There Goes My Hero :( And My Blog.... WAHHHHHH!!!!

This was a blog, our very first one to be exact, that didn't go well.  So, I'm not going to do this blog, because I already did it!

                  "This was what I wanted to use for my other blog, but NOOOOOO..."



Your Friendly Neighborhood BIG BROTHER

"A little commerical can make my point clear..."

    Today, technology is rapidly advancing.  It seems that everyone has a cellphone, an i-pod, an x-box 360, or a television set or two.  People feel the need to have these necessities.  We must adapt to this new technology or else we won't be able to function...or that's what people say.  This is true, but when you think about it...do we really need technology?  What I mean is, do we need things like FaceBook or Skpe for survival although these things are very nice to have?  Our ancient ancestors didn't have these things, but they survived or else we wouldn't be here.  One thing that I don't like about technology is that "Big Brother" vibe.  I feel as if though technology is kind of a distraction (a nice one at that) that controls us and makes us dumber.  I'd hate to say that, because certain things in life suck, I love being distracted and I want to be entertained by addicting things such as Jersey Shore or Call of Duty: World at War.  So, in a sense, I don't mind technology...it's just how it's abused that gets me. 

                                      "How would you like to wake up to this?"

         

We Have Nothing To Fear, But Fear Itself?

                                  "Trust me... I'm Franklin D. Freaking Roosevelt!"     
  
    The one thing that has made us go insane, have made us doubt ourselves, and have driven us toward the far corners of the earth is fear. Fear happens to the best of us.  Fear can make a strong man weak and can make something so simple, into a nightmare.  Fear can either protect you or harm you.  Fear is almost an instinct and is what makes us human. Without fear, mankind wouldn't have the urge to survive in a cruel, unforgiving world in order to escape death.
    I've had my share of fear, as we all have.  I have both irrational and rational fears, but when you think about it... all fears are irrational, that why they are fears.  I'm scared of the future or things to be while others are excited for it.  I'm, however, not scared of the unknown or things that I don't exactly understand.  Nor I'm not scared of things that are different, but I'm scared of losing important things in life such as my family and friends and good things changing for the worse.
   In Okonkwo's case, he has the fear of carrying the traits of his father.  He fears weakness and is afraid of himself.

One Flew East, One Flew West... One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

        "This is the trailer for a masterpiece..."
              
         For my Second Quarter Independent Reading assignment, I have chosen to read the best selling novel and classic movie starring Jack Nicholson (tremendous movie, I strongly suggest it) One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey.  It’s told through Chief Bromden  or "Chief Brom" because he's given the job as the floor sweeper, a half Native American patient at a local insane asylum who acts like he is deaf and dumb. The patients there are divided into groups: Acutes, Wheelers, Vegetables, and Chronics.  There are three black guards and everyone obeys Nurse Ratched who is BIG... B-Word, a big one!!!  If the patients don't obey the rules, like having their heads and "junk" shaved or don't take their medicine or question the authority... they will get shots or even worst... shock therapy.  However, one day, a smart ass carefree Irish rebel named Randal McMurphy pretends to be crazy so he doesn't have to work in pea fields at jail.  He’s been everywhere, done every woman and crime in the book.  He excites the patients at the asylum, can see through Chief Bromden's facade and Nurse Ratched's as well.  And she doesn't like it one bit...

"Jack Nicholson as Randal McMurphy, the role that made him a star, a legend amongst MORTALS"   

Harder They Come, The Harder They Fall.... One And All

                                              "A classic from Jimmy Cliff! :D"

   
      From literature, it is foreshadowed that a hero will eventually fall because it is inevitable.  He or she gets to the top, has all the riches and fame anyone could ask for, will be immortalize in history and story books forever and, for in a instant, all of it will go... along with the hero.  Because of their pride or flaws, they will reap what they exactly sow, but it doesn't just happen to heroes... it happens to the best of us, all of us.   Karma, bad luck, destiny, or whatever you want to call it has a way of punishing such pride or foolishness by being cruel and can be a  major well... a b***h (sorry and excuse my french ).    That's what Greek myths and, heck, every myth known to man is about, when our lives will change... for better or worse.  I remember watching the movie Alexander (which isn't that bad but isn't that great) and I especially remembered  this one scene (which is the best scene from the entire movie) when Alexander,  before he became Alexander the Great, was a child went to a cave with his father, Phillip the II.  Phillip showed Alexander ancient paintings about myths of old from Oedipus to Prometheus.  Phillip then says , "A king isn't born, Alexander, he is made. By steel and by suffering. A king must know how to hurt those he loves. It's lonely. Ask anyone. Ask Heracles. Ask any of them. Fate is cruel. No man or woman can be too powerful or too beautiful without disaster befalling. They laugh when you rise too high. And they crush everything you've built with a whim. What glory they give in the end, they take away. They make of us slaves."  It's a sad and cruel existence for humans.  And we all suffer.

