I was having trouble thinking about another topic to blog about for "My Sister's Keeper" so I decided to go back and re-read the part that I couldn't focus on the first time that I read through it. During the end, I was so desperate to finish and have a nice cry that the words didn't register as much as they should have. Jodi Picoult has this style in her writing where she throws in these small comments which are actually huge concepts. This is what makes her books so interesting to read, the reader always ends up thinking deeper than normal.
The first comment that caught my eye in the epilogue was an observation of their mother. Kate notices, "she began to look for signs - plants that bloomed too early, eggs with double yolks, salt spilled in the shape of letters" (421). When the reader first reads this, they think the mother desperate and kind of pitiful. But if they think about it, what mother would be able to see anything as mundane as it used to be. Everything would be filled with their daughter's face and mind. After the sudden, random death of a daughter, the miracle recovery of another daughter, and the troubled son graduating from the police academy, is it really insane to think Anna might be hiding in that morning's eggs? From the outside perspective, yes, it is insane. But if was happening to me, I don't know if I could remain sane without that shred of hope. The mother will spend the rest of her life waiting for the next "interaction" with Anna, but that might be better than the alternatives.
The next thought provoking comment is, "Grief is a curious think, when it happens unexpectedly. It is a Band-Aid being ripped away, taking the top layer off a family" (422). I really liked that metaphor because on the outside, skin is soft and smooth but if you take off the first layer, if you rip a Band-Aid off, it becomes blotchy and less smooth and stingy. A family is like that, in the way that it has many layers, built up for protection. When one gets ripped off, the strongest layer of protection is gone. The strongest layer is always in the front, like with skin, or with chess. The pawns are in front because they have the strongest defense. If all the pawns are lost, the game gets harder.
As it turned out, the epilogue was full of impressive thoughts that I had missed the first time. That might have been a good thing, however, because at the time it probably would have brought on a new wave of tears. I'm glad I went back and re-read it because I would have missed out on one of the best parts of the book.
Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. New York: Washington Square Press, 2004.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Blog...5 Quarter 2
SPOILERS
Earlier today, I got distracted skimming a book that was buried in the piles of books in my closet. The book is Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson. The book is mostly a teenage girl book that I read with a friend of mine a few years ago. My mom would probably refer to it as trash but I still enjoyed reading it, stupid as it may be. The basic story is about three girls who come from completely different worlds who meet on a peach orchard and become unlikely friends. Murphy is the first girl introduced and was consequently my favorite. Her mom didn't really care about her along with some other hardships. The quote in the book that I took notice of is a thought of Murphy's. The passage goes, "He was the same as anybody else. Murphy breathed a sigh of relief. It felt good to be let down" (183). When I read this, I thought back to My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult and how that line sort of summarized most of the characters.
I'll start with Jesse, because he's always been a favorite of mine. He's been let down so much in his life that he starts to get uncomfortable when things are going his way. That's why he tries to rebel, to minimize the amount of time spent exceeding his expectations. He tries to get on his families nerves and flirt with Julia because he expects that they will be angry with him, or ignore him. And when he's isolated, he's in his most comfortable element.
With Anna, she keeps expecting her mother to care more about her and not ask for the donations. Every time she has to donate something new to her sister, she feels let down. This doesn't hurt her though because if she wasn't let down, she would be in unmarked territory and wouldn't know how to proceed. Would she actually not donate to her sister? It's easier for her when her mother lets her down.
Kate gets disappointed by her sickness. Whenever it comes back, she might feel a little more mentally stable, because she knows what's going on and knows what her body is doing. When the Leukemia disappeared for a while, she was nervous because of the unknown. Although getting sick again was a let down, in some ways, it might be the better option. For everybody, there's an aspect in their lives that is stable and doesn't knock us off our feet or raise our hopes. In a way, everyone needs something like that to ground us. Change is good, but if everything changes, the result wouldn't resemble the components.
Anderson, Jodi L. Peaches. New York: Alloy Entertainment, 2005.
Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. New York: Washington Square Press, 2004.
Earlier today, I got distracted skimming a book that was buried in the piles of books in my closet. The book is Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson. The book is mostly a teenage girl book that I read with a friend of mine a few years ago. My mom would probably refer to it as trash but I still enjoyed reading it, stupid as it may be. The basic story is about three girls who come from completely different worlds who meet on a peach orchard and become unlikely friends. Murphy is the first girl introduced and was consequently my favorite. Her mom didn't really care about her along with some other hardships. The quote in the book that I took notice of is a thought of Murphy's. The passage goes, "He was the same as anybody else. Murphy breathed a sigh of relief. It felt good to be let down" (183). When I read this, I thought back to My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult and how that line sort of summarized most of the characters.
