My first new blog in four months,enjoy!
A Redhead's Romance
It’s been awhile, six months exactly since we met and its been quite the adventure; first I was introduced to her sister, a lovely woman with of all things a pet peacock Percy, she told the story of she’d snatched on a dare from the Brookfield Zoo with the best part being about her trying to take it back and every time following her back home telling us “after the seventh time I just told him to make himself at home”. I swear laughter never came out of harder and louder than that day.
Next was the introduction of her to my coworkers, before we entered the Ale House on Division I grabbed her hand and pull her back a bit unsure what to do, for once fear consumed me. She kissed me on the cheek and I thawed. With all my strength I followed her in, as we entered everything stopped, they saw us the same way police would see suspects. With all my strength I introduced her and waited for a reaction; everybody seem to like her, Sarah out right shocked me, she’s the office’s scheduler and chief executive assistant who ran the place like well oiled machine (a real pain in the ass). Sarah had complimented on her dress, hair and even the perfume she was wearing it got me jealous, the two of us had been working together for three years and all I got out of her were orders and criticism while Sarah gives her praise and jubilation after just a few minutes. It was going well, no fantastic for her, me I helped myself to a shot of Green Label and another, followed by one more to top it off; Sarah ever the mother hen ordered appetizers making sure we all had something to soak up the booze.
Third time out as they say “was a charm”. It was my god brother Freddy’s wedding and I hadn’t seen him in a year; he was in a white tuxedo happy as can be while the soon-to-be bride Lana blushing and glowing simultaneously. The funniest part came right after the church service; you see we were asked to say to take pictures with the newlyweds, what Freddy and Lana didn’t know was that my date happened to be a she rather than a he and as we walked up the father of bride (who was a Baptist minister) drop his jaw as Freddy and Lana were struggling to hold their laughter. We were the best looking couple in the photo and while we’re at it the best looking couple at that whole wedding, at the reception Freddy’s dad Al sat at our table next to us. Freddy’s parents and mine had known each other since high school in fact my mom would tell me this story about how Freddy’s mom Tricia (God rest her soul) had barrowed a quarter from her to buy her a birthday card, I always found that story sentimentally funny. Next to Al was his new “friend” Danielle, the two of them had met about a year after Tricia’s passing, he told us about the two of them and their plans to move in together. The banquet was a fest; there were pasta primavera, shellfish platters, roast beef, Cornish hens and more disserts than I can count on my hand let alone describe. We danced the calories off doing everything but the limbo then came the shocker, it was time for the “main event” to keep things fair Freddy had me the ladies while she was with the gentlemen and to everybody’s surprise (even our own) I caught the bouquet, she won the garter belt. As we left the wedding and got into the car she asked me “if Al and Danielle can move in together, why can’t we?” we looked at one another gently smiling. Hey we caught the bouquet, seems like the next best step.
That’s all for now see you soon!

“One way of understanding better what a film is trying to say is to know how it is saying it”.
This is and interesting explanation of how a movie brings a message forward to you the viewer as well as speaking to them. Every movie approaches the task differently, takes for instance American Pie when the character of Jim played by Jason Biggs is caught by his father played Eugene Levy catches him violating an apple pie, he tells him that they’ll lie about what happened with Levy’s character saying “we’ll tell your mother that we ate it all”. Here we see that the father (Levy) bears no judgment or prejudice towards his son (Biggs) and that he’ll protect the boy as much as humanly possible even from himself. Another more serious and equally enduring demonstration comes from the film Norma Rae where at the end as company security tries to take her out, Norma played by Sally Fields holds up a sign announcing union. Instantly every employee ceases productivity in solidarity with the cause. In Norma Rae we see the how the director speaks to us about the worker’s strife whereas in American Pie we see the raunchy coming-of-age of a Mid-Western teen; though both are different both leave a deeply relevant impact.
Same can be said for foreign film, the film Butterfly tells the coming-of-age story of a school boy during the last days of Spain’s Second Republic and the beginning of it’s upcoming Civil War. Like American Pie and Norma Rae it uses symbols together with unique situations to show this boys maturity hand-in-hand with the change of events occurring all around him. The story begins with the boy Monucho getting ready for his first day of school, he ask his brother questions about school as his brother’s practicing the saxophone. The brother tells Monucho how the new teacher who goes by the name Don Gregorio (Gregory) is an atheists, this frightens the boy since he’s deeply religious and wants noone to be damned to hell. He goes to the school accompanied by his mother, before entering the building the teacher introduces himself and takes him inside. Before attendance’s taken a father of one of the better off students comes to the teacher with several chickens in exchange for his son’s poor performance (a sort of cross between an apology and a bribe) Mr. Gregorio thanks him but ultimately as well as obviously turns him down. With everything calmed down he begins attendance, once Monucho’s name’s called the class begins to laugh and heckle him and with that he leaves in rage. Later in the evening the teacher comes to his home to tell his family the story and ask Monucho to excuse and forgives his classmates for their behavior. As the school year goes on thing for the better, the boy who sits next to him in class becomes his best friend, he plays drums in a band with his brother and he learns about butterflies from Mr. Gregorio; in one particular scene, Monucho and Mr. Gregorio go butterfly hunting, in one particular moment they see a butterfly land on a dandelion. Here teacher tells student how the insect collects nectar with its tongue, the director offers us a fabulous close-up of this it’s gathering dotting full unconditional attention to the specimen letting us see it’s spring-like tongue gather nectar then flying in slow motion followed by the surprise in the boys face . This sort attention to detail makes the film all the more special.
