Hey Nostradamus! By Douglas Coupland (P.189-228)

As the third chapter comes to an end, we realize alot about Allison along with her true motives. We learn that Heathers despracy persists further, and ends up costing her 7,000 dollars. The once innocent Allison ends up turning into a wretched greedy monster, that milks Heather for almost all she's got. Allison charges Heather for the cost of fixing her car which finishes at $2000, in additon to $5,000 cash just for a measly message! The desperate Heather ofcourse pays forth the money to recieve emotional, as well as psychological relief. After paying forth the money, she follows Allison to her car and gets her license plate number which later on through contacts allows further information about Allison including her home address. Heather goes to Allison's home the same night, and she learns that Allison's name is in fact cecilia, and that she has a daughter. Heather follows Allison's daughter the next morning. The two of them meet and speak, where Allison's daughter informs Heather that Jason had contacted Allison a year prior to his disappearence. We learn that Jason had visited Allsion and payed her 500 dollars and given her a note with all the inside jokes that Jason and Heather would share. Allison's daughter also provides the reason as to why Jason did this when she says "He gave my mom 500 bucks and told her that if he ever went missing, then she should contact you and tell you these things as if he'd spoken to you from the dead- or from wherever it is he's gone to. He wanted you to be happy."(P.219).

This chapter was somewhat aggrevating. I thought that Allison was pure and true because she didn't want anything in return. As I read on I came to realize that this is not the case and that Allison is corrupt. I suppose money has a way of identifying people or corrupting people, im not quite sure yet. Psychics are good con- artists. They touch on sensitive and specific points that apply to almost everyone and know when to strike. I suppose if they could actually apply this talent to society in more significant roles they could be successful in interacting with other people as good communicators. Unfortunately they chose to do the opposite and use this talent for bad. But something seem's to bother me in this chapter. I learned towards the end that Allsion lost all her savings in some stock and I suppose she did need to fix her car and support the mortgage of her house in some way. So to an extent I guess she had the right to do so. Although she could have just sold her house first, and moved to a smaller, more convinient 1 bedroom apartment. Then used the money to fix her car and could have done small time Psychic acts to nickle and dime her way through her remaining years. But she decided to be gluttenous and make real big bucks, so I guess ultimately she is a bad person since she was not willing to compromise. Since this talent of communication was used in corrupt ways, I wonder if all the other talented people in our society could be corrupt or be corrupted at the cost of $7,000 or more. I understand that there are laws and specific beliefs that bind this terrible freedom of corruption but I wonder if thats the only case. It would be upsetting to understand that people act moral only because they have to.

Hey Nostradamus! By Douglas Coupland (P.147-189)

In the first half of the 3rd chapter in this fictional novel "Hey Nostradamus!" we are now being narrated by a new character, Heather. Heather is 7 years older than Jason and works as a steinographer in a court room. They were in a relationship in the year 2002, when Jason was in his early 30's. We learn early on in this chapter that they met eachother when shopping for Toys at the same shop, and right at the start they hit it off. They were together for a few months and one day Jason just disappears. There is significant happening that could relate to the disappearence of Jason. One evening Jason and Heather were walking in a park and Jason spots a man with a prosthetic leg that looked strikingly similair to Yorgo. Since this happening, Jason never acted the same until the day his disappearence. We also learn that Chris, Cheryl's brother is now married with Barb, and that Chris works at a government agency that works with the identification database of criminals in america. As the first half of the chapter unfolds Reg's character changes in terms of being more sympathetic and not believing strictly in all that he use to believe in. He isn't so proud and rigid anymore but rather soft, depressed, and to an extent even regretful. As the chapter progresses a psychic by the name of Allison contacts Heather through a voicemail. After conversing with Allison, Heather learns Allison is a phony, however she is going through some sort spiritual miracle and can label various inside jokes between Heather and Jason. The factual evidence provided by Allison includes inside jokes that only Jason and Heather share. Therefore much credit of belief is given to Allison by the desperate Heather. In additon to proof of truthfulness, Allison doesn't seek payment of any sort but rather an understanding of what is going on with herself and why.

