Personal Security

I was on Youtube.com and I randomly decided to look up "online security" and I got these really short clips of things that can happen when online sharing goes wrong. I was intrigued and decided to share with everyone else. It is not meant to freak people out but we really need to think about the things we post online before we do.

It made me ask myself questions like: Who are we putting at risk other than ourselves? Who is reading our information? Do we really want everyone to access our information?







10 Tips To Be Safer Online:

Literary Term: Purpose

Purpose:

• Purpose is the different reasons why authors write something. For example, they write to: inform, persuade, entertain, or explain something.
• An author's purpose is the reason an author decides to write about a specific topic.

Literary Term: Archetype

Archetype:

•  An original model or type after which other similar things are patterned; a prototype

Example:

1. "'Frankenstein' . . . 'Dracula' . . . 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' . . . the archetypes that have influenced all subsequent horror stories" (New York Times).

Links have great examples and explanations of archetypes: 

http://teachers.vestavia.k12.al.us/townsendjn/VHHS/Eng_11_CP_files/archetypeschart.pdf

http://rgsmedicalinsight.homestead.com/archetypes1.html

Video:

Literary Term: Apostrophe

Apostrophe:

• A figure of speech in which some absent or nonexistent person or thing is addressed as if present and capable of understanding.
•  the addressing of a usually absent person or a usually personified thing rhetorically 

Examples:

1. “O Liberty, what things are done in thy name!”
2. "Oh! Stars and clouds and winds, ye are all about to mock me; if ye really pity me, crush sensation and memory; let me become as nought; but if not, depart, depart, and leave me in darkness."
(Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, 1818)
3. "Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art"
(John Keats)

Video:

-Example of song with apostrophe (the star)

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are.

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky."

Literary Term: Subordination

Subordination:

• Words, phrases, and clauses that make one element of a sentence dependent on (or subordinate to) another.

Part of Subordinate Clause:

• A group of words that has both a subject and a verb but (unlike an independent clause) cannot stand alone as a sentence. Also known as a dependent clause.

Clause Subordinators: after, although, as, because, before, even though, if, once, since, though, unless, until, when

Examples:

1.The dog barked incessantly at night.
Because the dog barked incessantly at night,
Because the dog barked incessantly at night, the neighbors finally lodged a complaint with the town board.
2.Constance sighed.
When Constance sighed,
When Constance sighed, the other people in the room turned to see who had done it.Video on Subordination

Literary Term: Style

Style:

• The way you write, as opposed to what you write about (though the two things are linked). It results from things like word choice, tone, and syntax. It's the voice readers "hear" when they read your work.
• the mode of expressing thought in writing or speaking by selecting and arranging words, considered with respect to clearness, effectiveness, euphony, or the like, that ischaracteristic of a group, period, person, personality, etc.

Quotes on Style:

1. "The most durable thing in writing is style, and style is the most valuable investment a writer can make with his time. It pays off slowly, your agent will sneer at it, your publisher will misunderstand it, and it will take people you have never heard of to convince them by slow degrees that the writer who puts his individual mark on the way he writes will always pay off."     -Raymond Chandler
2. "The style of an author should be the image of his mind, but the choice and command of language is the fruit of exercise."                                                   -Edward Gibbon
3. "Proper words in proper places, make the true definition of style."       -Jonathan Swift

Video:

Literary Term: Setting

Setting:

•  the surroundings or environment of anything 
• the locale or period in which the action of a novel, play, film, etc. takes place

Ex. The garden was a perfect setting for the house.

Ex. The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck takes place during the 1930's in the South of Soledad, California.

Video:

Video explains why a setting is so important to films and novels and how much the settings can tell us about the characters.

Picture Examples of Settings:

Setting-Dark Alley

 Setting- Rome/Italy?

Self-Research

I did a search on Google for myself and I discovered that I am not internet known.The name I looked up was Maria Alvarado because it's the one I use the most online but nothing on me came up.

Social networking sites were the first to show up as results on Google but that yet that didn't take me to anything on me. 

Personal Reaction: I felt like I am not as known online and it was a good and bad feeling all at once. I knew that I should be known for doing good things. For example, this blog full of academic material others can use. But I felt like my name/identity is safe because no one knows who I am online and people won't find information on me online either.

 

Thinking Outside The Box

Topic: Compare how Plato and Sartre describe the limitations of our thinking and imply solutions to the problem. Be sure to analyze their literary techniques, especially their use of allegory and extended metaphor.

Plato and Sartre both used extended metaphors to explain the way human's thoughts process and the way we see things. The "Allegory of the Cave" describes the difference belief and reality and "No Exit" describes the same thing but in different words. It explains the difference between reality and the state of mind.

In "Allegory of the Cave" Plato uses extended metaphor to show how humans see only shadows or reflections of what is real. Humans think they see a circle when it is drawn on a white board but there is no such thing as a perfect circle to us in what we perceive as real life, it is only a reflection of a real/perfect circle. Plato explains the difference between belief and reality with the cave man who sees figures in the cave wall and thinks that is only form of them there are but in reality it's shadows he is seeing made by people outside of the cave.

