Unlucky Seed

the great gatsby

2011-03-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

Desire is never satisfied. When Fitzgerald labels the houses "inessential" his word choice almost seems to imply that the houses are of no use, as anything desired and retrieved is then less wanted obviously, and thus becomes eventually undesirable and "inessential" as this is the nature of desire. He also says the "old island..flowered once.." describing America as once beautiful when it was desired but then when the desire vanished upon the retrieving of it, America must have grown...stale. This is also implied when he says America when desired was a "fresh green breast"- a metaphor that could mean both that the breast was like youth to grow old when was it retrieved and also the desire for America was as empty as the desire for lust, which is notoriously empty since such a desire can never really be eternally satisfied. Fitzgerald also said "his dream must have seemed so close..He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in the vast obscurity behind the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled under the night" which seems to say that dreams can never be achieved as desire is truly never satisfied and that obscurity is the emptiness of desire thus. Also, the dark fields of the republic rolling under the night was the desire for America being obfuscated and ultimately discintigrated by the darkness of the emptiness of desire. The "orgastic future..reced[ing] us" is making the future-the goal to satisfy desire-equivalent to a sexual encounter, in which a climax is followed by what? The satisfaction is fleeting and never tangible enough to be true, and so the future, the satisfaction, must inevitably discintigrate as any pleasure of attaining the desire must. "It eluded us then, but that's no matter- to-morrow we will run faster, stretch our arms farther....And we beat on, boats against the currenty, borne back ceaselessly into the past." Desire always breeds a useless hope as is described by the wishing that if efforts are just greater, so shall be the satisfaction. But truly, trying to obtain the satisfaction is as useless as trying to swim against the current.

My wood......

2011-03-12T14:00:00.000-08:00

Forster's view of owning property claims the act to be the cause of an aviricious discontentment. Is he correct? Owning possessions does seem to breed a mentality which is expectant of the maintenance of at least the original quantity of possessions while also aspiring to secure an even greater amount. This phenomenon is observed greatly in the trends that arise in a consummerism society, such as that of America, in which the richest Americans continually trend to become richer, and, in effect, the size of the lower class and the severity of their poverty grows. This poverty growth, though, is not the evil Forster describes in his essay. Instead, he focuses on the effect of the self of owning property. Its detrimental damages include the growth of desire to continually possess more, and the issue now is whether desire breeds discontentment or not. Desire can be said to be the ultimate cause of suffering, for if one does not desire to not suffer, how can they suffer of suffering? Logic seems to demonstrate that Forster is right on target.

2011-03-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

This ad boasts a motorcycle flying across the pavement- an experience that is probably a little excessively risky for the average purchaser, but certainly proves attractive in its powerful speed. Most buyers will probably never experience the rush conveyed in this ad, and thus this rush shown can be considered a bearer of false implications, which are establiched only to capture attention of consumers-stir about desire-without any hint of reality embedded.

Quarter 3 Books

2011-03-10T09:54:00.000-08:00

i read 6 books, the equivalent of 6 books

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut
To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore
Bite Me by Christopher Moore
Animal Liberation by Peter Singer

Animal Liberation
Singer proves that an animal has the natural right to not have pain unfairly inflicted upon them because and ONLY because that animal possesses the capability to experience pain. Singer's case is presented in such palpable logic it would be impossible to deny the validity of his reasoning without being unreasonable.

Quote

2011-03-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

In a consumer society there are inevitably two kinds of slaves: the prisoners of addiction and the prisoners of envy.

-Ivan Illich (1926-2002)

Capitalism is a consumer society, and indeed there may in it be a sense of contentment, yet does such satisfaction not prove to be hollow? Capitalism favors the establishing of enormous businesses and, in turn, an extremely wealthy class. Yet this class, however prosperous it becomes, seems to act continually in pursuit of furthering their wealth. Is it not ingrained in human nature to do so? And it seems that once the taste of wealth strikes one, it becomes nearly impossible to plunder from one the inevitable desire to have that wealth maintained, or, better yet, increased. Is it for the ego boost of possessing more? Or the familiarity of their possessions which catalyzes the looming threat that the consolation of it would possibly diminish? No matter, it is certainly true that such a desire is an addiction to which one can with tremendous ease suffer of. It is an addiction which one can fall slave to and prisoner of without even the slightest recognition of their imprisonment. And it inevitably siezes any whose prosperity is to any superior degree. Thus, the wealthy class can be claimed all prisoners. But who remains? The prisoners of envy, those who are not prosperous. In a consumer society, if there is a wealthy class, there must exist a poor class, the have-nots. And is it not true that the entirity of this group looks upon the wealthy with only jealous eyes? Who does not wish to be rich? They are the slaves of coveting, endlessly harvesting their envy.

Tim Burton Is Such A Capitalist

2010-12-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a piece of anti-communistic, pro-capitalitic propaganda cloaked with the disguise of simplicity and a lack of completely blunt explicity. Nevertheless, the propaganda is obvious after the reasoning by which the plot progresses is contemplated. The movie portrays an individual, Jack Skellington, whose efforts to change himself ensue after he stumbles upon another individual, Santa Claus. Jack tries to become Santa Claus, but in the end the attempt fails and Jack realizes that who he was in the first place was perfectly sufficient for him. Jack sacrifices his desire to be Santa for the sake of what? Why does Jack want to become Santa Claus in the first place? The simple answer which the movie offers is that Jack is tired of being who he is. He is tired of the dull monotony that steers his life, controls his life, and is unrelenting. But Santa Claus emits an inspiration for Jack to change, to transform into the Santa Claus. But when Santa Claus is replaced, who is to play Jack in his Halloween town? His town needs him. This very scenario symbolizes the ultimate conflict of the world: the clash of the rich class and the poor class. Capitalism works only in that there lives a poor class as well as a rich class: these contrasting classes are the very product as well as the very basis of the functioning of capitalism. So, for capitalism to function, the rich cannot exist without the existance of the poor and vice versa, lest there be only one class and for that to be, the economy would be communistic. Now, in the movie, Jack symbolizes the poor class and Santa Claus the rich. Jack aspires to become rich like Santa, but cannot for that would terminate the poor class. Because the movie shows it to be true that Jack cannot become Santa, the theme is supporting the basis of capitalism and denying the basis of communism. Which is no wonder: Tim Burton is rich.

Groundhog Day.

2010-11-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

Bill Murray presents himself as a man everyone can relate to in the heart-warming comedy Groundhog Day. His tale is a superb demonstration of the unwittingness we humans engange in when we find ourselves stumbling over the difficulty of learning to refine ourselves, to better ourselves, to improve our mentalities by means of becoming knowledgeable of those around us and of, in turn, the sympathy we can produce for them and manage to let flourish in our everyday behavior.

Bill's character, Phil, finds himself awakening every day to the same day, Groundhog Day, which he finds as much misery in enduring as the most dreary of pessimists could fathom. This trap, this torturous period of time that he has been cruelly stuck within, mimicks the monotomy of our reactions to challenges that we are presented with constantly and the results of these automatic reactions. We, speaking in a range inclusive of all humans, fall victim to our habits all too often, and fail to learn a thing. We allow ourselves to supress our better natures under some impression that glory is acheived through bitterness, heartlessness, depression. And this way of thinking becomes the worst plague of a routine, so ruthless in its addictive nature and so destructive to our own happiness and those who find themselves wedged in our presence, among our aura of disregard to sympathy and worship of destruction and pain. Yet we are ignorant.

However, Phil begins to alter his habits. Though the time required for his change was lenghty to say the least, as he clung to his mentality stubbornly, his reactions eventually, gradually changed. On the last day he was granted to wake to the holiday, Phil seized every oppurtunity he possibly could to aid the people near him; snatching lives from the ominous forms of pain and death infiltrating the town and making the day a perfect day for all those he could. This turn towards the glorification that shines righteuosly in opposition to old habits of bitter actions symbolizes the internal struggle we all have between the two, and the success, the victory, the prevailing reign of the righteous, which can be sewn into the soul by awareness and practice, despite the discouraging length of time it seems to take.

Reading Aspirations

2010-10-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

Upon being nudged into deciding a few more new novels to plan on reading this quarter, I began a search for some that would really capture me. My inquiries proved somewhat futile as I was recommended books that either didn't sound at all appealing or are ones that are not currently available to me. So, I began to look at the available books I could borrow, and found a couple that really excited me.
The first one was "Catch-22". It didn't catch my eye, no. Rather, I was in avoidance of the book seeing as how I've heard it was too difficult a read. I was under the impression it would be dull, actually, until someone had the courtesy of telling me otherwise. So I turned over the novel and on the back found the claim that it is "the funniest book ever written." Needless to say, I was intrigued. And after reading the first page, I decided to give it a try.
The second book I discovered is called "Dumbing Down Our Kids". The title itself yanked me towards it, as I think I am rather opinionated on America's society becoming particularly dumber. Yes, I think America is getting much, much dumber, despite whatever the Flynn Effect seems to say.
The third book I recalled I already own, and have been attempting to get to it for a while now. It is titled "The Film Club" and is a nonfiction book about a boy being allowed to drop out of school to instead watch more films more frequently. I purchased this book in the curiousity of how the experiment turned out.
I have very high hopes and somewhat high expectations for all of these books.

