English 12A Blogspot

Happiness Poem

2008-06-02T15:15:00.001-07:00

The scorching sun warms my face.
I squish the rough sand between my fingers and toes;
a natural exfoliation.
All of my worries and plans melt away as does the excess tanning oil.
The salted air stings my nose.
As I lay there with my eyes shut I can hear the faint giggles of laughing children,
they sound free.
A strong scent of sun block brings back fond memories of my own childhood and the chore of reapplying it hour after hour after hour.
My stomach rumbles after hours of lounging and finally I realize how hungry I am,
As I sit here in the booth of the pizzeria with all of my friends it hits me;
I am so lucky.

Ending of 1984?

2008-05-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

Although many recent events have made me want to believe that Winston and Julia will not be captured, I find that my theory that they will be is correct. O'Brien, even though very convincing, seems to know too much and be too willing to bring in new members to the brotherhood to be trustworthy. If he is really who he says he is, it seems impossible that he would have so much knowledge about the past, which is something that only the Inner Party and High Class have access to.
Secondly, chapter nine was VERY long and drawn out. Even though the start of the chapter where Julia and Winston are captured was surprising and unexpected, I feel as though Orwell may have ruined the moment of climax by adding in chapter nine. I was very surprised to learn that Mr. Charrington was a member of the thought police, however I did expect that there may have been a hidden telescreen in the room above his shop.
It is because of both Wintson and Julia's underestimation of the Party control that I feel that things will not work out as nicely as they planned. Although both confess to each other that they will always be in love regardless of the torture, I feel that Julia will place the blame on Winston in order to save herself. This act would only further prove her as a "rebel from the waist down" only. With this said, I also believe that O'Brien will reveal himself to Wintson as a leader of the Inner Party, which will inevitably cursh all hope that Winston may still be holding onto. The line from the St. Clements song "here comes the chopper to chop off your head" will become reality, thus ending the novel.
Basically, my theory is that O'Brien is not who he claims to be, Winston will be murdered, and Julia will be punished but eventually set free.

Playing God?