As I reflect on this chapter I realize how people have a tendency to cling on to lost things. Heather becomes consumed by emotions when she learns that Allison has some sort of spiritual contact with Jason. I think people fail to understand that dieing is part of living, and the last stage of growing. Basically I think that we never stop growing until we actually stop growing. Over time alot of people and things I have been attached to have come and gone and each time it would continue to hurt more and more until I reached a conclusion and a better understanding of death and development as a whole. The understanding I reached, seemed to have liberated me from the pains of loss to a somewhat comforting extent. I learned that when people die they explode in both terms of material and character. When one dies they become part of the earth, the same way the earth had become part of them throughout their lives. They decompose and enter the cycle of life. So to explain the explosion of the character is to first understand individuality. Everybody feels emotions and contains complex thought. Its when some people feel certain things more than others and express them in certain ways that individuality is expressed. When one does this, they influence others in one way or another while at the same time being influenced by the other individuals that surround. These influences of an individual are transfered and traded with others throughout the people that they interact with. This is how peoples perceptions, actions, and other influences live on through other people. Its all a matter of noticing and comparing.

Hey Nostradamus! By Douglas Coupland (P.92-146)

In this second half This lengthy chapter the first significant happening is that Jason's father, Reg, has fallen down in his kitchen and has broken a few ribbs, and could have a fractured cardio. He requests to the nurse to contact Jason, and bring a few personal belongings from the apartment. Jason complies, but only out of curiousity. He concludes that Reg's apartment is similair to his, in a sense of depression. After visiting his father at the hospital he learns that his father believed that Jason had a perfect soul before murdering Mitchell, one of the gunman; and all Reg wanted was the kingdom of heaven for Jason, and now he believes that Jasons fate in the afterlife is on the fence. After that when Jason is reflecting he mentions to us the aftermath of the massacre and how he was first demonized by the "Aliver!s" and then after he had been proven non-guilty they tried to help him, but by then it was too late. They were traders and unreliable like the rest of the majority of the town that crucified him from a sense of moral image. After this Jason reveals that he recieved 3 letters from each of the anways; Cheryl's family. One from Cheryls mother, Linda, another from Mr. Anway and the last one from Chris; Cheryl's brother. They mostly detailed apoligies for not being there for him in the time when he needed people the most. Mr. Anways letter in addition to the similair apoligies of Linda and Chris included details of the funeral for Cheryl. He say's how the "Youth Alive!" decided to take the funeral into their own hands and tagg signatures and other writings on the pearly white cascette of Cheryl inappropriately and inconsiderately. Then this letter was followed by another from Chris Anway, Cheryls brother; whom detailed the negative actions and influences of the "alive!rs" on his parents and their view of Jason. The letter also talks about how the Alive!rs went on to influence the entire towns oppinions about Jason, and talks about how he was smoking out with his buddy during the time he heard the first few rounds of the gunshots from the massacre, and by the end of the letter we find that Chris loves Jason like a brother and was always by his side through thick and thin and wishes to live with Jason and to be away from the town. Afterwards when Jason and his boss, Les; meet up for a beer they run into Jerry, a shady man; after a few drinks they decide to go for a ride on Jerry's boat which gets sunk after a quarrely with a beastly chinese man. After the boat sinks Jerry calls a man named Yorgo, a Russian Mobster boss whom plunges the 3 boys into a different world with drugs and mobster activity, and throughout the process Jason was going to be killed by Yorgo but once Jason is given an opportunity to kill the evil intending man, after he slips and breaks his leg on a rock on the hike to Jason's death he decides not to kill Yorgo. He actually decides to call for help and go home. Help denies Yorgo. After this Jason is relieved of his depression and feels an altitude change in his mentality from the experiences he went through. He concludes this longer half of the chapter with the last bit of writing to his nephews and in this letter we learn that Jason is actually the father of Barb's twins. Barb wanted to have Jason's kids because they were identical to what Kent's kids would have looked like since they were brothers. We learn that during this time under Jason's conditions, they flew to Los Vegas and got married at the same chapel and stayed at the same place Jason had done a decade ago with Cheryl.

