Bohemian Writesody

The Quest.

2011-08-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

"The quest consists of five things: (a) a quester, (b) a place to go, (c) a stated reason to go there, (d) challenges and trials en route, and (e) a real reason to go there."-- How to Read Literature Like a Professer by Thomas C. Foster

Stand by Me

1.) Our quester(s): A group of four adventurous 12/13 year old boys-- Gordie, the narrator, being the most intelligent and sheltered of the group; Chris, the "tough guy" with a rough home life; Teddy, the boy with an INSANE home life (literally, his mentally ill father once held Teddy's ear to a stove); and Vern, the chubby kid who finds himself at the butt of every joke.

2.) A place to go: Where the corpse of a missing boy, Ray Brower, mentioned on the radio lays. Vern knows the location, because he overheard his older brother and his friends talking about how they have seen the dead body.

3.) A stated reason to go: The four boys hope to bring the body back in hopes of getting credit for finding it. Not to mention the simplicity of the mere desire to see a dead body.

4.) Challenges and trials: First and foremost, no one brought any food on this on-foot journey, so the boys had to put their money together in order to buy something that will at least tide them over. A junk yard dog chased them, Gordie and Vern had a near death experience involving a train and a bridge, leeches attacked the boys when they were cutting through water. Lest I forget the emotional breakdown/breakthrough every character experiences OR the climatic encounter with the "big kids" Eyeball and Ace.

5.) The real reason go: To make lasting memories with friends, to discover themselves while simultaneously learning more about their friends, and to overcome fears. Overall, it was a major bonding experience for Gordie and Chris.

Great Gatsby Analysis.

2011-03-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

Fitzgerald's criticism with an undertone of regret symbolizes how we corrupted America.

When the reader first reads the passage, he will associate the color green with "the new world" that "had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of human dreams," but after the narrator mentions Gatsby, the reader associates the color green with an "orgastic future." "Gatsby believed in the green light."Fitzgerald means that America-- not to be mistaken with humanity as a whole -- has corrupted the American dream with sex. The world that "flowered once for Dutch sailors' eyes" had now "made way for Gatsby's house."

Fitzgerald also criticizes humanity as a whole, not only America in the last few lines. Humanity believes that "to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther" when really, we are only getting our hopes up for a change. Though humanity lies in desperation for change, we only "beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." No matter how hard we strive for change, the current (people who want to go the other way) will always be stronger.

Overall, Fitzgerald, through his critical tone, tells the reader that we, as Americans and humanity have corrupted the American dream and no matter how hard we try to change that, we will not be able to.

2011-03-13T19:04:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/user/Apple?v=FHngLJ0RlNg&feature=pyv&ad=6602803266&kw=iPhone%20ad#p/u/0/Z_d6_gbb90I

Apple lures people in with "thinner," "smaller," and "faster." Forget your piece of crap iPad 1 and drop $700-$800 more on this super awesome advancement that will only be a piece of crap next year when iPad 3 comes out EVEN thinner! (http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple) Though I cannot argue that Apple has some snazzy computers, I can safely say that the company feeds our consumer society, because Apple updates us with something even better looking than the previous product. That's probably why Microsoft cannot sell Zunes. It's sad how some people with the new iPad 2 will actually look down upon the iPad 1 owners. Not even the smartest "techies" can escape consumerism.

Quote on Consumerism

2011-03-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

"In a consumer society, there are inevitably two kinds of slaves: the prisoners of addiction and the prisoners of envy."--Ivan Illich (1926-2002)

Frightening images project in my mind when I read this. The prisoner of addiction is already in a greedy haze but is still loading a syringe with money and wastes it away through his veins; he wishes he could stop all of the lavish spending. The prisoner of envy is wild-eyed and starving for possessions; he craves what the prisoner of addiction has. In reality, outside of my creepy little mind, these prisoners exist. The prisoner of addiction buys everything that appeals to him, simply because he has the money to do that. He tries to find joy in it, but that is impossible. He wants more. He sees what other people have and wants it, too. Wait, that sounds like a prisoner of envy as well! Perhaps people uncontrollably enter a cycle that starts with envy, then goes to addiction, then goes back to envy and so on.

Books I Have Read

2011-03-10T06:13:00.000-08:00

I read 4 books, the equivalent of 6 books.

Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne- 232 pages (counts as 2 books, because of the INTENSE diction)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky- 224 pages
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson- 206 pages
Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway by Cherie Currie- 328 pages

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is not the everyday novel-- it's a epistolary novel, meaning that the book is in letter format. I don't find the novel to be the every day epistolary novel either, because the reader does not know the identity of the sender nor the receiver, even though the sender of the letters refers to himself as "Charlie." Through these letters, the reader sees scenes in Charlie's life which include drugs, sex, abuse, homosexuality, suicide, introversion, and just plain awkwardness. Some of those scenes do not involve Charlie directly, but as an observant and thoughtful wall flower, he sees all. The novel is based in Charlie's freshman year in high school, 1991-1992. His friend committed suicide the school year prior to that, causing Charlie to start high school as an outcast. He remains friendless until he meets Patrick and Sam, seniors who are step-brother and step-sister, who then befriend him and shows him a side of the world he has never seen before-- parties. Charlie quickly develops feelings for Sam, often referring to her as the most beautiful person in the world. On the flip-side of the party-life, Charlie is a very deep thinker and quite intelligent. His English teacher gives him extra assignments and becomes somewhat of a mentor for Charlie, often telling him to "participate." His writing style noticeably improves throughout the novel. I find the character to be very relate-able, because I too am a wallflower.

Scarlet Letter Journal (1)

2011-01-13T06:07:00.000-08:00

The founders of a new colony have two immediate necessities for the new land-- a cemetery and a prison. Though the prison was already "gloomy", the "weather stains" and "rust" on the door's iron spikes "darkened" the structure even more; it was as if the prison had "never known a youthful era." Even the lot in front of the the prison was unpleasant-looking and "overgrown with...unsightly vegetation." One one side of the grotesque prison door lies an out-of-place, yet beautiful wild rose bush "covered...with delicate gems which might...offer their fragrance and fragile beauty" to the new prisoners and the prisoners off to execution. Obviously, the rose symbolizes a "moral blossom that...relieve[s] the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow." Therefore, this chapter alone tells tells the story of The Scarlet Letter.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Modern Library Classics, 2000.

"Nothing Gold Can Stay"

2010-12-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

Although I do not disagree with her point of view, this is not quite S.E. Hinton's interpretation of "Nothing Gold Can Stay," and if you would care for her view on it, read The Outsiders if you have not already.

Robert Frost's "Nothing Gold Can Stay" only has eight simple lines to it, but happens to be one of my favorite poems of all time. He paints a clear image of a golden sunrise and nature blooming it's first green, but replaces that with a gray picture of Eden sinking to grief. Robert Frost rarely wrote about nature and only nature. This poem is a parallel to happiness.

Happiness is a beautiful emotion that I never take for granted. It gives me a warm fluttery feeling in my heart that spreads through my chest and builds a smile across my face-- a feeling that is "gold." Unfortunately, this feeling of sweet ecstasy never lasts. It is the"hardest hue to hold." Soon enough, my smile fades and the feeling in my heart coldly diminishes. "Dawn goes down to day."

"Letdowns" are everywhere in life. We all come across tons of them a day. Somehow, no matter how dark it gets, we hang in there. Perhaps it's the hope of a new-found happiness that helps us hold on a little longer. Maybe if we cling to that hope for a new dawn a little tighter, we can make that "gold" stay a little longer.

A Letter from Mr. Navarro

2010-11-10T20:18:00.000-08:00

Dave Navarro, the guitarist for Jane's Addiction, wrote "An Open Letter To Gay, Bi & Transgender Teens" on his website. It, of course, addresses the gay teen suicide issue everyone seems to be debating over. Navarro, however, does not rant about what he considers right or wrong. Instead, he simply assures gay, bisexual, and transgender teens that a better life waits ahead of them as long as they hold on, which is the proper way to address this issue.