Independent Reading Reflection

2010-10-15T09:53:00.001-07:00

The past nine weeks I began determined to read a collection of books I'd been hoping to get to for a very long time..The majority of which were funny, yet could not be altogether deemed juvenile. Not to say I read Shakespeare for pleasure, but rather I wasn't reading books specifically targeted for teens. This, I came to find, was a most rewarding decision, as teen books tend to pose a threat to me, in that they probably decrease my attention span due to the fact that I so quickly think them dull and cannot grant much of my attention at all to the text. I mean no ill intentions; I am not saying I am too superior for teen books, but a book about more than jocks, nerds and cheerleaders does typically prove so much more enjoyable.

With that said, I must point out that it would have been even more beneficial had I read a couple more nonfiction books, as they are so vital to ap english as I've heard. Alas, I did read one, of a topic I knew would be my very favorite. This book was about slaughterhouses, and seeing as how I am most opposed to the horrendous places, I read it furiously, and I mean that as both quickly and angrily. Yes, it incited a fury in me. And whether it was indulging to be accompanied by such rage, I only have a vague idea; anger is, obviously, an upsetting, harmful emotion. Yet, I enjoyed the book particularly because I felt my anger was shared by the author, and that was such a beautiful justice. I plan on reading a plethora of books dealing with the same subject during this new nine weeks. Most will be Ingrid Newkirk's.

But, I did excessively enjoy the other books I read. I knew at the start they would be euphoric reads, considering most were Christopher Moore's, and he is a genius of a writer, every character and story of his being both the most unimageanable and believable once you have delved into them.

Despite my satisfaction in my reading, or perhaps because of it, I didn't write much at all in my reading log. Once a good story has enveloped me, I cannot emerge enough to recall that I need to be writing about it. That was too difficult, and terribly aggravating. In my annoyance, I was reluctant to halt my stream of engulfed thoughts and attempt to trigger any new ones regarding what I could write, although I must admit it seems awfully lazy of me considering it wouldn't have been that hard to write really. It was mostly because I didn't wish to waste my reading time writing things that really wouldn't be beneficial to me. I say the reading log is unbeneficial in utter honesty and truth. Copying thoughts is not necessarily going to make them any better than thinking deeper about them alone. Time-wasting, unhelpful and annoying was the writing, so I think there is justice in having neglected my log.

But, but but but, the reading was superbly fun, educating, and worthy of my time, and I shall be reading much, much more in my near future.

Socratic Seminar Reflection

2010-10-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

The socratic seminar was sadly something I didn't get to participate in as much as I'd liked to have, but for the duration of the one day I was present, I observed others' discussions, made a few comments and came to the conclusion that the assignment was probably the best school assignment, and by far the best english assignment, I have ever witnessed. I mean this in that the dicussion allowed not only for a student to think deeply about the things that truly matter most, the big picture, but it also granted each student the opportunity to dig deeper, search for the biggest, the deepest meaning, and to do that by interacting with other students.

As we discussed at the start of the year, substantive conversations, when increased, can increase happiness. This may be simply because of the satisfied feeling one has after a deep talk about humanity, and the satisfaction is there because one feels they have gained perhaps a clearer outlook. Also, one has shared their views and in doing so have revealed a deeper part of themselves, and feedback produces a feeling of being understood and accepted. So not only did the conversations educate, but they also enhanced mental states.

And regarding the education, discussions like these open minds to more education; they open minds to more deeper meanings in things not typically picked up on. Of course, this is the ultimate goal; to be able to see more in less.

I only wish more education could be done in this manner in which interaction has the ability to open minds, make them more knowledgeable on the big picture of life and at the same time help them feel more satisfied.

Annotated Reading List

2010-10-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

1.) Moore, Christopher. Fool. New York City: HarperCollins, 2009. Print. Fool is a hilarious satire of King Lear by Shakespeare. It takes place in the same setting but is told this time by the king's fool, a wee man who has a clever joke for everything and a manner most charming in its vulgarity. After Lear banishes one of his daughters, the fool, known as pocket, endeavers to retrieve her and enters a series of outrageous adventures. He is also reminiscent of his childhood, and tells the sweet, humorous tale of his old best friend, a nun, who suprisingly helps twist the ending!

2.) Moore, Christopher. Lamb. New York City: HarperCollins, 2002. Print. Lamb is the side-splitting never-before-told story of Jesus Christ's childhood as told by his best friend Biff, who's pretty pissed about the Bible having left him out. After being brought back to life by an angel, Biff tells the tale of how he tagged along with Jesus, whose name was Joshua before translated, as he embarked to discover just how to be the Messiah. They first end up with a wizard man and his many asain hooker women only to have to slay a demon and then travel on to become Buddhists and learn kung fu. With the other monks, they travel a treacherous icy path and meet an adorable but kina scary creature of pure innocence. Throughout their countless adventures, Jesus learns all he is to preach later with the help of John, and Biff...well, Biff learns sarcasm.

3.) Moore, Christopher. Coyote Blue. New York City: Simon & Schuster, 1994. Print. Coyote Blue is the crazed tale of a salesman with an unexpected past. After growing up a Crowe Indian on their Indian Reservation, Samson Hunts Alone was forced to flee upon partially-accidently killing a cop. He became a salesman at the bet of an experienced one, and changes his name to Samuel Hunter. Now, though, his past seems to be catching up; Coyote Blue, a shape-shifting trickster Indian, appears out of nowhere to ruin his life. Coincidently at the exact same time a beautiful woman named Calliope arrives, making Samuel utterly lovestruck. Yet Samuel's life is falling to pieces, and the battle to stitch them back together ensues.

4.) Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006. Print. Brave New World is a frightening look into a very possible future, filled with new normalcies of brainwashing, drugs and sex. The novel delves into a society deeming themselves a practical utopia, with its citizens created each to be a member of a specific group to perform specific tasks that enable the perfection of functionality in their society. However, there are problems; with the absence of morality, is their society suffering? And with the constant presence of 'happiness', especially that induced by 'soma', does true happiness exist? Onto the stage appears a 'savage', who belongs to an uncivilized world, and he argues their way of functioning is terribly wrong.

5.) Moore, Christopher. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. Print. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove is a story of, you guessed it, a giant lizard monster arriving into the area of a town called Pine Cove. The town psychiatrist, after feeling guilty for one of her patients committing suicide, replaces all the her pateints' antidepressants to placebos, in hopes of truly bettering them with therapy. In turn, the local bar's business grows greatly, and a bluesman is brought in to play guitar. Unfortunately, it is his guitar playing that seems to have attracted from the sea this giant lizard with a hunger for humans and an ability to morph into a trailor. The town's "crazy lady" falls in love with the lizard, naming him Steve, but Steve still can't be too friendly with the rest of the town, and must be gotten rid of before everyone's been eaten.

6.) Eisnitz, Gail A. Slaughterhouse: the Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect, and Inhumane Treatment inside the U.S. Meat Industry. Amherst, NY: Prometheus, 1997. Print. Slaughterhouse is the nonfiction collaboration of interviews Gail Eisnitz has done with workers at the biggest slaughterhouses in the country. The book reveals the most shocking and disturbingly unimagineable scenes that occur constantly in every slaughterhouse. Not only is it true that an animal properly going through a production line is most rare, and many are skinned alive and/or boiled alive, but the conditions alone of a slaughterhouse, the prevalent roaches, maggots, feces and urine, are enough to make any reader feel like projectile vomiting their lunch. Slaughterhouse, too, tackles the fact that meat-packing is the most dangerous industry and job in America, and its effects on workers is devastating. Killing an animal, or at least trying to, every three seconds all day long is both psychologically damaging and horribly dangerous. This book is a gauranteed change to vegetarianism to anyone I would hope.

Annotated Bibliography

2010-09-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

1.) Hinyub, Chris. "Controversy Heats up over Marijuana Legalization Initiative | CAIVN." CAIVN | California Independent Voter Network. 4 July 2010. Web. 13 Oct. 2010. .This article discusses the legalization of marijuana in California, and the reason to support taxing the drug. In particular, the article adresses the aspect of imprisonment; offenders arrested as youth typically just become repeat offenders. Thus, prisons are being filled without reason. In relation to Brave New World, the legalization of marijuana could do to our society something like soma has done to theirs. Of course, the effects would not be so extreme; marijuana use would certainly not be mandatory as soma is in their world. However, would the legalization demoralize us as soma seems to have demoralized their society?

2.) Soma in Brave New World Essay." Essays and Papers Online - Direct Essays. Web. 13 Oct. 2010. .This essay addresses the use of soma in Brave New World's society and whether it's utilization was for the best. The essay also considers whether the use of soma would enhance our society, if even the substance really is helpful. Is the world of Brave New World benefiting from soma or is soma in its excessive happiness and prevention of any tidbit of sadness actually preventing true happiness? After all, does happy really exist without sad?

