adumbrate - verb give to understand; describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of
EX: The man was in a hurry to get to work, so he adumbrated his reasons for being late when questioned by his co-worker.
apotheosis - noun the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god); model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
EX: "Kanye West is the apotheosis of music" -Kanye West
ascetic - adj. practicing great self-denial; pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline; noun someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
EX: He lived an ascetic life of lies about his own true character.
bauble - noun a mock scepter carried by a court jester; cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
EX: "Hey nice Rolex! How could you afford that?" "It's just a bauble man, I'm not rich."
beguile - verb attract; cause to be enamored; influence by slyness
EX: She beguiled the guards enough to slip right into the bank vault.
burgeon - verb grow and flourish
EX: My garden burgeoned under the sunlight.
complement - noun something added to complete or make perfect; either of two parts that mutually complete each other; a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction;number needed to make up a whole force; a complete number or quantity; one of a series of enzymes in the blood serum that are part of the immune response; verb make complete or perfect; supply what is wanting or form the complement to
EX: Wow, that drkshdw shirt really complements those Rick Owens sneakers.
contumacious - adj. wilfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
EX: The contumacious kid would never do his homework on time, and was always late for class.
curmudgeon - noun a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
EX:Bill O'Reilly is the king of curmudgeons.
didactic - adj. instructive (especially excessively)
EX:If you follow this didactic cookbook, it will teach you every last step to cook the perfect meal.
disingenuous - adj. not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness
EX: I've had enough of your disingenuous assertions.
exculpate - verb pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
EX: He was sweaty and nervous the entire time he was on the stand, but somehow still ended up being exculpated of robbery.
faux pas - noun an embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation.
EX: I had realized as soon as the words came out of my mouth that my faux pas would ruin a few friendships there.
fulminate - noun a salt or ester of fulminic acid; verb cause to explode violently and with loud noise; come on suddenly
and intensely; criticize severely
EX: The stereotypical volcano science project everyone made at one point fulminated into foam and bubbles.
fustian - noun a strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap;pompous or pretentious talk or writing
EX: He babbled on for hours about the great product he was selling, and why we should buy it instead of the cheaper made versions, but it all felt like a cheap fustian to me.
hauteur - noun overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors
EX: He shoved all of his albums in my face and told me I was a music plebeian, and all I could think was how much of a hauteur he was for it.
inhibit - verb limit the range or extent of; to put down by force or authority
EX: The weather inhibited my ability to see out of my windshield.
jeremiad - noun a long and mournful complaint
EX: Listening to his hour long jeremiad on Wal-Mart's policies was insanely boring.
opportunist - adj. taking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit; noun a person who places expediency above principle
EX: You say bank robber, I say opportunist.
unconscionable - adj. greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation; lacking a conscience
EX: To think he could do something like that and feel no remorse is unconscionable.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
#REFLECTIONS ON WEEK 1#
Are there any factors that you think are going to affect your participation or experience in this class? Access to a computer? Mobile/smart phone? Transportation? Friends/family? Schedule?
- So far I don't see any factors that could affect participation besides the fact that I'd like to get out at lunch, but if I do get it changed I'll just move into 5th period and it should be fine. I have plenty access to a computer but my internet connection is pretty bad which could be a problem. I have a smartphone with the blogger app installed so that works fine. I also have my own car and license. So for the most part I'm as available for it as I am any other class.
Think of an awesome best ever learning experience that changed you. What did you learn? Where were you? What happened? Who else was there? Did it teach you anything about how you learn (or pay attention... or remember, or think?) How did you know what was happening?
- I'd have to say as far as schooling goes, Mrs. Byrne's AP English class was probably the first (non-elective) class I really enjoyed. But as for learning experiences in general, it's impossible to choose one moment of any time. Every single day/hour/minute we're learning more and more about ourselves and the world around us. My mind changes constantly. Life is a learning experience.