This chapter was very revealing of all the characters and insightful, i enjoyed it and learned much about morality and influence. I believe that part of the reason Jason didn't kill Yorgo when he had the chance was because he wasn't a bad person, just given the circumstances he had to act on an impulse to save his own life while also in attempt to save Cheryls during the time he had first murdered one of the gunmen during the high school massacre. I also learned much about Reg and how he loved Jason and wanted nothing but the best for him through his twisted and illogical mentality. I guess I was wrong about him resorting to religion based on some unmentioned significant happening early in life. We actually come to learn that Reg had a chemical unbalance in his brain regarding his seretonin level, and that if Jason's mom would have dosed Reg with Wellbutrin or other relevant drugs it would have kept him normal(P.120). But after she decided not to, he started to go crazy with religion. I guess he fixed the mental issues he had through the perspective of religion. It's funny how our psychological state can affect our health. I know for a fact that people who are depressed are more likely to get sick because their immune system doesn't properly function. I learned from this that only part of individuality is brought through experiences but not the whole of it. I guess some people just are the way they are without influence. Either way in his perspective he was doing good but in everybody elses he was doing wrong. So if one has good intentions but bad actions and bad expressions, does that make them a bad person? I think it makes a very nice person, but at the same time a very crazy one that shouldn't be taken seriously.

Hey Nostradamus! By Douglas Coupland P.42-92

In this half of the second chapter, we get a better insight on Jason. We learn what he is doing currently 11 years after the massacre, and how he has been coping with the murder of the love of his life. We come to see that he has a very grim view on humanity and is struggling in terms of society. He goes in depth with his religous fiend of a father. We also learn during the time of Jason's narration that his older brother Kent, which was Reg's golden boy son has been killed in a car accident. Jason is phased by the death of his brother, but not as much as regular brother would be. He wishes that he and his brother would have been closer. Jason hated his father because he would often downtalk him and make him feel invisible while at the same time emphasize on Kents accomplishments. His father would often try to break his spirit by mistreating him and using religion as justification. Jason has not gotten over Cheryl's death, and now Kent has died too, and he seems to be in a very depressing but euphoric state of being. He spends his time narrating from his car infront of the beach with the company of his 1 year adopted eye seeing dog, Joyce. Things appear to be pretty grim for the kid, and we learn that he has bounced as far away from religion as possible in his concsious mind, but the implications of his father's mistreating with justification of religion exist in his subconcious and occasionally re-surface in the times of his pondering. Jason doesn't cope well with the memorial of his brother and ends up getting very drunk and guilt trips Barba; Kents widow; into talking to his father which later leads to a conflict over cloning and how her children are twins so one is a clone of the other and Reg mentions that one of your children may not have a soul. This sets Barbra off and she almost wacks Reg with a folded wooden chair at the memorial. He also mentions how the town turned on him, including the police suspecting him of taking part in the massacre since he assaulted one of the alive!er members giving him a concussion and also pushing Mr.Kroger, his english teacher, down a set of stairs unintentionally. Also people mentioned that he and Cheryl appeared to be having problems before the massacre occured. He was considered as a suspect and from what the incident the police saw when they were at his home regarding his dad and his behavior caused the police to consider the possibility, which put him into a phase of back and forth questioning; while trying to deal with the death of his wife.

I enjoyed the first half of the 2nd chapter. The author led us through the tangled webbs that unfold to the massacre from Jason's first person point of view. It helped me to understand better about the massacre and Jason's dad regarding his religious themes. I find Reg to be pretty crazy, but I dont blame him for his ignorance. I guess certain people need to have and believe in certain things in life to get by. However i think that his selection of neccessities have been detromental to his family and degressive for Jason. I dont think his level of intelligence reaches the implications of his actions so i dont think I can be mad at him. He is like  a child that doesn't know any better. Even jason describes during the time when Reg said that one of Barbra's twin children may not have soul during Kent's memorial; Barbra reacted in a deffensive way that Reg didnt understand why she did so in such an extreme mannor. He is crazy, and I dont feel I would have the right to be mad at him, but rather more sympathetic and understanding. He must have had a really troubled life to resort to religion in such an extreme mannor. Maybe I'll find out as I read on.

