Images from Susan Sontag's Regarding the Pain of Others

In the book Regarding the Pain of Others, Susan Sontag discussed various images that were thought-provoking and made me very emotional. One image that really caught my attention was Goltzius’s The Dragon Devouring the Companions of Cadmus (1588). The painting is so bold in its nudity and gruesome in its depiction of a dragon eating the head of a man. At the same time, the painting is truly beautiful. As someone with a great interest in art, I find the artist’s attention to detail to be quite phenomenal. When you first look at the painting, you see a dragon devouring a man’s head. If you look closer, there are actually two people being devoured. The way the second body’s legs are placed is quite uncomfortable position to be in. It’s gruesome and disturbing. When you pay attention to particular parts of the painting, you see a man in the background with what looks to be fighting with some beast. But then again, that depends on perspective. Maybe the man is playing around with the beast?  The dragon itself is really beautiful. Every muscle of its body so perfectly depicted, as is the humans. It seems so realistically painted that  it makes you wonder why was this produced and how did Goltzius come up with such a painting?

Huynh Cong Ut’s 1972 photograph from the Vietnam War really struck me deeply. The children are running, shrieking with pain. It’s so gut-wrenching to see the naked child running in the photo. Behind the kids are soldiers running from a black cloud, which is probably from an explosion of a bomb. It really made me tear up thinking about the situation these children must have gone through. I feel like jumping into the photograph and helping these children out. Ut beautifully captures the emotions at the time for the Vietnamese people. Ultimately, it’s the faces of these children that really touch you. Their faces really tell you the situation they’re going through. The one child looking back at the black sky and soldiers is really saddening. She or he is probably being forced to leave their home. These children have to abandon all that is precious to them, including their parents. Who knows? Their parents may be dead, be off fighting in the war, or weren’t able to escape. We don’t know. But the children’s emotions definitely tell us something is wrong. It hurts to see children in pain. I think that’s why this photo tells us so much more about the Vietnam War. When we talk about war, we usually picture adults and soldiers dealing with the fighting. Sometimes, I feel like we overlook the children, who are suffering the most from war. Looking back at our happy-go-lucky childhoods, I feel deeply saddened those children went through that kind of thing. Photographs really do help you develop an understanding for the situation.

Missy Franklin

            Missy Franklin really stood out at the 2012 Olympics for accomplishing so much at the age of 17. She took home five medals (four gold) and set an individual world record in the 200-meter backstroke. She not only set the record, she was the first American to even win the race in 40 years. Later, Franklin was later part of the 4x100-meter medley relay squad that also set a new world record. Consequently, Franklin has been the second most talked about swimmer after Michael Phelps! Because of her efforts, the United States eventually beat out China and 202 other countries to win the overall medal count in the 2012 Olympic Games. In celebration of her success at the Olympics, Frankin got a hip tattoo of the Olympic rings! She said this would be her one and only tattoo, emphasizing the importance this event has had in her life. These accomplishments weren’t possible if Franklin hadn’t been motivated from a young age. Since Franklin was 6 months old, she’s loved swimming. Franklin stated in an interview, “All I remember, is I just loved swimming more than anything. I loved being in the water more than on land because I was so comfortable in it.”  It’s very inspiring to see that she’s had these dreams to be a great summer from such a young age. But, I also think great genes played a role because her 6’1 ft height and size 13 feet help her swim faster. Furthermore, I found the advice  six-time gold medalist Amy Van Dyken told her very inspiring, because I can relate this to my own life as I make my way through college. Dyken told her, "Race your race and not the 'names' that may be next to you…Everyone is in the same boat at this meet. So just remember that, no matter what you see or hear, have a blast!” Something humorous I found out about Missy Franklin was that shade a deal with her coach Todd Schmitz prior to the 2011 FINA World Championships that he would have to shave off his moustache and goatee that he had sported for several years if she won the three events she was competing in; and she did!  In addition, I found out Missy loves The Hunger Games book series, which is my favorite book! I’m coincidently doing my third assignment on the movie based off of it too. Furthermore, she loves Tangled and Despicable Me, which are both my favorite movies. Thus, she has my vote as one of my favorite American athletes at the 2012 Olympics, on top of all her accomplishments. After all this newfound success, Miss Franklin has been entertaining her fans like me by appearing on an episode of Pretty Little Liars and the MTV Video Music Awards. More recently, Missy was accepted to UCLA on an athletic scholarship where she intends to study broadcast journalism or marine biology and pursue a professional swimming career. I’m sure her career will only go up from here!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1268336-olympic-medal-count-2012-table-usas-most-impressive-athletes-in-london