Yet dark clouds are approaching, remember these aren’t the Good Old Days of M-G-M/New Deal years rather a turning point for Spain from normalcy to chaos the Civil War. First we see it in his family, a young lady who lives just outside of town has the tragedy of having her mother pass away. In her time of need she comes to Monucho’s father for condolence, when asked about her it’s discovered that she was a daughter from a shaky relationship with her mother. Also we see when the teacher’s given commendation at his retirement ceremony, many of the town’s prominent residents storm out in protest because of his atheists and Republican prospectives. This shows the high degree of intolerance and partisanship growing in the country all culminates at the films conclusion when the hardliners and militants (Fascist) take over the town. Foreseeing the consequences, Monucho’s mother gathers any and all of the pro-Republican paraphernalia (the family had voted and registered with the Republican Left party which’d just been criminalized) and destroyed them. At the very end we see Monucho yelling butterfly names at his teacher whiling hurling rocks.
We now come to the conclusion of how and why; looking at the film we see the mother destroy the political info because it would mean certain death for the family at this critical time, for the boy it’s the frustration of seeing good people like his teacher go through persecution along with eventual execution and the need for survival as seen with his stone throwing (harkening back to the old phrase go along to get along). We see how Monucho turn from a shy runt to well rounding young man, but we see how all around him the volatile rotation of the world. A good name for this film would’ve also been Turning Point since it displays a full change of one’s being from beginning to end. Like the prior two films (American Pie & Norma Rae) it shows both an individual(s) coming-of-age followed by their struggle for survival, meaning and justice. This film speaks to the viewer in every way from A+ cinematography to historically accurate property complimented with quality performance from this cast yet all-in-all its what you as a view believe its telling you.

Liberty of the Intellect
How education paved the way for revolution
Throughout the course of mankind’s existence on this planet, being either declared or displaying evidence of intellect, intelligence or liberalism has been often met with harsh resistance and criticism. When one would bring forth an idea or system that did not adhere to the standard ideology of the present time or place (whether or not it benefited any of the populous), then that one individual would be condemned. For some unknown reason, non-conformity has always been viewed as a threat by whoever is in power and by whatever rules and standards they have set forth. Eventuality those oppressed for their work and/or beliefs will (and have) fight for their right and ability to bring what they can contribute to society or for freedom. In this reader’s response, we will examine the ties between the Enlightenment and the revolutionary period, plus how the works and struggle of some have changed us all.
The seeds of dissent always happen in the least expected places. For revolution has its beginnings in the Enlightenment has its beginnings with a man named Copernicus. Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer who in 1503 had discovered that the sun was the center of our system and that the earth was revolving around it. It would take another astronomer to tackle the Copernican problem and his name was Kepler. Johannes Kepler was a German astronomer who determined that the orbits of the planets were elliptical. This proved that the planets could revolve around a sun-centered star system; in 1609 Kepler published Copernicus-based findings.
These theories were noticed but unchallenged by authorities until the discovery of Galileo. Galileo Galilei was born in 1564 in northern Italy, he had begun his work in 1609 at the age of 45. He was the first to use a telescope in order to letter view the stars. In his research of the sky, Galileo had found mountains on the moon as well as moon orbiting Jupiter. His studies had disproved the Ptolemaic determining that the universe was far more complex and vast for earth to be at the center. In 1632 he published his titled “Dialogues on the Two Chief Systems of the World”, while his work won him praise from the public, but had brought him scourge from the church. Later that year the church under the Inquisition demanded that Galileo recant his statements. Galileo replied “It still moves” in his defense, for defying papal orders Galileo Galilei was deemed a heretic and was excommunicated from church.
Galileo would be the first of many intellectuals to be persecuted by a reigning authority, but time would be on the side of intellectuals. In the 1630s with new world colonization and the Reformation people began to question and rationalize the unknown. One institution in need of and rationalization was the church. For centuries, with its outlandish higharchy along with its concepts of manifest destiny and original sin the church had been seen as an oppressor of the Enlightenment. Philosophers (those who followed the Enlightenment) believe that religion’s job was to nurture one’s moral behavior and a life of virtue as oppose to the church’s pennants and dogma. The Enlightenment believed that nature was rational, so since God created nature then God must be a logical thinking “individual”. Another aspect of this new religious belief was also that in the hereafter, man would be judged by what they did and not who they were.

Lady and the Can
By Augusto R. Gonzalez
On Friday September 11th of this year, possibly the weirdest thing happened. I was at the Division Ale House celebrating the birthdays of a couple of coworkers Matt & Ray; we had a few drinks and shot the shit. About an hour in I went to the bathroom, while going a lady came in, she had short brunette hair and wore jeans with a red shirt. She apologizes for coming in without knocking and tell her its ok, after a little more small-talk I realize “hey, she’s checkin’ me out while I piss”. Ironically I was flattered and even thought of asking if she’d go for anything, instead I finished and got out. Later on I saw her at the bar with some guy who reminded me of a teacher I had at Wright and had me thinkin’ of a bunch of off-the-wall stuff. Although flattering I’ve come to this solution: you’re in the can to empty your tank and get the hell out.
Thanks for your time and have a bitchin’ day!

In this divided and partisan society, individual and collective behavior can be narrowed down to two simple but cruel realities. The first is something we’ve all hear once in our lives yet can have many definitions as well as degrees (an “in the eye of the beholder” deal) from individual to individual or culture to culture. This is shame, it can bring people to their knees or the liberator for those who have no other weapon against tyranny or dissiliency (real or metaphorical). For others it seems obsolete and futile to keep in place as a deterrent for individual expression and wonder. In either way it still is the foundation of modern manner and statue for civil law.
