Memorial Break

Overall my break was pretty good, but if deffinetly went way too fast.

My break didn't start off well, when the baseball team lost to our long-time rivals in Pascack Valley. The final score was 15-6 but the game wasn't as lopsided as the score may suggest. We were the home team since we had the higher seed (we were 12 and they were 13) so they batted first. The first batter of the game hit a homerun on the third pitch (he hit a homerun on the first pitch of their previous game). The next batter was hit by a pitch and the third batter hit a two-run bomb over the center field fence. Before one out was recorded, they had a 3-0 lead and all the momentum. We started chipping away by scoring one run in the bottom half of the first inning and a few more in the second and third innings. In the fifth inning the game looked as though it would be a nail bitter as Valley held 6-5 lead; however, it only got worse as you can tell from the final score. It was a terrible feeling to not only lose in the state tournament, but to lose in the state tournament to Pascack Valley.

My break got better when I played with my AAU team for the first time. We had our first games in a tournament down in Seacaucus. We won the tournament with a perfect 4-0 record, winning in the finals by a score of 7-4. It was a wood bat tournament which was different because most of the time I hit with metal. Its a good experience to hit with a wood bat because the ball won't travel as far and you have to have quicker hands since the wood is thicker and heavier than a metal bat. The only downside of playing in the tournament, was that I had to wake up early in the morning on two occasions when I was looking forward to catching up on some sleep.

The high point of my break was when I went to a sweet sixteen on Sunday night. It was celebrating three different girls 16th birthdays, and one of them was Nicole.

Unfortunetly, the trip ended on a down slide, for all throughout Tuesday I was catching up on work I should have done over break. I don't think i'll ever learn that its just better to spend 30 minutes a day working, instead of trying to cram it all in on the day before I head back to school.

All in all it was a pretty exciting break, but it got my ready for summer which can't be a good thing.

Final Assesment: Outline

What is your thesis statement? This sets up the entire paper with your focus and direction.
- There are kids in today’s society who feel as though they are not accepted, but surrounding students, family, and their selves put themselves in this situation.


BODY PARAGRAPH 1
What is the topic/idea of this paragraph?
- Kids who feel rejected dig themselves a bigger hole by accepting being an outcast

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?
a. “… he feels trapped on the “other side: of life, and he continually attempts to find his way in a world in which he feels he doesn’t belong.”
(Spark Notes)

What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?
a. To avoid being hurt by those that surround him, Holden keeps a distance by being different. He knows that everyone thinks of him as a failure, but by keeping his distance he won’t have to hear it said to his face.




BODY PARAGRAPH 2
What is the topic/idea of this paragraph?
- Growing up is tough, and without strong parental figures to help you get through it, kids can feel confused and misguided.


What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?
a. Holden wants a quick-fix for every problem in life, but it’s becoming obvious to him that there aren’t quick fixes in the adult world.

b. “…his central goal is to resist the process of maturity itself.” “He wants everything to be easily understandable and eternally fixed.

What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?
a. Christopher Creed’s mom would offer to chaperone Chris’ dances; this would cause Chris to skip the dances and make it appear as though he was unsocial.


b. Holden is constantly searching for guidance from an adult, and this comes as a result of weak help from his own parents





BODY PARAGRAPH 3
What is the topic/idea of this paragraph?
- There is a social status in school just as there is in the real world, and those on the bottom can feel rejected form everyone else.


What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?
a. “Holden's red hunting cap, which he dons when he is most insecure, is a continuing symbol throughout the book of his feeling that he is different, doesn't fit into his environment, and, what's more, doesn't want to fit in.”


What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?
a. Torey Adams is on the opposite end of the social status spectrum; he has the friends and girl friend to prove it but still feels like a “misfit” in his own group.

Final Assesment: Cornell Notes

TITLE: The Catcher in the Rye (Themes)
AUTHOR: Answers Corporation
YEAR PUBLISHED: 2006

Main Idea #1: Failure

Summary: In every situation that arises throughout the book, Holden simply fails. He sets himself up to inevitably fail, he almost flaunts his failures. It’s likely he does so to gain attention.