In "No Exit" by Sartre the extended metaphor demonstrates how we can create a place such as hell within our minds. Garcin, Inez and Estelle are all in hell but by the way the place is described it doesn't sound like the hell humans imagine today. Humans create their own individual hell whether it's in tangible form or just a mind set we create. Garcin didn't want to be alone with himself because he felt that would create a hell itself. He would eventually get tired of being alone and only listening to his thoughts. 

"No Exit" also showed us how seeing how one is through others can also create a "hell". Inez, Estelle and Garcin were all in hell for a reason, they betrayed loved ones and did things in life they are now realizing through each other were wrong and hurtful. In other words, it's like seeing reflections of themselves in each other. That is were both articles come together.

"Allegory of the Cave" and "No Exit" both show the incapability of the human mind to tell between what is real and was just belief or a reflection of reality. To fix this problem the article by Plato suggests that we try to be more knowledgeable about what is around us and to realize that we all need to be more educated academically and about life itself. "No Exit" does not really offer a solution to the problem but suggests to see through others eyes and also be able to recognize when we make mistakes so that we don't repeatedly make those same mistakes again.

Lit. Analysis #3

1. Plot:
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is about two best friends, that are travelling and trying to work at a place where they will be able to raise enough money for their dream farm. George and Lennie are complete opposite; George is short and strong-minded and Lennie is big and tall with a mental disability. They both make plenty of friends along their adventure and hopes of getting enough money, including Slim and Candy. Since Lennie is so huge, he often ends up destroying the most precious things to him and getting himself and George into much trouble. Due to all of the trouble Lennie causes they both always flee from towns. After fleeing their last town because Lennie felt a ladies hair and became too rough they go ut into the woods to hide and eventually end up at their next job. They arrive to a farm and immediately begin working there. After working at the farm for a while, Lennie is left alone with a flirtatious woman (which is the boss' son's wife) and accidentally chokes her to death. Lennie who doesn't know what to do but hide, flees to their "meet up place" out int he woods and waits for George there. When George arrives he tells Lennie their dream farm story and then shoots him in the back of the head. George kills him before the boss's son finds them and tortures Lennie to death. All George wanted was to prevent his companion from a painful and slow death and overall just end his suffering due to his mental illness.

 

2.Themes:

-The first theme of Of Mice and Men is friendship. George and Lennie are considered life companions and they try to always do things that in the end will benefit the both of them. When George kills Lennie he kills him to prevent worse pains to be inflicted on him. Their friendship demonstrated that not all friendships are rainbows and smiles, sometimes as a friend one has to make sacrifices and cause pain to them.

-The second theme of Of Mice and Men is the unattainable American Dream. George and Lennie always had a dream of having their own land to build on it and one day have a farm to call their own. On that farm they'd raise animals, make their own butter and be their own bosses. This dream comes to an end when Lennie doesn't control his strength and kills the boss's son's wife and once again they're on the run. Another example would be Curly's wife's dream of becoming an actress but instead she ended up in an unhappy marriage stopping her from fulfilling her dream.




3. Tone:

The tone for the novel was hope, sadness and loneliness. Hope because majority of the characters had a dream they wanted to make a reality or they never had the chance to do it. An example would be George and Lennie's dream farm. The tone also showed a sense of sadness because both men knew they were so far of attaining their farm and George also felt sad that Lennie had a mental illness and couldn't help him much other than watch over him like he had promised Lennie's aunt he would. Loneliness is a tone seen from the start of the novel to the very last page. Lennie and George are alone to roam the world and at the end when George kills Lennie he is left completely alone to roam and continue his life. Other characters that suffer from loneliness are Curly's wife because she says she has no one to talk to, Crooks who lived alone in the horse stable because he was black and Candy was left alone in deep melancholy when his dog died.

Ex." A shot sounded in the distance. The men looked quickly at the old man. Every head turned toward him. For a moment he continued to stare at the ceiling. Then he rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent." (death of Candy's dog)
Ex. "'Yeah. Tha's how.' George's voice was almost a whisper. He looked steadily at his right hand that had held then gun." (George killed Lennie)


4. Literary Terms:

• Similes:

•  “ … drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse.” The comparison of Lennie to a horse stresses his lack of manners, the animal behaviour within him and his sense of obedience to George, just as a horse is controlled by its rider.
• “Slowly, like a terrier who doesn’t want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached …” The comparison shows how Lennie is a child within and how much control George has over him.
• “On the sand banks the rabbits sat as quietly as little gray, sculptured stones.” The comparison of the rabbits to stones shows the idea of stillness: George and Lennie are in an environment where everything is lifeless, and reflects their own lives.

