Life of Pi- Final Essay

   In Yann Martel's Life of Pi, the reader's main Character, Pi Patel, is an unusual person. He practices many different religions all at the same time and does all kinds of other strange things. Many people would consider Pi crazy, or mad, and would say he belongs in some type of mental institution; however, I would have to disagree. 
   Pi tells us a story of a shipwreck and about its survivors, or lack there of any. In one version of the story Pi uses animals. Pi says there's a zebra, an orangutan, a Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker, and some other animals. Yet, when the validity of his story is questioned, Pi changes his story. All of the animals are replaced with people. Yes, these same animals who have killed and eaten each other have been replaced by human beings. If Pi's animal story had been true, one might not think anything of a tiger killing a hyena, but one would most certainly question the sanity of a young boy killing another human.
  At the close of the novel after Pi has told the reader both versions of the story, many are lead to believe the Richard Parker the tiger is supposed to "represent" Pi. However, Richard Parker isn't all of Pi, just the violent side of Pi, the side of Pi who is willing to do whatever he has to do to survive.
   At one point in the novel Pi tells us this: "I had to tame him (Richard Parker). It was at that moment that I realized this necessity. It was not a question of him or me, but of him and me. Most likely the worst would happen: the simple passage of time, in which his animal toughness would easily outlast my human frailty." Once the reader compares the animal story against the "replacement" story with humans, this statement means so much more to the credibility of Pi's NOT-insane-ness. The quesiton wasn't if Pi OR Richard Parker could survive, it was both, Pi and his will to survive named Richard Parker. Martel leaves the reader to decide if Pi truly is crazy and has a wild imagination or if he is just a grieving boy trying to cope with the loss of his family. Regardless, Pi is not mad. Pi is simply... A survivor. Pi did what he had to do to survive and if making up a tall tale to help ease the pain of searing loss is what he had to do to move on in life, that is what Pi Martel did. Pi may have made up both stories, the reader will never know. 

Depressed or Just Feeling a Bit Chilly? Current Event blog 4

    Recent studies have shown that weather can have a direct correlation to "depression". The term winter blues isn't all that made up and there may be some logic behind this trivial expression. In Danielle Miller's article "Is it Depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder", she points out the obvious, yet overlooked possible contributing factor: in the winter the days are shorter. Everyone wakes up to a physically dark world and we return home as the darkness sets in for a second time. According to psychotherapist Lisa Brateman, "Shortened days can create a sense of dread in many people..." Varying symptoms include an un-pinpointed sense of sadness, the lack of desire to leave the house, weight gain, anxiety, hopelessness, and the list goes on and on. Most people seem to shake out of the blues around February and March but some cases may last through April and even May. 


  I definitely think this study could have some validity to it! I think everyone at some point or another has experienced "the winter blues" and everyone reacts to it in their own way. Some people are just naturally more inclined to handle their emotions better than other people. I think the weather has a major impact on the majority of everyone's mood so this study makes sense to me. However, I do understand how some people could find this to be mum-bo jum-bo.


Miller, Danielle.  "Is it Depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder". Yahoo! Inc.. Yahoo Shine., 12 May.   2012. 14 May 2012

Current Event Week 3

   Super Moon meets Cinco de Mayo. This Saturday, May 5, 2012, a "supper moon" will be seen. A super moon occurs when the orbit of the moon and the orbit of the earth are at the closest points of meeting. According to NASA's Tony Phillips, this super moon is reported to appear 30% brighter and 12% bigger than any other full moon in 2010. 

  While Cinco de Mayo is dubbed in America for a night of wonder and mystical happenings, the super moon has nothing to do with Cinco de Mayo. This is simply coincidental. Many people are probably unaware of the scientific background of the super moon and will be incredibly excited when they see this moon and will probably have some crazy stories after this weekend. I'm willing to bet that some of these stories will be quite interesting and highly entertaining. 

