Final Paper

Final Essay by Victoria Tonascia

Masterpiece Presentation

http://prezi.com/1kgo0p-khdco/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Yosemite Trip

WAS AMAZING!
Thanks to Mr. Steller here are some group pictures!

Masterpiece

Please comment your email or look at my previous masterpiece post! It's in action now and I'd love to have your participation 

Poetry pt. 2

Do not go gentle...

If you're gunna go, die kicking 

Don't accept death 

Narrator to father- don't die. Shift "and you"

Resistingly aware (knowledge, enlightenment, "know"), expected melancholia (sadness, "grieved too late"), determined rage (the narrator is talking to his father), wistful regret (might have been), solemn objectivity (grave men)

Youth would be more likely to have this attitude 

Shift: 16, 4, 10, both or none @16

angry opposition not it, challenging preparedness is how the author suggests  meeting death- do not go gentle into the good night

Reveal ambiguity towards his father and his impending death: various characterization of men that aren't his father, he doesn't know his father and how he would do it so gives options

Can't personify a person

Animals can do a lot of things humans can do too. Extended metaphor of the bird yesterday. Personification is only human qualities- talking. 

Departmental

Allegory for human idiosyncrasies- "ants"

Starts with an observational narrative. He doesn't respond but reports it. The last two lines. Momentary observation to universal truth. Descritive narrative to pensive editorial (opinion based).

Tone: satirical exposition (shared info) how everything's bureaucratically

 "Arrest" incarceration, admonition (a lecture, shaming) , capture, detention, seizure. 

Context, roots of words, eliminating wrong ones

Euphemism- nicer connotation 

Fantastically- fantasy, allegory 

Sonnet Notes/ Poetry

Sonnet is 14 lines

Petrarchan v Shakespearean

Petrarch- classic way before Shakespeare 

Octect then sestect 

Change in tone is shift, what was it before?

Three trains then couplet 

Shift in eighth(Petrarch) or last two lines(Shakespeare)

Shakespeare: Last two lines she is complimented not insulted 

He's making fun of love poems, he was a realist

Meaning- title, tone shifts, 

Tone- fiction essay, poetry (irony...), attitude, 

style- syntax and diction can be influenced by literary period, figurative language 

Deeper, say tone and stuff

Academic, high level diction

Look for key words 

Hope- Emily Dickinson 

Hope is always there, find and follow it. Metaphors- bird is hope. Talks about thee best parts about birds

Title- direct, subject

Connotations-

Diction- positive words, straightforward, intended to move  

Attitude- optimistic

Tone-

Shift- "Yet" or nevertheless, but... Hope doesn't ask from others. Relationship between her and hope. Not abstract idea. Changes theme focus

Theme-

In class notes

Fleance fleas and is away

Malcolm is the rightful heir

Shakespeare is divided- appeals to king and other members of audience

Macbeth always adding more people

Fair is foul and foul... Every character. Murder is foul nobody knows 

Lady Mac seems to already want 

(Pick right tool)

Look at open questions 

Open and prose- deeper meaning 

Elements of stories important to me

How author uses techniques 

Hit elements of prompt, prewrite, argument 

Satire- comedic intent to think of serious; Chaucer, displacement 

Waiting for Godot, grapes of wrath, 

Food and sleep

Act 4 Scene 3; 1-3 questions

4-3

1. Macduff's family has been killed. 

2. Malcolm doesn't want to go home because he's afraid of judgement since he ran away. Malcolm is suspicious of Macduff bc Macduff has his own personal agenda. He might be secretly working for Macbeth since he left his family. Malcolm tests Macduff's loyalty to him and he passes. When Macduff starts to leave Malcolm takes back the lies he's told and trusts Macduff now- they're now allies. 

3. Malcolm says he's a bad king but Macduff says Macbeth is a way worse king and that he needs to return to restore peace and justice. Avarice bothers Macduff more in a king, it sticks deeper with kings in the terms of greed and lust. 

Act 2

Macduff and Lennox come after the deed. He killed sleep. Lady Macbeth coaching him. His conscience. Knocking of the porter. Character and theme. Been there done that seen all. Going through all classes of Chaucers tales. Minded gates of hell. 

Macbeth Character Map

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/m/macbeth/character-map

What About My Masterpiece?

Progress on masterpiece was two weeks ago, I think. The Passion Project. I need to print the statement and actually approach people. I need to face my fears and just do it. I would spend time designing the templates and stuff once k collect all of the writing and pictures. I don't know if it's possible to get a book done before school is out, I need to hustle. 

Love is Blind

Oh Lady Macbeth, what a character so far. Poor Macbeth is a little puppy around her. He wrote the letter to say, "Hey wife, please be proud. Look at what I know and what I am." Expecting a validating response, but got the psychopath one instead. He thinks that she's not too bad. He tries to stand up for himself but is completely degraded. They have a relationship that's not new so the actions and reactions they give ech other seem familiar. The audience gets that she's a crazy woman. She was talking about smashing the baby's head in for crying out loud. She is bloodthirsty for power and will stop at no cost. She is quick to decide and act. Lady Macbeth will be manipulative and not take no for an answer. 

Macbeth is already attached to her and has affection. He wants her approval. The audience is just seeing from point A to present and has no previous knowledge or thoughts about her so all of the things she says and does shape the reader's thoughts. There's no film fogging the truth up. She's craaaaazy

Notes in Class: Macbeth Act 1

1-1 

Dark foreshadowing. Caesar- soothe sayer. A lot of exposition. A lot of rise to power. Questioning ethics. Weird- seyvant.  Snapshots. Witches give sense of fear, ominous, intimidating. 