I'll start with Jesse, because he's always been a favorite of mine. He's been let down so much in his life that he starts to get uncomfortable when things are going his way. That's why he tries to rebel, to minimize the amount of time spent exceeding his expectations. He tries to get on his families nerves and flirt with Julia because he expects that they will be angry with him, or ignore him. And when he's isolated, he's in his most comfortable element.
With Anna, she keeps expecting her mother to care more about her and not ask for the donations. Every time she has to donate something new to her sister, she feels let down. This doesn't hurt her though because if she wasn't let down, she would be in unmarked territory and wouldn't know how to proceed. Would she actually not donate to her sister? It's easier for her when her mother lets her down.
Kate gets disappointed by her sickness. Whenever it comes back, she might feel a little more mentally stable, because she knows what's going on and knows what her body is doing. When the Leukemia disappeared for a while, she was nervous because of the unknown. Although getting sick again was a let down, in some ways, it might be the better option. For everybody, there's an aspect in their lives that is stable and doesn't knock us off our feet or raise our hopes. In a way, everyone needs something like that to ground us. Change is good, but if everything changes, the result wouldn't resemble the components.
Anderson, Jodi L. Peaches. New York: Alloy Entertainment, 2005.
Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. New York: Washington Square Press, 2004.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Censorship Annotated Bibliographies and Research Question
Research Question: Is the risk of too much exposure to a touchy subject worth the possibility of missing out on a life changing book?
Note. The unbolded terms after the question are underlined. Also, some stuff got deleted and wouldn't post with the URLs in the citations.
Blume, Judy. Judy Blume On The Web. Mark I. West. 2006. 7 Dec. 2008.http://judyblume.com/censorship.php.
Judy Blume is a writer who's books are mainly directed and children and teenagers. The target the process of growing up and the difficulties that come with it, along with some abnormal situations. She believes that the censorship on her books are caused by fear of losing control of her children's lives. In an interview with Mark West, Blume implied that she thinks of what might get censored, and then realizes the topic which needs exposure. Blume's censored books include but are not limited to, Forever, Blubber, Deenie, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Tiger Eyes, all of which made the top 100 challenged books list as defined by the ALA. Blume's perspective on censorship of literature makes her a valid opponent of censorship.
Ulin, David L. "Banned Books Week A Thorny Issue."Los Angeles Times. 29 Sep. 2008. L.A. Times. 7 Dec. 2008 <http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-et-banned29-2008sep29,0,2160426.story>.
David Ulin is a staff writer on the Los Angeles Times. He often covers social issues and usually shies noticeably away from the common view, or at least shows a different perspective. In this article, he covers censorship and why it would be nearly impossible to abolish it due to the fact that everybody has differing ideals and opinions and it would be unreasonable to try to accommodate all of them. He illustrates that it's foolish to believe that a book would not influence someone's thoughts because if that were the case, there would be no need to ban them. He renders the argument that people might not be affected by what they read, invalid. He counters his own argument by saying that there is no book that someone would be better off not reading. His opinions would both condone and condemn literary censorship.
Note. The unbolded terms after the question are underlined. Also, some stuff got deleted and wouldn't post with the URLs in the citations.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Blog #4, Quarter 2
SPOILER ALERT : MY SISTER'S KEEPER
While reading "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult, I had a constant Jesse radar, where I watched for upcoming chapter's from Anna's older brother Jesse's perspective. From the very beginning of the book, I've had an interest in that character for the simple reason of him being the rebel. Naturally, people are interested in others who disregard rules. One of the first descriptions of Jesse was that he had figured out a way to make his own alcohol in his apartment. This sets his character up as being brilliant, but misunderstood.
My favorite passage of the entire book comes from page 93. It's Jesse's point of view and the scene is set in the bathroom of their house a few years earlier. It's actually Jesse explaining a memory he has of Anna. The memory consisted of him pouring flammable bath splash onto the floor and setting it on fire. Anna walks in and sees him. He expects her to be afraid as he pours her name onto the tiles and ignites but instead she pours a weird design on the floor and tells him to re-light it. To me, this held significance because of the lines that followed it. Jesse explains, "Anna is the only proof I have that I was born into this family, [...] On the surface, we're polar opposites. Under the skin, though, we're the same," (93). This passage resonated with me and showed me the importance of Jesse in the story. To Anna's parents, Anna was a sort of second choice and even though they love her as much as their other children, she wouldn't have existed if there wasn't an underlying incentive for her life. For Jesse, however, Anna being born was the best thing that could have happened to him. She kept him home and in touch with his family. Anna was the only person who talked to Jesse like he is on the inside and not what she saw on the outside.
I thought this was so interesting because for most of the family, Anna hadn't connected with them on a personal level. For example, when Brian asks Anna about her detached behavior, Anna doesn't even realize that the question was put to her instead of her sister. All he said was, "Something happen today?" and "You feel okay?" (39) but Anna instinctively looked to her sister to answer. For Jesse, Anna is the one person who he can talk to without worrying about disappointing her. That's why he became the most interesting character for me.
Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. New York: Washington Square Press, 2004.
While reading "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult, I had a constant Jesse radar, where I watched for upcoming chapter's from Anna's older brother Jesse's perspective. From the very beginning of the book, I've had an interest in that character for the simple reason of him being the rebel. Naturally, people are interested in others who disregard rules. One of the first descriptions of Jesse was that he had figured out a way to make his own alcohol in his apartment. This sets his character up as being brilliant, but misunderstood.
My favorite passage of the entire book comes from page 93. It's Jesse's point of view and the scene is set in the bathroom of their house a few years earlier. It's actually Jesse explaining a memory he has of Anna. The memory consisted of him pouring flammable bath splash onto the floor and setting it on fire. Anna walks in and sees him. He expects her to be afraid as he pours her name onto the tiles and ignites but instead she pours a weird design on the floor and tells him to re-light it. To me, this held significance because of the lines that followed it. Jesse explains, "Anna is the only proof I have that I was born into this family, [...] On the surface, we're polar opposites. Under the skin, though, we're the same," (93). This passage resonated with me and showed me the importance of Jesse in the story. To Anna's parents, Anna was a sort of second choice and even though they love her as much as their other children, she wouldn't have existed if there wasn't an underlying incentive for her life. For Jesse, however, Anna being born was the best thing that could have happened to him. She kept him home and in touch with his family. Anna was the only person who talked to Jesse like he is on the inside and not what she saw on the outside.
I thought this was so interesting because for most of the family, Anna hadn't connected with them on a personal level. For example, when Brian asks Anna about her detached behavior, Anna doesn't even realize that the question was put to her instead of her sister. All he said was, "Something happen today?" and "You feel okay?" (39) but Anna instinctively looked to her sister to answer. For Jesse, Anna is the one person who he can talk to without worrying about disappointing her. That's why he became the most interesting character for me.
Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. New York: Washington Square Press, 2004.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Blog 3, Quarter 2
SPOILER ALERT!
My book for this quarter is "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult. While I was reading through the question and answer portion with the author at the end of the book, I got to one question and answer that I didn't understand. The question asked about the sad ending to the book and why it was necessary. This was something I had been wondering from the moment I finished. Picoult's answer surprised me in the way that it didn't seem like the most obvious answer. She said "medically, this ending was a realistic scenario for the family[...]". I thought that was kind of ridiculous and even a little angering. The ending of the book was so moving because it was completely unexpected. The wrong Fitzgerald daughter died from nothing medical what-so-ever, but a car accident. I thought a more natural yet still heartbreaking ending would be that Anna would either keep her promise to her sister and keep her own kidney, or give up a kidney just to have Kate die anyway. The possibility that seemed the least medically accurate was Anna dying. Perhaps I would have had less trouble with it if she had died on the operating table as opposed to crushed in a car.
When I got to the part of the book where the dad, Brian, finds Anna crushed against the window of a car, I didn't even realize what had happened. The part of the book described it, "a dog comes wimpering out, I relize that the face pressed up against the other side of the broken window is Anna's." Before the reader even takes that information in and realize what it means, they are reading the next line, "Get them out, I yell, 'get them out now!" That's when I began to realize and the feeling that it gives you is comparable to being knocked over by a swinging bowling ball. I remember having to stop reading for a moment before going back a paragraph and re-reading the descriptions to make sure that I had understood correctly. I was initially so shocked that something as random and unnecessarily depressing as that would have shown itself in an already intense book. This is why Picoult's response to the question ticked me off. It didn't seem like a natural or purposeful way to end the book, although it did serve it's intended purpose of putting everyone who reads it into an all night depression.
Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. New York: Washington Square Press, 2004.
My book for this quarter is "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult. While I was reading through the question and answer portion with the author at the end of the book, I got to one question and answer that I didn't understand. The question asked about the sad ending to the book and why it was necessary. This was something I had been wondering from the moment I finished. Picoult's answer surprised me in the way that it didn't seem like the most obvious answer. She said "medically, this ending was a realistic scenario for the family[...]". I thought that was kind of ridiculous and even a little angering. The ending of the book was so moving because it was completely unexpected. The wrong Fitzgerald daughter died from nothing medical what-so-ever, but a car accident. I thought a more natural yet still heartbreaking ending would be that Anna would either keep her promise to her sister and keep her own kidney, or give up a kidney just to have Kate die anyway. The possibility that seemed the least medically accurate was Anna dying. Perhaps I would have had less trouble with it if she had died on the operating table as opposed to crushed in a car.
