Heh, it's been a while since I blogged for fun and not for school assignments. Well, today is a dreary day. If it had been raining, it would be better. Well, there isn't that much to talk about, except something that I want people to know about myself. Get ready for this, my friends... This is really going to surprise some of you that know me, and for others, well, get ready to be blown away... I like broccoli!!! Hee hee! Yup, that was it. Wild and crazy, huh?

The Cat in the Hat Project

Option 1:

In the story, "The Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Sues, the fish contributes to the plot and theme of the story by ways of his attitude and actions throughout this piece of work, otherwise, his personality. At the beginning of the story, we see the fish upset with an angry face when the cat invites himself into the house. Several times throughout the story, the fish tells the cat that he shouldn't be there, when the children's mother is out. For this reason, the fish contributes to the plot and theme of the story as being the role of the baby sitter, trying to be responsible, and trying to stop the cat and his actions. The quote, "No! No! Make that cat go away..." (page 11) supports my claim that the fish dislikes the cat in the hat being there. One could argue that he is putting a negative spin on the situation, however he is being responsible, like a baby sitter mentioned before.

The fish drives the story along through his actions in trying to make the cat leave. His personality is one of rules, where he believes that things should be a certain way, and nothing else. His attitude and what he says to the cat eventually drives the narrator of the book and his sister Sally to take responsibility for themselves and tell the cat to leave. This being said, the fish's constant remarks about the cat not belonging there drives the events in the story to the point where the cat eventually does leave the house.
Also, the way the fish looks influences characters and events in the story. On page 25, for example, the fish looks angry at the cat, for he is frowning and is glaring at the cat. He is telling the cat what he did wrong. The angry face tells us that the fish is not pleased with the cat being there, and doing that stuff. The way the fish describes what bad things the cat did possibly made the cat think twice about what he was doing, and if it is his place to be there. However, one could also argue that the fish saying that stuff drove the cat to try harder to be funny or continue what he was doing. Either way, the fish drove the events in the story.
The final thing that I want to discuss about the fish's contributions to the story is his influence on the children. In the story, the narrator and his sister Sally (the two kids) basically sit back and watch, instead of acting on the situation. The fish's remarks about the cat being there finally drives the Narrator and Sally to take charge and responsibility in getting the cat to leave. The fish's words finally get through to the children.

That being said, the fish possibly influences the cat to continue doing what he is doing (just trying harder), the children to take responsibility, and eventually the cat leaving the house, all through the fish's actions and personality.

Persepolis Blog Response II

Prompt 4: The story Persepolis is structured around the life of the narrator, Marji. The story starts when she is 10 years old, and ends when she is 14. Many things happen in the story, such as the internal struggles of Iran at that time, and the war that it was in with Iraq. By using narration by the main character, and the way that the characters in general (especially Marji) change, the passage of time can easily be identified. Satrapi's drawings are relatively simple, as there isn't much in the pictures besides the people most of the time. The drawings allow the reader to understand what is going on in the story, going along with text from characters, or narration.
Prompt 5: Basically, all of the narration could be considered the writer's voice, explaining what is going on. Also, the writer's voice is represented through Marji. In my opinion, I like believe it is appealing, because of the way it explains things. Like on page 57, it helps the reader understand what is going on without the length to explain it. I like the little girl's sense of adventure, and fun-loving attitude. On page 97, for instance, the girl, Marji, is joking around with her friends... I like that. Later, on page 102, Marji is running around like a crazed lunatic, which is pretty funny.
I did not like the parts where she would be rude, or blunt as to not thing about others feelings like on page 48.
Prompt 9: As a response to the quote, some kids would get fancy hair cuts, or wear shirts or outfits that were in at the time, like on page 102. If I grew up in that environment, I would probably do the same things. It is important to be a little different or break some rules to be a kid. As a teen, I do not do many things to rebel against the government or my parents. The craziest form of rebellion that I have done so far is j-walk and other things like that. Pretty wild, huh? Satrapi is a normal kid because she wants to have fun. She wants to be cool, or like other kids her own age, and likes things most people cannot unlike.

