One and the Same

"Well, Christmas is upon us once again", as the great Charlie Brown once said. That also means that everyone is playing Christmas music everywhere, in the stores, in the streets, in homes, everywhere. One song and video in particular stood out to me: David Bowie and Bing Crosby singing a medley of "Little Drummer Boy" and "Peace on Earth." It is quite obvious why this performance stood out to me, just from the names of the performers, but the entire pretense of the song houses a deeper meaning than just the fact two legends are performing a song together.

Bing Crosby made his fame in the thirties and forties with his music known today as big band music or as a "crooner," with songs such as "White Christmas," "Baby, It's Cold Outside," and "Danny Boy," while David Bowie made his fame as a glam rocker in the seventies and eighties, with songs such as "Suffragette City," "Let's Dance," and "Heroes," basically the parallel opposite of Crosby. What makes this performance so interesting lies within the mutual respect that the two singers have for each other, despite one being old and the other being relatively modern. Despite the age differences, the singers represented popular music at their time in the world, and even though they may have different mediums to their music, both singers are more alike than most people could see from their music.

By the singers coming together and collaborating, they showed how, even with vast differences, people can come together and work together and respect each other. Now, I don't want to come off as one of those crazy people saying, "no more trouble, no more wars, love for everyone," because that probably is not possible, but this performance showed how different age groups, or countries, or ethnicities can come together and work with each other. The way that Bing Crosby and David Bowie blend the Christmas standards using their characteristic voices unveils the songs in a new, slightly contradictory light, almost like, "What is this? I don't know how to explain the sounds I am hearing!" But maybe this fact is why the song has endured over the years.

The symbolic meaning of the performance gives anyone who watches the video or hears the song a feeling of hope that one day the world will get over themselves and work together. Wait, I just found another of the meanings of Christmas; Bring on the holiday special.

Twelve Sentence Short Story

An Audience with the King

The legendary B.B. King has become one of the last remaining original bluesman, his singing as forceful and renowned today as it ever was, his phrasing and vibrato on his guitar Lucille as recognizable as an old friend, and his tone as characteristic music itself. Most people only hear a legend such as this through CD's or through videos; I, on the other hand, have been within throwing distance of the man himself. A stroke of luck, similar to a choir of angels singing, revealed to my parents and my aunt that B.B. was going to be in Fayetteville in September, and we immediately started waiting to get tickets. Once the tickets were bought, the dreadful waiting game began, slogging through the weeks, over the days, to the date, and against all odds (I mean, B.B. is eighty-four years old; you never know when he may check out). I waited and waited and finally the day came to leave for Fayetteville. Enough of this. I was ready to see B.B., still hoping that nothing would go wrong, that B.B. would not die before I could see him, and that the show would be everything I hoped it would be. An old saying goes, "Seek, and thou shall receive awesome tickets." Play Lucille and sing the blues, B.B. passionately did. Was the concert everything I hoped it would be? Seeing as how I was amazed, and inspired, and awe-struck, I would say that the show was what I hoped to see. While he may not have played the whole show, a result of thirty-plus years of diabetes, he never was without some insight brought forth on Lucille or through his words, he was never without his characteristic charm, like that of a caring grandfather wanting to share his wisdom to the audience, revealing to all at the show that no matter how old he may be or whoever comes along after him, B.B. King will always be the King of the Blues.

Good Versus Evil: A cliche or a reality?

Good and Evil. Light and Dark. All throughout books, throughout movies, throughout just about any form of media in the world, the "good guys" and the "bad guys" face off in an epic showdown to decide the fate of the world. Most stories of any kind that are written today involve a fairly clear cut good and bad, where the victory of one side is the exact opposite of what the outcome would have been if the other side had won. But is this the way in the real world? Usually, the world is not completely black and white. There are some gray areas in life, where the outcome of one side winning is the same as if the other side had won. The real contest is to discover where these areas are and how to make the right decisions.

Most media buys into the cliched version of good and evil- the heroes have to accomplish an impossible task against all odds, and, if not, the whole world will fall into chaos and suffering. In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo has to destroy the One Ring, or Sauron will rise to power again and enslave Middle Earth; In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker has to defeat the Emperor to bring balance to the Force, otherwise the Empire will remain in power and the Rebels are doomed; Batman has to stop the Joker because many people will be killed, and on and on. It is fairly easy to tell who the good guys and who the bad guys are in these situations, but maybe not as easy in reality.

Is a revolution to overthrow an incompetent ruler justified when the new rulers use the exact same techniques as the previous ruler to maintain order? Is someone who saves a child from a burning building doing a good deed if they set the fire in the first place? Numerous times police shootings get caught up in this scenario. The police do their job and have to take a drastic measure to keep others safe, but all of the people who love to stir up trouble cry foul and say that the police should be charged for hurting the criminal. They did a wrong to do a right. Wars are also another gray area. Each side usually has their own agenda for coming into the war, but the reasons may be to gain more resources or one side said that the other sides ruler smelled funny. The reasons are not always the cut and dry, "They are evil; We are good, so let's stop them before the world ends." Each group may say that they are doing good and that the other side is evil, therefore needing to be stopped, but both sides may threaten to cross the treacherous bridge between right and wrong.

One of the best examples of toeing the line while trying to deliver justice and do what is right occurs in The Dark Knight. One of the key themes in the movie is how much you can do to accomplish what is right before you begin to become what you are trying to stop. There seems to be a limit where good becomes evil and everything becomes very hazy, with both sides coming together. To find the Joker, Batman has to use high-tech satellites and spy cameras to search Gotham City, violating the privacy of everyone in the city and certainly breaking a few laws. But it was all done to catch a killer. Anything done in the name of good can be done in the name of evil I suppose. Sounds very cliched, but is often true, especially in the real world.

While there may not be any true right or wrong in the world, there are some decisions that are more right or more wrong than others. Saving someone from dying is usually a good decision to make in any scenario, with trying to kill the person is usually the wrong choice to make in a situation. The only problem is that the world is not completely black or completely white, but has different tones and meanings. So, yes, good versus evil is a cliche, but is still a very enjoyable one at that. If all of life's problems could be solved by throwing a ring into a volcano, the world would be a much easier place to live. But nothing is ever that simple, making the world we live in the world it is.

Independent Reading book list

For the second quarter independent reading, I have decided to set my sights on reading at least three different titles. This has been a long and arduous search through Amazon, Goodreads, and Mrs. Huff's library, but I think I have assembled the absolute greatest reading list of all time. My selections are:

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings are a series of books that are just so amazing and riveting, it is almost required to read the books at least once in life. So, that is what I am doing. After already finishing The Fellowship of the Ring, the next book in the saga is The Two Towers, so, this is what I will read next. The interest I have in reading this book mainly stems from seeing the movies that were released several years ago. My decision to read the books was similar to, "Well, if the books are half as good as the movies, then the books will be great." While the books and movies may differ on some aspects, I have not been disappointed at all in anyway. Also, I do not have to worry about getting a copy of this book or The Return of the King, since I already have the entire series and can jump right in whenever I please.


The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
My reasoning for choosing The Return of the King is similar to my reasoning for reading The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. The only difference is that The Return of the King is my favorite movie in the entire series, and one of my favorites of all time. Permanent goosebumps are present all over through most of the movie, and come on, who hasn't imagined themselves in the movie, participating in the major scenes. Well, if no one else has then, I will admit that I have done this on multiple occasions. Also, I will have finally finished the entire series, completing my quest of finishing all of the books.


Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Like many people all over the world, I am extremely excited about Mockingjay. I am also one of the few who hasn't read it yet. However, this does not bother me as long as I can find the book and read it. Jumping onto the bandwagon for something that is extremely popular is not something that I do very often, but The Hunger Games is definitely worth the jump. Unlike many new books being released today (cough, Twilight, cough), The Hunger Games are very good and entertaining to read, with a deep plot and twists and turns during every chapter. The speed with which I read these books surprised me, mainly since the last time I read a book that quick was when the last Harry Potter book was released. All in all, I am excited. I will have to look to see if Mrs. Huff has a copy of the book when I am in class next, and then I can finally see how Panem blows up in civil war.

