Diary of a Teenage Girl- Begining to Grow

A new start. A new beginning. That is where I'm at. The starting line to something I do not even know what to describe. It could be a breakdown, it could be a breakthrough. But all I know right now is I don't know where I'm going. I don't know where I'll end up. But I know that I will end up at the finish line. I will get through whatever I must. Just right now, I need to move on. I need to get up and get going, I need to confront my fears. I need to get over myself.

 

I need to continue on in this race called life.

Six Word Memior

Tone:                                            Mood:

1. despairing                                 1. distressed
2. mournful                                   2. somber
3. desolate                                     3. painful


Subject:

Judgement


Theme:

In a world where everyone strives to obtain perfection, those who 'fail' are looked upon with disgust and rejection.

Book Bucket List

1. Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

This is an old time classic. Many students are pushed to read this book for their school assignment. Though my brother, only fifteen, decided he was going to read it out of pleasure. Years back I had tried to read it before, but the language and writing was harder than I could grasp. But a story line of a woman holding her child tight while going through prison, hateful looks and lies, still captures my attention.

2. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Since reading The Giver, I had be hungry for a chance to find out what happened to the boy on the red sled, as well as the baby he saved from death. Even though this book is not about the boy, it goes into a different village which have their own different customs. Once this book is read, I know I can go onto the next one, which hopefully will sum up what happened in the first one.

3. Messenger by Lois Lowry

Finding out recently that this actually was not the last book in The Giver series, it still sounds interesting. Branching out from the second book's main character, is has a young boy who lives in a village that is changing....changing for the worse. Hopefully though, this will be just as interesting as Gathering Blue and The Giver.

4. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Seeing this movie when I was quite young, starts off the interest to if the book is any better. (Which it usually is). Plus for the fact it was written during the 1800's, the style will hopefully be kind of like Kate Chopin's- classy. Love triangles between classes and forbidden love, *shiver* are quite interesting to follow.

5. Unafraid by Francine Rivers

Spiritual novels have been a growing interest of mine. Within the past year, I have read a little over four-ish books by Francine Rivers. The story lines are always of spiritual encouragement, and exuberance. From what I have read about the book, it is about a girl named Mary, who listened to the voice of God, to do his bidding.

6. The Lost Art of True Beauty by Leslie Ludy

I have read When Dreams Come True, and I learned so much from it. It is also a spiritual book, but written about the authors (Leslie and Eric) personal love story. Because of that knowledge acquired by the personal experience, Leslie has been able to write books for young women. In a preview, Leslie said that in a world where true feminine beauty is mocked, she hopes the advice she gives would be of great service to help overcome all those problems we will be forced to face.

7. Sacred Singleness by Leslie Ludy

In a world where being single is, for the most part especially for teenagers, are looked down upon, it would be nice to read a book by a christian who had gone through it and overcome the struggles. Especially after the break up I have been having trouble realising that it is okay to be single, and to welcome it actually.

8. At Fault is written by the amazing Kate Chopin

I absolutely loved The Awakening, which was introduced to me the year before last when us pre-ap students had to read a classic. The style of Chopin's writing is very classic, and "classy" (if I may say so). It flows off the tongue and makes the brain think a little harder to understand what is going on. At Fault is basically about a woman, during the civil-war era, making her way in life, until a sudden love enters her life. Historical fiction are one of my favourite kinds of books, this should be a really good read.

9. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

When I started reading a lot during my teen years, my mom had suggested multiple times that I read The Kite Runner. I had not considered it much until the other day when looking for good books to put on the list. Until recently, I had no clue the story took place in Central Asia, where I grew up. A boy growing up during the decline of the Afghan monarchy. History + around where I grew up = giddyness!

10. The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom

I had read the book Tuesdays with Morrie and enjoyed it so much, I had actually considered reading this book as well. Putting it off was probably a good thing because of this book list, so I can read it now. This book is mainly about the first human to develop a way to count and measure time. Albom's writing style was quite intriguing, I'm excited to see what this is about.

 

Dave Barry's column 'Baby Hormones Have Taken Over My Wife, and All I Can Say is 'Waaaah!', he humourlsy and sarcastically personalizes his "trials" with the recent pregnancy with his wife.

