"Bless Me, Ultima" December 25, 2011

Well, now it definitely seems like Anaya is saving the final fate of all her characters until the absolute last page of the book. Aside from Narciso's death, she is not giving us any hints as to how her novel will end. I was sad when Narciso died. I think that he was a very good man, despite his drunken habits. I think that he always meant well and that his death potentially symbolizes future harm to Ultima. Before his death, he seemed to be almost like a guardian angel to Ultima, he didn't look like the protective type but deep down he cared about Ultima and would to anything for her. Ultimately, he risked his life in an effort to protect her. The scene before Narciso's death was so jubilant and humorous I never predicted it to happen. I loved the play scene, especially when Horse had to be Mary. I could perfectly picture the whole play in my head and was able to connect with each character and their thoughts. It was such an uplifting and funny scene that Anaya kind of crashed into Narciso's death. I did not anticipate anything like that to happen on Antonio's walk home from school. I think the death of Narciso was a major loss to Antonio's family and will have a great impact on the outcome of the novel. As of right now, I am worried about Ultima's safety. Her "guardian angel" is gone and Antonio's three older brothers have left as well. There is still on-going tension between Antonio's parents so Ultima does not have a strong support group. I think Ultima is keeping a secret about Antonio and that all of his decisions have a impact on her life in a significant way.

I am interested to know how Antonio will end up. When Antonio was talking to Cico about Narciso's death, Cico advised that they wait until summer to talk to the Golden Carp. I think that Antonio's next visit with the Golden Carp will strongly influence his beliefs and religion and he will make the officially decision about faith. He is supposed to make his First Communion soon which will also have an affect on that decision. Anaya is keeping her readers on their toes especially with the dramatic changes and dragging out the ending. At this rate, it will not surprise me if she reveals Antonio's fate, as well as Ultima's, in the last line on the last page. I am anxious to see what is going to happen to the Marez family, but most importantly, I want to know more about Ultima and Antonio and how their relationship will end up.

Tis the Season!

With Christmas only 4 days away, Christian's all over America are frantically finishing their preparations for the big day. The holiday season is the busiest season of the year and I don't think anyone would challenge that. With all of the shopping, cooking, cleaning, entertaining, and planning to do, Christian's rarely have a time for rest. Needless to say, all other religions of the world are equally as busy preparing for their special day or days. Everyone is always running around and rushing everywhere but do we ever slow down to stop and look at our surroundings? A popular Christmas tradition is displaying lights in your yard. Whether you have Santa and his reindeer, a nativity scene, or lots of twinkling lights for all your neighbors to see, Christmas lights are one tradition that never grows old. With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, we should slow down every once and a while to stop and look at the lights. We shouldn't take them for granted or assume they will always be there. We should gaze in awe at the amazing decorations our fellow Christian's have provided us. All religions should display their holiday decorations proudly during their season. The article, Why Christmas Lights Warm the Soul, reminds us to slow down during the holiday season and look at our surroundings. After losing a parent, author Alcestis "Cooky" Oberg, reminds us to be thankful for the little things in life. 

Oberg used pathos when writing her article to persuade her audience to agree with her opinion. She began her article with talking about the death of her parent and how hard the holiday seasons are the first year after losing them. After being a strong support system for her children, Oberg had to be reminded by her friends to look at the little things and life and enjoy them. She encourages all of us, Christian or not, to appreciate the decorations provided for this season. Although she is Christian and favors the Christmas decorations, Oberg appeared to have a welcoming attitude and was open to all decorations of all religions. She ended her article by saying, "But Christmas lights do reach a place we don't always consciously control — the realm of wonder, magic and delight we instinctively feel in a beautifully illuminated place. On the Christmas-lit bridge of Chickasha, for instance, one can even find new hope, a fresh start, the renewed embrace of cheer and fellowship — all the best things implicit in the season, and in us all." Happy Holidays!

Why Christmas Lights Warm the Soul by Alcestis "Cooky" Oberg

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2011-12-21/christmas-holiday-lights-gifts/52144870/1?loc=interstitialskip

Gingerbread Delight

We all have our favorite holiday dessert that we get to enjoy once a year. For some, its a homemade treat but for others it could be a delicacy from your favorite bakery. Sugar cookies and peppermint bark are holiday classics, but gingerbread treats are definitely one of the most popular. Whether you have gingerbread cookies, cake, houses, or simply a loaf of bread, it is sure to be enjoyed by all. All though all recipes vary slightly, gingerbread treats are just as yummy as ever at Christmas time. Mollasses is the most prominent ingredient in gingerbread treats as it gives it the distinct flavor. Aside from filling your tummy, gingerbread fills the home a seasonal aroma. It fills the air with the sweet smells of the rising treats in the oven. It makes your mouth water just thinking about these delicious treats! 

