http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/18/opinion/the-evangelical-rejection-of-reason.html?_r=1&ref=contributors
The article I found discussed the apparent anti-intellectualism present in many of the Republican candidates running for office in the upcoming election. The author of this article fears that the Republican candidates tend to be too evangical and not intellectual enough. His main argument was that too many of the candidates reject science that has proven to be true. Herman Cain, Rick Perry, and Michelle Bachmann for example have all denied that climate change exists, and that humans are the cause of it. Both Perry and Bachmann have also dismissed evolution as an "unproven theory" when it has indeed been proven beyond a reason of a doubt. The author is clearly frustrated by the ignorance of many of these candidates and that they take religion too seriously. This article was really well written and brought in a lot of solid examples. I enjoyed the fact that the author considered himself to also be evangical, but he understands that the Bible shouldn't be taken literally for every issue and that science should be accepted. I also appreciated his ability to criticize other Christians that he doesn't agree with.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
How I Write Blog
It can be a challenge at times to actually sit down and start writing and I think it's important to come up with ways to begin the writing process. Like most people, I procrastinate, especially when it comes to writing. I like to first brainstorm ideas for the topic I'm writing about, and I love to make lists. It's a good way to organize my thoughts and it makes starting to write a lot easier. I often skip around from one idea to another when writing and through later editing try to have it all make sense. I enjoy writing rough drafts and getting a good outline completed before I start typing. That way I don't feel too overwhelmed and have a good sense of what the final draft will look like.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Sound and Fury
In Sound and Fury, two families had to deal with the difficulties of having a deaf child. One family was hearing and one family was completely deaf. However, the hearing family did have ties with the deaf community because the mother's parents were both deaf. The controversy in this movie was that one family wanted to give their child a cochlear implant and the other did not.
The hearing family wanted their child to grow up as normally as possible, and they thought the best way for them to do that would be to get their son a cochlear implant. They wanted him to have the implant because they felt their child would have way more opportunities in life if he could hear. They felt that deafness was a disability and if they could fix his disability, why wouldn't they? They knew what a struggle being deaf could be, through watching the mom's parents, and they didn't want their son to have to go through that. Seeing as the parents could hear, they knew what their son would miss out on, and they didn't want that. They also knew that deaf culture was shrinking due to advancing technology, and they didn't want their son to feel isolated or feel as if he didn't belong anywhere.
The deaf family questioned the cochlear implant and almost thought of it as a negative thing. The parents felt offended by it at times because they thought it would distance them from their children. Both of the parents grew up before the cochlear implant was available, and although they knew growing up had been a struggle, they felt their children could have opportunities and still be deaf. The deaf family was a part of the deaf culture and people from the deaf culture discourse don't think of their deafness as a disability. They've come to accept their deafness and are proud to be deaf.
People outside of the deaf culture questioned their decision not to give their children a cochlear implant and thought of them as being abusive parents. It was hard for hearing people to imagine deaf people not wanting to hear. I don't think the deaf parents fully realized how much easier life could be if they could hear, especially since most of the population has the ability to hear. The parents had never been able to hear so I don't think they fully realized the implications of not giving their children cochlear implants. They thought their children could be part of the deaf culture, like themselves, but they didn't take into account that the deaf culture is shrinking and will eventually be basically non existent due to all of the technology becoming available.
The hearing family wanted their child to grow up as normally as possible, and they thought the best way for them to do that would be to get their son a cochlear implant. They wanted him to have the implant because they felt their child would have way more opportunities in life if he could hear. They felt that deafness was a disability and if they could fix his disability, why wouldn't they? They knew what a struggle being deaf could be, through watching the mom's parents, and they didn't want their son to have to go through that. Seeing as the parents could hear, they knew what their son would miss out on, and they didn't want that. They also knew that deaf culture was shrinking due to advancing technology, and they didn't want their son to feel isolated or feel as if he didn't belong anywhere.
The deaf family questioned the cochlear implant and almost thought of it as a negative thing. The parents felt offended by it at times because they thought it would distance them from their children. Both of the parents grew up before the cochlear implant was available, and although they knew growing up had been a struggle, they felt their children could have opportunities and still be deaf. The deaf family was a part of the deaf culture and people from the deaf culture discourse don't think of their deafness as a disability. They've come to accept their deafness and are proud to be deaf.
