Allusion

An allusion is a reference in a work (art, entertainment, or most commonly found in literature) to another work (not necessarily having to be in the same medium it was originally introduced.) For example

If you've seen that scene in Family Guy, you probably were left thinking something along the lines of

See more on Know Your Meme
BUT, it's actually relating to this

^^That is a commecial back from when our beloved Dr. Preston was a mere lad (1930's or so?) and it was about Doggie Chow. 

Literature Analysis #3

Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck


1)The story is about two men, George and Lennie, who are tenders of the Earth looking for work to support their livelihoods, as well as their aspirations. In the future, they dream to have their own farm, to which they can tend to and live off of, free from others influences. Both of the men differ greatly, but are bound together with their ideas of the future. Lennie is a mentally deficient man, but makes up for it with his physical strength. George, on the other hand, is a mentally strong person, he takes charge and helps the both talk themselves out of any situations they find themselves in. Due to Lennies brute force and lacking of mental stability, he usually breaks things, like people. He was left at on time with the farmers daughter, a flirty young harlot, and Lennie did the only thing his mentally insecure self could do. He killed her, accidentally of course. He then flees, and George finds him and shoots him before the people chasing him could. 


2)I think that the theme of Of Mice and Men is happiness and how it's sometimes feasible, yet unattainable. For example, Lennie and George's dreams were finally close, they had a secure source of income and they both at least semi-enjoyed their positions. Then, something tragic like Lennie killing somebody unfortunately occurs and curtails their aspirations. 


3)The tone of the story is both sad, and depressing. It leads the reader to be taken into a world of broken dreams and false hopes. 

• "Carl's right, Candy. That dog ain't no good to himself. I wisht somebody'd shoot me if I got old an' a cripple."
• "Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land."
• "Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.They got no family. They don't belong no place..."

4) Syntax plays a huge role in the understanding of the story. The way things are said by both Lennie and George play huge roles in character development. For example, Lennie speaks with a childish understanding of the world, which makes the reader sympathetic towards his actions. 

Diction also is very important, they word choice and who (character wise) they are attributed to are very important. 

Characterization (direct and otherwise) are also very important. The proper characterization allows the reader to be on a personal level with the characters. For example, the reader learns to love Lennie for his child-like persona.

Foreshadowing allows the reader to be active with the reading of the story. It helps out to read something and be attent to a certain story when it continually keeps you thinking about the future, in the story, that is. 

The Big Question

What makes people want things? What in human nature makes it so that as soon as we see some influential person wearing or promoting something, we instantly "need" it. So, in laymen's terms, what makes people want.

How Deep The English Class Goes

One thing that I have learned over the course of this class was the true depth and sophistication that can be intertwined with an atypical English class. A normal English class would NEVER dream of experimenting with technological innovations, paper is just so easy to confide in. It will never "be down" or present user issues, but it's an unintelligent use of resources (that's another argument for another day.)I realized that learning (well, kind of leaning) something and taking a multiple choice test on the subject doesn't ensure comprehension. It merely ensures a beating heart and two neurons. What we do in class actually solidifies a grasp on almost all the subjects that we have been taught, which is due to the analytical filter that the class puts on almost everything. 
"You can take the CP Class and you wake up believing what you want to believe, but if you take the AP Class, I'll show you how deep the English class goes."

Roy Christopher Notes

• Hes a brilliant man, not only technologically, but I can tell hes brilliant
• He's totally right about the internet being the future. I've had this conversation with SO many people before, its good to see an adult agreeing with it
• I like the fact of the sense that he doesn't want to be overwhelmed with the idea of technology
• he chooses not to have a smart phone to still have that sense of surprise when he comes home (that was amazing to me) 
• His idea on multitasking is good, More concentrated work does present a better outcome, but in an essence, multitasking is fine. 
• We WILL have to create our own job
• I'm pretty sure that just about everybody from the 90's and beyond are going to have to adapt to the new technological lifestyle or get trampled by those who do...

Tools That Change the Way we think

"Back in 2004, I asked [Google founders] Page and Brin what they saw as the future of Google search. 'It will be included in people's brains,' said Page. 'When you think about something and don't really know much about it, you will automatically get information.'

'That's true,' said Brin. 'Ultimately I view Google as a way to augment your brain with the knowledge of the world. Right now you go into your computer and type a phrase, but you can imagine that it could be easier in the future, that you can have just devices you talk into, or you can have computers that pay attention to what's going on around them and suggest useful information.'

'Somebody introduces themselves to you, and your watch goes to your web page,' said Page. 'Or if you met this person two years ago, this is what they said to you... Eventually you'll have the implant, where if you think about a fact, it will just tell you the answer."

-From In the Plex by Steven Levy (p.67)


The use of technology doesn't (at least to me) seem like a potentially dangerous thing, to people who know how to keep it under control. When the use of the internet for information or for any other source of knowledge removes you from experiencing the truth or gathering ideas of your own, you're doing it wrong. At the end of the day, most of everything everywhere on the internet is the OPINION of someone. Even if it claims to not be biased, it still has some sort of personal, skewed filter that is preventing the light of the truth to shine in fully. I personally don't think that it (technology) influences my thinking all too much. I tend to not make huge decisions in my life based on what is being fed out by the social media and technological innovations alike, I'd rather trust my opinion than some random person's out in Wisconsin. My style of thinking hasn't changed, unless its changed for the better. I now know tons of useless and obscure facts that I would have never learned in real life (thank you, CRACKED). Technology isn't bad, it doesn't make people less intelligent, nor does it take away from learning. It definitely CAN, but people who sub come to that just found a new way to do so, blaming technology for people being lazy is a cheap excuse for a problem that has been around for years. Technology is relatively new and due to xenophobic ideologies, its an easy scapegoat to target.

