AHHHHHHH i don't know why i always forget to post before 4:00, even though i've done this every weekend! this could very possibly be my last blog post, this is pretty bittersweet.
maybe i will write again, maybe....
anyway, here is my rough draft for the index poem from the wonderful class of AP lang and comp:
A
argument. everything.
anger. a very familiar feeling from this class, especially when getting big assignments handed back.
accomplishment. a rare feeling, but one of the highlights of the class.
attitude. (see Max)
B
bitzer. no definition needed...
brainy. used to describe every single person in the class.
C
Cardona. a god in some people's eyes, also the teacher of all knowledge.
D
debates. heated discussions between Abram and the rest of the class, or Max vs. Cardona.
E
exercise. happened during power writing and free writing, our hands became exhausted.
F
facebook group. this exclusive group probably got 1,000,000 hits throughout the term.
G
good morning. first thing everyone hears when entering the class.
H
humor. the lack of humor by some, and the overdose of others made the class actually funny.
I
innocence. (note - only present at the beginning of the semester)
J
January. the month most of us look forward to the most.
K
kissing conversations. only happened in our exclusive corner, but many convos went down.. all centered around kissing....
L
laughing. either out of awkwardness or humility.
language. the variation of delicate words and obscenities
M
males. or the lack of....
N
nerves. usually brought on by Andrew Harrison, hands down one of the cutest guys, ever.
O
once upon a time. once upon a time our writing was juvenile and just bad. then we took this class.
P
pen pals. what i hope to be with some of these people when they head of to college. keep in touch!
Q
quotes: memorable sayings spewed out the mouths of classmates.
R
RHETORIC.
S
stumbleupon. what was up on most of our computers when we had in-class "research days"
smiles. everyone had to smile at least once a class period.
T
twitter drama. Max got a twitter account! he bashed everyone.
U
unimpressed. Cardona's general feeling when reading our papers.
V
vogue. tearing through this magazine for a mere five seconds to find an ad that exploited women.
W
why? why did i take this class? why did i fail this assignment? why does rhetoric even matter? HOW did my writing get so good? why does this class have to end?
X
Xtreme free writes. vent seshes galore.
Y
yale. Abram's college of choice? Maybe Jenny Lai's? realtalk.
Z
zoo. animals marching down the halls in a line whenever we had to go to a lab for the day.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
outliers.
the author's overall argument was that various things contribute to how successful a person is. in arguing this, he highlights the time of year someone is born, and how long the spend practicing the thing they want to be successful at. this book matters because in a way, it can teach someone how to be successful. granted, no one can really control their culture or where they come from, but they can find what they should be more successful at based on this unchangeable things. this book can create many experiments to take place on top of the large amount of evidence he included to prove this argument.
gladwell writes confidently. this makes the reader trust everything he has to say. on top of this, he uses logos quite often to qualify his thesis. the gives certain statistics and specific stories to back his claims. he writes very professionally, almost like he is a professor. however, he keeps it interesting by adding more personal stories that would interest the reader. the claims themselves almost seem to engage the reader, too.
i have decided that i will have the dream child. in order to do this, he will be a boy born in January so he can be great at hockey, and he will spend time in China tending to rice paddies to learn the dedication and attention to detail he needs to be successful in school. i will enroll him in a good schooling system and make him continue to keep his brain alive over summer break by sending him to expensive camps to ensure the perfect child. oh, and i will have him play hockey for 10,000 hours so he can become a professional and really be successful.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
4) absence makes the heart grow fonder...
absence makes the heart grow fonder. the longer the wait, the more you want to see that person. everyone wants what they can't have. everyone.
you know the old saying that says if you let something you love go, and if it comes back, you know it was meant to be? that absence can prove the foundation of your love. absence may give your heart time to wander and explore other options, and if it does, then so be it.
if what's meant to be finds a way, which, let's face it... always happens, then the heart will chose what it needs and wants in the end. through absence, we realize just what we want, and realize exactly what we need.