Imagery:

•  "...dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws." This phrase describes how Lennie is walking as he enters the forest behind George and once again that George is Lennie's guidance in life. 
•  "...snorting into the water like a horse." This describes how Lennie drinks from the green pool of water thirstily and doesn't think about his actions, he acts like an animal at times and obviously does not see a wrong with it.
•  "Slowly, like a terrier who doesn't want to bring a ball back to its master..." describes how Lennie has retrieved his dead mouse, and doesn't want to give it back to George. Lennie can't measure his own strength but does have the full capability of realizing when he has done something bad.

Foreshadowing:

• The gun used to shoot Candy's decrepit dog is later used by George to shoot Lennie
• The many small animals that Lennie crushes out of love foreshadow his panicked killings of his puppy and, moments later, Curley's wife
• The event that drove George and Lennie out of Weed (Lennie's false accusation of rape) corresponds to the scene in the barn between him and Curley's wife
• When Lennie gets them into trouble. George asks him, "An you ain't gonna do no bad things like you done in Weed." This makes the reader wonder what happened in Weed and whether it will happen again further on in the novel. Also expect Lennie to act rebellious and misbehave later on in the novel.

Symbolism:

• Rabbits-showed Lennie's dreams and goals which were impossible to fulfill; they also help demonstrate how simple his thinking is compared to George's.
• Mice-shows how Lennie wanted to be comforted all the time, death was the last thing on his mind. The dead mice Lennie held at the beginning od the novel showed how he killed it without wanting too and it hurt him, he wanted to be gentle. That event symbolized the way George killed Lennie trying to kill his friend gently in his hands.
• Dream Farm-keeps Lennie and George together because it is dream they have in common and are willing to work for together. It is symbolic to their friendship. When Lennie killed Curly's wife their dream farm went down the gutter and so did their friendship.
• Pool by the river-place where Lennie and George can get away from society and be themselves; their sanctuary and the place where the novel begins and ends.

Metaphors:

• “… he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws.”
• “Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water …” both show Lennie is not well mannered adn can be a threat to other without knowing it himself.

Setting:

• Took place during 1930's-Helped me get a better understanding of the Depression going on at the time
• Farms/Airy Land-Most jobs could only be found in agriculture and in the country separating loved ones
• Pool by River-helped give a better understanding of what the two friends were like when they were alone and in the open, it was their "safe spot" and Lennie's place of tranquility 

The BIG Question (refined)

I actually would like to completely like to change my question after the talk we had in class.
 New Question: How does a child's brain learn their first language(s)? For example, me who learned Spanish and English as my first languages at the same time.

The BIG Question

Where did the human really come from and when? What evidence was found and recorded? How reliable is the evidence found? I have always wanted to know the answer to this question and I'm sure I will find many different answers but I'd like to find the truth.

Hamlet Vs Epics

Topic: Post an AP Exam-worthy essay to your blog in which you describe how Hamlet's use of language differentiates him from epic heroes such as Beowulf. Support your analysis with three textual examples (you may use your textbook and/or Hamlet; even though you already know it by heart I'm including the "To be, or not to be" soliloquy below)

Language can be used for many reasons. For example , to have a conversation with someone, express a thought out loud or maybe even for control over something or someone. Hamlet is a character that used language to explain what his thought process was and to let his reader know what was going on around him. He also used language to control what occurred throughout the play. Epic heroes use language for dialogue and that is it, it does not go past that. Their language was mainly to provide detail and make the epics entertaining. 

Hamlet knew exactly wanted he wanted and that was to get revenge over his uncle for killing his father. His plan of putting on the play-with-in-a-play was processed in his mind and through language he expressed his thought process out loud to the audience. Another example of how Hamlet used language to show his thought process was in his "To be or not to..." soliloquy. He had made the decision to not commit suicide but as far as the audience knew, while he giving his soliloquy he was deliberating between the two choices he had. Hamlet used language to narrate as well as the epic heroes but compared to them Hamlet only narrated his thoughts and everyday life.

The heroes seen in the epics used language to talk with other characters in the epic and to provide detail for the readers. For example, Beowulf talks to let the Danes know that him and his men were Geats and to assure them that they came in peace to help them only. There no reflection in the language used epics. Most of the language and writing in epics is to altar the heroes being talked about. The focus is on how brave, strong, full of care and protective the heroes are. Hamlet on the other hand used language to describe situations he was going to control with language.

Hamlet was very precise and careful about what he said and when he said it. His form of language was very sarcastic and mysterious. When he talked to his two "best friends" he talked with little to no detail and was overly sarcastic to give them the hint that he knew they were spying on him. Hamlet also used language to escape death. He knew when to do things at the right time and how to say things in such a way that only the right people would understand. 

In conclusion, the language used in Hamlet is precise and different than the language used in epics. Epics used language to make their heroes seem important and to fill their stories with detail. Hamlet showed self-reflection and a way with language that only a character with his mind would be able to use. He knew how to use words and language to control events occurring in his surroundings. The language used in epics and Hamlet also seems to have been from different periods in time which also have an effect on the way language is read and seen on paper. 