Quote: “Failure serves as a great attention-getting device. And perhaps, more than anything, Holden wants attention from his parents, the absent characters in the book. What Holden really longs for, most likely, is acceptance and love.”


Question: More specifically, who are the absent characters in the book that the author of this article is talking about?


Main Idea #2: Lonliness

Summary: It appears as if Holden enjoys being a misfit, for he knows what others think of him and his actions but refuses to change his ways. His red hunting hat is a great symbol of his loneliness, for he physically hides from his peers with the hat draping over his face, as he simultaneously hides from connecting and interacting with society outside of school.


Quote: “Holden's red hunting cap, which he dons when he is most insecure, is a continuing symbol throughout the book of his feeling that he is different, doesn't fit into his environment, and, what's more, doesn't want to fit in.”


Question: Is it possible that Holden seemingly chose to be lonely out of fear rather than ignorance?


TITLE: Alienation in the Life of Students
AUTHOR: Shaun Kerry
YEAR PUBLISHED:

Main Idea #1:
Summary: Unfortunately for Christopher Creed, he took this quote literally. He physically escapes society by running away. In reality, Chris fell behind society for his social differences, and his solution was to run away from the problem.

Quote: “There is only one way to escape the alienation of present day society: to retreat ahead of it.” – Roland Barthes

Question: How much of Christopher Creed’s decision to run away had to do with his social life at school and how much had to do with issues at home with his mother?


Main Idea #2: Alienation: adolescent’s quest for identity

Summary: An adolescent is at the time of their life, when they search for ways to discover their individual identity; however, many difficulties stand in their way of accomplishing just that.

Quote: “Estranged adolescents feel that they have little control over the events that shape their seemingly meaningless lives. They tend to feel isolated from adults, their peer group, and even themselves.” – Shaun Kerry


TITLE: The Catcher in the Rye: Themes, Motifs, and Symbols
AUTHOR: Spark Notes
YEAR PUBLISHED: Unknown

Main Idea #1: Alienation as a Form of Self-Protection

Summary: To avoid being hurt by those that surround him, Holden keeps a distance by being different. He knows that everyone thinks of him as a failure, but by keeping his distance he won’t have to hear it said to his face.

Quote: “… he feels trapped on the “other side: of life, and he continually attempts to find his way in a world in which he feels he doesn’t belong.”


Main Idea #2: The Painfulness of Growing Up

Summary: Holden wants a quick-fix for every problem in life, but it’s becoming obvious to him that there aren’t quick fixes in the adult world.

Quote: “…his central goal is to resist the process of maturity itself.” “He wants everything to be easily understandable and eternally fixed.

Sources for Final Assesment

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/catcher/themes.html (Spark Notes - Catcher in the Rye)

http://cltl.umassd.edu/resourcesinstruct3kk.cfm (Website - The Body of Chistopher Creed)

http://www.dist113.org/DHS/Library/Class_links/English/Cal.htm (Theme Links - The Body of Christopher Creed)

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/70918/the_catcher_in_the_rye_themes_motifs.html (Website - Catcher in the Rye)

http://www.answers.com/topic/the-catcher-in-the-rye-novel-3 (Website - Catcher in the Rye)

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2006/06/study_strict_pa.html (Website- Strict Parents = Fat Kids)

Thoughts From Socratic Seminar

- It seems like David is always in the right place at the right time to find out secrets

- David has chosen to put his family before anything else by not turning is brother in. In real life, when push came to shove most people wouldn't rat out their family

- David is the best possible narrator for this story, he doesn't choose sides in the situations hes in. This is great for the reader, because they can choose their own side without hearing it from an influential source

- David is eventually going to get some confidence and confront his brother, this summer was the turning point for a reason and I think that when he confronts his brother is the turning point of David's life

