Monday, January 3, 2011

Most Enduring Readers

Thank you much for your time an patience as you have endured my slow posting. I am currently in the process of moving Firespring to its own blog so you will not have to deal with the pain of searching through all my old school posts to find what you want. The new blog site: http://thetalesofaiwfk.blogspot.com/ - Here you will find all 17 of the current posts, all by themselves. Many thanks for reading, and I pray that God has touched your heart through this. In Yeshua's blessings and love.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Book Review: Miracle on the River Kwai

Do you have a deep interest in World War 2? Have you been wanting a historically accurate perspective that tells what really happened? Then you might want to read Ernest Gordon’s book Miracle on the River Kwai. Ernest Gordon was a P.O.W. of the Japanese, and one of the few who survived. Ernest wrote one of the greatest WW2 books we have; though he once said this of Miracle on the River Kwai, “I never seriously considered writing a book about my experience as a prisoner of war of the Japanese until it was suggested…” Being as Gordon wasn’t a writer his book is not filled with dramatic writing or exciting adventure, it is simply an account of what happened. Gordon records what happened from his point of view, with the help of certain accounts from fellow prisoners and others. Gordon does not try to make his book dramatic or even necessarily descriptive, yet the goriness and awfulness of the war come out through the facts he records. The truths of the Japanese prison camps were far from pretty. That’s what Miracle on the River Kwai is: a statement of the bloody truth. Yet Gordon also portrays another face of the camps. A face of hope, unity, and shining beauty in the midst of darkness. He talks of kindness, love, and self-sacrifice coming back to life during a time of great oppression. Ultimately his book speaks of the saving grace of Christ sweeping through the people in those prison camps.
Ernest Gordon starts off his book with an excerpt of his experience in the ‘death house’ of the Chungkai prison camp. Then he goes back to when he first went off to war. Ernest went from Ireland with the 93rd highlanders of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders down to the battlefront in the south Asian countries. The book then proceeds through Gordon’s attempted escape from the war and his capture, all the way to his liberation and return home. Before Gordon was captured by the Japanese he and a crew of about six others, from all branches of the military, joined up and made a plan. They bought a prahu called the ‘Setia Berganti’ from local Malays. On this vessel the group of men managed to sail away from the failing English forces in Malaysia. He and his friends were well supplied, prepared and experienced. The group’s trip seemed to be going well. They were headed for India and freedom, though at one point they considered taking up residency on a little island out in the Indian Ocean. Their voyage ended shortly after their island stop. They were spotted and captured by the Japanese only a couple of weeks after their departure from the war zone. Afterwards the group was transported back to the Singapore coast, and then to the prison camp of Changi. At Changi the signs of humanity and civilization began to die: people began to degrade into selfishness and chaos. From there Gordon was moved to Banpong in Thailand. Conditions in these camps were dirty and degrading. The rations were meager and consisted mainly of nutrient drained rice. The P.O.W.s often had to build their own shelters at these camps. Men descended into madness and every man looked out only for himself. They attacked each other for scraps from the Japanese officer’s tables. They picked valuables off the dead. No one cared for the sick and dying, who were so abundant. Cruelty and selfishness were the order of the day. Japanese guards would beat the prisoners for any infraction. After Banpong Gordon and some of his fellows were moved to Chungkai. At Chungkai the prisoners had to build their own camp again. Conditions didn’t improve after this move, if anything they only got worse. Along with the already degraded state of humanity the P.O.W.s now were being forced to build a six year long building project in 12 months: the bridge and railroad over the River Kwai. Conditions at Chungkai seemed to continually get worse then slowly things seemed to change for the better. Stories of self-sacrifice and the kindness of fellow P.O.W.s spread among the camp. These stories started to inspire kindness among all P.O.W.s and soon conditions began to improve. Not because the rations were bigger. Not because there was less disease and death, but because men were regaining their humanity. Compassion and trust were starting to spread throughout the camp at Chungkai. Because of the kindness of two friends, Dusty and Dinty, Gordon lived through several diseases during this time. Eventually a ministry was started. Those healthy enough to get around smuggled in meat, eggs, and greens from the local villages and gave them to the sick and new arrivals. Artificial legs were invented form the surrounding jungle materials. Those who couldn’t get around made little gifts for others. A general air of hospitality spread throughout the camp. University classes and a church were started. An orchestra came about. Concerts and shows were put on, and out of the darkness came hope. Eventually the war ended, and the P.O.W.s that had lived returned home and struggled to get back to a normal life.
Miracle on the River Kwai is an excellent book that tells of the true nature of the Japanese prison camps. It is a very good read, though the language is a little confusing being as it was written in older Ireland English. Therefore some of the terminology is a bit confusing. Overall the book is very enjoyable, but not suggested for younger readers as it is quiet graphic. Ernest Gordon’s book invokes much thought though, making it a worthwhile read.

