Monday, November 26, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
HW35: The End of the Journey
Dear Readers,
The time has come to put and end to this blog. The journey has been fun and i have learned a lot from everything. Blogs are a great way to express feelings and personal views on issues of interest. It can also teach you about views of others as they leave comments on your blog that can agree or disagree with your own thoughts. I know i am not the most experienced the blogging society and i am still learning new things with each blog post. All i am hopping is that readers enjoyed reading my posts and come out with at least one detail they didn't know. It could be about old spice deodorant, A Room of One's Own, or the views of Riverbend as long as it is meaningful to you. When looking back on the posts i can't decide on a particular favorite. The posts i enjoyed the most are the ones that allowed me to express my personal thoughts the most. It is for this reason that i am going to keep my blog running so i can focus more on issues of my personal interest and create higher quality posts of my own thoughts and less research. Though i may not post as frequently i have enjoyed the ride and am looking forward to future posts.
Thanks
The time has come to put and end to this blog. The journey has been fun and i have learned a lot from everything. Blogs are a great way to express feelings and personal views on issues of interest. It can also teach you about views of others as they leave comments on your blog that can agree or disagree with your own thoughts. I know i am not the most experienced the blogging society and i am still learning new things with each blog post. All i am hopping is that readers enjoyed reading my posts and come out with at least one detail they didn't know. It could be about old spice deodorant, A Room of One's Own, or the views of Riverbend as long as it is meaningful to you. When looking back on the posts i can't decide on a particular favorite. The posts i enjoyed the most are the ones that allowed me to express my personal thoughts the most. It is for this reason that i am going to keep my blog running so i can focus more on issues of my personal interest and create higher quality posts of my own thoughts and less research. Though i may not post as frequently i have enjoyed the ride and am looking forward to future posts.
Thanks
HW34: Palms and Tea
Baghdad Burning
On Monday, October 13, 2003, Riverbend wrote a post about date palms. “A palm tree is known as a “nakhla” and never fails to bring a sense of satisfaction and admiration” (Riverbend, 103). The palm trees are beautiful and also very useful. They serve as resorts for various birds during the winter time and provide them plenty of their 300 different types of dates. Dates are used to make an alcoholic beverage, a dark, smooth syrup for rice and bread, as well as other seasonings for food. The leaves of the trees are used to make baskets, brooms, mats, bags, hats, wall hangings and it can be used for roofing. Riverbend says she enjoys using the roots of the dates as beads. Tea is also very important to Iraqis. Tea is not as easy to make as we Americans might think. “If you serve “teabag tea” to an Iraqi, you risk scorn and disdain—a teabag is an insult to tea connoisseurs” (Riverbend, 108). There are hundreds of different types of tea and the best types are from Ceylon. People drink tea at all times of the day and with all meals. Tea in Iraq is special because its flavored with cardamom and served in istikans which are small glasses shaped like the number eight. So most gatherings are usually accompanied with a nice glass of tea.
On Monday, October 13, 2003, Riverbend wrote a post about date palms. “A palm tree is known as a “nakhla” and never fails to bring a sense of satisfaction and admiration” (Riverbend, 103). The palm trees are beautiful and also very useful. They serve as resorts for various birds during the winter time and provide them plenty of their 300 different types of dates. Dates are used to make an alcoholic beverage, a dark, smooth syrup for rice and bread, as well as other seasonings for food. The leaves of the trees are used to make baskets, brooms, mats, bags, hats, wall hangings and it can be used for roofing. Riverbend says she enjoys using the roots of the dates as beads. Tea is also very important to Iraqis. Tea is not as easy to make as we Americans might think. “If you serve “teabag tea” to an Iraqi, you risk scorn and disdain—a teabag is an insult to tea connoisseurs” (Riverbend, 108). There are hundreds of different types of tea and the best types are from Ceylon. People drink tea at all times of the day and with all meals. Tea in Iraq is special because its flavored with cardamom and served in istikans which are small glasses shaped like the number eight. So most gatherings are usually accompanied with a nice glass of tea.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
HW33: Alive in Iraq
“Iraqi Teens Work to Help Their Families”
On October 15, 2007, Alive in Baghdad posted a podcast entitled, “Iraqi Teens Work to Help Their Families.” It showed interviews of young teenagers who have been working since their child hood to help support their families needs. Children were working on furniture, and expressing their own opinions as to the terrorism and bombings of the Americans. These children are scared. One boy by the name of Mustafa Malek fathullah Ali was only 14 years old and putting hard labor in everyday by painting furniture. He also knows how to make doors, sofas, and bedrooms. He said that the security situation is very hard and nobody can protect themselves. He also states that there is no peace in Iraq and he asks neighboring countries to look out for them, stop bombing, and stop sending terrorists. By viewing this podcast and listening to the words of the boys, we can learn that life for them is difficult and they do not have the freedom of the American children. Their families need them for financial support and they understand their importance. It would be very hard to picture an image like this in America as no parent wants to put their child through this challenging lifestyle.
