Music Review

I have to say, it was REALLY hard to think of a song that I liked, and when I did, I always thought of another one that was better.

Simple Solution- Pick an Artist.

One of my favorite bands (well, person) is Bonobo. I say person because there is only one person, a British DJ by the name of Simon Green, but his stage name is Bonobo.

Bonobo's music is mostly instumental. Except a few songs on one of his albums. I first learned about him through a soundtrack on a snowboarding video game on Gamecube.

His first album, Animal Magic, was released in 2000...



... and the best songs would have to be "Shadowtricks", "Sleepy Seven", and "Terrapin".

His second album, Dial "M" for Monkey...

...would definitely be my favorite. Best songs from the album--- "Flutter", "Pick Up", and "Something for Windy".

Not too much of a fan of the third album, Days to Come...

 

...because of the frequent songs with singing, but nonetheless, I like "Nightlite", "Transmission 94", and "On Your Marks".

So yeah, I guess that's...

What? He has another album?

Yup, recently found out that Black Sands



was released in March 2010. I haven't had a chance to listen to any of the songs yet, but I definitely will soon.

Ok, that's it. I HIGHLY recommend at least trying to listen to his music, but if you don't, or if you don't like it, I don't care.

Really.

Nick and Jay (and Daisy)

Tsk, tsk, tsk, a love triangle... (kinda)
  
I must say, I was REALLY surprised in chapter 4 when I read that Daisy and Gatsby were lovers a while back. I would have never expected it, but hey, that's the magic of reading, right?

Right?

Jay is CLEARLY very nervous of whether Nick agrees to invite Daisy over to Gatsby's mansion, so he does all these things for Nick, such as take him to Coney Island, and for a swim in his pool, and even hiring someone to cut Nick's grass for him. I feel that Jay is kind of using Nick as a calming effect... or whatever. I don't really know how to explain it, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that Jay often feels better if anything he does, concerning Daisy, is okay-ed or approved by Nick.

Having read chapter 4, I knew that Jay had some feelings for her, but now, it's like he's CRAZY for her, like he malfunctions and the sound of her name. Jeez!

Winter Poem!!

Ugh, winter, the worst season

The one that does not approve of my pleasin'

Yeah, snow days are great

But they give me my fate

I know this might sound crazy

But I hate being lazy

People spend all day inside

Under blankets they hide

Or people spend all day outside throwing snow

Or do nothing with nowhere to go

I'd rather spend the day doing homework

On my face- a smirk

Knowing that my work will be done by the time due

And watch everyone else rushing to finish it through

Winter, oh winter

Why must you be here now?

That's it for this week's blog

I close this poem with a frown.

(BY the way, this poem is not about me.)

Modern Slavery

Do I believe there are modern slaves?

Sadly, but yes.

There are many children being forced against their will by being out at work in factories and fields. But because of some of their jobs, such as seamstresses and sewing, we would not have a lot of things, especially clothes. Made in Taiwan, made in China, made in Japan; it seems like that's all you see. Occasionally you'll find, "Made in the USA", which are three words that seem to make some people happy.

Sometimes I feel like that I'm indirectly supporting it when I buy things that say "Made in" a country famous for child labor. But when buying these things, does it make you a bad person?

You decide.

A child laborer in 1910, New Jersey

I Am A Plow. Yeah.

I Am a Plow.

It is sowing season
So must prepare to do my duty
I sharpen my blades when no one is looking
And go on a few practice runs in the night
So I can perforn perfectly when I am used
The time is now
The day is here
I finally get to do my job
After so long a time of drought
The farmers and horses pull me
And I pull new, fresh soil to the surface
And I am followed by children who plant seed behind me
Followed my more children who
Cover up the immature seeds
That I helped plant
I am used for hours at a time
Never getting a break
Until the night falls
When the people put me in my place in a dark, cold shed
Then I continue to sharpen my blades
Until the next sowing season...

A Direction the Class Needs...

A direction the class needs...
 