Williams, Caitlin. "'Supermoon' Coincides With Cinco de Mayo".WDAM. WDAM and World Now. 3 May     2012. web. 4 May 2012

Life of Pi: Parts 3 and 4

  Wow! Poor Pi... His conflicts at sea were terrible and horrible in and of themselves, but the fact the two Japanese don't believe him is even worse! Why would Pi make those horrendous tales up? So Pi decides to tell the same story again but he replaces the animals with humans. So... Which is worse? Better yet, after given the story with humans, can the reader still find the animal story believable? Has Pi just replaced the humans with the animals the whole time to make the loss and tragedy more bearable in his mind? The reader never officially finds out so it's up for interpretation. If Pi really did replace the people with animals for his story's sake, I find his action believable and borderline justifiable. And, once given some thought, everyone has done or will do this very act at some point in his or her life! Sometimes traumatic events are completely blocked out and sometimes the human mind just makes what it wants to just we don't have to deal with the pain. And Pi was still young when that trip happened so... It makes me wonder! Overall I was pleased with the book. It kept me wondering the whole time-- even now!

3rd Honor Flight- Current Event week of April 23

  Gulf Port just had its 3rd honor flight, a trip for World War II veterans to see the WWII memorial in Washington D.C. (built in 2004). Over 16 million Americans fought in WWII and approximately 400,000 were killed in action. A group of 100 WWII veterans, mostly Mississippians, made the trip to Washington to visit the memorial this past Tuesday, April 24, 2012. All veterans were accompanied by a "guardian", or a family member. The vets visited the memorial along with other important sites in Washington. Upon their return Wednesday, they were warmly welcomed by members of the community and family. 

   I think the Honor Flights are a great idea and a great way to show appreciation to our veterans! After all, we wouldn't have the free and wonderful country that we call ours without our soldiers to protect us. While many of the vets were well into their late 80's and early 90's, they still felt the monument to be very touching and had a great time. I hope that we see the "twenties and thirties" Honor Flights and continue this tradition just a small token of gratitude to our veterans for everything they have sacrificed.

"Pine Belt veterans and family members enjoy Honor Flight".   Live at Five. World Now and WDAM. WDAM. Laurel. 25 April   2012. Television.

  

Life of Pi: Part 2

I love how Pi combines religions. He says all that he wants to do is love God and I think that's what religion should be about. While Pi engages in Buddhist and Hindu acts, along with others, to love his god, I still feel that Pi gets the whole religion concept more than many people in today's society. Many people claim to be "Christian" but really they are nothing more than someone combing his or her beliefs and wants with the justification of the Bible; I have found that many people twist religious teaching, texts, etc. into what they want these practices to be in order to justify wrong doings. Pi innocently just wants to love God. While I find it hard to grasp his combination of religions, I really do feel that he has mastered the main concepts of religion in general. I personally believe that God is love and through Him we are saved and I really do think that's what Pi is striving to have a deeper understanding of with his many religions.

Justin is Growing Up!

   On ABC news one of the things the two hostesses discussed was Justin Bieber and his new transformation. While Justin's mature metamorphosis was a key component of the clip from Good Morning America, the main issue is if Bieber's new "Boyfriend" video is "too steamy" for tweens. A good point that is brought up is that Bieber is eighteen years old. He is a legal adult. He can vote. He can join the military and get into clubs. So why can't he make his music videos like he wants? Bieber is compared to Christian Aguilera and Britney Spears. The connection that is supposed to be made is that both artists started out young and "bubble-gum pop" and moved on to more mature works along with successful careers.
  While some parents may find "Boyfriend" to be too "hot" for their young little girls, Bieber is growing up and is no longer the same artist he once was. I think the new, more mature route for his music is a good choice as far as reputation and business goes. Bieber can't sing "baby, baby, baby oohhhh" forever and is taking a good career path. While I can't call myself a "Bieleber", I can say that I am rooting for Justin Bieber and I hope the best for him!       


"Is Bieber's Boyfriend Video Too Hot for Tweens?" Good Morning America. ABC. ABC, New York City.                                       .     19 April 2012. Television.

"Pi"- A New Beginning

  So far, the first 100 pages or so have been kind of a struggle. The third party observations mixed with Pi's thoughts and opinions have been intriguing while mystifying but overall confusing. I'm looking forward to why all of the background information is vitally important to the rest of the plot. I've enjoyed some of Pi's outlook on religion. My favorite opinion of his so far is "to choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation" (36). I think anyone can relate to the part where Pi is talking about how children are mean. The children pick on Pi about his name and make his "refreshing aquatic name" a cruel joke. I think his way to find a fresh start by "changing" his name shows the reader a lot about his character and how he is as a person- determined. I look forward to seeing more of Pi's determination!

