Friday, January 18, 2008

end done game over

the weaknesses of the genre is that it is difficult to relate an epiphany by only showing it. it is difficult to truly get the importance and meaning across when you are only supposed to focus on the outside factors. strenghts of the genre is that it is something that is entirely personal, and therefore is something that you know about and should be very well qualified to write about. writing is alot easier, I think, because there is more flexibility in terms to where your ideas can go, and how far you can stretch your imagination. it's not as structured. I probably would not want to write another one.

2.in order to be a good writer, it is necessary to be a good reader. david reiersgord always ridicules my word choice, but i find that my vocabulary is a direct correaltion with things that i have read. i find that the words that i use are the most concise way of describing that one thing adequately, and that is a difficult task. so doing that effectively is the direct represenation of whhhhat and how much i read.

3.i think that i have grown to like poetry a lot more. i still don't really like reading it, but writing it is not that bad. i learned to use concise vocabulary concerning inappropriate language. and i think that poetry is alot better than people would think. writing it is not that bad after all. just kiding. i like writing creatively and the people in the class mad e it alot of fun.

Coke or Pepsi: cocaine
Li'l Wayne or Little Debbie: debbie's hott
McDonald's or Arby's:arbies
Chiptole or Taco Bell:chipotle
American Idol or MTV:discovery channel
Buffalo Wings or Florida:florida
New York City or Los Angeles NYC
Name you like for your future daughter: jezebelle
Name you like for your future son: yogi
What is or what will be the first country you see outside the continent of North America: amsterdam
Disney movie you would be most likely to watch on your 21st birthday: toy story drinking game with david
5. Can you figure out what Disney movie my blog title comes from? who cares?

Monday, January 7, 2008

Blog: Newest

1. I guess one prinicipal that I have that guides my life is "do what you want to do." What is the point of life if you can't be happy? However, it seems that no one is really happy. People do what they want to do, but in the end that isn't enough to support the lifestyle that they want. It is a cruel paradox that people want to pursue their own passions and interests, but can't because they need to do other tasks to support themselves. That's why I think it is important to have hobbies or other activities that people do. I look at my grandfather, who is retired. He gets out of bed around 11 o'clock, and eats some breakfast. He looks at the stock market, sees what has happened, and goes back to bed. He'll get up to put his dogs out, then takes a shower and gets dressed up. He'll watch several hours of TV, and then go back to his computer. That seems to be a rather unfulfilling lifestyle.
2. Well, recently, three Frenchmen were killed in Mauritania. The terrorists that killed them threatened further action and retribution to the Paris-Dakar rally race if they continued it. The organizers of the event cancelled it for the first time in 30 years. I look at it that if it happened in America, we would rally behind the three people that died and then celebrate our bravery and hold the race, and make a big public scene around it, and it would be viewed as progress in the fight against terrorism.
3.I will be the director of a camp this summer, and i am worried that my staff will not be prepared. It is my responsibility that they are ready to deliver a leadership course. This weekend I was at a "staff development" which we have each month. So I need to make sure that I set a good example for them so that they can achieve at a high level that I need from my staff. That is all.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Grace Smells

Pleasent surprises i found while writing this play was that even though the theme of not having a firm identity can b difficult to get across, there is an effective way to do it. Using designators was interesting and fun, because it allowed me to say specifically what i wanted to without having to worry about how it was followed. Also, i'm not sure that i would ever write drama writing, but I could see myself writing satire or journalism of some form, maybe for a newspaper or some other means of publication.

2.My personal essay is about camping this past summer. I learned a lot about land stewardship and how to be responsible for my actions. It could also be about the camp that I work at during the summer. The people that work there are a lot of fun to work with,and they make it a lot of fun. I also learn how to communicate better with people.The rest of what I write in this space will probably be nonsensical, so you can stop reading at this point. it is surprising how when a limit is put on something, or in this case, a minimum word count, it really makes the author change their originally intended message for the sake of reaching a goal. that is all.

3. I would tell them to be observant of things. Too many times people don't look at what is around them enough. And i would encourage them to learn to curve their desires, especially for material goods. It's almost like Buddhism, but not quite with the same intentionality of it. As far as judging others, I would say that you can't judge something until you've tried it. We all do this anyway, but I just think that people are too quick to give a reason why they are right as opposed to looking for reasons that they could be wrong.

4.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Luigi Pirandello, playwright: "A man will die, a writer, the instrument of creation: but what he has created will never die!"

