The 4th of July Tradition...

Some call it a party, others call it a moment to honor America's pride. I call it a tradition. Every 4th of July, my sister and I throw an extremely hectic party. Over time, each party has become more successful than the last one. To me, this is not just a party, this is a tradition that involves a madness. The madness starts 3 days before 7/4...In those 3 days, we clean the house, plan the food recipes, calculate our budget, clean the house some more, and prepare the food overnight. On the day of the party, I wake up early and work in the kitchen all. damn. day. Haha (: Even though I am drained of my energy by the end of the night after all of the fireworks have been lit and the crowd has departed, I feel that sweet tingling feeling inside of me, a whisper in my head that says, "We will do it all again next year."
I enjoy this tradition, this madness, and the birth of our country: the United States of America. <3

Tell Tale Heart Analysis

The narrator seems to be insane from the things he claimed he did. But in every "truth" told, there is a little bit of exaggeration, a little bit of lies, and a little bit of something that never happened. The narrator could be reflecting and explaining his actions after he is caught. However, because he is insane, it is possible that this entire scenario never happened--it was all him hallucinating.
If that was the case, then his psychological issues drove him to have an inexplainable hate against the old man. His strategic planning to kill the man was all in his head. The part where the narrator says he heard the heart beat under the floor planks suggests that the narrator was hallucinating. There is no way that a heart can still beat after the person was smothered to death and the body having been severed.

Why

Only the reflection in the half shattered mirror could explain her pain. I felt as if I knew her--but the memory was blurred. Holding groceries in plastic bags stretched out of shape, I stared at the abandoned car in front of me. Maybe I got it all wrong. This cannot be. What a beautiful day it was, with crisp, white snowflakes tenderly dropping from the ash, white sky, every house lit with fragrant candles, families gathered in together in living rooms cracking jokes, and children tumbling in the snow. She stared at me with icy sapphire eyes. Circles of gray trailed out of my nose with every breathe I exhaled. From her eyes, I saw the reflection of myself.

She pulled out pen and paper from her purse and scribbled down a word or two. She slid her hand across the crumpled paper on broken glass and ribbons of red started to swirl on top. Rich, cherry red dyed the paper a different hue, a different feeling. I said in my head that this was all too familiar. Kneeling down, speechless, I looked at the ground. The ground was once so serene and dear to me. But now, two red ribbons were intertwined to tell a story. To give an ending. We were all talking with our voices on mute. Many times I looked at her questioning if we were feeling the same thing. I could not tell what I was feeling, I only knew of coldness and chills. The red ribbons froze in the snow as droplets of tears washed away her makeup. Smudges of blackness streamed down her cheeks. A woman walked by and asked if everything was okay, then walked away as no one answered her.

We did not deserve this, if anyone asks. Maybe I did, but I know that she did not. It was all a fairy, a happy story until she saw the end. All those years of waiting, and she ends up sitting in a circle of red ribbon drawn from her blood. The sky turned pale gray and the snow continued to fall. The flakes were larger and looked more like milkweed than actual snow. She stuffed her sliced hand in the snow and shouted at the abandoned car, "You god damn motherf*****! Why?! Why?!" I did not know why and nor did she. Only the person hanging halfway out of the car door knew why. I guess it is too late to ask why.

The Fray - Syndicate

Halfway around the world 
Lies the one thing that you want 
Buried in the ground, hundreds of miles down 
First thing that arises in your mind while you awake 
Is bending you til you break 
Let me hold you now 

Baby close your eyes 
Don't open til the morning light 
Baby don't forget 
You haven't lost it all yet 

Don't know what your made of 
Til the one thing that you want 
To come in with the dawn and suddenly changes 
Monday, syndicate meets everyone the same 
But all we've lost to the flame 
Listen to me now 

Baby close your eyes 
Don't open til the morning light 
Don't ever forget 
We haven't lost it all yet 
All we know for sure 
Is all that we are fighting for 
Baby don't forget 
We haven't lost it all yet 

Someday when this is over 
We may still have no answer 
For now it's when I hold ya 
We are closer, we are closer 
We are closer, we are closer 

Baby close your eyes 
Don't open til the morning light 
Don't ever forget 
We haven't lost it all yet 
And all we know for sure 
Is all that we are fighting for 
Baby don't forget 
We haven't lost it all yet 

