Sound and Fury

Throughout the film, several arguments were displayed between the two families as well as among them. The main topics of these arguments were deaf culture, childhood experiences, and what’s best for their child to be successful in the future. In all of the arguments, there are many valid points that one ponders not matter deaf or hearing. All parents experience a time when they question whether what they are doing is best for their child. Also, parents decide what culture and experiences they are exposed to at a young age.

The most prominent argument throughout the film is between Peter, his wife Nita, and Peter’s mother. Multiple times their voices and body language raised as the conversations became more intense. Peter’s mother argued with logos that Heather would have both worlds with the cochlear implant and therefore have expanded opportunities in the future with education and jobs. Heather’s parents argued with pathos that Heather would lose all touch with deaf culture which is very important in them. Because their family is also surrounded by deaf culture and Heather’s parents are deaf, they want her to be like them-a deaf family.

The second argument that hit me as important in their decision with Heather was directed towards her childhood and how it would be affected. Heather’s parents were concerned about how she would react with children her age after the implant if they decided to go through with it. They even visited several schools and homes where children with the implant were located. Peter and Nita wanted her to interact with both the deaf and hearing and they didn’t think that was possible with the cochlear implant. Peter’s mother assured them that she would be able to but their pathos towards deaf discourse was too great.

Peter engaged in an intense argument with his mom. His mom was very pro-cochlear and he was strongly against it. His mother saw the struggles that her son went through and used past experiences to take a stance on the family issue. She felt that the implant would give her granddaughter a more normal life and would be able to get a better education and communicate better as a whole. Peter argued that he turned out just fine and is successful in his workplace while providing for his family. Both sides of the argument are valid which makes for a heated debate and proves no answer is necessarily wrong.

Irrational Fear

(fear of) Driving on Volume 13

There are no real reasons or events to why I am utterly afraid to turn the wheel of my car while the volume is on 13. I don’t have a superstition with number 13 outside of the vehicle. I think that only in the car, the number 13 is bad luck, or in my case, a point of no return. Because of this unusual, irrational fear, I ponder what would happen if I accidentally left it on that volume. Imagine taking a turn and not seeing a deer, or driving down the highway at night and running out of gas, or perhaps trying to tap your brakes and nothing happening. These are the thoughts that float in my head as to what terrible event could happen.

When riding in other cars, I watch the stereo intensely to which volume the music is set on. The number 13 seems to be close to the perfect volume in most cases. Watching closely as my friend turns the dial, I pray for any other number. Then it happens. Volume 13 stares right back at me. I often ask my friend to turn it up or down. One strategy after another is played like a game of chess. My favorites are “turn it down I’m on the phone” and “Oh, this is my favorite song, turn it up.” Sometimes I can incorporate my well thought out strategies but other times I flat out say don’t put it on volume 13 because it’s bad luck. I am not ashamed of my odd fear; it is just, like all people, something I have to live with. 

"Blurred Messages"

Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" music video has received worldwide attention because of the message that is indicted in the scene. Two sides are present when depicting the message portrayed. After reading "Blurred Lines... Is Kind of Rapey" by Tricia Romano, I could sense the anger and discomfort that many were feeling about the message in "Blurred Lines." I also read "Blurred Lines' is Cocky, Yes. But Rapey, No." by Jennifer Lai. The opinions expressed in this particular article were less of a concern towards women. Both articles had respective points to why the lyrics and music video raise concern to women.

My opinion after reading both sides to the Robin Thicke issue is that the music video and lyrics of the top 100 Billboard song were not meant to be harmful towards women. The intentions of the song were nothing more than a guy and girl flirting. Lai makes a valid point saying, "In fact, he's putting the ball in her court by telling her to make the move and not the other way around." Lai is reffering to the line "I know you want it" which implies that the girl wants it but doesn't use any forceful or non-consenting action in the lyric. Thicke may advertise himself as a cocky douche in the video but not to the extreme of a rapist. Maura Johnston, featured in the "Blurred Lines... Is Kind of Rapey" article, said, "Lyrically it's problematic, but I feel like so many pop songs right now are problematic." Johnston is a well-known critic and she feels that "Blurred Lines" is getting too much attention when there are songs that have a bigger controversial issue.

