The Earth is Flat

            It is often difficult for people to accept something that goes against what they are taught there entire lives. It seems that humans are naturally inclined to prefer what they already know rather than acknowledge something new that radically changes the world (in this case, literally). Hundreds of years ago, when people “discovered” the earth was round, people who always thought the earth was flat were asked to abandon there beliefs and adopt the new, now incorrect, notion that the earth was in fact round. It seems the tables have now turned, and once again, the earth is believed to be flat. The evidence that supports this is simply unshakable. The most damning piece lies in logic from long ago, that ships could fall off of the world if it was flat. The people thought there was absolutely no way this could happen, wouldn’t every ship eventually go missing then? What they never thought about was the many ships that DID go missing. Mysteriously enough, almost all of the ships that go mission are destined for far away places, where they eventually met the edge of the world. One of the most famous spot for ship disappearances, the Bermuda Triangle, is now thought to be one of the edges of the world. Another key piece of evidence is that we would be able to walk on the face of the earth if it was round. People would constantly stumble and fall over trying to walk on a perfectly round surface. Even with gravity, people are still unable to walk on an exercise ball, for example. There is a list as long as the earth’s flat sides that this is in fact the correct theory, but these to reasons alone should suffice for most people, at least those with common sense.

Poem analysis

This poem truly captures what everyone goes through when they turn 10 years old. It is viewed as being the first time you are a “big kid” with more responsibility than ever before; the yearning for the simpler years, the years where they could pretend to be a super hero instead of having chores. One of the most effective lines in the poem is when the author says that turning 10 is the first “big number.” Almost everyone probably thinks of it the exact same way. I cannot relate to this, however, as I was looking forward to getting older.  

Definitions

Beauty is a made-up term extorted by corporations in order to sell their products.

Denial is a term mainly used in the context of modern psychology, meaning that it refers to repressing the truth of an event in a self destructive (or in some cases, destructive to others) manner.

Evil is a complex thought that is ever present in the world in many different forms, and it has expanded due to globalization.

Definition Essay Question

1.      The explanation of the attitude of a “Yankee” was a very fresh idea. Everyone associates the term with the northern forces or the baseball team, but a description of what a regular “Yankee” is was clever and interesting. A similar term would be to define what a patriot is.

2.      The allusions add detail, and in some cases humor, to the essay. I feel it was a very effective method. If one did not “get” the allusions, then they may actually subtract from the essay, as the reader would get hung up on what they mean, rather than the point of the essay.

3.      The writer first said what people think of when thinking of a Yankee and then used an anecdotal story to describe what a Yankee is. I think the writer put the right amount of time into each element.

4.      “According to my friend, that's the first tenet of Yankee-ness.”

A Modest Proposal Questions

1.      The real thesis of “A Modest Proposal” is that the people of Ireland are treated very poorly and are in a very bad way. He also believes the country is not doing anything that would actually help the situation.

2.      Calculate, subtract, commodity, exchange, value, charge, shillings per annum.

3.      There are subtle hints of sarcasm before the actual proposal, but it becomes clear as day as soon as he mentions the idea of feeding baby’s to people in Ireland.

4.      The target’s of swift’s satirical attack are landlords, the wealthy, England, and Ireland itself. He does partially blame Ireland for its own troubles, bringing to attention many things the country could do to fix its problems through satire.

5.      In the last paragraph, Swift mentions that to fix the country, the following things need to be done, “…advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich.” It is implied that this should be included in any plan to fix the country.

6.      Satirically, he uses the last paragraph to state his pure intentions in relation to his proposal (that he personally has nothing to gain from it, and only wants to help his country). I think the last paragraph is also a list of suggestions on what could be done to help the country in another, realistic plan.

7.      Swift also uses appeals to emotion in his essay by telling of the suffering of the children and their parents who can’t afford to take care of them. I work at McDonald’s, and I have resisted my employer in more than one occasion. One event that sticks out in my mind is when one of the less experienced managers didn’t want me to “double team” ice (where one person gets the ice and hands it off for the other person to fill up) and do it myself. In pure defiance, I took one step every 3 seconds, making the process extremely slow and slowing up the restaurant. After 3 minutes, he finally gave in. I feel there is certainly a link between anger and other emotions and resistance, supported by my story above.

