How to make it Better

After talking to my colleagues, I've come up with some new ideas on how to make my college blog better. One I should talk about the six colleges that are at UCSD. To many people this may be very confusing because most colleges only have one college. That should talking some explanation from someone that has some information about them. Also I should add how my thought process was when trying to figure out what college to pick. How I went about applying to certain schools and overall what was it that made me choose UCSD as the school for me. I plan on using what I learned from my colleagues on my blog so that my blog will appeal to more people and be more effective.

Individual Work

• So far, I have created my blog for the college group.  There isn't much on it right now, it just has what the blog is about and what the plan is for the blog. 
• With the two weeks we have left, I will have to add much more information about the school.  I will also have too provide other information that would be beneficial for people who have UCSD in mind for a school they may be choosing.
• My blog that I have created will be beneficial to other students because they may have questions about the college and they can ask me directly or see if the blog has any answers for them.  Also they will have opinions from a student that currently attends the school. 

My Plan

• My goal for the last part of the year, is to help create information on a college board.  I initially had idea of creating a blog with my friends with information that would help on any college, but then with tabs on each of blog that had information about our individual schools we will be attending.  Then I heard there was already a blog doing that, so I think we will collaborate with them and brainstorm ideas and create that blog. 
• The materials and resources that I will need is the internet for the information about UCSD.  I also have books and tips for incoming freshman that I can use for the blog.  I feel that the internet will be a huge resource that I will use throughout this process. 
• My timeline and production schedule is looking like we have about two-two and half weeks until we need to present our finished product.  In this time I will have to do a lot of research on UCSD and organize that into a clean and effective blog. 
• I will present this to my colleagues by showing them the website on the projector and I will be up explaining my blog to them. Also if they have any questions I will be up there answering them for them.  

Study Journal 2

Today my studying included going on the main blog and looking at the exam practice and reference page.  I looked at some released question and tried to work my way through those. The questions I looked at didn't have any answers so I'm not sure how I did on them.  I think that the multiple choice will still be the hardest part of the Ap test and that's why I'm spending the most time on that.

Study Journal

Today we talked about some of the books that we read this year for our literature analysis. Many of us read the same book so we just discussed themes and plots of those books. I also went back and studied the lit terms from the past because I feel like I struggle on those. Today is going to be dedicated to learning as many lit terms and vocabulary as I can. I think this will help with the multiple choice questions on the Ap test. 

A Reflection on Unstructured Learning

The theme of the writing was that sometimes you can get answers to your questions, from unexpected sources. The man in this excerpt was looking for a name for when he goes out in character at night. He was unsure and couldn't think of a name for some time. After turning down plenty of beers by his co-worker, he got the name "Nite Owl". That is what he stuck with and that was a unexpected source that gave him the answer to his problem. This could happen to anyone with a question or problem. 

Ap study plan expirence

While studying for the Ap test I used the English Literature and Composition section 1 the one with the answer key. I did the first 8 questions and tried to pick the answers that I would pick on the actual test. It is kind of hard to pick the answers that I would honestly pick, but it is a good test to see if I have any clue about the questions and the answers. I have a harder time identifying the literary terms and I think those questions are harder for me. Also there was another question that was asked and I had a hard time with. It asked what the view of nature might best be described as. I didn't know what any of the answers meant except for one and I didn't feel like that was right. If I were taking the test it would be beneficial if I knew that.  

Essay Prompts

Th essay prompts that I thought were best for Macbeth were these 3:  1976 The conflict created when the will of an individual opposes the will of the majority is the recurring theme of many novels, plays, and essays. Select the work of an essayist who is in opposition to his or her society; or, from a work of recognized literary merit, select a fictional character who is in opposition to his or her society.  In a critical essay analyze the conflict and discuss the moral and ethical implications for both the individual and the society.  Do not summarize the plot or action of the work you choose. 1979 Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognizedliterary merit who might, on the basis of the character’s actions alone, beconsidered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and whythe full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary. 1983 From a novel or play of literary merit, select an important character who is avillain. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the nature of the character s villainy and show how it enhances meaning in the work. Do not summarize plot.

My Plan

My plan to study for the Ap exam will consist of viewing the practice tests on the main blog. After viewing them I will see what I know and see what I need to work on. With the questions I have I would ask my classmates and collaborate to figure out the answers. The questions we still are confused with, we will ask Dr. Preston the answer too.

