Torture Chair
Torture Room
Friday, May 29, 2009
Results to my Interview
For the first part of my active learning, I interviewed 10 people and asked them the two questions below. Question 1: What is torture? 9 Said torture is causing pain upon other people to make them do something. 1 Said it was something bad. Question 2: Is torture still going on today or is it something that happened in the past? 7 Said it only happened in the past 1 Said it still happens 2 Said they were not sure.
Active Learning
For the first part of my active learning, I interviewed 10 people and asked them the two questions below. Question 1: What is torture? 9 Said torture is causing pain upon other people to make them do something. 1 Said it was something bad. Question 2: Is torture still going on today or is it something that happened in the past? 7 Said it only happened in the past 1 Said it still happens 2 Said they were not sure.
Video (How torture works)
This video is to show what torture is like.
24 The video does not fit on the blog screen so the link will take us to Screencast. The video is here:
Passive Learning
The word torture as a noun means the action of inflicting severe pain on someone as a punishment or to force them to do or say something, or for the pleasure of the person inflicting pain. When the word is used as a verb it means to inflict severe pain. I chose to do my research on torture because I thought about how Winston was being tortured after he was caught committing thought crimes. I thought that torture was a very interesting topic and I felt that many people know the general idea of what it is such as inflicting pain upon someone else and that torture is bad. What I wanted to do is prove that many people have the general idea but there are still many things that people do not understand about torture and why it is bad. People might think that torture is uncommon in the world and that it is something of the past however, there are 150 countries in the world that still use torture today and 80 of the 150 have caused people to die after or during the tortures. Torture is a serious issue that is still happening and everyone needs to understand that torture is inhumane and immoral. The UN has already come together because the UN have decided that torture is immoral and that it must be stopped. http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=KL5RyQj2Qv1H41yvplGTP1vXJydSgJjCgS5JnfvPByqNSVJxhGmp!342722273!-1332762173?docId=5000643484
I Believe Paper
Jonathan Chen
English 1AB 8:30
5/6/09
I Believe Paper
I believe in perseverance and that hard work does not equal success. I think that this is because in my project and in my book I have experienced this. When I was looking for that passive learning part in my project, I was working very hard but I still did not get much information. This was like how Winston tried hard to rebel against Big Brother but he failed too. The second thing I believe in is perseverance. I believe that Winston Smith was an inspiration in the story. This is because in the story when he was bring tortured, he refused to follow the norms of his society because he had values and he believed that theirs were wrong. Only people who are strong will have perseverance. This shows that there is a very strong sense of perseverance in Winston. I think that this is the reason why I chose this book to be my inspirational book. In the book it reads: “’Do you remember,” he went on, ‘writing in your diary, ‘Freedom is to say that two plus two makes four?’
‘Yes,’ said Winston
O’Brien held up his left hand, its back towards Winston, with the thumb hidden and the four fingers extended.
‘How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?’
‘Four.’
‘And if the party says that’s it is not four but five—then how many?’
‘Four.’
The word ended in a sharp gasp of pain. The needle on the dial shot up to fifty-five. The sweat sprung out all over Winston’s body. The air tore into his lungs and issued again in deep groans, which even by clenching his teeth could not stop. O’Brien watched him, four fingers still extended. He drew back the lever. This time the pain was only slightly eased.
‘How many fingers, Winston?’
‘Four.’
