The movie The Dead Poet's Society was not quite what I expected. I came into the movie looking for allusions and witty banter and the occasional butterfly of personal accomplishment. I found all of those. However, I also expected to see certain storybook figures, such as the new, perfect teacher who opens the student's minds and hearts to the world around them and their inner mind. Instead, I received Mr. Keating, a teacher with a deadly flaw: his ambition to get the students to think for themselves. While this is sensationally important, he failed to see the dangers of unrestrained thinking.
Now I'm no foe to unrestrained thinking, but their are differences between acting boldly and acting rashly. Mr. Keating's lack of restraint aggravated me.
However, for the most part, the movie is sensational. All should watch this movie, if only because I play a huge part in the plot.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Dead Poets Society and Thoreau
In The Dead Poet's Society, the character who most reminds me of Thoreau is John Keating. He has a whimsical, witty personality, and is very unconventional in what he teaches and how he teaches it. He is similar to Thoreau in that he seeks to find truth through the expression of the human spirit, in the movie's case, through poetry. He and Thoreau share a transcendental belief about humanity and the passions we share, and he tries his best to give share his truths with others.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The Sex Question
Does an author's sex affect the way they portray the members of their own sex or the opposite sex? Well...that depends if they are good at writing from another perspective. Some authors write very well from the opposite gender's perspective. Edith Wharton's portrayal of Ethan Frome was, in my opinion, flawless. Others are not so rounded, such as The Natural, which does a very bad job of representing the complexities of woman.
However, the flaws in The Natural could just as easily be by design, to make a point or express a theme. In The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver uses a harsh take on men in order to epitomize the strength and struggle of single mothers. She also uses it to show the unfairness of life in general. Just because the portrayals seem far from fact, doesn't mean that they are bad. It all depends on the skill of the author.
However, the flaws in The Natural could just as easily be by design, to make a point or express a theme. In The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver uses a harsh take on men in order to epitomize the strength and struggle of single mothers. She also uses it to show the unfairness of life in general. Just because the portrayals seem far from fact, doesn't mean that they are bad. It all depends on the skill of the author.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Love Letter to Mattie
I don't know rightly how to say this. I never been good with words, but I love you, Mattie. I love the way you talk, your pretty brown hair, 'n th' way your eyelids close so slowly when you blush. I want you Mattie. I want to hold you. "I want to feel you holding me."
I care about you, Mattie. Zeena is gone for me. I don't know how we will manage, but I know we can, and I love you so much, I don't want to let you go. Please stay Mattie. I'm yours.
I care about you, Mattie. Zeena is gone for me. I don't know how we will manage, but I know we can, and I love you so much, I don't want to let you go. Please stay Mattie. I'm yours.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Thoreau Facts
source: http://www.bartleby.com/65/th/Thoreau.html
1)Thoreau grew up in Concord.
2)His most famous book was Walden(1854).
3)He was a Graduate of Harvard in 1837.
4)In 1841 he was invited to live in the (Ralph Waldo) Emerson household.
5)He was a contributor to the magazine, The Dial.
source: http://thoreau.eserver.org/brief.html; Richard Lenat; Richard Lenat:
6) His work began with journal entries
7)Thoreau cared deeply about the problems of his time and the people around him
8)(Thoreau's book,)Walden comes to us as a narrative of the time Thoreau lived in a small cabin near Walden Pond.
9)The Thoreau Reader contains six of Thoreau's essays. Civil Disobedience is the most famous.
10)Life Without Principle is considered Thoreau's best short statement of what was most important to him.
*Courtesy of Alvin Lieu. Thanks, Al.
1)Thoreau grew up in Concord.
2)His most famous book was Walden(1854).
3)He was a Graduate of Harvard in 1837.
4)In 1841 he was invited to live in the (Ralph Waldo) Emerson household.
5)He was a contributor to the magazine, The Dial.
source: http://thoreau.eserver.org/brief.html; Richard Lenat; Richard Lenat:
6) His work began with journal entries
7)Thoreau cared deeply about the problems of his time and the people around him
8)(Thoreau's book,)Walden comes to us as a narrative of the time Thoreau lived in a small cabin near Walden Pond.
9)The Thoreau Reader contains six of Thoreau's essays. Civil Disobedience is the most famous.
10)Life Without Principle is considered Thoreau's best short statement of what was most important to him.
*Courtesy of Alvin Lieu. Thanks, Al.
Emerson Facts
1) Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston.
2) Emerson's father was a Unitarian minister whose parents had been clergymen back in the Puritanical days.
