Writing the Blues

Lab Rats for a Test Case

2011-07-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

To employ the reading strategies learned throughout Foster's novel, Katherine Mansfield's short story "The Garden Party" is offered for analyzation. Two questions are offered for consideration: first, what does the story signify? This story signifies the class differences in place in England, around 1922. Laura Sheridan comes from a very rich family that lived overlooking a set of cottages populated by lower-class workers, never thinking about the riches she lives with in contrast to the poverty of the workers. Until one of the workers is killed outside the house by a bucking horse. This causes Laura to have doubts about what is necessary to truly be happy in life, and to question why everyone has to place so much significance on the material objects or where someone lives, because in the end we are all the same, trying for the same goal of inner peace. Basically, the author is trying to say that everyone is the same in the end, (be it death or any other end) so why should simplicities such as status affect other's perceptions.
The second question for consideration: how does it signify? In the beginning of the story, Laura Sheridan is perfectly content in her world of parties, fancy clothing, and socializing. But, even as she accepts all of the conditions of being in the privileged class, she wonders about the working class. She notes that the workmen setting up the marquee are "so friendly", with "smiles that are so easy," even comparing them to "the silly boys she danced with and had Sunday supper with." Laura thinks she may like them better and realizes they are people just like her and the rest of her family, setting her up for the next revelation. Because of the accident with the workman, who lives just down the lane from the Sheridan's, Laura asks her mother to postpone the party out of respect for the workman's family, but her mother refuses, pushing Laura's request off as an unnecessary sacrifice, and "people like that don't expect us to make sacrifices for them." Laura manages to push her concerns to the far reaches of her consciousness during the party, but once the party is over she continues to ponder the question, although to herself. After Laura's concerns are brought up by her mother, and her father makes a tactless remark that unsettles everybody involved in the discussion, Laura and her mother decide to take the leftover food from the party and take it to the dead workman's family. Laura goes to the cottage of the workman and there views his body and the "happy [look]...saying I am content...far from all things." This shows Laura how even those who are seemingly "below" her and her family have the same needs, have the same desires, have the same goals as real people, no matter what class. The story ends with Laura telling her brother of the experience, how it was "marvellous" (not seeing the dead body...the symbolic discovery she observed) and finally seeing what life is...not what she thought it was but what it really was, how all people are equal in the end.

After reading the responses in the book to the questions, I didn't observe how Laura freed herself from the moral obligations she thought she had to the lower class. I thought she had made a great leap forward to understanding the lower class and those below her; instead, she found proof that her lifestyle had no impact on the lives of the workers, therefore giving her the justification to continue without worrying for them.

The essay explaining Forster's view of the story, comparing Laura to Persephone, adds to my appreciation of Mansfield's story. The parallels in the story seem so obvious once they are explained, but are so carefully integrated into the story that it is easy to miss unless carefully reading for the similarities. An author's ability to delicately weave together parallels from previous stories always amazes me and gives a greater appreciation for the story as a whole. This enriches the story for me by letting me bring in background knowledge to increase my understanding of the story's message.

Nothing's Original; Scar? What Scar?

2011-07-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

In the great world of literature, a theme or pattern in stories emerges called an archetype. What is an archetype you ask? Well, an archetype is an event or character that continues to appear throughout the reader's literary reading career and triggers a response and emotion from said reader, being distaste, joy, terror, or any of the other various emotions. One would think that journeying the same quest, with the same characters, with the same villain, would become tedious and boring. But the opposite occurs. The familiarity of the quests, characters, villains acts like a familiar taste, allowing the reader to latch onto and discover something new, all the while remaining close to home.
A great example of the archetypal story is the story of Jesus and his journey in our world with his twelve disciples. An ordinary man (according to his human characteristics in the Bible) plucked from humble roots and obscurity to save all of mankind, Jesus was taken by God and given a task (a journey one may say) to redeem all of humanity from a Devil that has taken over their lives. This story seems awfully similar to The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Compare the similarities: an ordinary man (Bilbo, a simple hobbit/ Jesus, the son of a carpenter), twelve followers (the group of dwarves/ the disciples), a quest to save a world (the Lonely Mountain, home of the dwarves, overrun by a goblins/ our world, wrecked with sin), a beast that has allowed this to happen (Smaug, the dragon that caused the dwarves to flee/ Satan, who has tried to run humanity from God), and a wise leader, who is always there to provide wisdom and rescue from any situation (Gandalf, the stabilizing force in the little group/ God, the stabilizing force for Jesus and the rest of the universe). And like Jesus facing Satan in his lair and overcoming him when no had ever before, reappearing before his disciples to their amazement, Bilbo went into the heart of Smaug's lair and returned, alive, much to the dwarves shock and befuddlement. Anyone who has been to Bible school as a child will be able to see the parallels in these stories and already have a degree of background knowledge to refer to when reading The Hobbit, whether they have read any Tolkien before or not. The purpose of archetypes this is. Not to create new stories, but to add to the old stories, bring them to a new generation of readers, familiar enough they will accept them, but new enough to not completely rip off the old stories.

Harry Potter became one of the most famous characters in literature not long after the first book featuring his exploits, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (later changed to the Sorcerer's Stone), first hit bookstores. Seven novels and eight films later, Harry is known in every corner of the globe. The one aspect of Harry that most readily identifies him: the curiously lightning shaped scar on his forehead. This marking, given to him by Voldemort after Voldemort murdered Harry's parents and then tried to kill him, set up Harry's characterization from nearly the moment the scar was given to him. Harry, an unextraordinary boy that seemed no different from any other child, was in fact the wizarding world's only hope of being rid of Voldemort forever. Yet he did not know this. Like the saying goes, "Some are born to greatness, others have it thrust upon them." Harry never wanted to be famous, never wanted to have others envy him, never wanted to be pursued by Voldemort and his followers his entire childhood, yet he was, making him take responsibility and push through trials that would break even the strongest man, while only a boy. Nearly every characteristic of the "true hero"- bravery, courage, self-sacrificing, loving, never willing to give up- makes an appearance in Harry, many of them because of his scar setting him apart from all others. By simply marking a normal boy and putting him through trials, J.K. Rowling created a classic literary hero like the heroes of old, hardened through heartbreak and trials to lead and overcome his greatest challenge. Just think: if Harry Potter had no scar, he would not be Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived, he would be Harry Potter, the boy. Lastly, a biblical characteristic of Harry's scar. God marked Cain when he was thrown out of the Garden of Eden for killing his brother. The location of the mark? His forehead. And anyone who killed Cain would have that death inflicted upon them seven times. Voldemort tried to kill Harry. Voldemort created seven Horcruxes, and each one, destroyed, caused Voldemort great pain, until he himself was finally killed. Seven and Seven. Do not mess with those marked on the forehead.

We're Going Under! Just Hope We Come Up!

