My name is Bond... Wall-e Bond

Cut-Up technique with two videos, two movie trailers. James Bond, Tomorrow never dies (trailer). And Wall-e trailer. Both convined with this technique to create a new trailer.

Cut-Up technique, a Postmodern discourse

After watching the video The Cut Ups 1996, I can conclude that it is a postmodern discourse. 

It does not follow a chronological order, as a rhizome. As there are some scenes that are taken from different places and that are then connected, you can see that with disorder you can create something that has a meaning. The same technique followed by postmodern authors. The video shows something without order that turns into a sequence of images as sounds that joined together make something really interesting. This shows that we can construct something using different things, a very crazy but interesting idea that post modernity brings.

Image from: http://www.mnartists.org/uploads/users/user_7258/5f03d2c81813ae38b10f56f32ffd3b7b/5f03d2c81813ae38b10f56f32ffd3b7b.jpg

Planing a memoir...

1. Links with guidelines on how to write a memoir:

• Zinsser, William. "How to write a memoir".  The American Scholar. 2006. Web. 15th of November 2011. http://theamericanscholar.org/how-to-write-a-memoir/
• Kita, Joe. "How to write your memoir". Reader’s digest. January 2009. Web. 15th of November 2011.http://www.rd.com/money/great-tips-on-how-to-write-your-memoir/

2. Topic and definitions

• Topic: Fatherhood
• Fatherhood, acording to The Free Online Dictionary, is the state or responsibility of being a father.
• Fatherhoos, acording to Bestdaddtips.com , is: "Fatherhood is defined as the “state of being a father” or “having the qualities of a father”. The father-child relationship is the defining factor in the role of fatherhood. Generally most fathers are naturally protective and supportive, responsible parents."

3. Schedule
November 21 week: research
November 28 week: Interviews
December 4: Finish book; The Invention of solitude and The Book of memory.
December 5: start outline
December 8 week and next week: Writting the memoir

Image from: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eXGtkUgR1zg/Tb1Am_H3sEI/AAAAAAAAEm8/tmbyp3zKLfc/s1600/Writing+life.jpg

Memory in Inception

The film "Inception" is a modern Science fiction production (from 2010) whose direction and whose screenplay is by Christopher Nolan. Mainly is about the work of the Dom Cobb, played by Leonardo Di Caprio, who is engaged in the dangerous mission to extract ideas from other people’s dreams.

Memory is one of the concepts explored in the movie. Memory woks, according to the film, as a tool useful to know what are real and what is a dream. This can be seen when Cobb talks to Ariadne when teaching her about his job:

“…building dreams out of your own memories is the surest way to lose your grip on what's real and what's a dream” (Inception)

• We can conclude, according to the movie, that memories are what make our reality. Our life is made up of memories, each memory constructs us and that’s why they are so important and so strong. Their strength makes us think and express how we really are.

• Inception. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Warner Bros, 2010. Film.
• Image from: http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/images/desktops/movie/inception12.jpg

Father figure...

"The pursuit of hapiness" is a movie, from the director Gabriele Muccino,that, as a wor of art, explores the topic of father figure. If have seen the movie you will have an image of what a real father is. You will find a man that always protects his son, no matter what troubles he has to face, in this case being poor and looking for work in a big city. No matter what, he always will be there for his son, to give him strenght, love, support and hapiness. This character reflects how a father should be.

This images from the movie probably would show you the parental figure that it seen in the movie with the two main characters. The one at the left shows how this father, even if he has to work (by sailing the machine he has with the oter hand), he stills carrys his son with love. He is poor so fights to work for living but he stills fights for his son.

                            

Images from:

• http://saammmmy.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/will_smith_in_the_pursuit_of_happyness_wallpaper_1_1024.jpg
• http://i2.listal.com/image/960358/600full-the-pursuit-of-happyness-screenshot.jpg
• http://www.sonytv.com/sites/uk.set/files/imagecache/program_season_marquee_image/pursuit_Marquee_650by_0.jpg
• http://ak.cdn.sptidigital.com/sites/latam.axn/files/images/large_custom/img_1300999673.jpg
• http://www.tribute.ca/tribute_objects/images/movies/the_pursuit_of_happyness/pursuitofhappyness1.jpg

Why do writers write?

After listening and reading to explanations of why do Stephen King, Borges, García Márquez, Hunter S. Thompson, John Cheever, Italo Calvino, Ray Bradbury, George Orwell and Paul Auster write, I can say that they all have elements in common.

Some of them write because of event’s experiences, these made some impact in their life that they want to share or they don’t want them to fly away. Some others write because of dreams they had and that had some strong meaning for them. And some write because they love literature and  because they are highly intellectual in the sense of reading. But at the end they all have something to share, even if it is their ideologies, experiences or even nightmares they want to write about.