Shame as stated in the Funk & Wagnalls New Comprehensive International Dictionary of the English Language is a painful sense of guilt or degradation caused by consciousness of such, unworthy or modest; a restraining sense of pride; that which brings disgrace; a state of ignominy. One fine example of shame lies within our own bodies; let’s say a person is walking down the street naked, not for any reason just because. Then someone walking on that street notices and let’s them know of their disgust finishing off with “have you no shame” or “you ought to be ashamed of yourself” the question now becomes what is shameful (if anything) and where did shame take place? Could it be that the on looking pedestrian bared malice toward the naked person? Another reason could be that the pedestrian sees public nudity as setting a example for children or others or it could just be he finds nudity wrong. This is an example of self shame since the on look found in him shame in another’s individual stance.
Paranoia is another factor, in shame people tend to also feel as though they’re loosing control and have enemies all around them. This leads to many questions like “why me”, “why now”, “what did I do to deserve this” or “what makes you think your so special” many times a person(s) will try to comprehend the going’s on. Sometimes in public he’ll show signs of this uncertainty by looking over his shoulders trying get away when someone’s too close. Paranoia dose not lead to shame but to our next concept that of misery. Also defined in Funk & Wagnalls New Comprehensive International Dictionary of the English Language, misery is an extreme distress, for many it comes with the death of one close or the loss of employment it makes individuals feel unwanted and useless. Paranoia fits in when the constant worries of being brought down can make a person feel failed or unwanted.
In its essence shame and misery will bring a person down only if they believe they are not strong enough to beat it. In cultures like in that of Asia the slightest discrepancy such as blowing of the nose in public or fail in one’s work can lead to shame for whole generations or the community with drastic measures like suicide as your only option. Yet for us who live in our world persistence is our best weapon against defeat (the root of all shame and misery) we must see the glass if not half full at least at half knowing that there’s room for advancement and improvement. We as a people must always remember that falling down is never a crime but staying down is.

The 20th century can be summoned-up by two nations with two different systems. The United States with its constitutional republic and pen market process of capitalism, the other is the Soviet Union with its dictatorial bodies the Kremlin and the Pollock Bureau and their practice of communism with its “central planning” and sanctioned rationing. These two became sworn enemies and proclaimed that one day they would “smite” one another and would alter the world’s direction in the process. One would become victorious over the other as well as the global direction, but what really happened to originate this conflict and fervor plus how was the global direction altered? Also, were there any genuine differences between the two advocacies? Thus are the questions and this topic which is to be presented in this report proper.
To begin, we must observe their concepts and folklore. For capitalism, this begins during the Reformation. John Calvin founder of the Puritan movement had preached a “no frills” way of life. Part of this life dealt highly with business and the profession that work was godly. In his teachings Calvin preached that a true Christian “must conduct his business with a high seriousness as in itself a kind of religion”, this meant that business would become a faith unto itself but with the same Christian virtues. This idea that one could work harder to lower their risk of temptation and maybe have a better chance of entrance into heaven was widely accepted and spread like wildfire in colonial America. Another aspect of this work ethic was the creation of a pious class. This class was to be looked upon for enlightenment and be inspiration to the peasant and other lower classes to improve themselves.
This practice was perfected by the Pilgrims and their establishment of the Plymouth Trading Co. in 1621, but modern capitalist/monopolistic philosophy comes from the great American “self made man”. Ben Franklin spoke of the homo economicus, of man living not just to survive but to acquire a higher status in society. He preached to those who would listen (and many did) that the frontier was where prosperity laid and it was within the individuals and only individuals to make this frontier prosperous. The key note Franklin also brings fourth, is that the individual should always gain from any and all prosperity. Franklin also speaks of business and as part of an “honest life” which is perfected by frugality. Finally like all early capital-based philosophers, he professes that making money is “holy”. So all who participates in this idea were members of the “holy economy” and are justifying the means of capitalism .
Another aspect that links capitalism and piety is the concept that no matter how you’ve conducted your business or of yourself for that matter, you can always give your money away or speak motivationally to the destitute, then you’ll be viewed as a great humanitarian. Case-in-point, the story of Oldabiah Brown, he had built a series of mills in the northeast during the 1780s. He ran his business ruthlessly and went at all lengths to eliminate competition, but in 1796 he had opened a Sunday school and at the time of his death in 1798, he donated $100,000 to the Quaker charities. The Quakers declared him the greatest humanitarian and a friend of the workers. Other capitalist though were interested in gain alone by any means necessary, capitalists like john Jacob Astor. Astor was the son of a butcher who came to the states in 1783 from Germany to make his way. He began his career as a fur trader in the Mohawk Valley, a few years later he began the American Fur Company in New York. From the beginning Astor’s business was built on questionable practices, to increase profit he would buy whisky in bulk and trade it with the Indians for the furs instead of paying for them (which was the law). Another dubious tactic was when Astor would sell his furs in Asia; he would buy opium in bulk, refine it and sell it in the States and Canada (making him the first drug dealer). There was one instance when a church group had come to his home for donations; Astor had given the church goers $20. A man from the church had said to Astor “but sir, your son William had given $150”, Astor replied “well William has a rich man for a father now doesn’t he”.