3.) "Television Shows and Society's Values: How Viewing Habits Influence Changing Norms." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. 7 Mar. 2009. Web. 13 Oct. 2010. .This article points out some of the negative consequences as well as some positive consequences of television on our society. Television desensitizes us to violence and sex and can make money and winning seem higher values, but can also raise our levels of tolerance. Television can be seen as a parallel to soma in Brave New World in that we are addicted to it, and go it in times of need for cheering up or even to exaggerate our happiness. Also, both soma and television can be viewed as demoralizing.

4.) Diamond, Milton. "Pacific Center for Sex and Society - Effects of Pornography." University of Hawaii System. 4 Oct. 2009. Web. 13 Oct. 2010. .This article explains how studies are conducted to find the effect of pornography, and how some studies have led their experimentors to strongly believe that pornorgaphy is a direct cause of increased rape crime. Brave New World's society is subjected to ubiquitous sex, in which morality regarding sex, that it is particularly immoral, is completely and utterly absent. The connection implied is the questioning of whether pornography and all sex in media is leading our society down the path that is making morality regarding sex obsolete, as Brave New World has traveled there.

5.) "Eugenics: Moral and Ethical Principles of Controlled Reproduction." Associated Content - Associatedcontent.com. 30 Jan. 2007. Web. 13 Oct. 2010. .This article explains what eugenics is, how its intentions are genuinely good-to better society, to become closer to a utopia-yet also why it is immoral and unethical. Eugenics requires the lesser of society to be annihalated, thus leaving the better of society to continue evolving. Brave New World's system clearly supports eugenics. Not that the society has definitely directly indulged in killing off part of its society; rather it simply refuses the birth of anyone who cannot put forth into society. The question is raised whether it is ethical to control a society in this manner.

Abundance

2010-09-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

Pink's observing contemplations unveil how abundance is thriving in America, yet has failed to increase America's happiness. He reveals the absurd proportions to which the abundance of material items exists by pointing out that "Target was just one of an array of Potomac Yards stores catering to a mostly middle-class clientele." after having established the designer quality of Target clothes. The vastness of today's quality shopping at cheap prices is very prominent, especially so when considering the quality of middle-class store products is as good as it could possibly be, and cheap enough to be prime purchase for the middle-class. Abundance is clearly flourishing in America. Yet its flourishing obviously doesn't correspond with the flourishing of satisfaction, because, as Pink goes on to say, "what's so remarkable about Potomac Yards is how utterly unremarkable it is." The statment is a seeming paradox. Though it makes perfect sense; the astonishing aspect of our excessively vast shopping is that even the most common stores are so rediculously bountiful today. The sad effect is that this comes as an epiphany to our society, which typically regards these stores, like Potomac Yards, as dully common, average, mediocre. Our society takes for granted the availability. Thus, how could it make us any happier if we neglect the awe of our possessions? Pink then plainly states that "the paradox of prosperity is that while living standards have risen steadily decade after decade, personal, family, and life satisfaction haven't budged." This seems a paradox, indeed. Perhaps if we did not take our abundance for granted, the result could be an inflation on our satisfaction. But, such an inflation may not last when desinsitization to the vastness conquers the thought.

Ad Analyzation

2010-08-25T11:19:00.001-07:00

http://adflip.com/addetails.php?adID=12828&showLargeJpg=yes

This motorcycle ad may seem merely catchy but behind its seemingly magically appearing allure is an extremely simple formula used to persuade in any great ad and consists of the combination of the three basic methods of persuasion; ethos, pathos and logos. These three perfected methods are portrayed brilliantly and prove quite seductive in the ad.

Ethos, which is this ad's appeal via revealing how reliable the product is based on its credentials, is obvious in the text shown on the image. By informing the audience that the motorcycles benefit from "Formula One Technology" and "traditional hand craftmanship", one may feel drawn to the product because of the emphasized trustworthiness. After all, Formula One Technology is superior technology, and thus can be found reliable. Even if readers haven't heard of the name, the way in which it is stated is just boastful enough to resound in a mind as awe-inducing, and an awe-inducing boast must indeed logically be backed up by truth. "Traditional hand craftsmanship" even seems to scream "trust me!", for who doesn't automatically register a hand-crafted item as being not only artistic but perhaps perfected? It is a natural connotation of "hand craftsmanship." Also, "traditional" is a huge plus because although we may not see it so plainly, we, as humans, totally base our lifestyles off of traditions because it is in our nature to do so. Thus, tradional ways are so appealing in their comforting essence. The ad claims too that the motorcycles are "sold by a very select group of dealers." This emphasizes again that the quality is of the highest kind because its dealers are "select," a term so commonly associated with the best of the best. The article on the image goes on to state that "Cycle Canada Magazine called the new Sprint RS 'sublime'." This further proves the product's credentials because a motorcycle magazine, which must of course know all there is to know about motorcycles, would go as far to call their product "sublime"! And ethos doesn't stop there. The largest words on the ad, the ones that actually catch the attention of potential readers, state "The Empire Strikes Back," practically a joke, but such a clever one! The "Empire" can be seen metaphorically as the bike, and that is in most apparent terms of the aspect of power. This furthers the motorcycle's credentials in associating it with such a popular theme as Star Wars. Even the first words of the following article begin as did Star Wars. How witty!

Pathos, an appeal to the emotions, is visible in the ad in several ways as well. The motorcycles shown can all be seen as going very fast because the backgrounds are all blurry. This demonstrated speed incites excitement and even a taste for adventure or at least adrenaline. The pictures have all been shot at angles that make the motorcycles look extra dangerous just to provoke this enchanting excitement. Also, the article states "Fancy a bike with the pugnacious attitude of an English bulldog? The Speed Triple is your ride." Not only is this clever and slightly amusing, -humor which also appeals to emotions-, it targets prime audience. Obviously motorcycle customers are looking for adventure and speed or they would not be such customers. And anyone looking for a bike of adventure and speed would surely appreciate an analogy of a bike to a bulldog, as both have connotations of ferocity. A ferocious bike means a speedy one.

Logos, which seduces the reasoning human side, too is shown. The article says that "each Triumph is backed by a two-year unlimited mileage warranty." This is a plain fact of the benefits of buying the product. A customer will always be weighing the benefits and cons before buying, and the more benefits they detect the more likely they are to buy. It also states "each Triumph is crafted in the world's most modern motorcycle factory in the English midlands." This is another benefit because more modern typically indicates much better quality.

Ethos, pathos and logos have been utilized to such a degree of perfection in this advertisement that it's practically impossible to not buy a motorcycle after reading it.

Temptation

2010-08-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

"Temptation" by Cradle of Filth is one of a plethora of their songs I love. Though not my very favorite, its message, or maybe it's just an observation really, is clear, spot on and ironically a bit tempting to love.

Temptation appears as human weakness, but also defines us. The song describes a temptation, or at least one worth giving into it, as 'an offer that cannot be ignored.' Yes, the benefits of the temptations must outweigh the cons, else no profit is made. But, a temptation is generally thought of as a bad thing, despite the fact that more benefits are made than taken away. Temptation seems to have a connotation of being wrong, immoral. And the benefits reaped typically are due to some immorality. Thus, the benefits only outweigh the cons if the perpetrator does not mind the immorality. The greatest decision is between indulging in what appears to be irresistible or ignoring the urge for sake of a clean conscience.

The song illustrates a temptation as causing the tempted to 'keep climbing higher and higher' in their desire. This escalating desire is the ultimate theme of the song. The power that it retains over us is overwhelming, and the song seems to make it fascinating. It does not portray a message that advocates turning away from the temptation or trying to get rid of it. Rather, it simply presents a temptation as something worth giving into if and only if the benefits are more than than the negative consequences, despite any moral issue. It's all too tempting to think this way.

Idiocracy?

2010-08-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

If I had to extract one from all of the movies I have ever seen to have been the most realistic as well as most rediculuos, the choice would not be one over which I'd need any time at all to contemplate. Idiocracy, another delightful product of Mike Judge, is the tale of our modern day Average Joe making his way into a far off but then again not-so-distant future. He emerges from a forgotten military experiment after 500 years of hibernation to meet a world of an average IQ equivalent to perhaps that of someone nowadays with down syndrome. Garbage overflows into cities because no one has figured out what to do with it, and water fountains have all had their water replaced with the new Gatorade, meaning if you drink water, you're the idiot. Costco is the new law school and Starbucks is the new means of prostitution. The number one movie in America is called Ass, and that is all it is. Absurd, but is such idiocy not already seeping into our society?

Not only is it pessimestic, but it's just downright blasphemous to humanity to draw such cruel accusations it seems. Humanity is better than that! Right? We've all been taught the wonders of evolution, and we've clinged our minds to these expectations of a future more civilized, intricate and technological. But, Idiocracy had sense in its predictions. The world must be logically becoming stupider because those of lesser intelligence have such a higher rate of reproduction than those of more intelligence, as is shown in the movie with examples of white trash reproduction rate vs. high class reproduction rate.

