Week 5: Top Links

North America's Most Engangered Animals seems interesting because a blogger can write a lot about each type of animal and why it is endangered. I also really like animals, so this caught my eye.

Rainy Mood is an interesting website for late-working highschool students, office employees, or anyone who enjoys the sound of rain. This website plays sounds from a thunderstorm on a loop or it changes tracks seamlessly. Either way, it's a very cool website that I will probably use in the future.

I like the entire website, It's Nice That. I keep stumbling upon links to it, and every link is one that I want to add to this list. So, I decided to add the entire website instead. The photos in this website make me think a little bit more than usual and seem to open my mind up to new views.

Short List

This is a picture of a fallout shelter taken by an unknown photographer in 1960. It helps give a picture to what I've learned in US History instead of me making up images in my head. The entire page, actually, interests me and brings a lot of ideas for articles to mind.

I think it would be fun to write a report on the life in my fishtank. Such as the relationships between the different fish. I watch them often so it'd would be interesting.

Cool Blogs and such..

I think "Bacon, Eggs, and Arsenic" http://redlightedmovies.blogspot.com/ is has a pretty cool layout. It has an easily read font which is definitely a good thing. They also have Fish at the top, so viewers can feed their fish if they feel like it.

"Unfettered" http://jovialpursuit.blogspot.com/ has a very interesting response to Dead Poets Society. They had really good word choice and kind of quickly described the intro of the movie without getting off track.

Dead Poet's Society

In Peter Weir’s 1989 film Dead Poets Society, Welton’s “Light of Knowledge” ceremony reveals deceitful respect between students, parents, and the headmaster. Almost inaudible whispers and chatter suggest teachers are worried about secrets kept among the adults. A strong bellow of bagpipes and flags bearing the words "Tradition," "Honor," "Discipline," and "Excellence" prove Welton's pride for its academic success. School staff has the students march down the hall, and the headmaster ignites the "Lights of Knowledge" to gain trust and respect of the boys' parents. The entire ceremony seems like a big, fake act rehearsed down to every step in order to make the headmaster seem like a more "Traditional, Honorable, Disciplined, and Excellent" man.

Reading Log #1

I've been reading the short story, "The Mist," in Stephen King's collection of stories, "Skeleton Crew." I've seen the movie, so I already know what happens. King uses a very informal voice that infers that the reader lives in the same town. David, Stephanie, and Billy are a family that lives in Maine on a lake. They were living their lives when a summer storm hit their lake. It tears up the entire lake, leaving a path of broken trees, docks, and boathouses. David is disappointed about the storm, but doesn't question it. Stephanie, on the other hand, is very suspicious, and doesnt think it was a normal storm. They then realize that there is a giant wall of mist on the far side of the lake which gets closer, and closer to their house.

Jackson Pollock, "#1" (1950)

In this painting, Jackson Pollock expresses an indifferent ambivalence through his choice of color. The blue suggests a cool calmness while the black streaks introduce a bit of distress. The paint was thrown at the canvas at random and which created a rough texture. The random blotches of paint give the viewer a hint of chaos which is suppressed by blue, tan and white. The softer colors almost portray sorrow. Gray in "1" provides a neutral fill that does not contrast either the blue and tan or black. Jackson Pollock filled the entire canvas with paint which develops the idea of a full mind on the verge of explosion.

Literacy Narrative

Sometime around second grade, I realized I read a lot more than other kids in my class. I found myself trying to read at every possible moment during class. I often stayed up late after bedtiime to read. I usually read popular fiction series such as The Boxcar Children, Harry Potter, and Series of Unfortunate Events. I read this much for most of elementary school and through 8th grade, but once I reached highschool, I felt too pressured with homework, sports, and showchoir to read very much for fun. I still find a good book every once in a while, but I don't read half as much as I used to before highschool.

I don't really have a certain role model or influence for reading. I just find it fun to see a movie in my head. Of course I have to read some books for class, but those aren't really for fun. If I could read more for fun, I'd read some nonfiction books about topics that interest me such as music and some science. I also enjoy reading action novels that keep me on the edge of my seat. These are books that I like because they usually don't bore me and cause me to dread reading them.

Reading has changed my life because I honestly believe it has helped me comprehend teachers or anyone else during school. It has also helped me with grammar which I've noticed when writing essays for class or even texting. I've noticed that since I haven't read as much in highschool, I sometimes have trouble understanding more difficult text in Bio or Chem. I know I'll have to read a lot of science books in college because I'm planning on studying Biochem so, a lot of practice with that should be beneficial during highschool. I still enjoy reading for fun and even for classes, but I don't always have very much time to do it.