People outside of the deaf culture questioned their decision not to give their children a cochlear implant and thought of them as being abusive parents. It was hard for hearing people to imagine deaf people not wanting to hear. I don't think the deaf parents fully realized how much easier life could be if they could hear, especially since most of the population has the ability to hear. The parents had never been able to hear so I don't think they fully realized the implications of not giving their children cochlear implants. They thought their children could be part of the deaf culture, like themselves, but they didn't take into account that the deaf culture is shrinking and will eventually be basically non existent due to all of the technology becoming available.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Irrational Fears
After a terrifying event in my childhood, I have been in constant fear of garage doors. My fear began one day in elementary school when I thought it would be a good idea to jump rope in my garage. The door of the garage was open until i hit the the button that makes the garage door suddenly close. It was so sudden and loud that i've been perpetually scared of garage doors ever since. Every time I have to walk under a garage door, I start to panic. In my mind, I think the garage door is going to slam shut the minute I step under it. I imagine myself being killed when the door bashes me in the head. These days, I try to avoid using my garage door as much as possible. I make sure to always have my key, so I can enter the front door instead. On the unfortunate occasions when I have to go under a garage door, I sprint as fast as I can until I know i'm safe.
Friday, September 16, 2011
A song for the times
I chose the song Revolution 1 by the Beatles to encapsulate the overall mood of our nation in 2011. I think the lyrics of the song could definitely represent some of the feelings our nation has today. The line, "We all want to change the world" accurately represents the sentiments of many Americans. This line also reminded me of Obama's change campaign and how many Americans see the flaws of our country and want to change the bad policies of our government. Another line, "You say you got a real solution, well you know, we'd all love to see the plan" is very revealing of the American people's desire to see what plans politicians actually have when they get elected. Politicians in particular often say they've got the real solution for our country's major issues during their campaign and then as soon as they've been elected their plans are never realized.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Inaugural Speeches
The language used in Barack Obama's inaugural speech is surprisingly similiar to past presidents, but also differs in several regards. Every president we've ever had has talked about government and overall our nation in their inaugural speeches. Most of the presidents, including Obama, have also talked about the American people and the freedom that we have. However, it appeared that past presidents were much more concerned about war and often mentioned it in their speeches. Modern day presidents, it seems, have become more peace-oriented and stress the importance of unity in America, and all over the world.
Monday, August 29, 2011
"Turning Japanese"
I chose to read "Turning Japanese" by David Mura for my non-fiction assignment. This is a story about the year David Mura spent in Japan and his quest to figure out his identity. Mura is a Sansei, or a 3rd generation Japanese-American, who goes to Japan to try and discover what it means to be Japanese. He grew up in Minnesota and only really knew American culture. He discusses throughout the book his confusion about his identity. He knows his grandparents came to America from Japan, but he has a hard time relating to the Japanese side of him. Mura is a poet and was able to spend that year in Japan after being granted a fellowship through the U.S./Japan Creative Artist Exchange. He looked at it as a big opportunity to "turn" more Japanese.
The story began with Mura discussing his earlier college years, and his apprehensions about travelling. He liked the familiar and found being in a new place uncomfortable. He stated, "A true landlocked Midwesterner, I wanted to read about the world. But go there? Never." When he got to Japan, he really just wanted to fit in. He didn't want to appear American since he was Japanese and thought he needed to blend in. He felt a little guility about not knowing very much Japanese, which is quite understandable. I really liked how honest Mura was with expressing his first thoughts about Japan as it gave the reader a good glimpse of how awkward Mura must have first felt.
As the story progresses, Mura comes to enjoy Japan more than America in many aspects. He dabbles in all sorts of activities that he wouldn't have tried back in the states. He's fascinated with Butoh and Noh dancing and starts taking lessons from a man named Ono. I found these dances fascinating to read about because they're so differernt from anything you'll find in America. Mura's wife, Susie, who also travelled to Japan, enjoys Tea Ceremony's because of their calming nature. I overall enjoyed reading about Mura's various adventures and all the places he travels to. He talks about living in Tokyo, visiting the Shamans at the Osore-zan mountain, and seeing the rural fishing village his grandparents had come from. I would love to visit Japan one day, so it was interesting to read about all these contrasting places.
