Personal reflection of class

English 114 with Sean has been the best course I have taken in CSUN so far. It was my first class among all my classes that I took this year and it was a great way to start my college life. Sean is not an old, monotoned, and boring instructor who makes a student learn through boring lectures and expect a 20 page research paper on evolution the very same night. Sean has a unique way of conveying the material to us through the use of proper communications that human beings have and the use of new technology. He helped us understand how space being used in reality is also used in video games. We read a comic strip and analyzed that instead of analyzing a 100 year old poem that no insane person gives a crap about anymore. Having a graduate student as a professor also helps because he understands the needs, requirements, and the process of being a freshman because he was one not too long ago. Having him for one whole year was also great because he had time to learn how each student worked and how we can maximize our potential for the class. This class had a great impression on CSUN for me and I hope to have more courses like these and instructors, (SCRATCH THAT), Professors, like Sean Pessin.

Final Analysis of Project Web

Project Web has been an amazing and unique way of learning for me. Instead of writing on a paper that was to be read by one person alone, I was writing for hundreds or more people who were checking my blogs. Throughout my schooling, I have only been writing essays that were formal and had to use the basis of a well-written essay. Project Web, however, let me write anything I wanted to write without any basis or rubric to follow. It was my own mind writing freely on the internet. I think Project Web is a great way of learning language because it shows how English and Composition classes do not have to be boring. Most students give up on a course because they are not thrilled by the material covered and the way they're being covered. Project Web can surely change that for those who struggle with English classes, just as it did for me.

Project Text Final

Bantol, Ken

Pessin

English 114A

March 7, 2012

I killed a man, thus I am a man

            It is a proud moment for a father when he realizes that his son has finally become a man. Throughout history, society has witnessed billions of boys prove that they have reached manhood. Some prove manhood when they grow their first facial hair, others prove it when they introduce their first girlfriend, and others prove it by graduating from high school. But during the 1950s through the 1970s, manhood was proven in a much more excruciating way. Boys had to show bravery by going to war and protect their nation from the communists. Many lives were lost and many families back home grieved for the loss of their sons and a few daughters. In 1977, Orson Scott Card wrote a novel entitled “Ender’s Game” about a little boy named Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, who was chosen to enter battle school and leave his family at a young age of six (6). In battle school, he was to learn how to defeat the invading aliens, The Formics, by using physical and intellectual power. In the novel, Ender learned techniques and tactics on how to violently kill another race using weapons provided to him by the government. His brother, Peter, was not chosen by the government to enter battle school, thus forcing him to stay behind on Earth leading him to create a conspiracy movement and become the ruler of Earth. Their sister, Valentine, was also left behind on Earth and helped Peter with his plan of world domination. Although the lives of these three kids, especially Ender, are not exactly similar to the lives of the young soldiers that were drafted or helped to fight for the country in the Vietnam War, the similar concept of government creating the innocent killer to stop “Charlie” and prove their manliness to society is present in both situations. Orson Scott Card’s “Ender’s: Trilogy” portrays the same situation that every person involved during the Vietnam War was in.

Andrew “Ender” Wiggin

            Ender is the main protagonist of the story. He is a “third” child meaning he is a rare child in a time when a family is only allowed two (2) children. While an infant, the child is injected a monitoring device which allows the government access to their minds and surroundings. This allows the government to monitor outstanding children who deem fit as honorary soldiers for humanity. Ender turns six (6) and his monitor is taken off meaning he is now allowed to live a normal life just like his brother, Peter, and his sister, Valentine. But everything changes when Ender badly beats up a bully to prevent future harm from the other kids. The International Fleet Commander, Hyrum Graff, hears of what Ender has done and examines how it happened. He meets Ender at the Wiggin’s household and asks him to explain his actions. Graff is impressed by Ender’s response and is astonished by his logic. He invites Ender to enter battle school but also tells him of the consequences he must understand if he does commit. These consequences include Ender, not being able to see his family for at least 6 years, and not being able to communicate with them. Graff also warns Ender of the grueling preparations that students go through in the school. Ender, even after hearing the changes he must make in his life, agrees and enters the school right away.

            Ender entering the battle school is similar to how the young men who were in the Vietnam War reacted to being drafted. Although they knew of the harsh consequences of entering the war such as losing their lives and not being able to see their families, they still agreed with the reasoning that they were going to save the nation from the communists. The mentality they had of saving billions of people drove them to reckless abandonment of reasoning which lead them to disregard of their lives.

            Another reason and possibly the most important reason of why Ender joined Graff’s Army was because of his sister, Valentine. Valentine is the only person, before entering battle school, who Ender had a deep connection with. She was the only one he could talk to with his problems and both cared deeply for each other. When Graff used Valentine as an example of someone The Formics would kill if they do successfully invade the Earth, Ender was imprinted a dark image in his mind of losing the most important person in his life. This image haunted him and was used as his sole purpose for keeping on with the training even though he was tired and felt nostalgia every day and night in battle school. He did not want anyone, especially Valentine, to die at the hands of The Formics so he promised to himself that he was going to be the best leader in the history of the International Fleet and destroy the entire Formic race.

            Most of the surviving soldiers from the Vietnam War explained that the reason why they joined the war was to save their loved ones such as their moms, sisters, and girlfriends. Scott Orson Card successfully used Valentine as Ender’s main purpose of continuing the training just like how the soldiers wanted to keep their female loved ones safe back at home.

