Robert Di Donato Di Donato 1
Professor Lennon
Literature in the 21st Century
December 1, 2008

Option Two: Describe the four Texts
Going in chronological order, the first play I will go in depth about is “The Mercy Seat” by Neil LaBute. The premise behind this was this man, Ben, was having an affair with his boss, Abby. He was having the internal conflict of whether or not to manipulate the situation that was 9/11 to finally run off with Abby or to return to his family and continue being a cheat. It progresses and we finally see that he makes the right choice and goes back to his wife, inevitably hurting his mistress, Abby; hoping things go back to the way they were.
The main concept behind “The Mercy Seat” was that of morality. Do you do what is wrong or do you do what is just even if the situation pending makes the option so much sweeter. One section I believe portrays that beautifully is on page 63 and 64. We see Abby and Ben in yet again another argument about him making the phone call to what she believes is his wife. He explodes at her because she wants him to tell the truth and he just cannot do that. At this point in time, he is still weighing out the options in his mind whether or not to use 9/11 as a scapegoat to live a life with his mistress or to go back to his wife and children with his tail between his legs, admit he was wrong, and revert to the way things were. It finally hits him what the right, just thing to do is, and he makes the phone call, which unfortunately ends up being to Abby.
Di Donato 2
The next novel, which is actuality a memoir, is Jarhead by Anthony Swoffard. We enter into his life as a Marine. We go through his trials and tribulations as an incoming Marine and the experiences he goes through. As we get towards the end of the memoir, we finally come to see that Swoff never really does anything while in war, yet he recants to us that if one was not in war, they cannot say nor do anything negative about it because they were not there.
This piece of literature confused me about the theme behind it. To me, I personally see it as a jumbled mess of confusion. It has the feel of just babbling on to try and get a point across when there really is no point to be had. “To be a marine, a true marine, you must kill.”(Swofford, pg. 247) It is truly a powerful statement. Yet, we also have another statement that nullifies it. “… and thought at the time I was angry that the pompous captain took the handset from me and stole my kills, I have lately been thankful that he insisted on calling the fire mission, and sometimes when I am feeling hopeful or even religious, I think that by taking my two kills the pompous captain handed me life.” (Swofford, pg.257) Anthony mentions how one must kill to be a true marine, yet he, in fact, never killed. On a previous page, he tells us to listen while he talks because he signed up. “… but because I signed the contract and fulfilled my obligation to fight one of America’s wars, I am entitled to speak.” (Swofford, pg. 254) This entire memoir is just his way of complaining and has no real premise behind it. He is just rejoicing us with his tale. There is no real morality because he did what he had to do when told. He would have killed if told to. He would not have killed if not told to. This is just his ranting when he really has no right to rant since he himself admitted he is not a “real marine”.
Di Donato 3
Next on the agenda is the graphic novel Shooting War by Anthony Lappe and Dan Goldman. In this, we more or less see a young man, Jimmy Burns, get tossed into a foreign land after he gets amazing footage of a terrorist act in front of him. He was an active blogger who always streamed his opinion on the internet. The way he filmed the original attack got him a job for Global News which had him deep in the heart of a terrorist land. We discover the plans of the Hand of Mohammed, the main faction over there, and slowly but surely defeat them. But, after Jimmy sees several people get murdered before his eyes and his blog gets shut down, he retrieves a backup of his data and uploads it onto YouTube, showing the world what had really happened.
What I feel this graphic novel tries to display is that of truth. We have a man who was loved as well as hated for having a blog and posting his real feelings about certain topics. Then when the topic in question got a little too real for people to stomach, he was censored on his own public online journal. That is why I find the latter of the novel to be the best example of this. After Global news has his blog shut down, Dan Rather hands him his footage to place onto another worldwide renowned site to get his point across. It shows that no matter how graphic the content is, people should be able to see the truth whether they like it or not. It should not be up to the government to say how we, the people, should feel about certain things. If we want to know what is going on, we will look for the detailed stuff like Jimmy uploaded. If we want something a bit more G-rated, we will watch the 10 o’clock news or pick up the New York Times. It is all about expressing our opinion, no matter how factual or brutal it truly is.

Di Donato 4
Last on our list of reading material is the play “The Pillowman” by Martin McDonagh. We find out that we are in a communist land with three people in an enclosed interrogation room. We have Katurian, a writer of very vivid novels, and two cops, Detective Tupolski and Officer Ariel. The two authority figures believes that Katurian and his brother, Michal, have committed three murders; the slicing of a child’s toes to make him bleed out, feeding a little girl razor blades in apples, and a recreation of Jesus Christ. As we read on, we find out that Michal had performed these heinous acts and blamed Katurian for writing such graphic stories which warped his mind. After being hurt by his brother’s actions, he suffocates him with a pillow, the same way he did his parents. As Katurian writes a confession, he asks simply to not have his work destroyed so that his legacy would live on. After they find out that the confession was falsified and that the third child, the Jesus Christ kill, was never actually murdered, they kill him for the previous murders yet let his work remain.
What this is about in my opinion is that of memory. The thought of Katurian’s past is what made him write such amazing novels. If not for Michal’s beatings, he would not have written as well. We see what Katurian is placed on his knees, about to get shot point blank in the head, he continues to write to keep his legacy alive. He basically continues the tale of “The Writer and his Brother” by adding a specific ending to it. He added where the Pillowman, one of Michal’s favored story characters, comes in and asks Michal if he would choose to kill himself now. He merely responds that if he does die, his brother will not hear his torture, and his stories will not be as good. He retorted once more that he will suffer through it because he felt that one day, he would like the stories
Di Donato 5
and would be happy to read them. We see that even at the time of his death, much like the philosopher Socrates, the thing they were being put to death for they were still doing. They did not care about themselves, but about the memory of their work and what they stood up for; they believed in.