The needle went up to sixty” (pg 249-250)
This part of the book shows a very good example of perseverance. This shows a strong sense of individuality and perseverance because he did not conform to what other people believed and he did not give up his beliefs when he was being tortured. I think that I believe in perseverance and individuality because it can inspire people greatly like this book has done to me. After reading that part of the book, I was inspired to have more self-confidence and to stick to what I believe in. I think that perseverance and individuality is very important because they help people realize where they come from and who they really are. Even though in the end of the story Winston still died and got brainwashed, I feel like he did what he could and this leads to the second thing that I believe and that is that hard work does not always equal success. This is very similar to “practice make better not perfect.” I do not think of this as an excuse but it is something that I sort of live by because I think that those sayings are very true. I think that this is because we can be practicing but since we are still humans we can still make mistakes and so we can get better but we still make mistakes sometimes.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Sonnet Essay
Sonnet Essay
My sonnet is about the game World of Warcraft and how I am not going to play that game anymore. I first decided to not play that game anymore after I realized that with a sport, I do not have the time to play that kind of game. This is because I get home at around 7-7:30 so after I eat dinner and take a shower it will already be 8:00 or 8:15. This means that if I want to sleep somewhere around 10 or 10:30, I have only about 2 hours to do my homework. Since I cannot finish all of my homework in 2 hours, I stay up until 11:00 to do my homework. So in the first line when I say “I had known this day was coming fast” this is supposed to mean that I sort of felt like I was not going to get to play intensely for a long time because of sports. Then I go on to say “the day the WoW gang would mourn deeply” this is supposed to show that the group of people I hang out with who are also my friends that play this game too will be missing a part of the game because I will no longer be playing. In the line when I say “The lost of a great leader can hit hard“ that is supposed to show that playing the game without me will make the experience different simply because there is one person missing. In the line “Few can take on the burden that will come” I was trying to add a bit of humor and I was also trying to tell the reader that there will be a burden going to me and going to my friends. To them there will be a burden because I will not be playing, and there will be a burden to me, because I will not be playing and I would be missing out on many things that are happening. In the line where I write “the burden like fall damage will hit hard” is supposed to be humorous because the fall damage is referring to WoW. This is because in WoW the characters take damage from falling from high places. This is also supposed to be a symbol because the WoW gang was high up and not it has lost it’s leader so then it will take some damage just like the gang is kind of falling. In the line where I write “the pain will be there like a swollen thumb” I meant that playing the game will never be the same because there is one person missing. I made a reference to the thumb because when we play WoW we use our thumbs to click the mouse, and with a swollen thumb, they will feel different while playing the game. Then there are the lines saying “Sometimes I wonder if it’s the right choice, there have been days where I dream about it” This is supposed to mean that I am in withdrawal and it is kind of painful because WoW had been such a big part of my life and now that it is gone, there seems to be empty holes in different parts of my day. The lines “My gang members/friends, in June, will rejoice, their leader will return to them, no doubt.” Are supposed to mean that I will return to playing WoW in the summer after the final exams, which is also when I finish Judo. Also, in the summer I will have more time. Then in the lines “The time between now and the summer time, for the WoW gang will be recov’ry time“ this is supposed to say that without their leader the WoW gang will have to fend for itself and they will have to stay strong but stay on the down low. This is because with one missing member, the WoW gang is weakened.
My sonnet is about the game World of Warcraft and how I am not going to play that game anymore. I first decided to not play that game anymore after I realized that with a sport, I do not have the time to play that kind of game. This is because I get home at around 7-7:30 so after I eat dinner and take a shower it will already be 8:00 or 8:15. This means that if I want to sleep somewhere around 10 or 10:30, I have only about 2 hours to do my homework. Since I cannot finish all of my homework in 2 hours, I stay up until 11:00 to do my homework. So in the first line when I say “I had known this day was coming fast” this is supposed to mean that I sort of felt like I was not going to get to play intensely for a long time because of sports. Then I go on to say “the day the WoW gang would mourn deeply” this is supposed to show that the group of people I hang out with who are also my friends that play this game too will be missing a part of the game because I will no longer be playing. In the line when I say “The lost of a great leader can hit hard“ that is supposed to show that playing the game without me will make the experience different simply because there is one person missing. In the line “Few can take on the burden that will come” I was trying to add a bit of humor and I was also trying to tell the reader that there will be a burden going to me and going to my