When October 20 came around, Americans, by wearing purple, showed their honor to gay teens who committed suicide (because of fear-based hate) and people went crazy over gay rights debates! These debaters completely missed the point! Whether we think homosexuality is wrong or not, we need to be aware that people are ridiculing others, people are hurting others, people are assaulting others because of who they are to the point of suicide. NO ONE deserves so much concentrated hatred to where they contemplate taking their own life away, because they cannot handle going on in life with so much hate.

Instead of arguing over gay rights, we must come together to end the issues we can all can agree should end-- bullying and sheer malevolence.

If you are the one hating, stop. You have no idea how much undeserved pain you are causing the people you taunt.

If you are the one being hated on, stay strong, because that very strength will give the world hope for a new way of thinking and acceptance in the future.

Possible Reads?

2010-10-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

Neon Angel by Cherie Currie
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

Since reading Scar Tissue, I have an insatiable appetite for my favorite musicians' auto-biographies. I plan on reading Neon Angel by Cherie Currie, the former leading lady of the 1970s punk band, The Runaways. Currie's memoir should be a page-turner, because she was introduced to the wild world of rock and roll at the tender age of 15. Since the memoir's content is simply not appropriate for school, I won't make any bets that I will find Neon Angel in our library. Not to worry! Hastings will surely have a copy of it! Of course, I don't exactly have the cash to buy it, so I'll have to stay in the store and read it there, like I did with Scar Tissue, until a very gracious person let me borrow his copy.

A friend of mine, the same friend who recommended Scar Tissue to me, read Going Bovine and could not put it down. I figured that since he and I are not too big on reading and I liked the last book he recommended, we have have similar tastes in books. Luckily, Mrs. Huff has Going Bovine sitting on her bookshelf, so there is no conflict in getting it.

Many people consider watching the movie before reading the book a "no-no." Why? I would much rather be impressed with a movie, then be even MORE impressed with a book (since books are always better than the movie), rather than be impressed with the book, then upset with how inaccurate a movie is. I watched One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and fell in love. If the movie is that amazing, I can't even imagine how great the book is! I honestly haven't a clue whether the novel is in the library or any English teacher's bookshelf, but I do know that it lies within the classic novel section of Hastings. Perhaps I can find a cheap paperback?

Annotated Reading List

2010-10-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

Kiedis, Anthony, and Larry Sloman. Scar Tissue. New York: Hyperion, 2004. Print.

Scar Tissue is the deliciously deranged and drug-infested memoir of Red Hot Chili Peppers front man, Anthony Kiedis. He tells his readers about what life was like growing up in Los Angeles with his drug-dealing father, how the Red Hot Chili Peppers (RHCP) formed, what happened during RHCP, tours how drug addiction haunted him throughout his life, and the people he met along the way. Kiedis mentioned how his English teachers through out grade school and college fancied his writing style and I can see why! His casual, yet descriptive, story-telling tone makes it seem almost as if he were telling me the story before my eyes. Though I have never been addicted to drugs myself, he very distinctively describes the feelings drug addiction brings to where I understand. (465 pages)

Lamb, Sharon, and Lyn Mikel Brown. Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing Our Daughters from Marketers' Schemes. New York: St. Martin's, 2006. Print.

In Packaging Girlhood, authors Sharon Lamb and Lyn Mikel Brown inform mothers about the media selling an imaginary picture of women being girly, motherly, sexy, and powerless to their daughters. Images such as these are subliminally pounded into girls' skulls at young ages in disney movies clothing, then gradually segue into an image of a sex appeal. Lamb and Brown offer advice to their audience to help them keep their daughters from submitting to the sexist image the media portrays of women. Since I have seen a majority of what the authors mention in the book, I know what they are talking about. The problem with that is that I know more about the tv show, movie, etc. than the authors do and I can tell when the authors over-fabricate, which they clearly do an abundance of times. For example, when they discuss That's So Raven, they say Raven's mother is dead. Any girl from ages 10-20 can tell you that Raven's mother is living (actually in the later episodes, her mother goes to law school, which should be more empowering than not). (294 pages)

Reading Reflection

2010-10-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

I have went out of my "norm" this nine weeks and read two non-fiction books- one of which was an autobiography and the other being an informative non-fiction book. Obviously, I had more fulfillment and entertainment reading the autobiography, because it was about a musician.

I haven't quite established a regular habit of reading yet, but I am in the process of getting to that point, if I have the right book. I can read more regularly if I ask my reader-friends what books they would recommend for me, since they know what interests me. Of course, the content of the book does not carry the only issue. I also need to set out a certain time to read. With marching band, friends, responsibilities at the house, ways to make money, attempts to exercise.

I am not really having a "balanced reading diet," since I have only read non-fiction articles and books this nine weeks (except for Brave New World, but that is not exactly independent). I should probably read some more fiction, but I still come across the difficulty of finding a book I can get into. I am not good at "inking my thinking." I get distracted with my thinking. Even though I am not an expert on the subject, "inking my thinking" does enrich my understanding

Next nine weeks, I will somehow find time to read. I suppose I will read once I get home, when I originally watch television. I can also set apart a time right before I go to bed to read, also replacing time I watch T.V. Since marching season will be over next nine weeks, I'll have some more time to read and have a clearer head to think.

I want to read more auto-biographies next nine weeks, like Cherie Curry's autobiography. I have been a fan of Laurie Halse Anderson's books, so I'll go for some of those fictional books. I also heard Going Bovine was amazingly confusing, yet a wonderful read for young adults.

Socratic Seminar

2010-10-13T06:08:00.000-07:00

In our class's seminar, we discussed Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. In this group discussion, we encountered new ideas, had our own ideas challenged, learned interesting information related to the book. All of us had to come prepared for this discussion, in order to enrich our understanding of the book, so that means no thoughts from scratch. There were some aspects of my performance in the seminar I wish I could change, and some I feel I did well on. Because of the seminar, I have become a better listener and speaker.

Since other people had input, they introduced a few new ideas to me. Thomas brought up the fact that there was a difference in surviving and living, which I had never thought of before. Kelsey actually read about Henry Ford and learned that he was very racist and, ironically enough, supported Nazism. I always thought of Henry Ford as an all-American wholesome man, but I never really looked into it.

My ideas were never challenged; we all pretty much agreed on everything. If anything, I challenged my own thinking. I first thought that since Henry Ford was a big-shot during his time, Huxley praised him with giving him a religious title in the story, but I then proposed a new idea: Perhaps Huxley condemned Ford.

Preparing for this seminar with research enriched my knowledge and understanding. I went into the research naive of the rich background information and came out of research informed and, oddly enough, refreshed. I made connections to the text, making the text more clear.

As far as participation goes, I had a lot more to say in the first discussion I was in about Huxley giving Henry Ford the role of the society's god, because it's a more touchy subject to me and researching the topic was easier than the latter topic I participated in, so I felt a bit more fulfilled in the Henry Ford topic than the topic that involved Huxley's beliefs versus Orwell's beliefs on what will destroy us.

What was difficult on the latter was research, and because of that, I was less prepared for that discussion. The question asked for my thoughts, and I did not know what could really support my thoughts. I also had a load of difficulty putting the scattered thoughts in my brain in actual sentences, which I have always had trouble with. If I had to anything over, it would be better preparation for the latter topic. If I had done that, I would be far more satisfied with my role in the group's discussion.

On the flip side, I really enjoyed the first discussion I was in, because I get some strange kick out of discussing semi-religious topics in a small group. I liked the fact that I was able to express my thoughts and have others retaliate in a respectful manner, which was something much different than my experiences of discussing a deep subject with a group (my former experience was mainly debate). Along with Kelsey's thoughts on Fordism, I loved listening to Sam and Thomas's thoughts on whether love or hate will destroy us.

I learned that I am only a good communicator, having a clean ratio of speaking to listening, when I am very well prepared and have all of my thoughts in order. Otherwise, I listen much more than speak, thus giving me a very unbalanced "speak to listen ratio." That seems to be the case with everyone-- how can one thoroughly communicate something he or she does not quite understand him/herself? I might get overly excited about a subject and feel as if I should pour all my thoughts out at once. I recall getting the feeling that words were building up in my mouth, almost distracting me from truly listening.

I am a fan of the Socratic Seminar, though I do get slightly nervous. There is nothing wrong with the Socratic system, just me. These seminars will probably assist in helping me with public speaking. I hope we can do another seminar soon.

