Blogger Stand-Out (Applause)

While reading through many of our classroom blogs I stumbled upon a blog that occupies a style as magnificant as its name "The Dirty Platypus" (http://thedirtyplatypus.blogspot.com/). This blog got my attention with its broad vocabulary and blunt honesty. It incorporates words such as "strenuous", "slumber," and "administered." Also, on the post about reading history it was very honest when it came to describing the past and emotions. It discussed how he never liked to read, but upon reading The Hunger Games he always thought "oh, just one more chapter."

Dead Poets Society

In the opening scenes of Peter Weir's Dead Poets Society, a uniform style of dress and old-fashioned ceremonial experiences creates a sort of dull and "trapped" feeling. A school ceremony is in ocurrance at the beginning of the movie, where all of the students, staff, and parents sit and witness the headmaster speak of the prestige of their school. There seems to be a strong sense of order and control, since the students all speak in a synchronized manner under the headmaster, while all being dressed in the same style of outfits. You can tell by the countencances of the students that they feel miserable and trapped on the inside as the headmaster has a scheming look to his face. Later on, as the students say goodbye to their parents, a loud church bell overcasts all that is going on. This creates a rather ominous feeling or maybe even creates a feel of foreshadowing, since the bell tolls as the parents depart from their children.

Reading Response- Never Die Easy

I just had started reading Walter Payton's Never Die Easy again, because I only had read a small amount of it 4 years ago. So far, I love this book and I hold Walter Payton to the highest respect after reading about his life. This book is an autobiography about Payton's life, but my favorite feature is that it offers written accounts of his close family members and friends as well. The beginning of the book begins with many of these accounts because the first chapter focuses on the moment Payton passed away. This part of the book is very tear-jerking because Payton was argueably one of the greatest role models in all of sports history. His family and friends constantly refer to him as "The Greatest Bear of Them All" throughout this point (since he played for the Chicago Bears). A message that Payton got across to others at this point in his life was "Live every day, every moment, to its fullest and be as gracious as you can be." His wife, Connie Payton said that that quote "Was Walter, to the very end." The first chapter of this story has had the biggest impact on my so far out of this book, stressing the importance of values and graciousness throughout your life. Walter Payton used to preach to children: "Begin with the end in mind," admonishing them to think through the consequences of their actions.
As Payton describes his upbringing, he delivers more powerful messages to the reader. He explains how his father always told him "If you start something, you shouldn't quit. If you're going to play, you might as well play to be your best." Walter also reveals how he spent most all of his youthful years just helping out his family and working. Walter was able to excel in high school and found his way playing football at Jackson State University. Along the way, he shares many life lessons he had learned while growing up through the process. FInally, Walter had made a name for himself and was drafted to the Chicago Bears in the NFL. Payton continued to follow his fathers guidelines and never gave up during his early years, when the Bears were so bad that he had no good players around him. Finally, his persistence paid off as he was able to win the Super Bowl in '85, and he also broke the NFL's all-time rushing record.
What i find the most powerful about this book is that all of his football accomplishments and stories (what most people only know him for), only take up one half of the book. The second half of the book is all about his life after the NFL and how he gave back to charities and family. That to me shows that Walter Payton does not care about the glory or fame, but the substance in relationships with others and the abilities to give back to those in need. I cannot wait to read more.

Duo Excercise- Brooklyn, New York home

Elements & Observations
-Use of Space-- Crammed, Overlapping, Full
-Objects-- Bizzare, Varied, Death
-The Couple-- Mysterious, Eerie Clothing, Old Fashioned
-Design-- Unorganized, Very Abstract, Fragile

In this couple's apartment in Brooklyn, New York, their unique use of space, bizzare furnishings, and abstract design expresses a sense of limitless creativity and an inability to let possessions go. The whole apartment is coated with unusual finds, paintings, and antique materials that leave very little room for leisure and create the feeling of the apartment being rather fragile. A disturbing factor being that many of the strange objects resemble death or dead animals, which leaves viewers with a feeling of unsettlement. Also, the couple's old fashioned outfits and mysterious looks bring forth a rather eerie feeling to the apartment as well. The crammed design and furnishings of this apartment may peak the interest of many people, but for me it makes me feel as if I stepped foot into an Edgar Allen Poe horror story.

Literacy Narrative

Sadly, reading has never really been a large part of my life. I dont necessarily read novels on my own outside of school assignments or activities. However, I have tried to pick up two books before to read (Never Die Easy and Through My Eyes) but I could not find the time to finish them. Today, I do read every single night, but I save that time for reading only the Bible. The Bible is really the only book I ever read, not only because it is essential for all christians, but also because it leaves me with time to analyze and reflect over the words and phrases afterwards. I also find it pleaureable to read because i know if I can incorporate those principles into my life, I will become a better person. If I was to read different books, I would really want to finish thetwo books that i had only started in the past. Never Die Easy and Through My Eyes were written by Walter Payton and Tim Tebow, both great rolemodels in the athletic world. The reason that I would like to finish these books is because they both share a great message and how each of the two athletes came to be who they were and the events they faced that helped shape their lives. Any reading that I do, I always want to receive a message from it. I don't necessarily like reading just to hear a good story, because I would rather just watch a movie if that was the case. However, I can't really receive a life changing message from a movie on my TV screen; this is when I choose to read instead.