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The citing looks wrong on the actual post but was right when I was writing it

The plan to kill Obama "White Power"

I read an article on how two white supremacists planned to kill Barack Obama and black students, they were arrested in Tennessee recently. The names of the two charged are; Daniel Cowart, 20, of Tennessee, and Schlesselman, 18, of Arkansas. They planned to drive their vehicle as fast as they could towards Obama and shoot at him from the windows. The killing of 88 people and beheading of 14 African Americans was also in their plan, 88 stands for "Heil Hitler" (H is the 8th letter in the alphabet), and 14 represents a 14 word white power saying. Personally, I feel very sad for anyone who believes in "white power", mostly because it was simply the way that they were raised. Almost everyone whos parents spent a lot of time with them in their childhood begins to mirror their views. For example, if your parents are part of a certain religion, you are most likely part of it too. The only possible way someone could believe in something as horrible as "white power" and the idea that all races not white should be exterminated must have been strongly influenced early on or simply be mentally sick. So even though it might seem crazy to not totally blame them and feel sorry for them, I dont blame them and am very sorry for them because it is not their fault that thier mind is severly screwed up.

Work Cited:

Lichtblau, Eric. "Arrests in Plan to Kill Obama and Black Schoolchildren." NYTimes.com. 27 Oct.

2008. 28 Oct. 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/us/politics/28plot.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin

I could not indent the second time for some dumb reason and could not put brackets cuz of the html thing.

Film Review of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystall Skull"

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull": 0 out of 4 Stars

Campbell Housh

The  movies in the Indiana Jones trilogy are some of the most well-known and respected movies in all of Hollywood. Yes, you heard me right, trilogy. I don't even consider "The Crystal Skull" part of the Indiana Jones series because it is so absolutely horrendous that it almost tarnishes all of my memories of the other three. You can tell that movies put on 20+ years after the originals are just made to scrape up some extra cash based on the success of prior films (Star Wars I-III, anyone?). It wasn't little things that tore this movie apart, it was how the whole entire concept of this particular treasure hunt was so weird and unlike past films that no amount of stellar acting could save it. I have great respect for Harrison Ford, and do not blame him in the least (you cant really say no to Indiana Jones 4, no matter what the plot). But I do not know what Steven Speilberg and George Lucas were thinking when they came up with a plot that centered around aliens, of all things. Seriously, when people think of Indiana Jones, they think of legendary artifacts and historical relevance, not some Sci-Fi centered twist! The fact that the plot was about aliens ruined the whole experience for me. I was so amped up to see an Indiana Jones movie in theaters but came out totally exasperated. Instead of the Ark of the Covenant or the Holy Grail, the treasure in this movie is "ultimate knowledge"! The Indiana Jones faithful don't want that! We need a relic that is priceless and something every archeologist would dream of, not a freakin flying saucer! If the writers of this movie would have replaced everything alien with, for example, and Aztec god, then the movie would have been great! The bottom line is that Spielberg and Lucas tried to dig too deep when a simple idea like the one I just thought of would have satisfied every Indy fan out there. We just wanted to reminisce and re-live the Indiana Jones experience. This whole experience just goes to show that directors don't need to overthink or change their autopilot for adding on to a classic idea, they just need to show us the same characters and idea that we know and love.

The works cited looks wrong, but it was right when it was in the "create post" box, I did indent it but that does not show up well on the real blog.

Outside Reading-"Palin is Ready? Please."