Fahrenheit 451- Parts 2 and 3

        Bradbury takes us through Fahrenheit 451 almost on the edge of our seats, or atleast I was! Montag reads a poem, "Dover Beach", when Mildred has a friend over to watch TV (her favorite pass time. Actually TV viewing isn't even a pass time for Millie; it's life!).  The poem evokes emotions in Montag, and I think Bradbury put the poem where he did to further emphasize that Montag isn't like everyone else; he actually feels and he's not numb like the others. I get the feeling that hardly anyone else in Montag's world actually has REAL emotions. The lack of emotion comes from the superficial, technological stimulation; humans need other humans in their lives! I believe that is why we humans are here; to help each other. In  Farenheit 451, the humans seem to have forgotten that they actually need each other to feel alive! Mildred doesn't even remember when or how she met her husband! In real life that's supposed to be something that sticks with a woman forever, right? The touch of personalism has been completely lost, and what little value of relationship that's left has been given towards technology.

The Hearth and the Salamander- Part 1 Fahrenheit 451

   In the first section of Fahrenheit 451, the reader can clearly see that this a classical dystopian novel. We meet Guy Montag, the main character, and learn about his daily routine. Montag is a firefighter; however, we quickly see that he is not our idea of a fireFIGHTER. Rather than putting out fires, Montag and the other firefighters are in charge of starting fires. In these fires, they are supposed to destroy and burn books, and sometimes the people who stand in the way. In the beginning Montag doesn't doubt his life or question his career and its purpose. However, after an encounter with a unique, free thinking teenage-girl, Clarisse, Montag begins to have his own thoughts. The government that is in charge of Montag does not encourage original thought and discourages individualism; if all are the same and entertained, all are happy. Montags wife, Mildred,  is what I think Montag himself is afraid of becoming. Mildred is constantly being fed thoughts and ideas and is seemingly incapable of forming her own ideas; she doesn't even seem to have her own memories.
  One day Clarisse asks Montag if he is happy. At first he scoffs at her question and answers her immediately. However, in just the brief walk from the sidewalk to his bedroom, Montag realizes that he is not happy and from there on out begins to wonder about his life. He wonders about the books he is supposed to destroy. Why are they so dangerous? What is so great about them that people would sacrifice themselves?
  I have a feeling that Montag will become more defiant in the next sections. I also hope we find out more about Clarisse's disappearance, and I also hope Mildred becomes less of a noodle and gets an original thought!

