Carry It Forward:Hamlet

A common idea that reoccurs in our class discussions of Hamlet is the changing of ones' personality. Because Hamlet is part of a monarchy and is in a high position, he must act normally. People's perception of him must always be that he is strong mentally and in control of himself. This keeps the monarch looking strong and stable. When Hamlet is by himself, he goes on these rants of how horrible his situation is and woes for his father. He lets the hatred for his uncle show and a manipulative side is shown. But in the presence of his uncle, he must act civilly and show manners. The predicament he is in seems to be really frustrating and confusing. I can sort of relate to how he feels, when I am in the presence of my friends' parents I have to act differently. The context of my conversatoins and the words and subjects that I should veer away from. I act a lot differently when I switch from situation to situation. I do not know if it is a bad thing that I have to change my personality so drastically when adults are around. It may be a sign that I should control my tounge a little big better and not let foul language escape from my mouth so often.

Research: Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born in 1564 to middle class parents. He was well educated where he was most likely taught latin grammar throughly. Shakspeare, at the age of 18, was wed to the 26 year old Anne Hathaway. He would later on become a notable playwright in London and Stratford, where he would divide his time. Shakespeare would often write his play in quarto texts, a sheet of paper folded four ways. His writing style would often change from poem to poem or play to play. Tragedies, histories, and comedies were the most common themes in his writing. All though Shakespeare was not revered in his lifetime, but would eventually be known as one of the greatest playwrights of all time.

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/122

Carry it Forward: Creating a Future

Answering the several daily questions at the beginning of class has been an interesting activity. They are peculiar and require me to think about my future. For example, what do you want to know what you don't know right now?, was a question that was asked. It instantly made me look into my future and wonder where I would be in the different stages of my life. What profesion I will choose? Who will I marry? Will I be successful? I believe these questions are meant to make us look at our futures and how we want them to turn out. I think we should constantly thinking about our next step so we are never stagnant. Constant application is needed to be able to make a difference in our future. These questions have made me wonder whether my life will have an affect on the future and how I can shape my life so success turns to present. I have realized that I should be looking at different career choices now instead of waiting until college to figure it out. And in college I will stay motivated by looking forward to accomplish what I am working for. I believe a person who lives an organized life is kind of like a psychic when it comes to their lives. They know that they are working hard to reach a goal and will succeed if they continue.

360 Degrees: Do violent video games cause aggression in kids?

One if the most popular past times for americand kids are video games. Countless of children spend hours on end pressing buttons to achieve a goal that has been set by the game. Unlike television, the child is actually controlling what happens on the screen, this makes playing video games a lot more intimate than just watching television. This interaction has risen questions about whether or not violent video games can cause aggression. Many parents are worried about this theory and want to know if they should let their kids play violent video games or not. I personally do not believe that violent video games cause aggression. I think that kids who play video games and get into trouble are born with an inclination to be mischevious. I think it's unfair for people to blame video games for aggression when it can be multiple factors, such as their environment and upbringing. If anything, video games give kids a way to vent their frustrations.
As I am writing in support for not blaming video games for aggression, I cannot help but remember the countless times I have been left pissed off over dieing or losing in a video game. I can get incredibly frusturated over something as insignificant as a video game. This gives me a different opinion about the affects of video games. I guess more research needs to be done to figure out whether or not violent video games really do cause aggression. Also, I wonder if playing video games actually is a good way to relieve oneself from frustration.

Connections: Two Leaders

In class, we watched Martin Luther King's famous "I Have A Dream" speech. It was easy to see how good of a speaker he was. All of his words were spoken with belief and conviction, the energy from watching just the video was amazing. This speech reminded me a lot of Obama's speech at the inaguration. Not only because both speakers are African American, but how similar the impact of their words had on the crowd. In Martin Luther's King's time, an idea of having an African American president was absurd. But now after forty years, America is welcoming their first African American president. Many of the dreams that Martin Luther King mentioned in his speech have come true, even one that was not mentioned.

Metacognition: Shadow: First Semester

I came into humanities thinking that it would be a class similar to the basic English classes I have taken through out high school, but from the first day I knew I was mistaken. More in depth thinking is required for this type of class and a willingness to attempt to think abstractly. I believe I have been able to succeed in humanities by first being open to what is in front of me and secondly, analyzing what is being said. Vertical listening has been an important technique because it forces you to pay attention and feel whatever is being present ed's full force.

Humanities has shown me many things I had never seen. Everyday there is a chance that I will get to experience something I have never even been aware of. This anticipation motivates my thinking and willingness to concentrate on a difficult concept. What surprises me most about my thinking is how visual it is. When we discuss Sophie's World I put myself in the characters shoes and try to experience the full effect of the story. This visualization is also one of the things I like most about my thinking since it can make most things really surreal.

I am surprised at how little thought I put into the events that are happening around me. While others are stressed out about what is happening in our society, I block out what I have learned is happening. I believe this is a problem with my thought process because I do not improve my understanding of a situation by ignoring it. There is little stimulation in my brain when it comes to comprehending societal issues. I believe that I can improve my awareness though by learning more about issues instead of ignoring them.

Blogging Around

Vedran Svraka:
I also held a negative perception towards philosophy at first. Like you, I thought that I would be bored out of my mind during discussions, but i now find a lot of what we speak about interesting. I believe that philosophy is a tool that one can use to improve their way of life.

Ryan Riordan:
I also have been thinking about the future of our planet. Global warming's effects are starting to show more and more. I agree that we have to be more conservative in the way we live. Smart cars are a smart way to stop pollution. All though I would probably never buy a smart car, because I like to drive fast and I think they look kind of lame, I believe that it is a good foundation for other car manufactures to build off of.