"Save the Seals"

2010-08-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is an organization very well known for having controversial and eye-catching ads such as an ad for the "I'd rather go naked than wear fur" campaign in which PETA has a celebrity pose completely nude. For a change, PETA took a more serious approach to an ad featuring a celebrity and for this ad, they chose Steve-O, a daredevil and TV personality. Those who know of Steve-O are aware of his wacky sense of humor and stunts that are both outrageous and painful. Their attention would most likely be brought to a cause even Steve-O is serious about.
PETA was quite clever in coming up with this ad, because it uses all three major rhetoric tools: ethos, logos, and pathos. The use of ethos is quite apparent with "Steve-O for PETA." Why should we trust Steve-O of all people? What does he know? Again, he is known for being a fun-loving and reckless guy, so whatever issue wipes the smile clear off his face must be an important issue.

Since I do not know any women or even girls my age who watch the shows Steve-O appears in, I assume this ad is aimed at teenage boys and young men. Men tend to be less sympathetic towards animals than women are mostly because somehow sensitivity and sympathy equals inadequate masculinity. If someone with as masculine as an occupation (or even appearance for the matter) as Steve-O's shows sympathy, then clearly it is okay for all of the other young men to do the same. In a way, this is a mixture of both pathos and ethos.

This ad appeals to pathos with the word choice. "Each year, many seals are killed" simply would not cut it. More accurate words are used to paint the truly horrifyingly gruesome picture of what happens to seals for their fur such as "slaughter," "massacre", "babies," and "cruel". Also, notice the angry and protective look on Steve-O's face. That helps give the reader the same emotion towards the issue. Plus, can you not help but think the seal drawn on his shirt is adorable? It let's the reader see seals in a more appealing light.

For logos, this ad has a simple, yet powerful paragraph. "Each year, tens of thousands of seals are..." That's enough to grab the reader's attention to the rest of the sentence.

To make an advertisement successful, it needs to have a combination of pathos, logos, and ethos in order to keep the attention of the reader. The reader will need someone they can trust endorsing the ad, the ad to get inside his or her head, and have the facts along with statistics.

"One Tribe"

2010-07-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

The Black Eyed Peas are known for their very upbeat and easy-to-dance-to songs. Most people, myself included, have seen the new Pepsi commercial about Pepsi funding meaningful/charity projects. That is where I heard a tiny little excerpt of the song, "One Tribe." Since I did not pay too much attention to the lyrics, all I thought of the song was that it was very catchy.

I did not get a chance to see the lyrics to "One Tribe" until I went CPYC, a church camp that takes place in Pleasantville, this month. One day, the lesson everyone learned was to not judge people by appearances, but instead on the good we see within them, so we listened to "One Tribe" in our "small group" that day and really payed attention to the lyrics. The song was obviously fitting to the lesson with lyrics like "Don't care where you are / Don't care where you been / 'Cause where we gonna go / Is where we wanna be." Where people are and where people have been represents the not-so-good exterior others see, while where people want to go represents the beautiful interior everyone has somewhere within them that people should see.

Church camp aside, I listened to the song again and listened to the lyric "Let's cast amnesia / Forget about all that evil .... that evil that they feed you." Sure, I heard the lyric, but it really made me think. Who teaches us our prejudices and grudges? Our family? Our friends? Our teachers? The media? The truth is all of them are "feeding us that evil." They feed us racism, sexism, stereotyping, and profiling. Think about it, a lot of the unfortunate events in the world sources from that evil. The only possible way it could stop is if we erased our memory of the evil that the world pours into our head.

Would it not be great if we could just forget about everything that happened in the past and our differences and come together as one tribe?

Through the Eyes of a Pig

2010-07-10T12:01:00.001-07:00

What do people see when they look at this photo? Obviously, most would recognize a close and warm bond between a mother pig and her piglet, and that is exactly what I recognized when I first looked at the picture, but then I took a much closer look into the picture. Disregarding the feel-good caption below the photo, I saw fear and sorrow in the piglet's eye. The piglet has a very personified facial expression in which it looks as if it will burst into tears.

One may ask, "What is the piglet so afraid of?" Take a look at where the piglet is sitting- a feeding trough. This darkly foreshadows the feeble and miserable piglet's horrendous fate as a part of someone's meal and the gruesome slaughter it will have to face beforehand. The mother has a quite peculiar facial expression. She knows from previous experiences exactly what her piglet fears and knows that her young one has every right to be worried, yet still attempts to assuage and comfort it. This piglet will be one of the many piglets people had severed from the mother's care then killed. Imagine how heartbroken and hopeless one would be if every single one of their children were brutally murdered. That is the level of pain this mother pig constantly feels and she will always feel that very agony until she cannot produce anymore young (at that point, she would be slaughtered) or until she dies.

Some peoples do not have compassion for animals because they like to think that animals cannot feel as humans feel, but whether someone looks at this photo and sees a mother loving her child or sees a piglet and its mother in fear, he or she will clearly detect an emotion that some people will never know of.

Annoted photo link

2010-06-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

This sums me up.

Of Mice and Men

2010-05-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

[WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS!]
Analysis of Detail

From his first paragraph, John Steinbeck sets the scene in Of Mice and Men through his use of imagery as he describes the natural world as a parallel to later events in the novella.

"The Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green" describes a deep and green river close to the hillside that George and Lennie were walking along and also describes George and Lennie. George "runs deep" in that he is a very understanding person, despite his vulgar language. Lennie runs "green" because he is, in a way, innocent and does not know what he is doing is wrong until he does the action. This also foreshadow the ending, because Lennie also "drops in close to the hillside bank" from being shot in the back of the head. "Slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan mountains" describes an unstable treacherous mountain. This quote describes Lennie, in a way, because Lennie has a lot of strength (in fact, he has no awareness of how strong he really is) and is very unstable, like a rocky foundation. This also hints that the plot will have smooth slopes at first, then will be rocky at the end.

For a change in description, Steinbeck chose to vaguely describe Curley with "a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway." Lennie, who came down from a different ranch, physically injures Curley in a fight. Curley's wife does not beat Curley physically, but what about mentally? I clearly dected that Curley's wife is a tramp. She seems to flirt with the other men who work on the ranch, which would be an emotional beating to any spouse. If the reader takes the literal meaning, the quote merely describes a river that leads into a pond. Steinbeck seems to describe a limb that used to be strong, but weakened over time with "the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it." This symbolizes George throughout the novel. First, he is mentally strong and can handle Lennie. Over time, George seems to break because he is influenced to shoot Lennie in the head before Curley shoots him in the "guts" to prevent any pain.

Analysis of Point of View

John Steinbeck used the third-person point of view throughout the novel to really emphasize the seclusion each man experiences. One indicator of this lies in the passage "Crooks did not see him...on raising his eyes...a scowl came on his face."
"Lennie smiled helplessly in an attempt to make friends." This proves that Crooks was often alone. He scowls at the appearance of Lennie after all. He must not have many human bonds at all considering how bitterly he behaves toward a man that obviously does not have any average mental capabilities. Also based on this, Crooks appears to appreciate his privacy more so than relationships. He continuously attempts to shoo people from his room. Lennie on the other hand apparently desires friendships, and always looks for them. His loneliness led him into Crooks's room. Lennie always tries to have a companion, even if they are dead (like the mouse) at times. Lennie desires the sense of security that comes with not being alone. George's words also sum up the intent of Steinbeck when he says, "Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place." He means that ranch workers have no one to rely on and must live out an existence of wandering, for they "don't belong no place." Looking at the whole novel, this statement means that, in the end, ranchers will only have themselves to rely on. However, George backed Lennie and Lennie backed George.

Analysis of Tone

Of Mice And Men has a tone of both of inspiration and despair. The inspiration appears in quotes such as "The afternoon sun sliced in through the cracks of the barn walls and lay in bright lines on the hay." This image pleases the mind and gives one an image of sunlight, which is quite inspiring to most. "But in the barn it was quiet and humming and lazy and warm." This also paints a pleasant picture and would give the reader a soothing image. Despair reveals itself.."He went on sorrowfully ... Suddenly his anger rose." This refers to Lennie after accidentally killing a pup. These details are very , mainly because Lennie says, "Why do you got to get killed? You aint so little as mice"after that. This brutal quote even brings tears to some eyes. Not only because a puppy was accidentally, but because someone feels so much sorrow for a mistake they cannot help.