- The scene where David pointed the gun at his uncle seems to be foreshadowing an event at the end of the book

Sibling Rivalries

BODY PARAGRAPH ABOUT THE SIBLING RIVALRY IN MONTANA 1948
Sibling rivalry, the competition between two siblings to prove one is superior to the other, is a major theme in Montana 1948. This sibling rivalry has David’s father and uncle, Wes and Frank respectively, in a face-off to prove to the family they are better; however, it’s not a competitive rivalry, for David claims, “… and when comparisons were made between those two, my father was bound to suffer.” With Uncle Frank inevitably winning, doesn’t make for a great rivalry. There is without a question a sibling rivalry theme present in Montana 1948, but it’s not a very competitive one.

(RESEARCH TACTICS) THE SIBLING RIVALRY IN MONTANA 1948
QUESTION:
• Sibling rivalry is prevalent in all ages. What are tactics to help stop rivalry, and are those tactics seen in our literature

The dispute of sibling rivalry occurs no matter the age of the competitors, but there are tactics to avoid the possible life-long controversy; tactics can be found in, FAMILY Feud, an article written by Denise Henry about sibling rivalries. Henry goes on to explain that sibling rivalries are common in households everywhere, but there are ways to avoid the controversy. For example, she says that in the midst of an argument you shouldn’t let it get out of hand, “If an argument really heats up, walk away before someone loses their temper and does something that he or she will regret later,” (Henry, pg. 14). Family bridges are burned in situations like this, for one heated comment could destroy a potentially strong relationship. Doing things independent is another possible tactic, “That way you get some enjoyment out of an activity without having it ruined by your rivalry with your sibling,” (Henry, pg. 14). I often use this method; playing Xbox in my basement, away from my sister always puts me in a comfort zone. Finally, Henry leaves the reader with a reassuring comment of, “As you mature and develop your own identity and interests that are separate from those belonging to family members, your rivalry with siblings will cool off. That may be hard to believe, but trust us, it will,” (Henry, pg. 14). Denise Henry does a great job of letting the reader know that sibling rivalries are universal, but there are ways to evade it and when the siblings mature the rivalry will cease to exist.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO PARAGRAPHS
QUESTION:
• Explain the differences between the two paragraphs.

The sibling rivalry between Wes and Uncle Frank in Montana 1948 is no different from those that exist in real life. The specifics of the rivalry may be unique but in the end all sibling rivalries are relatively similar and that’s why the tactics introduced by Denise Henry could apply. If Wes used some of these tactics, there is no doubt in my mind that he would have successfully avoided the tense rivalry created with his brother.

Check out Brian’s blog to see his thoughts on sibling rivalry.

Annotated Bibliography

Works Cited
Rozello, Steven. "Family Expectations." PHMC. 14 Mar. 2005. Office of Health Education. 28 Apr. 2008.
The author discusses the different types of stress, such as family expectations, that are placed on kids like David Hayden by his family. The article is based off of questions that were asked to students at the University of Pennsylvania, and those who talked about the stress of family expectations claimed their parents thought they should be robot-like by doing work 24/7; for example, one student claimed, "My parents don't expect me to have a life, I should be spending every waking moment studying, and things like socializing, showering, etc. are all secondary to that pursuit,”. The author didn’t share any of his thoughts on stress, but did seem compassionate about how the students felt.

