BLOG EVALUATION

I personally like the Having My Say blog the most because it was about something that I am passionate about and not a topic that was given to me. Plus it was the easiest to write about since stating your a opinion is rather easy to do. I didnt like the music blog because im not that into researching music so i didnt really know what to put in that blog so it took a lot more researching. I tried to really put effort into my blogs, like if its a requirement you might as well get the most out if it as you can, so i really tried to make my blog original and unique. I think it was a good learning experience in the way that i have my own blog and it is mine to do whatever with it i want so it taught me to kind of grow up and be able to voice my opinion. I might sign into blogger every once in a while to see how every thing is going but i doubt i will update it as often. I would recommend blogging to sophomores because it is a responsibility thing where you have to remember to blog every week and its a little extra learning experience outside of the classroom.

THE GREAT GATSBY

CHARLESTON (Arthur Gibbs and his band) - I could imagine that this is one of the songs that was blasting at Gatsby's parties. The charleston was really big back then, as a song and a dance. Gatsby's parties always had the best music and this was a very popular song back then.

DOWN HEARTED BLUES (Bessie Smith)- This song would go with "The Great Gatsby" very well, because almost everyone in the book had gotten their heart broken or something similar to that in this book.

I WANNA BE LOVED BY YOU (Helen Kane) - This reminds me of Gatsby because all he wanted was to get back the relationship he had with Daisy. Also, Wilson loved Myrtle so much, he could never let her go.

YES WE HAVE NO BANANAS (Billy Jones) - This was a very popular song in the 1920's and also it describes how out there and weird all the characers are in this book. All of them do some crazy things throughout the story for love or most of the time for money.

Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind - A poem by Stephen Crane - American Poems

Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind - A poem by Stephen Crane - American Poems This poem really shows how nothing is ever really beneficial to a soldier from the war. Also, the families back home have a lot of difficulties and trials to go through. He keeps on saying that you should weep, because war is kind, but nothing about the war is really kind. It is just teaching men to kill emotionlessly and its teaching everyone in the world that killing like that is okay. But slaughtering men so that a field is full of dead bodies is not what God put us on earth for. It is not okay to go around illing just because you dont get along with another country, and i think that is kind of what Stephen Crane was trying to say. He described these horrific images so that you could see them in your head, but then everyone around is saying that war is okay, its what is right. War is never the right thing. Killing is never the right thing. And having to go through that is never the right thing.

MARK TWAIN

"Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured."

 -Mark Twain 

    When you first read this quote you kind of have to think about it, but it's not one of those quotes that just completely baffles you, which is one of the reasons why i like it. The main idea of the quote is that the feeling of anger helps no one and never has any positive affects. What Twain is trying to say is that taking your anger out on someone is going to of course hurt that person, but having any anger inside of you will do way more harm. I like this because i feel like so many people in the world today are just angry all the time, they are angry about their lives, what some one did, or even what they did. God put us on this planet for a reason, to live. And I can guarantee you that spending the minimal amount of time you have here being angry is only going to hurt you. No one is going to like you, and no one is going to want to spend time with you. Being angry makes you an unlovable person. We don't have forever to live, so while you have the chance, live your life to the fullest and have fun while you are here:)

Mary Bethune

http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112391/civil_rights_leaders.htm

Mary had a very large impact on the education of young African Americans. She believed that all kids should have the right to an education, not just whites. She worked and fought to get it so that kids of her color could read, and write and do the simple things that everyone can do now a days. Back then it was rare that an African American had a good education and Mary wanted to change that. Mary reminds me of Bessie. Bessie did all that she could so she could have the biggest impact possible on the kids in her town. She was not going to let the fact that she had dark skin stop her from helping kids get a decent education. Both Mary and Bessie worked their hearts out so that kids could be educated, and i honestly respect that.