(Explain how opening scene contributes to novel as a whole)

1-2

1. Glorified Macbeth. Provides indirect characterization. Foil showing lesser version of Macbeth. No ending with rebels. Rebellions an rebelliousness key themes. Key characters think they're above it. Rebels with a cause always think it's unfair authority figures don't serve them.

2. Another revolt. Witches predicted already. Didn't mean it was because of them. Gives foreshadowing to Macbeth. Not to trust and not sad or remorseful. 

1-3

Awareness in Macbeth that he doesn't want to confide in banquo. Knows he won't be supportive of doing the wrong thing. 

1-4

Not completely truthful to Lady Macbeth . Three prophetic sisters, not witches. She's like you will be king, fearing that he'll be having a guilty conscience. Her characterization of him doesn't match up with his actions. Poison is insidious speech that he will manipulate him with. She's blood thirsty. Has to change her gender. Cultural context stereotypical gender views. Cut me off from my conscience. 

3. Lady Macbeth there. 

4.  Lady Macbeth for sure Macbeth not so much. She's coaching him. 

1-7?

Host responsible for safety. Macbeth is analyzing beforehand Lady none. Thinking like Caesar that he'd be in trouble if he did. Ambition. He's like nah dog. She's upset and he's holding onto his values. 

Daggers- symbolic of betrayal violence murder 

Macbeth needs a game face yo 

As a class...

I-1

1) Beginning the play with a dialogue between the witches sets the mood to be dark, evil, and mysterious. This foreshadows the plot, theme, and mood for the future of the story in the same manner. In comparison of Shakespeare's other plays, Macbeth requires more ambiguity and the syntax and diction used needs to be more bleak. For example, Hamlet highlighted the themes of betrayal and complexity of relationships and power. Even though, the theme falls in the same ballpark with Macbeth, the gloominess of the plot of Macbeth overpowers that of Hamlet. In the beginning of the play, the witches were going to meet Macbeth at the "ere of sunset." Line 10 was "Paddock calls" and line 11 was "Anon." The phrase paddock class means a toad, which symbolizes transformation. The word anon means soon or shortly. The "toad" and it's transformation could metaphorically be compared to Macbeth and his evolving and transforming to be a completely different person or even having a transformation in his status and power. The witch's response as anon signifies how Macbeth will shortly have a transformation - to be declared a thane. 

I-2

1. The bloody seargent indirectly characterizes Macbeth by glorifying his actions towards Macdonwald. Macdonwald is a rebel who was executed. He tried to attack them. Macbeth executed macdonwald with his sword. This did not end the fight with the rebels, the Norwegians are still attacking.
2. The traitor was the Thane of Cawdor, as we learn from Ross. Duncan says that its a relief the thane of cawdor was executed and that Macbeth now owns his previous title.

I-3

1. The witches speech gives a first look at Macbeth and his wife without saying who they are. Indirect characterization of the two. Similar to Hamlet where he gives a mini synopsis early in the story. "Weird" in Shakespeare's day meant future seers not weird as we know it, prophecy and destiny. Shakespeare means that Macbeth's wife has him by the balls. They  cast a spell to control his destiny. 
2. Macbeth says something very similar to what the witches said at the beginning of the play. This could be him falling into the destiny the witches set up. Dried, chapped fingers, gender ambiguity, hairy, old, they have literal beards. The witches tell Macbeth that he will thane of Candor and eventually King, right then he finds out he is thane of Cawdor. Banquo asked the witch why they had nothing for him, they told him he is lesser but greater than Macbeth. We knew he was thane before he was thane.
3. Banquo says the witches were a figment of their imagination that they lie or that they are hallucinating. Macbeth learns that he is thane of Cawdor from Ross and Angus. During lines 114-156 he was going over his plan in his head and how everything had just happened to him. He acts very happy and shows no incredulity at being thane. Macbeth's aside shows him rationalizing what happened to him and he begins to think that he is going to be King soon. Macbeth tells Banquo that he is happy and excited and nothing more he explains his behavior by saying he is confused.

I-4

1.Cawdor was executed after openly confessing his treason and pleading for mercy. Malcolm tried to stick up for the thane, but the king responds by basically saying that you can't trust a man according to his face. He doesn't believe the thane was truly repentant.

2.The king greets them by saying that he can never repay them enough for their good deeds, but announces he will leave all his estate and names his son, Malcolm, prince of Cumberland. He then proposes that they go to Macbeth's castle at Inverness. Macbeth tells himself that the only way to be king is to get rid of Malcolm, and even though he'll be appalled at his action, he must do it.

I-5

1. Macbeth was honest with his wife when he informs her of his new title as "Thane of Cawdor." He refers to the witches as "weird sisters" probably because he doesn't want her know that he is associated with the "evil servants."

Lady Macbeth responds by saying that she thinks Macbeth is playng things off as if everything is fine. By saying "but be the serpent under't", she describes him as someone that lies to make everything appear under control. This doesn't really match the characterization of Macbeth so far in the story which implies that there is something the audience doesn't know about him. 

2. The wife was confident about the guests visit. She also seemed prepared and a little cocky about the way her and her husband would handle it.

3. Lady Macbeth. Yes she wants to kill Duncan. No, he isn't sure whether he wants to follow through with Lady Macbeths orders or not. She tells him not to let Duncan see tomorrow. 

4. The question appears to answer itself. 

I-6

1. The opening speeches (1.6.1-10) describe how the surroundings of the castle are "pleasant" and the air is sweet-maybe even too sweet. From the outside, the castle appears to be paradise.
Lady Macbeth's welcome is formal. Her language is totally different from her language in the previous scene which shows how fake and dishonest her welcome was.