"Blurred Lines" is another song that hit the top of the charts and someone found something wrong with the message. Yes, some parts of the video may not look ethically correct; however, there isn't an implied message that has rape written all over it. Today's artists and lyrics are risky and they have to be with how competitive the market is. I think the message was interpreted incorrectly among viewers and was simply a flirtatious gesture. Media has blown up several situations that didn't need to be just to make money. This is one of those situations or "mix ups" that media has created.

The Energy Bus

Over the summer I read The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon. After reading this non-fiction Wall Street Bestseller I was definitely piloting my own bus towards a life full of positives. This book was previously recommended to me this summer to improve the mental side of my golf game. After a few pages through the novel I decided that this was a perfect fit for the AP Composition summer book. Gordon's words flowed effortlessly through each little chapter. Each chapter is about a different aspect of life and the brain and how you think. For example, one of the chapters was about love and why we need love in our lives to be able to be happy. Within the chapter it had five ways to love your passengers of your energy bus. My favorite section of the book was a small snip-it about how  energy feeds of people around you. If you are leading a team and your are negative, they are going to feel that negative energy and won't perform as you would expect. The energy one person exerts is capable to effect people up to 10 feet away while the brains thoughts only effect people up to one or two feet away. Gordon reiterates his thoughts to inflict the reader over and over again.

George is the main character in the story Gordon tells. His life is at an all time low with his job, marriage, children, and nothing was going his way...or so it seemed. George has a deadline at work for an important product launch. His boss told him that if he doesn't turn his life and production around, he will be fired after the product launch. When all is tunneling down the drain, the best thing of his entire life happens, his car has a flat tire. George was forced to take the bus which was the last thing George wanted to do at the time. That day George met Joy, the (energy) bus driver. Over the course of the novel she teaches George the 10 Rules for the Ride of Your Life. George applies theses rules to his work and life to turn it all around. He starts loving life again and becoming more successful because of it. His marriage turns around and divorce is now entirely off the table. He nails the product launch with his team. All of these accomplishments were because of the positive energy George acquired by piloting his very own Energy Bus.

This book makes you realize the joys you have in your life and to always look at the positives. Joy's 10 rules are helpful and put you not only in George's shoes but also make you think about your own life and what could be more positive to live a happier life on your own Energy Bus.

If Men Could Menstruate and The Great Lawsuit

Both essays were appealing to me with the different views each sex had on the other. Men tend to believe that they are superior to women as women tend to believe that they are just as good as the men but stayed home and did what the men said anyway. I think that Margaret Fuller's The Great Lawsuit took a much more traditional view as it was written in the 1800s. Gloria Steinem's If Men Could Menstruate was much more humorous and I believe it took a more modern view of our society's sexist issues.

I felt like I wasn't able to relate as well to Fuller's essay, but I agreed with one statement: "All men are privately influenced by women." If it wasn't for women, men would act differently and I believe they would have different characteristics. There wouldn't be the "man power" that men are known for and the so called manliness that is boasted. Fuller also mentioned women being shut out from the marketplace which was true when her essay was written; however, this traditional unfairness is no longer true. Women hold powerful jobs in today's economy and some even make important decisions for our country.

Transitioning to Steinem's essay, Steinem illustrates in her writing that women should have equality among men. Her idea of MENstruating isn't as quite far-fetched as it may seem. If men were to menstruate, they would consider it manly and would brag about it no doubt. A male's nature to boast anything that might give them an upper edge declaring superiority over someone else is inevitable. Steinem's way of present this well-known characteristic was funny and entertaining. The whole point was to give an example of how men would try to show women that they are better no matter the situation.

I think that today's society is very forgiving of sexes and as a whole we have developed a more equal playing field for women. In fact, men are even taking the traditional roles of women like being a stay at home dad, or nursing for example. Both essays explained the importance of equality and how it affects our daily lives.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

This essay was a real eye opener because it brought forth the negative effects that the internet can cause. We as humans of the modern age have been a costumed to the web and internet as a daily part of our lives. I think that after reading the essay by Nicholas Carr, the internet could have a negative affect on our brains and change the way we learn.