Having Our Say and Harlem

       Bessie's dentist office was at 2305 Seventh Avenue which was at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 135th Street. This was by a lot of African American landmarks from the Harlem site. Close by was the Speaker's Corner, where many African Americans voiced their oppinions about matters at the time. Also there was Striver's Row close by that was home to many succesful African Americans at the time. Sadie and Bessie were actually friends of many famous African Americans because they were in the heart of Harlem and often protested with them or ran into them on the streets. There were at least four churches nearby Bessie's office, and this was likely because Blacks were very religous and would always go to church when possible. Not too far away was Minton's Playhouse, which was a main gathering place for jazz musicians and fans of the time.
      It is quite possible that the Delany's were part of some of the NAACP's silent protests, because they believed they should stand up for what they believe in. The Delany's avoided the Harlem Hospital as much as possible because they believed that the hospital would not help them at all so they never went. It was less likely that the Delany sisters and Madame Walker ever met paths because Sadie and Bessie weren't too into looks and such, they were more businesslike and just wanted to help a cause.

The Great Depression

This is a painting of how greatly the great depression affected America. I know that Bessie and Sadie did not speak much about the depression but they talked about it a little. They told how Sadie got kicked out of her dental office for not paying her rent and they just put her papers out on the street. That's how desperate people were for money. I think this picture is very touching because it makes it all seem very sureal. Many just think the past is the past and it doesn't matter now, but many lives were affected by the depression. Jus look at those kids, who are suffering and how distressed the mother looks because she can't provide for her children. Its very touching and hurtful to see how hard it was to live back then. I think the the great depression really taught people what was important in life and that is to have your family and friends save and healthy.

HAVING MY SAY

One of the things that i feel very strongly about is ANIMAL CRUELTY. I think it is one of the worst crimes a person could commit. I think you would have to be heartless if you think its okay to abuse innocent animals. Animals can't fend for themselves (unless they are feisty) and it is completely inhumane to hurt them for personal plessure. I dont care what you have gone through, what somebody has done to you, or how bad your day has been you do nat have any right to cause harm to animals in any way. Abusing an animal is no better then abusing a person. Animals can not run off and report you, they can't escape, and most of them can not survive without what you provide for them, so they have to stay put and put up with you. It disgusts me that people think it is okay to purposely hurt and innocent domestic or any kind of animal, and i think it is a horrible thing to do no matter who you are.

"There was a child went forth"

"THERE was a child went forth every day,
And the first object he look'd upon, that object he became,
And that object became part of him for the day or a certain part of
the day,
Or for many years or stretching cycles of years."

I know that this is the first stanza of the poem, and it is very generic to review the first stanze, but it is the part of the poem that really stuck to me. I think it shows how what goes on around you really affects how you will end up when your older. Just like if you grow up with parents that are very strict about manners, you will eventually have amazing manners. As a child grows up, their main inspiration is their family. A little boy generally looks up to his father and wants to be just like him, because thats all that the kid knows. Or a little girl who is just in awe of her mother, who wants to grow up to have a career in the same thing as her mother. What goes through the household as a child will change the way a kid grows up. This impacts me a lot because i have three siblings and of course i want them to be amazing adults so i try to do anything i can to give them the right impression.

Summer Shower

A drop fell on the apple tree,

Another on the roof;

A half a dozen kissed the eaves,

And made the gables laugh.

A few went out to help the brook,

That went to help the sea.

Myself conjectured, Were they pearls,

What necklaces could be!

The dust replaced in hoisted roads,

The birds jocoser sung;

The sunshine threw his hat away,

The orchards spangles hung.

The breezes brought dejected lutes,

And bathed them in the glee;

The East put out a single flag,

And signed the fete away.

- Emily Dickinson 

I think, that there are many different hidden meanings behind Emily Dickensons writing. In this particular poem i think that the real meaing behind the words is unity. In the second stanze it talks about how one drop of rain helps a little brook, but the brook goes on to help the river, which then goes on to help the ocean. It shows how everything in life is linked in someway, even if you can't point it out clearly. It also shows how nature does everything to benefit the rest of nature. Nature isnt like humans, they arent selfish and greedy. I also believe that this poem shows the natural aw of what God has given us. Nature is very soothing but many people dont take the time to stop and let the calmness in.