The author of this article, Debra Samuels, is obviously a fan of gingerbread treats. She offers suggestions on how to improve your current gingerbread essay and gives options of how to serve your treats. Samuels was very descriptive when talking about gingerbread treats, "It contains flour, an array of spices, and molasses, and once they are prepared - often in a single bowl with a wooden spoon, baked in ordinary square pans and one-layer rounds - the taste is powerful enough to recall childhood memories." She is able to connect with her audience by tracing back their memories. While I enjoyed reading her article, she went on a bit of a tangent when talking about mollasses. She dedicated two full paragraphs to the history of mollasses and the significance it has in Boston. Personally, I did not enjoy reading those two paragraphs because I would have liked to learn more about gingerbread itself and not the ingredients that go in to it. I think she should have limited her mollasses speech to a few sentences. Her article could have been much more substantial if she spend more time talking about gingerbread itself and the different varieties that come with it. But for now, enjoy the gingerbread season!

The Enduring Appeal of Gingerbread by Debra Samuels

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2011/12/21/the_recipe_box_project_examines_the_enduring_appeal_of_gingerbread/?p1=Upbox_links

"Bless Me, Ultima" December 18, 2011

Well, chapters 8-12 have proved that this book continues to get better. These chapters definitely had more of a plot line than chapters 1-7. The first seven chapters gave a great introduction to the book and allowed you to figure out what each character was like. However, chapters 8-12 contain a good chunk of the story that the first few chapters did not. They start with Antonio's brothers struggling with what is most likely post-traumatic stress disorder. They were put into the war at a young age and forced to grow up to fast. All three of Antonio's brothers urge him to stay young while he can and not rush anything. However, after Antonio listens to his brothers advice, he goes off to school to learn that he is skipping second grade. After he graduates from first grade, he will move up to third grade and he knows his mother will be extremely proud. While fishing with Cico, Antonio also learns of the golden carp and starts to question his beliefs. It is obvious that Ultima is having an affect on Antonio's life as he tends to stay close to her and believe what she says. While all this is going on, Antonio's parents relationship is falling apart. His father is distressed because his brothers are away from home again and he resorts to drinking. His mother can not agree with his father on anything and their conflicting beliefs become a prominent problem in this section of the book. Antonio is not sure which parent is "right" and who he should believe and listen to.

One of the biggest events to happen in these chapters is the sickness of Maria's, Antonio's mother, youngest brother Lucas Luna. Her family has tried everything the church will allow them to do but no cure is working. Finally, Maria offers for Ultima to go to cure Lucas because she knows of her healing powers. Ultima agrees to go but required Antonio to go with her. In the three days that Ultima spent curing Lucas, Antonio was forced to grow up fast. Antonio sees how sick Lucas is, he looks like he's dead but Antonio has to be mature and responsible in the room with him. While he was assisting Ultima cure Lucas, Antonio was stuck in the same room with them for three straight days. During his time there, Antonio felt sick, almost as if he was catching what Lucas had. Antonio's feelings make the reader assume that he is connected with both Lucas and Ultima because when Lucas is healed, Antonio feels as if nothing ever happened.

In chapter 11, Antonio is introduced to the golden carp. Cico asks Antonio if he believes the golden carp is a god but Antonio sys that he can not answer because he is catholic and only believes in his god. Antonio tells Ultima about the golden carp but she already knew of his experience. She told him that when he grows up he will have to chose his own beliefs. This suggests that Antonio will no longer believe what his mother or father taught him but will become independent and make decisions on his own. In chapter 12, Ultima is accused of being a witch because one of Tenorio's daughters died. Tenorio blames Ultima for the cause of the death because he claims to have found a pouch of Ultima's herbs under his daughters bed the night she died. Narcisco, who is visiting Antonio's family, says that if they hang hold needles in the sign of the cross over the door and Ultima can not walk through than she is a witch. But, Ultima walks through the door with no problem.