Like capitalism, communism is wrapped-up in its own folklore and demagogy. Karl Marx had praised the actions of Alexander the Great when he toppled the heathen Persians and their empire and with creating a new kingdom and a period of true (though short) peace and prosperity. Another Marxist hero was Spartacus, who had freed his fellow gladiators who refused to fight any longer for their elitists task masters and sacked Rome, home of the slave drivers. Some were also men of peace; St. Frances of Assisi was praised by many Marxists for abandoning his life privilege to work with the poor and the environment. Other figures of the Marxist ideal included Hero of Alexandra, inventions like the steam turbine and the vending machine helped the masses. He was also praised for achieving these scientific feats for the sake of innovation and not that of gain. Even Jesus and his Disciples were prime examples of how Marxists should live. Their practice of peace and aiding others before themselves was the foundation for Marxist ideology.
The fundamentals of communism are found in puritan practicality. They preached working to survive and making due. Things like excess and flaunting what you have is considered vulgar. Unlike the puritans, the communist denounced a rigid class system and declared that revolution was the only way to make change. This idea of overthrowing those individuals in power and taking control of the state spread like wildfire worldwide, but would have drastic effects under the leadership of a cruel few.
The “red scourge” as it was called by the British conservative party (the Tories) began in Britain in the 1850s with the release of Karl Marx’s The Communist Manifesto. People were enraged by how the government would put them in massive workhouses if they couldn’t pay their debt or taxes. The people were even more outraged when the very workhouses they put in to work off their debt, would be charged for using the equipment at these workhouses. In the U.S. this movement began after the Civil War when blacks and immigrants protested against racial discrimination by white supremacists and being denied work because of who they were. Russia’s Marxist movement began not oppressed minorities or enraged workers but with the few sons and daughters of that nation’s noble class known as the Boyars. One these groups was called the Nihilists, who’s goal was to kill the Czar and set a secular oligarchy would run the country. In 1881 they had successfully assonated Czar Alexander II while he was on his way to an important meeting (the meeting was to set up a representative government). One of the members was the brother of Lenin who was the son of the Chief Superintendent of Education for Southern Russia. Their leader was the daughter of Alexander’s favorite noble. As consequence Alexander III son of Alexander II and the new Czar of Russia, had executed the Nihilists and because he was the father of the Nihilist leader, his father’s favorite noble was also executed. Alexander III’s would reverse the policy that won his father the praise of the people and seal Russia’s fate .
With the death of his brother Alexander in 1887, Lenin had sworn to avenge his brother’s death and keep the flames of revolution alive. In 1893 he moved to St. Petersburg where he practiced law. In his off time, Lenin would work with the various anti-government and revolutionary groups Russia had to offer. He would organize labor strikes as well as participate in riots plus he would represent those accused of “state crimes” in pro bono trails. Lenin was widely open about his anti-government views and activities so as a result he was put in exile in Siberia in 1895. In exile, Lenin had met many Marxists, atheists and nihilist sympathizers. He and learned about Marx and of the “single world state” praised by Marx, of how religion was a virus on society and those who practice any form of it were evil. He was taught about how a few should control the land “in the name and sprit of the people” as well as training in guerilla warfare. Lenin had taken all this in like a sponge and in 1898 though still in exile, joined the Social Democratic Party. Now Lenin belonged to something meaningful, now he could put his training to good use. Their first order of business for them was to get some form representation; this was achieved with the First Congress of the R.S.D.R.P. in 1898. With proper representation, all the party needed was money this was achieved by using gangs to shake down local people for “protection” and robbing banks. This gave the Soc. Dems a steady income, but Lenin had bigger plans. From 1897-1913 Lenin was going back and forth perfecting his Marxist platform of rule. This process of totalitarian refinement had gone through three phases. The first had begun when he was in Siberia, there he had formulated hit views and agenda. His second was when he was released from exile. Here he began to design how this new communist government function and setting up a would-be cabinet (entourage) for himself. The third happened when Lenin was in the Duma and just before the revolution. This was to liquate all enemies of the state and consolidate all power . This plan would start the foundation of the U.S.S.R. and sow the seeds for the Cold War.
Before the 1917 Revolution, Russia had been made-up of many states and principalities with strong self rule. Many of these states like Finland and Poland where declared Duchies and could kept their monarchs and state heads. Further regions where ran by Governor Generals, these were usually army officers appointed by the Czar’s Generals. They total control of local militias and state agencies. Before the creation of the Duma in 1906, there was little if any resistance but the Duma gave the Marxists (now Bolsheviks Russian for majority) an opportunity to take over the nation .
In 1914, Russia had declared war on the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungry, Turkey and Bulgaria) all parties had been in favor of the war except for Lenin and his Bolshevik Party. Lenin had been working hand-in-hand with Germany’s Social Democratic Party in creating a “Marxist” alliance and a war with Germany would destroy any further ties Lenin had with the S.P.D. As a result, Lenin went to Germany to secure support from the Germans against the Czar.
At the beginning of the beginning of the war, Russia had won significant battles in Poland against Austria-Hungry and in the Caucuses against the Ottomans. Yet this upper-hand on the Eastern Front would be short lived, in 1915 a better trained Austrian army alongside a battle-harden German army had seized western Poland and pushed back all Russian forces. Another problem facing Russia in this “Great War” was the fact that 90% of the entire Russian army was ill-equipped lacking shoes, food, undergarments and guns. As a result, in March1, 1917 the Russian army mutinied then shot at striking workers, raided business and took over the Duma building. Realizing that his authority would no longer be recognized, Czar Nicholas II abdicated the thrown.