Evolution does function perfectly, with the exception of one flaw. Once a species reaches a certain level of technology, evolution no longer works. Because of the method of functionality our society has adopted, we have permitted natural selection to cease by preventing the consequences nature had always before bestown. The unfit cannot be killed off. Instead, because they are unfit, intelligence-wise of course (intelligence applies to physical state as well in this sense), they reproduce faster.

In Idiocracy, average Joe becomes the smartest person alive. So maybe it will take more than 500 years, but I can easily fathom the same future in which the best hospital is St. God's and the best tv show is "Ow, my balls!". I mean, look at Tosh.0.

A Dream Within A Dream

2010-08-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

The nature of dreams is often found to be a most fascinating inspiration for works of art. Edgar Allan Poe wrote a poem entitled "A Dream Within A Dream" about the most obvious aspect of dreams which is that they are not reality but mere fantasy. When such a perspective is mirrored into reality, so that reality is thought another dream, the illusion is devastating in its hopelessness. This defining property of dreams is the villain in another work of art as well, a recent movie titled Inception.What makes the knowledge that a dream is not real so terrifying is that it leads to analyzing reality in a way that makes it appear it is only a dream too. For if a dream could feign reality so well, how can we tell reality isn't feigning reality? Poe's poem is of the hopelessness that strikes along with the discovery of an utterly meaninglessness life, and it is this despair that kills in Inception. Meaninglessness is the ultimate depression.

"A Dream Within A Dream" compares the comprehension of everything as nothing to one being unable to keep a handful of sand in their grasp. The hand cannot clutch the grains of sand because they keep spewing out much like the attachment of significance to everything, every part of life, being dissolved. Poe picked the most fitting comparison, even calling the sand golden as meaning is so rich in joy like gold.

In the movie Inception, the main character, while trapped in the dream world with his wife, implants into her head the idea that their current 'reality' was a dream because she was beggining to think otherwise, to believe it was reality. They eventually, after about fifty years in a dream, awaken back to how they fell asleep, young again. But the idea he had planted in her brain remained, and she began to question actual reality. She ended up committing suicide, tossing herself off a ledge to 'wake up'. Tossing herself like sand spilling between fingers as her husband watched.

No one wants to consider their lives insignificant, much less with no meaning or value whatsoever. The notion is one of the most morbid there is, for it is human nature to attach and maintain meaning to everything we see. Significance is life, or perhaps at least the illusion of significance.

pichathingy

2010-08-04T19:46:00.001-07:00

Mice and Men Analysis.

2010-05-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

The first page of Of Mice and Men cleverly disguises the foreshadowing of its end with descriptive but seemingly insignificant sentences, that when overanalyzed to the extreme, do produce some fascinating information. For example..

"the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green" is a description of George and Lenny.
Green represents fresh abundance. Deep suggests strength of the river. The river is healthy, full of life. George runs deep and Lenny is green. A river symbolizes an economy as it provides transportation, jobs, life, food, aka life.

"slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan mountains" is a description of George and Lenny.
Rocky represents rough and treacherous area. The rocks are a bad, sharp, jagged, dangerous, unstable foundation. Lenny is physically strong. George is mentally strong, more stable. Lenny's foundation is rough, unstable.

"under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp" is the relationship between George and Lenny.
Trees represent stability. Under trees is a location that represents protection, safety, the home of the leaves protected by the trees. The leaves lying deep represents that they are wedged and dependant upon their location. The leaves are crisp, representing freshness, or youth or innocence. George is like the trees because he is stable and protects Lenny, who depends upon his relationship with George because his mind is "young" with ignorance.

"a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway" is the future of George and Lenny.
A path beaten hard represents a rocky, difficult hazard. It was beaten by boys coming from ranches which suggests ignorance being the cause of the difficult danger. And the boys swam which represents their freedom, the freeness, the fluidness, of prevailing ignorance. And the tramps who beat the path were also ignorance causing the hazard. The path is the future of George and Lenny and it is a dangerous path because of ignorance.

"the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it" is the American dream.
A worn smooth limb represents a sitting place, a comfortable position worn by others. It is a comfortable place because of others. George and Lenny strive for the American dream via their goal to live off the fat of the land. This dream, like a comfortable position, has come about from other men.

Ah, the book need not be read past the first couple pages. (But it's still recommended that you do so, because this novel really is much better than its beginning.)

ANALYSIS OF POINT OF VIEW:

In the novel, George's character is displayed by his quotations. They show George is loyal and honest. For example, when speaking of Lennie, he says, "Well, he better watch out for Lennie. Lennie aint no fighter, but Lennie's srong and quick and Lennie don't know no rules." This portrays George's loyalty to Lennie as well as his trustworthiness and that he is willing to be courageous enough to take stands for Lennie. George obviously cares greatly about his companion. George also says, "This guy Curley sounds like a son-of-a-bitch to me. I don't like mean guys." George's honesty is apparent as well as his refusal to try and make any stupid effort to gain the praise of everyone including those he does not like. George is honest when honesty is harsh.

ANALYSIS OF TONE:
Of Mice And Men is a novel whose words point to a tone both of inspiration and despair. The inspiration is apparent in quotes such as "The afternoon sun sliced in through the cracks of the barn walls and lay in bright lines on the hay." This is a very pleasant image as light represents goodness. The vision we imagine from it is quite inspiring. Another quote is "But in the barn it was quiet and humming and lazy and warm." Such an atmosphere is of warmth and happiness and thus inspiration. Despair, however, is revealed in quotes too such as "He went on sorrowfully.....Suddenly his anger rose." This refers to Lennie after accidently killing a pup. These details are very depressing. Lennie then says, "God damn you. Why do you got to get killed? You aint so little as mice." This brutal quote is also very depressing.

THEME:

I am my brother's keeper. True or false?
Whether the above statement is true or false can obviously not be determined from the insight of a single fictional story as no evidence whatsoever in support of it depends upon this story. However, the story does contain such a theme. Lennis is dependant on George in their unfortunate relationship. I say unfortunate for Lennie determines George's fate for his great dependancy upon him and George, of course, controls Lennie's as he is the intelligent and thus seemingly independant one. However, neither can possibly be independant because both at least emotionally are mutualistically dependant. Were it not for Lennie's handicapp, Lennie and George could seperate and spend their individual lives however they desired. But Lennie is unable to function without George's help. George, in turn, depends on Lennie as he is attached to him and feels the need to protect him. This mutualistic dependancy is the very definition of control, or keeping one another.

THEME:

MOTHERandCHILDREN

2010-05-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

So..I am gazing into the eyes of a dirty, poverty-stricken mother whom I feel great connection with for her filth, her downfall, her own depression amidst the combination of so many. Her children's faces are obscured as their heads tucked upon her shoulders are turned the opposite direction. The dirt in their hair shines as a trophy for what they have thus endured, yet also as a burden, an omen for what is to come. And what approaches but doom! Their images scream for help, relief from the coming suffering! But the mother's lips are silent as they have come to accept the fate of loss. Her brow is furrowed with doubt and anxiety for the sake of her children, but her eyes are soft with weariness. Wrinkles smother her tired skin, taught with the want to release her children from their Hell, to relinquish her every particle of self and effort for them to be rescued from the dawning of hopelessness! Dirt embraces the hands and necks of her children as loss clings upon their innocent souls, and she is incapable of providing them aid. Incapable of destroying the beasts that cradle them and shall not hesitate to clutch every moment of their future! How petrifying the inevitable death of hope, which is to perish in the brutal flames of unfairness.

UtopiaSurvey

2010-05-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

Link to survey on utopias:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGNJMDZQX2FPUWlWTE12cUtZdjRuVVE6MQ

The Giver

2010-04-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

The scenario is a society free of suffering. How can this be? How can a society be risk-free? Lois Lowry's The Giver presents just this and determines by itself that a society cannot be risk free, and this thought did enthrall my curiosity!

So now I consider Lowry's philosophy. I quite dislike the novel's manipulative utilization of the idea of communism. Lowry makes clear that a society free of suffering and risk cannot exist and should not exist because of individuality. Individuality, according to her notions, is more significant than the liberation of suffering by the means of annihilating risk.

To what extent I disagree I am not sure. I believe individuality and separateness is an illusion. If you were told one of your cells was named Katy would you believe it or care? How ridiculous, of course not! Well a human in humanity is a cell in a body; that human is so extremely insignificant in comparison to the gigantic quantity of humans altogether. Does this justify my anger at individualism? Well, it would be selfish of a human to think themselves superior to another. I think individualism permits this secret sense of superiority in that each cares for themselves alone. Or not necessarily cares, but does for themselves. And actions affect thoughts, thus increasing our senses of superiority. Would not it be ridiculous for our cells to each secretly think themselves superior and be competitive towards each other? Yes it would be because our cells must work together for our bodies to work. And each of us humans make up humanity, which can only function properly if its components are functioning properly. Cells competing would not allow for a body to function. Humans competing does not allow for humanity to function properly. Thus, our conflicts.

