Stupid Guys

("Pobre Diabla" Don Omar)

This had to be my favorite class period of the whole semester. I had heard all of these songs before this class and I like all of them. My favorite artist on the list is Don Omar.
In his song, "Pobre Diabla" he is singing about how the guy really doesn't respect the girl and doesn't care about her. She cries and cries over him; a guy who isn't worth a dime and uses her.

I thought about how often this happens in real life, how often I saw it while I was on my mission, and how often it happens here.

Sadly men use, abuse, and under appreciate women all the time. Unfortunately when I listened to this song my thoughts went to my cousin. It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that he is not the best boyfriend in the world. When he has a girlfriend he is always talking to other girls, texting other girls, and not giving his girlfriend the attention that she deserves. His "girlfriend" just broke up with him because she was sick and tired of him treating her like she didn't matter to him.

I don't know why my cousin and other men treat women this way. I think that at least for my cousin, he thinks that because he isn't ready to get married it's ok to do what he is doing. Eventually he will find the girl that he wants to be with but won't know how to act around her or treat her. Before my cousin, or any other guy, finds the girl he wants to marry, he has to stop thinking that girls are like buses.

A Rice Sandwich

"In the canteen, which was nothing special, lots of boys and girls watched while I ate my sandwich, the bread already greasy and the rice cold." (Cisneros, The House on Mango Street, 45)

In this chapter of the book, Esperanza really wants to take a lunch and sit in the cafeteria instead of walking home to eat. She thought that the special kids got to eat there and that it was an important place. She goes through quite a bit of trouble to be able to take a lunch and eat in that special room. Eventually she finds out that it really isn't that cool and she doesn't belong there.

I could feel what she was going through because I went through a similar experience. Growing up my mom always made me a lunch to take to school. Many of the students who brought their own lunch, including myself, wanted so badly to eat a school lunch.I think that everyone who took a sack lunch to school can say that they wanted to have the school lunch at one time or another. The kids who got the cafeteria food got pizza, chicken, milk, and all sorts of cool lunch items. Us sack lunch kids got stuck with the same sandwich, an apple, and if we were lucky, a cookie. We all envied the kids who didn't have to carry a lunchpail to school, who got to have a choice in what they were going to eat for lunch. Eventually my mom gave in and gave me a few dollars to be able to pay for a lunch. I was super excited to finally have a school lunch and not a nasty sandwich. I got my food and sat with the other school lunch kids. I was completely let down. The food wasn't really that good and all my friends that I usually sat with were not with me. The next day I went back to a sack lunch and was grateful from that day on for a mom who made me a lunch.

I Like It!

I like it! I have really enjoyed this class, and most of what we have read or viewed. My favorite one though has been Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya.

I felt that I could really connect to Antonio in this story and that helped me learn from and enjoy this book. Antonio was forced to grow up quicker than he would have had he not experienced what he had. Antonio had to see three people killed right in front of him, try and earn the approval of his older brothers, and be a good student. Growing up my grandma, an aunt, and an uncle all died. I was the oldest nephew in the family and I had become close to them, having them pass forced me to learn about the reality of life and death at a young age. I am the oldest child in my family so I didn’t have older brothers to impress, but I had older cousins, uncles, grandpas, and a father that I felt like I needed to impress and gain their approval; something very important to me. I wanted my older family members to treat me like an equal and include me and eventually they did. We now share a strong bond and love because of the experiences we went through together. I have always tried to be a good student and have striven to be at the top of my class (something that has been real hard now that I’m at BYU). My father is a dentist and has been very successful at everything that he has done, this has always encouraged me to be at my best and match or exceed his accomplishments.

As Antonio went through his experiences and I through mine, I know that we have had to mature and grow up quicker than most other boys that we grew up with. As I read the end of Bless Me, Ultima I learned something new. I learned that growing up is all the things that I just wrote about, but it is also being able to form relationships in which you care about the other person more than you care about yourself. Antonio ran ten miles, just to try and save Ultima. I guess I still have some growing up to do.