Macbeth Speech

Video recorded by Summer Morgan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XtHaAg7ZaQ&context=C45bbb42ADvjVQa1PpcFOOK0NEJxEHUAttKYNMhcfYOJOphLoVD2c=

Macbeth Lecture Notes

• Straight forward play compared to other Shakespeare writings and character driven play
• No real humor or humanity; only example of some sort of humor was the scene with the porter and that is arguable
• It's a great tragedy; with Macbeth as a tragic character- has a flaw that influences outcome of story and leads to their demise.
• Macbeth is loaded with honor and enjoys what the future may bring on him. And starts the story being well liked and having many people on his side.  By the end he is isolated without a place in the social community 
•  He did this all to himself and was the architect of own destruction.  

Murder of Duncan 

• Why isn't Macbeth happy with what he has?
• Because of his ambition and his want to be king. He even says it in Act 1 scene 7 in lines 25-28
• Macbeth doesn't question the witches and this makes Lady Macbeth curious and she says this is Act 1 scene 7 lines 41-49
• Macbeth is constantly changing his mind and by not questioning the witches, Shakespeare is letting us know that he isn't surprised by them
• He does have a very good understanding of right and wrong, which is a heroic quality 
• If he were to kill King Duncan, then that would be violating every rule of the community, but he must act on his want to be king
• For Banquo he realizes that the prophecy is unreal and isn't worth it to him to break the law; on the other hand the prophecy obsesses Macbeth and takes over his life
• Lady Macbeth is always there to try and convince Macbeth to do the wrong thing. She is the evil impulse of the story
• She doesn't seem very mother like and tells Macbeth to be more manly
• Even thought she is the evil impulse we can blame Lady Macbeth for what Macbeth ends up doing
• The dagger is important because he can't grab it and after puts a horror into Macbeth for what he is about to do

Macbeth as King 

• After this he is the least admirable tragic hero; he is a mass murderer; it could be his horrible determination
• Macbeth will not compromise and pay whatever price no matter how much it will cost him
• irony- his evil makes him afraid of his own self
• Lady Macbeth falls apart and some of the examples are sleep walking, fainting and eventually killing herself.  Her lack of inner will and her inability to separate herself from human nature

Macbeth Test Answers

Part I.

1. A. Slaying the traitor Macdonwald.
2. B. The Thane of Cawdor him.
3.  A. I and II only
4. A. His titles of Glamis and Cawdor.
5. A. The traitorous Thane of Cawdor.
6. B. A metaphor.
7. B. "too full of the milk of human kindness."
8.  B. II and III
9. C. has accepted the challenge to slay the king.
10:A. get the chamberlains drunk.
11.he is one of King Duncan's generals, noted for his fierce courage. In his battle against Duncan's enemies, he fights so furiously and valiantly that Duncan rewards him by making him the Thane of Cawdor. He then becomes a bloodthirsty tyrant as he sets out to gain the throne of Scotland. In the plays conclusion, the last view of Macbeth is one of courage in battle, a glimpse of his former self.
12.Macbeths ambition is aroused by the witches' prophecies, and once he becomes Thane of Cawdor, he sets out to gain the throne of Scotland.
13.Macbeth gained his power with help from the Witches and it destroyed him. They present things to Macbeth, planting the seed of ambition which is watered by his wife. He brings about his own demise, the witches were only the tools who acted as a catalyst.
14.Macbeth lets ambition corrupt him immediately upon learning that he has become the new Thane of Cawdor. The fact that one of the witches' prophecies comes true makes him hungry for the rest. Banquo, however, is very distrusting of the witches' because they are evil beings. He won't put much stock into what they have said just yet because he's concerned about the reprecussions. 
15. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are very interesting in so far as they are quite ambivalent. Lady Macbeth admires her husband but also triggers his downfall. Lady Macbeth encourages her husband to slay Duncan. 
This event is pivotal and needs to be stressed if we really want to understand the whole concatenation of this wonderful yet mysterious play. Lady Macbeth symbolizes evil, Macbeth symbolizes gullibility. In short the relationships between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth can be construed as a mixture of cruelty, anger and admiration. 

Part 2

1. B. dagger.
2.  B. he looked like her father
3.  B. remind the audience of the Witches' prophecies.
4.  A. because they fear the daggers in men's smiles.
5.  C. he will eradicate all records of their previous crimes.
6.  A. conversing with the Ghost of Banquo
7. A. I and II
8.  C. I, II, and III
9.  B. suspects a trick.
10.  B. the camouflaged soldiers make their advance.