Buuuuut.
A cell cannot think. A cell is not conscious. If we could only lose our selfishness and not our conciousness. Why does selfishness exist within consciousness? Because evolution favored the selfish individuals, the ones who could do for themselves. Selfishness is beneficial to the individual but not the population.
The ultimate question here: Is an individual more important than a population? Of course not! A cell is not more important than a body! The sum of components is greater than the components themselves. Though I said earlier a human is BETTER than humanity. I mean by that that a human individual has the ability to make decisions that benefit themselves and others in the realm of their existance. But humanity, although granted the potential, has not and cannot. Perhaps the individual possesses only the potential but because there are more individuals and only one humanity, I am being biased. I do not think an indivual is more important though. So, I quite disagree with Lowry.

Poem (redwheelbarrowknockoff)

2010-04-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

All matter
has fallen
upon

love,
never shattered
never stalled

within my chest
this ecstasy
blessed

Poetry location...

2010-04-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

is http://sadiespoems.blogspot.com/

I Wear No Mask

2010-03-31T04:26:00.000-07:00

Lying not subtly upon my face
is an expression I won't erase
to administer to others ease
to bluff to help; to deceive to please.
My expression that expresses
and upon audiences depresses
with its purely unrefined and bluntly so defined gaze.
A gaze that makes their eyebrows raise
and then furrow as they anticipate
what in my mind I can create
to display upon my face so eagerly
that they would reveal little of, so meagerly.
I cloak no emotion behind any mask ,
My flesh is the truth and the truth is my task
to uncover, to reveal to those
who look upon the face that glows
because it lacks the veil;
nothing is withheld.

St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

Time has dropped us upon a day that happens to have been administered with a name dedicated, apparently, to a saint. Saint Patrick's day conjures up images of green four-leaf clovers, leprichauns and all that is lucky within my poor mind.

And now I cannot recall the slightest memory of having been informed who in the world Saint Patrick is nor what his significance is upon this day. But he did do something and now that I've confessed my ignorance, I would like to cling to it as I do not particularly care what this man did, not to say I care not about the man himself, but, no, I simply cannot bring the desire to know such a thing.

Anyways, St. P's day does not carry the slightest burden of significance to me. I am certainly reminded of the images that have been used to represent the little holiday, yet I would not notice if I didn't get pinched for not wearing green. No, the leprichaun could remain in hiding today and I wouldn't care.

Butterfly Weed

2010-03-13T14:35:00.000-08:00

Whimsical in a way and delightfully satisfying with almost unrealistic but so seemingly completely genuine characters is the story of a time in the old Ozarks of Arkansas. Butterfly Weed by Donald Harrington drew me into the minds of a magnificently smart and honestly kind doctor and an innocent, wonderful little girl named Tennessee.

Doc Swain has been tought all there is to know of medicine and the cure to every existing disease with the exception of tuberculosis. Though lacking any kind of degree, he moves into Stay More and opens his practice, which receives many patients more than the practice of the doctor who resides across the street from him. The people of Stay More do not take long to see how great a doctor Doc Swain is, as he does not fail a single patient. But the Doc faces quite a problem when he begins treating people in his dreams for free. He no longer receives payments and ends up taking a job teaching. This is where he meets Tenny, the prettiest girl he'd ever seen.

The love between Tenny and Doc grows and their story is inspiring, saddening, hilarious, tragic and very happy. All of these emotions were scattered throught the book, which never misses a note or fails to satisfy any of the reader's desire for details.

Harrington's writing is a joy to read because of the uniqueness. The dialogue is incredibly perfect, just the way you would imagine the old Arkansans to have spoken. The things they say are greatly humorous and make the book so entertaining. I loved everything about the characters, especially the things they said.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading. The characters, dialogue, plot twists and turns, the humor and the tragedy are all perfect.

307 pages.

Antigone

2010-03-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

All those old Greek plays seem to me to be nothing but tragedies that were spurred in the minds of great thinkers whose thoughts were themselves tragic cycles. Antigone by Sophocles did grasp my sympathies for the tragic events that occured to the characters.

Antigone and her sister Ismene have endured the loss of their parents as well as their two brothers. Creon, the king of Thebes, now refuses to bury one of their brothers, Polyneices, because he had fought in a battle against Thebes. When a body was not buried then, people believed this caused the corpse's spirit to roam the earth for a hundred years.

Antigone grieved for her dead brother and attempted twice to bury him but was caught. Creon showed no sympathy for Antigone and decided to punish her. From this point on, the situation only worsens and many die, leaving Creon to suffer guilt.

Sophocles' writing style was not as difficult to understand as some other styles by playwrights then. Though not exactly very inspiring, moving or great, the play was bearable to read for the sake of finding out what would happen to Antigone.

I don't recommend this play to anyone except those forced to read the story because I thought the book was overall very dull. Although, the play may prove itself much better when actually performed as Sophocles intended.

The Call Of The Wild

2010-03-13T10:26:00.001-08:00

Only the strong can survive in the brutal environment of cold. This is a slight expression of the theme of a classic novel I recently read. The Call of The Wild by Jack London captured only my attention to London's talented writing and theme of natural selection throughout the plot. Though difficult at first to keep my attention held to, the book soon cought me up in the story of Buck and made me wish he and all his alliances and enemies could overcome the brutality of the north as well as that of their relationships, which were based cruelly on natural selection alone.

Buck is the protagonist of the book. As the novel opens, we are introduced to the Buck that lives in a civilized manner in a happy time in his life though not with complete love in his heart and passion for what he does and how he lives. The story progresses as Buck does through it, though his progression sadly is not one that encompasses his spirituality or the virtues of altruism as progression should include but his change is simply physically for the better and mentally for the worse, seeing as how altruism is a higher virtue than the quality of cunning to topple enemies.

Natural selection obviously more than interested London because every aspect of his story of Buck seems to revolve around it. After Buck learns the human species to be dominant to his, he cunningly appears to obey just enough to best his situation. Buck kills in the name of himself and for the benefit of his position, and this is displayed as an action of greatness by London, whose human emotions of insecurities about enemies I think were permitted by him to be expressed through fantasy via Buck's story. For Buck does not fail with his kill as he seemed to fail at first when having to learn the dominancy of man; as though London had felt such failure before and wanted to express it with a situation where Buck is the victim and then redeem himself by showing Buck to succeed in all his future encounters with enemies.

Buck's story takes place in an environment suitable to the taste of London, who desired to show his audience brutality and the defeat of brutality-brutality existing as the snow and ice that caused Buck and his enemies (for I think all the other characters were enemies except for Thornton, whom Buck felt the only noble emotion in the entire novel for) to suffer so greatly. Not to mention Buck's lack of food at one point and the couple times he was beaten, etc. Buck's life is anyone's life with the suffering always present and because Buck is not a human he simply could not defeat his desire to harm for his own benefit and to protect himself and whether because of Buck being an animal or his circumstances Buck could not spiritually develop his love further to exist on behalf of more characters than Thornton alone. I think, personally, that London himself had perhaps not considered such a parallel barrier to exist within his own mentality but his story seems to portray the possibility of such a mentality within himself as his words seem to obsess over the need to win and defeat something.

On a different note, London's writing style, as in his sentence formations and word choice, was obviously highly skilled and his words stroke my emotions as they sounded so beautiful. Beauty is quite apparent in his writing, yes, although expressed as harshness to make the story so entertaining and cause readers sympathy for Buck if no one else.

The Call Of The Wild may not possess a positive or enlightening theme, but it does capture our emotions and entertain. I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to write.

WN3 Persuasion

2010-02-23T12:44:00.000-08:00

Persuasion is a technique that I am constantly utilizing. Although I fail to persuade about 99.9999999 percent of the time, that measely bit that I do persuade does make me very happy. I like to think my persuasion is not used in order to obtain selfish goals, but goals that benefit the other person, animals and the planet. I am always trying to persuade others to stop eating meat.

I'd like to say I'm good at persuasion but my countless failures have left me a little dubious. However, I have managed to turn at least three people vegetarian. That's a lot of lives saved!

The tactics of my persuasion include all types; pathos, ethos and logos. I use statistics and facts. I try to convey the image of the emotions of the animals who spend their lives in factory farms. I try to show people that I am not unlike them as I used to eat meat, too until I became aware of the many reasons to stop.

I witness persuasion quite a bit in movies and in real life. I tend to use persuasion more than anyone else I know.

WN2 Being a Winner

2010-02-23T11:52:00.000-08:00

The U.S. is winning the Olympics and my assigned topic is to reflect on what I think being a winner really means.

Personally, I think that being a winner only means that you are (probably) just being a selfish, overcompetitive jackass because really winning doesn't matter except to prove that you are better than someone else.

Trying to win is pointless because you should not be relying on happiness that comes from being better than someone else in the first place. Your happiness should come from within.

