Tools That Change the Way we Think

"Back in 2004, I asked [Google founders] Page and Brin what they saw as the future of Google search. 'It will be included in people's brains,' said Page. 'When you think about something and don't really know much about it, you will automatically get information.'

'That's true,' said Brin. 'Ultimately I view Google as a way to augment your brain with the knowledge of the world. Right now you go into your computer and type a phrase, but you can imagine that it could be easier in the future, that you can have just devices you talk into, or you can have computers that pay attention to what's going on around them and suggest useful information.'

'Somebody introduces themselves to you, and your watch goes to your web page,' said Page. 'Or if you met this person two years ago, this is what they said to you... Eventually you'll have the implant, where if you think about a fact, it will just tell you the answer."

-From In the Plex by Steven Levy (p.67)

My Thoughts:

First off, if humans had an installment in their brains that gave them everything they ever wanted to know or look up that would be super creepy! What's the point of interacting with others if you already know everything?
Technology, Internet and media have had a great influence on the way that I think and even the way I go about doing things in my day to day life. I have the world at my fingertips in a cute, sparkly-pink case. My time spent searching for the information I need is almost non-comparable to the time it took previous generations to find information. Also, with so much available to me at the touch of a button or the swipe of a touch screen, my concentration is almost never focused on one specific thing. I can text my friend, catch up on world news and listen to music all at the same time. It's gotten to the point where I can even feel unfocused if I don't have a little white noise in the background while I'm working. Either my ability to multi-task has increased ten-fold or I've become extremely ADD. I've been able to learn so much about my personal interests and curiosities through the internet. Things I never even knew existed or books I never would have heard of I have been able to hear about through online communities like Tumblr and even Twitter.
Technology has had a bog impact on all of us and really does put the whole world at our fingertips.

VOCABULARY #9

1.aficionado: enthusiast: somebody who is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about something
2.browbeat: intimidate, typically into doing something, with stern or abusive words
3.commensurate: corresponding in size or degree; in proportion
4.diaphanous: light, delicate, and translucent
5.emolument: a salary, fee, or profit from employment or office
6.foray: a sudden attack or incursion into enemy territory
7.genre: a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by 8.similarities in form, style, or subject matter
9.homily: commentary that follows a reading of scripture
10.immure: enclose or confine against their will
11.insouciant: showing a casual lack of concern; indifferent
12.matrix: an environment or material in which something develops; a surrounding medium or structure
13.obsequies: funeral rites
14. panache: flamboyant manner and reckless courage
15. persona: the image or personality that a person presents
16.philippic: a bitter attack or denunciation
17.prurient: having or encouraging an excessive interest in sexual matters
18.sacrosanct: regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with
19.systemic: of or relating to a system, esp. as opposed to a particular part
20.tendentious: expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view
21.vicissitude: a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant

The Performative Utterance in Hamlet

• "...powerful in mind but still at the mercy of the will of those around him."  WOW.

• "Where Hamlet wavers is in the physical commission of this duty, in transcending the confines of his mental determination into the physical space" Hamlet knows what he must do and has decided it is the right thing, but just can't physically bring himself to do it. He sabotages himself by keeping it all in his head.

• Language is divided by: what is done is being said (illocutionary force), ability of language to deliver a message (locutionary force), and what is achieved by being said (perlocutionary force)

• "self overhearing" characters make self discovery/ revelations based off what they hear themselves say

• Hamlet only swore out loud to remember his father not actually avenge his murder...hmm

What I Think About When I Think About Act III

Hamlet is taking on too much at once! He seems so worked up. He's not allowing himself to heal over his father's death properly. I understand that revenge may help him in the short run but that will only lead to more trauma later. The elaborate play scheme seems so excessive to me.

Thoughts on Hamlet (In Progress)

Hamlet has always seemed to me to be a deeply disturbed individual. He right from the get-go had a lot on his plate and that problem only seems to grow as the play goes on. The more thoughts from within we get from Hamlet such as his "To Be or Not To Be" soliloquy really provide good insight into what are the real things troubling him.