Macbeth notes

• grew up in a violent family 
• lived a lifestyle where it was survival of the fittest 
• what's a real name?
• please King James 1 and entertain him 
• from Rapheal Hdinsted's chronicles and it's more exciting 
• to try to take over throne is the greatest crime against humanity 
• Macbeth is tragic hero, ambitious, intelligent,  and spirited 

Top 3 blogs

From the blogs that I just went on, these are my favorite three.

http://chadenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
http://mckrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
http://mscrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/

Literature Analysis Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e02cQ8DHqE&context=C4b5ca0aADvjVQa1PpcFO0TaxART7akRXCkj5NcQldOFtmgfDIcyI=

MIndmap L.A. notes

http://www.mindmeister.com/maps/show/148704491

Lord of the Flies starts of with a group of British boys whose plane crashes on a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean.  With no adults, the boys are left to fend for and govern themselves. The boys range in age from six to twelve, and Ralph, one of the older boys, becomes “chief” with the assistance of a conch shell.
The first trouble begins when the boys become fearful of a “beast” somewhere on the island. Troubles aside, they decide it would be best to build a fire to signal any passing ships. To do so, they use the glasses of a boy named Piggy. 
Things heat up when another boy, Jack, jealous of Ralph’s power, decides the boys should devote their energies to hunting food instead of maintaining the fire. Jack, among many others, seems to become more and more savage the longer they are on the island. Meanwhile our other key player, a wise and philosophical boy named Simon, works with Piggy to build shelters.  
It all goes swimmingly until these  conflicts become not so strange and the boys who are supposed to be tending the fire skip out on their duties to kill a pig. The scene makes all the boys seem like primitive savages instead of well-behaved British gentlemen. The blood and gore of the hunt is all very exciting until they realize that, while they were out being bloodthirsty boys, the fire went out and a ship passed by without noticing them. Jack has also managed to punch Piggy in the face and break one lens of his glasses. 
Right about this time a dead man attached to a parachute blows in Mary-Poppins-style to the island. The war going on outside the island seems to be responsible for the fact that he is dead. Anyway, the mysterious parachuting creature is mistaken for the beast, and the boys begin a massive hunt to kill it. Only Simon is doubtful that there is such a creature, believing instead that the beast is part of them, that their fears are only about themselves. He goes off into the woods to contemplate the situation while Jack and Ralph ascend the mountain and find the beast  but don’t stick around long enough to see that it is in fact only a dead man.
Back in the group, Jack decides Ralph shouldn’t be chief anymore. He secedes from the union, if you will, and invites whoever wants to come with him and kill things. Ralph and Piggy set about building the fire, but realize by the end of it that most of the older children have gone, presumably to join Jack. During all of this, Simon is hidden in his nifty meditation spot, watching Jack and Co. hunt a pig. This time, they slaughter a fat mother pig, cut off her head, and jam it onto a stick in the ground.
Simon stares at the head, which he calls “the Lord of the Flies” as it tells him that it is the beast and that it is part of him. Simon passes out, gets a bloody nose, and wakes up covered in sweat, blood, and other generally disgusting things. Despite all this, he decides to continue up the mountain to face the beast. Simon discovers that the beast is in fact just a man. Then he vomits and staggers down the mountain.
By now, Ralph and Piggy are attending a big feast/party that Jack is throwing. It’s all a frenzied reenactment of the pig hunt until Simon, still bloody, sweaty, and covered in puke, stumbles down into the center of the crazed boys. He tries to tell them about the beast, but he is unrecognizable and the boys jab at him with their spears until he is dead. Again, the boys are portrayed as savage animals.

Simon’s body is washed out to sea that night, as is the body of the dead parachuting man. Ralph and Piggy later convince themselves they didn’t take part in murdering Simon.
It’s all downhill from here; Jack’s crew attacks Ralph and Piggy and steals Piggy's eyeglasses to make fire on their own. When Ralph and Piggy decide to calmly talk it out with the “savages,” Roger pushes a huge boulder off a cliff which kills Piggy. Ralph ends up running for his life, finds out that there’s a head-on-stick future planned for him, and at last makes it to the shore of the island where he runs into…an officer of the British Navy. The boys are rescued from their mock war, but we’re left with the image of the Navy’s “trim cruiser” from the real war of the adults.

