This is Mine.

There are many reasons for why Wright was gratified from letting someone read his writing. First and foremost, it is always gratifying to show someone else what you've done. Why? I'm not exactly sure, but it may have something to do with the mere recognition that you have in fact done something that has made a lasting impact on some facet of life. Furthermore, the mere concept that the girls was not able to comprehend the thoughts presented in his writing made the writing even more so his. He was able to understand the thought process behind the writing, and that made it his and his alone.

The best reaction is Repression

At first Wright's reaction to his mother's illness and subsequent paralysis was highly phasing. He was afraid to see her in her sickly condition, and feared that she would take a turn for the worse and he would be potentially without her. However, as things progressed and his mother eventually lapses into a purely bedridden state, he becomes "numb" and adjusted to the fact that he can't let the one concept of his mother's negative state affect his entire life. Therefore, he becomes less reactive to the things his mother would say and do; things that no mother should ever ask of her son.

Scapegoats: Society's Stress Dolls

While from an outsider's perspective this may not exactly be acceptable, I feel that blacks' taunting of the Jews was alright in the sense that it was part of their culture to blame others for the grief experienced in their own lives. It's almost in bad taste to mention that there are cultural differences, merely in the interests of political correctness. However, it would be naive to say that there aren't any actual differences present predominantly because of race. In this specific case, it's obvious to see that there is a cultural distrust of groups other than their own, and therefore they make fun of the other group.

It Takes Three Weeks to Starve

Hunger is presented in a multitude ways in this first passage of "Black Boy." First, there is the most literal sense: the family has fallen on hard times, mostly due to the father's leaving and the general lack of income that resulted. Furthermore, people get hungry when they don't eat (shocking, i know). Hunger is further explored as Richard has to fight for his food, and by extension, to end his hunger. Hunger is also presented in the quest for knowledge that Richard endeavors, as he begins to explore the curious tensions between black and white people. He yearns to know why the white family has all the food they could possibly want, while he must continue to be hungry.

The Benefit to Receiving a Schooling

School extends beyond the methodical instruction that one perceives when the word "school" is mentioned. It s a social experience, it is a cultural blending, and it is instruction on the type of character that people will respect later on in life. Therefore, I feel that it is necessary to go to school, if for nothing else than the aforementioned details. It is without question that socialization is an important part of being human. We are social creatures, and for the most part need to be in our adult lives. Society is growing a developing in new and different ways because of the interactions taking place (that start in the school age). For this reason, it is important to foster good social education in that regard. Furthermore, schooling in a lesson in cultural differences. It allows one to understand, if not appreciate, each other's differences, and due to this we should definitely be exposed to varying cultures, rather than the homogeneous blend of our own families. Lastly, character development begins at a young age. Schools allow people to understand what is expected of them in their current situations, and by extension, their later lives.

Learning Between The Lines

Public schooling (or common school) as it is referred to in the "Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education," in short, alludes to the institution of public education as somewhat of a means of leveling the proverbial playing field. As times have progressed, public educations has remained rooted in the same homogenous fashion as it has since the start. However, education does not stop in the classroom. Nor dies it stop when the lesson is not being strictly adhered to. In this right, it is not unreasonable at all to say that schooling teaches more than just the prescribed curriculum.
The question: is it valuable?
At first glimpse, there is no truly defined answer to this question even when it is asking how I regard it. Maybe I should clarify: this topic does not pertain only to public education in this instance. There are some things about my "education" that I value. For example, the fact that practically everyone experiences something similar to this at some point in their life makes it beneficial and valued, as it allows me to better relate to my fellow man and approach all topics with potentially varying backgrounds in mind. However, I also feel that because practically everyone experiences something similar to this that it is almost a venture into fascist conforming. However, there is evidence to support that because everyone goes through something similar, that this is merely part of the human condition, and the fact that there is an austere sense of conforming that it is merely because that is the way things are (the human condition).
The short of it, I would have to say that I do in fact value the "education" that I am receiving in my time in high school, as it is something similar to that of which practically everyone experiences, and in this right is exactly where I should be as a human.

Note: "Education" refers to the non-academic facets of school life.