Images from:

http://s3.hubimg.com/u/3306638_f520.jpg

http://laperiodicarevisiondominical.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/paul_auster.jpg

Death Rituals

When I was looking for different rituals of different cultures, I found interesting to put three of them: one that I find horrible, another that I find interesting and another one funny.

Endocannibalism: This ritual consists in rating the death body. The meaning to do it could be to absorb something about the person that is dead. This was done in South America and Australia, but some academics say this is false and it is a lie done by colonists. I find this ritual a horrible practice. 

Mummification: When a rich person died in the Ancient Egypt, it was mummified. The idea is that the soul had could pass the other side as another life. The process consisted in extracting brain, stomach, intestines, lungs and liver to keep them in different jars in order that Gods could protect them; the heart was not extracted because it was considered important to keep it connected to the body. Then the body was covered with different materials such as cloth. Then it was introduced into a coffin with treasures inside. 

Fantasy coffins: Accran suburb’s people put the dead people in fantasy coffins. The idea is that they bury the body in a coffin that has the shape of the profession the person had when he lived. This images is an example, the person that died probably was a fisherman.

Deeoa, Mankani. "Top 10 unusual death rituals". Toptenz.net. Web. October 30, 2011. http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-unusual-death-rituals.php

The Feared Death...

I think "death" is a very complex idea for human beings. We all fear death, I think because the only thing we know is life and because we don't know what we are going to face. During the world's history, different ideas have been proposed, mainly by religion. But even though some ideas can bring hope to people, I think there will be always fear.

By nature, death is thought as something bad. When someone that we love dies, thing that hasn't happened to me, the feeling inside us must be terrible because that person leaves an important gap in your life and this must be very difficult to face and to understand that person is not coming back. 

But we can see the notion death as something that could be positive for life. For example Steve Jobs said different intelligent things about death; I want to show some of them because I think this are very intelligent and profound things that people should think about:

"If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.” Steve Jobs 

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life” Steve Jobs

Speaking Einstein Documentary

My English class, unit number one

During this unit I English class I’ve learned different things about the roaring twenties; their life, their dream, their mind and the failure of the American dream. And also different events and common situations like prohibition and bootlegging.

We read The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and I didn’t like it at first because it was a little slow. But when the climax took place it started getting fun to read because events started to be unexpected. So at last I liked the novel because of the ending part and climax, and because it shows the failure of the American dream in a very interesting way.

The "Roaring Twenties" represented in Duke Ellington

When I think of the "Roaring Twenties", I mainly think in jazz. It´s not a coincidence that when you think in this period of time, you think in a couple dancing; the man in a black suit and a hat and the woman with short hair and long dress with a man playing jazz behind them with a saxophone. In fact the period of time was also called the "Jazz Age". Thats why I decided to chose an important jazz artist, and I found Duke Elligton. A he was one of the most important jazz artists in the 1920´s, I think he could represent this period of time. Duke Ellington was a very important jazz composer in the 1920´s. He was born in 1899 in Washington and died in New York in 1974. During the twenties he played in famous groups and in famous clubs.




"By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn't want your daughter to associate with." Duke Ellington

"There is hardly any money interest in art, and music will be there when money is gone." Duke Ellington

"What You Won't Do for Love" Jazz song

A Jazz song that represents the spirit of the novel: "What You Won't Do for Love" from Bobby Caldwell. I think this song could perfectly because it expresses love in the same way that Gatsby feels towards Daisy. For example when it says: “Some people go around the world for love, but they may never find what they dream of”, it clearly illustrates love as a dream, such as in the novel; a dream that it´s never found. But what the song mainly describes is the effort and the things a person is capable to do for love; just as Gatsby, most of the thing he does in the novel are because of Daisy; even though Daisy chooses Tom, Gatsby doesn’t quit, doesn’t surrender: “What you won't do, do for love You've tried everything but you don't give up”. Most of the lyrics show a part of Gatsby’s love, and that’s why I choose it.

"The Great Gatsby" Audiobook

Audiobook, pages 57-63
The Great Gatsby
Carlos Andrés González
Speking
11B
GLM
http://carlosagg24.podbean.com/mf/web/7tzv4d/AudiobookTheGreatGatsby57-63.mp3
http://carlosagg24.podbean.com/2011/09/22/gatsby_pg_57-63mp3/

David Murcia Guzmán & Gatsby

David Murcia Guzmán is a Colombian that was a poor man that turn into rich thanks to illegal business. He was the creator of DMG, a company that was accused because of using pyramids system and money laundering, which where illegal.