The Battle School Students

            Unlike Ender, almost everyone in the Battle School were recruited after showing excellence through the monitoring devices. The monitoring devices showed how they reacted to situations similar to the situations people experience in the race war. The government examines their logical approach to certain events and how their knowledge allows them to act with others. If the government felt that they were capable of being officers in the International Fleet Army or decent enough to physically and intellectually fight against another race, they were recruited into the fleet and trained their whole childhood to fight The Formics.

            Similar to the Vietnam War, the battle school recruits in the novel were portrayed by Orson Scott Card as the soldiers of the war. The soldiers, like the recruits, were drafted by the government to prepare for war. Without their full consent, they were recruited to train and learn skills that will help them destroy the enemy or “kill Charlie”.

            The Battle School was also located outside of Earth meaning they trained in a surrounding they were not familiar with. The gravity was changed meaning they had to adapt to new ways of moving and changes that the school forced on to them. Aside from the strict rules and regulations the students were to follow, they also had to cope with their emotions. Leaving their families and loved ones caused them sadness and loneliness. This emotion is very hard to do as a young man in a new environment. They were in the battlefield in a country thousands of miles away from home under a weather they were not immune to. The tall grasses, muddy ground, exotic plants and animals that they did not know were harmful to them, caused many to die without a bullet touching their bodies. This is similar to how the new recruits in the battle school did not know how to protect themselves in the battle room because they did not know how to use the environment they were in. The force field that allowed them to bounce off walls were similar to the tall grass. At first, the soldiers did not know how to use the grasses to their advantage and were constantly seen by the enemy. The force of gravity inside the battle room was also a disadvantage for the students at first because they did not know how to control their bodies and aim for the enemy. Much like the gravity, the soldiers in the Vietnam War experienced months of continuous raining and sudden change of weather into sunny weather. This unfamiliarity to a bipolar weather caused most of them to get sick and prevented them from fighting at full capabilities. This led to the deaths of many soldiers due to diseases. Some died from being caught off guard by the enemy because they were not at full power and were not aware of the situation.

            Orson Scott Card portrays many of the people involved in the Vietnam War in his “Ender’s: Trilogy” novels. The soldiers in the war and the students were exposed to a new environment, were overwhelmed emotionally, and were having troubles with all the disadvantages and obstacles they experienced in the beginning of their respective trainings.

Peter and Valentine

            Those who were not chosen to participate in the International Fleet Army stayed behind with their families on Earth. Two prime examples of these types of individuals in the novel are Peter and Valentine, Ender’s older siblings. Unlike Ender, they were not deemed fit to become officers of a battalion thus keeping them grounded on Earth.

            These characters are similar to those who were not drafted in the Vietnam War. Instead, they stayed behind on Earth and continued their normal life of schooling and/or going to work. Their lifestyles were not changed and were allowed to grow up and choose their own paths. Unlike their peers who were in the war, these people did not have to worry about their lives being endangered.

Although they were kept away from action, this did not keep Peter and Valentine still and away from the war. They began writing papers that focused on the government, giving the people of Earth insights on the ongoing war in outer space. They became social activists and conveyed a different approach about the war to the people. Peter’s main purpose of doing this was to gain fame and power to rise on top of the government and rule the world.

The Hive Queen

            The Formic race is from a different planet that began terrorizing Earth when the human race started to explore outer space. They are controlled by the Hive Queen, the central consciousness and physical embodiment of the group mind of the Formics. During the Third Invasion, it became evident to the Buggers that they could not survive the war with the humans. In order to prevent their total destruction, The Formics prepared a location on one of their colonies for the Hive Queen to be left dormant as a cocoon. Using a telepathic method of communication, the Hive Queen accessed the memories of Ender Wiggin, to better understand him. Using what they learned, the Formics made the landscape on one of their colonies close to Earth to look like that of Ender's most powerful memory, Fairyland. Arriving as a colonist to that world, Ender eventually discovers the Hive Queen and takes her with him while exploring other colonies.

            The Hive Queen can be portrayed as the known enemy of the U.S., “Charlie”. Although such mind controlling power was not used during the Vietnam War, Charie was a very smart enemy. Vietnam was able to gather information from spies and just like the Hive Queen, lured their enemies into their own game in their own territory. The U.S., just like Ender, was confused and was not in its right state of mind because of the smart tactics of the enemy.

The Battle School

The training facility that Ender went to learn combat is similar to the training camps and bases that the United States had for their overwhelming new recruits during the Vietnam War. The Battle School provided shelter, food, clothing, and education. Just like the training camps and bases during the Vietnam War, there were many facilities that provided the same amount of great things for the drafted soldiers because of the challenges they knew the young soldiers were going to face.

Orson Scott Card’s “Ender’s Game” portrays the Vietnam War by basing his setting, characters, and events on the soldiers and the key settings of the war. From the unknown place of battle, to the young soldiers who fought for something they were unsure of, and the enemies who used smart tactics to fight, “Ender’s Game” shows how the war played out. Both the Vietnam War and Ender’s Game show perfect examples of the concept, “creating an innocent killer”.

Work Cited

Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Game. United States : Tor Books, 1977. Print.