Persepolis Blog Response

Prompt 1: The genre that Marjane Satrapi, the author of Persepolis, used to write her autobiography is so popular probably because of the pictures. With the luxury of pictures included in a piece of writing, the reader/s are allowed a better perspective on what is being said, or rather, what the author envisioned the story to be. For example, in the chapter "The Heroes", the images allow me to understand the text better, and get a better sense of the things that the "heroes" of the chapter had to go through. Although the visuals are simple in nature, they add a better understanding to the text, that a memoir without pictures would not have.
I personally have not read other graphic memoirs, although would like to... If I were to put this type of writing into a certain category, I would put it with memoirs, but with the added bonus of pictures.
Prompt 2: I believe that a true story that is not altered is a more powerful piece of work than a fictional story. I say this because the events that transpired were real, which gives the reader an idea of different things that have happened in the world. For instance, when something that actually happened, such as massacres mentioned on page 40, the reader realizes the severity of it. If it was fiction, the reader would not pay as much attention to something like that. I have read other memoirs, such as Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, by Peg Kehret. I noticed that both had some sort of struggle that the narrator or author of the book had in their lives.
Prompt 7: Ordinary citizens enjoyed life by making things funny, or not serious. For example, on page 97, the girls of the school decorated their classroom with toilet paper instead of banners and streamers. The girls enjoyed the things they had to do by doing them in a different, more fun way. Also, earlier, some children were having a hell of a time laughing at the fact that beans make people fart... What made me laugh you ask? Hmm... nothing! He he! Just kidding... The silly things that the people in the story would say, such as "poopoo" made me giggle alittle. Some of the pictures are of people with awkward expressions, which add comic relief too. These things tie into the story because they are essentially "down time" from the extreme events in the story.

Feed Final (Reflection Essay) cont.

If I were to have a feed, it would probably contain information related to the things that I am interested in, such as the latest video games and pop music, along with many other things. It would contain these things because I have shown interest in them before by purchasing such items. This tells me that American culture is defined by consumerism. People who live the good life in America buy things that they are interested in. They do this mainly because of advertisements.
Media affects me in several ways. With all of the advertisements out there on television and other places, it is hard not to be persuaded to buy something. I guess that I rely on technology, because most of the every day activities that I do require some sort of electricity. However, one thing that does not affect me that much is popular culture. I do NOT own an iPod or MP3 player, nor do I listen to a lot of popular music. Crazy, but true. In ways, we as people mold media because we choose what to buy, but on the other hand, media can persuade people to buy things too.
There is a moral to the story "Feed". It is that technology can and/or will eventually destroy us. M.T. Anderson conveys this moral through how the advancements of technology have destroyed the world and have begun destroying people (lesions). A clear example is Violet. It is the feed that caused her to lose control of her body. If it weren't for the feed, she would NOT be in that situation.
In the story, people are nothing without the feed, at least compared to those who do have it. The feed gives people many things and allows them to basically have the Internet in their heads. Without the feed, a person would not be able to do "common" things with people who have the feed, such as m-chatting. It would put them out of the loop. If I were not to have my feed, (hypothetically speaking of course) I would not be able to access the information on the latest products I like.

My project displays many of the things that I currently like. If it weren't for advertisements, I probably would not like these sort of things, possibly because I would not know about them. Like I said before, it is media that influenced people to do/buy certain things because of their claims that the thing is "hot" or "hip". My "feed" may only contain these things because I was told through advertisements that these items were cool or "all the rage". However, people do like different things, so there is a uniqueness to all of us.

Feed Visual Essay:
Conformity vs. Individuality: Going along with a group, or being yourself...

Everybody is the same.

The images tell a story of how uniqueness, and individuality are important to people.

The message is to be yourself, regardless of what is considered cool or hip. The pictures I selected were meant to show how being an individual is better than being like everybody else. I was thinking about the feed when I chose this topic. Being an individual (not having the feed) is better than being like everybody else (people with the feed). Sure, you won't be like everybody else, and you won't be considered "cool", but you will be yourself instead of a mindless zombie who only thinks about shopping and buying stuff. These are meant to influence people to develop the power to become themselves, the way they want to do it.

The feed takes away a person's uniqueness, which is a very valuable thing. If a person, in the story, had a "feed", they have the ability to be part of a group, because of the large majority of people who had one (70%).

This is all about fitting in.

