10,000 B.C

The times when people lived in peace with nature. It was a time of no polution, when the elderly were considered to be wise, and legends were very much alive. People lived in small communites and enjoyed the simplicity of life. They hunted for food, they relied on everything that was surrounding them. They were grateful for what they had. Then, one day, their life has changed for good. Their village was attacked by dragons, some people were brutally slaughtered and others were taken. The harmony that was at one point taken for granted has been disturbed.

The people that managed to stay alive were left with no necesities for survival. The village was destroyed and they have lost everything they had. A tiny group of hunters from the primitive village decides to take their chances and go after the invadors that enslaved their families and friends. After months of long travel, times of crisis, they go to other villages and discover that they were not the only ones that this terrible thing happened to. Their tiny group grows in size, more and more warriors and hunters join them on their journey. When they finally reach the place their friends were taken to, they are amazed by the unkown buildings in the shape of a triangle, and slaves working on them. For the first time they see the Egyptian Pyramids. They decide to attack the Egyptians and the rebells defeat the nation that was far superior to them.

How you ever been wondering how a change like this would effect our society? If some superior force from another planet attacked us, killed and enslaved most of the people you know, what would you do? What would you feel? Would you have the courage to stand up and say "no" ?

There are many things that we take for granted in our world. We take life for granted, we do not realize what a great gift it is. Maybe we should? It is worth pausing, taking a break, and reflecting, once in a while, on our lives; are the things we chase really the things that will make us happy? Are they just temporary pleasures? What is the bigger picture or the latent meaning behind all of it?

Can Non-Fiction be Creative?

There are different forms of writing, every one of them focusing on something else. And some combine more than one form. Creative Non-Fiction is a combination of a couple forms. It is not limited to a form of writing; Creative Non-Fiction is an idea that describes everything including the least significant detail. Its focus is facts. True information is crucial when gaining the reader’s trust. Creative Non-Fiction is a “hybrid” (just like gas-electric vehicles) which combines both literature and non-fiction; a perfect example of Creative Non-Fiction is “The Curve of Binding Energy,” written by John McPhee.

Creative Non-Fiction very frequently incorporates multiple characteristics of literature. Literature is probably the most universally accessible genre of writing. Literature gives us the basis, the fundamentals for writing. Setting, Characterization, and Mood are only some examples of literary elements. Each story needs to have a setting, a place where the characters will coexist and confront. It can be a real place as well as an imaginary one. Any form of literature has to have characters: Heroes and villains, protagonists and antagonists. Mood is another literary element. Mood is the feeling that the author creates when introducing characters, setting, images, or objects. It is the way they are described.
Likewise, Creative Non-Fiction makes use of many characteristics of Non-Fiction. Non-Fiction is also a popular genre of writing, and just like literature it has characteristics that are present in Creative Non-Fiction. Information, Lay out, and Tone. Information are the facts and ideas provided by the author, their role is to spark curiosity and create mystery among the readers; it has to interest the reader to the level where he or she will want to find out more about the topic. Lay out is just another way of describing format, the organization of the writing. The clearer it is the more attracted the reader will become. And finally, the Tone; it is a style of writing, the facts and ideas have to be presented in a way that will be understandable to the reader, there has to be an aim.

One book that combines the above genres is “The Curve of Binding Energy” by John McPhee. The book fulfils the requirements of both literature and non-fiction. We have a setting, we have characters (Theodore Taylor), and there is certainly a mood. The mood is not too optimistic, it assumes that nuclear explosions are unavoidable and that we will have to live with them, but it also gives us hope that we can still fix things that will preserve the materials necessary for the construction of the nuclear bomb. The book is, without a doubt, a great source of information. We have to remember that it does not just throw information at us; it carefully describes the different terminologies and ideas. It has a practical lay out that acts like a magnet for the reader. Even for somebody who is not interested in nuclear energy, the book speaks to us and constantly refers to us. The style is simplistic and understandable. We are easily able to distinguish between facts, opinions, and theories. The complexity of the information increases at an appropriate rate, the reader is not lost in the amount of information provided to him or her.

“The Curve of Binding Energy” by John McPhee is a perfect example of Creative Non-Fiction genre; it includes both literature and non-fiction elements in its composition. Creative Non-Fiction is an intriguing way of presenting gathered information or ideas to the reader. It is an effective way of communicating with people who share similar interests. It is a way of transferring knowledge through more understandable means.

St. Pat's Day

Once again it is March 17th. It is Saint Patrick's Day. Prepare to see a lot of Irish people manifesting their nationality, usually, by marching in the parade, wearing green, and... drinking. Saint Paddy's Day is national holiday in Ireland, but it is celebrated all around the world.

It became a feastday in the catholic church, it is a holy day of obligation in Ireland. Color green is one of the symbols of Saint Pattrick's Day. An interesting fact, Green is the color for St. Pat's day not because it has something to do with St. Pattrick the saint, but it is associated with Ireland.