3) Emerson's father died early in his life, leaving his mother, his four siblings, and himself in poverty.
source: http://eolit.hrw.com/hlla/authorbios/index2.jsp?author=11ralphwaldoemerson&WebLogicSession=QmmHlrTSl91ICx1IXsskC6NwH2mdJTrwvgNG6k9ZKEKVf8DrEMj7|-502370712525240
4) Ralph became a Unitarian minister like his father, but resigned in 1832 to travel Europe.
5) Emerson lectured on philosophy in the United States while forming a transcendentalist group with many poets, writers, and fellow philosophers as members.
6) In 1842, Emerson became editor for The Dial, a newspaper which helped spur the transcendentalist movement on.
7)In 1855, Emerson received some poetry, "Leaves of Grass", from Walt Whitman, and wrote an encouraging letter to the poet.
8) Later in life, Emerson met with Whitman and the two became friends.
source: http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/emerson/
9) Emerson was known among his circle of friends as the Sage of Concord.
10) Emerson advocated women's rights and the abolition of slavery.
source: http://encarta.msn.com/media_461577235_761560644_-1_1/ralph_waldo_emerson_quick_facts.html
2) Emerson's father was a Unitarian minister whose parents had been clergymen back in the Puritanical days.
3) Emerson's father died early in his life, leaving his mother, his four siblings, and himself in poverty.
source: http://eolit.hrw.com/hlla/authorbios/index2.jsp?author=11ralphwaldoemerson&WebLogicSession=QmmHlrTSl91ICx1IXsskC6NwH2mdJTrwvgNG6k9ZKEKVf8DrEMj7|-502370712525240
4) Ralph became a Unitarian minister like his father, but resigned in 1832 to travel Europe.
5) Emerson lectured on philosophy in the United States while forming a transcendentalist group with many poets, writers, and fellow philosophers as members.
6) In 1842, Emerson became editor for The Dial, a newspaper which helped spur the transcendentalist movement on.
7)In 1855, Emerson received some poetry, "Leaves of Grass", from Walt Whitman, and wrote an encouraging letter to the poet.
8) Later in life, Emerson met with Whitman and the two became friends.
source: http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/emerson/
9) Emerson was known among his circle of friends as the Sage of Concord.
10) Emerson advocated women's rights and the abolition of slavery.
source: http://encarta.msn.com/media_461577235_761560644_-1_1/ralph_waldo_emerson_quick_facts.html
Civil Disobedience
Civil disobedience is the refusal to adhere to an unjust law, no matter the consequences, as a protest. It is supposed to be conducted without any violence towards their oppressors, showing that what they do is not out of hatred, but out of sincere beliefs and compassion.
Personally, I think this idea is brilliant, but on occasion not practical. I think that civil disobedience is the best way to protest a law in a nation were you cannot be killed for committing a small crime, because if you can be killed for a small crime, the nation is obviously not worth sacrificing yourself for. For example, during the American Civil Rights Movement in the 60's and 70's, few black people were killed for civilly disobeying the law, and those few who were killed were mostly accidents. The majority were simply beaten, which the protesters recovered from quickly. When you come back after being beaten severely and simply continue doing what you were doing before, without any thought to your persecutors, it really pisses them off, and at the same time, ebbs away their resolve.
I’ve never had the pleasure of using civil disobedience for a worthy cause. On occasion when I was little I used to disobey the school teacher just to make a point, but the point was crap and I was too little to understand what was worthy of civil disobedience anyway. I hope to get the opportunity sometime, though. I’ve always wanted to be a part of something so important, being beaten to a pulp didn’t matter, and then being able to put everything on the line for it.
Personally, I think this idea is brilliant, but on occasion not practical. I think that civil disobedience is the best way to protest a law in a nation were you cannot be killed for committing a small crime, because if you can be killed for a small crime, the nation is obviously not worth sacrificing yourself for. For example, during the American Civil Rights Movement in the 60's and 70's, few black people were killed for civilly disobeying the law, and those few who were killed were mostly accidents. The majority were simply beaten, which the protesters recovered from quickly. When you come back after being beaten severely and simply continue doing what you were doing before, without any thought to your persecutors, it really pisses them off, and at the same time, ebbs away their resolve.
I’ve never had the pleasure of using civil disobedience for a worthy cause. On occasion when I was little I used to disobey the school teacher just to make a point, but the point was crap and I was too little to understand what was worthy of civil disobedience anyway. I hope to get the opportunity sometime, though. I’ve always wanted to be a part of something so important, being beaten to a pulp didn’t matter, and then being able to put everything on the line for it.