Analysis of Theme

This novel very much represents, "I am my brother's keeper." Both George and Lennie depend on each other. George obviously "keeps" Lennie in that he basically watches over him and makes sure he does not get into any trouble, very similar to a parent and child's relationship. Lennie, in a way "keeps" Geroge because he depends on him so much. As independent as George appears, both Lennie and George depend on each other because of Lennie's handicap. Lennie cannot even function correctly without George and George depends on Lennie because he feels the need to protect Lennie. In a sense, George gives protection to Lennie and Lennie gives George someone to protect.

Migrant Mother

2010-05-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

What do you feel when you see this picture? What do you see? j

I see a starving, distressed, worried, yet hopeful family. The children cling onto their mother as their waiting for their father to come home. Maybe their also waiting for something else, such as the future with no more recession or depression.

That is where hope peers its way in. I sense a hint of hope in the mother's eyes

Over all, I feel more inspired by looking at this photograph rather than depressed. It reminds me to always have hope, though life looks to be rough.

Animal Farm's Animals

2010-04-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

In George Orwell's Animal Farm, Orwell uses animals to represent Russian leaders and idealists after World War I. Thus, the story is not only a fairy tale, but a way to vaguely state Orwell's distrust against the Soviet Union. This allowed the book to be distributed to Russia without the authorities looking into it. Orwell characterized the animals to where one could easily detect which animal represented which Russian. Despite his personification of each farm animal, he still pays regard to the fact that they are unintelligent and unable to make certain products. This method would definitely appeal to people with very strong political views. In conclusion, Orwell's choice of characters (animals) obvioulsy attracted more readers than what the novel would if the personalities were protrayed through humans.

I Wear the Mask

2010-04-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

Eyes stained red,
throat feels sore,
face is swollen.

Time to paint the smile
that should be placed
on this troubled face.

Eyes beam with kindness,
mouth now explodes with laughter,
and face peels back into a smile.

The world believes her lie.
The world thinks she's intoxicated with joy.
The world just knows she's on a natural high.

She feels sadistically victorious
over them.
When will she learn?
When will the paint fade away?

Cross-Examination?

2010-04-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

My cross-examination would go a little like this..

Examiner: So, let's go through your movie closet. Shall we?

RG: I wouldn't suggest that, but go for it.

Examiner: Alright, I assume the abnormal amount of John Wayne movies belong to your father?

RG: Affirmative. The Bruce Willis collection also belongs to him.

Examiner: Right, so before I raid the closet some more, are there some movies that you're embarrassed about that you'd like to come clean to.

RG: Well, yes. I have a few movies I am not too proud of. Those being both Scooby-Doo movies, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Powerpuff Girls, and various others.

Examiner: All childeren's flicks that seemed great as a child, but now are just...

RG: ...Awful?

Examiner: Yes. Have you ever considered getting rid of these movies? You know, for a profit?

RG: Oh, no!

Examiner: And why not?

RG: They're MY awful movies!

Examiner: Right, I'll continue witht the raid.... OH MY! AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS!?

RG: I know, that's another one I'm not proud of owning either. I suppose it's a collection of awful children movies I got going there.

The Giver Review

2010-04-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

I have once read The Giver by Lois Lowery in the sixth grade, before I even knew what a dystopia or utopia was. I just knew that the main character, Jonas lived in a very strict communist society. Now that I have re-read the novel, I have come to appreciate and realize what a classic this book truly should be.

In the society of The Giver, people of many communities have lives that involve little to no suffering at all, along with minimal disagreements. Therefor, the people of the communities have no conception of real suffering. They really do not have knowledge of what starvation feels like, what war sounds like, or what chaos looks like; their lives are controlled in every aspect such as who they will be in a family with and what their life-long career will be. The people have no desires or worries, so there is a lack of stress. As luxurious as a stress-free life sounds, what would life be like with no choice of aspiration?

Jonas, only a boy, gets to experience what no one else can, though he does not choose to do so himself, being that the Council of Elders forced him to. Through learning experiences through "memories," he becomes wise and realizes that without suffering, how could we appreciate the good things in life.

More detail in Jonas' duty, Jonas has been chosen to recieve memories from ancestral people. One person in the Community must take on this task for everyone else, and every once in a while a new "reciever" is chosen, this person being Jonas. He "recieves" these memories from the previous reciever known as "the giver" (found the title source). Over time, the community that seemed perfect to Jonas turned out to be flawed. Jonas must either decide to pretend to be blissfully ignorant of the flaws or do something about them, escape.

What must we sacrifice for perfection? Whatever that would be, would we have more of a loss or gain? In Lowery's opinion, we would have to sacrifice our individuality to obtain "perfection" and in the end, we would have more of a loss than a gain.

I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone, though adults will definitley catch on to the theme quicker than childern. The main character can relate to anyone, because of his quest to be an individual.

Growing Up (shape poem)

2010-04-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

Climb,
Climb, Climb
They'll never end!
These steps keep going.
I want to keep going, too,
but I'm feeling weaker and weaker.

I want--
no, need--
to stay put.
The stairs are
now steeper and
more work to climb

A Time of Celebration

2010-04-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

Just a few people I'd like to celebrate.

Here's to you,
Mom and Dad.
Together forever
and still going strong.

Here's to you,
brother and sister
for always being there
at my side.

Here's to you,
Cherry
for pulling through
though times were rough

Here's to you,
Russ
You're always by my side
when I don't have a confident stride

Here's to you,
Sun
You always greet me and leave me
with your colorful rays.

Spring Break

2010-03-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

Spring Break- A time when students K-12 have a week off from school. What do some students do with their break? Go on an exciting trip to Disney World or Mexico? Stay home and play a lot of Final Fantasy?

I spend my spring breaks in Hot Springs with family. I usually stay at my uncle's house, and this uncle of mine is not the every day uncle. He just so happens to live in Hot Springs Village.

Though Hot Springs is generally a place where wealthy retired folks live to show off their million dollar house and exquisite landscaping, my uncle knows how to keep everything fun. Usually, when I stay at his house, I sleep in the basement. The immediate thought of a basement is a cold, murky area that most people keep hidden. This basment contains a TV...hooked up to computer with an abundance of movies that I could watch for days (such as The Matrix, The Godfather, Vertigo, and The Shawshank Redemption).

The basement, of couse would never be the highlight of spring break. The highlight would be the time spent with my mom's super crazy side of the family. They know how to make me laugh and always have some sort of story worth hearing.

I also get to see my best friend (okay, she also plays the part of my cousin), Ashleigh. With an age difference of two years, Ash and I have had a sisterly bond since she was a baby. A dull moment never seems to happen when we are together; we are always stirring up some sort of trouble.

A Diet Book Takes a Stand? (TAS book review)

2010-03-14T17:24:00.000-07:00

217 pages

Though the title is not considered appropriate for most, Skinny B really proved a point about factory farming to its readers. Surprisingly, it's a diet/self-help book too. What a combination!

This book really has no similarity to any diet book I've ever heard of. Usually diet books sugar coat health facts, but the authors of this book, Kim Barnouin and Rory Freedman really pack punches with their blunt and tough words and grab the reader's attention. The authors tell the reader what she needs to hear. They not only discussed why meat-eating is unhealthy for everyone, but also took a major stand on factory farming, which impressed me. Freedman and Barnouin exposed a lot of what goes on behind closed doors of factory farms. I personally loved their unconventional style; however, some just cannot handle the honestly.

The theme of this book was quite heartfelt. Despite the title of the book, Freedman and Barnouin's point is that being skinny does not matter; as long as we're healthy, we should feel good about ourselves. I fully agree with the theme given. Women should be happy if they're healthy and fit, because not everyone will have a model's figure.

I recommend this book to every female out there that will not be easily offended. This book really proves a good point and really tackles major problems.