This is my reading wish list for this quarter, with fingers crossed that I will be able to finish all of the books on the list. If not, well, the world should not end. However, if the world does end, then my bad.

2nd Quarter reading list

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Fellowship of the Ring; Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1965. Print.

After his uncle Bilbo disappears at his eleventy-first birthday party and goes on a journey into the wilderness, Frodo Baggins becomes both the master of Bag End and of something worth far more: a ring that Bilbo has had for years that grants the wearer with the power to turn invisible. Frodo keeps the ring a secret for several years, until Gandalf the Gray comes to Bag End and reveals to Frodo that the ring he possesses is much more than a simply magic ring, but is a ring filled with the deadly power of Sauron, and is the one ring that can control all of the other rings of power. Frodo then begins a journey with Sam Gamgee, and later on Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took, that takes them across the Shire, into the lands beyond, meeting many allies (Tom Bombadil, Strider or Aragorn) and also many enemies (the Ringwraiths) along the way, finally coming to Rivendell. There, Frodo is made the Ringbearer and a Fellowship is formed to escort Frodo to Mount Doom in Mordor to destroy the ring. Tragedy and misfortune cause the breaking of the Fellowship at a crossroads in the journey, hurting the chances of everyone to continue.
One element of this book that stood out to me were the diverse settings of the book, with everything from the haunted pit of a Barrow-wight to the splendor of Rivendell to the empty ruins of Moria. No two locations are alike in any way, with details jumping out of the pages and into the reader's mind with such ease almost as if Tolkien were painting in the mind. 2 books


Tolkien, J.R.R. The Return of the King; Being the Third Part of The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1965. Print.
After Rohan and the Ent's victory over Isengard, Gandalf and Pippin travel to Minas Tirith in Gondor to protect the rest of Rohan from the full brunt of Sauron's wrath. Gandalf and Pippin arrive shortly before the army of Sauron began the siege of Gondor, forcing the steward of Gondor to call on Rohan for help in the battle. Aragorn, in an act to fulfill the prophecy of the king, along with Gimli, Legolas, and a host of Rangers from the North who come to aid Aragorn, take the Paths of the Dead through the mountains to reach aid to help liberate Gondor. The Rohirrim ride to aid Gondor and the Battle of the Pellanor Fields commences, with King Theoden being killed by the Lord of the Nazgul, and him being killed by Eowyn, the King's daughter. Aragorn appears with the banner of the King, revealed to be Aragorn himself, and a host of warriors from the surrounding areas of Gondor, taking back the city. Aragorn then marches out with the entire host from Rohan and Gondor to engage Sauron at Mordor, mainly to give Frodo and Sam time to destroy the Ring. Sam rescues Frodo from the orcs and the two continue to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring.
An element of this book that stood out to me was growth and progression of the characters, in particular Sam and Aragorn. In The Fellowhip of the Ring, Sam was very nervous most of the time and depended a lot on Frodo for help with decisions, but by the end of this book, he had morphed into a warrior who had a strong enough will to push Frodo through to the last phase of the journey and then help retake the Shire. Like every underdog story ever told, Sam starts as the guy no one wants to be, but then becomes the hero and the one everyone wants to be. Aragorn had a slightly different character development. Originally just a strange Ranger, Frodo met in Bree, Aragorn becomes a figurehead for the forces of good in the book and eventually king. Aragorn reminded me of the over-achieving, spotless character who just becomes more and more impressive as the book continues. 2 books


Tolkien, J.R.R. The Two Towers; Being the Second Part of The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1965. Print.
Shortly after Frodo escapes from Boromir and leaves the Fellowship, the remaining members are attacked by a company of orcs and Uruk-hai, dividing the Fellowship, with Boromir being killed in the battle and Merry and Pippin being captured by the orcs. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli all give chase to the orcs across the plains, meeting the Riders of Rohan (the Rohirrim) along the way, who destroyed the orcs the night before on the border to Fangorn Forest. Not knowing that Merry and Pippin had escaped into the Forest and had met the Ent Treebeard, and were planning a siege on the wizard Saruman's fortress, Isengard, Aragorn and his companions went into the forest to search for Merry and Pippin, where they meet Gandalf, reborn after his ordeal with the Balrog, who takes them to Rohan to help King Theoden fend off the forces of Isengard. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam capture Gollum, who has been following them for many miles, and persuade him to become their guide to take them to Mordor. Gollum leads them to Mordor, but upon finding the Gates closed, he leads them around the gates and walls through Ithilien. Once there the hobbits meet Faramir, the brother of Boromir and a captain of Gondor, who helps them on their journey. Gollum then leads Frodo and Sam to the Pass of Cirith Ungol, where tragedy strikes yet again for Frodo and Sam.
An element of this book that stood out to me was the contrast of Isengard to the Ents. Similar to today, the Ents were the protectors of nature, like environmentalists, and Isengard were the big business leaders that used the land to suit their purposes and did not care about the rest of the world. Saruman knew he would anger the Ents, but he became so consumed with greed and gaining power, that he did not she how his lack of concern would be his downfall, similar to today's society. I do not think that the trees, however, will come alive and destroy our fortress, but you never know. 2 books

Independent reading reflection

Over the past quarter, independent reading has been the assignment that has been slowly but surely leading to the conclusion for this nine weeks. The conclusion is probably this, so the excitement just left the room. Anyway, independent reading expands the mind, allowing the reader to visit new worlds that are waiting impatiently to be explored. There have been three habits that Mrs. Huff has attempted to instill in all of her students so far this year: reading regularly, keeping track of the amount of reading by using a reading log, and keeping a reading journal, with some taking more effect than others.

Regular reading is crucial to the assignment, and is one of the few habits involved with this assignment that can actually be done enthusiastically. Just about every day I am able to read for at least twenty minutes. This amount of time seems amazing considering all of the other homework and non-related school activities I have to give time to accomplish, but that is why there are weekends (mainly so I can tell my parents I am doing homework when I am procrastinating from doing other homework). The regular reading has also helped me to read more books and to also read other books that I may not have read otherwise. Take for instance The Hunger Games series. I never really understood what the big deal and hype about the books until I actually started reading them, turning even a hardened skeptic like myself into a fan of the series. I always enjoy reading most any book with a good story, and the fact that reading is an assignment just makes the situation even better.

Along with reading outside of class, to prove that the books we say we have read were read, the amount of time read and the thoughts about the reading have been recorded in our reading logs and our reading journals. While the reading log has not altered much about how I read, the reading journals almost hinder the reading experience. Possibly because I am not used to logging my thoughts while I read, this portion of the assignment has not been easy or fun. Sometimes a book is just better to take at face value and not over-analyze the themes and characters, often driving the reader crazy trying to discover these. However, like most events and struggles in life, the reading journals will have a bigger impact on me as a reader and help to instill the skill to analyze texts quicker and easier.

One of the major goals for my next quarter reading will be to journal more often and have more analytical thoughts about my reading. While I did a decent job, in my eyes at least, of inking deep thoughts, Mrs. Huff will probably think otherwise. Also, I will make sure to date all of my entries to the journal, not just the last five or six. As for books, I hope to finish The Lord of the Rings series, and also to read Mockingjay and find out how the rebellion goes down.

All in all, I do enjoy reading, but am not the biggest fan of the reading journals. However, I may eventually come to enjoy inking my thoughts by some strange twist of fate.

Socratic Seminar Reflection

After reading Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World, our English class participated in a group conversation called a "Socratic Seminar." This seminar involved choosing two out of nine questions from a question list, picking through the book for details and quotes to help outline the point the participators are attempting to make, and then sitting in a group of tables in the middle of a ring of smaller tables with the other unfortunate souls who chose the same question. This situation not only makes the participants uncomfortable, with everyone sitting there with their eyes staring at you, but also can make the participants feel like they are in a gladiator arena, the only difference being that there were no lions or tigers trying to eat anybody. With that being said, the Socratic seminars are an unjust, cruel, and unusual way to analyze a novel. Now an argument, a strong and lengthy debate with opinions, would be the proper way to analyze a novel.