8.      If I had to market babies, I would call it “jeunet Déli,” a play on “jeune et délicieuse” meaning young and delicious. Also, the babies would have to be ground up or styled in a way that they would not be recognized as human infants. As any fast food executive will tell you, Americans will eat anything with the right marketing campaign.

Judy Brady Essay Questions

1.      This essay does not have an explicitly stated thesis, but that is part of what makes it so effective. The point she is trying to make is stated in passing, between the lines. The message is that husbands expect wives to do way to much, and even expect wives to not do things they do themselves.

2.      It emphasizes how much husbands expect wives to do.

3.      I don’t think Brady wants a wife like this, and this wife does not exist. The purpose of this essay is to display the unrealistic expectations husband’s hold for wives. 

4.      Brady’s definition of a wife, in relation to this essay, is a woman who is responsible for everything in her husband’s life. I feel that this expectation of what a wife should be is unrealistic and unfair, just how she wants people to perceive it.

5.      Dear Mrs. Brady,

I really enjoyed your “Why I Want a Wife” essay. I feel it is a very effective and persuasive way to get people to understand what is expected of many wives and what they do for their families. This essay made me realize how unfair and unrealistic these expectations are, no one person should have that many responsibilities. I will certainly not treat my wife this way, and will share all of these responsibilities. I think every man should read this essay, and they may decide to do the same.

Sincerely,

Brylan May

Satire Questions

My two favorite stories were The Little Girl and the Wolf and The Unicorn in the Garden. I liked The Little Girl and the Wolf because it is a good satire of Little Red Riding Hood, and pointed out some of the holes in the story I have noticed in the past (such as how a wolf shouldn’t look anything like a grandmother). I liked the Unicorn in the Garden because it is a good story about how trying to harm other people can come back and bite you. As mentioned, The Little Girl and the Wolf sounds like Red Riding Hood, but I am not aware of a story like The Unicorn in the Garden, though there may very well be one. I was surprised at how humorous these stories are; I greatly enjoyed reading them.

Fairy Tale Summaries

The Ant and the Grasshopper

The grasshopper played all summer instead of getting food, and he had none for winter. The moral is you can’t only play, you have to prepare.

The Bundle of Sticks

People try to break sticks when they are together, but they are too strong, so they have to broken individually. The moral is that union brings strength.

The Camel and the Arab

A camel driver asks the camel a stupid question, and gets a smart-elect response. The moral is that you shouldn’t ask obvious questions.

The Boys and the Frogs

Boys throw stones at frogs in a pond, until one frog tells them to stop because its killing them. The moral is that some things people do for fun can hurt others.

The Bald Man and the Fly

A fly flies around a mans head. The man hits himself trying to kill it. The moral is that you only hurt yourself if you let things bother you.

The Fisher An Aesop's Fable

Fish only dance to a fisherman’s bagpipe when they are in his net. The moral is you have to do what someone wants when you are in there power.

The Four Oxen and the Lion

Four oxen could defeat a lion when they were together, but were defeated when they separated. The moral is “united we stand, divided we fall.”

The Hare With Many Friends

A rabbit who has many “friends” gets turned away by all of them when she needs help. The moral is that he who has many friends has none.

The Horse and the Stag

A horse agrees to carry someone who says he will help get revenge on an enemy. The horse then becomes a slave. The moral is that if you want to hurt others, you usually get hurt yourself.

The Ox and the Frog

A mother frog tries to imitate the size of something that killed her child. The moral is that some things can’t be attained.

Little Red Riding Hood

Little red riding hood went to take a basket of cakes to her sick grandmother. On the way, she veered off the intended path and met the big bad wolf. The wolf, after hearing red riding hood’s grandmother lived alone, went to go eat her. When little red riding hood got to the house, the wolf had already eaten grandma and ate her as well. A hunter saved them both by killing the wolf, and little red riding hood never veered off of the path again.

Hansel and Gretel

Hansel and Gretel were abandoned in the woods by her father because there step mother wanted him to. The first time they returned home by way of a path Hansel made, but the second time the birds ate the bread crumbs he laid out. When they were lost, the stumbled on a cottage made of candy, inhabited by a witch. They trusted her and went inside, and she tried to eat them. She was dispatched by Gretel, and their father came back for them when the stepmother died. They lived happily ever after.

