Random Observations

I Have Returned!

2010-07-09T13:54:00.000-05:00

Wow. What have we here?

*Drags dusty, moldy blog out of dustbin that's filled with you don't wanna know*

Oh my! This could do with a refresher!

*Regenerates it*

Right. This is now "Random Observations" Version 2.0! And I will hereby strive to not neglect it anymore.

Adolf Hitler ~ An entire afternoon with him

2010-02-06T19:45:00.000-06:00

Today, I spent an entire afternoon researching Adolf Hitler. Why? Because I had watched a documentary about him and curiosity got the best of me.

Result? I exited my research quite horrified, confused, and angry. I had seen things no one should see. Dead people in concentration camps, the deceased bodies of the Goebbel children who were poisoned by their own parents in the bunker in the last days of WWII when the Russians were pounding their way into Berlin.

I even read about Hitler's sister, Paula. http://www.shoah.dk/Paula/Default.htm I read about her breaking into tears during her two interviews, pleading with the interviewer, telling them, "He was my brother!" and denying that Hitler would ever do such a thing that he did.

I thought, "Paula? How in God's name could you not have known? The average German, maybe, but you? You were HIS BLOODY SISTER!!" Sooner or later, sweet-heart, you should've faced the music! This wasn't the darling older bro you grew up with.

I couldn't understand, nor do I think I ever will understand how the Nazis did it, why they did it. What possessed them to think they were better than a whole group of people, so better that they thought themselves gods on Earth and deemed it fit to exterminate said group of people.

What's even more horrifying, I felt was that this was all recent. A mere 65 years or so ago. My GRANDFATHER was a boy when this was happening.

This wasn't in ancient times where people thought the Earth was flat or the sun was a rotating chariot or some inane thing like that. We can attribute anything and everything the ancients did to be that they simply didn't know any better. Well, 65 years ago, humanity DID know better. We did expect ourselves to treat others as equals and the Nazis managed to tear all that down.

I think I'll stick with the wars before this one, but now that I think about it...what makes me think the other wars before this one like World War One or to use an American war....The American Civil War was any nicer? Yes, of course, during World War One and the American Civil War, there wasn't a mass slaughter of an entire race of people, but still, people did horrible things to each other. However, they weren't as well documented as World War Two was.

I mean, a few minutes researching prison camps in the Civil War will no doubt bring up horror stories of Americans treaing fellow Americans with unbelievable cruelty. That is, because we as a whole human race kinda suck at the group thing, to be honest. We're so headstrong on accomplishing goals that we'll just charge through almost without thinking. Luckily, for the most part, it's for a good cause, but, sadly, there are times when the cause isn't good at all.

To quote a good friend of mine: "When humans get the tools, they'll start figuring out ways to kill each other with them."

The Value of Vacation

2010-01-17T10:07:00.000-06:00

Ah, sweet vacation. Whoeve made MLK a national day off should be made a saint! Not only do we get a day off to remember the works of Martin Luther King, Jr., but I get a day off. :D

This happiness is only coupled by the fact that I have completed my homework yesterday and finsihed my first quiz in Western Civ. I made a 77.5 on it, which is not bad at all. I can do better, but this is a great start.

I also discovered iTunes for the first time in my life. I know, its sad. What makes it more sadder is that I'm twenty years old. Ah well, at least I found out how to use it now than later.

Although I'm enjoying myself, I can't help but think of the poor people in Haiti. It really shows you how sudden and powerful nature is. :( I wished I was old enough (or at least weighed enough) to go donate blood for them, but then I realized, "Where would they put it?"

I know the likelyhood of Haitians reading this blog is slim to none, but I just wanted to say this: You are in our thoughts and prayers.

I just hope we do more than basic cleanup.

Return to School

2010-01-11T17:02:00.000-06:00

Well, I am officially back for the second part of my sophmore year in my University. I don't live in the university, though.

I'm taking:
History of Western Civilization II
History of Latin America
Geography 102
British Lit. II

Being a history nut and a History/English major, and the fact that I love Geography with a passion, it's like I'm in heaven.

It's strange, really. We're beginning the Geography course talking about the inside of the Earth and rocks. This is really showing me how little my science teachers of my elementary school days had taught me. Either that or I didn't pay attention, which is very possible.

I just never understood the idea of rocks and minerals and the different types. All I got out of the elementary school science classes was that the Earth had four parts and everything below the crust was lava and very, very, hot.

I think I may end up becoming a Geography professor one day.

VIDEOGAME REVIEW ~ The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

2009-12-29T05:46:00.000-06:00

OK, so I have an idea. I'll use this blog to post reviews of videogames and movies that I've played/watched.

Today, I shall review the latest in a series that is near and dear in my heart "The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks"

Here's the basic plot: It's set a century after "Phantom Hourglass" and Link is about to graduate Engineering School (He rides trains and stuff). After a series of misfortunate events (Sorry ma'am who wrote the book series of the same title), the tracks called Spirit Tracks begin to vanish and something is wrong with Zelda. She's gone...yet not gone. (trying not to spoil here) Link and Zelda must find out who's responsible for the Spirt Tracks vanishing and stop them before it's too late.

Now, to the review:

Of the recent handheld Zelda games I've played, I think I like this one the best. The console versions are another matter. I like them all equally.

The controls are a lot smoother than "Phantom Hourglass", the humor is better. A couple of times, I've chuckled at the characters, such as Zelda breaking the fourth wall a time or two.

The graphics are still the same as "Phantom Hourglass", but they improved a bit so they don't look AS blocky.

I haven't beaten the game, but I rate it a 8/10, and that's only from the beginning. You should get it if you haven't, and you don't really need to beat "Phantom Hourglass" to understand what's going on. Any allusion to that game is just cameos, so you may not be going, "Hey! I know that person! He/she's from such-and-such" It's a stand alone game.

Testing...testing...

2009-12-28T12:00:00.003-06:00

This is just to test if this works.