The following are some points of advice I would give people in my classes (Or any other class, for that matter.)

SPEAK YOUR MIND!

Obviously, this isn't a problem in this class; most of our class is usually discussions. Since I am generally a shy person, I sometimes have problem with speaking up, unless it's really important. I need to work on my public speaking skills.

(The next one kind of contradicts the previous one, and I feel bad for saying it)

But...

SHUT UP!!!


(Again, not a problem in the class) I hate when people talk too loudly or out of turn. I hate loud noises as well. Yes, talking is very good, but there is a Huge difference between talking and rambling on about nothing that's important to me. Go annoy someone else!

Now that that's out of my system, to more important issues...

But Yeah,

BE YOURSELF!!

(This will sound corny, but I don't know any other way to say it.) The only way you'll be accepted by good people is if you be yourself. Being or acting like someone else only displays false information (Which is a commandment, haha!) about yourself.

SO, all in all, pretty straightforward advice. (except the second)

Until next time!!

Nathaniel Hawthorne, HOTSG, Salem Witch Trials Facts

Nathaniel Hawthorne (formerly known as Hathorne) was most notably known for his novels such as The House of the Seven Gables and The Scarlet Letter. His writings were probably most inspired by 17th Century Puritan (mostly) New England. Everyone knows this guy...right? But do you KNOW this guy? Some interesting facts about this "guy" include...
   -he graduated college with future president Franklin Pierce. I found that really interesting. (Wouldn't that be cool, though?)

In 1668, The House of The Seven Gables became under construction in Salem, Massachusetts. It was originally built for Captain John Turner, a rich merchant. Interesting Facts-
   -In 1908-1910, when the House was in the process of becoming a museum, the owner, Caroline O. Emmerton added a small cent-shop resembling Hepzibah Pyncheon.
   -On March 29th, 2007, the HOTSG was recognized as a National Historic Landmark.

   Did John Proctor and Abigail Williams really have an affair as described in Arthur Miller's The Crucible?


   "There is no evidence that supports a love affair between John Proctor and Abigail Williams. John was 60 years old at the time of the trials while Abigail was only 12. Also, they lived over eighty miles apart." (www.salemwitchtrials.com/faqs.html#crucible)

The Moment I Knew I was An American

American
–noun

a citizen of the United States of America. (www.dictionary.com)

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LIES!!

I believe an American is a person that is born in the United States or in another country and accepts the American culture AND any other culture in the world. The moment when I knew I was an American was when I was when I was young and my parents and teachers taught me about communities and togetherness and the environment, things of that nature. I always love to help out around the house, cleaning something whenever I can. To be a true "American" you must help the communities and people around you. You must care about the feelings of others as well, not just yourself's.

"I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free." (Lee Greenwood)

The House of the Seven Gables

Yay, time for today's blog.

Oh, wait- no it's not. Darn.

Well see you next week!

Us vs. Them... Us and Them

Definition- Versus- against (pretty obvious)

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

This well-known phrase is perfectly comparable to the blog title, Us vs. Them... Us and Them.

There is always going to be someone that supports your opinions and someone the does not. Like Danforth's quote, "But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it; there be no road between.", talking about being for the idea of witchcraft or against it.

"Us VS. Them" by LCD Soundsystem says the title many times in the song. I couldn't find any way to compare the song with the Crucible, but i thought it was cool how the titles matched.

Hmm... I guess that's it. Make sure to read my next blog!

John Proctor... Hero or Stooge?

In a sense, John Proctor can be viewed as a hero AND A stooge. For example, he can be viewed as a hero for the reason that he kind of swats away the conversation every time Parris brings up the ideas of hell and things associated with it. 

On the other hand, (Ooh, a tension builder)

My attitude towards him totally changes in the scene where Mary comes in looking sickly when Proctor and Elizabeth are talking. Since she went to the courts in Salem, John does not like this because he does not like Mary leaving the house. He pulls out his whip on several occasions. This made me think he was an abusive person. I know it's the 17th century, but jeez.