The Great Gatsby- The Withering of the American Dream

   In Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, the reader quickly sees that Gatsby isn't really all that great. One of the most apparent themes in The Great Gatsby is that of the withering of the American Dream. Most glamorize the American Dream and only focus on the great and wonderful outcomes the American Dream has to offer; few take the time to consider the work and possible hardships of obtaining the American Dream. In this tragedy, Gatsby is made the scapegoat and is the prime example of the misconception of the American Dream; however, there are many other characters who help support the theme. Daisy and Tom Buchanan, and our narrator,  Nick Carraway, are also examples of the corruptions of the American Dream
  We learn that Jay Gatsby, who has a tremendous amount of wealth, didn't come from wealth. Gatsby was but a mere farm boy who left his family behind to participate in an unknown business (the reader can infer that he is a gambler). Before leaving to fight in World War I, Gatsby meets a young Ms. Daisy and falls in love. He vows to Daisy that when he returns home from the war, he will have a wealth that will be able to support them. Upon returning home, Gatsby discovers that Daisy has moved on without him and has married a man of great wealth, Mr. Tom Buchanan. Gatsby, who is heartbroken and still madly in love with Daisy, buys a mansion in West Egg right across the bay from the Buchanans.
  To make this tale just that much more bitter, we find out that Tom is cheating on Daisy with Myrtle Wilson. Myrtle is married to George, who owns a car garage in the Valley of Ashes. Myrtle longs to be in the center of attention and yearns for the life of a wealthy woman. She and Tom have an affair. While Daisy has her suspicions, she is still under the rule of her husband.
  Nick Carraway is, in my opinion, an innocent by standard who likes to keep his own business to himself. From the beginning of the novel, the reader learns that Nick doesn't really like to get into others' business and generally keeps to himself.  We learn that Nick is also a veteran of the war and has moved away from his family. He has found himself in a modest home next to Gatsby. Although they are neighbors, Nick's house might as well be a shack compared to Gatsby's empire. Gatsby often has elaborate parities. Eventually, Nick and Gatsby become friends and Nick is invited to the party. Nick is one of the most observant characters in the novel. While mingling with Jordan, Daisy's cute friend who is a professional golfer, Nick takes note of his surroundings. He notices that everyone is having a good time, but little to none of the guests try to interact with Gatsby. All of the party guests are talking about Gatsby and about his possible place of origin.
  Well, Gatsby finally gets to see Daisy again: five years have passed since their last meeting. Eventually, Daisy gives in to her previous love for Gatsby and they begin spending time together in the afternoons. One day, Gatsby, Nick, Jordan, and the Buchanans go to the city to try to escape the blazing  summer heat. Tom confronts Daisy and about her and Gatsby's affair. Gatsby demands that she tell Tom that she is leaving him and that she no longer loves him, but Daisy simply can't. She tried to explain to Gatsby why she's unable to no longer love her husband, but she can't. She feels as though Gatsby is wanting to much of her; she loved him before, then she didn't, and now she does again. Why couldn't that be enough for Gatsby? She leaves in a flustered hurry and gets in the car. Gatsby goes with her. Daisy is still incredibly tense from the confrontation and "accidentally" runs over someone. That someone just happened to Myrtle, Tom's mistress. (Ironic, right?) Daisy becomes engulfed with psychotic-ness and Gatsby says to blame him (hoping to calm Daisy down). Myrtle's grieving widower George is taken over a by a sense of helplessness and seeks revenge. George goes to Gatsby's house and kills him and then commits suicide.
  Gatsby, as was mentioned earlier, is the scapegoat and had to die. Gatsby had worked his entire life to get... What? To get what? Gatsby worked to get a wealth and fortune so that he could support his woman and one true love, Daisy, and himself. Gatsby had put so much emphasis on money, because he associated money with Daisy, throughout his life he even begin to put a value on Daisy. Gatsby's life seemed glamorous, but he was actually truly miserable, even with his wealth. Gatsby is human, just like everyone else, and what do humans do? They die, humans die. Gatsby died. None of his so-called party guest faker friends even bothered to go to Gatsby's funeral.
  While Gatsby was truly miserable, so were all of the other characters. Nick turns thirty and he realizes that his life hasn't really meant much; George loved his wife who was cheating on him because he had never been good enough for her; Tom and Daisy both found other loves, yet chose to remain together and be miserable.. together.
  The American Dream was utterly shattered in The Great Gatsby. The pursuit of wealth in love was ultimately pointless in the end because all were still miserable with their worldly possessions. None of the characters were truly happy throughout the entire novel. Although they had wealth, money never satisfied them; their money couldn't satisfy them.

The Great Gatsby- Part 2

  In the second part of The Great Gatsby, the plot has really unfolded, the extended symbolism is entirely revealed, and the characters have been completely developed and trashed. The end of the novel is, well, the end, but it is also the end. What I mean is, several characters meet their ends (death) and the ones that are fortunate enough to survive might as well have ended: they lead miserable lives. Nick is 30 and still hasn't made anything of himself; Tom and Myrtle are clearly no longer in love and want to be with other people and are miserable with each other, but ultimately just decide to stay together and be miserable. The Great Gatsby's main plot was to show the corruptions of the "American Dream". Obviously, the dream has many corruptions, but I like to remain hopeful. I like to think that everyday-nobodies make someone of themselves even though society is rooting against them: I like to believe that people can rise out of their social classes and become someone great. However, I am not saying The Great Gatsby says people can't do that, but the ending can kind of leave one feeling a little bit hopeless.
  My favorite symbol in the book is the green light. At the beginning the green light is hope for Gatsby to achieve his dream of getting Daisy, and, by the end of the book, Nick sees the green light as a sign of lost hope, broken and unobtainable dreams. And, if I think about it too long, the symbol is a bit depressing, but I think this symbol is pretty cool because it shows as people have different life experiences, people change their perspectives.

