Being forced to live behind barbed wire is hardly comforting for anyone, yet there are still venues for freedom even in an internment camp. Some of the Japanese chose art as their outlet, others enjoyed simple pleasures like cooking or socializing.
A popular venue of freedom inside the interment camp was the baseball diamond, where the great Japanese tradition was continued during WWII. As we saw on the memorial, a vignette was devoted to showing how important this game was to sustaining the peace of mind of the Japanese during these testing times.
I can relate to the incredible sense of freedom that they must have derived from this beautiful game. While their conditions were surely more severe then what I have to endure, the baseball diamond is the one place I can go where all my troubles seem to disappear. For the Japanese, it was a refuge that allowed men, delegated to captivity, a chance to derive happiness from a game that gave them purpose. For me, and for many of the men who lived inside the internment camp, baseball was therapy for the troubles of everyday life.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Word of the Week #8
Word: Promulgate (verb)
Def: 1. To make known by open declaration: proclaim 2. To make known or public the terms of a proposed law 3. To put a law into action or force
Sentence: ...and new laws be promulgated with so much solemnity, that before the constitution could be disturbed, there would be time enough for everyone to reflect that it is above all the great antiquity of laws which makes them sacred and venerable, that men soon come to despise laws which can be changed every day; and that when the habit is acquired of neglecting ancient usages in the name of improvement, great evils are often introduced in the endeavour to correct lesser ones.
Source: Jean-Jacques Rousseau "A Discourse on Inequality" (pg 60)
New Sentence: Laws are often promulgated to the public in deceiving ways.
Def: 1. To make known by open declaration: proclaim 2. To make known or public the terms of a proposed law 3. To put a law into action or force
Sentence: ...and new laws be promulgated with so much solemnity, that before the constitution could be disturbed, there would be time enough for everyone to reflect that it is above all the great antiquity of laws which makes them sacred and venerable, that men soon come to despise laws which can be changed every day; and that when the habit is acquired of neglecting ancient usages in the name of improvement, great evils are often introduced in the endeavour to correct lesser ones.
Source: Jean-Jacques Rousseau "A Discourse on Inequality" (pg 60)
New Sentence: Laws are often promulgated to the public in deceiving ways.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Blog #6 In My Humble Opinion
All but one player who was picked in the first round of last April's NFL draft came to terms on a contract with their respective team. The one disgruntled player who didn't was Michael Crabtree, a highly touted receiver from Texas Tech University who set a number of school records before leaving early for the draft. The long saga of Crabtree's relationship with the San Francisco 49ers has been covered in every bay area newspaper for the past couple months.
After sitting out nearly a month of the season, Crabtree and the 49ers finally came to terms on a six year contract that will pay the receiver over $20 million per year. In my humble opinion, this is a disgrace to the game of football and the business that it has become. Players are now able to demand ridiculous amounts of money before proving anything at the professional level. If they turn out to be a bust like many do, the entire franchise can be set back for years. This has happened in several instances such as Ryan Leaf and Alex Smith, both of whom doomed their franchises from nearly a decade.
Football used to be played by tough guys who cared more about hitting someone in the mouth than hitting the bank. In my opinion this isn't the case anymore as the game has become overrun by greed and the lures of multi-million dollar contracts. In my opinion, if you have proven that you deserve to be paid top dollar then you are entitled to receive due credit, but rookies who are coming out of the draft with no experience should have no place to demand $20 million a year.
If I'm a teammate of Crabtree's on the 49ers I'm making sure he earns his pay. It's clear he already thinks he is better than the current group of wide receivers, but if he doesn't prove that right away there will be a price to pay. Crabtree is setting the bar extremely high for himself, and already polishing a reputation that reflects a "me" before the team mentality.
In my opinion the 49ers made a mistake giving in to Crabtree's demand. Yes, they need his play making ability on the field but at what cost? They allowed a rookie and inexperienced agent to boss them around in negotiations, showing future players who think they are worth more then they are paid that they can do the same.
Link to article: http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_13504478?nclick_check=1
After sitting out nearly a month of the season, Crabtree and the 49ers finally came to terms on a six year contract that will pay the receiver over $20 million per year. In my humble opinion, this is a disgrace to the game of football and the business that it has become. Players are now able to demand ridiculous amounts of money before proving anything at the professional level. If they turn out to be a bust like many do, the entire franchise can be set back for years. This has happened in several instances such as Ryan Leaf and Alex Smith, both of whom doomed their franchises from nearly a decade.
Football used to be played by tough guys who cared more about hitting someone in the mouth than hitting the bank. In my opinion this isn't the case anymore as the game has become overrun by greed and the lures of multi-million dollar contracts. In my opinion, if you have proven that you deserve to be paid top dollar then you are entitled to receive due credit, but rookies who are coming out of the draft with no experience should have no place to demand $20 million a year.
