During the time around Thanksgiving many people think about what they have to be thankful for. For the adults many are thankful for family members, friends, good health, and things such as these. Children are sometimes thankful for the same things, but are also thankful for the more childlike things in life such as toys and some of their crazy ideas. These are both stereotypes of course so they are not necessarily true, but personally I can't blame either party for being thankful for those things. However let's get to the main point.
Personally I am thankful for every one of my friends in our English class. I appreciate every friend that I have. However since I'm supposed to write about one or two I'll write about Gabriel Caniglia and Kay Kay.
I'm thankful for these two friends because they both have put up with me for almost two or three years now. They have helped me by being there when I had a problem or if I didn't know when the homework was due. This was mainly in World Studies last year where I did notes quite a few times during lunch...... Anyway that's besides the point. Gabe and Kay Kay are two friends who I am very thankful to have met because they are both very bright individuals who know how to cheer up a friend when they need it and they are all around awesome. I hope I can be a wonderful friend back to them and I certainly hope we will be friends for a good while.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!!! Have a great five day weekend!!!
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Friday, November 8, 2013
So he is dead?
Over the course of events that make up "Macbeth" we see Macbeth give up the life that he had for one that seemed to promise a more rewarding end. However, was the cost a bit to high for the actual outcome? Were there mistakes from beginning to end that changed what could've happened?
I personally think that from the beginning Macbeth made some mistakes, but I also believe that many persons that live on this planet today would also make these same basic mistakes because of flaws in humanity. I do not believe that being king, and the road necessary to get there, would be something worth dying for in Macbeth's case. He had a nice position in society and he could of stayed r even moved up in society as the years go on. However since the witches foretold his future and were correct greed kicked in and over powered the morals that Macbeth once had. without this initial spark there seems to be no possibility for the story because Macbeth was content in the state he was in. He did not need to move up to be the top boss, or anything of that nature because he was in a state of happiness as it was. Therefore because of this I believe that overall the whole road to being king was not worth it for all of the blood that was spilled and the chaos that was caused.
I personally think that from the beginning Macbeth made some mistakes, but I also believe that many persons that live on this planet today would also make these same basic mistakes because of flaws in humanity. I do not believe that being king, and the road necessary to get there, would be something worth dying for in Macbeth's case. He had a nice position in society and he could of stayed r even moved up in society as the years go on. However since the witches foretold his future and were correct greed kicked in and over powered the morals that Macbeth once had. without this initial spark there seems to be no possibility for the story because Macbeth was content in the state he was in. He did not need to move up to be the top boss, or anything of that nature because he was in a state of happiness as it was. Therefore because of this I believe that overall the whole road to being king was not worth it for all of the blood that was spilled and the chaos that was caused.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Lady Macbeth's Soliloquy
During the story of Macbeth by William Shakespeare we see our main character, Macbeth, encounter an odd chance of seeing into what maybe the future. After finding out that he was to become king Macbeth was very happy for his fortune except for one small detail. This one small detail was that he may have to cross certain boundaries in his own mind to achieve this goal. however for him he may have a little help from his home.
After receiving a letter from Macbeth about him being a King in the future we see Mrs. Macbeth's reaction and how she plans to obtain this for herself and also for her husband. She can see instantly that her husband is too bound to his moral code to do anything himself about becoming king. We see this as she talks about how her husband is too full of the milk of human kindness and how his nature is too good to be able to act on evil impulses.
Therefore she herself must act. We see this as she talks of how she needs her milk which is used to nurture and for kindness gets turned into gall which is basically a poison. She says to fill her from the head to toe with cruelty so long as it is for the good of her family all in all.
My overall response to this would be that in some ways it seems as though all of this is being done for greed. This is because although she may say she is doing this for Macbeth or for her family in reality does she know what Macbeth wants? I mean he just got promoted to Thane of Cawdor and seems to be living pretty well under a just king., so I believe that she should leave it to Macbeth to decide for himself. However, it will be interesting to see what she does throughout the play.
After receiving a letter from Macbeth about him being a King in the future we see Mrs. Macbeth's reaction and how she plans to obtain this for herself and also for her husband. She can see instantly that her husband is too bound to his moral code to do anything himself about becoming king. We see this as she talks about how her husband is too full of the milk of human kindness and how his nature is too good to be able to act on evil impulses.
Therefore she herself must act. We see this as she talks of how she needs her milk which is used to nurture and for kindness gets turned into gall which is basically a poison. She says to fill her from the head to toe with cruelty so long as it is for the good of her family all in all.