Hamlet Essay

 Topic: Using what you've learned about Hamlet the character and Hamlet the play, evaluate the impact of performative utterance on Hamlet and your own sense of self. How does the way Hamlet speaks constitute action in itself? How does it impact the characters and the plot? How does this compare with your own "self-overhearing"? How does the way you reflect on your experience create a sense of memory, expectation, and real-world results? Use the text, your reading/lecture notes, the experience of memorizing the "To be, or not to be" soliloquy, de Boer's paper (and Bloom's/Austin's theoretical frameworks), and the many online and offline discussions we've had.

Essay Re-Do

     J.L Austin, philosopher of language, said that performative utterance is a statement that creates something in the world, for example, an action, rather than describe something. With J.L Austin's paper and the memorization of "To be, or not to be" soliloquy I have concluded that performative utterance allowed Hamlet, the character, to go forth and act upon things that started as only thoughts. In comparison, performative utterance allows me to reflect on experiences and creates a schemata to hold memories, certain expectations and real-world results.  

     J.L Austin's most prominent work titled, "How To Do Things With Words" divides the performative ability into three, locutionary, perlocutionary and illocutionary. Locutionary is "the ability of language to deliver a message". Hamlet makes use of this ability through his famous 'To be or not to be' soliloquy. He reflects between two thoughts he has and he must choose which one to follow through with action. His thinking out loud gives him the opportunity to listen to himself talk about the advantages and disadvantages that each of his choices will bring. Hamlet can either commit suicide and go into a world not known of or keep living and make the best of the life he has. An everyday example of when I talk out loud is when I go about my everyday choices and I basically narrate to myself.
     By talking out loud Hamlet reflects to himself. Hamlet was able to give orders to others and make things work out in his favor through the perlocutionary ability. Perlocutionary is "what is achieved by being said" For example, giving an order. Hamlet leads all of his actors in the play-with-in-a-play to act out the crime his uncle has committed. Through treachery and his ability of giving orders he also escaped death when his Uncle Cladius had sent him to get killed. An example of how I use perlocutionary everyday is when I wake up and tell myself , "I will go to school today." and as a result I attend school. It's an order have given myself and obeyed.
     In his paper  J.L Austin states that illocutionary is the way things are said. For example, tone, posture or gestures that are made. Hamlet uses a lot of sarcasm when speaking to his supposedly so called "friends", Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. He knows the King has put up them on his side and convinced them to spy on Hamlet. Hamlet makes uses of the illocutionary ability when the King questions him about the whereabouts of Polonius body after he has killed him. Hamlet is sarcastic, uses humor and rhetorical language. An example of when I put to use the illocutionary part of performative utterance is when I am having a conversation with my friends. I can say something in a very hype tone and they will get the point that I am content.
     DeBoer in his essay "The Performative Utterance in William Shakespear's Hamlet" he states that Hamlet's performative utterance affected his development of thought when planning how and when to get revenge on his Uncle Cladius, the King. Hamlet is confused about how it will end up affecting him in the end and speaking out loud gives them the opportunity to reconsider his options.
      My own performative utterance affects my life everyday because it's like a screen that helps me sort out my thoughts out better and think before I act. it affects my learning because it causes me to question myself but this only helps me expand on my learning. The simplest questions lead me into a search full of learning to do along the way. Talking out loud to myself is not always a positive though, it makes me increase my decision making process and being an indecisive person already doesn't help either.
     In conclusion, DeBoer and J.L Austin helped me understand into depth the affects that performative utterance had on Hamlet. He had a hard time making up his mind but with great intelligence and a way with language. My own out loud talking affects me everyday but I believe that it's for the better because it gives me numerous moments to reflect on on-going things.

Major Concept

One major concept that I have learned was that we need to take control of our lives. We all have brains to think for ourselves. The Levi's commercial left me in awe because the way it put its ideas through was strong & impacted me. Until this day I still have the poem memorized & watch the video on YouTube. Such a strong poem being used for a jean advertisement was odd but I don't even think about the advertising, I think about the poem itself. It spoke to me. I am young and have a whole life in front of me that I plan on doing great things with. "Your life is your life, don't let it be clubbed into dank submission."

