HW 40

Hi Tracy and other blog readers, I have done both my podcasts. However, I am not able to give you the website to hear them because of the fact that there is a problem with loading them correctly. Thanks for the patience.

HW 35: Letter to My Blog Reader(s)

I signed up for ITW 101 A Blog of One’s Own as a freshman at Keene State College. I went into the class assuming it would be women activists yelling at me for the entire class, and then I would write about it in my blog. However, after the class, I feel I have learned a lot and I am glad I took the class. I have learned from my blog that blogs are pretty interesting. Anyone can read them and anyone can respond. I like that aspect. Completing homework assignments made me a better writer and thinker, and I became better at interpreting information. I hope any one who views my blog will find that I have some interesting things to say about subjects such as blogs, women’s literature, and Iraq. I think my best blog posts were from the Citizenship Symposium. I sometimes found it challenging to complete assignments, but these two posts I enjoyed and I -think they were well-written. After the class is over, I don’t plan on continuing my blog. Honestly, blogs are interesting but I have other priorities right now. I don’t think I will delete it though, in hopes that a company will read them and sign me to a big contract. Just kidding that won’t happen. For all, if any, readers of my blog, I hope you enjoyed what I’ve had to say over the last few months.

HW 34: Gold and Date Palms

In Iraq, gold is very valuable to the citizens. Riverbend says that this is due to the value of the Iraqi Dinar, equivalent to $3 in the United States (Riverbend 100). The Dinar kept fluctuating over time, so many Iraqis invested in gold instead, because of the fact that the value of gold doesn’t change. Many Iraqis own gold so that their savings don’t decrease over time. Iraqis have many other purposes for gold as well. Gold is given to newlywed couples as a gift, and can also be given for newborn babies. The family receiving the gold is allowed to sell it if they need the money, or they can keep it for the child someday. This is very different than in the United States. At a baby shower, you wouldn’t give someone an expensive gift so they can sell it for money. I found that interesting and the Iraqi people seem kind in this way. Date palms in Iraq serve as almost a haven for the people. It is a small paradise. “Just seeing the orchards brings a sort of peace (Riverbend 103). The orchards are green and welcoming, and it is a much better site for the Iraqis to see than tanks, guns, and blood. Also, in the winter months many exotic birds flock to the trees for shelter and food. It seems like a very relaxing area to be around.

Oops

Tracy, I forgot to use citations so the most recent HW 34 post is my official homework, not the previous, sorry.

HW 34: Gold and Date Palms

In Iraq, gold is very valuable to the citizens. Riverbend says that this is due to the value of the Iraqi Dinar, equivalent to $3 in the United States. The Dinar kept fluctuating over time, so many Iraqis invested in gold instead, because of the fact that the value of gold doesn’t change. Many Iraqis own gold so that their savings don’t decrease over time. Iraqis have many other purposes for gold as well. Gold is given to newlywed couples as a gift, and can also be given for newborn babies. The family receiving the gold is allowed to sell it if they need the money, or they can keep it for the child someday. This is very different than in the United States. At a baby shower, you wouldn’t give someone an expensive gift so they can sell it for money. I found that interesting and the Iraqi people seem kind in this way. Date palms in Iraq serve as almost a haven for the people. It is a small paradise. The orchards are green and welcoming, and it is a much better site for the Iraqis to see than tanks, guns, and blood. Also, in the winter months many exotic birds flock to the trees for shelter and food. It seems like a very relaxing area to be around.

HW 33: Respond to a Podcast

The title of the pod cast I viewed was Syria: Child Artist Dreams of Return to Baghdad. It is a part of the series called “Alive in Baghdad.” It was published on August 20th, 2007 and you can view it at http://aliveinbaghdad.org/2007/08/20/syria-child-artist-dreams-of-return-to-iraq/. The pod cast is about a middle school student, Sameer Muhammad, and his passion for art. His father, Muhammad Rubaie, appears in the pod cast and he says that though his son is in middle school, his artwork is comparable to a art student in college. Muhammad Rubaie seems like a typical father. He is proud of his son. He actually kind of appears to look like a typical American, rather than an Iraqi. He wore a black shirt, with some jewelry, and had long hair. He did not resemble a typical Iraqi, which was surprising, and refreshing. Sameer’s drawings are of ancient Iraq, filled with straw houses and ovens for bread. I’m not an expert in the field, but I think his work is very good. A viewer might learn that Iraqi’s aren’t AK-47 kamikazes who wear turbans and chant prayers every 15 minutes. We learn that these people are just like us. They have interests and hobbies and enjoy what they do. Compared with other videos about Iraq, this video is calming and refreshing. It’s memorable because I realized that Iraq’s are really decent people, like most Americans.

HW 32: Summary of Aquila Al-Hashimi

After reading Riverbends post from Sept. 19th to Oct. 5th, 2003, I found Aquila Al-Hashimi the most intriguing story. Al-Hashimi is a women who was attacked on September 20th 2003. Riverbend says that she was attacked while she was heading off to work. Her and her brothers were ambushed. She was wounded all over her body, but mainly her stomach and shoulder area. She was taken to the hospital because she was in a very critical state. They brought her to the Al-Yarmuk hospital. She was involved with many foreign affairs for Iraq. However, the gang that attacked her wasn't known. Al-Chalabi decided to investigate the ambush more, but his agenda influenced him another way. He believed that the attackers were members from Saddam Hussein and his group. It is assumed that Al-Hashimi was attacked because of the fact that she was a prominent and powerful women. Many of her male colleagues did not approve of her. Unfortunately, the assassins were never discovered, and no arrest could be made. This is a sad situation for everyone involved. If I was Al-Hashimi, I would be furious because my government could not catch my killers. And if I was Al-Chalabi I would be embarrassed and upset that I could not find a solution to the tragic problem.