friends. To them there will be a burden because I will not be playing, and there will be a burden to me, because I will not be playing and I would be missing out on many things that are happening. In the line where I write “the burden like fall damage will hit hard” is supposed to be humorous because the fall damage is referring to WoW. This is because in WoW the characters take damage from falling from high places. This is also supposed to be a symbol because the WoW gang was high up and not it has lost it’s leader so then it will take some damage just like the gang is kind of falling. In the line where I write “the pain will be there like a swollen thumb” I meant that playing the game will never be the same because there is one person missing. I made a reference to the thumb because when we play WoW we use our thumbs to click the mouse, and with a swollen thumb, they will feel different while playing the game. Then there are the lines saying “Sometimes I wonder if it’s the right choice, there have been days where I dream about it” This is supposed to mean that I am in withdrawal and it is kind of painful because WoW had been such a big part of my life and now that it is gone, there seems to be empty holes in different parts of my day. The lines “My gang members/friends, in June, will rejoice, their leader will return to them, no doubt.” Are supposed to mean that I will return to playing WoW in the summer after the final exams, which is also when I finish Judo. Also, in the summer I will have more time. Then in the lines “The time between now and the summer time, for the WoW gang will be recov’ry time“ this is supposed to say that without their leader the WoW gang will have to fend for itself and they will have to stay strong but stay on the down low. This is because with one missing member, the WoW gang is weakened.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sonnet
I had known, that this day was coming fast,
That day when the WoW gang will mourn deeply.
I knew my days of WoWing would not last,
The WoW gang will mourn, but move on quickly.
The lost of a great leader can hit hard.
Few can take on the burden that will come.
The burden, like fall damage will hit hard,
The pain will be there like a swollen thumb.
Sometimes I wonder if it’s the right choice,
There have been days where I dream about it.
My gang members/friends, in June, will rejoice,
Their leader will return, no doubt for it.
The time between now and the summer time,
For the WoW gang will be recov’ry time.
That day when the WoW gang will mourn deeply.
I knew my days of WoWing would not last,
The WoW gang will mourn, but move on quickly.
The lost of a great leader can hit hard.
Few can take on the burden that will come.
The burden, like fall damage will hit hard,
The pain will be there like a swollen thumb.
Sometimes I wonder if it’s the right choice,
There have been days where I dream about it.
My gang members/friends, in June, will rejoice,
Their leader will return, no doubt for it.
The time between now and the summer time,
For the WoW gang will be recov’ry time.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Paper # 2
Jonathan Chen
English 1AB 8:30
2/29/09
A Place Where There is no Darkness in a World of Darkness
The book 1984 is a dark and mysterious book written by George Orwell in 1949. This book was supposed to be about how the people, government and the way of life would be in the future. The book starts with the main character Winston Smith. In the story, the antagonist is the organization called Big Brother; it is also abbreviated as BB. There are 3 classes of people in the future, Inner Party (the people who lead normal lives under normal circumstances according to our standards), Outer Party (the minority in the whole population and these are the people who do most of the work, like Winston) and lastly there are the Proles which are the mindless people who only show support and love for Big Brother. Big Brother is an organization that controls the people in the Outer Party in the future. Usually it is the Outer Party members that break the rules such as committing thought crime. A thought crime is committed when one starts to think about something that they are not supposed to be thinking about. The Inner Party members do not commit these crimes because they are the people that make the rules.
I think that an important moment was when O’ Brien and Winston’s eyes met. There was a hint of understanding, but the author does not tell the reader what kind of understanding it is because the people are so restricted. The book reads: “He tried with a little more success than before to summon up the image of O’ Brien. ‘We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness,’ O’ Brien had said to him. He knew what it meant, or thought he knew. The place where there is no darkness was the imagined future, which one would never see, but which, by foreknowledge, one could mystically share in. But, with the voice from the telescreen nagging at his ears, he could not follow the train of thought further. He put a cigarette in his mouth. Half the tobacco promptly fell out unto his tongue, a bitter dust which was difficult to spit out again. The face of Big Brother swam into his mind, displacing that of O’ Brien. Just as he had done a few days earlier, he slid a coin out of his pocket and looked at it. The face gazed up at him, heavy, calm, protecting, but what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark mustache? Like a leaden knell the words came back at him. WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.” There are two ways to interpret this part of the book. The first is to assume that O’ Brien is just like Winston and he wants out of the world and he wants change. The second one is to assume that O’ Brien will be face to face with Winston out in the open where there will be no tricks and it will be a battle between him and Winston.