Discussion Notes

• Having internet helps people around the world ask questions that anyone can answer.  People are able to answer questions and learn in another way. 
• Learning opportunities don't stop in the classroom, because you have people out there who are able to help you out and teach you something you want to learn. 
• In the cyber world we are able to do something great and are able to change the world.
• "First step to bettering the world starts with question" and we can solve our issues through this way without leading to violence. 
• The more rules you have, the harder it is to break those habits.  They have helped you survive and stay out of trouble.  
• Do what you love, but its also as important to love what you do 
• Everything you do requires trade offs and even if you love it, then it will eventually turn into work.
• School is so directed and has so many restrictions.  This has taken away from people self-learning and has take away people's ability to go out and learn on there own.

These concepts can enhance my learning because it gives me a reason to go and learn something on my own. Like we said in class, school has taught us to go things a certain way and that has take away from our self-learning that we do when we are younger.  Also something like video makes me want to make some questions of my own and figure out the answers to those.  If I were to do that then I would be learning in the process and not even really realizing it.  

They can help me for the Ap test because they give me the idea to ask questions about what I don't know and try to figure that out.  I can find ways to learn how to write a better essay or to do better on the multiple choice section.  Also if we were to learn in a different way like we were talking about in class, I think I will have more enthusiasm for the class.  Then I will eventually be more successful on the Ap test. 

We will be able to collaborate with other people by putting reaching out to people.  Whether that  being asking a question or finding a common interest with that person.  It will also improve the information exchange and overall value of your learning network. There will be an exchange because the people we are reaching out to will be able to answer questions we have and they will be able to use our blogs in whatever way they want too. 

What is 'dropping knowledge?' video notes

The Internet allows globalization, localization and delocalization. 
Listen talk and understand each others religion concepts and view points of the world. 
How do  perceive the world around you? Is it strange and unfamiliar or you have an understanding. 
Every effort to change the world starts with asking questions. 
There needs to be big meetings to discus the issues that people question. 
The modern form of communication is from multiple viewpoints and these people asking questions. 
Even though we are all different we have a lot of the same problems. 
We should come together as one to celebrate diversity and multiple viewpoints. 
Present voices aren't usually magnified in the media. 
Are brands more powerful than governments? Some brands are more powerful and some brands are governments. 
If Darwin's theory is right and life began in Africa, why are African states less developed than western states? It's not about the theory it's about power relations and how they are structured, we need to deconstruct and separate power. 
If these questions are asked how are we going to get the world to listen? The answers will be on the Internet and will be protected by a copy left   
license there fore every answer belongs to society and everyone will be able to work with these answers. 
What's your question???

Literature Analysis 5

1. Of Mice and Men by John  Steinbeck is about two friends named George and Lennie, they are going to a new job to work on a ranch.  George is a shorter man but very smart and witty, on the other hand Lennie is a bigger stronger man but slow on the intellectual side. We learn Lennie has a mental disability and George is the one who has to take care of him.  There are sometimes when George feels life would be easier if he didn't have Lennie, but its obvious their friendship and devotion is mutual. The men arrive at the ranch and George tells the boss that the two of them are cousins and Lennie was kicked in the head by a horse when he was young.  They are hired and meet the workers for the first time a short period after that. George admits to Slim that he and Lennie are not cousins and they are best friends.  He tells him that Lennie has gotten them into trouble in the past, like their last job where he got accused of rape.  Candy gives in to the pressure and lets Carlson kill his old dog. Curley picks a fight with Lennie and in the altercation Lennie breaks his hand.  The next night the men go out and Lennie is left behind with Crooks and Curleys wife.  While in the barn Curleys wife approaches Lennie in the barn, he tells her he likes to pet soft things and starts petting her hair.  He pulls to hard and she starts screaming and in an attempt to quiet her he snaps her neck.  Lennie leaves to the spot where George told him to go if he got into trouble.  George meets him there a short time later and doesn't seem mad but just talks to his best friend.  While his head is turned he puts the gun to his head and kills his friend out of mercy.  When the rest of the people get there, they are confused on what had happened as Slim and George walk off.
2.  One thing in this novel is friendship and how much of an impact it can have on people. The friendship between George and Lennie is very strong and is the closest thing to brothers either of them have.  They both have one another's best interest in mind, protect each other, and know that there is someone in the world who is dedicated to looking over them.  They each have a dream that brings their friendship even closer and that dream is what shapes their life.  Even though there is a tragic end to the story, there is still no doubt that their friendship is as strong as ever at the end of the story.
3. The tone for Of Mice and Men is both sentimental and tragic.  It is sentimental in the fact that the audience starts to gain compassion for Lennie and then there is a plot twist towards the end.  The audience feels bad for Lennie and that's why there is a sentimental tone to it.  It is tragic because right when you get a sense that things are starting to go right for George and Lennie, there is a turn in the story that brings a sense of failure for their life.
4. One literary technique that is used often are symbols. One symbol is George and Lennie's Farm and this is what their dream is.  It also seduces all the characters in the story and it also makes the reader want to believe that there is the possibility of a free life.  The farm gives a sense of freedom and protection from the outside world.  There is also foreshadowing and one example from the book is when Lennie is petting the dead mouse at the beginning of the story.  We learn that he likes to pet soft stuff and ends up killing some animals.  At the end of the story he accidentally kills the bunny which leads to his downfall and eventually his death.