Hey Nostradamus! By Douglas Coupland: Cheryl 1988

In the introductory chapter to this novel, Douglas Coupland introduces us to one of the victims of a high school massacre in East Vancouver, Canada. Her name was Cheryl, and the author allows her to narrate her specific story and background leading up to the massacre and the time of her death. Cheryl was a newly wedd Christian practicioner despite being from a non-religous family. She also happened to be pregnant during the time of her murder. She got married at 17 with fake ID's provided by her husband, Jason; whom was also 17 at the time that they got married in the city of Los Vegas. Cheryl was part of a devoted Christian group of friends reffered to as the "Out for lunch bunch", the name was given to them because they didn't usually eat in the cafeteria during lunch but would rather go outside of the school to nearby diners for lunch. They were also part of the "Youth Alive!" club. The "Youth Alive!" club included Christians that would practice their religion, and often had a dim view on non-believers and tended not to listen to them. From what was suggested about the club and its followers, its primary goal was to keep believers believing, and supported non-believers to join; should they choose too. Despite being part of the Christian group, and posessing the Christian image, Cheryl would often think for herself and in heart be apart from the group but externally conformed with the group. Although she did meet eye to eye with alot of the the Christian customs and her group of friends, she did not neccessarily accept absolutely everything about the religion, which caused her an internal isolation. She also posessed an artistic view on the beautiful world she narrated, and understood the value of the simpler things in life. She found joy with Jason and also through the beautiful world that ended with her life.

I very much enjoyed Douglas Coupland's tone. He was humerous in the most serious moments of his novel and appeared to be a kind of satire for me. I also agreed and understood the implications that I was lucky enough to attain from his writing of the first chapter with regards to religion and conformity. It's interesting how people immediately find faith or question it in times of extremities. People who are close to death, and spent most their life not believing in god tend to begin to believe at the time of their conclusion, whether it be out of fear of the unknown or uncertainty of their moral/immoral behaviors they exhibited throughout their life time. Then there are people that question gods existence during the nearing of their death by the cause of criminal acts. They believe that god's existence is present in everywhere and the fact that they acknowledge this makes them immune to anybodys immoral acts or behaviors. In their eyes, they are protected by god at all present times. But when something occurs that threatens their very existence and shakes them into a certainty of death they immediately go back on their religion and wonder why god would ever allow this, and then question if there even really is a god all along. They usually end up continuing their beliefs despite the outcome, may it be out of again; the fear of the unknown, or if it would be to shameful to turn on something they have devoted themselves to. Either way humanity has a funny way of dealing with death, and the unknown. Douglas Coupland explores this in his novel. Cheryl who was a devoted Christian found herself praying, while at the same time questioning her prayers at the time of the massacre. She had written in her binder during the time "god is nowhere". This could be read in two ways. One way would be to read it as, god is now here, and the other would be god is no where. This details the debate of religion before death that Douglas Coupland incorporated into his novel. During the time of the massacre Cheryl's mind was just as chaotic as what was going on outside of her mind. As she layed dieing in the arms of her lover, she concluded that despite the beautiful world we live in, and all the pleasures that it holds; darkness still exists. I strongly agree with this because I believe darkness is a corequisite for pleasure. Their cannot be good without evil, the same way white couldn't exist without black or vice verca. The author also made a good foreshadowing of the outcome of the chapter by allowing his character Cheryl to first say "I believe that what seperates humanity from everything else in this world is that humanity alone has the capacity at any given moment to commit all possible sins."(p.3). He also made it a good read by transferring back and forth between past background and actual happening of Cheryl's life and death.