When I got to the part of the book where the dad, Brian, finds Anna crushed against the window of a car, I didn't even realize what had happened. The part of the book described it, "a dog comes wimpering out, I relize that the face pressed up against the other side of the broken window is Anna's." Before the reader even takes that information in and realize what it means, they are reading the next line, "Get them out, I yell, 'get them out now!" That's when I began to realize and the feeling that it gives you is comparable to being knocked over by a swinging bowling ball. I remember having to stop reading for a moment before going back a paragraph and re-reading the descriptions to make sure that I had understood correctly. I was initially so shocked that something as random and unnecessarily depressing as that would have shown itself in an already intense book. This is why Picoult's response to the question ticked me off. It didn't seem like a natural or purposeful way to end the book, although it did serve it's intended purpose of putting everyone who reads it into an all night depression.
Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. New York: Washington Square Press, 2004.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Blog #2 Quarter 2
THIS BLOG CONTAINS SPOILERS
After I finished "My Sister's Keeper," and found out the big plot twist at the end where we find out that Kate had wanted to die so that Anna could live, I remembered a quote from earlier in the book. It was Kate talking to her mother concerning Taylor Ambrose, a boy at the hospital who she became infatuated with. Kate says, "When you care more if someone else lives than you do about yourself... is that what love's like?" (310). I thought this quote was extremely significant because in the end, we find out that Kate loved Anna so much that she was willing to sacrifice her own life for her sister's. Maybe a part of Kate was talking about Anna as she talked to her mother.
There's a big difference between caring if someone lives, and actually being willing to die for them. Without thinking about it, it's easy to think they go hand-in-hand but in reality, you can care about someone more than yourself but still not be willing to die for them. I think the sibling-love between Jesse, Anna, and Kate was very unique. All siblings love each other, even if they refuse to admit it, but most wouldn't be willing to give up their lives in exchange for their brother's or their sister's. During the book, Anna admits several times that she thinks her life might be easier if Kate just died. I believe that she might choose her sister over herself if it came down to who had to have Leukemia. Jesse, on the other hand, seems like he would do anything to save his sister. At one point in the book, he mentions that he just wanted to be useful. It is implied that the reason he has such destructive patterns is because he feels useless when it comes to helping his sister.
This book pushes the boundaries on what people like to think about. It asks the question, is there a limit to how far one would go to save a loved one?
Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. New York: Washington Square Press, 2004.
After I finished "My Sister's Keeper," and found out the big plot twist at the end where we find out that Kate had wanted to die so that Anna could live, I remembered a quote from earlier in the book. It was Kate talking to her mother concerning Taylor Ambrose, a boy at the hospital who she became infatuated with. Kate says, "When you care more if someone else lives than you do about yourself... is that what love's like?" (310). I thought this quote was extremely significant because in the end, we find out that Kate loved Anna so much that she was willing to sacrifice her own life for her sister's. Maybe a part of Kate was talking about Anna as she talked to her mother.
There's a big difference between caring if someone lives, and actually being willing to die for them. Without thinking about it, it's easy to think they go hand-in-hand but in reality, you can care about someone more than yourself but still not be willing to die for them. I think the sibling-love between Jesse, Anna, and Kate was very unique. All siblings love each other, even if they refuse to admit it, but most wouldn't be willing to give up their lives in exchange for their brother's or their sister's. During the book, Anna admits several times that she thinks her life might be easier if Kate just died. I believe that she might choose her sister over herself if it came down to who had to have Leukemia. Jesse, on the other hand, seems like he would do anything to save his sister. At one point in the book, he mentions that he just wanted to be useful. It is implied that the reason he has such destructive patterns is because he feels useless when it comes to helping his sister.
This book pushes the boundaries on what people like to think about. It asks the question, is there a limit to how far one would go to save a loved one?
Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. New York: Washington Square Press, 2004.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Blog #1, Quarter 2
For this quarter's outside reading, I'm having trouble deciding between two books, and will probably end up blogging about both of them. The first book is Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper. I've already started this one and have been unable to put it down. I chose to read this book because I've been hearing so much about it over the past year or so but I haven't really had the time to get around to reading it. My friends and family are always loading me up with book suggestions, not to mention the required school readings. I'm glad I chose this book because since I've read it, it has consumed me. It's been a while since I've read a book that I've really been obsessed with. I think All The Pretty Horses is a good book. I like reading it and usually don't have too much trouble making it through the nightly thirty-or-so pages. However, since I've started Picoult's book, as I read ATPH, I'm dying to finish so I can get back to my new favorite book. I feel for John Grady Cole and his struggles but I don't get pulled into his character like I do for Anna Fitzgerald or her conflicted father, Brian. I think it'll be a great book to blog about, if I can slow myself down enough to make it last until next week.
