Link to article
Nicholas D. Kristof details in his op-ed how while Occupy Wall Street successfully shines a spotlight on an issue in America, the solution lies not in alterations to the payment of taxes, but rather in going to the root of the problem; education. By instituting programs to ensure that underprivelaged people have a better education, they're more likely to graduate school, get a job, get their own house, etc.
He does a good job of nabbing everybody's attention with a clear, progressive thesis that starts off with Occupy Wall Street (which everybody by this point has most likely heard of) and steers into a proposition of action that's described with detail while still being concise, and is well-backed by evidence of similar successful attempts at what he's proposing.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Sound and Fury
Sound and Fury is a documentary about two families with deaf children. Both families are considering a cochlear implant for their deaf child to help them hear; one family is deaf, while the other one is hearing. (but the parents of both families are related, so the hearing one knows sign language)
In the end of the film, the deaf family decides to not get the implant for their child because they want their kid to experience all that deaf culture has to offer, and instead enrolls her in a deaf school. Meanwhile, the hearing family gets an implant for their child.
Both families present decent arguments for their side. The deaf family believes that their child should have a chance to explore deaf culture, and perhaps when they're older they should have a chance to choose whether they want an implant or not. Since they're both decently successful people, they don't believe their daughter would be unable to succeed in life with deafness. They see deafness as an identity, not a handicap.
Meanwhile, the hearing family really wants their child to be able to have every opportunity to succeed. By implanting the child at a very young age (their child was 11 months old) the child has a headstart in picking up on language.
While I'm not part of the deaf discourse, it seems to me like the deaf family resents the hearing world, and wants to seclude themselves. While they are able to make enough money to live a decently happy life, even the father admits at one point that he thinks his deafness prevents him from being able to really ascend up the corporate ladder. They are pressured from hearing family members to give their child an implant, and being able to return to their secluded world makes them calm and serene.
Meanwhile, the hearing family wants their child to be able to choose whatever they want in life, and not be limited in their interaction with the vast majority of people.
In the end of the film, the deaf family decides to not get the implant for their child because they want their kid to experience all that deaf culture has to offer, and instead enrolls her in a deaf school. Meanwhile, the hearing family gets an implant for their child.
Both families present decent arguments for their side. The deaf family believes that their child should have a chance to explore deaf culture, and perhaps when they're older they should have a chance to choose whether they want an implant or not. Since they're both decently successful people, they don't believe their daughter would be unable to succeed in life with deafness. They see deafness as an identity, not a handicap.
Meanwhile, the hearing family really wants their child to be able to have every opportunity to succeed. By implanting the child at a very young age (their child was 11 months old) the child has a headstart in picking up on language.
While I'm not part of the deaf discourse, it seems to me like the deaf family resents the hearing world, and wants to seclude themselves. While they are able to make enough money to live a decently happy life, even the father admits at one point that he thinks his deafness prevents him from being able to really ascend up the corporate ladder. They are pressured from hearing family members to give their child an implant, and being able to return to their secluded world makes them calm and serene.
Meanwhile, the hearing family wants their child to be able to choose whatever they want in life, and not be limited in their interaction with the vast majority of people.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Fear of Stinging Insects
As I'm sure plenty of people know, I'm not a particularly big fan of the various organisms that share this world with me, and bugs are definitely something I'm not a big fan of.
But man, do I hate stinging insects.
Perhaps a little back-story would do as my best explanation as to why these abominations freak me out more than the average person.
Back in elementary school, like most kids, I rode the bus. Now, buses aren't exactly vacuum-sealed capsules, so now and then bugs can get in. Yes, including bugs like Wasps.
I spot this odd creature flying around, and ask the person sitting next to me what it is. They explain to me that it's a bug that can sting you, but they only do it if you make them angry. In my youth, I relished a challenge. I immediately proceeded to start trash-talking this little guy, and soon enough, I made him mad; he swooped down towards me, and all I could do was quickly grab my backpack and put it between me and this exotic fighter jet. I spent the next 15 minutes of the bus ride holding completely still in fear as the wasp crawled around on my back pack, and even inches away from my face at several points, until we finally got to the school, the bus driver shooed the wasp off of me and killed it with his hat.
