Hello, internet! And now, we present to you yet another exciting journey beyond the comprehension of mere mortals... Into my unrestrained consciousness...
Hmm, seems awfully empty in here.
Today I am going to talk about Wright’s response to his mother’s illness, so get your pillows ready. Here we go!
Wright relies on his mother almost entirely. She gets the money, she makes him food (sometimes), and she provides an (inconsistent) roof over his head. She is the source of good in his life, and every time he goes away, whether to school, the store, or to the orphanage, he misses her. So his reaction when she suddenly stops... Being, is not too surprising to me.
What happens is Wright’s world stops. He can’t eat. He has difficulty sleeping. When he is brought to his granny’s house, he can’t really function. All he does is play in the backyard half-heartedly.
When he is sent to his uncle’s house, his brain and body basically shut down. He can’t eat well. His mind starts playing tricks on him. He can’t sleep. He begins picking fights at school. Everything kind of shatters.
Yeah. That’s basically what happens.
Wow. I don’t have anything more to say about this. This is a world first. A blog that came in under 250. Well, good night ladies and gentlemen. I think I’ll go eat a cow now.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
251 Words of Wonder
Hello, internet! So, looking over the past few posts that I’ve done, as well as the accompanying comments, it seems that I’ve been unduly cynical lately. Please forgive me for being a poopface. I’ve been going through a crazy lot of stress lately, and it appears that I’ve failed in my attempts to keep it out of my school life.
Anyways, today I’m going to talk about how Wright says that it’s his “cultural heritage” to hate jews. I’m not entirely sure what that means, but I can give you the basic run-down of why I think he’s so hard on them.
Growing up, Wright was always spit upon. He was the lowest of the low, a poor black with a single mother and no education. Everywhere he went he had been the victim of hate and detestment... That’s not a word. People didn’t like him. And, according to that dude we read last semester with the weird name-- Vincent Parillo or something like that, people who are at the bottom of the rack need a vent, someone to hurt or to blame. It just so happened that Wright was raised Christian, so he naturally had the Jews to hate for killing Christ.
Or something like that. Of course, now we have the interesting question of what if Wright hadn’t been raised Christian. Would he still have hated someone? Would he have teased them so much? I think yes, but let me know what you think in the comments below.
One word over 250. Yes!
Anyways, today I’m going to talk about how Wright says that it’s his “cultural heritage” to hate jews. I’m not entirely sure what that means, but I can give you the basic run-down of why I think he’s so hard on them.
Growing up, Wright was always spit upon. He was the lowest of the low, a poor black with a single mother and no education. Everywhere he went he had been the victim of hate and detestment... That’s not a word. People didn’t like him. And, according to that dude we read last semester with the weird name-- Vincent Parillo or something like that, people who are at the bottom of the rack need a vent, someone to hurt or to blame. It just so happened that Wright was raised Christian, so he naturally had the Jews to hate for killing Christ.
Or something like that. Of course, now we have the interesting question of what if Wright hadn’t been raised Christian. Would he still have hated someone? Would he have teased them so much? I think yes, but let me know what you think in the comments below.
One word over 250. Yes!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Welcome to the Hotel California
Hello, Internet! I'm crazy stressed right now, so no promises about the quality of this post. Now, if only I didn't have to worry about lawns...
In Black Boy by Richard Wright, the main character (Richard as a kid) complains a lot about being hungry. Today I'm supposed to talk about why he is hungry.
Richard is hungry because he has no food. Duh. He has no food because his dad left his mom and they can't afford food. He is malnutritioned, getting only tea and bread, not real food.
But there's possibly a deeper meaning to this. Richard's biggest problem, apart from malnutrition, is neglect. His mother loves him, but his mother has to work long hours and can't really take care of him. His father left his family and doesn't support him. When he went to school he learned language that made his mother mad at him. When he got put in the orphanage, the creepy beldam in charge cared for him, but in a weird way. Richard lived in fear and loneliness his entire life, and he is hungry for affection.
You can believe that if you want to. I personally think that it's BS. I know that it's what our educator wants us to write about, but common. This is non-fiction. An AutoBiography. Cool nifty little literary devices like metaphors and symbolism don't happen in real life. If Richard ate an apple in the book, it's not because he was becoming smarter, it's because a hundred years or so ago, Richard Wright actually picked up a granny smith and took a big bite out of it.