We Don't Need No Education

Photo Credit: http://www.granitegrok.com/pix/PF%20Classroom.jpg

Rhetoric on the Town Day I

Most all of the presentations on the first day had an interesting point carried with them, and all of them were at least interesting. However, I've chosen to focus on one presentation in particular. Rather, one ad from one presentation that I found particularly intriguing. I felt that Christina Lee's equating the book "The Game" with the bible was quite an interesting parallel (mainly because I would have never noticed had she not brought it up). Using a particular style to invoke thoughts of omnipotence is quite an interesting feat, and the rhetoric behind this is seemingly boundless. However for the purposes of this assignment i will suffice it to say this: um... please disreguard this sentence.

Photo Credit: http://www.videogamesblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/the-holy-bible-the-game.jpg

"Super"-bowl Ads

Ads this year disappointingly fell short as compared to other years, however this does not mean they were bad in any sense of the word. The first ad that I found somewhat interesting was the GoDaddy.com ad, which as many other ads by this company have produced in the past features a scantily clad woman. This time, Danica Patrick. However the interesting part here was that they didn't show her so called "exposure" ad in full on TV, yet still provided a link to where the full video could be seen. What's more, they even say in the ad that viewer discretion of the full video is advised, which in the minds of most men that would actually go to godaddy.com to see the entire movie, means that they will see some potentially erotic content. Even more so, having to go to the website of a company that sells websites is just genius. The second ad that I found interesting as it related to the subject material recently covered in class was the Victoria's Secret ad featured toward the end of the game. It stated something to the effect that, "this game might almost be over, but the REAL games are just about to begin." This is highly allusive to sexual acts. What's more is that over three quarters of this ad is nothing but footage of an attractive woman sitting around in nothing but her underwear. These innuendoes combined would have a similar effect on the male psyche .

Ad Presentations

The ad presented on Wednesday that stuck out most in my mind was probably Eli's, Tony's, and the rest of that group's. I really liked the use of both typical and unorthodox settings that might require a hat in addition to their repititive pitch that they have over 10,000 hats. Their overall effect was quite comical, and I give mad props to them for the fact that they were able to get both a guy and girl in the same school bathroom without getting in trouble *applause*. Tony's energetic pitch to the fact that they have hats for every occasion only draws one's attention even deeper into the ad.

I also quite enjoyed the iBall commercial, as even though the product seems like something better sold in Spencer's Gifts, I could potentially see some practical use coming out of that (oh, US History maybe?). Brittney popping in and out making brash comments about the product simply contributed the the comedy.

You've Got to Spend Money to Make Money.

I've never really thought about it until now, but there is indeed quite a lot of research put into designs so that people are more likely to buy them. Studying design trends and using real-world examples are things that I never thought were taken into account when designing a product line. However, when you really get down to it and put thought to it, it's not all that ludicrous to think that retail corporations will go to great lentos to get you to buy the product.

Welcome to Wal-Mart! Would you like a sticker?

One of the stores that I shamefully admit to visiting on somewhat of a regular basis is Wal-Mart (the armpit of all stores). The persuading begins from the minute you walk in the door, with the friendly, aged greeter who kindly welcomes you to Wal-Mart, and you can't help but think how much you'd rather be in a retirement home than stuck saying hello to hundreds of slobs each day. Although some really do like their job and take it seriously (honestly, how can you take the job of a Wal-Mart greeter seriously?), it is all part of an elaborate ploy to make you feel more relaxed and "at home" so you can take your time and walk through the hundreds of aisles browsing for crap you don't need (but, it's cheap crap so that makes it alright). Another part of the scheme to make you feel much more confident in the items that you know won't last 'till the edge of the parking lot is the showing of the Wal-Mart commercials on the Wal-Mark Closed Circuit TV. They show families telling how much Wal-Mart has improved the qualities of their social events (and by extension, their very lives), and you can't help but think, "How can Wal-Mart improve the quality of MY life? With this brightly colored plastic shovel and bucket? Why not. Who cares if it's the dead of winter, it's only $2.99!"

Photo Credit: http://info.sanramontribune.com-a.googlepages.com/Wal-MartGreeterGoneWild.jpg