That fear transferred itself to pretty much any kind of insect capable of such an act, be it bees, yellow jackets, you name it. My fear only intensified throughout my life, such as in middle school when a yellow jacket crawled down my shirt and stung me in the back of the neck, and I discovered the not-so-fun way that when a yellow jacket stings you, it releases a chemical that attracts other resident yellow jackets to come out of hiding like a buzzing cavalry and try to sting whatever's been marked.
While I've come to conquer my fear enough to at least be able to sit still when one's near me, I still get that nervous feeling whenever I hear that dreadful low buzz.
But man, do I hate stinging insects.
Perhaps a little back-story would do as my best explanation as to why these abominations freak me out more than the average person.
Back in elementary school, like most kids, I rode the bus. Now, buses aren't exactly vacuum-sealed capsules, so now and then bugs can get in. Yes, including bugs like Wasps.
I spot this odd creature flying around, and ask the person sitting next to me what it is. They explain to me that it's a bug that can sting you, but they only do it if you make them angry. In my youth, I relished a challenge. I immediately proceeded to start trash-talking this little guy, and soon enough, I made him mad; he swooped down towards me, and all I could do was quickly grab my backpack and put it between me and this exotic fighter jet. I spent the next 15 minutes of the bus ride holding completely still in fear as the wasp crawled around on my back pack, and even inches away from my face at several points, until we finally got to the school, the bus driver shooed the wasp off of me and killed it with his hat.
That fear transferred itself to pretty much any kind of insect capable of such an act, be it bees, yellow jackets, you name it. My fear only intensified throughout my life, such as in middle school when a yellow jacket crawled down my shirt and stung me in the back of the neck, and I discovered the not-so-fun way that when a yellow jacket stings you, it releases a chemical that attracts other resident yellow jackets to come out of hiding like a buzzing cavalry and try to sting whatever's been marked.
While I've come to conquer my fear enough to at least be able to sit still when one's near me, I still get that nervous feeling whenever I hear that dreadful low buzz.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Bein' Green
"Bein' Green," the song by Kermit the Frog, embodies an underlying emotion and feeling that exists in the lives of many people today.
Just about everybody has some kind of perceived inadequacy about themselves that they take to heart. In "Bein' Green," Kermit the Frog starts off by singing about how difficult his life is being green. "It's not easy being green. It seems you blend in with so many other ord'nary things."
However, near the end, he goes on to realize that there's no reason to feel bad for himself, and embraces who he is. "I am green, and it'll do fine!"
Just about everybody has some kind of perceived inadequacy about themselves that they take to heart. In "Bein' Green," Kermit the Frog starts off by singing about how difficult his life is being green. "It's not easy being green. It seems you blend in with so many other ord'nary things."
However, near the end, he goes on to realize that there's no reason to feel bad for himself, and embraces who he is. "I am green, and it'll do fine!"
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
My Writing Process
When it comes to me and writing, it's all about getting the words flowing into the page. I have the easiest time doing this while typing away on a keyboard, which I largely credit to much time spent ranting and rambling away on online forums for much of my life.
I too often encounter that dreaded writer's block that I'm sure every writer has encountered at some point in their life. When I do encounter that block, it can be pretty difficult to overcome, and while said blocks are not too common for me, when they do strike, they can result in a lot of my time being wasted.
While I've never really sat down to try and determine this, it makes the most sense judging by my past successes with writing that provided I can sit down, get the subject into my head, and make an emotional attachment or conflict with it, I can usually start putting words on 'paper,' and get my thoughts flowing.
Now obviously I still need to do some editing after this point; while I do habitually write out my paragraphs in an organized fashion, whenever I rant through use of a keyboard I tend to make quite a few errors with basic communicating of ideas; when your mind gets lost in the thought process and your body takes over in putting the words down, it can be pretty easy to miss the fact that you accidentally repeated an entire section of a sentence, or accidentally replaced words correctly thought with totally unrelated and mismatched words of the next part in whatever I'm reacting to and reading ahead in. But once I'm at this stage, it's all pretty downhill from there difficulty-wise.
I too often encounter that dreaded writer's block that I'm sure every writer has encountered at some point in their life. When I do encounter that block, it can be pretty difficult to overcome, and while said blocks are not too common for me, when they do strike, they can result in a lot of my time being wasted.
While I've never really sat down to try and determine this, it makes the most sense judging by my past successes with writing that provided I can sit down, get the subject into my head, and make an emotional attachment or conflict with it, I can usually start putting words on 'paper,' and get my thoughts flowing.
