The Only Person

Who is the hardest on me and the only person that can really get to me is my mother.

A little about me

As of a few minutes ago I was blog surfing and I came up on one of my favorite blog on Tumblr.  Usually this blog has things of inspiration but I guess as of late, it has been putting up a lot of awfully pessimistic things.

Now I’m a realist, I have my hopes and fears but at the same time I keep it real.  I think of the possibilities and over analyze all outcomes both positive and negative (yes, it is bad).  Sometimes I let my fears consume me and to be honest it is quite frightful.

However I had a talk with someone and that person helped me realized that:

“if I never take the risk then is life worth living?”

 I want so much but at the same time, I am so scared that I let that fear control my judgment and my actions.  

My old friend Duy Mai at one point in my life told me that “Sometimes you have to enjoy life; if you live in a world of doubt and uncertainty than you are letting that fear control you from being happy.” (take risks)

A risk is like a leap of faith; when you jump you hope the other end catches you and if you fall it might hurt a little bit, but at least you know you took the jump and can grow from that experience.

For me, I’m a person that gets close to the jump but never takes it.  It is as though I’m too scared to know because I’m too scared of getting effed over.  However, I think it is time for me to step up and realize that risks is what makes life exciting and makes things interesting.

Here is a little tip for you people when there is a point in which you do not know your decisions on something.  

The coin trick.

1. Take a coin, preferably a quarter.
2. Make heads and tails what you want your decision to be.  (It does NOT matter which side)
3. Flip the coin.
4. The side it lands on is NOT your answer.

Did you get the trick?

As the coin is in the air, you already have made your decision in what you want.  There is no denying it, there is no way around it. Example:  If you are deciding between buying a hotdog or hamburger and you flip a coin, the moment the coin is in the air you are already hoping for what side you want it to  land on.  Whatever side it lands on will make you happy (if you get it right) or unhappy (that you didn’t get the side you secretly wanted).

I hope that you people who stumble upon my page found this quite interesting and maybe uniquely helpful. Good morning world.

Music

Music is the key to your soul and represents everything that you can feel and want to say.  A long time ago I wanted to be a music major but was pushed away from it because I didn’t know where I could go in the industry.  Even though there are lots of things I have not been able to do as of yet,   I plan to get there eventually.   Many musicians and singers are featured on YouTube and I was fortunate enough to have time to get to discover new types of music and subscribe to many as well.  The people that are yet to be discovered are truly remarkable.

Dinosaurs aren’t that scary.

Crossing the threshold from the universe to my television.

 

When Across the Universe came out in 2007, I was extremely excited to watch it due to many people recommending it.

After four years I was able to buy a copy of it at Target during the Black Friday Sale and I finally got to watch it today.

 

Across the Universe is a musical movie that takes places in what I would assumed the late 1950’s to mid 1960’s.  The main character is Jude who comes to the United States from England in order to meet his birth father.  After meeting his father he meets Max  who attends Princeton University who drops out of school and starts a new life in Greenwich Village in which they live with a singer name Sadie.  Along the story Jude falls in love with a girl named Lucy (Max’s sister), Max himself gets drafted, Sadie meets a man Jo-Jo who embodies Jimmy Hendrix and Prudence  a girl who seeks attention from Sadie.  To get the full story, be sure to wiki it or even watch the movie (there is a thought!).

I enjoyed the movie personally.   The characters each had their own personal issues and we got as we saw these issues get resolved; when Max gets drafted into the army, he does his best to get out of it but ultimately fails and gets sent to Vietnam.   The movie was able to pick out things from the era which made it feel as though one was “there” such as;  civil rights movement, Vietnam War, protests of the war, 60’s era lifestyle, etc.  Another that stood out was the soundtrack for the music were all Beatles music which gave a sense of nostalgia since many older viewers grow up in that time and for me being only 23, I was exposed to the Beatles music but was not completely appreciative till a few years ago.

While the movie was very compelling, there were some things that seemed to bother me as the viewer.  While the story was compelling there were many times in the film that felt that there was some things did not add up such as;  when Jude meets his father, his father and him “bond” but says that he does not want to be a part of Jude’s life due to him having already built his own life.  It is not until the end of the story the father makes a short 5 minute appearance.  I was bothered because throughout the movie you barely see the mother and the father.   Now it was bothersome due to many issues being unresolved such as how the father was able to come for Jude when he did not want to be a part of Jude’s life and the conversation between Jude and his mother when he returned from the United States.  Another part I didn’t like was that while most of the characters did get issues resolved, one character stood out; Prudence.  Prudence appears in the movie as a girl who has left her abusive ex-boyfriend, she falls in love with Sadie (could be due to being curious about Sadies beauty) and then leaves the group to join the circus in which she returns later.  The problem with Prudence is that her character was not as in dept as it should have been (I know that six character is a lot to work on).

