Dirty Mouth

The obscene language is critical to every part of the book. It helps really illustrate the state the characters are in. Its just another way to show how they feel through dialog. If the author was trying to show the characters are in duress and are angry through characterization and symbols but had them talking politely or without obscene language it wouldn't make sense. Obscene language is a reality and it exists for a reason, so if it is real it must also exist in books to make them real.

Free Write

The sound of the saturated river bed soil churned beneath his feet. His heart beating like a war drum. Rounding the bend narrowly escaping the gun fire chasing his footsteps into the salty soil. He knew the armed forces would be a trying time that would test his courage, but he never fully realized the fear that would grasp him until it had taken control of his movements and engulfed his every step.

Walk the Line

Authors include powerful, shocking, and even disturbing events in their texts to dramatize situations and move the reader. These events leave profound feelings in the reader that will not soon be forgot. Events like that help develop characters to see how they would react in such situations.

To Atone or Not to Atone...

I believe that atonement for past sins is absolutely possible. I have made many mistakes that I have regretted. Mistakes like making someone believe one thing when in reality something else was going on. I regret it because I hurt the person and shouldn't have done that. I try to reach atonement by demonstrating my remorse and trying to make things right.

Decisions...Decisions

Factors that influence my decisions consist of everything I have seen, heard, learned, been told, or otherwise absorbed throughout my time on this earth. From the teachings of my parents on to how to be a good person, to the etiquette and mannerisms picked up on television sitcoms. Decisions I make vary in their effect on the people around me from my immediate group of friends to the school as a whole.

Independent Reading Prompt 18

How Soccer explains The World is a very obvious title for this book. His thesis is clear and throughout the book he goes to great detail to prove how soccer explains the ins and outs of global economies and cultures. If I could chose a new title I might chose How Soccer Runs The World. It's not much different, theirs no way to title this book without soccer or the world because it varies topics from all across the world.

Independent Reading Prompt 9

How Soccer Explains The World brings up many intriguing questions and dilemmas in the world and how they are tied to soccer such as; How far is too far when it comes to supporting ones team? The dilemma over old hatred and differences being postered on the forefront of football games rather than in open public forum. Is soccer a driving force for globalization?

First the topic of hooligans and gangs affiliated with clubs can be a good thing. They promote the sport and offer a release for the working class to partake in during their spare time. Some of these hooligan actions go way to far, especially in cases of severe injury and murder. In some cases hooligans use soccer games as an excuse to beat other people senseless and not get into trouble for it.

Soccer club fan's use fear as a tactic when trying to intimidate other club's players. It is a widely accepted view that intimidation by fans is just a part of the game. The majority of racial and ethnic slurs used at soccer games would not be accept in any other setting.

I think the author makes some very clear cut cases as to how soccer is a major component of worldwide culture spread unlike any other force. The level of integration and segregation brought forth by soccer clubs in undeniable.

Independent Reading Prompt 15 Chapter 8

The picture to the left is an Italian car ad for the company Opel. The bald headed man to the left of the cars is Pierluigi Collina, he is a soccer referee. This picture symbolizes the chapter of my book titled How Soccer Explains The New Oligarchs. The chapter begins with the topic of how in Italy referee's are revered and scrutinized unlike any other place in the world. Elevated to almost celebrity status, televisions programs are dedicated entirely to evaluating their latest games. He goes on to describe the process of how the owners of Italian Clubs Juventus of Turin and AC Milan have their hands in manipulating the government and economies to their benefit. For example AC Milan was purchased by Silvio Berlusconi in the 1980s, since he has built a worldwide empire purchasing up real estate, television stations, newspapers, advertising, and insurance. In the USA theirs a channel devoted entirely to the NFL. AC Milan has it's own channel. People love and hate AC Milan

Opinion of Che

Based on the knowledge of Che's travels and previous research what is your personal opinion of Che? Pull together instances in his travels that may have persuaded you and what you know about his future.

Independent Reading Prompt 12 Chapter 7

In Chapter 7 How Soccer Explains The Black Carpathians the author includes the tale of Eward Anyamkyegh and other Nigerians that found their way to post communist Ukraine to play soccer. After communism dissolved in the early 1990s the Ukraine soccer clubs that were owned by the state almost completely fell out of sight until the Oligarchs bought into them. The Oligarchs who benefited from their positions in the communist party had enough money and drive to buy the teams and place ambitions of becoming worthy competitors on a world stage. To do so they imported Nigerian players. Heres an example of Nigerian players and their stories of being exploited by European clubs:

I believe the author included this in the book as another example of how the importance of soccer on the global scene generated a world culture.