Now obviously I still need to do some editing after this point; while I do habitually write out my paragraphs in an organized fashion, whenever I rant through use of a keyboard I tend to make quite a few errors with basic communicating of ideas; when your mind gets lost in the thought process and your body takes over in putting the words down, it can be pretty easy to miss the fact that you accidentally repeated an entire section of a sentence, or accidentally replaced words correctly thought with totally unrelated and mismatched words of the next part in whatever I'm reacting to and reading ahead in. But once I'm at this stage, it's all pretty downhill from there difficulty-wise.
Political Dimensions of Language
While looking through the most used vocabulary of the Presidential Inaugural Addresses, I noticed a couple of patterns. Namely:
1. Over time, the language seems to have evolved from a legalistic vocabulary that highlights the fundamentals of various issues, and shifted more towards the idea of a moving speech that draws upon the goodwill, and often patriotism of people to motivate and fuel them to take action. Action that is in line with that candidate's beliefs, of course.
2. Nation seemed to be the most commonly recurring winner as the most popular word. Obama's speech is no exception.
3. Both liberal and conservative speeches tend to use words pertaining to their beliefs, with change being common for the former and freedom for the latter, just as examples.
1. Over time, the language seems to have evolved from a legalistic vocabulary that highlights the fundamentals of various issues, and shifted more towards the idea of a moving speech that draws upon the goodwill, and often patriotism of people to motivate and fuel them to take action. Action that is in line with that candidate's beliefs, of course.
2. Nation seemed to be the most commonly recurring winner as the most popular word. Obama's speech is no exception.
3. Both liberal and conservative speeches tend to use words pertaining to their beliefs, with change being common for the former and freedom for the latter, just as examples.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Marcus Luttrell & Patrick Robinson - "Lone Survivor"
"Lone Survivor," recounted by Marcus Luttrell and written/recorded by Patrick Robinson, tells the story of Marcus's early life and the titular experience he had in Afghanistan.
Growing up in the wilds of Texas, Marcus was raised with valuable survival skills like shooting and swimming by his father, alongside his barely-older twin brother, and grew up as a very patriotic person. At a young age, a trainer for the U.S. seals was in town, and at their request, gave Marcus and his brother free but rigorous training routines to help prepare them for their plans to become U.S. Navy Seals.
Marcus also goes heavily into the political aspect of the war in the middle east, covering aspects such as the legendary warriors of the Pashtun tribe, who survived the might of the armies of even Genghis Khan and Britain, and who are sympathetic to the Taliban, and explains Lokhay, which is the most dedicated extent of hospitality towards a guest, where the tribe lays everything down to protect them.
He explains the Rules of Engagement, military law designed to prevent war crimes such as the shooting of innocents. Basically, you are not allowed to fire at another person until they shoot back or you positively identify their negative intentions. But if a squad is in enemy territory, has been chased and hunted by Taliban for days, and suddenly multiple middle-eastern men with towels on their heads (his words) and Ak-47's in their hands come running over a hill, every second you hesitate is another one that they have to line up a shot on you. While it may seem simple to politicians, it's anything but that to any soldier who's been in the field and knows how they can make a soldier concerned, disheartened, and even sometimes hesitant. And it's these rules that cost the lives of the rest of his four-man squad, and resulted in one of the biggest losses of life in Navy Seal history.
Flown into the rugged mountains of Afghanistan to capture or kill a Taliban leader and known associate of Osama Bin Laden, his team lands on terrain that quickly becomes apparent as a potential deathtrap for them: open land, no cover. As they try and find a safer path to their destination, they stumble across three goat farmers, and are faced with a conundrum: if they let the farmers go, they could run off and alert the Taliban of their presence. If they kill the farmers, they would be hung in the liberal media, incarcerated, and labeled as murderers.
They decide to let the farmers go, but quickly come to regret that decision, as soon the Taliban begin firing volleys of lead and rocket-propelled grenades from a nearby hill. They fight back, and with superior training they hold their own for a little bit, but the Taliban had the high ground, and used it to their advantage to unrelentlessly fire at Marcus and his squad. His squad began taking hits, and even kept fighting through it; however, his men finally began to succumb to their wounds and perished, leaving only him alive in Taliban-infested mountains.