Richard Wright: The Library Card

Richard Wright wrote the excrept "The Library Card" during a time where African Americans had gained equality to white's, but not really. Although African American's back then had the same human and civil rights as white people did, they still lived in a hostile environment that would degress the development of African American success in society. During this time of great spirtitual struggle Richard Wright stumbles upon a newspaper that will forever change the course of his life. He goes on to read the newspaper and reads into the hateful words expressed towards the writer Mencken. He reads "Mencken is a fool", which especially keens Wright's attention since such harsh language was often used towards African Americans at the time, and Mencken was not an African American. Richard Wright wonders what Mencken could have possibly done to achieve such hatred from the Memphis Commercial Appeal. This in turn leads Richard Wright to purchase several of Mencken's books to further his understanding of the hated writer. Through the courageous acts of forging a somewhat trusted man's signature for a valid library card. This act would prove to be significant since after he checked out several of the books he redeveloped a hunger for expression and understanding. He goes on to say "I had once tried to write, had once reveled in feeling, had let my crude imagination roam, but the impulse to dream had been slowly beaten out of me by experience. Now it surged up again and I hungered for books, new ways of looking and seeing". Although the excrept leaves the reader in wonder of what happens next I am doubtless that this was the igniting of a passion that would later lead Richard Wright to become a successful and well known writer.

My personal reflection on this excrept involves me reaching a higher understanding of spiritual struggle, and concurring with the passion of expression. I learned much about the harsh conditions that African Americans had to undergo despite being granted liberty and equality. Richard Wright details how he cooked pork and beans in a sink with hot water. I felt a deep sympathy followed by a sense of anger for the harsh conditions that he underwent during his time of development into an intellectual. It also made me angry how most the remarks Richard Wright would recieve from white people when caught reading a book would often down talk his understanding just because of the color of his skin. People's ignorance seem to be an easy way to get to me, as im sure its a pretty easy way to get to everybody else including those that even act ignorant. People who often act ignorant by neglecting others usually neglect many insightful experiences and moral understandings. I enjoyed how the author spoke about his passion reffering to how it was like a drug that would leave him doped into a pespective for days at a time. He details in his excrept "It was not a matter of believing or disbelieving what I read, but of feeling something new, of being affected by something that made the look of the world different". I find it very easy to relate to this. I can relate to this because I make art, and when I do; I feel that after most the art I make through which I incorporate things that both I do and dont believe in permanently alter a perspective I have on the world and life as a whole. I can also relate to more then just the outcome of following your passion for just one session. During the process of expression or reaching a higher understanding I feel that both the author and I reach something I have come to call the "Trance of Expression" where time, and all matter collapse temporarily only to come back even more complete in our head by the end of our thoughts and expression. Hence the simple name the "Trance of Expression". I believe this exists within all artists and I believe it was piccaso who once said everybody is born an artist but many rather unfortunately grow out of their creativity through other peoples/societies impressions and influences. The education system is in an industrial format that emphasizes more on producing the future generations with a sense of hands-on step by step, rather then promoting creativity and engenuity. Expectations of percision seem to out weight expectations of creativity in the modern world through my current understanding. But circling back to the Excrept, I believe Richard Wright supported his thesis of despite having a spiritually tortured environment one can follow through to their creative passion and reach a spiritual fulfillment beyond words. He supported his thesis through explaining despite the feeling of guilt that was brought on to him through the ignorant white people of the early 1900's his passion for reading came as refuge for his situation, feeling of guilt for reading, and understanding. It was well structered with good imagery that led the reader to feel the guilt that he was feeling. I believe he did this by emphasizing on a lot of specifics in his current situation at the time, and also white peoples outlook on African American people reading and educating themselves.

Sandra Cisneros: Only Daughter

 In the Excrept of Only Daughter by Sandra Cisneros, the author describes the obstacles of expectaion she overcame; being part of a mexican american working class family. She introduces the ideologic role of a woman in a mexican american family as a person who's sole purpose is to find a husband. She then details how lonesome it is to be part of a family with 6 brothers. She explains how her father would often reffer to his children as 7 sons, instead of 6 sons and 1 daughter. She comments on how this would make her feel invisible as part of the 6 male syblings. However, she soon realizes that through this isolation and expectation of finding a husband that she is free to explore all the awaiting pleasures that college holds without any criticism or urging to succeed academically. It is through this pressureless perspective that she develops her passion for writing. She explains how the isolation provided by her family would later on prove to be great  for a would-be writer. She goes on to explain "the loneliness was good for a would-be writer-it allowed me to think and think, to imagine, to read and prepare myself".Ultimately the time provided for her as a child allowed her to identify her passion, and going to college without any kind of pressure to succeed in her studies led her to experience and develop her identified passion for writing.