I-7

1. "If it were done when 'tis done then 'twere well." If it were done when it was done it was done well. (Meaning if he completed the death quickly and efficiently and with no complications then he did the job well.) Macbeth is determined to kill the king and be done with him but in lines 1-12 he is fearful of how the "inventor" will judge his actions. He's violating the hospitality of his kinship and responsibilities as a host towards his guest by trying to kill his guest instead of protecting them. The motivation that Macbeth attributes to himself in lines 25-28 is the attribute of an Arabic heaven-like God. He will be seen as a "God" and that is his source of motivation to get the job done. 

2. In lines 28-30 she is complaining about him leaving the chamber because it was  almost time for dinner. Macbeth responds to her complaining by saying did he ask for me? And lady Macbeth says don't you know he did? The positions are lady Macbeth is ready for the King to be killed while Macbeth is still hesitant and on the fence about it. Macbeth convinced Lady Macbeth by explaining that he is an respected person and doesn't want to lose his honor while Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth by convincing him to gain the power and kill the king. The stronger person in the scene is Lady Macbeth because  she's more verbally confident in her argument while convincing Macbeth to kill the King. 

My Macbeth Resources

1.  shakespeare online
2.  no sweat shakespeare
3.  royal Shakespeare company
4.  board works (interactive)
5.  literatureatuwccr (lit techniques)

And if the quote of the day on one of those sites wasn't the beginning of Marc Antony's speech we memorized sophomore year...

POETRY

This prompt fits "Out, Out," by Robert Frost because instead of the sow we see the saw as a main influence in the story. I think it is ironic how this prompt can be altered by one letter in a word and completely fits a different poem.

1987 Poem: “Sow” (Sylvia Plath)

Prompt: Read the poem. Then write an essay in which you analyze the presentation of the sow (saw) . Consider particularly how the language of the poem reflects both the neighbor's (boy's) and the narrator's perceptions of the sow (saw) and how the language determines the reader's perceptions.   Be certain to discuss how the portrayal of the sow (saw) is enhanced by such features as diction, devices of sound, images, and allusions.

"The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard," are the first words in Robert Frost's poem titled "Out, Out-." Through animalistic allusions and simplistic diction the buzz saw is portrayed through the author's objective tone as a pest. From the very beginning, the buzz saw was given life and the reader was presented with an opportunity to gather his or her thoughts and feelings toward the saw. The buzz saw has a negative connotation from the start. The saw was given qualities of an unfriendly dog or a snake, both of which are unwanted company. Frost goes on to describe the scenery, how beautiful and peaceful it is, then is interrupted again by the nuisance of the buzz saw; it, "snarled and rattled, rattled and snarled." The saw was impatient, inconsiderate, and selfish by cutting off the narrator's thoughts about the surroundings. These characteristics are reprised when the boy enters the poem, but instead of being an exasperation, the saw becomes more aggravating by taking further action. "At the word, the saw, As if to prove saws knew what supper meant, Leaped out at the boy’s hand, or seemed to leap—" It was again given life-like qualities, here with more cognititive and physical than before. The saw seemed to want to be at the center of attention and made it apparent. The boy's feelings toward the saw were not very concentrated because the boy had so many things happen to him at once. After the saw took his hand he was baffled. And at that point the buzz saw's work was done, it was content, and did not need to come back into the poem. As a reader, not unless one goes back to search, it's relatively unnoticed.

WOTD: arrivederci

Word of the day: 

Rest in peace Grandpa 💙 I will remember your goodbyes and you  teaching Monique how to say this when we were leaving all of those times. 

BLOG FEEDBACK

#let'sgo

Practice AP test

Vendler graph "Out, Out" Robert Frost

model explained
Vendler Grid: 'Out, Out' Robert Frost

Meaning	If it isn't about you then you don't care. The lack of importance put on human life. The control that objects have over us.
Antecedent Scenario	Not sure right now what year it was written. I will look it up.
Structural Parts	Personification of the buzz saw. The youthful and naive reaction of the boy to his accident. The lack of response from everyone else.
Climax	The boy's hand is cut off.
Other Parts	There was back and forth between peaceful and anger in the beginning. The sister was something that the boy had a connection with. the way the accident's immediate aftermath didn't explicitly say it, but you definitely know what happened. I liked that and felt in the loop. The last paragraphs didn't include the saw because it had done its work already.

Skeleton	It begins with the snarling saw. Then the soft setting gives the tone. Back to the snarling. Then again to exposition. The sister coming to say dinner then it happened. More personification of the saw and hand. As if there was interaction. His response was so full of shock that terror was in a quieter form. The young boy, the victim. It goes from aggressive saw to innocent boy who lost the battle.
Content Genre- games	an ironic poem, a nostalgic poem, a poem for reflection and incitement, a calmly disposed poem
Tone	This is third person pov. The tone is direct and somewhat relaxed and at ease. tone is angry when talking about the saw, innocent when talking about the boy, secure when about the sister, remorseful in the aftermath although the bystanders weren't. The last paragraph has no hope. There were two short times of heightened emotion.
Agency	Yo, the buzz saw was super aggressive and took of the poor boy's hand for no reason. He was so close to going to dinner. The innocent youth never got to grow up. He was a sweet boy until death and the saw was a monster all the way through, as well.
Roads Not Taken	It mentions that if the work day had just ended earlier the accident wouldn't have happened before it happened. Then there would be no climax. shout out to Robert Frost for writing both of these poems. I like him. The road taken was a sad one and left an impact on the reader because of the lack of impact left on the other characters.
Speech Acts	The saw is on, then the scenery is nice, but the saw is idle and the boy is tending to his work, almost done with s peaceful day. The boy's sister comes to call him in, then his hand gets caught. His first reaction was almost trivial. Then reality set in and he realized that he is bleeding out and doesn't want his hand gone. It shouldn't have happened to a boy.
Outer and Inner Structural Forms	The sentences are shorter but straight forward. Adjectives and many other words on point, like "rueful laugh," "spilling," and "spoiled."
Imagination	I feel very repetitive with this grid, but I really like the story. Frost brought the saw to life, personified the object so that when it did its deed its presence was no longer needed or even missed. The boy was innocent and therefore perplexed and still not completely understanding of what the accident meant. He had his sister to somewhat confide in. The medicine put him under and he never came back. Everyone gave up before even trying to save him, though. That was what I really noticed at first -the lack of all that after sorrow. As long as they were not the dead ones it didn't really matter. How selfish. We had emotions drawn when reading about the boy and then our hearts were ripped out by the lack of response from the present characters. Reflection of selfishness.

