This is my favorite photograph I have ever taken. I took this photo about two years ago for my photography class. When I look at this photo at first I feel overwhelmed. There is a sensory overload with so many things to look at. However, if you look closely you can see the individual posters and gum on the wall. Each poster has its own unique look and feeling to it. My favorite part about this photograph is the window. I especially like the tagging on the window and the texture of it. To someone else this photo might make them feel sorrow or cold. This would make sense because of the dark tones and the dirtiness of the wall. However, to me this photo makes me feel proud. This is because I believe it is one of my best works.

The passage I chose from Usama’s Book of Contemplation spoke about an interaction with a man with two scars on his face. Usama was in Egypt and met Nada al-Sulayhi. Nada al-Sulayhi told him the story of how he got the scars. He said when he was young he would go on raids. One day he came across a group of Fankish pilgrims. One of them had a spear, giving Nada al-Sulayhi his first wound. After that, he killed the pilgrim. The pilgrims wife was also there and threw a jar at his face giving him the second scar. This passage is important because it shows clearly the severity and brutality in this era and location. This is just another example of brutality and what people had to go through. The passage makes me feel somewhat sorrowful. This is because I feel bad for Nada al-Sulayhi who had to go raid, however I also feel sorrowful for the pilgrim that he killed. This passage portrayed an unfortunate event for both parties in the issue.

Earlier on my blog, I wrote about Ghostemane and his new album n/o/i/s/e. Yesterday I experienced that album first hand. His concert was at The Crocidile in Seattle, Washington. I had been anticipating this concert for some time now. As I walked through the venue I was filled with awe. One of the opening acts, named Zubin, played which I am also a big fan of. When Ghostemane came out on stage the crowd erupted with excitement. He put on an amazing show with a well thought out stage design. The crowd was extremely rowdy. Towards the end of the performance, many people were stage diving and crowd surfing at the same time. I am sure some people left the concert with some injuries. Overall, the concert was a great experience which I made many great memories.

Many students are excited to go home for thanksgiving break, including myself. Most people will be looking forward to food and family time. I am looking forward to those things as well. However, I am looking forward to head back to work. Some people dread work and hate the idea of it. Not for me. Something that was ingrained in me from a young age was if you love your work then it is not work at all. I get this experience from working at Zumiez. Zumiez to me is like a second family. Even though it will be busy with Black Friday shoppers I am still excited.

An average Starbucks drip coffee is an estimated $2.10 for a 16-ounce grande coffee. However Starbucks charges an estimated At home drip coffee costs an estimated $.08 per 16 ounce serving. This poses the question of why people go out to a coffee shop to get their caffeine fix. It could be for convenience, walk in order and leave. It also could be for the coffee shop environment. Many people will go study or do work at coffee shops now days. Regardless of this, it is still significantly cheaper to get coffee at home. People can save a lot of money getting their coffee at home. The answer to the question why do people pay for coffee is very unclear, there may not even be an answer.

On November 27th, 1095, Pope Urban II spoke at Clermont calling for the first crusade. This speech is very controversial, many people now do not agree with what Pope Urban II was saying. People also believe he was also hypocritical in the speech.

Pope Urban seems to have an alternative motive than what he is actually calling for. The call to action when he says “Let those who for a long time, have been robbers, now become knights. Let those who have been fighting against their brothers and relatives now fight in a proper way against the barbarians. Let those who have been serving as mercenaries for small pay now obtain the eternal reward. Let those who have been wearing themselves out in both body and soul now work for a double honor”, he seems to be trying to convince others to leave and fight this war he is calling for. He may be trying to get others to do his work for him or try to lower the criminal activity in the provinces he oversees. The Pope my be calling this crusade to get money or riches from people they kill, as well as their land. Also when he says, “All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sin”, he is giving the people who have done wrong a free ride to heaven because it is getting the Pope wealthy and respected.

Pope Urban’s decision on calling for this crusade seems to be twisted in someway, not for the best of his people. The crusaders did not necessarily follow the Pope’s instructions which caused many problems.