Independent Reading Prompt 5 Chapter 6

On the topic of Brazilian Soccer on a world scale the author couldn't omit the likes of Pele, the main component of Brazilian Soccer's globalization. Born a very small man with a weak frame of only 145 lbs. at the start of his career. His statured was paired with an uncanny ability to shoot from extreme angles and possess the ball in a way that no one else could manage. This chapter moved me because it is about how Pele was used as a tool by the Brazilian government used his image and visage to promote how Brazil was becoming an international power. This exploitation was just the beginning. While Brazil was undergoing economic boom Pele benefited greatly, becoming one of the best paid athletes of the time. But his money didn't last. By allowing a friend to make poor investments and the government declaration that Pele was a "non-exportable national treasure" he was never able to make any of his money lost back by playing in Europe. After retiring in 1974 Pele agreed to another poor contract signing with the New York Cosmos in the newly created North American Soccer League. Before this I had heard of Pele coming to America to play as an ambassador for the game but I didn't know it was because he was broke.

Independent Reading Prompt 16 Chapter 5

Chapter 5 How Soccer Explains the Survival of The Top Hats is a commentary on the Brazilian Soccer Scene. In class we're discussing how Che hated imperialist taking advantage and exploiting of his home in South America. Brazil has a deep tradition in the game of soccer, considered the cradle of players for the modern game. Today players are exported from Brazil and other South America countries to play in Europe for outrageous salaries. All the while Brazil is incredibly impoverished. The most expensive seats to watch a game in Brazil are splintering and unfinished. The topic club Vasco Da Gama is a very succesful club in play but over the years have owed very large sums of money bringing agony to the Brazilian economy.

Columbia and Venezuela

1- "as if everything solid melted away into the ether, eliminating all individuality and absorbing us, rigid, into the immense darkness."
-This excerpt depicts the feeling of equality among all people so that everyone is the same fighting the same battle in the same struggle.

2- "I could only see what seemed like the spark of his eyes and the gleam of his four front teeth."
-Che describes the man as faceless in the darkness as if he was the darkness or the inner most fire within the people.



3- "The night, folding in at contact with his words, overtook me again, enveloping me within it."
-Che is overcome by what the man says and becomes in an instant consumed by the man's fury as if everything he had done so far had only changed him minimally and in this moment he was transformed into the night, or darkness within the people.

4- "I steel my body, ready to do battle, and prepare myself to be a sacred space within which the bestial howl of the triumphant proletariat can resound with new energy and new hope."
-Che describes his body as a place for the soul of the revolutionary bound poor to dwell, as if he is entirely committed to spending the rest of his time on earth fighting for revolution.

Independent Reading Prompt 3 Chapter 4

In chapter 4 How Soccer Explains The Sentimental Hooligan the author introduces a Hooligan leader named Alan Garrison. His story is unique because Alan Garrison is a leader of the English Jewish Club Tottenham's rivals, Chelsea. What's strange about that is that Alan is of Jewish decent. The chapter goes on to describe Alan's escapades as a fighting hooligan for the club Chelsea. The question arrises as to why Alan would act in such a fashion given his Jewish heritage. Alan was born out of wedlock by a wounded Nazi soldier in a Allie Hospital and his Scottish-Jewish nurse. All his young life his appearances and heritage made it very difficult for him to fit in. He was persecuted by children on the playground for his background. When his mother wanted him to become a Bar Mitzvah he flat out refused abandoning any affiliation he had to his heritage. His passionate support of Chelsea against people of his own kind is significant proof how important soccer is in the world.

Independent Reading Prompt 14 Chapter 3

"This treatment confirms an old aphorism, a bit strong but still truthful: a philo-Semite is and anti-Semite who loves Jews." Pg.84

Chapter 3 is entitled How Soccer Explains The Jewish Question. The author opens the chapter discussing Jewish athletes in the history of Europe especially Jewish soccer teams. I consider excerpt from above as a key quote because it sums up what the author feels about European's views on Jews as he clearly demonstrates through soccer. The book's main focus is how soccer explains the world. On the topic of Jewish people in Europe there is still a great deal of discrimination, not so much blatant, but very evident in soccer. In perticular one club, MTK Hungaria, founded by Jewish businessmen in 1888, is the target of innumerable Jewish slurs where ever they play.