absence may make the heart grow lonely, but in the end it's worth it. the short loneliness is worth the lifelong happiness almost guaranteed from the heart finding exactly what makes it happy.
you know the old saying that says if you let something you love go, and if it comes back, you know it was meant to be? that absence can prove the foundation of your love. absence may give your heart time to wander and explore other options, and if it does, then so be it.
if what's meant to be finds a way, which, let's face it... always happens, then the heart will chose what it needs and wants in the end. through absence, we realize just what we want, and realize exactly what we need.
absence may make the heart grow lonely, but in the end it's worth it. the short loneliness is worth the lifelong happiness almost guaranteed from the heart finding exactly what makes it happy.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
works cited
http://sheedathelostchild.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/who-i-am.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjL0UKYpiG9Ra4W9gEurcm3ZxZ8acpjqN3pqGn_H_zs2Uy7KyU_1Lw3AAb1Tbqke4vvxFT6luqvZVROvocO0A-83xFvwfu0FpJH1hL0BDX1TJJ-sICtNfvecQnspvildRCzMo_fkuD72CL/s1600/i_am.jpg
http://lifedocument.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/17-who-am-i.jpg
http://www.iranian.com/main/files/blogimages/who_are_you_113013602.gif
http://kimsthoughts.typepad.com/.a/6a011168609f44970c015435e033d6970c-800wi
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjL0UKYpiG9Ra4W9gEurcm3ZxZ8acpjqN3pqGn_H_zs2Uy7KyU_1Lw3AAb1Tbqke4vvxFT6luqvZVROvocO0A-83xFvwfu0FpJH1hL0BDX1TJJ-sICtNfvecQnspvildRCzMo_fkuD72CL/s1600/i_am.jpg
http://lifedocument.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/17-who-am-i.jpg
http://www.iranian.com/main/files/blogimages/who_are_you_113013602.gif
http://kimsthoughts.typepad.com/.a/6a011168609f44970c015435e033d6970c-800wi
process analysis
Claim: People can’t determine who a person is based on their appearance.
Grounds: Despite the reputations and stereotypes of the people I have provided, they have disproved every one of them. People are not what they seem to be based on their looks.
Warrant: The data I have provided only highlights four cases, but it highlights a wide variety of stereotypes dished out. This strengthens the claim that not all stereotypes about certain people are true.
Picture of John Paul DeJoria:
This is a picture of DeJoria holding a homeless sign. He looks scruffy and dirty with the facial hair and is sporting a shirt advertising tequila. Most would view this as white trash, and most would assume this person is a low life because of the homeless sign. DeJoria used to be homeless before he became successful, but the audience will not judge him by his success because all they can see is the picture of the homeless version. People associate homeless men with people who cannot provide for themselves and do not have what it takes to maintain a job. They see the dirt and grime and that clouds over who the person really is. This picture adds to the theme because it will prove what the audience is already assuming in their minds. It provides a transition to the stereotypes that is revealed in the following pictures.
John Paul Dejoria’s stereotypes.
Picture of a homeless man:
This is a picture of a guy on the street, similar cardboard homeless sign in hand. It shows the sign covering his face, making the man seem even more hopeless, like he is ashamed to show his face in public. In the background you see a street with “normal” people walking. The contrast of these civilized people with regular clothes on makes the homeless man seem even more alienated, even grimier. No one is talking to the man or even walking near him. This picture is a prime example of how people view homeless people while demonstrating how they treat them.
Lack of motivation award:
This is a picture of an award made out to John Paul DeJoria for least likely to succeed. People associate lack of success with homeless people, this picture reinforces what people think of when they see someone homeless. The award mentions a high school teacher gave the award. This helps to prove that when people see someone homeless on the streets, they do not see any potential, from the past or from the future. People would never guess that a homeless man became homeless despite strong work ethic.