Russia was now under the control of a “Provisional Counsel”. The Provisional Counsel led by Prince Lvov and Alexander Kerensky from March-November of 1917. They won public praise when they had released all political prisoners and established civil liberty laws. The Provisional’s primary goal was to establish a democratic constitution republic like that of the U.S. On March 28th of that year, Lvov and Kerensky had assembled all the principalities and subjects of the Russian Empire to draw up a constitution with a bill of rights. Deemed the Constituent Assembly, they had successfully gathered all factions to discuss reform. In order to get better representation and to prevent upheaval from these various factions, they were formed into soviets (counsel in Russian). These soviets were both represenitive bodies of greater Russia and as regional legislation for their chosen territory. Of all these “soviets”, three of them ran the Assembly like no other, the first was the Rada which represented Ukraine and Byelorussia (Belarus) which was interested in secession, the Shura which represented the Turkic people of the northern Middle East and most powerful was the Congress of the Soviets that was lead by Lenin’s Bolsheviks and Social Revolutionary Party which was only interested in total overthrow of the system .
By April the Provisional Government had lost all control of the country along with a massive German offensive later that year had brought them to their knees. With hospitals unable to care for the sick, peasant revolting in the country and humiliating defeats on the front, the Provisional was all but finished. To secure a victory on the eastern front, the Germans smuggled Lenin into Russia. Holding his end of the bargain with Emperor William II, Lenin singed a seas fire, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in December of `17`. With German funds and armaments Lenin stormed the Duma and staged a coup in January of 1918. The Bolsheviks then proceeded to raid the nation’s banks and seized the nation’s banks and the elimination of all political opposition.
From Lenin’s return, a civil war had broken out between the varying factions of influence in the Nation. Another participant in this civil war was the Ally Nations, the U.S. and Britain in particular. For some years (even before the war) both countries had invested vast sums of money into Russian industry and public works and Soviet seizer of U.S./British investments would spell economic disaster for the two countries. In 1918, Woodrow Wilson ordered 10,000 troops into western Russia to secure ports for anti-Bolsheviks (Whites). To stop White Russian advances, Lenin hurried and ordered the execution of Russia’s elite starting with the death of the Romanovs. In July of 1918, Red Army soldiers had executed the immediate royal family and the extended family at later dates. In 1921, the Reds had overridden the rebel and Allied forces and officially establish the Soviet Union.
In both economic systems, two individuals come to mind for their eerie similarity in consolidation of power, but taking different paths to achieve their goals. One would become the richest man in history; the other would be the most infamous dictator of our time. Both men were be born of simple but troubled backgrounds, rose from mere obscurity and the standard for autonomy and injustice.
First we will discuss the man the John T. Flynn called “all business”; John Davidson Rockefeller was born in upstate New York in 1840 to Mary Davidson, a Baptist preacher and William Avery Rockefeller, a snake oilman and con artist. From his mother, he learned never to boast or brag for that was an act of pride and pride was a mortal sin. From his father, he learned to deal, bargain, underhand and whenever there’s a sign of a problem to just walk away. Young John learned these things from father dearest the hard way, when Rockefeller was five he had asked his father for a nickel, the next day his father ask him for the money John had taken out a nickel. His father proceeded shake his head no and told him that he owed a $1.50. When young John asked his father why, the elder Rockefeller replied “that’s how business works”, another incident occurred when John was a teenager. William had hired a housekeeper and one night William after one of his drinking binges, had attacked and raped the young girl. Off the next day to promote one of his new scams, William Avery Rockefeller left a distraught young victim, his family in public humiliation and his son to clean-up the mess. On that day, he swore two things, one to never touch a drop of alcohol and to bring greatness to his family name were William left scandal and shame.
Were Rockefeller had vowed to achieve greatness and prominence, our other man in question was only interested in just trying to escape his torn home but would aid us in defeating a great evil, but would himself leave a trail of blood that would rival any tyrant then or now. Joseph Stalin was born in Georgia on August, 10 1879 his father was a drunken shoemaker who would beat him for any reason on any occasion and his mother had once been a house who suspected of cheating on her husband with her employer and that young Joseph the of her employer and not her husband. A sickly child from birth, Stalin was short, had a clubbed foot from an accident as an infant and a pockmarked face a smallpox infection at five, but his mother believed young Joseph was meant to be in the service of God and at 10 had enrolled him in Seminary School. In his subjects he had excelled highly and praised by his instructors for his participation and conduct. Stalin had even been credited for his penmanship as a poet, it had begun innocently about nature and the what not, but as he got older it became more violent and angry. In one poem he writes about how killing an infant is the most beautiful thing because “killing something so innocent can be so wrong”, this along with other Revolutionary activities lead to his expulsion from seminary school at the age of 15.
At the age of 17, Rockefeller had gone to Cleveland to begin a career in commodities trade. With a loan from his father, he built up a modest business in dry goods trading; in 1859 the discovery of oil in Pennsylvania had brought speculation from the business world. Oil for some time had been used in the patent medicine industry, the most popular brand was Kier’s Medicine also known as Kier’s Snake Oil. To Rockefeller, oil had no real value it was a crude substance with no price on the commodities market and was a nuisance to ship and handle. His views changed a year later with a publication by a chemist about benefits of oil as a clean lighting source. In the report, the chemist Samuel Andrews when refined from its crude form, oil can be used as a clean alternative to fish and whale oil the then fuel of the day for lighting homes. Realizing that oil refine would translate into top dollars, Rockefeller with his partner James Clarke bought $5,000 worth of crude oil and with their new partner Samuel Andrews, made 10,000 batches of kerosene. By 1865, Rockefeller and his partners were refining and shipping over 100,000 barrels of oil daily.