2011-07-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

While not considered an actual "baptism" (at least not one I would want to endure), the figurative baptism in the novel Deliverance by James Dickey signifies a massive change in the characters, Drew, Lewis, Bobby, and Ed. The four men are on a canoe trip down a river deep in Georgia, when tragedy strikes them. Lewis defended Ed and Bobby from a pair of vicious hillbillies at an early stop along the river, killing one and running off the other. The group thought that they would be safe once they were back on the river, but this was not the case. The group is floating down the river, approaching a set of rapids, when a shot rings out from a cliff overlooking the river, hitting Drew in the head, and capsizing both canoes. All four go underneath the water and the rapids, nearly drowning, reaching for any chance of survival, when they finally come up from certain death and manage to swim to the shore. Unfortunately, this begins the group's troubles.

This near death experience is also the groups "baptism." Each group member is changed in a significant way from this event. Lewis, described throughout the book as an eccentric, searcher on a quest for immortality (involving an obsessive regimen of dieting, weight lifting, archery, anything to improve physical condition), suffers a severe broken leg that sidelines him for the rest of the novel and threatens his life. The injury gives Lewis a limp and a new outlook on life: that of man finally accepting that he is mortal and can not change this no matter how hard he tries. Ed, a normal family man and business owner, must scale the cliff, under which the group managed to reach after the capsizing of the canoes, and hunt down the surviving hillbilly that took his revenge for the death of his friend. This turn of events causes Ed to reach deep within himself and to embrace the wildness in himself, giving him the ability to kill the hillbilly. Not exactly the type of action from a normal man, but Ed has been affected to where he is no longer the same man with the same inhibitions. Drew, the lead canoe paddler, dies before the group goes under the water, as he is the one shot by the hillbilly, forever lost from the world, changing the way his friends perceive him- with guilt and sadness about his death, instead of remembering the good-time loving member of their group. Bobby, the "tag-along" of the group, along just for the experience, was the hillbillies first victim, the one held captive and pushed almost to death by them, before being saved by Lewis. Bobby began to retreat farther into himself to deal with the emotional turmoil resulting from the incident, but after the capsizing, nearly completely closes himself off due to the shock. Even after the group is rescued and journeys back into civilization, Bobby is still haunted by his experience on the river and shuts himself off from the world, trying to make sense of the events. Basically, his curiosity becomes as damaged as his mind because of his experience.

Not every baptism is a baptism in the sense most people think. Usually, water and a change of mind equal a baptism. So always watch were you walk around large bodies of water- someone may think you need a change of mind and help you with that change.

Chosen One, Christ Figure...Either way He's special

2011-07-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

When dealing with Christ figures in literature, the parallels can be fairly obvious, or may take a little bit of digging. For this application, however, I will go with an obvious, hidden character to show as a Christ figure. Harry Potter seems like an excellent character for these purposes. I know, I know, the whole, "Only one can live" bit does mimic Christianity a great deal (God or Satan, only one), but there are many features that are shared by both Christ and Potter. Feel free to chuckle at the irony of using Harry Potter (often attacked by religious authorities) as a Christ figure.

Wounds in the head and hands- Everyone knows that Harry has a lightning bolt scar on his forehead, marking him forever as "The Boy Who Lived", basically becoming wizarding "royalty" in the process. Christ had wounds on his head from the crown of thorns placed on his head by the Roman soldiers-their way of marking him as "royalty" and king of the Jews. Those wounds were very uncommon in the times that each of our figures lived and gave them a distinctive appearance that others could distinguish easily. Christ received wounds in his hands by being nailed to a cross and crucified because he was telling the truth to everyone around him, and the religious leaders at the time, either terrified by what he said or angry at him for saying it, reacted to destroy him and put him on their level. Harry received wounds on his hands for telling the truth about Voldemort at Hogwarts and was punished by Umbridge (a high Ministry official) to keep the truth from being heard, as the news would cause panic and unrest. Coincidence? I think not.

In agony- Before he was crucified, Christ was beaten, whipped, and forced to carry the cross he would be crucified on to hill where the Crucifixion would take place. And then he was crucified. While not as extreme as this agony or as physical, Harry underwent severe agony. His parents murdered in front of him, horrifying visions of Voldemort's actions, friends and family coming to his aid and protecting him, only to be cut down in cold blood...a childhood with these events as highlights sounds like agony for the mind and the emotions.

Self-sacrificing- Christ came to Earth from Heaven and died for us so we would not have to die for our sins. He took our place when he was perfect and we were nothing. Harry went into the Forbidden Forest alone to allow Voldemort to kill him, in order to make him vulnerable and weakened so his friends could survive. Any time dying for someone else comes into play, the action can be considered self-sacrificing.

Known to have spent time alone in the wilderness- Christ often went to the woods or a secluded location such as this to pray and have quiet time with God. One of the final times was just before Christ was arrested, and was taken to be crucified and murdered. Harry went into the Forest on several occasions, most notably as he went to confront Voldemort as part of his plan to weaken and push Voldemort to defeat. As Christ talked to his father (God) shortly before he was arrested, Harry talked to his parents through the Resurrection Stone before confronting Voldemort.

Good with children- Christ was well known for loving children and able to teach them and love them as a good father would to his children, but Harry also was in a way. Harry taught many of his friends- who could be considered children- during their fifth year at Hogwarts, and also was able to inspire his friends, perhaps unwittingly into helping him defeat Voldemort. So, while Christ knew he was good with children and tried to help them, Harry unknowingly was good with them and inspired them and taught them, as Christ did.

Harry Potter as a Christ figure. There you have it- an analysis of the qualities that embody not only our Savior, but also one of our favorite characters in literature. Everyone needs a Christ figure. Otherwise, what would literature be like without them?

Tonight's Forecast: Partly atmospheric with a chance of symbolism

2011-07-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

Weather may seem like an insignificant and aggravating occurrence to those of us in the real world; however, in literature, weather means a great deal more. Weather can add atmospherics, create irony, become a plot device, expose symbolism, anything the author wants to graft into their work. Using weather can create haunting, foreboding atmospheres in literature, deep impacting moods and themes that set the stage for later events and establish the tone for the story. Some of the best examples of weather setting the mood (no not like that) occur in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien was a master of moods and atmosphere, evident throughout his works and the examples I will look at here.

At the beginning of the Fellowship's journey in The Fellowship of the Ring, the company are travelling from Rivendell to Mordor when their journey hits a snag. What starts as clouds appearing overhead turns into a full-blown blizzard as the company reaches the mountain pass in Caradhras, quickly making even the stoutest member begin to question the journey. With the blizzard raging, the company takes shelter and plans their next move: continue on this path through Caradhras and the blizzard or take another route via the Mines of Moria. The company is divided over which path to take. Cold, tired, miserable, the company knows the storm is the work of Sauron, but can't do anything about it. The entire situation, driven by the weather, feels hopeless and sets a foreboding haze over the story: if this is what the company go through hundreds of miles away from their destination, what will happen when they are there? This encounter with the weather partially shows the struggle of humanity, of trying to do a good act, but the way that you need to travel is blocked off, forcing you to pursue the goal from a different angle, learning more from the experience and growing stronger than if the original plan had followed through.

