My Summer with the Faulkner Family

A Cheesy Way to Describe Myself

2011-08-14T12:18:00.000-05:00

Assignment 7 - The Garden Party

2011-08-07T11:12:00.000-05:00

After reading Katherine Mansfield's short story, The Garden Party, I set out to answer Foster's test questions. Here is what I came up with after thinking about the questions:

What does the story signify?

The story signifies the struggle between the classes in which both think the other as different and weird. Also expressed is the isolation in which the different classes try to put themselves.

Most of the sample opinions provided by foster picked up on this point as did I.

How does the story signify this?

Geography - The Sheridan's house is separated from the common houses by a giant hill. The upper class sit on top while the lower classes reside below. What better way to symbolize a divide among people than an actual divide in the geography of the setting.

This also was expressed by the opinions provided by Foster

Freedom through Flight - At the beginning of the story Laura "flew away" to meet with the work-men sent to assemble the marque. This moment is the first in which Laura acknowledges her sympathy for the lower class men. As Diane noticed I also picked up on the birds in the nest. Each of the family is at one point referenced in an avian manner and the house on the hill could symbolize a nest. Therefore Laura's actual freedom flight would come at the end as opposed to the beginning when she seems to achieve mental freedom.

Although I noticed several of the same techniques as Diane I did not approach her level of deep thinking.

Foster's paragraphs following the short story create a much greater appreciation for Katherine Mansfield short story. The idea that the author was able to create so much symbolism in a short story is mind-boggling.

Assignment 6 - Marked for Greatness

2011-07-31T13:50:00.000-05:00

By now anyone who has read Foster's How to Read Literature Like a Professor can grasp the recurring theme, that most elements of a story have a purpose if not a deeper meaning. This holds true when considering physical imperfections, more specifically Harry Potter and his famous scar. Forever living on as the "Boy Who Lived" Harry survived his encounter with Lord Voldemort with only a scar to bear.

Delving into the deeper meaning of Harry's scar requires a shift of thought. Most commonly known as a representation of the past, the lightning scar should, instead, be thought of as a window into Harry's future. The mark not only represents Harry's previous encounter with Voldemort but more importantly symbolizes the connection between Harry and the dark wizard. This faithful connections must be destroyed before the events of the final chapters. J.K. Rowling creates one imperfection in one of the character's appearances to represent this entire process: Harry's famous scar. The scar becomes the past form of Harry's future. The scar becomes a time-machine. The scar becomes a portal into the future for Harry and even his arch-nemesis.

Assignment 6 - Archetype

2011-07-30T12:35:00.000-05:00

Archetype - The basic pattern from which all stories follow.

Once again visiting the idea of one true story, Foster introduces the concept of the archetype. Perry Moore's Hero, a coming of age story, holds true to Foster's idea that all stories have a set pattern or archetype. Although this archetype is used and abused by many authors, Moore creates a story that only proves Foster's concept true. Thom Creed, the main character, is teenager struggling to find himself. Unlike most coming of age books, however, Thom is dealing with very different issues. Not only is his father a disgraced super hero, but he is beginning to develop his own superpowers. To top off the problems, Thom is gay in an increasingly anti-homosexual community.

Creating a not so typical coming of age story seems to be increasingly difficult. By doing just that, Perry Moore helps to prove Foster's ideas about literature and the one true story. Hero is changed in a recognizable enough way to create a decent story that also follows the pattern of all the countless bad coming of age novels.

Assignment 5 - Except Sex

2011-07-21T13:16:00.000-05:00

Nearly everyone has seen the Austin Powers trilogy. After reading Foster's opinion of the less descriptive sex scenes, an infamous seen from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me came to mind. During the scene, Austin and Ivana Humpalot play a simple game of chess. However, seconds into the game the two begin to play in a less than traditional manner. Rubbing, moaning, licking, and guttural noises commence. The game of chess contributes to the characterization of Powers and the time period. The sixties, where Austin originates, were a tumultuous period of clashes between the new front of free love and the bastion of old conservatism. By using a simple game to describe the sexual acts that are about to occur, the film creates a feeling that sex was everywhere during the 1960's and could appear anywhere. As for Powers, the scene creates a feeling of the sexual prowess of the International Man of Mystery. The men and women, as Ivana too participated in the sexual game, of the free love era are described without words. Using the game, as opposed to a sex scene, creates the double effect of describing not only an entire time period but a the people who resided in the era.

Assignment 4 - It's All Political

2011-07-10T19:33:00.001-05:00

Foster's idea that all writing is political (whether consciously or unconsciously created) provoked my thoughts. Upon further reflection I realized his opinion was quite true. When thinking back to one of my favorite books, Tamar by Mal Peet, I made several quick political connections. Throughout the novel, the implications of war are explored continuously. For example, a major character is forced to take drugs to avoid sleep to perform his job. The effects of this forced drug use indirectly (or directly depending on personal opinion) rip a family apart forty years later. The first time I read the novel I thought of the facts merely as an unfortunate event. However, after Foster's enlightening chapter, I realized what Peet's intentions could have been. What if Peet had wanted to bring to light the lasting effects of normal wartime activities such as drug use? While it may not all be political, the majority of it can certainly be thought of that way.

Assignment 3 - Two Types of Violence

2011-07-01T10:29:00.000-05:00

According to Thomas Foster, two different types of violence exist. The first is character violence in which the character directly causes violence to occur. The other occurs when the author purposefully creates violence to further the development of a theme. Examples of both types exist in Anthony Burgess's analysis of evil, A Clockwork Orange. Character-caused violence can be seen almost immediately as Alex, the main character and narrator, and his "droogs" (friends) prowl the streets creating mayhem where ever they step.Among other things, the "malchicks" (teenagers) rape, steal, beat, and drink their way through each evening. This violence is strictly character-caused as their own personalities create the need to be violent. The later type occurs later in the book and is much more mental than physical. After a short stint in prison, Alex is transferred to a mental hospital where the government hopes to successfully test a new prisoner reform program. Alex endures two weeks of mental bombardment as the doctors hope to condition his brain to hate sex and violence. The torturous reform program over, Alex walks free as a changed man. However, Alex appears to be incapable of functioning in society after his old actions continue to haunt him. All of this results in Alex's attempted suicide. As the reform program was created by Burgess, the violent mental beating Alex endured was a direct result of the author.

The two distinct types of violence used by Burgess have very different effects.The character-caused violence leads to a deeper understanding of the characters and the society in which they reside. A clear mental picture of a violent corrupt world is created in the mind of the reader. Burgess's violence, however, begins to develop the theme of A Clockwork Orange. Questions about the origin of the evil begin to flow through the reader's mind. Without the inclusion of the two types of violence, Burgess's overall picture would by murky and his overall intent veiled.

Assignment 2 - Intertextuality

2011-06-21T09:15:00.002-05:00

Intertextuality

Intertextuality can be defined as the constant interaction between texts. This interaction leads to multiple layers of meaning for all characters, plots, and settings.

Oedipus the King, the great tragedy by Sophocles, can be simply described as two men desperately attempting to alter the future predicted by the Oracle of Delphi. This basic plot outline can be found in Ryan North's Machine of Death. In North's novel, a machine prints out a slip of paper with a single word summarizing the death of the machine-user. This modern oracle leads to the modern reincarnation of Oedipus and his father, King Laius. Several people, horrified by the machine's predictions, desperately try to prevent the prophesied deaths from occurring. Although I have not read this book, and only know about it through Sean, the connection between these books is fairly obvious. When reading Machine of Death, I believe the intertextual connection will allow me to think of the short stories in a deeper perspective, instead of as an entertaining read.