Persuasion

2010-02-23T16:48:00.000-08:00

I don't use persuasion much, therefore I am HORRIBLE at trying to persuade others or maybe I am horrible at persuading and therefore I refuse to try. What came first: The chicken or the egg? Sometimes, if I'm lucky, I can persuade my parents to let me go somewhere. So, persuasion isn't huge in my book.

Will persuasion ever be a skill I try to master? Probably not.

I see companies trying to persuade to use their product everywhere, especially on television. Call America stubborn, but a lot of us are just annoyed.

That's what persuasion is for a lot of people: annoying someone or tempting someone until the moment they break and do whatever the persuader was persuading them to do. Others, are actually worth listening to. Very few people can convince me to do something I wouldn't do already.

What It Means to be a Winner

2010-02-17T16:22:00.000-08:00

(Writer's Notebook)
Naturally, people want to be better than someone at something. It's called being competitive. Winning doesn't always prove that you're better than someone else at whatever it is you're competing at, just as losing doesn't mean you're not as good as others at whatever it is you're competing at. Remember: We all have are bad days and good days.

Winning is just a good feeling for most. The prize doesn't have to be tangible, it could be pride itself. Too much pride, however, causes someone to be an egomaniac. That type of a person is never fun to be around. I admit, sometimes I sometimes get a bit cocky when I compete in chair tests, but I never let it go to my head.

I've "won" spots in all-region and all-state and first chair in our little school band back in my junior high days. I felt accomplished, because I felt as if I deserved it.

Winning could either mean being lucky or very determined.

I guess you can pick up vibes that I have REALLY mixed feelings on the topic.

Olympic Athletes vs. Every Day People

2010-02-15T15:57:00.000-08:00

Olympic athletes get credited for their hard work and determination when competing in the Olympics. Some athletes' multiple hours of practice pay of when they get the honor and glory of being a medalist. They give athletes someone to look up to and aspire to be like.

Maybe everyone sees people with the determination and commitment of an Olympic athlete every day without knowing it. People who aspire to work in the medical field must have a load of determination to get astounding grades to get into good universities and excel there to go to medical school and do well there to be a trusted surgeon.

That doesn't apply to doctors only. It applies to everyone with dreams. I dream to keep music in my life and have the honor of teaching other minds about music or at least be a pro musician and play in random symphonies.

I have been "training" since 6th grade to reach that goal. I think it's going well, because I've been honored with making all-state band. Okay...so it was a low chair in, but still an accomplishment! I want to do better, though. Not to be able say that I'm better than a lot of clarinet players, but to reach this mental goal I have: do well at what I love doing.

I'm Not Sure How A Cat Standing Up Is Going to Inspire Me, but...

2010-01-14T19:06:00.000-08:00

(Writer's Notebook)
We were shown an adorable picture of a cat standing on its tiptoes, and I suppose it's supposed to inspire us on something in our world we want to take a stand on. I'm not sure how the to connect, besides the whole "stand" thing.

Anyways, something that I want to take a stand on --besides vegetarianism-- is abortion, one of those issues I have a more conservative view on. (Side note: I really hope I'm interpreting this assignment correctly)

In my eyes, everyone has the natural right to be born. It disgusts me that people abort babies just because they're not ready to be a parent. Here's a thought: If you're not able to support a child, you're not ready to have sex. Even with protected sex, there's always a small chance of pregnancy. That may sound super crazy to some of you.

I understand that the pro choice view is that people should have the choice whether to keep the baby or not and not just pro abortion. The thing is: that is the equivalent to deciding who's going to live and who's going to die and no one deserves that right (Another side note: I'm not big on capital punishment either). Not to mention that the methods of abortion are brutally cruel.

Anyway. I hope I responded correctly. If not, well... at least my view on abortion is out there.

Welcome to Victoria's San Francisco

2010-01-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

(Writer's Notebook Topic)
Resting in her soft and cozy home/nest, Victoria is situated on the very top of the Golden Gate Bridge and is gazing upon the midnight lights of San Francisco. A few cars are still coasting along the crime-diseased roads and many buildings still lit up. It's as though while the good people drift away into a deep slumber, the city rats wake up and begin the terrorizing. If only this city could just go to sleep, Victoria thought,Oh well, as long as I can manage to squeeze some hours of sleep in, I guess I'll be alright.

The golden sunrise over San Francisco Bay greeted Victoria and awakened her softly with its sweet-tasting mist.

Now It's My Turn to Take a Stand

2010-01-07T16:58:00.000-08:00

I'm sure I cannot make near as much as an impact as great leaders through out history (I recall writing a blog on my favorite leaders) at this moment. Who would listen to a young girl from a small town in a small state? I do not really aspire to be one of those leaders anyway. I refuse to keep quiet about my beliefs, though.

Story time!

My father is a very conservative republican. I won't judge him by his political views, but I will say that his are much different than mine. I am independent when it comes to politics; I just refer to what I believe is constitutional/fair, sometimes that means I lean towards the conservative side, sometimes liberal. One liberal view of mine is on same-sex marriage; I am for it being legalized. My dad feels VERY differently about that.

One night, as I was on my way to the kitchen to grab a cold cup of apple juice, my dad asked in a casual, yet random way, "What are your view on gay marriage?" Oh no. This was the subject I never wanted him to ask me about. I could have given him the answer about how God made Adam and Eve and not Adam and Steve that he was looking for, but why should I hide my views from my own parents? I told him "I think that they have every right to be married, though it goes against other people's morals." That set him off. He said that because it was immoral and against God, it should be illegal. I rebutted with, "Alcohol is against many people's morals, yet it's legal. Pornography is against many people's morals, yet it's legal. Cheating on a partner is legal, but very immoral. Deciding to worship Satan is against God, but very legal." We debated for a good 45 minutes, which involved Dad showing me verses in the Bible and whatnot. I feel as if I won that debate, because he didn't say a lot after I brought up that laws are meant to keep us safe and that gay marriage will not harm anyone.

Please don't misinterpret me. I am a Christian and I love Jesus with all of my heart, but as far as I know, we have a separation of church and state and a nice assortment of natural laws.

Bob Barker Stands Up!

2010-01-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

[TAKING A STAND PART BLOG 1]
Guess who I found out was a vegetarian? Bob Barker. I suppose that could be one of the reason for his long life. For those of you who haven't watched The Price Is Right before Drew Carey took over, Bob Barker was the host of that show from 1972-2007.

I wanted to look into Bob Barker's vegetarian profile a little more, so I did some research. Barker became a vegetarian over 30 years ago, back in 1979, because he learned about animal rights from his wife. Shortly after, he began promoting animal rights himself.

Unfortunately, his wife passed away in 1981, leading Barker to becoming an animal rights activist. The stand he took that stood out in my eyes occured in 1987, requesting the removal of animal fur prize in Miss USA/Universe beauty pageants. The people in charge of the pageant refused his request, so Bob Barker refused to host the pageant. This may not sound like a big deal if this was one of Barker's first Miss USA pageants to host, but he the pageants from 1967 until that year, because the animals experience high degrees of torture , which was highly against his morals.

Barker refused to stop there. He started taking small stands on The Price is Right by ending every show with, "Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered." He also took a stand against animals used in the entertainment industry, especially circuses.

ANIMAL FARM

2009-12-17T17:02:00.000-08:00

I thought that I would never catch myself reading a book full of symbolism, but George Orwell's Animal Farm changed that. Orwell's political view jump right through the pages.

The story starts with Old Major, an aged pig that resides in the Manor Farm meets with the other animals and tells them how terrible the humans truly are and how horrible the animals are treated. Old Major also teaches the animals a revolutionary song, Beasts of England. A few days later, Old Major died, but he inspired the animals to start a revolution. Two younger pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, positioned themselves as commander and drove the drunken Mr. Jones from the farmed and renamed the place "Animal Farm." At first, all goes well. The animals cooperate and work hard with one another. The animals even learned how to read and write and even came up with the Seven Commandments. The pigs named themselves as leaders, which was fine, because they were the most intelligent of them all. The farm becomes rocky when Snowball brings up the idea of the windmill. That is when corruption kicks in and the demise begins. To find out what happens to pig political leaders, I suggest reading the book.

