by Margaret Atwood. I suppose being in the trades during the recession, which most Canadians feel was created by the U.S, created the connection for me. The second story I enjoyed was “ CODE-BREAKER “ by Jim Holt. I have always wondered who is behind some of the most technological breakthroughs and why they often don’t receive the recognition they have earned. On the other hand, the story I felt I least enjoyed was “ Japans Kamikaze pilots and contemporary suicide bombers: War and Terror “ by Yuki Tanaka. Originally when seeing this Blog on the schedule I was excited as recently I had visited Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and left wondering how these Kamikaze soldiers were viewed in their homeland. However the story was more of comparison to terrorism style suicide bombers instead. Lesson learned, and hopefully I won’t judge a story by its title again. In terms of coverage in this course, all my questions were answered. I guess a little more time on how to collect research articles, eventhough they are not my favorite style of essay to write.

            All in all, I really enjoyed the course, as I feel it has prepared me for what lies ahead in my educational goals. I also feel, as though my writing style has returned, I knew it was in there, but just needed a little help to surface. I just wanted to say thanks to Laurie and that I have booked my next challenge, English 160.

“Being a Successful writer”

“Being a Successful writer” is the name I have produced for the article “How To Write With Style” by Kurt Vonnegut. The author has written many amazing stories such as, Slaughter house five, Cats cradle and Breakfast of Champions to name a few, and is known for his humanistic beliefs. In addition to these incredible accomplishments, Vonnegut is considered to be one of the most influential American writers of the 20^th century (Mantel,pg 199).

            As I read into the first paragraph, I notice a numbered system of tips on writing. The further I wander into the article and piece together the ordered by number hints, the thesis is clear. The main idea of the story is how to get style to pop out in your writing, or how to personalize your writing.

            The author’s purpose of this story is to provide steps for achieving some personal style in your writing and to help make your ideas hit the paper. The intended audience is budding or inexperienced writers who want to break away from the norm and have their writing stand out in the crowd.

            The first quote, which I felt backed, the author’s case was “ So your own winning style must begin with ideas in your head “(Vonnegut,pg66). I enjoyed this quote as it lets the intended audience know that their success in writing lies in their brain, and by providing steps, hopefully the writing style inside the individual will reach the paper. The second quote I thought was very important was “ Say what you mean to say “(67). It is perfect, I mean how many times have young writers heard this, say what you need to say, don’t ramble. This is an important message for anybody who wants to find success by means of pen and paper. However the one quote I didn’t feel was as effective was “ For really detailed advice “(67). This quote I felt was talking about another author that writes with a good style, which is great for an example but doesn’t really stick to the step-by-step process.

            “ How To Write With Style “(66) is an interesting approach on how to get your thoughts on to paper and by putting it into a step by step format, writers should find it easier to ignite their own unique writing style.

Do you think these tips would be the key to success for a writer?

            

“An honorable death in their countries eyes”

“An honorable death in their countries eyes” is the name I have produced for the story “ Japan’s Kamikaze Pilots And Contemporary Suicide Bombers: War And Terror” by Yuki Tanaka. The author is a Japanese born research professor at the Hiroshima peace institute and holds a PhD from the university of Australia. In addition to these accomplishments Tanaka is usually noted for writing a collection of war themed books with internal messages (Ackley, Blank, Hume, pg 294).

            As I soar into the opening of the story, I notice the organizational statistics of the Japanese Imperial navy and armed forces. The further I read into the story I start to notice comparisons between the Japanese kamikaze pilots and Palestinian suicide bombers, I identify the thesis. The main idea of the story is: the thoughts and ideas of kamikaze pilots have a direct correlation with the thoughts and ideas as terrorists or suicide bombers authorized by organizations outside a state structure.

            The purpose of this paper was to show or highlight the differences between the kamikaze pilots and suicide bombers even though in the eyes of the enemy they appear to have the same goal. The intended audience is society or maybe military historians, with the hope to display the thoughts of these young Japanese soldiers who were thought to be crazy and classed as inhumane. I also feel that the author is letting the reader know how being a kamikaze pilot in Japans eyes was an honorable way to die.

            The first quote I enjoyed and found effective was “ As surviving former kamikaze pilots point out, in contrast to contemporary terrorist bombers, their targets were always military planes, ships and personnel, never civilians”(Tanaka, 298). I found this quote really relayed the purpose of this paper. It perfectly illustrates a key difference between the two variables. This story is full of convincing quotes, however another quote that I found very interesting was “Another similarity between kamikaze and suicide bombing is the huge technological gap in military capability between suicide attackers and their enemies”(299). This quotes goal was to illustrate the reader on how little technology went into these ideas of suicide or kamikaze pilots as it was usually created by lack of technology and by default. On the other hand, the quote I felt was least effective was “ Rather religion and ideology are used to justify and formulate their cause of self sacrifice and to rationalize the killing enemies, whether military or civilians”(299). I found this quote going into the religion terms and sort of putting both variables in the same category, which might be correct for one but not the other.