The more time Mura spent in Japan, the more he began to relate with the Japanese people. He noticed several traits in himself that are common in many Japanese such as politeness and not showing criticism. It was also quite interesting to read about all the different people Mura met during that year. Each person contributed something new to Mura's life and had a unique personality that was fun to read about.
"Turning Japanese" was an enjoyable memoir to read mostly because the Japanese culture is so different from our own and seeing what everyday Japanese life is like was very interesting and revealing.
The story began with Mura discussing his earlier college years, and his apprehensions about travelling. He liked the familiar and found being in a new place uncomfortable. He stated, "A true landlocked Midwesterner, I wanted to read about the world. But go there? Never." When he got to Japan, he really just wanted to fit in. He didn't want to appear American since he was Japanese and thought he needed to blend in. He felt a little guility about not knowing very much Japanese, which is quite understandable. I really liked how honest Mura was with expressing his first thoughts about Japan as it gave the reader a good glimpse of how awkward Mura must have first felt.
As the story progresses, Mura comes to enjoy Japan more than America in many aspects. He dabbles in all sorts of activities that he wouldn't have tried back in the states. He's fascinated with Butoh and Noh dancing and starts taking lessons from a man named Ono. I found these dances fascinating to read about because they're so differernt from anything you'll find in America. Mura's wife, Susie, who also travelled to Japan, enjoys Tea Ceremony's because of their calming nature. I overall enjoyed reading about Mura's various adventures and all the places he travels to. He talks about living in Tokyo, visiting the Shamans at the Osore-zan mountain, and seeing the rural fishing village his grandparents had come from. I would love to visit Japan one day, so it was interesting to read about all these contrasting places.
The more time Mura spent in Japan, the more he began to relate with the Japanese people. He noticed several traits in himself that are common in many Japanese such as politeness and not showing criticism. It was also quite interesting to read about all the different people Mura met during that year. Each person contributed something new to Mura's life and had a unique personality that was fun to read about.
"Turning Japanese" was an enjoyable memoir to read mostly because the Japanese culture is so different from our own and seeing what everyday Japanese life is like was very interesting and revealing.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
"A Vindiction of the Rights of Woman"
Mary Wollstonecraft's "A Vindiction of the Rights of Woman" gave a very insightful view of how women were treated in the 1700's. I thought Wollstonecraft's essay was very honest, and it was hard to miss the anger and frustration she felt regarding the way women were expected to act and think. It must have been aggravating to have been a woman during that time when women were so oppressed. From what I can gather, I think the gist of the essay was purely ideas/views about women that should have been common sense to everyone else as well.
I enjoyed the quote, "That a proper education; or, to speak with more precision, a well stored mind, would enable a woman to support a single life with dignity." I thought this basically summed up Wollstonecraft's view that women deserve a proper education as much as men. I thought it also illustrated the fact that women should be able to live independently without fear of social consequences or shame. I found Mary Wollstonecraft to be very opinionated and intelligent which was quite unusual for her time. I thought that made her pretty brave and I can definitely respect that.
Wollstonecraft also alluded to authors such as Rousseau and Dr. Gregory and how she was opposed to their views on women. I liked how she proceeded to state why she disagreed with them and offered her own views. It was refreshing to see her comments on their writings, especially from a woman's perspective. She stated, "I may be accused of arrogance; still I must declare, what I firmly believe, that all the writers who have written on the subject of female education and manners, from Rousseau to Dr. Gregory, have contributed to render women more artificial, weak characters, than they would otherwise have been." I thought this really depicted the ignorance of male authors trying to write about a topic they knew essentially nothing about.
I thought this essay was a fairly beneficial step towards feminism, and although I didn't always understand the language or entirely agree with what Wollstonecraft was saying, I believe women such as her were true pioneers towards the freedoms women have today.
I enjoyed the quote, "That a proper education; or, to speak with more precision, a well stored mind, would enable a woman to support a single life with dignity." I thought this basically summed up Wollstonecraft's view that women deserve a proper education as much as men. I thought it also illustrated the fact that women should be able to live independently without fear of social consequences or shame. I found Mary Wollstonecraft to be very opinionated and intelligent which was quite unusual for her time. I thought that made her pretty brave and I can definitely respect that.