When thinking of a connection with Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and a modern art, most tend to think of West Side Story, the fifties and sixties adaption of Romeo and Juliet. Yet, there is another novel with ties to Shakespeare's play. S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders contains strong references to the later scenes of Romeo and Juliet. Just as Romeo feels obligated to fight Tybalt after the murder of his friend, Johnny attacks the Soc attempting to drown his friend Ponyboy. Both defensive acts result in the death of the original attacker and the exile of the friend acting as the hero. Although Ponyboy and Johnny do not have flaming romances in the society from which they leave, they do have a strong brotherhood with the fellow greasers. Upon the death of Romeo and Johnny their respective "lovers" commit suicide as they feel they can not live without the other. The brotherly love as well as the tragic ending in both works provides a strong intertextual connection. This connection helped when reading Romeo and Juliet as I was able to think of the plot in terms of a more modern setting which helped to counteract the difficult language of the play.

Fairy-Tale Parallel

Lemuel Gulliver, the luckiest or perhaps unluckiest literary figure, shares his adventures in the four part Gulliver's Travels. The first voyage in Gulliver's odyssey, his adventure in the tiny world of Lilliput, has interesting parallels with Jack and the Beanstalk, the classic fairy-tale. These parallels do not stop at the obvious big versus little saga. The giant in the fairy-tale uses his bulk to easily defeat any "Englishmen" venturing into his realm. Perhaps on purpose (due to the satirical nature of the novel) Swift created the opposite interaction in his classic. Gulliver appeared too incompetent to use his might crush the tiny egotistical beings of Lilliput. He repeatedly allows the Lilliputians to control him with their "dizzying intellect" despite their size. However, despite the completely different interactions between the characters, the giants always seem to lose. The giant is ruthlessly murdered by Jack, while Gulliver is almost poisoned to death by the tiny Lilliputians. Whether or not Swift intended these parallels to exist is nearly impossible to determine. Yet, the parallels between the novel and the fairy-tale create an interesting reiteration of the classic moral: brains always trumps brawn.

Assignment I - Every Trip is a Quest

2011-06-14T13:11:00.001-05:00

City of Thieves by David Benoiff

a. (A quester) Lev Benoiv, a citizen of Red Russia, and Koyla Vlasov, a court-marshaled soldier in the Red Army.

b. (A place to go) The unlikely duo do not have a specific location to go, but more of a specific object in an unknown location.

c. (A reason to go) Lev and Koyla, are hoping to save their own lives by finding a dozen eggs for a greedy Russian Colonel.

d. (challenges and trials) Lev and Koyla encounter bitter cold temperatures, savage people, gnawing hunger, and most of the German army.

e. (A real reason to go) Unbeknownst to the pair, the Russian Colonel is no need of eggs. He merely wishes the pests gone. Therefore the real reason Lev and Koyla become questers is in the hope that they will perish in the Russian winter.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

2011-04-01T11:50:00.000-05:00

Kati Haycock's opinion on this controversial issue hits home. Creating tests for currently tenured teachers will definitely increase respect. In Arkansas, a series of three tests is required to receive a teacher certification. One in general knowledge, another in subject specific knowledge, and yet another in knowledge of educational techniques. However, the third test (educational techniques) was not introduced until recently. Therefore, a majority of the current educators in American schools have not passed tests on educational techniques. A series of mid-career tests should be instituted to fill in the gaps. Requiring these tests every two or three years would provide a net to weed out teachers that do not meet the standards. By creating a better teaching population, the bad teachers will not lower the universal respect for teachers.

Certain individuals might argue that testing does not measure the quality of education of teachers; and that testing will not weed out the bad teachers but just cut down on the population. However the tests would be structured much differently than the standardized tests of today. Performance review would even be a better term to describe the process. The whole process would involve written exams on subject knowledge and a committee of state employees observing your teaching process. This combination allows for the possibility of a bad test or bad observation day to become unimportant. The truly effective teachers will remain and the ineffective teachers will have to find work elsewhere. With a better teacher population, the American public will begin to see teachers as professionals and the respect will accompany this new view.

Great Gatsby Analysis

2011-03-16T12:39:00.000-05:00

Fitzgerald's deep, thoughtful words tear off the shroud surrounding the human brain during the the revolutionary 1920's. Conservatives and liberals clashed throughout this time period over morals. These clashes inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald to take up his pen and express his thoughts on the issues.

Fitzgerald's thoughtful use of sexual references throughout the passage continually reference the time period. The "green breast" of the New World and the "orgastic future" allude to the current moral dilemmas of the flapper. The traditional woman of the new century was becoming increasingly nontraditional. Low-cut dresses, shorter skirts, and alcohol became associated with the new woman of the 20th century. Fitzgerald's use of sexually loaded words throws the reader back into the time period.

The conservatives, bred by the 2nd Great Awakening of the 19th century, were "boats" fighting "against the current" in Fitzgerald's eyes. The future was coming. Fitzgerald's metaphor expresses the desire of the more conservative groups to drag society back into the Old World. The world that "flowered" in the "Dutch sailor's eyes." Fitzgerald becomes aware of the "old island" as the New World additions begin to melt away. The future that "eluded [them]" only made them reach farther for the future. The desire to reach the future will always best the desire to stay the same. Desire is the current and stubbornness is the boat.

"The wild women, the wild women," these famous lines may have never come existed in our society today. Fitzgerald expresses his opinions on the fight for the existence of these words in this passage. His sexually loaded words and metaphors force the readers to truly think about the time period as it was: a series of brutal clashes over moral opinions.

Consumerism Quote

2011-02-28T12:50:00.000-06:00

Contentment is natural wealth; luxury, artificial poverty.

-Socrates (B.C. 469-399)

Socrates' quote from the ancient world, truly expresses the consumeristic world today. Studies published by The New York Times have shown that people living simple lives are happier, while those living in luxury are often more depressed people. The people in luxury believe themselves to be "poor" with respect to someone with more material possessions. Socrates' insight puts the problem of over-consumerism in a greater perspective. After all, if the ancient Greek philosopher could summarize a 21st Century problem in Ancient times, the disease may not be so confined to the American way of life.

Advertising Techniques

2011-02-24T13:04:00.000-06:00

The Home Depot website has many links leading to their "Home Improver Club." This Club offers deals of products as well as home improvement classes. These classes give people basic knowledge in home improvement tasks and provide just enough confidence to warrant a large purchase of goods from the store. This "extra-mile" advertising technique works to the advantage of the post-recession business. People are more likely to purchase something if they can learn how and when to use it afterwards.

"Home Depot Pro Savings Newsletter & Improver Club = BIG Savings For You!"MySweetSavings -

MySweetSavings - Fast and Frugal Savings Advice for the Mother That Knows Best! 1 June 2010. Web.

27 Feb. 2011.

improver-club-big-savings.html

Whining Millionaires

2010-12-04T14:36:00.000-06:00

With the end of the 2010 NFL season nearing completion, thoughts of next-year are already brewing. The National Football League Players Association, NFLPA, and the NFL have an agreement that is set to expire in March of 2011. Currently the "players get 59.6 of designated NFL revenues." However the owners opted out of this agreement, "arguing that they have huge debts from building stadiums and starting up the NFL Network have made a profit impossible." Both parties appear to be complaining about one simple thing, money and I, for one, am tired of professional athletes constantly whining for more and more money.

The minimum salary in the NFL is $285,000, but this amount increases as the player completes more seasons. The median salary of a person living in the United States is $48,201. Discussing a lockout of the 2011 season is ridiculous. All the NFL athletes are already overpaid, but the NFLPA still pushes for higher salaries. The leading figures of the union are acting no better than a spoiled child. If they don't get what they want, they pitch a huge fit and stage some sort of ridiculous, unrealistic protest. I am tired of these protests and want to see sports return to the good old days. These being where professional athletes wanted to entertain not receive ridiculous amounts of money for what eventually boils down to a simple game.

12 Sentence Short Story

2010-11-29T18:19:00.001-06:00

Our future house was a vast wasteland full of mystery, full of excitement, full of nature in the middle of the city, and full of adventure. The woods in the backyard provided a new sense in my life: a sense of adventure filled my mind on one July day. Corbett, my childhood friend, and I decided to explore the woods in the back part of my future house. We descended into the woods, crossed a trash-strewn field, and went down a creek on that summer day. We hoped our parents would not notice our extended absence. Not quite. The thought that we were lost, and that we would crawl out of the woods late at night, and that our lives would be scared with the memory of our ordeal forever raced through the minds of our parents.. The growing worry could not be measured in anger, but the growing anger could be measured in worry. In our future, anger we did not see. Why would we be? However, after resurfacing hours later, we were bombarded with yelling and screaming and red faces and questions of our intentions. Even with the huge amount of ruckus we caused, our bravado about the adventure grew with time, thoughts about a repeat adventure surfaced and surfaced again, and the anger of our parents finally subsided--these are the memories of a great summer day.

