"Do you know what happened to your family?"
Death's quick sidenote to us all on page 217 is really just a question asked by Liesel when Max Vandenberg. But it holds more importance than just that. You see, in Nazi Germany "Do you know X" or "Did you ever find out Y" were common questions asked between folks, and even further on after the war where questions such as htis are still asked today. The question "Do you know what happened to your family" is a loaded gun. It can be asked in a number of ways, and that's what gives it the awesome that it has. When asked by a Nazi, it might be Rhetorical ("DO you know what happened to your family? THEY R DED LOL"), for instance. When asked by Liesel it's an honest question, one I'm sure Max wishes he could answer truthfully.
And really, do we not already know what ahppened to them? Walter, his friend, even discovers that they no longer live there, and have bee replaced by a German family (It can be assumed as much at least). From this little evidence that we have as of that point in the book, we can use our own knowleged of the Holocaust and WWII Germany to deduce that Max's family is dead, or imprisoned, neither of which is really of any more good than the other. We can further prove this by the excerpt of "The Whistler" on page 213 -
She lay there, frightened, in a pool of blood, a strange tune singing in her ear. She recalled the knife, in and out, and a smile. As always, the whistelr had smiled as he ran away, into a dark and murderous night....
- This passage doesn't seem of much importance at first glance. From the text, it's simply all that Liesel was reading at the time. But if one looks beyond the text, and into the history of that time, we find parallels with Hitler himself in a way. Or even Nazi Germany as a whole, if one were daring enough to try and spread such a small amount of text over an entire nation. We can see that a young woman was stabbed quickly (Possibly even in the back), with a smile on the murderer's face. We can easily draw a conclusion that the young woman is the Jewish Community in Nazi Germany as a whole, for they were people who served Germany with a loyal devotion. They were Germans, not Jews - They were everyday citizens. Then the Government (Hitler) stabbed them in the back by outlawing their existence. Worst yet, Hitler (Who we can determine to be the Murderer), thought his goal was righteous, and just, and smiled about it. He was happy about what he was doing to these people.
So, based on the evidence we know from history, the seemingly unimportant text which we have our eyes drawn to for a reason (A reason which I believe to be to show us what the Government was doing to it's citizens), we can draw a conclusion as to why the question "Do you kn ow what happened to your family" is quite important to the story. We know that it's an important part of Max's life, as he was both Asked this question and he surely wonders the answer himself, but we also know that it defines an era of time, where if you were living in Germany, or if you were even just a soldier in any conflict (During any time period, no less), this question holds weight, as you would be asking yourself this question time and time again.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
A Few Hobbies
Well, it occurs to me that a few of my Hobbies are relatively unknown to most people. Personally, I couldn't care less if ya'll knew or didn't know about some of the things I like to do, but you know what? If ya wanna try somethin' new, just ask me.
So one of my favorite Hobbies which (I'm sad to say) is hard to attend thanks to school these days is Dagorhir. It's a HELLUVA lot of fun, and is perfect for anyone who's interested in Martial Arts. I'm not the best at Dag, but I can hold my own in most fights, but it doesn't help being a big guy when it comes to actually going to events and the like, since most people there are small and quick and can move a lot faster than I can. So I'm at a big disadvantage when I play, but I make up for it by (Trying) to use larger weapons to fend them off. I'm especially good at blocking with Pole-arms.
Oh wait, ya'll don't know what Dagorhir is yet, do you? Well, It's hard to explain, since most people consider it LARPing (Live Action Role Playing), which it really isn't. So here's a video for you to check out to see just what we do at a typical event.
Basically it boils down to whacking the Hell out of each other with Foam weapons. There ARE more advanced rules and the like, but it's too complicated to really cover in a single post.
Another thing I like to do is make my own Halloween Costumes. I'm always on a VERY tight budget (Usually 50 Bucks) which ironically end up being my better costumes than the ones I spend extra money on, like my Joker costume that cost over 400 Bucks (Real Purple Suit, Shipping and Handling, then Make-up and accessories). Whenever I make my own costumes, I almost ALWAYS end up having to do Make up of some kind, which I do myself. Considering I really don't know that much about make-up techniques and the like, I think I do pretty good for just my pinky finger and Reference Photos. Below are some pictures of my latest Costumes.
