Into the Wild

1. My inital reaction to this book was great because it was telling an interesting story at a very fast pace. But after maybe the first two chapters I have come not only to dislike the main character of the book but that I don't feel as if th story is going anywhere. We already know he hitch hikes and then dies in the Alaskan wilderness.
2. One word: nonsense. He doesn't really have common sense. He isn't really thinking of other people when he leaves for his adventure. Also nothing about his trip really makes sense. I can't say that he is dumb, but in my opinion he has a serious lack of common sense, described in one word as nonsense I guess.
3. I think the way you interpret this book determines what you think the theme is. I see this book as having a theme of social conformity and that too much individuality without thinking of others is bad. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the author is suggesting that maybe going on some outrageous trip to Alaska where even you personally believe you might not return alive isn't a good idea.
4. Although it's not a direct correlation, this book makes me think slightly of the movie Homeward Bound. The family decides to go visit the kid's grandmother and leaves their pets on a farm of a family friend, who also has to leave for a horse show. They make sure the pets will still be fed, but basically they're left alone and the pets think they have been abandoned. The family is selfishly leaving. Now it's not totally the same because we don't treat pets as we should treat people because that would be kind of foolish, but it makes me think of that movie.
5. I draw a connection from this book to my own life with my sister going off to college. I miss her and I guess you could say that she selfishly left us, but in reality she is at school only 4 or 5 hours from our home and comes back ALIVE to visit on holidays, which Chris obviously can't and will not do in Into the Wild.
6. I guess one thing in our society that could relate to this directly is people who decide to join the army. They are doing this for their own pride, and leaving everything else behind with a chance they could die. Now they expect to come back and also joining the army isn't looked at as weird like hiking in Alaska is and would be, but there is definitely a connection there.

Reviews 2

The Dream Team:
This movie is about four patients in a sanitarium who go on a field trip in a van with each other, their group therapy buds, and their doctor to a Yankees game. On their way they have to stop because a patient has to go to the bathroom. The doctor ends up having to take the patient into the alley to pee, but gets attacked by two murderers and sent to a hospital as a John Doe. The patients are left all alone in New York, and to make things worse, they are framed for the murder. The theme of this movie is to always trust and believe in yourself and your friends, and that change can happen. This movie is an old comedy and the theme isn’t all too deep. The main characters are the four patients, Billy played by Michael Keaton, Henry played by Christopher Lloyd, Jack played by Peter Boyle, and Albert played by Stephen Furst. Billy has anger problems and makes up crazy stories, Henry has OCD so needs everything super organized and neat, Jack thinks he is the son of God, and Albert didn’t talk but now only talks in TV baseball lingo. The plot idea sets up for an ok comedy, but is still weak and the lack of real theme behind the film and the weird unrealistic characters make it a bad film. Not only are their conditions a little unrealistic, but also the previous connections they somehow made before having the conditions are outrageous. For example, Henry has a daughter, Jack used to be a VP of an advertising company, and Billy has a girlfriend. Bottom line is this film isn’t worth your time or money, so don’t buy it or even watch it.Quote: Billy says, “Restaurant security. Just a minor utensil violation. Go ahead, enjoy your dinner.”

Reviews

Away from the Sun- 3 Doors Down
Away from the Sun is an overall a very good album recorded in studio in 2002. It includes almost all very good songs, all of a rock genre, but some being more intense than others. Perhaps this is the band’s best album, and is definitely one with the most well known songs, which is impressive it being only their second album. The album is very consistent with the quality of songs, like many of 3 Doors Down’s albums, but slightly different in that the types of rock included are varying from more heavy metal rock to slower, more sensual, and quieter rock. 3 Doors Down formed in Escatawpa, Mississippi in 1994. They started out with just vocals, drums, bass and guitar. They became well known with their first hit song Kryptonite. Their work, especially this particular album is a good one to listen to because compared to other rock bands their style can’t really be pegged as one specific rock style. There’s no doubt they create rock music, but every song differs with specific genre. This album includes the song that really made a name for the band, Kryptonite. Although this song is very catchy and has proven to be liked by the public, I believe this song is their most noticeable downfall. Other songs on the album have either more substance to the song and sound, or much much much better lyrics. I would say the one biggest highlight of the album is right in the middle at track 6 is the song Here Without You. It has very emotional well thought out lyrics along with good instrumentals that you may find yourself listening to over an over again. Bottom line, with all the great tracks included and songs people will recognize, this is a great album and a great buy.

The Sit Down

Part 1

Sitting down with Obama I would want to ask him what he plans to do in the future to better our nation. I wouldn't really want to talk to him about what I think because really, why wuld he care the opinion of one person. I would just want his honest opinion on things because I think most of what candidates say in a campaign is likely to be at least partially untrue. I would prepare for this more and know more about specific issues, but examples of what I would ask about would maybe be what he plans to do about the economy or what his opinion is about what is happening. Also, I would ask about other major changes he decides to make. I would also make sure to ask him what he plans or wants the country to do about our debt in the future.