I think that the part in the book is suggesting that Winston will get an ally to get out of the world that they live in because O’ Brien was very discreet about their contact. This is because it happened so fast Winston had to replay the whole scene in his mind. Also, the book reads: “But there was a fraction of a second where their eyes met, and for as long as it took Winston knew—yes, he knew! —that O’ Brien was thinking the same thing himself.” This shows that there is a possibility that O’ Brien is just like Winston. I think that there is a possibility that O’ Brien wants to be allies with Winston because in a world like how George Orwell described, contact like that would not be made unless you wanted to get an important message across.
There is another possibility and it is that O’ Brien is leading Winston into a trap. “But there was a fraction of a second where their eyes met, and for as long as it took Winston knew—yes, he knew! —that O’ Brien was thinking the same thing himself.” Could show that Winston is very desperate and he is desperately looking for hope and for someone to share his feelings of hate for the Big Brother with. I think that it is more likely to be this one because Winston has been stuck with this own thoughts and this made him desperate to find and partner. I think that this is a very important moment in the story because I think that this was a crossroads in the story to choose a happy or sad ending. If it had been that O’ Brien was on Winston’s side it might have been a happy ending.
I feel that this book’s most important moment was when O’ Brien and Winston’s eyes met. The connection of eyes was not very clear because it was only for a split second. This contact was very dangerous for anyone even if they were desperate, if they were to get caught by the thought police, then a punishment worse than death would be dealt. This was a turning part of the story because it decides the fate of the main character Winston Smith.
English 1AB 8:30
2/29/09
A Place Where There is no Darkness in a World of Darkness
The book 1984 is a dark and mysterious book written by George Orwell in 1949. This book was supposed to be about how the people, government and the way of life would be in the future. The book starts with the main character Winston Smith. In the story, the antagonist is the organization called Big Brother; it is also abbreviated as BB. There are 3 classes of people in the future, Inner Party (the people who lead normal lives under normal circumstances according to our standards), Outer Party (the minority in the whole population and these are the people who do most of the work, like Winston) and lastly there are the Proles which are the mindless people who only show support and love for Big Brother. Big Brother is an organization that controls the people in the Outer Party in the future. Usually it is the Outer Party members that break the rules such as committing thought crime. A thought crime is committed when one starts to think about something that they are not supposed to be thinking about. The Inner Party members do not commit these crimes because they are the people that make the rules.
I think that an important moment was when O’ Brien and Winston’s eyes met. There was a hint of understanding, but the author does not tell the reader what kind of understanding it is because the people are so restricted. The book reads: “He tried with a little more success than before to summon up the image of O’ Brien. ‘We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness,’ O’ Brien had said to him. He knew what it meant, or thought he knew. The place where there is no darkness was the imagined future, which one would never see, but which, by foreknowledge, one could mystically share in. But, with the voice from the telescreen nagging at his ears, he could not follow the train of thought further. He put a cigarette in his mouth. Half the tobacco promptly fell out unto his tongue, a bitter dust which was difficult to spit out again. The face of Big Brother swam into his mind, displacing that of O’ Brien. Just as he had done a few days earlier, he slid a coin out of his pocket and looked at it. The face gazed up at him, heavy, calm, protecting, but what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark mustache? Like a leaden knell the words came back at him. WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.” There are two ways to interpret this part of the book. The first is to assume that O’ Brien is just like Winston and he wants out of the world and he wants change. The second one is to assume that O’ Brien will be face to face with Winston out in the open where there will be no tricks and it will be a battle between him and Winston.