What does the house look like

HOUSES
R

Just

H

only when they are not.

Your job: what does the H look like? On your own blog under the title "HOUSE" I want you to post a picture or link to a picture. Then write a paragraph where you explain why you chose that particular image (since this is about a house that expands and contracts in a way that defies rationale thought, you might want to be a bit creative here). I then want you to find a paragraph in the book (or a couple of lines) that you quote that gave you the inspiration for your image.

http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~jconte/Images/Duchamp_Nude.jpg

The reason I chose this image was for the sole fact that it is Marcel Duchamp's "Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2" instills an aspect of a home, like stairs, but in an erratic pose & context. We also have a person walking up or down the stairs, but you cant tell what the damned thing is or was. The jumbling of the artwork begs the question of where does it begin & where does it end, like a house that is constantly changing. How do you know the start of it or the end of it?

Video

Images.

you do not read this book.

You w a t c h it.

On your own blog under the heading "VIDEO" post or link a video that is a visual of The House of Leaves. You can be literal and post a blog of Mark Danielewski reading from his book or you could be figurative and find a clip that relates to the book in some way.

After you post it or link to it, then I want you to write a paragraph where you explain why you chose your video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gyug0q9eyqw&NR=1

I chose the video for the sole fact that it was a trailer & it gave slight clues on maybe how to read the novel itself. The way it scrolls from scene to scene explains how confusing the book actually can be if you dont read it exactly. It is eccentric to no avail, but that is what the allure is. You want to know what it is about & it keeps you guessing on what it is.

Character Sketch

who are these people that people the halls of this book?
If you last name starts with A-D you take Karen
If your last name starts with E-I you take Navy
If your last name starts with J-P you take Reston
If your last name starts with Q-U you take Holloway
If your last name starts V-Z you take Tom.

Find three passages from this book and give a character analysis of the person.
POST TO YOUR OWN BLOG POST UNDER THE HEADING "CHARACTER SKETCH"

"Karen does not look at the map again. she just smiles & takes a sip of Wax's beer. They continue talking, more about Wax's girl troubles, another round of 'dont worry, keep living, you're young' & then out of nowhere Wax leans over & kisses Karen on the lips. It lasts less than a second & clearly shocks her, but when he leans over & kisses her again she does not resist. In fact the kiss turns into something more than a kiss, Karen's hunger almost exceeding Wax's."

"The radio remains an incomprehensible buzz of static, but from somewhere in the house, rising up like some strange black oil, there comes a faint knocking. Chad & Daisy actually detect it first, but by the time they reach their parent's bedroom, Karen is already up with the light on, listening intently to this new disturbance."

"Karen says nothing when she hears Navidson make this comment, though she does get up abruptly to go out to the backyard & smoke a cigarette."

Reading these little tidbits about Karen, I can tell she is a cool, calm, collected person who doesnt mind fighting for what she may or may not believe in. She knows how to bite her tongue & when to speak at the right moments. She could have confronted Navidson but decided to relax & have a little nicotene break. When she heard knocking, however, she was the first one up to confront the issue. All together, though, she is just passionate. The way she kissed & knew how to defend the others along with herself, it shows she has a lot of heart.

When a House is not a House

THE HOUSE
is not a house.
It is much more.
It is a metaphor.
FOR WHAT?
In three paragraphs, I want you to decide what the house could stand for. Think this through. Please post this response on your own blog.
[check out my comment to this post for possible ideas]

I read about the house & how it constantly changes & personally considered it to be a metaphor for oneself. We as a people start out as a foundation just like a house. We have the same blueprints as anyone else; XX[female] & XY[male]. This is similar to a house having the same base content; concrete, windows, etc. As time goes on, the basis behind each thing, whether it be human or house, changes.

We see how when a boy or girl grows up, they dont stay the same way they were as an infant. They mature, they develop, & get different interests than from when they were younger. A house, much like humans, are always changing. You can have construction done to the interier or the exterier. Maybe pull up the rugs & put in hardwood floor. Hell. You could even put tile. But it can & always change. Even if you keep it the same, the things get older & more brittle... Just like us.

This book reminds me of the quote from Heraclitus that you can never step into the same river twice. Not only does the river which is forever flowing changes since it's new water rushing past, but you as an individual are different as well. First you went in dry & now the second time you're a slight bit moister & maybe even colder. The same is said with this house & us. You get into it & think you know it. Then at the drop of a dime it changes & then that all too familiar thing is but a distant memory & stands before you a whole new creation.

Skip It

Johnny Truant writes, "The way I figure it, if there's something you find irksome--go ahead and skip it."

What is Mr. Truant implying about the book: If you only read the parts that you want and skip the parts that you don't care about, how will you get the whole story? Is he asking us to be lazy? Or does he know us better than we do and realize this is just what we were going to do anyway?