Fairy Tale Poem

Grasshopper and the Ant

Brylan May

The Grasshopper and the Ants, A classic tail.

I have always wondered about a few things,

Things that don’t really add up.

How did the grasshopper not know winter was coming?

He could have played 23 hours a day,

And searched for food for an hour,

Is that not enough?

Why wouldn’t the ants help a fellow insect.

If a friend of mine was too lazy to get a job,

I would still feed him if he was going to die.

It doesn’t make sense.

Finally, the Grasshopper is much larger than the ant,

Why didn’t he just overpower him and take the food,

If he was so desperate.

Or simply offered the ants something in return,

Like anyone else would.

These are the kinds of things I think about.

This I Believe Response

The four “This I Believe” essays I read had to do with the subjects of forgiveness, being politically moderate and in “the middle”, that love is stronger than death, and finally that everyone should be included. I noticed that these essays are typically written rather informally, and that they can be on a variety of topics. They also usually carry a very  profound realization/stance, though I suppose it is not required. I would greatly enjoy writing one of these again (I did one in 8^th grade).

Pictionary Paraghraphs

            The dessert was far cooler than I expected it would be at night, though not cold enough that something could glaciate. The luminance of the full moon out that night provided more light than I was hoping for; I work better in the dark. I’ve been doing this work for a very long time, but, I have never been asked to assassinate a foreign leader before. Although it may seem juvenile, I just wanted to be home with my family, but instead I was on another “business trip” a thousand miles away (The government doesn’t take kindly to disclosing their business). Shrugging off my home sickness, I made my way up to the top of the cliff. The view from the top of this colossus was perfect for the job. After over an hour of waiting, the dictator finally took to the podium in the secret military camp down below me. The soldiers encircled him, awaiting the words of wisdom their leader was about to give them. He was far brawnier than I had seen in the pictures. Once he started his speech, I took my weapon out of the bag and prepared to complete my mission. I remembered all of my training, “picture your self in a vacuum,” and “don’t ever look into their eyes, picture them faceless, and remember all the horrible things they have done.” I aimed with the contraption onto of the weapon, and counted to 3. A loud bang echoed through the desert, and the soldiers scrambled to find whoever took their leader from them. I would be far away before they even checked up on the cliff. As I flew back to my home, I prayed for the man, hoping that he did not experience any excruciating.

Random Word Rotation

I wake up at about 5 am, I am thirsty again. I reluctantly crawl out of bed and shuffle downstairs to the kitchen. I can’t see anything; it is as dark like a cave. As I take a step towards the refrigerator, I feel something squishy yet fury underneath my feet. “What’s the big idea?!” a mysterious creature squeaks. In pure shock, I jump up and run to the nearest chair and climb on top, clinging like a newborn to its mother. “Who’s there?” I stammer out of fear. I discover a flashlight after rummaging through the vast piles of junk on the kitchen table and illuminate the area were the noise is coming from. I can’t believe what the light reveals. Sitting there, in the tiny spotlight, is a mouse, a talking mouse. “Why would you just step on me? That wasn’t very nice!” I stood on the chair, my fear replaced by pure disbelief. 

The disbelief turns to exuberance as I conjure up in my mind the ways that I can use this diminutive little creature to build up a fortune in my bank.  The only trouble is, I first need to gain its trust and keep it for myself.  “My sincerest apologies, my little friend. I surely hope that I did not crush any of your delicate bones under my clumsy foot.  You must be famished…can I offer you some cheese?” The mouse, its beady black eyes narrowing at supposed kindness, fervently shakes its little head from side to side and states, “No thank you, I actually am lactose intolerant.  I was hoping to find some soy milk in this kitchen or perhaps some tofu to nibble on, so if you have something like that, I’d be glad to snack on it.” Some thoughts scramble through my mind like eggs at breakfast, and I turn an eagle eye to the mouse, saying, “Well here, hop into my hand and I’ll take you to inspect the refrigerator.”

            I frantically run to the refrigerator and swing to door open quickly not to lose the mouse’s attention. When I open the fridge, an explosion of light bathes me and the mouse. As we stare into the fridge, the mouse, very surprised, says, “My! You have quite a selection!”