Tobermorey Explained

short story here

In class:
Theme, tone, characterization

Cornelius Appin- direct characterization, barely invited, once he is there he has lost his first name status, 

Tone- gives me a negative connotation of the character, 

Other characters waiting for him to prove himself, they're just waiting to be entertained 

People care about what you do and not who you are

Reflection:
plot in terms of theme and tone
     The last line of the short story reminded me of how the judgmental hypocrites, aka the party guests, only cared about their own reputations. In order to protect themselves, they'd tear down others, especially Appin and Tobermorey once the guests were the victims. The  author's formal, direct narration supported the statements that Tobermorey was dishing out. The cat's nonchalant way that he approached the situation was to contrast the stress, embarrassment, and anger that the guests were feeling. Clovis suggests that Appin "got what he deserved," when it was the gossiping guests who should have been punished. The outsider from the start automatically became the scapegoat, no mater how intelligent and correct he was. I took from this short story that no matter how smart or right you are, if you're threatening to others who think that they're above you, they will want to terminate you.
     It makes me mad that Appin died with the elephants, who were suggested by the party guests, then it was said by those same people that he deserved it. 

Passion Project

March 29, 2015

Hello, my name is Victoria Tonascia and I’m here to ask you about what makes you happy. This is a little project that I’ve decided to start. I haven’t done anything like this before, but I would love to see how it goes. After having a few conversations with a friend about how much we enjoy listening to people talk about what they’re passionate about I had an idea. What if I could gather many stories from a large amount of people, take their pictures, and put them into one piece of work, such as a book? I’m confident that I can make this happen after working on a yearbook page earlier this morning in which I asked students questions and received personal answers. We are all very different people with unique lives and I’d love to listen to your perspective on what you love and what you are passionate about.

We don’t get to appreciate one another like we should or even recognize one another for who we are. I’m hoping that through this book I can create a unique piece of work that does both of those.

I am asking that you take some time and reflect on paper about what it is that makes YOU happy.

What are you passionate about? What do you love to do? Who do you love? What does it for you? Why do you do what you do? What makes you happy and why?

If you could respond with as much writing that you are willing to share, I would really appreciate it. My email is vtonascia@gmail.com. I’m also willing to receive hand written responses or do voice recordings if that would be more convenient or a better way to share.

Sincerely,

Victoria Tonascia

p.s. Thank you in advance for contributing to the Passion Project.

Progression and Passion

My masterpiece includes being involved and helping with as many masterpieces as possible. I'd like to help Elizabeth, Shailynn, Melissa, Alyssa, Daniel, and anyone else who wants my help! I should just put a sign up sheet or something for my labor ha! I'm honestly open to help and work on anything. I like organizing and being creative if that helps. This is kind of like me searching for a job. Pleas hire me because that's the only way this masterpiece will work. I'm working on making a separate blog or adding tabs on to this one specific to the masterpiece stuff. I'm taking pictures along the way and will add those into my masterpiece as well. It's definitely going to be a combination of several projects. I can say that I'm passionate about doing a lot of things at once. 

Yearbook

I have poured countless hours of my time into the making of this yearbook. My position as Co-Editor either gives me the praise or blame of how it's received by my peers. I'm nervous for that part. I think that part of my masterpiece includes the yearbook, nay, most definitely includes it. This Friday is the final deadline and after that I don't have to worry about finishing it! I'm beyond happy to have my work come to an end, but being the type of person that I am, I know that I will be my worst critic and I won't be completely satisfied. I do give myself props for taking this on for a newbie and creating something that I am proud of. 

March 19, 2015

Who I Was in High School from John Green

Huxley: Essayito

     First of all, I don't know what about him that really irritated me, but it did. Maybe because it was that I didn't agree with him on many of the topics he touched on. Maybe, it was how he touched on the topics that bothered me, too. To me he seemed too overconfident in his responses. Okay, well there's that. I do not believe that we are living in the brave new world that Huxley predicted. I might be influenced by how much I was irked by the man.
     He spoke about enemies of freedom being two things: overpopulation and over-organization. I did not like the claim he made about the Catholics being against abortion to help the Communists. I don't think that overpopulation is so much of an enemy to freedom. I am not in favor of killing people off or not letting them be born. I understand that supply is not going to meet demand at one point or another, but I 'd hope that people will figure out how to help one another.
     The over-organization part I can see where he's coming from since he is in the fifties (?) and historically a lot of bad people were coming into power along with the end of the Second World War. He was experiencing these things first hand and had a good reason to believe that sometime the propaganda and dictatorship will take over so much that there's no turning back. He did say that it won't be a "who," but a "what." That being technological advancements.
     I would hope that the general population could be responsible enough with the technology that we're being brought up with. The idea of potential misuse was very accurate, I do agree with that. Maybe being someone who is more conscious about it, I like to believe that it won't turn out badly. I don't exactly think that the devices are going to grow legs and terrorize us, so I'm not too clear on the start of whatever harm occurs. Unfortunately I have noticed in my lifetime the dependency we have on technology.
     We are not living in the brave new world that Huxley was speaking about in his interview or the book, but there are glimpses and signs that what he was saying had validity. He still bothers me.
   