With direct confrontation obviously out of the question now, he stayed in hiding, and even won a few encounters with stray soldiers, until word of his predicament reached the rest of his Seal team and they, along with another squad, came down to rescue him with a helicopter, before a well-placed from a Taliban rocket-propelled-grenade launcher entered the helicopter through the back hatch and exploded inside, destroying the helicopter and killing everyone inside.
Finally, a local Afghan not sympathetic to the Taliban takes him back to his tribe in the mountains, where they extend Lokhay to him, and help protect him against the Taliban until another helicopter can come and evacuate him.
This book was an extremely entertaining and inspiration read, that really shows the bravery and dedication of our armed forces, and everything they brave and endure so that we can sit here and enjoy the freedoms that so many have died for.
Growing up in the wilds of Texas, Marcus was raised with valuable survival skills like shooting and swimming by his father, alongside his barely-older twin brother, and grew up as a very patriotic person. At a young age, a trainer for the U.S. seals was in town, and at their request, gave Marcus and his brother free but rigorous training routines to help prepare them for their plans to become U.S. Navy Seals.
Marcus also goes heavily into the political aspect of the war in the middle east, covering aspects such as the legendary warriors of the Pashtun tribe, who survived the might of the armies of even Genghis Khan and Britain, and who are sympathetic to the Taliban, and explains Lokhay, which is the most dedicated extent of hospitality towards a guest, where the tribe lays everything down to protect them.
He explains the Rules of Engagement, military law designed to prevent war crimes such as the shooting of innocents. Basically, you are not allowed to fire at another person until they shoot back or you positively identify their negative intentions. But if a squad is in enemy territory, has been chased and hunted by Taliban for days, and suddenly multiple middle-eastern men with towels on their heads (his words) and Ak-47's in their hands come running over a hill, every second you hesitate is another one that they have to line up a shot on you. While it may seem simple to politicians, it's anything but that to any soldier who's been in the field and knows how they can make a soldier concerned, disheartened, and even sometimes hesitant. And it's these rules that cost the lives of the rest of his four-man squad, and resulted in one of the biggest losses of life in Navy Seal history.
Flown into the rugged mountains of Afghanistan to capture or kill a Taliban leader and known associate of Osama Bin Laden, his team lands on terrain that quickly becomes apparent as a potential deathtrap for them: open land, no cover. As they try and find a safer path to their destination, they stumble across three goat farmers, and are faced with a conundrum: if they let the farmers go, they could run off and alert the Taliban of their presence. If they kill the farmers, they would be hung in the liberal media, incarcerated, and labeled as murderers.
They decide to let the farmers go, but quickly come to regret that decision, as soon the Taliban begin firing volleys of lead and rocket-propelled grenades from a nearby hill. They fight back, and with superior training they hold their own for a little bit, but the Taliban had the high ground, and used it to their advantage to unrelentlessly fire at Marcus and his squad. His squad began taking hits, and even kept fighting through it; however, his men finally began to succumb to their wounds and perished, leaving only him alive in Taliban-infested mountains.
With direct confrontation obviously out of the question now, he stayed in hiding, and even won a few encounters with stray soldiers, until word of his predicament reached the rest of his Seal team and they, along with another squad, came down to rescue him with a helicopter, before a well-placed from a Taliban rocket-propelled-grenade launcher entered the helicopter through the back hatch and exploded inside, destroying the helicopter and killing everyone inside.
Finally, a local Afghan not sympathetic to the Taliban takes him back to his tribe in the mountains, where they extend Lokhay to him, and help protect him against the Taliban until another helicopter can come and evacuate him.
This book was an extremely entertaining and inspiration read, that really shows the bravery and dedication of our armed forces, and everything they brave and endure so that we can sit here and enjoy the freedoms that so many have died for.
Mary Wollstonecraft - "The Prevailing Opinion of a Sexual Character Discussed"
When I first started reading through this essay, I was initially overwhelmed. Mary came across to me as an incredibly cynical and miserable person who used a borderline superfluous choice of vocabulary to emphasize her extreme claims of the supposed oppression and borderline slavery of women.
Then I found out it was written in 1792. Oh.
That would explain........everything. I won't pretend to be well educated on the matter of women's rights, and I'll admit that, being a guy, my opinion is going to be a little biased (but then again, whose wouldn't?), but I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that the picture of a barbaric society she drew is not accurate today.
