HACKING MY EDUCATION

1.) What you want to know before the course ends that you don't know now?
At the time, there were only a few questions I had in mind. But as the day went on the list just kept piling on. I've realized more than ever that this is the last semester out of 12 years that I will be in high school. A place where I've grown up with people since pre-pubescent times. As I'm aging I realize that I need to mature in order to maintain a healthy relationship with myself, peers, friends, family, and future co-workers and teachers. So the first questions that popped into my head were, How will I learn to cook and what is an efficient way to ask for money without sounding like you wouldn't return the favor? I'm going to college this year and I really do not want to live off top ramen and fast food. That is why one of my goals has been to live a healthier lifestyle by eating well and staying fit. I'm also trying to catch up on more sleep. The whole favor thing works for now because I'm trying to raise funds to go to Europe to visit my Foreign Exchange Friend's country (Slovakia) and I really want to go to Europe to practice and enhance my French. Continuing on, I want to know how I should be living my life when I leave high school? Like can you teach me the essentials of being an independent adult? (I mean I know I'm 18 now but come on I know there's several 18 year olds that still don't know anything about life.) I want to know how I can be more successful in my life without hurting others around me. I want to know how I can get a four on the AP english exams and hopefully all my other exams. I also want to develop a network that can help me with projects. A network of people. I also want to know how I can help with our english GAME. I really want to know what the next step would be.... this is not the end of my endless knowledge of questions but that is it for now.

2.) What skills do you want to demonstrate on your blog?
The skills I want to show from my blog is dedication, technology savvy, hard work, knowledge, creativeness, and just someone who wants to go out in the world and make a difference. I really wanted to use this blog or create another blog to display my skill in using technology such as cameras and video editing programs. I also wanted it to show my skill of being well rounded and knowledgable about the arts, such as music.

3.) What experiences do you want to get under your belt before you graduate?
Wow I'm in high school and I thought I've already had every experience a teenager could want and dread. Being semi-sarcastic in a way as I've traveled to countries at a young age (Uganda and Australia) and experiencing the infamous heartbreaks of boys (ugh). But really what do I want to experience? I want to experience feeling alive more. I want to experience actually being part of something BIG that i've co created or MADE. I want to collaborate with people and do something that makes NATIONAL NEWS. Maybe that's stretching it but hey you never know. I want to experience paddle boarding, surfing frequently, paddle boarding, and such. I want to hike Bishops Peak and experience a sunrise. I want to experience raising money for a personal trip that I PLANNED and I will go on. I want to experience going to Coachella or maybe even another concert like Zedd or One Direction (I know complete opposite sides of the spectrum. There are many many many things in life I want to experience. Which kinda brings to my big question does life happen by fate or chance. Will it be by chance I will do all these things, or is it by fate? I feel like fate is determined by one's choices. And I can choose to try and not fail at these or it'll be by chance that none of these things happen because I didn't take any action toward them to actually make "chance" happen. So I guess you can say that I want to experience Life before I graduate. Maybe even skydive. Or something wild.

So how does this all relate to this course and my education? Well like in Charles Bukowski's Laughing Heart poem, "Your life is your life, don't let it be clubbed into dank submission, the god's will offer you chances, know them take them" My education is my education and I will learn what I want to learn in order for me to be successful in living and not surviving life (those are two different things by the way.) All these things will help me be a better person in the future and help with college. For example cooking, and creating a network, maybe I will need help in a project during college that my network or blog will be put into use. Maybe that cooking class will save me alot of money. Maybe going to that concert will help me connect with other people to create more connections and collaborations. EVERYTHING IS ANYTHING WITH CONNECTIONS. With good study habits, I'm bound to be on the path for success. And reading will make you a little more knowledgable and sexier. So Goodnight.

What's In This For Me?

Firstly I'd like to say I need to give my blog a new year revival look and change. And I need to also start my other blog that focuses on the last six months of high school and maybe my adventures. I don't know yet, still in collaboration. Anyways, I'm hoping to expand on this post soon sometime. And change blog layout.

The title of this post, is actually one of the on going questions I have been meaning to ask myself for a really long time. What's in it for me? Through these last three and a half years of high school I've learned one thing and that one thing is that boys are trouble. Kidding of course, I've learned much more than just that (girls are just as much trouble). Well what's in it for me I say? We always set these goals, sometimes seemingly impossible, other times so easy that it's child play. You see it all over the place, New Year's "Resolutions, basically goals set because it's a new year, and you know how that saying goes "New Year, New Me". Goals are honestly one of the hardest things for me to keep. I've been to leadership camps, AVID, speeches, telling me to make goals. And I do. I honestly do, I try and try to keep them but for some reason, I just haven't grown up enough to keep them. Which is why I think this year is actually different for me. Maybe because it's 18, or maybe because I'm following along with that trend. But so far it's been 8 days in and for all I've known I've kept my New Years Resolutions.