John Paul DeJoria looking successful:
I chose this picture because DeJoria all the sudden looks sleek and trendy with the classy black shirt and tamed facial hair. The picture reveals the familiar logo of the hair product line known as Paul Mitchell. This picture also reveals that he is a co-founder of this worldwide salon empire. The signature creates a sense of value on the picture. The signature makes the advertisement credible, which also enhances the credibility of DeJoria’s appearance. This picture is to reveal who DeJoria really is.
Money:
This is a picture of fifty and hundred dollar bills stacked upon each other. They are scattered to make it seem like there are a lot. If the bills were stacked it would not seem like there were so many bills. We do not see any one-dollar bills because they are less valuable than the bills being displayed. This picture is to demonstrate just how much DeJoria is worth. The numbers along the bottom blend and harmonize with the picture, but are still quite visible. Showing 4 billion in number form makes the number seem larger because of the repetition of all the zeroes following one another. This picture is to show what DeJoria is really worth.
Picture of Jodie Foster:
The picture I chose to depict Jodie Foster relates to the dumb blonde stereotype. She has blonde hair in the picture and is doing a pose that most view as silly and childish. She also has a look on her face that some would say makes her look dumb. I chose this picture because surfaces the stereotype of a dumb blonde-haired person. It will trigger the thoughts associated with the next couple of pictures. Even though she is wearing a formal dress, it is not one that makes it her look sophisticated or intelligent. Her attire adds to the stereotype many would see when they see Jodie Foster in this photo.
Caution Sign:
This caution sign definitely grabs attention. It is identical to one someone would see driving down the road, except for the words of course. I added this picture because it makes blonde thinking seem like a real problem any given person should be warned about. Everyone knows that dumbs are supposed to be blonde. This sign exploits that, and warns the public to be cautious of the stupidity. I chose this picture because it reinstates the stereotype of dumb blonde thinking and goes along with the stereotypes associated with the picture shown before.
Academy Logo:
This is an acting school. When people see Jodie Foster, they think of one thing: acting. They do not bother to think about her possible education and credentials. Most would think she went to a school like this, where acting is what she majored in to make money in the film industry. There is no credibility in this schools logo, like a crest or emblem would show. The stereotype of this school by seeing the logo is a lack of rigor, some place a “dumb blonde” may attend.
Valedictorian plaque:
This plaque shows that Jodie Foster was in actuality the smartest person in her graduating class. She received this award of excellence because of her outstanding grades. This plaque shows her name to verify it was rightfully given to Foster; the gold makes it seem more valuable. The emblem above the words of a graduation cap and diploma show that she was the valedictorian of a school and education related student body. I chose this because she was the valedictorian of her class and it disproves the stereotype that she is a dumb blonde. It proves that not all stereotypes are accurate.
Yale crest:
This image is to show the audience that Foster went to Yale and graduated from this rigorous Ivy League school. Yale is known for the consistency and excellence in intelligence, and this crest is recognized nationwide. The magna cum laude at the bottom reveals the honors she graduated, something only the most esteemed students get the honor of having. This once again proves that Foster is not dumb and the stereotype people associate with her because of her hair color is false.
Blondes are not dumb:
This supports the claim that not all blondes are dumb. Foster is holding up a little note that says “not all blondes are dumb!” This re-instates the fact proven earlier, that stereotypes can be wrong. Here we get a more personal feel for Foster, her big smile makes her seem likable. Her hair is done in a more sophisticated way and she is wearing much classier clothing. Her appearance in this picture makes her look a lot smarter than the appearance of her in the first picture, which shows that someone cannot judge a book solely by the cover.
Picture of Alton Logan:
I chose a picture of Logan with his jail suit on. The gap in his teeth makes him look like what people may call a redneck, or a classless citizen with a lack of morals. His glasses are outdated and gives the illusion that he doesn’t have the money to pay for new ones to keep up with the times. The 60 Minutes logo in the bottom immediately makes the viewer think he is being interviewed for something. His race also plays a part in the stereotype. Many African-americans are associated with crime. This sets up the stereotypes displayed in the following images.