Shadows and Dust

"The body is not important. It is made of dust; it is made of ashes. It is food for worms. The winds and waters dissolve it and scatter it to the four corners of the earth. In the end, what we care most for lasts only a brief lifetime, then there is eternity."
(Anaya, Bless Me Ultima, 203)

What insight from a little boy sitting in church on Ash Wednesday. He has understood the importance of eternity and the briefness of this mortal existence. Throughout life we grow up and all learn that we are really nothing; that there is something more than our bodies and our earthly greatness. We learn the importance of using this brief lifetime to prepare for the lengthiness of eternity.

Again I was pulled into thinking about one of my favorite movies, Gladiator.




Proximo, the owner of the gladiators, tells Maximus that we mortals are but "Shadows and dust." That's all we are, just this shell that we occupy and learn to control. We die and the bodies we have return to the shadows and become the dust we were made from. We worry about our bodies and our lives so much, but in the end, we are only mortal for a very short time.









Earlier in the movie Maximus speaks to his men and says, "What we do in life, echoes in eternity."  There was an understanding of the importance of going good and that this mortal life will eventually end. A man will be judged according to his works and his character. What we do and become in this life determines what and who we are in eternity.





We really need to comprehend the importance of the eternities along with our own nothingness and inability to become something without some help. I know that yes we are less than the dust of the earth, but we have the potential to make long lasting echoes in eternity as we learn, grow, and do incredible things for others. How are we setting ourselves up for eternity?

Who Is That Kid Anyway?

"I'll race you! I'll race you!" The Vitamin Kid pawed nervously at the ground. I never knew his real name, everyone just called him the Vitamin Kid, even the teachers at school. He could run, oh how he could run!
(Anaya, Bless Me Ultima, 36)

This was a moment of real nostalgia for me.

Since the time I was in 4th grade I have always been a runner. I ran cross country and track and I loved it. I was fast, confident, and enjoyed a good ole' fashion foot race. When it was time for my 5th grade year to start there was a new kid at school, just moved into the area, and everyone called him K-Mart. For the longest time I had no idea why they called him K-Mart, nor did I know his real name. He came out for the cross country team because he was too skinny for football and he was really good. I had a real challenge every race just to barely beat him. He and I got to be pretty close for the next few years until high school, then he moved away. In that time I learned that his real name was Jonathan and that the reason he was called K-Mart was because one week when he moved into town he only had one shirt, it was a white t-shirt that said K-Mart on it. The merciless elementary kids judged him and he lived with a mean nickname for the rest of his time there.

I had not thought about Jonathan for about 6 years, but when I read this part I was taken right back to grade school; meeting Jon, getting to know him, racing against him, and becoming friends. I feel like Rudolfo Anaya, he probably got the idea to include the Vitamin Kid in his story because it was someone that he knew. In the story of my life I can write about my own Vitamin Kid, K-Mart.

To tie this all back into Bless Me Ultima, my comment is that kids are mean! Kids don't take the time to actually learn other kid's name, they just judge each other and give mean nicknames. In the book a kid is called Horse because he looks like he got kicked by a horse, there is a kid named Bones, and kids with other crazy nicknames. Also in the book the kids fight each other just to fight. We called Jonathan K-Mart when we should have taken the time to actually learn his name in the beginning. I'm sure we all have a Vitamin Kid or a K-Mart in our lives, who's yours?

Buried In Our Obsessions

"The Mortar finally closed over the eyes of Henri Christophe, who now continued his slow decent into the entrails of a moisture that was growing less plastic. Then the corpse came to rest, one with the stone that imprisoned him." (The Kingdom of this World, Carpentier, 149-150)

I loved this part! As I read, I was amazed by how engrossed I became in what I was reading. Henri Christophe was the king and he was obsessed with building his kingdom and his fortress bigger, stronger, and more impenetrable. He was driven by the power he had as king;  he loved being able to control and do whatever he wanted to do. He captured slaves, killed people, sacrificed bulls, and whatever else it took to make the whole thing more grand and impressive. 

