Movie Review

He Got Game is one of my favorite movies of all time. I pretty much like all Spike Lee joints and this one was no different. The main characters of the movie were Denzel Washington and Ray Allen. Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen) was pushed to be a basketball player by his father Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington) ever since he was born. After Jake murdered his wife and went to prison Jesus hated him. When Jesus becomes a great high school basketball player about to go to college, Jake is let out of jail and is told that he has a week to convince his son to sign the letter of intent to play at the school of the governor's choice. If he completes the job he will be let out of prison early. This is one of my favorites because basketball is my favorite sport and it shows what it is like to be one of the top high school prospects in the country. It is a very interesting story to see what Jesus will decide to do, if he will listen to his father or do something else.

Art Review

This is a painting named Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. It is one of the most well known paintings in modern culture and everyone has probably seen this at one time or another. I think Vincent van Gogh is one of the greatest artists that ever lived and this is my favorite painting of his. When I look at it I think of the beauty of a night sky filled with stars. I have at ease when looking at this. Also looking at this, it also comes out to me as a mystery. The way the the clouds and stars swirl and the big dark structure on the left of the picture. I think it is like a mountain looking down on the town. I used to imagine me standing on top looking down, wondering what went on at night in the city. I still don't know for sure if it is a mountain or not but that is what I interpret it to be. This painting is one of the best and I think this is true art. That's why I love this piece of art.

We Have the Right

I believe we should have the right to live freely and pursue whatever it is that we want to do in life. As of right now I am not sure that people are always able to pursue what they want. Society feels that everyone has to go to college and complete their education to become what they want. That route is perfectly fine, but college is not for everyone. If someone doesn't go to college than they are looked down upon and it is much harder for them to do what they want. Sometimes even if you want to go to college, you may not have the money. So they can't go and they are in the same position as the others who didn't go to college. It will be much harder than if they went. Also to live freely people have to have money. If they aren't able to pursue what they want they won't be able to make a really decent living and in a since they won't be free. So I think we should find a way for everybody to pay for college or not look down on people so much if college is not for you. People should do what they want and be able to make a living doing it.

McCarthy’s Birthday Week

I really don't know what to say except happy birthday. I always enjoy birthdays and I hope you enjoyed yours with your family and loved ones. I bet it was very philosophical and fun. Also next time you should have a party in the class to celebrate.

X Is Known

Well my name is Xavier and everyone calls me X. So I figures that I would make this blog about me. I would like to believe I am known by a lot of people. I have a lot of friends and family, so I think am known. However if you do not know me I am 18 years old. I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago and I feel like it is the best city in the world. I have three sisters, no brothers and I live with my mom and dog. I like to play sports like basketball, listen to and play music in my spare time. I like to think that I am a good student and I am going to Howard University next year. I think I said enough, so I now anybody reading this should know a lot more about me. So now X is definitely known.

X Marks the Spot

I like the statement X Marks the Spot. I agree with it all the way. If you put a X over anything, you know that you are supposed to go or look in that spot. The example everyone knows is pirates looking for treasures and they find it with the X. This can also be used as a comparison to life. If you are looking for the right direction in your life and need to find the way just look for something marked with a X. If you find that X then you will be able to accomplish what you want so it is very important. So that is why I love the statement X marks the spot and remember just look for the X.

Words I Never Said

One of my favorite artists is Lupe Fiasco and that is why I chose this song. It is his newest song and his second single on his next album Lasers. The first time I heard this song it instantly became of of my favorite Lupe songs. The lyrics are somewhat controversial, but powerful at the same time. For example he says:

I really think the war on terror is a bunch of bulls**t
Just a poor excuse for you to use up all your bullets
How much money does it take to really make a full clip
9/11 building 7 did they really pull it
Uhh, And a bunch of cover ups
Your child's future was the first to go with budget cuts
If you think that hurts then, wait here comes the uppercut
The school was garbage in the first place, thats on the up and up

Even though I may not agree with everything that Lupe said I still respect the fact the he wasn't afraid to say what he felt. That is the thing I love about music, that you can express how you feel. You can just hear his passion in this song and that is also refreshing. Most music that we hear nowadays like on the radio lacks that passion and I feel like people just do it for money instead of art. I will definitely go buy his album because if all of his songs are on the level of this one then it will be one of his best. In my opinion he is one of the few artists keeping hip-hop or music in general alive.

Good Food Review

One of my favorite places to go eat breakfast is the Original Pancake House on 10437 S Western. I go there at least a couple of times a month. I usually go after church on Sunday morning and it is the best. Thier specialty is the apple pancake and that is my favorite thing on the menu. It is pretty big, it is oven baked and has apples and cinnamon glaze on top. I also order other things on the menu, for example the eggs or the patriotic pancakes, and they always taste good. So it really doesn't matter what you order because everything is good. It isn't really that big of a place so there is almost always a long wait. That is the only thing that I really don't like about it, but the food is well worth the wait. There hasn't been one time I went and wasn't satisfied with the food. The service is usually good as well. The waiters are nice and always around when you need them. Overall it is a great place and I would recommend it to anyone and give it five out five stars.

