Political Prisioner Diary (Jose Maria)

Name: Charles Banks
Religion: Jewish
Time Location: 2nd WW
Family: Wife, 2 sons (all of them tortured and killed)
Job: Journalist (Against Hitler)

11th November 1942
I´ve just found this pen at the bottom of my bed.
I´m confused, I know they got me, but images are
confusing. I dont know where I am, I dont know where
I was and I dont know what will happen to me. An
interrogative probably, and then I shall be killed. I`ll
try find another pen...

13th November (you know the year)
Nothing. Nothing and Nothing.

14th November...(mmm)
Early morning, the guards woke me up and I was taken
to a room with nothing but a lamp, a recorder and a
table. I was threatened with killing my family my family
if i didn't speak. I had too, I didn't have an option. I told
them where the information was, all the newspapers I've
published, all the files and documents I had.
Everything is gone.

15th November (don't know what to think...)
I'm hurt. I couldn'r help it. They hit me. They wanted me
to tell them the truth. I won't, even if I die I won't.
I don't know if I will be alive by tomorrow...

Historical Links In Animal Farm (Raul & Jose Maria)

George Orwell refers in "Animal Farm" to communism and totalitarianism involves countries like Germany and Russia and talks about Russian Revolution and 2nd World War.
Links to characters:
-Mr Jones=Tsar (Nicholas II)
-Snowball=Trotsky
-Napoleon=Stalin
-Old Mayor=Lenin
-Squealer=Goebbels (Hitler´s Propagandist)
-Animal Farm=USSR

Pink Floyd (by Raul)

Pink Floyd is an English rock band from Cambridge. The band initially earned recognition for their psychedelic and space rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. Pink Floyd was known for philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album cover art, and elaborate live shows. One of rock music's most successful acts, the group have sold over 200 million albums worldwide including 74.5 million albums in the United States alone. Pink Floyd influenced progressive rock artists of the 1970s such as Genesis and Yes; and contemporary artists such as Nine Inch Nails and Dream Theater.

Discography: Pink Floyd has 12 studio albums, 3 live albums, 10 compilation albums & 4 video Albums.

One of my favorite songs from Pink Floyd is called “Learning To Fly” its from 1987 & is considered one of pink Floyd’s best songs after Roger Waters departure from the band. It’s from the album “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” It’s really good & hope you enjoy it.

P!NK (Jose Maria)
P!nk is a female singer born in 1979. Her real name is Alecia Moore. Her music style is pop, pop-rock, punk pop and dance pop. She rose to fame when she was featured along with Mya, Lil Kim and Christina Aguilera in the hit song Lady Marmalade. But her 1st solo number 1 in the United States was her song So What which reached the top position in September 2008. I like her music a lot and i think she is a good singer and has some very good songs. What I like about her is that she isn't the typical sexy fake blond singer. Some of her best songs are So What, Stupid Girls which criticizes material people and Get the party Started which has a Dance-Funk Feel. Her upcoming album is called Funhouse and will be released on October 29 (The same day of my birthday!!). Discography:
*Cant Take Me Home (2000)
*M!ssundaztood (2001)
*Try This (2003)
*I'm Not Dead (2006)
*Funhouse (2008)
Here is a video of her newest single So What:
SO WHAT

GEORGE ORWELL'S BOOKS

BURMESE DAYS (1934)- Mainly about british imperialism before World War II It is based loosely on Orwell's five years as a police officer in the Indian Imperial Police force in Burma.

A CLERGYMAN'S DAUGHTER (1935)- It tells the story of Dorothy Hare, the clergyman's daughter of the title, whose life is turned upside-down when she suffers an attack of amnesia.The theme of slavery is one that mirrors that of dependency.

KEEP THE ASPIDISTRA (1936)- The main theme is the protagonist's romantic ambition to give up money and status, and the squalid life that results. It talks mainly about poverty.