2008-03-06T17:32:00.000-08:00

Human engineering may be one of the most controversial issues of our generation. It is an issue that runs so deep, that it has erupted into something that even our legislation cannot ignore. On one end of the spectrum there are the religious folk who believe that making a child is the equivalent of cheating God. At the other end, we have the progressive, scientifical group who feel as though genetic engineering may very well be the greatest breakthrough of all time. Both parties hold valid points and share a strong passion for what they believe in, however this particular issue is not something that can be settled through pathos; it must be done through reason. Therefore, on the issue of human engineering, I hold the middle ground; I feel as though there is a place for genetic engineering in the world, but it must have limits in order to be beneficial for society.
At first glance, genetic engineering seems as though it were a gift from God himself. Not only is the act itself miraculous, but it also provides a new path for curing disease once and for all. No longer would children be born leukemia, or cancer, or heart defects. We could even remove mental retardation from the world, and save millions of people from being born into painful, torturous lives. On the contrary, not everyone sees genetic engineering, or “designer babies” in such a light. Others feel uneasy about ruling out fatal diseases all together, only because they believe that these illnesses have their own purpose in life. These same people say that without these diseases, and therefore without the deaths caused by them, the world would become over-populated. They say, that in time humans would live to unthinkable ages and eventually there wouldn’t be enough space, food, or energy left to provide everyone. Of course, this is a possibility, however not very likely. First of all, no matter how many diseases we are able to rid the world of, there is still the factor of human error to analyze. People will still continue to smoke, get into car accidents, and yes... even continue to die of old age. What I mean by this, is that even though people will no longer die of heart disease or cancer, people will still die no matter how hard society tries to prevent it. How could one not want to rid the world of such a monstrosity as disease or defect? One out of every three people have been touched by cancer either personally or through relations. So what if society could prevent you from loosing a grandmother, mom, dad, cousin or sister for such an outrageous reason? Wouldn’t you take the opportunity to save the ones you love?
Nancy Gibbs, author of “Wanted: Someone to Play God.” brings out another valid point that must be looked at when weighing the pros and cons of genetic engineering. She states, “I understand why no politician wants to get between a childless couple and the doctors who offer an answer to their prayers.” Unfortunately, even though a politician’s fears are undoubtedly understandable, it is their duty, I believe, to help solidify genetic engineering, as well as create the boundaries for which it must abide by. However, this task is obviously no walk in the park when they must face the other half of society who feels that to design a child is to refuse God. Once again, I must point out that the opposition has a valid point. For millions of years it has always been left up to nature to decide our fate and the fate of our children. And, with nature in charge, infants have been born into lives that no person deserves to live. Because of nature millions of people have endured mental, physical, as well as social defects, only for the mere reason that they could not control it. And what is to be said for the parents who just want their children to have healthy lives? Are we truly at liberty to deny them of this when we alone hold the power to grant them their dream? I think not. There is a reason why humans have been able to break through the wall of human genetics. Perhaps it was our hard work, or perhaps God wanted to give those women who so desperately wanted a healthy baby a break. On the contrary, I do believe that this “gene sorting” should have its limit. For instance, the difference between curing your unborn child of cancer and choosing whether or not they have blue or brown eyes is most obviously different. Once a “designer baby” is created based on intelligence, looks, and personality as they were in Brave New World, I believe that society will have crossed the line. Hopefully, between our government and the morality of society things will never reach this far.
On a more factual note, I feel inclined to bring up the rights of American citizens as a whole. In America, women have reproductive rights, meaning that their opportunity to have a child shall not be interfered with via the government. This also applies to genetic engineering through the use of frozen (stored) embryos. Many feel that storing embryos is morally wrong because they are humans… not just partial beings. Once again, I must bring up the fact that if we let government and legislation control which couples can become pregnant, I feel that our society will only go downhill from there. Who’s to say that the next law won’t prohibit families, or parents? Brave New World ring a bell? However, if World State is a society that we all feel will benefit us, we’ve not only let down millions of couples around the world, but our spirit as well.
As I had stated, I hold the middle ground. I feel no matter how hard society fights it, genetic engineering is here to stay. With this said, I believe society should embrace it so as to avoid being force fed this new way of thinking. Furthermore, I cannot stress enough how important it is that restrictions and clear boundaries be set in place, if genetic engineering was to become a larger part of society. In the end, we put our future in the hands of those who lead our country and create our legislature. Most importantly, we put our future and the future of our own children in the hands of the morality of society. Hopefully that alone will be enough.

Not sure if there was a blog due...so here it goes..

2008-03-02T09:10:00.000-08:00

So, it's Sunday afternoon and, of course, I'm doing homework. I realize that Mrs. Hassenplug had said something about posting a blog over the weekend, however I can't remember what it's supposed to be about, or even when it's due. So Mrs. Hassenplug, if you read this, and if there is a blog due, this is my effort to do my homework. = )

2008-02-12T06:31:00.000-08:00

I Believe

2008-02-06T06:46:00.000-08:00

I believe that every negative experience can have a positive aspect and can be learned from. This is not to say that the positive aspect will outweigh the negative, but instead it will make you a better person. I haven’t always believed in this philosophy, but over time and through the ups and downs of my own life I have grown up to feel that even in the thick of things you can find good.
Birthdays were always something that I would flip out over. My sixth birthday was especially fantastic; there were balloons and streamers, and the scent of birthday cake was so strong that is was almost tangible. All was going well until my mom sat me down and said she had a big surprise for me. Of course, I assumed it was an early birthday gift, but to my dismay her “good news” was that we were moving within a week’s time. My heart just about dropped down to my toes, and I could already feel the tears streaming down my face. I was about to leave everything I knew; my friends, my school, my memories.
Oddly enough, that particular move was to be the first of many… three towns in two years in fact. At first moving was brutal. Kid’s faces seemed to glare back at me as if to say “I’ve already got friends so leave me alone.” It was like being the ultimate stranger, and I didn’t like it one bit. So, in a short time I learned that being outgoing and keeping an open mind were the best techniques in fitting into new places. I went from living in the suburbs, to the city, and now finally to the country, and I still manage to make things work.
Even though the start of this chain reaction had seemed incredibly horrible, I can honestly say that today I wouldn’t be the person I am if I hadn’t been forced to move so much. For one thing, I’ve experienced things from monster truck shows to operas and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m proud that I’ve been able to adapt and change to any situation that I’ve been thrown into.
At the end of the day moving around has taught me to have a positive outlook on life and, more importantly, to try and focus on the good even when the bad seems overwhelming. Instead of concentrating on how I don’t really have a “hometown”, I think about how I have close friends in a good portion of the tri state area. I am thankful that I was thrown into different situations, because today as an adult I am better able to relate with people than I ever though possible. Either way you look at it, choosing a positive outlook over a negative one is the best way to live a happy and adventurous life.