HAMLET"S TO BE OR NOT TO BE...BLINDFOLDED

HAMLET STUFF

There is a link on the course blog to mine and Jenna's Hamlet Act II prezi if you want to check it out! It has a good summary of events and a helpful YouTube video as well as a cited resource really good for in depth translations/summary of Shakespeare.

Literature Analysis #3

Looking For Alaska by John Green

1.  This is a new type of coming of age novel. It's unpredictable and unexpected in every way. Miles "Pudge" Halter convinces his parents that he must go to seek the "Great Perhaps" at a private school his father once went to. Culver Creek boarding school is where Miles makes his first true friends, falls in love, and is made very aware of the tragedies life sometimes deals out. He learns so much about himself and all the ways one decision, one, mistake can change your life forever. After he makes the mistake of letting his friend Alaska go one night, she dies. And it change him forever. Was it suicide? Was it an accident? Was it his fault? Miles and his friends become borderline obsessive trying to answer these questions as well as the most important question of all: "How will we ever get out of this labyrinth?"
2. One of the major themes of this novel would be finding hope after tragedy. Pudge struggles greatly to overcome the guilt and regret he feels for his role in his friend's death. Once he is able to forgive himself, he begins to forgive her and see new hope for his life.
3. The tone is very personal and earnest.

• "Y'all smoke to enjoy it, I smoke to die."
• "That's why I'm going. So I don't have to wait until I die to start seeking a Great Perhaps."
• "That's the mystery isn't it? Is the labyrinth living or dying? Which is he trying to escape-the world or the end of it?"

     4.

• Imagery "A bunk bed of unfinished wood with vinyl mattresses was pushed against the room's back window"
• Simile "sweat dripped like tears from your forehead into your eyes"
• Characterization "I saw a short, muscular guy with a shock of brown hair."
• Conflict- Pudge must decide whether Alaska's mood swings are worth his own emotional toll
• Consonance "Weekday Warriors"
• Foreshadowing "Y'all smoke to enjoy it, I smoke to die."
• Metaphor "She was a hurricane"
• Motif "How will I get out of this labyrinth"
• Flashback- the book gives a preview of the core group of characters together before starting from the true beginning
• Setting- The setting of Alabama and it's drastically changing weather represents the lives and emotions of the characters as they change almost more often and severely.

Characterization

1.

• "And now is as good as time as any to say that she was beautiful...She had the kind of eyes that predisposed you to supporting her every endeavor."
• "She didn't even glance at me. She just smiled towards the television and said, 'You never get me. That's the whole point.' "

The author uses both approaches to add depth to the characters. They are not only defined by Pudge's description of their looks but also by their actions and choices ultimately making them more true to life.

2. The author's syntax and dicton remain consistent throughout. The entire story is written in Pudge's persepective which is always "suffering yet enduring".

3. The protagonist is definitely dynamic. Miles goes through a huge change throughout the story. He discovers more about himself and goes through life altering situations which cause him to adapt and come out stronger and more aware as a person.

4.Coming away from the book I feel as if I have met a person. Miles is a character that will stay with me for a long, long time. His decision to go forth and force himself into the "Great Perhaps" is something that I can greatly apply to my own life and truly admire. A quote from Miles that shows just how similar he and I are is "But the not-knowing would not keep me from caring..." If there was ever a statement I felt resonate like a bow on a violin string, that would be it.

DEAR OPHELIA

It seems you have found yourself in the middle of quite the conundrum. Between young love and family the choice has never been harder since peanut butter or chocolate. But there was one perfect solution: Reeses. The best of both worlds. I know I cannot tell you to stay away from the prince, that only makes him all the more appealing. And why shouldn't you have him? If he makes you happy then he is worth it. However he is not worth the relationship you have with your brother and father. I would never encourage you to abdicate your responsibilities as a daughter. Now while this may be a brusque way to say this, I wouldn't encourage to engage in any debauchery. That being said you are probably more confused than before. But my solution for you is to find a happy medium. Be honest with your family and make it clear to them that you are willing to compromise and that this boy is someone you deem worthy of your time. As for the prince, be cautious. If he ever makes you feel like you must choose between him and your family it's time to bail. It would be an abomination to lose your family over a boy.

