This poem was about an oysterman (a fisherman who specifically fishes for oysters, not an oyster-human hybrid) and his lover, the fisherman's daughter who lived across the river from him. The story starts out with the oysterman standing outside his house on the bank thinking to himself on night when he sees the fisherman's daughter wave her handkerchief at him as a signal to come over because her parents are not at home (Holmes). The oysterman decides not to take his boat in case that the parents might see him, so, remembering the story of Leander and Hero that he read one time, he swims across the river to her (Holmes). They fool around for a while until the girl's father comes to see her, at which point the oysterman jumps into the river again to swim back to his house (Holmes). The fisherman asks his daughter was the noise was; she lies and says she threw a rock in the river (Holmes). He then spots the figure of the oysterman swimming home; she says it is a porpoise (Holmes). Unfortunately, the fisherman goes to kill the "porpoise," which is actually the oysterman, with a harpoon (Holmes). This causes the girl to faint out of grief, and the oysterman drowns in the river after being hit (Holmes). The girl dies in her coma, but the poem ends by saying that Fate changed their appearance so that they now keep an oytser shop for mermaids at the bottom of the sea (Holmes).
This poem made a very good allusion to the story of Hero and Leander, in which Hero, who is a priestess in Aphrodite's temple on one side of the Hellesponte River, lights the way every night for her lover, Leander, to swim across the river and make love to her (Marlowe). One night, however, the wind from a storm blows out Hero's lights and makes the waters rough, so Leander loses his way and drowns (Marlowe). Hero in her sorrow jumps from the tower of the temple and dies as well (Marlowe). It was very clever of Holmes to use this to bring the poem together and to foreshadow the events of it as well. A metaphor was made at the end as well, when it said that "Fate [had] metamorphosed them, in pity of their woe, and [then] they [kept] an oyster-shop for mermaids down below" (Holmes). I believe this line to be saying that they were reincarnated as oysters to be together and to make pearls for the mermaids.
I think that what the author is really trying to say, besides telling us a sad love story, is that although things do not always work out like we think they should (the two lovers die instead of getting to live with each other), everything will turn out alright in the end, even if the end is not what we expected it to be (the two lovers were reincarnated as oysters, but they were able to be together) (Holmes).
Works Cited
Holmes, Oliver Wendell. "The Ballad of the Oysterman." Yale Book of American Verse. Ed. Thomas R. Lounsbury. New Haven: Yale UP, 1912. Bartleby. Jan. 1999. Web. 31 Oct. 2010. www.bartleby.com.
Marlowe, Christopher. Hero and Leander. Classic Literature Library. Web. 31 Oct. 2010. www.classic-literature.co.uk.
10.31.2010
10.28.2010
Wings of the Eagles
Wings of the Eagles
The sun beats down on lush carpets of green;
I stand in Paradise on Earth that teems
With color and sound and life, yet blind I
Am and mute and breathless. From my wide eye
The wind snatches moisture. Blood on my hands,
Viewed but washed* away with Time's harsh sands,
The heat blisters me from within. An arm
Rests on my shoulder, wishing me no harm,
And we stand in nostalgia. Suddenly,
We rise together on gold wings and flee.
Our spirits lift -- with us, we feel him there
Healed are our hearts in the desert air.
Regret no longer makes it home here. My
Heart is free -- my tears forever dry.
*The "e" in this word is supposed to be accented, but my computer would not allow me to put the accent on it.
The sun beats down on lush carpets of green;
I stand in Paradise on Earth that teems
With color and sound and life, yet blind I
Am and mute and breathless. From my wide eye
The wind snatches moisture. Blood on my hands,
Viewed but washed* away with Time's harsh sands,
The heat blisters me from within. An arm
Rests on my shoulder, wishing me no harm,
And we stand in nostalgia. Suddenly,
We rise together on gold wings and flee.
Our spirits lift -- with us, we feel him there
Healed are our hearts in the desert air.
Regret no longer makes it home here. My
Heart is free -- my tears forever dry.
*The "e" in this word is supposed to be accented, but my computer would not allow me to put the accent on it.
10.27.2010
Thanatopsis
I must start out by saying that this poem by William Cullen Bryant is absolutely amazing. Anyone who has not read it yet should read it as soon as they get the chance.