Defend the Poet

Charles Bukowski's Dinosauria, We poem was very interesting. It felt like he wrote the peom yesterday, even though he died in 1994, because of how how current everthing he said sounded. Reading this peom really got me thinking about what the future will hold and maybe that was his sole purpose in writing the poem at all. If everyone that read it tried to change that could help save the world. He compared us to Dinosaurs and that we are going to be extict just like them. I'm not sure if I agree with his prediction at the end of the world ending though. He just sounded very mad at the world and like he was going through something. I don't believe that the world will ever get so bad that men will have to start eating other men. Still that doesn't mean that Bukowski's prediction isn't correct because it could happen.

King Still King?

Martin Luther King Jr. left a big imprint on this world in the little time that he was on this earth. I believe that he was one of the best leaders this world, not only this country, has ever seen. It showed in the way he was able to lead several marches and influence a group of people that we shall overcome. He opened a lot of doors for people of color in this country as well. I don't think that Obama would be the president today if it wasn't for King. Another thing I admire about him is that he always did things non-violently. Other people would always try to phyically harm him and through all of that he never resorted to violence as an answer. I think that if he was still living then things in this country would be better. He really wanted to see his dream come true and it still hasn't. There is still a lot of racism in this country and a lot of people still judge others by the color of their skin. I think we still have to continue working toward fulfilling his dream and if we do the country will become a better place. I hope a lot of people will think about that during this holiday. I think that everybody should take at least five minutes to reflect on what he did for us and what he stood for.

I'm A Shoe

If I was going to be a shoe, I would be an athletic shoe. Athletic shoes are made to be light, hold up under a lot of activity, and also look good. More specifically I would want to be the Jordan 23s. I say that because it was the last number in the series and I think the most anticipated. When it came out everybody loved them and wanted some. The design was very different and the stiching on the sides of them were very intracate. I would want to be that shoe because I feel that I am different from everybody else just like the shoes were different. Also they were loved by a lot of people. I feel that I have a lot of friends and everybody loves me and that is also how I am like the shoes. So I think that would be the shoe that I would be if I was a shoe.

Winter Wonderfest

The snow is falling rather slow

Everywhere you see lights glow

Having fun, snowball fights

Doing something every night

Going to look for Christmas trees

Bundle up or you will freeze

Going shopping buying gifts

People moving rather swift

Hot chocolate and tea

School is out, kids are free

Spending time with lots of guests

What a winter wonderfest

Globalizatiom

From what I knew, I thought that globalization is a good thing. I looked up the exact definition and it said the process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a global network of political ideas through communication, transportation, and trade. When I read the definition, I stick with my thoughts about it being good. The more cultures become integrated, the better makes the world. If cultures understood more about other cultures and how they live, they will be able to appreciate and respect each other more. If everyone in the world would respect each other then that would cut down on conflicts and that would make the world a better place. One of the things that people don't like about globalization is that it takes away from the cultures and they become more Americanized. I don't think it takes away that much from other cultures because if the older people and parents teach the younger people their ways, then it will never die. I also feel that unless you live in America or somewhere else, there is no way your original culture or heritage can ever be completely changed. So I think that globalization is a good thing and I think that the world will continue to become more global as time goes on and there is nothing wrong with that.

Sports In My Life

Me, personally, I love sports. I really enjoy watching sports and playing sports. I just love the competition that goes along with sports. My favorite sport is basketball, but I also like most other sports like football, soccer, tennis, and baseball. I mainly root for Chicago teams, but I also like a few other teams in different sports. I love Chicago teams, though, because they represent the city that I was born and raised in, so I just feel like I have to like the teams. I play sports all of the time as well. I think it is a great way to spend your free time and you also get exercise while you are playing. Without sports I don't know what I would do to entertain myself. I'm sure that I would find something to do, but I think that sports are great and should always be around. There are also a lot of parallels in sports and life and I feel that I could use what I learn from sports in life. One way is I love to win and I think that I could use that same winning mentality in my regular everyday life. Another way is I could use teamwork to get places in life, just like I do in sports. So I do think that sports are important to society and good for society at times. It is a good way to get away from everyday life and have fun doing or watching something.

Thankful For A Classmate

During Thanksgiving week I always think about what in my life I am thankful for. When I thought about how I was going to answer this question and what classmate I am thankful for, I couldn't just pick one. So I am thankful for all of my classmates in all of my classes. I enjoy all of my classes this year and it is because of my classmates (even though I like my teachers too). If I didn't have the classmates that I have, school would be much more boring and tedious. I especially enjoy my classmates in my Philosophy class. I always enjoy hearing the discussions and what they have to say. It always gets me thinking from a different point of view and it is very interesting. I have been in many classes in the past where the students were boring and I hated going to class everyday, but this year is much different and I like it. So I really am thankful for all of my classmates and without them I don't know how I could make it through the school year.

