My Blogs this Year

Although many people complain about blogs and having to do them, I thoroughly enjoy most of the blogs because many times I like putting my opinion about something down so I can look at it later. Most of my blogs are pretty good, and I tended to do them in bunches, because if I don't feel like writing I don't write. But a lot of times I would just get the itch to do a blog at like 1 in the morning or some other weird time so I would do one. My favorite blog was definitely when I got to make up my own ending to the "Pit and the Pendulum" and I just went crazy and made up an awesome ending because I love making up stories! My least favorite blog, at least recently was the "Great Gatsby Playlist" I honestly don't know any roaring 20s songs and I don't intend on looking any up, not that I hate the music it's just I don't really feel like leafing through a bunch of songs for some that fit moments in The Great Gatsby. For some of the blogs I didn't do very much for them because I just wanted to get them done, while others I actually spent a lot of time researching and I spent a lot of time on them. It was kind of hit and miss to be honest. I thought it was very interesting and overall something that I ended up enjoying a lot. I learned that I like blogging about things that I like, and if I don't like something, I literally have no interest in writing about it and researching it. But, this was overall very fun I thought.

My Advice to Ms. Wolff

My advice to Ms Wolff is a couple of things. First of all, know what you are talking about before you decide to teach it. Ms Williams really knows what she is talking about with symbolism and themes and honestly you have pretty big shoes to fill. Also Ms Williams also does a really good job with connecting with students on a level that they understand and with analogies that they understand. Whether it is references to music, facebook, or movies that are popular it is important that you use those to keep interest. Also, try not to be too uptight if some kids don't listen to every single that you may say. The more mad you get about it, the worse it will probably get because the kid probably likes making you mad. Well, hope I helped you out a bit Ms Wolff.

My Mark Twain Quote

"All generalizations are false, including this one."-Mark Twain. I like this quote by Mark Twain because of how often this rings true. So many times people will complain about something, or explain something with a generalization that is not necessarily true for every individual who belongs to this group. Sometimes it is like, oh, well he/she is a certain race so what do you expect. Or, well all guys are jerks and all they want is sex. Or all girls are crazy and dumb. None of these things are true for every single individual in these groups, and this is one of my biggest pet peeves. And given I do do it sometimes, but if i hear someone do it, I always try to call them on it because it just annoys me.

My Guy Jack Johnson

Now I am someone who is really into music, and I enjoy most types of music and listen to a wide variety. Recently I have been listening to a lot of Jack Johnson's music. His style is kind of like easygoing acoustic guitar with vocals and not much more. There is just something about his style of music that just relaxes me. Whenever I am just hanging out doing nothing I always put him on and it just make me happy.... I don't know why it just does. It is also great background music for doing homework, its not loud and distracting so I can do my homework and still not be disturbed. I also play guitar, and though some of his guitar parts are kind of complicated for the most part it is pretty simple so I also enjoy playing his songs. He is just fun.

Clyde Kennard

Clyde Kennard was a black American in the 1950s who, after serving in the military for 7 years, wanted to finish his college degree. Unfortunately for him, there were no black colleges in the area, and the closest white school was Mississippi Southern. So he sent in an application. The president kept on getting Kennard on stupid technicalities they would not call anyone else on. This was because other than him being black, he met every requirement needed. He kept writing and trying to get into this school, his persistence matched that of Rosa Parks or MLK. Eventually he was jailed for "going over the speed limit and being in possession of whiskey. And while in prison he developed a lesion on his colon. They would not release him however. But, as his story got out a lot of support came for him and they eventually released him early for medical reasons and he died shortly after being released. But his persistence really was important for the movement, especially in such a racist, segregated state such as Mississippi.

My Walk Through the Streets of Harlem

The first thing I found interesting looking through these two sites was "Speaker's corner" which was a corner in Harlem that is very famous for hosting prominent, important civil rights speakers voicing their opinions on step stools and soap boxes. Personally I think that's pretty interesting. Something I also found intriguing was the story about the black boxer Jack Johnson. He basically represented black people in boxing and in society, so much so that white people were scrambling to try to find a white savior of boxing. Personally I think that that is stupid, and it is honestly a shame that America split itself by trying to pit the whites against the blacks. Many white boxers wouldn't even fight him because he was black. But he just persevered through all the drama and idiocy and eventually became champion. That is just the type of person he was, eccentric, and not really caring about what was normal or accepted.

What's on my mind right now

Honestly, it is spring break right now and its kind of late while I am doing this blog because I have really been procrastinating on all of my assignments you have given us especially these blogs I'm so behind right now. And I just really hate that I actually have things to do on this break, given, I've done a lot of really fun stuff, but it's just annoying. I suppose that's just life, but still! I just wanted a break. I mean, it's not even that much, just math homework and this, but its still kind of annoying. I guess I just wanted to completely free break and I'm just not getting that right now. But whatever I guess....