If I'm a teammate of Crabtree's on the 49ers I'm making sure he earns his pay. It's clear he already thinks he is better than the current group of wide receivers, but if he doesn't prove that right away there will be a price to pay. Crabtree is setting the bar extremely high for himself, and already polishing a reputation that reflects a "me" before the team mentality.
In my opinion the 49ers made a mistake giving in to Crabtree's demand. Yes, they need his play making ability on the field but at what cost? They allowed a rookie and inexperienced agent to boss them around in negotiations, showing future players who think they are worth more then they are paid that they can do the same.
Link to article: http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_13504478?nclick_check=1
Word of the Week #7
Word: Alacrity (noun)
Def: Promptness in response, cheerful readiness
Sentence: It is excellent, we must all allow; yet this government never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way.
Source: Civil Disobedience (Henry David Thoreau
New Sentence: The student's alacrity during class was clearly evident during discussions
Def: Promptness in response, cheerful readiness
Sentence: It is excellent, we must all allow; yet this government never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way.
Source: Civil Disobedience (Henry David Thoreau
New Sentence: The student's alacrity during class was clearly evident during discussions
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Blog #7 NPR Fresh Air/ Terry Gross
I listened to an episode of "Fresh Air" on npr.org hosted by Terry Gross that she interviews the director of the new movie 'Where the Wild Things Are'. Spike Jonze, who also directed 'Adaptation,' is Gross's guest for the 20 minute episode that discusses many features of the film.
Gross knew quite a bit about Jonze's personal career and accomplishments, which made easy transitions from question to question. Jonze seems like a very timid guest judging by his voice, but Gross is very accommodating with her questions and tone.
She opens their interview with a thorough background of the film that was once a children's book. It then transitions into a clip from the film before she explains how the author of the book and Jonze had been friends for 14 years and decided mutually to do the adaptation.
Her questions allowed Jonze to drag on a bit which is well suited for a radio interview, but Gross knew when to cut in and direct the focus of the dialogue in a different direction. This was part of Gross's strategy, allowing Jonze to elaborate on the themes of the adaptation and allowing his train of thought to dictate the order of her questions.
I wouldn't say Jonze had inadequate answers but some of his responses were a little longer than they needed to be. To prevent him from turning monotone, Gross would re-direct the interview by asking a question about the general topic he was discussing.
She made Jonze feel comfortable by laughing at all his jokes and allowing him to speak. She did interrupt on a couple of occasions, but it was done in a skillful and apologetic manner. I don't believe they had much of a relationship before the interview besides being mutual admirers of each others work.
From this interview I learned that the interviewer should allow the interviewee to speak far longer. I also learned a few things about how Gross weaves her questions based upon the material Jonze would give her. Another thing Gross does is ask "how" quite often which I observed is an excellent strategy towards attaining a lengthy response in an interview.
Gross knew quite a bit about Jonze's personal career and accomplishments, which made easy transitions from question to question. Jonze seems like a very timid guest judging by his voice, but Gross is very accommodating with her questions and tone.
She opens their interview with a thorough background of the film that was once a children's book. It then transitions into a clip from the film before she explains how the author of the book and Jonze had been friends for 14 years and decided mutually to do the adaptation.
Her questions allowed Jonze to drag on a bit which is well suited for a radio interview, but Gross knew when to cut in and direct the focus of the dialogue in a different direction. This was part of Gross's strategy, allowing Jonze to elaborate on the themes of the adaptation and allowing his train of thought to dictate the order of her questions.
I wouldn't say Jonze had inadequate answers but some of his responses were a little longer than they needed to be. To prevent him from turning monotone, Gross would re-direct the interview by asking a question about the general topic he was discussing.
She made Jonze feel comfortable by laughing at all his jokes and allowing him to speak. She did interrupt on a couple of occasions, but it was done in a skillful and apologetic manner. I don't believe they had much of a relationship before the interview besides being mutual admirers of each others work.
From this interview I learned that the interviewer should allow the interviewee to speak far longer. I also learned a few things about how Gross weaves her questions based upon the material Jonze would give her. Another thing Gross does is ask "how" quite often which I observed is an excellent strategy towards attaining a lengthy response in an interview.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
word of the week #5
Bravura
Adj.
Def: 1. Marked by a dazzling display of skill 2. Ornate, showy
Sentence: The way Micky Mantle played centerfield was a beautiful blend of bravura and brawn.
Source: 'The Mick' (a book about micky mantle's life)
New Sentence: The musician played with the bravura of Mozart.
Adj.
Def: 1. Marked by a dazzling display of skill 2. Ornate, showy
Sentence: The way Micky Mantle played centerfield was a beautiful blend of bravura and brawn.
Source: 'The Mick' (a book about micky mantle's life)
New Sentence: The musician played with the bravura of Mozart.
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