The excitement of this evening brings images of the past to my mind. I picture pretending to be a cowboy riding through the desert with my friends in the hot sand box in the front yard.    Boy was that sun bright.  That was when I used to live in Spain.  My parents had to work outside of the United States for a year, so I got to experience all that Spain had to offer.  I remember these moments, almost as if a television is playing right in front of me. I remember the cooking class; the smell of delicious cakes and pies filling the air. I made a pineapple dessert, whose aroma overpowers that of all other desserts in the room.  The memories almost taunt me, brining up a much simpler and happier time.

I snap back out of my trance and discover the mouse is no longer there. I look and look all over the room, but to no avail. “Where did he go?!” I ask myself angrily. Finally, I spot the mouse in the corner of the room and sprit over as fast as a cheetah. “There you are, I thought I lost you!” I exclaim in delight. The mouse simply looks up, squeaks, and runs back inside of the wall. “I can’t understand, why can’t he talk! I just heard him!” As I was lamenting, I hear conversation outside of my door.

“That’s just Jeff, he thinks he is back at his home with a talking mouse.” The newly hired nurse shakes his head and says, “What should I do when he yells like that?” he asks the doctor. “Nothing.” He solemnly responds, “He normally figures it out sooner or later.”

3 Action Words

“I can’t believe that he is gone,” I lament to myself. Leaving the cemetery in the pouring rain after my grandmother’s funeral was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. All that went through my head were the times we played cards at the kitchen table, or took a walk down to the barn, talking about current events or exchanging jokes. A tear began to drip down my cheek, when I felt a strong but gentle hand rest upon my back. “I miss her too kido, but we have to be strong.” I immediately recognized the loving voice as my grandfather’s. “She would want both of us to carry on without her, and we have to do just that.” As my grandfather and I walked down the path towards the car, the rain ceased, and the sun peaked out from the dark clouds, brighter than I have ever seen it before.

            As both teams walked up to the line of scrimmage, my stomach began to turn. Three of our wide receivers had gotten injured, and I was in the game for the first time all season. I didn’t even usually get much time on the practice field, let alone in a state championship game. I could hear the defensive line snarling at their opposition; these were some of the biggest, scariest guys in the state. “Blue, 16, Idaho, Nevada, 16.” The quarterback was yelling commands as if he were a general on the battle field. He was throwing in the usual fake commands to throw the defense off, but my heart froze when he said his next line. “Nacho, NACHO!” he yelled, in my direction. This was my signal to go on a slant route across the middle into the end zone, something I had never done before. Time froze as I looked at the score board, making 4 seconds seem like 4 years. We were down by 5 points, with 6 seconds left on the clock, this was our last chance. The quarterback finally yelled hike, and I took off like a Lamborghini from the starting line. I juked the cornerback that was covering me and was wide open in the middle of the end zone. The quarterback, nerves getting the best of him, threw it much too high. Knowing this was my teams only shot, I leaped up into the air like a lion pouncing on prey. 2 defenders jumped to, and a pile on ensued. After the whistle was blown and the pile was separated, I triumphantly held the ball in the air. I had caught it; we were the new state champions.

Narrative Active Transformations

1.      My friends came over, and we all piled into the car.

a.       My friends scurried into the house, laughing and talking loudly. “What are you waiting for?” Tyler says, “I’m hungry, lets eat!.” My friends run out the door to pile in my car just as quickly as they had run in. I want to run too, but first have to pick up the 10 pound lug of a baby doll.

2.      These people were giving me rude looks and forming judgments about me because they thought I was a teenage mom.

a.       I can feel all of the eyes. The judgmental, critical eyes all staring at me. “Why would she let that happen to her?” they say in their heads as they gawk in disgust. It is one of the most dreadful feelings I have ever had.

3.      As I am walking around the mall, picturing myself in the different outfits, a loud, almost inhuman wail penetrates my ears. Looking around, trying to see what was causing the racket, I finally look down and realize it is the baby doll, screeching away. 

Narrative Editing Quetions

Brandon Carver

1.      Brandon’s essay is very genuine and believable. The events flow very well.

2.      I would correct the run-on sentences and spelling mistakes first and foremost. I would also add more detailed descriptions of certain events and places.