Literally, this poem begins by saying that Nature speaks to people, and that the way she speaks is covertly and depends on how the person is feeling. The narrator suggests that you go into Nature when you think about death, and that Nature will speak to you quietly. She will tell you how you will become a part of the earth when you die, and that when you die, you will not be alone. You will rest in the same tomb as all of the great people of the past, present, and future. She also says that it is okay if no one cares that you are gone, because everyone will die. She will also tell you to live your life to the fullest so that you have no regrets when you die and can embrace the calmness of death.
This poem uses a lot of poetic devices in his poem to make his point. One that I noticed a lot in Bryant's poem Thanatopsis was metaphor, such as in the lines, "Yet not to thine eternal resting-place / Shalt thou retire alone, nor couldst thou wish / Couch more magnificent. Thou shalt lie down / With patriarchs of the infant world--with kings, / The powerful of the earth--the wise, the good, / Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past, / All in one mighty sepulchre..." Technically speaking, the audience probably will not be buried right next to anyone described in this passage. However, they will be buried in the earth, which is where all of these people are buried, and thus, they will be buried with them.
From this passage, I take my one major conclusion from this poem. The figurative meaning, I believe, is that all of us are equal. Bryant says that we will be buried with "patriarchs of the infant world" and "the powerful of the earth." To be buried with a great person would be an honor, would it not? He suggests that people are equal because of the fact that we will all share our final resting place. I like this idea a lot; it is comforting for some reason to know that I will not be alone when I die.
Works Cited
Bryant, William Cullen. "Thanatopsis." Yale Book of American Verse. Ed. Thomas R. Lounsbury. New Haven: Yale UP, 1912. Poetry Archive. Web. 27 Oct. 2010..
Literally, this poem begins by saying that Nature speaks to people, and that the way she speaks is covertly and depends on how the person is feeling. The narrator suggests that you go into Nature when you think about death, and that Nature will speak to you quietly. She will tell you how you will become a part of the earth when you die, and that when you die, you will not be alone. You will rest in the same tomb as all of the great people of the past, present, and future. She also says that it is okay if no one cares that you are gone, because everyone will die. She will also tell you to live your life to the fullest so that you have no regrets when you die and can embrace the calmness of death.
This poem uses a lot of poetic devices in his poem to make his point. One that I noticed a lot in Bryant's poem Thanatopsis was metaphor, such as in the lines, "Yet not to thine eternal resting-place / Shalt thou retire alone, nor couldst thou wish / Couch more magnificent. Thou shalt lie down / With patriarchs of the infant world--with kings, / The powerful of the earth--the wise, the good, / Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past, / All in one mighty sepulchre..." Technically speaking, the audience probably will not be buried right next to anyone described in this passage. However, they will be buried in the earth, which is where all of these people are buried, and thus, they will be buried with them.
From this passage, I take my one major conclusion from this poem. The figurative meaning, I believe, is that all of us are equal. Bryant says that we will be buried with "patriarchs of the infant world" and "the powerful of the earth." To be buried with a great person would be an honor, would it not? He suggests that people are equal because of the fact that we will all share our final resting place. I like this idea a lot; it is comforting for some reason to know that I will not be alone when I die.
Works Cited
Bryant, William Cullen. "Thanatopsis." Yale Book of American Verse. Ed. Thomas R. Lounsbury. New Haven: Yale UP, 1912. Poetry Archive. Web. 27 Oct. 2010.
10.22.2010
In Fields of Green, With Quiet Streams
There have been a lot of times that I have bonded with nature. I really like to be outside and under the cover of trees, despite my love of the Internet and computer games. There is something very calming about being in nature with only the sound of the wind and the sounds of the animals.
Anyway, this past summer I went on a mission trip to Marion, Virginia. The place that my group stayed at was a cabin retreat at Hungry Mother Lutheran Retreat Camp, up in the Appalachian Mountains and right on the border of a national park (I cannot remember what the name of the park was - it may have also been Hungry Mother). We were right in the center of nature, and in the afternoons when we all got back from our work sites, I would put on my tennis shoes and hike through the forest. It was amazingly beautiful; there was a mountain meadow down the hill from the cabins, and several brooks that led to a bigger creek that was shallow enough to wade through. The forest was thick, but there was an abundance of paths to traverse through it, along with many beautiful and natural rock formations. I felt like I was in heaven.