First, Carr suggests that staying focused longer is being impaired by the action of web browsing constantly. The web is extremely fast moving and flashy which is a concern to the brain stimulation caused on people's brains. There is no doubt that the web allows us to achieve facts and knowledge one hundred times faster. What we could achieve in a month 20 years ago, we can learn in a single day.

Another point that Carr displayed was the use of the "skip and scan" method becoming more popular with the use of the internet. I am definitely a skipper and scanner because that is what is efficient. We are expected to read so many pages online or in a textbook but within those few hundred pages, there is a smaller, more important amount of information that we actually need to learn to be successful. Carr also called this method "power browsing."

I agree that the internet is changing our lives drastically, but I don't believe that it is making us stupid. The internet is only helping our society become more advanced and allowing us to research and explore areas that otherwise would be left untouched.

The Ethics of Living Jim Crow

I was very intrigued after reading The Ethics of Living Jim Crow by Richard Wright. The racism that lingered in the South was beyond what I could ever imagine. The white community was very dangerous as Richard talked about not being able to go near their yards and houses because they would find some excuse to gain up on the blacks.

As I read further and further, I noticed that the white people truly did feel like they were dominant over the blacks and needed to show it by abusing Richard and the rest. I was heart broken by some of the events that happened to Richard like being picked up and beaten by white kids and being told he was a lucky one for not killing him! That's crazy! Another lesson within the Jim Crow living was the respect that the black community had to give the whites to just stay out of trouble. Blacks who didn't want any trouble like Richard were caught in situations where if you said something wrong, punishment would be the result.

It must have been scary just seeing and confronting whites around town because Richard wouldn't know what they would do. He would rather just move along without any contact or to have a chance to make them mad. Even saying "yessir" and "thank you sir" could have done harm living in the Jim Crow racism. The images depicted by Richard were horrific yet informative as we still try to understand the life as an African American living Jim Crow.

Talk of the Town

When this essay was written there was an abundance despair and retaliation brewing after the terrorist attacks in the Unites States. These two essays written by John Updike and Susan Sontag resemble the emotion and patriotism involved in the American's lives. I enjoyed Updike's essay in that I was able to go back to that day when it all happened. I remember it vaguely when my mom picked me up for school but it hit close to home as did to many Americans. Sontag's essay was confusing to me with mixed messages that could be interpreted differently.

John Updike's essay was pleasing to read and thumped the reader's heart with the extreme nationalism and pride that was expressed throughout. Later in his essay portrayed the firemen, "Determined men who have transposed their own lives to a martyr's afterlife." This phrase illustrates the bravery that hundreds of firemen and officers offered on September 11, 2001.

At times Sontag reached my emotions about 9/11 but didn't back her thoughts up. in the introduction of the essay, she was admiring the destruction that the terrorists did for their religion which was bone-chilling coming from an American. I felt from reading her words she didn't feel the sadness that most did; however, she was later explaining how "America is not afraid" and "our spirit is unbroken."

I liked the two views that the authors expressed and was touched by the passion that our country had and still has as a result of this horrific event uniting our country.

Me, Myself, and I

My name is Jackson Eversoll residing in McFarland, WI. I am a senior at the high school here and will be attempting my first blog post this second. Some things about me that may be important is that I am a total sports fan, especially Wisconsin teams. I also play sports of my own such as Basketball and Golf both competitively. In the summer I am always at the golf course. Most people ask me how I can spend so much time on golf; it is so frustrating! But I reply with that I simply love the game and the challenges along with it. Although sports are a major part in my young life, I like to think of myself as a little more sophisticated than that...hopefully.

One of my favorite activities to do in the summer is go wakeboarding, surfing, disking, skiing, anything on the water. I have a cabin on the water in northern Wisconsin and have grown up on the lake. When I am on the lake with my friends I feel at home and enjoy every second of it.

I am not all fun and games however; I take school very seriously and strive to be the best student I can be even though I am definitely not particularly smart unlike many of my fellow blogging geniuses. I consider myself a hard worker with decent work ethic considering I am a teenager.

Concluding my brief introduction about myself, I hope that I am of interest to the blogging world out there and look forward to interacting on your blogs