Theme #6 Intro

I think the third website on the list from Harvard is the most helpful tool when developing a thesis statement. The lengthy descriptive nature of the site clearly illustrates how to develop a very strong thesis from raw ideas.

Thesis: Ernesto Guevara wanted to become a selfless individual that would help the proletariat of Latin America garner the strength to force equality upon the land in the form of Marxist utopia, he became a tragic icon of failed revolution whose radical violent ideals would be forgotten in favor of a stern face on t-shirts.

Independent Reading Prompt 4 Chapter 2

The second chapter of my book discusses the differences between two soccer clubs from Scotland and the role the clubs and religion played in the feud between Catholics and Protestants in the area.

What surprised me most about this chapter was the deep seeded differences that still exist between the two groups of people not because of where their from necessarily but their favorite soccer club.

Peru Quiz

Alberto and Che’s travels in Peru begin at the border in a frigid region of Latin America with the DAUNTING task of finding a ride to Tarata in the DESOLATE countryside. Driver that stops asks for money after they have already boarded angering Alberto. In Puno they run into a rebellious MESTIZO. The Indians they run into on their travels offer only LACONIC answers to their questions. The IDYLLIC setting in Cuzco compels Che to TIRADE pertaining to its past. The nature of the leper colony in Huambo EVOKES many emotions in Che. The treatment of those of Indian decent is DISQUIETING to Che, in a place where their ancestors ruled vast land their decedents now remain STAGNATE like a people BEREAVED of their once booming culture.

Independent Reading Prompt #1 (Chapter 1)

The first chapter of How Soccer Explains The World jumps right into the gritty underbelly of Eastern European soccer booster clubs and their violent antics. Grabbing the attention of the reader with violence this chapter delves into the connections these soccer fan gangs have within the political infrastructure of Eastern European nations. Instances of fans beating and clubbing their way through an entire stadium in 20 minutes, even through police resistance, sparked my interest a great deal. Even more interesting are the connections the author makes between these soccer clubs and the culture of the countries they come from. When the Red Star Club of Serbia and their Ultra Bad Boys traveled to Croatia in a match against their rivals the Dinamo Zagreb a minature Yugoslavian Civil War occured. During the period of communism post WWII the differences between Serbs and Crots lay dormat, but as communism began to dissolve the bad blood of old roused within the peoples. It was the first time in fifty years Yugoslavia saw it's two ethnic groups openly battle.

Independent Reading Intro Post

The book I chose to read for my independent reading project is How Soccer Explains The World by Franklin Foer. My task is to complete a series of blog post responding to prompts regarding the book. The author Franklin Foer is an American journalist who fell in love with soccer at a young age, though he had no talent for it. He chose instead to gather the greatest understanding possible of the game, and thanks to technological advances in the past decades he could keep up to date with soccer across the globe. His goal in writing the book was to shed light on all the connections soccer has with globalization. You can expects new posts every couple days for the next 2-3 weeks.

March 4 - Chilie

The encounter with the communist proletariat couple in Baquedano has a strong imapact on Ernesto. ".., we could still see the man's singularly determined face and we rememberd his straightforward invitation:.." The passion in a more or less hopeless man creates empathy for the poor unfortunate working class. He writes "It's a great pity that they repress people like this." He sees the communist way as a struggle against the class based society that leaves the poor without food.

Six Word Memoir

Economy's in the Toilet. Don't Flush.

Apples to Apples

The similarities with this military operation in Pakistan and what Che did in Bolivia and the Congo are rather evident. An outside force training soldiers to combat a group from the region. The differences though, are many. What the US government is doing is helping soldiers from a government combat terrorist organizations from the region. While Che was training gorilla fighters to overthrow the local government. I believe that what Che did was wrong because he was pushing a communist agenda, taking advantage of a poor group of people. The training being done in Pakistan is simply empowering a democratic government's soldiers to better combat the forces of terrorism. Also one could argue that Che was nearly out of his mind when he tried to train a group of random men to fight an unclear enemy. I would not say this is an example of a hypocrisy, there are too many differences with the two.

Argentina

Pg. 34
Che describes the ocean as "a confidant, a friend absorbing all it is told and never revealing those secrets; always giving the best advice - its meaningful noises can be interpreted any way you choose." Che is very conscience of nature and commonly refers to nature to represent his innermost thoughts and feelings.