Monday, May 11, 2009

News may 15

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8044329.stm
Almost a year after the Sichuan earthquake disaster, China calls for improved response. China is initiating a new policy, which calls for bigger relief stocks, satellite forecasting, and training for thousands of officials. This new policy is being initiated to help out with the recovery from the Sichuan disaster. The Sichuan disaster killed more than 80,000 people, including 5,300 children. But not everybody is happy with the undergoing projects. Many parents of the dead children are afraid that they “will not be allowed to properly commemorate the disaster’s anniversary.” This is because of school rebuilding projects.

Early road aid leaves out neediest, study finds
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30681842/
Obama’s new road and bridge stimulus package is going to the wrong place, according to many people across the nation. The stimulus is meant to make more jobs and improve areas that have a high unemployment rate. But apparently states are planning on using the money in areas that already have low unemployment rates. One example of this is in Elk County, Pa. And Riley County, Kan. Accordingly Elk County with its 13.8 unemployment rate isn’t receiving any road money while Riley County, Kan., with it’s 3.4 unemployment rate is receiving about $56 million. Obama’s new stimulus seems to be drawing quite a bit of controversy.

Official: More than 1M child prostitutes in India
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/11/india.prostitution.children/index.html?eref=rss_world
An alarming statistic has been found in India. According to the country’s federal police “around 1.2 million children are believed to be involved in prostitution in India”, and that is only 40% of the almost three million prostitutes in the country. Also according to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) India is “a source, transit nation and destination of this trade.” India’s home secretary Madhukar Gupta remarked that at least 100 million people were involved in human trafficking in India; though the exact number is difficult to determine due to the secret nature of the crime.

Brazil boosts flood aid for 308K left homeless
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-05-11-brazil-floods_N.htm?csp=34
Hundreds of millions remain homeless in some of the worst flooding Brazil has had in almost two decades. The number of dead is up to 308,000 people now, with more missing. According to Dorothea de Araujo “Food and water are priorities because people are drinking contaminated water.” Volunteers are working with the military to deliver food and water to flood victims.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Restaurant Review: Oliva's Kitchen

Looking for some good authentic Mexican food? Then you might want to try Oliva’s Kitchen: Mexican Restaurant. This authentic Mexican restaurant has some of the best and most filling foods around. But it’s not your typical Mexican restaurant. You’re not going to find your normal amount of rice and beans here. The menu is instead filled with more bready, meat-filled, vegetable dishes. It’s also almost impossible to find something on the menu that won’t fill and average person. The atmosphere was very relaxed and enjoyable. A various mix of Mexican/Spanish and American music filled the background. The relaxed environment encouraged much kicked-back conversation and joking. The service is friendly, halfway bilingual (quite literally, only some of them are bilingual), and very attentive. You almost never haft to worry about waiting to be waited on. The waiters check in enough to keep you happy and not so much that they annoy you. Also, the waiters that are bilingual are very tolerant as they are willing to work with us English speakers while we attempt to practice our Spanish. The staff at Oliva’s also does very well with large groups. SeƱora Brutlag’s Spanish 2 and 3 classes went together, creating a crowd of around 20. Even with this many people and more ordering in both Spanish and English we didn’t even have one order wrong, from what I heard anyway. Besides the atmosphere and service the food was also exquisite. Most everyone had high complements about the food, which ranged from quesadillas to burritos to carne asado and soup. Many thanks were given to the cooks as we were leaving. While we we’re at Oliva’s a student convinced about a third of the group to order horchadas, or Spanish rice milk. Most of them decided that the drink was pretty good though strange and quite something else at first sip. My opinion was that it was drinkable but slightly upsetting to the stomach and taste buds, and not worth ordering again. Overall Oliva’s Kitchen provided an amazing place to dine. Their service is great, their atmosphere relaxed, and their food exquisite. So whether you want to go chill with friends and good food or need something filling after a days work, Oliva’s Kitchen is the place to go.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Artical: "Last Call" Final