We are closer 
We are closer 
(We haven't lost it all yet) 
Now we are closer 
(We haven't lost it all yet)
We are closer 


Syndicate means a group of people or organization working together to carry out a goal. The song "Syndicate" gives a feeling that it is expressing a type of love that is going cold. Though sadness is major in this song, hope is a theme that is revisited in almost every other stanza. The poem refers a lot to time. We know that time changes, but life still goes on. In a way, it is saying even if things change, you will be okay and nothing or not everything is lost. "Halfway around the world lies the one thing you want. Buried in the ground, hundreds of miles down" is referring to something that seems to be so far away and unrealistic. "First thing that arises in your mind while you awake, bending you til' you break, let me hold you now," paints the aura that hope is lost. Then after the dark phase comes a lighter touch, "Baby close your eyes, don't open til' the morning light, Baby don't forget, you haven't lost it all yet" suggests that people can still dream and hope. "Don't know what you're made of til' the one thing that you want to come in with the dawn and suddenly changes. Monday, syndicate me, it's everyone the same, but all we've lost to the flame. Listen to me now" suggests that one doesn't not know his or her strength until the risks are high. Even if the most important thing is lost and there's nothing that can be done to change it, keep hoping. "Don't ever forget we haven't lost it all yet. All we know for sure is all that we are fighting for, baby don't forget we haven't lost it all yet," says that the process of accomplishing whatever is slow and risky, but keep trying. It is also saying we don't know how to back down and we don't know how to give up because it's painful--all we know and believe in is why we are working for what we are working to get. "Someday when this is over, we may still have no answer. For now it's when I hold her, we are closer, we are closer..." is saying how the troubles are never ending (and it may not be worth fighting for), but if we hope, things will have more closure.  

Reservation

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness." -- Declaration of Independence 1776
No. This is how life should be, but unfortunately, this is not how the Indian reservations in Montana 1948 are like. Stupid, I know. In the book, Marie Little Soldier (Indian girl) worked at Wesley Hayden's house before she was put to death. "Put to death," was how she really died. An Indian girl murdered by a White man (Frank Hayden) only because she was the one with enough courage to break his dirty deeds to the world. 
Of course no matter what kind of crime one commits, there is always a consequence. However, though Frank's father knew about his crimes, he did not bother persecuting Frank. To come and think of it, it is quite hilarious when the father is a retired sheriff, yet he just stood there to support Frank. 
As for the victims on the Indian reservation, they did not speak up because they know that they cannot fight White men. Funny story is that all men are equal (or so they say), then why can't Indians ever be right about something? Why are Indians the ones that are always wrong? Why do people look down upon other people that are "equal" to themselves? Why? Why it is because truth is, people were never recognized as "equal" from the very beginning. If people on the reservations are treated as if they are less than dirt, then that quote from the Declaration of Independence is just a masquerade for people that are clueless. 

2011 Propagandas

In 2011, propaganda surrounds every individual on the planet. Turn on the T.V. and the world of business and politics flashes before one's eyes. Business and politics always uses propaganda to their benefit. The McDonald's logo: "I'm Lovin' It," and Dunkin Donut's: "America Runs On Dunkin'," in my opinion are examples of propaganda. I think that McDonald's and Dunkin Donut's logos are examples of propaganda because in reality, America does not really run on Dunkin. Point being, Americans can survive WITHOUT Dunkin Donut's and truth is, not everybody loves McDonald's (so, I'm not really "Lovin' It," but McDonald's tells me that I am...). In a way, these food corporations are falsely stating some people's opinions. The food corporations say these positive messages (using the words: "Love" or "Run") to show that they have the support of the people and that people rely on them. Honestly, we are probably better off without the large food corporations that produce unhealthy foods for half or most of the time.

Secondly, the 2011 mayor elections (dealing with politics) displayed a few propagandas on T.V. as well. If you have not caught one of the paid commercials from the people that are running for mayor, then you might not know what I am talking about. But, it is basically the bashing of certain individuals to make one candidate look better than the other one. By suppressing others and demonstrating the positivity of oneself, this is a propaganda. If you want to look at it simply, I really believe that every single advertisement or commercial is a propaganda. Welcome to a world of lies and propaganda.