Joker (1st Version - Halloween 2008)
Joker (Version 2.0 - Spirit Week 2008)
Gene Simmons (1.0 - Spirit Week 2008 - 20$ Budget, End Cost 10 $)
Ace Frehley (1.0 - Spirit Week 2008 - Costume for a Friend. I Was sad to throw this one away)
Mrs. Doubtfire (1.0 - Halloween 2007 - Budget: 5$, End Cost: 0$)
I have others on the way, and I'm hoping to Update my Joker Costume again this year (No time or money to finish the Ghostbusters Costume in time, Sadly. Disappoints me beyond measure). Up next on my list of projects is The Ghostbusters Costume, Gene Simmons 2.0, Barbarian Warrior, and then Roman Emperor.
So one of my favorite Hobbies which (I'm sad to say) is hard to attend thanks to school these days is Dagorhir. It's a HELLUVA lot of fun, and is perfect for anyone who's interested in Martial Arts. I'm not the best at Dag, but I can hold my own in most fights, but it doesn't help being a big guy when it comes to actually going to events and the like, since most people there are small and quick and can move a lot faster than I can. So I'm at a big disadvantage when I play, but I make up for it by (Trying) to use larger weapons to fend them off. I'm especially good at blocking with Pole-arms.
Oh wait, ya'll don't know what Dagorhir is yet, do you? Well, It's hard to explain, since most people consider it LARPing (Live Action Role Playing), which it really isn't. So here's a video for you to check out to see just what we do at a typical event.
Basically it boils down to whacking the Hell out of each other with Foam weapons. There ARE more advanced rules and the like, but it's too complicated to really cover in a single post.
Another thing I like to do is make my own Halloween Costumes. I'm always on a VERY tight budget (Usually 50 Bucks) which ironically end up being my better costumes than the ones I spend extra money on, like my Joker costume that cost over 400 Bucks (Real Purple Suit, Shipping and Handling, then Make-up and accessories). Whenever I make my own costumes, I almost ALWAYS end up having to do Make up of some kind, which I do myself. Considering I really don't know that much about make-up techniques and the like, I think I do pretty good for just my pinky finger and Reference Photos. Below are some pictures of my latest Costumes.
Joker (1st Version - Halloween 2008)
Joker (Version 2.0 - Spirit Week 2008)
Gene Simmons (1.0 - Spirit Week 2008 - 20$ Budget, End Cost 10 $)
Ace Frehley (1.0 - Spirit Week 2008 - Costume for a Friend. I Was sad to throw this one away)
Mrs. Doubtfire (1.0 - Halloween 2007 - Budget: 5$, End Cost: 0$)
I have others on the way, and I'm hoping to Update my Joker Costume again this year (No time or money to finish the Ghostbusters Costume in time, Sadly. Disappoints me beyond measure). Up next on my list of projects is The Ghostbusters Costume, Gene Simmons 2.0, Barbarian Warrior, and then Roman Emperor.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Exile Or Mercy for Former Nazi guards?
The key to understanding the question posed is the word "Former". It means "Was", "Has been", "In the past". We are persecuting these people, old men not capable of doing any harm to anyone, to "Set right what once went wrong". When were we given the right to say, "You watched this happen, therefore you're guilty of it"? When were God's laws, his powers, his JUDGMENT placed in our hands?
I'm not saying let bygones be bygones. If you want to blame Old Mr. Wriggley for Commander Stragganoff's murders, because he's the security guard for the Commander's business, then go ahead. If you feel VINDICTIVE enough to simply point the finger at anyone remotely involved in the atrocities of the Holocaust and say, "HERE HE IS! HERE IS THE MAN RESPONSIBLE! LET THE DAMNED BE JUDGED AND MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON THEIR SOULS!" then please, be my guest. It's your right. It's also THEIR right to live in peace. These men are being held responsible, and are being PUNISHED for something they MIGHT HAVE done 60 years ago. Sure, the Nazi's took great and detailed recordings of what they did, but did they record "Corporal Sammy Jenkins hit Jew 1138 with a celery stick" on a daily basis? Probably not, but I'm no expert (yet).
The fact is, you're wanting to send these old men, who are nearly on their deathbeds, through the stress of trials and deportation simply to appease a minority? Am I saying that they were right in being Nazis? No, far from it. But if you want to accuse and prosecute these men of racial prejudice so you can throw them out of the country, then prosecute myself as well because GOD FORBID I have a single thought that's not Politically Correct. If you're going to do this, then Throw out EVERYONE who's a member of the American Nazi party, everyone who's a member of the KKK. Because once you start down this path, why just half ass it and quit with just the old men? Why not the Young Men and women who can potentially HURT the people the hate? Why not become a nation where you can live in fear of a Government that will prosecute anyone they deem unfit for the nation? I mean, really - Who doesn't want that?!