3.      I really like how Brandon sequenced the events in the story.

4.      The descriptions of the pure family bonding time was really moving to me. The story makes you realize the Brandon has a fun loving family that care about him.

Narrative Questions

Narrative Questions

·        I feel that my narrative is fairly engaging to the reader, although it may be able to be increased by being more descriptive.

·        My narrative is very sequential, there is a clear timeline.

·        My narrative could use a little more description, although it is decently strong in this area.

·        My narrative is especially strong in presenting important changes.

·        My narrative is told from my point of view.

·        The question of “How relevant is the story today?” is probably the weakest part of my narrative. This needs to be addressed.

·        I feel that my narrative presents a central idea (being that my mom has continually sacrificed in order to raise me).

Survey

1.      I greatly enjoy English classes, especially writing classes. I have always considered writing one of my talents and favorite pastimes.

2.      Shortstory, song, autobiography, nonfiction.

3.      Nonfiction, autobiographys, newspapers.

4.      This may sound cheesy, but I enjoy almost everything I do in school.

5.      D

6.      I adore classroom discussion. I enjoy listening to my peers’ view points and getting involved in scholarly debate with them.

7.      I typically lead discussions.

8.      When I have free time, I play video games, hang out with friends, or read. As far as extracurriculars go, I do mock trial, investment club, and do an internship at an HIV research lab.

9.      Over the weekend, I hung out with my best friend and went to a party celebrating the new job someone who used to work in my lab got. I really enjoyed it, it was interesting getting to speak with doctors and other exciting people.

10.  I suppose just that I am a good writer and liked to be challenged with writing assignments.

11.  I suppose the only question I have is how many writing assignments will we do this year.

1.      What did you think of this narrative?

a.       I thought this was very inspiring and well written. Helen Keller truly had an amazing story to tell.

2.      What was most interesting or engaging about it?

a. I thought the way in which she learned new words was very interesting. She could figure out the name for something just by touching it and having someone draw out the letters on her hand. This would be incredible for anyone, let alone a 7 year old.

3.      What surprised you?

a. The fact that she was able to vocalize these thoughts for someone to write down is astounding. I would not expect someone who was deaf and blind to be able to communicate this to someone.

4.      Did this change your outlook on Helen Keller at all? Why or why not?

a. I am already very familiar with Helen Keller’s story, so I know how amazing of a person she is. If someone was not familiar with her story, this narrative would most likely make them view has as what she truly is, a dedicated, intelligent, and special person.

5.      Copy and paste three examples of vivid detail and imagery that helped enhance the story

a.       1.) “As the cool stream gushed over one hand…”

2.) “The afternoon sun penetrated the mass of honeysuckle that covered the porch, and fell on my upturned face.”

3.) “My fingers lingered almost unconsciously on the familiar leaves and blossoms which had just come forth to greet the sweet southern spring.”

6. How can a narrative be more engaging than something like a biography? Why is it important to get someone's personal perspective?

            a. A narrative can be far more engaging than a biography because of both perspective it is written from and the writing style typical of the two types. Biographies are typically more dry and factual, while narratives are filled with exciting imagery. Also, biographies are written by someone else, while narratives are almost always written by the person themselves. It is important to get someone’s perspective because it is more meaningful to hear exactly what was going thought there head at that moment straight from them.

7. Make a bulleted list of some things you could write a narrative about

·        Growing up with a single parent.

·        Importance of going to college.

·        The Quest to go to college.

·        Working in an HIV research lab.

Where I'm from

Where I’m From

By Brylan H. May

I am from the rolling hills of Jackson, Ohio,

From the apple festival,

Playing games in the arcade and riding the cheesy rides.

I am from Gran’s apple pie,

Which filled the entire house with its sweet aroma.

I am from the farm out on 93,

And Easter egg hunts at Uncle Garry’s,

And the hot dog roasts over a crackling fire after we had finished.

I am from Nintendo 64 and Xbox,

With cousins from Oklahoma crowding around the T.V waiting to play James Bond.

I am from watching America’s Funniest Home Videos in Gran’s living room,

Watching people fall off of bicycles,

Laughing about how we “should have sent that one tape.”

I am from law dictionaries and medical journals,

From finance and biology textbooks.

I am from dreams of the Ivy League,

And making a better life for my future family than I had.

This is who I am,

What makes me me.