An Explanation

2010-11-11T19:51:00.000-06:00

For those in my English class, for those not in my English class, for those who do not ever talk to me, you have probably heard me make a negative comment at the Fox News. These smears probably give an aura of hatred for the "news" network. However, I only dislike the misnomer in the name and the widespread belief that Fox News is the most unbiased news network.

The misnomer in the name is ridiculous. Fox News is just as much of a news network as MTV or VH1. They both provide news with a plethora of other tidbits thrown in. Do not get me wrong, there is news on the channel, but that is not the end. All the hosts and guests provide numerous commentaries about the political scene. Watching the O'Reilly Factor, I have noticed that O'Reilly dismisses every guest with "thank you for your analysis." This shows that Fox News does not provide news but political commentary about the real news.

Fox News the most unbiased news network? That must be a joke for the very reason stated above. A commentary network cannot be unbiased, it is impossible. Sure the hosts can bring on guests of both parties, but that does not mean their opinions are equally listened too or shown. The fact is that Fox News provides almost strictly Republican commentary about various triumphs of the Republicans in office and the great failures of the virtually all Democrats in political office.

I hope this explanation will maybe help some people see the light, or maybe not. Just remember, this article is not a stab at anyone who watches Fox News. This is merely commentary on my personal beliefs and opinions on the network and why I do not watch.

3 Books I Would Like to Read

2010-10-21T12:52:00.000-05:00

The Hunger Winter: Occupied Holland tells the story of a young dutch boy during the Nazi occupation of Holland during World War II. This book intrigues me because of my interest in the second world war. I am currently reading a book set during this horrific period and I would like to read an account of the realities of the harsh winter. This book is not in our class library but I will probably buy the book or go to a library.

Catch 22 is another book that tweaks my interest. I have heard this book is really fun and would like to decide for myself if the book is as funny as claimed. This book also takes place during World War II which immediately makes me want to read the book.

A third book I would like to read is The Lightning Thief. I saw the movie based on this book during the summer and I would like to read the real story.

Annotated Bibliography 2nd Nine Weeks

2010-10-19T12:52:00.000-05:00

Reading Reflection

2010-10-15T12:09:00.000-05:00

After completing the first nine weeks of independent reading, I have made several notes about my reading habit. My reading habit, has not improved. However, I read rather habitually already. I also noticed I was having trouble, at first, writing in my reading journal. My earliest entries mostly consisted of trivial pieces of information with no depth at all. I have improved at this, somewhat but I believe I will continue to get better with time. My reading "diet," on the other hand has improved substantially. Normally, I read "candy" reads with no real literary importance with the occasional biography thrown in the mix. The diversification of my reading has caused my to read somewhat more analytically. The biggest difference, I have noticed, is the amount of questions that pop into my head while I read. I question the style, themes, and even the author's choice of words. Next nine weeks, I would like to make a better effort at journaling. I would also like to read more articles. I found that I really enjoyed reading about current events and would like to continue.

Socratic Seminar Reflection

2010-10-11T12:15:00.001-05:00

Upon first hearing of our class's impending Socratic Seminar adventure, I had several reservations. I had doubts about the ebb and flow of the discussions, believing there would be periods of furious discussion and then stretches of silence. Reservations of my ability to make substantial preparations for the discussion also popped into my head. However upon the conclusion of my first discussion, I found that my ability to spring board off other students' ideas into my own was better than I first imagined. This kept the flow of the conversation moving along at a acceptable.

Brave New World has many deep, thought-provoking themes throughout. The Socratic Seminar prodded my brain into more analytically deep thinking about the themes and characters than I ever thought possible from the surface of the text. The discussion did not bless my mind with any new knowledge but gave my thinking a different direction. For example, in our discussion of the significance of Henry Ford as God, I was introduced to a more literal way of viewing the situation. I saw Henry Ford as the representation of scientific triumph just as God is our representation of cultural triumph. However, Andrea, viewed the situation more literally. Just as God created our world with his hands, Henry Ford manufactured the new society in Brave New World. Andrea redirected my thinking in an entirely way that had never crossed my mind before.

The discussions at the end gave me the most enjoyment and satisfaction. They seemed to be less structured and allowed the conversations to take a variety of twists and turns. This was best expressed when Sean, Natasha, Sadie, and I discussed the effect of mass production on individuality. Natasha challenged my ideas, giving me a way to enforce my own understanding of my ideas with the examples that came to mind as the discussion continued.

I found the Socratic Seminar to be a really fun and stimulating activity. However, I found the placement of the discussion group in the center of the room awkward. A feeling of judgments being passed filled the room. I do not see a better way to do this activity, however, and realize that this an individual problem that needs to be solved by the individual.

Abundance: Pink's View of America's Disease

2010-09-12T15:56:00.000-05:00

Abundance, from Dan Pink's A Whole New Mind, attempts to open the workings of the human mind as he amusingly explains how America's obsession with frivolous material possessions has changed the mindset of the average citizen. The "triumph" of left-directed thinking has actually led to its own decreasing significance. People are more prone to right-directed thinking, such as "beauty", "spirituality", and "emotions." This irony means businesses can no longer produce rough looking items that serve a useful purpose. Items must also be unique and beautiful. Pink's most telling example of this humorously explains how Target has begun to carry designer wastebaskets. The left side of the brain says this is illogical and wasteful. However, the right side fights back, saying, all items must have good aesthetics. The change to more right directed thinking has actually led to the greatest paradox of our generation. People have more and more material possessions but are not any happier. Pink explains that "liberated by prosperity but not fulfilled by it--are resolving the paradox by searching for meaning." Practices once considered eccentric, such as yoga and meditation, are now becoming mainstream. Pink offers "one last--and illuminating--statistic:" Candles, once needed by the population too poor to afford light bulbs in the 20th century should be no longer needed. However, candle sales are a 2.4$-billion-a-year business. Pink's last pun along with all his other examples adequately explain the change in mindset of the American population as our generation has entered the 21st century.

Shared Responsibility

2010-08-26T16:43:00.000-05:00

Anti-drug ads are becoming more and more commonplace in America. However, this ad has nothing to do with America or even Americans. This ad is almost exclusively targeted at Colombians and uses two of the three persuasive techniques to proclaim the true effects of Colombia's drug production.

The most obvious persuasive technique used is Pathos, or emotional appeal. This ad hits home immediately because kidnapping alone brings strong emotions in most, if not all, parents. The fear showing in the body language of the girl in the house gives goose bumps to a reader. I mean, what parent does not fear for the well being of his or her own child? No parents. Feelings of guilt are also coaxed out into the open in this strong ad. Past, or ever current cocaine users have or are funding the terrorist kidnappings currently ravaging the country of Colombia.

Instead of the usual celebrity or expert endorsement, this ad mixes things up a bit. The designers use ethos in a negative way. They portray a "business man" with only one giant nose. This symbolizes his use of cocaine to stay awake all night partying. This ad implies that any purchaser of cocaine is just as bad as the one holding the gun, as the man is holding an assault rifle. This negative ethos makes the reader not want to be like the "business man" in the picture.

Interestingly enough, logos is not used in this advertisement. Given that the creators have probably been trained in persuasive techniques for years, this is quite odd. However, the main target for this advertisement is a cocaine user. There are so many health warnings about drugs in the world today; any drug-user probably has lost all common sense. The picture is supposed grab the reader and captivate in a short time period, not burden their minds with health warnings.

This anti-drug ad has effectively used pathos and ethos to make a strong impression on any reader.

Present or Future?

