Sunday, August 24, 2014
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
MY OPINION ISN'T (A) RIGHT
- When people use the phrase "I have the right to my own opinion" it means they do not have facts and they can not back up their opinion. This phrase is also used to change the subject because the person has no back up.
- Many people get offended if someone challenges their opinion when they should really be listening to the ideas the other person has to say to help their opinion gain more value.
- Your opinion has to be earned by having a back up
- Overall, if you don't have facts to back up your opinion just don't say anything at all because you will come to a situation where someone has a counterargument and you won't have a comeback but "I am entitled to my own opinion" which does nothing for you
Monday, August 18, 2014
Montaigne/Wallace Essay
Imagine how many thoughts go through your head a day. Now the question is, would you write down all of those thoughts? Montaigne believes that you should write down all of the thoughts that run through your head everyday. David Foster Wallace once said that what goes on inside is too fast and huge for words to barley sketch the outlines of a little part of it. Michael Montaigne was the inventor of the essay and in his essays he would write down everything thought that ran through his head. It may be good to write down some of your thoughts so you won't forget them but at the same time, it is very hard because the mind thinks too fast. Both authors contradict each other and both have a valid point.
Michael Montaigne believes in writing all of one's thoughts down on paper. Writing all of my thoughts down on paper would take me a long time and it would never end. Although this seems crazy, it could actually help. If we write down our thoughts, we could go back and read them to remember them. Writing down our thoughts could actually help us in the long run, especially if our thoughts could be worth money. Someone could think of an invention and write it down, go back to it and possibly make money. There has actually been times where I thought of an invention that I could get money for and forgot to write it down. Therefore, sometimes it might be useful to write your thoughts down so you don't forget them.
Wallace has a very different approach. Wallace has a more realistic approach because he believes it is too hard to write down all of our thoughts down on paper. Wallace believes that it is difficult to focus on one thought, because of all of the other thoughts running through our heads. If we focus on one thought, that thought can turn into a very complex thought. Wallace basically says that our thoughts are all interconnected inside and we can't even understand the power complexity of our own thoughts. Although he says this, he also believes we should focus on one main idea and try to develop it as well as we can.
While both authors contradict, they both hold valid points. I personally think if you have a great thought that could benefit you, write it down but if you try and write down all of the thoughts that run threw your head, you will just be struggling on rambling on about pointless thoughts. Whichever author you agree with, you have to realize that our minds work in mysterious ways and they are capable of many things.
Michael Montaigne believes in writing all of one's thoughts down on paper. Writing all of my thoughts down on paper would take me a long time and it would never end. Although this seems crazy, it could actually help. If we write down our thoughts, we could go back and read them to remember them. Writing down our thoughts could actually help us in the long run, especially if our thoughts could be worth money. Someone could think of an invention and write it down, go back to it and possibly make money. There has actually been times where I thought of an invention that I could get money for and forgot to write it down. Therefore, sometimes it might be useful to write your thoughts down so you don't forget them.
Wallace has a very different approach. Wallace has a more realistic approach because he believes it is too hard to write down all of our thoughts down on paper. Wallace believes that it is difficult to focus on one thought, because of all of the other thoughts running through our heads. If we focus on one thought, that thought can turn into a very complex thought. Wallace basically says that our thoughts are all interconnected inside and we can't even understand the power complexity of our own thoughts. Although he says this, he also believes we should focus on one main idea and try to develop it as well as we can.
While both authors contradict, they both hold valid points. I personally think if you have a great thought that could benefit you, write it down but if you try and write down all of the thoughts that run threw your head, you will just be struggling on rambling on about pointless thoughts. Whichever author you agree with, you have to realize that our minds work in mysterious ways and they are capable of many things.
REFLECTIONS ON WEEK 1
1. I do not think anything will affect my participation in this class. I have full access to a computer and a smart phone. I am also good on transportation. Family and friends are not a problem as well. In the first semester, my schedule is more open in which I have more time to get things done. In the second semester, I start baseball and I will be having long practices and road games that could maybe get in the way. I don't think this will get in the way too much but I will make sure to complete what needs to be completed.
