So here I was thinking that I knew what I was reading. End of Scene Nine, Streetcar. Oh yeah, I knew what I was reading alright. I knew that Blanche was crazy and she was letting her loneliness control her actions. She was grieving with the loss of her husband in the only way she knew how. Yes. That's what it's all about.
And then, grabbing my cerebellum and twisting it around like she always does, my teacher showed me the real meaning, the one that is exponentially more advanced than my sophomoric one. I knew that, right? I knew that she's taking the streetcar named "desire" down to Elysian Fields, and that she has no other choice but to ride this car, since the opposite of desire is death to her. And I know I don't have to spell out the metaphor, but I will to demonstrate the inner workings of my mind and how it dissected this explanation. Because she is responsible for her husband'sdeath, Blanche must seek desire and contact and physical satisfaction in all aspects of her life or she will perish. But, at the same time, she know that this path she is willingly taking leads straight to Hell.
But that's beside the point. I've been trying to convince myself that I had all that in my head before she said it, before she had put it all together in a nice clean package, but I'm not sure. Maybe if I had a week and a LOT of scratch paper to try and formulate a thesis on what Blanche's problem is, then I could have come up with that. But why am I trying to tell myself I knew that already? I didn't! I was just moseying along through the book, reading it like it was a newspaper article. Letting the words flow over me like I was looking a a pretty picture, saying, "Oooh! Look at the nice colors!"
I've been naive to think I could read a book in English class without simultaneously processing every single word that is printed on the page. Because of this stupidity, I'll have to go and read the entire book again with a suspicious eye, searching for metaphors and sly cultural references that will clue me in on the theme of the entire book. It's necessary.
So, in conclusion, "Creative thinking should be viewed as an essential supplement to, though not a replacement for, critical thinking.” (Anonymous) Which means, have fun taking stuff at face value, but you need to look deeper into things. When you're reading, follow THESE guidelines, so you don't sit there and re-read nine scenes of an excellent play.
#13 5/5/2009 A Streetcar Named The Potomac
I'm not going to recap the Civil War. Don't worry. Don't read this if you want to hear something really smart and intellectual that connects real life to literature and history to current events. I'm just going to explain a statement that was made in Act I, Scene 3 of A Streetcar Named Desire, a play written by Tennessee Williams. I thought it was an interesting line because it stuck out and showed levels of intelligence in one of that characters that wasn't previously depicted.
Following the small case of domestic violence in the Kowalski residence, Ms. DuBois is still quite startled. She is met on the steps by Mitch, one of Stanley's friends. He asks her this question; "All quiet on the Potomac now?"
It is obvious that he is asking her if everything was settled down, but I wanted to know the significance of the Potomac. I don't know if everyone else knew this except for me, but that line refers to a Civil War Era song by Christopher W. French entitled, "All Quiet Along the Potomac Tonight."
The Potomac River, geographically located as being part of the border between Maryland and Virginia, and also flowing past the District of Colombia and through West Virginia, has been so central to America's history that it has been called "the Nation's river." George Washington Grew up on it. Robert E. Lee crossed it to invade the North. The Battle of Antietam, the single-bloodiest battle of the Civil War, was located not far from its shores. The blood of America runs through the Potomac.
That beautiful, patriotic song depicts the setting of the Potomac after all the noise of the fighting and the cries of the wounded have lulled into the sound of the gentle river. There are only small spurts of violence that mar its shore, one or two fallen soldiers here and there. The dew settles on the faces of the fallen soldiers. A man prays for the country he has fought for, and the children that live within it. All is well along the Potomac. "All is quiet along the Potomac tonight."
Stanley hits Stella. Their relationship, their beautiful cohesiveness is marred, temporarily, but it is completely necessary for their well-being in the long run. Just as the conflict of the Civil War ended in the freedom of slaves, the end of Stanley and Stella's fight symbolized the resigning of the treaty that is their marriage. So, Mitch, even if Blache is too much of a drama queen to see it; Yes, all is silent along the Potomac.
Following the small case of domestic violence in the Kowalski residence, Ms. DuBois is still quite startled. She is met on the steps by Mitch, one of Stanley's friends. He asks her this question; "All quiet on the Potomac now?"
