The Last Song - Quote Reaction

"Mom says it's because she has PMS. 
Do you even know what that means? 
"I'm not a little kid anymore. It means pissed-at- men syndrome" 

This is a quote from the book version of The Last Song. (I saw the movie the same day I finished the book, which I did so in two days over spring break, and I must say: I'm sorry, but Miley Cyrus ruined the movie, she is a terrible actress...) However, this quote I absolutely love! The entire tone of the book is kind of a love drama (with a teenage spin), a Nicholas Sparks trademark. The book circles around Ronnie, a rebellious teen and Will, your average rich/preppy/jock who happen to find each other in a small North Carolina town. Since most of the book entails the story  between the two lovers, I love this quote because it brings the reader back to a fun, cute essence -- Ronnie's little brother, Jonah. I couldn't help cracking up at this line, both in the book and the movie, because Jonah has an undeniable "little boy" charm, where he's a little bubble of happiness 100% of the time, because he has no reason not to be, he's in his own little world. This quote completely captures his essence and character and reminds how important it is to have people like these in our lives, who bring a little light into the sometimes seemingly endless darkness.

Prospectus!

Gosh, who should I profile for this essay?

I'm thinking maybe my mother, she's quite an inspiration. I would specifically ask her about her passion, which is running, and how it helps her cope with the struggles of everyday life.

Or Alice Wang, who has the future of our school in her hands for the 2010-2011 school year. It'd be nice to get to know who's behind that face that'll be running the entire school..

Or I could do someone I know less personally, such as LJ = Lamont Thomas, a man who got run over by a car when he was quite young, told he would never walk again, and is working everyday to continue to prove those doctors wrong. Now THAT'S an inspiration :)

Review Essay Revision

I'll have to admit that when we did revisions for our essay, mine was not completely finished..

So yes, I did take to heart what was said, although I was working in a 2-man group, yet I knew my essay needed quite a bit of work because it was not totally finished! I feel like I hear different feedback every time I work in these groups, which is quite helpful! I never hear the same things, I always get different pointers, to help me work on my essay.

I was told clarity was the issue this time, which I definitely went and worked on and hopefully fixed!

Review Essay

I kinda stopped midsentence.. oh well! :)

 

The Importance of Doubt

 

 

Upon first glance, many of us can hardly pronounce the title upon the first try, rel-ih-gyooh-lus? But even ten or fifteen minutes into the movie, we can see that the possibly amusing title doesn’t fail to disappoint the viewer, with a humorous take on a more serious topic. Combine the words “religion” and “ridiculous”, and what do you get? 101 full minutes of Bill Maher’s sarcastic, often crude and entertaining questioning of individuals of all different religions, often apt to provoke and promote controversy but nonetheless incredibly thought-provoking. Any man can come out and declare his doubt over religion, but it takes a different kind to be able to publicly shove his criticisms and disbelief in religion in the faces of those so highly involved and dedicated to the very subject.

 

Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Mormons, Maher not only interviewed but questioned them all on their faith. Each interview was a battle, but Maher came fully prepared for them, sometimes leaving the opponent in shock, sometimes almost hinting at their defeat. A believer or not, in any to every type of faith, this movie raises the importance of doubt, of questioning ourselves, of remembering to do those “reality checks” every once in a while, to make sure our feet are firm on the ground we may not consciously be aware of. Religion is a dangerous and controversial topic to discuss, with almost anyone, but Maher tackles the subject head on.

 

Religulous creates a spotlight for itself in a sea of both pro and anti Religion books, but Maher not so much as bashes on religion as questions it. For example, what’s the contrast between this and say, Bertrand Russell’s “Why I Am Not A Christian” or Christopher Hitchens’ (in)famous “God is Not Great”? Besides the obvious, of Religuous being a movie, and the two other being literary works, Religulous integrates the concept of the reactions of Maher’s statements, questions and accusations. When we are only given one side to a story, we can often find ourselves to be biased in a way to agree with the given side, but when we are able to see the reaction from the other side, only then are we able to form a truly unbiased and independent opinion.