While the situation of the discussions was not the most enjoyable situation, the discussions did bring several interesting ideas to the table (no pun intended). One of the ideas that seems to be the most affecting is the similarities that have been noticed between our society today and the society of Brave New World. An example of this was discussed in question five about the consequences for individuals. In Brave New World, all of the so-called "individuals" were taken out of society and placed on islands, away from society, to keep them from corrupting the "normal" citizens of society. A similar thing happens to the individuals of today's society, not with real islands though, but with figurative islands, by alienating the different thinkers of society, and forcing them to form their own smaller communities with the other like-minded outcasts of society. An interesting view of this situation involved how a society without individuality would eventually become boring and monotonous, and how the individuals of society are always going to appear in society no matter what precautions are made, because there will always be people who think differently and look for new ways to think about a task. In a way, individuals are like the antidote to the Brave New World society; as long as there are plenty of individual thinkers, the conformity and creepy community aspect of the Brave New World society will have a much harder time coming to pass. Another interesting idea that was brought up was the topic immersed in question nine. The entire discussion about the effect of Shakespeare's words on John the Savage really showed a whole new level of the Savage that escaped from my understanding. The fact that the words made others and himself more realistic made more sense than it even should have made. Many occurrences in life are either not able to be expressed in words, but can be expressed in emotions, and vice-versa. But John finally found one of the few mediums in the world that could do both for him. This whole turn of events disproved the saying of "actions speak louder than words," meaning that if the words are not there to describe what a person is doing, they will not be able to do what they wanted to do in the first place. My mind was sufficiently blown by this revelation and has caused me to look at written words in a whole new light, and to finally understand the power of language and its lasting impact on the world as a whole. Without intelligent literature that tingles the emotions, society can not grow and develop properly, and our society will end up like the society of Brave New World, unable to deal with emotions and only able to express thoughts as childish phrases.

Understanding all of the many ideas being shot around the room like bullets during the Socratic Seminar is only half of the battle; the other, and sometimes more difficult aspect, is trying to participate in the conversation in a productive manner. Oftentimes, it is hard to know where to jump into the conversation, for fear of stepping on others feet, and how to present the ideas that need to be brought up. The conversation reminded me of an extremely polite race, with everyone wanting to take control, but afraid to take too much because we get counted off for hogging the conversation. All obstacles considered, I thought that my contributions to the conversation were fairly well done and inspiring. Also, I discovered that debate would be better suited to the situation than discussions, mainly because it is easier for most people to say what they wanted to without worrying about interrupting the current speaker. I am better at interrupting than I am at listening and waiting patiently for my turn. This aspect was the source of many a kindergarten time-out back in the day. One thing I did enjoy was discussing a book and getting several different views on the book, very similar to a giant brain-melding party of sorts. But if I had any input on the whole situation, my vote would go towards abolishing the whole Socratic Seminar concept.

The Socratic Seminar seems very daunting and horrible on the surface, but, once the deeper levels are explored, they prove what was originally thought. However, once the conversations have sunk into the consciousness and are looked upon with the right attitude, many previous overlooked details are brought to light. I'm not saying I enjoyed the Seminar, but it does have its benefits by adding to the understanding of the book.

Annotated Reading List

Article Set for Brave New World http://writingtheblues.blogspot.com/p/brave-new-world-bibliography.html


Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York City: HarperCollins, 1932. Print.

In Brave New World, the directors of society have built a seemingly perfect "utopia." But not everyone feels this way, especially Bernard Marx, a Beta in the society who feels that everything in the society is wrong. Looking for a way to find society more attractive, and to take a girl on a trip, Bernard flies to a Savage Reservation in New Mexico, where he finds a glimmer of hope for society, something that hasn't been seen in decades: a woman from the society who gave birth to a child. Bringing the child and his mother back to England with him, Bernard unknowingly sets of events that will affect the lives of every single individual involved in the journey. A key element of the story in BNW is John the Savage. John lived on the reservation with the other savages for his entire life, until Bernard brings him back to England with him. John differs from the other members of society in a complex, yet extremely simple way: he can deal with emotions, while the other members of society take soma to handle emotions. This makes John calm and able to fly through most situations with ease, until he becomes conflicted and loses control, diving into Shakespeare or losing control completely. John effectively shows the conflicts between the old society where he once lived, and the new society where he lives now, one of the important themes of the book. (259 pages)


Collins, Suzanne. Catching Fire. Waterville, ME.: Thorndike, 2009. Print.

After the ordeal of the Hunger Games is over, Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, and the rest of the support staff from the first Hunger Games are forced to go on a mandatory tour of the twelve districts in celebration of their victory. The only problem with this is Katniss has to act like she still loves being a victor and Peeta, even though both situations are shaky at best. If Katniss can not play off the image of being another Capitol stooge and convince the rest of Panem not to break out into open rebellion against the Capitol, everything in Katniss' life will be destroyed to keep order. What Katniss does not know however is how their is both a plan to destroy her no matter how she acts, and a plan to also defeat the overlords who have had Panem in a death embrace for so long. Both plans come to a head and Katniss' world is turned upside down, with consequences for everyone connected to her. One element of Catching Fire that resonated with me was the theme of how even the most unprepared and unthinkable person in the world can start a revolution. This is what Katniss does, becoming the unlikely face and symbol for an underground movement, even though this is the exact opposite of what she tried to accomplish. Katniss has struggled all of her life, never being given any help, and this has made her somewhat bitter and unable to deal with other people very well. She is not the type of person to be a great leader or guide a group of people to freedom, more like the hyperbole of the town outcast. But, this may be why the people look to her, since she is the most unthinkable choice for a revolutionary, and the only person to defy the Capitol and survive. One noise can start an avalanche, and Katniss was this noise. Just a very endearing and epic trait that everyone needs at some point. (400 pages)


Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Waterville, ME.: Thorndike, 2009. Print.

In the twelfth district of Panem, a sixteen year old named Katiniss Everdeen has stepped up and taken the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, a vicious competition where two tributes from each of the twelve districts fight to the death against each other on public television. The reward for the victor and their district is a years supply of food, but Katniss' district has not won in so long that the only remaining victor is a raging alcoholic with anger problems. Also, her fellow tribute in the games is a friend who at one point helped Katniss and her family, further complicating her situation. All of these problems and more are brought to a head in the arena where Katiniss' survival is her greatest concern. One of the most interesting aspects of The Hunger Games is the world of Panem. The world is basically a futuristic version of the United States, the only difference is the states have been replaced by districts and the Capital is a district itself. The people of the Captital are the most privileged of Panem and love to show that fact, mainly by following all of the material trends of the time , including dying their skin and hair a multitude of colors, wearing outlandish clothing, and augmenting their bodies to never show the signs of age. The Capitol seemed like an extremely twisted version of our society today, with many aspects of society tweaked to seem more futuristic. This future was like a warning to everyone reading to do whatever needs to be done to not let this happen in the world, and really struck a chord with me. (384 pages)

A Whole New Mind

Pink's satirical observations unveil how America's want of everything, and the abundance of the products they want, has caused the importance of these items to decrease and for many Americans to look for a broader meaning to their lives. An example of this is Pink's discussion on how "products can not be just reasonably priced and adequately functional, but must also be beautiful, unique, and meaningful." Pink compares the products from his childhood in the seventies to the products that are available today, and notices a massive difference. While many of the products in the seventies were plain, but still functional, many of the products today, including unsavory items like trash bins and toilet brushes, have designer labels. The products still function, but have to look good while functioning. This shift shows the way the world is beginning to move, away from simple pleasures to elaborate products that have hidden meanings. The original products were a more right brain oriented design, but the new products show how the left brain is also coming into play more often. Instead of products just appealing to the analytical portion of the brain, they must also hit the creativity in the brain to sell any of the product, in other words, meaning that the products must have more than one dimension. I mean, who doesn't want a toilet brush that makes your heart and mind begin to race? Another example of Americans trying find the broader meaning in their lives is the fact that the standards of living in most of the world have increased, while personal, family, and life satisfaction have not increased very much at all. The availability and cost of products in the world may have caused a rise in material stability, but at the same time, done next to nothing for the happiness of the individuals purchasing the items. Many people all over the world live in contented state with all of the possessions they have, but truly not be happy with their lives, no matter how much they own. The old saying, "Money does not buy happiness", applies very nicely to this situation. The material stability of people all over the world has given many people the ability to pursue different ways to happiness, through meditation to evangelical pursuits. This change further shows the shift of the mind away from the analytical side of the brain to the creative side, where more abstract thought can be used and understood. With more people looking for the meaning of life, the world will not be content with just accepting the old ways of life and explaining events, but will be continually searching for the great "This is how the world works" explanation. In conclusion, Pink's look at the great shift from material pursuits to the search for the greatest meanings in life is visibly etched out and explained through his discussions of the change in products and the increasingly more common-place pursuit of life's big questions.

