Vocabulary #9

1. Bosom: Intimate Center
She rest her head on her mom's bosom after a hard day at school.

Storytelling Technique

"A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere." The author uses tone here, making you feel as though this place is a very spooky and creepy place to be. It also has a little bit of imagery in it, to give you an idea of how the place looks.

Vocabulary Suggestions

Bosom
Prudently
Propensity
Advert
Stripling
Repose
Sequestered
Interverate
Glen
Pervade
Reverie
Gambols
Collating
Allege
Purport
Imbibed
Laud
Sojourned
Tarry

Legend of Sleepy Hollow Beginning

Both the story and the Blaire Witch project feel as if they are real and actually happening. They seem so interesting and scary to comprehend. The tone is very depressing and knowing the authors back story even makes you feel a little more creepy.

Presidential Debate Logical Fallicies.

President Obama was arguing against what Romney said rather then the issue that was being stated, like the war in Iraq and needing more troops.
Romney said that the world does not want war, so he is pitying the world. He feel sorry for us, so he is trying the help us.
They both keep using numbers to argue when they say that most Americans do this and want this. Although, most Americans can be wrong and not want the right decision.
Lastly, Obama lied and said that Mitt Romney wants to go back to the old ways and not move forward. He lied right in front of everyone with incorrect facts, just to seem more appealing.

I am in a group with Sarah Stevens, Ethan Clardy, Eli Esparza, and Connor Albright.

Vocabulary Remix #8

1. Flout: Openly disregard.

Self Reliance Remix

This explains self reliance. Tell me what you think.

Self Reliance Connection

Ricky and Uriel connected the dots between the David Guetta movie and the course perfectly. David Guetta started out as nothing and was a nobody, but that didn't stop him. No matter what people said, he kept doing what he loved and expressed his thoughts feely. He wanted to go against the flow and try something different and something important to him. Guetta worked hard and long to finally get what paid off, and that is what we all should be doing.

Self Reliance

The verse preceding the essay showed how Emerson had such a positive view on human nature and it set the stage, saying we are good individuals. Emerson meant to say that self-reliance is being able to express your thoughts freely even if it is going against the flow. At some moment in anyones education, people realize that hating people and being envious is stupid and childish. We should all be happy with the things we already have. The quote, "The eye was placed where one ray should fall, that it might testify of that particular ray," means that we are powerful based on our decisions and we should stick up for what we have to say. "The divine idea which each of us represent," means that we were all born sinners and have our own opinions to things. An iron string may not look appealing, but it is still very strong. You should know yourself, so you can trust yourself. Transcendentalism is rising above colonial literature and it is a way of rebeling and going a different way than expected. "Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the man-hood of every one of its members," explains that even though we are all as a whole, we all take different views on things. Society feels they would be powerless without us all being the same. "The virtue in most request is conformity, self-reliance is its aversion," means that we all conform to certain things in society and being self-reliant helps us to make our own decisions. "A foolish consistency is the hob-goblin of little minds adhored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines," shows that going with the flow isn't necessarily good and you should stick out and make your own decisions. "Words as hard as cannon ball," is a simile that means that words are very effective and have a huge impact on how you use them. I think this essay was all about how when we have an opinion, we need to state it. We shouldn't let someone else think of it first and feel guilty afterward. People might tear us down, but we need to get right back up. We need to be self-reliant and do things on our own when we need to do it. On the presidential debates tonight, president Obama said that we need to be self-reliant. Now I fully understand what that means.

Taking on "Self Reliance"

I am approaching this task daily. Everyday I am going to read more and more until I am able to finish the entire article. I am going to try my best to complete this reading assignment and understand what I have just read. In later posts I will explain what was confusing and what parts were clear. Stay tuned.

Vocabulary #7

1. Ad infinitum: To infinity; endlessly; without limit.
"Ad infinitum and beyond!" said Buzz Lightyear.
2. Apportion: To distribute proportionally.
We apportioned the food between three people.
3. Bona fide: Made or presented in good faith.
That is a very bona fide accusation.
4. Buoyant: Tending to float in a fluid.
The bouy in the water is very buoyant.
5. Clique: A small, exclusive group of people.
I am in a sport clique at school.
6. Concede: To acknowledge as true; to admit.
I can concede that what you are saying is correct.
7. Congenial: Agreeable, or pleasing in nature or character.
She was very congenial in her response.
8. Lofty: Extending high in the air; towering.
Those are some lofty towers in New York.
9. Migration: The process or act of migrating; moving.
There was a migration of birds flying south for the winter.
10. Perceive: To become aware of.
People perceive things in many different ways.
11. Perverse: Willfully determined to counter what is expected or desired.
His statement is very perverse and not the normal response.
12. Prelude: Before an action, event or condition.
The concert started out with a prelude.
13. Rancid: Unpleasant smell or taste.
Those rotten strawberries are rancid and disgusting.
14. Rustic: Living in the country; rural.
My grandpa lives in a very rustic town on a farm.
15. Sever: To separate from the whole.
His head was severed and in a moment he was dead.
16. Sordid: Morally ignoble or base; vile.
His mentality was sordid and incorrectly placed.
17. Untenable: Incapable of being defended, as an argument.
She is untenable and for that will be forever alone.
18. Versatile: Capable for turning easily from one to another of various tasks.
I am a very versatile person and can multi-task very well.
19. Vindicate: To clear, as from an accusation.
If she could only prove her alibie, she could be vindicated from all her charges.
20. Wane: To decrease in strength, intensity.
Hercules began to wane from his powers as he jumped into Hades death chamber.