Winniing does not always mean you receieve a tangible award.

I am not proud of winning anything I've won, and I cannot recall winning because rarely do I conciously place myself within a competition.

WN1 Commitment

2010-02-23T11:43:00.000-08:00

Marriage takes as much commitment as that of athletes who practice hours and hours each day to achieve their goals.

Getting married changes your life just as training to become and maintain the status of an Olympic athlete does. In both cases, you are commited to something and you promise yourself that you will never abandon what you are commited to. You trust in what you are doing and you always give your best.

Marriage is something I would put my commitment into as an athlete would her sport. The achievement in marriage is happiness on both parts, rather than gold. So marriage may be considered much more mature than sports in this way because the people involved have come to know that being better is not the key to happiness.

The commitment to love each other and make each other happy is much more important that self-discipline of the body in order to be better than another in my opinion. (However, lots of athletes do compete against themselves rather than concentrating on others.) Both commitments require perseverance, maturity and determination.

Daybreakers: Oil?

2010-02-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

Not the greatest movie, but a very entertaining one with a creative plot, Daybreakers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433362/) serves as a good metaphor for oil. Our use of oil in particular.

Daybreakers shows the story of one vampire, named Edward and played by Ethan Hawke, and his attempt to help repopulate Earth with humans long after they have become an endangered species and vampires have taken over. Humans are farmed for their blood, but they cannot be reproduced as quickly as they are being used to feed the huge quantity of vampires. Edward works at this giant farm as they all try to come up with a substitute for the blood.

Like oil running out in our own greedy society, blood is running out in theirs. And according to Edward's boss, "There will always be those who will pay a little extra for the real thing." This makes me also want to compare their human farming to today's factory farming. People don't want to know the truth about it as in the movie the vampires do not want to be human again. Their greed craves immortality, ours craves taste bud pleasure. It's too bad that people won't allow themselves to seek the truth, that factory farms are horrific and not worth it (especially when the products are so bad for you and the environment). And it's too bad the vampires don't want to listen to Edward. But, thankfully, he gets the cure out.

Wintergirls

2010-01-22T05:12:00.000-08:00

I recently read a depressing but great book about an anorexic girl losing touch with reality. I was reminded again how terrible and tragic teenage depressions are. Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls captured me in a world of counting bites and denial.

The story's main character, Lia, suffers greatly by her own decisions. The death of her old best friend Cassie has triggered her anorexia again. Through the story, Lia falls deeper and deeper into her negativity and her belief that she needs to continue losing her weight. Five pounds and then five more lost and she refuses to quit her destructive habbit because this is the only act she can may do and have control over in her life.

Anderson's ability to not omit a single thought of Lia's or a single bite she takes has a devastatingly emotional effect on the reader, who may, as in my case, find themselves feeling more than sympathetic towards Lia. I also found I was horribly frustrated with her just as her parents were. I thought the writing techniques that Anderson utilized were the components of the book's emotional effect. She wrote Lia's thoughts perfectly, seemingly so real.

Lia begins losing all touch with reality when her hallucination of Cassie begins appearing many times to her in her miserable, dying state. Her father makes her go back to living with her mother, who forces her to eat at least a little, finally. But Lia is still starving herself and it is not until the end that she begins seeing reality once more. Lia's state requires a near death experience to transform her thoughts.

Wintergirls is definetely a book I recommend. Although, I must say that this novel is definetely not going to appeal to males or people that have a hard time understanding depression and sympathizing.

Skinny Bitch

2010-01-18T13:41:00.000-08:00

Have you ever considered how unhealthy the American diet really is? Think you might be prepared to hear the truth for once? Skinny Bitch, by Kim and Rory, is a book that will change your life by giving you all the facts on what you should and shouldn't be eating. The authors never try to make the truth sound any less harsh than it is; Rory and Kim are blunt, honest, entertaining, hilarious, and extremely motivating. The book is a great example of two people taking a stand and spreading the word on veganism.

Skinny Bitch discusses why high fructose corn syrup, rotting carcasses and other fattening animal byproducts are making you fat and unhealthy. Kim and Rory divulge all the details and just how it is actually legal that the government let all this crap be sold. They tell us everything we ought to know but don't, such as the fact that other countries are refusing to purchase American meat and what truly goes on inside slaughterhouses.

The two amazing authors tell us that the wrote the book mainly because they want to help end animal suffering. This is truly the type of stand-taking that needs to be continued! I highly recommend this book to everyone. You will be amazed and horrified by some of the information.

Taking a stand

2010-01-16T19:29:00.000-08:00

Okay. So. Taking a stand. Myself. Me taking a stand. I find this subject really frustrating because I am always taking a stand with every meal I eat, because every meal I eat is one that refuses to harm creatures. Yeah, I get pretty frustrated. And I'm sorry if I've offended you with my veganism in the past. I've learned that taking a stand on my ethics tends to offend others, who are sensitive about their diets and unwilling to become aware.

Well, I seem to be getting off subject again...Okay, the last time I really took a stand was when those bs posters advertising hunting (not real hunting but fake hunting, which is only desensitizing everyone to real hunting anyhow) were hung up all around my friggin school. So, I made some posters myself with catchy slogans that were created with the same violent theme of hunting. One said "Save a deer, kill a hunter." Apparently, some idiots are just too friggin stupid to understand that this is not friggin literal. Duh. The slogan is obviously meant to change the point of view, make some people think. But, unfortunately, I forget how brainwashed people are from all the billions of advertisements they have seen in their lives that desensitizes them, making them (probably you too) feel not that killing other species is wrong and horrific just as human killings are, but feel that it's perfectly normal to torture and make suffer the innocent members of other species. What a demented and warped world we inhabit! Yes, we are victims of greed. Greed drives the ads which drive the brainwashing which makes the desensitization. Added with the sick ways of capitalism, our world is trapped in a vicious cycle.

Okay, so I was caught in the act of hanging up my horridly offensive posters and had to take them down before the bell even rang. I guess freedom of speech doesn't apply in batesville. I will continue to act on the behalf of animals and I really hope that someday you can see from a different perspective.

Ingrid Newkirk: Taking A Stand For Animals!

2010-01-12T15:45:00.000-08:00

Ingrid Newkirk, the animal rights activist who was the main founder of the organization PETA, is my favorite hero.

You may find yourself asking PETA?! Fore the love of God, not PETA, Sadie!! If so, I'm just going to inform you know that PETA has caught your attention, and if you would keep an open-mind and listen to the facts that PETA and Ingrid are dying to tell you, you will probably find that you were just wrong. Dead wrong.

In my opinion, and according to basic ethics, torturing and killing innocent creatures is pretty wrong. Really, really wrong last time I checked.

Ingrid Newkirk, as president of the largest animal rights activist group in the world, is putting forth her every effort to help stop animal abuse. She is an extremely kind person who knows what she stands for. Ingrid is always seizing every stand she can for the many suffering species that she and I know will one day be free. I admire and have been stunned by her courage, strength, determination, and perseverance.

Tyranny Vs. Anarchy

2009-12-21T08:41:00.000-08:00

"Tyranny and anarchy are never far asunder," said Jeremy Bentham, a philosopher.

Tyranny is the type of government in which one person or group holds absolute power. Anarchy is political and social disorder due to no government or law. Bentham's quote means that tyranny and anarchy are closely related, which is because tyranny brings about anarchy.

I agree with this because when one person or group holds all power, their death may leave all the power in no one's hands and the only existing control is gone. This is anarchy. Thus, tyranny leads to anarchy. The two really are very close.

What's in a name

2009-12-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

My name has little meaning to me. I was named Sadie because of one reason; my mother made the name up. Otherwise, the name has no significance.

Before my mother thought of 'Sadie', she was considering naming me 'Sudie', an awful name that makes me grateful to be called 'Sadie'. I can't imagine being called 'Sudie', even if the name is only a letter away from mine.

Although my name has no meaning to me, according to the internet, 'Sadie' means 'princess' in Greek. I think that if my parents had known this, they might have changed their minds about my name. However, the definition doesn't matter to me. I don't think many people would know that. Overall, I am quite happy with my name.

Julius Caesar

2009-12-17T11:40:00.000-08:00

Julius Caesar reveals the tragic tale of Caesar's death at the hands of conspirators. These conspirators are people that Caesar has no reason to distrust. William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar tells a story that is much too morbid to grip readers (perhaps having it acted out would be better) and is written in a manner too difficult to understand (again, seeing actors might help).

Shakespeare's iambic pentameter sounds glorious when recited correctly, but attempting to read the sentences and really analyze them is a difficult task. I admire and respect this piece of work, but his words have to be milked for each of their meanings. The dialogue is just too ambigious for me to enjoy.

The story takes place in Rome. Each scene was written specifically for the theater. I was impressed with this fact. The main character could be either Brutus, Julius Caesar, or Mark Antony. This is debatable because each of them are protagonists because they are all trying to accomplish something. (That something being the death of Caesar, of course.)