On your own blog under the title SKIP IT, write down the parts that you skipped when reading--and be honest. Did you read the first page and then just stop? did you read through the "main story" (whichever you think that is) and then just skip the rest? Did you switch back and forth.

write three-four paragraphs where you write down your experience reading this book. But do not write "I" or any first person. Have distance. Write about your self in the third person. Example: "After the second chapter, John Lennon could not read anymore of Johnny Truant's footnotes. They were so obviously sexist and boring and completely ridiculous. Mr. Lennon wanted to know about the hallways............"

Several sections were skipped. To really define which parts one cannot do at this moment because it was due to not knowing how or when to read it. Just note most of it was kind of absorbed while the rest is still under observation.

Reading this book made Rob a confuzzled panda of sorts. Scrolling through it, trying harder & harder to understand it, but was left too devastated to handle. Reading this conglomerate of confusion made this tattooed individual think of several old television shows & movies. More specifically was the Treehouse of Horror episode of the Simpsons when the family moves into the house & it begins to bleed, change rooms, & inevitably self destruct. Another movie was Thirteen Ghosts. The house begins to morph & twist into different shapes until it, too, self destructs.

When Truant mentions about skipping things that are irksome. Reading it made this junior believe that it wasn't a negative thing to 'skip over' it to forget. It was to skip over right now to reread it again later. It is not like said skipped item is not as important as the rest, but actually something to delve further into by means of reading between the lines or looking closer at to better understand. To skip means you either forget completely about it or go onto an easier section & then return.

House of Leaves was a lot like the first time reading a manga. Typically one reads a graphic novel from left to right. With japanese comics, you have to read it from right to left, not knowing if a panel collides, where to follow from. This was exactly the same feeling. You'd read it then magically a giant blue box is on the page & it's like, "Hrm... So where do we begin?" That same feeling still is felt while reading House of Leaves. Mangas, however, are a much simpler read. Maybe next novel should be one of those. ;-)

Confrontation with a fellow tagger

Reading [& seeing] about graffiti for this week made me wanna visit my cousin, PJ. He & I as I said in my previous post used to do a lot together. He'd BMX & skateboard while I bladed. He would take me to China town & hang out with his friends & do nerdy crap together like play Magic. We even tagged together.

Seeing as he is about 30 now & Im 20, our relationship has changed a bit. We bullshit about a lot of stuff... Now it's more or less about tattoos [he does them & I get them, etc] & how both of our aspirations for our art have grown. He went with permanent scarring of one's skin along with making clothing designs while I took the route of graphic novels. We both sat back, had a beer, lit up a cigarette, & just talked about it.

After talking for several hours, we got bored & hit up a few spots, thinking of the good ol' times. We just walked past a few murals & tags & just thought, "Damn... How the times have changed." The style of things, the ways they were done, & so forth. I personally loved how it all evolved. He wasnt exactly too fond of it, but he was always one for stability & lack of change. I saw the old school styles along with the new & it motivated me to take up my mask & cans & just do work.

My first heart will always be for writing. I may not be the best, but lord knows it's the only thing that gets me out of my moods. Second is music. Whenever Im down & out, listening or playing something always gets me going. My last & final love is that of art. Outside of tattoos & such, I've always been a kid for graffiti. My older cousin & I would tag up a lot when we were younger. Gravesend & Bensonhurst were our beloved bombing spots because it was local for one. Secondly, the area already was dipped in the culture around us.

Getting around B-hurst [where the guns burst] & Gravesend was probably what made me love graffiti & appreciate it for what it truly is. Seeing murals or even people's tags bubbled all over the N line or intricately placed high up on the D made it that much more interesting. Not only did they want their name known, but they went out of their way to specifically let you know that they're unique enough to go to the highest heights to do so. My tags werent really original.. PJ, however. His was the truest definition of art, despite the fact bystanders thought he was defacing property.

I look around the Brooklyn area & even the City towards the walls & subways just in amazement. People complain & paint over but I see it as people living vicariously through their pieces. I knew one kid, Marcus Motion, a while ago who has done several pieces around Brooklyn [specifically in the Bensonhurst region]. He has [had?] several things up on 18th avenue that wasnt just graffiti but a message to everyone in a witty delivery. It reminded me of Banksey almost. It isn't just any other tag like most of his works [http://a637.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/7/l_a38ad647e7599459df37c19c52ea83f4.jpg]. They have meaning... They have heart. They have his heart. They pulse & pump through the walls & streets while he isnt around. Not only does it have his heart, but his voice. [http://a695.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/47/l_d4c07cbe3aed6c276a9b75667bf9f19e.jpg]. How Miss 17 throws up a "17" or blatantly writing "Miss17", he has his own symbol, too. It is typically a smiley face with two M's for eyes [http://a313.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/5/l_f7defca3095383a0669cba44b5340550.jpg]. Whether he were to do that everywhere or just his statements, they still breathe with him. They still live with him. It's one reason I have been so into graffiti art for so long. It's the underestimated art in this modern world that gets frowned upon all the time.

I think one of his newer pieces says it all, really...
http://a849.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/56/l_ad3f71f0189e0cebefb73dddc236a200.jpg

Ah. The aftermath of an election. People yelling Obama in pride. Others cursing his name. I find it how people get so hyped over something as trivial as Mace Windu winning or Darth Sideous. Rather ironic how politics engulfs our lives yet something like murder goes unseen by many. I guess promotion really gets people underway. If people wore shirts of a massacred body that said "Progress" or "NObama," shit would get acknowledged.