Roy Christopher Conference Notes

Background:

• back in the 80's doing bicycling and skateboarding 
• made little hand-made magazines and photo copied them to hand out at shows/gigs
• current age: 40

Getting involved with cultures/experience:

• slippery slope at beginning
• did not want to get sucked into computer/media stuff; wanted to write 

"Once you get into it (media world), it's not something you can half way do" -Roy Christopher

Balancing Time:

• it's a complex mix of both; being online and offline is about equal in time devotion
• went from skateboarding to media/science

Books:

• instead of having everything online Roy wanted everything in a book

    -Why: wanted a "token" to put in his book shelf and look at as an accomplishment


Responses to book:

• Roy surprised by late response he got from book sales
• this year sold same amount of books that were sold the first year book came out

Book About- Cross pollination
"If you like a rapper, you'll like authors" -Roy Christopher

• feels that the web/media allows people to take pieces of different cultures and , put them together
• hip-hop culture is the blue print for the 21st century culture = new book idea Roy is working on
• Book in progress: The Me-diam Picture 

Technology Thoughts:

• Roy talked about when teaching in college, teachers start to teach with the basics which are pen/pencil and paper and work their way into teaching with 2.0 technology

"Beware of the water." -Roy Christopher

"What you put on mobile technology is going to be more important than the fact that we have mobile technology." -Roy Christopher

• the more we know about how things work (like technology), the more prepared we are to use them

"Program or be programmed' -Roy Christopher

• we are sometimes victims of media and sometimes we are not, it all depends-Roy's belief 
• Roy doe not want an academic job in the future after he is done with schooling 
• no smart phone because he likes coming home to see he has new things to respond to (popular) and also not enough money to play for data plans required

Future?:

• in future there will always be "big screens" (large pieces of technology); for example home desktops, televisions etc., and technology that is not to go because we can't do everything off small screens like iPods, smart phones, iPads etc.
• technology that that can't be taken everywhere with us, will NOT move and always be there at home 

My Question: Why so much need for the "to-go" technology when we can have plenty of technology at home?

Old Generation to New Generation:

• older generations should trust new generations

Explanation: Roy grew up with video games, media full of violence, movies and other technologies but he is perfectly fine as an adult today 

• youth should be allowed to explore and figure things out on their own

"Youth may be moving faster than previous generations because of technology" -Ted Newcom

• Roy believes we should not be embarrassed by our own behavior 

Final Questions:

• Is multitasking normal to us? Why or why not?

-Multitasking is a myth. When doing something he has to be fully devoted to that one thing. (Roy's response)

• How do we, new generations, feel about the fact that older generations don't trust us?

Last Comments from Roy:

• "Don't look at the future as bleak"
• there is no end to technology
• people don't have to adapt to today's technologies or modern things, it's a choice

Lit. Analysis #2

1) Like Water for Choclate by Laura Esquival is about a family made up of three daughters and a widowed mother. The youngest daughter is Tita, the middle child is Gertrudis and the eldest child is Rosaura. Mama Elena has to watch over the home and ranch therefore she assigned Nacha, the cook, to raise Tita. Tita grew up in the kitchen and fell in love with a man named Pedro. Mama Elena said she was not allowed to marry or experience love becasue what she had to do for the rest of her life was take care of her until the day she died. Pedro comes one evenning after dinner to ask Elena for Tita's hand in marriage and Elena says he can't have her but that he can marry her older daughter Rosaura and he does in order to stay as close as possible to his true love, Tita. Tita suffers thtough the whole marriage but can't show it or else her mother will punish her. Rosaura and Pedro have a child named Robert whom Tita feeds. Pedro and Rosaura leave to live in Texas as part of Mama Elena's plan to keep Pedro and Tita seperate from each and the baby, Robert dies because he was no longer getting fed from Tita's breast. Tita rebels on her mother because too much has gone wrong in her life thanks to her. Nacha, Tita's second mother has died as well and now Robert. Mama Elena tells Jophn Brown, the village's doctor to take Tita to a home for the crazies but instead he takes her to his home becasue he has fallen in love with her. Rosaura dies but her and Pedro had a new daughter named Esperanza whom marries Alex, the doctor's son. Pedro and Tita are left to finally fall in deep love and while making love Pedro dies and Tita "kills" herself to follow him into the afterlife and she succeeds. Mama Elena has died as well and now all that are left are Esperanza and Alex, Gertrudis, and John Brown to live their lives. All Tita wanted was to be happy with Pedro and have no one to stop them from being together.
2) The theme of the novel is Love vs. Authority. Tita is not allowed to do what she wants because Mama Elena one way or the other always stops her. Tita fights against her mother's authority several times throughout the novel but doesn't succeed and doesn't get to be with Pedro until her mother dies and her mother's ghost is completeley banished from their home.
3) The author's tone is romantic, sincere and reflective.
Romantic: "Pedro placed Tita on the bed and slowly removed her clothing, piece by piece. After caressing each other, gazing at each other with infinite passion, they released the infinite passion..."
Sincere: " Tita's voive stopped him. That melodious voice had not spoken a word for six months. 'John! Please don't leave!'"
Reflective: "From what he'd said said, Tita realized that the woman she'd sat with so often was John's dead grandmother."
4) Five literary elements/techniques I observed that strengthened my understanding of the theme and my sense of the tone are:
-Imagery: "Tita looked up, her eyes vacant, and stared at Chencha as if she had never seen her before."
"Under her blouse, her breasts moved freely, since she never wore a brassiere. Drops of sweat formed on her neck and ran down into the crease between her firm round breasts."
-Similes: "She heard, as she passed, the whispers in the church, and she felt each comment likr a stab in her back."
“She could pick up the watermelon and give it a single blow against a stone, in a particular stop, and like magic the watermelon rind would open like the petals of a flower leaving the heart intact on the table”
 “It went through the window and shot out onto the patio, like a firecracker out of control”
-Metaphors:  “Seeds didn’t have that kind of problem, they didn’t have a mother to be afraid of or a fear of those who would judge them.”
“It was definitely true, Pedro had turned into a monster of selfishness and suspicion.”
“Tita liked to take a deep breath and let the characteristic smoke and smell transport her through the recesses of her memory”
-Personification: “She felt she had the best chance of “educating the innocent child’s stomach,” even thought she had never married or had children.”
“But once, Tita managed to convince them to join her in watchin the dazzling display mad by dancing water drops dribbled on a red hot griddle”
“Now she admired the way they opened their skin and allowed the water to penetrate them fully, until they were split asunder to make way for new life. She imagined the pride they felt as the tip f the first root emerged from inside of them, the humility with which they accepted the loss of their previous form, and the bravery with which they showed the world their new leaves.”
-Hyperbole:  “Yes, a thousand times. From that night on she would love him forever”
“Her heart burst into a seething passion”
“The house became a battlefield. Slammed doors were the order of the day.”