It is obvious that he is asking her if everything was settled down, but I wanted to know the significance of the Potomac. I don't know if everyone else knew this except for me, but that line refers to a Civil War Era song by Christopher W. French entitled, "All Quiet Along the Potomac Tonight."
The Potomac River, geographically located as being part of the border between Maryland and Virginia, and also flowing past the District of Colombia and through West Virginia, has been so central to America's history that it has been called "the Nation's river." George Washington Grew up on it. Robert E. Lee crossed it to invade the North. The Battle of Antietam, the single-bloodiest battle of the Civil War, was located not far from its shores. The blood of America runs through the Potomac.
That beautiful, patriotic song depicts the setting of the Potomac after all the noise of the fighting and the cries of the wounded have lulled into the sound of the gentle river. There are only small spurts of violence that mar its shore, one or two fallen soldiers here and there. The dew settles on the faces of the fallen soldiers. A man prays for the country he has fought for, and the children that live within it. All is well along the Potomac. "All is quiet along the Potomac tonight."
Stanley hits Stella. Their relationship, their beautiful cohesiveness is marred, temporarily, but it is completely necessary for their well-being in the long run. Just as the conflict of the Civil War ended in the freedom of slaves, the end of Stanley and Stella's fight symbolized the resigning of the treaty that is their marriage. So, Mitch, even if Blache is too much of a drama queen to see it; Yes, all is silent along the Potomac.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want..
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul
#12 4/28/2009 You're Killin' Me!
Imagine yourself laying down. Your eyes closed, your feet slightly elevated. You try to open your eyes but you can't see anything, and you realize your face has been covered by a black cloth mask. You try to look around, but your head is also strapped down. You try to un-do those straps, but your hands have also been immobilized. It's kind of uncomfortable, and you realize that you're laying on a hard surface, possible metal or wood. You feel pressure on the front of your head, like someone is holding a towel across your face. As you open your mouth to yell out, you feel the layers of cloth on your face begin to be saturated with water, so you instinctively close your mouth, not able to get any more air. Panicking, you try to breath through your nose and get a burning rush of water that fights down the back of your throat and windpipe, forcing you to use the last of the air in your lungs to cough that foreign liquid up. Of course, when you open your lips to breath, in comes a full mouth of water. With no more air to help expell the water, you take the water into your lungs. Your lungs voluntarily force that water out, and as you cough again, water fills your mouth. You try to thrash to be released, but you cannot move.
You are paralyzed, and you are drowning, but you're not even in the water.
Torture? No, are you kidding me? That's just a silly old "advanced interrogation technique" that the CIA uses on its "high-level detainees." Don't worry, the United States doesn't torture. Defined by the United Nations Convention Against Torture, torture is;
The important words in here are "severe pain or suffering." These are obviously dependent on the person being tor--excuse me, interrogated. In the case of waterboarding, it isn't considered severe pain and suffering because the vict--excuse me, the one being interrogated only has the feelings of imminent death. It's just a simulation of drowning that can be stopped at any time by the torturers--excuse me, interrogators. The body might react as if it were being drowned, but it's only being stimulated to think that. Don't worry. As for the proven negative mental and psychological effects waterboarding has, they are only experienced during the actual torture and not prolonged for months or years, meaning it's not torture. But what about the cases of nightmares, claustrophobia, and fear of asphyxiation? Are those lasting effects of this tor-excuse me, interrogation technique??
I don't care if you're a terrorist or a baby killer, no human being should have to experience this flat-out, blatant, disgusting, TORTURE TECHINIQUE. Yes. Waterboarding is TORTURE. The CIA approved waterboarding for the interrogation of certain "high-level detainees." According to the trusty transitive property, the CIA approved TORTURE.
Chew on that. Let me know what you think about the atrocities of legislative manipulation and wordy jargon that the Bybee Memorandum (Torture Memo) is.
You are paralyzed, and you are drowning, but you're not even in the water.
Torture? No, are you kidding me? That's just a silly old "advanced interrogation technique" that the CIA uses on its "high-level detainees." Don't worry, the United States doesn't torture. Defined by the United Nations Convention Against Torture, torture is;
...any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him, or a third person, information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity.