Wollstonecraft also alluded to authors such as Rousseau and Dr. Gregory and how she was opposed to their views on women. I liked how she proceeded to state why she disagreed with them and offered her own views. It was refreshing to see her comments on their writings, especially from a woman's perspective. She stated, "I may be accused of arrogance; still I must declare, what I firmly believe, that all the writers who have written on the subject of female education and manners, from Rousseau to Dr. Gregory, have contributed to render women more artificial, weak characters, than they would otherwise have been." I thought this really depicted the ignorance of male authors trying to write about a topic they knew essentially nothing about.
I thought this essay was a fairly beneficial step towards feminism, and although I didn't always understand the language or entirely agree with what Wollstonecraft was saying, I believe women such as her were true pioneers towards the freedoms women have today.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
"Is Google Making Us Stupid?"
Nicholas Carr's essay about the effects of Google and the internet on our brains was really interesting to read, and I thought it offered a new perspective on the ways the internet affects people. I liked that Carr discussed a topic that affects so many people everyday. Essentially everyone uses the internet, so it's a very relateable topic as well as informative.
Although I didn't always agree on every point Carr made, I was impressed by how much he supported his arguments He did bring up several good points throughout the essay regarding concentration that I could definitely relate to. Whenever I'm reading a book, I've noticed that I also have troubles concentrating after a certain amount of time. I think it's really easy to get distracted on the internet and that sometimes crosses over into other daily activities, such as reading.
I enjoyed the quote, "The more pieces of information we can access and the faster we can extract their gist, the more productive we become as thinkers." However, I don't entirely believe that extended internet use is going to lead to a huge change in the way we think and contemplate. I think people will continue to read books as well as read on the internet.
Even though I don't believe Google and the internet in general is going to cause some sort of massive change in the way we think about things, I do believe it plays a factor. We've become so used to getting information right away via Google and other search engines, that we've come to expect that in other aspects of our lives as well. Nicholas Carr's essay on this subject definitely made me take a stance on Google and the internet and I think it's a valuable tool as long as we use it in moderation and continue to use others methods of gathering information. Even if they're slower.
Although I didn't always agree on every point Carr made, I was impressed by how much he supported his arguments He did bring up several good points throughout the essay regarding concentration that I could definitely relate to. Whenever I'm reading a book, I've noticed that I also have troubles concentrating after a certain amount of time. I think it's really easy to get distracted on the internet and that sometimes crosses over into other daily activities, such as reading.
I enjoyed the quote, "The more pieces of information we can access and the faster we can extract their gist, the more productive we become as thinkers." However, I don't entirely believe that extended internet use is going to lead to a huge change in the way we think and contemplate. I think people will continue to read books as well as read on the internet.
Even though I don't believe Google and the internet in general is going to cause some sort of massive change in the way we think about things, I do believe it plays a factor. We've become so used to getting information right away via Google and other search engines, that we've come to expect that in other aspects of our lives as well. Nicholas Carr's essay on this subject definitely made me take a stance on Google and the internet and I think it's a valuable tool as long as we use it in moderation and continue to use others methods of gathering information. Even if they're slower.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Skunks
Skunk Dreams by Louise Erdrich was wonderfully written and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The essay started with a detailed story from the author's childhood about a bold skunk who decided to sleep next to her. I really enjoyed that Erdrich kept returning to that story throughout the essay and relating it to what she was talking about.
A common theme in the essay is dreams and the impact they can have on one's life. I liked the amount of detail that Erdrich used and how she described her life via the dreams she had.
I thought it quite interesting how Erdrich had a dream about a place she would visit in her future. It makes the reader reflect on their own dreams and if they've ever been that significant. This is definitely an essay that makes you think and reflect and I particularly liked the quote, "I had dreamed of this place in St. Thomas, or it had dreamed me." I thought it was a really interesting quote due to the fact that dreams can be really fascinating and that we don't know much about them and the reasons we have them.
A common theme in the essay is dreams and the impact they can have on one's life. I liked the amount of detail that Erdrich used and how she described her life via the dreams she had.