Reading Pillowman & just seeing everyday life really has gotten to me. It's so odd how some things go unnoticed yet others get called out... If you notice, not much attention was given with the death of the two little kids & the pending death of the Little Jesus girl revamped except by the families who brought it up. It didnt seem to get much light outside of that because of where they were from. It just makes no sense how even in present day America, crap like that goes down, too. People get kidnapped & killed & the second it may be a hate crime or some kind or brutality to the extreme, it gets its time in the limelight. Everything else is behind the closed curtains.

*needs a title*

Eh. Today is election day. Everyone is hyping it up. I log onto my Facebook & I see "I have voted for *insert name here*" as if people care. Like, it's called "Election day" for a reason. We know you voted! Jeez... I would have liked to have seen something interesting put up there. Maybe "I did something productive with my life!" or "I just slaughtered an entire family with a toothpick, a pair of shoelaces, & some mouth wash" Something worth seeing.

But, yeah. It gave me some time to read since this was a slow day. I was reading The Devil's Rose [again] by Brom, who is my favorite artist, and thought about how it might actually play hand in hand with the Pillowman. In The Devil's Rose, we see how several hell beasts leave the bowels of their dark abyss & slaughter five individuals to take over their bodies. The protagonist of this story, Cole McGee, comes in & bit by bit takes them down. As he goes back to Hell to return his captured fugitives, we find out that the only reason he is fighting is to redeem his own personal demons. Hearing about Cole made me think of Katurian. He wrote because of all of the things he heard in his past as a youth similar to why Cole fights monsters & brings them back to their fiery prison. Katurian writes because he loves to, but it could have been so much better if not influenced by the pain & misery behind it. Cole does it because he feels like he has to pay back everything he has done in his life, but also if his life was different, it could have been so much better for him.

Oddly enough, though, how Brom wrote his book, more or less letting his artwork tell more of the tale than his words, I could have seen Pillowman being the same thing. No matter how graphic it may have been, I think images would have been much crazier to display it's point opposed. I could picture the Pillowman being a somewhat innocent creature but still look demented due to what his job entailed or visually seeing the girl in The Little Jesus.

The Pillowman

I was truly mesmerized by this play. I can honestly say this is now up there as one of my favorite books to read, which is surprising because most of my top picks are either by James Patterson, Tom Clancy, or Stephen King. I think one reason I loved this play was for the sole fact I can relate to it. Katurian was like the spitting image of me in my eyes. I put my heart & soul into writing & I rather see my pieces of art live on opposed to myself. I guess for me it's an ego thing. I rather people remember me for what I did than who I was. He seemed to have been the same way. Like, he was a righteous person for taking the heat for his brother even if he did "Pillowman" him by killing Michal before he would befall an even more tragic fate. It would be sweeter to have a loved one take your life opposed to some people who knew that you were misunderstood.

His matyrdom, sacricing himself for his beliefs, was what made me feel shitty at the end of the play. When I read that he got shot in the head & his last dying remarks were making another story just really hit home. Even on his last dying breath he did what he did best; storytell. It reminded me of when Plato wrote about Socrates & his deathbed. Socrates was with his two friends & all he did while waiting for the hemlock to arrive was philosophize, which was what he was sent to death for. Katurian & Socrates were one & the same & if I were put in his shoes, I could easily see myself doing the same exact thing.

I love the delicious twist of irony at the end, though, how the novels were set ablaze just like the ending of the actual story Pillowman. For the Pillowman, it was a release & even with Katurian, it was a cleansing process as well. As his writings died, so did he, & was sent to a better place, just like the Pillowchild had done for the Pillowman.

As a tangent, though, I think it would have been quite bad ass if they had each story mentioned in the play [Pillowman, The Little Jesus, The Green Pig, etc.] could have been written in the back of the book so if people were interested in reading the whole novel by Katurian, it could be an option to further understand how Michal believed it was meant to be a reason to kill outside of the obvious facts they told us.

*wants to buy Katurian's novels if they were real*

First & foremost *yells at top of lungs* Just wrong this HUGE blog entry just for it to get deleted. Uberly lame. But back to the topic at hand!

I love this play.. It officially has become a favorite of mine due to the eccentric mini-stories that Katurian tells or we discover as it goes on. The Little Jesus was quite bad ass if I do say so myself. But, what really makes me love this play is who their antagonist is. Michal as the anti hero is flippin' sweet because of who he is as an individual. If he was of sound mind or body, it would not be cool mimicing stories & such. The point that he is so naive & so innocent due to his mental stability makes it wicked cool. When I read this, it just made me think of John Krammer, also known as "Jigsaw", from the movie Saw. He was this guy in #1 who was in a hospital bed, dying, of cancer. In #2, he's invalid & only able to get around via wheelchair due to the progressive state of his cancer. In #3, he is stuck in his bed & then is inevitably killed! But, loe & behold, he still is the antagonist doing all of this crap. Michal is the same. To a sense, he is sick & still doing these demented things with the assistance of another. I hate when the murderer/serial killer is so lackluster without good enough motive. With him, he thought he was helping the individual kids from living horrible lives like the Pillowman, but thought he was the "nice" version opposed to the bad.

I apologize for lack of length, but I put my heart into the previous post & it betrayed me so...
*sighs in disbelief that all that work went to poo*

Pillow Fight!