I specifically remember wading down the creek one afternoon. It was amazing. Little minnows darted every which way, and I even saw a few crayfish. Of course, the spiders that had built their webs across the creek from the tree branches scared me a little (okay, a lot), but it was worth it. Further down the creek, after a few bends, I even got to see some fish, and when I stood still for a while, they started to swim around my legs.
I always love bonding with nature. Doing that is a refresher to the soul. It always leaves me feeling happy and calm. So while I do appreciate science, and while I do also love computers and the awesomeness of the Internet, nature will always be something special in my heart.
Anyway, this past summer I went on a mission trip to Marion, Virginia. The place that my group stayed at was a cabin retreat at Hungry Mother Lutheran Retreat Camp, up in the Appalachian Mountains and right on the border of a national park (I cannot remember what the name of the park was - it may have also been Hungry Mother). We were right in the center of nature, and in the afternoons when we all got back from our work sites, I would put on my tennis shoes and hike through the forest. It was amazingly beautiful; there was a mountain meadow down the hill from the cabins, and several brooks that led to a bigger creek that was shallow enough to wade through. The forest was thick, but there was an abundance of paths to traverse through it, along with many beautiful and natural rock formations. I felt like I was in heaven.
I specifically remember wading down the creek one afternoon. It was amazing. Little minnows darted every which way, and I even saw a few crayfish. Of course, the spiders that had built their webs across the creek from the tree branches scared me a little (okay, a lot), but it was worth it. Further down the creek, after a few bends, I even got to see some fish, and when I stood still for a while, they started to swim around my legs.
I always love bonding with nature. Doing that is a refresher to the soul. It always leaves me feeling happy and calm. So while I do appreciate science, and while I do also love computers and the awesomeness of the Internet, nature will always be something special in my heart.
10.20.2010
Ciao, Shalom, Dobrei Dien
My favorite language happens to be Arabic. It is a very poetic language when you translate it literally. For example, a formal greeting in Arabic literally translates into, "May peace be upon you," and the formal response is, "And peace be upon you as well." It is awesome! I have only just recently started studying it, but I already like it.
Even the way the grammar in Arabic is set up is very romantic and poetic. In Arabic, there is not an indefinite article. In English, the two indefinite articles are a and an. Arabic only has the definite article (in English this is the), which is al. This is placed in front of the word it is modifying and connected by a hyphen. However, it is not always spelled with an l. Letters in Arabic are divided into two categories: moon letters and sun letters. Words that start with a sun letter change the l in the definite article to the letter that they start with. Moon letters keep the l. I told you, did I not? It is very poetic.
I really like Arabic. In fact, that is what I plan on majoring in when I go to college. I hope to get my master's degree in Arabic and translate. My ultimate dream would be to translate for the UN, but I cannot remember if Arabic is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Either way, translating Arabic for the good of humanity is my ultimate dream.
My other possibility with Arabic translation would be to become a missionary or aid worker in Arabic-speaking countries. I am not only interested in languages, but I also love studying foreign cultures, helping other people, and spreading my faith. This kind of job would combine all of those while giving me a fulfilling place in the grand scheme of the world. I am not sure if I will be able to do this exactly as I plan, but it would be epic.
Even the way the grammar in Arabic is set up is very romantic and poetic. In Arabic, there is not an indefinite article. In English, the two indefinite articles are a and an. Arabic only has the definite article (in English this is the), which is al. This is placed in front of the word it is modifying and connected by a hyphen. However, it is not always spelled with an l. Letters in Arabic are divided into two categories: moon letters and sun letters. Words that start with a sun letter change the l in the definite article to the letter that they start with. Moon letters keep the l. I told you, did I not? It is very poetic.
I really like Arabic. In fact, that is what I plan on majoring in when I go to college. I hope to get my master's degree in Arabic and translate. My ultimate dream would be to translate for the UN, but I cannot remember if Arabic is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Either way, translating Arabic for the good of humanity is my ultimate dream.
My other possibility with Arabic translation would be to become a missionary or aid worker in Arabic-speaking countries. I am not only interested in languages, but I also love studying foreign cultures, helping other people, and spreading my faith. This kind of job would combine all of those while giving me a fulfilling place in the grand scheme of the world. I am not sure if I will be able to do this exactly as I plan, but it would be epic.