He had the ability of selling products when he was young. He’s great intelligence lead him to create a strong system where he could receive easily money, lots of money. The DMG business consisted more or less like this: People inverts money, and the company takes it and they returns more. People got excited by the idea of winning money without working. This company made David Murcia a rich person. He was arrested and his company was accused and closed by the authorities because it presented illegal business, the money came from money laundering and the system was a swindle. 

This character is related with Gatsby first because both passed from poor to rich thanks to illegal business. They are both intelligent and tricky when gaining money. They both attract people; Gatsby with his parties and his illegal alcohol, and Murcia with illusions and illegal money. They are both persuasive with people; they have the ability of communicating with people and then convince them easily.

Another let’s say artistic similarity is that they are both main characters of a novel, of course in different ways. Gatsby is a fictional character in a literary novel (The Great Gatsby and Inversiones el ABC); While David Murcia inspired a TV novel, based in his life where obviously he is the main character. Both characters, as said before, became rich with illegal business and in both stories love is involved; Gatsby in loved with Daisy and Murcia with his wife, that was also accused by authorities. 

Pre-Writing Strategies Work

Strategy: Free writing; Writing non-stop, for more or less ten minutes.

Topic: Ironman and President Obama are stuck in an elevator; write down their conversation.

Obama: I can’t believe this elevator got stuck!

Ironman: Hey! Are you Obama right?

Obama: Yes I am, oh! And you are Ironman!

Ironman: Yes, of course, isn’t my suit to obvious for that?

Obama: Sorry, is that I am too stressed about this economical situation.

Ironman: mmm, ok!

Obama: So, why are you here?

Ironman: Because there was going to be an attempt

Obama: Where they going to kill someone?

Ironman: Yes

Obama: Who?

Ironman: You

Obama: Oh, did you save me?

Ironman: I think so

Obama: Why?

Ironman: Because they got intimidated by mi big suit.

Obama: Who?

Ironman: The terrorist! (Now I understand why USA economy is going down)


Obama: Hey! Show respect, you will make me cry!

Ironman: Sorry, let’s change the topic

Obama: OK!

…

Obama: I’ve just had a great idea!

Ironman: Which one?

Obama: Could you capture Gadafi? For me, please!

Ironman: JAJAJA you couldn’t do it for yourself?

Obama: No!!! He is hiding and we can’t find him!

Ironman: Ok, I will, but for the innocent people; not for you

Obama: It’s ok, I could also reward you

Ironman: It’s not necessary, I’m rich

Obama: We have a lot in common

Opening door

Assistant: Mr. President, I’m sorry, we already fixed the problem, and you can go out now.

Obama: One moment please, Mr. Iron man do we have an agreement?

Ironman: But I am not sure I will succeed, I will do the best I can, bye.

Obama: YES WE CAN!

Paraphrasing Exercise

Original Passage: Of the more than 1000 bicycling deaths each year, three-fourths are caused by head injuries. Half of those killed are school-age children. One study concluded that wearing a bike helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent. In an accident, a bike helmet absorbs the shock and cushions the head. From "Bike Helmets: Unused Lifesavers," Consumer Reports (May 1990): 348.


Page Posible Paraphrased answer:The use of a helmet is the key to reducing bicycling fatalities, which are due to head injuries 75% of the time. By cushioning the head upon impact, a helmet can reduce accidental injury by as much as 85%, saving the lives of hundreds of victims annually, half of whom are school children ("Bike Helmets" 348).


Mi Paraphrased answer: According to the nused Lifesavers" Consumer Reports, after analyzing some statistical data, it’s important to use bike helmets in order to reduce bicycling accidents and deaths; taking into account that most of the time the worst and more common injuries are head injuries.

Carlos Andrés González

September 16, 2011

English

"The Great Gatsby" Workshop

10. How is Gatsby introduced into the novel?

Gatsby is introduced into the novel in a short way, like a quick description showing what the narrator thinks about him. He thinks that Gatsby could represent all the things that he hates, but he doesn’t judge him because he thinks Gatsby has something special person, he thinks there was something gorgeous about him.

3. Who did Tom take Nick to meet?

Tom takes Nick to meet his own lover, Tom lover is called Myrtle. She is already married too, with George Wilson. 

2. What kind of people come to Gatsby's parties?

First of all, Gatsby is very famous because of his parties. To this parties they come luxurious people. This are truly interested people because of what Gatsby has, a pool, a beach and alcohol easily distributed.

Midnight In Paris

Midnights in Paris…

I came to Paris with my girlfriend , and I am really amazed with all these beauty, but I’m more interested in what I saw of the 1920s; if a person reeds this, he will think I am crazy.

Yes, with some kind of magic I appeared in the 1920s right here in Paris, where I am writing right now. I felt strange at the first time, but then I realized that I was in the 1920 and I got so excited…


As I am, in fact, a writer I can enjoy this time better; I think. People and culture are amazing; you can have fun at night dancing and watching shows. I really like how women are.