The weather also shows humanities struggles with outside forces and the universe itself, symbolized fairly well in the Battle of Helm's Deep in The Two Towers. After undergoing great struggle to reach the fortress, the remainder of the company and Rohan's small force of troops are weary, disheartened, and aching with a sense of foreboding, partially due to the "heaviness of the air" and the area being "hot for the season of the year...with a growing darkness...[like] a storm coming from the East. That weather description made me a little disheartened just reading it. Imagine the effect that this type of weather would have on a battle-weary group trying to protect their loved ones from a force consisting of the universes mutations that has no other purpose than to destroy them. The universe not only doesn't care about the group, it also helped to create the force pursuing them, heightening the irony in the situation. Not only is the universe and its underlings trying to destroy me, but it will set the mood for my destruction before-hand.

And to think, all of this can be accomplished by what we watch in the mornings to see if we will need a jacket or not.

Deja Vu? Or Just AP English?

2011-06-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

All literary works are connected in some way, be it story details, themes, character names, or style. Professors and other literature analysts call this continuing interaction and intertwining of works intertextuality. One example of intertextuality that has helped me in my reading is recognizing character similarities through different works. By recognizing certain situations that characters are involved in, several conclusions can be drawn. Take for instance Harry Potter and Aragorn, two completely dissimilar characters on the surface, yet strangely alike. Both have destinies set for them before they knew themselves; both have to lead diverse groups of people in difficult tasks to accomplish a main goal; both come into close contact with their gravest enemies (Voldemort and Sauron, respectively), both revealing themselves to their enemies and overcoming them in the end. By a younger author-J.K. Rowling- giving her main character traits of another, older author's-J.R.R. Tolkien- main character, she presents familiarity that allows the reader to both embrace the story as an old friend and also find enough new themes to keep the reader interested. By having the new and the old, a reader like me will both be intrigued by the new and comforted by the old, like a favorite book just in a new cover. One of an author's hardest jobs is to keep the reader entertained while pushing the envelope, and character allusions help to accomplish this.
Another example of intertextuality is author's reworking familiar stories into new stories, often with the same characters and situations just altered in clever ways. One of the most popular examples of this treatment to a work is the movie O, Brother Where Art Thou? The movie is a take on Homer's Odyssey, just set in early 1900's Mississippi. The main character is named Ulysses, he is on a quest to reach home before suitors steal his wife, and he is attacked by a very large man with one eye- a cyclops. Same story just cleverly tweaked. By reworking the situations to translate from a Greece-setting to a Mississippi setting, allowing both new comers to enjoy the movie without a knowledge of the Greek epic. As both a reader and a watcher, this reworking helps to accentuate parts of the epic that may have been looked over originally or to enlighten the reader to certain themes they missed the first time. By looking at how all texts are connected, the reader (myself) can understand what I am reading and foster a deeper appreciation for the literary work.

In Chapter 7, Foster discusses the common practice of authors alluding to the Bible in their works, a practice that Foster illustrates with examples such as East of Eden, Pulp Fiction (oddly enough), and Toni Morrison's Beloved. One of the most prominent examples of Biblical allusion in literature that was not mentioned in the chapter occurs in C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. This allusion allows the reader to appreciate the text on a much deeper meaning than just the story itself conveys (which is excellent by the way). In the first book of the Narnia series, The Magician's Nephew, two children, Diggory and Polly, find a door to a strange land, full of animals and people, that they see created before their eyes by a massive lion, Aslan. After the creation- see the allusion?- an evil witch finds the children and attempts to convince them to aid the witch in overthrowing Aslan. The only difference between this tale and the story of creation in the Bible is that Diggory/Adam and Polly/Eve do not help the witch/serpent to counter God's/Aslan's wishes. Now if that is not enough allusion take The Last Battle, in which Narnia is in an uproar over a gorilla parading a donkey wearing a lion skin around as Aslan, causing the residents of Narnia to take sides on their beliefs and either join with the gorilla or become rebels who stay true to Aslan, risking their lives. This parallels nearly perfectly with the book of Revelation, giving the story a mystique and threatening edge that has interested readers for centuries. By alluding to the Bible, Lewis presents stories styled like those we have heard for years since we were young children, but also transformed enough to not be repetitive and keep our interest. These parallels affect our reading by allowing the readers to delve a deeper meaning from a work and to appreciate the author's writing. These parallels help me in reading the books to have a greater understanding of the story, almost like a guide to the story to reference when certain elements twist together and the book seems to be written in Latin. I also feel intelligent when I find the allusions and know how they impact the story.

A Quest at Once Familiar Yet Different...

2011-06-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

In all literature, there is one common occurrence that is older than literature itself, more than likely: the "Quest." Many of the greatest stories of all time are quests- The Odyssey, The Lord of the Rings, Of Mice and Men, and on, and on, and on until we become exhausted from listing so many titles. All quests are not obvious enough to really think of the stories as "quests", but all quests have five basic elements: a quester, a place to go, a stated reason to go there, challenges and trials en route, and a real reason to go there. To prove this concept of how every story can be a quest, I will apply this process to one of the many books I have read recently: The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien.

a. The Quester- Turin, son of Hurin, who (as a child) was sent to the Elven country from his home in Dor-lomin to escape the wrath of the Northenlings that were invading after the capture of Hurin by Morgoth; he is young, does not know much about the world other than the world he experienced by his father's side.

b. A place to go- Turin was sent to the elven land of Doriath to plead for mercy and shelter from the elven King Thingol, an ally of Hurin's from previous wars. Turin arrives at Doriath but ends up travelling for a majority of his life all over Middle Earth, in order to discover his true purpose and to find his place in the world.

c. A stated reason to go there- His mother Morwen wanted to protect him from the invading Easterlings and to spare Turin the pain of becoming a slave. Because Hurin was imprisoned at Angband, the lair of Morgoth, Hurin could do nothing to help his family through this time, leaving Morwen to send Turin away to one day return and help free both his father and his home.

d. Challenges and trials- Turin faces hardship not long after arriving in Doriath; he is accepted into the city by King Thingol, and even accepted as Thingol's own son, but many of the elves resent him because they feel that he has not earned the right to bear this title. This starts Turin in a spiral of warfare, misunderstandings, banishment, the unintentional death of comrades and friends, reacceptance as the leader of a group of bandits, conflicts with the feared dragon Glaurung (also destroying his sister and mother in the process), leading a tribe of woodmen into battle, and ultimately ending in his death at his own hand.

e. The real reason to go on the quest- While Hurin was trapped at Angband, Morgoth cursed Hurin and his entire family and line, so they would meet their end while Hurin was helpless to prevent the tragedies from unfolding. Turin's main quest after reaching Doriath was the pursuit of a way out of this curse- running, disguising himself and his name, all to prevent his inevitable doom from falling down around his ears. By always moving, reinventing himself, fighting against the forces of Angband with any group that he came into contact with, Turin hoped to delay or eliminate the curse. Many times he seemed to have done just that when a new tragedy presented itself, destroying what Turin had worked so hard to accomplish. Turin's quest was a never ending affair, a road becoming longer each time he nearly reached the end of it. Turin finally realised this concept at the moment of his greatest despair, deciding to end the journey then and there with his sword.

This quest is just one of many in the hallowed halls of literature and lore, also one of the more straight forward quests. But it is a quest none the less, this one ending in tragedy, not triumph.