Part 2

1. First I would hope that by 2012 our country will have more seriously addressed the debt we have because I don't think as many people see it as a big of a problem as I do. Also, I think that in 2012 our nation will generally still be unhappy with the government. Not enough change will ocur for them because change is very difficult to have happen the way our government system is set up. I think Obama and the government will pay more close attention to and change mostly employment and wages because it seems that is kind of a big deal to Obama and I feel like he is trying to represent the average family.

2. I think that in 2035 I will be happily married in a nice house in the midwest with some kids. My wife will be working and I'll be a teacher. I can't really predict what other kind of issues will be around, but I do think the economy will rise back up and at that point it will have been flourishing for some time. The big problem our nation will face at this time is going to be the debt our country will be in and I think taxes will be to an almost ridiculous level.

Halloween!!!!!

So this Friday (tomorrow is Halloween and all my dad can think about is the roofers who did our house and we have now hired to do some of our siding on the house. He could have done it himself but my mom and him decided to hire those people to do it. They ordered the wrong size siding though so my dad is not sure if they are going to do a good job. He is very anal about things and always wants them done right and his way (which is always right). I can't help but focus on school and be in somewhat of a bad mood this week as well just because it happens to be the end of the quarter and so I have a few tests and the always tough Calculus class.

Extended Love Metaphor

The Romantic Side of Sugar

Sugar gives off a plethora of magnificent feelings

So excited you can’t help moving
Constantly fidgeting

A feeling of addiction
Always wanting more because it makes everything better

Anxiety, worried about losing this feeling
Because after it is lost depression and exhaustion are the only feelings left

Exploration based on trying to find the feeling
Whenever these feelings are not present you are constantly searching

These feelings are something everyone desires

Pride

I realized this weekend, or i guess was reminded because I have already had this realization before, that my dad is super proud of me. Even though he always gives me such a hard time, he is proud of me. His sister and some of her family from Arizona were in Minnesota staying with my cousins in Woodbury this weekend and Saturday evening for dinner they all came to our house for hamburgers. It was just a sorta normal and boring family visit, but I did notice my dad talking about me several times throughout the evening, almost always saying something good about me, almost as if he were bragging that he had such a great son. It made me feel really good and also pursuaded me to stay a little past dinner time to play cards before going out to a friends for a birthday party. Overall, I enjoyed the visit.

October 7th

Last week my dad got angry with me because I was really far behind in my online AP Statistics class. I wanted to miss school thursday because it was a shortened day and I had to miss last hour to prepare for coronation anyways. He takes so much pride in everything he does and always is on task getting done what needs to be done and I envy that characteristic, but it also makes him angry when I don't do things on time or put certain priorities in front of others. He didn't understand why I would rather go to my ultimate game after school then go to school during the day. I did what I wanted anyways because I'm old enough to take control of my own life but he wasn't happy. I felt bad but my mom had to give in and call me in for a doctors appointment.... I went back for 5th hour just to feel somewhat justified.

Love Metaphor

Love is sugar

Love is sugar because it generally makes your life happier, but it isn't always good for you. Love is like sugar also in that without it, things are boring and less desirable. When you don't have either love or sugar you want to look for it until you find it because it seems to complete things, either in life or for food in sugar's case. Love is also like sugar in that when it runs through your body you feel energized and go nuts, but afterwards when you lose it you feel terrible and don't want to do anything.

William Johnson Fox

Life Is Love

The fair varieties of earth,

The heavens serene and blue above,

The rippling smile of mighty seas—

What is the charm of all, but love?

By love they minister to thought,

Love makes them breathe the poet’s song;

When their Creator best is prais’d,

‘Tis love inspires the adoring throng.

Knowledge, and power, and will supreme,

Are but celestial tyranny,

Till they are consecrate by love,

The essence of divinity.

For love is strength, and faith, and hope;

It crowns with bliss our mortal state;

And, glancing far beyond the grave,

Foresees a life of endless date.

That life is love; and all of life

Time or eternity can prove;

Both men and angels, worms and gods

Exist in universal love.

http://www.poetry.com/lovepoems/lovepoem.asp?id=557

The theme of the poem is that life really doesn't matter without love. Life needs love to be meaningful and love is all you need in life. The metaphor of the poem, Life is Love, adds to this theme by saying life and love are one in the same thing, because life is nothing without love and love creates life.