My other outside reading book of choice is Nineteen Minutes, aslo by Jodi Picoult. I had never heard about it before last friday but what I heard the other students and my teacher say about it was enough to peak my curiousity. I don't have that one yet but it's coming on thursday. I've heard it's Picoult's second best book, only being beaten by My Sister's Keeper. I read an excerpt and it seems just as captivating as my current novel. I'm looking forward to reading Nineteen Minutes and can't wait to get started on it.
My other outside reading book of choice is Nineteen Minutes, aslo by Jodi Picoult. I had never heard about it before last friday but what I heard the other students and my teacher say about it was enough to peak my curiousity. I don't have that one yet but it's coming on thursday. I've heard it's Picoult's second best book, only being beaten by My Sister's Keeper. I read an excerpt and it seems just as captivating as my current novel. I'm looking forward to reading Nineteen Minutes and can't wait to get started on it.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
FINAL BLOG!!!... of the quarter...
This week, I saw the movie Eagle Eye. The movie was about how a computer became really smart and took it's programming over. It began to control life around it in order to satisfy it's own wishes for it's interpretation of the computer's own purpose. This is not the only movie of it's kind. From I Robot, to Smart House, computer's are becoming too independent left and right. I decided to look up a few articles and see what I could find as to the reliance we all put in our technology. The websites stated the same message; that an over-reliance on technology could be dangerous. If my mom takes away my cell phone or my computer, it usually hits me pretty hard as it disables me from instantaneous contact to the world outside of my house. I feel as though my generation grew up with the technology that used to be incredibly rare. At least, for me, when I have no access to anything, I feel claustrophobic. Some people might think of that as weird, seeing as I could get up and go take a walk outside, but it's different when you're on a computer. The user is immediately linked to something much larger than themselves, or even the path around the lake. It's the largest link around the world and none of it is tangible.
Why do we put so much faith in something that we can't even really see? We see our screen but have no knowledge as to how our emails appear in China. If the internet suddenly crashed, worldwide, people could lose everything. Family pictures, to their life works, to control of missiles. The reason why people continue to use the internet is simple. Because everyone else does it. If any one person suddenly refused to enter the cyberworld, they would be left in the dust. Business is done online, as money is made. Students turn in assignments via email and blog posts. The stock market, though not entirely online, appears a great deal on google/finance.
One of the articles I read talked about the blackouts in California. I couldn't even imagine how much production of entertainment and exports that caused. California is one of the most populated states and suddenly, it just disappeared.
I'm not saying that the use of technology should be stopped, or even hindered. To do so would be to hinder the development of society. These thoughts have been causing me to consider downloading things and saving them in a more permanent place. It's just gives me a slightly larger sense of security. From communication to business to entertainment, technology helps us in every way and hopefully, it'll stay that way.
Grohol, John M. "Why Reliance on Technology is a Bad Thing." Psychcentral. 21 Apr. 2005. The American School of Professional Psychology. 28 Oct. 2008
Why do we put so much faith in something that we can't even really see? We see our screen but have no knowledge as to how our emails appear in China. If the internet suddenly crashed, worldwide, people could lose everything. Family pictures, to their life works, to control of missiles. The reason why people continue to use the internet is simple. Because everyone else does it. If any one person suddenly refused to enter the cyberworld, they would be left in the dust. Business is done online, as money is made. Students turn in assignments via email and blog posts. The stock market, though not entirely online, appears a great deal on google/finance.
One of the articles I read talked about the blackouts in California. I couldn't even imagine how much production of entertainment and exports that caused. California is one of the most populated states and suddenly, it just disappeared.
I'm not saying that the use of technology should be stopped, or even hindered. To do so would be to hinder the development of society. These thoughts have been causing me to consider downloading things and saving them in a more permanent place. It's just gives me a slightly larger sense of security. From communication to business to entertainment, technology helps us in every way and hopefully, it'll stay that way.
Grohol, John M. "Why Reliance on Technology is a Bad Thing." Psychcentral. 21 Apr. 2005. The American School of Professional Psychology. 28 Oct. 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Blog #6
This week I decided to read an article about the only thing that I hear about anymore. The economy. My mom sent websites to the rest of the family saying ways we can all save money during hard times. I skimmed the list quickly before getting into an argument with her over the differences between her saving money and my saving money. Somehow, in her eyes, her manicure every two weeks was more important than my buying of my favorite brand of rice that was a few cents more expensive. I countered that I don't mind cutting back, as long as I'm not the only one. It seems to me that people are willing to cut out the little details of things that are actually necessary, like food brands and sneakers, but not cut out things that improve their own self image.
We had a guest over to dinner last night and the four of us talked about the issue. She speculated that people wanted to feel good about one aspect of their lives during the economic crisis that has consumed their minds. I understand the importance of turning off the lights more often and using cold water to wash clothes, but it seems like along with those, people could double the money if they got down to the real luxuries and cut those out too. My dad is very specific about his nuts, as he always has to have to most expensive and natural brand. At a glance, this wouldn't seem much different than my rice dilemma other than he get's a bag of nuts everyday whereas I get a bag of rice once every month or so.
