The Kite Runner: A story for the ages, for all ages

“You are what you eat.” We’ve all heard the statement in regards to nutrition, but the same can be said for materials you ingest in other ways. Every individual is shaped into the person they become not only by those around them, but also by their own actions and the activities they choose to take part in. For some it is the movies and television they choose to watch or the bands and music styles they listen to or even the books they choose to read. The one novel that really resonated with me as a teen was Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini because of the many life lessons discussed in the storyline and the connection he is able to create between the audience and the characters in his story.

The story begins with Amir hinting to issues in his past, both good and bad, that have made him the man he has become and in the following chapters describes the many characters, including his father Baba, friend/servant Hassan and enemy Assef, as well as the incidents that have affected him, including the key incident involving Hassan and Assef. He eventually has to flee from his home in Kabul with his father when things become too dangerous for them to stay, leaving behind Hassan and the issues for which he feels guilty. Once in America he creates a new life, but the guilt he feels for his cowardice when Hassan needed his help and the ultimate lack of respect he showed Hassan does not go away even with this change of scenery and he eventually travels back to Kabul to attempt to make things right. Amir ultimately faces his demons, some in unexpected ways, and comes to terms with his past. Kite Runner has an exceptional storyline loaded with memorable quotes, including many that do more than just move the story along, but also introduce many of the themes found in the novel.

“That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out.” For me truer words have never been written, uttered or thought. It might be a cliché, but if you don’t remember where you’ve come from, you can’t know where you’re going. This quote, found in the first chapter of Kite Runner, foreshadows the coming-of-age story of the protagonist Amir as he battles to gain his father’s admiration, to understand his place in a complex world where he is in the “privileged class” but does not feel he belongs and to make up for a mistake that has continually haunted him. This idea of not hiding from your problems and becoming a better person as a result is one of the many lessons that are discussed and seen throughout the novel.

“Children aren’t coloring books. You don’t get to fill them with your own colors.” This is a quote from Rahim Khan, the only father figure Amir ever had, to Amir’s father Baba when discussing Amir and the difficulty Baba has had connecting with him. While parents, friends and neighbors do have a major effect on an individual, ultimately we must choose who we become. We can take everything they teach us into consideration but in the end we decide for ourselves which of these to keep.

“If America taught me anything, it’s that quitting is right up there with pissing in the Girl Scouts’ lemonade jar.” Amir had been in America for awhile when this thought crossed his mind. The message of this quote is apparent. Finally, Rahim Khan said, “There is a way to be good again,” to Amir just before he returned to Kabul, hinting to the always present chance of redemption. All of these quotes represent the underlying themes of the story and are the reasons this novel has become one of my favorites and has been influential in my life. When I first read Hosseini’s best seller I was a sophomore in high school and was attempting to create a persona for myself. While this novel was not the only thing to have an effect on me during this time, it helped by reintroducing these ideals and the overall theme of relationships and the importance of them to all of us.

I believe this theme of the importance of relationships is the main message Hosseini is attempting to introduce to his readers because of the many complex relationships existing between the characters and the idea that quitting is not an option and that redemption is always possible. Amir’s unconventional relationship with his father, strained relationship with his servant/friend Hassan and volatile relationship with his archenemy Assef shape him as a person. They also force him through the ups and downs of his life which lead to his eventual redemption. These character interactions, combined with the themes of the story, the dialogue that introduces these themes and the flashback style that Hosseini utilizes in his storytelling are the main ways I drew from the story, and eventually connected with, the important issues and themes Hosseini discussed.

For all of these reasons I feel that Kite Runner is a fantastic read that would be enjoyed by any literature-lover and is a book that should be read by everyone. Anyone that enjoys a well developed and entertaining story would thoroughly enjoy it. Some material found in the novel is graphic and unsuitable for younger children, but goes a long way toward creating Amir as a character that the audience can connect to. Some parts of the novel tend to drag on a little longer than what is necessary, but Hosseini never loses the readers’ interest. Kite Runner is a classic in the making and is a story for the ages and for all ages.