Literary Fiction & Empathy

The article stated that after reading literary fiction "people performed better on tests measuring empathy, social perception and emotional intelligence — skills that come in especially handy when you are trying to read someone’s body language or gauge what they might be thinking". I do agree that reading about characters with more complex issues in their lives and more serious conflicts can inspire more empathy in people. You have to consider the hardships they are going through and then you naturally compare/contrast it to your life and it helps to get you thinking about what others are going through, especially the things you may not necessarily deal with on a daily basis. As Albert Wendland stated, in literary fiction readers also have to be more active. You can't just take a backseat and automatically understand like you can in popular fiction. Each person involved has a different version of the truth leaving it up to the reader to make inferences much like in real life.

VOCABULARY #7

They had all been in France for a total of one hour and forty five minutes. And they were leaving. After all the work and shenanigans along the way they had come to the wrong place. No one had seen Quatro Quatro that angry since Hostess temporarily went out of business.  He actually picked up his backpack and through it against a brick wall so hard it ricocheted and came back and hit him in the face. That brought a plethora of laughter among the group. Ree decided to eschew from getting angry and recoil back into herself as she often did in stressful situations. The group had become somewhat independent but even now she could not stand Ducky Walters ebullient attitude or Jonah's garrulous nature. Between Jonah and Ree there was obviously a very present schism and they often had to stop themselves from stepping forward to harangue the other. They already had a rather capricious friendship given Jonah's loquacious tendencies and Ree's ephemeral patience for it. As Ree tuned out everyone around her as well as all the codswallop going on she came to an abrupt realization.  They had been wrong all along! The perhaps most mysterious object in the known world wouldn't be in France at all! Where else to hide a mysterious object than in one of the most mysterious places in the world. "Egypt!" she exclaimed to her group of peers, "The real destination is Egypt!" And so the group set off to Luxor where the true work would begin...

GREEN EGGS & HAMLET

a) What do you know about Hamlet, the "Melancholy Dane"?

• He is a character in a play by Shakespeare. (Try to keep up with my amazing intellect here.)

b) What do you know about Shakespeare? 

• He is one of the greatest playwrights of all time. He is famous for his tragic romances and for years high school freshman have been forced encouraged to enjoy his perhaps most famed work Romeo & Juliet.

c) Why do so many students involuntarily frown when they hear the name "Shakespeare"?

• If you struggle with iambic pentameter or solving riddles Shakespeare can be a struggle to understand. He's old as dirt.

d) What can we do to make studying this play an amazing experience we'll never forget?

• We could have more in class discussions to really get a feel for what is going on from multiple perspectives.

Thanks Cameron...

Shenanigans - mischief; prankishness.

Ricochet - rebound: to hit a surface and bounce, traveling away in a different direction.

Schism - division in a religious denomination: a major split in a religious denomination usually on the grounds of differences in belief or practice, leading to the setting up of a separate breakaway organization.

Eschew - abstain from: to avoid doing or using something on principle or as a matter of course.

Plethora - large or excessive amount or number: a very large amount of something or number of things. 

Ebullient - lively and enthusiastic: full of cheerful excitement or enthusiasm.

Garrulous - talking too much: excessively or pointlessly talking.

Harangue - address somebody loudly and forcefully: to criticize or question somebody.

Interdependence - depending on each other: unable to exist or survive without each other.

Capricious - given to sudden changes: tending to make sudden unexpected changes.

Loquacious - talkative: tending to talk a great deal.

Ephemeral - short-lived: lasting for only a short period of time and leaving no permanent trace.

Inchoate - just beginning: just beginning to develop.

Juxtapose - put side by side: to place two or more things together, especially in order to suggest a link between them or emphasize contrast between them.

