Hitler's Holocaust

U.S. + Great Britain + France + Soviet Union VS. Germany + Japan + Italy

Other countries that joined the Allies (Britain's side) include Greece, Australia, Denmark, and many others.
Other countries that joined the Axis Powers (Germany) are Hungary and Romania.

So this isn't the normal type of blog I write but I would really appreciate a discussion on this topic.  We all know the general details of the Holocaust.  Some of us that have studied it know a little bit more than others but I'd like everyone to comment.  It does not take too much in-depth knowledge to be able to answer these questions.

Many of the Jews that Hitler had rounded up were taken to death camps in Poland. One of these death camps was Auschwitz, the largest Nazi concentration camp, which was located outside of the Polish city of Oswiecim.  Why do you think Poland was chosen as the location of these camps?

And finally: If you were a Jewish person living in Germany during this time period, what actions would you have taken?

Your Heart Speaks to Me....

            “The Tell-Tale Heart”.  Edgar Allan Poe’s short story of insanity and murder…. or is it?  Is the narrator of the story really sane or has he gone mad?  Did he really kill the old man or was he just hallucinating?  Stay tuned for the answer…..

            And we’re back.  According to my thinking, the narrator (let’s call him Timmy) is completely, utterly, stark raving mad.  I mean, just bonkers.  Daft, as the Brits would say.  First off, he starts by defending his sanity.  That’s questionable but not something that would alone condemn him as crazy.  Then, he tells us why he wanted to kill the old man (Rico!).  It’s not like Rico ever did anything wrong to the narrator.  “He had never given me insult,” says Timmy.  But THAT EYE.  That darn orb of non-sight that occupies the old man’s facial gap (that’s a really weird sentence, I know).  How many people do you know that plan a murder because they don’t like someone’s eye?  Cuckoo….

            So the speaker goes about his murdering bidness and gets all cozy with the old man.  But at night, when the rats scurry, and the bugs crawl, and security guards sleep on the job, Timmy carefully opens the door and shines a light on THE EYE.  Unfortunately for him (or fortunately for Rico as it were), THE EYE is closed.  Therefore he has no incentive the kill him. 

            But one night, Timmy goes into Rico’s room, and Rico awakens!  Timmy tried to be stealthy and wait for Rico to fall asleep again but he doesn’t.  So Timmy shines a sliver of light at the man.  THE EYE!!!!!  That sight sets him off. This is where my next point comes in.  If Timmy were sane, he would have had a continual longing to kill the old man.  Not a stuttering, iffy, “eh, I’ll do it tomorrow” sort of desire.  Alas, insanity.  So then he kills Rico, el loco.

            When the police appear, Timmy is ecstatic.  Hey, he did a great job of hiding the body.  Why shouldn’t he be proud of himself?  But that heart.  It beats….and beats…louder…..LOUDER!   And it’s all in his head.  That’s what I believe.  Either Timmy is imagining the beating of Rico’s heart or he’s just hearing his own heart.  I believe that his ranting is all in his head, too.  No policemen would just sit there chatting while a man goes loony.  Then Timmy’s barely-existent hold on self control snaps and he pulls up the floor boards, revealing the remains of Rico.  I doubt this was out of guilt though.  It was just to stop the persistent imaginary beating of Rico’s corazon.

High School Musical

             Graffin was different than others his age because he was a “punk”.  He saw this group as the ones that were rebellious and outsiders.  The “rock ‘n’ rollers” didn’t like them and labeled them outcasts.  But Graffin just found solace in being with others like him.  That is somewhat like me.

            As I’ve said before in class or on my blog, I listen to the Jo Bros, Paramore, System of a Down, Vampire Weekend, etc.  I like music similar to these bands (I just realized I don’t listen to many individual artists).  So I tend to befriend people who listen to the same types of music.  Because of the bands I pay attention to, I guess I sort of dress like them (?).  Then under that thinking I also hang out with people that dress like me. 

            So music has shaped my tastes and somewhat defined my personality.  My personality and likes/dislikes lead to the people that I like to spend time with.  The people I spend time with lead me to other music that I may like.  It’s like a never ending circle. It's like the circle... of life........