Eventually we read that King Henri killed himself and was buried in the mortar that was used to build this castle. He became one with the stone and one with his obsession. In life we did everything he could to build his empire and in death he was not separated from the desire. 

As I thought about this part of the story, I thought of The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. I thought of Gollum and his obsession with the ring, his obsession with the power that came with it. When he first found the ring he killed his best friend just to get it. He became obsessed with the ring and he continued to go to great lengths throughout the movies to obtain it. Eventually Gollum dies in the place of the ring's origin. He jumped into the lava of Mt. Doom just to get the ring. 

Gollum died along with his dream of having his "precious". He became one with the desire that took over his life. 

I continued to think about this topic and I know that we can also allow ourselves to become obsessed with certain unhealthy things in our lives. We can overwork and leave behind our families, we can spend more time with "the guys", than with our wives, and many other things that take away our lives and leave us with nothing in the end. What are the things in our lives that do this and how can we get rid of them? 

Kings or Male Divas?

"They were kings, true kings, and not those sovereigns wigged in false hair who played at cup and ball and were gods only when they strutted the stage of their court theaters, effeminately pointing a leg in the measures of a rigadoon. These white monarchs lent more ear to the symphonies  of violins and the whispers of gossip, the tittle-tattle of their mistresses and the warble of their stringed birds, than to the roar of cannon against the spur of the crescent moon. (The Kingdoms of This World, Alejo, 8) 

In this part of the book, the slave named Ti Noel is comparing the kings that he has heard of back in Africa to the kings of Europe that he now sees. He had just explained how amazing and manly the African kings were and then goes on to say that the kings that now are ruling are really a bunch of pansies. He says that they are doing things that they shouldn't be doing. They should be out ruling their land, protecting it, and providing for it instead of doing the girly things the European kings were doing. 

Sadly I see the same thing happening in our American government. Back when we were becoming our own country, all of our politicians were out fighting for our country, they were the manly men that were considered real heroes. They put their lives on the line to help others. George Washington, our first president, fought in the worst of conditions because that is what leaders do for those over whom they govern. George Washington was like the devoted, powerful, duty-filled, African kings. 

Now in our time, we have presidents who busy themselves with things that are not important for the welfare of the country they run. Our current president, Barack Obama, was on ESPN last year filling out his bracket for the NCAA March Madness tournament. He goes on expensive vacations when he should be working, and he is trying to live the life of a movie star when he should be worried about our national debt. Barack Obama is like the European kings and doing things that he should not. 

I think that the author is trying to get the point across that those who have a responsibility should fulfill it, those who are in power should be powerful, and those who should be leading should actually lead. 

Es Muy Burro, No Speak Eh-English

(Cantinflas, Cruzando El Muro En La Frontera, Por Mis Pistolas)

When I saw this video in class, I was in stitches! I thought it one of the funniest videos i have ever seen in my life. I went home and i watched it two more times and it never got old, I was still laughing just as much as the first time we watched it. I was impressed because this comedy isn't crude, rude, or disgusting in any way. It reminded me of one of my favorite comedy sketches ever: "Argument Clinic" from Monty Python. 

Aside from the fact that they are both slapstick hilarious, they are similar in the fact that they both make silliness out of simple things. In Cruzando el Muro en la Frontera the border patrol makes a big deal out of Cantinflas passing through the gate and not going around. In Argument Clinic when the man enters the room for "being hit on the head lessons" the instructor made him react in a very specific way; "hold your hands here and go waaah". Just like passing through the gate in a certain way, the client had to shout and react in a specified manner. 

As I watched "Cruzando el Muro en la Frontera", I could picture Cantinflas being one of the men employed by this clinic. I would see him being in the room, "Smart Remarks". A person could come in, like the border patrol agent, and to everything that the client says Cantinflas would have a smart aleck remark. The client would get so frustrated that he would move on to a different room to complain or something along those lines. 

I wonder to myself, "Why is it that most comedy today must be full of foul language and filthy talk?" "Why can't we all be entertained by things like this?" I long for the day when I can laugh like crazy and not feel dirty for listening to comedy. 