As many of you probably already know, Sarah Palin participated in an interview with Katie Couric in this last week. I read a Newsweek article reflecting on that interview, and I have to say that I completely agree with the author. Palin made an absolute fool of herself when responding to a question which asked her how living next to Russia gave her foreign policy credibility, and she said; "It's very important when you consider even national-security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America. Where-where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to-to our state". This quote did not in any way prove that she gains foreign policy credibility, it does quite the opposite. As the author of the article puts it; "Two weeks ago I flew to Tokyo, crossing over the North Pole. Does that make me an expert on Santa Claus?" This proves that she was completely unprepared and had no real reason to support her argument. She thinks that because she "can see Russia from her house" it makes her a foreign policy expert. Palin is not specific about anything, and amidst her gibberish she conveys the general idea that because her state is close to the country of Russia and is the place where "Putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the U.S.A" she somehow is skilled at having diplomatic relations with them. Personally, I am very afraid for the future of our country. If McCain wins the election and dies within his term, (which is very probable considering he is 76) we will have a person who is totally unprepared and clueless as our president. Some people may counter that Barack Obama is unexperienced, etc. etc., but he can speak well and MAKE SENSE while doing it. He may have only been a senator for one term, but he has shown that he is capable and prepared for the job. Another note is that presidents Teddy Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were younger than he is when they were elected and both were superb presidents.

Work Cited:

Zakaria, Fareed. "Palin Is Ready? Please." Newsweek.com. 27 Sep. 2008

http://www.newsweek.com/id/161204

(Couldent do carrots because it wouldnt let me post because of this html thing, couldent underline Newsweek.com becuase there is no underline and I tried control+U, it didnt work)

Is Odysseus the Kind of Hero We Want in Modern Times?

Odysseus is so revered by Homer in The Odyssey that he always is complimenting him on his smarts and even going to the extent calling him "godlike". Even though Odysseus lies and cheats, his bravery and perseverance overshadow all of his wrongdoings and make him a hero our modern society should embrace. Odysseus' good values are rare to find in someone nowadays, and when used together can allow someone to accomplish amazing things and provide a good example for fellow citizens. When Odysseus ventures into Polyphemus' cave, he is courageous enough to be able to think straight as he sees two of his men eaten alive in front of him. Even after witnessing that terrible ordeal, he comes up with an ingenious plan and pierces the only eye of the cyclops, effectively blinding him and allowing for escape. Only the combination of the intense bravery and efficient planning of Odysseus could have allowed for that outcome. In our current society, it is hard to find someone who has real courage enough to face something that terrible. The amount of obstacles that Odysseus had to go through after fighting a 10 year war are amazing in themselves. What is even more awe-inspiring is that he has the perseverance to  battle a cyclops, escape an evil witch, journey to the underworld, and many things more. He is tempted many times, with the option to stay and labor no more, but his never dying spirit urges him on. In these contemporary times, it is extremely commonplace to give up on something if it doesn't go right the first time, or you think it is impossible when you first try it. People would be much more successful at everything they attempt in life if they had the undying perseverance of Odysseus.

The character of Odysseus leis and cheats constantly throughout The Odyssey, but these flaws are miniscule when you compare them to his attributes. Every human has certain faults to them, and when you are gone from home for decades then certain longings become unbearable. When Odysseus cheats with Calypso and the witch Circe, it seems to the reader that he is being unfaithful to his wife Penelope when she is being faithful to him. In modern times, cheating on ones wife is one of the most horrid things a man can do, so people from this era see that as a terrible trait. Back then, it was not viewed bad at all to cheat on your wife, because your wife was considered to be your property. This particular flaw is still a bad one, but it is blown out of proportion in our society compared to ancient times, and when Odysseus cheated, it was not considered bad. The deceitful art of lying has been around since man could speak. Odysseus used this art as part of his cunning, and he used it well. He lies many times throughout the book, and one in particular is when he pretends to be a beggar in front of his wife, so that he can keep his identity a secret. When someone is in the situation he is in, lying stops becoming a deceiving flaw and starts becoming a way of survival. He has to lie in order to be able to surprise the suitors and permanently remove them from his house. It is only because of his crafty lies that he is able to survive so many perils over his decades long journey. The values of courage and perseverance are shrinking from society and would be greatly valued if someone were to posses them. Cheating is considered terrible these days, but back then it was just another normal example of extreme patriarchalism, and when you lie to stay alive it becomes a need instead of an untrustworthy flaw. Odysseus should be a hero for modern times because the context of his flaws differs from ancient times to now, and his positive attributes would be valued in the extreme today and gave him much glory in ancient times.