Let's go out and celebrate!

Clinton back in action!

Hillary wins Ohio, Texas, and takes Rhode Island for dessert. Obama is left with... Vermont. Clinton catches up to Obama after winning two crucial states: Texas and Ohio. This was the last chance for Clinton to still compete with Obama for the Democratic nomination and she won it. Obama is still ahead of her, but only by around 80 points.

If Hillary wants to win she has to continue winning, otherwise she will not receive her party's nomination. Obama, on the other hand, doesn't have to work as hard, despite those loses he is still way ahead of Clinton.

Another crucial pre-eliminary will take place in Pennsylvania on April 22nd. If Obama wins that, Clinton will only have mathematical chances of getting the nomination. But, even earlier we will witness one more Campaign event. We will see Clinton in Pennsylvania and Obama will make an appearance in Indianapolis. You can find out more here.

Museum of Modern Art

For my first event this semester I decided to go to a Museum. After looking at the list of possible museums I could visit I chose to go to the museum located on West 53rd street, between 5th and 6th avenue in Manhattan; also known as The Museum of Modern Art. Right away I knew I would not be seeing the works of Rembrandt, El Greco, or Rubens. I did not know whether I would like it or not, the only time I came in close contact with modern art before in my life was in Chelsea. The 23rd street is well known for its galleries, especially the far west side (10th avenue – West Side Highway), and personally I was not fascinated by the works on display there. I gave modern art one more chance and now I can say that it was totally worth it. The two different works of art that I found very intriguing were: American Born Ethiopia 1970 by Julie Mehretu and British Born 1965 by Tacita Dean.

The work by Julie Mehretu was the painting that right away I knew I would write about in my paper. It was simply extraordinary and one of a kind. It was a huge painting. The picture itself was a sketch that looked like an outline of a city, tall buildings – many of them. The sketch was done in a dark color, pretty thin, but visible. In the center of the painting there was something that looked like an explosion, it exploded in many different colors, in a way bringing life onto the scene. The city was black and white until the explosion of colors appeared there, the colors were transparent and at the very top I noticed that it had the colors of the American flag (red, white, and blue) and it made me question whether it was done on purpose, or whether it was just a pure coincidence. When I looked at it from far away, the explosion appeared in the shape of a tree of life, but that could have been just any tree. At the lower end of the painting, closer to the right side there was a lotus flower; lotus symbolizes “rebirth” or “eternal life.” In general the painting was exciting to look at; it was chaotic, but very beautiful. According to the information tablet located next to the painting, it was done in ink and synthetic polymer paint on canvas. The size of the work made an impression; it was definitely not something that you could overlook.

Another painting that I was fascinated by during my visit at the museum was British Born 1965 by Tacita Dean. The painting consisted of four separate panels. The picture shows us an enormous size tree, it was very thick and it is said to be over four thousand years old (according to the information on the wall in the museum). From the information provided in the museum I found out that the tree is located on the grounds of a 12th century church in England. The painting itself I would describe as “ghostly.” Other than the tree on the painting we can easily notice the cemetery in the background. There are also other trees there, but unlike the “Crowhurst” (the name of the tree) they don’t stand out, they are all in Silverstone. To the left and right of the tree there are two thick poles, they are also painted in a very dark color so they are easily spotted. The first observation that I made was questioning why are the two poles there? Are they there for any specific reason? The grass on the bottom of the picture is overexposed. Despite its age the tree looks very much alive. From the tour guide in the museum I discovered that the painting is a gouache on gelatin silver print. I found that to be very fascinating.

The works by Tacita Dean and Julie Mehretu were very different from any other work of art that I saw in the Museum of Modern Art on Friday. It was my first visit to the famous “MoMA” and it was a great experience. I was very impressed with what the museum has to offer and I am sure I will go visit it again in the future. It was a time free of stress and full of relaxation, it was like a journey away from my day-to-day problems and challenges.

Obama or Clinton? You decide!

Finally, the primaries are entering the deciding phase. Today, Tuesday March 4th, the long awaited battle will take place in 4 states: Texas (228 delegates), Ohio (164), Rhode Island (21) and Vermont (15).

After a really impressive start, Hillary's lead over Obama was unquestionable. As the primaries continue, however, Hillary keeps losing while Obama keeps gaining. Will this continue after today? Will Obama seal the victory and get the democratic nomination? Will Hillary impress us again and make a come back?

It is a crucial day in this race, Hillary has to win in Texas and Ohio if she wants to stay in the race, otherwise she might have to congratulate Barrack on his win.

The Democratic nominee will go on and face Senator John McCain in the Presidential Election in November of this year. Let's hope the Americans will make a wise decision and pick the best candidate for the job!

You can read more here.