Transcedentalist

I would much rather be a transcedentalist because they aren't so debbie downer all the time. Anti t's are very "the half is glass empty", and i feel as if they go through life looking at the bad side of everything. I feel like they never got to enjoy anything because they always thought of how things could never be that good (Tanner Long). T's got to enjoy life while they were living and cherished what they had. They lived with purpose and saw the good in things, instead of always seeing the bad side. T's would see the good come out of evil while the anti t's saw the evil come out of the good. I think that the t's could find peace because they could find the truth and trust others but the anti t's could never fully be at peace because of all the bad around them.

Pit and the Pendulum ending

As the walls were closing in, i could feel my last portion of hope exscaping me, knowing that this will be the end. Just when the walls get so close that i let out my last scream, the lights in the room turn on. I can see a hidden doorway and i run to it to see if it is a way to get out. Just as i turn the knob to open the door, a man opens it abruptly and makes me jump back. This man explained to me that it is all over and that i will be safe from now on. I got taken into another room and given food and a warm blanket until we could find a way of transportation. That night i got to go home to my family and knew that the terror i had gone through that day would never escape the back of my mind.

Team Poe

I believe the Edgar Allan Poe was a really strong writer. The way he wrote his stories is actually kind of cool. I like the fact that the words he uses add to the dramatic effect. It's nice to be able to read a story that has that chilling factor. It's actually kind of refreshing after reading about nature so often before. I think it's unique how he builds up to the climax, he sets the picture out for you and leads very slowly and steady and then BAM the climax hits. Then, right after the climax the story is basically over. It's a very good tactic to shape your story line that way because it keeps the reader at the edge of their seat wanting to know whats going to happen and therefore they keep on reading on. Poe uses very strong senses to describe the scenes in his stories. It gives a very vivid picture to the reader. I think Poe is a very unique and creative writer.

Voki Assignment

Nature plays many roles in life. Its how we keep going. Crops are what keep us alive, and the sun gives us heat. Flowers bring joy and help keep insect life stable. To me, nature a major asset to our world. When you think about it, nature inspires so many people. There are books, movies, drawings, paintings. It is hard to find things that don't have nature involved because it has such a big impact on us. The sun is what keeps our world bright. Without that, depression would be a lot easier to come by and everything would be illuminated with a creepy shadow in the dark. But then the moon and the stars come out and it gives off peace and serenity. Nature gives way to animals, bugs, and insects. Nature is the very core of the circle of life, and that's a very big deal.

Poem Reflection

"A Psalm of Life"

The main point of this poem was that we aren't put on earth to do nothing. We are here to make a lasting impression and that's exactly what we should do. It talks about our "footprints" and i think that is the key word of the whole poem. It is our job to make the world a better place and to leave our positive "footprints". This poem really touched me because it says to stop being lazy and get out there and make a difference and I think that many people are just lazy. I feel like many people think that they are just one person and they can't make that big of an impact just by themselves. But that's the thing, you can. You can touch so many peoples lives without even noticing. Just by helping someone out in the day or donating to charity, you are giving a glimpse of light into someones life and i think that's really touching.

Blacklisting

black·list

 /ˈblækˌlɪst/ Show Spelled[blak-list] 

–noun

1.

a list of persons under suspicion, disfavor, censure, etc.: His record as an anarchist put him on the government's blacklist.

2.

a list privately exchanged among employers, containing the names of persons to be barred from employment because of untrustworthiness or for holding opinions considered undesirable.

3.

a list drawn up by a labor union, containing the names of employers to be boycotted for unfair labor practices.

 

    As you can see, blacklisting is a list of people in which someone has decided they are untrustworthy or are under suspicion in any way. Since we have been reading The Crucible the last couple weeks, it is pretty obvious how well this fits into the story line. During the Salem Witch Trials, so many were accused and found guilty just by one person who saw them as unfit. Back then, their black list, was of all the women that these young teenage girls accused of being witches. If your name was on that list, then you were a complete outcast and sinner, people saw you as some kind of threat to the community. So many tried their very hardest to stay off that list, but most of the time there wasn't anything they could do. Take Elizabeth Procter for example, she never did anything against the town, and was very religious, but since Abigail was in love with her husband, she was accused and therefore put on the "black list." 

   I also think that blacklisting is eminent today, there may not be an actual list, but there are always rumors and accusations. Once some rumor gets around, that changes everyones personification of you which then changes how they act around you. Something as little as "blacklisting" can change a person's life.

Crucible Act 1

So, as i have read through act one of the crucible i have really started to understand the ways of the Puritan life. I've also discovered that even though their ways were very over the top, things are still similar in todays generation. Back then so much judging was going on, and thats actually what led to the Salem Witch Trials. People were accused just for being disliked or because of jealousy. In todays world, jealousy and gossip is as big as ever, especially in the schools. People think it will make them feel better and be a better person if they can find faults in others. During the trials, the accusations were made because of hatred and fear. They were so afraid of their real thoughts and feelings that they just blamed it on witch craft. That still happens a lot now, to hide a person s insecurity they make fun and ridicule others in the hopes that it will make them feel better. So even though the Puritan way of life was very strict and proper, the way they acted has a lot of similarites to they way people still act today.

Puitan's Relgious Beliefs

"The Puritans considered the Bible as the true law of God that provided guidelines for church government. They wished to shape the Church of England to meet their ideals. They called for a less priestly church that emphasized preaching. Puritans believed that all Christian churches should be organized through councils called presbyteries or church courts rather than under bishops, as in the Church of England. Some Puritans believed that each congregation was a complete church in itself and should have total control of its own affairs.

The Puritans emphasized Bible reading, prayer, and preaching in worship services. They simplified the ritual of the sacraments. They also wanted more personal and fewer prescribed prayers. The Puritans stressed grace, devotion, prayer, and self-examination to achieve religious virtue."

http://www.laughtergenealogy.com/bin/histprof/misc/puritan.html

So, the main emphasis in class has been that the Puritans live according the the Gospel. In their community, they believed that all laws and punishments should be guided by the Lord's Word. I think that is a good idea, but the fact that you could get 5 hours of Public Humiliation just for not going to church is over the top. I feel like, they had the right idea by using the Bible as a guide, but they took it too far. Back then, if you had a position of authority in the church that instantly meant you were high ranked as an advisor for the community.
I feel like it is pretty harsh to force everyone into the same exact beliefs. Back then if your mind strayed from what their Bible had taught you, it was a very large sin, which actually led to the Salem Witch Trials. The types of sermons that the Puritan Churches had were very blunt about how they felt about sinning and sinners. They would always tell you that you have already made God mad, there is nothing you can do about that, and that it is pure grrace that He hasnt just killed you on the spot and sent you to Hell. I think thats a little harsh.

 
Puritan Church

SQUANTO

Squanto used to be a Patuxet Indian. When he was young he had an encounter with some English men from a trading ship. He decided to go back to England with the men, and was actually part of an Indian Exhibit on a stage. After a while, he got homesick and wanted to go back to America. The man he was staying with got in contact with John Smith who was sailing over to America, so he would take Squanto with him. Almost home, Squanto was tricked into going on another ship and was captured and turned into a slave. Eventually he got out of slavery and made his way home once again. When he got back to where his tribe once was, everyone was gone and he found out that everyone had died of a "great sickness". He then joined a nearby tribe called the Wampanoag Indians. After a while, the tribe heard about an English group settling nearby, so they went to go negotiate rules with them. Squanto decided to stay with the English men. He then helped them grow more crops for food and when they should plant more crops. He also helped them build warm houses to live in. Overall Squanto had a very eventful life. But he also made a great contribution towards the Mayflower Men, and they probably would have either died or had a very rough life if Squanto hadn't helped them.


http://www.workersforjesus.com/f25-14.htm 
 

Jamestown

This is a picture of the early settlement at Jamestown. It shows the fort that the explorers built for the protection from the Indians. When they settled here, they tried to act tough and not show their weaknesses in hope that the Indians would back off. But I believe that this caused the Indians to come on even stronger because they felt that the settlers were a threat. This picture seems pretty accurate, because they have the two higher raised corners with the cannons on them. One of the raised platforms was to protect them from the Spainyards out at sea, and the other was to protect them from the Indians in the woods.