What are you most [excited/concerned] about in this class? What do you look forward to in learning? How do you think it can/will make a practical difference in your life?
-I'm most excited about having a total change of pace in the way schooling works, as the norm gets very, very boring. The idea of using the internet for most of it is also really interesting to me, as it's usually demonized by normal classes. I'm most concerned about keeping up with some of the bigger assignments, and the AP exam. But so far it seems like a class I'd prioritize over others, so with that in mind, I guess my current schedule is the most that concerns me because when I am hired for a weekday job I'd like to get as many hours in as possible, so getting out at lunch would be great.
- So far I don't see any factors that could affect participation besides the fact that I'd like to get out at lunch, but if I do get it changed I'll just move into 5th period and it should be fine. I have plenty access to a computer but my internet connection is pretty bad which could be a problem. I have a smartphone with the blogger app installed so that works fine. I also have my own car and license. So for the most part I'm as available for it as I am any other class.
Think of an awesome best ever learning experience that changed you. What did you learn? Where were you? What happened? Who else was there? Did it teach you anything about how you learn (or pay attention... or remember, or think?) How did you know what was happening?
- I'd have to say as far as schooling goes, Mrs. Byrne's AP English class was probably the first (non-elective) class I really enjoyed. But as for learning experiences in general, it's impossible to choose one moment of any time. Every single day/hour/minute we're learning more and more about ourselves and the world around us. My mind changes constantly. Life is a learning experience.
What are you most [excited/concerned] about in this class? What do you look forward to in learning? How do you think it can/will make a practical difference in your life?
-I'm most excited about having a total change of pace in the way schooling works, as the norm gets very, very boring. The idea of using the internet for most of it is also really interesting to me, as it's usually demonized by normal classes. I'm most concerned about keeping up with some of the bigger assignments, and the AP exam. But so far it seems like a class I'd prioritize over others, so with that in mind, I guess my current schedule is the most that concerns me because when I am hired for a weekday job I'd like to get as many hours in as possible, so getting out at lunch would be great.
Monday, August 18, 2014
ESSAY #2#
Have you ever really tried to stop and think about how much your mind processes on a daily basis? It's impossible to do, even if you remembered everything you did today. That leaves out about 6209.12 other days full of thoughts, sights, sounds, and dreams you have still forgotten. The mind works at an insanely high speed 24/7, no matter what you're doing. As David Foster Wallace put it in his 2001 story "Good Old Neon": "What goes on inside is just too fast and huge and all interconnected for words to do more than barely sketch the outlines of at most one tiny little part of it at any given instant." If you've ever felt scatterbrained or confused, you probably can understand this well. Everyone has at least felt like this once. Thoughts like these have been written and recorded many times, but one in particular is the collection of Montaigne's essays. In a stream-of-consciousness styled rant of words and sentences, Montaigne discusses every topic that can come to his mind. Sometimes these would conflict and revise each other, and sometimes his thoughts would all come together just as if he'd had it all planned out from the start. On the opposite side of the spectrum, authors like Jane Austen, author of Pride and Prejudice, has a clear and straightforward thought process to tell a complicated story. Using foreshadowing in an essay where you haven't even begun to think of the ending would not be very easy, but for someone with a mind like Austen, having a character like Darcy seem distant at the beginning and end up being the main love interest of Elizabeth is a clever and well thought out idea to include. Montaigne's techniques of writing may coincide with Foster's quote about the mind, but compared to a precise writer like Austen, their works seem like an ADHD nightmare.
The stream-of-consciousness thought process is not by any means an underground or new term. For thousands of years, people have just began to write what flows out of them. As our minds change and we teach ourselves more about what we write, these thoughts change. Montaigne's essays show this change at a time as early as the Renaissance , and with many different topics. In one of the essays, "Of Repentance", he even says himself that he may contradict himself, but he will not contradict the truth. His mind changes rapidly over the course of the essay, and may even make false his opinion from the beginning, or go off into a whole different tangent. David Foster Wallace had a similar mind, in the sense that he also wrote as the thoughts came to his mind. In comparison to Austen, it really comes down to how each person's brain works. Austen's brain works in a way that she can think of a plot and have it come together over a length of time, keep a solid theme going and have reoccurring characters. It's merely two sides of the same spectrum.