So let's snap back to reality, what's in it for me? Well, I've grown a fondness for writing and being more creative through this course. I've discovered texts I never thought I'd like and concepts I haven't even thought about that intrigue me. Look, if you don't start realizing it now, you'll never see that the true purpose of anything is right in front of you. You don't need to ask, what's in it for me because it's already given to you. Through this course, I've discovered things I like and ways to rejuvenate myself that I honestly think will help me with my future.

Guess what?

It's officially okay to start singing the twelve days of christmas song. Oh, and it's my birthday.

It's more than just a project.

So we had our final presentations in English today and the positive feedback I got from mine made me realize things. I really like making people happy and impressed. And I really like making videos. Like a lot. So I'm going to post the link to my video and I hope you enjoy it. I think this just might be the video I'm most proud of.Project Humanity Video

Life After after this blogpost.

So I've done one of these future letters before several times. Once a handwritten one we did in junior high (which I never received because I moved) and once my sophomore year. I love doing these because it's like little surprises you send yourself . It's like when you find money you forgot you put there! That's the best part of these letters. And it always works best when you put real though into it. Last time I received my letter was earlier in March. I'll be quite honest. I was melancholy and nostalgic when I read it. It made me not like what I've become. It also made me realize the wrong I've done in life. But at the same time it made me realize that it's going to help me grow more in life. I will post a picture when I get home of my letter.

 (I found my letter)

Life after this blog post will be anything BUT ordinary. I have a lot planned for this break fun and strenuous. I have to get money for college and finish major scholarships but I also have to have fun and create documentaries and I think I will also start my senior project! I just hope that I can get enough people to join. I'm currently typing this post on my soccer bus ride to my game. I feel like my mind should be more focused on now but it's currently on this post. Which brings me to why I'm narrating my life at the moment. This girl across me said ,"oh this song reminds me of Shane" which made me laugh... Not only cause I know him. But cause little things like songs and letters make us remember the memories. Good and bad, healthy and noxious for us. ** continuing after watching the midnight premier of the desolation of smaug** Why do these little things have such a great affect on us? They can't hurt us physically. And for the most part they are inanimate. Isn't it weird that we can write a letter to our future selfs with a certain kind of emotion and upon receiving it, interpret it in a different emotion? I can't think right now because its 3:37 A.M on my birthday but I shall come back to this post.

I'm going to add more to this post when I get home.

Practice Essay

They see a light, but think nothing of it because what more is a shadow on the cave than something they’ll never see? Plato’s Allegory of the Cave higlights on humans way to conform to thinking. If something did happen outside of the cave that would cause distraction or distorment of some sort, the prisoners inside would only be mildy interested because they wouldn’t understand how to feel or understand for themselves than take someone elses understanding on something. Plato’s way of describing how people think can be compared to how Sartre uses hell as an allegory of people ‘s thinking. The actions took to portay his point in his literature work is seen through his various literature techniques which, in comparison,  are similar to Sartre.

The prisoners in the cave can be said to be conformists, or people who choose to follow society’s way of thinking. They opt out of the option of taking in the whole world and taking their own learning into their hands. So if it came to an event happening and the prisoners were to intake of the moment, they wouldn’t have much to contribute because they can’t understand. Plato’s point in the allegory is to show humanity’s way of thinking. He displays his point through heavy use of allegories and symbols. The cave is an extended metaphor for what keeps our minds sheltered and the shackles symbolize our way of restraining our thinking. How the prisoner responds not only reflects how they have been brought up through symbolism and allegories but it shows the type of characters they are. They are the characters in the story who are placemats, single sided, and are there just to be there. They can’t provide much besides another perspective of minimal experience. But unlike Plato’s prisoner’s, Sartre’s characters like Garcon would act differently.

            Compared to the stagnant reactions of the prisoner, a person like Garcon would more than likely be more dramatic about the situation then ask, “What’s the point?”. Unlike the prisoner’s, Garcon has the ability to see the reality and understand but will not choose to believe the reality of the situation. His character can also be characterized as an ignorant bystander. Similar to the prisoners but at the same, different. All in all, just like how both stories are contrasting, the characters reacting to the same event are just as contrasting.

            Plato and Satre try to get the same point across using different types of techniques. Although the characters in each story are characteristically opposites, their outlook on life and thinking can be said to be similar. The allegories and symbols drastically help achieve the point of both story tellers. In the end, the cave and hell are only a mindset meant to be breaking from   

I CAN READ ( I think)

My time: 4:10:68
My Mistakes: I think I have like 5 or 6.
Dr. Preston's time was around 4:35 or something.
He had one mistake.

Because Blogger doesn't know how to get it's act together...here is the link)

Melody Monday #14

Hmmmmm, lets kick it back to MGMT. Alot of you guys  might be familiar with these guys especially with the tunes such as kids, or electric feel. They have a very electronic, contemporary, unique sound. If you're into new types of music I would definitely take a look at them!