But what I really enjoy was the entire artist I met; it was like a dream for me because I think the most valuable thing of 1920s is their artists. First I met F. Scott Fitzgerald, yes, the great writer, the same author of The Great Gatsby. I also met Cole Porter the musician, Ernest Hemingway the writer. And you won’t believe it, because I still don’t, I met two famous painters: Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí! I sure now that 1920 have very talented people and I love it.

So, I love how 1920 where because of the life they had and because of the big amount of great artist they had. But Adriana made me think about something that is curious: people always would like previous time periods, they would see them as the “Golden Era” so they don’t appreciate enough their present; sure is something consider and take into account.

Gil

2010 journal entry

Alcohol Prohibition Is Necessary (Speaking Video)

Eventhough I think the contrary I would like to argue that prohibition in 1920 was necesary, I did it in this  speaking video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j7fqh6zmv4

"American Dream" Definitions Online

Wikipedia: "The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes a promise of the possibility of prosperity and success. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams  in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth". (párr 1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream

Arnet: "Traditionally, Americans have sougth to realise the American dream of succes, fame and wealth through thrift hard work." (párr 1) http://www.americansc.org.uk/Online/American_Dream.htm

Word Reference: "the American dream the ideal by which equality of opportunity is available to any American, allowing the highest aspirations to be achieved" http://www.wordreference.com/definition/american%20dream

My "American Dream" Definition

For me the "American Dream" is model of life that USA people want and expect to have. This life you will have it if you work and with this work you gain money enough to be happy. The idea is that your work will always be successful, in order to gain money so that you can have a house, a car and a family to support. 

Building the definition of America…

Collecting all the information that I know I could say that America is a country that functions with capitalist ideologies and has a model of life called American dream, in which people progress working. It is also a free country that highlights power around the world.

Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHqUipinDyw “Living in America” because it is the way Americas’ ideology of live works.

Object: The statue of liberty because it represents freedom. It could also represent American dream in a way of giving strength and hope to people to work for their country showing greatness.

Movie: I sincerely didn’t find a movie that I’ve seen that could represent America, so I choose The Simpsons to show a strong critic to Americans’ live and the American dream represented in the Simpsons’ family. 

The American Dream and the Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties is a period of time of a decade (1920’s) that took place in America. During this time, there were lots of changes in society.

First of all the role of women changed significantly. They finally got the right to vote, which meant that they could now get into political stuff, as men do.  During this decade the women also could now work in a career and have a family at the same time, before most women where only in their houses or with their husbands having fun.

Social acceptance is a very important subject in this time. Not only because of women equal to men, but people started accepting different races and minds; for example black people, other country people and homosexuals.

Technology was also important. The automobile industry for example had a very important impact in America´s society; if you think about those times, you can easily imagine the streets with those old cars. The technology in cinema was a very important advance; people started getting very influenced by movie; in the way of dressing for example.

In the art subject, besides cinema, the jazz, the surrealism and the expressionism took place. But I think music influences more, you can easily imagine the couple dancing; the man with his hat and the woman with her small hair and big dress.

An important subject in this time was alcohol prohibition. During this whole decade alcohol was prohibited, and this became a very important controversial subject.

The American dream, is a way of thinking America as a place where you can progress and be successful; working and getting richer so that you can live accurately with family and technologies. I think the Roaring Twenties played an important role because this time is where you can see the growth of progress (in technology for example) in America; leading exactly to a dream, so Americans could hope progress. But I think they don’t achieved this idea completely, even though they are a powerful country with lots of progress and influence, this will always be just a dream that is encouraging people to work and progress.

"Somos Más Americanos" Song

When you listen to the song "Somos Más Americanos" you notice that there is a criticism, made by the author, to the USA country. I think is important to highlight a little bit of context in order to understand the reason why they created the song. First of all we need to know that the group "Los Tigres del Norte" it’s a Mexican group. The song, therefore we have to know if there was a problem between these two countries. In fact there was a problem; the USA won lands that were supposed to be Mexican. As the song says: "Texas, Nuevo Mexico, Arizona y Colorado. También volo California y Nevada con Utah no se llenaron, el estado de Wyoming también nos lo arrebataron" (Los Tigres del Norte); they clearly show an inconformity, naming the land they lost and how they snatched it from them,


I think they have all the right to criticize; first because of liberty of expression and because of national spirit. This lost of territory, obviously would cause a reaction of anger, and more in this time that USA has become a very powerful country in the world. Thats why the name of the song "Somos Más Ameicanos", that means we are more American than they are; showing a clear anger towards the USA people that have a territory that was from them.


Carlos Andrés González G.
English