Stalin’s raise to powers began in 1922; at this time Lenin had suffered what would be one of several strokes that would eventually end his life. Thanks to the revolution, Stalin had risen to the position of Secretary General of the Communist Party and had an even higher goal that of being premier of the U.S.S.R. his opposition was the chief architect of the Communists legislature Leon Trotsky. Trotsky and Stalin had been sworn enemies since the civil war, when Trotsky accused Stalin of not effectively managing supply lines to the troops while Stalin accused Trotsky accused of being too lenient towards Jewish P.O.W.s since Trotsky himself was a Jew. To rid Trotsky from public life, Stalin lead a character assignation plot like no other, he rallied the atheists by announcing that Trotsky’s Jewish roots would undermine a secular state, to the hardliners Stalin told them that a defense plan under Trotsky would be like giving the keys to the west. Immediately Stalin gained massive support and with it won the position of premier and his first order of business was to get rid of Trotsky. He started not by attacking Trotsky himself, but Trotsky’s core; Stalin had all Trotsky’s associates executed and Trotsky exiled. Stalin then declared a 5 year plan that was heavily based on public works such as railways and dams. This required massive amounts of land, for this Stalin just seized public land and disenfranchise or kill anybody who wouldn’t move. To this, he used his elite secret police the N.K.V.D to rid all political dissidents. The plan work great (if you could call it that) a railway from Moscow to far Siberia was built along with 5 new dams and the world’s largest subway in Moscow.
In 1870 Rockefeller had become a joint stock company better known today as the Standard Oil Company. It was the largest company in the world, a monopoly in reality. From its refineries in the Midwest, over 12,000,000 oil and oil bi-products were being produced and from its exporting facilities in New York, over 30,000,000 barrels oil would be exported to over 100 countries worldwide. Yet all good things must come to an end, in 1910 President Teddy Roosevelt filed a series of lawsuits against Standard Oil Company along with several other companies with anti-trust violations. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the government and ordered Standard Oil and other monopolies to dismantle into smaller companies.
One movement that is seen as a thorn in the spine of both Communism and Capitalism is that of organized labor. Whether you call them Guilds, Locals, Unions or Brotherhoods, Organized labor is viewed as something to be threaten and not embraced. Yet what is organized labor or unions as they are also called, well its kind of simple, a union is a democratically operated monopoly that is responsible for the training and well being of the workers. The history of unions date back as early as ancient Rome as formal trade guilds they then progressed in the Middle Ages as both labor and political bodies for towns and cities in both Europe and the Middle East. Labor unions as we know them, begin in the late 1700s with glassworkers in parts of the colonies such as Pennsylvania, but had little if any power. In 1881 the American Federation of Labor was founded, this was a big step for improvement for worker’s conditions. It consisted of mostly skilled workers and improving their immediate needs, their weakness was that they only represented certain workers and not a whole industry. That’s when later organizations such as United Mine Workers and Union Auto Workers became the greater influence.
For capitalists, the unions are a threat to profit earnings since if their demands aren’t met they can always strike and also because they are also a part of the consumer market and they work and buying habits can affect an industry greatly. For instance the migrant workers in the 60s, their striking efforts lead to mass amounts of people in the U.S. not purchasing items such as tomatoes and grape in show of support. To communists, unions are just seen as overall compotation for power in the system and compotation is seen as a blatant threat and must be destroyed.
In conclusion, both systems have there flaws. Though capitalism defeated communism, it did not mean immediate change worldwide. Though Marx had good intentions with his beliefs, he completely undermined human emotion and tradition as well as market probability. Plus those who practiced his beliefs only lead their nation through chaotic mayhem and agony for their own sick twisted agenda. For the robber barons, their massive build-up of American industry lead to a higher standard of living for the public, their quest for absolute power lead to their demise proving that no one or two men are more powerful than a nation sovereignty. From unions, we learn that no matter who what system you live under or believe in, it is very necessary for workers to receive proper representation and protection. Yet in the end it all come down to are you better off now than you were 10 years ago?

The liberal thinker Laozi said “that which is meddling, touching everything, will work but ill and disappointment bring” his solution to this dilemma was to “do without doing” better known in our time as laissez-faire. In our book’s opening chapter the reader’s presented with the situation of a couple who bore a pair of Siamese twins. The physician who performed the delivery tells the couple that they only have 6 months to live; he presents them a proposition of separating the two so at least one could be guaranteed a long life. The parents are against the idea believing that if 6 months is all they have twins then that’ll be the will of God. Some would agree with the parents and let the twins live with for reasons of spirituality or religion or a long shot that these infants can make it. Another group will say that its necessary to separate the two so that one will live, I happen to fall into this category.
My position comes from the perspective of the doctor (devil’s advocate if you’d want it like that) not because I’m no advocate for the medical practice by a long shot, but there times when risk just can’t be taken. About 15 years ago, the news program 20/20 a story was aired concerning a pair of Siamese twins in Brittan who were connected at the side, they had shared a heart and a liver, the doctors waited for roughly the same time as the parents in this book yet as predicted their health began to decline. When with this dilemma came to ferwishen both physicians and parents both felt it best to separate the two and allow one of them life, though missing a leg, the girl is in good health. Perhaps the doctor in our book might’ve recalled this and decided that simply performing the operation would be for the better, also what of the doctor himself does he want those deaths on his conscience, I doubt it.
In the end there are times when decisions have to made that no one will like but have be made and that hopefully we can live with in the coming time. One day we won’t have to ask such question until then we must make difficult decisions and perform them at our best.