http://www.london2012.com/athlete/franklin-missy-1132902/

http://www.examiner.com/article/missy-franklin-arrives-at-vmas-red-carpet-wearing-gold-brings-olympic-medal

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/17/missy-franlkin-pretty-little-liars_n_1973359.html

http://todayinlondonblog.today.com/_news/2012/08/06/13142934-missy-franklin-plans-to-bring-tattoo-home-along-with-medals?lite

http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/missy-franklin-25-things-you-dont-know-about-me-201218#ixzz2ABt8sG33

http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/08/05/olympics-missy-franklins-pop-culture-must-list/ 

Restaurant Review

Olive Garden

7700 Transit Road Williamsville, NY 14221
(716) 565-5423

            Olive Garden is a great Italian restaurant for the family, without excellent service. When we arrived for dinner last Saturday, there was a 40-minute wait time, with only a few families ahead of us. Luckily, my family and I received a table for six within 20 minutes! The aesthetics of the restaurant remind me of an Italian style home. Even the cobble stone walls and unique rooftop are reminiscent of Italy. Inside, the wooden chairs and tables, the well lit rooms, and the mustard yellow walls give off a comfortable and cheerful atmosphere. All the tables were well spaced out, so that there was enough room to move around and no one else could over hear your conversations. The restaurant is overflowing with rich smell of seafood and pasta sauce.

            After finding our seats, our server welcomed us and introduced us too all the dinner specials and new entrees with a good amount of detail. She quickly brought out our drinks and complimentary bread sticks, which were hot to the touch. The menu offered a variety of foods like pastas, pizzas, seafood, soups, salads, and appetizers. There weren’t so many dishes that you were overwhelmed or too few dishes listed. They even had healthier options for my dad who is watching out for his diet place since his heart attack. Overall the price ranges for main dishes were $15-20 with appetizers starting at ten dollars. I had ordered a new dish to the menu, Lobster Cannelloni with Shrimp. The rest of my family ordered Ravioli di Portobello, Cheese Ravioli, Herb Grilled Salmon, and Seafood Alfredo.

We received our salads and soups that came with the entrees, within a few minutes after ordering. The wait for our main entrees came fifteen minutes later. The wait wasn’t too long and our server considerately checked on us three times. When our food arrived, I was surprised the Lobster Cannelloni with Shrimp was smaller in quantity than I expected, especially since it was served on such a large plate. For a $20 dish, I wasn’t pleased with the price, since there was so little on my plate. My mother was also dissatisfied because her Seafood Alfredo was served a bit cold. The server immediately took care of her problem by bringing out a fresh, new dish. She apologized to my mom because her dish became cold, as it was the first dish prepared. The server informed us that the manager would not charge us for that meal, which was very gracious of them.. However, the rest of my family enjoyed their meals, which were all beautifully presented and garnished. We were very satisfied with the rich taste. Throughout the meal, the server continued to ask us if we needed anything, which was very helpful.  

Upon finishing up, we were offered to try out some dessert, which we decline. Then, we were given the bill promptly, and our server offered to pack our leftover food too. We were overall satisfied with our experience as Olive Garden offered delicious food, a great environment, and excellent service. We will be sure to come again.