Project Space (Final)

Bantol, Ken

Pessin

English 114B

5/13/12

Space in Counter-Strike

            Every person in the world has a limit. Bodybuilders and athletes are physically gifted and seem to be able to do almost everything using their bodies, but they still have their own limits. Dancers and actors who perform and entertain audiences around the world are seen as free moving individuals, but they too have limits that disable them from going any further. This limit that almost acts as a boundary to every person in the world is called space. Space is the most underrated aspect of life because nobody notices it any longer. A house is made up of walls that divide one space from the other, but no one ever notices these boundaries any longer. These boundaries separate areas for the purpose of privacy, safety, but most importantly, to limit each person’s free willed in an area. Instead of walking a straight line diagonally, one must maneuver around the walls and that person cannot do anything about it. These walls in the house are like rules that one must abide by. In the past two decades, technology has risen to the top of the media and entertainment field because of the futuristic developments that always seem to amuse people. One of these futuristic developments is the video gaming industry. Kids and adults play video games to relieve stress and experience a creative and imaginative world that they are controlling with their own actions. But even these creative and imaginative worlds have boundaries or limits that cannot be broken by the player. These rules and regulations are created by space which comes to show that space is still a big aspect in video games just as much as in reality. One of the greatest games ever created and developed is Counter-Strike. It was developed by Sierra, now known as Valve, and is owned by the gaming company, Steam. It is a first person tactical shooting game that portrays the on-going reality of war between terrorists and not-terrorists. A player can choose between two teams to play with, Counter-Terrorists and Terrorists, and a spectator mode in which a player is allowed to roam around the match or the round and observe the ongoing match between the two teams. This game is played in maps that have two bases for each team and the space they must work within to beat each other.

            Counter-Strike is considered one of the greatest games ever made. It attracted many kids and teenagers, like me, right when it was released in 1999. It was the perfect game that every person was looking for. It gave them full control of a character and it was violent and perfectly portrayed how a gun is held, fired, and used. But even Counter-Strike has limits that are caused by the space provided in the maps. In the game, there are many walls that are called blind spots that disable a player from seeing the opposite player with enough time to gather himself to aim and shoot perfectly. This is why it takes a while to master the skills and aim fast and accurately at the same time. These walls are a big aspect of the game because it makes it very hard for a player to aim accurately and with a fast speed to hit the opposing player. In the video cited below, at 0:03 seconds in to the clip, we see a perfect example of walls being used in the game as a limitation or a boundary for the player. He cannot see the opposing player hiding behind the wall thus he is not aiming at a target. But once he sees the enemy come out, his fast enables him to avoid getting shot and gets the enemy with one shot from a sniper rifle (running and aiming with a scope with a sniper rifle is very hard to do and is not recommended unless you are a great marksman in the game). The wall impairs the sight of the player by hiding blocking the other part of the map where the opponent is hiding. Clearly, space is a big aspect of the game as shown in this game play.

            Another example of walls being used in space of the game is in the 0:25 second mark of the video above. The player respawns (New Round starts) in his own respected base. In this clip, we see the player buy his sniper rifle and positions himself at a spot that allows him to shoot the opponent crossing from his base to the bomb site. This spot is covered very well by the walls that it takes less than half a second for the player to see his opponent cross. The wall clearly makes a major impact on the use of space in the game because it limits the player from having all the time he needs to get settled and shoot at the opponent. The space acts as a rubric or a basis of what the player is offered or given by the game, and the player must adjust to this level of comfort. By getting used to this space, the player enhances his skills and reflexes and is able to shoot accurately in a fast speed.

            In life, we are given disadvantages that limit us from doing things that others can do. Short people have a harder time dunking the basketball than tall people, but it doesn’t mean they can’t dunk at all. The disadvantage of being short just gives them a harder time to accomplish the goal. In Counter-Strike, there are many special features that an opponent can use to their advantage against another player. One example that we can see from the video above is at the 0:32 second mark. The player is blinded by the opponents flashbang which is a grenade that releases a strong ray of light that blinds everyone who sees it explode in the air. This flashbang puts the player shown above in a disadvantage because his vision is gone completely. As mentioned before, the walls already impair the vision of the player greatly, and this flashbang makes it worse. This impairment makes it harder for the player because not only does he have to withstand the effects of the flashbang, the walls are still covering his sight right after the flashbang wears off. But as the player above shows, anything is possible and even if a person only has the slightest chance, he or she can accomplish it. The player withstands the flashbang and its aftermath effect alongside the wall, and he kills the opponent with a no scope. In life, a person has disabilities and disadvantages that others don’t have. Either physically or mentally, anyone can overcome these burdens. Whether it’s students who are mentally challenged or physically challenged and still receive their diploma, whether it’s athletes who do not have the same genetic blessing others have, or a person who comes from a poor socio-economic class and is still able to compete with others richer than him or her, we have all proven that disadvantages can be overcome, just as the player in the video shows.

            Video games are used by many to as the cause of this generation’s “dumbing down”. They attribute video games as waste of time and non beneficial to a person’s life and learning. But as shown in the gameplay provided in the video above, reality is portrayed by the video game. Space limits everyone from doing everything freely. Walls are used as boundaries in life just like in Counter Strike where it is also considered a boundary for a player. They impair the vision of a person in real life such as in the video game. Disadvantages that people experience in real life are also shown in the video game. Space is the most crucial aspect of daily life and it is the same in the video game, Counter Strike. 

Project Text Draft

Bantol, Ken

Pessin

English 114A

March 7, 2012

A Man’s Path In Society *SUBJECT TO CHANGE*

[INTRODUCTION]

*GOING TO CHANGE SOON BECAUSE I THOUGHT OF A NEW THESIS WHILE WRITING ESSAY*

- I was going to write about the process of being a man in society but my mind explored new possibilities for a new thesis midway through the paper.