2010-08-07T10:51:00.000-05:00

Many people live in the now, that is they only think about what is currently happening and not about the future. This, I believe, is a problem. Too many people take for granted what we, people, have now and do not think about what would happen if these were lost. This past month, I read a novel that addresses just this.

In One Second after by William Forstchen, an Electromagnetic Pulse Device (EMP) is detonated over the United States, causing all electronics to fail suddenly. The reader follows a family in the mountains of North Carolina. In this book people have not taken necessary steps to live without technology. This causes massive "die-offs" where in some cities only 5% of the population survives.

While reading, I never understood the title of Forstchen's novel. Then, just yesterday, the meaning hit me like a brick. Just one second after a disaster of this magnitude occurs, the effects are immediate. All events that have occurred until this point become almost meaningless. One second after, the fate of the United States and the rest of the World is changed forever. One second after, the lives of millions of people are changed forever.

People should be living in a state of mind where the future is the most important part. This causes the one second after thought to be less dramatic and catastrophic as it was in One Second After.

Lottery???

2010-07-20T10:23:00.000-05:00

Words are without a doubt the most important part of language. Communication without words would be nearly impossible. These words normally evoke certain feelings and thoughts in people. For example, in America football brings up thoughts of grown men crashing into each other. However, these thoughts are not always the only way to look at a word. Football in the rest of the world brings people thoughts of what Americans know as soccer. The interpretation and perception of words are explored in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.

In the realm created by Jackson, there is an annual lottery. When most people think of the lottery, certain thoughts. Images of people buying weekly tickets hoping to win exuberant sums of money. However from the beginning of the there are some oddities. The children start gathering stones and stuffing them in their pockets and pushing them into piles. Then Mr Summers, the lottery director, "soberly" announces the start of the lottery. These oddities are fairly minor and hard to notice during the first reading, however the story turns truly strange when a family is announced a winner. The wife Tessie Hucthison begins yelling that the lottery "wasn't fair." All these oddities eventually cause a horrifying realization that the lottery in this world is completely different from the lottery in our world.

This twist on the word "lottery" is refreshing. Jackson managed to take a word with a commonly perceived meaning and shown another way to percieve the word. "The Lottery" showed me how awesome stories can become if the perceptions of words are changed even thought the new perceptions still fall under the definition of the word. I encourage people to read the "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson and become refreshed with a different perception of a common word.

Soccer in the States?

2010-07-01T11:04:00.000-05:00

Soccer as a professional sport in the United States is, well let us just say, obscure. People everyday are surprised to learn that in America we have a professional soccer league. However, with the start of the World Cup, Americans everywhere have turned their attention to soccer, the most popular sport in the world. This attention has kept editorial writers everywhere busy, writing about how soccer is dull and over-hyped. One such article caught my attention. "Soccer Too Dull for America" by Daniel Kline, observed that soccer will never take hold in the United States television market and despite my love for the sport, I am inclined to agree with Kline.

"High level soccer involves almost no scoring and very few shots on goal." These words spoken by Kline are essentially true. Unfortunately, this lack of scoring and shots is boring to most American viewers. These viewers are accustomed to the high-scoring sports of football, basketball, and even baseball.

Common misconceptions about soccer also seem to prevent average viewers from watching. Most Americans seem to believe that soccer has "limited physical contact" and the games are very slow paced. These are absolutely false, but do keep viewers away from soccer games.

"The United States will never be Brazil or Italy where the fortunes of the national soccer team set the tone for the nation." I believe this thought by Kline is completely true. People will continue to not watch soccer, or even soccer's biggest event, the World Cup. The United States Soccer Federation will have to continue living in a country where soccer will never be as popular as football, baseball, basketball, or even hockey.

Annotated Photo

2010-06-13T10:52:00.001-05:00

Who I am as a reader, writer, and person. Click to learn more.

Of Mice and Men Analysis

2010-05-31T11:56:00.000-05:00

Analysis of Detail

From his first paragraph, John Steinbeck sets the scene of 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 quote "the Salinas river drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green," can be used to find descriptions of the characters. "Green" is often used to describe someone or something that is full of life, naive, and young. The word "deep" can show something to be strong and solid. These words can be used to describe the main characters of Steinbeck's novella. Lennie is very young and full of life. He is also very very naive. George, on the other hand, is very smart. In fact, he is smart enough for the both of them. George is also very deep in thought.

Another sentence containing the words "strong", "rocky", and "mountain" can be used to further describe the characters and foreshadow events to come. "Strong" means a person being physically or mentally tough. The use of this word can describe George or Lennie, as Lennie is physically tough and George is mentally tough. "Rocky" can be used to describe something that is unfinished or jagged. Lennie is very much rocky. He is not very bright and might have a mental impairment. A mountain normally symbolizes a challenge. I believe that the description of the mountain in the first paragraph most likely symbolizes there will be a challenge to overcome in Of Mice and Men.

The sentence, "under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp" can be used to symbolize the journey of George and Lennie. When leaves change color they fall of the tree and move on to a different place. George and Lennie embark on a similar journey. Their lives change so they must move on to a different place, which in this case is the ranch. Steinbeck's use of imagery and foreshadowing are amazing.

After rereading the first paragraph, a reader realizes that George and Lennie are described as well as certain events in the future.

Analysis of Point of View

The third-person objective point of view accentuates the differences between each character through descriptions of their traits.

The quote from page 37 of the novel states that "Curley seemed really to see George for the first time. His eyes flashed over George, took in his height, measured his reach, looked at his trim middle" when he encountered George in the bunkhouse. Curley was a small man and had self-confidence issues, forcing him to put on a tough front. He looked over George to see how big he was in comparison. George also happened to be small, this making Curley feel relieved and more at ease when talking to him.

"[Crooks] kept his distance and demanded that other people kept theirs." (pg 67) As also stated in the passage Crooks was "proud" and "aloof." These quotes from Of Mice and Men shows that Crooks, the stable buck, knew he was different from everyone else. Keeping out of the way of the other ranch workers' was the only way Crooks knew of to keep his pride. Third person allows people to see the differences in Crooks, because their are no personal point of views to give a racist perspective in Steinbeck's novella.

Without the descriptive passages regarding these characters in third-person objective, their characters would not be as defined as they are found in Of Mice and Men.

Analysis of Tone

Steinbeck constructs brilliant passages of remorse and longing to characterize Lennie.

Lennie has no control over his immense strength. This immense strength and lack of control causes him to hurt just about anything and everything Lennie touches. This passage from page 87 shows that Lennie really feels bad about the bad deeds he does. After the puppy's death Steinbeck makes references to the puppy using words like "sadly" and "woe", showing Lennie's great remorse for his act of treachery.

"An' live off the fatta of the lan'," Lennie shouted. Lennie shouts at George to tell a story that he has no doubt heard many times before. This part and others from the passage of page 14 show how Lennie longs for the rabbits and the house. They give him something to hope for in the future.

Lennie's strength conflicts with his personality to create a very interesting character in Steinbeck's novella.

Analysis of Theme

Whether faced with a disabled relative or a homeless person on the street most people have faced the question, "Am I my brother's keeper." This idea is explored in Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men.

For no feasible reason, George takes care of Lennie, and even when Lennie offers to leave, George says "I want you to stay with me, Lennie." (pg. 13) Without Lennie, George's life would be undoubtedly easier, but something makes George feel an obligation to stay with him. Throughtout the the novella, George gives various reasons for staying with Lennie. "Your aunt Clara wouldn't like you running off by yourself, even if she is dead," shows that Lennie probably has no relatives that want to have anything to do with him. (pg. 13)

When Lennie and George finally make their way to the ranch, the boss asks George "Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy. I just like to know what your interest is." (pg. 23) George stumbles around this question and lies to the boss, saying that himself and Lennie are cousins. Even though George and Lennie share no relatives, George feels his situation is easier to explain if he tells people himself and Lennie are cousins. This shows that George has no real reason to take care of Lennie, especially if he has to lie to make the situation easier to explain.

"Of Mice and Men" shows that humans should be responsible for looking out for one another even if there is no feasible reason for doing so.