Work Cited

From Bongars, Gesta Dei per Francos, 1, pp. 382 f., trans in Oliver J. Thatcher, and Edgar Holmes McNeal, eds., A Source Book for Medieval History, (New York: Scribners, 1905), 513-17

Kingdom of Heaven, directed by Ridley Scott, is set in the time of the crusades in the 1100’s. The movie follows the path of Balian of Ibelin played by Orlando Bloom. Balian lived in a small town but in a turn of events he learns his father is Baron Godfrey of Ibelin. Balian leaves his small village to go to the Holy Land with his father. Kingdom of Heaven is quite entertaining however it may be confusing at times.

The movie is filled with testosterone filled action scenes sure to entertain viewers. It can be difficult to discern which character is which. The action scenes can be gory at some times which may draw some viewers away but also may turn away some. Overall, the action scenes carry the movie along, being the main purpose of the film. Another important aspect of the movie would be the love triangle. The love triangle is between Balian of Ibelin, Princess Sibylla and her husband Guy de Lusignan. It is obvious that Balian and Sibylla have a deep connection however, her arranged marriage with Guy de Lusignan keeps them apart. These scenes sometimes can seem out of place within the movie.

Ultimately, Kingdom of Heaven is a great movie to watch if the viewer is in the mood for medieval action. If a viewer wants a movie with a deep plot and meaning, they should go elsewhere. This movie does best at what it was intended for, entertainment.

The book I found in the Lemieux Library is God and the Nature of Time written by Garrett J. DeWeese. I chose this book because philosophy has always been of interest to me. The idea of time and God coexisting has especially peaked my interest. The concept of God and Science and how the connect and differ is an important concept to think about. Something I found interesting in this book was the other philosophers that DeWeese quoted and used to support his arguments.

The source I found is titled PROFILE OF PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES WASTES PROCESSING BUSINESS UNIT FOR WASTE PICKERS, and is written by Herijanto P. (Department of Business Administration, Politeknik Negeri Malang)
Fiernaningsih N. (Department of Business Administration, Politeknik Negeri Malang)
Widjanarko (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politeknik Negeri Malang). This article talked about “used plastic water bottles waste pickers can be categorized as one of the informal sector’s component. They work for themselves by picking up used water bottles and selling them to the waste collectors. The problem to be solved in this research is How the Most Appropriate Used Plastic Water Bottles Business Model for Waste Pickers Is that enables them to be categorized as formal sector”. This paper interviewed and analyzed 96 waste workers. The research “concluded that waste collectors offer limitless demands, while the ability of waste pickers to meet the demand is still limited”. It was also concluded “that Plastic Water Bottles Wastes Processing Business Unit for Waste Pickers is feasible to run” if run with a specific business model. Something I learned from this work would be that people can make a decent living being a waste worker. It was also informing to see the data showed in the paper.

 

Work Cited

Herijanto, P., et al. “Profile Of Plastic Water Bottles Wastes Processing Business Unit For Waste Pickers.” Russian Journal of Agricultural and Socio-Economic Sciences, vol. 69, no. 9, 2017, pp. 182–190., doi:10.18551/rjoas.2017-09.23.

One issue that is important to me would be the complicated issue of disposable plastic water bottles. At first glance disposable plastic water bottles cans seem convenient and a smart choice. While they may be convenient, they are not a smart choice. Disregarding the wastefulness of them, there are still many problems with them. Many plastic water bottles still have BPA, a known endocrine disrupter. This can raise estrogen levels in both men and women. Even if the bottle says BPA free it might not necessarily be BPA free. Another chemical called BPS is put into plastic water bottles instead of BPA. BPS has similar estrogenic effects as BPA, meaning it is just as dangerous. Even non reusable water bottles can have BPA or BPS. Also, if one were to refill disposable plastic water bottles, the plastic deteriorates and causes more harm to them. Reusable plastic water bottles that say BPA free, unfortunately, most likely have BPS. Another issue with plastic water bottles is that since they are made out of plastic they have some form of petroleum in them. Petroleum is also needed in the process to make these water bottles. Petroleum can be considered a carcinogen, meaning it is a cancer causing agent. This can be very dangerous to ones health. This issue is important to me because plastic water bottles are wasteful and dangerous to peoples health, all while being easy to avoid. Some alternatives would be to purchase a stainless steel or glass water bottle, not lined with plastic. This is the most effective way to stay away from plastic and its dangerous chemicals.