Orwell made the animal characters very human-like. The animals talked to each other, had strong opinions, read, write, and become corrupted just as we humans do when given a powerful position. This represented Orwell's views on Stalin's communism. Old Major had ideas similar to that of Karl Marx, Napoleon was similar to Stalin himself, and Snowball was similar to Leon Trotsky. Talk about personification!

I highly recommend this book to people interested in politics, for this brutally explains corruption. Really, anyone could enjoy this book.

Julius Caesar

2009-12-17T10:55:00.000-08:00

William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar bored to tears me with the conventional Shakespearean plot and writing style. I at least expected a little diversity from a person considered the greatest writer of all time. I suppose that the play would be at least decent when preformed.

Shakespeare liked putting the supernatural in his dramas, or at least the dramas I have read of his. Maybe the supernatural embellishes the plot and appealed to the audience during the Renaissance. Maybe placing supernatural events in stories happens to be Shakespeare's signature style. Either way, the style lacks variety in the point of view of a modern reader. Shakespeare also used iambic pentameter in a majority --if not, all-- of his plays. Sure, Shakespeare can be considered a genius by using iambic pentameter, but he uses that too much for me to consider him very artistic.

When I look at just the story line alone, the drama does not appear to be so annoying. A powerful man is assassinated by men that he put his trust into (I am sure we all know about the tragedy off, so no surprises given away here). The story line had the ability to catch my attention in the first place; with out William Shakespeare's play. The play opens with two tribunes, Marullus and Flavius nagging Roman citizens for exalting Caesar. The two worry about Caesar perhaps becoming too powerful. Strange, supernatural happenings occur that night, which Cassius, Casca, and Cinna meet and come to the conclusion that they will overthrow Caesar by killing him. They recruit a few men: Decius Brutus, Trebonios Ligarus, and Metellus Cimber. Brutus just so happens to be a close friend of Caesar's. Caesar was previously warned by a soothsayer and his own wife that he would be murdered. Caesar's ignorance did not turn out to be so bliss, because he was stabbed multiple times by different people. The last one being his close friend, Brutus. The last words that left Caesar's mouth were, "Et tu, Brute?"(You to, Brutus?). The rest, I do not want to risk giving away to people who do not know about the tragedy.

Though I am not very fond of this play, I did pick up a life lesson from it: One cannot escape fate. Of course, most people's fates are not as brutal as Caesar's (thank goodness for that). Infact, fate can be a good happening, such as falling in love.

I enjoyed the storyline, but overall, this play did not appeal to me. The play could possibly appeal to those who do not get sick of Shakespeare's use of the supernatural.

Don't Hate Me Because My Name's Perfect!

2009-12-13T18:05:00.000-08:00

(Writer's Notebook 12.07.09)
People can be so cruel and ridicule others. It's just our nature and no matter how hard we try, we end up saying something offensive in the long run. Sometimes we make fun of other people's names. Why we do this? Perhaps the name is different and new to us? I have made fun of names before, like the names celebrities give to their children. It is hurtful, and I don't plan on doing that again. I don't recall anyone ever making fun of my name to my face. I suppose it's because my name is common enough to be accepted by others. I imagine, though, that it would be similar to someone degrading me (or whoever I was named after) by ridiculing me for my name.
I recommend the children's book, Chrysanthemum to people who have had their name made fun of by someone else before or if you were one to point fun at another person's name.

Top Ten Things I'm Thankful For.

2009-12-13T16:44:00.000-08:00

(Writer's Notebook 11.24.09)
1. The roof over my head. I am very fortunate to have a place to lay my head. Some people take their home for granted, and don't even realize how lucky they are.

2. A loving family that would never hurt me. Some children are being abused by their parents right at this second. Some children have drug addicts and alcoholics raising them.

3. My friends. I'm glad that I don't have back-stabbing friends like others do. I don't have to worry about them starting pointless rumors about me.

4. Food on the table. There are people in this country struggling to get a simple meal. All I have to do is go to the refrigerator or pantry and I can make a meal easily.

5. An opportunity to get an education. A long time ago, women in America (our country that claimed to be all about equality) could not get a proper education because "that was not their place in society." There place was at home. Some countries still believe women should stay uneducated.

6. Though this country had its dark, dark days (okay, this country still has some rough spots here and there), we have never once had a nutcase that overthrew the government and became dictator. Since this country is a democratic republic for now, instead of some crazy communism.

7. The opportunity to climb the ladder of success. Some people don't have the same opportunities as we do, whether they are well-skilled or not.

8. Each breath I take. Many, many people take each breath they take for granted. You never know when your last breath will be.

9. Jesus saving me. Yes, I brought religion into this again! It's true, though. He lead me towards God, whom I now talk to every day through prayer. He's helped me so much in life.

10. The arts. Art gave me a way to express myself, whether it be through music, drawing something, or writing a poem. I don't think I can imagine life without art.

My Favorite Leaders (in noooo particular order)

2009-12-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

-Martin Luther King, Jr.
He made a huge contribution to this country when it comes to civil. He lead peaceful protests and was a Baptist priest. He gave one of the most remembered speeches, I Have A Dream. If he never stood up for what he believed in, I'm pretty sure this country would be very behind on liberation.

-Jesus
Yes, I just brought my religion into this. Jesus is the greatest leader of all time. He healed sinners, instead of condemning them, and lead them to God. Heck, he was even crucified far more brutal as anyone has ever had so we could go to heaven. I could go on and on, but I only have so much space.

-Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Gandhi lead a peaceful civil disobedience movement for India to resist tyranny. He sparked civil rights movements around the world. Not to mention he was a strict vegetarian.

-Nelson Mandela
He spent 27 years in prison for standing up for what he believed in. Once released in 1990, Mandela helped lead the transition towards multi-racial democracy in South Africa. He eventually became the president of South Africa and won a Nobel Peace Prize

Oh, no! Plagiarism!

2009-12-12T20:27:00.000-08:00

(11.12.09 Writer's Notebook)
Today, I read a blog post about plagiarism. It revealed the top ten plagiarism scandals of all time. Here is a couple that caught my eye.

The thought of J.D California’s Coming Through the Rye, supposedly a parody of J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, seemed deliciously hilarious to me, since I love The Catcher in the Rye. J.D Salinger, however did not find the parody funny, because he sued! The book won’t be sold in the U.S, but is already being sold in England.

It’s a little sad and shocking that someone as intelligent as Barack Obama has to copy someone else’s speech. At least he was noble enough to admit his fault.

RANDOM Acts of Kindness

2009-12-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

(Writer's Notebook 11/04/09)
I did a random act of kindness yesterday. I randomly helped my mother by doing the housework and made her a warm (vegetarian) dinner, because I knew she had a rough day.

I felt really good and slightly empowered that I made my mom feel better and gave her a few less chores to worry about. My mother definitely showed that she appreciated my act of kindness by thanking me, which added even more to the good feeling. I hope to do more random acts of kindness in the future, because the feeling afterward is warming.

I will be proactive in as many situations as I can from now on, because the results are truly rewarding.

Gemini

2009-12-12T19:42:00.000-08:00

(11/4/09)
Since my mother works as the librarian's assistant and the elementary school she works at, we National Family Literacy Month with no trouble. We discussed a number of books, but the one book that caught my interest was Gemini Summer. I am sure Iain Lawrence, the author of this story, intended this for children from ages eight to twelve, but this book sounds intriguing for anyone.

The experience seemed different to me. I am not used to talking about books with my family, because my father only enjoys biographies, my mother likes just some books I like(she likes everything, though), my brother pretty much sticks to his religious books, and my sister reads some down-right depressing novels. I learned that my mom reads everything from Stephen King to elementary books (of course, her job calls for the latter) and that she gives great book talks.

A Habit I Need To Work On

2009-12-12T15:14:00.000-08:00

(Written 11/3/09)
I have recently completed a little book called The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey. The book tells teenagers how to be successful, healthy, and build proper relationships.

As I read the book, I came across a habit that I did not excel at, and that was habit number five, Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood. This habit proved to me that I was not as great as a listener as thought I was. Of course, I usually pay attention to the person talking to me, but I seldom attempted to truly understand him or her. I just thought of something I could say.