Great Gatsby- Chapters 1-5

   So far, my main observations have been about our narrator, Nick. I feel that Nick is very observant. He seems to notice a little about everything. He describes Jordan, the professional golfer who is friends with Daisy, as having a "jauntiness about her" even in evening dresses. Nick goes into great detail about Jordan's face and the secrets it hides, "the bored haughty face that she turned to the world concealed something" (page 57). Although many people wouldn't find Nick's analysis of Jordan's body odd, simply because he fancies her, I find  his analyzing quite odd because he analyzes everything and everyone. In chapter 1 he takes great note to describe Daisy's voice and mannerisms. In chapter 2, he analyzes the mess out of the apartment Tom and Myrtle share.
  Another thing I have taken note of is the symbolism and figurative language. One example is the green light Gatsby sees in the woods. The green light symbolizes a longing for Daisy: his hopes and dreams to be with her. Another thing I noticed (and actually found quite interesting) was the Valley of Ashes. At the beginning of chapter 2, there is an apparent running theme: the remnants of fire, or destruction. Fitzgerald uses many words, such as desolate, ashes, smoke, crumbling, etc., to emphasize the "post-fire theme". The Valley of Ashes is a place where people who are often forgotten live, and this is also where we meet Myrtle, Tom's mistress (Tom is cheating on Daisy). Myrtle lives in the Valley of Ashes with her Joe-blow husband, George. Myrtle dislikes George greatly and wants to be with Tom; however, Tom told Myrtle that he can't get divorced because Daisy is Catholic (Daisy isn't Catholic). Tom is also abusive to Myrtle, who doesn't seem to really mind, in my opinion.
  So far, I am a little bored with the book and I hope it gets better! I've heard the ending is great, but I've also heard it's horrible... Regardless I can't wait to find out!

"The Minister's Black Veil" and "The Crucible"

   "The Minister's Black Veil" begins with the sexton ring the bell. He is anxiously waiting for the arrival of Reverend Hooper because the sexton is supposed to stop ringing the bell at first sight of the reverend. Upon the reverend's arrival, the sexton notices the black veil that shrouds the reverend's face. All of his features are covered and the only things that can be seen through the slight transparency of the veil are Reverend Hoover's mouth and chin. Most of the towns people are frightened by the reverend's new fashion statement. Many ask him to remove the veil or reveal the secret behind it; the reverend refuses. While Reverend Hooper alters no other aspect of his everyday routine, all of the townspeople isolate him and avoid him.
  The reverend's "plighted wife" (which in itself is an irony: one meaning of plighted means 'unfortunate or especially bad situation' (foreshadowing to the demise of the relationship?) while another meaning is 'to become engaged or to marry') is determined to find out the veil's purpose/concealment. "She set her eyes steadfastly upon the veil..." (could the use of the word 'steadfastly' be in reference to steadfast love of lovers, Jesus' steadfast Love?). However, the minister will not reveal the veil's purpose to even his most beloved. He explains to her there is a time and place that everyone will reveal there veils. "'There is an hour to come,' said he, 'when all of us shall cast aside our veils. Take it not amiss, beloved friend, if I wear the piece of crape till then.'" Elizabeth, his fiance, the gives him an ultimatum: he can choose her and reveal the veil's purpose, or he can keep his secret veil's purpose hidden and lose her. She offers him one more chance to show his face but he still refuses. Elizabeth is brought to tears (sign of love) and becomes fully aware of his veil and then leaves him.
   After Elizabeth leaves him, he is truly lonely. He is stared at on his evening walks and he is increasingly aware of people avoiding him and treating him differently and eventually quits his daily walks. He is so conscious of his veil he even chooses to not look at himself. On a good note, his veil makes him a better minister: "he became a man of awful power over souls that were in agony for sin. His converts always regarded him with a dread peculiar to themselves, affirming, though but figuratively, that, before he brought them to celestial light, that had been with him behind the black veil." Eventually he was made Father.
   Father Hooper never took his veil off, and he was buried in his veil. On his deathbed Elizabeth came to comfort him and held his hand. In one last beckoning she, along with others, try to convince him to reveal his face before he dies. He has a form of a meltdown and grasps his veil when another clergymen tries to remove the veil. Everyone in the room is terrified (trembling). "'Why do you tremble at me alone?' cried he, turning his veiled face round the circle of pale spectators. Tremble also at each other! Have mean avoided me... only for my black veil? What, but the mystery wit it obscurely typifies, has made this piece of crape so awful?... I look around me, and, lo! on every visage a Black Veil!'" As one can imagine, everyone in the room is shaken. Father Hooper died and was put into his grave veiled.