The Best Education
I don't think I know which type of education is best. Is working one-on-one with a single teacher best, in a student-mentor setting? Is public education better? Is homeschool better, with it's individual pace and larger number of teachers per student?
I guess the answer depends on the definition of best. I think of "best" as the type which is the most effective in training a person to become a functional part of society. It needs to show people how to find themselves, and then teach them how to bring food to the table, all the while cramming tons of necessary information into their heads.
I think that the "best" type of education can happen in any type of setting, since the results of the education depend on the attitudes a personalities of the teacher(s) and the student. I think it is very rare, though, and when it happens, it should be appreciated for just how special it is.
I guess the answer depends on the definition of best. I think of "best" as the type which is the most effective in training a person to become a functional part of society. It needs to show people how to find themselves, and then teach them how to bring food to the table, all the while cramming tons of necessary information into their heads.
I think that the "best" type of education can happen in any type of setting, since the results of the education depend on the attitudes a personalities of the teacher(s) and the student. I think it is very rare, though, and when it happens, it should be appreciated for just how special it is.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Fahrenheit 451 Podcast
Part 1:
1) In Garageband, I learned how to record music segments, arrange/edit them, add effects and music, and create a podcast.
2) I did not learn anything new about Fahrenheit 451, unfortunately. Whenever I listened to the other groups, they were either trying to be funny, or their effects were canceling out parts of the interview and story.
3) I didn't learn anything new about working with others, either. Tibein and I didn't brush up against each other during this project. There was nothing to learn, really.
Part 2:
1) I admired how some groups managed to put appropriate sound effects to certain event in their interview or story. Although they were distracting and sometimes overpowered the volume of the speakers, they added a nice touch of flavor to the podcast.
2) I think people should work with the volume of their music and effects a bit more, so that the two do not drown each other out.
1) In Garageband, I learned how to record music segments, arrange/edit them, add effects and music, and create a podcast.
2) I did not learn anything new about Fahrenheit 451, unfortunately. Whenever I listened to the other groups, they were either trying to be funny, or their effects were canceling out parts of the interview and story.
3) I didn't learn anything new about working with others, either. Tibein and I didn't brush up against each other during this project. There was nothing to learn, really.
Part 2:
1) I admired how some groups managed to put appropriate sound effects to certain event in their interview or story. Although they were distracting and sometimes overpowered the volume of the speakers, they added a nice touch of flavor to the podcast.
2) I think people should work with the volume of their music and effects a bit more, so that the two do not drown each other out.
Monday, November 10, 2008
This Blog: My Hon. English Class.
This English Class is...average. Honestly, I'm not particularly happy with some of the things we've been doing, or the space of time we have between projects. I always thought of this class as a literary structure/creative writing class, whereas it has become much more project-based than I had originally thought. I love sitting down and writing a short blurb about writers' block or the way the sun hits the side of a building, or the reasoning behind Marxism. I'm not so enthusiastic about making a podcast on Garageband.
Although, I have to admit, the year hasn't been unenjoyable. I've been having a good time with the projects, despite their unorthodoxy. I've read the Crucible, the Bean Trees, and The Natural, all of which were books I'd d]never read before. I learned about the Salem Witch Trials, Ray Bradbury, and several other things about the books involved, as well as a few new words. I loved learning about Fahrenheit 451 especially, because I love that book. I’m not sure how we can incorporate technology more into the classroom. Honestly, I’m not enthusiastic about adding more technology to the class either.
I’m doing very well in the class, though. I need to make sure that my homework comes in on time, though, so I can maintain my A.
P.S. Mr. Schreiber, you’re doing great. Please be very clear about the homework assignments, though. Sometimes what you are asking is misconstrued to me, causing communication errors that usually result in later work. I know that’s my fault as well, but please work with me here. ;D
Although, I have to admit, the year hasn't been unenjoyable. I've been having a good time with the projects, despite their unorthodoxy. I've read the Crucible, the Bean Trees, and The Natural, all of which were books I'd d]never read before. I learned about the Salem Witch Trials, Ray Bradbury, and several other things about the books involved, as well as a few new words. I loved learning about Fahrenheit 451 especially, because I love that book. I’m not sure how we can incorporate technology more into the classroom. Honestly, I’m not enthusiastic about adding more technology to the class either.
I’m doing very well in the class, though. I need to make sure that my homework comes in on time, though, so I can maintain my A.