Khaled Hosseini, Kite Runner, published by Riverhead Books in 2003, Price: $12.99

Modern Warfare 2 changed the game and is still a classic today

Bullets fly by your head while you fight your way from a gas station to the local burger joint across the street. Here you mount your defense against the invading forces hell-bent on killing you. You then make your way from the burger joint to a relatively nice neighborhood and begin fighting house to house to take back the neighborhood. Before long you find yourself thinking about how much it reminds you of your own neighborhood. This really hammers home the idea of war and creates a human element that I have never really felt with any other game.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is the fifth in the line of Call of Duty games and is by far the most well made to this point. The storyline of the game revolves around a war between the United States and Russia, which in the game is controlled by a Cold Waresque government. You follow along as a soldier with the United States Rangers as they fight to beat back the Soviet advance eventually culminating in a battle to end all battles in Washington D.C. This somewhat plausible storyline, combined with ridiculously realistic graphics make for unbelievable campaign game-play that the player must play at least twice to enjoy it fully.

The creators of Modern Warfare 2 also did an amazing job with the online game play. Whether you’re a fan of Team Deathmatch, Search and Destroy or any of the other game styles offered, you are in for a real treat. A multitude of maps give any type of gamer a chance to lead their team to victory and because anything can happen while playing, it keeps you coming back for more. This makes the replay value of MW2 a lot higher than many other similar games.

I have already discussed graphics and gameplay, both of which easily get a perfect rating. The concept of the game is one that has been used many times before, but because the creators of the game put a new spin on the classic war game it is still entertaining. The sounds of the battles you find yourself in make you feel like you’re actually taking part in them rather than just watching them on your television and combined with controls that make the game easy and fun to play.

The pacing of the game is also very well thought out. The campaign begins slow in order to teach the gamer the controls and how to interact with their environment. It gradually picks up eventually leaving the gamer to fend for themselves in an extremely hostile environment. Add in the high replay value and overall entertainment and you have yourself an outstanding game which can be played again and again without becoming bored with it. Modern Warfare 2 is a classic and will always be a classic.

Story – 8/10

Entertainment – 10/10

Concept – 8/10

Innovation – 10/10

Graphics – 10/10

Sound – 10/10

Replay Value – 10/10

Controls – 8/10

Difficulty – 7/10

Pacing – 9/10

Total: 90/100

"Man Equals Man" equals Success

“Tonight you will see a man reassembled like a car.” Lady Begbick did not lie. In the story of one Average Joes’ transformation from regular guy to hardcore killer, the audience witnessed everything required to make a show entertaining. Great acting mixed with the perfect amount of suspense, intrigue and humor make this the best live performance of any kind that I have seen in a very long time.

In a story jam-packed with underlying themes lead actor Eb Madson shines as the character Galy Gay. He begins the play as a regular guy, strikingly similar to Curly from the Three Stooges, but ends it with a more Rambo-like demeanor. This transformation is evident thanks to the way Madson changes Gay’s personality throughout the show highlighting the idea that any man can have his morals skewed by those surrounding him.

One of the main reasons for Gay’s change is Widow Begbick played by Heather Petersen. If you can envision Raggedy Ann meets sorority girl on Halloween night, then you have a pretty good idea of how Petersen’s character looked. Add in the personality of a playboy bunny and you have yourself Widow Begbick. Seduction was the name of the game for her character and she pulled it off flawlessly. Throughout the play Petersen’s character as well as the soldiers played by Drew O’Bryan, Eric Lynch and Justine Blocksom work to transform Gay into a person he is not. Eventually, they succeed. Then throw in the performances of Zach Kopciak (Jip), who physically captures the essence of Charlie Chaplin perfectly, and Dylan Combs (Soldier 1), who drops one-liners with almost perfect timing, and you have a comedic element that makes the show even more entertaining.

I had not been to a play since I was really young and wasn’t really sure what to expect going in. Like a typical guy I had a feeling I would go in, watch the play and come out still mad I had to miss the Reds game. Let’s just say that didn’t happen at all. Director Brian Evans did a fantastic job of choosing the cast as well as adding certain qualities such as the clown paint on all of the actors. I really liked this touch as it highlights the idea that even as individuals, once we are integrated into a group we start to accept personality traits of that group. For Gay it was his transformation from innocent pedestrian to violence seeking, blood-lusting super soldier. Costume Designer Shannon Smith and Make-up Designer Janell Clingenpeel also have a lot to do with the success of the play. Their mixture of clown face paint and interesting, to say the least, costume designs bring across an atmosphere of 1920’s brothel meets circus freak show. Not only this, but each costume does a great job of highlighting each characters personality traits. A great example is Widow Begbick’s see-through skirt.

