viernes, 14 de noviembre de 2008

Grammar (words that sound alike)

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.

martes, 11 de noviembre de 2008

A New Book, A New Way of Thinking

I found Confucius particularly interesting and intriguing for two reasons (but yet more to be found). One: It is not a jewish, islamic, or christian/catholic book, and that for me is great because I feel I can get away of cultural and political backgrounds and history for just a second. When I read Confucius one can sense a book filled with knowledge, and with teachings, but I don't quite feel them as the teachings that I receive in school (some are just a boring speech, and a worksheet to be completed), these are like advices, experiences, that you simply absorb. 
These are things you want to learn... It can be absorbed in many ways, and many interpretations can be made.
Two: Each Book is focused on one region of the human life. It tells you before hand what you have to expect and if you are not interested in what that book has to say, you just skip it. It is a relaxed type of reading: not much attention has to be paid to get a message (Not guaranteed you will get the best but...) It makes you enjoy it. 
I will try and remember the most I can about it, for it is a human lesson to be learned in a passive way. 
Enjoy every moment in life...

lunes, 10 de noviembre de 2008

Presidential Gestures

On Obama's acceptance speech he is confident as he has always been, but now that he is Mr. President he has a straight and penetrating look. He owes nothing to the people. Looks determined to achieve his so promised oaths. He is definitely efficient to convince his audience, but he doesn't have to put much effort into this, they after all chose him President of The United States of America. He is a professional doing this, that is his job, that is what made him win. He uses lots of hand gestures and moves his body towards the people. Nods a lot. 
We ought to get used to the public speaking skills of this man, for we will be hearing him for the next 4 years...

viernes, 7 de noviembre de 2008

Elie and Job

Comparing the Bible, a sacred and holy text to a memoir of a holocaust surviver, is not to be done, for there would be no chance of getting to a conclusion that is worthy enough for the memoire or the Bible.
Indeed, in Night, Job is mentioned, for Elie (protagonist...) lost his faith in God. For me the memoire is more vivid, It is actually more vivid, you can feel the pain, sorrow, anger, and hunger. 
This is actually a story that is credible, and we know that it is a true one. Unlike Night, we just have to have faith, to be able to see the Bible just as a memoir and teachings book too. 
Now the difference is that in Exodus, the Jews were saved by moses; a leader...
So was that the problem? Lack of a leader in order to save the jews from the camps? 
I don't know. I will never know. Probably my most accurate answer would be that since Exodus to The Holocaust, many things have changed, including the people, so maybe they were not meant to be saved, even though I will always hate to think that... I guess it was not God who saved them, but Moses, and we just interpret the order of God to Moses in a wrong way. 
Night is not just a book, it is historical context (recent one). It is 6 million of my people, including 60 of my family members who perished too. 
The Bible just doesn't get me as much as the Holocaust, its just more distant...

In my opinion, we were asked to read Job in conjunction to Night, because the Jews in the concentration camps, were put to test by God (if you can say that) as well as Job. He was put to test of his faith. The Jews were put to test to see how much did they believe in God, and to question themselves even if he existed, and why (if he did) were they there. 
The test was that if after this tragedy they would still believe in him. Many did. Many did not.
The thing is to always believe, no matter if good or bad overtake you. God is here not only to be around for good things but for evil ones too. He was not the author of this. We ALL have free will. And everyone of us one day will be judge upon him and by him, and that will be the only day that will matter for us to see if we were on the good side or the dark one. 
Choose well for you will be judge in the highest of all courts...