(Orozco, Resurrection of Lazarus, 1943)

In class we talked about how there seems to always be a connection in our class to some Disney movie and not wanting to disappoint, here is another one. 

This painting reminds me of Hercules. In the Disney version of the movie, Hercules goes down to the underworld to rescue Meg. When he gets there he is told by Hades that Meg's spirit is in the river Styx. Hercules makes a deal that if he can get her out he can trade places. Hercules jumps in and starts to swim. All the spirits of the dead are around him watching and it's pretty dang scary, at least i thought that it was when i was little. As he comes out of the river after finding out that he is part god, he punches Hades and he falls in the river and the spirits start to attack him. 

As you look at the painting you see a man (Christ) standing up and seems to be lifting up the dead being on the left (Lazarus). But when I saw it for the first time, I saw Hercules standing above Hades, pushing him down. All around Hades are the souls of the dead that he has kept in the river Styx, attacking him and pulling him to their level. 

Hercules is victorious over death in the movie and in the painting. What's really cool is that in the actual account of Lazarus being raised from the dead, it is because Christ was victorious over death. Hercules could push Hades down because he was as well victorious over death. There is a power that is shown as one lives while all around him are dead. 

I thought about this and it was just reconfirmed to me that life is what we are seeking. Those that asked Christ to raise Lazarus wanted him to live, Hercules jumped into the river so that Meg could live, and we do al that we can so that we live now and forever. 

A Man Can Change His Stars

"Poverty, the need for a little extra cash, unfitness for other work, chance, and occasionally, a natural taste for serving, though in a different way, supplied the incentive to a man who felt firm enough to reduce disorder and distress to a system." "Aunt Monica forgave him for bringing back the child, after she heard the explanation, seeing that he brought a hundred milreis with him. " 

(Machado de Assis, Father Versus Mother, pg. 90 and 96) 

I think that we all are faced with difficult circumstances and we are forced to do some things that might seem a little bit crazy in order to change our situation. In this story Candido is forced into catching runaway slaves to be able to provide meager food and accommodations for his new bride. He is against odds and it is really hard for him to get a big break. Eventually He finally does and is able to provide for his small family. 

This reminds me of the movie, "A Knight's Tale", when William (played by Heath Ledger), Roland, and Wat are peasants and just earned a reward of 15 pieces of silver. They decide that they are going to keep trying to get "glory and riches" and do what they have to in order to provide for themselves. They go on and train to win a knight's tournament. 

William, Roland, and Wat are similar to Candido. They don't know how to do anything else, so they are reduced to lie their way to competition and the prize. Candido is reduced to slave catching which wasn't highly looked on as a trade. Both stories involve getting through a struggle of sorts. In Father Versus Mother they are going to have to give up their newborn baby. In A Knight's Tale, William has to get the princess to love him after she finds out that he has been lying the whole time.  The important thing with both of these stories is that they just kept trying, had faith and everything worked out. 

Both stories show a struggling individual (or individuals) who tries their hardest and changes their stars.  

The Beauty of Mexico Captivates Everyone, Especially The Men

(Jose Maria Velasco, The Valley of Mexico, 1875)

As i looked at this painting my mind wandered to one of my favorite old western songs; El Paso, by Marty Robbins. And I realized that Mexico and all that it offers makes people do some crazy things. 

Now let me explain, it all makes sense in my head I just hope that i can get it down on the page... As I looked at this painting and thought of this song I could picture the cowboy up on the hill from the painter's perspective looking down on the town and longing to be there. He wants to be with Felina (Mexico). He is drawn to the town and the girl, just like Velasco was drawn to that same place to paint the same thing more than once. We may thing it strange of Velasco to paint the same thing twice, but we would also think it stupidity to ride into a town when you know that you are going to be killed. Some things just don't let us escape. 

