One Talented Son Of An Asian

Articles from Databases

http://www.jstor.org/stable/4240727

This article talks about how soldiers are portrayed in science fiction novels such as Ender's Game. In a society obsessed with the prosthetic body or the high technology changes we allow happen to our body, soldiers are becoming the main focus of these prosthetic bodies. In Ender's game, the story is set in the future with advanced technology but still does the same process of turning soldiers into the perfect innocent killers.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/30045097

This article talks about the psychological mindset of a terrorist or a killer. This can also be the mindset of a soldier. A person in battle is fed by government on what the enemy has done and is about to do to harm his or her freedom and everything he believes in. In Ender's Game, Ender is driven with the mentality that Valentine, his sister, can get shot in the head by The Formics which is why he left his family to train at a battle school. Another case of Psychological mindset of a terrorist in the book is with the Formics. They are receiving every message or thought from the Hive Queen. The Hive Queen tells them what to do and gives them the reason why they should do it. Just like terrorists or killers, this is the reason why battle between races or nations occur.

The Abominable Charles Christopher: March 7th

This week's edition of the comic strip made me smirk just a little. The Gilgamesh, who was very bossy last week and demanded breakfast, is now handed a root by Charles. The look on his face was very funny as if he was saying, "You're kidding, right?" However, I'm not sure of what Charles expression is trying to convey. Is his face saying "Oh this is great food, you want some?" If that's the case then it shows he is just childish and still ignorant. But another way I see the expression on his face is as if he's saying "Oh, you want some breakfast? Here you annoying little man." If this is the case, it shows how he's evolved in the comic strip and that he has developed maturity and sense. He now has knowledge and isn't easy to push around anymore. Whichever expression Karl is really trying to show, we will just see in the future. We might see a continuation of the plot or a new twist! I'm EXCITED FOR THIS!

Research Paper Outline

"Ender's Game"


Topic I found Interesting: "The connection of the book to Vietnam War"


- Research background of the novel. When published and its relation to Vietnam War timeline.
- Characters of novel portraying those involved in Vietnam War.
- Plot is similar to the process of drafting soldiers.
- Surroundings in the novel are similar to the surroundings the soldiers felt in the war.
- Slightly discuss the difference but further discuss why both are similar.

Procrastination

So why haven't I been up to date with my blog posts?

Well for the most part I have but for the last week, I have been slacking off. The reason for this is because I am a LAZY BUM when it comes to school work. I always do my best work when I am under pressure or how I call it, "CLUTCH MOMENTS". When I am tired, sleepy, tears pouring down my eyes, and I can hardly open them, I feel like Aang from the TV series Avatar, when he goes into Avatar mode and everything he does is just flowing from his unconscious mind. (WOW THAT WAS CHEESY). Although I do finish my work and do an excellent job in most of them, I am not proud of my procrastinating ways. I know that this habit will haunt me someday and cause me to fail in the future. So I promise TO TRY to end the habit by making this the last post on a late Sunday evening / Early Monday morning. I also promise TO TRY finishing all my work early and not do all nighters on school days, anymore.

My substitute teacher form High School once said:

"Procrastination is like Masturbation. You enjoy yourself at first, until you realize you're just FUCKING yourself" - Mister P. , John F. Kennedy High School 

My Religion: CONFUSED

Throughout my life, I have been raised as a Catholic and have been going to church every Sunday to worship God. But I was NEVER really there. I would go just to please my mom and to do my obligations to God. I NEVER understood a word that the priests say. But there were three priests that have opened my eyes. The first was Father John from Panorama City, CA who was an immigrant from Kenya. The thing I loved about him was his straightforward preaching to convey the word of God. The second was Father Alexander from North Hills, CA. He was funny and unlike other priests, he knew how to involve the churchgoers in his sermon. The third is Father Kirsch from Granada Hills, CA. He is a combination of Father John and Father Alex. He is very funny, straightforward, his sermon truly comes from the heart and how he feels, and never lets the churchgoers forget the reason why we are gathered in his presence every Sunday.