Animals as Humans

2010-05-28T14:27:00.000-05:00

In the novel, Animal Farm George Orwell chooses to use animals as the main characters as opposed to humans. This substitution makes the parallels to Stalinist Russia less obvious. Orwell most likely wanted to avoid being hated by many Russian people for his satirical work. Humans might have also taken the book as an insult to their race. I mean, humans being under the rule of animals and rebelling sounds pretty offensive.

The effectiveness of Orwell's use of animals in Animal Farm is varied. The substitution does prevent people from becoming offended by the satirical nature of the novel. The animals also have very human-like characteristics. Sometimes, the ruse is so believable a reader forgets he or she is reading about animals. On the down side, the animals make Orwell's work seem more like a fable than a satire. Most people, upon reading, would view this work as simply a fable instead of the great work Orwell's novel truly is.

Is Orwell's use of animals effective? The answer to this sometimes difficult question can only really be answered by the reader.

The Giver

2010-05-23T17:42:00.000-05:00

The Giver by Lois Lowry gives and interesting perspective on how a utopia could work. With Lowry's great presentation of moral issues and thought provoking ideas, I found myself addicted to her book.

The themes of The Giver are very complex. The "community" as it is called has many moral issues, of witch most people are oblivious. The possibility of a utopia is also explored.

Lowry's characters are not well described, however this does not matter. A principle theme of the book is that all the characters are more or less the same and differences are not mention. Given that the book is from the point of view of a "community" member, people are not described.

The Giver is set in a futuristic Utopian community. All parts of the community life are controlled to a point were accidental deaths are very very rare. Genetic engineering has made all members of the community more or less the same. This setting gives Lowry's novel an interesting feel, as it is so different.

Jonas is an eleven in the "community." His ceremony of the twelve is coming shortly and Jonas is becoming nervous. The ceremony of the twelve is the time when a child is assigned his or her career for the rest of his or her life. Jonas is not nervous he will not get his desired job, as people take extensive notes on the children to ensure the right selection. He is more apprehensive about what his career will be. Then when his turn comes to be given a career, the announcer skips. This seemingly clerical error leads Jonas into a life that he never expected to have or even knew existed.

I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. For kids, the plot is simple and easy to understand. For adults, the plot provokes many moral conversations and thoughts.

Dorothea Lange Photograph

2010-05-20T12:15:00.001-05:00

The Migrant Mother photos taken by Dorothea Lange stir a wide range of feelings. The first thought that comes to mind is amazement at the horrible living conditions. I never imagined that someone could live with 3 children in such a destitute environment. I also feel sorry feel sorry for the poor family. Having taken place in the Great Depression, the plight of the family was most likely not their own fault but the fault of a crashing world economy. This photograph also makes me wonder. I wonder if people still live in such conditions, even now in the 21st century, the century of rapid growth of technology.

Mask I Wear

2010-05-19T15:57:00.000-05:00

I wear a mask that shades and hides
The blankness that shows is but lies
Underneath lies a person who cries and smiles
A person who has emotions hidden by human scrutiny
This fact makes most want mutiny

The happiness I show is not all lies
But not all that dwells but not all that lies beneath the mask that belies
I have emotions that lie below
However, these are not the ones that show

I live in fear to show myself
A fear that others have besides this one self
I wish to leave this fear behind
But I cannot escape the evil that confines

Cross Examination

2010-04-20T12:37:00.002-05:00

Mom: "We are going to clean out your closet today."
Me: "Ugh"

We go down into my room and open my closet door.

Mom: "What is all this stuff!?"
Me: "I told you"
Mom: "Why is there a box of empty soda bottles and what is the deal with the piles of sheets?"
Me: "Like I said before, I told you."
Mom: "This closet is horrible. I mean you have boxes from when we moved."
Me: "So."
Mom: "We moved six years ago."

She digs deeper.

Mom: "So this is where all of suitcases went."
Me: "I didn't feel like taking them back upstairs.
Mom: "Why are there power tools in here?"
Me: "Dad gave them to me, and I didn't know what to do with them."

Mom: "I quit. You can do this yourself, or never. I don't even care anymore."

All people have things to hide.

The Sun (modeled after Red Wheelbarrow)

2010-04-20T12:37:00.001-05:00

people every where
depend

upon you for his
or her

own strength
yet

they fear your
rays

Celebrate

2010-04-12T12:27:00.000-05:00

I recently was confirmed into my church. This is a great cause for celebration, because I have become a more active member of my church.

Confirmation, for those of you who do not know, is a renewal of your vows to God. You have already made these vows at your baptism, but your parents made them for you. In other words, confirmation is a re-baptism. In our church, a bishop is the only person who can confirm people into the church. Since the Bishop of Arkansas only comes to our particular church once every other year, confirmation does not happen very often. I am also my parents first child to be confirmed into our new church.

Confirmation may not be a great cause for celebration for other people, but for my family and myself it is.

St. Patrick's Day?

2010-03-17T12:06:00.000-05:00

St. Patrick's Day is a very interesting Catholic feast day, that has made its way into American culture. However, I have never viewed St. Patrick's Day as a real holiday. I wore green some years, but never thought about the day as a symbol of anything. Therefore, St. Patrick's Day has no real meaning to me.

Some people think about luck, some think about parties, while some think about the actual saint on this feast day. I do not think about any of these things. I do not really believe in luck, I do not have parties on St. Patrick's Day, and I do not know anything about the saint. I have lived my entire 16 years, believing St. Patrick's Day was a fun holiday, where people wear green.

This has never really affected my life, until today. I heard a story about my English teacher's connection to St. Patrick's Day. Her daughter had a heart defect, and my teacher remember St. Patrick's Day as a symbol of the luck she had to survive. I heard another account from a friend. She is Catholic and to her, St. Patrick's Day is the day to honor a great person. These stories made me realize that I felt jealous for all the people who view St. Patrick's Day or any other holiday, as a symbol for something good.

The Devil in the White City

2010-03-13T18:09:00.000-06:00

The Devil in the White City is an amazing book that shows how The Great Expedition in Chicago was built and how a criminal mastermind uses the fair to lure his victims in to his clutches.

Erik Larson does an excellent job with his book. The book is written using actual excerpts from letters, press releases, and police statements. This makes Larson's style very unique and appealing, at least to me.

The characters in The Devil in the White City are very realistic. We learn what goes through their minds as they make decisions that affect the the greatest worlds fair ever. The characters make the book better, however they are certainly not the best part of an amazing novel.

Picture the 1890's boom town of Chicago, where crime and the upper-class live together in a mass jungle of metal. This is the setting of Larson's novel. The setting is not very well described as a whole, but the portions are well described. The setting, as were the characters, make the book better, but is still not the best part.

Chicago has been given the task or creating a world's fair to rival that of Paris' two years before. This already monumental task is made harder by the time period given to complete the project, two years. We follow the architects as they desperately try to finish the fair that will make Chicago in time. As all this is happening a handsome young man rolls into town. With him a shaky past. We follow this man as he goes on a disturbing killing spree, using the fair as his bait.

I would recommend this book to any history lover. The use of excerpts of actual documents is appetizing to the mind of any history buff. I would also recommend this book to non-history lovers who just love good books.

This book is 447 pages.

Call of the Wild

2010-03-13T12:39:00.001-06:00

The Call of the Wild, by Jack London is a very interesting tale told from the perspective of a sled dog. London's novel, considered a classic by some, started slow, but soon had me hooked.

Learning when to stay obedient is a main theme in London's book. Buck, the main character, struggles with this at first, but is forced to learn. Taking a stand is another major theme of the novel. Buck, has to deal with a major oppression problem. He deals with the problem by standing up to the leader of the pack. This stand results in a terrific battle for power.

The writing style of Jack London, especially in this book, is very interesting. London does a very good job of telling the story through the eyes of a dog. This feat makes the style of the novel better than most books told from the perspective of a dog.