2. One awesome learning experience that changed me was being able to be myself. I learned that being yourself is the best way to go through life. Being yourself is the best way to go through your life because it does not cause stress. Starting out my freshman year of
high school I was not myself. I tried too hard to impress others and it was all so stressful. As I went into my sophomore year a lot of that went away and I was becoming more mature. By my junior year, I was even more matured and started to be myself, which made junior year a breeze. Being myself has helped me in all aspects especially in school. I am more comfortable now with being myself and I'm sure others around me are too.
3. I am excited for this class because it seems like it is going to be collaborative and fun. I like the idea of the open source learning as well because everyone can share their ideas and other people can get new ones. I look forward to learning more vocabulary words because I need to improve them. I am just looking forward to whatever we learn in this class because I am sure it will be beneficial. This class can make a difference in my life because of the collaboration. The more my classmates and I collaborate and share ideas, the more knowledge and communication skills I gain which will help me in the future no matter what I do.
2. One awesome learning experience that changed me was being able to be myself. I learned that being yourself is the best way to go through life. Being yourself is the best way to go through your life because it does not cause stress. Starting out my freshman year of
high school I was not myself. I tried too hard to impress others and it was all so stressful. As I went into my sophomore year a lot of that went away and I was becoming more mature. By my junior year, I was even more matured and started to be myself, which made junior year a breeze. Being myself has helped me in all aspects especially in school. I am more comfortable now with being myself and I'm sure others around me are too.
3. I am excited for this class because it seems like it is going to be collaborative and fun. I like the idea of the open source learning as well because everyone can share their ideas and other people can get new ones. I look forward to learning more vocabulary words because I need to improve them. I am just looking forward to whatever we learn in this class because I am sure it will be beneficial. This class can make a difference in my life because of the collaboration. The more my classmates and I collaborate and share ideas, the more knowledge and communication skills I gain which will help me in the future no matter what I do.
Vocabulary #1
Definitions
Adumbrate - verb give to
understand; describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or
summary of
Apotheosis - noun the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god); model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
Ascetic - adj. practicing great self-denial; pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline; noun someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
Bauble - noun a mock scepter carried by a court jester; cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
Beguile - verb attract; cause to be enamored; influence by slyness
Burgeon - verb grow and flourish
Complement - noun something added to complete or make perfect; either of two parts that mutually complete each other; a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction; number needed to make up a whole force; a complete number or quantity; one of a series of enzymes in the blood serum that are part of the immune response; verb make complete or perfect; supply what is wanting or form the complement to
Contumacious - adj. wilfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
Curmudgeon - noun a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
Didactic - adj. instructive (especially excessively)
Disingenuous - adj. not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness
Exculpate - verb pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
Faux - adj. not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article
pas - noun (ballet) a step in dancing (especially in classical ballet)
Fulminate - noun a salt or ester of fulminic acid; verb cause to explode violently and with loud noise; come on suddenly and intensely; criticize severely
Fustian - noun a strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap; pompous or pretentious talk or writing
Hauteur - noun overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors
Inhibit - verb limit the range or extent of; to put down by force or authority
Jeremiad - noun a long and mournful complaint
opportunist - adj. taking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit; noun a person who places expediency above principle
Unconscionable - adj. greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation; lacking a conscience
Apotheosis - noun the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god); model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
Ascetic - adj. practicing great self-denial; pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline; noun someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
Bauble - noun a mock scepter carried by a court jester; cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
Beguile - verb attract; cause to be enamored; influence by slyness
Burgeon - verb grow and flourish
Complement - noun something added to complete or make perfect; either of two parts that mutually complete each other; a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction; number needed to make up a whole force; a complete number or quantity; one of a series of enzymes in the blood serum that are part of the immune response; verb make complete or perfect; supply what is wanting or form the complement to
Contumacious - adj. wilfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
Curmudgeon - noun a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
Didactic - adj. instructive (especially excessively)
Disingenuous - adj. not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness
Exculpate - verb pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
Faux - adj. not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article
pas - noun (ballet) a step in dancing (especially in classical ballet)
Fulminate - noun a salt or ester of fulminic acid; verb cause to explode violently and with loud noise; come on suddenly and intensely; criticize severely
Fustian - noun a strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap; pompous or pretentious talk or writing
Hauteur - noun overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors
Inhibit - verb limit the range or extent of; to put down by force or authority
Jeremiad - noun a long and mournful complaint
opportunist - adj. taking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit; noun a person who places expediency above principle
Unconscionable - adj. greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation; lacking a conscience
Sentences
The dark clouds adumbrated the blue sky and the sun.
