1.) "You've gotta lose to know how to win."-Aerosmith

The band Aerosmith included this phrase as lyrics to their song "Dream On." The phrase means that in order to win, one must know what it's like to lose, so that mistakes can be learned from until an objective is reached. This phrase is closely linked my life and personal experiences because I always lose...at everything. But, I know that losing will eventually make me wise enough to easily win things.

2.) "There's an awful lot of one, but there's infinity of the other."-Matt Smith

This quote, by Matt Smith, in the TV series Doctor Who, is basically saying that there are infinite possibilities as to what can happen with every decision we make. What we choose is what we're stuck with, but we can make better choices in the future. This relates to me because I always weigh my options to find the best one. Since there are infinite, I try to find the most practical/efficient way to do something, or I do what is most beneficial. I immediately wrote it down when I first heard it, mostly because it's very true, for everyone everywhere.

3.) "Try not. Do or do not, there is no try."-Yoda

This quote is fairly self-explanatory. One should either expect or put all of their effort in doing something, not just trying to do something. It appeals to me because I like the fact that people can do whatever they put their minds to, and it shouldn't require a failed effort to do so. I live by this guideline, as I strive to do, not to try.

“If you don’t enjoy the journey, the destination won’t be what you expect.” -Robin Roberts

So many people are concerned about where they’re going to be or what they’re going to do. Everyone thinks that they have their life planned out and everything will go accordingly. If you just sit back and realize there’s so much more to life than the project that’s due next week or where you’re going after high school, you must just be a little happier.

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” -Robert Frost

Many people can’t get past the current problem they’re facing. They’re too worried about what is happening right now rather than the big picture. If you just try to understand that life will get better and go on. It just needs time.

“Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something and has lost something.” -H. Jackson Brown

People are quick to judge other people when they really don’t know the real person. This quote can apply to everyone and teach them to be less judgemental and less understanding.

talon keefe

MINDS ARE LIKE PARASHUTS THAY ONLY WORK WHEN OPEN-Thomas Dewar                "If you can't convince them, confuse them."

- Harry S. Truman                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               l                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      a man who asks a question is a fool for five minutes a man who doesn’t ask is a fool for life

   

Post 9- Aphorisms

Aphorisms

Aphorism – a brief saying embodying a moral; a concise statement of a principle or precept given in pointed words.

In plain English, an aphorism is a little saying that provides a moral or guidance for life.

For this week's blog, you'll be locating three aphorisms (see below!) that you can relate to your life and your future.  This can be a pretty fun project and won't take a lot of time.  The requirements:

Locate three aphorisms and FOR EACH ONE:

   1. Explain the meaning of the aphorism

   2. Explain why it appeals to you and how it relates to your life

   3. Illustrate it by adding a photo, piece of clip art from the web, or something similar
(*See Examples Below*)

**If you get stuck, please see me right away and I can help you.  The addition of an illustration is new this time and while it's not difficult, you may not be sure how to do it.  Here is the quick method:

On the compose blog page, look at the top for the box that looks like a picture and click "Insert Image"   For this one, I did a google search of Siddhartha in images; I went to the website and copied the URL to add the picture

Example aphorisms:

1. "Why should things be easy to understand?"-Thomas Pynchon

Thomas Pynchon, one of my favorite authors, asked this question in response to a review of his book V which commented on the novel's complexity. The author has many fans who love his stories because they are challenging and sometimes difficult to understand. It is a fair question. I feel the same way about Pynchon's work, and any type of work in general. It is important to know that the world, and on a greater scale, the universe (see above picture), will present you with situations and problems that will be difficult to understand. A person has to have the ability to learn from these moments in order to come to know who they are and what they can accomplish. 

2. "Don't take yourself too seriously; no one else does."

People sometimes take themselves too seriously, and these people can be difficult. Although I believe it is important to take life seriously, I think it is equally important to have a good time and have a healthy sense of humor, even if it means laughing at yourself every once in a while... or all the time like I do, because I am funny.

"Make peace with your past so it won't screw up your future." 

 

It is important to reflect on your past to learn from it, but it is also equally important to move on because dwelling on past events can be unhealthy, especially considering that there is nothing a person can do about what has already happened. Learn and become a better person so that there can be hope for the future.

Posts are due by 3pm, Friday 5/2.

Post 8- Comedy Film Review

For this week's blog post, pick one of your favorite comedy films and write a review. Offer the following in your review of the film: 

1. Plot Synopsis- Summarize the plot of the film. Be specific. Explain who the main characters are and and the conflicts they face. What is the overall theme of the movie?

2. Performances- Explain which actors/actresses gave the best or worst performances in the film. Refer to actors/actresses by their full name the first time they are mentioned, and by last name anytime you mention them afterwards. Describe their characters and what you likes or disliked about them.

3. Overall Criticism- Rate the film out of 5 stars (five being the highest rating). What did you find funny? What styles of comedy are present in the film? Explain.

Here is an example film review of We're the Millers.

Posts are to be 300-400 words and are due by 3pm, Friday, 3/28.

Post 7: Newcomer

Hello all,

Next week, we will be starting Gene Luen Yang's graphic novel, American Born Chinese. The main plot-line concerns Jin, a young Chinese American boy, who moves to a new town and tries to fit in with those around him. In order to do this, he undergoes a series of changes, leading him on a journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance.

For this week's blog, you are being asked to reflect on a time in your life when you were a newcomer. Describe, in detail, a time in your life when you've been put into a new situation. How did you deal with it? What, if anything, did you do to fit in?  Provide context. 

Responses should be at least 300-400 words and are due by 3 p.m. Friday, 2/21/14.

Post 6- Sonnet Parody

Recalling the notes from our introduction to Comedy, a parody is a style of comedy that mocks a subject through imitation. A good example would be Weird Al Yankovic's song 'Smells Like Nirvana,' which is a parody of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit.' In this case, the song by Weird Al imitates the instruments and lyrics of Nirvana's original to a comedic effect.

For this week's blog, you will be posting a parody of Shakespeare's 'Sonnet 18'

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate;

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer's lease hath all too short a date;

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;

Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Your sonnet must be in iambic pentameter (10 syllables per line) and 14 lines long (3 quatrains and a couplet) with the following rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. 

Here is an example:

A Sonnet for Sherbert

Shall I compare thee to a chocolate cake?
Thou art more fruity and more exotic.
Good cake is often difficult to make
Especially for me, I'm moronic...
Sometime I will find a good recipe
And make the best cake in the whole wide world,
But until then we'll have to wait and see
And to sherbert land I will be hurled.
But my dreams of chocolate will never fade
With sherbert ready in my freezer,
It is easier to get delayed
If only making cake were easier!
So long as I continue on the path
I'll eat sherbert, and await chocolate's wrath.


Sonnets are due by 3pm, Friday 1/10/14.