            It is a proud moment for a father when he realizes that his son has finally become a man. Throughout history, society has witnessed billions of boys prove that they have reached manhood. Some prove manhood when they grow their first facial hair, others prove it when they introduce their first girlfriend, and others prove it by graduating from high school. But during the 1950s through the 1970s, manhood was proven in a much more excruciating way. Boys had to show bravery by going to war and protect their nation from the communists. Many lives were lost and many families back home grieved for the loss of their sons and a few daughters. In 1977, Orson Scott Card wrote a novel entitled “Ender’s Game” about a little boy named Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, who was chosen to enter battle school and leave his family at a young age of six (6). In battle school, he was to learn how to defeat the invading aliens, The Formics, by using physical and intellectual power. In the novel, Ender learned techniques and tactics on how to violently kill another race using weapons provided to him by the government. His brother, Peter, was not chosen by the government to enter battle school, thus forcing him to stay behind on Earth leading him to create a conspiracy movement and become the ruler of Earth. Their sister, Valentine, was also left behind on Earth and helped Peter with his plan of world domination. Although the lives of these three kids, especially Ender, are not exactly similar to the lives of the young soldiers that were drafted or helped to fight for the country in the Vietnam War, the similar concept of government creating the innocent killer to stop “Charlie” and prove their manliness to society is present in both situations. Orson Scott Card’s “Ender’s: Trilogy” portrays the same situation that every person involved during the Vietnam War was in.

[Andrew “Ender” Wiggin]

            Ender is the main protagonist of the story. He is a “third” child meaning he is a rare child in a time when a family is only allowed two (2) children. While an infant, the child is injected a monitoring device which allows the government access to their minds and surroundings. This allows the government to monitor outstanding children who deem fit as honorary soldiers for humanity. Ender turns six (6) and his monitor is taken off meaning he is now allowed to live a normal life just like his brother, Peter, and his sister, Valentine. But everything changes when Ender badly beats up a bully to prevent future harm from the other kids. The International Fleet Commander, Hyrum Graff, hears of what Ender has done and examines how it happened. He meets Ender at the Wiggin’s household and asks him to explain his actions. Graff is impressed by Ender’s response and is astonished by his logic. He invites Ender to enter battle school but also tells him of the consequences he must understand if he does commit. These consequences include Ender, not being able to see his family for at least 6 years, and not being able to communicate with them. Graff also warns Ender of the grueling preparations that students go through in the school. Ender, even after hearing the changes he must make in his life, agrees and enters the school right away.

            Ender entering the battle school is similar to how the young men who were in the Vietnam War reacted to being drafted. Although they knew of the harsh consequences of entering the war such as losing their lives and not being able to see their families, they still agreed with the reasoning that they were going to save the nation from the communists. The mentality they had of saving billions of people drove them to reckless abandonment of reasoning which lead them to disregard of their lives.

            Another reason and possibly the most important reason of why Ender joined Graff’s Army was because of his sister, Valentine. Valentine is the only person, before entering battle school, who Ender had a deep connection with. She was the only one he could talk to with his problems and both cared deeply for each other. When Graff used Valentine as an example of someone The Formics would kill if they do successfully invade the Earth, Ender was imprinted a dark image in his mind of losing the most important person in his life. This image haunted him and was used as his sole purpose for keeping on with the training even though he was tired and felt nostalgia every day and night in battle school. He did not want anyone, especially Valentine, to die at the hands of The Formics so he promised to himself that he was going to be the best leader in the history of the International Fleet and destroy the entire Formic race.

            Most of the surviving soldiers from the Vietnam War explained that the reason why they joined the war was to save their loved ones such as their moms, sisters, and girlfriends. Scott Orson Card successfully used Valentine as Ender’s main purpose of continuing the training just like how the soldiers wanted to keep their female loved ones safe back at home.

[The Battle School Students]

            Unlike Ender, almost everyone in the Battle School were recruited after showing excellence through the monitoring devices. The monitoring devices showed how they reacted to situations similar to the situations people experience in the race war. The government examines their logical approach to certain events and how their knowledge allows them to act with others. If the government felt that they were capable of being officers in the International Fleet Army or decent enough to physically and intellectually fight against another race, they were recruited into the fleet and trained their whole childhood to fight The Formics.

            Similar to the Vietnam War, the battle school recruits in the novel were portrayed by Orson Scott Card as the soldiers of the war. The soldiers, like the recruits, were drafted by the government to prepare for war. Without their full consent, they were recruited to train and learn skills that will help them destroy the enemy or “kill Charlie”.

            The Battle School was also located outside of Earth meaning they trained in a surrounding they were not familiar with. The gravity was changed meaning they had to adapt to new ways of moving and changes that the school forced on to them. Aside from the strict rules and regulations the students were to follow, they also had to cope with their emotions. Leaving their families and loved ones caused them sadness and loneliness. This emotion is very hard to do as a young man in a new environment. They were in the battlefield in a country thousands of miles away from home under a weather they were not immune to. The tall grasses, muddy ground, exotic plants and animals that they did not know were harmful to them, caused many to die without a bullet touching their bodies. This is similar to how the new recruits in the battle school did not know how to protect themselves in the battle room because they did not know how to use the environment they were in. The force field that allowed them to bounce off walls were similar to the tall grass. At first, the soldiers did not know how to use the grasses to their advantage and were constantly seen by the enemy. The force of gravity inside the battle room was also a disadvantage for the students at first because they did not know how to control their bodies and aim for the enemy. Much like the gravity, the soldiers in the Vietnam War experienced months of continuous raining and sudden change of weather into sunny weather. This unfamiliarity to a bipolar weather caused most of them to get sick and prevented them from fighting at full capabilities. This led to the deaths of many soldiers due to diseases. Some died from being caught off guard by the enemy because they were not at full power and were not aware of the situation.