“Man Equals Man” is a must see for any play enthusiast and would be a great choice for anyone looking for a night out, including those with children (unless they are still in the “scared of clowns” demographic). The only knock on the play are the oddly timed musical numbers, and even those are done well enough to be enjoyed. As if foreshadowed by the actors creeping up on the stage manager as he introduced the show, this was a gem that snuck up and gave me one of the best surprises I’ve experienced in a long time.

"Workaholics": Comedy Central does it again

“Would you like fries with that?” All of us at one time or another have held a job that required us to say phrases like this one. “Workaholics” is a show about 3 friends named Anders, Blake and Adam that work together at a dead end job and spend their free time doing what any college-aged kids do, party. In this episode the guys find themselves in a tight spot when there is a drug that they did not know about. Blake put it best when said, “I’m excited, what kind of drugs are we testing.” Realizing that there was no chance they would pass the test the friends start looking for ways to pass the test including taking way too much Niacin and attempting to buy clean urine. Eventually, after not being able to find any they decide to just take the drug test and deal with the results, but as the audience expected the guys find a ridiculous way to get out of it.

As a show intended for a college audience, it is on point. The 3 main characters are a lot like many of the friends I have met since I came to college, which made me connect with them almost immediately. None of them really have a care in the world, other than the drug test, and the fact that the show both begins with them drinking on the roof of their house and ends the exact same way shows that their crappy job is nothing but a break in their schedule of constant partying. The use of “poopie dollar” and the scenes of the guys attempting to freestyle are hilarious because they are both things my roommates and I have done. The show is fantastic in its use of college-level dialogue and storylines which really draw in an audience of my age group.

This show has the potential to be a major hit with an age group ranging from 18-30, but the show has some material unsuited for kids younger than that and the same material (drug use, language) would be frowned upon by viewers older than 30. What gives the show even more potential is the time slot in which it airs on Comedy Central which is Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. when many people in the 18-30 range are getting ready to go to bed and want something to relax with. This show is perfect for that.

There aren’t many areas the show can improve on. Great acting from Anders Holmes, Blake Anderson and Adam Devine bring to life this story of post-college life and the struggle to get integrated into the real world by flipping it and having the characters make the real world conform to their standards. The fact that Holmes, Anderson and Devine also helped produce the show makes it successful in my opinion. They were able to take their vision, and without anyone else being able to dissect it, make it into a humorous show that hits close to home with the intended audience. I love this show and have recommended it to many people already and will continue to do so. If you like comedy and love to laugh then “Workaholics” is a show you will enjoy.

"Rio" - A family film worth getting excited for

It's not often I find a movie that makes me smile from beginning to end, but "Rio" has just been added to this list. Although the luster of animated, 3D films has some what worn off, this film has more than enough personality to make it shine through the clutter of "family, friendly movies."

This is a story about a bird name Blu, played by Jesse Eisenberg, who is captured as a chick and taken from his home of Rio de Janerio. He ultimately ends up in Minnesota where he is taken care of by a book keeper named Linda (voiced by Leslie Mann). When a scientist named Tulio informs them that Blu is the last living male of the blue macaw population they travel back to his original home of Rio de Janerio to save the population. Once there Blu is introduced to Jewel, a female Macaw played by Anne Hathaway, but things between the two don't start out well. When a group of poachers and an evil cockatoo, voiced by Jemaine Clement, come after the two they must rely upon the friendships they create with a family-oriented toucan (George Lopez), a rapping Cardinal (Will.I.Am), singing Canary (Jamie Foxx) and ingenious Bulldog (Tracey Lawrence) to help them through not only these obvious problems but also through more subtle personal battles.

It's tough to find a child friendly movie that deviates from the main character meets friends, faces fears and everyone ends up happy format that has become the norm and this film also fails to do so. However, the movie is not without its strengths. Stunning visuals, catchy music and a story, no matter how played out, that connects the audience to the characters make this a great movie for families, especially ones with kids. Songs performed by Jamie Foxx and Will.I.Am get your feet tapping and the slapstick comedy sprinkled throughout garner a few laughs. The entire cast does a great job, thanks in part to being placed in the perfect role for each of them making the movie even more enjoyable.

The story follows the maturation of Blu first and foremost, but there are several other minor storylines that mirror his journey and eventually tie directly into it. These include Linda’s search for love depicted in the pictures of her shown at the beginning of the movie as well as in actions later in the film and the search for some meaningful relationship by a lonely homeless boy.