My overall response to this would be that in some ways it seems as though all of this is being done for greed. This is because although she may say she is doing this for Macbeth or for her family in reality does she know what Macbeth wants? I mean he just got promoted to Thane of Cawdor and seems to be living pretty well under a just king., so I believe that she should leave it to Macbeth to decide for himself. However, it will be interesting to see what she does throughout the play.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Greed
The "Pardoner's Tale" is a classic example of greed that one can see throughout the history of mankind. Even from the beginning of the story some signs of greed start to show their faces. All three men are united upon the fact that they will be honored for their glorious deed of killing death, and in its own way this is a sort of greed for power and wealth. These things often drive human nature and I feel as though this is why many can relate to this story.
Although greed is common in modern society there are some situations that stand out and are closer linked to this story. One such instance is in a business or when people are trying to get promoted. When people compete in activities such as these there are often times where it is easy to throw the other person under the bus. Whether you catch your opponent breaking the rules, or if you are setting something up so that it seems they did it wrong, it is greed that leads your path. Because of this no one can succeed in this situation because in the end all are losers. The other person will not get the promotion, and even then you can be found to have guilt. In other words all end up dead.
Although greed is common in modern society there are some situations that stand out and are closer linked to this story. One such instance is in a business or when people are trying to get promoted. When people compete in activities such as these there are often times where it is easy to throw the other person under the bus. Whether you catch your opponent breaking the rules, or if you are setting something up so that it seems they did it wrong, it is greed that leads your path. Because of this no one can succeed in this situation because in the end all are losers. The other person will not get the promotion, and even then you can be found to have guilt. In other words all end up dead.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Truth
In the story "Grendel" by John Gardener trying to find the truth seems to be a big for Grendel. Whether it be listening to the songs of the Shaper or to the wise tales of the Dragon, Grendel doesn't know the truth because his version of what is correct has been shattered after leaving the cave for the first time. I believe that in this story the truth varies from different perspectives as it does in everyday life.
From the perspective of the Shaper one might see that what he sings is basically what his life has been. He sings about the triumphs and history of what he knows. To him these are his truths, because he cannot see anything else. The Shaper can only rely on others for what the truth is when it comes to vision. Therefore his truth is going to come from those who are victorious and he will hear their side of the story, and most likely it will be a mix of truths and lies since many will try to bring more warriors to their cause. It is with these songs that he makes people feel as though what they are doing is okay. He makes it so they don't feel as much guilt for what they have done in these battles.
In contrast, Grendel views things a different way because he sees a bigger picture than the Shaper does. He sees the entire conflict and because of this he has his own twist on how things really have gone.
From the perspective of the Shaper one might see that what he sings is basically what his life has been. He sings about the triumphs and history of what he knows. To him these are his truths, because he cannot see anything else. The Shaper can only rely on others for what the truth is when it comes to vision. Therefore his truth is going to come from those who are victorious and he will hear their side of the story, and most likely it will be a mix of truths and lies since many will try to bring more warriors to their cause. It is with these songs that he makes people feel as though what they are doing is okay. He makes it so they don't feel as much guilt for what they have done in these battles.
In contrast, Grendel views things a different way because he sees a bigger picture than the Shaper does. He sees the entire conflict and because of this he has his own twist on how things really have gone.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
A Modern Day Beowulf
In a modern society scarred by corruption and the weakness of the human race, it is hard to think of a person or group of people who I would truly referred to as a "modern day Beowulf". Beowulf was so pure that it becomes difficult to compare him to anyone today. Humans have major flaws - greediness, selfishness, hatred, laziness, the list goes on and on.
All humans have some degree of weakness, but I won't let those take center stage. In a more optimistic view of modern society, the people who most closely represent a modern day Beowulf in my opinion are the men and women of law enforcement.
Although police are represented negatively by the press in many situations based upon the actions of a few, it is not to assume they are all bad or all law enforcement organizations are thoroughly corrupt. The primary purpose of police officers is to protect citizens from harm, from those who want to do harm. Each and every day, officers go out into the areas no one wants to go, working in areas no one wants to work, and they don't know what they will encounter. They prepare for the worst and hope for the best, not knowing whether or not they will see their families again. Every single day, 24 hours a day, police officers are out there, protecting people and preventing evil things from happening. They are constantly struggling with fate, and they do this willingly. No one forced them to sign up to be the police. Their oath to serve and protect is not taken lightly. The men and women that make up the police force believe in their country, state, county, or city. They believe in keeping the streets safe, and they know the risk they take. They stick their necks out for the sake of good, and we need more people like them in the world.
All humans have some degree of weakness, but I won't let those take center stage. In a more optimistic view of modern society, the people who most closely represent a modern day Beowulf in my opinion are the men and women of law enforcement.