College Admissions!

•  CAL POLY SLO  Feb. 25
•  UC SANTA CRUZ March 14
•  UC SAN DIEGO March 15
•  UC SANTA BARBARA March 16
•  UC IRVINE March 19
•  UC LOS ANGELES March 21
•  WESTMONT March 24

Masterpiece Draft

Write a draft example of your Masterpiece as a project and bring to class next week.  Include milestones, dates by which you'd like to accomplish them, and what your desired outcome/s might look like by June.  This doesn't have to be polished, it's a starting point for your next Masterpiece Consultation

     I think that I'd like to do a lot of little things and combine them for one masterpiece. Maybe make a separate blog with one good post a week about random or not so random stuff, make youtube videos, for sure add my photography blog into the mix, and research what the bloggers and youtubers I follow do and how they make it happen. I can tie it all together with an analysis on the internet life I live and see.
     Starting March I can make a game plan for kinda exactly how many pieces I want in this. Then, every week or so I can update and keep making lists of what needs to happen in that week, like a new post or video idea or person to research. 
     By the end I can make an analysis about internet life and personalities. How people portray themselves online and if it differs from the school personality. How the internet helps so many make their ways through this world. It is amazing how interconnected we all are now. I can include Laura Ritchie and the Yosemite trip in this mix, personal experiences, my peers' experiences, and anything else I seek out. 
     I think that this seems achievable and like something I can keep up with because I'm online a lot more than I should be in the first place!

A More Productive Monday

Today was interesting. It was an early out, I was productive in reading up to chapter 5 in the book before practice. It ended up that I was unaware of the practice being early so I missed that and my opportunity for work later in the evening was also denied to me. I drove here and there, back and forth, during this, but it was nothing compared to a practice, so this led to an abundance of time compared to my usual days. I love it! I really don't want to quit anything that I do, and I'm committed to everything, but how I love the extra time when there is no practice! I play a sport every season and I forget what it's like to have all of the hours after school to get everything done. I think that I just wanted to make this post to maybe remember the feeling to have a little less worry. Ironically, as I write this I should be studying for a physics test... time to log off!

Thanks Henry!!!

Henry, here, answered a question of mine! Here's his post:

Want to embed music on your blog? This site makes that shit basic.

The website http://scmplayer.net/ allows you to create a playlist of your choosing through MP3 files, Soundcloud or YouTube URLs.  Checkout the site and edit a playlist of your own.  All you have to do is copy and paste the URL or a downloaded MP3 file into the "Edit Playlist" setting.  You can then edit the way the playlist looks (they give a list of basic templates).  Run through the instructions on the site and it will generate an HTML code that you can use anywhere.  Go to the layout of your blog and copy/paste this HTML code into it, either at the top of the screen or the bottom.

The coolest part is that if you know how to code (which I DO NOT) you can further edit the playlist just by messing around with lines of the code.  By "just by messing around" I really mean very strictly altering them and I don't know how to do that.  But maybe you do know so there you go.

Basically what this site does is generate a code that you can copy and past into your blog.  It's very useful and simple, and lets you put pretty much any song or sound you want on your blog.  Again, the website I use for this is http://scmplayer.net/. 

Brave New World Notes Chapters 2-4

Lit Terms

The complete list of literary terms with definitions lies HERE or HERE
Here's the end of the literary terms: List 6

simile- comparing 2 things with specific words
soliloquy- extended speech delivered by a character alone on stage
spiritual- folk song, usually religious
speaker- narrator
stereotype- cliche, simplified, standardized conception with a special meaning and appeal for members of a group; formula story
stream of consciousness- style of writing that attempts to imitate the natural flow of a chacter's thoughts, feelings, reflections, memories and mental images as they're experienced
structure-planned framework of a lit selection; apparent organization
style- manner of putting thoughts into words; characteristic way of writing or speaking
subordination-couching of less important ideas in less important structures of language
surrealism- style in lit and painting that stresses the subconscious or the nonrational aspects of man's existence characterized by the juxtaposition of the bizarre and banal
suspension of disbelief- suspend not believing in order to enjoy it
symbol-something which stands for something else
synesthesia- the use of one sense to covey the experience of another sense
synecdoche- another form of the name changing, in which part stands for the whole
syntax- arrangement and grammatical relations of words in a sentence
theme- the main idea of a story, its message
thesis- a proposition for consideration, especially one to be discussed and proved or disproved; the main idea
tone- the devices used to create the mood and atmosphere of a literary work; the author's perceived POV
tongue in cheek- a type of humor in which the author feigns seriousness; aka dry or deadpan
tragedy- in literature:any composition with a somber theme carried to a disastrous conclusion; a fatal event; protagonist usually heroic but tragically (fatally) flawed
understatement- opposite of hyperbole; saying less than you mean for emphasis
vernacular- everyday speech
voice- the textual features, such as diction and sentence structures, that convey a writer's or speaker's persona
zeitgeist- the feeling of a particular era in history

