The X-men

All my life I have been a fan of comic books and superheroes. One of my earliest memories was when my mother took me to see Superman in the theaters. Since then I have been hooked on comic book lore. So I thought it was especially cool that we chose to watch The X-men movie for rhetorical analysis in ENG-111.

The X-men are a group of superhuman individuals called mutants. This "superhuman" trait is the result of a spike, or leap in human evolution. Thus granting them powers beyond what any normal human being could possibly achieve. Led by professor Xavier, The X-men fight for a peaceful human/mutant coexistance.

On the other hand, Erik Lehnsherr aka Magneto (a powerful mutant with the ability to control magnetic fields) has a different agenda. He has been exposed to the ugliness of mankind after being seperated from his parents in a concentration camp during World War II. He feels that humans have no place in the next evolutionary step.

What I found particularly interesting about veiwing this film along with the class, is the parallels they were able to draw between fantasy and reality. The X-men can be looked at as minorities´ fight for equal rights. One person in class even suggested that Professor Xavier is to Martin Luther King as Magneto is to Malcolm X. Both Professor X and Martin Luther King believed strongly in the preservation of peace and promotion of harmony. While Magneto and early Malcolm X, would both operate under the model "by any means necessary,"a more militant aproach.

I love this film not only because it is the X-men movie, that while growing up, I used to hope and pray they would make, but also because it tell a great story of the quest for equality and the triumph of good over evil.

I was reading an article about white supremacists changing their ways to cater to middle-class Americans. Apparently, they want to go ‘mainstream’ with their principals and ideologies. So that means ditching the whole neo-Nazi look for a polo shirt and khakis.

I find the contents of this article very disturbing. To preach hate and division is to attempt to steer mankind towards a state of regression. We have come too far as a country and as a global community, to let these idiots even have a speck of influence among the ignorant (those who do not know any better). Their aim is to use contemporary issues in America such as illegal immigration and the struggling economy as a method of persuasion to achieve their ultimate goal; increased membership and ultimately greater power. They seem to want to model their approach after that of modern day politicians. Whether it be a right wing conservative or a left wing liberal, those running for office seem to be concerned with collecting support from the quote, unquote middle. It seems contradictory and ironic, to me and like-minded individuals, that ‘extremists’ wish to operate under the facade of moderation. A moderate white supremacists sounds like an oxymoron to me.

The most frightening thing about this article is the fact that the number of members is statistically on the rise. Given the history of violence of white supremacist factions such as the Klu Klux Klan, I cannot help but worry for the well being of our historical first ever African-American President-elect, Barack Obama. I can only hope that their actions follow suit with their new attire in being more moderate and acceptable to middle-class Americans. It would be a tragedy if a man, like Barack Obama, with the potential to unify the world were forced to become a martyr for his cause.




Works Cited

http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22903/white-supremacists-target-middle-america

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"My Power": first draft

The fact is, the majority of my friends grew up in the early nineteen eighties, and were raised with such epic figures as those in Star Wars, He-Man, Thundercats, Voltron, Marvel and DC comics etc. At times when I sit and chat amongst these close friends, the question of who your favorite super hero is or what your favorite superpower is, will usually arise. We would challenge one another using our pre-existing knowledge established from these alternative universes. So you can imagine how much more interesting our creative fantasies were. Now, twenty years later, with all the innovations and creativity in science fiction novels and movies, the question has a tendency to become more interesting and elaborate as we have grown older.
For those who have been exiled from earth and sought refuge on the planet Mars for the past 100 years, Websters Dictionary defines a superhero as “a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers; also: an exceptionally skillful or successful person.” For example, the entire Marvel Comics roster is abundantly filled with characters that possess abilities unparalleled in the real world. Their powers range from boundless strength to unequivocal telepathy. On the other hand, Bruce Wayne who is a protagonist in the DC Comics universe, while not endowed with any superhuman attributes, is still considered to be a superhero because he is known for his genius level intellect and resourcefulness.




These characters are known for their honorable ethics and chivalrous values. As the bible teaches us in Luke 12:48, to whom much is given, much is expected or as Ben Parker (Spider-man’s Uncle) would put it more plainly, “With great power comes great responsibility.” This something I am a firm believer in; unlike my friends who would use their powers to look through women’s clothing with X-ray Vision, or stalk a hot celebrity with invisibility. My power would demand the utmost discipline. And that power would be Psychokinesis -the ability to move objects whether animate or inanimate with the mind.
Some would recognize this feat as one exploited by a Jedi Knight in Star Wars, or by one of the valued members of the X-men, Jean Grey. Although her telekinesis is coupled with mental telepathy, I would not be so fortunate as to have that combination. My ability, on the other hand, would be advanced to an exponential degree. This may sound like cheating, but with my power I will be able to control and manipulate all physical matter within the universe on a sub-atomic level. To put things into perspective, I could tear an opposing nemesis in half, cell by cell, with a flick of my finger, rendering him a bloody eyesore for all those who wish to spectate. On a greater scale, I could rip the mighty Mount Everest from its foundation in Nepal and rest it in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. My powers would not limit me to this world alone. If I wished, I could shift the entire planet earth off its axis and make Antarctica become the new China or even realign the constellations in the Milky Way.




