Tell me a story. Create a typical 2nd semester senior and write me a short story about what happens to him/her. Remember to use good storytelling technique: set-up, crisis, resolution. Have the story tell us something interesting/useful about what it means to be a 2nd Semester Senior.
There once was a senior who was in the middle of her second semester of her Senior year. Jennifer had finally received her acceptance letter from Harvard and she was slightly less focused on school work than she had been in past years. She was in the process of forgoing her homework in the lieu of yet another Friends marathon when she decided to check her grades online. To her dismay she was receiving a B in her math class- the worst grade she has received since 5th grade P.E. She was momentarily whipped into a studying frenzy when she remembered she wanted to pursue a career in journalism and calculus was not as important as she had thought in the past she remembered to relax and enjoy life instead of worrying about the details of her unimportant high school career.
I also want you to read “The Soling of Old Glory” and blog briefly about your impressions.
The slide show that was titled “Soiling of Old Glory” was a disturbing one. I found many of the pictures haunting, especially when connected with the captions provided. The fact that Boston, a town that prides itself on being one of the most educated in the country had college students who were violently sticking an educated black lawyer because of the color of his skin shows that we have yet to escape race problems as well as the entire country was facing the same problems, not just the south. I also find the use of the American flag in the beating of the man particularly interesting since America is suppose to be accepting of all, and everyone is suppose to be able to come and find a new and bright future.
Go to the Rotten Tomatoes Critic page for Fog of War. Please choose and read 2 of the critics and in your own blog post, reflect on the rhetorical purpose, strategies, and effectiveness of the movie. Also refer to the two critics you read (link them!) and explain whether you agree or disagree with what they have to say. Please finish by Thursday because we will use it in class then.
Morris’ film “Fog of War” which talks about the man who was in charge of the nation’s defense in the years before and during the Vietnam War. The movie was made in the attempt to show what kind of man was in charge of National defense, and it was not suppose to show a particularly flattering side. Instead the audience was able to get a feel for how dangerous he could be, however, never was able to move the audience against him.
Thus far I have been enjoying the book “My dog Skip.” I love that the book looks back at a child’s life with his lovable and smart dog Skip. I enjoy the fact that the book is not too deep and philosophical but instead enjoyable and fun to read, and is light and happy. As a result I have enjoyed reading this book more than many in the past and would love to read more like it in the future.
The article “How to talk about Books you haven’t Read” was interesting, however, I found that what the author talked about was fairly obvious tactics that an average person uses in everyday life. You didn’t have to read the books to understand what the general concept was- we didn’t need to read the book to talk about it, which is ironic since the book was about talking about books you haven’t read. Knowing enough about the book to know the general themes and events such as using spark notes is what the author of the book advises to do if you want to be able to talk about the book with others who have read it. Though I think that this is good advice I do not think that reading a blog about a book could even be close to the same thing as reading the book.
Read The Truth about Beauty and analyze it as a definition essay. 250 word blog post. How does she define the word? What claim is she making? What examples does she use to back it up? Is she right? Explain.
The author is defining what beauty is by what dove considers beauty. They dismiss what most of America believes to be beautiful to say that that look is impossible to attain and girls should no longer be exposed to such unrealistic role models. Instead Dove and the author believes that women should be shown as beautiful for who they are, in their natural skin, not after being dolled up in makeup with their hair done and appearance computer enhanced.
…and summarize, explain the claim, note the strategies, and comment on our opinion of the claim’s validity.
The article on why poetry and poets are in fact the leaders of human communities is an interesting idea, and though Shelly defends his claims with valid claims I disagree. He says that poets are able to interpret human feelings and ideas to help the community and show what people, while the politicians of the community do what they want as opposed to want as opposed to what the people want. He believes that the ability to interpret others is true power and because poets are able to understand the world around them and then produce art and work that reflects the times while impacting the community around them allows them to help change the times and influence the future. This is understandable, however, I believe that elected officials have far more influence on everyday people than poets do since it is rare that I spend time reading and interpreting poetry while I read about what is happening in the white house and governments from all around the world everyday.