"Tools That Change The Way We Think"

"Back in 2004, I asked [Google founders] Page and Brin what they saw as the future of Google search. 'It will be included in people's brains,' said Page. 'When you think about something and don't really know much about it, you will automatically get information.'

'That's true,' said Brin. 'Ultimately I view Google as a way to augment your brain with the knowledge of the world. Right now you go into your computer and type a phrase, but you can imagine that it could be easier in the future, that you can have just devices you talk into, or you can have computers that pay attention to what's going on around them and suggest useful information.'

'Somebody introduces themselves to you, and your watch goes to your web page,' said Page. 'Or if you met this person two years ago, this is what they said to you... Eventually you'll have the implant, where if you think about a fact, it will just tell you the answer."

-From In the Plex by Steven Levy (p.67)

My Thoughts:

      Extensive Internet/media/technology use changes the way I think for many reasons. I think that the more technology comes out or is improved the less we all make use our brains. We don't necessarily have to think for ourselves anymore because all around us there are things that do it for us. Technology not only affects the amount of thinking that I do but also the concentration level I have when trying to complete school work or other things of importance. I always get on the computer thinking , "Okay, I'm going to complete my homework within an hour and be able to go to bed." Guess what? Doesn't happen, ever. I always get distracted with Facebook or other interesting websites that have nothing to do with my homework.I think that it's not only the internet but all technology in general that becomes a waste of my time because I don't use the tools to learn and when I do, it's only to get a quick answer on something, never to spend time actually learning something in depth. Older people who did their learning before smart phones and 2.0 existed are full of knowledge that I have at my fingertips and don't bother trying to learn about it. I have talked to elders and even the way they speak sounds smarter than today's generation. They actually had to use their brains to their full capacity to learn things back in time because no computer or phone was there to do the thinking for them. People who don't use the technology there is today and actually care about the amount of knowledge they have and an education read a lot and have their time and priorities set in order and actually follow through because they don't put their focus on technology. I read an article titled, "Leadership by the New Generation" and it was interesting to see what leaders that are going through retirement are worried about. They say that today's generation is basically lazy and always looking for more "me time". "They want flexible hours, more vacation time, continuous training, and telecommuting options. They expect to leverage technology to work efficiently instead of staying late in the office to get it all done.", this is what article says today's generation's mind is on constantly and I completely agree because I've heard people around my age or mid 20's complain about work and hardships in life when in reality what they go through is not much but they are so used to the easy life that when something "hard" comes up in life, they freak out and complain. Ttechnology may be used for good by some but for the majority of today's generation it is used for entertainment and wasting time.

Article URL: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_59.htm

"In Search Of"

Experience with video:


a)I learned that we all have filter bubbles and that our searches get tailored making our information be different from someone else doing the exact same search.
b)This inforamtion makes me think differetnly about what I see online becasue it makes me realize that we don't have all the information there is out there at the end of our finger tips, we only have the information search engines want us to see.
c) The questions this raised for me over the Internet in general are:
-Why do search engines tailor individuals' searches?
When will the Internet stop using filter bubbles?
-How are my searches information different from that of someone else doing the exact same search but getting different results? Is it less useful? Or more useful?
d)To improve the effectiveness of my searches I can use different phrases and words to search the same thing as well as use multiple search engines to make my results more accurate and to feel like I collected most of the information there is out there to know.