I'm not saying let bygones be bygones. If you want to blame Old Mr. Wriggley for Commander Stragganoff's murders, because he's the security guard for the Commander's business, then go ahead. If you feel VINDICTIVE enough to simply point the finger at anyone remotely involved in the atrocities of the Holocaust and say, "HERE HE IS! HERE IS THE MAN RESPONSIBLE! LET THE DAMNED BE JUDGED AND MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON THEIR SOULS!" then please, be my guest. It's your right. It's also THEIR right to live in peace. These men are being held responsible, and are being PUNISHED for something they MIGHT HAVE done 60 years ago. Sure, the Nazi's took great and detailed recordings of what they did, but did they record "Corporal Sammy Jenkins hit Jew 1138 with a celery stick" on a daily basis? Probably not, but I'm no expert (yet).
The fact is, you're wanting to send these old men, who are nearly on their deathbeds, through the stress of trials and deportation simply to appease a minority? Am I saying that they were right in being Nazis? No, far from it. But if you want to accuse and prosecute these men of racial prejudice so you can throw them out of the country, then prosecute myself as well because GOD FORBID I have a single thought that's not Politically Correct. If you're going to do this, then Throw out EVERYONE who's a member of the American Nazi party, everyone who's a member of the KKK. Because once you start down this path, why just half ass it and quit with just the old men? Why not the Young Men and women who can potentially HURT the people the hate? Why not become a nation where you can live in fear of a Government that will prosecute anyone they deem unfit for the nation? I mean, really - Who doesn't want that?!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
So My Mom's a Photographer
Yeah. My mom's a photographer. Dunno why I posted that, but I'm bored and I'm having some troubles (Ironically) With the Comp assignment. I'll blame it on either the Government or me being tired, I'm sure. I'm too tired to decide which one it is, though.
Monday, September 14, 2009
PS
Patrick Swayze died at 57 today. I think I need to go watch Red Dawn and The North and The South now. The guy was amazing, even with cancer he did his damnedest to do what he loved and star in his own TV show.
Is it appropriate or just strange that Meatloaf's "Cry Over Me" was playing on my playlist when I found out about (And subsequently blogged about) Patrick Swayze's death?
Is it appropriate or just strange that Meatloaf's "Cry Over Me" was playing on my playlist when I found out about (And subsequently blogged about) Patrick Swayze's death?
Whelp...
Well, today was the first Monday at University of Michigan Dearborn. And while I'm sure the only people who read this as of now are UMD Students (And at least one Prof.) I feel like talking to you all as a whole about the experience.
To start things off, my truck tire was flat this morning, so I had to stop and get air in it, putting me about twenty minutes behind schedule after having to turn around and pick up the schedule I left at home. When I got to Campus, it was 9:40, and my first class (Math 080) was in the CASL building. And guess what? No parking places. I fought for over HALF AND HOUR to find a place until I lucked out at 10:09. Class starts in 11 minutes, and I'm all the way across campus from the classroom! HUZZAH!
So I'm about ten minutes late into the Class and things go hunky doory until I leave. As I leave, I drop my bag onto the ground spilling nigh on everything in it (Thank God for Velcro). Then, I need to take an emergency Pit Stop in both the Men's Room and the Bookstore to see if they have a book I need for LIBS in yet. They don't, and I'm even later than I should be. Thankfully, I get to class on time. And I mean, ON TIME. Not even three seconds after I sit down, here comes the Prof to start her lecture about Late Antiquity. HUZZAH!
Nothing much after that besides sitting around, waiting to find things of interest on my Laptop (HUZZAH FOR LOANS!). I uploaded a few .wav files to make my laptop more.... me, including WOPR from the movie Wargames as my start-up sound ("Greetings, Professor Falken.") and Robert Muldoon from one of my all-time favorite movies, Jurassic Park, as the shutdown sound ("Clever Girl..."). It beats the siren noises I was opting for from the Ghostbusters movies. Yeah, I wanna have a personalized Laptop, not one that'll annoy the Campus every time I turn her on (Double Entendre, Hooooo!)
Payed a visit to my old High School. Mostly to see some teachers, but I saw a few old friends who helped cheer me up today after a few of the bad experiences.