The narrow minded brain, such as Austen's, can think up a story and have everything come together neatly wrapped in a bow. This presents a clear and understandable plot enjoyable for everyone, even enough to get a movie made about it, and can be seen as a solid and completed work of art. This also relates to a lot of pop, electronic, and alternative music. It has chord progressions that continue and expand throughout the song, but lead up to the end and have a main focal point to them. The wider, more expanded and scattered brain does not think like that. It can go on without keeping a similar theme, ranging from one topic to another, moving at 3000 miles per hour. While seeming to be more abstract, less neat and not as good at first, it can prove to be a very intriguing and thought-provoking style of writing. Some of these types of thought resonate with classic experimental rock/post-punk, hip-hop, and experimental music. Whichever writing style, whether it be Montaigne's or Austen's, can suit it's purpose and tell it's story. In the end, it's all about how your mind can follow it's path, whether it's completing an essay about Montaigne's essays versus Austen's novel, or going on a tangent about music and delving from the topic at hand.
The stream-of-consciousness thought process is not by any means an underground or new term. For thousands of years, people have just began to write what flows out of them. As our minds change and we teach ourselves more about what we write, these thoughts change. Montaigne's essays show this change at a time as early as the Renaissance , and with many different topics. In one of the essays, "Of Repentance", he even says himself that he may contradict himself, but he will not contradict the truth. His mind changes rapidly over the course of the essay, and may even make false his opinion from the beginning, or go off into a whole different tangent. David Foster Wallace had a similar mind, in the sense that he also wrote as the thoughts came to his mind. In comparison to Austen, it really comes down to how each person's brain works. Austen's brain works in a way that she can think of a plot and have it come together over a length of time, keep a solid theme going and have reoccurring characters. It's merely two sides of the same spectrum.
The narrow minded brain, such as Austen's, can think up a story and have everything come together neatly wrapped in a bow. This presents a clear and understandable plot enjoyable for everyone, even enough to get a movie made about it, and can be seen as a solid and completed work of art. This also relates to a lot of pop, electronic, and alternative music. It has chord progressions that continue and expand throughout the song, but lead up to the end and have a main focal point to them. The wider, more expanded and scattered brain does not think like that. It can go on without keeping a similar theme, ranging from one topic to another, moving at 3000 miles per hour. While seeming to be more abstract, less neat and not as good at first, it can prove to be a very intriguing and thought-provoking style of writing. Some of these types of thought resonate with classic experimental rock/post-punk, hip-hop, and experimental music. Whichever writing style, whether it be Montaigne's or Austen's, can suit it's purpose and tell it's story. In the end, it's all about how your mind can follow it's path, whether it's completing an essay about Montaigne's essays versus Austen's novel, or going on a tangent about music and delving from the topic at hand.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
1987 AP Exam
1 C
2 E /
3 B /
4 E
5 D
6 C /
7 E
8 B
9 E
10 C
11 D
12 B
13 A /
14 D /
15 A
16 B
17 C
18 E
19 A
20 B
21 A /
22 D /
23 B /
24 A
25 D /
26 E
27 E /
28 A /
29 D /
30 B
31 A /
32 E /
-
47 B
48 C /
49 E /
50 D
51 C
52 E /
53 E
54 B
55 A
56 A /
57 B /
58 D
59 E
60 B
61 B /
-20
Notes: The first story was very self explanatory, most of the questions made sense to me. I thought rollicking in the springtime would seem more like an escape from reality instead of an attitude for the future, because at first she did seem very sad and dismal about her husband's death.