OK, so that's enough for this week. Still over the 250 word limit, but I'm getting better. See y'all later!
In Black Boy by Richard Wright, the main character (Richard as a kid) complains a lot about being hungry. Today I'm supposed to talk about why he is hungry.
Richard is hungry because he has no food. Duh. He has no food because his dad left his mom and they can't afford food. He is malnutritioned, getting only tea and bread, not real food.
But there's possibly a deeper meaning to this. Richard's biggest problem, apart from malnutrition, is neglect. His mother loves him, but his mother has to work long hours and can't really take care of him. His father left his family and doesn't support him. When he went to school he learned language that made his mother mad at him. When he got put in the orphanage, the creepy beldam in charge cared for him, but in a weird way. Richard lived in fear and loneliness his entire life, and he is hungry for affection.
You can believe that if you want to. I personally think that it's BS. I know that it's what our educator wants us to write about, but common. This is non-fiction. An AutoBiography. Cool nifty little literary devices like metaphors and symbolism don't happen in real life. If Richard ate an apple in the book, it's not because he was becoming smarter, it's because a hundred years or so ago, Richard Wright actually picked up a granny smith and took a big bite out of it.
OK, so that's enough for this week. Still over the 250 word limit, but I'm getting better. See y'all later!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
50th Post!
hello, world. Blah. I just read a really depressing article.
It was about how schools in amerika are designed to turn us into mindless zombie-children who do nothing but degrade and consume. And I have some issues with consuming.
When I first picked up the article, I thought “there’s no way someone could present a good case to stop learning!”
Now I’m totally won, and I have half a mind to drop out of high school.
One of the things that bothers me so much about being a student is all I do is what others tell me to do. For example, let’s look at the AP test. I take the AP test because a bunch of people who I’ve never met tell me to answer a bunch of boring questions that are designed so that they can figure out how my brain works, and, oh yeah, the grading system is totally arbitrary. Why do I take the AP test? So that after I “graduate” from high school, sorry, College Preparatory School, I can spend another four to life at yet another fine educational establishment that I have to pay through the nose to attend.
University High School states that “classes here aren’t about passing a test or getting the grade, they’re about true learning. Then why is the purpose of this very AP lit class, as stated in the class syllabus, for us to get a good grade on the AP exam. Oh, wait sorry, we also study rhetoric, but only because the state of indiana requires us to.
What am I doing in school right now? I want to be a film maker. I try to make films in my free time, but school is my current “occupation”. Nothing, NOTHING I learn at You-Achh-Ess will help me make better films. Yes, I’ll be well versed in ancient roman history, yes I’ll be able to deal with differential equations, and yes, I’ll be able to pass the stupid AP exam, but I won’t be able to make movies any better than I can right now. What am I wasting my time for?
In short, I now completely and totally believe that school is 100% useless to most people. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are some things that school does help with (I love computers, therefore I take Apple Help Desk), but those are all things that I could take as a separate class, like how some people sit in on college-level classes.
I write these blogs in Apple Pages, and this is the first time one has ever wrapped around to the second page. I guess I’ll go do my math homework... Or not.
End of line.
It was about how schools in amerika are designed to turn us into mindless zombie-children who do nothing but degrade and consume. And I have some issues with consuming.
When I first picked up the article, I thought “there’s no way someone could present a good case to stop learning!”
Now I’m totally won, and I have half a mind to drop out of high school.
One of the things that bothers me so much about being a student is all I do is what others tell me to do. For example, let’s look at the AP test. I take the AP test because a bunch of people who I’ve never met tell me to answer a bunch of boring questions that are designed so that they can figure out how my brain works, and, oh yeah, the grading system is totally arbitrary. Why do I take the AP test? So that after I “graduate” from high school, sorry, College Preparatory School, I can spend another four to life at yet another fine educational establishment that I have to pay through the nose to attend.
University High School states that “classes here aren’t about passing a test or getting the grade, they’re about true learning. Then why is the purpose of this very AP lit class, as stated in the class syllabus, for us to get a good grade on the AP exam. Oh, wait sorry, we also study rhetoric, but only because the state of indiana requires us to.