The characters in The Call of the Wild are mostly dogs. However, the characters are still interesting. Even though the only dog that we hear is Buck, all the dogs have their own personality. Some are silly, while others are very mean and oppressive like Spitz, the first leader of the dogs. There are humans in The Call of the Wild as well. They have independent personalities but they are not described as well. Although the characters do not make the novel, they add to the book significantly.

The Call of the Wild is set in the Canadian North. The setting is well described. Buck tells what he sees as he travels on the dog trails. The settings could be described in greater detail, however the descriptions could ramble on if written by someone other than London.

The best part of London's novel is the plot. Buck is a very faithful dog who lives a very peaceful life. However, this is all changed one night. One of his masters helpers steals Buck and sells him as a sled dog. Buck is launched into a very different lifestyle and struggles to survive. However, Buck comes out of the experience and becomes a very good sled dog. However a strange feeling overcomes Buck throughout the book and makes Buck decide how to live the rest of his life.

The Call of the Wild is a very good short story for anyone. However, there are several disturbing scenes that younger children may find scary. Besides this, I would recommend this book to everyone.

This book is 78 pages.

Persuasion

2010-03-08T19:13:00.001-06:00

Persuasion has become a very important part of my life and I have become very skilled in the art because of this use. To persuade, I most often use the technique of logos, or logic. I convince people that my logic is correct and I get my way. This use of persuasion has shaped my life. I would not have or have done many things in my life. I also like to use ethos, or to persuade.I also see persuasion used in everyday life by other people. These people are not only real but also are television characters. These characters use all the different techniques of persuasion in a variety of situations.

Being a Winner

2010-03-08T19:01:00.000-06:00

Being a winner means that you have won competitions or events. However, this does not mean a reward is received. Sometimes winners only receive a pat on the back instead of a trophy of money. In my opinion, a true winner is someone who can win without receiving and actual award. People who get mad if they do not win a award are not true winners.

In my life, I am most proud of winning an event at an FBLA convention last year. I won an event in which I had no prior knowledge of until I decided to compete. This makes me very proud because I had to study and learn lots of information to the do well in the competition. I did not receive any money, but only a small plaque. However I was still very proud to win the competition.

Olympic Commitment

2010-02-24T18:39:00.000-06:00

Olympic athletes make huge commitments to their sport. They give most of their valuable time to training or competing. I have not made a commitment at that grand of a scale, but I have made a commitment of my time to a sport.

I play soccer and have made a pretty size able commitment to the sport. I have practice every day from the end of school to 5 o'clock in the afternoon. I have also committed my Friday and Tuesday nights to games, home and away. This takes away valuable homework and free time that I would like to have, but give up because I love soccer. Not only is my weekday time committed, running and practice is encouraged during the weekends and breaks from school.

My commitment is not as intense and severe as that of an Olympic athlete. However, I give a fairly size able commitment of my time especially for a teenager.

Enough Already

2010-01-24T16:12:00.000-06:00

After a full year in office, many people are starting to write President Obama off as a bad president. I, for one, am sick and tired of these allegations. The only thing Obama has done wrong is not end one of the worst economic situation in American history, not fixed the nation's health care problem, and not ended the current war.

People in our time all want instant gratification. Wanting instant gratification, leads to no patience. This lack of patience has cause most of America to become a critic of President Obama. I would like to see the critics come in and fix all the problems of the current age in a single year. My guess is they cannot and would be facing the same criticisms as Obama is today.

Some people may argue that with a completely democrat run congress, fixing all the problems should be easy. These people are wrong. Writing bills and brainstorming the best solutions takes time. Time that President Obama has not had.

Patience, a virtue, will cause people to realize that the president is not a horrible leader, but has problems to fix that take longer than a measly year. With patience the people will also see how good President Obama will be for the United States in the years to come.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp

2010-01-18T14:21:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wondered what a modern-day knight would look like? Well, The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfredd Kropp by Rick Yancey answers this question. Within the pages of the book lies a amazing adventure story for the ages.

Yancey's novel portrays one basic theme troughout, no matter how bad you mess up, you can always fix the problem.

Rick Yancey does a pretty good job with his characters. Most seem like they could be real people, except the present-day knights. The characters do not all have great qualities, as is typical with some other books. Some are greedy, some are dumb, and some could care less about the problems of others. The characters do not make the book for me, but they do help contribute to the greatness of the novel.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp is set in many places around the world. The story shifts from the highways of the northeastern United States, to Montreal, to London, and even to Nashville, Tennessee. The places Alfred spends significant time in are described better than the places that appear only briefly. The well described places are easy to picture but not so much for the other places. However, this tends to happen in any book and does not take anything away from Yancey's novel.

The plot of Yancey's The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp has many twists and turns. Alfred Kropp, the screw up, has no parents and has been sent to live with his uncle. Eventually, Alfred's uncle is approached by a wealthy business man with a task. The uncle sees this as money in the bank but Alfred begins to question the legality of the task. Reluctantly, Alfred agrees to go along with the plan, hoping not to mess up, as he has done with the rest of his life. What happens next, launches Alfred into a modern-day tale of knights, fast cars, and magical swords.

The theme of taking a stand fits very nicely into the plot of this novel. Alfred Kropp has to overcome fear, jealousy, and anger to stand up for what he believes is the right thing to do. Alfred Kropps' stand, like so many others, completely changes history. His example of taking a stand is the kind that everyone wishes they could do, but few people have the oppurtunity or even courage to do.

This book is like no other I have ever read. The plot is completely orginal and very different from other books in the same genre. I can not really relate to this book on a personal level, but mostly because I have never been on an awesome adventure like Alfred Kropp.

I would recommend The Extraodinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp to anyone and everyone.

This book is 339 pages.

Others Taking a Stand

2010-01-18T08:52:00.000-06:00

History is full of examples of people taking a stand for what they believe is right. These stands have caused history to change in many ways and are extremely important. I believe one of the most important stands ever taken in American history was the English colonists standing up to the powerful English government.

I will not go into great detail as this chain of events is arguably the most important in American history, but the colonists in the present-day United States took a stand against the English government. They boycotted English goods, opposed taxes, and sent representatives to the English government. This caused the powerful King George to send an army to keep the peace in the colonies. Once again, the colonists took a stand and fought the armies, and the rest, as they say, is history.

This stand affected so much then and now. The colonists gained the freedom to create their country. However, even greater effects were still to come. This stand set an example for other oppressed people to take a stand including the french middle class and the African Americans of the United States of America

Without this great stand, the country we know and love today would not exist.

By the way, I know this is an extremely overdone and cheesy topic.

Taking a Stand

2010-01-17T10:05:00.000-06:00

Taking a stand for what you believe is right is not always easy. In fact, taking a stand is sometimes the hardest thing a person can do in his or her life. However, after taking stand, most people receive a great boost in his or her personal bank account.

On occasion I have had to take a stand for members of my own family. One such occasion occurred several months ago. I was with a close family friend and he began to talk about my sister Anna in a very negative way. After a few minutes of jokes about her mannerisms and intelligence, I told him to stop talking like about my sister like that. Hearing my outburst, he decided to stop and we continued having a fun afternoon.

This small stand for my sister compelled the close friend never really talked about my sister in that way again. The stand also had another effect, I felt like a better person for the rest of the day.

Hero

2009-12-12T11:31:00.000-06:00

Hero by Perry Moore is a very unique novel set in an alternate that had me reading for hours until I finished.

Moore's novel has many different themes throughout the story. Trust is explored along with learning to love differences. These are the main themes that pop out at the a reader.

The style of Moore's Hero is slightly different than the style of most authors. The main character seems to say a lot more to himself in his mind than to other characters. This is the only unique quality about Moore's style, but the quality does add more to the book. Moore does a pretty good job of describing the settings of the book. Some places are well described while others are not.

Moore does an awesome job with his characters. They are all real people with various mental, emotional, or physical problems. I do believe the characters could be real people, however all the superpowers would have to go away first. The characters made me like the book a lot more than if the characters were dull and boring. The main character is Thom who has super powers that allow him to heal people. He is sensitive about some issues but is overall a pretty tough guy. Thom's dad Hal is involved in the story a lot. Hal was one of the world's greatest heroes until an accident stopped all his glory. Thom has a variety of super hero friends that all have different superpowers and are almost always helpful.