This weekend I received the most shocking news I've heard in a long time. Father Alexander lost his battle with cancer and passed away. He was diagnosed almost two years ago and went to rehabilitation and did not preach for a year. Just last month, he came back and looked healthy and I was very happy to see him. Weeks went by that I did not go to the church in North Hills and went to Granada Hills. Last night, I heard from my friends the tragic news and I was overcome with emotions. Father Alex was one of the only priests I have ever considered to preach from the heart. He was a great man who preached the word of God and made people like me listen and understand. Now he is gone and Father John has gone back to Kenya and now Father Kirsch is the only one left.

This is why I am writing this blog. These past few months, I have come to a realization of my spiritual self. I simply just can not understand organized religion anymore. For the past two weeks, The Head preacher of the Granada Hills church spent the sermon asking for donations instead of preaching the Gospel. Although i have no problems with helping others, I am not in favor of taking time away from celebrating the word of God for personal necessities. I started thinking that church is just a man made object and although it does spread the word of God, it controls everyone in it. To do this or do that. But it is in the person to do what is right in the name and presence of God. Most of the priests read their sermons as if they analyzed the readings and shared their thoughts. But that is not how preaching is supposed to be done. Father Kirsch, Father John, and Father Alex always stood in front of the crowd, not the pedestal, and talked to us like human beings, not an audience at a press conference. These three made me believe that you don't need to follow others to do what is right. It is in you to know what is right in the name of God. I will continue going to church to hear the Gospel and follow the agenda, but I know deep inside that I know what is right and what isn't.

Rest In Peace, Father Alexander.

Basketball is my favorite sport. I like the way they dribble up and down the court.

This week, I'm gonna talk about my favorite sport, basketball. I have been playing the game since I was 7 years old and have been watching since the late 1990's surge of Michael Jordan and his Championship team, the Chicago Bulls. I have come to love every aspect of the game, the passion, skills, dedication, and the willingness of the players to win. One particular individual that I really love to watch is Kobe Bryant. He plays for the Los Angeles Lakers and after watching him closely for almost 13 years, I have come to the conclusion that he is a BEAST. Since Jordan retired from the Bulls in 1998, (had a 2 year stint at Washington but wasn't the same), the league... no the WORLD has been searching for the next "MJ". Many have been considered but only Kobe has truly lived up to the expectations. Kobe Bryant has the same built, same maneurism, same skills, had the same coach, and most importantly, the same swagger. He has won 5 championships and at 33 years old, he is still considered the best player in the world. Kobe Bryant has given kids, like I was, the sense of willingness to win. He is considered the MOST clutch player in the game and maybe one of the best in history. He plays through all the pain and injuries such as a fractured avulsion, torn ligaments, sprained ankle and the whole SHA-BANG. His drive to succeed is unmatched by anyone in the game and this mentality certainly is the only one to compare to Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant inspired me to do my best ON and OFF the court which is why I had to dedicate at least one blog to him. He is my hero and I THANK GOD that I was born to watch him play. In less than 5 years, he will retire and the world will be in search again for that "ONE MAN" that MJ and Kobe both were in their respective generations.

The Abominable Charles Christopher: Feb. 29th

In this week's edition of the comic strip, we see the Gilgamesh for the first time since 2011. As expected, he is still the same, bossy, awkwardly funny guy who just changes the mood of the strip. In this illustration, he wakes up, similar to how the image from last week was, but this time instead, it does not turn dark but the exact opposite. He wakes up in the morning on the mountains and wakes up Charles just to tell him that he is hungry and wants breakfast. This character reminds me of myself when I was young. I was very spoiled when I lived in the Philippines. My family had 2 household maids(no taxes for house service in Philippines) and I was loved by everyone in my family and relatives. I was the favorite of my late grandfather and I got everything I wanted when I asked for something. The Gilgamesh comes off to me as a childish, picky, and very needy character who needs to carry his own weight. I have a feeling that this characteristic of his will play an important role in the future when he needs to realize he has to man up for himself like I did when I didn't have the luxury I had when i was a kid, anymore.

The Abominable Charles Christopher: Feb. 22nd

In this week's edition of the comic strip, Karl Kersch explains that this is the beginning of Chapter 3. This image shows darkness in almost every panel which portrays evil, sadness, and loneliness. From the 1st panel to the last, we can clearly see an increase in the darkness of the images. With this being the first image of the chapter, I can sense that this chapter is going to be a very sad and emotional one. I can not wait to see where this story is going.