Sometimes, my friends would go to me if they were in need of someone to talk to about an issue. I listened to them and even understood them, but I gave them advice when they never even asked for help. I should have used some sort of "mirroring"(telling someone my interpretation what they are saying to me) skill. The book gives great examples of how to use the skill, and I will make sure to use said skill in the near future, so I can become a better listener.

I recommend this book to teenagers who are lost or troubled. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens assists lost teenagers to help get their life back on track. Parents who are having a little trouble with their teen should give this book to their teen. I myself found the book pretty decent.

Possible Young Adult Novel Ideas?

2009-12-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

*Note: Writer's notebook entry 11/2/09*
Our Pre-AP English class is entering a young adult novel contest. I am still a little clueless of what I may write about. I already had an idea going about a teenage alcoholic who does other drugs(obviously written in a tone against drinking and drug use), but that might be considered inappropriate. I was always taught that if I have to question whether a topic is appropriate or not, I shouldn't do the topic. If anything, I really want to write something about a troubled teenager. Writing about those subjects have always appealed to me, in a strange way. I also want to write it in first person and it sound very casual, instead of up-tight and formal. I suppose it's because I enjoy reading those books as well, such as The Catcher in the Rye, The Outsiders, and Speak.
Oh, and that blog post I read today was actually somewhat inspiring.

7 Habits of Highly Intolerable People

2009-10-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

Does being the most intolerable person in town sound like an impossible task? No need to worry! The title everyone has dreamed of can now be easily reached with seven simple steps guaranteed.

1. Talk about people in a negative way when they are not around (also known as "talking bad about people behind their back"). If there is something negative that wee need say about a particular person, we need to say it! Talking about a person behind his or her back should be easy to accomplish; the habit comes natural to the human race.

2. The world has so many problems, but we intolerable people do not have the time to fix these problems. That should be the job of someone tolerable. Our job includes condemning people to their issues, since these problems do not apply to us. Basically, we should only complain to people about the problems of the world and make no motion to fix the problem.

3. Those darned tolerable people cannot tolerate us lying to them. Lies do not hurt anyone. In fact, lies help people. People cannot handle the truth, so we are secretly helping them by covering up all of the truth that they cannot handle. Along with habit one, this habit also comes natural, so there should be no difficulty with this one. And, though this particular habit happens to be the one of the easier ones, this could make one very intolerable.

4. Only do just enough to get by; there is no need to put some actual effort into work. This bugs more people than most would think.

5. Forget being considerate of another person's feelings; being mean is far too fun. If someone seems to be having a hard time with his or her life, do not hold back any insults. Remember: Kick people when they are down.

6. I do not understand why people think their problems are more important than mine, because they are not. I never want to hear someone's problems; they are too boring to listen to! If some idiot comes to me with his or her problem, I either ignore them or refer to habit five. As long as a problem does not affect me, the problem does not exist.

7. People like to get into deep conversations for some odd reason. Deep conversations are too difficult to deal and take up too much of our time to relax and check our facebook, so these need to be avoided at all costs. Be as shallow as possible.

WARNING: THESE HABITS COULD LEAD TO SOCIAL AWKWARDNESS AMONG MANY

The Shining

2009-10-15T21:10:00.001-07:00

Who would have thought that one of Stephen King's most horrifying novels could have been inspired by a simple John Lennon song? Actually, the lyric, "We all shine on..." only inspired the title, The Shining. Stephen King has yet to not amaze me with his works of writing and his ability to captivate me with suspense from start to finish of his books.

Jack Torrance, a recently fired English teacher and former alcoholic, gets the perfect opportunity to work on writing his new novel when he is offered a job at the Overlook Hotel, an isolated hotel located in Colorado, as the caretaker. Jack's wife, Wendy, and his son, Danny, immediately move to the Overlook Hotel. Danny has the ability to get information about objects, people, locations, or physical events through means other than the known human senses, making him sensitive to supernatural forces. Not long after the family's arrival to the hotel, Danny meets Dick Halloran, who shares Danny's ability. Before Dick's departure, the two talk about their power and the hotel's chilling history. Dick warns Danny of the dangers of room 217. What happens from then on only gets eerier as Danny finds out through his premonitions about the dangers of the hotel. He sees ghosts and life-scaring visions, but assures himself that they are not dangerous in the present. He cannot tell his parents about it, because he knows how important the job is to his dad. The house tries, but fails to posses little Danny, so who does the house go to next?

The characters, though they have names similar to that of a children's book, seem very real because of their struggles, such as being an alcoholic. The Torrance family seems real to the readers with the recovering-alcoholic father with a scary temper, the determined mother that would do anything for her family, and the strange child with the imaginary friend.

King's writing style from Carrie portrays in the Shining. He still puts the character's thoughts into parenthesis, though the story is written in third person. This time, however, seems to be in a different tone than Carrie. Instead of a vengeful tone, I feel anger through out the whole book (I have been reading many angry books lately). Stephen King remains keen with his detail usage.

This book has a lot of suspense, especially during the last few chapters, so I recommend this for suspense-lovers and horror gurus. This belongs on my list of favorite books of all time, so I will read this novel numerous times.

*447 pages*

Carrie.

2009-10-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

"They had taken her again, gulled her again, made her the butt again. The horror of it should have been monotonous, but it was not; they had gotten her up here, up here in front of the whole school, and had repeated the shower-room scene...only the voice had said
(my god that's blood)
something too awful to be contemplated. If she opened her eyes and it was true, oh, what then? What then?" Stephen King's first published novel, Carrie, chilled my bones until I finally put the book down at page 199. The night I read Carrie was a "night to remember."

Stephen King used a different writing style than most authors. He made up articles in magazines, interviews, and quotes from books to make this story seem believable, though it was about a teenager with telekinesis. King uses crisp details very often; he has a reputation for taking up multiple pages just to describe one item. I did not encounter a multi-page description, however, I did encounter a full paragraph of description, but Carrie was only the first book King published. Another weird writing technique I caught was how King put down Carrie's thoughts in parenthesis, while he wrote the story in third person. I felt Stephen King's anger and desire for some sort of vengeance through each word of the book. He possibly has a slightly sympathetic voice (only towards Carrie) throughout the novel as well.

Though King did not introduce all of the characters with as much personality as the previous two authors, I still felt as if I can clearly picture them in my head (and, no, the images are not of Sissy Spacek, who played Carrie in the 1976 film). He did introduce Carrie, obviously the main character, very well. The strange thing was that the reader relates to the protagonist and antagonists. Most unpopular outcasts would relate to Carrie, while everyone else would relate to the other students that constantly ridicule Carrie. The characters seem realistic to me, because of their cruelty that regular teenagers possess.

I recommend this book to readers who like a good thriller and will not be easy to offend. I do warn readers that this book contains very mature content. That aside, this book is great, especially for a first published novel. Stephen King's has a very unique writing style and anyone who appreciates an eccentric writing style should read at least one of his books.

I'm the Invisible Man!

2009-10-15T18:13:00.001-07:00

How can a person of complete competence go from an intelligent scientist who made a brilliant discover to a criminal with a lack of mental stability? Griffin, a scientist, theorized that if a person's refractive index is adjusted to that of air and did not reflect or absorb any light, then that person will become invisible. He tests his theory, and though his theory is a success, a horrifying outcome came about; Griffin turned himself invisible. H.G Wells' The Invisible Man made twists and turns from the beginning to end.
When reading The Invisible Man, I immediately noticed how Wells introduced his readers to the characters. Each character had individuality. The characters had their own style, their own appearance, their own personality, and their own past. Wells' detail on this story's characters can be compared to a great artist's skill of detail on his painting. Some barely use old English slang, such as Dr. Kemp, others use jargon in every other sentence, such as Mr. and Mrs. Hall.
The story began with Griffin's arrival at the Hall's inn, the Coach and Horses Inn, where he appeared as an unconventional and reclusive stranger to the citizens of Iping by covering up every inch of his skin. The stranger worked with chemicals and demanded to be left alone. Who would find that ordinary? At the same time all of this happens, mysterious robberies occurred in Iping, and none of the victims caught the sight of their thief. One morning, as Mr. and Mrs. Hall passed the stranger's room, they notice the stranger's clothing scattered all over the floor with no stranger in sight. The furniture appeared to come alive and leaped into mid-air to push the couple out of the room. Griffin then revealed his invisibility by ripping off his bandages and goggles to reveal that there was nothing under it all. The chaos started here when the police tried to catch Griffin, but he stripped himself of all his clothing and makes an escape. Griffin encountered Thomas Marvel during this escape, only to force Marvel into becoming his lab assistant by scaring Marvel with his invisibility. Marvel fled to an inn located at the seaside. When Griffin tries to break in to the inn, a man with a black beard shoots him. Griffin then escaped the scene to a house, that happened to belong to Dr. Kemp, an old friend of his, in order to tend to his wound. He recognized Dr. Kemp right away and revealed his identity to not only Kemp, but the reader (he was previously known as a mysterious stranger). And from that point on, I feel the reader should find out about by himself or herself.
I recommend this book to fans of sci-fi novels, because this is classical sci-fi! Not to mention, the "Father of Sci-Fi" wrote this story. Wells filled this story with chaos, suspense, insanity, and curiousity pickers, making the book quite a page turner. With the old English terms in this story, it can be a bit difficult to understand, so I recommend The Invisible Man for readers of a higher level.