9 Elements of Poetry

The poem I choose awhile ago was "I Cry" by Tupac Shakur.  It meant a lot to me and I thought it brought a different side to the rapper Tupac.  

• The first element from the poem is dramatic situation.  The speaker of the poem is the rapper 2pac and from the poem we can tell he is a sad guy who often is upset.  We can tell from his circumstances that the people around him don't care enough about him to help him with his depression. 
• The structure of the poem is it is one stanza but has three last little lines by themselves. All the lines in the poem relate to the fact that he is depressed but has to hid that from the people around him.  Each line is a complete thought that continues off of the last one.  There is only repetition in the lines with "I Cry" in them and the poem has a rhyming scheme to it. 
• The theme of the poem is that most people do have as sensitive side to them.  Tupac was supposed to be this bad guy who is tough and doesn't let anything get to him. When really he was more vulnerable then almost everyone gave him credit.  He even had to act like this tough guy in front of the people around him because they didn't care about his soft side.  The theme is don't judge a book by it's cover. 
• The grammar the author uses is proper but the lines are fragments.  The author doesn't continue off of these fragments so his thoughts are complete to the audience.  There is a lot of meaning to his words that go beyond the literal meanings of the words. 
• I think that this poem does have a lot of literal and figurative language.  When he repeats "I cry but only when I'm alone," he is literally meaning that the only time when he does get to cry and let his emotions out is when he is by himself.  The figurative language he uses is like, "they flow with life but take no form," by that he is talking about his tears and how they don't really show up but they flow throughout his daily life. 
• The important words of the poem are, "I Cry", "only when I'm alone", and "I would cry among my treasure friend." These are the most important words because the author is letting us know that he does in fact cry but he only does this when he is alone.  If he did have a friend that cared then he would spill his emotions to that person, but since he doesn't he has to hide those feelings.
• The tone of this poem is sad and gloomy.  He wants the audience to know that there is this side to him that is depressed and is going through tough times in life, but really has no one to turn to and help him out. 
• There are some literary techniques like metaphors and a hyperbole.  His metaphors compare his tears to the way people perceive him.  He says that his tears are bitter and warm, and this may be because he doesn't want to have these emotions to keep his tough guy image but it does feel good to let them out when he can.  He exaggerates the fact that his crying takes form and is with him all the time. 
• The procedure of the poem is there is a distinct flow to it, that is easy for the reader to comprehend what his message his.  There is also a rhythm to it and that also helps to the reader.  The rhyme is ever two lines are grouped together throughout. 
• 
  

Why he wrote it?

Charles Dickens wrote the book Great Expectations to portray life during this time in England. It is a semi-autobiographical story and is claimed to be his darkest writing. It is supposed to be his greatest use of plot, characterization, and style and the masterpiece of Dickens' works. His use of symbolism of the mist shows how some might consider this too be his darkest writing. He uses diction and syntax that is very descriptive and that's why some consider that to be his greatest use of plot, characterization, etc. 

Great Expectations Questions and Answers

Questions:
1. What happens to Pip when he's at the courtyard visiting the gravestones? 
2. What does it mean that Pip has been raised "by hand"? 
3. How does the shackled man respond when Pip asks him if he will save any food for his friend? 
4. Why does Pip get more and more nervous as their Christmas dinner progresses? 
5. Why are the soldiers outside of Pips house? 
6. When Pip has to go with the soldiers to find the convicts, what does the shacked man do that surprises Pip? 
7. What happens when Pip brings home the note from school? 
8. What is implied about England's government when Dickens has Joe tell Pip that Mrs. Joe, being given to government, does not want him to be able to read and write?
9. How does Estella criticize Pip, and what does his reaction to her criticism reveal about Pip?
10. Pip is ashamed of his home, and is unhappy there: why doesn't he run away?