How to Die Young

2008-01-15T13:45:00.000-08:00

Living a short life is a particularly difficult mission to take on. It takes an immense amount of effort, as well as strong will power. An individual who actually accomplishes this feat is one who is unquestionably intelligent. One might ask themselves why this task is so treacherous, however the answer is relatively simple. You see, a person’s body works as most living organisms do; it tries to rid itself of harmful substances that it comes into contact with, therefore killing it can be quite troublesome. Fortunately, with a positive effort and hopefully a weak immune system, one can find themselves on an immediate path to health problems in no time at all! On a more positive note, you’ll be glad to know that obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S, which means that your journey to poor health is more attainable than you may think!
The first step in this tedious process is to make your body less able to carry out its normal functions. In order to accomplish this, one must be knowledgeable in the field of junk food. For instance, a master would know that replacing a side serving of vegetables with a hearty portion of French fries is the best way to go. At times it may be hard to choose those greasy fries over those scrumptious vegetables, but if you keep your eye on the prize you’ll find that over time these obstacles will become easy.
According to the Endocrine Society, your path to an early death has been and is being successfully traveled by many. In fact, an estimated 65.2 percent of U.S. adults, age 20 years and older, and 15 percent of children and adolescents are overweight, meaning that 30.5 percent of children (not including teens) are obese. So basically, if a child can manage, so can you! Just think of all the food options you can open up to… McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, KFC…the list goes on and on!
Your body’s natural instinct to move around and exercise is one piece of this puzzle that many seem to find simple to overcome. In order to fully break the habit it is vital that you do the following:

1.) Do not move, tap, or wiggle your feet when sitting or lying down. This will decrease the chance of burning any calories whatsoever.
2.) Do not walk if it’s not absolutely necessary. If there is an escalator..use it!
3.) Refrain from ANY sports… they are most detrimental in this process.
4.) If you must walk, run, or anything of the sort, be sure to do it slowly and inefficiently so that you slim the chance of using any energy.

The main objective in this step is to avoid movement and exercise as if it was the plague. Acceptable activities include playing video games, watching television (for no less that three hours), and playing on the computer. By restricting yourself to only doing activities such as these, you will quickly begin to see your hard work pay off (especially in the buttocks area).
Destroying your liver and brain cells are key points in living a short life. Many find that alcoholism and drug abuse (yes..ciggarettes are a drug) are extremely effective here. In fact, since drinking increases the risk of developing alcoholism, alcoholic liver disease and some forms of Cancer, you should think of this step as a bonus round! Not only are you able to exterminate your body in general, but by participating in this step you can actually give yourself a myriad of other diseases and cancers as well! What could possibly be more effective than that?
Lastly, and most importnatly, it is vital that you make sure that you’re not only harming the inside of your body, but the surface as well! A good way to go about doing this is to completely remove every cleaning article (soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, tooth paste, etc) from your home. This will enhance the filth you live in creating a bacterial oasis. These nasty bacteri will crawl all over your skin and into every orifice of your body. With luck, you may be able to catch a skin infection or possibly even a common cold! To even further this step, one should avoid showers, brushing teeth and especially shaving, since these techniques will only push you farther back in the process.
Inevitably, if all previously stated steps are followed to a tee, the product of your hard work and determination will be a short life. It is also good to remember that filth and poor heigine are key elemnts in this process. If we are all to succeed it is eminent that we ignore the advice of health professionals, as well as the constant advertisements for medications and organic foods… they will only become obstacles. Just be sure to consume as much junk as humanly possible, move only when absolutely neccesary, and concentrate on killing off your vital organs. It is with these steps that we can all promise ourselves an unhealthy, unhappy life.