As the cowboy was riding down to his death he told himself that to die would be better than never be with the girl that he loves. That's what beautiful scenes of Mexico do to all of us! We want to see these places! We live here in the United States, but we desire to go down south to Mexico to see something cool. We as humans are captivated by certain things it makes us do crazy things. Maybe Velasco was crazy for painting the Valley of Mexico more than once, maybe the cowboy was crazy for riding to his Mexican lover, and maybe we are crazy for spending crazy amounts of money to go to Mexico, but that is what Mexico does. 

Mexico is beautiful and captivating, it draws all of us to it. 

Mexico makes us men do some crazy things. 

Hero of War

(Felix Parra, Episodes of the Conquest, 1877) 

Heroes, adventurers, warriors, conquerors, and murderers all have one thing in common: they think that they are doing something good that will bring about good.  The only thing that separates them is their point of view. 

Some of them may be doing good things in their eyes, but in the eyes of someone else they are bringing about something disastrous. They are tearing apart a way of life that has persisted for a long time. 

As I studied this painting I could not help but to think about our own armed forces who are overseas maintaining peace and order with death and destruction. I thought of the song titled, Hero of War, by Rise Against.

Please watch the video, it really helps show what I am 

trying to  get across. 

I kicked in the door, I yelled my commandsThe children they cried but I got my manWe took him away, a bag over his faceFrom his family and his friends
They took off his clothes, they pissed in his handsI told them to stop but then I joined inWe beat him with guns and batonsNot just once but again and again

I can't help but imagine that some of our soldiers don't want to kill people, they don't want to bring people under our rule, but they do it because that is what they are commanded to do. Just like our men killing and fighting, I am sure that some of the conquistadors didn't want to kill the indians. They came to love them and their way of life, they wanted to help them but could not because they were commanded to do something else (kill them). Just like the video above, these conquerors most definitely were psychologically messed up because of what they went through. 

Conquistadors and modern soldiers alike who are seen as "Heroes of War" don't want that praise, they just want to forget what they had to do to become that victor their people see. The medals and treasure they gained are not worth the sadness that accompanies them. When they started out their point of view was that they were doing something good, but as time persisted, their point of view changed and their original visions of grandeur became nothing but dross. They are sad to see that they have "bought a minutes mirth to wail a week, or sold eternity to gain a toy."(William Shakespeare)

   

By The Death Of A Few

"Fortieth chapter, where it is said how the Tlatelolca and Tenochca and their ruler submitted to the Spaniards, and what happened when they were among them... Then they took a cannon, put it in a boat, and took it to the home of Coyohuehuetzin. When they got there... then again they killed people; many died there. But the Mexica just fled, and the war came to an end." (Victors and Vanquished, 195)

As I read "The Siege and Fall of Tenochititlan" I was impressed as I came across this selection that as soon as some leaders gave themselves up, they were killed and the war ended. As in all battles the end usually comes when someone important dies, this battle was no different.

This may be a stretch, but my thoughts then drifted to one of my favorite movies: Gladiator. In this movie the emperor, Commodus, is trying to keep Rome and all his power to himself while at the same time, the senate is trying to give the power back to the people. Commodus had previously done some pretty shady things in trying to get rid of Maximus, the appointed ruler of Rome, who would have given the people the power that was rightfully theirs to have. The following was the commentary between the dying father of Commodus and his chosen replacement, Maximus:

Marcus Aurelius: There is one more duty that I ask of you before you go home.
Maximus: What would you have me do Caesar?
Marcus Aurelius: I want you to become the protector of Rome after I die. I will empower you to one end alone, to give power back to the people of Rome and end the corruption that has crippled it. 
Marcus Aurelius: Do you accept this great honor that I have offered you?
Maximus: With all my heart, no.
Marcus Aurelius: Maximus, that is why it must be you.

Maximus becomes a slave, then a gladiator, then makes his way to Rome to fight in the Coliseum. He fights and fights until he is stabbed and then challenged by Commodus. He kills Commodus and also dies. As the death of these two men comes to pass, the fight of Commodus (the Mexica) and Roman people (the Spaniards) also dies. 