Near the end of the story, we learn that Violet's father got a feed for Violet when she was 7 so she would be able to fit in with others when she grew up. Violet's father was rejected a job, based solely on the fact that he didn't have a feed. He did not want his daughter to go through that too.

(I wasn't thinking of this when I began the Visual Essay, but symbolically, being like everyone else (having a feed) will destroy you; destroy your uniqueness, for in actuality, feeds are bad for people, as they are not organic and your body rejects it -lesions-. In Violet's case, it actually destroyed her.)
I, personally, have done things/changed things about myself in order to fit in. I have developed a value of trying my best to be Lathe, by doing the things that I think are fun, and not those of people around me.

My parents have influenced me to be this way, because they always told me to be myself.

I feel that the value of individuality is as important as the air we breathe. If you are not you, then you have lost yourself. Being yourself is the way to go.

Feed, part II

Missing The Feed: In this chapter of the story, Titus explains why he misses the feed. He explains that the feed has so many good things about it, such as the fact that everyone can be "super smart without even working"(p.47). The feed is also a big part of Titus' life because EVERYTHING is on the feed, and that makes it so convenient. Based on what Titus says, it gives me the interpretation that corporations that made the feed are very powerful. The corporations hold "all the marbles" because of the want or "need" for the feed.

Boring Boat: Titus sees a picture of a boat on the wall of his recovery room. He says that the picture is boring because it looked like nothing was happening, and nothing was going to happen. This is similar to his situation, because he is just sitting there, doing nothing. Later on, in the chapter, "Missing the Feed", Titus calls the picture even more boring because there were no people on the boat. This tells me that Titus as a person needs something to be going on, otherwise he thinks it is a waste of time or just plain boring. He also doesn't know how to apreciate simple things.

We Enter a Time of Calamity: When the old guy speaks in this manner, it made me think that he was trying to say that the feed is causing the troubles in the world, and that the "calamity" the world is in is because of the feed. The time has come where the feed is not good for people anymore. This is what I think. The lesions that everybody has been getting is probably because of the feed as well. These lesions are not good... For that, I agree with the old man in saying that the people have entered a time of calamity. Also, near the end of the story (I read ahead), [SPOILER ALERT] Titus' mother has lost so much skin that Titus could see her teeth even when her mouth was closed. This creeped me out, because it made me think she was turning into a skeleton. Let me point this out... NO SKIN = BAD, SKIN = GOOD!!!

Ocarina of Time
This game should be very well known to a lot of people, because it revolutionized gaming. This game was the first Zelda game for Nintendo 64, released in 1998. As with the other review, of Majoras Mask, this game is also in the Collectors Edition collection of classic Zelda games released for the Gamecube. It is also the first game of the Zelda franchise that was 3D. Lets get to the review, shall we? This game is pretty much the origin story of Link and the whole "Legend of Zelda". Like all other Zelda games, you play Link, the protagonist of the Zelda franchise. In the game, you roam across the land of Hyrule as you search for three Spiritual Stones that Princess Zelda herself asks you to find. These three items are said to open the doors to the Temple of Time, where the Master Sword waits. The true reason for going through all the trouble to get these items is to ensure that the land remains at peace. You have to do many other things later in the story, but because the story is complex, I will not go to any lengths to describe it, because I would be giving too much away to those who have not yet played the game. What I will tell you is that it is your duty as the chosen of the Master Sword to free the land from the grasp of an unthinkable evil, Ganondorf.

You collect an assortment of tools and items that help you progress through the game. They vary from a bow and arrow (very useful) to magical beans (not so useful). The game itself is very long, so you get your money's worth if you were to buy the game. There are some side quests that you can do, such as one that allows you to get a very powerful sword after trading certain items to people across Hyrule.

You also have the Ocarina of Time, which plays a very important role in the game. Throughout the game, you learn different songs that have their own powers, such as one song that allows you to change it from day to night or vice versa. Very interesting...

For being a game released over 10 years ago, it still retains its grandeur, as the game said to be the best Zelda game of all time. I can't say much about the flaws of the game, because they are very small and there are very few of them.