Plagiarism

Unintentional plagiarism is a serious issue because it reflects on our academic integrity. For every course here at UB, there is a section dedicated in the class’s syllabus regarding academic dishonesty. The issue of unintentional plagiarism comes up in every aspect of our lives in regards to music, art, college papers, technology, etc. There can even be lawsuits for serious offenses. You will even immediately fail the course your taking for the very first instance of plagiarism. When I was taking my honors seminar UGC 112, with Dr. Mcguire, he asked us to e-mail him common English mistakes students make when writing. For example, saying “Frank gave the bag to Ryan and I” when it should be “Frank gave the bag to Ryan and me.” A few students actually copied exact examples from various websites and emailed it to him. While it seems harmless to just copy facts on grammar mistakes simply because you’re lazy or find it trivial, it seriously reflected on the students because they were honors students. During class, Dr. Mcguire passed out the list of common mistakes with those examples plagiarized in their own column.

Thus, the best way to avoid unintentional dishonesty is just to cite, cite, and cite everything! Even if you have background knowledge on a topic, it’s best to give credit by mentioning it in the footnotes. I actually made this same mistake in my paper for Assignment 1 so it’s best to cite whatever you can. Another way to avoid plagiarism is to simply avoid “googling” ideas from sites like Sparknotes. Formulate your own opinion, rather than trying to find other ideas out through the Internet. It’s more than likely that every student in your class has already looked at Sparknotes too. Some may have copied directly from the website or just based an idea off of what they said. Even if you unintentionally tried to make a claim your own, just credit where credit is due. 

24/7 News

In regards to “Live TV and Bloodless Death…,” I agree 24/7 news has distorted our sense of the conflict in the Middle East and other countries like in Africa.  Truly, it is about the ratings and how sensational a scoop can be reported. Thus, misinformation spreads like wildfire. For example, although it’s been a year since Osama Bin Laden’s death, there are still confusions surrounding how exactly he died because there either isn’t enough information, it’s been distorted, etc.

Furthermore, 24/7 news had made us numb to conflict because it is so frequent and lacks a sense of reality. You don’t see blood or actual dead bodies. If I could summarize the news broadcasts I’ve seen in the past year, you mostly see weaponry or bases where soldiers are stationed at. The fighting you do see is mostly of soldiers firing guns. If the broadcast agencies didn’t tell us where the fighting was happening, I wouldn’t be able to make out the difference. So, even I feel like very detached.

Also, I feel “worldwide” news isn’t really worldwide when it focuses on western interests in the whole wide world. The reading cites an example when the 5,000 Afghan civilians died in bomb raids during ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’ and 20,000 died as a result of indirect effects of the bombing. These numbers are shocking because you mostly only  hear about the number of soldiers who died fighting, which happens to be quite small in comparison to the number of civilians.

Finally, I definitely agree that 24/7 news fails to explain the economic and political context as to why there are conflicts in the Middle East. All these problems can be traced back to a century ago after the breakup of land under the Treaty of Versailles. And the problems just keep adding up. Every country has a past and because of it, they act a certain way. Furthermore, you have to understand that most Middle Eastern countries economic conditions. For example, there is not enough electricity in Pakistan for it to run 24/7. In fact, the light goes out 12 hours a day in cities and even more in villages.  Food prices have escalated so much and the government has been forced to shut down petroleum and gas pumps three days out of the week. Add war in to the mix and of course, the country is struggling. The problems are believed to stem from the America-backed Pakistani government, resulting in growing anti-American sentiment.

            In regards to “Conflict and Control…,” it was highly interesting to read about how reporters were going through the events of 9/11. But while it seemed like they were shocked at the attacks, it was very bizarre how it all became about getting the best coverage in the Middle East. It was like a game of how can get in to Afghanistan or Pakistan first, report live, and find the best spot to do it. Although the profession demands it, it just seems all about the ratings again. In addition, I found it interesting how Pakistan became the prime location to broadcast from. Because I saw the Marriot Hotel a month before it was bombed in September 2008.