COMING UP FOR AIR (1939)- published before World War II and predicting that conflict. It is written in the first person, with George Bowling, the forty-five-year-old protagonist, telling the reader his life story.

ANIMAL FARM (1945)- The book uses animals instead of people and talks about socialism.

NINETEEN EIGHTY FOUR (1949)- It is about life under a futuristic totalitarian regime in the year 1984.

Poem (by Raul)

Odium

Indeed

What an appealing
event has occurred

I’ve seen my fear once again

Always trying to evade it

Never really succeeding

It always seems to find a way

Even in the most ridiculous

Of case

It always bothered me

Even in my childhood

It skulk around every event

Since I can remember

I have escaped from it

Its beams outsmarting me

Most inhabitants like it

Occasionally they adore it

Even worships

I have seen done to him

BOOM. (By Jose Maria)

Oh Gosh.
I didn’t mean to
Like an alarm,
Or a threatening sound
The celebration stopped.

I couldn’t help it
I didn’t see it
It just appeared
So I stepped on it.

This colorful ball,
The laughs and emotions
Faded along with the fun.

The kids stopped playing,
The adults stopped talking,
No more games, no more fun
Just silence and bad thoughts

This is ridiculous
This isn’t good
All this trouble
For bursting a balloon.

Mika!! (Jose Maria & Raul)

Mika is an Lebanese born, London Based singer. His birth name is Michael Holbrook Penniman. Mika was born in Beirut, Lebanon. When he was a year old his family was forced to leave Lebanon and moved to Paris and then to London. After listening to Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box," he wrote his first song. Mika's début album Life in Cartoon Motion was released on 5 February 20077 and was compared to Freddie Mercury, Scissor Sisters and Elton John between others. His first single called Grace Kelly was released in January 2007 and it reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart. His firt album is called Life in Cartoon Motion. He is basically a New Artist. We really like his music although he only has 1 album and we can't wait for his next album!! The image above shows the front cover of his debut album. Here is a link to the Grace Kelly video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiWsWzUgcXE

Pride & Prejudice film review Jose Maria (2005)

A film with good actors, a splendid script and a great direction are some of the things an excellent movie has. This movie covers all of those characteristics. One of the greatest movies ever made by Joe Wright, who later directed the academy award winning film “Atonement” in 2007.

The story takes place in the 1800´s at the countryside in England. The Bennet family consists of 5 daughters, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Keira Knightley plays Elizabeth (Lizzy) Bennet, the second older sister. Because they don’t own the house where they live, Mrs. Bennet is desperate to marry off her 5 daughters before her husband dies. But Elizabeth, decides she won’t marry a man which she doesn’t love. So, she refuses to marry Mr. Collins.

There is a gentleman called Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) who is economically healthy and he meets Elizabeth at a ball at Netherfield. Later, one of Elizabeth’s sisters, Charlotte marries Mr. Collins to gain financial security. Between many problems, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth fell in love but let’s say that, from love to marriage, it’s a very long road.

The photography of the film is excellent and the way scenes are set up is amazing. I think that although this movie is often compared to “Atonement”, this movie is by far the best film of Joe Wright. The kind of language used in the film, although is set in the 19th century, the language isn’t full of extravagant words or phrases attempting to recreate the English used in that time, but simply uses clever phrases which can be easily understood without looking like a contemporary film. I really recommend this movie for romance movie fans, it isnt an action film but it’s an excellent romance movie.

Tropic Thunder by Raúl

Tropic thunder is a film directed and produced by actor Ben Stiller, who is also one of the main characters in the movie. It’s a comedy full of action that entertains you throughout the whole hour & a half it lasts.