Also, after watching the "Music Channels" here on TV, my sister left it on her Kidz Only station (So it's mostly Disney Garbage) and they always leave little "Trivia" things about the singer up top or on the bottom of the screen. So how does Ashely Tisdale relate to "Wonder Woman is the most famous female Superhero" exactly? And, personally, I would argue that that title belongs to either Batgirl, Batwoman (They're too separate entities. One's Commissioner Gordon's daughter, the other is... well, lately she's a lesbian, but that's besides the point, I suppose), or even Catwoman (Yes, she's a criminal, but at times she does heroic things. I think she's more of a tragic hero than a criminal).
I leave you with this - Click on ads to make me money! Please? Hee hee. Also, just sit around and listen to some of the tunes I have up. Some of them are classics, some are funny (Any of the ones by Jonathan Coulton ["Re: Your Brains", "The Future Soon", "Still Alive"] are a blast), and some are just plain soothing. Great music for anywhere at anytime. And there's some variety for those who don't like, say Metal, or Geek Rock, or even Classic Rock. I have a few Orchestral pieces on there, too.
To start things off, my truck tire was flat this morning, so I had to stop and get air in it, putting me about twenty minutes behind schedule after having to turn around and pick up the schedule I left at home. When I got to Campus, it was 9:40, and my first class (Math 080) was in the CASL building. And guess what? No parking places. I fought for over HALF AND HOUR to find a place until I lucked out at 10:09. Class starts in 11 minutes, and I'm all the way across campus from the classroom! HUZZAH!
So I'm about ten minutes late into the Class and things go hunky doory until I leave. As I leave, I drop my bag onto the ground spilling nigh on everything in it (Thank God for Velcro). Then, I need to take an emergency Pit Stop in both the Men's Room and the Bookstore to see if they have a book I need for LIBS in yet. They don't, and I'm even later than I should be. Thankfully, I get to class on time. And I mean, ON TIME. Not even three seconds after I sit down, here comes the Prof to start her lecture about Late Antiquity. HUZZAH!
Nothing much after that besides sitting around, waiting to find things of interest on my Laptop (HUZZAH FOR LOANS!). I uploaded a few .wav files to make my laptop more.... me, including WOPR from the movie Wargames as my start-up sound ("Greetings, Professor Falken.") and Robert Muldoon from one of my all-time favorite movies, Jurassic Park, as the shutdown sound ("Clever Girl..."). It beats the siren noises I was opting for from the Ghostbusters movies. Yeah, I wanna have a personalized Laptop, not one that'll annoy the Campus every time I turn her on (Double Entendre, Hooooo!)
Payed a visit to my old High School. Mostly to see some teachers, but I saw a few old friends who helped cheer me up today after a few of the bad experiences.
Also, after watching the "Music Channels" here on TV, my sister left it on her Kidz Only station (So it's mostly Disney Garbage) and they always leave little "Trivia" things about the singer up top or on the bottom of the screen. So how does Ashely Tisdale relate to "Wonder Woman is the most famous female Superhero" exactly? And, personally, I would argue that that title belongs to either Batgirl, Batwoman (They're too separate entities. One's Commissioner Gordon's daughter, the other is... well, lately she's a lesbian, but that's besides the point, I suppose), or even Catwoman (Yes, she's a criminal, but at times she does heroic things. I think she's more of a tragic hero than a criminal).
I leave you with this - Click on ads to make me money! Please? Hee hee. Also, just sit around and listen to some of the tunes I have up. Some of them are classics, some are funny (Any of the ones by Jonathan Coulton ["Re: Your Brains", "The Future Soon", "Still Alive"] are a blast), and some are just plain soothing. Great music for anywhere at anytime. And there's some variety for those who don't like, say Metal, or Geek Rock, or even Classic Rock. I have a few Orchestral pieces on there, too.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Formatting Updates
Well, unfortunately, I came across0 the realization that, unless you scrolled ALL THE WAY DOWN tot he bottom of the page, the music I have up wouldn't start playing for you. So, in lieu of the Youtube links I had previously, I've replaced it with the music Playlist I created specifically for this Blog.
So, in order to promote some of the most amazing comedy acts I've ever seen, I highly, HIGHLY suggest these following sites/users on Youtube.
http://www.thatguywiththeglasses.com
http://atopfourthwall.blogspot.com
http://www.spoonyexperiment.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/hbi2k
http://www.youtube.com/user/Tfsdbzabridged (Not many of their videos are up on this account due to Youtube suspending the original Account. In the meantime, look up "DBZ Abridged" on youtube. It's absolutely hilarious and it makes fun of the Anime Dragonball Z while also having a love for the material as well. )
http://www.youtube.com/user/lanipator
So, in order to promote some of the most amazing comedy acts I've ever seen, I highly, HIGHLY suggest these following sites/users on Youtube.