U2 frontman Bono.  I like U2 I really do however there was no reason for Bono to be in the movie.  Yes he added “star” power but I think the movie was just as good without him there at all.  Bono, we really appreciate your contribution to the music industry but lets be serious, you are a terrible actor.

 

Overall the movie was compelling, the characters were interesting and the music was uplifting.  The only downside was some issues that needed to be address (characters, places, things).

 

I give this movie 7.5 out of 10.0 badges.

The beginning of something new.

So it has only been a week and I already miss school.  I know I was already dying on getting out but honestly I woke up today and was looking forward to it.  As I mentioned in my reflection final piece a few days ago, I am hoping to begin a new journey on this wordpress and I’m going to start with a review!

Harry Potter a key to literacy and possibly a key to future generations of learning?

Harry Potter & Literacy

            When Harry Potter was published in 1997, nobody thought that a novel about a boy who entered the world of magic would become not just a popular character, but an icon that also got children to read his adventures.  Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was the first of the seven books in the series that would not only gain high notoriety, but for gaining a massive fan base.  Many readers who picked up the book at the time were young children, thus children grew up with Harry as each book was released by Rowling.  The series was unique because as each book ended, many loyal followers of the series would reread the older books and wait anxiously for the release of the next.  It was something truly unique for children and adults around the world to wait for a books release and gain a massive audience of readers. Harry Potter is a passageway into literacy.

            I, myself was a young child who picked up the Harry Potter book at the suggestion of my fourth grade teacher.  I had never ever been engaged into reading and any activity that had reading involved.  After finishing the first book however, I was deeply fascinated and waited and waited endlessly for the release of the other books.  At somewhere along the time I finished the third book did my life completely change, I was preferring reading books along the genre of Harry Potter, and that while I kept reading my interest in literature kept growing to the point where I was usually always found with a book in hand.  It was because of J.K. Rowling and the story of Harry Potter that made me fall in love with reading.  If I had never picked up book and read it, I don’t think I would have a passion for literature.  J.K. Rowling gave the world a book and from that one book, many people began to flock to learn the story of an underage wizard and his great adventures. If I had never ever picked up Harry Potter or discovered it, I could say that I would be in a completely different world.  I cherish the book as well, because of the fact that Harry Potter was what made me literate and because of this I discovered my love for literature.

            Many professionals agree that Harry Potter boosted literacy.  According to an article published in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2002 by Linda Dorethy, writes

“The Education Department’s deputy director-general (schools), Alan Laughlin, said the popularization of literature – especially the Harry Potter publishing phenomenon – was partly responsible for the lift in literacy because it had taken reading out of the “egghead” realm.” Literature is no longer seen as the province of the nerd,” he said.” (Dorethy)

In another article published on Scotsman.com in 2005 entitled Potter works wonders for kids’ literacy says

            “New research by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups (FCBG) shows that JK Rowling’s storytelling has had a major impact on literacy and reading habits in the UK.

Almost six out of 10 children (59%) think the books have helped them improve their reading skills. And 48% say Rowling’s creation is the reason they read more.  Teachers are even clearer about the effect Rowling’s series of books, the sixth of which will be released this week, have had on reading: 84% say Harry Potter has helped improve child literacy and 67% claimed the series has turned non-readers into readers.” Colin Harrison, professor of literacy studies at the University of Nottingham, who contributed to the research, said: “The sheer pervasiveness of JK Rowling’s books means Harry Potter will certainly have impacted on children’s literacy levels (scotsman).

Even though these articles are a few years old and book six and seven had yet to be to be released, it is proven that because of Rowling that literacy had indeed increased and even now it can be said that children who are discovering Harry Potter are not just discovering him but potentially other literature opportunities as well.  Rowling makes it clear that young children who grow up with Harry Potter and are able to appreciate literacy and literature because of that, they will be able to grow up alongside the stories because if any story can make a child appreciate reading it most likely would be Harry Potter.  Any story that can do that to a person will always be cherished until the very end.

            In the same article from Scotsman.com the unknown author conducted another survey about what the Harry Potter phenomenon has done   

 “ 41% said the Harry Potter books have made reading cool;

• 39% said they would miss their favourite television programme to read the new book;

• 66% said most of their friends have read Harry Potter;

• 70% of teachers say that Harry Potter books are talked about in the playground.

George Grey, head of children’s books at Waterstone’s the booksellers, said: “When children find books that inspire them, their enthusiasm leads them to read more.”