Perspicacious - perceptive: penetratingly discerning or perceptive 

Codswallop - nonsense  

Mungo - cheap fabric 

Sesquipedelian - using long words: characterized by using long words 

Wonky - unreliable in use: not to be relied on to be steady or secure or function correctly 

Diphthong - two vowels as one syllable

 

Thanks: http://creesesrhsenglitcomp13.blogspot.com/

IF I ONLY HAD MORE TIME

On today's midterm I was extremely caught off guard. While I did study it was not nearly enough to prepare me for the shock of pulling all the words from memory. In the future I would like to use more creative methods of studying to help really retain more of the words.

Literature Analysis #2

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

1. This book is about the coming of age of Maya "Mata" Angelou. She is passed from home to home but the most prominent parts of her childhood are spent in rural Stamps, Arkansas living with her brother Bailey and uncle in the back of her grandmother's store. There Maya bore witness to a large amount of racial intolerance. Maya is confused by the mere existence of "the whites" and sees them as another species. A visit from their father reveals that they are to be brought to St. Louis to live with their mother. This is where Maya encounters one of the great tragedies of her childhood. She is first molested and later raped by her mother's live in boyfriend Mr. Freeman at eight years old. After his trial he is murdered which causes Maya a good amount of (undeserved) guilt. After this tragedy she refuses to speak to anyone except her brother and eventually they are sent to live again with their grandmother "Momma" in Stamps. Here is when Maya meets Mrs. Bertha Flowers who acts as a mentor and huge influence to Maya's life providing her with "lessons in living". After scary encounters with racism Momma fears for their safety and arranges for them to live with their mother in California. Here after struggles to find independence and a shocking revelation about her father Maya is able to overcome multiple struggles and obtain a diploma. After hiding her pregnancy the story comes to a close (for now) with a son being born and loved unconditionally.

2. One of the most prominent themes of the book is racism/segregation and it's effect on one's coming in to adulthood.

3. The author's tone is poetically earnest and contemplative.

 "Each year I watched the field across from the Store turn caterpillar green, then gradually frosty white. I knew exactly how long it would be before the big wagons would pull into the front yard and load on the cotton pickers at daybreak to carry them to the remains of slavery's plantations."

"Other than that they were different[white people], to be dreaded, and in that dread was included the hostility of the powerless against the powerful, the poor against the rich, the worker against the worked for and the ragged against the well dressed."

"I couldn't understand whites and where they got the right to spend money so lavishly. Of course I knew God was white too, but no one could have made me believe he was prejudiced."

4. Literary devices/techniques:

• Imagery: "I watched the field across the Store turn caterpillar green, then gradually frosty white."
• Allusion: "...her eyes full of sleep and hair tousled, I thought she looked just like the Virgin Mary"
• Anecdote: the author often takes time to recount times where she and her brother would cause mischief together and paid for it with a good lashing from their Grandmother.
• Conflict: Maya blames herself at first for the rape and for Mr. Freeman's murder.
• Epithet: "Most Beautiful Mother in the World"
• Portmanteau: "powhitetrash" = poor white trash
• Flashback: the entire book...
• Juxtaposition: the lifestyles of whites and blacks in the south. Whites: "But above all their wealth that allowed them to waste was most enviable." Blacks: Although there was generosity in the negro neighborhood, it was indulged on pain of sacrifice."
• Setting: Stamps, Arkansas is a true southern town of the times. Hot, rural and filled with racism.
• Metaphor: "being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat."

CHARACTERIZATION

1.

• When Maya is seeing or talking to people the author uses direct characterization to describe them. This is a biased way of viewing the characters but essentially helps us learn more about Maya based off the important figures that were featured in her life and how she viewed them. Such as her brother who was undoubtedly her favorite person in the world:

"His hair fell down in black curls...he was small, graceful and smooth."

"And the fact that we was my brother...was such good fortune it made me want to live a Christian life just to show God that I was grateful."

• You get to know Maya through  more indirect characterization of using her thoughts and actions. This approach gives us full insight into Maya and how she thinks and reacts the various elements of her life. Maya's thoughts allow us as readers to understand that she is much deeper than what other characters assume.

