Diversity Chapter 1 Excerpt

Diversity is a story of acceptance and adventure about an outcast angel with black wings named Alanthia and how she takes the fate of the world into her own hands. Below is an excerpt from Chapter 1 of the epic tale:

“So you,” she said to the being, “are the creature that killed my father. I thought you were destroyed by my sword.”

“Far from it Lady.” The creature hissed evilly, grinning. The smell of burned and rotting flesh lingered in the air around him. Alanthia respectfully held back the urge to gag but pulled out her sword nevertheless.

“You will be soon.” She growled and put the blade to the black and red throat of the monster. Erumi suddenly appeared at her side and held her arm.

“You’re Majesty,” he warned gently, “the rumors.” Alanthia’s face relaxed in exhaustion and she nodded.

“Yes,” she muttered, “I know.” Then, as she backed away from the monster, she spoke.

“Angels have a code of honor, creature.” She snarled, “In honor of my father’s death by your hands, you owe us information.” A chuckle.

“Perhaps I do,” he said, “Very well angel, as I am going to die anyway.” Alanthia nodded to him and took another step back.

“We are called Urak,” the creature began, “Forged of the dead. Our old bodies are burned and what is left is shaped into this.” He gestured at his own body, “and we are bewitched to do the bidding of the Queen Doona-” there was a sharp intake of breath from Isindu and the Urak smiled, “yes I thought you might recognize her name. We are under her spell, even now as I speak, but we may do as we please when not doing her bidding.”

“You are preparing to wage war.” Isindu said, it was not a question, but a statement and the Urak nodded.

“Of course.” Suddenly the Urak reached out with lightning grip and speed and grabbed the front of Alanthia’s dress.

“Alanthia!” Erumi cried and leapt forward.

“We were only after you.” The Urak whispered hurriedly in her ear, “Your people died because we were trying to find you. Just think; I killed your father trying to locate you. If we would have found you,” he chuckled lightly, “your people would be safe. Your father would be alive.” Erumi wrenched the Queen away from the Urak with vigor as it began to laugh insanely.

“Kill it.” He said in disgust at the look on Alanthia’s face. The Queen’s eyes seemed empty, her face still, mouth partway open in a not unattractive way. Arrows flew from all directions and the Urak were killed, the eerie one resting with an insane grin on his face.

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Mali Women and Bleaching the Skin

This chain of events in Mali has taken a turn for the worse. According to BBC News women in Mali have been bleaching their skin with creams for a while, damaging their skin, because it is believed that men like lighter skinned women. Salubrious would be anything but the word for this situation.

Women's faces in Mali today are chemically embellishing themselves pallid and damaged, causing blemishes and dry skin. But what is the reason for this action from so many women?

"Women who refuse to bleach often find themselves regarded as second class citizens. A woman who did not bleach her skin said she is often not offered a chair at baptisms, and is asked to make herself scarce when group photographs are taken at marriages." It seems that this is a part of their culture or their beliefs and if women do not do this they are shunned. So if anyone is making these ashamed for being dark skinned, who is making them so but the society around them. A number of causes probably occurred from this problem including the dowry of a woman. The choice of whether they bleach their skin or not probably affects that. Men, but a select few, probably feel anything but salacious when they see a woman of such color. Women are ebullient to get these products because of the attention that they will get from the men. Women want that kind of attention.

I think that the situation in Mali is much like the one in America. They think that if you have white skin you're beautiful, just like here where people say that if you're skinny you're beautiful. I think that it's just another way to get a hold on women and it's so degrading!

What a Commercial!

What were your gut reactions to this commercial? What do you think about the central message of the commercial? Be specific and give examples to support your ideas.

Two words that start with S... sad and sickened. Watching this commercial only increased my knowledge of how messed up our society is. Kids at the age of fifteen nowadays are getting plastic surgery and taking diet pills to be skinny. The media corrupts every one's minds at a young age telling you that to be pretty you have to be skinny and have an awesome body and a cute, symmetrical face and stuff like that. With these kinds of view also comes insecurity. I can take a personal experience... I watch TV all the time and read magazines and will see a girl that is skinny and has smooth skin and beautiful hair and I'll immediately feel small. Thoughts will run through my head, "My hair is too curly; I'm too 'fat'; Wow,my face is off proportion" and I'll go into these things that make me feel like I'm not good enough and everybody can see it. I understand that it takes your own self insecurities to believe that you really aren't good enough but... I mean kids are so impressionable at young ages. I agree with the commercial, talk your kids before the media gets a hold of them!
If you want to watch the video CLICK HERE