To me, I guess Okonkwo is a hero because stood up against the white men through silent disobedience in order to save  his village... but it was all in vain.  Okonkwo tried soooo hard to not follow his father's footsteps because he was ashamed.  But, in the end, Okonkwo realizes that (excuse my french again) s***t happens, and it doesn't matter if you're rich, have a ton of wives, the best wrestler... crappy things will find you... soo don't pretend that you're above it.


"Pride cometh before the fall..."

                         Proverbs 16:18

Falling Down...

   "Tom Wait's knows all about it"

    Overall, I really enjoyed this novel, even though it was extremely depressing and some of the words were confusing as heck, but some the best books and movies are the realistic ones.  I like stories that make you think or make you believe that things will go in a certain direction when, in fact, they don't.  I also like stories where the character(s) learn or experience an event(s) that changes their lives' forever.  Okonkwo was doomed to fail, even though he spend all his life trying to make it to the top.  It's probably one of the top saddest stories that I've ever read.

"See what happens when you're not watching where the f you're going?!!"



Disturbing the Peace...

                 "Yeah, uh, quick question... why are such a be-yocth?"  

    In the chapters that I've read so far, McMurphy has placed bets with the other patients to "get" on Nurse Ratched nerves.  One day, the patients are given their daily pills before they go to bed by the nurse with an odd birth mark on her neck.  McMurphy, being the guy he is, wants to help the little nurse because she is having some issues with handing out the pills.  Before she hands a cup that has two small round pills in it, McMurphy breaks his hand through the opening of the door of the Nurse's station and asks the nurse if she needs a little help.  When McMurphy first arrived, Nurse Ratched told the nurse with the birthmark to watch out for the man with red sideburns... hes a sex maniac.  The nurse almost had an anxiety attack, she dropped the pills that she was going to give to Chief Bromden (who narrates this entire story from his eyes), called for the black guards who didn't come, and held out her crucifix telling McMurphy to stay back, shes a Catholic!!! (I thought that part was funny)  McMurphy didn't lay on hand on her.  After that episode, McMurphy went to his bed which is next to Chief Bromden and told him that he should be going to bed because the fat black guard is coming to make sure they are all sleeping.  Cheif Bromden gets under the sheets quickly.  When the guards are done checking the beds and leave, McMurphy chuckles and says, "I thought they told me you was deef."  (McMurphy already knew that Chief Bromden was faking his disabilities)  When everyone's asleep, Chief Bromden is wide awake but closing his eyes because if he doesn't, the guards will give him shots.  Chief Bromden speccially gets the red pills because he was caught seeing what the guards do to the patients at night. 

                                 "Nurse Ratched can see EV-ERY-THINGGGGG..."

  

Open Session

   "Clips from the movie and a wonderful soundtrack combined..."

   
    Chief Bromden explains what everyday at the asylum is like, a patient will pee himself, music will play in the background, and games will be set out.  All patients will follow the schedule or else they get the needle or vegetated.  One regular day, Bromden went back to a memory, when he went to a California cotton mill for basketball because their coach wanted to go there.  Several black girls, teenagers, were working and staring at Bromden out of curiosity and even giggled.  One of these girls approached Bromden and started some small talk.  Bromden couldn't see the girl very well because of the fumes from the cotton machines.  As they talked, the girl asked Bromden why he was wearing camouflage, he said he was wearing it because it was his duck hunting jacket.  She grabbed him all of the sudden and stared into his eyes.  He stared back, looking at her pretty face when she said that she wanted to get out of this place that wanted to run away from this life.  Bromden stood there speechless and before he could answer, the girl went back to one of the machines so she wouldn't  get yelled at.  Once Mcmurphy arrived, he caused a stir among the patients and disrupts the order of things.  Mcmurphy knows how screwed up the whole asylum is, it's like a fascist- runned prison.  Nurse Ratched watches and runs everything.  She thrives on the misery of her patients by having "sessions" where is demands that each of the patients openly discuss their uncomfortable "problems" so that can comment and "help" that patient.  The patients act like childern and are treated as such, because Nurse Ratched wants it that way.  She is unconsciously manipulative and doesn't like how Mcmurphy is not falling for this.  During one of these meetings, one patient, Harding was asked by Nurse Ratched about how, because his wife was well endowed in the chest area, she attracted male attention which made extremely jealous and even made him feel inferior.  She asked one of the patients if they wanted to touch upon the subject.  McMurphy, being the smart ass he is, asks if he can touch upon Harding's wife's... well, you get the picture.  With an truly evil, nasty stare, Nurse Ratched pulls out McMurphy's record and tells McMurphy's criminal record to everyone.  Mcmurphy has done everything you can think of, and Nurse Ratched accentuated the word... rape.  Mcmurphy was sent to prison for the billionth time and this time was sent for raping a 15 year old though he claims she said she was 17.  The meeting ended.  McMurphy approached Harding and asked him why he put up with that humiliation. He also said that Nurse Ratched was a ball busting buzzard and the biggest b*** he has ever met in his entire life...

                                         "This looks funnnnnnn.... *sarcastic*"