The second poem was simple to begin with but got very confusing. I didn't understand some of the themes he was trying to get across.
The third poem, The Eolian Harp, had a lot of imagery and the questions were mostly simple to that. Although I thought "saddening" was more of a foreshadowing of the rest of the poem instead of the immediate physical clouds becoming darker.
2 E /
3 B /
4 E
5 D
6 C /
7 E
8 B
9 E
10 C
11 D
12 B
13 A /
14 D /
15 A
16 B
17 C
18 E
19 A
20 B
21 A /
22 D /
23 B /
24 A
25 D /
26 E
27 E /
28 A /
29 D /
30 B
31 A /
32 E /
-
47 B
48 C /
49 E /
50 D
51 C
52 E /
53 E
54 B
55 A
56 A /
57 B /
58 D
59 E
60 B
61 B /
-20
Notes: The first story was very self explanatory, most of the questions made sense to me. I thought rollicking in the springtime would seem more like an escape from reality instead of an attitude for the future, because at first she did seem very sad and dismal about her husband's death.
The second poem was simple to begin with but got very confusing. I didn't understand some of the themes he was trying to get across.
The third poem, The Eolian Harp, had a lot of imagery and the questions were mostly simple to that. Although I thought "saddening" was more of a foreshadowing of the rest of the poem instead of the immediate physical clouds becoming darker.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
poetry #1
1. From what poem/author does this commercial borrow (without credit)?
-The poem used in the commercial is "The Laughing Heart" by Charles Buckowski
2. Why might the use of this poem by a corporation be considered ironic?
-The use of the poem is ironic because the poem talks about freedom and independence, while at the same time trying to sell you a product and take your money from it.
3. Does the poem reflect the reputation of the author? Why/why not?
- The reputation of the author does reflect this poem because he wrote about the poor and common man, due to the fact that he lived in Los Angeles. To someone who constantly has to work and is under submission by bosses and others daily, the idea to just let go and be free is very inspiring. He makes poems for the people who don't get to experience many of these great things, and that is why they use their imagination and are inspired by a poem like this.
4. How did you find the answers to #1 & #3? Describe your research process and your sources in detail.
I googled "Levi's go forth poem", which lead me to a couple search results with the name of the poem and author as the YouTube Title. As for the third question, I went to Wikipedia with his name and looked through his history and things he wrote.
-The poem used in the commercial is "The Laughing Heart" by Charles Buckowski
2. Why might the use of this poem by a corporation be considered ironic?
-The use of the poem is ironic because the poem talks about freedom and independence, while at the same time trying to sell you a product and take your money from it.
3. Does the poem reflect the reputation of the author? Why/why not?
- The reputation of the author does reflect this poem because he wrote about the poor and common man, due to the fact that he lived in Los Angeles. To someone who constantly has to work and is under submission by bosses and others daily, the idea to just let go and be free is very inspiring. He makes poems for the people who don't get to experience many of these great things, and that is why they use their imagination and are inspired by a poem like this.
4. How did you find the answers to #1 & #3? Describe your research process and your sources in detail.
I googled "Levi's go forth poem", which lead me to a couple search results with the name of the poem and author as the YouTube Title. As for the third question, I went to Wikipedia with his name and looked through his history and things he wrote.
...Woops
While I never completed notes for all of Poisonwood Bible, I did watch the movie for Pride and Prejudice and some of the Essays of Michel De Montaigne. It was a last minute half-assed attempt at trying to get everything done on time and I regret it.
(and here's the notes I did take)
ＥＳＳＡＹ ＃１
For the average person, the idea of "home" varies. Some view it as their house, some view it as their town, and some even just view it as the people and things around them that make up their average day. There's a lot of nostalgia within the idea of a home - family, friends, objects, places. When you're stripped away from this, it makes the idea of losing the familiarity you've grown accustomed to twice as hard. As Edward Said wrote, "Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home; its essential sadness can never be surmounted." This quote can be applied to many different stories, real and fiction, but one it applies well to is The Poisonwood Bible. The story is filled with themes of living as an exile and longing for home.