Overall, I did not enjoy the book. I recommend the read to anyone whose future career may include writing or literature simply in order to keep culture alive.

The Savage Detectives

2009-11-18T12:20:00.000-08:00

Apparently, November is also known as "Family Reading Month." I guess that's not really a bad thing, considering I have one whopping less of a novel to read. Well, I thought it wasn't a bad thing until I asked my father to give me a description of his current read so I could post the information on here. David, my father, belongs to two book clubs. Reading is a very big part of his life. Sadly, this isn't necessarily a good thing.

Anyways, the book he decided to tell me about was 600 pages long and I couldn't keep up with his babbling about some Mexican gangster with a name that sounded like "bologna". He was in this "movement," which was really a gang that sold marijuana to make money. And, uh, somehow, somebody got locked in some cop's house or something. The blurriness really increased at this point. David was mentioning like 30 new characters.

Anyhow, we're just now getting to the middle of the book, which is a collection of random interviews of people who saw the guy and his girlfriend after they escaped the house. Then, the third part of the book was the story of them fleeing to Paris and some crap. I couldn't make much sense of it. He said the novel was great, and I took his word for it.

By the way, the book is called The Savage Detectives. (This may be the only piece of information I can be certain of..I hope..)

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

2009-11-02T16:51:00.000-08:00

Sean Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens is a self-help book brimming with applicable information that will greatly improve one's life. The seven habits are realistic ways to deal with obstacles and not only succeed but exceed your goals.

The habits include being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, prioritizing, thinking win-win, and seeking first to understand, which means listening before speaking.

The book has bluntly brought to my attention many flaws in my personality and lifestyle. For example, I procrastinate a little too much and am not a very good listener. However, I think my worst flaw is that I almost never think win-win, or, in other words, think there is a solution in which both the opposition and I can succeed our goals. I tend to value my own opinion more than others, which makes this habit difficult for me. Fortunately, I am trying to change my ways and have set a goal to be more open-minded to others' wants and opinions so that we can both obtain our wants.

Thirteen Reasons Why

2009-10-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

Hannah Baker, a young teenager who suffers the consequences of being labeled cruelly, commits suicide based on the connections between her and thirteen people. Before her suicide, Hannah records audiotapes and sends them to thirteen people that she considers guilty for her death. Thirteen Reasons Why reveals the contents of the tapes piece by agonizing piece. Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why gripped my attention and induced a horrified yet fascinated feeling within me.

The story takes place in modern day and partly in the high school of a fairly small town. I easily related to the location and was drawn into the plot a little deeper because of my understanding. But the story is not limited to the school. Along with the tapes, each of the thirteen people has received a map from Hannah indicating important places around town where parts of her story have taken place. These locations include houses where a couple parties occurred as well as a couple restaurants that Hannah used to visit.

Jay Asher wrote the novel in the first person view of Clay Jenson, a fellow student who had a crush on Hannah. Most of the novel, however, is the dialogue of Hannah coming from the tapes Clay is listening to. This proved to be a clever approach at telling the story of one who is dead through their point of view.

Hannah Baker is a normal kid whose fresh start in a new town dilapidates when someone puts her name under the ‘slut’ category at school. Hannah tries to make friends and succeeds only to lose them. Her parents become involved in their work more than their daughter, and Hannah’s life becomes very lonely. Clay Jenson is known as ‘the nice guy’ and his reputation lacks a single flaw. He is kind to everyone. Yet however curious of Hannah and attracted to her he is, he is fearful that her reputation may be true and is scared to talk to her because of this.

Each recipient of the tapes is taught a very valuable lesson. This lesson, which is the obvious theme of the book, seems to bluntly teach us to always value other people and to be kind to them no matter what their reputation is or what rumors about them exist. Seemingly, none of the thirteen people picked by Hannah have utilized this morality towards her. They have let her unfair reputation and false rumors decide their treatment of her.

But Clay doesn’t understand why the tapes have reached him. He has done nothing wrong to Hannah. Though as he begins to listen and her story untangles itself, he sees the real Hannah and why she did what she did. People betrayed her and tragedies struck. The signs of her suicide were apparent, and no one paid attention. The novel is depressing, but readers are grateful to see the guilty people confronted.

Thirteen Reasons Why reminded me of The Virgin Suicides because both novels told the bitterness of teenage suicides and the effects they have upon other people. Thirteen Reasons Why was a fantastic read despite its somberness. I recommend the read to female teenagers like myself because we can understand Hannah’s feelings perfectly. This tale captured me and I don’t doubt that you will find the same effect.

288 pages.

25 Things I've Learned From Batesville

2009-10-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

Batesville, Arkansas has taught me so many important lessons. I've decided to share a few with you!

25 Things I've Learned From Living In Batesville:

1. Hunting and fishing makes you a real man.

2. Being thirty-five years old does not prohibit you from acting like a high schooler.

3. If you're undecided about seeing a controversial movie, don't worry because it won't play here.

4. Don't worry about missing you're school bus-there's twenty more that will go by your house.

5. If you tell someone you're a vegan, they'll assume you're an occupant of the planet Vegano.

6. There's plenty of good restaurants here if you don't care what the food tastes like.

7. Trick or treating is satanic.

8. Trick or trunking is the coolest way to get candy.

9. Having platinum blonde hair with really dark roots is 'the thing'.

10. Don't worry about missing teeth!

11. You can cut hair for a living without any training.

12. The only vegan food here is tofu.

13. Dollar General is a great store, but Fred's is even better.

14. Obesity is not a bad thing.

15. Having more children in order to obtain more government assistance is cool.

16. You can make more money on disability than you would having a job.

17. If DHS takes your kids away, just have some more.

18. Reading is a waste of time.

19. Reading the Batesville Guard will make you smarter.

20. Don't spay or neuter your pets-they have plenty of places to roam.

21. You don't really have to know how to drive in order to get your license.

22. Blinkers on cars are optional.

23. The smell of a chicken plant actually induces hunger.

24. Sonic makes for a good date night.

25. You can sell food stamps for cash.

Carrie

2009-10-15T19:07:00.001-07:00

Carrie By Stephen King

Carrie is a classic horror novel about a teenage girl with telekinesis. The eerie story, however, trickles into disappointing idiocy. The climax induces readers with a feeling of disgust for the lameness of King's erratic creativity. Stephen King's Carrie grudgingly endures with an overrated, absurd story line.

King wrote Carrie with a seemingly over-simplistic style that leaves much to be imagined by the reader. Details are present but scarce. I was not impressed with the writing technique and found myself bored. King's creativity was ruined by over-dramatization and the stereotyping of important characters. His story did not really disgust me, though, until the part in which Carrie begins blowing up everything with her mind and killing her mother without lifting a finger. At this point, my suspension of disbelief disintegrated because the characters were unrealistic and, obviously, the story was spiraling into oblivion.

Carrie, who has always been the super-religious 'freak' everyone picks on, is a decently developed character in the book. She portrays emotions appropriately through her measly dialogue. Her mother is completely psychotic and obsessed with the bible and avoiding everything that could possibly be considered sinful. Carrie's fellow high school students include Sue Snell, a sympathetic, typical, and very popular girl, Sue's athletic and, also, popular boyfriend, Tommy, and Chris, the girl most notorious for tormenting Carrie. Together, they are the formula for the crazed tale in which Carrie finally snaps.

The story opens in the school girl's shower room right after P.E. class. Carrie, slumping naked in the shower with visible pimples and fat rolls, abruptly has her first period. The sixteen-year-old is shocked because her mother, who thinks periods are sins, has never taught her a single thing about menstruation. Carrie begins screaming and all of the other girls start to tease her by throwing tampons and chanting at her. Eventually, the coach rushes to the scene and aids Carrie, and the girls are all punished. Sue Snell, who joined the others in the torment, now regrets her actions and wants to apologize to Carrie by getting her popular boyfriend, Tommy, to ask Carrie to prom. After a slight hesitation during which distrust enters Carrie, she accepts. But Chris, highly annoyed by the situation, to say the least, produces a vicious plan to attack Carrie. The plan works, but the effects are deadly.

Carrie is mediocre at best and ridiculously dumb at least. The book was similar to the the movie Frailty, in which an insanely religious father becomes a serial killer because he believes it is "God's way" and passes his belief to one of his sons, which is like Carrie's mother making Carrie into an insanely religious and superstitious person like herself. I recommend this novel to those who have trouble reading well or just want to be reminded that not every book can be great.

The Virgin Suicides

2009-10-15T19:06:00.002-07:00

The Virgin Suicides By Jeffrey Eugenides

The Virgin Suicides depicts the morbid story of five sisters who each commit suicide in a single year. The book is a classic fiction, written from the perspective of their neighbor, an anonymous male within his group of spellbound friends. Jeffrey Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides managed to captivate all of my senses with fascinating despair.