The important words in here are "severe pain or suffering." These are obviously dependent on the person being tor--excuse me, interrogated. In the case of waterboarding, it isn't considered severe pain and suffering because the vict--excuse me, the one being interrogated only has the feelings of imminent death. It's just a simulation of drowning that can be stopped at any time by the torturers--excuse me, interrogators. The body might react as if it were being drowned, but it's only being stimulated to think that. Don't worry. As for the proven negative mental and psychological effects waterboarding has, they are only experienced during the actual torture and not prolonged for months or years, meaning it's not torture. But what about the cases of nightmares, claustrophobia, and fear of asphyxiation? Are those lasting effects of this tor-excuse me, interrogation technique??
I don't care if you're a terrorist or a baby killer, no human being should have to experience this flat-out, blatant, disgusting, TORTURE TECHINIQUE. Yes. Waterboarding is TORTURE. The CIA approved waterboarding for the interrogation of certain "high-level detainees." According to the trusty transitive property, the CIA approved TORTURE.
Chew on that. Let me know what you think about the atrocities of legislative manipulation and wordy jargon that the Bybee Memorandum (Torture Memo) is.
#11 4/21/2009 There's something fishy about this blog...
I had fish for dinner tonight. It was delicious. It wasn't anything too fancy, just a smoked fillet of wild salmon, but it as exquisite. I sat their wiping my mouth and thought to myself, "That fish was amazing. Because of that fish, I am going to do some research on fish to see why they are so phenomenal!" So I did.
If you were to come across something on the beach and you wanted to know if it was a fish or not, were are a few simple things to look for that are the same in almost all fish:
1) It will be cold-blooded
2) It will have scales
3) It will have gills for breathing
4) It will have fins for movement
5) It will lay eggs that will be fertilized either internally or externally
If the animal you see passes the majority of these tests, it's probably a fish. Congratulations! Fish are awesome, and you just saw one!
Besides the obvious purpose of feeding a large number of the world's people, fish have served many roles throughout their 450 million years of existence. Fish are used for sport and for entertainment as well, filling up aquariums and fish tanks across the land. They have fascinated us to the point that they have broken the domain that was set for them by the Almighty and have crossed onto the earth that was made for us.
With over 40,000 species of fish in the oceans, seas, lakes, and river, there is bound to be some differences, regarding demand for them. Whether being deep fried and going into a Filet-O-Fish or sliced raw on top of a lump of rice, fish are utilized for both their abundance and unique taste. You can get a BK Fish Filet for a couple of bucks or a bite of the fatty tuna belly with caviar (fish eggs) for $800. Either way, you're getting let in on a fantastic meal. Karl Marx, with slight Communist bias, said this about fishing and playing off the popular proverb; "Sell a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man how to fish, you miss out on a wonderful business opportunity."
Pet Fish started with the Romans, moved to the Chinese, and eventually moved their ways into American homes after WWI. Thank God. Having a pet fish is incredibly satisfying. I sit down in front of my 150-gallon fish tank every day and watch my platinum arowana swim back and forth, admiring it's majesty. It is scientifically proven that people who own pets have lower blood pressure, stress levels, and live longer, because they have a purpose to live (to feed their pet). A fish is no different.
If you want to learn more about fish and the benefits and easy of ownership of these amazing creatures, click HERE.
Forum #5
[In response to eightdollardiscount's blog]
If it weren't for the overwhelming setting of Communist China, then I would say that Huang Xiaoquiang is living the American Dream. He is running his own business and is living a life with his family that is satisfying. Not many people, neither in China nor the US, can say that they've accomplished this. If I were to have it my way, I would work ridiculously hard the first part of my career to set myself up for a good job down the line, then after I have job security (hopefully that won't be an archaic term when employment is presenting itself to me), I can focus on my personal life, i.e. starting a serious relationship and making a family to support. Of course, things change and decisions are made that I cannot possibly foresee, but I will do the best I can to both provide for my family and be there to grow with them as well.
Good post by the way. I will enjoy reading the responses.