Answers:
1. He is met by a ragged looking man with an iron shackle on his leg. Who threaten Pip to bring him food the next day or he will get hunted down. 
2. This means that he has been raised by a hand that won't hesitate to hit him if he gets out of line. The person who does this most often is his sister. She and her husband have raised him since he was young. 
3. The man laughs as if his friend didn't mean anything to him. Then once Pip says he ran into another man earlier, the shackled man gets curious. He asks Pip to point him into the direction where the man was. 
4. As the dinner goes on, Pip gets closer to getting caught for bringing that food and drink to the shackled man. He replaced the brandy with tar water and when his uncle starts drinking it he starts coughing. Then before they eat the pork pie he bolts out the door before they find out what he did. 
5. They need the blacksmith (Joe) to fix the handcuffs so that they can track down the two prisoners who escaped. This is a relief for Pip because he felt they were coming to arrest him. 
6. The shackled man recognizes Pip and once again Pip is nervous that he will get in trouble. During the whole police report the man never tells on Pip or admits what Pip did. The man also takes the blame and says he robbed the blacksmiths house. This taking Pip off the hook. 
7. Joe tries to read it but it's hard to make out. Then the two realize that Pip is close to be illiterate. Then Joe goes in depth of his childhood and his education. 
8. Mrs. Joe is being compared to the Englush government because Dickens says that the English government does not want its lower classes to be educated. He believes that if the lower class recieves education they could rebel and take over the goverment.
9. She critisizes how Pip is just a common labouring boy. Pip for the first time feels ashamed of being "common". He felt inferior to her and later cries because of her cruelty.
10. Pip decides not to run away because he had no where lese to go and Joe had always been friendly and nice to him.

Great Expectations (1st 10 pages)

In the opening of this novel we are introduced to the main character whose name is Pirrip. He starts off in a churchyard in England. A man with a iron leg confronts him and we learn that Pip has lived with his sister his whole life. This is some what similar to how Dickens was raised because he had to grow up without his family and have to over come not having a lot. The man threatens Pip to bring him back some food and if he doesn't then this young boy will find him and kill him. This shows that it was hard growing up in Englad durinf these times because food was scarce and people would have to steal.