"If growing up is painful for the Southern black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult."

"I wanted to throw a handful of black pepper in their faces...to scream at them...but I knew I was as clearly imprisoned behind the scene as the actors outside were confined to their roles." (This quote is from a scene where powhitetrash children are mocking and harassing Momma showcasing Maya's helplessness and burning protective side.

2. The authors word choice changes mostly based off of whether the characters involved in the dialogue are black or white. Formalities change within the races as does what is considered the appropriate grammar. For example the conversation between Momma and Mrs. Flowers is very different than the conversations between Momma and white folk she may come across.

3. The main character, Maya is most definitely a dynamic character. Maya faces numerous challenges and hardships including racism and assaults on her body and character. She is forever changed by these events and evolves because of them.  Each event she goes through be it the tragic rape at a young age or meeting Mrs. Flowers who helped shape Maya as a person and writer helps her to change as a person and eventually come in to her own.

4. Coming away from the book I felt as if I had met a person. Maya Angelou has always been one of my inspirations. Reading this story I felt as if there were so many things I could relate to on a personal level. An example of a quote that will stay with me for a long time is "If you're for the right thing, you do it without thinking."
  

THE COMPARISON'S TALE

I read The Miller's tale with my group and upon hearing the presentation of The Wife of Bath I immediately found similarities. Chaucer's satirical and humorous tone was consistent throughout both of the tales. The theme was also similar in that both pieces focused on satirizing the sanctity of marriage and peoples' integrity. Both stories involved deceit and lack of faith within marriage as well as people who showed little to no shame for their actions.

TALE OF CANTERBURY TALE

The Miller's Tale (SCANDALOUS)

Summary: There is a carpenter named John who rents rooms out to various guests. Among the guests is a student (clergy, clerk) named Nicholas the Handy (handy...how ironic). The carpenter has a young wife named Alison who he is very possessive of and in a constant state of worry of losing her. While he is out of town Nicholas flirts with Alison and after a slight reluctance ends of getting his HANDY hands on her. They realize that it would not be a good idea to carry on this affair while John is in town so Nicholas devises a plan. Meanwhile Absalon (another clerk) is giving his all to try to win over Alison. He waits outside her window until late into the night to serenade her with songs of his undying love much to the dismay of John the carpenter and his wife. Nicholas decides the best plan is to convince the carpenter that a flood is coming and that he must complete a list of tasks before he, his wife, and Nicholas himself are all killed. The carpenter believes him and completes the ridiculous tasks. He is exhausted after and falls asleep. While he is asleep Nick and Alison sneak away for a hook up (IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN) in the carpenter's bed (shameful). While they are there Absalon has decided to try his luck with Alison and goes to the window to ask for a kiss. She and Nick think it is pathetically hilarious and trick him in to literally, kissing her ass. Enraged by this cruel trick Absalon finds the blacksmith and requests a hot iron. He goes back to the window and pretends he wants another kiss. This time Nick sticks his bum out of the window and gets swatted and scalded by the hot iron. This commotion causes the carpenter to startle awake and he ends up getting injured in his haste to avoid the false flood. When he tries to justify his actions Alison and Nicholas to HANDY write him off as mad and the entire town laughs him off as a crazy person. Excerpt:  "So she was screwed, the carpenter's young wife, despite all jealous safeguards he could try; And Absalon had kissed her nether eye, and Nicholas is scalded in the rear. This tale is done, God save all who are here!"

1. One of the central characters was Alison, the carpenter's young wife. She is described by everyone as being exceptionally beautiful. Reader's learn she is easily persuaded because it literally took a man five minutes to get her to cheat on her husband. Whenever she speaks to anyone she is described as having a "wanton" look in her eye.

2. I believe Chaucer's purpose with telling this character's tale was to satirize society. He was saying that maybe even the people of the church aren't as straight-laced as they like to appear. Such as how Nicholas and Absalon were both either clergy's or students of God and they showed no mercy in going after a married woman and telling lies to get what they want.