Beat Street

In the movie "Beat Street," there are several unprofessional artists that are not appreciated by society. Their work and their existence is not accepted because they are not "professionals." There is a line between professional and unprofessional. But at the end of the day, art is still art. "Beat Street" shows viewers that graffiti artists and subway dancers are illegal. Very much like how some musicians perform in the subway, if they do not have a permit, they are escorted away.
In my opinion, art should be free. Graffiti should be legal. Subway dancers should be able to dance as they wish and subway musicians should have the right to express their art freely. Like how the movie shows, sometimes these artists cannot do anything else but to make art. If the law stops them from making art, then there is no way for them to make a living and survive. However, that is a little extreme since people can always apply for jobs like working as a cashier or janitor. But the point is that art should have complete freedom.

Hungry for Attention

Not everyone are hungry for attention. There are introverts that try their best to blend in with the environment and not be noticed. Then, there are the outgoing, crazy people that are thirsty for attention. In the book Black Boy, Richard is a child that is hungry for attention. He sets his curtains and house on fire, and gruesomely killed his pet cat to show that he is rebelling against the lack of attention he gets from his family. He wants to feel the love that others do in his family. However, when his mother tells him to go get the groceries and beat the bullies with a stick, Richard no longer wants the attention. But when he beats the bullies, he likes the attention that he is being recognized as an African American child who will not tolerate racism. In a way, Richard is not just an ordinary child that wants random attention by being annoying. He wants to be known and loved, not just another object on the planet. 

On Being an American Journalist

In this article, it talks about journalists of America writing about wars and such. This may not seem like a big deal (because people would usually think: Oh, they're journalists...all they do is write.), but in reality, they put a lot at risk when they write about wars. Journalists go out to the battlefield to see for themselves what to write about. They risk their lives for us to know the truth.


Well, writing is not much easier than going out to hunt for the truth. When they are reconsidering the facts and writing, a decision has to be made. "Should I tell it as is?...Maybe I can leave out some truth..." Ahh, telling the truth...That's always difficult to do. Humans are known to lie naturally (-cough cough men cough cough- :] jk), it would be no surprise that journalists twist the truth. However, Loren Jenkins decides to stand against that and do what she believes is right. Even though it is not guaranteed that ALL journalists are like Jenkins, but for the ones that do, they are greatly respected for their work.

King Still King?

"King still King?"
- I think, Yes.

Martin Luther King, the African American man that we have known (or studied) all through our educational career. Every now and then, people are reminded of him...It might be his famous "I have a dream..," or some ignorant teenagers down the street making a racist joke dissing King, reminding people of him. Born as an African American in the time where racism and segregation ruled above all, King chose to step up and show 'em who's boss. Just kidding, not really...But he did speak and fight against the mistreatment of African Americans. Because of this, he's forever remembered...But are we still as thankful as the people were during HIS time? Do we realize how big of a deal his hard work was?

In my opinion, because this is "history" (even though it was not that long ago), we are slowly losing the value of what King did. To most of us, MLK day is just another day off of school or work. We don't REALLY take a day off to think about or celebrate King's legacy. Instead, most of us take the day off for our own enjoyment. Based on this, it's sad to say, but King is no longer as "king-ly" as he was before.  

Children of the Sea

Children of the Sea.
How do you picture a nation? What do you see when you hear the word "children?" Is it love? Is it something glorious and prideful? Is it a peaceful nation that you see?

In Children of the Sea, the words, "glorious," "peaceful," and "love" does not exist. It is the story of Haiti. The lives of the citizens of Haiti are in disarray and danger is everywhere. People escape onto little boats to sail to a haven. The ones being killed were the ones that had differing political views than the government. It is a silent nation, where no one can speak. Freedom is bounded within themselves, and the hope to make a change is risky. In the story, two teenagers write letters "to each other," depicting life in Haiti. Cruelty, hate, and violence penetrate through everyone in Haiti, even children. How innocent and naive children are...but they go through far too much than a normal adult can withstand. Beaten by fear, they are left with no choice but to flee their home. However, the journey to search of a new life is not a guaranteed success. Often times, the boats sink, and all souls on board are "sacrificed." Sacrificed for what? For freedom. For a voice. For a change.