Article Critique

2007-12-29T04:11:00.000-08:00

Although this critic seems to be an obvious fan of “Catcher in the Rye” I have to question some of the reasoning behind it. Take the way she described the message of the book for example. It states:

“Salinger, of course, cannot be held accountable for misreadings of his novel any more than he ought to be bashed for writing about prep school anxieties as opposed to the great themes of love and war.”

Based on this alone, its safe to assume that this critic had an obvious bias towards the book. I however, believe that J.D. Salinger knew exactly how people would react, and in fact aimed for such a reaction. On the contrary, I do agree with the fact that Salinger should not be criticized for veering from the norm of literary paths. I too feel as the critic does in the mere fact that Salinger ought to be commended for conquering such a feat instead of being banned from classrooms around the country.

This critic also did an excellent job of pointing out the obvious; other writers besides Salinger have also written about the trials of life, however none have done it quite like him. This leads me to wonder why and how Salinger managed to stick out above the rest. Some say it was his use of profanity, or possible even his frequent references to sex that gave him his uniqueness. In my eyes, Salinger has managed to pass the test of time by being brutally and crudely honest. I feel it is because of his honesty that people of all ages have taken notice and felt inclined to absorb and analyze Salinger’s views.

The Color Red

2007-12-19T15:44:00.000-08:00

Did you know that I was actually named after a rainbow in Alaska? Probably not. I guess based on that, I could say that I represent all the colors of the rainbow… but isn’t everybody?
Lots of people like to think of themselves as wise or noble or maybe even silly…I however know that my true characteristic is passion. Although I try to hide it a lot, I have a lot of passion for what I want in life, which is often the trigger for my aggression and competitiveness in life.
Even when I was younger, my aggressiveness was evident. You see, when I was young I was an extremely good swimmer. So good in fact, that I didn’t want to race the girls anymore…. I wanted to beat the boys. The next meet, I went up to the official and asked if I could “please race the boys?” And you know what she told me? She said, “It’s too hard for you, it will be a waste of time.” At that moment I knew I had to show her. At the start of the race I lined up with the boys, and even though everyone was yelling at me to get off the blocks, I dove in. As soon as I came out I could feel my cheeks burning red with exhaustion, and I stuck around just in time to find out the results. And guess what… I won. Unfortunately…I wasn’t given a ribbon because I wasn’t registered for the event…but that was beyond the point. I had won.
Sometimes I wonder if all my aggressiveness is a good thing, but I know I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t have the red spark in me. My mother often tells me that it’s a trait that the women in our family have, because she and her mother before her were the exact same way. In fact, my grandmother was so red with desire, that even before women were meant to have jobs, she told her husband, “I’m getting a job and you’re going to like it.” Talk about fire huh?
The red passion that runs in my family is so great, and for this I am so thankful. It contributes to my dreams of becoming a doctor, in ways you cannot even imagine. For instance, before the start of this year I began an EMT course, as well as carrying a full course in high school. It has been extremely trying at times, and I often feel as though I don’t have anymore energy to keep going. But somehow… I always do. I believe it’s my fierce determination as well as my passion for others that constantly pushes me to complete the tasks at hand.
It has been said that every woman has at least four personalities within her soul. As for me, and my red streak, I believe I most often show my aggressiveness, anger, passion, and determination. Therefore, regardless of how many personalities I represent, I believe they can all be boiled down to one color. Red.