"Kat: A man comes into a room, says 'Your mother's dead, yeah?
Mich: I know my mother's dead.
Kat: No, I know, but in a story. A man comes into a room, says to another man, 'Your mother's dead.' What do we know? Do we know that the second man's mother is dead?
Mich: Yes
Kat: No, we dont.
Mich: No, we dont.
Kat: All we know is that a man has come into a room and said to another man, 'Your mother is dead.' That is all we know. First rule of storytelling. 'Dont believe everything you read in the papers.'"

I read that & it distinctly made me think of Brother Ed's class last semester. It was Epic's in poetry & film when we began to read The Road by Cormac McCarthy & as always, we got on this magical tangent about the Adventures of Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn. This is going to be me paraphrasing an older blog, but I find it ironic how in multiple novels/plays/etc. they tell us to not trust what is being said... So if we DONT trust what is said, how can we trust the statement you just said?! *pulls hair out*

It truly is an interesting read. I've read similar novels, not plays, in the past, but nothing like this. I like how each twist & turn of evidence has you wondering "Hrm.. If Kat & Mich really telling the truth or are the Detectives really just being assholes trying to convict them for something they didnt do?" Right now, I cant wait to finish reading it. *gets back to the book*

Hollywood, We're Never Going Down

This weekend was a nice mix of emotions & such. After many things, doing poorly on a midterm I know I aced, my pregnant cousin being admitted to the hospital for several ailments, & my grandfather being declared with dementia, I decided to just slip away into my own realm of thought. I popped on several favored videos & then some that weren't just because I hadn't seen them yet.

The first I saw was 300, then the Boondock Saints, which was lastly followed by Batman Begins *vomits a slight bit due to the fact it's a DC movie*. As I watched each one, it reminded me of some war movies. A lot of these films they seem to have a purpose for doing what they do. 300, Leonidas fights to defend his Spartan people & achieve that "perfect kill" in which they die for their country in a glorious bang. In Boondock, Connor & Murph have a calling by God to remove the "bad" in the world, or at least where they live. In Batman, he basically feels the same way; that he needs to keep Gotham safe & well.

In a lot of these stories, none of the characters really have a good motive to fight or do what they're doing. It's more or less "I signed up & Im here." How can you raise arms against another if you dont even really know why you're doing it? In all of the previously mentioned, there is reason to defend oneself & launch an attack. With Swoff & the multiple Scottish guys in Black Watch, they dont really have anything forcing them or motivating them to react. One typically has reason to fight.. Not just does. It confuses me on several levels & want to look further into this to see if there has ever been a protagonist/antagonist/vigilante who has ever done something just for the Hell of it.

After further adue..

Man it has been a while since I did one of these. Almost two weeks. Sheesh. Life has been exceptionally hectic. School, work, fraternal business, PERSONAL business, & everything else in between has just swamped my life that I couldn't even log in to write about all of it! It makes me think, though. We have all of those people at war today whose lives all just stop to do something for our country. Most of the men out there had girlfriends, wives, kids, jobs. Whatever. They all had something to do & it all got scooped away when they recruited.

Only reason this comes to mind now is because one of my close friends, almost like a little brother to me, Marty, is recruiting himself & is getting sent off around November 21st. He sees this as a once in a lifetime experience to go around & do amazing things, yet most of us are thinking, "Buddy, there are a hell of a lot of amazing things you can experience here without the possibility of a fatality."

Just makes me think of the prior stories we've read & how everything falls into play for a reason. Maybe great things will come to him. Maybe they wont. It's just very unnerving to see a close friend go at something as permanent as joining the army...

War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing?

"Granty: You've fucked her three ways.
Rossco: Every hole in her body.
Granty: And you're saying dinnay ken her that well.
Granty: That's fucking bad news like...
... Cammy: You fucking user cunt.
Granty: Are you gonnay use us?
Rossco: You are ay?
Writer: No.
Granty: Cos I dinnay mind like.
Writer: You dont?
Granty: So long as I get access tay birds like that researcher lassie you're shagging."[22-23]

Some people go to war to be more patriotic & others do so because they got drafted.. But when you enlist yourself, what exactly are your intentions? Some because their family members did it & are following a legacy. Others to get out of going to school or work... But why in this situation?

"Lord Elgin: What more do you want? Three square meals a day, games of football way your mates, guns...
Rossco: We get guns?
LE: Big fucking guns.
Rossco: Guns are fucking magic.
LE: Guns & football & drink & exotic poontang & that.
Shoot a few Germans.
You'll have a fucking hoot.
Cammy: What about glory?
LE: Glory?
Cammy: Aye?
LE: Oh aye... aye... the glory."

Why do they fight? It seems like they're in it for the almost vacation part of it even though in the end, it probably wont be any of that. It's rather upsetting how they all got easily drafted due to a simple bit of persuasion & a choice selection of words.

Boondock Soldiers

Reading the first few pages of this play, it reminded so much of the movie Boondock Saints. Sure in the movie we have two religious twin brothers, Connor & Murphy, who were Irish as could be, but just reading the dialect & such brings back such awesome flashbacks. The vulgarities of war are both similar & even this one specific section makes me think they are close in comparison; "Fraz: Is it like the film?
Cammy: What?
Fraz: The book? Is it like the film? Ay Lawrence ay Arabia?
Cammy: Is it fuck.
Fraz: I bet it's nowhere near as good as the fucking film.
Cammy: No.
Fraz: Never is, is it?
Cammy: Never"

Reading that section is almost mirrored to the scene when they go in on the hit for the russian mob boss. After they make the nine man kill, Connor & Murphy joke about how it's not like the movies. How in the cinema, usually the fight scenes last for twenty minutes & people are jumping over couches & such. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5W46NPGkhE].