Although the sample size number was never given from the website, it can still be agreed that Harry Potter has heavily influenced many children and encourages literacy amongst them.  In a time when the media and television control the people, for children being able to be drawn away from that to read a Harry Potter book is something quite extraordinary.  The quote from Grey was added because I myself cannot disagree with that.  For many Harry Potter is a stepping stone for what other great works our out there.  If literacy is something that is harder to come by due to the changes of time and because younger children are less inclined to read, a book such as Harry Potter can possibly pull someone from that world and into the world of literature.  Harry Potter seems to be one of the passageways for people to discover the joys of reading.

            Even though Harry Potter has such an incredible following, it can be agreed that the next generation may not be enthusiastic about literacy. Harry Potter if given then chance can be able to give someone the gift of literacy.  With that said many people are should be encouraged to read the series because of this.  The generation in which were given the ability to grow up with Harry Potter was blessed beyond imagination.  According to Thenextgreatgeneration.com in an article written by Alejandro Gomez titled Harry Potter’s Literacy Legacy writes:

“Harry Potter and Rowling proved that kids still had beautiful and compelling imaginations – why else would they cast off their plastic/electronic/pixilated shackles and pick up a tome? In a crisis of literacy, the Harry Potter series gave us hope that books still carry sacred weight as tools for learning and reflection, even as our society self-reflexively remarks upon each generation of increasingly irreverent brats.” (Gomez)

Now that may have been a bit harsh on the end but it is true that many children may never get the chance to read the book and if that is so it is unfortunate that they will never discover literacy.  However instead of being pessimistic about let us look the other way, for those that are able to create imagination and become literate, Harry Potter is merely a blessing in disguise due to the ingenious writing of JK Rowling.

For many people who discovered literacy through the series, one person took that a bit further and created the number one fan site dedicated to Harry Potter; Emerson Spartz.  Now this is something that is important because on Mugglenet.com under the About Us page in which we discover the people who work behind the site, we are able to learn a bit of information about the founder quote:

“I founded MuggleNet 10 years ago. I was 12. I was bored. And homeschooled. Now I’m 22. I graduated from Notre Dame.. I read between 100-200 non-fiction books a year… At first, I thought I was ‘too cool’ for Harry Potter. Wizards, broomsticks?! Kid stuff! Then I read the first two books in one night. And PoA the next night. And started MuggleNet a month later.” (Mugglenet)

The reason why I chose to present this is because of the relevancy it pertains.  At a mere twelve years old Spartz fell in love with the book after he thought that the book was not something he would be able to take interest in and yet, if Spartz had never been reached out by Harry Potter he would have never started Mugglnet.  For a book to be able to get someone to creating a website dedicated to the series because of their love of Harry Potter, it is truly something that is quite fascinating to say the least.

While we have understood that the series can encourage literacy many people do not even know the first thing about where most of the text hints at comparison to other literary works. Due to Harry Potter being educational as well, there are some universities that have developed a Harry Potter course in which college students actually learn about the literary references with in it.  Now it may be silly to think that Harry Potter could be offered and that it is not likely, however on according to an article written by Sarah Ward titled Colleges that Offer Harry Potter Classes she lists six colleges that offer courses, one such school being Yale University with a course entitled Christian Theology & Harry Potter. “The course references the Harry Potter books and discusses the parallels with Christian concepts of sin, evil, and resurrection. The first time it was offered, 18 openings were available and 79 students showed up!” (Ward).  Other schools that offer it are Arizona State University with a course titled Harry Potter Inside & Out and Meredith College with Principles of Sociology: Harry Potter.

Harry Potter has grown from being just a book to becoming a class that teaches students about how the series can relate to today’s world.  It should be implemented from elementary schools to even high school text readings because of this as well.

            Since we are speaking about Harry Potter and how some colleges have implemented it is interesting that there is a website online that offers suggestions for educators for lesson plans to teach students about Harry Potter.  Travis Prinzi who wrote an article for TheHogsHead.org entitled For Educators: Literacy and Harry Potter, with Lesson Plans opens with “This is a project I did for a graduate class.  It includes a brief theoretical framework, some brief reflections on how Harry Potter relates to that theory, and then, for the sake of any educators who read this site, I’ve attached, as a downloadable document, this content plus eight lesson plans I constructed.  I hope it’s helpful, and I assume that the theoretical framework will inspire some debate… This course is designed as a high-school elective on the Harry Potter series (it would have to be limited to those who were already quite familiar with the series) or as a college course. “”  (Prinzi)  On the article he has Theoretical Framework and Overview of Course in which he gives details about how Harry Potter can be discussed.  The entire lesson plan and its full entirety are online for download.  A graduate student was able to create this.  This is how much Harry Potter has influenced people; from taking Harry Potter from the outside world and to put it into a classroom is something that is quite unparalleled.