Ad ethos, pathos, and logos

All over the world, companies spend billions of dollars putting ads in television, magazines, and billboards. For the ads to be effective, however, they need to attract the viewers attention, and this is were ethos, pathos, and logos leaps into play. Ethos establishes the credibility of the products in question, pathos appeals to the emotions of the viewer, and logos gives the facts, often scientific, about the product to convince a viewer that the product is good. Ads that manage to pull together all of these aspects into one image are usually the most effective at winning people over. The ad I am analyzing is an ad for a British motorcycle company called Triumph. This ad very effectively showed examples of ethos, pathos, and logos to convey why a reader should go to Britain or Canada and buy one of these motorcycles.

The Ethos in the ad was one of the elements of the ad that stood out prominently. One example is the ads mention of Formula One technology. Formula One race cars are known to be some of the absolute fastest cars in the world. I mean, you can go so fast in these things, if you crash, you vaporize. The technology is also known as being very dependable and trustworthy. The ad uses the connection to Formula One to ad to their credibility, like saying, "Formula One trusts our motorcycles, so should anyone who buys one." Also adding to the Ethos of the ad is the connection to Star Wars. The main logo on the ad says, "The Empire Strikes Back", meaning the British, but immediately making the reader think of the famous Star Wars movie of the same name. Many of the readers of this ad have probably seen the movies, and many will probably have a deep and emotional connection to them. This may make the reader trust the company more for using the title as their slogan, almost like it makes the reader believe that the company can relate to them as fans and people, gaining them more support for their motorcycles.

The ad also uses Pathos in an effective way. For starters, all of the pictures of a man driving the motorcycle do not show the ground, making it seem like the rider is flying along the ground, instead of just driving. This gives a feeling of excitement to the ad that can cause the reader to want to get the motorcycle to experience the same feeling. The angle of the motorcycle also adds to the excitement and danger presented by the pictures of the driver. The way the motorcycle tilts, almost like it is about to tip over, add to the overall emotional feel of the ad by tossing in a little danger. Many people enjoy putting themselves in danger, and the ad shows how this motorcycle can add to the reader's life with all of its danger. The last element of Pathos is how the text below the motorcycle talks about how you can "choose from the Daytona S55I, the land based version of a tactical fighter...". I mean, a land based version of a tactical fighter? That will easily get an emotional response from anyone who wants their motorcycle equipped with missile launchers.

The last way the ad grabs the readers attention to convince them to buy their product is by using Logos. One example of this is how "every Triumph motorcycle is backed by a two-year unlimited warranty." Whenever a large purchase like a motorcycle is made, it is always a good idea to get a warranty, in case something is wrong with the product. This is just logical, and the company wants to be sure that you know they will take care of you, for two years at least. Also, the ad mentions how all of the Triumph motorcycles are made in the most modern production facility in all of England. If something like a motorcycle, which needs to be in good condition and well-made, isn't made in the best possible facility, people wouldn't buy the motorcycles. But, because the motorcycles are made in the best facility around, you should only buy a motorcycle from Triumph. The last example of Logos is the mention of hand-crafted parts on the motorcycle. When parts are hand-crafted, it gives a shows how the company wants only the best products for its consumers, and how it is willing to give the best for them. While others make everything with a machine, the good folks at Triumph give you only the best in products and service, making them the logical choice from which to purchase your new motorcycle.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos are very important to advertisements because of their ability to help draw in customers to have an interest in their product. When used effectively, a combination of two or more can really help an argument or a paper to have more of an impact in the world. To look at the ad, here it is
http://adflip.com/addetails.php?adID=12828

You and Me: Two Sides to Every Story

A common occurrence in most trials is the presence of more than one story. The victim tells one story, and the defendant tells another version of the story. The entire situation becomes a mess, with the jury trying to figure out who is telling the truth. A case of two conflicting stories occurred in the legend of Beowulf. After seeing the movie Beowulf and then reading Grendel by John Gardner, I found two different stories as to how Beowulf defeated Grendel. While there were some similarities, the stories actually went farther into why the confrontation occurred and how it was finished.

In Beowulf, Grendel was portrayed as a mindless demon and killing machine, who's sole purpose seemed to be the destruction of Hrothgar's kingdom and mead hall. Grendel attacked nearly every night, just to slaughter Hrothgar's men and cause destruction, with senseless abandon. But this was not the case in Grendel. The first time Grendel went to the hall, he was actually curious, like a child would be in this case. He tries to peacefully join the people at the hall, but, because of his hideous appearance, they attacked him, making Grendel retaliate. Grendel actually feels remorse because of the killings, at least until he speaks to a dragon, who tells him that humans are stupid, senseless creatures who should be destroyed. Grendel doesn't believe this, until he witnesses the people fighting a war. He is appalled by the senseless death they cause, just to gain more gold. Something in Grendel's mind finally snaps, and he makes it his mission to terrorize the people at the hall, to show them that they are monsters just like they think he is. The difference in the reasons for Grendel's killings shapes the views of Grendel by the people. In one, he is a monster; in the other, almost like a teacher trying to show the people the error of their ways. It almost creates pity for Grendel, like he was misunderstood, similar to Frankenstein's monster.

Another example of conflicting stories in Beowulf and Grendel were how Grendel was defeated. In the movie, Grendel attacked the hall and killed a few of the men there, before Beowulf fought him, and defeated him by simply overpowering him. Beowulf tore off Grendel's arm and then began to tell everyone how he defeated the monster. Because most of the people at the hall who saw the battle were either dead or Beowulf's own followers, everyone believed him. In Grendel, however, the story of the battle was different. Grendel snuck up on the hall that night and killed only one man, who was sleeping at the time, before Beowulf attacked him. Using surprise, he caught Grendel off guard and got a good lock on Grendel's arm. Then, to make matters worse, Grendel slipped on the blood of the man he had killed, letting Beowulf gain the upper hand. Despite Grendel's pleas for mercy, Beowulf twisted Grendel's arm off literally, and Grendel escaped into the woods to die. So, one account says that Beowulf out-manned Grendel, while another says that Beowulf used treachery. No one will be able to know which story is true because there were not very many people to witness the battle, and each side will stick to their own story.

This situation reminds me of a certain team that we play in basketball. The team thinks that they are unstoppable and can't be beat, but this usually only occurs at home. The rest of the time, they are fair game. The teams that play them know that the biased officiating is what gives them this advantage at home, while the team thinks they are just that good. Without fair officiating at their home court, the team can not prove whether or not they are that good, or if they are just cheaters.

Well, the legend of Beowulf will forever be somewhat controversial in my mind, but it also gives a new dimension to the story. Was Grendel truly the villain of this story? Or was he just extremely misunderstood? Either way I did enjoy the movie and book, so it all works out for someone in the end.

Come Together: the Dangers of DNA

Very recently I read the book Watchers by Dean Koontz, and the story caused me to think. With all of the new discoveries being made today, could the situation of making a super intelligent dog or a blood-thirsty monkey-beast ever happen. Already there are many tests being done to search for ways rearranging DNA can help cure patients of life-threatening diseases, but people may not be content at just solving this problem. While the possibilities of this happening are pretty slim, there is always the chance that it may happen. So, today I am going to take a look into the mysterious world of DNA research and the high points and pitfalls of the research.

