Mark Twain

"The two most important days of your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why."

This is one of the most inspirational quotes that I have seen in quite a long time. For a reason I cannot explain, I am incredibly moved by this quote. To me, it really puts my life into perspective. It also reminds me that everything happens for a reason. I think it is really cool how Twain was very specific about this quote. I definitely agree with him, because if it were not for the day I was born I would not be here, and I agree that the idea of finding one's purpose in life is the other most important thing. I really hope that I come across the reason "why" sometime in my life, because it will be an incredibly fulfilling day.

LAST BLOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would say I tried pretty hard on some blogs, and not so hard on other ones. My favorite topic to blog about was the "Team Edgar or Team Nathaniel" blog. I really did not like doing the civil rights blogs. Some of the blogs, I didn't really know what to say so I just put the minimum effort into them but on others I tried really hard  on. I can't really say I learned a lot from the blogs, but I did learn good technological skills and I also learned how to expand on an idea that I really do not feel much emotional connection to. My favorite three stories that we read this year were "The Pit and the Pendulum", "Owl Creek Bridge", and "The Life You Save May Be Your Own."

Advice For New Teacher

There are many things that Miss Wolff should know. First of all, she should know that teaching English will be a challenge. Some things probably won't go right, and if she goes into the class with that mindset she will probably feel better about it. She should also know that not every student is going to get excited about everything that she teaches. In fact, they will probably be not excited at all about most of the topics. Another thing that she should know is that Lutheran may not be what it first seems to be. Even though it appears to be sheltered from the outside, it is not when you actually get to know what goes on there.

What's Good About Fringe

My personal favorite television show is Fringe. I honestly can say without Fringe my life would be incredibly different than it is now. I look forward to watching the show every single week that it airs, and every time the show has something that makes me think deeply. First, the show has a continuous plot, but it is not like a movie. Each episode has its own subplot, while the real story has only bits and pieces that connect from episode to episode. There are also motifs and themes that dominate the plot, such as how science changes our world, fate vs. freewill, and love vs. logic. It is a really good show and I would suggest it to anyone to see.

Civil Rights Story

http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/articles/349/clyde-kennard-a-little-known-civil-rights-pioneer

This is the story of a man named Clyde Kennard who wanted to attend Mississippi Southern College. He was denied admittance twice, and there was even a fabricated lawsuit made against him. He was then sentenced to prison. I think this can relate closely to the essay that Dr. King wrote while he was in prison in Alabama. They were both put into prison for trying to fight for equal rights, and in both cases there were ways that people found minor technicalities in what they were doing and put them into prison for it.

Harlem

Harlem must have been very important to Sadie and Bessie, because it was the largest part in their book. It was probably one of, if not the main, highlight of their lives since it had such a large portion of the novel. From the websites, and what I have learned in class, I have inferred that Harlem had a lot of great art. I also discovered that some sports were involved in the Harlem Renaissance, including the New York Black Yankees and boxer Joe Johnson. I also think that the story of Madame C. J. Walker was interesting. Sadie and Bessie probably related to her closely because like her, she was driven to accomplish her goals even with the color barrier at the time.

Having Your Say

I really think that movie prices are too expensive. Whenever I go see a movie in theaters, I think "Wow, is this really worth all the money I am paying to see it?" The majority of the time I think yes, because I only go to a movie if I really want to see it. But since the prices are so expensive, I can never go to a movie just for the joy of seeing a movie. I would never pay ten or more dollars to see some average movie. Also, I think that the food and beverage prices are way to high. For example, a small popcorn is probably about 5 dollars. I could go to the grocery store and buy a 12 pack of popcorn for that price. I think that it is ridiculous.

Expressions in Art

http://www.juneteenth.com/final.htm

This piece of art shows a bird flying in front of a beautiful landscape with a setting sun. The explination states that the picture is the final piece of art in the series, and is more of a reflection about how he feels rather than a middle passage event. He stated

"As the blues, jazz, and the spirituals teach, one must embrace all life, both its pain and joy, creatively."

I feel like the sisters share this attitude. The sisters are very proud of their heritage, and very proud of who they are. I think this also applies to Having Our Say in the sense that the book is a reflection of the sisters' lives, and an overview of the journey that they had.

Connections From Whitman

I think that this poem is a about the sociological idea that we develop our personality based on our surroundings and our nurture. Whitman reinforces this idea by stating a multitude of things that the child encounters and how they influence the child's life. I think that Whitman is saying that the things that happen in our childhood shape who we are and remain with us for the left of our life. I think this applies to my life because I am like my parents in many ways. I share in my parent's values, and even some of their intrest. It seems like things I was raised on, such as being a Christian, have a lasting effect on me that I will probably keep for the rest of my life.

Emily Dickinson's Garden of Poetry

WITH A FLOWER.

I hide myself within my flower,
That wearing on your breast,
You, unsuspecting, wear me too --
And angels know the rest.

I hide myself within my flower,
That, fading from your vase,
You, unsuspecting, feel for me
Almost a loneliness.

---

http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/edickinson/bl-ed-2-7-flower.htm

I think this is a very interessing poem. I think it is very open to interpretation. To me, I think that Emily's poetry is the flower, and she describes how she hides who she really is deep inside her. I think she goes on later to explain that she influences the lives of the people around her through her writings (You unsuspecting wear me too). She goes on to explain how others can empathise with her and feel what she feels through her writing (you, unsuspecting, feel for me).

Emily Dickinson Poetry

WITH A FLOWER.

I hide myself within my flower,
That wearing on your breast,
You, unsuspecting, wear me too --
And angels know the rest.

I hide myself within my flower,
That, fading from your vase,
You, unsuspecting, feel for me
Almost a loneliness.

---

http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/edickinson/bl-ed-2-7-flower.htm

I think this poem has to do with Emily's inner personality. I think the flower she is speaking of is her physical body, and she hides her true self inside her "flower", or physical body.

Affirmations of Life

There is a lot of good that is happening today. First, our chapel band sounded very good today in chapel. Also, I do not have very much homework at all tonight. In addition, I am very content with the weather. It is not to cold, but it is not too hot for this time of the year. Things are also going very smoothly at school, and I recieved free ice cream today at lunch. One thing that is going not so good is my ACT studies. I am not very good at the reading section, and science is also not very good for me. I really need to improve.

The Truth About Nature

I would say the best connection I have ever had with nature is when I was at Custer State Park in South Dakota. At that park, I saw many things in nature that I have never seen before. The most notable thing that I saw were buffalo. I got so close to some buffalo that I could have touched them if I wanted too. I also saw very many cool rock formations. It was the most beautiful scene in nature that I have ever seen. I experienced the connection that I was in a God's creation and it was just so perfect.

Team Edgar!

Edgar Allen Poe is a much better author in my opinion. I found much more interest in his stories compared to the stories of Hawthorne. I also think he is a more talented writer than Hawthorne is. Poe really knows how to build suspense, while Hawthorne is much more focused on the deeper meaning of a story. In my opinion, the style of writing that Poe uses is simply much more interesting to read then Hawthorne. Even though at the end of the day Hawthorne's stories have more meaning, I would definitely prefer to sit down and read a piece of work from Poe compared to a piece of work from Hawthorne.