Nick and Jay

Both Nick and Jay are quite mysterious. From the book, it's mostly Nick or Jay's point of view. We learn more about the other characters than we do about Nick and Jay. It seems that Nick and Jay can trust each other. But, from the things that Jay tells Nick about his past, is it the truth? I can't help but suspect that both Nick and Jay are tying to cover up their "true" identity. Jay seems shady and sneaky. With him pretending to be what he's not (the fake books, enormous parties with random people) gives away the fact that he is not truthful and that he has a part of him that he wants to "forget."
The relationship between Nick and Jay is more so to benefit each other rather than a friendly relationship. In chapter 4 and 5, Jay tries to meet up with Daisy, and uses the help from Nick. To thank him, Jay wants to use money to "pay" Nick back. If they were really friends, doing something as simple as setting up an arrangement should not involve money to pay back the favor.

Snowflake Battle: Remembering Mr. Snowman

Do you remember,
Remember, the times,
We shared through our fears?
Praying that we'd stay,
Together, always,
And forever,
We made a promise,
Promise to be here,
But you are long gone,
Your soul melted away,
As the misty air,
Sways, it reminds me,
Of you. How frail,
Have you become since,
Last Christmas. You are,
Incomplete, you are drowning,
Mr. Snowman, and,
Dying. Oh, please snow,
Snow so I can piece,
Your cold heart together.
Ha, you are gone, gone.
Forever is never.

Music Review

"Wake up in the morning feeling like P Diddy..."

You know Ke$ha? The blonde artist that people often refer to as "the stoned version of Taylor Swift?" Haha yeah, her, Ke$ha. She has some interesting songs...or more like lyrics. Without a doubt, her songs are catchy and the melody is upbeat and just puts you in a good mood. But if you ever pay attention to her lyrics, it definitely takes value away from the song. Her song "Tik Tok" was a big hit in the summer of 2010. As mentioned before, the melody is catchy....but the lyrics are extremely stupid and inappropriate for young children...even teens. 

"Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack. 'Cause when I leave for the night, I ain't coming back." 

O_o So, she sings about brushing her teeth with alcohol, partying hard, getting drunk, and hooking up with men like Mick Jagger. If this is "music," then I'm highly disappointed. The lyrics are supposed to be meaningful, not random things that you scribble on paper when you're drunk. Oh, but in this case, it's different for Ke$ha...she writes her songs when she's drunk at some club or party. Yeah, that explains why the lyrics about brushing your teeth with alcohol and falling for Mick Jagger came to be. For those of you who don't know, Mick Jagger is this celebrity that has issues with drugs, who divorced and married multiple times and has 4923857847189 kids...Okay, maybe not that many, but he has a few. 
It seems to me that the alcohol really got to someone...Ke$ha. It may not seem like a big deal because it's just a song. But think about it, this song is played on the radio...Anyone of any age can listen to it. Yeah, thanks for teaching people of all ages to party hard with alcohol and hook up with dirt bags...Because that's totally what our society needs. Way to go...Not. 

The Trick of Writing

What is the trick of writing?
There's no definite answer. Writing is something that is meant to be personal. Every piece of writing holds some kind of value. Because the meaning of writing changes from time to time, there is no ONE trick to writing. But anyway, the "basic tricks" still exist.
For example, when writing an argumentative piece, the writer should provide support and valid evidence. This helps them prove their point. Use of description and being "real" should be enough to write a story or journal. However, in every single piece, writing should be a form of art. In my opinion, no matter what type of writing it is, there should be at least a little bit of humor or "art" in it.
 

I Am Thankful For...

To be honest, I really appreciate this class. It's difficult to pick out ONE person from this class that I am thankful for because everyone in the class is friendly. We always have interesting discussions that opens my mind to a fresh idea. Everyone in the class are well mannered and they have self control (unlike some others at this school). The class is a comfortable place to be in because it's peaceful and "respected." I don't really want to point out the "only" one that I am thankful for. But, if I HAD to choose, it would be something like this:

I am thankful for Nina Posner! (: I love how we talk about random and funny things at 8AM in the morning almost 5 days a week. Her insightful thoughts and intelligent mind helps me understand the works of literature that we study in class. Nina's sense of humor and smile brightens my day, no matter how difficult the rest of the day may be. When presenting a certain book to the class and I am nervous, it's always comforting to see someone that welcomes you (Nina).

I am a Plow. . .