Questions: 

- What do you think of Pakistan’s role in the Middle East? (militarily, media wise, etc)   

- Do you actually watch the news or read newspapers frequently or do you prefer to use social media websites to find out about current events?  

Around 9/11, the teaser for an anti-Islamic film, produced in the U.S.,  called “Innocence of Muslims” was released, dubbed in Arabic, sparking extreme outrage across the Middle East. The actors playing the film believed they were partaking in an adventure film set 2,000 years ago called “Desert Warrior.” However, the movie was actually a grotesque portrayal of Prophet Mohammad.

People wonder why Muslims are acting so violent, since religions get insulted all the time.  To explain the reasoning  through a blog post is difficult there is so much to be said. In a few sentences, you wouldn’t truly appreciate the reasoning unless you read more than just a single line from the Qu’ran. You would need to read the Hadiths or sayings of the Prophet, Shariah Law, and more scholarly books as well.

What I can say is that, all prophets are highly respected in Islam. We are not allowed to depict any prophet nor insult them. His life is an example for Muslims to live by. So of course, his insult would create uproar. However, killing the US Ambassador of Libya and other innocent individuals, I agree, is not the right way to go about it.

For more, read:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19608730

http://articles.cnn.com/2012-09-13/world/world_anti-islam-filmmaker_1_israeli-citizenship-adventure-film-islam

For a brief understanding of Islam here is a short book in online form that I also have at home:

http://www.islam-guide.com/

"The Self Absorbed Bully..." and "The Chinese Watching..." Response

In regards to “The Chinese Watching the War…,” I was very surprised to know the Chinese had not experienced war so closely on TV because of the tight control on the media by Chinese government. The Chinese media grew tremendously during the Iraqi invasion due to the support from the government and a growing TV viewer audience interested in the war. The Chinese position on the invasion is unique but similar in regards to our previous reading with Iran. It has become even more obvious to me that a country’s history plays a crucial role in the decisions its leaders make.  Just like the Iranians, the Chinese feared America’s imperialistic role in the world. However, for the sake of a growing export market in America, they agreed to remain somewhat “neutral” in the invasion effort.

However, I am extremely critical of the way the Chinese media made a spectacle of the war effort. Who had the best weaponry? What battle tactics were used? When and where would the US forces strike next? While the Hong Kong media was indifferent, the Chinese media played upon the war situation for their own benefit. Despite being “neutral,” they tried to gain as much as they could out of the war. It is insensitive to the lives people lost on September 11, to the Iraqi civilians, and to American soldiers. This kind of mockery is not acceptable.  

In regards to “The Self Absorbed Bully…,” I agree with President Lula that America was wrong in invading Iraq without the consensus of the United Nations. I often think America meddles in everyone’s business. America has power and it should not abuse it. Quoting from the movie Spiderman, “with great power comes great responsibility.” I agree Saddam is at fault for abusing his own power. However, America shouldn’t be emotional in making its decisions because obviously, America recently had suffered a great loss on September 11.

Furthermore, I believe that oil was a major reason why America invaded Iraq. Just like Brazilians, my family in Pakistan thinks the very same of America and are actually more aggressive in the belief that America is after the oil. That is why literally all of the Middle East is in shambles today. Whosoever controls the Middle East, controls all the oil riches in the world. In all honesty, I found that anti-Bush song pretty entertaining. Maybe Bush did sell the bomb to Iraq and then invaded it on account of weapons of mass destruction. The United States is always giving out money, weaponry, food, and supplies to other nations. Who knows? Also,  it is interesting how the writer noted George W. Bush was continuing what his father had set out to accomplish in the early 1990s.

In addition, Brazil’s concern over the end of the United Nations is logical. If one nation, particularly a powerful and influential one, decides not to abide by the rules, then more nations will start to abuse the United Nations.  Everyone is responsible for his or her own actions. I actually wonder if there were some actions taken against the United States for invading Iraq without UN approval. Or was there no punishment because America is so powerful?