What am I doing in school right now? I want to be a film maker. I try to make films in my free time, but school is my current “occupation”. Nothing, NOTHING I learn at You-Achh-Ess will help me make better films. Yes, I’ll be well versed in ancient roman history, yes I’ll be able to deal with differential equations, and yes, I’ll be able to pass the stupid AP exam, but I won’t be able to make movies any better than I can right now. What am I wasting my time for?
In short, I now completely and totally believe that school is 100% useless to most people. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are some things that school does help with (I love computers, therefore I take Apple Help Desk), but those are all things that I could take as a separate class, like how some people sit in on college-level classes.
I write these blogs in Apple Pages, and this is the first time one has ever wrapped around to the second page. I guess I’ll go do my math homework... Or not.
End of line.
Now You See Me...
hello world. I’ve had a tough day, so work with me tonight.
My assignment is to talk about how I value the “non-academic” education I get from school.
Wow. I don’t really know where to begin. In middle school, I was an outcast. I still am, but I now know how to be good outcast. Going to school has taught me everything from how to be a good friend to methods of interrogation (long story) to organizational skills... The list goes on and on.
I think the best way to put this into a frame of reference is to examine people who don’t get the “non-academic” benefits of high school: home-schoolers. I know that I’m making a lot of generalizations here, and I know that not all that I’m saying is entirely true, but this is my general impression.
People who are home-schooled are just as nice and smart as you or I... Excuse me, you or me. But they tend to lack a lot of important skills. Things that you need experience for.
Like, for example, freshman year I had a great friend who I would often say the “wrong thing” in front of. I had no idea how it would happen, but I would just let something slip, and BLAH! poopsickle. Textbook high school drama. After a while, I realized that when I was saying something and they said “I see...”, it was a subtle warning: stop now. So I did. And it helped a lot.
Now I’m able to pick up on small non-verbal clues like that. I gained that skill in high school, and it’s just one of the many things I’ve gotten out of hallway interactions. High School isn’t just about 1492 and √(-1) and Appeal to Ethos and La Langue du Français...
Opp, over the word limit again. See you later.
I see.
My assignment is to talk about how I value the “non-academic” education I get from school.
Wow. I don’t really know where to begin. In middle school, I was an outcast. I still am, but I now know how to be good outcast. Going to school has taught me everything from how to be a good friend to methods of interrogation (long story) to organizational skills... The list goes on and on.
I think the best way to put this into a frame of reference is to examine people who don’t get the “non-academic” benefits of high school: home-schoolers. I know that I’m making a lot of generalizations here, and I know that not all that I’m saying is entirely true, but this is my general impression.
People who are home-schooled are just as nice and smart as you or I... Excuse me, you or me. But they tend to lack a lot of important skills. Things that you need experience for.
Like, for example, freshman year I had a great friend who I would often say the “wrong thing” in front of. I had no idea how it would happen, but I would just let something slip, and BLAH! poopsickle. Textbook high school drama. After a while, I realized that when I was saying something and they said “I see...”, it was a subtle warning: stop now. So I did. And it helped a lot.
Now I’m able to pick up on small non-verbal clues like that. I gained that skill in high school, and it’s just one of the many things I’ve gotten out of hallway interactions. High School isn’t just about 1492 and √(-1) and Appeal to Ethos and La Langue du Français...
Opp, over the word limit again. See you later.
I see.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Still over 250 words
Hello, internet!
So, my assignment is to blog about the picture presentations we just saw. Woo. So. What did I just see?
What I saw was interesting. There’s a lot of visual rhetoric out there, but very little of it was shown today. In other words, I was kind of disappointed. Now, don’t get me wrong, there were some really good images, but think about it.
America is the land. The land of nudity (not really, but as much skin as we can legally show without giving you the full turkey). The land of child manipulation (most ads are designed to make kids throw tantrums to get what they want). The land of commercial exploitation of credibility (I trust Tiger Woods because he’s smart, so he must really like that brand of cars. They must be really good).