His brief life reached an apotheosis here.
I can appear ascetic and stiff.
A bauble gets passed down to a family member.
He had to beguile the college scouts in order to get a scholarship for baseball.
He really burgeoned these past few years.
He always complements women as he walks by them.
I don't like his behavior because it is very contumacious
He is apparently a curmudgeon who thinks everyone is intellectually beneath him.
It is didactic to compare the two projects.
How am I supposed to understand you if you are so disingenuous.
Do not try and exculpate the situation because you are indeed guilty.
I made a faux pas when I stuttered.
All fulminated against the officer who shot Mike Brown.
She was very fustian because she believes she is famous.
His parents show their hauteur towards him.
The officers inhibited the fearless and crazy protestors.
The book is a sort of jeremiad against the environmental threats to the great wilderness areas of the country.
He was an opportunist in which he does whatever he can to benefit himself.
Advocates for the poor consider such cuts unconscionable.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
I CAN READ!
http://youtu.be/DPidXjpKAxw
I love to laugh and this sure made me laugh. Although it was 6 minutes and I had 15 mistakes it was a fun challenge.
Essay #1
Exile can be one of the hardest obstacles to overcome. While exile is hard to overcome, it can also be enriching at the same time. In the novel, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, the Price family experiences exile . The four girls and their parents leave the United States and go to the Congo to spread the word of God to their people. Nathan, the father who made this decision, is a Baptist Minister who wants to spread the word of God to the Congolese people. The Price's experience faced many hardships and have to overcome them.
One character that faced the most hardships was Adah Price. When Adah arrived to the Congo, she was very young. Also, Adah suffers from a disease called hemiplegia that prevents the whole left side of her body to function. Having to go from the United States to a third world country would be very hard for any one her age. Adah experienced things that no one her age should experience. Adah witnesses her sisters death while in the Congo which puts sadness in her as you could imagine. Adah also witnesses her parents not caring for each other which also hits her hard. After all of these horrible things happen, Adah doesn't let it effect her too much. Adah matures greatly and starts to value her life. Adah then attends a college in the Congo and becomes a brilliant researcher in science, something she loves and truly believes in. She loves studying the life of viruses and it has also helped her look at the world at a much different angle. Although exile can be alienating and hard, it can also be enriching, just like Adah's experience.
Overall, this novel does send an important message about having to overcome hardships. Hardships can actually help one look at life differently and help them in the long run. This novel also allows the readers to relate to having to overcome hardships. Everyone has faced some sort of exile or change that they have had to overcome. Whatever the exile or change someone faces, it is important to benefit from the situation just as Adah did, which is enriching.
One character that faced the most hardships was Adah Price. When Adah arrived to the Congo, she was very young. Also, Adah suffers from a disease called hemiplegia that prevents the whole left side of her body to function. Having to go from the United States to a third world country would be very hard for any one her age. Adah experienced things that no one her age should experience. Adah witnesses her sisters death while in the Congo which puts sadness in her as you could imagine. Adah also witnesses her parents not caring for each other which also hits her hard. After all of these horrible things happen, Adah doesn't let it effect her too much. Adah matures greatly and starts to value her life. Adah then attends a college in the Congo and becomes a brilliant researcher in science, something she loves and truly believes in. She loves studying the life of viruses and it has also helped her look at the world at a much different angle. Although exile can be alienating and hard, it can also be enriching, just like Adah's experience.
Overall, this novel does send an important message about having to overcome hardships. Hardships can actually help one look at life differently and help them in the long run. This novel also allows the readers to relate to having to overcome hardships. Everyone has faced some sort of exile or change that they have had to overcome. Whatever the exile or change someone faces, it is important to benefit from the situation just as Adah did, which is enriching.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
My Big Question
My big question is, and I know it was used for an example in class by someone else, is what happens after you die? I have always wondered this and it is interesting to think about. Is there resurrection or is it totally the end? If it is totally the end, what happens? What goes on?