http://www.thatguywiththeglasses.com
http://atopfourthwall.blogspot.com
http://www.spoonyexperiment.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/hbi2k
http://www.youtube.com/user/Tfsdbzabridged (Not many of their videos are up on this account due to Youtube suspending the original Account. In the meantime, look up "DBZ Abridged" on youtube. It's absolutely hilarious and it makes fun of the Anime Dragonball Z while also having a love for the material as well. )
http://www.youtube.com/user/lanipator
Opinions on The Confederate States of America
In the 1800's, the American Civil War ignited, forcing regular civilians to take a side and make a choice. It was there that my family's home state of West Virginia was founded, when Union Loyalists seceded from Virginia when she broke away from the United States. But that's of no concern at this point.
The point is, my family fought for the Confederacy, and I'm proud of this fact. Why, though? Why would anyone be proud of their family being rebels against the country he loves so much? Well, the answer's simple - Being a Confederate was the most American thing they could've done.
"But Aaron, how does being anti-America make you American?"
Well, you see, America was founded on the belief that you should fight for what you believe in and what you stand for no matter what. Even history itself points to this being fact, as Robert E. Lee (The most successful and prominent General of the Confederacy) once said that he simply couldn't turn his sword against Virginia. Those who fought for the Confederacy weren't necessarily fighting to keep Slaves, but for their loyalties and for their families. If they're families lived in a Confederate State, then they were targets for the Union Armies. If they couldn't at least help to protect their families by fighting in the war, then what good were they? They loved their homes and their loved ones more than they loved a piece of paper saying, "We're in charge" that sat in some building in Washington, D.C.
The sad thing is, I can't express my love for my heritage by flying a Confederate flag because of the Generalization that "CONFEDERATES = SLAVERY! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!" and all of that Jazz. In fact, if anything, the Confederate Flag should represent a love of one's family, a loyalty to their home and the complete willingness to die for what one believes in. And so when I'm called out on being a Racist because I enjoy flying a Flag my forefathers flew as they fought for that what they believed was the right thing, It upsets me a bit.
Hell, the Civil War wasn't even ABOUT slavery. Was that a main cause? Oh, sure it was! But the war was about Expanding Government powers. If the Government was going to regulate what w can and can't own, then what's next? Can they simply say, "you can't live here because we say this is a Home-Free state"? THAT is what the war was about. Not the freedom of Black men and women, but about the rights the People had over the Government and vice versa.
The point is, my family fought for the Confederacy, and I'm proud of this fact. Why, though? Why would anyone be proud of their family being rebels against the country he loves so much? Well, the answer's simple - Being a Confederate was the most American thing they could've done.
"But Aaron, how does being anti-America make you American?"
Well, you see, America was founded on the belief that you should fight for what you believe in and what you stand for no matter what. Even history itself points to this being fact, as Robert E. Lee (The most successful and prominent General of the Confederacy) once said that he simply couldn't turn his sword against Virginia. Those who fought for the Confederacy weren't necessarily fighting to keep Slaves, but for their loyalties and for their families. If they're families lived in a Confederate State, then they were targets for the Union Armies. If they couldn't at least help to protect their families by fighting in the war, then what good were they? They loved their homes and their loved ones more than they loved a piece of paper saying, "We're in charge" that sat in some building in Washington, D.C.
The sad thing is, I can't express my love for my heritage by flying a Confederate flag because of the Generalization that "CONFEDERATES = SLAVERY! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!" and all of that Jazz. In fact, if anything, the Confederate Flag should represent a love of one's family, a loyalty to their home and the complete willingness to die for what one believes in. And so when I'm called out on being a Racist because I enjoy flying a Flag my forefathers flew as they fought for that what they believed was the right thing, It upsets me a bit.
Hell, the Civil War wasn't even ABOUT slavery. Was that a main cause? Oh, sure it was! But the war was about Expanding Government powers. If the Government was going to regulate what w can and can't own, then what's next? Can they simply say, "you can't live here because we say this is a Home-Free state"? THAT is what the war was about. Not the freedom of Black men and women, but about the rights the People had over the Government and vice versa.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Starting Fresh
Well, I suppose it's time to start this sucker, eh? I suppose I should tell whoever cares a little bit about me, but I really don't care, to be honest. Heh heh. Besides, I'm on the internet. I'm anonymous to most if not all of you. What do you all care? I am Anonymous, that is all you need to know. Anonymous does not forgive, they do not forget. Expect us.
So how're y'all doin'?
So how're y'all doin'?
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