Thinking Outside the Box

Notes:

-It says put yourself in a room with the two people you hate the most in the world… I can’t think of two.

- Hell, nothing really works no matter what, or else they’ll find excuses not to touch it

-Garcon meets Inez, and Inez comes off as a rude ish kinda person, the opposite of garcon who was mistaken as the torturer.

- Garcon and Inez have now met Estelle. Who also mistakes Garcon as someone who would play a trick on her.

-They’re now talking about Estelle’s death and how you can see her sister crying at the ceremony. It was pneumonia.

-Garcon died by twelve bullets, his wife doesn’t suspect his death but then does, he’s also from rio. Inez dies by a gas stove.

-“ ESTELLE: I never could bear the idea of anyone's expecting something from me. It

always made me want to do just the opposite. “ that’s an interesting thing to say.

- More to Estelle’s life, she was orphaned and poor so she married young to a man old enough to be her father. She then later met a man who she was fated in love but she refused to elope and died of pneumonia.

- Garcon ran a pacifist newspaper, and was shot for standing up for his morals.

-Estelle struggles with the fact of being real, like her indicator for being real are mirrors.

-Estelle gets mad at Garcin for not letting her be licentious and then Garcin tries to be licentious but it doesn’t work out.

-Inez was into some weird stuff, and made someone her pet and liked hurting people…kinda like highschoolers today

- At first these people seemed too good to be in this hell but now that they’ve exposed the truth to why they are there, it seems as if it suits them. And their torturers are their realities in their heads.

-Garcin and Estelle almost get sexual, and Inez is mad about that and I feel like their misdoings have led them to be desperate.

-ending is quite a shocker ish not really. This whole story kind of reminds me of waiting for godot. Garcon captures that hell is other people which holds so much truth to it. He also has the final saying with “lets go on with it” after they’ve been trying to survive hell. Or trying to survive each other.

Questions:

Think about the place you have chosen as your hell. Does it look ordinary and bourgeois, 

like Sartre's drawing room, or is it equipped with literal instruments of torture like 

Dante's Inferno? Can the mind be in hell in a beautiful place? Is there a way to find peace 

in a hellish physical environment? Enter Sartre's space more fully and imagine how it 

would feel to live there endlessly, night and day:

1. My hell does look more ordinary and bourgeois because it captures a world where everything went wrong and the bad choices you’ve made have come back to haunt you, kind of like karma. Yes I do believe the mind can be in hell in a beautiful place because look at the world in general. It’s a beautiful place that provides to all our needs yet you have schizophrenic people and maniacs running around in the world acting the farthest thing from sane. You can find peace though if you train your mind to. Living in this hell would be hell cast upon me cause the environment would not change is not subject to change anytime soon.

Could hell be described as too much of anything without a break? Are variety, 

moderation and balance instruments we use to keep us from boiling in any inferno of 

excess,' whether it be cheesecake or ravenous sex? 

2.I mean I GUESS you could say too much sex or too much cheesecake without break is hell but then again I think it really depends on the person. For example a food lover may not believe in anything such as too much cheesecake and therefore may think that they can eat an unlimited amount. Hell is too much of something without a break to a person who has no particular interests towards the subject.

How does Sartre create a sense of place through dialogue? Can you imagine what it feels 

like to stay awake all the time with the lights on with no hope of leaving a specific place? 

How does GARCIN react to this hell? How could you twist your daily activities around 

so that everyday habits become hell? Is there a pattern of circumstances that reinforces 

the experience of hell? 

3.He creates a sense of place by adding things in like a bell that doesn’t work, books that aren’t really there, a bronze vase, walls that have no windows, and details such as that to create the type of place they’re in. Yes it could kinda be hell but I can relate cause I almost always stay awake… Oh my habits are kind of hellish, I do the same thing every time I go home, and its bad, I go on the computer tell myself 30 minutes max to do whatever I want… but then it turns to hours and I procrastinate. Yes there is a pattern, like people who hoard live in their own hell and the stuff they get is a personal reminder.

Comparison:

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

Plato and Sartre have a unique way in explaining in their own terms, how to break the mind’s chains of restrained learning. Both writers use extended metaphors/ allegories to get their points across. For example, Plato uses the cave as an extended metaphor/ allegory to show that humans are kept in this type of place and can only hear and see what the outside world is really like without experiencing the true value of what life is. These prisoners are restrained by chains, which are metaphors to our mind shackles as why we don’t go to explore what’s beyond our daily routine. Then you have Sartre who uses hell as peoples mind restrictors. The funny thing is that hell is usually denoted as a place of fiery, devilish, flames and such when really in Sartre’s point of view, hell is a place with people you don’t necessarily like. Both places can be easily escaped from, but the prisoners and characters in hell choose not to take that opportunity and would rather wilt in what they have.