Object Essay

2007-12-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

When I was younger, I had a favorite stuffed animal like many young kids do; mine was a bunny. He was particularly special because before I was even born my mom had made him for me. However, the first bunny of the two was the one that she really wanted me to have; the one she wanted me to take to. This version had ribbons and bows and a cute little face, but to me it was just another "perfect stuffed animal". Unfortunately for her, I took to her rough draft better. I guess you could say it was because it represented the first, just as I was the first child, but more than that was the fact that my mom had made it, so regardless of how beautiful it was, I absolutely adored it.
Over time this bunny of mine became tattered and torn and spilled on. However, each accident my bunny had (thanks to me) would become a treasure hunt for my mom and I. We would spend hours picking out the perfect fabric patch to fix him with, and of course it had to be PERFECT...after all, it was my bunny we were talking about. He was marvelous. After some time, and much growing up, there are now only bits and pieces of the original fabric peeking out behind the layers of patches that my bunny had to endure.
To most people, patches are a sign of repair and worthlessness. As a kid, these patches were fun, and were always there to soak up my tears whenever I cried. In whole, my bunny was most definitely my biggest security and comfort as a kid. Whenever I would get in trouble, or when my parents would fight my bunny would always be there. Even when my parents got divorced, I transferred my fear to my bunny, by comforting him and telling him that everything would be okay. Looking back on it now, I can see who was really comforting who.
Each patch not only brings back feelings of comfort, but it also brings in a flood of memories from my childhood. For instance, when I was a child I was the most curious little girl. One day, I decided that I was going to drink out of the "grown ups" mug and have coffee (which was completely against my mom's wishes). So naturally, I stood on the tip of my toes and attempted to grasp the mug off the counter in one hand, while holding onto my bunny in the other. Needless to say, the whole operation ended with a crash as the coffee splashed onto the floor, and even worse... onto my bunny's ear! I started wailing, and soon after my bunny had found himself with a new patch to be proud of, right on the tip of his ear.
Even now, as I write this essay, I feel a strong sense of attachment and love towards my bunny. I guess sometimes even though we think we've grown up, we come to realize that our inner kid is just hiding behind the big bad adults that we've come to be. So anyway, if there was to be one object that I was to hold above the rest, it would obviously be my bunny; my companion; my inner kid's best friend forever.

Book Review: Angela's Ashes

2007-11-20T14:57:00.001-08:00

Ever since Frank McCourt, author of Angela’s Ashes, could recall, he had lived in the damp, dark underbelly of the impoverished world. He began an early career as a street beggar and repeatedly learned to cope as he watched his younger siblings die off. With this said, it is eminent from the very start that Frank is a strong and patient young man, just simply wanting to make something of himself to make the world proud.

The time at which Frank was born, was one of great confusion as well as immense loss. Being the child of immigrated Irish parents living in New York City, it became clearly obvious to him early on, that life wasn’t a walk in the park. Night after night he had to put up with his drunken father stumble in from a night on the town, drinking the dole away, and making him and his siblings “stand attention in the kitchen and promise to die for Ireland.” (p39)

It is because of the lack of parenting and positive influence throughout the course of Frank McCourt’s lifetime that one would normally assume that he would amount to nothing when he was older. However, Frank proved to be quite the contrary, and managed to accomplish his dreams of coming back to America. Throughout the entire story, Frank continues to take his audience captive by continuously surprising them with his hard-working and determined attitude towards life. Perhaps it is because he has seen the consequences of lethargy from looking at his parents, and decided that he was going to take the high road, and create peace, rather than sitting around and waiting for it to come knocking on his doorstep.

Upon reading his story, one should come back from it and feel inspired, or rather invigorated with the notion that, you too can do what you set out to do, no matter how great the challenge may appear. I must commend Frank McCourt for using the sympathy and emotions of his audience in order to get message of how vital determination truly is. This is partly why I feel as though Frank McCourt is more creative with his hidden messages than he lets on in through his writing.

Unfortunately, there were flaws to his writing technique. Although the use of the child’s voice, no doubt emphasized the emotions that the reader felt throughout the story, but it also created confusion and misunderstandings between writer and audience. For instance, when reading experts such as, “There’s a knock at the door, Mr. MacAdory. Och, Malachy, for God’s sake, it’s three in the morning. You have the whole house woke with singing. Och, Dan I’m only teaching the boys to die for Ireland. You can teach them to die for Ireland in the daytime.” (p41) it often times takes a few reads over to fully understand who is speaking to whom, and what each person is saying. Therefore, even though his use of his inner child is undoubtedly vital to his memoir, it seems as though it takes over the story and at times, creates more confusion than comprehension.

Book Review: Angela's Ashes

2007-11-20T14:57:00.000-08:00

Ever since Frank McCourt, author of Angela’s Ashes, could recall, he had lived in the damp, dark underbelly of the impoverished world. He began an early career as a street beggar and repeatedly learned to cope as he watched his younger siblings die off. With this said, it is eminent from the very start that Frank is a strong and patient young man, just simply wanting to make something of himself to make the world proud.