Eugenides' writing style is like a fictional memior of everything the anonymous boy sees of the Lisbon girls. The book is written in first person plural, so that the boy refers to his group instead of himself. Occasionally, he uses 'we' and 'us' only to reveal the group's obsession with the girls. The story manages to hover only around the sisters' experiences and actions but never completely penetrates into their thoughts. The boy tells his group's ideas of what the girls' thoughts might be, but the audience can never be certain. This lack of intimacy with the main character's thoughts is made up for with an ample amount of detail regarding the girls' posessions, their behaviors, their parents' behaviors, and so forth. This keeps readers curious and absorbed in a very realistic point of view. I enjoyed and admired Eugenides' mysterious style.

The Lisbon sisters consist of 13-year-old Cecilia, 14-year-old Lux, 15-year-old Bonnie, 16-year-old Mary, and 17-year-old Therese. Cecilia has always been the peculiar one with a great imagination. But, being the odd one is very difficult for her; She doesn't quite fit in with her sisters, and she has no friends. This is the assumed reason for her depression. The other sisters are generally displayed as fairly normal and happy before Cecilia's depression and, ultimately, suicide. However, they, too, spiral downward shortly after. All of their visible behavior is described acutely. Mr. Lisbon, the girls' father, works at their school as a teacher, a position frustrating for the girls.

The story takes place in a quiet suburb of Detroit in 1993. The Lisbon's community is a town innocent to much tragedy. The Lisbon's neighbors are deeply affected by the girls' suicides, and many of them move after the occurrence. The book's words do not lie among the neighbors so much, though, as they do the confounded and intense emotions of adolescence. The world in which the story takes place is the world of the Lisbon sisters, who travel only to school and are, otherwise, trapped in their ruining home. The depiction of the Lisbon home conjures nasty images of stale food rotting upon layers of dust and junk strewn about in a decaying setting.

The plot immediately captures the audience. The tale begins when Cecilia first attempts suicide by slitting her wrists. When this effort proves to be of no avail, she tosses herself out the upstairs window so that she plummets onto the fence pole and dies, finally. This ignites each of her sister's depressions. The girls stop leaving the house, and they start to become more trapped all the time. Lux begins smoking cigarettes in the bathroom. Eventually, the anonymous boy and a few of his friends are able to take the sisters to one last homecoming. Their time is enjoyed, and Lux ends up kissing her date, Trip. Only a short time passes before Lux is making love upon her roof with various men almost every night. The girls, then, stop attending school altogether because of their horrible, worsening melancholy. In the end, they free themselves from their miserable traps.

The Virgin Suicides reminded me slightly of Girl Interrupted because both tell dismal, captivating stories of female groups experiencing phycological disorders. I was suprised by Eugenides' engrossing story, and I recommend the book especially to all teenage girls. The Virgin Suicides, however, should not have a limited audience. This is a must read for people of either gender and all ages!

The Invisible Man

2009-10-15T19:06:00.001-07:00

The Invisible Man By H.G. Wells

The Invisible Man is an exciting, science fiction story of a man who becomes invisible, of course, only to find large disadvantages that force him to insanity. His story is told vividly and magnificently. H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man instills a lingering curiosity in the reader with its remarkable adventures and articulate writing style.

The story takes place in Iping and a few other villages in England during the late eighteen-hundreds. H.G. Wells uses a style of writing that parks the audience in this period of time and place. He accomplishes this by often using the slang of the setting and by writing the dialogue the way it actually would have been said. For example, when one citizen speaks of the invisible man he says, in his English accent, "What's 'e been doin', then? Ain't hurt the girl, 'as 'e? Run at 'en with a knife, I believe' No 'ed, I tell ye. I don't mean no manner of speaking, I mean marn 'ithout a 'ed! Narnsense!" This type of dialogue reveals much about the type of people and their culture.

The charcters exhibited throughout the book do not vary by much. The invisible man himself, who we learn is actually a doctor named Griffin, is, by far, the most intelligent character. Why he becomes so frustrated with his position is very obvious. However, the audience loses sympathy for Griffin when his temper is utterly lost and his rampage begins.

The story starts in a small village where the stranger, Griffin, arrives. He is scrutinized by the village's people for his suspicious outfit, which covers every inch of his invisible body. He orders a room and lives there for a while. All the time he is there, he is carrying out dubious experiments. Griffin loses his temper occasionally and crashes are heard. Eventually, he reveals that he is invisible. He races off and runs into a man named Thomas Marvel, who he forces to aid him. Griffin ends up fleeing to a random home when he is shot. The home belongs to Doctor Kemp, a man that Griffin attended school with.

The book advocates a very significant theme: Be happy with what you have. The idea of invisibilty conjures up a tempting array of advantages and possibilities. Yet, the moment the man achieves his irresistable goal, he is abruptly doomed to numerous disadvantages he overlooked. These disadvantages drastically outweigh any of the benefits he once thought were so great.

The Invisible Man is science fiction at its best. The plot progresses nicely, revealing only as much at a time to satisfy the reader and keep them reading. I recommend this read especially to fans of science fiction, mistery or suspense. However, this book is a very popular classic and everyone should read it.

The Time Traveler's Wife

2009-09-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

The Time Traveler's Wife By Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler's Wife is the romantic story of Henry DeTamble and Clare Abshire, a couple whose love tolerates the agony of waiting. Audrey Niffenegger chronicles the tale from both partners, touching her audience with great emotion ranging from laughter to tears. The story reveals a complex and poignant relationship. I was very impressed with its originality and, at times, very sorrowful appeal. Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife enchants readers with sensational romance, exhilarating science fiction and refreshing humor.

The story takes place in a world where time traveling is not only possible, but is considered a curse because it is an uncontrollable disorder. The world of Clare and Henry is bizarre and overwhelming as well as moving and romantic. Despite the eccentricities of this world, however, I was captivated and found the possibilities very convincing. Niffenegger switches her first person view back and forth between Henry and Clare. This is a unique way of writing that grants the reader a seducing sense of intimacy. This constant switching was my favorite aspect of the book because I was able to appreciate the feelings and thoughts of both partners and favor neither of them.

Niffenegger's characters furnish the novel with the most crucial component, which is emotion. Henry DeTamble is a librarian who involuntarily travels to unpredictable times and places. He is the first person to possess his condition, which is called Chrono-Displacement Disorder. His favorite music is punk rock and he used to do drugs back when he was dating Ingrid, who he dumps the moment he meets Clare. Clare Abshire is an attractive artist whose life stays in sequential order. She has a typical family, unlike Henry's. When the two finally unite in the present, they are doomed to having a complicated and uncontrollable relationship. Although the bonds of their love are as strong as ever, Clare and Henry are continually seperated.

Henry first collides with Clare Abshire when she is six and he is thirty-six. This encounter makes it possible for Clare to know that she will meet Henry in the present. Fatalism like this is a very significant feature in the book. Clare is already in love with Henry, and it is not long before Henry is in love with Clare. Clare is twenty-three and Henry is thirty-one when they are married. Their marriage is perfect yet forever in danger because of Henry's disorder. They struggle to achieve conventional goals such as having children, friends, and steady jobs. The story dissolves with an ample amount of emotion.

The characters are alluring and the plot is magnificent. As I read the book, I was reminded of the book You Suck, written by Christopher Moore, simply because both told tales of couples struggling with very unconventional problems. (The couple in You Suck were vampires!) I recommend this book to any audience that enjoys romance and/or a little sci-fi. 536 pages.

Speak

2009-09-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson
Speak depicts the story of Melinda Sordino, a teenage girl enduring a tragic depression through her first year of high school. Because she is disowned by everyone around her, Melinda's tension and distress surmounts that of the usual high schooler. Everyone, including her old best friends, rejects Melinda because she called the cops at an end of summer party. Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak both depressed me and sparked my imagination with an engrossing, somber story.

The story takes place in a modern high school that accommodates a spectrum of various cliques, none of which admit Melinda, of course. The cliques range from preppy girls, who engage in every goodwill program that they possibly can, to girls who choose oddball religions and adorn themselves in peculiar outfits. A new girl at school attempts to make friends with Melinda, but Melinda's pessimism and sorrow drives the new girl away to become a part of the preppy clique.

Laurie Halse Anderson wrote the book using the first person view from Melinda. This technique places the audience where we may comprehend every emotion and thought produced during her depression. Anderson's representation of teenage unhappiness and constant misery is precise. This makes her story seem very authentic and believable, which are two qualities that are vital to the book's appeal.

The characters, such as Melinda's parents, her teachers, and her old friend, Rachel, were all portrayed in believable ways, also. Melinda's parents are frustrated with their daughter's behavior and confused because they are oblivious to the extent of her problems. This discouraging situation proves itself to be genuine in all aspects. Melinda's teachers bear convincing personalities, too, and some of their desriptions were very amusing. Melinda's old friend, Rachel, believably conveys distrust and anger in her dialogue.

Speak perfectly presents Melinda's intruiging and dismal struggle with depression. Anderson describes Melinda's tale in an absorbing and riveting manner, and I found myself locked in a page-turner and enthralled in the drama. I recommend this book especially to younger high schoolers, but anyone interested in melancholy stories will enjoy Speak.