            Orson Scott Card portrays many of the people involved in the Vietnam War in his “Ender’s: Trilogy” novels. The soldiers in the war and the students were exposed to a new environment, were overwhelmed emotionally, and were having troubles with all the disadvantages and obstacles they experienced in the beginning of their respective trainings.

[Peter and Valentine]

            Those who were not chosen to participate in the International Fleet Army stayed behind with their families on Earth. Two prime examples of these types of individuals in the novel are Peter and Valentine, Ender’s older siblings. Unlike Ender, they were not deemed fit to become officers of a battalion thus keeping them grounded on Earth.

            These characters are similar to those who were not drafted in the Vietnam War. Instead, they stayed behind on Earth and continued their normal life of schooling and/or going to work. Their lifestyles were not changed and were allowed to grow up and choose their own paths. Unlike their peers who were in the war, these people did not have to worry about their lives being endangered.

Although they were kept away from action, this did not keep Peter and Valentine still and away from the war. They began writing papers that focused on the government, giving the people of Earth insights on the ongoing war in outer space. They became social activists and conveyed a different approach about the war to the people. Peter’s main purpose of doing this was to gain fame and power to rise on top of the government and rule the world. 

Project Space (Draft)

Bantol, Ken

Pessin

English 114B

4/17/12

Space in Counter-Strike

*Introduction*

            Every person in the world has a limit. Bodybuilders and athletes are physically gifted and seem to be able to do almost everything using their bodies, but they still have their own limits. Dancers and actors who perform and entertain audiences around the world are seen as free moving individuals, but they too have limits that disable them from going any further. This limit that almost acts as a boundary to every person in the world is called space. Space is the most underrated aspect of life because nobody notices it any longer. A house is made up of walls that divide one space from the other, but no one ever notices these boundaries any longer. These boundaries separate areas for the purpose of privacy, safety, but most importantly, to limit each person’s free willed in an area. Instead of walking a straight line diagonally, one must maneuver around the walls and that person cannot do anything about it. These walls in the house are like rules that one must abide by. In the past two decades, technology has risen to the top of the media and entertainment field because of the futuristic developments that always seem to amuse people. One of these futuristic developments is the video gaming industry. Kids and adults play video games to relieve stress and experience a creative and imaginative world that they are controlling with their own actions. But even these creative and imaginative worlds have boundaries or limits that cannot be broken by the player. These rules and regulations are created by space which comes to show that space is still a big aspect in video games just as much as in reality. One of the greatest games ever created and developed is Counter-Strike. It was developed by Sierra, now known as Valve, and is owned by the gaming company, Steam. It is a first person tactical shooting game that portrays the on-going reality of war between terrorists and not-terrorists. A player can choose between two teams to play with, Counter-Terrorists and Terrorists, and a spectator mode in which a player is allowed to roam around the match or the round and observe the ongoing match between the two teams. This game is played in maps that have two bases for each team and the space they must work within to beat each other.

            Counter-Strike is considered one of the greatest games ever made. It attracted many kids and teenagers, like me, right when it was released in 1999. It was the perfect game that every person was looking for. It gave them full control of a character and it was violent and perfectly portrayed how a gun is held, fired, and used. But even Counter-Strike has limits that are caused by the space provided in the maps. In the game, there are many walls that are called blind spots that disable a player from seeing the opposite player with enough time to gather himself to aim and shoot perfectly. This is why it takes a while to master the skills and aim fast and accurately at the same time. These walls are a big aspect of the game because it makes it very hard for a player to aim accurately and with a fast speed to hit the opposing player. In the video cited below, at 0:03 seconds in to the clip, we see a perfect example of walls being used in the game as a limitation or a boundary for the player. He cannot see the opposing player hiding behind the wall thus he is not aiming at a target. But once he sees the enemy come out, his fast and GODLY reflexes enable him to avoid getting shot and gets the enemy with one shot from a sniper rifle (running and aiming with a scope with a sniper rifle is very hard to do and is not recommended unless you are a great marksman in the game). The wall impairs the sight of the player by hiding blocking the other part of the map where the opponent is hiding. Clearly, space is a big aspect of the game as shown in this game play.

Another example of walls being used in space of the game is in the 0:25 second mark of the video above. The player respawns (New Round starts) in his own respected base. In this clip, we see the player buy his sniper rifle and positions himself at a spot that allows him to shoot the opponent crossing from his base to the bomb site. This spot is covered very well by the walls that it takes less than half a second for the player to see his opponent cross. The wall clearly makes a major impact on the use of space in the game because it limits the player from having all the time he needs to get settled and shoot at the opponent. The space acts as a rubric or a basis of what the player is offered or given by the game, and the player must adjust to this level of comfort. By getting used to this space, the player enhances his skills and reflexes and is able to shoot accurately in a fast speed. Just like how the player in the video above shows, a GODLY speed. 

This week's edition of Abominable was really funny. I hate it when I set up a guy's night out with my friends where we can just enjoy some sports and some foul tv and be men, and that one friend brings someone else that makes it awkward. That person who makes it hard for us to act normally like how we would with each other. I can already tell how the other sparrows are feeling in the next invisible panel.

