CHARACTER STUDY 1

"Wow man," I said to my new roommate, "Time really flies huh?" The guy just kinda looked at me strangely and grunted for his reply. Time really does fly though; last year I was just starting my senior year and already over the it, but now I am at college ready to start my my new life. Sure I changed in the last year in different ways. I'm a little taller, hair's a little shorter and blonder, and a little tanner. Aside from appearance I also changed I'm a little more outspoken, still a little too confident, but definitely harder-working. The last year was senior year. The best year of highschool. I definitely had fun taking advantage of all the perks, but it was the first year i actually applied myself to doing well in school and going for the grade and the knowledge not just the latter. The one thing I really learned though was that everything is always changing especially people and I'm no exception. Well that's about all the time I have to reflect. I'm going to go catch the last hour of my.... late night study group meeting.

My Dashboard

I didn't really change anything about the Netvibes aside from the weather. I have a live feed of Dr. Preston's blog. I pretty much left all of the standard widgets.

Phonar14 notes

• ·         Think differently
• ·         Photograph vs. image
• ·         Photograph is more experience rather than evidence
• ·         Mode of delivery, shaped the perception of the mode of information
• ·         To change the world you have to describe it differently
• ·         Artisan, connected, trusted.
• ·         Photography has the power to change the world
• ·         Hubs

Masterpiece 1

Big Question #1 What is the perfect wave?
Big Question #2 Can someone see the entire world in a lifetime? Is it possible for someone to embark on a journey around the world, to meet everyone and see/experience everything during their life? How would one go about doing this unrestrained by the monetary aspects? 

I decided to combine these questions to form my masterpiece project. In one sense it could be a project similar to The Endless Summer, but I'm not sure I want it to focus so much on the surfing. I want to find meet as many people as I can and experience all of the different things the world has to offer.

Vocabulary #4

obsequious - adj. attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
Stop being so obsequious.
beatitude - noun one of the eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount; in Latin each saying begins with `beatus' (blessed); a state of supreme happiness
I've stated to feel like I'am in a beatitude
bete noire - noun a detested person
That man is bete noire of liberals.
bode - verb indicate by signs
This does not bode well.
dank - adj. unpleasantly cool and humid
It's quite dank in the cellar.
ecumenical - adj. of worldwide scope or applicability; concerned with promoting unity among churches or religions
The new pope has quite an ecumenical outlook.
fervid - adj. extremely hot; characterized by intense emotion
Her response was quite fervid.
fetid - adj. offensively malodorous
My brother's room is pretty fetid.
gargantuan - adj. of great mass; huge and bulky
Godzilla is gargantuan.
heyday - noun the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
The roaring twenties were the heyday of America.
incubus - noun a male demon believed to lie on sleeping persons and to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; someone who depresses or worries others; a situation resembling a terrifying dream
infrastructure - noun the stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area; the basic structure or features of a system or organization
You're being an incubus with all of your talk of the war.
inveigle - verb influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
It was like a game i only needed to inveigle them until they finally gave into my will comepletely.
kudos - noun an expression of approval and commendation
Kudos on your Nobel prize
lagniappe - noun a small gift (especially one given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase)
I bought product just for lagniappe that came with it.
prolix - adj. tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length
I don't like that author his writing is so prolix.
protege - noun a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career
This is my protege, Bill.
prototype - noun a standard or typical example
This is the just prototype.
sycophant - noun a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
I can't stand him he is such a sycophant.
tautology - noun useless repetition; (logic) a statement that is necessarily true
Stop using tautology, I get it.
truckle - noun a low bed to be slid under a higher bed; verb yield to out of weakness; try to gain favor by cringing or flattering
Did you see his truckle? It was pretty funny.

Literature Analysis #1

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

1. Jake Barnes is an American expatriate WWI veteran living in Paris, France working as a journalist. Jake was wounded in the war making him impotent. Jake along with his friends Robert Cohn, Jewish the only non-veteran expatriate is a wealthy Princeton graduate American ex-boxer in Jake's Clique and Lady Brett Ashley, very independent and strong English expatriate woman whom is the love of Jake's life  and aimlessly wander around the bar scene. Jake and his friends aside from Cohn are all alcoholics. The purpose of this novel is to emulate the feeling and outlook on life held by The Lost Generation. Brett loves Jake, but is unwilling to give up sex making the relationship impossible. The rising action of the novel begins during the group's drift through Paris' bars Jake introduces Brett to Cohn. Cohn becomes infatuated with Brett which results in the two having an affair. The Jake and his friend Bill Gorton, another American veteran, decide to go to the Spanish countryside for a fishing trip. Cohn being in San Sebastian offered to meet them and join them. Brett and her fiance Mike Campbell, a bankrupted Scottish veteran, ask to join Jake and Bill. Jake and Bill meet Cohn in San Sebastian, Cohn decides to wait for Brett. Cohn infuriates Mike and makes Jake jealous and insecure with his manhood by following Brett around. After Jake and Bill's fishing trip the friends stay in Pamplona for the Fiesta and bullfights. Brett falls in love with a young matador Pedro Romero. This makes Cohn whom is madly in love and still retaining innocent, romantic, pre-war, ideals gets angered by this and knocks Jake and Mike out in a fight fighting for the one he loves making the climax of the story. In the falling action  Jake later finds out that Cohn found Brett and Romero together and subsequently beat up Romero. The group finishes watching Fiesta and Brett goes to Madrid with Romero, while the Mike and Bill go back to France. Jake goes to San Sebastian to relax and swim in the ocean for a week. During this Jake gets a telegram from Brett asking for help. Jake goes to Madrid to find Brett had broken up with Romero. The two start to leave Madrid in a taxi and Brett says "We could have had a damned good time together. Jake responds, “Yes, isn’t it pretty to think so?”
2. There are a few themes in the novel, the most prominent of which would be the aimlessness and desperation of The Lost Generation.
3. Hemingway expresses a very detached and even cynical tone through Jake's point of view. "Oh Jake" Brett said, "We could have had a damned good time together... “Yes," i said, "isn’t it pretty to think so?" There is also a detached tone present through much of the novel, like this exerpt "You're from Kansas City they tell me," "yes" "do you find Paris amusing" "yes" or "Oh Darling, please stay by me. Please stay by me and see me through this ." "sure"  
4. Allusions. There are a few references to The Great War.
Dialect. In Pamplona the waiter had a Spanish accent.
Colloquialism. The story is full of slang such as "tight" meaning drunk numerous other words.
Foreshadowing. The bulls behaved as the characters did later on.
Irony. Jake and Brett love each other, but will not enter a relationship.
Anti-hero. Jake is an Anti-hero because although he is a good guy for the most part he still can be downright hateful like he was to Cohn.
Foil. Cohn is a foil to all of the characters in the book. Cohn is not a veteran, Cohn is wealthy, Cohn is Jewish, and Cohn has an optimistic outlook in contrast to the veterans' pessimistic outlook.
Conflict. The main conflict is the unwillingness of Brett to form a relationship with Jake.
Motif. The amount of drinking the group does to avoid their problems and slip into fantasy.
Imagery. Through out the novel the use of words to describe mostly food was very imageable.

Characterization
1. "Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of Princeton. Do not think I am very much impressed by that as a boxing title, but it meant a lot to Cohn. He cared nothing for boxing, in fact he disliked it, but he learned it painfully and thoroughly to counteract the feeling of inferiority and shyness he had felt on being treated as a Jew at Princeton." This is an example of both direct and indirect characterization. It depicts the type of person Cohn is, but also the type of person Jake can be especially towards Cohn. “You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.”
Is another example that has both direct and indirect characterization. It shows how insightful Jake and how Cohn still has his youthful dreams of grand adventure. I feel I rather liked Cohn throughout the novel even more so for knocking out Jake and Mike who were superficially portrayed better as men, but when you looked at the reasons for their hatefulness towards Cohn and realize it was their own insecurities, you start to understand how terrible of people Mike, Bill, Jake could be.
2. For the most part Hemingway's diction/syntax stays the same, but the way Hemingway writes is hard to understand. Hemingway writes little yet implies so very much, it is hard to grasp the entire meaning in just one read.
3. Jake is static and round. He doesn't change throughout the novel. Although during the fishing trip he seems truly sincere and even happy.
4. I felt like I met a person. Everything I read felt so real. The way the story was portrayed I felt like I was reading Jake's diary and then when I got to the end It felt like I actually understood him as a person.

Beowulf Essay

The perfect heroes

Hero; when it comes down to it anyone can be a one. That being said, what makes a hero? Is it strength? Is it superior moral values? Is it integrity in the face of catastrophe? Truth is hero is characterized by the traits associated with being a hero in the community that creates said hero. The definition of a hero has changed since Beowulf  was first produced. Or has it? Beowulf is a perfect hero, for his times. A great hero to compare Beowulf’s character with is Luke Skywalker. Luke Skywalker is also a perfect hero, for at least current times. The best thing that makes these characters fun to compare isn’t necessarily their human traits, but the adversities each had to deal with. Honestly its pretty fun to compare how Beowulf had to fight a terrifying monster, while Luke (brace yourself for spoilers) fought with his daddio. Anyways both overcome such overwhelming odd, but do it oh so differently.

            Beowulf the strong, brave, charismatic man who vanquished the mighty Grendel and Luke the young farm boy from the middle of nowhere who discovered his great powers and destroyed the evil Death Star. So let’s see both characters are born somewhat as nobles although Luke was raised as a peasant he was the son of the emperor’s right hand man. In their journeys they both travel a great distance and help those in need. Both characters are written quite dynamically. Luke’s change is one of the main focuses of the story, while Beowulf’s is subtle and hard to identify. One of the great things the characters have in common is their unbreakable sense of loyalty towards their companions. Loyalty is also a minor theme in both tales. Some examples are in Star Wars its Han coming back to save Luke from Vader and in Beowulf  its Wiglaf aiding Beowulf while their comrades fled.

            Alright so although Beowulf and Luke have some similarities they are so vastly different. First off their respective stories are told in completely different galaxies in different times. The societies’ values influenced the characters thoughts and actions. On one hand Beowulf is inspired the by the early northern European ideals of strength, honor, loyalty, and pride. Although Luke was created in a society that was more humble and valued extreme moral goodness to physical strength and aggressiveness. The heroes are from extremely different backgrounds. Beowulf hailing from Northern Europe; Luke from a planet on the outskirts of his galaxy.

            One of the most different and amazing things about comparing these stories is the different ways they were published. One could make many realizations about the values and traits from just how a story is presented. An awesome idea that goes along with this is comparing the different styles of production. Beowulf  is written as a poem. This makes the story relatively short and gives a very graphical idea of the story. Star Wars started out as a script, but was drafted finally as a movie. With the technology of cinema the audience no longer has imagine the setting or features of a character, they simply observe and accept. This contrast in ways of production shows the current popular form of entertainment in a society.

            Okay so to finish up my point here Beowulf and Luke Skywalker, both perfect heroes for their respective times. The heroes have similarities and differences all dependent on the society of which created them. And obviously the ways the stories were produced are so different do to the tech of the times. To close this paper a hero is not just someone who does good in life; A hero is someone who achieves greatness through the eyes of everyone, even the opponent that they had face, by making actions and risks that no one else would ever take simply because they are so crazy. Both of these characters have done that in the hearts and mind of all audiences become the one thing so many people long to be: heroes.

Sorry!!

Sorry I've been bogged down with all of my other responsibilities and haven't been able to post my essay yet. I will certainly have it up by the end of tomorrow.

Vocab #3

accolade - noun a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
I earned the accolade for my diligence.
acerbity - noun a sharp sour taste; a sharp bitterness; a rough and bitter manner
The drink i had was quite an acerbity.
attrition - noun the act of rubbing together; wearing something down by friction; a wearing down to weaken or destroy; sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation; the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice; erosion by friction
The attrition finally my sister applied to my mother worked and she got what she wanted.
bromide - noun any of the salts of hydrobromic acid; formerly used as a sedative but now generally replaced by safer drugs; a trite or obvious remark
I replied with a condescending bromide
chauvinist - noun an extreme bellicose nationalist; a person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind
You're such a chauvinist.
chronic - adj. being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering
I can't listen to you speak chronically
expound - verb add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; state
Do I have to expound every single thought I enlighten you with?
immaculate - adj. completely neat and clean; free from stain or blemish; without fault or error 
My room is the epitome of the opposite of immaculate
imprecation - noun the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult); a slanderous accusation 
While i enjoy your imprecations I must leave, your sister is calling me.
ineluctable - adj. impossible to avoid or evade:"inescapable conclusion"
Yeah I agree saying that could only lead to a black, it was ineluctable.
mercurial - adj. relating to or containing or caused by mercury;relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness) attributed to the god Mercury; relating to or under the (astrological) influence of the planet Mercury; liable to sudden unpredictable change
The way you attempted that pull back was mercurial.
palliate - verb provide physical relief, as from pain; lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of 
If you ever get pulled over try to be very well spoken it will probably palliate your punishment.
protocol - noun code of correct conduct; forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats and heads of state; (computer science) rules determining the format and transmission of dataIts protocol to enjoy college and party just as much as you learn.
resplendent - adj. having great beauty and splendor
... And he said "she was resplendent" and then "she" turned around and guess what, she was a he.
stigmatize - verb mark with a stigma or stigmata; to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful 
Most of the things I do in my life has been stigmatized at one time or another
sub rosa  -  adj. confidentially; secretly; privately.   
I thought speaking to your shrink was supposed to be sub rosa i guess they have to report any crimes they hear about.
vainglory - noun outspoken conceit
Take your vainglory and shove it bruh.
vestige - noun an indication that something has been present 
You see that track over there its definitely a vestige that the flying purple spaghetti monster was here.
volition - noun the act of making a choice; the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention 
It was of my own volition.

Vocab #2

accoutrements-personal clothing, accessories, etc.
I lost all of my accoutrements that I wore last night.

apogee-apoapsis in Earth orbit; the point in its orbit where a satellite is at the greatest distance from the Earth; a final climactic stage I had just gotten to the apogee in my book when I was interrupted.

apropos-of an appropriate or pertinent nature; adv. by the way; at an opportune time
I thought your statement was quite apropos.

bicker-a quarrel about petty points; verb argue over petty things
I bicker with my fish all the time.

coalesce-fuse or cause to grow together; mix together different elements
The two peoples from opposite universes coalesced and lived together in social harmony.
contretemps-an awkward clash
 It was quite a contretemps.

convolution-the action of coiling or twisting or winding together; a convex fold or elevation in the surface of the brain; the shape of something rotating rapidly
We decided to navigated through the convoluted trail.

cull-the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior in quality; verb remove something that has been rejected; look for and gather
They decided to cull the like-minded and create their own organization

disparate- including markedly dissimilar elements; fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind
We all have our disparate traits.

 dogmatic-characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles; relating to or involving dogma; of or pertaining to or characteristic of a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative Your whole argument is based off dogmatic ideals.

licentious-lacking moral discipline; especially sexually unrestrained
You seem almost licentious.I don't mind

 mete-a line that indicates a boundary; to distribute or apportion by measure; allot; dole (usually followed by out)
 I meted out all my money to the homeless

 noxious-injurious to physical or mental health; toxic
 YOUR FACE IN NOXIOUS!!!

polemic-of or involving dispute or controversy; noun a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma); a writer who argues in opposition to others (especially in theology)
This argument is polemic.

 populous-densely populated
The city is populous.

probity-complete and confirmed integrity; having strong moral principles
 Go and take your probity with you, it's not welcome here.

 repartee-quick witty discussion
We had one hell of a repartee.

supervene-take place as an additional or unexpected development
 All of a sudden Michael Jackson supervened on stage, it was weird because it was children's play.

 truncate-terminating abruptly by having or as if having an end or point cut off; verb make shorter as if by cutting off; approximate by ignoring all terms beyond a chosen one; replace a corner by a plane I truncated this sente

unimpeachable-beyond doubt or reproach; completely acceptable; not open to exception or reproach; free of guilt; not subject to blame
 Doesn't matter that they caught the guy, he's unimpeachable in their eyes.