The time at which Frank was born, was one of great confusion as well as immense loss. Being the child of immigrated Irish parents living in New York City, it became clearly obvious to him early on, that life wasn’t a walk in the park. Night after night he had to put up with his drunken father stumble in from a night on the town, drinking the dole away, and making him and his siblings “stand attention in the kitchen and promise to die for Ireland.” (p39)

It is because of the lack of parenting and positive influence throughout the course of Frank McCourt’s lifetime that one would normally assume that he would amount to nothing when he was older. However, Frank proved to be quite the contrary, and managed to accomplish his dreams of coming back to America. Throughout the entire story, Frank continues to take his audience captive by continuously surprising them with his hard-working and determined attitude towards life. Perhaps it is because he has seen the consequences of lethargy from looking at his parents, and decided that he was going to take the high road, and create peace, rather than sitting around and waiting for it to come knocking on his doorstep.

Upon reading his story, one should come back from it and feel inspired, or rather invigorated with the notion that, you too can do what you set out to do, no matter how great the challenge may appear. I must commend Frank McCourt for using the sympathy and emotions of his audience in order to get message of how vital determination truly is. This is partly why I feel as though Frank McCourt is more creative with his hidden messages than he lets on in through his writing.

Unfortunately, there were flaws to Mr. McCourt's writing technique. Although the use of the child’s voice, no doubt emphasized the emotions that the reader felt throughout the story, but it also created confusion and misunderstandings between writer and audience. For instance, when reading experts such as, “There’s a knock at the door, Mr. MacAdory. Och, Malachy, for God’s sake, it’s three in the morning. You have the whole house woke with singing. Och, Dan I’m only teaching the boys to die for Ireland. You can teach them to die for Ireland in the daytime.” (p41) it often times takes a few reads over to fully understand who is speaking to whom, and what each person is saying. Therefore, even though his use of his inner child is undoubtedly vital to his memoir, it seems as though it takes over the story and at times, creates more confusion than comprehension.

Angela's Ashes

2007-10-31T06:18:00.000-07:00

"Poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue; it is hard for an empty bag to stand upright." Benjamin Franklin.

This qoute gives a perfect depiction of how Malachy feels throughout the entire novel. Malachy, being out of money and out of charity, feels as though he is useless to his family, and to make matters worse, the people around him only emphasize his failure. I believe Malachy's loss of spirit and virtue is greatly due to the fact that he is out of a job, and basically a beggar. When someone such as Malachy feels like this, it is hard for them to get out of the rut they're in, and they continue through life with their head hung low, and their spirits diminished. However, not everyone in the family is in accordance with Benjamin Franklin's statement. Malachy's wife Angela, even though she is in the same boat as him, is still able to walk with her head held high, and is able to keep her wits about her. Perhaps she doesn't feel the shame that Malachy does because she, being the woman of the house, was not expected to the bread winner during those times. Therefore, when she does things like collect charcoal from the side of the road, and take food from charity, she is unable to feel the unbearable guilt that Malachy feels.
By what Benjamin Franklin is saying here, is that once a man loses his ability to provide, he loses his ability to feel like a man. And, when he loses his ability to feel like a man, he can no longer walk with his head held high, just as the empty paper bag is unable to stand up on its own. Furthermore, since poverty is the main cause for Malachy's loss of virtue, I believe this is what drives his addiction to the drink. From his failure came the poverty. From the poverty came the shame, and out of the shame, came the drink. Unfortunately for Malachy, times are so hard, that it seems as though there isn't even a chance for him to turn things around. His children are dying because of the enviroment they live in, which is a direct affect of Malachy's failure. I also tend to think that the mounting guilt that is building up inside of Malachy is only adding to the feeling of loss and emptiness he feels everyday. However, I find it hard to blame Malachy completely for the family's problems. The depressing atmosphere of sickness and poverty is also enough to erase the spirit in a man, and inevitably kills his will to succeed. I can understand the reasons why he is unable to become motivated and regain his spirit, because it seems physically impossible to do so in the various areas they have lived. Everywhere they turn there is disease, death and hunger. How is a man supposed to overcome this all by himself?