Hero takes place in a world where superheros and villains are everywhere. This alternate version of Earth is very different from our own Earth. Not only are there super powered people everywhere, there are monuments to heroes and even monuments to various disasters that have never happened on our Earth. Besides these main differences everything else is pretty similar to our own Earth.

Perry Moore does an amazing job with the plot of Hero. Thom Creed is a seemingly normal teen. However, Thom has many secrets that he has been battling with for years. You see, Thom has superpowers but that's not the biggest secret. Thom's biggest secret is that he is gay. Throughout the story Thom has to fight with these secrets, his father, and even the most powerful superheroes on Earth to have any chance of surviving.

Hero does not really relate to me because I have not really gone through any of the problems Thom has. This book also has a storyline that is very different from most novels.

I recommend Hero to everyone. However, I would advise parents to read this book before allowing your children to read Hero, because some of the subject matter may conflict with your views and values.

This book is 428 pages.

Julius Caesar

2009-12-11T13:38:00.000-06:00

Julius Caesar, written by greatest English playwright ever, William Shakespeare is a captivating drama showcasing the downfall of Julius Caesar.

The main theme of Julius Caesar is do not kill people because the deed will come back to haunt you. This theme is portrayed throughout most of the novel.

William Shakespeare's writing style is different from current writing styles but not so different from writing styles of his time. Because Shakespeare wrote plays, Julius Caesar has no description of any setting in the drama. This is because the settings were meant to be seen on the stage in the form of backgrounds.

The characters in Julius Caesar are not really described at all, again because Shakespeare wrote plays. The characters were played by a different actor each time so describing a character would make the position harder to fill. However, their personalities come across well in the words they speak.

Julius Caesar is set in Ancient Rome. Therefore the setting and our current world are very different. The citizens of Rome eat different food, live in different types of houses, do different activities for fun, and even speak in a different way than we as a society do today. Shakespeare does not make me feel like I am in the drama because the work was a play and the settings were meant to be seen.

The plot of Julius Caesar is very interesting and easy to follow. The patricians and senators of Rome are worried about Julius Caesar becoming a tyrant. They begin to plot an assassination attempt on Caesar himself. The conspirators recruit several well known and powerful citizens to aide them in their attempt. However, the conspirators make one crucial mistake. They decide to only kill Caesar and spare his right-hand man Mark Antony. This mistake causes many problems for the conspirators and might turn into their downfall.

I would recommend this book to lovers of classic literature and Shakespeare enthusiasts. I would advise children to stay away because the book uses an older version of english that is hard to understand at times.

This book was 209 pages.

Semester Tests

2009-12-10T17:14:00.000-06:00

Semester tests are just around the corner. Having had to take one in every class since fifth grade, I am sick and tired of them. I think that kids should have the option to take a semester test if they have an A in that particular class. Any grade below an "A" can be helped by a semester test but not an "A". Having an "A" before a semester test and a "B" after one is a horrible feeling no one should have to go through. The tests cause a student to risk his or her "A" based on the time they study. They could use this time to study more for semester tests in classes they do not have an "A" in, but with the current system this is not possible. This is why I believe semester tests should only be required in classes in which a students does not have an "A".

What Makes a Leader a True Leader

2009-12-08T16:37:00.000-06:00

Leaders are a very important part of society. They make many decisions that affect the lives of everyone. Because of this influence, a leader must be a good and true leader.

What exactly makes a true leader? Well a true leader prevails and makes good decision in the face of adversity. This means they do not become stunned and helpless when adversity strikes. True leaders must also know the ideas and values of the people of country they represent. Without this quality the decisions would be based on personal interest, which is bad. Intelligence is also a good quality. I know all leaders seem intelligent, but not all have a extreme bundle of intelligence.

I decided to make a list of my all time favorite leaders. I believe they are all true leaders and this is what I came up with:

1. Jesus Christ - Well he was Jesus.
2. John F. Kennedy - He was one of the best presidents ever who led us through the Cuban Missle Crisis.
3. Bill Clinton
4. Dwight Eisenhower - He led us through World War II.
5. Octavius - He reunited Rome after Caesar's death.
6. Abraham Lincoln
7. Fred from Scooby-Doo - He always had a plan.
8. Angry Mobs
9. Franklin D. Roosevelt - He helped the country out of the great depression.
10. Don Quihote

Being Thankful

2009-12-06T16:02:00.000-06:00

During the middle of a great Thanksgiving lunch, I began to think about all the various things I am thankful for in my life. This is the list of things I came up with.

1. Family-I have no idea what I would do without my family.

2. Friends-Having friends makes everyday more fun.

3. Home- I am really glad that I have a good house to live in.

4. Food- I have a great mom who cooks up really good food.

5. Nice clothes- This one seems superficial, but I like have nice clothes to put one.

6. Education- I am very thankful of my education.

7. Technology- Technology makes life so much easier.

8. My Music Ability- I love being able to play music.

9. Car- I am very glad that I have a car that is always available for my use.

10. Music- Music makes me very happy

I hope that this list of things I am thankful for has got you thinking about what you are thankful for in your life.

7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

2009-11-10T13:37:00.000-06:00

If you really do not know how to manage your every day life, read 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey. This book has tips, advice, and habits to live by to manage your life effectively

Out of all the habits discussed in the Covey's book, I liked habit 4. habit 4 was think win-win. This section of the book discussed how to think of situations in your life as win-win situations as opposed to win-lose and lose-win situations. This habit was the easiest to connect with, for me, beauase habit 4 seemed to be the easiest to accomplish.

The habit I have mastered is habit 3. This section describes how to put first things first to make you more succesful. I believe I have mastered the habit because I always prioritize things and put the most important things first. I find that this strategy helps me finish homework and have as much free time as possible.

Habit 5 or seek first to understand, then to be understood is the habit I need the most work on. I have a real problem understanding other people's points of view. I always want everybody to understand my point of view, while I pay little attention to the other person's point of view. I hope after reading this book that I can drastically improve on this habit.

As I stated before, I would recommend this book to anyone who has a serious problem managing their life.

Wasting Time

2009-11-02T13:41:00.000-06:00

Most people, at some point in their life, spend a lot of time on the Internet, wasting time. These are some of the websites, that I have found that are very good time wasters.

1. Facebook-www.facebook.com- This website has lots of different application that involve inviting friends to join a fake gang, group, or team to do lots of different stuff.

2. MLIA-mylifeisaverage.com- Visit this website if you like to read other people's stories that make their life "average."

3. The Best Article Every Day-bspcn.com- The Best Article Every Day is a collection of posts ranging from lists to funny pictures.

4. Yahoo-yahoo.com- Yahoo has news stories, games, clubs, chat rooms, groups, and many other things that can occupy lots of time.

These websites are all good time wasters but I will let you decide which ones are the best.

The Last Apprentice (Book 6)

2009-10-12T14:45:00.001-05:00

The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney was an interesting read that brought out the sci-fi lover in me.

The main theme of this book is learning who to listen to most, your master or the ones that care most about you.

The style of Delaney is very interesting. The Last Apprentice is set in the past so some of the words used are old but are very easy to understand. This, to me, makes Delaney seem to be a great author. Delaney does not do a tremendous job of describing the characters and places in the book but the lack of excellent descriptions takes nothing away from the book.

The characters in The Last Apprentice are interesting. Most have odd things about them that make them very individual and special. For example, one character is part witch and another is a spook or defeater of the dark. The characters added to the book's excellence.

Delaney does an okay job of describing the characters in The Last Apprentice, but this book is the 6th in the series, therefore most of the characters have already been described in earlier books. However, the new characters are excellently described. The characters also add to the excellence of the book.

Tom's mother left to return to her homeland, Greece, to help keep things under-control. Now, she has returned and needs Tom's help in her quest to defeat the Fiend, the antagonist of the series. However, if Tom chooses to help his mother his master will never allow Tom to return to him as his apprentice. Tom, is now faced with a decision that could affect the outcome of his constant struggle with the dark.