Teacher Respect Argument

2011-03-31T17:42:00.001-07:00

The United States today suffers greatly from a problem of enormous proportions, a problem rapidly disappearing in other countries in the world such as Japan, Finland, and Canada. This scourge not only puts many of the businesses and fields of today at risk, but also puts the American people at risk. This virulent epidemic is more of a deficiency but can still be deadly; I am discussing the lack of respect for teachers. While many experts all over the U.S. have given their two-cents on how to reverse this calamity, the view that I agreed with the most would have to be that of Zeke Vanderhoek, explaining his process to draw more talented teachers into the profession and keep them there for longer. Probably the one aspect of Vanderhoek's plan that would produce the greatest impact on societies views of teachers would be to pay teachers accordingly to the work that they accomplish. Today's society focuses more on money than just about every other aspect of a job before either pursuing the field or passing judgement on it. Doctors and lawyers receive more admiration from most Americans than teachers receive; One must then look at the salaries of the two fields compared, with the starting salary of a doctor and lawyer(the professionals in this case) being at least $100,000 per year, and with a teacher's being around $20,000-25,000. One of Vanderhoek's methods of raising a salary to a more appropriate level would be to limit the number of administrative employees in the school buildings to the few who are absolutely essential to the running of the school. This frees more money in the school's budget to give teachers a raise and reward them for good work. By allowing teachers to earn more money over time, a much greater number of students will desire to become to teachers, in turn increasing the likelihood of their actually being teachers present to teach the next generations of professionals. Without teachers to teach, the professionals will not possess the skills required for them to do their jobs properly and therefore can not make the salaries that they currently make. Professionals may be better trained than the teachers who teach them (and will also make a far greater amount of money over their lifetime), but the professionals can not get to this point unless they first learn the skills that are necessities for their fields; These skills, believe it or not, are taught by teachers, and without the teachers, the great number of professionals in the field today will soon dwindle to close to none, leaving America between a rock and a hard place. By increasing the pay of teachers, many teachers may also attempt to pursue higher education other than the basic requirement courses that are needed to teach at schools, therefore allowing a teacher, albeit one who knows their subject matter thoroughly, to plan lessons to keep students engaged and interested longer than they would be by just using a book and the school boards cookie-cutter lesson plans. The teachers that are creative and teach in different ways are often the most challenging teachers to pass a class from, but are also the favorite teachers among the students and often gain the respect and admiration that most teachers lack. While there are those who challenge this theory, bringing up arguments such as paying teachers better can detract from the overall functionality of the school as whole, with the money used to pay the new salaries restricting the ability for necessary resources of the school from being obtained, and also the argument that teachers will not teach better whether they make a larger salary or not. These arguments are completely valid, unfortunately in some situations quite true, but overall this will not be the case. With higher pay more people will want to become teachers, making the demand for teachers increase, allowing only the best of the best to become teachers, driving prospective teachers to gain as much education as they can to be selected for the jobs. This will increase the overall ability for teachers to teach their students, greatly improving their learning ability and their standardized test scores, which then results in more government funding for the school to continue operating efficiently and to continue teaching the students. So, whatever money is lost when the schools begin paying teachers with a higher salary will more than likely be gained back in the long run. While the plans look fantastic on paper and seem like such an easy solution, reality jumps to the forefront and shows the long, arduous road. Like life threatening illnesses, their is no simple, fix-all cure to eliminate all signs of the plague and destroy the source and immunize people. The process will take time and cooperation to fix the growing problem involving teachers. Let's all hope that the impossible can be accomplished.

The Great Gatsby analysis

2011-03-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

Fitzgerald's elusive, hopeless view of society and mankind reveals the struggles that the world undergoes to move forward and provide changes to the world, but also the inability to remain enthralled with unspoiled world around them, often ending in a worse situation in which they began.

In Fitzgerald's view of the shore, he notes the "inessential houses," and watches the "shadowy, moving glow" of the ferries on the river, all the while contemplating the "vast obscurity beyond the city." He uses language that gives a sense of transparency and an unrealistic tint to the objects that society has deemed necessary and essential for life, spinning the objects as mere illusions, detracting from the actually view of the world- the area "beyond the city", where society has not obtained and improved. Fitzgerald offers these thoughts as an explanation to the faults of society- namely the need to alter and change and buy "stuff"- that was very prevalent in the 1920s and continuing today, with our consumerism culture leaving all who participate with an unfulfilled sensation, showing how everything that we attempt to use to change the world is not fully the answer, how it is the ghost of what we truly want to do in the world.

Fitzgerald also discusses the short attention span of society, with "man...face to face for the last time something to commensurate to his capacity to wonder," with man always trying to "run faster, stretch out our arms farther" to something new, while the dream-what man actually wants- "was already behind him." These phrases give an unreachable sound, like the dream is always one step ahead and can not be attained, or so we think; Often times society places more interest on certain goals that we think we must have, when the actual goal may have already passed by, and we did not reach out to grasp it. By showing humanities lack of interest in the vast wonders of untainted society, the author demonstrates how society is always running for the newest object, like culture today, with new products being unveiled constantly, never to be satisfied with what they have-ultimately leading to a downward spiral back to the original and the past.

Fitzgerald paints a bleak picture of a world riddled by consumerism and dissatisfaction with the world surrounding them. If this general trend continues, the entire system may implode in on itself, and history will repeat itself; maybe not a situation as serious as the Great Depression, but before long, society will return to the unspoiled pleasures of the world. Once society terminates the habit of chasing after the manifestations of dreams, the world will right itself and recover the lost ground caused by the consumerist trends plaguing our nation.

Forster view screencast

2011-03-05T15:00:00.001-08:00

http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cXeh3P2bh

Quotes on Consumerism

2011-03-01T18:23:00.000-08:00

In society today, not a soul seems to be content with their current possessions. The general rule for this generation seems to be, "Give me this! Give me this! Give me this! Now I want that instead because that is newer!" Has anyone ever stopped to think about how maybe, just maybe, if we curtailed our spending habits, the entire infrastructure of the world economy may right itself?

Well my friends, as always, the answer to this minuscule problem is in the Bible, Proverbs 30: 8-9 to be exact. The very first line of this passage starts out with "Give me neither poverty nor riches/ Grant me only my share of bread to eat," which emphasizes the problems today. No one wants just their share; society screams to people to take their share, more than they can carry, and then some more. The reason a share is called a "share" is because that is the part that will allow the receiver to accomplish whatever needs to be done, be the task feeding a family or paying bills. Similar to the family in "But Will it Make You Happy," this passage tells the reader to live with only the bare essentials (the "share"), and more than likely you will become happier, most likely due to a simplification of finances, like the family in the article, who removed all of the items that were not absolutely necessary and became debt free. Also, by limiting possessions to only the most important and essential, a strong emotional attachment can develop to the items, making the owner less likely to trade in or buy a new product just because the product is newer.