My reflection on the excrept of Only Daughter by Sandra Cisneros has led me to much insight on certain morals about family's with morals. In addition to that I learned of the significance of isolation. I came to understand that family's with expectations for their children can often be misleading for their children and could potentially supress a developing childs talents for their passion. Although nothing like this occured in the excrept, I was able to understand that the writer was lucky enough to stumble upon such a perspective that led her to succeed in her career as a writer. But just as lucky as she was to find that mind set, others can be just as unlucky and could be forced into careers; or even roles in life that they would not prefer, ultimately leading to a regretful life. My understanding of isolation in this excrept is that when one is isolated, one is free or cut back from the surrounding influences around them. In turn this freedom and lack of surrounding influence can lead one to dive deep into a better and higher understanding of themselves, without having to focus on other peoples oppinions or actions. The excrept's thesis of people overcoming the obstacles of expectation was well supported. It was supported through multiple paragraphs that made refrences to the authors father whom was the leading figure head of the thesis. He thought of her daughter as somebody that should focus more on finding a husband rather than a career. This supports her thesis by introducing the conflict of her fathers expectations, and her own will of succeeding as an individual writer. Also Sandra Cisneros supports her thesis by concluding the overcoming of the obstacles of expectation by mentioning how her father supported her first translated book by saying "where can we get more copies of this for the relatives?". There were also many other supporting sentences and paragraphs that she used to detail her success of overcoming the expectations of her father. All togther is was a strongly supported and structured excrept with valid points of reason.

Malcom X: Learning to read

In Malcom X's excrept, learning to read; the author explores the many benefits that were incorporated into his life through reading. He dives into the deeper meanings of life through introducing his African America race and how much it suffered during the earlier years of the 1900's. He then explains about how much of his success was brought through reading, and not to mention the understanding of Britain's history while involving his race, the Asian race, and the Indian race. All of this plays a factor in how he was able to get by in prison so fast mentally while at the same time giving him peace in mind. Malcolm X details on the faulty actions of what he refers to as the "white man". He details how over 115 million african blacks, which is close to the united states population of the 1930's were either enslaved or murdered. He also takes the time to emphasize on the hypocritical history of the "white man". He mentions in his excerpt " First, always "religiously", he branded "Heathen" and "Pagan" labels upon ancient non-white cultures and civilizations. the stage thus set, he then turned upon his non-white victims his weapons of war". This has been proven to be hypocritical since, as they would preach christs teachings of being kind, meek, humble, and giving; they would do all but just that. They would go on to kill, take, manipulate and pillage almost all non-white cultures.     My reflection on Malcolm X's excrept of learning to read gave me much insight on the history of Great Britain. It also gave me a deeper understanding of what it is to be human, in addition to the many universal perspectives that give all comfort and ease. The excrept taught me that comfort and unity is found through mutual pain. I obtained this moral through recognizing the patterns of the author's writing where he introduces all the different races that have been victimized by the "white man" at one point or another. This passage also proved to me man's inevitable greed, and how they will do or use anything to get what they want; even if it means using religion as a tool. Malcolm X made valid points of this with the quote "the collective white man had been actually nothing but a piratical opportunist who used faustian machinations to make his own christianity his initial wedge in criminal conquests". This specific part of the excrept also lead me to wonder about Lewis Thomas's excrept "To Err Is Human", and how humans are able to progress through mistake. Reflecting upon that, I learned that people can learn from this; all that I had learned, and even more. Aside from moral understanding Malcolm X well established his thesis on all the benefits that are brought through reading. in addition to that he also supports his thesis by giving us an introduction to the basics of the African American race and all the mistakes that Great Britain had made during the early 1900's regarding slavery, murder, and manipulation. All together it was a very well written excrept with valid support for his thesis.

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