"Rio" is in theaters as a 3D movie and without a doubt falls into the category of movies that would be better off without it. It does nothing to enhance the story and only during scenes when all of the characters are in flight does it add any extra viewing pleasure to the story. The awkwardness found in characters Linda and Tulio seems forced and unrealistic making the scenes between the characters stand out as ridiculous.

This movie is above all else a family film and in that sense is a home run. Following in the footsteps of movies such as Shrek and Cars, this film is one that kids will want to see over and over again and it deserves that distinction.

SPORTS: Phil Mickelson

Every once in awhile there comes along a story that brings out a lot of negative feelings from people that usually don't say a word. Here it comes from the Phil Mickelson haters. You never here anything from them when he's being the class act kind of person that he has always been. Watch any PGA Tour event and you'll see a lot of golfers interacting with the crowd, including Phil. He's a fan favorite thanks to the way he doesn't ignore those that came to see him play the game. No matter what kind of round he's having, good or bad, he is always appreciative of those watching.... not throwing clubs every time a shot goes slightly off course (no names.... woah a tiger). That brings us to the issue at hand, the old Ping clubs he now carries in his bag.

First of all this is not a violation of the rules. As everyone knows and has read in all the articles he is allowed to have that type of club in his bag so stop labeling him a cheater, something he is obviously not, though you could find one in his sport without looking very far (no names.... look a tiger). He found away around a rule that was just instituted, boo hoo, if it wasn't him it would have been someone else. The only reason this is as big of a deal as it is is because it's Phil. People love to find someone to hate and without Woods playing right now people are looking for someone to hate and this gives them there chance.

And if you had overlooked it there are other players using the same type of club. Why not bring up some of those names instead? No one is talking about them, its like they're doing nothing wrong when they are taking advantage of the same loop-hole. If your going to talk about players doing something wrong, even if what they are doing isn't wrong, you have to include all of them in it.

Phil Mickelson is not breaking any rules. He is not doing anything wrong. He put a different set of clubs in his bag, period. Players do that kind of thing all the time. This is not something that should be breaking news to everyone. Stop making a big deal out of it. Phil is going to keep being the great player and person he always was no matter what type of clubs he carries in his bag.

SPORTS: Week 11 Winners

Miami @ Carolina - WINNER: MIAMI. Even without Ronnie Brown the Dolphins win this game, mostly because Delhomme is awful.

Washington @ Dallas - WINNER: DALLAS. Washington is terrible and after a bad loss last week Big D is looking for a statement game.

Cleveland @ Detroit - WINNER: DETROIT. Who honestly gives a shit about this game? Detroit is the "better" football team. They win this battle of the inept.

San Francisco @ Green Bay - WINNER: GREEN BAY. San Francisco is good but there not that good. Look for some big plays down the field for Rogers and his WR's.

Pittsburgh @ Kansas City - WINNER: PITTSBURGH. Not even a question here.....

Atlanta @ New York Giants - WINNER: NEW YORK. Lets face it they have to win a game and this might be their week with Atlanta having to go without Turner.

New Orleans @ Tampa Bay - WINNER: NEW ORLEANS. They stay perfect against a Bucs team that is playing some pretty good football.

Buffalo @ Jacksonville - WINNER: JACKSONVILLE. They ride MoJo Drew to victory this week against the Bills.

Indianapolis @ Baltimore - WINNER: INDIANAPOLIS. They stay undefeated against another good football team because Manning owns this defense.

Seattle @ Minnesota: WINNER: MINNESOTA. Favre keeps them rolling.

Arizona @ St. Louis - WINNER: ARIZONA. Welcome home Kurt Warner. You still own this place.

New York Jets @ New England - WINNER: NEW YORK. It hasnt happened in a long time but I think the Jets can make New England lose two straight.

Cincinnati @ Oakland - WINNER: CINCINNATI. Gotta look out for the let down here but I think Cincy stays on the roll. They double their wins from last week in this game.

San Diego @ Denver - WINNER: SAN DIEGO. Denver is on a downward slide and now they dont have their starting quarterback so San Diego takes this game.

Philadelphia @ Chicago - WINNER: PHILADELPHIA. Even without Westbrook the Eagles have a ton of talent on both sides of the ball. They take this game.

Tennessee @ Houston - WINNER: HOUSTON. Rematch of a high scoring week 2 game. I like Houston at home.

Week Record:

Season Record: