CM1145 #6 The Einstein of Happiness

We had to read an interview called "The Einstein of Happiness" for homework, then answer some questions on it. Honestly, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Patricia Freeman interviewed a man named Allen Parducci, who basically studies happiness. I thought it was interesting because it shows happiness from a couple different viewpoints and tells you different ways on how to be generally happier. The one that caught my attention the most was about a woman died of cancer in her mid-thirties, and she was the happiest person he had ever met. It was like "a party every night", she didn't let her disease slow her down and she was still able to enjoy the rest of her life. Another thing that caught my attention was how Parducci talked about people he knows who won the lottery, but the money didn't make them any happier. It was the complete opposite of what one might think, because people think if they have more money they will have a happier life, but this was certainly not the case. I'm the kind of person who puts no meaning on money. I mean, only to get the things I really need, but other than that it's not really an object. I'd rather live in a little run down apartment with someone I absolutely adore than live in a gigantic house with lots of expensive toys. I mean, if you had all that stuff you'd never see the person you love. What's the point? Also, I vowed a long time ago that I would never take a job that requires me to work long, terrible hours that keep me away from home. If I'm making enough money to support whatever I need, then that's good enough for me.
One thing Parducci said that makes people unhappy is something I'm very guilty of doing: having a "when this happens I'll be happy" attitude. I'm really bad for that, and I'm always stuck in the future. "When I go away to university, then I'll be happy" "If I get a high mark on this essay, then I'll be happy". I always do this, and I hate that it's such a habit. The trick to real happiness is to "stop and smell the roses". You know, focus on the little things in life. I'm trying to do this more and more every day instead of sticking to my old "if, then" attitude. Appreciating what you have instead of focusing on what you don't is the key to a happy life.

"I think some people are just born to be happy." - Allen Parducci

CM1145 #5 Compare/Contrast

Today in class we were on the subject of comparative essays. Since it's pretty much the only thing we learned in high school English (thanks, guys), pretty much all of us know how to write them perfectly. While blindfolded, while whistling a jaunty tune, while juggling, or even while driving, all because it has been drilled into our brains. Seriously, it's like the only thing we did in high school. Yes, Mrs, I know how to spot differences. Can we please just do something we haven't done a hundred times before? Please? No?
Anyway the part I enjoyed about the class was the activity we did, which was picking two TV shows, two movies, or two books and comparing them. Naturally I stuck to what I knew, so I compared Family Guy to American Dad. Two classic examples of Seth MacFarlane's comedic genius, and definitely in my top 5 favourite TV shows. Not that I really watch a lot of TV, aside from Glee, but it was nice to get to choose something I know very well.

I suppose comparative essays aren't the worst thing in the world. I could be watching Jersey Shore, right?

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf #1

I wanted to do a before and after post with this book because I've just started reading it, and I can't say I like it a whole lot. I just wanted to do this to see if maybe my opinion changes about it. I'm not very far in, although I do hope to finish it this weekend, but I'm having trouble getting through it. The way it's written is not a style that I'm used to, or a style I've read before, so needless to say it's taking some time to read it. This far I can't really establish much about the novel, but after our first lecture in class I've learned a few things. First of all, the whole book takes place in a day. It revolves around 19 year old Mrs. Dalloway planning a party, and it's mostly written in third person point of view. Since it takes place in London, Big Ben is always chiming away in the background symbolizing the passing of time. Not just literally, but figuratively as well. It represents Mrs. Dalloway aging and coming to terms with some things. And although the novel is written about one day, it really reveals a lifetime. We learn that Mrs. Dalloway's parents have passed away, and she pays great attention to detail.
The one thing I do like about the writing style so far is that it lets the reader see into the minds of other characters, not just focusing on Mrs. Dalloway. There are many characters that come in and out of the frame and it makes it more interesting because we get to see how everyone is connected. When everyone is in the park watching the airplane make shapes out of smoke, Woolf looks into the mind of an insane man sitting on a park bench. It's interesting to see how his mind works in different ways than the other characters. At the same time, his wife is doing all she can to hide the fact that her husband is insane because she doesn't want anyone to know. Seeing into her mind shows the reader that even though the man she loves is insane, she sticks by him and tries to conceal it from everyone.
After the lecture I am kind of excited to get through the rest of the novel just to see if my opinion changes. Right now I'm not really enjoying it, but the themes sound pretty good and I'm interested to see what other literary devices Woolf has used in her novel.
Also, I learned a lot about Virginia Woolf in terms of her life. Before today I didn't know that she committed suicied, or that she was slowly going insane. There was death all around her, and she tried her best to perservere, but in the end she knew she was going to a dark place so she decided to end her life. She didn't know if she would ever exit her sorrow, so why even try I suppose. Nip it in the bud, right?