As readers, we are left to wonder what Ultima's fate will be. She appears to be more of a healer and an eraser of evil rather than a witch. I think that she is going to have a strong influence on Antonio as he continues to grow and that he will eventually follow in her footsteps one day. It is hard to say what is going to happen with Antonio's family because one day his parents are enemies but the next they act like nothing has happened. I think that their conflicting beliefs and different opinions on where and how to raise a family will eventually overpower and separate them.

Merry Christmas From Globe Santa

Each year, many American families struggle to provide Christmas gifts for their families. Whether they are single parents or just going through tough times, they always feel that they need to provide more for their children. Each year around Christmas time, Globe Santa accepts requests from parents in the Massachusetts area for presents for their children. With the extremely generous donations they receive, last year their amount totaled to $1,413,668, Globe Santa is able to provide for those families during the holiday seasons. A majority of the letters come from single mothers who are struggling to make ends meet but this year, they received quite a few requests from single dads. While all of the requests are equally important, some stand out more than others. This year, a single dad wrote to Globe Santa explaining that his four young sons were living without their mother. Because of alcohol abuse and mental health issues, the mother was not allowed to be in contact with her sons and that has led to difficult times in the family. Their father, a construction worker, hurt his back on the job and has been out of work since August. With the donations from Globe Santa, he will be able to provide his children with a Christmas like no other!

Author Christopher Tangney used pathos to connect with his audience. By including the story of the four boys with no mom, he was definitely able to reach out to his audience in hopes of donations. With real life stories like that, he was able to relay the emotional message behind Globe Santa. I really liked how Tangney set up his article. He introduced the Globe Santa concept with the story about the four boys and then explained how Globe Santa works and how helpful it has been to families. The author appears to truly believe that Globe Santa is an amazing fund raiser that all who are able to should partake in. So if you're feeling the Christmas Spirit visit globesanta.org to help out those in need!


Four Motherless Boys Will Get a Big Surprise This Christmas by Christopher Tangney
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/12/18/four_motherless_boys_will_get_a_big_surprise_this_christmas/?p1=Upbox_links

Hello My Little One

Although it is by far one of the most joyous times of a parents life, the birth of a child can be stressful as well and nothing makes it worse than having a sick infant. Some infants, especially those born extremely prematurely or if they became ill immediately after being born, are sent to the neonatal intensive care unit, NICU, rather than a typical baby nursery. In the NICU, babies are given special care and medical attention based on their health. Only parents of infants in the NICU are allowed in because the babies are very susceptible to sicknesses. At the St. Jude Medical Center in California, the hospital has invested in cameras that can be attached to the baby's incubator so family members can constantly connect with them. By having the 24/7 view of their baby, parents are able to develop a connection instantly with their child. Although the camera is shut off during medical treatments or at the discretion of the doctor or nurse, parents are very grateful to know that they can connect with their infant even when they're physically not with them. 

Author Lisa O'Neill relied on pathos to show the benefits of the cameras in the NICU. She interviewed many families who had children in the NICU at one point in their life. The emotions brought out in the interviews truly brought out the stress parents go through and what a relief it was to know that they were able to connect with their little one through their laptops or phones. One mother, who delivered twin boys sadly lost one of her sons within a week but commented on the benefits of the camera system, "I think it would help encourage parents to take care of themselves because it's an emotionally and physically draining experience." The camera system helps connect parents in the initial stages of their baby's life. Speaking from personal experience, the NICU camera definitely seems to be a blessing. My youngest brother was in the NICU for two weeks after he was born and I, along with my other brothers, were not allowed to see him in person because we were not old enough. While we understood we were not allowed in because it was whats best for all of the infants in there, it was extremely hard not to see him. Having a camera to see the baby has been amazing for all parents with children in the NICU and hopefully the Nicview program will be able to spread out to more hospitals nation-wide. 


Parents Keep Watch on Newborns with Hospital Webcams by Lisa O'Neill
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/12/health/webcams-nicu-hospital-infants/index.html

