America in 6 Words

Powerful industrial giant succeeding in failure.

This 6-word memoir encompasses America's current situation. I started with the current issue of economic panic, wanting to put in a hint of irony, hence the last 3 words of the memoir. I find the current situation ironic, given that we are such an advanced, powerful nation, yet we are in our current predicament. The first half of the memoir deals with the powerful image of America, but it's countered in the second half by America's downfalls.

Personal Philosophy

The most valued concept in my life is honesty. I think when we look back on our lives and examine the times when we were dishonest, we'll see that nothing good came from it. Being dishonest creates negative situations and confusion. While honesty is not always what someone may want to hear, it's often time what they need to hear. It is even more important to be honest with yourself. A lot of times we find ourselves in situations where we make up excuses as to why we acted a certain way that we didn't want to, and it all stems back to dishonesty. I'm not saying that I'm not guilty of telling a white lies here and there or that when the truth hurts I always embrace it. I fall short of my ideals sometimes, but that doesn't mean I try to. I always assume that people are telling me the truth, because I always strive to tell people the truth. I don't see the necessity of lies. Lies just give you the ability to dig yourself into a hole and escape what you are running from. It's not a healthy habit to have. We need to face our fears in life. Lying your way out of something that makes you uncomfortable or causes you pain isn't a healthy way of dealing with the issue at hand. I also have a huge conscious and I'm a big believer in the philosophy that your actions reflect who you are. When I do something that I knew was wrong, it bothers me. This all goes back to honesty. If we embrace the truth, life is so much more fulfilling. Consequences exist for a reason. We learn from our mistakes. Lies give you the opportunity to escape consequence, which will only hinder your personal growth. I feel that if you live your life honesty, you will be in a much better place and you will feel much better about yourself. At the end of my life, I don't want to regret my decisions and I feel the more lies you tell the more you will regret.

Similarities?

While there are some similarities at first glance, I don’t think that what the U.S. is currently doing should be compared to Che’s presence in Bolivia. Both initiatives defy the native government, but I see that as where the similarities end. The mission of each initiative is different. Che was attempting to instill his ideals and philosophies on a people, whereas the U.S. is attempting to counter a terrorist organization. I think that both are being carried out in different ways. Yes, both are secretive. These are different because Che was trying to be a revolutionary, whereas the U.S. is attempting to stop such revolutionary groups in Pakistan. I think that these situations are the same, but opposing sides are represented.

Voice

“The full moon is silhouetted against the sea, smothering the waves with silver reflections.” This sentence allows Ernesto to use imagery, which he does quite often. He does a very detailed job of describing what is happening around him. In particular, he pays a great deal of attention to nature and scenery, in this instance the ocean. The imagery that he creates with his sentences is a key component in defining his voice as an author. When he takes the time to describe in detail an experience, it is important to him. As a reader, we learn what types of experiences or sceneries influenced him to most.
“Invigorated by lunch, we set off with enthusiasm on the climb. From the start, however, we were joined by flies that circled us ceaselessly, biting when they got the chance.” Ernesto uses very long sentences in general. He puts a lot of thoughts and details into each sentence. He does this through the use of commas, most often. This allows him to add complexity to most of his sentences. As a reader, it shows us that he is multidimensional as a person. He uses many words that don’t necessarily need to be included. For example, in the above passage, the word “however,” was not necessary, but it added depth to the sentence.

Who Killed Che Guevara?

I’m still not completely sure about the circumstances surrounding Che’s death, as I have not been here to watch most of the documentary. From what I gather, there were many people who could have potentially wanted him gone. From what I have watched so far, Castro seems to be a likely person to blame. However I also think that the United States may have been involved. As of now, I really don't feel like I know enough to be answering this particular question. Perhaps once I watch the documentary I will be able to form a more informed opinion.

It Was Him

The person who wrote these notes passed away the moment his feet touched Argentine soil again.
That familiar feeling, the one he instantly recognized, yet hated all the same came back.
It was as if no time had passed, but he was in a much different place.
A place so different that it had stayed the same
A place that he recognized all too well
And a place he wished did not exist.
This place held nothing to him and yet it held so much:
His past, his memories, all which made him who he was.
But he wanted nothing more than to go away, knowing fully that that never was nor ever will be an option.
It was in him. It was him. It would forever be him.
And he was gone.

Across the United States

I would love to go on a road trip across the United States. When we were freshmen, my best friend and I actually planned to take a road trip the summer after senior year. We made an itinerary of everything that we wanted to see. We plan on driving through every state and visiting at least one landmark within it, excluding Hawaii, as it would be a little difficult to reach by car. Some notable places we really want to visit are Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, and Diamond Crater National Park in Arkansas. We also really want to go to a game at Wrigley Field. We really wanted to go to a game at Yankee's Stadium, but obviously that will never happen. I'm very excited to find a bunch of small restaurants that have awesome local food. I'm slightly obsessed with the show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, which showcases small, local restaurants with incredible menus. Visiting the places mentioned on that show would be really cool. Also, I'd want to visit as many different gluten-free restaurants, stores and malls as possible. I love traveling, so naturally I would love to go on a road trip for as long as possible. Ideally, spending the whole summer on the road would be great!

First Impressions

I think that a lot of times I judge books by their covers. If it is presented nicely, it’s more likely to catch my attention. Another factor is my familiarity with the author or the genre of the novel. I know what types of books I don’t like to read, so naturally there are certain genres that I avoid. Similarly, there are authors whose novels I enjoy reading and there are authors whose novels I do not enjoy reading. These factors play into my first judgment of a book. One example of a book that caught my attention by the cover is His Bright Light by Danielle Steel. This turned out to be one of my favorite books, and the cover happened to be the first thing that caught my eye.
My first impressions about The Motorcycle Diaries are not good. I'm not really looking forward to reading this book. It doesn't look remotely interesting to me. It seems like it's going to be a boring book that I am not going to enjoy at all. Nothing about this book catches my interest. It's not the genre that I enjoy reading and it's not by an author that I enjoy reading. I expect to be disappointed with this book.

February 2

I agree with Beck's claims. He presents a good argument, and his presentation is very effective. He uses several effective methods of captivating the attention of his audience. When make such remarks and compare Che Guevara to such people as Hitler and Stalin, people are going to listen to what you are saying. That definitely catches their attention. He speaks with a very sarcastic tone. The whole time he's speaking he just sounds like he's mocking Che Guevara. He brings up ironic points, such that the "king of communism" is now a great capitalist. He also takes many stabs at society today. He is a bit provocative as a speaker, but I don't think that he is too provocative. He's provocative enough that he captures the attention of his audience, but not so provocative that lots of people think he is ridiculous.