The book I'm currently reading is called Mandela: A Critical Life by Tom Lodge. I first off want to say that I love reading autobiographies about revolutionaries in their countries. My thesis for this book is that life itself is a long and difficult odyssey; however if you can go along and perserve till the end, your success will be extraordinary. This book overall talks about the life of Nelson Mandela, the critical political activist that was heavily involved in about bringing freedom and equality to the nation of South Africa and in the end how he received overwhelming amounts of approbation to become South Africa's 1st president after the apartheid. In all chapters of the book however, Lodge uses a variety of different endnotes and references, so that readers can refer back to where Lodge got his sources from.
In the 1st chapter of the book, Lodge discusses the childhood and upbringing in South Africa, Transkei. He grew up in the tribe of Xhosa and his birth name actually was Rolihlahla. Along with Mandela's sense of upbringing, Lodge included the sense of education that Mandela went through. "Mandela told Nadine Gordimer in 1962 that he was 'bitterly disappointed' at Clarkebury because his textbooks and teachers 'recognized only white leaders... Africans were described as savages and thieves." (Lodge 4.) I felt that Lodge directly attacked an important issue at the source of South Africa's apartheid. Education in general is a huge issue for any country. This issue was especially important with the apartheid that was taking place. With Africans only reading about white leaders, they had no sense of culture nor understanding.
Another key point I saw in the first 20 pages I read in the book was that it had no set chronological order. However the sections somehow coalesced into a piece of literature that's understandable to the reader and details the beginning of Mandela life. Along with the upbringing of his life, Lodge accurately describes Mandela early activism even at an early age. "Mandela was involved in the SRC electoral boycott because he had been nominated before the elections and in fact was elected by the very small minority who chose to vote."
Excuse Meee Please????? Can I have your attention please 4 just one moment. Will the real believers of Global Warming Please Stand Up?! Will the believers of Global Warming please stand up?!!
Verse 1
Well verse 1 one has the hit the Earth like a meteor
Just the opposite way Global Warming has been acknowleged 4
Ha.. but aint it ironic that 2 things so amazing
Are on a scale that has no limitations??
Sea levels risin', glaciers retreatin' and drought still increasin thru the season
So that you know that G.W. is real!!
But 4 exactly what is the reason??
Well... u can blame it on Big Govt. and Big oil
The same people that pass 1,000,000,000 a yr that make Americans heads wanna boil
And of course they sit down and complain to the world about their super "low" wages.
When they really makin themselves look like some real premature babies.
And the big oil CEO's are the ones contrbutin to the problem and shows
They drive up in their little toy hot wheels cars and have press conferences as the big problem grows
While of course they sayin "drill baby drill" "drill baby drill"
They should change their slogan to "kill baby kill" "kill baby kill"!
Because the Earth is hurt and limpin from all these Green House Gases
And verse 1 has been completed, the chorus will smile 4 the camera as the flash just flashes
(Chorus): Yes I'm the real MC/The true inspired MC / Thats's spittin on this catastrophe / So won't the real believers please.. Stand Up, Stand Up
Yes I'm the real MC/ The true inspired MC / And well of course if ya ain't down 4 da cause/ Just sit down, Just sit down
Verse 2
Back startin this rhyme on Verse 2
Ahh I think I'm scared cuz I think I got Big Oil starin thru my rear view
But it's funny how Big Government lies thru their teeth
And wear the same tighty whities and suits every week
Cuz the Earth right now is a beautiful disaster
And the Earth is sprilin out of control to somethin we can't even master
And of course the Big Oil Co. going to say there's no G.W.
But it all lies they really keep their eyes on their prize to take all you $$ away
And as they say the Earth is barely overheating/
Tell em 2 go put swim trunks on go to the artic and then say know do u understand my reason
It's almost like they don't read news
And can't observe to take a look because there head is too stuck up they butholes.
So while they still makin millons of dollars
They still be gettin weggies from wearin pampers!!!