1. Theme carries nothing more than the inner desire of the authors true intentions. I find however, that the theme is a subjective thought that will be molded to whatever the analyst chooses to see in it. A theme for Huckleberry Finn could be racism, or the search for truth, or the quest for a young man's identity, or the real meaning of independence in a youth's life, or any different number of things. Therefore, I think that the theme, defined as what the author truly wishes to reveal, holds little value because their musings on the subject will be analyzed differently than what they originally intended, and the difference in time will also change the meaning of their writing.

2. Most of the writing that lasts "long" is something that a great many people have found to be amusing, intuitive, creative, and altogether meaningful. Voltaire's Candide, for example, is a "creative" work not because it holds something new, but it is the clearest and most detailed summary of the tragedies of tyranny, and it depicts the blind being led by the disillusioned. Clear thinking like that of Voltaire is what will last through the ages. It resonates even now, because it is interpreted through a modern scope of today, and it also takes into account new atrocities and actions between the publication and now. I fear that what I write will never have the resonance because I cannot hope to write anything as elegantly or monumental as any of the literary greats.

It is long-lasting because it is truth, disguised in a story, but the truth nonetheless.

3.If I were to have one effect on the world around me it would be to eradicate poverty. That would require that I become an economist and help to establish the modern order ofd things. It is not necessary for the United States to live in extravagant wealth while other countries suffer from a myraid of differnt afflictions. Their undue sufferings are the productions of our own hapless ignorance to their needs and I think that an effective novel could help solve the injustice in the world. Like Jared Diamond's research on why we have more "cargo."

Monday, December 3, 2007

I am a thinker,and I think thinks

1. The greatest concern that I have regarding my own peers is the loss of tradition. Being cultured is a symbol of the past and everyone hates being old fashioned. However, once every few months, we all think its a great idea to go to a dance when we're all dressed up. People lose sight of their past, especially concerning their ancestors. I take interest in knowing my origins, and examining the ways that I demostrate the stereotypes that surround those origins to determine whether they are true.

2. Someone who has actually changed my world is John Steinbeck. The author of Travels with Charley, he has offered incredible insights with humor and passion, describing the confusing American landscape in his own words and travels. Steinbeck, too, is interested in learning from where people take their roots, and that is a source of curiosity and interest for me. Another person would be Lord Robert Baden-Powell. Type him in Wikipedia if you want to know about him, but he set the foundation for an important organization that has made a difference in my life.

3.As stated in the other question, Travels With Charley is an incredible book on every level. Steinbeck cleverly weaves a tapestry that describes the American landscape with the right details in the right spots, stopping to indulge the readers interest at the right times, and being entirely and completely honest and accurate all at the same time. His work closely picks apart the fabric of american culture, as though under a microscope. He simply inspires readers to thing and analyze on a deeper level.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Assignment 9

1. Happiness is, quite simply, that which causes you pleasure.

2. I take joy in sports and physical activity. Happiness is rooted in companionship, which comes from being on a team, which is something that sports provide. I also take joy in music, because listening to music connects you to the artist and to other fans, so it again comes back to companionship. When I go canoeing down a river with David Reiersgord, I feel happiness because I am reminded of the joy that I take in the things that he has quit doing. (football)

3. The little things that make me happy throughout a day are when people say hi to you in the hallway. The people that I don't really know make some effort to make me happy, that is what reestablishes my faith in humanity.

4. One person whose happiness that I am impact is Grace. When I am not happy, then Grace is not happy. When I am having a good day, then Grace is having a good day. Our relationship is remarkable.

5.My greatest need in life is love. When I feel loved, or have seen the evidence of love that is reflected towards me, I am happy.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Assignment #7

1. I appreciated writing poetry, because there aren't really strict rules that dictate what you can say, or the subject of your writing. This freedom allows writers to further develop, inside the parameters of the prompt, which inspires directed yet creative writing.



2. One of my pieces that I liked the most was a poem called Statement of Style. It was just a commentary about social interactions, and how people portray themselves in society in order to cause a predetermined conclusion about themselves. It was easy to write about because I see these things everyday, and so I just kind of thought about them and wrote. The poem ended up being a political commentary at the end, which was not what I had originally intended, but it kind of transformed from what I had envisioned, but I liked the change and kept the ending.

3.I find that I write best when given a prompt that has some connection into my mind. What I end up writing is probably not directly applicable to the prompt, but that's where the writer's creative license gives way to greatness. Giving a little instruction is where things work out best.

4. As I approach college choices, I still don't know what I'm going to do and I have thought about journalism. Writing news in a newspaper or some kind of societal analysis would be interesting, but it also lends way to observing the different kinds of biases different authors inflect into their writing.