The first point I will be looking at today is the possible benefits of the research, symbolized by the dog from the book, named Einstein. Einstein is a golden retriever, who has been genetically altered to have the same level of intelligence as a human being, but still looks like a normal dog. Einstein was created to function sort-of as a furry spy, for example, to be given to a rival countries leader, who would not expect a dog to have the intelligence to be a spy, and have the dog steal the countries secrets. That is the most intense of the tasks the dog would have to perform, with the least intense being a great source of entertainment at parties. Einstein's intelligence was upgraded by placing the genes that would most likely increase the dogs intelligence without causing physical mutation into his genetic code, and by also deleting the genes that would limit his intelligence, over the course of several generations. Einstein was one part of a project called the Francis Project, and was considered the success of the project. All the workers loved Einstein and treated him with the best care they could give him. The possibility of a super smart dog both intrigues me and frightens me. While it would be really cool to have a dog that was intelligent enough to understand a person and have a conversation with them, I would really hate it if I was struggling with my homework and my dog came in and did it for me. There are also other practical uses beyond the coolness factor. An extremely smart dog could be even better seeing eye dogs, being able to think with more than just what they have been taught, to help people who are being rehabilitated for illnesses, or to even help the military when they go into dangerous areas and to help locate enemies. The increased intelligence also could give the dog a moral compass, with the dog being able to differentiate between right and wrong, leading to the dog making better decisions for the situation, possibly saving someones life or helping to stop crimes. The possibilities are endless, with many benefits possible. If a dog like Einstein could be created, then possibly all inheritable diseases, like cystic fibrosis and certain types of cancers, could be all but eliminated from a person's DNA over time.

Like all risks, with a good side, there must be a bad side. Let me introduce the bad side, also known as The Outsider. Where Einstein represented everything that was good and a success with the Francis project, The Outsider was the failure and knew it. Genetically altered like Einstein, The Outsider went through many of the same procedures as Einstein to increase his intelligence, but mutations were encouraged. The Outsider was bred to be a killing machine, and mutations including razor-sharp claws, over sized jaw, and long multi-jointed arms helped it to accomplish this. The mutations also gave it a grotesque appearance that made me think of Grendel in Beowulf when I imagined it. The Outsider knew it was ugly and was feared by the scientists who created him, but he also knew that the scientists loved Einstein. This knowledge gave The Outsider a unquenchable desire to do nothing but kill Einstein, causing many of the situations in the book. This shows that there are also negative consequences to DNA research: if you don't arrange the genes right, a monster that wants to kill you could be created. The possible risks are not worth the benefits in some cases, like this. The Outsider was created to help soldiers in war, but if it went wild, like it did in the book, how could anyone be sure that it wouldn't kill its allies? Similarly, if the DNA research was used to stop one disease, it could possibly make another disease more incurable or even deadlier. These are the questions that researcher have to ask themselves when thinking about the possibilities of DNA research.

Science can build up a civilization and make it great or it can become its downfall. With all of the possible risks and benefits of DNA research, the call on whether to explore and use it or not is an extremely delicate issue in today's world. Watchers showed a good picture of the possibilities of the research and also the risks of the research, while also being a good story. Just keep what I've written in mind if you read it. I really wish I could just read a book without thinking about it anymore.

Going Down: The possibility of symbolism in literature

Like many people this summer, a few weeks ago I went to the movie theater and saw Pixar's Toy Story 3. The Toy Story movies were a big part of my childhood, and I was glad that the third movie did not let me down in any way. The only thing that kept jumping out at me was how the movie seemed to have an undercurrent message, which could be summed up like this: the more you jumped into the plot of the movie, the more it seemed like the toys were going farther and farther into Hell. Call me crazy if you wish, but I 'm onto something here. I also noticed several comparisons to the novel Deliverance by James Dickey, that almost parallel the events in Toy Story 3.

First off, in Toy Story 3, the toys were all going to a place that they did not know anything about (Sunnyside Day Care) and were expecting to have a great adventure, where more kids could play with them. Their dreams seemed to come true as they were welcomed whole-heartily into the day care by the other toys, and were assigned to a room to wait for the kids, despite the warnings by Woody that they had to get back home to Andy. They waited excitedly for the kids, but their first warning that something was amiss was the fact that all the other toys were hiding when the kids came back. Much of this is true in Deliverance, mainly in how Ed, Lewis, Bobby, and Drew all had no idea what was down the river, but wanted to have an adventure over a weekend. Every time they saw another person on their way to the river, the question was always "Why are you wanting to go down there if you don't know what's down there?" almost as if they knew something but didn't know how to tell the poor city folk. Woody and the locals were actually similar to each other by the fact that they each warn the groups, but the groups are so in tune to what they think they want that they do not listen. But the group didn't listen to them, and went on to their trip. When they reached the river, they were surprised at how calm and beautiful it looks, and began their trip. One warning sign that I noticed was how the river began to get swifter and have more obstacles in it, such as rocks and trash from farmers and the people of the area. In the movie, the toys figure out why the other toys were hiding, as they are knocked around and generally abused by the toddlers who don't know how to play with them any other way. The river party also comes to a crashing halt as Ed and Bobby are attacked by two of the hillbillies that live close to the river. The toys and the river party then quickly figure out that they received much more than they bargained for. They also act quickly to remedy the situations, the toys by sending Buzz out to talk to Lotso, the "leader" of Sunnyside, about a transfer, and Ed and Bobby being rescued by Lewis, who kills one of the hillbillies. Both of these events signal each group's beginning descent into a figurative Hell.

Next, both groups thought that they had solved their problems by their first actions, but they were unfortunately wrong. In Deliverance, after Lewis kills the hillbilly, the group gets back on their journey, only this time they are trying to get down river to find a way back to civilization. The group is traveling down the river, when suddenly Drew is shot by someone, causing panic and the canoes to capsize. They manage to make it out of the river, but not before going through a set of rapids that causes Lewis to break his leg and a canoe to be lost. A bad situation goes suddenly from bad to worse when the survivors realize that the other hillbilly that was not killed was the one who was shooting at them. Ed decides that they are in a bad situation and the only way to get himself, Bobby, and Lewis to safety, is to find the hillbilly and kill him before he can get to them. Not only does this decision cause Ed to do things he never thought he would do and make him play a deadly game of cat and mouse with a murderer, but he also learns that this is how the people in the hills did everything and that he is also becoming like them, almost like he is figuratively going into the very depths of Hell in order to survive. In Toy Story 3, the toys learn that the whole day care system revolves around the new toys being sent to the younger kids, to keep Lotso and the other older toys from being broken. To preserve this system, Lotso and the other toys capture Buzz and reprogram him to do what they want him to do, which involves locking the other toys in toy boxes each night. Woody, who was taken home by a little girl who's mother works at Sunnyside, learns from the other toys there about the truth about Sunnyside and Lotso, and begins to form a plan to get in and rescue his friends. Woody returns to Sunnyside, and like Ed, forms a risky plan to get everyone out safely. He also learns about why the Sunnyside hierarchy is set up the way it is, and it shocked me that it seemed like the more you learned about Sunnyside, the farther it did seem to descend into Hell, with the corruption and suffering increasing with every turn.

By the end of both the book and the movie, the symbolism of Hell seemed to get stronger. In Toy Story 3, the plot came to its climax as the toys were about to escape from Sunnyside, only to then confront Lotso and his cronies. All Lotso has to do is give the word and the toys will be thrown into the dumpster and be lost forever. But Woody has the element of surprise and information, revealing to Lotso's toys how he used them to cover up the feelings of. abandonment and anger he has carried for years. The other toys realize that they have been used and proceed to throw Lotso into the dumpster. The dumpster is then emptied by the garbage truck that pulls up, and Woody and the other toys fall in too. They then go to the dump and have to escape from the furnace that is burning up all the garbage, which looked a lot like a portal into Hell. All seemed lost and it looked like everything they had went through was for nothing until a little "divine intervention" saved them. In Deliverance, Ed scaled the cliffside and searched until he found a place where he thought that the remaining hilllbilly could possibly come to, and waited for him. The hillbilly came and Ed suprised him and killed him, beginning the cover ups that would have to take place to keep everything a secret. This seemed to be the final step into Hell that they took, with having to lie and hide the bodies of the hillbillies and their friend in the river to cover up everyone's sin. Sin to cover up sin. But after all this was done, the group set out down the seemingly endless river and found a bridge to cross up to and escape from everything the river stood for, almost like being pulled out of Hell and being saved.