The Last Apprentice is like many science fiction novels because the book has many super natural and fictional beings. This book does not relate to me on a personal level because I have never really had to deal with some of the problems Tom faces.

I would recommend The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney to any hard core science fiction lover or any one open to a new experience.

This book contains 395 pages.

Catching Fire (Hunger Games Book 2)

2009-10-12T14:36:00.001-05:00

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins was a real page turner that grabbed hold of me and never let go. With the book's story of action, love, betrayel, and rebellion putting Catching Fire down was nearly impossible.

Catching Fire appears to have no main theme. The book is mainly a story of the adventures of Katniss Everdeen. However, there are several minor themes, such as, all actions have a consequence.

Suzanne Collins has a great style when writing novels. Catching Fire is very well written. All the characters and places are descriped thouroughly and very well. Suzanne Collins does not a very unique style as the book is very similarly written to other books written for young adults. However, her style is done much better than most of the authors with a style similar to Collins.

After reading Catching Fire, I really believe that Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, and all the other characters are real. All the characters have real problems that some people face today. There is nothing really super natural about the characters, making them very possible. The characters add to the excellence to the book as they add a lot to Catching Fire.

The world of Catching Fire is very different from the world we live in today. The United States is divided into to districts and the democracy has been replaced by a dictatorship. Many people are starving and each district must give up two children to fight to death every year. Suzanne Collins does an excellent job of describing the settings of Catching Fire. The entire United States is described but with little detail. I can close my eyes and really see the places that Katniss and Peeta live in.

Katniss Everdeen has just won the Hunger Games, an annual event where two teens from each district must fight to the death. Most people would be overjoyed, but Katniss and her fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark, defied the Capital and both won the Hunger Games. This causes unease throughout the districts. Katniss is about to leave on her victory tour when the President arrives at her house. He meets with her privately and reveals the true state of the Capital and threatens to kill her family if she does not comply. This event throws Katniss into a whirlwind that tosses her world upside down...again!

Catching Fire's plot is like no other book I have read. Collins does a great job of making the plot extremely unique. The style is similar to most authors that write young-adult novels but her unique plot makes up for this.

I would recommend Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins to any young-adult or adult reader.

This book contains 391 pages.

The Time Machine Review

2009-10-05T18:12:00.000-05:00

Is time travel possible? If possible, will time travel be good for mankind? No one knows the answers to these questions, but H.G. Wells explores the possibilities in his book The Time Machine.

The Time Machine shows to be careful what you wish for because you might not like the result.

H.G. Wells wrote The Time Machine in 1894, therefore the style of the book is quite different. The words used are sometimes archaic and hard to comprehend. This makes the book harder to understand at first. However, after reading for a while the strange dialect is easier to decipher. Wells does an excellent job of describing the places in the book, not so much the characters as most had no formal names. The style of Wells is unique, but mostly because the book is so old.

The characters in The Time Machine are interesting. Most of the characters have no formal names simply the Professor, the Psychologist, the Time Traveler, or etc. This makes the characters seem very unreal. Not one of the unnamed characters, except the Time Traveler, play a huge role in the story, making the inconvenience bearable. The book would have been just as good without the particular characters as they did nothing to enhance my experience of reading The Time Machine.

The settings of The Time Machine are very descriptive. I really felt like I was in the places. The book takes place in 1894 London, London 802,701, and London 30 million years after 1894. These places are all well described except for London in 1894. I really felt like I was experiencing what the Time Traveler was experiencing. The vivid descriptions of the settings really made the book for me.

The Time Traveler is an inventor in London, England. He is obsessed with the thought of time travel. He explains his ideas and shows a replica time machine to his weekly dinner guests. Theses guests leave more than skeptical of the Time Travelers “Time Machine”. The next week, the Time Traveler holds a dinner to show his invention off. However, upon arrival the guest find no sign of the Time Traveler. They continue dinner without him, until he appears and begins to recount a remarkable tale of his recent adventure through time.

The Time Machine is very much a science fiction novel. The book is similar to several science fiction books I have read, but none as old. This book does not connect to me at all, mostly because it is very old and covers an idea that is not yet possible.

I would recommend The Time Machine by H.G. Wells to a classical book lover or a person who reads science fiction. However, I would advise children and non-intellectual adults to stay away from this book as they may find the book hard to understand is some places because of the dialect of English used.

This book contains 83 pages.

London Calling Book Review

2009-09-23T16:57:00.000-05:00

Edward Bloor's London Calling is a compelling science fiction history novel that pulled me in and never let go.

The theme of this book is a teenage boy finding himself. He learns to trust himself and realizes that his life is worth something after all.

The style of Bloor left nothing to be desired. He gave a very real sense of what was happening in the story. I could almost hear the main character describing his adventures. Bloor is not unique is his way of presenting his story but the story is well done.

Bloor does an excellent job of making the characters seem real. The characters all have realistic

views, opinions, emotions, and physical traits. The characters made the book for me. Without them the London Calling would not be the same. Th.e book has five main characters with several supporting characters. The family of four of the five main characters is very real and faces many of the problems that normal families face today.

London Calling has two main settings: Bethel, New Jersey in present day and London in 1940. Bloor does an okay job describing the setting of the book. I feel like I am there, but in a dream world. I can't imagine fine details, just broad details such as dimensions, colors, and rooms. The book is set in real places, past and present, but they seem bland and boring in the book.

Martin Conway believes that his life is worthless. He is wasting his life away at school, home, and church. Then, on the last day of school his life is turned completely around. Martin's best friend, Pinak, is attacked by a bully. Martin's other friend, Manetti, tries to defend Pinak but just gets them all in trouble. Martin, scared to see the bully again, refuses to leave his room all summer until he is forced to leave upon his grandmother's passing. From her Martin inherits a single possesion: an old radio. This radio thrusts him into an adventure that could rewrite history.

This book relates to many books I have read, but in different ways. The sci-fi side relates to many science fiction books and the historical fiction side relates to many historical books I have read. However, there are not many books in the world that combine the two. This combination makes London Calling by Edward Bloor a must read for any book lover.

This book has 291 pages.

Sylamo Bike Trail: First Time

2009-09-10T13:10:00.000-05:00

This summer I went to the sylamo bike trails in Mountain View, AR. This wasn't my first trail ride but the first major one. We, my dad, brother, and I, went with some friends who loved the trail. We arrived and realized there had been a big storm that had blown lots of trees down across the trail. The red trail seemed the best fit for our first time. I later realized that the red trail was the easiest there but not an easy trail. We set out and the first twenty minutes were good. We rode about a mile and then my brother feel off his bike and rolled down a hill. He was fine but the tumble scared him. He decided to go back with my dad and wait until we got done. I was left with these friends who were more experienced riders than me. This didn't affect me much until I went over an uprooted tree and fell down cutting my leg. The fall did enough to slow me down and get behind the friends. I caught up when they decided to stop until I caught up. They had realized that the trail ahead was covered in leaves and debris. They decided that it was best to take one of the exit trails and leave early because of the poor trail conditions. The one mile ride to the exit trail was not so smooth. It was very slow going and I was tired from a day of running before. We finally made it out and I was ready to shower and sleep, the two ss's of riding.

All in all the trail was awesome, but my first time was not as good as it could have been due to the poor trail conditions.

Oblivious People in Parking Lots

2009-09-08T14:06:00.001-05:00

When driving in a parking lot everyone, at some point, finds and is annoyed by a person completely oblivious to his/her surroundings. I find these people incredibly annoying. They either have no idea what is going on or they just don't care about anything around them.

For example, this past weekend I was driving around Wal-Mart searching for a parking space. I found a space and was moving down the row to get it. Halfway there I came upon a man walking with his 5-6 year old child. He was not paying any attention to me and was walking up the middle of the road. He was so oblivious he only realized he was in front of me when he bumped into the front of my car. He jumped out of his oblivious state and waved at me as if he was apologizing. I thought how could you be so out of it in a parking lot that you run into a car.

I find these people extremely annoying and wish they would go away forever.