On October 15, 2007, Alive in Baghdad posted a podcast entitled, “Iraqi Teens Work to Help Their Families.” It showed interviews of young teenagers who have been working since their child hood to help support their families needs. Children were working on furniture, and expressing their own opinions as to the terrorism and bombings of the Americans. These children are scared. One boy by the name of Mustafa Malek fathullah Ali was only 14 years old and putting hard labor in everyday by painting furniture. He also knows how to make doors, sofas, and bedrooms. He said that the security situation is very hard and nobody can protect themselves. He also states that there is no peace in Iraq and he asks neighboring countries to look out for them, stop bombing, and stop sending terrorists. By viewing this podcast and listening to the words of the boys, we can learn that life for them is difficult and they do not have the freedom of the American children. Their families need them for financial support and they understand their importance. It would be very hard to picture an image like this in America as no parent wants to put their child through this challenging lifestyle.
HW32: Shopping for School Supplies
Baghdad Burning (94-96)
On October 5, 2003, Riverbend wrote a post in her blog on the issue of school supplies. Riverbend went shopping with her cousin and his wife and her brother to get school supplies for his daughters. Every year his wife takes the girls shopping for pens, pencils, and notebooks but since the war they have not been allowed out of the house. The girls instead went to a relatives house while the others went to a stationary shop to purchase the girls supplies. Riverbend helped to pick out some Barbie and Winnie the Pooh notebooks as well as strawberry scented erasers even though the kids had never tasted strawberries. Back at home the girls waited impatiently and immediately grabbed the bags from their mothers hands. The older girl was very pleased with her supplies but the other claimed she was too old for Winnie the Pooh and wanted a Barbie copybook instead.
On October 5, 2003, Riverbend wrote a post in her blog on the issue of school supplies. Riverbend went shopping with her cousin and his wife and her brother to get school supplies for his daughters. Every year his wife takes the girls shopping for pens, pencils, and notebooks but since the war they have not been allowed out of the house. The girls instead went to a relatives house while the others went to a stationary shop to purchase the girls supplies. Riverbend helped to pick out some Barbie and Winnie the Pooh notebooks as well as strawberry scented erasers even though the kids had never tasted strawberries. Back at home the girls waited impatiently and immediately grabbed the bags from their mothers hands. The older girl was very pleased with her supplies but the other claimed she was too old for Winnie the Pooh and wanted a Barbie copybook instead.
Monday, November 12, 2007
HW30B: Keene State College Citizenship Symposium
Citizen Soldiers and Global Warriors
On Thursday, November 8, at the Keene State College Citizenship Symposium there was a speech entitled, “Citizen Soldiers and Global Warriors.” The speech was done by Scott Ritter who is a former UN weapons inspector and seemed to be a very knowledgeable man. His speech started off by taking the words of the title piece by piece and defining them. He started with “citizen soldiers.” Scott believed that to be a citizen soldier we must strive for what we believe in and full fill the elements listed to us in the constitution. He says we have failed to live up to the constitution and “we call ourselves citizens but we don't function as citizens.” during the coarse of the speech the obvious topic came up of the war in Iraq. Ritter was not afraid to admit that the war in Iraq is illegitimate and it is our fault as citizen soldiers at home. Next came the issue of what the U.S. Should do now and if we are to stay in Iraq or leave. Ritter said that the world has lost trust in Americans and we need to stop telling others how to live their lives. I believe he received the largest applause of the night when he stated, “ We are the problem not the solution, bring the troops home.”