 

Aside the seriousness of the movie, even for anyone who will whole-heartedly disagree with it, the film generates much laughter. One of the most striking and amusing moments was an interview with U.S. Senator Mark Pryror, who was quarreling with Maher, and at one point (almost mistakenly) admits “You don’t have to pass an IQ test to be in the Senate”, a failed attempt at defending his religious decisions and choices. (Comparable to Nixon’s, “I’m saying that when the President does it, it’s not illegal!). Paired with humorous little snippets of various sessions with different people, the movie’s satiric touch turns it into less of a lecture but more of a conversation between the viewer and the host, a debate between the two.

 

No one will defend Maher and say he gives the ultimate answer to whether there’s a God or not, whether to believe in religion or to not believe in religion. What Mayer does do, however, is take a stand himself, present what he has to say and everything he has to offer, and leaves it up to the viewer to take their stand dependent upon everything they’ve just seen and heard. Maher doesn’t come into this movie as a “newbie”, he’s hosted “Politically Incorrect” on ABC, and “Real Time” on HBO. He’s also written numerous bestselling pieces that cover politics and government. Giving you his credibility, ultimately he hopes to sway you over but he seems like he’d be satisfied even if he just opened your eyes a little more, to being more informed and questioning of not just religion, but everything in general.

 

Nonetheless, for $14.99 at Best Buy, you watch Maher attempt to disprove and dispute some of theology’s oldest and founding concepts. You can watch Maher make fools out of 

Perks of Being a Wallflower

This is one of my absolute favorite poems from a piece of literature, the Perks of Being a Wallflower by Steven Chbosky, kinda sad, nonetheless, makes you think, no?

Once on a yellow piece of paper with green lines

he wrote a poem

And he called it "Chops"

because that was the name of his dog

And that's what it was all about

And his teacher gave him an A

and a gold star

And his mother hung it on the kitchen door

and read it to his aunts

That was the year Father Tracy

took all the kids to the zoo

And he let them sing on the bus

And his little sister was born

with tiny toenails and no hair

And his mother and father kissed a lot

And the girl around the corner sent him a

Valentine signed with a row of X's

and he had to ask his father what the X's meant

And his father always tucked him in bed at night

And was always there to do it.

 

Once on a piece of white paper with blue lines

he wrote a poem

And he called it "Autumn"

because that was the name of the season

And that's what it was all about

And his teacher gave him an A

and asked him to write more clearly

And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door

because of its new paint

And the kids told him

that Father Tracy smoked cigars

And left butts on the pews

And sometimes they would burn holes

That was the year his sister got glasses

with thick lenses and black frames

And the girl around the corner laughed

when he asked her to go see Santa Claus

And the kids told him why

his mother and father kissed a lot

And his father never tucked him in bed at night

And his father got mad

when he cried for him to do it.

 

Once on a paper torn from his notebook

he wrote a poem

And he called it "Innocence: A Question"

because that was the question about his girl

And that's what it was all about

And his professor gave him an A

and a strange steady look

And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door

because he never showed her

That was the year that Father Tracy died

And he forgot how the end

of the Apostle's Creed went

And he caught his sister

making out on the back porch

And his mother and father never kissed

or even talked

And the girl around the corner

wore too much makeup

That made him cough when he kissed her

but he kissed her anyway

because that was the thing to do

And at three A.M. he tucked himself into bed

his father snoring soundly

 

That's why on the back of a brown paper bag

he tried another poem

And he called it "Absolutely Nothing"

Because that's what it was really all about

And he gave himself an A

and a slash on each damned wrist

And he hung it on the bathroom door

because this time he didn't think

he could reach the kitchen.

 

-- Taken from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Quote Reaction #?

A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah

"Each time I lifted my feet, the veins in them tightened and and I felt the sand digging into my bleeding soles."

Now, I may be forcing a bit more out of this than is really there, but I'm sensing a metaphor here. Yes, his feet are bleeding and hurting terribly from the rough road he's been walking on for days on end, but inside, his "soul" is also bleeding. He's destroyed from all he's been through and seen lately, murder, violence, torture, he's seen it all. He's come an inch from death and seen those who he loves so dearly being taken away from him, in a literal and metaphorical sense. His soul is bleeding, it's being torn apart from all the hurt, and it's taken way too much damage in these past few weeks or months, whatever it's been, than in his lifetime.