Recently, I have been thinking of the random peculiarities in each one of our lives (not an analytical study of each of the billions of individual lives in this universe so to speak, but rather a large generalization on the existence of such random peculiarities), and I came to a conclusive reasoning that perhaps peculiarities are not quite so peculiar at all, but rather just different components and pieces of information that we, people of the universe, consider out of the norm yet somehow manage to incorporate such things into our lives; however,when we take a peek in on another person's life, we, the outsiders of the situation, like to assume the superior position of having the authority to deem what may or may not be considered peculiar, but the fact of the matter is what you may consider peculiar really is quite the norm for someone else.
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https://oliviology.wordpress.com/2015/01/19/homework-118-history-of-gatsby/comment-page-1/#comment-22 https://intrinsicanomaly.wordpress.com/2015/01/10/a-picture-of-hypatia/comment-page-1/#comment-13 https://mrsallamerican.wordpress.com/2015/01/10/galen-of-pergamon/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Throughout The Great Gatsby, the major focus of the novel was the "American Dream." which this video references as "what keeps our country forward." During the time of The Great Gatsby, it appears to me that the wealth distribution was far more skewed on each end of the spectrum. The wealthy consisted of people with extreme amounts of money. People were willing to spend "a year in France for no particular reason, and then drifted here and there unrestfully wherever people played polo and were rich together" (Fitzgerald). Meanwhile, the poor lived in "a valley of ashes – a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air…the ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud" (Fitzgerald). Furthermore, the characters lived in an even more impossible situation where people like Gatsby could only rise above poverty through illegal means. Also, the wealthy only married wealthier--Daisy married Tom mainly because his social status and wealth was higher than hers.
Similarly in The Grapes of Wrath, the corporations held a majority of the money. Eventually, work supply became so low that the cost paid to a worker continued to decrease. As pay decreased, the workers are forced to move in order to survive and keep their families together. Also, banks headed by corporations began to take land from the people like the Joad family as to pay for the debt accumulated. Basically, a situation that has virtually no positive outlook to it. In this case, even during the time of the dust bowl, the reality of the wealth distribution probably matches very closely to the one from the video. The video relies heavily on its logos by building its argument majorly on the statistics. The two main focuses are the comparisons between how many wealthy there are compared to the poor and how America's wealth is distributed along that spectrum. In one part of the video, the speaker implements pathos by mentioning how unfair the spread of wealth is, and the audience cannot help but feel bad for the "hard-working" people. These people probably put in about the same amount of work as the wealthy but their money output does not equate. In fact, the amount is not even comparable. Throughout the rest of the video, the speaker has specific diction that makes us feel for the poor and middle class that "are just scraping by. Obviously, we cannot deny the statistics backed-up with the tug on our typical American sympathy; thus, creating quite an effective argument. I actually really enjoyed the graphics from this video, which allowed me to easily visualize the speaker's explanations. The graphics also emphasized the vast difference between the poor and rich. I think how wide that margin is surprised me the most. Also, three quoted facts that really stood out to me were: "1% of America has 40% of America's wealth." "The average worker needs to work more than a month to earn what the CEO makes in one hour." "The reality of this country is not at all what we think it is." First things first, I just have to address what is known as Obama's "sick burn" followed up by his cheeky wink. As President Obama states "I have no more campaigns to run," the Republican side begins to erupt in applause; however, Obama completely shuts them down with the statement "I know because I won both of them." I just had to make mention of this great incident and give some props to President Obama.
Anyways, there are two major topics that Obama addresses with statements that I could not agree more with. Although Obama has made known his personal opinion on same-sex marriage, he makes a comment that reflects more so on our nations' progress regarding the status quo. He states “I've seen something like gay marriage go from a wedge issue used to drive us apart to a story of freedom across our country, a civil right now legal in states that 7 in 10 Americans call home.” Obama does not completely force his position, but rather gently reminds us of what many of us may deem an accomplishment. Furthermore, he clearly establishes that marriage is a civil right, which countless people continuously advocate for. President Obama also speaks about abortion. However, once again, he does not completely neglect one side of the controversial issue; instead, he says, "We still may not agree on a woman's right to choose, but surely we can agree it's a good thing that teen pregnancies and abortions are nearing all-time lows, and that every woman should have access to the health care she needs." Obama not only focuses on the positives of this issue, but more specifically on women's health and that health care access is a necessity. Lastly, I just want to mention one very specific sentence that stood out to me-- "We don't just want everyone to share in America's success – we want everyone to contribute to our success." I believe that in order for us to truly appreciate our nation, we must take part in its success. This country cannot keep innovating if we, the citizens, merely want to take part of the end result. But, if we strive towards working together and putting forth a contribution to the future, then we may fully understand the value behind our success. When The Great