Although police are represented negatively by the press in many situations based upon the actions of a few, it is not to assume they are all bad or all law enforcement organizations are thoroughly corrupt. The primary purpose of police officers is to protect citizens from harm, from those who want to do harm. Each and every day, officers go out into the areas no one wants to go, working in areas no one wants to work, and they don't know what they will encounter. They prepare for the worst and hope for the best, not knowing whether or not they will see their families again. Every single day, 24 hours a day, police officers are out there, protecting people and preventing evil things from happening. They are constantly struggling with fate, and they do this willingly. No one forced them to sign up to be the police. Their oath to serve and protect is not taken lightly. The men and women that make up the police force believe in their country, state, county, or city. They believe in keeping the streets safe, and they know the risk they take. They stick their necks out for the sake of good, and we need more people like them in the world.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
"Me"
My name is Thomas Case, but feel free to call me Tom. I'm sixteen years old and here to tell you a little about myself:
I attended Morgan Park Academy on the south side of Chicago from pre-school through eighth grade. While at MPA, I played on the soccer, basketball, and baseball teams. I was also a member of the Spanish Club and a member of the National Junior Honor Society. I had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica with my Spanish class in both 7th and 8th grade.
During my ten years at that school, I also made many wonderful friendships, some of which are still lasting to this day. Perhaps the best is with my friend, Michael Perry, who I have known since first grade. Of all my friends from MPA, Mike is one of the few I still see a lot. When I started high school at Whitney Young, many of my old MPA friends didn't try to stay in touch, but Mike made sure we stayed connected. My relationships with others from MPA seemed to die off and I don't see or talk to others very often. For me, this was hard because I had known many of them since preschool and thought we would always be close. But going to different high schools seems to change things for some people.
That's enough about my past. Let me tell you about who I am today. Currently, I am an active member in Boy Scout Troop 609 and am about to obtain the rank of Eagle Scout. I spent this summer completing my Eagle Scout project and the last few merit badges I needed to obtain Eagle, the highest rank in scouting. It has been a lot of hard work but totally worth it.
The sports I enjoy and participate in at school include volleyball and softball. I enjoy playing trumpet in the band. I also play piano and a little guitar. My favorite book series is "A Song of Fire and Ice," more commonly known as "Game of Thrones," written by George R. R. Martin. I eagerly recommend the book series to anyone who needs a few good books to read, but be warned, they are quite lengthy. Also, I love to play paintball. I find it challenging and a fun hobby.
Finally, let me tell you a little bit about my current subjects at school. I admit that English is one of my weaker subjects, mainly because I don't think I am a deep analyzer and not strong with subjective thought. But I always put forth my best effort. I prefer math and science classes, because of the black and white nature of whether the answer is right or wrong, there's no gray area. I also have US History this year and so far, it's pretty interesting.
So, for now, that's an intro to me, Tom Case. More to come......
I attended Morgan Park Academy on the south side of Chicago from pre-school through eighth grade. While at MPA, I played on the soccer, basketball, and baseball teams. I was also a member of the Spanish Club and a member of the National Junior Honor Society. I had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica with my Spanish class in both 7th and 8th grade.
During my ten years at that school, I also made many wonderful friendships, some of which are still lasting to this day. Perhaps the best is with my friend, Michael Perry, who I have known since first grade. Of all my friends from MPA, Mike is one of the few I still see a lot. When I started high school at Whitney Young, many of my old MPA friends didn't try to stay in touch, but Mike made sure we stayed connected. My relationships with others from MPA seemed to die off and I don't see or talk to others very often. For me, this was hard because I had known many of them since preschool and thought we would always be close. But going to different high schools seems to change things for some people.
That's enough about my past. Let me tell you about who I am today. Currently, I am an active member in Boy Scout Troop 609 and am about to obtain the rank of Eagle Scout. I spent this summer completing my Eagle Scout project and the last few merit badges I needed to obtain Eagle, the highest rank in scouting. It has been a lot of hard work but totally worth it.
The sports I enjoy and participate in at school include volleyball and softball. I enjoy playing trumpet in the band. I also play piano and a little guitar. My favorite book series is "A Song of Fire and Ice," more commonly known as "Game of Thrones," written by George R. R. Martin. I eagerly recommend the book series to anyone who needs a few good books to read, but be warned, they are quite lengthy. Also, I love to play paintball. I find it challenging and a fun hobby.
Finally, let me tell you a little bit about my current subjects at school. I admit that English is one of my weaker subjects, mainly because I don't think I am a deep analyzer and not strong with subjective thought. But I always put forth my best effort. I prefer math and science classes, because of the black and white nature of whether the answer is right or wrong, there's no gray area. I also have US History this year and so far, it's pretty interesting.
So, for now, that's an intro to me, Tom Case. More to come......
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