(Though, first I'd say something about how long of a title he choose for this article.) Most of his comments are of his wife saying how certian things are "cute", and he continues complaining how the woman he knew before wouldn not want certain things. However, now she is all about the "cuteness factor". You can tell through the humour Barry expresses is that he can kind of be percieved as just excited for the baby as his wife is. Looking deeper between the lines, Barry is not saying how annoying all of it is, he just finds it amusing how his wife said she would not do or say particular things, but now in her current condition, almost anything dealing with children in beyond adorable. Back to reading between the lines, one might think "complaing" about Dave's wife's change in attitude could be the cover-up for over-the-top exuberance he feels about having a child. (His first one, in fact.)

With the current way society is, sometimes it is considered as weird if a father is super excided about having a baby. "That's usually the female's job," some might say. Men have to be the macho one, he "doesn't cry" about anything that doesn't go his way, or if he feels passionate about something, the stereotypical man will just say, "Yeah, dude. Pretty awesome."

However, Barry uses some examples to put his point across that are quite intertaining. "You do not question them, because they will throw up on you." One of the many examples of humour in a completely lavished article to tickle someone else's mind, in turn having them laugh histarically outloud. Hormones are described as the main culprit for the way Barry's wife acts during her months of pregnancy. He explains his wife sais she would never want a minivan, but then once the blessing came, things changed.

Sarcastically, everything is the hormones. Hormones this, hormones that. Even though Barry seems to be constantly on his wife's case, he is more on the Hormone's. Hormones this, hormones that. Everywhere there are hormones...but not just any hormones, pregnancy hormones! Through out the article, the hormones want this, the hormones want that. Purposefully, Dave does not directly say how his wife is going crazy, but sneekingly squeezes the hormones to be just infron of his wife, so she can't complain too much about what he's saying.

Sarcasim and humour are two major advantages to Barry's success as a columnest. Some might say Dave's wife might have had a lot to say to him once hearing about this article, but do we not, as women blame a lot of things on our hormones for things? So, this gives complete reign to Barry..or does it?

'Rebel Without a Cause' Movie Review

Jim Stark (James Dean) moves to a new town where he has to start up as the “new kid” all over again. He comes to meet a girl named, Judy (Natalie Wood) and without a doubt, is smitten with her from the very beginning. Stark also comes into contact with a boy named, John ‘Plato’ Crawford; who is attached to Jim immediately. While at a school activity, Jim tries to impress Judy, but in the process makes her boyfriend, Buzz Genderman, mad and then causing his sad death because of a chickie-run (a form of a joust in during this time period).

Without a blink of an eye, Judy is at Jim’s side along with his “friend”, Plato. In the end there is a chase of Buzz’s friends trying to get even with Stark for the death of their friend. They first go to John, in his deranged mind, he grabs a gun and heads out to warn Jim. They all convene at an abandoned mansion, and the pace begins to pick up. The boys wanting revenge follow the three out to the house and chase them. Here, Plato shoots a bullet into one of the boy’s arm. Alarming the police and a chase witch leads to a heroic attempt on Stark’s shoulders, trying to calm the shatter-brained, John before anyone else got hurt. But because of the known gun, the police shoot John when we comes out of the building he was hiding in, though they did not know that Jim had removed the cartage. This is how the movie ends, in a sad scene of Stark crying over the dead body of the boy Plato, and Judy in shock, leaning over Jim, her also in tears.

The plot was unique during 1955, with a boy who is new, protecting a helpless fellow student he barely knows. With this boy having a sense of longing for the affection of parents, but because his parents are not in the picture, he tries to gather that from Judy and Jim. And a girl who seeks the adoration from her father, but not receiving any. They all intertwine in different ways, each having a specific role they play, but not deterring from it at all. Other than a few twist here and there, ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ was not very much different than the teenage movies produced now days. The character development was not much to speak up. The acting, efficient to get the movie viewers, but some of the acting was a bit on the sad side. Maybe because of the age gap between my generation and that, I did not find the acting believable enough to my tastes.