I know for a fact that there’s a heck of a lot of visual rhetoric out there to be photographed. I admit that I didn’t do such a good job myself. I focused almost entirely on architecture. I could have gone to Starbucks, they always have some sort of sumatra super double venti macciato thingy they’re promoting. I could have gone to the mall, and taken pictures of the ads there (you know, the ones for the jeans where they show a hot 20yo with no shirt and a ripped bod and only the top few seams of the jeans they’re trying to get me to buy). In all fairness, I didn’t want to waste gas and I had to be home by dinner. Most people probably did. But I think this would have been a lot better if we all had more time to work on it, and made it into a much bigger project. Good bye!
So, my assignment is to blog about the picture presentations we just saw. Woo. So. What did I just see?
What I saw was interesting. There’s a lot of visual rhetoric out there, but very little of it was shown today. In other words, I was kind of disappointed. Now, don’t get me wrong, there were some really good images, but think about it.
America is the land. The land of nudity (not really, but as much skin as we can legally show without giving you the full turkey). The land of child manipulation (most ads are designed to make kids throw tantrums to get what they want). The land of commercial exploitation of credibility (I trust Tiger Woods because he’s smart, so he must really like that brand of cars. They must be really good).
I know for a fact that there’s a heck of a lot of visual rhetoric out there to be photographed. I admit that I didn’t do such a good job myself. I focused almost entirely on architecture. I could have gone to Starbucks, they always have some sort of sumatra super double venti macciato thingy they’re promoting. I could have gone to the mall, and taken pictures of the ads there (you know, the ones for the jeans where they show a hot 20yo with no shirt and a ripped bod and only the top few seams of the jeans they’re trying to get me to buy). In all fairness, I didn’t want to waste gas and I had to be home by dinner. Most people probably did. But I think this would have been a lot better if we all had more time to work on it, and made it into a much bigger project. Good bye!
Monday, February 9, 2009
FEED me
Hello, internet!
Does the media shape reality? Well, of course it does!
I’m not really sure how to answer this question. It seems kind of obvious. I turn on the TV, and I am given the rare opportunity to see what it is like to be wealthy. I am served up depictions of what being poor is like. I am exposed to reasons to want to be wealthy, like them.
Do you know who Billy Mays is? He’s the OxyClean dude. He shouts at me to buy buy buy buy buy. So does Tiger Woods. So does Miley Cyrus. Sorry, Hanna Montana. Wait...
My point is that consumerism is an advertisey thing. Let’s see... What about racism? I don’t want to be friends with any black people because they’re always the ones getting on the 11:00 news. Oh, and I need to look pretty, because you see all those happy people, you know, the ones who have perfect lives and donate to dolphin-whatevers? They are all really well dressed. The Jonas Brothers have no acne. Brad Pitt has that busty blonde babe. I should be like that, too. Then I’ll be happy.
What else? I guess the classic example of the media changing reality is Disney. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Disney. But they are an evil empire. How have they changed reality? Oh, I dunno. Everyone believes that if they wish hard enough, and try, their happily-ever-after will come true. Oh, and high school is full of preppy hot jocks who are perfect singers, dancers, and have a 4.0 GPA. It isn’t actually like that? Then my life sucks. Good bye!
Does the media shape reality? Well, of course it does!
I’m not really sure how to answer this question. It seems kind of obvious. I turn on the TV, and I am given the rare opportunity to see what it is like to be wealthy. I am served up depictions of what being poor is like. I am exposed to reasons to want to be wealthy, like them.
Do you know who Billy Mays is? He’s the OxyClean dude. He shouts at me to buy buy buy buy buy. So does Tiger Woods. So does Miley Cyrus. Sorry, Hanna Montana. Wait...
My point is that consumerism is an advertisey thing. Let’s see... What about racism? I don’t want to be friends with any black people because they’re always the ones getting on the 11:00 news. Oh, and I need to look pretty, because you see all those happy people, you know, the ones who have perfect lives and donate to dolphin-whatevers? They are all really well dressed. The Jonas Brothers have no acne. Brad Pitt has that busty blonde babe. I should be like that, too. Then I’ll be happy.
What else? I guess the classic example of the media changing reality is Disney. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Disney. But they are an evil empire. How have they changed reality? Oh, I dunno. Everyone believes that if they wish hard enough, and try, their happily-ever-after will come true. Oh, and high school is full of preppy hot jocks who are perfect singers, dancers, and have a 4.0 GPA. It isn’t actually like that? Then my life sucks. Good bye!
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