I think that the part in the book is suggesting that Winston will get an ally to get out of the world that they live in because O’ Brien was very discreet about their contact. This is because it happened so fast Winston had to replay the whole scene in his mind. Also, the book reads: “But there was a fraction of a second where their eyes met, and for as long as it took Winston knew—yes, he knew! —that O’ Brien was thinking the same thing himself.” This shows that there is a possibility that O’ Brien is just like Winston. I think that there is a possibility that O’ Brien wants to be allies with Winston because in a world like how George Orwell described, contact like that would not be made unless you wanted to get an important message across.
There is another possibility and it is that O’ Brien is leading Winston into a trap. “But there was a fraction of a second where their eyes met, and for as long as it took Winston knew—yes, he knew! —that O’ Brien was thinking the same thing himself.” Could show that Winston is very desperate and he is desperately looking for hope and for someone to share his feelings of hate for the Big Brother with. I think that it is more likely to be this one because Winston has been stuck with this own thoughts and this made him desperate to find and partner. I think that this is a very important moment in the story because I think that this was a crossroads in the story to choose a happy or sad ending. If it had been that O’ Brien was on Winston’s side it might have been a happy ending.
I feel that this book’s most important moment was when O’ Brien and Winston’s eyes met. The connection of eyes was not very clear because it was only for a split second. This contact was very dangerous for anyone even if they were desperate, if they were to get caught by the thought police, then a punishment worse than death would be dealt. This was a turning part of the story because it decides the fate of the main character Winston Smith.
Paper # 1
Jonathan Chen
English 1 AB 8:30
1/26/09
Inspired in Times Supermarket
It all started a couple months back, in the Times Supermarket. My mom was shopping for food and I was shopping for candy. I was like a man with a mission; I was as serious as a man can be. Most people would not understand why this trip to Times Supermarket is so important to me because they always get what they want, when they want. Also, most people do not crave candy like I do. For example sometimes I lose my temper because I do not have any candy left to eat. My mom was waiting for me to finish choosing my candy, but I just could not decide between the Twix or the tube of M&Ms. This weekly journey to the supermarket was very important, it was one of the most important part of my day and my week.
I was about to walk to the Twix bar to snatch two more from the shelf and put the M&Ms back. I chose the Twix bar because I thought of that Twix commercial on television a while back with this man dancing on the moon. He was rubbing his chest and singing gaily about the candy bar and how he needs more. Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me say, “Oh, excuse me, sorry.” I turned around and I saw a man between the age of 35 or 45. I realized that the man was using crutches as he walked passed me. He was using one of those fore arm crutches that are fastened around his fore arm. He walked past me like he didn’t have this disability. I looked at him in awe as he walked past me. It was one of the first times I have ever met a disabled person in real life and got to be up close to them.
I felt a rush of emotions in my heart and thoughts in my head. I felt like this man must have been through so much in his life because of this disability. He seems totally fine with being like that and he does not expect people to be nice to him, and he does not feel like people owe him anything. I usually do not pity people, and I am not pitying him in this situation but I felt like this person has gone through so much because of his disability and I felt like I can try harder to be a better person. I thought about all the times I could have been a nicer person and greeted someone I knew, even though they did not see me. So from that moment on, I decided to be a better person. I decided right then and there to be a more open and friendly person.
After I tried out my new attitude towards everything, I felt like a new person. I felt that doors opened to me when I had a nicer attitude towards everything. I started to talk to more people and make more friends. This new attitude that I used was more welcome and accepted. I felt that this was one of the most important and useful inspirations that motivated me the most to be a better person and be more caring. I think that this inspiration not only taught me to be a better person and also it taught me to not judge people just from looks and how you were react if you were them.
English 1 AB 8:30
1/26/09
Inspired in Times Supermarket
It all started a couple months back, in the Times Supermarket. My mom was shopping for food and I was shopping for candy. I was like a man with a mission; I was as serious as a man can be. Most people would not understand why this trip to Times Supermarket is so important to me because they always get what they want, when they want. Also, most people do not crave candy like I do. For example sometimes I lose my temper because I do not have any candy left to eat. My mom was waiting for me to finish choosing my candy, but I just could not decide between the Twix or the tube of M&Ms. This weekly journey to the supermarket was very important, it was one of the most important part of my day and my week.