"Bless Me, Ultima" 1-7 December 11, 2011

After reading 64 pages of "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya, I will admit that I am enjoying it. So far, it is not your typical school read. It was a little slow to get into as it started with Antonio as a grown man telling the story but once it switched back to Antonio as a child I fell into the story. Before Ultima arrived, I predicted that her and Antonio would have a close relationship because of the dream Antonio had about his birth. Ultima and Antonio definitely have some sort of connecting, most likely because of his birth and dream, that his sisters do not have. After reading the first seven chapters, I am still a little confused about Antonio's brothers. His sisters Deborah and Theresa are introduced and mentioned in a few chapters but his brothers are never referred to in name, except for in chapter 3 after Antonio meets Horse, who asked if he was Andrew's brother. I predict that we will slowly learn more about Antonio's brothers and that they have some type of history with Ultima as well. So far, my favorite characters are Antonio and Ultima. I also like the mother but am curious about the father. Antonio's parents both seem to come from very different backgrounds and beliefs and I am surprised at how they met and remain together. After learning that Antonio's father has a "cowboy" in his blood and his mother grew up on a farm, I was surprised to learn that they raised their children in a more farm like home rather than the freedom of a cowboys life. So far, Antonio's mother appears to have more of an influence on a children and holds their father on a very tight rope. She is very religious, unlike her husband, and hopes that one day Antonio will become a priest. Antonio appears to be a very innocent child but as Ultima says is a "man of learning." I think that Antonio will chose to follow his own path rather than following his mothers dreams. I think that Ultima will have a huge affect on Antonio's life and become almost a second mother or grandmother like figure.

Although many may not, I like how Rudolfo Anaya includes the spanish phrases throughout her novel. I think they bring a cultural aspect to it and help set the scene. She uses just enough to have a global influence on the novel without her readers being confused. In most instances, she used enough clue words in english that help non-spanish speakers understand what was going on. I think she made the right editorial choice to include spanish dialect. I am looking forward to reading the next set of chapters of "Bless Me, Ultima" to see if my predictions are true and also to see what else we will learn about the Marez family.

Reality Hits Hard for Seguin

After missing a mandatory team meeting this past week, Bruins forward Tyler Seguin was forced to sit out their game that night against the Winnipeg Jets. Watching the game from a press box is not exactly ideal for one of the Bruins star players but coach Claude Julien intended to teach him a lesson. This was not the first time Seguin had "accidentally" missed a meeting and Julien turned his accident into a learning experience. Tyler certainly learned his lesson as he was questioned by the press multiple times about his absence from the meeting. He claimed his alarm clock was still set on eastern standard time so it went off an hour late, but the time zone Winnipeg is in is actually an hour behind eastern standard time so if his alarm clock were set incorrectly, it would have gone off an hour earlier rather than later. However his roommate, Jordan Caron admitted that Seguin was still sleeping when he left for the meeting. He called Seguin a few times but made no extreme effort to wake him up. Caron then filled in for Seguin that night, making the press and fellow fans wonder if Caron let Seguin sleep through the meeting so he would be able to play. 

Kevin Paul DuPont, the author of Bruins want Tyler Seguin Issue Put to Bed, is definitely a Bruins fan. He wrote the article for the Boston Globe so his audience was overflowing with Bruins supporters. He used lots of logos when trying to get to the bottom of the issue. He included many quotes from Julien, Caron, and even Matt Chumra, who is the Bruins top public relations manager. Although Julien made the final decision to make Seguin a health scratch, he defended Seguin in press meetings, “He’s 19 years old and he’s fine with the organization. He’s a good professional. The page is turned and we move on.’’ Hopefully Seguin learned his lesson and will learn how to set an alarm clock properly!

Bruins Want Tyler Seguin Issue Put to Bed by Kevin Paul DuPont

http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/articles/2011/12/09/bruins_want_tyler_seguin_issue_put_to_bed/

Twinkies for Breakfast?

Would you believe if you heard that some breakfast cereals contain more sugar than a Hostess Twinkie or 3 Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies? I sure wouldn't think so when I read that children's cereals sometimes contain just as much sugar as their favorite dessert would. However, author Dina ElBoghdady admits that while she new cereals contain sugar, she never knew how high the levels were. For instance, Honey Nut Cheerios, Apple Jacks, and Cap'n Crunch all contain more sugar in their serving size than three Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies do. It's sad to see that the cereal industries have become so obsessed with making money that they add sugar to their cereals so their flavors will appeal more to children. With the rise of childhood obesity, sugar is frequently blamed for weight gain. 

ElBoghdady uses lots of logos when writing this article. She included many statistics regarding the research done about the amount of sugar in cereals. She appears to be writing from a mothers point of view as she is concerned for children. She is upset that the cereal companies are taking advantage of the children with their advertisement. Children are persuaded very easily and with the delicious, fun looking cereal ads seen on tv, obviously children are going to cave. Health conscious groups are working hard to change the amounts of sugar allowed in cereal and hopefully one day their efforts will pay off. So before you take another bite of your sugar coated morning treat, remember that it is just like eating dessert!