It's ironic how in almost every novel/play read thus far, they, the soldiers, take death & dying to such a lax degree & almost make a joke of it to make it easier on themselves & others.

Shooting War

Im a big fan of graphic novels. Typically Im very bias when it comes to anything outside of the Marvel world due to my utmost love & respect for the genius Stan Lee. Even though this was more or less political based storyline, I found it intriguing & very comical. The fact that Lappe & Goldman integrated both real photos with the drawn was a surprising twist on the reading.

One thing I did love was how both Shooting & Jarhead both mentioned the warping of the individual's being. Jimmy & Swoff both had vivid dreams that bothered their sleep & shows the deteriorating of the human soul & how it really does have a negative effect of these men & women who go to war.

The Best Part of "Believe" is the "Lie"

"My name is Jimmy Burns. I'm a liar, a fake, and a fraud."

That had to be the most powerful statement I read from Shooting War. When I hear someone make an accusation like they lie, are fake, & are a fraud, it makes me not trust their word... So reading the entire graphic novel had me second guess how much was fact & how much was fiction from his end. It reminded me of the adventures of Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn. Huck is an alright kid, but changes his demeanor while around Tom. Sawyer is a bit of a hellraiser. The two, however, lie to their aunt Polly, which says something because they would never lie to her because of how much they love her. So with that being said, if they lied to their family, what makes you believe they won't lie to us, the reader, who they barely know?

Having someone muster up a bold statement makes you wonder is that statement even true? If they are a liar, fake, & fraud, wouldn't they be honest about their dishonesty[all of which makes NO sense]? It is very philisophical & way too annoying to try & comprehend. It just reminds me of Tony Montana saying, "I always tell the truth. Even when I lie," as well as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, "Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly." All contradicting statements, but well worth looking into because they're awesome movies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciF2CYn36gA-- Scarface Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCLN6STYx5M-- PotC Trailer

*Insert clever title here*

"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing" Shakespeare, MacBeth [Act V, Sc. V]

Ive been reading some of Billy boy's work as of late because of boredom. This is one of my favorite quotes of his throughout all of his plays & sonnets. When I read it again, it reminded me of the statement Swoff said towards the end of his memior. Im going to paraphrase, but it was something like, "If you weren't in a war, you have no right to talk. This is my time to speak & you're going to listen"[When I have the book on me, I'll get the exact quotation. Promise ^_^] It is a very rough translation, but it got me to thinking; does Swoff's statement mirror Shakespeare?

Is being a soldier basically that? Where you go on 'stage' for a little bit, do your scene then leave? All these warriors go out & fight, yet, the only time they are remembered are if they died or did something climatic... Anthony Swofford is that idiot telling his tale, which is more than filled with sound & fury, despite the fact he never really did anything. In the end, though, what did his memior do? Nothing. It was basically his way of complaining & us listening to it. He forced his way onto another stage & had his hour.

Jarhead part Deux

"Some shooters might liken the trigger to a clitoris, and the well-placed shot to the female's orgasm, but in STA 2/7 we refrain from anthropomorphizing out weapons. To do so would introduce a human element into an entirely mechanical relationship. To do so might humanize our enemy, a certainly fatal mistake. Trigger pull is trigger pull. Period." [Swofford, pg. 134]

This touched me to a large degree. For one, the sexual references & the choice of words. Every time they fire a weapon & hit their mark, it is rubbing a clit & causing a climax. But, to Swoff, he doesn't do that because it turns them human, so he says at the end of that paragraph "period." Typically when a female is on her menstral cycle, her 'period', the sex comes to a standstill [unless you wanna earn your redwings, but that is a different tale for a different date]. Swoff basically stops all of it with his 'period.'

Another thing that got to me was that dehumanization thing. Say every man who ever went to war went back to their homes... They would never be the same. If they had to be broken down to turn into that "killing machine" that means that they would have to go through ANOTHER bootcamp to turn back into who they are. They are broken down to such an extreme to become these heartless monsters but sent back into society with the same mentality. It kinda sickens me to think how freedom is never free & always comes with a price.

Long Road to Ruin

"If I ever find out one of you goes and kills yourself over pussy, I'll chase you down into hell and kill your ignorant ass a second time." [Swofford, pg. 69]

I was rereading some pages & I find it rather disturbing how they take mortality on such a light note. Swoff mentions several reasons why some men may kill themselves while in the Corps. I personally have had my ups & downs with the opposite sex, but to kill myself? That seems a bit harsh. The manner in which they mention suicide or maybe even euthenasia [if one of the Marines helped] is just so lax.

The fact that the thought of death is just so easily tossed over one's shoulder is really upsetting at least in my opinion. I had my moments earlier in life when I felt like it would be easier dead than alive, but the reactions behind it weren't like theirs. "... And you want to kill yourself? I need to go for a run. You coming?" [Swofford, pg. 71] I never saw anyone toss away a life so simply & just verify his action by going for a jog. I question whether the war has hindered their feelings or if they think being casual like that would lighten the already dark mood. To me, I think different situations make you have different responses. If Swoff was in America without any military training, I could easily see him like his sister in "Serendipity" over an action like that. But does the influence of war & violence overrule something of that magnitude? Is it easier to laugh it off or work out than acknowledge a problem?