Canaday uses many of the visual interpertation tactics we learned in class. He talks about the way the people are arranged in the picture. He therefore talks about shapes, lines and forms as well as spaces and formgrounds and backgrounds. He talks abut what the different shapes and how the people are arranged. He uses space in the second picture to decifer the relationships in the family, and how the older girl is emotionally closer to the mother and because she is ohyscially closer. the second girl is farther away and an equal distance between each parent which represents how the girl is torn between siding with her father or mother. the first photo talks about how the artist is trying to show the closeness of the family with having everyone smushed into one small frame.
I found this picture interesting because of what you see at first and then the details that begin to pop out as you look further. At first what you notice s the two men talking and the guy. Looking at the guy you notice he is trying to get a picture of something- something that is behind you and he is perched on a ledge looking slightly concerned and is obviously trying to get the best picture possible as quickly as he can- he’s trying to capture the mood of the scene before him. Then you notice the crowd or mob in the background that is holding signs and it makes you wonder why are the two men so relaxed and chatting while the crowd is riled and excited? What the picture is trying to highlight is not necessarily the men or the building but the crowd. The only glimpse we get is through a small window and otherwise we must interpret what we can through the story the three men are inadvertently telling. I believe that this story shows how time ages us- the crowd (from what we can see) is composed of younger people who are trying to make a point and change the world. The older men are observing this with mild interest while discussing something that more than likely they find of higher importance. They are no longer the ones trying to radically change the things around them but instead the observers trying to keep the changes they made when they were younger. The young man taking the picture is part of the crowd- though he is not in the midst of his fellow friends he is not an observer which is proven by the fact he is trying to document what is occurring before him.
http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=7035961
Set in mid 20th centaury, My Dog Skip, steps back in time to explore a young boy’s relationship with his childhood best friend, his dog Skip. The story takes place in a small town in Mississippi where life is slow and relaxing, and the main character Willie Morris is given the freedom to grow up playing pranks and roaming around the nearby forests. The book is a memoir to the author’s dog, one that learned to play football and knew how to “drive a car.” The story sparks nostalgia and memories in any reader, those of that of a childhood friend who was always ready to play and would never reprimand bad manners. The book explores not only Morris’ relationship with his dog Skip, but also that of those affected by the Second World War. I found this book to be a relaxing, sentimental, and amusing read that spurred me to relate Skips journey’s to that of me and Oslo, my Norwegian Elkhound who was one of my closest friends and occasional makeshift horse. Anyone who has ever had a pet at a young age will enjoy the adventures that Morris and Skip embark on together.
Skip is introduced into the story as a “War Dog” who is given to a “War Family” and a “War Boy.” Morris and his friends were fully aware of the monumental event that was shaping their lives, and the author recalls the many times he and Skip would keep watch on the community, guaranteeing that no Jap or German could sneak in and disturb the peace. Years after Morris has grown up and is flipping through his old diary and fading photographs he stumbles across the contact information he printed on the front page, “in the case of an emergency contact my dog Skip,” and also discovers a simple entry explaining just how smart Skip was because of his discovery of “a German spy network in town.” After stumbling across a blanket drying in the sun that sported a swastika Morris, his friends, and Skip quickly reported to the sheriff the unusual blanket and suspicious people. They were, as it turns out, East Indians, and as Morris and Skip were told by the Sheriff, the swastika is a sign of peace in Indian culture. Despite this small mishap they are urged to keep an eye on the town, an activity they readily agree with.
The story makes it way from the rural Yazoo River to Jackson, the city Morris’ grandparents live. Like any grandchild he recalls the many times attention and gifts were showered upon him as well as his dog Skip, who was allowed to make the journey by Greyhound with Morris for only a dime, while Morris had to pay the human fee of a quarter. Growing up close enough to my grandparents to make the trip once in a while, however, far enough away that the trip was not to be made every weekend I remember similar visits with my grandparents. Spending time with grandparents who want to lavish both time and energy onto you are one of the fondest memories I took away from childhood, and like Morris these trips were remembered with fondness, but also with a touch of curiosity of the rituals of those who we are related to, yet do not share the same intimacy with as immediate family.
In the end I fully enjoyed the story of “My Dog Skip” and loved the journey Morris and skip traveled together. It is a story I think everyone can relate to and enjoy.