This is the end of my comparisons about the symbolism in Toy Story 3 and Deliverance. Usually, many great stories have hidden meanings and it is interesting to discover these. I guess it is some aftereffect of being in advanced English for a few years. Also, an interesting tidbit to note is that Ned Beatey was in both the movie version of Deliverance and Toy Story 3. Coincidence? I think not.

My annotated photo

Here is my annotated photo for all to see. Click on the photo for all the wonderful stories.

Of Mice and Men

Detail
Through the first paragraph of Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses several different scenes from the setting to parallel his characters.

One example of this is how he describes the Gablian Mountains as "strong and rocky". The adjectives used here are compared to the characters, particularly how the strong could mean Lennie's physical strength or may mean George's mind. Also, the mountains symbolize how Lennie and George will be coming to problems soon and will have to face them.

Another example is "the Salinas River drops close to the bank and runs deep and green". The runs deep section of the sentence shows how George's thoughts run deeper than Lennie's thoughts, which are also described as green, showing how he is young.

The last example of this is "the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it". The limb mentioned means either an actual tree limb or it may mean the whole situation of the farm workers. The limb is described as worn smooth, which I think means that both the tree limb and the ranches are used to the farm workers coming and going relatively often.

The authors use of imagery and parallels in Of Mice and Men is nearly unsurpassed, and it is not difficult at all to notice them.

Point of View
The third person objective point of view helps to show how Lennie looks to George for guidance, and how George leads him.

The quotes on pages 21 and 22,"Lennie nodded to show that he understood...In a panic, Lennie looked at George for help," show how Lennie was told by George to not say anything and how he understood he was not to say anything. It also showed how Lennie began to panic when the boss talked directly to him, and, when he was not sure what to do, he looked to follow George's lead. These quotes show how Lennie is like a child who is not very experienced in situations that involve other people, basically having no life experience in making choices for himself.

The second quotations,"Listen, Small! What can you do?...He can do anything you tell him to do...Then why don't you let him answer?...Say what you selling'?...Why you think I'm selling' him out?", shows how George feels the need to help Lennie and keep him in the job, even if he loses his job himself. He is compelled to help him and keep people from talking to Lennie or putting him in bad situations. George acts like Lennie's father and cares for him like a father, with Lennie being the child he is trying to protect.

Tone
The tones of desperation and hope in Steinbeck's passage reflect his view of the situation that George and Lennie, along with many other Californian workers, were basically stuck in.

The quotes to support the first tone word, desperation are, "He can do anything. Just give him a try...Then why don't you let him answer? What are you tryin' to put over? George broke in loudly, 'Oh, I ain't sayin' he's bright. He ain't. But I say he's a good worker. He can put up a four hundred pound bale.'...Say what you sellin'?..Why you think I'm sellin' him out?" These quotes show the desperation that George had to get Lennie this job with him. This was probably due to the fact that George had to take care of Lennie, and he knew that Lennie could not get another job on his own. They also needed the extra money that Lennie would make to help reach the goal of six hundred dollars to buy the land from the lady who was willing to sell it.

The quotes to describe the second tone word are, "We gonna get a little place, We'll have a cow, and we'll have maybe a pig and chickens..and down the flat we'll have a little piece of alfalfa for the rabbits...And I get to tend the rabbits..And live on the fatta the lan'." These quotes show the dream that Lennie and George shared, to have their own land and make their own living. They did not usually have steady work, and were always moving around to find new jobs or to get Lennie away after something bad happened. The land was their beacon of hope and what they used to justify all of the work they did, and to keep them going from job to job.

These two contrasting tone words set the tone for not only these two passages, but also for the entire book.

Theme
Throughout Of Mice and Men, the question "Am I my brother's keeper?" comes into play quite often, especially between George and Lennie. I agree with this statement because of the friendship that George and Lennie had developed throughout the book.

This was shown through the saying that George and Lennie had made up together, "But not us! And why? Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why."(p. 13-14). This showed how Lennie and George were promising each other that they would stay together and make a living for themselves. George almost felt like it was his duty and job to help Lennie, "when his Aunt Clara died, Lennie just came along with me out working" (p. 40).

George knew that Lennie wasn't very bright, and he knew that he would starve without someone to take care of him. George also knew that Lennie would possibly get in trouble with the law and get killed (p. 41-42 and 96-107), and he tried to stay with Lennie and keep him out of trouble. This didn't work, and George had to kill him to keep others safe. But George was still Lennie's keeper, and tried to help Lennie whenever he could, no matter the strains it put on George.

This seemed to be the main theme in the book to me.

Dorothea Lange photos

The other day Mrs. Gillmore showed us a few black and white photographs that showed a family during the Great Depression in California. The photos showed the family sitting under a small tent like house, obviously down on their luck. The photos really struck me with a feeling of hopelessness that seemed to permeate every aspect of the photos.

The families house was what really got me. A shabby little tent with hardly any room underneath was the family's only protection from the elements. I couldn't do that, I'm just gonna be honest. But the family had no choice. Either a bleak semi-wasteland back home or harsh conditions for a job and paycheck, were the family's only options. I guess, no matter how bad one thing may get, the situation can always become worse.

Well, that is my take on the photographs. A tent just isn't a house to me, and that is what really caught my attention.

Animals in Animal Farm

The main characters in Animal Farm were animals, obviously, but they were more like real people than animals. This was probably done to show what Orwell thought about utopia. He obviously didn't think that utopia was possible or a good idea, but he showed this well through the animals.

Usually when people think about utopias, it is for people, but animals may have there version of utopia. Orwell addresses this throughout the book, showing how one animal's utopia may be another dystopia, like Snowball and Napoleon's different utopias. People do that also, with differing opinions keeping everyone from being in agreement. Orwell was saying, at least I think so, that you can't have utopia, because there will always be disagreements between everyone.

So, there you go. Orwell's use of animals in Animal Farm. Another blog done.

The Giver review

"Call me the Giver."

This is what the Giver told Jonas when he asked him what he was supposed to call him. All through out The Giver, the supposed utopia that Jonas lives in comes under fire in his mind, and he wonders if this is how the world really is. The Giver was a strange book, but the underlying theme that it had was familiar and comes into many aspects of our lives today.

The setting of The Giver was one of the aspects that caused me to become more involved in the book. The world Jonas lived in had no color, no landscape (flatlands), and had everything planned out for them. The community council chose the jobs for the people, created commities to run the town, and even determined when children could do normal tasks, like ride bicycles or wear different clothes. Every detail, like the food they ate to the people they married, was taken care of for them. This just baffled me at how something like this could work.

The story in the book was another element that interested me. The way Jonas goes from being a normal kid to becoming the receiver of memory is very interesting, and then what he does with his memories helps to add tension to the story. Jonas' night escape from the community also complicates the plot further, especially the ending.

The ending did make me a little mad though. I hate it when books leave you hanging at the end of the story. It's just like AAAANNNNNDDDD..... But I guess this helps your imagination to come up with an ending, so that works too.

The Giver was a fairly good book that showed how everything may not be how it seems. So, if you like crazy, future stories like this, then by all means read this book. I won't stop you. Maybe.

Cross-Examination

People cross-examine each other all the time. Whether they are trying to find out some dirt they could use against you or if they are just plain curious, cross-examining has many uses. When people cross-examine each other, it just makes me want to tell them, "hey, they have their own reasons, let it go", especially if I'm the one being cross-examined.

Anyway, this blog is about something that people could cross-examine me about, and yes I do have several faults that can be examined. Frankly, anyone who has known me for more than ten minutes could tell you that. But, I think if I was cross-examined, it would have to be over my obsessive compulsive disorder, of sorts.

Truthfully, I don't have OCD like most think about it; it's mainly over things like music, games, girls, homework, and other things that I horde and become obsessed with. For instance, I have eleven Jimi Hendrix CD's, pretty much everything he ever recorded, mainly because I am obsessed with his music and guitar playing. Excessive, I really don't think so.

Hopefully you get my point. I'm obsessive. Sue me. Cross-examine me or whatever you wish. It doesn't bother me. And that's why you can't hold me down; I got to be free. Stone Free!!! That was from the Hendrix song "Stone Free" by the way. See, my obsession is spreading.