My mom is big into her own self-image, mostly because she has one of those jobs where she works with people she's never met before on a day-to-day basis where first impressions mean everything. This means the best clothes and hair and everything else that comes with looking professional and modern. Yet somehow, I seem to be more to blame when I go get my gum or a pair of discount gloves than when she purchases the latest outfit or goes to the best-of-the-best in hair cutters.
My thoughts on all the economy chatter is that if people, myself included, focused on buying the $12 discount jeans instead of the $112 dollar designer jeans, along with focusing on the smaller details like gum and electricity, we could double or triple our saving efforts and rescue families from the common conservation-of-money disputes.
Dyre, Civita. "How To Save Money in Today's Economy." EHow. 20 Oct.. eHow. 21 Oct. 2008.
We had a guest over to dinner last night and the four of us talked about the issue. She speculated that people wanted to feel good about one aspect of their lives during the economic crisis that has consumed their minds. I understand the importance of turning off the lights more often and using cold water to wash clothes, but it seems like along with those, people could double the money if they got down to the real luxuries and cut those out too. My dad is very specific about his nuts, as he always has to have to most expensive and natural brand. At a glance, this wouldn't seem much different than my rice dilemma other than he get's a bag of nuts everyday whereas I get a bag of rice once every month or so.
My mom is big into her own self-image, mostly because she has one of those jobs where she works with people she's never met before on a day-to-day basis where first impressions mean everything. This means the best clothes and hair and everything else that comes with looking professional and modern. Yet somehow, I seem to be more to blame when I go get my gum or a pair of discount gloves than when she purchases the latest outfit or goes to the best-of-the-best in hair cutters.
My thoughts on all the economy chatter is that if people, myself included, focused on buying the $12 discount jeans instead of the $112 dollar designer jeans, along with focusing on the smaller details like gum and electricity, we could double or triple our saving efforts and rescue families from the common conservation-of-money disputes.
Dyre, Civita. "How To Save Money in Today's Economy." EHow. 20 Oct.. eHow. 21 Oct. 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Blog #5
Blog #5
This week, I chose to read an article about the Rubik's cube. This past summer, I learned how to solve one of these puzzles and it instantly became a hobby. I was solving it a few days ago and I realized that in order for all six faces to spin, there had to be a center within the cube. So I pulled off some of the blocks and sure enough, there was a central core much more complex than I had anticipated. I realized that someone had to have thought of the toy and had to have figured out a way to make each color move independently without falling apart. I went online and read an article about the history and creator of the Rubik's cube. The inventor had a quote that I liked.
"It was wonderful, to see how, after only a few turns, the colors became mixed, apparently in random fashion. It was tremendously satisfying to watch this color parade. Like after a nice walk when you have seen many lovely sights you decide to go home, after a while I decided it was time to go home, let us put the cubes back in order. And it was at that moment that I came face to face with the Big Challenge: What is the way home?" - Erno Rubik. As you get pulled into the cube, the colors start to inhabit your mind and take over your senses so that all you want to do is see them match.
When I first started solving my cube, it would take up all my concentration. It completely cleared my mind of other distractions. As I got better, my time decreased. I started to time myself, but whenever I would turn on the timer, or sit in front of a parent and ask them to time me, my hands would move slower than they usually did. This made me wonder if this happened to everyone. If people never got to see others' absolute best performances because they could only do as well when completely alone. Although this doesn't have much to do with my reading, the text sparked my thoughts about my own experiences and led me to believe that we have a sense of others' presence that makes us more aware of our own actions.
Bellis, Mary. The History Of The Rubik's Cube- Erno Rubik. n.d. 14 Oct. 2008 <http://inventors.about.com/od/rstartinventions/a/Rubik_Cube.htm>;.
This week, I chose to read an article about the Rubik's cube. This past summer, I learned how to solve one of these puzzles and it instantly became a hobby. I was solving it a few days ago and I realized that in order for all six faces to spin, there had to be a center within the cube. So I pulled off some of the blocks and sure enough, there was a central core much more complex than I had anticipated. I realized that someone had to have thought of the toy and had to have figured out a way to make each color move independently without falling apart. I went online and read an article about the history and creator of the Rubik's cube. The inventor had a quote that I liked.
"It was wonderful, to see how, after only a few turns, the colors became mixed, apparently in random fashion. It was tremendously satisfying to watch this color parade. Like after a nice walk when you have seen many lovely sights you decide to go home, after a while I decided it was time to go home, let us put the cubes back in order. And it was at that moment that I came face to face with the Big Challenge: What is the way home?" - Erno Rubik. As you get pulled into the cube, the colors start to inhabit your mind and take over your senses so that all you want to do is see them match.