Like i said, it may be a little bit of a stretch, but that is what i thought of. As the Spaniards took over, the region advanced; in the movie when Rome as a people got their power back they were at peace. All it took was the death of a few key individuals. These two situations are extremely similar, and very similar to many other events in the history of this world. The Mexica were trying to hold on to the past, their traditions, and their power in Central America just like Commodus and his power , but like Maximus the Spaniards were victorious and they were able to rest. 

This last video gives an overview of the movie so you too can try to see the parallel that I derived from it. Just a little warning there is minimal blood, but some blood nonetheless. 

And a little fun fact to finish up: In the movie Maximus is nicknamed, The Spaniard

week 2

"The Spanish used this time to install Catholic images in the temples and prohibit the practice of human sacrifice. They also discovered treasure in the palaces and seized it. Their delight and greed caught the notice of the Mexica." Victors and Vanquished: Tenochtitlan, 128

"God wills it!" has been a rallying cry for many purposes. From prophets calling people to repentance to Jim Jones and the Jonestown suicide, to the Crusaders,  people of influence have used the name of God to attain the results that they long for. Hernan Cortez was no different than many of the leaders during the religious crusades termed the Holy Wars in the Middle East as shown in the above video. 

“I put no stock in religion. By the word religion I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of God. I've seen too much religion in the eyes of too many murderers. Holiness is in right action, and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves, and goodness. What God desires is here [the head] and here [the heart] and what you decide to do every day will make you a good man...or not.”

― Hospitaller, The Kingdom Of Heaven

Hernan came to Mexico seeking riches and possessions while using the facade of missionary work as an excuse to kill, pillage, rape, and murder. Cortez sought to control lands and peoples for his 'patria' and used whatever means necessary to bring about his purposes. The Crusaders sought to bring the gospel to everyone and control Jerusalem at any cost, just like Cortez in the Americas. 

Cortez desired to change the indian's way of life, culture, and religion. He gave no respect to the customs, rituals, or beliefs of the Mexica. Cortez was a fanatic of his own success and dominion. As I read this I remembered my mission and how many of the young missionaries would completely disrespect a lot of the religious views of the many Catholic Mexicans that we taught. They would do anything they could just to baptize them. They would say things to investigators similar to how Cortez spoke to Montezuma after he was shown the idols and gods, 

"these idols of yours are not gods, but evil things that are called devils... we may divide off a space where we can set up an image of Our Lady". 

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church of God, but i also believe that we cannot be true ambassadors of our Savior Jesus Christ if we are rude and offend those who would accept the gospel if we would simply teach by the spirit the truths of the gospel and the error of their beliefs. 

I believe that the Crusaders, Jim Jones, some inconsiderate missionaries, and Cortez attained their desires and imposed their ideas in an incorrect fashion. They did what they did for selfish and radical reasons and defiled a pure purpose with their own agenda. 

Week 1

“To live is to be separated from what we were in order to approach what we are going to be in the mysterious future.” Octavio Paz, The Labyrinth of Solitude, 195.

I think that this is one of the most profound statements that I have read in a textbook during all of my college career and one that rings true throughout almost all mythology, theology, and religions. As we start out on the journey of life we don’t know anything and we progress and learn by our own experiences what we need to in order to get through this life; we leave behind our lack of knowledge and experience for that knowledge and experience that makes us who we will become. When I read this the clear ties to the plan of salvation penetrated my mind. I began to think of all that I have learned about the gospel and how it is a gospel of progression and how we will continue to progress through the eternities and I felt extremely excited to move forward. As I continued the daily reading in Victors and Vanquished I read about Cortez and everything that he went through. Online I found that Cortez came from a distinguished family, but was a sickly child who dropped out of a fine university. Given our society’s outlook on dropping out of school I would assume that his choice was not looked on very highly and he was probably considered a wild and adventurous kid who would probably not amount to anything on that big boat going all around the world. He left his home in Medellin a “nobody” and finished his life as a historic figure that we all now study and research. Just as Hernan Cortez left behind what he was to become something greater we too can and must do the same thing.  

http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/theconquistadors/a/cortesbio.htm