Are women and men completely equal? Physically, no. Mentally, yes, but statistically there may be a weight toward one gender because of external cultural influences.
Mary is correct in the concept that a woman who portrays herself as gentle and beautiful can often coast by in life by taking advantage of those who objectify her as such. But, at least today, I honestly believe that any woman has just as good of a chance of going to college, getting a good job, and having a happy life as a guy, and may even have an advantage if she is the minority in her field.
Yes, there are still some remnant of the situation she describes, albeit with much less intensity. Yes, her stereotypical portrayal of the innocent and sweet woman is often times more attractive to guys than one who might exhibit more tough qualities. But today that's not a universal rule, and I believe that there isn't enough of a sexist barrier stopping a woman from going out and successfully pursuing her dreams.
Then I found out it was written in 1792. Oh.
That would explain........everything. I won't pretend to be well educated on the matter of women's rights, and I'll admit that, being a guy, my opinion is going to be a little biased (but then again, whose wouldn't?), but I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that the picture of a barbaric society she drew is not accurate today.
Are women and men completely equal? Physically, no. Mentally, yes, but statistically there may be a weight toward one gender because of external cultural influences.
Mary is correct in the concept that a woman who portrays herself as gentle and beautiful can often coast by in life by taking advantage of those who objectify her as such. But, at least today, I honestly believe that any woman has just as good of a chance of going to college, getting a good job, and having a happy life as a guy, and may even have an advantage if she is the minority in her field.
Yes, there are still some remnant of the situation she describes, albeit with much less intensity. Yes, her stereotypical portrayal of the innocent and sweet woman is often times more attractive to guys than one who might exhibit more tough qualities. But today that's not a universal rule, and I believe that there isn't enough of a sexist barrier stopping a woman from going out and successfully pursuing her dreams.
Nicholas Carr - "Is Google Making Us Stupid?"
In "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Nicholas Carr takes on a nostalgistic role by covering the widespread effects on the wonder that is the Internet, bringing to light many key issues such as decreased attention span, and a greater focus on efficiency.
It's no secret that I, alongside many other teens spend much, if not most of my free time on the internet. It's a great way to both waste time and learn random, entertaining things, when we're not using it to find information for school or work. Reading Carr's essay, it did seem to correspond with what I see as some of my shortcomings, especially the short attention span, and reminded me a lot of several valid points raised by Sir Ken Robinson's ideas on changing paradigms. However, I'm still quite capable of diving into a book and getting wrapped up in the details, and I find that personally my ability to pay attention is mostly dependent on how interesting the current subject matter is in comparison to recent events (If I just finished beating a massive video game, studying for a test would be comparable to watching paint dry), rather than how it's delivered.
Also, one could easily look at people's ability to quickly skim and catalog information as an advancement and growth alongside today's society. The simple fact of the matter is that both Internet browsing-based learning and long book-based learning just simply can't agree to coexist; focusing on one negatively impacts one's ability to effectively use the other. And what with the massive rise of portable computers in schools and work, it won't be long before we're downloading college lesson plans instead of scouring through textbooks. There's no turning back; publishers aren't going to start making things longer and less interesting, it just wouldn't be in their interests. And what with e-readers, it might not be long before books are as ancient a relic as an abacus is to a calculator.
And published books don't seem to be getting any less interesting and/or inspired, so it's not like the use of the internet has suddenly transformed us all into the stereotypical automaton. Carr said it himself: Google is a godsend to writers. Getting your facts organized and straight has never been easier, and now with PC's in most public school, digital word processing has become the golden standard for composition.
Maybe we really are outgrowing the time-tested constraints of our society. Maybe we're just overreacting, like we always do whenever something new and radical shows up and changes anything about our normal tradition and routine. But one thing's certain: no matter what revolutionary technological advancement changes our lives drastically, humanity will find a way to adapt. It's what we do, it's what we're made of, and that's on thing that can't be formulated.
It's no secret that I, alongside many other teens spend much, if not most of my free time on the internet. It's a great way to both waste time and learn random, entertaining things, when we're not using it to find information for school or work. Reading Carr's essay, it did seem to correspond with what I see as some of my shortcomings, especially the short attention span, and reminded me a lot of several valid points raised by Sir Ken Robinson's ideas on changing paradigms. However, I'm still quite capable of diving into a book and getting wrapped up in the details, and I find that personally my ability to pay attention is mostly dependent on how interesting the current subject matter is in comparison to recent events (If I just finished beating a massive video game, studying for a test would be comparable to watching paint dry), rather than how it's delivered.