Furthermore, since again, he goes against the ideas of witchcraft and anything to do with the devil, when Mary comes back from Salem, she brings back a doll she made for Elizabeth. After Cheever enters and starts to investigate, he finds a needle in the back of the doll. This most likely connects with the stabbing of Abigail earlier that night, only then a was needle found in Abigail's stomach. This really agitates Proctor since Mary is a person more close to him.

So...

Is Proctor a hero or a stooge?

To me, probably more stoog-ish. (at the time of this post.)

EDIT!!!! (10/7/10)

After I read the ending, my opinion about him changed completely. He gave up his life to save his wife. (Hey, that rhymed) So John Proctor is DEFINITELY now a hero.

Sinners in the Hands of a Furious GOD!

Yay, another blog.

Lol.

I believe sinners should be dealt with according to the severity of the sin(s). We all commit venial sins everyday, even when we don't notice. If you think about it, some of the world's greatest disasters (tsunamis, earthquakes, etc.) may have been a "punishment" for an action dealt with by God.

As discussed in Noah Suarez-Sikes' blog, he brings up the word theocracy (a form of government based on religion), and that makes me think, "Hmm, in a theocracy, how pretty much everything is based on religion, how would a serious sinner, "Witch", or whatever, be dealt with? How would God make him pay, and how would the other people in his community would think of him?"

There Goes the Neighborhood...

There Goes the Neighborhood... hmmm, an interesting topic indeed. In this blog, I will be expressing my opinions of the Native Americans as Columbus arrived and of the changes and clashes in my neighborhood. My outlook on it is that the Native Americans may have thought that Columbus was kind of taking over the land, in a way. They thought that he was changing their customs and traditions. Columbus may have seen it as a new opportunity to spread the lifestyles of his native Italians and other peoples from other countries. This poses the questions of, "Were the Natives glad that Columbus had discovered their land?" "Did they benefit from this, or were they caused detriment (harm)?" In my neighborhood there are really no serious clashes between groups, since I live in a mostly African-American neighborhood. What do you think? Do you think the Native Americans actually thought about it, or did they pay no mind? If you have a thought, please comment.

Introduction

Hello! My name is Darius Echols and I am a sophomore here at Whitney Young. I just transferred here from St. Laurence in Burbank.


Let's start with a little bit about myself. I JUST turned 15 on September 8th. (EDIT: At the time of this post, it was September 9th.) I'm usually the youngest in the grade, which sucks. I live with my parents on the south side. I do have two older sisters, but currently they do not live with me. One is a freshman at Illinois State University and the other lives in North Carolina. I wish I had at least one brother...

Both of my sisters graduated from Whitney Young, one last year in 2009, and one WAY back in 1996. For the most part, I transferred here because of the feedback I got from my sisters. They say that there's an excellent environment here and everyone is really nice and intelligent. Through my three days here (At the time of this post), I can already see that. I am glad to be spending my remaining three years of high school here.

In my spare time, I love to play Guitar Hero (I'm really good) and play piano. I like to hang out with friends, go to the movies, go bowling and to read. I am interested in learning Spanish and sign language. Learning different languages can go a long way when it comes to life.

Some of my favorite shows are Ghost Hunters, Family Guy, Hell's Kitchen, Everybody Hates Chris, and The Office. My favorite foods are pizza, seafood (especially crab), chocolate-covered raisins, and ice cream. I LOOOVE music. My favorite genres are alternative, rock, jazz, grunge, and pop rock. Some of my favorite bands are The White Stripes, Coldplay, Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age, Gorillaz, Kings of Leon, Rush, and TV on the Radio.

Well, that's a little bit about me; I hope you enjoyed it.

I look forward to posting more blogs over the course of the school year.

(Here are some pics of my fave bands)

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The White Stripes

 Coldplay

Nirvana

 Queens of the Stone Age

 Gorillaz

 Kings of Leon

 Rush

 TV on the Radio