Music in Harlem

here is the link to the picture of the sculpture: http://www.google.com/imgres?start=89&num=10&um=1&hl=en&biw=1440&bih=672&tbm=isch&tbnid=WyV_ijkosy2vqM:&imgrefurl=http://www.modernartimages.com/limitededitions3.htm&docid=ByIcB7Jgn3I3NM&imgurl=http://www.modernartimages.com/images/sculptureeditions/african-american-original-art-queenofjazz.jpg&w=306&h=451&ei=Zrh_T_T2NNTjggfx9-jQBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=502&vpy=178&dur=6125&hovh=273&hovw=185&tx=95&ty=168&sig=107467425027795416133&page=4&tbnh=145&tbnw=98&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:89,i:9

This sculpture of a woman playing the saxophone is a great representation of the times during the roaring 20s during prohibition. During this time rich white folk would go to Harlem and go to the speakeasies to drink and be entertained. The entertainment was many times black musicians. However the blacks themselves were not let in unless the played for the band or brought special guests. This was something the sisters were very aware of and Sadie in fact even went to one of these clubs once.

My connection to ol' Walt's poem

Well to be honest there were not a ton of things in this poem that I really connected with, as I don't walk to school, so that kind of bothered me. But besides that the one thing that I really connected with was how he described how " he that had father'd him and she that had conceiv'd
him in her womb and birth'd him,
They gave this child more of themselves than that,
They gave him afterward every day, they became part of him."
I think this really reflects how my parents have affected my life. Yeah they gave birth to me, but they have done so much more than that. All of my mannerisms, my attitude towards things, and even some parts of my personality are what they because of how much they have influenced me just by what they put an emphasis on. They put a real emphasis, on school, music, and overall just being healthy and doing what you enjoy doing and pursuing your goals. And by that way, they have become a part of me that is invaluable to me and something I am eternally grateful for.

"The Purple Clover"-Emily Dickinson

PURPLE CLOVER.

There is a flower that bees prefer,
And butterflies desire;
To gain the purple democrat
The humming-birds aspire.

And whatsoever insect pass,
A honey bears away
Proportioned to his several dearth
And her capacity.

Her face is rounder than the moon,
And ruddier than the gown
Of orchis in the pasture,
Or rhododendron worn.

She doth not wait for June;
Before the world is green
Her sturdy little countenance
Against the wind is seen,

Contending with the grass,
Near kinsman to herself,
For privilege of sod and sun,
Sweet litigants for life.

And when the hills are full,
And newer fashions blow,
Doth not retract a single spice
For pang of jealousy.

Her public is the noon,
Her providence the sun,
Her progress by the bee proclaimed
In sovereign, swerveless tune.

The bravest of the host,
Surrendering the last,
Nor even of defeat aware
When cancelled by the frost.

I think the message that she is trying to get across is that people prefer a strong, independent woman like maybe how she was. She talks of how all prefer her, and all aspire to be like her. She is not afraid to go out in the day, she is brave, and never surrenders. She perhaps is talking how that is a good thing for women to be this way.

Something Good and Not so good that happened today

Well, for this school week so far I had been unable to work out at all as I had a monstrous problem set to do for physics, a bio 2 test to study for, and a multitude of other homework. Now me not being able to work out or do some sort of exercise every day is a big deal for me. It is my main outlet of my frustration and stress. So when I worked out today for the first time this week at a workout place called "Crossfit" today it was as if all of the stress and anger just washed away. I felt so great afterward, it was a great thing that happened to me. Now a couple of bad things that happened to me today was having a Bio 2 test and a Physics test on the same day. Now honestly I was so worried about the tests going into them, and for each one I felt even worse coming out, it was horrible. But after I worked out and had a fun night with my friend and foreign exchange brother Alex, I really was in a much better mood, and it was a good way of dealing with my worries.

My Encounter with the Deer

One time, me and my family was in the Wisconsin Dells and they had a deer park outside of the resort. So we went and visited that, and it was this big open space where the deer could come up to you and you could feed them. It really wasn't that realistic though, because the deer had been so used to being fed by the people coming to the park, they would nuzzle you and beg for food. They were much like dogs and they seemed domesticated (whether they are or not I do not know). Now I was about 8 at the time and was pretty afraid of the deer at first, but eventually I warmed up to them and was feeding them. For a long time I always thought of deer this way, being like dogs. But a couple years later I realized that that probably wasn't how real deer acted. So I guess it was an experience with nature, no matter how unrealistic it was.

Team Edgar

Edgar Allen Poe was quite obviously the best Gothic author. He wrote with such description and put so much feeling into his writing. Whenever I read his writing I am always captivated and intrigued. Now I am not saying that Nathaniel Hawthorne was not a great Gothic author, as the Scarlet Letter was a very interesting book. Maybe it is just that I am a little biased as I have read much more of Poe's work than I have of Hawthorne's through my school years. So I have come to appreciate Poe much more. Poe also does a wonderful job channeling the problems in his life into the poems or stories he writes. Like the "Oval Portrait" was an amazing allegory for how his wife was dying as he was working. Really I cannot say enough about his description though. In the story the "House of Usher" where he talks of the dying house, and just everything in that story is well done. I just enjoy Edgar more than Nathaniel, simple as that.