            “ Japan’s Kamikaze Pilots And Contemporary Suicide Bombers: War and Terror”(294), is a pretty detailed description into the minds of these individuals who sacrifice their own lives, which in turn rattles the norms of society.

Do you think that the Kamikaze pilots of Japan and the suicide bombers of Palestine have the same goal in mind?

"The Language of Sub Servicing"

“ The Language of Sub Servicing”, is the name I have created for the story “30 Little Turtles” by Thomas Friedman. The U.S. born Harvard university professor  is  well known for his work as a columnist for the New York Times.  Among other amazing things Friedman has written extensively on foreign issues, and has won the Pulitzer prize for his writing three times (Ackley, Blank, Hume, pg 176).

            As I dip into the story  and I am instantly grabbed as Friedman begins to share  his adventures while visiting India. He discusses his experience reading aloud in an Indian call centre classroom.  The author goes on to explain that he got a “standing ovation“  for merely reading a passage that was supposed to help young Indians with their pronunciation , as well to make them sound like Canadians.  After completing the story I quickly understood Friedman’s  main point. The thesis of the story is  how outsourcing has created opportunities and positive benefits for the young men and women of India.

            The purpose of the article is to explore how sub-contracting twenty-four seven   call centers to countries like India create  positive change. The intended audience is America and its people. Friedman also points out the positive benefits that subbing out to third parties will also benefit America.

            The first quote that I thought  supported the thesis was “A lot of these Indian young men and women have college degrees.” (Friedman, pg. 176). I felt this statement was powerful because it showed how the young Indians valued working in the call centre over careers that required college degrees. The  second  quote that I  enjoyed was when the author asked a young Indian woman what she got from the call centre job and she replied, “self confidence, she said a lot of self confidence, when people come to you with a problem and you can solve it” ( 177)  I found this  refreshing as it provides confidence to females in a society, such as India where women are generally undervalued. On the other hand, the quote I did not find very effective was the quote, “suicide bombers in waiting” (177). This passage implied that without outsourced or subcontracted opportunities like call centers, young men will resort to terrorism. Even though Terrorism is a huge problem in today’s society it does not belong under the spotlight of this paper.

            “30 Little Turtles” (176) is a great description of an experience in which the positives were on display for viewing. I felt this piece was very informative and left me thinking about how much people in these targeted countries value jobs that we see as second rate.

            Do you think Canada should sub out work to other countries?

" Double Life Of A Genius "

            “Double life of a genius”, is the title I have created for the story “CODE-BREAKER” by Jim Holt. The author is a well-respected writer, that focuses on topics such as, Science, Ethics and Philosophy for slate. Holt has published articles in New York Times magazine, The New Yorker and is the host of a BBC radio show.

            As I read into the first paragraph, I become startled with facts relating to the death of Alan Turing. The further I venture into the story I easily piece together the thesis. The main idea of Holt’s story is the secret life of Alan Turing and how each secret may have played a role in his death. Eventhough his passing was ruled a suicide there is enough facts to prove otherwise.

            The author’s purpose of this paper is to highlight the successful attributes of Turing’s life, as well to open the secret personal closet of Turing. The intended audience is the general public. Holt is intent on showing the great accomplishments that Turing had made for the military and points out how this intelligent individual was mistreated due to his sexual preference. In addition, Holt also discusses how much Turing’s intelligence impacted the war in a positive fashion and advanced the world through his design of the computer.

            The first quote that I found effective was “ there were only two people who thought the Enigma could be broken: Frank Birch, the head of Bletheleys naval intelligence division, because it had to be broken, and Alan Turing, because it was an interesting problem “(Holt 342). I found this quote fascinating in two ways; firstly, that Turing was the person who broke all of the German military codes, thus making him a possible target for murder. Secondly, that he demonstrated his intelligence level by looking at the huge problem that the British navy faced and then labeled it as interesting, as though it might create a challenge for him. Another other quote That I found helpful in getting a glimpse of Turing’s intimate life was, “ When his eye was caught by a nineteen year old working class youth named Arnold Murray “(344). This quote explained his homosexual affair with a young man that ended ugly. The police were involved and, Turing was charged with “Gross Indecency”(345). However one quote I found to be ineffective was “ The news of Turing’s conviction received no national attention “(345). After all he worked for the military in a secret world where none of his amazing accomplishments were never made public, so the news of his criminal conviction to the general public would have been insignificant.           

            “ CODE-BREAKER” by Jim Holt is an interesting piece as it lays out and informs one about individuals who work in a world where they receive little or no recognition for their contributions and/or accomplishments. I believe Turing’s lifestyle to be a difficult one. A life full of loneliness and isolation that could have played a role in Turing’s demise.

Do you think the death of Turing was a suicide or a homicide?