If it weren't for the overwhelming setting of Communist China, then I would say that Huang Xiaoquiang is living the American Dream. He is running his own business and is living a life with his family that is satisfying. Not many people, neither in China nor the US, can say that they've accomplished this. If I were to have it my way, I would work ridiculously hard the first part of my career to set myself up for a good job down the line, then after I have job security (hopefully that won't be an archaic term when employment is presenting itself to me), I can focus on my personal life, i.e. starting a serious relationship and making a family to support. Of course, things change and decisions are made that I cannot possibly foresee, but I will do the best I can to both provide for my family and be there to grow with them as well.
Good post by the way. I will enjoy reading the responses.
#10 3/31/2009 Wake Me Up When the Credits Roll...
"No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough"
-Roger Ebert
I believe that Mr. Ebert sums it up perfectly: we can't wait to get through a bad move. Whether it's the acting, the plot, distractingly poor special effects, or just terrible directing, bad movies are an inevitable part of life. Eventually, we all get to the end of a movie and think to ourselves, "Why did I just waste 1 and a half hours sitting here waiting for the movie to get better?"
There are two leagues of bad films:
1) Those that tried to be good but failed
2) Those that tried to be good but it was apparent that they were so bad that they were unintentionally entertaining.
The first are the ones that hurt us the most. Coincidentally, they also hurt the actors, the producers, and the directors due to sheer wasting of money. All the effort that was put into a movie that was supposed to be awesome goes out the window when something goes wrong down the line and it goes straight to DVD. Trying to figure out exactly what makes a film bad is like asking what makes a cake bad; there are so many steps along the way where they could have messed up. Something small like a bad caterer not satisfying the big-shot actors, or marketing sending out the wrong message about the movie than intended. The possibilities are limitless.
The second league is so much more satisfying to talk about. We all know the titles; "The creature from the Bottom of the Earth," "It comes in the Dark of Night," or "The Clock Struck Two." Sometimes it doesn't take much to realize that you just sat down to an hour or so of laughs. These films, sometimes labeled with the Shakespearean term, "comedy of errors," can be infinitely entertaining with the right people.
Take a chance with some of these films and you may discover that you have an attraction to terrible films! Check out some Mystery Science Theater 3000, a TV show that features terrible movies and commentary to accompany it, that makes them very amusing indeed: Gumby in Robot Rumpus.
Here's also a list of extremely bad movies to watch.
#9 3/24/2009 Faulty Furniture Frustrations
"If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it."
-Anthony J. D'Angelo
So I have in my possession a very nice desk for my office. Recently, part of it fell off--part of it that is necessary for the comfort of the desk to be at full capacity. I can still use the desk just fine, but this one part that has fallen off is making any prolonged sitting and working at the desk to be quite troublesome. I have had various ideas of how to solve this issue: getting the desk fixed, buying a new desk, etc., solutions that will solve the problem forever, but I have defaulted on just moving to a different desk in my house, one that has all its pieces intact. See, I have discovered something about myself within the desk issue. I have taken the time to take a look at the situation objectively, without my own personal bias, and I have come to a couple conclusions:
1) I'm complaining way too much about a silly desk
2) I'm willing to waste money on a silly desk
3) I'm using a metacognitive process on a silly desk!
I've been over and over the situation in my head, realizing that I'm sounding snobbish for not acknowledging the equal value of the damaged desk to that of an unblemished desk. But then my old mind barges in and yells, "What are you talking about--that damaged desk is rubbish!! It doesn't provide the same level of comfort that a complete desk can offer!" But as soon as that thought comes into my head the new, fresh mind scoffs in disgust at the very words that my other half was 100% sure of. This battle continues, each side exhausting its resources on their points of attack. After this bloody, magnificent battle, only one mind stands. And I am glad to say that the prevailing thought is that of the new mind, a mind that has adopted a new sense of FRUGALITY. I am thoroughly pleased with this decision.
Are there times where we fail to see how harmfully society has shaped our minds into the consumerist, wasteful people we are? What can you do to overcome the popular trends of our throwaway society?
I am sitting at my desk. It is missing the foot rest and the arm rest on the right is coming off. And it is the most comfortable desk in my house.
Here is a fantastic catalogue that I am integrating into my being to help make myself more thrifty and frugal: INDEX OF IDEAS
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