Guilty plastered across original photo:
This is the verdict this man received. Since the audience probably isn’t familiar with this man, this image is to show them what people thought he was, guilty. The font in the same as the red stamp commonly seen on the paperwork of a guilty verdict and the same color. It is plastered across his whole face because that’s what people saw when they looked at him, guilty. And that’s all they saw. This exposes his stereotype, that he was a guilty man.
Crime scene:
This image is to show the crime Logan was accused of committing. The tape around the body is a common universal sign that a murder took place. The caution tape confirms this, saying it is a crime scene. The picture is dark, like the scene of a murder would be. It fits the mood. This picture goes along with what people commonly saw when they thought of Logan. They saw the crime scene, the gruesomeness of the crime he was accused of.
Hand Cuffs:
This proves once again that Logan was found guilty and arrested. The hands in the cuffs belong to an African-American, restating the stereotype associated with this race. Locked handcuffs also correlate with the verdict of Logan’s case: guilty. The chains around the stomach could suggest he is a ravage human and needs to be held down with some support. When people see a guilty verdict, they assume the person is incapable of decency and should suffer for the crime they committed. But what about when the person is actually guilty? This leads us to the next couple of pictures, where his stereotype is disproven.
Newspaper article:
The audience’s eyes automatically go to a more visual appealing picture of Logan, then move to the headline on the left. It says, “LET HIM GO.” The bolded capital letters scream urgency and a need for this man to be let out of prison. Below, one can read more and be enlightened about the reality of the case. The Sun Times is also a very credible newspaper in Chicago. This man was sent to prison, received a guilty verdict, for a crime he did not commit. This image disproves the stereotype people associated with him for so many years. It proves that not all stereotypes are true.
Logan exiting jail:
This is the picture taken of Logan as he was freed from jail. He was also freed from all false stereotypes being cast upon him. A new, true, label was put on him. He was considered not guilty. This picture once again proves that the stereotypes people associated him with were not true.
Picture of Bill Richardson:
The audience’s eye goes straight to the cigar in between this man’s lips. This is greatly frowned upon in America and triggers an immediate sense of disgust in the audience. This guy also looks shady because of the lack of eye contact in the picture. He is not physically fit, something also frowned upon in America. His race is also less desirable, many Americans feeling like Hispanics are all free-loading immigrants doing blue collar work. This picture depicts every stereotype that could be associated with this man.
Man crossing the border:
This exposes the stereotype that all Hispanics came here illegally by crossing the border. This picture correlates with Richardson, a Hispanic himself. The man crossing the large barrier is also Hispanic.
No English:
This picture shows another stereotype associated with Hispanics. Many think they can only speak Spanish, not English. The big red sign over the top demonstrates how Americans think Hispanics aren’t willing to learn English. This is another stereotype that could be associated with Bill Richardson.
Taco Bell employees:
This picture is the proof of the butt of a joke that all Mexicans work at taco bell. There are two Hispanics in the photo, strengthening that claim. Since the audience can see that Richardson is Hispanic, they may associate this stereotype with him. Many assume these people don’t work at professional jobs, earning minimum wage or working night shifts at places most Americans wouldn’t be willing to work at. This photo was chosen to expose another stereotype derived from seeing the picture of Richardson.
Richardson with Obama:
This picture enlightens the audience with immense credibility. He is standing chummy next to Barack Obama, the President of the U.S. This proves that he is high up in either the business or political world. The American flag on his jacket matches the one on Obama’s and shows the pride he has for his country. The fact that he is a political figure proves that despite he is Hispanic, he is a U.S. citizen.
Two books:
Richardson had two book published. This shows that he is not lacking in the English department. This also makes him seem more educated, disproving the stereotypes commonly associated with Hispanics. One of the titles is “Leading By Example.” This again proves Richardson is a credible source and someone people could look up to. The other book has captioned on it, “The Making of an American Life.” This again proves his citizenship and loyalty to the U.S., something most Americans don’t associate with Hispanics.