SPEAK...the review..

2009-10-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

“The ninth graders are herded into the auditorium. We fall into clans: Jocks, Country Clubbers, Idiot Savants, Cheerleaders, Human Waste, Eurotrash, Future Fascists of America, Big Hair Chix, the Marthas, Suffering Artists, Goths, Shredders. I am clanless. I wasted the last weeks of August watching bad cartoons. I didn’t go to the mall, the lake, or the pool, or answer the phone. I have entered high school with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong attitude. And I don’t have anyone to sit with.” Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak kept my attention with a relatable story line and dark humor.

A ninth grade girl by the name of Melinda Sordino tells us about the life of a teenage outcast. Melinda, like all of the characters, seemed like a realistic teenager with an issue that any teenager can have. Anderson defined all of the characters in this story so well; with great detail. She not only describes a character’s physical appearance to where the reader can get a clear picture of the character in his or her mind, but Anderson also describes the character’s behavior to where you feel as though you have met the character before. A variety of characters that are not hard to keep up with, unlike some books, assists in making this book an interesting read. It varies from Heather from Ohio, who is described as a fellow wounded zebra with nice shoes and $5,000 worth of orthodontia and desires to fit in to a crowd (preferably the Marthas) to Mr. Freeman, the hideous but laid-back art teacher with a grasshopper body and what looks like a credit card between his eyes as a nose. The reader can easily identify Melinda’s enemies, so some characters are more dislikable than others.

The story starts out with Melinda getting on the bus to go to her first day of high school. Every person including people who have never met her personally and her old friends will not talk to her. Because of her desperation to find friends, Melinda becomes friendly with Heather, the super self-centered new girl from Ohio. Heather immediately clings to Melinda. A former “solid B student”, her grades go down as she distances herself from friends and family. Melinda started skipping school with only own aspiration: to take a nap. She finds a hide-away, an abandoned janitor’s closet, to go to when she wants fulfill her aspiration or whenever she feels anxious. The janitor’s closet and Mr. Freeman’s class are the only places Melinda begins to feel secure. Throughout the book, the reason why Melinda is a social pariah is revealed. She called the cops at an end-of-summer party. Why she called the cops is revealed near the end of the story.

We should raise our voice and speak the truth no matter what. Melinda eventually speaks up and tells one of her friends the reason she called the cops the night of the party. After that point, life got easier for Melinda. The story shows that keeping the truth from everyone not only hurts us, but it hurts others.

All teenagers who feel like they do not fit in should read this book. I read Speak every year, because I get a better understanding of the book each time I turn the page. The plot never gets old, in fact; I enjoy the story more and more each time.

2009-09-09T17:50:00.000-07:00

For my first blog, I will just put this out in the open: I am a vegetarian. It seems to be a shocking phrase to say, since I was born and raised in the South, which is apart of the Bible Belt, meaning that people in this area tend to lean on the conservative side of political views. Not only that, but the South is typically known for its type of cooking, which usually involves meat. People often question my views on vegetarianism, always wanting to change my mind. If I will ever change my mind, which I probably will not, it would be on my own.

I will turn the tables right now. Why do most people eat meat? Most people eat meat because they like the taste. They probably do not know or do not care where meat comes from or what kind of treatment the animals go through. I will inform. The image of green pastures and peaceful barnyard scenes are long gone. The images kids see in children's books are long gone. They have been replaced by windowless metal sheds, gestation crates, wire cages, and other forms of confinement, known as factory farming. The factory-farming system focuses on producing the most meat as quickly, cheaply, and in the smallest space as possible. Cattle, pigs, and chickens are kept in cages or stalls so tiny that they often do not have the ability to turn around. Deprived of exercise, all of their energy goes toward producing flesh for human consumption. Factory farm workers feed the animals drugs that fatten them faster and genetically manipulate the animals to grow faster than they would naturally. Since crowding makes an environment that welcomes disease, workers feed and spray animals with pesticides and antibiotics, which passes on to the people who eat the poor creatures.

Time for every meat eater to meet their meat, starting with chickens. Chickens are curious animals, and if put in their natural surroundings, they form friendships, love and nurture their young, and enjoy full lives (which includes dust-bathing, making nests, and roosting in trees). Factory farms deny chickens of these activities, and they suffer from it. Factory farms raise over 9 billion "broiler" chickens in sheds annually. They manipulate artificial lighting to keep birds eating as often as possible. To keep up with meat eaters' vicious demand and to reduce production costs, genetic selection calls for large birds and rapid growth, which causes extremely painful joint and bone conditions. Birds suffer from dehydration, respiratory diseases, bacterial infections, heart attacks, crippled legs and other ailments. At the slaughterhouse, workers hang chickens upside-down, force their legs into metal shackles, slit their throats, and immerse them in scalding-hot de-feathering tanks. Many chickens are conscious throughout the entire process.

Now it's time for people to meet their BigMac. Cows who can roam pastures and care for their young form life-long friendships. Cows can hold grudges or even play games! However, cows raised for the meat and dairy industries are far removed from the sunny pastures. Cattle raised for beef can be born in one state, fattened in another, and slaughtered in yet another. Factory farms feed cows a very unnatural diet containing high-bulk grains and other "fillers" (this can include expired dog food and cat food, poultry feces, and leftover restaurant food...YUCK!). Workers castrate them, rip their horns out, and give them 3rd-degree burns (branding) without any painkillers. During transportation, cattle are crowded into metal trucks, where they suffer from trampling, temperature extremes, and lack of food water, and veterinary care. At the slaughterhouse, cattle may be hoisted upside-down by their hind legs and dismembered while they are still fully conscious. A typical slaughterhouse kills 400 animals per hour. Calves raised for veal are the male offspring of dairy cows. They're taken from their mothers within a few days of birth, and they are chained in stalls that have slatted floors and are only 2 feet wide and 6 feet long. Since humans consume the calf's mother's milk, the calves are fed a milk substitute that is designed to help them gain a least 2 lbs a day. The diet is purposely low in iron so that the calves become anemic and their flesh stays pale and tender.

People should meat their bacon. Pigs are very clean animals who take to mud to cool off and evade flies. Pigs are just as friendly as dogs and more sophisticated than dogs and 3 year old! Mother pigs in factory farms in the U.S. live most of their lives in individual crates that are 7 feet long and 2 feet wide, displaying signs of extreme boredom and stress, such as biting the bars of their cages and gnashing their teeth. Their piglets are taken away from them 3 weeks after birth and packed into pens until they are singled out to be raised for breeding or for meat. Like chickens, pigs are genetically manipulated and pumped full of drugs, and many become crippled under their own weight. Although pigs are naturally social animals, the confinement of these crowded pens causes neurotic behaviors such as cannibalism and tail-biting, so farmers use pliers to break off the ends of piglet's teeth and cut off their tails without any painkillers.

So, the question is not "Why are you a vegetarian?", the real question is "Why do you eat meat?" I hope meat eaters now think before they take a bite of KFC or McDonalds.