Searching for myself??

When searching for myself online i initially just typed in Mariah Cooks and was actually pleasantly surprised at the amount of information about me and my accomplishments there were. My second search was "Mariah Cooks Basketball" and even MORE information popped up. It was really neat to be able to see what i have done with my life so far and how my hard work is getting recognized even ONLINE!

AP Lit Term: Dogmatic

Dogmatic




This video shows the deeper meaning of dogmatic. And uses christianity as an example. I don't necessarily like that he uses this example, but he does do a good job of relating the two and giving specific examples. Throughout the video he is trying to be funny, kind of bugs! But enjoy!

"Thinking Outside the Box"

Satre and Plato are from two different eras, but have similar views and outlooks on people and how they think. The people you surround yourself with can tell you whatever you want. You have the choice to accept these facts they tell you or actually take the initiative and want to learn the truth. The Allegory of the Cave describes the limitations on our thinking as ultimately a fear of change. For one to think freely, they must first break free from their shackles and break through that tough period and the hardships that come with it. Then they must allow themselves to figure out their own beliefs and views on the world and everything in it. Plato did not believe that thinking freely was exactly the easiest thing to do, but once you are able to realize that everything you have been told is not always correct and to find out for yourself, you will then attain knowledge. He uses to shadows on the wall to represent what we think is reality. You must figure out for yourself what reality is and is not and what is real and what is deceiving.


In Sartre’s “No Exit”, he describes Hell as a normal room that you are locked in with people that you would not get along with. He even states that “people are Hell.” In this, he believes, like Plato, that what truly constrains our thoughts are others. People can say whatever they want or feel the need to. So, people need to hold themselves accountable for discovering their own beliefs and facts and not just accept what they hear from others as fact.

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

1. The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri, is a novel about the hardships and struggles of a Bengali who migrates to the United States to form a life different from everything they are accustomed to.  The story begins as Ashoke and Ashima leave Calcutta, India and settle in Central Square, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Through a series of errors, their son's nickname, Gogol, becomes his official birth name. This is an event which will shape many aspects of his life.  Gogol has to deal with the conflicts and problems that come with immigration and being an Indian child growing up in America.

2. Identity was a prominent theme in the novel.  American born Gogol wants an American life, and he changes his name and rebels against his culture to accomplish this.

3. The Namesake has a very serious tone and Lahiri also tries to compare two different cultures.  Throughout the novel, Gogol reflects on his life. He tells us about the difficult decisions he had to make growing up, but also expressed how these decisions was what really shaped him as an adult.

4. The literary elements the author used in the novel were flashbacks, imagery, irony, personification, and foreshadowing. Lahiri used flashbacks throughout the whole novel when Gogol talks and reflects on his past and his memories. Imagery is used by having Gogol describe his memories and by paining a detailed picture of his caring parents who tried to supply him with the best life possible and lead him down the right path of life. The author uses Irony to describe Gogol’s entire life. Personification was used when Gogol’s voice was compared to a Husky’s. The final technique used was foreshadowing, and it was used when Gogol said that he lived most of his life outside his homeland.

Plato Essay (1st paragraph)

Plato was a famous philosopher and the “student”of another famous philosopher, Socrates. In one of Plato’s most famous pieces, The Allegory of the Cave, he uses allegory to illustrate his views on the different levels of reality. The main point of this allegory is to demonstrate the levels of reality in Plato’s metaphysics. His allegory’s purpose is to teach us that to fully understand ultimate reality, we must understand these basic forms; The sun represents our peak nonphysical, objective ideas i.e. justice, goodness, beauty and trust. The objects above ground represents true forms such as shape, color, and size, and by true forms he is referring to the true thought of a circle, for instance, is only it is an idea. We are unable to view a true circle, only replicas of one, who is to say what a circle really is? The objects below ground represent material objects that usually represent other forms. Finally, the shadows on the wall represent illusions, for example the shadow of a circle, which is just an appearance and not true reality. Initially, Plato’s views on the levels of reality appear to be complex and confusing, but once broken down into individual ideas, it becomes much clearer, which is ultimately the whole purpose of his Allegory of the Cave.

THE BIG QUESTION

Why do professional athletes make so much money ? Focus on the ethics of fairness and also gender equity.