Take a minute to consider everything you have taken in. The children who are now adults such as I, grew up with Harry and many people would more than likely be excited to show their future children the series.  One day instead of telling them old tales, children would be taught the Tales of Beetle and the Bard.  JK Rowling’s contribution to helping the growth of literacy should be praised because of the fact that many schools noticed that literacy had gone up because of the series.  Several college campuses even offer Harry Potter classes.  For someone to say that Harry Potter is not a stepping stone into great literature is an understatement.  If Harry Potter could reach out to me and teach someone like me to be literate as well as many others.  The possibilities that Harry Potter will extend through future generations is more than likely and it can be agreed that Harry Potter will become a literary classic for the ages.

Harry Potter should be taught because there is so much to learn from it.  It is relevant to literature and should be applied on all college campuses.

 

Bibliography

Mugglenet.com “About Us” MuggleNet

http://www.mugglenet.com/aboutus.shtml

 

The Leaky Cauldron

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/

 

Doherty, Linda. “Harry Potter helps lift school literacy rates.” The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 Sept. 2002. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/09/19/1032054870385.html.

 

Hallett, Vicky. “The Power of Potter.” US News & World Report, 25 July 2005. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/050725/25read.htm.

 

Gomez, Alejandro.  “Harry Potter’s Literacy Legacy.” The Next Great Generation, July 13, 2011. http://www.thenextgreatgeneration.com/2011/07/harry-potters-literacy-legacy/

 

MacMillan, Arthur. “Potter works wonders for kids’ literacy.” The Scotsman, 9 July 2005. http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=765922005.

 

Prinzi, Travis. “For Educators: Literacy and Harry Potter, with Lesson Plans.” The Hog’s Head, 6 June 2008. http://thehogshead.org/for-educators-literacy-and-harry-potter-with-lesson-plans-742/

 

Ward, Sarah. “Colleges that Offer Harry Potter Classes.” My Colleges And Careers, 16 July 2011. http://www.mycollegesandcareers.com/2011/07/colleges-that-offer-harry-potter-classes/

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” – Winston Churchill

These words are hauntingly truthful.  While looking at other classmates entries I stumbled upon this quote and realize I wanted to write a commonplace about this.  During these weeks of English 303 I was able to grow and learn more than I could ever have as a writer.  It is sad to admit that I have disappointed some of my classmates and even my professor by my lack of commitment to the post and thus throwing whatever I could up can not help me as much as it should.  However in these times I have friends from class that can still help me further these skills.   This journey into a more in dept writing style was one that I could be more than thankful for.   From the in class discussions, the assignments, these commonplace, and even occasionally falling asleep I learned many things; critical thinking, analysis and research, reflection, and not to fall asleep.  With the closing of this class and quarter I hope that I am able to further my developing skills of writing and keep progressing as a writer.  I do not wish for this blog to become nothing more than a class project, therefore I have taken measures to keep up with this blog and to further my skills as a writer.  With this being said, i hope that people that stumble upon this blog will read and comment on all the things I have written if not their favorites.  In doing so they will help me create an audience and give me insight into what kind of ideas could help me further.

 

Again I would like Dr. Edlund for his patience.  He is the nicest professor I have ever had and if you were to come across him at Cal Poly Pomona make sure you take him for a course or two.  Thank You Dr. Edlund and many thanks to those that have read through this blog.

Sarah Palin’s Resignation Speech

A few weeks ago we went over Sarah Palin’s Resignation Speech.  It was probably one of the most ridiculous speeches I had ever read.  While giving her speech, she spoke to the citizens of Alaska as though they were her neighbors.  She spoke about how even though she was resigning, the “good fight” would not be looked down upon.   Palin also spoke about how her kids were the main decision makers.   I think it was ridiculous because she was walking away from her responsibility due to media backlash.  Yes it may have been the best decision due but at the same time to say that she would be to keep “big government” away is completely laughable.  Her kids making her decision was also absurd, she put fault on her kids to cover for her decision.

 

Honestly I think Palin is a laughing joke and that her views on politics are ridiculous.  This is MY opinion.  It may not be nicest thing to say but it certainly is not me being sexist.  It is the honest opinion of someone who does not agree with the choices she makes and her approaches to politics.  One such as running like a rat.

Final Reflection: Ten Weeks Later.