The next line of the quote states, " for fear that surrounded by plenty, I should fall away/
and say, "Yahweh - who is Yahweh?"/ or else in destitution, take to stealing/ and profane the name of my God." These lines are fairly straight forward, meaning that a person surrounded by plenty will forget where the riches they possessed came from, and will forget about God. No matter what all of the disaster theorists say about why the world is falling apart, this is more than likely the reason. As the world began to prosper, fewer and fewer people kept going to church, until the percentage of Americans who actually regularly attend church is lower than it has been in over thirty years. And this economic downturn is a good indication of what this drop has caused. This entire economic situation may be a result of America- who was founded on Christian principles- "falling away from and profaning" God. This situation reminds me of a parent knowing their child is doing wrong and waiting for them to admit they did wrong and to come back, and, even more like the parent, eventually having to come and reprimand the child because they will not return willingly. This situation leaves a grim outlook for the future, with a new disaster on the horizon if the problem continues unchecked.

Well, this is my analysis for this consumerism quote. Hopefully the world can right itself before the rest of the economy comes crashing down around our society's ears.

3rd Quarter Annotated Reading List

2011-02-27T11:51:00.000-08:00

I read 3 books, the equivalent of 7 books.

Treasure Island- Robert L. Stevenson (134 pages)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone- J.K. Rowling (309 pages)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- J.K. Rowling (341 pages)

Stevenson, Robert L. Treasure Island. Racine, WI: Western, 1971. Print. (3 books)
Treasure Island tells the story of a young boy named Jim, whose encounter with pirates starts him on a quest for a legendary treasure, amassed by a notorious pirate named Captain Flint. After a group of parents attack the inn owned by Jim's parents, he discovers that they were after a map showing the location of Treasure Island; after sharing this information with the Doctor and the Squire, they decide to form an expedition team to travel to Treasure Island. The trip seems to be proceeding without a hitch, until Jim discovers a secret plot among the crew to mutiny and keep the treasure for themselves. With this revelation, Jim and the remaining, non-mutinous crew take flight to the island and set up defenses against the pirates, and also discovering a mysterious man with a secret that will change their views of the island.
One aspect that drew me to this book was the content. The book is full to the brim with all of the pirate cliches that have been in every pirate movie since the publication of this book (Pirates of the Carribean being just one example). References to the Dead Man's Chest, outlining the proper way to maroon a friend on a deserted island, and half-way explaining why pirates must have large amounts of rum present at all times (they just seem to prefer rum to every otherbeverage) are just a few of the topics revealed in the book. Plus, I have always enjoyed a good pirate story, with mutinies and songs and fights with muskets, showing how even pirates know how to create a fun and rewarding cruise vacation to a dangerous, treasure filled island.

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic, 1999. Print. (309 pages)

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. New York: Scholastic, 2000. Print. (341 pages)

Advertising Techniques of the Future

2011-02-27T10:56:00.000-08:00

With the economy currently struggling, many Americans no longer have the money to go out to Wal-mart and buy whatever new item just came out, be it a new iPod or 3D Television or any other product. Many families just like this family are discovering that simpler pleasures can be just as, and maybe more so, satisfying than buying that new television and sitting in front of the screen for hours on end. I'm talking about family game nights.

Many of the board game companies, including Hasbro, are trying to market their products toward a more family-oriented direction. The ad features a family of four at different points in the day repeatedly saying, "It's Wednesday," before showing the mom at a store, possibly Wal-mart or Target, buying a board game for her family. The family then are seen playing the game at their house that night and having an almost gratuitous amount of fun. This commercial really emphasized the fact that a family can have fun together, even with a bad economy, and with all of the technology available to all people.

This commercial really hit home with me, causing me to remember all of the family game nights I have had with my parents over the years. Maybe I am not a normal teenager, but I actually like my parents and it does not bother me to spend time with them. The general truth seems to be that, with all of this new technology in the world, people (especially teenagers,myself included) began to become more and more anti-social, but, because times are getting tougher and people have less money, they seem to realize that they don't need new expensive toys to have fun- they need a group of people they want to be around.

With these new advertising schemes from the myriad of companies releasing new products, a shift seems to be occurring, from buying the new products and not being with your family as much, because all of the new "stuff" eats up all the time you have, to a more family-centric way of living, with the most important goal being spending time with family. Hopefully, with this shift, all of the innumerable problems in the world can be improved or even solved. But, if not, then I guess all Americans can just try to remember their family game nights and sigh contentedly at their reminiscences.

One and the Same

2010-12-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

"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

2010-11-23T11:17:00.000-08:00

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?

2010-11-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

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

2010-10-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-15T09:55:00.001-07:00

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

2010-10-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-09T18:03:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

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

Of Mice and Men

2010-05-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-26T10:17:00.001-07:00

"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

2010-04-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-12T10:28:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-17T10:02:00.001-07:00

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

2010-03-12T18:15:00.000-08:00

"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

2010-03-12T17:19:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-27T12:18:00.000-08:00

'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

2010-02-23T10:51:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-21T14:11:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-23T15:02:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-16T12:26:00.000-08:00

"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

2010-01-13T18:21:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-13T17:47:00.001-08:00

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.

Book review for Julius Caesar

2009-12-13T11:47:00.001-08:00

Julius Caesar, like many other works of famous literature by Shakespeare, is one of those books that everyone has to read at one point or another. It's a play that is considered to be a classic, like most of Shakespeare's works, and was a fairly decent book. The language used by the characters and the writing style were very outdated, but this was actually a book that was a decent read. Julius Caesar by Shakespeare was better than I expected it to be and was also a fairly good book.

The plot of Julius Caesar helped to keep the story moving fairly well. Basically the story of how Caesar is murdered and the events that happen afterwards, the plot sticks fairly close to history, but adds elements in to make it more interesting. Also, since this was written as a play, the story doesn't have boring drop off points and does a fairly decent job of keeping the reader interested throughout the story. It was a little like a soap opera towards the end, when everyone started killing themselves. People were pretty weird back in the day.

While the characters were not very well explained in the book, the way Shakespeare had them speaking made you imagine what they could generally look like. Very vague character descriptions were used probably to ease the burden of finding an actor for the part. That way you could find a good actor and not worry what they looked like.

Julius Caesar is another of the books that are part of the big list of "classics". Everyone reads them eventually, and you usually have to like them or everyone thinks you're weird. Julius Caesar was actually a fairly good book though. Even though I'm not a fan of Shakespeare, I moderately enjoyed this book. The writing style is the one thing that will keep many people away form this book though, as it is extremely hard to understand at times. Other than that, the book is alright.

209 pages

Book review for Glorious Appearing

2009-12-12T17:00:00.001-08:00

"We've only got a thousand years."

These were the words of Rayford Steele talking to his son after all of the believers were reunited together after the Glorious Appearing. By a thousand years, Rayford was talking about the millennial kingdom that Christ had set up on Earth. During the final chapter of the Left Behind series, the Antichrist begins his assault with his seemingly invincible army, and set out conquering Jerusalem and the other believers. At least until Christ appears with his heavenly army and defeats them. LaHaye and Jenkins' Glorious Appearing was a great end to the series, full of action and triumph of good over evil. The end of the world won't be so bad.