Also, one could easily look at people's ability to quickly skim and catalog information as an advancement and growth alongside today's society. The simple fact of the matter is that both Internet browsing-based learning and long book-based learning just simply can't agree to coexist; focusing on one negatively impacts one's ability to effectively use the other. And what with the massive rise of portable computers in schools and work, it won't be long before we're downloading college lesson plans instead of scouring through textbooks. There's no turning back; publishers aren't going to start making things longer and less interesting, it just wouldn't be in their interests. And what with e-readers, it might not be long before books are as ancient a relic as an abacus is to a calculator.
And published books don't seem to be getting any less interesting and/or inspired, so it's not like the use of the internet has suddenly transformed us all into the stereotypical automaton. Carr said it himself: Google is a godsend to writers. Getting your facts organized and straight has never been easier, and now with PC's in most public school, digital word processing has become the golden standard for composition.
Maybe we really are outgrowing the time-tested constraints of our society. Maybe we're just overreacting, like we always do whenever something new and radical shows up and changes anything about our normal tradition and routine. But one thing's certain: no matter what revolutionary technological advancement changes our lives drastically, humanity will find a way to adapt. It's what we do, it's what we're made of, and that's on thing that can't be formulated.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Louise Erdrich - "Skunk Dreams"
I've always had mixed feelings about nature. I really do enjoy the outdoors; I love the breathtaking feeling of being in the mountains and peering over vast, immeasurable landscapes, the soft feel of grass seeping between my bare toes, the unmatchable beauty of the daily sun-rise and sun-set.
But I've never been a very big fan of sharing it. I understand the importance of maintaining wild ecosystems, but it's kinda inconvenient that some of the most amazing natural places also happen to house an abundance of pesky and potentially dangerous critters.
Nature plays a big role in "Skunk Dreams," where Louise Erdrich expresses herself as someone reformed by years of urban living, overcome with the desire to escape the bonds of this world, both physical and metaphorical. This, combined with an epiphany reached about life, gained through the unforgettable experience of sleeping in a football field and suddenly having a skunk curl up next to her, fuel her to write this winding essay that covers aspects of her life to explain this desire, while branching off at several points to cover various psychological concepts. Concepts like how a skunk proudly and carelessly wanders through suburban neighborhoods in simple, unafraid search of its next meal, or how dreams may be us traveling into another world entirely, or how our entire lives might be a dream. (in which case, would waking up be the afterlife?)
After moving to New England, where grasslands, streams, and trees surrounded her, even though she greatly enjoyed them, Louise felt the unshakeable urge to tear them down. To reach out and touch the horizon, to see the great vastness that lay beyond, where perhaps she might gain the answer to all her questions about life, the universe, and what lies beyond.
But, accepting the reality that she may never know such a wonder, she found solace in trees and nature. Walking through some local woods, she stumbled upon a fence that changed her entire outlook in life. A fence that gave her a new purpose, a new obsession, a new desire.
Years ago, in a cheap motel that she was staying in while she was traveling around, teaching poetry to delinquents for a living, in what was surely an attempt to keep her thoughts off of the freezing cold night and disproportionately low thickness of sheets, coats, and blankets insulating her from the frigid air, her mind dreamed of a fence. A patchwork quilt of various wires, barbed and chain-linked, beyond it lay miles of trees, and magnificent elk that took one look at her before fleeing into the vast woods.
Now, standing there with an overwhelming sensation of déjà vu, she stared at the same exact scene replaying itself like a rewound VHS tape, like the whole situation was just another dream that she still lives today. With newfound purpose, she truly felt at home, and now spends her free time exploring this nature reserve. While she expresses slight disapproval of how the animals are nearly domesticated in the safe areas while they are hunted in the rest of the 750-acre forest, she still finds comfort in such nearby nature for its supply of such great variations of living creatures, and how her old friend the skunk still just wanders freely like it owns the place, without a care or fear in the world. Louise truly longs to be a skunk, and that's the biggest, most simple point of this essay. The combination of uselessness and repulsing skunk perfume mean that nobody except for other skunks would even dare mess with her, and that's just the way she likes it.