Ten weeks ago I stepped into a classroom, a classroom with people like myself who were student writers, who just like me were trying to make sense of their writing.  I myself was retaking the course due to not being able to finish the course last quarter.  I soon found myself suffering from lack of confidence but over the course even though it was not so easy for me, I soon realize how much more depth writing had and how my voice determined how my product would end up being.  This course has taught me so much over the assignments and pieces I have done for the class.

In my reflective piece, I wrote about how I liked to hold all work till the last minute and how my work usually shined during that time.  I completely disagree with that now.  It may sound hypocritical for turning in late assignments and not living to my full duties as a student of the class but I strongly believe that the work should no longer be put off, especially when it comes to writing.  Writing is full of ideas, thoughts and revision.

We write to make relevance of subjects as well to make relevant to ourselves.  I myself own a personal blog, not for writing but for my personal amusement, every now and then I would write an entry and publish it.  I managed to look back at some of the pieces I wrote and realized that even though my writing to me was good, it was merely acceptable.  This course Advanced Expository Writing allowed me to open my mind to the bigger picture.  I enjoyed the space given for my writing; I did not feel suffocated and felt as though I couldn’t be judged by others because they couldn’t see me but only hear my voice.

I soon began learning to write in a business format.  Something that was not only interesting to learn but also something that could be used in a professional setting sometime in the future.  It was one of the first assignments that made me write in a different way, a style in which I was able to think outside of the box.  Even before this assignment, I read an article from the New Yorker titled The Running Novelist by the author Murakmi. I usually don’t read articles that are not relevant but this spoke to me.  It spoke to me and awakened something that I had never felt in a long time.  Determination.  The article was about how the author Murakami left his life to become a writer and though he never mentions everything about his experience, he says how becoming a writer was something he did not plan but it just happened.  This article though not saying a lot spoke volumes.  It was something that said “hey, you never know what you will end up doing… things just happen.”  I have this articled downloaded onto my happy laptop now.  The class discussion on Murkami and the business template were extremely helpful in me growing and understanding what else I could do if I just looked outside of the box.

I believe that out of all the beneficial assignments, the most difficult assignment would probably be the rhetorical analysis.  I understood the Aristotelian Appeals; Ethos, Pathos, & Logos, but I was not quite sure if my analysis would be understood.  It is something I have never ever had to do and found it quite fun as much as frustrated by amount of thought I was trying to give it.  Being able to analyze a piece of text old or new is a great way of giving insight to the audience about what the piece is trying to say.  To see between the lines and expose the truth behind it and the meaning is what the rhetorical analysis assignment was meant to do.

Now even though this course was helpful, I couldn’t have done it without the books.  They were, Performing Prose: The Study and Practice of Style in Composition by Chris Holcomb and M. Jimmie Killingsworth and Rewriting: How to Do Things with Texts by Joseph Harris.  They seemed like regular textbooks at the time, something that could be looked in class and then put aside to collect dust.  However to a writer it is gold.   The books were extremely helpful because it helped the reader how to approach the style of writing in different ways.  It is highly recommended to take a look at these by books for aspiring student writers who are trying their best to make expand their writing style.  It has helped me look at writing and structure in a different way from hooking an audience to trying to reach to the audience.  I admit that did not always read the reading assignments but when I did; they were extremely insightful and helpful nonetheless.  Perhaps I should take a look back after finals, if procrastination does not ensue.

I enjoyed the blog because it helped me be able to publish my work without worrying about others.   I fear face to face critiques with someone who may be trying to be helpful, bashes you and your style.  This is what kept me from writing and keeping my writing off the bar, WordPress and even my own personal blog has now shown me that I do not have to live in fear and that I shouldn’t be ashamed of my writing.  This is something that is to be shared with the world and if a worldwide audience is what I can reach the sky is the limit.  I hope to continue writing in this blog, even perhaps doing other reviews, analysis, or even research.  As a writer with so much to share, why limit myself to a notebook or journal in where no one can see.  I could use WordPress as a platform to propel my writing and gain an audience, even if it is only a few.  I plan to use this blog as a “portfolio” of sorts to display my writing and let future employers see that I am more than capable of writing and thinking outside the box.

Before this blog is closed, I would like to thank Dr. Edlund.  Dr. Edlund is a professor at Cal Poly Pomona and probably one of the most knowledgeable when it comes to rhetoric.  Even though I struggled and did not do so well, he did not put me down but instead was patient because he believed that I could get the work done (even if he seemed to think I wouldn’t do it).   I cannot express how thankful that I was able to take this class with him and I have learned much more about myself as a writer ten weeks later, than I was ten weeks before.  I thank everyone who took their time to read this.  Have a good night!