Hamlet Essay

When I took a step back and put into perspective how much “self talk” I do everyday, it really amazed me. When I talk to myself I’m usually correcting my past actions and/or predicting my future actions. This conversation that we have with ourselves all day long, whether we are aware of it or not, is our “self talk.” This is a conversation that no one but you can hear. This is what makes us so comfortable with explicit self talk, things that you would never say out loud so you say it in your head. My self talk goes on overload before, during, and after I play basketball. This is an example of me using self talk in a positive manner. This has improved my game tremendously, and it makes me an all around smarter athlete. Now to Hamlet... In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the reader gets to take a first look at Hamlet’s self talk. Shakespeare created a unique experience for his readers in allowing them to embark on Hamlet’s mental and physical journey with him. The most unique experience while reading Hamlet was Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy. This soliloquy provided a chance for the reader to really see the various thoughts that were going through Hamlet’s mind at that specific moment. And through those thoughts, get to take the same emotional trip that Hamlet is experiencing.

Hamlet’s self overhearing constitutes as action in itself. Starting with the suspense of him wanting to kill himself, to the suspense of him wanting to kill Claudius during the whole play. Hamlet’s constant plotting in his mind also was a source of action because it made the reader want to know exactly how his plan of revenge was going to play out. All of this action is taking place inside of Hamlet’s mind, not to mention him feeling forced to deny his love for Ophelia. Due to the death of his father, him feeling betrayed by his mother for marrying his father’s murderer, and being the only one who truly knows who killed his father, forces Hamlet to feel like he can trust no one. This is why he pushes Ophelia away. All of these conflicts run through his mind constantly, mostly occurring at the same time.

Hamlet’s self overhearing and mine are very different in my opinion. Hamlet is very emotional and overdramatic in his thoughts, whereas in my thinking, I am a lot stronger mentally. This may be because Hamlet and I have experienced different events throughout our lives. I am also more positive in my thinking, while Hamlet just constantly brings out the worst in most situations. Because of these negative thoughts, this alters his physical and emotional state of mind for the worse. Since my self hearing is more positive thoughts, my physical and emotional state alter for the better. The self talk that goes on in my head keeps me sane while Hamlet’s self talk makes him insane.

The way you reflect on your experience creates a sense of memory and expectation concerning future actions. Learning from the past or from others is a big part of self hearing because when you tell yourself or keep reminding yourself about your past and the results to certain situations, and because of those events, your future actions are altered. This is both a positive and negative thing because yes you are learning from your mistakes, but you also face the risk of being afraid to take chances. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who usually take the biggest chances, and if your afraid take chances then you may be missing out on a big opportunity. Also known as fate.

Hamlet vs Epic Heroes

When comparing the works of Shakespeare to other writers of epic heroes, there is really no comparison. William Shakespeare was a writer who was far ahead of his years. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet’s use of language differentiates him from epic heroes such as Beowulf. When comparing the two, the uses of language are not very similar at all. Shakespeare spends a great amount of time focusing on Hamlet’s character being formed through self overhearing, while Beowulf’s character is centered around his honor and legacy which results in him not being a deep thinker like Hamlet. Because of this Beowulf lacks the sense of formation in his character though his language that Hamlet has. Beowulf acts on his feelings. Whereas in Hamlet, the characters pour out everything they felt through soliloquy’s, and they think long and hard about what they should do next before they take any action.

The formation of Hamlet’s character was performed in a way that was never done before. His character was formed through self overhearing. He was not formed through his actions like most epic heroes, instead through his thoughts and language. Whenever Hamlet was faced with a conflict, we were able to witness his thought process through his self overhearing. For example, in Hamlet’s “To be, Or not to be” soliloquy he is faced with various conflicts. He is debating whether to take revenge on Claudius, or to give up and commit suicide.
“To die, to sleep--
No more--and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to.”
In this portion of Hamlet’s “To be, Or not to be” soliloquy, Shakespeare is giving the audience the opportunity to form their own opinion of Hamlet since they are aware of his true intentions and able to witness first hand his self overhearing. By his soliloquy, the audience can tell he is well educated and has many levels to him.

In the poem Beowulf, the epic hero is completely formed by his actions. The audience is only able to form an opinion of Beowulf based off of his actions and how he performs in battle. For example, he is seen as brave, honorable, and noble when he defeats Grendel, but if he fails to succeed in his battles he would not be seen as an honorable hero. The formation of Beowulf’s character is based on his actions unlike Hamlet who’s character is based off of his language to describe what he is feeling.