P.S. Mr. Schreiber, you’re doing great. Please be very clear about the homework assignments, though. Sometimes what you are asking is misconstrued to me, causing communication errors that usually result in later work. I know that’s my fault as well, but please work with me here. ;D
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Creative Commons
1) A good interviewing technique for podcasts is to rerecord the questions if they aren’t perfect. When making a podcast, the original questions can be easily replaced with the new, should the old have background noises or some other fault, without making the podcast sound choppy.
2) The ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) are the owners of the main royalty collections for music catalogs.
3) Some of the licenses one can sign for on Creative Commons are Attribution, Noncommercial, No Derivative Work, and Share Alike.
2) The ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) are the owners of the main royalty collections for music catalogs.
3) Some of the licenses one can sign for on Creative Commons are Attribution, Noncommercial, No Derivative Work, and Share Alike.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Science Fiction Story Notes
1) Central Idea: Car accident?
2) Details: Aerocars, magnetic guidance strips in roads, Automatic Automobile Routing Network, computerized dashboards. Freeways w/o side guards elevated above the rest of the city.
3) Man vs. Man vs. Technology. Apathy --> People have become so desensitized through media and their own concerns, and the removal of proper moral codes, that they don't help each other.
4) Setting: 50-60 years in the future. Suburban neighborhood in the middle of a thriving metropolis. In a car on a freeway, mostly.
5) Character: Lyle --> businessman who has grown up outside of governmental intervention, but watched his children be reared through the system. Doesn't think much of it. (JUST A NORMAL GUY)
2) Details: Aerocars, magnetic guidance strips in roads, Automatic Automobile Routing Network, computerized dashboards. Freeways w/o side guards elevated above the rest of the city.
3) Man vs. Man vs. Technology. Apathy --> People have become so desensitized through media and their own concerns, and the removal of proper moral codes, that they don't help each other.
4) Setting: 50-60 years in the future. Suburban neighborhood in the middle of a thriving metropolis. In a car on a freeway, mostly.
5) Character: Lyle --> businessman who has grown up outside of governmental intervention, but watched his children be reared through the system. Doesn't think much of it. (JUST A NORMAL GUY)
Who Was Ray Bradbury?
While reading the interview, I noticed some interesting things about Bradbury: His diction reflected his writing style, he seemed very carefree and eccentric, and he seemed to have a love for the unconventional. He struck me as the kind of person I would enjoy playing golf with, or sharing a cup of coffee. His thoughts were deep, and he appeared to have an enlightened wisdom, which was easily recognizable by his mannerisms.
Yet he also seemed like an average guy. He used the phrase "you know" a lot when he talked. He wasn't anal about grammar or literary correctness. He talked about sharing beers with some of his Irish friends on his spare time. His magnanimity wasn't concealed behind his sincerity, and I would love to meet him some day.
Yet he also seemed like an average guy. He used the phrase "you know" a lot when he talked. He wasn't anal about grammar or literary correctness. He talked about sharing beers with some of his Irish friends on his spare time. His magnanimity wasn't concealed behind his sincerity, and I would love to meet him some day.
Sci-Fi Podcasts
1) Two guys are in a resistance group, fighting against the government, trying to kill the leader. One is a lowly techie, who has never been truly involved with the resistance, while the other is a huge mercenary armed to the teeth. They’re trying to infiltrate the station when they’re discovered by a minute bug, and then they rush to finish the job. However, when they reach the leader, they find the whole war to be a conspiracy. The leader is actually a program which runs to best suit the democratic people, but through some twists in the system, became a “benevolent dictator.” As the mercenary said in the podcast, “The people created their own tyranny,” because the program did what the people truly wanted and needed, even though they didn’t know what they wanted themselves.
The whole thing was focused on the idea that those people who don’t vote throw the rule to those who are actually interested in the situation, and who are not always the right people to rule. The point was to tell people that they need to vote, and be active in their government, because if they don’t, in the future, things probably won’t turn out the way they want.
2) There was music at the beginning and end to introduce the podcast, and sometimes some during intense moments, although those were infrequent.
3) The podcasts were not incredibly different from each other; the only true difference was the content. Otherwise, they had basically the same format, same length, and the same feel to them. Oh, they also had different music to introduce them and fade them out, but still, that isn't very significant.
The whole thing was focused on the idea that those people who don’t vote throw the rule to those who are actually interested in the situation, and who are not always the right people to rule. The point was to tell people that they need to vote, and be active in their government, because if they don’t, in the future, things probably won’t turn out the way they want.
2) There was music at the beginning and end to introduce the podcast, and sometimes some during intense moments, although those were infrequent.
3) The podcasts were not incredibly different from each other; the only true difference was the content. Otherwise, they had basically the same format, same length, and the same feel to them. Oh, they also had different music to introduce them and fade them out, but still, that isn't very significant.