Pancake Day

As I scrolled through my Instagram feed today after school I saw five posts in a row about pancakes! Why did the bloggers I follow all choose to post about pancakes on the same day? Isn't national pancake day March 3? I've seen ihop advertisements. I was very confused, then I looked it up. Wikipedia was very helpful! I guess on the Tuesday before Lent many European countries celebrate a Pancake Day which traces back to like medieval times where people would make pancakes which required rich ingredients, like flour and eggs, that they couldn't eat during Lent. It was kind of like Mardi Gras, which I don't know much about, in all honesty. From what I know it's just one big party to binge and be glutinous before Lent. This was a way, way, way less extravagant celebration, but making pancakes fit the bill. After reading the page I realized that those people who posted were British so that totally made sense. I wonder why I never know this before. It's also interesting to read about how many countries go about  this Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and what their traditions are. The more you know. 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrove_Tuesday

From the Pockets of My Notebook to Marketing

• SMART goals, Sept. 5
• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Reinforceable & Responsible
• Timely 
• Use for college stuff
• scholarships
• work
• create something
• On making something, Nik
• Description
• Logo
• Brand
• embedding ppt
• scribd.com
• Hero's Journey---Marketing
• a good story
• theme/ deep meaning
• conflict
• detail
• suspense
• uniqueness
• characters
• identifications
• balance to make sure not overly simplistic 

Aldous Huxley

A Biography Here

So I read a biography from IMBd
I like the short fun facts so I'm going to give those

• height: 6 foot 4.5 inches, tall dude 
• his family had several successful members in various fields of literature and science
• he turned down knighthood
• it said that his book Island inspired the psychedelic culture of the '60s
• he was involved in experimental drug use for his friend's research and wrote about the experiences in The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell
• his death was pretty sad that it got overshadowed by JFK's assassination 
• he wrote the original screenplay for Disney's Alice in Wonderland, which is very believable  

These are a bunch of quotes by him HERE

In class notes

• originally British- Santa Monica
• "All science begins with science-fiction" not by him though
• reality distortion field
• all predictions are imaginative
• saw lack of curiosity/ comfort needy

First impression of AP resource materials

• lots of poems to answer questions about
• passages are pretty long and many questions for each passage
• vocabulary in questions elevated
• I know I've read at least two of the novels in each essay prompt
• the lessons might be cool to just go through

Christian Farmer Righetti 2015

There was no better way to end Senior Night on Friday than like this!

Masterpiece ¿?

As I talk with friends about school I realize that the education system is sucky in a few ways. I've been able to "succeed" but at the cost of many things. Kids are mentally and emotionally f'd up because of it. I think a project could come from this.  

Bree Rodriguez's AP English Lit & Comp Blog: Masterpiece in Progress

Bree Rodriguez's AP English Lit & Comp Blog: Masterpiece in Progress: When I get older I hope to travel to different countries and help non-profit organizations or become an activist to better the world. I'...

Bree Rodriguez's AP English Lit & Comp Blog: Don't You Quit

Bree Rodriguez's AP English Lit & Comp Blog: Don't You Quit: It's amazing how often you spend in your restroom. When I was in elementary school we had this poem hanging on our bathroom wall and it...

Bree Rodriguez's AP English Lit & Comp Blog: What is time? (Journal)

Bree Rodriguez's AP English Lit & Comp Blog: What is time? (Journal): Time. T-I-M-E. There's an infinite amount of time yet it's treated with such scarcity, why? Time ticks and tocks, comes and goes, fa...

Jimmy Fallon Went to Bayside High with "Saved By The Bell" Cast

This is kind of the best thing ever

Thoughts for the Day

     I think today has been a good day. There's new life around campus as a result of what's happened and Monday was a very, very sad day. We have a home game tonight; Friday we play St. Joe's and the game will be dedicated to her.
     Back to today's events. Let me share: we submitted 60 pages for yearbook, I was really tired, I bought some Girl Scout cookies from Imanie (they're comin' to me tomorrow), Matthew gave me a fun sticker, I laughed so hard that I almost couldn't breathe in 5th period, listened to Melissa Steller skype about the Yosemite trip, and I am recovering from the concert last night.
     This gets me thinking about money, not in a negative way, but in the "I need to figure out how to make more" kind of way. I am going to a concert in July, am in need of a new phone, am planning to Yosemite trip it up, am wanting to go to VidCon, and also would like a nice camera, am I forgetting anything? (I felt the need to underline for future references.) Lots of stuff, but I know that I can do it, I just need to figure out what I can do. I think that when basketball is over I can do more Friday night stuff, like maybe babysitting or something. We'll see, but I'm excited about it all. The more I think about these things the more excited I get, tbh.
     Masterpiece, yeahhhh. There was a good point being made about making decisions. I know that I'm extremely indecisive, but not really sure how to fix it. I will just be present in other people's when they need me for now. I think I lack confidence and like to stay behind the scenes with doing a lot of work. I like to make things look good.

Tuesday Night

And this happened tonight

Lindsey Stirling is amazing 

I'm so glad that I was able I share this experience with two amazing friends 

The photo quality wasn't all there, but I definitely was :)

#RIPbreetheG

My heart has sank. Social media does its job in letting people know what is happening. You were in my English class last year and sat near the door by the wall. You sold brownies. I had Spanish 3 with you after that class and we even were Spanish partners for a quarter, thinking about it. We did the art presentation with Cameron and used Kandinsky's painting because we thought his name was cool. You were putting the Yosemite trip together with Haley and Elizabeth and I went to the lunch meeting on Wednesday and talked with you. I don't specifically remember seeing you at the game tonight, I took a group picture of the war zone and you might be in it. I am kinda afraid to look. I think I saw you, walking behind the boys' bench. You did make everyone smile and I liked your voice, style, and handwriting. I don't know all of the details but I guess even if you mess up, leaving everyone here is rough. You're in heaven and looking down at all of us. I woke up this morning from a weird dream, but I had that thought of "if I was in an accident and wet to the hospital, who would visit me?" I didn't want to tweet it in the fear of it sounding morbid. Who would have know you were to have that happen to you? Mark in the fall and now you, it's strange to think that we will never speak again and I'll never get to hear your reactions or see your writing on Nesper's board. I wonder what Monday at school will be like. Every class period will probably start with the story and how everyone is shocked. I'm predicting tears and I might choke up, too. I think this is uniting the school, and our class of 2015 especially. I think we are going to make tshirts and do other things to commemorate you. You were loved, even though I didn't know you too well, we shared memories. Prayers do go out to everyone and I want to go like you have- loved and cherished. This is so strange and unfamiliar, but we all will remember you through what you've left behind. Your tweets, blog, and memories live on as you do in paradise. #RIPbreetheG