Department of State crest:
This shows where Richardson works. He was an ambassador for the United Nations and is very high up in the government. This disproves that Hispanics aren’t loyal to their countries and only work blue collar jobs. This also shows that you can not judge a book by just the cover, there is so much more behind a person than just the stereotypes they are labeled with.
Each of this images correlates with a certain stereotype of a person. First introduced is the person. Then, common stereotypes for them are revealed. Next comes who the person actually is, which refutes those stereotypes. I do this for four very different people and stereotypes to prove the point that you can’t tell what a person is like based upon their appearance.
The song I chose highlights the feeling of being stereotyped. It is the pathos of my presentation. I included it because the lyrics describe someone being lost, and just needing someone to understand who they really are. They want someone to understand them for who they are, not what their stereotype is.
The transition slides (the am i? and who are you?) are to keep the storyline moving. It is to have the audience ask, who is this person? Is this how i viewed them? Who are they really?
Monday, January 2, 2012
dear standards.
dear standards,
i don't like you. i hate you. you make me get up early every morning despite my exhaustion and squeeze every ounce of energy i have out to make myself look presentable in public.
wouldn't life be easier if girls didn't wear any make up? at all? if we didn't have to worry about you? we would be judged by our natural beauty, not the amount of time we put into getting ready. people can tell me you don't have to wear make up, and they're right. i don't have to. but you make me.
you taught me that in order for someone to find me attractive, i better do anything in my power to make myself up to look pretty. it's time consuming, but most would say it's worth it. it's worth it to feel pretty, according to you. according to you i look like a dead and tired girl and need to buy a good 80 dollars worth of assorted powders and liquids to plaster to my face, covering any imperfection. you force me to curl my eyelashes and impale my eye with mascara wands, you force me to get my eyebrows butchered. you force me to fry every last living cell of my hair and you force me to follow your unfairness. i hate you.
it's sad most girls can't feel pretty without a ton of make up on. guys aren't used to seeing it. i haven't met one guy who has said they preferred to look at a girl without make up on versus wearing make up. i may have some shallow friends, but we can't lie, this is so common. this is your fault, too. it's all your fault.
girls should feel empowered when they show up somewhere with a clean face instead of feeling ugly.
make up doesn't make a girl beautiful. thanks for teaching us these "life lessons".... thanks a lot.
i hate you,
sarah
p.s. i hate you
i don't like you. i hate you. you make me get up early every morning despite my exhaustion and squeeze every ounce of energy i have out to make myself look presentable in public.
wouldn't life be easier if girls didn't wear any make up? at all? if we didn't have to worry about you? we would be judged by our natural beauty, not the amount of time we put into getting ready. people can tell me you don't have to wear make up, and they're right. i don't have to. but you make me.
you taught me that in order for someone to find me attractive, i better do anything in my power to make myself up to look pretty. it's time consuming, but most would say it's worth it. it's worth it to feel pretty, according to you. according to you i look like a dead and tired girl and need to buy a good 80 dollars worth of assorted powders and liquids to plaster to my face, covering any imperfection. you force me to curl my eyelashes and impale my eye with mascara wands, you force me to get my eyebrows butchered. you force me to fry every last living cell of my hair and you force me to follow your unfairness. i hate you.
it's sad most girls can't feel pretty without a ton of make up on. guys aren't used to seeing it. i haven't met one guy who has said they preferred to look at a girl without make up on versus wearing make up. i may have some shallow friends, but we can't lie, this is so common. this is your fault, too. it's all your fault.
girls should feel empowered when they show up somewhere with a clean face instead of feeling ugly.
make up doesn't make a girl beautiful. thanks for teaching us these "life lessons".... thanks a lot.
i hate you,
sarah
p.s. i hate you
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