Summary of research re-done:


     Yesterday, I had researched on who Shakespeare really was and the information that is known about his life. I used Google and typed in "Shakespeare biography timeline" and "Shakespeare biography" and I got results from sites like eNotes and SparkNotes because I go on those sites quite often to help me with other homework. It was intriguing to see how Google knew what sites I use more often and there for made them the top results for my search. Today i went back onto Google and typed in "history on Shakespeare" and "What proof of Shakespeare's work is there?" and the difference in the information I received in today from yesterday was amazing to see. To make my search results as accurate as possible I also used the search engine Yahoo! and when I typed in the exact same phrases as I had on Google my results differed. The video helped me understand why I get the search results I do and a better idea as to why we need to go to different resources when making research.

"Notes on Hamlet"

      My thinking on Hamlet has evolved from the moment we began reading it because of all the class discussions we've had. Before I could understand fragments of what I was reading but now I can full on translate sentence after sentence, word after word with almost no problems. I have evolved from being just any other student reading Shakespeare because it is assigned as homework to a person who reads because it is enjoyable and analyzing Shakespeare's works extend my thinking. I have actually not changed in thought about the plot but I have changed my opinion about characters. For example, Ophelia, she seemed to be a sweet girl who only wanted to be with Hamlet because she loved him but now I see her as a girl who plans on just spying on Hamlet  and playing with his emotions because she agreed with the King to get information. I predict that Hamlet is going to go through with his plan of revenge and kill Claudius. Claudius already is feeling under pressure, thanks to the play-within-a-play that Hamlet put on for him. I also believe that Hamlet will do something to feel like he also got some revenge on his mom because she has hurt him a lot. 

"Who was Shakespeare?"

• Used Google search engine
• Typed in Shakespeare biography and Shakespeare works proof
• Read http://www.shakespeare-literature.com/l_biography.html
• Read http://shakespeareauthorship.com/howdowe.html

     We know that William Shakespeare was born on April, 1564 and was the oldest out of his siblings. Shakespeare married Ann Hathaway on November, 1582. Later on three daughters were included into the family, Susanna, Judith and Hamnet. I also read that good evidence that Shakespeare wrote his poems and plays is that a lot of them are signed by him and contain his name as the author. We are left to wonder why he never wrote his name as the author on all his works and what was Shakespeare's life in depth because all of it was kept a secret. Shakespeare is perceived by students as a man with amazing writing skills. I personally find him to be an author to be looked up to as an inspiring person because his works are well known today all over the English world and genius. My understanding of his works has progressed over the years because the more practice I get interpreting them the easier they are to follow along with. Before I found no meaning in reading them but now I can analyze his works and discover the deep meanings and train of thought they create. What still causes me to struggle is the way the plays are set up because sometimes I lose track of who is n the stage and who is speaking to who. The Old English is still difficult to translate but if I actually focus and try I can understand about 80% of what is being said even though I wish I could understand 100% of what I read. 

"To Facebook or Not to Facebook"

      The initial impressions of Facebook to me was that it was any like any other typical social networking place. It was a lot like myspace when I first started using it but now it is so well developed that it's completely different from all social networking applications I use. The advantages of Facebook are that people from all over the world with a working computer with internet access can communicate with each other. Fo example, I use it to get help on homework or talk to friends when I am "bored". Facebook is "frictionless", meaning it is so easy to use that most people go on because they like not having to put a lot of effort into communicating with friends online, compared to other social networking applications that are impossible to learn how to use. The disadvantages of Facebook are that all the information that is put into one's profile is exposed for millions and millions to see without us even getting notice. Facebook changed the world of social networking but also brought in huge risks with it because as I read in the article I realized that Zuckerberg does not care about peoples' privacy, he cares about the money. Reading the article and the in class discussion informed my thinking by letting me know of all the dangers there are everyday when I log onto Facebook and "like" posts or post pictures from my phone. I helped me become a more alert person and careful about what I do online.

"(Don't) Be Hamlet"

         Hamlet's soliloquy states a dilemma that is important to the whole play and I think that I can help him make a decision based on life experiences and logic.

         In his soliloquy Hamlet is trying to make a choice between committing suicide or staying alive. There are certain factors that come into play when he thinks to himself. He talks out loud to not keep everything inside and mental but also to listen to himself discuss his choices and give him a better picture of his choices. His soliloquy starts off with him saying that in the mind of others as a noble prince he'd be looked up to better if he were to just stay alive and just suffer through the hardships. I think that Hamlet is thinking that suicide is the best choice at the time of his soliloquy but he doesn't think about the fact that "Hey, I am a prince." He completely focuses on his life troubles and not the big picture that later on in life he will be king after the death of Claudius.

         Hamlet continues on with his train of thought and gets into the benefits of death. For example, not having to live among people who only hurt you like his mother who has hurt him with the marriage and uncared for death of his father. His soliloquy reads, "To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub;For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,". This states that if he were to die everything that troubles him would be shoved off, it's as simple as that. Hamlet is understands that death ends life and that there is no going back from death but I believe he has hit that point of madness where he doesn't think straight and that's why he is running to suicide. 