Glorious Appearing is another great entry into the series and, to me, had the best plot. The plot mainly consists of the Jewish Remnant and the Tribulation Force, with only one original member remaining, struggling to hold the Antichrist's forces back until Jesus returns. The believers seem overwhelmed, but riding down from the clouds comes Jesus and his army of angels. From then on it is mainly a slaughter, as Jesus speaks the Word of God, and Antichrist's being torn apart like being slashed with a sword. Maybe I like the action more than anything but the parts like that were my favorite parts.

The characters in this book were also another of the best parts. While several characters who played minor roles in the past, like Razor and Naomi, get to fill bigger roles, the biggest additions are Jesus, his archangels Michael and Gabriel, and the Angels of Mercy. The book does a good job describing them to how we maybe would see them or at least the best way the Bible describes them. The way their dialogue is written seems to make me think of respect and admiration to them, but I guess that's what anyone would give the son of God.

Just like the other books in the Left Behind series, Glorious Appearing is an extremely well written book, capable of holding you and getting you to keep reading. The book is a good way to end the series and is another of my favorites in the series. I fully recommend this series to anyone who likes a good book.

399 pages

Book Review for Armageddon

2009-12-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

"He was unarmed, falling, and mortally wounded. And the enemy was coming." These were the thoughts of Buck Williams, shortly after the Global Community Unity Army launched their first assault on Jerusalem. As the Tribulation is nearing its conclusion, Nicolae Carpathia has began the biggest military operation in the history of mankind, all as a last ditch effort to wipe the believers of God off the face of the Earth. All of the remaining Tribulation Force members, now numbering in the hundreds, are in Petra, the temporary home of the Jewish Remnant, preparing to defend against the Antichrist's assault and the Glorious Appearing of Christ. Lahaye and Jenkins' Armageddon is a very interesting climax to the Left Behind series, and, in my opinion, was one of the best so far. Maybe that's because I like the action parts in books the best but maybe not.

Like the rest of the books in the Left Behind series, the setting is one of the best parts of the book. The authors portray the end of the world with such great detail that you can very easily see the Israeli desert with the Antichrist's army waiting to begin their assault. The Bible says that the army will be as numbered as the sands of the world, and the author does a great job of letting you know just how big this army actually is. Reading a good book should be like watching a movie and that's how I felt through out my reading of Armageddon.

A theme from this book that is very easy to discern is that everyone should be saved. The judgements from God and the frustration of being part of the largest army in history, but still losing to a few million people are just the beginning of the troubles the supporters of Antichrist have to deal with. And then there's the whole business about burning in hell for eternity, so it's not a good situation any way you look at it. I'm glad I'm saved.

The most obvious connection that you can make from this book, in fact the whole series, is its connection to the Bible. I know this is a big duh, but some people may not realize that. The story in the Bible is basically the same story that is in this book, just with out the characters and everything being explained in great detail. The Bible liked metaphors and similes, so this is a little easier to understand.

All in all, like the last book I reviewed from the Left Behind series, I thoroughly recommend this to anyone who wants a good read. People are sometimes turned off by religious books, but this is a good book whether you know the Good Book or not. See what I did there? Clever, huh?

395 pages

What makes a leader a true leader

2009-12-08T17:04:00.000-08:00

In this blog post, I'm supposed to talk about what I think makes a leader, I guess of any kind, a true leader. So, here we go.

What comes to mind whenever I think about leaders is probably the typical generalization. To me, a leader needs to be able to speak with many people, convince them all to follow his view on a certain topic, and then to guide them to act on his plans. While many people are considered leaders, for example preachers, teachers, coaches, and political leaders, and are able to do many great things with their authority, their are every once in a while people who abuse that power to accomplish things that shouldn't have been accomplished, like Hitler, who thought that the mass murdering of several million people was the only way to gain world dominance and recognition. This was before reality television, so I guess that's all he thought he could do.

I guess that the test of a true leader is to see what the leader will do with the power once he obtains it. There are those among us that probably don't need power over anything or they will go crazy trying to get more.

Well those are my thoughts. Tune in next time for another (hopefully) exciting glimpse into our strange little world and what I think about it.

Choose a topic

2009-12-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

For this post, we get to choose what we get to right about. Most people would choose to right about an off the wall subject or just about randomness in general. But I am not most people. I will write a well thought out, structured thesis about a very important life altering subject.

Ha Ha Ha, I crack myself up sometimes. No, I will be doing my blog post on music, asking some tough questions that I have thought of and maybe even answering a few of them myself.

Are the Rolling Stones going to be around forever? I, along with many other music fans around the world, hope so, and I believe they may be. While not the best thing in the world to do, the Stones have been major partiers since the sixties, and I think the only effect that has had on them is to pickle them. To preserve them or make them sour, either way, they will probably be here a while.

This may be the most difficult question in the entire music world but here it goes: did Elvis, Tupac, and Michael Jackson really die or are they really everywhere in the world? I'm afraid not even I know the answer to this. The papers and television said they did, and we should believe them because they always tell the truth. I don't know what fantasy world that would be true in, but not in this one. I don't know and I'm sure we never will know.

There are my stupid questions for you to ponder on and I'm sorry if everyone thinks I'm a doofus now, but oh well. One last thing, Chuck Norris isn't as high and mighty as everyone thinks he is. There is one man who has bested him: Bruce Lee. Yeah Bruce Lee is better than Chuck Norris. I said it. What are you gonna do about it?

Being Thankful

2009-12-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

As Thanksgiving rolls by, with Christmas hot on its heels, sometimes it's just good to be thankful for what we have. I know that is hard to do most of the time, with everybody wanting to get the newest and biggest whatever most of the time, but it is possible to do. For your enjoyment, and to get the points for this assignment, here is a top ten list of the things I am thankful for.

Family
Good home
Good school
Food
Water
Air
My guitar
Athletic ability
Music ability
Intelligence( Not only my own but also for the intelligence of others. I mean, who wants to have to deal with a bunch of morons all the time?)

Well there is my list. Read it, scan it, do whatever you wish to do with it.

7 Habits of Effective Teens

2009-11-11T15:22:00.000-08:00

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey is your typical self-help book, just directed at teens, and is a little more entertaining. In the book, Sean Covey talks about-get ready for the shocker- seven habits that will help teens to succeed. Crazy right?

The habit that I thought about that I really needed to work on was Habit 2- Keep the end in Mind. I am not good with time or school or any combination of the two. Usually, I'm busy with something other than the project I should be working on, at least until a few nights before the project or paper is due. Then, I scramble and stress to get everything done. Especially during basketball season, time is a precious commodity. If I learned to manage time better then maybe I wouldn't have to work so hard all the time. I probably won't be able to learn that cause I won't have the time, but I can manage.

From the whole book, my favorite habit was the seventh habit, the sharpen the saw. It basically says to try your hardest in school and all of the extra stuff you do, but to also just put on the breaks and relax sometimes. Everyone likes to relax, so that's the best habit. Just not to much. I'm easily distracted, and may goof to much, but I enjoy any breaks we get from school. I'm a nerd, but even a nerd needs a break every once in a while.

This book was a decent book, but I don't really like self-help books that much. I don't like anyone telling me that I'm doing anything wrong, but I just take it and let it go. If you won't to become more effective as a teen, then I guess this is the book for you. Have fun with it.