On Thursday, November 8, at the Keene State College Citizenship Symposium there was a speech entitled, “Citizen Soldiers and Global Warriors.” The speech was done by Scott Ritter who is a former UN weapons inspector and seemed to be a very knowledgeable man. His speech started off by taking the words of the title piece by piece and defining them. He started with “citizen soldiers.” Scott believed that to be a citizen soldier we must strive for what we believe in and full fill the elements listed to us in the constitution. He says we have failed to live up to the constitution and “we call ourselves citizens but we don't function as citizens.” during the coarse of the speech the obvious topic came up of the war in Iraq. Ritter was not afraid to admit that the war in Iraq is illegitimate and it is our fault as citizen soldiers at home. Next came the issue of what the U.S. Should do now and if we are to stay in Iraq or leave. Ritter said that the world has lost trust in Americans and we need to stop telling others how to live their lives. I believe he received the largest applause of the night when he stated, “ We are the problem not the solution, bring the troops home.”
HW30A: Keene State College Citizenship Symposium
Secret Daughter
Tuesday night at the Keene State College Citizenship Symposium there was a speaker by the name of June Cross. Cross is a teacher and a reporter who made a documentary called “Secret Daughter.” her presentation began with a quick introduction and description of her film, followed by a question and answer session. The documentary was about the issue of racism. Cross was a black women who grew up with a difficult life. Her mother was white and afraid of admitting that June was her daughter. She never actually new her black father as a child which made her life even more difficult. In the documentary she states how confused and frustrated she was with her mother by saying, “ when i was a child i spent hours in the mirror looking for her lightness in my face.” she had to find her own family that would appreciate her and make her feel loved and did with a colored family by the name of the Gregory's. It wasn't until she made the documentary that her mother was finally able to open up to her and explain what her own child hood was like and how she ended up with June's father. It's all a really depressing story but through her words and documentary, June has helped may individuals notice and make changes towards fixing the problem of racism.
Tuesday night at the Keene State College Citizenship Symposium there was a speaker by the name of June Cross. Cross is a teacher and a reporter who made a documentary called “Secret Daughter.” her presentation began with a quick introduction and description of her film, followed by a question and answer session. The documentary was about the issue of racism. Cross was a black women who grew up with a difficult life. Her mother was white and afraid of admitting that June was her daughter. She never actually new her black father as a child which made her life even more difficult. In the documentary she states how confused and frustrated she was with her mother by saying, “ when i was a child i spent hours in the mirror looking for her lightness in my face.” she had to find her own family that would appreciate her and make her feel loved and did with a colored family by the name of the Gregory's. It wasn't until she made the documentary that her mother was finally able to open up to her and explain what her own child hood was like and how she ended up with June's father. It's all a really depressing story but through her words and documentary, June has helped may individuals notice and make changes towards fixing the problem of racism.
Monday, November 5, 2007
HW31: The Water
Baghdad Burning
On page fifty of Baghdad Burning, Riverbend states that there was no running water for the entire day. At first i thought that water is everywhere and how easy it would be to survive a day without it in the first place. Th then researched the weather in Baghdad and found why it would be very difficult. There was a blog that stated temperatures in the shade can exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit, making it difficult to even breath. As a redhead myself, who is mildly allergic to the sun, i know i wouldn't last very long in this environment. It also explains why Riverbend feels bad for the American military because they just stand in the heat all day. There have been stories that the soldiers fry eggs on their tanks. “A wicked man once remarked that Iraqis do not have the fear of God in them because they already live in hell!!” (Khaleel, A Glimps of Iraq)
Khaleel, Abu. "A Glimpse of Iraq: Baghdad Summer Days." A Glimpse of Iraq. 15 Sep 2005. 5 Nov 2007 http://glimpseofiraq.blogspot.com/2005/09/baghdad-summer-days.html.