Some Children's Cereals Packed with Sugar, EWG Study Finds

Dina ElBoghdady

Putting Christ back in Christmas

At the annual Christmas tree lightning at the White House, President Obama took an untraditional spin on his speech. This year, the focus of his speech was his religion, Christianity. Rather than embracing all the different religions celebrated in America, Obama focused his speech on the birth of Jesus, the sole meaning for Christmas. Obama had been questioned about Christianity and ever since then he has made the extra effort to proclaim his faith. However, his speech at the tree lighting ceremony took Jesus's message and translated it for all faiths to follow, "...that we should love God, and love our neighbor as ourselves." I think that although church and state do not flow today as they have in the past, I think it was important for Obama to acknowledge his own faith and the fact that the faith he was speaking about is where the Christmas tree came from. 


Because I am Catholic, I might be supporting Obama's tree lighting speech but in no way am I (or Obama) trying to eliminate the other faiths of the world. I agree with the author, Dan Gilgoff, in that Obama was not trying to persuade anyone into becoming Christian nor was he trying to hurt other beliefs. He was simply trying to relate his specific beliefs to the meaning of this holiday season. Gilgoff used ethos through out his entire article to help show his audience Obama wasn't biased to Christianity. He included many quotes from his speech that included a Christian belief about God but he also reached out to the other faiths by relating them to society today; "So long as the gifts and the parties are happening, it's important for us to keep in mind the central message of this season, and keep Christ's words not only in our thoughts, but also in our deeds."Gilgoff appears to be a Christian and supports Obama for his speech decision. However, Gilgoff also realizes that there are other religions aside from Christianity. He also seems to think that, as usual, American's have blown something out of proportion and are over reacting to Obama's decision. 


Obama delivers very Christian Message at Christmas Tree Lighting by Dan Gilgoff
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/01/obama-delivers-very-christian-message-at-christmas-tree-lighting/

Welcome Back Sid!

Sidney Crosby, you have been missed. On November 21, 2011, Crosby returned back to his first NHL game since his serious concussion after missing 319 days of playing hockey. Needless to say, he was overjoyed to be back. At 3 p.m the day before Crosby was set to return to the ice, the Pittsburgh Penguins released on their website, "Crosby Returns to Lineup Monday." Within one minute, "the sports universe began to respond with the sort of urgency only a transcendent athlete could trigger." From the second the news was released to the second the puck dropped on that Monday night game, there was constant buzz about how Crosby would play. Fans worshipped Crosby that night as they had always done when he scored two goals and had two assists. Talk about a welcome back game! Not only were the fans on the edge of their seats with excitement about his return, the press went crazy as well. Typically there are two television trucks at the loading docks outside of the Penguins arena, but they day of Crosby's return...there were seven. Even ESPN made an appearance after they released their rights to NHL coverage. the three major Canadian sports stations showed up as well. Crosby was showered with praise for his return to the NHL after taking grief for not returning sooner. After he took a tough hit to the head, Crosby went back to the line up only 5 days after only to be hit again. After his second hit, he decided to play it safe and saw the best concussion doctors in the country. His return was definitely worth the wait. Author Joe Starkey summed it up best when he said, "They felt Sid-sational." 

Starkey definitely relied heavily on pathos when writing his article, Hockey's Biggest Star Returns With Dramatic Results, On and Off the Ice. When describing how quickly the press responded to Crosby's return, Starkey said, "And make no mistake, the National Hockey League has only one transcendent athlete, one man who could move mountains (or at least television trucks and vacationing sports writers) on a moment's notice." He also proved Crosby is "that big of a deal" and quoted Jeremy Roenick, a long time NHL player, who said the Crosby is "the best player in the world." Being from Pittsburch, Starkey is an obvious fan of the Penguins and an even bigger fan of Crosby. His article was a little biased because his audience was the PIttsburgh fan base. Even though his article was in favor of Crosby's return, who wouldn't want such an outstanding hockey player to return. Starkey appeared to be a bit over excited about his return, but again who wouldn't be? HIs article seemed a little rushed but that could have possibly been because I was excited to read all of it. Hockey's Biggest Star Returns With Dramatic Results, On and Off the Ice by Joe Starkey contained only praise for Crosby but in this case, the praise and applauds Crosby received were exceptional! Welcome back Sid the Kid!


Hockey's Biggest Star Returns With Dramatic Results, On and Off the Ice by Joe Starkey
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/02/us/sidney-crosby-returns/index.html?hpt=us_c2