Band of brothers review

After some research, I found out that the easy company’s mission wasn’t that easy. They have gone through operations like D-Day, the battle in Holland. The part which we watched in class was the breaking point, the battle of Foy. From the web, I gathered information that the battle was very difficult for them as they had no winter clothing, rations and ammunitions, it also stated that they were under artillery fire from the German, which they shown in the show, we can observe that in the show captain winters was shivering in his tent, also saying they have to quickly finish the battle as they are running out of rations and ammunitions. So from my opinion, the show is not romanticising about the stories of the easy company.

However, I feel that it may be romanticising the war in general as there was a few parts that I do not believe may have happened, for example, when the artillery fired, the soldier ,Joe, and another soldier, Bill, was hit by the artillery. In this case, it is most likely that they would have been dead already, but the most, they only lost their feet, even though it is already very serious, but it is very unlikely that the artillery fire did not kill them. Also when the second round of artillery fire, Captain Lipton was very lucky that the shell was an empty shell, which I think would very unlikely to happen in war. Another part when the easy company was trying to stop the tank from escaping, the place was heavily fortified and no one dared to go, but Lieutenant Speirs ran to the tank, dodging most of the bullets, I find it very dramatic that the enemy did not fire at him at first and that all of the bullets have missed him even when it is heavily fortified. So in some part of the show, I feel that it is romanticising the war in general.

Although, I acknowledge that there is still some part that what I think pictured the war very well, when Lieutenant Compton got a mental breakdown when he saw that his friend got severely injured after the artillery barrage. Also there was a part that after the artillery barrage, a soldier was desperately digging a foxhole. This mental breakdown and fear is most likely seen during war after there were many casualties.

I think that it is significant that the show was sponsored by the US army. It may be that the US army is trying to show people how the war is like and want them to be mentally prepared when they are in the army.

Technology

In this growing society, technology also starts to improve for the better of human; it is inevitable that people will get addicted to technologies like televisions and the internet. It is also inevitable that things like technologies have to be used in education to both learn and do homework like what I am doing now.

I think that having technology around us is a good thing- it makes our lives easier and helps us to relax and enjoy our free time. However, we cannot trust technology too much as there could be still error in the technology like when u are doing your schoolwork and the computer just shut down without you saving, that is very irritating; or like in the factories when the packaging goes wrong then there will be trouble. Such situation can be like in the movies when technology turns against human when it malfunctions or some evil guy use them to do evil stuff. Such situation can happen in real life like the conflict about nuclear weapons, due to the high technology, such conflict can happen and result a terrible ending.

However, many people begins to get addicted to technology, it is like their life, without them they cannot do work or they cannot relax or enjoy their free time, it seems like technology has become their souls. But I think this should be stop and not get addicted as they can give you problems.

YOG

Recently, Singapore has finally hosted the first Youth Olympics, it is of great honour and a great opportunity to showcase what Singapore is capable of doing. In the youth Olympics opening ceremony as you can see from the above picture, it is a very grand opening to showcase Singapore in a very positive way. And the performance on that day was simply spectacular; they combine every culture of in Singapore and use them for the performance. Some even say that the youth Olympic games opening ceremony was even better than the National Day Parade.

Such an opening ceremony can give visitor from other countries to think that Singapore can be very capable and potential to host another big event like this no matter how small our country is. As a Singaporean, I am proud to say that Singapore has done a great job in the preparations for example the give way signs on the road.

As I heard from the news, Singapore has currently achieved one silver and a bronze, in the 35th position. GO Singapore!!!!

The Devil And Miss Prym Book Review

Recently, I read a book named “The Devil And Miss Prym”. This book is about a stranger who came to this village called Viscos and he came to this village to find answers: “whether human are born evil or good?” This stranger works at a weapon manufacturing factory; he has always followed the law and never does illegal trading. Then, one day his family member was captured by terrorist and they proposed for a trade of weapons. In the end, his family members died in the incident and he wander whether God is fair, as he has always been a good person and thinks that God is treating him unfairly. This story comes to a conclusion that, humans have the same instincts- Good and Evil struggled in both of them, just as they did on every soul on the face of the Earth.

I agree with what the conclusion is, that all human have the potential to be both Good and Evil, and that both side will not stop fighting till the other side is completely exterminated. There are evil in everyone mind just like in the story the villagers real intention was to get the gold bars the strangers is going to give if a murder was committed. However, there is also good in the person, strangely, the good side appears to the person in strange ways, like for the story, it comes in a form of fear-the fear of consequences that the villagers faced. Picture human like a pistol, somehow it is not fully built for evil, it can also be used for good. The bullets can be the good and the evil and the trigger is the choice human makes. The bullets serves as a purpose, it can be used for good like saving people; it also can be used for evil like using it to kill innocent people. And the choice human makes determines whether he is good or evil. So I think that all human have a good side and a evil side, it is the choice people makes that makes him good or evil.

1. Point of View:

The poet wants to tell the readers how the cruel some countries treated the children and felt that the society should do something about the situation.

2. Situation and Setting:

The situation is that the children are being forced to participate in the war for the country. This is evident from the phrase “Or will a war consume them". This states that the war have sort of like taken the children into the war and cannot escape.

3. Language/Dictation

In the poem, the poet used the word “darkness” three times suggesting that he think the children are surrounded by darkness, it is forever with them and they cannot escape from them. He also uses a very negative tone in the poem like “not seen the light”, “cannot flee” and “are not free”. He also used repetition in the poem “could we …..” stating what the children do not have and wants to give this chances to them.

4. Personal Response

I feel that the society is very cruel to the children; they put them in a harsh situation and could not live a normal live like normal children. And even if the children survive the war, they could suffer a mental breakdown after the war. We should do something about this and free the children from the war.

Poem of choice
Children in the Darkness

There are children in the darkness
Who have not seen the light
There are children in the darkness
Who someone will teach to fight

Chalk and blackboards will not be
To this door there is no key
From this life they can not flee
And these children are not free

Could we simply light a candle
Could we give them half a chance
Could we teach them how to read
Could we teach them how to dance

Or will a war consume them
Their body and their soul
Will their life and blood be poured
Down some endless thirsty hole

Back into the darkness
From which there is no flight
Back into the darkness
Into which there shines no light
Henry M Bechtold

Task one
Background
This war poetry is written by Henry M Bechtold before Christmas 2009. He was in his hotel room in Saigon and was trying to write a poem about some girls who work in the park and how badly men treat them. Then he switches on the television and saw the news. He did not understand what the reporter was saying but he saw in the background a small boy with a helmet and an automatic rifle. This is how he came out with this poem.

I think that children are innocent and harmless. In this modern age, they should be very lucky to live in a developed country. They can go through the system of education without any problem. They can live in luxury with good food, water and living environment. Their lives are very peaceful.

But in the poem, the children seem to be living in a desperate and dangerous situation. They cannot have peace, cannot have a proper education. Their living conditions are very bad. And the irony is that we think they are innocent and harmless, but for their lives, they are taught to hold a gun to kill. This contradicts the impression we have about a children, not that innocent and harmless any more.

Chile earthquake

Recently there was an earthquake in Chile, it says that it cause the axis of the Earth to be shifted, this makes the rotation of the earth to be faster but it is minimal, only about a few millisecond shorter for the time.

Besides that, many people have died and homes lost in the earthquake. I really pity the people that have lost their lives in the earthquake. They are very unfortunate to live in a country that have earthquake. This can tell us that we are very fortunate to live in a country that does not have any natural disaster; we must treasure everything we have now before we lose them.

I wish that everyone would try to help people that have get into trouble like in the Haiti and Chile earthquake.