Literature 4

Bless Me, Ultima
By: Rudolfo A. Anaya

1. When Antonio is young, the old healer Ultima comes to stay with him and his family in their small house in Guadalupe, New Mexico. The family has taken in Ultima out of a respect for her  healing powers, her knowledge of plant lore, and her long use of folk magic in service of the community. Though they have great respect for Ultima’s spirituality, the family, especially Antonio’s mother, is devoutly Catholic. When he was born, Ultima served as his midwife and buried his afterbirth. As a result, it is now thought that she alone knows what lies in Antonio’s future.  One night, Antonio's innocence is threatened when he witnesses the death of Lupito, a soldier who recently returned from World War II. Lupito is shot to death by a mob after he kills the sheriff in a moment of post-traumatic delirium. After seeing Lupito’s death, Antonio begins to wonder about sin, death, and hell. Antonio walks to church with Ultima the next morning, and she tells him that each person must make his or her own moral choices, must choose a set of values to use to understand the world. Antonio goes to visit the garden of Narciso, the town drunk. Afterward, they go to see the golden carp. Antonio’s friend Cico tells him that only true believers can see the carp. Cico says that if the people cannot stop sinning, the carp will flood the land to rid it of humanity’s evil. Antonio wishes sadly that there were a god of forgiveness. He idolizes the Virgin Mary because of the ideal of forgiveness that she represents.Ultima continues to teach Antonio lessons about moral independence and goodness. He goes with her to dispel the ghosts in a haunted house, and they discover that Tenorio has caused the haunting in order to take revenge on the man who owns the house. Ultima drives away the ghosts, but when the second of Tenorio’s daughters falls ill, he begins to regard Ultima with even more hatred. Not long after that, Florence drowns while swimming in the river. Ultima sends Antonio to stay with his uncles to recover from the shock, and he spends a happy summer with them, learning how to tend a farm. On the journey there, Antonio and Gabriel talk about some of the questions that have been bothering Antonio, and Gabriel tells him that he will end the conflict between the Márezes and the Lunas and let Antonio choose his own destiny. As Antonio makes his way from his uncles’ fields to his grandfather’s house one day toward the end of the summer, a murderous Tenorio chases after him. Antonio escapes, but Tenorio shoots Ultima’s owl. When the owl dies, Ultima is doomed to die as well because the owl is her spiritual familiar, or guardian. Antonio sits with her at her bedside and buries the owl as she requests after she dies.
2. The theme of this book is the importance of independence. Antonio’s progress toward moral independence is the main marker of his maturity and development throughout the novel. Antonio’s struggle to reconcile the complexities of his experience with his religion leads him to conclude that he must make his own decisions. He becomes increasingly frustrated by the failure of the church to explain the most pressing questions about morality and human experience. Ultima acts as Antonio’s guide as he learns the importance of moral independence. Ultima teaches him that the most difficult questions about life can never be answered entirely by a  single religion or cultural tradition. Antonio has questions about evil, forgiveness, truth, and the soul, questions he can answer only for himself. Antonio once believed that the Communion ritual would answer all his questions, but Ultima teaches him that he must think for himself and arrive at his own conclusions.
3. For the most part, the narrator’s tone is serious and lyrical, with simple, poetic language used to describe Antonio’s struggles. The tone of the novel generally matches the mood of its main character. "The orange of the golden carp appeared at the edge of the pond. . . . We watched in silence at the beauty and grandeur of the great fish. Out of the corners of my eyes I saw Cico hold his hand to his breast as the golden carp glided by. Then with a switch of his powerful tail the golden carp disappeared into the shadowy water under the thicket." "God! Why did Lupito die? Why do you allow the evil of the Trementinas? Why did you allow Narciso to be murdered when he was doing good? . . . A thousand questions pushed through my mind, but the Voice within me did not answer. . . . The mass was ending, the fleeting mystery was already vanishing."
4. There are symbols used in this book one being Golden Carp. The golden carp represents a magical religious order not connected to Catholicism. The golden carp legend offers its own brand of wisdom, comfort, and moral guidance. There is also Ultima's owl represents represents her life force and the power of her religious mysticism. The owl sings softly outside Antonio’s window at night. Its song symbolizes Ultima’s comforting presence in Antonio’s life and the protective power of her magic. At the end of the novel, Tenorio’s killing of the owl literally destroys Ultima’s life force and leads very quickly to her death. Antonio equates Ultima with the owl when he buries it, he says that he is really burying Ultima. One of the motifs is family The recurring presence of various family relationships uncles, siblings, and parents, especially provides a subtle commentary on the nature of identity and ultimately underscores the book’s main theme of moral independence. Many of Antonio’s family members seek to define his future, especially his uncles, who argue about whether he will become a priest or a vaquero. Antonio looks to other members of his family to help define his identity, especially when he tries to model himself after Andrew, his older brother. In the end, Antonio must learn to make his own choices, drawing from the wisdom and experience of his family, but not being limited by their wishes and perspective.

Meaning of Great Expectations

As a young man, Pip is led into making grave mistakes based on his false expectation of being a gentleman, his false expectation of marrying Estella, and his general false expectation of rising above his past. Ultimately, he learns that true worth comes from inside a man, and turns away from his once-great expectations.

Big Question

Wouldn't it be great to make nearly $111 million a year simply to play a game? Tiger Woods, along with many other professional athletes, certainly think so. But do these athletes really deserve all that money? In my mind, absolutely not. Professional athletes are making too much money in a society where salaries and wages are traditionally based on the value of one's work. In today's society, one should be paid according to the job’s economic importance and their value to society.
      