Violence In Society and Macbeth

In today’s society violence is present more than ever before. The main effects are placed on kids; for the younger crowd violence is in shows like Disney Kim Possible and the classic Power Rangers and movies like the Saw series (previously mentioned in the post The Intro Post of My Blog About…Intros) have kids seeing action packed and gory violence in every direction. Furthermore, with gaming consoles such as Xbox360 and PS3 becoming more common in households around the country (myself included), video games are having a more drastic effect on kids. Call of Duty 4, Gears of War, and Grand Theft Auto IV are all newer video games with the objective of simply killing the opposition at any cost. In Gears of War the player even has the option of using a saw attached to their gun to sever a near-by enemy in half. Even in a play as old as Macbeth is filled with violence; Macbeth goes on a killing-spree as he murders several people in power around him. In the movie there the murderous scenes are gruesome, as Macbeth cuts the throats and stabs his targets and in the final scene Macbeth is beheaded. This violence is why people went to see the play when it was originally made and still the reason why it fills seats now. it just shows that violence as been entertaining people forever and it’s now that society is more violent today than it had been previously, but the media is the major difference that is allowing all the violence to find it’s way to every newspaper, magazine, movie theatre, game consoles, and television. If you listen to the news on the radio or watch it on T.V., you notice that they almost sublimity throw out random violent events. The other nights I was listening to the radio on the way home and the news reporter goes… “10 people died and 23 were seriously injured when a church collapsed in Virginia early this morning.” When I think about this little clip of violence, it is absolutely meaningless to me. Not to sound ignorant but the news has no effect on me except making me sad. Violence is something that people have been attracted to since the beginning of time, and today the media is using every possible tactic to get it out there.

The Awful Feeling of Guilt

The feeling of guilt causes people to feel responsible, condemned, and deserving of punishment for a wrong doing Those who don’t experience the feeling of guilt can be called “morally bad people”, for it is this feeling that is the foundation of our conscience. A foundation that ensures that there will always be more good than bad in this world. Since you were little, you have been taught to consider the consequences before acting. Even if there aren’t any obvious consequences, the feeling of guilt will always exist.

In the movie Bench Warmers, starring Rob Schneider, guilt plays a major role in the outcome of the movie. Rob Schneider, who plays Gus, is a short man and claims that many people in don’t get a chance in life because they are “small and bullied”. The viewer thinks that Gus is talking about his past and how he was bullied throughout his childhood; however, a major plot twist occurs when Gus goes to a kid’s house that he had bullied in high school. The kid, Marcus, is a “dorky midget”, and Rob finds him playing with toys in his basement when he arrives from his surprise visit. When Marcus realizes Gus is the kid who bullied him in high school 20 years ago, he quickly runs inside his castle and hides from Gus. Rob truly wants to apologize to Gus for all the terrible things he had done to Marcus back in high school; his conscience got the best of him and he now realized that it’s only right to apologize. After convince Marcus that he truly is sorry for everything that he did back in high school, and to make it up to him Gus promises Marcus a chance to throw out the first pitch at a big baseball game. Even though there weren’t any immediate consequences for bullying Marcus, guilt got the best of Gus in the end.

The most guilt I have ever felt came from picking on my sister. We were on vacation and she has been bothering me the entire time. One morning my parents went out to the gym and I was left to wreck havoc on my little sister. She was watching T.V. in a dark room, so I knew this was a great opportunity to scare her. I went to the kitchen and grabbed a large knife, the one that killers use in horror films. As I slowly opened the door and showed her the knife I was holding she backed up as far as she could against the bed. I was pretending to be a zombie to make her think she couldn’t communicate with me and tell me to cut it out. As I got closer and closer she started screaming at the top of her lungs. When I got within a few feet my conscience made me realize that I had taken the prank to far and undid the whole zombie act and told her I was sorry. Unfortunately for me, this wasn’t a case where there weren’t any immediate consequences, for when my parents returned from the gym they punished me pretty good. For the rest of the vacation I rarely did anything fun and was in the dog-house for several weeks after the vacation.

In Macbeth guilt isn’t playing as big a role as I originally thought it would. Macbeth is killing people left and right but guilt hasn’t stopped him from killing the next. However, guilt is catching up to Lady Macbeth; she was seen sleepwalking and washing her hands. She says she wants to wash her sins away; this is significant because previously the reader viewed Lady Macbeth as a ruthless woman who would never feel a drop of guilt.

Feminism: Then, Now?, Will it Exist Later?