Gatsby first came out it had a "not-so-great reputation" and yet this novel holds great literary value and significance to us today. Interestingly, this book gained a majority of its sales during World War II when it was distributed by the US Military to soldiers overseas. Many people during this time deemed this book overly risque yet in retrospect, the level of the novel's content is probably not comparable to that of Fifty Shades of Gray. However, this opinion prevented Fitzgerald from being buried in his own family's burial plot by the Catholic Church. Fitzgerald's provides an interesting parallel between the occurrences in Gatsby and those in his life. Although Fitzgerald may have been considered upper-class, he had to prove that he was worthy to marry his wife, Zelda just as Gatsby became wealthy to gain Daisy's attention. Also, many people that Fitzgerald encountered in his life were reflected in the characters of his books. Occasionally, phrases that real-life acquaintances used would be put into his books. Specifically, the line from The Great Gatsby where Daisy tells Nick that she "hope[s] [her daughter will] be a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool" was stolen word-for-word from Zelda right after she gave birth to her daughter. The overall themes in the novel that clearly correspond to Fitzgerald and Zelda's past actions of over-drinking and partying. The novel puts a highlight on the falsehood of wealth and fame that Fitzgerald may have felt like his family embodied. Although it may seem difficult to relate to the book now, we can still apply many of the themes and lessons from this novel. Links: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_23210783/from-good-sales-great-wartime-boosted-gatsby http://www.npr.org/books/titles/346237886/so-we-read-on-how-the-great-gatsby-came-to-be-and-why-it-endures http://www.npr.org/2014/09/08/346346588/how-gatsby-went-from-a-moldering-flop-to-a-great-american-novel http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/07/the-i-great-gatsby-i-line-that-came-from-fitzgeralds-life-and-inspired-a-novel/277476/ http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/roaring-twenties/essays/f-scott-fitzgerald-and-age-excess Lise Meitner, an Austrian physicist, concentrated her studies mainly on radioactivity and nuclear physics. Although she collaborated with Otto Hahn on the discovery of nuclear fission, the splitting of the atom, and gave the first theoretical explanation of it, she did not receive the recognition deserved when the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to solely her partner. Her role in the discovery was downplayed by her partner, Hahn, after she was forced to flee Germany. However, later on, she was awarded the Enrico Fermi Award along with two other collaborators, Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman. Meitner was born in Vienna, Austria on November 7, 1878. She grew up in a family of assimilated Viennese Jews that did not practice Judaism; however, because they were Jewish under Hitler's rule, Meitner's family was forced to move to Sweden. Meitner was one of eight children, but her father believed that all his children, boy or girl, should receive the same education. Eventually, she went to the University of Vienna and was the second woman to receive a Ph. D. there. Soon thereafter, she went to University of Berlin to work with Otto Hahn. She had two papers, one appeared in Naturwissenschaften (January 6, 1939). and another paper that she co-authored with Otto Robert Frisch which appeared in Nature (February 11, 1939). Meitner retired in Cambridge, England and died there October 27, 1968. The 109th element, Meitnerium (Mt), was named in her honor. Meitnerium is the heaviest known element. She also made the discovery of the element proctactinium in 1918 with Hahn, and also discovered the Auger effect, radiationless transition, which is named for Pierre Victor Auger instead. But, her most well-known achievement would probably be the discovery of nuclear fission; with that, many people consider her to be "the most significant woman scientist of the 20th Century." Links: http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/meitner-lise http://www.atomicarchive.com/Bios/Meitner.shtml https://www.sdsc.edu/ScienceWomen/meitner.html The most cliche prompt ever proves difficult in providing a non-cliche answer. Though mentions of family, food, shelter, and safety may be sufficient in answering the question of what I'm thankful. I've decided to make note of all the cliche nonsensical, abstract things for which I am thankful for.
TIME OF PEACE As a person living the hustle-and-bustle of 21st Century American life, I appreciate all the time that I have. However, as much as I am grateful for time, I spend most of it trying to fill it to the brim with productivity. I am most thankful for the time that I am able to spend without stressing about the most minute insignificant things. It's wonderful to just sit, relax, and enjoy a moment as you watch others walk by. I couldn't be more grateful for just a moment or time of peace with that soothing internal feeling of calm. SLEEP, JUST A LITTLE High school-- lack of sleep, lots of work. I am most thankful for that one night that I manage to get more than 8 hours. Sleep, you have managed to keep me from falling off the cliff of insanity. Though I may be dangling there at times, I would like to give a big thank you for the amount that I was able to get this year. LOVE. LOVE THE LIFE. LIVE TO LOVE. Out of this list of random things that are a source of my thanks, I am most thankful for all the people out there that share a love for life. Those that share a passion for living out life and inspiring others to do the same. The people that inspire me each day to love others. I am thankful that there are still people in this dark corrupt society that still contribute a light of hope. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year because it reminds us to give thanks and to count our blessings. Suddenly, so many things become so little when we realize how blessed and lucky we are. Joyce Giraud It was a close place. I took . . . up [the letter I’d written to Miss Watson], and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: “All right then, I’ll go to hell”—and tore it up. It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming.
