Peter Kupfer's Blog

25 Random Things

So, if you were tagged, you are supposed to write your own list and tag 25 people including the person who tagged you. I say, do what you like.

1. I love teaching. However, it is way more work than I ever imagined it would be and I have a tremendous amount more respect for the good teachers I have had.
2. I love being a parent, but it is way more work that I ever imagined it would be (people always tell you it will be hard, and I beleived them, but you don’t know until you are there yourself.) I have a tremendous amount more respect for my parents now that I have a son.
3. I love Star Wars. I don’t know why. I know it (probably) isn’t real but the pageantry and the grandeur and the philosophy of it all is just so mesmerizing. It truly is an Oprah.
4. I have ADD and probably have my whole life. I was not officially diagnosed until I was 23, and knowing that I have it makes it easier as a teacher to deal with students who also have ADD (even if they don’t know they have it.) I also take drugs for ADD and, at least for me, they work.
5. I do not currently have a job next year and this weighs on me more than I let on or want to think about.
6. All I really want out of life is to do something that matters. I don’t know what that will be and I don’t know if I will know what it is (it may already have happened) but I will keep working at it until I die.
7. My son is named for Sir Isaac Newton (perhaps the single most important person of the millennium) and I think this is awesome and I don’t know if Gina will ever truly appreciate how much I appreciate and love her for allowing that. Continue Reading…

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Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

If you plan to read this book and don’t want to have it ruined you may want to not read this.

What an amazing book. J.K. Rowling really makes you feel the emotions of the characters in it. Having said that…

I feel empty inside, like a real person died. I can feel the pain that Harry is feeling. So much, that I really don’t want to be alone right now. It seems silly to me, but it is said. Dumbledore is dead and there is nothing we can do to make it stop and the people that did it are still at large. It is very upsetting.

I think the fact that a book can bring out such emotion is a true testament to the skill that Rowling has. It reminds me a lot of Star Wars III when you could feel the anguish and emotion that was going through Anakin.

I will say I was shocked that Snape was a Death Eater in the end. I was also please with the conflict that existed in Malfoy, very nice touch. I was surprised that there wasn’t a bigger deal made about how Harry was right the whole time about Draco though. Also, I don’t think the word FireBolt was used in the whole book, which is unusual, because Harry’s broom is always referred to as a FireBolt, and not just a broom.

Harry and Ginny breaking up was very reminiscent of Spider Man. I wonder if that is were she got the idea? I was also saddened by this, but I guess I understand.

I am not sure how Harry’s adventure is going to work out. He couldn’t even beat Snape, how is he going to beat Voldemort without more training?

I think these are my thoughts for now. Feeling a little better having gotten this off my chest. I will just have to try to remember the good times.

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Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic…

I have become mildly obsessed with Star Wars and purchased the computer game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Today I beat it. It took a little of 34 hours of recorded game play and probably 10 – 15 hours of unrecorded game play. The galaxy is safe again; you’re welcome.

I love summer vacation.

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In Jabba’s lair

When Leia rescues Han, she is not very careful about being quiet. It is just kind of stupid. I guess she makes up for it in that bikini!

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More about Vader…

The later in the movie, Vader talks to the Emperor and the Emperor says, “I have no doubt that he is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker.” Vader is like, “How is that possible?” Is this him playing dumb with the emperor, or is it an inconsistency?

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How does Vader know Luke’s name?

I was watching Star Wars V and I noticed that Vader knows that Luke’s last name is Skywalker. He gets the reports from the Hoth System and he says, “I know Skywalker is with them.” At no point before that does he learn Luke’s last name. Clearly this is the first indication that he is Luke’s father!

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Star Wars is Great!

I saw Star Wars III this morning. I enjoyed it a lot. The most frustrating thing about the movie was knowing what was going to ultimately happen and to watch Anakin make choices that led him that way not being able to stop him. Another thing I find frustrating at times about the Stars family of movies is that it makes the Dark Side look stronger and better. You think Yoda is invincible and then he is defeated by the Emperor. It is kind of dis-illusioning.

Anakin starts the movie out on pretty good terms with Obi-Won, which surprised me given how they left the last episode. I expected a lot more conflict. I don’t really buy the acting from Palpatine in the rescue scene. It is too obvious that he is controlling things. Even if you don’t know, the acting is poor. He improves throughout the movie, but I think he is the weakest actor throughout.

Overall though, I was very please. You get a lot of Star Wars background theory and you get to see what drove Anakin to become Darth. It also gives you some insight into the human spirit and the lengths we go to for the ones we love. Treachery and deceit are highly present throughout the film. It becomes difficult at times to tell if people are acting on their own or if they are being manipulated by Palpatine. The story I think flows very smoothly and the you can see all of the plot and story lines weave together. The writing is really well done.

The acting is as good as you might expect from a sci-fi movie. Visually and audialy (sp?) the movie was phenomenal. The music is always very good in Star Wars and it is often described as a musical drama. The pictures and special effects are all very good. In the first fight scene, it is a little hard to follow the fighters. The light sabers also looked a little different than the first 2 movies. As always, the sword fights are a little tough to follow because of the speed, but they are fun none the less.

I was very excited when General Grievous busted out the 4 light sabers (although we were confused why he had a cough.) And you get to see Palpatine work with the saber. It is odd to think that Windu and Obi-Won would have just actually finished there fights without hesitating then the whole affair would be taken care of. But Windu stops to wait and Obi-Won just assumes Anakin will die.

I also liked the way that Padme & Anakin’s lives become intertwined as they die. You can see very clearly, as the movie ends, that when Obi-Won says to Luke, “Vader killed and murdered your father,” that Vader really is reborn out of Anakin. Also they way the battles between Yoda & Palpatine and Obi-Won & Anakin are intertwined together is very nice.

I really like Star Wars. The stories work well together and the movies are visually impressive. Most importantly, I think, is the way the music tells a story. The way the death march plays at the right times, and in the final light saber battle, the theme from the last battle in Phantom Menace starts to play.

I have more thoughts that I will share later but it is late.

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