House Parties=War?

On friday, September 19th, one of the sickest parties occurred & it was all due to poor planning & over inviting people. While it was going on & I was watching what was going on around me, I oddly enough did think of Jarhead [which is kind of odd.. Usually my weekends, or at least the start of them, do not consist of me thinking of school =P].

I was in the midst of people, all bumping & pushing into one another, & it was like guerrilla warfare. Makeshift groups of individuals would pop out of no where & hit you accidentally because they were grinding too hard or they were just too drunk & fell over their own feet. I know Swoff & the STA were scout/snipers, but I could imagine them looking through their scopes at this mayhem thinking "Shit, we have to kill some of these bastards to save our own."

Then whenever people werent attacking you while dancing, there were random people making out & trying to do something horrible. It just reminded me of how all those guys were sleeping with whores & stuff, knowing full well they had girls at home. It made me wonder does a change of scenary merit doing what they do? Like, just because they went off to war, does that give them the right to screw around & hurt their significant others like that? You're at a party with a few beers, does that make it alright to randomly do what you're doing?

Then lastly we did our Heidi, a fun ol' chant of sorts that always caps the night. How everyone acted while doing it made me instantly think of the field fuck. Heidi is meant to be for fun & the field fuck kinda is, too, but deep down it has much more provocative meaning to it... Ours is just for shits & giggles.

All & all, was a Hell of a time. I'd do it again, even if I did think about Jarhead while going there.

Jarhead

The fun of reading this novel, or at least up to page 150, was how this was supposed to be almost supportive of the war but has so many negative aspects that make you look down on it. Like on page 33, the first paragraph reads "Like most good and great marines, I hated the Corps. I hated being a marine because more than all of the things in the world I wanted to be-- smart, famous, sexy, oversexed, drunk, fucked, high, alone, famous, smart, known, understood, loved, forgiven, oversexed, drunk, high, smart, sexy-- more than all of those things, I was a marine. A jarhead. A grunt."

Living in everyday life now, we see commercials for the Marine Corp. & they hype it up to such an extreme that you truly want to sign your life away. As we see Swofford "field fuck" I believe Keuhn, he comments how he's hitting him from behind for signing his life away & multiple other somewhat horrific things. Why do they glamourize joining the Army & other groups of protection when they know it's all falsified? Why do we, the people, believe it to be what they say? Are we that naive of a people to trust everything at face value when people tell us it? It's really upsetting how we are so easily lured into things just by how someone can manipulate words or situations into their own favor.

Two Guys, a Girl, & O'Keefes

Today had to be either a very sucky day or a very bad ass one. It started off slow due to sleep deprivation & getting up early for class. I survived my three classes, despite the fact two of the three were kind of fun because they were literature oriented. Then once I was free, I ended up playing football with the brothers. Mind you, having to get second pick when you know the good players are being taken is the lamest thing out there. I was Brett Farve but instead of now being on the Jets, I was bought by the Miami Dolphins... My God did my team mates suck. I tell them to run plays & they'd scramble like chickens without heads. After losing a miserable 3-0 defeat, we got pooped & then headed back to the school to work out. As I got my swell on, I knew that the rest of this day could only get better.

After finding my regime, I headed over to O'Keefes [I know.. Working out then going to a bar is retarded, but I did not drink. I was chilling with friends.] I met up with my homeslices & we just talked until everyone had to bounce for reasons unknown. In the end, Im left with this really hot Irish chick. We're talking one on one getting to know one another & I just call her out on everything, basically being a dick, but a sweet prick to get her all fiesty. After she & I split a beer, I challenged her to a dance off because I get competetive with anyone who is spunky like her. We ended up having a rather sick makeshift date until my friends came back & watched us for like, 20 minutes straight.

Cockblocks.

As Officer Michaels said to Officer Slater in Superbad, "You must guide McLovin's cock, not block it." They obviously didnt see that part of the film...

Make Out Club

The saying is true, you know. Life is definitely a bitch because if it was easy, it'd be a slut. I was listening to Tickle Me Pink's "Typical," (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPvoAvmPNMw) & then randomly got contacted by TWO exes & a third was mentioned in conversation. I try to forget them, but constant reminders are a pain in the funbag, hence why it's a bitch =P. It's bad enough my obsession with music constantly has them in my head.

A little FYI for my fans out there reading, any girl I ever felt was somehow special in my life got a song dedicated to them [Hoot was "Lady So Divine" by Shinedown because I truly thought she was 'divine' *gags a little*(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzz1-xQu_g0). Red has "How to Save a Life" by The Fray due to the fact that in the song, he sings 'Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend," something she said she had never done; lose a friend. She tossed me to the corner the second she found someone else who paid MORE attention to her. Skank. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmFi2snLr7o). Caro has "Brown Skin Girl" by Carlos Santana because she was, in fact, my brown skin girl =P (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX39Mg3aAqs). T had "Girl All the Bad Guys Want" by Bowling for Soup because she always had poor taste in guys including me, unfortunately (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LjOrfa2dDQ). Lastly, we had Panic. She was given "Thunder" by Boys Like Girls because she was the soundtrack of my summer *vomits at the lame truth behind that* (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXuxRWXisUQ)]

But back on target! I had a little big tangent for a moment ^_^a. Why is it that when life is on the ups, someone has to bring it down? I try to forget them so they can forget me because it's just easier that way. Living in the past makes you sometimes miss out on the present as well as the future, so I choose to step out of their lives. Why do they insist on coming back to torment me? Ugh... Homer Simpson once stated that, "Alcohol-- The problem AND solution to all of life's little ailments." Shit. I totally believe women are.