5 actors/prima Donnas are lost in the Vietnamese jungle after their director dies by stepping into a French land mine. The actors (believing they were going to recreate an action movie about the abduction of one of them and the others try to save him) are now stuck in the jungle without any idea of how to survive, but the camera keeps rolling since the director put cameras all over the jungle. It is then up to Tugg Speedman (portraying the soldier Four Leaf, portrayed by Ben Stiller) to try & finish the job the director (Damien Cockburn, Steve Coogan) left upon his shoulders Partly because Speedman thinks the director make himself disappear & because this is the last chance to save his career. But the five time academy award winning Kirk Lazarus (acting Sgt. Lincoln Osiris, acted by Robert Downey Jr.) knows that the director is dead and they must find a way to get back to their camp. Drug addicted Jeff Portnoy (played by Jack Black), Alpa Chino (portrayed by Brandon T. Jackson) & Kevin Sandunsky (Jay Baruchel) agree with Lazarus & see Speedman try to leave them behind by walking through a river.

After the actors travel a long way they find themselves looking at a camp of heroine dealers, which know have Speedman captive & make him recreate his last movie Simple Jack (a story about a mentally retarded farmer, which wasn't his best) it's is then up to Lazarus, "Fats" Portnoy & Alpa Chino to help save Speedman because his agent, Rick Peck (Mathew McConaughey), & the executive Les Grossman (cameo by Tom Cruise) do not negotiate with terrorists.

This great film is full of jokes & action scenes, also there’s some emotionality & tons of explosive scenes, so if you like to have a laugh or get excited by the courage this actors show, or start to cry about how Speedman gets a son or maybe just want to see explosions, I highly recommend this movie to you.

This is one movie that will be remembered, not just because it has no sense, but because it really shows how difficult it is to produce a movie & how needy some actors might be. Tropic Thunder is, as the final words of the director Damien Cockburn, “The greatest war movie”.

Capefarewell loads of fun!!! (Raul & Jose Maria)

Capefarewell is an organization which started in 2003. Its voyages are to raise conscience about global warming effect on the ice caps. In 2008, 2 of our school members are going to do this voyage. They went yesterday to Canada on airplane and they are going to Greenland and then to the North Pole. We wish them the best of luck & hope they have a wonderful time there. Here are the links for:

Juan Pablo's blog (so if you want you can read about their expedition):

http://www.adioscapadeozono.blogspot.com/

Capefarewell (so you can read to more detail of what this organisations does):


http://www.capefarewellcanada.ca/

Football!!!! (Raul)

Football is my favorite sport and in my opinion it's the best sport in the whole world. I like it because it has the power to join nations every 4 years in the Fifa World Cup, most like the Olympics but it's only one sport (and besides in the Olympics they also play football).

Football is a very complex sport there are 4 main positions of players these are: Goalkeeper, Defender, Middle & Forward, the positions can change an alter according to the Manager. There are many cups for example: the world cup (next one is going to be in South Africa in 2010) The Uefa Champions League (which is in Europe)
Here are links for the Fifa website & the Uefa website

http://www.fifa.com/index.html?language=en

http://www.uefa.com/

Madonna!!! (Jose Maria)

Madonna.

She’s the most famous and successful female singer in music history. She has sold over 200 million albums worldwide and has released 11 studio albums over the last 25 years. She has released 13 #1 singles in the USA and UK. I really enjoy her music and something I really like about her is that every single album she releases has a different style; some of them are quite experimental while others include Dance melodies (Ex. Confessions on a Dance Floor) or an R&B vibe (Ex. Hard Candy). And as her music changes through time, her image does too, she has died her hair blonde, brown and even orange. The picture on the right is the album cover for True Blue (1986) which has a very 80s pop sound. The image on the top is the album cover of Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005) which has many Dance elements.
Here are 2 links, one for Madonna’s official website and another showing a music video called Vouge from 1990. In her website you can access to all her music videos.

http://www.madonna.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5-wXnPtj6Y

WELCOME...

Hello

We created this blog in our English class; we are Raul and Jose Maria from Lancaster School in Mexico City. We like to write although we aren’t the best writers. We are going to write about things we like; we don’t like and happen to us. We will try to do our best but don’t expect a lot from us and it’s OK if you don’t like it!