When I first started solving my cube, it would take up all my concentration. It completely cleared my mind of other distractions. As I got better, my time decreased. I started to time myself, but whenever I would turn on the timer, or sit in front of a parent and ask them to time me, my hands would move slower than they usually did. This made me wonder if this happened to everyone. If people never got to see others' absolute best performances because they could only do as well when completely alone. Although this doesn't have much to do with my reading, the text sparked my thoughts about my own experiences and led me to believe that we have a sense of others' presence that makes us more aware of our own actions.
Bellis, Mary. The History Of The Rubik's Cube- Erno Rubik. n.d. 14 Oct. 2008 <http://inventors.about.com/od/rstartinventions/a/Rubik_Cube.htm>;.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Blog #4...5?...4?
This past week, I finished up The Boy In The Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne. I usually wouldn't pick up a book that was as short as this one, especially with a title like the one it has. It comes across as a children's book. However, I went far enough to open the inside cover. Instead of the regular summary of the storyline, it had this.
"If you start to read this book, you will go on a journey with a nine-year-old called Bruno. (Though this isn't a book for nine-year-olds.) And sooner or later you will arrive with Bruno at a fence.[...]"
That caught my interest and I started reading. Then entire book only took me about five collective hours. It ended up being a book about the Holocaust. What I found interesting was that the protagonist is the son of a German Nazi General. Normally, in Holocaust books, the point of view is that of a Jew with five brothers and sisters hiding somewhere or escaping. Bruno, however, moved to a nice home on a new plot of land. The reader doesn't find out until a little over half way through the novel that the land is actually a concentration camp.
After reading this, I started to think about perspective. Although Bruno is only a young boy, his friendship with the boy on the other side of the fence made the most moving of all the stories I've heard or read. The simplicity of the story makes the reader wonder about the other side of the war, the side that wasn't told. It's important to change perspectives from time to time. Even just trying to visualize how something looks from another's eyes will give one a new perspective on their lives.
Another interesting quote was, "Bruno started to think more and more about the two sides of the fence and the reason it was there in the first place." In the eyes of the two boys on either side, there is no difference between them. In the eyes of everybody else, the difference is life or death.
From the mysterious beginning, to the unexpectedly tragic ending, this book had my mind racing from the point of view of every single character.
Boyne, John. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. New York: David Fickling Books, 2006.
"If you start to read this book, you will go on a journey with a nine-year-old called Bruno. (Though this isn't a book for nine-year-olds.) And sooner or later you will arrive with Bruno at a fence.[...]"
That caught my interest and I started reading. Then entire book only took me about five collective hours. It ended up being a book about the Holocaust. What I found interesting was that the protagonist is the son of a German Nazi General. Normally, in Holocaust books, the point of view is that of a Jew with five brothers and sisters hiding somewhere or escaping. Bruno, however, moved to a nice home on a new plot of land. The reader doesn't find out until a little over half way through the novel that the land is actually a concentration camp.
After reading this, I started to think about perspective. Although Bruno is only a young boy, his friendship with the boy on the other side of the fence made the most moving of all the stories I've heard or read. The simplicity of the story makes the reader wonder about the other side of the war, the side that wasn't told. It's important to change perspectives from time to time. Even just trying to visualize how something looks from another's eyes will give one a new perspective on their lives.
Another interesting quote was, "Bruno started to think more and more about the two sides of the fence and the reason it was there in the first place." In the eyes of the two boys on either side, there is no difference between them. In the eyes of everybody else, the difference is life or death.
From the mysterious beginning, to the unexpectedly tragic ending, this book had my mind racing from the point of view of every single character.
Boyne, John. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. New York: David Fickling Books, 2006.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Blog Response #3
Similar to my last blog entry, I am currently reading The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More. I just now finished book four, entitled, The Swan. It's a story about a smart boy who gets cornered by two out of control pre-teens. The older boys, named Ernie and Raymond, torture little Peter by threatening him with a gun and making him retrieve hunted birds. At one point, the boys tie Peter vertically to a railroad, unsure as to whether or not he would be killed. Peter pushes his head into the gravel and the train goes over him.
While I was reading about Peter and the train, I started wondering about the consciences of Ernie and Raymond. Would they have been able to be as carefree as they are if Peter had actually been killed? Granted, they seemed disappointed when they saw that Peter had survived. So maybe that means that certain people don't have as high natural morals. Ernie was raised in a careless home but Raymond had a pretty decent life. Was it just Ernie's influence that led him to not caring who was dead and who, alive? Niccolo Machievelli was a famous philosopher who believed that everyone was born evil, and then some stayed evil while others were taught to be good. A bit later on, Thomas Hobbes, another philosopher, wrote a book called The Leviathan, which agreed with Machievelli's theory.