Troubles of a musician

2009-10-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

I'll just tell everyone up front that, if you have never had to restring a guitar, it is a pain in the butt. Just one little mistake can ruin an enitire set of strings, and then you're out the money for the strings and the fifteen minutes that it took to string them. And then the worst part is when the strings are put on wrong, and they mess up the neck, creating buzzing spots and an uneven fretboard.
If you're a famous musician who has roadies to do all of this for you, I guess you visited my blog for nothing. On the other hand, if you are like me and have to do all of this yourself, I've come up with a short list of steps that can be a big help.

1. Always buy good quality strings. Not the cheapo dollar kind that you can get at Walmart. Usually a major name brand like Ernie Ball or GHS will do the trick.
2. Have a good work area to begin restringing. An area where you have to get in an uncomfortable position ( like the kitchen table, especially when your mom is trying to cook dinner, and yelling at you for getting your guitar in the potatoes) is not the best place to work, causing you to rush and maybe make a costly mistake.
3. Leave enough string on, so if you mess up you can do a retry. The companies who made these strings knew what they were doing when they made the strings. A good rule my guitar teacher told me to follow is to go about three to four tuners up and that should be good.
4. When stringing, give the string a little slack and keep a firm hold on it to keep the string from winding to quick. The more times the tuners go around the better the string will sound due to resonance and tension. No one wants loose strings right?
5. Safety first. You, as the reader may be thinking, "Man, how could restringing a guitar be so dangerous?" Well, sharp fine wire, a lot of tension, and bending over the area where you are stringing and cutting, could turn from a easy project to learning to wear an eye patch. You may look more like a pirate after, if that's what you want, but I think if God put something on our bodies, it needs to stay there. Wearing safety glasses can help with this.
6. Make sure your guitar is in tune. This is one of the most redundant statements I will make, but is the most important. Just stringing the guitar is only half the battle. Then the fun of trying to get the guitar in tune begins. If you have to play a concert and need new strings, I would suggest putting them on at least a week before (unless you are at the gig and a string breaks; in that case just slap on the new ones and go).

These simple rules have served me well and hopefully you too. Until I get my fame and fortune from music, I'll be stuck doing all this to, so just know you are not alone. Also be sure to remember to tell everyone in several years that the legendary Chris Elms taught you via blog how to string a guitar. Hey, it could happen.

Book review for Mutation

2009-10-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

"Somehow she would have to face this last demon child, and with Joe's help, end forever the nightmare that her husband had begun."

These were the words of Marsha Frank, thinking of the experiment that her husband, Frank, had done at his laboratory, that had caused her son, along with several other children to become geniuses. Unfortunately, this also caused them to become so smart that the children were able to realize how much they could accomplish, and they would take out anybody who tried to get in their way. Mutation is the story of what happens to the Franks when they bring home their new baby, whom they call VJ, after his father Victor Sr., and the events that happen during the next few years. After the death of the Frank's first child, David, and their maid, the Frank's life seems to settle down for a time, until many seemingly unconnected events begin occurring. Mutation captivated me with its realism and also scared me as I thought about how, with all the advancements in technology, this story could actually happen.

In Mutation, the characters are easily one of the best parts of the book. Each character has their own unique personality, and the way they interact with each other is extremely believable. VJ has all of the air of an evil genius around him, his father acts like the proud father that every father would act like if his son was a genius, and his mother is uncomfortable with certain aspects of VJ's behavior, just the way he acts and how he seems to have no emotion. All of these aspects give the reader clues often times to the way the story may be going or what may happen next. The way the author has the reader watching the parents as they find out more about VJ, and the different ways they react to what they discover, gives the book an air of mystery. I found myself not liking VJ and being a little creeped out by him and his plans for science. An author who can actually elicit emotional responses from the reader shows a good author, in my opinion.

A theme from this book that I interpreted was that, even though we may have the ability to alter and modify the human body to how we think it should be, should we? This issue has affected the lawmaking system many times and this book shows how doing this could affect the humanity of a person. This book could very well come true, and unlike the sci fi stories people read and then go and report seeing aliens in their backyard, the situation in Mutation could very well happen. It really makes the reader think, and some people may disagree with me but I think that some of the best books that I've ever read have made me think other than the time that I've been reading the book.

In conclusion, if you like a well written book that will make you think or if you are a biology nerd like me who wants to read an entertaining book, Mutation is a good choice. This book will keep the reader interested and entertained throughout the book. As the saying goes, "This will keep the midnight oil burning", or electricity or whatever you may use to make light to read by. If Mutation is put on your to read list, I doubt that you will be disappointed by it.

338 pages

Book Review for The Mark

2009-10-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

"But Nicolae Carpathia was evil personified, and the next day Buck would be in the line of fire when the battle of the ages between good and evil for the very souls of men and women would burst from the heavens, and all hell would break lose on Earth."

These are the thoughts of Buck Williams as he is in Jerusalem during the Great Tribulation after the Rapture, told in the book of Revelations in the Bible. Buck is one of the believers who is in hiding from the forces of the Antichrist, and is in Jerusalem waiting to witness the desecration of the temple in Jerusalem by the Antichrist. Buck, along with Rayford Steele and his daughter, and Buck's wife, Chloe, are the leaders of an underground organization called the Tribulation Force, who work to help other believers and do as much damage to Nicolae Carpathia's, also known as the Antichrist, regime. The Mark begins shortly after Carpathia is resurrected and is indwelt with the devil, and deals with many of the events that come to pass after he is resurrected and decrees that every citizen of the Global Community, the world order set up by Carpathia, must receive a mark of loyalty, like it says in the Bible. Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins' The Mark is a very good book, painting an extremely realistic picture of how the world would be in the time after the Rapture. The situations the characters go through could easily happen tomorrow and will make the reader wonder what they would do in a situation like this.

The setting is a major factor of the book, and helps the book to become very believable. From the safe house of the Tribulation Force in war ravaged Chicago to the eerie details of the Global Community mark application sites, the environment is always very well thought out and fits the time and location in history perfectly. One page of the book may be at the Global Community headquarters in New Babylon and a couple of pages over, the view will switch to the safe house in Chicago. The authors did a great job of showing the reader how the actions of someone in one corner of the world may affect someone else in a completely different location. The setting helps to tie the whole book together and show how the world will be during this period of history.

The characters are also another aspect of book that I thought the authors did a great job on. Carpathia just makes you disgusted with the way he rules the world, especially during his speeches when he tells the public what he wants them to hear, but the reader knows that he actually caused the disaster to happen. As the main characters in the Tribulation Force go about on their missions, the reader just can't help but root for them to succeed and get home safely. The character dramatics are what help to make this book just so realistic, like actually reading the real account of someone who went through this. The way the characters contrast and still have everyday problems, like uncertainty and fear, that people go through everyday, even without a mission from God, and how they manage to get through them, shows how deeply the authors thought about the characters before creating them. Poor character choices or uninteresting characters are often why books lose the readers interest, but The Mark has plenty of characters to entertain the reader.