All in all, Shakespeare used the language of his characters to define them, instead of having their actions be the factor forms their character like other epic heroes such as Beowulf. Hamlet’s use of self overhearing supplied his character with great depth which really allowed the audience to experience the same emotions the Hamlet was feeling and thinking; Something that was never done before.

How I feel about AP English...:)

The main concept I have learned in my AP Literature class is the importance of technology in the 21st century. The knowledge that I have gained in this course about technology is mind boggling. I have learned how to share my work with people around the world by creating a blog of my own. Although the class is ultimately centered around technology, we do not completely forget about the ancient "hard copies". We also incorporate a lot of reading into this course (which does not involve technology). So, in this course I am increasing my skills and knowledge of technology.

Roy Christopher: Interview Notes

From The Start: It all began with Roy and his friends photocopying homemade magazines and out to their friends and neighbors in their community.Roy had a friend who did web designing and with Roy's "magazine making" background, it only made sense that he himself needed to get involved in web designing. Once he began this process his goal was to not become involved in the web, but eventually he learned that it was almost inevitable. He was sucked into it.

Balancing Time (Technology and Life): Roy talked about balancing his time without getting distracted, and he admitted that most often when he is on the web he feels a sense of distraction from Social Networking sites which prevent him from getting his work done.

Self Publishing his own book: Roy self-published his own book for various reasons. Roy's book compiled his website and interviews into a book. These types of books have not very marketable in the past, and Roy wanted to change that and create his own source of reputation for his book. Due to the fact that these type of books are not very marketable, it was very hard for Roy to find a publisher in the first place, but he also felt like this was a challenge to be taken on by himself.

Selling Book: Selling the book was difficult at first but in the past two years sales have been increasing because society can now relate to the items Roy talks about in his book.

Hip hop culture: Roy linked the idea of "Hip Hop Culture" as being the blueprint for the twenty-first century. He found it interesting how the two converge.

Big Picture: When discussing McLuhan's post, Roy felt as if it was difficult to analyze what he's saying or meaning by it. "The medium is the message". Roy does believe in fact that nothing will be able to surpass this medium. If you take the message the way he does then how can anything out do the medium which is our accessibility to mobile technology.

My feedback: The information obtained from Roy Christopher's presentation was unforgettable, and the fact that Mr. Ted, Dr. Preston, my classmates and I might have just made history with our experiences today with Roy Christopher.  It was a very remarkable experience. Thank you for allowing me to be apart of it.

Misery- Stephen King

1) Paul Sheldon, an author of a successful series on the character of Misery Chastain, crashes his car during a winter storm and becomes completely unconscious.  A woman by the name of Annie Wilkes is the woman that Paul wakes up to in a bedroom. She is sitting next to the bed, reading. Paul learns that he is in a farmhouse in Sidewinder, Colorado. "My name is Annie Wilkes. And I am -" "I know," he said.  "You're my number-one fan" (part 1, chapter 2, page 6).  Annie has no intention of notifying the authorities and intends to keep him under her watch as long as it takes for her to fulfill her darkest fantasies or psychosis.  She soon becomes out of control after she reads the latest manuscript in the Misery series.  In order for Paul to save his own life, she demands that he resurrects the character of Misery.  Annie obsesses over Paul, and physically abuses and tortures him until the very end.... in which you must read to find out what happens! Don't want to completely spoil it for you.


2) Fanaticism- Misery is Annie's escape into the 19th century which was a more gentler time in which people did not behave like they do now.  Annie is equally obsessed with Paul and the idea of him writing "Misery's Return" for her.  The worst episode of Annie's rage was when she finishes reading "Misery's Child" which blows her into a complete psychosis when she learns that Miser is dead.


3)  Misery is written in an omniscient/ suspenseful tone.  This third person omniscient is used when talking about Annie Wilkes.  "I am your number one fan." "I am in trouble here.  This woman is not right."  "And then woe is you, Pauly.  Woe to the max."  "There are lots of guys out there who write a better prose line than i do and who have a better understanding of what people are really like and what humanity is supposed to mean- hell, I know that."


4)  the literary techniques used in this novel include flashbacks, third person point of view, combining horror genre with the romance, structure, and graphic maiming.