I thought it quite interesting how Erdrich had a dream about a place she would visit in her future. It makes the reader reflect on their own dreams and if they've ever been that significant. This is definitely an essay that makes you think and reflect and I particularly liked the quote, "I had dreamed of this place in St. Thomas, or it had dreamed me." I thought it was a really interesting quote due to the fact that dreams can be really fascinating and that we don't know much about them and the reasons we have them.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
"Talk of the Town" Reflection
I enjoyed reading both of the 'Talk of the Town" essays mainly because they were so different from each other in both writing styles and opinions. I thought both authors, Updike and Sontag, had some really good things to say, and supported their arguements by using detailed and thorough explainations.
Updike's essay really struck me because he actually witnessed the events of September 11th from a Brooklyn apartment. His article definitely had many emotional aspects to it, which made it very appealing to read. He was also an excellent storyteller and I loved the quote, "It seemed at that first glance, more curious than horrendous: smoke speckled with bits of paper curled into the cloudless sky, and strange inky rivulets ran down the giant structure's vertically corrugated surface." This quote brings such a vivid image to my mind, and it made me feel as if I was witnessing it as well. His essay had a very hopeful tone and he seemed fairly optimistic about both New York and overall America's future. Even after witnessing the awful events of 9/11, he still believed in the glory of New York, which was quite inspiring.
Sontag's essay took on a much more pessimistic tone, but was nevertheless interesting to read. Although I thought Susan could be a little extreme in some of her opinions, I could definitely see where she was from on several of them. I could understand her frustration regarding politicians and other figureheads telling the public that everything was going to be O.K. Clearly everything was not O.K. and even today, a decade later, that remains to be untrue. To an extent, I can also concur with Sontag that the government was focused more on consoling the public than acting as a democracy.
Updike's essay really struck me because he actually witnessed the events of September 11th from a Brooklyn apartment. His article definitely had many emotional aspects to it, which made it very appealing to read. He was also an excellent storyteller and I loved the quote, "It seemed at that first glance, more curious than horrendous: smoke speckled with bits of paper curled into the cloudless sky, and strange inky rivulets ran down the giant structure's vertically corrugated surface." This quote brings such a vivid image to my mind, and it made me feel as if I was witnessing it as well. His essay had a very hopeful tone and he seemed fairly optimistic about both New York and overall America's future. Even after witnessing the awful events of 9/11, he still believed in the glory of New York, which was quite inspiring.
Sontag's essay took on a much more pessimistic tone, but was nevertheless interesting to read. Although I thought Susan could be a little extreme in some of her opinions, I could definitely see where she was from on several of them. I could understand her frustration regarding politicians and other figureheads telling the public that everything was going to be O.K. Clearly everything was not O.K. and even today, a decade later, that remains to be untrue. To an extent, I can also concur with Sontag that the government was focused more on consoling the public than acting as a democracy.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
A little bit about me.
I'm Rachael and I'll be a senior next year. I'm looking forward to AP Composition because I would really like to improve both my writing and reading skills. I'm an avid reader so I would definitely like to improve in that area. I especially love to read the Harry Potter series, but I have favorites from every genre.
Watching movies is one of my favorite activities and Howl's Moving Castle is probably my all time favorite. However, I'm a huge fan of every movie Hayao Miyazaki has directed and I think everything he does is brilliant and immensely creative. Some of my other favorite movies include Charlie Bartlett, Into the Wild, and every movie/show Matthew Gray Gubler has been a part of.
I listen to a lot of music and try to sample every genre. I'm a huge fan of the Beatles, David Bowie, Say Anything, Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service, and loads more. I enjoy going to concerts and try to get to as many as I can.
I'm also a huge animal lover and have been a vegetarian for roughly a year. I've always had pets growing up and I currently have one dog named Phoebe.
Watching movies is one of my favorite activities and Howl's Moving Castle is probably my all time favorite. However, I'm a huge fan of every movie Hayao Miyazaki has directed and I think everything he does is brilliant and immensely creative. Some of my other favorite movies include Charlie Bartlett, Into the Wild, and every movie/show Matthew Gray Gubler has been a part of.
I listen to a lot of music and try to sample every genre. I'm a huge fan of the Beatles, David Bowie, Say Anything, Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service, and loads more. I enjoy going to concerts and try to get to as many as I can.
I'm also a huge animal lover and have been a vegetarian for roughly a year. I've always had pets growing up and I currently have one dog named Phoebe.
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