Masterpiece ?¿

vicpicss.tumblr.com 

I put photos here, I think this is part of a masterpiece creation 

Lit Term Remix Pt. 1

IN PROGRESS

Circumlocution

Classicism

Cliché

Climax

Colloquialism

Comedy 

Conflict

Connotation 

Contrast

Denotation 

Denouement

Dialect 

Dialectics

Dichotomy 

Diction

Didactic 

Dogmatic

Elegy

Epic

Epigram

In Class Convos w/Liz

2. We don't really know much about the book yet, but we were still able to answer to the best of our abilities. She compared contrasted a class with good evil and the rich. She used Jagger to show that the rich is evil and I used joe to show that the poor are good. He was rich in what money couldn't buy. I think dickens didn't like materialism. Pip was not wealthy since he was an orphan and wasn't treated that well. He didn't have a sense of materialism yet. Shows through actions and reactions, jaggers is cruel and mean to the mother, but joe is nice and humble. The contrasting is significant. 

3. I liked going through the whole book and knowing what is coming helps with giving a good overview of what to expect. I thought it was interesting how all of the characters names had to do with what they were like. Liz liked the quick evolutions of the characters. Estella and pip's relationship and that transition. 

In a week maybe have a more interactive conversation. 

ALL THAT DAVID COPPERFIELD KIND OF CRAP

     I think that Salinger didn't want to add anything other than what was necessary for Catcher in the Rye and Holden's personality, in particular. What I see is that Dickens uses a lot of words to describe what he's trying to say. The full title of David Copperfield is The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery (Which He Never Meant to Publish on Any Account), how much wordier can you get? Dickens does such a thorough job vividly describing everything, from the setting to the simplest of actions that the characters do, all of the words provide for an acute depiction. Dickens also uses so many characters to bring together stories like David Copperfield and Great Expectations. He creates all of these people to produce a story that holds symbols everywhere you turn, and there's a lot to be said for a novel that can hold a number of characters with a good plot. Dickens also began Great Expectations with Pip describing who he was and where he came from; his parents were dead and he lives with his sister who raised him by the hand.
    I think that to truly focus on Holden starting at one point and finishing at another in character development, Salinger didn't need to recall his upbringing and add background. J.D. Salinger wants to show that Holden isn't as flowery as David Copperfield. He was a kid who was so narrow-minded, hypocritical, and full of himself, yet very naive and vulnerable. I personally love Catcher In the Rye for several reasons. It was a book that I couldn't put down and finished before it was even assigned. Holden is such a relatable character, but he is so, so flawed in his assumptions and thoughts. You can't help but finish the book knowing that you are a 'phony,' too, and I hate how he couldn't see how phony he was, acting like something he isn't. Although we all want to grow up and leave everything behind, start a new life, avoid the consequences of our actions, we need to live in the moment and remember where we belong and come from. It's tough, sure, and especially comforting, I guess I could say, to read something like this at this point in our teenage lives. I marked down page 173 and pinned it on my wall, I think that's the part where the book gets its name. It's a personal favorite part of the story. If you haven't read it, you should. With not many people I know who have read it, I dislike keeping all of my reading opinions to myself and not being able to share. If you didn't read it, you won't understand why I was sobbing at the end even when I'm telling you why it hit home. 
     J.D. Salinger didn't want to write another coming-of-age novel for the purpose to be compared to Charles Dickens, he wanted to tell his own story and go against the grain, and that's what Holden Caufield did.
  

Cop Caught on Dashcam: A 'Shake It Off' by T.Sizzle Confession

This is really fun to watch. Don't act like you don't do this either.
Found this with Taylor and Elizabeth while looking for articles for our current events project. Of course not everything goes as planned, but we are done with the assignment and don't have to worry about it anymore!

Good ol Fashioned "Great Expectations" notes

Dickens serialized characters

Bildungsroman- coming if age, maturity, childhood to adulthood

In this society we don't have a ceremonial ritual to adulthood, important to think culturally 

Now a matter of psychology

Imagining of what his life could be like, but he doesn't see what I will require from him. Childlike- idealism. Pure, mysterious. 

Pip strong sense of unwanted. More sensitive and intelligent than others. 

Normal life isn't going to fulfill him and doesn't wan the short end of the stick. Doesn't have a normal expectation. 

Adopts adult males to see what father is like:

Magwhich- threat of adulthood, not governed by civilization, capacity for wickedness and brutality. Animal need to survive. Threat of abandonment. Pip will be alone w/o him, says something about what pip might become. 

Haveasham- fraud, shame. Which like. Horrible decay. Hughes poem. Shining promise, potential to fairy godmother character. Dedicates her life to preservation of loss, memorial to dead hope, everything left the same in her house. Trained Estella to be a destroyer of men. Duel possibility of adulthood. They're not what they see. Dichotomy. Doesn't speak truthfully about either of them bc they remind him of his beginnings. 