Tools That Change The Way We Think

I do not believe that extensive use of technology makes a person lazier. It is not a matter of interest as much as it is a convenience. For example, it would be a waste of precious time to look up a word in a dictionary or encyclopedia when you can search the internet for the same thing and get the needed information needed. Therefore if you do happen to be in the situation when your only source is a dictionary or encyclopedia, you will be dreading every second of it because in your mind you know that this could be done so much faster online. Thus completely disassembles our concentration. If the resources that are given to you are used correctly and efficiently, then success is what is to come. The problem that arouses is when people get distracted while using the internet by going on other sites. This would not be the case if this same person was reading in a book to retain information at the library. The role of technology is refine information to make it more easier and convenient to find exactly what your looking for. Information found on the internet may not always be valid or detailed, but it is very easy and quick to obtain. We can now use our phones to access the internet as well, which pretty much eliminates us from searching through hundreds of books at the library. The fact that there are many site where people can give their own opinions and information on certain articles is a big negative. These articles are very easy to access, and sometimes it is hard to know what is valid and what is not. This also holds you back from gathering your own information and creating an opinion of your own. The internet does supply an environment where thinking is not really necessary, but it also creates an opportunity to gather numerous sources of ideas, opinions, facts, and information with the click of a button.

In Search Of...

This presentation makes me think differently because everyone is not seeing the same thing, therefore the information I would get from a google search engine is completely different then the information someone else might get. When I re-did the Shakespeare search I made it more specific. I searched "Shakespeares life in comparison to De Vere" since that was specifically what i was looking for. Instead of just searching "Shakespeare" i was more specific so i got more specific results which better correlated with what i was looking for.

Who Was Shakespeare

My own personal knowledge of Shakespeare includes his writings of Romeo and Juliet  and Hamlet.  I also knew that he didn’t have the typical upbringing of that of a typical writing genius. He was truly  in my eyes, the greatest poet and dramatist the world has ever seen.   There aren’t many facts about Shakespeare, and that is what causes some to question his credibility.  The opposing side has absolutely no evidence to argue against Shakespeare’s authenticity.  He is thought to be one of the greatest of all time, but no matter how great he was, students still have a hard time interpreting his language and iambic pentameter.  Because of this many students don’t even give his writing a chance to make sense of it.  I have personally learned how to interpret Shakespeare’s work a whole lot better from where I started.  I am able to translate easier, and by using the footnotes, I am able to see what the whole meaning is, and this allows me to compare my thinking to Shakespeare’s in writing this play.  I do still continue to struggle with some of the illusions Shakespeare mentions.  

I typed in “Who was Shakespeare” into google, and I visited the PBS website, Wikipedia, and shakespear.about.com

To Facebook or Not to Facebook

Initially I viewed Facebook as being a social networking site for older adults.  I saw it as a play off of Myspace, but for a more mature audience.  The potential harms that Facebook includes the fact the 7.5 million Facebook users are 12 years & under, what you post will never go away, and EVERYONE can see your Facebook.  The dangers of kids under the age of 12 putting their personal business online makes it that much easier for internet creepers to follow these young kids which could potentially result in a very unsafe situation.  The posts and pictures that are anywhere on the web will always be there and follow you for the rest of your life whether you like it or not.  Therefore the fact that Facebook feels like such a comfortable place to express your thoughts and/or emotions, but we sometimes forget that once something is said by us or about us on the web...it follows us...FOREVER.  Most people think their Facebook accounts are private, but what they seem to look forget is the fact that ANYONE can hack into their “private accounts” and view their information, posts, and pictures.  There are benefits to Facebook, such as promoting businesses through ads and connecting with family that your not able to see or visit.  These ads don’t seem very negative.  I mean Facebook does need to make money, and by selling information about what kinds of ads to show certain consumers isn’t a very bad thing in my mind. We also discussed the fact that some Facebook consumers are on there only to connect with family members. In class there were various testimonials of students who had joined Facebook to connect with family in different states or countries that they are unable to see.   Facebook is a business, and honestly they can care less whether you post pictures or comments that are inappropriate.   As long as they make their money, they’re satisfied.

Don't Be Hamlet

Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy from the play represents his mental struggle on whether he should continue living, or if he should just end his life.  He also is asking to be prayed for.  This shows that he is looking for hope from anywhere possible. He doesn’t want to give up, but at the same time he’s tired of fighting the controversy and drama that fills his life.