CM1145 #4 Interviews

Yesterday we took notes on doing interviews and how to properly prepare to do one. First of all I'd like to say that I really wish we learned how to do more relevant things in high school, because they don't really give a whole lot of preparation for what we actually need to do in college. I mean, yeah in career class I did an interview and yeah I had to write it up and stuff, but it was nothing like this. It was just a list of questions and answers, there was no compiling it into an article or anything like that. Plus interviewing my grandma and asking her how things have changed wasn't really that big of a learning experience. Yes, I love her and all, but I already know what things were like back then. After all, isn't that what history class is for?
Anyway I did some thinking and I decided that if I could interview anyone in the world (I decided that whole "who would you have dinner with in heaven?" thing was over used, so I didn't include dead people in my brainstorming) it would probably be Lemony Snicket. Author of an absolutely incredible book series, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lemony Snicket (which is, of course, only a pen name. His real name is Daniel Handler) remains somewhat of a mystery to me. I've always wondered a lot about the series, and the "Unauthorized Autobiography" book is just a mystery in itself. Not a whole lot of questions get answered, and it just makes you more curious. I've compiled a list of questions that I would ask:
What really happened to Mr and Mrs Baudelaire?
Why was Count Olaf such a jerk?
What happened to Isadora and Duncan Quagmire after they flew off in the hot air balloon?
What in the world became of the Baudelaire orphans?

I'm honestly afraid to ask the last question because the poster I got from "The Beatrice Letters" has some debris from a shipwreck, which was the last thing they did in the very last book. Assuming they did crash their boat and drown, I really don't want to know.

Also, the movie compiled the first three books into an hour and a half with Jim Carrey. Not good.

CM1145 #3 Collaborative Writing

The assignment we're currently working on in class right now is collaborative writing, something I'm pretty new to. Being shy has some disadvantages, so I've never really written anything with anyone else. Needless to say, this will be a learning experience I'll remember. But it's not so bad, I mean I thought it was going to be a little weird at first but things are going just fine.
We decided to do our essay on A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, because we all have different opinions about the novel. Personally I thought it was really good, I liked the plot and how dark the book became once all the conflict started kicking in. It even freaked me out when Gene started wearing Finny's clothes, talk about a creepy guy. The thing that novel taught me was to make sure you never make your friends incredibly jealous of you because they'll end up shaking you out of a tree, breaking your leg, and eventually killing you out of jealousy.
Book rating: 6.5/10

 "Its high, somewhat stiff collar against my neck, the wide cuffs touching my wrists, the rich material against my skin excited a sense of strangeness and distinction;" - Gene while wearing Finny's shirt

CM1145 #2 Book Reviews

Okay so, we have to do a book review for class and I'm seriously loving it. Getting to review one of my favorite books of all time is like a dream come true. Yes, I know I'm a nerd. But in all seriousness, I love this book. Welcome to the not so distant future, where adolescents are pinned against each other in an arena to fight to the death. It gives a new meaning to the saying "last man standing", and by standing I really mean alive. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Hunger Games.

(... The book will always be better than the movie.)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey #2

In my last post I briefly mentioned the fog that surrounded Chief Bromden, and I would like to elaborate on that a little more.
Insanity takes many forms in this book, and for Chief his insanity is represented by a fog that he sees in his mind. The fog usually overcomes him whenever he is on medication, or after he has received Electro Shock Treatment (EST). Chief used to be afraid to get lost in the fog; so afraid that he would take to yelling just so the nurses and aides could "find him", when in reality he wasn't really gone. This was not received well, and every time it happened he would end up back at the EST door and would be engulfed in fog once more. I think the reason the Chief fears the fog so much is because it reminds him of when he used to be in the army. When the planes would land, they would be surrounded by a man made fog so they could remain hidden from the enemy. Chief, while having a flashback, says that he was always scared he was going to get lost in it. He would look so hard that when he finally saw something it would be clearer than he had ever seen something in his life. I think the fog in the asylum reminds him of that and he is scared to get lost in it. However, after a while Chief discovers that he likes to hide in the fog. He usually gets ignored when he is in it, and he thinks that nobody can see him because it's so cloudy, so he just minds his own business. He decided that it's not so bad to get lost in the fog after all.
I like that his insanity is represented by something the reader can keep track of. And by that I mean, it's something you can realize is going away little by little. The more McMurphy gives him strength, the more the fog goes away. One night Chief even goes over toward the window in the ward and looks out, for what seems like the first time he has done this in a very long time, and he sees a dog. He notices things, he begins laughing, he breaks his silence and talks about his life to McMurphy. After a while he even starts talking to the other guys on the ward, and this shows how much he has transformed throughout the novel. He gets his confidence and identity back, and in the end the fog is lifted for good. McMurphy sacrifices himself to give Chief the strength to escape the asylum and return to the world outside.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