(Repeat Chorus)
To reflect upon this satirical project, I chose the Global Warming topic because I have an intense passion for the environment and the Earth in general. My opinion on Global Warming is that it’s a catastrophe and that Big Government and Big Oil companies don’t really care about what the current state is of the planet because they’re only concerned about the money they are getting from the American citizens through the implantation of taxes and the rise of gas. Also, without the American citizens support in buying oil most gas companies would eventually go bankrupt. My satirical argument is that many CEO’s and congressmen/woman in a sense are like a bunch of babies. They overly complain about the little money they receive, (while they get it by the millions.) They’re a bunch of babies because of the fact that they lean on the American people in general to bail them out in their tough economic situations in their companies and how they constantly complain while they have huge SUV’s and arrogant or selfish attitudes. I chose a song because it gives me the most creativity to express how I feel about this situation. Mostly teenagers and adults can relate to the satire and skeptics and younger children can’t relate to it. For my 3 literary humor devices, I used a euphemism, hyperbole, and an oxymoron.
Research Paper
Global Warming is the increase of Earth’s average temperature on its surface. The increase in Earth’s temperature is caused by the effect of greenhouse gases. Examples of greenhouse gases are burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and the production of landfills. Global Warming surprisingly started about 18,000 years ago. The Earth in fact was warming its way out of the Ice Age. Many centuries later in the 1940s, the Earth’s climate began to be cooling. Then in the 1980’s and 90’s from the term “global cooling” changed to “global warming” due to the increases in near-surface temperatures. The cause for global warming cited was, “manmade atmospheric pollution causing a runaway greenhouse effect.” (Global Warming: A Chilling Perspective)
With such interesting statictics, global warming has created an enormous conflict; between believers and non-believers in global warming. Many skeptics say that there is no such thing as global warming. They say that the earth's polar ice caps and that the earth's coastlines aren't in danger of disappearing. According also to the models represented for global warming, skeptics say that the charts have been "misrepresented and that the temperature increases occured before the widespread emmision of carbon dioxide in the mid 20th century." (Global Warming: Skeptics View)
Along with the skeptics view, many scientists say that global warming does exist. Many scientists say that the Earth has shown a spike in temperature since the early 2000's. Last year scientists said that the Artic's thermostat was being "interrrupted" due to the cause of power plants, factories and automobiles. Along with all this mountain of evidence many Americans don't believe in the term "Global Warming." Examples of evidence contributed global warming are rising sea levels, melting ice caps, and changing agricultrual patterns. (Evidence for Global Warming)
Dear Tita,
Let me start of this letter by saying... that I never wanted to marry Pedro. It hurts for me to sob and see you cry your eyes out at night. I can't even imagine how much heartache you feel towards this marriage. This is why I'm planning in a month to divorce Pedro. In a month, you know that the grandest event will take place Downtown: the 6-month anniversary of our marriage. Even though I've made mistakes and haven't treated you like a sister-- I hope that me giving up Pedro for you will be the best thing that ever happens to you. As a sister towards you, I wanted to tell you that I love you; even though it seems that I pay no attention to you on several occasions, I just wanted to let you know that you will always be in my heart, even when die away.
Sister and Comforter,
Rosaura
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They Said I Couldn’t Make It
Ridicule, inside his bruised chest is what he felt
He’d spend hours playing on the mahogany earth searching for a little word called happiness
And yet the burning, intense hatred from his aunt emotionally crushed his feeble heart.
But how could a human posses such hatred in her devious mind?
Yet no one influenced her devious and narcissistic acts as queen but only her cruel self.
Including banishing poor Sogolon and her mother out of the palace.
However, a shift occurred, a sudden pause, that certain element that was missing
But what element/emotion was the Mali boy missing inside him?
It was the tasteful and bright expression of hope that he found while he was banished.
That beautiful, vivid expression of hope gave him the strength that led him to walk on his only two legs.
And with tears in her eyes, she was joyed and overwhelmed when he later presented her with the babaob tree
He turned the ache of ridicule and brute hatred and through self-confidence and hope he turned into a jeweled success story of a Mali king.
http://bitstrips.com/r/HR0XL
http://abcnews.go.com/US/jared-loughners-alleged-rampage-caught-tape-fbi-reviews/story?id=12644306 This article that I found, I believe, is definitely related to the story of Don Quixote. In the Arizona shooting, the apparent shooting suspect is Jared Loughner. Before the shooting in Arizona, he establishes the belief of nihilism which meant he lived his life without meaning. He destined to live life by this code or principle similar to Don Quixote. Quixote was an all-loner who researched and read books on chivalry which led him to strike down a bunch of windmills in his so called chivalrous times describing the windmills to dragons similar to Jared Loughner. Just like Quixote, Jared Loughner used the principle of nihilism and Lucid Dreaming to kill the little few outside the supermarket that day. Along with each others so called principles, they were obviously obsessed and mentally ill. Even though in both cases it doesn’t talk of both being mentally subsided, indirectly you could tell in their actions because both left their worlds or realities in chaos and confusion.