  While there are several common themes throughout "The Minister's Black Veil" and The Crucible, I will only discuss a few. One theme is both Hawthorne and Miller were highly critical of Puritanical reasoning and punishment. In both stories, the Puritans are completely caught up in sins and the fear of sinning that they lose sight of reality. While the townspeople of Salem Village listen to girls who believe they are a medium between the Devil and the real world, the townspeople in Hawthorne's short story are completely afraid of the ministers veil. His black veil represents a secret sin (or just sin in general) and is a visual symbol of sin. The townspeople are afraid of it because they are simply afraid of their own secret sins. While in "The Minister's Black Veil", the secret sin is not specifically identified, The Crucible's secret sin is the affair of John Proctor and Abigail Williams. 
     Another common thread of the two are (I'm paraphrasing) 'dying with dignity'. John Proctor in The Crucible doesn't want to hang in risk of tainting the good of those who are being hung that really are good. In the end he finds the good in himself and decides to take the hanging because he is "good" enough to die alongside of the other good people to be hung. In "The Minister's Black Veil", the minister stands true to his decision to not reveal the mystery of his veil. Even on his deathbed the veil's purpose is not revealed to the townspeople and even the ones closest to Father Hoover. 
    The last theme I am going to discuss openly admitted guilt vs. hidden guilt. In "The Minister's Black Veil", the minister is representing openly admitted guilt because he wears a black veil to symbolize his sin; the veil separates him for all the he loves and the world. The hidden sin is represented by the townspeople who fear the black veil. In The Crucible, the hidden sin is obviously the affair between John Proctor and Abigail. However, towards the end of the play, Proctor comes clean about the affair with himself, with his wife (she already knows but the two discuss the affair verbally) and even with his town and before the court. Abigail still hides her sin. 

"On Writing" Final Essay

                Throughout King’s lifetime, he has published many novels, short stories, and even a few non-fiction books. In On Writing, King makes very clear that a successful writer cannot give up on his or her craft and must remain dedicated through the good and bad of writing, and the only way to become a better writer is to keep on writing (page 145).         

 From an early age, King began writing.  When King was young, he spent his time off from school, due to childhood illnesses, reading and writing. All of his absences eventually caused him to fail the first grade and be pulled out entirely. While some may find this to be a setback to a young writer’s career, King used his time wisely to read as much as he could bare (“approximately six tons of comic books”) and eventually inspired him to write his own works (page 27). After showing his first original works to his mom (page 29), King began submitting his stories to magazines (page 35).

Considering King’s colossal success, one would think his career came easy. This was not the case. “If you want to be a good writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no short cut.” (page 145). This is exemplified through King’s actions from the young age of fourteen. He would submit story after story to magazines only to be rejected. King began keeping his rejection slips on a nail above his bed, and, eventually, the nail could no longer contain all of the slips. While most people would be discouraged and quit writing, King “replaced the nail with a spike and kept on writing”. With every rejection slip, there was a story King had written. With each story He only became a better writer. He continued to write and wrote often, and by the age of 16, the numerous rejection slips now being put on the spike had encouraging handwritten notes (page 41).

Through all of King’s hard comings: the measles, strep throat, and various childhood ear infections (pages 23-27), drug and alcohol abuse (pages 96 and 97), and even being hit by a van and the complications from the accident (pages 254, 261-264), one thing has held the fibers of King’s sanity throughout his whole life. And that thing is writing. “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous... or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching you own life as well. It’s about… Getting happy.” (page 269).

For King, writing is more than a job and a paycheck. Writing, and writing a lot, is the key to happiness and fulfillment. “Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up.” (page 270).

On Writing Blog 3

   I must say, I have truly enjoyed this book! I'm not going to lie; at first, I was a bit worried that I was going to dislike this book, but I have been pleasantly surprised! The third and final "section" of the book really tied together everything King was trying to say.
   I really liked all of his tips and found most of them useful. I like the idea of the "IR". I think through all of my previous writing experiences and, somewhere in the back of my mind, I actually was writing "to" someone I just never put the thought into the thought enough to realize that this was a habit. At first I thought the idea of an ideal reader to be... Well, dumb. But the more I've mulled it over in my mind, I realize that writing to an intended IR is actually a very good tool to put into practice and to have in the mental toolbox.
  Another piece of advice that I found extremely helpful is the part where King said starting of with a theme and writing with thematics is "a recipe for bad writing". King says that a good story will write itself. I think that for young and aspiring writers it can be easy to get lost in figurative language and complex grammar and actually lose sight of the story. And, after all, isn't the story what creative writing is all about?