This week, think about Huck’s words and actions in the above scene. Which belief or assumption of the people around you would you like to similarly reject? Why? What can you do to assert your beliefs? Despite growing up in a Christian family with fairly conservative values, I have begun to form my own opinions and beliefs on some controversial topics including but are not limited to abortion, homosexuality, transsexualism, suicide, etc. In my opinion, it is very evident where the church and what most Christians believe in regard to those subjects. Most people make the automatic assumption on my feelings towards homosexuality considering that I am a Christian. However, though at times I am still quite unsure about my beliefs, similar to Huck, I have decided that despite whatever the outcome, I will continue to remain strong on my stance until others give me a good enough reason to believe otherwise. Just as Huck must fight many bouts of conflict, a result of society's norms, in Mark Twain's novel , I must not only fight my society's generalization of all "Christian" beliefs, but also the condemnation of Christians on what I do believe in. My conscience at times may be somewhat shaky considering that I have grown up with a very defined mindset of what is deemed right and wrong. In a way, religion almost coerces and conforms people towards a singular belief with no possibility of an open mindset. Ironically, this seems extremely evident to me with Christianity in which being judgment-free is supposedly advocated for. However, it's those judgmental Christians that have actually given me insight and the yearning to become less close-minded.. They are the ones who make me question myself on why I have grown up in a society that claims "Homosexuality is wrong." It's difficult for me to understand so many Christian's hypocrisy regarding the topic of homosexuality. How can a religion that advocates for love reject people based on who they love? The book that the religion itself forms around, the Bible, makes mention of the words love countless times. Furthermore, who gives you the right to tell someone else that what they are feeling is wrong? 1 Corinthians 13:13 says "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." If you have love, should it matter who it is that you love? How can it possibly be so wrong for a person to love someone? Many Christians tend to use the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover." I supposed this mean that a person shouldn't form a judgment on whom they love based off of appearances; however, a judgment should be formed concerning one's human anatomy. After reading the paragraph above, It may seem like the only reasons why I advocate for the LGBTQ community are because I do not agree with the results of Christian hypocrisy; however, that is not the case. I am not advocating against my religion. I am advocating for what I believe is right. I believe in equal rights. I believe that LOVE IS LOVE. This blog post is only a small insight towards the numerous struggles of internal conflict, questioning of morality, analyzing and even feelings of removal from a religion that I have experienced over time. I don't believe I can convey all my thoughts regarding this subject at once. However, I believe that even if many of my fellow Christians do not agree with me, at least take some consideration of my next words. If you don't agree with how other people live their lives, if you believe that your disapproval towards other people's feelings will in some way be able to save them, then you need to seriously reevaluate how you are living out your religion. I don't believe that the followers of a religion should be the ones that turn others away from it, and unfortunately too many times that is the case. Take your judgment elsewhere and reflect on the words of Pope Francis; "If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them?" My comments and thoughts towards several other peoples' blog posts. It's pretty interesting to delve into the world and mind of another person. A blog is just a teeny tiny bit of insight into another person's life.
These posts are linked below: http://wisdomwithasideoffries.weebly.com/blog/500-words-a-day http://guysthinksometimes16.wordpress.com/2014/11/01/an-optimists-view-on-me/comment-page-1/#comment-7 http://bruhhhhh.wordpress.com/2014/10/19/beautiful-things/comment-page-1/#comment-10 http://beautyandthebass8.wordpress.com/2014/10/10/boooooooooooooks/comment-page-1/#comment-6 This is an extremely difficult post for me. At first glance, I draw blank. It's sad to say, but it has become all the more strenuous to think of something to be proud of. You may be thinking that I'm just another one of those annoying people that cannot accept compliments, and you're probably exactly right. It's easier to think of all the flaws that I am meant to fix rather than what I am satisfied about myself. In my mind, there's always more I can do and more I can fix. Perhaps, that in itself may be considered commendable, but yet again I wouldn't know.
Initially, after reading this blog assignment, I was wondering about which momentous proud event or occasion that I could write about. I could have written about that one time in my life that I got that one good grade, but no, that's way too menial. Even better, I could have written about this past weekend when my Robotics Team was heartbroken after finding out that we got Third Place and would not be going to state again, and then the renewal of emotions and proud feelings that came after discovering that a mistake had been made and that we would in fact be going to state. For the past six weeks, Robotics had been my life so it would be perfectly reasonable to write a majorly long blog post about how proud I am of myself and my team. However, I believe it is important for me to dig deeper and find at least one thing to write about to compensate for the overwhelming amount of flaws that I was able to list in my past post pertaining to Hawthorne's quote about flaws. I figured that I must learn to compliment myself at least once without insulting myself soon thereafter. Me. What do I like about me? I think the one thing that I like about myself is my carefree attitude towards people. I believe that this has allowed me to interact with a wide variety of people. I choose to see the better in others and attempt to look past flaws or even past regressions. I refuse to hold too much of a grudge, and most likely will end up forgetting that I'm angry anyways. To be honest, I just love people. There's nothing that matters more in the world than the people around. There's no better feeling than knowing that you were able to help someone with the best of your abilities. Though it's so difficult for me and possibly many others as well to write about what they like about themselves, and what they are proud of, I have realized that this is a key step into becoming a self-aware person. Knowing your strengths in character plays an integral role in knowing yourself and bettering yourself and I believe that's what I shall continually aim for at the end of the day. |
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