In The Poisonwood Bible, the Price family is stripped from their home in the south. Due to the fact that their family includes six members varying in age, the nostalgia of home and the worrying of the unknown are different for each member. When you're stripped from your home, you'd want to take every possible thing with you. The fact that the Prices had to travel so lightly and hardly made use of anything they brought also helped the major disconnect of living in the Congo. Trying to make your new home like your old one because of the nostalgia factor and feeling of loss is something that would come natural to them, but when the family finds out about how the Congo really is, there is an even more immense feeling of loss of home. As the quote stated, this sadness could never be surmounted. This is seen by *mostly* everyone in the family.
Throughout the story, you can see the characters' perspectives change about their big move. Whether it was not what they expected or they finally understood the controlling and suppressive ways of their father, the young daughters were the most alienated from their normal lives. The feeling of loss is heavier for them because of the friends, family, and basic comfortable home life they had only been used to for a short time was gone. It is easier for adults to be exiled, due to the fact that they've at least lived a comfortable home life for most of their lives. For the youth, they are in the middle of the biggest change in their lives. To be stripped from all of that, especially to a place as underdeveloped and different as Congo, is crushing. They also see their fathers crazed thirst for controlling and changing the natives, and begin to wonder why they were dragged here in the first place. This disconnect from their old lives also ends up turning the blame on the people who removed them, even if it's their own family.
In the end, exile does not leave many happy endings. The Price family, who in the beginning of their move was worried about how many coats they'd bring, ended up facing more than they ever thought they would. The guilt of Orleanna over her daughter's death shows the darkest side to this, and how exile ended the life of her own daughter. The rift created between each family member forever changed their lives, when they could have had a normal comfortable life in their home. Despite this, some good did come from exile. The other daughters' career paths are proof of this. But it never had to be this way, if they had just continued living in their home, instead of Nathan exiling himself and his family from his own home.
In The Poisonwood Bible, the Price family is stripped from their home in the south. Due to the fact that their family includes six members varying in age, the nostalgia of home and the worrying of the unknown are different for each member. When you're stripped from your home, you'd want to take every possible thing with you. The fact that the Prices had to travel so lightly and hardly made use of anything they brought also helped the major disconnect of living in the Congo. Trying to make your new home like your old one because of the nostalgia factor and feeling of loss is something that would come natural to them, but when the family finds out about how the Congo really is, there is an even more immense feeling of loss of home. As the quote stated, this sadness could never be surmounted. This is seen by *mostly* everyone in the family.
Throughout the story, you can see the characters' perspectives change about their big move. Whether it was not what they expected or they finally understood the controlling and suppressive ways of their father, the young daughters were the most alienated from their normal lives. The feeling of loss is heavier for them because of the friends, family, and basic comfortable home life they had only been used to for a short time was gone. It is easier for adults to be exiled, due to the fact that they've at least lived a comfortable home life for most of their lives. For the youth, they are in the middle of the biggest change in their lives. To be stripped from all of that, especially to a place as underdeveloped and different as Congo, is crushing. They also see their fathers crazed thirst for controlling and changing the natives, and begin to wonder why they were dragged here in the first place. This disconnect from their old lives also ends up turning the blame on the people who removed them, even if it's their own family.
In the end, exile does not leave many happy endings. The Price family, who in the beginning of their move was worried about how many coats they'd bring, ended up facing more than they ever thought they would. The guilt of Orleanna over her daughter's death shows the darkest side to this, and how exile ended the life of her own daughter. The rift created between each family member forever changed their lives, when they could have had a normal comfortable life in their home. Despite this, some good did come from exile. The other daughters' career paths are proof of this. But it never had to be this way, if they had just continued living in their home, instead of Nathan exiling himself and his family from his own home.
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