Youth, juvenile, the under age, these are the names used to classify young people in our country. They’re adored at birth and feared as they grow older compounded by an epidemic of hypocrisy. For example, when a child does well, say exceeding academically or is good at a particular talent such as ballet or basketball, then this young individual is praised as those around him or her will take credit for their success weather or not they had anything to do with their achievements. Circumstances only get worse children become adolescence or teenage years. Here young people are excluded to adult decisions and behavior yet by law are excluded from adult actions and are not respected their opinions by those older than them. This crude prohibition along with certain life experiences can lead a young person to destructive patterns of addiction and illness.
One problem facing with drastic consequences today are eating disorders. Since food unlike cigarettes and alcohol isn’t considered a harmful addictive but a necessary element to sustain life, its commonly overseen for abuse. In the past decade, there has been a quick raise in the population of young persons overweight and obese from 1,000,000 in 1997 to around 12,000,000 in 2007 and even more frightening is the number of young persons obese, from 20,000 in 1997 to 1,000,000 in 2007 the highest in history (that being 200,000 in the 1880s). Another great concern those young persons diagnosed as anorexic, their number has risen from 10,000 in `97 to an astounding 200,000 this year. What’s even more shocking is that deaths related to obesity are now at 400,000 and deaths from anorexia are at 20,000.
To better understand these problems, we learn the differences between being overweight, being obese and being anorexic. To be overweight is to simply have an excess “body” weight, for example, a bodybuilder with a height 5’7” and weighing 187lbs. could be classified as overweight. On the other hand a lab technician with the same measurements but of a slimmer, lighter build could be classified as normal. To figure this out doctors use a method known as the Body Mass Index or BMI for short, this works by multiplying the person’s height in inches by the 2nd power then dividing the their weight in pounds and then multiplying that total by 704.5. So [187/ (65x65)] x704.5, [187/4225] x704.5, [.04] x704.5 gives us 28.18 placing both the bodybuilder and the lab technician in the normal body weight range.
Obesity on the other hand is specifically indicates high counts of adipose tissue, what we call body fat. Also since the obese have a high fat count, they are automatically overweight, for or young this only gets worse. In the U.S. 10.80% of our 13 year old female are overweight or obese with Portugal 2nd at 8.30%, Ireland with 6.6% and Lithuania with 2.6% yet while the female population of our European allies decrease in weight by 1 or 2% by age 15 (Portugal with 7%, Denmark & Ireland with just 6.5% and Lithuania with 2.6%) in the U.S. our girls overweight and obese increases by 5%, that’s 15.10% with 20,000 or more getting heavier everyday. Amongst boys of 13 in the U.S. overweight and obese although serious, isn’t as drastic, here the percentage’s at only 12.6% and rises only to 13.9% by 15. In Europe Greece is the only country with a rise in weight gain for boys (8.9%), the others have a 1.8% drop (Ireland with 1.10% and Lithuania being the lowest with .08%) making the male population less a risk.
Another group of young people facing eating disorders have their sickness based in body image and mental illness. Anorexia nervosa is when someone either refuses to eat or controlling their food intake to such an extreme that they’re starving. Although teenage and young adult females are most at risk, this sickness affects many in differing ways. Many females become anorexic as a result of low self esteem and self hatred due to abuse or family issues, not the highly publicized model complex. Men are also suffer but differently, for males are mainly clinical meaning they don’t or can’t eat as a result of illness and must be fed intravenously, others develop the disorder like anorexia due to bad eating habits. Whether overexserise as common in most athletes or bad eating habits found in both children and white collar workers, these problems can have drastic effects on men. Staying on the subject athletes, jockeys are the largest casualties, in order to stay competitive they workout excessively and force themselves to vomit to stay at a certain weight in order to keep racing.
Disease is also a grand consequence to eating disorders; one in particular is bone loss. Not realized by most people is that bones are living tissues that when properly nourished will maintain density. One cause of bone loss is a lack of Vitamin D, when Vitamin D is in the body, its converted into something known as 1,25 dihydrouvitamin D
a hormone that allows calcium to be absorbed from the intestines to the bones. This is done when the body is exposed to sunlight, but since many overweight children stay indoors and perform little if any physical activity, they succumb to this quickly. Anorexic suffer from bone loss from an anaerobic metabolism, simply stated as the body starves itself, it overproduces acid while consuming its own muscle tissue for nutrients. As a result, the bloodstream becomes acidic and seeps into the bones and destroying them.
Another problem facing teens is alcohol. About 80% high school students have tried alcohol with a quarter of them developing some problem with the substance. Alcohol is a depressant that when taken will relax and slow the body’s motor skills. When taken excessively, alcohol will slur speech, impair vision and upset the digestive system and in a few cases, high intakes can be poisonous to the body leading to death. Like those with eating disorders, those who abuse alcohol are prone to a variety of illnesses including diabetes, when high levels of alcohol can disrupts the functions of the pancreas to produce insulin. Auto accidents are another case of both teen and alcohol related deaths. This is extremely dangerous since teens are already inexperienced drivers, the introduction of alcohol guarantees danger. One example was in Chicago on February 19th of this year, a teen driver intoxicated crashed into a car carrying 4 sober young persons, killing them.
A growing problem affecting the teenage community is cutting. Cutting is essentially the self inflicting of wounds to a person’s body with a blade or knife. Many who participate in this action are dealing with past experiences with physical or sexual abuse.