State of the Union 2012

    Obama mentions the economy post-WWII. I think his comparison is neat and I hope that our economy comes back the way it did after the war, but only stronger. Our country is in trillions of dollars of debt and the thought of paying that colossal debt is daunting; HOWEVER, I believe that with the correct leadership America can take the correct steps in bringing up the economy and not having so much debt.
    One thing that I agreed with the President on is bringing jobs back into the country. I was unaware that big companies and corporations caught tax break for taking their business overseas and was equally unaware that the loyal companies whose business remained in America were taxed more than those who were overseas ("one of the highest tax rates in the world")! That just sounds absolutely ludicrous and straight up wrong. I would think that it would make more sense to do the taxes just the opposite. I think by encouraging American companies to operate in America Americans would have more job opportunities (but then again, what do I know?). From what I can understand, I think that's what Obama was saying, too. However, I understand that by re-allotting taxes, that, in the end, America could lose money and that the whole tax-money-and-stuff system is quite complicated and that my understandings may be skewed (but I'm trying be familiar with the whole system). 
    Obama says that he thinks everyone should all abide by the same tax rules, or a progressive/graduated income tax. This is in a way a contradiction to his statements about the companies operating in America and the ones operating overseas. In essence, shouldn't the different companies have to pay based on their profits and not where they choose to operate? 
    I read a copy of the transcript and did not watch the speech on TV. I found it amusing that I could pick out where people were supposed to clap. I also found it strategic that Obama would drop in phrases such as "as long as I'm the President, I will..." to begin his campaigning for the next presidential election.

On Writing- Blog 2

     I was fearful that King was going to get boring in the upcoming chapters; however, I am still thoroughly entertained. King's wit and humor continue to make the book an easy-read. I am amazed by King's analogies and how he makes everything easily relatable. Many of his writing tips I find appliable to all aspects of life. An example is how he harps about "let the story tell itself"; cut the fluff and such and just stick to the truth. Many people would have easier, less-stressful lives if they would just stick to this simple rule!
    Where King talks about how a writer is born a writer (in more or less words) I feel he is dead on. Bad writers in elementary school are still bad writers in high school! I have always been taught if you try hard and put your all into what you're doing, you will succeed; however, I feel writing is just one of those things God gives you (or He doesn't). I, by no means, feel I am the next Jane Austen or Shakespeare, but words and writing has always flowed in my brain. I don't think that I am a great writer (somedays I'm bearly a good writer), but I feel that the creative process comes more easily to me than it does to others.
    King has several good tips about dialogue and plot that I have never considered before. I totally agree that some of the best stories are "plotless". Obviously, King knows what he is talking about, but I think his take has deffinitely put writing into perspective!

On Writing- Blog 1

All in all I’m thoroughly entertained with the first “chapter”. My only complaint is, what I feel to be, the unnecessary profanity.  However, I have made great use of my black pen by scribbling out the words that I do not like. Many of King’s recollections of childhood, especially recalling the name of an illness that isn’t quite correct, I find relatable. While he had “stripe throat” in the first grade, I often fell victim of “headdick aches”.

My favorite part of the book thus far is when he is writing about Tabby’s poem. “She smiled at me. I smiled back. Sometimes these things are not accidents. I’m almost sure of it.” I found myself smiling after reading these sentences. Being a 16-going-on-17 girl, I am a HOPELESS romantic and through the crude and rough-around-the-edge descriptions of a girl with a mill worker vocabulary, I can tell he was truly in love with this woman! Obviously he loves her very much (because he says so when the opportunity presents itself), but sometimes love isn’t always genuine; anyone can write that he or she is in love with someone else, but genuine, true love can’t always jump of the pages like the words do when King is describing his wife.

Although the poem and what followed were my favorite part of the book thus far, the part that has made me truly think the most is the part where he is describing Sondra and Dodie. I found myself thinking of people that are at our high school. I found myself wondering if, well, a matter of how many, girls would have a similar fate of Dodie, or how many would die alone like Sondra. After I finished the section about Dodie, I thought about a story my youth minister likes to tell: There’s this girl who just has a hard life and everyone gives her a rough time and one day she decides to kill herself. When she’s leaving for what she thinks will be her last day of school, the quarter back of the football team held the door open for her, wished her a good day, and smiled. The girl went home and wrote him and note and gave him the bullet she was planning on killing herself with; the quarterback saved her life! I wonder if Steven King wonders if Dodie could have been save, or if Sondra could have had just one friend other than Cheddar Cheese? I wonder if he even cares. For some reason I think the fact that he does care is the main motivation of why he included such details of these two girls.

I’m looking forward to the rest of the book!