Hamlet’s life is FILLED with problems, and its because of these problems that make him feel like his life is hopeless and there’s no way out of these conflicts he’s faced with.  If Hamlet wasn’t a coward then he would fix these problems that are right in front of him, rather than consider killing himself as a resolution.  Suicide is not the answer at all, but if he was to fight Claudius and take the throne back for his father, then that will fix all the problems in which Hamlet is faced with.

Hamlet’s emotions are very unstable and quite frankly they are all over the place.   Every thought in his mind is filled with the wrong that is going on around him and in his life, and because of this he feels as if theres no way out.  He feels trapped, and this is what causes him to crumble and fold to this pressure of avenging his father.  Suicide seems like the easy way out to Hamlet, but what he doesn’t understand is the fact that NOTHING will become any easier to him... HE’LL BE DEAD!

Notes on Hamlet

Hamlet was very upset by the passing of his father at the beginning of the play, and this created somewhat of a foreshadow for what was to come.  This passion for his father is what makes him think the way he does and add the pressure of retaining his father’s throne.  The more the play unravels, the more you see Hamlet show signs of being mentally unstable, which results in his inability to deal with the decisions of what todo about his fathers death.  The ghost tells Hamlet that his Uncle Claudius, who was now married to Hamlet’s mother, was the one who killed him.  In knowing this, Hamlet goes through the mental battle of avenging his father’s death, or committing suicide.  Hamlet has gone somewhat mad, but I do believe that he has a plan , and he’ll go through with killing his uncle.  Once he has done so, Hamlet will have to face the consequences for his actions.

Needful Things

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read.
2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
3. Describe the author's tone.  Include three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
4. Describe five literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the theme and/or your sense of the tone.  Include three excerpts that will help your reader understand each one.

1. Leland Gaunt opens a new “antique” shop in Castle Rock called Needful Things. While reading this novel you will IMMEDIATELY get a creepy/mysterious feeling from Mr. Gaunt. Anyone who enters his store finds an object of his or her lifelong dreams and desires. None of his items have price tags, every price is up for debate. Then end result of these negotiations are the customer walks away with his or her “dream iteam” at an unbelievably low price. Seems too good to be true?... Well it is! Gaunt requests that each person perform a little "deed," usually a seemingly innocent prank played on someone else from town. These practical jokes soon cascade out of control and eventually the entire town is in battle with itself. Sheriff Alan Pangborn is the only person who suspects that Gaunt is behind Castle Rocks’ increasingly violent behavior.

2. Human greed and the things people will do for personal gain.

3. Stephen King is VERY descriptive in this novel. From the very beginning the tone was very folksy. “Come on over here, let me shake your hand! Tell you somethin: I recognized you by the way you walk even before I saw your face good. You couldn’t have picked a better day to come back to Castle Rock. Ain’t she a corker?....” As the story unravels the tone begins to alter as well. Mr. Gaunt had a tone of one who gives a eulogy: “Humanity! So noble! So willing to sacrifice the other fellow!” While Mr. Gaunt’s tone may be very “over-the-top” there are characters such as Nettie Cobb who had a very uncertain and frightened tone. “...She reached for this...then hesitated. If the crazy Polish woman was lurking in the back yard, she would see the light go on. And if she saw the light go on, she would know exactly where to look for Nettie’s carnival glass lampshade, wouldn’t she?”

4. Allusions- In the beginning the author makes references to Castle Rock expecting that you have read his previous novels and know what life is like here. “Secrets can and are kept in Castle Rock, but you have to work mighty hard to do it, and most of us know it’s been a long time since Hugh Priest and hard work were on good terms...”

Descriptive- King is very specific in his writing in this novel. He really goes into great depth while telling each different situation. “Alan had read an article in some doctor’s office about black holes-great celestial empty places that seemed to be whirlpools of anti-matter...”

Realism- the horror implicit in Needful Things remains realistic. Those few who break away from Gaunt’s control must live with and take responsibility for the consequences of their actions.

Symbolism- Each item in Gaunt’s store represents evil because of the results they bring.

Foreshadowing- “He felt bewildered...but he also felt very good, as if he had just awakened from a refreshing early-afternoon nap.” With this reaction from receiving and item, especially coming from a young boy, you knew immediately that this store brings out the greed in its customers. And with that comes trouble.