Dialectic journal books 7 and 8

Page 340, Doreion, Hound and Ball Player were all dead. The living would need us more then ever.

Though this would seem like the end of the adventure with casualties, especially for the dead, that only means they have to work harder then ever. Just because they want to mourn the deaths of their fallen comrads, that doesnt mean they can actually stop to accept the deaths or mourn them, especially with all the deaths that are going on back on the battlefield if they were to take a break. Nothing is ever easy in war, but is anything ever easy?

Page 321, Ball Player assumed a stance to urinate. "Don't," Alexandros nudged him. "Or the deer will never use this nest again."

It is odd how a small act like that can create such a large effect to someone else. Ball Player wouldn't have thought twice about his actions, but it could change the deer forever, they would never nest there again and it would create a large overall effect. Luckily there are still people like Alexandros who think about these kinds of things and care enough to stop it from happening. It only takes one person to make a huge difference for somebody else by standing up to somebody.

Page 323, I have searched all my life for that which you have possessed from birth, a noble city to belong to. 

This returns to the theme of having a city to belong to. Xeo felt worthless after he had lost his city and searched for a new city to set down his roots and try to join. Another quote comes to mind here, when Xeo choose the spartan city of spartans, over Athens because it raises men instead of profits. He wants to be able to make himself be something and help his city, rather then be something himself. He would rather have something that he works to represent.

Page 374, Those were the last tears of mine, my lord, that the sun will ever see.

He is finally ready to embrace his fate, and is ready to die. He has accepted all the deaths up until now and has set them aside, so he can concentrate fully on the battle coming up, the final battle with no survivors. There is no longer a way out for him and he will fight to the end and try to die with honor and kill every last persian he can.

Page 380, They had defeated the mightiest army and navy in history. What lesser undertaking could now daunt them? What enterprise could they not dare?

This is taking place after the battle of Thermopylae the Greeks were able to win against Persia. They were inspired from the works of the Spartans and the fight at Thermopylae. The Greeks were literally the strongest force in the world, for they had defeated the mighty Persia with less numbers, but more spirit and power in the numbers. The spirits of the Greeks won out in the end and became the worlds strongest. They were truly the victors (though still with many losses.)

Grateful

It is important to be grateful for everything, even if you don't seem to notice why at first. Those differences between people, even people you don't like. If we truely liked everybody then the world would not nearly be in the stage it is today, especially regarding technology.

Another major thing that people don't really think of to be grateful, is "the greatest mistake in the history of mankind" domestication and agriculture. We would still be in tribes and be cavemen if it was not for domestication and agriculture.

Everything is truely there for a reason. If it is for good or bad we should still appreciate it for existing on, especially if it is something we don't like. It could be hard for it to keep going when the whole world is against them, so it's important to appreciate the things you don't like and don't appreciate the most.

Dialectic journals 7, 8, 9

pg. 72 Polynikes demanded to know which it was. Because if Ariston was afraid of him, then he was a coward. And if he wasn't, he was reckless and ignorant, which is even worse.

The training that these not even grown men was quite similar to the training we can put some adults through before the join the army. They give the people in training a dilemma, two equally unappealing sides of a question and they are required to answer it and get punished either way. It is a way of toughening up soldiers.

pg. 74 On it would go, into all-night shield drill which by mid second watch would have reduced the boys to involuntary regurgitation and defecation; they would be puking and shitting themselves, their bodies shattered utterly from exhaustion, and then, when the dawn sacrifices at last brought clemency and reprieve, the boys would fall in for another full day of training without a minute's sleep.

This is another example of the harsh training they would go through. The chapter is focusing around the training that they are going through and this could easily destroy a person from the inside, if not the outside. They are on the edge with no recent food or water, or even a minute to just sit down and rest after a long day of training. If this exercise routine goes on for too long, I would be very surprised if even the instructors made it out of this training regime alive.

pg. 115 That half of him, the best part, a man sets aside and leaves behind. He banishes from his heart all feeling of tenderness and mercy, all compassion and kindness, all thought or concept of the enemy as a man, a human being like himself.

This quote really strikes me as showing what exactly a warrior is in the eyes of the Spartans. They are pretty much bloodthirsty animals and stop showing mercy as they finally become a warrior. They lose a part of them that put them in with the rest of the towns and villages, they lost their common decency, and become killing machines. It is the reason that the Spartans can triumph over all others in battle, they push themselves to the human limit and beyond, and leave part of themselves behind.

Dialectic journals 4, 5, and 6

Pg. 21 All is the obverse of what it had been.

This reminds me of real life. When there is a panic, nobody cares if you were a rich land owner or a slave. You are all treated the same. Specifically later on when it says the adults became kids, this makes me think of when some adults see a celebrity, they turn into kids again and clamor to try to meet them and get an autograph or a hand-shake. People try to keep things in order, but when it comes down to it we are all humans on equal levels when our social levels get torn apart.

Pg. 23 Our city no longer existed. Not alone the physical site, the citizens, the walls and famrs. But the very spirit of our nation, the polis itself, that ideal of mind called Astakos that, yes, had been poorer than Megara or Epidauros or Olympia, but that existed as a city nonetheless. Our city, my city. Now it was effaced utterly. We who called ourselves Astakiots were effaced with it. Without a city, who were we? What were we?