"After an eternity of trakking through deep mud we recognized the stream flowing out into the Carrue, and almost immediately the trees disappeared and we reached the flat. The huge figure of a stag dashed like a quick breath across the stream and his body, silver by the light of the rising moon, disappeared into the undergrowth. This tremor of nature cut straight into our hearts. We walked slowly so as no to disturb the peace of the wild sanctuary with which we were now communing." Pg. 49

Che takes a scene about running into a horse in a field and turns it into a vivid live scene with a very dramatic awe inspired tone. The description of the horse dashing like a quick breath, silver by the light of the moon in this wide open field is very striking. The word "tremor," shaken to their core, dramatizes the scene incredibly.

Theme #5 Intro

"For Sale. Baby Shoes. Never Worn."
-Hemingway

In six words Hemingway creates a very sad story for the reader to imagine. Baby shoes for sale that have never been worn must have been bought in the anticipation of having a baby that never came. Did the baby die? Did the baby never come? I would think that their was a miscarriage and the baby died.

Essential Question

I want to become a person that will take everything I've learned throughout my life and use it to help other people become happy. One of the most satisfying things for me to do is to help other people, whether it be through life problems, or simply by recommending new music. I want to help other people meet their potential and become better a better person.

TMD Introduction

There is nothing lonelier than adventure. (22) Staggering across the endless landscape unaware of the social existence elsewhere; adventure offers a wholeness as well as a emptiness incomparable to any other endeavor. A heightened sense of reality and actuality comes to those that roam the earth in search of something greater than themselves. Seeing the world in such a natural light can change the very core of an individual, transforming a person from what they once were to a whole other man.

Ideology

As far as ideals or values I would go to great lengths to defend theres only one. I would go to great lengths to fight for people's rights to freedom from persecution. Most probably derived from the innumerable films I have seen about people fighting for freedom or the right to live, there is a strong feeling inside me to protect people from unfair treatment. Other than that I can't think of many things I would be willing to give my life for.

El Che Reaction 1

El Che presents a very positive favorable perspective of Che Guevara, opposed to the negative view I have seen else where. I'm starting to understand how what Che could have seen would lead him to have socialist view points. I gather that Che was a very intelligent young Latin American that developed to radical a view point from what he learned and what he saw.

TMD Timeline

I would think that Che Guevara develops a socialist viewpoint through his travels of Latin America as he witnesses the social and economical state of the land. By traveling on motorcycle up and down South America getting a first hand feel for how people live giving his viewpoint, TMDs relates to Easy Rider. What he sees influences him to take a counter-capitalism stance first theorized in Das Kapital.

TMD Bio & Intro

I expect this book to contain a great deal of descriptive writing. Che Guevara will try to convey him experience through his writing by going over his travels in great detail stressing the imagery and feel of his journeys. Books like this are windows into the eyes of the writer so whatever he sees, smells, hears, feels will be impressed upon the reader. It is different than the two books we studied so far in that they were novels in which everything had a deeper meaning and purpose and a composed plot; whereas this is just an account of true events not specifically woven in any fashion. The Prefaces impressed upon me that the book will give great insight into the thoughts and ideas of a young Che Guevara. They differed so much because of who wrote them and how they thought of Che when they did so.

TMD Preface Comparison

Taking into account the political social and economical background information of the time and place in which a book pertains are critical to gaining a deeper understanding of the text. By learning about the lives of people during the time period of which the book was written will lead to a holistic view of the book that could not be gained simply by reading. Everything about a book is influenced by the setting in which it takes place.

Epiphany?

An epiphany is an eye opening moment that will change the way one thinks about one or many things forever more; the ultimate AaaHaaahhh moment. The impact of an epiphany leads to changes in thought and action by the individual it happens to.

Reaction to Glenn Beck

To start: this guy Glenn Beck is really annoying. I would never watched this guys show because he is a loser and thinks he is a cool funny guy and he's not. With that in mind he has some valid points. Yet I find it hard to believe that Che Guevara was as bad as Glenn makes him out to be. If he was its rather unfortunate that Glenn is trying to educate people by acting like a jerk, in turn pushing away the people he would want to teach. The bias in this broadcast is so bothersome I kind of want to hope Che Guevara is a good person. Yet ignoring all the bias there are many facts that attribute to the fact that Che Guevara was a awful person that headed a regime that murdered many people. If i wanted to teach people, especially kids, like Glenn Beck and Alberto, I wouldn't present information in such a manner.