Pip's name- seed. Not what he's become yet. 

Wanting to be of something more. Relates back to society and wanting. 

Give and take. M&M are gone. He has to be active. Meets joe gargery and jaggers. J in Roman alphabet." I ". Pip identifies with each of them. Joe- blacksmith. Honest work, physical power. Lives by feeling. Goes with heart. Doesn't judge by appearances. Romantic. Poetic view. Emotions and metaphors. Don't see him a financial success, rich emotional life and content. Jaggers- knows things about people, it can hurt them, holds that power over people to keep them. Lives by letter of law. Evidence an logic. Cold. Not emotions. Needs others to spell things out. Makes it hard on others. Estella, Molly, early magwich, ms havasham. He doesn't believe in people and ideas. Only facts. Both come across mother and baby in need of help. Joe keeps both jaggers splits them for personal gain. Foils. Jagger's to pip businessman. 

Wemmick off of jaggers. Foil to himself.  At home, old nostalgic. Ability to maintain both philosophies during day. Pip tries to identify, good friend but robot. Magwich represents pip under worse circumstances. Orphan, too. Took fire and left cold. Double life, evil life of childhood and happy life after pip enters. 

Begins to create a resolution. Multiple conflicts, less action and more mindset of protagonist. 

Miss Haveasham not fairy godmother. Estella not for him nor pure, daughter of bad. Magwich has created Pips expectations. Pip understanding recycled   Intergenerational conflict. Must find out for himself. Things aren't that simple. 

He doesn't think like jagger, flower from dung. Joe already realized this. Moral universe is complicated. Worth not like money.  Caste system. Pip shows his change in attitudes toward jaggers and joe. He is not like them bec he is a fantasist. 

Joe and jaggers ready to accept consequences of actions. Pip responds with difficulties by avoiding and not committing. Like Holden. He talks about things and see that he's not perfect. Pip doesn't get it yet. His autobiography is a confession. Pain of what he didn't go through then. Reminds himself of own history so no repeating. Now, pip doesn't  end up with Estella. Returns to the forge   There's a child named pip. New seed. 

Reflection. Pip has to sort. 

Changing it Up

Working on a new layout.
Time for a change up.
Oh, and I made a tumblr page for favorite pictures that I take (and the occasional ones that are taken of me)
http://vicpicss.tumblr.com/

Discovery: previous class's blogs

http://mnillorhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
http://minicreasian.weebly.com/

Miranda Nillo's blogs have kept me sidetracked, but in the best way.

I wanted to make an artistic attempt at showing what I have spent the last half hour or so doing. Reflections are cool and so is Australia.

AP PREP POST 1: SIDDHARTHA

1. The main purpose of the first-person point of view in the passage, “I am no longer what I was, I am no longer an ascetic, no longer a priest, no longer a Brahmin” is to make clear?
   a. The change in Siddhartha’s physical lifestyle, in order to follow his spiritual one
   b. Show Siddhartha’s anger at the corruption present in his father’s position
   c. Reveal the frustration in Siddhartha’s journey toward enlightenment
   d. The views and beliefs of his family and his religion
   e. Draw attention toward the excitement that Siddhartha feels now that he has less responsibility
•  A I would choose because he is physically n that social class and he wants to leave his life behind, along with those titles
2. In the beginning of the book, Siddhartha rebels against his father. Later on in the book, Young Siddhartha often rebels against Siddhartha. Which literary technique best describes this?
   a) metaphor
   b)anthropomorphism
   c)allusion
   d)foreshadowing
   e)irony
• I'm stuck because I can make an argument for foreshadowing, the first time foreshadows the second, but I'm also leading towards irony, because I don't think Siddhartha was expecting his son to do that
3. What does it mean to be “newly born” from Siddhartha’s point of view? pg 40
   a) To be enlightened, or to have found Self
   b) To be reincarnated, to have started life again in a new body
   c) To be awakened, or having a new understanding
   d) To have been educated, the feeling after you had met the Buddha.
   e) To get to a new town and meet new people
• C, because of the passage we  read together in class

1. Essay Prompt:  2013 Free Response: "A bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, recounts the psychological or moral development of its protagonist from youth to maturity, when this character recognizes his or her place in the world. Select a single pivotal moment in the psychological or moral development of the protagonist of a bildungsroman. Then write a well-organized essay that analyzes how that single moment shapes the meaning of the work as a whole." 
• (5/37 of the book options I had read before, but trying to recall the exact moment in each novel was really difficult. I need to master like five novels before the exam and know them inside and out like Mrs. Byrne had suggested.)
2. Essay Prompt: Explain Siddhartha’s journey in terms of a “quest;” at the same time explain how Siddhartha is an allegory for Buddhism itself.
•  (I would need to remember what Buddhism is about. Recall what I had learned in AP world history two years ago.)

The skills and content aren't used/recognized as so in daily life so it's hard to understand a lot of the time. I think I need to spend more time being careful, that would help. I need to be a more conscious critical thinker when I do everything. I like to read, but nit-picking is really difficult for me, even just trying to explain how the book made me feel is hard. I need a broader vocabulary, too.

It is kind of funny, I copy and pasted the literal phrase  "AP Literature questions Siddhartha" off of the class blog and on yahoo, I think, and the last link on the page was Miranda Nillo's post for this same assignment! I borrowed her multiple choice questions. I also love her blog!

http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/apcentral/ap13_frq_eng_lit.pdf

http://snobles.grads.digitalodu.com/blog/groups/ap-english-2012-2013/forum/topic/siddhartha-multiple-choice-questions/

http://www.kcparrish.edu.co/newkcp2/images/pacing/APLiterature.pdf