REHUGO 2

Reading:

     The Phantom of the Opera, a mystery novel written by Gaston Leroux in 1910, is mostly known for it's antagonist for which it gets it's namesake. One of the more important parts of the Leroux's novel was the mental complexity of it's antagonist and Leroux's questioning as to what we believe a monster to be:"Shall we pity him? Shall we curse him? He asked only to be 'someone,' like everybody else. But he was too ugly! And he had to hide his genius or use it to play tricks with, when, with an ordinary face, he would have been one of the most distinguished of mankind! He had a heart that could have held the empire of the world; and in the end had to content himself with a cellar. Surely we must pity the Opera ghost!” While as dark and mentally unsound as the Opera ghost may be, Leroux makes sure that the reader see's both sides to the madness and tragedy in him.

Entertainment and Arts:

   Hedgehog in the Fog was a Russian animated short film made in 1975 directed by Yuriy Norshteyn and is one of the most highly acclaimed animated films of all time. Wether it be the ominous yet mystical atmosphere or the dream like surrealism, Hedgehog in the Fog has become the influence to many well known animators including Hayao Miyazaki. The film is about a journey into the unknown, as the hedgehog descends into the fog, he encounters strange creatures veiled by the fog, which cause a sense of suspended reality, adding mysticism to an everyday routine. The film is mainly known for it's captivatingly unique animation skills, but it is it's poetic simplistic which brought in most of it's prestige.

History:

     This is the Antikythera mechanism and is estimated to date back to 87 B.C. Going only by the picture, it would seem to just me another old artifact, but what make's the Antikythera mechanism unique is that it is the oldest known scientific calculator, used to calculate astronomical positions; no other machine like this would be created again until the 14th Century. It is one of the most significant artifacts ever found and still more is being discovered about it and how much more advanced ancient civilizations were then modern society gives them credit for. The Antikythera mechanism could be the key to understanding the amazing abilities of ancient civilization's and the outstanding potential of the human mind. 

Universal Truth:

   "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind"

   Mahatma Gandhi said this during the Indian Independence movement, which he played a crucial role in. Gandhi used this as a rebuttal to the use of force against the British who were committing crimes against humanity against the Indian people. Gandhi's practice of civil disobedience proved effective in India and would also become the inspiration to the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. This universal truth does not only need to apply to world wide events but also to any form of injustice; whenever getting even, the result is never just and both sides become guilty instead of one. 

Government:

   "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the consent of the Governed"

   This is a quote from Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence of the United States. Jeffersons point is that government, in order to be just to it's people, must be decided by it's people. His purpose in the Declaration was to point out the unjust and illogical rule of the monarchy which is decided only on devine right instead of popular need. Jefferson's reasoning for what should be the institution of government, appealed to anyone who felt that their political decisions were being done without their consent and without it, it was a time for a new government.

Observation:

   

   One of my favorite things about spring is the blossom trees, but this year, a cold front has killed a large portion of the blossom petal's, causing them to fall prematurely. Most of the tree's were yet in full bloom and have already shed there petals, which is very unfortunate not only to the trees but to everyone who enjoyed their beauty. My purpose for bring up this observation, is to bring to light the effects of climate change by bringing up a small, yet very noticeable change. If we do not look around now and start to act, we as a whole could not only lose the famous blossom season but also many important natural effect which keeps this planet stable.

   

REHUGO

Reading: I don't remember much of the fourth grade but what I do remember was the ELA test. It was one of first major tests I had to take, but unlike most major tests I have taken in my life I actually remember a lot of it. I remember it being a large collection of short stories. I remember one of them being about the moon being stuck in a well, another about machines run by wined up gears, and another about a man who was riding a horse at night. I was not a very good reader for most of my life but I remember reading these stories and I remember them more than anything I read in AP Literature  last year.

Entertainment and Arts: Like most people, I love to watch movies. I would not say I have a favorite genre or period of films, I might just have a favorite film in every category, but I have notice recently a trend in modern films. It seems that the modern film industry has stopped trying to make original films or at least stopped trying to make unoriginal films seem original. 2011 was dubbed the year of the sequels, because of how many movies released were just continuations of other movies. I don't have anything against sequels but I was repelled from going to the movies this year, because I wanted to avoid a feeling of deja'vu.

History: In 1258, the mongol empire invaded the city of Baghdad. It was a total massacre and is believed to be the beginning of the end to the Islamic golden age. There is one story from this siege which has lasted throughout the ages. In Baghdad stood the house of wisdom, which was believed to be the largest library at the time. During the siege, the mongol invaders destroyed the library, took all of the thousand years collection of books, and through them into the Tigris river. The river ran black for weeks and to this day there are traces of ink at the bottom of the Tigris.

Universal Truth: "Life means suffering" This is one of the four noble truths of Buddhism. No matter what happens in life, at some point everyone will experience suffering. There is no way to avoid suffering. That being said, at some point everyone will experience happiness as well. There is no way to get rid of either feeling, happiness and suffering will always be there, its just how much of which is experienced.

Government: I don't like to think about government that much, it just ends up making me very upset. I do not like how big of a part politics play in social lives. Democrats won't talk to Republicans and vice versa. I feel like Government has just come down to a coke and pepsi argument instead of actually trying to work things out and get things done, people involved in government seem to be obsessed with making the other side look bad. When people are put into categories, we no longer see them as people anymore, and when this mentality goes all the way up to the U.S government, makes me feel like the government has resorted to a childish, back seat brawl.

Observation: During the summer, I saw a firefly on my stairwell early in the morning. It had stopped flying and was only letting out small blinks. I stood and watched it for a while and I felt bad for it. I never likes bugs, but the poor thing was slowly dying on my stairwell, and I wanted to help it, but I did not know how. After a while I left it there and when I went back a few hours later, I could not find it anymore. I still think about that firefly, and it makes me feel good that I will not let it be forgotten.