From my perspective, a male high school student in New Jersey, I’ve seen over shadowed by male power used for comedy. In the newspapers, almost all the businesses receive publicity have strong male leaders at the helm. This may because women are put at a disadvantage in society from the very start, for everything that surrounds them pounds the idea that any powerful position in this world is reserved for a man; however, people such as Hillary Clinton are making a major push to resurrect the pre-mentioned stereotype. Hillary Clinton is just one of the fixtures creating a drastic effect in society, but believe it or not there are feminists out there, unknowingly destroying everything Clinton has worked for.
If you looked at the activity of feminism today, many see a great decline in from what it had recently been. Since the beginning of time women were seen as inferior to men, and it couldn’t be more obvious from the writings in the earliest literature. The majority of women accepted this discrimination up until the early 1990’s century, when the 19th amendment was passed. This is arguably the single most important event for women (at least American women), for since that moment on they had the right to vote and equal rights. Unfortunately for women, equal never truly developed. Finally in the 1970’s women pushed for “real” equal rights. They were sick and tired of the discrimination and since the 70’s there has been a drastic change in how they are treated. So it’s not true that feminism is dying, it’s more that women have no other major accomplishments on the horizon, which in turn makes it appear that feminism is stagnant. look at this year’s presidential election, Hillary Clinton is the closest an American woman has ever come to working in the oval office.
Although they may be trying to make sure that women get in the news and remain equal to males, celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Britney Spears are a train wreck headed off a cliff. As Hillary Clinton stands as a great role model for women today with all the she stands for, Paris and Britney couldn’t be any more different. They are always out late partying in skimpy outfits, quoted sounding like they have the education of an elementary school student, and constantly finding ways to run into trouble with the law. It almost seems as if T.V. hosts and comedians are paying them to do these things and create material to build their audiences. They send a message to the American public that says “Women need as much attention as men, and we will do what ever it takes to ensure equality remains!” (except there wouldn’t be a comma and a F.A.N.B.O.Y. in there since they surely both bombed English in high school and would consider a F.A.N.B.O.Y. to be a man who follows them around all day, and there is no way in hell that “ensure” exists in either of their vocabularies.) Barring the dreadful role models out there, there are obvious improvements in women’s lives from the influential feminist movement.

Macbeth: When Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, feminism was far from a powerful movement, for women were socially inferior to men and that role was accepted. Macbeth was a rarity as it puts a woman, Lady Macbeth, in a position of power. She is extremely influential in Macbeth’s actions; she wants to be the royal family so badly that in turn she convinces Macbeth to go on a killing spree. People who lived when this play was originally created must have said, “Man instructed by a woman!?! Be it a joke… Shakespeare a comedian?” (that’s my best impersonation of how people would talk then). The fact that PLAY contains something that was never introduced before makes this play that much greater and makes Shakespeare that much more of a legend.
References:
http://2facts.com/ICOF/temp/29882tempib501230.asp?DBType=ICOF
http://lostintheunknown.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/feminists-now-and-then/

Good People Doing Bad Things....Who Said They Were Good?

From the minute you’re born, what is right and what is wrong is crammed into your brain in hopes that you will be the perfect person… never lie, never cheat, never steal. We all know that this is near impossible, for once people reach the real world they see what’s really out there. Recently, Governor Eliot Spitzer, a major political figure, was caught acting against the law. He was known for putting those who had committed crimes behind bars for the maximum penalty possible. He was arrogant through his actions in court, but he was viewed as morally good person for making sure the legal system worked as it should. However, when he was caught with a prostitute all of that changed. Spitzer was married with several children, making his actions that much worse. When news broke out, he was forced to immediately resign from his governor position; everyone was shocked at the news, and their opinions quickly changed on Spitzer. The first thought that came to minds of many when they heard the news was why would he do such a thing?(scroll down to the “On the public, the Private… Brain Chemistry”) He had no justifiable reason to ever cheat on his wife and not only let down his immediately family but he also let down the tens of thousands of people who trusted him to put forth his utmost effort and represent the state of New York to the best of his ability, something he failed miserably at. This is a real-life example of a person, who was seen not only a good person, but a person who spent their life pushing to make sure that those who did wrong were punished, and behind the publics backs committed a terrible crime.