This quote really strikes me. It shows not only how much material possesions effect ourselves, but effect relationships and overall how we think. Without the claim of a house or the claim on food and resources, they feel that they are nothing. They no longer that they really exist and that in a way, they all stopped existing, along with any relationships or any ties to what once lived in the village before it was attacked.

pg. 36 Because a warrior carries helmet and breastplate for his own protection, but his shield for the safety of the whole line.

The spartans would not punish one who did protect himself, but they were severe to anyone who would not protect others and endangered them all. This shows the spartans value individual lives, but will not go out to attack those who do not value their own lives and try to protect it. They have a sense of unity, but they will not force that on anyone. Just like the whipping the person chooses to train themself. The masters do not force anything on them though.

2 Blog posts: part 2

My dad had always been there for me. He was always helped me when I was hurt and was also there when I was happy. He has always helped me whenever I asked for his help and even when I didn't. He is a great dad.

2 Blog posts: part 1

This is a picture of Illidan the betrayer. I like this photo not only because it is epic, but because of the light it shows Illidan in. This photo shows what Illidan is really like, because of the way he stands on top of the jagged rock, showing himself to his followers epically. It also shows him as evil. Those holes in his wings and the light you can see coming from the red moon behind him all point to him being evil.

PPC

haha you got owned

LDW: Alliteration, Assonance, and Consonance

I secretly slept silently on the sofa until noon. After lunch I did my weekly jobs. I started by washing all the windows with Windex. I then cleaned my room a bit and sorted my cloths.

Then I worked on my Spanish project and put particularly putrid paper mache on my board. After I finished it was night and I ate some absolutely appetizing chicken at Anthonys. Afterwords I posted a perfect post on my prodigious blog.

LDW: Similies metaphors and cliche!

I hair the color of chocolate, and eyes the color of the ocean. My figure resembles that of a newly planted tree, short and skinny.


My hair is the color of a freshly waxed wooden table, and my eyes are blue, like a navy officer's hat. My figure is like a computer wire.

LOW: THE EPIC!

EPIC

This shows what I know about epics so far and I feel this shows a hero and how he is larger then life and how what he is doing seems heroic. He just seems to be walking to continue the battle even though his allies are dying and continue what he was trying to do in the first place.

1. An epic is tale tale told to tell the actions of a heroic person or event, often making things seem larger than life, and show both the good and the bad side of the heroes.

1. (The main character or protagonist is heroically larger then life, often the source and subject of legend or a national hero.) Line 8 talks about Achilles being godlike (larger then life)
2. (Story begins in the middle of things.) The story starts at the 10th year of a 10 year war just before the final battle, instead of starting at the beginning of the war.
3. (Frequent use of epithets) Line 8 God like Achilles, Line 91 Achilles the great runner, Line 98 Calchas the perfect prophet, Line 103 dancing-eyed girl.

Public hero: Maiev Shadowsong

Maiev Shadowsong

Maiev's job was a warden tasked with the job of keeping the traitor, Illidan Stormrage. in check. She did her job to the best of her ability. She was not commanded to watch over him, but she took it upon herself to look after him. Eventually however, Illidan escaped. She pursued Illidan to the ends of Azeroth and beyond to outland. She never gave up and devoted her life in an attempt to slay, or recapture the traitor known as Illidan. In the end she was unable to capture Illidan, and was forced to slay him with the help of Akama. She is a hero because of her dedication and effort in hunting and killing Illidan, even when she had to give up everything she had to defeat him in the end. Kael'thas, Lady vashj, among their followers would have seen Maiev as a villain and a pest. She would be at every turn attempting to thwart their plans and take their leader hostage. Even some of the night elves thought of her as a villain. She had failed to keep Illidan contained, and much havoc was wrecked, as many lives were ended and areas conqured due to her inability to keep him captured.

30 Things You Did Not Know About Me

1. Pretty much everyone that is not part of my direct family lives in Iowa.
2. I take Tae-Kwon-Do classes
3. My eyes sometimes change from blue to green.
4. I have a wii.
5. I prefer macs over pcs.
6. I read quite a bit.
7. I am fairly flexible and can put my foot behind my head.
8. I play chess and checkers.
9. I have a completed quarter collection with all the quarters with special backs.
10. One of my favorite foods is bacon.
11. My favorite color is black.
12. I'm christian.
13. I want to be a doctor.
14. I've shot a real gun before, on multiple occasions.
15. I've loaded a magazine.
16. I've driven a car.
17. I know how to drive an atv.
18. I play World of Warcraft.
19. I'm a republican.
20. I have an older brother and about 5 billion cousins.
21. I'm named after him. (His name is Michael Joseph Kester)
22. I've had various pet fish and tadpoles over time, but never a dog or cat.
23. My favorite store is target.
24. My favorite type of music is heavy metal. (Mostly Megadeth)
25. My favorite game is Super Smash Brother Brawl.
26. I'm double jointed in my pinky.
27. My favorite number is 23 and 27
    
28. My mom teaches at Penn Elementary school (I used to go there)
29. I've cracked the back of my head open underneath a christmas tree.
30. I go to the Sky Show every year. (Go Aztecs!)