Monday, October 27, 2008
"Can you think of a movie adaptation that was better than the book? Is the movie version of Fahrenheit 451 better than the book? Give specific examples to support your opinion."
The only movie I've ever seen that did the book justice or even did better were the Lord of the Rings adaptations, which cut out a lot of useless detail, yet still made the events epically significant, developed intense action scenes, and at the same time retained a very viable and complex plot line.
I love the book Farenheit 451, so it would be hard to best it with a movie, although the movie does a very good job of representing the feelings that swirl around in the characters. However, it doesn't give an accurate enough portrayal of the setting, partly due to the technology available to film makers at the time the movie was made. It also can't illustrate the plot the way Bradbury did with his writing style.
The only movie I've ever seen that did the book justice or even did better were the Lord of the Rings adaptations, which cut out a lot of useless detail, yet still made the events epically significant, developed intense action scenes, and at the same time retained a very viable and complex plot line.
I love the book Farenheit 451, so it would be hard to best it with a movie, although the movie does a very good job of representing the feelings that swirl around in the characters. However, it doesn't give an accurate enough portrayal of the setting, partly due to the technology available to film makers at the time the movie was made. It also can't illustrate the plot the way Bradbury did with his writing style.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
The Road to Greatness
When Francis Bacon wrote, "All rising to great place is by a winding staire," I think he was referring to the repetition our lives all take, no matter which path we choose. Everything we do has a certain repetition to it. The same problems pop up over and over again, and each time we must overcome them as we did the last. Also, we all have setbacks, which can make us feel as if what we've accomplished has been undone. However, these setbacks are really just pauses. We stop to see ourselves in the same place as before, but we forget we have risen vertically. Even though we seem to be getting nowhere, we are still gaining ground, and not giving up through the repetitive failures and problems is what raises ourselves up to greatness.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
A Day in the Life of a Teenager
Things move fast. They always move fast. They slow and then accelerate, as if their only goals were to throw consciousness spinning out the window to fly with time. There never seems to be enough time. It drips between fingers with apathy.
School, friends, homework, family, jobs, church?: they whisk by each day faster than the last. The students, children at heart, adults at mind, try to cope with the tidal wave of information and activity that is crammed into the prime years of human life. It can be overwhelming; it can strain the mind.
But it is not a problem. The speed, the mass, the senseless activity that accompanies teenage life is not negative. It is very positive; it trains and supports the teens for adulthood. And they enjoy it, for the most part, should they choose to. Their day, although fleeting in the scope of things, is wholly important in itself. They make it important, with the dramas and successes and relationships that they don’t realize yet are all just parts of life.
So they bring it all on. As much as they can handle, they take, because that is what makes those years the best of their lives. They are teenagers, and their names are “Busy.”
School, friends, homework, family, jobs, church?: they whisk by each day faster than the last. The students, children at heart, adults at mind, try to cope with the tidal wave of information and activity that is crammed into the prime years of human life. It can be overwhelming; it can strain the mind.
But it is not a problem. The speed, the mass, the senseless activity that accompanies teenage life is not negative. It is very positive; it trains and supports the teens for adulthood. And they enjoy it, for the most part, should they choose to. Their day, although fleeting in the scope of things, is wholly important in itself. They make it important, with the dramas and successes and relationships that they don’t realize yet are all just parts of life.
So they bring it all on. As much as they can handle, they take, because that is what makes those years the best of their lives. They are teenagers, and their names are “Busy.”
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Utopia or Dystopia?
Will the future be better or worse?
Well, I guess that would depend on how far into the future you were asking. I believe in the second coming of Christ, so if the "future" refers to the times nearing the apocalypse, I believe that Satan will rule the world, God will be putting humanity through the trials he illustrated in Revelation, and that the post-apocalyptic era will be a literal heaven on earth. If the "future" refers to several hundred years or so from now(or at least enough to enact significant change in the world or the United States), I think humanity will be sliding down a steady moral incline, and that there will be a lot of oppression and disunity, with a lot of "peace" filling in the gaps.
Well, I guess that would depend on how far into the future you were asking. I believe in the second coming of Christ, so if the "future" refers to the times nearing the apocalypse, I believe that Satan will rule the world, God will be putting humanity through the trials he illustrated in Revelation, and that the post-apocalyptic era will be a literal heaven on earth. If the "future" refers to several hundred years or so from now(or at least enough to enact significant change in the world or the United States), I think humanity will be sliding down a steady moral incline, and that there will be a lot of oppression and disunity, with a lot of "peace" filling in the gaps.
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