Like I said before, the game has a very deep story and keeps you interested and glued to your T.V. until the very end. I give it an astounding 100/100. :]

Feed

The book, "Feed", that I am currently reading in my English class, delivers some interesting ideas of what the world may be like if technology ruled our lives. Not exactly, because in the book, the people who created the "Feed" are in control of the people, but if it weren't for the Feed, they would have no power. There are a few things that I noticed at the beginning of the book, particularly the language used. There are words used, such as "unit" or "null" that are words that mean the same as "man" and "bored" respectively. I believe that the author of the book, M. T. Anderson, chose these words to help reinforce the type of world that it is in the story. The words seem futuristic in a sense, maybe just because I have never heard these words used in the context that they are in (I am so null, unit). There are other words that when I heard them, I thought that the people were lazy for using such words. For example, people call a girl friend "girlf" which is a shortened form, I guess. Why not say girlfriend? Is it because it is one more syllable? I just don't understand...
The final thing that I want to talk about is the names of the characters. Some of the names reminded me of planets or moons (outer space names), such as Marty (Mars), Calista (Callisto- one of Jupiter's moons), and Titus (Titan- one of Saturn's moons). I think that the author used these names to also reinforce the futuristic setting of the story, and the advancements of people.

Shazam! :)

Tennis Pro. in the Making...

Today was my tennis team's tournament amongst ourselves to determine the ranks or "seeds" of our players. I went up against some really good players... lucky me, right? Well, out of the 4 matches that I played (first person to 6 games wins) I came away as victor in two of them. The other two I got beat bad... Its okay though, because I learned a very important thing, humility. Also, by playing against some really good guys, I believe I got a little better at the sport. I love tennis, and am happy to be on a team with a good bunch of guys.
Okay, that's it for now.
Thanks for listening, and have a good day!

Today was a beautiful day. Sunny skies, and a calming breeze helped me relax on this Friday, as well as knowing that I have some time off of school. Lying on the brown grass of my backyard law, I stared at the clouds as they moved slowly across the sky. As a strong gust of wind came in my direction, I reached for my fleece that lay by my side to keep warm. Life for me was good, as I had zero worries. Throughout the day, I saw and heard many kinds of birds as they scurried from place to place. Thinking now, I believe that it would be nice to be a bird. Peace, freedom... and the ability to fly. Totally awesome right? Well, anyway, after my "cloud and bird watching adventures", I returned to my abode and relaxed in front of my television set. Nothing too strange today. Maybe I will have better luck in that department tomorrow.

Majora's Mask
The legend of Zelda Majora's Mask is a title originally released for the Nintendo 64 in October of 2000. (Note: This game was released for the N64, but was later released on the Gamecube in a grouping of 4 classic Zelda titles, called the "Collector's Edition.") This game follows Link, the main hero of the Zelda series, as he tries to save a town, Clock Town, from an impending doom. Throughout your adventure, you will come across a variety of magical masks with their own special powers and abilities, that will help you progress through the game. It is your quest to release four giants from their imprisonment, in each of the four cardinal directions of Clock Town in order to save the land and its inhabitants.

The cool thing about this game is that the whole game consists of 3 days where you must rescue these giants. You might be wondering, "gee wiz, all of that in only three days? That sounds hard." It would be if it weren't for a magical song that allows you to return to the dawn of the first day whenever you wish. This way, you can go at your own pace, and do things without being rushed.

There is also an abundance of side-quests for you to do, or not to do. It's entirely up to the player. The thing that I enjoy most about this game is how you can interact with the citizens of Clock Town, by talking to them and doing things they may ask of you. Anyway, it just gives you some layed back game time when you do not feel like going through a dungeon filled with puzzles.

The only bad thing about this game, in my opinion, is that some of the dungeons in the game (especially the last two) can be a little stressful... With the confusing puzzles and time limit on your mind, it can be a crazy experience.

Well, anyways... the game is extremely good, and if you are a Nintendo or Zelda fan, I recommend the game if you have not played it yet. I give it a 97/100. Peace out. :)

Videogame Club

I am a Nintendo fan, and always will be. For those who do not know, Nintendo is a videogame company, (one of the "Big Three") which has been very successful throughout the years. The Nintendo Wii is the console, and the "DS" is the hand held. Out of all the videogames Nintendo has released, I keep coming back to one series of games in particular, "The Legend of Zelda." Since I can, I will be posting articles about zelda videogames every week or so, giving descriptions and including pictures and ratings (0-100).