Number eight in the Left Behind series, The Mark is another great book in a series that seems to get better with each book. Full of terrifying realism, apocalyptic scenes, and an engaging storyline, The Mark will keep the reader hooked on the book and wanting more. My only advice though is to read the first seven books first. This one won't make as much sense as it should if you choose not to read them beforehand. Other than this one hitch, this is a good read.

381 pages

Book review for The Time Machine

2009-10-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

"Nature never appeals to intelligence until habit and instinct are useless."

This was the time traveller's assessment of the people of the future, the Eloi. He was describing how the Eloi seemed to have lost all of their intelligence as time went on and are now ignorant and dependent on the Morlock people for their needs. This book describes the time traveller's visit to the year 802,701 A.D., but, unlike most stories about a character visiting the future, I found the time machine an extremely uneventful book. This book is a good read, full of great descriptions of the future world, but most of the book was spent with the time traveller just marvelling at the scenery. H.G. Wells The Time Machine may be considered a classic, and it is still a good book, just, as advice, don't go into the book expecting cliffhanging action.

Throughout The Time Machine, a major theme of the book is the time traveller's desire to get home and the plans he comes up with to return home. Shortly after the time traveller arrives in 802, 701 A.D., his time machine is placed into a large compartment in the pedestal underneath a statue of a sphinx, and he discovers that he can not get into the pedestal. This sends him on a crazed, determined spiral to try to get into the pedestal. Once he discovers he can't get into the pedestal, he decides to go and find the Morlocks, who he believes put his machine in there, to have them get it back out. He travels to several places, including an ancient museum, looking for something to use against the Morlocks, but he only finds matches and cephalocor. The time traveller uses the matches and cephalocor to start a fire to protect himself and his companion, Weena, from the Morlocks, but only succeeds in starting a forest fire. The threat of the fire though does get the Morlocks to open the pedestal, revealing the time machine, but it is only a trick to get the time traveller alone, in the dark, where the Morlocks will be able to capture him. The time traveller manages to escape them, though, and makes his way back to his own time. I just really don't understand though why the time traveller went to all of the trouble to make a time machine if when he travelled time, all he wanted to do as soon as he got there was to want to come back. Maybe it's the fear of the unknown, but I'm not sure.

The one aspect of the book that I found that the author did an extremely good job on was the setting of the story. As the author describes a building, it's almost like looking at the building through the author's eyes. Vivid descriptive words describe the landscape of the book, allowing a picture of the author's world to be painted in the mind. The people, from the small, diminutive Eloi to the near blind, apelike Morlocks, are also very diverse and each have their own specific personalities and traits that make them similar to people today and, at the same time, different from them. H.G. Wells' ability to provide a descriptive, vivid landscape and characters is second to none, and, in my opinion, is one of the highlights of the book.

The characters of The Time Machine are very diverse, with the stereotypical characters such as the skeptical doctor and the newspaper editor always looking for a big story, all the way to the people of the future, the Eloi and the Morlocks. The Eloi and the Morlocks symbolized the social and economical status of England during the time of Wells's life, with the Eloi symbolizing the rich,who live above ground and benefit from the working class, and the Morlocks symbolizing the workers, living underground, forced to provide for the Eloi. This showed how Wells tried to alert people about the unfairness of this system and showed how people were never going to be able to escape from it, even in a seemingly perfect society. This aspect of the characters hints that Wells was a very observant thinker and was trying to combat this way of life for society, showing them how the Eloi eventually began to fear the Morlocks and loocked themselves inside their shelters at night, scared of an attack. The way Well's described the Eloi's fear and by allowing the time traveller to discover why they feared them, showing how society had crumble was almost like a warning to them. Only good characters make you think about a subject like this, in this deep of a level.

Considered a literary classic, The Time Machine is one of the books that nearly everyone has read, and I expected a very well written book, full of action and adventure. A well written book was what I discovered, but the book was lacking eventful action and wasn't as entertaining as I expected. Maybe I interpreted the book a different way than other readers have usually interpreted it, or I'm just hard to impress, but The Time Machine was not as good as I thought it would be. Nevertheless, this is still a good book, and an interesting look at what the future may have in store for humanity.

83 pages

Book review for Clapton: the Autobiography (328 pages)

2009-09-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

"I had no desire for fame or recognition; I just needed to make the best music I could, with the tools I had."
These were the words of Eric Clapton, as he was speaking of his career in music. During his long and successful career, Clapton has experienced the ups and downs of fame, and managed to come out the other side alive. Eric Clapton's Clapton: The Autobiography is an extremely in-depth look past the music and allows the reader to see the true Eric Clapton.
Eric Clapton, in my opinion, is an extremely fortunate man, and is lucky to be alive. A major theme of this book is how Clapton overcame several types of addictions and how he tries to help others with the problems he overcame. Alcohol, cocaine, and heroin troubled Clapton throughout his career and nearly ended his life on several occasions. Car crashes and bad encounters with other addicts were just a few of the situations he had been in. His addictions were also, unfortunately, what caused many of Clapton's most famous bands to break up, including Cream, and Derek and the Dominoes. After reading this book, no one should ever want to drink or take drugs, based on many of Clapton's mistakes while he was taking them.
As the book progresses, the evolution of Clapton from a young kid in Ripley, England to the world-famous guitarist he's known as today, shows how his childhood affected his music and other aspects of his life. From his illegitimate birth in 1945 to the discovery of who his real parents are, accounted for many of Clapton's social problems and his music. Clapton used music as an escape route from this life he had and forged on to become the best musician in London. With his reputation established, he set off on new quests, and, before long, became one of rock's greatest guitarists. Clapton's drive and determination throughout his life is very inspiring, and shows that anything is possible.
The one aspect of Clapton that made me want to read this book the most was the music he has made. In John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, Derek and the Dominoes, and as a solo artist, Clapton has managed to capture the imagination of more musicians, arguably, than any other guitarist before or after himself. Throughout classics like "Layla", "Sunshine of Your Love", and "All Your Love", Clapton's pioneering guitar playing turned an entire generation to the blues music Clapton loved so much, and turned these songs, along with many others, into rock standards. The back-story behind these songs, and more, are revealed in his autobiography.
In conclusion, I give this book my full recommendation to anyone who enjoys Clapton's music. The book is a revealing look inside the man who brought us so much timeless, classic music.

2009-09-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

This is the first blog I have to do for my English class, and I have to pick a topic from my writers notebook to blog about. I have decided to blog about what would happen if there were no more television in the world.

If television just disappeared one day, I think there would probably be chaos for a small period of time, but everyone in the world would eventually get used to not having television. There would be the initial shock of it disappearing, and news would travel much slower, but it would not cripple the world, as some may think. People would actually start going outside more often, instead of watching the same shows on television they have seen several times. If I had to guess, the problem of many people being overweight would get much better if the main source of entertainment for people around the world disappeared.

A down side of this though could also be that news wouldn't travel as fast as it does today. Every time something big happens, several television stations are always there, reporting on it. Without that exposure, an area that is a disaster zone may not be closed off to the public, and more people may go in the area, making a bad situation even worse.

With any luck, however, we hopefully won't have to worry about this problem.