-Noe Bernal periodo 2

In Search Of

a)What new information did you learn from the video?
There wasn't too much new information that i learned from that video. I knew most of it, especially the thing about the Algorithms and how much companies like Google use them. 
b)How does this information make you think differently about what you see online?
It makes me realize that not everything is the actual "truth." It's kind of a scary thought to know that there is really no way to get around it, other than using inferior search engines that don't use algorithms. Iv'e really just come to accept it (as sad as that sounds.)
c)What questions does this video raise about the Internet in general?
It raises the question of how much of the internet is real, and how much of it is tailored to our interests. It's, as previously stated, a scary thought. 
d)How can you improve the effectiveness of your searches?
Being more precise in my searches could really help out my overall effectiveness. And using the sites that dont use algorithms that tailor results to you personal preferences, like dogpile, etc. 

Notes on Hamlet

When I first started reading Hamlet, or any Shakespeare for that matter, it blew my mind. I had no grasp on any of the material or any of the ideas trying to be put forth. Now that were reading it in class and you're stopping every once in a while and elaborating on what Shakespeare is actually saying at the given time, it is making a lot more sense to me. It went from me being totally oblivious to what Shakespeare was trying to say, to me developing a growing grasp on the play and his language alike. Although I am still having some trouble with the latter.  

Who was Shakespeare?

Shakespeare is the father of just about everything written today. His writing style, ideas, character development, etc was extremely advanced for the time period in which he lived. He was extremely brilliant for his time and his name had become synonymous with the word play. His intellectual abilities puzzle most due to the fact that he wasn't a nobleman or belonged to royalty. He was just a normal man, a plebeian if you will. This allows many people to believe that he was not the author of many of his plays. These people are what we like to call "idiots" or "haters" (for the young-folk.) There is no valid argument presented by the opposing side that even remotely revelas another author as the actual "author."

To FB or Not to FB

The idea of Facebook is awesome. Sharing your life and personal opinions with only the people you would want to, and excluding all the rest. Only if it worked in such a way. Literally ANYONE who wants to see anything posted on a "secure" page, can see it. It really just takes some self control and some thinking before it all goes downhill. And if it ever does become so overwhelming, change the name to Spongebob SquarePants, change the picture, delete all posts, and be done with it. There is no reason to stay connected to something that is causing your internet reputation harm. Also, the ad selling thing doesn't concern me too much. As long as its used for internet Ads and I don't have junk mail flooding my home mail/email, I'm fine. 

Literature Analysis

The Road by Cormac McCarthy


1) The Road is a story about the remnants of a family struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic society. Besides the obvious struggles presented in the form of a lack of food and necessary supplies, they also come across personal conflicts. The father puts his son above all other concerns and occupations in the desolate wasteland and his son looks towards him as a sign of comfort and for a sense of familiarity in this new found life. Throughout the course of the novel, not only do they encounter other dangerous wasteland scavengers, but total disaster is revealed through the declining health state of the father. At the end of the story, the father dies in the middle of the road and the son is picked up by the member of another band of survivors.


2) The theme of the story is hope(lessness) and perseverance. Throughout the story their goal is to reach the coast, the coast is a supposed sanctuary (or at least it seems as so due to their current living conditions). Although they encounter many problematic situations, they persevere through the worst of all possible situations and try to remain honest and moral based. Although their efforts don't end as planned, the fathers perseverance placed his son is caring hands after his own death.


3)The tone of the story is depressing. It shows no hope for the near, or distant, future throughout most of the story. This is portrayed since the beginning of the story.
"When he woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of the night he’d reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him. Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more gray each one than what had gone before." This quote sets the gloomy atmosphere that takes lace throughout the story. 
"Can I ask you something? he said.
Yes. Of course.
Are we going to die?
Sometime. Not now." This quote shows the brutal truth and reality that the father had to demonstrate to his son. 

"You think when you wake up in the mornin yesterday don't count. But yesterday is all that does count. What else is there? Your life is made out of the days it’s made out of. Nothin else." This shows the depression that is bound to set into people after spending so much time being alone. 

4) McCarthy's use of diction, syntax, imagery, setting, and Pathos help reveal his theme of hopelessness and bleakness, along with revealing the tone. "Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more gray each one than what had gone before. Like the onset of some cold glaucoma dimming away the world..." The imagery in this quote really illustrates the darkness and hopelessness that the broken family has set out for them. 

"He walked out into the gray light and stood and he saw for a brief moment the absolute truth of the world. The cold relentless circling of an intestate earth. Darkness implacable. The blind dogs of the sun in their running." The diction and syntax in this passage also add to the atmosphere by the use of words like 'gray light', 'cold relentless', and 'Darkness implacable'. 

"He walked out into the road and stood. The silence. The salitter drying from the earth. The mudstained shapes of floating cities burned to the waterline. At a crossroads a ground set with dolmen stones where the spoken bones of oracles lay moldering." The setting presented in this passage adds to the hopelessness and bleakness because of the way it describes their path. McCarthy uses dark yet descriptive words like 'mudstsained', 'silence', and 'moldering.' 

"What would you do if I died? 

If you died I would want to die too.
So you could be with me?
Yes. So I could be with you. 

Okay." 

This passage uses Pathos to make the reader relate to the feelings that the father has toward his son and how strong the love that he has for him is.