There was quite a show going on at TRHS at noon, Wednesday the 22nd of April, a show called “Last Call” “Last Call” was put on by the local fire and police departments and the hospital with the help of Sheridan Media and a handful of Tongue River High Students. The event started out with all the Tongue River High students and teachers heading out to the parking lot. Once we were all settled in, the “Last Call” skit started. The scene was already set up. Paige Miller lay ‘dead’ on the parking lot a good many feet from the wrecked car. Inside the wrecked vehicle were Colton Caywood, Kelsie Dellos and Andrew Orchard. Sean Chalfant was sitting dazed in the other mainly undamaged vehicle involved the ‘crash’. Logan Pawlowski was narrating from the Sheridan Media van. Logan started off by introducing the scene. Andrew Orchard and his friends had been driving home from Prom when Sean, who had been drinking, hit them. The impact caused Paige to be ejected from the vehicle while crushing the front end of it. A passerby had called the police to report the incident. The passengers in the vehicle begin to wake and move. Andrew was the least injured in the wrecked car and he began scrambling to get out of the vehicle. All three were calling for someone to get them out. As Andrew scrambled out of the vehicle, police began to arrive. One officer went over and restrained Andrew, who had seen Paige and was calling to her. The other officer went over and started to question Sean. A moment later a fire truck arrived. The firemen then began helping the police. A fireman went over a checked Paige for a pulse and assessed her as dead. Next the ambulance arrived. The paramedics checked Paige and upon assessing her as dead, they covered her with a white sheet and went to help the others. Andrew was put on a stretcher and taken to the ambulance to be checked for further injuries. A paramedic got in the wrecked car to put a neck brace on Kelsie and to steady her. Meanwhile, firemen began the operation of removing the vehicle’s roof in order to remove the injured safely. While they were removing the roof Colton complained of not being able to feel his legs, and it was afterward assessed that he had a serious injury and would need to be transported to Casper for treatment. While the firemen worked on getting to the injured Sean was attempting to walk in a straight line. After failing the sobriety test Sean was handcuffed and taken by the police. Logan informed us that he would be taken to court later, fined and charged for DUI and vehicular homicide. About this point, Kane Funeral Home showed up to take Paige’s body to the funeral home. They would have the sad job of calling her parents to inform them of the tragedy. Finally, the firemen removed the roof of the wrecked car and the paramedics were able to safely remove the injured and transport them to the hospital. Logan Pawlowski then concluded his narration by informing us of the fates of those involved. Sean would go to prison. Colton would live the rest of his life in a wheelchair, immobilized. Kelsie and Andrew would recover and go on to college. All would live with regrets and none of them would be the same anymore.
After the “Last Call” skit the whole school filed into the auditorium for some follow up messages. Janice Schoonmaker, leader of ‘the line’ program, read a speech and a poem on the dangers of drinking and driving. The poem was called the “Party Poem” and it spoke of one who did all the right things and yet died because of a drunk driver. After her a lady with a last name of Davidson presented a video, Rearview: Looking Back, about several people whose lives were ruined because of driving to fast or driving distracted. After these presentations there was a question and answer with ‘Boot’, our school cop, a paramedic, the man from Sheridan Media, and the students who acted in the skit. The program ended around two o’clock.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

News April 30th

Russia captures Somalia pirates
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8023951.stm
“Twelve armed pirates in two boats have been captured by the vigilante groups,” regional leaders in Somalia’s northern Puntland reported Tuesday. This is due to a new militia of fishermen which have been put together in order to catch pirates. All this came about after a pirate vessel was seized by a Russian warship. This seizure was made after guns and navigation equipment were found on the vessel by Russians. Russians suspect that these pirates have launched two unsuccessful attacks against Russian tanker crews.