I am a plow. Yes, I said a plow...Wait, hold on for a second. How in the world am I a plow? I look nothing like the picture to the left and I do not break up soil or rip weeds out of the ground.

Well I'm probably physically not a plow, but we do have some things in common. If you think about it, a plow's life is full of hard work. Loosening the hard soil after a winter's storm or pulling out the weeds that have been planted there for months is tough. In a way, my life can be just as difficult at some points. Overcoming emotional barriers is probably the closest that I can get to being like a plow, facing difficult "work."

I'm a plow because I am a follower (or I could be one when I want to). Very much like a plow, I do what I am told by my parents or instructors. The plow doesn't have a life of its own. The plow only knows to rip through the soil when whoever is in charge of it drives it in the fields. And as for me, the things that I do are guided by other adults. This doesn't mean that I don't have my own specific role or mind, it just means that as for now, it's "safer" and maybe better that I do as I'm told.

Haha, so yeah, live the life of a plow. (:

Modern Slavery

Slavery
Mental Slavery - "The inability to view events, or one's self, differently from commonly held beliefs."
Physical Slavery - To abuse one's labor

Oh, how this topic angers me. Whether it is mental or physical slavery, it is wrong. It is wrong even if the one being abused is willing to sacrifice. We live in the 21st century where many laws already exist to protect our rights and such. But that does not stop violence, abuse, and "slavery." Too often, I see modern day slavery. To me, it is nothing new, because I see or hear it almost at least once or twice a week.

It's a painful feeling that greets you when you see an elderly person be abused by their relative or anyone in general. That sense of guilt, of a feeling that's like, "I know this is wrong, but I can't help you because you will not listen to me." Seeing their fear and misery is worse than anything. They have worked hard all their lives to raise their kids and hope that they will survive well. After all of that, this is what they get? Do they deserve scoldings from their kids everyday? Foul language? Screams or even have objects thrown at them?

NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT. No one deserves such treatment, and definitely not elderly people. Whenever I see people that mistreat elders, I want to swing something at their face so hard...haha, you don't even know...But I can't, because that's abuse too...and surely I refuse to believe that two wrong's make a right. There's so much that I want to say to the abusers. I want to shun them and tell them how stupid they are. I want to lock these monsters up. As of now, I'm still afraid to face these monsters. . .but I am planning my approach. This will end. 

A Direction the Class Needs

"A direction the class needs..."
To be brutally honest, I feel that the class only needs to change one thing. Yes, one thing only, but it is a major thing: Inspiration.
It may sound weird and irrevelevant to a decent level, but the class truly needs inspiration. I say this because sometimes our class discussions are "shallow." We tend to state the obvious because it is right there and it is easy. Rarely do we ever make connections to our lives, or try to be in the place of whichever character that we are studying. We're all intelligent, but it is the time consuming things (like having inspiration) that makes our minds go far. I believe that everything we read about, hear about, or even write about should trigger a thought. Let it be a fresh idea, connection, or opinion, the material we come in contact with should act as a catalyst and our meaningful response is the reaction.

Interesting Tidbits

Puritans

-     Followed  Calvinist theocracy (The belief that God has already chosen the ones that would go to Hell, and it cannot be helped).

-      16^th – 17^th century Puritan = did not believe in what “puritans” today believe in. They were very much like Protestant reformers.

-      Puritans today = People who has strict views on sexual morality, disapproves recreation, and wants people to think this way.

Puritans and Calvinists still exist today. They are part of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. Puritans from the past influenced our society to carry on these beliefs, even if they are not as popular. We give Puritans a different definition today, but that is not how true puritans are.

Salem

-      Why the witch hysteria began: Politics, religion, family feuds, economics, and fear

Today, many quarrels happen because of these reasons. False ideas are shared to cover up political inconsistencies. Rumors are spread around because of family feuds and fear or some people. History tends to repeat itself in this case. 

Nathaniel

-      Nathaniel’s family were Puritans

-      His father did a few cases on witchcraft in 1692

-      Nathaniel was ashamed his family took part in the non-sense. He added a “w” to his last name -à Hawthorne

Why the house is “haunted”

-      A young Nathaniel’s ghost is believed to be present at The House of Seven Gables

-      Reason: 1. Nathaniel lost his father at sea when he was only four years old. 2. Upon receiving this news, he was traumatized. The ghost spotted was a young boy.