Khaliq Dansby
September 21, 2010
Accelerated World Literature 4th period
Nonfiction Success Theme
From Confusion to Achievement
Imagine yourself in the 1930s as a child growing up in a black family with racism and prejudice surrounding you wherever you go. Unlike Malcolm X, Wes Moore did not grow up with the feeling of racism, but did have the understanding of “street hustle” and knew that the need for “surviving” would be a supreme challenge. This type of frustration was the life that El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz or Malcolm X led. The Autobiography of Malcom X talks about how Malcolm became a hustler making illegal money from selling drugs and living the “good life.” But in the end of it all, he ended up in jail, concentrating on his wrong doings. Later he was resillent enough to turn his whole life around. Encouragement from his friends, family, and the Prophet Muhammad helped him to become one of the most recognizable civil rights leaders. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X reaches readers that no matter what situation you came out of or the one you’re stuck in now, you can still persevere and obtain a beautiful word called “success.”
Most people consider the word success in the means of having a huge house, fancy cars, and vasts amounts of jewelry. This idea or belief isn’t true. Success in my mind is the overall status of how you progress in your lifetime towards your goals. In the article of “The Other Wes Moore,” the “”good” Wes Moore describes his personal childhood as extremely rough and difficult. However, both Wes Moore’s the good and bad had the same rough childhood. They both grew up in a single parent household, had confrontations with the cops, and had psychological/mental problems. Both Wes Moore’s were identical to Malcolm’s at both early times in their lives. Their problems or obstacles they had to face were just “roadblocks” standing in their way preventing them from their goals. Malcolm X and the “good” Wes Moore showed how intrepid they were against their own and operate a computer engineering company. Now in the field of engineering you must be adept in mathematics and science. The steps/obstacles that I believe that I will encounter are finding corprate sponsors, achieving business sponsors, receiving an academic scholarship to a recognizable college. I can easily say that the Autobiography of Malcolm X helped me with my goals. Malcolm himself told me that, “In order to achieve a goal you must maintain, focus, and have a strong sense of literature” (X 183.) This quote indirectly goes with the phrase that Will Smith used as running and reading. This quote teaches me not to give up at all and to not stop even when the smoke gets heavy.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X is written from his birth to his death in 1965. The writing in this book contains a powerful message of perserverance and racism. It is also very beautifully written and shows how vehemently Malcolm X expressed in his teachings of Islam. I certainly recommend this book for all African-Americans in generally for the expansion of their roots and heritage. The patterns in the chapters basically go through his day to day life and his years upon years until his death. I have recieved an expansion of knowledge through the words and the teachings of Malcolm X.
I learned that while Malcolm X was in prison he learned the religion of Islam and reached out to his family in his time of need. He wrote to Mr. Muhammad as he says, “I did write to Elijah Muhammad. He lived in Chicago at the time, at 6116 South Michigan Avenue.” He also wrote out the whole dictionary on a tablet and rehearsed the words out loud just to further educate and produce acumen in words. I learned specific things about the Muslim way of life such as Mecca and the pilgramage. Malcolm said, “The pilgramage known as Hajj, is a religious obligation that every orthodox Muslim fullfills. (Malcolm X 325.)
As the cop addressed Malcolm in a monotone voice, “I think I’d leave town if I were you, Red.” At this time in the book Malcolm had a lot of decsions to make and a lot of heat surrounding him. He was selling drugs illegally. Also many people were threating to end his life since he was “trapped.” (Malcolm X 135.) So did Wes Moore. They both made the choice in the right decison as world and important civil figures. Both did tremendous work in the community and overall for the “United States of America.” Readers should consider reading this book due to the suppression and heat that Malcolm X came out of and made something out of nothing. He took the situation and scraps that the white man threw him in and made something out of. So in conclusion I ask u this final question, “Do you have the tools for survival?” “Do you have the skills to reach that famous word, succeed?”
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