Attacks have a ripple effect on Iran-Irag ties
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-04-28-iraqshrine_N.htm?csp=34
Recent bombings in Baghdad have killed dozens of Iranian pilgrims. “They want to tear the Shiites of Iraq and Iran apart,” said Ridhaei of Tehran. At least 118 people were killed in these back-to-back bombings, most of them Iranians. Hamid al-Mualla, and Iraqi member of parliament, claims that it is clear that al-Qaeda (in Iraq) is responsible for the bombings. He says that they are trying to “restart the sectarian war…break our strong relationship with Iran… and send a message that Iraq is still not safe.”

Florida Pinpoints Cause Of Polo Horse Deaths
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103587493&ft=1&f=1001
Toxic levels of a mix of minerals which help muscles recover from fatigue have been determined as the cause of death in the 21 polo horses. The mix mainly consisted of selenium and was made by a Florida pharmacy in order to copy a name-brand supplement known as Biodyl. It hasn’t been decided yet whether the problem was caused during the mixing done by the veterinarian or if it was a pharmacy error. Either way incorrect amounts of selenium were in the vitamins which were given to the horses. And toxic levels of it were found in the horses, and is being blamed as the cause of death.

At Least Four Dead, Dozens Injured in Central California Tour Bus Crash
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,518301,00.html
A fully loaded tour bus overturned on U.S. 101 in Soledad California. At least four people are dead with four more in critical condition and few others injured. The tour bus was from a company called Orion Pacific, which is described as a luxury charter coach company. Reportedly 26 people were on board when the bus overturned and crashed into the guardrail. They highway was shut down for a few hours after the crash as emergency workers got to the injured. It is not known yet how many have been injured in this crash.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Op-Ed

In response to Kim Caywood’s ‘Unfair rules in the New School’
It is quite exciting to move into a new school. And yes there are certain things that we could live with being changed, but the new rules aren’t necessarily one of them. Though I understand the annoyance with many of the new rules, they really aren’t unreasonable. And some people do agree with and follow them. First off, the food and drink rule isn’t that bad, and isn’t hard to follow. After all is it unfair for our principle to want to keep the school clean? Though I understand that us kids get hungry during the day, we can still keep the food out of the classrooms. There is a commons area where we can eat. Store a snack in the fridge and arrange times that you can eat them. I’m sure you can work out with some teachers to go to the commons, eat a snack real quick and go back to your class. And if you need a snack for after school you can do the same thing. Store a snack in the commons fridge and eat it real quick after school. As for the drinks, anything but water can also be easily stored in the commons area and consumed during lunch or other times in the commons area. If you need a drink during class there are water fountains and teachers do allow you to go get a drink. Although on the point of water, I do believe the rules could be modified. Now to the coat rule. Is a hoodie that different than a coat? If you get a good hoodie it can keep you just as warm as any coat. And if one hoodie doesn’t do it bring two, layer up! Besides why is it so important to wear a coat or leather man rather than a hoodie? The hallway rule is also very reasonable. During the lunch hour all we’re going to do is go down and eat lunch. Then we sit around a visit for a while till the next bell. What do we need to get out of our lockers during this time? If you brought a sack lunch you should get it at the beginning of lunch. And anything else you either really don’t need or you can get on your way to lunch. There’s nothing that important in our lockers that we need to be able to access them during the half hour of lunch. Overall these new rules really aren’t that hard to follow and shouldn’t be that much of a problem. As for regaining the peace between students and teachers, is there supposed to be a peace? After all they are our teacher and authorities, not our friends. And the exact reason you stated is why they haven’t given our freedoms back. ‘Students still bring water and food into classrooms, and still war their coats’. Which means we’re disobeying the rules. Should we be rewarded for disobedience by getting our freedoms back?