William Carlos Williams poem

Here is a poem styled after the Williams poem The Red Wheelbarrow. It's called The Blue Wheelbarrow. No, not really, but here comes my real poem.

Simple Notes by Chris Elms
how can one
note

convey so much
emotion

without even speaking
words

or even being
thought?

There you go. A poem by me. Think about the meaning and see if you can figure it out. I dare you.

What to Celebrate

There are many things to celebrate in life, but one of the best is to celebrated your sixteenth birthday. Just the freedom and the fact that your parents aren't nagging at you all the way to school is enough to cause anyone to celebrate.

My sixteenth birthday was such a big deal and a cause of celebration for me because my birthday falls nearly at the end of the school year. This doesn't seem that bad at first glance, but when you take the fact that everyone, except me, can drive and doesn't have to wait on parents, it gets pretty bad real quick. During basketball season especially, everyone could go to get food before games, but there I was in front of the gym waiting like a sad little puppy that got left in the rain.

Well, if you feel sorry for me after reading this, my apologies. There is no need for the sympathy right now, because I do have my license now, so we're all good. Anyway, I guess that's a pretty good thing to celebrate.

Mask poem

Here is my mask poem that I had to write for English a while back. It is titled "No Mask I Wear". Cue dramatic music and begin reading.
No Mask I Wear
by Chris Elms

No Mask I Wear today,
Or even yesterday.
Their mask, it smiles and jives,
As they try to live easier lives,
Waiting for someone to save them.

While I'm not a hero, or even a saint,
I always refuse to hide behind depraved war paint.
The world turns its head, but still
No Mask I Wear.

Sugar-coated and looked over; there has to be a better way.
The time is near when you can't take what they say;
Deception and misery love company, almost like wives.
The world may not give approbation, for questioning their ways,
But soon they will see why
No Mask I Wear!

Please hold your applause, unless you are just about to bust. Then go right ahead. I don't think it would be good for someone to bust. Kinda messy.

What St. Patricks Day means

St. Patrick's day means a lot of things to many different people. Whether a special day that has had a great affect on someones kids (like Mrs. Gillmore) or if it's just a day where everything is green and a leprechaun looks for his pot of gold, everyone has their own opinion. But for me, St. Patrick's Day is just another holiday, even though it should be a big deal because I'm nearly all Irish, as my glow in the dark paleness can attest for.

St. Patrick's day has always seemed like a strange holiday to me. I'm not really sure why it strikes me that way, but it just does. Some cities really get into the day, like Chicago dying the river green and New Orleans basically having a second Mardi Gras, but it's never been my holiday. Maybe some sort of life-changing event will occur to change this, but for now I just think of a leprechaun and a pot of gold.

Well, there is my opinion about St. Patty's day. Sorry it is not more interesting, but I'll work up something and have a big shebang for it. How's that sound?

Book review for Call of the Wild

"Buck ran with them, side by side with the wild brother, yelping as he ran."

This statement tells what happens after Buck leaves the world of civilization and enters the wild. The Call of the Wild tells the story of Buck, a dog living a normal dog life in California, and how through several twists and turns of events comes to lead a wolf pack and become legendary. This compelling read, written by Jack London, tells a tale of survival and hardship, and paints a harsh and real picture in the mind of the reader. This is one of the better books I have read this year, and I urge everyone who has not read it to go get a copy and read it.

An aspect of this book that stood out to me the most was the way the author developed Buck into a real person and gave an interesting perspective for the story. A dog would not be an author's first choice for a main character, or even a large part of a story, but at about the middle of the book, you almost forget about Buck being a dog. This gave an interesting perspective for the story, and I personally think that taking a non-human character and making them human-like takes a great deal of skill.

The setting of the story was another great aspect in the story. The Alaskan wilderness has long been thought of as an amazing place to see, and London's descriptions help with that assessment. The long snow covered trails and mountains are all described in great detail, and the dangers are also described. Sub-zero temperatures, cracking ice, and wild animals are just a few of the dangers described in detail. The really scary part is that this is all true and people and dogs went through a lot of the same hardships during the Klondike gold rush.

All in all, The Call of the Wild has been my favorite book that we have had to read this year. While I do not like to be told what to read, I was glad to be told to read this. I probably would not have read the book if I hadn't been told to. Good job, Mrs. Gillmore. I applaud you.

78 pages

Characteristics of a Winner

There have always been winners. Even in prehistoric times there were winners: the guy that got eaten was the loser and the one who didn't was the winner. But, usually when people think about winning, think about winning a contest or a game. The person who wins always has something that sets him apart from the others he is competing against. These are the characteristics determine winners, and I will now discuss a few of them.



Winners seem to have a drive that will not let them quit, no matter how difficult the task may be. This drive comes from deep within them, and helps them to achieve anything. The point where most people say, " I quit, I give up," is the point where the people with the drive are just about warmed up. No matter how many times a person with the drive is thrown done, they always get back up and keep coming. They thrive on the ridicule and the thought that no one believes they can succeed just makes them that much more willing to go for the goal and take risks.

Winners also will do anything they need to succeed. On sports teams, the player that scores all the points or is always in the best position to score will usually get all of the credit, but the people who really know what they are doing, like college recruiters, know that this is not the player they want, but the guy who is giving him the ball and doing everything that he can at all times is the guy. Someone who really wants to win will do anything and everything is their power to come out on top. It's not a choice (well, it sort of is), but it is also a desire that won't let them sit back and let whatever happens happen.

Well, there are my characteristics of a winner. Everyone needs to go out with these characteristics at all times because it will help you in the long run. Trust me; I'm a professional. Well, not really, but you get the point.

Book review for The Child Thief

'Peter glanced up at the stars and a wicked smile lit his face. "Time to play," he whispered to the stars and winked. And the stars winked back, for Peter's smile is a most contagious thing.'

This phrase sums up a lot about Peter. Charismatic, not even meaning for people to follow him, but knowing exactly what he is doing. Wanting to play, but not many people survive playing with him. In Brom's The Child Thief, the classic story of Peter Pan and Neverland is turned on its head and given a dark makeover. This book retains several elements of the original story of Peter Pan, but I can almost guarantee that you will never look at it the same way again.

One part of the book that really captivated me was the setting. Peter's Neverland is replaced in the book with Avallach, a land of magic, populated by elves, trolls, and all manner of fairy tale creatures. The only difference between the two lands is the fact that Avallach is slowly dying and the magic is fading away. The author paints a disturbing picture of how the land is slowly losing its magic, and his descriptions are vivid and realistic. From the barren forests to the stormy coast and back, a mental picture is painted to show the land of Avallach.

The story was what really pushed me over the top on my opinion of this book. The author took the story of Peter Pan and changed it enough to put his own spin on it, but still have readers recognize the story. The story starts out by introducing two characters who will be important later on in the story, Nick and Cricket, before switching to Peter's point of view. Peter helps both of them to escape from their abusive situations and takes them to Avallach to join his small band of soldiers, the Devils. In Avallach, Peter and his group of fighters join forces with a group of renegade elves to combat the Flesh-eaters, led by the evil Captain. If you are not able to get that reference, then you probably need to leave the blog now and go watch Peter Pan. The story takes surprising twists and turns that startle the reader and add to the mystery of the story. The story of how Peter became the leader of the Devils and how he ended up in Avallach is also explained and creates a new mystique for Peter as a person.

All in all, I would recommend The Child Thief to anyone who enjoys the story of Peter Pan or a good book. Just be warned that you probably will never be able to watch the Disney movie again without thinking about this book. So, if that doesn't bother you, I say go for it.

476 pages

Persuasion

This blog post is supposed to be about persuasion, to tie into the literature unit we are going through now. Persuasion is everywhere, all over TV (many people usually watch the Super Bowl just for the commercials), magazines, the Internet, and even in movies (those carefully displayed but still hidden advertisements always seemed out of place to me). It is just impossible to avoid.

Persuasion is not really a technique I use very often. Often when I want something, I'll either buy it with money I have or I will wait until my birthday or Christmas. Most of the items that I receive, like my Stratocaster, my PS3, and my iPod, are rewards for good grades or Christmas. I don't do a lot of persuading to get things. I'm not a very persuasive person anyway, so it's probably better if I don't try. Everything works out better that way anyway.

