jogging down thoughts
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Challenging The Teachers
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The Great Gatsby Analysis
"As the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away...I became aware of the old island that flowered once..." With the darkness fallen upon him, he is now able to see the real island and all its beauty that it once had. Fitzgerald is saying that some people can not see past the destruction until it is taken away from their vision. People first see the beauteous world and then give into the temptation of inessential building and the ones that come later can not see past the ugly to look at the beauty, so they keep adding to the inessential. We are prone to our past mistakes and actions.
Fitzgerald says we are "boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." Boats against the current never go anywhere because the current is pushing back against them. Fitzgerald is meaning that humans are hopeless and can never push past the obstacles that stand in our way of making the world we live in essential again. If we are "borne back ceaselessly into the past," then we will always repeat old bad habits that we will not or can not stop. He is basically saying, that humans keep trying, but are getting no where.
Fitzgerald's reflectiveness of how humans are never searching for the good, but just dwelling on the awful can stop us in our tracks and prove how hopeless we are because we will never learn from our mistakes and move forward...just like the boat against the current.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
3rd Quarter Reading List of Books
- Along For the Ride 432 pages
- The Truth About Forever 400 pages
- I Heart You, You Haunt Me 240 pages
- Fahrenheit 452 192 pages(the read was harder so counted for 2 books)
My favorite book that I read this quarter was The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. Macy Queen is 16 years old. She is the average bump on a log, with a brainy boyfriend and dull job at the library. Her whole life she has focused on making her mom happy and maintaining a perfect lifestyle. That all changes one summer when her boyfriend Jason leaves for Brain Camp and she bumps into the Wish Catering crew. Delia, Kristy, and Wes help Macy develop into a beautiful butterfly and start living life as she wants it. Along the way, they encounter many adventures and heart to hearts. This book inspired me to move out of my comfort zone and start having fun and doing activities that maybe I wouldn't have tried before. This story has adventure and love all wrapped up into one breath taking book.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Actions Speak Louder ThanThings
-Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)
I have been taught since I was young that it's not what I have that makes me special, but how I act and present myself that determines my worth. Americans used to think that material possessions didn't really matter much, but now it seems that we are obsessed with owning the latest electronic device or wearing the latest designer outfit or even driving the nicest most expensive looking car. This may be the case for most Americans, but Thomas Carlyle is true with what he says.
Carlyle is saying that the way you present yourself and how you use the things you already have to benefit your life and other persons is really what matters. Most Americans think that the more they have then the more people will love and respect them, but that is not the case. People truly respect one another based on character.
If Americans would stop being obsessed with impressing people with material items, then that would solve the over consumption problem. Not as much things would be bought because Americans wouldn't be worried about impressing people with material items.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
An Emotional Experience
Honda says the Odyssey is like "no van before," with its V-6 engine, 16.2 inch screen for DVDs, and wonderful 28 HWY miles per gallon with comfort and safety to go with it. To sell the van, they show commercials that show they van hauling children around and the mother has a smile on her face and looks at ease. If I was a mother, the thought of that would instantly cause a smile on my face. Mothers have it hard, and Honda uses that to make the van look like it would take a load off their shoulders, thus making it more appealing and causing an increase in sale.
Showing the whole family in the van, laughing along with each other, and having a marvelous time, also appeals to the families that yearn for that again. These days many families do not connect like that anymore and parents want that back again. Honda shows the whole family having a great time in their new van appeals to families who are looking for a way to make that happen again.
Honda has used the pathos technique to appeal to the emotional side of many people. If I was a mother or any other adult, then this van with plenty of room and entertainment for the whole family would be the winner.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Faith or Style?
I see so many people at my school that wear the gold cross necklaces on the long elaborate gold chains or the ones that are bulky and made in different colors, but why? Why do they wear them? Why wear a bulky necklace that takes away from the cross instead of just a simple one that highlights the reason you are wearing the necklace in the first place. That is what I liked about Mrs. Schubert's cross, it was just simple.
Many girls and guys in my classes wear the flashy cross necklaces as a piece of jewelry, and I wonder why? The exaggerated jewelry distracts from the meaning, so why not just a simple one. But then again don't get me wrong...I have a friend that wears a big pink cross around her neck just like everyone else and she is the sweetest girl. She is very nice and goes to church and expresses God in her life. So not everyone wears a cross necklace just for a piece of jewelry.
These days you will see many people with crosses. There are crosses on necklaces, key chains, car windows, t-shirts. Some of them just have them for show, but others truly have faith. I'm just glad to see a famous person who simply expresses her faith by wearing a simple cross necklace. Seeing a simple cross doesn't make me wonder if she is just wearing it as a piece of jewelry.