For this weeks post I choose to show a photo and tell the story behind it. In Afghanistan today American soldiers were involved in a firefight. The men had been occupying a strategic mountaintop in the Korengal Valley when they were attacked by Talban forces. Men raced to take cover and keep safe from the sudden onrush and, as one soldier, Kyle Stephenson put it, “We are very lucky we escaped without any wounded” (1). As the battle ensued many were taken off guard and forced to think and act quickly and intelligently. In a firefight one misstep can be the downfall.
The American forces were unscathed in the fight of firearms although the Taliban casualties remain unknown. This fight is an example of the American Forces ability to adapt and act quickly under pressure. General Max Sinkart commented, “Our Army is incredibly skilled, we can be ready for combat in a moments notice as we have seen today” (1).
As previously mentioned this fight went down in the Korengal Valley, one of the most war devastated areas in all of Afghanistan. The Valley is located in Eastern Afghanistan in the Kunar Province, the site of the heaviest fighting in the Afghan war. The firefight ended (for a reason not mentioned) and the daily life went back to normal. The picture shown is the scene after the fight. As the smoke left from the rifles rises up in the sky, the soldiers ironically take a smoking break.

Moore, John. "Pictures of the Day Oct. 28." 28 Oct. 2008 28 Oct 2008 .

MY PICTURE>..

Movie post

The article I found is reviewing a movie called “Stranded”, a documentary about how team spirit must remain intact in the face of a catastrophe. There is a narrator named Nando, a man who has lost his sister and mother does not give a very bright outlook for the future. The documentary remembers a plane crash in the Andes in 1972, and relives the struggles of the 16 survivors of the 42 who crashed. The movie is an in depth summary of the plane crash and is completely true. That fact makes the movie all the more chilling due to the horrible events and eventual cannibalism that takes place in the movie. When the plane crashed in the Valley of Tears glacier those on the plane (who survived) had to survive with anything they could do. At first the problem was food and the survivors had nowhere to turn but to the bodies of their friends and loved ones dead from the crash. One survivor describes it as “Things that I don’t think any animal is capable of doing- eating its own species”. The survivors not only were stranded but search parties had to be called off due to bad weather and so they had to go find civilization. The physical journey that the victims had to travel was over mountains and through treacherous conditions. Most of the movie is shot without much shadow. The vastness of the area they need to travel is amazing and most of the movie gives you a cynical dark view and you feel there isn’t much hope for the survivors.
“Mortal terror is outweighed by an overwhelming sense of wonder and personal discovery, as a ferocious will to live, not only for themselves but for one another, propels them to perform superhuman feats while exhausted and near starvation”. These people stuck on a mountain are a great lesson of human perseverance. The sheer will to live can make you do almost anything to survive. “Stranded” is a movie shot mostly in bluish black and white colors with faces and bodies usually blurred like in a blizzard. This may give a feeling of being lost, not quite being able to grasp at the real. The survivors decide to try and get to people because no help is coming. Their journey is hard but when they finally get to a small town you feel the end of the journey and almost want to cry. The survivors are airlifted out of the mountains and arrive home. As the movie ends you hear “no laws, just habits and practices accepted by the group.” The long movie draws to a close and we see the massage of togetherness has sewn itself into every part of this documentary.

Holden, Stephen. "Stranded: I've Come From a Plane THat Crashed In the Mountains." 22 Octobed 2008 23 Oct 2008 .

Outside reading

This week I found and article about a Chinese activist who won a rights prize. The award he won is called the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, an exceptionally prestigious award. Hu Jia is his name and he received this award from European Parliament for his critical thoughts and sayings about the Chinese Communist Party. Mr. Hu is a human rights activist and has been jailed for 3 and a half years for his critical writings on Chinese Government's Communism and Human Rights violations. China is unhappy about this award being given to their convict and said that this award will hurt the relations between China and Europe i na letter sent to the European Parliament.
“The European Parliament is sending out a signal of clear support to all those who support human rights in China.” Mr. Hu, who speaks his views clearly and without hesitation on some of the most important topics (i.e. AIDS and environmental protection), is even a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. The Chinese Government would be very upset but many believe that speaking out was what Hu Jia needed to do for the world. “Mr. Hu’s conviction in April was part of a nationwide crackdown against dissidents in what many human rights advocates considered a pre-Olympic silencing campaign”. When looking into the Chinese Government the people who are upset with Mr. Hu and those responsible for the vast majority of all Human Rights violations. If Mr. Hu should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize it could strain relations between China and the World though many seem to think rewarding free thought could be worth the tension.

Yardley, Jim. "Chinese Activist Wins Rights Prize." 23 October 2008 23 Oct 2008 .

Is Homer a Sexist?

Would Homer Be bonsidered a Sexist?

Homer’s treatment of women now may seen slightly sexist, but in the time period he was in, Homer was a feminist. He made his respect for women clear in his works, especially in The Odyssey. Homer shows his point of view through the nymph Calypso, a temptress who has captured Odysseus. When Hermes tells her she has to finally let Odysseus go, she flies into a rage. Calypso complains about the Gods being sexist. She whines about male gods being able to be with mortal women but not the other way around. This was how Homer portrayed his idea to people. He is saying that he doesn't agree with the inequality of relationships. He is saying that women should have just as much power in a relationship as men do. Also when Odysseus returns to Ithaca his home disguised as a beggar, he witnesses his wife tricking her suitors. Penelope has been portrayed as a weaker character who was dependant on her husband. Now though we see that she is intelligent and holds quite a bit of power over all of her suitors. Homer is portraying his view that women can be intelligent and have power.
Pallas Athena is another dominant female character in The Odyssey. Not only does she guide Odysseus through the entire poem, but she brings the peace of the end. A fight breaks out at the house of Odysseus' father as attempted revenge for killing the suitors. Athena then breaks into the fighting and orders a stop to the fighting. She tells Odysseus that war is not always the answer. He is depicting women as wise as we see this play out. In this instance the woman is indeed wiser than the man. Another example is when Odysseus shows up on an island and is helped by a princess. When he meets her he is naked. This fact humbles and lowers Odysseus to the woman. This is a very feminist idea of putting a man in the hands of a woman. Odysseus had no option but to trust a girl, implying his feminist ideas.

1st outside Reading

My first post I decided to relate to The Iliad and the theme of war and control. I found an article about the war in Iraq discussing the U.S. authority in Iraq. The U.S. wishes to extend our authority in Iraq past the end of this year while Iraq is fighting against this influence. Admiral Mike Mullen explains that the U.S. Staying is a good idea and that Iran is too involved in the issue. The U.S. believes that if we leave Iraq’s armies are not ready to protect their country and keep their country afloat. The Admiral believes that Iran has ulterior motives to getting the U.S. out of Iraq. He says Iraq is “running out of time” and that he is worried about Iraq not excepting this plan to have the U.S. staying in the country. The U.S. is still fighting for control in Iraq and we have plans to get more involved in the actions of Iraq.

Shanker, Thom. "Mullen Says Iraq "Running Out of Time" on Forces Accord." October 21, 2008 22 Oct 2008 .

The first post.

Hello. My name is Spenser and this is my second blog i have created. My first one got deleted along with my posts. I'm only slightly bitter. On a lighter note please feel free to follow my blog and comment when you can! :)