10.18.2010
Listen to Your Heart...~ (Not Really)
I use logic and reason... Like never. I mainly follow my thoughts and feelings as well as what I feel God tells me through prayer. I guess that might be something like reason, though, since I am stepping back from my emotions and wants to see what God wants me to do. So I suppose there's some reason involved even in religion where you would least expect to find it.
I use logic when I play sudoku (best game ever). It's very beneficial to improving logic and reasoning skills, and well as relieving stress. I like it a lot, but sadly, the app on my iTouch only has the same ten problems. It made me sad when I found out.
I also use logic when I'm doing homework for classes like physics and pre-calculus. It's kind of an important tool in those two, because otherwise, I wouldn't be able to figure out more difficult problems and would end up failing.
But in other matters, no, I don't use logic and reason. In social situations, my decisions are almost always based on how I feel and what I know God wants me to do - a good, happy medium.
I still need 128 words, so maybe a short story to pass the minimum word line.
So I joined this regional jazz band the other day, and it meets on the southeast side of town at seven on Sunday nights. My friends David and Ally were members before me, and I was trying to navigate my way there using directions the Interwebs gave me. It didn't work. I got lost on the east side of town at night all alone, and David wouldn't pick up (I later found out his phone had died. They had to call my mom to get my cell phone number to direct me there.) It sucked and I was scared out of my mind.
The moral of the story is never get directions from the Interwebs. They always lie.
I use logic when I play sudoku (best game ever). It's very beneficial to improving logic and reasoning skills, and well as relieving stress. I like it a lot, but sadly, the app on my iTouch only has the same ten problems. It made me sad when I found out.
I also use logic when I'm doing homework for classes like physics and pre-calculus. It's kind of an important tool in those two, because otherwise, I wouldn't be able to figure out more difficult problems and would end up failing.
But in other matters, no, I don't use logic and reason. In social situations, my decisions are almost always based on how I feel and what I know God wants me to do - a good, happy medium.
I still need 128 words, so maybe a short story to pass the minimum word line.
So I joined this regional jazz band the other day, and it meets on the southeast side of town at seven on Sunday nights. My friends David and Ally were members before me, and I was trying to navigate my way there using directions the Interwebs gave me. It didn't work. I got lost on the east side of town at night all alone, and David wouldn't pick up (I later found out his phone had died. They had to call my mom to get my cell phone number to direct me there.) It sucked and I was scared out of my mind.
The moral of the story is never get directions from the Interwebs. They always lie.
10.14.2010
Fictive Autobiographies Are Not Oxymorons
This literary criticism was very insightful towards Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography. It contained many ideas about the nonfiction work that I had not considered before reading it. The main idea, of course, was the American Dream, and how Franklin interpreted it in his own life (Lemay). The author of this criticism also observed how the Autobiography was also a guide to improve one's life through the example of Benjamin Franklin's own life, another concept which I had not thought of (Lemay). What I had first viewed as merely an account of a great man's life has now transformed itself into something much more from the idea presented in this literary criticism.
The American Dream motif was my favorite part of the criticism, partly because it was discussed and explained in so much depth. I liked the different aspects of the American Dream that Lemay delved into in his piece, such as talking about not only the rise from rags to riches, but other aspects such as "the rise from impotence to importance" (Lemay). I also was impressed by his comparison of this process to the process of growing up. The section of that that struck me the most was the gaining of the adulthood state, of the independence and power, and the realization that it is not as good as one might have imagined it to be (Lemay). I also appreciated, as an AP US History student, the comparison of Benjamin Franklin's rise to greatness with the rising of America into independence and power (Lemay). Seeing all these comparisons made almost makes me wonder if Franklin's Autobiography was rather fiction than fact, something to mirror the events that were occuring around him every day. It is indeed very interesting to think about.
I agreed with Lemay's statement about Franklin's third aspect of the American Dream, the section about the power of the individual and Franklin's belief that individuals controlled their own destinies as well as the destiny of their entire world (Lemay). It is a very optimistic view, and I like it a lot for that reason. Think about all the good that might be accomplished in the world if everyone were to believe that they had the power to change everything, although some might take a pessimistic view and say this might cause people with bad intentions to fulfill their dreams. However, call me an idealist, I believe that most people, with total faith in their own abilities, would strive toward good and make our world a better place.