First things first, let me begin by saying that I really loved this novel. It was hard to put down because things just kept happening that made me want to keep reading it. Randle Patrick McMurphy was a perfect character in this book, and his struggle against Nurse Ratched kept me laughing and rooting for all the boys until the very end.
McMurphy really reminded me of a Newfie, mostly because he was nice, loud, and he loved to be the center of attention. He loved gambling, booze, and women. I think he was the perfect character to take on Nurse Ratched because of how opposite they were. She was very cold and mean, and at times it seemed like she just did things to put down the boys in the hospital. The boys looked at McMurphy as if he were a saviour to them, kind of a Christ-like figure, and he was almost like a father to them. He taught them how to laugh again, he tried his best to keep their spirits up, and he reminded them of the people they used to be before they were lost in the asylum. My favorite part of the book was either the fishing trip, or the party on the ward. I liked the fishing trip because it lets the reader see how all the boys are transforming, and how they got their confidence back. Even the doctor seems to be in better spirits when he catches his monster of a fish. And most of all, Chief, who had completely lost who he was, was reminded of his old self while out at sea. It reminded him of the times he used to go fishing with his dad, and he even laughs while on the boat. It was just really great to see that the boys were happy and carefree for once, not like they are while being belittled by the Big Nurse.
Secondly, I liked the party on the ward because it shows the wild sides of the boys. Chief picks up McMurphy and one of the prostitutes and runs down the hall with them in his arms, which is completely out of character for him. It really showed how happy he was to be letting loose for once, and not worrying about the things he usually has on his mind. The fog literally and figuratively had been lifted from him. It was amazing to finally see that side of them all.

CM1145 #1 Emotional Appeals

The other day in class we did an essay on types of appeals. You could choose either an emotional appeal, a logical appeal, or an ethical appeal. I chose to do an emotional appeal because I thought it might be easiest to do. Finding an emotional topic was a lot easier than finding either of the other two, which is pretty much what I predicted. I chose to do my emotional appeal on gay marriage because it's a topic that hits close to home. I know what it's like to be discriminated against because of your sexual orientation, and I figured it would be nice to get my side of the story across. Being denied rights because of the way you were born is absolutely devastating, and I think that's what people need to understand the most. Gay people are still people, we don't bleed a different color and words still hurt. Coming back from class and finding the word "faggot" written on your locker in permanent marker can do a lot of damage on a persons spirit. I know people are sometimes scared of things they don't understand, but the only thing they need to understand is this: heartbreak feels the same, no matter your orientation. When you get rejected, it still hurts. When you get your first kiss, it makes you feel like you can fly. The first time you tell someone you love them and they say it back, it's amazing. And it feels that way whether you're straight or gay. Being discriminated because you like a certain gender shouldn't be something people have to worry about, but it is.
I liked being able to write on any topic because I didn't know if I'd ever get a chance to voice my opinion on these things in an academic manner. I liked writing something and actually knowing that it would be read. I want to spend the rest of my life knowing that when I find the right person I can marry them if I want to. Whether its a girl or not shouldn't matter. The best thing my mother ever did was hug me and tell me she would love me no matter what. Everyone should have support, no matter if they're gay or straight. Nobody should have to face that kind of confusion alone.

www.itgetsbetter.org

The Wars by Timothy Findley #2

I have to say, I did really enjoy this novel. Throughout high school we learned about the effects of war and what they can do to a person, but this book really takes you through the actual journey. Robert Ross started off as an innocent young boy who loved his sister and enjoyed life. He was inexperienced, and hadn't even had his first sexual experience with a girl. I think the part that moved me the most was that he was forced into manhood. He didn't seem like the type to be able to kill anyone, or even point a gun at another living creature. But somehow he managed to rise to the occasion every time a situation called for it. In the trenches when he sees the gas coming over towards them, he takes charge and a memory from his elementary school days gives him the insight to survive. He remembers that the ammonia in urine neutralizes the chemical in the toxic gas, and he's able to save most of the men who are simply scared to tears.
This novel also reminded me of the short story, also by Timothy Findley, Stones. The main character David Max is a loving father who cares for his family. He signs up for war and suddenly everything changes. He returns thin and frail, just a shell of the man he used to be. He drinks constantly and ends up abusing his son, Ben Max, and even his wife. The things that happened while at war had a terrible effect on David Max and it changed him completely. When he died, Ben Max was the only one of his children who attended his funeral. He took his fathers ashes to the stones on the shore of Dieppe and spread them. He returned his father, who was as hard as stone, to the company of the other stones.
Both the novel and the short story are a good example of how the things that happen while at war can be life changing. Robert Ross went from an innocent young boy to a war affected, disturbed man who was beyond recovery. David Max went from being a loving father to a cold, hard man who was nothing like the man he used to be. It just shows that war can take its toll on even the most gentle people and change them for the worst.