I was about to walk to the Twix bar to snatch two more from the shelf and put the M&Ms back. I chose the Twix bar because I thought of that Twix commercial on television a while back with this man dancing on the moon. He was rubbing his chest and singing gaily about the candy bar and how he needs more. Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me say, “Oh, excuse me, sorry.” I turned around and I saw a man between the age of 35 or 45. I realized that the man was using crutches as he walked passed me. He was using one of those fore arm crutches that are fastened around his fore arm. He walked past me like he didn’t have this disability. I looked at him in awe as he walked past me. It was one of the first times I have ever met a disabled person in real life and got to be up close to them.
I felt a rush of emotions in my heart and thoughts in my head. I felt like this man must have been through so much in his life because of this disability. He seems totally fine with being like that and he does not expect people to be nice to him, and he does not feel like people owe him anything. I usually do not pity people, and I am not pitying him in this situation but I felt like this person has gone through so much because of his disability and I felt like I can try harder to be a better person. I thought about all the times I could have been a nicer person and greeted someone I knew, even though they did not see me. So from that moment on, I decided to be a better person. I decided right then and there to be a more open and friendly person.
After I tried out my new attitude towards everything, I felt like a new person. I felt that doors opened to me when I had a nicer attitude towards everything. I started to talk to more people and make more friends. This new attitude that I used was more welcome and accepted. I felt that this was one of the most important and useful inspirations that motivated me the most to be a better person and be more caring. I think that this inspiration not only taught me to be a better person and also it taught me to not judge people just from looks and how you were react if you were them.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Poem Essay
FireFlies
For my essay, I chose to write about poem number 4, “The burden of self is lightened when I laugh at myself.” I think that this poem is trying to tell the reader that the only way to lighten their own burden and responsibilities and not giving them up is by being more relaxed and calm. This is because the beginning of the poem reads, “The burden of self is lightened when…” this part means that the only way for the leader to loosen the reader’s own responsibility is by taking a deep breath and slowing down. This is because the next part of the poem reads, “I laugh at myself.” I think that this poem is supposed to be interpreted metaphorically; I think that this is supposed to mean that the reader is supposed to take a deep breath and calm down. This is because I think that Tagore meant to say to the reader to tell then to not be so serious and to be “laughing at myself”. Another message that this essay gave me was to have humility and not care about one’s appearance and material things. This is because I think that when Tagore writes, “The burden of self is lightened when I laugh at myself.” I think that when Tagore writes about “I laugh at myself.” He means then he shows humility and does not care too much about material rewards; looks and wealth then his burden will be lightened. I think that the burden being lightened means to be free of restrictions that would restrict a needy and greedy man. An example would be a greedy man not doing the right thing because his love of money blinds him from what is right.
For my essay, I chose to write about poem number 4, “The burden of self is lightened when I laugh at myself.” I think that this poem is trying to tell the reader that the only way to lighten their own burden and responsibilities and not giving them up is by being more relaxed and calm. This is because the beginning of the poem reads, “The burden of self is lightened when…” this part means that the only way for the leader to loosen the reader’s own responsibility is by taking a deep breath and slowing down. This is because the next part of the poem reads, “I laugh at myself.” I think that this poem is supposed to be interpreted metaphorically; I think that this is supposed to mean that the reader is supposed to take a deep breath and calm down. This is because I think that Tagore meant to say to the reader to tell then to not be so serious and to be “laughing at myself”. Another message that this essay gave me was to have humility and not care about one’s appearance and material things. This is because I think that when Tagore writes, “The burden of self is lightened when I laugh at myself.” I think that when Tagore writes about “I laugh at myself.” He means then he shows humility and does not care too much about material rewards; looks and wealth then his burden will be lightened. I think that the burden being lightened means to be free of restrictions that would restrict a needy and greedy man. An example would be a greedy man not doing the right thing because his love of money blinds him from what is right.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)