While the criticism was rather long, dry, and used a lot of words that I had to look up in a dictionary, I liked it a lot. The ideas that Lemay expressed were novel to me and helped me gain a better understanding of why Benjamin Franklin might have taken the time to tell the world all about his life. I am glad that he did, for one, and at first chance, I think I will most definitely try to find a copy of his book to read for myself. It is definitely his masterpiece.
Works Cited
Lemay, J.A. Leo. "Franklin's Autobiography and the American Dream." InThe Renaissance Man in the Eighteenth Century. Los Angeles: William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, 1978. Quoted as "Franklin's Autobiography and the American Dream." in Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=1&iPin=BLTTAD005&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 11, 2010).
The American Dream motif was my favorite part of the criticism, partly because it was discussed and explained in so much depth. I liked the different aspects of the American Dream that Lemay delved into in his piece, such as talking about not only the rise from rags to riches, but other aspects such as "the rise from impotence to importance" (Lemay). I also was impressed by his comparison of this process to the process of growing up. The section of that that struck me the most was the gaining of the adulthood state, of the independence and power, and the realization that it is not as good as one might have imagined it to be (Lemay). I also appreciated, as an AP US History student, the comparison of Benjamin Franklin's rise to greatness with the rising of America into independence and power (Lemay). Seeing all these comparisons made almost makes me wonder if Franklin's Autobiography was rather fiction than fact, something to mirror the events that were occuring around him every day. It is indeed very interesting to think about.
I agreed with Lemay's statement about Franklin's third aspect of the American Dream, the section about the power of the individual and Franklin's belief that individuals controlled their own destinies as well as the destiny of their entire world (Lemay). It is a very optimistic view, and I like it a lot for that reason. Think about all the good that might be accomplished in the world if everyone were to believe that they had the power to change everything, although some might take a pessimistic view and say this might cause people with bad intentions to fulfill their dreams. However, call me an idealist, I believe that most people, with total faith in their own abilities, would strive toward good and make our world a better place.
While the criticism was rather long, dry, and used a lot of words that I had to look up in a dictionary, I liked it a lot. The ideas that Lemay expressed were novel to me and helped me gain a better understanding of why Benjamin Franklin might have taken the time to tell the world all about his life. I am glad that he did, for one, and at first chance, I think I will most definitely try to find a copy of his book to read for myself. It is definitely his masterpiece.
Works Cited
Lemay, J.A. Leo. "Franklin's Autobiography and the American Dream." InThe Renaissance Man in the Eighteenth Century. Los Angeles: William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, 1978. Quoted as "Franklin's Autobiography and the American Dream." in Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/
10.12.2010
'Cause I'm a Vegetarian...~
I am writing the Declaration of Vegetarianism because I believe in not eating meat and such. Why do I believe this? Ohohoho~! You shall learn...~
I believe that we, as human beings with the ability to reason and think compassionately, and with the modern resources available to us, should not (have to) eat meat. There are many other options that are just as nutritional viable and much more compassionate.
... Yeah, I was going to be all epic for 325 words about why everyone should be vegetarian, but Matt just asked Zander for some tots, and Zander pulled some tots out of his pocket. It made my day and has thusly distracted me from veggie thoughts.
In band, we had an epic failure. Individuals that I know were terrible at staying in step and following the marching fundamentals, and there was hardly any equidistant spacing or step size, along with our lack of singing in Ghanaan. It was horrible (now say that like I wrote it as 'harbl').
In other news, I found out what you call the squiggly line that I have fallen in love with as a result of online communities. It's called a tilde~! In online communities, it is used to show a sarcastic, playful, or sometimes flirty connotation. It's epic, that's what it is. You can also use it to show a change in pitch when talking, or if something is sung. I love it. It has eclipsed my love for ellipses entirely~
Anyhoo, being a vegetarian is awesome. I get to eat awesome foods awesomely while awesomely not feel any unawesome guilt! Plus, I generally will live long than my peers who eat meat, and I will generally be healthier than them. Plus, I get to save animals! HOORAY~
I really want an egg biscuit now. With cheese. Cheese is good. This was a really bad Declaration. I can't wait to get home because I can't think and I totally forgot about the physics test next hour. I'm done.
I believe that we, as human beings with the ability to reason and think compassionately, and with the modern resources available to us, should not (have to) eat meat. There are many other options that are just as nutritional viable and much more compassionate.
... Yeah, I was going to be all epic for 325 words about why everyone should be vegetarian, but Matt just asked Zander for some tots, and Zander pulled some tots out of his pocket. It made my day and has thusly distracted me from veggie thoughts.