Poetry

Blue Willow
by Jody Gladding
A pond will deepen toward the center like a plate
we traced its shallow rim my mother steering
my inner tube past the rushes where I looked
for Moses we said it was a trip around the world
in China we wove through curtains of willow
that tickled our necks let's do that again
and we'd double back idle there lifting
our heads to the green rains
wallows met over us later I dreamed
of flying with them we had all the time
in the world we had the world
how could those trees be weeping?
http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/146.html

I chose this poem because I thought that first of all the title was clever. Also I have a pond in my backyard that used to have a lot of weeping willow trees and still has a few so I found it interesting.
The title is clever because the poem talks of a wonderful pond with weeping trees, that just don't seem to fit. The title is Blue Willow, or sad tree, like the weeping willow they suggest.
One poetic device they use is a simile in the first line. This adds details to the pond and helps the reader picture the gorgeous place, like imagery. They also use an allusion when they mension Moses in the fourth line. This shows how magical and amazing the pond is to the author, and helps emphasize that there is no reason for the trees to be weeping.
The tone of the peace is questioning, almost doubtful I would say. The author creates this by creating a picture of a beautiful place to convince the reader that nothing should be sad or weeping near the pond, like even say a tree.

Larry

So what I guess I'm going to start with is talking about times when my pops shows happiness or lets his guard down I should say, because he isn't a total manly bottled up person that shows no emotion, well other than manly anger. Oh well now I want to share of times when he used to get angry more often and how it made me stronger, but I'll stick with teh current subject I suppose.
(all my posts seem to start with So....? :) (and I'm using a lot of I guess and .....)

The first times I noticed that my dad seemed to show happiness or be a joyful outgoing sort of guy was when we had company over, or were around a lot of people at a family party or something. He is like this I think mostly because he doesn't want everyone thinking he is a mean ogre of a man, but also because he can be a great guy. Another time I have seen this, only in recent years, is around our new dog/puppy. He turned two last august and ever since we got him he and my dad have bonded into best buds. My dad really enjoys playing with him and really likes him because he continues to be nearly fearless, even though he weighs less than 10 pounds. I think its pretty hillarious because my dad is normally such a tough guy and stands at almost 6'2'' and about 230 lbs, and he plays with this little itty bitty ball of energy of a dog all the time and loves it.

Pops!

So for our topic of choice, I have decided to theme my blog around my dad. I can write anything really, realate it to him, and it will all connect back to my main theme of my daddy! Pops! This is a little about why I want to do this:

First, I am in the mood to write about and it is easy at this time to write about my dad because his inspiration is the subject my narrative. Second, I really don't thank him enough for what he has tought me, inspired me, and done for me. Not even mentioning he has been somewhat of a role model for me, although I am a little more personable. Third, I can't really share my gratitude for him with him or anyone too much really because it feels awkward. He is always so....I don't know how to put it...manly. Not wanting to share emotions. He doesn't like help from people much and is into being self-sufficient and independent, so the idea of him aiding me so much makes me feel like I am admitting to his helping me and me accepting it. I guess it's a weird thing. Mabe I'll finally get enough courage and confidence to do it around the time I leave for college because he really does mean a lot to me. Anyways, this can be my way of doing it quietly, and showing the world...or the internet i guess....how much he has and is still having an effect on my life.

titles

ok so possible title options for my narrative are:

Falling Upwards
Driveway Interuption
Delicate Supporter

As a point of reference the paper is about a ladder breaking with my dad on it while I was shooting hoops in the driveway and how my dads toughness and manly in situations like these in my life has made me a better person.

I'm sort of struggling between which title to choose because the first one is clever in that my dad is falling but teaching me at the same time so I'm learning and my thoughts are getting better represented by up. The second is just interesting and creative but no real thought behind I think. The last one is a title that describes the ladder that supports him but is too delicate and breaks but at the same time can be thought of my dad supporting me and teaching me, but it's funny cause he isn't delicate, but gets hurt in the story so may seem somewhat delicate. please give me feedback.

Falling Upwards

title thanks to brett, here's a sentence from my narrative that you all should critique cause I'm not quite sure how to make it sound better.

It wasn't until a few seconds later I realized that intertwined in between the bent in half ladder in the grass layed my dad with the whole left side of his body almost completely covered in blood. His arm had been cut open from his elbow up to almost his wrist. I was starting to tear up. It was my dad's calmness that kept me under control.

My question is first, do you think the part describing his arm is neccessary or just cut the whole sentence out? And more importantly now, the last three sentences very chunked, how do you think I could put them together and/or make that section smoother? I guess I feel that the voice in this section is a little off and it just doesn't flow.

Discovery

Ok world, and internet petiphiles, I posted a long post but then the computer failed. I will quickly express my frustration for the computer. It has a space bar that doesn't really work and it failed to post my ....post! Well anyways. I'll cya next week!