The culmination

So... This is the last personal blog of mine for this semester. I seriously did not know what to write about but after realizing this is the last personal blog, I decided to write about something that has been bothering me for a while now. Ever since I started college last semester, I have been hearing stories of people graduating and not being able to find jobs within their respected field. I am afraid whether I will become one of them and by the way the economy is looking, I have a feeling I will be. My parents went to college, graduated, got a job within their fields, and are making a sufficient amount of money. But I'm wondering whether I will be able to do the same thing. This only makes me want to work harder and do anything to succeed. I'm also planning to apply for the FBI once I receive my Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology. Hopefully, I can do the things I want to do and make my parents proud.

Strict Diet

Along with working out, I have been on a very strict and lean diet. Instead of carbing up like most bodybuilders, I'm eating like a 500 pound obese person trying to lose all the fat. I need to get lean first before I return to Natural BodyBuilding again. I have gained about 15-20 pounds of fat the past 6 months ever since I stopped bodybuilding and so I have to  get back to 15% body fat again.

Back to clanging and banging

The week after Spring Break, I decided to start working out again. I did bodybuilding during the summer and I accomplished my goal. I was able to put on muscle mass like I have never been able to put on before. I followed a routine by a guy on YouTube and I was successful at putting on mass. Although I didn't stick to a strict diet, I was still able to put on a good amount of muscle. My friends that I have not seen since last year told me I probably gained 5 or 10 pounds of fat but in reality, I gained 50 pounds overall. I stopped working out when I got a job last December and now I'm back to lose the extra fat and even get bigger muscle gains.

The Abominable Charles Christopher: April 4th

This week's edition of Abomibale clearly portrays how monarchy works. When the King or Queen dies, the next in line is the son or daughter or whoever is closest in relations. Although that makes sense, I don't understand why they are in a higher class than other people. They're monarchy, that doesn't mean they have powers of a God and can do anything they want. They're just like other regular people with more money and they should be treated nothing more than just a celebrity rather than a almighty being.

End of my Spring Break

After spending the first half of my Spring Break on my couch with the flu, I recovered and went on to back to back to back 8 hour closing shifts from Thursday until Saturday. What a horrible week. Worst Spring Break ever. That Sunday however, I didn't have work and I was able to get an 8 hour sleep. I went to church that morning and my favorite priest was the preacher that mass. It was a perfect day to hear about God's message for Easter from my favorite priest. I spent the rest of the day preparing food and the grill because we had visitors come over for Easter dinner. We had steak, ribs and some good 'ole Filipino food that my mom prepared. It was a great ending to my horrible Spring Break.

Week of Spring Break

Going out on Sunday night was the worst decision I have ever made. My flu got even worse and I felt as if I was on my deathbed. That stayed the same the whole first 3 days of the week from Monday until Wednesday. All of a sudden, the flu went away when I woke up that Thursday morning and I had an 8 hour closing shift later that day. That Friday, I also had another 8 hour closing shift. What a great Spring Break -_-

1st weekend of Spring Break

The flu got worse. I was in worse shape than I was on Friday. Good thing I didn't have work or else I would have died. It was a horrible start to my Spring Break. I wanted to go watch a movie that Saturday night and go out with my friends. That Sunday however, my friends came over and we watched Wrestlemania 28, WWE PPV. We stopped watching WWE but after hearing that our childhood hero, The Rock, came back, we wanted to watch the event and it did not fail. It was a great show and well worth our money. We went to Chipotle and even though I was sick, I felt as if I had energy because of the event that night.

1st day of Spring Break

It was a Friday and I have been waiting for that day this whole semester. Instead of having fun, I was on my couch the whole day suffering from the flu. I caught the flu from a guest who was sick and kept talking to me at work the night before. I also missed out on a great party thrown by my co-worker and former High School friend. Almost everyone I knew from my old High School came and my closest friends that I hung out with in High School came to the party. What a BUMMER !

The Ultimate Fighting Championship

I am a Sports fan and Basketball will always be my favorite sport. But lately, I have been intrigued by a new up and coming sport, Mixed Martial Arts. This sport has everything you want to see in a fight. Ground game, wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, and even Capoeira (dance fighting). It gives me the adrenaline to workout because of the excitement I feel when I watch these fights. I have a feeling this is gonna be the next big thing in 10 years. Everyone will know Anderson Silva and Jon Jones just like how everyone knows Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

The Abominable Charles Christopher: March 28th

This week's edition of Abominable really touched my heart. It gave me an idea of how my mom is feeling. My sister is moving out to go to USC and I am transferring to San Francisco State University. My parents are left with my youngest sister who is still in the 6th grade. She always tells us how much she's going to miss my sister and I when we both move out. Until now, I never realized why. A parent's love for his or her child is unfathomable.

15 word summary of this semester

"Procrastination is like masturbation. You enjoy it at first, until you realize,  you're fucking yourself."