Although all these skills would make me seem omnipotent, they would not be beneficial to my ultimate cause. I would use these powers for the good of humanity. For instance, if a child was afflicted with a deadly sickness, I would focus my ability and home in on the virus’s molecular structure and literally pull it free from his body. I could avert global warming by grasping a portion of the excess carbon within the atmosphere and effortlessly thrust it into the vastness of space. I would be able to do everything from saving people from a burning building, to diverting an oncoming meteor impact saving earth from impending doom.
These powers would make me a virtual god amongst man. However, I am still vulnerable due to the fact that I do not have precognition. Thus, if I were asleep or not being attentive, I would be susceptible to attack. The reason why I have addressed this weakness in a hypothetical situation is because my theory of the best superpower has already been tested by those who are familiar with and think on the same science fictional plane; “those” being the eighties babies that are my friends constantly debating with me about my power being too strong or unconventional. They quarrel about ways they can destroy me as I rest from the labors as superhero. They have neglected though, the one luxury that may come with being a person with extraordinary gifts: that sometimes in the comic book realm, a superhero has a sidekick. But that is another argument for another time.

"My Power": Revised

Star Wars, Thundercats, G.I.Joe, Voltron, Marvel comics, DC comics, and many more of these fictional heroes and stories were widely present growing up as an eighties baby. Fortunately for me, I have many friends within my demographic who share common ground in this field of science fiction. We would reminisce about the time when Optimus Prime died and got replace by that stupid ass hot-rod orange thing, or the time when we all caught chills when Dolph Lundgren finally turned into He-Man at the end of Masters of the Universe (screw all who think that movie sucked). As we converse, the question of whom your favorite super hero is or what your favorite superpower is, would usually come up. We would challenge one another using our pre-existing knowledge established from these alternative universes. So you can imagine how much more interesting our creative fantasies were.
For those who have been exiled from earth and sought refuge on the planet Mars for the past 100 years, Websters Dictionary defines a superhero as “a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers; also: an exceptionally skillful or successful person.” For example, the entire Marvel Comics roster is abundantly filled with characters that possess abilities unparalleled in the real world. Their powers range from boundless strength to supernatural magic and sorcery. On the other hand, Bruce Wayne who is a protagonist in the DC Comics universe, while not endowed with any superhuman attributes, is still considered to be a superhero because he is known for his genius level intellect and resourcefulness.




These individuals are acknowledged for their honorable ethics and chivalrous values. As the bible teaches us in Luke 12:48, to whom much is given, much is expected or as Ben Parker (Spider-man’s Uncle) would put it more plainly, “With great power comes great responsibility.” This something I am a firm believer in; unlike a small fraction of my friends who would use their powers to look through women’s clothing with X-ray Vision, or stalk a hot chick with invisibility. My power however, would require the highest discipline; a power that would make me unstoppable in the physical realm, a virtual god amongst man: Psychokinesis - the ability to move objects whether animate or inanimate with the mind.
Some would recognize this feat as one exhibited by a Jedi Knight in Star Wars by way of the Force. The Force is an enigmatic and omnipotent energy that flows through all living things. A Jedi can manipulate the Force so that he can move anything within sight. A Jedi can also use the Force to persuade and influence people to do anything they see fit. I, unfortunately, would not be so fortunate as to have that combination of mind power and persuasion. My ability, on the other hand, would advance the telekinesis portion to an exponential degree. I will be able to control and manipulate all physical matter within the universe on a sub-atomic level.
To elaborate, I could rip an opposing adversary in half, cell by cell, with a snap of my finger, rendering him a bloody mess for all those who wish to spectate. On an even greater scale, I could split the mighty Mount Everest from its foundation in Nepal and rest it in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. My powers would not limit me to this world alone. If I wished, I could shift the entire planet earth off its axis and make Antarctica become the new China or even realign the constellations in the Milky Way.
But to what benefit would these actions serve aside from showing off my limitless power? I would only use these powers for good intentions. For instance, if a child was afflicted with a deadly sickness, I would focus my ability and home in on the virus’s molecular structure and literally pull it free from his body. I could avert global warming by grasping a portion of the excess carbon within the atmosphere and effortlessly thrust it into the vastness of space. I would be able to do everything from saving people from a burning building, to diverting an oncoming meteor impact saving earth from impending doom.
However, I am still vulnerable due to the fact that I do not have precognition. Thus, if I were asleep or not being attentive, I would be susceptible to attack. The reason why I have addressed this weakness in a hypothetical situation is because my theory of the best superpower has already been tested by those who are familiar with and think on the same science fictional plane; “those” being the eighties babies that are my friends constantly debating with me about my power being too strong or unconventional. They have neglected though, the one luxury that may come with being a person with extraordinary gifts: that sometimes in the comic book realm, a superhero has a sidekick.