In band, we had an epic failure. Individuals that I know were terrible at staying in step and following the marching fundamentals, and there was hardly any equidistant spacing or step size, along with our lack of singing in Ghanaan. It was horrible (now say that like I wrote it as 'harbl').
In other news, I found out what you call the squiggly line that I have fallen in love with as a result of online communities. It's called a tilde~! In online communities, it is used to show a sarcastic, playful, or sometimes flirty connotation. It's epic, that's what it is. You can also use it to show a change in pitch when talking, or if something is sung. I love it. It has eclipsed my love for ellipses entirely~
Anyhoo, being a vegetarian is awesome. I get to eat awesome foods awesomely while awesomely not feel any unawesome guilt! Plus, I generally will live long than my peers who eat meat, and I will generally be healthier than them. Plus, I get to save animals! HOORAY~
I really want an egg biscuit now. With cheese. Cheese is good. This was a really bad Declaration. I can't wait to get home because I can't think and I totally forgot about the physics test next hour. I'm done.
10.07.2010
Smells Like Teen Spirit
School spirit is cool. You know. It's cool. Yeah. Except for when some crazy kid in your English class paints himself blue for class color day. Yeah.
(Actually, D-Rob, that's awesome. Once again, you are my hero.)
So now is creative writing time~!
One day, a girl started crying because she was stressed out the wazoo. She didn't have any time to do any of her homework ever, and when she did, she would accidentally fall asleep. But luckily, she had a nice guy friend who let her cry on his shoulder. He made her feel better. The end.
My hair is really wet today. I hate my life. It's horrible by my preset standards.
Anyway, why am I in accelerated English? I want to be an Arabic translator for the government. International affairs and all. It's gonna be epic.
My blogs suck in terms of grammar. I just realized it. Maybe I should stop writing like I talk and start writing like I should.
Eh. Whatevs.
One day, there was a girl named Arden. She was a British traceuse, and very epic. She had an uncle named Shaun who was a historian who couldn't remember any of the Popes' names. Ever. Still, he wasn't not epic or anything. Anyway, they went to visit her grandma Maria's house, only she was not British and couldn't understand either of their accents. This story has no point.
Oh! Halloween dance. YIS~!!
So, recently, I've been having these weird thoughts. Like, I've been analyzing everything around me (and it's cutting into my homework time unfortunately) and realizing that our world is coming to an end in several different respects. We're killing the environment, screwing with every other country, not taking care of people who need us. It's ridiculously stupid how easy it would be to save everything. I don't know anything, though. I'm just a 16-year-old getting C's in advanced classes. What do I know.
Sigh...
... D-Rob, don't quit your day job.
(Actually, D-Rob, that's awesome. Once again, you are my hero.)
So now is creative writing time~!
One day, a girl started crying because she was stressed out the wazoo. She didn't have any time to do any of her homework ever, and when she did, she would accidentally fall asleep. But luckily, she had a nice guy friend who let her cry on his shoulder. He made her feel better. The end.
My hair is really wet today. I hate my life. It's horrible by my preset standards.
Anyway, why am I in accelerated English? I want to be an Arabic translator for the government. International affairs and all. It's gonna be epic.
My blogs suck in terms of grammar. I just realized it. Maybe I should stop writing like I talk and start writing like I should.
Eh. Whatevs.
One day, there was a girl named Arden. She was a British traceuse, and very epic. She had an uncle named Shaun who was a historian who couldn't remember any of the Popes' names. Ever. Still, he wasn't not epic or anything. Anyway, they went to visit her grandma Maria's house, only she was not British and couldn't understand either of their accents. This story has no point.
Oh! Halloween dance. YIS~!!
So, recently, I've been having these weird thoughts. Like, I've been analyzing everything around me (and it's cutting into my homework time unfortunately) and realizing that our world is coming to an end in several different respects. We're killing the environment, screwing with every other country, not taking care of people who need us. It's ridiculously stupid how easy it would be to save everything. I don't know anything, though. I'm just a 16-year-old getting C's in advanced classes. What do I know.
Sigh...
... D-Rob, don't quit your day job.
10.05.2010
My Blog Titles Are Going to Be Song Lyrics From Now On
Working with a partner can be either really awesome or suck a ton. There is no gray partnership.