Why cant I find a normal chick?

Oxymoronic, eh? Normal & chick in the same sentence... Im so odd.

The Mercy Seat

This was an interesting read if I must say. For the first couple of pages we just see what seems like a silly fight between a couple evolve & unravel into something much deeper. One thing I like, however, is how the roles almost keep switching. Each novel always has a protagonist, the good guy, or the antagonist, the bad guy. In this, you can't really say that there is 'a good guy' or 'a bad' because Ben & Abby give each other equal pull & pushes which I actually like. It adds a new spin to reading when you don't know who to root for. Typically you want the hero to win, but in this, you could say they're both villians for the decisions they are making. Ben is banging his boss & Abby is letting it all happen, throwing the notion of professionalism out the window. Not only is he screwing around, but due to 9/11, he has a ticket to flee to a brand new life & FORGET about his original family. I personally think it is an amazing concept to a story & interesting to see how people find treasure in trash; turn feces to fertilizer.

Junior Year: The Time of Reform!

I like to think Im a rather odd panda. I always try to be different on an almost everyday basis. I like to think creativity is an amazing way to express oneself. Copying someone else, although supposedly the "highest form of flattery," is just a slap in one's own face. It shows you have little to no brain cells to think up something on your own merit & just follow the crowd. My way of showing my uniqueness & eccentric personality this year is to get into shape.

Freshman year my goal was to be known. High school was a waste of time because I was too damn quiet & wished to be heard. I didn't want to be that face in the class again that everyone whispered about that he was going to Columbine. I like to think I'm fairly known around SFC. Everywhere I walk at least one or two people know who I am so it's a rewarding feeling to know I've come out of my awkward shell & have people to converse with.

Sophmore year was to more or less tone down my 'bad habits'. My vices, or at least a few of them, consisted of being fairly slutty, overdrinking, & smoking cigarettes. I was quite vulgar if you will when saying stuff to the opposite sex. It's a natural reflex of mine to find the filthiness in any statement. I am the guy who usually made the comment "That's what she said" after anything remotely dirty sounding. I improved upon that by a lot of concentration & a crapload of will power. That was one of the tougher aspects of my reformation.. As for drinking & smoking, it was one of those things I limited via cash. I'd only bring enough for one or the other, not both. If I went to the bar, it'd be ten to enter, & another fifteen for either drinks or a pack. This way, I'm partially saving one vital organ while killing another.

This year I thought I'd improve my body in more ways than one. Since I'm working on my piercing license, [which means waiting for my cousin to call me about how much it costs for the class & where it is] I plan on modding myself up a bit further. I'm taking a bit of a break on the tattoos because, lets be serious.. I kinda have no room left right now =/. After I successfully pierced & gauged my earlobes, I got an ecstatic high off of that & knew I could take on the world. Once I get my needle set, I'm probably giving myself a lip ring [for the third time] & maybe a septum if I'm feeling risky. That seems to be the negative aspect of the "improved body." I also am working out so the flab can turn to fab *gags on his own lameness*. But, on a serious note, it feels good to try to get in shape. Once I get all jacked, I might have to do my rounds & show all the chicks who blew me off for being more loveable than most what they missed out on.

As for a link, I can give you one of someone piercing their own lip. Dont try this at home, kids. Dont be stupid like these people... or myself for that matter. I at least know to sterilize my needles as well as wear gloves & NOT do it in a damned open field.. Retards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtDK8uO4xQw

Starting off the School Year

When entering St. Francis on Terrier Tuesday, it is quite possibly one of the most painful experiences for a freshman. I think back on it now & it reminds me of a scene from the good ol' days of immigration. You basically get off of the boat [which, in this case since it's a commuter college, your train] & get shuffled into a very compact area which smells because some children still do not believe in the wonderful creation of soap & deodorant. We are jammed together, all strangers to this new world, trying to start off fresh. We try our hardest to get our paperwork to be a real citizen [in this instance would be that wonderous ID card we all look like crap in] so we can all possibly leave & begin our life anew. Alas, that is not how it happens. We have to hear trivial things & participate in minute activities before they give us what we need. Then lastly the figure head gives us what should be a motivational speech, but ends up basically being the mantra "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me" which all translates to "WELCOME TO ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE, CLASS OF *insert year of -hopeful- graduation*"

Being an upper classman now, I kinda like the cheesy ceramony. It is a day to come together with your friends & get to meet kids you will probably hang out with in the future. Being part of the fraternity, it's our time to recruit & just have a ball. Since being in, I look forward to it more than ever. Hell. I have more enthusiasm than the freshman. I guess that isnt saying much, but I like to think it does. After surviving this one, I can say to date that this was probably the most fun I had at this school outside of last year's Arabian Night's party when there was that crazy fight. I can only hope that many more ahead will be like this year.