Reflection of ENG-111

When I first decided to attend college, I knew that I was about to embark on a journey that would take me to new altitudes. I knew, that the moment I signed up for classes, I was about to put forth a new level of effort that was not present in my past years as public school student. I never really previously took school seriously.

Growing up in New York, it was extremely difficult for me to get up in morning, stop by the corner store to grab a sandwich, hop the train, and sit in classroom all day while my friends were out on the streets doing things I will not mention on this blog. Cutting class was especially tempting because I attended one of the worst high schools in the Tri-State area.

Franklyn K. Lane High School was considered to be one of the worst schools in New York at the time I attended (and probably now). It’s the typical run down, ghetto high school that you see in the movies with all of its components: metal detectors, police searches, gang violence, and the freakin’ security guard smoking a blunt right outside the school gate. So, why would anyone want to go school if they run the risk of getting jumped for their Nautica jacket, and listening to teachers who just didn’t give a shit. So I just dropped and became a statistic.

Fast forward 15 years later, I decided that I was too intelligent to not have a degree of some sort, so I got my GED and applied to Tidewater Community College. I decided to take things slowly since the last time I attended school, walkmans were the conventional I-pod.

Reality set in quickly my first semester. I found myself balancing long hours at work and school. By the end of the semester, I had gotten the hang of things and managed to earn a 4.0 GPA. In my second semester, I signed up for two more courses, ITE115 and ENG-111. The last time I had taken an English class was back in 1998. I had not written a paper since then. At that, I did not do all that great of a job.

Initially, a friend of mine and fellow TCC student also signed up for the same English professor that I did. But the two of us would deal with this very differently. Upon receiving the syllabus and taking a look at the course load and the work that would be required of students of Paul Gasparo, he was immediately overwhelmed, and decided to drop out of the class. I, on the other hand, thought I would take this as a challenge. In English 111, I found myself in whole new world of education. Paul Gasparo, had a very unconventional way of teaching. He forced us to use critical thinking, and open class discussion – a method of learning that I found very interesting.

This class was indeed a challenge for me, but it forced me to unlock chambers of my mind that have not been open in years. Chambers that I felt had become rusted with time. I feel that I am a better writer now than I was ten years ago. And I honed my writing skills through some assignments that my friends who have graduated from college would agree were pretty damned cool. In the end, I feel fulfilled in having presented myself with a test of dedication and discipline. And in my mind, succeeded. I just can’t wait to see what my final grade is.

Supersize Me!

It’s Saturday night, around 2 a.m., and I just left the club. So before I decide to call it a night, I pull up to the local McDonald’s around my house. Aside from the fact that I was hungry, I had intentions of evading the morning hangover by attempting to absorb the gallon of beer and liquor I indulged in earlier. I ordered a double-cheeseburger, fries, a four piece chicken nuggets, and coke.

As I was waiting in the drive-thru line, I started to think about the film we watched in Eng-111. ‘Supersize Me’ is a film where the director, producer, and writer of the film, Morgan Spurlock, goes on a 30 day McDonalds binge. Whether it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner, everything he consumes must be from a McDonald’s restaurant. Throughout the film, Morgan goes through different changes physically and mentally. He gained 25lbs and increased his body mass by 12%. His condition got so bad, that at one point his doctor begged him to stop the experiment because of the rate his health was deteriorating. He also experienced mood swings and sexual problems.

Spurlock did a great job by using pathos to persuade people to think twice about McDonalds, or anything they eat from a fast food restaurant. I remember after watching the film, I said to myself that I was never going to eat fast food ever again. It made think seriously about my health and well being. However, one week later, I found myself in line with all the other late night party-goers. I had a choice. I could have either pull off and went home, or had some heart-attack on a bun with one whole cup of sugar and water that made up my coke.

Needless to say, I enjoyed every last bite of it.

Works Cited

Supersize Me. Prod. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. (DVD) Distributor, Year of Release. Showtime Networks Inc. 2004

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