The Four Virtues

What are the four virtues? According to Greek philosophers throughout history they go as follows:

• Prudence (Knowledge)
• Fortitude (Bravery/ Courage)
• Temperance (Moderation)
• Justice (Fairness)

I think that, like everything else, these virtues are solely defined in the eyes of the beholder. Throughout our symposium that we had in HUMANities we discussed these virtues and the values of Plato and Socrates and what we think about them.

First we started with knowledge... there are many kinds of knowledge in the world whether it be "book knowledge" or "street knowledge" or being "street smart"... I think it really depends on the person and what they consider to be knowledge. Common sense is definitely something that you should have... as Robert (http://arobsblog.blogspot.com) said you have to have common sense if you want to get anywhere. There's a difference between having the knowledge and using the knowledge.


Next we discussed (as it flowed through the conversation) the concept of bravery and what it is. I think that I contributed a lot to this one because I had a lot of thoughts that had mainly come to me during the other part of our conversation. Some questions that I asked were "What is bravery?" There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity. What one person might see as brave another might think is stupid. There isn't one way to define bravery or beauty or truth for that matter... once again we are brought back to "in the eyes of the beholder". Many ideas that I believed in were as such: Bravery means you are taking a chance to do something good and what you believe in but it does take some knowledge to be brave. Bravery could be ignorance in some cases, but in others not so much.

Moderation, or the trait of being patient, I think is one key component to life... to be able to enjoy the beautiful things in life, you have to be able to wait for them. If you get everything you want right then and there, you won't enjoy what you get in the end.

Justice is the last one and it ties in with many other favorable traits: trust, truth, etc. and once again, it is in the eyes of the beholder. When Socrates was killed for his beliefs the government thought that it was fair to kill him... but I don't think it was. Justice can also be ignorant (as can love and truth) and it really depends on who the person is.

A girl in my class named Ashley (http://bbyashley.blogspot.com) said that if she could put one new virtue on the list it would be to give people a "good presentation" of yourself. What I'm confused about is what is good? How would you go about carrying yourself in a "good" way? Once again, its all a matter of perspective!

If I could add one virtue to the four "cardinal" virtues and make it five I would add "acceptance". I see so many people, EVERYWHERE, that "hate" people because they are Jewish, because they're black, because they're homosexual. I think it's SICK! There's nothing wrong with it! People need to accept others for who they are and all those out there who are reading this who have been treated in such ways keep fighting! I'm right behind you.

Socrates once said that "religion is ignorance" and in some ways it is. Some religions blind you to things that are going on in the world. I'm Catholic, but I believe in many things that Atheists believe. I believe in "The Big Bang" and evolution and such and at the same time I believe in God and Jesus and all the other things that happened. I'm torn... What makes me feel really amazed is that as soon as I was done saying that, Cortney looked at me and said "And you know what's amazing about America today? You would have been tried and killed for saying what you just did." My heart jumped and I stopped for a moment... It was exhilarating!

So when you think about it all these four virtues and basically anything you might talk about is all in the eyes of the beholder, from music, to beauty, to food even! I love it because if the entire world were like one person then it would be SO BORING!! Not because of that one person's beliefs but because there would be nothing to talk about if we all had the same opinion. We wouldn't have had this symposium today... and that's what makes it beautiful.

Women in Athens

1. How did women's roles in society differ from Athens and Sparta?

In Athens women were considered what we now call "dumb blonds" they thought that women couldn't be trusted because of their "weak minds". Being a young woman of education and intelligence and a mind to go out into the world on my own without a boyfriend (which I don't need) and write my books and spread my opinion I find pity from the deepest darkest part of my heart for these women who were treated this way. It makes me think of some girls these days as well who want to be treated like this. Who want to be taken care of... It makes me shiver. "A wife's duty was to bear legitimate children (i.e., heirs) and to manage the household. She was expected to remain inside her home... A woman seen outside on her own was assumed to be a slave, prostitute, concubine or a woman so poor that she had to work. One writer said that the best woman was the one about whom the least was heard, whether it be good or bad." (http://www.womenintheancientworld.com/women%20in%20ancient%20athens.htm) It really makes me want to throw up... they were less than slaves to their husbands!