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Poetry 1
1. The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski
2. The use of this poem by a corporation is ironic because the poem talks about life and being free which has no correlation to Levi Jeans.
3. The poem does not reflect the author's reputation because it mentions that his daily routine consisted of alcohol abuse, sex, and violence. Although it does mention that he is a truthful writer, that doesn't necessarily reflect on his reputation as a whole.
4. For number one I typed some of the words from the poem into Google and it popped up. For number three, I typed in the authors name then "reputation" and I found all of the information I needed.
2. The use of this poem by a corporation is ironic because the poem talks about life and being free which has no correlation to Levi Jeans.
3. The poem does not reflect the author's reputation because it mentions that his daily routine consisted of alcohol abuse, sex, and violence. Although it does mention that he is a truthful writer, that doesn't necessarily reflect on his reputation as a whole.
4. For number one I typed some of the words from the poem into Google and it popped up. For number three, I typed in the authors name then "reputation" and I found all of the information I needed.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Catching Up
I fell behind in my summer reading and did not quite finish it up. I have fully read Pride and Prejudice but I have not fully finished the others. I hope to get the other readings done very soon since I am almost done with them. This will definitely not happen again and I hope I did not get off on the wrong foot I am just being honest. After your introduction to the class today, I am now interested in this class and I want to try and improve myself. I know not completing my summer work helped but I am hoping to finish that up and post the essay very soon. There is a lot of room for improvement for me so I hope it all works out.
Pride and Prejudice Notes
Characters
- Elizabeth Bennet- The protagonist and the second oldest of the five sisters. She is very outgoing. She falls in love with Fitzwilliam Darcy.
- Fitzwilliam Darcy- Wealthy, proud man who falls in love with Elizabeth. He has a rough attitude but is secretly generous.
- Mr. Bennet- Father, unhappily married and failed to support his family
- Mrs. Bennet- Foolish, tries to hook the daughters up with husbands
- Jane Bennet- oldest and most beautiful of the sisters and she is very kind. She falls in love with Bingley
- Mary Bennet- Third sister who prefers reading over socializing
- Catherine Bennet- The fourth sister who joins her sister Lydia in flirting with the soldiers
- Lydia Bennet- youngest sister who is immature and irresponsible. Mom's favorite daughter. She runs away with Wickham
- Charles Bingley- Good- natured wealthy man who falls in love with Jane. Easily influenced by others
- Caroline Bingley- Charles' stuck up sister who befriends Jane. She attempts to attract Darcy's attention and is jealous that Darcy wants Elizabeth
- George Wickham- Handsome and personable fortune hunter to whom Elizabeth is initially attracted. Runs off and is forced to marry Lydia
- Georgiana Darcy- Darcy's very nice but shy sister
- Mr. Collins- Mr. Bennet's ridiculous cousin, who will inherit long bourn after Mr. Bennet's death. He seeks a bride and he first proposes to Elizabeth then to Charlotte Lucas
- Charlotte Lucas- Elizabeth's sensible and intelligent friend, who disappoints Elizabeth by marrying Mr. Collins for money and security.
Plot
- A man named Charles Bingley buys some property by the Bennet's house. The five unmarried sisters have a chance
- Jane and Elizabeth meet Bingley and his friend Darcy. Jane and Bingley seem like a good fit but Darcy and Elizabeth do not have a fit.
- Jane goes to visit Bingley and ends up having to stay there because she got sick
- Elizabeth meets a soldier named Wickham and Wickham tells her Darcy is bad because Darcy owes him some money
- Bingley leaves and Jane gets upset
- Elizabeth finds out Darcy told Bingley to not marry Jane because her family is poor. Darcy then tries to confess his love for Elizabeth but Elizabeth rejects him because of what Darcy told Bingley.
- After that, Elizabeth's sister Lydia wants to marry Wickham but doesn't have the money for it but Darcy pays for it which makes Elizabeth start to like Darcy and fall in love with him and they end up getting married along with Bingley and Jane.
Theme
- One of the main themes of Pride and Prejudice is a women's role in society. Women were more like property than anything else. Women's father's would sell their daughter to rich men. Women also did not speak out against men in relationships. Women were definitely not equal to men
- The title says a lot about the theme as well
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)