I tend to like to work alone because I like to do things my way, but I'm not assertive enough to get this to happen with a partner or a group. However, I think I end up working better in a partnership or group because other people keep me on top of the work and help to keep me from procrastinating (you may have noticed that I am a notorious procrastinator).
There are pros and cons to working alone and with partners. When working alone, you are much more flexible as to how you want to complete the work and when you want to do it. However, you can begin to feel overwhelmed by too large of a project, or you can fall behind schedule because we are faulty by nature. The pros of working with a partner counter the cons of working alone, but the cons of partnership counter the pros of working alone as well.
(By the way, this song I'm listening to is extremely epic and doesn't fit the topic at all... sort of. "Vices" by Silverstein. It's about a guy finding out his wife is cheating on him. Very awesome.)
That's all I really have to say about partners, I guess. But I still need 98 words, so...
Have you ever read Shel Silverstein's poems? I mean, actually READ them. Looked into the meaning. Most of them seem very silly at face value, but when you read between the lines, they contain very deep thoughts and stories, both positive and negative. I was reading some of them yesterday (yes, when I was supposed to be writing my reflection on Patrick Henry, the coolest orator ever), and they made me really sad and want to write. Definitely read some of his stuff sometime and think about it a lot. He is now one of my favorite authors/poets.
I tend to like to work alone because I like to do things my way, but I'm not assertive enough to get this to happen with a partner or a group. However, I think I end up working better in a partnership or group because other people keep me on top of the work and help to keep me from procrastinating (you may have noticed that I am a notorious procrastinator).
There are pros and cons to working alone and with partners. When working alone, you are much more flexible as to how you want to complete the work and when you want to do it. However, you can begin to feel overwhelmed by too large of a project, or you can fall behind schedule because we are faulty by nature. The pros of working with a partner counter the cons of working alone, but the cons of partnership counter the pros of working alone as well.
(By the way, this song I'm listening to is extremely epic and doesn't fit the topic at all... sort of. "Vices" by Silverstein. It's about a guy finding out his wife is cheating on him. Very awesome.)
That's all I really have to say about partners, I guess. But I still need 98 words, so...
Have you ever read Shel Silverstein's poems? I mean, actually READ them. Looked into the meaning. Most of them seem very silly at face value, but when you read between the lines, they contain very deep thoughts and stories, both positive and negative. I was reading some of them yesterday (yes, when I was supposed to be writing my reflection on Patrick Henry, the coolest orator ever), and they made me really sad and want to write. Definitely read some of his stuff sometime and think about it a lot. He is now one of my favorite authors/poets.
10.01.2010
Oh Nancy...
I'm really bad at these one word prompts. If it were creative writing, I'd be awesome, but a serious blog post about one word? It sucks to be me right now, really.
I guess I'm a Christian, so I have ethics and values. My work ethic is crap right now for psychological reasons unknown to me, which conflicts with my educational values and creates a giant inner turmoil within me that is only amplified by my current cold.
On the bright side, I realized how AWESOME Shel Silverstein is today. How many poets can create childish and yet extremely profound poems at the same time? Like, only one (that's a hyperbole) and his name is Shel Silverstein.
By the way, the band named after him is awesome too. Check them out.
Mr. Langley's eating a ham sandwich and it looks good. Too bad I'm a vegetarian.
That's one of my ethics - I don't believe in killing animals for food. I think it's kind of wrong, but I'd rather not go through all my reasonings right now. I don't like getting people mad at me because I don't eat meat.
Nancy, you will be forever looked down upon in this class.
(TBC~)
I guess I'm a Christian, so I have ethics and values. My work ethic is crap right now for psychological reasons unknown to me, which conflicts with my educational values and creates a giant inner turmoil within me that is only amplified by my current cold.
On the bright side, I realized how AWESOME Shel Silverstein is today. How many poets can create childish and yet extremely profound poems at the same time? Like, only one (that's a hyperbole) and his name is Shel Silverstein.
By the way, the band named after him is awesome too. Check them out.
Mr. Langley's eating a ham sandwich and it looks good. Too bad I'm a vegetarian.
That's one of my ethics - I don't believe in killing animals for food. I think it's kind of wrong, but I'd rather not go through all my reasonings right now. I don't like getting people mad at me because I don't eat meat.
Nancy, you will be forever looked down upon in this class.
(TBC~)
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