The question lies in not why our young people commit these acts, rather what leads them to this road. There was a time when it was believed that children had a right to fail, that they could learn from their mistakes and guided in the proper direction. Yet now in this post 9/11 one size fits all world, the youth aren’t seen as the future but as the problem. In schools, they’re taught anything at all. Basically, we need P.E., counselors and music back in the schools, we need to rid ourselves of the luxury based technologies and learn to form relationships not simply taking advantage of one another. In other words, we need another New Deal to change this country from top to bottom, for only the will it change the youth as well as the country.

Someone once said “the word that we use to know, people tell me it don’t turn no more, the places we use to go and familiar faces that ain’t smilin’ like before, the time of our time has come and gone I we been waiting too long” yet is there a meaning to this and if so what it? Better yet, who finds that meaning and for what reasons?
For this can be explained as change. Change weather for better or worse, can impact us indefinitely whatever the circumstances may be. For some its time, it derive from experiences of a certain age or period bringing unsurpassed reactions to an individual. Seeing the demolition of a building at old pictures are examples of this.
When you’re deemed obsolete you seem to be looked down upon, as though you should be done away with. The words you use don’t collate with what’s being said. Sherwood Anderson in his story “Sophistication” he points out similar instants during the local county fair. In it he states “Ghosts of old things creep into his consciousness; the views outside of himself whisper a message concerning the limitations of life” meaning can come from anywhere. In this case these ghosts come from the older and rural community of Ohio. They (the older folk in particular) show how you can lean from them as well as about them, such as some of the particular events at the fair like animal competitions or exhibits of new farm equipment, these would spark their interest greatly since it deals directly with their livelihood and daily activities. Yet for George and Helen its what they want to leave, their aspirations are for the city and its vitality where everything is new and are always forward moving. For them these provide necessary tradition but are unfulfilling in the long run. The same can be said for many people even those in the cities, in particular those of the upper echelons of society who so saturated with material items that fulfillment is code for oblivion or the poor or politicians with hands always out, one can feel no matter how much time has passed nothing tends to change.
In the end change and time can be two things what you make it or of it and/or “what” or “who” it makes of you since time and change are man made concepts. Since I’ve been in this class I’ve had my computer crash twice, books that appear nowhere accept at the school bookstore and one too many back spasms, I’d bring up a few other things but I’m a gentleman. A man once said “ tell me where you goin’ Midnight Curser where is your bounty of fortune and fame for I’m another gentleman looser, due drive me to Harlem or somewhere the same” in it all were just looser (whichever you choose is up to you) because we’ve all lost (it’s the human thing) and we all want to go somewhere either in our heads or what were most comfortable with since anything less is hell.

This ain't your grandpa's blog,I wrote as a philosophy paper to see if I could raise some eye brows get the last bits of conservative out of me;reader's discretion's advised.
Separation, division, classification all words meant people, places and things apart from each other. We use them as reference to give meaning upon objects as well as people. Of how they�re different from �us� and how it�s wrong or why we like it if for those reasons. We give it a use in a organization, such as sorting clothes or color coordinating files at the workplace for efficiency. Efficiency in itself separation items as well as procedures the work go faster and easier (in theory). In speaking these texts, we must ask is there a line? If so when do to cross it? Or should we even cross it?
These questions when asked of people weather as individuals or groups are taken apart. The word for which we use is segregation, George Wallace once said �Segregation then! Segregation now! Segregation forever!� declaring it to be the �model� for society and economic growth. Others such as Martin Luther King and Abby Hoffman proclaimed only through equality can mankind truly prosper and be free. It seems though with specialty programming, customizing and the demographic, due we truly heed the words of King and Hoffman or are we a reflection of Wallace?
To answer this question we look to nature. An ideal example is the ant colony. They gather food, expand their living space and reproduce, in a word survival their goal is to survive. To specify this point further if set of black ants comes across some red ones in the process of gathering food, seeing this as a threat the ants will attack. Once there�s a victor the food will be gathered and sent back to the colony in order to sustain their inhabitants. This shows that ants will go to great lengths protect the well being and to expand the dominance the colony at any expense even attacking their fellow ants. This is an extreme (but very common) example of how segregation works in the everyday world but segregation works in more suttle ways segregation works in our society.
Advertising is segregation�s best friend, it divides individuals to the last molecule and plays on nerves. Advertisers work endlessly to figure out what a person(s) finds appealing or what�ll trigger them to purchase a product or service as well as it�s quantity. One example of segregation in advertising is with children, ads targeted to children have bright colors along with various loud noises and quirky cartoon characters designed to hypnotize the young one to buy the presented or into antagonizing an adult to purchase it for them. Since adults today have become such dishrags they give in, also the products are so harmful to the young it seems capitalists have targeted these poor souls for destruction. Another aspect of this consumer segregation lies in an old add with model Cindy Crawford shaving singer K.D. Lange, the lesbian sheik as it was called hinting that all homosexuals have money and are well to do or rappers sponsoring Hennessey hinting that those who listen to rap music or all blacks drink (examples of stereotyping another byproduct of segregation).
Segregation�s biggest and most obvious form lies in race. Jim Crow laws in the south, quotas for schools and workplaces in the north and recently the minutemen (a anti illegal alien group) are all fine examples segregation and it�s injustices to mankind. Yet segregation also has cultural roots, here in Chicago many groups live in neighborhoods with names like Ravenswood, Wicker Park, Beverly, Logan Square, Palmer Square, Hyde Park and Englewood each with own history and predominate ethnic group. This segregation though can be seen as racial (which has a great deal to do with), in actuality deals with preference its not that I don�t like you I just don�t want to live near you, rather I prefer to be with my own.