       Teaching is one of the most economically important occupations because our future economy relies on the education of its youth, yet teachers are paid enormously less than the average professional athlete is. In fact, each basket Kobe Bryant scores earns him equivalent to the average classroom teacher’s yearly salary. However, some may argue that while teacher’s only provide service to a single classroom, superstar athletes are entertaining fans all around the world, enticing people with a feeling of relaxation and excitement
      What these people must not be aware of is the most important man in our nation, the president, who makes critical decisions that affect the entire world every day, only makes $400,000 a year. While President Obama is hard at work reviving the economy, the unproven rookie in the MLB is earning way over that figure. Also public servants like police officers, firefighters, and doctors save lives while risking their own for a fraction of what sports stars make. People in the military leave their families at home to defend and protect the country knowing they may never return. It's truly a pity that none of these true heroes are given the same recognition by society as athletes such as Brett Favre or Michael Jordan are given.
      While I do understand that making it into the pros is not an easy thing to do, and that it takes a tremendous number of hours of hard work and dedication every day to earn a job in professional sports, these people do nothing more than entertain the general public. If these athletes want to continue to be rewarded with the fame and fortune that is unfairly bestowed upon them, they must prove to the world that they are going to be positive role models for future athletes, and those who admire them.
      These infamous players must grow up, and prove to America that they can be positive role models for kids on and off the field. They may get leeway when it comes to their salaries, but the law should be overpowered by any amount of talent. If Alex Rodriguez earns the same amount of money as it would take to feed the nation's poor for a year, he can’t cheat and take steroids. What kids learn from successful ballplayers like him is that “It’s okay for me to use illegal substances, because in the long run, it will pay off by earning me an enormous contract.” In order for these players to gain respect, they need to have a more significant impact on the community.
      Finally, what really puzzles me, is how athletes get upset when athletes say that millions of dollars won't be able to support him and his family, and that they need more. What puzzles me even more, is how after holding out for weeks, and sometimes months, the owners give in and pay them what they don't deserve. Think about Jamarcus Russel, the former No. 1 overall pick in the '07 draft. He is on a six-year $68 million contract, with $31 million guaranteed. In simpler terms, that means that despite currently being recognized as one of the biggest busts of all time, and even if he were to get injured tomorrow and never play again, he will still have $31 million in the bank. In any other job, if you don't perform to your expectations, you're fired. There is no guaranteed money.
      The whole system that allows professional athletes and entertainers to just swim around in money is simply ridiculous, and it needs to stop. When asking people whether they think athletes are paid way too much money, most people would have to agree with me. 


Works Cited: 
1. "Athletes Salary." Mywage.org. 4 July 2011. Web. 27 Jan. 2012. .
2. "Money for Nothing." Business News. 27 Feb. 2010. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. .
3. "Entertainment and Sports Salary." Earn What You Deserve. 25 Oct. 2011. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. .
4. "Salary For Service Careers." Public Service Careers. 30 Oct. 2009. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. .
5. "City Public Servants' Salaries Made Public." Gothamist. 12 Nov. 2011. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. .
6. "Performer Salary." Salary.com. 24 July 2010. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. .
7. "Actors, Producers, and Directors." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 17 Dec. 2009. Web. 29 Jan. 2012.
8. "Athletes’ Salaries Too High?" The Freeman Ideas On Liberty. 3 Mar. 2010. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. .
9. Badenhausen, Kurt. "The Best-Paid Athletes." Information for the World's Business Leaders. 13 July 2009. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. .
10. "Pro Athletes and Their Salaries." PayScale Blogs. 20 Feb. 2010. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. .

"A peom worth loving"

I Cry
By: Tupac Shakur

Sometimes when I'm alone
I Cry,
Cause I am on my own.
The tears I cry are bitter and warm.
They flow with life but take no form
I Cry because my heart is torn.
I find it difficult to carry on.
If I had an ear to confide in,
I would cry among my treasured friend,
but who do you know that stops that long,
to help another carry on.
The world moves fast and it would rather pass by.
Then to stop and see what makes one cry,
so painful and sad.

And sometimes...

I Cry

and no one cares about why.

I chose this poem because it really has a lot of meaning to me. When looking up for poets and poetry I found poems by Tupac Shakur. Who is in my eyes the best rapper of all time and seeing that he wrote actually poetry was not to surprising. I didn't except his poem to be like this though, from this you would think he was a guy who would be very emtional. If you know of Tupac you know he is the exact opposite, he's a tough gangster who would cuss you out if you looked at him the wrong way. Also when you see him you would have to think that he lived a life with no worries and just enjoyed life. From this it shows he has a different side to him and actually was kind of sad. For a guy who preached being a tough guy, he might really not be that person. I love this peom because it shows that if your doing well in life people don't want to see you crying and won't help you out. Tupac was a lyrical genius and this just proves even more that he's deeper then what people give him credit for.

Big Question Abstract

In my question I use the term public servants.  By that I mean teachers, police officers, government officials etc.  People that serve society in the public fashion.  In my eyes these people don't get paid equally to the work that they do.  Society pays athletes and entertainers at least double the average income of these public servants. It's important because kids growing up, want to make a lot of money.  They want to grow up being like these athletes and entertainers, so that they can get paid like these people.  A lot of people have no desire or dream about being these very important public servants, on the soul purpose of money.  My purpose of writing this is to figure out why this compensation model continues to persist.  I also want to figure out why these people who work so hard for all these community's don't get paid like these entertainers.  I plan on first looking up the average income for these public servants and then doing the same for the athletes and entertainers. Then comparing the two different incomes and looking up why these people get paid as much as they do.