Open Letter To Cormac McCarthy

Dear Cormac McCarthy,

I enjoyed reading your book The Road. It made me think about what the world would be like if I was one of the few people left on earth. It also made me look at the human race in a different light. When humans are faced with a lot of adversity how would they respond. It showed me that a lot of people would be greedy and try to get everything for themselves, not caring about anything else. When I think about it I could see people acting like that. I would be a "good guy" if I was in that situation, like the man and his son. I definitely wouldn't resort to cannibalism to survive and I would try to get food the right way and not hurt anybody else. I believe that there would be some people that would do those bad things like in the book. Overall though I really enjoyed reading your book and I will look for more of your works to read.

A Direction the Class Needs

In my opinion, sixth period philosophy class is going in the right direction. I like the way the class is run and how there are a lot of discussions with the teacher and our peers. There are a lot of topics and questions that this class makes me really think about. I never really thought philosophically about anything in my life before I took this class. I tend to question a lot of things in my life now, like what is in the news, and I have more philosophical conversations with my family. That is why I think this class is great because it really makes you think. Also there is never really a right or wrong answer. It's great because it people disagree and that brings on a lot of good discussions.

We don't use the textbook that often either and I like that. When we did have to read the textbook, I found some of the information to be okay but I was really bored and uninterested. That is why I like it more when we don't really use the textbook. I do, however, enjoy the other books that we have read. (Candide and The Road) They are books that I normally wouldn't read on my own, but I found them very interesting and something different, which I liked.

So I think the direction the class is in is fine. There isn't really anything I would change about this class. I enjoy coming to this class everyday and I can't say that about some of my other classes. I hope to continue to develop and think philosophically like I have so far in this first quarter.

Father & Son, Mother & Daughter, Mother & Son, Father & Daughter

I think the relationship between a parent and their child is really special. Mothers and fathers have different connections with their children, but they are both important to the children. I think that the father, son and mother, daughter relationships are really unique. I feel like the parents can really relate to what their child is going through because they are the same gender and they can like see themselves in their child. That is why I think those relationships are great. Also I think children are more comfortable sharing things with the parent that is the same gender as them. Personally I know that I can talk and discuss things with my dad that I wouldn't with my mom and I am happy to have that male figure that I can look up to.

The mother, son and father, daughter relationships are the most special I think though. Children looking up to someone of the opposite gender develop what they feel a man or woman should be. I think that what they see or the type of relationship they have with their mother or father will ultimately determine what they think their spouse should be like. I only live in a house with my mother and I think that has made us closer. My relationship with her is different than the relationship I have with my dad. She does so much for me and when I look at her I see the epitome of what a woman should be. That is why I think that those relationships are the most important.

Relationships between parents and children are so important. It helps children grow up easier and at times it can help the parent mature. It is possible for children to be raised without a parent, but if it is possible, I think all parents should be in their children's life no matter what. If I didn't have my parents to look up to I don't how I would've turned out. My parents are very important to me and I would do anything for them, just like they would for me.

Our Meaning

I think we all have a meaning of being here on earth. I definitely think that I am here for a reason. I don't think that I would be here or human life at all if we were meaningless. I believe that there is a higher power and they put us all here for a reason. Now the actual reason or meaning of me personally being here I am not so sure of. I can take some guesses to why, but I am not totally sure. I don't know if I am going to be a person that people are going to remember who I am many years after I die or I am just supposed to be a normal person living everyday life. I do know that I love to give back to people that are less fortunate than I am. I feel great when they tell me they appreciate what I did for them. Whatever I do in life I always want to give back and maybe that is my meaning in life and reason for being here. To help make other people lives better and more fulfilling. If I do help other people during my life, I know that I will be satisfied with all that I accomplished.

How Do I Know What I Know?

I have learned many different things from many different sources in my life. I think I've learned the most from the people around me, from my parents to my peers. Everyday I learn something new from someone else. It can be something simple or complex, but I do learn something. What I learn from other people is not what I learn from school, although sometimes it can be. I mostly learn about life and the best way to live it. Whether it is through someone telling me or by example. This is my favorite way of learning things because I never know when it will come during the day. Also because I like learning from personal experience more than from a book. The next source is from school. I learn a lot of different things from school in a wide variety of subjects. What I learn here will probably help me later on in my career or what ever I choose to do in life. So I do value what I learn here and believe it is important. If it wasn't for school I don't think I would know how to read, write, do math, or anything like that so I am very appreciative for the education I have received so far. The last source is the media. I don't rely on the media to teach that much, but it has taught me a lot. It has taught me things about what really goes on in the world, like killing and crimes like that. I was never really exposed to those type of things in my childhood, but I found out that it is a harsh reality of the world form the media. So I have learned many different things from different places. Even though I have learned more from some places more than others, they are all important. Without one of those sources I feel like I would be missing a part of myself or identity. I am grateful for all the things I have learned, good or bad, and I don't ever want to stop learning.