Midterm Thoughts

After taking the vocabulary midterm, I felt that I did fine. Being able to write sentences with the words for extra credit was a big help. I was a little confused on my definitions, because they were different then the ones given. I wish Dr. Preston would just give us his definitions, so that we knew exactly what the words meant. A lot of the content will stick with me forever and I will always remember what they mean. Next time, I hope to have the correct definitions and be more prepared.

Literature Analysis "PEAK"

1. The novel Peak is about a kid who climbed skyscrapers his whole life and wanted to go even higher. When his father showed up out of the blue and offered him the chance to climb Mt. Everest, he couldn't resist. The journey of the climb, is life threatening and encourages us to work for what we want in life and never lose sight of what is in front of us because of our selfish reasons.
2. The theme of the novel is that no matter how much you want something and you see that your friend needs it even more, you should be willing to sacrafice it for the people you love.
3. "I wanted to send Sun-jo packing back to Nepal, but instead, without much enthusiasm, I said, It's ok with me." In this first quote, you can sense that the author wants you to understand what the character is really meaning and how they actually feel without completely portraying it on the outside. "Kathmandu. For me the name conjured up mystery, adventures, possibilities, but the reality was somewhat different." Here, the author first makes you feel excited with the character, until you see that reality hits and you are able to sympathize with the character and understand how he is feeling. "A story is built like a stone wall. Not all the stones will fit. Some will have to be discarded." The author includes several innuendos such as this one, to explain how he thinks things should be done and it makes you want to agree and do the same.
4. "I was so exhausted I wanted to check myself into the hospital as a patient." pg. 42 This one uses hyperbole because of the over-exageration.
"The motorcycle belched out a column of gray smoke so thick I thought the bike had burst into
flames along with my new friend." pg. 56 This one uses personifiation since the inanimate objest is given a human characteristic.
"In this way the smoke cannot catch us" pg. 56 This one also has personification because smoke cannot really run.
"Nepal had beautiful valleys, rustic villages, fields tilled by oxen-pulled plows and sparkling Himalayas." pg. 62 This one is all imagery since everything is painting you a picture.
"She was over six feet tall with limbs like a daddy longlegs'." pg. 82 This one uses a simile, using like to compare two things.
"Josh wriggled out of her tentacles and held her at arm's length so she couldn't snag him again." pg. 82 This one could be indirect characterization, saying that she has arms like an octopus.
"The snow was so thick I wasn't sure how I was going to find my tent." pg. 97 Imagery is used again, describing the picture for you.
"If you take off your gloves above Camp Five your fingers will fall off and you'll be pushing buttons with your nose for the rest of your life." pg. 143 This one is also hyperbole, saying something to the extreme.
"I walked away feeling his eyes drilling into the back of my neck." pg. 153 This one could also be indirect characterization, saying that he has eyes that look as though they can see right through you.
"I remember what my mother said about there being no one better than Josh when you are at the end of your rope." pg. 174 This one can be allusion, how the author is trying to refer to being in despair.

1. "The skin beneath was pale compared to the upper part of his handsome face, which was widburned and sunburned."(pg. 19) Direct. Stated his looks up front
"The judge was going to eat me up and spit me out." Indirect. Makes you feel like the judge is a mean person who hates kids.
"His arm and calf muscles were well defined and powerful." (pg. 57) Direct. Gave you an image to picture him as.
"Mr. Wood, how much time have you spent with your son lately?" (pg. 23) Indirect. States that maybe he doesn't spend enough time with his son and his son doesn't have a good foundation.
The author uses both direct and indirect, to use your imagination and give you a say in how you want to think. Your lasting impression is up to you and other people might have a different view on the situation.
2. I do think the authors diction changes when he is focused on a character. He might be more excited to use one character over the other and might have better ideas flowing, using better writing.
3. The protagonist is a dynamic, round character, because in the beginning he only cared about himself, and in the end he thought of others.
4. After I read the book, I left feeling like I met a person. I was so connected in what was happening in the book, I felt like I got to know this peron one on one. There isn't just one textual example on this, because the entire book is what I connected with.

Paraphrasing from Thoreau's Walden

I went to the forest so I can live for a purpose, to face the important things in life, and see if life could teach me, so I don't die without understanding my life. I don"t want a largesse from life if I don't deserve it because life is potent, also I don't want to be contumacious, unless I have to. I don't want to live superficial and protrude from life's necessities, to not live to ascetically but live with the bare necessities and meritorious attitude, to make a wide path and cut life close, into a corner, and live on the lowest terms, and, if it proved stupid why would I get the uniqueness of it and publish that to the world; or if it was greater than anything, I would let you know about my experience, my journey. It appears most people are curious but scared of life, is it evil, blessed, sinful, or holy, I am going to figure it out on my own.

Still we live with no meaning in our lives and have no idea what our life means. We need to transcend our lives and find the errors. An exemplary man doesn't waste his time on meticulous work but just does the minimum to get by.

Worked with Ethan Clardy and Sarah Stevens

Midterm Review/ Study.

1.  To study for this weeks midterm, everyday I am going to go through my flashcards. The flashcards I dont know, I will put in one pile and then study those. Everyday I will put in more time and effort to memorize and have my parents quiz me. I will also text Sarah Stevens and randomly text her using vocabulary terms.