I don't agree with this theory because there are some people who grow up in terrible situations but still manage to have a positive outlook on life. I don't believe that one's upbringing is an excuse for brutish behavior.
Dahl, Roald. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More. New York City: Puffin Books, 1988.
While I was reading about Peter and the train, I started wondering about the consciences of Ernie and Raymond. Would they have been able to be as carefree as they are if Peter had actually been killed? Granted, they seemed disappointed when they saw that Peter had survived. So maybe that means that certain people don't have as high natural morals. Ernie was raised in a careless home but Raymond had a pretty decent life. Was it just Ernie's influence that led him to not caring who was dead and who, alive? Niccolo Machievelli was a famous philosopher who believed that everyone was born evil, and then some stayed evil while others were taught to be good. A bit later on, Thomas Hobbes, another philosopher, wrote a book called The Leviathan, which agreed with Machievelli's theory.
I don't agree with this theory because there are some people who grow up in terrible situations but still manage to have a positive outlook on life. I don't believe that one's upbringing is an excuse for brutish behavior.
Dahl, Roald. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More. New York City: Puffin Books, 1988.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Blog #2
Recently, between reading school texts, I've been re-reading my favorite childhood book. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, by Roald Dahl. Although a children's book, re-reading can lead to some interesting conclusions. One of the stories is called The Hitchhiker. It concerns a man who can steal anything from a persons hand without said person noticing. He refers to his fingers as "magical." In the story, the magical hitchiker gets a ride with the protaganist and urges him to break the speed limit. When they do, the hitchhiker steals the informational pad away from the police man who pulls them over, leaving them in the clear.
This caught my attention because even though the hitchiker steals all throughout the story, the reader is enthralled and charmed by his character. The idea of someone possessing a supernatural power that sets them above others is enticing. It let's the person who possesses the power have complete control. They can break the social 'norm' and live how they please. However, if they are smart about it, like the hitchhiker, they would stay out of radar and be subtle about it. Everyone has had dreams of having a superpower, but if they actually recieved one, very few would know what to do with it.
The hitchhiker from the story steals winnings away from the rich. However, he's no Robin Hood. He keeps the money for his own gain and although this is a treat of great selfishness and greed, the reader is forced to side with him. Anyway that we can get close to the idea of being greater than others instantly attracts us subconsciously. One hint at an extraordinary person and it'll have a full grown adult thinking, "I wanna be a superhero."
Dahl, Roald. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More. New York City: Puffin Books, 1988.
This caught my attention because even though the hitchiker steals all throughout the story, the reader is enthralled and charmed by his character. The idea of someone possessing a supernatural power that sets them above others is enticing. It let's the person who possesses the power have complete control. They can break the social 'norm' and live how they please. However, if they are smart about it, like the hitchhiker, they would stay out of radar and be subtle about it. Everyone has had dreams of having a superpower, but if they actually recieved one, very few would know what to do with it.
The hitchhiker from the story steals winnings away from the rich. However, he's no Robin Hood. He keeps the money for his own gain and although this is a treat of great selfishness and greed, the reader is forced to side with him. Anyway that we can get close to the idea of being greater than others instantly attracts us subconsciously. One hint at an extraordinary person and it'll have a full grown adult thinking, "I wanna be a superhero."
Dahl, Roald. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More. New York City: Puffin Books, 1988.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
BLOG #1
For this blog response, I read a news article entitled, "The New Pranksters" (see citation). This article is about a large group of young people who are stirring up the 'norm' by creating intricate pranks. My personal favorite prank that they've pulled is getting about five hundred people of all ages to freeze simultaneously in a public subway station. A video of the prank was posted online and after five minutes of puzzled onlookers, everyone unfroze and continued as if nothing odd had happened.
I believe that the reason behind these random pranks are to get people to stop and think instead of going about their daily routine. It's more of a series of social experiments that are eventually going to end up defining our generations. Ari Lerner comments in the article, "We're finding ourselves more and more disconnected [...] We all sit at our computers and we forget that there's a sun outside." She points out that the group is trying to shake away the monotony of the everyday life.
I love watching these people, no performers, go out and confuse people.
Gamerman, Ellen. "The New Pranksters." Editorial. Weekend Journal 12 Sep. 2007: w1+.
I believe that the reason behind these random pranks are to get people to stop and think instead of going about their daily routine. It's more of a series of social experiments that are eventually going to end up defining our generations. Ari Lerner comments in the article, "We're finding ourselves more and more disconnected [...] We all sit at our computers and we forget that there's a sun outside." She points out that the group is trying to shake away the monotony of the everyday life.
I love watching these people, no performers, go out and confuse people.
Gamerman, Ellen. "The New Pranksters." Editorial. Weekend Journal 12 Sep. 2007: w1+.
Monday, September 15, 2008
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