"The Invisible Combat Line"

“ The Invisible Combat Line” is the title that I have created for the story “ WOMEN CONFRONTING WAR” by Jennifer Turpin. Through research Turpin looks into violence and its relation to giving consent of power. Turpin is a well-respected author and has written several books discussing the roles women assume in a military zone. She also was the dean at the University of San Francisco and holds an associated position at the European University Center for Peace Studies.

            Steaming into the introduction of the story, I quickly notice how Turpin examines women in war torn areas, are measured and taken for granted. As I read further the author narrows her scope and reveals the main idea of the story. I believe Turpin’s thesis is how the military overlooks the many roles of women in war, as well as, the impact that war has had on the female gender.           

The author’s purpose highlights the way the military has abused, mistreated and disrespected women, and viewed females as objects at the disposal of others. Turpin also points out the damaging affects that this abusive cycle has had on women throughout the years. The intended audience for this story is the everyday person. Jennifer Turpin brings attention to this gender issue by visiting historical wartime experiences with the hope that these negative attitudes and actions towards women will not continue. As statistics have shown “ Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”(Santayana, The Life of Reason pg.6).

            This is a powerful quote that I believe connects to Turpin’s thesis,“ Not a puritan: eighteen-year-old, hot blooded soldiers had the right to drink a few beers and chase after young beautiful things of the opposite sex”(Turpin,pg 327). This passage demonstrates the value that the United Nations Commissioner put on the females of Cambodia. In addition this quote also refers to women as “things” and justifies the inappropriate actions of honorable soldiers towards the opposite sex. Another quote that I found effective in portraying how skewed and twisted the U.S Marine Commander’s view was when referring to sex crimes committed by his soldiers, “I think it was absolutely stupid, as I’ve said several times. For the price they pay to rent the car, they could have had a girl”(Turpin,pg327). Unfortunately with this superior officer accepting the rape committed as part of military life, he also is showing his support for prostitution and in turn demonstrating disrespect for women in general. However the one quote I did not feel was strong was “ Brothels linked to United States military bases generally had two separate entrances: one for men of color and another for whites”(Turpin,pg327). I found this quote was heading in the direction of racism, that is a serious problem but not the focus of Turpin’s paper.

            “WOMEN CONFRONTING WAR” by Jennifer Turpin was the type of story that left me feeling informed and educated on a gender in war. However the story left me questioning our military leaders and wondering if this negative point of view is still in action.

How do you think the public could stop the mistreatment of females in war?

Pointing The Emotional Finger

“ Pointing the Emotional Finger” is the name that I have produced for the story “ There Are No Lessons To Be Learned From Littleton”, by Gary Kleck. The author is a U.S born Criminologist with a thirst to design an action plan for gun control in the USA. Kleck has had many articles published that focus on gun control, gun trafficking, gun accidents and he has also written articles for the Criminal justice ethics magazine. In addition to his work on guns and violence, Kleck has also conducted hours of research for Criminal codes regarding guns.

            As I clip into the first paragraph, the author explains the statistics of a violent massacre and then compares this act to other mass shootings with the same variables. Reading further into the tale it was clear through the authors discussion of statistical hints, media frenzy and the emotional diagnosis helped me identify the story. The thesis through the authors discussion of the paper, is the belief that quick fixes, based on emotions stirred up by wall to wall media coverage of a massacre are rarely, if ever, legitimate solutions. When something awful happens, our first response is who did this, why did they do this and what was their motive. We usually base the diagnosis on raw feelings and not on evidence.

            The purpose of this essay was to show the consumer that the violent acts carried out in schools are not the trend, but violent acts as a whole are. In addition the author states how incorrect it is to get a verifiable answer during immediate aftermath of such an event when emotions and opinions are strong. Klecks intended audience is the everyday person that watches the news on a regular basis. He helps shed light on small and large issues regarding increasing patterns of violence.

            “ Thus, long-term or significant social trends may be irrelevant to these murders, however relevant some of them may be more commonplace forms of violence”. This quote helps verify the fact that these murders are not a direct result of school violence, but are just a form of violence in general and even though these acts of violence seem to be taking shape at schools they could happen anywhere. Another passage that was rich with facts was, “ recognize the fame, importance, and sort of immortality have been rewards for previous mass killers”. The author is speaking about young adults who see the news coverage detailing these mass murderers and how these individuals crave fame that comes from their gruesome actions. Perhaps if the media covered the heartache of these tragedies and put less emphasis on the killer young minds might not be so easily persuaded into the wrong direction. However the quote “ consequently, regulation of gun shows was totally irrelevant to preventing any of these massacres”. Even though gun exhibitions might not be as important to this particular case, in the big picture it is better to be part of the solution than part of the problem.

            “ There Are No Lessons To Be Learned From Littleton” is an interesting description of how emotionally charged decisions are not always the right ones. In addition, maybe finger pointing during the aftermath of a traumatic event is not the best approach to find the right answer.

            Why is school violence more prevalent in the USA rather than Canada?