But I've never been a very big fan of sharing it. I understand the importance of maintaining wild ecosystems, but it's kinda inconvenient that some of the most amazing natural places also happen to house an abundance of pesky and potentially dangerous critters.
Nature plays a big role in "Skunk Dreams," where Louise Erdrich expresses herself as someone reformed by years of urban living, overcome with the desire to escape the bonds of this world, both physical and metaphorical. This, combined with an epiphany reached about life, gained through the unforgettable experience of sleeping in a football field and suddenly having a skunk curl up next to her, fuel her to write this winding essay that covers aspects of her life to explain this desire, while branching off at several points to cover various psychological concepts. Concepts like how a skunk proudly and carelessly wanders through suburban neighborhoods in simple, unafraid search of its next meal, or how dreams may be us traveling into another world entirely, or how our entire lives might be a dream. (in which case, would waking up be the afterlife?)
After moving to New England, where grasslands, streams, and trees surrounded her, even though she greatly enjoyed them, Louise felt the unshakeable urge to tear them down. To reach out and touch the horizon, to see the great vastness that lay beyond, where perhaps she might gain the answer to all her questions about life, the universe, and what lies beyond.
But, accepting the reality that she may never know such a wonder, she found solace in trees and nature. Walking through some local woods, she stumbled upon a fence that changed her entire outlook in life. A fence that gave her a new purpose, a new obsession, a new desire.
Years ago, in a cheap motel that she was staying in while she was traveling around, teaching poetry to delinquents for a living, in what was surely an attempt to keep her thoughts off of the freezing cold night and disproportionately low thickness of sheets, coats, and blankets insulating her from the frigid air, her mind dreamed of a fence. A patchwork quilt of various wires, barbed and chain-linked, beyond it lay miles of trees, and magnificent elk that took one look at her before fleeing into the vast woods.
Now, standing there with an overwhelming sensation of déjà vu, she stared at the same exact scene replaying itself like a rewound VHS tape, like the whole situation was just another dream that she still lives today. With newfound purpose, she truly felt at home, and now spends her free time exploring this nature reserve. While she expresses slight disapproval of how the animals are nearly domesticated in the safe areas while they are hunted in the rest of the 750-acre forest, she still finds comfort in such nearby nature for its supply of such great variations of living creatures, and how her old friend the skunk still just wanders freely like it owns the place, without a care or fear in the world. Louise truly longs to be a skunk, and that's the biggest, most simple point of this essay. The combination of uselessness and repulsing skunk perfume mean that nobody except for other skunks would even dare mess with her, and that's just the way she likes it.
Friday, July 22, 2011
John Updike & Susan Sontag - "Talk of the Town"
John Updike and Susan Sontag's articles in "Talk of the Town" (which consists of numerous other articles by other writers on the same subject) cover the 9/11 terrorist attacks and what they have meant to us as American citizens.
John, as someone who was there to witness the destruction, gives a first-hand account of the shock of the situation. Accustomed to just sitting at home, listening to stories of the unstoppable American war machine just like nearly every other American, the sight of seeing the fight brought to our shores is a terrifying and unshakeable feeling, yet still somewhat remote and optimistic, like it's just another episode on that tv show we call the news, like everything's not as it seems, like there's still a way for us to pull through. And as the towers crumple and collapse, the haunting realization hits us that this is reality. But at the end, he emphasizes that while this is an alien concept to us, it's not one we're incapable of facing. Life may be getting more difficult (and dangerous) for us, but we're still a strong and unified group of people, and even if our government fails us, the wrath of an entire civilization is something to behold.
Susan takes a closer look at the politics of the situation. She criticizes our head political figures for trying to coddle us into thinking that this is nothing more than a noble crusade against heartless, cowardly rats instead of recognizing this war for what it is: a war, where we fight those who have a vendetta against everything that the superpower that is America stands for. She goes on to say that if we are to be a true, strong democracy, then we need to truly comprehend what is going on; we need to know exactly what our government is doing, what the consequences of their actions are, and how those consequences affect us.
These were both pretty compelling essays, and I feel like I agree with both of them. Ever since Pearl Harbor sparked our involvement in WWII, we really hadn't had any kind of major, public attack of such a magnitude on our shores. And while I can understand the concept of wanting to keep order, it should never be done at the expense of the people.