In the classic play Macbeth, the main character ,Macbeth, is introduced as an honest and heroic war figure who fought for the people. Unfortunately, when three devilish witches arrive all of that changes in a blink of an eye. They tell Macbeth he will soon take the thrown as King of Scotland; however, the position was then held by King Duncan who was a good friend of Macbeth and trusted him greatly. The potential power that Macbeth knew he could have was too great to pass up, so he took action and brutally murdered King Duncan while he was asleep in Macbeth’s home. Although Macbeth weighed his options and decided to follow through on his plan, he made the wrong choice. Unless someone is putting your life at risk, there is no other justifiable reason to take another humans’ life from him or her. Macbeth is another failing example of a person with good morals, but an opportunity to seize power transformed him into a sinful monster.

Thoughts from Socratic Seminar

Today in class, there was a socratic seminar in which the participants discussed what we have read so far in Macbeth. Here are some thoughts from those who were in the socratic seminar and myself...

Nicole - The play has a good introduction that gets the reader interested in the story from the start

Emily - The play would be etter if it was written in today's english; it's more interesting when we have class discussions about the play because we can understand it easier.

Megan - I think the story is better as a play, with the poems an metaphors placed in the play.
Me - I agree with her because without the poems and metaphors, Shakespeare wouldn't be the genius writer he is and Macbeth would just be

Anthony - Shakespeares plays are predictable, with someone looking for power and several people dying

David - Readers always want the good guy to win, but in this play the goo guy has turned evil

Me - Being so desperate for power, Macbeth went through with the murder of King Duncan even though he knew it was morally wrong

Brian - Power and greed come hand in hand; when someone gains power, they become greedy for more

The Intro Post of My Blog About...Intros

The introduction to a movie or book is essential to setting up the rest of the plot. A boring and insignificant introduction will cause the audience to disinterested, or if it is on TV they may even be tempted to change the channel; however, on the opposite spectrum, if the introduction is intriguing and appears to be setting up a classic, the reader or audience will be drawn in and will read on instead of picking another book or settle down on the coach with a bag of popcorn and prepare themselves for and hour and a half to remember. Some great examples of movie introductions are SAW I and The Matrix. In SAW I, the movie opens up from the perspective of a man who is trapped in a torcher-chair set up by the main character. At first you are only seeing the scene through his eyes, so the audience is extremely confused, which draws them in and puts them on the edge of their seats immediately. Once the camera angle backs up to see the whole room, you come to realize the situation; this was a genius idea by the director, for a few seconds into the movie the audience is already captivated. Not to be topped, The Matrix has an introduction that just leaves the audience puzzled. The scene opens up with the main character, Keanu Reeves, sitting at a computer in a dark room. He begins to receive what looks like message, but it is in a code that he can’t decipher. As you try to figure out what is happening, multiple police officers plow through his apartment door ready to fire. By the end of the scene he has fought off and escaped the police force and is taken into an entirely different dimension. There are plenty of great movie introductions, but these are two of my favorites from recent years. From introduction to Macbeth, the reader can get excited about the power greed present in the main characters. The witches are images that I think will be reoccurring throughout the rest of the play. They are the reason source of this power hungry outrage, for they have placed thoughts into Macbeth’s mind that he can become even greater and more powerful than he is now by taking King Duncan’s throne. It has set a creepy mood, that has the reader wondering if the soft Macbeth can really go through with killing King Duncan, or if he will the job for his monstrous wife. To sum up my post, a great introduction is essential to setting up the rest of the book or movie, for it can determine whether the audience turns its attention away or find themselves at the beginning of a classic; the early motifs and mood set in the introduction of Macbeth will by interesting to watch how the develop.