         Hamlet asks a question of interest midway through his soliloquy which is, "For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,the oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,the pangs of despised love, the law’s delay,the insolence of office and the spurns that patient merit of the unworthy takes,when he himself might his quietus make with a bare bodkin?" and this question is rhetorical. It states that no one in life would deal with obstacles such as being rejected by the one you love, people who are only useless in one's life, the pains that life brings, unjust authority, overly proud men and being taken advantage of when all you need a blade to make it all be gone. It is logical for someone going through major conflicts in life to feel there is no way out of it all. I have been in his shoes and if i was  a friend of his I'd suggest he thought about the benefits of living and encourage him to get help from someone that he feels has not betrayed him in life. Suicide should never be the answer.

         Hamlet also discusses the fact that once one dies there is nothing of death because no one ever has come back to speak about it. He wonders if life is worse than death or if death can end up being a worse experience full of evils that are worse than the ones he already was facing in life. Death scares me and I'd tell Hamlet that deciding whether or not to continue with life is a tough choice but that death is something unpredictable per say because we don't know what comes after. he himself says that running to death as an exit of life's problems is considered being a coward then why is he bothering even making that a choice?

        In conclusion, Hamlet has a decision to make and I would one-hundred percent tell him to continue with life and stay away from the thought of suicide because  life has good and bad to it but it always goes on and things can always be fixed one way or another. 

        

Lit. Analysis Questions Set #1

1) The House on Mango Street is about a young girl named Esperanza who has recently moved her family onto Mango Street. She is of Mexican heritage and she doesn't understand all things in life or why her family struggles economically. Esperanza through out the whole novel complains about the bad aspects of Mango Street and not once does she say anything good about it. The book is based on her first year living on Mango Street and within that year she makes new friends and through the story she describes them from the way they dress to their personalities. Her closest friends are Rachel and Lucy, even though they fight quite often they always end up coming to an apostate. Esperanza watches everybody grow up as she grows up herself into a mature young lady.  She begins to fantasize about boys and likes talking to Sally whom wants to leave Mango Street to go far away to find love. Esperanza begins to thing the same way and can relate herself to Sally because she as well feels neglected by her family and want to leave Mango Street more than anything. Esperanza watches an old lady that lives in her neighborhood and catches her interest. Soon enough Esperanza feels that it's time for her to leave home on Mango Street but she just can't do it. She can't leave everyone behind therefore writing becomes her escape. She writes to escape the awful truth that she'll never be able to completely leave Mango Street.
2) The theme of the novel is physical vs. mental because through out the entire novel Esperanza wants to grow up and be like the other older kids she observes on Mango Street but mentally she is not ready for that change to occur. Esperanza also has a fight between her physical and mental state when it comes to leaving Mango Street. Within her mind, Esperanza can't wait to leave and make a life of her own away from Mango Street but her physical is not capable of living on it's own without the help of her family. Constantly Esperanza want to develop her physical into something that mentally she wants not realizing growing up is a process that occurs on it's own physically.
3) Sandra Cisneros's tone in the novel is desirable, hopeful and earnest. For example, Esperanza hopes to one day leave Mango Street and the whole point of the novel is for her to explain why and express her want for that to happen as soon as possible. Esperanza describes many kids from the neighborhood but only Sally and Marin stand out to her because they tell her all about being in love and wanting to escape to a place where you can be free, exactly what Esperanza wants. Sally tells her about the abusive life she lives and Esperanza feels the desire to want to make her abusive life stop and keep Sally safe. The earnest tone is all over the novel, Esperanza dislikes Mango Street and is tired of going to see nice houses with her family that she knows they can't have and don't have. The last time she goes to see the nice house on the hills she tells her mother about her dislike of doing that and why she'd like to just leave. Esperanza is sincere, truthful and willing to speak her mind.
4) Sandra Cisneros's uses various literary elements but five of them are:

•  Similes: "Sally is the girl with eyes like Egypt and nylons the color of smoke. The boys at school think she's beautiful because her hair is shiny black like raven feathers and when she laughs, she flicks her hair back like a satin shawl over her shoulders and laughs"
• Allusions: "Sally who taught you to paint your eyes like Cleopatra?"/"Rafaela who drinks and drinks coconut and papaya juice on Tuesdays and wishes there were sweeter drinks, not bitter like an empty room, but sweet sweet like the island, like the dance hall down the street where women much older than her throw green eyes easily like dice and open homes with keys." (allusion to Rapunzel)
•  Personification: " They grow up and they grow down and grab the earth between their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent teeth and never quit their anger." (Four Skinny Trees)
•  Hyperbole: "The kids bend trees and bounce between cars and dangle upside down from knees and almost break like fancy museum vases you can't replace." (The Vargas' kids)
•  Easy to comprehend diction: "I knew then I had to have a house. A real house. One I could point to. But this isn't it. The house on Mango Street isn't it. "