Jim Stark’s character was able to show true emotion, which was refreshing, but maybe a bit tad bit overdone. Judy played well, though her character was wishy-washy, floating to which guy she thought the coolest, almost as if she was taking off her old pair of shoes, throwing them away and buying a new one, because she knew they would be talk of the town (aka school). John/Plato is a sad character, which he was a tad hard to get a grasp for. Maybe this was what Nicholas Ray wanted when he created Plato’s role. Buzz played the typical bad guy who had thugs on his side, and does not mind hurting the weak.

‘Rebel Without a Cause’ had good actors, though I found them a little underplayed. Maybe it was the idea of the movie, or the stupidity I found in the end, or something that caused me to dislike the movie. Granted, the idea given by the movie of helping the week around you or the outcastes is a good moral to have. The presentation was a sad one, and could have been bettered.

"Assignment: Evaluating an Argument"

1.) John McMurty's essay begins with a personal anecdote about the results of playing sports- especially football- since childhood. When he can no longer ignore his physical condition, he seeks treatment and his hospitalized. How does the anecdote lend credibility to his argument?

A.) The personal anecdote lends the credibilty to his argument because he can speak from his own expierence, hence "personal anecdote". It tells the reader he knows the effects of playing football for so long and playing as hard as he did. For as if a singer tried to explain the after effects of playing football from personal expierence, there would be none. But also, not much in common.

2.) Paragraphs 5-7 compare and contrast football and war. Is this comparison convincing? How does the comparison appeal to logos?

A.) John tells readers that the "resemblance between football and war is, indeed, striking." The comparison is very convincing. When McMurtry informs the reader about the simalarity between the vocabulary used in football and in the military, some of them include: ' "Hurt 'em! Level 'em! Kill 'em!" ' Not only are they similar, but the meaning behind them, for one, (military) its in the literal usage. The other (football), not so literal...or is it?

5.) McMurty also addresses the argument that games such as football allow us to discharge our "original-sin urge into less harmful channels than, say war" (para. 15). Cite passages where McMurtry counters this argument. Do you agree with him? Why or why not?

A.) One passage that counters McMurtry argument is, "And progressively and inexorably, as I moved through high school, college and pro leagures, my body was dismantled. Piece by piece." Surely he wouldn't really say that and mean it is good for males to go through that kind of torture and say it is supposd to be helpful. Because, aren't people trying to stop the wars going around the world. And trying to prevent the harms that come with war...and yet he compared football to war and said it was all good. I do, but at the same time, agree with him. He has some good reasonings for it being good and producing "channels" to stay away from war. But the effects of both are not good, though one is applauded (football), and the other looked at with sadness(war).

7.) Who is McMurtry's audience? Is it necessary for the reader to understand or care about football in order to understand what McMurtry is saying about society? Explain.

A.) McMurtry's audience would probably be some of the students he had taught or was teaching at the time of the artical's birth. And therefore there could have been football players, or family members of them...or even more...a student with a brother, or father who's in the military. I do not think it would really matter for a person to care about football to understand what McMurtry is saying about society, though it might be essential to understand a little bit about football. To have seen some of the games and see the amount of energy and pressure on the players. It is also important because then, you can see both sides of the wall, war vs football...they are a lot alike...aren't they?

Education

The relationship between "Genuis and Drill" explained as paradocical is because when one first enters the world of knowledge and understandin, when most of the "why's" asked by his three year old self, are answered, the need to the beginning of knowledge drilled in his head.

For a child to begin his journey of learning, the basics need to be drilled into the soften scull. After he understands the basics, his genuis side can start shinning threw. Not only that, but also, the drillingk, and sculpting refine the young mind.

Basically the main reasoning for "genuis and drill" to be paradoxical relationship is, without one, you will not acheive at yeilding a regined genuis as a product.



The natural method described is the passing down of knowledge...but in a certain way. As the passage says, childredn learn from those who are eager to teach, those who enjoy what they teach. A mother's loving care and knowledgable stories say with a child rather than a child who is yelled at and pounded into understanding the story being taught.

The knowledge being taugh will be in the child's mind longer and better by a person with expeirence for the subject.