Persuasion doesn't affect my life too much. I go with the flow of things usually, unless I think something isn't right. I'm also not one of those people who are watching TV at night and have to get up to go order some useless junk that I will not ever use. Not that there is anything wrong with people who do that, I'm just not an impulse buyer and don't see the point.

Well, there's my little opinion about persuasion. If you're reading this and don't agree that I am a persuasive person, please come and persuade me I am wrong.

Olympic Commitment

This blog post has to do a little with the Olympic games and a little with myself. The athletes who compete in the Olympics have a drive and an ability that takes years of practice, determination, and commitment that is matched by very few people in the world. This post has to do with the task that makes me want to commit to and to give my all to succeed in. The task that makes me want to do that is becoming a doctor.

To become a doctor, you have to put in nearly as much, or possibly more time, than the Olympians in their training. This makes sense though, because how many people want a doctor who put in the minimum time and effort to be their doctor? The same goes for the athletes. My uncle is a doctor, and has told me many times to do as much as I can now, and that may help to lessen my load in school slightly. Between college and med school, my uncle really didn't have time for much else. It may be hard at first, but eventually the rewards make up for the work.

Doctors are also thought of as the elite of society, usually, and the same is thought of the Olympic athletes. The glory of winning your event or of finally getting your diplomas are probably the best feelings in the world. Proving to yourself that you can do it can make anything worthwhile.

This is my commitment. Hopefully, just like all of the athletes wanting to compete, maybe my dream can come true and I can experience the fruits of my commitment.

Blog topic with bolded phraes and a link to another site

For my blog this time, I will get into another argument about music. My argument this time will be about how BB King is the greatest bluesman on the planet. This is not much of an argument, but, because there are people in the world who wouldn't agree with me, I'll give it a go anyway.

First of all, BB has influenced nearly every major guitarist that has came after him, from fellow blues legends like Buddy Guy and Stevie Ray Vaughan to rock legends like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. A quick look at Youtube will quickly prove this, because there are hundreds of videos of BB performing with the people he influenced, from the aformentioned to John Mayer and Robert Cray. His phrasing, licks, and trademark vibrato have become such an integrated part of soloing that it is hard not to hit a BB lick every once in a while. Just listen any modern blues or rock player and see if his influence is not there.

Along with his playing, BB has penned many of the greatest blues songs, including outright classics such as The Thrill is Gone, Payin' the Cost to Be the Boss, Sweet Little Angel, and Everyday I Have the Blues. These songs have been covered thousands of times by just about every blues and rock band in the world (Even John Mayer, who isn't readily associated with the blues, covered Everyday I Have the Blues on his albums Try! and Where the Light Is). From contemporaries to his fans, BB's songs are as big a part of the blues as his playing, maybe even more.

Well, there is my argument about BB King's greatness. They don't call him the King of the Blues just because it sounds cool. If you need to see another opinion, go to
http://www.bbking.com/bio/ to read more.

Book Review for I Am Legend

"I am legend."

These were the last words of Robert Neville, after he had survived through a horrifying plague that turned everyone in the world into blood-sucking zombies. Because we had to pick a book that had to do with taking a stand, I thought this book would be good to read, because I liked the Will Smith movie of the same name, but I was very surprised. The movie used their creative license very well because the book is very different form the movie. I will say this though, Richard Matheson's I Am Legend creeped me out completely with its startling realism and story. Also, this is not the book to read at night after everyone has gone to bed. Not the brightest thing I've done in a while.

The main theme that we had to look for in our book was the main character taking a stand. There were several in this book. The most obvious stand was Neville trying to stay alive and destroy the vampires that attacked him. So much prep was put into Neville's home to make it safe from the vampires that crowded around his house every night. Then Neville took things into his own hands by hunting down the vampires by day. Another stand that Neville took was against himself. Because he had been alone for nearly ten years, Neville was losing his mind slightly and would argue with himself often. One part of his mind wanted to just give up and die, while the other wanted to stay alive and fight. This was one of the bigger struggles Neville went through and was a major theme of the book.

The chilling realism of I Am Legend was another aspect of the book that kept me reading. With everything, including disease and science discoveries, it is easy to see how this book could actually happen. A worldwide plague that destroys humanity may be a little out there, but it could still happen.

The plot also helped to keep pushing the story forward. Throughout the book, Neville gets more and more caught up in trying to discover what caused the plague and how he could possibly cure the infected. With each discovery he makes, the cause of the disease becomes more clear, but Neville nearly loses his mind completely when he is trying to find a cure. It makes for a good story, hardly anything like the movie, but the story is really depressing.

As I said before, I Am Legend is a good book, but don't come looking for the movie in book form. As long as everyone knows that much, this is a pretty good read. Depressing, but good.

174 pages

A time when I took a stand

The time that I took a stand was not a very epic affair by any means. I'm a very boring person and I have no problem with admitting that. My stand basically consisted of getting a kid to just shut up and play during a soccer game. This was accomplished by me throwing the kid down the field. Literally.

We were in the Lakewood Tournament in Little Rock and were playing Russellville. They had a forward who, every time he came down, would end up coming at me and I would stop him. Instead of showing sportsmanship and going back up the field, he would end up repeatedly kicking me in the legs and knees. Finally, after I told the guy to knock it off, he turned to me and said, "What are you gonna do about it?"

In case no one knows, I had a volatile temper back in the day, and that dude just set me off. So as he turned to run back up the field, I grabbed the guy by his jersey, and then I slung him flat on his back and up the field, into the mud. When he jumped up, he looked back and I just raised my arms a little, hands up, in the traditional "You wanna go right now, son?" pose. Needless to say, he didn't. And whenever I get mad, I always seem to play better in any sport, so the ball never got past me the rest of the time I was in.

Well, that's my stand. Pretty pitiful that this is the only interesting thing that has happened to me in fifteen years of living. But, at least it got the assignment done.

Someone I respect taking a stand

Whenever people talk about taking a stand, my mind always goes to the story of King Leonidas, 300 Spartans, and a few hundred other Greek warriors taking a stand against the Persian empire. The Greeks didn't want to be under Persian rule, under the tyranny of King Xerxes, and they took a stand for Democracy, and for the rest of the world. The Spartans actually saved the entire western world, because the Persians probably wouldn't have stopped at just taking over Greece. They would have gone on to the rest of Europe and maybe even to America. Think about that and how this was probably the greatest stand of all time.

The Spartans stand was so impressive because of how badly the Spartans were outnumbered. There actually were more than 300 Spartans in the battle, mainly a few thousand Greek soldiers added to the Spartans forces, but when compared to the Persians estimated army of a quarter of a million, give or take a few, it doesn't make it look better. The Spartans had to have had a death wish or something because, if I saw a quarter of a million people coming at me wanting to kill me, I would hightail myself away from there. But to stand and fight, and take down quite a few of the Persians along the way, that is just beastly.

As I said before in the intro chunk of the blog, the Spartans helped to stop the Persians from conquering Greece and the rest of Europe. When the Persians conquered Greece, they probably would have gone on to the countries surrounding Greece, then Italy, then Spain, France, Germany, England...who knows how far they would've gotten? Everyone in America may have had a name like Xerxes or Achmed instead of Bob or Steve if Persia had been able to conquer America. But the Spartans held up the Persians so long and gave them enough trouble that the rest of Greece could unite and stop the invasion. Pretty impressive, huh?

The Spartans stand, not only being an impressive military event, but is also an example of why people stand up in the first place: to protect their homes and their families. That's what the Spartans were doing. They knew that if they waited until after the feast for the gods or whatever religious ceremony( I don't remember correctly), they would give the Persians time to set up a foothold on Greece and the whole nation would be doomed. The battle ended in the Spartans losing the battle, but Greece eventually won the war in triumph.

The Spartans took a stand and are now famous for it. Nearly everyone has heard of this stand thanks to the movie 300. While the actually battles probably weren't as dramatic as the movie made them to be( but how cool would it be to go in slow motion when you did something cool?), the basic theme was there. This was the greatest stand of all time, in my opinion.