Working at Target

So it's been 4 months since I started working as a Cashier at Target and I have to say, it's been super great! I got with the flow really fast and real easily and now I'm opening more redcards (Target credit cards) than most of my co-workers. It's really hard to get guests to open credit cards but with proper use of smile and deceiving with charm, it can be done :)

The Abominable Charles Christopher: March 21st

This week's edition of Abominable reminds me of Spring time. Spring is my favorite season because the sun is always out but it is not super hot. It is very breezy in Southern California and my attitude is like the bunny. I just want to  have a musical and start skipping down the road in a Sunny Breeze type of weather.

iFail

So for our assignment in class, my professor wanted us to try something new that is completely out of our normal routine, and miserably fail at it. Now for my experiment, I did not completely go out of the norm but I still did something I knew I was going to fail at. I have always been a technology guy and always experimented with new electronic devices. Last month, I bought my sister a brand new Kindle Fire. I saw the serial number or key of the package and remembered how everyone scammed Amazon by reporting a damage to their Kindle Fires and got new replacements no questions asked. I did it once with my friend and I thought I should do it again. I lost the manual that was downloaded online that showed step by step instructions on getting a free Kindle. The manual also contained the complaint letter that was to be sent. So I tried to do it myself and wrote a new complaint by myself. The person caught on to me and asked more information than the first time I complained to them. He asked for my debit card information and my address and where and when I bought the Kindle. He told me that if this is a scam, he can track my IP and get me arrested. I was so scared that I unplugged my whole desktop and the internet router of my house. I realized I tried to do something by myself and failed miserably.

Nike Free Run

So I bought these new running shoes called Nike Free Run and they are FRIGGIN' AMAZING! Greatest shoes I have ever owned. So light and comfortable, I basically wear them everywhere. I am planning to doate all of my shoes to Goodwill because I feel that I no longer need any other shoes but my Nike Free Runs. You guys should get 'em!

The Abominable Charles Christopher: March 14th

In this week's edition of Abominable, we see two rats making fun of a woodchuck. At first, the woodchuck doesn't realize what's going on but catches on in the end. This reminds me of when I was new to America. I was the "Asian Kid" or the "Chino" in my class. I was the nicest foreign guy you could ever meet. All I wanted to do was be friends with everyone. But there were always those guys who thought they were so cool because they were in their own group walking around school in a pack. One day, I passed by them near the basketball courts and they asked me "Where I was from". I thought they were referring to my homeland, instead they were looking for a "gang related" answer. Being ignorant of the situation, I calmly answered Philippines. Here I was thinking I made new friends. Instead they started laughing at me and called me a "[EXPLETIVE] Rice Eater". I left after that altercation and tried to avoid them that whole year. I never talked to any of them ever since that day until 4 years later when I was in High School and I started being physically active. I was not intimidated by them any longer because I was the same size, if not, much bigger and stronger. But it was too late, they didn't try to get in an altercation with me and I did not want to initiate a stupid fight over a stupid incident they started 4 years ago when they were immature.

I'm BACK!

Well, it's been a month since I've posted a blog. I have been procrastinating, well I always have been, but more hardcore than ever the past month! Time to finish all my work and finish this semester strong! Let's do this!

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.

My Fan Labor: Ender's Song

This is my song about the book "Ender's Game". It shows how valuable Ender really is to the planet Earth. Without him, the Formics would have killed every human on Planet Earth. This song sympathizes with the people of Earth, shows how brave Ender really is, and how humanity owes everything to him.

Ender's Salvation

by Ken Bantol

(Inspired by Tupac)

Intro:

*Some deep lyrical stuff being spoken!*

Verse I:

When humanity started Exploring

They were unsure of what to find

Everybody was in silence

No one knew what to do

They ran into the Formics

An alien race that terrorized outer space

These buggers felt the commotion

And told the humans: "STOP PLAYING WITH OUR EMOTIONS!"

The Formics started attackin'

Which caused the war to begin

The humans got furious

And they said:

Bridge:

"Oh buggers we've had enough

of this terror going on

So we'll make sure we win

Because we're lead by Andrew "Ender" Wiggin"

Chorus:

'Cuz there ain't no other mind so bright

He will send these nasty buggers flying to the sky

Who can bring back Earth's glory and paradise

His Combat skills are out of sight...

He can lead an army and strategize

In the end he will be standing tall and high.

Verse II:

Ender has come to power

A fella born to be a leader

He overcame adversity

and killed the nasty buggers instantly

He helped the world overcome

The damage that the Formics have done

The Earth has now regained their domination 

While the Formics lives have come to a conclusion

Outro:

Every corner

Every City

The Formics will make your life uneasy

But don't worry 'cuz Ender is finally here

He will kill those Formics and take away your fear.

*Thank You, Ender. Thank You!*

Naudo Rodrigues: A Guitar Master

For this week's personal blog, I will be talking about music, again. I am more than just a listener, I am a lover of music. Unlike others, I appreciate every type of genre, except for the ones that sound like notes or computer made sounds thrown in together. This week, I will be talking about my FAVORITE musician of ALL TIME. He is unknown to many. I came across his videos back in 2007 when I started getting intrigued by guitar plucking and fingering. This was the very first video I have ever seen of Naudo. He plays in a hotel in Tenerife Island in Spain and one day, I will visit him and witness the GREATEST guitarist in the whole world do his magic. What separates Naudo from the rest of the guitarist you see on TV or anywhere else is his passion for the music he plays. He is a didactic which means he is self taught. He arranges his own material and incorporates every part of the song in his arrangements. Bass, Rhythm, Melody, even Percussion. His arrangements are ever flowing and have a sense of smoothness. Unlike other guitar arrangements, every note has to correspond with another note. But Naudo uses improvisation which allows him to play the chords/rhythm of the song and just add the bass and notes. This is very hard to do. Many have not heard of Naudo and most of his followers on YouTube want him to gain fame. But naudo has stated that he is happy of where he is in life. He is content of the small fame he has in his hometown in Spain and I agree with him. I don't care if he doesn't get paid Millions to play for the whole world. His happiness is enough for me. And I feel very special that I'm one of the few people on earth that know of this one of a kind talent. 

The GREATEST game ever created. EVER.

Here are some screenshots of me playing Counter Strike 1.6

I have been playing this game since I was 7 years old. I am proud to say that this game is a BIG part of my childhood. Now that I have started college and that I have a job, I hardly have any time to play. I can't wait until SUMMER to get back and play again!

This is a screenshot of me using the AWP Rifle which is a sniper. In this picture, I am scoping and aiming for my target. I run with my AWP which people say is very hard to do in the game because you need a stable position to shoot. But to me, it just comes easily.

This is a screenshot of the aftermath. I killed the enemy. As you can see, I got 300 extra dollars for killing the enemy and my name "DJ .ako #P90X" is shown on the top right corner, killing the enemy.

This is another screenshot of when my team, .ako which stands for "Ass Kicking Order", was defeated in a league match. I said "GG" to the other team which stands for "Good Game". I scored the top score for my team ;)

The Abominable Charles Christopher: Feb. 15th

For some odd reason, this reminds me of my friends and I. We've been close friends since 8th grade and we have always gotten into trouble with people. Whether it'd be the manager of our old apartments, parents

. of the other dude we made cry, the teachers from our middle school, the old security guard from High School, or even the LAW! We would always do something stupid that gets us in to some real deep CRAP. I see myself as the duckling on the very right who is trying to calm the pissed off swan. As you can see, all the other three ducklings are running for their lives as the swan is scaring them. The duckling on the very right, however, is brave enough to face the consequences and is trying to calmly talk to the raging swan. Everytime I get in trouble with my friends, I always come forward to face the harsh punishment which prompts the rest of my friends to come up as well... SOMETIMES. For example, back in 6th grade, one of my closest friends was being bullied by a bigger kid in his class. It was after school and I was walking towards the table that my friends and I usually meet at. But for some reason, my friends weren't there. I thought they went to the pizza joint we usually go to so I went there right away. Right when I crossed the street, I saw my friends being pushed around by other guys that I knew. I ran straight towards them and tried to calm them down asking them if we can just talk it out. But the dude who started the altercation, who I didn't know so well, pushed me and told me to back off. I was angry and was getting ready to fight when I heard the MOST FRIGHTENING sound I have ever heard in my entire life... A police car's siren. I stood still, frozen and could not move. I thought of my future and wondered whether I have put my graduation in jeopardy, and what if I get sent to Juvenile Hall! The police car blocked the whole street and all the cars backed up since they could not pass. This was when I realized that I was in some real deep CRAP! The police took down my name and the other kid's name and asked us who else was involved. I looked back to see if my friends were still there but they were long gone as I saw them sitting 30 feet away inside the pizza joint, staring at me. I took full responsibility and told the officer that I was just trying to pass through when the other kid and his friends "HIT ME UP" and asked me "WHERE I WAS FROM"(Gang reference). The officer told us to "STOP THIS BULLSH*T" and that he will be seeing us the next day. I went to my friends afterwards and cursed at them endlessly for leaving me alone. I was very pissed when they just laughed at me as if the situation was not serious, at all. The night I did not sleep at all, and prayed the whole night asking for forgiveness, thanking the Lord for everything he has done for me, and I even cried because of fear. Fear that my mom would kill me if she found out I was going to Juvenile Hall or that I would not graduate. The day went by and I did not speak a word to my classmates, teachers and even my friends. When the bell rang at 3:00 pm, I felt a huge relief as if every load of worry has been taken off my back. I have come to the realization that my misdemeanor was not taken seriously by the officer and I was let off with a warning. The next day, I ran into the officer at school and I asked him if he still remembered me. He said, "No, Should I?" I replied with a no and ran to the basketball court. 

WOW, I didn't plan to share a life story but DAMN! I guess I just got carried away. Oh well... So that's what this picture reminds me of, hope you enjoyed.

The perfect girl.

OK. So I might come off as a lunatic with this post but I don't care. 

The sad news of Whitney Houston's departure from this world has been on the Internet the whole weekend. On Facebook, my friends can't stop posting about her. On Yahoo, the whole front page is covered with articles on pictures of her. On YouTube, all the recommended videos are of her. Interestingly enough, the Grammy's was held this weekend and of course, a great tribute was held for Whitney. 

Towards the end, Jennifer Hudson gave a stunning performance of Whitney Houston's hit single, "I Will Always Love You." Al though I enjoyed the performance, I thought it could have been better. Which brought me to one of my favorite videos on YouTube.

This is Charice, the most amazing girl on earth. She is a Filipino singer who was discovered in the Philippines and now travels around the world with renowned music composer, David Foster. She is considered as one of the true divas of the world today. Unlike Lady Gaga, Beyonce, or Adele, she sings older songs by the likes of Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. 

This brings me back to my main point. I thought that Charice should have honored Whitney at the Grammy's by performing this amazing performance of Whitney's hit single, "One Moment In Time." It would have been a mind blowing performance that everyone in that audience have not seen, EVER. 

.

My legs LITERALLY gave out on me and I fell on the floor when I heard this sad news.

I grew up listening to this woman and all the soulful legends of the music industry.

Rest In Paradise, Whitney<3