Riverbend. Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog From Iraq. New York: Feminist Press, 0.
On page fifty of Baghdad Burning, Riverbend states that there was no running water for the entire day. At first i thought that water is everywhere and how easy it would be to survive a day without it in the first place. Th then researched the weather in Baghdad and found why it would be very difficult. There was a blog that stated temperatures in the shade can exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit, making it difficult to even breath. As a redhead myself, who is mildly allergic to the sun, i know i wouldn't last very long in this environment. It also explains why Riverbend feels bad for the American military because they just stand in the heat all day. There have been stories that the soldiers fry eggs on their tanks. “A wicked man once remarked that Iraqis do not have the fear of God in them because they already live in hell!!” (Khaleel, A Glimps of Iraq)
Khaleel, Abu. "A Glimpse of Iraq: Baghdad Summer Days." A Glimpse of Iraq. 15 Sep 2005. 5 Nov 2007 http://glimpseofiraq.blogspot.com/2005/09/baghdad-summer-days.html.
Riverbend. Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog From Iraq. New York: Feminist Press, 0.
HW28: an open letter to Riverbend
Dear Riverbend,
as an American i just wanted to say how thankful i am that you are able to share your thoughts, feelings, opinions, and stories with us. From your blog, as you have already stated, we are able to learn a different point of view as well as stories we wont find on Fox News or CNN. The American media makes us believe we are helping the Iraqis and from your writing we find that this is not happening and you in fact state that you feel unsafe. Your posts, mostly for Americans, do seem a bit harsh but when considering what our government has done you have a right to be harsh. I understand where you are coming from in many situations such as feeling unsafe, then nine-member rotating presidency, as well as the presence of the American military. Hopefully many other Americans can understand this as well. Again, i would like to thank you for your thoughts ans hope that things take a turn for the better.
as an American i just wanted to say how thankful i am that you are able to share your thoughts, feelings, opinions, and stories with us. From your blog, as you have already stated, we are able to learn a different point of view as well as stories we wont find on Fox News or CNN. The American media makes us believe we are helping the Iraqis and from your writing we find that this is not happening and you in fact state that you feel unsafe. Your posts, mostly for Americans, do seem a bit harsh but when considering what our government has done you have a right to be harsh. I understand where you are coming from in many situations such as feeling unsafe, then nine-member rotating presidency, as well as the presence of the American military. Hopefully many other Americans can understand this as well. Again, i would like to thank you for your thoughts ans hope that things take a turn for the better.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
HW27: Baghdad Burning Annotated Bibliography
Baghdad Burning. New York: Feminist P, 2005.
Baghdad Burning is a great book for our Blog class. It is written by a women whose nave is unknown as she describes herself by using the name of Riverbend. All we know about Riverbend is that she's an Iraqi women who is 24 years old and she survived the war. Through her blog she brings us into her heart as she goes through the struggles in her daily life. Its great because we can learn a lot about what its like to be an Iraqi and how they might view what has happened with the war in Iraq. By doing this our class can learn what has already been happening and what is to come for Iraqi women in terms of their rights and freedoms. Riverbends writing challenges us, as Americans, to step outside of our cultural ways and replace them with her view of what we have den to Baghdad.
Baghdad Burning is a great book for our Blog class. It is written by a women whose nave is unknown as she describes herself by using the name of Riverbend. All we know about Riverbend is that she's an Iraqi women who is 24 years old and she survived the war. Through her blog she brings us into her heart as she goes through the struggles in her daily life. Its great because we can learn a lot about what its like to be an Iraqi and how they might view what has happened with the war in Iraq. By doing this our class can learn what has already been happening and what is to come for Iraqi women in terms of their rights and freedoms. Riverbends writing challenges us, as Americans, to step outside of our cultural ways and replace them with her view of what we have den to Baghdad.
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