John, as someone who was there to witness the destruction, gives a first-hand account of the shock of the situation. Accustomed to just sitting at home, listening to stories of the unstoppable American war machine just like nearly every other American, the sight of seeing the fight brought to our shores is a terrifying and unshakeable feeling, yet still somewhat remote and optimistic, like it's just another episode on that tv show we call the news, like everything's not as it seems, like there's still a way for us to pull through. And as the towers crumple and collapse, the haunting realization hits us that this is reality. But at the end, he emphasizes that while this is an alien concept to us, it's not one we're incapable of facing. Life may be getting more difficult (and dangerous) for us, but we're still a strong and unified group of people, and even if our government fails us, the wrath of an entire civilization is something to behold.
Susan takes a closer look at the politics of the situation. She criticizes our head political figures for trying to coddle us into thinking that this is nothing more than a noble crusade against heartless, cowardly rats instead of recognizing this war for what it is: a war, where we fight those who have a vendetta against everything that the superpower that is America stands for. She goes on to say that if we are to be a true, strong democracy, then we need to truly comprehend what is going on; we need to know exactly what our government is doing, what the consequences of their actions are, and how those consequences affect us.
These were both pretty compelling essays, and I feel like I agree with both of them. Ever since Pearl Harbor sparked our involvement in WWII, we really hadn't had any kind of major, public attack of such a magnitude on our shores. And while I can understand the concept of wanting to keep order, it should never be done at the expense of the people.
Friday, July 1, 2011
About Me
Hi, I'm Shea Prewett and I will be a senior this year in McFarland High School.
I moved here from Topeka, Kansas in the summer before 6th grade. I used to hate writing as a kid, but the migration to computers for writing essays made things easier. Combine this with liberal amounts of time spent on message boards where things like proper sentence structure and grammar can make a world of a difference on how valid your opinion. This seems have made me into someone who can actually enjoy taking my thoughts and putting them into writing (if you can call it that) in a valid and comprehensible form. (and also a little bit of a Grammar Nazi) I still have a disposition against handwriting, however, and when I'm writing about something I don't care for I tend to lose interest and not exactly put out my best work, but overall English classes have been some of the most fun for me in High School.
For sports, I'm currently in Cross Country and Tennis. I'm far from the best at either, but Cross Country keeps me in great shape and Tennis is loads of fun.
When I'm not in school or sports, I spend a good chunk of my time, (read: most of it) playing video games and exploring the internet for anything that piques my interest, be it entertaining or enlightening. I believe that at the end of the day, everybody tends to gravitate towards what they enjoy the most, and what people enjoy the most is usually something they're good at (not sure whether people enjoy it because they're good, or whether they're good because the endorphins drive them to become more experienced at it, though), and for me, I'm probably better at manipulating a controller than just about anything else.
While I've never taken the time to make a blog before, I'm looking forward to the experience of writing and seeing how people react. So, here we go!
I moved here from Topeka, Kansas in the summer before 6th grade. I used to hate writing as a kid, but the migration to computers for writing essays made things easier. Combine this with liberal amounts of time spent on message boards where things like proper sentence structure and grammar can make a world of a difference on how valid your opinion. This seems have made me into someone who can actually enjoy taking my thoughts and putting them into writing (if you can call it that) in a valid and comprehensible form. (and also a little bit of a Grammar Nazi) I still have a disposition against handwriting, however, and when I'm writing about something I don't care for I tend to lose interest and not exactly put out my best work, but overall English classes have been some of the most fun for me in High School.
For sports, I'm currently in Cross Country and Tennis. I'm far from the best at either, but Cross Country keeps me in great shape and Tennis is loads of fun.
When I'm not in school or sports, I spend a good chunk of my time, (read: most of it) playing video games and exploring the internet for anything that piques my interest, be it entertaining or enlightening. I believe that at the end of the day, everybody tends to gravitate towards what they enjoy the most, and what people enjoy the most is usually something they're good at (not sure whether people enjoy it because they're good, or whether they're good because the endorphins drive them to become more experienced at it, though), and for me, I'm probably better at manipulating a controller than just about anything else.
While I've never taken the time to make a blog before, I'm looking forward to the experience of writing and seeing how people react. So, here we go!
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