Now as for the women in Sparta they weren't treated much better. They were allowed to own property and do athletics at the same age as boys in their young years, their clothing was more reveling if it needed to be to allow movement, and had they many of the same freedoms. When they got older, the women in Sparta were still treated nearly the same as anywhere else, maybe not by law but in attitude. Back then there was still the thought of "if you're a woman your job is to stay at home and cook and clean and take care of the children". They rarely got any support from their husbands and basically lived on their own. A quote that struck me odd was this: "An unmarried man might approach a friend and ask if he could “borrow” his wife to produce a child for him. If the husband had all of the children he wanted and approved of the suitor he might agree. It is highly unlikely that the mature wife and mother lacked a strong voice in the arrangements, considering the power and status of adult women in everything else." What do they mean, they asked if they could borrow another man's wife to have a child for them... like it's asking if they could borrow a cup of sugar!! It's sick still!!

2. If the Greeks are considered so advanced, so culturally elite, why do you believe gender equality (equality between men and women) was not established?

I think, and if this isn't the answer I don't know what is, it was because of their religion. Maybe it's because of the way the Gods treated their women... I mean Zeus cheated on all of his wives! I think that the ignorance of men and their modeling the God's way are the reasons for it.


3. Based on your understanding of women in Ancient Greek society, how do you think women were depicted by artists at this time?

I think, and I may be wrong, but I think that they were depicted as something beautiful because of the fact that they were so "goddess like" and graceful . Like Cortney said "woman is beautiful, woman gives birth" so birth is a beautiful thing to many people and I think that it was wanted to be portrayed that way. Many women made in paintings throughout time are naked. Once again "woman is beautiful, woman gives birth"

You, Plato, Socrates, and beauty

1. What is so beautiful about youth?

I don't see beauty as smooth skin or skinny bodies or anything that has to do with looks at all. Beauty is all a matter of perspective, as I said below in my last post and it matters solely on your mind. The beautiful thing about being young is that you have so much time ahead of you in your life and so much more to learn, so much more wisdom to obtain. You're carefree and unaware of the judgment that people put on each other! Being young is where you carve the bridge to your future life. “In youth we learn; in age we understand”

2. We know what "perfect" most likely means to Socrates by looking at ancient Greek sculpture and art and drawing inferences, but he doesn't describe this "perfect" human form. What are your thoughts on the idea of a "perfect" human form today? What is it in your culture for men? women? What are your thoughts surrounding those ideals?

Italian women and men, as my mother says, like "voluptuous" women and also believe that beauty is in the mind. I think that today's view of beauty is messed up… the philosophy that "skinny is beautiful"… You dont have to be skinny and have a cute face to be beautiful. That's just what Americans see these days. I think it's wrong! but that’s just what I think.

An add on to beauty

The more I come to think about it... the more I come to realize that beauty is a matter of perspective, like truth and happiness. I could be walking in a field with Coli or Emily and one of them could look up and see a million colorful stars all in one place, all the colors merging together to make one. She could mumble quietly in awe, "Oh, how beautiful..." But I may have a different opinion. Of course I think it's remarkable but, I wouldn't call it "beautiful" exactly. I could say that music is the most beautiful thing in the world and somebody else could disagree with me. They could think that the definition of beauty is a good looking man or woman. So it really relies on you. On what you think. If it's all a matter of perspective... then does beauty even exist? The world, I believe, will never find out.

What is beauty to me? Below are three pictures and explanations displaying my thoughts on beauty:

Anything natural is one view of beauty that can be taken. Anything that can take your breath away and hasn't been altered in any way. Nature is beauty in my opinion. Above is a picture of a waterfall, beautiful, natural, really an amazing view.

Music is beautiful. Whether it be singing or an instrument playing softly in your ears it soothes your mind and touches you heart. It's a way to express yourself in ways that you could never imagine! I believe that beauty comes in more ways than one. Music is the beauty of sound.


As far as people go, whether they be a big shot superstar, or just a guy walking down the street, you have to be confident with your looks to be beautiful. Beauty of the human is all a matter of perspective and confidence. If you have confidence in yourself, then you are beautiful.

Well there are my views of beauty!!

My first post!!!

Hello world!!! My first post woo hoo!!!!!